Unraveling the New Covenant: Lessons in Humility and Generosity

We need to do something to become approved unto God and you don't, it's done and now that

it's done and you've been given heaven and forgiveness of sins and justification by faith

and righteousness.

Now that it's all yours for free out of your inner man out of your new creation being

come forth good works.

That's why you're here today.

Welcome to the CityLight 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 CityLight Church feel free to visit us at citylightnyc.com that's

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.

Grateful that you're here in person and grateful for those of you joining us online.

Hallelujah.

I joked in the first service.

I was just reminded why typically Emily and I take a mini vacation and we're not here

on this Sunday because our anniversary is December the first and we'll be celebrating

11 years now.

For some of you were just getting started I know but 11 years, nothing is needed.

The Bible talks about the fruit of long suffering and she has, what was it meant to be that

funny just meant to be a little joke on the side and I'm gesticulated towards my wife

she's so we normally we normally take and I'm because so many of our people are out

and but we wanted to stay here and it's good to be with you all while a lot of our people

are still on their way back or tripping out on trip to fame still recovering but what

a wonderful name we have in Jesus it's the all access passed to the Father and to heaven

and I am so thankful this Thanksgiving weekend amen.

We are in Galatians we are concluding our series on Galatians clash of the covenants

and what a what a trip it's been.

I've said this earlier I want to reiterate it I pray for you often and I pray about what's

ahead for us and what's happening in the world.

Taking note that we're entering into 2024 and another election cycle and if you remember

four years ago things got very very crazy or have you forgotten already.

You talk about brother will rise up against brother father against son and one's enemies

will be they of their own household and I don't expect anything less in 2024 and so

my job is to prepare you and I can't think of any better preparation than being firmly

planted in the new covenant and really understanding the grace of God.

When you are firmly planted in the new covenant and you understand the grace of God several

things are going to happen you're going to be bold the Bible says the righteous are as

bold as a lion.

Another thing that will happen is you'll be a friend of the Holy Spirit who's also called

the Spirit of truth so that you're not led astray that you're not blinded that you're

not been boozled if 2020 has shown anything it's that if a lie is repeated often enough

almost everyone will believe it and so that we stick close to the Spirit of truth who

will keep us in his truth and that we don't go to the left or to the right or go astray

but that we're firm and close with Jesus say man.

So we're in Galatians chapter 6 we're wrapping up and for the first five chapters of Galatians

Galatians 6 · chapter mention

it truly was the clash of the covenants as Paul reiterated over and over again that

we're no longer bound to the old covenant of the law but we're now living under the

new covenant of grace.

Chapter 6 is going to deal more with the way we relate to each other within the context

of a Christian community.

So I must recap once again Galatians 1 through 5 60 seconds are you ready go two covenants

the old the old covenant you endeavor to become righteous you endeavor to be accepted by

God based on your own law keeping based on your own ability to keep God's law crossing

every tea dieting every eye the end result was that we failed over and over again and

when I say we I mean humanity any person who endeavors to keep the law will fail why

because the law places a demand on you but does not fulfill you or excuse me does not

give you the power to fulfill that demand so you always come up short it's designed

to show us as incapable of walking rightly with God which without Jesus we are so it's

a failing covenant and then Hebrews it says that having found fault with them with the

people and with the covenant there was a new under the new covenant it's totally different

you're not trying to get God's approval you already have it you're not trying to get

God's righteousness you already have it you're not trying to get God's acceptance you already

have it it's not based on what you do it's based on what Jesus has already done whoo and because

of that we celebrate Jesus's cross his blood and this new covenant in which we stand but there

is a warning all throughout Galatians because this group known as the Judaizers came in and they

took this new group of Christians the Galatians who had just come to faith in Christ they just

got saved and they told them it's wonderful that your Christian and that you believe in Jesus but

you still have to keep the the law so the gospel is Jesus plus nothing equals everything you cannot

add to Christ's already completed work but they began to add and we as people as human beings

were prone to do the same thing we somehow want a part of the salvation process even though he

did it all and when he was done he sat down that means he went into a place of rest the position of

rest there was no more work to do and really do you know that's what the Sabbath is all about the

