No Fear | Ps. Keith Pittman

Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast.

Thank you so much for listening today.

We hope it encourages you and inspires you.

Here's today's message.

And amen.

I want to invite you to go ahead and take your seats.

I'm I'm so excited to share the word of the Lord with you today.

I decided to switch things up just a little bit.

I want to jump right into the message and then we want to share some amazing updates with you at the end of today's service.

But I feel like it's fitting for us to jump right into what it is that God wants to speak to us today.

If you're you're joining us for the first time, I want to welcome you and thank you so much for worshiping with us today.

Whether you're joining us online or here with us today, I have great expectation and anticipation for what God is going to speak and do.

If you have your Bibles, I want to invite you to join me in the Gospel of John, chapter six.

The Gospel of John, chapter number six.

We're literally going to pick up where we left off last week.

If you've been a part of our signs series, you know that last week we talked about the miracle of the fish and loaves, and it's this moment where God's supernatural provision invades the limited resources that that we as individuals can have.

And so we have so many incredible examples of the power and presence of God.

But there's a statement that was made in last week's message, in the text last week, that I want us to hold on to because what Jesus instructs his disciples to do after he feeds the multitude of people, he says to them, Okay, I want you to grab what is left over so that nothing is wasted.

After this takes place, Jesus hears the news of his cousin John the Baptist being decapitated, being killed.

And so Jesus then instructs his disciples, hey, I want you guys to go ahead and go across on the other side.

I'll meet you over in Capernaum.

It says that Jesus retreats and goes up onto the mountain to pray.

This is something that he typically would do whenever he had a major outpouring, whenever he did miracles, whenever he had these moments of seismic impact, he would still retreat away to go and pray.

So it's a combination of him grieving with the news of the death of his cousin while simultaneously getting away to recharge in the presence of God.

He instructs his disciples to move forward and he will meet them on the other side.

What I want to highlight really quick before we jump into the text is that this particular passage that we're looking at, it is found in the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, and John.

And as I often say that, whenever you want to get like a full three-dimensional perspective of any passage that is found in other passages, it's always good to read it because it allows us to have a full picture of what happens because each one wrote from their own perspective.

Much of this narrative is almost verbatim, but there is one distinction that I do want to highlight today.

We're going to start at John chapter 6 and read from 16 to verse 20, and then we're going to jump over to Matthew's gospel to show you what he added to the text to kind of add a little bit of flavor to what I believe God wants to speak to us today.

John 6 · chapter mention

Jesus sends his disciples over and starting at verse number 16.

That evening, Jesus' disciples went down to the shore to wait for him.

But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn't come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum.

Soon a gale swept upon them, and the sea grew very rough.

I want to skip down now to Matthew chapter 14, who's telling the exact same story, but he adds this aspect to it after Jesus makes that statement of, Don't be afraid, I am here.

Matthew 14 · chapter mention

Starting at verse number 28 of Matthew's Gospel of chapter 14, then Peter called out, Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you walking on the water.

Yes, come, Jesus said.

So Peter went on the other side of the boat and walked toward Jesus.

But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink.

There's some things that I that I've that I've said to you that you can take my word to the bank.

Why did you doubt me?

Why are you so afraid?

If you're listening to what I said, you have nothing to be afraid of.

Today I want to talk around this subject of fear in an effort to give us some perspective, to give us some courage, and to give us the strength to endure whatever it is that we're facing.

If you're taking notes, and of course you are, because we gave you the journals to do it.

Um, I want you to write down this message title, No Fear.

No fear.

Let's pray and let's jump into the word of the Lord.

God, we thank you so much.

We thank you for being with us, God.

We thank you for the fulfillment of your word that where two or three are gathered.

There you are in the midst.

We feel your presence.

So, Holy Spirit, we invite you in.

We we we invite you to change our program.

We invite you to change our minds, to change our hearts, God, to change our perspective.

We we pray for open eyes that we can see you.

We pray for open hearts that we can receive, and we pray for open ears, that we can hear everything that it is you want to speak to us.

We pray and declare this all in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

And amen.

You know, I I have found that that fear is really a fascinating thing.

It's a it's a fascinating thing because while it's one the thing that we try our best to avoid, but simultaneously it's the thing that we also embrace.

If you really think about it.

And and and there's there's caveats to it, but if you if you really think about it, did you know that the latest statistics show that that one of the highest grossing genres of movie making is horror films.

So on one hand, we we hate to be afraid, but on the other hand, we'll invest a lot of money to be afraid.

It's it's it's unique to me.

We think about how today, literally being Halloween, how how you know, and listen, I'm not getting into the Christian debate, I'm not getting into any of that with y'all.

I recognize, like, listen, I'm not dressing up like a demon.

I believe that it's not of God, but I will take free candy in the name of Jesus.

Okay, so free is in the gospel.

Um, so so but but but but if we really think about it, we think about all these these things that we do, we think about all the the thrills that we seek that kind of put us on the edge of fear.

So, on one hand, we do our best to avoid being afraid, we we hate being afraid, but I also believe that that maybe the enemy has normalized fear to the point that we don't recognize that God didn't intend for us to live in that state.

That somehow we just accept it for what it is.

