The Year of Favor // Judah Smith

well we're down to the final four teams in the NFL for those that care now you care okay la now you care and I'm gonna cheer for the Rams that's where I'm at that is where I'm at I have now I've gone from the Seahawks to the Chargers to the Rams that's where I'm at and if the Dolphins were in it rye I'd be cheering for the Dolphins big shout out to Ryan Basford who's sitting courtside here tonight center stage Ryan is currently not dating anyone Ryan if you'd stand Ryan is available to date anyone and everyone areas you're not you stand up okay all right all right tell you what ladies and gentlemen Jason Kennedy is here tonight from enews he's on twice a night on the NBC network of families network of families family of networks Jason Kennedy hey we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Jason Kennedy and that is the truth this all started in his living room in case you haven't heard the story approximately five years ago so Jason Kennedy I love you so much and thanks for dinner tonight I got a Caesar salad and I left early Jason bade I got to do that more oh man all right go with me to Matthew chapter 7 we're gonna read a few verses and I got caught up with this idea that this is going to be a year of favor and I really believe it I believe there's gonna be favor on your life in the most ordinary everyday moments of 2019 you're gonna have a sense of God's love God's goodness and God's aid and help in your life I'm believing that for you whatever you're going through you can imagine the amount of people tonight in this theater how many people are facing different kinds of situations challenges circumstances you got aspirations desires you have hopes and dreams some may be already 15 days into 2019 have been slightly dashed you feel like man it's not gonna be a good year I would beg to differ I believe this is gonna be the greatest year of our life it's not gonna be without challenging and difficulties but I believe we are going to collectively and individually experience God's favor in 2019 why not why not so the way this goes I'm gonna take the next few minutes and we're gonna we're gonna go to Scripture you're gonna find out real quick church home is a place that believes that the Bible is inspired by God we believe that God is real we believe that God has revealed himself completely and fully in the person of Jesus you're gonna find out real quick I'm a Jesus guy I believe Jesus has completely transformed my life I believe he's the only one that can pay for my air am I wrong and my sin I believe that Jesus took my sin he became sin so that I could become right with God by simply accepting that free gift of forgiveness and so that's always going to come out here at church home but here's the big idea you do not have to believe that to belong here we've got a lot more in common as human beings then we don't can I hear an amen and from Los Angeles to Seattle it is our honor to welcome anyone and everyone to be an active participant and member of this faith community no matter where you are on your spiritual journey as we're approaching Matthew chapter 7 we'll begin reading in verse 7 I cannot but stop for a moment and to consider the life and legacy of dr. Martin Luther King jr. it is a I am grateful to the United States of America to commemorate his life and legacy this Monday I hope that if you have opportunity with roommates or friends or loved ones or if you happen to be a mom or a dad or an aunt or an uncle or grandma or a grandmother would you I I'm asking I'm pleading from Los Angeles to Seattle if you would take time this Monday not just take it as a day off but if you would consider the sacrifice of so many to bring equality in this country and to continue to realize the dream not only of dr. Martin Luther King jr. but I believe the dream of our Creator and that is that every man woman boy and girl are of infinite and equal value before God for ever and ever without end come on son body and so church home is for a lot of things and we are for all people but I tell you what we are not for and what we are against is the marginalization the overlooking or making small of any people group on this planet that is the opposite of God that is the opposite of the life and Ministry of Jesus and I thank God so much for the life of dr. Martin Luther King jr. at one point I had an iPod y'all remember iPods and I had every single known recording of dr. King in his speeches I probably listened to hundreds of times if not thousands of times and that man has dramatically impacted my life and make no mistake dr. King stood not just for justice for one people group but for all people group and he was a man with a deep sense of faith in Jesus and I'm so grateful for his legacy and I'm asking the church home would not take this Monday as again a day off but that you would reflect in your own life am i a proponent how many know you're either part of the problem or you're part of the solution and we're gonna be a part of the solution let's be the people that speak up for those who feel overlooked or marginalized for those who do not who are not seen as of equal value in this country or any country we are going to be those people and so I hope you take time for those in your world to reflect on the life and legacy of dr. King we've got a long ways to go America we've got a long ways to go in this country to realize that great man's dream but we're going to continue to endeavor to do that and as far as this church is concerned we are committed to living out the values of Jesus Kim I mean I hadn't even preached but I preached you do mean like we already we already doing this I want to talk to you today from the topic of open doors like to show you today that God is intending to open doors for you in 2019 it says in Matthew chapter 7 in verse 7 it's in red jesus says ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you knock and it will it being a door will be open to you for everyone who asks receives