Catch Me If You Can

welcome to church everyone happy sunday i am here from my den from my office uh from my home to yours happy sunday church home i love you so much hey if you're new to our space new to our community you're like what in the world's going on uh we're community of a bunch of people from a bunch of different backgrounds um who are pursuing the lifestyle of jesus and believe that he actually is the superhero and savior of the universe believe he paid for our heir our wrong our selfishness and our sin and we're in love with him and no matter what you believe about jesus you are welcome here at church home where a church that functions like a home loves each other like a family and believe the church can be in your home hence i am right here from my home it should be noted i keep noticing that um this bracelet keeps you on my daughter made me a bracelet that says daddy isn't that so cute so anyways that's what we've been doing uh in the quarantine making some bracelets uh amongst other things but hey welcome again if you're new to this space thank you for taking time out of your life and schedule to be with us if you don't know there's a feature on our app the app's called church home and you can download the app of course everything is for free and you can you can access something called pasture chat i'll bring it up again at the end of the message in the sermon in the talk here but pastor chad there is a team of people literally waiting as we speak um 24 7 7 days a week i think that's what 24 7 means 24 hours seven days a week but anyways uh all the time there's a team waiting there for you to serve you pray with you talk with you help you in any way we can uh we exist not to just get content out we exist to serve you and help you in a very personal and real way church home is growing all over the world these are um challenging difficult painful and exciting and accelerate and exhilarating day so thank you uh for being with us i want to talk today on this sunday from the title catch me if you can an old movie i know but catch me if you can my subtitle if there is that's if that's even needed is i'm tired of hiding catch me if you can we're going to start with the story back to jesus times these are all jesus times but back in the days that jesus was physically visibly walking the planet it says in luke's gospel chapter 10 verse 25 just in a religious scholar stood before jesus in order to test his doctrines he posed this question a teacher what requirement must i fulfill if i want to live forever in heaven jesus replied what does moses teach us what do you read in the law the religious scholar answered it states you must love the lord your god with all your heart all your passion all your energy and your every thought and you must love your neighbor as well as you love yourself incredible answer jesus said that's correct now go and do exactly that and you'll live you'll live forever look at verse 29 this is so telling about the headspace that what we like to call the religious um young ruler or the rich young ruler was in wanting to justify himself it's not always that the bible gives us kind of internal emotional state or motives of people talking but in this case luke wants us to know dr luke inspired by god to write this account of the gospel wants us to know that this particular man is he has a a desire and a passion inside his emotions and he wants to feel justified so wanting to justify himself he questioned jesus further saying well what do you actually mean though when you say my neighbor there's much there and jesus shares a very racially charged story as he deals with the the jews and the samaritans and and begins to define what it means to love your neighbor but i want to stop the story there and the title of my message is catch me if you can i'm tired of hiding will you join me in prayer jesus thank you for the minutes and moments we study now the minutes and moments we share it's our privilege and an honor to serve you to follow you to know you or even to consider you so many people watching right now maybe don't even know what to do with you or who you are and what you're about show them your goodness show them your forgiveness show them your love show them your grace thank you for that in jesus name amen well since i'm in my den since i'm in my office from my house to yours i want to start this sermon uh a little differently i'm gonna start this talk a little differently i wanna share with you um a dynamic that has been happening in my brain and in my heart um it is not going to make me look very spiritual but it's going to be it's going to be really honest so bear with me racism is a sin this we know uh for those who debate that they are wrong uh racism is sin it is the sin of devaluing demeaning overlooking enslaving hurting removing murdering a number uh people groups or people based on what some people believe is inferior ethnicity racism has many definitions my favorite is sin racism is sin and racism is rampant it's rampant having said that let me explain the last several months to you i am a white pastor and i'm sure that that has occurred to you by now i am a caucasian man living in the west coast of the united states of america raised by my hero who's now in heaven and my incredible mom who's still here still um the incredible mom she's always been my sister lives in las vegas with her husband they pastor a great church and they've been married for years have three kids i've been married for 20 