Where Do You Think You're Going? // Judah Smith

I'd like to speak to you along the lines of confidence confidence and my personal experience I've witnessed a lot of individuals particularly Jesus followers who lack the confidence that we what we are given because of what Jesus has done for us I want to talk to you about your confidence not so much self confidence which has its validity but your confidence in Jesus now if you're here today and immediately you're like wow this isn't gonna work for me I don't really believe in Jesus I just kind of got invited by a friend or tricked by my mom and you're here the great thing about this message it's gonna give you an opportunity to kind of peer into what would be offered to you or afforded to you if you did receive the free gift of Jesus and His forgiveness in your life and it is extraordinary how many know there are many many blessings and benefits that come with following Jesus and receiving his forgiveness can I get a witness so confidence Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 35 hebrews chapter 10 and verse 35 it reads like this therefore do not throw away your confidence which has a great reward no doubt ultimately Jesus but I think the next verse outlines part of the reward for you have need of endurance you have need of endurance comma so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised I believe part of the reward that comes with confidence in Jesus is you'll have the ability to endure and you will do the will of God and then you'll see him in eternity one day and he will be with him forever and ever and ever without end somebody say Amen I'm really excited to share this with you would you join me in prayer God thank you for the moments that we share as a community thank you for what you're doing in our lives Lord there's so many needs that are represented in this auditorium so many needs that are represented in all of our different locations and campuses and those watching online you know what we have need of before we ask so we thank you in these moments or you're going to give us perspective help us to restore our confidence and trust in you and whatever it is that will face us the week we trust you that you work all things together for good we love you God thank you for what you doing with the Mariners wow they're great and protect our players at their time off for the Seattle Seahawks and learn what there's anyone in our church it doesn't cheer for the Seattle Seahawks I pray you change their heart or they would change churches in Jesus name Amen I only mean that mostly are you um are you like me I um I was I don't mean this rudely but I was I was slightly idealistic before having children and I'm still I still hold to a lot of ideals and I'm very proud of them but one of the idealistic ideas we had Chelsea and I when we started to prepare to have a family and by the grace of God we were given three beautiful babies but we determined we're not gonna be that couple that changes the decor that moves the breakable face or vows I don't know how you say it in your family we're like you know what we're just gonna train our kids not to touch fragile things that's what we're gonna do we're gonna you know what I like that vase or that Voss you know what I like this nice chair I like the white leather couch I like it but I'm gonna keep it I'm gonna train my kids worst decision we ever made his parents everything broke everything broke with the kids and and and maybe you're smarter parents and and you know that if you put something extremely fragile especially if it's valuable and you put it around toddlers it's only a matter of time it's only a matter of time and that thing is going to shatter I wonder sometimes when it comes to our confidence is Jesus followers if sometimes we're kind of in a rhythm and things are going pretty well in our life and our journey with Jesus I wonder if we struggle sometimes thinking well it's only a matter of time and you know I'm gonna falter I'm gonna fail maybe I can't keep this up maybe I can't sustain this maybe this won't last it reminds me of playing golf at one of my favorite golf courses in the world and one of the courses of his world-famous a friend invited me and I was so excited if you're a golfer just bear with me if you're not a golfer but I was so excited about this golf trip I change I got new grips on the clubs I mean I was pumped they were bright blue I'm just excited and I practiced a ton I I stopped the parent teen for like a week to work on my game we get to the course first tee I can barely feel my arms I'm just like I don't even know how I can swing I'm so nervous I'm so excited all these emotions pulsating through my body and you wouldn't believe it first hole par second hole par par is good it's what's expected it's it's a good score third hole par fourth hole par now I notice immediately that my two friends no one is saying a word to me no one's even speaking to me apparently my game is so fragile they didn't even want to say a word to me for fear for a double bogey double bogey is really bad triple bogeys even worse it wouldn't take very long for me to experience both by the sixth hole a bogey happened then a double then a triple and then my friends just person to laughter and they're like that's why we didn't talk to you for the first five holes we knew you couldn't keep it up but we were pulling for you I wonder sometimes that's kind of how we feel about our faith how we feel about our journey