I Deserve Better // Judah Smith

Luke chapter 15 Luke chapter 15 and I'd like to read for us again we've been looking at this particular passage it is undoubtedly my favorite portion of Scripture in the Bible the title of my message tonight is my brother's keeper my brother's keeper we're asking the all-important question am I my brother's keeper am I responsible to my neighbor am I responsible to my brothers and sisters am I my brother's keeper we're gonna go to a parable that has three parts we're gonna look at the last third and final part you've heard of it maybe it's called the prodigal son most people call it the the prodigal son but I want to remind you the reason Jesus tells this parable is because he is criticized Jesus is criticized for being attractive and attracting people that don't go to church he's criticized actually by pastors and-and-and leaders leaders of the synagogue teachers of the Torah they literally criticized Jesus and so his response to that criticism is this parable of three parts the conclusion is the story of two sons it says in Luke chapter 15 and verse 11 and there was a man who had two sons two sons the younger of them said to his father father give me the share of property that is coming to me and he divided his property between them not many days later the younger son gathered all he had took a journey into a far country there he squandered his property in reckless living and when he had spent everything a severe famine arose in that country and he began to be in need so he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country who set him into the fields to feed the pigs he would gladly it was longing to eat from the pods that the pigs ate but no one gave him anything he comes to himself and he says how many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread but I perish here with hunger I will go I will do this I will arise go to my father I will say to him father I've sinned against heaven and before you I'm no longer worthy to be called your son treat me as one of your hired servants he arose and came to his father while he was still a long way off his father saw him felt compassion ran embraced him and kisses him again Jesus the author of the story telling this story to his audience by the way his audience listening to the story are almost entirely Jewish and you have the Jewish spiritual leaders that the Pharisees and Sadducees and you have the other group which are non church people Outkast overlooked people in some cases notorious sinners the Bible says and Jesus tells the story and the son says to the father as he's being embraced and kissed his father I've sinned against heaven and before you I'm no longer worthy to be called your son the father completely ignores the speech he says bring out the best robe put it on and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring the fatted calf and kill it let's eat and celebrate where my son was dead is alive again he was lost and is found they began to celebrate now now the camera pans and were were brought to a completely different scene the older son is out in the field it's quiet the Sun is setting sweat on his brow he's coming in from a long hard day's work and as he came close to the house he hears music and dancing how many know that's the God we serve he's the god of music and but I knew I knew you wouldn't yell out dancing because it's Church so you're like music and worshipping okay it says music and dancing folks you deal with it okay and he called one of the servants and he asked what does this mean why do I hear music and dance he said oh maybe you haven't heard your brother has come home your father's killed the fatted cat because he's received him back safe and sound whoo the Bible says he was angry the older brother was angry and refused to go in his father came out and treated him and said or he says to his father look these many years I've served you and I've never disobeyed your command you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends but when this son of yours came who has devoured your property with prostitutes you killed the fatted calf for him and these are the concluding verses of our parable the father who no doubt is indicative of the character of God Jesus is explaining the reason I hang out with who I hang out with is because I am Who I am and this parable reveals the content and character of God the father says this to the son son you're always with me and all that is mine is yours and he says it was fitting it was right we had to it was necessary to celebrate and be glad for this your brother was dead is alive he was lost and is found again I want to title this talk my brother's keeper my brother's keeper we join me in prayer god we thank you for the moments we share we ask that you would speak to us we ask God that we would not just hear content and information but that we would experience your goodness your grace your actual presence in this room thank you so much Lord for every need represented in this auditorium in this theatre for every need represented for those online for every need represented for those in Seattle God I thank you you are the answer meet us as we spend these moments reflecting on you and thank you for the Seattle Seahawks help us doing the rest of our games and end the season ten and five and win the wildcard and move on in Jesus name everybody said amen have you guys heard there's a football team in town