Blessed Assurance

We're kicking off this new series called Blessed which honestly, I really, really am excited about because I believe culturally specifically, there's a misunderstanding and some misconceptions around what blessing actually means what the blessing of God actually looks like. Again, specifically, culturally, I think that we end up getting caught up in a natural or materialistic mindset of what blessing is, which is certainly a part of it. Okay? If you think that God put us in this earth suit, human body, to not bless us in the natural you arc, AZ, you're crazy. God did not send us here so that we could just, you know, float through life and hopefully one day experience the blessings of heaven when we get to heaven, he put us in this earth suit so that we can align to him, it experience His blessings right here. And right now, however, however, however, that's not the primary purpose. It's certainly part of it. The primary purpose is the assurance that we received from the father when he truly blesses us. It's far beyond any natural benefit. It's the type of blessing that will make an eternal impact, a long lasting impact one that outlasts our time here on Earth. And even when I said that many of you thought about legacy in terms of leaving a blessing for my family and inheritance for my family, you know, maybe my retirement or whatever the case may be, that you leave for, and that's part of it. Part of it. But if that's where your primary focus goes, then you're only seeing it in part, and not fullness. And I believe God wants to see it wants us to be able to see his blessings in the fullness of heaven. So here's what we're going to have to do as I set up the series that we're going to be in for the next few weeks, I need you to understand what we're talking about when we say blessed because again, that's how we define blessed a lot of times. But here's what blessing means that the word blessed means It means made holy, or consecrated, made holy or consecrated. The blessings that fall into our lap, we think about a bag of cash, we think about a new car, we think about a nice relationship. We think about those, but we think about it in natural terms. But the reality is, money can never be made holy until we're holding. Relationships cannot be holy until we're holding the holiness of the perceived blessing. The falls in our lap is solely determined by us. In many of those things, do not ever find a way or a place to holiness because we are not made holy or walking, living under the blessing of God ourselves, made holy or consecrated with that word, consecrated me. I'm glad you asked, having been made or declared sacred. We say Mm hmm. That sounds good. But what does it mean? Glad you asked sacred, connected with God, connected with God. So here's going to be the working definition throughout the next couple of weeks of blessing for us here at Mercy city. Blessed, made holy, brought into right standing or made sacred, through connection to God, to God, through God by God, you cannot make yourself holy. You cannot make yourself righteous. It's through God, by God were made holy and become blessed. Can I tell you something? God wants to bless you say me. Yes, you. He wants to bless you. He wants to bless your marriage. He wants to bless your business. He wants to bless your neighborhood. He wants to bless He wants to bless you. He wants you living under his blessing. You I believe that? If you believe that say yay. Yeah. Let's pray. Father, we love you. We're so grateful for the wonderful opportunity that we have today. Ready to be in your presence? We don't take it lightly God, it's a big deal. So we pray today that by the power of your Holy Spirit, you would lead us you would guide us you would show us Jesus like we've never seen him before that we might be unbeatable to understand the blessed life that you have for us God I pray that we would choose to align ourselves according to your word that you might be able to pour out a blessing that we can not contain. Just like your word says God do in us and do through us. What only you can in Jesus name a man a man a man, come on, give me a high five next to you. Let them know I'm about to get rowdy up in here. Come on Seward we already know you about to get rowdy. We already know that. Y'all want to dive into the Bible. Let's take a look at the Scripture shall we? Matthew chapter number five. God blesses me say blesses. There it is, well, let's let's do this. God blesses your life that God blesses. One. Those who are poor and realize their need for him for the kingdom of heaven is there's God blesses to those who mourn for they will be comforted, God blesses. Three, those who are humbled for they will inherit the whole earth. God bless us. Count with me. For those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they'll be satisfied, God blesses. Oh, boy, see how easy reading the Bible is. You just make a few little notes and it's like, okay, I'm locked in your mind ever began to wonder when you read the Scripture, make a few little notes and you'll lock right in. You can write on your Bible. In fact, you should write in your Bible. If your Bible is not messed up. My my mentor told me you are. We should make notes in our Bible. God