Let me give us a quick update so if.
You've been around Next Level for a little while here this
spring. You know that we are in the
process of purchasing the building on Metro.
Parkway here in Fort Myers that will expand our Fort Myers.
Property here at our. Fort Myers.
Location and so we are scheduled to close May the. 5th Come on
somebody. Cinco de Mayo, baby.
Let's go. Going to eat some chips and
salsa to celebrate. It's going to be awesome.
But, and all of you know that we have a couple that stepped up in
February. And with $1,000,000 matching
opportunity. And so every dollar that's given
between February 21st and the close of the building is going
to be matched dollar for dollar. So quick update.
On the million? Dollar match.
We are at 608,551. Come off somebody.
That's awesome. Yes, let me draw our.
Attention to the one. Because everyone matters, Amen.
And so, as we have said for 24 years, my wife and I in leading
our church. We've just said our.
Responsibility as your pastors. Is to make the need known the
opportunity. Known and then all of our
responsibility. As next level lights a made-up
term. As as people who are planted in
this House, all of us then have an opportunity, responsibility.
To go to our. Heavenly Father and say God.
Is from my house. What do you want me and my house
to do to participate in this? So if you've been holding out,
we're getting close. To the goal.
Line everybody, now's the time. So just wanted to give you an
update on that. Sound good?
Hey, we are in part three of our series called Don't let Doubt
take you out. Let's say it together, Don't let
doubt take you out. And I'm so thankful since Easter
that we have been tracking in this series where?
We're talking about how. Doubt and and.
Fear, worry and anxiety affect our lives.
And how we overcome it. Well, for today God's given me a
word because I want to talk about and look at a story.
In the Bible and apply it. To the decision.
Making zones of our life. If I had a title for the
message, I would say this when doubt drives our decisions.
Anybody come on, ever had fear and doubt interfere with the
decision looking at? Some of your outfits this
morning, I'm thinking maybe some of you.
It hit you. Just kidding.
Totally. That was not even notes, but it
was funny. Kind of an offense, a little
offensive. And now I'm doubting.
The decision to have said that a moment ago, See.
And that's how it works. That's how fast it can happen.
That's how quick it goes. No, we've all had that.
Haven't we all had moments in our life where where fear enters
into our decision making in big ways and small ways?
Maybe. Maybe you didn't apply for a job
that came available because you you were insecure.
You thought you said I'm not good enough for that.
Or maybe someone spoke up in a meeting.
Or in a classroom. Come on young people, on your
college campus or in your high? School or middle school?
And someone said something that you knew wasn't correct, but
instead of speaking to it and bringing truth to it, instead,
you just kind of let it go by. Why?
Because. Of because of.
Doubt or or fear. Maybe you've avoided A
confrontational conversation with someone out of doubt or or
fear. Maybe you've procrastinated.
Maybe it's just you're overthinking.
You've overthought a simple decision in your life.
Maybe for some of us, we've compromised.
Morally and when we. Look back at that.
Decision in our life. We realize it's because fear and
doubt started to drive our decisions and if we're being
honest. Today we all have.
Man, I know for me in. 30 years of ministry, leadership and 35
years of following Jesus. There have been so many times
throughout my life, so many occasions.
Where I've let fear. And doubt drive a decision.
Because the truth is, every time we let fear and doubt.
Drive our decisions. Come on, say it with me.
It never ends well. Every time we let.
Fear and doubt drive our decisions.
It never ends well. So today I want to look at a
story that's found in the book of Genesis about a man named.
Abram OR. You might know him as Abraham.
God changed his name, man named Abram.
Who let? Fear and doubt.
Drive his decisions and, well, it didn't.
Turn out very well. Here's what I believe I've had
just this weight on me leading into this weekend because I just
I have this sense and it during. Worship during first service.
God took. Me to a verse Joel chapter 3
verse. 14 It's not a slide, it says.
This multitudes. Multitudes.
In the valley of decision for the.
Day of the Lord is near. In the valley of decision and I
just believe, I just have this sense that across our church
family today. There are.
