Navigating Chaos: Prayer, Fear, and the Illusion of Control

Navigating Troubling Times and Understanding Control

This session addresses a period of widespread unease and fear stemming from recent tragedies, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk, school violence, a bus murder, and the remembrance of 09/11 events. These incidents highlight the presence of evil and chaos, prompting feelings of fear, angst, and anger within the community.

Pastoral Guidance in Moments of Crisis

The church ministry's role is not that of a news agency, meaning it doesn't comment on every world event. However, specific troubling moments necessitate pastoral guidance. The speaker offers two key points of direction:

A Call to Prayer: Contrary to the common sentiment that "we don't need more prayer, we need more action," Christians are reminded that prayer is action. Prayer requires time and effort, acknowledging a God who not only created the world but desires to be actively involved in history. The biblical basis for this call is found in Second Chronicles 7:14: "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." This passage emphasizes humility, prayer, seeking God's face, and repentance as pathways for divine intervention. The power of prayer should be a Christian's first response, not a last resort.
Addressing Fear: Many are experiencing unsettling worry and fear. Second Timothy 1:7 states: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-discipline." This means that a spirit of fear does not originate from God; it comes from the enemy, serving to distract believers from their mission. The primary mission for believers is to earnestly share the life-saving message of Jesus with "every man, woman, and child," as this is how the world truly changes. In times of global instability, Christians are called to be more steady than ever, resting on an unshakable foundation: God, who remains un-moved from His throne.

Reflecting During Communion

Communion serves as a moment to remember Jesus' never-ending love, care, and control over all circumstances. Through His crucifixion, Jesus "nailed our fear to a cross once and for all," allowing believers to stand steady amidst global turmoil. During communion, individuals are encouraged to pray for those who are hurting and for an awakening that draws people to God, especially when they feel shaky and seek answers. The foundation of Jesus—His death, burial, and resurrection—is the only stable ground. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to believers to impact the world.

Communion Prayer

The prayer offered acknowledges the significance of the cross, despite the small elements of bread and juice, as the most pivotal event in human history where Jesus conquered sin and death. It asks for God's comfort and peace for those experiencing fear, transforming fear into faith, despair into hope, and hatred into love, in the way of Jesus. It specifically intercedes for the Kirk family and all who are suffering, reiterating that hope is placed solely in the cross and resurrection.

The Illusion of Control

Many individuals struggle with a desire for control. The central theme of the ongoing series is that control is an illusion and a God category, not a human one. The more humans try to control, the more chaos they inadvertently create. This concept was introduced by exploring why people control (doubting God's goodness, seeking autonomy, which leads to fear and anxiety). Future sessions will delve into the cost of control and the ultimate answer. This session focuses on how individuals attempt to control, emphasizing the necessity of correctly identifying the problem to address it.

Three Primary Tools Individuals Use for Control

Knowledge and Information: These often become idols for control. The biblical account in Genesis 3:5 shows Satan tempting Adam and Eve by promising that upon eating from the tree of knowledge, "your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing." From the beginning, humanity has believed the lie that knowledge equals control. However, knowledge does not equate to control (e.g., checking the weather incessantly doesn't control it, extensive news consumption doesn't grant influence over events, understanding viruses doesn't prevent mutation). This relentless seeking of information often leads to increased anxiety, as exemplified by WebMD searches turning minor ailments into exaggerated fears. Sharon Hold Miller notes: "When information becomes an idol, it feeds our anxiety instead of calming it." This is because the pursuit often grasps for something that belongs only to God. The speaker humorously connects the iPhone symbol (a bitten apple) to Genesis 3:6, where Eve was tempted by the tree "desirable for gaining wisdom." Excessive scrolling on social media, news addiction, and over-reliance on AI tools like ChatGPT over spiritual texts like the Bible are presented as modern forms of this idolization, leading to anxiety rather than control. The solution is to turn to God's word, which is foundational and lasting.
Power and Money: These tools "sell the illustration of control but only lead to more chaos." Genesis 3:5 also hints at a desire for power-"you will be like God." Power and money are often two sides of the same coin. While they may offer temporary control (e.g., forcing children, manipulating spouses, micromanaging employees), this control is fleeting. Children grow up and may rebel, spouses can leave, and employees can quit. Using money as a means of control, such as threatening inheritance or engaging in financial abuse, eventually leads to people withdrawing. The principle stated is: "When you hold with force, you will ultimately force away." Proverbs 23:4-5 illustrates the fleeting nature of wealth: "Do not wear yourselves out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle." Crucially, using power and money for control is not the way of Jesus, who, as the most influential leader in history (acknowledged by the 2025 year count since His birth), never used these methods to control people, but instead led with love. Believers with power and money are urged to invest them in God's kingdom, rather than using them to control their own, lest these resources "rot in your hands and your heart to destroy everything around you." Money and power are designed to be used in love for God's purposes.
Shame and Blame: These are described as "hidden and destructive tools" of control. After their fall, Adam and Eve, feeling their lives spinning "out of control," resorted to shame and blame. Genesis 3:10 describes Adam telling God: "I was afraid; I was naked, so I hid." When confronted, Eve blamed the serpent, and Adam blamed God and Eve. This blame game has been perpetuated ever since. Small examples include blaming a spouse for lost keys; larger examples include blaming others in a marriage, with children, or at work. Leaders, in particular, should take responsibility rather than blame. In marriages, stopping the blame game and taking personal responsibility is crucial for healing. Shame often leads to hiding, not just physically (like a child breaking a lamp) but emotionally. People hide their imperfections, past struggles, and deepest shames to maintain a desired image. This emotional hiding is exhausting and creates a "prison" rather than freedom, as projecting one reality while living another is unsustainable. Genuine connection comes from weakness, not strength. Furthermore, shame can be internalized from childhood, especially in abusive environments, leading individuals to believe that if they caused the abuse, they could also prevent it, thereby trying to control others' behavior in adult relationships. The message strongly asserts that if one was abused, it was not their fault; they did not control it nor deserve it. Spiritually, Satan uses shame as his primary tool, his "love language," to pull people away from God's mission. God, on the other hand, never uses shame. Jesus went to the cross to take all human shame and blame, rendering believers clean in God's sight through His sacrifice.

Personal Reflection and Call to Action

Each person is urged to honestly identify which of these three tools—knowledge/information, power/money, or shame/blame—they use most for control. This self-awareness is the first step in addressing the issue. Sharing this realization with a trusted small group, friend, family member, or spouse is encouraged, as accountability helps to solve the problem. The speaker openly confesses to using all three at different times, particularly shame and blame with his family and children. He shares an embarrassing personal anecdote of having his 12-year-old daughter sign a "contract" not to date, driven by his fear and desire for control. This attempt to control ultimately created chaos when she eventually wanted to date, highlighting that while boundaries and guidance are important, love, not control, should lead.

The Serenity Prayer

In conclusion, recognizing that control is an illusion and God is ultimately in control, the session ends with a collective recitation of the Serenity Prayer:
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference."

Final Prayer and Announcement

The closing prayer thanks God for His control amidst global shakiness and fear. It asks for help in identifying and releasing personal control mechanisms, seeking support from others, and staying grounded in God's word so that Christians can remain steady when the world is not. An upcoming Young Adults Night is announced for September 17 at 6:30 PM at the North Phoenix campus, emphasizing the importance of investing in young adults, especially young men.