Transformative Power of Mercy in Christ

Summary

In today's message, I explored the transformative power of mercy as exemplified in the life of Jesus Christ and how it applies to our lives. I began by reflecting on the profound truth that Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. This is the essence of the gospel – a message of radical grace and mercy that stands at the heart of our faith.

I shared a deeply personal story about my father, a man who had struggled with prejudice and racism until God broke through his hardened heart. His transformation was a testament to the power of God's mercy, a mercy that he extended to others by adopting five black children from the ghetto, including myself. This story illustrated that mercy triumphs over judgment and that God's love can restore even the most broken parts of us.

I then turned to the biblical account of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector who was despised by his community for his corruption and greed. Despite his social status and wealth, Zacchaeus was spiritually empty and sought to see Jesus. His encounter with Christ led to a radical transformation, demonstrating that proximity to Jesus is not enough; we need a genuine encounter with Him.

I emphasized that Jesus' mercy is not just for a select few but is available to everyone, including those who feel unworthy. I used the example of the thief on the cross, who, in his final moments, received the promise of paradise from Jesus. This showed that our salvation is not about climbing trees or ladders to reach God but about receiving His mercy freely offered to us through Christ.

As I concluded the message, I invited the congregation to receive Jesus' mercy, emphasizing that it is never too late to turn to Him. I encouraged everyone to live out this mercy in their own lives, extending it to others just as it has been extended to us.

Key Takeaways:

- Mercy is not merely a concept but a transformative force that can change the hardest of hearts. When we truly grasp the depth of God's mercy towards us, it compels us to extend that same mercy to others, breaking cycles of judgment and prejudice. [01:08:10]

- An encounter with Jesus goes beyond mere acknowledgment of His existence or religious participation. It requires a personal and transformative relationship with Him, one that changes our perspective and actions, much like Zacchaeus' life was changed. [51:21]

- The story of the thief on the cross reminds us that salvation is not about what we can do for God but what God has done for us. It is not earned by good deeds or religious observance but is a gift of grace to be received with humility. [01:02:20]

- The pursuit of God's will is best understood through the pursuit of God's ways, as revealed in the life and teachings of Jesus. To live the Jesus way is to walk in mercy, justice, and humility, aligning our lives with His example. [37:15]

- Our culture often seeks fulfillment in climbing various "trees" of success, power, or spirituality. However, true fulfillment comes from an authentic relationship with Jesus, who calls us to stop striving and start receiving His mercy. [01:00:27]

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Luke 19:1-10 - The story of Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, and his transformative encounter with Jesus.
2. 2 Corinthians 5:21 - "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
3. Micah 6:8 - "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

#### Observation Questions
1. What actions did Zacchaeus take to see Jesus, and how did Jesus respond to him? (Luke 19:1-10)
2. How does 2 Corinthians 5:21 describe the essence of the gospel and Jesus' role in our salvation?
3. According to Micah 6:8, what are the three things the Lord requires of us?

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Zacchaeus' encounter with Jesus led to such a radical transformation in his life? ([42:57])
2. How does the story of Zacchaeus illustrate the concept that "mercy triumphs over judgment"? ([53:13])
3. In what ways does 2 Corinthians 5:21 help us understand the depth of God's mercy and grace towards us? ([01:04:53])
4. How can the principles in Micah 6:8 guide us in living out the mercy we have received from God? ([40:24])

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt unworthy of God's mercy. How did you experience His grace in that situation? ([01:08:10])
2. Zacchaeus' transformation began with a desire to see Jesus. What steps can you take to seek a deeper encounter with Jesus in your daily life? ([42:57])
3. The sermon mentioned that proximity to Jesus is not enough; we need a genuine encounter with Him. How can you move from merely acknowledging Jesus to having a transformative relationship with Him? ([50:09])
4. The story of the thief on the cross shows that salvation is a gift of grace. How can you remind yourself daily that your worth is not based on your deeds but on what God has done for you? ([01:02:20])
5. The pastor shared a personal story about his father's transformation through God's mercy. Is there someone in your life who needs to experience this kind of mercy? How can you extend it to them? ([01:06:15])
6. Micah 6:8 calls us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Identify one specific way you can practice each of these in the coming week.
7. Our culture often seeks fulfillment in climbing various "trees" of success, power, or spirituality. What "trees" are you tempted to climb, and how can you shift your focus to receiving Jesus' mercy instead? ([01:00:27])

