Results Aren't Everything // Judah Smith

we've been doing a collection of talks and if you're new to our space for the next few minutes I'm gonna tell the story of Jesus his love his grace his goodness and then the band's gonna come back and we're gonna sing songs that we believe are very true about our God but this environment is dedicated to one kind of person a human if you're human you you are welcome here and in some cases even some animals but if you're human you are welcome here I mean there's service animals and others but if you're a human we got way more in common than we don't I know you may feel like an outsider because you're like I don't even know if I believe in God or religion or I don't know what this is right now actually you and I were both humans and we're trying to figure out what the point of this whole thing is why am I on earth what is the point is it bigger than the 9 to 5 and the checking's and the savings is it bigger than a degree is a bigger than status is it bigger than career is it bigger than renown and we'd like to suggest that it is at the very least I believe you'll be encouraged tonight and you're gonna find out the answer to everything for this guy is Jesus and I believe he's real I believe he's God I believe he forgave me of my sins and I will never be the same again I am so in love with him he has made my life worth living so what we're doing is we're going to the teachings of Jesus and it's in Matthew chapter 10 in verse 39 we've used this verse to frame now six or seven different talks or sermons or messages and Matthew 1039 Jesus is quoted saying whoever finds his life that is whoever tries to control his life whoever tries to own his own life dictate his own life determine his own life direct his own life you'll lose it like saying through your hand but whoever lets go or loses or lays down his life because of what you have heard and seen in Jesus you'll actually find the life you're looking for you'll find the life Jesus is called later saying I've come that you might have life and more abundantly an abundant life for the life that Jesus offers is no ordinary life it is a life of deep lasting joy me satisfaction contentment and peace now if you don't want that you should I [Laughter] almost said and get out of here Mike no that's that negates what I just said if you want to go like you just said we're all welcome here not if you don't want that oh man I love you guys so much funny stories are coming to mind I got a move on but this is my first sermon as a 40 year old so I might lose my train of thought I might you to me over the hill man what are we gonna do so we've been talking about this verse you've been in church for any length of time a verse like this preaches well everybody likes it it's like let go your life lay down your life everybody's like let go lay down and it's like this is amazing all for Jesus and we have little crosses and we throw them in the fire and we're just like aah and then like we wake up the next morning we get in the minivan and we try to make it like to school and it's like I don't even know what that actually means though I threw a popsicle stick cross in a fire I said Jesus take take take it off like I did all of that and then what is that what does that mean I still brush my teeth I still mostly put on deodorant so what does it actually mean to let go and that's what we've been talking about so we've been going different stories in Jesus life and ministry to try to understand what would it actually mean to let go of your life to relinquish control to live a life of faith to live a life of trust and I'd like to take you to a very interesting story tonight it is actually the beginnings of the birth of Jesus and I want to look at Jesus temporary dad some call him stepdad he is Joseph we can call him Joe tonight but go with me to Matthew chapter 10 if you have a Bible excuse me Matthew chapter 1 and I want to read just a few verses and then make a few observations of what letting go your life really means so remember the title of these talks you haven't been around is what does letting go of my life mean I think it's funny because it's so obvious but anyways Matthew chapter 1 verse 18 now the birth of Jesus Christ took place this way when his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit and her husband Joseph being a just man unwilling to put her to shame resolved to divorce her quietly but as he considered these things behold aims of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Joseph son of David do not fear to take Mary as your wife for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit she will bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins so verse 24 oh and all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the Prophet behold the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel and verse 24 when Joseph woke up from sleep he did exactly as the angel and commanded him he took his wife which is to say he literally he took Mary and they they went home but he knew her not until she had given birth to a son and he called his name Jesus what does it mean to let go of your life I think it's pretty