blesses those who are merciful for they will be shown mercy verse eight, God blesses six, those whose hearts are pure, for they will seek God God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses. Oh, man, look that those who are persecuted for doing for doing right for the kingdom of heaven is there as God blesses who you when people mock you and persecute you lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you, because you are my followers. So we've got 3456789 1011, eight verses in eight verses, there are nine mentions. Nine mentions nine mentions of blessing. Interesting. What does that mean? Most of us while we read the Bible, we just look right past this. This started stirring in my heart when we were doing the kingdom comm series. I kept reading God blesses, God blesses, God blesses, God blesses, God blesses, God blesses, God blesses, God blesses God blessed us. And the reality is, the majority of people that we're doing life with are not experiencing the blessings of God, the blessings of God are not falling in our lap. So what do we need to understand about the blessings of God that maybe we're missing? In order to live heaven on earth because God wants us Blessed, blessed, hallelujah. You got to do. Blessed, blessed. And here's what happens. When we aligned to God, by God through God's Word by faith in God, and align our actions, our choices to God, God will bless our lives. In fact, I believe that God can't help but bless our lives when we align our lives to his work through His Word, and our actions. God cannot see yes against sin. The Bible says that he's not a man that he should lie. So if he says, I bless. When you do, then I will bless. That's just who he is. It's not just what he does. It's who he is. And so what we need to understand is that by faith, we can align to his word and then step out into action, and He will bless. And I'm not talking about these blessings falling in your lap. I'm talking about living a new level of holiness that you've never seen before, a level of consecration or separation to him where the blessing the hand of God is obviously in your life where before you show up into a Room, he's created a way for you to make the connection and the divine, the divine opportunity open up to you before you ever arrive. And then long after you leave, it's still there God's hand is at work. He's doing work behind the scenes that you don't even have to do, because he's blessed you.
So let me ask you to answer a question that I have been asked many, many, many times. And some of y'all might be asking it right now. Or you might ask it this week as you continue to think about the blessings of God will pass them out. If God blesses His people than Does he also curse his people? Let me give you the short answer. No. God does not curse his people. And I know some of you, you know, you to biblical scholars, you're going to want to come and challenge me on that. And we can talk about I'd love to sit down and chop it up in the Scriptures with you, to show you what the Word of God does, and what the New Testament through Jesus affords us. Because the reality is this, God does not curse his people. The reality is, we are the Bible says born into sin, because of the sins that Adam and Eve took on what we are now as a sin people. And we have all the Bible says fallen short of his glorious standard. And because we fallen short of his glorious standard sin has become the nature of our world until we say yes to Jesus, and our spirit comes alive in the person of Jesus. And that's the difference. God does not curse us. But what he does is he blesses us in the midst of the curse that the enemy tries to bring on our lives. God does not curse you. It's the enemy's curse that we're born into because of sin. Read Romans, chapter, read Romans, the whole book is fantastic. Sin entered the world through one man, but now it has been expelled from the world through one man, Jesus who we receive. Don't hear them saying, so God does not curse us. But he does bless us. However, it's our choice to align ourselves to His blessing or not. That's the thing that I love about the kingdom. And then I love about God as God gives you the choice. You can do whatever you want. You can lead your family however you want. You can lead your business however you want. You can handle your finances however you want. You can handle your relationship however you want, you can do whatever you want. But what you cannot do is say one thing and do another and expect the blessing of God, or do one thing and say another expect the blessing of God, it can't happen. Because again, God is not a man that he should lie. And if he says, I'm the one who blesses this, then it's that that He will bless. So there are a few choices that we need to make in order for us to align ourselves to the blessing of God, three choices that I believe God cannot resist. And he chooses to bless. In fact, when he sees us make these three choices, I feel like he's sitting on the edge of his throne in heaven, like, Oh, my son, I just want to bless him, Oh, my daughter, I just want to bless her. I want to bless this marriage. I want to bless this business. I want to bless this family. I want to bless this church. I want to bless this people. Why? Because it's through us that the kingdom of heaven takes place and he's looking for sons and daughters. The Bible says he's looking to and fro across the earth, finding one that might align to him so that he can pour out the blessings of heaven. This is so fun here. Here's the first of the three choices. You're ready for this. Humility, humility, when we choose humility, it's a choice to surrender. Y'all hear this
