The Security of A Son // Judah Smith

John chapter 3 and verse 16 and like I said we're doing a collection of talks called the other 316 and what we're doing in these talks is we're gonna go to John 3:16 which outlines for us the good news of what Jesus has done for each and every single human being that's ever lived and then we're gonna go to other key chapter 3 and verse 16 verses in the Bible that help us even further understand all that Jesus has done for us I think the goal every time we get together is to leave thinking more about Jesus than ourselves come on I to John chapter 3 and verse 16 I'm not even look for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life can we read it again for God so loved the world you are so loved today do you know that you are you're not just loved you are so loved for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish I believe that about humanity should not perish but have eternal life now go with me to Matthew 3:16 Matthew 3:16 and here we find the baptism of Jesus and it says and when Jesus was baptized immediately he went up from the water and behold the heavens were open to him and he saw the Spirit the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him and going on verse 17 and behold a voice from heaven said this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased I got to read that again this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased we join me in prayer Jesus thank you so much for the moments we share as a community God we we recognize that these moments are incredibly average and ordinary if not for you we ask you to fill this time in space in this moment that we might see you and encounter you and experience your incredible goodness and grace we love you so much I thank you Father for joy today I thank you for peace thank you for righteousness all these things that you've granted us in Jesus name Lord give coach Carol and John Schneider incredible wisdom during the draft Oh God in Jesus name Amen it's super important I'm telling you I had an experience a few nights ago and how many married people in the room any married people okay the 8:30 is always a strong contingency of married people and I'm not sure why you like the 8:30 but married people love the 8:30 maybe it's because you go on this incredible romantic day after the 8:30 right that's what it is and you just you've planned this beautiful day for your spouse and you're gonna take her out on the town but um how many married people have children married people that have children okay that's all Wow fantastic this is this is I think do you remember when your kids were very small and they would sometimes interrupt your regularly scheduled program specifically your sleeping program do you remember this and and and if you're married you're you and your spouse it's it's like who's gonna get up and and service the children do you remember this and so Tuesday night or or I should say early Wednesday morning our our nine-year-old comes into the room it's approximately 2:30 9 a.m. like I know that specifically you know and she comes in and I I'm not proud of what I'm gonna tell you but it's honest I'm not proud of this but I late very very still and I breathe very very very lightly and slowly and I rolled over and I pretended I was completely asleep because that's the key if you don't want to help the kids you gotta act like you are the person who's completely asleep not go so well but I thought this would be funnier and that something you're looking at me like are you are you for real man and you're the pastor here well you know what we could talk about your sins too but I did so still and grace our little girl our nine-year-old comes in she goes a mom mom and I love this I don't know how in the Providence of God this worked out but every single home we've been in or town home we've lived in Chelsea side of the bed we have a side of the bed I'm sure you do too like we all I always sleep on what is to me the right side of the bed she sleeps on the left side of the bed her side has always been closest to the door by the grace of God and so and so the kids always walk in and go straight to mom I mean tell me there is not a God and He loves me so she comes in she's like mom mom and I hear and I'm like she's like Elliot's not feeling good and I know it's terrible I should be like I should jump up and be like he's not feeling good I will pray over him we'll take communion you know but I just rolled over and pretended to be asleep and so Chelsea gets up and checks on our son and and I don't know probably 4 a.m. Gracie comes back to report she's she's so that in like the birth order she's the reporter she's always here to tell on her brothers always ok and so she comes back at 4 a.m. and I I attempt to do the same thing but I didn't roll over like fast enough and lay still enough and so I rolled over and Chelsea's like are you awake and at that point I had a really at immoral like dilemma because I was like do I like it's one thing to pretend you're asleep and like get away with it it's one thing to like be asked if you're asleep and lean on me like III mean I have standards and so I was like [Laughter] anyways she got me to wake up and so I go I go I go check on my son and and you know I wish I think I did pray for him at some point or something like that but he's like on his iPad and I'm like hey buddy hey he's like good I'm like yeah but you're totally like the same person as me and so like I kind of