Why I Think You’re Frustrated

I'm so excited to share this message with you honestly if you believe in prayer and you're a praying person say a quick little prayer for me in real time right now because I have had an unusual experience today in preparation for these minutes and moments that we do share as a community in an odd turn of events I felt my body almost shaking this afternoon with a sense of God's love and care for you and for our world that is so hurting and so broken and so in need of his love his care and concern God is a father and he is a good father and he loves you contrary to popular religious notion you are so loved you are so cared for you are the apple of his eye and God is not far from you God is near to you and loves you and has extraordinary plans for your everyday life even in the midst of this pandemic so it is here at church home we are committed to good news we are committed to the truth about what Jesus has finished and accomplished for each and every person alive through his death burial and resurrection and we hope today that you feel encouraged listen if you're watching right now and you're like I am NOT a religious person I am NOT a Christian I'm not a church person this is bizarre I'm telling you this is the space for you we are not religious we're not into rules regulations and mere knowledge and principles and concepts we are passionate about a person that we believe is alive and he is Jesus we believe that he is God in physical form he is the fullness of all that God is in bodily form and we want to follow him and walk with him every day that is our passionate church home our passion is not traditional meetings to go through emotions and do trinkets and toys employees and concepts that just simply make us feel better but have no transformative power in it we are committed to a person I'm believing that person is going to meet you in your home gonna meet you in your condo your townhome gonna meet you on your front porch gonna meet you maybe at a park where you're watching in the palm of your hand the person of Jesus is gonna meet you now I've already figured out I'm a Jesus guy you're gonna figure out even more so the next few minutes that I believe he is God has changed in my life and his death ground resurrection has transformed my human existence and given me the meaning and purpose that I need I'll go on to explain a little bit more about that the title of my sermon tonight is why I think you're frustrated why I think you're frustrated I want to speak to the frustration that many of us are experiencing in the midst of this pandemic in the middle of this forced mandatory quarantine I want to speak to why I think there is a under the surface frustration that we're not addressing we're not talking about and I think we need to not only are those who follow Jesus frustrated those who are considering and following Jesus are frustrated there is a frustration as subtle as it may be nonetheless it is legitimate and real and I want to speak to that so again the title of my message for the next just few moments is why I think you're frustrated here it is okay we're gonna jump into a story in Luke chapter 9 and I'm gonna read just a couple of kind of little clips of the story if you will then I'll try to fill in some of the blanks as we go along for the next few moments Luke chapter 9 and verse 23 this is a portion of Scripture we've been on now for the last few sermons last Wednesday Sunday and now this Wednesday it says in Luke chapter 9 verse 23 and I quote now Jesus here's a quote from Jesus if anyone wants to come after me let him deny himself take up his cross daily and follow me for whoever would save his life will lose it but whoever will lose his life for my sake will say that Jesus says he goes on to say what does it profit a man to gain all that the world has to offer stuff status things possessions and renown and yet in the process forfeit himself or lose his soul now verse 28 says in the same passage about eight days after Jesus said some of the most famous words he ever spoke it says he went to a mountain he went on a hike and went up a mountain with Peter James and John three of the twelve young guys that worked with him and followed him during his ministry for approximately three and a half years they go to a mountain and they experience a phenomenon something that is extraordinary transcendent and supernatural and we'll talk about that in a moment now verse 37 says the next day when they had come down from the mountain another story unfolds and we're gonna end there in the next few minutes and it says that there was a boy who was tormented by dark demon spirits and he it actually physically affected him he was tormented it with these spirits these demons these dark forces would throw him on the ground he would convulse and actually Mark's Gospel records that this young boy was actually these spirits who try to throw him in open fires or throw him in water and drown him it was a very serious situation coming down from the mountain Jesus meets the father of this only child this son and he says bring bring the boy to me and I'm going to heal him now the father expresses to Jesus I tried some of your guys nine of your disciples three of them you took to the mountain but since you've been gone I tried to get nine of your guys to transform my son's life to set him free they couldn't do it and Jesus says this and what is verse 41 he says o faithless and twisted generation how long am I to be with you and bear with you bring the boy to me and he uses this term twist it and this is gonna be really important because we're going to try to unpack together what does Jesus what is he speaking to or inferring when he says some things have got gotten twisted don't get it twisted that would be another great title to this sermon don't get it twisted what got twisted and is what got twisted some 2,000 years ago still getting twisted today still getting convolute and confused today and my suggestion tonight is merely yes it is and it is causing extraordinary frustration whether known or unknown why why I think you're frustrated is from this passage and I'd like to explain that to you we join me in prayer father thank you for the minutes of moments we share I feel your presence in this room I feel your reality in this room