Ep 476 | Justice, Mercy & Faith - Frank Brancato 12/11/22

We have quite a few of our numbers that are missing today

due to illness or traveling. But we are grateful for your

presence and I hope and pray that what we have to consider

this morning for a little while would be encouraging and

edifying to you. Now, just a reason for the

lesson. I don't know how long ago it

was, but I preached on Matthew chapter, 23 was the last sermon

our Lord ever preached. And it was really amazing.

This sermon. In fact, it was the Lord

scathing rebuke upon scribes and Pharisees who pretended to be

one thing on the outside. But inside that's not who they

were. In fact, Jesus actually calls

them Hypocrites, Hypocrites for real, they pretended to be

something they never really intended to be.

And so I preached a sermon entitled neglecting the

weightier matters of the law and the weightier matters that Jesus

calls. He calls them, Justice, mercy

and Faith. So the reason for the lesson, a

very, very dear friend of mine asked by way of a request.

Would I preach on the subject of what actually is, Justice,

mercy, and faith. And what are those things look

like in our life? Was it something brand-new that

Jesus came? With in Matthew chapter 23 or

Matthew 23 · chapter mention

has it always existed, did it go back all the way back to the

very beginning under the law of Moses?

What was Jesus say? Why did he say it in the context

that he gave it? And how does it apply to you?

And I today and I'm going to ask you to do something for me.

Please, you may have in your mind, a basic definition of

justice, a basic definition of mercy, and a basic definition of

faith and I'm going to ask you this.

Please cast that aside. And don't draw any conclusions

or make any definitions until. We look at these words from the

Bible, we're going to actually be reflecting back on the Book

of Micah and we're going to notice in the Hebrew what those

words actually meant. And how does it apply today?

And I think you may have a little bit of a different

perspective on what Justice mercy, and Faith, really is.

Now, the only way that we're going to be able to understand

the context of Justice, mercy and faith is to understand the

context of what Jesus said prior to that.

So I'm not going to get bogged down in the particulars of these

passages. I've already taught on these

passages before I will narrate through them.

So we have an understanding and we lay a foundation, and then we

can move forward together and my hope and prayer is when we leave

here today, we can understand what Justice mercy and faith is

how we Applied in our life and how we can be better in the

future than we've ever been, in days gone by.

That's my hope. That's my prayer.

Let's begin. Matthew 23.

Jesus says, woe to you scribes and Pharisees.

And then he says the words, the word Hypocrites.

I want to just slide this in. I've been here for a lot of

years and you've heard me say this many times, I'm going to

say it again. You already know what's coming.

I think the word hypocrite is the most overused and abused

word. In the English language, that

people use as an indictment on someone who professes to be a

Christian, but makes a mistake. That is not a hypocrite.

We are not perfect. We all make mistakes, we all

sinned. We all fall short of the glory

of God. All of, that's true a person

that's trying to do. What's right?

And makes a mistake as not a hypocrite.

I'm going to slide this into, this was free.

You know what I found in my life, maybe you've seen the same

thing, but often times people use the word Hypocrites, and

they use it against somebody else, to justify their own

inactivity and lack of service to God, for example, I don't go

to church because there's Hypocrites over there.

I don't want to be like the Hypocrites.

I'll just live my life like I do because I don't want to be like

those churchgoers they're Hypocrites.

In other words, it's used as a wuwei or a tool to justify their

own inactivity. All right.

All that being said, Jesus is going to talk about people that

are truly our Hypocrites. They were scribes and they were

Pharisees and this is why. I notice what Jesus says, you

give tithe of mint and anise, and cumin.

Now, what is MIT Anderson cumin? I'll just say it this way.

They were kitchen spices, and, you know what they did, they

actually grew up in the kitchen and clay pots, mint, and anise,

and cumin. Let me talk about tithing for

just a moment, okay, tithing was a requirement given by God in

the Old Testament and the word tide means 10th, by the way.

That's where we get the term. 10% or people talk about 10%

talk about tithing. It's because the word tithe

means tenth. What did God required God

required that the, that the people of the children of Israel

would give a tenth of all that the land produced?

Now. Did god require them to include

the kitchen spices in the tithing of a tenth of?

What the land produced that's irrelevant.

That's not the point. Jesus was not saying they were

wrong in making the tithe extend to the kitchen spices.

