I Heard the Voice of Mercy

Carter Conlon from the historic Times Square Church in New York City. This is the most religious nation on the face of the earth at this time God is speaking and nobody can hear him. Nobody, not one person in the nation can hear this immersive moment that God has in his heart decided to get to the nation. If he can find one person will agree with them. Thank you for being with us for a call to the nation with Carter, today's message begins in Ezekiel chapter 22 verse 23 in great detail. This passage describes a nation that deserves punishment instead of God, saying, step aside, I'm going to judge this nation, God offers mercy, but unbelievably, the Lord found no one to hear his quiet voice as a partner will explain. It's God's heart's desire to show mercy to his creation. Let's join Carter right now.

I heard the voice of nursing. I want to start with Ezekiel chapter 22. If you do have a Bible, or if you have a device that you can get the Scriptures in Ezekiel chapter 22 verse 23, God is about to speak to the prophet Ezekiel about the state of the nation state of the nation in Ezekiel's day was that really it was dropped from top to bottom and it was deserving of the judgment of God. There was there was little or no doubt left about the beginning in verse 23 of Ezekiel chapter 22 and the word of the Lord came to me saying Son of Man say to her you are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation, the conspiracy of her profits in the midst of her like a roaring lion tearing the prey they've devoured people live taken treasure and precious things they have made many Windows Internet so those that were supposed to be calling the nation back to God really using their ministry in their positions for themselves and they were not drawing the people is a living relationship with God.

They were actually making them alienated Arndt as he said Windows in the midst of the nation are priests.

Verse 26 I violated my law and profaned by holy things, not distinguished between the holy and the unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean they couldn't their eyes from my sabbaths so that I am profaned among them are princes in the midst I like bolstering the prey to shed blood to destroy people and to get this on the scans.

Now you have a crop prophetic ministry. A crop priesthood. Now you have crop leadership in many strata so that society and they are ripping people apart instead of bringing them together there causing the shedding of blood to destroying people and they have their hand and that in the money jar in many cases, you know it's hidden from the people but God thought now in verse 28 is that her profits plastered them with an tempered mortar, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, thus, that the Lord when the Lord has not spoken so you have a ministry as well. That is enforcing our enabling this this behavior at all levels by just in a sense, giving it the tacit approval of God.

God is not a approving of this behavior the people. Now the land.

Verse 29 of his depressions committed robberies to think about our generation one looting seems to be the order of the day in the depressions of one group against another seems to be in the surface are at least always under the servers.

Our society mistreated the poor and the needy, and they wrongfully oppress the stranger and others no compassion anymore for for the needs of others.

Everyone is in it for themselves and you know you look at your site. This is a nation now deserving of judgment and a and I have no doubt there's a lot of scripture that would confirm the judgment is the course that the nation is on and so God has taken all the time to show this to the prophet Ezekiel. The next thing should be step aside and going to judge the nation. But something very unique comes out of the heart of God. In verse 30 there's what he says. So I sought for a man among them would make a wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land that I should not destroy it, but I found no one can imagine that like there are so many voices I'm sure at this moment in history that are speaking in and on the behalf of God and and some of them no doubt are our calling for judgment some of them would be honest enough to search the Scriptures when psych God can't let this continue. We can't let this, this absolute debauchery that's going on in this profaning of his name, and the earth continue. These are supposed to be the people of God, you have a covenant relationship with these people and now what they're doing is is bringing his own name and to such reproach.

The Charlie is going to judge these people and I'm sure there were prophetic voices. Probably speaking these things, but there was one voice speaking something else. It was the voice of God in its amazing it was a voice that was calling for mercy, but I want to hear me on this because nobody could hear this voice. It was like a small still voice that came to Elijah and that time when he was suffering from depression because of what was going on in the nation, and it was it was a voice that nobody could hear can imagine this is the most religious nation on the face of the earth at this time God is speaking and nobody can hear him. Nobody, not one person in the nation can hear this mercy moment that God has in his heart decided to give to the nation. If he can find one person will agree with them what you think on that for a moment.