Here are some varying definitions of what fear is.

It's the unpleasant emotion that that someone or something is dangerous and is likely to cause pain.

It's that that unpleasant emotion, it's the emotions that are connected to the likelihood that something unpleasant is going to happen.

It's the emotional commitment that something unpleasant is going to happen.

It's that that it's that feeling of anxiety that we believe that an unfavorable outcome is imminent.

So it's if you can see, it's not rooted in facts, it's not rooted in reality all the time.

The circumstances may come to pass, but but the emotion of fear, it's the emotional commitment to an outcome where it's going to be unfavorable.

So before we get there, we begin to get caught up and think about it and get anxious about it.

See, we're introduced to the concept, if you really think about it, in Genesis chapter number three.

It's when Adam had fallen into sin.

And what the Bible says is that when he heard that that God was coming, that he recognized that he was naked, he was filled with shame and he ran away.

When God calls out to him, he says, Adam, where are you?

He said, Lord, I'm I'm I'm naked.

I'm I'm ashamed.

And I and I went and I hid.

Imagine that for a moment.

That sometimes we could be so filled with fear that it that it that it confounds us, that it compels us to run away from the very thing that can heal us.

It can it can cause us to retreat instead of standing and and being in the presence of God.

I've learned that that fear has this ability to trigger something inside of us that that causes us to act in ways that that really sometimes don't make a lot of sense.

You see, we we all are susceptible to this.

I I remember just a few short weeks ago, um I came home, Megan and I, from one of my son's football games.

Now, here's what you have to understand uh about about your pastor.

I I am kind of meticulous when it comes to certain things.

There are things that I know for a fact.

So when I walk into an environment and I see that things are off, I'm never wondering, like, hey, did I turn the TV off?

No, I remember.

Like I replay it in my mind.

So when we walk into the house and I hear voices upstairs, immediately I pause and I think to myself, is it possible that someone is home?

This is all happening instantaneously.

My family, you pray for them.

Like I pause and I'm thinking for a second, I'm like, okay, Caleb's not home.

We just we know that he's at his football game.

Deneira's not home, she's out with her friends.

We're the only ones that live here.

So I'm hearing voices upstairs.

So immediately I look to my wife and I said, Okay, did you?

You didn't go upstairs, right?

Like there's there's nothing going on upstairs.

She said, No.

So now I'm I'm filled with this emotion, this this fight or flight kicks in, and and and and you know how your boy gets down.

I'm not running for nothing.

I ain't never scared.

So I'm like, okay, like so, so so now it's go time.

I've been draining for this.

So I'm looking around to the closest weapon that I can find.

I'm looking for the closest weapon I can find.

So I go into the closet and I grab literally a broom.

Like I'm just gonna sweep them out of here.

I'm like, okay, this isn't sufficient.

This isn't this isn't gonna work.

I'm I need to find something else.

So I don't have a lot of time.

So I'm I'm squandering around the room and I find a hammer.

I'm not talking like a Thor hammer, I'm talking about like a little ticker toy hammer, like the type of hammer that that nails laugh at.

But it's all I had with me.

So I grab this hammer and then I grab my granddaughter's elsa dial doll.

Exactly.

So I begin to walk around the house and and I'm I'm clearing the house like I'm looking for an escape fugitive.

As I begin to creep upstairs where I'm hearing these voices upstairs, I'm I'm ready.

I'm I'm ready for whatever's about to happen.

I'm I'm about that life.

And as I come around the corner and I squeeze the, I squeeze the doll and uh she says, let it go, let it go.

So she begins to go into song, and because I'm thinking I'm gonna scare somebody off with this thing, like they're gonna be confused.

I throw the hammer at them, at least, at least I put up a good effort.

We go through all that and there's nothing there, but then I discover that the TV was on.

This doesn't solve the mystery though, because as I said, I know for a divine fact I turned the television off.

There's no way, there's no reason that the television should be on.

So even though I cleared the home, I'm now sitting there beginning to process through what are the things that could have allowed the TV to come on.

After about two hours of me sitting in my living room processing through the scenarios that could have allowed my TV upstairs to come on, it occurred to me that my TV downstairs and my TV upstairs, they share the same remote control frequency.

So when I hit the button to turn off my TV downstairs, it simultaneously turned on the TV upstairs, and I didn't realize it.

So when I came in, the TV upstairs was on.

I was able to deduce that in only two hours.

Your boy is something like a genius.

So now I'm like, okay, great.

There's a logical explanation for why the TV was on, everything is good.

I go into my room and I literally cannot sleep.

Now I know for a fact there's no one that's been in my home.

I've been able to rationalize why the TV was on upstairs, but yet my emotions were so on 10, I just could not sleep.

I mean, this was beyond adrenaline, this was beyond excitement.

This was me beginning to now, even though there was no one or nothing in my house, my mind began to run through what if scenarios now.

Man, but what if somebody was in the house?

What what if somebody does come into the house?

Am I right?

I don't know if this El Sidol is really going to work, if it really is about to go down.

What like so my mind begins to wander through these things.

This is in the middle of the night.

I'm not sure if you guys have one of those those refrigerators that make ice, but in the middle of the night it was making ice.

It dropped, okay, that's this is the moment.