they're called the Rams and they're pretty good alright TIFF so I just turned 40 we've talked about this a bit I just turned 40 thanks for the cheers and now it's too late it's too late I will say I'm wearing this jacket for one primary reason Jason Kennedy's on TV twice a day he news he gave this jacket to me and recently he saw me and he's like member that jacket I gave you you never wear and you hate so Jase this is me wearing the jacket to honor you tonight hope you're happy um it's actually a great jacket thank you thank you so much how much did it cost again kidding come on but anyways this jacket helps obviously because I'm you know I'm getting old so yeah dress dress younger but I'm 40 and kids are wearing the fur collars but um you know you're getting old when you stretch randomly throughout the day no I'm seriously I find myself doing this Chelse and I took like a like a brief 10-minute walk we both came home and we were you know our Keeley's and my damn my jokin I'm dead serious I'm like what he doing she's like I'm stretching my Achilles oh my god that's a good idea like fine to play something huh kids are sitting on the couch like dad what is wrong with you lastly one of the ways I know I'm getting old and I hope it's not offensive that I every once while checkout People magazine but but I I love the last few pages in People magazine now this is a real thing right you have a crossword puzzle and then my favorite part of People magazine is what's the difference photos have you seen these can you find the difference in these two photos and I don't know what it is like this did not used to really get me excited as a young man but I'm 40 now and I'm like got it got it got it got it right and I'm like on the plane by myself with my headphones in listening to Christian music and when I spot them I have such satisfaction and then I end with this this is I go this is good for my brain to keep me sharp that's you know you're getting old why do I bring that up tonight I want to see if you can see the difference can you spot the difference in the three parts of our parable can you spot the difference can you see the difference maybe it will give you some satisfaction remember now we read the third and final portion of the parable but there are three parts okay the third and final part is about two sons one that is wayward returns home is accepted no matter his extraordinary heir loved celebrated ODIs unfilled doesn't want to come in angry father comes out said it was right your brother was gone he's back lost found closed game over little explanations over but before that Jesus says if you want to know who I hang out with or why I hang out with people that don't go to church you have to understand who I am here's Who I am he says there was a shepherd with a hundred sheep he loses one goes after the ninety-nine finds the one brings it back throws a party with other shepherds change of scene change of portion he says didn't there's a woman she's got 10 coins she loses one coin she flips up the cushions moves all the furniture throws her house in upheaval looking for the one coin she finds the one coin and then throws a party in her neighborhood or coldest sack that costs a lot more than the one coin she found and then and then Jesus says let me conclude with a story of two sons can you spot the difference can you spot the difference because the difference is important here the difference is critical here notice in the first part we have a sheep that is wayward and a shepherd searches for the sheep in the next scene we have a woman who's lost a coin and the woman searches for the coin notice both of these searches are extensive and exhausted both they are going it is imperative in the language Jesus remember he's the author of these stories these are not true stories they're true but he wrote them you understand I'm saying it's a parable there's a search there's a search and then there's a story about a son and I'd like to ask you who searches for the son who searches for the son the answer is no one the sheep get the Sheep seized so my dad used to call it growing up little sheepies the Sheep II get searched for the coin gets searched for but I ask you again who searches for the son no one no one searches for the son there's no search party his brother doesn't go searching his father doesn't go searching and Jesus wants us to see that he wants us to wonder wait where's the Shepherd searched the woman searched why didn't the father search or why didn't the brother search shouldn't have somebody been out at that old far country that that young man went out - calling out his name hey Billy shouldn't somebody been searching for him why why in the third part of this explanation of the content of God's character is no one searching for the younger brother remember Jesus has two people in his audience two kinds of people he has non Church and churched church people non church church leaders Church critics church writers church teachers and non Church people now we've come to the conclusion that the two sons represent the two people in Jesus audience the two kinds of people that Jesus is speaking to here's what I'd like to suggest the reason there is no one that goes looking for the younger brother is because Jesus is trying to tell his audience that there are people present who are not going after their brothers please hear me the point was the establishment or the synagogue or the