when did our faith become so fragile when did it become the laws in the middle of room with toddlers running everywhere it's only a matter of time you can't keep this up you can't sustain this I mean think about the life we've been called to for those who follow Jesus or considering following Jesus let me shine a little light on the life we're called to we are called to live love and look like Jesus we're called to live the faithful life we're called to live the holy life we're called to live the obedient life we're called to live the consistent life we're called to live the true life we're called to live the straight and narrow I mean should I go on this is the life we're called to and maybe you've experienced this sinking sensation I know I'm even part through five holes but at any moment here comes the at any moment I'm I can't sustain this I can't keep this up maybe you've had a good week good two weeks good few months good season but you know I inside I I know I'm gonna do I'm kind of suppressing who I really am I'm really not this kind I'm really not this considerate I'm really not this compassionate I'm I'm not I I'm just and eventually it's just gonna it's just gonna come out and maybe this isn't really Who I am maybe this is all maybe I'm a fraud maybe I'm a fake what's the point I keep thinking to myself that I could be like so-and-so and that's one of the symptoms isn't it one of the dead giveaways that you con are living with this lack of confidence in your journey with Jesus and what he's done for you is you start looking at other people in the community and go see see I could never be like him I could never be like her I mean they're just so kind so generous so loving and if I was to be like them it it wouldn't last have you ever thought is my faith just a phase is this just a phase am I just kind of going through a phase am I gonna falter soon it's just a matter of time oh here comes the bogey oh triple bogey yep that's who I am I'm a bogey golfer if you're a golfer these are really connecting with you if you're not you're already lost and for that I'm not sorry for golf it's God's game no I say some things I say it's so dumb but maybe you've been there maybe you thought to yourself I don't know if I can keep this up maybe you here you go no I'm pretty confident gods with me for me I'm gonna make it well maybe you've helped others to feel that it's just a matter of time we do this to each other you know this literally happened not long ago someone approached me I didn't know them didn't know their name they said this is opening statements hey brother oh hey how are you good I got one question for you we hadn't even met yet got one question for you you got a group of guys around you be real with you keep you accountable brother you got to be careful you could fall and I said what's your name we haven't even exchanged names and now I'm fearing that I'm gonna fall why do we do that cuz we believe well that's how we got to courage each other hey you better keep this up fat chance but you should try I love Christians we use it hey stay faithful which is you might not think about it and if you don't you're gonna hurt a lot of people and hurt yourself god bless go on his grace hey I mean I'm never saying goodbye that guy just kind of like getting in my car like am i close to falling I don't know my wife would kill me my mom would dig me up and kill me again I don't know I I don't think so but that's how oftentimes we propagate a fear-based connection with God without even knowing it because hey hey hey hey you don't stay true keep your eye on the ball really bad things can happen so we all kind of walk around like what are you oh I'm not Christian I can prove my point about confidence when it comes to believers compliment a Christian and watch how awkward it gets this is my favorite hey man you are a great singer oh oh please up lit no it's uh it's not me it's the Lord I've met the Lord you are not him no I we don't even know how to relate to authentic compliments patronizing is one thing but you know someone who's really saying hey you're you're really good at that oh I I don't I'm just some I'm just a worm you know it's all the Lord yeah we get what you're saying but we can't even take compliments without being wonky next time someone says something that's true about you you could just say something like thank you and if you really are confident say you know what I tend to agree with you God gave me this gift that I'm enjoyed thank you very much what happened to our confidence I'm not talking about confidence in yourself but confidence in Jesus Paul writes to his star pupil and he says you therefore my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus be strong because you've been forgiven you've been covered you've been accepted you are loved you are his son you are his daughter you have the right to be confident in Jesus you can be confident and then in the writer of Hebrews says you're gonna need this confidence you're gonna need this confidence this is interesting because Hebrews 10:35 says do not throw away your confidence now this this word throw away is actually one word and and this word has a active meaning and a passive meaning this is very interesting you study this word you'll notice that the first meaning of throw away is if you remember blind Bartimaeus who was healed by Jesus he takes off his cloak and he throws it and goes to Jesus that's one that's the active picture of the word throw