Everyday Miracles | Jesus And The Taxes You Owe | Judah Smith

Hey, welcome back. I am so glad you joined us. We're talking about taxes. I know that's kind of the first time I've ever said that at the beginning of a message. We're talking about Jesus and the taxes you owe. We started this month with a question. What if May was a miraculous month for you?

What if you experienced miracles in May? We are hearing from people. We're planning to hear more from people about miracles happening in their life. And uh we are here to pray with you. Believe that miracles are possible. We see them. I've experienced them. And maybe you're watching this and you need a big miracle.

Maybe you're watching this, you need a little miracle. Whatever scale or size of miracle you need, God actually works miracles. And what we've been doing is looking at four miracle moments with Jesus. And we are now ending the month of May looking at a miracle that actually helps Jesus and Peter pay taxes, pay their actual taxes, which should be an interesting story.

And um I'm already excited because there is a part of this story that I've never spoke on before, never preached on before that I cannot wait to share with you. Now, as we approach the story here in a moment, I'm going to read it to you. But before we do, I want to make a statement I made several times last week and I think the week before, and that is the nature of the miracle.

It's it's a revelation. It is a revealer. It's an arrow. So it's an indicator telling you the nature of the miracle points you to the nature of the man. That is every miracle Jesus does is to show you who he is. And so it will be in this miracle has quite literally Jesus is going to come up with a creative way to pay taxes not only for him but for Peter.

So we'll start reading the story in Matthew's gospel. Matthew chapter 17 and just a few verses here. says after they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and asked this was a specific temple tax that helped the upkeep um and even the quality of the the building and the people working in it for temple worship.

And the temple tax collector approaches Peter and says, "Hey, does your teacher pay the tax for the upkeep of the temple like the rest of us?" I love this because Peter goes, "Of course he does." But well and truly, I'm not sure Peter knew for sure, but he says, "Of course he does."

Probably feeling like awkward and certainly pressed by the tax collector. So when Peter walked into the house and before he had a chance to speak, Jesus knew. He spoke to him and he says, "Peter, I have a question for you. Who pays tolls or taxes to a king?

Is tax collected from the king's own children or from his subjects?" "From his subjects," Peter answered. Jesus replied, "That's right. The children get off free without paying taxes." Now, we're going to talk about that in a moment because what he's saying there can literally change your life. And if I could be so bold to say it has changed my life, but let's go to what is also a incredibly provocative part of the story.

But so we don't offend them. Jesus says, love this part. Go to the lake, throw out your hook, and the first fish that rises up will have a coin in its mouth, and it will be the exact amount you need to pay the temple tax for both of us.

What a story. This is wild. Now, a couple of things. Let's discuss for a moment. If Jesus can put a coin in a fish's mouth, it means he could do a lot of things, which is to say he could a a Care Bear or a Smurf or an angel or a mushroom or under a rock, he could usher in the coin.

Think of the different the myriad of ways Jesus could bring that same coin into play. So why this way? Why this way? Go down, go fish, find a coin in the fish's mouth, and you'll pay taxes. It's an interesting question, right? Why not? Um, like I suppose if Jesus wanted to work uh a similar miracle to me, it would be like get your eight iron, hit the golf ball, and when you go get it out of the hole, there will also be cash in the hole.

I'm like, Jesus, this is my favorite miracle. This is me. But I think that's my point. Peter, who's Peter again? He's a fisherman. He says, "Go do what you do. And when you do what you do, I'm gonna I'm gonna bake in a miracle to what you do.

Go down. Now, Capernaum is right next to the Sea of Galilee. He says, "Go down and put a a line in the water. When you pull out the first fish, there's going to be a coin in its mouth." Okay. So, this is amazing because Jesus is willing to pay the tax here.

So, some more observations. Um, he honors the construct. He honors the construct. Now, if you know anything about the ministry and Jes and and the fulfillment of it and what Jesus is fulfilling is he is fulfilling a lot of the acts of worship done in this temple. Jesus would fulfill in his death, burial, and resurrection so that we no longer have to go through some of the rituals and traditions that were per performed in this very temple.

Which is to say, you could say Jesus would say, "We're not going to pay taxes to the temple because I'm going to do away with some of those traditions with my death, burial, and resurrection." And so, well, and truly, the the construct he is going to pay taxes to is not going to last. as we stand today has been completely altered and changed.

