Change is Coming, Week 2
Tim Ross | October 9, 2022
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Transcription
Tim: Y'all sit down because I got to go to work. We have two pastors for three months. Don't make it weird. You invite some people here, just be like, "Yes, yes, we got a pastor, what's his name, Tim?" Got made it super easy for us. I want to calibrate what's happening over the next few months. I'm preaching this weekend, I'm preaching next weekend, and then Tim will speak the last two weekends in October. You're going to hear a shift in my voice. You're going to get used to Tim's voice as he's speaking, but you're going to hear a shift in mine.
The shift you're going to hear in my voice is from that of a pastor to that of an apostle. It's not deep. I'm not about to grow like a long white beard. I'm not going to come in here next week with no robe on. It simply means that I feel like some of my responsibility outgoing is to set the house in order, so that tone may feel a little firmer to you. You may be like, "I'm not used to-- Why is he-- Seems like he's--" I'm not mad but I'm just setting the house in order. I'm calibrating you so that when Tim steps into the season fully as the lead pastor, that the house is in order.
I'm going to say things that he cannot say. I'm going to say things he should not have to say. If it feels like you got popped upside your
head, it means you did, and I ain't taking it back. If the shoe fits, wear it. In that context, let us go to the Word of God, but before we do, let's make some declarations, so get your Bibles. Get your Bibles, toss them up real high. If you got a heavy Bible, your fault. If you got a cell phone, put it up. If it's an Apple, put it way up.
If it's an Android, oh, it's okay, just put it up and believe God. If he can turn water into wine, he can turn that green robot into something else. If you don't have a phone, if you don't have a Bible, just put your arm in the air, just put your hand in the air. Don't wave it though, you ain't at the club. Real high, real high, real loud, real loud. Today.
Congregation: Today.
Tim: Louder, today.
Congregation: Today.
Tim: The Holy Spirit.
Congregation: The Holy Spirit.
Tim: Is going to speak to me.
Congregation: Is going to speak to me.
Tim: About change.
Congregation: About change.
Tim: After today.
Congregation: After today.
Tim: I will know.
Congregation: I will know.
Tim: And fully understand.
Congregation: And fully understand.
Tim: That God.
Congregation: That God.
Tim: Is the God.
Congregation: Is the God.
Tim: Of my seasons.
Congregation: Of my seasons.
Tim: Not one of them.
Congregation: Not one of them.
Tim: Not two of them.
Congregation: Not two of them.
Tim: Not three of them.
Congregation: Not three of them.
Tim: All of them.
Congregation: All of them.
Tim: I will.
Congregation: I will.
Tim: Embrace.
Congregation: Embrace.
Tim: Every season.
Congregation: Every season.
Tim: He leads me into.
Congregation: He leads me into.
Tim: All right, let's go. Let's go. Go with me to the book of Ecclesiastes. Book of Ecclesiastes 3. I want to read eight verses in your hearing, and then I'll give you the title, we'll pray and see what the Lord will say. Ecclesiastes 3. Starting at the first verse, here's what it says. "For everything, there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace." If you're taking notes on this message, four words, very simple, A Time to Change. I want to talk to you today about a time to change. Bow your heads, let's pray over the word, shall we? Holy Spirit, help us to embrace change. Amen.
Congregation: Amen.
Tim: Solomon writes the book of Ecclesiastes, and if you were to read it straight through without any significant time to allow the nuances and the words to really settle in, the book of Ecclesiastes sounds like the most cynical book in the entire Bible. Straight up, it sounds like Solomon after amassing all his wealth and having all of his wisdom, concludes that all of life is meaningless, it's just a vapor, and why are we even here in the first place? We might as well eat drink and be married because it's all for nothing.
Upon further investigation, if you read chapter number one, what he is trying to introduce an open up for us to pontificate-- delicious word, four syllables, use it. If you want to know what it means, look it, pontificate. He wants us to settle in and start to really digest what it is to live life around the themes of time, around the themes of suffering, around the themes of change, around the themes of death. He doesn't want us to just see it happen and us not have a context to what it means.