away but the passive picture of this root word is a tree dropping its leaves over time so the Bible is telling us the writer of Hebrews is telling us that one of the ways we lose confidence is not just going I don't believe in Jesus anymore you didn't save me you didn't forgive me most people don't struggle with that most of us struggle with the fact that our confidence leaks our confidence drops leaf by leaf culture surroundings circumstances failures weaknesses challenges and before you know it leaf by leaf all of a sudden you are bare with a lack of confidence I love the seasons in the most beautiful city in the world with God's football team here and right now in our house all of our leaves are providing perfect privacy for our bedroom it's awesome I get to leave all the shades up it's great but come winter it completely changes the dynamic of our room all the leaves fall and we're closing the shades when we're climbing in bed at night because it's just it's exposed we're all familiar with dropping leaves in this beautiful city and isn't fall a wonderful time of year I love autumn but we know what it's like to just watch a tree in your own yard just drop leaf by leaf by leaf and then all the sudden it's empty of leaves the Bible says that's how we lose our confidence little by little that's why and I don't know if he'd experience this you'll have whole seasons that you'll look back on and go how was I so confident then and how do I lack so much confidence now you don't talk about like like in your 20s I mean you you you feel like that was my prime you know in my 20s oh I look good in my 20s when I'm in my 30s and if you're like me you're staring 40 in the face and it's coming ready or not and it amazed me but the Bible says we're supposed to go from strength to strength glory to glory grace to grace that our confidence is supposed to grow with the with it with the passing days but often times the opposite is true I'll start to second-guess ourselves and the leaves begin to drop and and of course for Christians if those of you that aren't familiar with Christians what we do is we cloak our lack of confidence in false humility so instead of we're saying oh actually my lack of it's not like I'm just humble but of course humility is not thinking less of yourself it's not thinking of yourself at all it's a focus on Jesus and part of humility is also accepting who you really are and so this lack of confidence is going to hinder us in our future it's gonna hinder us in God's plan and purpose for our life did you see it Hebrews 35 connected to Hebrews Hebrews 10:35 connected to Hebrews 10 36 look what it says he says don't throw away your confidence it's going to bring with it a reward here's part of the reward for you have need of endurance listen to what the writer of Hebrews are saying he said listen you got to put your confidence in Jesus because it's you're going to need endurance the root word for endurance means stand your ground you're going to need confidence in Jesus so you can stand your ground now watch this oh I got so excited when I saw this , listen to language now so the one you've done the will of God you'll receive what is promised I said I really I was like now that is very much assuming on the reader that if you have confidence in Jesus and stand your ground listen to it again you're gonna do the will got your new look I'll read again you have need of endurance so when you've done the will of God you're gonna receive what's promised now that's crazy because if you've been in church for any length of time the will of God has become the most mysterious thing about life what does God called me to do I don't know you know how many emails pastors get can I meet with you I need help I got to figure out what God's plan is for my life God's plan is this elusive mysterious location place pace destination that maybe just maybe if I'm lucky I'll arrive too and if you want to meet with me so I'll tell you the will of God I don't know what the will of God is for your life if you're 5 5 and 110 pounds I know it's not linebacker for the Seahawks but I don't know what the will of God is but did you see this in this passage if you'll have confidence in Jesus in a moment we'll talk about confidence in Jesus and what he's done you'll be able to stand your ground will establish what that ground is and then you will do the will of God my mom you say growing up it is hard to miss the will of God son it is hard to miss God's plan for your life God is faithful what he started in you he's gonna be faithful to completed it is hard to miss but will of God if you'll focus on Jesus and receive the gift of forgiveness that he's given you you are gonna walk in to God's plan and purpose for your life where is that confidence amongst Jesus followers I know what the will of God is I'm gonna fulfill the will of God I think sometimes we treat the plan and purpose of God and we think of it like this imagine I'm home with my three kids and I said kids get in the car we're going to eat so they all pile in the car because they're obedient in Jesus name my oldest turned 14 yesterday ladies know him if you're counting that's two years away from being on the road with you pray for the Smith family this is this is real I'm already a liability on the road now you're gonna have one of my sons on the road why do we let 16 year-olds drive how are we not passing legislation to change this this is not okay America moving on imagine I put my kids in the car