years have three kids so there's a little snapshot of our family probably more information than you actually needed i want to start this sermon by saying i'm tired i'm tired of hiding the racism in my own heart i'm tired of hiding the prejudice in my own art i'm tired of hiding the bias that oftentimes fills my mind and heart as i go about my life i'm tired i try to hide it i try to hide it everywhere i go and i specifically try to hide it in any form of media particularly social media um i have noticed in my particular journey in which i am learning a lot some people say it's a sharp learning curve when you are learning about the true history of america which is not just white history it's black history and many other extraordinary people groups that call this nation home this nation that i love very dearly but i'm on a learning cliff you know this isn't a curve this is a cliff for me and i'm learning so much about not only the origins of my country and the tragedies and travesties that took place but i'm learning about myself learning about my own journey and in the process of this learning cliff in the process of wanting to be a culprit in the fight against racism in the passion for true biblical justice in america and right equality and equity in this nation in that process and in that journey i've discovered really really gross stuff in my heart really gross stuff in my mind and boy have i worked hard to hide it for instance when you're a public speaker like me and i don't know if i do public speaking every day but it sure seems like it it's almost it's almost every day i'm creating some piece of content where i'm looking at a camera like this and um talking to you the incredible church home who i love you're the greatest group of people and community people i've ever met my whole life you raised me been a part of this church since i was 13 its inception in 1992 and the people in this church have been my surrogate moms and dads and i had a great mom and dad but i've had so many moms and dads and uncles and aunts and extended relatives just in this church i don't mean blood relatives but spiritually speaking it's been incredible um but recently i wanted to hide some of the ugly prejudice and racism in my life and as a result like i said i'm tired i have tediously worked to use the right words the right verbiage the right statements if it's written currently writing the book right now um hope that's exciting to you but it's it's on the woman at the well it's in story form and i'm just so excited about it working with a co-author and it's going to come out hopefully soon but you know we're pouring over every word to make sure it's right and i wish i could tell you that i pour over every word of that book that's in progress because i want it to help people and not hurt people and that's part of it but a lot of it is just because i don't want you to perceive me as racist i don't want you to perceive me as prejudice so i work hard and one of the ways um one of the things that motivates me to work hard is i don't want to get caught i don't want to get caught saying the wrong thing i don't want to get caught in this canceled culture using a word that could um lessen the voice of our church or more specifically just my own voice and that's humbling to admit to say the least it's more like humiliating i don't know if humbling and humiliating are different levels but humbling's here and humiliating is like out of the frame it's like it's so humiliating um and so that phrase seems to be appropriate catch me if you can you won't catch me because i'm not a racist you won't catch me because i'm not prejudiced you won't catch me because i don't have any bias you won't catch me because i'm the truest ally you won't catch me because i love black men and women boys and girls in america you won't catch me because i'm standing for that's hilarious look at the tag do you see that i just ordered this on amazon and the tag is still on it that's when you know it's a good sermon so anyways we're going to keep going that this will not be edited out ladies and gentlemen this is real stuff here okay that is a tag on my shirt um and it it just came it was amazon prime came in the mail it's linen so anyways moving right along um yeah i just that's motivated me i talked to staff members um some staff members today we were in a small group discussing um racism prejudice uh the history of the church and we've been digging down with our team and our staff and i i hope that to an extent makes you proud as a part of this church but i uh i admitted to one of my dearest friends that i think sometimes i care more about not being caught saying the wrong thing than people i love who are in pain and facing injustice um and that's the truth catch me if you can you won't be able to because i'm gonna say it right i'm gonna do it right because to be labeled a racist has to be the worst possible thing in the world or is it in an interesting time see the bible speaks of oppression the bible speaks of a lack of justice the bible is very outspoken about marginalizing people groups and make no mistake the new testament stands against it and the bible calls it what it is racism is sin you know what the bible also says about sin it says all have sinned and fallen short of god's glorious standard you know what that means the sin of racism is in me and i just want to say he's your pastor it starts right here and i'm tired of hiding that i am a work in progress and have sinned in my