obvious in those few verses we just read Joseph had to let go of some very considerable things to allow Jesus into his life what does it mean to let go of your life in light of Jesus we pray with me god I love you so much I think you're so big and so real and so amazing and I just stopped for a moment to consider how many different things are on people's minds and hearts right now in this single moment how many things are on our radar on our to-do list how many things are weighing us down how many things are exciting us and thrilling us and how many things are stretching us thin and making us feel worried and fearful but I ask that you'd take this ordinary moment and you would use it to speak to those real life things we're experiencing speak to our real situation help us not just have church tonight we did not just need rhetoric or religious tradition and custom help us not just shout Amen and not actually absorb what's happening help us lure we love you the Hawks are going to London Jesus with the Raiders not too worried about them but help us to beat the Raiders and help the Rams lose everything in Jesus name I'm working through bitterness some of those calls were brutal on Sunday I'm just saying and I'm not gonna go there because you know what I'm gonna do oh that's right let it go it's my first day in my 40s and what I'm about to tell you happened on this day and it is 100% a true story approximately four hours ago I was finishing the the writing process of what is known as this servant why are you talking to a chromatic and I had my headphones on does anyone else get spooked when they have headphones on I always think I hear something I pull out my headphones my bag I'm very much that way little jumpy and so I'm listening to worship music and I'm praying for you by name that may be totally true but I'm praying for our church praying for tonight and I'm finishing up my thoughts and as God is my witness this is no word of a lie Jesus appears to me and I'm convinced it I'm not joking I'm thinking I knew it my heart starts to race my palms start sweaty this literally happened approximately four hours ago I'm not exaggerating and I'm gonna show you a picture of what I believed to be was an appearance of Jesus at my house can you see him please don't laugh this is real so I do you not see Jesus in the trees this or this happened four hours ago and I go oh my god Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus right cuz I'm like that's when you see him as they say holy holy holy holy so my heart starts poundin and I'm like this is he's come to he's come to speak to me this is I'm in my 40s I'd be Cup that's a significant number in the Bible and I'm like he's like he's in a robe Jesus is all I know it's him cuz he's in a row you think I'm joking so I'm like oh my god and then like Chelsea's in watching a movie but then that's true story she's a bunch in a movie she's watching Pearl Harbor and and it's true but I don't know what to say cuz I don't I don't and I'm like chill I I promise you this is real it's embarrassing but it's true so then if you pan out on the photo it's a window and I'm getting emotional is this all happened it not it along it's like how long did it take for you to realize that's a reflection of one of your outdoor umbrellas approximately two minutes one of the best two minutes of my life a hideous it was man I was like he's here holy holy holy so I kind of scoot closer to the window my if there was the video it would my life would be over and I get close to the window and I'm like I can't but why is this an angel but I think it's him and then I look close closer and I go like this and I look through the other window and I'm like that's the exact shape at the top of the umbrella but man am i ready to preach tonight because he has appeared to me it's a new one Braille of that man so what does it have to do with my sermon not a lot or if it was him everything it wasn't so back to Joseph what does it mean can't believe that happen what does it mean to let it go let it go let it go it's an umbrella Judah let it go what does it mean to let it go here we have of course not a story from the adult ministry life of Jesus but this is the virgin birth this is the supernatural birth I loved culture I loved customs traditions there I think there's a lot of beauty in all that but of course the virgin birth now not only is it obviously Christmas and the holidays it's this warm fuzzy wonderful scented candle Nativity it's just it's it's so warm and fuzzy and beautiful but of course when it actually happened it was a nightmare socially completely like Joseph's life is about to be over as he knows it notice the Bible says who read a moment ago he was a just man so Joseph is young he's probably in his late teens maybe early 20s we think Mary could be 13 14 15 16 right in there kind of a ballpark figures but to give you a little bit of an idea Josef's of a pretty little five maybe six years older than Mary and and by now he's kind of gone through the teenage years between years and he's got a bit of a reputation doesn't it evidently he follows through evidently he's a sharp guy evidently he's a guy