and the one who seeks finds and are the one who knocks there it is again repetition emphasis whoever knocks on the door it will be open going on or which one of you if his son ask him for bread will give him a stone or if he asks for fish you'll give him a serpent if you then if you then who are evil meaning earthly fathers are evil though we are good and I I'd like to think that I'm a good dad we're evil in comparison to how good god is if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children listen to the language now how much more will your Father God who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him this was my dad's favorite verse my dad who pastored for some 40 years he said if you need something from God where do you go 7-eleven Matthew 7 to early too early for the jokes all right all right Seattle's laughing at least I can guarantee that right now Thank You Seattle tough crowd here in LA 7-eleven if you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children maybe you're here tonight and a friend invited you to church and you're there in Seattle friend invited you to church and the last thing you thought you would hear is that God is so good he wants to give you good gifts maybe you walked into this building or whatever respective building or you're watching right now on the app and you're thinking the last thing I thought I would hear is that God is so good he wants to give me good gifts well that's what Matthew 7:11 says in fact it says how much more is what it means is god who is in heaven who was your ultimate father he's so good if you knock on these doors he will open them to you again I wanna I want to talk to you about open doors in 2019 and and I want to be real careful because I've been preaching now long enough to know that certain topics make for good sermons make people feel good every few people say Amen it'll make for good notes and then to put it on podcast and people will like it I am NOT interested in religious rhetoric I'm not interested in preaching cliches I don't think anybody just needs some routine preaching to make you feel fuzzies on the inside I need some truth because the Bible says the truth will make me free and so I promise you I'm not just trying I'm not gonna try to just preach to you because well it's something good and I'm wearing a turtleneck we-we-we shut up we I'm gonna bring back the term that give this the last thing I do we we we need what's real and what's true and so I understand I've grown up in church long enough to know you know how many sermons I've heard on God's gonna open the door right like I mean I I heard so many sermons with music playing softly and organs I mean I've been I've been I've been in more church services than you've been in Starbucks or anywhere else okay so I've heard a lot of rhetoric that makes people shout but does not help them on a Monday morning or a Thursday afternoon I'd like to show you that I actually am convinced tonight that God has intention to open significant doors for you in 2019 I believe that we join me in prayer God thank you for the moments that we share help us to be efficient and effective today as we approach your story help us to fall in love with who you are take us past mere principles and concepts and introduce us to you the person we thank you for that and lord I guess the lesser of the four evils is the Los Angeles Rams so I suppose be with them and oh god please Lord I'm knocking on this door I'm knocking on the door that says Tom Brady loses I'm knocking on that door knocking and praying and asking Jesus please I can't bear it I can't bear another Super Bowl with number 12 I can't do it I can't do it I love him if you know him tell him hi for me I'm just saying when he gets on a football field I hate him oh man are you afraid of the dark for people are honest in church I'm not Brett Ryan greens good to see you I haven't seen my friend Brent in a long time he he didn't believe in God anymore but I'm kidding I'm kidding he's been in Oklahoma but um Brit I'm not saying that I am afraid of the dark I just don't prefer the dark and that's different you know I mean like first of all who prefers the dark you know I mean who's like oh I love total darkness well that's kind of creepy to be honest okay so I I always grown up had the door cracked open with a little light anybody you're always like mom dad grandma grandpa aunt uncle just leave the door open just a little bit hallway light on anybody with me anybody okay you know what I promise you somebody in Seattle is raising their hand okay apparently four people are afraid of the dark here in LA you're all absolute just giants of faith and courage and confidence okay Oh like the dark now Chelsea my wife of 19 years Chelsea is not afraid of the dark Chelsea's not really afraid of anything that's when recently we got this new technology a friend of mine got it for me and it's called ring maybe you've heard of it they're one of our sponsors tonight I'm just kidding but that's a joke and but it tells you when somebody's at your front door ring someone's at the front door it's a little creepy right and by the way like if limbs move fast enough they're like there's movement at your front door so now I'm paranoid but Chelsea Chelsea I wake up the other night there was like someone's at the front door I wake up I go Jesus the sudden holy Chelsea go check the front door okay that's how things have gone for 19 years so recently Seattle you know I'm talking about we had power outages in the Seattle area because there was heavy winds heavy winds is a couple of weeks ago and so Chelsea and I were we're at home I'm trying to think I think she was playing Sudoku on her phone and I was playing word escapes on my phone having a real quality kind of night and and all the sudden all the lights go out all the lights go out now thank God we all have phones now so it's like God this is kind of romantic then I remembered I needed to get something upstairs in my room and I don't know