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When you're back against the wall and you come to the Lord, remind him of his mercy,

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sing of his mercy. Satan may be naming your name to Jesus right now saying,

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and Jesus saying, I pray for you that your faith failed not. Believe in me, believe in the

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power of my blood. Your mistakes and your sin you think they're so powerful, they're not more

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powerful than my blood. Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today,

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as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that He has for us.

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If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at citylightnyc.com,

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that citylightnyc.com. Pastor Boyan Jansik and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit

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is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that

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you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace, and that He has a real hope

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and a future for you. I have a preaching three Sundays. I'm a little unhinged this morning,

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and I want to minister to you on the mercy of God. The mercy of God. The mercy of God is a subject

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that's often misunderstood, and the word mercy is often conflated with grace. People use the

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terms interchangeably, but they're not the same thing. They often are listed together because

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they flow from the same, ever loving God, but there's different benefits to grace and mercy.

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Now, grace we should be well acquainted with. We are a new covenant church. We're a gospel church.

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We realize we haven't been born BC, but after Jesus's death, the burial and resurrection,

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so we're under the dispensation, the canopy of grace. And so what is grace?

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Grace is his undeserved, unmerited favor. Grace is the means by which we are saved. The Bible says

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we're saved by grace through faith. And we receive our justification that means we're pronounced

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not guilty, not based on what we do, but based on what he has already done. That is grace.

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So what's mercy? Well, if grace is you receiving that thing that you didn't deserve, total forgiveness,

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healing in your body, prosperity in your finances, intimacy with the Lord is all things that

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in and of ourselves in the natural we don't deserve. By grace we get those things. Mercy is us not

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getting the things that in the natural we do deserve. Judgment, the lightning bolt, the hammer,

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mercy is the active pity of God. And I don't know about you, but I know that I need both.

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And it's not one or the other. And I want to know how I can posture myself to actively

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receive the active pity of God, to actively receive the mercy of God. Mercy is me not getting the

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thing that in the natural I deserve, the consequences of my decisions. Now, probably not you, but I'll

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be the transparent pastor this morning. Please try to relate with me. Sometimes I blow it. Sometimes

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I make mistakes. Sometimes I make really, really stupid mistakes. I'm not even talking necessarily

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about sin, but yes, sin. But sometimes I just make financial mistakes. Sometimes I can make a mistake

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at work. Sometimes I'm looking down the road and I'm going, I did a stupid thing that's gonna hurt,

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that's gonna have consequences. What do I need? Mercy. I need the active pity of God. I need God to

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come and intervene and that thing that I deserve rightfully so. The consequences of my actions,

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I need God to step in with His mercy. Amen. There is a fascinating exchange between Jesus and Peter

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that actually I've never ever heard preach none. I probably have only preached on it or mentioned

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it several times in all of silly lights history. But it's right before Jesus is crucifixion.

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Jesus turns to Peter and says, Peter, Peter, Satan has desired you. He's got his eye on you.

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Jesus has Satan has desired you to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you

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that your faith failed not. So there is this picture of Satan who was after the believer and he is

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the accuser of the brethren. He's the one constantly going to God and accusing you to God and

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pointing out all your shortcomings. We see a similar picture in the book of Job. And just

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note that Jesus didn't say, Peter, Peter, Satan has desired to sift you like wheat. But don't worry

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about it because I've gained the ultimate victory because it doesn't matter that Jesus gained the

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ultimate victory unless you have faith to receive that victory. Are you catching this? So Jesus

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says, Peter, Satan, he's after you, wants to cut you down like a reaper going through blades of wheat.

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But I pray for you that your faith failed not and that you have faith in me and who I am and

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that I'll see you through and that my mercy will come. And it's new every morning and that it'll

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endure that even because of some of your stupidity, I'll come in. And I will avert judgment that you

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in the natural do deserve. I will avert it. And mercy is the very nature of God. I want to just

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take you through a few verses on the mercy of God and then we're going to look at how we can

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posture ourselves. Hebrews 4.16, it says, let us therefore come boldly. And that's the key word

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there boldly. I got several desires for our church. One day I'll write them out. Top 10,

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like who we are, our identity. When we have our values and on the website and all that, but

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one of my desires is that we don't have a man be pambi, Mickey Mouse Church. That you know,

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oh Lord, you know, maybe you know, but that when you know who you are and how you've been forgiven

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and you know the power of the blood of Jesus, it's not an arrogance, it's a holy ghost confidence.

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You're not a braggart. You're not proud. You just know in whom you have believed. And so

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there is a boldness. You come boldly. You don't come crawling up like some worm up a rock. You come

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boldly. You're coming in the name of Jesus. What does that mean? People just say they pray

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formulaically, father in the name of Jesus. No, when you say in the name of Jesus, you're saying so

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much. You're saying I am approaching the holy place. I am now in the very abode of God. But I'm

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not sashing in with my own righteousness. I'm coming in the name of Jesus. And father, you're receiving

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me just as you would Jesus. I'm coming in based on everything he has done for me, washed in his blood

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with the same righteousness he has so I can come boldly. You say even when I've messed up,

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especially when you've messed up, that's when it actually takes faith. Hey man, when you don't

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feel like it, you can come boldly to a throne. You know, John in Revelation he said I saw the one

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sitting on the throne. I saw the one. It was Jesus and it's a throne of mercy and grace. And by

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the way, the mercy seat under the old covenant, it was always covered with the blood. This mercy

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that we're going to be talking about today, it does not come cheaply. When mistakes are made,

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there has to be a death. But thankfully, it doesn't have to be your death. It doesn't have to be

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your financial death. It doesn't have to be your social death. It doesn't have to be your spiritual

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death. But Jesus who already gave his life for you, his blood is on that mercy seat. And so you can

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come boldly to the throne of grace that you would obtain mercy, the aversion of judgment,

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the aversion of divine wrath, God's active pity and find grace to help in time of need. Amen.

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Micah 718. One of my responsibilities here is to recognize that I'm preaching to some of you you've

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been coming for years. And some of you, this is your first Sunday. And we're in Queens. What does that

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mean? That means not everyone has the same mindset. You go to some small town, down south,

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everybody thinks the same, walks the same, talks the same. We have 161 nations here that actively

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come through our door. So people have different mindsets, different mentalities, people have

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different notions of God. There's people who've come in and the message that we preach, the emphasis

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on Jesus, his person, his power, his blood, grace, it blows their religious mind. They delight

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in judgment. You talk about the judgment of God, they go, oh, they see him as a God with like Zeus

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two thunderbolts in each hand, just rated a, he's like, he's looking. I can't wait to punish.