know what you're doing but I don't say that you know cuz I'm like a compassionate father I'm like okay and I'm like yeah that's fine and he's like thanks dad wait a second too tired so I go back to sleep and we wake up the next morning everything you know works out and and I'm laying there in the morning I'm like truth is my wife is such a saint she really is an angel and I started to think how many times have I done the old fake like I'm asleep routine and I started to almost get a tally in in my brain and I don't mean to if there's you know spouses here please don't you don't have to apply this to your own life I'm sure it's all fair you guys are all in it both are incredible with your children but like when it comes to our family I think about like who gets up at night who helps the kids who raises them stuff like that and and it's like 9,000 to like 20 when I think of the nights Chelsea gets up nine thousand three hundred and twenty seven times is what I counted and I'm like a solid 24 but the point is she's the same like in you know if you're like us there's kind of you know you're supposed to take turns at night you know like one spouse gets up then you get up and they get up and then you get but but honestly Chelsea is I can't even fathom how many times I've gotten up in the morning and she's like and I might have known that maybe she had gotten up with the kids and the next one up babe why don't you wake me up and she'll be like oh you were sleeping so soundly and like that I've never said that to her ever and any night of like oh you were sleeping so soundly I was like babe babe but she seems to always take my place now this may seem funny to you but I was literally preparing this sermon and I'm thinking how many times Chelsea has done what I should have done in our family particularly late at night when you're exhausted when you're tired there's Chelsea again being the same being the angel I mean I'm married way up can I get an amen gentlemen that was an opportunity missed let me be clear that should have been heard throughout the auditorium so I married up can I hear an amen Oh too late now but just thinking about how amazing my wife is and how many times she's done for me what I frankly should have done I know this may sound kind of I don't know trite and silly but it got me thinking about this sermon today and thinking about Jesus for many of us in this room that followed Jesus and worship Jesus and love Jesus we're here today celebrating the fact that he did for us what we should have done but couldn't do Jesus took our place that's actually the the foundational basis of what many of us are here today the Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 5:21 it's got to be my favorite verse in scripting all of Scripture that he who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus the whole story of Jesus is became and become he became sin so that we might come right with God he took our place he did for us what we should have done but we could not do for ourselves and that is pay for our sin are wrong our air in full so now we have a shot we have an opportunity we have a chance at having a right relationship with the one who designed us and created us Jesus Jesus we're here today celebrating that he took our place can I say it this way I'm I'm excited for the band to come back in a few minutes and sing songs to Jesus because I choose to let Jesus pay for my sins it's crazy as that sounds and it almost sounds scandalous and frankly I think it might be but I choose I'm gonna say it again I choose to let Jesus pay for my sins i'ma say it again I choose to let Jesus pay for my sins it's amazing III meleave it almost sounds too good to be true but I choose to let Jesus pay for my sins I could pay for my sins the Bible says there will be a Judgment Day for those who who have ever lived on planet Earth there will be a Judgment Day a reckoning for our air are wrong in our sin and we need a hero if not a hero we have to pay for our own wrong our own air our own sin but Jesus who knew no sin because he did not sin yet he was tempted in all ways that we were tempted because he did not know sin and he did not sin he could pay for your sin and he could pay for my sin and the Bible says he became sin so that you and I by simply receiving his once and for all sacrifice can become right with God I don't know what you're facing today I don't know what you're going through but I got a hunch that no matter how difficult and challenging it is you can find some supernatural joy in the fact today if you simply believe in Jesus and receive is once and for all sacrifice your air and your wrong and your sin can be gonna be forgiven and forgotten for ever and that is incredible you know we been approaching this series with the concept that we live in an unstable world and part of my passion in expressing the other 3:16 and going to these extraordinary verses that unpack for us the gospel is that we're living in such uncertain and unstable times the question is begging to be asked where do you get your stability where do you get your confidence where do you get your peace where do you get your joy is it all circumstantial is our whole life dictated by the conditions of our circumstances or can we live a transcendent life can we live a life that is by nature supernatural can we find righteousness peace and joy beyond our paycheck beyond our circumstance beyond how we feel beyond how the kids are doing can we and we find that peace and