that is very just and kind and considerate empathetic and Joseph is well he's an all-around good guy I mean if you're looking for a guy for your daughter to marry is your kind of guy he's a great guy he's a just guy but the Bible says poor Joe he has no idea that he's going to be the temporary father to God so he's gotten betrothed the Bible says now betrothed in in in ancient time Melissa said it's like engagement it is but it is to be betrothed in Jesus day was as good as married so they think that Mary and Joseph are married in our modern terms they're married but it's an extended season where they live apart they have separate lives but they're treated as if they're married and they kind of prove their loyalty and faithfulness and self-control to each other so it's like being married but saying like for an extended period of time like no sex no messing around like take care of each other and and just like have good talks so their betrothed the problem with the tro that's not like engagement you can't just you know in broken engagement hurts in our times i don't mean to belittle that but it's different it's not a divorce in these days these ancient times to to to remove the betrothed mitt mean you'd have to file for divorce furthermore it should be noted that to be unfaithful during betrothal would be worse than being unfaithful during actual post petrosal and full fledged marriage according to the law it is absolutely despicable in the extended time in which you are establishing and proving your faithfulness it is unthinkable that you would cheat on someone your betrothed with furthermore the law stated that if you slept with someone who is betrothed even if you weren't betrothed you could come up under execution so this wasn't something to mess around with now I love it because come December time so a bunch of preachers gonna read this and be like and this was the birth of Jesus and God came to Mary and she was betrothed to Joseph and they came together hymns I love this found with child from the Holy Spirit that sounds so beautiful unless it's you Joseph and Mary are not really affluent Joseph and Mary are not well-known Joseph and Mary don't even live in a culture center Joseph and Mary are very average Joseph is a good guy Mary evidently has a lot a lot of faith we'll find that out but pretty average people living in a pretty average town Joseph's got a plan you know it's got a plan by the way you don't get betrothed in those days without a plan in fact it should be noted but that Patrol those often times were chosen if not most of the time were chosen for the individuals so it is safe to say probably most likely Joseph was betrothed to Mary when they were children this is not a matter of love this is a matter of choice in Jesus days people would be that would be arranged marriages like Chelsea and I arranged marriages and then you would grow into love and she certainly has learned to love me right so you grow in to love so a lot of people have made Joseph out like he did not want to make a public spectacle and she divorced her choir because he loved Mary no he actually didn't love Mary he was just a very good man Mary was chosen for him he did not choose Mary it's a very ordinary couple so you can see why Joseph struggles with this idea that Mary has a baby from God for instance how did that phone call go because I think Mary did it over the phone Joseph picks the thong hey girls up what you being now are you good you must be tired girl y'all so stop why would I be tired because you've been running around my head all day hey but what you doing now Joseph just stop and listen I am being serious I'm being a serious teen girl please listen I have to tell you something I got to tell you something too I love you Joseph be serious for one second oh come on relax I'm serious what's on your mind well something happened today well what happened um you're gonna think I'm crazy girl I love you please I choose you I didn't know you but I have learned to love you girl well what happened was I was doing the laundry and my mom stepped out and then um there's really bright light and I for a second I thought I just thought it was like one of the helicopters flying around with the spotlight in the city and sis in LA and it's black and um I got me so I didn't prepare that one and um what happened was Joe I was in a laundry room and then all sudden this this this bright light and then and then I think it was an angel Mary be real I'm just listen to what I'm saying you men never listen just listen let me finish my story all right all right all right I picked that up in premarital counseling I get it so the angel stands up for a second I'm stunned and he says I got really good news and well the first thing he said gentles like don't be afraid because I was terrified I was shaking I wish you were there to hold me dude so he said like he said like don't be afraid cuz I'm your favored and and I'm the one maybe we've mean you're the one Wow Oh God Joe you're gonna think I'm crazy the Bible said that I'm I'm gonna have a special baby oh we're gonna have lots of special baby hahaha no like like we go like we're gonna have the baby