own life that needs the tender care of the holy spirit to change and eradicate catch me if you can seems to be a way of life for some of us in culture well i'm just last thing i want to do is be perceived as a racist my brothers and sisters sin has affected us all um it is very unlikely while you're watching this right now it is very unlikely that you have no prejudice racism bias generalizations or conclusions about other cultures and ethnicities that are wrong chances are every single one of us participating in this act of worship at church home have all been affected i'm tired of hiding the rich young ruler comes to jesus and he says uh what requirement must i fulfill to live forever jesus says what about moses what about the law of course the new testament hadn't been written yet it was literally happening and he said well boy this guy was smart he said well it's all about loving god um with everything every bit of you and then love your neighbors yourself and jesus is like perfect just go do that bro you're good wanting to justify himself the bible says i love the word justify because it it's been said that you justify means you want to remove the wrong you want to remove the perception that in any way you are in error you are weak or you are wrong so we explain ourselves we justify ourselves we excuse ourselves we we hide don't we i do i'm just saying i'm tired of hiding on this sunday wanting to justify himself and what's interesting is jesus tells a very revealing story about the jews and the samaritans and it's incredibly racially charged wanting to hide wanting to hide he asked i mean who is my neighbor i mean come on and jesus wouldn't let him hide jesus doesn't want us to hide there's no health in hiding there's no healing in hiding there's no progress in hiding hiding only delays the inevitable in your heart and in your soul i want to read a scripture to you um that i think will speak will speak volumes to this uh matthew chapter nine we do a little bible study from my den okay here on this sunday check out matthew chapter nine let me read this to you oh i was in luke and i went that way we gotta go that way in matthew matthew chapter nine and here we go matthew 9 and verse 11. when those known as the pharisees saw what was happening they were indignant and they kept asking jesus disciples why would your master dine with such low lives okay jesus um not only were his friends and his disciples they were not put together they were not perfect they were works in progress and that's the nicest way you can say it and jesus says this later in that same chapter i have come to the earth to invite the outcasts of society and sinners not those who think they are already on a right path not those who he says i've come to call the sick not the well now by well or healthy he means those who think they have no lack those who think they have no racism those who think they have no prejudice those who think they have no hate those who think they have no heir and no sin he says i've come to call those who are willing to say i'm tired of hiding like hiding my tag okay see i use it now now it's an example of the sermon this is incredible okay i'm tired of hiding that is hilarious this tag but i'm tired of hiding jesus says come out come out wherever you are you don't have to hide i'm not here to condemn you i'm not here to cancel you i'm not here to say that racism disqualifies you in fact he's saying come out come out wherever you are i know where you are and i know what you've done and i know your sin and i know your shortcomings and i am going to pay the price so you can be set free from error wrong and sin that only hurts others but it hurts you demeans lessens and devalues your true human experience jesus doesn't want us to hide he says i've come for those not hiding i've come from those not hiding behind their uh strengths or their eliteness or their i've come not for those hiding behind a pulpit i've come to those who are willing to admit i'm broken i'm sick and i'm hurting isn't that amazing that that's that's the declaration jesus makes you would think sometimes that the teachings of jesus went something like this i have come not for the week not for the selfish not for the broken i have come for the diligent the disciplined the focused the elite the upper echelon of society that's who i'm looking to enlist in my spiritual army so we can change the world that's not the message of jesus he says are you broken are you hurting are you racist are you biased are you prejudiced are you disgusted by other people groups they come for you you need healing you need help with that i want to help you what's amazing is this catch me if you can culture right this cocky culture and cancel culture right that's kind of where we're at we're like caught you canceled caught you canceled i mean we're do you know there are there are there are media outlets and entities right now that are hiring personnel full-time to look at the backlog of celebrities uh social media and past and work and art to see if they can catch them in a prejudiced racist bias minute moment statement tweet or post and if they do they'll bring it out because it'll sell it'll make money for the music for for the media outlet and there are literally full-time people right now and you can say these media outlets are evil and wicked well no we consume it we consume the content we like it it's provocative it's interesting we like when people are canceled we like when we catch them in