Does God Help Those Who Help Themselves? // Judah Smith

I'm gonna read two passages written by the same person ultimately we believe the whole book is written by God the spirit of Jesus but this man by the name of Paul is used to write at least half of what we now call the New Testament it's not that new but it's newer than the Old Testament and he writes in two different passages about accomplishment strengths and another passage about his weakness I'd like to read both of these passages so I'm gonna start in Philippians chapter 3 and we're gonna read a few verses and we're gonna jump over to second corinthians and chapter 12 and I'd like to title this message tonight does God help those who help themselves does God help those who help themselves and I'd like to my notes oftentimes I'll put a goal post and that goal post represents for me the felt need that I feel passionate about addressing on a particular gathering or evening and tonight my goal posts are next to striving feel stressed or your relationship with God those of you that are in relationship with God does it lack satisfaction do you feel tired do you feel frustrated do you wonder is this as far as I go in terms of loving God enjoying Jesus is there is there more and I'd like to suggest tonight that maybe without even knowing it we are our own worst enemies when it comes to getting to know God more and more and I'm really excited to share this message with you I had a whole nother message prepared but right after I read a great article about an artist that I admire this message came to me so thank you Vanity Fair for that article okay like oh wow this is your pastor he doesn't even reference the word okay Philippians chapter 3 verses 1 to 11 let's read this together Paul now talking to the there it is okay here he says and that's about it friends be glad in God I don't mind repeating what I've written in earlier letters and hope you don't mind hearing it again better safe than sorry so here goes steer clear of the barking dogs those religious bidi Bom bidi Mazak busybodies all bark and no bite all they're interested in is appearances knife happy circumcised errs long story history their circumcision really an awkward reference but we'll keep moving it's like someone's here for the very first time they are two minutes into their very first church experience and we go to circumcision like of all nights are we talking about you know yep okay the real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry filling the air with Christ's praises as we do it we couldn't carry this off by our own efforts and we know it even though we can list what many may think our impressive credentials you know my pedigree this is Paul now a legitimate birth circumcised earnest again on the eighth day an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin a strict and devout adherent to God's law a fiery defender of the purity of my religion even at the point of persecuting the church a meticulous observer of everything set down in God's law book this man formerly known as Saul would have had the first five books of the Old Testament memorized by heart the very credentials these people are waving around is something special I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash Wow along with everything else I used to take credit for and why because of Christ because of Jesus yes all these things I once thought were so important are gone from my life wow this is radical language could compare to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my master firsthand and everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant it gets worse dog dung I've literally heard a scholar argue that a potential curse word is is almost used here it is he's talking about right I've dumped it all in the trash by the way this is the second time saying he's dumped it all in the trash this is emphasis by repetition I've dumped it all the trash so I can embrace there's that word it's an important word tonight so that I can embrace Christ and be embraced by him so I can embrace Christ and be embraced by him I did all of this can my motivation is that I can hug Jesus as he hugs me I can embrace Jesus as he embraces me you ever had somebody try to hug they just don't hug well you know talking about those people that just hug just awkward and stiff and not loving and kind and and if you've been in church a long time you know all about the side hug okay some of you grew up in conservative Church like me and if guys and girls gave full frontal hugs they were immediately removed and dismissed right so everybody knows a bad hugger he says I want to be a good hugger of Jesus so I put all this stuff in the trash I didn't want some petty inferior brand of righteousness or right relationship with God that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Jesus and God's righteousness I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Jesus personally experienced this resurrection power be a partner in suffering and go all the way with him go all the way with him go all the way with him go all the way with him to death itself if there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead I wanted to do it so if you're hearing this and we're gonna