Too Far Gone? // Judah Smith

we're so glad you're here thanks for braving the weather braving the rain taking time out of your life and schedule to be here with us it is uh it's a big deal it matters a lot to us hey if there's anything we can do for you we exist as a community not just for a Wednesday night gig we exist to serve each other to walk with each other and courage each other if there's anything we can do for you out in this lobby in every lobby all of our different locations in Seattle there is somebody there waiting to talk with you pray with you listen to you just just just connect so we all need friends relationship can I get a witness amen if you're new to our space my name is Judah along with my wife of 19 years and yeah yeah yeah yeah so every time we get together I'll take time to we will go over the story of God his love as goodness as Grace as a church we're committed to good news not bad news our news is good everyone's forgiven all you gotta do is receive the forgiveness that only Jesus offers so we're gonna go there you're gonna find out real quick I'm a Jesus guy yeah he's my hero I love him it's my honor to follow in his footsteps in life and he's just he's changed everything for me he's changed how I see my world has changed my relationships and it's it's it he's amazing so that's gonna come out loud and clear go with me to Hebrews chapter 11 we are in the middle of what we call the six-week journey here at our church it's very simple it's a journey we go on for six weeks okay and the subject we have been looking at is the subject of faith what does it look like what does it mean how does faith work do I want to live my life by faith and so we're looking at a ver famous portion of Scripture in Hebrews chapter 11 quickly some background to our portion of Scripture this letter to Hebrew Jesus followers is written in a time where these first century Jewish believers have come up under extraordinary persecution in fact there has been assassinations there has been beatings these first century Hebrew believers are being avoided in business businesses are being shut down family members are being hurt it is a very very unpopular and difficult time to claim Jesus as God in your life so this book is not one of those books that kind of just goes hey hope you're well PS let's get together soon let's grab coffee this is a letter with urgency it's a letter with passion it's a letter with very direct stories metaphors and examples because it is a letter it is a 9-1-1 kind of letter the recipients need something to help them keep going in this thing called faith so you'll find time and time again in in this letter there is these very direct passionate excerpt ations and encouragement to whatever you do don't give up don't go back these Hebrew believers formally would their their faith would have been one of rules and regulations their whole life would have been defined by the first five books of the Bible known as the Torah their whole life would have been defined by keeping some six hundred rules upon hearing the news of Jesus's death burial and resurrection these first century Jews have abandoned a life designated and designed by rules and keeping those rules which they could not and now they have entered into a whole nother realm of connecting with God not by rules but connecting with God through simply believing in Jesus and receiving what he's done for them now I know that is a very direct intense way to start the service and it's only gonna get gooder now friends we have to take a moment it is cold here in LA yes it is and I will stand by that it is very cold having said that it is not as cold as it is in Seattle boys and girls for the firt and we're clapping that's good for the we are clapping Seattle we're clapping for you for the first time in my entire life born and raised Northwest guy I have never seen this there is as I'm speaking right now two feet of snow covering Seattle Washington and you're not impressed and I wish you were so Seattle we love you we're gonna get through this and if it's any encouragement it was approximately 58 degrees here in LA whose terrible okay Hebrews chapter 11 and we'll begin reading in verse 29 it says by faith the people crossed the Red Sea people being the first the the nation that God built Israel by faith they crossed the Red Sea onto dry land but the Egyptians who had enslaved them when they attempt to do the same were drowned by faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days and here's our character of investigation and study tonight in regards to the subject of faith it says by faith wait for it Rahab the prostitute now upon writing Hebrews 11 this is some eighteen hundred years after Rahab existed if someone still called you a prostitute eighteen hundred years after you existed that could be a little touchy that could be a little frustrating okay but but but the scripture for whatever reason it's still calling Rahab not a the prostitute it's like really God Rahab's in heaven like for real you know by faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies she had given a friendly welcome to this way there's so much in this verse I get to you what she gave a friendly I bet she did friendly welcome to the spice ok Rahab we see you girl all right let's pray because I need to okay man you guys are crazy God thank you for the moments that we share thank you for what you're doing in church