Our world is loud, divided, and exhausted. What if the answer isn’t more effort — but restored compassion?

In this powerful message from our series The Lord’s Favor, Marcel Hall explores how God restores compassion in our hearts so we can reflect the character of Jesus to a hurting world.

Drawing from the biblical foundation of Jubilee and the story of Bartimaeus in Mark 10, Marcel shows how compassion grows when we remember the mercy we’ve received, truly see and hear the people around us, and help others spiritually.

This message invites us not to strive in our own strength, but to let Jesus restore what has grown dim — so compassion can flow from us the way it flowed from Him. Whether you're exploring faith or seeking deeper spiritual transformation, this sermon will encourage you to reset your heart, release what’s been holding you back, and join Jesus in restoring compassion in the world.

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OC Church of Christ

Have coined this time here, the season of the Lord's favor.

2

And so we are studying out and we are

experiencing and trying to experience

3

more of God's favor in our lives, not only

individually, but most of all as a church

4

family, as a communal, , spiritual family.

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And so we have,, been doing things here,

over the, last couple of months here.

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Since we had our LA Jubilee in

August, and so for September we

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had a prayer and fasting chain.

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Last month we had this

really powerful moving time.

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We called it Release Sunday, in which we

were able to release our burdens there.

10

And then, this month we

have, , we're in Restore and we

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are, having the gratitude wall.

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We had a time of service

at the end of October.

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We have a toy drive coming

up here in December.

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And so we're trying to really,

not only again, uh, study this

15

out, but really experience this.

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As a church family, and so we

also have a sermon series that we

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have, , been studying out since

September called The Lord's Favor.

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And, , in the Lord's favor we see that

there is a time where God wants us to

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have, where we can have a spiritual reset.

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Also a spiritual release of things

that are holding us back, and then also

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having ourselves be spiritually restored.

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And so we began talking about

a spiritual reset, resetting

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our relationship with God, our

priorities, and our views of people.

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Then we moved on over to release

and releasing the burdens, the

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things that prevent us from

walking fully in God's favor.

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Then last week we started our

time in restore and restoring

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what has been lost or broken.

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And Dallas did a great job preaching

last week on how the part of the

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Lord's favor is restoring peace.

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And so today we'll be talking about how

the Lord wants to restore compassion.

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And so that's what we're

gonna be talking about today.

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The Lord's favor, restoring compassion.

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Let's go to God in prayer.

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Father, thank you so much already

for the chance to, , be encouraged,

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the chance to encourage others.

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I know I feel, , built up already

being able to sing, being able to

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connect with the brothers and sisters.

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Father, I'm excited about what

you are doing in our church.

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I'm excited about what

you're doing and my life.

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And Father, I pray right now that

you will lead us to a greater faith.

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You will lead us to take steps toward

you to experience more and more of your.

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Favor, father, I know that some of us

come in excited, some of us come in

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and we, we barely made it here today.

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And Father, wherever people

are at God, I pray to you,

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minister to them this morning.

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Father, every soul will walk away

with strength, hope, and faith.

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It's in Jesus' name, a men.

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I want us to, , go back here a little

bit and understand that, , this all is

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coming from what God had established.

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With his people.

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In the Old Testament, we call

it, under the old covenant,

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this idea of the Jubilee.

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And so in the Jubilee, God had

every 50 years his people to

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have a year where there was rest.

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Did you hear that?

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There was a year where they

were called to just rest.

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Boy, we wanna bring back

that jubilee, don't we?

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Can we tell our boss in school,

can I get a year of rest?

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And you don't charge me any

bills or anything like that.

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We would all love that, wouldn't we?

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However, I don't think American

society is up for that, but let's pray.

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Amen.

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But a guy called his people to a time of

rest, he called them to forgive all debts.

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And I know we would love to have

that today as well, wouldn't we?

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Can you go ahead and release me from that

school debt, that medical debt, that car

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loan, that house loan, whatever it may be.

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And so God had the land take a time

of rest forgiveness, but then also

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returning land to the original families.

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Those who had went on hard times

and had to give up their land.

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And at this time, God said, no,

you are going to restore the

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land to those original families.

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Now, this wasn't just

something that was economical.

