Cycle of Pain Pt. 5 // Judah Smith

well you're gonna you're gonna find out real quick I'm a Jesus guy our community is a jesus community believe that Jesus saved the world and saved my life that does not believe that does not mean that's what you have to believe to belong here at church home but every time we get together we go to this book the Bible believe that it is God's story of love for Humanity his story of love for you and so we just revisit that story we remember that story again we recall that story again so we're gonna do that our climactic conclusion has already been established our church has existed for 26 years every time we get together the climactic conclusion is that Jesus is amazing and he can transform our lives and we need him every day so that's already where we're headed so I'm gonna talk for a few minutes the band will come back and join us and we'll sing some songs that we believe are true about our God and then we will go about hopefully some fun plans you have with with friends cool are you ready can you tell I've been in the Sun a little more I've been swimming in the ocean I'm literally not an ocean guy I have become an ocean guy because I'm not gonna get old I'm gonna stay young and so I swam in the ocean today it's not a big deal all right John chapter 21 we've been we've been doing some thank you so much each of you thank you I don't think we've ever met you're new to the band you Oh usually sing okay thank you for joining the band it's amazing oh oh oh really okay is that how this is gonna work Oh Judah doesn't know anyone alright go to another church alright John 21 I'm kidding love you guys all of you that sing and play alright we've been doing a collection of talks about pain and cycles that we go through when were in pain and kind of dissecting a little bit and lean into that and so if you are currently in pain of any kind or have experienced pain or have a friend that's going through pain I'm hoping that these verses and scriptures and stories speak to that and are encouraging you because I truly believe that we serve a God who wants to help us in our pain somebody say man amen amen okay John chapter 21 verse 20 actually we'll start reading in verse 15 and I'll read about ten verses here and then we'll get started so this is I will call them cycles of pain this is the fifth message now done on cycles of pain says this when they had finished breakfast jesus says to Simon Peter Simon son of John do you love me more than these he said to him yes Lord you know that I love you he said to him feed my lambs he said to him a second time Simon son of John do you love me he said to him yes Lord you know that I love you he said to him tend my sheep he said in the third time Simon son of John do you love me Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time do you love me and he said to him Lord you know everything you know that I love you jesus said to him feed my sheep going on in verse 18 truly truly I say to you when you were young you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted but when you're old you will stretch out your hands and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go obviously a little mysterious and the parenthesis says this is this he said to show him by what kind of death Peter was going to die to glorify God in other words Peter is going to die for the name of Jesus after saying this he said to him follow me Peter turn and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following him that is John the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and said Lord who is it that's going to put are you when Peter saw him John he said well what about him if I'm gonna die what's gonna happen to him and listen because this is a very Curt response for Jesus very direct response for Jesus and a very how should I say kind of dramatic response even has an exclamation point Jesus was very direct he says if it is my will that he remains until I come listen to this words of Jesus what is that to you Wow what is that to you well John's my friend you know what is that to you you follow me so the same spread abroad among the brothers that his disciples was not what that disciple was not going to die in other words the Jesus father started to believe that John one of the twelve was never gonna die yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not gonna die but he said if it is my will that he remain until I come what is that to you now anytime you see a verse repeated especially so close together that's for emphasis this is not an accident John for some reason wants us to see this twice twice over and he reached directly Jesus who has just quoted a few verses ago and says again if it is Jesus says to Peter if it's my will if you remain until I come what is that to you going on this is the disciple I love John John is all heart I love how he talks about himself John is right he does John the disciple who's in the story and he's riding this and he goes this is the disciple who was bearing witness about these things he's so dramatic and he was written these things and we know that his testimony is true that's John talking about himself in third person it's awesome and his testimony is true I love this verse this is one of my favorite verses will end here tonight now there are also many other things that Jesus did where every one of them to be written I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written wow wow wow this is the yeah you can clap right if you wanna miss its palpable it's the Bible so yeah this is part 5 in cycles of pain this is the entire store we're gonna look at this story tonight we're gonna unpack it try to understand it and I think we're gonna find a lot of our own nuances or our own tendencies the human condition is pretty consistent and so we're gonna look at this and try to discover more about what happens oftentimes when we're in pain and things that we do again these cycles we get