Something's gonna happen, like literally every little sound that was always there because I was already triggered, it was beginning to activate some kind of movement inside of me, and I literally could not sleep.

It it was there that I got this revelation of what fear really does because I had a restless night.

I I my mind began to continuously process through what would I do?

We got a sliding glass door.

Am I really ready and prepared?

Do I need to increase our alarm?

I began to be thinking about a lot of these things that that was consuming my energy, that was consuming my mind, that was robbing me of rest.

I want us to to recognize how quickly the moment that we can be concerned about something, that the moment that we can be aware of something, that if we don't take it captive, this can go from concern to worry to anxiety, and now I'm living in a place of just true fear.

A place where I'm absorbed and consumed with fear.

I truly believe that concern turns to worry, worry turns to anxiety, and anxiety is the fuel that drives you to the destination of fear.

I want you to hear something.

God has called us to care, but we're not supposed to carry it.

We're called to care, but not carry it.

And what happens when we find ourselves wrapped in fear, we are carrying things that God told us that we need to cast at his feet, things that we need to surrender to him.

The Bible gives us over 500 different passages that speak about fear.

It it's it's confounding.

It's it's it's so it's so amazing when you look at all the varying things that God says about fear, and you have to understand the circumstances that these scriptures were written.

They were not unlike things that we're facing now.

I would dare say that they were even worse.

They are dealing with scenarios that are even worse than ours, but yet God is still saying then and speaking to us now, but don't be afraid.

Let us look at a couple of the passages that I believe that God is speaking to us.

He says to 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse number 7 for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but one of love, power, and sound judgment.

2 Timothy 1 · chapter mention

God hasn't given us the spirit of fear.

Fear is not of God.

But what he did give us is power, love, and a sound mind, which then means that fear robs us of power.

Fear allows us to miss the fact that God loves us, and fear robs us of making sound decisions.

First John chapter 4, number 18, there is no fear in love.

1 John 4 · chapter mention

Instead, perfect love drives out fear because fear involves punishment.

Another translation says that fear brings torment.

That's restlessness, the inability to rest.

See, what I believe happens is when we allow our fear to coexist with our faith, we can think that the things that keep us up at night that that's God inspired.

God wouldn't let me rest last night, so I've been praying all night.

No.

Perfect love drives out fear.

And if you find yourself being robbed of rest, why would God rob you from the very thing that He is?

We're just getting started.

I promise you, we're just getting started.

Psalm 34, verse number 4.

I sought the Lord and he answered me and rescued me from all of my fear.

This is this is David speaking while he's being attacked by Saul.

He's on a run and yet he's still saying that God is rescuing me from my fear.

Hebrews 13, verse number six is that therefore we boldly say, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

There's these declarations in these moments where God is clearly communicating to us, I do not want you to cozy up with fear.

I do not want you to get to a place where fear is a reality that you just have to embrace.

I don't want you to accept fear.

I didn't give you fear.

That is not from me.

I need you to resist it.

I need you to stand on my word.

I don't want it to coexist with the way that you see me.

I am not in it.

Fear is not from me.

Here's why this is so important.

Because we live in a world where we see brokenness, we see pain, we see suffering.

And sometimes we can mistake compassion and that can blend itself into fear, and we're thinking that it's God, that God has given me a burden for things.

And when I look at statistics, here are some of the things that we are the most afraid of right now.

Do you know that number one on the list of fear in America is corrupt government?

That's the nut that's the number one fear.

Now, let's let's pause for a moment.

The same passages that were influenced, that was under Roman rule, that was under things that I would say are deeply more oppressive than what we're dealing with right now, and yet God then said, Don't be afraid.

So, what do you think his message is for us?

He's saying, Why are you so afraid?

Do you understand that that under the Roman rule, that even saying that you were a follower of Christ, you will be lit on fire?

And Paul is saying to Timothy, hey man, but don't be afraid.

Why are we so afraid?

As if we lost sight that God is with us.

See, I believe that fear is when we process scenarios and we don't consider God as a variable.

It's when we're thinking about things and we completely exclude God from the situation altogether, and then we find ourselves living in a place of fear.

Isaiah chapter 41, verse number 10.

Isaiah 41 · chapter mention

Do not fear, for I am with you.

Do not be afraid, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will hold you up with my righteous right hand.

God continuously reminds us and encourages us in the face of challenges, in the face of corrupt government, in the face of sickness, in the face of all things.

Do not be afraid because I am with you.

Psalm 23:4.

Psalms 23:4

Because God is with us.

I'm reading these passages to us because I don't want to confound you with creative storytelling and humor.

I want you to see what God's word says about these things through all the same circumstances that we face, through all the same things that we think about.

Like they were concerned about them as well.

They were concerned about their financial well-being.

They were concerned about their survival rate.

They were concerned about sickness and plagues.

They were concerned about the government encroaching and snatching away their rights.

They were concerned about the very same things that we are.

In other words, the same ecosystem they exist in, we exist in now, but the statement remains the same.

Do not be afraid.

Don't let it strip away your testimony.

Don't let it cause you to blend in with the world.

Don't be the person that you're so filled with anxiety that you lose sight of who I am.

