Fear, Failure & Family Drama // Judah Smith

we're so glad you're here welcome to church home if you're new to our space to our community I hope that you meet some wonderful happy joyful people and if there's anything we can do for you to serve you or your family out in the lobby and all of our locations there's a next step bar and there's somebody there just to say hello I try to say that every time we're together because we want to be a small Church with a lot of people and we also need this rain that seems very Old Testament to slow down a little bit I saw animals lining up two by two out there come on it's early for a Christian joke Wow it is just really that's this is intense rain well if you're new again to our space my name is Judah and along with my wife of 19 years we get to serve here church home with an amazing staff and every time we get together we focus on Jesus we think about Jesus we believe Jesus is the antidote the answer we believe he is God we believe he's the only one that can forgive us of our err are wrong in our sin we believe that he is the main theme church home is anchored to Jesus we believe the church home is more about Jesus and His perfection then ourselves and our imperfection we believe the only power to truly change is by focusing on Jesus and so you're gonna pick up pick up on that hopefully pretty quick here I would I'm just really excited to share this message with you and the title of my message today is proof that God is in the middle of your fear failure and family drama I would like to prove to you that God is in the middle of your fear your failure and your Christmas family drama God is right there so we're gonna go all the way to the first book in the Bible Genesis chapter 28 Genesis chapter 28 when I'm speaking Philip and Philip and the guys will come back and we'll sing some more songs about Jesus which will be which will be great you feel good I I'm 40 now and so I think I'm officially 40 because this has now been my Christmas sweater for multiple Christmases and I think that's actually one of the definitions of getting older I think is you have like an official Christmas sweater that you're like oh I haven't worn that since last Christmas so it's nice to be 40 so that's that's my story and I'm sticking to it you stick around till next Christmas I'm gonna bring the same one out so my mom bought it for me I like it Chelsey thinks it looks really handsome if you know what I mean so Genesis 28 Genesis 28 and we'll begin reading in verse 10 try to give a little bit of context it says this Jacob left birth Sheba and went toward her on and he came to a certain place and stayed there that night because the Sun had set taking that out one of the stones out of its place he put it under his head and laid down in that place to sleep and he dreamed and behold there was a ladder or a flight of steps set up on earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the angels of God were ascending and descending on it and behold the Lord stood above it or some translations say the Lord stood beside Jacob and said I am the Lord the God of Abraham your father and the god of Isaac the land in which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth and you shall spread abroad to the west to the east to the north to the south and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed behold I'm with you and will keep you wherever you go and we'll bring you back to this land for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you Jacob woke up and he says this listen closely he says surely the Lord is in this place and I didn't know that surely God is here but I didn't know that I didn't know that God was here and he was afraid or was in awe and he said how awesome is this place listen to his words now this is this is this is the house of God he's quote-unquote in the middle of nowhere and he says I gods in this place I didn't I wasn't of that this is the house of God this is the this is dramatic language this is the house of God this is the gate of heaven jacob says and from there he has a moment of committing himself to God and committing himself to fulfilling God's plan for his life aye-aye-aye God is in this place but I didn't know it Jacob said another title for this message could be God is in this place God is in this place I'm hoping during this Christmas season as we begin the new year that we we're going to be pleasantly surprised where God is where God is will you join me in prayer Jesus thank you for the moments that we share we ask Lord that you would be present here manifest here as we speak of your presence that changes everything thank you for your grace your love Lord I do pray for comfort in peace for for those a part of church home today or anyone under the sound of my voice Lord if there any during this particular season that find themselves in pain or the feeling of loneliness or loss we pray that you would be near and dear to each and every person who is feeling this way even right now we thank you for your comfort we thank you for your joy that is supernatural in Jesus name Amen mom thank you for my Christmas sweater I just want to say thank you wouldn't be a bad thing if I got another one this Christmas but you know that's really not what church is about it's not about asking people from the stage for gifts but my cousin John is here and it's been quite some time since you've gotten me a gift so oh man so we gonna gift speaking of shopping speaking of Christmas have have you ever run in to your your your spouse at the mall when you're both supposed to be Christmas or out doing errands and this has happened multiple times to Chelsea and I over the course of Christmas seasons where I'm like alright bag I got to go do some things like well I got to go do some things and we end up you know we creatures of habit we end up shopping the same place and and it's that you know awkward moment like hey hey what are you doing here what are you doing here and I'm like what are you getting me she's like you can get your own gifts no mine