1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,720 No other gods in our life but Jesus. 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:06,360 We used to bow down to our own 3 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:09,080 ways and live our own lives and be 4 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:10,700 our own authority and call the shots. 5 00:00:10,940 --> 00:00:12,120 And boy, what a mess that got us 6 00:00:12,120 --> 00:00:12,640 into, right? 7 00:00:13,620 --> 00:00:15,219 But when we turn the control of our 8 00:00:15,219 --> 00:00:17,280 life over to our maker and our creator, 9 00:00:18,220 --> 00:00:20,580 God's actually doing something good in us and 10 00:00:20,580 --> 00:00:23,040 through us and making our life count for 11 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:23,940 Him and for His kingdom. 12 00:00:24,820 --> 00:00:26,680 That's what's exciting about being a Christian. 13 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:28,660 It's worthwhile to be a Christian. 14 00:00:28,660 --> 00:00:30,380 There's worth in being a Christian. 15 00:00:30,500 --> 00:00:32,040 There's fulfillment in being a Christian. 16 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:34,920 It's what God designed you to be, was 17 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:36,960 to be a lover and worshipper of Him. 18 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,740 When you find Jesus, it all comes together. 19 00:00:40,820 --> 00:00:41,380 It all fits. 20 00:00:41,480 --> 00:00:42,680 It all makes sense, right? 21 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:45,220 Didn't make sense before, but it all makes 22 00:00:45,220 --> 00:00:45,820 sense now. 23 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:47,560 We know why we're here. 24 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:48,820 We know where we're going. 25 00:00:49,100 --> 00:00:50,140 We know who we are. 26 00:00:50,620 --> 00:00:52,600 We have all these questions answered in Jesus 27 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:53,120 Christ. 28 00:00:53,420 --> 00:00:54,480 Our search is over. 29 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:56,500 We found the one that our heart has 30 00:00:56,500 --> 00:00:57,360 been longing for. 31 00:00:58,260 --> 00:01:00,560 And that's awesome. 32 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:01,880 What can we say? 33 00:01:02,860 --> 00:01:04,239 I'd like you to turn your Bibles to 34 00:01:04,239 --> 00:01:05,480 Matthew chapter 5. 35 00:01:08,010 --> 00:01:09,770 We'll be looking at verses 1 through 7, 36 00:01:09,910 --> 00:01:12,070 focusing on verse 7 today, but let's read 37 00:01:12,070 --> 00:01:13,810 verses 1 through 5 of Matthew. 38 00:01:15,090 --> 00:01:17,230 1 through 7 of Matthew chapter 5. 39 00:01:18,950 --> 00:01:21,970 And seeing the multitudes, Jesus went up on 40 00:01:21,970 --> 00:01:25,290 a mountain, and when He was seated, His 41 00:01:25,290 --> 00:01:26,550 disciples came to Him. 42 00:01:27,330 --> 00:01:29,170 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, 43 00:01:29,390 --> 00:01:32,730 saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for 44 00:01:32,730 --> 00:01:34,270 theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 45 00:01:35,050 --> 00:01:37,250 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall 46 00:01:37,250 --> 00:01:38,070 be comforted. 47 00:01:38,730 --> 00:01:40,990 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit 48 00:01:40,990 --> 00:01:41,570 the earth. 49 00:01:42,350 --> 00:01:44,770 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for 50 00:01:44,770 --> 00:01:46,630 righteousness, for they shall be filled. 51 00:01:47,530 --> 00:01:50,050 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain 52 00:01:50,050 --> 00:01:50,570 mercy. 53 00:01:51,090 --> 00:01:51,610 Let's pray. 54 00:01:54,660 --> 00:01:56,940 We again consider it a privilege, Lord, to 55 00:01:56,940 --> 00:01:59,280 open up your powerful word this morning, God. 56 00:01:59,960 --> 00:02:01,080 Your words are truth. 57 00:02:01,740 --> 00:02:02,820 Your words are life. 58 00:02:03,740 --> 00:02:05,980 Our manual to live by, Lord, we thank 59 00:02:05,980 --> 00:02:07,680 you for the instruction that you give us 60 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:08,300 in your word. 61 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:10,600 How you reveal yourself to us in your 62 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:10,900 word. 63 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:13,240 Lord, help us to look at your word 64 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,920 more and more as something precious in our 65 00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:16,520 lives, Lord. 66 00:02:17,060 --> 00:02:20,680 Something, Lord, that is our very bread and 67 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:21,420 our food, Lord. 68 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,060 We thank you that your word is sweeter 69 00:02:24,060 --> 00:02:26,820 than honey in the honeycomb, Lord, as King 70 00:02:26,820 --> 00:02:27,460 David said. 71 00:02:28,420 --> 00:02:30,060 And now, Lord, guide us and direct us 72 00:02:30,640 --> 00:02:32,140 in this meeting, Lord. 73 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,120 We meet you this morning in your word, 74 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:35,300 in Jesus' name, amen. 75 00:02:38,050 --> 00:02:40,270 Okay, Jesus is talking here. 76 00:02:41,050 --> 00:02:46,010 And He's saying, Let's go higher, disciples, right? 