Exploring the Depths of God's Mercy and Grace

0:00 When your back's against the wall and you come to the Lord, remind him of his mercy. Sing of his mercy. Satan may be naming your name to Jesus right now saying, "Mmm." And Jesus saying, "I pray for you that your faith fail not. Believe in me. Believe in the power of my blood. Your mistakes and your sin, you think they're so powerful, they're not more powerful than my blood." Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that He has for us. If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at CityLightNYC.com.

0:41 That's CityLightNYC.com. Pastor Boyan Jancic and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by his grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you. I haven't preached in three Sundays. I'm a little unhinged this morning and I want to minister to you on the mercy of God, the mercy of God. The mercy of God is a subject that's often misunderstood and the word mercy is often conflated with grace. People use the terms interchangeably, but they're not the same thing. They often are listed together because they flow from the same ever-loving God, but there's different benefits to grace and mercy. Now, grace we should be well acquainted with.

1:46 We are a new covenant church. We're a gospel church. We realize we haven't been born B.C., But after Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, so we're under the dispensation, the canopy of grace. And so what is grace? Grace is his undeserved, unmerited favor. Grace is the means by which we are saved. The Bible says we're saved by grace through faith. And we receive our justification. That means we're pronounced not guilty, not based on what we do, based on what he has already done. That is grace. So what's mercy? Well, if grace is you receiving that thing that you didn't deserve, total forgiveness, healing in your body, prosperity in your finances, intimacy with the Lord, these are all things that in and of ourselves, in the natural we don't deserve. By grace we get those things. Mercy is us not getting the things that in the natural we do deserve. Judgment, the lightning bolt, the hammer. Mercy is the active pity of God. And I don't know about you, but I know that I need both. And it's not one or the other.

3:17 And I want to know how I can posture myself to actively receive the active pity of God, to actively receive the mercy of God. Mercy is me not getting the thing that in the natural I deserve, the consequences of my decisions. Now probably not you, but I'll be the transparent pastor this morning. Please Please try to relate with me. Sometimes I blow it. Sometimes I make mistakes. Sometimes I make really, really stupid mistakes. I'm not even talking necessarily about sin, but yes, sin. But sometimes I just make financial mistakes.

3:58 Sometimes I can make a mistake at work. Sometimes I'm looking down the road and I'm going, "I did a stupid thing that's gonna hurt, that's gonna have consequences. What do I need? Mercy. I need the active pity of God. I need God to come and intervene and that thing that I deserve rightfully so. The consequences of my actions. I need God to step in with his mercy. Amen. There is a fascinating exchange between Jesus and Peter that actually I've never ever heard preached on. I probably have only preached on it or mentioned it several times in all of silly lights history, But it's right before Jesus's crucifixion.

4:41 Jesus turns to Peter and says, Peter, Peter, Satan has desired you. He's got his eye on you. Jesus says Satan has desired you to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith fail not. So there is this picture of Satan who is after the believer and he is the accuser of the brethren. He's the one constantly going to God and accusing you to God and pointing out all your shortcomings. We see a similar picture in the book of Job.

5:21 And just know that Jesus didn't say, "Peter, Peter, Satan has desire to sift you like wheat, but don't worry about it because I've gained the ultimate victory." Because it doesn't matter that Jesus gained the ultimate victory unless you have faith to receive that victory. Are you catching this? So Jesus says Peter, Satan, he's after you. Wants to cut you down like a Reaper going through blades of wheat. But I've prayed for you that your faith will not and that you have faith in me and who I am and that I'll see you through and that my mercy will come and it's new every morning and that it'll endure that even because of some of your stupidity I'll come in and I will avert judgment that you in the natural do deserve I will avert it and mercy is the very nature of God. I want to just take you through a few verses on the mercy of God and then we're going to look at how we can posture ourselves. Hebrews 4 16 it says let us therefore come boldly and that's the key word there boldly I got several desires for our church one day I'll write them out top ten like who we are our identity when we have our values and on the website and all that but one of my desires that we don't have a man be pam be Mickey Mouse Church that you know

6:54 Lord you know maybe but that when you know who you are and how you've been forgiven and you know the power of the blood of Jesus it's not an arrogance it's a Holy Ghost confidence you're not a braggart you're not proud you just There's no in whom you have believed. And so there is a boldness. You come boldly. You don't come crawling up like some worm up a rock. You come boldly. You're coming in the name of Jesus. What does that mean? People just say, they pray, formulaeically, "Father, in the name of Jesus." No, when you say, "In the name of Jesus," you're saying so much.

7:37 You're saying, "I am approaching the holy place. I am now in the very abode of God. But I'm not sashaying in with my own righteousness. I'm coming in the name of Jesus. And Father, you're receiving me just as you would Jesus. I'm coming in based on everything he has done for me, washed in his blood with the same righteousness he has so I can come boldly. You say even when I've messed up, especially when you've messed up. That's when it actually takes faith. Amen. When you don't feel like it, you can come boldly to a throne.

8:23 You know, John in Revelation, he said, "I saw the one sitting on the throne." I saw the one. It was Jesus, and it's a throne of mercy and grace. And by the way, the mercy seat under the old covenant, it was always covered with the blood. This mercy that we're going to be talking about today, it does not come cheaply. When mistakes are made, there has to be a death. But thankfully it doesn't have to be your death. It doesn't have to be your financial death.

