It Would Have Worked by Now // Judah Smith

we're gonna Romans chapter 8 and begin reading in verse 14 which is actually where we concluded last week and I'd like to for us to consider what a life of being led by Jesus looks like but one of the big ideas for those of us that are Jesus followers for those of us today that are not Jesus followers your presence here probably means two things you are considering following Jesus and believing Jesus or number two your Christian friends paid you a lot of money to be here and that's awesome both are really good reasons to be here but if you're interested at all in in Jesus today isn't is another opportunity for you to consider what your life would look like if you follow Jesus approximately 2,000 years ago Jesus physically visibly actually walked on this planet it was then that he hand-picked twelve young guys most of whom were teenagers who followed him around for approximately three and a half years and then Jesus dives buried rose again levitated into the clouds and we are now left with the same assignment that the twelve literally physically had we are to to follow Jesus but now we have the Spirit of Jesus so we are to follow what does it mean to follow Jesus to be led by Jesus on a daily basis and I want to talk about this today it says in Romans chapter 8 and verse 14 for all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God someone said the most specific and succinct answer to who is a child of God is Romans 8:14 most specific and succinct answer to who is a child of God in the whole of Scripture is right here who are the children of God you'll know them because they are led by the Spirit of God or the spirit of Jesus he goes on says listen you didn't receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry Abba Father the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we're children of God and if children then heirs heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ provided we suffer with him and that we may also be glorified with him a beautiful passage of Scripture and a buddy of mine couple days ago we were talking on the phone he said what are you speaking on this weekend I said I'm so excited I'm speaking on how to be led by the spirit and he's like oh very simple easy message to explain and the joke was for those of you who've been around Church being led by the spirit has become incredibly complicated and for many people difficult to understand we're gonna endeavor today to try to unpack this verse in a way that I think is true to the way it was written and what God intended but I'd like to talk to you today of how you and I are to be led by the Spirit of Jesus the only reason these moments matter is if these moments of considering Jesus and listening to the story of Jesus actually begin to be adapted and transformed the way we live this afternoon tomorrow morning and during the week so as pastor Brian Houston would say I'm gonna do my best to preach to your Monday morning if you don't mind are you ready okay let's pray God we love you so much and we thank you for church home we thank you for what you're doing in our community we ask now that you would truly speak to us and reveal yourself to us show us your goodness your grace your mercy help us Lord to understand what it means to follow you as surely as those twelve followed you we want to follow you today I pray for anyone here that it's not sure that you are real and that you are who you say you are and they're here today as a guest and they've been invited I pray that you would show them your love and your goodness and your grace thank you Lord for what you're doing in your team your football team the Seattle Seahawks preparing them protecting them watching over them in Jesus name and everybody said and everybody said I have them I have kind of a weird relationship with technology in fact I have a weird relationship with electricity and what I mean is any time I attempt to fix something or help around the house with electrical things or technological things it's now a joke eighteen years into marriage if Chelsea was present here at the 8:30 this morning she's not she's sleeping in that's not important it doesn't make me more spiritual than her but I think if she was here she would let you know it's it's it's it's actually laughable now I will attempt like don't don't give me your laptop because it won't work as soon as it enters my hands technology somehow knows you know how dogs they say they know people who are afraid of them this is also a great example I'm afraid of dogs but anyways that is not the point and and but they can smell fear I can I can prove to you technology can smell fear electricity can smell fear I I things that work with just looking at them just being close to them and I can prove this this week we got a new light fixture in the living room and it was working fine electrician came and put it in and he's excellent and my mom was there helping because any time there's like technological electrical things Chelsea doesn't call me she calls my mom and so my mom's over and my mom screwed in a proper light bulb the right wattage which I'm very confused because now you get the LED bulbs tell us there are certain wattage but they there but but they're okay now this electrician tried to explain this mathematical problem did you know this our lamp says 25 watts he took an LED light that's a hundred watts and he