Isn't It Obvious? // Judah Smith

what you didn't know is the series the collection of sermons we started last week home for Humanity is kind of to frame for you why I believe God has asked us to name our community church home in fact we've made it one word it also is kind of a word that we can own which is cool but I wanted to marry it because I wanted church and home to be the synonymous idea that we would be a home for Humanity that everyone would belong here and our community would not function like a country club or a business or an organization or an event or a gig but we would function like a home and we would be a family and we would love each other and serve each other and actually live out the love of Jesus in proximity in each other's lives and so that is kind of the passion behind these messages so I'd like to go with you now back to John chapter 14 where we started last week and I want to start share with you now part two in a collection of sermons were in titling home for Humanity home for Humanity John chapter 14 and verse 1 it's pretty awesome to have Philip pharrell with us here from LA from Seattle to Los Angeles tell you what you were you were were you born in the Bay Area no you weren't Oh Detroit Michigan that's right but you you lived in the Bay Area you lived in the Bay Area that's cool I'll see you soon okay you don't mind coming back later alright John chapter 14 and verse 1 Jesus says this let not your hearts be troubled that seems like an appropriate scripture tonight if you came in troubled this message is for you let not your hearts be troubled Jesus says believe in God or you believe in God and believe also in me in my father's house are many rooms if it were not so I would not have told you so but I go and prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and will take you to myself that where I am you may be also and you know the to where I'm going notice that Stephen in my father's home there are many rooms and my father's home there are many rooms and Jesus says I go to prepare a place for you will you join me one more time in prayer Jesus we dedicate now these thirty some minutes to you asking that this this book would come alive as we listen to it that you would speak to us help us to experience you and encounter you right now in this moment thank you the Seahawks we are back not only did we win but the Patriots lost and we come into town to LA to beat the Rams in Jesus name and everybody said you know I'm staying to do the chapel for our team in LA you better believe that I'm doing a chapel Saturday night and I'm not doing it for the Rams I would never do a chapel for the Los Angeles Rams that's not nice I uh I don't drive well I'm not a great driver I've expressed this to you before I'm not a great driver and I've established why I'm not a good driver I'm not a good driver because I love people and that's just a fad I would much rather talk to the person in the car than focus on driving all right sue me I love people more than getting places I just love people man so yeah I'm a bit of a liability behind the wheel but I have been driving since I was 18 I know you get your license at 16 it just took me a while okay I'm a late bloomer as they say but I've been driving since I was 18 and for the first I would say gosh about 14 years my first 14 years of driving or 12 years of driving I would pull up to a gas station and always go always sing it and try to remember which side the gas tank is on you don't talk about anybody do you steal anything's anybody here not you actually still do that okay I'm gonna fix it for you right now okay I'm gonna fix it for you right now I'm gonna said daddy's gonna fix it for you right now but that's that sounds weird okay so cuz let's think I'm gonna be a dad Chelse and I are in the car true story this is several years ago now and we're pulling up to the gas station and we're with our cousin tres see many of you remember Tracy lived in LA and served on staff here in this community and she's one of my best friends in the whole world and we're in the car together it might have been in this very city and Chelsea goes ah which side is the gas second oh my god I can't help you and Tracy goes what let me go yeah what do you mean what yourself like we can't we just can't remember which side the gas tank is on you don't I mean she's like no I don't know what you mean and we're like whoa trace okay miss smartypants you know she's like no I don't know what you mean what does the arrow say and I'm like is this a game is this a game I'm like what does the line say her you know like I don't know what do mean what does the arrow say shoot me you know I don't know what the arrow says survey says you know like I don't know she's like look on the dash like what what am I like what does the arrow say and I'm like what is arrow she goes every car by the little gas tank there's an arrow that points either this way or this way to tell you whoa which side the gas tank is on there are people in this room that just raised their hands look what God has done tonight tell me Church home does it help you in your practical everyday life come on let's close in prayer it's true do you know that it's actually true so true it's like how did I Drive for 12 to 14 years and every time as I approach the gas station panic does let me know there is facts you just can't you can't spend time memorizing or remember gas takes itege