come on we're gonna go eat they all pile in the car and I go hide in the house and my kids just in the car ready to go on the journey the plan dad's made finally they kind of still in the garage kind of meander out of the car dad dad silence I'm crouched behind the couch hahahaha I check them they walk around the couch chilling dad is that you oh yeah you got me what were you doing dad tricking you we weren't even going to dinner I just wanted to trick you that's not a good father that's a weird father and though there are times were to seek God and find him the overwhelming evidence the scripture is that God is with us and never forsakes us and when he's got a plan and puts you in the car he will not leave the car he will drive the car God is faithful when he says get in the car it's cuz he's driving and you may not know where he's driving but you gonna get there when he wants you to get there and you're gonna do the plan and purpose of God where is the confidence that we're supposed to have in Jesus who Jesus is driving my life and he's a good driver I have confidence in fact when things see to be inconsistent with his perfect plan and purpose for my life I again am confident that he who started a good work of me will be faithful to complete it and he works all things together for good so I know he's driving my life where is that confidence well oftentimes it's inconsistent because we convolute it with self-confidence and one of the greatest hindrances to us standing our ground and remembering who we are and what God has given us is our own faulty performance in this life but our confidence is not in our personal performance our confidence is not in our track record our confidence is not in our resume it's in his here's what the same passage Hebrews chapter 10 this is where we get confidence Hebrews 10 and verse 9 let's read this again this is then behold I've come to do your will now look this is Jesus now he does away with the first in order to establish the second now we got to stop here to understand the firm foundation and the solid ground that we're standing on please hear this language and hear it clearly the scripture clearly says Jesus came to do what with the first way of relating God it's been called the Old Covenant which is an OSHA's ancient way of saying the old way of connecting and relating to God and that old way was typify by performance rules regulations that's what defined that old way what does it say Jesus does with the old way he does away with it he does away with it so that he can establish listen to the word now the first she's me the second way of relating to him the first way is by your performance the second way is by his performance and now it is not my beads that save me for they cannot it is the performance of Jesus that saves me and if I will believe in his performance and not my performance I am forgiven forever accepted love covered and I am made right with God permanently and eternally that is my firm foundation and solid ground in which I stand one of the greatest challenges to standing our ground and enduring in this life is that we take some of the old way of relating God and we mix it up with the new way of relating to God and it leads to the same broken conclusion legalism judgmentalism comparison competition and now it's who's the best the brightest the fastest the strongest the most disciplined who has the most willpower because those are the leaders in community but that's not the teachings of Jesus I want to say this the Old Testaments relevance now is only to the degree that it points you to Jesus and the second way that he has established that we relate to God we are not to take the law and mix it in with God's gift of grace in Jesus Christ when you do that you will not stand your ground for now what has leaked into your doctrine and view and perspective of God is that there is a percentage of your relationship that is contingent upon your performance and that's called error none please hear me now none of your relationship with God or your standing with God has anything to do with your performance for if it did then your performance would be more powerful than Jesus you would have more faith in your performance there are people who believe I've accepted Jesus he who knew no sin became sin that I might become the righteousness of God and they have believed now I've been made right with God but if I'm not careful I will be made unright with God by my performance so who is more powerful you or the son of the Living God the only the firm ground we stand on is his performance and it has nothing to do with ours that's why we call it really good news that's why you can be in the midst of temptation and even giving in to temptation and you can declare over your life I'm accepted I'm loved I'm righteous I'm forgiven I'm his now you may think I've lost my mind but I challenge you I encourage you for your consideration next time you're having a moment of weakness next time maybe you're even engaging into a form of sin that in the midst of that that you would declare the truth about the solid ground you stand on I am righteous that is the only power you have to live the life that looks like Jesus now our confidence is in Jesus will just read just more of these verses look at look at verse verse 10 and by that we will have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all once for all once for all once for all every priest and say that the service often repeatedly the same sacrifice