How to Overcome Insecurity - Genesis 3

I am too, what a coincidence. I've realized, I wanna dive straight in, there will never be a day in your life as a believer that you regret giving everything to God. There will never be a moment that you regret going all out for Jesus, because here's the deal. Many people do not go all in because there's something that's holding them back. Would you agree? There's something holding them back, whether it is giving their life to Jesus or whether it is engaging in worship, getting baptized like we just talked about, going public with faith. Maybe it's giving up an addiction that you think there's no way that you could break. Maybe it's living on mission, right, where you're at, using the gifts that God's given you, giving back to the Lord. Whatever it may be, I've wrestled with this question for the last 19 months being a pastor of this church, and I ask this question, why do people stay at an arm's length from the things of God? Why do people stay at an arm's length from the things of God? And I believe very, very confidently, it can be lumped into one word today, and that word is this, in security. In security, the title of today's message, if you like titles for your notes,

it is the issue with insecurity. Now, some of you, you are insecure, then I'm talking about insecurity, and I'm just gonna say you're in a good place this morning, all right. In security, there's an issue with insecurity because the Lord is your strength, amen? The Lord is your refuge. He is the strong tower. He is your hiding place, that he is a man of his word. He is incapable of lying, and he only tells the truth. He sets captives free, Proverbs 3, 26, it says for the Lord is your security. I don't know about you, but when I read that, it gives me a little swagger. It gives me a little pep to my step. It helps me walk differently and talk differently and live differently because if the Lord is my security, I have nothing to be concerned about. It says he will keep your foot from being caught in a trap, and here's the thing, that's exactly what insecurity is, by the way. It is a trap that has been set by the pits of hell to get you caught up in something that you actually are not. It's to make you believe a lie about yourself or maybe believe the truth about yourself and take your eyes off of Jesus. It's what insecurity does.

You get entangled and imprisoned and locked up and chained by it. You're worried and you're scared and you're anxious and you are insecure. So what is insecurity? It is the state of danger or threat or a feeling of a lack of protection. It's the feeling of anxiety or uncertainty about yourself or something that you do. It is a direct attack on your self-worth, your self-value and your confidence. It's exactly where the devil wants you to be, by the way, is insecure, would you agree? Because I've never met someone who is super insecure and super on fire for God at the same time. Many people are chained up by their insecurity so they never step out into what God has for them. Have you ever been there before? I have. And if you're there this morning, you're in good company, you are not alone. I want you to write this down. I've got a few thoughts about this. We have all struggled with insecurity. And if you're here and you're like, not me, I'm gonna prove you're wrong. We have all struggled with insecurity, whether it was in your past, it is right now in the present, or it is gonna be some point in your life, there will be a moment of insecurity.

It makes you feel uncertain and unsafe. And what's wild is that security in Christ makes you actually feel the absolute opposite, would you agree? In a survey interviewing a thousand, over a thousand people, they said it was 99.2%, not only admitted that they have been insecure, but they can remember the moment that it started. They can remember the time of day, the exact very moment, the person that spoke that thing over them, the person that did something to them, the person that turned their back, the person that walked out on them, that caused insecurity to creep in. This is what I know, first Corinthians 10 says, no temptation has overtaken you, except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. There is a way out of insecurity, and there is a way into insecurity. You can become insecure, or you can become fully secure in Christ. Psalm 91 says this, if you make, I love the word if in the Bible, because it requires some action from us. It says if you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the most high your shelter,

no evil will conquer you, no plague will come near your home, for he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. It goes on in Hebrews, we see this, we have this hope. Everybody say hope. We have a hope as an anchor for the soul. It is firm and secure, that's what I need. But the problem with the world that we live in is that the world tries to convince you that if you place your security in momentary things, monetary things that you can find hope and you can be secure. But we know that's not true, right? I wrote down the top four things, this is just for me personally, that we try to find security in its appearance, success, money, and my honey. All right, I'm gonna elaborate a little bit. Appearance, success, money, and my honey. And this is the thing. When it comes to appearance, there is nothing wrong with wanting to look good and dress up nice and shave and get a hair, there's nothing wrong with those things going to the gym and trying to, there's nothing wrong with it, but you have to be confident knowing that your looks ain't gonna last forever, can I get a name in? Don't nudge the person next to you, that's not the time, all right? It's fleeting, the Bible says that charm is deceptive

