Kingdom and Verdicts: Let Mercy Flow Through You

Devotional

Day 1: Sheep at the Right Hand

Jesus sat on His throne as nations gathered. He separated sheep from goats, blessing those who fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and visited prisoners. His words cut through pretense: “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for Me.” The King’s verdict revealed eternal identities through daily choices. [42:08]

Sheep live with eyes open to Jesus in disguise. They don’t earn salvation—they prove it by recognizing Christ in broken lives. Goats miss eternity not by evil deeds but by neglecting love’s urgency. Jesus ties heaven’s gates to how we treat His hidden presence.

You pass neighbors, coworkers, and strangers daily. What if today’s interruption is your divine appointment? Stop calculating who “deserves” help. See Jesus in the addict, the lonely, the struggling. Whose hunger—physical or spiritual—have you walked past this week?

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’”
(Matthew 25:34-35, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to show you His face in one “least likely” person today.
Challenge: Write an encouraging note or buy a meal for someone battling addiction.

Day 2: Seventy Times Seven Forgiveness

Peter asked Jesus, “How many times must I forgive?” Jesus answered with a story: A king forgave a debt worth 60 million workdays. But when the forgiven man refused mercy to a debtor owing 100 days’ wages, the king revoked grace. Mercy unshared becomes mercy lost. [47:06]

Jesus links receiving forgiveness to giving it. The unpayable debt represents our sin against God; smaller debts are others’ sins against us. Withholding forgiveness after receiving Christ’s grace betrays our true understanding of the cross. God’s courtroom always notices unmerciful hearts.

You’ve been wronged—maybe repeatedly. List the “100-day debts” others owe you. Now burn that list. Pray blessings over those names until your anger softens. What verdict against another is blocking God’s mercy through you?

“Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”
(Matthew 18:21-22, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one person you’ve refused to forgive. Ask for grace to release them.
Challenge: Call or text someone who hurt you, saying, “I forgive you” without conditions.

Day 3: Declaring Over the Wall

Brian found his daughter’s childhood note: “God called me to be a worship leader.” Though she became an atheist alcoholic, he stood at her bedroom wall daily, declaring Isaiah 53: “He will see His offspring.” For years, he spoke life over her while she spiraled—until she cried out to God. [52:17]

God’s promises outlive our doubts. Like Abraham hoping against hope, we declare Scripture’s truth over loved ones. Our words partner with heaven’s court, shifting spiritual atmospheres. Kennedy’s turnaround didn’t start with her repentance—it began with a father’s stubborn declarations.

Who seems too far gone? Write their name and a Scripture promise. Post it where you’ll see it daily. Speak it aloud until your heart believes. What dead dream is God asking you to resurrect through His Word?

“I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up among the grass like poplars by flowing streams.”
(Isaiah 44:3-4, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for His faithfulness to fulfill promises beyond human failure.
Challenge: Text a Scripture to someone struggling, declaring God’s purpose over them.

Day 4: All Rise in Mercy’s Court

Brian heard “All rise!” in his spirit while judging Jacob. God summoned him to mercy’s courtroom: “Why block the grace I’m giving this man?” The Father’s gaze exposes hidden judgments. Heaven’s verdict? Forgiven people forgive. Mercy withheld becomes mercy forfeited. [57:52]

Jesus’ parable warns: Unforgiving servants get handed over to jailers. Not because God is cruel—our bitterness becomes its own prison. Every grudge we clutch bars us from the freedom Christ bought. The King’s mercy flows only through unclenched hands.

Who have you “blacklisted” in your heart? Picture Jesus standing with them at His throne. Hear Him say, “I died for this one too.” What evidence against them is God asking you to dismiss?

“Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
(Luke 17:3-4, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal anyone you’ve subconsciously sentenced to unforgiveness.
Challenge: Write “Case Dismissed” over a photo of someone you’ve judged.

Day 5: No One Else I’d Rather Be With

Brian hesitated, then hugged Jacob at worship: “I’m glad you’re here.” In that moment, he saw Jesus in the shirt Jacob wore—and in Jacob himself. The addict became a son. The enemy became family. Mercy’s current broke through when arms opened wide. [01:02:47]

Jesus transforms how we see people. Saul the persecutor became Paul the apostle. Jacob the troublemaker became a revivalist. When we embrace God’s “invited guests,” we touch His heart. Every unlikely person is Christ’s potential ambassador.

Who repulses or frightens you? Ask Jesus for His eyes. See their future, not their past. What risky act of welcome is God nudging you to offer?

“So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
(2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for making you new, then ask Him to highlight someone needing that truth.
Challenge: Invite an “unlikely” person to coffee or church this week.

