I Think About Money A Lot // Judah Smith

hey seriously thank you thank you for being here taking time out of your life and schedule to be here with us we are more community its endeavoring to follow the person of Jesus and the teachings of Jesus you're going to find out real quick I believe Jesus is the savior of the world and he's completely changed my life transformed my perspective of people and the globe and everything and so kind of everything we do gets back to who is Jesus what is he about his death burial resurrection ascension and creation and leading this whole thing called planet Earth and this place is troubled and challenged and we need more faith hope and love so here's yeah that's clappa ball it's capable I just got a haircut and I just oh you hate that field I feel like there's hair just all over and I feel itchy the dentist and haircuts I hate him I absolutely hate him hey no matter what you believe about God whatever you believe about faith you know a lot of about a lot of really difficult things and horrific things have been done in the name of Jesus and in the name of faith and religion and so tonight if you have hesitancy that is only normal and natural in fact I urge you to ensure that what you're listening to tonight that you do yours for your research that you talk about town with people to see in fact if what we're saying is true don't just take my word for it that's for sure but no matter what you believe about God no matter what you believe about Jesus we actually have way more in common than we don't way more and it just happens to be that we're all in the same part of the world around the same period in history trying to figure out this thing called life and so we actually need more moments like this more moments to think more moments to reflect more moments to prioritize or reprioritize reorganize what matters in this life and so this is our opportunity to do so you are loved you belong here we're so glad that you're here if there's anything we can do for you as a community would you let us know you can connect with us and on our app church home or out in the lobby tonight there's a next step bar and it's gonna be really amazing happy wonderful people who aren't perfect but really close and they are they're still just were you laughing at that my wife of 20 years just belly laughed right there that means so much to me thank you for that I'm good for the night that was so awesome thanks babe you look so beautiful by the way it's true it's true it's true so this is a very special night because my nephew is here Everett Nash McKinney and he's sitting on the front row and I have to play it cool he knows I'm talking about him right now and my daughter Grace is sitting next to her so Everett I dedicate this night to you I think he just went like this but ever it is to now he'll be three in August I knew that relax but I love them so much I love you buddy we've been doing a collection of talks and tonight I want to prepare you accordingly tonight I would like to endeavor to push the limits of candor and honesty I'd like to talk about a subject that when asked people are undoubtedly the most uncomfortable with this topic in church bar none without question no other topic compares people actually wish the church talked more about sex but there it we're not talking about that tonight I mean Everett Nash is here relax folks come on he's not even three some of you're like yes but we're doing a series that we we've entitled what I wish more preachers would say what I wish more preachers would say for instance we've done a message I wish more preachers would say I'm not okay I wish more preachers would say I don't know either tonight I wish more preachers would say I think about money a lot I didn't think you I wish more preachers would say I think about money a lot and I'd like to weave into tonight's talk a little bit of my own personal journey with money and whether you like it or not we all have our own journey with money we all have our own definition and relationship and encounters with money and what it matters if it doesn't matter we all have an attitude and an emotional disposition towards money and I want to speak to that a little bit tonight and then I'd like to look into what does Jesus have to say about money you don't love about Jesus he did not avoid taboo subjects he did not avoid subjects that actually are a very significant considerable part of our entire life and so tonight my message and please buckle your proverbial seatbelts but my message is I actually do wish I wish more preachers first of all were more honest and I wish they were more honest about this subject that actually preachers think about money a lot so we're gonna talk about that this might be the last time you ever join us here at church home but I am going to be very honest all right Matthew chapter 6 where I'm gonna go we're gonna we're look at the words of Jesus in one of the great if not the greatest sermon ever preached sermon on a mountaintop in Matthew chapter six verses verse 19 is what we'll begin reading if you have a Bible please no worries at all I will put it up on the screen for your reading enjoyment and at the conclusion of the talk here the message the band will come back and we're gonna use music to reflect think about worship God and and then Emory will come on the stage and close us out and hopefully you have plans to be together with friends loved ones and prospective loved ones hello okay you guys always nervous laugh it's the same every week make that joke oh god I wish Matthew 6 and verse 19 did I say six or sex alright here we go was that lat was that last we speaking here or was it Kirkland it was in Seattle Chelsea said turn to verse 36 and she goes oh my gosh and from the front where I go thank you God yeah it's on her mind that's where it all starts so Matthew sex night verse 19 you can get something out of this message here we go Jesus says do not lay up treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or