Mike Todd’s Introduction
- God is bringing you into a place where he’s trying to speak to you, trying to join us as a church, and allow us to be everything He has called us to be
- You’re the minister here; I’m the minister here
- God wants us all to know, that no matter our sphere of influence we are in, or what’s He’s done in the past, or is preparing to do – he has put us at our jobs, in school, etc. because we’re supposed to be His minister right there
- It’s not about a building, but what God is building in you
- Thank you to every minister who took the call to be ordained
- Earlier this week, lot of people joined for an ordination service; lots of people got saved and tens of thousands of people decided to step up and be the minister
- Let’s go to the word so that we can walk worthy of the calling; God has factored in all of our flaws, and the moment we repent, that’s the moment God can use us to do everything he has called us to be, as his ministers
Scripture:
Ephesians 4:11-16 The Message (MSG)
11 He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.
14-16 No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.
Being the apostle is a gift, not the goal. The goal is not to have a title, but to be a gift to other people. We are supposed to be serving, not to be served if we carry the titles of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher, etc.
Jesus said that he came to serve. This is why, if we’re in places of prominence, our biggest qualification is not being served, but being one as a gift that serves others.
“We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do”. Be reminded that the God of the universe, Jehovah Jireh is our source, not our resource. We don’t need stimulus packages to sustain us. When famine comes, he still provides. He can bring water out of rocks and manna from heaven, He’s that God.
If we’re going to be God’s ministers in the spheres of influence he’s called us to, we can have no prolonged infancy.
The issue is that many of us stay in our initial place of salvation for decades, in the infancy of being saved and Christianity. He doesn’t want his ministers to live in a stage of prolonged infancy. He doesn’t want us to be big, saved, babies.
People are going to have to understand that it’s time for us to mature.
Old Song Metaphor: if you were a kid back in the day, Toys R Us was the only store we went to for kids. It was like the free version of an amusement park. Their theme song was very distinct. It reminded Mike of no prolonged infancy. The lyrics were:
“I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a Toys R Us kid; they got a million toys at Toys R us that I can play with; I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a Toys R Us kid; they got the best for so much less, it’ll really flip your lid; From bikes to trains to video games; it’s the biggest toy store there is (gee whiz!) I don’t wanna grow up, cause baby if I did; I couldn’t be a Toys R Us kid; more games, more toys, oh boy! I wanna be a Toys R Us kid”.
It’s reminiscent of many believers, who feel like they don’t want to grow up, go to the next level, or actually have to forgive people who did them wrong. They want to stay in a place where they can throw tantrums when they don’t feel it, act like “I’m not responsible when I break things like relationships and trust”, and God told Mike that all that is, is “prolonged infancy”. They are trying to hold on to season that God has already given them the power to grow up out of. Instead, they are deciding that they don’t want to grow up, or take responsibility, or read their bible, or make time to pray, and just have an attitude and say “that’s just how I am”.
God is saying, if you’re going to be my minster, I can’t have you being a Toys R Us minister.
Message Title: Toys “R” Us Ministers
God doesn’t want us to stay in the place where he saved us. He’s looking for us to mature past that place, to reach back and get other people who are in that place. It’s hard to take somebody where you have not gone.
It’s hard to lead somebody to a place where you have never dove yourself into.
God is calling us to mature.
Look at both sides. How many people like promotion/upgrades? For example, upgrades from coach to first class. Everybody loves upgrades and promotions. People like the idea of it more than the responsibility of it.
Everybody likes the idea of being a minister, more than the responsibility of that.
Illustrative Anecdotes: Mike thought about one of his greatest promotions, graduating high school. When he was in school, he thought life was going to change and be fine. After high school, he realized that the promotion came with other responsibilities. Another huge promotion was marrying Natalie, but he didn’t realize all of the responsibility that would come with his greatest promotion. Another promotion was become lead pastor of TC. This was an amazing promotion, but he didn’t know he was getting a whole bunch of responsibility too. Mike had to decide that he wasn’t going to be a Toys R Us minister. He had to decide to step into a calling and take both the title and the responsibilities.
At every level, God is requiring more. When you get more, you have to mature.
Being out of high school was harder than being in high school, being married, is harder than being single. It’s important to know that responsibility comes with every upgrade.
That’s why we need to know that at each level of promotion, there’s a higher responsibility to produce. For every elevation, there’s a brand new expectation.
1. Being a Minister Demands Maturity
If you’re going to be everything God has called you to be, you must mature.
Don’t be a Toys R Us Minister and stay at a low level.
Don’t prolong your infancy and refuse to talk about the things that are really the issues in your marriage, or the issues between you and your business partner, or the issues of trying to keep everything. Adults/mature people go toward the problem. We don’t run and hide because we know that when we go through it, we’ll be stronger on the other side.
