Where Do You Find Your Peace? // Judah Smith

John 3:16 are you there I'm there it says for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish should not perish but have eternal life the Bible declares that the wages of sin is death and for our own air and our wrong and our sin we have to pay a punishment for that unless there could be one amongst us who was fully man and yet fully perfect therefore fully man fully God without sin who could take care of your sin and mine and tonight many people in this room are celebrating that fact that we actually believe that we are all broken that we all have our issues challenges and difficulties but Jesus came lived the perfect life gave His life on our behalf so if we simply believe in him we will not be punished and we will not perish for our sin but we will spend eternity with him and that is what we like to call a good news and I love the word whoever in John 3:16 who ever whenever wherever whoever simply believes and to believe does not mean you have to earn it or deserve it or even understand it all it simply means you just receive the sacrifice of Jesus and your life by definition is rescued and saved that is the essence of what I believe it has framed my life it has shaped my life that has changed how I have friendships it's changed my marriage it's changed how I'm a dad it's changed I was gonna say it's changed me as a golfer but it really actually hasn't yet changed that area of my life right good last week confronted me on the golf course and that's been that's been that's been helping so that's good too thanks for good friends who are mean to you I want to go to another passage but before I do that I'd like to take the next three weeks maybe even four weeks and and do a study based on this verse and I'm gonna call it the other 3:16 preached a message a few weeks ago called the other 3:16 I'd like to help you and me together understand the implications the ramifications of John 3:16 so we're gonna go to other 3:16 s in the Bible that helped us further understand what we believe about Jesus and what he's done for us again awesome opportunity if you're here tonight you're like dude I'm not a religious guy not a church guy not a Jesus guy not a Jesus girl and I Jesus you know church girl it's not really my thing awesome tonight's an opportunity for you to kind of hear a little bit more about why so many people are in this room and they they they look excited and they look happy something's happening in our lives and it's all connected to Jesus and he is amazing and I'm so in love with Jesus did I say that already can't say it enough so would you join me in prayer as we kind of dedicate the next few minutes just to whatever God wants to do Jesus we thank you we're so where tonight that there are people in this room that this this could feel very uncomfortable and there could be an uneasiness and I just ask for just a real sense of relaxation and rest and ease in this room right now that you would speak to us god I pray that you would encourage any heavy heart in this room tonight Lord there's so much going on in the world so much outside of our control and understanding and we asked that you would meet us thank you for your grace give the Seattle Seahawks great wisdom in the NFL draft in Jesus name and everybody said everybody said I was a on spring break last week with my family and we had such a good time I don't know if you can see my tan but I don't think that's important but so at the last night of spring break hide the privilege of speaking to your church it's called Hillsong it says just a small little church that God's starting to use and I would like to predict that their music is really gonna take off and I mean start doing that so I got the privilege of speaking at Hillsong Phoenix in fact my friend ride good was kind enough to come already even heard the sermon too it was a repeat for him but he came and so ride can vouch for me Chelse was there she can vouch for me I'm speaking and I don't know if I'm the cleanliness the cleanest person in the world but I'm definitely like germs I have like I struggle with that for instance in the airplane today on the way here a man was sneezing and and and and and snot was was just was coming out rapidly from his nose and he was a nyle away and I just I could I was finally realized I'm staring at this poor man you know and he's just like wiping it with his hand and I'm like do not shake his hand not even if he is a fellow believer and he's heard one of your sermons don't even shake his hand there's I promised I would not you couldn't pay me enough money to shake that man's hand it was like he's just doing that and I just I'm like this is someone help this man right so I that way I have issues and so you know finding like hair in in in my meal I'm not the guy that like pulls it out my guy will be fine you know I'm like no no I gotta I gotta go I gotta leave this isn't okay like I'm not gonna make a scene I don't want anyone to feel bad I'll even pay for it but there is no way I'm gonna eat it right I mean I had a rough week here in spring break I was we were in a hot tub on spring break and I saw a kid pee in the hot tub while I'm in it I mean it's also like Gatorade coming out of his pants and I'm like glasses ladies dad's ago come on little belly and I'm like come on it's you know I'm gonna slap the dad so fast-forward two more days and I wake up and I I just feel like my back is a little sore and I'm like you know what the kids are still asleep very typical Chelsea's just out I'm up probably praying and just worshiping and so I decided I'm gonna go to the I'm gonna go to Hatem I'm go to the pool really early and I'm gonna just get a get in the hot tubs maybe even talk to God a little bit think about you guys you know just being a pastor