is not something I'm gonna use my headspace for so every time I'd approach the gas in a car only to discover in our technologically advanced world that modern car makers now paint on a little arrow to tell people like you and me which side the gas tank is on how funniest life sometimes you can miss the most obvious things the the clearest simplest things and of course you know when you're missing something obvious something you shouldn't miss something everybody else sees at least something the person who's about to tell you about it has always seen and you is it echoey knows that just me I'm like what just happened happen happen happen I feel like I'm gonna drama did you go up in church there's a drama and I feel like I'm like in a heaven scene right now you know we we had dramas where we had hell and heaven and anyways is it still a going okay so we're gonna be but you guys will be fine okay I'm fine too okay great so one time I was in the Eternity we've called eternity the drama eternity and we had a staircase that went all the way to heaven and a lot of the angels lined it and I was a guy who died in in the play I literally died and people don't know if I if I know Jesus in the play and I died and but I I did know Jesus they just didn't know and so I wake up and I'm like in heaven I'm like oh my god where am i well in that turn in Jesus at the top of the stairs and I get to run to him and it was my friend Richard Thomas and every time every time I ran to him I knock him over every single act we did sometimes we had two plays a day anyways Rach rich this isn't Miami man come on you know I start saying that um I knew that I was missing something obvious you know how I knew not by actually what Tracy said it was her tone that gave it away the tone that goes oh my god are you serious she's like what what does the arrow say you're like why are you slow speaking like this I don't like your cadence I don't like your tone why are you proverbially patting me on the head right now verbally how about what does that arrow say Slugger right in the tone of your friend tells you you should know this by now you should have picked up on this tonight in our passage you may or may have not picked up on Jesus tone by no means is he trying to patronize his disciples but there's a tone here there's a tone here I'm Maria T again Jesus says let not your hearts be troubled basically says you believe in God right and he's like so believe in me okay right and then he goes um in my father's house are many rooms now listen to his tone he goes if that wasn't the case why would I be telling you that guys hello and his tone you kind of start going Jesus are you what are you telling us by your tone by the way when it comes to interpretation of Scripture not only is context important but it's also picking up on the tone Jesus actually spoke these words in real time to real people in a real speech in a real space to real public brains and you had a tone to it and you can see the tone here that Jesus is kind of going guys remember there at the Last Supper right the Last Supper range is basically from John chapter 12 to John chapter 19 is one really long dinner maybe you've seen the painting really long table long dinner long evening right Jesus is soon to go to the cross and it's at this famous maybe the most famous dinner in human history Jesus tells them what he's already told them but they act like they've never heard it before he's like guys I'm about to go they're like where what do you mean you're gonna go where you gonna go I told you this so many times we've been together for three years what does the arrow say what era what are you talking about guys I told you I came to give up my life right and the reason they're troubled Jesus is letting I heard to be troubled they're troubled because they don't want him to go he's everything to them but his tone is telling us something in fact his tone is almost identical to the tone he used when he was 12 years old do you remember that story the Bible says the Jesus and his stepdad if you will and his mom they go into Jerusalem to suit to celebrate High Holy Days and and and and then with a caravan they're there for a while in a caravan they're headed back out to the home and the Bible says the family's Caravan traveled for three days they figured Jesus was in the caravan he wasn't right it's kind of a funny little portion of the Bible story because Jesus seems to be like a runaway child Mary and Joseph go back into the city exhausted by their search they finally come to the synagogue the temple and there is Jesus casually on the steps surrounded by all the teachers in the priests and they're all stunned as he's talking about the Torah and Mary the mother of Jesus goes why would you do this to us and Jesus tone is almost exactly to what it is in this dinner he says you didn't know have you forgot has it been 12 years too long has it been more than a decade now you forgot why I came here in the first way have you missed the point I'm not just here to be your kid I'm not just here to be an average 12 year old he says wouldn't wouldn't didn't you know that I would be at my father's house and the Bible says this is so smart of Mary and Joseph they were just like well come on let's let's go now and everybody just got quiet it was probably a very very quiet Caravan ride home and the Bible literally says and Mary just didn't say anything and just kind