why I left my phone which has a built-in flashlight thank God but I left my phone and I go upstairs and again like I told you I don't prefer the dark I'm not at my best at the dark I'm not my most confident self in the dark okay I don't want you to videotape me in the dark okay so I get upstairs and there's a little bit of kind of a long hallway to our room and by the time I got upstairs I realized you fool you didn't bring your phone but I don't want to go back downstairs to face my wife who no doubt is gonna say what wait what would you go upstairs for or what are you doing back downstairs I need my phone because I'm afraid upstairs and by myself sounds like you know I can do this so I'm good a pep talk I'm at the top of the stairs I have approximately 20 feet probably more like 15 or 10 to get to my door but it's you understand when the power outage goes out there's no streetlights there's no it is it is pitch-black okay this is real folks this is this is not this is a real story true story I get top stairs and I'm like I can't see anything you know so I get up against the wall this is I'll go this way I get up against the wall and I start to shimmy down the wall you ever done this and I'm like if you had a video tape of me I've I would give you a lot of money to not release that okay and I'm like and then you hear something like oh Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus power in your name and I'm I'm sliding down the wall it's a real story and I keep going like I keep going like this I'm like I should be there by now right and um Chelsey's downplayed sodoku and I'm fighting for my life and I'm going like I mean you cannot look cool but none of you were there I'm a 40 year old grown man in my own home shimmying down the wall I should right and then as soon as I hit the hand I was like yeah I'm good walk in it was dark in there too that's a whole nother story but I don't like the dark and I was laughing to myself in preparation for this sermon thinking about doors and thinking about the power outage and I never told Chelsea that story I just came downstairs and was like hey baby hey you know as I was embarrassed at what how fearful I am at 40 but you know for many of us our spiritual journey wherever you are on the spiritual journey it looks a little bit like me shimmying down the wall reaching out and you're thinking to yourself you should be there by now what's my point a lot of people live their life wishing and hoping for a break kind of like me in the dark just kind of like well I thought that would work out I thought that job interview would go well well I'm just gonna keep hoping in the dark just keep kind of taking shots and hoping that maybe something works out in fact you are so used to this approach to life when a preacher like me gets up and tells you that 2019 could be a year a favor you with your with your attitude proverbial pinned up against the wall you're going yeah right I know how life works life is just kind of as it comes you know you got to do your best and you know but it's kind of reaching in the dark and well I'm just hoping come on how many people have you talked to in 15 days into the new year how many conversations or coffees have you had with somebody who said something like well I sure hope 2019 is gonna be better it should be better I guess it could be a good year I mean it sure is raining a lot doesn't look like a good year to me never hung out with somebody they're always going to find a reason to prove that their approach to life is the best don't count on some man the moment you count on somebody that lets you down and without even know it that's how we end up it's safer that way it's better that way I'm not gonna tell anybody that this is gonna be my year I'm not gonna tell anybody that God has for me and God is with me and things are gonna work out because what I've learned is life is a shot in the dark you you just you can't count on nothing you can't count on nobody god helps those who help themselves so we live already 15 days into 2019 where I should is that no no door okay well I'm gonna catch a break here somewhere something goes right you're like whew that was good I better be careful now something's bound to go wrong now because that that actually that actually turned out good wait I got the job oh man something Bad's about to happen now cuz something good and and and we you know it let's be honest some of us have been in church long enough we know that you can't tell anybody you think like that right you know enough about church and you can't roll up in the church and be like it's probably not gonna be a good year because you know that other Christians are here who are like God's good amen brother praise the Lord everybody and so you walk into church like amen amen but inside you're like please this is ridiculous I know what life looks like light looks like this that's life and the lucky people they go like this and they they grab a door and it opens to them and those are lucky people for the rest of us we do pinned up against life proverbial wall hoping to catch a break it's dark out there it's bad it's evil it's wicked hope that just maybe in 2019 you could maybe possibly catch a break and so we we don't get our hopes up we don't believe God for anything well why get your hopes up because if you don't get your hopes up your hopes won't be dashed and so if you you let's think about for a moment I said a minute ago I believe this will be a year a favor for you in 2019 and some of you had the thought I'm not mad at you this is called normal it's called natural some of you like oh yeah please you can't say that you don't know that can I ask you a question if I say it's gonna be a year of favor and you go doubt it prove it I don't think so I don't know it what's what's the alternative but lake for instance waking up every day being like this gonna be a good day maybe not like the alternative this is gonna be a good year like what I mean who starts out a year and goes it's