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That's their, that's their view of God. Here's what Micah, prophet Micah, how he spoke of the nature

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and character God, who is a God like you, pardoning an equity and passing over the transgression

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of the remnant of his heritage. He does not retain his anger forever because he, Yahweh God,

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Lord God, he delights in mercy. So if you need mercy, like I know I do,

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you can take confidence that you serve a God who actually delights in mercy. That means it does

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him good to be merciful to you. It pushes his buttons to show his tender mercies toward you.

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Hallelujah. And one of the first acts you see, I'm just trying to show you the nature of God,

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the character of God. It's not like he was a big meaning in the Old Testament.

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And then God got born again in the new and now he's different. He's the same God.

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His nature didn't change, his character didn't change. Just the setup changed.

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God didn't change just the way he deals with man changed because you know something kind of

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happened in between the Old and New Testament, something pretty significant.

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They changed the course of world history. I was just reading, can I take it aside,

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you're the second service. We have no end time. I'm going to take a side. Somebody remember where I was.

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Do you know how few Jewish people there are on the planet? Do you know how few Jewish people

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there were 2,000 years ago? Do you know how few people understood about the God of Israel? 99%

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of the planet was heathen and paganistic and polytheistic. When did the God of Israel become famous?

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A man who preached for 3, 3 and a half years changed the course of global history so that today

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everyone has heard of Elohim. Everyone has heard of Genesis and the creation story and the

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God of Israel. That is powerful. That's who Jesus is. Hallelujah. Now where was I? Please

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somebody help me out. Micah. Where are we in Micah? I think we finished that. Let's go to Genesis

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321. Oh, we're talking about God just showing his nature who he is. And this is why Micah

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prophesied and said what he said because none of the other heathen religions believed in any of

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their false gods having a characteristic of mercy. None of them. They were all with swords and

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hammers and liking boats. Ready to fry you at the first wrong thing you did. But God showed his

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nature and his character right from the beginning. Adam and Eve fell. Please let's just understand

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that God did not owe them anything. God does not owe us anything. Sometimes we can have this

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picture like we're old something like what he did he had to do. He didn't have to do anything.

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He created them. He created them perfect in his likeness. Put them in a garden where they had

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everything they could possibly need or want and still they willingly rebelled against them.

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And then they were excommunicated out of the garden. He could have left them alone.

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But right as early as Genesis 321 you see also for Adam and his wife because they were naked

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and they were cold and they were being pushed out of the garden. The Lord God made tunics of

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skin and clothed them. One that was an act of mercy and act of his compassion to cover them, to

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close them. Two, it was one of the earliest, if not the earliest, pointings to Jesus.

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Because the underside of the tunics, I mean, we basically made nice fur coats for them.

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Our God is a God of style and class. And the underside would have been wet with the blood of

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that animal, freshly killed. And it was pointing to the blood of Jesus that would cover.

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Hallelujah. Let's go to Hosea 66, which is a verse that Jesus paraphrased.

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He paraphrased it in John 8, when the woman who was caught in adultery was brought before him.

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Many of you know the story to those of you. I'll give you the quick clip notes version.

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A bunch of Pharisees, religious leaders find a woman who is caught in adultery and they say she

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was caught in the very act. And they throw her before Jesus. And Jesus actually ignores them and

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is just writing in the sand. We don't know what he was writing in the sand, but he's just writing

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in the sand. I like to think that he was writing something like, hey, Moise, how did you know she was

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in the very act? And why were you watching? You Phariseical peeping time you.

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But then he gets up and says, you were without sin, you cast the first stone.

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And then he paraphrases Hosea 66 where God says, for I desire mercy and not sacrifice and the

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knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. God is a God who desires mercy and not sacrifice.

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Everything that we read under the old covenant, please know there's a dual application.

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There's how they understood it under the old covenant, which is God saying, rather than bring

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me all these animals as burnt sacrifices, I desire you to receive my mercy and consequently be

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merciful to each other. Under the new covenant what he's saying is, I am a God of mercy and I would

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much rather that you receive truckloads, mega doses of my mercy than sacrifice. What do you sacrifice

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when you miss it, when you blow up your life, when you make a mistake? What does a typical person do?

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They fall under guilt, shame, condemnation, and they sacrifice their personal joy.

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They sacrifice their confidence before the Lord. They sacrifice their hope of success.

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They actually anticipate judgment and God is saying, no, better to receive my mercy than sacrifice.

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Sacrifice your peace, sacrifice your happiness, sacrifice that spring in your step,

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thinking around walking around all guiltily, oh, I deserve whatever's coming and I know it's coming.

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I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. No, he's a God who delights in mercy. Am I preaching to

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you a bunch of perfect people here this morning with someone who needs the mercy? I know I need it.

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Lord, if there's ever anyone who doesn't need it, let me get their portion. Please, Lord,

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I'll take it. I need extra.

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My wife and kids were in the first service. We got in at 1 a.m. last night. You don't want to know

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where we were. Finally, when we were supposed to come back,

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they changed the flight around and sent us to Turkey to Istanbul, which why are they sending us

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two hours east when we need to go to Frankfurt, Germany to catch the connecting. But they do.

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We're like, whatever. But then we missed our connecting flight. But then when we got out of it and

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we always pray when we vacation, Lord, sprinkle the day. Just learn, ask God, can you sprinkle the day?

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That's where God just, hmm. And always every day, they were like these divine surprises. So we're

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dead tired. We're in, we don't want to be in Istanbul. We asked Lord to sprinkle the day.

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And so we get 24 hours paid for in Istanbul. So now we can go and we see all of the sites of

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Istanbul and see the Blue Mosque. And we're looking at a thousand-year-old pillars.

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And really, and you can feel the energy of objects. I'm not trying to be like new age here

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anything, but it's just the fact that stuff has an energy. Do you ever grab an old DVD?

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Pastor James has. I went to his house. He likes to collect some of the old stuff, an old record

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album and all the memories flood in. And you remember, like you were listening to this with my dad.

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And now everything is digital. You can't. But when you touch things, this is really a rabbit trail,

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isn't it? He was my point. Anybody tuning in? You're like, what kind of a church is this hang on?

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I had the vacation of a lifetime. And a major part of the reason was Pastor James and Pastor

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Mo and the staff that kept all the stresses of day-to-day church life away from me. They protected me

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and you guys showed up and showed out. And it really gave me three weeks of bliss.

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But while I was on vacation, often as my kids would come and we would laugh and hug and I looked at

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my wife's face glowing, I would remember what it was like being divorced as a preacher. That's

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like the scarlet letter. I remember feeling like, will I ever see the sunshine on my life again?