It is never wrong to give to God, What he was saying is you

people are great in doing the things that everybody can see,

and Pat you on the back for, you've even taken the tithes

requirement and even to the nth degree and even made it to the

kitchen spices. And you can just imagine he's

saying this by the way, the Lord saying you're great at taking

them. It anise and cumin and going,

OK? 9 for me, one for God, nine for

me, one for God, 94, me one, forgot.

He said you're great at that butt.

In doing that, you've also neglected, the weightier matters

of the law. I got to say some but wait here.

You know, the word weightier was a rabbinical term.

What do I mean by that? God gave specific commands in

the Old Testament. He gave specific requirements in

the Old Testament rabbinic tradition decided, what

requirements were weightier and what we're not so waiting.

Let me give you two examples really quickly.

One of those weightier Matters by rabbinic, tradition was

circumcision. And by the way, that's why when

the church was established, even though Jesus Took the old Lon,

And nailed it to his cross. According to the book of

Colossians when the church was established Jewish people by

Blood who formerly had ancestors that lived under the law of

Moses considering rabbinic tradition that circumcision was

a way to your matter what they do.

They tried to bring about certain aspects of the Old Law

of Moses and bind it on the poor Gentiles that they hated.

Anyway, we call those Judy, izing Christians or people

trying to bring aspects of the Old Law and binding it on.

Gentiles, what actually did they do, this is what they said.

They told the Gentiles you have to be baptized to be saved,

which is true. But then they said, you got to

be circumcised to remain saved and the Apostle Paul had to

correct. All of that, all of that was

wrong, okay? You don't have to be circumcised

to remain safe. Why do they do it?

Because tradition said, rabbinic tradition, it was a weightier

matter. Number two, example, way to your

matter. Rabbinic tradition said that the

Sabbath was a weightier matter. You got to keep the Sabbath.

Incidentally, Jesus nailed the Sabbath to his cross to and were

no longer under the Sabbath law. We don't recognize the seventh

day or Saturday, okay. That's why they hated Jesus.

One of the reasons one, he said, I am the Son of God, but there

was another reason because of the way he handled the Sabbath

day. You know what Jesus said about

the Sabbath, I'll do anything. I want to on the Sabbath.

I'm greater than the With I'm lord of the Sabbath and Jesus

marked the transition between the Sabbath day of the Old

Testament. And the first day of the week of

the New Testament, he marked that transition.

Why did they hate him? Because they said the Sabbath

was a weightier matter. That Jesus didn't call those

things away to your matter. What did Jesus actually say?

Jesus said the weightier matters are these Justice mercy and

faith He said what you're doing is you are good at keeping the

details, which is important. Please get that. but you're

neglecting the weightier matters of Justice, mercy and faith, and

by doing that, you're making your sacrifice, you're making

what you're doing with the details insignificant I have to

make a point before we go any further please, and I'm going to

tell you why we tell you why, because I read all kinds of

Articles. When I Was preparing this

lesson, I was doing this study, I just Googled it.

I Googled, Matthew 23, I wanted to Google stuff about in The

Book of Micah, which we're going to get to in a minute and I

wanted to find out what is the general interpretation that

people have in the world about Matthew 23 about what Jesus

actually saying, and I can't begin to tell you how many

people wrote What matters is Justice, mercy and faith and the

details don't matter. That is not true.

Please get this. Jesus is saying the details and

the weightier matters of Justice.

Mercy and Faith are equally required and equally important.

And, you know, we're going to find out later on our lesson.

If you truly by way of what these words mean, are people of

Justice, mercy, and Faith, guess what you're going to do, you're

going to keep the details. They go together.

They go together. Alright.

Both important. What about the scribes and

Pharisees, though? The he called Hypocrites.

They were not people who Justice mercy and Faith.

Now, this was not anything new by the way about Justice, mercy

and Faith. It actually goes back to the

Book of Micah and that what Jesus is doing is Jesus is

quoting Micah. And Micah specifically is

quoting the general requirements in Deuteronomy chapter 10 will

Deuteronomy 10 · chapter mention

get to them. So this was nothing new.

This goes all the way back in the Book of Micah chapter 6 and

Micah 6 · chapter mention

verse 8. This is what Micah the Minor

Prophets said. He has shown you o man, what is

good and what does the Lord require of you?