surrender. But but but it's a
we so often think, Well, God is all powerful. God is sovereign goddess, all of these things and he is he is he is, but he still gives you a choice. He still gives me a choice. My life today is the sum total of all the small choices that I've made over the last 25 years. Your life today is the sum total of the small choices you make each and every day. Are you choosing humility to go before the Lord? See because when you choose humility, what it is ultimately as you're choosing surrender, you're saying okay, okay, God, not my will but your will be done. Not what I want, but you want not What I'm feeling but what you're feeling. God, I know I'm feeling this, I know that I really want to be in this relationship, but are you feeling it? Because if you're not feeling it, then I will humbly surrender to your plan. God, I know that I want to spend this money right now. Are you feeling it? I know I'm feeling it. But if you're not feeling it, I want to humbly surrender to your plan. Don't hear them saying, I know that I'm angry because that person did me dirty. But God, if you're not feeling me being angry, then I will humbly submit my will to your plan. I will surrender. This is difficult, everybody. This is a choice. You don't wake up and think, Ah, I'm gonna surrender today. No, what you do is you wake up and you declare over your life. You look yourself in the mirror and you say, I'm about to surrender today. Why? Because I know that God will bless humility. When I recognize my need for him that I'm pouring spirit. I know that God blesses that. And as God blesses that, I will walk in the fullness, the holiness, the closeness in rice standing with the Father. It's a choice. Nobody ever woke up in the morning and thought, oh, I live for Jesus today. No, we made a decision. I will live for Jesus today. It was an act of the will a decision of the mind, a stirring in the spirit that we came into alignment with it was a choice. You do be here. It was a choice. God looks for surrender. Can I tell you something that's really unique about surrender? Everyone will surrender someday. The Bible says in Philippians, chapter two verses 10 and 11, that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, everyone will surrender Sunday. And on that day, there will be no choice. Your choice will be over. You're surrendering. But now by the grace and the mercy and the goodness of God, He gives us a choice to decide, am I going to surrender today? Because if I do, then I won't be forced in my pride, to surrender, then I get to make that choice and humility today. Here's my encouragement. Choose humility today, and see what God will do to bless your life. The Bible says this in the book of James that God opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble
that were a blessing. Remember, it's consecration are coming close. I have there's a there's a sacred connection to your life. But that can't happen when we operate in pride. It can only happen when we operate in humility. Does that mean that I choose humility today and pride has gone? No. It means that it's a consistent working out. It's a consistent choice. It's a consistent decision. God, I choose humility. I choose to lay down my pride. I choose to set it aside so that you can bless me. Does that make sense? Everybody? All right. The second, the second choice that we make I love this is holiness. Somebody say holiness. I don't know. Holiness is like an old school church word this kind of like, oh, no, but the Bible does say in First Peter, to be holy, because I'm holy. If God's holy, we should be holy. That doesn't mean that we just again wake up and all of a sudden they were holding now it means that we have to make decisions to partner with and align to holiness. And can I tell you how holiness starts
this is good. This is this is good.
Through whole surrender, whole surrender, whole surrender. See, here's what bunch of church folks do a bunch of church folks, and I know I did this early on. Well, God, I'll give you this, but I won't give you that. What am I doing? I'm not operating in humility. I'm operating in pride. What's the first choice and He blesses humility, not pride. And if I only give God in part then what I'm doing is I'm operating in pride. It's not hold surrender. God can only bless whole surrender. Can I show you something? Scripture? Bible Malaka chapter three, bring all you know what this word all means. It doesn't mean all, but it means whole. Bring the whole type. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there will be enough food in my temple, if you do, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, I will open the windows of heaven for you, and I will pour out a what in the world. So great that you won't even have enough room to take it in, put me to the test.
