What Can God Do With Damage? (Michael Todd)

Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick.

I'm the pastor of Elevation Church, and this is our podcast.

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I find your neighbor and say, today's gonna be a good Sunday. Oh, come on, at every campus today is gonna be a good Sunday. You may be seated. Oh my goodness, it feels like I'm home today. I bring you greetings from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where I get the privilege and the honor to be the lead servant at a church called Transformation Church. Shout out to Transformation Church right now, Transformation Nation. They're joining us. It's Elevation and Transformation.

Right now together.

That's what we call Kingdom. At the end of the day, it's not about a church or logo or anybody particular.

It's about Jesus and.

The Kingdom of God being advanced in this earth. And so today, as this is Pastor's Appreciation Month, I have to stop and thank God for two of the greatest pastors in the world, Pastor Stephen and Holly Ferdick. At every campus, y'all don't know what y'all have here? Can we thank God for the man and woman of God.

Thank you.

Somebody got some sense, y'all. Y'all spoil y'all, don't let them come to Tulsa. We'll treat them right. And for every campus pastor, every children's pastor, every parent who's a pastor, because you're parenting your home, we appreciate you. Today I've been sent on assignment and they only gave me twenty two minutes to preach.

I'm just playing, But this week.

I feel like I have a prophetic burden. This is not a message that's warmed up and like I'm going to Elevation Church, let's pre exist.

No no, no, no, no, no no.

I've been praying about the people who would be in this room and be watching this on rebroadcasts and that would be in Tulsa, and God gave me a burden I've been carrying y'all all week because there's many people in this room who have been hurting, distracted, and devastated by damage that happened to you in another season. Now, this message is not for everybody. It's only for people who've experienced damage.

Somebody is like not me, liar.

Let's be hot, humble, open, and transparent. If you have experienced damage in any area of your life, relationally, financially, physically, emotionally, would you please just let everybody feel comfortable and raise your hand right now, come on? Hand is not up? Lord? And this week I released a brand new book called Damage But Not Destroyed. And the reason I tell you this is because I wanted people to understand the journey

I am valuable, but I am damaged.

This is the tension because I know God thinks I'm his masterpiece. Creator to Brantain new and christ Ricky tak them. But every time I get mad, I still want to cuss. Are y'all gonna be fake? You was in traffic this morning saying some stuff. You better quit it. I am the right of tones of Jesus Christ, but I still get mad at my kids. Okay, God, I gotta go back home because this section is acting bougie. I'll do anything for you, Lord except give up the cake. Your sin is not lust.

This gut me.

Okay, can we be Does anybody that loves Jesus still have some I steal?

I still deal with comparison.

I still.

Look at what.

I've done and disqualify myself from what God wants to do.

Somebody say I steal.

This is the tension of being hauled by God. Is that I know I'm valuable, but I still have some things that God's healing on the inside of. And what the enemy would try to convince you is that you are too damaged to be able to do what God said because you steal, have some areas that God is working on you for all the perfect people, raise your hand, because the only person that would be perfect on this

Now, would you bring me your damage.

This is the journey I've been on for the past four years. I was here five years ago Since then, I've learned I'm damaged, and if I just.

Sit in that, I get defeated.

But if I bring my damage to the only one who can handle it, he will turn my damage into something that pushes me to everybody say destiny. Okay, So today I'm gonna title this message. Oh, I'm about to preach to you in the next fifteen minutes. I don't know why I started jumping l like Tigger. I'm telling you, I'm gonna preach a message, and this is what we're gonna title it. What does God do with damage? What does God do with damage? The first thing I want

But I need to set a little backstory.

So you understand where maphibus Chef's damage came from. Okay, so I'm about to show you some pictures because I like to make stories come alive in the Bible. This is by no means biblically accurate because the church folks, but I'm gonna just try to make it coming alive. There was a there was a king named Saul. Could you put them on the screen in my mind in the movie of my mind.

