WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.439 --> 00:00:05.879 Hello, and thanks for joining us today on Pastor Rick's 2 00:00:05.960 --> 00:00:09.400 Daily Hope. This is the Bible teaching ministry of Rick Warren, 3 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:12.679 and today we are continuing in a series called the 4 00:00:12.839 --> 00:00:16.320 Miracle of Mercy. Rick will show us how God's mercy 5 00:00:16.359 --> 00:00:20.679 can lift your guilt, heal your wounds, and transform. 6 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:21.000 The way you live. 7 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:23.559 All right, let's get started with part one of a 8 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:27.199 message called being an Agent of Mercy in the World. 9 00:00:27.879 --> 00:00:30.079 Now, we've talked many, many times that God has five 10 00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:33.359 purposes for your life. He wants you to know and 11 00:00:33.479 --> 00:00:36.960 love Him. That's called worship. He wants you to belong 12 00:00:37.079 --> 00:00:40.520 to his family that's called fellowship. He wants you to 13 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:45.119 grow spiritually and become like Christ. That's called discipleship. He 14 00:00:45.159 --> 00:00:47.359 wants you to learn how to serve other people and 15 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:50.840 not be self centered. That's called ministry. And he wants 16 00:00:50.840 --> 00:00:53.840 you to share the good news with other people. That's 17 00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:59.240 called your mission in life. Now, mercy has application for 18 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:01.920 every one of those purposes. The Bible tells us that 19 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:04.000 when you show mercy to other people, it's an act 20 00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:06.959 of worship. It shows you love God. The Bible says 21 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:09.840 that when you show mercy, it builds fellowship. It brings 22 00:01:09.879 --> 00:01:13.000 people together. The Bible says that when you show mercy, 23 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:16.640 you become more like Christ, you grow spiritually. The Bible 24 00:01:16.680 --> 00:01:19.319 says that when you show mercy, it's a service to 25 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:22.599 other people. It's a ministry. And the Bible says that 26 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:25.079 when you show mercy, it is a form of your 27 00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:29.359 mission of sharing the good news, and so you fulfill 28 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:31.439 your purpose in life. One of the ways you do 29 00:01:31.480 --> 00:01:34.599 that is by showing mercy to other people. I want 30 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:37.879 us this weekend, in the last message in this series, 31 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:41.920 to look at mercy as a witness, specifically being an 32 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:45.280 agent of mercy in the world. When I was a 33 00:01:45.319 --> 00:01:49.719 little boy, I dreamed of being a secret agent. There 34 00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:52.760 was a show on television called The Man from Uncle. 35 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:57.640 Does anybody remember this show? You're extremely old if you 36 00:01:57.719 --> 00:02:01.879 remember this show. Okay. There was another one called I Spy. 37 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:05.239 Does anybody remember that movie I Spy? Yeah? And of 38 00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:08.360 course it was James Bond. And I was just obsessed 39 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:11.400 with this idea of being a special agent or a 40 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:14.400 secret agent. And even as a little boy, in like 41 00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:16.759 the third and fourth grade, I read all these books 42 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:20.159 on the FBI and on the CIA and on inter 43 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:22.719 Pol because I always thought how cool would it be 44 00:02:23.080 --> 00:02:25.840 to be chosen to be an agent that represented something 45 00:02:25.879 --> 00:02:30.439 really significant in the world. Well, God has chosen you 46 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:33.879 to be a significant agent in the most significant cause 47 00:02:33.879 --> 00:02:36.120 in the world, which is called the Kingdom of God. 48 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:41.039 And God wants you to be an agent of mercy 49 00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:44.439 in the world. And it's one of the ways that 50 00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:47.360 we actually share our faith. Now, Jesus said in next 51 00:02:47.479 --> 00:02:50.039 chapter one, verse eight. He said this right before he 52 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:52.879 went back to heaven after he resurrected from the dead. 53 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:57.159 He said, you will be my witnesses. Now, what is 54 00:02:57.159 --> 00:03:00.439 a witness. Well, if you go to courtroom, witness is 55 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:04.319 somebody who just tells what they saw happen. It's not 56 00:03:04.439 --> 00:03:07.120 the job of the witness to convince the jury. It's 57 00:03:07.159 --> 00:03:09.319 not the job of the witness to be the prosecution. 58 00:03:09.479 --> 00:03:11.439 It's not the job of the witness to be a defense. 