and stuff and and so I get to the hot tub and I'm kind of looking at it no one's at the pool it's 7:00 a.m. and I'm like golly looks a little just it's not a normal color for a hot tub but I'm like man I really need some hot water on this back so I I had this surgery story so I get in the hot tub and I'm kind of sitting oh my god this is nice this doesn't smell right like this hot tub it's like the one hot tub on property right so I'm like I don't feel good about this so I get out I'm like and now I need to shower all in the meantime I jump in the pool cause it's like nice clean chlorine chlorine and and and so now now I get out of the pool I just kind of sit down on a chair and this story is going somewhere I promise and I'm just kind of sitting there like like God why did you allow that to happen to my life you know I got a hair you know got all this stuff in and I this is no word of a lie the staff comes and they rope off the hot tub and I go I go who sees me sir what are you doing he's like Oh bro have you seen this out of the controllers assess pool get somebody sick and I go man I was just in there he's like in here why got that man fired that day like haha what's my point [Applause] that life has its challenges that's my point sometimes without any warning you get hair in your mouth a little boy pees next to you and you dip in a cesspool at 7:00 a.m. right bad things happen to good people truthfully as silly as those examples are this this place is challenging only if you notice what our world isn't exactly the most stable it has ever been it's an unstable place and it has affected all of us and it's far more painful and challenging and difficult than getting a random hair in your mouth that is something I should be able to deal with but there is wars and rumors of wars as the Bible says there is a lot of politicking there is a lot of posturing there is a lot of hate there is a lot of division there's a lot of pain there's a lot of loss just it's it's a it's a hard place sometimes planet Earth and I just want to ask you a question one we're going to kind of lean into for the next several weeks and that is in the midst of all of these unforeseen challenges and difficulties things outside of your control things that you wish you could control things you know you'll never be able to control that hurt us and affect us and again we've all experienced it on one level or another can I ask you a question in regards to that where are you going to find your confidence and security in this life at the end of the day at the end of the day where are you going to hang your proverbial hat what is going to give you the gumption the courage the fortitude to put one foot in front of the other to get up and go back to work to get up and go back to see your mom and dad to get up and go back to that relationship get up and go back another day to live out moments where chances are very likely something or someone is going to hurt you have you ever had one of those moments and you're just for me it was this week just thinking like so many bad things could happen at any moment it's kind of overwhelming and you got babies and all the your heart is like it is so hard to explain there are parents who you know what I'm talking about when you got something that you brought into this world your little baby and you think if anything hurts this baby I am going to jail like church home we shutting this thing down and I'm going to death row cuz I'm gonna kill somebody right like it is it's your babies and as a dad such a weird sensation when you let your mind go they're not a healthy exercise what if something happened to my babies what are you gonna do with fleeting thoughts like that what's what's your game plan for having confidence and security in this life personally we've never needed confidence and security more in the midst of unstable times there are so many things we put our confidence and security in and if you haven't noticed a lot of them are not paying off a lot of them are not delivering what they promised what's your game plan there are people in here today tonight your game plan is more money your game plan is I'm gonna make more money money's gonna give me a stable life money's gonna get me bigger walls money's gonna get me a bigger house money's gonna get me somebody who'll marry me I'm gonna make more money but haven't we been alive long enough to know now money is a vapor money doesn't deliver what you think it does now if you're like me when rich people say that I'm like but I would like to try you heard of me but can I try and see if it if it doesn't I just want to test it out though personally myself what's your game plan for security and confidence in this life is it your good looks it's the best looking Church I've ever seen I'm gonna tell you that right now what's your game plan I've said this before but when you go to bed after a really hard night hard day hard season difficult challenging painful how do you comfort yourself what is it that you say to yourself when you a little self talk moment right before you fall fast asleep well maybe you can't sleep and you're up at night what's your pep talk consist of what is your go-to hey hey hey hey you are good-looking people like you you got a great personality and a great hairline you know what and as silly as that might sound it's it's it's very real today I want to help you if you're here tonight and you are a Jesus follower and you have accepted the free gift of forgiveness that only Jesus offers I would like to carefully remind you what your anchor is in this life and what gives us confidence in security I would like to carefully predict and I don't mean to scare anyone but the Bible tells us things actually a lot of things are not gonna get better they're gonna get worse they're