that joy today I'm so excited to share this message with you because if I'm completely candid and honest the only lasting peace the only enduring confidence that I found in this life comes from what I'm about to share with you and I've been through some seasons I'm staring October I will turn 40 I know it's shocking to you and it is to me be quiet but for decades now that I've had the privilege of living on this planet and I've had some seasons do you know what I mean have you had like you know there's their season and then there's seasons you don't talk about like there's days you like I'm gonna go to church and there's days like I'm gonna go to church you know there's days like man I hope there's a good message today in church don't be a good day I need a word from God you know there's there's a difference and I've been through a few seasons and those seasons the only way that I have made it through with some sanity and some confidence and some assurance is what I'm about to share with you today like anybody else I fully admit that I am a really really great person when things are going great I don't mean to brag but when conditions are perfect I am a great human I'll be honest with you like I'm on the golf course and like making a few birdies and pars I am I have such a good attitude it is amazing and I'm so kind to who I'm playing with but throw in a few bogeys some of your like what's a bogey that's sad to me but when things don't go well it's amazing how my demeanor and attitude can change so well what are we going to do cuz I don't know if you've noticed things are not going so well there is a lot of pain on this planet there's a lot of division there's a lot of hate there's a lot of injustice there's a lot of confusing things how are we going to remain confident secure full of peace and joy it's funny because maybe you're like me and you think you can control life and then something happens in it you are suddenly reminded you are not in control where are you gonna find your security your confidence and your peace telling you today this is where I have discovered enduring transcendent lasting peace and confidence and security in this life for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever whoever whenever wherever whoever whoever believes or receives him will not perish but have ever lasting life God so loves the world it is this verse that encompasses for us what Jesus has done for us this verse begins to tell us that Jesus died so that we can live Jesus took our penalty so we could take his blessing Jesus took our judgment so we could receive His righteousness Jesus took our place 1st John chapter 4 I believe it is and I think it's verse 7 says by this love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment because look at this because as he is as he is present tense so also are we in this world do we have that in the end the message guys look at this are standing right after the - are standing in the world you see that our standing in the world is identical with Christ if you simply believe in Jesus and receive is once-and-for-all sacrifice your standing with God in this world according to the Father is identical with Jesus you are fully and completely and entirely and eternally right with God and you cannot be unright when you are right with God it is permanent and it is eternal oh we got something to sing about we got something to talk about we got something to rejoice about and clap about the fact is Jesus took our place we take his place there was a switch by simply believing now I am right with God forever and ever without end Wow the scripture says in another way you are hidden in Jesus you're hidden in Christ which is to say when God sees you all he sees is Jesus you are righteous you are pleasing you are accepted you are loved you are blessed and God only smiles at you why because you earned it because you deserved it because you're educated because you you you've been exposed to all things religious since no because you simply received the sacrifice of Jesus that's what I choose to let Jesus pay for my sins I sent that text recently to a friend and know it sounds funny it was early in the morning and we were talking and I said I said I choose to let Jesus pay for my sins and I'm telling you tears started coming down my eyes as I text that I was in bed you know just Chelsea was still asleep of course and I was up early just ministering to people but that's not the point it's not important but as I'm laying there I'm like oh my word yeah you ever said something like good then I texted him like I choose Jesus pay for my sins and I just I'm overwhelmed I'm laying there I'm like Jesus thank you you took my place you took my penalty you took my judgment you took my shame you took my guilt you took my condemnation you took it all and I get to live free for the Bible says whom the Sun sets free is free in deed can I hear hey man so of course when we go to Matthew 3:16 we are told in Scripture how many know scripture interprets Scripture that's very important scripture interprets Scripture so you don't isolate one verse you keep the verse in the context of the whole story and that verse will be interpreted by all the other verses and so the other verses tell us he took our place so when we see the baptism of Jesus we are supposed to understand that we too are involved that when we see Jesus we ought to also recognize that that is true of us for instance Jesus does not need to be baptized the same way we