As I began to think about the season that we are in, the changes that God is making in this house, in our lives, I thought it would be good to get context so that we understand where God wants to take us. I have two points to this message, please write them down. Point number one. Very, very simple. Very, very basic. Everything has a season. Everything has a season. I don't care how much you enjoy the season that you're in, whatever it may be, it will change. I don't care how good it is right now, it will change. I don't care how bad it is right now, it will change.
Some of you all might be like, "No, no, no, don't say that sir because this is the longest season I have ever been in in my entire life." Anybody beside me had a season that you thought was never going to end. "I've been broke a long time, Lord." Huh? "I come from generations of brokenness, sir. When's this season going to change for me?" Spoiler alert, when you change. [chuckles] It already started. I didn't even think it was going to happen that fast, but it already started.
The seasons are important. God established the seasons in the beginning. You go back to Genesis 1. He literally established the seasons in the beginning so that there would be markers for us to understand what happens in those seasons. The entire Jewish calendar is literally set according to agricultural seasons. They celebrate all of their major festivals around seasons. It is in those seasons that you get to explore all that God wants to do in the spring, in the summer, in the fall, and in the winter.
You find out things when seasons change that you would never find out if they never do. This is why I tell all couples that get together when they're dating and they're so in love, I just tell them, make sure you see all four seasons first because when you meet somebody at springtime, everything is new.
Hummingbirds are buzzing, eyes are fluttering. Spring is in the air, birds are chirping. Dogs are barking, cats are meowing, lions are roaring. How long is he going with the animal references? I can go forever actually. It's all good in the spring, it's new. Then after spring comes summer, and passion takes in. You're just hot.
[laughter]
Tim: Makeup on, you're hot. No makeup on, you're hot. Dressed up, you're hot. Shirt off, you're hot. Ooh, you just hot. Then it falls. This is where most people break up and re-up because they only fell in love with two seasons. I like spring and I like summer, but I don't like when it changes. I don't like when it falls. I hate the fact that you didn't respond instantaneously to my text. The leaves start to change and you start to see them in a light that is completely different than the light that you first fell in love with them in.
If you're not ready to embrace change, this is when you break up looking for spring again. The change comes. If you get adjusted to the change, you're like, "oh, oh, well, well." [mumbling] I don't like the fact that you get hungry from time to time. I'm starting to figure out a little bit about your trauma. You get petty. You bark real loud. You're a runner. You're a track star.
[laughter]
Tim: I thought those were just some nice Nikes, but I see spikes on the bottom of them, and you're ready to sprint right now. If you do get past the change of the season, most people can't endure winter when it gets cold. When you wake up in the morning and you don't feel in love, you think something's wrong. We must not be compatible for each other anymore. I don't have the same spark that I had when I first met you. Nothing's wrong with the relationship, it's just winter, get a coat. It will be warm again.
If you can't embrace the season that you're in, you will miss what God's trying to teach you. My oldest son Nathan is 14 years old. I can remember like it was a few hours ago, him being born. I was over the doctor's shoulder for both of my kids' birth. I watched the baby come out of Juliette. I cut the umbilical cord and they cleaned that joker off. They put him-- literally, his head fit in the palm of my hand. His little legs was dangling right below my elbow. I was walking around with this child in my right hand as if he was a football with the pride of a million lions.
"I have a man-child. God has blessed the Ross generation to go on for another--" So proud of that child. I remember him, his head was right here. He is 5'7.5 today. He could wear my shoes three months ago, he can't now. I prayed to be six feet. The Lord went right past me at 5 foot 9 inches. Through all those prayers on him, I said, "Sir, I wasn't talking about him. I wanted that for me." This dude is on pay. He going to be about 6'4, can't ball at all.
[laughter]
Tim: I don't know, God must have a completely different plan for his life. He better win a Fortnite tournament or something because what he can't do is play basketball. If I didn't appreciate baby Nathan, I would resent teenage Nathan. See, if you don't embrace the season you're in, you will literally get stuck when God's trying to move because what you don't properly grieve, you will never properly leave.
I know people in this room that are single right now for one reason and one reason only, you're stuck. Ooh, it got quieter. You are copying and pasting your past experience to your present situation. You cannot see clearly because you never let go of what was, to embrace what you have now.
As the writer begins to write through this, there was a line that I just thought was perfect for us in the time that we are going through.