probably just gonna be a normal average mundane kind of year just like the last one and the next one well maybe if we lean into the story of God a little bit more and recognize that he gives good gifts to those who ask that he's a good Heavenly Father in fact you can find the best dad on the planet and he's evil compared to how good god is and the Bible says if you knock it says it twice if you knock if you knock if you knock on doors your God is so good he will open them to you and so I say it's gonna be a year a favor and there's gonna be open doors for you why can't we are we just I would just a bunch of people of positivity is the glass proverbially half-full is that what we are all you know may you all roll over to church home they're all so positive nobody's positive well what are we supposed to be you know church home I like that they're real they're negative when did negative become real when did negative become more real than positive what sucks out there yeah that's my kind of church just keep it real keep it real is code for keeping negative no no no there is truth there is facts in the story of God ie the Bible that says God wants to do you good I have plans not to harm you not to hurt you the Bible says God says plans to prosper you and give you a future and a hope excuse me in 2019 while I get my hopes up and don't blow out my candles I'm excited about the party I'm gonna have in 2019 imma go ahead and get my hopes up and I'm gonna try to hang out with people who also get their hopes up not on the basis of positivity but on the basis of the character of God and how he works he says he says if you need something or if you want a door open knock on it I'm a good father I'll open it to you I'll open it to you I don't run in to a lot of Jesus followers or even those considering following Jesus who talk like this and think like this and one of the reasons is because we still allow our experiences to dictate and determine our view of God rather than our view of God dictate our experiences so we keep telling ourselves cuz I can't catch a break God's not for me he's not good and so what I'm going to do I'm gonna join the huddled masses up against life's proverbial wall and I'm going to hope that 2019 gives me a break how was your here I was a couple of good days and but you know you know how life is yeah I'd like to encourage you in 2019 to change your approach to confidently move in the direction in which you are going believing the doors are gonna open in front of you three kind of doors I want to show you that God specializes in three kinds of doors God I believe is going to open for you in 2019 I believes gonna open for me in 2019 I believe is gonna open for our church in 2019 the first is found in John chapter 20 there's a story it's what is known as Resurrection Sunday Resurrection Sunday it's the third day Jesus has been in the grave on the third day He will rise again he's now appeared to a couple incredible ladies but the rest of his followers the rest of his disciples are not aware of this and it says in John chapter 20 and verse 19 on the evening of that day the first day of the week the doors being locked the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews so we've got the original followers of Jesus they have gone behind the door they have locked the door because they're afraid now if there's anybody in here that can claim you have no fear in your life you are in fact the second coming of the Christ for the rest of us fears a factor for the rest of us fear is something we wrestle with in this broken planet called Earth it just is we all have our fears some greater than others some more prominent than others some more obvious than others but we all have our fear I want to tell you that Jesus specializes in opening locked doors doors you have closed and locked because you're afraid there are whole portions of your life you have shut and locked off because you got hurt because it didn't work because it didn't actually benefit you because you tried it and you failed and so you've locked that part of your life away there are talents that you have that you won't use you haven't used in years because when you use them people made fun of you it didn't work out you didn't get the job people said you couldn't do it and so you determined I'm gonna lock that door I'm never gonna go there again because I've got to preserve myself well guess what the very first Jesus followers did exactly what you're doing because they were afraid okay well hey if they crucified Jesus they could crucify us hey everybody everybody let's go lock the door you can I can I can see all the locks on the door lock themselves in just one little pathetic pity party as they all sit around I miss him I miss him too I miss some more than you do shut up in the Daniell is your name Bartholomew you never mentioned in Scripture you know whatever Christian jokes you know it's all just sitting around I'm scared I'm scared too we're all scared just shut up okay are we out of pita bread yes we're out and what are they doing I don't think they know what's the plan there isn't one the plan is fear fears become the plan preservations become the plan survival's become the plan getting through the day has become the plan just I'm just gonna get through the day I'm just gonna and what started off with stars in their eyes dreams and aspirations Jesus is gonna change the world now he's dead he's gone he's actually alive but they don't know that because they've locked themselves behind door then you know what I love about Jesus he doesn't even unlock the door he walked through it and what I love about this is it's kind of like Jesus is like this is so your fear is so easy for me like I I can solve this real fast I love it it says in in in in and the disciples were for fear of the Jews comma comma huge comma by the way massive comma was a joke okay Jesus came I love this Jesus Jesus came and stood among them but but how did he he just I mean the scripture kind of