Toure Roberts - Rock Steady (01/15/2026)
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In this message on Romans 8:19–22, the theme «Rock Steady» calls believers to remain unshakable amid global «groaning”—birth pangs signaling the imminent revealing of God’s sons and daughters. Creation eagerly awaits mature believers walking in divine nature, led by the Spirit, not flesh or fear. In chaotic times—political unrest, cultural shifts, personal delays—stay balanced (avoid extremes), informed (discern media bias), anchored (built on Christ the Rock), and focused (don’t deviate left/right from God’s prior word). Kill doubt—“Did God really say?”—the enemy’s jugular attack undermining God’s character. Replace question marks on promises with exclamation points through confident expectation. Funeral for fear unleashes joy, peace, authority; conviction without doubt moves mountains. God raises a tribe like Issachar/Joseph: understanding times, providing wisdom, influencing nations by prioritizing kingdom over personal mountains.
Opening Song Reference and Introduction
You may be seated. We used to sing in the church. I was going to say the church that I grew up in, but if I said I grew up in church, that would not be totally accurate. But we sang in the church that I was exposed to, „Don’t wait till the battle is over to shout hallelujah.“ Y’all, man, I saw, „Don’t wait till the battle is over—shout now!“ Come on, you know it. And you’re gone. When we got some good Baptists in here, come on, somebody, praise the Lord.
Romans 8 and Living by Divine Nature
Romans chapter 8. Romans 8, man, first of all, the whole thing is just beautiful. As I was really—and I’m still growing; I’ll always be growing—but as I was really aiming to grow in the knowledge of God, I wanted to move past just being, like, religious. Religious meaning, you know, I know this, I know that: „For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life, and when I die, I’m going to heaven.“
I wanted to get past that. Anyone want to get past that? I mean, that’s wonderful. You can’t really get past it, but I’m talking about getting past it in the sense that I wanted to learn how to live. Because sometimes we think that God and the faith are all about getting us to heaven, but I believe that if it was just about heaven, the moment that we came to faith, we would be zapped up. But one of the most beautiful things about growing in Christ is that God teaches you how to live. Are you tracking with me?
And so now I begin to live by the Spirit. I begin to live according to my divine nature, and my life gets better because I’m living according to the divine image. My life breaks down when I live according to my human and carnal nature. That’s when stuff really starts sucking. You don’t like that in church? Okay, that’s when things get uncomfortable and awkward. But when I begin to live—you need to catch this, it’s not even in my notes, but you need to catch this—my life gets better when I begin to govern my life according to my divine nature. That’s when things that once felt foreign to me become natural for me. I feel that God’s gonna bring some of you into a rhythm where what He desires for you is actually going to become natural for you.
Because right now, there are some in this room, some who are under the sound of my voice, and you were in the Apostle Paul’s pre-Holy Spirit, pre recognizing and understanding how the Spirit works condition. He wrote about this in Romans 7. I’ll get to this. He wrote about this; he said, „That which I want to do, I don’t do, and that which I don’t want to do, I keep doing.“ So the thing that I don’t want to do is the thing that I habitually practice, and the thing that I want to do, I can’t do. So Paul talks about this dilemma, and then in Romans 8, he begins to teach us how to not do it, how to walk according to the Spirit, which is your divine nature, and not the flesh. He talks about the victory there.
And so when you get a chance, I just want you to study Romans chapter 8 because I believe the Holy Spirit wants to teach you how to live. He wants to teach you how to live. Your life is going to get better when you are governed entirely by the Spirit. You’re not governed by your emotions, you’re not governed by your brokenness, you’re not governed by your feelings, you’re not governed by any of that; you’re governed by a person. You’re governed by the person of God Himself, who lives inside of you. And now you start moving, operating, functioning, and flowing differently, and it’s a powerful walk.