Sabbath was under the old covenant one physical day where you abstained from your labor just as God

did from his during creation under the new covenant Jesus abstained from the work of salvation because

it was finished he sat down so under the new covenant the Sabbath is celebrated every day

every hour every minute you get to sit back and go wow thank you Jesus you did it all and I don't

get to contribute I can now follow you I can now allow you to fill me with the Holy Spirit and I

can be led by the Spirit but as far as my salvation it is finished it's a done deal and I can cease

from my labors amen so every day Sabbath day and do not allow Judaizers to come in now with

the Galatians Judaizers were an actual physical people group maybe that can happen today but

oftentimes we are our own worst covenant adders and Judaizers we tell ourselves we need to help

us save your out we tell ourselves we need to do something we do do people we need to do something to

become approved unto God we and you don't it's done and now that it's done and you've been given

heaven and forgiveness of sins and justification by faith and righteousness now that it's all yours

for free out of your inner man out of your new creation being come forth good works that's

why you're here today I'm Thanksgiving Sunday not because somebody guilty during to being here

not because you feel like you have to be here otherwise God won't love you anymore but you're

here out of a gratitude of what he has already done do you see the difference you're not trying to

earn salvation you're not trying to earn God's unearnable unmerited favor which is grace but

you're doing the right thing because of what you've already received amen and so once again

I pray for you I love you and with the coming year be mindful of grace because it'll draw you

into the presence of God and I know that you will be safe when you're when you're close to him

when you keep your head upon his breast somebody who's mixing covenants somebody who's under condemnation

they're not quick to rest their head and Jesus is breast but those who know their loved forever

those who know they're forgiven forever they will and they'll hear the heart of their Savior

and no matter what happens come hell or high water the Bible says in destruction and famine you shall

laugh a thousand will fall at your side ten thousand at your right hand but may your confession be

it will not come near me only with my eyes I will behold and see the reward of the wicked

and then you get to say well I'm not wicked not because I'm so awesome but because Jesus has made

me righteous and he's forgiven all of my sins so I qualify for all of the benefits and all

of the blessings of God and he's forgiven your sins past present and future someone says how

could it be my future sins how does that work well every sin is a future sin he died for you two

thousand years ago in fact he didn't forgive you of your sins plural he forgave you of sin

the entirety of sin when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming over the hill he said behold the

Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world singular sin as a concept will be nailed to the cross

in Jesus and to all those who believe their sin past present and future done away with and that

is the blessedness of the new covenant hallelujah so let's get into Galatians chapter six as we

finish up clash of the covenants it wasn't much of a battle huh chapter six Paul says brethren

if a man is overtaken in any trespass you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of

gentleness considering yourself lest you also be tempted now that first sentence note that he says

if a man is overtaken in any trespass so not just the little ones any trespass and this person

is overtaken I want you to know that nobody chooses how they fall Christians sometimes fall

you don't have to have faith that you're gonna fall you don't have to believe God for it but it

might happen and you don't get to choose if I got to choose how I was gonna fall I'd probably choose

that banana peel right by my temperatech mattress and I'd slip and fall and land nice and cushy

but you don't get to choose how you fall you don't get to choose what kind of an accident

I pick a fender a little fender bender every time I'm not metaphorically speaking now sometimes

it's a head-on collision and he gives us instructions on how to treat people within our community

people within the church if they're overtaken in a sin or in a trespass you who are spiritual

not those who are secretly happy that you fell into public disgrace because it makes them seem

more spiritual not the busy buddies not the gassips but the ones who've partaken of the grace of

God and they have his love in their hearts you are spiritual restore that word restore there

from the Greek is brace like a cast come around them with love not condemnation not judgment but come

around them like a cast like a brace and brace them up with prayer with encouragement with love

with support God does the healing but you're the outward cast that's bracing them up it's been said

the Christian army is the only army that shoots it's wounded I'd have to agree bizarre thing

and I do find this that in churches where the covenants are mixed and the people are under the

law that breeds pride that breeds a condemning spirit you'll see a lot more of that

but when grace is champion and celebrated and when we're conscious of all that we've been

forgiven of then we're not quick to finger point at somebody else but a compassion will arise

from within us you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness and he says

as a warning considering yourself lest you also be tempted because if you don't restore such a

one in a spirit of gentleness with love if you're secretly happy that they fell then that same

thing may be coming for you so consider yourself you think you're above that sometimes we get

disgusted how can they fall like that how can they do that what are they thinking

you know in the 80s there were several preachers who had a very public fall

I won't get into their names but I remember one of them fell very publicly and then other

major ministries they pointed the finger and publicly they spoke against them and then one by one

it was exposed that they were all guilty of the same sin you don't want to be the finger pointer

you want to be the one who comes embraces and loves and sees God's restoration and healing

considering yourself because you're not above that if you think you are your next

verse 2 bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ he's kind of winking at the

