How To Move Forward | Judah Smith

I'm really really excited to share this subject with you. Now I'm going to out myself which I didn't do on Wednesday and that is I'm going to I'm going to preach to you from a topic. I'm going to share some some stories. We're going to remind ourselves about these particular moments where Jesus asked his disciples to follow him.

And then at the end I'm going to read you the verse of scripture that I didn't read you uh at the beginning. and it's going to hopefully kind of bring everything into perspective. And it is a verse of scripture that is so incredible. I think you're going to be um uh pleasantly surprised and encouraged.

I was texting my pastor friend about this and he's like, "Whoa, that's a good verse." Cuz my verse was definitely better than his verse. And and I said, "And I don't read it till the end because it's so good. So, I preach it and they don't know that I'm preaching it and then I read it at the end and it's like what?

So, uh I'm really excited to to to share this with you. But this this this these next few minutes are dedicated to people who feel stuck. And I'll explain. Um by the way, have you ever been in a situation where you you you you know something's a little off for you, but you can't put your finger on it? you can't totally figure it out.

I might suggest that um perhaps you are are stuck, but don't overreact. Don't freak out. It's okay. We've all been there. And so, we're going to talk a little bit about that. So, essentially, this message uh the most simple title I can give it is is how to move forward.

How do you keep going in life? How do you move forward in life? I sent a prayer to a family whose young baby boy is struggling for life and is uh facing uh a disease and a diagnosis. And I often think uh one of the most painful things that could ever happen in this life is to have a child that is gone before the parent that passes.

Um h how could you how would you keep going? How do you keep moving forward? And one of the premises I'm going to be working from this morning is that when it comes to Jesus, there there in fact is only one direction to move and that is always only forward.

So how do we keep moving forward? Some of us obviously we get caught up in the past. some of us, we just don't know how to move forward. And so, we're going to talk about that. That brings me to uh a drive in the woods in Clellum, Washington several several years ago.

Um Chelsea and I are big outdoors people. That's not true. That's a lie. But I love looking at Pinterest photos of the outdoors. Uh I love getting photos from your camping trip. That's very meaningful to me. Um I I love outdoorsy commercials. I really do. I think they're great.

I'm like, "Ah, that's so cool." But I don't really like when I get there. Um now, if we have a beautiful vehicle and a great cup of coffee, I love to go on outdoor drives. Do you know what I mean? Like, let's go outdoors and drive. Uh, and someone uh uh on Wednesday I spoke this this message a similar message in LA and then I was playing golf with a few of my buddies who were there and uh this this new friend of mine he's like so you're you're are so are you were you joking like are you are you an outdoors person and I was like oh no bro and we're golfing.

I was like this is it for me outdoors is golfing. He's like yeah word word. I like that. I like that. So, um, but the problem was when I met Chelsea, known each other our whole lives, but when we started dating in approximately, um, well, it was early 1999.

Oh my word. By the way, I've been watching old golf videos, like the 1999 Masters, and you know you're old when you're like, I can't watch this. It's not even like, it's so old. The colors aren't good. The picture is so fuzzy. I'm like gh. And then it dawns on me, that's the year you got married, buddy.

Um, it's this is this is this is getting crazy. So 1999, Chelsea tells me her favorite hobby at the time is hiking. Yeah, that's not a hobby, by the way. I mean, all right. So I was like, cool. Do you want to I didn't want to do I was like, "Do you want to go on a hike?"

She's like, "I would love that." And I was like, "All right, me, too." Um, you know, I was really excited. So, we we go hiking. Uh, I think it was like like likewami falls area or something. I can't remember, but we got actually no, it was in Portland.

It was in Oregon. And we got terribly lost and got in a fight. This is early in our dating years. And um I I remember being like, "I don't know why we did this." And she's like, "Well, cuz I love it." And I'm like, "But now we're lost and we're going to have to like at some point you're going to have to decide if no one comes, like are are you going to like, you know, if I die, are you going to eat my flesh to like continue to live?

Like how's this going to go?" And um I I'm happy to announce 25 years later, that's the last hike we've been on. That's a true story, by the way. That's actually true. Chelsea and Winston had heard me speak this. She's like, "It's true." And I was like, "All right, all right, relax."

Um, her choice, I'm sure. She just doesn't doesn't like hiking anymore. She likes uh uh golf, uh, basketball, uh, like you know, Fresh Prince of Bel Air. That's kind of what she's into now. Um, but we went on this drive early on. Uh, Elliot, who we're visiting Northwest, he's 18 now and 6'5.

He's huge. But there was a time he was a little bitty baby in a car seat. Now, parents, you know, when you got small kids, going on a drive is just a way to to to take a break, right? So, you strap them in and you go on a drive.

So, we got in our Toyota Highlander and we we were up we went up over the mountain, so to speak, and we were in Clemum and it was I forget what time of year, but was kind of after the snow season, but there was still remnants of snow and ice and it was right around freezing and but it was one of those crisp, clear, beautiful days that we get, right?

We're in this drive and I'm we're just talking. We're connecting. Both little boys are in the back. They're asleep. All of a sudden, you're like, "I do believe in God. I love my wife. Like, this life might work out for us." And we're driving and we see this this road that seems to to to go to somewhere stunning and beautiful, deep, deep Clemum, you know, and uh back there uh by by the the the the trails.

I'm trying to like quote the park and I don't know. It's just that's the name's not coming, but I thought it would. Anyways, so right before we get to the kind of that park area where there's trails, there's this road and and just being a wild guy that I am, I was like, "Let's go."

So, I turn to Highlander and we go on this road and I mean, it is beautiful, right? And it's starting to kind of get a little bit more unkempt the road. And I'm like, "All right, we're fine." You know, like this is like a Toyota commercial. Like, I'm so proud of us.