and beauty is fleeting. Success, yeah. It's awesome to defeat the odds and prove everyone wrong that said you would never be that whatever you thought you would be. Success is awesome, it's fun to climb a ladder and to get a promotion and to do all the stuff, but the Bible says that God is the giver of all good things. It says that it all comes from above, including your life, your gifts, your abilities and your strengths, money. Everybody say money. This one gets tricky. People get a little sensitive. Money can bring confidence. Checking your bank account and seeing that you are in a good status can bring confidence. Having a retirement, it can bring confidence. You can have confidence in money, but it can't be your security. Because how many of you want to know? You ain't taking money with you after this life. Money doesn't leave this earth with you. The Bible says for the love of money is the root of all what? Evil, it doesn't say that money is evil. It says that when you love it, and when you love it, it dictates your actions. Money, and then my honey, everybody say my honey.

Listen, I know a lot of people that find their security and their spouse. And while that sounds really cute, it's not biblical. I love my honey, like I love her a lot. I love her so much. I don't deserve her. She's the best wife, she's the best mom. She's the best gift I've ever received outside of salvation. But I can't put my hope in her. My security can't be in my spouse. It can't be in my honey. It can't be in appearance. It can't be in success. It can't be in money, and it can't be in my honey. And so we all wrestle with this idea of insecurity. So where do we put our hope as an anchor for our soul? There's a few other insecurities. For some of you, the idea of being in public, a social setting, a room with this many people, there's social and relational insecurity. It causes you to not be vulnerable with other people. You can't trust anybody. You're always making sure no one's sneaking up on you. It makes you not be transparent with people. The fear of being found out or they're gonna find out I'm a fraud and I can't trust anybody. I can't even go into a public setting without getting this anxiety. Then there's body insecurity. This is a struggle with self-worth due to body image.

The way that you look, when you look into a mirror, you are so disappointed at what looks back at you. Obsessing over how you look or how you don't look. What you have or what you don't have. Maybe it's a specific body part. Maybe it's your whole body. notice that I'm going to lose my job. I've talked with some of you this week. You lost your job and you told me it's okay because my security is not in what I do. Insecurity comes in all shapes, all sizes, all forms and all fashions, you all financial security when it comes to housing and health and transportation and holding down a job and providing for your family. Listen, when we start talking about all these things, there's a reason the room tends. It's because we've all placed security in at least one of these things. There's people who are insecure about parenting. Well, Seth, I don't want to raise bad kids. There's people who are insecure about being a spouse. I don't want to be a bad spouse. There's people who are insecure when it comes to choosing a major in college. Was anybody nervous about that decision? Well, I don't want to get trapped in it. There are people who chose majors, the wrong majors, and they've worked jobs for 30 plus years because they were so insecure about what would happen if they actually did what they were called to do. I meet with them in security in so many ways. People are insecure. There's people insecure about the Bible. Well, I'm never going to read it because I don't know enough about it. Seth says, "Turn to Genesis." I end up in Revelation.

It's in the front of the book. There's insecurities about literally everything. There's some people that are so nervous about their passing, their past hurts, their past life that they never actually get transparent. Would you all agree social media has made all this worse? Wow, that was powerful. All right, amen through the camera. Somebody watching online. Social media can bring the most insecurity because you are looking at someone's highlight reel comparing your low light reel and you are like, "My life is nothing. That's not what I feed my kids. That's not what I drive. That's not what I live in. That's not what I have. That's not how I dress. That's not how I-- this is how I should talk-- insecurity will wreck your life. It'll ruin it. Insecurity. It's like a hammer and a chisel and it is chipping away at you. Physically, spiritually, emotionally, in every way and it affects your mental health as well. Would you all agree we've all struggled with insecurity? Now that everybody's with me, I want to tell you there is a group of people that do not struggle with insecurity. I've met them. It's called little children. Or for some of you, you know them as little tyrants, okay? Like, I've got a video of my daughter, Haven, and this is the definition of being secure and who you are. Would you all follow that video up there real quick? You can't touch this.

Break it down. This is so good. Somebody messaged me and said she walks like McGregor when he was going to fight. I don't know. So, y'all listen, she wears those pink boots everywhere she goes and you want to know something funny. She could care less what you think about it. But do you know why? It's because she hasn't learned what it means to have someone else's approval yet. She hasn't learned what it means to have the opinions of others yet. She will fart in public and then laugh about it. Some of y'all still do that and y'all need to come to the altar. My son is the same way. Zane, I love my son. He's four years old. There was a moment in his life. It was a season. I almost had to go really seek wise counsel because he would not eat dinner and then he would go hide in the pantry and eat our golden retriever's milk bones. And while I was disappointed, I was like, I'm kind of proud. He's different, you know? But there was a moment a couple of weekends ago at his birthday. He turned four and Pastor Andrew comes running inside my house and there's a lot of people outside and there's, you know, all these people back there and Zane is down there with his pants to his ankles and he is peeing all over the place. And I saw it and I had this moment where I was a little disappointed and then I was very proud. And I was like, we're going to work on that. But I say all of this to say, just go with me on this. Little kids are naive to common sense.