put it in the light I said sir that's a hundred it says 25 he's like no no it uses less electricity I'm like I am so this is like algebra just leave me alone it's a true story you cannot make this up so I was like wow babe the light looks great right it's like it's like a shag chandelier I know this doesn't make any sense to me either when I saw it I was like that looks like a shag rug but around a light bulb that doesn't make any sense to me a shag rug can catch on fire why is that a part just like Jude it's 60s inspired like okay great awesome so I go well I want to see what the light looks like she's okay go turn on the switches right there look I had a problem and as soon as I turned on the switch suddenly for the very first time I had been gone for a couple days the delight she's like that's weird I'm like it doesn't work she's like no it works trust me it works and I'm like no it doesn't click click I just like keep doing this you know I'm like no it doesn't work signal Judy the light works what what did you do I didn't do anything I just got home I just want to see the new light and so she's like mom so my mom comes in the room she's like what happened I'm like I know I'm 40 years old explaining to my mom says my house explaining to my mom how I broke the new light I'm like I didn't do I just turn the switch and she's like what clearly you did something I'm like I didn't do anything you know I'm instantly 12 years old again my mom goes to the light she's like wow it's and then suddenly the light comes on I'm like see and then it flickers and it goes off and I turned it back and it comes on and then it flickers and it goes off and I'm like I don't know something happened and both my mom and and my wife both moms as I say both of my mom's um and that's not what I meant but I think you understand gentleman and I think the point is what is the point again they're like clearly you broken I'm like I I how how could you say that so my mom goes and gets a new light bulb she's like it must have a must and she turn it doesn't work another we wouldn't do four light bulbs eventually right and and I think I'm seated at this point cuz I'm like you know alright that's my fault and moms like it's something it's just and I and I and this was my statement to mama so mom if it was gonna work it would have worked by now I'm not saying that went over well I'm not saying that my wife or my mom enjoyed that but my point was hey we've been what were four bulbs in we've tried multiple days I actually think the chandelier this new light fixture which is made out of rugs is I think it's broken I think it's broken if it was gonna work it would have worked by now now that that I'd like to take that experience this week that I had with that light fixture it is working we had an electrician come and he easily fixed it but that is not gonna help the metaphor or the illustration so let's move on but I want to take that illustration and make a parallel and the parallel is with the normal mode of operation that most humans on the planet adhere to on a daily basis and it's it's not complicated it's not difficult to understand and I'm not here to insult your intelligence but many people I don't know if most can be used but many people living today their natural approach to their daily life is to do what they want let's just leave it at that just generally do what you want if I have a desire to do something if I feel like doing something I'm gonna do what I want now there are days and a lot of days if you have a job you don't always feel like going to your job so you know there are exceptions to the rule but big picture most people live their life and abide by it it's not a spoken rule doesn't need to be smoked spoken it's kind of assumed I just kind of if this is what I want to do now there are parts of our culture that actually proselytized this messaging I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do me imma be me I'm gonna do what I want when I want I'm the captain of my own ship I'm in charge nobody tells me what to do I do what I want to do do you boo right whatever the messaging is it all comes down to this really simple approach to life that has been going on for thousands of years among human beings and that is we would do what we want now we could we could argue all kinds of sides of this but I would like to attach to this normal approach to life which is do what you want do what you want with some exceptions but generally speaking do what you want guides a lot of people's lives and here's what I'd like to say about that approach if it was going to work it would have worked by now now I'm gonna say this when it comes to doing what you want in this life it has its moments it flickers just like that lamp every one so it's like whoa whoa whoa it comes on it flickers and it goes off oh man there are you're gonna have some times and some minutes and some moments doing what you want but long term big picture end of the day if it was going to work if it was going to deliver what it promises it would have delivered by now it would have came by now it would have happened by now if it was gonna work it would have worked by now at the risk of sounding like I'm bragging we were in Rome this summer you know start doing that you know but Chelsea for her 40th birthday wanted to go to Europe and so a happy wife happy life so we go where mom wants to go so we we kidding so we go to