This is what Saul looks like.

And he was anointed by God, but he stopped obeying the commands of God. He wanted the position, but he did not want to follow in obedience. Be careful when you're walking in a position and you stop obeying. God took his hand off of his life and he had to raise up another king. Okay, we're just gonna walk through this. But then Saul had a son named Jonathan. This, in my mind is what Jonathan looked like. This was Jonathan. Okay, ladies, calm down, that's just seeing. Oh you're laughing too hard

Okay.

So what's Saul is Jonathan and it's Maphibi Chef. Okay. Now what somebody's like is that my brother I saw you him. There was one more character in this story.

His name was King David.

And this is what King David looked like in the movie of my mind. Right now, okay, King David put him on the screen for me real quick.

I don't know. It's just strong life, okay.

Now that everybody has this movie in their head, this sets the story for where we find King David after Maphibis Chef is now in a place where he's been damaged, watched his second Samuel chapter.

Nine, verse three. One day, David asked, he's king.

Now, is there anyone in Saul's families alive? Anyone to whom I can show kindness? For Jonathan's sake? Because Jonathan and David were boys. Zibba replied, yes, one of Jonathan's sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feete though, where is he, the King asked in Lodobar. Ziba told him at the home of Maker's son of Emil. So David watch this sit for him and brought him from Maker's home. Now I want to point out the hater in this story. His name is Ziba, and Ziba has

He says his condition.

Be careful when people describe you by your condition and not your name. He said, there's yeah, there's somebody left, but he's rippled.

There's somebody left, but they're a liar.

There's somebody left, but they they're not faithful. And the reason that this young man was crippled, Mashibis Chef, was not his own fault.

And that's why I want to let you know.

You have to make sure you don't allow people to make your issue your identity. No, hear me, you did it, you are not it. Can we be honest. Some of us have done some dumb things, but do not let your issue or anybody else make your issue your identity. And he tries to describe him, and the truth of the matter is, like most of us, Maphibi Chef was damaged not because of his own fault. When I think about most of the places in my life, I'm gonna just be real about me that I got damaged. Most

It started at twelve. See how quiet it is.

That drive to go and go and perform and excel. That's because they didn't see you unless you got a trophy so at six years old, you knew you couldn't just say what you need. You needed to prove you were worse than looking at you stuck. The greatest time to kill a king is when it's a kid. The reason the enemy's been after you since you were a young child, it's because there is a king in you. And the greatest time to kill a king is when it's a kid.

It's what they tried to do to Moses.

Kill every child under the age of two. That's what they tried to do to Jesus. And some of us have been dealing with our damage since we were young. And this is what I need you to know. You are so special. You've always been a threat to the devil. No hear what I'm just saying. The attack on your life from a young age has been because if you ever walked fully in the dominion that God has given you, if you ever were fully free from the insecurity, well

Who I like that? Who can be against me? Tewod Samuel chapter four.

I got a move, saw son Jonathan had a son named a Phibish chef who was crippled. I'm gonna show you where his damage happened. He was five years old when he got damaged, and the report came from Jezreel that Saw and Jonathan had been.

Killed in battle.

When the child's nurse heard the news, she picked him up and fled, But as she hurried away, she dropped him and he became crippled. What happens when the person who was supposed to care for you damages you. I'm not gonna get too much in your business, but some of your issues is your mama, and some of your issues is your daddy, and some of your issues it's the people who are supposed to care for you.

They drop you. Uh huh uh huh.

I'm about to deal with it because the damage is no longer going to define us. I feel the presence of God already. If there's anybody that feels like your damage is too big for God, let me just run a list down for you of people that God used who were damaged. Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a day dreamer and a wanderer. Jacob was a liar. Leo was ugly, Moses was a murderer with the stutter. Gideon was afraid. Samson was a flirt. Let's

Write it down in the point.