And and then suddenly I was like, you know, let's stop right here and just kind of get out of the car and it's it's it's kind of like um you know 3:30 4:00 so it's sun's kind of going getting down and it's it's it's just a beautiful time of day and we get out and we're looking around and making sure the boys are still okay in the car and she's like, "All right, we better head back.

It's kind of getting cold. Temperatures are dropping by the minute and let's let let's let's head home." Yeah, no problem, babe. So, we get in the car and and uh put it in drive and go, "What's that?" She's like, "Oh, I think it's like the little bit of snow and ice that we're a Toyota.

Not a problem. Not a problem. Throw it in reverse." And babe, do you want to get out and check that? Um, which is actually what happened. But anyways, you're laughing like you would never. I did. It was early. It was early in marriage. I've learned my lesson since.

She's like, "Yeah, no problem." Which gentleman doesn't mean, "Yeah, no problem at all." So, anyways, we won't get into that. So, she goes and she she looks at the back tires and and sure enough, they're just they're spinning on slush and ice. And so, now I'm starting to kind of panic because I can't actually survive in the outdoors.

Um, and I'm like, I what? You know what? Exactly how I felt, buddy. I mean, that is the timing. That's God. Just so you guys know, that is the condition of my attitude and soul at that exact moment. I mean, just just, you know, just God, where are you?

Um, so Chelsea gets the idea, you like put sticks kind of under the tire so that it can gain traction and throw it in, you know, forward, reverse. And you you know what happens, right? The more you gun it, the more you put, the the lower the Highlander is getting.

Over a course of 15, 20 minutes, we are well and truly more stuck than we've ever been. Far more stuck than we were 20 minutes before when our tires first didn't gain traction in the slush and the ice. What are we going to do? So, babe, you stay here.

We also look at the gas gauge. Because I'm such an outdoorsman, I prepare for things like these and realized we had approximately 30 miles left of gas in the car. Of course, we did. We only needed enough to get there and get back, right? And that's and story of my life.

And so, she's like, "We we don't actually even have enough gas to like keep the car going and it's going to be freezing and we're we're what are we going to do? Are we going to sleep here tonight?" And um I'm like I don't uh I'm not um I don't I can't speak for you, my darling.

Um she's like, "You got to go find someone." And I'm like, "I'm sorry, what? Why me?" So I get out of the car and I start going down this lonely, lonely road. And as God's grace would have it, a a gentleman uh I flag down. And I literally get in the middle of the road cuz now it's like it's almost dark, middle of the road and I'm waving and he stops and he's kind of like, "What in the world are you doing?"

I was like, "Man, my family, we got stuck." And he kind of assessed me and was like, "I think I can tell why you're stuck, you know? Um, is this normal for you to dress like this?" And I get in his car. He he evidently lives in his car and had for quite a few years.

Um, breakfast, lunch, and dinner were on the chair on the on the seat. And so we're like pushing aside and he he thought it was the funniest thing in the world. He used a lot of explicit words that I can't use here this morning even though you all watch it on your TV shows.

But anyways, and he he turns around and we we get back to the Highlander and this man is advanced in years. And I'm thinking, how is he going to help us? But honestly, in a matter of 10 minutes or so, he got us out um and made fun of us nearly the entire time and he had a point.

And we laughed and we we finally got home and I I I told Chelsea th this is why we we we we can't um go on anything that looks like a hike. It's not God's plan for our marriage. And um but that that vehicle moment is kind of indicative of our lives, isn't it?

Have you ever felt stuck? stuck in a season, a chapter, an attitude, a mentality, grief, pain, loss, trauma. What oftentimes happens in our journey is when we feel stuck, we try harder. We try harder. Well, I'm going to work. Often by trying harder to unstick or unstuck ourselves, we actually get more stuck.

Are you stuck right now? How do you know you're stuck? Interesting. Here's some signs of being stuck in life. Now, again, we're talking about something that is inherently emotional and and psychological and spiritual, but I'll say this first and foremost, and that is when when you're stuck, you just kind of know.

And you don't know totally how you know, but you know. But here's some signs of being stuck. what used to excite you and thrill you just doesn't anymore. In fact, um you don't get angry about things you used to get angry about, but you also don't get excited, happy, and thrilled about things you used to get excited and thrilled about.

Um this is kind of tongue and cheek, but if you text sure to your friends about everything, you might be stuck. I am telling you the least the thing I despise in the texting exchange of the modern technological age for instance is when you ask someone hey tomorrow do you want to go get coffee and their response is sure hey do you want a million dollars sure would you like me to give my life for you.

Sure. Everything is just Sure. or or thumbs up. Who said thumbs up? Yeah. Yeah. Or it's like the thumbs up. You like you write out like your passionate love for this person and how much they mean to you. And it's like it's a solid like 3 to 4 minute read just to get through your full bubble. and they give the old and everything I've just said about how much I love them is now a lie.

I hate them. I don't like them at all. Um, you know, you're stuck when suddenly life just becomes blah. Now, this is a real state. And and and and though we are having some fun and being cheeky this morning, let's not forget it is a real feeling. And if you've never been there, you're probably four or five years old.

But for the rest of us, there are these unusual seasons. And sometimes they come without warning where suddenly life is just gray and or life is just neutral or scripture words life is just lukewarm. Scripture says I wish you were hot or cold. I wish you were mad or glad.

I wish you were angry or thrilled. But you're you're you're not. You're just sure. Life is just sure. Now, my mom's not here and this isn't fair, but my mom doesn't understand uh texting decorum. That's a real thing, guys. And we could, by the way, one Sunday, I'm going to dedicate the whole Sunday to the power of text decorum because some of you don't know and it's killing your friendships.

But my mom is just classic. My mom will say things like will call on the phone and she'll be like, "I miss you so much. Will you come visit me?" Like, "I need to, mom. I miss you, too. I love you." Phone calls, not a problem. My mom nails it.

She was a pastor for 40 years. Come on. She's great. But you, the moment it turns into the text exchange, she morphs into a different person. I will call her in in an evening and say, "Uh, I love you. I miss you. Please come. Please come." The next morning, I'll text my mom and say, "I'm coming to see you today.