Devotional

Day 1: Mercy Transforms the Hardest Hearts
Mercy is a powerful catalyst for change, not just a lofty ideal. It is the very essence of the gospel, where the sinless Christ took on sin for the sake of humanity's righteousness. This transformative mercy is vividly seen in the personal story of a man who overcame deep-seated prejudice to become a father to children from different racial backgrounds. This act of adoption is a living example of how mercy can triumph over judgment and how the love of God can mend the most fractured parts of our being. It is a reminder that mercy is not passive but active, reaching out to change lives and perspectives. [01:08:10]

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved." - Ephesians 2:4-5

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you experienced mercy. How did it change your perspective or actions towards others?

Day 2: Encountering Jesus Changes Everything
An authentic encounter with Jesus is transformative, going beyond mere recognition of His existence or religious rituals. It is about a personal and life-altering relationship with Him, as seen in the story of Zacchaeus. His encounter with Jesus led to a complete turnaround in his life, showing that proximity to Jesus is insufficient without a genuine, heart-changing encounter. This kind of encounter shifts our worldview and inspires us to live differently, just as Zacchaeus did when he was moved to restore what he had taken unjustly. [51:21]

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." - Luke 19:10

Reflection: How can you seek a deeper, more personal encounter with Jesus in your daily life?

Day 3: Salvation is a Gift of Grace
The story of the thief on the cross is a poignant illustration of grace. It shows that salvation is not about our efforts or religious achievements but about what God has done for us. This thief, in his final moments, received the promise of paradise, not because of his deeds but because of Christ's mercy. This narrative underscores that grace is a gift to be received humbly, not a reward to be earned. It invites us to embrace the simplicity of the gospel: that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our own doing. [01:02:20]

"Remember me when you come into your kingdom." And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise." - Luke 23:42-43

Reflection: What does it mean for you to live in the light of God's grace today?

Day 4: Walking in Mercy, Justice, and Humility
The pursuit of God's will is best understood through the pursuit of His ways, as exemplified by Jesus. To live the Jesus way is to walk in mercy, justice, and humility. This means aligning our lives with His example, where mercy is not just felt but acted upon, where justice is not just advocated for but practiced, and where humility is not just a virtue but a way of life. This pursuit challenges us to reflect on how we can embody these qualities in our interactions and decisions. [37:15]

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" - Micah 6:8

Reflection: In what ways can you actively practice mercy, justice, and humility in your community this week?

Day 5: True Fulfillment in Jesus' Mercy
Our culture often promotes the pursuit of success, power, or spirituality as paths to fulfillment. However, true fulfillment is found in an authentic relationship with Jesus, who invites us to stop striving and start receiving His mercy. This call to relationship is about recognizing that our worth and purpose are not tied to our achievements but to our identity in Christ. It is a call to rest in the mercy that Jesus freely offers, a mercy that brings peace and fulfillment beyond what the world can give. [01:00:27]

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

Reflection: What "trees" are you trying to climb for fulfillment, and how can you instead find rest in Jesus' mercy today?