God does his best work with damaged people because his strength is made perfect in r So why won't you show him your weakness? Been trying to keep it together for everybody, and God says, if you want to hold it up, do it. I'll be here when you want to actually come clean. So what can God do with your damage? First point? He calls for it. Everybody that's trying to hide your damage.

Good luck.

When maphibis Seth is in a place called Lotabar, a place of nothing, no pastor no fruit growing, the King says, is there anybody I can say? Yeah, this one dude, he said, go get him. I'm calling for the damage. You're broken. I like that your fraction. Come on, he calls. What can God do with damage? He calls for it? And some of y'all have not been answering the call. No,

You've blocked it.

Out, you suppressed it, and you're wondering why you're dealing with anxiety so much because it was never meant to stay on the inside of you. I want your damage tonight, when you're in your bed and the Holy Spirit begins to start whispering to you, and he reminds you of.

Things that happen.

What he's doing is he's calling for the damage.

I want it.

I'm the only one that can do something with it.

What does God do with you with your damage? He calls for it. The second thing that God does with your damage wants this.

He carries it. Oh, this makes me happy because my Fibi Chef was crippled. I need you to understand. Just imagine with me. They come to his door, knock, Dodd, Hello, is my Phibbi chef there?

Yes, what a horrible name. Come with me.

Now. Watch when they say come with me. He does not have the power on his own to get to where he has been commissioned or destined to go. He's in a place.

Of nothing, and they want him in the palace.

So the King, Oh, I feel the presence of God, will never ask you to come to a place that he won't carry you too. Scott, Come help me real quick, Scott, I need a.

Couple of strong guys, come on, help me.

He's sitting down and he's like, hey, you're not gonna kill me, because it was custom back then to anybody that was in line before you killed their whole family.

So when the king's guard came to him, he was like, I'm about to die.

That's what Christianity sometimes makes people think that when God comes to them, he's ready to smite them and punish them. The king was wanting to show favor, but he says, come with me to the palace. But he still does not have the ability to get there on his own. So the king sins power that is not his own. You want me to come? Oh God, these brothers are song. Take me over to the King's palace over there. All the fibbus Chef had to do. It's surrendered, so he can be taken. Now.

Don't drop me, just let me down.

Let me down. What are you saying to me, pastor Mike. God will never call you to a place that he won't carry you to you. The problem is most of us have not surrendered. Let me show you. Zachariah four to six. It says this is a word of the Lord to Zaruba bel not by my not by power, but.

It's going to be by the spirit of God. Where you're at.

Right now, God saying I'm calling for your damage, but if you would surrender, I'll carry you. I will carry you to the place I want you to be Philippians one six. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it's finally finished on the day of Jesus Christ. What will God do with your damage? He calls for it, he carries it, and then why he covers it. When the Phibish chef gets to the palace, he comes in and he thinks he's dead. I mean, look at it.

Now, the reason why this blows my mind.

Is because when you think about where Mam phippas Cheff was damaged, where was his damage at his legs? When you pull up a seat to the King's table, when he sits and he looks over the landscape of everybody else, the thing that damaged him is now covered. Let me introduce you to the grace of God. When you come into a loving relationship by faith with God, the grace of God covers your damage area. Somebody said, get excited about that, because what the enemy was shining to you

Somebody shot at me.

Grace the unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor and kindness of God. And some of y'all think y'all built y'all own table, and you covering yourself, you're trying to have money cover it. We still see you. You getting flown out, We still see you. Mac makeup, Louis Gucci, findy down, We still see you. It's not until you get covered with the grace of God. I got to move. I came to tell somebody, pull up a chair to the table of God, pull up a share to where God has for you.

Listen to me. What does God do with your damage? Say it with me.

Say he calls for it, he carries it, he covers it. Number four, he converts it. He flipped that thing. God says, if you give me your damage, I'll flip it. If you give me everything that you've been ashamed of, and you let me cleanse you and purify you and wash you and change you and transform, I'll flip this thing so cold my phibus chef in one day goes from

Like something else this year.

