1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,400 Will it stand for the reading of God's word is two of our 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,700 seniors? Olivia Island Lane Jones, Come 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:11,900 and read to us from Matthew Chapter 5, the Beatitudes. 4 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:27,900 All right, seeing the crowds he went up on the mountain and when 5 00:00:27,900 --> 00:00:32,400 he sat down his disciples came to him and he opened his mouth 6 00:00:32,500 --> 00:00:36,400 and taught them saying blessed are the poor in spirit for 7 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:40,500 theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for 8 00:00:40,500 --> 00:00:44,400 they shall be? Comforted blessed, are those the 9 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,500 blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. 10 00:00:48,100 --> 00:00:51,200 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for 11 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,900 they shall be satisfied. Blessed, are the merciful for 12 00:00:54,900 --> 00:01:01,900 they shall receive Mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart 13 00:01:01,900 --> 00:01:05,200 for they shall see. God blessed are the peacemakers 14 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:07,400 for they shall be called sons of God. 15 00:01:07,700 --> 00:01:10,300 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness 16 00:01:10,300 --> 00:01:12,100 sake? For theirs is the Kingdom of 17 00:01:12,100 --> 00:01:13,400 Heaven. Blessed? 18 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,000 Are you and others? Revile, you, and persecute, you 19 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,500 and other utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my 20 00:01:20,500 --> 00:01:24,200 account rejoice, and be glad for your reward is great in heaven 21 00:01:24,300 --> 00:01:26,300 for. So they persecuted the prophets 22 00:01:26,300 --> 00:01:28,700 who were before you, this is the word of the Lord. 23 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:33,600 Please be seated. Thank you both. 24 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:41,200 I'm very grateful. May is a month for many people, 25 00:01:42,300 --> 00:01:47,600 where our eyes are moving back for all the seniors. 26 00:01:47,900 --> 00:01:51,600 It's probably already happened and if it hasn't yet, it will 27 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,300 over the next couple of weeks where you're going to see your 28 00:01:54,300 --> 00:01:58,400 parents and grandparents others, who love you, dearly shedding 29 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:00,700 tears. They're going to see pictures 30 00:02:00,700 --> 00:02:03,300 and you're going to see pictures, sometimes in private, 31 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:07,900 sometimes on big screens where you are a baby and you probably 32 00:02:07,900 --> 00:02:09,199 didn't. Choose the picture they put up 33 00:02:09,199 --> 00:02:12,400 there, but it's going to move through with music signifying. 34 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,500 These incredible events that took place in your life. 35 00:02:14,500 --> 00:02:17,800 You've just graduated or about to graduate high school. 36 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,400 There are other seniors in our church. 37 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,700 Those who have just graduated college or about two? 38 00:02:23,700 --> 00:02:27,100 Others are moving on, from eighth grade to ninth grade. 39 00:02:27,108 --> 00:02:29,800 In some of those schools, have their own graduation ceremonies. 40 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,600 And then each time there is this turning of a page there is a 41 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,200 moment especially for parents and Grandparents were the 42 00:02:36,208 --> 00:02:39,500 remembering what took place just as As you are and then looking 43 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:43,100 forward to what's next. Our daughter Madeline, our 44 00:02:43,100 --> 00:02:46,700 second born graduated yesterday from the University of Oklahoma. 45 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,400 Here's what was great about that ceremony for her College, it 46 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,300 only lasted one hour. It was incredible, but it was 47 00:02:55,300 --> 00:02:58,900 very different when my wife and I and some of her siblings came 48 00:02:58,900 --> 00:03:02,300 into the huge Auditorium was pretty full, but we didn't know 49 00:03:02,300 --> 00:03:06,700 one person other than our daughter compared to graduation 50 00:03:06,700 --> 00:03:08,900 where we knew almost everybody that was there. 51 00:03:08,900 --> 00:03:13,900 It seems pictures are going to flow, you're going to see 52 00:03:13,900 --> 00:03:15,600 things. And remember, things and be 53 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:19,000 celebrated and it's wonderful. But then the next chapter of 54 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,300 your life is going to come with new pictures, my daughter Maddie 55 00:03:22,500 --> 00:03:26,000 and Major is soon going to be teaching at Yale. 56 00:03:27,300 --> 00:03:32,200 Not the one known as a college with the handsome, Dan the 57 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,300 Bulldog, but they yell roadrunners. 