This pastor say this all the time, Pastor Robert Morris, great men of God, he says, the last, the last part of a person to get saved is their pocketbook. What's the enemy trying to do? Trying to see to it that you don't Holy, holy, holy surrender to the Lord. He gets us caught in pride. Well, this is my money. And this is my income. Can I tell you something, if you're a follower of Christ, your income is not your own. It is his he's blessed you with it. And the thing that locks you out of the blessing is the fact that you're operating in pride, and we are working from the standpoint of this is mine. It's not yours. It's not yours. Can I tell you something, it's not the churches either. It's not my it's not our staff. It's his. And as we're faithful to bring the whole time. Now I know that this is I know, this is tricky. I know that this is tough. I know that this is. So let me just swipe past that page. Because I don't want any more uncomfortable feelings in here. Okay. I don't want any more uncomfortable feelings. But this is what I always say that there are two ways that you can properly choose surrender and choose it fast. If you want to discipline yourself by the Spirit of God, there are two ways that you can really get in line with Jesus and discipline yourself and can tell you what one of them is. One of them is through the increase of your life, through your finances, where your treasure as the Bible says, there your heart will also be
so if you give if you bring the whole time, guess what that shows where your heart is, if you bring part of the time, guess what that shows? where your heart is. If you bring a third of the time a time means 10% 10% of the increase. That's where your heart is. You'll hear him saying, but God can't bless. Where we aren't holy, w h o l l y surrendered? Let me just move from that. That's That's mean pasture map. I'm not gonna say anything else except for this. Ask yourself this question. Have I made the decision to bring my whole ties to his storehouse? I can't answer that question for you. Because I don't know. I'm not going to show up at your workplace and saying, Can I see is income service. But talk to HR, talk to HR this person is a part of my trip. Nah, man. Come on. This craziness. We're all grown. We all follow Jesus. We all know in our hearts whether or not we're holy, surrendered in this area or not. Because if we're not wholly surrendered, then there's not going to be a holiness that can be put on to our lives. Oh, let's move to the next one. Oh, Joe feel that to feel that. And this Hollaback church the sphincters were Jesus made me sweat up here. Huh? Third and final choice, that God has no choice but to bless. You want to leave God without a choice? Do these three things make these three choices? Humility, holiness, and lastly, honor. Honor. Choose honor as a worship to God. This is so cool. This is so cool. Romans 12 One says this and so dear brothers and sisters I plead with you give your bodies to God because of all he's done for you. Let them be a living and how Holy Sacrifice the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him how? By giving your bodies what does that word mean? It means what you think it means it means the, you know, the earthly body. But it also means the heavenly body. So it's not just this body that you can feel, it's also the body that you can't see. It's also a sense of spirituality that you don't necessarily see that you can't feel you can't. But when we give this to God, it is our true act of worship. You want to know what this is so cool. Part of the definition is here for the word body. I got to read it, because I want to make sure that it's right. I gotta let me let me just Oh, right at the top of the slide. Is that okay? Don't get with me. That which casts chef? Interesting. Which that makes sense in the natural, right? Because if you're say you're walking away from the sun, where's your shadow gonna be out in front of you, right? But if you're walking toward the sun, that was the shadow gonna be behind you. Just see them saying. So remember what I talked about when the blessing of God is on your life. And it's like, you show up into a room. And it's as if God was already there, making a way for you. Because where he leads you. The shadow will be cast. In the presence of God, the shadow of God, the power of God will show up before you ever arrive in the room. And guess what? You turn around and you're walking back out. They're talking about the deal. They're talking about the opportunity. They're talking about the placement, they're talking about everything. You're not even in the meeting anymore. But the Spirit of God, the shadow of God, the blessing of God is still in the meeting. How do you do that by offering your body physically and spiritually in worship to God?
Some of us have said things I meant I don't I don't know. I walked into that room. And it was like they were already ready to say yes, they already accepted the offer. It was already a done deal. Because you've offered yourself in worship to the Lord. And so he cannot help but bless you. You might not be the most qualified, you might not be the most gifted, you might not have the most talent, you might not have the most experience. But if God's blessing us on your life, then he can those people cannot help but say yes to you. Because he blesses you, when we're humble. He blesses you when we're holy. And he blesses you when we honor. I don't know where you're at today. I don't know where your shadow I don't know where your wholeness is. But I want us all to take inventory of our hearts, our lives our world today. Because this all starts with saying yes to Jesus, and recognizing that this blessed assurance. It starts with Jesus doesn't start with me, doesn't start with the blessing falling in my lap. You want to walk in the blessings of God, you walk with Jesus. And as you walk with Jesus, you'll be humbled. As you walk with Jesus, forget about it. I'll bring the whole thing. I don't care. Because you can do more with the whole thing. The part I want the whole blessing of God, not part blessing of God. That tell you a little secret. God won't bless you in part. That's not how he works. He's not a man that he should lie. It's all words. I feel like everybody else wonder if so I want you to take inventory. The adjourn. In the team, we're gonna lead us in a familiar hymn. But the first little part of it as they sing, I want us to consider our levels of humility, our levels of holiness, our levels of honor. And ask the Lord to speak to you this morning in Jesus Jesus
Thanks again for listening to today's message. For more information on all that God's doing at Mercy city, or to share how the message has impacted your life. Visit us online at Mercy City DOT church or on social media.