What's It All About? // Judah Smith

hey first of all thanks so much for tuning in today and you're about to watch a message that obviously I'm really hoping helps you and encourages you what's the point of preaching if it doesn't help people so again thanks for taking time to tune in if you haven't heard we've just announced that we have started church home college we've had a training program now for years in fact I graduated from it and just recently we have given it a brand new name church home college and I'm super passionate about empowering people to live the life that Jesus has called you to live ultimately we're all called to live as storytellers telling the story of Jesus his goodness and His grace so if you'd like to grow more in your relationship with Jesus and learn more about the teachings of Scripture that's what church on college is all about so actually there's a link here you can click on right now as you're watching this to find out more information about church home college but for now we'll go right into the message thanks so much for watching hey I want to ask Pastor John Smith who is also my cousin who is the president and Chancellor of church home college we're gonna take a second and so excited about what was formerly called interns and our leadership experience is now officially church home college a Bible College and John and Rose lead the charge there and it's amazing but before we talk about that Friday night the staff of church home played the students of church home college and I didn't want to hurt their feelings I didn't John did I I wanted to win but I didn't want to win by 22 points but that is how we won the staff 169 247 ladies and gentlemen and I mean all the glory goes to God I mean we can't we can't take that for ourselves but it was a fun night us 40 year olds beating the young people but John we tell us a little bit about College we are so excited and we've been doing this for 22 years training and developing leaders in our church so it's always been in the heart of who we are but I can speak for my wife and I on our entire team and our entire staff in church that we have never been more excited to feel like the best is yet to come for sure starting in this fall we have a two-year degree program in our church and we've already have students coming from around the world around the nation and but most importantly this is the most important announcement to say to our church please come and if you if you know young people I don't know of a better training mechanism in the church to develop young people jesus is the hero every single day in our church what you hear on Sunday will be nothing but reflected Monday through Friday in our in our program and be so excited to get the word out this is really our first announcement that's our first video that's our logo we're so excited for the future come on church home college it's a it's exciting days and John did hit some shots on Friday night as well well done it's a special day obviously to honor mothers but I'd like to take a moment to honor a man that has really changed my life and transformed this church it was early Friday morning pastor Don Ostrom graduated into heaven and I immediately couldn't help but picture my dad and pastor dawn who were the closest of friends finally together again in eternity I did not know the meaning of the word generosity until I met pastor Don Ostrom who I later would refer to as Grandpa Don he was probably the truest grandfather I had in this life and that was a part of my life since I was 13 and a part of this church for more than two decades an amazing man nearly his entire family his kids and grandchildren we're here at the 8:30 service but I just wanted us to take a moment just to honor pastor Don's life and legacy of faith and courage and risk and generosity responsible for thousands of churches planted in the Philippines he led for more than four decades here in this city in in terms of Jesus and love for Jesus was an elder on the board of City Church now church home for 20 years and I love this man and we would not be who we are today without Pastor Don's faith and so we have the privilege of celebrating his life on June 8th if you'd like to join us everyone is welcome June 8th at 6 p.m. we're gonna have a celebration because that's really what it is a celebration of pastor Don's life and legacy one of generosity and faith it's gonna be amazing so thank you thank you for praying for if you kind of know the story of pastor Donna Marlene pastor Don allowed me to call him grandpa Don but his wife Marlene allowed me to call her aunt Marlene so yet Marlene was here today and we hugged and shared some stories and had an amazing time on Friday just kind of going back over the journey together with pastor so we'll do more of that on June 8 thank you so much for praying for the family and the hope we have is eternity with Jesus and for those that are here today that don't know Jesus or considering you know what it would look like to follow Jesus this man was an incredible example of loving life always laughing smile on his face and we believe that he is with Jesus forever and ever can I hear an amen so thank you for consider joining us on June 8 I'd like to dedicate this message to pastor dawn into his life and legacy we're gonna go to 