home thank you for our community we love you God I thank you for what you're doing from Seattle to LA and online even through the app all over the world people's lives would being impacted we pray that you would be near and dear to each and every person that part of church home we thank you for and God we we ask we pray right now for the parents in Seattle whose kids haven't been to school in so long the parents are starting to question whether or not you're real God and be with them encourage those parents in Jesus name and everyone said amen amen and growing up snow days were like the best and now that I'm a parent snow days are like wait wait why No so Seattle we love you I I play basketball in high school that's probably pretty obvious but yeah we were a pretty good team we're a pretty good team got ranked in state for a little while and and I was a starter but um I told this story before but I'm gonna tell it again so just relax okay but we had we had the big County Championship gang King County Seattle you know I'm talking about King County which is where our Kirkland location is it's a it's a county actually that produces fantastic basketball players I might add many who went to play in the big leagues so we're playing in the King County championship game Gym is packed to the rafters I mean there must have been like 10,000 people or two thousand people somewhere between that and the game starts and coach my coach coach muscatel was his name he he liked to yell and scream and I'm not good really when people yell and scream at me I get discouraged and so I wasn't the best player on the team we had a six foot ten 245 pounds Center he was amazing and so my job was to give him the ball and get out of the way but as Providence would have it the ball would would with the the opponents we were playing for Mercer Island they something one of their one of their ball players shot a three-point shot it bounced off the rim and kind of ended up in my hands I turned to the rest of the court and it is wide open and I'm thinking this is amazing now if you think the story is gonna end with me dunking it's not because I'm not show up I'm a humble man but but what happened was I got so excited right I see the whole court gyms packed people are chanting my name it's like no they wear it bro all right all right that's true so I take off I can hear my coach go screaming at me and I take off in in in and I just I just I just dropped my head and started dribbling right and I'm like yes yes this is my chance right this is first half points first half points right if I'm gonna bus score five in the first half and five in the second half that's ten points right and so I'm traveling to room to room and I instead of looking I thought I should be there by now it's time to take off it's a true story pack gym so I'm like no there's no need to look up it's time to elevate okay so so so I take off Pam and and when I took off the rim was like here and I took off like here this is a true story and I was like oh dang so so now you gotta like you got a decision to make yeah I'm like throw it off the backboard okay no that's not an option so and I remember thinking I look up and I go oh I'm not even close so this is a true story I go it hits off the back rim bully and just goes like to half-court and I I just kind of stared the real and I look at my coach and he goes that's true so he goes what are you doing here I go I don't know and we lost so it's true story pulled me out of the game and cussed at me but anyways hurt my feelings have you ever have you ever been just in life just doing life doing life doing life and you look up and you're like I'm not even close to where I should be could be and when it comes to the subject of god oh I'm not even close to God or maybe you feel like right now in life God's not even close to you you look up and you're like oh I thought God would be here I thought I'd be closer by now I thought God and I would have a relationship maybe you showed up today you're watching in one of our locations in Seattle or you're online watching or you're in this physical room and if you're really honest with yourself when it comes to God and and faith and religion and these concepts you're I'm not I mean I'm so man I'm not even close have you ever felt like you're not even close to God or God's nowhere near you yeah there's a number of reasons why we feel this way it could be your own performance it could be your own lack of interest your own lack of spirituality your lack of a faithful good noble activity you don't hold the door open for nobody or it could be because you tried it you tried it I I tried to be Noble I tried to be good I I tried to be one of those churchgoers I tried to be one of those faithful believers I tried but it didn't work for me like my prayers at the ceiling and fell back down the floor up I'm just you know what that's not for me I'm not even God me know we never really been close some I'm not even close there's a number of reasons why people feel God is far sometimes we blame ourselves sometimes we blame God God doesn't care God doesn't care now I'm not even close me and God oh there's a massive canyon between me and God there's this huge space between me and God and so a preacher like me gets on the stage and starts talking about the subject of faith and you know this is what faith is and already you start to say to yourself it doesn't really