which could never take away sins but when Christ is offered for all time all-time all-time all-time a single sacrifice for all sins if you will he he sat down at the right hand of God he sat down cuz it's done he sat down cuz you're forgiven forever he sat down cuz you're covered he sat down cuz you're accepted he sat down because you're forever pleasing he sat down because he's done he is finished it is over you can't add to it or take away from it he sent down which would set some people free today if he sat down would you calm down if he sat down would you relax a little bit if he sat down can we stop being constant constipated Christians when he don't try to just serve God hey his yoke is easy his burden is light all were weary and heavy-laden come to Jesus and he'll give you rest for your soul no more striving my life's defined by believing and accepting what Jesus has given to me he is sat down since when did the finished work of Jesus become so fragile since when did my faith become so fragile sometimes we live with a demeanor and attitude that leads us to believe that Jesus sat down but when he saw what you did last weekend he stood up and he thought oh now everything I've done has been undone in Vegas over a weekend now by no means am I making light of sin for every sin put Jesus on the cross but the only way we can overcome sin is not by fixating on sin but by fixating on the one who finished sin and covered sin and forgave sin forever for all who please haha man I'm getting happier and happier today and I started out the day pretty happy couple days ago I got Invisalign Chelsea made me set my teeth are getting crooked I disagree with her and they put those little nodules on there and they're scraping up my mouth right now but I'm still happy the more I preach the more they scrape but my soul feels good thanks babe don't throw away your confidence don't throw away your kind of moment we'll talk about how you can minimize the leaf droppage I'll show you in a moment how you can minimize leaking confidence in Jesus they said you're gonna need that confidence it's gonna help you stand your ground your ground is on the righteousness given to you by the finished work of Jesus and then guess what you just gonna do the will of God he's gonna do the will of God faint God's gonna work all things together steps of a righteous man or a ward of the Lord you're gonna do the will of God now about this time if you've done your research and study in Scripture and you've been around Church for a while or teachings of Jesus you're thinking yourself oh okay all right Judith hold on a second now you better read the whole chapter you better read the whole chapter because there's some people here right now and I don't blame you for this you're thinking Judah you definitely have not started reading in verse 26 which leads to verse 31 because I appreciate everything you're saying but you're talking about how it's not about our performance but it is clear here in Hebrews 10 it is are you ready for this passage because this is what we do over the centuries Christians have started to truly accept all that Jesus has done for them but then we find passages that we go see it's not that good it still hinges so much on your performance exhibit one exhibit a here we go you ready for this buckle your proverbial seatbelts it's gonna get intense now if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin see seeing Judah you better balance this out but all that's left is a fearful expectation of judgment it gets worse and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries anyone who set aside the law of Moses died without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses how much more do you think the punishment will be if you will be will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God and profaned the blood of the Covenant by which he is sanctified and is outraged the spirit of grace I mean you let you is this not true oh it's true the Bible means it but we know here's here's a line used in so many movies vengeance is mine and I will repay and again the Lord would judge his people it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God yeah appreciate your grace message but you better include that too and that's how we kind of unravel the whole thing and it was so good until that little passage there and you know how many times we've done this as believers over the course of centuries we're just starting to accept what Jesus has truly done and we find passages that we miss appropriate and take out of context and we go see see see see told you told you do you know one of the criticisms of Paul the Apostle who wrote who writes at least half of the New Testament you don't what his criticisms were yours message is too good your message is too good preachers everywhere that preach Jesus should be criticized being too good I just want to say that we should be criticized for one reason - good - good - nights too kind too loving too caring too easy accept Jesus forgive it nope nope - good you're in good company that was the criticism of Paul Paul was not criticized for like man your sermons are really intense but they feel good I like them because see when we miss appropriate passages like this and use them to propagate fear that works to an extent it's proven over history fear-based connection with God can motivate you be so afraid of what might happen if you don't go to church you end up going but that is not the goodness