Good morning everyone, welcome to the Faithful Word of the Baptist Church.
Great to see you all here for our Centennial Service.
Could you all please have a seat and grab a hymnal and turn those hymnals to song number 217.
We begin this morning's service by singing song number 217, He Included Me.
Song number 217.
I shall not be in Christ today, and I will see with no one my faith.
Yes, I shall not be to go and say, Jesus included me too.
Jesus included me.
Yes, He included me.
Thank the Lord so heavily.
He included me.
Jesus included me.
Yes, He included me.
Thank the Lord so heavily.
He included me.
Thank the Lord so heavily.
Come to the fountain of life today.
But when I need it, I always say, Jesus included me too.
Jesus included me.
Yes, He included me.
When the Lord said, Whosoever, He included me.
Jesus included me.
Yes, He included me.
When the Lord said, Whosoever, He included me.
When the Lord said, Jesus included me.
Jesus included me.
Jesus included me too.
Jesus included me.
Yes, He included me.
When the Lord said, Whosoever, He included me.
Jesus included me.
Yes, He included me.
When the Lord said, Whosoever, He included me a lot.
Heaven and earth was the soul to fill.
Oh, in the joy they my heart can fill.
Oh, when He sent you so well, oh well.
Jesus included me too.
Jesus included me.
Yes, He included me.
When the Lord said, Whosoever, He included me.
Jesus included me.
Yes, He included me.
When the Lord said, Whosoever, He included me.
Amen.
Thank you, God.
Let's turn to our symbols.
It's a song number 13.
It's a song number 13, must Jesus bear the cross of life.
It's a song number 13.
Amen.
Thank you, God.
Let's turn to our symbols.
It's a song number 13.
It's a song number 13, must Jesus bear the cross of life.
It's a song number 13.
Amen.
brother Adam will bring you one as always we have our service times listed
there at the top Sundays at 1030 again at 5 30 p.m. Thursdays at 7 we're going
through first Kings will be in chapter number 17 this week we've got the
Salvations and baptisms listed below that a couple notes regarding the church
if you need them there and also please do remember to silence your cell phones
if you haven't already done so and then a thank you to those who prayed for and
or participated in the Sierra Vista small-town soul winning we had nine soul
winners come out and six salvation so it was fairly receptive now I got some good
news and some bad news about this I'll begin with the bad news the bad news is
that we didn't make it to Vinnie's pizza so I can't report back to you about
Vinnie's New York pizza so we'll have to figure that another time to the good
news is that we made our way over to the what was named that place Texas Road
House yeah so that was the good news so because we had a smaller crowd I called
an audible in the field so anyway thank you again to those that were able to
make it out I know there's a lot of the people that wanted to just weren't able
to but it was a good good time of soul winning and fellowship so we'll have
more of those in the future I'm not exactly sure when I'm gonna do another
one but we will be doing them and then below that please continue use proper
precaution as the summer heat increases so this is just you know a word to the
wise here really that you stay hydrated use water and electrolytes this is
specifically talking about you know of course at all times but we have people
that go out soul winning you know in the heat so when you're out there you know
make sure you're you're observing these these guidelines you know so we don't
have to you know rush you to a hospital or something like that because it's the
heats not a joke around here we all know that so stay stay hydrated we've got the
body armors in the fridge those are always reserved for our soul winners so
that's what those are there for make sure if you're going out in a soul
winning time throw some of those in that cooler so that you have that as you
need it out there take breaks you know we don't need to you know push people
beyond their limits if somebody's feeling like hey I need to get in the
shade I need to get in the AC you know by all means do that and take a break
recover and don't leave your soul winning partners unattended I think this
is just a good that's just a good rule in general you shouldn't be doing that
and then but especially when in the heat if somebody has to take a break you know
stay with that person because obviously things could get worse for them you know
if they're gonna start having heat stroke we want somebody there with them
and being able to communicate with the other people in the team so just again a
word to the wise I'm sure most people in here have enough common sense to know
all this but it's just a good reminder to to not to take these precautions as
the as the heats increasing and then below that don't forget the FWBC mega
marathon mega conference it's up in Tempe so this is taking place up there
and you got the dates there and a shuttle will be provided to the
Wednesday night services so the Sundays you know you should probably be here
unless there's someone out there you really want to see by all means go do
that and enjoy that service but there will be a service that leaves from here
or a shuttle rather that goes up every Wednesday night and we'll leave at 5
promptly you know so you're gonna have to get off the to the Tucson approach to
two deadlines here you know if you want to make the shuttle because it's two
hours approximately up there and it's at 5 p.m. in the afternoon so it's going
to be very heavy traffic trying to get into Tempe from here going up to 10 so
you know we want to try to get there at you know no later than 7 and that's
gonna be cutting it close right there so if you want to go and take advantage of
the shuttle and you're more than welcome to do so but please be here before 5
o'clock yes or as close to it as you can get because we're we can't afford to
wait around so there I've said it I was the bad guy in front everybody okay so
we're gonna leave at 5 and then we're gonna return approximately between 10
and 11 so keep that in mind too that especially if you go up on the pastor
the one where Pastor Mejia comes he's probably gonna he's probably gonna lean
pretty hard on me to take him out to Culver's again as we that's kind of the
custom that we have when he when he comes to Tempe is that he's got to get
his Culver's in because they don't have that in California right they got a lot
of other things though but they don't have that and then there's gonna be a
sign-up sheet posted in the back and that's gonna be posted the Sunday prior
to each service so it's gonna be the Sunday before that Wednesday so if you
want to go on the shuttle you got it you see what I'm doing here I'm kind of
forcing you to have to come here to sign up right so because it's gonna be a
first-come first-serve I can't really reserve seats you know six weeks in
advance for you just because things change and happen so you know you might
say yeah I'm gonna make that service and then you don't and then somebody else
got bumped I'm sure there's gonna be plenty of room in the van but again if
you want to make sure that you're gonna have a seat you got to show up Sunday
sign up that sheet you know prior to that Wednesday and then your spot will
be reserved rides will be given first-come first-serve on the back some
exciting news about FWBC Tucson's third annual church camp so that's gonna be
Monday June 27th through Thursday June 30th and we've got the set this is up on
Southern Pines Baptist Camp so this is this is right down the road from where
we traditionally gone normally we would go to showers point which is a nice
campground but it was all tent camping and those of you that went there you
know what that was about but this was you know on that same East organization
trail road or whatever it was it's literally just right next door to this
but this is a full-fledged camp with a frames I haven't been there yet
personally I've only seen it online I've only spoken with the lady at the First
Baptist Church of Tucson about it so I'm playing and going up and hopefully I can
get a look at it before we have to go up there but so I don't know the exact
details of everything but I can tell you that it's a full facility it's got
bunk houses that are several different bunk houses some are a-frames some are
just single-story but there's you know they have bunk beds there but you'll
have obviously you'll have to bring your own bedding they have you know the
frames and the mattresses but you'll have to provide your own sheets pillows
blankets sleeping bags things of that nature they have they have they have the
pit out houses but then they also have flushable ones on site too so that are
you know they have AC in them so they have nice outhouses they have a
showering facility there's electricity there and I believe the electricity is
in the cabins too so you know if you need to plug in your your CPAP machine
or your you got to charge up your phone or whatever you know plug a fan in
probably you know they have that there's a full commercial kitchen now the way
this is going to work the next bulletin point I'm gonna take a minute to explain
all this because you know a lot of people will come to me and ask these
questions I'm trying to answer a lot of these questions right now pay attention
you know read these as well if you have questions but it's got a full kitchen
and a dining hall now the kitchen you know it's a commercial kitchen and we're
gonna provide all the meals on this trip so you don't have to bring any food
unless unless you want to but you know if you're gonna bring something just
keep mind that you know I'm gonna have me making use of the kitchen so you
can't just bring a bunch of food and expect to have refrigerator space it's
it's not gonna happen in fact one of the rules is that all the food stays in
the kitchen and in the dining area they don't want it in the bunk houses they
don't want it elsewhere because they they want to they don't want to deal
with rodents and bears and other things like that so just keep that in mind now
I'll have I'm probably gonna have snacks going 24-7 well not 24-7 but we'll have
the popcorn machine going throughout the day there'll be a breakfast a lunch and
a dinner and so you'll you'll be able to I'm not gonna let you starve to death
