The God Who Stoops

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The beauty is He 0:01:42.080 --> 0:01:45.240 comes not to condemn you, not to point out all 0:01:45.280 --> 0:01:48.960 your mistakes. He comes to lift you, to restore you, 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:50.360 to free you, to. 0:01:50.360 --> 0:01:51.600 Set you on a new path. 0:01:52.120 --> 0:01:54.880 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:54.920 --> 0:01:57.680 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:57.800 --> 0:02:00.160 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:02:00.200 --> 0:02:01.720 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:02:02.000 --> 0:02:04.720 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:02:04.800 --> 0:02:08.720 your life. 0:02:09.919 --> 0:02:12.760 God bless you great to have you with us today. 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:15.960 And I hope you'll stay connected with us throughout the week. 0:02:16.160 --> 0:02:19.280 We have a daily podcast that you can download. You 0:02:19.320 --> 0:02:22.120 can go to our YouTube channel and watch the messages anytime, 0:02:22.480 --> 0:02:24.440 or of course, you can follow us on social media. 0:02:24.800 --> 0:02:28.280 I'll promise you we'll keep you encouraged and inspired. Thanks 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:30.720 for tuning in. Thank you again for coming out today. 0:02:31.280 --> 0:02:33.639 I like to start with something funny, and I heard 0:02:33.639 --> 0:02:37.080 about this man. He was on vacation in Jerusalem with 0:02:37.200 --> 0:02:40.640 his family when his mother in law suddenly died. He 0:02:40.680 --> 0:02:43.240 went to make arrangements to get the body back home. 0:02:43.800 --> 0:02:46.720 The consulate said it would cost five thousand dollars to 0:02:46.760 --> 0:02:49.239 have the body shipped, but he could have her buried 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:52.000 right there in Jerusalem for just one hundred and fifty dollars. 0:02:52.520 --> 0:02:54.920 The man thought about it a moment, said now I'd 0:02:54.960 --> 0:02:58.040 like to have her ship. The consulate said, wow, you 0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:00.880 must have really loved your mother in law. He said, no, 0:03:01.280 --> 0:03:04.000 it's not so much that. I just remember a case 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:07.000 here years ago when they buried someone and on the 0:03:07.040 --> 0:03:09.600 third day they arose, and I can't take that chance. 0:03:10.800 --> 0:03:12.600 All right, y'all, I got a great mother in law. 0:03:12.639 --> 0:03:15.680 Here we go. This is my Bible. I am what 0:03:15.760 --> 0:03:18.200 it says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:03:18.760 --> 0:03:21.240 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:03:21.440 --> 0:03:24.720 I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:28.440 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:03:28.440 --> 0:03:32.120 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:03:33.480 --> 0:03:35.920 I want to talk to you today about the God 0:03:35.960 --> 0:03:39.440 who stoops. We think, if we can live good enough, 0:03:39.680 --> 0:03:42.800 then God will bless us. If we can clean ourselves up, 0:03:43.280 --> 0:03:46.600 get rid of this bad habit not fail anymore, then 0:03:46.640 --> 0:03:50.080 God will show us favor. The problem is we can't 0:03:50.080 --> 0:03:53.280 live that way. We all make mistakes, we all have 0:03:53.400 --> 0:03:56.880 times we give into temptation, let our emotions take over. 0:03:57.560 --> 0:04:00.960 The condemning voice has come, saying you blue, it was 0:04:01.000 --> 0:04:04.360 your own fault. God's never going to help you. That's 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:07.360 not the way our God is. When you can't come 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:10.560 up to his level, he says, don't worry, I'll come 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:14.240 down to yours. He's not so high that he won't 0:04:14.240 --> 0:04:18.440 come low. And it's good to see him as all powerful, holy, 0:04:18.800 --> 0:04:21.920 the creator of the universe. But if you only see 0:04:22.000 --> 0:04:26.400 him that way, you'll be intimidated, overwhelmed. I'll never measure up. 0:04:26.880 --> 0:04:29.560 You have to see him as the god who stoops. 0:04:30.120 --> 0:04:33.400 He comes down to the messy places. He's a god 0:04:33.520 --> 0:04:37.159 that will get his hands dirty when you're falling, when 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:40.200 you're broken, when you knew better, but you did it anyway. 0:04:40.640 --> 0:04:43.560 You think you're far from God. No, get ready, He's 0:04:43.600 --> 0:04:47.560 coming after you. The scripture says, he leaves the ninety 0:04:47.640 --> 0:04:50.920 nine sheep and goes after the one sheep that's lost. 0:04:51.640 --> 0:04:53.800 He could have stayed with the ninety nine that her 0:04:53.880 --> 0:04:57.039 own course, He could have been satisfied. I don't want 0:04:57.040 --> 0:05:00.440 the trouble. That sheep shouldn't have wandered off in the first. 