of thought it over because I bet she was kind of like oh yeah that's right I gave birth to God it's kind of like a moment of like it's been 12 years he's kind of been flying under the radar if God can do that but it was kind of a reminder that oh yeah the tone when he was 12 the tone when he's in his 30s it's the same and what's the point the point is don't forget what this was all about I know you twelve guys that really enjoyed my company and we've got quite a brand and it's grown we've got a tour and we gather crowds and you're starting to like it and it feels good and you quit your jobs and now you have an elite job and people talk about us they think we're cool not everybody but some and now I'm leaving and you're like no I like my life with you it's like but don't you remember what this is about Mary and Joseph twelve years man they're like hey what are you doing here what do you mean what am I doing here I am here I'm at my father's house Joseph remember you are not my father oh yeah that's right I wonder sometimes in the midst of triumph or tragedy we all need that tone from God sometimes to go hey hey hey remember what this is about remember that this is not your home remember that you don't fit here remember this is not the end remember this is not the goal remember this is not the point you're not smoked career cozy comfort ability convenience that's not the big idea at play here the American Dream is cute but there's a much bigger story being played out let's not let's not forget the tone of Jesus is telling the disciples you should know this by now guys I came to die now you'll notice something unusual about the language of Jesus he will say I go to prepare a place for you twice that's not an accident Jesus wants to emphasize for some reason that he is going into eternity 'he's going to go before them and he is going to prepare a place if it wasn't true I wouldn't say it that I go listen the language is kind of its kind of it's kind of awkward but it's intentional he says I go to prepare a place for you if it wasn't true I wouldn't tell you that I go to prepare a place for you that is not an accident Jesus is the double mention is emphasis he really wants these young men to sink into the idea that he is going to prepare a place for them they are in anguish they are frustrated they are agitated they are confused they are troubled and Jesus says one thing that's going to help you in your trouble is I want you to hear me what I'm telling you I am going to prepare a place for you I wouldn't say it unless I meant I'm going to prepare a place for you I will come back and I will take you to myself and there you and I will be for ever I go to prepare a place for you that Greek word that Jesus uses attached to it is two ideas to prepare means to make ready but it also speaks to this idea of being in the state of readiness so Jesus is saying I'm going to go make something ready for you and I'm going to be in the state of readiness towards you now Jesus is alluding to two things he's speaking first of the cross that is before him and he is going once and for all to the cross for second Corinthians 5:21 says he who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus the Bible teaches us that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard the Bible says no one is good no not one we are all here to serve ourselves we were born in sin the Bible says and therefore we cannot save ourselves we cannot reconnect with our Creator which is ultimately what we were designed for because he is perfect and we are not he is holy we are not he is faithful we are not he is consistent we are not in fact the Bible teaches us that God is so perfect it is actually potentially dead dangerous for us but actually like Raiders of the Lost Ark our faces will melt if we come into true contact with his essence of perfection so God to not melt us put space between us but we cannot make up the difference for how can I help you if I'm in a pit myself right so I can't save myself I certainly can't save anybody else so God did for us through Jesus what we could not do for ourselves and he came and he traded places with us and he became sin so that not by our performance not by our pedigree not by our behavior not by our background but by simply receiving what Jesus did in our behalf we can be reconnected to God and not melt because now we're hidden in Christ and now his performance is now put on our baseball card and we now get his statistics and he bats a thousand it's playoff time you know throw out a baseball metaphor love that game 500 regular-season games brilliant strategy so we a place has been prepared Jesus if you remember on the cross the last thing he said on the cross seven different statements he said the six hours while on the cross as he suffocated in his own blood the most horrific kind of ancient torture Jesus they're suffocating his own blood and before he died he said these words it's finished which is to say I have prepared the place and now I have gone before you and I have prepared a place for all mankind to reconnect with God forever and ever without and Jesus says I go to prepare a place for you there's no place for you right now because you can't make your own place but I'm gonna make a place for you I'm gonna prepare a place for you and then what else does Jesus mean he also means not only am I gonna make a room ready through my finished work on the cross