2nd Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16 if you're new to this space or new to our community every time we gather from the beginning 1992 and my dad along with Pastor Don and others started this church with some 20 people at the Courtyard Marriott in Bellevue since that day - now every time we gather we go to this book which we believe is the story of God's incredible love for each and every one of us were you're gonna hear good news today not bad news and so you don't have to feel nervous you can relax a little bit and enjoy God's incredible love for you God is not mad at you there's not a big cosmic eternal a scowl on his face towards you he is smiling at you he loves you and even if your mom tricked you to coming today made you come today God God loves you so much 2nd 2nd Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16 we've been doing a collection of talks entitled the other 3:16 and we've basted a course on John 3:16 the scripture Tim Tebow wrote ok let's get it going and it says for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life in an effort to further understand the implications and the ramifications of John 3:16 we're going to other chapter 3 and verse 16 passages in the Bible to continue to explore and remind ourselves all that Jesus has done for us and so it says in 2nd Timothy 3:16 2nd Timothy 3:16 all sure is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching for reproof for correction and for training in righteousness all Scriptures breathed out by God profitable for teaching for reproof for correction for training in righteousness and helping 40 year olds beat students at church home college I think that's in there too would you join me in prayer Jesus thank you for the moments we share as a community god we reflect on a life well-lived thank you for pastor Don thank you for his faith his trust in you what a generosity may that continue to grow in our lives may we live and love like you Jesus Lord bless the moments that we share now help us to not only hear what you're saying but but see it played out in our every day life and thank you for what you're doing in the Seattle Seahawks and help the Mariners lord I pray that because I don't want to get any mean emails from baseball fans who say I never care in Jesus name and everybody said amen I get a few of those every once in awhile you don't even care about the Mariners I do I do I do just let me know when there's 500 games left in the regular season so I can pay attention man um do you remember an embarrassing moment from high school did you ever have an embarrassing moment from high school some of you looking to be like no and well for the rest of us we had a an embarrassing moment in high school and for some of us we had a lot of them it just happens that my most embarrassing moment at Issaquah high school was at the kinko championship basketball game at Juanita high school this happened in 1958 and if you've been to Juanita high school the big field house and it was in Sequoia High School versus Mercer Island we were rivals at the time because our coach coached under coach at Mercer Island and so it was a big game and as I remember it was packed I think we turned thousands of people away and I was a starting forward of course I used a basketball sports analogy to begin into my sermon to honor moms everywhere because I this is what you want but I was a forward listed as a power forward to be exact and as a starter it's not a big deal and it's a big game and I remember kind of feeling nervous I remember feeling a little on edge and it was a packed house and back then I think the entire city church showed up which is about 28 of us and in it was was a big game and the right before the tip-off I remember thinking like I can't seem to calm down and it would only get worse balls tipped the game begins and only two plays in our big six foot 11 275 pounds Center he shoots the ball and he misses and he usually made and and and I kind of got the rebound instead of taking the rebound and collecting myself pump-fake II like I'm making moves now on stage pump faking and going up I decide midair to grab the ball and just throw it back at the rim and I remember doing it going what am i doing like I'm playing volleyball or something and I look at my coach and he's screaming right he's like what are you doing and I remember running down the court thinking I don't know right and it would only get worse a few place later the ball comes off the rim really hard and I'm out in the three-point line I catch the ball and I turned towards our basket and the entire court is open to me it's what we like to call a fast-break in the business and it's a joke but and so all of a sudden I'm like well alright I got the whole court so I put down my head and start dribbling I don't recommend this and I'm just tripling and I'm dribbling and if you've been to the Fieldhouse a twenty two high school it seems like a longer court than normal okay so I'm dribbling dribbling and I think to myself I must be at the rim by now and I decide not to look not to check but simply take off this is a real story you cannot make this up so I I just take off and when I look up like I like I took off like this I took off more like this you know I look up and I have taken off at the free-throw line now if you're dr. J here