Jesus is loving Barabbas - FULL Sermon Judah Smith

go with me to Judges chapter 16 Judges chapter 16 it's there that we have been studying the story of Samson and Delilah we've been studying six Hebrew words the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew these six Eber words we have called the six stages of sexual compromise temptation or bondage as it's been said nobody wakes up one morning and decides hey I'm gonna trade it all in I'm gonna wreck my marriage I'm gonna decimate my children lose their respect run off with some strange person nobody does that it's a process it's a progression similarly in Samson's life Samson's a champion he represents God's people and he's a terminator he's a Rambo who takes on whole armies and militaries that are opposing God and God's people and God has given Samson a great strength from his youth from actually infancy his mom had committed him to a vow of consecration God had given him the secret strength God giving in this special strength but he had a weakness and his weakness was women Philistines one of the enemies of God's people knew this and they knew that he had a attraction to a valley girl whose name was Delilah well you guys are very dramatic so you're like finally we will never have to do that dumb breathy name and yes we will move on to more sophisticated things in the future but Delilah becomes the downfall for Samson Delilah is promised millions of dollars from the Philistines to find out the secret of Samson's strength so as it begins it starts where Delilah says in verse five Delilah entices Samson that's where it all begins enticement temptation from there the Bible says in verse 16 that Delilah pestered these are the stages that you and I go through in the process of sexual compromised or sexual perversion at first we're just tempted weren't iced were lured there's this sparkling image and concept an idea and thought but of course it cloaks a deadly hook from there we go where to where we're pestered just almost paranoid every day with the thought of enjoying some sex outside of God's intended context which is one man one woman in the commitment of marriage as defined in the beginning of Scripture in the book of Genesis outside of that there's perversion and compromise and at first it's this idea of temptation then we're pestered and overwhelmed with the thought it feels like man it's everywhere we turn every ad every commercial every every marketing campaign it's so super sexualized it's just too much and from pestering we become vexed as it says of Samson vexation is this place where you feel like resistance is futile I can't overcome this I can't resist this is too much and we feel vexed just like Samson was from vexation we go to this state where the Bible says Delilah lolled Sampson to sleep we've looked at all of these Hebrew words lolled speaks of this sleepy state this numb state that we find ourselves in and our conscience in our ability to be sensitized to what is right and wrong and what is inappropriate maybe in this stage you've experienced this you're approached by a spouse or a friend or city group leader or a pastor and they're appealing to you based on your conduct and maybe a coarse joke or something you said oh hey that's not okay what's going on and you seem completely desensitized and numb and oblivious to the fact that there's a problem sometimes people experience this sleepy state in the area of their conscience because it is a mode for survival they're insulating themselves just in the name of sanity they know they've made so many poor decisions and things have gotten so bad but they want to ignore it they want to go to sleep on it they want to be numb to it they don't want to address it they don't want to deal with it so they become numb and they no longer are even sensitive to what's right and wrong and what God intends and God's plan they've been loath to sleep from from that state it says after Sheol old Sampson she tormented him this of course is the dark resting place that is very real that people can find themselves in in the area of their morality and sexuality interestingly enough even the studies of pornography tell us that pornography is like similar to a synthetic drug when it comes to the brain and even your body it offers this ecstasy it offers this extraordinary high but what they're learning now even in the study of effects of pornography is similar to a synthetic drug it drops you it drops you so deep so fast and so far it's astronomical people are experiencing levels of depression that we've never known before because of the pornographic phenomenon in today's society in culture this is a real place as it was for Samson as he was tormented in in conclusion today I want to continue in our reading it says that Samson told Delilah all of his heart told the secret of a strength which is his vow and his consecration to God she realizes this is the truth this time she calls up the Philistines and they cut off his hair says in verse 20 and she said the Philistines are upon you Samson so he woke from his sleep and here's what he said whether he whispered it a spoke it we're not entirely sure but nonetheless he said I will go out as before at other times and shake myself free but he did not know the Lord had departed from him the Philistines took him and put out his eyes brought him down to Gaza bound him with bronze fetters and he became a grinder in the prison in conclusion of this series I