0:05:00.880 --> 0:05:03.880 But he goes to messy places. He went to the 0:05:03.920 --> 0:05:07.280 hog pen to get the prodigal sun. He'll go into 0:05:07.320 --> 0:05:11.920 a club. He'll go into dysfunction, into failure, into compromise. 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:15.880 You can't get too far down, too far off course, 0:05:16.200 --> 0:05:19.600 too many mistakes that God will leave you alone. He'll 0:05:19.600 --> 0:05:23.120 come down to where you are. The beauty is he 0:05:23.240 --> 0:05:26.440 comes not to condemn you, not to point out all 0:05:26.440 --> 0:05:30.039 your mistakes. He comes to lift you, to restore you, 0:05:30.400 --> 0:05:32.000 to free you, to set. 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:32.719 You on a new path. 0:05:33.680 --> 0:05:37.320 So one thirteen says he stoops down from the heavens 0:05:37.560 --> 0:05:38.560 to look at the earth. 0:05:39.040 --> 0:05:40.320 He lifts the poor. 0:05:40.160 --> 0:05:43.119 From the dirt and the needy from the garbage dump. 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:47.240 He sets them among princes. He'll stoop all the way 0:05:47.360 --> 0:05:50.119 to a garbage dump, all the way to the dirt. 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:53.320 Notice what he does. He doesn't just bring you out, 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:57.560 but he honors you. He sets you among princes. He 0:05:57.600 --> 0:06:01.039 doesn't hold our mistakes against us. He takes what was 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:04.560 meant for harm and uses it to our advantage. Now 0:06:04.600 --> 0:06:07.520 I thank God that he's all powerful. I thank him 0:06:07.520 --> 0:06:10.520 that he's holy, But I also thank him that he's 0:06:10.560 --> 0:06:13.640 the God who stoops, The God who picks me up 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:16.640 when I fall, The God who shows me mercy when 0:06:16.680 --> 0:06:19.320 I get off course. The God who comes to messy 0:06:19.360 --> 0:06:23.279 places and rescues me, restores me, sets me in a 0:06:23.320 --> 0:06:26.560 place of honor. Where would we be without the God 0:06:26.560 --> 0:06:30.360 who stoops. My father was a teenager growing up during 0:06:30.360 --> 0:06:31.279 the Great Depression. 0:06:31.680 --> 0:06:32.479 It's very poor. 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:36.159 He knew nothing about God, no future to speak of. 0:06:36.800 --> 0:06:38.920 He had to drop out of high school to work 0:06:38.960 --> 0:06:41.279 on the farm to help try to keep food on 0:06:41.320 --> 0:06:44.520 the table. His parents were good people, but they didn't 0:06:44.520 --> 0:06:47.640 have any kind of faith, any kind of spiritual awareness. 0:06:48.240 --> 0:06:50.800 Looked like my father would be the same way, just 0:06:50.839 --> 0:06:53.160 struggle through life, mediocre. 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:53.600 No purpose. 0:06:54.320 --> 0:06:57.400 But it's seventeen years old. He was walking home from 0:06:57.440 --> 0:07:00.720 a nightclub at two o'clock in the morning. He looked 0:07:00.760 --> 0:07:03.760 up at the stars and for some reason, he began 0:07:03.800 --> 0:07:06.160 to think about God, what he was going to do 0:07:06.240 --> 0:07:09.600 with his life. He felt this sense of destiny. On 0:07:09.680 --> 0:07:12.720 the coffee table at home, there was a family Bible. 0:07:13.160 --> 0:07:15.600 He was just there for decoration. They never read it. 0:07:16.240 --> 0:07:18.880 He walked in that night he was drawn to it. 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:21.920 He went over it and opened it up. The pages 0:07:21.960 --> 0:07:25.560 fell to a picture of Jesus standing at a door 0:07:25.600 --> 0:07:29.440 and knocking. The caption read, if you'll open the door, 0:07:29.680 --> 0:07:35.440 I'll come in. My father didn't understand religion, didn't understand theology, 0:07:35.720 --> 0:07:39.400 but he did understand opening a door. The next day 0:07:39.680 --> 0:07:42.400 he went to church for the first time with a friend. 0:07:43.200 --> 0:07:46.080 The end of the service, the pastor invited people to 0:07:46.120 --> 0:07:49.760 the altar that wanted to receive Christ. My father wouldn't go. 0:07:50.280 --> 0:07:53.520 He was too afraid. His friend said, John, if you'll go, 0:07:53.800 --> 0:07:56.800 i'll go with you. My father walked down the aisle 0:07:57.200 --> 0:07:59.840 gave his life to Christ. He went on to become 0:07:59.840 --> 0:08:04.480 a minister, started Lakewood and did great things with his life. 0:08:04.640 --> 0:08:07.760 Why did he feel that way coming home from the nightclub? 0:08:07.880 --> 0:08:12.080 What was that the God who stoops? Sometimes we say 0:08:12.480 --> 0:08:16.400 we found God. The truth is God wasn't lost. We 0:08:16.440 --> 0:08:20.280 didn't find him. He found us. He chose you before 0:08:20.320 --> 0:08:23.480 you could choose him. Now. I love the fact that 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:26.520 you can never get so low that God won't come 0:08:26.600 --> 0:08:29.840 down and pick you up. You're not too far off course. 