Perhaps multitudes of us, hundreds of us, and you're in
the valley of a decision right now.
Big or small, you're facing a decision in your life.
Some. Area and I.
Believe God wants to use this word over the next few minutes
to speak to your heart. So come on, every location, can
we just open our hearts? To the Lord, Father, thank you,
Father, thank you that you're a faithful God.
Lord. You're a right on time God.
And Lord, I just believe in sense, even now, that there are
some who are listening. To me, maybe hundreds.
Multitudes, probably, who are in the.
Valley of. Decision.
And so God seated right where we are.
I pray you would. Speak to us, God, I pray.
You would anoint my words, and Lord, would you anoint the ears
of the. Listeners today may the.
Eyes of our heart be. Open that we might see what you
want to see. Want us to see from your word?
We pray this in Jesus name. And everyone who agreed said
Amen, Amen, Amen so. The person we're going to look.
At as I mentioned a moment ago, is is Abram and in Genesis
Chapter 11, let me kind of set this the scene.
For us, so God speaks. To Abram's father.
And he gives him a vision and he says, I have a land set out for
you and a people, and you're going to become a great.
People. And so Abram.
'S father sets out in Genesis. Chapter 11 to.
Go to this land. That God.
Was going to. Show them it was an unknown
land. He didn't even tell them.
In advance. Where they were going?
But the Bible says that Abram's dead actually, when he reached a
place called. Haran, which was.
Known as a place of comfort, he stopped and instead of seeing it
all the way through, he stopped in the land of comfort, and the
Bible says that he died in the land where he was comfortable.
Come on, Southwest Florida. He died, and that's a whole
nother message. So as Genesis 11 turns to
Genesis. 12 The man died. But.
The vision didn't die. And so the vision passes on to
the next generation, which is Abram, which is who we're going
to. Examine.
This moment for him. And in Genesis chapter 12, God
reignites this vision in Abraham's heart.
And he says, I'm going to go, I want you to get up and go take
your family, your wife, your possessions, your kids, take
everything and go to the land that I'm going to show you.
And so in faith. Abram steps.
Out and he goes. But once they get to this land,
all of a sudden, within a few short verses, a famine breaks
out. And when this famine breaks out,
stress comes on Abram and he's forced to then move his family
to Egypt for a season to to find relief from the drought.
Let's look at it the famine. Let's look at it.
Genesis chapter 12, starting in verse 10 says this.
Now there was a. Famine in the Land and.
Abram went down to Egypt to live.
There for a while. Because the famine was.
Severe. As he was about to enter Egypt,
this is where things start to come off the rails.
As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, I
know what a beautiful. Woman you are.
When the Egyptians see you, they will say this is.
His wife. Then they will kill me but will
let you live. Verse 13 Say you are my sister,
so that I will be treated well for your sake, and my life will
be spared because of you. OK, what time?
Out what is going on Abram and his.
Wife, their family are traveling from Israel down to Egypt,
riding in their whatever carriages or riding on donkeys,
whatever they were doing. And all of a sudden Abram starts
getting in his head. Then he starts thinking, Ma'am,
my wife is. Hot.
When we get to Egypt, they're going to think.
She's hot and all of a sudden he.
Starts spinning. Up.
Why? Because of.
Fear because of doubt. And then he looks at his wife
and he says, when we get there, tell them you're my sister.
OK? I've heard of some dumb husband
moves. But.
This one tops them. All what?
Abrams? Seriously.
What, brah? OK, we got to.
Break this down. So here's what I want to do.
I want us to break down the anatomy of this really poor
decision that was motivated and driven by.
Fear and doubt what happened maybe?
We want to jot. These things down.
Here's what happened. First of all, fear kicked in.
Fear kicked in. Abram's cruising along and all
of a sudden he lets his thoughts start to run away with him.
All of a sudden there's a famine.
Things are getting stressful, not enough food to feed me and
my family. Bills are piling up.
And all of a sudden we got to go to Egypt.