77 00:02:46,650 --> 00:02:48,210 He wants to take them up into a 78 00:02:48,210 --> 00:02:49,810 mountain, into a higher place. 79 00:02:50,310 --> 00:02:51,730 Let's go higher, disciples. 80 00:02:51,850 --> 00:02:52,730 Come on up, boys. 81 00:02:53,570 --> 00:02:55,850 Come on in, men, and let me show 82 00:02:55,850 --> 00:02:56,450 you the view. 83 00:02:57,490 --> 00:03:00,850 Let me show you God's perspective on how 84 00:03:00,850 --> 00:03:02,550 the people who belong to the kingdom of 85 00:03:02,550 --> 00:03:06,050 God should be acting, should be behaving. 86 00:03:07,010 --> 00:03:08,090 I should give you a clue in that 87 00:03:08,090 --> 00:03:08,750 word, behaving. 88 00:03:08,870 --> 00:03:10,990 This is called the Beatitudes, right? 89 00:03:11,470 --> 00:03:14,170 How are we behaving when it comes to 90 00:03:14,170 --> 00:03:14,970 following Him? 91 00:03:18,170 --> 00:03:21,090 The same way 2,000 years later as 92 00:03:21,090 --> 00:03:23,510 disciples of Jesus, just like these disciples, the 93 00:03:23,510 --> 00:03:25,730 Lord is calling us to come away. 94 00:03:26,290 --> 00:03:27,630 He's calling us to come up. 95 00:03:28,410 --> 00:03:30,710 He's calling us up to a higher place 96 00:03:30,710 --> 00:03:35,610 to see what it's like to live and 97 00:03:35,610 --> 00:03:37,830 be a part of the kingdom of God. 98 00:03:37,930 --> 00:03:38,830 Get away from the crowds. 99 00:03:39,010 --> 00:03:39,770 Get away from the hustle. 100 00:03:39,910 --> 00:03:40,930 Get away from the bustle. 101 00:03:42,110 --> 00:03:43,670 You know, they had been involved in some 102 00:03:43,670 --> 00:03:45,510 ministry at this point, but now he's got 103 00:03:45,510 --> 00:03:47,890 them alone and kind of cloistered there, and 104 00:03:47,890 --> 00:03:50,050 he's going to teach them the ways, again, 105 00:03:50,110 --> 00:03:53,490 of the kingdom, important principles of the kingdom. 106 00:03:53,950 --> 00:03:55,590 And we need to search our hearts this 107 00:03:55,590 --> 00:03:58,610 morning and ask as well, what are our 108 00:03:58,610 --> 00:04:01,170 attitudes when it comes to the Beatitudes? 109 00:04:02,550 --> 00:04:04,650 And he starts off by saying, blessed are 110 00:04:04,650 --> 00:04:05,750 the poor in spirit. 111 00:04:06,810 --> 00:04:08,950 And that word blessed simply means happy. 112 00:04:09,590 --> 00:04:15,170 Happy, holy is the Christian who recognizes his 113 00:04:15,170 --> 00:04:18,310 utter spiritual bankruptcy apart from God's grace. 114 00:04:18,390 --> 00:04:19,250 That's what that means. 115 00:04:20,230 --> 00:04:22,550 He's basically saying, do we have a humble 116 00:04:22,550 --> 00:04:25,210 and correct estimation of ourselves, or do we 117 00:04:25,210 --> 00:04:27,830 think more highly of ourselves than we ought? 118 00:04:28,930 --> 00:04:31,630 Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven belongs 119 00:04:31,630 --> 00:04:34,390 to those who sense their own poverty of 120 00:04:34,390 --> 00:04:34,870 spirit. 121 00:04:35,490 --> 00:04:37,090 As Paul said, I am what I am 122 00:04:37,090 --> 00:04:38,250 by the grace of God. 123 00:04:38,810 --> 00:04:41,470 That's poverty of spirit, that's poor in spirit, 124 00:04:41,950 --> 00:04:45,250 where you recognize that everything you have is 125 00:04:45,250 --> 00:04:46,990 from the Lord, and everything you are is 126 00:04:46,990 --> 00:04:47,990 because of God. 127 00:04:48,430 --> 00:04:49,170 It's humility. 128 00:04:49,970 --> 00:04:51,470 That's a part of the Beatitudes. 129 00:04:51,590 --> 00:04:53,670 Are you walking in humility today? 130 00:04:54,650 --> 00:04:57,170 Secondly, Jesus said, blessed are those who mourn. 131 00:04:57,650 --> 00:05:00,350 Happy and holy are those who don't take 132 00:05:00,350 --> 00:05:02,650 sin lightly in their lives, but grieve and 133 00:05:02,650 --> 00:05:05,450 break over their sin, who mourn over it 134 00:05:05,450 --> 00:05:08,330 and despise it and seek true change through 135 00:05:08,330 --> 00:05:08,930 repentance. 136 00:05:09,150 --> 00:05:11,230 God's comfort is for them. 137 00:05:11,650 --> 00:05:14,470 It's talking about not our attitude toward grief, 138 00:05:14,650 --> 00:05:16,290 per se, but toward sin in our life. 139 00:05:16,750 --> 00:05:18,410 Do we grieve over sin in our life? 140 00:05:18,470 --> 00:05:20,230 Do we mourn over that because we've broken 141 00:05:20,230 --> 00:05:23,070 God's law and God's heart? 