Positioned to Party // Judah Smith

you know every time we get together as a community it is an absolute thrill for me I feel so blessed to be a part of this community I just want to remind you I'm not just a speaker at this community or or personality I'm a part of this church this church has changed my life some of my best friends are in this room as I speak and I love them very very much and so thank you thank you for being who you are can I just say we have an app now that we've launched and on there you can put prayer requests and I think we've prayed over 75,000 prayers or something like that reading your prayer requests has been so moving for me thank you for sharing your journey thank you for sharing your heart thank you for being so vulnerable and honest it's been it's been an extraordinary season and I know there are so many that we're hearing from this is a very difficult season and we're praying for you in this season and why wouldn't we believe think about the alternative why wouldn't we believe that 2019 would actually be the best year of our life like what's I'm a hundred percent committed to that and my friend Ryan Basford is here he's looking for a seat are you looking for a seat Ryan Ryan is one of the original you know 2025 guys that showed it and he still still you found what you found a seat you found the seat ladies gentleman that's Ryan Basford he is single you are single right now right you say technically bro we do not have time for a counseling session right I think you can't say technically man takes you off the market immediately complicates the whole thing I was trying to do for you I'm excited to share the story of Jesus with you you're gonna find out real quick if you don't know already a church home is a Jesus place I am convinced that Jesus is God and that he's completely changed my life and that he's the only one that can forgive me of my err am I wrong in my sin and so every day the big idea in my life is to live love and look like Jesus I want to be more like Jesus I want to follow Jesus as my leader and as my savior and so if you're already thinking ah man that is not me at all I do not believe in Jesus the awesome thing about church home is this is a wide-open space and we are here first of all to celebrate humanity and we're just glad that you're here and no matter what you believe about God or theology or philosophy we got way more in common than we don't we were all human beings trying to figure out this life in this awesome best-ever town of Los Angeles it's not really a town but I like the term town tis the season Luke chapter 15 we've been going to this particular passage for several weeks now and I'd like to go there again I promise you I keep intending to not preach from Luke 15 I ran into a couple of friends at a at a Roma cafe on Tujunga in in the valley and they were like oh hey pastor yeah we're just doing a Bible study and I'm like really what pastors they were like Luke 15 oh my god all right that was too easy so we've been talking so much about Luke 15 people are lying about having Bible studies around Luke they were not they were they had bad they had no Bible study going on but anyways Luke chapter 15 it is here that Jesus explains why he hangs out with non Church people why he hangs out with people who don't go to church why he hangs out with people who had bad reputations who were looked down upon by other church people and he tells a parable when it's got three parts he tells about a shepherd with some sheep a woman with a coin collection and a father with two sons maybe you've heard of the the the third and final part of the parable it's called the prodigal son by most people and I want to jump in the nighted we're gonna focus not on the younger son but the older son tonight and I'm gonna title this sermon position to party bare with me but ya already getting I already getting some excitement position to party and I'm gonna work from a premise tonight that might be somewhat unorthodox and here's my premise we do not celebrate enough in community that's the that's the that's the very simple premise we will be working from and by the conclusion of the next two hours and 25 minutes what I'd like to show you something like it feels like that okay relax I'd like to show you that I think a big part of our spiritual journey is about celebration is about partying is about being together Luke chapter 15 and what we'll start reading in verse 22 the the prodigal son has now come home from a far country he's wasted all the inheritance his father gave him we'll just keep that brief there's so much more context we could give and so we'll jump in kind of mid mid story here it says the son comes home he has this pathetic speech about I'm not worthy and the father's response is get the best robe put the jewelry on his finger ring on his finger and put the shoes on his feet verse 23 bring the filet mignon let's let's kill it let's eat and notice the word celebrate verse 24 says the father declares here is the basis for the celebration here's why we're going to party because my son was dead now he's alive my son was lost and now he's found and they began to celebrate quickly the camera pans we go from this incredible celebration party music dancing and now the camera pans out into the field and we find the other son this is now his oldest son was in the field as he came into near to the house he heard music and dancing and he called one of the servants and asked him what in the world is going on he said oh you haven't heard your brothers come home and your father has killed the fatted calf because he's received him back safe and sound and he was angry he was angry and talked about our emotions tonight he was angry he was angry and refused to party he was angry and refused to celebrate so his father leaves the party comes out to the field and entreats him pleads with him son come join the celebration come join the party and he answered his father says look look these many years I've served you