We need to relocate. All of a sudden, when the stress
goes up, all of a sudden for Abram, here comes.
Fear and fear kicked in. And man, we do this all the
time, don't we? We have a big meeting.
We lay awake nights before right middle of the night, we can't
sleep and what do we do? We're just laying there thinking
about, well, if this happens, then I'll do this.
Well, if they say this, then I'm going to say this and I'll just
worry just starts to, to flood our heart in our life, doesn't
it? Someone, someone comes to us and
says they need something and, and all of a sudden we feel the
pressure, we feel the stress. And so now all of a sudden we,
instead of doing the research and coming to a logical, good,
wise conclusion, we just, we rush to an answer.
We just, we just, we want to check it off so we'll feel
better. And so we just, we just rush to
an answer or just we just go for it.
Someone asked us to do something and we know that if we say yes
and we commit to that, that it's going to bring over commitment
to our calendar, to our schedule.
It's going to it's not going to be good for our family rhythm.
It's not. Going to be good in this.
Season, but we say yes. Why?
Because the stress. Because the pressure, because we
don't want to let them down. Stress comes on, pressure comes
on. Instead of doing what we know to
do, we get. In our head and fear kicks in
search. Stress.
And fear are running mates and you just need to know whenever.
There's stress. In your life here.
Comes fear here. Comes.
Fear we got to. Get this Whenever there's stress
in our life, here comes fear when stress.
Goes up. Fear comes.
In Have you ever? Noticed that.
We have. To start to recognize this.
So for Abram, fear kicked in. Then watch.
Here's what happens next. He creates.
Fictitious narratives he creates fictitious.
And when fear kicked in and Abram, he started making stuff.
Up Church, hands down. The number one thing fear tries
to do in our lives is get us to create.
Fictitious narratives. Abram.
Just starts making stuff. Up.
Did you see it in the verse? He says to his wife.
They will say watch this, that was.
Categorically untrue. But he said it.
As if it was true. And how many times do we do
this? Hey, Abe.
You don't know bro. You have no.
Idea what's going to happen when you.
Get there, but he's. Saying things, declaring things
as if they're true. And automatic.
Oh, they're. Going to say.
Maybe. Maybe not.
He doesn't know. And he's all the way down the
road to they're going to kill me and let you live.
They haven't. Even gotten to Egypt yet and
he's already dead and she's already been human trafficked.
Hey, Church. I want to say this as.
Gently, but as firmly as I know how.
We do this all the time. Oh.
We may not go as far as murder and sex slavery.
But we. Let fear and doubt create a
fictitious narrative all the time, don't we?
When stress goes up, here comes fear and the next thing you
know. You're making stuff up.
It's not even true, but it is true.
No, it's not and just. Because your favorite news
outlet says it's true doesn't mean it's true.
It's not. True, it's fictitious narratives
with our finances in our. Relationships in our marriage.
With our children in every area of our lives.
When fear kicks in this. Is where we go.
And This is why. We have to have Holy Spirit
self-awareness to interrupt this pattern.
That's why we. Talk about Holy Spirit,
self-awareness so much, and freedom.
Because we know without. The power of the Holy Spirit
speaking truth, real truth to us.
We will get caught in this. So watch.
Abram's fear kicked in. Led.
Him to start making stuff up fictitious narratives.
And then verse 13, look, so you say you're my sister so that
I'll be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared
because of you. What happened next?
He started having faulty actions.
All of a sudden. Abram starts making decisions
based on fear. And doubt.
And fictitious narratives. And all of a sudden he's going
to start to reap severe. Consequences because of it.
Look at his motives. Look at verse 13 again.
So you say you are my sister. Look so that I.
Will be treated well. What a punk.
Like. He's just being selfish.
Look at the second part though. Say you're my sister so that
I'll be treated well for your. Sake and my.
Life will be spared. Because of you, baby, I'm doing
all of this for you. Barf.
You're not doing it for her, you're just.
Scared and you're manipulating your wife?
Fear. Do you see it?
I'll make it go away in a second.