up there okay so but I'll have I'll try to get a menu together and kind of let
folks know what's gonna be on the menu you know if you have some kind of a
particular food allergy or something like that I can work around that but you
know don't don't be one of these super picky eaters okay if you're if you're
being good with your diet the rest of the year you should be able to go up
there you know and and like Ezra eat some fat and drink some sweet okay with
us or add some fellowship just kind of go off plan for those few days just plan
on eating a lot of carbs and and everything else that you don't allow
yourself to eat throughout the rest of the year right no amens on that but
that's okay but so that's you know I'm taking a minute to go through all this
but so that's kind of the meals I'll get more details about that as we get closer
we have two guest preachers coming we have pastor Mihia he's gonna be there
Monday night and then we'll have pastor Thompson out people are asking can I
come up just for the preaching can I just come up one day and then come back
down you know I I'm I want to say yes but if we're if we're maxed out on
capacity then they they might the people that run the camp might have like
a might get upset about that because we there is a limit to how many people are
allowed to be there but you know I'll try to leave some room there but you
know I can't guarantee that that's gonna be permissible this year it's got it's
kind of got to kind of be there one of those things that's why I'm you know
I've been announcing this for months in advance so that's why I did that so you
could make that a time allotment and then you have pastor Thompson he'll be
with us Monday night he won't be preaching Monday night but he'll be
with us he'll be preaching Tuesday night and of course Wednesday night and then
we'll have the Thursday night service down here with yours truly you'll
probably won't really be looking forward to hearing me after all that great
preaching I'm sure and then below that just a quick note to sign up by June 5th
so I just put the sign-up sheet out there let me take a minute to explain
the sign-up sheet put your last name and first name you know of one member of
your family and then how many adults are coming you know there's a there's a
you just read carefully that the sign-up sheet number of adults number of
children that are seven years and below and the number of children that are eight
years and above because to me that seems to kind of be the breaking point where
where children begin to eat like adults okay so that's kind of and maybe I'm
little I know everyone's a little different every kids are a little
different you might have that five or six year old that can eat a large pizza
I don't know but that's just a general rule of thumb and then there's several
check boxes and I put my own name there so you can look to it as an example how
I would like that to be filled out check the dates that you're of the days that
you're gonna be there you know if you're staying the night that night check the
box because some people aren't gonna be able to make it from Monday but they can
make it for Tuesday or Wednesday or maybe they can't make it for Tuesday or
Wednesday they can make it from Monday so just check the box that way I can
accommodate more people and then if you have any questions about the sign-up
sheet please just come see me about that and then also at this isn't out yet but
I'll be putting out is that anyone who is attending will be asked to read and
abide by the camp rules and these are rules that they made so they have a
little packet and I'm just gonna ask you know whoever signs up you know to just
read that and understand the rules are and probably just sign off on it it's
not like a contract where I'm gonna you know take you to court or anything like
that but it's just so I can know that we're all on the same page as far as
the rules go up there so I'd have to run around like a little camp Nazi so
everyone can just kind of get on the same page right out of the gate and then
also just one last note no minors are allowed without their parents so there's
no just taking the kids up there and just dropping them off with you know
even if you've got other you know adults there that are willing to watch them
that's just not a practice that we want to get involved in here you know I'm I
know we have good kids here I know every all the young people are here but it's
if we get in the habit of that and then that and then that miscreant finally
starts attending church and then you know that we got a flip our policy on
said so just right out of the gate we're just gonna lay that policy down for the
church that you know minors at any activity you know while I'm while I'm
you know being mr. mean guy up here I'll just go ahead and you know double down
you know that goes for any of our church activities you know we don't want minors
left unattended without and by that I mean without their parents because
sometimes they go I'll just leave them with another family you know or I'll
just leave them with a sibling you know that's not gonna work they a parent or
parents need to be present okay so that's that I'm really excited about the
camp hopefully you are too I think it's gonna be great even though you know I'm
gonna be in the back most of the time with the hair net on you know cooking I
got brother Adam helped me too so we're looking forward to that and I hope you
guys can come out you know you say I'm not that excited well give it give it a
couple more weeks when we get as the temperature increases that you know
those 80 degree days up there in Mount Lemmon are gonna start looking pretty
good so we've got the weekly Bible memory passage below that please be sure
to memorize that children if you haven't done so and you get that free ice cream
bar that's going to do it for announcements we'll go ahead and sing
one more song
Oh
thank you father doctor this morning thank you for this morning service
morning service and help us to receive a message this morning and he's filled
brother Corbin with your spirit today amen so I want to preach a sermon this
morning entitled judgment and mercy in Jericho judgment and mercy in Jericho
you know Jericho is a real interesting place of course this is probably the
most memorable story about Jericho it's the first time we really learn anything
about Jericho it's the one that everyone kind of knows it's very famous story but
and we see that it's destroyed here in this chapter but it's interesting that
later in Scripture Jericho is rebuilt we'll look at that and then of course
even in Jesus's day you know Jericho was a city that Jesus visited and I think
there's an important lesson that we can learn there from this city Jericho is
that Jericho you know represents a place both of judgment and also mercy and if
you look there at verse 15 it says and it came to pass on the seventh day that
they rose up early about the dawning of the day and compass the city after the
second man the same manner seven times so you remember they'd been you know
compassing it once a day for six days then of course in the seventh time the
seventh day they go around at seven times as it says in verse 16 it came to
pass at the seventh time when the priest blew the trumpets Joshua said unto the
people shout for the Lord hath given you the city and the city shall be accursed
even it and all that are therein to the Lord only Rahab the harlot shall live
she and all that are in her house because she hid the messengers that we
sent so you can see even at this particular story with Joshua you see
both judgment and mercy already being on display here in this chapter one you
know everybody that's in this city and the city itself and everything that's in
it is going to be accursed you know and God you know wasn't just saying that
those weren't just words you know he meant what he said when he said don't
even take anything of the city and of course we know the story of Achan that
he took of the accursed thing and ended up destroying himself and his whole
family that's a whole nother sermon right there that's how seriously God
took it look this city is going to be cursed it's a it's a testimony of my
judgment and God destroyed this city but even in the midst of that wrath God what
remembered mercy when it came to the harlot Rahab who was not you know some
great moral bastion there in Jericho I mean she was a harlot you know she was
living a very wicked life but God extended mercy to her you know because
she hid the spies because she was uh she had faith in God she believed in the
Lord you know and of course you have that great picture of her letting the
spies down with the scarlet cord and then she was to tie that in the window
representing the blood of Christ it's a great picture of salvation you know that
it's not about what kind of how good a life you're living you know heart you
know Rahab the harlot certainly was not somebody would say was living a life
full of good works by any means yet she had what the scarlet applied to her
house you know and that's a picture of salvation that's not really what I'm
preaching about this morning but it does lend itself to the greater theme that
you see here when it comes to Jericho that it is a place both of judgment of
God destroying things and God's judgment coming down of God accursing a specific
place in a people but also it represents mercy that God is still even though he
is a God who judges and a God who pours out wrath and punishment that he's also
a God of great mercy and compassion so we see here judgment and mercy in Jericho
and he says there in verse 18 and he and any wise keep yourselves from your
curse thing lest you make yourselves accursed when you take of the accursed
thing and make the camp of Israel a curse and trouble it but all the silver
and gold and all the vessels of iron of brass and iron are consecrated in the
Lord they shall come into the treasury of the Lord so the people shouted when
the priest blew the trumpets and it came to pass when the people heard the
sound of the trumpet and the people shouted the great shout that the wall
fell down flat so the people that went up into the city every man straight
before him and they took the city and utterly destroyed all that was in the