apply to me it doesn't really apply to me now I know I know these preacher types they're gonna tell me that God loves me but I know for a fact through experience through my own journey me and God we just we just don't really connect frankly I don't think God cares too much about you know what I'm doing because I'm not really on his team I'm doing my thing or for that matter I'm not sure I I believe in God oh I used to believe but I don't really believe anymore God God no we we we we kind of we got a gap between us but that's cool I get it I understand it I'm not even close to to God and so tonight we're talking about today we're talking about the subject of faith and and and what I'm about to tell you is that we have defined these last several weeks the word faith the the actual original Greek word which is the most dominant word for faith in what we now call the new testament it's over and over it's used an enormous amount of times in new testament and it's a greek word that that literally means persuade or persuaded and we've established the fact that that when it comes to faith where does the persuasion come from you can't persuade yourself because if you could persuade yourself to believe in Jesus you could claim that you've at least helped a lot in saving yourself so saving faith is not your own personal persuasion you're not come on come on Jew - you gotta believe come on you're a believer you're a believer come on believe believe in Jesus name yep you're Ablett look in the mirror tell yourself you're a believer you're a born again you're a Christian come on know that no the persuasion doesn't come from you it comes from God so what is faith faith is divine persuasion so let's ask ourselves an important question tonight how far will this divine persuasion go how far how far because we're about to wade into that concept again today like hey listen God is persuasive God is persuading you but maybe already you're able to kind of check yourself out of the equation because you know you are far from God and that's when Rahab the prostitute steps into the story up into this point we've talked about Abraham father Abraham and many sons we've talked about Moses we've talked about some pretty noble people and then some of you who know the Old Testament did you ever notice that Joshua isn't even mentioned in this list but Rahab is in our story tonight Joshua is the one who's leading the winning nation in the war at Jericho and he's not even mentioned but a prostitute who lives in the walls of Jericho is mentioned now the recipients again of this letter are who first century believers who have come under extraordinary persecution and I just wonder if at times they felt like God was a million miles away they felt like God wasn't even close how would you feel if you're watching loved ones getting beaten and some dying for their faith I'll be the first in line to be like where do we question God I'm gonna get in that line excuse me how is this happening where are you why don't you stop this why don't you answer our prayers and so inserted in this list of all of these ancient Hebrew Jewish heroes is actually one that's not Jewish Rahab is not a Hebrew Rahab is not Jewish she's a foreigner she's a Canaanite furthermore in ancient biblical times she's a woman which in their time in their context which is ridiculous was seen as less than a man so she's not only not a Jew she's a foreigner she's a woman and what was her occupation prostitution law eighteen hundred years later after practicing prostitution she still got the title Rahab the prostitute and I would like to submit to you tonight that God wants us to see how far his divine persuasion will go you feel far from God how far do you feel far from God how far how far I said how far do you feel far from God that's effective communication it's called a redundancy how far is far when you feel so far so very very far away from God how far does it feel how far do you feel let's just think about this for a minute and then and we'll be done before you know it how how how far does divine persuasion go like we're here saying that faith is this faith is not me going all right all right all right all right God I'm ready for you okay okay you God all right all right all right I'm a believer and God goes finally okay here we go let's have a relationship thank you thank you thank you but that's a very prevalent narrative in the streets of this country and many others right we've heard it a million times over hey what do you say can you come you want to come to church with me come on then I can't come to church why be go man place is gonna burn down when I walk in there you can't hey hey give me some lead time help me put myself together a little bit get some gum at least so my breath you know so you know so and then I roll up in church because we're still we are still subject to something that is not biblical and it's still being spoken up that people can't come to God until until you cover those tattoos you stop cussing people like wait Christians actually think that there are still some yes my brothers and sisters who like I have no idea yeah I know so right you get yourself together now something you don't have any of this history but there are churches still where somebody will walk in and if you want to be a part of the church one of the brothers and sisters in the community will put their arm around you say now my brother next