0:08:30.280 --> 0:08:32.959 You haven't failed too many times, you haven't had too 0:08:32.960 --> 0:08:33.920 many bad breaks. 0:08:34.280 --> 0:08:36.000 God is coming to you right now. 0:08:36.679 --> 0:08:39.640 He's breathing on your life in a new way, with 0:08:39.840 --> 0:08:42.040 fresh vision, fresh passion. 0:08:42.400 --> 0:08:43.800 New doors are going to open. 0:08:44.200 --> 0:08:47.040 The greatness God put in you is about to come out. 0:08:47.480 --> 0:08:51.719 What He's destined for you to accomplish will come to pass. Now. 0:08:51.760 --> 0:08:55.280 Don't write yourself off, and don't write anyone else off. 0:08:55.920 --> 0:08:58.720 Don't give up on your child. Don't quit praying it 0:08:58.760 --> 0:09:02.680 for that loved one. The Psalmist said, God, wherever I go, 0:09:03.200 --> 0:09:05.720 I can't get away from your presence. If I go 0:09:05.840 --> 0:09:08.200 up to the heavens, you are there. If I go 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:10.640 down to the depths of the ocean, You're still there. 0:09:11.400 --> 0:09:14.480 There is no depth that God won't stoop to to 0:09:14.600 --> 0:09:18.040 free you to restore your family member, to bring your 0:09:18.120 --> 0:09:21.960 child back home. This is what happened with Saul in 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:24.920 the scripture. He was the biggest enemy of the church. 0:09:25.520 --> 0:09:29.280 He was very educated and influential leader, but he was 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:32.960 against believers. He went around having them arrested and put 0:09:33.000 --> 0:09:36.200 in prison. It looked like he would be the last 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:39.280 person that God would have anything to do with. He 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:44.000 was creating habit, making the disciples miserable. But God loves 0:09:44.040 --> 0:09:47.840 to redeem people that we think are not redeemable. He 0:09:47.880 --> 0:09:50.839 loves to take people that look too far gone, not 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:54.400 a chance, and make them into a chosen vessel, bring 0:09:54.440 --> 0:09:58.840 them into purpose and destiny. On his way to arrest believers, 0:09:59.160 --> 0:10:02.800 Saul had led her in hand from the council permission 0:10:03.000 --> 0:10:06.320 to put them in jail. Suddenly, a bright light shine 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:10.040 down from heaven knocked Saul off his horse. A voice 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:13.160 boomed out, Saul, why do you persecute me? 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:15.080 He said, who are you? Lord? 0:10:15.520 --> 0:10:19.559 The voice said, I am Jesus. God was saying, you're 0:10:19.640 --> 0:10:23.040 against me now, but that's not your purpose, that's not 0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:25.640 who I created you to be. I love you too 0:10:25.760 --> 0:10:28.800 much to let you miss your destiny. And even though 0:10:28.840 --> 0:10:32.240 I'm a God that sits high. Even though I'm all powerful, 0:10:32.400 --> 0:10:36.319 I'll stoop low to get you into your calling. God 0:10:36.400 --> 0:10:39.559 will go to great links to bring you into your destiny. 0:10:40.320 --> 0:10:42.679 You may feel like you've missed it, you made too 0:10:42.679 --> 0:10:46.040 many mistakes, you're too far off course. The good news 0:10:46.120 --> 0:10:49.840 is we serve a God who stoops, the God that 0:10:49.920 --> 0:10:53.599 will reach down to redeem, to restore, to set you 0:10:53.800 --> 0:10:56.800 among princes. He's not going to just bring you out. 0:10:56.960 --> 0:11:00.480 He's going to honor you, promote you, give you in influence, 0:11:00.760 --> 0:11:02.720 cause you to shine. 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:04.760 That day was a turning point for Saul. 0:11:05.320 --> 0:11:08.360 He became the apostle Paul and went on to write 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:12.320 over half of the New Testament. One verse he wrote 0:11:12.360 --> 0:11:16.320 in Romans talks about the grace that God freely gives us. 0:11:16.840 --> 0:11:20.600 If anyone understood grace, it would have been Paul. The 0:11:20.640 --> 0:11:25.439 word he used for freely in the original language is promiscuous, 0:11:26.040 --> 0:11:29.840 meaning that God's grace will go to anyone. If someone 0:11:29.960 --> 0:11:35.080 is promiscuous, they're unrestrained, they're loose. That's the way God's 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:38.959 grace is. It's not looking for perfect people. You can 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:42.120 be struggling with an addiction and grace will come looking 0:11:42.160 --> 0:11:44.920 for you. You can be working in the wrong kind 0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:47.560 of place, and Grace will come knocking at your door. 0:11:48.280 --> 0:11:52.000 You can be dishonest, manipulative, and Grace will show up 0:11:52.000 --> 0:11:56.079 at your house. You can be discouraged, thinking you've messed 0:11:56.160 --> 0:11:59.160 up too many times, you brought the trouble on yourself. 