Some of y'all don't have faith to believe it, but I need a few people. What crazy take that mas situation can flip when God gets in the midst of it. If you believe it. At every campus, give God a shot of pray, or I feel this sat he can confirt this Jjay crippled to cover shame, to having a seat, no identity, to a full inheritance. He went from pain to a platform. His damage was turned into destiny. His trauma became triumphed. He went from separated to being a son.

Church?

What I'm asking you today is to bring your damage to God, because he's big enough to handle it.

What does God do with damage?

He calls for it, He carries it, He covers it, this is good news. He converts it last one, he commissions it. God doesn't want you to hide your damage. He wants to heal your damage, and then he wants you to take it and use it to share with everybody else. How good God has been. I recall a story in John chapter five, verse eight. There was a man that was a paralytic sitting by the pool for thirty eight years, and Jesus asked him a question, the

To be made whole?

See, this is the thing that everybody has to real life. Getting healed from your damage is a decision. Some of y'all been holding onto the thing that God said.

Give me that, and you plan tugle war with God. He said, keep it if.

You want it. You want to have low self esteem for the rest of your life, keep that. That's less than what I've called you to in the kingdom. You want to keep having it. I put the whole to you on my back, he said. My burden is easy and my yoke is light. If you want to put the whole thing on your back, go ahead. But when you get sick of carrying it, I'll be here. This man, he answers, I want to be made whole. Jesus heals him.

Somebody, I don't know what I'm talking about.

But the fact that you're still here, it is nothing but the power of the fact that you still got so right mind, it was nothing but the power of God. Now, God is commissioning our damage. That's why every time I stand up, I tell people I was addicted to pornography the pastor. Yes, I was a person before I was a pastor, y'all so funny. I was a liar. I was a manipulator, not the man of God. Yes, And what did I do? I brought my damage to him because in the beginning, God said, I'm gonna use this

That's why the.

Word says we overcome by the blood of the Lamb. That's what Jesus did. But the words of our testimony. That's why many people aren't overcoming because you are too quiet. The reason why that stuff can't come back in my life because.

I say it all the time. This is just what God did for me.

And today I just came with burning to let somebody know who's had many abortions, to let somebody know that has continued to have miscarriages, To let somebody know whose career has not gotten off the ground, To let somebody know who doesn't know who their real family is. To let somebody know who's made mistakes over and over. God can do something miraculous with your damage. Okay, let me explain it. Will you bring out my example, and then we're gonna go home. I want this picture to last

We have a body.

Okay. And the Holy Spirit showed me this. He told me, He said, Michael, people don't understand this. Write these three things down. You have a covering, you have a container, and you have contents. The spirit part of you is the realest part of you. It's what God said, let us make man in our image. It was a spirit part of you. He breathed into us, into dust, and then we came in with your lips and your hips, and your eyes and your eyes.

It was.

A creative miracle. Some of y'all like, could I have less of a miracle. Could you take off a little bit of this miracle? But what ends up happening is the covering is our soul, mind, will, and emotions.

And in this life, a lot.

Of times, through situations we can't control, our covering gets ripped and somebody says something to us that makes us feel not worthy. And then we come into contact with some other people and they start saying things about us, and we get marked up in our lives and our mind, willing,

Now you want me to think that God wants to use me?

And every time I'm gonna come around people, I'm getting stabbed in the back.

That's why I'm not joining those small group. There's people there.

Come on, y'all, I'll come to worship. I was saying, this is it, Thank God? But people, I'm getting cut on and then stuff happens to me that stains me forever. God can't want to use something like this, and then life hits you.

Isn't he the example?

Guy? Oh? God, I know. But then God brings fire into your life and it starts burning places in you, and stuff starts catching on fire. And the truth of the matter is, I don't know if God can use me because I'm too damaged. Uh uh. This is like when me and my wife found out our son had autism. He started burning us and allowing the fear of the future to take us out, but then the Holy Spirit came and blew on us. But this still don't look good.