but I am going to be in a state of anticipation and readiness for our eternal communion and that's why the posture of the Father in Luke 15 is one of scanning the horizon tirelessly because that is the posture of our Heavenly Father and he is not home and he is not content until all his kids are there I go to prepare a place I'm gonna lay down my life and then I will stay in a state of readiness anticipating our eternal connection we talked last week that you will actually literally not metaphorically not spiritually not emotionally not mentally but actually physically literally be wrapped in actual arms that belong to God and it is in that place you will finally ultimately be home now look at these look at this word prepared and this idea of making ready and then staying in a state of readiness and I can't help my mind wanders to another passage in the Bible and maybe yours does too immediately I'm reminded about this parable that Jesus tells about a Samaritan who is ridiculously good and there is a sick dying beaten up man on the side of a road and a Levite and a priest cannot be bothered but this Samaritan in the story Jesus tells seems to be in a state of readiness to help anybody including a people group or a man who is a Jew who hates Samaritans I start to kind of think what is Lord help me understand if I am troubled and many of us in this room are troubled tonight and you're telling me that if I understand that you go to prepare a place for me that that will somehow encourage me help me understand then what it means when you say you go to prepare a place for me okay you went to the cross for me now I can receive forgiveness I can have connection with God and now you stay in a state of readiness how does that encourage me let me tell you this story as the story goes and we've talked about this before there's this Jewish lawyer and he clearly believes himself to be quite smart and the Bible says he wants to put Jesus to the test that's kind of hilarious isn't it he says Jesus he says how do I get home how do I arrive eternally into heaven how do I get to where the law says we're going how do I get home how do I get to heaven how do I get eternal life and Jesus says well what's your reading of the Torah what's your reading of the law he says well based on my reading nights it says if you love Lord your God with all your heart soul mind strength and love your neighbor as yourself and Jesus says whew that's it just do that and you'll be good and you'll live now you know what Jesus is doing there people have tried that all of human history and no one's been able to do it so Jesus is kind of like tongue-in-cheek he's like well you seem to be very proud of yourself so just run off and do it man you know it so if you know it do it and the lawyer at least is smart enough to know we'll come on I don't know if I can pull that off so I'm going to wiggle my way out of the neighbor part because how many know it's easy to love God with all your heart so - right because he's invisible but visible people what a pain what a pain I love God totally I bet you do right so convenient sometimes that God's invisible and here comes that annoying pestering fellow employee invite him to church no oh I go to church to get away from my coworkers so he says he says well who who who who who I mean who is my neighbor Jesus what a lot of people think about this parable is that Jesus is answering the lawyer's question but he's doing him much better than that Jesus is about to tell the lawyer who's in front of him for the lawyer wants to nitpick rules and the law but what the lawyer may not be aware of at this present moment is that the fulfillment of the law is the man he speaks to then so Jesus says meet a story he says there's a man he's a traveler he's a sojourner and he's not in Jerusalem he's not in Jericho he's between towns on that famous highway he is robbed beaten stripped and left half-dead that's interesting because the Greek word actually means half-dead Jesus are you telling us something about the condition the human condition that our bodies might be alive but our souls might be dead that we can actually live half dead he says he was beaten - half dead he says but then here came the preachers of the law the law that you've asked me about sir and the law came the Levite and the priests and they could not be bothered with the plight of this hemorrhaging dying man Jesus chose this story all the characters are of his own making he's not winging this he knows what he's saying I don't know if the lawyer knows what he's saying he says so the Levite comes the priest comes he's like they didn't help the Jewish man nope no because the law can't save you he says but then here came a man who was rejected by the Jews wait who who is the story about again is this about a fictional character or could this be about the man that stands in front of the lawyer he says dinner Good Samaritan comes by and he sees the man and he moves towards the man he goes towards the brokenness he goes towards the hemorrhage and he goes tours and he and he comes down off of his animal Jesus came down off his throne he comes down off his animal and and and he picks the man up and he traded places with the man he put the man on his animal and now the Samaritan is walking and and and and he's he's carrying that the man can't walk himself but he put him on his his space so he could be carried and all of you like