into when we are in pain will you join me in prayer God thank you for the moments we share thank you for your love your grace your goodness God I pray right now for everyone in this room I pray for everyone watching on the app wherever they may be and I pray for everyone in Seattle God I thank you for Kirkland I thank you for UD I thank you for Bothell I thank you for downtown all the different locations watching I pray you would meet us in a real and authentic way we need that thank you for what you're doing for the Seahawks your football team Lord bless protect watch over keep in Jesus name and everybody said everybody said I went to a shark movie today and I'm truly regretting this this is not on my notes this has nothing to do with my sermon except that I want to talk about it 47 meters I don't know if he's this they didn't ask me to promote their movie just to be clear but my son and I we want a dad date and he's like let's do 47 meters uncaged and I was pumped I loved every shark movie I loved loved loved shark movies cheesier the better I'm so down but I I it's been a while since I watched a shark movie and I think before I was 40 and there it is I had to bring up my age every time I'm 40 and I'm serious I jumped so many times I'm shaky right now and the movie got over like three and a half hours ago I literally I was I was I I screamed a couple times oh okay I'm a bad guy so I'm a little drained of emotion I'm gonna have a lot to offer tonight I'm kidding fine God's my strength oh man yeah I don't recommend going to a scary shark movie and and this isn't a spoiler but like just when you just when you think shark movies are over that's that's the thing about shark movies that's the catch always just when you think you're in the clear and there's no more sharks just be reminded there's always one more scene and I forgot that man I'm 40 you get it anyways so there's this little verse in the Bible we didn't read it tonight but it's easily easily miss and what I find interesting about little verses in the Bible is oftentimes they have dramatic impact but they're they're easily missed for instance there's this little verse in Romans and it says I want you to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice it sounds so simple sounds so straightforward it's like hey for those of you that follow Jesus when you find someone who's having a rough go be there with them encourage them you know cry with them be in their pain and and then when you run into someone who's having a great time enjoy the party with them like have a great time and you read that you're like oh my gosh yes that's amazing I totally am going to do that right and if you've been in church for any length of time you've heard preachers like me be like hey church let's remember rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep and the application in church life is usually well when someone's lost a loved one let's be there for them and when we're having a church picnic let's have a good time it's kind of the church application of Romans 12:15 but I want to read it again rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep I wonder if for a moment you feel what I feel when I read that verse and you think about it for a second it seems like such a harmless verse seems like quite frankly wanted the easier verses in Scripture right written by Paul the Apostle he's like hey church living in Rome this beautiful big massive metropolitan city hey remember when people are weeping be there for him when someone's having a great party party with them no big deal but wait wait hold on a second when I say what it what if I what if I'm in pain am I the only one that reads that verse and goes wool rejoice with those who rejoice or are you the person that reads that verse and goes yeah I wish I had friends who would do that for me right I've been there you're like what the Bible says weep with those who weep and you're in here making jokes and I'm going through pain you know what this verse means you know what the implications of this little verse packed in this book called the letter to Roman believers Roman Jesus followers it literally means when you are in pain put your pain away and enjoy the party with your friend who is celebrating their recent promotion no I'm not gonna be disingenuous now you start talking about our culture and what our culture and this is a contrary verse to our culture our culture is like I'm keeping it real right and sometimes not keeping a lot of friends but I'm keeping it real so I'm gonna show up at your party but I'm not happy how could I be happy going through pain I got laid off this is why verses like this are so significant and important because as Jesus followers or anyone considering or maybe curious about Jesus followers we are to be socially so different we are to be the people group on the planet that even when we are in pain instead of hoping hinting manipulating dropping hints so that you will feel my pain I have the selflessness to go ahead and put my pain away and be able to celebrate someone's success even when I'm going through a difficult season in my life now we have come up upon one of the greatest qualities and we've talked about this quite a bit one of the greatest qualities you can ever have in a frame is Romans 12:15 it is astounding and recently and I want to say lunch or dinner with Elijah and a memory I told Elijah Emery and hope it's not the only time I've told them that this is one of their greatest qualities it is outstanding to me the pastor's of this location of church home Elijah and Amory waters they could be going through the most difficult season of their life but if you caught a break and you've had a moment of success or you're exhilarated or celebrating or throwing a party they will be there and you will think that your success is their success and their success is your success they literally live this on a daily basis it is incredible so I'm not a