I've never disobeyed your commands yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends but look this kid comes home who has devoured your property with prostitutes by the way that was a news flash that the older brother wanted the dad to know dad didn't maybe know those details but the older brothers like and you what you didn't know is he was out there with some prostitutes right I mean he wanted to get into the nitty-gritty and he says and and and you don't give him a goat you give him the special calf we have been fattening up for the ultimate party the father says son you're always with me you always been here and all that is mine is yours and here's the conclusion of the entire explanation of why Jesus hangs out with people that don't go to church it was fitting to celebrate and be glad notice the repetition he says it again for this your brother was dead and is alive he was lost and is found two times now the father tells us the reason for the party the father tells us the reason for the celebration now remember Jesus he wrote he's the author of this parable he's the author of the story and his audience is almost all Jewish individuals but there's two kinds of Jewish people listening there are the church people and the non church people there are the teachers of the Torah the first five books of the Bible and there are how should I say disreputable people from the streets Jesus is trying to explain to the church people why the people that aren't in church are his friends and two times Jesus authors the story and wants the father two times for emphasis to tell us the reason this unusual celebration is happening is because why his son was dead and that was alive was lost and is found that will be essential as we conclude in a few minutes to remind ourselves that at anytime you see redundancy in Scripture it is there for emphasis in fact it's verse 24 and verse 32 only eight verses later the father is recorded saying essentially the same thing why the emphasis from Jesus I think there's something there that will help stabilize our emotions more than you realize my subtitle tonight I don't always have subtitles but for some reason I have a subtitle and that is that stability and satisfaction is not far away from you emotional stability and eternal satisfaction is not as far away from you as you think it is I'm gonna try to prove that tonight emotional spiritual stability and contentment and satisfaction are not as far away from you as they feel you and I are positioned to party join me in prayer Jesus thank you for the moments that we share we thank you so much for your grace your love your care and concern for us we ask that you would speak to us tonight show us things about you we've never seen Lord wherever we are in the spiritual spectrum pray tonight that we would sense your reality your goodness and your grace Lord thank you for the Seattle Seahawks help us clinch that playoff berth and San Fran and help Ryan Basford to not technically not be dating someone in Jesus name Amen I know what that means I love you so much I do have permission to talk to him from the stage is that true this is true he's totally okay with it so I do not have permission from Ryan good that's why I don't talk to Ryan but have you um have you ever felt sabotage by your own emotions never felt sabotage by your own emotions like you got to live with you and you realize that the common denominator and every party that goes south is you the common denominator in terms of the wet blanket is you right you just keep sabotaging yourself and for instance chelsa nine years ago I've totally changed as a husband this many many years ago we were eating dinner at a nice place that I enjoy and the meal had just come but the emotions were escalating and Chelsea was saying something that I'm sure was heretical and unbiblical and I could not get her to submit to me as the head of the home relax everyone generosity war it's alkaline no we're we're in a an argument and I'm gonna tell you maybe Chelsea doesn't play and you do not want to get in like Ament mental gymnastics with Chelsea you're going to lose she's gonna stick the landing okay I mean she's gonna get the gold medal you just can't win and it's very difficult but I was triumph and what I do when I'm losing an argument I just get louder and more emotional because I feel like that's somehow I'll drown her out it didn't work and so I stand up from the table now I'm you know I'm I don't want to make a scene because someone from church might be in the restaurant and I've got to be a dignified man of God so I just kind of stand up and she goes where are you going and I say nothing right I love that the non answer is it's it's gonna cause her pain where are you going I just I walk out of the restaurant it's in Seattle looks like drizzling rainy right and I'm like walking and you and in my brain I'm like where am I going I don't even know and then I'm like I really love that food why am I not back in there eating this is dumb turn around no I can't turn around I can't turn around I gotta prove to her if this is real so I start walking down the street right Chelsea is so gracious she gets in the car probably tells the server hey we'll be back in a few minutes could you could you not give our table and all of our food away and so and so before you know at Chelsea's now she's found me and she's driving alongside him you know pretending like she's not there the entire time this is happening this only happened once or 10 times but the entire time in life what are you doing I don't like getting rained on you know ii mean like i don't why am i doing i'm so hungry i really wanted to have a date night but everything is like now you gotta prove to her chelsea rolls down the window and she's laughing what are you doing him like nothing which by the way when you say nothing that means everything nothing and she's just laughs she's like just get back in the car and I'm like I can't I would love to do that you know my just all