Rome and and and we're walking around and it's extraordinary to see these historical landmarks and buildings and in in things and you read stories and I think the older you get like the more history matters and so I'm reading all these stories and within these stories is clearly stories of individuals whole people groups who did what they wanted who were led by their impulses desires urges and surges of their body and some of the historical things you'll read or it's kind of like whoa okay that's a little crazy so for thousands of years human beings have been doing what they want if it was going to work it would have worked by now you know there are people in the world who cannot believe that all of you turned up this morning the can't believe why you would even be in attendance in this service in an effort to figure out why you're here they'll they have a lot of conjecture and a lot of concepts and a lot of thoughts of why you're in attendance it's a crutch you feel bad you have this need for a higher power because you're weak or because you want to be morally excellent or because and there's a number of different reason but but for those of us that know we're here because the alternative doesn't work and what a lot of people to understand if you here today and this is your first experience at church home and you think for a moment that we are a collection of completely put together people who have never had a bad day in our life you are sadly mistaken the vast majority in this room our story our journey the trajectory of our life is we were broken we were lost we were empty we were alone and we realized we could not figure out this life on our own and Jesus revealed himself to us know if doing what you want if living by your bodily appetites living by every thought that goes through your mind if that was going to work it would have worked by now the Bible says in Romans chapter 8 in verses 12 and 13 it says brothers and sisters we are not debtors not to the flesh we don't live according to the flesh we don't live according to the flesh we don't live according to the flesh we don't live according to the flesh we're here today because we don't want to live according to the flesh we're here today because we're tired of living according to the flesh we're here today because every time we live according to the flesh it never delivers it flickers it has a moment it has minute but it leaves you with regret and remorse and emptiness no I don't want to live according to the flesh for if you live according to the flesh you will die it ends in death it ends and you have nothing to show for the days you live not know this is a lot at 8:58 in the morning but if it was gonna work this life it would have worked by now you ever run into somebody who because you know you're a faithful follower of Jesus those of you who follow Jesus if you're running to somebody who thinks you're incredibly noble you were ever running somebody that's like me you you you are such a good person and you're like well first of all let's keep talking I've got all the time in the world my 9:00 a.m. cancel or I just cancelled it um tell me more about me and how noble I am and every once in a while I've had someone compliment like wow they are so faithful so man you're so dedicated right you're so committed to Jesus and I'm like yeah but I've definitely weighed the options though don't be fooled I'm not up on the stage here because I'm like this life works and it's way more fun but I am just rejecting it to have a far less meaningful life and just be generally not happy but of course morally excellent no that's that's not me at all I'm not that Noble at all I just weighed the options and if this life I mean just do your history if this life was gonna work by now it would have worked by now know if that makes sense but if it was gonna work it would have worked by now like I mean I think that's that's a fair assessment so I'm here today going well living by my flesh doesn't deliver so what's the alternative living by the spirit of Jesus and so I'm here today and my interest in following Jesus is that I love him and I'm caught up with him but it's also very practical this life delivers this life leads to satisfaction this life leads to contentment this life leads to relationship this life leads to connection and this life leads to eternity with him and one of the reasons I've opened up the sermon like this is because I think when a pastor gets up in a sermon like this and says today we're going to talk about being led by the Spirit don't know if that is the most invigorating and engaging statement ever said on a Sunday morning I think people like Oh awesome can we talk about something no no no no being led by the Spirit what's the alternative on a day like this we got to go yeah I actually want to know more and more how to be led by the Spirit because when I'm led by my flesh it never ends well so how am i lead by the spirit and we talked about this last week but somewhere along the line in Christendom being led by the spirit became a badge of merit for the elite morally excellent amongst us and these were the people who were led by the spirit they usually talked a little more breathy than the rest of the believers in the church how are you good morning yeah good you you you you're good very well thank you praise God cool hey I had a friend of mine I've brought to church for the first time god bless