fool they're my best friends best friends the the ability think about the ability to go you walk up to your friends and you got the best news in the whole world yes your hopes and dreams have come to pass and you look at the counter to your friend and you can tell your friend is devastated you can tell something's gone wrong you can tell they just broke up with him they just broke up with her and you have an ability to say we'll talk about what happened for me later how are you are you okay come on sit down you're gonna be all right I love you so much that sucks where is he let's go find him you know then it gets weird you know you guys go search in the town for that's not good but that's the kind of friend I'm talking about fight for you you know it's like it's really counterproductive but there's just it's just amazing and you run into people like Elijah and Amory very rarely in this life did you come across these people and they're supposed it's supposed to be this this way of relating to each other was supposed to be synonymous with Jesus followers we were supposed to be the people group that when we are in pain instead of hoping that everyone else is too oh I'm the only one that does that when I'm in pain I'm like oh I hope they've been through some pain in fact I'll only talk to people who know real pain you ever done that one I can't I really can't relate with them with her with him because they've never really been through anything and I've been through stuff so I only respect people who have been through stuff must be nice right growing up with money I can't relate I'm self-made you know I well that that's that's called the human condition and that's actually an indication of pain that's pain that's pain that's pain cuz here's here's one of the cycles we've been talking about this trying to unpack it further when we're in pain we want everyone else to at least see it recognize that or even better have pain of their own right that's the human condition on the flip side it's just natural when you have this massive breakthrough success all your dreams are you want everyone to be like yeah you're right this is the human condition now I want to talk specifically about pain and already you can see one of the points that we're making tonight is kind of unthinkable the point we're making tonight is for every person in this room who's going through pain this scripture suggests that you at times in your social circles should actually put that away you can't eliminate it you can't control I'm not saying it but you that you would actually put your self aside and put your friends as your focal point and celebrate with people during your pain Wow so so that's super upside to this sermon super positive look at Peter poor Peter if you're familiar with the Bible story a Peter gets a really bad rap here's what I think Peters biggest problem is other than just talking too much which I can relate with that eventually you're gonna say something dumb if you just keep talking you know I mean just running your mouth run your mouth like all right finally and something dumb Peter kinda does that but Peter doesn't like pain you look at his track record you read a story you watch Peter Peters one of those guys who had all cost he will avoid pain now that I can relate with my dad used to have a joke growing up you've heard me say it before no pain no pain that was my dad saying like no pain no pain awesome life right like and that kind of sums up a lot of our culture right no pain no pain like let's just not have pain let's just avoid pain and will will actually make our pain way worse because we want to avoid the pain we currently have Peter doesn't like pain can you blame him then you blame he doesn't like pain so Peter is the guy who denies Jesus three times a couple of times at a bonfire in front of a junior high girl she's like hey he's like no and then he starts cussing and Peter Peters kind of an emotional train wreck and so Peter by the time we read John 20:1 coming to the close of John the disciples a recording of the gospel Peter it is is in bad shape he's in bad shape Jesus makes breakfast for Peters a few of the guys and Peter has gone back to fishing but Jesus comes and makes a fire and fish and and and he was the the scholars called it is he's restoring Peter he's restoring he says do you love me do you love me and and and but John 21 what what often times we fail to realize for those of you familiar with the story you think that at the end of verse 19 that that Peter is just back to his old self but I would like to present to you that first 20 reveals that Peter is still in a lot of pain in a lot of pain Jesus Peter you're gonna die for me he said what you're gonna die for me Peter goes well is he gonna die too that's what's happening he's embarrassed he's humiliated he's in pain now Jesus says you're gonna you're gonna pay the ultimate you're gonna give your life for me and Peter does what we do in pain immediately he looks for somebody else because he wants them to have it justice back well do you is it is it hard for you to wil they will it be difficult for John to I mean that's it that's a very natural question isn't it I mean you grow up in school for instance let's just talk school schools on the mine okay had a long discussion with a friend today about schools and school we're in school I mean it's not fair was was being shared with teachers some students and teachers all the time wait wait I have to stay after I wasn't the only one talking mrs. Doubtfire I wasn't the only one talking like I don't know why that but I have to stay after school I gotta go to detention what are we talking about what about what about her what about him we were why are you picking me out right and suddenly misery loves company and your friends don't look at me like hey don't get us in detention oh you were talking and now your best friend you're trying to get in detention with you because we are so