Even those that still practice similar practices, the approach and tradition of what that ancient temple used, very few, if any, people still practice that same acts of tradition and worship. So, it is a temporary construct instituted maybe thousands of years before that with the children of Israel. And yet Jesus honors it.

A temporary construct he honors and says so that we don't offend them, let's pay taxes. So I say to you and me, all the governments of men that try to organize and rule over the countries and continents and spaces and cities and regions we live in, I'll say this.

Jesus seems to invite us as well to honor the construct and yet to understand that there is only one kingdom that is eternal and remains forever. So we seem to be and there seems to be clearly communicated in this passage that Jesus is for honoring the construct. He's for honoring and praying for leaders and all those in authority. pay your taxes, but remember whose you are and remember what kingdom is eternal.

Sufficient to say, this passage among others is one of the reasons that I I pay taxes. Now, another observation is Jesus wants to help me pay my taxes. Now, I've been married 25 years, and what that means is I have had a lot of tax seasons. Thank God it's May and not April if you're in this country right now.

Okay? I've had a lot of tax seasons. A lot that, how should I say, uh, crept up on me and surprised me. If you know what I mean, you know what I mean, where you kind of forgot the taxes are coming around. Now, I've been married for 25 years.

What that means is there have been seasons I prepared for taxes and there are seasons where I did not prepare for taxes. Now, for those of you that don't know what I mean, what I mean is sometimes you can kind of predict what you think you're going to owe um the government and sometimes you don't want to think about what you think you might owe the government.

And so all of a sudden you get slapped with a bill. I had a friend a few days ago reach out and a very large number that shockingly they now are need to pay in taxes and quite literally they don't know where it's going to come from. Early on, I think like in the third year of my marriage to the love of my life, Chelsea Renee, I alluded to this story a few weeks ago.

We had a very specific number. Now, I think that number was 3,000 something or it might have been 5,000 something. But back in those days, that's still a lot of money, by the way. But back in those days, that was more money than we had in all of our accounts.

Okay? Pretty sure even our savings account at 22, 23 years old. We didn't know what we were going to do. Now, we were young enough back then, we didn't really know, you know, grown-ups playing for tax season. You know, mom and dad been paying taxes. And I was like, "Wait, wait, wait, what?

We got to pay how much? This much." And I was like, "I what are we going to?" She's like, "I have no idea. What are we going to do? In a matter of days, as I've already said, there was a man from Oklahoma. I had never met him.

I think he had met my father. He later claimed a check came in the mail. I I cannot make this up. I promise you, Chelsea, if she was here, she's not here right now, she'll tell you. to the scent, to the dollar, the check was made out. I thought my dad had told somebody.

I thought Chelsea told somebody who told somebody who told somebody. And I did a little investigative work because I was like Sherlock Holmes because I'm like, "This can't be. God couldn't be this big, this real, this detailed, this involved." So, I finally got a hold of the man and I said, "How do I thank you?"

He says, "You don't need to thank me." I said, "Sir, can I ask you why would you send that amount?" By the way, this is back. He sent a check in the mail, like a real like a little box, and I opened it up and it was like a personal check that he wrote.

I said, "How would you know that number?" He says, "The only thing I can tell you is that God woke me up in the middle of the night and said, "You need to send youth pastor Wendle's son, Judah. You need to send him this amount of money." And he said, 'I have learned over the years um it's usually not the devil asking me to be generous and give to people.

So I pretty much can count on the fact that's God. So I wrote out the check that night, put it in the mail as fast as I could. And I said, "You mean to tell me God told you to send me this money?" And so I'm not going to lie to you.

This sermon title right here, Jesus and the taxes you owe, is something real personal for me because this actually happened early on in our marriage. And God wanted this guy who's not necessarily the sharpest crayon in the box, but I might be the most colorful, okay? But I'm not the sharpest.

He wanted to teach me I can take care of you, even your taxes. And I was never the same. I'll be honest with you. Never been the same. I never even the the the word tax means something different to me. It just does. People say, "Man, tax season's coming around."

And I I promise you, it's not because I earned it, deserved it, developed it, studied it, research. Taxes don't scare me because at 23, I saw God do a miracle. And to be honest, there's very few other miracles that have ever happened to Chelsea and I that are more considerable, potent, powerful, detailed, specific, overwhelming.

I mean, it just set our marriage in orbit in regards to will God be involved in our finances? He will. I mean it when I'm looking this camera and I tell you I know a Jesus who will help you pay your taxes to the dollar. That's how real it is to me.