week says so next week when you come you need to now put on some some proper clothes the honor the Lord now I say so what I I had a friend invite me I know and your friend thought it was okay for you to come up in a tube top but I'm just saying who says tube top like what it what are we doing yeah I tell you oh no I said to top this of fact because Chelsea got a tube top recently for a swimsuit and I'm excited about it okay moving on that's just the truth I'm just gonna shoot it and I was like I didn't know tube tops look so good so so well can you guys help me a little bit tonight you're egging me on so but that's how that's how culture has been created so much in church and in church oftentimes is a representation of God and so people go with the church people wear like this and what God must be like this and so I can't be a part of because I'm a million miles away from it I'm so I'm far from God okay I don't have a Sunday best I don't know in the suit I don't I don't I don't enjoy some things and I don't so I guess well I'll come back when I can get my stuff together so let's ask us how far will God go to persuade you how far does it go how far does it go further than you could ever imagine for instance here's an observation Rahab is clearly persuaded by God God decides I choose Rahab now by the way that and of itself is indicative of who our God is he scans the city of Jericho and he's like Who am I yeah Rahab the brothel owner I choose you and the persuasion begins think about it she's persuaded behind walls now you do any investigation about these Jericho walls and they are impenetrable they are thick they are massive and they sit up on a cliff they said that Jericho was stunning to look at researchers tell us it would have been overwhelming for an opponent to think in any way shape or form they could scale these walls I want you to get that picture in your mind tonight because that's how far God's persuasion goes you got walls up God's scales walls have you if you have you told yourself this is it I'm done God you're out I'm not doing this anymore have you hidden behind walls have walls been built from hurt have other so-called Jesus followers used you manipulated you you and so now you started to build walls I'm here to say that the God we're speaking of today is not a God who condemns you for your walls there are people in this room and other rooms watching you built walls to survive that's all we picture God in heaven condemning you because how dare you build a wall because somebody hurts you know the Bible says he remembers that were dust he remembers our fragility he remembers our fragile frame he remembers that God that hurt I don't want to get hurt anymore so we build walls so I can't I can't do that and he's something some people tell you now what you need to do is you need to tear down those walls and then God will come walking in I'm gonna tell you guys gonna come through the wall I'm gonna tell he's gonna go over the wall he's gonna he's gonna remove the wall don't-don't-don't gonna get caught up with your walls this church is not built on helping people focus on their walls we all got him by the way we got walls I got walls towards the New England Patriots big old walls and Tom Brady will never scale them yeah number 12 just try right like we all got walls so we go we can spend the rest of our lives talking about I need you to tear down this wall honey tear down this wall or we could declare more importantly we believe in a God who goes through our walls and goes through those walls to choose us and meet us I am persuaded today that if you are here under the sound of my voice apart of church home the persuasion has already begun and I could choose to make you and me feel bad about our walls or we could look at Rahab and go you know what if God can scale those walls with his divine persuasion he can go right through my walls and persuade me so I dare you when nobody's looking no miser I dare you to be like okay God get through these walls I think he'll enjoy the challenge he's been doing this for a long time Rahab was persuaded behind these incredible walls how about this how far does this divine persuasion go she was persuaded while practicing prostitution we believe some people have tried to remove that she was not a prostitute she was just a real friendly lady she was friendly because we're uncomfortable with this we're uncomfortable with this with this reality of God that God loves you just the way you are God loves you God chose Rahab and from best I can tell Rahab not just selling her body she's helping other ladies sell theirs too and and that's why and I'm not I'm not I'm not trying to be crude here I'm just saying when you read Hebrews 11 31 which we read a moment ago and said she you know by divine persuasion she was not destroyed with those who were disobedient her life was preserved because she gave the spies a friendly welcome I know that that also means that she hid them and protected them but but yet friendly welcomes is what she did and by the way those spies were probably not entirely pure hearted they were like where should we like hang for the evening you know what this looks like a real nice spot right here little kind of bar vibes and some nice ladies yeah that's real that's what was happening that's what was happening and Rahab is she's a prostitute but evidently while practicing prostitution God's love was already at work