Take Me Outside // Judah Smith

our community continues to grow and people are being added and it's uh it's a really exciting time I'd like to share with you a really exciting announcement in regards to church home in Guadalajara and now the opportunity I'm not just speaking to everybody here in the Saban theater but everyone in Seattle across the different locations there good morning this morning happy Sunday happy Sunday they have to be sudden they evening we love you but that was four years ago that we started a community in Guadalajara Mexico and I have never loved Mexico more I'm so excited about what God is doing and if you have never been to Guadalajara you need to go and it is exciting the community continues to grow and part of our future is not just going to be establishing church home communities but also starting communities that will become their own autonomous local church if you don't know what the word autonomous means in terms of local church it just means a church that is uniquely its own yet in relationship and for four years Chelsea owned I've had the privilege of actually pastoring being the lead pastors of church home in Guadalajara but recently a decision has been made and I'm so excited about Justin and Angela Jaquith who will be the lead pastors in Guadalajara it will be its own autonomous local church they are launching out they have titled yeah it's really exciting and I think it's totally what God wants us to do and the new name for the church there is the house so we have never been in closer relationship with the house in Guadalajara but I wanted you to hear that for me in fact I think we're sending a team to Guadalajara very very soon so I want you to hear that from our hearts I talked to Justin for 45 minutes Justin J quit the other day on the phone and they shared with their leaders and shared with the whole church on Sunday the vision for the future of the house and you'll see the Jake was around we loved him but it felt like it was time time for them to launch out and be their own unique local church again still in relationships so there you have it the best is yet to come I love community because we continue to grow and growth insinuates change and transition and i like change do you like change actually like change I think it's fun keeps life exciting alright if you're new to this space my name is Judith been married 18 years to Chelsea and we have three kids and we get to lead a staff of over a hundred that exists to serve you and help you in your everyday life with Jesus or wherever you are in your spiritual spectrum and and whatever you believe about God this community is for you we're here to encourage you build you up not beat you up if you came in discouraged if you came in beat down by life we're hoping at the very least and mints that we share here tonight or wherever you are watching right now that you'll feel encouraged and you'll feel like at least somebody's in your corner there are days there are seasons there are weeks where it feels like you're all alone can I just let you know we don't want you to be alone we're small Church with a lot of people and what that means is every individuals of infinite value these are things I say almost every week and if you're here every week you're like oh my word here we go again but it just it just matters and so repeating it is imperative so that people understand that we really mean it so at the at the lobby of whatever location you might be at here in LA or in Seattle there's a in the lobby there's a next step bar and there's gonna be at least two or three people with with a big smile on their face who are there to help you serve you talk with you laugh with you pray with you or just give you cash so that's awesome every time we gather as a community we go to this book we believe this book is completely and entirely inspired by God and this book for me and for our community is a storybook it's a storybook about God it's his story and it's a story of his love and his love is for you and it's towards you and contrary maybe to popular religious opinion God does not have a cosmic scowl towards you he loves you he created you designed you and is proud of you like the father who's proud of his children God loved you and wants only to have more of a relationship with you so we're gonna lean into that story today so we go with me to Genesis we're gonna go to the very first book in the Bible if you're new to the Bible this is the easiest book to find okay Genesis in Chapter 15 and I'd like to read six verses to you in the title of my message today is take me outside I don't know the moment I said it I was like take me it's got nothing to do with my sermon okay Genesis chase was that you did you laugh did you know a little bit okay that means a lot man I'm gonna just I'm gonna try harder okay Genesis 15 ladies gentlemen a sin Kennedy from e-news he's right here on the front row he'll be taking photos after Genesis 15 verse 1 after these things the word of the Lord came to Abram Avram now if you know the Bible character named Abraham this is before he got his new name okay this is Abram in division and God said fear not Abram I am your shield your reward shall be very great Abram said O Lord God Oh what will you give me for I continue childless and there my house as Elly a czar how's that for a name Elly a czar all congrats on your new kid it will employ her it's a boy once you name them Elly a czar Eliezer of Damascus and Abram said Behold you have given me no offspring and a member of my household will be my heir and behold the word the Lord came to him this man shall not be your heir God says to Abram your very own son shall be your heir this is the verse we'll kind of anchor to verse 5 and he brought him