Hebrew's Chapter 4 - Experiencing God's Rest

See the Word of God is alive. It actually is alive. A beautiful poem and author wrote a hundred years ago,

pretty words, but it's not got breathed. It's not inspired. The Word of God is alive. Paul said it

actually worked in us and that Greek word for work is this energy. It energizes. It produces

innate. 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

that citylightnyc.com. Pastor Boyan Jansik 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.

Welcome everybody and those of you joining us online. Welcome to you. It's feeling extra

Christmassy in here, isn't it? It's not just the decor, although that helps.

Thank you, Jesus. It's good as we're in this Advent season or looking forward and anticipating

December 25th. It's good for us to just every day remember what we're celebrating. The Incarnation.

Carnia Sada. Carnie. Meaning flesh. The Incarnation is when God became flesh.

dwelt among us. If it didn't do that, we'd still be stuck in our sins with God's wrath hanging

over us, but God Himself came, became flesh, and in and with that sinless life that He lived,

He went to the cross, and it was the divine exchange. He who knew no sin became sin for us,

that we who knew only sin would become the righteousness of God in Christ. Hallelujah.

And as much as we celebrate what Jesus has done, it's good. It's healthy to just remember who you

are outside of Jesus. I do that just to refresh myself a little bit. I remind myself of what my

portion is outside of Christ. It's not pretty. The wrath of God was on me, because sometimes I say,

well, that's a bad person, but they're so nice, even though in an unsaved group that hasn't

accepted Jesus. Well, they're so nice. You know, before I was saved, I was also very, very polite,

and very, very nice, but in my core, I was an enemy of God. That's what the scripture says.

My very existence was in opposition to Him. All I deserved was wrath and hell.

And now because of Jesus, I deserve God's best. Now because of Jesus, you deserve

it's your portion. It's your right. It's your heritage. You deserve to receive all that Jesus

died for you to have. Forgiveness of sins, righteousness, peace with God, prosperity,

overflowing abundance in every area of your life, spiritually, physically, soulishly,

socially, yes, and even financially. Hallelujah.

Well, let me just do a couple of announcements. I love this part. I'm so good at it.

If you're a guest or you've been coming for some time, fill out one of these connection cards.

This is the best way to stay in touch with us, to let us know you exist. So that way,

you don't get your feelings hurt six months from now. So you know, it just let me treat you,

me like I didn't exist. Did you fill out a connection card?

You can have questions answered. You can be a part of the volunteer team, join the life groups,

city kids, prep team. But you know, this used to be easy before everybody was trying to capture

your information. Like we were doing this 20 years ago. Now I can't even buy anything without

what's your email address. Just let me buy the thing. What do you need my email address for?

Are you hitting on me? I'm married. So now it's harder because everybody's real

weary, but you're in a safe place and you can give us your email. We'll only use it once a week

unless there's a snowstorm in which case we'll let you know about the snow in a second email.

Are you already the worship of the Lord with your tides and offerings?

Amen. Before we show all the ways to give, let's just see where we're doing with our end

of the year offering. All right, we just started December and we're a little less than halfway

there. I just want to say this, if you believe that the offering is for you and not for God,

you will be of a certain mindset. I received the revelation early on

that the offering, it's not for the organization. It's not even because God needs it. It's because

I need to give it. So I made a decision that if I'm in service or I'm visiting another church,

I'm always going to give. Always because if I just don't give, then I missed out on my

opportunity to increase. Why would I do that? I'm not a glutton for punishment. I don't hate

myself. I'd like to increase. So I'm going to take advantage of that opportunity to increase.

So I learned this when I was in my early 20s and sometimes all I'd have is a dollar on me.

So I'd give a dollar. Once I gave a piece of gum in a wrapper, not chewed.

Because I refused to let that thing, all I had was a pack of gum. It said, God's going to get one

stick. I refused to let, and I say that thing passed by. See, kids, once upon a time churches had

offering buckets. Before we went into the digital age, you can give with a QR code. It was real

awkward. Offering buckets would come down. Even more awkward in the Catholic church where they hold

it and they're trying to, they're trying to gauge by your reaction if you're going to give anything,

right? You're going to, how long I have to wait here? Are you still digging in that purse?

But I just made a decision. The bucket wasn't going to go by without me giving something. I'd

ask the Lord and I encourage you to get to that place. But that's only if you really believe that,

well, the 100 plus scriptures all throughout 66 books of the Bible that say, when you give,

you actually increase and that the liberal soul, the giving soul, the generous soul,

shall be prospered and he, that water, shall also be watered himself. That's why I'm inviting

you to specifically ask God what He'd have you give towards our end of the year offering,

so that we can celebrate come the new year and say, look, we met our goal. Amen. So that's it. Ask

the Lord and then there's a drop down menu where you can specifically give to the end of the year

offering. Let's go back to the different ways to give and honor the Lord with your tie,

the offering. I make my living by my giving. Hallelujah. I believe in a hundredfold return.