Is that okay?" It'll be about 20 to 30 hours before she responds. And the response will be, "Sure." And that will be after I've already been there and left. It's like, "Mom, this isn't this isn't how this goes." Like, you can't tell someone you miss them and then they're coming to see you and you say, "Sure."

Because now we're not we're turning the car around because clearly, you know, it's it's awesome. But have you ever been stuck? And are you perhaps stuck right now? When you woke up this morning, did anything thrill you, excite you? I'm not talking in some magnificent way. I'm not talking that you woke up thinking, I want to build a snowman, make him big and tall, like you didn't maybe wake up to a Disney tune in your head.

But is there something that is getting you going this morning? something that may maybe is making you feel indignant or perhaps this morning while we're talking it's starting to dawn on you. I think I've been in this state for a long time. Yeah. Want to go to lunch?

Sure. Hey, so and so is going to come to lunch. Great. Hey, how you doing? Good. How was school today? Good. How was work, sweetie? H how's it how's it been with that the new hire? You were mentioning fine. All right. Well, um really excited about this weekend.

It'll be fun to go see your mom. Yeah. And all of a sudden, where do we go from here? Now, if you're like me, when you get into that pocket, that zone, that state, once you realize it, sometimes it's hard just to realize that that's where you've been for a while.

In the sure space, in the fine, good, okay, sure kind of headsp space. But when you find out that you are, you think to yourself, I'm going to do something so big and grand. I'm going to change this state. And what I've discovered is that often times, as I've already stated in my metaphor at the Toyota Highlander, is we spin our wheels and the deeper we sink into this stuck state.

So, how do you get unstuck? How do you unstick yourself? Well, first of all, I'd like to say I believe God has a plan and a purpose for your life. And that plan and purpose has one direction, and it's forward. It's forward. Now, I could go on and on and I could try to convince you more that perhaps this message is relevant for you and could help you, but I think I think we're on to something.

I can see your lean in and your buy in. So, I'll give you one last motivator for you to listen to the next two hours of my presentation, the next few minutes, and that is people who keep going are attractive. Yes, that's just the way it is. Yes, I got to tell you, you want to be attractive.

We have a culture that's obsessed with being healthy and attractive. But I'm going to tell you what's overrated and what's underrated about being attractive. Your attitude and approach underrated. Your haircut and your clothes overrated. Now, if you can put them both together, hello. All right. But the attitude.

Do you ever you ever had coffee with these people who keep going forward? You ever had coffee with someone that you know what they've been through and they're still curious about you asking you questions and listening for a response? You ever been to coffee with someone who's just lost a loved one and you go to coffee to check on them to make sure they're okay after their mom or their dad pass or their loved one or or their husband or god forbid a child. and you sit down with them and even in the pain of their own journey, they authentically look at you and say, "How are you?" and then pause and wait for you to respond.

You ever had coffee with some of these people who are like, you know, I've been thinking about you the last couple of weeks. Last time we were together, you mentioned that you wanted a new job and I just heard that you got one. Tell me how it's going.

Do you feel different? Is it fulfilling? How can I I've been thinking, is there ways I can pray for you? And it dawns on you, this person just lost a loved one, recalled a conversation we had two weeks ago, is now following up in conversation, and would like to ask if there's more they can be thinking about about you so that they can pray and be thinking about you.

And it dawns on you, you haven't thought about them at all. And if that's not attractive, I don't know what is. And I've I've had a text recently with one of my closest friends and I said, "You know, the last few mornings I've been waking up with you on my mind."

And he said, "Well, that's not fair. I just wake up with me on my mind. Why do you get to wake up with other people on your mind?" And of course, I told him, "Because I'm so spiritual." Why do you laugh? Um, but isn't it attractive when someone's like, "I got space for you.

I I'm moving forward with you." Um, nostalgia is amazing. Hence, you know, the Mast's golf tournament, it's all built on nostalgia and all that, but like March Madness nostalgia and the sounds of the broadcasts and and all that. But you know, nostalgia after a while gets real stale or stuck.

You You ever had a friend, all they want to talk to you about is when you were in high school and you're 46. My my my cousin, we were talking today. He played football in high school and he's like, "Bro, I used to think like the guys who would come back for for like the high school football games and they would come back like to all of them, I used to think, dude, those guys are so awesome."

And then I I I got older and I was like, "Wait, oh, are they okay? Do they have anything else to do than just come back to their high school?" Now, some of you like, "I like to go back to my high school every homecoming." That's awesome, and I love you for it.

But you know what I mean. If you are not careful, nostalgia becomes a direction. Reminiscing becomes a direction. And before you know it, you're living not forward. You want the good old days. The good old days are not the good old days. We all know that's a lie, right?

You It's called selective memory. It's a real thing, friends. You forget. I mean, the longer even my dad has been gone, the less sins he's ever committed. Ever. Mom and I laugh about it. We're like, man, dad just becomes more and more holy every passing year. I mean, my dad literally, as far as I remember, when he preached, he floated, you know, like it's every word.

I mean, when we quote my dad, it's always, you know, dad used to always say, and like we don't remember that dad used to throw his golf club on the golf course and that's where I learned it, you know, we don't talk about dad slamming doors when he got upset, you know, or the one time he said a cuss word, that was wild.

But anyways, that's beside the point. My kids are like, one time. All right. But the point is, it is amazing how it becomes a mentality and direction. So, so, so, so I'm done. I'm done. And I've made my case. You're like, Judah, we get it. We're with you.

Go on. Okay, fair. How do we move forward? What I want to do is I want to take you to a um a moment in time where Jesus uh did something, said something, called for something that's very famous and we're all very familiar with it. And if you're not, you're about to become familiar.

Jesus by the time we get to the moment where he starts telling a few young guys, "Follow me." By that point, keep in mind that's not his that's not day one. When Jesus says, "Follow me," it's been some quite a time has elapsed in his life and ministry.