go to second Corinthians chapter 12 Paul is making a radical outlandish outstanding case to say one of my biggest if not my single biggest hurdle to have a real embrace with Jesus is my accomplishments is what I've done and what people say defines me and and and what gives me significance and importance hear him now he says I had to rid myself of all that so that I could hug him and he could hug me and I wouldn't fall prey to trying to relate to God with rules I don't want that this is what I want I want to go all the way with Jesus we'll talk about that more in a few moments 2nd Corinthians 12 now this will be a shorter passage since you're so hot I mean temperature you know so anyways that came out wrong as well did he just call it so hot so because of the extravagance of those revelations and so I wouldn't get a big head same guy I was given a gift of a handicap or a weakness or thorn in the flesh one passage says to keep me in constant touch with my limitations Satan's angel did his best to get me down what he in fact did was pushed me to my knees no danger then of walking around high and mighty at first I didn't think of it as a gift and I begged God to remove it it's the same guy who just told us his accomplishments and his strengths and his stats is now telling us on the flip side the other side of the coin he's got this weakness and he says I beg God you need to take this weakness away and at first I didn't think it was given I begged God to remove it three times I did that and he told me my grace is enough it's all you need my strength comes into its own in your weakness now once I heard that I was glad to let it happen you were glad you had a weakness I quit focusing on the handicap and began to appreciate the gift it was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness now I take limitations and stride and with good cheer at these limitations that cut me down to size abuse accents opposition bad breaks I just let Christ take over so the weaker I get the stronger I become all right so we're going to take these two passages and we're going to do work tonight keep that goal post in mind though if you generosity water their sponsor cheap keep that goalpost in mind now if you have never been stressed out in your relationship with God if you have never felt like it's all effort and no reward if you have never felt dissatisfied in your connection with God you just haven't been a relationship with them long enough I'm not trying to be negative I'm just telling you the truth we live in a broken planet a broken space and state and there's going mama said there's gonna be days like this you're gonna have days where it's just like I don't feel saved I don't feel forgiven I feel mean and angry and ugly and exasperated and exhausted if you've ever felt that way or you ever think you might feel that way I want you to keep this message in your back pocket for safekeeping because I believe tonight I'm gonna try to show you in this passage the two biggest obstacles we have got to address that keep us from fully embracing Jesus does God help those who help themselves Jesus thank you for the moments that we share helped us to hear your word put it into practice God thank you so much and that football season is right around the corner thank you so much for the Seattle Seahawks and what I can't believe I'm saying it thank you for bringing LeBron to town in Jesus name and all God's people said swore I'd never be a Laker fan amen so I'm not that dedicated oh man that a science teacher in high school and I can't remember his name but I remember his body hair he was and I'm not proud of what I'm saying at all I'm not I'm not please don't misunderstand me I really I really mean this I regret this but I was a talker in school right I'm not good at school but I really enjoyed talking so I was like combine the two and I'll get through this so I didn't do a lot of school work I graduated with like a 2 a 2 8 in high school and that was very generous we we made some stuff up and so so I did a lot of talking in every every everyday I come in for science class I can't believe I can't remember his name I just so enjoyed looking at the hair that was coming out the backside of my science teachers caller I mean he had he had hair now the humor of God is the humor of God is okay so I would make fun of this teacher I'm not proud of that I was trying to be a witness for the Lord Jesus but he's I'm talking about I mean like it you know it was coming it was like it like met his hairline you know talking about and he never trimmed his ear hair everything it just it's just like man we could manscape in like ten minutes and solve a lot of problems and I'm not proud of this mist up my god I can't should be honest with you we're in church right I had nobody here at that point I got married and had nobody here in fact Chelsea's dad my wife of 18 years is a very very very hairy man so hairy he's furry you know Toma and Chelsea used to say I don't know why my mom I mean I just do not prefer that lace gentleman two years into our marriage there I was like yeah that's that's weird I was at the pool recently with my kids and I forgot that I have back hair because I don't look back there and I caught my kids