we have a baby you're in synagogue as much as I am you know what I'm talking about talk about the baby marry be serious uh it happened the laundry room he told me I'm gonna have the Messiah the Messiah all right Mary all right who is he what's his name tell me the truth girl what's his name I'm gonna track him down Joe I told you I've been faithful I've never slept with anyone and yet you got to have a baby and how do you explain this it wasn't a man it was God oh this is sick Mary [Music] God does not impregnate people ah it's wrong with you and you care I'm trying to care you have to make sense don't yell at me I'm not yelling I'm passionate and my family right and and I tell you that ridiculous illustration because it was that real like it was that real if someone today that you were dating right it's like hey I'm pregnant God did it good night dude please never reach out to me again ever talk to me again you're what we call a creep so so that's where Joe's at god is officially ruining Joe's life or so it feels see he does what any good guy does when drama breaks out he went to sleep so he goes asleep and God is so good so gracious he he says listen this is God it's an angel the Lord it's true it's true it's true it's true by the grace of God Joe receives the dream and he wakes up and it's it's such a short like I think it's verse 24 on just a few verses where it's like he woke up when the dream the exact what the LORD commanded took his wife home so literally it would have been like Mary pack your things I'm officially we're doing this now can you imagine how that must have felt as Joseph showed up at her parents house with her there and she's probably on her bed weeping and Joseph shows up and mom and dad like hello son how are you um is Mary there oh yeah she here I don't know if she wants to see you I'll tell you that much he's like I I got I got some good news Mary comes out to the front porch he's like hey oh my god I think like the same angel showed up in my dream she's yeah I love you too our life's gonna be ruined you know that right yes but we'll be together and they and they hug each other like what am i I turned 40 and that's what is this a dramatic presentation is this a sitcom from Canada but uh so it's I was up at 4:45 in the morning ladies and gentlemen when I went to bed okay so anything could happen so three observations I think we can make that Joseph's illustrates for us what it means to let go and the first is very clear Joe was gonna have to let go of being understood when Jesus says let go of your life so you can find your life one of the things we try to control very often in our human experience is we want to ensure that everybody understands us that everybody knows why we live the way we live that everybody gets the decisions we make then everybody looks at us and goes wow you make perfect sense you're incredible wonderful human we all love you you have no haters you're the best but the problem with following God is he operates from a different realm a supernatural realm a realm outside of this realm and so he does the impossible he thinks beyond the realm of our five sentence sentences or senses he lives beyond that and so he'll say things that don't make sense to us he'll tell us to do stuff that don't socially fit in down here well that's not how we do it out on these streets in LA and he's like I'm not from LA I made LA so I need you to write and so if you want to be understood for the rest of your life following Jesus may not be the most effective path because when it comes to following Jesus you're going to have to learn and probably seasonally probably in phases where you have to say no one's about to understand the decision I'm about to make and I want to explain it to everybody and I want to set up a big tweet but what I need to do is just let it go I'm going to be misunderstood following Jesus can I give you just a really obvious example I really obviously how many conversations I've had lately and it was around you know people keeping themselves sexually for marriage nowadays people are like I'm sorry what yes so like as a pastor like I kind of encourage people like don't have sex what do you mean don't have sex you gotta you gotta take it for a test drive before you you know like oh please stop using that analogy ladies and gentlemen it's just not okay pick that thing up for a test drive I need to get more sleep but now it like if you're not out you know test driving people think like what's wrong with you and we we could we can run around the street try to tell everybody nothing's wrong with me I just love Jesus and I want to follow them and I believe it's moral sanitaire excellent and I want to be his and I believe it he his way is the best way even though it's the hardest and and sometimes I'm very lonely and all I have a sport night you know like but and my friends online unimportant so so but yeah yeah there's actually a lot of things that Jesus points and teaches and Commission's us and calls us to do that actually people won't understand can you imagine if social media if all of us together said we're will no longer use social media to defend ourselves so that