you may you become a child of God very soon okay let's go meet somebody else here in the the old church why because being led by the spirit became something that we wanted to portray and it became something that not everybody can do see brother I'm led by the spirit you have to learn to be led as well but it takes years I've been a believer for 29 years and I've learned to be led by the spirit I'll pray that your journey would begin but it's gonna take decades and so if you're like me it's like man I definitely don't want to speak in breathy tones like that's not for me the over the top hand motions actually that's more like me but I you know hey if that's led by the spirit I'd rather not so much be led by the spirit because it leads to social awkwardness and weirdness that does not have to be the case social awkwardness and weirdness does not have to be synonymous with being led by Jesus or following Jesus right it I think it's not what we have often made it out to be so so how am I led by the spirit I want to make some observations of our passions today to help you understand this and I think this should be reasonably painless and not take long but a few observations number one and we talked about this last week that the Bible says if you were trying to determine who my children are notice the language who the sons and daughters of God are this will be their demarcation this will be the indication they will be led they will be led they will be less so contextually already this verse is telling us about the nature of following Jesus or being led by the Spirit of Jesus and that is it's for children it's for children it's for children not those who pretend to be mature but those who are mature enough to understand you are a child of God now the Bible says I think it's Mark chapter 10 and it says it in a different this translation in the contemporary English version look what it says in mark 10:15 I promise you that you cannot get in to God's kingdom see it understand it unless you accept it the way a child does unless you accept it the way a child does we were having a conversation coming home from school recently with our kids and it is amazing the conversations we're having because my kids see it so clearly they see life so clearly they they they it's it's it's obvious to them because they have so much trust in God they they just they they I Gracie holds my hand all the time my little nine year old girl she holds my hand she doesn't question it she just holds my hand when she gets in the car she doesn't say dad are you capable of driving now that would be a valid question trust me if you've seen me drive but but she she trusts I'm the dad she's the daughter I'm the dad she's the daughter she knows her role she understands that's the reality I'm older I'm dad I'm big I'm tall I'm strong that's what she thinks you know and and and she understands that's her role she's never once asked to be the dad she's never once asked to be the mom she's never once asked to be in charge she understands I'm a part of the Smith family that's just what III daddy come pray for me daddy will you give me a kiss daddy will you hug me daddy will you love me that's it's it's just she she just that she's a part of the family implicit within this verse is that we as Jesus followers understand that we are children and he is a he's the father and so this idea of being led actually first and foremost starts with uncovering again that childlike trust and that childlike Wonder in God have you lost that now typically where it is at an all-time high often times in the Bible speaks as the joy of your salvation is when you first meet Jesus and you first experience the forgiveness of Jesus and the love of Jesus and the grace of Jesus can you remember the first time Jesus revealed himself to you can you remember the first time it dawned on you there is a God he has a name he took my punishment he took my place he who knew no sin became sin so that I could become the right of God in Christ Jesus I am forgiven forever I am accepted forever I am loved forever I'm part of his family Wow do you remember when that happened do you remember when you were telling everybody everybody you're gonna ice cream cone at McDonald's and you tell them people in the drive-through remember when you were embarrassing back in those days everywhere you went you told everybody about Jesus you you you almost always that's the case it's it's called childlike this it's not childish it's child like you have this wide-eyed wonder you have this freshness and newness you're like I can't believe this this is amazing you're going to need that same perspective no matter how long you have followed Jesus no matter how long you have followed Jesus that's why you can't hear the gospel enough in your lifetime you can't hear it enough Oh to move away from Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so is to move away from the childlike posture you're going to need if you're gonna want to follow Jesus every day it's being led it's my hand is in his hand and he is leading me oftentimes we sabotage being led by Jesus the Spirit of Jesus because we have been there before I've done this before I know how to do this and and knowledge gets in the way of trust and faith and if you're here today and you find yourself in the intersection of knowledge and faith and mystery and God's Word you're probably in the right place where you