worse stolen by burglars stockpile treasure in heaven where it's safe for moth and rust and burglars it's obvious isn't it it's obvious the place where your treasure is the place where your treasure is the place where your treasure is it's the place you will most want to be , and end up being Wow your eyes are windows into your body if you open your eyes wide and wonder and belief your body fills up with light if you live life squinty-eyed in greed and distrust your body is a dank cellar if you pull the blinds on your windows what a dark life you will have oh this teaching on money just got really intense you can't worship two gods at once Jesus says loving one God you'll end up hating the other adoration of one feeds contempt for the other you can't worship God and money both it is so interesting to me that upon teaching about money Jesus concludes this brief section we could read more talking about worship in other words money is connected to worship I wish more preachers would say I think about money a lot now I do want to be honest because I said I would be very candid tonight Chelsea goes actually do did you think about money less than anyone I know and that's true but I think about real estate a lot and that's another way to think about money okay so I think about redfin and Trulia a lot and Zillow and I just enjoy real estate so we're in this together I think about money a lot we pray with me Jesus thank you for the moments we share I actually do ask that you would prepare us on what is for so many of us an uncomfortable topic I pray you would help us to see the purpose in it but I pray you'd help us to see the meaning in it and more importantly I help I pray you'd help us see what is truly valuable what truly matters in this life we thank you for your grace we thank you for your love thank you for the Seahawks let the Lakers get all let LeBron get Anthony Davis the Clippers get Kauai and Katie and Jesus name Amen I do want that he's so fun la would be the center of the basketball universe that's a good thing none of you care my dad was a preacher and so obviously goes without saying I grew up in a preacher's home and my dad was my hero I love my dad my dad was an incredible man of integrity he handled finances with the utmost integrity he built absolutely absolutely a very secure trustworthy community that we are now a part of it started in 1992 with 22 people in a suburb of Seattle called Bellevue Washington and I watched my dad for many many years handle his finances with the highest of integrity I'll never forget dad was going on a trip to Boston where he was gonna tell the story of Jesus to some Bostonians and whew and and he said son do you want to go with me I was 13 at the time and man nothing better than traveling with dad watching him preach I loved hearing my dad preach I probably heard my dad preach thousands and thousands of times it never got old to me I gotta admit it really didn't I looked up to my dad my dad was always an inch taller than me he had big quarterback hands played quarterback in high school he had just a soothing voice he was it was the most epic father he he felt like a father to so many people felt like he was their father I wish you could meet him he was the most hugging loving caring sensitive empathetic passionate person you'll ever meet and so I love travel with my dad so we flew to Boston and of course we'd get up in the morning the hotel room I'd wake up and there would be my dad on his knees my dad believes you're gonna pray you got to get on your knees most of the time he was on his knees and he'd be praying for he prayed about two hours every morning I cannot claim that at all but that's what dad did and in that morning he said son tonight would you like would you like to speak before I speak maybe take about five ten minutes and by this time I had been on stage with dad quite a bit we traveled almost every state in the Union except North and South Dakota for obvious reasons and that's that's heartless but and starting at about eight years old my dad would bring me on the stage and I would tell my testimony of almost dying three times before I was two and and dad would say and I believe my son has a destined and so I really believe that this is kind of how I was raised and and it was pretty obviously from a really young age man I want to tell people about Jesus I really like doing this I want to be a lot like my dad so by the time we're in Boston I'm 13 years old I've already preached my first official full-length sermon it was at a junior high night and my message was entitled peer pressure and and that was my message and it wasn't very good but I made some people laugh and I remember thing and then I really enjoyed that so we get to Boston he says do you want to speak I said absolutely I want to speak right absolutely he's like okay son so sure enough he says hey before I speak tonight it's so good to be here is a few hundred people in the room he said you know I want my son who's he's gonna be a preacher I wanted to come up and just you know share something with you so I got up and I read preached my whole message on peer pressure in addition I also preached that sermon at a preaching competition and I won but anyways that's not important or maybe it is I think about winning a lot too but I got up and did my best for 10 minutes right got done that was so fun and my dad was always an encourage really I mean it didn't matter too much what I said he was always gonna sell goodness son that's just the best thing I ever heard people loved it I'm so proud of you and we were probably out at Chili's or something afterwards with some of the pastors there in Boston that was amazing we're sitting in a booth I'll never forget I don't know if it was Chili's but I know it wasn't a booth and I was having a burger and fries and I'm sitting next to my dad and the pastor across the booth says Judah we'd like to give you something and I thought to myself and I would like