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Will I even have kids? Will I ever find true love? Will I ever you feel the weight of that and the fear

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of that? And then I see what the Lord has done and I just break down and go, God, thank you for

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your mercy. And I'm here talking about this this morning because I want you to, I want you to taste

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of his mercy. I'm hunting for that person who's written himself off. That person who's written

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herself off. That's all, you know, Lord, I'll just settle for the crumbs that fall from your table.

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No! His mercy is big. His mercy is great. Hallelujah. Let's look at five ways that we can position

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and posture ourselves to receive the mercy of God, amen? This is not a transaction. This is not

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if you do a, God will do b. Everything has already been bought and paid for with the blood of

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Jesus. But yes, there are things that empowered by the Holy Spirit. When we do them, we position

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ourselves. We posture ourselves to be under the spout from which the mercy flows out. Amen?

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So here's five things to receive. Truck loads, mechidosis of the mercy of God. You ready?

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Yes.

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Number one, be merciful. Hey, how about that?

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Number one, be merciful. Found in Luke 6 and verse 35, every preacher's favorite offering

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passage. Yet we'll see now in context that Jesus isn't talking about money. He's talking about

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a principle of sewing and reaping. Yes, it can apply to money. It can apply to a lot of things.

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Have I used it in an offering message? Yes. But if you want to get technical, it's not about money.

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Jesus is talking specifically about mercy. Then when you're merciful to people,

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then you can expect to receive the mercy of God. But love your enemies, do good and lend,

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hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the most

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high, for he is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore, being merciful just as your father

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also is merciful. Let's pause right there. What does it mean to be merciful? Because

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that can easily be conflated and confused with this new religion of wokeism and their first

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commandment, which is thou shalt not judge. The greatest sin under wokeism is don't judge.

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What's the difference? Well, number one, Jesus said judge with righteous judgment. That means if

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his word says it's wrong, it's wrong. I won't partake of it. I won't put my seal of approval on it.

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If you want to get all into pronouns and believe that you're the great arbiter of what is truth,

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when the Bible clearly says he made the male and female, I'm not going to get into that.

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But I can be merciful. I can be merciful as I take a stand on truth. That means I'm not looking

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at you with disgust. That means I'm not looking at you like I think I'm better than you.

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That means I'm not looking at you like that could never happen to me. One thing that we all have

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to agree on is that any sin we see anybody else committing, that could be you. It was all murder,

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that could never be me. You just think that because the ingredients around you weren't right.

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I could never commit a murder. Really? Maybe you're on a cruise. Something hits the cruise.

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You become a castaway. You're on an island. There's only six of you. Resources are limited.

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One weekend, we find you and it's Lord of the Flies. You're swinging from a tree with a bone acting on it.

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There are 18 works of the flesh. They're in you. As a Christian, your flesh has been done

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away with it. It's been crucified. So you live out of your spirit. But if you forget that and

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your flesh comes alive, you're capable of anything. You look at a sexual program. No, that's

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so I could never. Yes, you could. Hey, I've pastured people who came. That whole trope,

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you know, the Greyhound bus. And she's going to be an actress. I'm going to be a star. You don't

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make it in the big city. I've lived that a million times with pastoring in the East Village.

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And then 10 years later, I can't believe what I got myself into. I never thought it could. Yeah.

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Back in Kansas, the ingredients weren't right. Now you're New York City and

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so we should be merciful. Amen. And when we're merciful, then we receive mercy. Let's keep

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reading. Judge not and you shall not be judged. Condemn not and you shall not be condemned.

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Forgive and you will be forgiven. So what's Jesus talking about? Mercy. And then he says,

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Luke 638, which is the most quoted or one of top three in every pastor's arsenal when it's

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offering time. Give and it will be given to you, right? But what's Jesus talking about? Mercy.

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Give mercy and it will be given to you. Good measure, press down, shake together and running over

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will be put into your bosom for with the same measure that you use that you give out mercy.

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It will be measured back to you. Amen. So in today's world, have you ever noticed how culture

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tries to get you to think in only one of two ways? I look at arguments on social media and it's like,

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do you not know how to walk in shugam at the same time? It's either I'm going to tolerate everything

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or I'm an absolute big it and nothing in between. That's the trick. That's why so many well-meaning

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people have been duped in tolerating everything. Like if you tolerate everything, then what is

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sexual perversion? Then there is no such a thing as sexual perversion. Where do we draw the line?

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At what point does it become hurtful and harmful to people, to society, to the family union,

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which is the cell of the body of a nation? So let's erase that line. But then if you erase that line,

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now you're an intolerant bigot who hates everyone. No, actually, I can love you. Actually,

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I can be merciful and I think that I'm better than you. But at the same time, as Jesus said,

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judge with righteous judgment and say, according to the word of God, this is wrong and I will not align

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my life with that. So we can walk in shugam at the same time, amen. And don't fall for that trick

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where you're one or the other. Hallelujah. Psalm 1825. Every time. Let me just, I'm just,

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because there's a difference between people pondering a truth and resistance and I actually feel waves

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of both. But when you come against the prevailing spirit of the age, oh, it'll meet you back.

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And the prevailing spirit of today is this sex religion of wokeism,

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because it includes so many tentacles, has wrapped around so many minds.

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Psalm 1825. With the merciful, you will show yourself merciful. So how to posture and position

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yourself to receive the mercy of God. You'll be merciful to others with a blameless man. You will

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show yourself blameless. Amen. Number two, on how to receive the mercy of God. Faith,

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like everything you've ever gotten from God, you do it by faith. Again, even in the first

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service, whenever I say faith several times in row, I hear George Michael. Faith, the faith, the faith.

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Isn't it true in Montenegro, all they play is 80s music. It's like an 80s music heaven.

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Or, you know, folk, you know, I'm really loud accordions, but where I was, it was mainly 80. In fact,

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this morning, because a refrigerator was empty, we showed up at 1 a.m. this last night.

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Wife and kids were here and then they just, not my wife, but the kids,

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conked out. They got like three hours of sleep and were artificially full of energy because of

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the time change towards the end of children's church, just conked out. But we had breakfast just

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down the road. And for the first time in over 20 days, I heard auto tune because there was only 80s

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music and I heard auto tune and I realized what was missing from my life and it was wonderful.

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It's not just 80s music, but that auto tune. It's been too long. I want to hear people's voices.