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This was something that actually restored

the dignity of the people because

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yes, they were receiving land, but

what that was doing that was restoring

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the dignity of those who had lost it.

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This also restored compassion

in all of God's people.

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You see what God is doing here is not

just something for the economics, not

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just something for the emotional and

social wellbeing, but also what he's doing

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is what is called spiritual formation.

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He's forming his people spiritually

to become compassionate people.

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You see, by giving back the land, by

giving back the property over to others,

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what this was doing was putting them in

a position and putting them in a posture

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to see people with compassionate eyes.

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To see people, not with judgment

or superiority or inferiority,

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but to see them as what's equals.

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God is instilling, God is restoring

compassion amongst his people because it

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can be lost or it could be broken, and

he's instilling and he's restoring it

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so that God's people will see each other

again, not as debtors, not as slaves,

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not not as burdens, but as brothers and

sisters created in the image of God.

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You see?

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Jesus does this today

through the Lord's favor.

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He restores our compassion, which

can be lost, which can be broken.

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He restores our compassion so

that we too can be compassionate.

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And Jesus models this.

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He teaches it.

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He, he initiates it in our lives and

allows us to experience compassion.

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And then he also invites

us to be compassionate to.

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And so we see this in our themed passage.

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Luke chapter four.

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This is our theme passage

for the whole series.

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Brothers and sisters,

are you with me here?

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Okay.

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You can't be quiet.

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You know what I'm preaching.

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We don't do all that.

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All right, so in Luke chapter four, we're

gonna go here and, and, uh, let's see.

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I clicked it here, but it's

not, it doesn't seem to be

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working for some reason there.

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Can you go to the next slide there?

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Appreciate it.

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Luke chapter four.

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Or maybe it's not working.

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Okay.

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Y'all know what happens

with me and technology.

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It just, I love technology, but

technology does not love me back.

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You know what I'm saying?

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It's like I keep chasing after her

and she keeps saying, that's okay.

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And so I don't know what, it's okay.

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We got it working.

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Here we go.

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So here's this situation.

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Jesus gets up and we, they don't

realize it at this time, but

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Jesus is making his pronouncement.

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He's announcing to the world his

public ministry, that he actually is

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fulfilling the Jubilee principles that

God had established, that he is the

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Messiah, the long awaited Messiah.

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And he goes to the church service,

he picks and scrolls up, and he

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goes to this passage and he reads

it, and right after he reads it, he

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says, this is being fulfilled today.

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Everybody's eyes were hung up on

him, like, whoa, who is this man?

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But look what he says here.

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He says, the spirit of the Lord.

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He's quoting Isaiah.

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So this was a prophecy hundreds of

years before the spirit of the Lord

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is on me because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

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He has sent me to proclaim freedom for

the prisoners and recovery of sight for

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the blind to set the oppress free to

proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

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Now, if you look at this, we see here

the Lord's favor is rooted in compassion.

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Look at all these things.

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Setting the prisoners free,

setting the oppressed free to

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restore sight to the blind.

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Jesus did this literally

and he did this spiritually.

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All of that is rooted

and based in compassion.

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He is moved and therefore he

wants to restore the site.

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He wants to release

those who are oppressed.

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He wants the prisoners to be set free.

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All of that is rooted in compassion.

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And so at the heart of the Lord's

favor for his people, his favor that

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he wants to bestow on all creation,

it comes from love and compassion.

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Jesus's ministry flowed from compassion.

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He saw the broken, he saw the

loss, and he was moved by it.

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Compassion was his default mode.

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We all have a default mode.

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Jesus's default mode was

compassion, and it was restorative.

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It brought life, it brought

healing, it brought, uh, dignity.

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It brought hope.

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It brought more and more.

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Jesus' ministry can be labeled as.

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God's compassion in action.

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That was Jesus's ministry.

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And we see this and we wanna study

this out over here in Mark chapter 10.

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Churchill, you still with me here

this morning, mark, chapter 10.

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Jesus is on his way to the

ultimate display of God's

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compassion, which is the cross.

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And so Jesus, and he's

on his way over to that.

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To, to, to Jerusalem.