need to be baptized the Bible says water baptism is a beautiful thing by the way we had a hundred and one people baptized water baptized here at church on Easter Sunday and that amazing amazing incredible and of course water baptism is the identify the public identification with Jesus that as we go under the water we're saying our old life our sins our air our wrong is dead it's under the water and we're coming up brand new now why was Jesus baptized for he had no sin he was baptized as an example to you and to me number one that we too should be water baptized but number two what was to happen to Jesus in Matthew 3:16 is what also happens to us the Bible says I I love this portion of Scripture and I find it a bit interesting that there's no actual details of how Jesus was dunked we know he was fully immersed we know John the Baptist was like no I shouldn't baptize you you should baptize me and Jesus says let it be done as an example and so we're not told you know if John did it you know really fast or slow or we don't know but Jesus certainly goes down under the water and when he comes up out of the water it says behold number one that the heavens were open to him the heavens were open to him and today I'd like to take this little verse and give you three observations that I can honestly say have transformed my everyday life completely changed my everyday life I'm not talking about what makes a good sermon on Sunday I'm talking about what will get you through a Monday it says number one the heavens were open to him and I say something to you today if you have believed in Jesus if you have received Jesus as Lord as God as Savior Messiah and deliverer what is true of Jesus is true of you the heavens are open to you and the heavens were open oh there's so much symbolism there's so much to be said of an open heaven in two Israel Old Testament New Testament and open heaven was symbolic of course of blessing it was symbolic of access it was symbolic of favor it was symbolic of the fact that God was listening and attentive and involved in your life the Bible says and the heavens were open you ever felt like the heavens were closed like your prayers hit the ceiling and hit you right back in your head you're like why do I feel like that prayer went nowhere I'm here to tell you Jesus came up from the water and behold the heavens were opened to him if you believe in Jesus I want to make a declaration the heavens are open to you you hear me the heavens are open to you I'm not speaking directly to maybe some of your feelings or your circumstance or some of the environment that you've experienced and sometimes I am here to declare I have been there where it's like my prayers they can't be travelling like a foot I mean they can't be going anywhere when I pray I feel like I'm talking to myself but the Bible says that for Jesus the heavens were open so when I am hidden in Christ when I am in Jesus by simply believing and receiving him guess what I know the heavens are open to me God is not far from you God is near God is listening God is attentive you have access you have favored and you have blessing the heavens are open to you what have you been talking to God about what have you been praying about what have you not prayed about and not talk to God about because you didn't believe that maybe he was listening or he was here and I'm telling you God is listening God is hearing you keep talking you have favored you have access you are blessed the blessing of God that maketh rich and add no sorrow to it is upon your life the heavens the heavens the heavens are open I don't have to earn it or deserve it I don't have to work for it I don't have to sweat for it the heavens are open because Jesus open the heavens for me and for my family and over my life the heavens are open over your life as in the Bible wow that alone could get you through a day that alone could get you through a season you keep telling yourself and if you need to you get up tomorrow morning and you look at yourself in the mirror and you tell yourself the heavens are open to me that is a biblical fact that is good theology because I'm hidden in Christ and what is true Jesus is true of me and the heavens were open to him and I love this part number two he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove do you know there's a whole group of people that debate if it was like a dove or if it was a dove it's a true you should check it out there's a whole group of people that like are continually in conversation and debating whether or not it was a real dove or it was a mechanical dove or you know like a dove I think that the point is it's the Spirit of God or the spirit of Jesus heavens are open and the Spirit of God is upon Jesus as an example to a halt who will follow him one scholar said this Jesus could not do what he did without the Holy Spirit which is to say yes he's fully God but he was also fully man and he needed the energy and the strength and the empowerment of the Spirit of God I'm here to tell you not only are the heavens open but if you simply believe and receive Jesus the Spirit of Jesus is upon you and within you energizing you and strengthening you and enabling you taking you from a religious half to to a spirit energised get to and walk to this life the following Jesus cannot always be a half do I have to I have to it's what's right it's what's right it's what's right No the Bible says he will take his Commandments and write them on my heart and I will have a desire