That's kind of funny though. That was a late ad, by the way,
and it worked it. Worked.
Love it. Look.
Verse 14 When Abram came down to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that
Sarai was a very beautiful woman.
When Pharaoh's officials. Saw her.
They praised her to. Pharaoh and she was taken into
his palace. He treated.
Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle,
male and female. Donkeys, male and female
servants. And camels.
But the Lord look at this inflicted serious diseases on
Pharaoh. And his.
Household because of Abram's wife, Sarai.
Terrible, serious diseases that. Was the result of his decision
verse 19/18/19 So Farah summoned Abram.
My. Translation, brah.
What have you done? Are you?
Serious. Why didn't you tell me she was
your wife? Why?
Did you say she's? My sister so that he took her to
be my wife. Now then.
Here's your wife. Take her and.
Go watch his fear. Kicked in.
He created a fictitious. Narrative that led him to faulty
actions that brought fallout. For everyone, Pharaoh.
Finds out. What Abram's done.
And he's ticked. In church, when we let fear.
And fictitious narratives, Dr. Our decisions, we end up way
off. Than we were way worse.
Off than we were before. And as I look my life over 35
years, 30 years of ministry, leadership, 35 years of serving
Jesus, as I look at my life. I'm just.
Telling you. I.
Cannot think of one time when. I let fear.
Drive my decisions that it turned out better than trusting
the Lord. I just can't.
I just can't, but I can show you.
Hundreds of times. When I've trusted.
The Lord, even if it. Didn't make worldly logical
sense. No, we're going to go.
With what God said, we're going to get a word from God.
We're going to hear from God. We're going to go with his word.
We're going to line up with this word.
We're going to do it God's way. I'm telling I could.
Tell you time and time and time and time and time and time and
time again. Where I've lined up with.
God's Word. And it's turned for my good.
Which is why. We have to internalize Romans
chapter 8, verse 28. That says.
And we know that in all things, everybody say all things.
We. Know that in all things,
including with your kids. All things.
Include your marriage. All things.
Includes your job and your finances, all things we know
that in all things look, God works for the good of.
Those who love him, who have been called.
According to his purpose, that's.
Us when we trust God, God works. It's all out.
So what do we do? Let me give you 3 thoughts #1.
We need to. Stop and pray before we make a
decision. What do we?
Do how do we interrupt this fear driven decision making in our
life? We stop and pray before we make
a decision. Church, we have to.
Slow. Things down in our decisions
when stress goes up, slow things down.
Come on, say that with me when stress.
Goes up slow things. Down.
Say it again. When stress goes up, slow things
down. Look at your neighbor and tell
them when stress goes up. Slow things down.
Why? Because our flesh.
Wants to speed things up, to find homeostasis, to find peace,
to find resolve. I just want to get through this.
Hold on, hold on, ask the Holy Spirit.
Slow things down when stress goes up.
Slow things down. Ask the Holy Spirit to check
your. Motives to search your heart,
because in that moment our flesh is crying out.
We have to slow things. Down I love Psalm 139.
If you want a memory verse, this is a great memory verse.
Verses 23 and 24. Search me God know my heart,
test me and no look my anxious thoughts when you feel anxiety.
When you feel worry and fear when you.
Feel doubt. Creeping in and you got.
A decision to make. Slow it down and ask the Lord to
search. My heart.
Search my heart search my heart. See if there's any offensive,
any offensive way in me. In other words, anything that
doesn't line up with your word. Any offensive way in me and
leave me in the way everlasting. What are we going to do?
We got to stop and pray before we make a decision #2 don't
make. Decisions in a vacuum.
How do we? Interrupt this doubt driven.
Decision making in our life. We have to make a decision, then
we're not going to make any decision in a.
Vacuum Proverbs. 11 I love this verse. 14 Where, where there?
Is no guide or yeah where there is no.
Guidance a people falls. But in an abundance of
counselors, look what it says, there is safety.
Another translation says In the multitude of counselors there is
great wisdom. What do we do?