142 00:05:23,550 --> 00:05:26,850 We've hurt the Lord, and we mourn over 143 00:05:26,850 --> 00:05:26,970 that. 144 00:05:27,030 --> 00:05:27,750 We weep over that. 145 00:05:27,810 --> 00:05:31,070 We grieve over that, and that should lead 146 00:05:31,070 --> 00:05:33,310 us to repentance, godly sorrow leading us to 147 00:05:33,310 --> 00:05:33,730 repentance. 148 00:05:34,230 --> 00:05:36,470 And the Lord says, you will be comforted 149 00:05:36,470 --> 00:05:39,490 in that when you're broken, and you confess, 150 00:05:39,610 --> 00:05:40,450 and you yield to me. 151 00:05:40,770 --> 00:05:41,570 I'll comfort you. 152 00:05:42,070 --> 00:05:43,390 The Holy Spirit is our comforter. 153 00:05:44,510 --> 00:05:46,270 He went on to say, blessed are the 154 00:05:46,270 --> 00:05:46,590 meek. 155 00:05:47,210 --> 00:05:49,250 What be our attitude when it comes to 156 00:05:49,250 --> 00:05:50,130 self-control? 157 00:05:50,290 --> 00:05:51,570 It's basically what he's saying there. 158 00:05:52,010 --> 00:05:53,550 Self-control, blessed are the meek. 159 00:05:54,330 --> 00:05:55,930 Are we under the control of God? 160 00:05:56,410 --> 00:05:58,490 Are we under the government of God? 161 00:05:58,910 --> 00:06:00,030 Are we out of control? 162 00:06:00,090 --> 00:06:01,470 We know where that comes from, by being 163 00:06:01,470 --> 00:06:02,270 self-willed. 164 00:06:02,270 --> 00:06:05,710 Whenever we put our will in opposition to 165 00:06:05,710 --> 00:06:08,070 God's will, then at that point, we're no 166 00:06:08,070 --> 00:06:09,110 longer meek, are we? 167 00:06:10,250 --> 00:06:11,830 We're prideful, and we're stubborn. 168 00:06:12,530 --> 00:06:14,090 But blessed are the meek, those who are 169 00:06:14,090 --> 00:06:16,350 under the control and government of God. 170 00:06:16,370 --> 00:06:18,710 Actually, the word meek was used by the 171 00:06:18,710 --> 00:06:21,490 Greeks to describe a horse that had been 172 00:06:21,490 --> 00:06:21,910 broken. 173 00:06:22,930 --> 00:06:25,550 So have you been broken, or have you 174 00:06:25,550 --> 00:06:29,410 come under his control, the master's control? 175 00:06:29,630 --> 00:06:32,590 Or are you bucking the rider, per se? 176 00:06:33,210 --> 00:06:34,750 He wants the reins. 177 00:06:35,390 --> 00:06:37,170 He wants to rule over us. 178 00:06:37,890 --> 00:06:40,330 And that's a daily decision that we make, 179 00:06:40,390 --> 00:06:41,930 to give him our will, right? 180 00:06:42,850 --> 00:06:43,890 It's a daily thing. 181 00:06:43,950 --> 00:06:45,190 We're not getting born again, again. 182 00:06:45,210 --> 00:06:46,250 We're not getting saved again. 183 00:06:46,290 --> 00:06:48,490 We're simply saying, Lord, be the Lord of 184 00:06:48,490 --> 00:06:50,530 my thoughts, my words, my actions, and my 185 00:06:50,530 --> 00:06:50,830 attitudes. 186 00:06:50,950 --> 00:06:52,610 Be the Lord over all of me today. 187 00:06:53,190 --> 00:06:55,130 Have control over every area of my life. 188 00:06:55,190 --> 00:06:56,770 I don't wanna be in control, Lord. 189 00:06:56,770 --> 00:06:58,550 I want you to control all of those 190 00:06:58,550 --> 00:06:59,030 areas. 191 00:06:59,670 --> 00:07:02,230 Live through me, love through me, speak through 192 00:07:02,230 --> 00:07:02,550 me. 193 00:07:04,130 --> 00:07:05,030 And he will. 194 00:07:05,270 --> 00:07:06,510 That's the cool thing about Jesus. 195 00:07:06,690 --> 00:07:07,310 He does. 196 00:07:07,950 --> 00:07:09,510 He lives his life through us. 197 00:07:09,630 --> 00:07:11,970 I can't live the Christian life, but Jesus 198 00:07:11,970 --> 00:07:13,090 can live it through me. 199 00:07:13,350 --> 00:07:15,990 But that takes a willing, humble heart, doesn't 200 00:07:15,990 --> 00:07:16,170 it? 201 00:07:17,370 --> 00:07:18,850 And then he said, blessed are those who 202 00:07:18,850 --> 00:07:20,330 hunger and thirst after righteousness. 203 00:07:21,070 --> 00:07:23,930 Are we seeking God's righteousness rather than attempting 204 00:07:23,930 --> 00:07:26,290 a righteousness of our own, which we do 205 00:07:26,290 --> 00:07:27,350 on occasion, right? 206 00:07:27,390 --> 00:07:28,270 Maybe every now and then. 207 00:07:29,470 --> 00:07:31,790 We often become self-righteous, don't we? 208 00:07:32,130 --> 00:07:34,890 In our decisions or, well, I'm right and 209 00:07:34,890 --> 00:07:37,130 you're wrong and so forth, or esteeming ourselves 210 00:07:37,130 --> 00:07:37,990 higher than we ought. 211 00:07:38,270 --> 00:07:40,510 But seeking his righteousness and not our own, 212 00:07:40,570 --> 00:07:43,510 Jesus says, will satisfy our hunger and thirst 213 00:07:43,510 --> 00:07:45,290 for a right relationship with God. 214 00:07:46,050 --> 00:07:48,730 When you're seeking his righteousness, you'll be filled 215 00:07:48,730 --> 00:07:50,550 with more of him. 216 00:07:51,730 --> 00:07:53,330 Now in verse seven, we come to the 217 00:07:53,330 --> 00:07:54,930 verse that I really want to focus on 218 00:07:54,930 --> 00:07:56,530 this morning, and that is blessed are the 219 00:07:56,530 --> 00:07:56,910 merciful. 