A hundredfold return, I don't believe, is a hundred times what you've given

because frankly, then the Lord would be a little bit behind then. But you're, you're promised

up to a hundredfold return, and Jesus had some 30, some 60, some 100. So what is a hundredfold

return? Remember when you used to get a hundred on a test? That was the best possible score you could

get, right? A hundredfold return is the maximum the best possible return that you can get.

Some get 30, some 60, I want a hundredfold. My faith is out there for a hundredfold. What's the

best possible return? Well, giving, giving my own financial status and how much I'm actually

sacrificing and giving and where I'm sowing into and have I instantly obeyed the voice of the

Holy Spirit and other factors, they come in and I'm trusting, God, you're going to get me the best

possible return. We just, we just now, both kids tithe, and Victor's used to it, but it was

Vivian's first time and it was a wonderful little thing we went through last night because she's

only five, six. So you should have seen her face when I explain the tithe to her and it's like most

people. It's, it's, I said, look, if she got twenty dollars. So I'm trying to tell her God gets a

tenth, two, and she went, but then I won't have any money left. And I said, well, God will bring you

more. And she blessed her heart. She set out loud with most people think but never say out loud.

She went, because I said, God, I'll get you more. She went, how? I said, that is a great question.

How? And then I shared where there's some stories how God brought it back to mommy and daddy.

So have your faith out there. That's how, but it'll be some way. Trust. I mean, how did you get the

first twenty? You didn't, she didn't get a job. It came. So give and trust that God will bring more.

Amen. I already for the word this morning. All right, we're in Hebrews chapter four. We're going

through the entire book of Hebrews and we're saying no to biblical illiteracy. We're saying no to

living in a word desert. The word is alive and it brings life. The word cleanses its strengthens,

it edifies, it builds us. And my dream is to have a church of word strong people filled with the

word who can't be easily deceived won't go away into false doctrine and know in whom they have

believed and know what they believe and why they believe it. So a little bit of context, Hebrews

is being written to a very discouraged, despotent group of Christians. They're in a very, very bad

place, which it's good to study the book of Hebrews because then you can see God's heart and what

the message would be to people who are in a similar predicament. So let's begin chapter four with

that in mind. Verse one, therefore he's just continuing right from where he left off in Hebrews

chapter three where he was talking about the children of Israel and how God threw many signs and

wonders brought him out of the land of Egypt and promised them a land of rest, a land flowing in

milk and honey, cane and land. But only Joshua and Caleb of that whole group of two million plus Jews,

they're the only ones who made it in. Them and the ones who weren't born, who were born in the wilderness,

but the original ones who came out of Egypt, it says they could not make it in because of unbelief

and evil heart of unbelief. Something happened to them where they got bitter. Really they just went

the way of most people. They could see mighty signs and wonders happening before them. God comes

through but then six months later they begin to wine, they begin to complain and the Bible says

an evil heart of unbelief was found within them and they never entered into God's rest.

Therefore since the promise remains of entering his rest, let us fear,

lest any of you seem to come short of it. Now it's really important to understand

that in the Old Testament everything was physical. In the New Testament a lot of those physical things

are spiritual. Like in the Old Testament says God is going to slay your enemies before your face,

dash them into pieces. It's not talking about Karen, your coworker who can keep her mouth quiet.

It's not talking about another human being and you're like God I'm still waiting for

when are you going to smite her or great smite her and do it so I can witness it. In the Old Testament

it was real people. Some of you I just messed up your whole prayer life didn't I?

In the Old Testament it was a physical enemy. In the New Testament it's a spiritual enemy,

demons, devils that you have the victory over. They had a physical Sabbath day, we have a spiritual

Sabbath day. See they had the promise we have the fulfillment. They had the shadow and the form

we have the substance. So this whole thing about rest. It's a big theme in the Bible, the Sabbath,

the Sabbath day, remembering the Sabbath to keep it holy. And even in this example where the

writer of Hebrews is referring to Canaan land being the place of rest, it's all pointing to another

day, another place this day and this place under the new covenant. The Sabbath is now for us.

What day of the week? Every day said everyone who was in the first service. Very confidently. It's

every day. People will obsess over what day is the Sabbath. What day is the day where you can have

peace and rest and abstain from working to try to impress God every day. Monday, Sabbath,

day Tuesday, Sabbath day, Wednesday, Sabbath day. The place of rest is the place where you know that

you are forgiven by God. So now the striving is gone. And he says, look, let us fear less than

any of you seem to have come short of it. That means that even as a believer, he's writing to

believers, by the way. Even as a believer, you can believe in Jesus and be saved but not live in God's

rest. And I venture to say that the majority of Christians, they're saved, they're heaven bound,

but they just miserable on earth because they never entered into God's rest. They're walking

civil wars, full of anxiety, always kind of afraid of God in all the wrong ways.

They're still under guilt, they're still under shame, they're under condemnation,

they're wondering what they need to do so God would smile upon them. Instead of Christian who's

living in the rest of God knows there's nothing more that they can do. It's already done, done, done.