and I pray that my friends and community members and guests watching engaging now with our community I pray you would meet them in that room in their room thank you for your grace thank you for your strength Lord we love you so much and we want you and truly only you the Living God to encounter us and change us in Jesus name Amen amen amen you ever close your eyes during prayer and I thought for sure the camera was like over here and I opened up my and you're like oh well it amazing how you can close your eyes in a few minutes and still get disoriented anyways completely non consequential but nonetheless there it is you ever gotten mad about something that you're actually not mad about do you know I'm talking about like frustrated it's something that is not at all what's you're frustrated at okay we have been playing an enormous amount of ping pong right I've called pastor friends who also have suggested they too were playing ping pong we got a net that you can hit golf balls into we bought a little basketball hoop that's kind of it's it's it can go to ten feet but it's kind of skinny and rickety but nonetheless we got a basketball hoop because this is what you do quarantine at home we're gonna play ping pong we're gonna hit balls in the net we're gonna play basketball right got to keep the kids exercising so ping pong has become a nightly routine the waters were quarantined together with the waters Elijah Tamra waters and Chelse in hide and we're constantly playing ping pong every night one night I probably already inferred this or even referred to the one night I got so frustrated I threw the paddle down the street okay now I must say that it's as if God was involved because this cat this cattle this paddle I don't work with cattle at all this paddle took flight do you remember it literally it's like it it had wings really and the paddle flew down the street no exaggeration probably 150 yards something like that because I just threw it we were outside playing ping-pong our ping-pong tables outside and we just edged through it and everyone's like judo calm down I'm like you come down and just floated and I kind of got mesmerized with the thing ball but the truth is I wasn't frustrated at ping-pong I wasn't mad at ping pong ping pong is a great outlet I have broken every single paddle we have on the ping pong table but we recently with the target with masks on where I got this shirt and we got we got the last two ping pong paddles left because I broken all of them but it's not ping pong I'm mad at it's not the actual game it's not the paddle I'm mad at you know what I'm frustrated with I'm frustrated with the plight of humanity I'm frustrated with the loss of life I'm frustrated with the pain I'm frustrated with seeing things in our country and around the world I'm frustrated as the number grows I'm frustrated with some rhetoric that I think is insensitive at times during these painful days and seasons and that's what I'm frustrated at but you ever been there you express frustration over the fact that your hard-boiled egg isn't hard-boiled you know whatever it is and you're like I don't really care about the egg what I care about is I want to go back to work or I want to go out to eat or I just want to walk without a mask or whatever the frustration might be I think oftentimes we project and we get mad at something that in reality isn't the problem and isn't the frustration the frustration is what we're all going through welcome to the quarantine okay if you've found yourself projecting and getting frustrated at a spouse or roommate or a loved one or groups of people that you disagree with I think that is so symptomatic of what we are all facing now what I want to speak to tonight if you double down on what we're talking about is frankly spiritual frustration I think there is so much happening right now in the seen world no doubt but so much happening in the unseen world or the unseen realm now tonight we have a passage in front of us that frankly we get glimpses into the unseen world we see the unseen the fourth dimension entering the third dimension and frankly it is transcendent it is sensational it's supernatural but there is such a thing and I think there's so much going on spiritually that maybe we're not even completely understanding or even aware of and it is causing frustration so here's my attempt tonight to tell you why I think you might be frustrated Jesus says this he says don't get it twisted now that's kind of a different quote but he uses this word twisted now if you look at the scene where Jesus has quoted saying this everyone's frustrated everyone's frustrated let's talk about the people in the scene okay you have three disciples who by the way apparently they're closer to Jesus than the other nine because there's 12 guys who roll with them for three and a half years those three get to go on a hike and go on the mountain and on that mountain Jesus is transfixed in front of their face he's got lightning coming out of his body his bodies glowing his face is glowing and to top it all off two Hebrew heroes show up Elijah and Moses and Peter James and John are like this is the most amazing thing now by the time they come down the mountain it is just one big frustrated scene think about it check mark chapter 9 gives us more details of what happens coming down the Mount of Transfiguration the very next day there's a dad a dad who's so desperate a dad who is so begging that his son his only son his only child could be healed because his son is tormented by dark evil wicked spirits and he's begging now we know now that while Jesus is on the mountain with three of his guys the nine are down the mountain they've encountered this dad the dad evidently begged the nine to try to set the son free he doesn't work the nine feel embarrassed or frustrated the dad doesn't get the results that he wants for his child he's frustrated the onlooking crowd the unbelieving critical Jewish crowd are watching the nine who say they fraught they're following the Messiah but if they're following the Messiah why can't they set this broken tormented son free so the crowd is frustrated they're critical and the top it all off mark chapter nine says you got the religious leaders the scribes who are arguing with the disciples what'd you think about this the boy is