Let’s be reminded that the word God gave us for this year was, stronger.
There’s no way you can get stronger by being immature, avoiding conflicts, avoiding counseling – you only get stronger through it.
That’s why, Mike’s only job is to prepare us to be the minister God has prepared us to be in government, in finance, in the field he’s placed on your heart, in education etc. Maturity is required for us to be the minister.
We have to be maturing minsters who don’t fight on Facebook about corona virus, or cheat on our taxes. Our actions have to change as maturing ministers.
You can’t make advances at people’s spouses because you’re not getting what you want at home.
You have to be mature minsters who speak to your kids with correction and value. You don’t punish them, you discipline them, as opposed to talking to them any kind of way.
Be maturing believers and don’t gossip, then try to have a word for that same person in the same span of time. We can’t hold grudges, but instead live in freedom.
We can’t be scared to commit; we have to stop ‘Netflixing’ and chilling. Put a ring on it and marry her. Be the one to commit to the thing and stop being on the baby food. It’s time to mature.
We need to stop running to substances for peace.
Stop just talking about God, and actually spend time with him.
Declare it: “I have to mature”.
Pride is a trait of immaturity. When you feel defensive about this declaration, know that pride is raising up on you. When you’re mature, you walk in meekness. Meekness is power under control.
Meekness is being submitted, so when God reveals something in your heart, you’re able to stand in your place and make a decision that you will mature.
Anecdote: When Mike got his first car, he thought he was grown, just like most of us. He didn’t care that the car looked like Barney, he thought he was hard. He vaguely remembered his dad telling him to be responsible. He didn’t quite understand it until he ran out of gas for the first time. He called his Dad since he was the provider. His Dad proceeded to say, “I said be responsible.” Mike matured at the moment his Dad said, “If you want to drive the car, you have to put gas in the car”. Mike thought he was just going to be able to drive the car. We can think that we’re just going to be blessed. It was at this moment that Mike had a maturing lesson that would guard him to this day, and that’s that the blessing always comes with a burden. Every level you’re playing for, the blessing will always come with a burden.
2. The Blessing of Being ‘The Minister’, Has the Burden of Becoming Mature
The blessing will always come with a burden.
For Mike, this was the moment where Mike had to mature to take on the burden as well as the blessing.
To be the minister where God has called you to be, you can’t shy back because there’s a burden that comes with it.
You have to step forward and say I’m mature enough for this, I’m responsible enough, I can change my life, my schedule, my attitude, my relationships, to answer the call of God. Declare that you will take the blessing, but also steward over the burden.
If we’re going to mature, the blessing of being ‘the minister’, has the burden of becoming mature.
You’ll have to do some other stuff, change conversations, let friends go that are good for your flesh, but horrible for your faith. Make a decision about some of the things you watch and see.
What would happen if Pastor Mike watched what we watched all this week right before he started ministering to us? (Personal Sidenote: it was Carnival Row, Empire, Greys Anatomy, and Legacies – not appropriate to come minister right after at all).
Would you trust that he had heard from the Lord? Would you want your minister to give that to you? Remember, Mike is not the minister here, you are. So when you fill your mind and your heart with these things, you can’t even see past them enough for God to use you in common places that you frequent. God says, “it’s time to mature. It’s time to walk worthy of the calling that I’ve placed on your life”.
Mike isn’t saying you’re immature, but maybe you are. Self-identify.
Let’s look at the difference between Toys R Us vs Mature Ministers.
11 He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.
Christ’s followers is equivalent to us, the ministers. Until we can be unified, i.e., move rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, then we’re still not mature.
Some of the greatest arguments Mike and Natalie have had, never came to a resolution. One of them decided to be more mature. At that moment, they came into unity, regardless of who was right. The household goal was to be walking in unity.
So much of the arguing happening in the body of Christ, so many of the opinions floating everywhere, are traps of the enemy. He’s trying to keep us disunited. That’s why he didn’t approach both Adam and Eve in the garden about the fruit. He only approached Eve, because if he could get them out of unity only for one second, we could lose eternity in paradise because of division.
God is saying if you’re going to be real mature, unity has to be more important than you.
TOYS “R” US MINISTERS VALUE:
- Being the Only One
- “I’m the only one that does this” etc.
- Our culture encourages this, “do you”, “be yourself”, “nobody has to agree”
- That is directly against the word of God – there is a blessing anyplace there is unity
- Our marriages, businesses, and ideas, aren’t working because we value being “the only one” and we’re wearing badges that say, “it’s me against the world” – Jesus didn’t come with that attitude. Where did you get it from? When Jesus came, he tried to take others on the journey; he tried to bring unity so that when he was gone, they could carry the message further
- If you don’t value being whole and unified, you’re a Toys R Us minister
MATURING MINISTERS VALUE:
- Being One (UNITY)
- Rhythmically working together
- God is looking for his church to be in unity!