It’s so powerful that not even the gates of hell can prevail against it, but that’s in Romans 8. This particular passage that we’re going to look at in Romans 8 is after he talks about all of that, and he begins to discuss deeper things. Verse 19 is one of my favorite parts; it always talks about all of creation. The earnest expectation of creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
That’s a passage of Scripture I live by. It communicates to me every single day that the entire universe is waiting on me to be the real me. Did you hear me? That means that everything God has created right now is concerned about you. When you walk down the street, when you drive down the street, when you go to the beach, you drive down PCH and stand in front of the ocean, look at the moon and the stars, and see the waves crashing, or when the dolphins come by or the seagulls fly by, you might even notice a seagull turning to look at you because all of creation is eagerly waiting for you to wake up to who you truly are and begin to walk according to your divine nature.
Interpreting the Times: Sons of Issachar and Joseph
So that’s what Romans 8:19 talks about. It talks about that; right? Everything is waiting on us. Isn’t that something? I feel that everything is waiting on us to be us. The majority of the journey of the Christian life and the Christian walk is about fighting everything that isn’t us so that the real us can emerge. Now what I’m going to talk about tonight is, you know I like to be an interpreter of the times. I think that pastors, leaders, prophetic voices, and voices for God in a generation—voices that will be effective—are those that can interpret the times and translate that into culture and the environments they are called to, bringing healing to them.
I’m always asking God what’s up. I don’t want to just lay out a cute little message for you; I don’t want to do it. I love you too much to do that! Because if I do that, you’ll have a cute little message, but you won’t know what’s up; you won’t understand what’s going on or what to do, right? The sons of Issachar understood, read your Bible more; they understood times and seasons and what Israel ought to do, right? Imagine that—this tribe, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. What they were known for was their understanding of the times and what Israel ought to do. This tribe, this tribe, this tribe—you’re going to catch it in a minute—this tribe—live stream—this tribe was known for their understanding of the times and what Israel ought to do.
Imagine all of the nations coming to them because they had an understanding of the times. They weren’t freaking out watching CNN trying to figure out what’s going on; they had an understanding of the times and the wisdom to tell people what to do in these times. I feel the Holy Spirit. You need to catch this revelation. There is grace in this season for people who will really fall in love with Jesus. Jesus is going to give you an understanding of the times and seasons, and he’s going to give you wisdom. You’re going to be sought out for your wisdom, for your insight, and your knowledge in business. Oh, you better catch what I’m saying to you! I’m looking for some people who want everything that God has for you. He’s going to give you wisdom and understanding that’s going to be your influence in culture. They’re going to seek you out, they’re going to call your name; they’re going to look for you. You’re not going to be looking for anybody because you’re going to be a part of a divine tribe in this season that knows what’s going on and knows what people ought to do.
If you believe that’s for you, take a few minutes; take a few seconds; take whatever you got and give God praise and say that’s for me! I want the wisdom that is assigned to me, I want the revelation that is assigned to me, the favor that is assigned to me, and people are going to be seeking me out. If that’s you, it may not be everybody, but if that’s you, open your mouth and let me know that’s me! That’s me! That’s me! That’s me! Oh, I feel God! This is the tribe that God is raising up in this season, and if you will say not my will but your will be done, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven—if this is your mission and your mandate, God is going to begin to give you an understanding of the times and seasons and what you ought to do.
I’m thinking about Joseph. Where are my dreamers in God’s house today? You know how Joseph got out of jail? He got out of jail because he had an understanding of times and seasons and what Egypt ought to do. I wish somebody would catch it! God is looking to raise up some national leaders. Those who are on top today, I’m telling you, if you will grab ahold of God, lay your agenda down, and get God’s agenda, he’s going to give you a revelation that’s going to have the nation coming to you.
See, it’s bigger than your little problems. I don’t want to be insensitive, but I’m going to be a little insensitive. It’s bigger than your little problems; that’s why he says stop worrying about them! He said, „Seek first the kingdom.“ Prior to him saying that, he said, „Your heavenly Father already knows what you need.“ So we come to God with our little problems, and they’re big to you; I get it. I’m not being insensitive; I know they feel like mountains, but they’re not! They’re not! They’re not! I have a cure for your little mountain. I have a cure for it right here tonight. Your mountain can be settled tonight: mountain of debt, mountain of discouragement—it can be settled tonight! Mountain of heartbreak—it can be settled tonight! I’m going to tell you; I’m going to give you a cure. Are you going to think I’m being so insensitive? My statement is that you stop it! Seek the kingdom! Trade your obsession with that mountain for an obsession with the things of God, for an obsession with the kingdom being manifest on the earth, and I’m telling you; you are going to look up and that thing is going to be behind you. You’re going to be standing on the top of that thing because God is looking for some people who will put his agenda before their own.