making fun of me in the pool look at that dad it's so gross you got a hair on both sides pulled him out of the pool spanked him publicly right there shitty please don't be offended so obviously God has a sense of humor right I'm making fun of my science teacher but I'll never forget this is like the one memory I have from science class that I remember my science teacher some you've heard me talk about this before after one particular class I was probably talking so much he finally was like I'm just gonna talk to this guy so I'm walking out and he say Judy can I ask you a question I said yes sir he said what's your favorite verse in all the Bible and I was like I really couldn't actually I think it was its time it was Hebrews 12 29 for our God is a consuming fire like who chooses that is their favorite verse it just came to me I had forgotten about that my favorite verse at one point was our God is a consuming fire sweet sweet Jesus you have done a work in me so I tell them my favorite verse and this no word of lie this is true story hair coming out back of his collar he said my favorite verse is god helps those who help themselves you know when you think someone's like landing the Joker you're like huh and then you catch yourself and he's looking like and I'm like oh so I panicked do I tell my science teacher the truth or do I nod and say yes they're going and because I had made fun of him for so long I said yeah that's one of my favorites too and I walked out now somebody like why is that funny that's not in the Bible so there's actually not a verse that says something like are you serious my always told me that was a good purse it's not in the good book god helps those who help themselves before we go any further let's answer the question since it's a title to talk does God help those who help themselves I'll answer it with a statement God helps everybody but I'm gonna say this does God help those who help themselves he does but it's a whole lot harder for that person it's a whole lot harder for that person we just got done a few minutes ago reading about a man by the name of Paul who before he has a name change and a nature change and a life change and a worldview change he is saw and he told us his accomplishments his strengths his spiritual statistics and frankly they can beat anybody he's like the LeBron of the Torah he's like them I will be referencing LeBron for as long as he is in Los Angeles to be clear just to be clear so we're talking about a man who knows the Torah he is elite he is exactly what a Jewish young man and man would ever want to be and notice his dramatic language he tells us twice I put it in the trash I put it in the trash he goes as far to use a crass term which we translate dog dung but could be translated stronger he says it's waste its GART it stinks it reeks I don't want it I'm over it I'm done it doesn't define me it's not what I'm about it's not who I am and he says you the reason I do this is so that I can embrace Jesus as he embraces me so that I can embrace Jesus as he embraces me at the conclusion of this message we will find ourselves in my favorite parable that Jesus ever told maybe you've heard of it the prodigal son it is that the climactic conclusion of this story wouldn't you find it interesting that the father in the third and final part of this one parable who is no doubt a picture for us of God runs at his wayward son and when he reaches him he clearly and passionately embraces his boy and then starts kissing him in case you wondered what God is like he's a hugger he's a kisser he's a lover he loves all people but in the story and I'm already taking my conclusion and using it at the beginning of the message this will be a problem later but for now it's great you'll notice in Luke 15 while the father is hugging his wayward son his son is attempting to give an apology speech you will also notice that the father never ever ever acknowledges the speech whatsoever and completely ignores it now that tells us something about our God that speech was steeped in accomplishment or lack of accomplishment or earned or deserved in fact the operative word in the prepared speech of the wayward son is worthy I'm no longer worthy I'm no longer worthy and I'm telling you there's a reason God says in the story I ignored the speech because when it comes to your relationship with God because of Jesus listen to me it has nothing to do with your strengths or your weaknesses your relationship with God your standing with God your right relationship here we again has nothing to do with your accomplishments your strengths or your failures or your weaknesses for the relationship that we are granted with God comes through Jesus Christ and he did for us that we cannot do for ourselves here's the problem when we receive the embrace of because it is illogical and it is mysterious and it is hard to resolve it's not a math problem it's not a perfect science it's a love from another realm from the perfect most brilliant being of all time while he's hugging us we want to explain to him either what we've done for him or why he shouldn't hug us because we've done nothing for him and I want you to know that you will find it frustrating in years to come because God will