city and this is what they were told to do both man and woman young and old and
ox and sheep and ass with the edge of the sword so this is a story you know
it's kind of funny that some of the songs that we sing to children in the
Sunday schools we the stories that we tell we tell them you know we like to
talk about Noah and the animals we like to talk about how the walls of Jericho
came down it's like we kind of leave out some of these other details like you
know how everybody else died you know how everybody died in the flood how
everything was just snuffed out you know over those in that great flood and how
you know everybody in Jericho ended up being killed too but what we learned
from this is that you know God is a God of judgment you know that's where we
begin and that's something that we have to understand because we're living in a
time and a day and age where even Christians today you know want to just
take this very fast and loose approach to who God is and just you know they
want to emphasize all the mercy and the love of God but then they and they want
to leave off all of the judgment they don't want to talk about the judgment of
God but you know what God is both God is both a God of judgment and of mercy okay
now keep something there in Joshua we'll come back over to Deuteronomy 32
Deuteronomy 32 and look I could just park it on this point alone and we could
just turn to a multitude of scriptures that teach that God is a God of judgment
anybody who's read their Bible even once anybody who's just read you know a first
the first few books of the Bible anybody who's even been under just some sound
preaching out of the Word of God has no doubt heard verses quoted heard
preaching that proved beyond a shadow of doubt that God is a God of judgment that
God judges people now you're there in Deuteronomy 32 look at verse 1 he said
give this is the song of Moses okay he said give ear Oh heavens and I will
speak and hear Oh earth the words of my mouth my doctrine shall drop as the rain
my speech shall distill as the dew as a small rain upon the tender herb and as
the showers upon the green grass because I will publish the name of the Lord
ascribe me greatness unto our God he is the rocks his work is perfect for all
his ways our judgment you know this is Moses singing about the Lord saying look
God is a God of judgment now keep something there I know I already have
you in Joshua 6 but keep something there in Deuteronomy chapter 32 and go over to
1st John 4 I'll try not to sprain a finger this morning all right but just
keep something in Joshua Deuteronomy for now and go over to 1st John chapter 4
you know it's important to look at some of these passages and understand right
out of the gate when it comes to judgment that you know God is a God of
judgment what's the first lesson that we can learn from Jericho I mean what's
probably just most in-your-face thing when you read the story of Jericho is
that God judges people and not just that God had and I'm not saying that just God
has an opinion about people like that's the way we use judgment today like you
said don't judge me what are they saying they're not saying don't come to my
house and break down the walls and burn it with fire you know like that's how
God judge Jericho right what they're saying is you know don't have a low
opinion of me don't don't form an opinion about my actions you know don't
don't pass judgment on me in the sense of they don't want you to you know think
about what they do or who they are as a person and say well you're like this you
know don't label me that's what people might mean by don't judge me you know
but it's not that with God look God does form opinions about people you know God
does have an opinion about me and you this morning you know we're either this
or that with God because and you know that's all just through our own actions
but beyond that when we're talking about God's judgment we're talking about God
like you know proactively getting involved in your life and you know
engineering circumstances bringing things to pass and judging you in a way
that you know is you know judgment typically isn't a pleasant thing to go
through but God is a God of judgment and today people have such an imbalanced
view of God's nature who God really is because they don't read the Bible you
know they go to church just to have some you know charismatic experience they're
not there to actually open up the Word of God and read it from cover to cover
and hear the preaching from the Word of God they're there to just you know
entertain themselves and feel good they had this imbalanced view of who God
actually is you know and the first thing we can learn from Jericho is that God is
a God of judgment and you get into this you know God is love crowd well that's
all people want to talk about how God is love but even then they don't understand
what that even means when it says that God is level what's what what is
implicated when you say that yes God is love and can we deny the fact that God
is love of course God is love no one's gonna get up and say that God isn't love
you know God is love you know people have an imbalanced view of who God is
and they just want to hang their hat on well God is love and therefore he's not
gonna judge me that's not true that's not how God works that's a
misunderstanding of who God is yes God is love but that doesn't mean he's not
gonna judge sin that doesn't mean he's not gonna judge iniquity that doesn't
mean he's gonna judge his own people when they do wrong when they disregard
his commandments when they disobey what he's told us to do when we just you know
I want to just put God in a corner somewhere and ignore him you know God
don't be surprised if God rises up and judges even his own people okay that's
what the God is love crowd wants to do they just want to focus and just say
well since God is love obviously there's just no judgment and yet God throughout
Scripture is judging people and judging people telling us to judge people say
judge righteous judgment you know not to be a respecter of persons and
judgment and wrote a whole book called judges I mean God is a God of judgment
now the God of love crowd so where would they get this why would somebody just
come up with the idea that well God is just love and not judgment that God
would not you know judge anybody well they go to for you know they quote I
don't know if they even know where this is in the Bible but if you go to 1st
John chapter 4 verse 7 it says beloved let us love one another for love is of
God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God he that loveth not
knoweth not God for God is love okay and that's where that's where they want to
stop they just want to quote those three words God is love okay but notice how we
know that God is love it goes on and explains that what that means that God
is love in this verse 9 was manifested the love of God you know manifested this
is how we know this is what was this is how God showed that God is love this is
how God showed us that's why Paul or excuse me John could say with confidence
in 1st John 4 that God is love because God manifested the love of God toward us
because that God sent his only begotten son into the world that he that we might
live through him here in his love that not that we loved God but that he loved
us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins now that
propitiation simply you know just to boil it down means
basically a substitute okay a substitute a substitute it's just a substitute for
for you know a sacrifice okay I don't want to get into the whole meaning of
that word but the point is this is that you know God is showing us his love how
and that he sent his son into the world to be a propitiation for our sins now
how did Jesus how was Jesus a propitiation for our sins when he died
on the cross so God sends his own son in the world and then decrees that he will
die on the cross what's he doing he's being judged he's being punished for our
sins that's how we know the love of God because God is a God of judgment because
God does judge there it is necessary that there's a propitiation for our
sins that's the love of God so you got to understand this in context yes God is
love but how do we know that because he sent his son in the world to die for our
sins because God is a God of judgment and without that we are going to face
the judgment and wrath of God that's how you know God is love this God is love
does not mean that you just never judge anybody then I never look at somebody's
life and say hey that's sinful I never look at somebody and say you're wicked
then I never you know go out and tell people or preach and and let others know
that judgment is coming that God is upset with you that God is angry with
you that God wants you to get right with him you know that's that you know and
that that isn't the love of God the unloving you know that would be an
unloving thing for me to get up and say oh God's not mad at you you know like
Joel Osteen you know the most pop one of the most popular preachers in this
country you know with a with an you know a national best-selling book God isn't
mad at you you know get up and smile in your face and lie to you and say God
isn't mad at you oh he's not judging you because he's just so loving right
look that's not the loving thing to do a loving person would come to you and tell
you hey you did wrong you need to fix this you know Bible says that open
rebuke is better than secret love that faithful are the wounds of a friend but
the kisses of an enemy are deceitful that's what the Bible says so yes God is
loved but it's God is love in the context that he's not judging us like we
deserve because he sent his son of the world to die for our sins and Jesus bore
that punishment for us that's the love of God the Bible says and we know it he
hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the
righteousness of God I mean we could go to Isaiah we won't forsake of time but
it says in Isaiah 53 when it's prophesying of Christ that he was we
that he would was stricken and smitten of God and afflicted talking about Jesus
and that it pre it pleased the Lord to bruise him so it's not that God is love
he just backed off and didn't do anything it's know that he sent his son
and smote him and afflicted him and bruised him and put his judgment and our