Title: Rock Steady in Groaning Times
So it’s kind of crazy; my title, if I had a title, is „Rock Steady.“ Rock steady! Rock steady in this season when everything is suspended in craziness. So many things are happening in our world. I want to look at it because I want to explain where we are—not just in our country but in our world. I want to explain it to you, and I don’t want to do that by saying, „Look at this and look at that.“ I think all of us feel something; we just don’t know what we feel. Sometimes, we can’t give expression to what we feel, or we don’t understand what’s going on, and it creates a lot of confusion that results in strange behavior.
I can’t take my time and really teach tonight; there’s very strange behavior. So, it says in Romans 8:22, I’m going to put it back up there; it says, „For we know.“ Right? Paul’s writing that there’s a place that we get to in God where we understand what’s up. It says, „For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.“ So, you look at that, and as you’re trying to interpret when you see crazy things happening in our country like shutdowns and infighting in the highest levels of government, and you see something similar happening in Britain, and then you go over to Venezuela, and you see all of this shaking, and all of this groaning—hello, somebody! Where are my international people right now? When we see all of this, and with all the complicated issues that are going on in our world, all of it could be summed up right into this: things have to come to a head! You know, like that—everything has to ultimately come to a head because something amazing God is going to birth.
So right now, the whole creation is groaning! America is groaning right now! Can’t you hear it? You have to be able to understand spiritually what’s going on naturally because the natural is the byproduct of something that is happening spiritually. You got to understand that that’s why you and I have an advantage as spiritual beings—we’re not governed entirely by sight. I preached that recently—we’re governed by insight. God gives us insight so that we’re not moved by sight because we’re seeing past and beyond what’s going on, recognizing that the Holy Spirit has led us in on something. If we will be committed to not being so distracted that we miss it in this season, your prayer life—if you didn’t have a prayer life before—was something funny. God has called me to much deeper prayer in this season, but really, spending a lot more time in set-aside prayer, not just drive-by prayers. You know we got those drive-by prayers, come on somebody! You know what I’m talking about! Just, you know, the drive-by—you just bless my food, Father; thank you for this food, and we don’t even; we’re abbreviated; we truncate the food blessings now: thank you, Jesus, okay, and we move on! But God’s got me; he’s got me in this season.
I feel like everyone who has a clue is praying more now, and not praying more because you’re afraid or anxious; it’s not that, but you’re praying more because you understand that there’s so much going on that you have to have a clear line to God! You have to have a clear channel; you have to put yourself in a position to hear from God. Can we talk like this tonight? You have to rap for the Lord; it’s not going to happen because you come to church on Thursday nights or on Sundays. That’s not going to be it; that’s just like warm-up, just kind of to keep you spiritually stimulated, but you’re going to have to go and as a part of your daily regimen, you’re going to have to go and sit with God and you’re going to have to pray and talk to him and listen. Pray the model prayer; if you don’t pray anything else, pray the model prayer: „Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done.“ Then take a moment and really unpack what each of those things mean. Give us this day our daily bread. But what I’m getting at is your prayer life has to go to another level in this season.
Practical Responses: Balanced, Informed, Anchored, Focused
The other day, I gave like a drive-by prayer, and that’s all I did for the majority of the day. By that time, night came, and I was with my wife. I was like, „Man, I feel sinful!“ I hadn’t done anything, but this level, this atmosphere, this season necessitates a prayed-up spirit! You know what I’m talking about? A prayed-up spirit! Like, „God, I’m not after your hand.“ Oh, you’re going to get it tonight! I promise you! This relationship I think that God is pulling back as it relates to the fullness of His grace is divine—in a way, He’s pulling it back for people that aren’t serious, the people who just want His hand. „Okay, God, I’m going to just be me, totally me. I’m not going to change, I’m not going to be, I’m just going to be me. I’m going to do me, but I want you to bless me! I’m going to do me so well that I’m going to get myself in trouble, and then I want you to bless me!“ I’m saying, „God’s in your healing. It’s in walking with me! If you walk with me, I won’t even have to heal you!“ There’s healing in just being in alignment with me!