ignore that he won't do anything about it and it gets frustrating our biggest in my opinion I almost say this in my opinion the two greatest obstacles that we will face in fully embracing Jesus and enjoying friendship and relationship with God on levels we have yet to experience will be two things our strengths and our weaknesses I want to talk to you tonight how you are now for those of us that have accepted Jesus those of you that are considering this will be a great opportunity for you to consider as well when it comes to your strengths and weaknesses we don't talk about this enough you are supposed to relate to them completely different now let me give you example so strengths what's a normal relationship with your strengths look this is not rocket science you're proud of them yeah that's what I do yeah that's what I do man you ain't even think from yet this is what I do you strength is that thing everybody goes wow and you're like right I know it's crazy you know what it is right and what's your relationship with your weaknesses embarrassed I don't want nobody see them I don't I'm just I'm embarrassed that way of relating to your strengths and weaknesses has to completely change or you will be perpetually frustrated in your journey with Jesus before we go any further I want to tell you what your new relationship will be with strengths and weaknesses you will see both of them as a gift and it will transform your spiritual journey and let me explain so we're gonna we're gonna dive into strengths first and then we're going to conclude with weaknesses how am I to relay to my strengths first of all I want to say this you ought to work on your strengths you ought to maximize your strengths you want to have confidence around your strengths you ought to be somebody says yeah you know what I am good at that if you're good at something go ahead and admit you're good at something that's what you do God has given you those strengths and they came by way of a gift my favorite term for strengths is giftings that was a big big spit I'm an absolute nightmare tonight you have giftings you have giftings you have giftings and so here comes Jesus I love you and you come in for the hug with your giftings that you're proud of and Jesus comes in for hugging you're like hey and he's like kind of wanted a full-frontal give me the big hugs well I I just wanted to show you that I'm I'm I kind of get it you probably came here to hug me because of these I know and I've been working really hard and I just want you to know I am really here to help your cause and this is the point I want to make tonight are we are we helping God or are we following him because that's where things get frustrated when all said I'm here to help gods like all right but I didn't need help bro like some of us think the Bible starts like this in the beginning God needed help some of us live live with Jesus like he said help me instead of follow me and we run around like Jesus little helpers talk about well what I do for the kingdom and what I do for the Lord really only I can do that's why God chose me so I'm all up in here helping God that is an erroneous view of God can I say something if God needs help he's not God you can't be God if you need help that means you are not complete or whole therefore you have a deficiency and you need help that disqualifies Jesus is a savior he who knew no sin didn't need any help didn't have any problems didn't have any issues he could do for you and me we could not do for ourselves because he could help you cuz he didn't need no help that's the gospel right so the friction and the frustration and the agitation that happens in your relationship with God is when you bring your strengths to God like they're gonna help him out and you can't get in there for real hug because your other arm is holding on the strengths that frankly you are proud of and the way you relate to your strengths continues to frustrate the relationship you have been gifted with God because instead of following him we gonna help him and that's what if you're not familiar it's like it's what Christians got off saying man I let that brother to the Lord you let I'm sorry you did what I let him to the Lord that day no no you let him to Lord that kid we got lost with ways today from LAX that's all we see by the way right we got lost with ways ladies and gentlemen I can no more leave somebody to the creator of the universe then I can get from LAX to the Saban theatre what you talking about I've lived that man to the Lord look at you Jesus little helpers that and I'm not I'm not trying to insult you I'm just saying that's what's frustrating your relationship with God Paul is saying I don't I work on my strengths I appreciate my strengths but I treat them like gifts not tools I've earned if one more person talks to me about fortnight I'm a screamer i'ma kick something okay but my son my son my son's both of them are in the fortnight and they're always telling me what I don't know what thing they earned like it's like a weapon or something and I'm like oh and I'm like I'm trying to be engaged like up into this point I feel like I've really been there for my sons but the moment the word Thor comes out of their mouth I check out