It said that there's a time to kill and a time to heal. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them. Right here, a time to embrace and a time to turn away. In Middle Eastern culture, this passage would have had more significance in their context than it does for us at first blush because a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing has to do with the fact that in Middle Eastern culture, there is a lot of public displays of affection.
A lot of hand- holding, a lot of hugging, a lot of kissing. When you greet somebody, when you leave somebody, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. Another way that this particular sentence could be translated is this, a time for hellos and a time for goodbyes. Here's the thing that I've learned in my lifetime. People are really excited about hellos. They have a really hard time with goodbyes. Don't say goodbye, just say, "See you later."
[laughter]
Tim: "Me and you shall never part, Makidada." Right? What? Right. "Get off my land." I had to do the whole scene since I started it. If you haven't seen, Color Purple, that's your homework for this week.
[laughter]
Tim: We're really good with hellos. We're not that good with goodbyes. Anybody graduated high school? Maybe I shouldn't have you raise your hand just in case.
[laughter]
Tim: I don't know. Life could get hard sometime. Some of y'all like, "I'm about to get my GED, man. Don't worry about it. God's working on me, I was late to the part." Do you remember your senior year, last day of school?
Congregation: Yes.
Tim: I don't know if anybody comes from the generation I come from, but senior year, last day of school, yearbooks got passed around and there was shaving cream. I don't know where the shaving cream came from, but there were copious amounts of shaving cream for no reason that I know to this day, but it was out there. You were right in the back of the yearbook on the blank pages like, "I'm going to miss you." You would leave your home phone number, landline. How old am I right now?
You would write your home phone number in the back and then I would just see the girls crying. [crying sounds] I'm going to miss you, Simon. [crying sounds] They're just crying. I'm like, "What is the problem? Y'all live two houses down from each other. You're crying like you're never going to see him again, and y'all about to walk home together. He is going to come out of your house tomorrow? She lived two doors down on the same side, you're going to see her tomorrow."
I couldn't appreciate what they were crying over. They were saying goodbye to the season, not each other, just the season. They were crying because it ain't going to be the way that it was. We're not going to share first period together and go to a lunch and then after a lunch, we ain't going to be in PE together, fifth period, sweating off all our makeup. We shouldn't even put it on, but we did it anyway. We don't want to take a shower in the creepy public bathroom because we don't know who, who, who-- We're just saying goodbye to what was.
If you don't embrace goodbyes, you can't embrace hellos. You can't embrace the newness of what God wants to give you. Even the season that we're going through, it's okay. You can, yay, that's fine. "Okay, I'm going to miss what was." Grieve that, that's okay, and then leave it because there is no follow-up cake. I just want you to know, we don't have another 1100 bundt cakes to keep. Make sure you are right through the whole three months.
You're getting more cake, you're going to be all right. You getting more —- white raspberry. Okay, here you go. Oh, you want the lemon?—-You want two? You're greedy—-There is no follow-up cake. I hope you got your portion last week. I hope you ate it and I hope you felt what you felt. The seasons changing. If you're okay with the season changing, you can be okay with God doing something new for you, in you, through you, to you.
[applause]
I want to give you point number two, then I want to read you this passage. Point number two, please write this down. Seasons change. Point blank, period. Seasons change. Here's what it says in Matthew 16:21. "From then on, Jesus began to tell his disciples--" Let me paint this. Let me slow down. Thank you, Holy Spirit.
Matthew 16, this is where Jesus does the pop quiz with his disciples and he says, "Hey, who do men say that I am?" They're like, "Some say that you are this and that and the other." He goes, "Great, great, great, great, great. Who do you say that I am?" Peter, who had just walked on water either a few days ago or a couple of weeks ago, he was like, "I know the answer to this. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. You are the Messiah that the Old Testament has prophesied. You are right here in front of my face. I know that's you. I was standing on water."
He goes, "Good job, Peter." Flesh and blood did not reveal that to you. My father in heaven has revealed that to you. You know what? As a matter of fact, I'm going to change your name. You shall no longer be called Simon. You shall be called Peter. You are a rock. Upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it, and I'm handing you the keys to the kingdom."
This is a good day for Peter. Oh, oh, Ooh that was good. The Holy Spirit just said, "When I trust you with more revelation, I can also trust you with more contextualization." The more revelation I give you, the more responsible you are for the context that comes with it. Jesus did not start breaking down what was next for him until they got a greater revelation of who he was.