of God that leads us to transformation repentance and change now let's stop for a moment to ask ourselves when is this book written and who is it for well research shows and study shows and almost unanimously all the scholars and readers and writers and thinkers agree it's from Messianic Jews living in Rome at the time and in 49 ad or best we can tell ballpark around there we see that there's a persecution that rises up and I believe that's in verse 32 he says I recall the former days those former days we think are 49 ad were in Rome the current ruler started to notice that the Jews were changing they were accepting their Messiah now it's interesting to note historically as best we can tell when the Jewish people were living under the old way of relating to God which is rules regulation performance tradition custom there was no how should I say disturbance in the Empire but when these Jews accepted the living way the one true God the way the truth and the life the resurrection and the life who was who was dead buried and rose again and they started to emulate him in their lifestyle because of their transforms heart and they started telling people in the streets that you don't have to earn it or deserve it you just receive it and believe it all of the sudden Rome said wait you are disturbing the culture and economy you're out and so Messianic Jews were being removed from Rome now some who did not believe in Messiah were also removed but from best we tell from best we can tell we think the I'm Eric target was those Jews who had accepted Jesus as the Living God and the Messiah and the Savior so the pressure now fast forward we believe that this second persecution is under the tyranny of Nero I'm sure you've heard of him approximately 64 AD Rome has a catastrophic fire and most of Rome is devastated guess who Nero blames he blames the Messianic Jews who've made their way back into Rome and he starts killing them beheading them feeding them to lions and eating their babies it's horrific and horrible now why do you think the writer of Hebrews talks so strongly about going back to an old way of relating God to God he is specifically speaking to Messianic Jews who know that Jesus is the Messiah but for fear of persecution and being kicked out of their favorite city called Rome they are gonna make a deliberate decision to say Jesus I know you're true but you are inconvenient for my lifestyle I would like to go back to the old way I'm gonna sacrifice animals again believe that that blood will cover my sin and I will connect with you through my own performance that is why the writer of Hebrews goes are you serious you have accepted your Messiah and you know he's true you know he is the only one and you're gonna go back to sacrificing animals and believing in your own performance if you do that you will bring judgment on your head and you will become notice the language an adversary of God now we've used a portion of Scripture like this to tell believers who on the weekends are driving their kids to soccer practice with a capri-sun pouch who are doing their best to follow Jesus by the grace of God in the help of a spirit they come to church like this and we say you better be careful you see that passage right there if you deliberately turn you will become an adversary of God and how bad do you think the punishment will be because you have profaned the spirit of grace ladies and gentlemen that language is reserved for a very select few if you are sitting here today wondering is that me it's definitely not because if you deliberately turn back in God you don't care if it's you you're desensitized his people who believe they've profaned the Holy Spirit maybe maybe that happened to me if you care and maybe that you did you haven't you're still alive the things of God but we take passages like this and we undo the gospel because we don't understand its context I mean look at this it says anyone who has set aside the law of Moses without mercy that will how much more the punishment he's saying use one thing to set aside the law of Moses you are setting aside the grace of Jesus you were saying I reject you Jesus and you were inconvenient uncomfortable and I will choose I will sustain myself save myself and I will go back to the Old Testament the Old Covenant and fulfilling the Torah on my own why is the Hebrew author why is he so passionate because he's saying do you dare go back there's nothing back there furthermore he he says you're gonna need confidence don't throw it away cause you gonna need endurance can you believe the writer of Hebrews isn't writing them and saying get out of Dodge get out of town man what are you guys doing get out of there Nero is a monster run run for the hills look at our heritage look at our legacy he says don't you leave Rome you stay right there you stay right there that's where God called you it's a culture center we're making a difference we're gonna change the Empire we're gonna change the emperor you you listen you don't you yeah where's your confidence but but but but they're killing our babies the killer my family members how bad is it in this country oh it's bad this world is broken there's wars and rumors of wars and pestilence and disease and hatred and division and it works its way into our schools in the streets of our city and it is horrific but we are not called to run for the hills we're called to recover our confidence stand our ground and fulfill the will of God and change cultures and cities