When It Actually Is Spiritual | Different Weapons | Judah Smith

We are spending the month of August. Welcome by the way to church home. We're spending the month of August around this title. What do you actually do when the moment chapter or season you're in it is spiritual? Like in my world, overspiritualizing everything seems to run seems to run rampant, right?

But as a result, sometimes we're not aware when things actually are spiritual. So last month I was having a moment and I was kind of going through some relational challenge and was starting to wonder what is going on and it was this portion of scripture that came to my mind and I felt led and guided by God like this is what I want you to do because the chapter you're in is spiritual.

Last week we talked about a different standard and I urge you there's a lot in that message for sure but I I urge you and and remind you that the different standard that we are um so clearly given can be seen through Jesus at the sermon on the mount in the gospels where instead of power and ego and pride he promotes this standard of of gentleness and meekness and it's uh it's very contrary to what you feel like doing when you feel like you're in a challenging difficult season.

And that leads us to this week where clearly last week we're talking about we we have different standards. This week we're talking about we also have different weapons. We have different weapons. Now, this leads us to the portion of scripture I want to read to you from 2 Corinthians.

And we'll start in verse one again. Paul says, "Now, please listen. Only got about six or seven years left to live. He started this Jesus community in Corinth, which is a wild and crazy metropolitan city that is full of all kinds of sex parties and drinking parties and idol worship.

And it is a wild place. And frankly, some of its wildness has made its way into the Jesus community. And there is uh some really bizarre stuff happening. And I say bizarre, but really not too bizarre because we're all normal and natural people. And often times we can fall prey to the same stuff.

So he says, "Listen, I want to plead with you. I need to address an issue and I'm making this personal appeal to you by the gentleness and self forgetfulness of Jesus. I'm I'm the one who is humble and timid." He puts it in quotes because they had said he's humble and timid.

When I've come face to face with you, I'm bold. I'm humble and timid. but when I write letters to you, I'm bold and outspoken. That was some of the gossip and the critique of Paul. So, he acknowledges that and then he says, "Now, I'm going to plead with you when I come.

Don't force me to take a hard line with you. I'm going to be strong if I need to, which I'm willing to do, but I want to dare you to confront those who mistakenly believe that we're living by the standards of the world and not by the Spirit's wisdom and power.

For although we live in the natural realm, we don't wage military campaign employing human weapons. We don't employ human weapons. Now listen to this. Using things like what's a human weapon? Manipulation to achieve our aim. Isn't it interesting? of all the human weapons Paul could have listed here in his letter to the Jesus worshippers in Corenth.

Of all the human weapons, there are a lot of human weapons, and I'll let your mind just run through a list real quick. Of all the manmade weapons we use to try to get our way, what's the one that Paul highlights? I don't think it's an accident. Manipulation.

Manipulation. Warping the scenario. Warping the truth. Why? So that you or I, the users of manipulation, can achieve our desired outcome or achieve our own control of the situation. Manipulation is a form of playing God. manipulation, which I mean I don't know enough about therapy. I have a therapist.

I do therapy, but I know enough to say I think manipulation might be at the top of the list of why people go to therapy because people warp um the memory of a situation. They warp the truth of a situation. They bend it to their achd outcome. and what they want.

And so it's called manipulation. You manipulate the situation to achieve not what is the most beneficial outcome but the outcome that serves you or in my case the outcome that serves me. We have different weapons. Our weapons are not manipulation. One of the ways we know or one of the ways our weapons are different than manipulation is instead of trying to take control, our weapon is letting go of control.

I'm going to say that again. One of the ways we live and function in these spiritually dynamic moments of our life where we want to grab something, control something, do something, force something, we let go. What if one of your weapons was worship? Well, what is worship? Worship is a letting go.

What's the universal sign of worship? What's the universal sign of worship? I mean, you don't have to be a religious person. You don't have to be to any kind of organized religion or any kind of dogma or doctrine or have read a holy book anywhere ever. And you know, the universal sign of worship is also simultaneously the universal sign of surrender.

What is worship? It's letting go. It's surrender. You know what you need to do when things are actually spiritual? Instead of taking control, you need to let go of the control. Instead of trying to warp the situation to your achieved outcome, you need to worship God in the s in the situation so that he will work out his desired outcome.

Worship. Now, in case you get caught up in the idea of I need to worship and you're like, oh man, I I don't sing well. Well, singing isn't worship necessarily. Going for a walk isn't worship necessarily. Canoeing a canoe in a lake isn't worship necessarily, but it can be.

Watching birds isn't worship necessarily, but it can be. Yesterday, I was sitting in my backyard and is God as my witness. I was having a really intense conversation with a friend about some challenges and here came a hummingbird. I'm telling you guys, it always happens. It's wild. And here comes the hummingbird right on quue.

And I said out loud, "There's a hummingbird. Thank you, God." Because you know, if you know me, you know the hummingbird, my dad's favorite bird. He's passed. And I'm not saying the hummingbird is my dad, but it's definitely a sign of God's grace and God's providence and God's control in my life.

We use different weapons. You can turn a walk into worship. Yeah. You can turn a canoe into worship. You can turn bird watching into worship. You just allow your mind and thoughts to wander to him. And suddenly instead of warping the situation for your achieved outcome, you worship him and he leads the situation to his desired outcome.

And suddenly what was a very difficult and challenging season becomes an incredibly rewarding season filled with propulsion into the next chapter and plan of God's extraordinary intention for your life. Worship is one of our weapons, the opposite of manipulation. Now remember, you will be tempted in times like this to use control and use force.

