Unlocking Profound Truths: Exploring God's Goodness, Guidance, and the Power of Miracles

0:00 Do not believe the lie that you cannot hear His voice. Jesus said, "My sheep, they hear my voice." And the voice of a stranger they will not follow. And if you have not sensed the leading and the guiding of the Lord, begin there, the words of Jesus, and begin saying Jesus' words out loud. "Lord, I believe that you are a good shepherd. I am your sheep. I hear your voice." 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. Why don't you just be seated for a moment. God bless zealous city lighters, open and hungry city lighters. I'm hungry for you.

1:25 I'm famished for you. I'm hungry for your breakthrough. Hallelujah. And I'm not working that up if I could, because it's a delight to sense. Because really, when I say I'm hungry for you, what I'm sensing is the Lord's desire for you. It's resting on me. I sense his desire to bless you, to come to you, to shake you out of a static place. Static place is a euphemism for pit of despair. Very boring, non-eventful place.

2:07 I sense it. I feel like what Paul cried out in Romans 1, I long to come to you, to impart unto you some spiritual gift he said to the Romans "I long for the Holy Spirit who's moving in our midst to come" and that's what he wants to do it's not because I'm such a good pastor that I long it's him he longs for you hallelujah what a good song That song, the lyrics to that song would confound 80% of theologians who got their PhD.

2:47 Because it talks about the goodness of God. And over and over again it says God is good. To confound 80% of all theologians, just let them know that your core belief is that God is good and the devil is bad. But wait, let me bring some nuance. Keep your nuance. And I'll stick to the word. Because the Bible says that Jesus Christ was made manifest to destroy the works of the devil.

3:28 Then you look at what the works of the devil are throughout the gospels that Jesus destroyed. Everywhere there was sick people, he healed them. Where there was despair, he brought hope. Where there was poverty, he brought provision. Where there were broken hearts, he healed them. And then in case anybody was confused up until that point, then he said, the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Devil bad. I have come to give life and that you who would have it in abundance, God good. And still, 2,000 years later, eggheads come around, educated far beyond their intellect, and they wanna mix the two.

4:17 'Cause you know why that happens? People change their theology based on their experiences and what they're going through. How do I know? Because I know what the devil tried to do with me. Whenever I go through a pit or valley or there's difference, you know, there's valleys. They're just passing point between mountain tops. Then there's the pit. The pit's no joke. The pit's when you're tempted not to come to church and you're tempted not to pray. Maybe you even stop and the pit is where you want to jump out of your own skin. I've been in the pit. And in the pit, God seems distant. He's not, but he seems that way.

4:59 And then you're tempted to rework your theology. Well, the Word of God is the Word of God. And I'm not going to adjust biblical truth because I'm going through something. Never doubt in the darkness what God has spoken in the light. Hallelujah. I think I think this is just a shaking up service for some of you you still you still can't get past that I walked down the aisle stinging in tongues you know God will offend your head to expose your heart.

5:49 In fact, that's why Jesus ministered the way he ministered. You look at some of the miracles. He actually touched the guy's tongue. Like, why would he do that? I mean, if I did that, you could sue me. I pray for you. I just went, just, you don't know if he grabbed it. Maybe the guy was a mouth breather and he didn't have to do so much work. But he touched his tongue. Another guy, Jesus put spittle in his ears. Another guy who put spittle in the clay and put the clay spittle clay.

6:31 Just saying. People don't like to talk about such things, but Jesus was a hundred percent man and a hundred percent God. He was a man. I had a joke there. I'm not even going to go there. I'm already pushing some people too much. I'm just saying, they didn't have Listerine back in those days. I smell religion. He would offend their heads to expose their hearts. Then the capture of the Syrian army, the general, it was covered in leprosy.

7:11 Came to Elijah. Elijah said, "Go dip in the Jordan River seven times." They even flipped out. Jordan is muddy, nasty, ugly. So we have pristine clear waters back in Syria. And you're telling me to... He defended his head, exposed his heart, and he humbled himself and went and dipped down in that Jordan River seven times the seventh time. Bible says he came out. His skin was lily white. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Smith Wiggles' work, he would punch people.