gonna get worse I don't want to scare anybody but I've read the book we get to see the end right what the Bible says that the path that just is gonna get brighter and brighter but simultaneously it teaches that things around us are gonna get darker and darker how are we going to make it through how are we not just going to make it through but how are we gonna keep joy how are we going to keep perspective how are we gonna have peace and confidence and assurance and security in this life I predict in the future that those who follow Jesus will stand out like glowsticks and it won't be if you grew up in church you know I'm talking about it won't be a banshee tonight where you force people to read the ugliest little tracks you've ever seen that will not be why we go will glow because we have things like peace things like confidence things like encouraging others and adding value to other people and we'll stand up here like man what is wrong with you why are you so nice to everybody you're nice to people who even aren't even nice to you no one does that and we'll stand out because of the faith the security and the confidence that we have in Jesus sidenote we've talked about this before if you find a secure person marry them a secure person makes the best spouse and it is one of the top reasons I married this woman and would marry her eighteen hundred million times all over again is because Chelsea Renee was secure she was not looking for a man to complete her I was looking for a woman to complete me but that it's not important Chelsea was secure and it was so attracted to me I mean is there anybody in here that's like you know man security not really my thing now not really looking for confidence I'd rather be defeated and insecure I find it somewhat sexy I just like to be a cowering little cat in the corner of life and just be like arms over a like that's what I choose no we all want to be confident and secure so I'd like to introduce you to the ultimate source of security and confidence and it is found in John 3:16 for God so loved God so loved we can start right there you are so you're not just loved you are so loved you are not loved because you believe in Jesus you are not loved because you love Jesus you are so loved if you always deny Jesus you are still so loved by Jesus that'll give you some confidence right there if it feels like nobody loves you I got great announcement to make tonight the most important person in the universe is obsessed with you he doesn't just love it's the so in front of the love that really gets me going he so loved the world the world and the centerpiece of his world which is human beings made in His image and this word world mean it speaks of a broken system so he loves broken people if you are broken here tonight I want you to know you are so loved how loved are you he put on skin and bone and he took your punishment he took your place at the chance you might accept his sacrifice no with no guarantee the guarantee all the guarantee he had was whoever whoever it was only one person who received that free get to forgiveness that he offered through his death burial and resurrection it was worth it because God wants to be with us forever that was always his plan that is what gives me confidence that is what gives me security my dad's pastor passed away Sunday morning at 7:10 a.m. Pastor dick Iverson is one of my heroes first thing we told our children and my oldest son Zion said I bet Papa's happy pop was what he calls my dad and as much as it was difficult to lose really a grandfather I never had a grandfather pastor Iverson was really my grandfather to be honest he he loved my mom and dad when they showed up in Portland Oregon in their early 20s believed in my dad so that he could be he could make a difference he could do great things for God and I'm not sure I'd be here today if it wasn't for the obedience and the consistency of this caring man pastor Iverson but he's gone now he's gone now but my hope and my confidence and my security is that he is experiencing eternal life and in a matter of a couple minutes I'll be there with him meaning one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day with God something like a couple of minutes what in the world's going on relax you got to put up with me for 24 more years but I think we're all kind of kind of get to eternity at the same time and the point of eternity won't just be fluffy clouds and chocolate it'll be it'll be Jesus and we will have relationship with each other and loving each other caring for one another and and with God forever and ever and so I grieve the passing of my pastor pastor Iverson but I know have hope and security confidence I'll see him again why because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life I believe that I believe that to me it's not a metaphor to me it's not a historical interesting curious kind of idea it is a fact and something that I've staked my entire existence on what I like to do in an effort to kind of understand more how great our God is is I'd like to go to another 3:16 and so we're gonna go to Malachi 3:16 I'd like to read this to you you could pronounce it Malachi or mulashi whichever you prefer you know talking about ok Bible jokes work every time since then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another the Lord paid attention and heard them this actually happened and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name Malachi 3:16 a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name confidence and security this book is written some 500 years before Jesus is on the scene five hundred years before the Messiah promised to Israel Malachi who we believed was a preacher in Jerusalem a preacher to the Jewish people a preacher to Israel five hundred years before the birth of Jesus