want to look at this word bound or bondage which is a very real place that people find themselves in specifically in relationship to their sexuality and morality let's read 22 though as a source of great encouragement it does say at the end of this story however the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven how many you are here today because of a huge however come on how many grateful for the however of God I want to speak to you again from the subject of bound let's pray father we thank you for your grace and your goodness we know that you're here we sense your presence we sense your nearness pray Holy Spirit that you would help us to see Jesus for we know God if we'll see Jesus that's what will change us we need you we need you Jesus thank you for the sunshine thank you for the vitamin D in Jesus name and everybody said everybody said maybe it's because the sun's out but been thinking about the first time I went boogie-boarding how many ever been boogie boardin okay not surfing it's a short they called bodyboarding to bodyboarding boogie boarding and first time ever went boogie boarding was also pretty much the last time eleven years old we were in Honolulu dad was asked to come speak at a camp on Honolulu how many you feel like you're supposed to take a speaking engagement in Honolulu you feel like you need to go preach the gospel and be a missionary in Honolulu I feel that too thank you Jesus how many likely they have City Church Honolulu you use feel you okay how many like to be the pastor's of City okay so many volunteers to plant churches now it's unbelievable so they're in Honolulu and meanwhile my dad is studying praying prepping for the night meeting they send their helpless white eleven-year-old son to bodyboard with the locals it was a recipe for disaster I'm out there never been out there they spoke of things like a reef I was familiar with Christmas reefs and you know I mean Seattle we have water we just don't go in it come on somebody just look at it but so we're out there and and they said hey watch out for the coral reef I'm like coral only thing I know about coral it's a color that mom says goes well with other colors and decorating a house but anyways little little picture and window into the way I was raised but son do you like my outfit okay moving right along a lot of shopping a lot of interior decorating in this guy's raising experience growing up experience but so we're out there in the middle of the waves here and the locals like watch out for the reef you know bro and okay cool and so I'm watching them they're doing their thing I'm just kind of rolling over the waves just kind of holding on and at some point I'm like I'm gonna do this so I I guess I later I find out you did what you're not supposed to do I just I saw the wave coming I just pointed my boogie board directly straight with the beach evidently you're supposed to kind of kind of angle it I didn't know that so because because locals don't teach non-locals how to boogie board so I just pointed directly towards the beach and here comes the wave and at first it's like whoosh then all of a sudden there's probably about a three to four foot wave which it might as well have been 34 feet you know it was like oh my god it breaks on my back I was later told that can that can actually create paralysis oh great fantastic so from that point I go into what I want to call the death roll and for the first time in my life I'm caught in the middle the way the board is no longer in existence and I am rolling this wave and I'm getting cleaned by the reef shaped by the reef I'm just getting cut up my chest my hands and I'm 11 years old it's a sweet little boy and so I don't know how this works but at some point your brain goes we got to get out of here like we got to go so I go to like get out of the wave and realized I I can't get up this this wave is controlling me it has me down and if you've ever been held under by a wave you're not getting up until the wave says you can get up how many of you experienced this I'm curious how many of you went back into the ocean after that experience you need medical attention I'm serious you need to go get checked out right away that's the definition of insanity me I'm a smart guy but at the pool ever since okay but anyways so I'm trying to I mean if you've had that experience which many of you have you're like I need to I need to go now you're not going anywhere you are held down and you are helpless aren't you to all the sudden it's like the wave relented I come shooting I'm standing on the reef I come shooting out of the water like you know I'm screaming 11 years old every once in a while I'd be a little bit dramatic and that sort of thing and oh my god help and here's all the locals lined up sitting on their boards laughing and I've been bitter at Hawaiians ever since no I'm just teasing Aloha Mahalo but bondage this word bound means to be held under held under the power of something even when you want to get up and you want to get out and what started off like a rush what started off like a whoosh what started off as fun is now controlling you and holding you an environment you can't live long under what is up happening with bondage did you think this is where it all ends I'm gonna be a statistic just like my dad just like my grandpa just like my mom I'm gonna succumb to the same sin the same temptation the same urges you want to get up you hate where you are it's hurting