0:11:59.679 --> 0:12:02.880 Like the prodigal son, Grace will come into the hogpen. 0:12:03.840 --> 0:12:06.280 You can't get so low that God. 0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:06.960 Won't stoop down. 0:12:07.640 --> 0:12:11.880 His grace is unrestrained. It doesn't have limitations. It will 0:12:11.880 --> 0:12:15.440 go after anyone. See, we look at people and make 0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:18.280 judgments based on how we were raised and how we 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:21.480 see things. We think God wouldn't have anything to do 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:24.920 with them. They're not living right. They party too much. 0:12:25.240 --> 0:12:28.640 He's too dishonest. Her dress was too short, they used 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:32.200 bad language, they come from a different religion. The longer 0:12:32.280 --> 0:12:35.720 I live, the more I realize God will save who 0:12:35.800 --> 0:12:39.319 he wants to save. He'll stoop down to people that 0:12:39.480 --> 0:12:43.640 don't have a good reputation, just as zach Kiss. He 0:12:43.760 --> 0:12:48.880 was dishonest, he cheated people. Everyone knew he wasn't trustworthy, 0:12:49.360 --> 0:12:52.520 Yet Jesus called him out of a huge group of people, 0:12:52.960 --> 0:12:54.760 said I want to go to your house for dinner. 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:57.280 The religious leaders. 0:12:57.160 --> 0:13:00.720 The priests, the council members couldn't understand it. Why would 0:13:00.800 --> 0:13:03.320 Jesus go to this guy's house. There were a lot 0:13:03.320 --> 0:13:07.160 of fine, upstanding people in the crowd. Zachias was a 0:13:07.160 --> 0:13:14.040 notorious sinner. It's because they knew God as being all powerful, holy, righteous, 0:13:14.520 --> 0:13:17.160 but they didn't know him as the God who stoops. 0:13:17.960 --> 0:13:21.240 If you only know him as this majestic creator of 0:13:21.280 --> 0:13:25.200 the universe, then you can be judgmental write people off. 0:13:25.640 --> 0:13:28.760 But when you realize even though he sits high, he 0:13:28.840 --> 0:13:33.160 stoops low. He doesn't disqualify people because they're off course. 0:13:33.240 --> 0:13:37.640 Now he knows they're a saul. There is Zachias. He 0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:41.800 comes down to redeem, to restore, to set among princes. 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:45.560 I was at one of our events several years ago, 0:13:45.679 --> 0:13:49.440 and afterwards I was meeting people. This young man came 0:13:49.480 --> 0:13:52.400 through the line and I could smell marijuana. 0:13:52.840 --> 0:13:54.040 It was very strong. 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:58.400 This was before it was legal anywhere. My first thought was, man, 0:13:58.520 --> 0:13:59.319 this is a night of. 0:13:59.280 --> 0:14:01.520 Hope, a night of dope. 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:06.040 After a couple of minutes, I started feeling really good too. 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:11.800 But it's easy to judge people. Why do they do that? 0:14:12.520 --> 0:14:15.559 Why does she go with him? Why isn't he more disciplined. 0:14:16.000 --> 0:14:18.520 But when you know God as a God who stoops, 0:14:19.000 --> 0:14:21.520 a God that comes down to lift people, that his 0:14:21.600 --> 0:14:25.360 grace is promiscuous, he goes to anyone, then you can 0:14:25.400 --> 0:14:28.560 be a lifter. You can be a healer, you can 0:14:28.600 --> 0:14:31.880 be a restorer. Where would you be without the mercy 0:14:31.920 --> 0:14:35.640 of God? What if God had not stooped down brought 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:37.240 my father into his purpose? 0:14:37.360 --> 0:14:38.160 Where would I be? 0:14:38.720 --> 0:14:41.960 How many times has God stooped down to you shown 0:14:42.000 --> 0:14:44.360 you mercy when you didn't deserve it, got you out 0:14:44.400 --> 0:14:47.520 of a problem that you got yourself into, lifted you 0:14:47.600 --> 0:14:49.520 out of the garbage, so to speak. 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:53.040 It would be one thing if God did it. 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:58.160 Condemning, judging, berating. But God doesn't say a word. He 0:14:58.200 --> 0:15:02.160 doesn't find fault. Taught me not to judge other people. 