what they say we all do so part of us is like i feel better about myself that person is so bad dear what happened when they got pulled over here what happened when they were in the bar did you hear what they said it was on camera that's crazy is it are they just like me am i just like them are we all broken are we all hurting by no means am i saying that racism and all of its lethal evil wicked deplorable horrible forms is in any way excusable or okay it's wrong and it's sin but jesus says i've come for those who are saying lord don't forget me i need help i need help which leads me to a couple of scriptures in conclusion can you believe it's 23 minutes in on this sunday and i said in conclusion i know this is shocking but i'm in my den maybe in my den i'll be a little bit more efficient with time i certainly won't even spend time to take off tags off my clothes so that we can be efficient and effective with our time move on judah okay i'm moving on moving on there's this uh there's this another there's this other um instance uh it's actually the rich young ruler i think i said that earlier but the rich young ruler story is actually in luke chapter 18 and he comes to jesus and he he says good teacher good teacher one translation says he says wonderful teacher let me i just i'll read it to you and jesus says something so profound and he's making a point luke 18 he says uh one day a wealthy jewish nobleman of high standing poses question of jesus a wonderful teacher what will i do to be saved and receive eternal life and jesus why did you call me wonderful when there's only one who was wonderful and that's god alone did you hear it let that set you free on a sunday let me talk right now to every white man woman boy and girl in church home are you hiding do you not like that your pastor talks about racism because you're like uh that kind of affects me and are you like me are you anxious are you fearful are you worried are you tired are you worn out trying to hide your sin trying to hide well maybe that's me and i say that and i've listened to those jokes and i've played culprit to that and i i did this and i did that and i i don't and you hear things being condemned in the media and headlines in social media and it leads you to believe you're like delete delete delete okay i gotta get that off but okay what else did i do wrong and what else did i and then and we're all and i am by no means trying to alleviate the journey that we're all in and the fact that this is gonna be painful and this is gonna be challenging his spirit's gonna enable us but we no longer need to hide that's what makes the gospel the gospel jesus says you called me wonderful you shouldn't call anybody wonderful except god because he's the only one that's good he's the only one without racism he's the only one without bias and prejudice and bigotry and he's the only one he's wonderful he's good he didn't come for the wonderful he didn't come for the good no not one of us are free from selfish uh self-serving passions desires and tendencies there's only one who is wonderful and is good and his name is jesus his name is jesus isn't that amazing so let us in these days and in these minutes and in these moments critical moments in the history of the world and the history of this country let us stop pretending that we have no need let us stop pretending that we don't lack in this area for we most certainly do we have allowed systems we have allowed structures to be built around us that have consistently for over 400 years oppress black men and women and boys and girls my brothers and sisters it is not debatable it is history past and present it is the history and it is the present but it was supposed to be the church that was supposed to be the place where people could come and say here's who i really am i'm broken i'm hurting and i'm sinful you know some people have said racism is the worst sin but you know the thing that jesus seemed to target the most the scene the the the very action that seemed to make jesus the most vehemently opposed to was this little thing called self righteousness self see jesus brings and purchased gifted righteousness he makes us right with him by his work self-righteousness seeks by your own efforts to make you in good standing with god and that is an absolute fallacy and it's untrue self-righteousness causes you to attempt to be your own savior i would like to admit as i close 30 minutes flat i would like to admit that in the area of racism i am tired of being self-righteous i'm tired i'm not gonna do it anymore to call me a man with racism in his heart would be accurate but see when you accuse me when you called out in my life because of jesus i can say you're right help me god i don't want to live this way this is not who i am work in me surround me in a community with people who will work with me and walk with me and help me that's why we're building a church so we're building the church that's why we're building the church so why did jesus come he came to the planet for races like me and just maybe like you and the only way we're going to heal is to go head-on into this sin and i end with this i promise i'm done i'm done 30 minutes flat the bible says and uh i believe it's well it's in the bible i don't know if it's in my notes but i remember this that when it when it comes to our relationship with god when it comes to this planet that jesus again i want to remind you he doesn't he doesn't doesn't come from for those who think themselves to