220 00:07:57,750 --> 00:08:03,350 Happy, truly joyful, contented, properly fitted and functioning 221 00:08:03,350 --> 00:08:05,650 in the body of Christ is the believer 222 00:08:05,650 --> 00:08:08,230 who not only has received God's mercy in 223 00:08:08,230 --> 00:08:11,310 his life, but who's also extending that same 224 00:08:11,310 --> 00:08:13,410 mercy to others around him as well. 225 00:08:13,930 --> 00:08:17,450 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain 226 00:08:17,450 --> 00:08:17,930 mercy. 227 00:08:19,190 --> 00:08:21,810 To those who show mercy, mercy will be 228 00:08:21,810 --> 00:08:23,190 given to him in return, right? 229 00:08:25,030 --> 00:08:26,550 That's a law of God's kingdom. 230 00:08:27,570 --> 00:08:29,530 But the hard and plackable man who deals 231 00:08:29,530 --> 00:08:32,049 in stern justice alone will be dealt with 232 00:08:32,049 --> 00:08:33,669 in the same way when failure comes in 233 00:08:33,669 --> 00:08:34,330 his life. 234 00:08:34,730 --> 00:08:36,950 If you want to be judgmental and stern 235 00:08:36,950 --> 00:08:38,870 and all of that, that's going to come 236 00:08:38,870 --> 00:08:39,610 back your way. 237 00:08:40,570 --> 00:08:41,950 We reap what we sow, right? 238 00:08:42,010 --> 00:08:42,730 The Bible says. 239 00:08:43,950 --> 00:08:46,370 But if you sow seeds of mercy, you'll 240 00:08:46,370 --> 00:08:48,250 reap the fruit of mercy. 241 00:08:49,030 --> 00:08:52,270 James 2.13 says that mercy triumphs over 242 00:08:52,270 --> 00:08:52,970 judgment. 243 00:08:53,670 --> 00:08:55,450 Mercy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. 244 00:08:55,990 --> 00:08:58,070 In Galatians 5, what is mercy? 245 00:08:59,070 --> 00:09:00,330 We're going to find out this morning. 246 00:09:02,170 --> 00:09:04,530 Mercy is really compassion. 247 00:09:05,690 --> 00:09:08,550 Mercy is that compassion which causes one to 248 00:09:08,550 --> 00:09:11,230 help the weak, to help the sick, or 249 00:09:11,230 --> 00:09:12,010 to help the poor. 250 00:09:12,710 --> 00:09:14,870 It's God's love and action in our lives. 251 00:09:14,950 --> 00:09:16,250 It's our faith put to action. 252 00:09:16,250 --> 00:09:19,250 It's putting really feet to our faith, if 253 00:09:19,250 --> 00:09:19,670 you will. 254 00:09:20,230 --> 00:09:23,590 It's a tender concern for others reflected in 255 00:09:23,590 --> 00:09:26,110 a desire to treat others gently as the 256 00:09:26,110 --> 00:09:26,990 Lord treats us. 257 00:09:27,070 --> 00:09:28,090 That's what mercy is. 258 00:09:29,110 --> 00:09:30,830 You know, mercy comes from a very interesting 259 00:09:30,830 --> 00:09:36,310 Latin word called misericordia, misericordia. 260 00:09:36,730 --> 00:09:41,670 It's composed of two words, miserans, meaning pitting 261 00:09:42,770 --> 00:09:46,030 and cor, C-O-R, meaning the heart, 262 00:09:46,730 --> 00:09:50,510 or miseria cordis, pain of heart. 263 00:09:50,890 --> 00:09:52,310 That's what it means in the Latin, pain 264 00:09:52,310 --> 00:09:52,770 of heart. 265 00:09:53,750 --> 00:09:56,410 So a merciful man or woman enters into 266 00:09:56,410 --> 00:09:59,610 the miseries of his neighbor and feels for 267 00:09:59,610 --> 00:10:02,430 and mourns for him and then does something 268 00:10:02,430 --> 00:10:03,070 about it. 269 00:10:03,670 --> 00:10:06,190 You just don't empathize with them. 270 00:10:06,950 --> 00:10:08,150 Well, sympathy is one thing. 271 00:10:08,150 --> 00:10:10,750 You move from sympathy, where you're kind of 272 00:10:10,750 --> 00:10:13,250 distant looking at them, then that moves to 273 00:10:13,250 --> 00:10:15,190 empathy, where you start feeling for them. 274 00:10:15,690 --> 00:10:17,690 And then you take the next step by 275 00:10:17,690 --> 00:10:20,810 doing something about it because faith without works 276 00:10:20,810 --> 00:10:21,570 is dead, right? 277 00:10:22,390 --> 00:10:24,650 And that's what Jesus is talking about here. 278 00:10:25,130 --> 00:10:28,690 Another definition could be active kindness, not an 279 00:10:28,690 --> 00:10:31,590 act of kindness, but active kindness. 280 00:10:32,650 --> 00:10:37,250 Kindness in action, kindness that's active, that's not 281 00:10:37,250 --> 00:10:37,830 stagnant. 282 00:10:39,250 --> 00:10:41,930 Mercy is one of God's important and necessary 283 00:10:41,930 --> 00:10:44,350 and critical beatitudes found in those who belong 284 00:10:44,350 --> 00:10:45,010 to his kingdom. 285 00:10:45,130 --> 00:10:46,890 I wanna give you some scriptures about what 286 00:10:46,890 --> 00:10:48,290 God says about mercy. 287 00:10:48,770 --> 00:10:52,370 Exodus 34, five, the Lord descended in the 288 00:10:52,370 --> 00:10:54,590 cloud and stood with Moses and proclaimed the 289 00:10:54,590 --> 00:10:55,350 name of the Lord. 290 00:10:55,750 --> 00:10:58,010 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 291 00:10:58,570 --> 00:11:01,970 the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, 292 00:11:02,610 --> 00:11:05,110 long-suffering and abounding in goodness and truth, 293 00:11:05,110 --> 00:11:07,270 keeping mercy for thousands. 