still tormented but the scribes that is the teachers of the Torah from the synagogue in antiquity are on the scene the crowds there the three from the mountain are now there Jesus is there the nine that are embarrassed they're there the Sun is still tormented he's there the dad is there he's broken and hurting and helpless and his boy isn't healed it is one big frustrated scene everyone's got something to say everyone's agitated the religious church leaders if you will they're belittling that they're arguing with the nine and the nine are like well we tried and you know and they're trying to defend themselves the crowd is being critical right there just from the cheap seats they're just throwing you know haymakers to try to belittle and berate these disciples if you look at the original language in mark chapter 9 there is arguing but there's also criticizing and berating and belittle and frankly they were making fun of them wow you guys are really powerful you can't do anything Jesus walks into this frustrated scene this is gonna get interesting what will he do and what will he say well in mark chapter nine we get a little bit more detail from the Luke 9 passage he literally says bring the boy to me he asked the dad how long has this been happening he said a very very long time and he said I want you to bring the boy to me and he he commands he commands these demonic wicked evil spirits to leave the boy and Jesus is quoted saying don't you ever come back again and the Bible says the boy fell to the floor fell to the street actually the ground and the crowd the onlooking crowd said he killed him he's dead and Jesus reaches out his hand he picks up the boy and the boy is completely healthy transform and whole and the dad must be out of his mind with gratitude and thankfulness and while the entire frustrated scene and groups of people five different groups of people shift from frustration to astonishment Jesus concludes by saying in verse 44 listen to what I am saying so the boys healed the fathers happy the critical crowds like well that's power the scribes are like we can't really say much the nine are like thank God you came they'll make us look good the three are like you guys got no idea what just happened on that mountain and all of a sudden the whole thing is shifted why cuz of a person his name is Jesus it goes from frustration to astonishment but in the middle of astonishment Jesus says this my ESV version says let these words sink into your ears in other words hey hey hey I got something important to say they're all like oh my this is crazy this is amazed at all I mean imagine like a video of like a magician on the streets who does something that blows people's minds and and 10 that and times that by 10 everybody's right I mean I mean must have been loud and Jesus calls out excuse me I want here what I'm about to say now you would think that what Jesus is about to say is here's why I could heal the boy and the guy in the nine couldn't let me explain it to you instead he says this this imagine now in the midst of the Sun the Son of Man is about to be delivered in the hands of men Bible says that he was speaking to his disciples but based on my research others would have absolutely heard him and he was not speaking quietly or softly the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men Jesus uses this moment to say I'm going to the cross yes sir we you don't have to start you don't you don't have to start playing yet just give me just a couple minutes because if you start playing I'm gonna start crying and then it's gonna get weird and and I won't be able to say it so in a moment Esther will start playing but if she prepped I just feel so emotional and I'm gonna get this out just for a moment and then Esther shall play and it will be beautiful Jesus takes this opportunity to tell his disciples what I'm going to the cross I'm going to the cross this is about the cross this is all about the cross I would be like I don't know if this seems about the cross it's all about the cross Jesus saying I'm what I'm doing here points to the cross it's what the cross will do it's what I'm gonna accomplish at the cross I'm gonna be delivered up and the Bible says they didn't understand it they didn't there that are saying he was darking but it was actually right before Jesus if you want to come after me deny yourself take up your cross and follow me daily he says I'm gonna be I'm gonna suffer many things and be delivered up to the scribes and Pharisees they're gonna crucify me so actually both sensational radical supernatural scenes are bookended by I'm going to the cross I'm going to the cross I'm going to the cross I'm going to the cross which is to say this is about the cross this isn't about Moses this isn't about Elijah this isn't even as much about physical healing this is about a cross I'm going to the cross the cross is going to change everything the cross is going to alleviate some of the frustration that you're feeling I want you to work with me I want you to follow me I want you to take up your cross you that cross my cross is gonna be embraced as your cross this is about the cross and this is really important because Jesus is telling us that the cross will transform time and spaces we know that the sinless god man God Himself will put himself on a torture tree he will die violently all of the earth will resound in response the the sky will go dark there will be an earthquake because even the rocks and the sky are like that's the one who made us that's the architect and the designer that's him so even like the elements respond with what is happening talk about twisted what's going on here even the rocks and the dirt don't understand why the architect of the ages is hanging on a tree he made Jesus is suggesting that the frustration and upheaval of humanity can be resolved and solved through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus then we're going to talk about this in a minute no matter what this means now because Jesus went to the cross he says if you want to follow me it's got to be about the cross if you want to work with me if you want to walk behind me in my footsteps you must take up your cross daily that your life has to be focused on what Jesus accomplished in your place on the cross now we now know according to second