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But there's all these stories and

interactions that take place, and we

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stop here in Mark chapter 10 and it

reads, then it came to Jericho as Jesus

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and his disciples together with a large

crowd we're leaving the city a blind man.

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Bartimaeus, which means son to MEUs.

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We're sitting by the roadside begging when

he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth.

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He began to shout Jesus, son

of David, have mercy on me.

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Many rebuked him and told him to

be quiet, but he shouted, all the

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more son of David have mercy on me.

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Jesus stopped and said, call him.

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So they called to the blind

Man, cheer up on your feet.

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He's calling you,

throwing his cloak aside.

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He jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

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What do you want me to do for you?

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Jesus asked him.

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The blind man said, rabbi, I want to see.

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Go.

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Said Jesus.

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Your faith has healed you.

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Immediately he received his sight

and followed Jesus along the road.

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Let's stop right there.

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Let, let's, let's.

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Let's dig into the scene here.

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Let's make sure we capture this

so that we can draw what God wants

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us to see from this passage here.

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First off, we see here that there was a

blind man sitting by the roadside begging,

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and so we can kind of get a visual right

there, so they're leaving the city.

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This whole group, Jesus, they're

departing, they're leaving, and as

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they're leaving on the roadside, on

the side was a blind man who's begging.

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He has this, his little, you know, in

our day we had this little jar there.

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He is hoping to get some help

and as he's begging, he shouts

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out to Jesus, have mercy on me.

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So we have a blind band

begging and asking for mercy.

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And what does the crowd do?

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How do they respond?

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What does it say?

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They rebuke him and told him to shut up.

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Think about that.

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Here he is begging and maybe they thought,

oh, this guy, he's, he's, you know,

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he's lying, or whatever the case may be.

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What did they do?

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Shut up, man.

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Can you be quiet?

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Now, think about this for a second.

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They only had to deal with this for maybe

a minute or so, because they're walking.

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They're on their way out, so they only had

to really deal with this for a little bit.

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So my man must've been

yelling pretty loud.

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But to get to the point where they rebuked

him and said, man, you need to shut up.

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Can you be quiet?

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We're trying to go.

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We're leaving here.

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You are bothering us.

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And then you wanna call for Jesus, man,

somebody tell this dude to shut up.

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That's what they're doing.

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And what does Jesus do?

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He said, Jesus stops.

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No, no, no, no.

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We're gonna stop writing.

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Blind man over there who's calling

me, tell, tell him to come here.

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And so Jesus sees the man,

everybody else what ignores the man.

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Everybody else thinks he's an annoyance.

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Everybody else thinks he's somebody

that needs to be discarded, that

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needs to actually be rebuked.

229

He needs to be told that what

he's doing is unacceptable.

230

Oh, and Jesus though sees the men.

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And what does he do?

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Then he goes and he sees him

and he asks him a question.

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Now, this is interesting

because again, he's blind.

234

He's a beggar, so in society,

he's low on the totem pole.

235

In fact, he's discarded.

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He's to the side.

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He's not valuable.

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In fact, we can tell he's not

valuable because what did people do?

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They just walked right by.

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And in fact, they not only walked

by, they said, quiet the man.

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That's how low he is viewed.

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But what does Jesus do?

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Just by calling him and asking

him a question and engaging

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with him, he restored dignity.

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You are valuable.

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I see you.

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And in fact, not only do I see

you, I want to engage with you.

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I want to have a relational

connection with you right now.

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Wow.

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Let's talk.

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And again, in the gospels as we

read them, remember these are

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overall summaries of what happened.

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They don't give us every detail, and

so I'm sure that there was a longer

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conversation, but just this tells us that

Jesus gives him value and hears him out.

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He hears his story,

and what does Jesus do?

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Jesus blesses him and he goes

and he restores his sights.

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Not only does he do that, but he helps

him out spiritually as well because he

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connects all of this to the real issue

that's needed, and that's his faith.

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He already has some faith.

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He says, I see some faith in you and

we're gonna reward that faith, but

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what does it say that the man does?

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It says he followed Jesus.

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I read this story many a times

and that never stood out to me.

264

This man became a follower of Jesus.

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He literally was following Jesus.

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He becomes a disciple of Jesus.

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That's probably why we even have his name.