59 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:14.280 The witness just says, this is all I saw, this 60 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:17.599 is what happened to me. And when Jesus says you'll 61 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:20.000 be my witness, you're the only one who can be 62 00:03:20.039 --> 00:03:22.159 the witness for you, because nobody else knows how God 63 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:25.800 has worked in your life. Besides you, you're the authority 64 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:28.000 on you. I can't be your witness. Nobody else can 65 00:03:28.039 --> 00:03:31.520 be your witness. Only you can tell what's happened to you. 66 00:03:32.280 --> 00:03:35.000 And when you tell that, that's called your story or 67 00:03:35.240 --> 00:03:39.960 your testimony. Just like in court, people give a testimony. Now, 68 00:03:40.039 --> 00:03:43.000 a lot of people think, well, I only have one testimony. No, no, no, 69 00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:48.520 You've got hundreds of Christian testimonies. Anytime God has done 70 00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:51.000 something in your life, you've got a story about it. 71 00:03:51.039 --> 00:03:54.080 That's called the testimony. If God has helped you overcome 72 00:03:54.159 --> 00:03:58.199 worry and fear, that's a testimony. If God has helped you, 73 00:03:58.199 --> 00:04:01.520 you know, manage your anger better, that's a testimony. You 74 00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:04.080 may have a testimony about your health, how God helped 75 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:06.360 you through a difficult health crisis. You may have a 76 00:04:06.360 --> 00:04:09.360 testimony or a story about how God helped you when 77 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:12.560 you're in a financial crisis, or how God saved your marriage, 78 00:04:12.639 --> 00:04:16.040 or how God put back a relationship. You literally have 79 00:04:16.519 --> 00:04:21.160 hundreds of testimonies, and the one you share is just 80 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:23.720 the one whichever relates to the person you're talking to. 81 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:27.720 You are the authority on you, and to be a 82 00:04:27.759 --> 00:04:30.560 witness simply means I share what God has done in 83 00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:33.120 my life. You don't have to know a lot of scripture. 84 00:04:33.160 --> 00:04:35.199 You don't have to be a theologian, you don't have 85 00:04:35.240 --> 00:04:37.160 to be able to quote the Bible. You just share 86 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:39.759 what God's done in your life. Now, Jesus did not 87 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:44.680 say you will be my defense attorney. It's not your 88 00:04:44.759 --> 00:04:48.800 job to defend God. Jesus did not say you will 89 00:04:48.839 --> 00:04:52.399 be my prosecutor. And it's not your job to convince people. 90 00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:56.279 That's God's job, that's the Holy Spirit's job. Your job 91 00:04:56.360 --> 00:04:58.040 is just be a witness. I don't know this what 92 00:04:58.160 --> 00:05:01.480 happened to me, and only you are the authority on you, 93 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:04.959 and nobody can even challenge it because they're not you. 94 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:09.000 You are the authority on you. You will be my witnesses. Now, 95 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:13.360 what's the best way to do that in today's world? Well, 96 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:18.600 as the world becomes more how shall I say it, unkind, 97 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:23.759 more mean, more unforgiving, let me ask you this, is 98 00:05:23.800 --> 00:05:28.120 the world becoming more loving or more self centered? Self centered? 99 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:30.879 There's no doubt about that. Is the world today more 100 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:33.160 polite than ten years ago or more rude than ten 101 00:05:33.240 --> 00:05:36.319 years ago? Yeah, more rude. We know that the world 102 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:38.920 is not getting more loving, The world is not getting 103 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:44.439 more kind. Wars aren't going away, racial violence and stress 104 00:05:44.519 --> 00:05:48.279 and bigotry is not going away. Profiling prejudice isn't going 105 00:05:48.360 --> 00:05:53.560 to ray. The politics is getting more close or more divided, divided. 106 00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:57.000 We know this, and so you might write this down. 107 00:05:57.319 --> 00:06:03.439 In an unkind world, in a mean world, our greatest 108 00:06:03.480 --> 00:06:10.480 witness is showing mercy because it's so unusual. Showing mercy 109 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:13.480 means thinking about the other person instead of thinking about myself. 110 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:15.920 It's doing what's best for them rather than what's best 111 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:20.319 for me. Every time you show mercy in the world, 112 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:25.000 that's your greatest Christian witness. Because we're in a world 113 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:28.560 that's very unmerciful. We're in a world that's very unforgiving. 