Michael Jordan others that is not a problem but it's a problem for me so I take off and I'm like what if I what have I done John was there this is a real story and I'm like okay well there's only one thing to do finger roll right so this is a real story I mean there's like 18,000 people at the game I finger roll and like if the rim is here the finger roll went here and the ball just drops and my coach is like he's now screaming calls the timeout right just to talk to me call time I was like Smith what are you doing and I remember going I don't know and he says this get it together which always helps if you're struggling make sure you find someone who will yell at you get it together man that always gets you right man I meet you I just need someone to scream at me in the face get it together get your life together okay that's what I needed thank you very much right I didn't get it together it got worse and we lost and that was the day I decided I would not declare for the NBA Draft it was weird maybe you can relate to that have you ever had a situation or circumstance your life you just can't get it together maybe you've been an elite athlete had a bad day one time that was also a joke but seriously maybe it's a lot more than a game it's it's real life and because of your finances you feel frazzled because of relationship breakdown you feel all over the place you can't seem to get it together you can't seem to calm your emotions you can't seem to get clarity you can't seem to regain your perspective you can't just get it together use feel frantic you feel anxious you feel worried you feel frustrated you feel agitated and no matter how many people scream at you to get it together you just can't get it together maybe you've lost a loved one maybe you've lost a job maybe you've lost a relationship maybe as I said you've lost your perspective and you just can't seem to get it together big idea behind the other 316 and the collection of talks we've done is the reality is we live in a very uncertain unstable world it's unfair frankly it's not just it's not right there are so many things that happen in this life that just aren't fair I've said it 10,000 times in the nine years of leading church home and I'll say it again if I could I would tell you today that because you came to church on Mother's Day with your mom to honor God God now says to you for the rest of your life everything will be perfect and smooth sailing and not one single bad thing will ever happen to you again like if I could I'd preach that every Sunday but that's just not the case that's not real life bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people and this life is challenging where will we find our security where will we find our confidence where will we find our faith where we will find our hope where will we be able to get up again tomorrow and believe that good things are in our future and that God is faithful and God is good well of course that brings us to 2nd Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16 more specifically it brings us to the next verse verse 17 verse 16 says this book this story is so good and so profitable and so powerful it can do this look at verse 17 it can that the man of God or woman of God may be complete and equipped complete and equipped do you know what that word complete means it means put together the Bible tells us that this book this storybook about Jesus is so profitable and so powerful it can put you together not that everything is perfect in your life but it can put you together it can get your outlook right your attitude right your perspective right your mentor right even your words right this book evidently has the power to do that so if you find yourself today afraid frustrated confused anxious angry worried fearful second Timothy chapter three and verse sixteen is for you now I want to talk a little bit about how this works how does this book ink on paper how does it do such transformative work in our life that literally we're not talking figuratively this is not Christian cliche we're not sermonizing we're not playing religious games we're not filling a time on Mother's Day because this is the right thing to do we are here for the truth we're here for what is real we're here for what actually will transform our average Monday or Tuesday evening and the Bible tells us that it is powerful so much so it can put you together again it can shape you up so that you can put one foot in front of the other and live this life for the brief stay we are here to the fullest now I want to draw your attention we've gone to verse 16 in verse 17 let's look at verse 15 an effort to further understand 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 16 notice verse 15 says this and how from childhood you have acquainted you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ able to make you wise for salvation through Jesus Christ now before we go any further let's give a little backstory in context Paul is writing to Timothy Paul now most scholars believe he has months to live when he writes first Timothy Timothy is his star pupil Timothy is now pastoring in a city known as Ephesus Ephesus was a major metropolitan city much like New York Los Angeles or Seattle it was a place of much debate much controversy much news much art and culture and it's