Corinthians 5:21 that he who knew no sin became sin so that we could become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus so what was what was purchased for you and and for me on the cross by Jesus was forgiveness relationship acceptance identity and oh just connection with the architect connection with the artist connection with the designer the cross provided that and then on the third day like he predicted he rose again tell us all he has the power over death so in other words he's the most important person in the universe he made it designed it and saved it so why Judah sorry Esther Tsun Tsun person why am i frustrated let's go back now to the words we started with Jesus says if you want to roll with me work with me follow me not do you want to follow my rules and my morals no no if you want to have a relationship with me and live every day walking with me and working with me deny yourself which is rest from your own works embrace my cross as your cross because that's what it is in other words it paid for your air you're wrong your sin for the Bible says we've all erred we've all sinned we've all been selfish we've all hurt ourselves and others the cross pays for that and then he goes on whoever tries to here's where it gets twisted here's where it gets frustrating he says whoever tries to save his life it has slipped through his hands whoever loses his life please hear me loses his life for my sake or in light of what I've done on the cross you will find it you will find it we're all living in a tension right now and I want you to hear this and then we're gonna pick this right back up here's the tension we're living in and it's incredibly frustrating we are living in the real actual tension of death and life life and death we are suddenly life is do you find frustration do you feel bad sometimes when you're resting at home and then you turn on the news and you see people dying do you feel like am i I'm not doing enough do you feel guilty for your healthy family do you feel like wait the tension here is like I mean am I the only one that goes on social media and you see flowers and beauty and I'm posting inspiration pics and yet the next pic that I post is about an african-american young man in this country which was shot down by white supremists and murdered because he was jogging on his own through a neighborhood am I the only one that's like what is it is it are we living in an emergency room or are we living in a day off am I supposed to be functioning like it's a day off or am I supposed to be functioning like it's a rescue mission which is it and I think when the American Dream encoded nineteen collide I wonder if it could reveal something about our life I wonder if we could just embrace this for a moment not a disease not pain and loss but perspective what's happening to us tell you what's happening our cultural dream has just collided with the disease we can't stop and all of us collectively at the same time are forced to live an attention called life and death and I'm just suggesting it's always been this way it's always been this way life's always been this fragile life's always been this much of a vapor life is always had this brevity the Bible warns and mana schizandra Minds us over and over it's life and death it's life and death it's life and death and this pandemic this quarantine has put it right in the forefront and now we all know while some of us are still living many of us are dying we're wearing masks because we don't want to communicate the disease and suddenly which is it can I laugh today or should I only cry should I cry after I cry can I laugh and all the sudden were caught in this tension and I'm gonna tell you what it is in one word frustrating frustrating frustrating frustrating because whether we know it or not we are raised to believe and I'm not saying this is inherently wrong I am grateful for the freedoms of this country and yet injustice is all around and we must speak up and we will speak up but nonetheless I am grateful for the freedoms in this country and I still believe this is the greatest country in the world and I'm proud to live here yet no the less our dream is not entirely true as we thought it was our dream tells us that this life is about curating things stuff and status and it tells us that you're doing will define your value and yet we are all with the exception of front-line heroes who I pray that we take time every day to think about and support in the smallest of ways possible in any way we can it makes a difference other than those frontline heroes the rest of us are in a commanded quarantine we are doing what feels like nothing and all the sudden the American dream starts to crumble and we start to get frustrated this is why I think you're frustrated Jesus predicted this 2,000 years ago he said if you will try to keep your life for yourself if your life becomes about stuff and status and things it'll slip through your fingers and my brothers and sisters few things are more frustrating few things you ever tried to get something out of water we got we got bees and water or whatever it might be you're trying to get like a something out of water and you're trying to get and it's real light and it just seems to and you got to get back and you're trying to just get it in your hand on all the water just it just keeps slipping you want to talk about frustrating what happens when a pandemic proves to us that our dream is broken and it doesn't deliver tell you what's happening it's happening right now in this country and around the world vices are at an all-time high because we are all collectively thinking to ourselves this isn't working I mean am i again like I said you go on social media I mean one minute I'm posting something happy the next I'm posting the reality of where things are at and he's just like which do you do is it life or is it death or is it about death or is it life it's always been life and death my brothers and sisters it's always been life is short life is brief life is hard life is broken so Jesus says here's where the frustration happens we twist instead of let go of my life because of what Jesus has done that has changed the universe or keep my life for myself and pursue the dream things possessions and stuff toys and then I'll be happy the irony is this and I'm