Mercy Is On A Mission
Pastor Erickson preaches from Luke 18 and 19 and John 11, showing Jesus in the week before His triumphal entry stopping for blind Bartimaeus and for Zacchaeus while Lazarus lay dying. He calls the church to see the people others overlook, never give up on prodigals, and invite the lost into God's house with compassion.
The message in 6 points
What Jesus did on the way to the cross
One week before His triumphal entry, Jesus is not just hurrying to Jerusalem. He stops for people everyone else overlooked, and Pastor Erickson warns that the church must not reject the very ones Jesus reaches for.
1:00:49Blind Bartimaeus cries for mercy
A blind beggar by the road near Jericho cries, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me, and the crowd tells him to hush. Jesus says bring him, asks what he wants, and gives him his sight.
1:03:10Faith fed by other people's miracles
Bartimaeus had heard what Jesus did for the man at the pool and the man born blind, and he believed it could be him. Pastor Erickson says testimonies give hope, and that a desperate person keeps coming to the front for prayer whatever anyone thinks.
1:08:20Mercy for everyone, not only the deserving
While Jesus heals Bartimaeus, friends urge Him to hurry to Lazarus. He warns that the church can forget what mercy feels like and start deciding who is worthy, but Mark 16:15 and Romans 10:14 send us to preach to every person.
1:17:13Zacchaeus and the older brother
Jesus looks up at Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, goes to his house, and salvation comes to his whole household while Lazarus waits two more days. He urges the church not to act like the older brother, but to celebrate every prodigal who comes home.
1:23:01See the people nobody notices
As the Easter invitation drive begins, he lists the quiet, lonely and hurting people around us and asks each person to write down and pray for someone easily overlooked. He says when we reach for the people nobody wants, God sends people who change the world.
1:35:17
In his words
“Mercy is on a mission. Whether that mercy is looking for you or looking for your spouse or looking for a lost loved one or looking for your neighbor, mercy is on a mission and he's looking for somebody that's been overlooked.”
“That's what making disciples is all about. That's what having compassion on people is all about. We can't reject the people that Jesus wants to have mercy on.”
“If you come home twice a month, I'll celebrate with you twice a month. If you come home 15 times a year, I'll celebrate you every time you come home.”
Taken word for word from the video, with punctuation added.
Scripture
He reads
Luke 18:35-39
35And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: 36And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 37And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. 38And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. 39And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
King James Version.
Luke 18:41-43
41Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. 43And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
King James Version.
Luke 19:1-4
1And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
King James Version.
Luke 19:6-10
6And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 8And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
King James Version.
John 11:1-6
1Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
King James Version.
Mark 16:15
15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
King James Version.
Luke 5:31-32
31And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. 32I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
King James Version.
Romans 10:14
14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
King James Version.
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