and societies no we we're not going anywhere ha ha let them know we thrive in difficult times because our confidence is not in our conditions our confidence is in the finished work of Jesus so when it gets bad we stand strong and we fulfill the will of God and whole cultures can change as a as a result it's amazing isn't it you know you look at that really strong passage and you think to yourself I don't know jutsu that that could apply can I give you one more proof that it doesn't look at the final verse of Hebrews chapter 10 look at this you want talk about confidence you want talk about confidence here's how the chapter concludes the writer says hey we're not those people in case you were wondering that's not who you are in case you I got confidence that you are not those believers no I know who you are you're not those who shrink back in a destroyed you're the host you have faith and preserve their souls Church do you think God has saved you so that you can have a devastating finish do you think God transformed you changed your heart set your life and a new trajectory just so we can play some sadistic game with your life and see you crash and burn at the end how's God taking us this far so that we'll go back again if God has chosen you God has called you I am confident today that I can stand up here and tell you that you sir you ma'am you are not those people you are not going back furthermore what's back there anyways nothing hollow empty lifeless lack of satisfaction of fulfillment no no he gives life and life more abundantly I know who I am I'm saved I'm righteous I'm covered I'm forgiven I'm loved I'm accepted and I'm pleasing in his sight I stand on that ground I look forward I face forward more come into the future than we are the past and I know that God has good things in store for me in the future my steps are established and ordered of the Lord where is that coffee it's in your life can I speak to those who kind of lead the culture in your home or your condo with your roommates or with your children you're a single mom or a mom and a dad or a single father and you're you're leading the culture in your home made the culture of your home be a culture of confidence in Jesus we're blessed speaking over my kids all the time you're blessed you're gonna I remember growing up mom we remember this every night I was prayed over my dad would say and may Judah and Chelsea actually we were not brother and sister that's weird we're married may Judah and Wendy some be like oh no slight slip there me Judah and Wendy follow the Lord all the days of their life and that was speak Dover spoken over my life I'm speaking that over our kids over our home we're gonna walk with the Lord all the days of our life whoo where what are the life is that we're moving forward with God I got confidence well you've had a rough year yeah but my confidence only grows because it's in him and his finish work what a love about Hebrews 10 39 is it transitions the language if you see it it goes from uuuuu and then verse 39 goes to we it goes you-you-you then it goes hey we as a community we we and now it starts talking community language now you can circle back because earlier in the chapter there's three let us let us let us which is also community language can I say how we can minimize the leaf droppage in our life if your confidence in Jesus leaks like mine does can I tell you one of the ways we can minimize that as a church as a community look at this the first one says let us hold fast draw near that's good too with full assurance mate with our hearts listen to this part there's so much more here but let me just focus on this sprinkled clean from an evil conscience sprinkled clean from an evil conscience your conscience has been covered and isn't in a renewal process but you know there is such thing as an evil conscience you know what that our chances it's the conscience inside of you that says see see you did it again see you're a fraud you sitting up in this church right now taking notes in your Bible as if you know what you did is that little voice inside of you and the Bible says it's an evil conscience you've been set free from that evil conscience you don't have to listen to that evil conscience you're not obligated to adhere to the evil conscience but there is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus sometimes you need to tell your inner you shut up shut up I Know Who I am I'm very aware of my weaknesses I'm very aware of my performance I'm very aware of my bad weekend but I Know Who I am because of what he has done and my conscience is being renewed whoo you can talk to that little voice on the inside of your net leads us to the second let us let us hold fast the confession I love that word confession don't don't be mad this but sometimes you need to open up your big mouth dude I have a big mouth you know what I mean open up your mouth the Bible says power death and life are in your tongue you speak out what you know to be true I'm not talking about stuff that isn't true something isn't true but speak things that are absolutely transcendent and true and that is you're forgiven you're righteous you're strong you're confident you're his he's a provider and he'll do for you what you cannot do for yourself speak it out they say we listen to ourselves more than anybody in the world that you believe yourself so many more times over anybody else in your world you need to see one of the reasons in a moment the whole band's gonna