gonna be very bold to say this when you start to accept the cross and accept Jesus and yet still orient your values and your schedule around possessions stuff status and things your frustration I would like to suggest can double because now you are not only do you know of the cross and know of the ways of Jesus which Jesus says if you let go of your life and go my way not your way go my way go my way what's the way of Jesus it's the way of transformation it's the way of forgiveness it's the way where your flesh dies because you didn't earn it deserve it warrant it or merit it you simply accept the free gift of Jesus so your your actual identity can't be in what you do because it's all about what Jesus has done and you start to follow him Jesus says you will find your life more and more and more every day you'll discover who you really are that's what he promises but conversely he says if your life is saved for yourself you will lose it it'll be like saying through your fingers I would like to suggest that it is here that we are feeling and experiencing so much frustration I'm here to introduce to you Jesus dream not the American dream and I love this country please hear me the dream of Jesus for your life is to learn to live beyond yourself by seeing how he lived beyond himself on your behalf freely you receive forgiveness acceptance love identity a place of belonging in God's family and now that is to define and motivate and curate and direct your desires to a life that is lived beyond yourself by no means am i minimizing enjoyment rest parties good food good friends good family and may we have much more that in our life but that is not our primary focus passion purpose and ambition the Bible describes the lifestyle of a Jesus follower and I'll define it with one word mission mission mission I will say it again church home we are here for a mission and that mission is motivated by a person not principles not Church buildings and Church conferences retreats advances by a person and that person so transforms your life that you start to live with a mission mission that is beyond yourself it's it's why we're building church home it's why we're going to ask that you give resources it's why we're gonna ask that you would be a host at home to do Church at home because we're on a mission we're not trying to keep this life for ourself we're letting go of our life and what may come of it and the amount of money we make and we're saying Jesus what you did on the cross that's my cross what you did on the cross he's shaping my priorities my schedule my desires and my focus my brothers and sisters there's nothing inherently wrong with money money is neutral it's the love of money that brings about all kinds of frustrations complexities and problems money is fine money can also be on mission in your life as you let go of your life not keep it for yourself and begin to live it for others now as I come to a conclusion and Esther joins me on the piano Thank You Esther she's just trying to help and I'm like wait I want to say this slight different people groups in this story and you may resonate with one of those maybe you're the three disciples that went on a hike with Jesus maybe you're the nine that are embarrassed the bottom of the mountain that have no power maybe you are the crowd that sits in the cheap seats and just criticizes everybody just take shots maybe you're the religious scribes who'd rather argue with fellow Christians than help a tormented boy or maybe you're the dad and son maybe the whole reason you got on this broadcast is just cuz you're tormented and you're desperate and you're begging for a Christian somewhere to let go of their life and tell you and show you and demonstrate to you this man on the middle cross who changed the universe as we know it and split time and space ad and BC maybe that's why you're here as we conclude as much as I desire I wish I could speak to all five groups and specifically the frustration you're experiencing but I want to end here and y'all just say a prayer under your breath that I can say this without getting too emotional that I can't say I want to speak to the church I'm a pastor of a church bear with me i pastor Jesus followers but my mission and my mandate is to tell the story to those who don't know it yet so I to a man living in tension right this tension of life and death is real but this tension as a pastor is who am I talking to because it's like all five groups speak to me and I want to talk to all five but in this moment bare with me for those of you that are guests or you're new to this space in our space allow me for a moment concluding minutes and moments to share with church home I can't speak about other churches and other communities and other I I we love them they're our brothers and sisters God told me to speak to this community and that's what I'm gonna do I got about 22 more years left and then I'm moving to Palm Springs full-time I'm gonna have a glass of wine everyday and I'm gonna play golf every day and I am an enjoy the company of my best friend and love of my life and my wife but until then I got 22 years left to tell the story of Jesus to those who are tormented and to instruct those who know his forgiveness and are called to not keep their life for themselves but for others let me take you back to this mountain and I want to make a couple observations as we conclude I haven't said land the plane in a long time so I'm gonna go ahead and say land the plane it's been too long Peter James and John are handpicked by Jesus to go on a mountain because they are very close to him and he's hurting he knows what's ahead what's ahead is gonna be the most excruciatingly painful sacrificial death the humaneness of Jesus could ever a certain or imagined he takes his three closest friends with him and they go on a hike and they get to this mountain bob says that his three closest friends they're heavy with sleep now that word heavy means they were overwhelmed they didn't understand what was going on they could see the distress of Jesus Bible says Jesus starts to pray on this mountain his three friends are asleep they wake up to see that as Jesus prays his body glows his face radiates one passage says it's as if his clothes look like lightning and the boys begin to wake up and probably rubbing their