loving and considerate and kind as human beings mrs. Doubtfire gives you detention and you wish in the whole class has to go with you now right it's just it's just our cycles when in pain we don't like our circumstance well God what about him what about her it is amazing to me when I am in pain how easily I get distracted and more than distracted I get very caught up with looking around the community it's amazing when I'm in pain what about well God you should now what I wish Jesus would have said was Peter Peter Peter Peter look at me Peter right here right here look at me you're in pain right now and that's your pain talk okay we'll sit down with John and I'll explain you his journey as well okay Peter Peter Peter get over here no don't walk away from me Peter get oh yeah give me a hug okay instead we get a response from Jesus that is the nice word would be Curt let's read it again he says well if I want him to live forever what is that to you like Jesus could you say it a little softer you just told Pete he's gonna die for you the Namie you could have you could have landed that a little bit softer and he's like excuse me so Jesus is trying to make a point and he often times goes to extremes he says you're gonna die and he says what about him and Jesus goes what if I let him never die Peters like and here's what happens when we're in pain we look at people we look at people and we compare and we think about what's fair and when we do please hear this it always backfires just like it backfired for Peter it always backfires he's like well what what about and you always choose the wrong guy well what about Jesus says he might live forever you're like what it's not fair so you were looking around to compare and to measure what's fair when what you're supposed to do is look with compassion and it's gonna rhyme bear with me care but this is what happens when we're in pain we start comparing thinking about what's fair and Peter has physical physical visible resurrected Jesus fixing him a meal and building him a fire and he still is comparing and thinking about what's fair so can we all just give ourselves a little bit more credit I love Jesus but he has never physically fixed me breakfast I love Jesus I have never physically fit I just combined physically and visibly which is actually very convenient but in time the time-saver I have never had Jesus physically or visibly appear to me and Peter is looking at the resurrected Savior of the world who has just defeated death hell in the grave and he says oh wow that hurts John what's gonna happen to him make it bad and what does Peter want come on let's be honest what does Peter want Peter wants Jesus to go oh oh let's sit down for this one you're gonna die it's gonna be pretty gruesome John it's gonna be horrific sounds like really and Peter's like I'm so sorry man how could I mean how how bad are we it's true we just like mom and pain John John John's gonna hurt really bad too right Jesus he's gonna hurt really really bad tell me how bad I mean I don't I feel really bad for him but it's bad isn't it oh my gosh yeah are they gonna lose their job too oh that's terrible it's amazing oh they're going through a breakup - so did I yeah I wish you wouldn't have had gone through that but I sure love having someone who understands so there's always there's always that so yeah I you don't have a lot of money right now oh it's terrible to hear neither do I we should be best friends but if you get money let's not be friends anymore okay because that'll make me feel bad so so what are we humans in a lot of pain and we just keep looking around and Jesus it's kind of making a point isn't he he's kind of like completely how should I say destroying this social approach he's saying no listen to me says what is that to you well first of all I'll be like Jesus Jesus what do you mean what is John to me all right this would be my answer me I love John that's my god that's my buddy that's my bro but Jesus is like that's not why you're asking you're not asking out of compassion and care Jesus obviously desires much is taught including Romans 12:15 we're to care for each other we're to actually be conscious of each other but that's not what Peter's doing Jesus say and what is that concern of you and he says this he says you follow me he didn't there was a group there he gonna said Pete everybody here y'all need to follow me he says Peter you follow me one of the more challenging verses in all the Bible where Jesus clearly says we all need to stop looking around in comparison and thinking in fairness and we need to keep our eyes on Jesus on Jesus Jesus something interesting happens in this verse did you notice it says and so a rumor started to spread that John was never gonna die which I find very interesting because when you look when we look at each other the wrong way or from the wrong place please hear me we oftentimes misunderstand what God is saying this is what happens we start looking at each other in terms of our cultural ideals right our cultural ideals are what success and success is only apparent when there is money stuff things beauty sex appeal all right this is this is this is not necessarily God's dream this is the American dream these are our cultural ideals this is why we work so hard this is why we do what we do this is why we're on the grind and so naturally living natural living where we live we have to own the fact that our our orientation socially is almost always we look at each other and we we love each other and we care and we're trying as a community but we look to compare and we look to think in regards to what is fair and oftentimes we compare to feel better about ourselves or oftentimes we compare we don't feel better about ourselves but this is actually a very normal habitual social act we don't talk about it very much because that's uncomfortable but this is what we do this is what we do and Jesus repeated twice is saying don't do that