Church of Jesus day remember who's the complainers and who's the grumblers at Jesus ministry and social habits it was the established church the church was saying to Jesus you should not be befriended or eating or valuing or validating these bad people these are bad people and so Jesus tells a story and written into the story is the question excuse me excuse me right growing up the Sunday School eyes back this is me can I suppose ya judo is it why isn't anybody searching for the boy and Jesus wants his audience to think like that because his point I would like to suggest tonight that Jesus is saying to his audience particularly the established church the synagogue the teachers the preachers he's saying why are you going after your herding brothers and sisters why aren't you going to the far country and finding them and helping them get out of that painful situation whether they put themselves there or somebody else's decision put themselves there now let's go back in time to an age-old question have you ever considered the very first question man ever asked God have you ever considered this what is the first question man created man ever asked God should be noted that before man ever asked God his first question God asked man's seven questions by the way that could set up your whole social skills right there how good is God he asks his created being seven questions until we ask one he imagined if everywhere you went you outnumbered people's questions about them seven to one you'd have I tell you what you'd have more friends you know to do with anyways just a mere observation passing thoughts in the night on this rainy la night Jesus got us seven questions and then Cain Cain remember Cain he is the older brother came brother to Abel Cain and Abel first brothers in the Bible first brothers in the Bible Cain says to God after God says to came where's Abel where is he Cain says mm-hmm and then he asked the very first question man has ever asked God am I my brother's keeper am I my brother's keeper am i his guardian am i his babysitter my his caretaker is that my responsibility I got my own life got my own responsibilities man i'ma do me I gotta listen I got everybody needs to handle their business mi o that's my responsibility it's my fault that's on me am I my brother's keeper and my brothers and sisters let me answer that with a resounding yes for the rest of the Bible the rest of Scripture God passionately deliberately overtly answers the first question his created beans ever asked him am I my brother's keeper and the answer is yes you are I am yes though the Bible says we're born thinking about ourselves we're born self-focused we're born selfish it is evidence after evidence after evidence throughout scripture that you and I are responsible to our fellow man one of the bedrock paramount teachings of Jesus is what love your neighbor as yourself who is my neighbor and Jesus tells one of the most charged parables in history he uses the the enemy despised and marginalized by the Jews it uses a Samaritan as an example no no we're to love our neighbor we are our brother's keeper so okay okay okay so so Jesus what you're saying is the older brother should have gone after the younger brother correct and even culturally by the way culturally that would have been sensical that would have been made sense even in the culture that the older brother who by the way has become the owner of the estate now in the parable remember they both got their inheritance so he's actually in charge now he's actually in charge so the man in charge should have went to find a lost family member but he doesn't so so so so but but here's my issue here's my issue much has been made of this older brother right and if you've been in church for any length of time you heard preachers preach about this the older brother is always like and can you believe the older brother wouldn't come into the dancing he wouldn't come into the music he wouldn't celebrate his brother he was jealous here the evil eye of envy we make the older brother out to be a bit of a menace a mean man a jealous man an arrogant man but can we just step back for a second everyone just calm down because the older brother makes a lot of sense in fact I'd like to suggest that as Jesus tells the story his audience is like well finally somebody in this story is starting to make sense the father shouldn't have good intent and sat early they're supposed to wait till he dies and this kids a train wreck goes as far as where he came from his brother he squanders all he sells off collective pieces from his family for cash this guy's a joke and then he comes back and gets a party what is this story about doesn't make any sense this father is not a good father this son is completely selfishness but shame on the family what is going on and then Jesus says and the older brother was in the field and he wouldn't come inside and I think the whole audience was like well thank you very much somebody's got a head on their shoulders somebody needs to discipline this kid this father is reckless that's what we fail to recognize is that most people in the audience at that point would have been like and I'm talking about church and non church people alike it only makes sense there needs to be some serious consequences but this boy coming back with his tail between his proverbial and Nate and he should he should be he should he he that's right he should feel bad and the