you'll notice in his writings in fact the whole book the whole theme of the Prophet Malachi book it starts off in verse 1 and 2 and it says I have loved you I love you now why is that the theme because the actual date and time which Malachi is preaching to Israel they have just come out of Babylon they've been exiled to Babylon it's a really long story but finally at around 538 King Cyrus allows the Jews to come back and habitate again in inhabit Jerusalem but now Jerusalem is not their city they're simply kind of lingering and hanging out but it's owned and run by by others so by the time Malachi steps up becomes a voice and a speaker if you will at their church everyone in the church is starting to complain and they're complaining goes something like this if God loves us if God thinks about us and cares for us why were we exiled to Babylon only to come back home to Jerusalem and we don't even run this place we are aliens here we're outsiders here nobody even likes us in our own City that we were kicked out of where is God what's wrong with God he snakes all these promises and he doesn't deliver Malachi has to preach to that church how would you like the priest of those people so Malachi records his words and his first thing he says on behalf of God to the church to Israel is God says I have loved you and then in that verse the people seem to respond like well how then does God love us because if God loved us bad things wouldn't happen to us and if all of you are so incredibly smart in your thinking person maybe even already by now in this talk you thought to yourself would you if that is your security and that is your confidence that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life if you believe God is so good and God laid down his life for you and gave everything for you why does he allow bad things to happen to you furthermore and happened to others who also faithfully follow him and are committed to him why why why why does that happen and that was exactly the question of these ancient people we got all these promises we were attending the synagogue we're going to the temple and the first temple was destroyed and God is big and God is real why did he allow his temple to be destroyed why have we been in Babylon why are we here and Malachi is like listen God loves you and they're like no he doesn't yes he does you know like and they that's the tension of this book he's like he does he does he's not far he's involved he pays attention he's with you he he he loves you now in an answer an effort to answer this question I would like to say one of the reasons that calamitous challenging bad things happen on this earth is because this earth has been by definition subject to futility which is to say free will has compromised the regularly scheduled program of God and that was our own choosing and now because there is sin there is selfishness there is attitudes of self-serving we perpetuate the problem and hurt each other sometimes it's done between countries and continents and sometimes it's in apartments and neighbors but our our we are born selfish and that selfishness continues to create stress and strain and turmoil and the Bible says even the soil the elements the mountains the oceans and the even the plates in the earth are groaning even within themselves it's not supposed to be like this it was not God's plan that horrible waves would kill people or hurricanes or tornadoes all of that is the result of the turmoil created by the centerpiece of his creation which is man who chose his in her own way oh there there are ramifications of our actions there are things that happen that we set in to motion even the words we speak set things into motion that can produce incredible pain and incredible hurt the truth is we got ourselves into this mess God did not have to come but he did and he made a new way to have a relationship with God because before Jesus came the only way to relate to God was to be holy like God and no one could do that so God was far far away in another galaxy if you will but then he moved in the neighborhood put on skin and bone Jesus came amongst us risked everything gave his life for us and now whosoever believes in Him will not perish will not be far from God you will have friendship with God and relationship with God and there will come a day sooo there will be a consummation of all things and there'll be a new heaven and a new earth and things will go back to the future that is going to happen but in the meantime we like these people in the book of melaque because we're like we got all the promises man but stuffs happening down here that hurts what will Malachi say and one of the things he says and only he is recorded saying this in the Old Testament he would like us to know that God loves us so much he's got a book where he writes about us this is actually in the Bible maybe you've never heard this there's two books God has a book of life which is basically the roll call of who's gonna be with him eternity but then he has another book it's not a roll call it's a book of remembrance and it's more a scrapbook look what it says this actually happened it says in the midst of all the complaining Jews it says there were those who were in awe of God verse 16 3:16 and they spoke with each other and the Lord paid attention and heard them and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name I read this to you in the message check it out this this is this is unbelievable what a discovery then those whose lives honor God got together and talked it over 500 years before Jesus God saw what they were doing and listened in a book was open in God's presence and minutes were taken of the meeting why with the names of the God fears written down all the names of those who honored God's name does God need to write