When they did, it says this, starting after the 21st verse. From then on, from the time they got this revelation, Jesus began to teach his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day, he would be raised from the dead. Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. "Heaven forbid it, Lord," he said, "This will never happen to you."
Now, can I just pause? Can you imagine talking with Jesus and he gives you a revelation that you don't particularly like, and your response is to grab him by the elbow? "Come over here. Let me holla at you for a second. Rabbi, teacher, Messiah, son of God, hey man, I heard what you just said in front of all the people now. I might be feeling myself a little bit, you just changed my name, you gave me some keys. Now you're telling me you're going to die. Not on my watch.
[laughter]
Tim: I wish-- I know you heard it in your head. "I wish they would. You're not going to die." It sounds noble. It sounds protective. It sounds like loyalty. Jesus hears something completely different. His tone changes. After the affirmation of him receiving this incredible revelation, bestowing upon him a name that would be befitting for what he would do in the future, giving him something spiritual, like keys that would unlock stuff natural and tangibly in the earth realm. Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get away from me, Satan." Can we just go slow?
[laughter]
Tim: This is a bad day for Pete. It's too many emotions, and the roller coaster just went the wrong way. You have just answered something that 4,000 years of human history has been waiting to hear. You got your name changed and you got keys to the kingdom. You are now not even Simon, you are Peter. If he wrote it down, before the ink could dry, it sound like Jesus called him Satan. Can you imagine him going, "Wait a minute, sir? It's Simon.
[laughter]
Tim: I think what you just said was Satan, but I'm sure maybe you're not used to the new name you just gave me. It should be Peter, so you probably meant Simon, Satan--" Then He says this, "You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's." He said, "Hey, man, I appreciate the revelation you just got. I'm not taking the keys back. I'm not like that but I do want to let you know, you're being influenced by another spirit. Peter, I'm not calling you Satan, but I know who just whispered in your ear.
Based on the sound of your voice, I know who just whispered in your ear and it was not my dad. It was Satan, and I need him to step back. I need you to be closer to my voice and much further to his because if you keep saying that, you are a trap to me. I cannot allow you to impede me from doing what God has called me to do. Simon Peter, I was made to do this. I was sent here to do this. This is part of God's plan for my life. It sounds terrible, I know, but in three days I'm going to rise again. I promise you, I'm going to get up with all power in my hand."
It sounds crazy. You just got here. You are just now getting a revelation of who I am. You just got here, and you're like, 'How are you leaving?' You just got here." I just got a revelation of Jesus. Now I know who he is in a more dynamic way and you leaving. Be careful what you comment. I'm not calling me Jesus and I'm not calling you Peter, but I want to warn us all not to be a dangerous trap to what the Lord clearly has called us to do.
God has clearly called me to go to an apostolic missionary role. God has clearly called Tim to lead this church. All I'm telling you is be careful what you comment. I may never hear it, but He will. I don't want you to get reprimanded like Peter did. I don't want nobody in here in their devotion time to hear, "Get behind me Satan." You got on worship music and you're like, "He won't fail. He won't fail. He won't." Then you hear, then take your mouth off of this. Fix your attitude. Stop complaining. If you can't handle this change, you won't be able to receive what I want to do in this change.
Everybody do like this. Open-handed ministry, this has always been my philosophy on anything that God has given me. With an open hand, God can put something in your hand. Why? Because your hand's open. Here's how most people think they're supposed to hold what God gives them. This is not how you hold what God gives you. When your hand is open, He can put something in your hand. Well, then if I don't hold it like this, how am I supposed to hold it? Steady.
I don't have to do this to hold anything God gives me. All I got to do is keep my hand steady. That's why you got to be on a firm foundation. That's why you can't be shaken with doubt and with fear because then you'll drop what he's giving you, but if you can be steady, if you can be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, that means He can always trust to put something in your hand and He can always trust that when it's time to take it out of your hand, He won't fight with you.