58 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,200 Here in Richardson, should be teaching fourth, grade listening 59 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:42,600 to the young woman, who spoke at her graduation, she said some 60 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,100 very interesting things not unlike what you're going to hear 61 00:03:45,100 --> 00:03:50,000 your graduations centered on the world as it's been while you've 62 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,400 been in school. Think about it spring break two 63 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,600 years ago and all that begin to change so quickly. 64 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,800 I heard that woman began to speak of it that thinking we're 65 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:04,700 over this we don't need to hear any more about the pandemic that 66 00:04:04,700 --> 00:04:07,100 was a wake of Destruction we're still experiencing but let's 67 00:04:07,100 --> 00:04:09,200 move on. But reality is when she said 68 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,900 this we're all teachers we're going to be teaching in 69 00:04:12,900 --> 00:04:16,000 textbooks. The reality of what we have been 70 00:04:16,100 --> 00:04:19,600 living. It's true you guys have grown up 71 00:04:19,899 --> 00:04:22,500 in an amazing season in the history. 72 00:04:22,500 --> 00:04:25,100 Not only of our country, but our world. 73 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,800 Leaving graduation celebrating that wonderful day. 74 00:04:30,700 --> 00:04:34,900 Coming back from Norman to Dallas turning on the news last 75 00:04:34,900 --> 00:04:37,200 night, I had not heard of what took place a buffalo. 76 00:04:37,900 --> 00:04:42,100 A young man about the age of some of you decided out of hate 77 00:04:42,900 --> 00:04:45,500 that he would go and take the lives of innocent people. 78 00:04:46,300 --> 00:04:52,600 We live in a dark divided in dangerous worlds, and I'm not 79 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,400 going to spend a lot of time, staying in the darkness and then 80 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:59,700 the In and then the danger of this morning because I want us 81 00:04:59,700 --> 00:05:03,400 to remember what we've been singing that we will not deny 82 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:07,600 the reality of that pain, that Brokenness that evil. 83 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,100 But we must remember who we are in Christ in the midst of it. 84 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:16,000 I love what will said to you that in Christ, you will be a 85 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,200 problem for the enemy wherever you go. 86 00:05:18,500 --> 00:05:22,000 We want that for you. We want you to look at us and 87 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,400 challenge us to see if we're being a problem for the enemy in 88 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:27,600 the place. Has of work that we go in the 89 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:31,500 church that we worship in and we will be an enemy. 90 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:38,800 Of the enemy, a problem for the enemy of serious problem for the 91 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:43,000 enemy. If we abiding in Christ live 92 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,500 out, the Beatitudes that are before us this morning. 93 00:05:46,500 --> 00:05:49,600 As I said last Sunday, we're going to continue to talk about 94 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:54,500 mercy and mercy in this text is primarily centered on 95 00:05:54,900 --> 00:05:58,800 compassion. It's centered on this idea of 96 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:01,500 compassion. That's not just an emotion, a 97 00:06:01,500 --> 00:06:04,200 feeling for Those who are suffering in the misery of sin 98 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:08,800 in the world but it's compassion with action. 99 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,200 I love how will said that you are committed to missions. 100 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:16,700 Well Mercy is Mission. It is being moved by something 101 00:06:16,700 --> 00:06:20,900 that you see that is broken. Something that is dark, 102 00:06:21,500 --> 00:06:25,100 something that is divided, something that is dangerous. 103 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,600 The world in which you have grown up in, especially the last 104 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,700 couple years, though. It's Unique is not new in 105 00:06:31,700 --> 00:06:35,000 history. Think about Genesis 3, all the 106 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:39,400 way back to the beginning of your Bible. when Adam and Eve 107 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:43,400 ate the sin that the evil deceiver tempted them with when 108 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:49,500 they ate the apple committing that sin, they experienced This 109 00:06:49,500 --> 00:06:53,400 incredible Darkness, they experienced division between 110 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:55,700 them and God between them and one another. 111 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,300 They were naked before sin and didn't even know it and as soon 112 00:06:59,300 --> 00:07:02,100 as they ate the apple, their eyes were opened, and they 113 00:07:02,100 --> 00:07:04,800 realized they were naked in the head, pay attention to the word 114 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:09,200 eyes today. Then they experience the danger 115 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:13,800 of what sin does in the world. The violence of their first two 116 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:19,700 children, one murdering the other ever since the fall the 117 00:07:19,700 --> 00:07:23,300 world has experienced the darkness. 118 00:07:23,700 --> 00:07:28,100 It is experience the division, it is experienced the danger. 119 00:07:28,700 --> 00:07:33,100 So I want us all to think about today, not just the seniors is, 120 00:07:33,100 --> 00:07:39,800 how are we looking at the world? And how was the world looking at 121 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:44,600 us, does the world? And those who are lost, see the 122 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:49,500 radiance of something or someone in us, that is compelling. 123 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,500 They will. If they see these attributes in 124 00:07:53,508 --> 00:07:57,900 her life, they will see mercy and not understand it because 125 00:07:57,900 --> 00:08:02,100 Mercy is truly shocking to understand it. 126 00:08:02,100 --> 00:08:04,100 I want everybody to grab their own Bible. 127 00:08:04,100 --> 00:08:08,800 If you brought it or open the bloop you Bible, In turn to Luke 128 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:14,900 the Gospel of Luke chapter 10. I encourage you last week to go 129 00:08:14,900 --> 00:08:18,100 to this place and listen to this story. 130 00:08:18,100 --> 00:08:20,600 Again, it's not new to any of us. 131 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,600 Maybe there's a few would be new too, and I'm glad that's new to 132 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,200 you. I'm glad you're here to hear it, 133 00:08:25,500 --> 00:08:29,000 but I'm going to read the parable of the Good Samaritan 134 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:31,600 for. There is no greater story that 135 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:35,700 Christ use outside of his own example of Mercy. 136 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:40,100 Luke chapter 10 look with me at verse 25 and let's walk through 137 00:08:40,100 --> 00:08:43,799 this. Behold a lawyer stood up to put 138 00:08:43,799 --> 00:08:47,900 Jesus to the test teacher. What shall I do to inherit 139 00:08:47,900 --> 00:08:49,900 eternal life? Now, listen to what he says. 140 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,100 Jesus says, what is written in the law? 141 00:08:53,500 --> 00:08:57,000 Have you, how do you read it? And he answered, you shall love 142 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,000 the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and 143 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,900 with all your strength, and with all your mind and your neighbor 144 00:09:03,100 --> 00:09:07,000 as yourself, and he said to them, you've answered Directly 145 00:09:07,500 --> 00:09:13,400 do this and you will live, but the lawyer wanted more 146 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:16,400 justification. He wanted to justify himself, 147 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,700 that's what he was asking for. And who is my neighbor in other 148 00:09:20,700 --> 00:09:23,700 words, he wanted to know who do I have to love that way? 149 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,400 Now, listen to what Jesus says, he replied A man was going down 150 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:32,500 from Jerusalem to Jericho and he fell among robbers who stripped 151 00:09:32,500 --> 00:09:35,700 him, and beat him and departed. Leaving him half dead. 152 00:09:35,900 --> 00:09:40,000 Now, as I I've said before we often read our Bible so fast we 153 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,200 can be in a Bible reading plan and we're just simply trying to 154 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:46,600 check the box for the day read slow, slow down, ask the Holy 155 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:49,400 Spirit to illuminate your eyes and open your ears. 156 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:52,400 Pay attention to what the story is being told how would the 157 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,400 people have heard the story? How could this story relate to 158 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:59,400 today? So picture the man he's been 159 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:01,500 robbed. He's been beaten. 160 00:10:01,900 --> 00:10:05,100 He's been left half dad, have you ever seen someone like that? 161 00:10:06,100 --> 00:10:10,100 Not just on TV but really beaten, it's a disturbing 162 00:10:10,100 --> 00:10:12,300 picture. Christ is telling this 163 00:10:12,300 --> 00:10:15,000 disturbing picture before he tells what's even more 164 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:19,300 disturbing. He says, Now by chance verse 31, 165 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:23,900 a priest was going down that road and when he saw him, he 166 00:10:23,900 --> 00:10:28,800 passed by on the other side. Likewise a levite when he came 167 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:33,200 to the place and saw him passed by on the other side, but a 168 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:37,400 Samaritan as he journeyed came to where he was And when he saw 169 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:41,200 him, he had compassion. So what do you notice about 170 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:46,500 those three? All three individuals saw him. 171 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:54,300 Every day, we see people, maybe not lying half dead on the side 172 00:10:54,300 --> 00:10:59,400 of the road but lying dead spiritually in the lunchroom. 173 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:06,800 On our teams in our classrooms co-workers neighbors, we see 174 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:10,800 people every day who were lying half-dead. 175 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:15,900 We see people who are experiencing the misery of Sin 176 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:20,700 Sin done, too. Them by them sent outside of 177 00:11:20,700 --> 00:11:24,600 them. And inside of them, the priest 178 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:28,100 who in this case would be the most religious sees him. 179 00:11:28,100 --> 00:11:31,100 And you could tell by the way, Luke The Physician records this 180 00:11:31,300 --> 00:11:33,300 from a distance, he recognizes that. 181 00:11:33,300 --> 00:11:37,600 It's a person who could be dead and if he touches someone who is 182 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:39,900 dead he will be defiled and unclean. 183 00:11:40,100 --> 00:11:45,200 So from a distance of seeing the man in need Or potentially dead. 184 00:11:45,300 --> 00:11:49,900 He simply crosses the street and moves along the other side. 185 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:54,900 He turned away from what he saw. He did not have compassion. 186 00:11:55,300 --> 00:11:58,500 He did not show Mercy. He might have felt sad. 187 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:02,200 We aren't told he might add sorrow, but feeling sad and 188 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:06,300 having sorrow is not Mercy. That doesn't Shock the World 189 00:12:06,900 --> 00:12:11,200 seeing something that's wrong. Seeing the Brokenness and acting 190 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,500 in love with, however, your He ball that's Mercy. 191 00:12:16,100 --> 00:12:20,200 The levite who's also religious not as highest status as the 192 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,300 priest but the one who's responsible for the Liturgy and 193 00:12:23,300 --> 00:12:26,200 the temple. He sees him and based on the 194 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:29,900 way, the Greek unfolds, we see that he actually got closer to 195 00:12:29,900 --> 00:12:31,700 the individual, but what does he do? 196 00:12:32,100 --> 00:12:35,300 He steps away as well. It goes down the side of the 197 00:12:35,300 --> 00:12:38,500 street whether he felt anything or not as not Mercy. 198 00:12:39,500 --> 00:12:43,500 He didn't show Mercy. Now comes the shock. 199 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:48,900 Those listening to this story would have been expecting Jesus 200 00:12:48,900 --> 00:12:54,700 to say, but then a Jewish lay person. 201 00:12:55,900 --> 00:12:59,700 A person who's part of our community but not of the 202 00:12:59,700 --> 00:13:04,100 religious establishment. Lay person was walking down the 203 00:13:04,100 --> 00:13:09,000 street but that's not what they heard because it's shocking is 204 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:12,700 that might have been and a slap at the establishment of religion 205 00:13:12,700 --> 00:13:15,300 that Jesus might have given he does something more. 206 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:20,700 He says, somebody that you despise somebody who would have 207 00:13:20,700 --> 00:13:25,000 been despised by the man laying on the street beaten half-dead. 208 00:13:25,700 --> 00:13:29,200 That is who comes, who sees the same man. 209 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:32,600 And instead of crossing the street and pretending he's not 210 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:36,400 there, instead of only feeling something, maybe not even that 211 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:40,400 perhaps, but doing nothing, even if he felt something, he moves 212 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:45,600 towards him, pick it up with me at verse 34, but a Samaritan 213 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:52,500 went to him and bound up his wounds pouring on oil and wine 214 00:13:52,500 --> 00:13:55,200 on him. Then he set him on his own 215 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,800 animal and he brought him to an inn and took care of him. 216 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:03,200 And the next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to The 217 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:06,700 Innkeeper. That would provide 24 days of 218 00:14:06,700 --> 00:14:10,500 food and he gave them to The Innkeeper saying, take care of 219 00:14:10,500 --> 00:14:14,200 him and whatever more. You spend, I will repay. 220 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,800 To you, when I come back then, Jesus asked the question from 221 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:22,500 this story, which of these three do you think proved to be a 222 00:14:22,500 --> 00:14:26,200 neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? 223 00:14:26,700 --> 00:14:30,900 And the lawyer says this, the one who showed him what to say, 224 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:36,600 Mercy. What Mercy, the one who was 225 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:40,500 fulfilling, what Christ has said, was the Samaritan who 226 00:14:40,500 --> 00:14:46,700 showed Mercy, Mercy is shown compassion, can be felt, but 227 00:14:46,700 --> 00:14:50,500 compassion without Mercy is not Mercy. 228 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:54,200 Compassion without action is not Mercy. 229 00:14:55,700 --> 00:14:59,700 The one who showed him Mercy he said and Jesus said to him you 230 00:14:59,700 --> 00:15:03,100 go and do likewise picture the story. 231 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:08,100 The priest saw him and went the other way didn't want to be 232 00:15:08,108 --> 00:15:12,300 defiled didn't want to take time the levite the same way 233 00:15:12,700 --> 00:15:16,000 expecting this to be a story about a Jewish layperson who 234 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:19,600 Rises to the occasion and shows what it really means to be Godly 235 00:15:19,900 --> 00:15:22,100 Christ goes further and shocks him. 236 00:15:22,700 --> 00:15:27,000 It wasn't a Jewish layperson, it was the very people that you 237 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:33,400 racially despise, this individual comes and offers 238 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:36,200 Mercy. What does the mercy look like 239 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:38,500 first? When he sees them? 240 00:15:38,900 --> 00:15:45,100 He went to him when you see someone who is in a dark place, 241 00:15:45,700 --> 00:15:49,500 who's experiencing the division of this world, who is in a 242 00:15:49,508 --> 00:15:54,900 dangerous place, go to them. Last week, I read from Matthew 243 00:15:54,900 --> 00:15:57,800 chapter 8, and 9, the two chapters of Follow The Sermon on 244 00:15:57,808 --> 00:16:00,200 the Mount. And I showed us one after 245 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,100 another. Another, how many times Jesus 246 00:16:03,300 --> 00:16:09,000 showed Mercy. That section of scripture ends 247 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,300 with two Blind Men. Crying out to Jesus. 248 00:16:13,100 --> 00:16:16,100 Jesus is passing by and the two Blind Men know that he's coming 249 00:16:16,100 --> 00:16:19,300 and they shout out, have mercy on us. 250 00:16:19,300 --> 00:16:20,900 Jesus. What does that mean? 251 00:16:21,500 --> 00:16:26,600 Don't just have compassion. Do something like the leper who 252 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,800 went to Jesus. Early in Matthew 8 said if you 253 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:31,400 are willing you can make me clean. 254 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,300 Jesus said I'm willing. He was willing. 255 00:16:34,100 --> 00:16:38,100 Now, to The Blind Men, when they cry out, have mercy, son of 256 00:16:38,100 --> 00:16:42,400 David. Jesus asked them, do you believe 257 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,900 that I am able to do this? And they said to him? 258 00:16:45,900 --> 00:16:53,400 Yes, Lord, Jesus was willing in. Jesus was able in Christ Jesus, 259 00:16:53,900 --> 00:16:56,100 because we are filled with his Spirit. 260 00:16:56,500 --> 00:17:03,100 He has given us the ability to show, others Mercy did not just 261 00:17:03,100 --> 00:17:07,800 feel, Shin and walk on the other side of the street, to ignore 262 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:11,599 the lonely person and walk to the other side of the cafeteria, 263 00:17:12,099 --> 00:17:15,599 to ignore the person who is just committed a heinous sin and is 264 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:21,300 struggling in shame. He's given us the ability to 265 00:17:21,300 --> 00:17:31,200 show Mercy to hold Jesus out. But will we have, the will do we 266 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:39,400 have the will Jesus had both and Jesus gives both the Samaritan 267 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:43,500 went to him. Then we're told that he touched 268 00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:48,000 him, the very wounds that the man had needed to be tended to. 269 00:17:48,500 --> 00:17:53,000 He wasn't a doctor, but he had the ability to do triage. 270 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:56,500 He had the ability to do what was needed in that moment. 271 00:17:56,700 --> 00:18:01,100 And the will to do it, to make sure this man might be able to 272 00:18:01,100 --> 00:18:04,300 survive. He took all and wine, his very 273 00:18:04,300 --> 00:18:07,500 own things in poured them on the wounds. 274 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:13,500 And then he took the man and he carried him how many lonely 275 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:19,500 broken people could be carried by us? 276 00:18:20,500 --> 00:18:24,900 To the throne of Christ. He's given us the ability in 277 00:18:24,900 --> 00:18:27,900 him, he can give us the will as well. 278 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:32,300 From there. He transports him to a place 279 00:18:32,300 --> 00:18:34,400 where he can receive greater need. 280 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:40,600 And then he pays for the care. He gives what's necessary for 281 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:44,400 now. And I'm guessing based on the 282 00:18:44,408 --> 00:18:49,500 credibility of the man, The Innkeeper receives the promise, 283 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,800 that whatever it costs, I'll take care of it. 284 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:57,500 When I return, which tells us That he wasn't just going to 285 00:18:57,508 --> 00:19:01,600 show Mercy For a Moment. He was going to return. 286 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:08,300 Mercy isn't drive by. Throwing turkeys over a wall to 287 00:19:08,300 --> 00:19:12,200 starving people. Mercy isn't just occasionally 288 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,700 writing a check to be done with it, that's part of it. 289 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:21,200 But it's being engaged with the people that God has put in your 290 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:25,400 path, our path that are experiencing the profound 291 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:31,000 Brokenness of sin in them and outside of them done by them, 292 00:19:31,300 --> 00:19:35,100 done to them. It's amazing story. 293 00:19:36,700 --> 00:19:40,200 Keep your eyes open. What do you see? 294 00:19:41,100 --> 00:19:44,900 And when you see a need has God given you the ability to do 295 00:19:44,900 --> 00:19:50,500 something about it every time not just sometimes, And are you 296 00:19:50,508 --> 00:19:55,400 going to? That is where the will comes in. 297 00:19:56,500 --> 00:20:02,400 And if our life is characterized by a consistency of not caring, 298 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:08,300 that means there is an enormous disconnect and our understanding 299 00:20:08,300 --> 00:20:15,400 of the mercy, that was done to us by God himself, who sent his 300 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,000 son to die that we might live forever. 301 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,400 One of the most amazing displays of Mercy. 302 00:20:24,500 --> 00:20:29,300 The most amazing display of RC is Jesus Christ on the cross. 303 00:20:29,900 --> 00:20:32,800 But from that, remarkable place of Mercy. 304 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,600 Jesus says one of the most amazing things. 305 00:20:37,500 --> 00:20:41,300 Father forgive them. For they know not what they do. 306 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:49,400 Mercy. Given by our Lord shown by our 307 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:56,000 Lord is also given to us. Enabling us to show the same 308 00:20:56,000 --> 00:21:02,100 kind of Mercy to those like us who didn't deserve it. one of 309 00:21:02,100 --> 00:21:09,100 the most powerful occasions of Mercy on display is when we, as 310 00:21:09,100 --> 00:21:15,600 Believers, show it to others who have sinned against us, Others 311 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:22,300 who don't think like us others who have wronged us Mercy is 312 00:21:22,900 --> 00:21:26,400 seen, so bright and so beautiful. 313 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:30,200 When Believers are willing to say to someone who has wronged 314 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:37,200 them and even severe wrong. He's and say, I forgive you what 315 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:39,800 I'm going to share for a moment is not cheap. 316 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:44,000 Forgiveness I know his children at some point. 317 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:46,500 If you've got a sibling, your parents said to you, when you 318 00:21:46,500 --> 00:21:49,900 were in Conflict, tell her, you're sorry, I'm sorry. 319 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:52,900 Tell him. If you forgive him, I forgive 320 00:21:52,900 --> 00:21:57,000 you, good move on. Nothing of significance happened 321 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,400 in that transaction, except the parents got a little bit of 322 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:03,800 peace, and every parent has set it and you will when your 323 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:05,700 parents. This is not what I'm talking 324 00:22:05,700 --> 00:22:08,700 about. Some of you have experienced 325 00:22:08,700 --> 00:22:13,200 profound wrongs domestically, Some of you have experienced 326 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:17,700 some profound wrongs professionally, and forgiveness 327 00:22:17,700 --> 00:22:22,000 is really hard, and that's why forgiveness is so incredibly, 328 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:26,800 beautiful, especially in cases, when it is so, so difficult. 329 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:32,100 So, please don't hear me saying that this is easy or shallow or 330 00:22:32,100 --> 00:22:34,800 a very quick. I forgive you, let's move on. 331 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:41,900 But sometimes we think the only reason Jesus was able to save 332 00:22:41,900 --> 00:22:44,200 from the cross. Father forgive them for they do 333 00:22:44,208 --> 00:22:47,400 not know what they know what they do is because he was God. 334 00:22:48,900 --> 00:22:53,800 So let me close by taking this to Acts chapter 7. 335 00:22:54,800 --> 00:23:00,300 Verse 54. Prior to what I'm about to read. 336 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:07,100 Steven a follower of Christ, have been telling the history of 337 00:23:07,100 --> 00:23:11,500 redemption up to this point. Sometimes we think if we show 338 00:23:11,500 --> 00:23:17,300 Mercy, we're compromising truth. We never need to compromise 339 00:23:17,300 --> 00:23:24,300 truth but I'm afraid that many Christians say and spew in Yale 340 00:23:24,300 --> 00:23:28,500 truth and never show Mercy. That is not what God is calling 341 00:23:28,500 --> 00:23:33,000 us to either. Steven wasn't compromising truth 342 00:23:33,500 --> 00:23:37,700 prior to what I'm about to read. He said to the Jewish leaders, 343 00:23:37,900 --> 00:23:45,000 you stiff-necked people. Uncircumcised in heart and ears. 344 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:49,300 You always resist the Holy Spirit as your father's did. 345 00:23:49,300 --> 00:23:53,200 So do you He was telling the truth. 346 00:23:54,700 --> 00:23:57,400 And when they heard the truth that have been going on for some 347 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:00,100 time, as Stephen filled with the Holy Spirit is saying these 348 00:24:00,100 --> 00:24:03,100 things. It tells us in verse 54 what 349 00:24:03,100 --> 00:24:05,500 happened? Now, when they heard these 350 00:24:05,500 --> 00:24:09,600 things, they were enraged and they ground their teeth at him 351 00:24:09,700 --> 00:24:14,900 picture that But he Stephen Full of the Holy Spirit. 352 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:19,700 If you're a Christian, the same, holy spirit, that filled 353 00:24:19,700 --> 00:24:21,900 Stephen. In this moment in history is the 354 00:24:21,900 --> 00:24:23,700 same. Holy spirit that lives in you 355 00:24:24,100 --> 00:24:27,800 the same, Holy Spirit, not a different one, not unless Iran, 356 00:24:28,700 --> 00:24:32,600 but he full of the Holy Spirit gazed into heaven and he saw the 357 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,100 glory of God. Can you imagine what he saw? 358 00:24:35,500 --> 00:24:39,400 And he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and then he 359 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:43,800 said these words before Hold, I see the heavens opened and the 360 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:48,100 son of man standing at the right hand of God but they cried out 361 00:24:48,100 --> 00:24:51,100 with a loud voice and they stopped their ears and rushed 362 00:24:51,100 --> 00:24:53,500 together at him. Imagine the scene. 363 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:57,000 This isn't Jesus. Now this isn't a Divine being. 364 00:24:57,300 --> 00:25:00,500 This is a man just like us. He's looking up and seeing 365 00:25:00,500 --> 00:25:02,500 something that's beyond description. 366 00:25:03,700 --> 00:25:06,700 But the same time, those who are grinding, their teeth are 367 00:25:06,700 --> 00:25:11,600 rushing at him verse 58. Then they cast him out of the 368 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:17,300 city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their 369 00:25:17,300 --> 00:25:22,000 garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 370 00:25:22,900 --> 00:25:26,200 Who is this young man? He's the one who's going to 371 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,500 write thirteen books of the New Testament? 372 00:25:30,500 --> 00:25:35,900 but now, He's endorsing celebrating. 373 00:25:37,300 --> 00:25:39,000 What's about to happen to Stephen? 374 00:25:39,700 --> 00:25:44,300 And as they were stoning, Stephen, he called out Lord. 375 00:25:44,300 --> 00:25:50,000 Jesus receive my spirit and falling to his knees. 376 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:52,600 Imagine. As the stones are being thrown 377 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:56,300 at him, moved on him and falling to his knees. 378 00:25:56,300 --> 00:25:59,600 He cried out with a loud voice, Lord. 379 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:02,700 Do not hold this sin against them. 380 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:06,700 And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 381 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:12,600 Chapter 8, you probably would stop reading at this moment to 382 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,400 check the box for the day but I don't want to let me read the 383 00:26:15,408 --> 00:26:20,800 first verse and Saul approved of his execution. 384 00:26:24,100 --> 00:26:25,800 They didn't have mercy on Steven. 385 00:26:27,100 --> 00:26:32,500 Because they were blind. They were doing in this moment 386 00:26:32,500 --> 00:26:36,600 of stoning, him what made sense to them, because they were 387 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:42,500 blind, Saul, who would go on to write 13 books of the Bible was 388 00:26:42,500 --> 00:26:46,900 doing what made sense to him to protect his religion because he 389 00:26:46,900 --> 00:26:51,700 was blind. Not many pages past this. 390 00:26:52,100 --> 00:26:56,600 We know what happens. As Saul is on a road. 391 00:26:56,900 --> 00:27:01,200 This isn't a parable now. His eyes are blinded. 392 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:06,300 He hears the voice of Christ. Saul Saul, why are you 393 00:27:06,300 --> 00:27:11,100 persecuting me? He spends a season blind a few 394 00:27:11,100 --> 00:27:16,300 days and then his eyes are opened and when his eyes are 395 00:27:16,300 --> 00:27:21,600 open to see the Glorious similar glory to what Steve and saw his 396 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:27,000 life is transformed. No one could have imagined that 397 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:31,300 this man who was throwing Christians in prison throwing 398 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:35,900 Owns that Christians approving of the execution of Christian 399 00:27:35,900 --> 00:27:39,200 leaders. He would one day profess with 400 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:42,600 his lips. That Jesus Christ is the one who 401 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:45,500 saved me. He's the only one who can save 402 00:27:45,500 --> 00:27:50,800 you. He was shown mercy and from the 403 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:56,200 mercy, he received, he spent the rest of his life seeking to show 404 00:27:56,200 --> 00:28:02,700 that Mercy to others. Some of you. 405 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:07,400 No, the story of Corrie, Ten. Boom. 406 00:28:08,700 --> 00:28:11,300 And I'm going to close by reading something from her book, 407 00:28:11,300 --> 00:28:17,400 from her journal. It's too easy for us to think. 408 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:21,400 With stories about Christ in stories. 409 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:25,000 Like this about the followers of Christ in the Bible that they 410 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:28,900 were just some level of super Christian, it's not true. 411 00:28:31,500 --> 00:28:34,600 Corrie Ten. Boom, was at Robins Brook 412 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:40,000 concentration camp. She experienced the darkness, 413 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:44,200 the division, and the danger of this world. 414 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:51,200 Like we can't even imagine But it was at a church service in 415 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:54,200 Munich years later that she writes. 416 00:28:54,600 --> 00:29:00,600 I first saw him, the SS man who had stood guard at the shower 417 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:03,500 room door in the processing center at Robins Brooke. 418 00:29:04,100 --> 00:29:08,400 He was the first of our actual jailers that I'd seen since that 419 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:14,600 time and suddenly it was all there, the room full of mocking 420 00:29:14,700 --> 00:29:19,500 men, the heaps of women's clothing Betsy. 421 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:23,900 Her pain, blanched face. Corrie, Ten. 422 00:29:23,900 --> 00:29:25,500 Boom. Had been speaking at this 423 00:29:25,500 --> 00:29:28,400 church. The man didn't know who she was, 424 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:32,400 but he heard what she said. He came up to me as the church 425 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:39,000 was emptying beaming and bowing. He said to me how grateful I am 426 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:44,000 for your message to think. That as you say, he has washed 427 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:49,500 away, my sins. His hand was Thrust out to shake 428 00:29:49,500 --> 00:29:51,800 mine. That hand. 429 00:29:52,900 --> 00:30:00,800 That hand which had done so much evil. and I who had proclaimed 430 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:06,200 so often to the people, the need to forgive kept my hand at my 431 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:11,100 side. Even as the angry vengeful. 432 00:30:11,100 --> 00:30:15,600 Thoughts, boiled through me. I saw the sin of them. 433 00:30:16,300 --> 00:30:21,200 What Mercy? Jesus Christ had died for this 434 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:26,000 man. Was I going to ask for more Lord 435 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:33,300 Jesus, I prayed forgive me and help me to forgive I tried to 436 00:30:33,300 --> 00:30:36,800 smile, I struggled to raise my hand. 437 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:40,500 I could not. I felt nothing. 438 00:30:41,300 --> 00:30:43,800 I felt nothing. You blame her. 439 00:30:44,500 --> 00:30:48,300 I felt nothing. Not the slightest spark of 440 00:30:48,300 --> 00:30:51,600 warmth or charity. And so, again, I breathe the 441 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:54,100 silent prayer sometimes. That's all we can do. 442 00:30:54,300 --> 00:30:58,700 Sometimes, it's all we can do. I breathed a silent prayer, 443 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:02,200 Jesus? I cannot forgive him. 444 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:08,500 She couldn't and we can't. Apart from Christ. 445 00:31:10,500 --> 00:31:15,200 Give me your forgiveness. As I took his hand, the most 446 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:20,700 incredible thing happened. As I took his hand. 447 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,600 Can you imagine feeling that hand? 448 00:31:26,700 --> 00:31:29,900 From my shoulder, along my arm and threw my hand. 449 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:36,300 A current seem to pass from me to him while into my heart 450 00:31:36,300 --> 00:31:39,400 spring. A love for this stranger. 451 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:45,900 That almost overwhelmed me. Mercy. 452 00:31:47,500 --> 00:31:53,800 Compassion for a sinner who had done so much evil against. 453 00:31:55,300 --> 00:32:02,400 Her sister and so many others. Mercy isn't just feeling sorry 454 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:07,500 it's action and what was her first action? 455 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:14,600 A prayer. I can't do this. 456 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:18,800 I'm not able. I'm not willing. 457 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:28,500 But he was, and he did. And she was just a woman, not 458 00:32:28,500 --> 00:32:33,100 divine. And so are you and so, are you? 459 00:32:35,900 --> 00:32:39,100 So, are we? Who are in Christ. 460 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:46,400 We're Jesus, thank you for the love that you've shown to us. 461 00:32:48,500 --> 00:32:53,100 You loved us first. So we can say we love you back. 462 00:32:54,900 --> 00:32:59,200 You showed us mercy and you show us mercies each day. 463 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:06,000 And father, from this place of Mercy, you give us the ability 464 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:12,400 to see To have compassion and to act as we are able. 465 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:18,300 So would you do that even now bring to mind first, the mercy 466 00:33:18,300 --> 00:33:21,200 that we have received and overwhelm us? 467 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:26,200 Even in this moment that we might leave this place eager to 468 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:31,400 overwhelm others with forgiveness, with compassion, 469 00:33:32,100 --> 00:33:34,800 with love. We pray in Jesus name. 470 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:36,200 Amen.