we feel understood place would be somewhat improved so much of our energy we use - hey hey we're excuse me what'd you say to me you you you don't you don't you don't know me you need to you you don't like you even know what it's like to spend a day in my shoes I don't like no one you're right and when it comes to following you know dramatic this was I'll tell a dramatic it was did it ever occur to us that when Joseph decides not to sleep with his pregnant wife which is approximately nine months that's impossible for me but Joe did it nine months of no sex right and and and and it was he was real excited do you know you know had he had sex with meri it would have minimized the misunderstanding think about it all right we're gonna move in together and we're gonna have sex and we'll kind of let everybody know we did and then they if they don't do the time right as your belly girl it'll just be mine right people don't need to know but he made it clear how committed is Joe to letting go of being misunderstood ladies and gentlemen this man did not live in a big town there's no cafe he can hide there's no gas station he can avoid this is the ancient world this is small town headquarters everybody's pointing everybody's whispering everybody's got commentary everybody his family is shamed forever Joseph is never the just man he once was now the narrative on Joe he doesn't even care about the law he condones his wife should be executed but he protected her because she was unfaithful during the betrothal did you know that Jesus was considered a child from out of wedlock did you know that his entire life his entire life he was mocked his entire life I won't even use the words that they it's inferred in the narrative that was used towards him people believed he was the result of a one-night stand from his mom Mary that was the narrative and Joseph had to bear that for the rest of his life who wants to follow Jesus you host like in your forties your little negative but you you gotta understand when it comes to laying down your life I think sometimes again burning the cross and the proverbial fire feels good but it might mean being misunderstood being misunderstood and to go where we need to go and to reach the people God's called us to reach it's going to take individuals who can relinquish probably seasonally to remind yourself I'm not here to defend myself I'm not here to prove that I'm right I'm not here to prove that they're wrong I can relinquish that and I can spend my valuable emotional energy on representing Jesus his grace and his love where people are hurting and broken I think by the grace of God we can learn like Joe and it might cost us a lot to let go of being understood have you ever liked thought up for a moment how much energy you put into being understood how much energy and yet I wonder if sometimes we can refocus that energy to just doing what God told us to do Joseph is an incredible inspiration second observation I want to make and we won't go much longer tonight Joseph had to let go of his future he had to let go of his future the future is an interesting thing and our relationship to the future is very interesting and much is made it's a billion-dollar industry the future you know we write about the future we do stories about the future we've always been infatuated with the future it's human nature what will happen in the future the future the future right am I the only ones like it's 2018 why are we not flying in cars they told us we would in 88 you know like this is pretty easy but we're always and we overstate the future the future is always the best it's always the future I love the future the future is gonna be amazing it's gonna work outs the future and and by emphasizing the future we minimize the pain were in right now because now doesn't seem very dreamy and exciting than paradise or anything like that and so the future the future the future the future the future and and and Joseph has to let go of his future he has to let go watch how fast he has to let go Jesus is born and they get to move too shipped not to you geographical you're like cool yeah the pyramids those are cool Egypt's a great spot great hotels I love each other if you're Joseph and Mary the young Jewish couple from a small town in Israel moving to Egypt is a nightmare it's a nightmare socially relationally community wise we think for the first two years of the Messiah's life he lived in Egypt he lived in Egypt you gotta let go of your future and say Jesus comes into your life and you said man I'm a man we go we gonna live in Bethlehem whoo I love Bethlehem oh my gosh no smog clean air oh hey I love Beth lamb gods like in a dream again you got to go I don't want to go I liked Bethlehem I like my cafe I like my buddies I like the football buddies from high school it's safe its secure I like it it's my life I'm in control no I don't want to go to Egypt Egypt's big big pyramids smog not not fun I don't know anyone there I'm from a different culture I don't want to do that no the moment Jesus arrives there's movement the moment Jesus arrives there's relocation the moment Jesus arrives there's disruption of convention and now