God Desires Mercy More Than Sacrifice — Zac Poonen

Well brothers and sisters, I'm really happy to be back home. I had a very Profitable time Meeting mainly with a lot of our elders in our churches in India. We had a conference for about 130 elders. We have all together about 230.

But a hundred and thirty of them could come and it was a very very profitable refreshing time. Where we got to know each other better and to be challenged for the days ahead. And I believe things are going to be difficult in India in the days to come.

Because of the direction the country is going In terms of religion when God is on the throne, and I believe that Such meetings like that prepare us for the days to come. So What do you think is the greatest danger.

That a church like NCCF or CFC churches face when we emphasize holiness and God's highest standards all the time the danger is. I think the greatest danger is Of being very judgmental on other churches.

On other Christians who don't agree with us. Which can lead to being judgmental on people in this church who We see something wrong with. If you recognize the danger you will steer clear of it. So I want to warn all of you that this is the greatest danger.

When we built our first CFC building in India in 1981. That's many years ago. 45 years ago 43 years ago. We had to decide What verse shall we put behind the pulpit. And I thought of what I just shared with you.

What do you think is the greatest danger we face who preach holiness? I said, I think it's being unmerciful to others. So I said let's have this verse Behind the preacher on the pulpit above above him.

Be merciful to others just as God has been merciful to you. And we have had that verse over us for 40 years. And a constant reminder for all those who Get into the pulpit. Whatever standard you live by Whatever standard you preach God's standards in the church don't forget to be merciful and Steer clear of Judgmentalism.

Jesus' High Standards in the Sermon on the Mount

The highest standard that Jesus preached was in the Sermon on the Mount. Amazing standards when you read of it anger is equal to murder. Have you ever heard that? That's what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount.

But I find even very few believers believe that. The equivalent of murder in the Old Testament is anger in the New Testament. Don't murder. Don't get angry. And the equivalent of committing adultery in the Old Testament is lusting with the eyes in the New Testament again Matthew chapter 5.

But how many believers believe that? How much do we hear it preached in the churches the equivalent of loving your Love your neighbor and hate your enemy in the New Testament is love your enemy, too so He proclaimed such high standards.

For example, he said when you pray don't let anybody know that you're praying. When you fast don't ever let anybody know that you fast. And when you give don't let anyone know that you give. And yet, you know, there's such a Tendency in us to let people know that we pray or we fast or we give and at the end of preaching that high standard.

You know what? He said at the end of it in Matthew chapter 5 and chapter 6 He preached this very high standard. And at the end of that notice the very first statement he makes is Don't judge other people.

Matthew 7 verse 1. Did you notice the connection of a preaching the highest standard that no human being had ever preached in a Religious group. He said now the danger is if as you try to live by this standard described in Matthew 5 and chapter 6.

The great danger and that's we've been preaching Matthew 5 and 6 in this church for many years. The very next thing he says be careful that you don't judge other people don't look for that speck. In somebody's eye and I believe that we need to hear that again and again and again.

Even you know, you can say you love your wife and yet you can be looking for specks there. You may be you may not say it. But you could have an attitude towards your wife or your husband saying why does he do that?

You may control yourself by not saying it. But that attitude can ruin your relationship in marriage. How many people believe that. How many people are quick to judge themselves saying I shouldn't have that attitude.

The Lord has told me don't judge. Don't judge does not mean that I don't just express it. Judgment is an inward thing. It means I should not even Form that judgmental opinion about somebody. It's a very high standard.

But it's no use keeping all those high standards in the New Testament. I don't lust. I don't get angry. I've got victory over all that. I Don't tell other people how much I pray. I don't tell other people how much I fast great.

But then I judge other people. It's like making a beautiful dish. Cooking a beautiful dish and then putting a dead lizard inside it. You spoil the whole thing. That's exactly what's happening. How do I know I've done it myself?

That's how I know. You make this wonderful dish cook something and then spoil it all by Judging others put one dead lizard inside and ruin the whole thing. Let me turn to Matthew chapter 9. The Pharisees were like that, you know, they preached the highest standard in Israel.

