Rick Warren

Rick Warren - Your Ministry of Mercy (Part 2)

June 28, 2026 | 27:28

Pastor Rick shares biblical truth and practical tools for living the full life God desires for everyone.

#Mercy #Law #LoveofGod #Sacrifice #Responsibility #Forgiveness #Righteousness #Grace #RickWarren

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Rick Warren | Rick Warren - Your Ministry of Mercy (Part 2) | June 28, 2026

...
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♪♪♪
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Pastor rick warren: god wants you to be an agent of mercy in
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The world.
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There's not enough mercy in this world, and god wants you to be
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A provider.
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He wants you to be an agent.
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He wants you to be a purveyor of mercy in the world.
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Now, and the fifth key to a blessed life, jesus says this,
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Matthew 5, verse 7, "god blesses those who are merciful, for they
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Will be shown mercy."
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In other words, what you give out, you're gonna get back.
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What you give, you're going to get.
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"god blesses those who are merciful, for they
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Will be shown mercy."
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This is the fifth key to a blessed life.
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You gotta learn to be a minister of mercy.
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You have probably noticed that the verbal attacks on christians
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Are going up in our society.
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Have you noticed this?
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And it's increasing, and people are taking slurs at christians
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And potshots at christians and being attacked like never before
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In america, and there are a lot of groups pushing anti-christian
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Agendas today because we represent a barrier.
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And the barrier is: we hold on to what god's truth is, and we
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Say, "sorry, god's truth is god's truth, and we just have to
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Follow god's truth."
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As peter said, "we must obey god rather than men."
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And so this--these attacks are going up.
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What are you supposed to do with these people,
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These people who are offensive?
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I remember turning on the tv one time and hearing a well-known
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Comic, well-known comic using very blasphemous and very vulgar
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Terms as he read through "the purpose driven life" and made
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Fun of god, not of me, but of god.
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And i sat there and i thought, "now, lord, what would be my
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Response to this guy?
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Because, you know, obviously he's not hurting me, but he
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Certainly is offending you."
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And it just came into me, i am to be kind to those who
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Are offensive.
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You see, the problem today is this whole idea of culture war
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Is you gotta decide whether you wanna win the argument or win
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Them to christ.
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And you've heard me say this before, you can't--you don't
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Ever make a point--you don't get across your point by
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Being cross.
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You've gotta just say, "i'm more interested in winning them to
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Christ than i am in winning the argument."
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Let me give you an example of why we ought to be kind to those
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Who offend us.
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1 timothy chapter 1, paul gives his own life as an example.
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"even though i once was a blasphemer--" there are plenty
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Of those in our world, "...and a persecutor of christians and a
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Violent man," he said, "...i was shown mercy because i acted in
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Ignorance and unbelief."
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That's the key.
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Realize they're acting in ignorance and unbelief.
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...i was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, jesus
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Might display his unlimited patience as an example
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For others who would believe on
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Him and receive eternal life.
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You see, if you've lived in paul's days, you probably
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Wouldn't want to be very interested in being kind to
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Those who offend you.
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You wouldn't be interested in being kind to paul.
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He was persecuting christians, he was attacking christians, he
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Was throwing christians in jail, and then he said, "i was shown
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Mercy so that i could come to christ, and then my life would
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Be an example to others."
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Jude chapter 1 makes it even clearer, verses 22-23.
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"show mercy to those who have doubts--" and really some
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Translations say, "show those who disbelieve--" he's talking--
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He could say, "show mercy to atheists."
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"show mercy to those who have doubts.
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Save others by snatching them from the fire."
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One more for jesus.
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"show mercy to them, while being careful that you aren't
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Contaminated by their sins."
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In other words, we're to avoid sin, but we are to
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Love everybody.
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That's the way we show mercy.
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Now, let me give you two more, and these last two you have
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Probably never ever considered as acts of mercy.
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But jesus taught that they were acts of mercy, and he even
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Quotes hosea 6:6 and both saying the reason you don't get
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This is 'cause you don't understand the full meaning
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Of mercy.
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So let me give you two more.
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A sixth way that you can practice your ministry of mercy
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This week is this: build bridges of love to the unpopular.