doesn't count it should be noted that a couple of days ago Chelsea's like is it okay if I didn't get you anything for Christmas and and I I said yes because I'm a good husband and but there's still time baby there's still time here we are at the 23rd Amazon Prime still works but ever had one of those moments so maybe it's not Christmas shopping but you run into somebody and you're shocked that they are there right my favorite is when you run in somebody like whoa what are you doing here they're like I live here what are you doing here it's like all that that's right but you just kind of you don't expect to run into maybe an old friend I've lost count of how many times I'm in an airport and I'm sitting at a gate and somebody walks up and it's so awesome because we're in an airport and they're like Judah is that you oh yeah what are you doing here um getting on an airplane yeah that's what we're doing here at the airport but it's it's it is funny right you know your toys are us what are you doing here ah shopping for toys just makes me laugh at the dentist office what are you doing here getting a massage you know like working on my teeth I never wear my Invisalign Church you have to pray for me I know this is so unprofessional and this is not really good gospel preaching but I got Invisalign and I just I I haven't remembered to wear them in like four weeks so whoa that was a little heavy-handed Oh oh man let's close in prayer wow that's surprising what what do you what are you doing here and of course usually in some cases a figure of speech but usually it's because we're just shocked see that particular person in that context and in that space I think we'd be shocked if we knew where Jesus is I think we I think we assumed certain context as spaces and rooms where Jesus will be right such as Church like I think all the times we go to church because like man God will be there and it'll be awesome and we certainly believe that God is present amongst us I think in church moments tomorrow we'll have Christmas Eve services one of my favorite time of the year and you know it's just it's just a parent that gods in the room it's special it's sacred I love the songs we sing we used to do we used to actually light real candles and then wax was everywhere and we didn't want to clean that up anymore so we don't do that anymore but it's still very very disappointment by the way I didn't mean to disappoint you like what we stopped that years ago but it's it's a really really special evening it's it's just kind of one of those nights we're like thank God God's here you know it's Christmas Eve it's just a special moment but I think often times there are other contexts of spaces and rooms where we just fail to realize that God is very much there and present I wonder ironically the places we were where we are aware that God is there is oftentimes not when we need him to be there it's oftentimes the places where we feel displaced hurt broken weak wandering where we oftentimes are unaware or maybe have convinced ourselves that God is not present that God is not there I think we would be surprised where God is and that's what caught me by Jacobs honest words see where Jacob is Jacob if you know a little bit of his story he is got a manipulation problem Jacob is a bit of a liar Jacob is a pretty selfish guy Jacob likes to cook Jacob doesn't have a lot of body hair these are things we know about Jacob this is all true folks this is in the well his brother Esau who's the older brother who's gonna receive double portion blessing from his father he he's Harry he's a hunter they're very different kind of brothers but if you know jacob's story he so wanted the double blessing he so wanted the inheritance that wasn't rightfully his that he actually put hair on his body he got he got hair from animals put it on his body and while his father's eyesight was growing dim he tried to smell like Esau tried to cook a meal that Esau would have put together and got in there and and and and his dad Isaac thought it was Esau and blessed him and gave him the double portion Esau comes in from the field finds out that Jacob has done this and it's recorded in the chapter before we read that Esau hated his brother Jacob for this in fact he said is by that time the father the father had died he said when the time of grieving is over and and and we honor my father's life then I am going to rise up and kill my brother Jacob so what maybe we don't understand is Genesis 28 Jacob is running for his life you want to talk about Christmas family drama he is his brother and his brother has made it known it's like known in the family that Esau is going to kill Jacob for taking what was his for lying for cheating for stealing from manipulating and taking what is what is not his and so so so so Jacob's not on a nature hike in Genesis 28 he's not just kind of enjoying the scenes and the views and the vistas Jacob is scared Jacob is afraid maybe the most afraid Jacob is dealing with guilt Jacob was dealing with shame Jacob is dealing with regret Jacob is dealing with probably a little bit of Who am I really if I'm I stole my brothers inheritance I'm not the firstborn I not the one who rightfully I mean can you imagine the emotions he's going through hit like he's in such a good place his pillow is made of stone right like that's a rough night of sleep this is all the elements and see for me I often ask you know God why do we need to know that his pillow is a rock because it is indicative of where he's at like this is where he's at he's he's sleeping on rocks that's how bad it is for Jacob that's how scared Jacob is and he's out in the middle of nowhere if you will and he's running for his life and he he Sun is setting and so he just lays down I don't think he's in a good place emotionally and his dream shocks him in his dream in one of the lowest places of his life look how dramatic this dream is all all God needs to do God can do whatever he wants but to get the message across to Jacob that he gets he doesn't need to show him a stairway to