Mike Todd’s Introduction

• God is trying to do something in your life
• Some of us have been fearful about finances, jobs, school, but God is on the throne and he is looking and concerned about the details of our lives
• He cares about the details of our hearts, finances, and our families
• Today we are making a commitment as your ministers God, that we are available
• The best ability is availability
• Father forgive us for being frantic like you didn’t call the entire world into existence and still holds on by a word you spoke one time
• God I’m available
• You’re the minister here; I’m the minister here
• Last week we spoke to the need of maturity to be the minister
• Mike was led by God to ensure that a deployment took place as we close out this series
• The whole purpose is to become what is needed to serve and sacrifice
• What are we doing to take the message beyond our mess?
  • How many words do you need before you recognize that somebody else needs it?
  • How many times do you need God to come through for you before you come through on behalf of somebody else?
• We need to get out of our comfort zones and take it to other people
• Buckle up, we’re about to go to another level

• Ingredients for a house party?
  • We need a table (for gathering)
  • We need food (substance)
  • We need a playlist (atmosphere)
  • We need people (did we fail to invite people?)

• “The people” is the minister’s job
• If people are going to get nourished and heal, they will have to come to a gathering place where they can get in the right atmosphere for transformation
• God is tired of full plates, empty tables, and silent servants
• We need to recognize that we are the ministers and that Christ is the answer to the whole world’s problems, but how will they know if somebody doesn’t tell them?
• Why is Easter the greatest celebration of the Christian faith? All “gods” died, but only one got up with power and love, and grace, and mercy. He got up and conquered hell and grave.
  • Him getting up is why he works in our affairs and we no longer have strongholds over us – it’s because he got up. That’s why we celebrate Easter
  • God made a plan for us to be reconciled to him through the resurrection of Jesus
  • Him getting up is why you can get up; no matter what tomb you think you’re in, we’re supposed to follow his pattern
  • Whatever tomb your marriage has been in, God says, because I got up, you can get up
• The church has to be the loudest bullhorn because we have the antidote to everyone’s problem
  • If you have the cure and refuse to share it, you’re considered a terrorist
  • We have the cure for humanity, and his name is Jesus, but yet, we have full plates, empty tables, and silent servants
• No longer will I know what changed me, and not tell somebody
• No longer will I watch people abuse substances to function when I serve a God that is the prince of peace
• There’s no way I’ll make a blasphemous statement like “I’ll pray for you” and not actually do it
• Do you remember that all of us were given the chore of Jesus? We’re not perfect, but we’re progressing
• Look what God has done in your life…and you wouldn’t offer it to somebody else? That’s spiritual terrorism
• Everyone is looking for an answer and you’re still silent
• You still won’t share it with the people right around you?
• What will it take?
• The death count in the US has gone up over 4,000 in one week. Are you thinking about the eternities of these people? Did you care for one moment where they spend the rest of their life?
• God is saying he can’t have more full plates, empty tables, and silent servants
• Jesus came for the lost and found, broken, hurt, addicted, self-righteous, lost, wealthy, college student, single parent, atheist, blue collar worker, drug dealer, racist, homophobic, etc. – he died for all of us
• Can you remember where you came from?
• When we try to classify if people are worthy of God, we become an enemy of God
• The gospel is for whoever
• We need millions of salvations
• This whole thing is about open hearts
• The trends show us that people’s hearts and minds are more open to the message of Jesus Christ next week (Easter) more than any other time of year
• Google searches for “Church” rise as Christian holidays near. Easter is highest, then Christmas
• For every person having dis-ease right now, Jesus is the answer
• Do you really believe that Jesus is the way?
• Don’t just rep the brand because it’s popular, or you think Mike is cool or funny, he’s trying to enlist you into an army that believes and literally populates heaven and plunders hell
• The point is, He didn’t save you for yourself, He saved you for somebody else
• If He could do it with you and all your flaws, then you are the poster child for the grace of God
• Would you re-present/represent Jesus to the entire world so that they will be transformed?
• Proclaim that you are the minister

Message Title: Full Plates, Empty Tables, Silent Servants

Scripture:

Luke 14:15-24 New International Version (NIV) – The Parable of the Great Banquet

15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” 16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

1. The Church Is a Table Where People Come to Get Fed

We have two types of people 1) People who don’t know and 2) People who are more concerned about the blessing than the person who blessed us (note to self – check rebroadcast to verify)

We have to invite people to the table of Jesus Christ for nourishment

Pastors, leaders and prophets sit at the head of the table. They’re in charge of preparing the food and making sure that the table is spread every week; via prayer and research so that we don’t have to worry if it’s good food on the table.

You can’t pastor as a side gig. You are a lead servant and are more responsible for everything everyone eats. It’s a trusted position to watch over willingly.

1 Peter 5:2-3 New Living Translation (NLT) 2 Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. 3 Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.