7:53 I always wondered about that. I've read all the books, the accounts, trying to figure-- And then if you really figure out what he was doing, yes, it was prompted by the Holy Spirit. But you know, people get so bound up in their head and have a preconceived cemented idea of how God's going to do it. And there's such control freaks that they just, "Pah!" They need a good whack so he could sneak the anointing in. Because in that moment of, "The preacher just hit me," God heals them. Gets past that. (audience laughing) - Get ready.

8:35 - Hallelujah. You know what you preach about, you bring about, and I just preached about, I feel that anoint, no. Oh, God's after you. He wants to bless you so. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. This journey is going to begin with a quality decision, as they say. A quality decision that God is good and the devil is bad.

9:15 And the two won't meet. Amen. And that God is good to you. that he wants to show himself strong on your behalf. And that he is the good shepherd, and he has promised to lead you and to guide you in all the affairs of life, that he would as the good shepherd take you by the hand and guide you and go before you. Years ago, I read a survey that was conducted nationally about what the number one question is that pastors guess, excuse me, get. The number one question, pastors across the country.

9:58 And that's how can I know the will of God? And there is a cry for the word of God, and rightly so, because with the word of God, you can do anything. I've often said that I can do anything with the word of God. If I have the word of God on a subject. The word of the Lord came and the word of the Lord for my life was pack your bags. They're going to live in a tent in the Amazon river in the forest. I'd need two or three solid confirmations of that word confirmed by my presbytery as well and the closest around me. But if it came, I'd be like, yeah, game on.

10:39 Cause if the word is there, I have a foundation. I can do anything with the word of God. Peter, when he saw Jesus walking on the water, Peter wanted to walk on water. You know what he said to Jesus? "Master, bid me to come, give me the word, and I will join you." So Jesus gave him one word, come, come. And Peter didn't really walk on the water, he walked on the word. One word, come, join me. And as long as his eyes were on Jesus, Stayed on top. When he looked at the wind, boisterous began to sink.

11:19 But gentle Jesus helped him. And so I can do anything with the word from heaven. We should be hungry for a word from heaven. And you see that particularly in charismatic circles. Whenever there's a prophetic voice, every seat is full. Everybody wants a word, but the reality is, and while I love the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and a dear friend of mine is David Wagner, and he'll be joining us in the fall, a prophet of the Lord, but the reality is, is that the Lord has promised to lead you, to guide you in all the affairs of life, and his counsel, it shouldn't be strange to you.

12:04 Do not believe the lie that you cannot hear his voice. Jesus said, "My sheep," they hear my voice. and the voice of a stranger they will not follow. And if you have not sensed the leading and the guiding of the Lord, begin there the words of Jesus and begin saying Jesus's words out loud. Lord, I believe that you are a good shepherd. I am your sheep. I hear your voice. Hallelujah. You know, my problem the first few years I was a Christian, was Christians were flaky in describing how they heard from God.

12:49 So I was expecting something spectacular, like an audible voice, like a charcoal heston on top of Mount Sinai. This is God. And it never came. And I kept trying to hear God with these floppy things on the side of my head. When he talks to your spirit, he is the Holy Spirit. He talks to your spirits. You have a soul, but you are a spirit. You have a soul, Greek, Suke, where we get psyche from, mind. Your mind is a cocktail with a lot of ingredients.

13:31 Your past experiences, current biases, your fears, your hopes, your dreams. You see the whole world through a filter of your psyche, but your spirit man has been born again into the image of Jesus and your spirit is the real you and he is not the holy brain who's going to talk to your brain. He is the Holy Spirit who's going to talk to your spirit and it took a good four years from 92 to 96. The summer of 96 was when it crystallized for me that he will talk to me in my spirit through the still small voice, the inward witness. Yes, there's all these other ways, there's like over 25 ways, just in the book of Acts that God speaks to his people.

14:16 But I've heard men of God who have shaken nations say the primary way over 95% of the time, the way he speaks to me is that still small voice in my spirit. The red light, green light, the urim and the thummim that he's put inside of me. Hallelujah. You know, those were actual stones back in the Old Testament that the high priest had. They would light up different colors. When it says that David inquired of the Lord, oftentimes you'll see it's that bring out the stones, the Urim and the Thummim, and they would light up different colors to show the will of God.