Judaizers he's saying those of you who love the law of Moses so much and you think you can be

saved by it there is a higher law he talked about it in the chapter before in Galatians 5 the law

of Christ to love your neighbor as yourself so bear one another's burdens he's going to use two

words burdens and loads a burden is in the Greek it's like a backpack but that's overflowing with

too much stuff everybody gets a backpack a load everyone has a backpack in life a load they have to

carry but if you come across somebody who's just gotten too much now they're being crushed underneath

the weight of a burden of life help them and in that way you'll be fulfilling the ultimate law

to love your brother and your neighbor as yourself verse 3

for if anyone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing he deceives himself i've been joking

lately about what kind of a scripture plaque i'd like in my office turns out this is really the one

I should have aimed at me if anyone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing he deceives

himself there is this attitude of the heart that we should have and both can coexist at the same

time one attitude says i am a victor in Christ i am an overcomer more than an overcomer but within

Christ i am blessed i'm highly favored i'm expecting something good to happen to me i'm a child

i qualify for all of heaven's benefits and at the same time to have a heart pasture where you say

in and of myself i'm nothing in and of myself i am wretched in and of myself i don't deserve heaven

i don't deserve forgiveness i don't deserve a thing the bible says that god resists the proud

but gives grace to the humble which is kind of a frightening verse because i don't like it when

Satan resists me let alone when god himself resists me and it says that pride opens you up to the

very resistance of god but he gives grace to the humble so what is humility it is your dependency

on the Lord it is you not having confidence in yourself the rebuke that Jesus gave the laodice

in church in Revelation chapter three the church age most believe that we're living in the rebuke

was you think you're all that but really you don't even realize you're naked but you think

you have costly garments on you think you can see but you're blind you think you're rich but

really you're poor and the rebuke was that they thought that they were strong in and of themselves

that they had arrived may we carry both attitudes of the heart simultaneously and it is possible

i'm a champion i'm a victor and also i need Jesus i really really need him because without him

i'm nothing for if anyone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing he deceives himself

verse four but let each one examine his own work and then he will have rejoicing

and himself alone and not and another bit of a cryptic verse here Paul says examine take

inventory of yourself and examine your own works and really he has echoed this in several other

places in New Testament where Christians will stand before judgment seat there's several judgments

that the New Testament talks about one is the great white throne judgment at the end of Revelation

that is the final judgment the good news is you won't be a part of that do you remember

if you remember some wild west history they talked about those hanging judges with a hanging

they're not really trying to find out whether you're guilty or innocent everyone's guilty

it's kind of like the great white throne judgment if you appear there it's for unbelievers not

believers and if you appear there there that means you have rejected Jesus you've died in your sin

and there's only one verdict guilty thankfully because of Jesus' great gift and what he's done

for you you'll never stand before the great white throne judgment but Paul does talk about the

beam of seat or the judgment seat of Christ that's where believers will be judged not on whether

you're going to get into heaven or not you're already heaven bound all of your sins are forgiven you

but you'll be judged on your on your heavenly reward

so how will you be judged on your heavenly reward several factors in the scriptures come up

one you'll be judged on what you have done with the gifts he has given you and that's good news

you're not responsible if you're not called to be a global evangelist you're not responsible for

the salvation of hundreds of thousands of souls amen and i'm not responsible for the calling on

another pastor's life and he's not responsible for mine you're only responsible to fulfill

that which he has put inside of you and the second thing that comes up in Corinthians

Paul says at the judgment seat of Christ the purifying fire of God will hit our works

and it could turn if it wasn't with the right motive it'll turn into wood hand stubble

but if our motive was right it'll be precious stones

and that should just cause us to raise our eyebrow to make sure that whatever we do something

it's with the right heart and with the right motive because you can do all of the right things

for all of the right reasons have you ever been a part of a Christian organization

where there were tears and distinct hierarchies and you had to work to climb the ranks

and then very quickly you forget why am I doing this am I getting caught up with the Lord of

the work or the work of the Lord and why am I doing this to get promoted in the eyes of man

to get another pin from man to be acknowledged by man if social media has shown us anything

is that without Christ we're all ravenous animals in desperate need of validation and affirmation