So this season, there’s this groaning that’s happening, but it doesn’t say that the creation is the only thing groaning—it’s groaning in the context of that, that’s also dealing with the fact that it’s groaning because it wants to see us come forth, right? And so it says, we’re going to put it back up there. They’re going to get it real quick; I’m not going to have to do Father, Son, Holy Spirit; I’ll just say the Father one time. Romans 8:22, right back up there! Hallelujah: „For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.“ So what we’re experiencing is the world groaning.
And then it says in the next verse, „And we also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves.“ So there is a connection between the world and us. What do you do when the world is groaning? The world is groaning. What do you do? I’m going to give you a few things that I want you to do. The first thing I want you to do—well, this is kind of interesting—and the first thing that you have to be is balanced. Balanced! Say: „Balanced!“ The world is groaning; it should not turn it all the way up! Not so much! When things are being shaken in the world, when uncertainty begins to grow and increase, people go to extremes. They don’t stay balanced; they automatically—it’s almost like they assume that the world is getting ready to end! So, religious people become more religious than they’ve ever been in their lives—I mean, like, overboard religious, like ridiculously religious! Like, it seems cool, but the only problem is you still have to live out in this world.
When you swing the pendulum so far to the other side, although you are being spiritually stimulated, you are completely irrelevant to everybody else around you. People get extreme when the world is groaning; they don’t know what to do, and they lose balance. Pray like you’ve never prayed before in this season; I completely agree with that! But maintain balance! Too much of anything is not good. The only thing that you cannot have too much of is prayer.
Balance! Stay balanced, rock steady! Tell your neighbor, „Just rock steady! Rock steady! Rock steady!“ You got to be balanced! I’m going to go through a few things and then we’re going to pray, and I’m going to be done with you. We’ll be out of here by 1:30, 2:00 a.m. We’ll all be done. I want you to stay balanced—not too much of anything! Stay balanced! Pray like you’ve never prayed before—but maintain your balance! Because if you become too spiritual in an earthly world, you’ll be ineffective! And if you are not spiritual enough, you’ll become a slave. So I’ve got to learn how to maintain this balance!
Balance of number one. Number two, in this season with things going crazy, where things are groaning, this is so important: you’ve got to be informed! You’ve got to be informed! I think you need to read the news, but I think you need to read the news with an understanding that most news outlets are slanted.
Isn’t it crazy? Now anybody see that movie „Vice“? Look at all these saved people! Did anyone see the movie „Vice“? Okay, thank you! It was good! It was good; it had some slants; it was good, though! And everything has slants; it was good! But one of the things that’s pretty interesting is, like, news right now—and I just want to talk to you practically—news is that most news is really not about informing the people; it’s about ratings.
It’s not about division, but it’s divisive! Because the more salacious things are, the more they want the ratings. But the more salacious things are, the more there are opportunities for division! So you’ve got to watch the news; you’ve got to read the paper, but understand what you’re reading. You’ve got to take it with a grain of salt and kind of pray through and ask the Lord for wisdom. Because I think the truth is somewhere in between all of it; it’s not right there on Fox, right there on MSNBC, or right there on CNN; it’s not typically right there. You’ve got to read between the lines and understand the slant, but you’ve got to be informed in this season because a lot of people are getting mad over stuff that they don’t even understand.
I’ll get to the preaching in just a minute, but can I go practical for just a second? A lot of people—you’re pissed off, ticked off, and they don’t even know why! Because somebody made a really good argument about something, and it sparked this emotion inside of you. And before you had a chance to research it for yourself, you drew a conclusion, and now you’re a part of a mob! Can I talk to you for real? You’re a part of a mob, and sometimes you’re a part of an uninformed mob!
If you really got and understood all the details and saw it in its context, you might actually agree with the very thing that you’re fighting against! Can I just go practical for a second? I’ll come back to spiritual; I’m just going to go practical. You’ve got to be informed in this season because the world right now is wired to play with your emotions! Because if I play with your emotions, I make money off of you! If I play with your emotions, I can get you! It’s a serious thing!