which is about being better with each other yeah I like definitely a good take on this like you know what we should all be like the Good Samaritan outs a big take away like definitely that's probably the character we should and then he he he finds this in I don't even know why Jesus does this he tells us about a statement he makes to the innkeeper why is that relevant and he goes hey um listen know what he says hey take care of him and whatever were you spend I will repay when I come back Jesus are you telling us that you're gonna go away but you're gonna come back okay and then he stops which the lawyers like so who who do you think was the neighbor and the lawyer again Jesus is tongue-in-cheek he's like oh so anyways that was my answer I guess to your question I guess was that was that did that and then the lawyers kind of like oh I guess the glass guy you know that he won't even say Samaritan and then Jesus does it again he goes okay just go do that and the lawyer PI was like I can't Jesus like right correct what you gonna do I don't know well if only there was a guy close by who was fully God fully man who never sinned and could pay your penalty for you and could rescue you and save you and though he would die and be raised he he would come back for you if only right it's like I love I got a friend who's very sarcastic and I'll always be like man what was the record what the sonics when Shawn Kemp Gary Payton what was their record you know and he's like if only there was a device where we could type in a question and get him immediate answer and I'm like oh it's as if Jesus is saying WOW if only there was a Savior si JEP almost all of Jesus teachings they were all angled towards what to bring man to the end of himself so where he would go honey the hero you know like it's basically what he was trying to do and Jesus would be like a hero in the heat of the night like heat of the night I don't think that sounds goes you know and he's gotta be strong and he's gotta be righteous either come on but that's kind of the point where man realizes I can't do this I know you graduated from Harvard mr. lawyer sir but let me let you a little secret mr. lawyer you are the man half dead in the story wait what you are that man I am yeah you're the traveler who's in the middle of here and there and you keep telling yourself I just get to Jericho I'll be happy now if I get back to Jerusalem I'll be happy no you won't and for no particular reason you'll find yourself hemorrhaging bleeding with cosmic questions wondering what am I going to do and you realize that all of your traveling and all of your goings and your comings have left you nowhere but half dead by the side of a road starting to think to yourself life has no point and what will you do you will say to yourself I'll follow rules I'll set goals but those rules and that law and those goals have no power and heart to rescue you when you're flat on your back they will go on the other side and you will stay there dying unless there was someone that you hadn't even acknowledged someone you couldn't even care less about someone that you thought was a joke someone that you overlooked someone that you made fun of like a like a like a like a Samaritan who would come by and overlook your own personal flawed hatred of him and Pandits your wounds and while Jesus died on the cross humanity sat back puzzled what is he doing father Jesus says forgive them they don't know what they're doing why are you forgiving us why why are you sir why are you bandaging yours you're a Samaritan what are you doing here I don't even know if I believe in you God why you feel like you're like moving in on me what are you doing I love you I don't know I don't know what I think about you that's fine let me just clean you up a little bit where where are we going I'm just gonna take care of you and the Samaritan wants to picked up that man and put him on his animal because he couldn't walk and he carried him to an inn Oh mr. lawyer sir you can't see the forest for the trees can you because the man in front of you is life the man in front of you has come to earth to carry you home and you can't see it Jesus the story takes an interesting part because he includes this in which is odd isn't it he could just say and he took him and took care of him and it would still have the same punch to his Jewish audience do you don't I mean it'd still be like he took care of him dot dot dot that's enough like the story is ridiculous already it's impossible but he says and then I or then the Samaritan excuse me then then I did for I mean the Samaritan took him to an inn huh what do you tell us what's this in this is in well if you look at history there was a code of hospitality in the ancient world did you know that as a code of hospitality and in this code of hospitality you were taught even from a young age in antiquity in ancient time that you were to treat strangers like guests unless they prove themselves to be dangerous in fact you'll find in study of Israel and Israel's history that Israel's we recorded last weekend or remember last week were initially Wanderers right Abraham was a wanderer then we were then we were in Egypt and then we came out of Egypt and wandered for forty years and we were a wanderer and so to this day Jewish people understand hospitality because they once were not a people and they became a people and God took strangers and made them guests