once you just let this sink in our Messiah our Savior for the first two years of his life is it an unknown land called Egypt where he is generally not welcomed or celebrated and Joseph and Mary I mean what did their afternoons look like probably not real eventful probably not real enjoyable but what were they doing following Jesus Mary and Joseph were they got baby Jesus and they're following baby Jesus guys like you got to go to Egypt I won't tell you where you follow Jesus he's gonna disrupt your regularly scheduled program and by the way one of the good signs when it comes to following Jesus is that your regularly program is this disrupted there are people in here you came tonight hoping that I could fix your disruption but your disruption is from God and my job is not to fix your disruption it's to amplify your disruption so you can see the source of your disruption which is God himself he is stirring you up and will not let you settle you've got to let go of the future you gotta let go of your 10-year plan Aaron nothing wrong with making a plan as you as long as you embrace the scripture that says man plans his way but the Lord directs his steps and we love that verse and we want to put it and want to crochet it or we want to embroider it or we want to paint it in our house but what it means is when God you what it means is you're gonna make your plans and God's gonna change them and direct your steps that's what it means God's like make your plans I'm proud of you it's cute but I'm gonna direct your steps I'm standing up here in a Canadian tuxedo in Beverly Hills and I had no plans to be here avoided this city like the plague particularly LAX absolutely people say you like LA no I'm North West Seattle born and bred Portland Seattle clean air trees amazing Costco Starbucks Google Microsoft do I have to go on but then I made my plans and god disrupted my steps he directed some of you right now we're in the intersection you're actually emotionally internally spiritually in the intersection and you're like make it stop and God's like what do you mean following me what yeah you're like God what why do I uh I just I just don't even I don't I just I feel like I needed like this job you know like make my job better give me a raise that's like it's it's not the raise I I'll bless you I'm trying to move you James the James chapter 4 verses 13 14 15 look at this this is so helpful so practical come now you who say today or tomorrow I'm gonna go into such-and-such a town I'm a spending year there I'm gonna make some money I'm gonna start a business I'm a move to the desert I moved to Santa Barbara I'm gonna go to I'm gonna go to LA I'm gonna go to Dallas I'm gonna go I'm gonna go to Austin I'm gonna go start whatever and and you just I'm gonna do this I'm gonna do this I'm gonna do this James girls hey you can't talk like that stop no you following Jesus and watch what James says yet you do not know what tomorrow bring or what is your life for you're a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes that's not a that's not a mention of your value it's a mention of brevity of life and the point is make it count don't spend your whole life bouncing around towns just because it's fun and it's kicks and giggles when it comes to Jesus he designed you made you and called you instead you ought to talk like this if this is what God wants me to do I'm gonna move to Dallas and we will live and do this or that if that's what God wants you know right read the writings of Paul and I won't i won't digress too far but but but there's multiple sections where Paul will say I can't wait to see you if the Lord permits by God's grace I'll see you this summer if that's what he wants and honestly Paul the Apostle who writes half the New Testament sometimes sounds like the most insecure person you've ever read he's like if that's what he wants if that's what I should do but I don't know i'ma pray I'm a trust I'm a listen I'm a so I may not I map Cheerios maybe not I might have frosted flakes he'll direct me yeah that's a little too extreme but because Paul learned I gotta let that go and my life belongs to God my life belongs to God I wonder if some of the disruption you and I feel a little bit is from a good God look no listen he doesn't offer confusion if your disruption is confusion that's not from God if you feel cloudy and confused that's not from God now if you feel like you're taking a step into the unknown and you don't understand it all that bear well could be God but I'm talking about an internal disruption not with hopelessness but a disruption that has a twinge of I think maybe God has something else in store that's what I'm talking about and Joe got a twinge called a dream God's faithful he said you better do this this is real and Joe woke up was like imma do this but it wasn't wasn't that didn't remove the pain or the difficulty it was like he got I had a future and it was Bethlehem Bethlehem Bethlehem and I think it's safe to say 20-something Joe had a bit of a reputation around town he's probably good looking to some people like that's Joe he's gonna be mayor someday I bet the ham joke mommy months later Joe's in