The Lordship Of Jesus (Part 2) - [Luke 4:31-37]

I read that you blink 25 times every minute and one blink takes about a fifth of a second and therefore

I read if you take a 10 hour automobile trip averaging 40 miles an hour you'll drive 20 miles with your eyes closed and then

I read a theologian and he said far more surprising than that some people go through life with their eyes closed to the real person of Jesus Christ they settle for only believing in his death and resurrection they seem to care little about his person and life but as you know

Luke the great physician in the gospel of Jesus according to Luke wants to make sure you understand of course his substituent death of course his little resurrection but also who he is his person, his character how he acts, how he thinks how he deals with people and so please take your

Bibles and turn to the gospel of Jesus according to Luke we're in chapter 4 and we realize as we're studying this great gospel that we see who

Jesus really is he hasn't come to Calvary yet we're not in chapter 23 and so what can we learn about Jesus before he dies he doesn't just come on to be born and then die on the same day he has a life not only because he's going to perfectly obey

God's law like Adam should have, like David should have, like we should have but also so we can get a picture into who he is what's he like and so we never want to separate who

Jesus is from his benefits and of course every Christian loves sermons about Jesus because he's the one that sought us and bought us with his redeeming love you think about when you first fall in love and you just can't stop thinking about that person and morning, noon and night you want to learn more about them and understand them better it's the same thing when it comes to the

Lord Jesus and so at Bethlehem Bible Church we are committed to highlight the Lord Jesus to speak well of him in song, the

Lord's Supper and of course from the pulpit so far in Luke there are many things that are happening including remember the virgin birth of Jesus so that he is sinless and he doesn't have to pay for his own sins we've seen the baptism of Jesus not for his own sins but to identify with people that he is in fact truly human and then the father remember said this is my beloved son in whom

I'm well pleased and the spirit of God descended upon him like a dove we've seen the genealogy of Jesus to be the right king to be the right

Messiah you have to have the right genealogy you have to come from the right tree and so Jesus of course comes from the right tree we see that in Luke 3 and then in chapter 4 remember

Jesus is in the wilderness and he's being tempted and unlike Adam in the garden and unlike Israel in the wilderness who both succumbed to temptation

Jesus doesn't succumb to temptation and finally there's a man who can stand on this earth and say no to Satan no to temptation and it's the

Lord Jesus the victorious one over Satan and now we come to chapter 4 and we've been learning about Jesus and how he is truly man but truly the

Messiah so today we're going to be in Luke chapter 4 verses 31 through about 41 and our outline comes from two weeks ago and it's super simple four truths about Jesus four verities about Jesus and every truth has its consequence we're going to look at the power of Jesus the deity of Jesus the authority of Jesus and the compassion of Jesus we're going to look at his power his deity, his authority and his compassion and since he's powerful you're going to have hope and since he's

God you need to believe him and since he's Lord you need to obey him and since he's compassionate you know that he cares for you and so let's look at that first truth again with a little fleshing out from a couple weeks ago

Luke 4, 31 and following Luke wants you to know the power of Jesus so you can have hope now and in the future

Luke 4, 31 and he went down to Capernaum that is Jesus in elevation he goes from Nazareth down to Capernaum a city of Galilee and he was teaching them on the

Sabbath and they were astonished at his teaching for his word possessed authority and of course the

Lord Jesus shows up and he takes a personal poll and he asks for people what they believe about truth so his sermon can reflect that no, he has power and authority and he is sent by the

Father and he proclaims the truth and the response is they're astonished at his teaching now the other teachers would quote people all the time the scribes would say scribe so and so Pharisee so and so Rabbi so and so Bible teacher so and so but that's not how

Jesus preaches Jesus truth incarnate shows up and he says things like truly

I say to you you have heard it said but I say to you he doesn't have to quote anyone of course he could quote the

Old Testament and sometimes he does but Jesus preaches unlike these other teachers with power and authority

I don't know if you've ever said to yourself I'm sure you've said it you're listening to a sermon and pretty soon you forget who's preaching and you're sitting under the word and you think the

God of the universe knows me he knows what I'm thinking he knows what I'm struggling with he knows me he sees me and can you imagine the

Lord Jesus with that kind of authority that kind of power when he teaches I mean if you ask me who would

I listen to in all the world who's alive now and I'd love to sit at his feet and listen to his sermon that person would be