feel like there's a four-way stop in your life right now and one lane is knowledge the other is mystery the other is the plan of God and the other is maybe your experiences and your going God what are you want me to do you probably in the right place well if you're here and you got some friction right now and your soul and your heart and the friction is this doesn't make sense but I got a sense that God wants me to do yes that sounds a lot like God and he intersects these seasons and moments in our life where we start to do things that doesn't make any sense and the only the only option is to trust him you haven't been on your way to do what you believe God told you to do and you're like what am i doing I have lost my mind and maybe your spouse is like what are we doing and your kids are like dad mom where are we going and you're like trust in the Lord if there's an element of this life that is not predictable there's an element of this life that Outsiders will not perceive as safe but the safest place to be my dad used to say it's right in the middle of God's plan for your life no matter where you are in the world so there's a there's a childlikeness we've got to continue to recover that we've got to continue to uncover that there's nothing in mature about childlike faith and sometimes you need somebody who's just met Jesus to remind you again the kind of posture we ought to live our life in no no immaturity in God's kingdom is the opposite you know the immaturity is when you try to act mature and you think you know it all that's the definition of immaturity in God's family maturity is when you realize I don't understand it all I can't figure it all out but Oh God I trust you and I'm so excited for the adventure ahead I wonder if there's some people today God's asking you to do something that make sense and you keep waiting for it make sense to do it but it's not gonna make sense it's gonna take faith faith is the substance of things hoped for it's the evidence of things wait for it not seen oh that's right things you can't figure out on a mathematical equation that's my favorite part of faith because I can't do mathematical equations so it's awesome but this is a childlike approach and and I want you to notice in mark 10 it says unless you become unless you accept it like the child well we can't underscore accept or receive that is how your relationship with God continues to move forward are you an acceptor and a receiver are you an acceptor and a receiver not an earner and a deserver are you an acceptor and a receiver not an earner and a deserver and that leads us to another observation notice what it says it says he says when you walk by the spirit gonna put the foot put to death the deeds of the flesh for as many as are led by the Spirit of God verse 14 these are the sons of God verse 15 I didn't call you I haven't led you you you did not receive the spirit of slavery now now what we're about to come up on now in verse 16 is probably the number one obstacle to consistently following Jesus and being led by Jesus this afternoon this evening and tomorrow morning this is going to be your greatest obstacle notice the scripture says I didn't I didn't you did not receive you did not accept a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear to fall back into fear comma but you've received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry Abba Father I looked up the word spirit because there's two spirits there they're the same spirit but one spirit is capitalized to let you also know that he's talking about not just an attitude or a mental disposition but he's talking about the Holy Spirit the spirit of Jesus but he says listen you did not accept a mental disposition of slavery that's what the word spirit me mental disposition is mental tendency your mental tendency right before Jesus the Bible teaches us that our mental tendency was to do things according to our flesh what made sense and what we desire now we cross over we accept and receive the finished work of Jesus the forgiveness of Jesus and now my mental disposition my mental inclination has now changed now my inclination my knee-jerk reaction is no longer just to do what I want just to be led by the flesh now I have a new inclination and I desire to be led by the ways of Jesus some of you need to give yourself more credit that when you dabble over here because it flickers every once in a while and you've been it did the Bible the Bible does not say if you ever come over here to this you're out never says that in fact I can prove to you in this passage it is letting you know that you're gonna have some days when you're like uh well let's just try Wow that kind of flickered the same thing again okay you're gonna have those days those moments where you fall back in to doing what you want but you know what happens right have you experienced it yet you you kind of come to your senses and you go I don't want this I don't even liked it this this is not what I want and some of you beat yourself up when what you should do is celebrate how much you've changed because there was a day you were living according to the flesh and you never had one ounce of problem conviction or issue with it you were like this is it but look at you now you just dabble over here and something on the inside of uses I want that because your mental disposition has changed and you've got to celebrate some of you here this