but you're helpless you can't just get up great scholar once said sin will take you further than you want to go cost you more than you want to pay and keep you longer than you want to stay bondage you started off like this is this is exciting this is ooh I kind of like this movie you that was kind of a racy scene but it was kind of fun to watch and I liked this show oh that was kind of inappropriate but man that person is good-looking man that's fun why would be fun to kind of think what would it be like to be with that person and be why had to live that life oh I like ooh this is fun wow this magazine this is kind of it just kind of feels good and wow this is I had these chat rooms this is I mean I'm just kind of talking and I mean I'm saying well I'm not married he's not like I'm cheating on anybody but it's just fun to like interact with these people oh you want to get together okay sure yeah let's be fun and and what starts off as something I can control it's like Samson he tells Delilah bind me with new ropes ha ha ha and he's like hey these ropes can't bind me yeah yeah weave my hair they can't stop me then he gets a haircut and he wakes up with the same arrogant attitude doesn't he I'll shake myself free ha ha ha look that's how sexual temptation perversion and bondage works it's just a magazine it's just a glance it's just a thought it's just a phone call it's just a fun flirty moment with a fellow employee what's the big deal this won't bind me this won't control me and then you wake up some day and you can't get up you know what happened you're in bondage it's somebody will gut somebody walked up to you today particularly if it's a perfect stranger and said you're in bondage whoa hey there slugger what's your name again don't even know you bondage I don't think so in some cases that may be right walk around talk look laugh smile like everybody else but when it comes to our morality in our sexuality we are held under by an unseen force and we can't get up what ends up happening is in this place we we pull out all stops sometimes we start to hate this place I don't want to do this anymore I it's the six cycle of bondage where you have a month that's good or two months that's good but then you're back doing that activity engaging in that illicit activity or that fantasy or the phone calls or the thoughts or the images or the interactions or the escapades and some random motel somewhere and then you come back and you go I'm not gonna do that anymore that's not who I am and you have a good string of days or weeks or months but then you back again it's this six cycle and you keep thinking I'm gonna try harder and you've got tears and maybe you're married and you're expressing to your spouse I'm not gonna do that anymore that's not who I am I'll I'm gonna try harder you'll see I'm gonna beat this and just like Samson we might as well say you'll see I'll shake myself free as if my skinny little 11-year old body could have overcome that wave I was no match for that way and you are no match for sexual temptation and said sir the truth is you're no match for pornography go ahead Samson try to shake yourself free you cannot but the Bible says the Lord had departed Samson had started to think his strength had something to do with him didn't he he started to think I think God chose me I'm a pretty good guy it proves that he thought that way because when things got bad he says I'll do it I'll rip off the ropes like I've done I'll show them that I'm good and I'm strong but without God he was weak like any other man it's the essence of religion isn't it when we find ourselves in compromising seasons or activities or situations under the power of sin and temptation and compromise and we start to ascribe to what reeks of humanism I'll shake myself free babe I promise I'll try harder I'm gonna I'm throwing all the magazines away I'm cancelling table you'll see friend I recommend that I'm not opposed to that but if God's not in it it only results in momentary relief that's all and it'll happen again this was one of those hope churches well you guys are like encouraging this guy's intense the point is there's only one hope isn't there it's only one hope see so quickly and so soon we forget how salvation happens for how you are saved is how you are sustained and how you are sustained is how you're set free for the rest of your life let's consider let's step back for a moment collectively as a community and let's consider salvation again here's what subtly we don't intend to but suddenly we start to believe particularly maybe it's been a long time since that salvation experience you had 20 30 40 years ago and we start to think that this is how salvation went down god looked at hurting humanity and said say those people they're a diamond in a rough that's a diamond right there I know there's rough around the edges but there's potential there see that guy right there he's got some bad stuff it's got some good stuff 5050 if I lock in on the good 50 we got a chance to turn this whole thing around see that guy right there it's a bad guy but I can see the good in him you know we're talking about star wars or Jesus is this humanism or the gospel that's not the gospel God did not look at humanity for the Bible says before the foundation of the world the lamb was saying which tells me even before men and women were created God intended within himself to sacrifice on their behalf which tells me this is the gospel