these emotions like I don't know where I'm going like I'm just walking and I'm a big scaredy cat so like she knows I'm not gonna walk for long because I'm not a fighter I'm a lover if someone wants to fight don't be like take everything so like I've just that thing and I'm not good by myself so she's like get in the car and eventually I like get in the car but I'm like leaned against the glass and and Chelsea's always the most spiritual you know she's like oh babe will you forgive me I'm so sorry and but then you know it's like the timetable it's it's too fast I don't know you can't do not now we can't make up I need to this has to be drawn out a little longer and I'm like I'm not I'm not ready for that you know it works out and Chelsey finally gets me to come around and act like an adult and you go to bed that night and you're like why did I ruin a perfectly good night have you ever sabotage been sabotage by your own emotion you just can't stabilize them you can't get it together I have lost count how many times I have ruined a perfectly good day or a perfectly good evening with my emotions that I can't seem to calm have you ever you ever been in a place emotionally where you can't seem to enjoy what everyone else is enjoy and you're just like and then you know what you tell yourself you tell yourself like no one no one sees what I'm going through at this restaurant right now this is unbelievable right and everyone else is is easily enjoying and you oh my goodness if I had a dollar for every time that happened I'd have like 150 bucks like I don't know where I was going with a dollar that's not that impressive an amount but I've sabotaged myself a lot of times with my emotions have you ever asked yourself if I believe in Jesus many of us in this room we believe in Jesus we believe that Jesus is God he put on skin and bone moved in the neighborhood became sin so that we could become right with God he would set us in right relationship with God forever and ever he will forgive us forever he will be with us forever and though we are in difficult times on this earth the time will come we will we will be ushered into eternity where there will be no problems there will be no pain there will be no sin there'll be no dick this there will be no diseases there will be note that it'll be Pirtle be utopia and-and-and-and-and but why can I not find stability on the inside if I believe in Jesus have you ever had that that lets self talk moment like well I why can I not kind of find contentment or satisfaction or stability it's an unusual time because I think growing up as kids as children Christmastime holiday season Thanksgiving it's it's the most wonderful time of the year right and then you grow up and you're like all of the lights and all the stuff seems to be a reminder that it life kinda doesn't deliver Santa never comes you know like and it is amazing how it's this season of all seasons that actually can take us to a very desperate place emotionally and it's like I believe that baby Jesus came Bethlehem I believe that he was he was he was raised by Mary and Joseph I believe that he became a man I believe that he grade three years of ministry he'll be I believe he was put on the cross became sin buried for three days rose again ascended into heaven seated at the right hand of God on high he's totally in control why can't I get it together in December why can't I stabilize my emotions maybe you're like me December for now eight years has been a difficult season December 19th will be I believe eight or nine years since my dad passed into eternity and his will be on that day where you know if you see me on the streets December 19th be nice because I'm a little you know a little edgy a little touchy because it's like really really God and you just feel a little shaken maybe you're here tonight and if you were honest you'd say Judah I believe in God some things I'm pretty sure of but the truth is on the inside I feel shaken on the inside I feel unsettled on the inside I don't feel satisfaction on the inside IIIi don't feel settled and and I'd like to I want to say this city it's not gonna be overnight but I would like to show you a truth that might be able to change everything in regards to your perspective I do not believe that the stability and satisfaction and internal ease you and I both crave is that far away I don't believe it's that far away I want to show you in Scripture we're gonna go through a few verses site and then we'll work our way all the way back to our parable all the way back to the words of Jesus to his audience and we will end there and I'd like to show you what I believe is the antidote and the answer to the emotional upheaval you may be facing right now it is not lost on me as the pastor of this community that a very significant amount I don't want to say majority because I don't know that for sure but a very significant amount of prayer requests I'll go out there to say think probably is the most amount of prayer requests are about what's happening on the inside fear worry anxiety not satisfied not fulfilled ambiguous things aren't clear I feel cloudy I don't feel well it's mental emotional upheaval and unsettledness I suppose the pastor of this church I want you know I'm hearing you loud and clear and together I would like us to continue to journey further into the things of Jesus to see what maybe we might be missing about what he offers for each and every one of us before I go any further I want to say something I understand that it is when we start talking about internal anguish and difficulty there are levels and I thank God for professionals I thank God for those who have been educated and it prepared themselves to help people who are going through incredible mental anguish there are people here what you're going through is not just a bad month it's in the fight of your life in your brain and in your mind and in your heart and I want you to know that you are on our mind as a leadership team I'm praying for you it is