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Build bridges of love to the unpopular.
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There are people in your circle, people who live on your street
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That nobody wants to hang out with, people who you work with
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That everybody tells the joke behind their back.
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They may have those quirks, or they may have a different
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Lifestyle, or they may have a different belief system, or they
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May have a different religion, or they may dress differently
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Because of their culture or whatever, but they're not on the
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In crowd, they're not popular, they're the outcast, and this is
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A facet of your ministry that's often overlooked.
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Building a bridge of love to the unpopular is what i call
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"premeditated mercy."
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Now, you often think--when i say "premeditated," you think of
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Premeditated murder, but i'm saying "premeditated mercy"
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Involves intentionally building friendships with people who
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Don't have friends, and intentionally building
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Friendship with people who are unbelievers, and intentionally
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Building friendships with people who seem on the edge or not as
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Loved or as accepted in the mainstream because of their
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Religion, their lifestyle, their looks, or whatever.
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And why does god want us to build bridges of love to the
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Unpopular, and specifically, the unbelievers?
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Because you cannot win your enemies to christ.
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You can only win your friends.
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And before somebody's gonna accept christ, they've gotta
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Have a bridge to christ.
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And before they wanna know is jesus credible, they wanna know,
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Are you credible?
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And before they know jesus is their friend, they want to know,
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"will you be my friend?"
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And long before anybody comes to christ, somebody's gotta
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Befriend that person.
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You cannot win an enemy to christ.
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You must win them to yourself before you win them to christ.
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You must become a friend.
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That's an act of premeditated mercy.
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Here's a good example of it, matthew chapter 9.
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The bible says, "matthew--" who is one of the 12 disciples,
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"matthew invited jesus and his disciples
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To be his dinner guests."
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Nothing wrong with that.
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But then it says, "...along with his fellow tax collectors and
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Many other notorious sinners."
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Now, if you're in the irs, i apologize to you today.
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It's a little bit different today.
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You may be unpopular, but you aren't a notorious sinner if you
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Are a tax collector.
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But in those days, here's why tax collectors were considered
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Notorious sinners.
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They were allowed to skim whatever they could get.
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So a tax collector for rome could come in and say, you know,
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Maybe, you know, pharaoh--i mean, caesar would say, "i want
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One denarii from every household."
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And the tax collector could come in and say, "i need ten denarii
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From you," and you had no recourse.
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There was nobody to appeal to.
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You had to pay it, it was like extortion.
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Then he could pocket nine and pass on one.
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And so the worst job, the most unpopular job because they were
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All cheats, they were crooks, they were swindlers, were the
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Tax collectors.
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And they were right out there along with, you know,
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Prostitutes and lepers and-- they didn't have drug pushers in
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Those days--but that kind of level of people that
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Everybody despised.
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So it says, "matthew invites jesus and his disciples to his
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Dinner--as his dinner guests, along with--" all of these
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People of ill repute, "...his fellow tax collectors and many
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Other notorious sinners.
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The pharisees--" that's the religious leaders, they
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"...were indignant.
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'why does your teacher eat with such scum?'
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They asked his disciples.
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And when he heard this, jesus replied, 'healthy people don't
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Need a doctor--sick people do.
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Go learn the meaning of this scripture--'" and he quotes
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Hosea 6:6, "'"i want you to be merciful; i don't want your
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Sacrifices!"
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For i've come to call sinners, not those who
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Think they're already good enough.'"
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Now, follow me on the logic on this.
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The pharisees are attacking jesus for hanging out with the
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Wrong crowd, and jesus says,
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"you know what your problem is, guys?
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You don't understand the true nature of mercy," why?
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'cause they thought mercy was simply forgiving people and
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Helping people who need help.
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No, no, forgive--mercy also includes building bridges of
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Love to the unpopular, and jesus says it here.
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He says, "i'm going to a party, and i'm going to a party with
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People that nobody wants to hang out with.
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The 'ill repute,' the unpopular, the fringe, the negative, the
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Criminals, the riffraff.
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I'm gonna go to a party," jesus says, why?
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"because i understand mercy, and you don't," and you don't.