because they want to tell me dad I earned this new thing that latest things dad there's golf on fortnight I'm like no golf is real it's actually something you do in real life it's not on a video game I don't want to hear about your night or your fort unless you want to build one outside but we treat our gifts like there's something we earn and we bring them to help god oh god I just want you to know I will be a preacher for your team and I just know that that's going to bless you it's my honor now Lord I just went it's my honor to serve you this way and I love helping you out Oh son I don't need help well why am I here Oh cause I love you what do you mean you don't have anything for me I got lots for you to do because I chose that I didn't need it I just wanted it I could do it all myself but I decided to put a whole world in motion and free will and all in it but but I don't need I don't lack I in the beginning God he always was always has been is completely self-sufficient it sees God all by himself even anybody else I mean it's just he but i but i but i wanted to do this with you so I gave you these cute things you can do well and I just want you to be grateful I just want you to treat them like a gift and by the way son when when when you realize they're a gift you uh you just use them you just use them and you're great perform and you don't play false humility games and apologize for them how can you apologize for something I gave you and you didn't earn you just used the gifts I've given you and and when people say you're great at that you just go yes I am I don't know how but God gave me that gift and all of a sudden you discover the abundant life see second Corinthians 5:17 I believe that's what it is he says behold all things I said great in spite yes I got it therefore if anyone is in Jesus he's a new creation you can understand if you believe in it you have become new and I am to relate to my strengths in that new way and this strength this gift that God's given me it's from him and he didn't he didn't give you that gift so you could put it on the shelf and say I'm not worthy we know and he knows you were given that gift too to use it and you know what it's not your job to tell everybody all the time that it's not me it's him they'll figure it out eventually it's not your job to explain to everybody yeah but my gifts are gifts from God and I just just go ahead and use them and there's gonna be a narrative out there at times when people are gonna misunderstand your gifts sometimes misunderstand why you think you're great well I'm sorry God's good but we need more people who understand the grace of God who don't play games with their gift um I'm not a good speaker I don't really enjoy it no Judy you're a good speaker oh I don't know I don't know some days are better than others hey somebody asked me recently do you get nervous to speak I guess did I get excited I said I can't wait to hear what I'm gonna say it's gonna be so great and I know that sounds silly but it's actually the truth there my relationship to my gifts your relationship to your gifts should be so different that it kind of makes people go what you say what I just I love having conversations because when I hear stuff I say I'm like wow that's good it changes and we will land here but but at the end of this sermon you're gonna notice an attitude can settle over you that will change everything it is an attitude we've talked about this before of gratefulness and it is powerful where you now are living this life from this place of going wow thank you God and boy that starts to shoot holes in that dissatisfying weary tiresome striving kind of relationship with God and before you know it you're back on your feet you got a skip in your step and a twinkle in your eye and a confidence that God is with you he loves you and he's embracing you and you're embracing him this is what changed my life I was reading Luke 15 years ago I forget how many years ago I'm not great with timelines but God said this phrase to me said embrace grace I know it sounds like I heard the audible voice of God I did not I can't hear the audible voice of God because I'm already jumping and the Lord knows I couldn't take that and I would end up using the restroom all over myself and that's the truth I don't mean to be crass but that's the truth the Lord doesn't speak to me in an audible voice he gives me the old-fashioned nudge and I heard embrace grace I said God what does that mean and I was reading Luke 15 and God showed me that I'm just like the Sun when the grace comes to embrace me having nothing to do with what I have earned deserved or where hi I failed and faltered I'm still the guy while Jesus is holding me in pure grace and love I'm trying to explain to him what I'm trying to hold on Jesus wait I'm not I shouldn't be here I'm you got to hear my speech Jesus and you know what the father doesn't look 15 he while the Sun is still talking it is like insulting he turns to his servants he says get the steaks get the barbecue get the jewelry get the shoes get his clothes we're about to party that is why that is wild this kid is going a dad excuse me I am no longer it's got nothing to do with your relationship with your father it's got