real what you're going through and I also recognize that in one night in Beverly Hills of the Saban theater we cannot play pretend to think that in just one 45 minutes someone's like I wish you would speak for 45 minutes but in one 45 minute sermon that this is just gonna go away that's why we need each other and I want to say that from the outset there are people up under some incredible profound acute mental distress and you're on my mind this season and we are praying for you and you are courageous and the fact that you're even sitting in this theater or you're watching this online is extraordinary to me it's extraordinary to me that you're still putting one foot in front of the other saying God if you're there I need a miracle and I believe in a God who works miracles [Applause] so I feel shaken what do I do I want to take you to Hebrews chapter 12 and there's much to be said about the context of these verses Tom doesn't permit tonight but it says this bear with me were jumping in kind of mid mid story statement phrases so there's some that some things that might get missed in translation but the writer of Hebrews says yet once more indicates the removal of things that are shaken that is things that have been made in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain to paraphrase this verse this verse is telling us that things that can be shaken will be shaken in this life but what will remain is those things that cannot be shaken ie those things which are eternal let's say something about this earth say something about this planet there's a lot of shakin goin on there's a lot of shakin goin on there's never been so much shaking in our church I've been talking to pastors and leaders and friends and and even leaders within this community it is astronomical how many people are going through some of the difficult most difficult weeks and days and seasons of their entire life we've experienced things at one point it had been like a two-week stretch in our church and I literally went to God oh so god I can't take one more text or call about a horrific event or tragedy or travesty or difficulty it's too much I just need a day where things are relatively okay now big picture we know that's never true on this earth there's always pain and difficulty but if you haven't noticed lately there's a lot of shaking going on maybe you feel shook to your core tonight can I remind you of what cannot be shaken here's what cannot be shaken here's what the Bible says even if you feel like it's being removed even though you feel like it might be disintegrating I'm gonna tell you what cannot be shaken it says therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that not be shaken so the Bible says though you may feel shaken in your emotions and you may be feel shaken in your trajectory in your journey in the steps that you're taking in your occupation in your relationships in your emotions and in your mind the Bible makes it very clear there is one thing that is never shaken no matter what happens in culture no matter what happens in your soul no matter what happens in your mind I'm a priest tonight I'm just I already I'm just gonna tell you that I'm a priest tonight I'd like to tea don't you preach every night yeah it's a figure of speech that I used growing up because we were care as maniacs but I'm a preach tonight I'm a preach tonight he says we ought to be grateful that's a great emotion we ought to be grateful cuz we don't earn a place in the kingdom we receive a place in the kingdom and that domain where the King reigns cannot be removed though the walls are threatened this domain ruled by the king of kings cannot be thwarted or shaken not one brick will be removed from the walls of this kingdom the Bible says God sits in the heavens and he laughs at his enemies that is not to say that God laughs and mocks people it is to say that God is so God all by himself he doesn't need anybody else and anyone that would seek to thwart or come against his kingdom he finds it's comical because it is impossible the kingdom will not be shaken it has never been shaken nor will it ever be shaken the Bible says he sits in the heavens and the earth is his ottoman the earth is his ottoman want to give you a perspective no matter what you're facing and we're here tonight up under the idea that we are worshiping a God who kicks up his heels on our planet well he is in control and that's the understatement of the evening he is in control there has not been moment during this unique stretch in our nation's history where God has thought to himself I'm gonna have to redo my plan I'm gonna have to reassess my approach I'm gonna have to rethink oh no never cannot be shaken it cannot be shaken what's the kingdom what's the kingdom before we specifically define what this kingdom is let's remind ourselves and generically speaking what is a kingdom a kingdom is the domain of a king it's the king's domain it's the king's domain and wherever the domain is the king is sovereign there he is sovereign there and he is in control there and he is in charge there it also is prudent upon the king he realizes his responsibility to protect wherever his domain extends he will care for those in his domain so if you feel shaken tonight I do want to remind you that the Bible is explicit there's one thing that cannot be shaken and that is the domain of the King now who's under the kingdom who's in the kingdom what is not just generically the kingdom what is God's kingdom how is it defined your like is it in Northern Ireland is it in the is it in the islands of Maui where is this castle where is this domain and I'm not gonna lie I'm not gonna pull punches tonight sometimes it would be nice if there was just a castle with the drawbridge we could all just go and just be in a real place and be like are you in I'm in I feel better okay great but this is a it's not a visible domain it's it's it's it's it's it's it's invisible and supernatural so so Romans chapter 14 and verse 17 defines