So this story with Jesus and Peter, I'm like, that's I'm familiar with that Jesus. And I don't know why he does it the way he does it, except that maybe that check in the mail, the nature of the miracle would tell me about the nature of the man.

The nature of the miracle would tell me about the nature of the man. For instance, Peter, you're going to catch a fish. Now, Peter has caught more fish than he can count. Peter's been fishing more than he can count. Peter's been fishing since he was a baby, since he was a kid.

This is what Peter does. Fishing not a problem. But never, not one time in his whole career. Has Peter ever opened a fish's mouth? Now, he's done that thousands of times. Pulled the hook out. Done that thousands of times. But never has he ever after taking the hook out of the fish's mouth looked inside the fish to see if there was any money in there.

That is the most ridiculous thing a fisherman can do. Can you imagine telling his buddies as he takes his fish, pulls the hook out, and starts going like this, and they're like, "Oh, real funny, Peter." He's like, "No, I'm looking for something. What What are you looking for?

Eggs? What are you looking for in there? You want to see if pregnant the the fish is pregnant? I mean, I don't what you know what you No, I'm looking for money. Taxes are due. It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. It don't make any sense. But God seems to be sending us a message.

The nature of the miracle tells you about the nature of the man. He wants to be followed. He wants to be trusted. He seems to invite us to ridiculous moments. And when we do the ridiculous, he seems to do the miraculous. Right as I sat down to shoot this last and final sermon for the month of May, I received a deeply disturbing email about an old friend and a really, really painful journey.

I was taken aback and almost took my breath away. I couldn't believe the email. It was scathing. It was hurtful. It was mean. It was even threatening. And all of a sudden, I'm thinking, man, how did I look at my I mean, I don't even look at I'm not good.

Don't email me. I'm not good at returning emails. I actually do email me, though, because I have an amazing team that help me with emails, like friends and things, and it's awesome. And sometimes I do miss texts, but um I don't look at my email that often. And yet here I looked at my email and there it is.

And it immediately it's like ah I want to get angry. I want to defend myself and defend some other people that they're attacking. And all the sudden I feel that invitation again to do the ridiculous so that he and only he can do the miraculous. What is it?

What's ridiculous? What's ridiculous is to not defend yourself, to not fight, to not recoil, to not try to snap, to not try to It seems ridiculous like you need to respond to that threat. You need to respond to that legal threat or that you you you need to defend yourself.

And yet I think even in that moment as I'm approaching this message, it's an opportunity before the cameras come on to do the illogical and the ridiculous to say, "I wish him well. I forgive him. I bless him." It's like looking in the mouth of a fish for a gold coin.

What's the equivalent for you? What's the equivalent for you? Forgiveness is a big wild, crazy, illogical thing Jesus invites us into. What is What fish's mouth is Jesus asking you to look into to find that gift and that gold coin. Maybe you've second guessed yourself. Maybe you're like, "Bro, this is I'm not going to do this.

Like, this don't make no sense." And maybe you've even got advice from well-meaning friends, neighbors, family members. Well, you need to do this, this, this, and this. But something inside of you, perhaps it's the voice of God, is telling you to do the ridiculous. Let it go. Forgive them, release them, and move on.

Well, they they they wronged you. They did. They misrepresent. They did. They lied about you. that email. They have they lying about me. They're spreading lies about me. Now I got a decision to make. Am I going to do the logical, the normal, the average, the predictable, or am I going to do the ridiculous and perhaps trust again that he can do the miraculous, Jesus, and the taxes you owe?

What if he wants to take the very thing I mean the word tax or taxes has to incite more stress um for people around the world than any I don't know what the other terms are in other languages I'm still working on English but tax or taxes the moment I say that it's like oh uh right it's obligatory it's forced It's it's must.

It's have to. It seems like, you know, and if you're like me, you're like, I'm paying taxes, but why is the these roads not fixed? You know, and we all have our opinions on taxes and I'm paying taxes, but why is our park not mowed the lawn, you know, whatever it is, right?

And you kind of wonder where's the my tax dollars going and I mean the amount of dinners and meals and coffees I've had with people who are all apparently tax experts and they know what to do with the taxes and and yet what if God would take something that is typically very hurtful, painful, frustrating, obligatory and worked a miracle in that space?

What if he wants to work a miracle in the one relationship you have on earth that's the most painful, the most stressful? What if in the middle of it all, he wants you to look in the mouth of a fish for a gold coin? I think that's God.