114 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:31.279 We're in a world where you're taught to put down 115 00:06:31.399 --> 00:06:33.680 other people. In fact, one of the highest forms of 116 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:37.519 humor is put down, and some of the highest paid 117 00:06:37.560 --> 00:06:40.399 comedians are those who know how to put down certain 118 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:45.600 races or certain segments of society. And it is those 119 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:50.800 sarcastic and cynical jabs they make their money. And coming 120 00:06:50.879 --> 00:06:56.639 into a very unkind, unloving, unforgiving, mean world, when people 121 00:06:56.759 --> 00:06:59.759 show mercy, people go, that's what I expect a Christian 122 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:04.600 to be. That's what Jesus Christ would do he showed mercy, 123 00:07:05.160 --> 00:07:08.759 Jesus said in Matthew six thirty six, show mercy to others, 124 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:12.720 just as your father shows mercy to you. So what 125 00:07:12.759 --> 00:07:15.160 I want to do is we wrap up this campaign 126 00:07:15.240 --> 00:07:18.560 we've been in is talk about how and where you 127 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:22.560 do that. How do you show mercy and where do 128 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:24.759 you show mercy? So just quickly, we're going to look 129 00:07:24.759 --> 00:07:27.399 at a few principles of mercy, and then we're going 130 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:30.839 to look spend most of the focus on the places 131 00:07:30.839 --> 00:07:33.279 of mercy. And I want you to hear some just 132 00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:38.720 stories examples of how normal people are sharing mercy as 133 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:41.879 a witness in their daily life. All right, So let's 134 00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:43.639 look at some principles of mercy. Let me give them 135 00:07:43.639 --> 00:07:46.759 to you real quickly. Number one, if you want to 136 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:52.480 build a lifestyle of mercy, start looking and listening for 137 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:57.560 people's needs. That's the starting point. Start looking and listening 138 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:01.040 for people's needs, the needs of people in your neighborhood, 139 00:08:01.079 --> 00:08:03.000 the needs of people at work, the needs of people 140 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:06.319 in your family, the needs that you hang out with 141 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:11.720 at soccer games. Mercy always begins with awareness. It begins 142 00:08:11.720 --> 00:08:15.800 with paying attention, It begins with noticing if you care, 143 00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:19.519 you will be aware. If you don't care, you're not aware. Now, 144 00:08:19.560 --> 00:08:22.839 the reason why we're not very merciful is not that 145 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:25.920 you're a bad person. It's not that you are just 146 00:08:25.959 --> 00:08:28.720 a totally mean person. It's that you are too busy. 147 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:34.279 I said this several sessions back. The number one destroyer 148 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:36.840 of mercy in your life, the number one thing that 149 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:40.080 keeps you from being merciful, is you're just too busy. 150 00:08:40.759 --> 00:08:44.039 Because when you're too busy, you're moving from event to event, 151 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:46.879 from project to project, from one thing on your schedule 152 00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:49.399 next thing on your schedule, and you're not paying attention 153 00:08:49.440 --> 00:08:52.600 to the people around you. If you're not paying attention, 154 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:55.000 if you're not noticing, if you're not looking, if you're 155 00:08:55.000 --> 00:09:00.559 not listening, you cannot possibly be merciful. If you care, 156 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:04.159 you'll be aware. The Bible says in Philippians two four, 157 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:10.440 look out, look out for one another's interest, not just 158 00:09:10.679 --> 00:09:14.639 your own. As I said, mercy begins with looking and 159 00:09:14.679 --> 00:09:18.960 loving and listening, and actually attention is an act of love. 160 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:23.080 You know, when my kids were small, I remember I 161 00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:26.480 would be sitting on the sofa reading the paper and 162 00:09:26.519 --> 00:09:28.360 Amy would come up to me as a little girl, 163 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:31.240 and she'd say daddy, and I'd say, yes, honey, and 164 00:09:31.320 --> 00:09:35.120 I'm reading the papers because Daddy, yes, honey, Daddy, yes, babe, 165 00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:37.600 what do you need? And she would pull the paper down, 166 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:40.440 grab my face in her hands and say, Daddy, look 167 00:09:40.480 --> 00:09:46.440 at me. Why Because I've told you this before. The 168 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:53.600 highest form of love is not sex. It's attention. Attention 169 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:58.559 is the highest form of love. Why because attention says 170 00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:03.279 you matter to me. Attention. When you give people attention, 171 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:07.279 you're giving them your time, and your time is your life. 172 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:10.000 You can always get more of other stuff. You could 173 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:12.519 give people gifts, but you can always get more gifts. 174 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:15.399 You can give people money, you can always make more money. 