But to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.

Now what we're going to show them later on.

Is when Jesus said Faith, it's the same thing as Mike is saying

walking humbly with your God. It's the same thing.

That's why I asked you to please.

Just if you have an idea of a definition of these things, just

put it aside for just a moment. We're going to get to those

specifics. Okay.

What Jesus was saying, is this what he was saying is by

neglecting the weightier matters of Justice, mercy and Faith.

He's going to describe them in three ways and I'm going to be

brief. This is what he said by doing

that your mission. Point.

This is what you're doing. You're like blind guides who

strain out a gnat and swallow a camel, okay.

Quickly wine at and why camel? Why did our brilliant Lord?

Why did the master use Nat and camel?

You know why? Because the neck in the Old

Testament was the smallest of all unclean things.

A camo in the Old Testament was the largest of unclean.

Thanks, man was not allowed to ever ingest, or eat something

that was unclean and for something not to be.

The unclean it had to chew its cud, and it had to have a cloven

hoof. Somebody said what time we'll

wait, whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wait, camel.

They choose our cut. You've seen a camel chewing.

Its cud right true, but they don't have a cloven hoof.

They were unclean. Jesus is telling them

masterfully. Something they would totally

understand. He said by keeping the details,

which is good, but neglecting the weightier matters of

Justice, mercy and Faith. What's your like is?

You're like A blind guide who straining out the smallest of

unclean things but you're swallowing the greatest, you're

swallowing the camel. All right.

I got to talk about straining out in that.

You've heard me say this before, but I gotta say it again.

I think it's a little funny. They were so concerned about not

eating the net, these Pharisees, they would take a strainer cloth

and put it over a cup. They would take the beverage in

a pitcher, and they would pour the beverage through the

strainer cloth. So, in that couldn't

accidentally get the cut before they drank it.

One scholar said that, I read, he said some of these fastidious

Pharisees would drink, then the beverage through clenched teeth

like this. So they wouldn't accidentally

get one of them little guys in their mouth and swallow it and

be guilty of swallowing something that was unclean even

the smallest of unclean things and they just flick it out of

the teeth Jesus Says, by neglecting Justice.

Mercy and Faith. You know what you are?

You're like a blind guide. Your straightening out the net

but you're swallowing the camel. You don't get it now.

Interesting about this, the second thing he describes them.

He said you're straight out of that swallow, Campbell by doing

here, but this also, what he says, woe to you.

Scribes Pharisees. And oh, oh, oh here's the word.

Again, Hypocrites for you cleanse.

The outside of the cup and dish but inside they are full of

extortion and self-indulgent. This is not a new passage, this

is not a New Concept you know exactly what I'm going to say.

But I say quickly notice please. What you're doing is and I hope

you get the point, he's using these things metaphorically to

describe them self. He said, you're washing the

outside of the cup you're taking that cup and you're polishing

the outside to a mirror shine, but inside it's dirty.

In other words, you are not on the inside what you appear on

the outside. That's one thing.

But then Jesus says cup and Dish.

Let us not go fast by this word dish.

This word dish is not just any ordinary dish and it's not just

something that's connected to the cup.

Historically they have dinner parties back in those days, by

the way. And this dish that the Lord was

talking about here was a very special dish because people knew

at all the guests of a dinner party.

They knew that if the servant brought out this special dish

and they could tell by the outside of the dish, what was

coming, guess what they thought they were going to get the

Delicacies, were now going to be served.

And in other words, when they saw the dish on the outside,

they believe something specials coming on the inside.

That's what Jesus says you are. You're like a cup that you

polish on the outside but that's not you on the inside.

You're like the dish that people think, oh, by your outward

appearance by the outward, way that you're acting, that's

really you and some specials coming.

But that's not the case. That is not you.

What did Jesus say for them to do?

This is what Jesus said you should have done.

First cleanse, the inside of the cup.

And the outside may be clean. Also, you take a cup.

You submerge it. In the sink and soapy water, you

clean the inside Arch, are you're already automatically.

Get me outside too. Are you kind of getting the

point? Clean the inside first?

Fix your inside, be authentic, make sure that's really you.

Oh, but there's more, there's one more example and then we're

gonna move on one more example quickly.