I think Sinclair Ferguson but can you imagine paling in comparison to Sinclair Ferguson Jesus is in a synagogue teaching, spellbinding teaching they should have expected it because back in Deuteronomy 18

God said through Moses there's going to be the greatest preacher that ever lived and he's going to come to you it says in Deuteronomy 18 and I will raise up for them a prophet like you

Moses from among their brothers and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them all that I command him and whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name

I myself will require it of him God said there's going to be the ultimate prophet the ultimate proclaimer he's going to show up and now

Jesus has arrived and they are dumbfounded they're astonished you listen to his sermon you think who talks like this who is this person they're out of their senses literally in the

Greek language he's preaching not as the scribes Mark says but not only does he teach with authority look at verse 33 his authority reaches to the demonic realm and in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon and he cried out with a loud voice what do you have to do with us

Jesus of Nazareth have you come to destroy us I know who you are the holy one of God but Jesus, see his power, see his authority rebuked him saying be silent and come out of him and when the demon had thrown him down in their midst he came out of him having done him no harm now the first miracle that Jesus ever did

John tells us is turning water into wine but the first miracle that we see here in Luke is this initial signal miracle so that you might say to yourself

Jesus has power out of the 20 or so miracles that Jesus does in Luke this is the first one and as I said a couple weeks ago but I think

I forgot to finish my story and Brian Bartlett made sure he asked me the question that was good by the way if Brian Bartlett ever comes up to you and says

I have a question for you a theology question, what do you think? here's what I think I'm going to go home and study before I answer him because he's already studied himself normally it's demons, spirits why would

Luke say it's unclean because he's letting you up front this is a really really bad one because who can have power over the spirits who can have power over demons who can have powers over the authorities and principalities if Jesus has power over a demon let alone an unclean demon he has power over everyone else this is not your low level typical run of the mill demon in other words and Jesus is powerful and he rebukes this demon he's not going to let the demon say anything and interrupt the demon's crying out with a loud voice literally a megaphone bellowing putting a whole ruckus there what are you going to do with me

Jesus of Nazareth and look what he calls him again in verse 34 the demon calls Jesus the

Holy One of God now when we think of holiness we think of sinlessness and that's true but holiness really means set apart for something special for a mission

Satan and his emissaries know that Jesus had a mission to seek and save the lost I know who you are good angels know what

Jesus is going to do and what he's called Luke 1 .35 a good angel said the child will be born called

Holy the Son of God and of course when you read Luke you should be a good bible student and say this is what

Luke is trying to tell his audience and by the way as you read the book you say I am in fact part of that audience by reading 2000 years later and you ought to say the

Jesus I trust in as a Christian is powerful over every demonic force and every force you ought to say to yourself something like Ephesians chapter 3 now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think according to the power at work in us

I heard one bible teacher he just kind of preached it this way now to him who is able now to him who is able to do now him who is able to do far more abundantly to him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond what we ask or think here's this

God who is able he has power and so when you are afraid of Satan or demons or you're afraid of the future you ought to remember

Jesus the powerful one is going to protect you the God of peace

Paul said in Romans 16 will soon crush Satan under your feet the grace of our

Lord Jesus Christ be with you all the prince of darkness grim we tremble not for him what we also saw last week and this will be a little quicker not only does

Luke want you to know about the power of Jesus he wants you to know about the deity of Jesus so you're not out -believed by a demon so that you're not out -believed by a demon you say you believe well demons believe too let's take a look verse 33 go back to there how about 34 what do you have to do with us

Jesus of Nazareth have you come to destroy us I know who you are the holy one of God and then if you look at Luke 4 .41

in another account the same thing happens he rebuked them he would not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the

Christ Nazareth those people there didn't know and they run him out of proverbial dodge the demons know you can tell that Luke is crafting this in such a way so that you in fact have to come face to face with I see what's going on here but do

I really know Jesus intellectually I know but demons intellectually know

I don't want to have a false faith J .C. Ryle said can you imagine if you were a deceived person going into hell with the last words in your mouth saying but I know about him

I know him don't let a demon out -believe you

I grew up in a Lutheran church and I understood the Nicene Creed I had to memorize it I re -memorized it then

I re -forgot it again but I would say things like this I believe one

Lord Jesus Christ only begotten Son of God God of all worlds God of God, light of light very

God of very God begotten not made being of one substance with the Father by whom all things remain who for us men in our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the

Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary was made man was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate he suffered and was buried in the third day he rose again according to the scriptures the kingdom shall have no end wonderful truths true truths essential truths but they can't just be intellectual truths you have knowledge you agree to that knowledge and then you trust a wholehearted trust the people of Nazareth would not believe the demons believe but it's not a true belief and so obviously

Luke is wanting you to say to yourself it's one thing to say Jesus is the Savior Jesus is my

Savior Jesus is Lord it's one thing Jesus by God's grace is my

Lord and I trust that's what you say Jesus is your Savior and your Lord the third truth found in verse 36 and following Luke wants you to know

Jesus' authority so you submit to Jesus' Lordship power first deity second now authority of Jesus so you submit to that authority verse 36 and they were all amazed and said to one another what is this word for with authority and power he commands unclean spirits and they come out of him now there are many ways to describe

Jesus many ways to describe his preaching here the writer describes his preaching as with authority

I believe 21 times in the gospel of Jesus according to Luke authority is talked about when it comes to Jesus to proclaim, to teach, to forgive sins to be the

Lord of the Sabbath I have authority but it's a derived authority from scripture

David had authority but it was derived from scripture Jesus doesn't derive any authority because he has authority because he's eternally

God and the nature of his teaching authoritative the nature of his ability to cast out demons authoritative he just says a word no potions, no spells, no incantations

Jesus has authority to cast out demons and what's the response they're talking about it

Mark says they begin talking to one another it's like you hear some sermon and you have to talk about it probably some sermons are so boring you talk about the

Red Sox afterwards but they're more boring than the most boring sermon but that's another John Henry story if you were there listening you'd talk about it afterward you wouldn't think about lunch you wouldn't think about anything it's the same place in the surrounding region without phone calls without Instagram without telegrams without anything else the word is getting out because this is amazing no one is like this person no one is like Jesus and the report goes out it's where we get the word echo and echo just means a sound it's just a sound goes out reverberates snowball effect it's gone to population 7000

I think it's gone to India it's gone to Omaha it's gone to everywhere so the writer wants you to realize

Jesus is Lord he has authority and power so let's make it very personal because truth is practical we believe in the

Lordship of Jesus dear Christian he is your Lord and Savior and therefore he has rights to say things about who you sleep with what your view of abortion is what your view of the government is what your view of the world view what about marriage what about money any situation in the world whatever the

Bible addresses he is Lord how to raise children therefore let all the house of Israel Peter said in Acts 2 know for certain that God has made him both

Lord and Christ Romans 14 he is

Lord both of the dead and the living and therefore we as Christians we say we want to submit to the

Lordship of Jesus and surrender to those areas in our lives where it doesn't seem like he's Lord and we would like him to be more

Lord in that area Jesus said why do you call me Lord Lord and do not do what

I tell you Jesus is Lord but not only that I want you to see that Jesus has power, deity, authority and now number 4

Luke wants you to know about the compassion of Jesus so that you know Jesus will receive you shepherd you comfort you and stick with you and we'll see this first with an individual then with a group the compassion of Jesus verse 38 and he arose and left the synagogue and entered

Simon's house now Simon's mother -in -law was ill with a high fever and they appealed to him on her behalf and as he began to serve them now if you're going to read old writers

Puritan writers maybe the easiest one to read is Thomas Watson because he's just Biblical Christ -centered and easier to read here's what

Watson said and I agree with him and I bet you do too no action of Jesus's has fallen short of the ideal he's full of surprises but they're surprises of perfection you're never amazed one day by his greatness the next by his littleness you're quite amazed that he's incomparably better than you could have expected and that's what this miracle here is supposed to have you do you're going to say to yourself oh this he's better than I thought he's better than I thought now here we see the

Lord Jesus dealing with an individual and we realize that Simon had a house by the way when he had to leave everything to follow

Jesus he certainly had things to leave we also realize that it's okay to have a wife the first Pope was married did you know that?