So in the season where everything is groaning, we’ve got to be balanced, but we also have to be informed. You see a post on Facebook and you like it immediately! Yes! And next thing you know, you’re angry—you don’t even know why! Because you weren’t angry; you felt good; you just came out of your prayer closet because you’re doing the new prayer thing that you’re doing. And somebody posts something you haven’t even investigated, but their passion—which is sometimes uninformed—will become your passion! And now you’re following a mob, and you’re distracted!
Just turn to your neighbor and say: „You need to rock steady! Rock steady! Rock steady!“ Balanced! Informed!
This one is important: anchored! Let’s go to Matthew chapter 7 real quick; this is so important! See, I don’t freak out when everybody’s freaking out in the world! I don’t freak out! I’m focused; I’m on a mission; I’m saved already! I’m in Christ; I’m covered by the blood of Jesus! God is my friend! If he is for me, who can be against me? I’ve got promises and all these things! So I’m not shaken; I’m not moved, and that’s why I don’t jump to extremes—I stay balanced!
I believe the future is for people who know how to stay grounded, who know how to rock steady, who know how to be as steady as a rock when everything around them is shaking! I think that that’s what the future is for! I think the future leaders are those who are mature enough to pause, to discern, to wait, and to pray and not go with the crowd—not willing to be by themselves if necessary. That’s who the future belongs to! It requires a different type of soul, a different type of spirit—somebody who is steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.
Rock steady! Matthew 7:24, I love this! In times like this, all you gotta do is check your foundation! Jesus says, „Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock.“ So in other words, if I’m in relationship with Jesus and I seek out Jesus and I listen to his voice and I build my life according to that, it says that this person is likened to a wise man who built his house on a rock!
And then I love it; it says, „And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house—but it did not fall!“ Why? Because it was founded upon a rock! In this season, don’t freak out! Just check your foundation! Are you rooted in Christ? Is Christ with you? Then you are good! Are you tracking with me?
Just rock steady! Check your foundation! Check your perspective! And the last thought, and then we’re going to pray, don’t be done.
So we talked about being balanced in this season—not too much of anything! Don’t swing to the left too hard; don’t swing to the right too hard! It’s about focus! Being informed, for real! Don’t just move at the sight of something you see on social media! Take a minute, investigate it! Try to look at it from a 360 perspective! You have to because typically you’re only getting it from one side, and you can’t make an informed decision whether you’re going to be upset or inspired or whatever!
Look at it from 360; look at all the perspectives because that is where the truth is! You’ve got to be anchored—anchored in God! I’m praying so I’m close to God! I know I’m connected to God because my prayer life is there! I’m studying; I’m meditating in the word a little more! Your disciplines ought to be on a thousand right now! Are you tracking with me? My habits—I’m habitually praying. I made a habit out of prayer! I made a habit out of studying! I get still with God! I don’t get so caught up and busy in the day that I don’t have my still time with the Lord! I’m talking about what we do when everything is groaning!
So many things are groaning right now! I can just hear the ground! No one knows what to do except to try, right? And lastly, and this is important, and it’s simple—you’ve got to be focused!
I want to show you something real quick! Go to—um, Joshua! Excuse me, Joshua! I think I might even be giving you John. If I gave you John, I’m sorry for giving you John; I didn’t mean to give you John! I meant to give you Joshua in chapter 1 and verse 7! This is you! This is you, rock steady in crazy times! Rock steady! I’m balanced, I’m informed, I’m cool, I’m anchored, and I’m good, and I’m also focused, right?
Look at this: „Only be strong and very courageous that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you.“ Let me show you how that applies to you. What did God tell you before things got shaky? What track were you on before the onslaught of headlines and passions that got your attention? What track were you on?
I felt like we’ve got to be so focused in this season that we don’t turn to the left or to the right! We’re not moved by the noise that goes off on our right or the noise that goes off on our left, but we know how to hunker down and just get focused and say, „Okay, I know this is going on, but I recognize that I’m after something, and what I’m after is going to come to pass.“
He says, „Only be strong and very courageous that you might observe to do everything that God spoke to you before things got crazy.“ And then he says, „Don’t turn from it to the right or to the left—rock steady! Don’t turn from it; stick with it! What did you write down last week? What did you write down before the new year started? Some of you, we’re not even in February, and you’ve already abandoned mission because the other guy has distracted you with all these submissions that are lower than your mission! And I hear God saying you need to get your focus back!