there that now is pastoring the Ephesus and by the way the community of faith there is surging in growth and thousands of people are joining the church by this time Paul is about to pass away he has months left to live when he writes first Timothy he's in house arrest there's some luxury there there's some convenience there there's some comfort there by the time he writes second Timothy his last writings he is now in a dungeon he's now in a prison and we bait by best we can tell historically he's actually in Chains he's in rags he's not in good shape he has not been fed well he is soon to die and he seems to know that even in his writings so that gives you a little bit of context that Paul is writing his last words to his son in the faith if you will and he's saying hey this book is important to the future of the church it's important to Jesus followers everywhere but notice while he's in Chains what Paul writes one of the most important verses in my opinion that Paul has ever written notice what he says he says now Timothy from childhood you have been acquainted with sacred writings he's talking about the scripture now you've been acquainted with the scripture which you're able here's what the scripture can do they're able to make you wise for salvation through Jesus Christ for salvation through Jesus Christ can I give you a translation of this verse the Bible is about Jesus I'm gonna make a statement now hear me out the Bible is not about the Bible the Bible is not about the Bible do you know why we have main Christians because they think the Bible is about the Bible the Bible is not a collection of principles that we use to make ourselves feel exclusive and culture the Bible is not a book to hurt people that don't believe in it the Bible is only powerful to the degree that it points us to Jesus for that which does not point to Jesus cannot save and that's why I'll prove this to you Jesus says this to the religious leaders the teachers of the Torah the first five books of the Bible he says this to them in John chapter 5 this year the words of Jesus now John chapter 5 39 he says you search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life whoa and it is they that bear witness about me look how it says in the message it's so clear you have your heads and your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there you know the Bible itself says knowledge puffs up and even Bible knowledge can make you prideful but it's only when your Bible points you to Jesus it'll make you humble and gracious the Bible is about Jesus but you missed the forest for the trees Caesar says these scriptures are all about me and Here I am standing right before you and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want oh no no no no we are not here today to celebrate a book of historical stories that give us success keys or principles or steps to effective living we are here celebrating the main character the lover of our soul the God who is the same yesterday today and forever his name is Jesus and he will save his people from their sins no no Paul is in Chains and he doesn't have much time to live and he tells Timothy he says you've been well acquainted with the sacred scriptures but I want to remind you what makes the scriptures sacred is that they can make you wise for salvation by pointing you to and through the Lord Jesus Christ it is all about Jesus I'll take it a step further when it says sacred writings in verse 15 and when it says all scripture in verse 16 what scripture or writings is it talking about well you know if you know your history the New Testament is not fully formed yet there is not yet a New Testament in this writing I'll take it a step further Paul is telling Timothy that the old testament when he says all scripture he means all the Old Testament when he says second sacred writings he means all the Old Testament you mean to tell me that's right Paul is saying the entire Old Testament is about Jesus if Abraham was here he'd say it's about Jesus if Adam and Eve were here they'd say is about Jesus if Moses was here he'd be like guys come on it's about Jesus if Rubel's here she would like stop making about me and Boaz it's about Jesus if Hannah was here if Esther was here if Isaac was here if Jacob was here if Joseph was here if David was here if Joshua Joshua be like I'm a type of Jesus I'm trying to point yuji's 'us right it's all about Jesus and and it is only as powerful to the point that it leads us to Jesus so all Scripture is profitable because it points us to Jesus it points us to a person not merely a principle but a person we are not here celebrating moral principles ladies and gentlemen let us elevate our living we are here celebrating a person who is the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form and everything is for him and through him and by him and about him and the heavens and earth declare the glory of the Lord it is it's Jesus always been Jesus about Jesus so what happens when we go to this love story and we look for the main character and we see him well that's the three-part sequence that Paul seems to outline he says now Timothy in chains he writes all Scripture is I love this it's breathed out by God it's the Living Word because God breathed it out it's got life in it as it points you to the person of Jesus and he says