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'cause they're like, oh,

this is Bar Mason's story.

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Yo, that's crazy.

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Barma.

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Is this what happened to you?

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And so he becomes not only healed

physically, but there's a spiritual

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blessing of upon his life, and we see

something magnificent take place because

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Jesus, again, he models compassion.

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And he's also instilling and

restoring compassion in every,

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well, everybody else around.

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You see, compassion died in the crowd.

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There's no compassion in the crowd.

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Did you see that?

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But compassion lived in Jesus

and the compassion restored in

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everyone who was watching, wow,

this is what the Messiah is like.

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This is the hearts of God.

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He sees people, he hears people,

he calls people, he redeems people.

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He gives them value, dignity, as

Corina shared earlier identity.

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And then he reminds his people,

we need to have the same hearts

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and action toward others.

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You know, before Jesus restores compassion

in us, he gives compassion to us.

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Just like Bar Dees, you and I, we

were the ones sitting by the road,

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spiritually blind, spiritually

ignored, spiritually broken.

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Jesus not only saw him,

but Jesus sees you.

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Jesus not only heard him, Jesus hears you.

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Jesus not only asked him what

he needed, Jesus invites you

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to speak your need to him.

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Jesus has been compassionate to us.

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Has anybody experienced the

compassion of Jesus in this room?

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Of course you can.

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'cause just the fact that

you are here and hurt.

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What I said, show Jesus' compassion.

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And so every one of us can testify

to the compassion that we have

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experience in and through Christ.

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We too cried out Jesus have mercy on me.

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And you know what Jesus did?

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He stopped for us.

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He looked at you.

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He saw you.

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He called you to him and he dignified you.

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He raised you up.

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He redeemed you.

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All of those of us who have been redeemed.

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Can I get an amen?

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Amen.

312

You see, when you remember

the compassion you received.

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God restores compassion in you.

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You know, if the disciples who were

literally physically with Jesus

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struggled with compassion, we shouldn't

be surprised when we do so as well.

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You get what I'm saying?

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You know, but Jesus, he keeps

instilling, he keeps restoring

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compassion in his people.

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Why?

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Because the disciples, they

repeatedly lack compassion.

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Just a couple of times here.

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When we look here, Jesus

restoring compassion, they go

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and there's all these people.

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What do the disciples say?

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Send the crowds away.

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Jesus says, no, you give

them something to eat.

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Two of his disciples says, let's

call fire den on a Samaritan.

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Let's judge them.

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Let's condemn them.

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Let's, let's kill those guys.

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Jesus turned and rebuked them.

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Man, that's not what we do up in here.

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What's wrong with you?

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I'm not a fire breathing minister.

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I'm a redeeming man.

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When they said who sinned,

there was a guy who was blind.

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Another man they said, who sinned?

338

His man or his parents not

seeing the person being blind.

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They just wanna know who's at fault

Here following the culture, Jesus says,

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neither this man nor his parents who

sinned and he heals the man showing

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the disciples the hearts of God.

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When they all the, the, the people

were bringing kids to Jesus.

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They rebuked the people, and they

were like, man, take these kids away.

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We, what are you doing?

345

You don't bring these kids to Jesus.

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Do you know who this man is?

347

He's so important to be

dealing with these kids.

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Jesus says, let the children come to me.

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Do not hinder them.

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When they saw a woman who had per perfume

because she was so grateful for Jesus

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and she, she poured this expensive bottle

of perfume just to wipe Jesus' feet.

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They looked and said, why

is she wasting this perfume?

353

Jesus says, leave her alone.

354

She has done a beautiful thing to me.

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You see the disciples consistently lost

and compassion, and what does Jesus do?

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He keeps restoring it.

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No, you need to get who we are, what

we're about, because when I send you

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out, you need to have this heart as well.

359

You need to have this compassion as well.

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This is what we were doing.

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This is the heart of God's

favor upon his people, upon his

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creation that he wants to give.

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Now, if the disciples who are

with Jesus needed their compassion

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restored, how much more do we

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now?

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Can we have a brief moment

of honesty here for a second?

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Some of y'all say yes, some of

y'all said no, we don't want that.