older brother stands out there and he says what what does this mean cuz this doesn't make sense what does this mean what does this mean and the father comes out and says say you you you need that you need that you need to you need to come party it's as good this is a good thing and the explanation of the father's like hey he was dead he's alive he was lost he's found it's amazing come on and then it's over and you're like so what happened in the rest of the story Jesus and of course the answer Jesus would give is that's not important no but it is like all we got were like left literally left in the field I mean like yeah we're like what I mean did you how did the father today the reconcile do the brothers ever like each other like could you like could you know that's I would have wrote that if that was important you everything you need is there what this is not a good end to a story guys church this is not it's he was lost and he's found it's good okay that's a wrap that's great there's no resolve there's no end there's no conclusion maybe that's the point everybody's left on the edge of their seat everybody's left going wait wait what wait what how I see that in Jesus do you mind a few follow-up questions before we go on here from the parable you don't have to tell us the rest of story few questions about the story are you expecting us to act differently than the older brother like if someone screws up like the other guy are we like look for instance here's what I'd like to ask Jesus is this what you expect from the older brother let let lets let's say the story goes different just bear with me bear with me you're like this is heresy we're rewriting the Bible no we're just having fun Hey instead verse 25 says I'm the older son was coming in from the fields Sun was setting sweat of his brow long hard days at work and what is he here but music and dancing he says oh dear dear oh yes Father and he runs in and there's his brother who's shamed his entire family he says all brother I forgive you I'll I've always looked up to you even though you're my little brother this is a man owned our favorite DJ yes my friends are here Oh weave oh you've got that you've got a credit card you've got new shoes you've got new clothes of course you did why shouldn't you you should be blessed I'm not jealous this is amazing turn up the music let's dance I don't know play it out in your own mind like what is this guys supposed to do oh you're throwing a party for your son is a train wreck in a nightmare awesome let's go dad that's that's makes sense but ask yourself is the point of this parable that we're all just supposed to celebrate people who do it the wrong way in the bad way but everything works out in their life haha I am so happy you are so blessed and I'm not mom you start to think of it that way and it's like I think this is impossible I don't think anybody only you can expect anybody to act any differently than this boy that's that's normal for church or non Church people that's that's called normal so what are you trying to say one scholar says when you read this portion of Scripture you're intentionally by Jesus left craving an older brother that will search for you and celebrate you you're left craving and one of my favorite things about Jesus is all of his teachings leads men and women to the end of themselves where the only option is God and this is another one of those moments where we're as the audience we are supposed to take things that Jesus says at face value it is what it is he says it was right to the older brother he says hey this this party makes perfect sense to me and we're all like no it doesn't this is not good and seeing closes and the story's over and we're all supposed to have to kind of grapple with how is this right and how is this good and I'll answer it this way Jesus is the older brother we crave in this story in fact the scripture likens Jesus to be the firstborn among many brothers he is likened in Scripture to be our older brother he is likened to be one of us the Bible says he put on skin and bone moved into the neighborhood and he was subject to all things human all weaknesses and temptations as you and I were but he knew no sin he was perfect and because he was perfect and knew no sin he could take on your sin and my sin see we're supposed to read this parable and our brains are supposed to go tilt our logic is supposed to go huh we're actually supposed to go what wait what's the point here and the point is Jesus Christ is about to change the order of the universe as we know it he for the very first time in the universe he's going to fulfill the law he's going to transcend the law and he's going to make a way available for all humanity that has never existed or could exist unless you are God and became a man for the first time Jesus is almost baiting the audience to bring them to the need of a superhero or a savior what kind of dad acts like that that's a normal response of a brother what are you trying to point to what are you trying to say to us Jesus and what he's trying to say is I am the older brother who will celebrate you I am the older brother that will come looking for you I am now being sure of my brothers and sisters gee left the comforts of the father the Bible says he left eternity and he put on skin and bone and moved into the neighborhood do you know the Bible declares that Jesus will be in physical visible form for all eternity because