8 Steps to Living in Spiritual Overflow

The Leaking Window Story

We had like a semi-storm come through here. It wasn't a hurricane, but it was raining a lot.

And I have a back room in my house that I really don't go to a lot. So I went to go visit the back room, and I saw a stain on the blinds. I said, "Huh?" For a stain to be on the inside, water came from somewhere.

Now I am perturbed. I am frustrated. I am so just done with this window. I have had it sealed three times. So then I said, "You know what? I'm just done. I'm just going to get a new window."

So I called a window guy. I said, "Man, brother, I'm having a leaky situation." He says, "Jomo, the window is fine."

I said, "No." I said, "You don't live here. You're not..." People try to tell you something, but... I'm here.

And so he says, "No, Jomo. When a south wind comes at a certain angle and water bubbles up on the window, if the wind hits it at the right speed and the right time, it will slide through the ledge in the window."

I said, "For real?" I said, "So what's the point of a window? Windows are supposed to keep water out."

So he says, "It's just one of those things, a phenomenon." He said, "Because see, when there's enough pressure, water will find its way through."

I said, "Okay, cool." So then I looked on the ledge, and water was there too. I looked on the wall, and it was water there too. Then the wood floors, it was bubbled up. I said, "Oh." And so of course, they got replaced this week.

God said, "Jomo, that's a sermon."

I said, "Okay, talk to me, Holy Spirit."

He said, "See, when someone gets saturated, you will see a change. My wood floors got saturated, and now they have changed."

Have you been saturated yet? Because see, when you get saturated with God, something in you has to change. You can't do what you used to do anymore because see, I've been saturated.

And so God says, "Jomo, tell them, tell them, tell them: Get saturated."

The Path to Moral Excellence

2 Peter 1:5 says: "For this very reason, applying your diligence [to the divine promises, make every effort], in [exercising] your faith to develop..."

You have to develop it. It's not automatic. It must be developed.

So they asked the question to David in Psalm 119: How can I develop this level? And of course, David's asked a question.

Psalm 119:9 says: "How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping watch [on himself] according to Your word [conforming his life to Your precepts]."

Step one: Check you. Notice he says the first thing you got to do... raise your hand if you know most of your issues, you were part of it.

He said, "So if you're going to keep yourself, the first person you need to keep an eye on is yourself."

The Bible says, "Put no confidence in your flesh. For the flesh is wicked and evil." Every time you think you got it, don't do it. You're about to fall. It tricks you. Feel like you're strong? No, no, no, no. Put no confidence in it.

Verse 10: "With all my heart I have sought You [inquiring of You and longing for You]; do not let me wander from Your commandments [neither through ignorance nor willfulness]."

Stop wandering. Pastor, I don't wander. Yes, you do.

What are most of us doing, church? How much time a day you spend on your phone? Some of y'all got muscles y'all never had before. Got big thumbs.

Stop wandering. So he says, "Son, if you want to get to moral excellence, look at yourself. Then stop wandering."

Verse 11: "Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, that I may not sin against You."

Notice, every morning I say, "Lord, change my heart." The Bible says the heart is the birthplace of righteousness. So we always need to be working on our heart.

The Foundation: Knowing the Path

Verse 12-14: "Blessed [and reverently praised] are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have told of all the ordinances of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches."

Now he says, "Make sure the Word is more important than riches." Because half the time, truth be told, most of us got caught up chasing the money.

But Matthew 6 says, "If you seek Him, the money's going to seek you."

Verse 15-16: "I will meditate on Your precepts and thoughtfully regard Your ways [the path of life established by Your commandments]. I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word."

There's already a path already established. Get on it. He said it was already established.

So here's the key: If God is in my tomorrow today, why not ask God today about my tomorrow? Say that again real slow. If God is in my tomorrow today, why wouldn't I ask God today about my tomorrow? That's right.

Jeremiah 33:3 says: "Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish."

You have not because you ask not.

Psalm 37:4-5 says: "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him also and He will do it."

8 Steps to Get Saturated

I'm going to give you eight steps, and we're going to get out of here.

Step #1: Love God With All Your Heart

All of these points will say "all of your heart."

In Matthew, the disciples asked Jesus, "What's the most important commandment?" And He said, "They all hang on this."

Matthew 22:37-38 says: "Jesus replied to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment."

What's the name of the church? Love First. I keep trying to make it real simple for people. This is the most important command: Love God with all your heart.

Many times we get hurt because we put our love into people with all of our heart, and they let you down. No man can love you like God can. No woman can love you like God can. You need to fall in love with God and allow God to take care of the rest.

Step #2: Trust God With All Your Heart

Proverbs 3:5 says: "Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding."

I asked my sons to come up. I said, "Stand behind me. I'm about to fall down. Catch me. Y'all ready?"