I'm feeling down you know what I really need a like from a stranger to let me know that I'm okay

that I exist that I matter I can lonely sometimes I feel like if I died no one would even miss me

but Betty over there gave me a like I don't even really nobody her profile picture has a line in

the background and she's blown a show far but Betty liked my post and I'm glad to know that I'm

making a difference I'm sorry do you know Betty you look upset nobody's were harmed in the

preaching of this sermon it's a matter of motive and so when we do the good things that we want to

do for the Lord empowered by his holy spirit under grace it shouldn't be for for people's

affirmation amen it should be just for him for an audience of one amen it's easier said than done

but as we die more to self and as we realize that most people just don't care anyway it'll cause

you to live for that audience of one amen Galatians six five see he said bear one another's burdens

that's the overflowing backpack and then he says but each one shall bear his own load his own

backpack that's given to us and then he goes into an offering teaching in verse six

let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches so here Paul is laying

out how ministry should be funded and he's saying if you're a teacher of the word you should be

financially compensated from your ministry we know that he Paul was a tent maker but he didn't

stay a tent maker and he gives his reasons for temporarily being a tent maker and part of his reasons

were that he just didn't want to give him any excuse not to hear him he didn't want anybody to

say oh he's just preaching and he's in ministry for financial gain so he may tense on the side

but the way God has always established it was that a minister be compensated for their ministry

and not to muzzle the ox that treads out the corn just the image of that is cruel right an ox

that you use to stomp and tread out the corn but you place the muzzle on it so when it's hungry

you can't even grab a few bites of what you're using it for as it treads on the corn

let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches can I get an amen here

amen let verse seven and then this verse note that this verse is in the context still of this

offering terminate that the apostle Paul is giving you typically it's taking out

independently and it's displayed in a way where there's almost this ominous laughter in the background

oh do not be deceived God is not mocked for whatever a man says that will he also reap it's in the

context of the offering and Paul what he's saying I'll just rephrase this another way Paul is saying

it is an utter mockery to God to believe that you can so financial seed and not reap a harvest

back he's encouraging them in his giving he says God is not mocked and he uses these agricultural

and agrargarian terms throughout the New Testament sewing and reaping so it's impossible to

sew apple seeds and not get an apple orchard it's impossible to sew pumpkin seeds and not get

pumpkins he's saying it's impossible to sew financial gifts and not reap a financial reward and

it is a mockery to think so to think that it's impossible but whatever a man says that is what he's

going to reap amen next verse wait just go back one verse did we finish that okay verse verse

eight for he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption but he who sows to the spirit

note that Paul says giving unto the Lord is sowing to the spirit will of the spirit

reap everlasting life and then attached to this offering little three verse sermon at to encourage

them in their giving he says and let us not grow weary while doing good for induced season we

shall reap if we do not lose heart wise Paul telling I'm not to grow weary in doing good and saying

if you just don't lose heart you're going to reap your reward I know why I've lived why

because the harvest doesn't really come until you push past the point of almost losing heart

it doesn't come until you actually feel like I'm in a fork in the road

hey does this is does this really work because I'm not really seeing it work in my life and then

if you still keep the faith that's when the harvest comes amen that's why it's put in there

some of you don't know my testimony many of you've heard the testimony way too many times

but we launched city light church I planted it nearly 22 years ago I was 26 years old in the east

village on seven street with no sponsorship from any other church a denomination I came from a

large church but it just wasn't a time where churches financially supported church plans I got

to be blessed and be filled it was awesome but not be blessed and be filled didn't pay the rent

and so I ended up living in the church in the basement 20 feet wide by 80 feet long

no windows and there was that one afternoon where I caught 17 mice in one afternoon

I've seen one or two mice so I laid out some glue traps randomly went to get a cup of coffee came

back like 45 minutes later walk through the door open the door and I was like I hear birds chirping

a bird god in here and then it hit me it must be a mouse no it was 17 mice

and people stayed away from my ministry by the thousands they stayed away

and so now and this lasted for four and a half years you said why did you go even to live in

that basement to live in the church literally the church bathroom had a shower and people said what's

that shower I shower in there and behind the altar was a kitchen that had no heat so inside this

entry you could be 75 degrees and then you you went in the middle of the night and it would be like

45 degrees in the kitchen and so there were times when I'd be praying there and I felt like

the children of Israel when they came out with Moses and they were all frustrated because they

didn't see the fulfillment of the promise and they cried I love have you let us out here that we

should die and I actually remember several times praying and doubting the whole message of sewing

and reaping of giving I actually thought hey I went to college man I could have got my dad is in

finance I could have followed him instead I answered the call to ministry and now I'm here in my late