9:04 It doesn't have to be your social death. It doesn't have to be your spiritual death. Jesus who already gave his life for you. His blood is on that mercy seat. And so you can come boldly to the throne of grace that you would obtain mercy, the aversion of judgment, the aversion of divine wrath, God's active pity and find grace to help in time of need. Amen. Micah 7 18. One of my responsibilities here is to recognize that I'm preaching to some of you. You've been coming for years and some of you, this is your first Sunday and we're in Queens.

9:46 What does that mean? That means not everyone has the same mindset. You go to some small town down South, everybody thinks the same, walks the same, talks the same. We have 161 nations here that actively come through our door. So people have different mindsets, different mentalities. People have different notions of God. There's people who've come in and the message that we preach, the emphasis on Jesus, his person, his power, his blood, grace, it blows their religious mind. They delight in judgment. You talk about the judgment of God, they go, "Oh, ooh." They see him as a God with, like Zeus, two thunderbolts in each hand, just rated a, he's like, "He's looking, mwahahahaha, ooh, I can't wait to punish."

10:32 That's their view of God. Here's what Micah, prophet Micah, how he spoke of the nature and character of God. Who is a God like you pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He does not retain his anger forever because he Yahweh God, Lord God, he delights in mercy. So if you need mercy, like I know I do, you can take confidence that you serve a God who actually delights in mercy. That means it does him good to be merciful to you.

11:13 It pushes his buttons to show his tender mercies toward you. Hallelujah. And one of the first acts, you see it, I'm just trying to show you the nature of God, the character of God. It's not like he was a big meaning in the Old Testament. And then God got born again in the New and now he's different. He's the same God. His nature didn't change. His character didn't change. Just the setup changed. God didn't change. Just the way he deals with man changed because, you know, something kind of happened in between the Old and New Testaments, something pretty significant. They changed the course of world history. I was just reading.

11:55 Can I take an aside? You're the second service. We have no end time. I'm going to take aside. Somebody remember where I was. Do you know how few Jewish people there are on the planet? Do you know how few Jewish people there were 2000 years ago? Do you know how few people understood about the God of Israel? 99% of the planet was heathen and paganistic and polytheistic. did the God of Israel become famous? A man who preached for three, three and a half years, changed the course of global history so that today everyone has heard of Elohim. Everyone has heard of Genesis and the creation story and the God of Israel. That is powerful. That's who Jesus is.

12:48 Hallelujah. Now, where was I? Please, somebody help me out. Myka. Where are we in Myka? I think we finished that. Let's go to Genesis 3 21. Oh, we're talking about God just showing his nature, who he is. And this is why Myka prophesied and said what he said, because none None of the other heathen religions believed in any of their false gods having a characteristic of mercy. None of them. They were all with swords and hammers and lightning bolts, ready to fry you at the first wrong thing you did. But God showed his nature and his character right from the beginning.

13:32 Adam and Eve fell. Please let's just understand that God did not owe them anything. God does not owe us anything. we can have this picture like we're owed something like what he did. He had to do he didn't have to do anything. He created them. He created them perfect in his likeness, put them in a garden where they had everything they could possibly need or want and still they willingly rebelled against him and then they were excommunicated out of the garden. He could have left them alone. But right as early as Genesis 3 21 you see also for Adam and his wife because they were naked and they were cold and they were being pushed out of the garden.

14:19 The Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them. One that was an act of mercy, an act of his compassion to cover them, to clothe them. Two it was one of the earliest, if not the earliest pointings to Jesus because the underside of the tunics, I mean, he basically made nice fur coats for them. God is a God of style and class. And the underside would have been wet with the blood of that animal, freshly killed. And it was pointing to the blood of Jesus that would cover. Hallelujah. Let's go to Hosea six, six, which is a verse that Jesus paraphrased.

15:04 He paraphrased that in John eight, when the woman who was caught in adultery was brought before him. know the story to those of you. I'll give you the quick Cliff Notes version. A bunch of Pharisees, religious leaders find a woman who is caught in adultery and they say she was caught in the very act and they throw her before Jesus and Jesus actually ignores them and is just writing in the sand. We don't know what he was writing in the sand, but he's just writing in the sand. I like to think that he was writing something like, hey, Moishe, How did you know she was in the very act? And why were you watching you, Pharisaical peeping Tom you.

15:47 But then he gets up and says, you were without sin. You cast the first stone. And then he paraphrases, Jose six, six, where God says for I desire mercy and that sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. God is a God who desires mercy and not sacrifice. Everything that we read under the old covenant, please know there's a dual application. There's how they understood it under the old covenant, which is God saying, rather than bring me all these animals as burnt sacrifices, I desire you to receive my mercy and consequently be merciful to each other. Under the new covenant, what he's saying is, I am a God of mercy and I would much rather that you receive truckloads, mega doses of my mercy, then sacrifice.

16:38 What do you sacrifice when you miss it, when you blow up your life, when you make a mistake? What does a typical person do? They fall under guilt, shame, condemnation, and they sacrifice their personal joy. They sacrifice their confidence before the Lord. They sacrifice their hope of success. They actually anticipate judgment. And God is saying, "No, better to receive my mercy than sacrifice." Sacrifice your peace. Sacrifice your happiness. Sacrifice that spring in your step, thinking around, walking around all guiltily, "Oh, I deserve whatever's coming, and I know it's coming. I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop."