- He wants your marriage to be in unity,
- He wants your business to be in unity
- He wants his church to function in unity
John 17:20-21 New Living Translation (NLT) – 20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
The only way people know that Jesus is who he said he is, is when people of many different backgrounds (economic, ethnicity, beliefs, etc.) can come together around the name of Jesus. Then people can say, there’s no way they should be working together, but there’s unity there, because Jesus is there. Grow up. Mature. Get off of the petty back and forth, the “I’m right”, the “I’m the one”, the “I’m the only one”. Be united.
“Until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.”
God isn’t trying to do a work just for people to see. He would like the work to start within (internal), then be a product without (external). This within and without pertains to how God wants it to be in us, then come from us. He wants it to be innate, then exported.
TOYS “R” US MINISTERS VALUE:
- How It’s Packaged
- The outward
- Kids are still at a point that only pay attention to the box, i.e., the packaging, not knowing what is on the inside, sometimes the product isn’t even put together, it’s in pieces
- Similarly, we can get into a bunch of relationships that look good on the outside, but are in pieces on the inside. Then we come in and try to figure out how it works, then we have insignificant parts and end up losing pieces of ourselves
- This is because we’re not worried about the value of the contents on the inside, as much as we are about the packaging on the outside
- God is saying, “it’s time for the church to mature to the place where they do not judge or prejudge who he is using based on the outward package.” Maybe they don’t have all the words right, are not as proficient, and don’t have the network. That was Mike. Even with all of his flaws, God did a work on the inside
- You may be so worried about IG and making sure everyone sees the packaging right, that God says, I would rather you be more potent on the inside than just look good on the outside
MATURING MINISTERS VALUE:
- What’s In the Package
- God wants us to be valuable on the inside and the outside
- Many of us look like dented, scraped, brown boxes, but when you spend time, doing what God has called you to do, and actually being the minister, the content on the inside is much more valuable than what’s on the outside
- Some of us were born into packages, families, educations, that didn’t look like much. The first 5 years of the marriage didn’t look like much. God is saying, if you let me work it out, I’ll pull something out of you that is able to be more valuable
- Let’s be a group of ministers that might not have it all together, but want God to do a work deep within me, so that when it’s in me, it can come out of me
This is why it’s time for us to get from external projection, to real power. Nobody is looking for somebody praying and doesn’t believe what they say.
Real power has to be done on the inside by the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 3:5 New Living Translation (NLT) – 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
This is the warning that the word gives us. Stay away from people who don’t have power. They may look good, they may project good, but if they have no power, stay away from those types of people.
Instead, during this time of quarantine, come out of this time with more on the inside of you than what you’re showing. Forget about IG posts and IG live. Is there something coming alive on the inside of you? If you don’t use this time to stir up what’s on the inside of you, you’ll come out of this at the same spiritual age.
You’ll still be talking about, “I can’t wait for the weekend”. You have a bunch of weekends and still aren’t maturing. He says to stay away from this type of person. Another type of person he warns us to stay away from are people who prolong their infancy. “No prolonged infancies among us, please.”
Why? Since Toys R Us ministers value playground companions.
TOYS “R” US MINISTERS VALUE:
- Playground Companions
- When you’re immature, you only want to deal with people on your level to play the same childish games
- For example, playdates to gossip, or to do something illegal in business
- Some relationships you have are kiddy stuff, you have to mature
MATURING MINISTERS VALUE:
- Take Ground Companions
- That companion that will walk with you and say, “by faith, we’re about to take this ground”, “that thing is going to be healed”
- You need new friends if you don’t have community around you that can help you take ground, break generational habits
- Marry someone that will take ground with you
- Iron sharpens iron
- If you’re iron and your friends are plastic, you’re becoming dull and you’re damaging the plastic by rubbing up against them
- Some of you are becoming damaged because of who you’re around
- God is saying it’s time to get off the playground and it’s time to be with someone who will take ground – he says, “No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors.”
This is why so many of us are going out into the world in fields of influence, and are getting chewed up and spit out. It’s due to a lack of an anchor in Jesus or conviction. There’s no maturity for these industries, like music. You go in quoting scriptures, and come out cussing people, go in saved and come out turning up, go in generous, come out selfish. If you’re not mature enough to be in the woods with bears, lions, wolves and mature enough to fight and recognize your situations, then you’re and easy mark for the enemy.
Many times, the church is filled with people who went out immature. They got a call from God to be a minister but didn’t take the time to mature. Went out, got hurt, and got scarred. This is why being taught is so important, so that you don’t become an easy target.
3. Toys R Us Ministers Are Easy Targets, Maturing Ministers Are Taking Shots
When you mature, you know when to shoot your shot. You know when God is talking to you. When he tells you to be strong and courageous – when he says, that’s yours, possess it.