20s living in a windowless basement this is this is not how I planned it to be and I gave away all

this money wherever the Lord said give I gave and now here I'm in my late 20s all I have is credit

card that I'm just broke and when is the harvest coming I remember several times it was like in

the spirit standing at a fork in the road now look if I had taken man's word for it then I'm a fool

but I didn't take man's word for it I wasn't emotionally moved by some 3 a.m. televangelist to give

everything I had I saw it in the word I saw that Jesus never ever talked about giving without

also talking about you receiving I saw that God's prescription for abundance and for

prosperity was generosity but as everybody I got to that place where I wondered

am I going to continue because I was losing heart and let us not grow weary while doing good

for induced season that's a christianism due season that's an end no it is it's that answer

what is my harvest coming induced season what does that mean that's like saying

soon what does that mean you're soon or God soon because the day is a thousand years to God which

it will come if you do not lose heart he's saying it specifically because he knows the temptation

will be to lose heart Paul does that sometimes he'll let you know who's prone to that he'll say

husbands love your wives and be not bitter against them because a husband may be more prone to be

bitter against his wife don't be bitter hey man he says study your wife that's what that verse

husbands dwell with your wives with understanding it means study them like a scholar their likes

their dislikes what makes them tick and he could be better blessing to them right I'd like to

think I got my PhD in emilyology I think that she might give me barely a bachelor's I don't know

but I'm working on it I'm trying to get the credits I'm gonna study my wife that way as soon as

she comes through I'm like oh I've seen that I this is chapter six verse 10 I've studied you I know

just what you need amen and then I get a harvest from that don't I babe hallelujah

yeah

therefore verse 10 therefore as we have opportunity remember he's talking about the offering

whenever you see it therefore ask yourself what it's there for therefore as we have opportunity

let us do good to all but especially to those who are of the household of faith just note that as

Christians this is going to sound kind of harsh but hey as Christians our primary responsibility

is to other believers other Christians help where you want but just know the Bible says primarily to

the household of faith because the whole design of charitable giving was supposed to be through the

those who are outside of the faith look at us and our love for one another and how we take care of

each other and then how no one is lacking in our community and they go wow what an amazing

generous loving group of people and their God is so loving I want in amen we as a church get hit

up for money all the time I think some people think we're bank and no we're not giving God's money

to restore benches in central park we're not giving God's money for graffiti removal on such

and such street our primary concern is to help those who are of the household of faith in fact

our end of the year offering is up where we disclose all of the church finances there was a card

on your seat and you can see who the finances are going to it's other people within our church

other ministries mainly other ministries but to those who are actual members of city light and

whenever they need we go to help them amen you don't know yeah let's get back to Galatians

that's pretty stained glass therefore as we have opportunity let us do good to all especially

to those who are of the household of faith verse 11 and this is why some people believe the

Paul had an eye disease because he wrote the letter in 72 point fonts as opposed to regular 10

or 12 point fonts see with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand

he didn't have an eye disease doctors can barely with great difficulty diagnose somebody standing

right in front of them how are you going to diagnose somebody who lived two thousand years ago

and say they had an eye disease in fact he didn't write all of Galatians it was a steward who wrote it

but that particular portion he John Hancocked with large letters and just said I'm putting an

emphasis on this see what what large letters I've written to you with my own hand as many as

desire to make a good showing in the flesh these would compel you to be circumcised let me

rephrase that as many as desire to make a good show a show a religious show in the flesh

these would compel you to add to the already finished work of Christ as many as want to make a

show in the flesh they're going to tell you do xyz and you'll help earn your salvation and you'll

be more proved unto God what arrests you have when you know there is nothing you can do to cause

him to love you more there is nothing that you can do to cause him to forgive you more you're

thoroughly and completely loved you're thoroughly and completely forgiven

these would compel you to add circumcision there is a symbol for adding to the finished work of

the cross only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ because you suffer

persecution when you preach Jesus plus nothing equals everything that's what got Paul persecuted

why because such a message robs people of their pride robs people of their religiosity

he said if I if I didn't want to be so persecuted I just preach legalism people love that

you tell people grace and it's all for free and they want to kill you for it

verse 13 for not even those who are circumcised keep the law those who are getting circumcised

they're still not keeping the entirety of the law and if they break it in one point they're guilty

of breaking it completely but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh

but God forbid that I should boast and if you want to memorize like a verse for the week this is a

great one to memorize you know memorizing the word brings great power the word becomes flesh

the word is like fuel for your spirit God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our

Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world worship team come

on up foreign Christ Jesus neither circumcision being a Jew nor uncircumcision being a Gentile

avails anything he's saying it doesn't matter if you're physically Jewish or physically not Jewish

but what does matter is being a new creation

that's how God sees people whether they're a new creation or not a new creation and he's provided

the way to becoming a new creation by saying yes and giving your life to Jesus and trusting in his

substitutionary death on the cross that phrase new creation in the Greek is a new species of being

than ever existed before do you know how different you are the Bible says the Old Testament prophets

they prophesied about the new covenant they prophesied about the new birth they prophesied about

the new creation that you get to enjoy today they looked and peered and saw it but never experienced

it themselves but you get to experience it because you're living on this side of the cross

Jesus said among men born from women there's none greater than John the Baptist that's pretty amazing

even greater than Moses because John the Baptist he hurled it the way he declared the way for Jesus

there's no one's greater than John the Baptist and then he said this but those in the kingdom of

God the least in the new covenant kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist what's it like

can I interview you what's it like to know you're greater than John the Baptist

and why are you and why are you and why are you in Jesus' own words greater than John the Baptist

because John the Baptist as great as he was never had the new creation he was never born again

he looked into it prophetically he saw it but he passed away before Jesus's death burial and

resurrection still went to heaven because back then your salvation was based on you looking to the

Messiah you kind of got saved on credit you look forward it to the Messiah you believe Messiah was

coming and he would take away the sin of the world but you didn't have they they had the promise

we have the fulfillment they had the shadow we have the substance how beautiful that is

that we get to live on this side of the cross and it doesn't matter whether you're Jewish or not

Jewish because they were saying you you're you're extra special if you're Jewish and he's saying it

doesn't matter it's all about whether you're in Christ or not verse 16 and as many as walk according

to this rule peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God there's a lot of talk about

Israel today a lot of talk about Palestine I'm not going to wax the political I've shared my views

and they come from Joshua chapter five where he says I'm not on your side I'm not on your side

God says I'm on my side but I want you to answer this question for yourself who is the

Apostle Paul talking about here when he says peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel

of God who's the Israel of God the nation of God God's chosen people the called out ones the

precious ones I mean the clue is he's writing to the Galatians and he just said it doesn't matter

if you're naturally Jewish or naturally non-Jewish but what matters is a new creation

this spiritual Israel that's the nation of God that's God's chosen people

it's not whether you were physically born into it it's where you spiritually born again

into it and when Paul says mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God he's talking to anyone

who is in Christ anyone who's had their sins forgiven and I remember today this sounds strange

but when he was preaching this to a first century audience the majority of Christians were Jewish

only today does this does being Jewish mean I don't believe in Jesus like that's part of the faith

I believe in this and part of my faith is I can't believe in Jesus it wasn't seen that way then

it was bastardized and morphed into that throughout the centuries but the majority of Christians

I mean you see that right in fact they they were shocked oh you're not Jewish and you believe in

Jesus and you're heaven bound wow you were the minority and he says blessings be to the Israel of our

God you're the nation of God the people of God God's chosen people not because you're so awesome

or I'm so awesome but because his cause is to be born again by his precious blood from now on

let no one trouble me because there were people criticizing him and if you're ever going to say

anything that's the truth if ever going to stand up for God's righteousness there'll be people

who criticize Jesus for now on let no one trouble me for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus

listen to his defense he's saying because Paul in the scriptures it shows that he was whipped

39 times on five separate occasions and plus he was stoned he was stoned so bad that they

thought he was dead some say he did die and God raised him up he says I bear in my body the

persecution for the truth that I preach and there's some keyboard warrior somewhere to the side

telling me how bad I am just tell him to keep quiet because I bear in my own body what it's like to

truly live for Jesus and to be under persecution and then ends with brethren the grace of our Lord

Jesus Christ be with your spirit he finishes this great letter on grace by inviting the grace of

the Lord Jesus to be with your spirit and that's my prayer for you but the grace of Jesus be with

you and that you're growing grace and at this mystery that is grace and it is a mystery Paul called

it a mystery it's a mystery because it goes against our natural understanding of the order of the

universe the natural order of the universe is what Paul called the ABCs of the universe do good

get good do bad get bad even total unbelievers call that karma but grace is even while you were

yet a sinner Christ died for you even while we were still bad not deserving of anything good

he gave us everything so I want you to just listen to the song and sing it sing the lyrics

and receive God's grace and let him whisper to you about you you know he doesn't want to keep

you in the dark he wants to tell you what's around the corner what's behind the bend just say

this out loud Lord Jesus I am your sheep and I hear your voice speak Lord for your servant is listening

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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