He's already started to demonstrate his divinity, his sovereignty, his power, his ability to save and deliver. By the time he calls a few fishermen, by the time he calls Matthew and he says, "Follow me," they were somewhat familiar with who he is. But I simply want to suggest this.

When people say, "I'm a Christian," one of the reasons we kind of nowadays like, "You're a Christian." Does that mean something? Of course. That that's wonderful. By the way, there's nowhere in the Bible that says you have to call yourself a Christian. I don't know if you know that.

Like, so that that's not like a thing that's like, "And the 11th commandment is thou shalt name thyself Christian and after every sporting event, thou shalt thank the Lord Jesus Christ for granting you the ability." Like it's all wonderful, but a lot of like Christian the reason it's like oh that that's cool is it it can become kind of a cultural norm cliche thing but but the idea of a little Jesus which is what Christian means little Christ little Jesus is very simple.

It's I'm going to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. I'm going to live, love, and look like Jesus. And Jesus is going to empower me to live like Jesus. The love of Jesus is going to cause me to follow Jesus. I'm going to become a follower of Jesus.

So, anytime we invoke Christian Jesus, scripture, like it's all this idea of I'm going to follow Jesus. Now, here's what's really important. You look up you look up the word follow. When Jesus says follow me, follow just means something very simple. This isn't going to blow you away.

It it literally is this idea behind. Jesus is saying, "Get behind me. Get behind me." Why? So that you can follow from behind. You can follow where I go. Well, obviously by now, I'm not trying to be cheeky or or bizarre. You you get the picture. There's There's only one direction that's being insinuated there.

There's only one direction, and that's forward. Eyes forward on Jesus. He's got a plan for your life and it's forward. He's got a purpose for your life and it's forward. He's got a plan for today and it's forward. He's got a plan for your marriage. It's forward. He's got a plan for your kids and it's forward.

You're moving forward. Time forward. The days go forward. All of this is God's way of letting us know as the centerpiece of his creation, the idea of your life is forward. The good old days can be very counterproductive. Nostalgia can be very counterproductive. There's scriptures like forgetting those things which are behind.

Paul says, I press forward. I press towards the mark of the high calling for which Jesus laid hold of me. I'm going to lay hold of him. I'm going to go forward. So, anytime we say I'm a Christian or I'm a follower of Jesus, what we're saying and maybe we're not aware that we're saying is I'm going forward.

I'm a forwardmoving faith person who loves Jesus. I'm going forward. Now, I love this because if we move forward, we're going to be the most attractive people on the planet because we're moving forward. We're not sitting. We're not letting things of our past define our future. We're moving forward.

We're moving forward. Now, the more I say forward, some of you, it's going to start rubbing you the wrong way because perhaps you're thinking that I don't know what is keeping you from going forward. And Judah, if you knew what happened to me, you wouldn't tell me I got to go forward.

If you knew what I've been through, you wouldn't say that I got to go forward. If you knew who hurt me, you wouldn't say I got to go forward. If you knew who lied about me, you wouldn't say I got to go forward. Yesterday, I was checking up on a friend who's in the news a lot and I'm reading an article and all of a sudden here's my name.

Here's Church Home's name and here's a list of lies about our church and our staff and things and I'm just I'm in the airport in Las Vegas and I'm flying to see you guys and I was so happy and all of a sudden I didn't No one told me.

No one told me that I was in this little article and I all of a sudden my feelings get hurt and all of a sudden I'm like that's not true and that's not true and that's not true and what who are we going to tell this is not true and all of a sudden I have a decision like you have a decision every single day.

Am I going to try to go back in time and fix everything and explain everything and establish everything and prove myself and prove or are we going to go forward? Are we going to go forward? And you and I both know when somebody has stopped moving forward. I'm not saying I'm not suggesting we're insensitive.

I am by no means suggesting that the environment, attitude, approach, or culture of this community becomes all right. Well, move on, slugger. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. There's some real trauma. There's some real pain there. Easy for you to say. And yet a truth remains. God has a plan for your life.

It's never backwards. It's never neutral. Be still. Sit with him. Yes. All of that speaks to a direction and that direction is always forward. Amen. Follow me. translation. We've got places to go, people to see, and a purpose to walk in. Follow me. Get up and let us walk together in the plan and purpose for which you were created.

You were not just here to pass days. You were not just here to get by. God has something and someone and a grand plan for your life. How do we move forward? Three observations. They're not exhaustive. I thought about giving you two, but that number doesn't feel as good.

I thought about giving you four, but that's, you know, larger than I'm comfortable with. But three. People ask me why three points so often. I don't know. Because it's just three just feels right. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. You do the math. All right. So, we're going to go with three.

There are more undoubtedly. But here are three things that I believe anyone who moves forward in their life practice keeping in mind as we will discover even these acts that I'm speaking of this position posture attitude is all fueled by his goodness his grace and his love you want to go forward you want to know how to go forward you need to slow down And listen, listen.

Listen slowly is my first point. Listen slowly. Pace is an interesting thing because when I invoke the idea of forward, maybe you think, let's get on with it. But there's never, ever, never, not once a rush except in one place. And you remember recently we talked about it, Zakius.

I want you to hurry down from your own efforts. I want you to hurry down from trusting your own ability, striving and stressing. So the only rush is rush to stop trusting your own strength. Now slow down and sit with me. Here is the counterintuitive nature of how you move forward.

If you want to make progress with God, you slow down and often you stand or sit. And therein lies the attitude, approach, and posture that will enable you to start moving forward. Slow down, friend. Slow down. The reason you're not going anywhere is because you're not slowing down.

