Last night at Exchange, Pastor Josh Kimes spoke about purpose and keeping Jesus at the center of your life, where He belongs.

SPEAKER: Josh Kimes
TITLE: The Assigned Moment

Life is the accumulation of moments woven together.

The most attractive thing about a human being is their awareness of their God-given potential and purpose in life.
-Pretty without purpose is a waste.

God didn’t just save you to keep you as a trophy.
2 Timothy 1:9 TNIV

…who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace…

-God created us with purpose and for purpose.
-You can find purpose in the ordinary and mundane in life.
-When you live with purpose you live with passion. And we’re called to live with passion.

John 3:26, 30 TNIV

They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he’s baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
To this John replied, “…He must become greater; I must become less.”

John the Baptist was a big deal.
Matthew 11:11 TNIV

Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

 -John’s popularity and notoriety didn’t get to his head.
—Pride pollutes your purpose.
John 3:30 MSG

“That’s why my cup is running over. This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines.”

-John knew that his purpose wasn’t about him.
—Neither is our purpose about us.
-Our assigned moment has come.
—Keep Jesus at the center of your life.
-Slipping off to the sidelines doesn’t mean being lazy. It’s just an awareness that God is God and we’re not. It means occupying all streets and doing your part.

What Our Assigned Moment Is All About:
1) It’s about pointing people closer to Jesus.
-John knew that he was pointing people closer to a healer and a provider like no one has ever known.
-We live in an age of pseudo-spirituality where many people claim to be pointing people closer to Jesus but instead they point to themselves.
1 Samuel 16:7 TNIV

…People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

-When we point to ourselves, we unintentionally push people away from Jesus.
-Where does your life point people? Everything about you says something about you. You are always pointing people somewhere.
-The example we live by gives our words credibility. Our example screams louder than anything we could ever say.
-Don’t let Jesus just be an add-on to your life. He is your life.
John 15:5 TNIV

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

-It’s about Jesus. It’s always been about Jesus.
2) It’s about drawing closer to Jesus.
-Sometimes we put more attention, strategy, and creativity into drawing closer to another person or climbing the corporate ladder. If we spent the same effort on drawing closer to Jesus, there’s no telling what we could do.
James 4:8 ESV

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…

Jeremiah 29:13 ESV

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Psalm 63:1 KJV

O God, you are my God,
early will I seek you,
my soul thirsts for you,
my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land,
where no water is

-When you draw closer to Jesus, it’s easier to stand firm, fight temptation, forgive those who’ve offended you or hurt you, and be who God has called you to be.
-Sometimes you have to draw away from people in order to draw closer to Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:33 TNIV

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

-The right thing to do is also the hardest thing to do. But your future is worth it and the people you are meant to impact are worth it.
Psalm 42:1 TNIV

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.

-Draw away from the busyness of life. Don’t be so enamored with the busyness of life that you neglect the God and the people you are called to reach.
—Moses had to draw away from the Israelites (Exodus 33).
—Daniel had to draw away from the unrest in Babylon (Daniel 6).
Luke 5:16 TNIV

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

—Jesus had to draw away from everyone.

God misses the way you used to trust him, used to go to him first in everything. He misses the simplicity of your relationship.

(stole this from @potsc) (Taken with instagram)

This is the message that Judah Smith spoke at our 7PM service this Memorial Day weekend. [You can get his podcasts here and the message he spoke at the 10AM and 12PM services here.]

SPEAKER: Judah Smith
TITLE: Vexed

Soul = mind, will, emotions

3 John 1:2 NKJV

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

-There’s a connection between the health of your life and the condition of your soul.
-The heart of who you are is your soul.

Judges 16:16 NKJV

And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death…

-[You can read all of Samson’s story in Judges 13-16.]
-Samson never slept with Delilah but she was still his downfall
—The issue is your heart not just your body parts
-The verse after this is where Samson gives it all away and gives up on the right kind of life.