175 00:10:15.559 --> 00:10:18.960 You can give people advice, you can always get more advice. 176 00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:22.320 When you give people your attention, you're giving them a 177 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:26.000 slice of your life that you're never getting back. So 178 00:10:26.039 --> 00:10:29.159 when you give people attention, you're giving them the highest, 179 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:32.320 most expensive gift that you could possibly give them, a 180 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:34.960 slice of your life. And when you look them in 181 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:38.399 the eye and you pay attention, that is the highest 182 00:10:38.600 --> 00:10:42.360 form of love. I've talked to a lot of husbands 183 00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:45.159 and dads. I don't get it. I don't understand my 184 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:47.879 wife and kids. I buy them everything they need. I 185 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:51.639 provide for all. They've got a great home. There's no needs, 186 00:10:51.799 --> 00:10:56.240 physical needs. What more do they want? They want you. 187 00:10:57.399 --> 00:11:00.559 They want you. They want your attention, and it is 188 00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:03.759 worth more than anything else you could possibly give them. 189 00:11:03.960 --> 00:11:06.360 When you look at people in the eye and you 190 00:11:06.440 --> 00:11:09.360 listen to them with your ear, you are showing mercy. 191 00:11:09.559 --> 00:11:12.559 And when you look at them and listen to them, 192 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:15.799 you are paying attention, which is the highest form of love. 193 00:11:16.360 --> 00:11:18.919 In Matthew ten, verse twenty one, one of my favorite verses, 194 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:20.960 a young man comes up to Jesus. He's got a 195 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:23.960 lot of problems. He asked the questions, and the Bible 196 00:11:23.960 --> 00:11:28.480 says Jesus looked at him and loved him. If you 197 00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:31.279 love people, you look at him, and when you look 198 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:34.799 at him, you're showing love for them. So start by 199 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:38.240 listening and looking for the people's needs around you. You 200 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:40.320 just need to start practicing that this week if you 201 00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:43.320 want to develop the lifestyle of mercy. Number two, here's 202 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:47.799 the second principle of mercy. Don't be offended by their sin. 203 00:11:49.320 --> 00:11:52.600 Don't be offended by the sins that they that they do. 204 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:58.799 You know, grace is messy. Grace and mercy are unconditional. 205 00:11:58.840 --> 00:12:02.360 They're unconditional love, which means it's not like, go get 206 00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:05.279 your act together and then I'll like you, go clean 207 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:07.279 up your life and then you'll be okay with me. 208 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:11.320 Go make everything right and then I will accept you. 209 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:14.000 Go live the way I think you ought to live, 210 00:12:14.039 --> 00:12:16.799 and then you'll be fine with me. No, no, no, 211 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:22.000 you just grace is messy. Grace is unconditional. Mercy is unconditional. 212 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:25.559 And if you're going to minister to people, if you're 213 00:12:25.559 --> 00:12:28.440 going to show mercy to people, you can't be offended 214 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:32.039 by them. Jesus wasn't offended by people, and he hung 215 00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:35.840 out with the worst kinds of sinners quote in the 216 00:12:35.960 --> 00:12:41.960 day that day, the prostitutes, the drunks, the corrupt business people. 217 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:44.919 He hung out with those people. In fact, he was 218 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:48.320 accused of guilt by association because he hung out with 219 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:50.679 people who were corrupt, and he hung out with people 220 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:53.240 who were immoral, and he hung out with people who 221 00:12:53.240 --> 00:12:59.440 were unloving and unkind and manipulative, and yet he did 222 00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:03.759 not he was not offended by their sin. Let me 223 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:06.799 just say this. The Bible says to look out for 224 00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:09.360 the needs of other people around you. I can't look 225 00:13:09.480 --> 00:13:14.720 out for them. If I'm looking down on them, you 226 00:13:14.759 --> 00:13:17.480 can't do it. And so if you, as a Christian, 227 00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:21.480 are looking down on anybody, you're not looking out for 228 00:13:21.559 --> 00:13:25.120 that person. If you claim to be a follower of 229 00:13:25.240 --> 00:13:29.080 Jesus Christ, you claim to be a legitimate child of God, 230 00:13:29.320 --> 00:13:37.080 you cannot look down on anybody nobody. I've often thought, 231 00:13:37.080 --> 00:13:39.559 one day I'm going to do a series called Things 232 00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:43.200 that Jesus did Not Say. I thought that would be 233 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:46.320 a good series Things that Jesus did not say. And 234 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:49.799 one of the things Jesus never said was you don't 235 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:54.279 have to love that type. He never said that. He 236 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:56.240 never said, oh, that kind of over there. You don't 237 00:13:56.279 --> 00:13:59.639 have to love those kind of people. Their politics suck, 238 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:04.639 their lifestyle sucks, their moral vision sucks. No, you don't 239 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:09.240 have to love them because they're way way off base. Sorry. 