and a passion to do what is right and holy I will want to follow Jesus why cuz the Spirit of Jesus is upon me and is within me when I walk on this stage my secret sauce is not public speaking 101 I am NOT preparing when I walk on this stage for like well okay a smile Square your shoulders be nice connect with people look people in the eye know the secret sauce is always the spirit is upon me Jesus said it when he was in church the Spirit of Lord is upon me and he's anointed me to preach to declare right it's the spirit of Jesus that is upon us and within us that energizes and enables us to do what we are gifted to do by God and so you go into that board meeting tomorrow and you say hey the spirit you don't have to tell all your partner's at the spirit of Jesus is upon you that might be slightly creepy but we believe it but I love this passage because the spirit of Jesus is comes in the form of a dove and that's not on accident God wasn't randomly like scrolling through all the animals elephant rhinoceros click dove send him you know like a dove is very symbolic in Scripture it was symbolic of purity and innocence I'm here to tell you when the spirit of Jesus is upon your life and in your life he'll restore purity and innocence in your life if you're here today and you're struggling from shame and guilt and your past performance and your past behavior and your old life I'm here to tell you the beauty of Jesus the majesty of Jesus the goodness of Jesus is he will restore an innocence and a purity in your life I'm telling you can you can be transformed as a person you will not be defined by who you used to be or what you did last night Jesus can do a brand new work in your life by his spirit and I love the imagery because it says in the spirit that the dove rested on him rested on them which is so indicative of the nature and work of the Spirit of Jesus in our life it comes with just a subtle just resting and I'm just gonna say this I'm gonna be honest with you as the pastor of this community when it comes to the spirit of Jesus he oftentimes works in your life with a subtle nudge just like a like I give a dove just gently rested on your shoulder and there's just this nut and I'm telling you you'll get better at sensing the nudge as you get as you just keep following Jesus and the spirit of Jesus is in your life you'll just all of a sudden ebike I think maybe and maybe the caricature of the little demon and the little angel is semi right but you get that little nudge from the Holy Spirit do that no no no you don't want to do don't make don't say that nah let's edit that let's filter that I know you're at Starbucks with a friend and you're talking but let's not say that because that's gossip so we're not gonna say and I'm telling you the Luna and over the years I'm telling you the nudge has saved me just that little the resting of the spirit of Jesus why don't you trust Jesus I know it may sound you know silly and I'm being funny but I think there's times in life it's like well that was love the Dove is working in my life you know and and sometimes we we know we wish it was just a big old elephant it's like I need a big old elements to run me over you know but it's it's the work of the Spirit of Jesus like a dove and it's like you know and boy I have ignored that nudge so many times can I just say that I'll be the first person in line to say all those who have ignored the nudge of the Spirit Jesus lineup I'm first in line I have ignored it mostly on the golf course but I have ignored it right but he's so gracious he's so faithful he's so good and I've learned to lean on the nudge of the Spirit of Jesus he is upon you he is within you enabling you that's why socially we're supposed to be different that's why relationally we're supposed to be different that's why when we go over to each other's homes where our demean are supposed to be different our countenance supposed to be different our words are supposed to be different why because we have the advantage of Jesus living on the inside Jesus enabling us so we're at a dinner table having a good time with friends we talk different we think different because the Holy Spirit Spirit Jesus is nudging us and guiding us and leaving and that's why of all people on the planet we should be the people that people are like wow I need to be your friend you are kind you are gentle you Arkansas and frankly you're a good listener well of course we are because we got the Dove the spirit of Jesus working in our life and that ought to be who we are I just don't see that the spirit of Jesus in our life makes us judgmental makes us condemning makes us shameful I don't think the Dove and your life makes you opinionated I don't think that comes from Jesus at all I don't think the demeanor of you going over to friends house and say well I just believe that you know bless God hallelujah amen I believe the things need to be riding this cut thing need not you know I sound like a dove at all demeanor is not anything like a dove at all more like a like a hawk god bless him but are you you know I mean you got to look at passages like this and go like a dove why you dove oh I think we're supposed to kind of be like that oh oh oh we're not weak but we're strength under control we're meek not weak that's who God's called us to be and lastly I know I'm cheating because we're going into verse 17 it's supposed to be 3:16 I know but the Bible says he the heavens were open to Jesus the Spirit of Jesus descended on him