I know it's it's wild, isn't it? But that's how the way of Jesus works. The reason you're going backwards is because you're going so fast. The reason you're going nowhere is because you're going so fast. Slow down. Spinning your wheels is getting you more stuck, not less. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Lean not to your own understanding. All your ways acknowledge him. He's going to direct your path. God told me to tell you this morning, slow down. Slow down and listen. I'm really serious. And listen. God can unstick you. And oftent times speaking to you is how he'll unstick you.

Now, I am not suggesting in any way, shape, or form that every morning when I take a bath that I hear the audible voice of God. Okay? But I will say the combination of some bubble bath and Epsom salt can put you in a real good space to hear from Jesus.

Okay? I'm just these are my suggestions. Do with them as you will. When do you slow down in life? When do you give yourself? Yesterday I was with a friend in Las Vegas and I said, "Why do you go to bed so early?" He's like, "Well, I'm up at 4:30 or 5 every morning because I like getting up early because to me the whole world is still and I can practice my faith, gratitude, and I can I can listen."

When do you slow down enough to listen? because perhaps you are being wooed and beckoned forward, but it's hard for you to hear it because you're not slowing down. Now, what's interesting is all of these uh things that Jesus invites us into by demonstration or by actual um speaking it is uh all proven now in research and science.

And that's what's interesting is that even the research and the science behind like slowing down your brain, slowing down your breathing. A lot of people are like, "These guided prayers you guys do, it's like a yoga instructor. It's weird." No. The yoga instructor stole it from Jesus. Okay?

Like breath is a major theme in scripture. Did you know that breath like the whole book starts off with breath? The breath of God is what makes us living souls and not just animals. Like we share the breath of God. Breathing. All the research now shows if you can slow down your breathing, your nervous system and your brain actually responds.

By the way, we are not our faith in Jesus is never uh uh versus science. I love people are like, I believe in science. I'm like, yeah, so do I. Like a lot. I believe God invented science. It's not Jesus versus science. Jesus is like versus the thing I made and love and admire and called good.

No, it's not Jesus. You believe in Jesus, I believe in science. I believe in both, bro. Weird. So anyways, um we want it to be versus everything like somehow that makes it's like us versus them. That's no way to live at all. Certainly not a way to move forward.

Certainly not a way to move culture forward, world forward. But all the science and the research tells us that this idea of slowing down, even slowing your breathing down. So a lot of the guided prayers I started recording years ago, I was like, we're going to take deep breath together.

And man, did I hear it from the preachers? Oh, Judah's got everyone doing weird breath work now. He's a yoga instructor. Um, I could make a good yoga instructor. That is actually no word of a lie. But anyways, when are you slowing down? Now, we slow down and we listen.

He says, "Follow me." In this instance of follow me, something very phenomenal happens. And I must admit, what we're about to look at now or consider together in this instance, when Jesus calls Matthew, the tax collector, he gets up from counting his coins, if you will, and immediately starts following Jesus.

We also see when Jesus calls the fishermen, they literally immediately drop their nets and they start walking behind Jesus. There is this phenomenon when he speaks, when he talks, when he I'm telling you that some of you what you're looking for can be fixed and answered and resolved just by hearing Jesus.

I don't mean audible, but I just mean the overwhelming sensation that he is affirming you and he's loving you and he is with you. I I truly believe it's a cliche, but preachers have said it for years. It's not that God has a speaking problem. He is really good at speaking.

But the question is, are we taking time to listen? You don't have to stress to listen. You don't have to strive to listen. And you don't have to read the Bible cover to cover to listen. Often times, you just need to slow down and give yourself a shot at hearing his nudging and his prompting.

But when he speaks, a phenomenon will happen to you. This is what happens. For some reason, your willingness to let go will be illogical. You will literally now think think about the implications and ramifications of getting up from the tax collector table or dropping your net. That's livelihood.

That's food on the table. That's their money. That's their lifestyle. That's their identity. And Jesus says, "Follow me." And there is a surrendering. There is a letting go. Now, hopefully you're doing the math here because the 2 plus two here is wild. Think about what we're saying. To move forward with God, you have to stop going so fast and stop holding on and trying to grip everything and fix it.

It is so counterintuitive. That's why a lot of us get stuck because what I'm telling you is true. You actually have to slow down and then take your hands off the wheel. This is the This is how you move forward in life. I was going to say with God, but God is life.

This is how you move forward in life. You slow down. By the way, by the way, has anyone ever argued or complained about someone who's like, they're just such a good listener and they're never stressed and they're never like in control. It's annoying. No, it's just the opposite.

We're like, I really like that couple. We should go to lunch or brunch with them after church more. They they why they just listen the whole time and they just seem so like happy and like not stressed or striving or or worried. When's the last time you looked at someone and said, "Hey, like are you okay?"

Yeah. Why? Um because you're you're slow and you're listening and you're caring and you feel like you're not stressed out about work and I'm worried about you. It's never that. I could start naming people. I'll drink to that. Um, this is Kylie. It's Stanette and her mom, Alan and Denise, are sitting sitting right over there.

And, uh, I I raised their daughters. It was an honor. Of course, it was an honor while raising my own kids. I did a great job. Just kidding, Kylie. But um Alyssa, Kylie's older sister is amazing. Married Wes Hallebert and they're on staff. Um Allan Stanette, you would agree with this.

Allan Stanette is a great example of of what I'm talking about. Allan's had a remarkable career, very successful. I won't get into the details and I won't embarrass him, but never not one time have you ever run into Allen Stanette here at church home who's been here for 27 years. makes you wonder like is he okay?

You know, but you never have a conversation with Allan and you're like Allan is just so stressed today. That's right. Allan just won't listen to me. Allan just can't stop talking. Those are things they say about me. Never Allan. Went to every one of my high school basketball games.

Got to come to a couple of my son's basketball games. And Allan is that slow, rhythmic, kind, considerate, highly successful person that when you find out what he's accomplished, you're like, "Not possible." Because only highly strong people who are a little distracted and a little too busy to listen have successful careers like that.