But they were so judgmental. Always comparing other people look my standard so in Matthew chapter 9 we read that. That was 10. Matthew chapter 9 verse 10. It happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house many tax collectors and sinners Came and were dining with Jesus.

Mercy Toward Sinners Rather Than Criticism

See the amazing thing about the Pharisees. They were ready to criticize even Jesus the one perfect man who walked on this earth without making a single mistake. The Pharisees would criticize even him.

And what do I learn from that. What I learn is That I can have that same danger and I can be criticizing someone who's a hundred times better than me. Some of those people you may be looking down on In secret areas of their life.

They may be far better than you. Well, it says here that The there were many tax collators sinners and the Pharisees saw this. They criticized him why is your teacher eating with tax collectors who are crooks and sinners and When Jesus heard this He said Well, they're sick.

The tax collectors are sick with sin the sinners are sick with sin and Where does a doctor where should a doctor go to those who are sick. So that's why I go to them because they're sick and I've come as a doctor.

And Should a doctor stay away from him a doctor visit only healthy people. We need to ask ourselves. What is our attitude towards sinners? Do we see them as needy people to whom? We have the cure for their sin.

How much are we willing to share with it them with share that with them? And then listen to these words. It's not those who are healthy or need a physician, but those who are sickened and then he said go and learn what this means.

That's been on my heart this for quite a few days. Go and learn what this means. I Desire mercy. Compassion and not sacrifice. Think of that sentence. I desire mercy and not sacrifice. Now, you know throughout the Bible sacrifice is emphasized greatly.

Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross for us. The great example of sacrifice in the Old Testament is Abraham offering offering up his son and God said When I see you doing this and I promise you and blessing I'll bless you.

All nations will be blessed through you because He offered a sacrifice. And in every religion Sacrifices admired. We ourselves have admired the sacrifice of missionaries who've given up comfort and gone out in the midst of cannibals and different people who Don't you admire the sacrifice of people who've gone and laid down their life.

To preach the gospel to somebody. I know I have I I've read the missionary biographies of so many people and always admired the sacrifice they made. And we are challenged by it we always appreciate sacrifice.

Is there something greater than sacrifice? Is there something better than that? Now most of us sitting here will never go to cannibals or Make the type of sacrifices that some of those missionaries made or many others will sacrifice.

Many many things in order to preach the gospel. But there's something greater than sacrifice. That's what I wanted to emphasize. Mercy Is even greater than sacrifice. He said if you make all those sacrifices, he tells the Pharisees you're not merciful.

You haven't understood true Christianity. So when they criticized him for something He said you guys are not merciful towards sinners and Is it possible that the Lord can level that charge against any of us.

Removing Judgment From Daily Relationships

That we preach such a high standard. Which is good. We are not to lower the standard but if it makes us Unmerciful towards perhaps somebody in this church who doesn't live up to that standard who may be sincerely trying but slips up.

Doesn't dress the way we think he should dress or she should dress and Maybe we are openly critical not directly to their face, but to somebody else. Or even if we don't critical to speak critically to think critically.

Oh Why in the world does she dress like that? Now why in the world does that? Young man do his hair like that. It's none of our business really the way is somebody else dresses or The way they do their hair.

But we have that tendency we may not say it. But that attitude destroys our spirituality inwardly. And dear brother sister, I want to mention this that could be the reason. Why you have not grown more spiritually.

Your foot has been on the brakes. And the car is moving very slowly. And that break is this unmerciful attitude. Get rid of it. God has not made us a judge of anybody in this church. If you're an elder you have some responsibility to correct people.

But even an elder is not a judge. He's to help people to correct people warn them rebuke them sometimes sure. But not judge. So I learned from this verse that mercy is greater than sacrifice. So if I appreciate a missionary who's gone to the cannibals and Laid down their life to preach the Gospels great.

I admire that. And then I hear of somebody else who's very merciful to someone. He didn't go to the cannibals, but he just showed a great mercy to someone. Do I really see that as a greater thing than that person's sacrifice?

That's what the Lord says here. I desire compassion not sacrifice. Turn to Matthew chapter 12. Here we read that Jesus went through the grain fields. And the disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain.