outside and he brought him outside and said look toward heaven and Number the Stars if you're able to number them and he said to him so shall your office be and next verse verse six and Abram believed the Lord which is to say he received that what he said would come to pass and he counted it to him as righteousness take me outside take me outside I'd like to propose tonight that in 2018 we get outside of our proverbial tents that's what I'm proposing tonight that in 2018 right at the outset of this year we get outside of our proverbial tents I'll explain we join me in prayer Jesus thank you for the moments that we share I ask that you would help us to maximize the minutes we have we have ground to cover tonight in understanding your story and understanding our history in the life of Abraham help us to hear Lord what you want to say take take these ordinary average moments and words and make them extraordinary and supernatural by your involvement and activity we love you we trust you in May anyone win but the New England Patriots in Jesus name and everybody said everybody said man there must be some praying people in Minnesota you know my goodness I'll talk about my kids almost every week and the reason for that is it's just an easy example of life one of the one of the one of the advantages to having children if you're a preacher is you have a lot of material one of the disadvantages is it's a lot of work but um so you don't laugh because you don't have children but um my kids I was talking to someone today for instance and and they work with children and apparently someone was critiquing them because the children that they nanny they allowed to watch a too much technology and this person is persuaded that children need to go to museums and read books now before I had kids I believed that too I really did I was like you know what I'm gonna raise my kids I'm gonna read to them I'm gonna take them to museums I am going to expose them I'm going to I want them to be well versed and cultured and then we started having them we had one and I started out great then we had another one and I lessened by the third I was like listen fend for yourselves I'm tired your mom's tired and you know what we need some alone time if you know what I mean right so like all right judge me okay my kids all three of my kids have their own iPad oh I'm a bad parent relax at least I'm a fairy okay so I I got them three iPads now didn't realize what would happen when I got them these iPads but what happens is there is a daily negotiation every single day there's a note you think I'm exaggerating I am not exaggerating every single day every morning for instance when I wake up and two of the two of the kids are always up before me right and that's kind of embarrassing but it is what it is and I'll go down there and I'll say Zion you're watching your iPad have you brushed your teeth have you made your bed have you washed your hair have you taken a shower within the last two weeks you know and because he's required to do that before watches the iPads 5050 if that's actually the case now things kind of came to a head during the Christmas season in the Christmas holidays we were in the mountains was beautiful snow I shared last week I pulverized my kids with ice balls which I thought were snow balls so you can't judge me for that okay I finally realized it had been a succession of days a succession of days where I had not seen my kids even step of foot outdoors when I grew up when I grew up and I grew up in the hood okay in Portland Oregon shut up and it's a true story man just relax guys I was outside the way I grew up is my mom would have to scream the fight was to get me inside anybody know what I'm talking about I was like men I was out there we we we created football leagues we had we had all kinds of sporting events we had a three-on-three tournament in my neighborhood right we were always outside kids these days right on their technological devices so I'm the dad and I'm like enough so no you're going outside right my kids we're going outside and here's their response Oh dad no please it's it's cold yeah and that's why we have snow right and I'm just like so I kind of come back upstairs and I reek at and I'm like babe I told him to go outside I just don't like how they're not motivated they're not moving should I discipline them you know what's like in and she and she's like hey I don't know and I'm like it's just been so long since they've been outside so I was like I know what a good father would do I am gonna offer $20 to each kid don't you dare judge me you condescend person so I did like kids boys when they always know a certain tone that's like exciting dad could do anything like come on up here they're like what is it that I'm like $20 but I was like I can't just give them $20 just to go outside that's ridiculous $20 for whoever will go out side I'm just winging it in their swimsuit and do a snow angel like that's how desperate a guy well I thought like they would all go no the first one goes 40 and I was like I have my standards 30 not a dollar more right so one goes out the other goes out before I know it I'm down $90 so they go out and they do their snow angels and one of them goes out twice and expects $60 and I'm like I didn't make you go out twice buddy this is ridiculous and that's how difficult it is for the Smith kids to go outside now maybe you love the great outdoors maybe Patagonia is your brand they're one of our sponsors this evening but maybe you love the great outdoors but you know the Smith kids they do make an incredible example of how some of us can get in our own journey with God some of us can get in our own faith journey whether you're believer in Jesus whether you're considering Jesus wherever