join Philip and we're gonna sing is because sometimes you need to hear yourself say lord I give you my heart it is well with my soul hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah and you are hearing yourself confessing what is true and it will help you to stand your ground and keep those leaves on the tree of life you need it and lastly I love this consider let us consider how stir one another up let us invent ways to encourage each other let us invent ways to build each other up I'm going to talk about patronizing I'm not talking about saying this that and that's really not true but things like wow you're so strong I I'm so encouraged every time I'm around you you know there's there's no one like you you are 100% unique and don't you forget that God's forgiving you don't you forget that you'll never be more righteous than you are today I know what you did I appreciate you sharing it with me I'm gonna pray for you you're healed your whole your forgiving now let's continue to move forward this week and believe for the best from God can you imagine living in a church like that whoa we're instead of going hey hey you better watch out we say remember who you are you are righteous and you remember growing up being a kid maybe unconsciously in a place you shouldn't be some adult came behind said hey where do you think you're going trying to find my mom and dad well this is off limits young man okay I'm sorry tonight today maybe you're wondering where where am I going maybe you're starting to start to wonder maybe I'm not going where I think I'm going maybe I'm not gonna make it where do you think you're going I'd like to answer that question I know where you're going I know where you're going you're forgiven you're chosen you're loved I know where you're going you're not going back we're not those who shrink back we're those who believe that the saving the soul I'll tell you where you're going you're where God is gonna direct you to go you're gonna fulfill the plan purpose and destiny God has for your life that's where you're going we ought to have that confidence I know where excuse me where do you think you're going I am going towards the plan and purpose of God for my life and I am following Jesus that's where I'm going that's where we're going church you hear me Church home I know where we're going we're going forward I know where we're going we're going into the grand plan and purpose of God and we're going wherever Jesus is going woo hoo we're not going back but something needs to throw themselves a little party today I am NOT going back in jesus name lord I thank you for the truth of your word it is transcendent it is extraordinary and we are overwhelmed when considering what you have provided for us in this life Lord it's my prayer today that confidence would permeate church home the confidence would rise and grow and consume your people today for what you have done you have completed and you have finished it is over it is done we are yours solo we turn our attention to you and as a result we stand our ground and we anticipate continuing to fulfill your will for our life what a privilege and what an honor if you're here today and you said Judah I'd like to become a follower of Jesus I want to follow Jesus Bible says 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'd like to receive that life and forgiveness that only Jesus offers in one moment of faith I'm gonna ask you on the count of three all over the auditorium all over different locations and campuses and even those online if you hear and say I want to make that decision I want you to lift up your hand and put it right back down on the count of three one two three if that's you to shoot up your hand all over the room thank you thank you thank you I receive the forgiveness that only Jesus offers God thank you that forgiveness flows freely at church home and whom the Sun sets free is free all the way we thank you for that lord thank you for the greatest miracle of all the transformation of our soul the forgiveness of our sins secondly if you're here and he said Judah I've had some leaves dropping in my life I've lost a bit of confidence in Jesus and even as you're talking I recognize that I want to leave here with a growing confidence in Jesus and what he's done for me and the position he has granted me if you need that today would you shoot up your hand all over the auditorium and submit I need that I need that I need that include me in this prayer God you see these hands and we raise our hands because it's this external response to what we know is happening on the inside and god we thank you we thank you what you started you're gonna complete our confidence is growing and anchored to what you've done in our steps are ordered we thank you Lord for your strength help us in the midst of such uncertain times to stand our ground as we walk out your will we thank you for that today Lord in Jesus name in Jesus name if you're able or willing would you would you stand with us and let's join the band let's sing out what we know to be true about our God come on church whoa buddy you guys see it's the subscribe button if you press on it you subscribe to our YouTube channel then you get to watch it and we get to have fun and we get to be friends I love you

Channel: Churchome

Views: 39,200

Rating: 4.8951507 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: soQ_PjP3-3g

Length: 49min 56sec (2996 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 02 2018