and made them his friends and chose them and so amongst ancient Israel and even modern Israel there's still this obligation towards strangers because we were once Jesus is telling this story that he took a stranger the smear took the stranger to an inn do you know where ends were you know how ends even came about because over a process of time we realized that travelling was dangerous it was sometimes reckless the thieves and robbers proliferated in those days because they could prey on vulnerable people who follow these thoroughfares or these freeways so Jesus though he's telling us a fictional story is very steeped in fact of that time that people were being pillaged and beaten and even killed for their jewelry and their caravans and their things and their livestock so ins started to be built so that way that travelers could have a temporary place to find protection and strangers were treated like guests in these in in these ends in all the sudden I'm reading the store and I'm like wait a second God what do you are you just maybe alluding to something about this in because clearly you tell us that the Samaritan said he's actually going to come back for his new stranger friend but he says in the meantime in between where I gotta go and when I come back you stay here and he says this to the innkeeper take care of him and whatever more you spend I will repay when I come back and that's that's a thing to myself god are you telling us is that just maybe a little glimpse into this church you're about to start are we supposed to be the little in that could are we supposed to build ends all over this dangerous planet where sojourners are being beaten and bloodied and left half dead how are we supply knowing the story in the story we are the man beaten but since then Jesus saved us rescued us and gave us this new purpose in life and I wonder if maybe we're supposed to be in the end which is this temporary home before he comes back and takes us eternally home I wonder if that's who we're supposed to be and where we're ins positioned nowadays hotels are getaways oh let's get out of the hustle and bustle back then they were in the midst of the danger they were positioned strategically right where travelers sojourners needed cover protection a meal care concern a dream about a church home that functions a lot more like a little Inn than a big old Country Club with big gates we're only the elite few can join a dramatic in where people can walk in bleeding for whatever reason you hear me for whatever reason you know what's crazy about this story at no time at no time is there any caring concern from the Samaritan or the innkeeper about how he got hurt the matter if you hurt yourself if somebody else hurts you if you did it to yourself or you didn't do it to yourself or you were born this way or you weren't born this way the facts is you're hemorrhaging the fact is you're bleeding the fact is you're broken what if we could be one of those places man where people would just come in and what's our mantra we're gonna take care of you and we're gonna spend our money our time and our energy on humanity and our God will repay us in the next life but in the meantime we're gonna be the little in that could people will walk and they'll talk and they'll ask us what in the world are you guys doing and I don't understand man why worry well you guys sure are noble you you sure got a good nonprofit going you sure are good at charitable acts and maybe just maybe we'll get a chance to tell them why we are a part of the little in that could got blood on our hands and we're managing up people and somebody wants to ask us why do you do this and maybe we'll get a moment to stop and say we'll see there was this time in my life I wasn't really anywhere I was I was in the middle of there and over there and I I had accident I started I started questioning everything you know I don't know man it was the dark time for me I I was bleeding real bad and I was broken and I couldn't make sense of life and all of a sudden there was this man god man who moved towards me with nobody else when everybody else walked around me he moved towards me and his name was Jesus and see so the end that you're at I know I'm the one bandaging the wounds but I used to be the guy on the table with the wounds and as soon as I got healthy enough I just joined the task force because freely I have received and so freely I'm going to give well there's a lot of good deeds in the world today and I'm not mad at any of them but I'm just not a good enough person to do good deeds to do good deeds but I'm here to announce I am a man in debt and I like it I am eternally indebted to the only one who cared enough to see me by the side of that road pick me up and take me where I could not take myself and I'm gonna see him someday real soon I'm gonna see him I'm gonna see his eyes and I'm gonna feel his arms around me and I'm gonna know you're the one you're the one you're the one and I'll be home but in the meantime he's left me in this community called church home that's gonna be like the end in the dangerous parts of the world welcoming anyone and everyone I go to prepare a place for you thank you God I see what you're doing you you prepared a place for me so now I can have communion I'm righteous because of you but you you stay in the state of readiness and now that I'm right with you I'm picking up on that state of readiness there are