you are in your spiritual journey it is actually more natural and very easy for us to get stuck for us to get comfortable for us to remember Eliot looking at me and he's sitting on the couch and the fireplace is on and he's watching YouTube and he's snuggled in a blanket and I said let's go outdoors and he has every reason to say I'm pretty good here dad and that's life isn't it now there are some seasons where you're passionate and you're excited about pursuing all kinds of different avenues and aspects and experiences and exploring and some of us have personalities like that and some of us have personalities that are a bit more steady a bit more consistent a bit more sequential a bit more predictable but I'd like to talk not just about your personality not just about your hobbies of hiking and outdoors I'd like to I'd like to talk to you about your spiritual condition it is easy for us in life to get comfortable to get stuck to kind of without even knowing it end up living with the same view the same perspective the same concepts of God of Jesus and we before we know it we're were indoors but it's it's I don't know life happens now depending on your age I don't mean to insult you but the older you get the easier it gets to stay in your tent the easier it gets to stay indoors if you will easier it gets to quite frankly enjoy the predictable enjoy what you can count on like can I ask you a question this is simple question I don't mean to insult you but when's the last time you change your mind in relationship to your faith your faith journey when's the last time you said I don't actually think that anymore actually I don't believe that anymore now Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever Father Son and Holy Spirit he's the resurrection and the life he was the once-and-for-all sacrifice for Humanity we understand the established amove Abul pillars of theology but our understanding of God His grace and His goodness should be ever-growing and flexing we should disagree with ourselves I think on a at least annual basis this should be things that we say oh I hadn't seen you in three years man I was a nightmare back man aye God has changed me I don't know I just want to be the person that doesn't say I know a lot sorry you probably missed the Rick I mean someone who says I know hey I know I know I know I don't want to be I want to be the person that goes really that's interesting what do you mean so what does that mean to you tell me more I want to be that kind of person as we move into a new year why not use the new year as an excuse to become a listener and a learner someone who says maybe there's more for me to learn about life and God and faith and the human existence I don't wanna I think the definition of old is when you stop growing that's all I don't want to get old I want to get better at 70 I want you to run into me at 70 and be like dang you know my god I know right I want to get younger and you stay young by staying humble and a learner and a listener and a grower I want to grow day by day in the knowledge of its grace and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but easier said than done I suppose because life happens for instance we just read Genesis 15 well before Genesis 15 there's Genesis 14 then there's Genesis 13 and okay and then there's Genesis 12 Genesis 12 God essentially says the same thing he just said to Abram in Genesis 15 in Genesis 12 is the first time God in the form of a vision the scripture says comes to Abraham and says I am going to bless you and I'm gonna make your name great I'm gonna make you great now at that time Abram was like cool like winds is gonna happen like in a couple of months and time would pass and by the time we get to Genesis 15 we believe at least 16 years as past 16 years this is how we get stuck because God says stuff other people says stuff we get our hopes up and nothing happens so we conclude god helps those who help themselves and nothing's really ever going to change unless I change it so I'm just going to get mine while the getting's good and I'm gonna help myself because God has not done anything for me lately and before we know we put God in a box this is how he works this is who he is this is church this is religion this is tradition this is formality it's positive thinking it's great it has its place in society meanwhile back to reality I'm gonna handle my business because God told Abraham I'm gonna make you great essentially in Genesis 12 then he said just as 13 same thing no I'm really gonna make you great and then 16 years later he meets Abram in a tent let me ask you a question can you blame Abram for kicking it in his tent by the way from Genesis 12 do not have you know like the essentially the first word that God gives Abram out go neighbor who's like cool it's just like God gods like come on let's go you're like this is amazing Wow God Wow this is so great God where are we going this is amazing God Wow where are we going this is exhausting God Wow oh you're so great what are we doing this is so frustrating I have been single for so long right just moved into your neighborhood yeah started doing that oh man [Music] anybody ever been in a waiting period something you grew up in church long enough everything everyone's about church folk walk up to you say God's about to do something in your life and you and you actually are like it could be true sixteen years later church folk walk up to you and they're like God shut up I don't want to hear still single right like because life happens and you know maybe then take sixteen years for you I didn't for me either six months a year three years God nothing's changed nothing's changed now you have to understand Abraham's circumstance he doesn't have as bad attitude