And the Pharisees, you know, one thing that Jewish people are very strict about is keeping the Sabbath. From sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. You're not supposed to do any work and I've heard that In many homes, they wouldn't even turn on the lights here.

I'm saying in this in our generation Jewish people wouldn't even turn on the lights because that's the work to switch on the light. And to get a Gentile to come and switch on the light for them they're so strict on this matter of work and they saw the disciples picking up heads of grain and Immediately that critical attitude.

See the Pharisees was so strict about keeping so many laws. They were immediately critical. Look, he says to Jesus this tremendous itch an Itch to find fault with someone who's preaching a high standard.

Why were they so much against Jesus because he was preaching such a high standard of morality and holiness. And there's a tremendous itch in people to somehow pull that person down. I've seen that with people Who want to somehow pull down anyone in CFC who preaches a high standard to find some little fault in him.

Why does he do this? Why does he do that? Or why are his children like this? Where's something like something or the other and If you really want to know That shows you what a Pharisee you are. The Pharisee said why look what your disciples are doing and Jesus rose to the defense of his disciples.

And I'll tell you this. When you criticize one of God's children, the Lord will rise up to their defense against you. So be careful. He rose to the defense of his disciples quoting a scripture. You remember David.

He said when he was hungry, what did he do? He entered and aided the consecrated bread was for which is not lawful for him to eat. There was a law that that consecrated bread which is kept in the tabernacle can only be eaten by the priests and David went and ate it because he was hungry and God did not judge him.

Have you he says did he do something? What did David do? Or Haven't you read in the law that the Sabbath on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent. The priests are doing work on the Sabbath day.

So, how do you? Allow for that they're doing some work and they're not supposed to do any work on the Sabbath day. I Really appreciate the way Jesus rose to the defense of his disciples and I tell you he's the same today.

Be very very careful. When you pass a judgment on another child of God You may find Jesus rises up to defend that person Against you and that is a danger that we have to face who preach holiness. I say that to myself first of all.

Because I probably preach holiness more than you all preach. So I'm preaching this to myself too. I'm telling you what God spoke to me. Be careful and Then again, he says If you had known What this means verse 7 the same verse that we quoted earlier I desire mercy not sacrifice.

You would not have condemned the innocent. He calls his disciples innocent. He calls David innocent for eating the bread which only the priests were supposed to eat. I'm challenged by these passages That that person whom you called guilty Jesus may pronounce him innocent.

So be very very careful. The best is to obey Matthew 7 verse 1 literally do not judge. Mind your own business and leave all judgment to God. God is the only righteous judge. Sometimes we Form a judgment on the basis of what we have heard.

On what we say what we have heard or what we saw. Turn with me to Isaiah chapter 11. Isaiah chapter 11 it speaks about Jesus here how the sevenfold Holy Spirit Would be upon him. Isaiah 11 a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse that Jesse is the father of David and referring to Jesus here.

A branch from the roots will bear fruit is referring to Christ and the spirit of Jehovah will rest upon him. The spirit of wisdom understanding counsel strength knowledge the Lord the sevenfold Holy Spirit and Listen to this.

He will delight the when the Holy Spirit fills a person. The one primary result is verse 3. He delights in reverence for God. That's the primary mark of a person filled with the Holy Spirit. It's not speaking in tongues.

It is Delighting in reverence for God if you want to know whether you're filled with the Holy Spirit. Ask yourself. Are you delight in? Being reverent about the things of God you have a reverence a tremendous respect and reverence for the things of God for his word for his commands and Coupled with that.

Listen to this one mark of that fear of the Lord is What is mentioned in the next sentence? He will not judge. By what his eyes see he will not make a decision. By what his ears hear that is one Way by which he proves the fear of the Lord.

It's connected. He will delight in the fear of the Lord. Comma. It's the same sentence. He will delight in the fear of the Lord which results in is never judging by what is I see. Never making a decision or forming an opinion by what he heard.

My brothers and sisters you and I have all been guilty of this. I know I've had to judge myself through the years say Lord. How many times I hear hear something about somebody and I say yeah, that's like that.