Those are the two things you will be urged in your soul, in your body to use. I got to get control and I got to make this happen. I got to force this to happen. And yet Paul says, he speaks of wisdom that comes from Jesus. wisdom that comes from Jesus.

I'll take wisdom over hard work any day. Now, both can coexist and be a wonderful tandem, but I will take wisdom over work any day. What is what does it mean to have the the wisdom of Jesus? Well, that's simple. The thoughts of Jesus. So, now you think like Jesus.

Can you imagine thinking like God? You know what's wild? The greatest innovations and the greatest um ideas, the greatest uh acts of mankind to move the human race forward and its development or human experience. They all started with one simple seed form and it's this a thought. A thought.

Let me tell you what the wisdom of Jesus is. It starts with one single thought. And I want to say this. Some of the most excruciating, painful chapters of my life started with a thought and a thought that grew because circumstances seemed to instruct it that it was true.

And before you know it, you believe the world's against you. Before you know it, you believe you're all alone. Before you know it, you accept deeply that no one loves you and before you know it, you are confined profoundly by what started as a thought. Our weapons are different.

I believe in this moment as we're talking. God can give you new thoughts. New thoughts. What am I saying? God wants to grant you wisdom. Paul's writings here make it very clear. You're gonna you're going to trend towards manipulation, control, and force. I'm gonna say it again. You're going to trend in this chapter of your life towards manipulation, control, and force.

I'm going to manipulate, control, and force my way through this. I'm going to say it again. I'm going to manipulate, control, and force my way through this. And what does Jesus say? No. Worship and wisdom. Worship and wisdom. That's how you're going to make your way through this season.

Worship and wisdom. And guess what? Both worship and wisdom hang on. Not on you. Not on you. On him. He's got to show up. God, shift my attention. Shift my thoughts. Meet me in a moment of worship as I'm looking at this hummingbird. You got to meet me there. fill my mind with thoughts of wisdom, not of thoughts of manipulation, control, force or isolation or devastation or is you I think I said isolation or just aloneeness like I I need my thoughts to change.

Paul makes it clear in this passage, God's going to give you his wisdom. translation, his thoughts, his perspective, his ideas could change the course of your whole family. It occurs to me at 46 now. You know, I love saying my age. It occurs to me at 46 that what starts as a thought or sometimes even a joke, if dwelt upon, if laughed about enough, if repeated enough, if accepted enough, if absorbed enough, it begins to take on a life of its own.

And before you know it, what started as satire turns into a whole world view. And now you are cynical, negative, angry, annoyed at everyone, frustrated. And what started as an infant thought and then was told as a joke and then was accepted as funny and then slowly went from funny to fact. starts to take over your life.

And now that's how you see yourself. That's how you see those close to you and around you. And that's how you see your world. From that place, some will tell you, you have got to work your way out of that. I'd like to go on record to say, I think you need to worship your way out.

I think you need to wisdom your way out. What does that mean? Jesus needs to show up. Those are the different weapons that we use. I resist the notion that the most manipulative win. I think it's fake. I think it's false. I think it's not real. And manipulation eventually, like a lie, it shows itself for what it is.

It's not by might. It's not by power. It's by his spirit. His spirit's wisdom. and his spirit's wonder. But when you get caught up with the wonder of God through worship and wisdom, it'll change your life. That's a completely different set of weapons. I hope in this brief message that you have already picked up some things that will stick with you and that will serve you and that will help you in this chapter.

Let me pray for you. God, I thank you for um this this old letter that Paul, your son, wrote to the wonderful Jesus followers in ancient Corinth because it speaks to us today. Meet us here. Meet us at the intersection of worship and wisdom. And show us your wonder.

We reject the urge and notion to use manipulation, control or force to make it happen. We want to worship you and trust you for you to make it happen. And we thank you for that. Lastly, if you're watching this and you would like to receive the free forgiveness that only Jesus provides, just say, "I do."

Then it's done and your life will never be the same again. Hey, let us know on Pastor Chat if we can serve you or help you in any way wherever you are in the world. And I look forward to seeing you next week for more messages around what do you do when it actually is spiritual.

Thanks. 
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 It was my cross you bore so I could live in the freedom you died for. And now my life is yours. And I will sing of your goodness forever more. Worthy is your name, Jesus. You deserve the praise. Worthy is your name. Worthy is your name, Jesus.

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 You deserve the praise. Worthy is your name. And now my shame is gone. I stand amazed in your love undeniable. 
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 Your grace goes on and on. And I will sing of your goodness forever more. Worthy is your name, Jesus. You deserve the praise. Worthy is your name. Worthy is your name, Jesus.

You deserve the praise. Oh, worthy is your name. Worthy is your name. name. Jesus, you deserve the praise. Worthy is your name. Worthy is your name, Jesus. You deserve the praise. Worthy is your name. Be exalted now in the heavens as your glory fills this place. You alone deserve our praise.

You're the name above all names. Be exalted now in the heavens as your glory fills this place. You alone deserve our praise. You're the name above all names. Be exalted now in the heavens as your glory fills this place. You alone deserve our praise. You're the name above all names.

Be exalted now in the heavens as your glory fills this place. You alone deserve our praise. You're the name above cuz worthy is your name. Jesus, you deserve the praise. Oh, worthy is your name. Worthy is your name, Jesus. You deserve the praise. Worthy is your name. Worthy is your name, Jesus.

You deserve the praise. Worthy is your name. Worthy is your name, Jesus. 
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 You deserve the praise. Worthy is your name. 
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 Heat. Heat. 
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