things down so he doesn't forget him the answer there is no in fact if the answer was yes he wouldn't be God anymore if God had a short memory that's a flaw you're no longer God you're out need a new one all right like God doesn't need books to write things down like we do doesn't need a day timer doesn't mean a Palm Pilot yeah I remember does he he didn't Malachi says you don't think God loves you you think the bad stuff that's happened to you is because he's not true to his promise there's a delay and the Messiah has not come and you want to win is God gonna save you and deliver you and bless your life and you were an exile in Babylon now you're in Jerusalem but it's still not like it was and you're mad at God Malachi says I want to tell you about a book there's a book and in that book he records things you do and say things he's proud of why does he do that first of all cuz he can that probably a good answer second of all because he's so in love I want you think about this this is insane nice new chair by the way I don't know where this came from but I but I like it nice cream-colored chair but God how involved is this God he goes to a little meeting he leans in calls for a book and takes notes of the meeting why he just loves he loves his people so much there's a book there's an actual book it's your highlight reel and you can read it someday in eternity if you simply believe in Jesus there's a book probably of videos and images and some of you when I say scrapbook you're like I'm sorry what's that it's a thing but God so loves you he's got a book about you he just writes stuff in there and we're actually gonna get to eternity someday he's gonna bike a moment let me show you something let's go down to the library and we're actually gonna get to see things he wrote about us during our short brief stay here on earth he uh these people felt like God was a million miles away these people felt like God didn't care but I love how it says in verse 16 it says some people in the church not everybody got together and started to talk to each other what did they talk to each other about do not underestimate the significance and the power of talking to each other about God I'm telling you it is one of the most formidable powerful tools we get to use to help us through difficult times and challenging seasons there are days I would never have made it through if it hadn't have been some good old-fashioned talks about Jesus with friends man do you remember what he did do you member that time we may hang God is good what's your favorite verse it can I don't care what it is what's your favorite church song sing it now you know whatever it is what I'll give you my heart but they started talking to each other and it's talking to each other is not what would give you confidence and security but Jesus when he is at the forefront of your life will give you supernatural confidence insecurity I am talking to people today who live in the real world in the real world a young lady in Phoenix that's where she goes how do you how do you stay you know kind of a nice person when there's all these people that don't like you and write mean things about you like don't tell me that's how I don't tell me it's what you focus on but man it's her it's weird when someone's like how are you so nice with so many people don't like you I'm like that's not true people love me I talked to them but also you like they do who is it I'm I don't care unless don't care about my haters like a one platform did you see that that instant you know in I mean this is the real world people don't like you for no good reason pass judgment on you from a million miles away and it hurts and if you say it doesn't hurt you're lying like I don't know that for sure actually you might be like that amazing person it doesn't actually hurt but it feels better when I call you a liar because then I justify my own pain what I'm how are you gonna stay confident insecure in this system and world that is designed whether we like it or not to tear you apart just give this system a chance and it will take you down a long dark sinister road and leave you there all by yourself you put all your eggs in this basket I'm gonna do this I'm gonna accomplish this I'm gonna have this success I'm going to live this life I'm gonna be good look I'm gonna be and and you go ahead go ahead nothing inherently wrong with any of those things but if that is the ground on which you claim confidence and security I'm telling you I love you enough to tell you it won't deliver that won't deliver what I'd like to tell you today is if you follow Jesus you'll never be exiled you'll always live in a nice house everybody will like what will will right beautiful things about you and all your friends will smell nice and a great teeth and when they sneeze snug does not come out but that's not the case fact sometimes you decide to follow Jesus and things get way worse so what are we gonna how are we gonna have confidence and security one of the ways and this isn't even the main point but is we got to keep talking to each other about the ultimate truth which is Jesus we're gonna need each other and I love it says the Lord paid attention I don't know about you but just knowing God pays attention makes my day a lot better like so we eat you promise he's paying attention I don't even have to feel him paying attention I definitely don't want to hear his audible voice because I will I will do what little boy did in hata right so I can't do that I don't I don't have to feel anything I trust him I believe but I need to know some days he's paying attention he really yeah it's pay attention he's actually he's taking notes on your meeting the meeting I'm leaving yeah he writes down things he loves about you things he thinks are cute how involved is this God he's