They can't do anything that will cause God to love a more. They can't do some act of right,

I'm going to go feed the homeless, I'm going to go pray, I'm going to serve people. Those are

all great things, but they're not going to contribute to you being made righteous. That's already for

free. That's already been done. A great rest comes from that. By the way, notice, he's not telling

this, he spends the next 10 verses talking to them about this rest. That's not by accident

that to a group of people who are under such heavy persecution, they were being tempted to quit

their Christianity. It's not by accident that one of the solutions he presents to them is,

hey, you need to get into the rest of God. Because find me a Christian who wants to leave the Lord,

backslide, leave the church. I'll show you somebody who's not living in the rest of God.

It's connected. Let's just read those things I had to make slides of what the rest of God is.

Rest means peace with God. Rest means freedom from a survival bondage-like spirit in the worship

and service of God. Rest means deliverance from the burden of mosaic, observance, mosaic,

the law of Moses. Did you ever wonder why it doesn't matter whether we meet on Sunday or, I mean,

Sunday, we do it because it's tradition. God didn't say me on Sunday.

How come we get to eat bacon now? How come we get little things like we get to wear outfits

where there could be cotton, there had strict laws on fabrics and what they can wear?

That was such bondage. When the neighborhood we live in Long Island is very Jewish.

One of the first things the Realtors showed us with our kitchen set up was there was a crisper in

there that you just can keep on warm so that Friday night before the sun goes on, Emily can make

the final meal for the weekend and leave it in the crisper and we'll have warm food.

Like God doesn't know. Like, you got me. You legalist, you outlegaled me.

Because that's done. Jesus said to those who are under the bondage of trying to religiously,

do you know any people like this? Some of them are in the church. They can only pray with confidence

if they feel according to their mental list. They themselves have studied enough,

gone to church enough, given enough, evangelized enough. They're like a gerbil on a wheel.

Those people will backslide. That's why I'm always preaching grace. That's why I'm always preaching

the blood. That's why I'm always showing the finished work of the cross. Because there is so

long you can spend as a hamster on a wheel. Eventually you get tired of it and then you quit. You

collapse. That's what religious legalism does. It causes you to collapse. That tire trying to

please a God who according to your doctrine can never be pleased. Well, I got good news. He is

well pleased with you if you've received his son. He's well pleased. Can't get any more pleased

if the blood of Jesus has been applied to your life by you saying yes to the Lord and giving

your life to him. Hallelujah. Sometimes when I got to pray just like you, I have moods.

I have emotions, right? You get to call me up. I got to be right on and pray with you.

But you don't know what I could be coming out of. I don't know. I could just cut out of

like, reprimanding my kids and I'm like, oh, was it too rough? Was it too tough? And I feel,

and I'm feeling feelings, but the moment it's time to pray and I say, Father, in the name of Jesus,

everything changes. It doesn't matter what's been going on in my head, in my motion. It doesn't

matter what I did. It doesn't matter. All that can wait. I'm coming to the Father in the name of

Jesus. That means I am coming to him as his own son. I am completely righteous. I deserve great

things from the Lord. Not based on what I've done or who I am, but based on what Jesus has done

and who he is. So now I have confidence. Hallelujah. Now I want to quit like these new covenant

Hebrews because I'm in the rest of God. Hallelujah. So let's just go back to that first verse.

And this is why I'm always in some way trying to get this to you, family. I want you to have this

because he says, let us fearless. Any of you seem to have come short of it. Be concerned in other

words if you're not living in the rest of God. Christianity is a struggle without the rest of

God. Some of you, you're just too alive. You need to die to yourselves. Really give your life

to the Lord. Die already. Submit and yield and realize that you have been crucified with Christ

and let the power of God come through and watch how he lives life as you yield to him.

Hallelujah. Merry Christmas. Die already. Amen. That was the word. Verse two.

For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them. Now to us, he means to us. He's

writing to the first century Hebrews. He's saying the gospel was preached to us as well as to them.

Hundreds of years ago, those Hebrews in the wilderness, you say, how was the gospel preached to them?

The gospel is on every page of the old covenant is just concealed. In the new covenant,

the gospel is revealed. Even Moses leading two million Hebrews through the red sea, the new

covenant explains that was a type and a picture of baptism as they went through the red sea.

The man from heaven was a type and a picture of the word of God that were to eat that sustains us.

But this is so. But the word which they heard, the Hebrews in the wilderness,

it didn't profit them because it wasn't being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

That's so huge. I never want to be that person. When I first got saved, my attitude was,

I'm either going to be a Christian, a Christian Christian, what the Bible just simply calls a

Christian, a real Christian, a Christian that gets prayers answered, a Christian that has the

power of God in their lives, or I'm not playing games, right? You were the same way.

