Episode Transcript
Alright, good afternoon everyone.
Boy, it's good to see everybody.
Good to see you.
Last week we left off in verse 21 in the book of Jude, where Jude says Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Unto eternal life.
Heavenly Father, we thank you so much, Lord, for this time that you brought us here together, Lord.
We thank you for the safe passage here, Lord, to come and share your word, Father.
And Lord, I just pray that you'll use Let your spirit teach us here today, Father.
We just pray that the saints are edified today, Lord, and that your word goes forth here, Father, and that the lost are pointed to you, Father.
Just teach us now, Lord, as we get started. and in your word here, Lord.
We're sure thank you for this lesson that you blessed us with, Lord.
Thank you, Father, for all that you do.
Thank you for your word.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Amen.
Alright, so last week we mentioned that the word mercy is translated from a Greek word that means compassion. which means sympathy as well as pity.
As I was sitting down working on writing this lesson, I could not help thinking that mankind is a fallen creature similar to Satan.
Yeah, similar.
Satan's original name was Lucifer.
And he was created by God to shine.
Isaiah 14, 12 says, How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer?
Son of the morning, how art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the nations?
The name Lucifer comes from a Hebrew word that means to shine.
God created him to shine.
Isaiah 14, 13 goes on to say, for thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven.
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.
I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north.
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.
I will be like the Most High.
That temptation is what brought him down.
And that temptation is the same temptation that he used on Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 3. 1, and I've got y'all marked there for those of y'all that brought a Bible.
Genesis 3.
1 Genesis 3.
1.
Now the serpent, everybody still turn there.
That's about to take your time.
We're not rushing.
Genesis 3.
1.
You got it there, Brother Neil.
I got your first tab marked on there.
Genesis 3.
Genesis 3, 1.
Yes, sir.
Your first blue tab, I got you marked.
There we go Alright, so we there now.
Genesis 3.
1.
Now we're talking about the temptation that brought Satan down.
Now the serpent Was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.
And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden.
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ye shall not eat of it.
Neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God's, knowing good and evil.
The serpent was wanting them to be more than what God had designed them to be.
They were to be servants of Almighty God, not exalting themselves to be gods.
You see what happened there?
The serpent tricked him into doing the same thing he wanted to do.
He wanted to elevate himself above God and to be like the Most High.
That's the same thing he tempted Eve with.
You will be like God's.
Wow And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise.
She took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.
Listening to the devil is not healthy for you folks.
His words are of no nutritional value whatsoever.
He is a liar.
Jesus told the Pharisees in John 8. 44, ye are of your father the devil and the lust.
Of your father ye will do.
He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him.
When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it.
Don't let the devil convince you where to get your wisdom, folks.
Go to our God, folks.
Go to our God for wisdom.
James 1. 5 says, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given to him.
The word upbraideth means to defame or taunt or revile.
God does not make fun of you for asking him for wisdom.
God's word tells us to ask him.
God is not going to punish you for seeking his guidance.
And I believe it is wrong when we don't include God in our decisions.
My wife knows I've been wanting to do something for several years now.
And I've been praying for several years now about it.
To God to give me guidance on what to do.
Guess what?
I haven't done it yet.
I'm still praying about it.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, folks.
Seek God in every decision that you make.
Now I didn't ask God about what color tie to wear this morning.
I know y'all probably thinking I should have, but I didn't.
There's some things God gives us a mind to make choices about.
But when you're deciding on a big financial decision or when you're deciding on who to marry, that's a big one.
Things that are godly in that tense, in that sense, seek God's advice on them. folks seek God's include God in your decisions James 317 says but the wisdom that is from above is first pure Then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy And good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy.
The word pure used here gives us the idea of innocent or perfect.
Mankind is a fallen creature similar to Satan, but unlike Satan.
The living still have an opportunity to be saved.
God was full of mercy and he still is today, forgiving our transgressions.
Through faith in Christ, God took pity on us and sent us a Savior because we can't save ourselves.
Amen.
Only God can forgive us of our sins.
You're not going to find forgiveness in alcohol.
You're not going to find forgiveness in drugs.
You're not going to find forgiveness in premarital sex.
You're not going to find forgiveness in anything apart from God's grace.
Only through the cross of Christ can you find forgiveness.
Trust in the Lord to open your eyes.
Seek ye first the mercy from above.
Because there, without a doubt, is genuine, true love Now while we're looking or waiting patiently for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ and to eternal life, Jude says in verse 22.
And of some have compassion, making a difference.
What is another word for compassion?
Mercy.
Mercy.
God has shown you mercy.
He has opened your eyes to the soul-saving good news of the death of Christ for your sins.
And now it's your turn, dear Christian, to show compassion or mercy To someone who doesn't know the saving grace of our Lord and tell them about Christ.
If you know Jesus Christ is your Savior, tell people who don't.
Tell people who don't.
They may say, well, that's not for me.
You told them.
The Bible doesn't say only tell people that are going to believe.
The Bible says, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel.
It doesn't say only tell those who might believe.
It don't say go and tell those who you don't know if they'll believe or not.