what did you say God's love was already working on Rahab while she was making money selling her body well I thought we told people like listen listen if you'll change God's gonna love you but that's not good news that's not good news no the news is so good is that God's crazy about you who me do you know what I do I don't not sure it's totally relevant he is crazy about you see there are people listening right now you you have believed that you're far from God because of the life you live and let me say it like this if you ever wonder where God's at read the stories about where Jesus went and then you'll be like oh so God is there you would be shocked where God intentionally hangs out you'd be shocked well how do you know because that's where Jesus went I mean Jesus what that's where Jesus went so so actually I I had enough time I could probably prove to you that if your lifestyle in any way reflects or there is some symmetry with Rahab I could almost argue that that that God's with you a lot and maybe even more than than others sometimes wait a minute I thought God no God God God God loves broken people Jesus is moved with compassion towards those who are diseased and hurting and broken and marginalized and dismissed and overlooked he Jesus seems to be drawn to these people no no God's God's been persuading you and he's gonna keep persuading you Judah are you trying to persuade me no if I can persuade you that God is real somebody can can unpersuaded but I think you get the point now church home is not a community where we're trying to persuade people that's what God does I'm just saying hey this this is the evidence these guys these spies from Joshua's team okay we got we got the city of Jericho and the Canaanites and and Joshua has been lead and he took over leadership for Moses Moses is now dead and Joshua is leading this country that God created known as Israel and and man they got some wins already okay in the story they got some wins and and they've read see they've taken down some kingdoms and like two kings and and that words out a little bit that you know Joshua and his crew they got some momentum like this is they're kind of they're rolling through the playoffs okay and in in in in in now the next thing gods like we're gonna take down Jericho this is a little bit bigger fish than the other ones we're gonna take down Jericho Jericho is a significant city with fortified walls I'm gonna take down Jericho and so Joshua in his country that he's leading Israel that God has chosen to demonstrate to the whole world his provision his power his glory he does it there Israel Joshua sends in spies and that's how this whole story unfolds the spies going to Jericho and they're like wow this is crazy they choose Rahab spot to hang and then this happens Rahab that the king of Jericho says to Rahab I know those guys over at your joint I want you to send him to me and rehabs like ah no what are you talking about who what you know those spies so she goes they already took off in the middle of the night I think if you start now you might be able to catch her so she makes up a story she had hidden the guys in her house on the roof to be exact under some barley she goes up to the roof she uncovers a guy she's like hey alright you're safe and they go think she goes we've heard they say what no no rumors out everybody's talking about it in our city you guys are crazy we heard about what happened to the Red Sea it didn't really they're like yeah it was crazy we heard you like you've taken down like two kings now two kings like just you removed them like they're gone yeah and we're next they're like yeah yeah me she goes yeah your God is the God now ladies and gentlemen in Rahab's day there's a lot of God's by the way and the God who was the most popular God at the time was the God who had gold big walls money stuff that that was the constant back then this prostitute a Canaanite living in a fortified city says to these scared spies I think your God is God and if you look at her verbage in Joshua chapter 2 in Joshua chapter 6 she literally says the only God you mean this prostitute is persuaded by rumors she hears on a street here's what we don't talk about a lot God will use all kind of things to persuade you all kind of things people like man I need to go to church and hear a preacher cool glad you're here but God will use rumors about him to persuade you you'd be shocked how God persuades people all over the world we got we got records of people to other countries who are seeing Jesus in their dream appear to them saying I am the one true God waking up and completely forsaking their whole culture that's ingrained in religion and saying Jesus is the one true God there's a record in scripture where God used a donkey to talk to somebody you would be shocked what God can use to persuade you this woman is persuaded by rumors she's so persuaded she says to these spies I'm with you guys now for those of us that know the end of the story which if you don't know it's in verse 30 God literally pushes down archaeologists agree that the walls of Jericho did not tumble they were simply pushed into the earth by the hand of God so we know the end of the story is Joshua's team's win God's team team God but hold on a minute if you are Rahab I'm talking about divine persuasion let's talk about how real it is if you are Rahab you the the odds are in your favor Rahab real quick glimpse of