0:15:02.880 --> 0:15:05.560 If we walked in their shoes, if we had their 0:15:05.600 --> 0:15:09.120 same experiences, we don't know what kind of decisions we 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:13.280 would make. Since God stooped down for you, why don't 0:15:13.280 --> 0:15:17.280 you stoop down for someone else? You are never more 0:15:17.440 --> 0:15:21.920 like God than when you're helping the hurting, restoring the broken, 0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:26.080 lifting the falling. There's enough judgment in our world today, 0:15:26.440 --> 0:15:31.359 there's enough criticism, fault finding. Let's be lifters, let's be encouragers. 0:15:31.560 --> 0:15:36.080 Let's help someone else experience the God who stoops. This 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:38.960 young man told me how he had never been to 0:15:39.080 --> 0:15:42.160 church and didn't have much guidance going up. He was 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:45.520 passed from foster home to foster home, gotten into. 0:15:45.320 --> 0:15:47.600 Trouble, struggling with substance abuse. 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:50.360 A lot had come against him, But he said, my 0:15:50.440 --> 0:15:53.960 girlfriend and I started watching you on television. When I 0:15:54.000 --> 0:15:57.320 hear you speak, I feel something on the inside that 0:15:57.360 --> 0:16:00.720 I've never felt. I told him that that's your heavenly 0:16:00.800 --> 0:16:04.280 father drawing you. That's God saying I have a plan 0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:05.960 and purpose for your life. 0:16:06.320 --> 0:16:07.640 That's what the psalmist meant. 0:16:07.880 --> 0:16:11.040 God stoops down from the heavens and lifts those in 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:15.280 the dirt, sets them among princes. You too may have 0:16:15.320 --> 0:16:17.440 gone through disappointments, things. 0:16:17.200 --> 0:16:19.840 That were unfair. You couldn't do anything about it. 0:16:20.280 --> 0:16:24.000 You never thought you'd be where you are be encouraged today. 0:16:24.080 --> 0:16:25.280 He's a God who stoops. 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:29.120 He comes to the messy places not with judgment, not 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:31.720 with condemnation, but with hope. 0:16:31.680 --> 0:16:33.840 With new beginnings, with fresh vision. 0:16:34.600 --> 0:16:37.360 God won't let you get in a problem that he 0:16:37.400 --> 0:16:38.320 can't get you out of. 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:40.480 You're not too far gone. 0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:44.800 Hasn't been too long, You haven't missed your destiny. God 0:16:44.880 --> 0:16:47.800 is about to do a new thing. Dreams are coming 0:16:47.840 --> 0:16:50.480 back to life, promises that you've let go of, or 0:16:50.560 --> 0:16:53.520 on the way. What God started, he's going to finish. 0:16:54.560 --> 0:16:58.080 John chapter eight. The religious leaders caught a woman in 0:16:58.120 --> 0:17:02.160 the act of adultery. Jesus was teaching in the synagogue. 0:17:02.240 --> 0:17:06.479 They came dragging her in. All this commotion disrupted the meeting. 0:17:07.040 --> 0:17:09.240 They threw her on the ground in front of the 0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:14.639 whole crowd. She was humiliated, close torn, people shouting insults. 0:17:14.800 --> 0:17:19.399 Shame on you, You're a disgrace. Two things I find interesting. 0:17:19.760 --> 0:17:23.000 First off, where is the man? If you're called in 0:17:23.000 --> 0:17:25.240 the act, that means there were two, But they let 0:17:25.280 --> 0:17:29.240 the man off, not this lady. The second thing is 0:17:29.280 --> 0:17:33.880 what were the religious leaders doing spying on people, doing surveillance, 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:36.880 hanging out at their house. They should have been focused 0:17:36.880 --> 0:17:41.320 on their assignment, on helping others. But some people are 0:17:41.359 --> 0:17:44.800 looking to catch you in a mistake, hoping you'll fail. 0:17:45.480 --> 0:17:48.840 They're ready to exploit expose any mishap you have. 0:17:49.560 --> 0:17:50.440 Don't be like them. 0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:53.800 The mercy you show others is the mercy God is 0:17:53.800 --> 0:17:58.320 going to show you love. Covers for people. I don't 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:02.080 mean cover wrongdoing. You should cover them with prayer, help 0:18:02.160 --> 0:18:06.040 them to heal, help them be restored, They said Jesus, 0:18:06.240 --> 0:18:09.000 the law says to Stoner, what do you say that 0:18:09.080 --> 0:18:12.639 we should do this? Lady had no defense. She couldn't 0:18:12.680 --> 0:18:15.359 say they were wrong. They don't have the right person. 0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:17.440 It wasn't me. I didn't do it. She was guilty. 0:18:17.840 --> 0:18:18.960 She knew she was wrong. 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:23.760 Lying on the ground, afraid, embarrassed, shaking. 0:18:23.800 --> 0:18:25.480 She had no one to stand up for her. 0:18:26.080 --> 0:18:29.919 But the scripture says Jesus stooped to the ground and 0:18:29.960 --> 0:18:31.840 wrote in the dust with his finger. 