to receive it and he hands me an envelope and written on it is Judah and I said what's this he says we would like to we would like to thank you for speaking and we'd like to give you a gift and I'm thinking to myself I hope this is like gift certificates you know some Burger King or Red Robin and open it up it was a check for a hundred dollars a hundred and I said I said what is this for he said that's what we call an honorarium I said I don't know what that means but I like honorariums and I've never sitting in that booth in Boston I would say Massachusetts but it's so hard to say in Boston thinking to myself wait they will pay you for this I sure did it had my dad had kept me from so much of that stuff I promise you I had no idea that you could go tell people about Jesus and they would give you money for it I thought this is not a bad deal I'm gonna be honest with you now I'm 40 now and hopefully I've grown a little bit but I was thinking wow now I'm ever going back to the hotel that night with my dad I said dad what do you my world was just imploding I was like what dad wait a minute preachers have money for sneakers preachers preachers don't do this to me you guys baked me this is your fault preachers get paid for this and never forget was it was it was it was a solemn night because I think my dad realized what he was he was playing with fire a little bit some but that's not why we do it yes sir no dad I yet but but but but seriously like you can speak and then people will yeah and I remembered praying with my dad so spirits when my dad was with me son I want us to pray and we will always do this to serve people to see people meet Jesus we're not doing this for money I think to be honest I think we cried together that night it was kind of a moment where my dad is looking at the son who's kind of going we'll wait a minute this is awesome like there's economics involved in this I didn't know it's been a long time since I've been 13 and I've had the opportunity as a preacher and I don't mean to make this whole message or just about my journey I hope that it parallels in some ways to yours and that would be the only way that it would matter most tonight in this room but I've been a preacher now more than 20 years I've been preaching for two decades I started preaching consistently at 16 so actually it's 25 I'm terrible with math a long time and since then a lot of people have handed me an envelope and said thank you for preaching and it's been an interesting journey it's been a really interesting journey I wish I could sit here tonight and tell you that money doesn't matter to me money doesn't matter to me I'm in this I'm doing this just for God and people but that's not always true I just wish more preachers would say that money is a revealer isn't it it's a revealer money when it's not on the table nobody's talking about it's cool but when it's on the table also in it's like wait a second right at 13 year old boy in Boston man I was giddy in that booth eating my burger and fries talking about that was so fun telling people about Jesus I had no thought of money until it was in an envelope and I looking at my dad like [Music] but I've had a lot of opportunities since then to check myself why am I doing this what is this about I'm gonna tell you the truth I go back to Boston and that 13 year old kid in that booth with a burger and fries a lot because that guy all he want to do was he wanted to be like Jesus but he always wanted he wanted to be like his dad and I thought it was just so cool when my dad would tell people about Jesus and it would matter to them and it would mean something to them and you could see it in their countenance in their face that what my dad had shared from this the most amazing book ever written was really helping them aiding them giving them courage or strength or relieving their fear their anxiety or their worry or their sense of lostness and brokenness and I remember watching since I was 8 standing on the stage looking at people's faces going this is the greatest thing ever but it wasn't till I was 13 at dawn I mean there's also money involved in all this I don't think that's a bad thing I think it can become a bad thing money is neither good nor bad let's say that before we go any further it is what you do with it you'll never find in the teachings of Jesus any teaching against money Jesus does not teach against money money is a practical significant aspect of the human journey in human existence that's why Jesus talked about it Jesus has a perspective Jesus has a plan and I think tonight Jesus can help each and every one of us I don't mean to project my problems or my shortcomings or my journey on you but do you think about money a lot do you think about money can you imagine just just by the sheer numbers in this auditorium this theater tonight how many of us currently right now are worked up emotionally significantly worked up emotionally simply because I shouldn't say simply because of money because of money and by the way we've said this before but biggie was right sometimes like man if I had money I wouldn't have money problems but Mo Money mo problems like it so the range is varied tonight it could because you have a lot of it and now you got all kinds of friends and you're wondering which ones are real and not also every family member in the world has always always loved you and you are their favorite or you have no idea how you're gonna pay the rent in just a few days money I don't mean to force you into this but I would venture to say that most of us think about money quite a bit quite a bit for me again in an effort to be candid not only do I think about money income providing for my family maybe a new house a new play something but I also think about money passed orally a lot a lot paying for this theater taking care of people in our church think about it a lot I'm the chairman of the board here in this community that also includes our budget our finances I think about it a lot I try