the scenario Joshua and that nation are in tents and trees Rahab you live in one of the most impressive walled cities in the known world and she says to these scared spies I'm with you guys I believe your God is God and I'm like hold pause the scene for a second Rahab quick side interview what are you thinking you you think this upstart nation what do you what do you think that I don't even think they're gonna get a guy up the wall through the whoop like you would she's like I'm with you guys she's like here's the deal if I help you will you take care of my family and not kill us they're like for sure absolutely you're very friendly and I thought look at this divine persuasion she is so persuaded she's persuaded past the obvious contradiction all around her now let's talk about faith let's talk about first century Jews who are dying he said look at Rahab now again these these these Hebrews who received this letter oh they know the story of Rahab it's the stuff of lore it's the stuff of hero they know about Rahab because see the biggest consequence for Rahab is she's about to give up her culture she's about to give up her way of life everything's gonna change she's either gonna die or she's gonna be a foreigner amongst a brand brand-new upstart nation she goes I'm with you now any logical thinking person would stop the scene and say Rahab sit down baby girl listen you crazy look at Jericho look at the guys and gals in the trees look at Jericho look at the guys and the gals and the trees do you want to live in trees or do you want to live in Jericho like oh good point I was just kidding guys almost died in Jericho but this this Canaanite woman has become so persuaded how divine she goes I'm with you guys I think the spies were like cool cool cool whoo Wow they went back pretty encouraged Rahab was building the faith of the guys from God's team she's like you man we are all scared in here right Happy's everybody's scared this is called an exaggeration to make a point everybody in Jericho is hurt we are talking about you you guys whoa what is that she's persuaded I want to know if faith that's that contradicts everything around me but still knows it's true that's the kind of faith I need that's the kind of divine persuasion I need and I am NOT always that guy I might the only person listening tonight and I'm also speaking while listening am i shut up am I the only person who am i yeah yeah yeah let's do this man God's faithful it's waiting oh man I don't God's not here yeah let's do this you ready you ready I'm ready let's go all right come on hey this is kind of painful this is kind of difficult I don't think this is God let's go back and rethink okay awesome which is exactly what's happening to the first century Jews who received this letter they're going ah ouch it hurts it's painful I feel alone you feel a million miles away people are dying down here hello and the writer goes remember Rahab well she was really persuaded oh yeah she she sided with God's people in the fields when her people were fortified by walls does that someone who has been persuaded by God see there always be an element of following Jesus that onlookers who have not been persuaded won't understand I say many crap crazy what do you mean are you so involved in community and serving people and awesome man you need to do you you need to take care of you yeah I appreciate that I pressed cool that's cool right I just man up just feel like God is so good really God is so good man you you you you had that whole plan for your career it never worked out but God's good yeah it's not really about that then what it is what is it about well it's about I know what you're gonna say love right love it's about love okay all right all right be good I'll talk to you soon you're like that was a good coffee and you're like am I crazy did I choose the field people when I could have lived in the walled city am I am I crazy lastly and this is my final observation and and I'm done she she's so persuaded she the choice she makes is going to cost her starting all over again you ever think of that which is interesting because the recipients of this letter are losing their businesses they're losing friends their loot they're losing their social status it's like they're starting all over again and Rahab thought I'm gonna do it I'm gonna start all over again it's interesting because I keep coming back to the statement made by Jesus he says unless you become like a child that childlike persuasion unless you've become wide-eyed and wonder you won't really understand what I'm doing unless you just kind of get rebooted on the rape start over again Rahab I just want to sit her down today oh girl you either way this goes it's gonna be hard you know that right because now that you sided with the people in the field if they lose which they most likely will based on my research and statistics your people who rather like you at this point I heard the king has a direct line to you for other reasons I'm sure but listen they gonna kill you when they find out what you did on the flip side if the field people actually win you're gonna be talked about in that country forever and not always in a good light so this is what you want see I think I think people think like man yeah you became a believer because you figured that would be that'd be the easy way so once you heard about Jesus you were like wait Jesus better career better looking