as you think he does Abram is advanced in years he will live to approximately 175 s let's put that in context but nonetheless by the time we get to Genesis 15 he's in his latter 70s possibly early eighties he's owned even by ancient standards and he is telling God now listen he's had three messages from God and what were they again I am gonna make you great in fact in Genesis 14 or 13 I think it's 14 he says I'm gonna make your descendants as numerous as the dust on the ground what Lord and by the time we get Genesis 15 he says count the stars now this isn't LA star counting we actually can do that one 9:16 God he's like you got a point I'm talking like Montana okay and I've been to Montana by the way okay I'll be fly fishing and stuff so but the sky in Montana I mean it's it's just covered in stars right it's like whoa and God is saying again dust stars the point is I'm gonna give you more descendants than you can even comprehend or count now back to reality yeah okay he doesn't have one child before you go man I'm getting out of my tent what's wrong with Abram I'll tell you what's wrong with Abram life gods told him three times I'm gonna give you millions of kids and by the time we get to Genesis 15 16 years has taught Abram that when it comes to dreams and prayer requests make them small and manageable so what's his prayer one baby I don't want to hear no more about dust sand stars I what one maybe and if you can't relate to that kind of emotion just follow Jesus six months longer and it gets frustrating the disparity God you won't you say you want to change the world but I can't even I can't even get somebody to rent an apartment with me so I can afford somewhere to live in LA and but I felt like I supposed to move out here to make a difference in I can't even keep a job I know you got all these dreams for me and I read this book and I hear all these great things that happened to people meanwhile back to reality I just need a job I just did three hundred more dollars this month I just I just I just need a marriage that work because the last one didn't I just and before we know it life has a way doesn't it of teaching us calm down relax don't get your hopes up be realistic be a literalist okay you're a dreamer it's cute makes for great disney shows but honestly be realistic so God comes a third time he says hey uh Abram I'm gonna and I'm just gonna summarize I'm gonna make you very great your reward will be very great now God where God sees stuff different think about this God is telling Abram he's gonna be great and Abraham's not even good in fact Abraham's not even okay that's how God will work God will start speaking to you like I'm gonna do great things and you're like God I would settle for okay things right now I just I would like like like like less than okay I could do with some scraps right now no I'm gonna do something great and there's this there's this massive disparity in what God is saying and what it seems like he's doing God seems to be saying and you say well how does God say God will give you a sense there are people in this room you got a sense that you're supposed to believe for great things now we could spend plenty of time on defining what greatness is greatness is not a dollar amount greatness is not the amount of followers you have on social media like greatness could be being a consistent dad mom son daughter right we're so but but but but yet you have a sense that God wants to do big things so that he can influence and affect a lot of people and yet what God's saying and what God's doing seems just different and so God says this to Abram and then Abram gives us actually a natural response now what I love about what Abram does here is it starts with it's the first time we see this in the Old Testament Oh Lord God Oh Lord God Oh Lord God that is not seen yet in all of Scripture in the Torah Oh Lord God's the first mention and what this tells us is Abraham's got some stuff to share but he's gonna put it in a prayer which is I highly recommend that when you when you're talking to God right you can tell a lot of people but you might as well tell God because then it becomes a prayer right so he turns his complaints and his requests into a prayer he says Oh Lord God I'm addressing you I'm not complaining to Sarah I'm not complaining nobody else but i'ma complain to you what in fact will you give me for I continue to not have a single child and what's this and the air of my house as Ellie azar do you know what the word that the name Eleazar means God helped I love this this is exactly how it happens in other words Lord you haven't done anything for me but she'll have surely been helping him you've been helping her God helped Ellie a Tsar but God's not helping me and that is so easy to come across in this life and you live long enough in community with other God worshipers and Jesus followers and they're gonna be those seasons where you're like are you serious because you are surely helping Ellie azar with that kind of name and you haven't given me one kid one kid one kid in man and I have lived long enough in a community of faith to know what that feels like well you got all these promises for me and that's outside of a new year I'm supposed to lift up my eyes and believe for big things and expect and and and and and you just keep helping hit them and you can't even give me a kid and then it says Abram goes on behold you've given me no offspring and a member of my house is going to inherit everything now watch what happens verse 4 and behold the word of Lord came to him saying this man shall not be your heir your very own son shall be your heir now if I'm God which I'm clearly not if I'm God and Abram says that to me I'm gonna say excuse me April right I'm gonna let