You need to get your perspective back! Don’t turn to the right or to the left because that thing is in front of you! It is not over there in the corner; it’s right in front of you! And I need you to rock steady in this season! He says, „Don’t turn to the right or to the left that you may prosper wherever you go.“
He says, „This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth.“ In other words, you’ve got to keep talking about it! You’ve got to keep talking about it! You’ve got to keep talking about it! Even when people try to put other subjects in your mouth, you’ve got to keep talking about it! I just feel that for some of you! You’ve got to get back to what you started! What did you start? What was in your heart? What did God tell you? What were you inspired by?
There are some people in there right now, and you have lost your inspiration, and God is saying, „I want to breathe on it again!“ I know everything is groaning, but you know what? So are you! I know things are shifting and shaking all around you, but I need you to come back to center—get back into focus! You’re good! I just need somebody to understand that you’re good, you’re covered, you’re redeemed! I didn’t change because the world changed! I didn’t change because the world groaned! I’m still the same! The promises are the same! Did I say go to plan B? No!
We’ll get back to plan A! Work hard! Believe that it’s there! Keep fighting for it! Keep swinging for it! It is still on! I am NOT moved by what’s going on in the government! I am not moved by what’s going on in the community! I am after something, and what I am after if I get it, it’s going to heal all those things!
Don’t get distracted! I got to be focused! I got to be focused! I got to say this thing right! God is looking for some people, family, that are not easily moved! This is his tribe; they’re focused! They’re balanced; they’re not easily shaken! They’re after it! They’re after something!
Joseph’s Example and Funeral for Fear/Doubt
He says, „Don’t turn to the left or to the right that you may prosper wherever you go!“ I really believe, family, that God’s people as they stay focused; I’m just thinking about Joseph again! He should have lost his sense of identity with all of the drama he went through on the way to destiny!
Here’s this: I’m going to say this, and I’m done—this is what you gotta hear! He should have been thrown in a pit! Then you’re doing the right thing and you’re thrown in jail! You do the right thing; he gets to do, and he’s thrown in jail! Then he does a good deed; now he should be coming out of jail, and he doesn’t come out of jail! If there was anyone who should have lost his sense of identity and mission—who should have lost the dream that God spoke to him before all the trouble came—it was Joseph!
If there was anyone who should have aborted mission—who should have no longer believed that he was special—no longer believed that what was in him would get him through and carry him through, if there was anybody who had the right to do that, it was Joseph! But he didn’t do it. Although he was disappointed, he rocked steady!
He rocked steady! Waiting for his moment! I was talking to someone the other day, and we had a conversation about something that that person was believing for. I said, „God is going to manifest it when you rid yourself of the fear of him not!“ I said, „There is this certainty!“ I want to say this right. There is this certainty that you and I must have in the fact that it is already done!
And in that certainty, it is an eliminating of this very powerful force called fear! This very powerful force called fear cannot coexist with the consciousness of it being done! So sometimes, it will manifest the moment that you are no longer afraid of it not! You understand what I’m saying?
I’m just thinking about Joseph, and I’m just thinking about how he somehow held on to his belief in who he was and what was in him, and so it became just a matter of time before the opportunity that his unique gifting, calling, and identity would connect with what would radically change his life for generations to come.
I feel the Spirit of the Living God in this place! Cast not away your confidence! You have got to believe that it’s already done! And when you believe that it’s already done, God will position you in this place of peace, and in that place of peace, everything that God has for you will be attracted to you!
Are you tracking with me? You need to have a funeral right now for the fear of that thing not coming! It is robbing you of the peace that will produce the process that will produce the progress to the promise! It happens because of peace! Maybe that’s what we’re in tonight!
Lord, tonight, so that I can truly rock steady, I’m going to extract from my heart not the belief that you will do it, but the fear that you may not! I’ve got the belief part; that’s not the problem! But what’s holding me hostage right now and what is continuously making me make bad choices is that I’ve got a just-in-case thing going because the fear of you not doing it is living with me!