15:00 Everything in the Old Testament is physical. We have the spiritual. In the Old Testament, it's outward, and in the New, it's inward. What was that? It was forecasting the primary way that the Lord would deal with his people. You don't now come into city light and say, where the stones at? (audience laughing) Because he's put his Holy Spirit inside of you. He'll guide you from the inside out. Paul and Romans said, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the children of God. So one of the keys in this here Christian life is learning how to live out of your spirit. Living out of your spirit, man. Being, as the old timers used to say, belly-led.

15:44 I feel like I'm an object lesson as I preach that truth. (audience laughing) You agreed way too loud. (audience laughing) Being belly-led. Your inner man. You're spirit, man. That's where the good stuff is. Hallelujah. Man, I'm happy this morning. The Lord is up to something.

16:26 Who was the last time you saw me like this? You would just say that? I mean, if I could do this whenever I wanted, I'd hit that button every Sunday. I love this. I can't. The Lord is mmm. Something's cooking and we're going to-- my job is to figure out what is he up to and ignite that thing. Whoa, Lord. But what I sense is the movement of... You know, I hear the word of the Lord out of the book of Job, when he said to Satan, there was a line drawn and he said, "This far and no further."

17:13 (audience applauding) Hallelujah, this far and no further. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. He's good. He's good. So I want to show you one of my favorite. Did I do that already? Let's show that we should have quoted a lot of scriptures, but I want you to see those of you who are guests. I'm not just making it up. Let's put that scripture on the screen. Hallelujah. We had this video of the picnic to show you. And you're going to have to go on our social media now to see it.

17:56 Trust. No, not that one. Although that's a great verse. The first verse I sent. Take me back to the beginning. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with my eye. If you resonated when I said that the number one question pastors get is how can I know the will of God? You need to memorize this verse, say it out loud. No matter what you feel like, say it, believe it, confess it, make this part of your identity your identity that the Lord is good and that he promised in his word.

18:45 Does this seem like a distant far off God? This is a close, loving, intimate God. This is dad. This is him saying, I will instruct you. I love you, I will teach you in the way you should go. I'm gonna guide you with my eye. Let's look at it in the NIV. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Hallelujah. Something that's happening in this service is that many of you, you're hearing from the Lord. Others you've come in with a lot of spiritual earwax and the Lord has taken a divine Q-tip to you.

19:31 Lot, lot shoveling out. It's alright, he doesn't mind. He's still loving. And he's causing you to hear once again. Some of you are going to hear for the first time. He's talking to you about you, your favorite subject. Hey. Talking to you about your life. about what's up ahead. How many of you would say I feel like the Lord's been speaking to me since I came in this place? Let me see your hand. Look, that's what the Lord is doing.

20:13 When the word of the Lord came to Zachariah. That's Elizabeth's husband, Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary. He said, "With God nothing shall be impossible." Which is a great verse. But it's even greater when you break it down and understand that when he said, "With God no thing shall be impossible." What he was saying was, "For with God no word that he speaks will be impossible for him to perform. You know why? Because the Hebrew word for word is the same word for thing. Because the Hebrews understood that words create things. That God created this universe with the words of his mouth. In fact, what is that? Luke 1 17. That's a good guess. 1 38.

21:30 I want you to see it worship Lord they have all forsaken me none is left worship team sends you text messages out use the bathroom get some water Woo! The party's continuing. I love the worship team. Love them. This church wouldn't be what it is without them. But I gotta know. How many jobs do they have? They are, I mean, the level of text they send.

22:20 What? No, hey not just art. Look at him. Hey guys, I love you. But it is a meme around the whole country, you know. We got our stereotypes as pastors. Anyone in the worship team? It's your normal SMS level times 10. What's going on? I don't know. I'm not on the worship team, but something is happening there. Hey, that was my second guess.

23:02 Didn't I? 117? I said 138-ish, right? Look at that. (audience laughing) 'Cause that's a good verse, but not the one I'm talking about. (audience laughing) Great verse. No, this is Zachariah and the angel. All right, you're gonna have to take my word for it. (audience laughing) And those of you who are guests, come back next Sunday. I'm gonna have a sermon so polished. We're going to have every second of the service programmed.