17:18 No, he's a God who delights in mercy. Am I preaching to a bunch of perfect people here this morning with someone who needs the mercy? I know I need it. Lord, if there's ever anyone who doesn't need it, let me get their portion, please. Lord, I'll take it. I need extra. My wife and kids were in the first service. We got in at 1 a.m. last night. You don't want to know where we were. Finally, when we were supposed to come back, they changed a flight around and sent us to to Turkey, to Istanbul, which why are they sending us two hours east when we need to go to Frankfurt, Germany to catch the connecting? But they do. We're like, whatever. But then we missed our connecting flight. But then when we got out of it and we always pray when we vacation, Lord, sprinkle the day. Just ask God, can you sprinkle the day? That's where God just, and always every day they were like these divine surprises. So we're dead tired.

18:19 We don't want to be in Istanbul. We asked the Lord to sprinkle the day. And so we get 24 hours paid for in Istanbul. So now we can go and we see all of the sites of Istanbul and see the Blue Mosque. And we're looking at thousand year old pillars and really, you can feel the energy of objects. I'm not trying to be like new age or anything, It's just a fact that stuff has an energy. You ever grab an old DVD? Pastor James has. I went to his house.

18:59 He likes to collect some of the old stuff and old record album and all the memories flood in and you remember like you were listening. I was listening to this with my dad and now everything is digital. You can't but when you touch things, this is really a rabbit trail, isn't it? Here was my point. Anybody tuning in? You're like, what kind of a church is this? Hang on. I had the vacation of a lifetime and a major part of the reason was Pastor James and Pastor Mo and the staff that kept all the stresses of day-to-day church life away from me. They protected me and you guys showed up and showed out and it really gave me three weeks of, of bliss.

19:42 While I was on vacation, often as my kids would come and we would laugh and hug and I looked at my wife's face glowing, I would remember what it was like being divorced as a preacher. That's like the scarlet letter. I remember feeling like, will I ever see the sunshine on my life again? Will I even have kids? Will I ever find true love? Will I ever, you feel the weight of that and the fear of that. And then I see what the Lord has done and I just break down and go, "God, thank you for your mercy." And I'm here talking about this this morning, because I want you to taste of his mercy. I'm hunting for that person who's written himself off, that person who's written herself off. I say, "Oh, you know, Lord, I'll just settle for the crumbs that fall from from your table. No! His mercy is big. His mercy is great. Hallelujah. Let's look at five ways that we can position and posture ourselves to receive the mercy of God. Amen?

20:54 This is not a transaction. This is not if you do A, God will do B. Everything has already been bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus. But yes, there are things that empowered by the Holy Spirit. When we do them, we position ourselves, we posture ourselves to be under the spout from which the mercy flows out. Amen. So here's five things to receive truckloads, second doses of the mercy of God. You ready? Number one, be merciful. Hey, how about that? Number one, be merciful found in Luke six and verse 35, every preacher's favorite offering passage.

21:47 Yet we'll see now in context, that Jesus isn't talking about money. He's talking about a principle of sowing and reaping. Yes, it can apply to money. It can apply to a lot of things. Have I used it in an offering message? Yes. But if you want to get technical, it's not about money. Jesus is talking specifically about mercy. That when you're merciful to people, then you can expect to receive the mercy of God. But love your enemies, do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great. And you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

22:33 Therefore, being merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Let's pause right there. What does it mean to be merciful? because that can easily be conflated and confused with this new religion of woke ism and their first commandment which is thou shalt not judge the greatest sin under woke ism is don't judge what's the difference well number one Jesus said judge with righteous judgment that means if his word says it's wrong it's wrong I I won't partake of it. I won't put my seal of approval on it.

23:15 If you want to get all into pronouns and believe that you're the great arbiter of what is truth, when the Bible clearly says he made the male and female, I'm not going to get into that. But I can be merciful. I can be merciful as I take a stand on truth. That means I'm not looking at you with disgust. That means I'm not looking at you like I think I'm better than you. That means I'm not looking at you like that could never happen to me. One thing that we all have to agree on is that any sin we see anybody else committing, that could be you. It was all murder that could never be me. You just think that because the ingredients around you weren't right. I could never commit a murder. Really?

23:58 Maybe you're on a cruise, something hits the cruise, you become a castaway, you're on an island, there's only six of you. Six of you resources are limited. One weekend we find you and it's Lord of the Flies. You're swinging from a tree with a bone acting like ahhhh. There are 18 works of the flesh. They're in you. I mean, as a Christian, your flesh has been done away with it, has been crucified. And so you live out of your spirit. But if you forget that and your flesh comes alive, you're capable of anything. You look at a sexual program. Oh, no, that's so I could never. Yes, you could. Hey, I've pastored people who came that whole trope, you know, the Greyhound bus and she's going to be an actress and going to be a star.