of the decision he made to live amongst us he is the older brother we've been craving I'm going somewhere I promise you he is the older brother were craving and he will search for you even though a normal brother will not he will search for you because see a normal brother says what you did it to yourself I'd search him for you and I hope this is okay this God makes a lot of sense this dude out in the field makes a lot of sense work hard get results do good get good be good it'll work out that's the field god he makes sense the guy coming in from the field he he said I've been working I've been faithful I've been diligent up and I've earned it I deserve it that is a normal way of thinking and yet Jesus comes to disrupt everything and now introduces a whole new way which says if you do bad you can still get good and the Bible says all have sinned and fall short of God's glorious standard and and so in truth the playing field is level because we've all sinned we've all falter we've all failed we all can't can't save ourselves and so all the sudden you you realize you you got both the younger son in you and the older son in you they're both in me Jesus is the older brother that we're craving he he will search for you relentlessly there people in here you think God gave up on you but God can't do that God doesn't do that that's inconsistent with his character that's why he told this story he said what's lacking in the universe I will make up for for you will not go searching for one another particularly if you can justify your inactivity because somebody did it to themselves so you won't but I will and I will show a better way and I will show another way and I will move in to the neighborhood it it says in Romans in chapter 5 we read the scripture to you Romans chapter 5 for one will scarcely die for a righteous person though perhaps for a good person one would dare to die but God shows his love for us and while we were still sinners Christ died for us that's proof right there you take all your dad's stuff move to a faraway country live it up waste everything live selfishly and what does Jesus say I love you I came looking for you you came you came all the way out here yeah but just for me yeah it's not the same at dads house without you I never thought you'd like me I've always loved you no I really you're not mad at me for doing this now I love you right that's that's what we all hope that older brother would have done but he's just a natural brother he's just a natural man Jesus shows a whole nother way of of living says this and was it first Corinthians I believe it is or John John chapter 15 first Corinthians John chapter 15 very similar Jason made me wear this jacket greater love has no one than this that someone lays down his life for his friends someone lays down his life for his friends so here's what I'm going and here's where I'm concluding and I'm not gonna pretend that it's a little thing or a light thing am I my brother's keeper am I my brother's keeper the answer to that is yes and actually it's extremely yes up until Jesus the concept of your brother's keeper is I will care for those who are deserving of my care I will care for those who I choose to care for I will care for those who are trustworthy I will care for those who I like I will care for those who I'm related to Jesus enters the universe that is planet Earth he enters earth and he starts breaking down walls man he starts loving people that even the Jewish law said hey you don't know don't pay any mind to those people Jesus shows up the Jewish Messiah and he starts loving Samaritans he starts loving and caring for women prostitutes those with leprosy he starts he starts taking time to bless children all the people I'm listing I'm listening tonight in Jesus day were overlooked not considered not mentioned not important not cared for Jesus shows up in scene after scene in Scripture he goes out of his way to care for brothers and sisters that the cultural norm and those in privilege and power are like hey we know that's not how you gonna get voted in his Messiah and he just starts blurring the lines of cultural traditional customary social living and loving people are confused by the thousands there's so much said about this but he's answering the age-old question am I my brother's keeper but tell you what happened Luke 15 is the story of the world and until Jesus came there were wayward sons and daughters that no one cared about and so Jesus enters a time and space where the established church will no longer search for those who were broken and he arrives on that point in the universe where the church has become a house of exclusivity a house of privilege a house that is completely divided then Jesus shows up and guess who's more attracted to him than church people street people and he says and I'll tell you why because I am the older brother you will not be and I will do for you what you cannot do for yourself and I will search then I will search and I will search and I will bring all my sons and daughters back to the father's house but God will do for you and for me what we cannot do for ourselves here's the reality you can't put yourself back together again you need Jesus he who knew no sin became sin so that you and I could become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus there are people here tonight you are um you're at the bottom I've been talking about this a lot late lately because