You see, for the disciples, they continuously wrestled with fear, and and and it's for good reason.

You see, from their perspective, they had seen Jesus do some amazing things up to this point.

And I'm just going to look at the Gospel of John just to bring us some remembrance of what we've seen Jesus do up to this point in the text.

They've seen Jesus turn water to wine.

They've seen Jesus heal the paralyzed man.

They've seen Jesus heal the official son from a distance.

They've seen Jesus basically feed 20,000 people with the equivalent of a lunchable.

They still weren't quite sure what Jesus was getting at because in their mind they're thinking to themselves that if this is the Messiah, this is what that looks like.

Scripture tells us that when the Messiah was going to come, he was going to come through the lineage of David.

So in their mind, they're thinking the Messiah is going to operate at a greater level than David.

And here's what David did David did some incredible things.

He had some mistakes, but what David did, David was a man after God's own heart.

And what David did is he eradicated the people of God's enemies.

He ushered the presence of God.

He created an environment for God to be glorified in.

So what they're thinking of when they're thinking of a Messiah that's coming in the bloodline of David is they're looking for a political king to finally help them to get rid of their oppressors.

So even though Jesus checks the box with miracles, even though Jesus checks the box with his influence, he doesn't check the box with doing away with the oppressors that they were facing.

What I don't believe they recognize is that Jesus needed to do spiritually what they wanted him to do physically, that he was going to do away with the spirit.

Spiritual oppression of sin before he comes to rule and reign.

So as they have these moments where they're recognizing that Jesus is doing some incredible things, they're still that part of them and saying, But but Jesus, but are you sh am I really following the right person?

But but Jesus, are you really going to come through this time?

And I believe that this sits perfectly with where we are.

That even though we're aware of God, we're aware of Jesus in our lives, there's still that moment where I think some of us wrestle with, but but are you really going to come through for me this time?

Is it is it really going to turn out to be the outcome that I'm looking for this time?

Because we all know what it feels like when we're praying and believing and we don't get the outcome that we want.

I think that we're much like the disciples, that we're looking for something to express itself exclusively in the natural, where God is often functioning at a level that we can't even fathom or think.

It's here that we find ourselves entering into the text, and what the Bible says is that Jesus has sent these men away.

And when he sends them away, that they're off and they're in this storm and they're and they're caught up.

As many of us feel right now, and I believe that when we look at these principles, there's a couple of things that can encourage us.

Here's the first thing that I want you to put down in your spirit above all else.

Jesus sees you.

Jesus sees you.

Let me let me explain it.

What the Bible says is that when Jesus goes up on the mountain to pray, that he's looking out and he sees the storm that his disciples are in.

He sees that they're rowing and they're not making a lot of progress.

But he sees them.

There's there's something comforting about knowing that you are seen.

Because when we feel seen, we know that we can be saved.

It's this weird correlation.

I I remember when I first started taking my granddaughters uh to the playground and when they were learning how to climb.

And so there was this moment where my oldest granddaughter, Kyla, she would climb, and when she would get there, every step she would take, she would look at me before she takes the step.

And so I'm standing right there, but she would not take a step unless I was looking at her.

So there was one time I had my phone out and I'm looking, and so she would not move.

I'm like, hey, take your step.

And she's like, No, I need you to look at me.

I need you to look at me, G Pop.

Y'all know she called me G-Pop because it fits, right?

Um she said, I need you to look at me, G-Pop.

I need you to look at me.

And I'm like, I I'm I'm right here.

She said, No, look at me.

From the wisdom of children, she says, When I know that you're looking at me, it gives me the confidence to move forward.

See, see, a lot of times when we feel unseen, we don't feel like we can be saved.

So, so this is why when we go to the beach or go to a pool, we're we're expecting that the lifeguard can see us.

Because if I see you, then I can see that when you're in distress and I can save you.

When we're crossing the street and we have crossing guards, the crossing guard sees you and then they wave you to come out.

So even though there's traffic that's coming, it gives us a sense of peace because I know that the person that's going to keep me safe sees me.

This is why when we go to the doctor's office and we have to go through the process of going from one waiting room to the other waiting room.

I remember texting Megan, I'm like, hey, how's the appointment going?

We're still waiting to be seen.

We're in the waiting room right now.

But when we are seen, we feel like we can be saved.

I want to encourage somebody right now that God sees you.

That right now you may have been afraid to take a step forward because you feel like God can't see you.

But but I want to undo that right now.

God sees you.

See, a lot of times we feel afraid to take a step.

Sometimes we feel afraid to make a move because we feel like we are unseen.

But I want you to know that God sees you.

He sees you where you are, he sees your fear, he sees your tears, he sees the things that you're concerned about, that God sees you and the thing that we can walk away with, that if God sees me, then I know that he can save me.

He can save me in this mess, he can save me in this confusion.

If God sees me, then I know he can save me.

This is why when when Yahweh calls out to Moses from the burning bush and he begins to prepare him for the incredible assignment that he has for him, he says, I want you to go back to my people and tell them that I see them.

I see exactly what they're dealing with, I see the Egyptian oppression that they're dealing with, I see them, I hear their cries, and now I'm about to get involved.

I want you to see the progression.

