Michael Todd, who pastors Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, says many believers forgo baptism because they want to treat Jesus like a “side chick Savior.” Todd uses the pop culture term “side chick,” which refers to a romantic partner—usually in the context of infidelity—who is kept private and out of the public eye, without any serious commitment.
“[The Scripture] says when you come to a place of maturity where you understand who you want to be identified with, what baptism does is it lets everybody else know of the inward work that God is doing in your life,” Todd says. “And I started to think about that like, ‘God, if it’s that simple, why don’t people get baptized?’ Like, I would just get saved and get baptized. He said, ‘Because most people want a side chick Savior.’ … Most people want the benefits of a relationship with God but no commitment. Most of us want to be able to call Him when we need Him but not claim Him in front of people.”
Instead, Todd urged his congregation to get baptized and go public in their relationship with God, surrendering everything to Him. Then he shared a prophetic word with those about to get baptized.
“God told me, He said, ‘Michael, the reason I don’t want to be a side chick Savior anymore is because I want to give them PDA,'” Todd says. “Some of y’all are like, ‘Huh? Public displays of affection?’ No, no, no. He wants to give you a public display of approval. See, that’s what anointing is. … I prophesy to you right now that some of you are about to make this decision for baptism, and as soon as you go down and as soon as you come up, heaven is opening over your family. Heaven is opening over your situation.”
Watch the full video sermon here.
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