They are naive to social norms, to naive to life and they are naive to insecurity. They don't know how to be insecure. But as a parent, you can remember the moment your kids finally started taking notice of who was watching them. I remember this little kid came up to Zane at this playground, the Amazium, and he was making fun of him because he couldn't climb on this thing. and I whisper to the kid, "I'll send a fire, "breathe, and drag into your house." (audience laughing) And then I had a moment, I was like, "Man, I hope his parents don't come to the church." You know, like, and so then I hid, I hid. Write this down, write this down. Insecurities are learned. If that's your kid, I'm so sorry, all right. Insecurities are learned. They're picked up over time. We know this that we are all born into sin, but we are born with two common fears. The fear of falling, and the fear of loud sounds. If you don't believe me, toss a baby in the air, don't actually do this, okay? And then catch 'em at about three foot of a drop. They will start crying. Scream in their ear. I don't recommend that one either. They will start screaming back at you for a long time. We have these fears, but there are, our insecurities are learned. We pick them up along the way,

even your biggest insecurity. Isn't that crazy to think about? That some point in your life, you picked up an insecure, I know this is true, 'cause I remember the first time I struck out in baseball. And I was so insecure about going back up to bat, because I remember walking from home plate to the dugout, looking at all the fans who were disappointed in me. Insecure. I remember being in middle school for the first time in sixth grade, and my friends were joking on the playground, and it was the first, I was what you would call husky, okay? I was short and round. My mom said, "You're just built different." I was like, "Thank you, mom, for speaking life into me." And I was like, "Well, why don't I shop "in the same area as my brother? "He's built different than you." Okay, like, and I was insecure, but this kid, it was the first time I heard the word fat. And he said, "You are fat." And in the moment, I was like, "Oh, you know, "like it was funny, y'all that summer." It's gonna be funny when I tell you this, but it was really devastating as a child. That summer, I wore a hoodie every day during the summer, 100 degree weather, because I was trying to cover up the thing that I was insecure about. I remember my first time reading in public,

which is really funny, God's got a sense of humor. I was in fourth grade, they had us reading Harry Potter, which that's a whole 'nother conversation about Jacksonville. And we were reading Harry Potter, and it was my turn to read. So I stand up, and I didn't know at the time, but I'm dyslexic, I have a really hard time reading, I still do to this day. And I froze, I literally couldn't even get a word out. I was terrified. The kids started laughing, and I melted into my seat, and that insecurity stayed with me from fourth grade to 11th grade, to 12th grade. So much to the point that when the teacher would call on me to read, I would rather get suspended from school than to make a fool of myself again. And as I'm reading through these examples, some of you can, you're thinking about the moment you picked up this identity that is not your identity, it is an insecurity. And I'm just gonna let you know, it will bind you up and keep you locked down from what God has for you. I remember when insecurity started knocking on the door, I answered it willingly. I didn't know at that time that there was a way out of this. I didn't know that my identity was not in what people say about me. I didn't know the verse we read last week, do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving, to present your request to God. And it says, and then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, it will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. But here's the reality, when pain is inflicted on your life, you don't forget about it, would you agree? You remember the moment where the pain first happened. I want you to write this down, insecurities will always come to the surface. We've all had 'em, we learned 'em, we picked 'em up along the way, and they always come to the surface. The Bible says that things always come to light. It says that there's nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be known. I've realized this about my sin and my insecurities, they make their way to the surface. Somehow, some way, whether I like it or not, they're gonna find their way to the light, because that wound is always gonna cause pain until it gets healed, I'll say it this way. Any time something bumps up against a previous wound or pain or insecurity in your life, you will either be in pain, or you will choose to inflict pain upon other people. Have you noticed that insecure people typically cause pain in other people's lives? And this happens, and it will repeat itself