nothing to do God is not hugging you because he's so impressed with your gifts ooh there's somebody who's gifted let's get him on our team come on in here buddy you a free agent come on oh we're so cute we think gods in heaven going wow that was a sermon get over here guys listen to this podcast I don't I think God loves us so much it's like when my babies were little you've heard me talking about this before and they would draw me a photo a photo a picture and you get the picture and they're like daddy daddy look and I'm like oh oh oh Chelsea Chelsea in that beautiful Oh baby I love airplanes no daddy that's a cow in a farm oh it sure is God thinks we're so cute He loves us I don't mean to insult you but in the grand scheme of things big picture God Almighty all by himself totally sufficient beautiful wonderful brilliant the guy the God who creates stars with words I think he looks down and he sees your talent he goes you are so cute though and that helps us gain little perspective so that we can go oh god I can't believe I'm in your family I'm not the talented one I'm not the best in the brightest I don't know why you picked me but I will hold you as long as you will hold me that's how we handle our strengths and in in can I just show you one more thing about the strengths and I promise I'll be done then we'll go to point 2 and then we'll there's only two points this is very short sermon it says look what it says in second Corinthians or first Corinthians 15:10 because I want to I want to I want to address something so much has been said okay well if I just give my strengths to God what about where's hard work in all of this and I want you listening the same guy Paul talk about hard work and like gift and God and grace because God was so gracious so so very very generous Here I am I'm not about to let this grace go to waste haven't I worked hard trying to do more than any others at that point like Oh hard work praise God hard work but watch what she goes eat even then I guess my work didn't amount to all that much yeah it was God giving me the work to do karma and God giving me the energy to do it so your hard work you can't even take credit for because I want to tell you something God will give you passion to do the work he's called you to and there will be grace in it and there will be favored in it and there'll be a window your back not every day all day some days it's hard work but I told that a long time ago I'm trying to raise three babies and you want me to preach once to twice a week sweet Jesus but I said lord if this what you call me deal I'm will work hard and you're gonna help me you're going to speak to me and you're gonna give me messages for people in church huh and that's the way we were when it comes to hard work it's like man I worked hard then again I think God gave me the work who gave me the energy to do it and so I did work hard but I think God was working hard in me and that's our story and that will be our story going forward and though we may not explain that all the time that would be one wonky interview what's not really mean but God gives me the work to do and he doesn't through me okay cut to commercial yeah but we know that's how this works God gave me passion to use my strengths and my gifts to follow him and and serve Him and lastly and in conclusion and and and maybe tonight I saved it second because I just wanted to land here and that is how we relate to our weaknesses and I'm gonna show you something I've never seen before until earlier this afternoon and that's the truth I've never seen it before because we have got to relate to our strengths like their gifts if we want to fully enjoy the embrace of grace but we also got to see our weaknesses as a gift and before I go any further let me say we all got him we all got him I would like to for your consideration to put it in front of you that one of the things that keeps us from really serving cities and communities and loving people is we're all still busy covering our weaknesses I'm gonna say this the the sin and extraordinary pain of racism I truly believe that there will be no true progress and we are living in troubling disturbing times and there is breaking news almost daily right now and it's completely overwhelming to me in this sin in pain but we will not progress until we all admit we have a problem we we I mean it's I was in the bathroom at the Seattle Airport today and there was the two men from another country and culture who were speaking very loudly and the first thought I had in my mind was well you know how it's funny how they are and I said Lord Jesus that's that's the problem it's in all of us and we got to stop posting tweets and start saying God wait where is where is that weak spotted me and how far does it go and right that's it's very powerful when groups of people like this are willing to bring their weakness out and say this is where I'm not strong this is where I've got some propensity I'm not proud of I have potential proclivities here and I need somebody to help me and more we start doing that the more we level the playing field because it is and we recognize oh man you you you got bad spaces too oh yeah you got secrets too yeah but I can't keep them secret for