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It was 2009 Jay Z. wrapped about death of auto tune. He lied. It was a false prophet. They kept

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on going. They never listened. Why didn't they listen? It takes faith. Psalm 86.5, mercy like everything is

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appropriated by faith. For you, Lord, are good and ready to forgive and abundant in mercy to all

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those who call upon you. Now, you look at the Old Testament. You will see the people of God,

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the children of Israel. And you know what you're going to see? They're messing up frequently,

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oftentimes very, very stupidly and at the time very, very intentionally. And so what comes

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consequences? Judgment. And then there is this one thing that you'll see repeated throughout the

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Old Testament. Is this one phrase? And they cried out to the Lord their God. And they cried out to

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the Lord their God. And then God will come and be merciful. Some people, you got to get your

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cry back. You got to get your cry on. If you messed up, if you're expecting judgment, if you

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expect, and when I say messed up, it could be something in your business, at your place of work,

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in investments, whatever social interactions. And you did wrong. Cry out to God. When you mess up,

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every time you mess up, you're going to stand out of fork in the road. On the one side, you can take

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this road to the left. My left, you are right. This road is where you feel ashamed, so you

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power. You avoid prayer. You avoid God. You hide under a rock. You stick yourself in a bush

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until that feeling of unease just kind of goes away. Probably the next time you're in church and

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you feel it. On the other side is you, in faith, despite what you feel like crying out to God.

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God, I believe, even in spite of my stupidity, despite my stupidity, my mistakes, I believe you are

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God of mercy. That means that that thing that I deserve, that bad thing that I deserve, you're

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going to withhold from me and you're going to change it around. At work, you don't even know,

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there's a hammer coming down on you. You feel it. Cry out to God. And you won't just survive,

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you'll thrive. Hallelujah. You know when you find out that a preacher fell.

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And you hear the first wave of reports and sole over the media, TMZ, you find out a preacher fell

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because he did XYZ. And over some time, you find out, oh, it wasn't that he did XYZ once and got

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busted. He was doing XYZ for years. All right, the first service really resonated with this.

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Are you all for the city light church, right? Did you know sometimes preachers fall,

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just wave your head, you know, have you ever wondered? I know I have when I first got in the biz,

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you start hearing about preachers falling and you go, but he was so anointed, he was so great,

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he was so how did that happen? And by the way, if they fall, it doesn't discount that they were

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anointed. It doesn't discount that God used them. Don't ever, ever, don't ever condemn someone

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you haven't walked in their shoes for five minutes. But you can have the question in the back of

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your mind, hey, why weren't they obliterated back in the day when they began this bad walk?

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Haven't you had that question? Is it just me? Am I the only curious person who wonders? You have,

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right? Yeah, you have. Like they go off the path, shouldn't God zap them right away, just blow their

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life up just to teach them and protect the other. No, they have learned how to pastors, preachers,

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ministers have learned how to tap into the mercy of God by faith. So they get a much lighter sentence

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until they've now pressed and pressed and pressed and now God because he's so merciful and because

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he so loves them and he would rather their flesh be destroyed and their spirit saved in the day of

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Jesus Christ, then it finally comes and says, look, it's over for you. You're going to take a 10-year

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hiatus until you learn how to just love me for me and serve me apart from ministry and all that stuff.

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Why am I bringing that up? Because this isn't just in the negative. I wish sometimes it wasn't

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just ministers who were in the biz, but that laity believers learned how to tap into the mercy of

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God using their faith. He's a guy. He got a judgment on him. You're going to die. Lights out. Say

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about it. Time to wrap things up as a guy. You know what he did? He cried out. God, read the prayer.

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He just appeals to God emotionally and appeals to his mercy. God, just give me like 15 more years

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and God's like, okay, got 15 more years. He changed my mind. Why? Because you cried out in faith.

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This is so important. Some of you need to cry. It's just what am I saying? I'm saying,

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you got to open your mouth and be a little foolish. You can do it in the privacy of your own home.

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You can do it on the subway. Everyone's insane anyway these days. Do it in the subway.

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Lose your dignity. Lose your coolness. Open up your mouth and just say, Lord, I am trusting you for mercy.

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You're a God who delights in mercy. Now in the natural, I deserve terrible consequences,

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but you're a God. The Bible says that you delight in mercy. That your mercies are new every morning

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that I can come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain this beautiful thing called mercy.

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And it is the aversion of divine wrath. It is your active pity. And I believe in Jesus' name,

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that it's mine now. Hallelujah. And trust me, when you've encountered the mercy of God, yes,

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yes, you can abuse the mercy of God. People go, see, no, I don't like this message. You can

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abuse the mercy of God. Did you know you can abuse all of God's gifts? Did you know everything

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God gives you? You can abuse. It doesn't mean you should. It doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

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But when God gives, He doesn't give, with strings attached. When God gives, He gives freely,

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and any system like that lends itself to abuse. So we trust in the outworking of the Holy

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Spirit within us that we're not abusing the mercy of God, but should you need it? It's there,

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and I highly recommend that you take it. Amen. Number three, number one is be merciful.

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Number two is you receive His mercy by faith. Number three is humility. Humility is so important.

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Humility is defined as, can somebody shout it out who wasn't in the first service?

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What? No, crisp power. You always call out and you always get it right. And now I mean,

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everyone except crisp power. He's done that to me the last five times.

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He even corrected me on the wood that's used in the ark. Go in the back.

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Say it again, Chris. You're dependence on God. This is important. There's too many people don't

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know what humility is. They think that it's how you behave, like how loud you are or how you dress

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or how much money you have. It's none of those things. It is your dependence, your neediness on God.

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So you can be all be dazzled out, have 36 pieces of flair. You can have money. You can have

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some base in your voice, and it doesn't mean you're not humble. This is important. You don't know

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how many times I've heard, heard, oh, you know, I don't want the prosperity of God. I'd rather be humble.

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What? What is that even? What does one have to do with the other? That is, that is always comes

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along with poverty thinking is all I'd rather be humble. Most of the poor people I know are so proud.

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That's why they're poor. You see that a Montenegro. I still want to know where a 25 year old

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Montenegro gets his confidence from. Doesn't have a job. Never built anything. Never accomplished

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anything. Takes up three seats in a cafe. Spread out. And they're dirt poor. And there's people I

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know that are so poor, but when you try to help them out, oh no, they know everything. They don't

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want any help. They were because of all that pride. And you know most of the wealthy people that I

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know, they're always looking to learn. They ask lots of questions. There's a neediness. They're not

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afraid to be wrong. They're not afraid to admit when they've been wrong. So there's nothing to do

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being well dressed or being loud or your financial status. Your humility is one thing and one

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thing only. Your dependence on God. Your neediness. Jesus talked about in revelation. When he rebuked

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the people, he said, you have need of nothing. You're well dressed and you have need of nothing.