the kingdom for us I promise we're going somewhere just bear with me it says for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking I'm gonna tell you what's being said here what's being said here is to get up under the domain of this beautiful perfect righteous wonderful protecting provider King Jesus when you start talking about kingdom am I the only one that gets a picture of Aslan I'm just like oh I want to ride a sling you know like hold on to the main take me Lord you know but I think of this just stately Royal beautiful strong all-powerful but kind and empathetic and caring and compassionate he's our king who doesn't want to be in his kingdom what an honor to be in his kingdom but the writer of Romans says you don't get into his kingdom based on what you do the whole context here is there were people who actually believed that if I don't eat this and I don't drink this I'll have access into his kingdom but that is not how you gain access to this domain and when I say you want to be in this domain you want to be in this domain and I'm gonna do my best for the next few minutes to prove to you why you want to be a part of this invisible kingdom but this kingdom it's not a matter of he it's not a matter of what you do you don't gain access by your performance you don't gain access by natural means of what you eat don't eat what you drink what you don't that's silly that's silly that's petty that's impossible well you gain access to this kingdom you become a citizen of this kingdom by righteousness which results in peace and joy in the middle of his presence this is not only a description of how you gain access to this kingdom it's also a description of the essence of this kingdom you can identify where the king's domain is because their righteousness is celebrated and apparent and the results are two thirds of motional there is peace and there is joy and there is a sense of his presence that's the king's domain there are people in this room right now you're like I like the vibe of this room I'm gonna tell you why you like the vibe of this room at the risk of sounding incredibly spiritual the reason you like the vibe of this room is because righteousness is celebrated here and it results in a peace and joy that is inexplicable it's Kingdom it's not my kingdom it's not anybody else's kingdom is hidden run by Judas and run by a board this is run by Jesus he's the king and we're gonna do it we're gonna we're doing our best to follow the king and the king it's it's its righteousness look what it says in verse 18 very next verse it says whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men so the writer of Romans says it's from this kingdom that you serve Jesus now let me explain this just for a few moments we won't take long the kingdom of God is righteousness peace and joy what is righteousness what is righteousness there's been so much error over the centuries of the church because we've made righteousness synonymous with sanctification meaning we have made righteousness a ribbon to earn by your performance but that is not it just said you can't get into the kingdom by what you do or don't do what you eat or don't drink so righteousness cannot be based on your performance righteousness is a positional term in Scripture please hear me it's a positional term in Scripture it's a positional term it's not a performance term please hear me it's a positional term it's not a performance term these are the two most important words I'm going to say that other than Jesus Christ is Lord it is not a performance term it's a positional term I would like to prove to you the next few minutes why some of us cannot get a hold of ourselves emotionally is because we're still connecting our peace and joy to our performance and we've not recognized we could connect it to our position you don't get into the kingdom because you can scale the wall and run fast you only gain access to the domain of this wonderful King by receiving the position his performance has granted you the biggest problem in the world is that our relationship with creator is fractured that's the biggest problem in the universe that the centerpiece of God's creation things are not right between the created and the Creator that's our biggest problem and it plays out in all kinds of symptoms in our lifestyle but what is eating us on the inside is that whether we know it or not subconsciously or consciously I am NOT right with the one who put my lips hips and fingertips together and that haunts me and I know something's off and wrong but here's the problem the Bible says all all men have fallen short all men and women have sinned and fallen short of God's glory and in other words we are incapable of getting right with God we can't find God God has to find us right I can't I can't again I can't find Playa Vista without Google without Google Maps let alone find God God found us and the Bible says said Corinthians 5:21 he who knew no sin became sin so that you and I might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus it's this really important biblical term called imputed righteousness imputed righteousness dear Jesus this is why the news and the story is good nobody else preaches this but Jesus followers we believe that you become a part of his family by simply receiving gifted standing with God and it's to this day it's hard for people to believe it even people who love Jesus what why some weeks we come so discouraged to church and why other weeks there's a number of different reasons but oftentimes it's because we've had a bad quote-unquote bad week I didn't do good I didn't do right and perpetually by nature our emotions are all tied up with our performance but the kingdom of God the essence of the kingdom of God is not performance its position its righteousness I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus in a few moments I want to show you again well I think we still in church home do not talk enough about the position that only Jesus offers us with God it is righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost no jump over to Matthew 6:33 many people this is their favorite verse it says but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness I'm gonna taste something about this verse the kingdom of God and His righteousness is essentially the same thing here in this verse it's saying the kingdom of God is his righteousness the essence of the king the access to the kingdom the backbone of the kingdom the foundation of the kingdom is his righteousness and he became sin so we could take his righteousness so that we could be right with God so seek seek first righteousness we've got to focus on gifted righteousness and we need to redo that we need to read re rehearse this and review this remember this more and more and more I am Paul says Who I am by the grace of God I stand where I stand with God I'm a friend of God not because of what I've done or haven't done I'm a friend of God I have a relationship with Jesus I am right with God eternally because of the performance of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago and by simply accepting that and receiving that I'm his and watch this comma all these things will be added all these things and I've said this before but our relationship to all these things is supposed to be different than any other people group in the world everybody else is running around this town talking about all these things all these things who I need all these things who I need all these things and by the way there's nothing wrong all these things people over the years of like clothes are bad cars are bad houses are bad no they're not money is neither good nor bad it's what you do with it we wouldn't be in the Sivan theater if you didn't have money to donate to church home so we can meet here right likeness that all these things will come they'll be added but we're not supposed to seek them and the word seek means to come around it means to go around it means to enquire it means to go after it means to look into when's the last time you just went around the concept of righteousness what's the last time you just kind of looked into it like man I'm not really right with God when's the last time you got together for some chick-fil-a that that was a free plug a chick-fil-a and some special sauce and just talked about righteousness I know what we do can I be honest Church can I be honest with church home I'll tell you what we do we usually get together and we can still have the nuggets and the special sauce but what do we usually get together talk about complain talk about a few people just so we can be prayerful about their life I'd do it too I'd do it too and and then we talked about how we we putting in some girl we working on ourselves that we were gonna work on me how you been doing I've been - I've been doing a little bit I had had hadn't hadn't lost my mind lately I've been I've been pretty good and you know what there is nothing wrong would you talk about what you're working on there is nothing wrong with talking about some things that are difficult in your life but the overwhelming evidence of Scripture is that we would orient our life our mind mentality and our Burbidge and vernacular around what has been gifted to us but that is counterintuitive because I want the illusion of control even while I'm following Jesus and so that illusion comes out when I'm in conversation because I want to tell people I'm working on me and if I can work on me I feel better about me when I see that you're not working on you and it'll make me feel better and it feeds my flesh not my spirit and so we have Christian elitists rolling around town and they forgot that the only reason they're in the kingdom of God is not because of what they don't smoke or do smoke or drink or eating they're getting them to do with that it's because you accepted the performance of Jesus that got you into the kingdom it's free gift that's why it's good news right so seek first I'm here to announce again to church how we are going to orient sermons and songs and content around righteousness that's where the power is to live with transcendent peace and joy in his immediate presence as crazy is what's crazy is that it says that the kingdom of God is righteousness peace and joy that word peace means prosperity of soul my brothers our sisters third John says I wish that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers peace the peace there means a prosperity in your soul are you reaching your soul are you wealthy in your soul focusing on righteousness will make you rich on the inside I don't mind being rich on the outside but if I had to choose I want to be a billionaire on the inside I want to be wealthy on the inside and and then and and and and the joy the word joy there means calm delight I mean when have you ever met someone who has calm delight that you're like I cannot stand them I seriously can't stand them how annoying are they calm delight it's like what we're all looking for in this life think about it when you find someone who's secure call delightful kind encouraging you're like oh my god can we be friends forever like I have a half a heart you take a half a heart and let's never stop talking to each other like I calm delight oh my word that's like by the way if you're single that should be at the top of your list calm delight so how would you describe this person you're dating they're like a calm delight Oh Miriam elope now don't you go home and tell your parents I told you fly back to Oklahoma for the holidays but you said to elope so we did oh don't do that don't do that to me do that to me all these things will be added and I conclude I'm done let's go back to the story now because I saw something today in the Von's parking lot it's true my kids were getting white elephant gifts for tonight and and yeah Youth youth culture by the way this is to honor my son Zion said dad do you think I can hold you think I can breathe underwater what would you bet me I'm like your