I thought that would give a bigger laugh or smile but that's okay it's okay to have a wife

Paul had a wife 1 Corinthians chapter 9 talked about it but that's not really what we're after here we're after Jesus being kind to people

Jesus being gentle to people Jesus caring about people of course power authority majesty shut your mouth demon possessed people zip your lip be muzzled actually it said earlier in the text but the same transcendent holy one of God how does he deal with people?

hurting people people that need kindness and compassion people acquainted with grief how does he deal with those people?

does in fact Jesus receive sinners? so Jesus leaves the synagogue he goes to the house

Simon's mother -in -law was ill with a high fever so they're asking Jesus of course do something about it he stood over her and rebuked the fever verse 39 and left her and immediately she rose and began to serve them now we have four gospels four good news accounts of Jesus Matthew, Mark, Luke and John they all talk about Jesus from different perspectives maybe his humanity maybe his servanthood maybe his deity but they're all kind of the same

Matthew, Mark and Luke are the same and so we call those what kind of gospels? synoptic gospels that kind of look the same and so you can get some information from Matthew and Mark if you're in Luke and so Mark gives us a little bit more information and Mark says she's lying sick with a fever it's like she's thrown down on the bed she's got such a bad fever maybe you felt so bad before you just like cast yourself on the bed you're too weak, you're too tired, you're too hot you've got such a big temperature, fever this is not a small little deal this is not just you know you'll be better in the morning the language is where we get the word fire she's got a fire she's got some kind of fever we're not told, it could be dysentery it could be sweat, shivering suffering from a high fever what do you do back in those days?

you can read about all the ways they would try to heal people and it's really not too good medical quackery really and here, what would

Jesus do? what would Jesus do? there's a great fever, what would the great physician do? I think probably

Luke knew about bedside manner ever been to a doctor with a bad bedside manner? I wonder what

Jesus' bedside manner is I mean he's transcended, he's great, he's glorious he can do whatever he wants he's got authority

I had a cancer treatment years ago in 2017 in New York and I thought it was the right one I had ten options,

I did the one I came back and needed a Boston doctor I told this particular Boston doctor about what I had done he thought it was a bad idea and told me

I was really dumb to do that I told him my copay was dumb too

I mean here's Jesus she's got a hot burning fever what does he do?

Luke the physician sees Jesus and writes it he stands over her not proud and arrogant and boastful but like a doctor would come over not sitting at the chair, not far off but he comes right over and Matthew and Mark both say he touched her

Matthew 8, he touched her hand Mark 1, he took her by the hand now did you know that for Jewish men especially dealing with Gentiles is one thing and by the way

Jesus just talked about the widow of Zarephath and leper Naaman from Syria Gentiles, they're low but also if you were a rabbi if you were a man even you wouldn't be touching a woman

Jewish teaching said sometimes that you ought to have contact with the woman's hand men not even to count money from your hand to hers you have to be very very careful all of a sudden

Jesus, the great physician the great healer touches her he didn't have to he cast out demons with a word he doesn't have to touch why does he touch the leper in the next account why does he touch

Simon's mother -in -law he goes over to her and heals her with a touch kindly, tenderly, compassionately, warmly 2500 years ago here's one account that the

Greeks had for bedside manners the physician ought to be confidential chaste, sober, not a wine -bibber he ought to have an appearance and approach that is distinguished everything ought to be in moderation be solicitous in your approach to the patient not with head thrown back arrogantly or hesitantly with a lowered glance but with the head inclined slightly as the art demands the physician ought to hold his head humbly and evenly his hair should not be too smoothed down nor his beard curled like that of a degenerate youth or reformed

Baptist pastor oh no, sorry I'm just kidding gravity signifies breadth of experience he should approach the patient with moderate steps gazing calmly at the sickbed he should endure peacefully the insults of the patients can you imagine the

Lord Jesus the eternal Son of God power, authority, majesty, glory coming back on the clouds how does he act with people and to give us insight into the

Lord Jesus I'd like you to turn to Matthew chapter 12 Jesus heals that mother -in -law

Jesus heals a daughter Jesus raises people from the dead should we be surprised?

there was another healing in Matthew chapter 12 and this was said after the healing because I want you to see the

Lord Jesus and his compassion of course he's sovereign of course he's transcendent of course he's holy of course he's righteous but that's not all because he's the perfect man he's the true man

Matthew 12 verse 15 Jesus aware of this withdrew from there and many followed him and he healed them all this was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet

Isaiah this is what we read last week from the pulpit Isaiah 42 behold my servant whom

I have chosen my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased this is about Jesus I will put my spirit upon him and he will proclaim justice to the

Gentiles he will not quarrel or cry aloud nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets a bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not quench until he brings justice to victory and in his name the

Gentiles will have hope behold my servant the father calling

Jesus the servant can you think about all the service projects in all the world all the service opportunities you have in the world and here is the servant of the servants with the most important service ever given

God's choice God's son to go on this service project and to make sure you pay attention the first word of verse 18 is behold so often