In verse 27. He said, this is you, by the

way, when you neglect the weightier matters of the law of

Justice, mercy and Faith woe to you scribes Pharisees.

There's that word again. Hypocrites for you are like

whitewashed tombs. Little background in Jerusalem

after the spring rains and right before the Passover time.

You know what they would do, they would take lime powder and

they would mix it with water and they would go to all these

Graves and they would paint the two moves.

White one historian said that around Passover time when the

Sun was shining, people always people coming into Jerusalem for

the Passover. They would come in and they

would see these beautiful Graves died.

The countryside Jesus said That's you on the outside, you

appear to be beautiful but that's not used to tell you what

you are. You're like Dead Man's Bones.

It's all you are in the inside. Why did they do that, though?

What was the reason for whitewashing the to knows?

They did it for a very practical reason in the Old Testament.

God said that if somebody would touch a grave or touch the bones

of a dead person, they would be ceremonially unclean.

I think it was for seven days if I'm not mistaken.

A person coming in to Jerusalem at Passover time would never

want to be ceremonially unclean and not be able to participate.

So what they did is they painted the graves Sometimes they would

pay the whole grave sometime, they would paint the mouth of

it. Sometimes the front of the cave

and sometimes they would just paint Bones on it.

A picture of Bones and other words don't touch it.

You know what Jesus says that is you you beautiful on the outside

but inside you are dead men's bones, that's all you are.

A scathing rebuke very serious matter.

Jesus said this in verse 28, even so you outwardly appear

righteous to men, but inside you're full of hypocrisy and

lawlessness. Okay, so in summary, he said, by

neglecting the weightier matters and I'm finished with the

background by neglected, the weightier matters, you've done

three things, you're the like the blind guides is straight out

of that swell, the camel. You like the guy that polishes

the outside the company inside filthy and you are like

whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful on the outside.

But inside, you are rotten like Dead Man's Bones.

All right, what do we learn? What do we learn from this?

We learned for things. God, always looks at the heart.

Always. Looks at the heart.

If we fix the inside, we fix the outside.

Number three. Don't appear beautiful on the

outside, but inwardly be rotten like Dead Man's Bones.

Don't do that. Number four.

Let's keep the commands of God. But don't neglect, the weightier

matters of Justice, mercy and faith.

And I'm going to say it again. The details and the weightier

matters are both required and both equally important got to do

it all. All right. so, what is justice?

What is Mercy? And what's Faith?

Again, we go back to the prophet Micah.

And Jesus was not saying anything new, by the way, all

the way back to the prophet Micah.

Here's the passage again, where he spent time on this again

after this too. He has shown you o man, what is

good and what does the Lord? Require.

This is not a suggestion. This is a requirement.

It has always been a requirement, you know, sometimes

what we think in our mind, we think under the Old Law or in

the Old Testament, God just gave him a list.

As long as they did the list, they fulfilled the requirement.

But only in the New Testament do other things matter.

Not so and the reason we think that sometimes is because Jesus

said you have heard that it has been said, You shall not commit

murder. But I say unto you, whoever

hates his brother or is angry, with his brother Without a Cause

All of those things, you've committed murder already in your

heart. Jesus said you have heard that

it has been said You shall not commit adultery but I say unto

you Amanda looks at a woman to lust after her has committed

adultery already in his heart. Sometimes we think the inward

side or the inward stuff was only taught in the O in the New

Testament and not the old and that's not true all the way back

in the Book of Micah. He's saying this this is what

the lord requires. Do justly, love, mercy, and walk

humbly with your God. The prophet Micah makes it

almost Well, it's not a Verbatim quote, but what it is, it is

specifics about what is taught in Deuteronomy in general.

He gets very specific about what Deuteronomy teaches in general.

Have they been honestly respected?

It would have prevented the leaders from being cruel to

others Committee cruelties Against the poor.

And if they would have kept those weightier Matters by the

way, then their sacrifices would have been acceptable to God.

Which is so important me, ask you something.

Do you want your sacrifice to God?

To be counted. Or to be meaningless.

I'm about you, but I want all the extra credit I can get.

So I want my obedient service to God, to be counted.

I don't want my obedient service to God, to be counted

meaningless because I'm not the person I'm supposed to be, I

don't want that again. It always existed.

It was always required and this is very important to in

understanding this passage because in study of all of this

and in looking at what people think about what this means, so

many people wrote little articles that said, all that

matters is how you treat other people.