Egypt going what am I doing here i'ma wear mascara did you get that but you know what we do we go from Bethlehem to Egypt because Jesus is in our life and we go hey this can't be God what can't be God I'm in a foreign land where I don't fit in there's no way that's God yeah that doesn't sound at all like the children of Israel going into the Promised Land that's a big section of the Torah folks this can't be God I feel like an outsider in a foreign land on a mission maybe that's God which leads me to my third observation I think we have to let go of being understood let go of our future and let go of our results let go of our results let go of our results so many times in my life I've stopped doing something that I'm pretty sure God told me to do cuz I just didn't see any results I was like God if this is you I'd get the results now when we talk like that what we mean is God if this was you I'd get the results I want so since I'm not getting the results I want I'm going to abandon ship but now hear me Lord I'm not gonna stay in Egypt but I will serve you and Bethlehem and he's like son I called you let go of the results can we admit just as we conclude here in the next few minutes how result-oriented we are and that is going to create incredible consternation in your journey with Jesus because God how should I say tallies the score different than you and me different than you and me like gum for instance Joseph was Joe in Bethlehem with Mary he accepts the reality that he's going to be the temporary dad for God and his life goes from ordinary Joe in little Bethlehem to now playing a considerable role in the most important story in the world and do you know what happens to his life like I wish I could tell you Joe was there what do you mean there he was at the foot of the cross with Mary and they stood there when Jesus was crucified and they wept together but then on the third day he rose again and Mary and Joseph were there and they saw it with their own eyes but did you notice Joe's nowhere to be found in Jesus adult ministry life you know why cuz he died Mary was at the foot of the cross Joe he went on I mean am I the only one that reads the stuffings like come oh this guy's got to catch a break this guy relinquishes his good name he gives up his life plan probably to be the big deal in Bethlehem lives in Egypt comes back Nazareth and just has a very difficult life by the way do you know Jesus brothers and sisters did not believe him so Joe's navigating like no you guys your brother he is got no dad I mean this is a very difficult scene this is Joe's life he works as a carpenter and he tries to keep his family together who one of the siblings happens to be God and we never hear from him again almost all scholars agree probably by Jesus early teens Joseph died at an early age God what is the message trust me with the results trust me with the results even if you don't see him even if you don't think you see him even if you don't think they're ever gonna come see our life for those of us that follow Jesus is not defined by results it's defined by what he told us to do and what did he tell you to do just do that and whatever come let it come come as it may this is what God called me to do and the results are up to God think about it though think about it think about I know Joe didn't see the results but how much did he affect the results think about think about last week we talked about John chapter 8 I'm ending right here I'm done I'm done do you remember the scene it's a woman probably naked or barely in a sheet and she got caught in the act of sex with someone she's not married to and Pharisees describes bring her and they put her in the middle of basically a circle and Jesus is there and member there they pester him hey what do you say what do you say what do you say what do you say what do you say what do you say can I submit something just out of pure biblical curiosity did it ever enter Jesus mind when he sits there looking at this woman who has been calling she's being called an adulterer I don't know did Jesus think about his mom did you think about his dad was he there thinking they called my mom of that too they call me that in a roundabout way but I know what my dad did I know it's his stepdad but ain't nobody talking about how Joe was a pretty good example for God if that's even possible I wonder if Jesus was thinking my dad had the courage my temporary dad had the courage see that's why I think when the angel comes to Joseph in a dream he says son of David not now you you may not know this but but Joe is an ordinary man with an extraordinary heritage he's a small little man in a small little town but he has the heart of a king beating in his chest he's from the lineage of David and I wonder if the angel was like I know you see yourself as a store front kind of guy blue collar kind of guy and that's fine Joe but you got to remember that you have a dynasty only inside of you why was the Angels saying that to Joe because he said I want you to understand the courage you're already wired with to trust me to face the adversity and I wonder if Jesus in John eight just had a moment to say if Joseph can do