Or I see something and I assume the worst instead of assuming the best. Have you noticed that about yourself? You are blessed. If you got light on that, we need to ask God to give us light on. How quickly we form?

Opinions and decisions by something we saw or we thought we saw it or something. We heard and we didn't hear it clearly or we didn't hear the whole story. We heard a little bit of the story and preformed an opinion there could be another side to it.

I remember a brother who they saw him walking into a drinking saloon and some other brother saw him. And spread the news around it. I saw that brother going into a place to where Alcoholics were gathering and it was discovered later that he had actually gone in there to witness to people with tracts.

That's why he went in there. Can you imagine what that brother will feel when in the day of judgment. It's exposed that this man whom he judged had actually gone there to witness to about Christ to somebody.

It's far better. We settle these matters before the day Christ comes back. He will not judge By what is I see and he will not make a decision. By what is yours here because he says there could be another side to it.

I haven't seen yet. There could be another aspect to that. I haven't heard yet. Imagine this is talking about Jesus the perfect person who walked on the earth. If there's anybody who could have made a decision on the basis of what he saw and what he heard it was Christ and It says he would not do it.

Why? Because verse 3 he delights in reverence for God. When I have a tremendous fear of God. One result will be I will not be so quick to pass a judgment based on what I saw or what I heard. I Don't mind repeating that again and again again.

To myself and to all of you dear brothers and sisters. Do you think? That possibly this is the reason Why you have not grown spiritually much more than you already are have. Yeah, many of us have grown Greatly since we came to CFC and CCF.

But think it could have been more If you had eliminated this one habit in your life. Will we try and eliminate it at least from today onwards? It has definitely hindered Spiritual growth in everyone who has practiced it.

I don't doubt it at all anyone who's Been judging others by what they see what they hear and passing opinions and even forming opinions in one's mind. Which we gain nothing out of it definitely Puts a brake on spiritual progress.

Mercy as the Pattern for the Church

But it says here instead that he would not take a decision by the word to the righteousness. He will judge the poor. Mercy is one of the great needs that we have In NCCF and in all CFC churches. I've been emphasizing that The beginning of this year when I was sharing God's Word in Bangalore.

And I quoted that verse that was behind us on the Wall above the pulpit. Be merciful to others just as God has been merciful to you. And I said brothers and sisters, I believe the Lord has laid on my heart this burden.

That this should be our motto for this year 2024. That we should try to live this year by that verse. Be merciful to everyone. Just as God has been merciful to you. In other words think of the number of ways in which God has been merciful to you.

All the stupid things you and I have done and not only has he forgiven us. He has not even let other people know about it. Can you think of the stupid things you did that other people have never discovered?

You'd be ashamed if they discovered it. Think of the foolish and stupid things you did in your unconverted days. Think of it right now and God has hidden it. He's not revealed to people in this church.

The foolish stupid things that you and I did in our unconverted days and he will not. He's buried them for all eternity. Let's learn from that. Turn with me to Luke chapter 4. This is the first sermon Jesus preached in the synagogue in Nazareth Says in Luke 4 16.

He came to Nazareth and he entered the synagogue and The book of the Prophet Isaiah was handed to him. That was the sovereignty of God that They gave the book of Isaiah to him, you know. They used to have it in scrolls the different books of the Bible and they didn't have a big thick Bible those days.

So the scroll of Isaiah was given to him and Jesus searched in that scroll to what we know today as chapter 61 and Read he found this place. The spirit of the Lord is upon me Luke 4 18. Because he's anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor he has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and Recovery of sight to the blind to set free those who are oppressed.

To proclaim the favor of the year of the Lord and he stopped and he closed the book. But that's was not the end of that verse. He stopped in the middle of a verse and closed the book have you noticed that.

Let me give you a little suggestion in Bible study. It's helped me a lot whenever you find a Old Testament quotation in the New Testament and the NASB is very easy to find it because they highlight it in capitals.