It's amazing because there's this voice this crying mercy and nobody can seemingly curate you see the heart of the law. The Scripture tells us clearly the heart of the law is mercy. The heart of all the law that was introduced in the Old Testament is to bring us to the point where we understand that we need the mercy of God, but a secondary and even more important understanding the gods hearts desire is to show mercy to his creation in Exodus chapter 32 we see something that of the heart of God.

That is absolutely profound when you begin to consider it. Though this is Exodus 32 beginning at verse seven. Now Moses is been leading the people out of Egypt into what supposed to be the promised land. They been murmuring the complaining date of actually they've been stripped off their clothes. They better they've gotten into moral behavior. They build a calf and called this Their God, and here's what the Lord says to Moses in verse chapter 32 of Exodus, verse seven and the Lord said to Moses, goal get down for your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They turned aside quickly out of the way, which I commanded them they've made themselves a molded calf and worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said this is your God, O Israel that brought you out of the land of Egypt and the Lord said to Moses, I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff neck to people now therefore let me alone that my wrath may burn hot against them, and I may consume them and I will make of you a great nation. Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God.

So this is the incredible thing is people have corrupted themselves. The Lord says I've come down.

I've had it with them on finished with them.

I'm going to destroy them. I'm going to make out of you a great nation. Now God says something really interesting and you have to see this because this conveys the heart of God, and it can affect the way we see God in our generation is just three words to Moses.

Now let me alone now in that very statement is the inference God himself that my heart can be turned by the intercession of even one man if I have Moses was considered a friend of God and God. You have to catch this. This one little labor this point a little bit. God's is ongoing. This is what the people are.

This is what I'm going to do because God makes it an absolutely correct statement.

It makes a definitive plan on his go forward strategy that he says to Moses to let me alone and let me do this. And Moses starts to speak. He starts to plead with God and he says don't be angry with your people that you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand.

Why should it be said of you. Once it is shipped Egyptian speak and say he brought them out to harm them or kill them in the mountains or consume them from the face of the earth, turn from your fears drive and relent from this harm to your people. Moses is remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self and you said to them, I will multiply your descendents as the stars of heaven and all this land that I've spoken of give to your descendents, and they shall inherit it forever. In verse 14 is most amazing verse in the Old Testament. One of the most amazing.

It's as though the Lord relented from the harm he said he would do to his people. It really means God just changed his mind. God was persuaded amazing that one man one man can stand in the gap and turn the heart of God away from destroying a whole nation. This is this is what the Lord was again looking for through the prophet Ezekiel was looking for somebody to stand because it works in conjunction with his creation. He works in conjunction with his people. He works in conjunction with our our prayers. I don't fully understand that and probably neither do you. Is God he could act outside of us. It is need us to do anything as God is entirely completed himself, but for whatever reason he chose to in a sense intersected lies with hours in the working of his hand.

With our faith and with our prayers, is an amazing and yet here he is again in Ezekiel's day, saying I'm looking now for somebody to stand in the gap that I should not have to judge the nation. Mercy using the center of the heart of God.

That's why the Scripture says God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Remember the prophet Jonah. It's rather humorous story, but Jonah ran from God ended up in the storm goes to this wicked wicked city called Nineveh, who are known for their violence and their cruelty and their godlessness.

It obeys God and for three days.

He travels through the city and and says repent, not repent his judgments coming in 40 days it's all over your all going to burn you're all going to die and then he sits on a hill and waits for the judgment of the dozen, and he gets angry and he said to the Lord. Isn't this what I told you what happened.

I told you before, one on the journey that I would come and proclaim this message.

The people's hearts would turn and and I know you is that I know what you're like this with Jonas that I know what you're like when people ask for forgiveness.

You even though you pronounce judgment you draw back and you show your willingness to forgive because the heart of God's mercy. Incredible. It's strange sometimes. How how we can still cry out for mercy for ourselves and is so readily pronounce judgment on others.

That's one of the frailties of the human heart will go home and Willa was a Lord forgive me for this and forgive me for that and be kind to me for this and be patient with me here and then will go out in the streets and a just demand judgment in all of our enemies that since the peculiarity I guess. Of of the human heart.