eyes going what do I see and even more so they recognized the two Hebrew heroes who have come from the fourth dimension and now they're speaking to Jesus in the third dimension and the Bible says they are talking about what he will accomplish in Jerusalem they're talking about his destiny they're talking about what he's doing I would like to suggest that one of the things was happening is that these two Hebrew heroes were trying to encourage Jesus this will change everything Jesus and I think he think he got strength from the one who represented the law and the one who represented the prophets I think the humanists of Jesus needed to be reminded that this would change everything and finally humanity would not have to relate to God through the rules of Moses or the knowledge of Elijah but they would be fulfilled and now through simply receiving the free gift of Jesus even if you don't understand at all you can have a relationship with the architect of the ages the artist of all humanity and in creation itself you could know him and I think Moses and Elijah were there saying this is it this is what we've craved this is what we've desired this is what the rocks and the dirt and the oceans and the animals and the skies and the hills and the trees have been anticipating don't you give up Jesus Peter opens his eyes and he says because one pastor says he doesn't know what to say so he says I'm it's good for us to be here Jesus Moses and Elijah probably looked Jesus look since Peter talking and he says I'm I we got to stay here I'm gonna I'm gonna build you little Hut's little homes and we should stay here we should stay here wait till people hear about this wait till people know who I've seen you know after this incident Jesus says tell no one tell no one I'm gonna tell you what Peter and the boys want to do they want to tell everyone and flaunt it and build their egos and tell everyone how important they were and Jesus says you don't get to tell anybody until after I rise from the dead tell no one Church home I just want to speak to the church just for a moment cuz here's what I think God said to me about an hour ago he said this son it's time to go back down the mountain with me and I just heard that phrase in my heart and it doesn't always happen like this for me and I was like I think that's God the Bible says that Peter was interrupted as if to say please be quiet Peter you're not getting it I think Peter thought to himself now we'll have the wisdom of Moses we'll have the knowledge of Elijah and Jesus and what Peter is missing is the church will not be built on the rules of Moses or the knowledge of Elijah or the principles of a man it will be built on the blood of Jesus and his resurrection and so the Bible says that while Peter is talking and one translation says Peter says let's stay here let's stay on the mountain let's just internet what a church is let's stay on the mountain what Peter doesn't know is that the bottom of that mountain is the son whose dad is being tormented by Devils the Peter says Jesus let's stay here with Moses and Elijah and you this is it and the cloud enveloped Peter James and John while Peters talking he interrupts him in other words stop talking and God's voice comes from the cloud and says this is my beloved son please hear me this language is strong and emphatic this is my chosen one I chose him I didn't choose Moses and Elijah my chosen one to save the world is Jesus we will not build monuments to rules or knowledge for they cannot save the human soul and they cannot transform the tormented son at the bottom of the mountain it will be Jesus and God says from the cloud listen to him listen to him he know it's amazing he doesn't say anything right away so they listen to him can't just be listen to what he says it also means watch him watch where he goes Moses and Elijah are gone the minute Peter wants to keep them around they're gone as if God has said nothing to know that the Moses and Elijah are not four you know they were there encouraging Jesus no he's the fulfillment all you need is Jesus all you need is Jesus and Luke records us and Matthew records us and mark records us in the three synoptic Gospels all three of them say and it was only Jesus and it was only Jesus and it was only Jesus and then it says when they had come down from the mountain I promise I'm coming to a close Esther's plane softly here's what I feel like I'm supposed to say to our church [Music] number one we we like rules we do and we like knowledge and we like secrets to success we do and we need to say it we do and sometimes we like mountains more than being anywhere else and you know what the mountain is oftentimes it's our gatherings our meetings where we experience the love of Jesus I want to remind you that in those mountaintop meetings that we have and maybe this is one too maybe you could suggest this one is too I'd like to suggest to you that what happened on that mountain has to happen here and that is we have to stop trying to treat the law and knowledge as if it is appear with Jesus there is no power to transform the human soul and the begging tormented people at the bottle of our meetings and mountains rules will not change their life principles will not change their life and secrets to success will not set them free from their torment my brothers and sisters only Jesus can do that we have to admit we like mountains but like mountains and I think the message to church home is this I think the message as the COS Kovan 19 has collided with the American dream something is ravine revealed in the world we got it twisted this isn't about our careers this isn't about our appearance this isn't about our status this isn't about our toys our square footage but we can say we earned with our own hard work that's not what this life is about can't we see it can you see through the fork can you see the trees and the forest can you see what this actually is it is always forever about knowing the architect can you see the architecture can you see the artist can you see the majesty can you see the beauty it's all to point you to a person not the rules of his universe the person of Jesus we're gonna we gonna go down the mountain we gotta go down the mountain so here's what I'm suggesting what is happening to our church right now is we're gonna go