insinuates he just kind of walked in and appeared hey guys like oh my god I mean you are God and look at Jesus he's like everyone just just have peace and Jesus walks through the door of fear why can't we believe in 2019 that he can walk through your door of fear why can't we believe that God can walk through the door you're hiding behind what door are you hiding behind can I be can we get real honest can I like move into your neighborhood just for like minute 30 seconds are you hiding behind a door of criticism for fear you hiding behind a door or gossip because you feel your own inadequacy hiding behind a persona that's not even who you are but you play to a persona are you hiding behind hurts and pains are you hiding and it's all rooted in fear what if in 2019 instead of mere optimism or petty positivity we actually believe in a good God the same God who walked through that locked door in the Middle East is the same God who can walk through your locked doors for fear and change your whole approach to life in 2019 why not what things have you locked away what doors are you hiding behind and if you're here and you have no fears and no doors you're hiding behind again you are either Mother Teresa or the second coming of the Lord Jesus for the rest of us we all we all got stuff we locked away what if God wants to walk in on that and say hey let's let's talk about this you have become an incredibly critical person over the years and it's because you're afraid and insecure and you're not a critical person that's not who you are but that's what you've developed and you've locked away that kind considerate caring person you really are because of that person got used and that person got belittled and that and so you have developed a thick skin and now you're the sarcastic critical person in your social circle and maybe in 2019 got saying yeah I want to get rid of the thick skin and I want you to recover that kind sensitive caring loving person you really are this could be our year a favor someone's like I didn't want that kind of favor I just wanted a job I liked being critical of my friends it's hilarious there's a door fear that I think God wants to walk through and bring us back to who we really are in 2019 I believe we're favored for that and there's another door I think there's a door of justice let me explain this there's a story in Acts chapter 16 Paul who writes more than half of the New Testament by the help of the Holy Spirit he is um he's in a town and he's got a guy by the name of Silas who rose with him and Paul and Silas are daily going to the temple to pray and there's this this gal the servant gallon she's possessed with demons and these demons give her power to basically tell people's fortune and so she's telling people's fortune but but but these demons are so intimidated by the Jesus that Paul and Silas follow they live love and look like Jesus so much that this this young lady who's possessed by demons when she would see Paul and Silas on the street she'd be like ah these guys are real they follow Jesus but she'd be yelling it out yelling out yelling out so day after day finally put a Bible says Paul just got annoyed this young lady is annoying right and she's making me seem like I'm weird like walking into a restaurant he's a preacher of Jesus she's like please please so it's like a in the name it to come out so the demons leave this woman well there were men who were making money off the demons that had filled this young lady when they find out she doesn't have the gift anymore of fortune telling they come and find Paul his house and they put him into prison the Bible says they put him in a dungeon this dungeon based on research were told this dungeon was probably filled with sewage Paul and Silas are probably up to sewage to their waste if not more it's grotesque and the Bible says they are put in prison unjustly unjust and they're in the prison I think to myself about dr. King and I I remember when he would talk about justice and he would talk about hate and he would teach that you can never defeat hate with hate you can never beat injustice with more injustice you can only defeat hate with love and so Paul and Silas are up the sewage to their waist they're in prison unjustly what has been done to them it's not right it's not lawful where is God and the Bible says in Acts chapter 16 verses 25 and 26 it says about midnight Paul and Silas were doing what they were praying and singing now I like music and I do pray every once in a while but if you put me in sewage up to my waist I don't know how much praying and singing I would do I'm just going on the record to say that I would be oh well I might be doing some praying in the form of crying out to the tune of God I mad at you right but they're praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them and it says and suddenly there was a great earthquake and the foundation of the prison was shaken and immediately all the doors were open and everyone's bonds or unfasten indicative of the work of Jesus and even how he saves people all the doors were open all the doors were opened can you imagine how many people right now under the sound of my voice from Seattle here to LA are right now facing something that is not right and unjust and unfair there are people here you you're in a lawsuit there are people here you are up under criticism and gossip that's just frankly is not true there are people here your former friends former friends have spread rumors about you and said horrible things about you some of you you broke up with somebody you were really interested in and now they're spreading rumors about you it's just not fair it's unjust it is not oh okay there's so much injustice in our world so much things that are not fair in this world we talked about twenty nineteen don't be here favor everyone's like I need a job I need some money I need a spouse I'll even take a fiancee scratch that I just need a boyfriend her girlfriend and where's one thing for us to hope for a