Most of us don’t do well in tight spaces, especially concerning your soul.
-God never created you to feel vexed in your soul.
-“vex” in Hebrew = tight space, frustration, exasperation
-Samson’s soul got short.
—You can go into panic in your soul. 
—You can exist in this condition for a while until you eventually panic.

We live in a super-stimulated society and if we don’t discover the antidote to a vexed soul, you can become a casualty of Christianity.
You need a resolute and healthy soul in order to make it.

Evidence of a vexed soul: The “Who cares?” Mentality
-We care so much that we project a “Who cares?” attitude in order to insulate our sanity.
-It’s possible to be pre-Jesus or post-Jesus and feel this way.

2 Word Pictures That Represent a Vexed Soul (and how the only answer is the person of Jesus):
1) John 8:2-11 NKJV

Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, were are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

-Jesus changed His position to get down to her position.
—Religion and elitism would never stoop. It will always stand above and look down upon. But Jesus stooped down to sinners.
-Judgement is fickle. But you’re not only judged by others but by the voices in your own head.
-From your oldest sin to your last sin—that’s how Jesus’ forgiveness works.
—Is Jesus enough? Yes.
-By the time He’s done, the voices of condemnation, custom and religion were gone.
-People need to be alone with Jesus.
-Jesus will stoop to your level and speak words of grace to you.
2) John 18:3-12 NKJV

Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.” Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servants name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?” Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him.

 -When Jesus identified Himself, the soldiers fell back under the weight of His identity.
—We need to recognize the weight of Jesus’ identity or else we won’t make it.
-The soldiers should’ve taken the sinners but Jesus, the sinless one, takes their place—our place.
-Jesus tells you to step back even if you want to strive like Peter. He tells you to put your sword away.
—How long will we trust the ingenuity of man? Our resumes or our pedigree?
-You are no match for sin and temptation if you are absent of Jesus.
James 1:20 NKJV

…for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

 -Fight the fight of trust. Our weapons aren’t natural, they’re of the soul.
—Do you feel overwhelmed or trapped? Put your sword down. Now go and live the life you’ve always dreamed of.
-Jesus takes care of our sin and our inadequacy. He’s enough. He’s everything you need. 

When I heard that Judah Smith was speaking at our church, I got way too excited. Occasionally I’ll listen to podcasts. Mostly, they’re from Hillsong Sydney including the Sisterhood ones. But my favorites are Pastor Judah’s from the City Church in Seattle. Seriously, you need to check them out here. Anyway, this is the message that he spoke at the 10AM and 12PM services. [You can read the notes from the 7PM service here.]

SPEAKER: Judah Smith
TITLE: Bigger and Better

Luke 19:1-10 NKJV

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be the guest with a man who is a sinner.” Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Ephesians 2:7 NKJV

…that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Is Jesus enough?
-Jesus is the answer to everything. He’s the antidote. He’s what you’re looking for. But He keeps getting portrayed wrong.

Zacchaeus has money and status. He wasn’t looking to get saved. He was just curious. He was the equivalent of today’s druglord/pimp/thug. He’s not liked but he’s feared. He also has an entourage.

Zacchaeus was short.
-People think that if we’re good, stay focused, etc., that Jesus will stop by our tree. The truth is, we’re all short. There are no religious trees where we can say, “Look how much higher I climbed.”
-You can’t go to God. God comes to you. You can’t find God. God finds you. 

How Zacchaeus became the chief tax collector: Romans recruited Jewish traitors to tax their own people so that Romans didn’t have to. The Romans told these tax collectors that they can take as much extra tax as they wanted to keep for themselves.

If you were to ask Zacchaeus if he wanted to get saved, he would’ve asked, “From what? My good life? My status?” But Jesus is bigger and better. Zacchaeus goes from running the streets to giving back.
-What happened? Zacchaeus was with Jesus. The Bible doesn’t tell you what Jesus told Zacchaeus while He was with him but the very fact that Jesus didn’t show judgement toward Zacchaeus but kindness and concern was enough.

Jesus isn’t just enough. He’s more than enough. He can mend the broken hearted and restore you.

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