chastisement upon him so that we could know the love of God that's what it
means that God is love not just this passive just oh I'm not gonna offend
anybody I'm not gonna call a spade a spade I'm not gonna say anything
negative or tell anybody that they're wrong you know that's that's the
opposite of love folks and people I'm telling you they have a very imbalanced
view of who God is today you know III pray not in this church I feel like we
are pretty good in this church about giving a very balanced view of who God
is you know this this this sermon in case you know case in point the sermon
this morning you know we see in Jericho judgment and mercy and the first thing
that jumps out us at us off the page when we read the story in Jericho is
that God is a God of judgment okay and here's the thing you can't have justice
without judgment I mean isn't that what we see with Christ you know we we're
justified before him why because Christ died for us because God is judgment
because God is a God of judgment he also can dole out justice you can't have you
can't have justice without judgment I mean how can you set things straight if
there's nobody there to judge and punish evildoers and wicked people you know
that would be the opposite of justice the Bible says in Deuteronomy 32 where
you are verse 4 that he is a God of truth without an equity just and right
so he starts out by telling us that you know he is a God that all his ways are
judgment in verse 4 but then it goes on and says that he is also a God of truth
and without an equity just and right so what how is it that we know that God is
just because God is a God of judgment and he's right go back to Joshua chapter
6 Joshua chapter number 6 that means that you know if we want to be just and
right we also must judge doesn't it you know if we want to be people are known
to just and right people we have to be willing to judge others and judge
situations and and make a determination in fact God has given us his word and
there's a whole you know entire civil law in here that helps us to do that and
that God you know it would would tell us in the church and in a society in a
household in our own personal lives how to judge and use discernment and that
makes us helps us to be what adjust people you can't have justice without
judgment you got to have both and here's here's the other lesson that we
can learn from from from Jericho you know one of the other lessons within the
lesson of the fact that God is judgment is that there are consequences for
dismissing God's Word there are consequences for ignoring the fact that
God is a God of judgment you know we can't just we can't just you know come
to a realization of the fact that God is judgment and then just ignore that
fact and and then act surprised when we get judged you know the whole point of
the sermon is really to help us to understand that that look God is a God
of judgment meaning that he will judge us the Bible says that judgment must
begin in the house of God you know we are going to be judged in this world
more so I believe than the heathen because the heathen have this place
called hell you know and people say oh God you know don't judge anyone God is
love well explain health and explain God casting people headlong into hell for
all eternity to be punished I mean that that's judgment folks that isn't
judgment I don't know what is you know but we we as God's people we receive
that judgment in this world because we're saved we're not going to go to
hell you know we're sealed by the Holy Spirit we're redeemed through the blood
of Christ you know he's taken our sins from us we you know we all understand
that and you know and praise God for that but that doesn't mean that all that
we're just get a free pass to just do whatever we want now in life and
Christians get this in their head they think well I'm saved you know I got my
ticket punched I've got my fire escape I'm not gonna go to hell so now I can
just live my life however I want and just all my merry way to heaven and
look you can do that but yet understand this also that God is a God of
judgment and then he will call all of your actions into judgment in this life
that he will judge us now look we're gonna be judged hopefully you know the
point of of preaching and the Word of God and the point of church is to help
you so that when you are judged in this world that you're found you're not found
wanting you know that you that the balances are tipped in your favor that
you've been doing right living for the Lord that God instead of having to you
know punish you can actually bless you instead okay go back to Joshua 6 the
head you go back there already gotta understand look God is a God of
judgment there are consequences for dismissing the warning of God's judgment
so Joshua in the story just destroys Jericho burns the place to the ground
kills everybody but Rahab and those that were in her home her family I mean you
would think that's a pretty sure sign that God doesn't want Jericho to exist
but just to be sure Jericho excuse me Joshua goes on and then pronounces this
curse upon Jericho he says in verse 26 or yeah 26 he says and Joshua adjourned
them at that time saying cursed be the man before the Lord that riseth up and
buildeth this city Jericho he shall lay the foundation thereof and his first
born and in his youngest shall he set up the gates of it he's saying look if
anybody ever comes around later and tries to rebuild this city it's gonna
literally cost them their first born and their and then their youngest born he's
saying if you and anyone who tries to build this thing God is gonna take their
children from them and like that's a pretty severe judgment isn't it look I'm
not saying every time somebody loses a child that they're being chastened of
God okay but you know that's as far as judgment goes if God wanted to find a
way to really judge somebody that's a pretty severe way isn't it I mean that's
that I mean I can't think of anything else in my life that would probably
break my heart more more so than losing my own child like having them killed
whether I was deserving of that you know through God's judgment or not you know
that would break my heart either way and again let me just clarify I'm not saying
everybody that experiences that it's under God's chasing hand I understand
that there's other reasons why God allows things like that to happen okay
but you know this is a form of judgment that Joshua pronounces upon this place
that if anyone builds this city is this very severe punishment is going to come
upon you and you would think that people would go okay well let's not do that
then right just like he said if anyone takes any of the cursed thing you know
he's going to be accursed you know you would think like oh yeah well let's not
take anything but you know a chapter later that's exactly what we see
happening you know and that just tells me that you know people have a tendency
in human nature to disregard the Word of God to disregard the warnings of the
preacher when they say hey look judgment if you do this judgment and that's what
people do and I don't know if you caught it you know if you were here or in your
own Bible reading on Thursday night but first Kings chapter 16 ends with the
story of somebody who did exactly what Joshua said not to I'll read to you from
first kick first Kings 16 it says in verse 34 and in his and a halves days
did high L the Bethelite build Jericho so you know years and years later somebody
comes along and I don't know if this is just you know just proof that the people
in Israel had forgotten the Word of God or they just were you know so
rebellious towards God it's so dismissive of God's Word that this guy
gets in his head that he's going to go ahead and go against this curse I don't
know is it that they forgot the Word of God or they just didn't care I don't
know but either way the curse is still there because you know high L here he
laid the foundation thereof in Ibram his first his firstborn she's now look he
ignored the curse he didn't know the curse I don't know but either way that
curse came true and first kink 16 he lays the foundation of Jericho in his
firstborn and he sets up the gates thereof in his youngest seagull according
to the Word of the Lord which he spake by Joshua the son of none so look there
is a very serious consequence for disregarding the Word of God
disregarding the warnings that God is a God of judgment you know and that's
something I feel like I I do a pretty good job of warning people I know we
have a lot of young people in this church that are getting to an age where
they're gonna be making a lot of very important decisions in their life and I
think about consciously about what it is they need to understand and one thing
that I you know we all need to understand especially you know not not
any just one group of people but especially you know if you're gonna be
making big decisions that are gonna have long lasting effects on your life is
look you better make those decisions with the understanding that God it will
judge you for what you decide to do you know if you decide that you're gonna get
out from under your you're gonna go out and just be a fornicator get out from
your parents authority and just go start drinking and living it up with the
world just go see what that's all about you know go ahead and do that but just
mark it down now you've been warned that God is a God of judgment and he will
call you into judgment for that now I'm not saying he's gonna send an army to
circle your house and burn down and burn down the walls and curse you but you
know what you're gonna end up with that unwanted child you know which is a
bastard you know there's a word we need to bring back in our society you can
have a bastard child out of wedlock you know you're gonna end up with the STD
you're gonna end up married to somebody that you can't stand you're gonna end up
you know addicted to drugs and alcohol or pornography you're gonna end up you
know with all these problems in your life because you know sin has its own
built-in punishment God doesn't always have to get involved you know what that
doesn't mean God won't get involved either God just might double down on
that say oh you can have the way of the transgression which is hard you can have
there all the trouble that comes with sin and then I'm just gonna add a