240 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:11.639 If you're going to be an agent in mercy, the 241 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:15.840 Bible says you have to show mercy to everybody. You 242 00:14:15.879 --> 00:14:18.559 have to look out for them and not look down 243 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:22.279 on them. Here's what the Bible says, Jude chapter one, 244 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:26.039 verse twenty two and twenty three. Show mercy to those 245 00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:29.320 whose faith is wavering. Okay, so the guy out there 246 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:32.799 guy goes, I'm an atheist. Fine, you're faith's wavering. I 247 00:14:32.840 --> 00:14:36.759 can't look down on you. I'm an agnostic. Fine, you're 248 00:14:36.759 --> 00:14:40.360 faith wavering. I can't look down on you. I don't 249 00:14:40.399 --> 00:14:43.519 know what I believe right now. Fine, your faith is waving. 250 00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:46.360 I am to show you mercy. The Bible says show 251 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:49.799 mercy to those whose faith is wavering, and then he says, 252 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:54.279 and rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. 253 00:14:54.440 --> 00:14:57.080 They're making bad judgments all the time. And he says, 254 00:14:57.120 --> 00:15:00.320 there's still others to whom you need to sho show 255 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:03.879 mercy because of their lifestyle or whatever. He says, but 256 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:07.480 be careful, then you aren't contaminated by their sins. In 257 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:10.600 other words, showing mercy doesn't mean I excuse everything and 258 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:13.759 say it's okay. It's not okay. If you're out there 259 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:17.440 and you're addicted to things, that's not okay. And showing 260 00:15:17.480 --> 00:15:19.399 mercy doesn't mean O, I, hey, you know I'm gonna 261 00:15:19.399 --> 00:15:23.000 get addicted with you or you're in corruption doesn't mean 262 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:24.960 I go, oh, it's okay, it's no big deal. No, 263 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:27.240 it is a big deal. But I still show you mercy. 264 00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:30.639 I don't get corrupted by it. I don't get myself 265 00:15:30.679 --> 00:15:34.440 involved in it. He says, be careful, you're not contaminated. 266 00:15:34.440 --> 00:15:38.240 In other words, it's the difference between acceptance and approval. 267 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:42.600 Jesus accepts me completely. He does not approve of everything 268 00:15:42.639 --> 00:15:46.679 I do. Jesus accepts you completely. He does not approve 269 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:51.440 of everything you do. Jesus accepts everybody else, he does 270 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:55.679 not approve of everything they do. And there's a fine difference. 271 00:15:55.799 --> 00:15:59.639 We are to love people, and we are to accept them. 272 00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:02.399 But it doesn't mean that everything that I do is right. 273 00:16:02.440 --> 00:16:03.919 Doesn't mean everything you do is right. It doesn't mean 274 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:07.279 anything everybody else does is right. That's just not true. 275 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:13.879 One Peter four eight says, most importantly, love each other deeply. 276 00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:18.320 Love has a way of not looking at other's sins. 277 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:22.360 Isn't that beautiful? Love has a way of not looking 278 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:26.600 at other's sins. Now, did you notice these first two points? 279 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:29.840 The first one says look out for people's interests, and 280 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:32.720 in this point says, don't look out for people's sins. 281 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:35.720 In other words, of some stuff, you should pay attention 282 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:38.159 to their needs and their hurts and their interests. And 283 00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:40.399 there's some stuff in people's lives you shouldn't pay attention 284 00:16:40.440 --> 00:16:44.840 to He says, don't overlook their sins. Love covers the 285 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:47.759 multitude of sins. We're not We are to look out 286 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:50.960 for their interests, but we're not to look at their sins. 287 00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:54.200 Ephesians four to two says this in the Bible. Be 288 00:16:54.360 --> 00:16:58.320 patient with each other, making allowances for each other another, 289 00:16:58.440 --> 00:17:00.840 cut for each other's false, cut each other some slack. 