We got to. Not make decisions in a vacuum.
We have to invite. Others.
In and then watch this. And listen to them but.
But isn't it true that? It is exactly in.
The moment of stress. And doubt and fear and the chaos
of we got to make this decision. That's the exact.
Moment when? We don't want.
To reach out to anybody and ask for wise counsel.
And we certainly. Don't want to listen?
To what they tell. Us to do, especially if it
doesn't agree with our flesh. But that's what we have to do,
slow it down, seek wise counsel. And some of you, I feel so
strong in my spirit. Some of you you are on the edge
of making a decision, a big decision in some area of your
life and the consequences. Of that.
Decision will not just affect you but.
Generations to come after. You and I am.
Imploring you. As your pastor, slow.
Down. And seek wisdom before you make
this decision, because it will alter.
It will alter. The rest?
Of your life and the lives of so many others.
Joel 3 Multitudes multitudes in the valley of decision for the
day of the hear this. For the day of the Lord.
Is near. In the valley of decision, Oh
Jesus, don't make. It don't make it slow it down
seek. Counsel.
And listen. What do we do?
#3. We have to trust.
God's ability to provide over our ability to control.
We have to. Trust God's ability to provide.
Over our. Ability to control.
What's so fascinating to me about this Abraham story is that
literally the first just. 10 verses earlier. 10 verses.
God is speaking. To him.
Go to a land. I'm not even.
Going to tell you where it is, like I will show you later on.
And my man's just full of faith and he does it.
He'll obeys. And then literally.
Within a short period of time, 10 verses.
Famine. Hits a little stress comes on, a
little pressure comes on. And all faith is gone, and fear
and doubt are driving his decisions and his desire.
To control. Took over his faith church.
We cannot let that happen. Show me.
Someone who's got these three and I'll show you someone who's
spiritually mature this is. What the spiritual maturity
looks like trusting. God in the moment of decision.
That is someone. Whose life and.
Decisions. Look like.
Jesus. I just want to pray.
I just want to pray for for a few minutes here, multitudes,
multitudes in the valley of decision.
Lord, I believe that that's true of our church right now.
I believe it's true that there are hundreds of us, maybe
thousands of us, maybe, but, but regardless.
There's one of us. 1 by 1 by 1. Lord, I just believe there are
so many of us right now. And you?
Are in the multitude. You're in the valley of
decision, and this is the day of the Lord for you.
Your steps are ordered, Son. Your steps are ordered,
daughter. You were meant to be in this
place today to hear this word. And so, Father, I pray through
the power of your Holy Spirit. That you would speak.
Jesus, come and speak. Speak to.
Those in the Valley of Decision with their marriage speak to
those in the Valley of Decision with with a business
opportunity. With.
Someone you're in a valley of decision with a financial
decision. Someone you're in an abusive
relationship. Do I stay or do I go?
And the Lord is speaking to you right now.
You are valuable. You are.
Seen you do not. Deserve to be treated like this.
Draw a line in the sand valley of decision.
God has something different. Someone I felt this during
worship, during this service. You're you're contemplating
having an affair. And the Holy?
Spirit brought you here today to hear this message and to warn
you catastrophic consequences. Some of you, you're in the
valley of decision and and you have not sought wise counsel.
You've just gotten in your own head and you've just thought it
all through. And the Lord would say to you,
Son, daughter, seek. Wise counsel and listen.
Don't rush this. Decision.
God, we need you. God, we need you our.
Decisions determine our destiny and Lord, I just pray for my
brothers and sisters. God, I pray.
For them today. That you would give them wisdom.
Beyond themselves, Holy Spirit, that you would speak to them for
each one in the valley of decision today, God speak.
God. Direct us, God, keep our flesh
and our fear and our doubt far from our decisions, I pray.
In Jesus name. Amen.
Wow.
I want to speak to another group of people.
Maybe you're listening to me right now, one of our locations,
they're online. And you've never made a decision
to surrender your life to Jesus. I did that when I was 15 years
old. You're surrounded by people who
who have done that in their life, hundreds of us.