24:46 You don't make it in the big city. I've lived out a million times pastoring in the East Village and then 10 years later, I can't believe what I got myself into. I never thought it could. Yeah. Back in Kansas, the ingredients weren't right. Now you're in New York City and. So we should be merciful. Amen. And when we're merciful, then we receive mercy. Let's keep reading judge not and you shall not be judged, condemned not, and you shall not be condemned, forgive and you will be forgiven. So what's Jesus talking about mercy. And then he says Luke 6 38, which is the most quoted or one of top three in every pastor's arsenal when it's offering time give and it will be given to you right but what's Jesus talking about mercy give mercy and it will be given to you good measure press down shaken together and running over will be put into your bosom for with the same measure that you use that you give out mercy it will be measured back to you.

26:00 Amen. So in today's world have you ever noticed how culture tries to get you to think in only one of two ways? I look at arguments on social media and it's like do you not know how to walk and chew gum at the same time? It's either I'm going to tolerate everything or I'm an absolute bigot and nothing in between. That's the trick. That's why so many well-meaning people have been duped in tolerating everything. Like if you tolerate everything, then what is sexual perversion? Then there is no such a thing as sexual perversion. Where do we draw the line? At what point does it become hurtful and harmful to people, to society, to the family union, which is the cell of the body of a nation?

26:48 So let's erase that line. But then if you raise that line, now you're an intolerant bigot who hates everyone. No, actually I can love you. Actually, I can be merciful and I think that I'm better than you. But at the same time, I can, as Jesus said, judge with righteous judgment and say, according to the word of God, this is wrong. And I will not align my life with that. So we can walk and chew gum at the same time. Amen. And don't fall for that trick where you're one or the other. Hallelujah. Psalm 18 25. Every time. Let me just, I'm just, I'm just, because there's a difference between people pondering a truth and resistance.

27:43 and I actually feel waves of both. But when you come against the prevailing spirit of the age, oh, it'll meet your back. And the prevailing spirit of today is this sex religion of Wokism, because it includes so many tentacles has wrapped around so many minds. Psalm 1825 with the merciful, you will show yourself merciful. So how to posture and position yourself to receive the mercy of God.

28:26 You'd be merciful to others with a blameless man. You will show yourself blameless. Amen. Number two on how to receive the mercy of God. Faith. Like everything you've ever gotten from God, you do it by faith. Again, even in the first service, whenever I say faith several times in a row, I hear George Michael faith, the faith, the faith. And isn't this true in Montenegro? All they play is 80s music. It's like an 80s music heaven. Or, you know, folk, you know, really loud accordions. But where I was, it was mainly 80. In fact, this morning, because the refrigerator was empty, we showed up at 1am last night.

29:10 Wife and kids were here and then they just, not my wife, but the kids conked out. They got like three hours of sleep and were artificially full of energy because of the time change towards the end. The children's church just conked out. But we had breakfast just down the road. and for the first time in over 20 days, I heard autotune. (audience laughing) 'Cause it was only 80s music. And I heard autotune. And I realized what was missing from my life and it was wonderful. (audience laughing) It's not just 80s music, but that autotune. It's been too long. (audience laughing) I wanna hear people's voices.

29:53 It was 2009, Jay-Z rapped about death of auto-tune. He lied. He was a false prophet. They kept on going. They never listened. Why didn't they listen? It takes faith. Psalm 86.5, mercy like everything is appropriated by faith. For you, Lord, are good and ready to forgive and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon you. Now, you look at the Old Testament, you will see the people of God, the children of Israel, and you know what you're going to see? They're messing up frequently, oftentimes very, very stupidly and at the time very, very intentionally. And so, what comes? Consequences.

30:45 judgment and then there is this one thing that you see repeated throughout the Old Testament is this one phrase and they cried out to the Lord their God and they cried out to the Lord their God and then God would come and be merciful some people you got to get your cry back you got to get your cry on if you've messed up if you're expecting judgment if you expect when I say messed up it could be something in your business, at your place of work, in investments, whatever social interactions. And you did wrong. Cry out to God. When you mess up, every time you mess up, you're going to stand at a fork in the road. On the one side, you can take this road to the left, my left, your right. This road is where you feel ashamed so you cower. You avoid prayer, you avoid God, you hide under a rock, you stick yourself in a bush until that feeling of unease just kind of goes away. Probably the next time you're in church and you feel it. On the other side is you in faith despite what you feel like crying out to God. God, I believe even in spite my stupidity, despite my stupidity,

32:15 my mistakes, I believe you are God of mercy. That means that that thing that I deserve, that bad thing that I deserve, you're going to withhold from me and you're going to change it around. Some of you at work, you don't even know there's a hammer coming down on you. You feel it, cry out to God and you won't just survive, you'll thrive. Hallelujah. You know when you find out that a preacher fell and you hear the first wave of reports and soul over the media, TMZ, you find out a preacher fell because he did XYZ.

32:58 And over some time you find out, oh, it wasn't that he did XYZ once and got busted. He was doing XYZ for years. All right. The first service really resonated with this. Are you all first city light church, right? Did you know sometimes preachers fall? Just wave your hand, you know, have you ever wondered? I know I have when I first got in the biz, You start hearing about preachers falling and you go, but he was so anointed. He was so great. He was so how did that happen? And by the way, if they fall, it doesn't discount that they were anointed. It doesn't discount that God used them. Don't ever, ever, don't ever condemn someone you haven't walked in their shoes for five minutes. But you can have the question in the back of your mind, hey, why weren't they obliterated back in the day when they began this bad walk?