294 00:11:07,470 --> 00:11:09,930 When the Lord appeared to Moses, what was 295 00:11:09,930 --> 00:11:12,710 the very first thing he declared about himself 296 00:11:12,710 --> 00:11:15,590 to Moses that he would declare to the 297 00:11:15,590 --> 00:11:16,210 nation of Israel? 298 00:11:16,530 --> 00:11:19,390 I am merciful, I'm a merciful God. 299 00:11:20,410 --> 00:11:24,410 Proverbs 3.3, let not mercy and truth 300 00:11:24,410 --> 00:11:27,290 forsake you, bind them around your neck and 301 00:11:27,290 --> 00:11:29,150 write them on the tablet of your heart. 302 00:11:30,090 --> 00:11:34,110 Proverbs 14.21, he who despises his neighbor's 303 00:11:34,110 --> 00:11:36,550 sins, but he who has mercy on the 304 00:11:36,550 --> 00:11:38,010 poor, happy as he. 305 00:11:38,910 --> 00:11:42,570 Proverbs 14.31, he who oppresses the poor 306 00:11:42,570 --> 00:11:45,390 reproaches his maker, but he who honors him 307 00:11:45,390 --> 00:11:47,350 has mercy on the needy. 308 00:11:48,310 --> 00:11:52,210 Proverbs 21.21, he who follows righteousness and 309 00:11:52,210 --> 00:11:55,990 mercy finds life, righteousness and honor. 310 00:11:57,390 --> 00:12:00,790 Hosea 6.6, I desire mercy and not 311 00:12:00,790 --> 00:12:03,370 sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than 312 00:12:03,370 --> 00:12:04,250 burnt offerings. 313 00:12:04,970 --> 00:12:06,890 Micah 6.8, he has shown you, O 314 00:12:06,890 --> 00:12:08,730 man, what is good and what does the 315 00:12:08,730 --> 00:12:09,950 Lord require of you? 316 00:12:10,270 --> 00:12:13,530 Three things, to do justly and to what? 317 00:12:13,770 --> 00:12:17,210 To love mercy and to walk humbly with 318 00:12:17,210 --> 00:12:17,490 your God. 319 00:12:17,570 --> 00:12:21,050 We're to love mercy, not just look at 320 00:12:21,050 --> 00:12:22,790 it, not just have good feelings about it, 321 00:12:22,790 --> 00:12:24,750 we're to love it and we're to do 322 00:12:24,750 --> 00:12:25,810 something about it. 323 00:12:26,930 --> 00:12:28,890 Now, of course, Jesus Christ was the very 324 00:12:28,890 --> 00:12:30,650 embodiment of mercy, right? 325 00:12:31,070 --> 00:12:33,510 All that the Father showed and shared about 326 00:12:33,510 --> 00:12:36,890 mercy and shared about compassion and kindness was 327 00:12:36,890 --> 00:12:39,330 fully and clearly seen in who? 328 00:12:39,670 --> 00:12:40,450 In Jesus. 329 00:12:41,250 --> 00:12:43,570 Jesus said, he that has seen me has 330 00:12:43,570 --> 00:12:45,010 seen the Father. 331 00:12:45,410 --> 00:12:46,710 Wanna know what the Father's like? 332 00:12:47,210 --> 00:12:49,090 Just look at me, Jesus said. 333 00:12:50,170 --> 00:12:53,450 So, Jesus not only taught about mercy, he 334 00:12:53,450 --> 00:12:54,230 lived mercy. 335 00:12:54,970 --> 00:12:56,790 He was the Messiah of mercy. 336 00:12:57,470 --> 00:12:59,210 He was the master of mercy. 337 00:12:59,210 --> 00:13:02,050 Matter of fact, for three years, Jesus had 338 00:13:02,050 --> 00:13:04,830 the biggest mercy ministry ever seen by man 339 00:13:04,830 --> 00:13:05,770 up until that time. 340 00:13:06,870 --> 00:13:09,370 He modeled the Beatitudes for us, didn't he? 341 00:13:09,450 --> 00:13:10,930 And then he told us to follow in 342 00:13:10,930 --> 00:13:12,510 his footsteps as his church. 343 00:13:12,910 --> 00:13:15,910 Again, we are the visible representation of the 344 00:13:15,910 --> 00:13:16,870 invisible Christ. 345 00:13:17,210 --> 00:13:18,910 How does the world see Jesus? 346 00:13:19,430 --> 00:13:22,970 In us, as we follow in his footsteps, 347 00:13:23,230 --> 00:13:26,450 they're drawn to the kingdom, they're drawn to 348 00:13:26,450 --> 00:13:28,790 salvation, they're drawn to the Lord. 349 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:33,120 Two such instances of mercy shown by Jesus 350 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:34,820 in the Gospel of Matthew, which we'll be 351 00:13:34,820 --> 00:13:37,620 studying shortly with Pastor Patter found in Matthew 352 00:13:37,620 --> 00:13:38,580 9, 27. 353 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,900 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men 354 00:13:41,900 --> 00:13:44,460 followed him, crying out and saying, son of 355 00:13:44,460 --> 00:13:47,040 David, have mercy on us. 356 00:13:47,700 --> 00:13:49,560 And when he had come into the house, 357 00:13:49,980 --> 00:13:51,640 the blind men came to him and Jesus 358 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:53,220 said to them, do you believe that I'm 359 00:13:53,220 --> 00:13:53,900 able to do this? 360 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:55,680 And they said to him, yes, Lord. 361 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,860 Then he touched their eyes saying, according to 362 00:13:58,860 --> 00:14:00,200 your faith, let it be to you. 363 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:01,880 And their eyes were opened. 