job or a a date but let's talk about favor that actually works in the spaces of injustice you know what amazes me about Paul and Silas they have so much confidence in God that in the midst of this unlawful imprisonment in a dungeon with dung up to their waist they start singing I'd be like ah somebody give me a lawyer Paul and Silas are like hey you want to you want to sing that song dude oh lord I give you my heart Reuben Morgan Hillsong worship okay let's do that would start Damon you know authors do that relax wow what a picture dr. King would be proud of this story how do you fight injustice they did it with love and joy starts singing to their God who can work miracles I want to be abundantly clear as we're approaching again the weekend of honoring the life and legacy of dr. Martin Luther King jr. we we are out manned when it comes to injustice my brothers and sisters we are out manned and justice runs runs rampant through the streets of this country and most countries if not all countries of the world and as long as they're as men and women on this planet there will be injustice so what will we do I thank God for legislation I thank God for laws I thank God for governments I think III but but but I need God to intervene and I still believe that the most powerful way that we can open the doors of justice in our country in any country is when we acknowledge there is one who is in charge sovereign and supreme and he can work miracles and do the supernatural oh we need a miracle in this country we need a miracle for justice and equality and Paul and Silas sang to the one who can do miracles and he did everyone's doors were opened maybe you're here and something very unfair is happening to you I want to say in 2019 I believe that God can open the door of justice for you I believe God can clear your name in 2019 you know you may not be able to convince everybody who's against you or those who spread rumors about you but I believe that God can bring justice in your life I believe the same God who miraculously sent an earthquake at the exact time do you know what's crazy about verse 25 it says that midnight that's when the earthquake took place do you know what midnight is it's the darkest part of the night I can believe in 2019 that God's favor is so real in your life that when 2019 is at its darkest and you are at your lowest and you're at the end of yourself and the end of your rope that actually it's that that moment God can move heaven and earth on your behalf to bring you the justice that is indicative of who he is no God is a just God let us not forget this church God is a just God and he is for justice for all people I believe God can open doors of justice for you in 2019 I believe that I believe that I believe that oftentimes when it comes with the door of justice we try to force it we try to make it happen and that's where we begin to cross that line that dr. King talked about where we start hating people who hate and we become a part of the problem because we want the door of justice to open so wide we try to force it and we try to push it and by doing so and striving in our own knowledge and wisdom we end up making the enemy our enemy rather than peddling and perpetuating love Paul and Silas give us such a great example when you feel like you are behind the doors of injustice why not look to the one who holds all the keys and cry out to him and sing to him and so so so so make no mistake what we do here and what we do in auditoriums in Seattle and LA when music starts and we start singing that singing has it there's power there there's power there there's power there there's power there to open hearts and open doors and change paradigms and perspectives and worldviews and and in in change stuff in your in your life III believe the door of justice is gonna open for you in 2019 I really believe is I'm not who I'm talking to but I believe the the in just thing that is happening to you right now I think God can actually turn it around and I actually think you don't have to strive make it happen or force it you can just rest and trust that God is going to do it for you I believe that I really do I think you can stand and see the salvation of your God some of you are tempted right now to exact your own justice don't do that let the just God of heaven and earth your good Heavenly Father knock on that door and say God I need you to open the door of justice for me in 2019 and watch I believe God will do it I believe God will do that and you know I love about justice it's never just about you it's never just about you and the Bible says in everyone's doors were open and everyone's chains were loosed I believe that lastly in conclusion I'm coming to a close a turtleneck is getting hot so I shall close soon it really is actually there's a man that I've already mentioned he was in the dungeon there he was in the sewage he was his name's Paul God uses Paul and in very incredible miraculous ways and Paul as I said writes more than half the New Testament by the help of the Spirit of Jesus and Paul will go from city to city in town to town he'll start churches churches not too dissimilar to the one that you and I are part of here at church home and one of the main cities in which Paul will work as a city called Ephesus now emphasis is kind of an LA it's kind of a New York it's kind of a Paris it's kind of it's a hub it's a culture center Ephesus is a larger city in ancient time and it sits there in Ephesus and you can read much of Paul's work in Ephesus and places like first Corinthians and other places he's working in Ephesus and of course the book of Ephesians is believers in Ephesus and in in Ephesus Paul will be there approximately three plus years by the time he writes this in first Corinthians 16 and verse 9 he's been there almost three years if not three years and first Corinthians 16:9 says this about a door he says I'm gonna stay in Ephesus until Pentecost and here's why a wide door for for effective work has just open to me and