him know who's God and who's not and I was gonna take his breath for like 30 seconds do you like that I could give it back to you if you want it yeah right God does not rebuke Abram who tells you about our gracious God God God does not say what you know you're talking to man I breathe and galaxies and solar systems and cosmos exist because I breathe because I say they don't they don't they don't exist but then I say and then they do molecules obey me i speak i gay I thought man who do you think you are you kind of like want to see God flex on Abram let him know God don't do it to me but let Abram know 2000 years ago or 4,000 it was longer than 2000 but God doesn't rebuke him I actually I mean God's straight answer is almost commending him and let me let you in a little secret I let's talk about the power of complaining and the power of being grateful Abram on record at least in this setting doesn't complain to another person he takes his complaint to God which becomes a prayer and God is cool with that the problem becomes here's what you do when you complain when you complain to other people the problem the fault the air the brokenness of complaining is complaining uses all the energy you have to criticize what is currently happening in your life and what you're left with is no energy to dream for something more you waste all your energy talking about well God he didn't doing that and I wish I could get you know and I heard about salsa instead of celebrating others you complain because others are blessed eleazar eleazar eleazar and you can't catch a break and you want to let everybody know and your Friendship Circle that you can't catch a break and you go home exhausted with no burnt you left to dream but what gratitude does it acknowledges and accepts what is as challenging as it made me God I know I'm single and I've been single for decades but I thank you I'm still alive so I got a shot right like gratitude accepts and acknowledges what is and allows you now to have energy to dream about what could be don't fall complain you know SAP your energy you are hurting yourself by the perpetual complaining no God doesn't rebuke Abram he doesn't rebuke him he says no he says that's that's not gonna happen and right after that look at look at the very next verse it says and he brought him outside you cannot tell me that that is significant he says now open to this point we've had a conversation within the limited context of your tent but I'm gonna have to go ahead and take you outside your limited context to let you see how I see now we have no idea how this happened but I want to watch someday in heaven right I mean God I don't know if God like just slip big old hand in the tent and all of a sudden Abram was like whoop whoa but it says he brought him even didn't come out and say he brought him outside he brought him outside and he says look toward heaven so now Abraham's looking at heaven they just look at the posture for a second right a second ago they were having a prayer / complaining session and Abram was in his tent I don't even have a kid again all I want is a kid I don't know how Abram got that voice this gave me a kid it sounds like babies and but it gonna make it so well just look at look at the change of posture which is speaking to our spiritual condition look I don't have a kid and for whatever reason a broom feels prompted he comes outside and now look at his posture and God says count them if you can yeah we don't know we don't know today we start going one two cut wait a second it's impossible I don't know was he good at math we don't know the only math was not important but I wonder if that that posture change is significant can I make a few observations I might be in a tenth of my own limited context if number one I find myself complaining to others a lot you said you know how do I know if I've assumed this position how do I know if I'm living my life now life is manageable requests small just take what I can get for 16 years I believed you nothing happens so I've learned to just kind of live with what I got so I'm happy right here how do you know if this is what you've settled for I think the first thing is instead of complaining to God you end up complaining to others and it kind of gives you away that you're so predisposed with what God hasn't done you've stopped believing that he can still do something in the future I think another is you uh God brings Abram and he says look towards heaven and I'll give you a little a little key that I use a lot when I'm really caught up with something that that big picture is not that big of a deal think about eternity actually do I grew up in church and so I was mesmerised when the preachers would be like the streets are paved with gold it sounded like five holes go-go's west streets are lined with cheese you know that's what I associated it with and I was like wow old streets and they're like a sea of glass and you're like wow for some reason I saw diamonds floating in the sea of glass right like that's and I was mesmerized but I'll go there in my imagination eternity time without end god no night for his light will light up eternity and I just started go like well how's my dad if my dad gets to peer into time and space I don't know if he but if he does what's his perspective dad grandpa what really matters in eternity and boy it shrinks what I think in the moment is such a big deal you might be still caught in a tent if you rarely consider eternity what did God say when you talk to me start like this our Father who art in heaven which is to say our Father who lives outside of time and space which is coming to an end our Father who lives outside of what is ending and lives where there is no end and when we go to our God our Father we're