Because we both came out of the world. We were both plucked out of the world and we both knew,

hey, if this isn't real, I don't want it. I want to do it real. And so we have to mix faith with the

word. And I'm provoking right now people who don't mix faith with the word. And some people

like that still come every Sunday. I don't know how I couldn't do it. If I didn't see evidence of

the Lord working in my life, I mean, there will be times you have to go by faith for a while,

but eventually the breakthrough comes. I don't want to be the person who just gets wet. I want to

be the person who gets baptized. What's the difference? Some people get baptized and encounter the

Holy Spirit. The life has changed after baptism. Other people, they just had a baptism and they got

wet. What's the difference? One mixed faith and they had an expectancy. The other one just went,

oh, yeah, it's okay. I'll do it like the rest. Oh, why don't be that person? I don't want to be a

bucket plunker who just gives here and there and then expects for nothing. I'll run out of money

that way. I have to mix faith with my giving. Every time we give, we don't do it haphazardly,

we do it by faith. We say, Lord, we're giving you the time and an offering on top and we're

trusting for more to come back because the word says you take pleasure in the prosperity of your

servants. Now I'm releasing faith. Amen. Whatever you hear preached, if it's in the word,

you got to grasp it with your spirit and say, that's for me. That's for me. It will be

fulfilled in my life. I'm like a, like a rot wiler. I've grabbed ahold of that word. I'm not

letting go until I see it bring fruit in my life. Hallelujah. And I believe, look, I believe we're

going to see people like that. Look, in every church, you're going to have people who are just

hearers and not doers. I just want to see that the stats go up properly in the right direction.

Like 95% of you mix faith with what you hear and the other 5% you're new. You'll come around it.

That those are good stats. Verse 3. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I love you church. You know, if I,

if I just kind of seems like I'm shaking you a little bit, it's out of love. I promise you.

I just want to, I just want you to be able to receive all that's already been paid for in full

and requires faith. For we who believed do enter that rest as he has said, so I sworn my wrath they

shall not enter my rest. Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world,

so with the children of Israel in the wilderness, he swore in his wrath they're not going to enter my

rest. Let's keep reading to verse 4. For he has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day.

You know what it says in a certain place like that? You know what that really theologians will

all say this. He's talking about a certain place in the Bible, but whatever book it was they hadn't

figured out chapter and verses like we have today. So it's just in a certain place. Anyway, that

doesn't interest you, but it was funny to me. On the seventh day in this way, and God rested

on the seventh day from all his works. And again in this place they shall not enter my rest.

Since therefore it remains that some must enter it this wonderful place called the rest of God.

And those to her to whom it was first preached the Hebrews in the wilderness did not enter because

of disobedience. What disobedience? Unbelief, doubting, a bad attitude, getting bitter,

having unbelief towards God. That's what's considered disobedience and evil. All other disobedience

and evil actually comes from the root which is unbelief. Again, he designates a certain day saying

in David today, after such a long time as it has been said today, if you will hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts. For if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken

of another day. Now just keep that up there. Joshua was supposed to bring them to this place

arrest, a physical place, a land of Canaan. But they couldn't enter in because of disobedience which

was their unbelief. What the first Joshua failed, the next Joshua succeeded. Because Jesus's name

some would say Yeshua or Yeshua, most commonly today would be Joshua. So where the first Joshua

failed, the second Joshua succeeded. Just like where the first Adam failed, the second Adam succeeded.

Jesus. For if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken of another day.

Even in the Old Testament, this New Testament rest that we are invited to partake of was prophesied.

It was never supposed to be a physical location and it wasn't supposed to be a day. The Sabbath

is a place in Christ that you live in all the time. It's a place where you ceased from your

labors as God did from his. God didn't stop working because he got tired. It was just time to rest.

Jesus right now, the Bible says he sat down. That's a position of rest.

So many Christians, they feel like from God, everything is a to-do list. And life is hard enough

and stressful enough. And also, then preachers burn them out because every time they come to church,

the preacher gives them a to-do list. Thank you for coming, everybody, this Sunday, Mary, Christmas.

Today I got for you seven steps you need to take in order to be closer to God. In my next week,

I'm going to present to you 10 keys that you need to adopt and really, really appropriate work

through your life. And after that, we're going to have the 26 highways that are going to take you to

and you're busy taking notes like, okay, I knew I missed one. I got to do something else. There's

something that's just not clicking. That's why you have Christians who are full of anxiety.

Don't feel close to God and always wondering, do I deserve even what I'm praying for? No, there is a

rest. In the rest, you realize he is daddy God. He loves you. It pushes his buttons to give you good gifts.

How can you say that? I'm just paraphrasing what Jesus said. Jesus said, it's your father's good

pleasure to give good gifts to his children. Hallelujah. And then the Satan says, why do you deserve him? Oh,

I don't. Glad you brought that up, devil. You know, the Bible says, agree, Jesus says,

agree with your adversary quickly. So, Satan says, you don't deserve that. Oh, yeah, no, don't try.

I know. But the whole gospel is set up where I receive not what I deserve, but what Jesus deserves.

Get that mindset. That terrifies the enemy. Hallelujah. Verse nine,

there remains therefore a rest. He's inviting them to this place. I pray that everyone who calls

city light their home has come or is quickly coming and on their way into the rest of God.