mom said I can't bet you anymore I don't say that because that's true he's like look breathing underwater so it's a good one son it's a good one so it got me I'll be honest he won but I saw this in the Von's parking lot I never I've never seen it before and um because I look at this older son and his emotional disposition I can relate with just let's have some fun just for a moment tease out a little bit he's coming from the field but he hasn't gone in the house so he's not even enjoying his work and he's not even enjoying his play he's officially in between emotionally he can't enjoy the field and he can't enjoy his home he is filled with contempt he's filled with anger he's unsettled he's shaken he's disturbed he's angry he's mad he's and I'm thinking I can relate to that I feel like that guy though I live in the father's house though I love Jesus oftentimes I feel like and it may not be because somebody else is getting blessed and I'm not it could be a number of different reasons but I know what it's like to be in an emotional place where I can't enjoy what I do for work and I can't enjoy what I do for play I can't enjoy resting and I can't enjoy what I need a vacation from my vacation can't enjoy my kids can't enjoy my beautiful wife can't enjoy preaching can't enjoy thinking writing golfing I can't what what is going on just like our Heavenly Father he comes out to entreat the man who is unsettled emotionally and treat his son he says come on in come celebrate he can't even join the party I can't I I can't I can't I can't I can't I can't and watch how quickly he gets tunnel vision this is a dead giveaway when you're unset it on the inside you start comparing yourself and all he can think about as a goat when he lives on an opulent ranch he says I can't even get a goat and this boy comes home with prostitute boy one of the dead giveaways you're on set on inside even though you love Jesus is you can't control your tongue you just start running your mouth about other people in a church well you know he was doing and you know he was doing and he was doing it except righteous doesn't be loved because I don't feel settled anywhere I've can't so then I'm gonna project and in in somehow maybe I'll go that route to find no that's not the answer and and then I saw for the first time because I've often wondered about verse 24 and verse 32 verse 24 and verse 32 because verse 24 and verse 32 written by Jesus is the father's way of saying here is why we're celebrating get ready for it he said here's why the celebration that's happening right now that I know doesn't make sense to his sibling here's why we're doing it he was dead now he's alive he was lost now he's found that's it yeah that's the theme of the whole party but what about what he did Oh son you you thought the party was about his performance you thought we were celebrating what he did in the faraway country well that's forgotten I covered that in fact you can't even smell the pig on him anymore we put that real nice robe on him how could you Oh son the party is not about his performance the party is about his position he's my son the party's not about what the son did the party is about Pima son and his position went from dead to alive lost to found now come on in and we never see him join the party but I'd like to conclude for you and me I think we have every right no matter how much anguish we're feeling in between the field in the home I'm here to tell you we can all party like this all right so this has got nothing to do with this performance no no no it's got everything to do with my performance not his no no no no no no all of this is a precursor all of this is a neon sign pointing the audience that Jesus is speaking to in real time to a savior who would do for them what they could not do for themselves and so why they stay in the performance mindset the party makes no sense but when you understand righteousness you're my son that's why we're celebrating oh man we've assimilated so much of our Western world in terms of self-help and development and growth and getting better and discipleship sometimes as a term used to just better ourselves we have abdicated our god-given mandate and right to party because of our position and I'd like to recommend that there's got to be a reason all three of these parts of this parable end with what a party that's called redundancy for emphasis where's the party in the church well we we everyone just calm down for a second we gonna party when things get right what we we gonna party and we have taken the teachings of Paul which says that people to get on the platform should have a certain lifestyle that people could respect and we have taken that standard and we flung it across the whole church and now no one is allowed to celebrate that they're right with God simply by Jesus performance they are demanded that their performance line up and only then will we actually celebrate you in community and that's not the gospel if we're not careful we gonna be out in the field talking about what's happened to the church and what is God doing this is weird it's not weird it's the gospel I am let us all be set free to celebrate our position and you know what you'll find and I know your brains gonna be like I'm not doing real great though in my performance but we out here at the Cheesecake Factory testing every flavor a cheesecake talking about Jesus Saves and heals and delivers but I know what I did last night and I don't know of anybody else that this cheesecake party knows but this strawberry cheesecake is good so I'm not gonna say a word but I'm just saying but it's your position please hear me it's your position gifted to you by Jesus that has the power to reform your lifestyle we keep putting performance instead of position and we're wondering why we love Jesus but we can't get it together on the inside the stability that you are looking for the satisfaction you're looking for has already been hand-delivered by Jesus what you and I need to do a better