I think about myself when I start thinking about my problems I need the word behold I need to have my eyes lifted up by faith instead of concentrating on me myself and my problems behold remember this is the one in whom

God is well pleased and if you are in Christ he is well pleased with you and I specifically want to talk about verse 20 this morning smoldering wicks now if you think of generals you think of conquerors what do conquerors and generals do with the feeble and the frail and those that contribute nothing to the cause what would

Alexander the Great do what did he do what did Napoleon do what did Cyrus do what did

Nebuchadnezzar do what did Belshazzar do what did Stalin do how do conquerors conquer with the strong and with the mighty they are ruthless they crush when

Jesus comes the holy one of God is he different how does he deal with people well here the text talks about two things bruised reeds and smoldering wicks now what were reeds by the way they were just everywhere any kind of marsh, any place where water was you can get them by the river banks and you just cut them and you could use them for all kinds of things you could use them as a toothpick you could use them as a writing instrument you could use them as something to measure something or you could use them for a flute they are thin, they are fragile they are tiny, they break they get worn and when they are worn out you throw them away no one would ever confront you the elders would not call you into my office and say you just threw away a bruised reed

I mean they are everywhere shepherds used them all the time I mean they are just fragile they don't work at all well there is smoldering wicks as well what do smoldering wicks do they smolder last night we had some folks over to our house before the ladies went out and we had candles there and we blew out one of the candles and that thing just kept smoldering

I mean it is bugging me I mean what do I do and I am not even Alexander the Great you lick your fingers to make sure you don't get burned and snuff that thing out would you be offended if I did that to the candle

I mean flax is cheap remember back in the old days you would have a little lamp and it would be olive oil and you would have that little flax there that little wick would go in there and that is what

Matthew is doing I don't know do you feel like you are strong in the faith and strong bodily and emotionally you just are on top of your game all the time or is there some bruising in your life do you feel fragile do you feel broken do you feel down I mean seasons in life that is how we all feel what can you contribute when you are like that does

Jesus really need to have people in the Lord's army yes sir well what if I am not in the

Lord's army because I am in the infirmary I am in the Lord's infirmary I know we have some visitors today

I don't usually sing smouldering wicks they cause trouble they cause smoke they don't help they hurt they take away time, effort, money do you know how long it would take for me to get that smouldering wick to fan up into a light last night a candle it is supposed to light stuff up it is not supposed to make smoke and you know when it comes to people a lot of people and I am talking about just not you but me seem to create more problems than what they are really worth especially

Jesus doesn't need to use people snuff it out and throw it away who cares about that little flax it is going to take more time and patience and effort and care to get that thing going

Jesus said come to me take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart does

Jesus take the bruised reed and just say you are done, you are out does Jesus take the smouldering flax and the wick and just snuff out now when

I was a Lutheran child I was an acolyte how many people here were acolytes in one kind of denomination or another several were and I was trained how to be an acolyte and I was to hold the

I think there is a technical name for them on the one side of the taper they had a wick and on the flip side of the taper they had a bell that was a snuffer and I was to put my robe on my white robe and I was to walk out elbow up,

I still remember that and to start the service I was to light the six candles up on the altar and I always remember this because it was a panic attack it was second service at Calvary Lutheran Church did what they are not supposed to do they took the bell to end the service to snuff everything out and they snuffed it really hard and broke off the wick and so I have six candles to light one, two, everybody is there the congregation three, four, five, six it won't light and I just stood there trying, trying, trying to light that thing you do not feel my pain obviously

I just want to hang up the taper and go back what do I do?

somebody snuffed that out too hard Isaiah 42

Matthew 12 it is not about reeds and wicks it is a figure of speech to talk about weak and helpless people people that are seemingly of no use who struggle who have been abused who are burnt out who can't seem to do much and seen the multitudes

Matthew 9 he felt compassion for them Jesus did because they were distressed and downcast like a sheep without a shepherd how does the

Lord Jesus act? of course he is powerful he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords but a real man a true man a perfect man is compassionate and kind and gentle aren't you glad for that?

you watch Jesus and how he deals with people Peter is freaked out as Jesus raced from the dead go your way tell his disciples and Peter the unbelief of Thomas Jesus could just say get over it and he stoops to Thomas' level here put your fingers in my side one writer said if thou wilt thou canst said one poor man in the gospel if you can do anything another said both were smoking flax neither of them were quenched if Christ had stood upon his own greatness he would have rejected them if but Christ answers his if with a gracious and absolute grant