it's powerful or it's profitable for teaching reproof and correction and for training in righteousness I'd like to explain to you what Paul is saying here he's saying when you go to this book and you recognize it makes you wise for salvation through Jesus so the book is all about Jesus pointing you to Jesus and when you go to this book here's this three-step process that happens number one you start wading into the love story treat it like a story treat it like a love story for that's how it is written it is in fact the story of God and he says it's powerful in that it teaches us it teaches us now one scripture says you'll have no need of a teacher for the Spirit of God the spirit of Jesus will teach you when you go to this story he'll teach you and how will the spirit of Jesus teach it well the spirit always seeks to reveal Jesus as he did in Jesus life in ministry so he does today when you go to this book looking for Jesus the Spirit of Jesus says that's what I do best and before you know it you start reading the scriptures and you're not reading for Bible knowledge you're not reading to puff yourself up you're not reading to prove your friends wrong you're not reading to make yourself feel better you're reading because you need a Savior you're reading because I need some deliverance I need a king I need a I need a lord I need someone to lead my life and you go looking for Jesus and teaching starts to happen and I call it revelling and this is in in many ways this is a what's inside the meaning of this Greek word is revelling starts to happen which means you start to revel in what Jesus has done for you and this is where the process of putting you back together again always starts right here where you're like what Jesus did what Jesus loves me how much Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so wow he is with me he's for me he's near to me he's listening to me he will heal me he will restore me he will talk to me he will hug me he will hold me he will feed me Wow and before you know it you start to glow in the goodness of God he starts to come man Wow and that's what happens some of us even when we gather we start singing or during the preaching you're like whoa man God is so good and it's because we forget and so when you go to the profitable power story of God looking for Jesus all the sudden here comes the teaching a lot of people think this word teaching means a point number one God is good point number two you were not point number three he'll Savior point number four fill in the blank Church that's fine but this word teaching is not a clinical mathematical sequential that this word teaching speaks of sinking in to a story that becomes so real you get enveloped in it and you start to revel in it and it starts to become the theme of your life you start to become peripheral to Jesus not Jesus peripheral t2u and you start to go whoa and it results in things like man I'm grateful for God haha it resulted like an attitude that your co-workers think is weird where you're like man it's a good day they're like it's pouring down rain bro and you're like if we don't pretend like it's a good day we'll never have a good day cuz it always rains just kidding but even people see you and say come on man you always got a smile on your face you that can't be legitimate well I just I'm so grateful for Jesus and you start you know I know it doesn't feel like teaching but that's teaching teaching is telling the story again and again over and over that's what teaching is over and over this is what Jesus has done because this is who he is he pursued you he loved you in this is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and gave his son is a perpetuation for our sins he who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life God did not send his son of the world to condemn the world but that through his son the world might be saved and also you're like wow it's pretty good and how many know there are things that will happen in your life that a new sports car can't even fix we got an Ole Miss man there are things that are so painful that'll happen in your more square footage in your house can fix it this past week two loved ones in our community who are past I did not go to the mourning families and encourage them with a new Audi that doesn't do nothing when you've lost a loved one there's only one thing that which is eternal to believe and trust and have faith that even in a loss of a father or a father of the faith that I can put my faith in Jesus that he is the same yesterday today and forever and this stay on earth is short and brief but soon we will be with him for eternity now I've got no problems with your car or your house but sometimes those things can't fix a broken soul so where are we going to find our confidence in our security we'll find it in the teachings of the story of Jesus we're over and over we are reminded of his goodness and His grace now if we go from teaching and notice the Bible says and then reproof this is the part nobody likes because you go from teaching to rebuking now a lot of people take this word and they make an assumption about how God rebukes and I'd like to just correct that by cross referencing another scripture because the word training in 2nd Timothy 3:16 this exact same greek word is used in Ephesians I think