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And he says, "go learn the meaning of hosea 6:6."
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Now, i want you to notice, because it's got a lot of truth
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In here.
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It says, "matthew invited."
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Circle that word "invited."
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Question: when was the last time you invited unbelievers
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For dinner?
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That's an act of mercy.
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When was the last time you invited--have you ever had any
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Notorious sinners in your home?
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Besides you, besides you.
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You want to be merciful?
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Now we're getting where the rubber meets the road.
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Do you even have any close unbelieving friends, do you?
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If you don't, you're not like jesus.
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The problem is, the longer you are a christian, the more you
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Tend to hang out with other christians, and the fewer
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Non-believing friends you got.
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How do you expect the good news to get out if you don't have any
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Friends who are unbelievers, and you're not
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Inviting them over for dinner?
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If you're not, you don't understand
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What mercy is all about.
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Jesus says, "go learn the scriptures."
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Now, notice, it says matthew invites these, quote,
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"riffraff," these unpopular, the non-loved people of society over
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For dinner, and it says the religious people are indignant.
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I wanna warn you that if you truly--listen,
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If you truly begin to live a life of mercy, the moral and the
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Political legalist will criticize you, they will attack
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You, and they will get mad at you, why?
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'cause they did with jesus.
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♪♪♪
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Pastor rick: today, i wanna invite you to join me in
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Something that's very close to my heart: fulfilling the great
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Commission of jesus christ.
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Sharing the good news is the most important thing we do.
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When we work together, there's nothing that god cannot do
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Through us when we're unified.
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Through "daily hope," the message of jesus christ is now
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Reaching nearly every country in the world, that's 197 nations.
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We're going to even places where it's difficult or dangerous or
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Illegal to talk about christ openly.
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We're sharing the certain hope of jesus, and it's changing
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Lives every single day.
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Right now, we have an incredible opportunity.
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That's why i'm saying this to you personally.
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There's some very generous friends that have offered to
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Match every single gift
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Given to "daily hope," dollar-for-dollar.
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That means whatever you give today is gonna be doubled
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In impact.
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So i'm asking you, i wanna encourage you to give as god
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Leads you today.
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And i want you to pray this prayer, "god, what do you want
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To give through me?"
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Don't say, "god, what should i give?"
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Say, "god, what do you want to give to me?"
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That's called "giving by faith," "giving by revelation."
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And your gift will go twice as far to share the certain hope of
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Jesus christ and make disciples all around the world.
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God bless you.
00:14:02.496 --> 00:14:03.831
Announcer: you know, when you give a gift to "daily hope,"
00:14:03.831 --> 00:14:06.000
You're helping share the hope of jesus with people everywhere,
00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:09.637
And right now, your gift will be doubled by the $50,000
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Matching grant.
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Just scan the qr code or go to dailyhopetv.com.
00:14:15.776 --> 00:14:22.082
Pastor rick: if you truly begin to live a life of mercy, the
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Moral and the political legalist will criticize you, they will
00:14:30.357 --> 00:14:38.966
Attack you, and they will get mad at you, why?
00:14:38.966 --> 00:14:42.836
'cause they did with jesus.
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It wasn't the riffraff of life that disliked jesus, it was the
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Religious people because he hung out with the "wrong crowd."
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It's like a democrat hanging out with republicans, or a
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Republican actually having democratic friends for dinner.
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Or another religion or another lifestyle or someone who is
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Involved in some kind of sin you totally disagree with.
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If you begin to live a life of mercy, you will be criticized.
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This is a motivation behind much of the criticism that i
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Get, why?
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Because i make friends with a lot of different people.
00:15:30.985 --> 00:15:34.488
I have friends who are muslims and i have friends who are
00:15:34.488 --> 00:15:39.226
Jewish and mormon and buddhist.
00:15:39.226 --> 00:15:42.863
I have friends who are atheists.
00:15:42.863 --> 00:15:45.065
I have friends who are gay.
00:15:45.065 --> 00:15:47.034
I have friends who are all kinds.