morning you are discouraged because of what you did last night but you you can't you can't even see that you should be encouraged not encouraged by what you did but encouraged the fact that you're here today because your mental disposition has changed you have your lapses you have your moments and so do we all but let us stop for a moment and celebrate that the holy spirit lives on the inside and there is a conviction and when I do this it leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth and on the inside of Who I am I say that is not what I want that is not who I am I am going to charge home tomorrow morning because your mental disposition has in fact changed but notice he's riding now to believers he's riding now to Jesus followers he says put the D put to death the deeds of the flesh for as many as are led by the spirit these are the sons of God he says hey I didn't God did not give you a mental disposition of a slave by which you fall back into fear and here's how this fear expresses itself this is going to be your greatest obstacle in being led by Jesus on a daily basis this fear is I'm not good enough please hear me because this is why I want to land the proverbial plane I'm not good enough see we're gonna we're gonna learn in a moment the spirit the mental disposition of adoption expresses itself I have been chosen and that choosing of God breeds expectation and that expectation says what's next god I cannot wait for what you have for me next because you're a good father and you deliver good things but the spirit of bondage obligation doesn't communicate itself in what's next it says what's expected and the problem with that is you'll never live up to the expectation so you this is why a lot of people give up on following Jesus and being led by Jesus because they have their moments and in these moments they fall back into I'm not good enough I'm not good enough I'm not good enough over and over I'm not good enough I failed I faltered I'm weak I'm weary you know many people didn't come to church today you know why because they don't feel good enough it's a mental disposition of bondage that is trying to live up to some moral religious demands and collectively people say I'm exhausted I'm not good enough now that is ironically very true it's very true you're not good enough I'm not good enough no no not one is good the Bible says who can stand who can stand and say I have lived righteous and godly every moment of my life no no no one can say that so that's why he says I didn't give you this mental disposition that is not from me that's not from God that's sinking sensation of fear that you're not good enough because you're not good enough God's not gonna be good to you and bad things are gonna happen to you that is not from God it's your greatest obstacle to follow in Jesus that's not from God God did not tell you you're not good enough and because you're not good enough good things are not gonna come your way in fact bad things are gonna come your way and you are gonna be judged that does not come from Jesus what attitude comes from Jesus what mental disposition and tendency inclination comes from Jesus its capital asks the Holy Spirit the spirit of adoption adoption adoption now ancient adoption was different than modern adoption ancient adoption when you were adopted you were no longer a part of any other family but the one that adopted you it was over it was done it was is this adoption spirit of adoption and then and and and the beauty of adoption is you don't get to choose your parents they choose you in antiquity in ancient times the child had no say parents would come and say we out of all the kids come on if you were like me my dad used to say almost every night he said son if I lined up all the twelve-year-old boys in the world and I had to choose one I'd choose Jackie our next-door neighbor now hey everyone's why he wouldn't make that joke it was kind of funny that's my best friend Jackie Loman he'd say son I choose you and what that what that statement meant to me is that dad chose me that's my value that's my worth I know I'm not good enough but he chose me he didn't choose him he chose me appointed me to have a fruitful life I didn't I wouldn't even know how to choose God I couldn't even make it back home let alone choose God but he chose me and that choosing has completely transformed my mental disposition my outlook and my inclination hey I am chosen and what comes out of me is not what's expected but what comes out of me is what's next now here's how I see this here's how I see this here's how I see this there are many of us in this room we have lost our what's next we haven't had a what's next since the 90s some of you haven't had oh what's next since the 80s some of you haven't had of what's next since 2005 and you know why you can't recover your what's next you know why you can't recover your expectation of good is because you have over and over and over and over heard in your heart you're not good enough look what you did you lived according to the flesh and because you are you are accepting that bondage mentality there's been years since your relationship to God sounded like what's next dad because what's next can't be good because I'm not good and so many of us in this room though we love Jesus we are riddled by the anxiety of what bad thing might happen in our life said our third child Juden man his kids man they start to