supposed to let that at least soak and sink in for a minute Wow Wow what matters Ultima is what lasts forever and then lastly it says he he brought him outside you might be in a tent I might be in a tent if we think we can pull off this life on our own you might be limiting yourself but he he he brought them outside and they're interesting it's like couldn't you just ask Abram to walk outside why is the scripture so definitive that he brought him outside he brought him outside now look towards heaven count him if you're able if you're able if you're able you might be in a tent again if you're able if you're able to do your own plans if you're able to pull off your own dreams if you're able but you might be out in the open sky of the unknown possibilities of God if you recognize err ain't no way I am pulling off this life unless God does it in me and through me and something happens man it's six verses Abram goes from complaining to God in his little tent to stand under the open night sky and for whatever reason he goes okay what's that okay I believe Abram why do you believe I believe yeah it's been 16 I believe and the Bible says this and it was accounted to him as righteousness now Romans will pick up on this because this is the whole story in six verses now in this moment everything we've said to this moment is significant in matters but the camera starts to pan out the moment the word righteousness is used and all the sudden you ever heard of the song father Abraham has many sons many senses and I'm one of them and so are you that comes from Romans chapter four Abraham whose name is extended which is the father of many nations right now he's Abram his name will be changed in two chapters and he will now be called the father of our faith which is to say he is the first who received right relationship with God not based on what he had done but based on what he had received now bear with me just for a moment I'm coming to a close I'm coming to a close 65-year audience reengage --is when you use the word conclusion so this in fact is my conclusion let us conclude together we are concluding all the sudden if you let the camera come out just a little bit and you look at actually big picture what's happening God is telling us the point of the whole earth in this story it's all here because Abram in his tent is a picture of humanity within himself and within myself I do not have the power to save myself or make truly anything of my life eternally I am doomed within myself for the Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard which is to say we are all lost and dead in our sin or in our old tent and I cannot save myself I cannot muster up enough energy enough stamina enough strength enough fortitude to save myself from my err wrong and sin I am doomed to live life in my little tent unless a gracious God will meet me in my tent will meet me in my air will meet me in my shortsightedness will meet me in my weakness will meet me in my brokenness and that's the gospel all of us are lost in our puny little lives trying to just get one kid God says I want to make you great you mean I want to transform you and what God brought him outside can I say like this of himself God brought him out side see I didn't know that I needed a savior until God met me and showed me that there's another way to live and that if you're gonna be saved it's got to come from the outside take me outside see the first step to salvation is the ability to go yeah I'm never getting out of this tent I don't got what it takes oh I can make some cash I could make a splash in society but I'm talking about eternally I have nothing I can have a good run here for 60 70 80 years but eternally I have nothing see God's God's not just talking to Abram about his life do you hear what he's saying he's talking to him about millions and billions of lies after him Abraham's got no power to access that but God says I'm gonna do it for you now let me let me bring you outside now look up look up look up look up look up look up deep Abram do you do you see it waiter you did all this yeah you made everything yeah I just said it in can you count him I can't count those I know I have a name tomorrow and you met me and you had a conversation with me and my tent yeah cuz I love you so much oh man something happened out on that field on that starry night Abraham's like you you want me yeah can I have can I have you will you be my son can I can I do things with your life that you can't do well to be honest I don't really have anywhere else to go and if you talk to some people in this room they will tell you that there was a time in their life where they were sitting in their tent pining away talking about I'm gonna do this I'm gonna do that how I'm gonna figure this out and all of a sudden for some odd reason here came God and they're like who are you I'm God I want to can I show you something and whether we said yes or no a Behrman evidently didn't wasn't asked God just brought him outside now I want to say this in conclusion for those of you that have experienced salvation that I've just explained you've experienced that god help me say this right the same God who brought you out of your sins and brought you out of your past and forgave you of all your air wronged and sin past present future that same God who brought Abram out has brought you out if you're Jesus follow he brought you out he showed him who he was he showed you who he was and you accepted that that same God that brought you outside to save you is the same God that will bring you outside again to restore hope in your heart to believe that he can do great things he'll do it again I promise you he'll do it again if he did it once this is not how God does not save you and leave you God does