And we say stuff like the value it's still ain't you.

But I'm still missing something. But the truth of the matter is the most valuable part of this whole thing was not in the covering, and it was not in this container. Even though it's hard to get this out,

Today I came to speak to that lie and.

I'm here to tell you that I'm a living witness that God can take damaged people who've messed up over and over again, who bring their damage back to him, and he can do a miracle that no man can stop, no scandal can stop, no spit can stop.

So y'all, y'all do y'all want to be faith?

You can't cancel me because you didn't call me. Some of y'all ain't never walked through nothing. But God is doing something on the inside of my life. Do I do everything perfect? No? But I am committed to bring my damage to the foot of the cross. What does God do with damage? What can God do with my damage? I'm here as a living witness to tell you He calls for it, he carries it, he covers it, he converts.

It, and then he commissions it.

If you're ready for your damage not to be your definition anymore, but you want your damage to take you to your destiny, would you lift your hands all over this room to pray for you? Whoa, whoa, whoa.

I feel the presence of God.

Somebody's realizing the value is selling them that nothing the enemy has said, or nothing you've done to yourself is going to disqualify you. Because today here we are God. Come on, we are your children. Crying out to you, asking us to take everything that is not like you. Hey, God, would you take it, take our pieces and turn it into a masterpiece. Take our bad decisions, Father God, and flip that thing. Convert it, Father, into something that brings you glory and takes.

Us to destiny.

Today, Father God, we will no longer deny that.

We've been hurt.

Because you cannot heal what we do not reveal. So today, God, here we are as a church, elevation church, transformation church, your sons and daughters all over the world, and we're asking you, God, do something with this damage, use it for your glory. We will no longer be defined by it. We will only be defined by what you've done to your precious son, Jesus. The Spirit is speaking right now at every campus. You just need to ask the Holy Spirit.

God arrested for.

Car insurance for all kind of stuff. And God said, give me that because he's the only one that if you give him your heart, he'll help you change your habits. If you're here today, you're not in a room with a bunch of perfect people.

You're in a room with.

A bunch of damaged people that have been saved by grace. And we don't forget what God has done. We're carrying our back today and we're saying you can be healed, you can be freed, and you can be changed with one decision of faith, asking Jesus into your life, it'll change everything. If that's you on the counter, three, I just want you to lift your hands. We're not gonna make you tell us everything you did. This is not what we're going to do today. That's what religion would

We'll talk, we'll heal.

Religion says rush hurry, and God says, come to me. And if you're tired of carrying that burden by yourself on the counter. Three, I just want you to lift your hand at every campus, at Transformation Church, wherever you are around the world. I don't care if you're on the treadmill and you just walk in and then you just mmm and everybody's like, what just happened? It's a dance move called salvation. Okay, it doesn't matter. Forget them. Only you and God will stand in eternity and answer

I'm proud of you.

But more than that, your name is going to be written in the Lamb's Book of Life forever. Three shoot your hand up all over this campus. I'll see you, my brothers. Three. One everyone, oh, judge, how do we celebrate pleas that judge? How do we thank God? Hollo? Do you listen.

At Transformation and Elevation?

Nobody praise alone? So I want us all to pray this prayer for the benefit of those who are coming to Christ. Somebody say, God, here's my damage. You're the only one that can use it. Today, I give you my life. I believe you lived, you died, and you rose again. With all power Here I am. I'm yours. I'll serve you forever, Change me, renew, transform me. I'm yours in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Hey, I hope you enjoyed the podcast, and if you did, make sure to share it and subscribe so we can get you all of these new messages as soon as they're available. I also want to take a moment and thank all of you who are a part of Elevation. Whether you support us financially, or serve with us, or just share these messages, it's because of you that we're able to reach people all around the world. And if you want more information on how to be a part

God bless you.