I see you, I hear you, and now I'm about to get involved.

Someone needs to hear this.

God sees you, he hears you, and now he's about to get involved.

He sees you, he sees the pain, he hears your cries, and now he's about to get involved.

I'm not talking about human resources getting involved.

I'm not talking about a boss getting involved, I'm not talking about a family friend getting involved.

I'm talking about Jesus, the creator of the universe, said that I am a personally about to get involved in your situation.

I see exactly where you are, I see you, I hear you, and I'm about to get involved.

This is why Hagar is such a powerful component in scripture, because the Bible says that she was running away, completely afraid that she was about to be oppressed by Sarai.

But the Bible says that the angel of God said, Go back, you're gonna be okay.

And she said, The Lord who sees me.

She said, As long as I know that God sees me, I know that I'm gonna be okay.

Some of our greatest fears are believing that we are unseen, believing that God doesn't see us where we are and that he doesn't recognize our pain.

But I want you to understand that God sees you, that while the disciples were in the water, that God saw them where they were.

The text then goes on to say that after Jesus sees them, he begins to walk on the water towards them.

Here's the other thing I want you to write down that if Jesus sees me, it also means that Jesus is in control.

Jesus is in control.

Here's what you need to understand.

There were deep superstitions in that culture as it relates to storms and and waters.

There was a place where many shipwrecks took place.

Even theologically, they understood that the flood came in and wiped off all of existence.

So for many of them, they believed that the souls of the people who were wiped away with the great flood were still trapped under the water.

So it was an environment of chaos, it was an environment of fear, it was an environment that represented no control.

So as they're on the waters, it's dark, and Jesus hadn't showed up yet.

I want you to catch that.

It was dark outside and Jesus wasn't there yet.

They were halfway to their destination and Jesus wasn't there yet.

They had been rowing with all of their strength and they were running out of it, and Jesus wasn't there yet.

So now they're sitting in the middle of their deepest fears.

Now they're sitting in the middle of chaos and they're filled with fear and stress, and then Jesus comes casually walking on the very thing that they are afraid of.

Just taking a stroll.

The thing that they thought was going to consume them is under the feet of Jesus.

Oh my god, let me say that again.

The thing that they thought was going to destroy them is under the feet of Jesus.

The thing that you think is going to destroy you is under the feet of Jesus.

The thing that you think is going to consume you is under the feet of Jesus.

The thing that you think is going to destroy your family is under the feet of Jesus.

The thing that you think is going to cause your business to go bankrupt is under the feet of Jesus.

That sometimes we are so afraid because we don't recognize that Jesus is fully in control.

And if we can really recognize that my greatest fears are under the feet of Jesus, it gives me a different focus when I begin to recognize when the enemy is stirring up confusion and chaos.

What if we really believe when Jesus came to his disciples and said to them that all power on heaven and on earth has been given unto me?

He says that all power, not some power, not partial power, not circumstantial power, but all power on heaven and on earth has been given unto me.

What about when Mark's gospel continues that thought in chapter 16 and it says, And these signs shall follow those who believe in his name?

In the name of Jesus, we shall speak in new tongues.

In the name of Jesus, we shall tread on serpents.

In the name of Jesus, we will not come to harm.

How about if I were to let you know this?

Because it's under the feet of Jesus, it's also under your feet as well.

God has empowered you to walk with dominion, with authority, that I don't need to live in fear.

I don't need to live in anxiety because Jesus has conquered it, which means that it's under my feet as well.

So often we're filled with fear because we don't recognize the dominion that God has truly given us.

Do we recognize that when God gave Adam the authority to name animals, I want you to think about this.

The Bible says that whatever Adam named it is what it was.

Whatever he named it, that's what it was.

That means there was a moment when Adam is looking at different animals and he said bird, and it became a bird, and its ability to fly was connected to the definition of it.

That means that when Adam was looking around, he would call it what it was, and it became on that character trait.

That means that there was a moment when Adam was looking eye to eye with a lamb, and he said, Okay, this is a lamb.

It's docile, it's surrendered, it's submissive, it's going to cover.

So Adam was able to look at it and say that redemption is going to come from this.

What if we began to recognize the dominion that God has given me?

And when I'm seeing opposition, I'm saying, no, I see redemption in this, I see anointing in this.

I see God using this to bring about healing.

I see God using this to bring about restoration.

I see God using this to bring about freedom.

I see God using this to break chains and ability inside of us to recognize that Jesus is in control and he is sharing his authority with us.

So that means that I don't have to be afraid because he's given me dominion.

He's given me the ability to call things what God wants them to be.

These things are under my feet.

Fear is under my feet, anxiety is under my feet, that these things that the adversary is constantly whispering in my ears is under my feet.

God is in control that our deepest fears are things that Jesus walks on.

It's all under his feet.

We don't need to be afraid because Jesus is in control.

We're afraid of COVID, we're afraid of cancer, we're afraid of the future, we're afraid of relationships, we're afraid of financial things, we're we're afraid of these things, and and I understand about being concerned about it.

I understand caring about it, but we can't be consumed by it.

We can't allow it to arrest our ability to believe in what God says.

When Jesus calls out to them, he says, Don't be afraid, it is I.