Now, this is your own understanding. It can hold you up, but it can't hold you up alone. And so what happens? We put our trust in people, and then they let you down, and they drop you, and then you get mad at God.

But you didn't put your trust in God. You put your trust in man.

How many times have you trusted somebody and they let you down? Are you shocked that they let you down, but they were never built to hold you up.

So then you got disappointed because you put your trust in man.

Step #3: Seek God With All Your Heart

2 Chronicles 15:15 says: "All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought Him with their whole heart [their entire being, their life], and He was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side."

Notice, you will find Him when you seek Him with your whole heart. He's a jealous God.

So the Lord gave them rest on every side. Why? Because see, in His presence is the fullness of joy. So you're going to find rest when you find Him.

Step #4: Praise God With All Your Heart

It's amazing to me as football season has dawned upon us. And I watched the Florida game, and I watched the Miami game, and I watched the A&M game, and I watched the Notre Dame game. And every stadium, jam-packed.

People showed up early. They tailgate, stay after, come to church late. And then people will stand up the whole game. "Defense! Defense! Defense!" Got chants and everything. Got cheerleaders running around half-naked.

And they are worshiping, and they'll give up their whole Saturday. Got no money? No problem spending $40 for parking. We got free parking.

Pay $40 to park. Water? $8. Bottle of water? $8. And say it with a smile. "$8, please." You can't leave there under $150. Smiling the whole way.

Come to church... "What am I supposed to do?"

The same thing you did yesterday. The same praise you had when they scored a touchdown should be the same praise you have for the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. You know how to praise. You know how to shout. Don't get in church acting all quiet like you don't know how to act.

I was at the game on Friday night. My nephews played on Friday night. And I didn't sit next to my family because I try to stay away. Because see, if you go to a football game and you talk about somebody's child, you don't know that's their child.

So people wonder why I walk far away. So if I say somebody's sorry, nobody could hear me say he's sorry because you might sit right next to their mother. "They need to let him go." They're not going to say that about Pastor Jomo. I'm going to be at the very end in the corner. "Oh, he's sorry." So I can say that in peace.

Even when I went to the game, people said, "Pastor Jomo, hey man, God bless you. Why you sit down here?"

The more you elevate, the more God elevates you, the less words you can speak. Because people get offended.

Praise God with all of my heart. With all my heart.

Remember blind Bartimaeus? He was blind, and he heard that Jesus was walking by. And the Bible says he cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me."

They said, "Shut up."

"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me."

"Shut up!"

"Jesus, Son of David!"

Because see, the people you hang with don't have your answer. And if I got the answer nearby me, I'm going to cry out.

Jesus heard him. "Who's that? Who is that with that undignified praise, not worried about what other people think?" He said, "I like that kind of crazy praise."

Psalm 9:1 says: "I will give thanks and praise the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wondrous works and marvelous deeds."

Psalm 111:1 says: "Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) I will give thanks and praise the Lord with all my heart, in the company and counsel of the upright and in the congregation."

Give me about 10 seconds. I want to have a praise break. Come on. Hallelujah. God has been good to me. Excuse me as I give God my praise.

Listen, if they can tell you to make noise at the football stadium, you better make noise in the house of God.

Step #5: Seek Favor With All Your Heart

The Bible says, "I have sought Your favor with all my heart."

Let me give you a strategy. Years ago, we had just started church. I was still speaking a little bit professionally outside of church. And one of my former clients says, "Jomo, I'm about to be on NBC, and I need someone to be with me because I know you speak well. Can you come?"

I said, "No problem. I'll be there because I'm suit ready."

You got to be suit ready. What does suit ready mean? When you get the call, you should already be ready. You should stay ready. So when you get the call... because you never know when God's going to give you that call.

You got to stay ready. The Bible calls it "be in season."

So she called me, and I went to NBC right downtown. And as I walk through the door, I do this: "Lord, if there's anything in here for me, let it be. Lord, if there's anything in here for me, let it be."

So I walk in there, go through security. I meet a lady in the back. She says, "You're about to be on next." So I'm talking to her, and she said, "Man, I really like you. I like you."

I said, "Well, praise God."

And so I went and did one episode, and she says, "We really like how that went. Will you do a second episode?"

I said, "Well, you know, I ain't got nothing to do right now. Praise the Lord. Let's do another one."

So then after I did the second shooting, I went back and I started talking to her again. And God gave me a word of knowledge for her, and I gave it to her.

She said, "You know what? When I was a little girl, there was a man on TV and he gave little messages and went off. Would you be interested in a little segment on the TV show?"

I did not ask for it. All I asked was for favor. "And if there's something in here for me, Lord, let it be."