00:15:47.034 --> 00:15:49.603
I spend--when i'm not at saddleback, i spend most of my
00:15:49.603 --> 00:15:52.606
Time usually speaking to groups that i totally disagree
00:15:52.606 --> 00:15:55.509
With, why?
00:15:55.509 --> 00:15:59.646
Because i'm practicing the ministry of mercy.
00:15:59.646 --> 00:16:04.418
And jesus hung out with people who were different than him.
00:16:04.418 --> 00:16:08.288
This is the motivation.
00:16:08.288 --> 00:16:09.790
Now, they come to him, they-- the pharisees say, "why do you
00:16:09.790 --> 00:16:12.526
Hang out with this scum?"
00:16:12.526 --> 00:16:13.894
You know, let me ask you this, who's the socially unacceptable
00:16:13.894 --> 00:16:17.531
Group in your circle?
00:16:17.531 --> 00:16:21.969
By the way, they call them "scum."
00:16:21.969 --> 00:16:23.537
Anytime you use a putdown or humor against somebody else, you
00:16:23.537 --> 00:16:27.341
Are being unmerciful.
00:16:27.341 --> 00:16:32.246
Now, jesus wasn't afraid of guilt by association for
00:16:32.246 --> 00:16:34.681
Two reasons.
00:16:34.681 --> 00:16:36.050
He knew who he was, and he knew what his mission was.
00:16:36.050 --> 00:16:39.086
He knew he was.
00:16:39.086 --> 00:16:40.454
He didn't need the approval of pharisees.
00:16:40.454 --> 00:16:42.056
He knew exactly who he was, and he knew his mission: to seek and
00:16:42.056 --> 00:16:46.093
To save that which is lost.
00:16:46.093 --> 00:16:47.694
And if you know who you are, you don't need the approval of
00:16:47.694 --> 00:16:51.532
The legalist.
00:16:51.532 --> 00:16:53.233
You don't need the approval of the critics.
00:16:53.233 --> 00:16:55.769
You don't need the approval of the self-righteous who set them
00:16:55.769 --> 00:16:59.173
Up as jury and judge on your life.
00:16:59.173 --> 00:17:02.843
You do what jesus did.
00:17:02.843 --> 00:17:04.578
You go have parties with people in order to win them and love
00:17:04.578 --> 00:17:08.649
Them and share the good news and show mercy.
00:17:08.649 --> 00:17:12.352
Jesus says to all these guys, "go learn the meaning of mercy,"
00:17:12.352 --> 00:17:17.424
When they accuse him of guilt by association.
00:17:17.424 --> 00:17:20.761
Then number seven, one more, and this one's gonna surprise
00:17:20.761 --> 00:17:23.797
You too.
00:17:23.797 --> 00:17:25.699
Jesus taught that to have a ministry of mercy, you must
00:17:25.699 --> 00:17:29.269
Value relationships over rules.
00:17:29.269 --> 00:17:34.074
You must value relationships over rules.
00:17:34.074 --> 00:17:40.047
Now, if you're a rule keeper, that just grates all the
00:17:40.047 --> 00:17:43.150
Wrong ways.
00:17:43.150 --> 00:17:45.252
And particularly, if you're in the hr department and you have
00:17:45.252 --> 00:17:48.021
Policies and procedures, jesus would say, "put people
00:17:48.021 --> 00:17:54.761
Before policies.
00:17:54.761 --> 00:17:57.564
Put people's needs before procedures.
00:17:57.564 --> 00:18:01.602
Put relationships before rules and regulations."
00:18:01.602 --> 00:18:04.805
He would say, "choose love over law."
00:18:04.805 --> 00:18:09.109
Let me give you a very important insightful incident.
00:18:09.109 --> 00:18:13.080
Matthew chapter--by the way, look at this verse up in the on
00:18:13.080 --> 00:18:15.716
The screen.
00:18:15.716 --> 00:18:17.084
Romans 13:10 says, "love is the fulfillment of the law."
00:18:17.084 --> 00:18:22.222
So if you're doing the loving thing, it's genuinely for their
00:18:22.222 --> 00:18:26.426
Benefit, not yours, for their
00:18:26.426 --> 00:18:29.429
Benefit, you're doing the right thing.