got a book about you that's just crazy he doesn't need one but he wants one same way he relates to you he doesn't need you but he wants you he just has a book about you just a loving whim it's like oh my gosh guys gather around great meeting look at them down there at Arby's having roast beef talking about me let me give me a pen write some of this stuff that's good stuff I mean it sounds silly but it's real it'll change your life now found these other verses that I think I think I think I think referenced this book check out songs 139 this is unbelievable this is I feel like I've discovered something I've never really seen before in the Bible says the psalmist says use your eyes saw my unformed substance in your book were written every one of them the days that were formed for me when as yet there was none of them why does God sit down and write out your life in a book this is not a metaphor this is a real thing there's a book in heaven before you were born God wrote it out why go through the exercise because he is crazy about you contrary to what you've heard according to church tradition or traditions of men God is not up in the sky a million miles away go and you better get your act together but over corridors of history that's how it's come out and preachers meanwhile we do the best we can but we're broken is like anybody else and so preacher has a bad day gets up and just gets mad and his sermon and then you got kids sitting there and parents and friends and like wow is that God is that always like no that's what the preacher said and so then we have a bad day and we reflect God the same way like a no more cussing here it's like so that's that's what God cares about yeah yep yep how much you read today read what the Bible what do you mean what the Bible three in the old two in the new did you get through the whole book in a year gods in heaven keeping track of all of our Bible reading plans no no he thinks your plans cute I applaud it so does God but he just he just loves you before you even born he he wrote about you oh wow so whatever's going on in your life he knows he knows and when you're hurting he's hurting look what it says the Psalms fifty is it fifty six there it is listen to this you have kept count on my tossings you know the word tossings means it means wanderings you've counted him high he's wandering again she's wandering again look this you put my tears in your bottle wait so now God has a bottle with our tears in it like you did I don't know I didn't have really hear this stuff before I'm like this is yeah why does he keep my tears he's crazy about you when you're hurting he's hurting when you're crying he's crying do you do you remember when Lazarus died and then Jesus raised him there's this buddy of his his two sisters were really close friends of Jesus as was Lazarus and Lazarus tragically dies and in a minute like like five minutes later Jesus is gonna raise him from the dead but you know what Jesus does first he sits down and cries it's the shortest verse in the Bible Jesus wept you know that's one of the most mysterious verses because the next verse he goes alright Lazarus come on back to us get up you're good why are you crying if I'm like you know Martha or Mary I'm like that was weird we thought you were crying because it was over - why was Jesus crying because just because he knows the outcome and what he's gonna do it doesn't lessen the pain you're in right now and he feels that pain with you he feels that pain with you sis are they not in your book my tears are other not and you have you recorded my tears in your book - yes I have son every tear you shed so you got to understand the history of the church we're all here today in a free country in a beautiful auditorium but it's not always been like this for God worshippers and Jesus followers our history though it is laden with horrific acts it is also full of heroic stories where men and women as averaging you as me believe in a god and it cost them their life it costs them all their money it costs them their dignity it costs them family and friendship and relationship and they live lives in the cold abandoned by everyone but God so many of us are blessed and you should not feel bad for how blessed you are and how blessed I am don't you dare feel bad but remember that when times get tough our predecessors our forefathers went through the same thing and the God who counted their tears and wrote books about him is counting your tears and writing books about you and he loves you and he weeps with you and he feels your pain and he is not far from you he is paying attention to you so next time you need some joy next time you need some confidence next time you need some security I suggest this look what it says in Luke chapter 10 and verse 20 I believe it is the disciples Jesus sent them out to heal people and they came back and they're like yo Jesus we were like we were in the town and we saw preview and demons were coming out of people we got power Jesus goes that's nice he says you know what should bring you joy not that the spirits are subject to you but that your name is written in heaven that's the source of your emotional stability because they're gonna be days where you don't feel like you got a lot of power but err days following Jesus you were like everything you touch turns to gold people getting free my god thank you Jesus in other days you can you can't barely brush your treat but brush your teeth right I mean you can't feel like God what he says now I want you to find joy in the fact that your father loves you and he's written your name down and he's got a book about you he's got a bottle with your tears in it that's who he is see one of Malachi's job and I'm Dunham I'm closing what a Malachi's jobs was to show Israel that God was still