If you're a good person, Person and you treat others good.

That's all that God requires, that's not true.

He requires so much more. So we need to understand the

context and it's always existed. Some say there's nothing else

needed and that's not true, but it always existed.

The concept of Justice, mercy and faith in general was given

in Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verse 12.

Deuteronomy 10 · chapter mention

Again, here's the generality. My kid got specific.

I'll read the passage and now, Israel, what does the Lord your

God require of you? But to Fear the lord, your God

and walk in all his ways and to love him to serve your lord,

your God, with all your heart, with all your soul.

Let's talk about God's justice and God's mercy for just a

moment. Remember that song?

Justice and mercy met on Calvary?

One of the lines of that song say the righteousness of God,

demanded judgment. But the goodness of his heart,

revealed his love. So what we understand that to

mean is this God's justice should have been that?

We are lost A punishment has to be given because we should be

lost. Because we sin because we have

sinned. It should have been that.

All mankind is lost eternally because of sin.

But like the song says mercy and judgment met on Calvary.

Instead of God, giving us Justice.

He extended Mercy. And He sent Jesus to die for the

sins of the world. I'm so thankful for that, aren't

you? More on that though.

Let's go. Let's go further.

How about more words to that song?

This is this But all my sins had blocked.

My soul from heaven. So Jesus had to come down from

above. There was no way to keep my soul

from dying. Death was the only sentence

there could be but Jesus saw my guilt and heard my crying.

And became the perfect sacrifice for me.

Justice and mercy met on Calvary, where the pure and

perfect savior took my place, pardon and forgiveness covered,

all of my unrighteousness and every drop of blood was full of

grace. Do you realize that when it

comes to your salvation to things?

Apply Mercy. And Grace.

What's the difference? They both apply Mercy is God not

giving us what we deserve that's to be lost.

Grace is giving us what we don't deserve that salvation.

Grace is unmerited, favor, meaning we don't deserve it.

Grace of Salvation is a gift. But that gift isn't free.

You say it again, the gift is not free.

There had to be a price and there is and there was we

understand the ultimate price the ultimate price is Jesus

dying on the cross. Absolutely.

That was God, extending Mercy, Jesus bought our service

salvation. He purchased our Salvation, he

paved, the way he gave us hope because he died on the cross.

That is the ultimate ultimate price that was paid.

But that's not the only price that has to get paid.

Guess what? Every one of you and me too we

got a price to pay to if we want the gift that comes from God by

grace, that is not free. You got to pay your price too.

you know, that prices Obedience. Yeah, God requires something

from you. And as for the rest of your

life. and if you want the gift of Salvation, which is by Grace,

which we don't deserve, We have to obey.

You know, the Bible says, there's none righteous.

No, not one. But because of our obedient

faith in our obedient actions, in our works of obedience in

honor to God. God looks as at us as though, we

were righteous. And then we get the gift.

And that's everlasting life. Salvation is a gift but it is

not free. So Okay preacher.

You said all that, what I want to know is this what's Justice

mercy and Faith to us? That's what I want to know.

What is it to us today? What does that look like in our

life? Well, first of all, the word

justice means, Well, we go to become like again, he has shown

you o man. What is good?

And what does the Lord require? But to do justly.

Same thing as Justice. And by the way, do you see how

Micah phrased it do? Justly, it's an action frames.

It means you got to do something.

You have to do something to be people of Justice.

It's not just an opinion, it's not just being fair in your

mind. It is something you have to do

being just is to do. Justly, what does that mean?

The word Justice Means get this. In means to uphold what is

Right? According to the will of God.

That's what Justice is. Now, sometimes this is what we

do. Sometimes we try to uphold what

we think is right. But that's not what Justice

Means. To be people of Justice Means to

uphold what is Right? According to the will of God.

In other words, it doesn't matter when I think God requires

a sacrifice of life. So, by the way, being people of

Justice requires sacrifice of life, more upholding, what is

Right? Often requires the sacrifice of

personal aims and ambitions, So for me to be a person of

Justice, I have to uphold what is Right?

According to the will of God, and that might mean, I've got a

sacrifice personal aims and ambitions, Hard to do.

What that means, though. Oh, you mean Justice doesn't?