to check myself before I come on the stage so that I never do what Jesus never did and that is manipulate people or do a hard sell or force anybody to give anything now Jesus was so compelling because of who he was people want not just to give their money they want to give their life for him but it's hard sometimes walking on this stage we're not only personally do you have to in some practical ways think about your budget and your finances and your resources but also professionally as a pastor you've got to think about it for the community and I just wish more preachers would admit that if they're not thinking about money on stage it's because they worked real hard before they got on stage - not because it's a big part of what happens here it always has it always has it was supposed to be organic it was supposed to be natural but the very first church people started just willingly not out of obligation but willingly started giving monies to the community so they could continue to reach people love people care for people and take take care of people so it's always been a part so again I want to remind you before we go any further tonight is not an anti Monday night no no that's that's no God economics he is all directly or indirectly responsible for this construct that we call economy God is not against money but he'd like to speak on the subject he says this he says um you need we'll just make a few observations and then we'll conclude he says lay up for yourselves do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth we could just put the beginning verse 19 up on the screen it's obvious isn't it actually just a little bit before that verse 19 if we could guys because I just want to read it in the in the message verse 15 great - but if there it is yeah it's great it's great I'm a nightmare to try to follow I don't blame you don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by Maas and corroded by rusts or worse stolen by burglars stockpile treasure in heaven now this really gets me the giggles because Christians invented this bumper sticker where they have this car that's all beat up and broken down and they put this bumper sticker on the back of this beat-up car and it says my treasure is in heaven now remember this right and by the way some of us grew up in spaces where if you had next to nothing that was a sign you are more spiritual remember this this was like this has been it's still a thing let's be honest okay well it's like yeah we have nothing yeah isn't isn't my broken down car awesome and I have nothing because my treasure is in heaven okay that is once again a gross application and it is not what Jesus means what he's saying here is what can you take with you what can you take but now Jesus is trying to say you live in time and space that is so small and limited and fight finite it's a vapor you are eternal beings that will live in a place called forever you're gonna live in a place called forever it's named eternity eternity means forever our destinies forever that's home is forever that's all we can't process death and the end of something it is forever so we will all live forever so Jesus temporarily living within time and space in physical visible form says hey when it comes to money I want you to think in terms of treasure and treasure is defined by this treasure is what you can take with you past the grave what can you take with you back if you can't take it with you don't put your confidence in it and don't orient your life around it and don't make that your focus because it won't last now ironically Jesus says rust and mock and the reason for this is about 2,000 years ago when people were stockpiling or savings accounts they consisted of two primary things they consisted of expensive cloth and precious metals now I can't help but look back 2000 years ago and go expensive cloth and precious metals they were living for cloth and metal that's dumb I mean come on let's be honest we can look back right now is twenty nineteen people and look back at these ancient people 2,000 years ago and you're like Jesus actually had to tell you quit collecting cloth and precious metals what yet don't make your life about expensive material and precious metals think about that now let's just say the earth goes another two thousand years could it be the two thousand years from now a whole other people group would be like wait so people were making their life about on flat screens and shoes and cars and homes that didn't float like homes that were like on the ground way people made that the focus up there would and it does put in perspective doesn't it you want to go back to these people 2000 years ago and be like oh my gosh guys precious metals in cloth what a waste of time don't do that and it's like oh then you translate it into our day and age and you're like oh man are we falling for the same trip live in our lives for stuff and things Jesus is not against stuff he's not against things he's not anti your flatscreen he's not anti your car or your sneakers everybody relax but is that our focus is that where we put our confidence because Jesus says only what is forever is true treasure and that so anytime we talk about money let's define what it is money here's the great here's the wreck story about money money can actually be used for what is forever yeah I'll tell you what you have with you forever memories memories and that's why to me it's like saving money I believe in it we could talk about that our budget system how ulsan I do this and I believe in saving money and all that and I do want to have enough money to live for like 20 years in the desert with my wife and have wine every night deal with it so but I don't want to save money and miss memories the goal of life according to Jesus is not just to save a bunch of money and not use it for what is forever what's forever relationships friendships relationships alright now we now hold on a second because you're like Judah this is pretty obvious stuff man you