down the mountain I'm gonna be really bold here and this is my opinion so bear with me I want to be real clear this is my opinion my opinion is that God works all things together for good in the midst of evil and disease and torment and loss God his plan is unfolding in fun of us in front of us and this is what I like to suggest some of our gatherings have turned into mountains and we don't want to come down and on these mountains slash meetings that we have we are prone to sharing the rules of Moses and the knowledge of Elijah and I'll tell you what it produces status and stuff some really good stuff that still works if you work it and so I know why there's an under current of frustration amongst Christians cuz I think we have been confronted we have colluded with the American Dream and we're pursuing stuff and status like everybody else and so we want to have meetings that it removed from pain and torment and we want to share our knowledge and we want to share our rules and we want to share our principle principles and I just wonder if God at His goodness is overshadowing us and asking us to just go down the mountain and so this wicked horrific disease which is not from God God is going to use it and the church will never be the same our meetings have been shut down huh I wonder what God could be saying kick gather in our buildings if I told you that you'd never believe it and yet here we are well I can't wait to get back to our beautiful buildings and our meetings at our our hazers and our lights and our bands meet since great second could we Jesus is so good that we're here we're gonna build we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna let's just live here with Moses and Elijah and you Jesus it's like you think I came to the planet so you could have mountaintop meetings while people are dying at the base of the mountain this is my chosen one listen to him follow him watch where he goes and i'ma tell you where he went he went down the mountain and he joined the frustrated scene of humanity while the religious people are arguing over petty things while people are dying and he says what's going on and the disciples are embarrassed they feel like they don't have any power the dad's frustrated cuz he wants his son to be saved the religious leaders are criticizing the other religious people and saying you don't have power and the masses belittle be ready to make fun and Jesus says bring the boy to me bringing to me and the dad brings him he says it's been happening a long time what consequences the duration because every day of pain matters to Jesus how long he said he's spent a long time okay and he he talks to this wicked spirit like it is it's there illegally like it's not supposed to be there he's like you go and you leave this boy alone and you never come back you hear me and everybody's blown away by Moses or Elijah or the scribes with all their Torah knowledge they're blown away by the guy who just came down the mountain and set a boy free that no one else could and while they're all astonished what does Jesus do he says it's about the cross this is what the cross will do this is what I will do for all the humanity that boy is a portrait that boy is a picture of humanity and I am Telling You God is the father and all the people are his children that's why it's a dad at the bottom of the hill that's why it's a son and it's his only Son because God would send His only Son so that that father's only son could be free that's why he's an only son cuz Jesus is the only Son and he's twelve guys are standing there going what's going on Jesus go down the mountain I'd like to predict something to the church the church is about to get messy for those who will listen and those who will follow him our meetings will forever be disrupted our gatherings will not be the same may they never be the same may we come down our mountain and may we leave on that mountain the rules of moses and the knowledge of elijah and may we come down from this mountain with Jesus and Jesus alone and when we get down to that mountain and we get down to the valley where people live my brothers are censors people don't live on mountaintops they live in valleys life is hard life is painful life is compromised and cities brought disease and wars and rumors of wars and it's not good on this planet and it breaks the heart of God who made this planet for our peace and our joy and yet we are troubled and were pained and were broken and were dying from diseases we have no cures do I am NOT interested in sermons oriented around the success of the Western world I want to know the only one I can set it torment it's so free that is only a person and his name is Jesus are you astonished because until you are you'll be frustrated Bible says they were all they were all they were all all five groups they were all they were all they were all astonished at the majesty of God Jesus says I promise I'm done Jesus says you you gotta let go your life for my sake no no no no no Christianity is not the moral high ground Christianity is not a religion that I let go of my life because it's the right thing to do or it's a good thing to do or it makes me better than the other guy or it makes me better than him then they knew no Christianity is for my sake it's for my sake it's for my sake it's for my sake it's for my sake when they asked us why the hope when they asked us why the service when they asked why the generosity when they asked why have you leveraged your life why do you work so hard why do you do this why are you so passionate we won't say because it's obedience because I'm trying to do good and I'm trying to be better I'm trying to be in the know we'll say for his sake it's because of his sake it's because I've seen him I I'm astonished I've seen him set people free he set me free I know that's what he does it's for his sake and so for his sake I'm gonna let go of my finances for his sake I'm gonna let go of my career for his sake I'm gonna let go of my identity for his sake I'm gonna let go of my status for his sake I'm gonna let go I'm not gonna keep the sight for myself I'm gonna let it go I'm gonna go down the mountain I'm not gonna stay in a church building and just make myself feel good people are dying Church could it be that you're in your home right now because you're a