I will be clean as Richard Sibbes says there is more mercy in Christ than there is sin in us aren't you glad?

you think to yourself well maybe you are having some good days you are walking in the spirit but there are days where you are just thinking I am a bruised reed and I am a smoking flax and I am hurt and I am broken and I have had things happen to me

I am in a state of emotional or spiritual or physical I am hurting Lord Jesus I don't really seem like I am helping you in the kingdom how is the

Lord acting towards you? what is his demeanor? how does he act? throw you away?

of course not snuff you out? absolutely not now let's go back to Luke chapter 4 and see what happens when the great physician with his great bedside manner does the great healing because of his greatness and compassion who is

Jesus? who is like him? that is what worship is supposed to be let's learn more about Jesus and it is only the self -righteous person that says

I have had enough of the compassion of Jesus and how he deals with broken people and people with burdens we don't want to talk that way we don't want to think that way because we know deep down nobody is looking what we are like and how we need a

Lord like this what does the text say in Luke after Jesus heals her?

he stood over her verse 39 of Luke 4 and rebuked the fever and it left her and immediately she rose and began to serve him

I mean it is Sabbath it is a big meal it is like Sunday meal and of course when I finally feel better like I am almost over this sickness but I am still tired

I am still lethargic I still kind of have a headache when Jesus heals it is instantaneous it is organic it is perfect and she doesn't say

I need to rest a little bit she gets up she is perfectly healed completely healed no lingering sickness she is not wiped out when

Jesus heals the negative is gone fever and the positive is there power and ability to serve she is strong she is supernatural and what do you do if you have been healed?

it is the guilt grace gratitude paradigm she is thankful to serve now when the sun was setting because Jesus has compassion not just for an individual but a group all those who had verse 40 were sick who were sick with various diseases brought them to him and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them there is the compassion of the

Lord Jesus laying his hands don't miss it he just could say you are healed but again the divine touch and demons also came out of many crying you are the son of God but he rebuked them would not allow them to speak because they knew he was the

Christ Sabbath is about over more and more people showing up and Jesus casting out demons with a word one after another after another bringing burdens people news spread like wildfire and they were bringing

Jesus everyone was sick everyone that was sick he healed no antibiotics there were probably a lot of sick people by the way do you notice what

Luke does he makes sure you realize that there is sickness and there is demon possession and he is not saying all sickness is demon possession or vice versa was there any disease beyond Jesus power all sickness was there any illness that Jesus said well you know what can't figure that out can't figure out that fever that cancer and then of course the demons shout out but he wouldn't allow them to speak it's like they knew who he was and just knee jerk just had to yell it out and Jesus said no well pastor what's the point what's the point of the sermon what's the so what the so what is

Jesus is powerful Jesus is God in the flesh Jesus has authority and aren't you glad Jesus has compassion like I'm lonely no one understands can't figure this out

I don't know who to turn to I've already been to the Lord fifty times over the same sin and will he accept me anymore or will he just snuff me out

I'm sure I probably deserve to be snuffed out but Lord you don't snuff out those people because you came to rescue those very people aren't you glad I'm so glad there's more mercy in Jesus than there is sin in you let that settle in I thought about that for a long long time two days ago

I know there's a lot of sin in me and if there's a lot of sin in me even as a

Christian I'm glad there's more mercy in Jesus than sin in me by the way that's why we're able to take the

Lord's Supper because there's more mercy in Jesus than there is sin in you it's a lie to think there's not sin in us but could it be a bigger lie that there's not more mercy in Jesus than there is sin in us one area we're lying about ourselves the other area we're lying about Jesus who's gentle and compassionate yes, powerful, holy and righteous but kind and merciful that's the true man that's the true person that's the true father that's the true

Christian friend there's more mercy in Jesus than there is in my sin we love grace we also love mercy we love

Jesus power but we also love his compassion hallelujah, what a savior bow with me please father

I thank you for your word today I thank you for sending such a son could there be anyone like Jesus on this earth and to think that he's ours he's our friend he's our high priest he's our brother he's our good shepherd our chief shepherd our great shepherd our prophet our priest our king and from power to compassion we've experienced that I know there are many here today some might not want to admit it but they are very, very much a bruised reed and a smoldering wick would you minister to them in such a way that they would understand again that you seek and save the lost and come alongside like the