don't do that we'll try just don't do that in fact I think the disciples who love Jesus and walk with Jesus they hear what Jesus says what they're hearing is what they want to hear they're not hearing what Jesus actually said and that's what happened when we are socially engaging with each other in regards to the ideals of this country we oftentimes miss what Jesus means are you hear what I'm saying anybody if you're not at least I wore double-breasted suit okay jacket so what needs to happen what I'm saying is the combination of highly insulated we are in our culture and I'm not saying I'm against it I'm just saying it is what it is okay there's no I don't have time to go there we're so insulated in our in the ways of our culture I think oftentimes the words of Jesus don't land the way they truly are and so we run around telling everybody John's gonna live forever and it's like Jesus never said John was gonna live forever but what's cool about John living forever is that's one of the cultural ideals right it's like never die young forever did you hear about John because we want to hear what we want to hear and we have a value system right and so far not careful we're like the Bible says God wants to bless us so that means we are all gonna have money right because that's how you take blessing of God into United States of America culture Western culture and I'm not saying there aren't scriptures that talks about how God wants to take care of you financially but we hear what we want to hear because we have desires and ideals and we see them even how we look at each other how we look at each other it's how we look at even at each other so Jesus would like us to no longer look at each other the way Peter is looking at John now if that's not challenging to you I don't know what is Jesus emphatic ly cuts Peter off and says and what is excuse me you're asking about John oh you want John you want John feel the hurt you want John to have a tough go you want John des what if I let him live forever P what what you Peter follow me follow me follow me the word follow in the original language it means go the same direction go the same direction go the same direction so following Jesus means taking the trajectory and the direction that Jesus takes now this becomes radical because we are intended to study the pathway and the footsteps of Jesus when he was on the earth and then the Bible says now the spirit of Jesus now will live within us and he though we are not in these ancient cities were in the cities we're now in that the spirit will say I'm gonna show you how Jesus would have walked in Los Angeles and I want you to go in that direction ok Jesus did not die rise again and and seat it on high so that we could attend a once-a-week gig ok the I dub igg idea and that's why we're about to do churches in people's homes churches in cafes Church a week with that we're going to citadel's believe in cool great got my you know we're actually endeavoring to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and that is socially disruptive because we are literally supposed to begin to absorb the values of Jesus the ideals of success according to Jesus which is actually supposed to lead us to when I'm in pain I don't look at John and go well what about him when I get detention hall I don't tell the teacher my friends should be with me but that's only normal that's only normal that's only normal and Jesus says I don't want it to be I don't want you to be different and later Paul will write when people are in pain you be in pain with them talking actually this is church members and then when people are celebrating I want you to celebrate with them so I want you to put your pain away I want you to put your big celebration away and I want you to serve people that way that's the kind of friend I want you to be and it's like um well that's hard yeah it is why why would why would why would we why would we be asked to do this I'll tell you why because jesus is our example and what did Jesus do he came put on skin and bone moved in to our painful planet sabotage by our selfishness and our sinful nature he moved in and he took our pain upon him self and so the ways of Jesus is to be the kind of person who can say I'm gonna put my pain away I'm gonna put my party away and I'm gonna be here with you and I'm gonna serve you okay here's and I promise I'm coming to a close here's what's challenging I hear that and my humaneness my natural thinking is I need to be I need I need to see people more I just need them I need to be more aware right I need to be more aware I just need to be focused more on people and I've tried that and that does not work and that's not a popular thing to say I just need to be I'm gonna I'm gonna write down 12 people that I'm gonna just be thinking about and call it intention and that's a fantastic exercise I'm telling you it is not what is going to transform you on the inside and the problem is not your scheduling or your to-do list the problem is your nature the problem is we are all experiencing levels of pain that perpetually lead us to say well what about him what about him and then if we can by chance demonize somebody that will help us in our pain so we can all sit here tonight and think that Romans 12:15 is something we just need the exercise like a muscle it'll get stronger will get better and will be the most selfless people in the world but I'm telling you that is not sustainable it's not the answer it is mere willpower and there's a few anomalies amongst us who are incredibly gifted in willpower the rest of us are pretty average we're like I'm not gonna have chocolate I'm done eating chocolate you cannot tempt me one bite let's get a whole pint of it that's normal that's normal Jesus says I want you to relate to people different well I mean but I'm in pain I'm hurting I know I want you to I want you to celebrate with your friends I don't I don't want it so how how does this happen