Everybody say confronted. Today is the day that some of you need to confront your insecurity. Either you do someone else needs to, or you need to allow the Holy Spirit to, or all three. Write this down, false security is no security at all. Have y'all ever met somebody that's really, they look like they're secure, but if you really start digging beneath the surface, there is no security. It's kind of like when you go to someone's house and they've got the sign that says protected by ADT or whatever security system, and they ain't got no security system, what's this supposed to do to scare away the bad guys, right? Or they got the sign on their fence that says, be aware of dog, and they got like a Yorkie or a poodle. It's like, this is what it looks like when we try to have security in the things of this world, and we are insecure on the inside, 'cause false security is no security at all. You can have all the things and still be insecure. So, this is the summary of it. Security cannot be found in yourself. Security can only be found in Jesus Christ. It cannot be found in yourself. It cannot be found in your stuff. It cannot be found in your success. It's found in one place. And then security is actually not a new thing.

It's the oldest tricks of Satan. The scripture I read at the beginning of service, it proves it. I'm gonna go back to it in Genesis. We see this pan out. God creates everything. Let there be light. There was light. He creates all the stuff. And then God placed Adam in the garden, and he gives him a job, which I'm gonna preach about that one day. He gave him a job. Can I get an amen? Few people, all right. And then he commanded him. You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good, and he was the one in the middle. He says, "For when you eat from it, you will certainly die." And then the Lord created woman from Adam's rib to become his wife. And then we see this unfold. Adam and his wife were both naked. Everybody say naked. It's just fun to have y'all say that. And they felt no shame. This is important. Please don't miss this.

They were naked. They did not feel shame. Up to this point, everything is literally perfect. The definition of perfect. There was no sin. There was no shame. There was no insecurities, and there were no clothes. Somebody said, "Hey, man." And then this is what the devil did. He comes in, and he asked a question, because you need to know that the devil always wants to question the truth of God's word. Be careful only hanging out with people that question the truth of God's word, by the way. Be very careful about the amount of time you spend with negativity, because you'll start to believe some of those things are true. The devil slithers his way in as a serpent, and he says, "Did God really say "that you must not eat from any tree in the garden? "Then Eve says, 'God says, 'Don't do it or we'll die.'" And then the devil says, "You will not certainly die "for God knows that when you eat it, "your eyes will be opened, and you will be like who, God." Knowing good and evil, isn't it interesting that Satan's only trick was to take two people who were created in the image of God? They were like God, they were literally with God, and he said, "If you eat of this, you can be like God." He has no new tricks, y'all.

This is how stupid the enemy is. This is how easy it is to sniff out his lies, but this is what you gotta know. When sin enters into the equation, so does insecurity. It says verse six, when the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food, and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some of it, and she ate. And she also gave some to her husband, who was just chilling, by the way. That guy, he had one job, you know. Who was with her, and he ate it, and verse seven, it says, "Then the eyes of both of them were open, "and they realized that they were naked." And so they sewed fig leaves together, and they made coverings, these words are very important, I'm gonna elaborate on it, for themselves. And then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord, as he was walking through the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord among the trees in the garden. But the Lord called to the man, he said, "Where are you?" Anybody like playing hide and seek growing up? God is the best at hide and seek, by the way. He knows exactly where they're at. He calls out, "Where are you?" Because God has always pursued us, you know that, right? Even when we blow it, even when we mess up, sin enters the equation, and God's first response is to come looking for him. And he answers, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid,

because I was naked, and so I hid." And then he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I told you not to eat from?" And then he blames the woman. The woman blames the snake, and they're all in trouble. We know this story. So in summary, everything is perfect. There is no worries, no insecurities, no shame, no sin. God gave them everything, purpose, identity, a job, stuff to do, things to eat. But they believed a lie from Satan. It separated them from God. They gave into the sin and desires of their flesh. And then they tried to cover up themselves and hide from God. I'm going somewhere with this. Write this down. Fix your focus. The more I prayed about this whole idea of insecurity, the more I realized it is a focus issue. Fix your focus. Insecurity is a focus issue. It as simple as that, because you steer towards the things in which you stare. Insecurity, a lot of people are so fixated and focused on themselves, all they can see is how broken and messed up they are. Because at our nature, that's what we are. But when you fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith, everything begins to change. I want to tell you something to revelation. It says that the Lamb of God sits in front of the throne of God. And I'm convinced it's because every time the Father looks out unto a broken world, He would look through the lens of His Son who died for us.