start to so precious I just start to worry man what if something I just I don't know it's been 2 or 3 layoffs in our in our in our work and I I just I don't know I don't know if I'm gonna have a job you you know we're all a lot of that anxiety comes from it's your natural man but it comes from a sinking sensation that you know I don't really deserve anything I'm really not good I really I remember talking to a young man one time who it struggled morally and somebody diagnosed a doctor diagnosed him with cancer and he came to me and he said pastor I got to know was my morale struggles is that how the cancer came in my body I said oh yeah oh man that is not how the grace of God works but that's how our brain works see I did it again I was attracted to the flickering lights of the life according to the flesh and I'm not good enough I'm not good enough and so if by some chance I can muster up some spiritual gusto and some strength it usually comes around something like okay what does God ask of me again what am i required to do I'm gonna try it again oh you're gonna try that again you're doomed to fail cuz you're not good enough well what's the option to recognize it in a whole lineup of children God said I choose you why would you choose you don't know what I've done yes I do I know everything there is to know about you but I choose you yeah but what are we gonna do about what I've done know it that's over that's over that's over can I read Philippians chapter 3 in verses 12 13 4 all says I've learned how to be mature he says not that I've already obtained this we're perfect but I press on to make it my own i press on what's next what's next because Christ Jesus has made me his own he chose me he chose me brothers I do not consider that made it my own but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind straining for word straining for word what's next what's next not what I've done not where I've been not what I've done we come on we can all turn around and get really sad really fast cuz I've dabbled as much as you have we've all been over here attracted by the flickering fading lights of a life defined by flesh but there's nothing there but we keep going back and our obstacle becomes we'll look at me I'm not good enough oh you think you were chosen because of your moral excellence you were chosen because of who he is forgetting what lies behind straining forward oh well I press on toward the goal the price up or call the God in Christ Jesus looking for this next verse let those of us who are mature think this way mature think this way it is dawned on me that the spiritually mature have one defining characteristic they know how to start over and then start over and then start over and then start again and then start again and then start again for His mercies are new every morning I thought maturity was defined by how many days in a row you don't do something dumb but then it dawned on me maturity is defined by a child that wakes up with no memory you ever have me kids are crazy I like I said I told you so many times but I'll do something dumb and I'll ask my kids to forgive me and when they were younger they'd say yep yep as if to say yeah I don't even know what it was it's a little pop to it just to let you know God let you know dad like we're just kids it's all good we love you what did you do again well it was earlier this morning all I could think of his Legos right now so I don't know what you're talking about remember I kind of raised my voice will you forgive me yep back to playing Legos no will we'll keep a whole list of our wrongs oh we think we're the hardest on other people no were the hardest on ourselves and so we can't grow past I'm not good enough I'm not good enough I I'm not good enough but but but he chose you because of who he is not because of who you are so you have every right to that what's next as the morally elite and exclusive amongst us you have every right right now in your heart to let that childlike cry which by the way it's so intimate it's so near it's not loud but it's primal Papa daddy what do you have next for me and clearly the Bible infers that that please is our Father who's like are you excited well I'm not very excited because I've failed you again read Luke 15 the father never even listens to the pathetic speech of the son who's been wayward he can't be bothered I know what you've done like that's the point the point is what I've done and who I am and the plans and purposes I have prepared for you there are people here God wants to set you free from a fearful mindset that is continually anxious of what bad things might be in store I'm telling you God is a good God who has good things in store for your future what's next you know where the power is to follow Jesus you know where the passion is to follow Jesus when you recognize how good he is and the fact that he chose you and if he chose you he's gonna appoint you he's got a purpose and a plan for your life and you can wake up every day you can start this afternoon and even when you go to bed this evening and say I can't wait for what's next I'm done I'm done I'm done I gotta read this passage in in in in yeah let me read this to you in the passion translation and I'm done this is this is just I'm done sir sermons over listen to this this is the mature children of God are those who are moved by the impulses of the Holy Spirit you didn't receive the spirit of