But you know what we're talking about is actually possible. What God does for Allan, he could do for you. Now, we all have our unique personalities. Allan's never going to talk as much as me, and he's grateful for that. But we can all slow down and quit white knuckling all of our problems in our life.

I'm gonna I'm gonna My dad used to make a point about um generosity and giving. And this is wild and I don't think this is going to like this wouldn't be like a good clip to put on Instagram without context. But my dad used to say, "Listen, if your bills are $1,000 and you have a hundred, that $100 is never going to become a thousand in your hands.

But if you put that $100 in God's hands, oh yeah, he could supernaturally, intervene, and somehow you'll be able to pay your bills. And my dad's thought was, don't hold on to the $100 bill. It needs to be a thousand. And they don't have a tendency to do that. $100 bills.

They don't just suddenly turn into a thousand. He just said, let it go. Dad would suggest, give it away. Trust God and see what God will do. What a microcosm. What a picture. What a portrait of perhaps what you and I need to do with the pain and the problems and the drama and the trauma in our life.

We just got to listen and and listen, I am all for therapy, but can we be just a little bit more sensitive on the therapy topic because I've noticed a lot of like really rich people tell us to do therapy, but it's really expensive. Did you guys know that?

Like it's hard to do therapy for a lot of people. The buzz in the world is everyone do therapy. I have a lot of friends who are like, "I would, bro, but I can't find free therapy and I can't afford it." It gets really expensive. I I have a therapist and and she's awesome, but sometimes I don't call her cuz I'm like, "Oh, yeah.

What's her rate per hour?" Oh, nope. Not today, right? So, like, and that and that's awesome, but like sometimes it's like therapy is not in the cards for me right now. So, Jesus, I I need you to meet me. I need you to meet me. Now, the most important part of this message, and this is where I conclude, is to go forward in God.

There needs to be a slowing down and a listening, a letting go. And and lastly, there needs to be a an acceptance that you're loved. To to make it an alliteration, I said, listen, let go, and live loved. But to be more specific, if you're going to move forward, there's going to need to be some acceptance.

This is who I am. And who you are is loved. Not who you're becoming is going to be loved. God's love is not like your social circle. God's love is supernatural. He already loves you. Oh yeah, the the pariah of our culture. God loves them as much as he loves you.

You know, the the person the public personality or persona that's the butt of the jokes of the culture. I don't think it's funny to God cuz that's his son or that's his daughter. We were at a uh 40th birthday party. Hey guys, we're at a 40th birthday party recently and someone stopped and said, "I I got a question.

What's the meaning of ((music playing)) life?" And if you're like me, like, you know, I'm like, "These are my off hours. I don't want that question." But so I didn't answer, but Chelsea did. And she gave the old Song of Solomon answer. Eat, drink, be merry, fear God, keep his commandments. and she translated it into the New Covenant, New Testament.

She's the lead theologian. We get it, Joe. We get it. And this person who asked that, "I've never heard an answer like that. That's amazing. I love Chelsea." She's like, "Why? It's not, you know, thank you. It's not from me. It's a guy by the name of Solomon.

So, you can thank him." But I was going to give an answer, but I didn't. But here would be my answer. What's the meaning of life? Simply put, a father and his kids. That's what's going on. That's it. One father and all his kids. And like any good father, he wants all his kids to be safe, secure, satisfied, and connected to him.

That's what's happening. That's what's happening. We live in a world where do good, get good. Do bad, get bad. Cause and effect rules the realm, but not in God's domain and not in the kingdom of Jesus. What rules the realm is grace. And grace frustrates things and laws like cause and effect.

So many of you came today because once again, the laws of cause and effect like gravity are pulling you down. And a lot of what we're practice practicing here is called remembrance. It's the worship of remembrance. We're remembering again that I am who I am by the grace of God.

Translation, I am who I am by the performance of Jesus. Not I am who I am by the performance of Judah. Come on. That's good. My performance tells you who I am, but my performance does not tell him who I am. I don't fault you for thinking I am what I do.

Now, but but but I fault us if we think we are what we do in God's view because that's not true. That's not true. The realm of the kingdom is ruled by a king. And his attitude and culture and ideals is is summarized in a concept called grace.

Unarnerited favor. You have the king's favor. You had the king's ear. You had the king's eye. He loves you. He chose you. He appointed you. He designed you. He made you. What people say is broke, he calls beautiful. What people say needs to be fixed. God says, "I'm proud of you."

Yes. Yeah. It's that wild. So, so if I'm going to move forward, oh, sure, you should slow down and listen. Yeah. You should let go of some stuff. But if you're going to hear anything this morning, you want to go forward at some point in your life, you're going to have to accept the unreasonable, the illogical, and the unconditional, and the unearable, which isn't a word, but it's good.

Love and favor of God. I would suggest that the people you are most attracted to in faith that perhaps this is what attracts you so much. They have an innate ability to accept themselves because they have accepted the love and choosing of God in their life. Amen. If I I promise you I wouldn't be getting up on this stage on a Sunday morning preaching to you if I was up here under my own credentials, background or resume.

But I got on stage the same way you get on your stage. We all have a stage. We all have a realm. We all have a space. We all have influence. We all have callings and giftings and talents. And I'm suggesting that the only way you're going to get on your stage is the way I get on my stage.

And that is that I am who I am by the grace of God. It's not my backstory. It's not my background or my pedigree or my or my ethnicity or my education. It is the choosing of God, the appointment of God, the anointment of God. And I am who I am.

So, so we end with this story. Here's the end of the whole story. Jesus is criticized. One of the criticisms leveled against Jesus was that he had friends that were bad. You can't be God and have friends that are bad. You can't show up as the full personification of the Godhead in bodily form and have knucklehead friends.

You can't go to lunch with prostitutes. You can't have a good time with drug lords and drug dealers. These can't be your friends. If you're God, why are these your friends? And he thought to himself, I'm going to tell you three stories. So Jesus invents, he authors, he writes on in the moment, right in the moment.