good spouse money where do I sign up for Jesus is that what this is or is there a real God who starts to persuade your soul and your whole being to the point where you're like he's real he forgave me I love him and I am with him come hell or high water that's divine persuasion that's not mind over matter that's not a good sermon by a preacher that you were like I was provocative I mean it's people are cool I'm gonna find a real good date here no it's a community starts to form around people who are like I I couldn't say no what do you mean to God he revealed him I heart changed everything well when you accepted him what happened a lot of stuff changed it was hard it hurt I was misunderstood I got fired you know a lot of things happen when I follow Jesus but he persuaded me you know the Bible says for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes which is synonymous with receives him shall not perish but have everlasting life what we often don't talk about and Rahab thousands of years before Jesus his death burial resurrection and ascension which changes human history as we know it as he is once and for all made a sacrifice all air wronged and sent ever committed by any man woman boy and girl in history Rahab's a beautiful example of what happens when we receive when we yield to the divine persuasion we start over again we start over again and you know starting over again is a beautiful thing because you get a new beginning but it's also things are a bit boring you kind of got a risk a lot maybe your identity is caught up in a practice like Rahab's in some way or form that you know if I accept Jesus that's gonna change I'm gonna have to start over and so I applaud anybody who kind of weighs like hey this is Jesus saying man the way you guys talk about it like you don't just want to like a 10 church you want to select follow Jesus every day yeah that's that's the plan yeah but sometimes where Jesus walks it's hurt it's uphill it's it's not good weather it's not fun really it's painful yeah yeah it is why do you do it oh I can't help it I mean you can't help it you got a choice in this yeah a little bit he's the realest being in the universe oh you he died for me he loves me like nobody's ever loved me he's always been there for me he never leaves me yeah yeah yeah but man why didn't he save your dad why didn't he heal your mom I don't know you don't know and you're still following him yeah why cuz I know that he's God I mean I love him you know that's that's some blind faith nah nothing blind about it I know his track record I know what he does and I know no matter what imma be with him for eternity I'm persuaded right have you given up all this you know that new nations not gonna let you practice what you yeah do you know that we find out later Rahab got married started a family do you know that Rahab is related to Jesus do you know that she goes from a prostitute in the walls of one of the most significant fortified cities to believing in God and being mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew as a relative of the Lord Jesus Christ why because rehabs life is a picture of what happens when someone yields to the divine persuasion of God yeah I wonder if you're persuaded I'd like to suggest the persuasion has begun I don't know who I'm talking to but I'm ending right here there's somebody under the sound of my voice and I'm apply this last point a little bit differently to you you love Jesus you've been persuaded and you have received the free gift of forgiveness but God is asking you to yield even more and here's what I mean there are people under the sound of my voice God is asking you to start all over in your career and you've been fighting it and you've been telling yourself I have worked too far too long too much I and God saying will you will you will you receive my persuasion the see God will divinely persuade you about himself and his saving power and then he will continue to divinely persuade you for the rest of your life and he'll persuade you I gotta make this decision this is where I gotta go and there are people here I don't know who and I don't always do this but but God is asking you to step out and start all over him in fact there are people here recently you wrote in your journal or set it outloud to God I don't know if I can start all over again I don't know if I can start all over again and I'm telling you the same God who persuaded Rahab that she would reboot and start her life all over again is the same God who is persuading you to trust him as you wade out into the deep end and trust him for the rest of your days and your career I told you this like a hundred thousand times if I was allowed to by God to tell all of you and if we get into we start following Jesus everything just gonna be great I will I will preach that every time we get together if I could but I can't and our brothers and sisters from thousands of years ago seem to be crying out the original recipients of this letter and now you and I are the recipients of this letter our ancestors are telling us there will be difficult days my brothers and sisters there will be days where there will not be any answers there will not be any way to actually make sense of tragedy travesty calamity disease wars hatred bigotry there will be any cute answers there will only be any talking points for an interview on television but what there will be is the same God who is the