I cannot fully become one with the truth about what you promise. It’s going to come to pass! If God spoke it, it’s already done! I want to settle you tonight; I want you to rock steady! Rock steady when isn’t me. I’m not talking about the song; it’s a military term, and it means that you are steady as a rock! Steady as a rock! I want to settle you!
I believe that if the fear might not bring me a husband, he might not bring me a wife—maybe I won’t become who he said I would become—maybe it won’t work! I’m talking about these things that live inside our spirit, and we’re held captive!
It’s not that we don’t have a little bit of faith that says, „I’m believing God!“ It’s not that; that’s not the problem! It’s that voice that says, „But he might not!“ And that makes us desperate; that makes us desperate! And that makes us compromise! And we don’t even know it!
That makes us compromise, and we don’t even know it, and it makes us easily distracted! Because when you know something is yours—when you know it is just a matter of time, well, you know all you’ve got to do is not turn to the left or not turn to the right, but keep it in your mouth and keep it in your sight! Nothing can tear you away from it!
God wants to give you your sight back! He wants to give you your focus back! He wants to give you your fight back! Because you are closer than you think! You are closer than you think! You are so close that all you have to do is get the fear of him not doing it out of your space, and you’re going to look up and be right where that promise is!
So maybe, maybe, maybe that’s what we’re going to go to war with tonight! Maybe that’s what we’re going to kill tonight once and for all, and it requires honesty! I want us to have a real honest moment right now; I’m done!
I want us to have a real honest moment. Maybe you’re here, and you didn’t even know you were living with this, but what if he doesn’t? And tonight, in our conversation, something clicked! Oh, it’s not that I don’t believe; it’s my unbelief! And the reason why I feel stagnant is that I’ve got two forces pulling me, and I’m in the middle of those two forces. I’ve got one force that believes what God said, and I’ve got another force that is afraid that he won’t!
And I’m stuck in the middle! And that’s why I feel stuck! It’s because I’m stuck in the middle of those two opposing energies! Because let me tell you something—any thought that gets you to question whether or not God will do it is a stronghold!
Oh, you’ve got to hear me! It’s a stronghold! It’s worse than fear! Because this type of thing undermines the character and the credibility of God! It is a blaspheming against God, and it is debilitating! To know that God is strength, it’s strength! It is boldness! It is authority! Oh, hallelujah!
Hallelujah! To know that God is authority! He says, „If you have faith, if you believe; if you have faith—if you just believe!“ Even just a mustard seed! He’s not talking about little faith; he says faith is big! Faith is so big that you can have a lot of it! My real faith, pure faith, is so big that you can just have a drop of it! It’s so potent, that you can have a drop of it, and you can say to a mountain, „Be removed and cast into the sea, ” and the mountain will obey you! That’s authority!
Oh God, that’s authority! So it’s not like this cute little human emotion or this cute little human experience to doubt God! It is a weapon formed against you! This is serious! From the very beginning, „Did God really say?“ We think that was just a cute little terminology—a cute little phrase? No! It was his best shot! It was his best shot trying to wipe them out from the start, and that’s where the fall began!
Did God really say? That’s going straight for the jugular! I feel the Holy Spirit! That’s going straight—it’s not cute! Oh, we all wrestle; we all stop it! I’m telling you; it’s straight for the jugular! It’s going straight for the kill! Because you can’t move nothing without believing that God is! Are you tracking with me? Without faith, it’s impossible to please God! He who comes to God must believe that he is!
You know what perfect faith is? Perfect faith is simply faith without the presence of doubt! Wow! I see miracles breaking out all over this room! I see miracles breaking out all over your lives! You are not waiting on the miracles; the miracles you’re going to do tonight! It doesn’t cost you anything to believe God! It doesn’t cost you nothing, but it can cost you everything to not!
Hebrews 10:35—“Cast not away therefore your confidence wherein there is great reward!» There’s a reward in my confidence! That’s a Greek word; it literally means expectation! There’s a reward in my expectation! There’s a reward in my expectation!