okay here's the dynamic that happens the more we focus on each other I'm gonna be really honest the more my heart closes and my arms closed because my nature is to look at people and not go oh bless their hearts they're so wonderful either I'm so happy if they got so much money I'm so happy that they are so much better-looking than me ah this is amazing yes yes you have all the money I'll have none wonderful this is what I've always wanted oh my god yeah so here here's what we're not admitting the more we focus on each other our nature is still at play and we're like hi are you doing good and we had these sadistic little moments that none of us want to talk about we're friends were really going through a tough time and you're like well now they understand I bet they get it now and you're like whoa man we are we can be nasty if we're honest so what's gonna happen here's what I'd like to suggest the more I keep focused down here and here the more my posture usually is this I'm like oh yeah I love church oh hello Churchill I mean it's not perfect but I love it and I love people nah nah he's cool she cool no no I'm happy for him that's cool no I think it's great no yeah that's cool you know I mean people don't talk to me a lot you know and whatever but not school that's my church yeah hmm yeah it's cool my friends yeah and this if we're honest it's normal it's kind of normal it's not normal to focus down here and go I love you my home is open to you our family we love you we look-- that's not normal so here's what we're gonna have to do John is finishing his book like this and look how he finishes it in verse 25 I just think this is one of the most gorgeous verses in all to the Bible John stops for a moment and would just like to in he would like to just expand on the wonders the miracles the beauty the moments Jesus cared for children the moment he cared for women the moment he cared for Jews and Gentiles alike he says if if if every one of the things Jesus did small and great eye contact crying holding hugging loving people throughout his day while on this planet John just goes I just don't think if books started to be write written about thinking just it just the world can't contain it and he's speaking of course to the majesty the wonder of Jesus and I go okay John God was guiding you to write this letter this book and I needed it to end like that because what I just saw Peter go through I was like there's not a lot of answers there Jesus says what it's a deal he might live forever Peter please you follow me well alright thanks for that yeah quit looking at people and comparing it thinking about fair just focus on me don't just stop it don't even because you just you just you know as if oh wow that would be great that'd be awesome I'm just gonna celebrate everyone even though I'm in pain and and when I'm having a party and sell it but someone's in pain I gotta I'm gonna cancel the party and I'm gonna be in their pain with them so yeah that's awesome yeah that's normal I do that all the time or I don't no one does how am I supposed to do that here's what happens if you stay here or you stay here your posture more than likely it's going to be more like this to humanity it just is it's just natural now you're gonna have those moments where the movie opens up your heart or you're at church like wow wow the music and you're like you look around the room and you have this this moment of bliss like I just love everyone in here right and then by the time you get back to your uber and you're going through traffic right the the glow wears off and you're like what is wrong with Oh sir could you honk the horn this is ridiculous whoa where did the spirit of Jesus go that's normal that's normal so here's what has to happen your eyes have to go from here to here to here and what I've learned is when my eyes are here my heart and arms go like this that's the key if you will just let yourself let go of focus on yourself let go of trying to be the reincarnate mother Teresa who's gonna save the whole world and actually turn your attention to the one who will and has and let the mystery and the majesty of who he is I'm gonna read it again I'm gonna read it again this is this versus this I mean this is this verse was written for artistic creative people and if John and John's all heart this is classic John Luke is a dr. Luke is like very linear and very detailed John is like and I am that man right did you notice a moment ago when he says and Peter turned to the disciple and John wants to include the stories aren't even Tony goes he turned to the disciple you know the one who laid on Jesus chest and asked him who will betray you that was ages ago John John's like I know I just wanted to remember that I did that that's who I am and then later it says the disciple whom Jesus loved like John is just all heart and John's like you know as I end my letter I want you to know that if every one of the things Jesus did was written I don't think the world could contain the books and we're kind of let left with this like is he being literal is he being figurative is he being what and I think what's supposed to happen is your brain is supposed to go what else happened you wouldn't believe it I wonder if there's a a part where Jesus finds a single mom was broken and her baby's got nowhere to go and Jesus made them some bread out of nothing had had them moved into a home and what else did he do and your brain is supposed to go oh I don't know everything about God oh that's right his ways are higher than my ways his thoughts are higher than my thoughts good my definition of good God is beyond good we don't have adjectives Whittle had the vernacular we don't have another languages we don't have enough what he's just his axe if put all in the book for 33 you would the world can't John's us like if you think he's good you are going to be so surprised he's good or than good he's beyond your wildest imagination think of the