much longer because sin grows in the dark and it's eating me alive and I need to get it out so one of the ways we relate to our weaknesses we've got to talk about it more we've got to expose it and we've got to own it and you know what's crazy you know what's crazy when Chelsea and I were babysitting in seventh grade in Portland Oregon babysitting my cousins I knew her my whole life she said at the same time let's say who we like who we like and if we both said at the same time nobody would be embarrassed except Chelsea lied and she covered her weakness it's seven I'm not she was well she was in seventh I was in sixth grade and I always liked older women and and and and so she said one two three I said you and she said nobody and I was like this did not go as planned but that's what we got almost as a church we aren't gonna go 1 2 3 you say where your weakness is and we all just get out there and say hey I got issues so do you so do I let's start establishing authentic relationships because that's the only thing that's gonna change these streets out here so we got to stop being so embarrassed and pretending and covering our weakness and we got to be more honest here's what I'm going through but also also also did you hear Paul he says he says so I had this one weakness and we don't know what it is anybody ever tells you they know what Paul's weakness was they they're lying the Bible never makes it clear because it's not important the point is he had a weakness that he wanted to go away have you ever had a weakness that you said God if you'll take this away I think I'll be okay and the more you pray the more it remains by God I mean I've had so many conversations with God I'm like God if you will help me in this area or if you'll help me in this area out everything will be great if you will help me stop getting so angry when I play sports I'll be a better pastor you just helped me I just take this away Paul says God said no God didn't say no I won't take your sin away he said I won't take your weakness away we're not talking about saying God covers and forgives all sin takes it all the way but your weakness god I feel weak in this area and he says he says he says but in the message Bible we put that up there 2nd Corinthians 12:9 he says my grace is enough now I want you to hear this I want you to hear this my grace is enough and my strength comes into its own into its own all by itself when you're weak see what what the young man Luke 15 failed to realize when he came home from his wasteful living and he had gotten to the bottom of the barrel feeding pigs slop when he came back what he didn't see is what the father saw he was embarrassed by his last job he was embarrassed by how his weaknesses led him but the father thinks to himself all but those pigs brought you home that weakness finally made you realize there's no place like dad's house and so the weakness reminds you oh I need God and and and then and then in the ESV it says so when I found that out I I I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness I said boast when's the last time you were like yeah I got this certain weakness it's mad bad right you're like rumps are you proud of that bro yeah boasting about it I'm like what are you saying so look up the root word and it means to think well of see my propensity is I'm proud of my strengths yo yo check me out check me out and then whoa oh no no no I don't have any weaknesses no no no no no no I don't need to look in there now we're good we're good I'm a man I got alright who dodged the bullet and we work tirelessly our self sufficiency grows in this area yeah I am pretty good at this yeah I'm sorry weaknesses no no no this is no you don't need to look up now we're good yeah we're good okay god bless alright see you next Wednesday all right amen praise God so I cover one I'm embarrassed of it and I grow self-sufficient in the other and then I show up in seasons and I wonder why I just don't feel close to God I feel like when we do hug it's like a side hug I feel like I'm in his arms I I just I'm tired I'm I'm not satisfied I'm I don't know man I don't know if charge is for me I'm I'm a little burnt out man I just I mean I'm over here grinding dual God told me to you working all my strengths and you know just kind of you know just covering stuff up and wondering why and impulses when I ask God take my weakness away he said no because my power is made perfect in your weakness he said I started to think well of my weakness I started to think well of it you know our biggest problem you're obsessing over your weakness you're so embarrassed by it you're so defeated by it you're so distracted by it so many of us sitting rooms like this all we can think about is man if I can't believe that one oh god I just I can't shake it I can't I can't and you know what you end up doing you end up obsessing over your secrets obsessing over your propensity obsessing over your weakness and you give your weakness more power in your life than it deserves but you know how you take the power out of your weakness when you say you know what weakness I'm actually grateful for you what you say I'm grateful for you I'm almost ruined your life sir hey that's the truth but you know what you do