The rest of God, you've quit from striving. If you're under guilt, constant condemnation,

you're not in the rest of God. Look upon Jesus. Look upon what he did for you on the cross. It'll fill

your soul with rest. Verse 10, for he who has entered his rest, God's rest, has himself also ceased

from his works as God did from his. So now there is nothing I can do to impress God.

I can leave right now. I can say, guys, it's been a nice 24-year run, but I'm out of here because

it's just gotten too easy and we're too blessed. So we're going to Calcutta. We're Mother Teresa used

to hang. Victor, we're going to Calcutta. We're going to live in the streets. We're going to

minister to the poor and I really believe if we do that, God's just going to love us a little bit more.

Thank you. Landmines set up to distract me in the shape of my wife's coffee mug.

If God didn't tell me to go to Calcutta, I'm going to die in Calcutta. I'm going to have a miserable time.

What is the rest of God? The rest of God is you doing only what the Lord tells you to do.

Nothing less, nothing more. That's it. That's your only responsibility. Hallelujah.

When I first started pastoring, I thought the whole world was my responsibility. Right? Go

into all the world. Jesus said the world. I was an agony. You didn't want to know me the first

five years. I was a terror. I'd say all the right things from the pulpit, but in my private life,

oh, God, I'm not measuring up. Oh, God, they're all dying. I'm going to hell. I got to rescue them.

I know my assignment. I have peace and rest with my assignment here in New York City.

And you know, when you're not operating in the rest of God, you're always in a state of anxiety

because you have to maintain that thing. When you're in the rest of God, God builds it and he

maintains it. When you're not in his rest, you got to concoct it. You got to build it. And then

you got to maintain it. Do you notice that at City Light, we're flourishing, but as a church,

we're really very simple. We don't have a lot of bells and whistles. Notice no fog machines.

Notice no lasers. Notice we didn't have the rock cats do the can can while Santa appeared on a

giant LED screen behind them. And next week, if you come, we're going to have so and so who you

never heard of who was a famous football player who just recently received Jesus. He's doing the

sermon because whatever you get people with, you have to keep up the charade to keep them in there.

So when it comes to a Bible-based biblical church, what are the important elements? I know

uncompromised preaching of the Word. Amen. Powerful praise and worship where you can enter in.

And three, the Holy Spirit can do whatever he wants to do. Everything else is fluff. Hallelujah.

Praise God. And the same goes for your life. Some of, I dare say this, I say, would love some of the

desires you have. You may be even praying that you have to come before the Lord with this.

Some of the desires you have, they're not of God. The desire is like for whatever success you want.

They may not be from God. They may be, but they may not be. They may be coming out of a place

where you're hurt and you're wounded in your heart and you want to become somebody so other people

will respect you and think, well, of you. And that'll end up like sand in your mouth.

In ministry land, you can do all of the right things for all of the wrong reasons.

It looks nice and looks right on the outside, but only the Lord knows the motives of the heart.

Some of the most productive, fruitful preachers, I know, when you actually peek under the hood and

have a conversation, you realize you're some of the most insecure people on planet earth.

If the dad didn't hug him enough, they don't know the father's love, so they're working and

working. He's going, wow, that's so impressive. No, they're absolutely miserable. They're just

trying to get God's approval and everybody else's. Be free of that. You already approved by God

and what other people think it doesn't make you only knew how much it doesn't matter. Hallelujah.

Verse 11, let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest. In the Old King James, it says,

let us labor to enter into the rest. Sounds like an oxymoron. Work real hard to stop working.

Labor to enter into that rest. Oh, and by the way,

sweetie, your coffee cup exploded while I was preaching. I'm sorry. Yes. It just happened. I

have no idea how. Again, way too comfortable in that second row. She gets a man and now she's

mopping off from the second row. Unbelievable. This is the part where you squeeze her hand and go,

not now, dear. God bless you. I love what you've done with this facial here. Keep up the good work.

Thank you. It's a real step up. Stay close to her. She's got your best interests at heart.

What was I talking about? Oh, thank you. When I look at when we need something done in the church,

the ones who rally the first to serve to help when we have a giving campaign, the ones who give first,

it's actually the ones who completely understand that they don't have to do any of that.

Like, will God love you anymore if you serve? No, He just loves you. But then out of that,

you're filled with the Holy Spirit. You do it anyway. So now knowing that I don't have to do anything

is actually fuel and empowerment to do the important things. Hallelujah. In other words, you don't

take this message of rest and then just become a bum. And just go, well, he did it all. I'm going

to lay in a hammock. No. But you also don't want to be the person who's working for the Lord.

But secretly, you're working for him, hoping that it's going to help you in being justified before

him. Is this making sense? Okay. Verse 12. Oh, one of the most famous scriptures in the new

Testament for the word of God. Shout this is living. See, the word of God is alive. It actually is

alive. A beautiful poem and author wrote a hundred years ago. Pretty words, but it's not,

God breathed. It's not inspired. The word of God is alive. Paul said it actually work

in us. And that Greek word for work is this energy. It energizes. It produces innate, innate

within comes together with the word of God. It's power to fulfill that word.