little bit to it because you're God's child and you knew better the Bible says
the servant that knew his Lord's will and did it not was beaten with many
stripes you know we know what the Bible says when Joshua pronounces this curse
on Jericho you know everyone should have just said well take note of that let's
put a sign here hey here's this what this is a curse on this place and that
way when someone comes along they've at least been warned hey there's judgment
if you build this you know I don't know what high elves problem was if you
didn't know or if he just didn't care either way God is you know it had
pronounced judgments that if you do this this is what's going to happen and
that's something that's you know illustrative of human nature that people
have a tendency to just disregard the warnings of God to just think that
they're gonna get away with it when the exact opposite is true you know God
chastens his children so look at Joshua chapter 6 look look at Joshua chapter 6
so we the first thing again the title of sermon is judgment and mercy in
Jericho because you know really the probably that the more thing that thing
that we think about more when it comes to Jericho is that it's a place of
judgment but in Scripture when you study it out it's also a place of mercy you
know we saw that a little bit already with Rahab the harlot that in the midst
of that wrath you know mercy was still shown to a certain individual in that
home in that city but we also see mercy if actually you know what just just
we're done in in Joshua I already kind of made that point let's just go over to
a Luke chapter 19 you know Jericho is also an example of mercy okay and again
I'm preaching this because this is gonna help us see that you know that the the
fuller nature of God that we can't have an imbalanced view because you know I
already picked on the gutters goddess love crowd where they just want to say
oh God's love you know and therefore I can just get away with that ever I want
my life and it doesn't matter what I do you know because God is love and I've
already explained all that but you know there's the other crowd that wants to
just say well you know God is just a God of wrath and judgment and
destruction and well that's that's not entirely true either God is both you
know God is balanced you know God is just and you can't have one without the
other you know you can't have mercy without judgment because that's what
mercy by definition is you know mercy is you not getting what you deserve you
know mercy and grace are two different things grace is getting what you don't
deserve right you know if someone's being very gracious to you you know if
someone gives you a gift just out of nowhere you know some or does something
kind for you you know you would say that's a gracious person right because
they're good they're just doing things out of kindness of their heart you
didn't deserve that you didn't deserve to receive it you didn't deserve to have
it kept from you right that's just that's called being gracious whereas
mercy is oh no you deserve to be punished but I'm not going to know you
deserve to have you know something negative happen to you but rather than
doing that I'm gonna hold off so again if God you know God is a God of judgment
but his mercy is you know because he's a God of judgment you know that's how we
know he's also a God of mercy so it's both in Jericho I believe you know makes
this point you know this is a city that was destroyed of God it was cursed by
God that curse was fulfilled when high el built it in first Kings 16 you know
he did exactly exactly what happened or exactly what God said came to pass that
he laid the foundation of his firstborn and he set up the gates of his youngest
you know and you would think well from there on out God's just gonna despise
this place Jericho but there's a great lesson here is that you know once
somebody has done something and suffered the punishment for it we need to just
back off and not be people who constantly bring things up and hold
things over people's heads you know God doesn't do that to us the Bible says that
God has separated his our sins from us as far as the east is from the west that
he will not make mention of them again to us you know we're not gonna get to
heaven and say oh God thank you for saving me say yeah I'm you know you're
welcome but let's just talk about real quick everything you know why I could
have sent you to hell let's just go you know I know you're here I know that
you're you know saved by the blood of Christ I know you're here for all
eternity but let's just sit down for a minute and let's just let's just go over
your life and let's just you know talk about all the sin let me just remind you
all those shameful wicked things that you did on God's not gonna do that you
know and there is that teaching that's out there that we're gonna have to
review all of our sins I don't believe that you know you don't see that in
Scripture there are there are texts that people try to use but they're
misunderstanding those texts and I don't want to go into all that but you
know God isn't somebody who's gonna hold things over our head and we shouldn't do
that to either people to people either when people you know are judged when
people suffer the adjust punishment and they repent and they get right you know
it's time to just that's done and that's what you see with Jericho I mean God
brings the children of Israel it's the first city they come to when they cross
the river Jordan and just burns the thing to the ground and kills everybody
that's in it and destroys it and says anybody who builds this place they're
gonna be judged of God too I mean it seems to me like God would just
constantly don't you think at that point well Jericho is just a despised place
but when you get into the New Testament you see that it's a city that's grown
that it's it's full of people and it's actually a place that Jesus went and did
miracles because you know that's the nature of God is that once once judgment
and and punishment has been doled out it's time to just move on and God's like
well Jericho is here now and it's full it's full of sinners that need to get
saved so I might as well just you know they they went ahead and they built the
gates and they laid the foundation and I judged him for that but it's here now
and I'm not gonna destroy it again I already tried that once they don't
listen I kind of improved my point I've already punished the people that that
were responsible you know the people that are living in Jericho now you know
they're just sinners like anybody else they're just people like anybody else
today just living out their lives they just happen to be born in Jericho it's
not really their fault God isn't gonna hold it over their heads you know
Jericho is also is not only is a place that represents judgment but is also a
place that represents mercy because those are two things that go hand in
hand you cannot have mercy without judgment so Jesus in Luke 19 he visits
Jericho and again I'll remind us a place that was God had said should never
be rebuilt but it was built anyway but yeah in Luke 19 we see Jesus showing up
in Jericho at a very particular time in his ministry by the way and he shows up
there you know and he doesn't go down there to just berate everybody none of
you should be here this place shouldn't even be on the map you all need to move
and get out of here don't you know God destroyed this place once high L was
wrong to build this place that's not what he did down there he went down
there and did miracles and by the way you know I'm kind of getting ahead of
myself you know but he did this at the very end of his ministry right before he
depart you know descends from the Mount of Olives he goes he leaves Jericho goes
the Mount of Olives they bring the ass and the the the coal the full occult you
know bring the ass and the coal I'm trying to say the words the the full of
an ass the cult is what I'm trying to say they bring those remember that story
and his triumphal entry into Jerusalem just prior to that he's in Jericho you
know that's the sequence of events I think that's significant that he goes
from Jericho to the Mount of Olives and descends into Jerusalem to give himself
a sacrifice I mean he could have gone anywhere but he decided well I need to
go to Jericho and it's interesting what we see in Jericho you know we don't see
Jesus going there to just berate people and just remind them of how wicked a
city this was and how God destroyed it and how it cost the guy who rebuilt it
his children we see actually read another very famous story that's very
popular in Sunday schools much like like you know the story of the walls coming
down Jericho we read about who we read about it's like Zacchaeus right verse 1
Jesus entered and entered and passed through Jericho and behold there was a
man named Zacchaeus Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he
we all know that song right you've been at Sunday school and he was chief among
the publicans and he was rich so notice these details about this guy okay
Zacchaeus was chief among the publicans which are basically tax collectors for
Rome now I don't know about you but I'm not a big fan of the IRS you know I
don't look at my pay stub and go oh man I'm just so glad I gave all that money
to them I'm glad before I had any say about it they just took it right out and
held on to it and did whatever they do with it which is a lot of wicked things
these days you know I don't think that that's you know anything's really
changed there's nothing new under the Sun I'm sure people weren't real excited
about Zacchaeus he probably wasn't the most popular guy I mean I'm sure he had
a lot of people that were just there because he was rich he had a lot of you
know fair weather friends who were just there to kind of mooch off him but he
was and behind his back they're probably like yeah that little rotten dirty and
we're gonna see here that you know he kind of has this embedded confession the
reason why he's rich is because he's a thief okay I believe that and he was
crooked but Jesus he sees him and of course we know the second story of
Zacchaeus verse 3 and he sought to see Jesus who he was for he could not and
could not for the press because he was of little little of stature so he's very
short he's very and like probably noticeably so that he was somebody you