As well says, «Cast not away therefore thy confidence!» I know; I know! Thank you! I know! I know! I know that it’s hard! And sometimes you will think that there’s nothing in your expectation, but the thing that you’re expecting is in it! Does that make sense? Cast not away your confidence, wherein there is a great reward! The reward is in my expectation!
So I’ve got to fight for it! And you know how you know when you lost your expectation? You have no joy anymore about it! Joy’s gone about it! That’s a sign; that’s the number one sign! Because when you know something’s yours, you’re excited the most about it! When you know it’s on the way to you!
When you went on Amazon and you got that thing you were looking for—come on, somebody—and it says «shipped!» You get that email, and it says «shipped!» And you just—Hallelujah! You can’t wait! Praise God! And you watch this, and you are sure that it’s going to be delivered on Tuesday because that’s when Amazon said it was going to be delivered! And you’re like, «Praise God! On Tuesday, I’m going to get this thing! Hallelujah!»
You got to be the same way about God! If he’s spoken, I may not know the day, but you know what? Maybe today is going to be the day filled with expectation until that thing is manifest in my life! If he said it—if he said it! Did you hear me? If he said it, you will see it! If he said it, he is not a rambler like me tonight! Everything that God says was already thought through! He is intentional with his words, so we’re going to have a funeral for fear!
Are you tracking with me? We’re going to have a funeral for doubting his promise! And when that happens—someone, you’re going to come alive like never before! There are so many words as so many words! You’ve been here and passed the sermon and other guest speakers for years—myself, this word to Pastor Stephanie, Evan, and others—it’s just words, just words!
But you knew it was for you because something happened on the inside of you when you heard it! And it confirmed something deep down within you that was God speaking to you! And you even wrote it down—you were so moved, you wrote it down! There were some words you received and it just took you out!
You were just in the glory over that word, and you forgot who you came with! And you forgot you didn’t care how you were going to get home! That word just resonated with you so deeply down to your core! It was like, «Oh!» And my question is: what happened to God’s word? I’m done! God’s word is not to tickle you and give you some sort of emotional response like a drug until next time!
His word is not a narcotic! Sometimes we treat his word like it’s a narcotic! Just get me high really quickly so that I can move on a little bit because I’m down! So just give me high, you know, and then when my buzz wears off, I’ll be back here! So Thursday, I have a three-day high; it gets me through! Friday, Saturday, I get a little shaky, and by Sunday morning, I’m back at the altar! That’s not—that’s not what his word is meant for!
His word is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path! That means that it shows me where I’m at and where I’m headed! I’m going somewhere! For you here, there are some things that you didn’t realize! The enemy has gone for the jugular by allowing you to live with the question mark around what God said.
It was a statement, but you have put a question mark there! And today, you’re going to erase the question mark and put an exclamation point! If that’s you, I want you to come and meet us here at this altar! We just want to pray for you! We just want to pray for you! I believe with all of my heart, family, with all of my heart—I believe with all of my heart that for some of you, it’s going to happen the moment you kill that other force!
It’s a force that it’s not just, «Oh, I’m just having a bad day!» No—that belief is after you because it will make you compromise! If you’re not convinced, you’re compromised! Oh God! If you’re not convinced, you’re compromised, and when you’re compromised, you will compromise because you’re not convinced!
There’s nothing about us— we weren’t created with—we were created with intentionality! No, I don’t know about you—everything about you God knows! So we were created to be convinced about certain things, and when we’re not convinced, we’re flimsy! We’re flimsy, and we’re tossed to and fro! I’m not saying that we’re not always learning, of course, we’re learning! I’m not saying that!
There are certain things that you just got to know! You’ve got to know otherwise, who are you? Who am I? I am the byproduct of my beliefs! My identity is tied into my belief about me, about my God, about why I’m here—my own identity! That’s what’s—that’s the thing!
What can you do? Truth is strength! Truth is strength! Being convinced is authority! Oh hallelujah, hallelujah! I see miracles breaking out all over this room! I see miracles breaking out all over your lives! You are not waiting on the miracles; the miracles you’re going to do tonight! It doesn’t cost you anything to believe God! It doesn’t cost you nothing, but it can cost you everything to not!