He says Luke 15 is a whole chapter dedicated to Jesus telling you why he has such bad friends. And he tells a story, a woman with a coin collection, a shepherd with a herd of sheep, and a father with two sons. By the time we get to the climactic conclusion of all three stories, of course, the woman being a portrait of the spirit form of God, the shepherd being a portrait of the son of the living God, the shepherd of us all, Jesus, and the father being a portrait of God the father, Aba.

Keep in mind what's happening. What's the whole earth? What's going on? A father and his sons. That's why when the disciples asked Jesus, teach us to talk to God the way you talk to God, he said, great. First thing you got to know when you go to him, call him daddy.

What? Call him Aba, the sovereign God. Yes. He responds mostly to papa. He responds mostly to dear dad. He responds mostly to the most intimate, uncomfortable name of a father that is most romantic and meaningful to you, if you will. Aba. Aba. First thing you should say to him when you talk to him, call him by his name.

Call him by his favorite title. Call him father because he's your father. So in the story, the father has two sons, an older and a younger. You know the story, the older son works really hard, stays in the house. The younger son doesn't work so hard. And he takes his inheritance early, moves to Amsterdam, and wastes all of his money in Amsterdam.

Beautiful city, by the way. and he wakes up in Amsterdam one day and realizes I might as well go home now. I can't go home like I left home because I left home with a different resume. Now I'm coming home with a broke resume and a bad performance.

I'm going to appeal to my dad. I'll make a pitiful speech and I'm going to tell him I'm no longer worthy to be a son. So make me an employee. Make me a servant in your house. That's what I'll do. That's what I'll do. That's what I'll do.

Because do good, get good. uh do bad, get bad. Uh that's how the realm is ruled. That's how life exists. That's how that's how we do this. It's just the law. It's just the way it is. You are exactly who you display yourself to be and act who you are.

And so if you do a despicable act, you're despicable. That's the way life is. That's the way the culture works. That's the way the story lines unfold. So he says, "Of course, that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to come home and I'm going to tell dad, listen, I know how bad I am.

I listen. I know what a shame I am. I know the regrets you have for giving me all that money and I see it too and I feel it too and I am a bad guy and I deserve to be punished and I deserve to be so I just want to make you one of my servants.

Now, as the story goes, story invented and written by Jesus. He's telling the story and he says, "The father, he was looking. He was looking. He was looking. Evidently, the father was looking every day. When is my son going to come home? When is my son going to come home?"

And the Bible says that when he saw his son a great way off, Jesus telling the story that he wrote and invented said the father ran to him. Everybody gasp there because uh Middle Eastern men do not run. Particularly in that era, and that age, dads don't run.

Sophisticated men don't run. But he's running. He's running towards him. He grabs his son. His son tries to get out the pathetic little speech and he says, "Dad, I'm really sorry." The dad never hears the story. The dad never hears the speech. The dad never acknowledges the speech.

The dad has nothing to say about the speech. The dad just immediately tells the employees, "I want you to get a robe. I want you to get a ring. And I want you to get, wait a minute, ((music playing)) shoes." Somebody asked me recently, "Where do you think the church is?" is not just church home, but the church.

Far be it for me to assume that I know. But I'll leave you with this. I believe in the era and the time in which we live in human and world history, I believe the church needs to put our shoes on. And this is what I mean. I believe we're starting to get comfortable with the robe of righteousness, which covers our sinful acts.

I believe we're starting to realize and accept the ring which is the provision of the father to supply and provide for our life the divine economy. But I think still this beautiful bride in church needs to learn to put her shoes on because there are places to go and people to see and a mission to live out.

We are not here as mere consumers or those seeking luxury and leisure. We are here for a purpose bigger than ourselves. Yeah. And as long as we sit in the muck and mire of our past performance and shortcomings and weaknesses, we will never go anywhere or put our shoes on.

But hold on a second. Before you think what I'm suggesting is that you need to muster up the courage to put your shoes on. I would like to suggest in our story that this man, this boy, this young boy did not put his own shoes on. His shoes were put on him.

Look at the text. Jesus says, the father says, "Bring out the robe and the ring and the shoes and put them on him. Now, I want you to imagine the scene. And I'm done. I'm coming to a close. This is 20 minutes shorter than Los Angeles. For those keeping ((music playing)) track, let's have a Mr.

Rogers moment together. I did wear mustard yellow socks. Please forgive me. But I want you, how are you going to move forward? How are you going to move forward? How could you ever move forward after all that you've been through? The pain, the loss, the drama, the failure, the weaknesses, the shortcomings, the pain, the agony.

Ever been so stuck it's hard to get out of bed? There are people that aren't in this room that will watch this video because they just couldn't get up out of bed. And I I feel that. But perhaps they can watch this ((music playing)) video because I think there is a metaphor in a picture.

And it's gosh, metaphor doesn't do it justice. It's more than a metaphor. It's a real spiritual reality. God is going to put shoes on you. A lot of the reason you're barefoot is because you believe that's what you deserve. You know what you've done. You know the pain that you've caused.

Or perhaps that's not your story. You're like, "No, Judah. No, I I'm stuck because of what someone did to me. And I'm so mad and I'm so angry and I'm so upset. I I didn't deserve this. And you're right. You didn't deserve this. But I believe it's time to put your shoes on cuz even like Dr.

Seuss says, "Oh, the places you'll go." The places you'll go. See in ancient time the reason it was significant in the story that Jesus authored that there was a robe and a ring and his shoes because those are all exterior literal indicators of sunship. Did you know in that time if you were an employee or a servant uh you you didn't have shoes?

You were barefoot. And I felt like, and this is insert, you know, oldfashioned preaching, but I could be just raising my voice, pacing her on the stage, and don't don't put it past me. I might do it. But I think there's a lot of barefoot believers, a lot of shoeless saints walking around talking about, well, I'm just humble, and you're so humble, you're stuck.