290 00:17:01.080 --> 00:17:05.440 That's called mercy because of your love. Now, I want 291 00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:07.839 to give you a principle right now that if every 292 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:11.640 Christian in America would practice it, it would change America overnight. 293 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:14.640 And if everybody Christian in the world would practice that, 294 00:17:14.680 --> 00:17:17.640 it would change the world overnight. Is this principle, Write 295 00:17:17.640 --> 00:17:23.000 it down. Don't expect unbelievers to act like believers until 296 00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:28.359 they are. That is so simple, and it's so logical, 297 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:31.880 but we often don't. We want to expect everybody to 298 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:36.640 act like Christians when they're not even Christians. That's it 299 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:39.440 ain't gonna happen. You can try to make a law 300 00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:41.960 to make non believers act like believers. It isn't gonna work, 301 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:45.359 because the Bible says they don't have the power to change. 302 00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:48.279 I couldn't do the right thing until I got God's 303 00:17:48.359 --> 00:17:51.119 power in my life. I tried a lot of things 304 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:53.200 I wanted to change in my life that I couldn't 305 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:56.000 change until I got Christ in my life. Then I 306 00:17:56.039 --> 00:17:58.920 had the power to change. To ask a non believer 307 00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:03.880 to have this same moral standards as a believer is nonsense. First, 308 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:05.759 they don't understand it. In the second, they don't have 309 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:08.680 the power to do it. And I didn't either, and 310 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:12.359 you didn't either until you get Christ in your life. 311 00:18:13.279 --> 00:18:16.359 That's like getting the cart before the horse. That's why 312 00:18:16.359 --> 00:18:19.000 it's really kind of nonsense. Where there are Christians out 313 00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:21.759 there trying to get all of these moral laws put 314 00:18:21.799 --> 00:18:25.279 into society, to create moral laws to force people to 315 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:27.839 act in Christian ways before they even have the power 316 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:32.880 to do it. The whole Book of Romans says the 317 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:37.400 law is powerless. It doesn't have the power to change 318 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:42.119 people's lives. Only grace changed people's lives. Only mercy changes 319 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:45.599 people's lives. The law has never changed anybody. We could 320 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:48.920 make a law that says we outlaw bigotry. Is that 321 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:52.880 going to turn a bigot into a lover? No? Only 322 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:55.920 Jesus can turn a bigot into a lover. Only he 323 00:18:55.960 --> 00:18:58.640 can do it on the inside. You can make a law, 324 00:18:58.680 --> 00:19:00.319 but it isn't going to turn a bigot into lover. 325 00:19:00.680 --> 00:19:03.680 Is just not going to do it. So don't expect 326 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:07.599 unbelievers to act like believers until they are. And you 327 00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:10.359 can't be offended by people's sins if you're going to 328 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:12.880 show him mercy, if you're going to win them to Christ, 329 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:15.799 you just have to love them where they are. Here's 330 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:19.319 a good example of that in Matthew chapter nine, talking 331 00:19:19.359 --> 00:19:23.319 about Matthew, who was one of the disciples followers of Jesus. 332 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:26.599 Matthew was a tax collector. In those days, tax collectors 333 00:19:26.839 --> 00:19:30.319 that was the most hated profession in the Roman Empire 334 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:33.640 because Rome said to the tax collectors, here's what you want. 335 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:36.079 We want you to collect, and anything you get above 336 00:19:36.119 --> 00:19:40.240 that you can keep. So is extortion. And so a 337 00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:43.279 tax collector could come to you and say you owe 338 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:45.799 this much money, you had no alternative but to pay 339 00:19:45.799 --> 00:19:48.240 it or get thrown in jail. He would give a 340 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:51.000 little bit to the government and keep the rest. They 341 00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:56.799 were all Every tax collector was corrupt. And Jesus goes 342 00:19:56.839 --> 00:19:59.599 to a party with tax collectors and matt It says 343 00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:03.599 that night Matthew invited Jesus to dinner with his fellow 344 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:10.079 tax collectors and many other quote notorious sinners end quote. 