I think God is incredible. If you don't mind me saying, I think God has a sense of humor. I think me seeing that email right before I preach this message is just another opportunity for God to remind me just trust me. Don't do the normal, the predictable, the natural, the ordinary.

Do the ridiculous. Do the stuff that takes faith in your life. Do the stuff where people are like, "What is he doing over there? He's looking. Is he?" Yep. Is he got Is he Is he looking inside that fish? Now, I want you to imagine with me when this actually goes down, Peter catches the fish.

I don't know if he's got buddies in the boat. Probably, maybe not. But Sea of Galilee, from all photos and videos I've watched, not a huge body of water. Somebody somewhere could probably see Peter. Now, he might be by himself on purpose. So when he pulls that fish in, nobody sees him talking looking like, "Is that Can you imagine if somebody caught Peter with his finger inside the mouth of the fish trying to what do Peter the hooks out and Peter's looking around like, man, I hope nobody sees me because pro fishermen don't look for money in the mouths of fish.

But if God tells you to, if God wants to work a miracle, he'll do. Often times, he'll invite you into the ridiculous. It's what he does. Now, in conclusion, I want to show you a portion of this scripture that's changed my life. I want to go back to Matthew chapter 17 and back to the question that Jesus asked Peter.

He says, "Peter, who who pays the taxes like tolls and taxes to a king? Is it collected from the king's own children or from his subjects?" Peter says, "From his subjects." Jesus replied, "That's right. The children get off free without paying taxes." Now, what you may not know is what I believe is happening there is Jesus is telling you what he is about to complete and make available for all of humanity.

And that is the taxes we all owe if you will for our conduct, our selfishness, our flawed uh nature, our flawed tendencies, you know, cause and effect. Do good, get good, do good, get good, do bad, get bad. So, well, you reap what you sow. some of these laws of the human existence and these taxations of well you did this you get this you got to pay up you got to pay your time you got to pay your taxes Jesus is telling you something about what he's about to make possible for humanity who pays the taxes the subjects or the kids not the kids the subjects he's saying what I'm about to do is I'm about to give way for all of humanity be to be forgiven forever ever with the King of the Ages.

And now every man, woman, boy, and girl to ever live will be able to access their rightful place in the world because of the work of Jesus. And they now will no longer be the subjects of God, but they will be the children of God. And now the taxes will be paid.

The bill is paid. And now you're forgiven forever. And now we are no longer servants or subjects or employees. We are children of God. And now the children of God don't pay taxes. Now he's not talking about not honoring the constructs of human government. He's talking about the state of your soul.

So often times, many of us, we try to pay the taxes for our selfishness and are wrong. People will say, "You got to make up for what you've done. You got to do the work, man. You did all this bad stuff. Now you got to compensated with doing all this good stuff."

But the Bible declares that Jesus has made a way and it's free. That all of your wrong and your error and your sin and your selfishness can be forgiven in a moment. There's no pay the taxes. There's no pay the piper. There's no make up for all the the evil, wicked, selfish, self-centered things you've done.

Now, you can come to Jesus. He says, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing. They don't know that they're your children. They don't know that they're not servants and subjects and employees, but their sons and daughters. But when I die and rise again from the grave, they will know once and for all that everything I said about myself is true.

I'm not just a teacher and a prophet. I am the God man, the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form. I am the resurrection and the life. I am the antidote, answer, and superhero. And if you believe in me, though you die, you shall live forever, Jesus says.

So when he asked Peter, "Who pays taxes to the king? The subjects or the children?" Peter not knowing really what wavelength he's on, says, "Well, the subjects, not the kids." And he's like, "That's right." But he says, "Oh, by the way, down here in these this taxation for this construct in the temple," he says, "I don't want to offend him, so go get you a goldfish.

You see what I did there? Get the coin and pay the taxes." But Jesus was talking about something far more significant than taxes. And he was talking about cancelling, fulfilling, ratifying, completing the taxation of the soul that haunts human beings alive today. That sense you get and I get that I got to make up for what I've done.

I got to make this right. I got to make up for this. I got to make sure I And so many people weary, exhausted, fearful, anxious, and overwhelmed at the thought that they've got to try harder and do better because all of the selfish, selfserving things they've done in their past.

That's an exhausting way to live. And only Jesus can set you free. Jesus has paid the taxes for your soul. He has paid the ultimate bill. And now you're free. And now what are you? You're a child of God. You're a child of God. Not by worth, but by birth.