0:18:32.240 --> 0:18:33.960 He came down to her level. 0:18:34.560 --> 0:18:37.399 He could have stood up taller, got on the platform 0:18:37.800 --> 0:18:41.520 to a position of more authority, But he stooped. Everyone 0:18:41.600 --> 0:18:44.160 else was standing just he and the woman were looking 0:18:44.280 --> 0:18:47.240 eye to eye. I can imagine some of them thought 0:18:47.440 --> 0:18:49.679 he was stooping down to pick up a rock and 0:18:49.840 --> 0:18:53.639 throw it at the lady. Instead, he stooped down, and 0:18:53.680 --> 0:18:57.520 through mercy he said to the crowd, you who are 0:18:57.560 --> 0:19:01.600 without sin, go ahead, throw the first stone. Dead silence. 0:19:01.920 --> 0:19:06.040 Nobody moved. Finally a man walked out, then another, and 0:19:06.119 --> 0:19:08.640 another from the oldest to the youngest. 0:19:08.760 --> 0:19:12.160 They all left. The whole time Jesus. 0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:15.840 Was stooping down writing in the dirt that was signifying 0:19:16.160 --> 0:19:19.520 how God will get dirty to rescue you. He's not 0:19:19.600 --> 0:19:23.000 a god that just stays behind stained glass windows, or 0:19:23.040 --> 0:19:25.760 even a god that just stays into heavens. He's a 0:19:25.800 --> 0:19:29.360 God that will stoop down to a hogpen to rescue 0:19:29.359 --> 0:19:32.439 the prodigal son. He'll stoop down to the dirt to 0:19:32.520 --> 0:19:35.360 restore a lady called into adultery. A God who will 0:19:35.400 --> 0:19:39.760 stoop down and say that one last sheep wasn't until 0:19:39.800 --> 0:19:43.560 all the men left. Jesus stood up. He said to 0:19:43.600 --> 0:19:47.679 the lady woman, where are your accusers? Hasn't anyone accused you? 0:19:48.280 --> 0:19:51.280 She looked around and said no one. Lord, he said, 0:19:51.320 --> 0:19:52.720 neither do I condemn you. 0:19:53.000 --> 0:19:54.000 Now go and. 0:19:53.920 --> 0:19:58.160 Sin no more. Stooping is nothing new to our God. 0:19:58.720 --> 0:20:01.840 That's what he did two thousand years ago. He stooped 0:20:01.880 --> 0:20:05.480 down from heaven and came to Earth. He stooped down 0:20:05.520 --> 0:20:09.240 from being worshiped by angels to being born in a manger. 0:20:09.720 --> 0:20:10.680 He stooped down. 0:20:10.520 --> 0:20:14.960 To be mocked, betrayed, beaten, and even crucified. He didn't 0:20:15.000 --> 0:20:17.560 have to He could have said, father, I'll pass on 0:20:17.640 --> 0:20:20.679 this assignment, let me stay up here on high. But 0:20:20.760 --> 0:20:24.560 for your sake and mine, he said, I'll stoop. I'll 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:27.800 go low, so low that I'll be buried in a grave, 0:20:28.480 --> 0:20:31.520 so low the enemy will think that I'm defeated, so 0:20:31.680 --> 0:20:36.000 low forces of darkness will have a celebration. The good 0:20:36.080 --> 0:20:39.479 news is he didn't stay stooped. He stooped for a moment, 0:20:39.800 --> 0:20:43.600 but he got back up again. He defeated death, hell, 0:20:43.800 --> 0:20:47.480 and the grave for you and for me. Now he's 0:20:47.520 --> 0:20:52.199 not only the all powerful, resurrected Savior, but he's the 0:20:52.240 --> 0:20:56.720 God who stoops. He still comes to messy places. He'll 0:20:56.760 --> 0:20:59.560 still meet you where you are. He'll still rescue you 0:20:59.680 --> 0:21:02.440 when it's your fault. He'll still defend you when you 0:21:02.520 --> 0:21:06.280 knew better. Where would we be without the God who stoops? 0:21:06.760 --> 0:21:09.920 When we didn't deserve it, when we couldn't measure up, 0:21:10.320 --> 0:21:14.000 we made mistakes, we had no defense. He had every 0:21:14.119 --> 0:21:16.639 right to stay on the throng, be the god that 0:21:16.720 --> 0:21:17.200 he is. 0:21:17.520 --> 0:21:19.680 But in his mercy, he stooped down. 0:21:20.200 --> 0:21:24.359 He came after the one lost sheep. Years ago, a 0:21:24.359 --> 0:21:27.119 friend of mine received a phone call from his uncle. 0:21:27.520 --> 0:21:30.720 He lived in another state. He told my friend there 0:21:30.800 --> 0:21:33.560 was a classmate he went to high school with he 0:21:33.640 --> 0:21:36.520 hadn't seen in forty years, but he couldn't get him 0:21:36.520 --> 0:21:39.840 off his mind. This classmate lived in the city where 0:21:39.880 --> 0:21:43.399 my friend lives. It was so strong his uncle felt 0:21:43.440 --> 0:21:45.720 like he had to reach out to him, but he 0:21:45.760 --> 0:21:49.960 had no number, no contact. His name was very common, 0:21:50.320 --> 0:21:52.720 there would be thousands of people with the same name. 0:21:53.320 --> 0:21:56.160 But he asked my friend his nephew if he would 0:21:56.200 --> 0:21:58.960 try to locate him. He kind of laughed and thought, 0:21:59.200 --> 0:22:02.040 there are seven men people in this city. What are 0:22:02.080 --> 0:22:05.200 my chances of finding him? The next day, my friend 0:22:05.240 --> 0:22:09.160 went to his mailbox. There was an advertisement for a business. 0:22:09.680 --> 0:22:13.600 He noticed the man's name was the same his uncle mentioned. 