most wonderful kind loving caring sense just godly perfect soft-hearted compassionate consider think of that person times a billion Jesus is greater and that's I mean I'm up here like like this is the ultimate idealist I mean if you're a literalist right now you're like really bro you actually think we're all gonna put our pain away and celebrate with people and their success when I'm going through are you being for real it's not my material it's his this is what he says we're supposed to be like and so this is what I do in moments like these okay alright God are you Ben for real by the way he's not always just there you know but it's just a good illustration so I'm like you God's not just up these are the emails I get you know you said heavens up but heaven is all around us and I'm like and you're right and that's on me go Hawks but um the emails I used to read and now I you know and focusing on my family but um this is what I do I go oh okay god this is what this is all supposed to do alright I mean if you're like me I'm just trying to get through the pain okay god I just want to get through the pain The Book of Psalms is my favorite place right now okay god I'm trying I'm with David alright I'm in a lot of pain and you want me to go in your direction that's right son I want you to come in my direction what's your direction is loving people in a way that you set aside your literal actual emotional position and you engage with them with theirs and you serve them is that what you did yeah that's what I did so that's what I want you to do so here's what I say to God all right then you got to change me you got to change me cuz that's not normal for me and that's where this book gets real here's a significant fallacy that still floats around that this book can be lived or you that you can live like Jesus by trying harder in fact that's one of the worst things you can do the best thing you can do is go something like this well I can't do that that's impossible God goes right yeah yeah it's impossible I know yeah well so where do we go from here well you really to God who could actually transform you don't you yeah and so Jesus says to Peter use the energy you're using to look at John use it to look at me often times where the eyes go the body follows you want to go his direction look at him and suddenly man my life is not lived like this my life is lived like right I mean it's like this amalgamation of right I want to live like this heart open arms open to people eyes on Jesus that's the goal isn't it but I think we were supposed to exist as a community to be an antidote be a healing ointment in the streets of LA what would it be if we had hundreds thousands of us lived pretty regularly like this people look at us like man what how do you do that and when you find an Amory or you find an Elijah you make them your best friends and you thank you for the whistle that was rather odd but that's great and then you and you ask them you learn from them hey help me how do you how do you celebrate other people so well that's the kind of people we want to be hey God cares so much about your pain I hope you're hearing me we're not making light of your pain just showing you a path that was showed to me his name is Jesus and I think this is the path to life this is the path to take our pain and turn it into something that we can use to serve other people Jesus I thank you for the moments we share that your words are deep and they're wide and sometimes difficult so we've come to the conclusion that without you knowing your direction is completely impossible but this is what we want this is what I want it's what we want for our community and want to go your direction I'm asking for all of us every single person here those who believe that Jesus is God those who don't believe no matter who I'm praying right now for those watching on the app for those watching in Seattle or any one of us I am praying that you would help us to not be so selfish not be looking around at others comparing and thinking in terms of what's fair but God we would turn our attention to you God fill our minds with the Wonder the majesty the magnitude of who you are and made that just really dominate our attention just help us God more than you've ever helped us before we need you if you're here and you're watching or you here in this room and you say Jude I'd like to follow Jesus I'd like to follow Jesus I'd like to receive the free gift of forgiveness that only Jesus offers on the count of three I'm gonna ask you to lift up your hand and put it right back down you know who you are I ask you to raise your hand because I believe when you respond on the outside to what's on the inside just becomes more real to you you know who you are 1 2 3 that's you all over this room in a cafe watching on the app in Seattle to any location just slip up your hand right now and put it right back down God you see these hands you are incredible thank you it's so free Lord to be forgiven it's so free and we just thank you it's so free you've made it free you've paid the ultimate price and we thank you that we're forgiven forever all of our air wronged and sin forgiven forever in this one moment of receptivity and acceptance and we thank you for that in Jesus name in Jesus name in Jesus name hey everybody thank you so much for watching our YouTube channel to be honest it really means a lot it's kind of overwhelming to consider that you take time out of your life to listen to us tell the story of Jesus if you haven't already you can subscribe right here to the channel and get more of God's incredible love for you and his story of grace again I can't say it enough thank you so much for watching and hopefully we can do this again real soon

Channel: Churchome

Views: 11,748

Rating: 4.9078341 out of 5

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: 4l0sXqP28Us

Length: 52min 15sec (3135 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 03 2019