But when you actually break down what it says in the Greek, he actually says, I am.

Don't be afraid, I am.

Now, now, for those that have been around the church for any period of time, you know that that I am statement is a lotus statement.

That's a that's a powerful statement.

That's the that's the that's the personal name of God Yahweh.

This is what we see in Exodus chapter three.

This is what we see Jesus repeat in the Gospel of John seven times, these I am statements.

In other words, what he's saying, I am that I am, I will be what you need me to be.

If you need me to be your strength, I am your strength.

If you if you need me to fight on your behalf, then I am your defender.

If you need healing, then I am your healer.

What if we began to look at our circumstances and instead of allowing fear to rise up inside of us, we recognize that I am is with me.

I am is going to fight on my behalf, that Jesus is in control, that he's fighting these battles on my behalf.

I don't have to do it in my own strength.

I am is with me.

What a powerful thought to believe that God is truly with us every step of the way.

Jesus is in control, so I don't have to be.

Because he's in control, I don't have to be.

I can I can rest and recognize that it's in the hands of Jesus, which means that it's under his feet.

Here's the third thing I want us to walk away with in this moment.

Jesus is near.

He sees us, he sees us where we are, he understands exactly what we're going through, he's in control.

There's not a single circumstance that we're facing that is beyond the control of Christ, but he's also near.

He's not distant from us.

As Jesus is walking near his disciples and he tells them not to be afraid.

Let me do what you're doing.

Let me let me be able to do this.

This is where we see in the Bible where it says, and greater works we shall be able to perform.

Peter was saying, like, Lord, if it's really you, then I should be able to do what you're doing.

Jesus says, Yes, come on out.

Peter gets out of the boat, and he's walking on the very things that he was afraid of.

Like many of us.

He's walking by faith.

He's walking this thing out.

He's amazed at how God is with him every step of the way.

But the Bible also says that the winds and the waves began to pick up, and that Peter, who once was looking at Jesus, began to look at the size of the waves and began to hear the sounds of the winds that are whipping through the boat and all around him.

And the moment that he took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink in the thing that he had once conquered.

Have you ever found it interesting that those moments when God tells you to step out, step out and start the business, step out and do something that maybe you've never done before, that you do it.

And man, we step out and we start seeing incredible progress.

We start seeing favor all over the place.

That the moment that you give your life to Christ, you're like, man, I'm gonna I'm gonna walk this thing out.

And next thing you know, man, you're getting all the best parking spots.

Everything is just everything is just lining up.

You're like, man, God is with me.

The lights were green.

I didn't hit any traffic.

Oh, praise God.

Like we look and see God in everything the moment that we step out.

But then eventually the the green lights start turning red, and we have to wait.

The traffic begins to build up and we get there late.

That that the things that God said, step out, you have conquered it.

It seems like it stirs up and sometimes gets a little bit worse.

I remember the first time, the first time when God really spoke to me and said, Man, I want you to, I want you to prioritize me in every area of your life, inclusive of your finances.

This is going back almost two decades.

And so for me, I'm like, okay, cool.

And I'm like, all right, we're we're doing it.

I remember looking at Megan and saying, you know what?

We're gonna put God first.

This is what we're doing from now on.

And so we we did it.

Boom.

Wrote the check.

I was crazy broke at the time, so I think my tithe was like eight dollars, but it was still a step of faith.

Boom, we're gonna do it.

Man, that was Sunday.

By Monday afternoon, every bill that I had and didn't have all showed up at the same time.

Like, literally, everything that I was not even aware of all showed up at the same time.

Everything inside of me said, yo, I I need to call the I need to call the church and tell them to hold off on that check.

Like, will God get mad if the church check bounces, or should I cancel the check?

Like, I I don't know what to do.

We powered through it and we got through it, but you know what happened that next pay period?

I'm sitting in church and they were like, hey man, like let's put God first.

I'm like, got it.

But let me let me get through a couple of days this week first just to make sure everything's good, and and then I'll do it.

Same amount, but I just need to make sure everything works out.

And God literally said, Then you're not putting me first because I can't be second.

So he said, I'd rather you not give it at all until you're ready to.

That that wrecked me because I began to think, but no, Lord, you you know, you know what we had to work with.

He said, Keith, are you going to focus on the size of my waves, or are you gonna focus on my voice?

Are you gonna listen to the sounds of the confusion, or are you gonna listen to what I said?

Peter began to take his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink.

I began to take my eyes off of Jesus and I began to sink.

And I think for many of us, when we take our eyes off of Jesus and we look at the size of our circumstances, we begin to sink.

But but what if, what if we began to stir up the type of faith that says that I'm not looking at the size of my problems, I'm looking at the size of my God.

I'm I'm not listening to the voice of the enemy, but I'm listening to the still small voice from the Lord.

The Bible is telling us that there's these moments where fear begins to close in on us because we're allowing the idea of processing things without the presence of God to become louder than the reality that he is with us.

He says, Don't be afraid.

So, what the Bible says is that Peter lifted up his voice, Lord, save me.

And it doesn't say 10 minutes later, 20 minutes later, 15 minutes later, it said that Jesus was so close that when he extended his hand, he caught him right there on the spot.