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You don't realize you're naked and poor and destitute. The problem was they felt in their heart

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they had need of nothing. No, I want to be needy. I want to be like Solomon who says, I don't know

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how to come in or go out, Lord, unless you take me by the hand and guide me.

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So let's look at this in the context of mercy in Luke chapter 18, which I love the way it begins

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because it sounds like Jesus is telling a joke. Also, he spoke this parable to some who trusted in

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themselves. See, that was the problem. They weren't needy. They trusted in themselves that they

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were righteous and despised others. This is the part that kind of begins like a joke, right?

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Two men went up to the temple to pray. Hey, listen to this one. Two men went up to the temple to

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pray. One a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisees stood and prayed, vest with

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himself. God, I thank you that I'm not like other men, extortioners, unjust adulterers or even

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as this tax collector. Awkward. Can you imagine that prayer meeting?

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And then of course, when you're proud, you always get into the resume. You always got to list

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all your accomplishments. 4-1-1. He's not impressed. He's not impressed with your accomplishments with

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your resume. And this is a theme throughout the New Testament, the rich young ruler. Lord,

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Jesus, tell me what I must do. See, he doesn't even know grace. What do I do? What do I have to do,

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do, do, do? Covered with do, do. Trying to do, do. What do I have to do to inherit eternal life?

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And then he goes into the resume, the rich young ruler. Same thing with this guy, the resume.

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I fast twice a week. I give tides of all that I possess. And the tax collector standing

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afar off would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast saying, God, be merciful

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to me a sinner. And Jesus says, I tell you this man went down to his house justified. He received

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mercy. Why? He was needy. He was humble. And so my prayer is as the Lord takes you up.

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And as he takes you from glory to glory and gives you breakthrough after breakthrough.

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My prayer is the same for me, our church, that we go lower. And that the more success we gain,

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the more it's Lord, this isn't me. This is you. Lord, I don't take credit. This is you doing it.

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I'm still so desperate. I'm like a little child. I need you. Lord, I need you. Guide me. Teach me.

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Speak to me. Lord, I'm nothing without you. That humility of the heart.

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If I'm telling you when you're that way, an angel comes and paints a giant bullseye on your head.

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And it's a direct target for the blessing, the favor, and the tender mercies of the Lord. Amen.

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I've seen it over and over again. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather

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than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself

369
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will be exalted. Amen. Number four, impostering yourself to receive the mercy of God as praise and

370
00:43:56.800 --> 00:44:07.280
worship. Second Chronicles 20 verses 19 through 22. Here's the bottom line. You're all with me?

371
00:44:08.560 --> 00:44:12.240
Okay. I'm wondering if I should just kick it into fifth.

372
00:44:17.680 --> 00:44:23.280
Then the Levites of the children of the co-ethites and the children of the core

373
00:44:23.600 --> 00:44:27.600
stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high. What's happening here?

374
00:44:27.600 --> 00:44:34.240
The children of Israel messed up again. And so judgment was coming upon them again.

375
00:44:35.120 --> 00:44:38.480
And the judgment took the form of an army that was bigger than them,

376
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stronger than them, and was going to take them out. Maybe I'm preaching to a lot of people,

377
00:44:46.640 --> 00:44:52.240
you're just in the right place right now. You're not in a valley, you're in the season of mountaintop.

378
00:44:53.280 --> 00:44:57.600
Happy for you. Me too right now, actually, it's awesome.

379
00:44:59.520 --> 00:45:05.440
But I know how life goes. It's not doubt and unbelief to just realize that when you go from one

380
00:45:05.440 --> 00:45:11.360
mountaintop to another mountaintop that's even higher, what's in between is a valley. And you

381
00:45:11.360 --> 00:45:16.320
want to know this when you're in a valley. There's two kinds of people in a church. Those that praise

382
00:45:16.320 --> 00:45:21.760
and worship only when the praise and worship team is leading them, and they're those who do it outside

383
00:45:21.760 --> 00:45:28.640
of church. And it makes all the difference. When you're somebody who will have that time,

384
00:45:29.360 --> 00:45:35.120
even if it's for 30 seconds, I'm not raising the bar low. I'm trying to get some of you who on

385
00:45:35.120 --> 00:45:38.400
the outskirts would never ever thought in your minds that you could actually praise and

386
00:45:40.640 --> 00:45:45.200
you might be shocked. There's people like that. It never occurred to them. Oh, I can actually do

387
00:45:45.200 --> 00:45:50.560
that thing we do in church on Sundays in my house. I can shut myself in a room. Oh, you have

388
00:45:50.560 --> 00:45:57.760
roommates. I'll wait for them to be gone. I'll take a walk in the park. I will open my mouth and

389
00:45:57.760 --> 00:46:06.480
I will sing to him. And it will put you smack dab in the overflow of the mercy of God.

390
00:46:09.440 --> 00:46:14.240
Let's read the next verse. Please. I kind of

391
00:46:14.960 --> 00:46:18.640
went through what was happening here. Verse 21, please.

392
00:46:21.120 --> 00:46:26.160
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord

393
00:46:26.160 --> 00:46:31.760
so the supposing army, the judgment of God is coming. And who should praise the beauty of holiness

394
00:46:31.760 --> 00:46:37.760
as they went out before the army and were saying praise the Lord. What was the song they were singing?

395
00:46:38.480 --> 00:46:41.440
What was the subject matter? It was the mercy of God.

396
00:46:45.120 --> 00:46:51.840
So Sean is going to sing a song on the mercy of God after serving that one.

397
00:46:53.120 --> 00:46:59.680
When you finish singing that one, Google another one. Or here's an idea. He's just make one up.

398
00:47:00.560 --> 00:47:04.240
Lord loves that stuff. Satan will tell you you're being silly and goofy.

399
00:47:04.320 --> 00:47:08.480
The Lord loves it. Take up a song. Freestyle. It could be like anything.

400
00:47:09.680 --> 00:47:15.680
Lord, here I am coming to you again. I did some stupid things. I'm so sorry.

401
00:47:16.400 --> 00:47:21.200
But I heard it said in your word. You're merciful even though I'm absurd.

402
00:47:23.600 --> 00:47:26.880
So Lord, I receive that which I don't deserve.

403
00:47:27.360 --> 00:47:35.680
And just sing it. Let it just come out of your spirit. Amen. That was really by accident. Amen.