some of you in here you are in so much astronomical pain and I believe the healer of all is going to heal you he's a healer but in the process and we're all in the process we are going to play our part in aiding and helping humanity I know right now it seems like god I can never help another person yeah you can't broken people know how to care for a broken people and we're gonna stay in a state of readiness I'm so excited some say I'm so excited to be a part of this church but what I mean is I'm so excited to be a part of your life I'm so excited to be a part of a space and a place in a room like this I got a vision man and I think it's I think this is the vision of God that all his children will come home and I think before we all go home to heaven he wants us to have these little spaces where in the meantime people can go and get a just a little taste of what it'll be like an eternity and I wonder if together we could endeavor to be a part of that a part of that you know it's crazy imagine how messy that in was that day I don't want to be a part of a clean Church clean is overrated cozy is overrated comfortable is overrated convenience overrated I want to lean into the messiness that is humanity and life in this journey let's be that kind of space and that kind of people will you pray with me Jesus we thank you for what you're doing you know hearts in our lives but on this some kind of special night where we're putting a new name on our community we ask that you would do something new in our hearts God if we need it tonight I pray you just help us to remember where you found us help us to remember how bad it was before you help us to remember who you are and what you've really done for us but I pray for my friends tonight that are troubled that are in pain that are scared that are worried that are fearful that are broken I pray right now that you would be a friend that sticks closer than a brother be that comforter be that comforter thank you God we need just a little taste of what homes gonna be like right here right now help us to remember that you never leave us nor forsake us though we walk through the valley shadow it will fear no evil for your rod and your staff they comfort us you prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life Thank You God if you here tonight he said Judah I'd like to follow Jesus I'd like to be a Jesus follower I'd like to receive the free gift of Jesus maybe tonight you could say I can relate with that man half dead your body's alive but you've recognized tonight your spirit and your soul are not alive that's what Jesus does he takes dead things and brings them back to life and he gives us life and life more abundantly on the inside if you want to be alive on the inside and receive the forgiveness for your heir you're wrong and your sin that only Jesus can provide I want to include you in this simple prayer I want to remind you that this space is dedicated and committed there is no manipulation there is no pressure you belong here no matter what you believe but if you are persuaded and you are convinced that Jesus is God and that he's real and he's the only one that can save you from your air you're wrong and your sin and you want to commit the rest of your days to follow him and build one of those ins to help hurting humanity you want to be a part of that I'm gonna ask you on the count of three lift up your hand and put it right back down and I say this every single Wednesday but I ask you to respond on the outside to what's happening on the inside because it makes it all the more real when you do that to you personally so you know who you are 1 God loves you too I actually believe you'll never be the same 3 if that's you would you lift your hand up all over the auditorium all over the auditorium today Simon it's me it's me Jesus you see these hands you see these Souls you see these hearts and I think you make new behold all things are new I thank you that we will never be the same again we are yours forever forgiven forever right with you forever forever for we thank you for that you're a miracle worker secondly your hearing you say Judah I came in trouble tonight for whatever reason I came in troubled tonight if that's you would you raise your hand it came in trouble tonight I just I'm troubled or do you see these hands and I declare that you are strong tower that we can run into and be safe we are safe under the shadow of your wings and I pray tonight in the moments we begin to sing and use helot use melody and harmony as a platform to connect with you I pray that we would sense your covering we would sense your protection we would sense you surrounding us and you will not let us go we trust you we look to you we rely on you and we love you Jesus if you're physically able to willing would you stand with us and come on let's connect with God in this moment so do you love our youtube channel does it remind you of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air I knew it right ok maybe not totally but if you love it you could subscribe right here and we could just keep hanging out and we're gonna have new content like every week so subscribe right here if you love it press it click it now subscribe I miss you we want hang out more

Channel: Churchome

Views: 25,877

Rating: 4.8954248 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: ab9e8Nfxrbw

Length: 47min 35sec (2855 seconds)

Published: Thu May 03 2018