Go back to the Old Testament and look for that verse and you learn something. So this quotation is from Isaiah 61 so when I compare Isaiah 61 this quotation and See why Jesus closed the book in the middle of the middle of a verse not did not complete the verse I learned something.

It says he read half that verse to proclaim the favor of the Lord and then stopped close the book but when you go to Isaiah 61 it says here in verse 2 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God.

He left that out he stopped so when I Saw that It's mercy and judgment in verse 2 Isaiah 61 to The year of mercy and the day of judgment. What do you get from that? Let me paraphrase it for you To proclaim Isaiah 61 to 365 days of mercy and favor and One day of judgment.

Am I right? What I learned from that this is the advantage of meditating on scripture. You must be 365 times more merciful to others than you are strict towards your wife towards your husband towards your children.

If you're shown strictness somewhere Be sure to continue with 365 times mercy Towards them. This is the reason this is what we can gain by meditating on scripture and not rushing through When we read scripture.

Mercy Triumphing Over Judgment

Now turn with me to James in chapter 2. So I learned something from that That if I'm strict and I am strict I've been strict with my children. I've been strict with the churches. I've been strict with And I've tried to be strict with myself but I Need 365 times mercy along with that not to eliminate the strictness.

No, no, no. Strictness must be there. There's grace and truth. There's a balance in it but in James and chapter 2 We read like this verse 13 judgment Will be merciless To the one who is shown no mercy.

It's talking about the final day of judgment boy. Do we need mercy on that day from the Lord. And there's a way to get it. All those who want mercy from the Lord in the final day of judgment. Here's the way to get it.

Be merciful to others today tomorrow the day after until Christ comes. Then you'll receive a heap load of mercy In the final day. But those who've been critical, inwardly judgmental, critical. Finding fault with your husband, wife, neighbor, brother in the church, with the elders.

Always something to find. You are the perfect person obviously. You the perfect person are finding fault with all the imperfect people around you. I would not like to be anywhere near you when God judges you.

It'll be severe. I would not like to see it. I tell you honestly, I would not like to be anywhere near you if you're like that in the day of judgment. Judgment will be merciless. Imagine God Almighty who's so merciful being merciless.

Just because This person did not show any mercy to others in his earthly life. That's the only charge. He did a lot of good things, but he was so unmerciful towards his wife and towards Other people around him and even people in his own church.

But the Lord says I'm going to be merciless towards him when I pass judgment. I don't want to be there. I don't want to be around. God's like that. Then he says here, but here's the good news. Mercy will triumph over judgment.

My dear brothers and sisters if you remember one verse remember James 2 13. Remember it by heart. Judgment will be merciless to those who have shown no mercy. But mercy will triumph over judgment. That's wonderful.

I want mercy from God in the final day. I want a lot of mercy from God. Because I know I am imperfect and by God's standards. What a lot of mercy even on this earth. I see something of God's standards.

How much more it will be when I actually stand before him? Okay, one last verse Philippians chapter 2. Why are we so often sick? And this is not the cure for all sickness, but sometimes When God wants to heal us and we're not healed.

God's Mercy in Healing and Final Exhortation

Now don't make this a law. And please don't judge other people as to why they are sick. Judge yourself only it says here Philippians chapter 2 the Lord is. I mean Paul is speaking about a brother called Epaphroditus in verse 25.

I thought it necessary to send Epaphroditus my brother fellow worker and fellow soldier who's your messenger. He was longing for you. He was distressed because he had heard that he was sick. And this man Epaphroditus this godly brother.

Was sick to the point of death. Seriously sick when he was healed. And you know how that healing is described. God had mercy on him. Healing from sickness Is an act of God's mercy. That's what I learned from that verse.

And you've already heard how to get God's mercy. Perhaps some sicknesses have not been healed in our lives. Because we've been so judgmental. Dear brother sister I plead with you today get rid of that judgmental spirit.

Be healed in Jesus name. Let's pray. Heavenly father. Please write your words deeply. In every one of my heart our hearts including mine. I know that I who have preached this Will be judged by a higher standard than those who hear.

Help us to walk in lowliness before you fearing you or refusing In future to judge by what our eyes see. Or our ears hear. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.