like a dove and then the father said this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased you know those words are for not for Jesus really you think Jesus didn't know that you think Jesus didn't feel that why the audible voice because they're for all the onlookers and all that voice is for all the onlookers and all the listeners and now recorded for all time it's for you and for me for if you simply believe in Jesus and receive the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus you instantaneously become the beloved child of God in who he is I love this because John 3:16 doesn't just say we're loved it says so love so love then Matthew 3:16 doesn't just say pleasing or Matthew 3:17 doesn't just say pleasing it says well pleasing you're not just pleasing you are completely pleasing you know every day of my life no matter what I've done because it's what he's done it's not based on my performance it's based on the finished work of Jesus for jesus said it is finished while on the cross what's finished the once-and-for-all sacrifice for my heir my wrong and my sin Kiley's now playing softly on the piano to make this incredibly spiritual thank you Kylie stay away from boys but do you know today and if you believe in Jesus you're well pleasing I purposely didn't ask you how you doing how you feeling because no matter how you're doing or how you're feeling you're well pleasing you're well pleasing it's amazing to me how oftentimes we we fight to trust God for a miracle God I need a breakthrough God I need you to supernaturally supply financially for my family and we'll exercise our faith for so many things in this life but sometimes we forget the most important and that is to fight to believe that you the good fight fight the good fight of faith that you are well pleasing you're well pleasing God's countenance towards you cannot change did you know that it can't for if you're hidden in Christ his countenance towards Jesus is always well pleased so who are you do you believe in Jesus have you received Jesus well then your well-pleasing did you know that you are by definition the heavens are open to you the heavens are open to you the Spirit of Jesus is upon you and in you and the countenance of the Father is beloved it means chosen the word beloved means he he chose you he chose you he chose you I think one of the most beautiful things in the human experience is adoption and you know what the Bible says about you and me when it comes to God the Father that he adopted us our three children they they came out and we were stuck with each other you know it's like well you're mine I'm your egg it's Providence but adoption is when a family chooses a child out of all the kids and I've done this my parents did this to me I'd do it to my 13 year old my 11 year old my 9 year old if I lined up all little girls in the world Gracie and God said you get to choose one I would choose you in the top five no you know I I I tell him every time I choose you why the power of choice that if I got an option you're the one I choose beloved means he chose you he chose you he had options but he chose you you are beloved you are the word beloved also means in the message Bible says you're chosen and you're marked by my love my babies will be here probably at the 10:30 service because they're sleeping right now but that's fine it's it's dad will carry the spiritual weight in the family but they're marked by my love you say what do you mean I provide for them I take care of them you're marked by his love and do you know well pleasing in the message Bible it says the light of my life the light of my life are you one of those parents did you have one of those parents have you heard about one of those parents who on the side of the soccer game or the t-ball game or the flag football game goes nuts do you know do you know those you know those parents right and growing up I didn't know I thought every dad was like this and so my dad would we assist in coach or help or be involved and I'll be like and eventually I was like dad please just don't dad come on come on and then and then and then I grew up and had friends who said I'd give anything to have a dad like that and I thank God for my father and my mother because they gave me just a little glimpse of my Heavenly Father who is on the proverbial sidelines of your life if you will and guess what he's that dad whose dad is that that's my dad bro he is wild I know he really loves me I guess I mean you you you you just break for a run down the sideline and you he's that dad like dad I'm playing you're not playing we're going together like dad you can't run on the field and grab me in the end zone yes I can I'm your father I literally had my 13 year olds like dad please don't yell during the games and I'm like don't tell me what to do I made you so right like that's your dad he loves you I it may sound odd but he bottles your tears he remembers every time you cry he remembers every time you laugh he's obsessed with you that's God you're the delight of his life I just got to tell you today you're the delight of his life and when you hurt he hurts when you heard he hurts when you laugh he laughs he loves you how much so loved how pleasing to you well please you know oftentimes and I'm ending right here Kylie has been playing for quite some time and the band can join me whenever they want backstage but you know over the years Christians of you know attended churches and it's like me and I dude I think you know we