there are many adversaries this is the third and final door I want to address and then I'm done I'm done I'm done I believe there is a door of fear that God wants to walk through I believe there's a door of justice God wants to open to you and lastly I believe there is a door of success that God wants to open to you but I want to tell you a little bit something about this door success and then we're done I want you to consider now Paul the great Paul Paul the Apostle for those of you familiar with Scripture you've definitely heard of Paul he's the artist formerly known as Saul right he was that he was a religious thug he actually killed Christians men women boys and girls he's a bad man he meets Jesus in a real way his life transforms he becomes the number one proponent preacher teacher of the goodness of God the forgiveness of God the grace of God he goes to the culture center of Ephesus and for three years he sees very little success now conversely if you go to second Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 12 just a few pages later in your Bible he says this about another City say Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 12 he said when I arrived in trout or trout's or trout Chelsea pronounces it trout's I pronounce it rose I think I'm right and that's been the problem of our marriage for 19 years when Paul arrived in trout's to proclaim the message of the Messiah what is he fine I found the place wide open God had opened the door now think about it for three years he's in Ephesus with very little success he just walks in the door at another city and there's already a door of success open to him here's what I've learned about the door of success it is not on your timetable now I can believe that the door of success will open to you in 2019 and by the way success is defined many different ways in scripture but ultimately it is defined by the health and buoyancy of your soul but I believe the door of success will open for you and I'm talking about job I'm talking about income I'm talking about resource I'm talking about opportunity I'm talking about influence but I want to urge you and remind you and rehearse with you the timeline of God for Paul the Apostle one city took three years but at the end of that three years he said there's been like a double door opened all the sudden all the sudden there's a double door of favor you know what we do we try something out for a weekend and go oh man God's not in that I'd say that right now whoa yeah some of you that's how you date oh Jesus help me now but if it doesn't just click if it doesn't just work if it isn't easy if it is everything just kind of falls into place if I don't got the perfect hand this must not be for me says who well I'm just saying if I had favor things would work out immediately well there's some evidence in the Bible that says you can have favor and things can take some time you know why because God is more interested in the success of your soul that in the success of your bank account or your Instagram followers and so sometimes it needs to take some time but don't give up something like this is not that guy man I can't be here because it's been a year and no door has opened by the way I will be I will be the pastor in your life until I move to the desert Palm Springs 23 years I'm gonna be there and we'll be there but I got 23 years left I'm gonna be the pastor in your life who will leave that on this day the door of successful every day of the week I'll be like come on this gonna be the day but if it's not we still keep doing the little things trusting God but many of us we would have gave up on emphasis oh I should not be in Ephesus I got to go why because I've been here for two weeks and nothing Goods happen three years three years three years three years acts 20 Paul says I was telling you the message of Jesus with tears for three years it's hard it was difficult but then all of a sudden favor now in those three years watch your mouth I don't like this but I don't even I hate this man I'll tell you what I'm not supposed to be in LA I got here I mean I shall move them back I don't care I'll go right back to Oklahoma I don't care you sabotage the favor in the meantime and you what we should do is be like it's gonna work out now who is raining I know why it's raining in LA because the blessing of God is here it's gonna work out oh man there's more another day all right double blast at door success he's gonna open for me now I promise I'm done I'm done I'm done I'm Indian right here Seattle I'm done no right here can you believe down here in LA it's been four days of rain and everybody's complaining I know how you feel but so back in trois or truce however you choose to pronounce it I can't believe this I promise I'm done this is this is this is my clothes it's over it's done musics about people are about to jump onstage in Seattle everywhere music teams over I'm done I'm done it says in second Corinthians chapter 2 verse 12 watch this because once the door of success took three years to open the other was open the moment Paul arrived but what happens to Paul look it says when I arrived in Krause to proclaim the mess with the Messiah I found the place wide open God had opened the door all I had to do was walk through it but I didn't hey what cuz I couldn't find Titus and I missed him and he had news of your condition so who would have says so I couldn't relax worried about you so I left Paul God open the door for you Paul yeah but I got scared I got worried well ain't nobody want to talk about this what if things do work out oh I never thought of that oh that could be Mo Money mo problems I don't know nobody thinks about that Paul did he's like man this city just wants me to tell them about Jesus everybody likes me welcomes me ID but I can't find any friends and I got worried and I got anxious so I left have you ever walked past open doors of success are you like me you walk past that door you go home that night you beat yourself up you