So then she offered that to me. She sent me the bill. And I said, "Woman of God, we just started the church. I don't have that money." I said, "But I thank you for thinking about me."

She says to me, "Well, Jomo, what can you do?"

I said, "Now that's the Holy Spirit. You let me set the budget." I said, "$300."

I don't know why I said $300, but you know, sometimes when you feel like they're not going to accept it...

She says, "Deal."

So now, and some of y'all remember, I was on NBC with no church and no building. And there were people in the area saying, "How's he on TV?" If God be for you, who can be against you?

And so we were on TV, and people like, "He ain't got no people. He's smiling on TV."

If God wants you in a room, nobody can stop what God has called for you. As my mother would say in her Jamaican accent, "Baby, what is for you is for you. And what God has called you to, nobody can stop. They can hate, but they can't stop you."

Jeremiah 31:2 says: "Thus says the Lord, 'The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness.'"

Favor can be found.

Step #6: Cry Out With All Your Heart

Psalm 119:145 says: "I cried with all my heart; answer me, O Lord! And I will observe Your statutes [I will honor them and will greatly respect them]."

If you've had a baby before, when they're hungry or need something, how much of their effort do they use in crying? All of it. They don't hold nothing back.

Why do you hold back? Cry out to God with everything.

Step #7: Obey God With All Your Heart

Psalm 119:34 says: "Give me understanding [a teachable heart and the ability to learn], that I may keep Your law; and observe it with all my heart."

Help me, Lord. Help me with me. Help me, Father. Help me. Anything that's not like You, Lord, take it away from me. Anything I'm dealing with right now that's not of You, Lord, take it away from me. Help me, Lord.

Step #8: Return to God With All Your Heart

Meaning when you turn around, believer, you got to turn all the way. The word "repent" means to turn back.

Jeremiah 24:7 says: "I will give them a heart to know [understanding to recognize] Me, [fully understanding] that I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart."

Say neighbor, we got to turn around. If you're not going the right way, we got to turn around.

The College Story: All In

Years ago, I don't have the nice story in reference to when I went to college. I went to Florida A&M because it was the cheapest deposit. Facts. My first choice was Hampton, then Howard, then Clark, and then FAMU.

And my mother said, "Boy, you don't have no money."

And so the one that was the cheapest for the deposit for the room was FAMU. So when I left for college, I was in a place called Germantown, Maryland, and I had my luggage. And I got on the Ride-On bus. I took the Ride-On bus to Shady Grove Station. From Shady Grove Station, I transferred to another train. And then I got to Reagan. I got on a flight. I went from Reagan to Tallahassee.

I got to Tallahassee, no ride. So now I'm at Tallahassee. And Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. have different transit systems.

So I'm at the airport, and I said, "Okay, how am I going to get to campus?" Well, I know a certain percentage of these people are going to campus. "Hey man, can a brother..." And of course, most dudes said no. "Hey young lady, can I get a ride to Florida A&M?"

And by some grace, there was an empty seat. That's my story. I didn't have a mother or father drop me off with a care package and, you know, going to Walmart and buying all your stuff and a microwave and a budget.

A month in, my mother called me and said, "Baby, we don't have no more money."

I said, "Mom, I ain't get through semester number one. It's the first semester, Mama. I just got here."

"You're going to have to figure it out."

So I applied for some loans, and then I walked on the track team. I walked on the football team. Then I walked on the basketball team. Now understand, I had never played high school football. And four years later, I'm drafted to the NFL.

I don't know if you know the odds of that.

My point to you is this: When failure is not an option, you will not fail. I had to put my whole heart into it. And there were times where it was rough, but I realized I was sold out.

And people would laugh at me. Because you know when you're a walk-on, they treat you different. I had no pads, the right pads. I had all kinds of jacked-up stuff. And I'd be training in the middle of summer with sweatpants.

And I told my mother, I said, "Mom, I love you, but you're never going to see me again."

She's like, "What you talking about, boy?"

I said, "Well, I figured out my exit strategy." I said, "I'm going to the NFL."

She said, "Boy, what are you talking about?"

I said, "Mama," I said, "You won't see me for a while. I'm going to be training non-stop, totally sold out."

And at times in your life, you're asking God to do something, but you're not sold out. You've got one foot in. And the Bible says the double-minded man is unstable in all his ways, and he shall expect nothing from God.

So God can't move because you ain't made up your mind. What are you going to do? Are you in?

Jacob's Fight: Finding Your Fight

There's a story in the Bible about a man named Jacob. Jacob had stolen his birthright from his brother, and he left. He goes to another land, and he sees a tenderoni. A tenderoni.

And he goes there and he says, "I want this lady." He said, "Who's her daddy?" Man named Laban.

And he says, "I'll work for her seven years to have your daughter." He worked seven years. He goes to the marriage. I guess she had a veil on. Read the story.