Here's what I've seen most people do, especially in a season that they love. They white knuckle this thing. "The Lord gave it to me. It's mine." When your hand is open, God can put something in your hand. If you keep it steady, God'll keep it in your hand. When it's time to transition, He'll take it out of your hand. Smooth. This is the easiest transition I've ever done in my entire life. Ain't nothing about this transition been hard. Has it been hard? It ain't been hard. If I were to do this, I get in a tug of war with God. Who going to win that one? I'm going to lose all the meat right here.
I'm telling you, He going to yank one time, I'm going to lose all this here. All this going away. It's just going to be nasty, pink flesh, white meat. All right there. Everybody do this. How many things have you missed God depositing into you because you're still like this? September 4th, the eleven o'clock service, we had a move of God. I didn't even preach the same sermon that I did at the nine o'clock, and people gave their life to Jesus during worship. At the end, everybody came up to get filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was a dope weekend.
I'm in the back, I'm sitting down, I'm just me, I cry. It's too easy. I'm like, Oh, thank you, Jesus. Oh, Jesus, you're so good. The parking lot is all the way empty, so I walk out, and two of our most faithful ambassadors happened to be right outside of Guest Central. They were like, "Yo, we heard the services were good. We heard the nine o'clock was good. We heard the eleven o'clock was good. We didn't get to hear either one of them because both services was in overflow.
People had been coming here, they have been flying here from different states. They have been driving two, three hours away to come to service." She said, "They all got one thing in common, Tim." I said, "What?" She said, "The basement." In my heart, because I had to keep a poker face for a whole year. Imagine that. We were a month away from the announcement. When she said that, she said, "They all got one thing in common, Tim." I said, "What?" She said, "The basement."
The first thing that I said in my heart was, "Then why am I leaving?" Then the second thing I said was, "My bad, God." Anybody beside me, have you ever thought something in your head, it never came out of your mouth, but you knew God heard it. You were like, "Oh, Jesus." "Sir, I heard that too. I just want to acknowledge, I heard what you heard. I know you know my thoughts from afar off, so you probably saw that one coming. I didn't." I got so shook because I was like, "I didn't even know I was going to say that out of my heart," but it needed to come out.
It was like, you need the question answered. Why am I leaving? If everything good, why am I leaving? Holy Spirit said, "I am not offended in the least, Tim, that you would ask that question. Let me answer it for you." He said, "You're leaving because I don't want you to carry two burdens."You know what I thought about? I thought about all these superhero pastors doing everything, everywhere, at all times. They're doing more than what God has intended them to do.
Marriage is on the rocks. Kids don't like them at all because they ain't seen them. They've done 250,000 miles in a year. They've preached the glorious gospel all around this planet. When you ask them, "How are you doing?" They can't even answer you without giving you their entire itinerary.
"Doc, it's just been busy, you know what I'm saying? Did a revival last week, but coming up is a conference that I'm doing in Singapore. God's using me in a mighty way."
I'm like, "I did not ask you all of that." When the Holy Spirit said, "I don't want you to carry two burdens." Here's what I remembered. Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." Which is the truth until you start doubling and tripling up on them. Where you were only supposed to have this in your hand, I see people walking-- when it all crumbles, they have the nerve to blame God.
I was doing this work for the Lord, God was using me, then the devil just came in. The devil didn't come in. You came in. You messed yourself up because when he got ready to hand you something new, you didn't put down what was in your hand already. I don't want to be reprimanded by God. I don't want to be the superhero pastor. I don't want him to yell at me, "Move, Tim, get out the way." I thought one person would've. Y'all been with me the whole time, and now you deep.
[congregation laughing]
What comes after that? I don't-- [chuckles]
[congregation laughing]
When God moves, I move. Okay, now we got you back.
[applause]
[congregation laughing]
There you go. I lost you and got you back all in the 60 seconds. Y'all are so good.
[congregation laughing]
I don't have another one. Y'all ready now? Y'all like, "Which one you coming with next?" I don't have another one. I'm good. The season's changing. He's told us what this will be and now we have the opportunity to respond. The greatest moves of God that I've ever seen in my life have always come when I've been submitted to his changes. The Holy Spirit told me, in June of 1997, to buy a one-way ticket to Dallas, two days before I was coming to Dallas to visit.
I was supposed to be out here for a month. Two days before I left, I was in my prayer time and the Holy Spirit said, ''Buy a one-way ticket to Dallas.'' I submitted it to my parents because I've always been submitted, at every stage of my life. That's why it was important for us to show Pastor Robert Morris's words with me standing next to him. Just in case anybody thinks anything, we going to silence all the lambs.