345 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:14.559 Now of the Pharisees, that's the religious legalist. They were indignant. 346 00:20:15.079 --> 00:20:18.599 Why does your teacher eat with such scum, they asked, 347 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:24.400 that's very loving. Okay. When Jesus heard this that comment, 348 00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:29.440 he said, Hey, healthy people don't need a doctor. Sick 349 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:32.759 people do. And then he added, now go and learn 350 00:20:32.839 --> 00:20:37.319 the meaning of this scripture. I want you to be merciful, 351 00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:42.279 not to offer sacrifices for I. Jesus have come to 352 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:46.279 invite sinners to me, not those who think they're righteous. 353 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:48.720 And I didn't come for people who think they're well. 354 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:51.680 I came for people who know they're sick, who know 355 00:20:51.799 --> 00:20:54.440 they're broken, who know they have problems. I've come to 356 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:57.839 invite sinners to me, not to those who think they're righteous. Now, 357 00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:02.160 the religious pharis he's the legalists. They couldn't get understanding. 358 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:04.920 Why is this guy, you know, acting cozy with crooks 359 00:21:04.920 --> 00:21:08.519 and riff raff. He's going to all these parties. You 360 00:21:08.519 --> 00:21:11.119 know there's a bunch of drunks and gluttons, and you 361 00:21:11.160 --> 00:21:14.279 know he's Jesus is a party animal. Actually accused him 362 00:21:14.279 --> 00:21:17.759 that in the Bible he's a party animal. But Jesus 363 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:21.839 was not looking for their approval. What he was doing 364 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:23.720 is he was looking and listening to the needs of 365 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:26.759 other people. He was going to where the needs of 366 00:21:26.839 --> 00:21:30.279 other people were, and he wasn't offended by their stins. 367 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:34.559 You can't help somebody you're offended by it. You got 368 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:39.920 to show mercy. 369 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:44.680 What a great message from Pastor Rick today. There's something 370 00:21:44.759 --> 00:21:48.279 I always take away from his message. Here's Rick to 371 00:21:48.319 --> 00:21:51.000 tell you how you can help support this ministry. 372 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:54.319 Jesus told his disciples that they should live their lives 373 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:57.640 according to five specific purposes. He said, you've got to 374 00:21:57.720 --> 00:22:01.000 love God with all your heart. That's where and love 375 00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:04.960 your neighbors yourself. That's ministry. That's called the Great Commandment. 376 00:22:05.400 --> 00:22:09.039 And then Jesus said, go make disciples. That's evangelism. Baptize 377 00:22:09.079 --> 00:22:11.960 them into the Family of God. That's fellowship, a sign 378 00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:14.559 of fellowship. And then he said, teach them obey everything 379 00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:18.119 I've taught you. That's discipleship. And we call that the 380 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:22.440 Great Commission. We believe it daily hope that a great 381 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:26.839 commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great commission will 382 00:22:26.839 --> 00:22:30.839 produce a great Christian, a great church, a great company, 383 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:34.480 a great community. You know, I started Daily Hope so 384 00:22:34.519 --> 00:22:37.079 I could spread the good news about Jesus, not just 385 00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:41.599 across America, but all around the world. And we want 386 00:22:41.640 --> 00:22:44.359 people to know that God's word is filled with hope 387 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:47.920 and truth and the power that we need to follow 388 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:50.640 him every day is available to every single one. You 389 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:52.440 know as well as I do, that the Word of 390 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:55.480 God changes lives. It's a live it's active, and it 391 00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:58.720 breathes new life and new love into all of our lives. 392 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:02.160 So wherever you listen to this, whether you listen on 393 00:23:02.200 --> 00:23:04.960 the website, whether you listen on a radio station, or 394 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:07.799 whether you listen to a podcast, you're a part of 395 00:23:07.799 --> 00:23:11.559 the Daily Hope family, and I need your help. We 396 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:14.440 could not do this without your support. We're one hundred 397 00:23:14.440 --> 00:23:18.119 percent listener funded. Would you continue to pray for this 398 00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:21.799 broadcast and would you continue to support us? And let 399 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:24.359 write to me, let me hear from you. I absolutely 400 00:23:24.440 --> 00:23:28.000 love reading the stories that are sent to me. So 401 00:23:28.119 --> 00:23:32.440