33:50 Haven't you had that question? Is it just me? Am I the only curious person who wonders? You have, right? Yeah, you have. Like they go off the path, shouldn't God zap them right away? Just blow their life up just to teach them and protect the other. No, they have learned how to... pastors, preachers, ministers have learned how to tap into the mercy of God by faith. So they get a much lighter sentence until they've now pressed and pressed and pressed. And now God, because he's so merciful and because he so loves them and he would rather their flesh be destroyed and their spirit saved in the day of Jesus Christ, then he finally comes and says, look, it's over for you. You're going to take a 10 year hiatus until you learn how to just love me for me and serve me apart from ministry and all that stuff. Why am I bringing that up?

34:49 Because this isn't just in the negative. I wish sometimes it wasn't just ministers who were in the biz, but that laity believers learned how to tap into the mercy of God using their faith. Hezekiah, he got a judgment on him. You're gonna die. Lights out. Say bye-bye. Time to wrap things up, Hezekiah. You know what he did? He cried out. God, read the prayer. He just appeals to God emotionally and appeals to his mercy. God, just give me like 15 more years." And God's like, "Okay. I've got 15 more years.

35:29 You changed my mind." Why? Because you cried out in faith. This is so important. Some of you need to cry. What am I saying? I'm saying, You got to open your mouth and be a little foolish. You can do it in the privacy of your own home. You can do it on the subway. Everyone's insane anyway these days. Do it in the subway. Lose your dignity. Lose your coolness. Open up your mouth and just say, "Lord, I am trusting you for mercy. You're a God who delights in mercy. Now in the natural, I deserve terrible consequences, But you're a God. The Bible says that you delight in mercy, that your mercies are new every morning, that I can come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain this beautiful thing called mercy.

36:22 And it is the aversion of divine wrath. It is your active pity. And I believe in Jesus' name, that it's mine now. Hallelujah. And trust me, when you've encountered the mercy of God, yes, Yes, you can abuse the mercy of God. People go, "See, no, I don't like this message. You can abuse the mercy of God." Did you know you can abuse all of God's gifts? Did you know everything God gives you, you can abuse. It doesn't mean you should. It doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. But when God gives, he doesn't give with strings attached. When God gives, he gives freely. And any system like that lends itself to abuse.

37:04 So we trust in the outworking of the Holy Spirit within us that we're not abusing the mercy of God, but should you need it, it's there. And I highly recommend that you take it. Amen. Number three. Number one is be merciful. Number two is you receive his mercy by faith. Number three is humility. Humility is so important. Humility is defined as can somebody shout it out who wasn't in the first service? What? No, Chris Power you always call out and you always get it right and now I mean everyone except Chris Power.

37:48 He's done that to me the last five times. He even corrected me on the wood that's used in the ark. So, in the back. Say it again, Chris. Your dependence on God. This is important. There's too many people don't know what humility is. They think that it's how you behave. Like, how loud you are, or how you dress, or how much money you have. It's none of those things. It is your dependence, your neediness on God.

38:30 So you can be all be dazzled out, have 36 pieces of flair. You can have money. You can have some bass in your voice, and it doesn't mean you're not humble. This is important. You don't know how many times I've heard, "Oh, you know, I don't want the prosperity of God. I'd rather be humble." What? What does one have to do with the other? That is, that is always comes along with poverty thinking. It's all I'd rather be humble. Most of the poor people I know are so proud. That's why they're poor. You see that a Montenegro. I still want to know where a 25 year old Montenegro gets his confidence from.

39:13 Doesn't have a job, never built anything, never accomplished anything. Takes up three seats in a cafe. (audience laughing) Spread out! (audience laughing) And they're dirt poor. And there's people I know that are so poor, but when you try to help them out, oh no, they know everything. They don't want any help. They, 'cause of all that pride. And you know, most of the wealthy people that I know, they're always looking to learn. They ask lots of questions. There's a neediness. They're not afraid to be wrong. They're not afraid to admit when they've been wrong.

39:55 So there's nothing to do being well-dressed or being loud or your financial status. Your humility is one thing and one thing only. Your dependence on God, your neediness. Jesus talked about in Revelation when he rebuked the people. He said you have need of nothing. You're well-dressed and you have need of nothing. You don't realize you're naked and poor and destitute. The problem was they felt in their heart they had need of nothing. No, I wanna be needy. I wanna be like Solomon who says, I don't know how to come in or grow out, Lord, unless you take me by the hand and guide me.

40:35 So let's look at this in the context of mercy in Luke chapter 18, which I love the way it begins because it sounds like Jesus is telling a joke. Also, he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves. See, that was the problem. They weren't needy. They trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. And this is the part that kind of begins like a joke, right? Two men went up to the temple to pray. Hey, listen to this one. Two men went up to the temple to pray. One a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. God, I thank you that I'm not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.

41:23 Awkward. Could you imagine that prayer meeting? And then of course, when you're proud, you always get into the resume. You always got to list all your accomplishments. Four one one. He's not impressed. He's not impressed. with your accomplishments, with your resume. And this is a theme throughout the New Testament. The rich young ruler. Lord Jesus, tell me what I must do. See, he doesn't even know grace. What do I do? What do I have to do, do, do? Covered with do, do. Trying to do, do. What do I have to do to inherit eternal life? And then he goes into the resume.