0:22:13.960 --> 0:22:16.240 He thought, what do I have to lose? He called 0:22:16.240 --> 0:22:18.879 the number, said I know this is odd, but I 0:22:18.920 --> 0:22:20.560 have an uncle by the name of so and so, 0:22:20.680 --> 0:22:23.560 and I'm wondering if you went to high school with him. 0:22:23.920 --> 0:22:26.160 The man couldn't believe it and said that he did. 0:22:27.040 --> 0:22:29.880 My friend said, my uncle is very concerned about you. 0:22:30.400 --> 0:22:32.720 I wanted to know if there's anything I can pray 0:22:32.760 --> 0:22:36.840 with you about. The phone went silent. In a few seconds, 0:22:36.960 --> 0:22:39.760 he began to hear the man solve. He said, I'm 0:22:39.800 --> 0:22:42.439 out in the woods about to end my life. 0:22:43.040 --> 0:22:44.439 He had all the tools to do it. 0:22:44.560 --> 0:22:47.720 Everything said up. My friend began to encourage him and 0:22:47.880 --> 0:22:50.080 let him know that God still had a plan and 0:22:50.160 --> 0:22:53.920 purpose for his life. Men changed his mind, and today 0:22:54.119 --> 0:22:56.960 he and his family are back in church. His business 0:22:57.000 --> 0:23:00.359 is being blessed more than ever. He's fulfilling his perus. 0:23:01.480 --> 0:23:05.440 That's God stooping down. He'll come right where you are, 0:23:06.000 --> 0:23:09.679 into the lion's den, into the fiery furnace, into the 0:23:09.760 --> 0:23:13.960 accusing voices, into the club, into the hospital, like the 0:23:14.040 --> 0:23:17.120 Psalmist said, to lift you out of the dirt, out 0:23:17.119 --> 0:23:20.400 of the messy places, and to set you among princes. 0:23:20.800 --> 0:23:23.360 And it's good to thank God for promotion and thank 0:23:23.440 --> 0:23:26.320 him for favor. But how we should thank him for 0:23:26.440 --> 0:23:29.959 stooping down. Lord, Thank you for getting your hands dirty. 0:23:30.400 --> 0:23:32.920 Thank you for coming to the messy places of my life. 0:23:33.400 --> 0:23:37.080 Thank you for restoring me when I was broken, redeeming 0:23:37.119 --> 0:23:40.040 me when I fell, healing me when I was hurting. 0:23:40.960 --> 0:23:44.160 There was a young prophet in the Old Testament named Hoseah. 0:23:44.800 --> 0:23:48.040 He was very well respected. People came from all around 0:23:48.080 --> 0:23:49.000 to get his advice. 0:23:49.560 --> 0:23:51.920 He was single. He knew God would bring him. 0:23:51.800 --> 0:23:55.080 A wife, but it wasn't what he thought. God told 0:23:55.119 --> 0:23:58.000 him to marry a young lady named Gomer. She was 0:23:58.040 --> 0:24:02.560 a former prostitute, have a good reputation. You can imagine 0:24:02.560 --> 0:24:05.399 what Hoseah thought, God, do you know who she is? 0:24:05.880 --> 0:24:08.520 I'm a respected prophet. What are people going to think? 0:24:09.160 --> 0:24:11.560 He could have talked himself out of it, but he 0:24:11.640 --> 0:24:15.320 knew to obey and things started off well. They were 0:24:15.359 --> 0:24:18.440 in love, they had a baby. Then things went downhill. 0:24:19.119 --> 0:24:22.719 Hoseiah would go out ministering. Gomer slipped back into her 0:24:22.800 --> 0:24:27.000 old ways. He was heartbroken. He knew she wasn't being faithful. 0:24:27.240 --> 0:24:29.840 To make matters worse, she was the talk of the town. 0:24:30.359 --> 0:24:35.320 Everyone knew about Gomer's affairs. One morning, Joseah woke up 0:24:35.480 --> 0:24:39.200 and Gomer was gone. She abandoned him and the children. 0:24:40.080 --> 0:24:43.560 I can hear Hoseiah's friend saying, it's about time you 0:24:43.680 --> 0:24:45.840 need to be finished with that woman. She's brought you 0:24:45.920 --> 0:24:50.400 nothing but heartache and pain. That sounded good, but deep down, 0:24:50.720 --> 0:24:55.560 Hoseiah still loved Gomer. Years later, he overheard the town 0:24:55.680 --> 0:24:59.000 gossip saying that Gomer was still alive. She had been 0:24:59.000 --> 0:25:01.680 deserted by all the men that said they loved her. 0:25:02.080 --> 0:25:04.479 She was about to be sold off as a slave. 0:25:05.240 --> 0:25:09.120 The scripture says the Lord said to Joseah, go get 0:25:09.200 --> 0:25:12.880 your wife and bring her back home. After all the 0:25:12.920 --> 0:25:16.199 pain she had caused, all the rejection he would think, 0:25:16.240 --> 0:25:18.679 he would say, no way, I'm done. 0:25:18.760 --> 0:25:19.600 I'm over it. 0:25:20.080 --> 0:25:23.280 But we serve a god who stoops, a God that 0:25:23.400 --> 0:25:27.159 comes to the messy places. Hoseah went to the city 0:25:27.320 --> 0:25:29.919 and found her in the red light district on the 0:25:29.960 --> 0:25:33.359 auction block, about to be sold. She was beaten down, 0:25:33.760 --> 0:25:38.480 dirty clothes torn. He got close and whispered Gomer. She 0:25:38.600 --> 0:25:41.360 looked up and couldn't believe it. He smiled and said, 0:25:41.359 --> 0:25:43.800 don't worry. I'm gonna get you out of here. He 0:25:43.880 --> 0:25:46.440 went to the man in charge and said, that's my wife. 0:25:46.840 --> 0:25:49.760 I'm taking her with me. He said, you're not taking 0:25:49.800 --> 0:25:53.119 her anywhere. She's for