Which, by the way, He is blameless. He is sinless. He is without spot. He is without blemish. He is perfection. He is perfect. He was the perfect atonement for our sin. He died. He took our place. He died the death that we deserved. That is the lens in which God is looking through. If you have called upon the name of Jesus, that's how He sees you. So if you could fix your eyes on Jesus and off of yourself, you would walk with a little bit of confidence. Because you don't have to be focused on all the areas that you're broken. Y'all, when I realized this, my life changed. I started serving in the church almost 11 years ago. I remember I was stacking chairs. I was holding the door and I was neck deep in sin. So jacked up, addicted. I mean, I was like, if these people find out what I'm doing, I'm in big trouble. But you know, every time I held the door and every time I took out the trash, and every time I walked in that church and picked up coffee cups after people, as a college student, it was the first time in my life. My eyes were not on Seth. My eyes lifted up a little bit and I started seeing people differently. Are y'all tracking with me? I started seeing God a little differently. I started seeing myself a little differently. And I was so prideful and so insecure.

And when people looked at my life, they probably thought that I was pretty secure, but I had to be aware of dog sign in my life. And I was a poodle, terrified, fearful, shameful, covered in sin. Listen, self-absorbed people can quickly become less absorbed with themselves if they would become absorbed in the things of God. So this week when I said, "God, why do we keep you at an arm's length?" He said, "It's because of insecurity. It's because you're afraid that God will see in the middle of your mess. And if you invite other people into it, you're afraid of being found out there is so much freedom and coming clean, by the way. There's so much freedom and giving up control and fixing your eyes on Jesus. You start walking differently. Y'all remember something I just got saved?" You know what I'm saying? You act differently. You talk differently. You live on purpose. But Satan knew if he could get Adam and Eve focused on themselves, then they wouldn't focus on God. This whole week, all I could think about was the fig leaves. So I had Andrew, he's got a fiddle leaf fig at his house. I said, "Can you rip off some of them leaves? Thank you for your sacrifice, my friend." I just want y'all to get a picture of how silly Adam and Eve looked, by the way. Except I'm not naked. Don't even visualize that, all right? They sinned and they went and plucked off some leaves off of a tree. Are y'all tracking with me? Have you ever tried to hide from God? This is what it looks like. Y'all ever played hide and seek with a little kid? They're like. (audience laughing)

I mean, this is what we look like, but they took it up a notch and they did this. Except I think they were covering other stuff, you know? (audience laughing) Did you know that we have modern day fig leaves? Some of you are running to the gym right after work and spending three hours in there because you're convinced if you can change how your body looks, you'll change how your heart feels. I'm not against the gym, I need to go. But I got other things going on. (audience laughing) We have modern day fig leaves for some, I'm not against these things that I'm saying. I'm just saying when you use them to cover up something, there's a problem. Listen, makeup can be a modern day fig leaf. The mirror can be a modern day fig leaf. Those filters on Instagram, modern day fig leaf, you know? (audience laughing) What? We gotta look perfect, no you don't. Designer clothes, money, your job, success and status, social media, image. Like I meet some people that I've seen on social media and I'm like, that ain't you on there. Somebody stole your identity on there. You're really nice on social media and you are really not nice in person, you know? Modern day fig leaves, we're trying to cover up

the most insecure areas of our life. I'm telling you your abilities and your strengths and your sports, hey hear me. For some of you, you're hiding behind your spouse. For some of you, you're hiding behind your children. And this may step on some toes, but I'm gonna say it. Your kids' accomplishments do not cover up the areas in your life that you failed. God wants to cover that stuff. Not only does he want to, but he already did. You've just gotta receive it. Modern day fig, well just I just don't want anybody to see and so I hide, but we look so silly. Did y'all know sin really makes you do some stupid stuff? This is what it looks like, we're just hiding. And God's like, dude, where are you at? Where are you at? These two Adam and Eve, they go from security in God to insecurity in themselves. You see the switch? They go from security in God to insecurity in themselves. The devil's trap is this. God went from being their only thought to just an afterthought. And in your life, do you know if the enemy can get you just to think about God on Sundays, he's already won? If he can get you just to think about God when you desperately need help, he's already won. God wants to be right smack dab in the middle of your life leading the way.