god looked at humanity and saw nothing of merit in us for if even one ounce or one iota or 1% of salvation is our merit then what becomes of grace that can't be there cannot be the mention of grace if God chose you because he thought oh this person is better than that guy so I choose him because if that's our salvation worked then if you're struggling now that you're saved you're struggling in any area of your life particularly sexually or morally then hey the way you were saved had to do with your merit so now you bought a work your way access your goodness to improve your morality if that's the gospel we are no different than any other group on the planet and what we worship is not a person but is moralism what we worship is not a person but principles all we are is a community that has come to agree on a collection of principles and the simple idea of moralism that's all we are or were Jesus people who believe that the person of Jesus solely and exclusively is the answer to broken hurting humanity Ephesians chapter 2 proves what I'm talking about it says speaking of salvation but God how many know it doesn't say but Judah but Leon but Chelsea but Susan but Brian but Billy but Amanda none of your buts saved anybody if I defended you I was speaking about a word bu T not bu TT but God that's the whole gospel right there but God you ever talk to somebody and they say hey man you're one of my closest friends you know that right and honestly man I appreciate you but can I give you a suggestion whatever they said before the button doesn't matter at all don't even listen to it only thing you need to listen to is what they say after the but how many know what I'm talking about right now that's exactly how the gospel works you were bound you were dead you were selfish you were arrogant you were prideful but and all that stuff before the but it don't really matter because what comes after the punt is what changes everything and what comes after the bud is God and Jesus and redemption and mercy and grace somebody say but God that's the gospel but God who is rich in mercy because of his God saved you not because of what was in you but because of what was in him that's the gospel because of his love because of his mercy because of his goodness because of his righteousness because of his mercy because of his sovereignty notice what it says because of his great love even when we were dead in trespasses have you ever seen a dead body have you ever been to a funeral walked up to the casket and say this guy's got a good character someone who say you you mean he had good character that's nice no I mean he has good character look how considerate he is being so quiet during the funeral dude he's dead yeah but I still think he's showing some great exemplary qualities look how patient he is look how long suffering he is are you are you okay he's dead there's no merit left there you can speak of who he was but he's dead that's what we were you don't look at dead people and say you're great that's why I'm coming your character qualities are absolutely astounding they're dead and that was you and that was me but God who is rich in mercy while we were still dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ for parentheses for by grace you have been saved this is how you saved good news this is how you're saved good news see this is why we can we can so profoundly say there's no Outsiders with Jesus you don't have to be anything he's already everything and He loves you you can't stop Jesus I mean you can't you can't you can't stop because he doesn't he doesn't come to you based on you he comes to you based on him you can't stop him you can't change him he's unchangeable so no matter what you do here he comes Jesus I'm gonna stop I'm gonna I'm not this is this is the gospel see all of our faith all of our good works which I believe in all of that is subsequent secondary and in response to his coming his initiative his grace his goodness [Applause] if that's the case the way you're saved is the way you're sustained the way you're sustained is the way you're set free if that's the way God saved you will it not also be the way God continually sets you free from momentary seasonal or extended periods of time and you're walking with Jesus of bondage and sin and failure and temptation can I make a statement God remembers that you're dust you're not fooling him he knows what's good really going on in your heart he knows the consistency in the true state of your desires and your fantasies and your secret life he knows and he loves you he loves you it's you're not set free based on merit you're set free based on his love His goodness my message remains the same doesn't it's like good Lord Jude it just keeps preaching the same stinking message that's right faith comes by hearing and hearing and hearing and hearing something inside of me says if I can just keep putting Jesus out there eventually we'll all go either Jesus is enough or he isn't see I'm here's what I'm gonna do for the next 30 years we're just gonna keep saying either Jesus can help you or he can't last night last night I was preaching this message a little bit different it's better now and as preaching this and cried through most of the sermon and I went in the back room I just started crying I was crying for you just and I'm an emotional guy but I'm crying and don't god I said god these are your people and if you don't set them free nobody else can you know how