00:18:29.429 --> 00:18:30.864
Now, look at matthew chapter 12.
00:18:30.864 --> 00:18:33.734
Here's another time jesus has a run-in with the
00:18:33.734 --> 00:18:35.802
Legalist pharisees.
00:18:35.802 --> 00:18:37.437
"another time jesus was talking--walking through some
00:18:37.437 --> 00:18:40.641
Grain fields on the sabbath.
00:18:40.641 --> 00:18:43.577
And his disciples were hungry, so they began to pick some grain
00:18:43.577 --> 00:18:48.582
And eat it.
00:18:48.582 --> 00:18:50.584
Now some pharisees saw this--" these religious leaders, "...and
00:18:50.584 --> 00:18:54.555
They protested, 'your disciples are breaking god's laws by
00:18:54.555 --> 00:19:00.093
Harvesting grain on the sabbath!'"
00:19:00.093 --> 00:19:03.564
Okay, they're rule keepers.
00:19:03.564 --> 00:19:05.899
"but jesus said, 'haven't you ever read what king david did
00:19:05.899 --> 00:19:12.039
When he and his soldiers were hungry?
00:19:12.039 --> 00:19:14.741
He went into the house of god--'" that's the temple,
00:19:14.741 --> 00:19:17.311
"...and there he ate the holy bread--" the consecrated bread,
00:19:17.311 --> 00:19:20.814
"...reserved for the priests?"
00:19:20.814 --> 00:19:24.084
Then jesus says to the pharisees, "...you would not
00:19:24.084 --> 00:19:26.587
Have judged these innocent men--" talking about his
00:19:26.587 --> 00:19:29.122
Disciples, "...if you knew the real meaning of scripture, 'i
00:19:29.122 --> 00:19:33.160
Want you to be merciful.
00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:35.262
I don't want your sacrifices!'"
00:19:35.262 --> 00:19:37.130
There it is again.
00:19:37.130 --> 00:19:38.465
He quotes hosea 6:6 for the second time, "'for i am the lord
00:19:38.465 --> 00:19:42.903
Of the sabbath!'"
00:19:42.903 --> 00:19:45.539
And he's saying here, "i put love before the law.
00:19:45.539 --> 00:19:47.941
I put people before procedures.
00:19:47.941 --> 00:19:53.280
I put relationships before rules and regulation."
00:19:53.280 --> 00:19:57.918
He says, "you guys don't get it 'cause you don't understand the
00:19:57.918 --> 00:20:00.988
Meaning of mercy."
00:20:00.988 --> 00:20:02.990
He says, "i want you to go and read that scripture.
00:20:02.990 --> 00:20:06.226
If you knew the real meaning of the scripture, 'i don't want
00:20:06.226 --> 00:20:08.862
Your sacrifice, i want your mercy,'
00:20:08.862 --> 00:20:10.564
Then you wouldn't have a problem with the
00:20:10.564 --> 00:20:12.733
Disciples picking some grain on the sabbath.
00:20:12.733 --> 00:20:15.535
They're hungry!"
00:20:15.535 --> 00:20:18.739
I want to dare you to do something very risky this week.
00:20:18.739 --> 00:20:23.944
Not pick grain on the sabbath, but i want to dare you to commit
00:20:23.944 --> 00:20:30.717
An act of premeditated mercy with one of these categories.
00:20:30.717 --> 00:20:38.825
Yes, there is a tension.
00:20:38.825 --> 00:20:41.094
Yes, there is a tension between mercy and
00:20:41.094 --> 00:20:44.931
Personal responsibility.
00:20:44.931 --> 00:20:48.468
Yes, there is.
00:20:48.468 --> 00:20:49.970
But i have personally decided that if i'm gonna err, i'm going
00:20:49.970 --> 00:20:55.642
To err on the side of being too gracious, too merciful, and
00:20:55.642 --> 00:21:00.881
Too forgiving.
00:21:00.881 --> 00:21:03.350
Because if you're gonna err, that's the side i would rather
00:21:03.350 --> 00:21:05.686
Err on.
00:21:05.686 --> 00:21:07.054
Does that make sense?