368

Like they, I want a brief moment of

false and, and faking and lying, right?

369

It's okay, but we ain't

gonna do that today.

370

So it really doesn't matter if you say

yes or no, I'm still gonna have it.

371

Okay?

372

Brief moment here.

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As a church, I believe we need

our compassion restored as well.

374

And when I say we, I literally

mean we, because I'm a hundred

375

percent included in this.

376

And so this is not a they, this is a we.

377

You say, well, how do you figure?

378

Well, because I think we're

just like the disciples.

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I don't think we've ventured and we've

went and we've reached this, this, this

380

high level of spirituality where we don't

follow the same mistakes of the disciples.

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You get what I'm saying?

382

But also what are the, some of the

things that we see, I think some of

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us, we can tell we need our, our,

our compassionately restored because

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we see people in a worldly way.

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We're viewing each other.

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We can view each other in a worldly way.

387

We can view each other

with the lens of politics.

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Oh, there's the right

wing part of the church.

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There's the left wing part of the

church, and it becomes they and us.

390

And we use that language.

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They and us, we and them.

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We can look at things through

the lens of the council culture.

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Somebody did something

wrong, let's counsel 'em.

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We can view people, not we can.

395

Some of us, that's the way we're viewing

it and we don't realize it because

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if we realize that we would, we would

change it, but we don't realize that

397

we're viewing people in a worldly

way, not seeing them as image bearers,

398

but seeing them in a worldly fashion.

399

Some of us, we've forgotten

the compassion God has shown.

400

Sin in the world.

401

It numbs compassion.

402

You ever notice, like when you're

like into yourself or, um, you know

403

you've been struggling spiritually,

have you noticed that you are really

404

lacking in compassion for other people?

405

You get more annoyed by people.

406

You ever notice that you get angry?

407

You're quicker to get angry,

you're crook to get mad, and

408

you don't wanna give anything.

409

What, man?

410

You want me to, to bring a dish to the,

to the thanksgiving from Friendsgiving?

411

I ain't bringing no dish.

412

I will bring my appetite though.

413

And them sides better be good.

414

'cause if they're not, somebody's

going to hear about that.

415

Okay.

416

I'll bring some napkins.

417

You know when we forget, we get corrupted.

418

Our hearts get hardened.

419

This is why it's so important.

420

It's why, man, I love God

and his, his just genius.

421

This is why it's so important

that there's a reset in our lives.

422

There's a reset in our relationship

with God and how we view people and

423

in what we're pursuing, and then it's

so important and vital that we have a

424

release of the things that hold us back.

425

The sin and the world's

grip on us has to be let go.

426

My bitterness needs to be removed.

427

My shame and guilt and burdens

that I carry need to be dropped

428

so that God can fill me back up.

429

With his compassion,

love, grace, and mercy.

430

So we have to remove it.

431

That's why it's so important

that we went down this road here.

432

You guys get what I'm saying?

433

Church.

434

Because now what God is doing communally

what he's doing to all of us, he's

435

restoring and it's the peace of God.

436

He's restoring.

437

And it's the compassion because

that's who he is and that's

438

what he wants to do through us.

439

And some of us, or maybe, I think

it's safe to say many of us.

440

We're not sharing the gospel with

people, and I'm convicted by this.

441

God convicted me a couple weeks.

442

Like Marcel, you don't

share the way you used to.

443

You don't share the way you need to.

444

You're not seeing people's true needs.

445

You know, we can get

caught up in opinions.

446

We can think politics or self-help,

tactics and quotes like that will

447

be the answer for those people.

448

That will be the answer

for my friends in need.

449

That's not their biggest need.

450

The biggest need is the gospel of Jesus.

451

Your biggest need was the gospel of Jesus.

452

Your biggest need still

is the gospel of Jesus.

453

So why would it be any different

for anybody outside of this room?

454

They need the gospel of Jesus as well.

455

They need to experience God's compassion.

456

You know, Jesus is the way, the truth

in a life, a relationship with God, and

457

following his example and teachings.

458

That's the answer at the core.

459

Yeah.

460

Then all these other things are

added benefits, which can enhance

461

our walking God in our lives.

462

You know, Jesus is what saved

your soul and made you whole

463

and is making you whole.

