(Photo: screengrab)
Pastor Stephon Chaney preached a sermon at The Potters House One LA called “Breaking Barriers.”
“If we’re going to walk out and reap the benefits of everything God has proposed for us long ago, we’re going to have to break some barriers,” Chaney stated early in his message.
The first barrier that Chaney said we must break is that of unforgiveness. He revealed how he struggled with unforgiveness in his own life. He shared that in 2007 he had a hard time receiving taxi service and he assumed it was because he was an African American male. Later, when Uber became accessible, he gave up on using taxis.
Recently, he and his wife visited New York City on vacation and his wife suggested that they take a taxi, but Chaney did not want to because of the experiences he had in the past. At that moment the pastor realized his hesitation was rooted in unforgiveness, which he found problematic, especially as a minister.
“It would be hypocritical of me to still hold a grudge towards a certain person or a people group and still stand up here preaching forgiveness to you,” he shared.
The pastor also noted how important forgiveness is in our mental health and well-being. “Having unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die from it,” he said before adding, “don’t neglect the pain, but understand that you have to get rid of that unforgiveness.”
Another barrier that Christians need to break is the barrier of hostility towards others. Chaney believes that there is hostility and hatred in the world because we do not see one another like family.
“The solution to everything we’re seeing right now is in the people of God,” the minister stated. “If the people of God would take their rightful position and the things that God has called them to do in the lane He’s called them to walk in, we would change the world.”
Trust issues is another barrier that Chaney says believers need to break. Many people have trust issues, especially in the church, which either originated from or causes “church hurt.”
“It hinders our ability to trust God, but we have to remember we have to keep God in His proper place,” Chaney admonished. “Just because someone falsely represented God to you does not mean that thing was from God.”
Chaney emphasized how our level of trust in God is tied not only to how we view God, but also to how we view ourselves. “When we’re able to fully trust God we carefully trust that we are enough.”