We have made humble a quality that is transcended beyond Christlikkeness. Now humble is just wow. No, no, we get it. You're just as damaged as the rest of us. But at what point, young Timothy, are you going to be strong in the grace? When are you going to accept who you are?

Oh, I'm talking to somebody now. I felt that. When are you going to accept who you are? A lot of us already seen it. When are you going to see it? When are you going to accept it? I'll never forget this woman who approached me at a grocery store one time and she said, "I got to tell you, I got to tell you."

She said, "I love your preaching." I don't know. I might have been feisty that day. I turned around and said, "So do I." She didn't like that, but it's true, you know. It's true. You know when are you going to enjoy your gift? When are you going to enjoy your calling?

When are you going to sit back and go, I am really good at this and that's fun. I like being good at what God gave me. I like being who I am. I had a friend thank me the other day, "Thank you for not wanting to be me."

And that's some of the friction some of you feel because when you don't put your shoes on and accept who you are, you end up falling for the mirage of wanting to be somebody else. And then you become a friend that frustrates everybody because you become jealous and envious and now you start looking at other people wondering well why do they get and I don't they didn't I didn't do and I was there and they weren't and I don't I pray more than them read my Bible more than them and you have well and truly gone down a fool's errand.

You're down a dead end road and you forgot that you got your own shoes, your own robe, your own ring, your own protection, your own covering, your own provision, and your own calling. So my message today is not put your shoes on, it's accept the one who will put them on for you.

That's all. That's all. So that whole message was based on two verses I didn't tell you about yet. But on the screen is going to come proof of everything I've told you. Because in fact what I've told you is true. Ephesians chapter 5 verse one. Oh, this is going to blow you away.

Be imitators. Huh? That sounds familiar. Be imitators. Follow me. Be imitators. Follow me. And in everything you do, do it right behind Jesus. In everything you do, that's how you'll go forward. That's how you'll go forward. For then listen, listen. This is You thought it wasn't biblical. Then like Judah, we thought it was then you will represent your father as his beloved sons and daughters.

It gets goodter. It gets goodter. Look at this. And continue to walk. Continue to walk. continue to Oh, I love that word walk because it's telling you something. It's telling you something. Go ahead and accept your shoes. Even if you're crying, even if you're embarrassed, then just sit there and let him put your shoes on and remember who you are by the grace of God.

Remember what he gifted you and talented you to do. Now, I'm going to warn you. This is my warning. This is my once and for all warning. It's my last warning for quite some time. You better be careful when you put your shoes on because people are a lot more comfortable with barefoot believers than shoeless saints.

People like the appearance of humility more than humility itself. They want you to act humble but not be humble. They want you to act humble and yet think about yourself the whole time. They want you to try to to emanate humility, but they don't realize that humility is not thinking less of yourself.

It's not thinking of yourself at all. You get so fixated on Jesus and his plan for your life that if you're not careful, people start feeling like you are well, you're pretty confident. It's starting to come across a little bit like cocky. So So what what is it that the culture wants?

The culture doesn't know what it wants. The culture is confused. We can't tell if we want humble, broken people or if we want arrogant, cocky people. We can't tell who we want our outliers and our celebrities and leaders to be. We are so confused. But I'm telling you, God is not the author of confusion.

That you are who you are by the grace of God. And it is past due and past time. Some of you, your marriage is waiting on this. Some of you, your kids are waiting on this. Some of you, your career is waiting on this. Some of you, your neighbors are waiting on this.

Some of you, your family is waiting on this. Everybody else seems to know what you're called to. Everybody else seems to know what you're graced for and gifted to and your ability is. when in fact is going to be the day and the time and the hour and the morning and the afternoon where you finally go, "Well, I guess this is who I am and I guess this is what I'm called to do."

And then we will continue to walk surrendered, not my will. Your will be done. Don't get it twisted. I got a robe, I got a ring, and I got shoes. But the truth is, I don't really know where I'm going. I don't really know what's going to happen next.

People say, "Judah, what's the vision of church home?" I don't know. I just know God has a vision. That vision has possessed this community. And we're going to move when he moves. We're going to go when he goes. We're going to go left. We're going to go right.

And we're going to follow him forward. Continue to walk surrendered. Surrendered. Surrendered. Surrendered to what? The extravagant love of Jesus. Not just surrender to an idea. Not just surrender to a concept. Not just surrender to some mere human leader. You're supposed to let go because you're so loved.

He loves me so much. I'm letting go. Woo. And now he's got the wheel. For he surrendered his life as a sacrifice for us. I'm done. I'm done. Told you I'm done. I was done 10 minutes ago, but you wouldn't let me stop. That's gaslighting. But his great love for us was pleasing to God.

I love this part. Like an aroma of adoration, a sweet healing forgiveness. Wow. Healing. God told me to tell you, let him put your shoes on. Let him put your shoes on. There's some dads in here. You feel disgusted with how you've been a dad and you feel like you don't even deserve to be strong with your kids or encourage your kids.

Some of you got kids making big decisions for their life and as a dad you think, "How could I even encourage them? I've not been there. I haven't been consistent. I Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, Dad. Put your shoes on. ((music playing)) You're not who you are because you did it all right.

You're who you are by his grace. Those kids are your kids because God made you for each other. Yeah. You're called. You're appointed. So let the story go at the end of our days. And they say, "How did you do it? May we say it was not I but the grace of God.

I tell you what I did every day so that I could be more like Allen Stanette and keep moving. I I got up and just accepted who I am. This is who I am. I'm a son and I'm a daughter of God. My dream, you know, is that we would leave this little ((music playing)) ballroom with shoes ((music playing)) on, knowing who we are by the grace of God.

So Jesus, I thank you for your presence in this room and what you're saying and what you're doing. And thank you for Ephesians 5:es 1 and two. Wo wo wo. We see it. We hear it. We want to do it. Live it. Most of all, accept you. Accept you.

((music playing)) Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) ((music playing))