can say that guy's very short right he's a very small man and and really you
know nothing this isn't a knock on anybody who is of low stature okay people
can't help that type of thing but it's interesting to me that it mentions that
in Scripture and that if that kind of just must have added insult to injury is
that not only are you being taxed by this guy but he's somebody that you
could easily physically overpower but because he's got Rome standing behind
him you know he's got that authority you're basically being robbed by this
this very small man right so I think he was especially despised not just because
not and not because he was short but because you know that situation that he
was a tax collector that if you know if it wasn't for Rome buddy I would I could
crush you right I don't know maybe that's conjecture on my part but it's
it's there in the story and it and notice he couldn't get through the press
you know I mean you think if he had some influence of people respected him he
could say it's Zacchaeus step aside you know clear path people I'm coming
through he couldn't get through oh it's it's just Zacchaeus and they're just you
know kind of pushing up against each other not letting them through he
couldn't throw his weight around right and of course Jesus he comes down to
Jericho and Zacchaeus this man who by all implication here is not popular it's
more than likely a despised person and it says that he climbs up the tree and
when Jesus came to the place first five he looked up and saw him and said unto
him Zacchaeus you thief you little rotten scoundrel you know you shouldn't
even be in this city I knew Jericho was wicked no he sees him he says come down
for today I must abide at thy house I mean wouldn't you love that to be said
to you wouldn't you love Jesus to come knock on the door hey I'm here for
dinner I know maybe you wouldn't maybe be like just a second I gotta take care
of a few things you'd be hiding stuff he said I gotta abide at your house and he
made haste and came down and received him joyfully and when they saw it they
all marveled saying that he was gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner
so again you can see how Zacchaeus his reputation preceded him and Zacchaeus
stood and said of the Lord behold Lord half of my goods I have given to the
poor and this is you know this is what they call a statement analysis an
embedded confession and I believe because he says yeah I give half of my
I give good half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken anything
from any man by false accusation he's kind of you know if I have well why
would you even need to say that if you haven't you know because here's the
thing about that you know this is kind of a little lesson that I learned about
statement analysis with people you know when you analyze the way people say
things is that people when they are guilty of something they they want to
get it off their chest they want others to know right now they're not just gonna
come out and say you know hey I'm a thief you know because they don't want
to face the consequences but it's on a subconscious level they will let it out
they will give you what's called an embedded confession and really if you
just kind of look for it in a phrase you can see the confession so here you can
see he says if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation there's
there's a confession I have taken by false accusation and that's what they
would call an embedded confession you say well he didn't say that he did maybe
he didn't why are they calling him a sinner why why is he despised why are
they saying look he's eating with Zacchaeus I said how is it that Zacchaeus
a tax collector became rich because as you know in his own words so to speak I
have taken by false accusation so this is a guy who's worthy of judgment I mean
this is a guy who deserves to be punished and deserves to be thought of
despitefully okay he says I restore him fourfold and Jesus said in him this day
is salvation come to this house for as much as he also is the son of Abraham
for the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost I love him
and that's a very famous verse 10 is a very famous quote you'll be the son of
man has come to seek and save without you lost but it's in the context of him
saying that in the presence of a man who is a known sinner and a thief in a city
that God destroyed and cursed with a curse and followed through on that curse
and yet all these years later you see God the Lord Jesus Christ making this
famous statement about what seeking and saving that which is lost inside come I
he's excited come here to destroy these people I didn't come here to burn their
city to the ground I didn't come here to call down fire from heaven I came
here to seek these people I came here to do what to seek them and to save them
what is he talking about you're talking about showing mercy where is he doing
this he's doing this in Jericho a place that is more well known for being a
place of judgment where God poured out his wrath upon a group of people so you
know Jericho I think is this great lesson of God's nature that it's it's
both judgment and mercy and really you can't have one without the other so
Jesus he only shows mercy in Jericho but then of course if you would go over to
keep something there in Luke keep something there in Luke and go over to
mark chapter 10 mark chapter number 10 not only does he show mercy when he's in
Jericho but he also shows mercy on his way out and this is of course this
wasn't something Jesus did only did in Jericho we know his whole ministry was
to seek and save that which is lost that he has come to call you know the sinners
to repentance that he was there to save people that he went about doing good
wherever he went now in some places you know he because of their unbelief he did
no miracles there but you know Jericho I think it's being pointed out in
Scripture because that name Jericho should ring a bell with us and say wait
a minute this is a place that God curse and yet Jesus is here at the very very
end of his ministry doing miracles in a place that he had previously cursed and
judged people over it says in verse mark 10 verse 46 and they came to Jericho and
as he went out of Jericho so right there in that quick sentence you have that
whole story that we just read with his disciples and a great number of people
blind Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus sat by the highway side begging and when
they heard it that it was is G then when he heard that it was Jesus who
began to cry out and saying and notice what he says Jesus thou son of David
have mercy on me where is he doing this outside Jericho a place that's renowned
for judgment you have a man crying out for mercy and many charged and they
should hold this peace but he cried a great deal thou son of David have mercy
on me and we know the story that Jesus stood still and a commander to be called
and they call to him the blind man and saying unto him saying be of good cheer
rise he calleth thee and Jesus heals him and tells him look thy faith is saved
thee but notice again this is happening in Jericho place that God cursed Jesus
is showing mercy onto somebody that's asking for it and this is what I want to
get across this morning is that you know Jericho could really be representative
of this whole world because the truth is is that this whole world is just one big
Jericho it's just one big place that's deserving of God's wrath being poured
out it's one place that's just one giant place that's deserving of God's judgment
and by the way it's gonna get it it's gonna get it I mean go read Revelation
that's what the whole books about God just judging the earth and then we get
through the millennium the thousand year reign of Christ and God just destroys
the whole earth with a great fire burns everything up I mean God's judgment is
coming upon this whole world you know in a way Jericho is a picture of the whole
world and look what we want to be is like Jesus we want to have a balanced
view of God's mercy and judgment we don't want to be people like well you're
in Jericho and you know what you don't deserve any grace you don't deserve any
mercy you know you don't want to be like these people in verse 48 and many
charged him that he should hold this peace oh just shut up don't bother him
you know we don't want to be like they want to be hard-hearted people you want
to hear this guy's cry have mercy someone who's crying out for mercy
somebody understands that they are they're being judged that judgment is
coming they're crying out they're asking for mercy we don't want to be the type
of people just as well don't bother him you know we might never say those exact
words to somebody but you know a lot of times we say it through our actions we
can't be bothered to preach the gospel we can't be grabbed bothered to to tell
others about Christ or if we're going out soul-witting we might even develop
an attitude at the door I mean I have to keep this in check with me all the time
I know it's hard to believe but you know you'll get impatient with people you
know we were talking to the that lady yesterday and you know it was an
exercise in patience but I'm glad I just throw up my hands say oh she just she's
just a blabbermouth she just wants to talk and talk and talk because she
wouldn't have gotten saved and praise God you know exercise a little patience
showed a little mercy a little compassion a little grace you know and
she got saved you know but at what it took it took some mercy right and look
that that's what this whole world is like the whole world is like a Jericho
and there's there's people out there that are crying out for mercy we don't
want to be like the people in verse 48 that are just kind of indifferent to the
cry of those now that doesn't mean everybody you know it's just this one
guy this is one guy crying out it's Jesus now son of David have mercy on me
he's crying out I want to be like Jesus who hears that cry and says hey get him
over here he commanded him to be called let me bring you to Jesus that's what we
want to be like hey be of good sure good cheer he calleth thee you know Jesus is
calling unto all men today because whether people realize it or not you
know the world is Jericho this whole world is a bunch of blind Bartimaeus is