I begin to hear the voice of God calling for mercy.

In August 2019. Pastor Teresa, my wife and myself were coming home from our vacation in Eastern Canada should be reading a book called the Mayflower and she asked Mr. citron. We stopped in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and I'd like to see the stone called pumice stone which is purported to be the place where the pilgrims landed in 16/21 step. There therefore in America, and from that little group of people, God birthed the nation.

They had a promise that they were being taken to a place were men and women could worship according to conscience and according to the word of God without constraints and without being dictated to from from the top down, as was the case in the place where they were originally fleeing from medicine more why did you take me to that house. I didn't even know it existed. I didn't really know the history that was here but you. You've obviously led me to that house and in my life and what was that what was zero purpose Senate and as soon as I prayed that prayer. This is what the Lord began to speak to me now and second Chronicles chapter 6, Solomon was dedicating the temple in Israel.

Now, the temple represented God's presence, represented his purpose for the people of God's willingness to walk among the people's willingness to make that particular group of people. A praise in the earth to his name. That was the purpose and the sense of Israel and of God dwelling in the midst of his people and Solomon was dedicating the step of the member.

The temple were his glory to in the temple were or his presence actually dwelt among his people in a Solomon's dedicating the temple he makes this incredible plea to God. Among other things, one is praying he talks about the people in the future. He said when they sin against you for there's no one who does not send, and you become angry with them and deliver them to the inanimate and they take them captive to a land far or near yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive and repent and make supplication is a begin to pray towards you in the land of their captivity, whether there'd held captive and in a new place to this temple or a fireplace from the sample and say we have sin we done wrong and we committed wickedness and when they return to you with all their heart and all their soul in the land of their captivity was a been carried captive and pray towards this land which you gave to their fathers in the city which you've chosen, and toward the temple which I built for your name. Then hear from heaven, dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications and maintain their cause and forgive your people have sinned against you and Solomon's is now my God, I pray, let your eyes be open in your ears attentive or listening to the prayer that is made in this place now in the very next chapter. Now Solomon finishes dedicating the temple. Solomon goes home is obviously bet it's in the middle of the night and the Scripture says that in the Lord. In chapter 7 verse 12 says the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said to him, I've heard your prayer and I've chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain or command the locusts to devour the land or send pestilence among my people if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sin and heal their land. That it was on to say something powerful. This is now my eyes will be open to my ears attentive listening to prayer made in this place. For now, I've chosen and sanctified this house in my name, will be there forever in my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually. In other words the Lord was saying to Solomon if you stray come back to the place where it all started come back to the place where you want spread come back with humility come back with repentance come back with with a willingness to admit your failing in your folly in your fault in my heart will still be there. My heart in a sense the bid moved and gave you a nation took you from 400 ft.² over 3 million, something square miles took you from being 51 emaciated. We Start people donation of 330 million people took you to a place from a place of being without resource to were the results that I gave you became the virtual envy of the known world.

I took you in your weakness, and in your weakness. I became strong and I was glorified in the Lord is saying in measure. I fulfilled my word to you I did what I said I would do. I answered your prayer, but as Solomon was afraid you strayed.

This is strayed far away and were taken captive and now now the pestilences among you, now there's rising up in your cities.

Now you see that what you the foundations of what I gave you is beginning to crumble.

The windows are broken and the roof is leaking but I'm willing I'm willing to be merciful. It's that small still voice of God again in the midst of all calamity, all the shouting. All the voices all the opinions with their without Scripture is the voice of God that so if you can hear this.

This small still voice that says I'm still willing to show you mercy.

I want to come back to the house where it all began. I want you to fall on your knees in the 20 x 20 square-foot room for 400 years ago, I answered the prayer of 51 people who gave their all for you so you can be free so you can worship in freedom so you can worship according to conscience which you and I both know is in jeopardy.