The word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to

the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow and is a discernor of the thoughts and

intense of the heart. I want to read this to you. I found out in the first service, I won't be

able to get through it all. So I'm going to read a few. But it's something I wrote yesterday

from different verses on the power of the word of God. I want to show you what the Bible says

about the Bible. And I won't be able to get through this whole thing. But if you want this

entire list, which when I'm done with this, I'm going to put this right up above my desk in my

office because I want to memorize all these scriptures. You can email info at CityLightNYC.com

and just say, hey, can you give me the thing? They'll know what you're talking about. Send me the

thing the pastor spoke about. Send me the thing and we'll send it to you. And you can print it out

and get familiar with this. But since we're Bible-believing Christians, it's important to know what

actually is the quality. What are the qualities of the Word of God? What does it do?

God's Word, put that slide up. God's Word brings true health, fruitfulness, prosperity,

and success to what we do. Psalms 1 verses 2 through 3. Show that. But his delight is in the law,

Psalms 1:2–3

the Word of the Lord. By the way, there's different names for the Word of God. Not every time

is it just called the Word. Testimonies means the Word of God. Statutes means the Word of God.

Precepts means the Word of God. And the law, sometimes it means the 10 commandments. Sometimes it

means just the mosaic law, but oftentimes it just means it's a synonym for the Word of God.

So when your delight is in the Word of the Lord and in the Word you meditate day and night,

here's the promise. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings

forth its fruit in its season whose leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper.

Why? Because he's merging with the Word of God. He's meditating on it day and night. Now the

Word which is alive and will end at Gio you is going inside of you. The more Word you have inside

of you, the more successful the outcome will be. Do you believe that church? Hallelujah. The Word

works. The Word gets the job done. This is why Satan is trying to keep you away from the Word.

Hallelujah. And I'm not just talking about your everyday reading when you need the Word. When you

have a task or hurdle, I don't mean just do your 10 minutes. Light a candle, open up the devotional,

and read a little bit of Deuteronomy. That's all nice. I have that too. But when I have a task at

hand, I want specific Word. Not just any Word. If I'm facing a certain problem, I don't want to

read about King Huzamahaya. I'm sure a wonderful story in the Lord has used it and we'll use it

and to bless my life. But now I need specific verses that bring life to me, that promise me victory.

Something that you know your spirit leaps when you read a certain scripture. That's a scripture

you want to memorize. Get in your belly and allow the Word to work. The Word of God has healing power

and the power to deliver from oppression. Psalms 10720. Speaking of the Lord, He sent His Word and

healed them and delivered them from their destructions. You know that church that we meet in?

The other one that we have five minutes from here. You notice how the pulpit is off to the side?

Have you ever noticed that? There's a lot of these, what do they call, mainline high churches

where the pulpit is off to the side. Do you know that marks exactly when all those denomination started

to go downhill and now they have rainbow flags and all that nonsense outside? Do you know why?

Because this pulpit used to be where it ought to be, front and center, and the choir was off to

the side until things got a little too lukewarm. And they said, you know what, put the choir and the

orchestra and the instruments put that in the center and put the pulpit off to the side. And that's

when you can see right then the stock plummeted is what I'm saying. The Word of God is to be first

place in the church and in our lives. He sent his Word and healed them. Some people get healed just

by reading about it. My mother, when I was 16, experienced a tremendous healing. She was diagnosed

with tumors in her breast, lumps in her breast. And 16-year-old me just paraphrased Isaiah 53 to her

and tears started running down her cheeks and she went, I believe it. And I said a 16-year-old

22nd prayer. The next day she went and shared that to take multiple mammograms because they couldn't

find where the lumps were. The Word healed her. Yeah. Matthew 8.8, the Centurion answered and said,

Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof but only speak a word. Your word, the word

of God and my servants will be healed. Matthew 8.16, when evening had come they brought to him many

who were demon-possessed and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.

Say this, the Word of God is alive. Oh my gosh, you sound like my pulpit is off to the side.

Come on. The Word of God is alive. It's powerful. It's at work in me. Hallelujah. God's Word

cleans us. It cleanses us. If we take heed according to God's Word our way will be cleansed.

Have you ever just read the Bible and instantly felt better? Instantly felt cleaner?

Victor, when we read the Bible afterwards we're done. I say, how do you feel? What?

I always feel amazing. A couple of times specifically you said, I feel holy, right? I feel holy.

What he's trying to say is I feel clean. I feel holy. The Word of God, have you ever seen a

launderer soap? It's not a regular sized bar soap. I don't really see him in Yugoslavia here because

we have little tight packets and whatnot. But back in the motherland in Yugoslavia you get a

launderer soap. The thing is huge. It's just a giant. The Bible says that the Lord is like a fuller

soap, a launderer soap. You read a little word and I was like, I just feel clean.