Quotes

1) "Jesus and it goes like this verse 39 one of the criminals who were hanged railed at him saying are you not the Christ save yourself and us but the other rebuked him saying do not do you not fear God since you are under the the same sentence of condemnation and we indeed justly for for we are receiving the due reward of our Deeds but this man has done nothing wrong and he said Jesus Remember me when you come into your kingdom and he said to him truly I say to you today you will be with me in Paradise this is an insane and ridiculous conversation this thief just gets to go to heaven he says no you're going to be with me in Perfection at the right hand of God this thief didn't memorize John 3:16 this thief didn't say the sinner's prayer he didn't show a long consistent longstanding life of faith and he didn't learn how to sound really spiritual praying when my favorite pastors aliser begag he he makes this point and paints this picture of what this conversation must have looked like with this thief when he walks through the Pearly Gates and the angels are all confused and they're like whoa whoa whoa how did how did you get here and all he would have to say for himself is like I don't know the dude on the middle cross said I could come you see how this changes the Paradigm of our pursuit of Jesus and our pursuit of of Mercy this changes our Paradigm of what the gospel really is our last point for the morning I'd love you to write down is this that Jesus our savior was nailed to a tree so that you don't have to climb yours anymore Jesus our savior was nailed to a tree so you don't keep having to climb your trees anymore trying to climb to like that that's not the gospel and listen to me people like I am not talking about our effort and our effort that we that we put into praying and trying to trying to seek after Jesus I'm talking about what we feel like we have to earn in the context of our Salvation there is a difference between effort and earning there is a difference between effort and earning and the gospel declares the price has been paid the work has been done and all that's left is to receive this Mercy that we very much don't deserve and step into a life with Jesus friends this is the gospel not us climbing up our trees climbing up our ladders trying to get to Jesus the gospel declares so great was his love for you he sent his" [01:02:20]( | | )

2) "old but the power of Mercy from Heaven the power of Mercy from Heaven declares to you today regardless of your past regardless of your failures regardless of your Brokenness regardless of what's been done to you God is a god such you extends mercy and grace to you in such a way that can restore even the worst of us and turn the worst parts of us around for his glory this is who God is this is what Mercy does so great was his love for you that he sees us and he sees even the worst parts of us and he draws to us wanting to extend Mercy that we could extend the same to the world around us but the question for us today is have you fully received that Mercy" [01:08:57]( | | )

3) "family you need an encounter with Jesus amen 40% participation on that amen listen let's just pause for a moment y'all I'm a hollack preacher some of Y white people in the room are like holla what all that means is let me just say it this way I've been black most of my life and here's what I've learned the preaching gets better if y'all lean in amen amen let's go I feel like I'm at home right now this is awesome so you need a God encounter God wants you to have a god encounter and some of you have just simply believed the lie that that is absolutely true you can have an encounter with that and that is true for everyone in the room except you you read your Bible and you look for the asterisk right the little star that says that God has a plan for you that it's God's heartbeat to send fire to the Earth to bring Revival to to lean in and have people be drawn to him and you're looking for the star where you go to the back of the book and it has your name it's like except you right where you do the little pull tab when you're reading the scripture about how God has a plan and a hope for your future and the little pull tab and you pull it out and there's just your face with a little no smoking symbol it's not in there it doesn't exist no God's heartbeat and plan is for all of humanity his desire is that all would be reconciled and have an encounter with the one true God so proximity isn't enough how do we know this we have the example in the disciple Judas close in proximity watching Jesus close to him he could hug Jesus he was praying with Jesus he was literally there as Jesus was preaching and changing lives and feeding 5,000 Judas was there and yet he betrayed him it's not enough to just have proximity no we need to have an encounter in a relationship and I would submit this morning that there are a handful of elements required for this transformation work to take place namely number one you can write this down zakus had to engage with the Savior engaging him zakus had to engage with the Savior engaging him" [51:21]( | | )

4) "this specific word is one of the most powerful forms of Love used in all of holy WR in fact one Theologian points this out that at its core it describes God's heart for them no English word captures the meaning of hassed or HED so Hebrew translators chose word from words like kindness Mercy loyalty loving kindness loyal steadfast unfailing love this is the deepest form of love that can be described within scripture so important and Powerful was this specific form of love King David actually talked about it in his most famous writings as as King David is hiding out trying to not get assassinated and he's hiding out in this Valley he's writing and his heartbeat for himself is the same heartbeat I believe God has for Humanity for us in 2024 and that is that goodness and mercy would be following us all the days of our life in the original language it paints this picture of that goodness and mercy it's going to be chasing us it's going to be at our heels and I believe this is God's intention for us this that we would desire Mercy desire this love that we would receive it with gladness so that we could then extend it to the world around us we discover in Micah 68 that we're not only supposed to desire it but we should really love Mercy it says this that that to act justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God" [39:46]( | | )