out there spiritually blind the god of this world have blinded the minds of
them that believe not the Bible says they're spiritually blind and you know a
lot of them are crying out and you know we should not have this attitude of well
you know God's just all judgment and you deserve what's coming buddy it's true
they do deserve what's coming but so do we we deserve to go to hell you know
that's one thing people get hung up a lot on you'll ask them way well you know
before I lead you in prayer do you understand that you deserve to go to
hell I don't deserve to go there why not because Jesus say you know Jesus died
for me yeah he did but you still deserve to go there you know we're in the same
boat we're going to heaven but folks it's only by his mercy he saved us not
by works of righteousness as we have done but by his mercy he saved us you
and I still deserve hell as much as anybody else it's just that you know
we're not gonna go there because we've been forgiven why because God showed
mercy on us and we need to be willing to show mercy on other people and it's
interesting I already kind of mentioned this that Jesus does all this he
visited visited this city that God previously had destroyed and cursed and
he goes there and he shows mercy to a man who is of poor you know moral
character much like in Joshua's day the only person that received mercy then in
that in that time of judgment was a person of very low more moral character
but if somebody that understood that they needed mercy you know that's the
whole point of judgment that's the whole point of you know the law of the Lord is
perfect converting the soul the law is not just there to condemn us it's
there to condemn us if the Bible says that the law is a schoolmaster to bring
us unto unto Christ you know the people that recognize God's judgment they're
the ones that are gonna cry out for mercy they're gonna be the Rahab the
harlots of this world you know it's it's not it's no coincidence that the people
who are you know under the judgment of God are and can recognize it are the
ones that are more likely to get saved you know the hardest people I have time
getting saved the people that think they don't that they're they're good to
go the good people of this world you got we run in it all the time I mean I that
was like every answer at the door yesterday right well what do you deserve
to go there well you know I'm a good person you know I fall I'm on the
straight and narrow I keep the commandments I haven't killed anybody
oh just good for you wow you're right man I hope I can attain under your
righteousness someday by not killing anybody or not committing adultery on my
spouse or ripping people off yeah you're just you're a great person that's like
that's a pretty low bar that's like bare minimum of good personhood don't kill
anyone don't rape and steal you know the world gets that there are the hard ones
to get saved because they don't need it look it's the people the Rahabs of this
world the Zacchaeus of this world who understand that they're despised that
God is that they're wicked that you know they've defrauded people that
they're living a life of more low moral value that they're wicked people that
they're sinners deserving of judgment those are the people that are gonna cry
out to mercy you know we should deny it to them and have this attitude of well
you're in Jericho you should just get destroyed that's not you know that was
there was a very particular purpose behind that back then in in Joshua's day
but in Jesus's day you see a different attitude don't you I mean Jesus could
have gone down there and said well this was you know I cursed the city I mean
just go ahead and destroy it again no he went down there and he shows mercy to
these people and then and then he's on his way to the greatest act of mercy
that anyone has ever seen called the crucifixion he laid down his own life it
says in verse 20 and he when he had thus spoken he went up before ascending
up to Jerusalem you know and that's what we need to learn to be is as people who
want to show mercy to others not at the expense of judgment not disregarding
judgment not saying that judgment isn't important because it's judgment that
brings mercy you know that's why when we're preaching the gospel we begin with
all have sinned and our work you know for all have come short of the glory God
all have sinned that the wages of sin is death and we explained look right out
of the gate the first thing before I get to Jesus is you deserve to go to hell
you've broken God's commandments that's judgment you know what I follow that's
that's what makes mercy possible that's what brings a person to a place where
they're willing to cry out have mercy on me and not just you'll know I'm just
gonna throw that in your face here you deal with that and leave you deserve to
go to hell bye no we should we do that to show mercy that's what we need to do
but notice you know mercy is only gonna come from a heart of compassion and this
is really why I'm preaching this because we need to remember to be a compassionate
people and not just get on this you know and and I'm sorry but maybe I'm wrong
but I sometimes I've noticed this with Christians particularly in our our
circle of folks maybe within the new IFB is sometimes you get not all but it's
out there and I'm sure it's all elsewhere too is that sometimes we can
get a little just high and mighty and sometimes we can just just want to drop
the hammer on people when really what they need to be is what they really need
is to be shown mercy now I'm not saying there isn't a time to drop a hammer on
people obviously there is you know what that that should be a last resort that
shouldn't be we shouldn't have an itchy trigger finger you know to want to just
drop the hammer on people and just out people you know we should want to be
people of mercy and look that's only gonna happen if you have a computer if
it comes from a place of compassion okay and that's why you got to learn to see
the world as a Jericho you want to have mercy on the Zacchaeus of this world the
rehabs of this world you know it can't just be a head knowledge you have to
actually have some compassion in your heart for people they actually have to
care about lost souls you actually have to care about that individual that
you're willing to sit down with them they don't have anything to offer you
know they're they're just poor sinners just like anybody out there just you
know you you have to be willing to do that to inconvenience yourself and go
out of your way to do that for somebody that has to come from a place of
compassion especially if you know I already mentioned this last week
especially if you want to do it in the long haul and not just like well I just
got to check that box off as part of my discipleship or something like that you
know if you're gonna if you're gonna really get people saved in the long haul
and actually earn some rewards and not go to heaven empty-handed then you know
you need to you got to develop some compassion and that's why I'm preaching
this because that's what you see in the story yes Jericho is a place of judgment
it's also a place of mercy it says in verse 37 when he was come and I even now
at the descent of the Mount of Olives the whole multitude of the disciples
began to rejoice and praise with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they
had seen saying blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord peace and
heaven and glory in the highest they're like this is hit he's gonna come rain
and they're praising God for everything that he's done they're praising Lord and
me and some of the Pharisees among them a multitude said unto a master rebuke
that disciples and he answered and said unto them I tell you that if these should
hold their priests the stones would immediately cry out but notice verse 41
so he's got this triumphal entry into Jerusalem right and he's he's coming
down and he's beholding the city of Jerusalem where in just a short time
they're going to take him with wicked hands and slay him and not not on a quick
you know merciful killing they're going to torture him mock him and do
everything that they did to whip him pull his beard out spit in his face lie
about him accuse him they're gonna sell his own that he's gonna be rejected of
his own and sold into the hands of sinners they're gonna put a crown of
thorns on his head and beat him Pierce's sigh I mean he's they were coming to
break his legs folks I mean it was it's terrible we know the story of all the
sufferings that Christ went through and he's standing there in the Mount of
Olives behold looking at this city knowing what's before him knowing
what's about to happen and say man these you know these guys you know I
showed mercy on Jericho just a minute ago but I'm gonna do you know I'm
gonna just bring it down on Jerusalem no it says when he came there he beheld the
city and he wept over it he wept over it and what caused him to weep because he
knew judgment was coming you know judgment should should lead us to be a
more compassionate people judgment should lead us to show mercy to others
when we see people that are deserving of judgment our first reaction should be
compassion and mercy and look you can't do that with the God is love crowd by
the way because they don't think judgments even right they're totally
against judgment well you know what then they're incapable of actually showing
any real compassion on somebody they're incapable of showing any mercy because
mercy and compassion comes from a place of understanding judgment Jesus is
weeping over the city verse 41 it says when he came here he beheld and wept
over it say not because of everything that's gonna happen to him but if
everything that was gonna happen to them for what they do to him he's saying
you're gonna reject me and judgments gonna become and he begins to weep over
the city saying if thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things
which belong unto thy peace saying I could have come and been your king but
now they are hid from thine eyes for the day shall come upon thee where thine
enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compass thee round and keep thee in
on every side and shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within