It just says go and tell them.
You leave the rest to God.
Your part is to share the gospel with others.
And you live the rest of God.
That's what I do.
Amen.
That's all I do.
I come in here.
I'll tell you how Jesus died on the cross for your sins.
The rest is up between you and God.
That's between you and the Lord.
If you choose to not believe, that's that's not on me.
I did my part I told you Jesus Christ died for your sins on the cross and you can be forgiven through believing that.
I told you that Jesus Christ went to a tomb and on the third day he was risen from the grave.
I told you.
Woo!
Thank you, Lord.
I can't believe for you folks.
But I can tell you, and that's the same what you believe, you tell others.
You have mercy on others.
You have compassion for others.
And it's taken me a long time to figure that out.
It really has.
But that's what I want to do now.
I want to tell others about my Savior.
I want to tell others about how my life is changed by faith in Christ.
It's changed.
I am a child of God.
And when at the judgment seat I'm going to be.
Come on in.
Well done, thou good and faithful servant.
Woo!
I can't that's gonna be exciting stuff.
Alright, folks, so go and have compassion on others, folks.
You tell them about Jesus Christ Psalms 86, 15 says, But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion.
And gracious, long suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth Let's close today with Psalms 145.
We're going to start in verse 1.
And listen for the words mercy and compassion.
I've got y'all marked there, Miss Becky.
145.
We're gonna start off here in verse 1. 145 verse 1 David's Psalm of Praise.
Wow, that's wonderful.
That's a great way to start off.
David's Psalm of Praise.
I will extol thee, my God, O King, and I will bless thy name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy name forever and ever.
Will you get up in the morning, folks, that you tell God thank you?
God, thank you for another day, Lord.
Amen.
Do you bless his name?
Thank you for my blessings, Father.
Every day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy name forever and ever.
Great!
is the Lord and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mighty acts.
What is that?
That is telling others about Jesus Christ.
That is telling others.
About God that is having mercy and compassion for somebody else.
One generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mighty acts.
I will speak of the glorious honor of thy majesty and of thy wondrous works.
And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts.
And I will declare thy greatness.
Thy terrible acts.
That means reasons to reverence God.
They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness and shall sing of thy righteousness The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Thank you, Lord, for being slow to anger in this poor man's case, I promise you.
God could have taken me out at any time.
He still can't.
But if he would have taken me out before I knew Christ is my Savior I'd be spending eternity in a place of fire and brimstone where there is gnashing of teeth.
And gnawing of your tongue, they say, for the pain is so bad.
But if I prayed God that he was inside Slow to anger and long in mercy.
Slow to anger and of great mercy.
Full of compassion.
And he took pity on this poor servant.
Amen.
Last one and we'll close, folks.
The Lord is good to all.
And his tender mercies are over all his works.
God took pity on each and every one of us.
He sent his only begotten Son to die in our place to pay the punishment for our sin debt.
God left his home on high, reached out his hand through Jesus Christ, through his compassion, through his mercy.
He gave his only begotten son.
Here is a hand, folks.
Here is your help.
God has his hand out to you.
But, person, if you do not know Jesus as your Savior, God has his hand out saying, please, please I reached up and I took hold of God's hand.
Thank you, Lord.
I've got my arms around that cross across and I ain't letting go.
Amen.
That is my saving grace right there.
That is God's mercy to each and every one of us.
It's the cross of Christ.
Have you accepted the mercy of God?
It's there for you, folks, if you want it.
Amen Heavenly Father, we thank you so much, Lord, for your precious word, Lord.
We thank you, God, for each and every person that's come to hear your word today, Lord.
And we pray, Lord.
That there's one here, Lord, that hasn't accepted your mercy, your grace, through the gift of Christ, Lord, we pray for you, Lord.
We pray that you would just prick their hearts, Lord.
And we pray if they have a hardened neck, Lord, that they a stiff neck, Father.
We pray, Lord, that they would make it pliable and that they would turn to the cross, Father.
We pray that you would just open their eyes to Christ, Lord.
Lord, we sure thank you, Lord, for each and every person that comes, Lord, to hear the word taught.
We want to pray for those, Lord, who can't even get out of their beds while you come.
Thank you for the help that you bless us with, Lord, in order to be able to come here, Lord.
Thank you for the strength that you give each and every one of us to come into this room together, Lord.
The people that help get them here, Lord.
Thank you for the caregivers that are here, Father.
We just pray for them as well, Lord, that you'll bless them with the strength to care for these people.
Lord, we thank you for Brother Larry and his wife coming, Lord, to help us.
And we thank you for the camera lady, Lord, coming.
Thank you for each and every person, Lord, that helped support this ministry, Lord.
And we just pray that you're glorified here today, Lord, and that people were pointed to you, Father.
Lord, we know you take it from there, Lord.
Help each and every one of us, Lord, to have the courage to tell others about Jesus, Lord.
Those that know Christ as their Savior.
Father.
Bless them with the ability to share Christ, Lord.
And we thank you and love you so much, Lord.
We ask these things in Jesus' name today, Father.
Amen.