464

That's the same thing that's gonna

help your family member, your friend,

465

your colleague, your classmate, your

neighbor, and the stranger is Jesus.

466

When compassion gets lost in God's

people, we stop reflecting his heart.

467

Here's the thing.

468

Here's the good news.

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Jesus is inviting you

and me to be restored.

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He's not down on us.

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He's not condemning us.

472

'cause that's not what he's about.

473

He's about inviting us to be restored

and to have our compassion restored

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because he's compassionate and his people

have the same heart, same lifestyle.

475

So he is restoring that in us.

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You say, well, how should we respond?

477

Well, we need to have God restore

compassion in us and how does

478

God restore compassion in us?

479

God does some cool things, but

he also gives us a, a little part

480

of the responsibility in this.

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So I want us to go over

some of these things here.

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Brother and sister, are

you still with me here?

483

Here's how God restores compassion,

and it's number one, remembering

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Jesus' compassion for us.

485

That's the very first thing.

486

What, let's think about Bartimaeus.

487

Bartimaeus received this, I'm sure.

488

I think it's safe to say when Bartimaeus

saw another blind man or another person

489

in need, he responded differently

because he remembered that he too was

490

once that blind man in need and begging.

491

So I'm sure he was like, Hey guys,

y'all see that person over there?

492

What can we do to help?

493

Birdman, I'm sure, was very

familiar with his story.

494

That led to compassion for others.

495

You know, compassion is restored.

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When we remember the compassion Jesus

showed us, the compassion we receive

497

becomes a compassion that flows to other.

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We have to remember all that Jesus

has and is doing in our lives.

499

And second, we need to see and hear

like Jesus seen and hearing like Jesus.

500

Number one, we need to see people

as people and not as enemies.

501

Did you hear what I said there?

502

We need to see people as people.

503

You are a person made in the image

of God, you are not my enemy.

504

You are my fellow image bearer.

505

You know, that's the relational

resets having a different view.

506

But here's the thing, also, seeing

people's true need when it comes to

507

seeing, seeing people, not just the

behavior, but seeing, you know, what?

508

They're really hurt and they need healing.

509

That's the real issue.

510

You know, that person is actually, they're

just really insecure and they need to

511

know God's love and God's truth, seeing

the real need, not just the surface.

512

You see, that's what Jesus saw in bar

mass, but that's what Jesus sees in you.

513

And so we are called, and this is

how we can, uh, uh, work with God

514

in, in restoring our compassion

is by asking God to help us see

515

and hear like Jesus, but then also

hearing people's hearts and stories.

516

You know, we lose

compassion when we label.

517

Instead of listening,

we put a label on him.

518

We judge a story that

we've never even heard.

519

Or we judged the story and we

only heard the pieces of it.

520

We only heard the, the, the first chapter.

521

We didn't hear the story and

understand what's really going

522

on in this person's lives.

523

We judge and condemn, but we

don't even know the whole story.

524

You know, compassion grows when we

hear, see, and understand people's

525

true needs, not just their behavior.

526

Here, and this is tough and I, I

appreciate God, he's been working on me.

527

'cause there's things, and you, maybe

you're like me as well, but there's things

528

you see on TV that can boil your skin.

529

There's things I see on social media

that, that, that can really irk me.

530

And I'm like, man, are you serious?

531

These people, I can't believe this.

532

And, and I start to get angry

and I start to get mad and I, and

533

I wanna combat, but then I just

love it when God has me coming to.

534

Contact and engagement with somebody who

I think might be doing something that is

535

in agreement with what I'm upset by, and I

hear their story and I go, oh, I get you.

536

Now.

537

We might not even agree about

something, but I see you as a

538

person now and I see your need.

539

Now.

540

I see why there's this anger.

541

I see why there's this approach,

because you're missing the gospel.

542

Jesus.

543

I love it when I get a chance to hear

your stories, when I get a chance

544

because sometimes I can be at this

post here and I'm just be honest.

545

Okay?

546

Can I be honest?

547

It don't matter if you say yes

or no, I'm gonna be honest.

548

Okay?

549

Alright.