it I can do it I can stand for the spirit of the law and not succumb to the letter of law I I wonder if like in Gethsemane that's the garden that Jesus began to sweat blood perspire blood because it was there he decided he would go to the cross he said if its father if it's possible let this cup pass but nevertheless not your will not my will but your will be be done I wonder I just wonder I just wonder I wonder if he thought about Joseph in the garden to all that his temporary dad had given up by that time long gone and I wonder if in the garden he thought about Joseph al Joseph didn't see the results but he was there he was there and his letting go impacted even could it be Jesus Jesus his parents Bible says he was subject to his parents and he learned from his parents Wow Joseph faded in the distance of the story and of course Jesus is center stage but let us not forget what a simple ordinary man with the lineage of a king with just a measure of trust what he can do to impact the world the world maybe just maybe God's asking you to let go of these things I'm gonna tell you right now I know for a fact God's asking church home to let go so let go we're part of a bigger story now church but you hear me and I'm speaking right now from LA to Seattle God is asking our church to let go some stuff and I believe God's applying it to our lives but but no no we're gonna go where he tells us to go and some will say where is the results and we will say in the hand of God we will do what God's told us so do you - you know you - next time your brain says where's the results you go ahead and remind yourself in the hand of God in the hand of God I'm not called the results I'm called ultimately to what he told me to do you keep doing what he told you to do you hear me I'm talking to somebody you keep doing what he told you to do you're not you're not called to do what other people are doing or what other people tell you to do you're called to do what God tells you to do you hear me when you are a child you thought like a child you reason like a child but when you became a man you put away childish things nobody dictates your life you and the Holy Spirit God's gonna speak to you leads you guide you he's gonna put a multitude of counselors around you but you keep doing what you're doing please hear me you keep doing what you're doing don't you let restlessness that agitation is not restlessness God is encouraging you you stay at it you stay faithful you keep trusting you keep in the midst of adversity and small small results God is faithful God is true I don't know who I'm talking to you tonight but I believe I'm talking to somebody I mean pray for Jesus we love you I thank you for the moments we share as a community I truly believe that you're talking to us teach us to let go of our life teach us to lay it down because of you because of your goodness because of your grace we love you so much do you hear tonight you say Judah I'd like to become a follower of Jesus oh man you have no idea how good it is can I just say that your life is gonna be forever changed well there's gonna be some challenges and difficulties but he will never leave you nor forsake you only Jesus offers forgiveness please hear me please know that only Jesus the forgiveness for your heir you're wrong in your sin past present and future so if you would like to receive that but that is the only way you can have it by receiving a gift because that's what it is the gift of forgiveness the gift of right relationship with God through the finish sacrifice of G this on the cross if you believe this and you want to receive it on the count of three I'm gonna ask you to lift up your hand and put it right back down I believe you know who you are one God loves you too you'll never be the same three of that she would you shoot your hand up all over the rooms I mean I receive I receive it's beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful anybody else you slip up your hand I clued you in this prayer Jesus I thank you so much for these individuals it seems like such a small thing that we raise our hand but Lord you know it's in one moment of faith or yield our heart and everything is forgiven and we are never the same we believe in the miraculous saving power you possess and you save us and you forgive us and lord I pray for church home today I pray for this community's collection of extraordinary human beings who are here to serve one another and serve you teach us show us how to live like you to let go of these things that are keeping us from all that you have stored up laid up and prepared for us we thank you Jesus bless your people tonight in Jesus name in Jesus name if you're physically able or willing would you stand with us and let's join the band and let's sing out to God whoa hey buddy you guys see it's the subscribe button if you press on it you subscribe to our You Tube channel then you get to watch it and we get to have fun and we get to be friends I love you subscribe

Channel: Churchome

Views: 41,891

Rating: 4.8766065 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: XM25fVoO8eU

Length: 52min 22sec (3142 seconds)

Published: Thu Oct 18 2018