He wants to be the focus. He wants to be everything that you fixate on. He wants to be everything. He wants to be the Lord of your life. He already died. He died and he set you free from your sin. You don't have to hide in it. So when you lose focus, you lose security. When you lose security, you become insecure. And when you become insecure, you will do anything to feel secure, anything. The enemy is after your intimacy with God. You wanna know, I think intimacy is simply this. It is into me, you can see intimacy. If you get close to God and you get close to people, which by the way, he simplified it. He said, love me and love some people. Love God and love some people. Get into community, start serving, let's get involved. But people don't wanna do that if they're insecure. Hear me today, you don't have to wallow in your insecurity anymore. Jesus paid for it. And there's something really fun about realizing your weaknesses. Because he says in your weakness, he is strong. He doesn't say in your strengths, he is strong. He says in your weaknesses. Second Corinthians, my grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in what?

Weakness. So therefore, I boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. You wanna know how I read that when I got saved? All the haters can hate, but I've been hating on myself. If I know my weaknesses, and I talk about my weaknesses, they become a strength. No one has anything to say about me if I've already said it about myself. That's how I read it when I first got saved. You start to walk differently. You start to talk differently. You start to live differently. You start to serve and love. Y'all, the devil has tried to destroy my life within security. Can I be real with you for a second? I remember when I first started getting around the things of God. I can't be a follower of Jesus. I haven't even seen this in my life. I can't be a godly example. God, do you know what I've done? God, I can't be a good husband. I've never seen what that really looks like. I can't follow your example. I can't do this. God, I can't be a father. My dad was in prison almost my whole life. Like, I don't know how to do this in security.

You could never do that. And then God is simply saying this. Hey, who told you that? Hey, who told you that? 'Cause if it wasn't me, it ain't true. I remember when God called me to be a pastor. I started laughing. I was like, God, I'm supposed to be a baseball coach and teach lunch. Simply that. God, do you remember in fourth grade when I stood up to read? Do you remember me getting suspended from school 'cause I wouldn't read out loud? God, do you remember me riding in front of people on the board and I write my numbers and my letters backwards? I'm a little different. I learn differently than most people. Some people look in there like, are you making hieroglyphics? You know, God, do you remember this? You want me to read in front of people to support my family? You want me to speak potential in the people when I feel dead on the inside? You want me to believe in people when I don't even believe? Yes, because in your weakness is strong. So if you will close your eyes,

my prayer is that you would simply find your security in Christ. God shows up on the scene. Just want you to have a moment with him right now. No one looking around, just focus on Jesus. God shows up on the scene. Adam and Eve are hiding and they had tried to cover themselves. They had tried to hide in the garden and it says that God had garments of skin to cover them. This was a prophetic picture of what would come. By the way, to have garments of skin from an animal, something had to die. Something had to be sacrificed. Something had to die and something had to be sacrificed for Adam and Eve to be covered by God. Did you know that nothing changed? The only difference is the perfect sacrifice was made so that you no longer had to try to cover yourself and hide in your sin. Jesus died to take your place so that you could have relationship with God. The enemy is after your intimacy with God because if he can get you to believe a lie about yourself, you'll never believe the truth about who God created you to be. So right now, there's nothing powerful about my words right now. I want you to believe this in your heart.

I want you to resent some of these things that you've believed about yourself for years. I want you to throw down to the wayside, some of these insecurities and the fear of being in public spaces, the fear of talking in front of people, the fear of being in biblical community, the fear of going public with your faith. Maybe you are terrified to engage with the Lord and worship and lift your hands. I double dog dare you to do it because it's simply this. If the enemy can get you to believe a lie about yourself, it'll be very hard to walk in the truth of who God has created you to be. When you pray, oh, you refocus. When you read the word, you refocus. When you worship, you refocus. When you serve and when you love and when you give back to the Lord, you refocus on Him. And this is what I know is true right before we pray. Hear me. When you are focused on God, it is very hard to be insecure about anything in your life because you are covered in everything. God, we love you. I feel your presence in this place, Lord. I don't typically preach topically, but today I know that I was supposed to talk about insecurity

because I believe there are people in this place today watching online, whoever stumbles across this video, they are living and they are bound by insecurity and today you want to set them free. So God, I pray that they would come out of hiding today. Maybe they've come out of hiding, but they're still covering themselves up with modern-day fig leaves. Looking so silly, I've been there. It's a waste of time. It's a waste of money. It's a waste of energy. It's a waste of everything because, God, you provided the best covering ever. We can hide in you, Lord. We can be covered by your grace, or we can choose to try to cover ourselves. And so today, God, we choose to be covered by you. So as we begin to sing these lyrics out here in a second, God, I pray that you would begin to do miracles in this room. That you would speak truth over areas where people have believed lies for years. God, we ask that you would have your way in Jesus' name. Amen. If you would, stand to your feet.