00:21:07.054 --> 00:21:09.756
He said, "wait a minute, rick.
00:21:09.756 --> 00:21:11.558
Can you go--can't you just go overboard on mercy?"
00:21:11.558 --> 00:21:15.329
Absolutely you can, jesus did.
00:21:15.329 --> 00:21:18.165
It's called the cross.
00:21:18.165 --> 00:21:21.702
On the cross with arms outstretched, he says, "i'm
00:21:21.702 --> 00:21:26.840
Doing this to be merciful."
00:21:26.840 --> 00:21:28.809
"father, forgive them!
00:21:28.809 --> 00:21:30.143
They don't know what they're doing!"
00:21:30.143 --> 00:21:31.611
That is the most over-the-top example of mercy, ever.
00:21:31.611 --> 00:21:37.617
He let them beat him, whip him, scourge him, spit on him, put a
00:21:37.617 --> 00:21:43.323
Crown of thorns on him, and he never retaliated.
00:21:43.323 --> 00:21:47.894
He absorbed every one of the blows, and then what's
00:21:47.894 --> 00:21:51.732
His response?
00:21:51.732 --> 00:21:53.734
"father, forgive them, they don't know what they're doing."
00:21:53.734 --> 00:21:56.002
Like paul says, i was ignorant and unaware of what i was doing.
00:21:56.002 --> 00:22:00.841
Can you go overboard on mercy?
00:22:00.841 --> 00:22:02.409
Yes, you can. look at the cross.
00:22:02.409 --> 00:22:04.644
It's way, way, way overboard.
00:22:04.644 --> 00:22:09.483
Maybe you've never accepted god's mercy to you.
00:22:09.483 --> 00:22:12.953
The bible says in titus 3:5, "it is not by works of righteousness
00:22:12.953 --> 00:22:16.790
As we have done--" we talked about that last week, "...but
00:22:16.790 --> 00:22:19.359
According to his mercy, he has saved us."
00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:23.497
The bible tells us in hebrews 4:16, "let us approach the
00:22:23.497 --> 00:22:26.733
Throne of grace with confidence, for there we will find mercy,
00:22:26.733 --> 00:22:33.640
Mercy and grace to help us in our time of need."
00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:38.011
If you haven't accepted the grace and mercy of god, you need
00:22:38.011 --> 00:22:40.580
To do so today.
00:22:40.580 --> 00:22:42.716
Now, i want us to close a little bit different way today.
00:22:42.716 --> 00:22:45.552
I want you to bow your heads right now, but i want you to
00:22:45.552 --> 00:22:47.721
Keep your eyes open, okay?
00:22:47.721 --> 00:22:49.689
So if you'll bow your head and keep your eyes open so you can
00:22:49.689 --> 00:22:53.593
Look at your message notes, and what i want to do is i want to
00:22:53.593 --> 00:22:58.098
End by asking you to consider some personal application
00:22:58.098 --> 00:23:03.170
Questions, and then doing something about it, in these
00:23:03.170 --> 00:23:06.306
Seven areas of "how do i be merciful?"
00:23:06.306 --> 00:23:10.076
So i'm gonna ask you a question, and next to each of
00:23:10.076 --> 00:23:13.346
These numbers i want you to write down an initial, just the
00:23:13.346 --> 00:23:18.285
First initial of a person that you're thinking about, okay?
00:23:18.285 --> 00:23:22.556
So number one: how do i be merciful?
00:23:22.556 --> 00:23:24.458
Be patient with people's quirks.
00:23:24.458 --> 00:23:26.426
I want you to write down "who has irritating quirks that i
00:23:26.426 --> 00:23:30.997
Need to be patient with this week?"
00:23:30.997 --> 00:23:34.835
Now, nobody's going to see this except you, but you can just
00:23:34.835 --> 00:23:37.737
Write down the first letter of their name.
00:23:37.737 --> 00:23:41.875
Who has irritating quirks that i need to be
00:23:41.875 --> 00:23:44.945
Patient with this week?
00:23:44.945 --> 00:23:46.279
Write down the name.