5) "judgment well good morning church family come on can we give Jesus praise in the house today come on let's give him a praise only a king is worthy of amen amen well I'm I'm so excited to to be here have my chocolate Face back in this place so good to be back this is my hometown I love any excuse uh to be back here however uh I'm a little salty uh towards your lead Pastor here um he uh yeah I know um he asked me a few months ago he's like hey can you preach March 10th about 10 seconds later I texted him back and uh was like Oh you mean daylight savings but the worst one where we lose an hour of sleep oh you want to you want to be off uh work that day is that the and he text me back oh my gosh it's daylight savings Oh that's oh my gosh I had no clue really but that's how much I love y'all I want you to know this is my favorite Kensington location in L Oran and I'm so excited to be back um and be carrying on your message but here's the truth I legitimately I I joke but uh Pastor Craig is one of my best friends in the world and uh one of my favorite leaders in the world and here's why he's one of my favorite leaders uh because he loves Jesus more than he loves his role here and that shouldn't be a thing of the past in the evangelical church and it is and uh and so I just I honor that so much and uh I am just so uh just honored to be here I'm so privileged anytime you ask me to preach and so uh just thank you for Faithfully serving Faithfully loving these people uh he loves you and I want you to know that just spent a handful of days with him in Orlando not vacationing pastor's conference it was way more work than it [34:21]( | | )

was fun um but uh he loves you dearly and he prays for you and he believes in what God wants to do in and through you are you grateful for your leader here can we just can we just honor him right now and uh man I I'm excited to speak today and uh we're jumping back into our series we're in week two of living the Jesus way living the Jesus way there's a specific way that God desires for you to live and it is Jesus way when I was in high school in junior high I had this incredible dilemma and this dilemma was I found out about this thing called the will of God now the reason this was a dilemma is because this really wasn't painted to me in the right light or in the right way and so my understanding of the will of God is that the will of God was something that I just had to like find and figure out otherwise I was going to completely derail and screw up my life and so I was a mouse and the will of God was the cheese and I had to just kind of figure out how to get to the cheese so I didn't screw my life up and so I I didn't want to take the wrong job I didn't want to date the wrong girl I didn't want to marry the wrong girl and then I would have be with the wrong girl and have the wrong kids and kids I wasn't supposed to have and probably took the wrong job and completely destroy my life because no one explained to me what the will of God really was until the end of high school when a pastor and mentor of mine said the greatest way to know the will of God is to ultimately know the ways of God now how do we know the ways of God it is in the person of God this is Jesus Christ God put on skin and bone and there's a part of scripture that says this that Jesus is the image of the invisible God which is to say we can look at Jesus and we can know not only what God is like but how he feels and how we're supposed to treat people and how we're supposed to live our life and and what the direction of our life should be and so if you are someone here today that you're like man I would love to know the will of God I'm I'm lost in this way I'm Lo like the purpose of this series is to discover the way of God so that we can know the will of God for life and here is why church family and if I could just speak prophetically over you today here's what I believe God wants for you in this new year we're still early in 2024 and here's what I believe I believe this can be your absolute best year this can be your greatest year if it is your best year spiritually that this can be your greatest year if it is your greatest year spiritually and how is it going to be your greatest year spiritually learning to walk in the ways of God In Due life Jesus way so today we're talking about this very specific way of Jesus was a way of mercy and we're going to be talking about how this concept and idea of Mercy trying over judgment and so what does mercy mean first of all I want to make sure we're not confusing Mercy with grace these two words are often used synonymously the biblical definition of mercy is simply this a Love extended in that we don't get or someone doesn't get something that they actually deserve there's a punishment that they fully deserve but they don't get that punishment that would be a form of Mercy this isn't to be confused with Grace which is a Love extended that we didn't deserve rather Mercy is love in us not getting a punishment that we actually deserved and so in the original language in the Hebrew we get this word mercy from the word hassed this word hassed orid it means a deep Abiding covenantal Love A Love that doesn't quit a love that doesn't stop in" [37:15]( | | )

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Transcript

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