it's Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 4 there it is listen now it's his father's do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline there it is that's the same word as training in 2nd Timothy 3:16 in discipline instruction of the Lord now hold on a second notice our Heavenly Father says you earthly fathers I want you to be like me which is our Heavenly Father does not provoke his children to change his children now what's provoked I'll give you an easy illustration from my own parenting flaws here's how you provoke your children you walk in you said clean your room you walk into inspect the room because that's good parenting we're part inspectors save me Lord and you walk into the room and here's how I provoke my children and I need to get better at this I'll go really really and they're like what I'm like don't answer they're like but you said really yeah it's rhetorical it's called provoking my children you think this is Cletus is clean Eliot is this clean yeah no yes what is it that's called provoking your children it's a lose-lose for them right you're asking questions you want no answers for you're trying to prove a point by manipulation really really great you don't mean great at all really great really great cleaning guys but you don't mean great at all you mean terrible it's called provoking your children God doesn't do that to us God does not stand over you with his hand on his hip and go really again you did this in the 80s are you serious really you still don't trust me still don't believe in me still won't give me this area of your life really really great no he doesn't do that he doesn't do that so if we backtrack now and go to the word reproof a rebuke we think the way we've been rebuked by earthly fathers is how God works in our life but God does not that's why we'll relate to each other this way that's why I will rebuke each other with provoking mannerisms and attitudes really really brother you call yourself a Christian and you are wearing that on a Sunday oh she is not safe look at that skirt that is not the attitude and spirit of Jesus and we're proved that in Ephesians God does not provoke us when he trains us or disciplines us and so when it says we're approve or rebuke it's different than how oftentimes we experience in our everyday life the word reproof I would like to use the word reveal reveal where there is a reveling that is the teaching of the love of Jesus I'm looking for Jesus in Scripture then there comes this reveal and I'll explain the reveal like this is all the sudden you're in the story and you're just reading about Jesus and all of a sudden you are you start to track with him as he goes through the whole narrative Genesis to Revelation and you're seeing him and you're seeing how he lives you're seeing his mannerisms you're seeing his heart you've seen how he engages and loves and cares for Humanity and nations and people groups and you're like wow God what you did for Esther and what you did for Paul and John and wow it's amazing how you do this and then all of a sudden you know on your GPS that blue line that you're supposed to follow which I accidentally rarely do you know what happens when you get off that blue line what is your GPS do a re redirecting redirecting that's what happens in the story of God is all of a sudden you're following Jesus by the way we are not here again following a concept or a principle we're not here trying to apply key successful steps to effective living we are simply following our rabbi and in Jesus day when you followed a rabbi it was said that you stayed in their dust and we now have a rabbi a messiah a king a savior and we are to stay in his dust we are to follow him wherever he goes that is not a concept that is a real spiritual actual journey that we're supposed to go on it is supposed to affect our hobbies it is supposed to affect our days it's supposed to affect our finances it 'smoke suspect our words and the people we engage with love and care for because we're in the dust of our rabbi but what happens sometimes he veers this way and we veer this way and when you're reading the story all of a sudden it's a reveal and it's not one that says you're bad all the sudden you go whoa wait I see Jesus and I'm redirecting and all of a sudden and it comes with a desire oftentimes and a passion to go man I want to follow Jesus I don't want to do my own thing in this area of my life I want to live love and look like Jesus there's revelling there's revealing and then it says there's correcting there's correcting there's correcting and based on my study of these words I believe it works like a revealing excuse me it looks like a revelant a reveblant and this has happened about ten thousand times in my life it sounds way more incredibly spiritual and amazing it's actually a day-to-day thing that happens in your journey with Jesus where you're like just kind of thinking about Jesus reading Scripture and all of a sudden you're like wow god you're so good and then you're also you're like whoa I need to adjust that area in my life okay and then lastly you're reminded wait a minute this is who I am this is what I want have you ever physically been somewhere and you're also you're like what am I do this is not who I am I am out of here like no this is not who I am