[congregation laughing]
It's a double entendre. Stay with me. He said, "Buy a one-way ticket to Dallas." My parents released me, because they were also my pastors. I was old enough to do what I wanted, because they were also my pastors, I had to respect that office that they have in my life. I submitted it to them. They said, "We were just your babysitters. You've never belonged to us. We were just keeping you into God's call. Took you where you needed to go."
They pastored a church that had less than 100 people. They raised $400 for me and they bought me a Greyhound bus ticket. I packed the three suitcases, took the $400, spent two and a half days getting from California to Texas. I've been here ever since. Every promise God had for me was in me embracing that change. I found my wife in 98. We got married in 99. I was at the Potter's House for 13 and a half years. If it wasn't for that season of my life, I would not be who I am today.
God molded me. He shaped me. He made me be the person I am in that house. It's a season that I'll never forget, I'll never diminish. Then in 2008, he said, ''It's time for another change.'' I thought it was going to be a change of position, but we prayed through it, all of 09, and in 2010, he said, ''This is going to be your last year at the Potter's House.'' Y'all. My future was set, but I don't have a career. I have a calling.
[applause]
If I was trying to make a career move, I'd still be there, but because I have a calling, and because I've never made any platform, I've stood on an idol. It means I can walk on it and walk off. It don't make me. My identity has never been in this church. My identity has never been on this platform. It's easy for me to walk away, because I've never made this my identity, my identity is in Jesus. 2010 was our last season and we transitioned.
If I wouldn't have transitioned, I would've missed Australia, Singapore, South America, Canada, the Caribbean, the UK, Malaysia. Then he took me from the Blackities Black Church,-
[congregation laughing]
-and without ever leaving the metroplex,-
[congregation laughing]
-took me to the whitest of white churches.
[congregation laughing]
He said, ''This is where I want you to be." Juliet and I didn't even want to go to Gateway. Juliet said, ''I don't like their worship,'' she said, ''It's too wordy. It sounds like a journal. They just need to write that down." She was like, "Where's the hook? Where's the vamp? I don't even--" Three months later, she was in there-- [sings]
[applause]
[congregation laughing]
Why? For one reason, and one reason only. We embrace change. "Ooh, thank you, Holy Spirit." I didn't let my cultural preference stop me from being led to where God want-- Y'all better--
[applause]
I wish you would.
[applause]
Let me just throw a grenade, since I'm at it. Some of y'all single right now because you still have a racial preference. I told you it was a grenade. Yes. You could have been married.
[congregation laughing]
Oh, it's tight. I felt that thing on me. That wasn't even for me. I'm like, "Oh Jesus, please help the people." Okay. I got over there in the South Lake. South Lake.
[congregation laughing]
Listen, listen.
[congregation laughing]
I walked up in there. "What y'all do over here, what y'all be doing over here?" God endeared me to them people in the same way I was, on the south side of town, because I was open to change. Then the Holy Spirit said, ''Now I want you to go plant a church in Irving, Texas.'' I had no idea, at the time, that the zip code that we were planting this church in is one of the most racial diverse zip codes in the United States of America. I come from LA, so I'm used to being around all races.
When I got out down here to Texas, I was like, "Oh, segregation was real down here." I moved here in 1996. I was like, "Oh, y'all was serious about that segregation thing," because I was looking around, I was like, "Where is everybody else?"
[congregation laughing]
I'm from Cali. I moved from Cali to Oak Cliff. I moved to Oak Cliff. I was looking around, I was like, "Is there a white person anywhere? Where are the Mexicans at? Where are the Asians at? Where are the Indians at? I need everybody. Where are they?" And they were like, "Well, the white people is up north, around there, off the tollway and stuff. Then the Hispanics is east, and the Asian is wherever we at, because they just giving us the service that we all need. We got hair over here, nails over here."
[congregation laughing]
He took me from Blackity Black to Whiter of white, and then brought me to Irving. Why? Because he wanted this church to look like heaven.
[applause]
Despite the cultural differences, despite all of the different backgrounds, the ethnicities, and the experiences, we have pushed past all of that to be the church that God wants to see when we get to heaven.