I think a lot of it's happening in our community you feel like you're at the end of yourself you feel like you hit rock bottom you feel like I don't know anymore it doesn't make sense anymore I'm confused I'm empty I'm lonely I'm Hollow I'm not who I used to be I used so much fun now I can't even find a reason to smile I'm I don't know how I'm gonna live another day and what you and I often times fail to recognize is that the end of yourself is often when you see him and realize who he is for the very first time because the moment you say God if you're out there and you're real I tried everything and I can't here comes the older brother we've always craved and he says I'm right here I've been calling out your name you couldn't hear me cuz there was so much going on around you but I've been calling out your name I've been searching for you I'm I'm here for you in and and all of a sudden the most powerful place you could ever be is where you are right now it's where you are right now o preachers you just say when you say I can't that's when God steps in and says I can and I will I can and I will and here's my concluding thought for church hall I've said everything at this point to say this if the older brother has found you if the older brother has celebrated you if you have experienced this love called Jesus if you have been accepted and forgiven and covered ah you got to see it you got to see that son come and that a younger boy comes home smelling like pigs and he's covered with a robe he's covered with jewelry shoes are put on and it's the picture of what Jesus does for us through his once and for all sacrifice our sin our air our wrong our selfishness all the things we've done are covered covered in a robe of righteousness and now we're hidden in Christ as he is so are we in this world I am now righteous I am now justified I am now sanctified I am now in relationship with God forever and and that can never end so I asked for every Jesus following God worshiping man woman boy and girl under the sound of my voice are you your brother's keeper are you your brother's keeper well oh wait a second freely you have received now let us freely give of what we have received let me just let me just take a moment and tell you how I really feel about this there are many people in this room you're going through the struggle of a lifetime and the answer is actually not just thinking about yourself the answer is to recognize that what you have in Jesus is the most precious gift ever given to the universe or humanity and things may not be working out in your career and things may not be perfect in your body and things may not be perfect in your past and things may not be perfect in your mind but I've got a question for you if you have experienced the unconditional forgiving love of Jesus could it be that maybe God is asking you will you now join me in the search will you join me and receive the fact that I have now welcome you to is well following my footsteps and be your brother's keeper we are not here tonight to choose political parties we are here tonight to choose people we're here tonight to choose humanity we're here tonight to say freely we have received now freely we will give we're just here to say it Church home we're gonna go ahead and be a part of the search party y'all can sit around and be your brothers critic or you can be your brother's judge and jury we decided a long time ago we're gonna be our brother's keeper we're gonna join the search party from heaven and gonna go into the highways and the byways where people are broken and hurting and desperate and don't know they can live another day and we're going to tell them the older brother they've been waiting for is here he's here his name is Jesus and he rescued us so so so so so when there are people who are overlooked and when there are people who are marginalized and when there are people who are minimized and when there are people who are berated and when their whole whole whole people groups in humanity that are seen as less than valuable it is exactly in that moment we stand up and say no no no no that's a lie that's a lie you don't know that I do I do I do I do I do because see Jesus did this in me and Jesus the gospel is the great leveler it's the great leveler we we as family you hear me we as family and those people whoever they may be in your heart that you have allowed any qualification or justification for your lack of care and concern I would like to remind you of your good gracious Heavenly Father who says Oh son and daughter you are their keeper you are their keeper so come one come on that's what church home stands for come one come on freely we have received freely we're going to give and I don't know who I'm talking to tonight but there's some people in your up under some incredible pain and I'm telling you God is asking you to do the most unorthodox thing you can imagine it is the exact opposite of how you feel if you will join the search party of God if you will start looking lingering and listening for pain and humanity God will give you the ability to meet people where they are and you are gonna find satisfaction and fulfillment unlike you've ever while just living your own life Jesus said you'll be far happier giving than you ever will be receiving ever will be receiving I know this I'm dumb done my notes are closed from my Bibles closed the band's coming up Phillips already playing the piano I