same yesterday today and forever and if these men and women boys and girls can navigate first century persecution in execution than you and I can stand strolling up under the divine persuasion of our great gracious God we have not come this far to go back again I didn't decide to follow Jesus to cash it in when it got hard or the world got dark no we're going to keep moving forward we may not be the fastest the sharpest or the brightest they may never write memoirs about how grand and great and beautiful we are let that be what they will say is there was a group of people living in Seattle and Los Angeles and wherever else you're from who stayed the course who stayed the course when nobody was looking why because we are persuaded that's why not because of circumstance or even outcome or even results my life is not dictated by results and outcome my existence cannot be reduced to a scoreboard I am Who I am by the grace of God and what come let it come hell or high water I am persuaded that's where it ends I'm persuaded it's Who I am this is what I do there's no going back there's no plan B it's only plan a all I gotta do is today Jesus said take up your cross today Jean following Jesus is only today I can't follow Jesus yesterday I can't follow Jesus tomorrow all I can do is follow Jesus today so tomorrow will take care of itself yesterday is gone I can follow Jesus today and you said you know why are you so passionate because I preached it to myself so give me a break preachers do that too I can follow Jesus today I can I'm not saying I could follow Jesus for another 50 years I can't do that all but I can follow him today I can follow him today are you weary are you tired are the circumstances contradicting everything you've been persuaded about god you're starting to go god I I well then man I see right HAP and I go okay girl if that's how far God goes I'm gonna be okay I'm gonna be okay I don't know who you are but I'm inviting you back to this journey of following in the footsteps of Jesus there's somebody listening to me right now you have told yourself I can't do that again I I tried that I'm not inviting you back to religion I'm inviting you back into a romance into a passionate following of a real God who will never leave you nor forsake you don't you know know you God God chose you God chose you your life is gonna be defined by God's love you watch you watch you watch Jesus we thank you so much thank you for your presence I thank you God for the boldness today in these moments God I'm asking I I just feel your love for people right now and I'm asking for people in Seattle Los Angeles and people from all over the world watching online right now I'm asking that this same boldness that came upon our first century ancestors in the middle of horrific events I pray would come upon us and within us your spirit of boldness confidence thank you Lord right now we need it we need it we need it these days are difficult these days are dark we need it right now to follow you so I declare today over our church that you who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it and we're not going anywhere God I'm with you I'm with you we are with you where else can we go you have the words of life we love you if you're here and you said Judah I'd like to become a follower of Jesus I'd like to become a follower of Jesus then all it takes is a moment of receptivity that's it just to receive just to receive you can't earn it deserve it warn it just receive it so if you'd like to receive the free forgiveness that only Jesus offers and begin this journey because you are persuaded that he is God and he is the only one that can save you and can forgive you I want to include you in this prayer so I'm gonna ask on the count of three there at all of our locations in Seattle Los Angeles and even people watching online I'd like to ask you to respond if you're persuaded that God is real and you'd like to begin the journey of following him on the count of three I'm gonna ask you to lift up your hand and put it right back down I believe when you respond on the outside to what's happening on the inside it just makes it more real to you you know you are one God loves you two you start all over again three if that's you just shoot your hand up and say - Mia I believe I receive believe our see God thank you for these hands thank you for hands in Seattle thank you for hand people online right now thank you God you forgive you give us new beginning and we thank you for that right now Jesus name in Jesus name in Jesus name thank you for what you're doing in our church now if you're willing and enable would you would you stand with us and along with the music team we're gonna sing about our God remind ourselves who he is come on church home hey everybody thank you so much for watching our YouTube channel to be honest it really means a lot it's kind overwhelming to consider that you take time out of your life to listen to us tell the story of Jesus if you haven't already you can subscribe right here to the channel and get more of God's incredible love for you and his story up grace again I can't say it enough thank you so much for watching and hopefully we can do this again real soon

Channel: Churchome

Views: 32,529

Rating: 4.8783541 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: ef2ppi0aL5g

Length: 59min 57sec (3597 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 22 2019