Just mean being kind of fair know.

It is about being fair. It does apply to our

relationships but more on that later.

But in definition being, just means to uphold what is Right?

According to the will of God, no matter what and put yourself

aside. What else?

The next one? And sometimes people do this,

sometimes people separate Justice from Mercy.

I'm going to give you an example in just a moment.

God never separates Justice from Mercy.

Please get that. What is Mercy?

Justice is upholding? What is Right?

According to the will of God. Mercy.

Is that Justice? Which God wants is based on

kindness and mercy? They go together.

Do you know when our society listen to this?

Please our society thinks that for something to be Justice or

for justice to be served. If somebody commits a crime or

something like that is for the full weight of the law to be

extended upon them and they received the full maximum

punishment. Let me give you an example.

There was a young man who took a gun.

And he went into a liquor store to rob the liquor store.

He didn't mean to kill anybody, he didn't intend to kill

anybody. He took a gun.

He was a dumb kid, he made a terrible mistake.

He goes into the liquor store with the gun to scare the man,

so the man would give him the money.

He would just leave and not even you never have to use the gun.

You know what happened? While he was in there.

He accidentally shot and killed a lady.

Who was just in the store. He was just she was just in the

store. The husband wanted Justice.

You can understand that. You can understand why the

husband wanted Justice. The husband wanted the full

weight of the law extended. Against this person.

The court systems were merciful to the young man.

He paid his price. He went to prison.

But he had a lesser sentence. And the husband of the victim

was so Furious that he took the gun and tried to kill the young

man. Because he said Justice was not

served. That's not true just because

Mercy is extended doesn't mean Justice was not served.

Justice, and mercy were always combined by God.

They were always connected together.

Always. Sometimes, we need to remember

that. And I think it would help us.

Tremendously and how we treat each other?

Remember they go together? Justice and mercy.

Go together. Hang on.

One second. Okay, what about Mercy, though?

The Hebrew word and Micah points to conduct.

There's that word again which is becoming those who are Covenant

Brothers. Loving Mercy is an active

quality. It is translating Mercy in the

deeps. That's how they go together.

Justice and mercy. All right.

What about faith? Faith or walking humbly before

your lord means this measured and careful conduct.

Are you kind of getting the point here?

It has everything to do with how you are, and what you are, and

who you are, and how you behave and what you do.

You can't separate what you do from what you are.

And what we are in the inside, should be the manifestation on

the outside. It should come out that way of

what we are in the inside and that's who people want to see in

our life. Justice Means of holding, what's

right? According to the will of God,

all connected to kindness and mercy and faith, meaning

measured and careful conduct. It's a matter of deferring to

the weigh-in will of God as revealed in his word.

You know, something about that. Micah his point was if they

would have kept these three qualities.

Then they would not have had a problem, but in not keeping

Justice, mercy and Faith. It made their sacrifices

meaningless and I want to illustrate it like this.

Good deeds for the wrong motive. Or the wrong attitude.

Are meaningless. if I do something for Jack, And I give

Jack a hundred bucks. But I don't give Jack a hundred

bucks because he needs it. I don't give Jack a hundred

bucks because I love him. I don't give Jack a hundred

bucks to help him on the side. I give Jack a hundred bucks

because I want everybody to know what I did for Jack.

Pat me on the back you know Jesus said you have your reward

for all those Pharisees that would pray with outstretched

hands in the synagogue to be seen of men he said you've got

your reward whatever praise you get from man but don't think

you're getting anything from God.

If I do that project for all the wrong motive and all the wrong

reasons, why? Got a rotten attitude as I'm

handing it to him. You injection want to do give

the money back. Because deeds done with a rotten

attitude or the wrong motive. Are meaningless.

And so is your sacrifice to God. It's meaningless.

It's so important that everything is part of it in our

life, all right? Let's go.

Back to Matthew 23, where all this began?

Woe to you scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites.

What were they doing wrong? They pay tithe of mint and anise

and cumin, but they have neglected, the weightier matters

of Justice, mercy and faith. And I'm gonna say it again.

The details and the weightier matters.

They are both equal and they are both required.

And I'm glad I didn't say that. Jesus.

Did you ready for Jesus? I'm ready, quote, Jesus.

Here we go. These you ought to have done

without leaving the others undone.