404
00:47:39.920 --> 00:47:46.480
For his mercies endure forever. Now when they begin to sing and to praise,

405
00:47:46.480 --> 00:47:51.760
the Lord said ambushes against the people of a man, Moab, and Mount C year who had come against

406
00:47:51.760 --> 00:47:59.600
Judah and they were defeated. When you're backs against the wall and you come to the Lord

407
00:48:00.320 --> 00:48:07.760
in light of his mercy, talk to him about his mercy. Remind him of his mercy. Sing of his mercy.

408
00:48:08.560 --> 00:48:13.600
There might be consequences. There might be judgment coming your way.

409
00:48:14.400 --> 00:48:23.600
In Jesus name, the Lord will set ambushes for those things. Satan may be naming your name to Jesus

410
00:48:23.600 --> 00:48:29.680
right now saying, I want that one. And the Lord saying, why? Well, they've done this and they've

411
00:48:29.680 --> 00:48:34.480
done that and they've thought this. They really aren't who they claim to be. And Satan wants to sift

412
00:48:34.480 --> 00:48:41.120
you like through wheat. And Jesus saying, I pray for you that your faith failed. Not believe in me.

413
00:48:41.120 --> 00:48:46.080
Believe what I've done for you. Believe in the power of my blood. Your mistakes and your sin,

414
00:48:46.080 --> 00:48:54.960
you think they're so powerful. They're not more powerful than my blood. Hallelujah. So receive mercy.

415
00:48:56.320 --> 00:49:00.160
Amen. And now number five.

416
00:49:00.160 --> 00:49:10.400
Who remembers what number one is? Be merciful. Number two. I say number three.

417
00:49:12.080 --> 00:49:22.560
Humility. Number four. Praise and worship. Number five. This always instigates the demon of

418
00:49:22.560 --> 00:49:30.000
cheapskateism. But you'll see it in the scriptures. You cannot doubt it.

419
00:49:31.840 --> 00:49:39.280
The generosity and being a giver. Again, this isn't a transaction. You don't buy the mercy of God.

420
00:49:39.280 --> 00:49:46.400
But there is something about the heart of a giver that just causes you to stand out.

421
00:49:46.880 --> 00:49:54.000
No, God doesn't love you more. No, you don't get to heaven before the stingy mingee tightwad

422
00:49:54.000 --> 00:49:58.080
Christian. But you do live a vastly different life while on earth.

423
00:50:04.080 --> 00:50:05.920
Let's look at Malachi chapter three.

424
00:50:06.080 --> 00:50:16.160
You know, when I was growing up in the Lord every Sunday, we'd hear Malachi three.

425
00:50:19.920 --> 00:50:28.000
I think I bring it up once or twice a year. So I'm going to take my time because you haven't

426
00:50:28.080 --> 00:50:39.680
gotten enough. Let's enjoy Malachi three. I'm too happy right now for Malachi three.

427
00:50:39.680 --> 00:50:48.560
Let me get a little more serious. Let me get my Malachi three on. I got to be angry. We're behind

428
00:50:48.560 --> 00:50:58.320
budget. Staff hasn't been paid. Building fun. That word should be.

429
00:51:06.320 --> 00:51:11.120
All right, because of the jokes, let me just let me say this part first. No, you know what? We'll

430
00:51:12.080 --> 00:51:20.800
will take it one verse at a time. Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say in what way

431
00:51:20.800 --> 00:51:27.520
have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. What is a tide? It's the first tenth of our income.

432
00:51:28.240 --> 00:51:33.360
What is an offering? It's something that's in addition to the tide. Where does the tide belong?

433
00:51:33.360 --> 00:51:38.400
Well, it belongs in the storehouse. That is a type of the local church today.

434
00:51:38.800 --> 00:51:45.600
You are cursed with a curse for you have robbed me even this whole nation of pause right now.

435
00:51:47.440 --> 00:51:55.840
This is under the old covenant. You are cursed with a curse that was on them under the new covenant.

436
00:51:55.840 --> 00:52:03.040
You. You cannot be both cursed and blessed at the same time. Do you get that? So nine out of ten

437
00:52:03.040 --> 00:52:08.880
preachers, even more really, they have used this scripture not in light of the new covenant.

438
00:52:09.600 --> 00:52:14.000
But under the old covenant saying you're cursed. I've heard preachers say I don't even hear you.

439
00:52:14.000 --> 00:52:17.440
I won't even meet with you for counseling if you don't tide. What's the point? You're already cursed.

440
00:52:19.440 --> 00:52:23.040
Come on, you've never heard you have to have heard something like that. Some variation of that.

441
00:52:23.360 --> 00:52:30.240
Now, under the new covenant, you are blessed. You are blessed. You, your person.

442
00:52:32.800 --> 00:52:40.080
Jesus has blessed you. Jesus has redeemed you. But it doesn't mean your finances are blessed.

443
00:52:41.920 --> 00:52:48.560
I tithe. I tithe since I was sixteen years old. The people who call city light church their home

444
00:52:49.360 --> 00:52:55.920
not to avoid a curse but to show their love for God and they give a tithe and then they believe

445
00:52:55.920 --> 00:53:02.880
their finances are blessed. Do you see the difference? Now, this has been the message we were just

446
00:53:02.880 --> 00:53:08.560
talking about this earlier. This has been the message for city light. So I don't come and try to

447
00:53:08.560 --> 00:53:14.000
manipulate people and say you need to tithe otherwise. The Godfather, I mean Father God is going to

448
00:53:14.000 --> 00:53:19.760
smite you and destroy you and break your kneecaps. I've always presented it this way and you know

449
00:53:19.760 --> 00:53:25.760
what our giving looks like? Our giving is three times the amount of it for church, our size.