[applause]
Then the Lord is so obnoxious that He's like, "Hey Tim, y'all are starting this church and I know that you are in an intercultural relationship," because y'all, look at Juliet. Juliet is fine, but Juliet is not African-American. That is not like a Black girl from America. She is Afro-Caribbean. You may not think there's a difference. Oh, I'm here to tell you there is.
[congregation laughing]
Listen, we got married and I thought that mocha skin was enough of a connection, then I found out, "Oh, no. Okay, you're different. Okay. Is that how Jamaicans--? I don't know anything about that. I'm American, I don't know what you're doing. Why are we not on time? I don't understand."
[congregation laughing]
I don't understand island time. I've been hanging with White people. I'm on time. I don't know--
[congregation laughing]
I don't understand why we're not-- How are we 15 minutes late and I woke you up three hours early? I don't understand.
[congregation laughing]
This is not the way it was supposed to be. The Lord was like, "I want to keep that same energy." I'm going from Tim and Juliet, to Tim and Jennice, a guy that is, upon first blush, African-American, but the dude was born in Germany. First language is German. Daddy is African-American, mama is from Sri Lanka. Then he married a White girl.
[congregation laughing]
He could keep that same energy that this is the spirit of this house. In every change that has been made, I see more of God. "I am the Lord and I changeth not." He don't change, but He makes sure He ensures that we do.
Speaker 1: That's good.
Tim: Or we'll never see Him as well-rounded as we need to.
[applause]
This is our change. This is our season. This is our day. Fresh anointing is coming our way.
Congregation: This is our power and prosperity.
Tim: It's a new season coming to me. Everybody now, sing.
[congregation laughing]
It's a new-
Congregation: -season.
Tim: It's a new-
Congregation: -day.
Tim: Fresh-
Congregation: -anointing is flowing my way.
It's a season of power and prosperity.
Tim: It's a new season coming to me.
[music]
This how you're going to get it. Just keep your hand open because I think He's ready to put something in your hand, that you been praying for. You thought it was coming through this town, it's coming through that town.
[applause]
Again, it's a new season,
It's a new day,
Fresh anointing is coming our way.
[music]
Congregation: This is our power and-
Tim: -prosperity.
Congregation: It's a new season coming to me.
All: It's a new season,
It's a new day,
Fresh anointing is coming my way,
It's a season of power and prosperity,
It's a new season coming to me.
Everybody, stand to your feet.
—-
Tim: All right, check this out. I felt this in the first service, and I feel it in the second service. I want to pray for some people who have a hard time with change. It's not that you're resistant to it, it's not that you'll be rebellious to what the Lord tells you to do. I'm not just talking about the change that's happening here, I'm talking about in your life. Let me put it this way, let me ask you a question. How many people would say, "I'm set in my ways?"
Thank you for your honesty. I love it. Oh, oh, big energy. Big vulnerability energy. I love that. "I'm just set in my ways. I am how I am."
[congregation laughing]
What if how you am is hindering you from what could be? What if he wanted to give you something and it's on the other side of a door that looks super scary? I know what that feels like. When I left Potter's House, I remember getting my last check from the Potter's House and looking at it and going, "Okay, Lord, well, I guess I work for you now." I didn't know what was coming next. I didn't have a bunch of speaking engagements lined up.
He told me to leave and I leave there. Everybody would ask me, "What are you about to do next?" I'd say, "I have no clue." This season I'm in right now, Apostolic Missionary, I don't know what that means.
[congregation laughing]
Don't ask me. I heard the Lord say it and it's in scripture and I'm like, "Yes, Apostolic Missionary." Everybody heard it, yes, Apostolic Missionary. They're like, "What are you going to be doing?" I'm like, "No, I don't know." "You're going to be traveling a lot?" "No." I don't feel called to go all around the world, I feel called to help five, six churches. I don't even know what that looks like. I don't even know if that's feasible, but I'm going to tell you what.
Before I disobey God, I'll sell my house and move into an apartment. I promise you I will.
[applause]
I ain't scared of nothing. I'm not trying to work out money. No, I'm just obedient. I know what it is now, to go through a door that you don't know what's on the other side. I don't know what's on the other side but I know who is.