364 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:05,820 Another time Jesus showed mercy was in Matthew 365 00:14:05,820 --> 00:14:08,780 15, 22, where it says, and behold, a 366 00:14:08,780 --> 00:14:10,880 woman, and let me add a very concerned 367 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:14,640 mother as well, of Canaan came from that 368 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:16,820 region and cried out to him saying, have 369 00:14:16,820 --> 00:14:19,640 mercy on me, O Lord, son of David. 370 00:14:19,900 --> 00:14:22,300 My daughter is severely demon possessed. 371 00:14:22,980 --> 00:14:24,840 But he answered her not a word. 372 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:27,580 And his disciples came and urged him saying, 373 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:29,520 send her away for she cries out after 374 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:29,880 us. 375 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:31,700 But he answered and said, I was not 376 00:14:31,700 --> 00:14:34,320 sent except to the lost sheep of the 377 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:35,080 house of Israel. 378 00:14:35,500 --> 00:14:38,400 Then she came and worshiped him saying, Lord, 379 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:39,440 help me. 380 00:14:41,220 --> 00:14:42,440 Lord, help me. 381 00:14:43,180 --> 00:14:44,740 But he answered and said, it is not 382 00:14:44,740 --> 00:14:46,560 good to take the children's bread and throw 383 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:47,600 it to the little dogs. 384 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:50,220 And she said, yes, Lord, yet even the 385 00:14:50,220 --> 00:14:52,080 little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from 386 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:53,080 their master's table. 387 00:14:53,740 --> 00:14:55,180 Then Jesus answered and said to her, O 388 00:14:55,180 --> 00:14:56,340 woman, great is your faith. 389 00:14:56,660 --> 00:14:58,020 Let it be to you as you desire. 390 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:00,460 And her daughter was healed from that very 391 00:15:00,460 --> 00:15:00,880 hour. 392 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,860 So before we had the movie, The Passion 393 00:15:04,860 --> 00:15:07,480 of Christ, we have the script before us 394 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:09,680 here in Matthew, the compassion of Christ, right? 395 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:14,900 Matthew 14, 14 says, when Jesus went out, 396 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,460 he saw a great multitude, he was moved 397 00:15:17,460 --> 00:15:20,920 with compassion for them and healed their sick. 398 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:26,700 In Matthew chapter 20, another two pair of 399 00:15:26,700 --> 00:15:29,840 blind men came from Jericho saying, Lord, have 400 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:30,800 mercy on us. 401 00:15:31,900 --> 00:15:34,280 Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. 402 00:15:35,020 --> 00:15:37,180 Immediately they received their sight and followed him. 403 00:15:38,220 --> 00:15:40,600 In Mark 141, a leper came to Jesus, 404 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:42,320 knelt down before him. 405 00:15:43,020 --> 00:15:46,200 And it says, Jesus moved with compassion, put 406 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:47,880 out his hand and touched him. 407 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:49,400 And the leprosy left. 408 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:53,380 And then in Mark 5, remember the fellow 409 00:15:53,380 --> 00:15:57,440 who had the legion, who had hundreds or 410 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:00,060 thousands of demons within him and was living 411 00:16:00,060 --> 00:16:02,400 in the tombs and was cutting himself day 412 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:05,780 and night and screaming out and terrified the 413 00:16:05,780 --> 00:16:06,840 people all around him. 414 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,080 Well, Jesus just didn't pass by that guy. 415 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:11,560 Jesus showed up when that guy ran out 416 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:12,560 and he healed him. 417 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:14,940 It says, after that, after he healed him, 418 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:16,660 go home to your friends and tell them 419 00:16:16,660 --> 00:16:18,300 what great things the Lord has done for 420 00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:21,040 you and how he has had compassion on 421 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:21,900 you. 422 00:16:22,740 --> 00:16:24,420 The Lord was moved with compassion when he 423 00:16:24,420 --> 00:16:25,820 saw that man demon possessed. 