James 3:1 New Living Translation (NLT) 3 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.

The Host Seat

This is a hot seat. As a pastor, you can’t do it as a light thing. God has to be in control and the holy spirit needs to be involved to ensure that the guests are served filet mignon and not chicken nuggets. “Not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.”

If you eat well, you’ll start to live well. Don’t eat crap and expect to live a healthy Godly life.

Chair 3: Maturing Ministers

1. Share
2. Serve
3. Sow
4. Stay (note to self to check rebroadcast to confirm if he said ‘stay’ or ‘stand’)

Maturing ministers have done the above, and they are the first responders.

These ministers get up when people need help. They don’t just keep eating, they get up from the table and serve others in need.

 Chair 2: People with Fresh Faith

• The person who has sat down and accepted Jesus as their lord and savior
• Similar to the son who was once lost, but is back home
• 1,447 people have taken a seat at the father’s table during this series
• He’s having a party for you even though you were once lost

Chair 1: People Who Are Far From God

• The most important chair
• Don’t know scriptures
• Still cuss at the table
• Don’t know how to eat at the table
• Still smell like what you’ve been through
• Might be desperate enough to just grab the food without utensils
• Might be hungry and don’t know where their next meal is coming from
• As transformation church, we can’t care how people eat when they come to our table
• We need to just offer more, give them the whole bowl, we drink from a well that doesn’t run dry
• The church must start inviting people to chair 1, who we know won’t act right, we can’t stop inviting them, can’t stop praying for them
• That’s why we have people far from God, close to you, and can’t eat because you haven’t offered them any food
• You would rather have full plates, empty tables, and be a silent servant – that’s not the church we’re going to be
• Everyone wants to reach people until we have to personally reach them (e.g. I have to give them a ride?)
• Jesus tells us that he came to serve
  • What makes you think we can get out of this chief job description if we want to be like him?

John 6:35 New Living Translation (NLT) 35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Luke 14:17 New Living Translation (NLT) 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’

Are you telling the guests the banquet is ready? Are you going to text somebody and answer the great commission?

Everything in you that makes you feel disqualified, when God gives you a great commission, know that it’s about the deliverer, not the one who’s delivering His news. Go tell people the food is ready and that they have a seat with their name on it.

Matthew 28:19 New Living Translation (NLT) 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

2. All Ministers Must Go to Whoever and Invite Them to the Table

Chair 2 is not better than chair 1, God is just more in control. Every time you go to another chair, you realize how much you don’t know, and how much God is in control.

As more people come into the room, as more people sit in the maturing minister chair, as God sits down, we can start turning all of these chairs into places of service where we can serve humanity and God will talk to everyone sitting at the table.

We need encounters with God, not inspiration.

Luke 14:21 New Living Translation (NLT) 21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’

We have the cure that humanity is dying for. Will you tell them?

3. If I Don’t Go, They Won’t Know

Next week is Easter. Mike is believing for transformation church to see the greatest harvest of souls in the history of this church, in crazy faith, believing that tens of thousands of people will get saved.

Who’s over the invites? As the ministers in our homes and communities, declare that this is the last Sunday that someone needed to eat and didn’t because we didn’t invite them.

Praying that God will stir up something on the inside of you that can never be shut down again.

God is commissioning us to go into all the world; the systems, like the educational system, technology systems, and financial systems to invite the people to a great feast. Allow the spirit of invitation to rise up on the inside of us.

This week, Mike is calling us to participate in the “The Win is in the Ten Challenge” – to pray for someone far from God for 10 minutes every day. Also, give 10 personal invitations to the table – face to face, or call them to come to church with us.

The message next week is called, “The Middle” – what happens when we’re in the middle and when God gets in the middle.

Lastly, share a message 10 times this week. Let’s share something that will nourish others, e.g. Thirst Trap. Let’s make a decision that we will not allow God to make a way for us and then we have full plates, empty tables, and silent servants.   

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. 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 died, 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 and minister to others

SUMMARY NOTES

1. The Church Is a Table Where People Come to Get Fed

a) The Host Seat

b) Chair 3: Maturing Ministers

c) Chair 2: People with Fresh Faith

d) Chair 1: People Who Are Far From God

2. All Ministers Must Go to Whoever and Invite Them to the Table

3. If I Don’t Go, They Won’t Know

Link to full Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUcsvu3MbyI (Originally watched live)

Full “Who’s The Minister Here?” Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s51DqZGK5vw&list=PLhYvOKkFVSGsUiPoamjYj9P-N_Ue96UCh

Part 1 Notes: https://boldinsidermarketing.com/2020/03/22/whos-the-minister-here-part-1-mike-todd-transformation-church/

Part 2 Notes: https://boldinsidermarketing.com/2020/03/30/toys-r-us-ministers-whos-the-minister-part-2-mike-todd-transformation-church/