Because he was near.

See, some of us are so afraid because we don't recognize just how close God is.

We don't recognize that he is right there.

See, when David says, Though I may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, he's not saying that he wasn't in the valley of the shadow of death.

What he said is, I'm not afraid, because even though I'm in the valley of the shadow of death, God is with me.

That means that the power of God is with me, even if I have to face some uncomfortable situations, that the presence of God is with me, even if I have to find myself in a place that I wouldn't plan to be in.

Fear is when we find ourselves in a place and we haven't considered the presence of God.

Courage is when I can find myself in that same place, but I acknowledge that God is with me.

We're called to be the type of people that understands that it rains on the just and the unjust.

We're called to understand that circumstances come our way, some self-inflicted and some imposed on us.

But if we can truly recognize that God is near, that God is with us, that means that no matter what I am facing, I am not alone.

No matter what my circumstances are, I am not alone.

This is why I love the passages of scripture that allow us to have a different perspective of things.

You see, the Bible tells us about when Elijah was out with his disciple, and the Bible says that he was surrounded by the enemy's men, and his disciples said, Man, aren't you afraid?

What are we going to do?

We're about to be destroyed.

And he prayed a simple prayer.

Lord, open his eyes and allow him to see that those who are with us is greater than those who are with them.

The Bible said that his eyes opened up and that he was able to see chariots and firemen and people that were ready to fight on his behalf because the angel of the Lord was with them.

I'm praying this prayer for you right now that maybe you can account for every enemy that's in your life.

But Lord, open up their eyes, allow them to see in the spiritual realm and see that those who are with us is greater than those who are with them.

You are not outnumbered because God is with you.

You will not be consumed because God is with you.

I know you may feel afraid, but God is with you every step of the way, and I'm asking that God allows us to see it.

That when Peter cried out that he was caught, he lifted up his voice.

That sounds a lot like praise, that sounds a lot like worship, it's a lot like Lord save me.

It sounds a lot like when the scripture says that those who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

That sometimes in our greatest fears is often when we're the most silent.

But what if the antidote that instead of me complaining, instead of me regurgitating the outcome that doesn't include God, that I began to lift up my voice because the Bible says that he inhabits the praises of his people.

This is not a this is not an on-off switch, but this is a journey on how we can overcome our fears, recognizing that he's with us every step of the way, recognizing that he sees us, recognizing that he is near to us.

Psalm 34, 18.

The Lord is near the brokenhearted and he saved those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 145.18, the Lord is near, who all count on him and call out to him.

I want you to understand that there's not a situation that you're facing, that God is not in proximity to it.

Just call on his name and you will recognize that he is right there.

God sees you.

And if you know that you're seen, then you know that you can be saved.

He is in control.

I know we may not feel like we're in control.

There's a lot of chaos around us, but he is in control, but but lastly, he is near.

He's not this distant savior that's far removed from whatever you're facing.

He is right there with you, the grace of God and meets you exactly where you are.

I want to close with this thought.

Because the text says, when you read this in the other account, it says that they had forgotten, they had forgotten about the fish and loaves.

So let's put this all together.

They had just seen Jesus provide supernaturally for an abundance of people.

Jesus then says, take that with you.

But they had forgotten about the abundance of the fish and loaves.

It reminds me of a few months ago when um when Megan and I were traveling, we were actually going to uh to DC, and we got to we got to DC, we got to Atlanta rather for our layover.

And when we got there, um our flight to DC had gotten canceled.

So we had to figure out what we're gonna do.

There were tons of storms, and so there were no options.

I needed to be there by Sunday morning, so we made the decision okay, we're gonna have to just drive.

We're gonna drive from Atlanta to DC.

God help us.

But as we're making A decision and trying to get the rental car and all that stuff situated, I immediately find myself getting consumed with wait a minute, what about my luggage?

So now I'm beginning to freak out because I'm thinking to myself, like, okay, like we're about to go, but what about my luggage?

My clothes are in there, and you know my clothes are in there, I got some dope shoes in there, I got some amazing colognes in there, like they're gonna like TSA's gonna be dripped, but I need I need to get my stuff.

I need to get my stuff, and I don't know where it's gonna happen.

So I'm I'm out on the phone, I'm trying to call and get through, I'm not getting any, I'm not getting any answers, and so I'm I'm literally wrecked with fear and anxiety that everything that is in my bag is going to be lost.

My clothes, my shoes, everything.

So I'm I'm I'm freaking out a little bit, guys.

I'm being honest with you.

I'm like, I'm really, really freaking out.

So as I stand there and I'm thinking about it, and Megan's inside the restaurant, and I'm like, oh my gosh, like what are we gonna do?

Like, how do we get our bags back?

And they're saying that it might get sent to the location, but we're driving, it's gonna take forever to get there.

How do I know it's gonna be there?

And so I'm standing there, and as I look down, I notice in my right hand is the bag that I thought was on the airplane.

It occurred to me in that moment, after 45 minutes of fear and anxiety and stress, that I didn't check a bag, it was a carry-on.

I didn't tell Megan that story because I didn't want to look ridiculous.

I thought I had checked a bag that had everything I needed in it.

I didn't have access to it, and I thought it was lost.