424 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:28,120 I wonder if we have compassion in those 425 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:29,400 who are demon possessed today. 426 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:30,660 And they're around, folks. 427 00:16:31,660 --> 00:16:33,440 Nothing's changed in 2,000 years. 428 00:16:34,860 --> 00:16:37,880 But it's become very evident to me in 429 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:40,620 my study in this teaching that three different 430 00:16:40,620 --> 00:16:44,220 things came when Jesus was around, help, healing, 431 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:45,040 and hope. 432 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:47,400 When he showed up on the scene, help, 433 00:16:47,820 --> 00:16:50,500 healing, and hope, he reached out to the 434 00:16:50,500 --> 00:16:50,840 needy. 435 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:54,220 Compassion is what made Jesus Christ stand out 436 00:16:54,220 --> 00:16:56,300 from so many of the religious rulers of 437 00:16:56,300 --> 00:16:56,660 the day. 438 00:16:57,180 --> 00:16:59,080 You know, many of the religious rulers of 439 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:02,040 that day had come to scorn the lowly, 440 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:05,400 the poor, and the infirmed and to disdain 441 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:08,099 the widows and the fatherless and the orphans. 442 00:17:08,780 --> 00:17:10,460 That's what had happened by this time. 443 00:17:10,839 --> 00:17:12,880 That's why Jesus had to show up and 444 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:13,839 straighten things out. 445 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:16,520 But God had warned the people all the 446 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:19,220 way back in Exodus 22, 22 that you 447 00:17:19,220 --> 00:17:22,079 shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child 448 00:17:22,619 --> 00:17:25,920 because God says in Psalm 146, nine that 449 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:27,640 the Lord watches over the strangers. 450 00:17:27,740 --> 00:17:30,400 He relieves the fatherless and the widow, but 451 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:31,920 the way of the wicked, he turns upside 452 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:32,620 down. 453 00:17:33,300 --> 00:17:36,480 In Isaiah 47, six, God spoke through Isaiah 454 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:38,680 to Israel and said that I was angry 455 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:39,460 with my people. 456 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:42,000 I have profaned my inheritance and given them 457 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:42,660 into your hand. 458 00:17:42,660 --> 00:17:44,480 You showed them no mercy. 459 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:47,780 On the elderly, you laid your yoke very 460 00:17:47,780 --> 00:17:48,400 heavily. 461 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:50,240 Sad. 462 00:17:52,020 --> 00:17:55,440 Ezekiel 22, six, and speaking of the sins 463 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,680 of Jerusalem, look, the princes of Israel, each 464 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:00,340 one has used his power to shed blood 465 00:18:00,340 --> 00:18:00,760 in you. 466 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:02,840 In you, they have made light of father 467 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:03,320 and mother. 468 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:05,760 In your midst, they oppressed the stranger. 469 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:08,100 In you, they have mistreated the fatherless and 470 00:18:08,100 --> 00:18:08,440 the widow. 471 00:18:09,340 --> 00:18:12,520 But Psalm 68, five says that God is 472 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:14,960 a father of the fatherless, a defender of 473 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,010 widows, is God in his holy habitation. 474 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:21,600 Yet sadly again, by the time Jesus had 475 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:24,120 arrived on the scene, mistreatment of the elderly 476 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:26,580 and the widows and the less fortunate had 477 00:18:26,580 --> 00:18:28,920 degraded to all time lows, even to the 478 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:32,260 point where Jesus publicly rebuked the religious leaders 479 00:18:32,260 --> 00:18:35,440 in Matthew 23, 14, where he said, woe 480 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:38,940 to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you 481 00:18:38,940 --> 00:18:41,700 devour widows' houses and for pretense you make 482 00:18:41,700 --> 00:18:42,460 long prayers. 