went on our I've been on our app a lot and I've been it's been great right meeting people and then it's it's it's a cool technology and I think God's gonna use it even more and more in the future I'm really excited about it but I also I gotta admit man I I don't think I understood I think pastors like me you know we we got a lot of church services and things we do and travel and speak at conferences and it's a it's cool man I love my life I love you I love my babies it's great but man I had a rude awakening listening to your prayer requests I'm scrolling through these prayer requests and I'm talking about like what sermon am I gonna preach next week you know write writing some books and I'm reading these prayer requests so I'm like oh dear God I mean one after another you just share in your heart tens of thousands of people right we got fifty thousand people of posts at a prayer and I'm scrolling through these prayers and I'm like somebody this person's gone this broke up cancer we got this we're dealing with and I'm scrolling through this and I'm like oh God and I'm not trying to put just a plug for our app but if you need an awakening to your soul to where people really are and boy I forgot about my petty little issues as I'm scrolling through these prayer requests going Oh first of all I'm thinking who are these amazing people who are trusting God as their lives are falling apart and then I put my two thumbs in I'm praying for ten seconds you know I'm like I should we should do more please pray for me my marriage is over I'm in a custody over my kids like oh my god please play I just found out my dad's got weeks to live you're like who are these amazing people who are still trusting God and you realize how fragile this life is you realize how broken this plan is it won't always be this way my brothers and sisters it will not always be this way there will come a day he will return and there will be a new heaven and a new earth and we will all be reunited in eternity and there will be no sickness there will be no pain there will be no sin there will be no selfishness and we will finally be home but until then come on we got work to do in the streets people are broken people are hurting people don't feel like they matter they feel like they're not heard they feel like nobody sees them may we be a small part of the solution and not a silent part of the problem may we speak out and live out the values of Jesus and in the process of serving others your soul will change your soul will change so I say am I my brother's keeper Lord on behalf of church home I look up cuz I like I know he's here but I look up you know that's what you do when you're talking to God I I just like to say on behalf of church home yes we will be our brother's keeper everybody else can pontificate and debate all the stuff about who should be care for this that Leah I'm not running for office that's not my job we are going to be our brother's keeper come hell or high water no matter how much it costs we're going to be our brother's keeper Jesus I thank you for what you're doing in our church I thank you for what you're doing in our community oh god help us to be the church that you sent us here to be in fact that I asked that the new normal in church home would to be to care to listen to be empathetic to be compassionate to be caring to be made that be the new norm Oh God let this church be a shining light of your love and your grace and your goodness and wonderful Jesus we thank you you're the older brother we always wanted you found us you brought us back and you celebrated us even in the midst of our air and our wrong when we thank you for that if you're here tonight you said Judah I'd like to become a follower of Jesus the Bible says God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life if you'd like to receive the free gift of forgiveness that only Jesus offers I'd like to pray for you tonight there is no pressure but if you know that you know that you know that Jesus loves you and that he paid the ultimate price for you and he's the only one that offers forgiveness for your heir wrong in your sin and you'd like to accept that and be right with God forever and ever on the count of three I'm gonna ask you to lift up your hand and put it right back down I ask you to lift your hand because I honestly believe when you respond on the outside to what's happening on the inside it just makes it more real to you you know who you are 1 2 3 if that's you we just shoot your hand up all over the auditorium and say man that's me I receive I receive just lift up your hand you put it right back down god I thank you for forgiveness that flows freely in this place thank you God whom the son sets free is free and deed free indeed thank you for the greatest miracle of all salvation and what I declare again over church home we're gonna be a church that accepts the role as our brother's keeper we're gonna join you in the rescue mission we're gonna join you standing with you for humanity in Jesus name in Jesus name would you join the worship team and let's sing out together whoa buddy you guys see it's the subscribe button if you press on it you subscribe to our youtube channel then you get to watch it and we get to have fun and we get to be friends I love you

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

Id: AOudoDOfB1k

Length: 48min 59sec (2939 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 13 2018