The next morning he woke up. It wasn't Rachel. It was Leah. He said, "Man, you tricked me."

He said, "Well, our culture says that I have to marry the oldest first." He said, "But you can have the younger one. Just give me seven more years."

So now the brother worked 14 years for this lady. Lord have mercy. She had to be fine. 14 years.

And then after 14 years, he worked another six before he left. So he's put in 20 years. Brothers, that's patience. 20 years.

So now after that, he's going back home. And he's fearful because as he left, his brother said, "The next time I see you, I'm going to kill you."

So now he's going back. He sends gifts ahead of him to give as a peace offering, because the Bible says a man's gift will make room for him. So he sends all these gifts, and then he sends his wives ahead.

You know you're scared when you put your wife in front of you. "Come on baby, go on out. Go on outside. He might give us some grace."

And that night, the Bible says in Genesis 32:24-25: "Jacob was left alone. And a Man came and wrestled with him until daybreak. When the Man saw that He had not prevailed against Jacob, He touched his hip joint; and Jacob's hip was dislocated as he wrestled with Him."

And he said, "I will not let You go until You bless me."

What are you saying? Jacob found his fight in a fight. All his life he's been quitting, cheating, but this time he says, "I'm not going to let You go until You bless me."

And there's some fights in your life where you gave up too soon, on the verge of your breakthrough. But Jacob said, "Lord, this time I won't let You go until You bless me."

And sometimes, believers, you're walking the faith walk out. And you get tired and weary. And Jacob said, "This time, God, I'm not going to quit."

God said, "Wait a second. You've changed. Because see, you always did a shortcut, Jacob. But now you're sitting here, you want to fight for the blessing. Now I'm going to give you a name change. You are no longer Jacob. You are now Israel because your character has changed."

Sometimes the fight is how you find out who you are. Sometimes God allows you to go through some faith fights so you could recognize what's on the inside of you.

Living in the Overflow

Believers, here you go. Some of us right now, you're here. You're on E. You're just trying to get by.

Some of you holy rollers, you think you're straight. You got it all figured out. But see, it's not about you being full. It's about you living in the overflow.

Because see, when it gets past full, my blessing is not just for me. It's for my children. My blessing is not just for me. It's for my family members. See, I'm living my life in the overflow.

And when you start overflowing, people around you start changing because they see something on the inside of you.

Lord, I want to live in the overflow. Lord, it's bigger than just me. Father God, I thank You. There's people who need to see Jesus, and I got to live my life.

It's not about me. It's about the overflow. Say neighbor, I'm living my life in the overflow.

See, when you live your life in overflow, you'll now be a sponge because you're saturated. So when they cuss you out, you say, "No weapon formed against me shall prosper." When they lie on you, they lied on Jesus. They're going to lie on me.

When you feel like they're coming at you, "No weapon formed against me shall prosper."

I'm changed on the inside. Because when you get saturated with the Word of God, the things that used to bother you don't bother you no more. I've been changed. I've been transformed. I've been redeemed. And who the Son has set free is free indeed.

Come on. I'm a new creature. Hug yourself. Say, "Baby, it's a new season for us. I know what they used to say about us. But God is doing a new thing in me. I'm a new creature. I'm no longer Jacob. I am now Israel."

Get Saturated

You got to get saturated. You got to get saturated.

See, Christ said this: "Christ formed in me is the hope of glory." Until Christ is formed, you still got too much of you in you.

Lord, help me. Help me. Help me be better. Because see, I don't know about you, but every now and then that old raggedy man, that person who I used to be, is coming back.

Anybody got that raggedy person, that person you used to be? Every now and then that old raggedy person pops up. I said, "How do you get rid of the raggedy person?" I get saturated.

I get so saturated, they can't handle this atmosphere. So I get in God's presence, and I say, "Lord, fill me up. Fill me up, Lord. Fill me up, Father. I'm tired, Father. Fill me up. I'm weary, Father. Fill me up. I'm losing my mind, Lord. Fill me up. I need You, Father."

If you want something different, you got to do something different. Funny but true.

If a person gets drunk, how do they stay drunk? They keep drinking.

If you're filled, how do you stay filled? Every day. Fill me up till I overflow. I want to run over. I want to run over.

Fill me up until I overflow. I want to run over.

The Power of Saturation

The Bible says in John 10:10: "I came to give you life and give you life more abundantly." That is called overflow. Not just enough for you, but everyone attached to you should feel your glow.

The thing that's on you, when you come into the room, atmosphere's supposed to shift. There's supposed to be something different on the inside of you when you allow God to fill you up.

Fill me up, Father. Fill me up. Fresh oil. Fresh oil. Fresh wind. Fresh wind. Holy Spirit, have Your way.

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