got anything a little bit more profound tonight brought a friend um but wait a minute we we ruined friendships based on money we cut off friends for money they say one of the quickest ways to ruin a relationship is going to business together because they say one schmuck down here they say once money gets involved well hell you ever heard this I mean I know now your Christians all the time but one of the best advice I ever got is don't go into business with family don't go into business with friends because evidently our nature is to sacrifice what is forever for what is finite and I just want to say I vacillate to here's what i vacillate from I've isolated from hey money can't make you happy verses but could I try and see if it does I love really wealthy people like it won't make you happy I'm like yeah but you got to try I need to try right but it is crazy one day you'll be like yeah I don't need money man I'm good I would give it all away I give it all the way I give it all away what car was that maybe just that Lord Jesus now vacillate because money is such an emotional thing right it's amazing us preachers we could preach about giving money away and living for Jesus and in the moment a lot we really mean it right but like anybody else money is on the mind a lot and it's a gut check heart check wait what am i what am I doing this for I don't want to live my life for a cloth and metal funny does that sound man so what's like one of your big goals this year more expensive cloth and precious metal I'm sorry what bro yeah I collect them that's so dumb it wasn't 2,000 years ago it was so real Jesus spoke right to it people were making it this is how they determined whether or not they were worth something whether or not they were successful does that translate at all and Jesus says no I want you to focus on what's forever he he he goes on and he says the eye is the lamp of the body let's read it in the message Bible it's verse 22 he says your eyes are windows into your body if you open your eyes wide and wonder and belief your body fills up with light do you read this and go oh we're talking about money we still if you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust your body your body is a dank cellar what if you pull the blinds on your windows what a dark life you'll have we we talking about cloth and metal when we tell them out suddenly here's my second observation look how much money affects your life and body it can actually affect you physically greed can hurt your body so Jesus says he says all the sudden you get stingy you get the he's basically saying beware of the evil eye of greed it can cause a darkness to come over your life nothing's enough greed is that insidious desire for more with no end I need more greed has one sermon and it preaches it all day long the sermon goes something like this once you get that you'll be happy and man we keep listening to the same sermon greed only has one you need that once you out this is right the word need greed likes to use the word need you need that you ever had that combo when your kids like that we need this and I'm like please don't we need air we need water we need Jesus we can't say need when we talking about basketball cards we you you'd be happy when you get there and man I have podcast at that sermon so many times bought in did it got it and then went wait wait what here comes greed what's wrong I really happy that's because you also need that oh yeah yeah yeah okay and all of a sudden Jesus says there'll be a darkness in your soul I'll be a darkness in your soul they'll be like cloud coverage you know man things are just cloudy things are hazy in my life be careful it's it's it's money can do to your soul and then and then look at this he says in verse 24 you can't worship two gods at once you say gods yeah loving one God you'll end up hating the other adoration of one feeds contempt for the other you can't worship God and money both okay Jesus are you trying to tell us that money is either a master or a servant and there's no one between yep money is only one of two things it is a master in your life or it is a servant in your life there is no in-between there is no neutrality there's no neutrality we play pretend that there's neutrality with money there is not you have to make a decision is money going to serve me or am I going to serve money there's a term used in Scripture some of you grew up in church you know what I'm talking about it's actually the term Mammon and it's actually what the money train is translated here and it speaks Mammon is a godlike concept that money wants to master you money wants to direct do you money wants to lead and guide your decisions and Jesus is clearly warning against this he's saying if money becomes your source of confidence if money becomes your focus if money is the connects is the direct connection you have with your emotions your money starts to determine your emotional disposition you're going to develop contempt for the only true God and here's what happens I'm being honest Jesus followers who love Jesus God does not deliver on their expectations financially and they literally start getting mad at God and that's a scary place to be said you know how do you know that because I've been there that gets us back to life's not fair especially financially life's not fair so we allow money to move in we allow money to tell us what our priorities should be can I just give you a rule of thumb it usually rarely if ever works out in your favor when you make a decision only based on money I think you should make a decision based on God and what he values can I just interject PS just from a pastoral moment if you are currently right now facing a very significant decision in your life and money is involved can I urge you to ask yourself hard questions have other people in the community ask you hard questions because I'm telling you it often rarely if ever ends in your favor when you make a significant decision just based on