thee and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another because thou
knowest not the time of thy visitation and look he's not up on some rock just
rod crying us out just some you know just just irate just speech he's doing
this with tears in his eyes he's weeping when these words are coming out of his
mouth he's saying you're gonna be judged they're gonna destroy you because
you don't know the day of your visitation you're rejecting me you know
that when he understood the judgment that was coming on Jerusalem and moved
him to compassion and he still went through with what he had to go through
you see mercy and judgment move us you know judgment rather let me say that is
what moves us to mercy and compassion but they don't come at the expense of
judgment in verse 45 that same chapter he's up there weeping over them lamenting
the judgment that's coming and then verse 45 and he went in the temple and
began to cast out then that sold there in and bought saying unto them my house
is the house of prayer but you've made it of identity so then he goes in there
and starts judging too so you know we have to have this balance in our lives
and not fall in with this God is love crowd but understand you know that God
is a God of judgment but then we don't want to go to that extreme either and
think well because God's a judgment we just never show mercy or compassion upon
anybody no judgment should move us to a place of mercy and compassion but not at
the expense of judgments there's a time and a place for it we have to still
judge we still have to make hard calls you know Paul told Timothy that they'll
observe these things without perform preferring one before and but another
doing nothing by partiality you know people are worthy of judgment then we
judge them if people are worthy being punished then we punish them you know
that we can still show mercy that should be you know our go-to that should be our
default position compassion mercy not wanting to have to judge people until
it's absolutely necessary but so many people today they're just either all
love or they're all judgment well you know there's a balance there we need to
find that that's what we see with Jesus that's what we see with the Lord he's
weeping over Jerusalem but then he's going in he's cleaning house he's
destroying Jericho back in Joshua's day he's punishing those that would go
against the curse but then later he's going in there and healing those people
preaching unto those people having compassion on those people we have to
learn to reflect God's balanced nature in our lives what's the Bible say in
Jude Bible says in Jude to keep yourselves in the love of God looking
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life you know we need to
what keep ourselves in the love of God looking for mercy and then he gives us
you know this admonition of verse 22 and of some have compassion making a
difference we should keep ourselves in the love of God and have compassion on
some you know some people they just need be shown some compassion they just need
to know that somebody actually cares about them that there's somebody out
there that loves them that that's gonna bring them you know they want to hear
the good news of the gospel that's what some people need having compassion
making a difference and others you know and again this is keeping yourselves in
the love of God to keep yourselves in love of God and looking for the mercy on
some you have compassion and others you say with fear of pulling them out of the
fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh see the balance there you know
that takes discernment you know there's this person need to be told how God
loves them we need to emphasize the compassion and the mercy here or does
this person need a little bit more of a stern warning about hell you know that's
a that's something I make that call sometimes when I'm when I'm preaching
the gospel I'll use the illustration of you know my children I'll say hey you
know I have children at home and when they misbehave I punish them this is at
the end I've already covered hell and all that I say you know what I don't do
is I don't turn the oven on and stick a minute and usually people kind of
chuckle at that but then I kind of look at him like no I'm dead serious like I
don't stick my kids in an oven that's on I turn it off first okay I never put my
kids in the oven right but then you kind of and I try to let that settle in it's
like God's not gonna do that to you either if your child but that's what God
does to people doesn't God put people in a big oven called hell because he's
judging them right and sometimes that's what people need to hear hey you know
what if you reject this you're on your way to hell if you keep believing what
you're believing if you keep disregarding the warning of God's Word
if you keep believing in a false gospel if you keep disregarding the clear
teachings of God's Word you know if you keep trusting in your own righteousness
if you keep trusting in your own works you're on your way to hell and I tell
them hey you're gonna be judged but what am I really trying to do I'm trying to
pull them out of the fire I'm trying to save them with fear that's like oh
you're on your way to hell hahaha like so that's that's that's like some
maniacal evil you know dictator or something you know like some guy out of
a bad movie you're on your way to hell no it's hey you're on your way to hell
like Jesus on that mount weeping I know what's coming it doesn't have to be this
way you need to get saved other people you know what they not so much you need
to emphasize that saying God loves you let me show some compassion let me just
show some patience let me just sit down with you let me just talk with you let
me just be patient and and love on you and I could save you too it's a balance
folks and I think Jericho is a great illustration of that that we have both
mercy and compassion on people and look this can apply outside of soul winning
you know this you could apply this with your children your spouses and you're in
the job place just with people in general you know how I know some people
are mercy have shown mercy and compassion towards me is because they
didn't rake me over the coals when they could have look sometimes I know that
because that person has also raked me over the coals in the past I'll say I
know this person they don't hold back if I do something wrong and I make a
mistake they're gonna let me know but then other times I've made mistakes and
they just kind of it's a very just gentle rebuff that's just a very hey you
know that you know where they could have just come down on me like a ton of bricks
and deservedly so and I think that I walk away saying I'm very grateful that
was very compassionate they were very merciful to me you know we can be the
same way in our own lives when people do you wrong when people do something that
you know you could just you could just I could just come down on you I could just
get you under my thumb and I can let you have it and tell you what I think
and you're right about everything you could say and you could put your spouse
in their place and you could just you know ball up your words like a fist and
just let them have it verbally and you'd be right about everything you say you
know maybe that's the time to actually show some mercy and not rake them over
the coals they'll say wow you do love me you know you do care about me oh you
architect you know David said of the Lord thy mercy hath made me great you
know that's something we should keep in mind with our children again don't go to
the extreme of all mercy I think that's that's the mistake most parents make
it's just all mercy all the time I don't think the problem that you know my
experience the parents and parents have the most struggle with it's not being
too overbearing being too strict the the tendency today and 99% of the cases is
that parents are too too merciful quote unquote but your child will never know
how merciful you are if you don't you know if you don't discipline if you
don't show them no there is punishment there is judgment and my kids know I
love them not just because I only love you all the time and let them get away
with everything they know that I love them you know because I you know what I
could come down on them sometimes I don't sometimes the tears are already
there sometimes I can tell they already feel bad about I'm like well you know
what you don't get the spanking now that's not every time though but you
could see how that you know that's that's balanced when it comes to
judgment and mercy and again I think that that judgment or excuse me that
Jericho serves as a great example of that in Scripture that it's a place of
both judgment and mercy you see God showing you know destroying killing
cursing warning but then you also see him showing this great story of multiple
times of mercy and compassion you know that's what we want to learn to be
that's what we can take from this the sermon this morning it was a being of
people like like judgment you know being people that are have both judgment and
mercy let's go ahead pray dear Lord again thank you for the great love we're
with you loved us Lord thank you for the mercy that you've shown toward us and
Lord that you continually show to us Lord we know none of us is perfect that
we sin that we make mistakes that we we do things we shouldn't do that even as
your children Lord we are still deserving of chastisement and punishment
in this life and Lord I pray you would help us to avail ourselves to the to the
mercy and compassion that you have on your children Lord that if we would
confess our sins and forsake them that we will have mercy Lord that you're
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all in
righteousness so that's what your your word says Lord it's your promises
towards us and Lord I pray that you'd help us to take advantage of that and
and also Lord to show that towards other people in our lives those that are
around us the lost people in our personal lives that we would be or yes
people that that understand judgment and when it's appropriate but also when
mercy and compassion is what's called for and Lord we just love you and thank
you and pray that you keep us as we go now in Jesus name Amen
all right we'll sing one more
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