550

I'll be honest with you, I can look at

this because of my position, being in a

551

position of leadership, I hear a lot of

good news, but I can also hear a lot of

552

bad news and that can really tain me.

553

Then I can get frustrated like,

man, why aren't we like this?

554

Or why aren't we doing this?

555

And I can get angry and then I engage.

556

And I've been grateful, you know, I

was able to to in our family groups

557

and went to the Placentia family group,

uh, two weeks ago and just hearing

558

people's hearts and I'm just softened.

559

I got, man, this is God's people.

560

This is, people love Jesus.

561

They really do.

562

I go, Karina, people love Jesus.

563

And it softens me.

564

And I go, man, and it makes me grateful.

565

I go, man, I love God's people.

566

Yeah.

567

We're not perfect.

568

We, no, we, we, we got some

things we gotta work on,

569

but man, people are awesome.

570

And it makes me more compassionate.

571

It makes me want to help people

instead of come down and condemn.

572

I want to lift them up and walk with them.

573

This is why it's so important,

brothers and sisters that we model,

574

that we follow Jesus's model.

575

Seeing and hearing people, hearing

their hearts and hearing their stories.

576

Are you with me?

577

Lastly here.

578

All right, I gotta hurry up here.

579

Helping people spiritually, you know, I

don't know about you, but my compassion

580

grows when I'm involved in helping people.

581

I see their need and I get excited, see

the way God is moving in their lives,

582

and, and it reminds me of what he's

doing in my life and how he's worked.

583

And then I just go, wow, this helps me

have more compassion, not only upon him,

584

but on others that I come in contact with.

585

So what happens when

compassion is restored?

586

Well, we become like God in nature and

character, and that's what God wants.

587

He's a father and he wants his kids to be

like him in our nature and our character.

588

So when you and I have our compassion

restored, guess who we reflect?

589

God, the Creator.

590

And there's nothing sweeter,

nothing better than that.

591

But then also what happens is that we are

then used by God in his redeeming work of

592

this world, and there's nothing greater

than joining God and helping him redeem

593

his creation, helping people experience

God's compassion and coming to salvation.

594

You know, God isn't

calling you to try harder.

595

Please do not hear that today.

596

God is calling.

597

No.

598

God is inviting you to be restored.

599

When compassion grows, God's favor flows.

600

Let's get real practical here,

brothers and sisters, action

601

steps here for the week.

602

Just try this out for the week here.

603

Okay?

604

You can expand past this

week if you want to.

605

Number one, pray for

compassion each day this week.

606

Just every day have a prayer.

607

It doesn't have to be long.

608

Ask God to soften your heart.

609

God, soften my hearts.

610

Help me to see and hear

people's stories the way you do.

611

Restoring me.

612

The compassion that you have,

help me to hear what you hear.

613

And then secondly, help

someone spiritually.

614

You know, this is when compassion

moves from the head to the

615

hands, and that's what God wants.

616

He doesn't want it to stay in our heads.

617

He doesn't want this to be nice, cool

theory and things that we just talk about.

618

He wants it to be flowing through us.

619

And so maybe it's one conversation,

one invitation, one act of mercy.

620

One step of love, but just help

someone spiritually this week.

621

You know, God's favor

doesn't stop at freedom.

622

It moves us toward restoration.

623

God restores what's been lost or broken

in us so that we can bring restoration, so

624

that he can bring restoration through us.

625

The goal isn't just personal

peace, it's communal compassion.

626

God's favor is experiencing compassion

and then becoming compassionate.

627

God's favor is a flow of compassion.

628

God's compassion for us and in

God's compassion through us.

629

And so as we come to a close here, we're

reminded of this that a reset prepares us.

630

Release frees us.

631

Let's go back here.

632

Can you go back there?

633

Reset prepares us.

634

A reset, a release, freeze us and restore.

635

Sends us Luke four verse 18.

636

We'll close out there.

637

The spirit of the Lord is on me

because he has anointed me to

638

proclaim good news to the poor.

639

He has sent me to proclaim

freedom for the prisoners and

640

recovery of sight for the blind.

641

To set the oppressed free to proclaim

the year of the Lord's favor.

642

Brothers and sisters, may we

experience more of the Lord's

643

favor in restoring our compassion?

644

Amen.