42:05 The rich young ruler. Same thing with this guy. The resume. I fast twice a week. I give tides of all that I possess and the tax collector standing afar off would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breath saying God be merciful to me a sinner and Jesus says I tell you this man went down to his house justified. He received mercy. Why? He was needy. He was humble. And so my prayer is as the Lord takes you up.

42:47 And as he takes you from glory to glory and gives you breakthrough after breakthrough. My prayer is the same for me or church that we go lower. And that the more success we gain, the more it's Lord, this isn't me. This is you, Lord. I don't take credit. This is you doing it. I'm still so desperate. I'm like a little child. I need you, Lord. Lord, I need you. Guide me. Teach me. Speak to me, Lord. I'm nothing without you. That humility of the heart. I'm telling you when you're that way, an angel comes and paints a giant bullseye on your head. And it's a direct target for the blessing, the favor and the tender mercies of the Lord. Amen. I've seen it over and over again. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Amen. Number four, imposturing yourself to receive the mercy of God is praise and worship.

43:58 Second Chronicles 20 verses 19 through 22 Here's the bottom line you're all up with me, okay, I'm wondering if I should just kick it into fifth Then the Levites of the children of The coethites and the children of the coretite stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel of voices loud and high What's happening here? The children of Israel messed up again. And so judgment was coming upon them again. And the judgment took the form of an army that was bigger than them, stronger than them, and was going to take them out.

44:43 Maybe I'm preaching to a lot of people. You're just in the right place right now. You're not in a valley or you're in a season of mountaintop. Happy for you. Me too right now actually it's awesome. But I know how life goes. It's not doubting unbelief to just realize that when you go from one mountain top to another mountain top that's even higher. Oh what's in between is a valley and you want to know this when you're in a valley. There's two kinds of people in a church. Those that praise and worship only when the praise and worship team is leading them and there are those who do it outside of church.

45:23 And it makes all the difference. When you're somebody who will have that time, even if it's for 30 seconds, I'm not raising the bar low. I'm trying to get some of you who on the outskirts who've never ever thought in your minds that you could actually praise them. There's you might be shocked. There's people like that. It never occurred to them. Oh, I can actually do that thing we do in church on Sundays in my house. I can shut myself in a room. Oh, you have roommates. I'll wait for them to be gone. I'll take a walk in the park. I will open my mouth and I will sing to him. And it will put you smack dab in the overflow of the mercy of God.

46:06 Let's read the next verse, please. I kind of went through what was happening here. Verse 21, please. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord. So the supposing army, the judgment of God is coming. And who should praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army and were saying, praise the Lord. What was the song they were singing? What was the subject matter? It was the mercy of God. So Sean is going to sing a song on the mercy of God after service.

46:51 Sing that one. When you finish singing that one, Google another one, or here's an idea. You just make one up. Lord loves that stuff. Satan won't tell you you're being silly and goofy. The Lord loves it. Pick up a song, freestyle. It could be like anything. Lord, here I am coming to you again. I did some stupid things. I'm so sorry, but I heard it said in your word, you're merciful, even though I'm absurd. So Lord, I receive that which I don't deserve and just sing it. Let it just come out of your spirit.

47:32 Amen. That was really by accident. Amen. For his mercies endure forever. Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord said, "Ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated." When your back's against the wall and you come to the Lord in light of His mercy, talk to Him about His mercy. Remind Him of His mercy. Sing of His mercy. There might be consequences, there might be judgment coming your way.

48:14 In Jesus' name, the Lord will set ambushes for those things. Satan may be naming your name to Jesus right now, saying, "Mmm, I want that one." And the Lord's saying, "Why?" Well, they've done this, and they've done that, and they've thought this, and they really aren't who they claim to be. And Satan wants to sift you, like through wheat. Jesus saying, "I pray for you that your faith fail not. Believe in me. Believe what I've done for you. Believe in the power of my blood." Your mistakes and your sin, you think they're so powerful, they're not more powerful than my blood. Hallelujah. So receive mercy. Amen.

48:59 And now number five. Whom remembers what number one is? Be merciful. Number two, by faith. Number three, humility. Number four, praise and worship. Number five, this always instigates the demon of cheapskateism. But you'll see it in the scriptures. You cannot doubt it. That generosity and being a giver, again this isn't a transaction. You don't buy the mercy of God. But there is something about the heart of a giver that just causes you to stand out. No, God doesn't love you more. No, you don't get to heaven before, the stingy-mingy, tightwad Christian.

49:56 But you do live a vastly different life while on Earth. Let's look at Malachi chapter 3. When I was growing up in the Lord, every Sunday, we'd hear Malachi 3. I think I bring it up once or twice a year. So I'm going to take my time. Cause you haven't gotten it enough. Let's enjoy Malachi 3. I'm too happy right now for Malachi 3.

50:39 Let me get a little more serious. Let me get my Malachi 3 on. I got to be angry. We're behind budget. (audience laughing) Staff hasn't been paid. Building fun, not where it should be. (audience laughing) All right, because of the jokes, let me just, let me say this part first. No, you know what, we'll take it one verse at a time. Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me, but you say in what way have we robbed you in tithes and offerings?