450
00:53:28.000 --> 00:53:33.360
Even the fact that it's a rainy, nasty day and the place is full and I never stand here and go,

451
00:53:33.360 --> 00:53:39.040
you know, you have to come in every Sunday. It's your duty. It's your job. I've never

452
00:53:39.760 --> 00:53:44.560
gilted and manipulated people and yet people come and I don't gilted and manipulate people into

453
00:53:44.560 --> 00:53:49.360
tithing. Yet people tithe. Isn't it amazing how the gospel is set up? You think when Jesus said

454
00:53:49.360 --> 00:53:58.720
it was true. Amen. And yet I know right now there's some people they're not tithers and they have

455
00:53:58.720 --> 00:54:06.480
every reason and you need to just grow up come into that place of faith and maturity. I just

456
00:54:07.360 --> 00:54:15.840
I say that with love but I don't know how else to say it. How do you trust God with your eternal soul

457
00:54:15.840 --> 00:54:20.880
and then can't trust them with your finances? Oh, I trust that he's going to save me on on that day

458
00:54:21.840 --> 00:54:26.560
but that thing about tithing and him actually giving me more back than what I gave. Oh, that's

459
00:54:27.440 --> 00:54:34.320
that's just preacher magic. But here's none of that had to do with point number five. I just

460
00:54:34.320 --> 00:54:43.120
wanted to share because we don't get enough Malachi three. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

461
00:54:47.040 --> 00:54:52.320
You are cursed with a curse for you have robbed me even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes

462
00:54:52.320 --> 00:54:57.840
into the storehouse that they may be food in my house. That means your tithe can't go to

463
00:54:57.840 --> 00:55:06.480
your tithe can't go to somebody else that tithe belongs in the local church. Amen. That they may

464
00:55:06.480 --> 00:55:12.480
be food in my house and try me now in this as the Lord of hosts. If I will not open for you the

465
00:55:12.480 --> 00:55:17.600
windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that they will not be room enough to receive

466
00:55:17.600 --> 00:55:22.000
it. And I'll rebuke the devour. You know what the devour is originally there in the Hebrew seed

467
00:55:22.640 --> 00:55:30.960
the locusts people who don't tithe it it it goes away anyway your car will break down your refrigerator

468
00:55:30.960 --> 00:55:38.080
will break down something will happen arrest will audit you all these things happen and you take it

469
00:55:38.080 --> 00:55:43.280
and put it in the bag with holes in it so many people like me just 10 minutes ago past your

470
00:55:43.280 --> 00:55:54.640
mouth and now that's all right I say this because I love you the seed eater the devour will be

471
00:55:54.640 --> 00:56:00.080
rebuke so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground nor shall divine fail to bear fruit for

472
00:56:00.080 --> 00:56:05.440
you in the field says the Lord of hosts and all nations will call you blessed for you will be a

473
00:56:05.440 --> 00:56:11.360
delightful land says the Lord of hosts okay this is the standard passage on tithing I want to show

474
00:56:11.520 --> 00:56:17.040
you how giving is connected to mercy let's go to verse 17 there is something about giving

475
00:56:19.840 --> 00:56:28.400
the Lord does not ignore in the book of Acts chapter 10 God shows Cornelius Cornelius was like why

476
00:56:28.880 --> 00:56:35.440
the angel said your praying and your giving has come up as a memorial before God

477
00:56:35.440 --> 00:56:49.120
I'm free in this I know where my money comes from I know what my motives are I know how many

478
00:56:49.120 --> 00:56:57.680
millions this church is given away I know what I've personally given away so I'm free I can look

479
00:56:57.680 --> 00:57:03.120
you in the eye and by the way I don't know who tides I don't know when I say I can look you in the

480
00:57:03.120 --> 00:57:09.760
eye people with no I don't know I I treat when I come across you I'm looking at you like you're the

481
00:57:09.760 --> 00:57:15.440
top giver in the church let me just clarify that sometimes I do know who who gives because they

482
00:57:15.440 --> 00:57:20.160
highlight when they send me the the financials report if anyone I don't want to say what if anybody

483
00:57:20.160 --> 00:57:27.120
gives big they let me know it's like okay cool but I treat everybody the same I'm just saying when

484
00:57:27.120 --> 00:57:33.280
I minister this message I know that it works I know that it's true and if you don't want to give

485
00:57:34.000 --> 00:57:38.160
that's between you and God don't give that's fine I mean it's not fine but you know what I mean

486
00:57:39.120 --> 00:57:44.960
no one's gonna hear twist your arm or anything but just no you're the one who's missing out

487
00:57:46.480 --> 00:57:53.120
we don't we don't need another giver we have a big vision we want to see New York City shaken

488
00:57:53.200 --> 00:57:59.200
but we we're not here going ah the Lord has always provided for us I'm not here saying you know

489
00:58:00.160 --> 00:58:05.920
Montenegro is just a developing nation but the money goes quick and I had a vacation there

490
00:58:06.560 --> 00:58:10.960
victor's feet they grow so big you know he needs new shoes every several months

491
00:58:12.320 --> 00:58:16.320
if you could please just give me a penicostle handshake on your way out of the church you sure

492
00:58:16.320 --> 00:58:26.000
would help me here's what the Lord says for tithers givers generous people the Bible says

493
00:58:26.000 --> 00:58:35.680
the liberal the generous soul liberal means generous in the Hebrew don't confuse the two the generous

494
00:58:35.760 --> 00:58:47.200
soul shall be made fat the generous soul shall be made fat that means prosperous don't confuse my

495
00:58:47.200 --> 00:58:55.520
with that word don't and he who waters shall also be watered himself he says they shall be

496
00:58:55.520 --> 00:59:02.560
mine says the Lord of hosts on the day that I make them my jewels and I will spare them you look

497
00:59:02.560 --> 00:59:11.600
in the Hebrew there it means I will spoil them as a man spoils his own son who serves him when

498
00:59:11.600 --> 00:59:18.800
you're a giver when your heart is open when you hold material things loosely when you see yourself

499
00:59:18.800 --> 00:59:24.080
as a vessel that God will bring me all these things to get them through me and I get to enjoy

500
00:59:24.080 --> 00:59:34.720
them and enjoy this ride also he will spoil you and I have sometimes and I always I don't want you

501
00:59:35.600 --> 00:59:39.440
I don't want to I don't want to I feel bad for some people who are in a valley right now

502
00:59:41.840 --> 00:59:46.080
I feel bad in the sense that you might misread what I'm about to say I feel good that I know

503
00:59:46.080 --> 00:59:50.880
that he's your God I've been in the valley but he's going to get you out but right now I'm not in

504
00:59:50.880 --> 00:59:57.280
the valley I've been in the valley or right now I feel spoiled like an only son I feel spoiled I

505
00:59:57.280 --> 01:00:05.040
mean even financially it's just it's hitting from every way he'll bring different avenues of

506
01:00:05.040 --> 01:00:14.400
revenue it's hitting I feel the increase of God the blessing of God when I was gone on vacation my

507
01:00:14.400 --> 01:00:20.160
home at Kondo flooded again past James pastimo thank you they came in and

508
01:00:20.800 --> 01:00:28.160
made sure that we didn't return to a swamp but while I'm there wondering what what else is being

509
01:00:28.160 --> 01:00:32.720
destroyed I'm thinking where about to close on a brand new home in Long Island the Lord did that

510
01:00:33.440 --> 01:00:36.000
Amen the Lord I feel

511
01:00:39.440 --> 01:00:48.880
and he will do that to you you get what the screams spoil you spare you make you stick out show so much