Now in our generation the Lords is an ask you to come back because I have a mercy moment for you and you spoke to my heart is that I want you to confess the sins of the nation. I want you to start at the beginning and go right through to the present day and is that I want you to call them by their real names. Don't be generic. Call them by their names and then after you've done that have different people from different persuasions, backgrounds and cultures as before. Mercy moment for our schools or children or families or homes.

Cities ask for reconciliation and healing between races. These old wounds that have never been healed in the nation, asked me to do what only I can do and it's been amazing how quickly this has caught fire in the hearts of people recognizing that the Lord's about to do something to show mercy one more time.

Give us a mercy moment for America do for us. We cannot do for ourselves. Bring the healing to us that we can't we can't procure it by the amount of things we tried are probably will try. We can do little bits of good but we can't bring the full healing. Only you can give us a go forward strategy for this culture save our families deliver our children by God grasping you to do what only you can do bring back our moral compass is a nation which is so strayed from what you tell us where to be and Howard to live in and how our lives are to be outlived so that they bring glory to you. I hear something I hear a voice of mercy. I hear this moment in the heart of God where he says you deserve to be judged not leave me alone, but the leave me alone implies, is there anybody out there who still willing to believe that I can show mercy.

Is there anybody out there who can still hear my heart, is there anybody out there that still knows I'm God. Is there anybody remembers that I took you from nothing and made you a great nation, and I can do it again if you will admit that you've sinned against me if you will admit that without me you can't go forward if you will call it to me again. I will be your God and you will be my people, but also for those that are listing and maybe are not part of the kingdom of God.

Maybe you feel like your life is fallen so far short of what it should be. You feel so hopeless and down. You're no worse off than those programs were 400 years ago they were almost dead, they were filled with sorrow. Everyone in the room had lost family and friends or spouse or child. They were in terrible condition. There was was no going back and there was no going forward, and in the in the poverty and in their weakness, they turn to God, and they found a mercy that birthed the great nation and if today you will turn to God in your poverty if you will turn to God and simply just admit that you're a sinner. Don't try to hide and don't make excuses for call it what it is saying means living in a way that is not the way that God has prescribed your life should be lived or doing things God said you shouldn't do and you are not what God says you should be. That's simply called sin admit you're a sinner that you failed.

Admit that your life is to not live the way that you should and believe the God in his mercy he sent his son Jesus Christ to die on a cross so that you will have to die and be separated from God for eternity.

That's mercy. That was the mercy call of God went what went went.

When the son of God on the cross cried out father forgive them. That's what he meant to forgive them. That's why he came. That was the cry in the heart of God to forgive even those were just driven the nails through his hands and feet and walked him and spit on them and slap them put a crown of thorns in his head no.

You think the God would God judge of people like the failing to understand that it's it's mercy is at the center core of God through his John the beloved set in one of his epistles. If you don't if you don't love you don't know God, for God is love. God's love. There's there's is no other way to describe love, but by calling it God and God love that typifies. So what does it require me to say well you admit that your sinner, you believe the Christ died in your place and I don't really complicated to simply confess with your mouth that is your Savior as I got it. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for dying for me. Thank you for thank you for paying the price for my wrong. Thank you for making away by sacrificing your like that my life doesn't have to be lost forever that I can become a child of God that I can be forgiven and in my weakness I can be brought in to strengthen my dirtiness can be cleansed in my distance from God.

Jim can be bridged by by that sacrifice of Christ and then my life can become as the pilgrims once did everything the God destine it to be that the Bible says you become a new creation the old things will will pass away and all things will become new. Who can debate. But the God answered that prayer for the pilgrims 400 years ago and he will answer your prayer today if you want to be a believer in Christ you want to be forgiven if you want to know that having to be your home to die. The number ask you right now right now pray this prayer with me Lord Jesus Christ. I hear your voice, a voice of mercy calling me back home to you. I believe in my heart I believe that you died for me so that I can live with you forever and today, right now I confess you as my Lord and my Savior in Jesus name the message today has been brought to you by Carter Conlon from Times Square church.

For more information log onto TSC.NYC that's TSC.NYC plan to be with us next week for a call to the nation with Carter,