Thousands, but you've never. Done that.
You've never made the decision to surrender your life to the
Lordship. We would say the Lordship of
Jesus, letting Jesus be Lord of your whole life.
The Bible says it's it's a free gift, that he calls it being
saved set, bringing us salvation, that we can know what
it is to not have to try and figure this life out on our own.
But God actually. Promises that if we'll surrender
our life to him that he'll forgive us of our sin.
All of the stuff. We've done wrong in our life and
he'll, he'll begin a relationship with us.
The Bible actually says he. He calls his sons and daughters
of. God, did you know that you can
become a son? And daughter.
Of God, that's awesome. So I want to give us an
opportunity to do that. So at every location, can we
just bow our heads right now, just for the privacy of this
moment? Maybe you close your eyes.
If you've. Never surrendered your life to
Jesus, but you want to? I'm going to.
Count to 3. And when I hit 3 whatever room
you're in East Cape Coral downtown here additional seating
online family you can mention it in the chat I'm.
Going to hit. When I hit 3.
Will you just throw your hand up?
As an outward indicator of the inward desire that you want to
be saved, that you want to. To surrender your life.
To. Jesus say yes.
To him, if that's you right now, just do that 123, throw your
hand up. Awesome.
Thank you. Yeah, awesome.
Pastor Matt, That's me. Include me.
Keep it up. Just.
For a second, yeah, throw it up real high.
Awesome downtown location. Cape Coral East.
Family. Yeah.
Just throw it up. Pastor Matt, that's me.
I want to surrender my life to Jesus.
Wow. Wow.
Amen. Amen.
You can put your hand down. Here's what I want to do.
I want to lead us all in a prayer.
And if you lifted your hand, I want you to pray this prayer
from your heart. And God's.
Going to hear your prayer right now.
He's going to forgive you of your sin.
And he's going to. Begin a relationship with you.
So come on, every room, let's repeat.
This good and loud for all those.
Who lifted their hand so they feel comfortable?
Come on, let's pray. Together say dear Jesus.
Thanks for loving me, bringing me here today.
I acknowledge this. Moment.
That I'm a Sinner and I need a savior.
Thank you Jesus, for dying on the cross as payment for my sin.
I. Receive you right now.
Thank you for washing me clean, cleansing me of all my sin, and
beginning a relationship. Right now.
I surrender my life to you. Help me to.
Go your way. Because it is the best way for
the rest of my days. In.
Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Amen.
Wow. Hey.
Let's celebrate. That is if.
You just said yes. Just pray that raise your hand.
That's you. We have a gift.
We're. Going to put in.
Your hands. So at all of our locations, when
when we're done, we're going to sing here in a minute and then
we'll dismiss after that in a few minutes.
When we're done, go. To the next steps area at your
location. And walk.
Up to someone there. And tell.
Them I just said yes. And as soon as you do.
They're going to probably high five you and smile.
And cheer because we're fired up for you, because it's the best
decision ever. But then they're.
Going to put this Bible in your. Hands, we have English.
And Spanish. And.
On this Bible you'll see AQR code.
Scan that. QR code before you leave the
property because my wife and I have.
Recorded a series of videos that we.
Want to help? Text those to your phone over
the next couple of weeks so that you can start to make sense of
and understand more the decision.
You just made to surrender your life to Jesus.
Sound good? So we.
Want to help you put this Bible in?
Your hand, so don't. Leave your location without
grabbing. This Bible sound good.
Awesome. Hey, let me pray one more time
for his Father. Thank you that you're a.
God, who's bigger than doubt? And Lord you.
See where each of us are. In the valley of decision
facing. Doubt and fear.
In that moment, God, I pray that you'd give us wisdom beyond
ourselves in these coming days that we could make.
Decisions. And honor you that.
Line up. With your word that we might.
Live how you want us to live. And our destiny.
Can be different because of it. We pray this in Jesus name and
everyone who agreed with that. Prayer said.
Amen. Come on, let's celebrate Jesus,
everybody.