23:44 It's going to be, it's going to go right to schedule. You'll be very comfortable and you'll feel safe. [LAUGHTER] Why don't you just begin in Genesis? And we'll all go through it. You know Hester and I are very very close. No we really are. Hester and I go back from the beginning and she's really a friend of our family and I'm so blessed by her number one that she can handle me and that we've continued to stay close with her in media. There's a very very tender forgiving heart.

25:06 You know, back in my day, the preacher, as the Lord spoke to him, he would have to find the verse and there was so much quiet time in the church. Do any of you remember those days? And you would go, "Okay." And then you would have to thumb through. And like three minutes will go by and nobody would mind. But now if there's any lull in a service, like, you know, we typically have the verses, "Pap, pap, pap, pap, pap, pap, pap." We can condense so much material in 35 minutes. Well, that's nice, but what's missing sometimes is the lull. That's why I don't mind the lull right now. I believe the lull is actually what the Lord is after.

25:47 He's after, he's after meeting with you. He's, it also separates people who aren't hungry from those who are. You know, they ask Jesus, why do you talk in parables? You know what Jesus said? So seeing them, they may not see and hearing, they may not hear. Jesus actually say, I speak in stories that are kind of like riddles and they're hard to understand. So that those who are looky-loos and just kind of hanging out on the Outskirts that they wouldn't get what I'm saying I'm making it hard on purpose. So the hungry and thirsty who dig for it. It's not hidden from them But it's hidden for them and so a service like this that really divides The ones who have faith and who are hungry and those who just are like I'm letting you know what's happening here Hallelujah.

26:45 Oh. I need spectacles for the full effect. Sean, do you have a song? I'm just wondering if you have one. Is the answer yes? Is he nodding? I forgot my in ear. What's the answer? He has one. Okay. You know, I could have googled it by now.

27:27 [LAUGHTER] [MUSIC PLAYING] That's also a good verse, but not the one I was looking for. For with God nothing shall be impossible. I mean, it's-- Luke what? 137. What did I say before? Because, you know why? Because it was with Mary, not with Zachariah, like Mauricio said. I'm just imitating modern media.

28:19 I'm just imitating the gaslighting and scapegoating and brazen lying of modern media. Because it wasn't Mauricio and not me. If you hear that lie four more times, you'll actually believe what I'm saying. "For with God nothing will be impossible. For with God no thing, for with God no…" the word there is Rhema. Rhema. For with God, no spoken word, for with God, no promise that he speaks to you will be impossible for him to perform. Now God, in order to produce fruit in your life, has to, don't wince, has to impregnate you with the seed of his word.

29:11 That's how you become fruitful. He whispers a promise to you in your spirit, and you have a choice to make. You can believe it, and then that spirit will come into the seed, excuse me, will come into good soil and produce fruit. Or you can doubt not believe it, in which case you perform a spiritual abortion. And he's trying to impregnate you with his word with a promise to produce great fruit in your life. And you go, "Oh, how can these things be? I don't know, Lord, Could you really? Are you really that good? Would you really do that in my life? And you terminate the pregnancy. Be believing, be not unbelieving. So he's going to speak to people.

29:55 Let him speak to you about your current situation. Let him speak to you about what he's doing in your life. Let him speak to you about whatever he wants, but just receive that word and let it hit the soil of your hearts and pour some faith on it and say, "Lord, I don't know how these things will be, but I believe." Now, if Mary could say that to Gabriel, how great is your promise that a 15-year-old girl could say, "Okay, I'll believe." Is yours greater than that you're going to have? You're virgin and you'll give birth to God incarnate.

30:36 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. For with God no thing, no word that he says that he gives to you will be impossible for him to perform. Because innate in the word of God is the power to fulfill itself. Hallelujah. Just close your eyes with me. Say this, dear Lord Jesus. I know that you love me. I believe you went to the cross and became sin.

31:22 So that I could become righteous. You took sin out of the way. And you made me new. I am forgiven. I'm a child of God. You have good plans for me. I give you my life. I surrender to your lordship. Show your goodness to me. Whatever you want to do, do it in my life. Now put your eyes on Jesus. And the worship team is going to sing and they're going to play. You can sing along if you want, but I encourage you to open up your heart and let him sing.

32:03 Speak to you. Let him plant the seed of his promise. Hallelujah. 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 anytime. 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.

32:44 Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church Podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide. (upbeat music) [Music]