I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus that's and I'm not what I do I am what he has done this is and that correction is a reminder hey hey hey hey hey it's called the conviction of righteousness the Spirit of Jesus does is he convicts you and remind you who you are hey it's not who you are don't pretend you're righteous oh that's right that's who I am and then and then Paul and it's tough to tell in the original language but I tend to think that Paul is using the statement training and righteousness to summarize these three steps he seems to kind of say it's basically what he's talking about is a training in righteousness and I'm so excited to share with you what I believe Paul is passionately portraying months before his death to his star pupil and pastor Timothy in Ephesus he says this book when focused on Jesus and you look for Jesus it will you'll revel in it it'll reveal things in your life it'll remind you who you are Oh Timothy it's called training in righteousness now what's training in righteousness now if you've ever studied this word or studied the concept of righteousness in the Bible there are if I could summarize this way and this is somewhat crude but there are two thoughts or two camps amongst believers and that is that righteousness is simply right standing righteousness is all about Ritz positional it's all about right standing Jesus says it's done it's finished I'm right he's gifted me right it doesn't matter what I do how I live I'm righteous and that's great the other camp says oh come on you need some holiness in your life and you need to live right and act right and dress right and stop smoking because you need righteousness and in church history there has been whole movements over here and whole movements over here I'd like to say that actually these are distinctions I like to call these distinctions without difference distinctions without difference for both are true when it comes to righteousness but I read some scholars at training to righteousness it's a training and how to live a holy life and if you're not careful listen now if you focus on living right and not by what he's giving you you end up focusing on you and there is no power when you focus on you at least no lasting power there's no sustaining power no if it doesn't point to Jesus it can't change you it can't save you it can't transform you no righteousness starts with what Jesus has done for me and that's where the training begins oh he made me right he covered my sins I am forgiven past present future sins you mean to tell me the Cross is proactive yes sir whatever you do in 2029 he's gonna forgive you in fact you're already forgiven you're already forgiven you're already forgiven you're already forgiven now now we need to spend some time on that that's called training in righteousness and that's where it begins now when you understand what you have been gifted and granted and the stance you've been given you are now right with God and once God makes you right you can't be wrong you are right now that we'll move you into a desire to change some of your daily habits and once why you like madness is not who I am why do I talk like that why why do I still participate it this is not a hobby this is horrible I'm changing this in my life that's not what I want to look at that's not what I want to digest it might even affect your diet ya gots gots wild they'll be like drink more water you know like and less coke you know it's like Judah don't get too personal less diet coke but the point is gotta get into your life and it it's not a it's not a manipulative it's not he's not he's not trying to annoying you it's this fatherly loving caring and all of a sudden you go god I can't believe you've done this for me I'm in right standing which is producing in me everyday right living but the focus is always Jesus Jesus I can prove it to you look at 2nd Timothy 2:22 2nd Timothy 2:22 and hear this it's the same word it's actually a similar word but same sense righteousness that we see in 2nd Timothy 3:16 and notice what says says flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness can I ask you where is the power in this verse some people run off 2nd 10 with you 222 and they see the word flee and they start fleeing but that's not what the power is the power is not in fleeing the power is not in focusing on right living the power is in what's righteousness it's the gift given to us through Jesus Christ it is pursuing Jesus because he first pursued us and the power is Wow Jesus thank you this is amazing and you know what's crazy you won't even know it but you'll be fleeing all kinds of stuff and one day something gonna walk up to you and be like man you are so committed to your spouse what do you mean you you only have eyes for your wife I've watched you and you go oh well thank you and it's not because you over here going I'm gonna be a holy man of God I'm gonna read every book on sexual purity I'm gonna do it I'm gonna do it do it I'm gonna do it you just got grateful started going Wow God thank you and you know it's crazy this right here will lead to God thank you for my wife the mother of our children thank you for our marriage thank you for life thank you for sunshine thank you for green grass Wow the rain makes it so beautiful here God you'll start thinking God for rain because