When you spend time with him, you can hold on to his word to shoot your shot and not allow the enemy to cause you to back up.
You will advance the kingdom of God, but you can only advance things you’re confident in.
Too many believers haven’t taken the time to mature, so we become easy targets. It’s time for us to mature.
Ephesians 4:14 New Living Translation (NLT) – 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.
When you have an anchor, we can’t be blown about. If we’re not mature, we won’t have an anchor, and we’ll capsize because we don’t have anything keeping us grounded.
As ministers, we need to declare that we are going to mature and drop our anchors. COVID-19, finances, people leaving, not having enough, etc. we need to drop our anchor on these things. When we drop it, maturity will allow different teachings to come, and they’ll go. This is why maturity is so important.
TOYS “R” US MINISTERS VALUE:
- What Sounds Like the Truth
MATURING MINISTERS VALUE:
- The Only Truth
- The Word Of God
Social media usage has increased by over 50% with the onset of Corona virus. Mike is asking to dial back on what every other word is saying.
Get lost in the word of God.
More information won’t mature you. Only revelation will.
When God shows you something that convicts you, that revelation will reveal truth and transform your life, and make you mature.
In this season, stop fighting your spouse and ask God what he wants to change in you.
God wants you to be whole.
At some point you’ll realize that there will be many times when talking to your spouse and kids, “won’t change this”. You have to go to God about it.
Give the Holy Spirit and the word of God the opportunity to convict them and reveal truth.
When I hold on to not what sounds like the truth, but the only truth, that’s the only thing that can mature me and make me change.
God wants to send us to be ministers into the various industries, but can’t have immature ministers there. Maturing ministers are required.
Which is why verse 16 is vital, “We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.”
TOYS “R” US MINISTERS VALUE:
- Staying the Same
- Not wanting to grow up
- Making statements like, “I just want to be an individual”
- It’s just exposing that you’re a Toys R Us minister
MATURING MINISTERS VALUE:
- Growing Up Healthy
- Don’t just accept the call to be the minister, but accept the responsibility that comes with this raise
- Accept the promotion and accept that your pride will have to change
- Mature by spending time with God, by cutting off distractions
3 John 1:2 New Living Translation (NLT) – 2 Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.
Your spirit health and your physical body should be equally as strong. There are people that do a lot for their physical body, and their spirit is scrawny and weak.
Similarly, people do a lot for their spiritual bodies, but will die 20 years early from diabetes.
This is because you won’t make sure both your soul and body are healthy. Don’t think immaturely. We’re playing for the long haul.
God needs you to physically and spiritually healthy for efficacy for the years. Anything toxic, anything over sugar, anything so good to my flesh, anything you ‘love, love, love’ with your actual flesh, He’s saying that’s the thing that’s going to prevent you from being able to do everything He’s called you to do.
He’s looking for ministers that will accept the call to mature.
Your greatest days of effectiveness are right in front of you, if you decide to put away the childish things.
1 Corinthians 13:11 King James Version (KJV) – 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
You put away childish things to fulfill the call on your life.
Minister Characteristic Recap:
- Toys “R” Us Ministers Value
- Being the Only One
- How It’s Packaged
- Playground Companions
- What Sounds Like the Truth
- Staying the Same
- Maturing Ministers Value
- Being One (UNITY)
- What’s In the Package
- Take Ground Companions
- The Only Truth
- Growing Up Healthy
If you’ve never invited the power source into your life. Today, don’t just be a good person. Invite the power of God into your life. It’s simple, repent (just turn). According to Romans 10:9, If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It is the greatest decision you could ever make.
Let’s Pray: God thank you for sending your son Jesus, just for me. Today, I relinquish control, I give it to you. I believe you lived, you dies, and you rose again, just for me. Today, I make you my Lord and Savior. Change me, renew me, transform me, I’m yours. In Jesus name, Amen.
- Text ‘Saved’ to 918-992-7623 for resources and content to help you and let the word saturate you so that you can mature
- Babies are fed, adults find their own food
- Don’t wait for Sunday for Mike to feed you, find content and allow God to feed you so that you can mature
- The only way you can grow, is by consuming the word of God
SUMMARY NOTES
- Being a Minister Demands Maturity
- The Blessing of Being The Minister, Has the Burden of Becoming Mature
- Toys “R” Us Ministers Value
- Being the Only One
- How It’s Packaged
- Playground Companions
- What Sounds Like the Truth
- Staying the Same
- Maturing Ministers Value
- Being One (UNITY)
- What’s In the Package
- Take Ground Companions
- The Only Truth
- Growing Up Healthy
- Toys R Us Ministers Are Easy Targets, Maturing Ministers Are Taking Shots
Link to full Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQlYF055fJw&t=18s
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