heaven I think this is where the song comes from too by the way but like look how dramatic this is Jacob starts to dream and he dreams of a ladder or a stairway this is so dramatic that goes from where he is all the way into heaven and just for more detail angels are ascending and descending on assignment it's as if God wants Jacob I know where exactly you are is a portal to me and to heaven and my angels on assignment I mean it is dramatic and Jacobs like what is going on and then it's tough to tell in the language whether or not God is standing at the top of the ladder or the top of the stairs or if he's beside Jacob or if he's both places which is interesting that he could be at the very top of the stairs while also feeling like he's right next to Jacob and he says to Jacob he tells him who he is that I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna work my promises that I gave you're your father and your grandfather I'm gonna do it through you and and then Jacob wakes up and he's like like this he's not trying to be eloquent or poetic we like this is none other than the Gateway to heaven no he wasn't he was like what where am I I thought I was in the middle of nowhere what is this place and some of you know he later he'll name this place Bethel right in Bethel amongst Christians is kind of a cool term and means house of God but but for Jacob it's more than that it's more than a nice Christian cliche like house of God and in a name for a church he eats for Jacob he's going no I I I am being pursued my brother wants to murder me I have nowhere to sleep nowhere to lay my head I lay it on a rock and then God shows me that I'm right in the middle of this supernatural portal he said I didn't know God was here I didn't think God would be here see Jacob is the beginning of God's people understanding something about his presence something about the nature of God for wherever God is it is indicative of who he is for he does what he does because he is who he is God does not just show up places God doesn't just kind of see where he's gonna be God has gotten to listen God is everywhere but how many know in Scripture God is also very specifically some places in spaces Jacob is not just speaking to the how should I say the omnipresence of God he's saying no God is specifically in in this space where I am and he says I I didn't know that about God see Jacob struggles from the same thing you and I struggle with we assume that God is in sacred places we assume that God is in places of worship and he is but oftentimes we fail to recognize that God is historically renowned for being where you are in your most pain in your most weakness that is where God is specifically at this is his nature this is his character and I think you and I just might be surprised to find ourselves in a difficult season or a difficult space dealing with a reoccurring weakness or shortcoming or air or sin or wrong and our brain and our body tells us God is far from you God is far from you I mean if you're Jacob you have to conclude God is not close to me right now I cheated my brother out of his inheritance God is not going to open up a special personal portal to heaven for me God is somewhere in in in in in a sacred place God is somewhere in the tents of good people and right people I'm out here running from my life because I cheated my brother and he hates me God is not here only to wake up and go he's not just here he brought like ladders and stairs and angels and stuff like this is like and that's why Jacob wakes up talking about this is a house of God like we should have Church here we should set up tabernacle here he says this is the gate of heaven he's what he's saying is I've got an opening to heaven here how do I have an opening to heaven here well Jacob the reason for this is because this is who God is and this will be the beginning of throughout scripture where we will see God in places we didn't think we'd see him Jesus will be the ultimate manifestation the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form we will find Jesus in social settings and spaces and places and homes we would say to ourselves what are you doing here what are you doing here I didn't expect you to be here shouldn't you be in the synagogue why are you here but this is how God works I want I want to prove to you in the next few moments that where there is pain and where there is failure and where there is weakness and where there is drama God will come rushing to that place to that point look what it says Romans chapter 5 look what it says about grace all that passing laws against sin did was produced more lawbreakers but sin didn't and doesn't have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace sin does not have a chance with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace now some of you have this memorized in a different version which is where sin where where where sin abounds wherever wherever that space is where sin abounds grace does much more about aggressive forgiveness is not a concept it's a person and his name is Jesus and where there is air and where there is wrong and where there is sin God will set up his home there he will open up a portal of grace and forgiveness over your life and you will wake up from a dream talking about and I did not know God would meet me after my family fell apart I never thought after making that decision that God would pursue me and you've misappropriated the nature of God as if God is only available to the sacred nothing could be further from the Christmas story god you'd be surprised where God is wherever sin abounds here comes aggressive forgiveness and that's why if you I mean if we could literally follow the footsteps if we could put it on like a like a map and follow where Jesus walked and in relationship to two to two people and places and spaces you will notice that aggressive forgiveness is drawn towards where there is sin it bring the body proves it the body proves this fact about God we were made in likeness and image of God we're made in the likeness and