not just save you so you can exist God doesn't save you so you can be milquetoast for the rest of your life God doesn't save you so you can be a saved amoeba floating through the universe he saved you with a purpose and a plan and sure as he has a purpose of the plan for Abram he has a plan for you and so if that plans got delayed if the plans got distorted if your faith is waning and you find yourself the inability to expect for something great from God because so much time has passed I want to remind you that if he brought you out once he can do it again he can do it again so what I say oh I can be right back in this tent I can still be saved on my way to heaven but I can find myself back in that safe secure predictable skeptical space and here comes God come on one more time we'll take you out again God I'm sorry I I just got so tired and I didn't see anything I know I know son come on back out again here we go Remember Who I am remember what I do remember what I'm capable of I know it feels like I've been far I've been here the whole time I know you've been waiting and I know you've been praying and I know you've been crying and I know there's been lost and I know there's been pain and I know there's been uncomfortability I understand that but I am a friend and sister than a brother I have never left you do you trust me do you trust me son do you trust me daughter I've been right here do you trust me remember who I am remember how big I am remember how good I am member how great I am member what I did for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and I'll do it for you and all the sudden Adrenaline's back in your soul and you say God I'm sorry in 2018 I'm gonna believe you for great things I'm gonna believe you for great things you can do exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ask think or even imagine possible so you know what I say I say hey God take us outside in 2018 take us outside take us outside again even if it feels uncomfortable take me outside I got a guy I want to live outside I want to live outside I'm sorry I'm tired of the tent I don't want to live in the tent you didn't call me to be a tent dweller and my life's not gonna be defined by a tent take me out side and my prayer for the last several weeks at the beginning of the year is surprised me God woo how surprised was Abram he was on one - oh dang whoa that's right can I say this nobody in this room not a single soul in this room or anyone watching Seattle has a problem with thinking too big when it comes to God none of you can claim that neither can I there has not been a day in our lives where God has said okay that is a little too big think about that but what can all of us claim it's been a bit too small God Susannah man it wouldn't matter Abraham no matter you I love you but let's believe for big things amen would you pray with me Jesus we thank you so much ah god help us to see like you see it was to see like you see we love you Jesus he here today and you said Jude I'd like to become a follower of Jesus I want to pray for you for the Bible says that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life if you'd like that everlasting life that only Jesus offers the forgiveness for your sin that only Jesus offers I'd like to pray for you every single time we gather at church home and give people an opportunity to receive the free gift of forgiveness to receive just as Abraham received and he was made right with God by faith not by works if you want to exercise the your freewill and receive the free gift of forgiveness the Jesus offers all of humanity on the count of three I'm gonna ask you to lift up your hand and put it right back down I say this every single time I just believe when you respond on the outside to what's happening on the inside it makes it just more real to you that's all just more real so if that's you on the count of three would you lift up your hand and put it right back down you know who you are one thank you for being here to tell you God loves you so much 3 that she would you lift up your hand all over this room all over rooms and see I'll just lift up your hand you put it right back down God thank you so much for hands in this room and every room thank you for a forgiveness that flows freely we love you we love you thank you for the miracle of salvation secondly wherever you are whatever season you're in you'd be willing to admit judo I've been in my tent quite a bit I've been caught up maybe the waiting period caught up with things that didn't work out caught up and I want to I want to step out into the open sky of the endless possibilities of a great and grand God who loves me you desire that you crave that adventure of faith God put that in you friend he put that in you to live a life of extraordinary trust and faith if you crave that and you want that in 2018 and for the rest of your life would you shoot your hand up in the room and send me that's the life I choose it's the life I want so Lord we pray your kingdom come and your will be done in our lives well whatever you want to do we want to follow you we trust you we've made our plans but O God you will direct our steps and we thank you for that in Jesus name if you're physically able or willing would you stand with the band and let's sing out what we believe about our great God come on church hey we hoped you loved it we hope you had a good time there's more for you if you want to subscribe grace what do they do and if you want to see more videos you click right over here perfect we love you goodbye

Channel: Churchome

Views: 20,796

Rating: 4.9228916 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: 7OVNGNcNsCA

Length: 53min 16sec (3196 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 15 2018