Sermon Summary

The king steps into the room and announces kingdom and verdicts. Matthew 25 speaks, the Son of Man arrives in glory and separates like a shepherd who knows the difference between sheep and goats. The text lays out not only cups of water and coats for the body but also living water and covering for the soul. The king calls the righteous blessed by the Father because their mercy met him in the least. That verdict does not wait for the last day only. That verdict shows up now in how the king is allowed to flow through his people or be blocked by their fear and resentment.

The shepherd speaks, and his sheep know his voice. That claim carries the same authority as let there be light. The confidence rests not on the sheep but on the Shepherd and the Father who shows the Son what he is doing. Apart from Christ nothing, and yet the Father is the gardener who keeps the channel clear so that springs of living water can move out and meet real people with real stories.

The parable of the unforgiving servant brings the courtroom into the heart. An impossible debt is canceled, then a small debt is seized upon, and the king always knows. In that light, mercy becomes more than a nice feeling. Mercy becomes the verdict that either releases life or chokes it. All rise becomes the Spirit’s interruption when hidden records of wrongs start stacking stones in the stream.

The prodigal story testifies to how verdicts land in real time. A daughter runs, an atheist season hardens, yet a word written long before gets declared against the wall night after night, and the Lord brings sons from afar and daughters from the ends of the earth. Then mercy climbs into the mess. A Jacob shows up from detox, not a good fit, not a safe choice, yet the Spirit says, do not cut him off. Obedience opens a door. In worship, Jesus lets his own gaze touch a father’s eyes, and a young man is suddenly seen as Christ sees him. The phrase they never knew me through you becomes a holy assignment. The least of these are not projects. They are places where the King waits to be recognized.

Love keeps no record. The cross is the standing verdict that the Son took responsibility as if he did the sin, so that none need perish. The altar becomes the place to drop the pebbles, to refuse to be a block to the mercy of God, and to ask the Gardener to clear the channel so the King can meet the least through a people who live like sheep that truly know his voice.

Key Takeaways

1. The king renders present-tense verdicts [42:08] Every act of mercy participates in the king’s separation of sheep and goats right now, not only at the end. The verdict lands in the way the least of these are treated, physically and spiritually. If the cup and coat never travel through a life, the king was never met through that life. The question is not only did you know him, but did they know him through you. [42:08]
2. Forgiveness keeps the channel open [49:41] The unforgiving servant shows how withheld mercy jams the stream and brings the courtroom back into the heart. The king always knows when a canceled mountain turns into a collected pebble. Mercy is not sentimental; it is a verdict that either frees or imprisons. Refusing to keep records clears the way for the king’s life to move. [49:41]
3. The shepherd guarantees his voice is heard [45:28] My sheep know my voice is a creative word, not a wish. Hearing rests on the Shepherd’s faithfulness and the Father’s showing, not on spiritual performance. Abiding holds the branch steady so that fruit appears in season. Confidence in his voice replaces striving with steady obedience. [45:28]
4. Persevering intercession outruns what eyes see [52:17] A prodigal’s wall can become a place of daily declaration until God’s old word outruns the newest rebellion. Love refuses to preach at a hardened heart and turns to the Father who brings sons and daughters from far places. Thanksgiving calls arrive that logic cannot script. Intercession partners with a verdict already spoken in heaven. [52:17]
5. Do not be a block to mercy [59:03] The Spirit’s all rise exposes quiet judgments that keep the wrong people out of the living room of grace. Saying yes to those God invites into that abode may feel risky, but it keeps pace with the cross. In worship, Jesus can hand over his own eyes so that an enemy looks like a son. That sight turns restraint into embrace and releases life. [59:03]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[19:02] - House of worship and hunger
[27:45] - Testimony setup and Steven introduced
[28:57] - Addiction at 11 and years of struggle
[31:27] - Cry in the woods and surrender
[33:17] - Jail years and turning point
[33:42] - Charity and Troy restoration prayer
[38:12] - Staff introductions and personal story begins
[40:14] - God’s promise and Numbers 23:19
[41:50] - Kingdom and verdicts introduced
[42:08] - Sheep and goats read and reframed
[45:28] - My sheep know my voice
[47:06] - Unforgiving servant and impossible debt
[49:41] - The king always knows
[50:13] - A father’s intercession for a prodigal
[55:52] - Don’t cut him off: mercy’s risk
[57:24] - Courtroom moment: all rise
[59:20] - Men’s Encounter and Jacob’s renewal
[65:29] - Seeing Jacob as Jesus sees
[73:09] - Altar call: remove stones and flow mercy
[75:48] - Love keeps no record of wrongs
[78:07] - Final prayer and sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 25:31-36 (ESV)
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’”