image of God do you know that when your body is injured do you know what your body immediately does to heal itself blood aggressively moves towards the injury your body reveals the nature of God where there is harm where there is pain where there is drama where there is injury even in your body the blood rushes that's why 1st Corinthians 15 says we're all members of one body and if one member is in pain let us all move towards that member that is in pain why does Paul write that because that's the nature of God when Jacob is displaced running for his life sleeping on rocks God's like I'm about to shock him and I'm gonna put on a little extra I'm gonna be a little extra on this one I'm gonna show him stairs and ladders and angels and gates and open it's just I don't have to but I want to like be really demonstrative about how much favor Jacob has even in the midst of his manipulation and is lying and is cheating and what changes the trajectory of Jacob's life God reprimanding him know God's saying I'm still gonna fulfill my promise through you and Jacob says if you'll help me he you can read it later he goes if you'll help me every day I'll live this life you want of me it's like Oh Jacob you have no idea your God will never leave you nor forsake you wow this is the nature of our God where well I know God's everywhere you know I think about this time of year think of the woods and beautiful snow and trees and you know they say well if a tree falls in the forest and and and and then nobody's there to hear it doesn't make a sound I don't know but God knows and I do know that God is in the forest I do know that God's in the forest over the forest but but but God is more specifically with his people when they are in pain he is aggressively involving himself but the problem is we suffer from the same thing Jacob suffers we ABB's lutely are convinced based on performance I'm out here sleeping on a rock and I deserve it this is what I deserve and what we need is the grace of God to show us that Jesus is right there and he has set up his home and gateway and portal a blessing and favor and forgiveness so that we can say I didn't think God would come out here with me but now that I know that he's here I'm gonna take a moment and I'm gonna commit myself to following this wonderful king this amazing God and and and this is I always preached shorter in December so may this be a gift to you and yours because I'm coming to a close but the clothes could go long so just you know don't don't count your chickens before they're hatched who says that but um think about it think about it surprised at where God is yeah enter the Christmas story on December 23rd look at God are you not surprised by where God is I mean look Luke chapter 2 I think it is verse 7 and she Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and here's where he was here's the place he was he was in rags laid in probably a carved out Rock feeding trough in a barn or a cave because there was no place in the end weight gods where where is God that's manifest physical God that's his first night on earth he should he should have been like birthed in holy water in the temple yeah you'd be surprised where God is people came out to just to see this is where God is they were just as shocked by the elements and the content as they were with a little newborn baby I mean it wasn't for the stars and the singing and angels I mean these Shepherds would have been like now contextually this cannot be God but Oh God God's first night on earth was in displacement think about that when the place for God set all this in motion nobody controlled this the innkeeper did not control the narrative that night the people who checked into the inn did not control the narrative that night nothing happens on accident God orchestrated these events just the way he wanted them he wanted them to have to go to a little town called Bethlehem he wanted them to be amongst animals he wanted them to be in a lowly unsuspecting place why because you'd be surprised where God will show up if from his first breath for his manifest earthly ministry it is in displacement there's no room for him and yet he comes to make room for everyone with God you'd be shocked so here's my takeaway this close is going faster than I thought this is fantastic where where do you think God can't be where have you concluded in your heart you know what I suspect I suspect you have concluded there are spaces of your soul God won't be it's that weak part of you it's that shortcoming that you can't seem to overcome and maybe you've concluded God's not there God's not there he couldn't be there it's amazing in these spaces of defeat or failure or emotional fatigue or worry or anxiety or fear it is amazing how aware we are of everything else in that space have you noticed that and just haunts us maybe the the loss in that space the fear in that and we're so aware of that fear there and just recently this is what I started doing I started saying what Jacob said gods in this place I wasn't aware of it but I am now and God is in this place God is in that place God is in that place so your marriage it's over I want you to know God is in that place with you bankruptcy God is in that place with you anxiety God is in specifically he's in that place with you I'm talking about the place where you feel like you can't catch your breath that place where you feel like you can't catch a break that place where you feel like you can't sleep well you you're sleeping on rocks God is in that's the place he is that's the that's where you'll find him most if you will that's where he'll meet you but I just like to encourage you in this Christmas season that we open up our mouth and use our words which have power where the Bible says power of life and death is in your tongue it's a small rudder but it can guide a massive ship that we open up our mouth and when we feel that area of our life or when we actually walk into a tangible place where in the past there's been draw more unrest wherever it might be it might be emotionally