You got to do it all. What's the Lord actually sang in

this. Here, it is in summary.

The Lord is saying Justice, mercy.

And Faith was keeping the details with the right motive.

It's about being authentic and not just going through the

motions to be seen by others or because you get the credit.

It's about not only being a Christian on the outside, but

being Christian on the inside. Number four, get this.

This will be our last closing point it includes, but is not

limited to doing good, and right to our fellow, man, it's the

concept of second Mi religion. It's the concept of Second Mile

religion. In Luke chapter, 10 beginning in

verse 25, listen to this. These were the words that were

spoken. And written in Luke 10 before

Jesus gives an amazing story, he said and behold a certain lawyer

stood up and testing him saying teacher, what shall I do to

inherit eternal life. He said to him what is written

in the law and what is your reading of it?

So he answered and said, You shall love the Lord, your God

with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your

strength, and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself,

and he said to him, you've answered rightly do this.

And you will live, but notice beliefs, but he wanting to

justify himself said to Jesus. And who is my neighbor?

Are you getting the point? This man?

Wanted eternal life. Jesus said, you got to love your

As yourself, he quoted the law. Jesus says, what do you mean by

that? How do you read it?

When it came to the point of loving your neighbor as

yourself. Do you know what this man

actually says? He says, okay, well, who is my

neighbor I don't know what to do that.

So give me the bare minimum. If you could tell me who he is,

I want to do it because I want eternal life, but just give me

that guy. Tell me who he is.

Folks, listen to me, please don't let this ever become you.

Is your service to God the bare minimum or are you giving it

everything you've got? Are you a bare minimum?

Requirement person? Well, the only a have to do

Sunday morning. Okay, just give me the bare

minimum. I want to go to heaven.

I want eternal life. Just give me that bear, man.

Or does your obedience extend to giving it everything?

You've got to the Lord? We've already noticed.

What happens when you don't give everything to the Lord, you get

a scathing rebuke from the Lord. We don't want that.

Jesus said in response to this this was an absolutely amazing

story. I'm going to be so brief.

Jesus says it was a man that came from Jerusalem one day and

he went down to Jericho. And on that Jericho Road, it was

a road that lasted about 15 miles that descended.

I'm told about 3,000 feet. It was rough and Rocky terrain.

It was Rife with robbers and Highwaymen.

And the Bible says, Jesus said, there was a man on that road and

he fell among Thieves. And they beat him and they left

him for dead. And Jesus says, and oh, by the

way, a priest comes by And the Bible says, when the priest saw

him listen to the language when he saw him.

He passed by on the other side. Don't you think that just maybe

that man was laying there for dead looks up and sees a

priestesses? Oh he'll stop.

You know why? He's a worshiper of God.

Somebody might say that about you, oh, he'll help me.

He's a Christian. He's a worshiper of God.

But he passes by on the other side.

Then Jesus says the levite comes.

And by the way, this is worse. Maybe he's taking all of Levi, a

worker in the temple, he'll stop.

The Bible says that the levite walks over and looks at him.

And then he passed by on the other side.

But then Jesus says, here comes a Samaritan, the combination of

a Jew, and a gentile, and the Jews hated Samaritans.

Samaritan comes and he has compassion on him.

He gets off Eva's animal. He takes all oil.

And he pours oil in his wounds from additional and soothing

purposes. He takes bandages, and he binds

them up and whines them up. He puts him on his animal, he

takes him into the end, he stays all night with him.

And the next day, you know, he does, he goes to the Innkeeper

and he reaches in his pouch. I mean, that Pockets back down.

So obviously pouch, he reaches in his pouch here we took out To

Denari. I that is to day's wages.

I want you to ask yourself. How much do you make in two

days? And you get the gist of what I'm

about to say. He reaches in his pouch takes

two days wages out and gives it to The Innkeeper.

And he said, take care of this man.

That he didn't even know. And then he said, and if it's

not enough, when I come back, I'll pay the rest.

Brilliant. Jesus, thank you.

And then he said this. So which of these three do you

think was neighbor to him who fell among Thieves?

He said, he who showed Mercy on him, then Jesus said to him go

and do likewise You know, something folks, we have a debt

of love. That we need to pay.

We have a debt of love that we owe that is never paid off and

that's because of what the Lord has done for us.