483 00:18:42,900 --> 00:18:44,820 You will receive the greater condemnation. 484 00:18:44,980 --> 00:18:45,220 Why? 485 00:18:45,740 --> 00:18:47,660 They were devouring widows' houses. 486 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:49,420 What does that mean? 487 00:18:51,300 --> 00:18:53,840 Scribes back then often served as estate planners 488 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:58,600 for widows, unfortunately, which gave them the opportunity 489 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,360 to convince distraught widows that they would be 490 00:19:01,360 --> 00:19:03,360 serving God by supporting the temple or the 491 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:04,780 scribe's own holy work. 492 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:09,280 In either case, the scribe benefited monetarily and 493 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:11,740 effectively robbed the widow of her husband's legacy 494 00:19:11,740 --> 00:19:12,260 to her. 495 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:14,860 That's pretty low. 496 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,160 That's why Jesus said woe to you for 497 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:22,180 doing something as despicable as ripping off a 498 00:19:22,180 --> 00:19:25,000 widow's legacy that her husband has left her. 499 00:19:26,620 --> 00:19:28,880 And again, sadly, not much has changed in 500 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:29,660 2,000 years. 501 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,540 Widows, orphans, and the fatherless are still some 502 00:19:32,540 --> 00:19:34,920 of the main victims of physical and emotional 503 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:36,900 abuse and of financial scams and rip-off 504 00:19:36,900 --> 00:19:37,580 artists today. 505 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:40,280 Who will defend them? 506 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,820 That's the question I wanna ask you today. 507 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:45,680 Who will defend them? 508 00:19:46,780 --> 00:19:47,340 Guess what? 509 00:19:47,420 --> 00:19:49,120 Jesus said that the church is to help 510 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:49,760 defend them. 511 00:19:50,300 --> 00:19:53,040 We have that mandate from God, but are 512 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:53,940 we responding? 513 00:19:56,270 --> 00:19:59,290 13 years ago, and coming back from Guam 514 00:19:59,290 --> 00:20:01,210 as a missionary to work on staff here, 515 00:20:01,750 --> 00:20:03,350 the Lord gave me a vision one day 516 00:20:03,350 --> 00:20:05,950 while sitting in my office of something that 517 00:20:05,950 --> 00:20:07,730 gripped my very soul and has changed my 518 00:20:07,730 --> 00:20:08,370 very life. 519 00:20:09,170 --> 00:20:11,050 He gave me a vision of elderly people, 520 00:20:11,570 --> 00:20:14,330 of disabled and disfigured people, a vision of 521 00:20:14,330 --> 00:20:17,650 those bound in wheelchairs, bedridden, demented, diseased, many 522 00:20:17,650 --> 00:20:20,750 full of fear, failing in faith, lonely, depressed, 523 00:20:21,190 --> 00:20:25,470 discouraged, many just existing for the moment, but 524 00:20:25,470 --> 00:20:27,650 still, like back in Jesus' time, crying out 525 00:20:27,650 --> 00:20:29,230 and saying, and I could see this clearly 526 00:20:29,230 --> 00:20:29,950 in this vision. 527 00:20:30,510 --> 00:20:31,590 I could see this. 528 00:20:31,590 --> 00:20:34,750 They were saying, Lord, have mercy on us. 529 00:20:35,550 --> 00:20:39,610 I could hear them saying, help me, Lord, 530 00:20:39,830 --> 00:20:40,290 help me. 531 00:20:40,370 --> 00:20:42,590 Someone come and help me. 532 00:20:43,150 --> 00:20:44,670 And I said to the Lord, what do 533 00:20:44,670 --> 00:20:45,450 you mean by this? 534 00:20:45,510 --> 00:20:46,830 And he told me to open the blinds 535 00:20:46,830 --> 00:20:49,130 to my office, which just happened to look 536 00:20:49,130 --> 00:20:51,250 directly at a nursing home on top of 537 00:20:51,250 --> 00:20:53,410 the hill near the church there at the 538 00:20:53,410 --> 00:20:53,750 vineyard. 539 00:20:54,330 --> 00:20:56,850 And he said to me, you go and 540 00:20:56,850 --> 00:20:58,730 be my loving arms and hands and feet 541 00:20:58,730 --> 00:21:00,050 in loving the unlovable. 542 00:21:00,050 --> 00:21:03,510 You go and touch the untouchables that now 543 00:21:03,510 --> 00:21:05,350 call the nursing home their permanent home. 544 00:21:05,730 --> 00:21:07,190 Go and give, the Lord told me. 545 00:21:08,030 --> 00:21:09,490 Go and show my mercy.