sale. You'll have to buy her. 0:25:54.040 --> 0:25:57.439 Joseah took his wallet out and gave him fifteen shekels 0:25:57.640 --> 0:26:01.200 five barley loaves. He bought back what should have been 0:26:01.440 --> 0:26:07.159 already his. Hoseiah is a picture of God. Gomer represents 0:26:07.160 --> 0:26:10.320 you and me. We've all made mistakes. We all went 0:26:10.400 --> 0:26:13.400 our own way, But God, who is rich in mercy, 0:26:13.760 --> 0:26:16.400 when we turned our back on him, he had every 0:26:16.480 --> 0:26:19.160 right to walk away, but he didn't turn his back 0:26:19.200 --> 0:26:23.639 on us. He stooped down to the messy places, to 0:26:23.720 --> 0:26:26.800 where we failed, to where we should have been finished, 0:26:27.160 --> 0:26:31.040 and brought us back, not with fifteen shekels. 0:26:30.760 --> 0:26:31.600 But with his son. 0:26:32.320 --> 0:26:35.360 Now you have to do your part and receive his mercy, 0:26:35.920 --> 0:26:41.080 receive his forgiveness. Quit beating yourself up, living guilty, believing 0:26:41.080 --> 0:26:43.280 the lies that you've seen your best days. 0:26:43.520 --> 0:26:46.000 You could never measure up. You don't have to. 0:26:46.640 --> 0:26:49.640 When you can't get up to his level, God stoops 0:26:49.640 --> 0:26:53.280 down to yours. He knew we wouldn't perform perfectly. He 0:26:53.400 --> 0:26:57.720 knew we'd fail, get knocked down, make mistakes. That's when 0:26:57.720 --> 0:27:02.119 the accuser works overtime to convince you it's too late, man, 0:27:02.440 --> 0:27:05.879 you missed your chance. You'll never get out of this challenge. No, 0:27:06.040 --> 0:27:09.520 you have a defender. You have someone that won't just 0:27:09.600 --> 0:27:12.880 stand up for you. He'll stoop down for you. He'll 0:27:12.920 --> 0:27:17.560 come down to your level, not with judgment, but with mercy. Well, Joel, 0:27:18.000 --> 0:27:20.160 sounds good today, but you don't know where I am. 0:27:20.520 --> 0:27:21.880 You don't know what I've done. 0:27:22.240 --> 0:27:24.280 I don't know any of that, But I do know this. 0:27:24.640 --> 0:27:27.959 His grace is promiscuous, it's unrestrained. 0:27:28.119 --> 0:27:29.240 It will go to anyone. 0:27:29.880 --> 0:27:34.760 God doesn't disqualify, He doesn't write people all. No mistake 0:27:34.840 --> 0:27:37.359 you've made is too much for the mercy of God. 0:27:37.920 --> 0:27:40.480 Nothing you've done in the past has to keep you 0:27:40.560 --> 0:27:43.639 from the bright future God has in store now. 0:27:43.680 --> 0:27:44.360 I believe what. 0:27:44.400 --> 0:27:47.760 God promised that He's about to stoop down and lift 0:27:47.800 --> 0:27:51.679 you out of low places. Negative situations are about to 0:27:51.720 --> 0:27:52.360 turn around. 0:27:52.840 --> 0:27:54.240 Addictions are being broken. 0:27:54.760 --> 0:27:58.280 Strongholds that have held you back are coming down. Like 0:27:58.359 --> 0:28:00.919 with my father. God is to bring you out of 0:28:01.000 --> 0:28:06.439 lack and mediocrity into abundance, influence, and purpose. Like the 0:28:06.520 --> 0:28:09.880 woman with the accuser. God is freeing you from guilt, 0:28:10.400 --> 0:28:14.720 releasing you from condemnation. I believe and declare. 0:28:14.480 --> 0:28:16.920 You are redeemed. You are restored. 0:28:17.359 --> 0:28:21.200 Your past is not dictating your future. Get ready. New 0:28:21.200 --> 0:28:25.480 doors are about to open, new levels of joy, favor, breakthroughs, 0:28:25.920 --> 0:28:30.919 the fullness of your destiny. In Jesus' name, I'd like 0:28:30.960 --> 0:28:33.960 to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord 0:28:34.000 --> 0:28:37.080 of your life. Would you pray with me. Just say, 0:28:37.320 --> 0:28:42.800 Lord Jesus, I'll repent of my sins. Come into my heart. 0:28:44.040 --> 0:28:47.960 I'll make you my Lord and savior. If you prayed 0:28:47.960 --> 0:28:51.120 that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd 0:28:51.160 --> 0:28:53.360 love to send you some free information on your new 0:28:53.400 --> 0:28:55.840 walk with the Lord. Just text the number on the screen, 0:28:56.120 --> 0:28:58.480 go to the website. I hope you'll get into a 0:28:58.520 --> 0:29:00.680 good Bible based church and keep. 0:29:00.520 --> 0:29:01.719 God first place. 0:29:02.600 --> 0:29:05.600 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:05.600 --> 0:29:09.000 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:09.080 --> 0:29:11.600 keep you encouraged and inspired all through the week. 0:29:11.760 --> 0:29:14.000 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:14.000 --> 0:29:15.480 with those all around the world. 0:29:15.800 --> 0:29:18.560 Visit Joelosting dot com or click the link in the 0:29:18.600 --> 0:29:20.760 description to partner with us today. 0:29:21.000 --> 0:29:23.480 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:23.560 --> 0:29:25.720 be sure to follow us on social media. 0:29:25.800 --> 0:29:26.800 We're praying for you. 0:29:27.080 --> 0:29:29.840 I know God's best is still ahead. 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