every time you come around you know what you do every time you start rearing your ugly head and telling me how bad I am what you don't know what you're doing is you are causing me to run further into his arms because without him you're gonna ruin everything so I actually need to say thank you did you just thank me I'm your secret thank you you're not gonna be a secret for long did you just thank me I'm your biggest issue thank you why are you thanking me because every time I think of you I want more of him you're you're a gift I'm not a gift you're a gift and you hate that you are for what the enemy meant for evil God has turned it around for good and you should see me hug Jesus when I am reminded of my weakness for dear life because without him I'm through broken don't you don't you don't you fall fret on the win this chair became my weakness put it in stuff you'd heard of me see because we're so embarrassed we're like God just hold on a second just hold on a second I'm gonna be and God's over here going come on I miss y'all are you just a second i'ma work on this a little bit that's like Oh son it is not my might it is not by power just by my spirit you you're no match for your humaneness yeah but God I think I got this time I heard a really good podcast and I read a book recently and I think I got a handle on this oh no no you don't and those are good books on I'm proud of you but you need me for when I am weak then I am strong and the power of Christ rests upon me does God help those who help themselves come on man God helps everybody but boy if you will learn to stop helping yourself and just hug him I'm telling you you will find fulfillment and satisfaction and progress oh there's gonna be some seasons there's gonna be some days but even in those days may we find ourselves in his arms amen imma follow Jesus I'm not called to help Jesus well we thank you so much for the book we thank you so much for your story we love you you are everything we need in this life is you god we thank you tonight that your grace is enough all by itself your grace is enough your strength comes out on its own in the midst of our shortcomings and our weakness well my prayer tonight is that every person under the sound of my voice would now relate to their strengths and weaknesses with an attitude of gratefulness for both our gifts gifts that draw us closer and closer and closer to you we thank you for that God we thank you for that if you're here tonight you say Judah I'd like to follow Jesus I want to follow Jesus but the Bible says God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever would receive him except him believe in him will not perish but have everlasting life if you want the forgiveness that only Jesus offers and you want to begin this relationship that we're describing tonight you want to change how you even relate to your strengths and weaknesses and the world as a whole you don't want to help Jesus but you want to follow Jesus that's you tonight 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 and I ask people to respond externally because I believe what's happening internally to you is real and by lifting your hand it just affirms to you hey this is real I'm doing this I'm going to follow Jesus if you'd like to do that on the count of three I'm gonna ask you to lift up your hand put it right back down you know who you are 1 God loves you - you'll never be the same 3 if that's you we just shoot your hand up all over the auditory and say that's me I receive I received the forgiveness of Jesus god I thank you for every single hand every single life every single heart every single soul forgiving right now in a moment we thank you for it we thank you for thank you for this miracle of forgiveness God we will never we never never never want to take it for granted it's the greatest miracle of all we're forgiven forever for our air are wrong our sin secondly you hear me say Judah I want to relate to my strengths and my weaknesses differently from here on out because of Jesus I want to take my strengths as they are a gift and I want to treat my weaknesses as a gift that sends me further and further into his arms if you want that tonight and I'm talking to you would you lift your hand all over the auditorium something that's what I want I wanna I'm gonna top one of the wall cuz I want to live God we need this help us help us today tonight tomorrow to see our strengths and weaknesses totally different in light of who you are and what you have done we love you Jesus bless these moments now as we sing with the band and even in these moments of singing I pray you'd meet people in a real tangible way in Jesus name and Jesus name if you're physically able Willie would you stand with us all over the auditorium and come on let's sing out I love to our God Hey we hoped he loved it we hope you had a good time there's more for you if you want to subscribe grace what do they do you click write and if you want to see more videos you click right over here perfect you love you good bye

Channel: Churchome

Views: 45,483

Rating: 4.9067798 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: MlueVyvyYAo

Length: 52min 28sec (3148 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 13 2018