John 3:16 is great and everything and it's it's wonderful but we all know that can I be the one pastor in your life going do we so we know that do we really do we really know how loved we are have we accepted it have we digested it have we embraced it I'd like to suggest not really and so that's why these sermons are dedicated to the other 316 kind of to prove that we don't totally maybe always accept the original 3:16 God so loved you let's just talk about you for a second that He gave His only begotten Son that if you would simply believed you would not perish but have everlasting life oh he loves you so much and to me whatever happens outside these doors which I know I cannot control whatever may come am I the only one I will not be on my phone for an hour only to pick it up and get news notification of another catastrophe in the world and every once in a while I pick up that phone I just can't handle anymore it's too much God when are you gonna fix this is insane more pain more murder more hate more God what is going to give us the strength and stability and confidence and assurance in this side because I don't know if you've noticed this planet needs some people with some confidence and some peace and some assurance and some joy that is enduring and transcended and goes beyond circumstances and I got a hunch we ought to be those people we ought to be those people that walk the streets differently let's stand by the watercooler differently because we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and what he's done for us is eternal whoa man I feel like preaching a whole nother sermon but I'm done cuz you came to the 8:30 so you could have the rest of your day oh you're so loved and we pray Jesus thank you so much thank you so so much we're so loved thank you God for an open heaven thank you for your spirit that is upon us and within us and thank you that we are loved and we are well pleasing yeah we're overwhelmed today this and this alone will give us an enduring stance an approach and perspective to this life that is so unstable we love you God if you're here today and you said Judah I'd like to become a follower of Jesus as we read today whoever believes or receives him will not perish but have everlasting life if you would like to receive receive that's all it is it's a gift to receive you don't earn it you don't deserve it you just receive it if you'd like to receive the gift of Jesus it can happen in one simple moment I believe that God has given us a free will and you can exercise that free will to receive the gift of Jesus if you'd like to receive His forgiveness and begin the lifelong and eternal journey of loving him and following him you can do that right now and I'm gonna ask on the count of three if you'd like to receive Jesus that you lift up your hand and put it right back down I believe you know who you are you're not here by accident God loves you so much I ask people to raise their hands when we get together in our community because I believe when you respond on the outside to what's happening on the inside it becomes all the more real to you personally to you personally so you know who you are one God loves you too I actually believe you'll never be the same 3 if that's you would you just shoot up your hand all over the auditorium and say that's me I believe and I receive God I thank you for every single hand raised in this auditorium I thank you for forgiveness I thank you God for transformation I thank you Lord for new beginnings I thank you for a new opportunity a new start got a new life in you in Jesus name and secondly if you here today and you say Judah I'm willing to admit I rarely give a second call but I just feel compelled today he said Judah I've been really focused on myself I love God but I've been thinking about myself focused on myself my own performance and today I realize my focus is to be on Jesus I want to be more preoccupied with Jesus I want to be more focused on Jesus I want to think about Jesus and I'm telling you that's where the power is that's where the strength is that's where the peace is that's where the grace is it's in Jesus and if you're willing to admit today I want to leave here focusing on Jesus not so much on myself if that's you would you raise your hand in the building and say man that's me God we determine again at church home this is about Jesus at church home the pastor is Jesus the focus is Jesus the main theme is Jesus the focal point is Jesus we love you Jesus in you we live move and have our being you are the strength of our life you are the source of our life you are the joy of our life you are the peace of our life you are the sustainability you are the strength you are everything we need and our confidence is in you I strength is in you we love you Jesus and we worship you today in Jesus name Amen so do you love our youtube channel does it remind you of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air I knew it right ok maybe not totally but if you love it you could subscribe right here we could just keep hanging out and we're gonna have new content like every week so subscribe right here if you love it press it click it now subscribe I miss you we won't hang out more

Channel: Churchome

Views: 20,535

Rating: 4.8958335 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, Peace, Confidence, Joy, happiness, john316, purpose, revival, truth

Id: -z4LwAXL9Ao

Length: 50min 58sec (3058 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 23 2018