[applause]
I don't have to know what's on the other side, I know who is on the other side. The same one that's been with me all this time. I want to pray for some people that are stuck in their ways. I know you said set, I change it to stuck, psych. I just want you to come from wherever you are. "I'm set in my ways and I need to shift in that. This can't be. I need to do something new. I don't even know how to do nothing new. I'm scared of new. I'm afraid of who I might turn into, if I give God permission to do something new, that I'm not used to."
However you feel that, wherever you feel that, I'm telling you-- If you just open up to what God may want to do, He will do something exceedingly, abundantly, above anything that you could ask or think. Don't be afraid of change. Don't be afraid of new. You can be concerned, but you can't be afraid, for God is not giving you the spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind.
[applause]
You have nothing to be afraid of, girl. Nothing to be afraid of. Everybody, hand out. Since I seem to have a PhD in transition, I just want you to repeat after me. Follow this prayer and these words, then you can make up your own as you continue to pray through this. Say, Lord,-
Congregation: Lord,-
Tim: -I place my faith in you.
Congregation: -I place my faith in you.
Tim: And with my hand open,-
Congregation: And with my hands open,-
Tim: -I give you permission-
Congregation: -I give you permission-
Tim: -to remove anything-
Congregation: -to remove anything-
Tim: -that you no longer want to be there.
Congregation: -that you no longer want to be there.
Tim: And-
Congregation: And-
Tim: -I give you full permission-
Congregation: -I give you full permission-
Tim: -to place into my hands-
Congregation: -to place into my hands-
Tim: -anything-
Congregation: -anything-
Tim: -that you want to put there.
Congregation: -that you want to put there.
Tim: Relationships.
Congregation: Relationships.
Tim: My profession.
Congregation: My profession.
Tim: My emotions.
Congregation: My emotions.
Tim: My physical body.
Congregation: My physical body.
Tim: Whatever you want me to change,-
Congregation: Whatever you want me to change,-
Tim: -I'm open to change.
Congregation: -I'm open to change.
Tim: Help me-
Congregation: Help me-
Tim: -to get out of-
Congregation: -to get out of-
Tim: -my own way.
Congregation: -my own way.
Tim: [chuckles] I felt that thing right there. Woo. Jesus, for my brothers and sisters, Your sons and daughters, I thank You for the vulnerability that has always been in this house, the sensitivity to the spirit that has always been in this house. I thank You to be doing life with such honest people. God, would You take all of us, who may have some ways that we are set in, and would You just be the gentle jackhammer that breaks up the cement that we have been so firmly planted in.
Thank you, Holy Spirit. I hear some people saying-- Here's the words that you've been using to not change, "I'm loyal."
Tim: Yes. Loyalty is one thing. Obedience is something different.
I refuse to be loyal at the expense of being obedient. I remember when I left Potter's House, some people had the nerve to say I was being disloyal. They just had the wrong definition of loyalty. I refused to be more obedient to a man than I'll ever be to God. Point blank period. Don't let loyalty be confused with obedience. I'm going to give you another thing that has hindered some of you all from changing history. You got a lot of history there.
You got a lot of history with them, that person, but that don't mean that things are not supposed to change. Some people in this room have considered divorce, and you don't need a change from your spouse. You just need a change from the dance you've been dancing with your spouse. Somebody's ego has to die. When we got married, I was like this, "You're not going to change me." I promise you, if you say that to them, you'll say that to God. Your spouse is your test.
Thank you, Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, we thank You for the changes that are coming to the ambassadors of this house. Thank You for the anointing and the grace that You have given all of us, to move into this season for Your power and for Your purpose. Lord God, we submit and say, not our will, but Thy be done. Thank You for giving us the example in Jesus, that in the Garden of Gethsemane, He wanted a change too. It didn't come. He accepted what was God's will for His life, for all of us to stand here today.
Thank you, Lord God, for the change that You have brought to this house and what it means for the future of Embassy City Church. Since we're still standing, let me just go ahead and dismiss. Lord Jesus, I thank You for my people, who happen to be Your people, who have now become Tim's people. I pray, Lord God, that as we leave this place, we do not leave Your presence. Old school benediction, may the Lord watch, between me and thy, while we are absent one from another. In Jesus' name,