hurting they are some of you it's how you hate yourself god I hate what I've become I hate what I did in my wife hey brother do my kids hate run into my husband I hate it and I've seen the pain and the anguish on your face I can see it and he's a God is enough where he's not if he's not leave now stop coming to church this is just a shenanigan it's just a religious tradition we're just going through a routine it's lifeless what if he's enough well then then that changes everything here's what I believe will happen in these last days there will be a rise in a surge in the preaching of Jesus plus nothing is the answer to humanity that's what I believe is happening right now on the planet it's happening it's happening people are going either he's God or he's not but if he's God he's everything I'll ever need and he'll see me through I end with this story Jesus and the whole story of recorded in Matthew Mark Luke and John the synoptic Gospels and then John's Gospel he we see the story of Jesus going to the cross and every scene everything seems to kind of be hand-in-hand and then there's this one character that seems to interrupts the narrative Jesus is on his way he's gonna go to the cross and then there's the sky his name's Barabbas you don't even know much about him except that he's a murderer a leader of an insurrection a rebel and why he's even mentioned sometimes I'm not so sure it's like let's this is about Jesus and going to the cross and there's this little story that unfolds and a couple of the Gospels give it a few more details than the others what it was is Pilate y'all remember Pilate leader in Rome and he regional leader and he he comes to Jesus and they've accused him of you know King of the Jews and all this and mocking their God and so he says are you the King of the Jews is it as you say Jesus says and then John 19:11 Pilate ends up saying like Do You Know Who I am because Jesus gets really quiet do you member pots like I want to know your bio I don't know where you're from I wanna know your details and and he says are you not speaking to me do you not know that I have the power to crucify you or the power to release you and look what Jesus says I love this part you could have no power at all against me unless it was given to you from above other words this is not a tragedy Pilate Pilate you are not in control in a funny ironic twist you're not the pilot here you're not driving this buddy this is my father don't be fooled this wasn't a murder the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was not a murder it was not a tragedy was the plan and purpose of an almighty loving gracious God so in this moment Pilate thinks I hold the destinies of these two men in my hand I know the Jews have a tradition that on a holy day I will release one of the prisoners on death row whichever one who wins the popularity contest so in a weird almost heretical twist of events Pilate stands on this audacious stage the Golden Irvin the audacity of this Roman leader who now presents Jesus son of the Living God versus Barabbas the thug and rebel he says all right Jews who do you want who should I set free when I've read this passage I thought god this should not be why I even had this part the heresy the blasphemy that Jesus the Son of the Living God God in flesh and bone moments before his death he would have to endure a popular vote a popularity contest is this American Idol or redemption this is blasphemy this is this has gone too far there's no comparison this is a rightful prisoner a man who should be on death row he's a rebel against Rome he leads a rebellion he murders people he's a bad man he's a thug and he's a crook and he deserves the chains and he deserves the crucifixion Jesus what has he done but he'll restore deliver set free open blind eyes open deaf ears heal the lame and the leper what what is Jesus done who do you want Jews I think sometimes even beyond their owner standing there they were mustered by some of the religious leaders and we were all Barabbas yeah give us Barabbas Pilate thinks well the people have spoken wasn't the people that decided just like it wasn't Roman soldiers that put the hands and feet of Jesus on a cross it was love it was sovereignty it was God people say give us Barabbas the Roman soldiers come up the people have spoken he won the vote and they put the key in and they unlocked Barabbas from his chains and shackles and he walks down the platform welcomed by all of his thug friends yeah the people loved me yes for I only know who this Jesus guy is but all I know is my people love me there is there seems to be no conscience in Barabbas there's no record of him turning to Jesus and saying I owe you everything now for you have set me free now I don't see any of that in Barabbas and God knew that have you read stories in the Bible even growing up hearing sermons of people who they had some nobility they had some merit they had some faith they had some goodness they it's it's as if you could say they were worth saving but Barabbas what did Barabbas deserve what did Barabbas do to deserve freedom and liberty Jesus stood there silent for he knew the will of the Father he said it's fine father let him have Barabbas for jesus knew that the father would have to treat Jesus like Barabbas so he could treat Barabbas like Jesus Pilate thought he was the leader of this vote Barabbas thought it was the people that set him free no no no no it was the love of a Heavenly