Observation Questions

In Matthew 25:35-36, what specific actions does Jesus associate with serving “the least of these”? How does the sermon connect these actions to both physical and spiritual needs?
The parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35) contrasts an “impossible debt” with a “small debt.” What does this reveal about the relationship between receiving mercy and extending it to others?
According to the sermon, how does Jesus’ statement “My sheep know my voice” (John 10:27) reflect His authority and faithfulness rather than human effort? [45:28]
The story of Jacob’s transformation involved a moment where the speaker saw him “as Jesus sees him.” What specific shift in perspective occurred in that moment? [01:05:29]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus use the metaphor of sheep and goats to illustrate the final judgment? What does this separation reveal about the present-tense impact of our choices?
The sermon states, “Mercy becomes the verdict that either releases life or chokes it.” How does unforgiveness “choke” the flow of God’s mercy in relationships or communities?
In the story of the prodigal daughter, the father declared Scripture over her “wall night after night.” How does persistent intercession align with trusting God’s promises over visible circumstances? [52:17]
What does it mean to be a “block to mercy” in practical terms? How might hidden judgments or resentment hinder God’s work through us? [59:03]

Application Questions

The sermon emphasizes that “the least of these are not projects—they are places where the King waits to be recognized.” Who in your life might God be inviting you to serve in a way that reflects His presence? What practical step could you take this week?
Reflect on a relationship where forgiveness feels difficult. How might holding onto “pebbles” of resentment (e.g., past hurts, unmet expectations) block God’s mercy? What would it look like to release those to Him? [01:13:09]
The phrase “they never knew me through you” challenges believers to represent Christ tangibly. Is there someone in your circle who might struggle to see Jesus because of your actions or attitudes? How could you adjust your posture toward them?
The story of Jacob’s renewal involved risky obedience (e.g., inviting him despite past harm). Is there a “risky” act of mercy God is prompting you to take? What fears or assumptions need to be surrendered to obey? [55:52]
The sermon highlights worship as a moment where Jesus “lets his own gaze touch a father’s eyes.” How could intentional worship reshape how you see difficult people or situations this week?
Love “keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5). What practical habit could you adopt to avoid mentally tallying others’ failures (e.g., prayer, journaling, accountability)?
The altar was described as a place to “drop the pebbles” blocking God’s flow. What specific “stone” (e.g., a grudge, fear, pride) do you need to lay down today to let mercy move freely? [01:13:09]

Sermon Clips

50s

“You know what the holy spirit told me? Don't you cut him off. Don't you cut him off. I didn't want to, folks. I didn't want to. I didn't want to. And so I kept I said, hey, brother. We can meet we can talk. I'm not gonna tell you anything about my daughter. And time passes on. Time passes on. We talk. I don't have any fear. I don't trust this guy. The Lord just keeps on saying, you just keep answering. And he told me about this guy. The Lord did. I knew some of his story, but he said, this young man has never really had life spoken into him over in a the way that I want you to speak it. Would you speak it into him? Would you speak it into him?”

55s

“Something shifted in my heart. Thank you that I'm allowed to abide with you. And I wanna tell you something. What the Lord revealed to me through this passage of the sheep and the goats is there are people in our lives, and then you may be thinking of some right now, those who have turned back to God, but they have done her maybe I don't know. The point is is that they need God's mercy and forgiveness. And oftentimes, he wants us, you, to be that flow. And he's asking tonight, will you allow him to flow through? Because what I learned of this thing is that it's not, did you, I never knew you. I wanna it is, but they never knew me through you. I wish somebody would grab a hold of what I'm saying. Listen. They never knew me through you.”

42s

“I believe this is a word. This is the first time I've ever preached this. I believe it's a word for the house tonight. And what we're gonna do is we're gonna open up the altars. I think pastor Josh is coming. He's gonna play a song, and we're gonna pray. Because I can tell you this, I am ill equipped and unequipped to remove the stones from my stream. I'm trying to help somebody. I am ill. Jesus said, apart from me, you can do nothing. But in earlier than that, he said, hey, don't worry though. My father's the gardener. Come on. Yeah. Hey. It's not just us and Jesus. You got father on the scene too. And he is constantly working.”

57s

“He said, sometimes in this loving abode that I have richly lavished on you, I'm gonna invite other people that you absolutely do not want to abide. But I have invited them. Will you let them come? You see, church, I never want to be a block to the mercy of God. Never. I don't care what you've done to me. Listen, this young man had turned his life over. It was risky. She's still in a I don't understand. He went to men's encounter. God radically changed his life there, gave his life to Christ, baptized. I'm hearing this stuff, pastor. I'm like, the Men's Encounter? Well, you really are. God really is doing something in here. I know. I see you over there. Come on.”

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Kingdom and Verdicts: Let Mercy Flow Through You

Devotional

Day 1: Sheep at the Right Hand

Day 2: Seventy Times Seven Forgiveness

Day 3: Declaring Over the Wall

Day 4: All Rise in Mercy’s Court

Day 5: No One Else I’d Rather Be With

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Kingdom and Verdicts: Let Mercy Flow Through You

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