religious duty leading you back into fear of never being good enough but you received the spirit of full acceptance in folding you into the family of God and you will never feel orphaned for as he rises up within us our spirits join him in saying the words of tender affection beloved father for the Holy Spirit makes God's fatherhood real to us so good as he whispers into our innermost being you are God's beloved child you are God's beloved child and that gives you rights to stand and say Oh God I am looking forward to what you have in store I'm gonna tell you Church home I am so excited about what's next for our community the more people we're gonna tell about Jesus the more communities we're gonna reach the more cities we're gonna reach the more continents and go what's next God what's next ha ha whoo come on Monday morning why can't tomorrow be the day you've looked forward to more than any other day in your whole life what's next god you're a good father and you have good things in store that'll give you the fuel to follow Jesus on an every single day basis can I pray for you God we love you I mean it's it's the simplest thing to say that we love you but it's like the most real statement in the universe that we love you we love you we love you because you first loved us Wow what we realize we're not good enough but you chose us in spite of us and while we were still sinners you died for us and you did for us that we could not do for ourselves and today we anchor ourselves to that reality again and again and no matter what we did this morning or last night or this week that we are ashamed of we thank you that you still chose us and love us and forgive us and you keep us in the fold in the family were your children and now we turn to what's ahead and we thank you for new beginnings we thank you for new starts we thank you God for fresh new days minutes and moments that only come from you we love you Jesus we love you Jesus if you're here today and you said Judah I would like to accept this Jesus you speak up I'd like to accept this extraordinary God who loves and forgives and covers and makes whole and gives a purpose and a plan for my life I want to know this Jesus for the Bible says God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life if you want that light that only Jesus offers the forgiveness that only Jesus offers on the count of three I'm gonna ask you to lift up your hand then put it right back down I asked people to raise their hand because I 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 God loves you too if that's you you raise your hand on 3 you slipped up your hand right now 3 so that's me I'd like to thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you anybody else you slip your hand you put it right back down I receive I receive the forgiveness of Jesus a brand new life from Jesus oh god we thank you for these hands that represent eternal hearts that are forgiven forever it is that good it is that easy by simply it cepting and receiving we are forgiven forever we thank you for that secondly and I don't always pray for a second group but I just feel compelled today as we prepare to sing out our adoration and worship to God if you're here and you say Judah I have had a fearful expectation of something bad that's about to happen to me I have been fighting that fear would you raise your hand I won't to include you in this prayer Simon I've been fighting some of that fear just feeling like it's what I deserve anyways god I thank you right now I pray for that fearful expectation of something bad that's about to happen I pray it will be replaced with a with it with it with a faithful joyful anticipation of good things that come from you you are a good god every good and perfect gift comes down from you you are the father of lights and who there is no variance and who there is no variation you are the same yesterday today and forever and you do good all you do is good all you do is right and we thank you God we are justified according not to our deeds but we're justified according to your work on the cross and we thank you that gives us standing and the expectation of good because of what you've done and what you have accomplished we thank you God there is therefore now no shame no condemnation you've not given us a spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mind and our steps are ordered of the Lord our steps are sure and steadfast and your witness day by day minute by minute and moment by moment god I thank you we have been set free from an attitude of fear and bondage and we have been liberated to have an expectation of good and the anticipation of the plans and purposes you have for us in the future so God collectively we declare what's next what's next God your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven we can't wait for what you have in store we can't wait for this afternoon and tomorrow morning all the good things you have prepared for your children we love you we ship you and we honor you in this place in Jesus name if you're physically able and willing would you stand with us and come on let's join the band and let's say that I praise to God come on church home 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: 46,069

Rating: 4.9226117 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: 7QqL7JoDfMs

Length: 53min 37sec (3217 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 27 2018