money how do you know that cuz I've done it I've done it and if you've never done that you are mother Teresa and we're so honored that you're here but for the rest of us it's like wait I'm sorry I said I wasn't gonna do that but what did you say we would like to compensate you well I just felt like God changed his mind and he told me I need to be there a part of what you're doing yeah that's yeah I wish more preachers would say I I sometimes do things for money and money can quickly be a master instead of a servant all right so not the most encouraging observations but noteworthy and then I want us to go back to one of the pickiest phrases Jesus is ever quoted saying it's in verse 16 excuse me verse 21 Matthew 6 and verse 21 Jesus says this isn't it obvious it's obvious isn't it the place where your treasure is is the place you will most want to be and it's where you'll end up being so I'd like to share with you in conclusion I'm done in the next six minutes the next six minutes but that was weird but you know you're like I didn't knew that wasn't necessary that was ready ABS right there since I was that 13 year old boy in Boston looking at a hundred dollar check a lot has happened in my life and I'm not necessarily proud of some of these moments but there have been seasons there have been moments in my life where it's gone something like this how did I get here how did I get here that thirteen year old boy in Boston he was far from perfect that's for sure definitely a rascal but I had some wide-eyed wonder well my eyes were wide open I just thought Jesus was everything love my dad wanted to be like him and I just thought the coolest thing in the world was to tell people about Jesus I really did I really did I really did well since then I've been living honestly a dream it's been amazing I I married the only woman I've ever loved we have the three most incredible children I get to pastor the greatest church in the world it's amazing your and I mean your amazing is what I mean by the way just to be clear but since I was 13 now I'm 40 I've had probably more than a handful of moments where I've had asked myself how did I get here meaning am i living for cloth and metal did I trade the Saviour of the universe and the lover of my soul for cloth and metal have I got caught up what am I doing here then it got worse this has happened multiple times the rabbit hole gets deeper and I start to go like this am i fake is this whole thing benefice odd have I been in this for a lot of economical reasons is this just the career path I chose and then you have those dark nights of the soul and I just wish more preachers would talk about it because the 13 year old kid didn't know that there would be a board of elders who would say hey we got to make sure the finances are ok and I have a family and children and write books and do these things and do some business endeavors in church in all the sudden may not am I wait a second but of course we do our best as preachers to tell everybody it's not about money it's not about economics and yet it's a big part of the world so so I have these moments talking to myself and I'm like am I am am I am I am I fake am I can I be honest with you like yeah I've seen people do not so great things in churches with money I've heard stories I thank God it wasn't my mom and dad but I've heard stories and you start to wonder like what I what I do this if I there wasn't any compensation and maybe you said you know I'm really not a preacher you kind of lost me man at the end here but if you ever felt like a fake have you ever felt like did I start following Jesus for what was in it from me did I did I decide that Jesus was the right way because it was the best way to have success perceived success or I saw is that why I'm doing this because does it cells know if I'm allowed to say that this stuff sells people willingly trust each other I'm a Christian man come on brother oh okay yeah and all of a sudden I mean if we're not gonna be honest let's just like you know let's just wrap up and go to Chili's but I have felt like a fake and that leads us to a concluding story Peter is one of the twelve disciples we think he's the only one of over 21 if you don't know the story very briefly Peter denies Jesus three times in a matter of approximately an hour 60 minutes he denies Jesus while Jesus is in the most agonizing moments of his life Peter says I don't know the man no I don't that's not me aren't you no that's not me Peter abandons the one he swore he would always stand by story goes Jesus dies on the cross hangs there for six hours dies on the cross buried in a rich man's tomb mean back in Peters life he is concluded he's a fake he goes back to his old job which is fishing the story goes in John's Gospel Jesus shows up it's supernatural it's amazing Jesus starts fixing Peter breakfast and a very wonky conversation unfolds it's very it's hard to understand Jesus says to Peter Peter do you love me and suddenly you conclude Jesus is now questioning whether or not Peters the real deal and I remember thinking this in relationship to economics because money is your revealer and when it starts all the sudden you're like am i doing this for money it's like one of the telltale signs you're a fraud you're fake you're only doing this because it benefits you financially you say it's permission you say it's for love you say it's because of forgiveness you say it's because of Jesus but look it's revealed and the pressure like money revealed that Peter maybe didn't love Jesus maybe it was all talk maybe he's not real and I think Peter has pretty much concluded I'm I'm a fake so Jesus says do you love me Peter has to be in such emotional agony he goes I I do I do it was more like I think I do do you think I do Jesus ask again do you love me Jesus does not repeat questions on accident or because he's unsure unclear he asked questions to make statements do you love me Peter exasperated the Bible so he says you you you know that I love you