John 153, you are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Ephesians 526,

that he might sanctify and cleanse her, the church, with the washing of water by the word. Hallelujah.

I'm just giving you examples in different areas of the Word of God operates in. Is this all right?

The Word of God hidden in our hearts keeps us from sin.

If there's sin struggles in your life, I can also almost guarantee you that there's a word

dearth in your life. It doesn't mean you'll be perfect in every area, but when you have

enough word in you, there's just some things that you don't even want it. You're not even tempted to

do because the Word of God is holding you in check. You don't even have an appetite. You don't even

have a desire for those based things because the Word of God that's cleansing you is keeping you also.

The Word of God, did you read that verse? Did you put that up?

I want them to see. They don't think I'm just making it up. Psalm 119, there it is. Your word

have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. God's Word is a counselor. When we

delight in God's Word, it becomes a rich source of counsel and guidance. Psalms 119, 24, your testimonies

also are my delight and my counselors. So when you need to know what to do, you need to know

what to do. The Word of God, if there's been enough of a deposit in you, will cause guidance to come

up, his guidance to come up from within you. When I read the Scriptures five years ago, I never

found the Scripture that said, thou, O man of God, when thou seaest, when thou seaest,

thy store of value being deflated, and when thou seaest thy US dollar going into the toilet,

surely son of man thou shalt buy Bitcoin. I never found that in the Scriptures. But I found

Scriptures where he promised to lead me, to guide me, to bless me, to bring me abundance. That was

in my spirit. And then five years ago, I have no doubt that that's what caused that to come

up out of me because I felt the hand of God on me. I felt him directing me. What I'm trying to say

is when you search the Scriptures, it's not going to tell you go and change your job and go get

that. Oh, no, you need to switch cities. Oh, it's not going to say that. But when you're full of the

word, the word will actually act like your counselor. So many people who say, I don't know what to do.

They have a word, dearth. The Bible says this, counsel and the heart of man is like deep water.

And a man of understanding will draw it out. If your well has no word in it, the Lord can't

draw anything out to lead you and guide you. But if you have word in your well, then he will

speak to you through his word. Draw it out of your own well. And you'll just, you'll know what

you need to do, what next step you need to take, how you need to turn things around or whether you

should just stay still. That's nine out of 10 times. That's the word for me. All right, Lord,

what do I do now? Nothing. Stay still. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to sit on your hands.

This is just how it is right now. I'm working behind the scenes. You got to trust now. And not

do anything. Can I help you out a little bit? But when he says move, then you better move.

Hallelujah. You know what? Let's go back to Hebrews. I only got into like a fifth of what I had.

But email for the thing. Let's go back to Hebrews.

Verse 13. Oh, no, go back to verse 12. I'm sorry. I wanted you to see something else too.

The word of God is alive. It has an innate power. It's sharper than any two-edged sword than

what in the world have you ever wondered what that second part has to do with the price of eggs?

I mean, I'm glad the word of God is sharp. But what does it have to do? I mean, for years,

I was like, what? I'm piercing the soul and spirit and joint simmer. What are we in a butcher shop now?

What are we talking about here? What is this talking about? You are a tripartite being. You

actually are a spirit. You have a soul. The Greek suke means your mind, your will and your emotions

where we get psychic from. Suke, so it's your mind and you live in a body. And one of the most

common questions I get is how do I know pastor whether it's just me or if it's really the Lord, right?

Well, when it's the Lord, it's in your spirit. When it's quote-unquote just you, it's in your soul.

And sometimes people have a hard time distinguishing between the two. Like, they just stop

finishing scrolling their phone and they're like, you know what? I really, I feel like I need to go to

Cancun. I want to know. In fact, I think the Lord wants me to go to Cancun. In fact, I'm going to be bold.

I feel like Lord spoke to me to go to Cancun. And then like five minutes later, you're like, but I

don't know if it's the Lord or just me. But what you forgot was as you were scrolling you saw 17

hidden advertisements for Cancun. And now all of a sudden you want to go to Cancun and you're

wondering if it's the Lord or you. It's just you. All right. The Lord will speak to your spirit.

Our soul is full of, our soul is just like a giant sponge picking up all the information of the

world. That's what the Bible says to receive with meekness the word of God because it'll actually

save our souls. So our souls will line up with our spirit. So what's the solution? The Bible says,

when you have the word of God, it'll separate fact from fiction, fantasy from reality,

and spirit, soul, and body. That's the joints and marrow part. So if you want to be less confused,

get more word in you. If you want to hear clearer from heaven, get more word in you. Hallelujah.

There's not a lot of rules to this. Get the word in you however you like.