Child doesn't earn their way into their family. They're birthed into their family. And that's why Jesus said, "You must be born again." were birthed, were gifted, were granted or invited or welcomed were his. And so I want to end this whole month by saying he is a miracle worker.

But let's not forget his greatest miracle. Let's not forget the miracle that changes the human existence forever and ever without end. And that is God and man are friends again. God and man are now father, son, and daughter. We are the restored family of God. People have asked me, "What do you think this whole life is about?"

To me, it's very simple. It's a father and his kids. And that's the whole of what's happening here in the universe, the solar system, and the earth itself. You have a father. And all these miracles are to point you to your father. And the father loves his kids endlessly and unconditionally.

And he has prepared a place for you and for me in his home. He's not like earthly fathers. He's not a mess like me. He's not an incomplete and broken father like I am to my children. He is perfect and wonderful. And he wants all his kids to be home with him.

And there's a name for that, you know. It's called eternity. and we will all be there with him forever. So he sent his son Jesus who was the full expressed image of the father, the son, and the spirit in one. And he came to reveal the nature and character of this great grand, the maker of heaven and earth.

And so it's in moments like these where he puts a coin in a fish's mouth and he tells Peter that the kids of the king don't pay taxes. And what is he doing? He's simply telling us who he is so that we remember who we are. I'm excited.

Uh I have dedicated the rest of my life to tell this story because unequivocally and undoubtedly it's the greatest story ever told. And frankly, it's the most important story ever told and can be told. Wherever you are watching this, I want you to hear me. You are the king's son and you are the king's daughter.

And he loves you and he has a place for you in his family for you're his. He's already made provision for your past failures and incomplete performances. You have been forgiven. Forgiven, provided for, and invited into. Live in this reality. Some call it Christianity. That's probably been overdone and misunderstood and has become almost a cliche in our culture.

I call it following Jesus. I call it living, loving, and looking like Jesus. I call it being who I am. And perhaps you'd like to join me in that journey. The most fulfilling, the most meaning I have ever found in this life is here. If you'd like to join me in that journey of of following Jesus, wanting to look like Jesus, just say, "I want to join you."

Say that right out loud wherever you are. Just I want to join you. So it begins. Bible says if you got that faith erupting in your heart, divine persuasion, you feel persuaded by the divine and you say it out loud, it's it's like the confirmation is happening like okay, I've accepted that the forgiveness and the provision of God seen clearly in the person of Jesus.

So excited for you. And lastly, with the few remaining days of May left, please let us know if you're praying for a miracle. And please let us know if you're experiencing a miracle. We want to celebrate with you. I love you, church. And um I'm going to pray for you just as we end.

God, thank you for the whole month. Thank you for your miracles, but oh God, thank you for you. You're the point of it all. Thank you for being our good father. And I thank you that I am a son. We are your sons and daughters. And we are safe.

We are secure. We are forgiven. We are loved. And we are provided for. And we thank you for that. Amen. Love you. Church home. We'll talk soon. ((music playing)) I call you faithful for the promises you've kept and every need you've met. Lord, I'm so grateful. You were with me every step and I never will forget.

Cuz when I think of how you've blessed me, how your hand has never let me go. You've never let me go. Cuz you have been so good to me. God, I can't believe how you love me. What a friend you have been. So good to me. God, I can't believe how you love me.

What a friend you have been. I call you Savior. for the blood that washed me clean. For the wrongs that you redeemed and I know you're aable, my eyes don't have to see. One more reason to believe. Cuz when I think of how you've blessed me, how your hand has never let me go.

You never let me go cuz you have been so good to me. God, I can't believe how you love me. What a friend you have been. So good to me. God, I can't believe how you love me. What a friend you have been. Oh, what a friend you've been.

((music playing)) Oh, cuz for every morning, for every open heart, I call you faithful. And I just want to thank you, Lord, for every mountain, for every time you brought me through. I call you faithful. And I just want to thank you, Lord, for your forgiveness, for how you never turned away.

I call you faithful, and I just want to thank you, Lord, for your salvation. You paid the price I couldn't pay. I call you faithful and I just want to thank you, ((music playing)) Lord. ((music playing)) Oh, and I just want to thank you, Lord. ((music playing)) Oh. Oh. Oh. Cuz you have been so good to me.

God, I can't believe how you love me. What a friend you have been. So good to me. God, I can't believe how you love me. What a friend you have been. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) I feel you. ((music playing)) Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) ((music playing))