51:25 What is a tithe? It's the first tenth of our income. What is an offering? It's something that's in addition to the tithe. Where does the tithe belong? Well, it belongs in the storehouse. That is a type of the local church today. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. I pause right now. This is under the old covenant. You are cursed with a curse that was on them under the new covenant. You you cannot be both cursed and blessed at the same time. Do you get that? So nine out of 10 preachers, even more really, they have used this scripture, not in light of the new covenant, but under the old covenant saying you're cursed.

52:12 I've heard preachers say, I don't even hear you. I won't even meet with you for counseling. If you don't tie, what's the point? already cursed. Come on. You've never heard you have to have heard something like that. Some variation of that. Now under the new covenant, you are blessed. You are blessed. You, you're person. Jesus has blessed you. Jesus has redeemed you. But it doesn't mean your finances are blessed. I tithe. I tithe since I was 16 years old, the people who call City Light Church their home, tie not to avoid a curse, but to show their love for God and they give a tie and then they believe their finances are blessed.

52:57 Do you see the difference? Now, this has been the message. We were just talking about this earlier. This has been the message for City Light. So I don't come and try to manipulate people and say you need to tie the Otherwise the God father, I mean, father, God is going to smite you and destroy you and break your kneecaps. I've always presented it this way. And do you know what our giving looks like? Our giving is three times the amount of it for church our size. Even the fact that it's a rainy, nasty day and the place is full and I never stand here and go, you know, you have to come in every Sunday. It's your duty.

53:37 It's your job. I've never guilted and manipulated people, and yet people come. And I don't guilt and manipulate people into tithing, yet people tithe. Isn't it amazing how the gospel is set up? You think what Jesus said was true. (audience laughing) Amen. And yet I know right now there's some people, they're not tithers and they have every reason, and you need to just grow up, come into that place of faith and maturity. I just, I say that with love, But I don't know how else to say it, grow up. How do you trust God with your eternal soul and then can't trust them with your finances?

54:18 Oh, I trust that he's gonna save me on that day, but that thing about tithing and him actually giving me more back than what I gave, oh, that's just preacher magic. But here's, none of that had to do with point number five, I just wanted to share. 'Cause we don't get enough Malachi three. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. You are cursed with a curse for you have robbed me even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse that they may be food in my house. That means your tithe can't go to Aunt Susie.

55:00 Your tithe can't go to somebody else. The tithe belongs in the local church, amen. that there may be food in my house and try me now in this, as the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it and I'll rebuke the devour." You know what the devour is originally there in the Hebrew is seed eater, the locust. People who don't tithe, it goes away anyway. Your car will break down, your refrigerator will break down, something will happen. arrest will audit you. All these things happen and you take it and put it in a bag with holes in it. So many people like me just 10 minutes ago, Pastor Mo. And now, that's all right.

55:46 I say this because I love you. "The seed eater, the devourer will be rebuked so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the fields, as the Lord of hosts and all nations will call you blessed for you will be a delightful land says the Lord of hosts okay this is the standard passage on tithing I want to show you how giving is connected to mercy let's go to verse 17 there is something about giving the Lord does not ignore in the book of Acts chapter 10 God shows Cornelius Cornelius was like why the angel said you're praying and you're giving has come up as a memorial before God.

56:40 I'm free in this. I know where my money comes from. I know what my motives are. I know how many millions this church has given away. I know what I've personally given away. So I'm free. I can look you in the eye. And by the way, I don't know who ties. I don't know when I say I can look you in the eye. People would, no, I don't know. I treat when I come across you, I'm looking at you like you're the top giver in the church. Let me just clarify that. Sometimes I do know who gives, 'cause they highlight when they send me the financials report. If anyone, I don't wanna say what they, if anybody gives big, they'll let me know.

57:22 It's like, okay, cool. But I treat everybody the same. I'm just saying, when I minister this message, I know that it works. I know that it's true. And if you don't want to give, that's between you and God, don't give. That's fine. I mean, it's not fine, but you know what I mean. No one's gonna hear, twist your arm or anything, but just know you're the one who's missing out. We don't need another giver. We have a big vision. We want to see New York City shaken, but we're not here going, ah. The Lord has always provided for us. I'm not here saying, you know, Montenegro is just a developing nation, but the money goes quick.

58:04 And I had a vacation there and Victor's feet, they grow so big, you know, he needs new shoes every several months. If you could please just give me a Pentecostal handshake on your way out of the church. You sure would help me. Here's what the Lord says for tithers, givers, generous people. The Bible says the liberal, the generous soul, liberal means generous in the Hebrew. Don't confuse the two. The generous soul shall be made fat. The generous soul shall be made fat.

58:45 That means prosperous. Don't confuse my with that word. And he who waters shall also be watered himself. He says, "They shall be mine," says the Lord of hosts, "on the day that I make them my jewels, and I will spare them." You look in the Hebrew there. It means I will spoil them as a man spoils his own son who serves him. When you're a giver, when your heart is open, when you hold material things loosely, when you see yourself as a vessel that God will bring me, all these things to get them through me and I get to enjoy them and enjoy this ride also. He will spoil you. And I have sometimes and I always, I don't want you, I don't want to, I don't want to, I feel bad for some people who are in a Valley right now. I feel bad in the sense that you might misread what I'm about to say.