Father how that said would take him even at the warnings of his own wife take him scourge him whip him mutilate him beat him hang him on a cross see when I look at this story I realized who Barabbas really is he seems to pop up in the middle of the most important portion of the gospel he pops up then he disappears but I finally figured out who Barabbas is that's me that's you that's us you know the named Barabbas means son of a father that's you that's me were just an average everyday descendant of Adam born in sin son of some good dads or maybe some not so good dads we're just an average everyday person and frankly any bondage any chains where is of our own doing and we deserve it Jesus he's the father's son he's the rightful inheritor he's perfection personified deserves all glory and honor and esteem and worship and praise and power but he lets the thug the undeserving arrogant self-sufficient thug go free not Barabbas Jesus no yes I love Barabbas what I love Barabbas I'll be honest I never thought this way I read this passage recently and I'm going jesus loves it pleased the father please hear me I would never understand the height the width and lengthen the depth of the love of God for we have no record that Barabbas ever turned to God or ever even acknowledged the sacrifice of his almighty son but God loved Barabbas what and I felt I was reading this the other day and I felt God speak to me I loved Barabbas I loved him but God he's bad I loved him and I wanted to him to go free but didn't you know that he probably would have never acknowledged the free get yeah but I loved her happens for how we were still sinners Christ died for us God sent his son for Barabbas even the ones he knew would walk away from Jesus and his free gift and never come back he loves them and the null and Girt that the nerve the gall and the audacity of believers to think I got saved by grace but now that I'm in this deep dark place of bondage how about a work hard to get myself out that's the opposite of the gospel are you bound are you held under the power of this temptation that's in the sexual urges do you feel like it's controlling you what are you gonna do Samson I'm gonna shake myself free stop it no you won't you're no match for the powers of hell and the urges of sin and sexual temptation you will not overcome it and you will never overcome it you'll just be another statistic there's no answer within yourself your own marriage your own goodness your own discipline your own devotion will not save your marriage and will not save your kids there's only one and he's the one that took your place he's the one that stood silently on the platform with Pilate and said yes let him have Barabbas take me how many times have I stood on that platform with Pilate in Jesus and I'm the Barabbas and they started to take my chains off and I say no no I deserve this I deserve the guilt I deserved the shame I deserved the consequence I deserve it and Jesus seems to look at me say no son let me have it let me have your sin let me have your pain no God I did it to myself I deserve it my marriage won't make me this is what I deserve I deserve divorce I deserve poverty I deserve sickness I deserve it all know he says give it to me son though I know I don't want to can I find myself at times holding on to my own chains how sick is that but somehow it satisfies the self-righteous religious part of me that's just know I I deserve this I've got to work I've got to try harder I'm gonna do better no no no Jesus son give me your sin I want it no God no God I can't fathom this Jesus wants your sin give it to me son god I'm so ashamed give me your shame but God what if I do it again I still be here oh my god I don't want to hurt you I love you I I don't want to do this anymore give me your sins this is all we got it's all I got it's all you got we can play games we can play Church games we can pretend like some people are better than others and that's why they're blessed or we can all come to the honest conclusion that it's God it is God alone the challenge I have is believing it's this good the greatest challenge is not your discipline your devotion your focus your greatest challenges believe in the gospel could it be that there's a God with a love so scandalous so wide so deep so vast so high so expansive so welcoming so inclusive let me have your sins son okay when I give it my sin and I stand in this empty space of forgiveness and acceptance why Jesus walks off to the cross that I deserve I see him I see him walking to the post to be whipped as I stand a free man all the attention is turned now and I feel the love of God saying go son live your life I'll pay the price where do we get off thinking that we were gonna set ourselves free it's still Jesus it'll always be Jesus it'll never stop being the power of Jesus if his blood is sufficient for your salvation his blood is sufficient to sustain you through every challenge and every sin and every temptation Jesus is enough [Music] he wants your sin today crazy is that let him have it it's so hard it's so humbling God here's my sin I got it son see you're already forgiven but it's like forgiving yourself isn't it and letting them quit holding it on its it's done

Channel: Arnold Mukisa

Views: 51,936

Rating: 4.9313726 out of 5

Keywords: #Judah Smith, Jesus, Barabbas, Jesus is loving, #JesusisLovingBarabbas

Id: EWxDViYKoB4

Length: 44min 17sec (2657 seconds)

Published: Sat Oct 12 2019