Because of What the Lord Has Done, you're the song at the

cross. The word say, but drops of grief

could never repay. The debt of love.

I owe. Here.

Lord, I Give Myself Away. It's all that I can do.

We have a debt of love for everyone.

And you never pay it off. I'm going to give you a passage

and then we're going to go to our invitation.

Getting give you a passage. Romans chapter 13 and what we do

Romans 13 · chapter mention

is we stop right here. We quote this passage.

Oh no man! Anything and then we stopped

right there. And the reason we stop right

there. We stop right there because We

say what that passage is talking about and it's right right

there. Oh no man.

Anything meaning if I oh Jack you jack again, if I oh Jack, I

need to pee Jack. And I need to make payments or

do whatever I got to do to pay a debt that I owe to Jack.

So owing no, man. Anything means pay your

obligations and you pay them off until when until they're paid

off, if the person forgives the debt you no longer.

Oh, it's paid off. Okay.

So you pay your debts until they're paid off but there's

more Oh, no, man. Anything.

In other words, don't be indebted by not taking care of

your responsibilities. Except To love one another.

That's the dead of love that we must pay on for the rest of our

life and it will never be paid off.

Why? Because the person deserves it?

No, because of Jesus. Because of what the Lord has

done because of what God extended Mercy on the cross and

said, Jesus died for your sins because of that, we have a debt

of love that we will never pay off. then he says, For he who

loves another has fulfilled, the law.

This does not mean, all you have to do is love your fellow man

and you fulfilled all the laws of God.

That's not what that means. It's very specific here in this

context. Oh no man, anything except to

love one. Another love is the context.

For he who loves one another which is the context has

fulfilled. The law was the law, the law of

love. You have fulfilled the law of

love. Wow.

So Justice mercy and Grace. Is keeping the details with the

proper mode of an attitude. It's serving God, with every

fiber of your being with everything you got, it's being

authentic, not only on the outside, but the inside is that

too and it's being the right, kind of person to your fellow,

man. It's all included, all of that

is included. In the weightier matters.

In closing. Remember when I said mercy and

Grace go together but they're different.

God's Mercy is that he doesn't give us what we deserve it has

to be lost. Grace is giving us, what?

We don't deserve that salvation and that's a gift, but it's not

free. But what I said, Our price that

we pay the Lord already paid his price, but the price that we

have to pay is obedience. The first thing you have to obey

You've got to obey the gospel. I want you to listen very

closely right now. If you want to go to heaven, I'm

going to tell you exactly what you have to do.

If you don't do this folks, you can't go to heaven.

You have to obey the gospel first then instead obedient life

for the rest of your life, but it begins with the gospel.

How do you do that? So simple, you got to hear the

word of God, Romans, 10:17. So, faith comes by hearing and

hearing by the word of God, you've done that today, you've

heard the word of God, and when you hear the word of God, you

got a choice to make. Everybody has a choice.

The Bible says in Hebrews 11 and 6, you gotta believe with all

your heart. Let me ask you something.

Do you believe, surely you do? Surely you do you gotta believe?

Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe?

Jesus is son of God. Surely you did.

Without faith. It's impossible to please him

for. He who comes to God, must

believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who

diligently seek him. What else?

You got to make a change in your life.

You got to repent of your sins acts 17:30.

Acts 17:30

Truly these times of ignorance, God overlooked but now commands

all men everywhere to repent Then you must say these precious

words. You have to confess that Jesus

Christ is the Son of God acts 8:37.

Acts 8:37

Then Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, you may.

And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the

Son of God. All of these four steps are

prerequisites to the point of salvation, but you're not saved

yet. If you're going to obey the

gospel, here it is. You got to be baptized for the

remission of your sins. Mark 16:16.

Mark 16:16

He who believes and is baptized, will be saved.

But he, who does not believe will be condemned.

Do you believe in Jesus Today? Show you do.

If that's the case step out in obedience, repent of your sins

confess, his name as the Son of God.

Be baptized in water today for the remission of your sins obey,

the gospel and start your path, pay the price, start your path,

as a Christian. Maybe you've taken those steps,

maybe you fall on, what a great time to come back right now.

Today, repent of those things confess, those things will pray

with you and for you and God will forgive and restore be

wanted me to class come forward. While we stand most We thank you

for listening to our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ

at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you

would like any additional information or you would like to

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