59:44 I feel good that I know that he's your God. I've been in the Valley, but he's going to get you out. But right now I'm not in the valley. I've been in the valley. Right now I feel spoiled like an only son. I feel spoiled. I mean, even financially, it's just it's hitting from every way. He'll bring different avenues of revenue. It's hitting. I feel the increase of God, the blessing of God. When I was gone on vacation, my home at a condo flooded again. Pastor James Pastor Mo, thank you. They came in and made sure that we didn't return to a swamp But while I'm there wondering what what else is being destroyed I'm thinking we're about to close on a brand new home in Long Island. The Lord did that. Amen. The Lord I feel and he will do that to you.

1:00:43 You get what the script spoil you spare you make you stick out show so much mercy that you almost get embarrassed Keyword almost Let's look at his final verse in second Corinthians I'm glad I'm taking my time with this because some of you you don't even know you've been bound up By a nasty lack mentality that's afflicted you since your mom said no more for you. We have to have some for tomorrow That was a joke, but you received it seriously. If the shoe fits. That's when these poverty spirits and lack mentalities, that's when they take root.

1:01:26 I'm teaching my kids to have an abundance mentality. And it's a challenge to teach them hard work, personal responsibility, but daddy doesn't just make it rain abundance on you. You have to do your part and be responsible and get A's and do well and do right. And at the same time, don't have limitations. God is a big God. God is an abundant God. Don't expect to scrape through life, but expect an overflowing cup. Amen. Second Corinthians 9-7 in the Amplified, "Let each one give as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves."

1:02:10 Now the amplified opens up and unpacks what that word loves there means. He takes pleasure in the giver, the generous person, prizes above other things and is unwilling to abandon or to do without a cheerful, joyous, prom to do it giver whose heart is in his giving. One more time. God is unwilling to abandon or to do without a cheerful, joyous, prom to do it giver whose heart is in his giving. I want to be that guy. I want to be that guy. I know there's many many of you here, you want to be that person. I wanted this church to be that church. There were times when I say I want to be that guy pause. I want to, I want, I want to be that guy that when God's eyes scan there, if he goes, that guy, my son, they're going to keep them around because everything I get to him, he gives away whenever I tell him to give it away. I can entrust him. I didn't have to tell him twice. I don't got to have my Holy spirit, ride him for nights and nights and give him dreams and confirmations.

1:03:21 And I just, I just breathe, give, and he gives it away. I want to be that guy. Because God, God wants to keep that guy around. And one of the things in the early years of city light, when it looked like we were going to get wiped out every week was a miracle that we were still around. In case you don't know, New York city is the hardest ground in America. They say California, California still got tons of Christians and it's tough in some areas, but New York City is the only place known as the preacher's graveyard. And where you see major churches come in with millions of dollars and still pack it out after 18 months. And we did it with no denominational support, no anything.

1:04:05 One of the tricks that I used was I quickly got into missions and I said, we need an orphanage in Ethiopia. And then we need to help out in Guatemala since 2009, the orphanage in Guatemala. Let's build a church a year. It ended up sometimes being five, six churches a year. Let's get into Liberia. Let's help in Montenegro. Why? Because I want to be indispensable to God. Now you've heard sometimes maybe saying, Oh God doesn't need you. I get it. He doesn't need you. He doesn't need me. He can make a thousand of me like this. I get it. But at the same time, He's unwilling to abandon or to do without a church in New York City that is the primary sponsor of an orphanage in Ethiopia.

1:04:52 He's unwilling to abandon or do without a church in New York City that's built over 40 churches/community centers in Guatemala. Are you catching what I'm saying here? So very early on, I set us up this way, and there were times when it seemed like we weren't going to make it, and I'd say, "Lord, you know, just so you know, if we get taken out, then we can't support all these other places." I would. I get calls from the office saying, "We don't know where the money is going to come from. Do we send our support this month?" Do you know, since day one, we have never, ever not sent support ever, no matter how tight it got. Because I knew if we can keep sending the support, we're going to make it. Thankfully, those years are over. Thankfully, now there's an overflow. Amen.

1:05:36 And on that note, you know, we needed to raise $15,000 for Montenegro. That goal was met without again, without us pushing or pressing. We met that goal. I say for Montenegro, because that's where Pastor Jovitz is, but he's starting a church in Novi Sad, Serbia. And within three months, just from the overflow, you guys met that. And join me in applause for yourselves and your generous hearts. Amen. Thank you. Worship team, come on up. If you would lift your hands, say this out loud, Lord Jesus, you are God. You delight in mercy.

1:06:19 I have made mistakes. I've committed sins. There's some consequences that may be coming my way, but I trust you, Lord. Number one, for your grace, because of your grace, I'm forgiven because of your grace. I receive undeserved favor, but also thank you for your mercy. Because of your mercy, I don't receive deserved judgment. So thank you, Lord Jesus.

1:07:00 Shout a big hallelujah. Amen. This is the City Light Church Podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message, or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jancic in City Light Church, visit us at CityLightNYC.com. That's CityLightNYC.com. Feel free to visit us online or in person any time. We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today, that you have been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. Thank you for listening. Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church Podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.

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