it starts with pursue well hi Christians all over the world are known for fleeing run for your life it's 2018 the culture is so bad everyone moved to Montana let's get out of here get out of Hollywood leave Seattle its godless not Paul not Timothy Paul writes to Timothy he's not saying running for your life he's saying pursue righteousness got to help you avoid some of those compromising challenges but you stay in Ephesus Timothy you stay in Ephesus Timothy I'm telling you we're gonna go where it's dark we're gonna go where the story of Jesus is not known we're gonna go where the powers of darkness have got a hold on people's lives but we're gonna go with a message and story of Jesus is needed and there's gonna be a strength and a courage in your life to tell the story of Jesus and the love of Jesus our life is not defined by fleeing and being afraid our life is defined by faith and courage and walking with Jesus and pursuing righteousness that's who we are so we've only just begun and in the legacy in to honor pastor Don Ostrom and Marlene and I were talking on Friday and I said tell me the story again aunt Marlene she says we were 21 God said go to the Philippines they didn't know a single soul in the Philippines and they got in a boat and got in a freight boat and it took them three weeks to get to the Philippines and they landed not knowing a soul and I said what were you thinking this she said God told us to and I said man we need to recover that kind of faith in this generation and in this community in the spirit of Abraham sometimes God says go and I'll work it out as you go you trust him I'm telling you God is telling some people in this church sometimes you got to go you got to go well how will it work out we're about to find out we're gonna trust God and I make a commitment to you wherever God tells us to go we're going to go and church home will not just be in Seattle and Church home will not just be in Los Angeles we're gonna go where the world needs us to go and we're going to tell the story of Jesus and play our part in the kingdom of God around the world that's what we're gonna do that's what we're gonna do it's not time to leave Ephesus we need more believers in Ephesus who are telling the story of Jesus you know I'm done I'm I'm ending right here but one of the meanings of the word complete in verse 17 this is what happens when the story is all about Jesus and there's this reveling and there's this revealing and there's this reminding and it's the training righteousness and the focus on what he's doing and he says it makes you complete it the word one of the words complete it means fresh it means it makes you fresh ha ha has it gotten old has following Jesus gotten old has Church gotten old has the bible gotten old has his story gotten old has this way of life gotten old has trusting God gotten old has being generous gotten old has stepping out in faith gotten old I'm just ready to retire from the faith are you ready to retire from the adventure and journey of following Jesus I'm telling you there's gonna be a fresh energy and a fresh strength and a fresh perspective and a fresh faith that's gonna grow in your heart to trust God and to follow him wherever he asks you to go I have faith for that today I have faith that right now as we're talking in real time in this moment as we speak that there is a freshness God is putting you back together again God's not yelling in your face get it together he's gonna go ahead and put you together give you a freshness and a bigger and a strength and an energy to do what God has called you to do your steps are sure your steps are secured God's gone ahead of you every step will be sure the steps of a righteous man or order the Lord he's ordering your steps if right now you're wanting to yourself God what is going on now what about what's happened to my job what's happened to my family what's happened to my future what's happened to my plans what's happened to my preparations what are you doing this is not what I thought would happen this is not what I thought you would leave me I'm telling you God is faithful and God is true and what he started in you he'll be faithful to see it through I am talking to somebody this morning we've not been this way before church please hear me we've not been this way before I drove to church this morning and it's a crazy thing to think that my dad's gone and Pastor Aaron's gone and Pastor Don's gone and some of you've been around long enough to know the significance of those three men and I'm thinking God it would be really helpful if one of them would still be here I could use a phone call right about now we not been this way before but we're gonna keep moving forward so do you love our youtube channel does it remind you of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air I knew it right okay maybe not totally but if you loved it you could subscribe right here and we could just keep hanging out and we're gonna have new content like every week so subscribe right here if you love it press it click it now subscribe I miss you we won't hang out more

Channel: Churchome

Views: 17,858

Rating: 4.8295455 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, Bible, Life, Peace, hope, amazing, epic

Id: mbugKZU0MwI

Length: 48min 47sec (2927 seconds)

Published: Mon May 14 2018