tell you something you idiot that was your chance what were you doing ah right missed opportunity missed opened door miss messed up missed out favor I failed I didn't walk through I didn't do it I'll never be who God's called me to be I'll never do what God's called me to do I missed I missed my moment I missed my opportunity that was my defining moment and so we live and regret and remorse and we replayed that year I'm back in 2012 what happened was I Memphis but man I just I I got sick and I didn't so you know what could have been you know you're not gonna believe your I didn't write the Bible God did look at it says he says and I got it thank God look look at the next verse this is in the Bible this is the next verse after I didn't walk through the opportunity God gave me he says but in the Messiah in Christ God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade what evidently Paul walks past for fear and anxiety an open door for success and opportunity and he goes home and instead of beating himself up in Macedonia he says you know what I love about God he'll lead me to another place and he'll open another door of success and it will work out I wonder if I got anybody here today who believes in a God like that who believes in a God who even when he opens up a door and rolls out the red carpet and prepares everything beforehand when you walk past it because you're self-conscious or you're afraid or you're anxious that you can go home and say I he's so good he can open up another one we we are in here trying to convince ourself that this could be a good year meanwhile Paul is like I screwed that one up but you know what I love about God he's got so many more doors for me and we're just trying to believe for one good thing we walking through years it's dark in here ooh 2019 is already rainy and stuff I catch a break and God's okay Square your shoulders knock on the doors you won't open and when you don't walk through it cuz you're afraid I'll put another one I'm a good guard don't go home and beat yourself up you go home and build yourself up and believe in a God is faithful true and good [Applause] if you earthly fathers know how to give good gifts to your children how much more your heavenly father will give good gifts to those who knock and those who ask yeah in Romans eight I won't put it on the screen cuz I'm just quoting it so it doesn't count for time Romans 8 says if if God already gave us his son will he not also give us all things that we need brothers and sisters we are here tonight primarily celebrating to God who put on skin and bone moved in the neighborhood and he died on the middle cross he became sin so that we could become right with God and on the third day he rose again if he gave himself for your sin and you're wrong and your heir can he not open up some doors for you in 2019 come on church Jesus help us to grow our perspective of you I pray our perspective of your goodness and your provision and your power would grow in our mind our will and our emotions I pray God the church home would be a community where you blow our minds with how big and good and strong and powerful and able you really are we love you Jesus we love you Jesus we love you Jesus if you're here tonight or if you're there and Seattle Denny one of our locations maybe you're there Kirkland or or Bothell or downtown or the UD or you're here at the Subhan or you're there watching online on the app I want to pray for you if you said Judah I want to follow Jesus I want to follow Jesus I want to include you in this prayer but the Bible says God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that who so ever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life if you want to receive the free gift of forgiveness that only Jesus offers wherever you are in whatever you find yourself in right now you want to receive I want to remind you you cannot earn the forgiveness of God all you can do is accept it and receive it if you'd like to accept and receive the forgiveness that only Jesus offers on the count of three I'm gonna ask you wherever you are even if you're online you just lift up your hand and the reason on the count of three I'm gonna ask you to lift your hands because I believe when you respond on the outside to what's happening on the inside it makes it more real to you that's all that's all what God loves you too we we actually believe your life will never be the same again three if that's you would you shoot your hand up and say man that's me I receive I believe in Jesus I believe in the forgiveness of Jesus God you see these hands all over this room and rooms all over Seattle and even those right now online I thank you your forgiveness flows freely we are forgiven indeed and forgiven forever and we thank you for that now Lord I pray again for church home this is my prayer that 20:19 will be a year of true favor I just declare this is gonna be a year we're locked doors of fear will be opened unlocked and you will walk through doors of injustice will be open and there will be justice and doors of opportunity and success will open to us and Lord though it takes a different timetable than we're planning on we trust you in the meantime declare that over our church in Jesus name in Jesus name if you're physically able are willing would you stand with us and come on let's sing to our God come on church hey thank you so much for taking the time to watch this video we really hope it encouraged you and maybe gave you a little something to think about through the day hey if you want to watch more you can subscribe and please watch the most recent video we love you we believe for great things for your life

Channel: Churchome

Views: 25,097

Rating: 4.9277654 out of 5

Keywords: Churchome, Judah, Judah smith, church, message, anxiety, depression, how to, elevation, 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, favor, injustice, mlk

Id: YAAh2af6PiA

Length: 59min 31sec (3571 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 24 2019