be well he he he comes for he comes for the sick and the bible says this and i think it's in um it's like in ephesians bear with me but it says it's not in ephesians i remember but it says if you believe in your heart and you confess with your mouth you'll be saved what a great verse right i'm done what a great verse but you know what that verse doesn't mean is that you go i believe in jesus and then i confess i believe in you jesus and i'm saved and then i go about my life the word confess there speaks of this idea that every day i am saying i'm broken i'm in need i've sinned i need jesus believe in your heart confess with your mouth and you experience salvation that's an everyday practice and i wonder if we've lost that practice i wonder if we've taken verses like that and you're like you know in october uh 12th uh 1962 that's when i gave my life to the lord and it was on that day that evening i went down the down to the altar and i told the lord i'm a sinner and i believe in you and i need you and then i've just been about my life no no no no that verse means every day i am saying out loud i need jesus and when someone comes along and says ugh you need jesus judah ah what is wrong with you i don't go no i i'm good no actually no i i got no i'm that's not me i go you're right when they find something that you posted years ago and say see see see you're a racist you're a racist instead of going no uh i'm not no that was no it what it wasn't me that was it was my cousin my cousin posted that you know whatever it said you go man i'm a work in progress i'm an idiot jesus has saved me and he's saving me and he loves me and i need him that doesn't let you off the hook it lets you yield to the work of jesus this is so spiritual god has to change your heart and mind and i got good news that's what he's really good at he's god he's really good at being god and changing our hearts catch me if you can nah you caught me you got me i'm broken i'm sinful i'm selfish i have not always been a part of the solution that's for sure i've played a part in the problem that's why i need jesus wow god give us soft hearts give us soft hearts in these days jesus i thank you for the minutes and moments we share we love you we thank you so much god for what you're doing in our church what you're doing in our country and around the world if you're here today watching wherever you are in the world and you're watching and you would like to receive the free gift of forgiveness that only jesus offers i'm going to ask you just to do this say that's me it's from my office to your home just raise your hand just like this jesus you see every hand and you see every heart that's lifted right now and i thank you your forgiveness is free flows freely here and who you set free is free indeed in the rest of our lives and the rest of our days and our short stay here on earth we're going to say over and over we need you jesus we're broken and we're hurting make us more like you every day give us now the energy and the strength to work with your spirit to do the work that we need to grow and understand and be the empathetic men and women you've called us to be thank you for empathy thank you for grace and strength in jesus name amen i love you church so much hey if you've made that decision to receive the free gift of forgiveness and begin your journey of following him and admitting that you're broken selfish and in need and you have sinned so begins the greatest journey of your life we would love to serve you and help you that's literally why we exist you can hop on pastor chad as i said earlier at the beginning of the sermon there are people waiting right now to serve you to help you um to just talk with you pray with you and if you would like to give if you would like to be a to join us in our generous journey if you'd like to be a contributor financially to our church we welcome you to do so you can text night you can text the word generosity to 97 000 whatever amount you'd like to give thank you i want to say this for all of those that would like to give towards the social justice initiatives that we are partnering with i want to make it very clear who we're partnering with and remind you as a church and i read these because i want to make it very very clear who we're partnering with community passageways that's the um the partnership that i wanted to remember or partner with community passageways we continue to partner um with the dr john and vera may foundation dr john perkins who's a hero of mine um i love you dr perkins and then lastly of course the equal justice initiative um if you would like to financially partner every single dollar given towards social justice will go completely to our three partners and we're going to continue to be a part of the solution and not a part of the silent problem uh we're going to where we're all in we're all in standing for humanity i love you church thanks for worshiping with us

Channel: Churchome

Views: 7,443

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Keywords: Churchome, Judah, Judah smith, church, message, anxiety, depression, how to, elevation, Steven, Hillsong, oceans, sermon, the city church, church home, Chelsea smith, bobby Houston, td jakes, pastor, pastor preaching, carl lentz, Jesus, conference, guest speaker, sermon jam, worship, Justin Bieber, la Hillsong, Selena, preaching, Judah message, performance

Id: ViWZVzUA9B8

Length: 36min 47sec (2207 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 17 2020