512
01:00:48.880 --> 01:00:57.360
mercy that you'll almost get embarrassed he word almost let's look at his final verse in

513
01:00:57.360 --> 01:01:01.040
second Corinthians I'm glad I'm taking my time with this because some of you you don't even know

514
01:01:01.040 --> 01:01:08.720
you've been bound up by a nasty lack mentality that's afflicted you since your mom said no more

515
01:01:08.720 --> 01:01:17.760
for you we have to have some for tomorrow that was a joke but you received it seriously if the shoe

516
01:01:17.760 --> 01:01:27.120
fix that's when these poverty spirits and lack mentalities that's when they take root I'm teaching

517
01:01:27.120 --> 01:01:34.000
my kids to have an abundance mentality and it's a challenge to teach them hard work personal

518
01:01:34.000 --> 01:01:39.520
responsibility but daddy doesn't just make it rain abundance on you you have to do your part

519
01:01:39.520 --> 01:01:46.560
and be responsible and get A's and do well and do right and at the same time don't have limitations

520
01:01:46.560 --> 01:01:52.320
God is a big God God is an abundant God don't expect to scrape through life but expect an

521
01:01:52.320 --> 01:02:01.440
overflowing cup amen second Corinthians 9.7 in the amplified let each one give as he has made

522
01:02:01.440 --> 01:02:08.480
up his own mind and purpose in his heart not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion

523
01:02:09.120 --> 01:02:16.880
for God loves now the amplified opens up and unpacks what that word loves their means he takes

524
01:02:16.880 --> 01:02:26.080
pleasure in the giver the generous person prizes above other things and is unwilling to abandon

525
01:02:26.080 --> 01:02:34.960
or to do without a cheerful joyous prom to do it giver whose heart is in his giving one more

526
01:02:34.960 --> 01:02:44.160
time God is unwilling to abandon or to do without a cheerful joyous prom to do it giver whose heart

527
01:02:44.160 --> 01:02:51.680
is in his giving I want to be that guy I want to be that guy I know there's many of you here you

528
01:02:51.680 --> 01:02:58.880
want to be that person I wanted this church to be that church there were times when I said I

529
01:02:58.880 --> 01:03:04.160
want to be that guy paused I want to I want to be that guy that when God's eyes scan their

530
01:03:04.160 --> 01:03:11.760
teeth goes that guy my son there want to keep him around because everything I get to him he gives

531
01:03:11.760 --> 01:03:16.560
away whenever I tell him to give it away I can entrust him I don't have to tell him twice I don't

532
01:03:16.560 --> 01:03:21.760
got to have my Holy Spirit ride him for nights and nights and give him dreams and confirmations and

533
01:03:21.760 --> 01:03:28.960
I just I just breathe give and he gives it away I want to be that guy because God God wants to keep

534
01:03:28.960 --> 01:03:35.760
that guy around and one of the things in the early years of city life when it looked like we

535
01:03:35.760 --> 01:03:40.720
were going to get wiped out every week was a miracle that we were still around case you don't

536
01:03:40.720 --> 01:03:49.040
know New York City is the hardest ground in America they say California California still got tons

537
01:03:49.040 --> 01:03:54.000
of Christians and it's tough in some areas but New York City is the only place known as the

538
01:03:54.000 --> 01:03:58.960
preacher's graveyard and where you see major churches come in with millions of dollars and still

539
01:03:58.960 --> 01:04:07.360
pack it out after 18 months and we did it with no denominational support know anything one of the

540
01:04:07.360 --> 01:04:14.560
tricks that I used was that quickly got into missions and I said we need an orphanage in Ethiopia

541
01:04:15.360 --> 01:04:20.640
and then we need to help out in Guatemala since 2009 the orphanage in Guatemala let's build a

542
01:04:20.640 --> 01:04:25.440
church a year it ended up sometimes being five six churches a year let's get into Liberia let's

543
01:04:25.440 --> 01:04:34.240
help in Montenegro why because I want to be indispensable to God now you've heard sometimes maybe

544
01:04:34.240 --> 01:04:38.560
saying oh God doesn't need you I get it he doesn't need you he doesn't need me can make a thousand

545
01:04:38.560 --> 01:04:47.600
of me like this I get it but at the same time he's unwilling to abandon or to do without a church

546
01:04:47.600 --> 01:04:53.920
in New York City that is the primary sponsor of an orphanage in Ethiopia he's unwilling to abandon

547
01:04:53.920 --> 01:04:58.560
or do without a church in New York City that's built over 40 churches slash community centers in

548
01:04:58.560 --> 01:05:03.360
Guatemala are you catching what I'm saying here so very early on I set us up this way and there were

549
01:05:03.360 --> 01:05:08.800
times when it seemed like we weren't going to make it I'd say Lord you know just so you know if we

550
01:05:08.800 --> 01:05:16.240
get taken out then we can't support all these other places I want I get calls from the office saying

551
01:05:16.240 --> 01:05:19.520
we don't know where the money is going to come from do we send our support this month you know

552
01:05:19.520 --> 01:05:24.720
since day one we have never ever not sent support ever no matter how tight it got because I knew

553
01:05:24.720 --> 01:05:30.800
if I we can keep sending the support we're going to make it and thankfully those years are over

554
01:05:30.800 --> 01:05:38.560
thankfully now it's not oh now it's now there's an overflow amen and on that note you know we

555
01:05:38.560 --> 01:05:43.520
needed to raise 15 thousand dollars for Montenegro that goal was met without again without

556
01:05:43.520 --> 01:05:49.200
pushing or pressing we met that goal I say for Montenegro because that's where Pastor Yubit says

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but he's starting a church in Novi Sad Serbia and within three months just from the overflow

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you guys met that and join me in applause for yourselves and your generous hearts amen thank you

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worship team come on up if you would lift your hands say this out loud

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Lord Jesus you are God you delight in mercy I have made mistakes of committed sins

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there's some consequences that may be coming my way but I trust you Lord number one for your grace

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because of your grace I'm forgiven because of your grace I receive undeserved favor

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but also thank you for your mercy because of your mercy I don't receive deserved judgment

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so thank you Lord Jesus shout a big hallelujah amen

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this is the city light church podcast if you've missed any part of today's message or if you

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would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jansik in city light church visit us at city light

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nyc.com that's city light nyc.com feel free to visit us online or in person anytime we would love to

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connect with you we pray that you have been encouraged today that you have been reminded how much

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God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace thank you for listening make sure that you

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subscribe to city light church podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide