1 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:21,920 So Reverend Tony Cook ministered on grace and I want to kind of 2 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:28,680 conclude the subject of grace, not necessarily dealing with the 3 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:32,119 subject of grace, although I'll mention it, but I want to talk 4 00:00:32,119 --> 00:00:36,600 about the other side that a lot of times we as believers call 5 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:42,520 grace, but it is not. And we want to clarify these 6 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:52,800 terms because one will puts us in the need for grace and grace 7 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:57,840 itself will extend the other. All right, and so I'm talking 8 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:02,640 about mercy, say mercy. So in Hebrews chapter 4, verse 9 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,360 16, it says this. Therefore, let us draw near with 10 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:11,080 what confidence, You know what confidence is. 11 00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:16,920 Confidence is not arrogance because arrogance is being, is 12 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:21,560 confident in yourself. OK, that's arrogance. 13 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:26,560 Confidence that they're talking about here is confidence in God. 14 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,080 That means you're fully assured that God will do what He says He 15 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,000 will do. So it tells us that we are to 16 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:40,560 draw near with confidence to the throne of grace. 17 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:46,200 So we should not come to the throne lacking confidence. 18 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,920 In fact, if you come to the throne lacking confidence, 19 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:52,760 there's a good chance you will not receive what the throne has 20 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:54,840 to offer. Now, why do I say that? 21 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:59,400 Because the Bible tells us in James that we are to be people 22 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:04,040 of faith, meaning that we are to have our minds steadfast on God. 23 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,720 That if we, if there's anything we need, we are to ask God. 24 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,800 And how are we to ask God? With confidence, a firm 25 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:16,040 persuasion, not doubting. Because if we doubt, then we're 26 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,720 like the sea, we're tossed here and there. 27 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:23,760 So if you're coming to the throne and you have doubt, this 28 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,920 is a problem because a double minded man is unstable in his 29 00:02:27,920 --> 00:02:31,800 ways and the Bible says they should expect to receive nothing 30 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,000 from God, not, not because God does not have something to give, 31 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,600 but because we do not understand how to approach the throne. 32 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:44,720 Let me say it this way. In the Kingdom there is a 33 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:48,160 protocol. I'm going to say that again. 34 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:49,960 In the Kingdom, there is a protocol. 35 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,680 OK, let's go. Let's break it down real simple. 36 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:58,440 In order to get in the Kingdom, there is a protocol how to enter 37 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:02,440 it. You do not enter the Kingdom any 38 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,040 way you want to. In fact, you do not even enter 39 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,520 the Kingdom as you are. You enter the king. 40 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:14,520 You may come to the door as you are, but you come in different. 41 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,400 So there is a protocol to come into the Kingdom and the 42 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:20,960 protocol is you must believe in your heart, confess with your 43 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,880 mouth, Jesus Christ is Lord and that gives you entrance through 44 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:28,760 the door into his Kingdom. Jesus said unless a man's born 45 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,280 again he will not see or enter the Kingdom. 46 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:36,120 That's called protocol. He said any other way a person 47 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,240 would try to come in doesn't exist. 48 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,000 Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the lie. 49 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,880 So there is a protocol just to enter into the gates. 50 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,960 Are you hearing me? There is protocol when it comes 51 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:54,200 to the Kingdom in the exercising of faith. 52 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:59,000 The things that are received from God are received by faith. 53 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,320 Are you hearing what I'm saying? That means there's a protocol 54 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,240 associated with that. Well, again, when you stand 55 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,080 before the throne, when you come in, Thrones are in kingdoms, not 56 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:11,720 religions. When you come before the throne, 57 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,960 He is letting us know. In Hebrews, there's a protocol. 58 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,200 He wants you to have confidence. In essence, it's this way. 59 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:23,080 When you're approaching the throne, it's because you are 60 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:27,720 already in a context, speaking with the Lord, having a 61 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,400 conversation with the Lord, hearing from the Lord. 62 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:32,880 Because when you're coming before the throne of grace, 63 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:36,320 you're coming to receive something and you come with 64 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:38,040 confidence. Confidence meaning I'm firmly 65 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:40,400 persuaded what God says I will have. 66 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:42,880 Now here's the thing, you may come before the throne and not 67 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:44,680 know yet, but this is what you do know. 68 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:48,040 Whatever He says, He will do, and I'm confident of that. 69 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:54,560 So whatever situation I'm going through, I can come to the 70 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:58,040 throne of grace confidently, knowing my King will hear my 71 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:01,920 case. He will help settle my case, and 72 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:07,880 He will give me a word to stand on that cannot be stopped unless 73 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,240 I stop it. Are you hearing me? 74 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:11,800 So? Therefore, let us draw near with 75 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:14,400 confidence through the throne of grace so that we may receive 76 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:20,320 what is it mercy and find grace to help in time and need. 77 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:26,480 So notice mercy and grace. So mercy is not grace and grace 78 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:29,720 is not mercy. Now you'll hear people all the 79 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:33,080 time, he said ma'am, but for the grace of God, well, is it for 80 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,280 the grace of God in that situation or is it for the mercy 81 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:42,520 of God? Because sometimes we're saying 82 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,960 the grace of God in a situation when the reality is that's the 83 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:50,040 mercy of God functioning in our lives. 84 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:55,600 It is not the grace of God. Are you hearing me OK? 85 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:59,680 Mercy by definition means this kindness of goodwill towards the 86 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:03,800 miserable and afflicted, joined with a desire to help them. 87 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:08,520 While grace is favored, it's the spiritual condition of 1 88 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,400 governed by the power of divine grace. 89 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,280 And if you were with us, with Reverend Tony Cook, who is a 90 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:19,960 teacher in the body of Christ, he's the fivefold ministry gift 91 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:22,720 of teacher. He taught us that there is a 92 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,320 saving grace, but there is a serving grace. 93 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:28,800 There is a strengthening grace. There are multifacets of grace. 94 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:34,760 So the grace we have is not just to save us out of the domain of 95 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:37,720 darkness and transfer us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son. 96 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:41,640 Once we're in the Kingdom, then we receive the grace Jesus has 97 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:46,400 because the Bible tells us that Jesus was full of grace. 98 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:51,640 And grace that we have initially is called unmerited favor, 99 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:57,600 meaning it we didn't deserve for God to extend this grace to us, 100 00:06:57,840 --> 00:07:01,160 but He does because he is merciful. 101 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,360 Are you hearing me? But once you're in the Kingdom, 102 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:07,840 then you receive the strengthening grace. 103 00:07:07,840 --> 00:07:10,800 Or another way you could call it is empowering grace. 104 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,320 And that's the grace Jesus operated. 105 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:17,440 Because what did Jesus ever do He didn't deserve other than 106 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:22,720 taking on your sin, but he could take on your sin because he was 107 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:26,440 empowered by the grace of God, the empowerment of grace that 108 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:29,200 Jesus walk because the Bible says he was full of grace. 109 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,280 Is that every temptation that ever came? 110 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:37,920 So that he who emptied himself of his godly, of his, of his, of 111 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:42,000 his nature, or of his attributes in heaven, and he emptied 112 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:48,200 himself and became a man in the earth without sin every time 113 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:54,040 temptation came, so that he could sin, and he could have if 114 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,720 he had chosen. But he chose not to, because the 115 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:01,160 grace empowered him to resist every temptation. 116 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:07,200 The Bible says he was tempted on all accounts, yet he never 117 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,720 sinned. And why was that the grace of 118 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,240 God in his life? It was the grace. 119 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:16,200 So when you're born again and you receive Christ empowering 120 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:20,400 grace, you actually are now empowered by grace to resist 121 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:23,120 temptation. No longer should you conclude 122 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,400 that you are a Sinner saved by grace. 123 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:30,000 You were a Sinner separated loss and could not help but sin. 124 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:34,240 Now you are a believer, and the grace of God that you are now as 125 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:37,960 a believer actually has the ability when you renew your mind 126 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:42,520 by the Spirit of God, that you can resist every temptation to 127 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:47,200 sin. Glory to God because you have 128 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:50,880 been transferred into this Kingdom which has separated you 129 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:56,160 from the Law of sin and death and moved you into the law of 130 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,440 the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. 131 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:02,400 And the life in Christ Jesus is a life that can resist the 132 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:07,080 temptation to sin. Now you can't stop temptation 133 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:09,480 because Jesus couldn't stop temptation. 134 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:12,760 In fact, the Holy Spirit let him into the wilderness to be 135 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:17,240 tempted of the devil, of which he never succumbed. 136 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:22,640 Glory to God and if he could resist a direct personal attack 137 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,840 from Satan. And the majority of us never 138 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:28,040 even have Satan show up at our house. 139 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:33,760 I mean, you are really giving yourself a lot of accolades if 140 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:35,920 you think the devil is actually coming after you. 141 00:09:37,680 --> 00:09:38,720 I'm just letting you know, right? 142 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:41,240 No, right, no. Right now, the devil is not 143 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:45,640 messing with the majority of lost people or believers because 144 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,920 lost is already somewhere. They're already in his domain. 145 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:51,040 They're already separated from God. 146 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,600 The ones that are born again, most of them are still immature 147 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,920 and carnal, that their flesh still dominates them. 148 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:58,280 And he doesn't even have to talk to him. 149 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,920 All right, So don't flatter yourself too much to say that 150 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,440 Satan has shown up. I would say, I would personally 151 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,160 say today, Satan has never showed up at my house. 152 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:16,120 Now, some spirits have shown up, and that's relatively recent, 153 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:19,800 but prior to that I wasn't on their radar. 154 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:27,520 Are you hearing me? Anyway, once you're in here in 155 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:31,600 the Kingdom of God, now you have this ability to be able to 156 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:37,960 resist this temptation. So mercy leads to grace, and 157 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:44,080 grace will grant mercy. Are you hearing me OK? 158 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,960 Jesus said this in Matthew Chapter 9 verse 13. 159 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:49,520 He said this. I'm going to read out the 160 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:51,600 amplified class. He said go and learn what this 161 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:55,400 means. I desire mercy, that is 162 00:10:56,120 --> 00:11:00,680 readiness to help those in trouble and not sacrifice and 163 00:11:00,680 --> 00:11:04,240 sacrificial victims. For I I came to call. 164 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:09,280 I came not to call and invite to repentance the righteous, those 165 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:12,240 who are upright in and right standing with God, but sinners 166 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:18,480 and the airing ones and all who flip are not free from sin. 167 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:24,280 Now this quote is coming from Hosea 6/6 and if we were would 168 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:26,880 to go over to Hosea 6/6 which we will not. 169 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:31,320 But it the context of this chapter is the Lord talking to 170 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:37,080 unrepentant Israel and He is accounting through his prophet 171 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:45,640 Hosea how many times he sent his prophets to the nation for them 172 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:54,040 to repent and that he acted at God, acted on His word at times 173 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:59,480 through judgment because he told them in Deuteronomy 28, if you 174 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,240 follow and obey me, all these blessings happen. 175 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:04,560 But then when you get to the 15th verse, he said, now if you 176 00:12:04,560 --> 00:12:06,920 disobey me, all these curses are going to come. 177 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:12,400 In essence, if you act this way, then I have, I have to be a doer 178 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:16,000 of my word because you're not keeping my word to allow these 179 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,440 things to occur. But if you keep my word, then I 180 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:22,240 will keep my word concerning you. 181 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:28,800 But unfortunately, Israel did not keep the word, so he would 182 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:32,320 send prophets to remind them, keep my word. 183 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:34,480 Repent. I need you to repent. 184 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:39,440 Do not think that what you're doing is going unnoticed or you 185 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,040 will not be held accountable to it. 186 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:49,280 Because he is a righteous judge or righteous king, the Savior of 187 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:53,280 the world is Lord supreme in authority. 188 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,280 And so in Hosea he is communicating. 189 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:59,080 Look, I've sent my profits and there were times in your 190 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:01,240 disobedience, I let famines come. 191 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:04,240 I let the sword come to destroy for the purpose of letting you 192 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:06,680 know your actions are causing this. 193 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,920 Just repent. Because he told them. 194 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:13,360 If you'll repent, if you'll turn back to me, then I'm going to 195 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:14,960 protect you. I'm going to come in like a 196 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:17,640 flood. I'm going to do it right. 197 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:22,640 But if you don't, you, you force my hand because God is a 198 00:13:22,680 --> 00:13:26,800 righteous judge. We don't get away with anything. 199 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:35,640 So Hosea is saying to them, oh man, I wish that I desire mercy 200 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:39,640 instead of sacrifice. In fact, one writer of this 201 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:43,200 passage says it this way. I desire mercy, not sacrifice, 202 00:13:43,560 --> 00:13:47,680 was the Lord say I taught them righteousness by my prophets, 203 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:52,040 for I desired mercy. I was more willing to save than 204 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:55,560 to destroy. So notice God's heart is always 205 00:13:55,560 --> 00:14:04,360 more willing to save. However He will destroy, He will 206 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:08,760 act on His word concerning things that will cause people to 207 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:12,720 be separated. He says I would rather see them 208 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:18,240 full of pentant and holy resolution then before them 209 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:21,520 offering the best and most numerous victims upon my altar. 210 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:24,640 Meaning what they were doing is they were still performing 211 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,280 sacrifices with no change of heart. 212 00:14:33,410 --> 00:14:36,770 And this why I said I desire mercy instead of sacrifice 213 00:14:37,090 --> 00:14:41,050 because again you want to keep your behavior and throw 214 00:14:41,050 --> 00:14:47,560 something to me when the reality is I am a merciful God and I 215 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:58,080 will judge if necessary. But God doesn't want to have to 216 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:00,320 do this. Why James chapter 2 verse 13? 217 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:05,920 Look what it says, for judgment will be merciless to those who 218 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:14,560 show who have shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over 219 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:20,840 judgment. I said mercy triumphs over 220 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:26,240 judgment. I said mercy triumphs over 221 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,640 judgment. Now, that does not mean that 222 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:36,560 judgment cease to exist. Are you hearing me? 223 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:41,800 OK? I need a couple volunteers. 224 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:44,320 OK. Come on, Charlie. 225 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:47,960 Hurry. Charlie. 226 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:54,080 Yes. I need 2. 227 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:55,640 Yes, I'll take you. Come. 228 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:56,680 Yeah. With your hand raised. 229 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:58,440 Whichever one y'all one of y'all can come. 230 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:00,360 I don't care. Both of you. 231 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:01,600 Yeah. Bring both of you work. 232 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:03,280 Come on up on the platform, please. 233 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:05,440 Charlie, I need you to hold this string. 234 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:07,800 Get to the very end of it, please. 235 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:09,560 You take this one. Get to the very end. 236 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:11,360 Stretch it all the way across. Very good. 237 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:15,240 Come on, ladies. The Lord is good. 238 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:19,240 You know what? I'm going to give you this one 239 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:27,480 instead. Stretch it all the way. 240 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:29,720 OK, ladies, come on. I want you to take this one. 241 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:32,560 I want you to stand right beside her. 242 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:35,280 You stand right beside her, and I want you to come over here and 243 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,560 stand because these are basically the same length. 244 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:40,280 Stretch them out. Hold yours a little higher. 245 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:41,800 There you go. Can y'all see these? 246 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:45,480 All right. OK, so we give you a quick 247 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,920 lesson in the mercy of God. Are you ready? 248 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:55,000 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and it was 249 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,400 good, right? He said. 250 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,240 Then God said this. Then God said let us make man in 251 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:02,600 our image recorded in our likeness. 252 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,079 I'm gonna deal with earth at this point I could go further, 253 00:17:05,079 --> 00:17:06,640 but let's just deal with earth, OK? 254 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:09,920 God said let us make man in our image recording our likeness and 255 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:13,599 let him have dominion or rule over the fish of the sea, birds 256 00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:15,440 of the sky, where all the cattle, every creeping thing 257 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:17,359 that creeps on the earth and over all the earth. 258 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:20,440 So God created man in his own image and the likeness of God, 259 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:22,200 both male and female, they had demeaning. 260 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:25,599 So God would rule in the heaven realm, Man rules in the earth 261 00:17:25,599 --> 00:17:27,880 realm. God would come down often in the 262 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:31,640 the cool of the day and and have relationship with the man and 263 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:33,480 the woman. They did not have to go to 264 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,760 heaven to have that relationship because heaven and earth looked 265 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:45,160 alike and in context of godliness and no sin, God's 266 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:48,240 realm and man's realm. Then he says to man. 267 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:50,480 He says, man, you can eat from any tree of the garden, but of 268 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:53,320 the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not 269 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:54,480 eat. For the day you eat you will. 270 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:58,600 Surely you'll What? So if Adam had never eaten the 271 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:03,480 fruit, where would he be today? Which tells us if we stayed in 272 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,120 obedience to God, this is God's lifeline. 273 00:18:06,120 --> 00:18:07,800 I'm going to say life. I'm going to say life. 274 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:12,280 I'm going to say eternal life. And so God intended when He 275 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,880 created everything in His creation that it would run along 276 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:21,440 this line only for all eternity, for eternity's past to 277 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:24,000 eternity's future. We can't get to the ends of 278 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:27,440 these lines because it's where God started for all eternity. 279 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:29,960 It'd be to where God is for all eternity. 280 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:31,920 And those who are with Him will be with him. 281 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:35,000 That's also the angelic realm that stayed with Him and did not 282 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:42,640 rebel the minute God in his perfection, His Holiness, His 283 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:48,520 righteousness, the one who is only able to keep a just word, 284 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:55,000 He always keeps his word. He never fails to keep his word. 285 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:01,280 When he says, Adam, you can eat from any tree of the garment of 286 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:02,440 the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 287 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:05,840 You shall not eat, for the day you eat, you will surely die. 288 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:12,040 Means separation. Are you hearing me well? 289 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:15,800 Did Adam eat the fruit? And the Bible says through one 290 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:19,840 man's transgression, sin enter the world. 291 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:24,880 The wages of sin is. And here's the line of death 292 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:30,840 right here. This line will cease to exist in 293 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:34,800 a sense, because there will come a point where death will be 294 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,720 thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death, and 295 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:42,960 it will hold it for eternity, and there'll be no more death 296 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:45,880 after that. Are you hearing me? 297 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:50,880 So death starts at the disobedience of God, and God 298 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:54,640 says if you eat this fruit you will die. 299 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,400 Then we get to Genesis chapter 3. 300 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:01,120 He eats the fruit. God comes into the garden and 301 00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:03,680 says, Adam, where are you? Not that he couldn't find it, 302 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:05,280 but what position are you in now? 303 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:07,440 Because you're not in the dominion I gave you. 304 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:10,200 In fact, Adam gave his dominion to the devil. 305 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,280 And now he is under the authority of the devil. 306 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:22,280 He has cut off, separated from God, and now the just punishment 307 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:27,280 of Adam is eternal separation. How many you agree with that? 308 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:31,200 Now here's the problem. Man is going to produce after 309 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:36,160 his own con because the kind man was prior to the fall was the 310 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,600 God kind. But when Adam fell from 311 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:42,760 dominion, his spirit man died and now he produces after his 312 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:44,760 kind. And that's why we all have 313 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:51,840 sinned and fallen, which means we all have to pay the price or 314 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:55,320 the wage associated with sin. It's called death. 315 00:20:56,040 --> 00:21:02,320 Now God says in Genesis 3 that I'm going to send my seed 316 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:06,400 through the woman, and he's going to crush the devil's head, 317 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:11,440 right? The devil will bruise his heel, 318 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:17,440 but he'll crush his head. Jesus came to save the world, 319 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:25,120 but how does he save the world? He saves the world by making by 320 00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:30,560 paying the price of this lawn, which means every action of sin 321 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:36,640 on this line, all humanity from Adam to the last person is on 322 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:41,480 this line. That Jesus's blood paid the 323 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:47,880 price for it did not go unnoticed. 324 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:53,440 Are you hearing me? Why does Jesus do this? 325 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:58,400 Because God said, let us make man in our image according to 326 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,040 our likeness, and let them have dominion. 327 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:04,720 Now that Adam has eaten the fruit and has fallen from 328 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,920 dominion, God is obligated to his own word. 329 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:13,760 Not because He is necessarily just going after you, it's 330 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:18,640 because He has to keep His Word concerning man. 331 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:23,640 And if Adam has eaten a fruit which has allowed no human from 332 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:29,560 him on to be in the likeness and image of God, God then obligated 333 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:34,520 to His own word must create a pathway back so that His Word is 334 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:40,760 true. So if none of us, if no one from 335 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,760 Adam to the last person ever would have except Jesus Christ 336 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:48,480 as their Lord, Jesus still would have came because God will 337 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:55,040 always do his word Hallelujah. Now question, if you do not 338 00:22:55,040 --> 00:23:00,040 accept Jesus Christ as your Lord, which is the protocol to 339 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:05,280 come into the Kingdom, will God the Father, the Father of life, 340 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:10,160 still put people into the lake of fire? 341 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:16,000 Will they'll be eternally separated, even though the price 342 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:23,520 has been paid for because they do not meet the requirement 343 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:26,040 necessary by faith to be born again? 344 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:29,640 It's not their work, but it's His work. 345 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:34,560 Yet God will hold to their account. 346 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:36,760 What? The blood is not applied. 347 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:44,640 The blood is on the mercy seat. The blood is not on your book. 348 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:48,400 Oh, the other one. The Bible says that there are 349 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:50,880 books. There is the Lamb's Book of 350 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:54,360 Life, and your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life the 351 00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:57,160 day you're born again. Prior to that you have another 352 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:01,880 book that has all of your deeds, all of your own doings, all your 353 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:05,920 treasons to the crown, and until the blood is taken off the mercy 354 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:12,160 seat and puts a paid in full to your account and then you get a 355 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:15,640 name transferred over to the Lamb's book of life. 356 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:20,920 God's word concerning sin will come to pass in your life and 357 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:27,600 you will go to the lake of fire. Is this not true? 358 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:39,360 This is mercy. We are all on this line. 359 00:24:39,360 --> 00:24:42,000 Stretch it tight, ladies. We are all on this line. 360 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:46,240 And if you start sinning here and you're here and you've 361 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:48,720 created all this sin in your life and you're here and this 362 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:50,920 sin and God already knows you're going to create all this sin, 363 00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:52,960 you know what? He's actually paid the price for 364 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:55,240 that. And because He's paid the price, 365 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:59,640 that's why He can be merciful. I like to say it this way. 366 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:02,920 I use this as an example. Most of the time we think of 367 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,560 mercy, which is we're in trouble. 368 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:10,480 When you're in trouble, mercy comes calling. 369 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:15,960 When you put yourself in disobedience, mercy is 370 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:19,400 necessary. When disobedience is present, 371 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:24,480 mercy is necessary. Are you hearing what I'm saying? 372 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:30,240 But if you'll walk in obedience, then grace can be imparted. 373 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:35,960 And there's the difference. Now we were all sinners and 374 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,680 we're all on this line, but God wants us to have life and life 375 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:42,560 more abundantly. But how in the world can we get 376 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:46,880 from this line to that line? It's the mercy seat. 377 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:52,200 So take think of these as two interstates, right? 378 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:57,600 And this is the off ramp. Then when you receive the mercy 379 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:02,360 of God, it allows you to go from one location to the other. 380 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:11,200 Mercy takes you off of this line and puts you on this line, and 381 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:13,160 grace will keep you on this line. 382 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:18,640 I'll say grace will keep you on this line, but it requires 383 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,960 mercy. So if you were driving 70 miles 384 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:27,320 an hour in a 55 and a police officer pulls you over, are you 385 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:35,640 guilty by breaking the law? Are does the officer have every 386 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,760 legal right to issue you a ticket? 387 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:40,960 Let's just go a little more extreme. 388 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:46,320 You're driving 50 miles over the speed limit, which at that point 389 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:50,760 they could throw you in jail. So have you broken the law? 390 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:55,440 Does the police officer have a right to ticket and throw you in 391 00:26:55,440 --> 00:27:01,880 jail? Yes, but as they talk with you, 392 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:07,440 look at you, they ask you what's going on, and in the process 393 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:11,400 you're like, Officer, this was what I was doing. 394 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:14,640 I know I'm wrong. I should not have been doing 395 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:18,360 this. I recognize that I'm in the 396 00:27:18,360 --> 00:27:21,480 wrong here. I understand that you can give 397 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:23,000 me a ticket and throw me in jail. 398 00:27:23,120 --> 00:27:29,480 I understand that. But I throw myself on your Now 399 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:31,880 if they are merciful, then what do they do? 400 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:38,240 They give you a a warning and then they release you and to 401 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:40,040 you. You think it's settled. 402 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:45,640 Now technically in the natural it is, But let's take it from 403 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:49,880 Jesus's perspective. If he was the officer, if Jesus 404 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:56,800 was the officer, he then would go back to the station, He would 405 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:01,280 pull out the amount of money necessary to pay the fine 406 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:06,760 because it cannot just go away without being paid. 407 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:13,320 He will pay the fine and then put himself in jail to pay your 408 00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:20,960 full penalty. So there's never a lying to a 409 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:29,280 parent, an outburst of anger. I started there, gossip, 410 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:36,000 slander, unforgiveness that does not require payment. 411 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:40,760 There's never a time that we've done something that it does not 412 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:44,800 require blood. And blood's on the mercy. 413 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:50,760 And if we repent, then the mercy takes us off one line to the 414 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:53,160 next. Are you seeing this? 415 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:59,040 This is why God is merciful, because even if you're here in 416 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:01,800 this part of your life, none of this is going it. 417 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:05,400 You're not getting away with anything because Jesus is 418 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:08,480 actually already paid the price. Could he forgive you here? 419 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:11,200 Yeah, if you ask for it. But if you're choosing to wait 420 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:12,600 till you're down here, guess what? 421 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:16,520 Payment still there. So when it looks like people are 422 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:18,400 getting away with stuff, nobody's getting away with 423 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:21,120 anything. But what's happening all along 424 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:24,800 the route, God is saying you can get off, here's my mercy. 425 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:26,560 Well, I'm not doing it, so you keep going. 426 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:28,000 Here's my mercy, you can get off, but you don't do it. 427 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,320 Here's my mercy, you can get off, but you don't do it. 428 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:32,840 Here's my mercy. You can get off, but you don't 429 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:34,640 do it. Here's my mercy, you can get 430 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,080 off, but you don't do it. Here you are towards the end of 431 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:39,840 your life, you're about to breathe your last breath, and 432 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:49,950 mercy comes calling. But if you breathe your last 433 00:29:49,950 --> 00:29:57,120 breath and don't accept that mercy, then the blood never gets 434 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:05,320 applied to your account because God always keeps His word still 435 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:09,920 to this day. Are you hearing what I'm saying? 436 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:15,120 So you need to understand there is a powerful price that's paid 437 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:25,520 for us to be on the lifeline and the off ramp is God's mercy. 438 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:28,240 Thank you ladies, you did amazing. 439 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:32,520 I appreciate it. Do you see that? 440 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,200 So let's see this connection together real quick. 441 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:39,040 We'll run through Hebrews chapter 2, verse one and seven. 442 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:42,360 We saw this Reverend Tony Cook, he says that This is why mercy 443 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:46,600 triumphs over judgment because God's going to judge judgment's 444 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:51,200 coming period. But mercy will put you on the 445 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:54,680 lifeline where the judgment you'll have then is the judgment 446 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:57,640 of the deeds you've done in Christ rewards. 447 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:01,840 But if you do not receive mercy, the reason mercy triumphs over 448 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:08,440 judgment is because it gets you off that eternal separation line 449 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:12,160 from God and that eternal judgment that places you in the 450 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:15,760 lake of fire. Mercy will triumph it not 451 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:21,000 because it's not paid for, it's because you received the payment 452 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:24,000 and and got off the line of disobedience. 453 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:27,560 So in Ephesians 2, one through 7, it says you were dead in your 454 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:30,000 trespass and sin in which you formerly walked according to the 455 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:32,520 course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of 456 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:35,560 the heir of the Spirit that is now working in the sons of what? 457 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:39,480 So, you know, if you like disobeying, that's a problem. 458 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:44,880 If you like trying to figure out how much you can come to church 459 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,080 but not really follow God, that's a problem. 460 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:51,280 You need to be a son of obedience, not a son of 461 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:54,000 disobedience. And if the and if your father 462 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:56,640 corrects you and say, hey, you don't need to do that anymore. 463 00:31:56,640 --> 00:32:00,560 You need to just say yes, heavenly Father, thank you for 464 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:05,440 empowering me not to and giving me mercy to make a correction 465 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:10,520 first three among them. We too all formerly lived in the 466 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:13,880 lust of the flesh and the indulging the desires of the 467 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:16,320 flesh and of the mind. And we're by nature children. 468 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:20,480 Wrath even has the rest. But God say, but God being rich 469 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:23,720 in, in what? In what? 470 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:27,840 It's by, it's by the grace of God, you're saved. 471 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:34,160 But it's the richness of his mercy that gives you a right to 472 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:39,280 his grace. Because if he was not merciful, 473 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:44,480 he would still be righteous in his judgment of you. 474 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:50,400 But he is a merciful God. This is why we should be 475 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:55,400 merciful people. He goes on to say, but being 476 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,320 rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved 477 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:01,560 us even when we were dead, because when Adam ate the fruit, 478 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:04,880 he says, well, there you go. But what did he do? 479 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:07,400 He said, no, I'm going to keep my own word. 480 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:11,240 I'm going to keep my word concerning them. 481 00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:15,080 I'll send my own son to pay the price for everything wrong 482 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,080 that's on the line of disobedience so they can get 483 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:21,240 off. My mercy will take them off and 484 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:25,000 put them on the line of life, and then I'll grace them to live 485 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,400 there. Glory to God, I said, glory to 486 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:31,560 God, But God being rich in mercy because of the great love of 487 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:34,080 which He loved us even when we were dead and our transgression 488 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:35,440 made us alive together with Christ. 489 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:38,280 By grace you have been saved and raised us up with Him and seated 490 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:41,680 us with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the 491 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:44,800 ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace 492 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:47,440 and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. 493 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:50,400 There'll come a point that mercy is not necessary because it 494 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:54,880 would be a Society of just obedience of people who love to 495 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:58,720 obey their Father. Come on, are you hearing what 496 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:01,120 I'm saying? Titus chapter 3 verses 3 through 497 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:04,480 7 says. For we also were once foolish 498 00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:10,639 ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various 499 00:34:10,639 --> 00:34:13,600 lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice. 500 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:20,679 Wow, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hurting one 501 00:34:20,679 --> 00:34:24,840 another, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our 502 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:28,520 Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on 503 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:34,080 the basis because which we have done in righteousness, but 504 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:38,960 according to His what? His mercy by the washing of 505 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:42,440 regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out 506 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:46,719 upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being 507 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:50,280 justified by His grace, we would be made heirs according to the 508 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:55,080 hope of of eternal life. So mercy is there to pardon all 509 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:58,120 sin. Grace is to purify our soul. 510 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:07,160 Mercy manifests out of the presence of disobedience, while 511 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:11,200 grace manifests out of the presence of obedience. 512 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:18,480 Mercy can deliver you when you get yourself in trouble. 513 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:24,360 Grace will deliver you when the world brings you trouble. 514 00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:38,280 Romans chapter 914 to 16 Paul writing to the Roman church. 515 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:41,400 He said, what shall we say then? Is there no injustice with God 516 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:45,040 or is it There is no injustice with God, is there? 517 00:35:45,240 --> 00:35:49,960 May it never be, For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom 518 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:52,200 I'll have mercy, and I'll have compassion on whom I'll have 519 00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:54,800 compassion. So then it does not depend on 520 00:35:54,800 --> 00:36:01,240 the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. 521 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:04,880 Now the the correct context of this particular passage of 522 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:09,000 Scripture is that when God presents his word for you to 523 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:12,840 obey, that is mercy communicating. 524 00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:19,080 If you yield to it, then you'll be saved. 525 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:22,680 If you do not yield, you will be hardened. 526 00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:29,640 And the reason why some people never come off the off ramp of 527 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:34,640 mercy is not is not because God doesn't extend it is because 528 00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:38,440 when he does, they do not want to receive it. 529 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:43,600 Then when he watches their own behavior of being merciless. 530 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:50,200 Now when we're lost, that's one thing. 531 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:53,760 But when you get born again and you become a person of no mercy, 532 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:58,520 that's problematic. I said. 533 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:03,120 That's problematic. Now, mercy is not forgiving you 534 00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:11,600 without repentance. Mercy is I will forgive you 535 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:17,280 although you do not deserve it because you definitely have done 536 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:22,440 me wrong. However, if you will repent, 537 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:27,000 I'll have no problem forgiving you because I am merciful and I 538 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:32,920 just want us restored because that's what God did. 539 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:41,400 You disobeyed him, He was in the right position, and instead of 540 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:45,720 him just judging you based upon your action, he extended an 541 00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:50,360 opportunity of mercy. But mercy comes when you repent. 542 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:55,320 I said when you repent. Are you hearing what I'm saying? 543 00:37:56,480 --> 00:37:59,120 The Bible tells us in Matthew the Kingdom of God is like 544 00:37:59,120 --> 00:38:01,560 heaven is like this. This guy came to the master, he 545 00:38:01,560 --> 00:38:03,600 had an amount of debt he could not pay. 546 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:06,200 So he says send him over to the torturers, him and his family so 547 00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:08,640 the debt can be paid. And he fell down and begged for 548 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:15,920 mercy, of which the master had compassion and forgave his debt. 549 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:21,160 But the minute he leaves within a day or so or that same day, he 550 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:25,280 finds one who only owes a day's wage and he's throws him to jail 551 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:28,160 to pay the the debt. When the others see it, they 552 00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:30,120 went back to the master says I can't even believe this 553 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:33,600 happened. I mean, we know what debt this 554 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:36,720 guy was in and you forgave him. But he held this guy to an 555 00:38:36,720 --> 00:38:40,000 account and it said that he brought him back in and he said, 556 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:47,320 how in the world could you have not extended the mercy I showed 557 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:51,480 you to this person in comparison of the amount of debt? 558 00:38:56,440 --> 00:39:03,400 But because your heart was hard and because he showed no mercy 559 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:07,520 when he received mercy, then he was turned over to the 560 00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:14,400 torturers, not for the debt, because that was forgiven before 561 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:22,840 the crime of being mercy less because when the one wanted, he 562 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:24,800 could have, he could have worked it out. 563 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:29,320 Are you hearing what I'm saying? Boy, it's quiet in here. 564 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:34,440 I like a little shouting myself. First Peter, chapter 2, verses 9 565 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:36,000 through 11. The murloc translation says 566 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:41,480 this, But you are an elect race, officiating as priests of the 567 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:44,640 Kingdom, a holy people, a redeemed congregation, that ye 568 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:46,640 should proclaim the praise of him who called you out of 569 00:39:46,640 --> 00:39:50,440 darkness into his precious light, who formerly were not 570 00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:53,040 accounted of people, but now are the people of God. 571 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:58,440 And also there was there were once no mercies on you, but now 572 00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:01,480 mercies are poured out on you. Come on, aren't you glad you've 573 00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:05,720 received the mercies of God? My beloved, I entreat you as 574 00:40:05,720 --> 00:40:08,560 strangers and pilgrims, separate yourself from all lusts of the 575 00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:11,200 body that wage war against your soul. 576 00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:13,480 I thank God for His mercy. And you know what? 577 00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:19,200 His mercies are new every His mercies endure. 578 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:22,400 Why? Because He paid the price once 579 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:28,640 and for all. There's an opportunity as long 580 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:32,760 as you're breathing for you to come off the deaf line and get 581 00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:36,400 onto the lifeline to get off the sons of disobedience line and 582 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:42,960 get over into the sons of obedience because then his grace 583 00:40:42,960 --> 00:40:46,640 when you activate it by faith will empower you to not be a son 584 00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:51,920 of disobedient again. First Timothy 112 to 14. 585 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:54,600 He said, I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who strengthened me 586 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:57,920 because he considered me faithful, putting me into 587 00:40:57,920 --> 00:41:01,480 service even though I was formerly A blasphemer and a 588 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:04,840 persecutor and a violent aggressor. 589 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:09,240 Yet I was shown what mercy because I acted ignorantly in 590 00:41:09,240 --> 00:41:15,280 unbelief, and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant with 591 00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:17,320 the faith and love which are found in Christ. 592 00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:20,280 Aren't you glad God was merciful for you, Laura Lee? 593 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:22,240 Aren't you glad God was merciful? 594 00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:26,600 I mean, you understand when you recognize the mercy of God in 595 00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:30,400 your life to put you in the place to be called sons of God. 596 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:33,480 And you remember that then it caused you to walk in the fear 597 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:35,680 of God. And there's no way you want to 598 00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:38,000 get back on the line of sons of disobedience. 599 00:41:40,320 --> 00:41:45,920 No way. No way you want that to operate 600 00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:50,320 because we can boldly come or confidently go before the throne 601 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:55,960 of grace because when we get into challenges in our life, the 602 00:41:55,960 --> 00:42:01,280 grace of God will keep us and we can go and then we can still 603 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:05,160 find mercy even in those situations that we did not have 604 00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:10,800 as a self-inflicted issue, but an external that God would move 605 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:15,120 and empower us with his grace. You know, Tony could use this 606 00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:19,400 scripture, but I'll say it again. 2nd Corinthians 12, seven 607 00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:26,560 to nine, he talked about how he had a messenger from Satan to 608 00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:28,560 try to keep him from being exalted. 609 00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:31,200 And he he clearly communicated what that meant. 610 00:42:31,200 --> 00:42:34,160 You need to go back on Wednesday night to see that most 611 00:42:34,160 --> 00:42:36,640 translations does not get that correct. 612 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:39,240 And he said to him, what did he say? 613 00:42:39,280 --> 00:42:43,880 My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected and 614 00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:48,000 weakness meaning with you are being attacked from all sides 615 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:50,320 and all these things are coming against you and you're being of 616 00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:53,960 obedient child of God. Let the grace of God, not the 617 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:57,240 mercy of God, but the grace of God, work in your life. 618 00:42:58,440 --> 00:43:02,400 Because see, the Bible tells us that if you are being railed 619 00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:06,640 against because you sin, well, it's because you sin. 620 00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:09,680 But if you're being railed against because you are 621 00:43:09,680 --> 00:43:13,840 maintained your righteousness, then it says God will get take 622 00:43:13,840 --> 00:43:18,760 up your cause, Hallelujah. Because His grace will be 623 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:23,000 sufficient for you and will be the strength you need in that 624 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:27,120 time of weakness. Mercy is not required on your 625 00:43:27,120 --> 00:43:29,200 end. It's the grace of God that will 626 00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:33,440 keep you and perfect you. But I don't understand why many 627 00:43:33,440 --> 00:43:36,520 believers want to live under God's mercy and not under His 628 00:43:36,520 --> 00:43:41,400 grace. Because people who just live 629 00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:45,160 under the mercy of God do not live the same life as a person 630 00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:46,720 who lives under the grace of God. 631 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:52,080 You know, I don't want to just keep blowing it, blowing it, 632 00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:55,400 blowing it, blowing it, blowing it just so God can keep being 633 00:43:55,400 --> 00:44:00,760 merciful. His mercy extends to try to get 634 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:02,520 me to repent. That's what he did with the 635 00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:05,000 nation of Israel. He extended his mercy, extended 636 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:07,960 his mercy, extended his mercy, extended his mercy. 637 00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:13,320 And he's like, come on, I don't want to have to judge you, but 638 00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:21,320 man, if you do not, then there comes a time that mercy stopped. 639 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:24,360 And it did with Israel, it did with Jerusalem. 640 00:44:24,680 --> 00:44:28,160 Jeremiah says he's still preaching a message of 641 00:44:28,160 --> 00:44:33,360 repentance that God says they're not going to do it and I'm 642 00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:39,600 turning them over. So Paul recognized it's the 643 00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:42,720 grace of God. First Corinthians 1510 says it 644 00:44:42,720 --> 00:44:45,400 this way. But by the grace of God I am 645 00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:50,600 what I am and his grace towards me did not prove what vain, but 646 00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:54,920 I labored even more than them all, yet not I but the grace of 647 00:44:54,920 --> 00:44:57,920 God within me. You know if anyone attacks you 648 00:44:57,920 --> 00:45:00,520 because you are extremely purposeful and you understand 649 00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:03,240 this word purpose in the churches people are trying to 650 00:45:03,240 --> 00:45:08,240 make it negative, but you understand I am put that verse 651 00:45:08,240 --> 00:45:10,120 back up. I want them to saturate in their 652 00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:15,000 mind for a while. You should have a labor about 653 00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:19,640 you because of the grace. If you are functioning under the 654 00:45:19,640 --> 00:45:22,600 grace of God, you will have a labor about yourself. 655 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:27,320 You will have purpose, you will have direction, you will have 656 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:31,720 heading, you will be moving. You will be intentional because 657 00:45:31,720 --> 00:45:33,240 the grace of God will compel you. 658 00:45:33,240 --> 00:45:35,920 He said I am what I am by the grace of God. 659 00:45:35,920 --> 00:45:40,120 And he says it's, it's not the labor of me, it's the grace in 660 00:45:40,120 --> 00:45:48,160 me that propels me to do what I do because I don't live in the 661 00:45:48,160 --> 00:45:51,800 mercy of God where I do what I want to do. 662 00:45:51,920 --> 00:45:55,000 And then I blow it. And then I cry out to God and 663 00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:59,800 God's mercy picks me up, turns me around, puts me back on the 664 00:45:59,800 --> 00:46:02,680 line, and then I could go on my way again. 665 00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:06,160 And then I fall on my face because I'm doing my own deal 666 00:46:06,320 --> 00:46:08,680 and God's mercy comes running to me again. 667 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:12,200 Know when I'm in the grace of God, it keeps me from my own 668 00:46:12,200 --> 00:46:15,880 selfish ambitions and moves me for the power and purpose of 669 00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:20,360 God. Amen. 670 00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:24,000 Hallelujah. And you understand when you 671 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:28,440 become an obedient child of God, you will seem like you're right 672 00:46:28,440 --> 00:46:30,800 all the time, but you're not right. 673 00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:33,760 He's right. You're doing his righteousness 674 00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:37,920 because when all you do to any type of situation say, well, 675 00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:43,240 what does the word say? And you do the word, then that's 676 00:46:43,240 --> 00:46:48,800 makes you right. And it's the grace of God and 677 00:46:48,800 --> 00:46:52,680 the passion that you have to be what God's called you to be. 678 00:46:53,200 --> 00:46:55,480 And Paul said, look, I labor more than them all, but it 679 00:46:55,480 --> 00:46:57,200 wasn't me. It was the grace of God. 680 00:46:57,360 --> 00:46:59,600 Listen, not all of us have the same grace. 681 00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:04,000 So we should never be upset at someone who's moving in the 682 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:07,160 grace of God. You move in your grace, but make 683 00:47:07,160 --> 00:47:09,240 sure you're being intentional in your grace. 684 00:47:09,400 --> 00:47:15,040 Now I know the grace that's on Anchor Faith Church, and because 685 00:47:15,040 --> 00:47:18,480 I know the grace that's on Anchor Faith Church, I know what 686 00:47:18,480 --> 00:47:23,000 that looks like. And if you don't have the grace 687 00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:25,440 to run with Anchor Faith Church, then you must have a grace to 688 00:47:25,440 --> 00:47:27,760 run with another church. So go run with the other church, 689 00:47:29,520 --> 00:47:33,160 no problem. But those who are assigned to 690 00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:37,200 Anchor Faith Church, there's a grace for us to do what we do. 691 00:47:37,560 --> 00:47:40,240 And it's not me, but it's the grace. 692 00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:47,760 This is why Paul says we're not taking John Mark. 693 00:47:50,800 --> 00:47:53,960 He is not functioning in the grace necessary for the 694 00:47:53,960 --> 00:47:58,080 assignment. We have Barnabas and Barnab's 695 00:47:58,080 --> 00:48:00,560 like, yeah, but that's my, my nephew, man. 696 00:48:00,560 --> 00:48:03,320 That's my family. That I mean, he he he's in my 697 00:48:03,320 --> 00:48:05,800 family. OK, so you go pick your family 698 00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:09,000 over the purpose of God. He called us out. 699 00:48:09,120 --> 00:48:15,440 He separated us. Now, John Marks a great guy, but 700 00:48:15,440 --> 00:48:18,560 at the end of the day, he's not grace to run this thing with us 701 00:48:18,560 --> 00:48:24,640 right now. So Barnabas chose, and we never 702 00:48:24,640 --> 00:48:30,440 hear from him again to stay with family. 703 00:48:33,480 --> 00:48:36,000 And God says, next man up, Silas, you're going. 704 00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:41,880 And Silas ran with the grace. Timothy ran with the grace. 705 00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:43,640 Come on, they ran with the grace. 706 00:48:43,960 --> 00:48:47,120 I said they ran with the grace. They ran with the grace. 707 00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:50,960 I'd much rather round with grace people than mercy people. 708 00:48:52,240 --> 00:48:54,520 But because you run with grace, guess what you can do? 709 00:48:54,520 --> 00:49:00,040 You can extend mercy glory to God. 710 00:49:00,720 --> 00:49:05,640 I said you can extend mercy because when you're in mercy, 711 00:49:05,800 --> 00:49:10,040 you're looking for grace, but when you're under grace, you can 712 00:49:10,040 --> 00:49:13,840 extend mercy. Hallelujah. 713 00:49:15,120 --> 00:49:20,560 So it's better to live a life of grace that when needed has mercy 714 00:49:20,560 --> 00:49:25,080 along the way, than to live a life upon God's mercy alone, 715 00:49:25,080 --> 00:49:28,760 never experiencing the power of His grace.