job of is throwing parties you said you know what you talking about I'm talking about book of Acts they that Apostles doctrine that is the gospel story they were daily house-to-house by the way there was food there somebody say Amen this is not just a singing faith word eatin faith in Jesus name and they shared good meals and they shared laughter and peace and joy and they sat around and they talked about Jesus can you imagine the early days of the church because it wasn't that long ago that Jesus was physically there can you imagine how the hair would stand up on their arms as they talked about real eyewitness accounts of the Messiah himself did you hear the one where he touched them he he laid his hands on the head of the children he blessed them and you know I was crying because I had one of my cousin's was there and he was a baby boy you know he's 18 now he remembers Jesus Jesus wait you were there when I was there he started levitating we were all freaking out but then he started he it was a little cloudy look not real cloudy the Middle East but it was low cloudy and sir going through the clouds and and I was like oh man oh man and but but then we knew because just a few days later you know we had the outpouring of the Spirit of Jesus and the presence of Jesus and he goes ah man I'm getting goose pimples oh I'm telling the story Jesus is so real man we're um we could have never fulfilled the law there was hundreds of laws we could never feel the love with Jesus became the law and he was once and for all sacrifice and so now we're free we're whom the Sun sets free is free indeed this is amazing by the way this pita and hummus is so good like why can't we be that kind of church we talked about we need to get more serious fair enough I'm just saying we do not celebrate according to the contents of this book near enough there is plenty of proof that says come on Church based on your position' it is time to celebrate what you have in Jesus let's talk about it let's sing about it let's eat around it let's pray about it let's post on the app about it I need you to talk about his righteousness you need me to talk about his righteousness and there will come peace and there will come joy and all these things will be added so I'll tell you what we're gonna do and I'm done it I basically did 45 minutes just don't look at the clock of the back so we're gonna start tonight and I want to set you free right now if you have simply accepted the free gift of Jesus and forgiveness you are righteous I don't care I mean I do care you know sound I'm saying in contrast I don't care what it is that you keep telling yourself you've done that won't allow you to celebrate no you have every god-given right based on your position' to celebrate this wonderful Jesus who has sets you free and it's completely sealed the deal for you eternally with him so we're gonna sing it we're not gonna sing because singing is something that church people do we're gonna sing we're gonna use it as a platform to party to celebrate lift up your voice and let's sing of his righteousness and his forgiveness and his love and his care I'm telling you I actually believe tonight in the subhan that things are gonna start happening to you on the inside they're gonna start happening to you on the inside Jesus I thank you so much your story is nothing short of astounding they're overwhelmed the night at the thought of you and what you do and what you provide God I'm asking for me personally and for every person here personally that you would help us to detach our emotions from our performance and intertwine our emotions to your performance to the position that you have given us oh I am Who I am by the performance of Jesus by the performance of Jesus thank you for righteousness if you're here tonight you said Judah I would like to accept righteousness I can't earn it I can't deserve it but I will accept it I'll accept what Jesus has done for me from this day forward I will begin the lifelong journey and into eternity of following Jesus this is what I want this is what I believe on the count of three I'm gonna ask you to lift up your hand and put it right back down you know who you are I ask you to raise your 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 one God loves you two you'll never be the same three if that's you shoot your hand up all over the auditorium that's me that's me that's me so many hands I receive righteousness thank you God anybody else when the balcony to the main floor that's me that's me god I thank you that salvation and righteousness flow freely here and your kingdom grows on and on and on we love you you are our King you are mighty you are strong you are a warrior and yet your heart is soft and kind and compassionate and loving and empathetic and you hear the cries of your children you hear the prayers you hear the pain you feel the pain you will never leave us nor forsake us it is our honor to be in your domain it is our honor to be subjects and citizens in your kingdom righteousness peace and joy in your presence will be our portion and I declare that over our church now meet us in the moments now as we sing in this auditorium in Jesus name if you're physically able or willing would you stand with us and let's join the musicians and the music team and let's sing out our praise to our King come on church hey everybody thank you so much for watching our YouTube channel to be honest it really means a lot it's kind of overwhelming to consider that you take time out of your life to listen to us tell the story of Jesus if you haven't already you can subscribe right here to the channel and get more of God's incredible love for you and his story up grace again I can't say it enough thank you so much for watching and hopefully we can do this again real soon

Channel: Churchome

Views: 19,666

Rating: 4.9170985 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: f1jFlnY2dko

Length: 57min 37sec (3457 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 20 2018