tend my sheep Jesus asked a third time do you love me he said Lord you know in other words I don't know if I know you know that I love you in this encounter is not about Jesus figuring out whether or not Peters a fake this is about Peter figuring out whether or not he's a fake what is Jesus saying he's saying Peter I came to your old job to find you to let you know you're not a thing you screwed up you were selfish you abandoned me it hurt but I know you love me and I went to that passage I've been more than once trust me I've preached more than one sermon on that passage because that passage has spoken to me so many times and here's my conclusion when it comes to money I'm gonna need Jesus to fix me breakfast more than once I'm gonna need him to find me in those moments where I'm starting to wonder is this all ego and economics am I am I the thing I despise growing up have I become a part of the problem no longer a part of the solution is that why we're doing this maybe you can relate man you fell in love with Jesus this is amazing in before long you feel more like a church connoisseur a church critic a professional Christian trying to build brands and visions and ideas so you can make resource and money and you're starting to go wait a minute has mission turned into just profit I'm a fake you say how will I figure it out you won't unless Jesus meet you and that same Jesus that met a broken disillusioned herding man named Peter is the same Jesus that will meet you because he's met me and he comes not to condemn he comes not to critique he knows that you're human he knows that you're dust he comes to remind you that you are not a fake and you do love Jesus but when it comes to money we vacillate and what we need time and time again is the point of it all to encounter us again to take me back to the 13 year old boy in Boston and say that's still in you and you know why God knows that you love him and I love him because he put the love in my heart to love him with and I would just like to say you said you you can't say this I'm just gonna take a risk and say it I don't believe you're a fake I don't believe that this is just about economics or about economics really much at all I don't believe that's why we're here I think we all have our moments our times our seasons we've a slave difficult is challenging but I think like Peter we beaten ourselves up we've concluded that's not who we are I think Jesus wants to remind us tonight who we are I think about money a lot but Jesus is helping me think about him more think about him more Jesus sister Peter you love me so much you're gonna die for me this is the ultimate honor we read that passage and think Peter must have been sad that he was going to die but in that moment Jesus says you're going to give everything for me and man what what must have filled Peters heart I do love you and you know what's amazing I don't know if Peter lives the life he lives without that true moment I don't think he lives that life cuz he'll always be able to look back to breakfast with Jesus and say you told me who I was he told me who I was let me pray for you Jesus I thank you so much for the moments that we share I thank you for what you're speaking what you're saying we um we want this life to be about you and O God we want this church to be about you help us to treat money like you taught us to help us to be emotionally connected to you I'm asking that you would always protect the integrity of church home the God we would use finances and resource but the very thing they were given for thank you God would trust you I trust you and God I do ask that you would you would compel us for any of those that are open and willing to be more generous in this life with people around them and I pray you you'd fill us with desires for that to be givers to be people that use money for what lasts forever I do want to be those kind of people we thank you for that God for every single person under the sound of my voice who feels because of their relationship to money somehow they don't love you or wasn't real or wasn't authentic or wasn't legitimate I pray right now that the same way you've reminded Peter you would remind us we love you but we do love you Jesus you are the treasure of all nations you are the lily of the valley you are the Rose of Sharon you are the definition of value and treasure when we love you when we do want to give our lives to following you this great adventure we thank you for that if you're here tonight in today and you'd said you'd I'd like to become a follower of Jesus I'd like to give you an opportunity to do that it only takes a moment just a moment of accepting the forgiveness that only Jesus offers and so um if you'd like to accept the forgiveness that only Jesus offers I'm gonna ask you just in this moment of just people closing their eyes just for privacy you don't ever ever ever want anyone to feel embarrassed but if not if you feel obligated or you feel pressure but if you know that Jesus is God and he's the only one that can forgive you of your air you're wrong and your sin and you want to follow him I'm gonna ask you to lift up your hand wherever you are watching on the app wherever you are in this auditorium or wherever you are in Seattle you said you did ask me 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 up your hand all over the room that's me I believe and I receive the forgiveness of Jesus god we thank you thank you that forgiveness flows freely here at church home because of what you've done we thank you for that we love you so much and we thank you for the extraordinary plan you have prepared for each of us in this life in Jesus name in Jesus name if your will enable would you stand with us and let's sing together about our God 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: 35,542

Rating: 4.8694158 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: d8J6JhmtLAs

Length: 54min 24sec (3264 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 10 2019