missionary to your neighborhood cuz I know that same tormented boy lives in your neighborhood in mine and I'm not against our meetings we're having one right now in a turn of ironic events don't wanna church on a mountain I want to Church in the valley dying and broken had preached twice as long as I was going to and I blame Esther for playing so nicely and making me cry but we yeah I don't know man I just hope um I started reading about this dad you know I'm just like whoa he said it the spirit seizes him and he convulses he foams at the mouth shatters him the dad's head and spirit never leaves him think he's always there he said I begged your disciples to set him free but they couldn't so twisted that's why you got to twist it twist it he says bring the boy to me and he does for this boy what he would do for all of us through the cross it's a transformation and so I mean man I am just doing my best here Church how I'm trying to end this but um I don't want to overstate it or like um say too much but I just want to say he's the pastor of this church the only church in the pastor I just want God to disrupt anything he needs to disrupt see whatever he needs to do so we can be a church in the valley so we can be a church for people who are truly tormented and I just want to say to anyone watching how remarkable are you this preachers gone so long denied and I don't can't believe you're still watching if you are and you feel tormented and broken and hurting except they want to say to you that um only Jesus only Jesus right now in your room I'm just done man I don't want to do any more lofty words that make us think we are here celebrating the wisdom of a man that accomplishes the American dream it does not accomplish eternal life only Jesus can do that Jesus come what may only Jesus can transform people so I just don't I want to pray for you I love you church I love this church the people of this church have raised me been a part of this church 1992 I was 13 was raised by this community it's my family I'm not mad please hear me as your pastor I'm not in the head I'm overwhelmed a little bit at the reality of what's happening and what God's doing in us but um blame the Board of Elders you know talked me into doing this and then we just keep having elders meetings three four times a year and every time the board gets together in this church we host we always start with something like okay god this is your church you should church you know a church do whatever you want to reach people so I cried a lot and I'm really sorry if you're new to this space and you're like this guy's a wreck you got a great point if you would like to be untwisted and undaunted Jesus can do that right now I don't want to live the rest of my life for things and stuff and status God if we had enough of that yet this won't be who God's called me to be but I want to live for Jesus if you can find another life like this please let us know but I never met a person like Jesus changes everything god I thank you for what you're doing in our church and I'm overcome and I'm overwhelmed sense of you in this room right now and we're gonna want to get it twisted maybe this frustration a little bit could be you take us to the locations that you're at want to walk with you and build your church build churches and neighborhoods and streets and cities or people are tormented and meet them in their homes in sable and heel you got whatever you want us to do with this church we're just gonna do it some people can know you if you'd like to receive the free gift of forgiveness that only Jesus offers I want to pray for you I promise you I'm not sad I just don't glad I feel the love of Jesus and the sense of his presence um if you'd like to receive the free gift of Jesus I ask you to respond right now wherever you are you said you know I receive what Jesus did in my place all my air am I wrong and my sin can be forgiven forever past present future sins forgiven forever because of Jesus he became since that could become right and have a relationship with God if you want that right now on the count of three raise your hand wherever you are in the world one two three that you just raise your hand yeah you feel the same passion Jesus spoke to that boy and that wicked evil terrible spirit that tormented him he said don't you ever come back don't you ever come back he's forgiven you listen to me all shame and guilt and insecurity and insufficiency all of these things that have tormented you don't you ever you will never take rezident again well we're just gonna keep letting you know that Jesus is in charge here thank you God thank you God and lastly just before we sing a song together and I really appreciate those of you that have gone the distance with us tonight this is unusual join us Sunday it'll be a short sermon okay I promise I'll pay it back to you but um just want to pray that God will untwist our church God it's my prayer that you if in any way we have exchanged the incredible journey of being a missionary with you the American Dream and as a result feel frustrated and stuff astonish us again astonish us again with who you are and what you do and how you work we love you and God lastly I just declare over church home that we are not a church on the mountain or a church in the valley that is who we are and that's who we're gonna be and come what may criticism pain problems challenges we want to go down the mount with you I want to go down the mountain with you for this great big wild big awesome life of living beyond ourselves thank you for that Jesus we love you amen Thank You church for your extra time tonight I would appreciate it love you hey everybody thank you so much for watching our YouTube channel to be honest it really means a lot it's kind of overwhelming to consider that you take time out of your life to listen to us tell the story of Jesus if you haven't already you can subscribe right here to the channel and get more of God's incredible love for you and his story of grace again I can't say it enough thank you so much for watching and hopefully we can do this again real soon

Channel: Churchome

Views: 24,607

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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: Z_0dwxQiTHI

Length: 65min 4sec (3904 seconds)

Published: Thu May 07 2020