Stand on your head, clap your feet in your corner and say the word out loud. Go for a walk and

just think about the word. Be on the subway and choose a verse. You're going to memorize before

you hit your stop. Sing it. Say it out loud. Write it out over and over again. But get the word in

you. Hallelujah. Verse 13. Worship team, you can come up and there is no creature hidden from his

sight. But all things are naked and open to the eyes of whom, to the eyes of him, to whom we

must give account. Verse 14, seeing them that we have a great high priest. And that's what Jesus

is doing in heaven. He is our high priest, our mediator. That's why we can run to the Father

whenever, because he's our mediator. Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God,

let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with

our weaknesses, but was in all points, say all points that make some people blush. I thought

Jesus was only tempted three times by Satan in the wilderness. That's true. There were three

temptations as the devil departed from him for a season, but throughout his life he was tempted.

In all points, you go not those points. Yes, those points, especially those points.

Perhaps to the people who can chuckle. Who are secure enough in the Lord to chuckle out loud.

But was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. All right. So because we have this rest

in the Lord Jesus, because our own striving and our own effort, it doesn't matter when it comes

to our justification before the Lord, you already did all the work for you. What a rest that is.

Because the Word of God is so powerful, because you now have a high priest who's actually

still fully man and fully God in heaven, who knows. He knows how you feel. He knows what you're

going through. Because of all that, now we finally come up to this point. We can come boldly,

verse 16. Because of all this, we can come boldly to the throne of grace. And that's one of my

hearts for City Light Church, that you're bold Christians. I used to be Greek Orthodox when they

were ministering to me. That was the first time I heard people pray together and I was freaked out.

I was freaked out because they were so bold. It was a bunch of teenagers. But I thought,

this first of all, I thought they're being so irreverent. They're talking loud to God.

They're talking to him like he's a friend. Greek Orthodox, you don't, I've never heard a Greek

Orthodox pray ever in my life. Have you? The priest will pray. But they'll never pray. You're

afraid to talk to him. That's why you go through some saint or someone else. Talk to God directly.

And I hear I get saved and all these people are talking to God and they're bold about it. Freak me

out. That's the Bible way. May we have no man be pain be Christians. May we have no Christians that

pray from their throat. Oh Lord, I know you're tired of hearing from me. And I'm just an old

worm coming up to your throat. Boldly. Why? Because your life is hidden with God in Christ.

Do you think Jesus is before the father and terror? No. He knows his rightful place as a son.

That is your place. He made it so. He paid for you to have that place with his own precious blood.

Hallelujah. And if you've named the name of Jesus and surrendered your life to him, that is your

portion. That is your inheritance. That's your prize. That's the pearl of great price. So you can

come boldly. Never don't come boldly. Never come with your head down. Come boldly to the throne

of God. Also known as the throne of grace that we may get something. Two things actually. Two

things that we really, really need. Mercy and grace. And as too many folks use the terms interchangeably

but actually mean two very different things. Grace is God giving you what you don't deserve, right?

Salvation forgiveness of sins, abundance, healing. Grace is God giving you and me what we don't deserve.

You know what mercy is? Him not giving us what we do deserve. Yeah. Grace is for today and tomorrow.

Mercy is for that thing yesterday that you did. You don't want anybody to know about

honest people chuckling again. God bless you. May the Lord multiply you and bring more here just like

you. Yeah. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't have a beautiful wife and children that I look at and

a blessed church and dear friends. I should I should be living under a bridge eating stale crackers

and cheese right now. Really? That's where I should be. No, I'm not talking in some exaggeration.

No, I've made mistakes where I should have been where God himself should have been. You know what?

I'm through with you. I knew you were done when I called you but now you've outdone yourself.

That's what I did. But what happened? His mercy. His mercy. Some people have great faith for

punishment and divine retribution. Oh, I'm going to get it now. Yeah, you will according to your

faith. Be it unto you. My faith is for mercy. Amen. And I'll come and get it boldly knowing that

I don't deserve it. But it doesn't give me what I deserve. Man, I'm hitting this over and over again.

He gives me what Jesus deserves. So we're going to come boldly and get mercy for yesterday's failures

and grace and empowerment from heaven for today and tomorrow. Hallelujah.

Let's finish up just a couple of more verses. No, that's it, right?

I'm the guy teaching you Hebrews. We're finished? Good. Hallelujah.

Heavenly Father, we thank you. Thank you for Jesus.

Thank you that because of Jesus, we know we can come right to you and you will in no

wise cast us out. You will never reject us. You will never push us away.

Father, I'm asking you specifically that you would get our church ready for what's to come.

Yeah. Lord, we need your help. Infuse us with strength, with the power of the Holy Spirit,

cause relationships. Some of you you have ministries you're carrying on. You don't even know

it yet. God's going to cause that to flourish. Whatever you want, Lord, do it in us.

In Jesus name, amen. Hallelujah. Ministry team, once you go to that well lit area to my left,

you're right. And if you want prayer for anything, anything at all, you want our ministry team

to lay hands on you, pray with you for you. You want the Lord to touch you. Go right over there

and they'll pray with you and for you. Everyone else, let's stand. Hallelujah.

And let's sing this song with our whole hearts to the Lord.

Say this before we do. I'm forgiven. I'm forgiven. I'm righteous. The Lord is on my side.

He's working in the invisible realm. And I'm on the rest of God. 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 Jansik 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.

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