00:23:46.279 --> 00:23:49.249
Number two, "who around me is obviously hurting that i could
00:23:49.249 --> 00:23:55.455
Help this week?"
00:23:55.455 --> 00:23:57.457
Can you write down a name?
00:23:57.457 --> 00:23:58.792
Can you write down an initial?
00:23:58.792 --> 00:24:01.495
If you can't think of anybody who's obviously hurting around
00:24:01.495 --> 00:24:04.998
You, it means this: you're not paying attention.
00:24:04.998 --> 00:24:08.702
It means you're so wrapped up in yourself, you can't even see the
00:24:08.702 --> 00:24:12.906
People around you who are hurting.
00:24:12.906 --> 00:24:16.409
Okay, how about three, the third one: give people a
00:24:16.409 --> 00:24:21.214
Second chance.
00:24:21.214 --> 00:24:22.582
"who do i need to give a second chance to?"
00:24:22.582 --> 00:24:25.051
This may be tough for you, but this is the ministry of mercy.
00:24:25.051 --> 00:24:28.822
"who do i need to give a second chance to?"
00:24:28.822 --> 00:24:30.457
Write down an initial-- first initial of somebody.
00:24:30.457 --> 00:24:34.528
You can use this later on this week.
00:24:34.528 --> 00:24:39.232
Number four: do good to those who hurt me.
00:24:39.232 --> 00:24:41.701
"who has hurt me that i could do good to?
00:24:41.701 --> 00:24:48.742
Who has hurt me that i could do good to?"
00:24:48.742 --> 00:24:56.917
Number five: i am to be kind to those who offend me.
00:24:56.917 --> 00:25:02.556
"who offends me?"
00:25:02.556 --> 00:25:05.025
Maybe it's a comedian, maybe it's a politician, maybe it's
00:25:05.025 --> 00:25:10.196
Somebody, but you can write down a name, maybe it's somebody
00:25:10.196 --> 00:25:12.499
Close to you, "who offends me that i should start praying for?
00:25:12.499 --> 00:25:17.337
Who offends me that i should start praying for, rather than
00:25:17.337 --> 00:25:21.308
Just being offended by them?"
00:25:21.308 --> 00:25:24.377
Maybe if you're close enough, you could be kind to them.
00:25:24.377 --> 00:25:29.449
Number six: build bridges of love to the unpopular.
00:25:29.449 --> 00:25:37.190
"who's the outcast, who's the unpopular person that i could
00:25:37.190 --> 00:25:43.029
Build a bridge of love to?
00:25:43.029 --> 00:25:46.299
Who is the outcast or unpopular person i could build a bridge of
00:25:46.299 --> 00:25:49.936
Love to at work, in my community, the soccer games,
00:25:49.936 --> 00:25:55.141
Here at church, anywhere?"
00:25:55.141 --> 00:25:59.646
And then, number seven, "who is an unbeliever i could invite
00:25:59.646 --> 00:26:04.818
Over for dinner in the next two weeks, just like matthew did?
00:26:04.818 --> 00:26:11.758
Who's an unbeliever that i could invite over for dinner in the
00:26:11.758 --> 00:26:14.661
Next couple of weeks, and invite them to church?"
00:26:14.661 --> 00:26:17.364
This, friends, is your ministry of mercy.
00:26:17.364 --> 00:26:24.371
Heavenly father, your word convicts all of us.
00:26:24.371 --> 00:26:28.808
And as i look at these seven things, i think of lacks and
00:26:28.808 --> 00:26:32.545
Faults, weaknesses in my own life, and i pray that, rather
00:26:32.545 --> 00:26:37.751
Than just hearing the word, we would do something about it.
00:26:37.751 --> 00:26:41.421
Give us the courage to be merciful.
00:26:41.421 --> 00:26:46.326
Give us the courage to, this week, to do radical premeditated
00:26:46.326 --> 00:26:51.965
Acts of mercy.
00:26:51.965 --> 00:26:54.868
In jesus's name, amen.
00:26:54.868 --> 00:26:57.570
♪♪♪
00:26:58.938 --> 00:27:27.100

Rick Warren - Your Ministry of Mercy (Part 2)

June 28, 2026 | 27:28

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