physically spiritually mentally wherever that place is for you I encourage you to give yourself a gift this year and declare God is in this place God is in this place what is that sin you can't overcome I want you to speak God's in that place he's in this place he'll never leave me nor forsake me he knows my weakness he knows my shortcoming God is in this place and Jacob he got out oil and poured it on the rock and all that's a picture of is taking a moment to acknowledge this really happened God is big God is real I'm gonna commemorate the fact that God is in this place and I wonder if we're going in 2019 thinking to ourselves I can't go into 2019 with place of fear and failure and weakness in my life and what we have misunderstood it's in that fear that failure that weakness that drama that shortcoming that God is most there and he will show you his redemptive power so that's what I'm gonna do and I may not do it the whole year I may forget but the next few days I'm gonna find spaces and places in my life I definitely had sleepless nights lately just can't sleep heart seems to be racing so much going on family stuff everything I'm trying to raise teenagers hello but not easy to say God is in this place I'm talking for real like real life stuff God is in this place when all of the elements tell me otherwise when everything surrounding me tells me I have been forsaken I have been overlooked I have been misplaced God doesn't care for me I'm gonna remember Jacob but if I need to I'm gonna go to the nativity scene in my mind and I'm gonna tell myself if Jesus came in a feeding trough and in a barn with animals around them he'll go anywhere he'll go anywhere and where I need him most it's where I never thought he would go with me that's where I need him so I'm closing it's amazing I'm saying that for you and your family I'm saying that for you and your soul hey so God is in this place God is in this place and you allow yourself to sink in to that truth where sin abounds grace Jesus aggressive forgiveness does much more abound I want you to see the love of Jesus rushing to the aid of where you feel fractured and injured and he is there to heal and restore and work a miracle in your life whoa may I feel like singing to Jesus today he is good and all that he does is good and what he did for Jacob he's gonna do for you for real he's gonna do for you and I mean it if you need some dreams to happen in this Christmas season I'll pray for you for some dreams that in your dreams you will see though your loving Saviour deliverer and healer that you'll see a portal to heaven pouring over your life you are favored you are blessed the heavens are not closed to you they are opened over you in that place of pain the heavens are open to you I mean I want you to let that sink in a little bit that's that's that's miraculous for when I am weak then I am strong because in my weakness he's most there I'm strong and the power of Christ rests upon me in my place of weakness because that's how God works who some of you came to church feeling more weak than you have ever felt and we're gonna flip the whole script on your opponent and your enemy who was whispering in your ears on your car driving to church talking about you you look at you you you get nothing change you you did that you know and now you're gonna leave knowing that when you are most weak you are most powerful because it's there God is present and he is in and upon your life amen so Jesus we thank you for the reality of your word we thank you God that you are most with us in our pain our challenges you remember what dust you remember a week and we love you and we trust you we rely on you if you're here today just eyes closed just for a moment you say Judith I'd like to make a decision today to follow Jesus for the Bible says God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son and whoever believes simply receives him will not perish but have everlasting life if you'd like that forgiveness and everlasting light that only Jesus offers all it takes is a moment all it takes is a moment of faith and so it begins the presence of God will be with you in a saving way for ever and ever and you want that on the count of three I'm gonna ask you to lift up your hand and put it right back down one two three if that's you just shoot your hand up all over the auditorium I received that beautiful beautiful amazing I received that God you see these hands you see these hearts you're a miracle worker you're so beautiful you're so wonderful you're extraordinary we love you thank you for forgiveness in this place right now secondly if you're here and you say Judah I hear what you're saying and it's true in that one space or place in my life I had been unaware that God was there but now I am declaring over that space over at that place God is here God is specifically here if you believe that and you want to clear that over your life will you raise your hand God is here God is here God is specifically here these in this space we declare that God is in this place we did not know it but now we know it and we thank you for it and we celebrate your goodness and your grace and your beauty and your majesty you are extraordinary God you are a wonderful God in Jesus name if you're physically able willing would you stand with us and let's join Phillip and the team and let's sing out our praise who our wonderful God come on church hey thank you so much for taking the time to watch this video we really hope it encouraged you and maybe gave you a little something to think about through the day hey if you want to watch more you can subscribe and please watch the most recent video we love you we believe for great things for your life

Channel: Churchome

Views: 35,790

Rating: 4.8917198 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, preaching, Judah message, performance, fear, family drama, failure, God, Seahawks, Russell Wilson, peace, pratt, hipster preacher

Id: ZDLcBGQQKQs

Length: 37min 22sec (2242 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 03 2019