I completely lost sight of the fact that it was a carry-on.

Somebody's catching what I'm saying.

So often we're checking our faith at the door.

So often we're forgetting what God has done with us and we're checking it in the back of the vehicle.

But when Jesus told his disciples, so that nothing's wasted, carry it on the boat with you.

So that way when you're in the middle of the storm and you're wondering where I'm at, you've carried my favor with you.

You carried my miracles with you, you've carried these blessings with you.

Be reminded on a consistent basis that no matter what you are facing, you carry it on with you.

Don't check it at the door.

The reason why we're filled with fear is a lot of times, every breakthrough, every miracle, we check it instead of carrying it on.

And what God wants to do is shift the way that we function, He wants to shift the way that we pack things so that we can carry on the favor and blessing of God into the boardroom, into every decision we make, into our families.

It's carried on, and I'm reminded by what God did.

And if God did it then, then I can have the courage and faith to believe that He'll do it now.

The reason why we're wrestling with fear is because we forget what God has already done.

That 2,000 years ago, that Jesus went to the cross on our behalf, that he defeated death, sin, hell, the grave when he rose from the dead.

That now, because of his shed blood, we have we have access to the throne of grace, we don't have to deal with the consequence of sin.

That is the greatest miracle of all mankind.

And literally, Jesus says, Do this in remembrance of me.

When the early church would gather, every day they would take what we call communion because they would face new obstacles every day.

But it was meant to be reminders of, but remember, I took this to the cross, but remember my blood was shed.

Remember you were made whole.

I know right now it's uncomfortable, but remember what I've done.

Because if you can remember what I've done, then it will give you faith to know what I'm going to do.

We have amnesia sometimes.

But what if I were to tell you that that you can have these rhythms of remembrance in your life every day?

We take communion as a church family every month, but you can do it in your home, you can do it with your family.

Whatever you need to do to be reminded of the goodness and faithfulness of God, so that means that when no matter what you're facing, I'm carrying the favor of God with me.

I'm carrying the provision of God with me, I'm carrying what God has done in the past with me.

So even when I'm facing a present pain, I'm reminded of what God has done.

And if he did it before, I know he's gonna do it again.

This is how we begin to experience a sign and a miracle, is when we no longer allow fear to paralyze us.

I want to pray for some of us because I realize that every one of us have things that we're concerned with, every one of us have things that stress us out, every one of us have things that have the ability to consume us, but God has not given us a spirit of fear.

Heavenly Father, I pray in the name of Jesus that that Lord that we recognize that above all else that you see us, that God, you are with us, that you are near us.

So, Father, I pray for every one of us that are dealing with anxiety and and stress and and fear, panic disorders.

God, I pray in the name of Jesus that we acknowledge and recognize that you're in control, that God, that every chain that the adversary has wrapped around our neck, the fear that we're going to be single forever, the fear that our marriage is never going to get better, the fear that we're never going to be able to experience financial freedom, those fears and those worries that we have, God, they are not from you.

That God, I pray, God, that you begin to break those chains so that we can have a clarity of thought and we can recognize that you're with us every step of the way.

Lord, I pray in the name of Jesus, Lord, that we will keep our eyes on you and not on the size of the waves or the voice of the enemy or the storms, God.

Father, I pray for every relational fear right now in the name of Jesus.

There are many that are afraid that they're going to be alone for the rest of their lives.

Many who believe that they're never going to find that perfect person.

God, we bind that in the name of Jesus.

Lord, I pray that you give us freedom in recognizing that you are with us through it all.

God, I pray for those who are fearful of their family, wondering if their children are going to live lives where they're submitted to you, God, filled with anxiety and fear, concerned about life and death and health.

God, I pray, God, in the name of Jesus, we recognize that you are with us every step of the way, God.

I pray that we can shed our fear because we know that perfect love casts out fear.

We know that you are with us and that you love us and that you are for us.

And if you be for us, what can be against us?

God, allow our eyes to be open to the reality of what you've done in the past and allow us to carry it with us everywhere we go.

We don't want to check our courage at the door.

We don't want to check the faithfulness of you at the door.

We want to be reminded, God, that it's under your feet, that you're in control.

So in the name of Jesus, I silence the voice of the enemy in our homes, in our finances, with our family, with our health.

God, I pray that we can make wise decisions with those things, but we're trusting you with every single step that we take.

Lord, we live lives that are surrendered and submitted to you.

God, allow our perspective to be on you, what you've done, carrying your favor with us.

We're claiming freedom, we're claiming wholeness, we're claiming breakthrough.

We come against fear right now in the name of Jesus.

Holy Spirit, I pray that you evaluate every area of our lives.

And if there's fear and anxiety and stress that we recognize it's not you, clean it out, clear it out.

Allow us to have a clarity of thought and recognizing that you're with us.

Remind us of your faithfulness, remind us of the breakthroughs, remind us of the accidents that we survived, remind us of the things that the enemy tried to do to destroy us, and yet we are still here.

Allow us to be reminded that you have been with us and you will continue to be with us.

We surrender our lives to you, Father, and with open hands we ask for you to evaluate our hearts and to bring us to a place of wholeness where we will no longer live prisoners of fear.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

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