building a family and the last thing Malachi says in his book and he says Elijah will come which was John the Baptist and he will turn the hearts of the children to their fathers and the hearts of the fathers to the children Malachi was letting Israel know in the midst of all your pain God's still putting together a family but we're not gonna be much of a family if we don't have confidence and security in our God boy you start walking around these streets maybe you didn't have a dad maybe you had a dad and wish you hadn't had a dad we're supposed to walk around these streets in this city or any city with a confidence that we have a Heavenly Father who pays detailed attention to our everyday life and when I when I cry one tear he saves it because he loves me he loves me two nights ago I asked Gracie the Chelsea and Diane we're watching a show they have a show that they watched together and so I let him do that and I don't really have nowhere to go in the house so I knocked on the door and I came in I said grace can I can I cut it with you she goes yeah daddy and I'm and I'm laying there coming with my little girl I'm thinking to myself I'm the wealthiest man in the world and I hope grace enjoyed the hug and embrace of her dad but her dad I know I'm telling you dad liked it a lot more than little grace I'm holding on that little girl going you so good I love this little girl you know what you you love this baby so much you feel like you're gonna explode just just with the pure love liquid love and then it dawns on you this has happened probably 10,000 times in my adult life having one of those moments going god I love this little girl so much thank you so much and you get that little nudge from heaven oh you have no idea how much I love you and I'm like you're right and I don't even know why you do but you do and now you got this book about me man it's kind of weird but it's cool if anybody else bottled my tears I would run screaming but if it's you cool with that trust you we got to get we're gonna get this message out you know we just got to get it out people just don't know this great God who keeps prat scrapbooks of you bottles your tears please hear me tonight God cares so much about what you're going through then what you're facing oh man my confidence today is not in myself I lost that a long long time ago it is anchored to Jesus for God so loved me that He gave His only begotten Son that if I would simply receive him I would not perish but have eternal life that is the stabilizing force in my life and it can be the stabilizing force in your life let me pray for you Jesus thank you so much you are you're the love of my life and we're overwhelmed by you even right now in this moment you are absolutely beyond description I never met anybody like you God there is nobody like you Jesus I want to thank you tonight for not giving up on us we gave you every opportunity Lord you should have walked away from us the things we did turned our back on you but you wouldn't let us go and I want to thank you for that tonight we celebrate you we celebrate Lord what you're doing here in church home this is your church and we are only here because you so loved us that you gave your life for us may that be our confidence and security in this unstable world if you're here tonight you said Judah I would I'd like to make a decision of my own free will to follow Jesus just in a moment we're gonna stand and we're gonna sing out these things we believe about our God but if you're here before we sing you'd like to make a decision to follow Jesus this is your opportunity I don't mean tend to put any pressure on anybody in this room this is a decision ultimately between you and God but I ask every time we gather for people to raise their hand who want to make this decision because I believe something's actually happening to you on the inside and when you respond on the outside it just makes it more real to you so I'm gonna ask you to do that if you'd like to receive the forgiveness of Jesus you want to be friends with God have a relationship with him and experience much of what we're speaking to tonight you can make that decision don't have to but you can if you want to and you believe it so on the count of three if that you want you to slip up your hand put it right back down nobody's looking around one two three if that's you just slip up your hand all of the rooms a minute that's me that's me and it's me and it's me to me awesome awesome God you see every hand in this room and you see every heart in this room you're amazing thank you for forgiveness thank you for new beginnings thank you for new starts thank you for fresh perspective it is my prayer today that every single person here and the sound of my voice would be overwhelmed with your extraordinary unconditional love right now right now in Jesus name Amen hey if you're physically able or willing would you stand with us and the band is gonna lead us as we sing about our God Hey we hope you loved it we hope you had a good time there's more for you if you want to subscribe grace what do they do right and if you want to see more videos you click right over here perfect we love you goodbye

Channel: Churchome

Views: 85,875

Rating: 4.8878016 out of 5

Keywords: Churchome, Judah, Judah smith, church, message, anxiety, depression, how to, elevation, Steven, Hillsong, oceans, sermon, the city church, church home, Chelsea smith, bobby Houston, td jakes, pastor, pastor preaching, carl lentz, Jesus, conference, guest speaker, sermon jam, worship, Justin Bieber, la Hillsong, Selena, preaching, Judah message, performance, peace, joy, happiness, purpose, meaning, love, scared, worry, worried, confidence, security

Id: pJWCM158awk

Length: 48min 45sec (2925 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 16 2018