Choose Mercy

be reading from Jonah 1 verse one. I want to preach a message today called choose mercy. Choose mercy. Verse number one, it says, "Now the L the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of the son of Amati, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it, for their wickedness has come up before me." But Jonah, he arose to flee to Tarsus from the presence of the Lord. And he went down to Japa and found a ship going to Tarsus. and he paid the fair and went down into it to go with them to Tarses from the presence of the Lord. Then in chapter three of Jonah, it says, "Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you." So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, "Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." Verse number 10, it says, "Then God." Aren't you thankful for those then God moments, though those those second chances where God starts to turn some things for you? says in verse 10, "Then God saw their works, that they had turned from their evil way, and God relented from the disaster that he had said he would bring upon them, and he did not do it." And I I wish that Jonah ended right there, the book of Jonah.

I wish it would just end there. Revival, 120,000 people restored and a right relationship with God. But Jonah has to keep being Jonah. And in Jonah 4:1 it says, "But it, the 120,000 people getting right with God, it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry." I have to ask myself, what kind of preacher is he? He preached a very short message, shorter than what y'all are going to get today. I can I can promise you. And 120,000 people are like, "Yeah, Jonah's right. God's right." And then they repented of their their issues. But Jonah, he he's frustrated. He's displeased and he becomes angered and he says to the Lord in verse two,"Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore, I I I fled previously to Tarsus, for I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, one who relents from doing harm." Today I want to preach again. Choose mercy. Choose mercy. Let's bow our heads and let's pray. Jesus God, thank you so much for your presence that we have felt so strongly in this place. God, I pray that today you would help me preach your word God. The word that you've put in my heart. I pray God that it open minds and hearts and God that you would do a work in us today according to your will and purpose for our lives in Jesus name.

Amen. Amen. Jonah, the Old Testament prophet, , is a very intriguing character in again four chapters in the book of Jonah. As a kid, I always loved going to Sunday school or kids church and them talking about Jonah. Jonah was a guy who had a an amazing testimony, an amazing experience, one that I would not necessarily prefer to have myself if given the options. I would rather just be obedient to God and not have to go into the fish's belly. But but Jonah is one of those stories that as a kid often times would really captivate me and just really starting to to think about what kind of journey he he took. But but as you become an an adult, it feels like Jonah is talked about less and less. I I don't hear too many pre messages or or sermons preached on on Jonah. We kind of keep that for the kids. But I I felt today led of the Lord to remind us of the the prophet Jonah and the struggle that he had showing mercy. See, the Bible, it tells us that that Jonah, he was assigned to a particular city with a particular message. And I would like to encourage and to remind each and every one of you that a child of God, someone who is called of him, the the the person does not get to choose the location or the place in which they serve the Lord.

God chooses the assignment. He chooses the agenda. He he he chooses the the path that you and I would take. It's not up for us to decide what it is we're going to do for the kingdom. It is his decision. It is his will. It is his ways that should exceed our very own. I want to remind somebody today that his ways are higher than your ways. and and despite your best attempt, despite your best reasoning, you will never ever ever be able to pick picture something that is greater or will exceed God's plan for your own life. True ministers, true apostolics who have the heart of God, they do not call themselves, they do not work on their own time or within their own agenda, but they are given assignments by God himself. It was the prophet Isaiah that says that you are my servants whom I have chosen that you can go and tell other people about me the one true living God. It was in Acts chapter 1 where we find out that we are going to receive power once the Holy Ghost has come upon us. And that that power is going to enable us is going to empower us to be witnesses to the world. The whole world not just a portion of the world not just our corner of the world but the entire world. He was going to empower us to be a witness.

Jesus said that we are going to go to the ends of the earth to the ends of the world and we are going to teach and preach the gospel message to each and every person. I'd like to remind us today we have been given an assignment from God. And that assignment, portions of that assignment have everything to do with how we operate in the city in which God has planted us to live. I want to remind us tonight or today as the church that we ought to be without ceasing praying for the church or praying for the city. Amen. >> We should understand our our our assignment, our kingdom purpose is not just to have good church on Sundays and not just to come together on Wednesdays. And I'm for those things and I'm thankful for those things. Understand? But we have been given a much larger assignment than just showing up and and playing church on Sundays and Wednesdays. Our our calling, our kingdom purpose is that we would intervene for the city and the communities of Murphy'sboro, Tennessee. >> I want to remind somebody and to encourage somebody today that your calling and your purpose in life exceeds what you do here on campus. We're thankful for your service. Last week we had surf Sunday and it was a great time. But but we do more than just what we do here on campus.

Our job, our mandate from God himself is to go into the city and to pray over the city and believe for a revival the likes of which we've never experienced before. It's our responsibility to pray for our city. It's our responsibility to pray for our nation. It's our responsibility to pray for a worldwide harvest. It's our job. It's what God has called us to do. Some of you, you you you hear that and you think, is is it really necessary to pray for the city? >> Is it is it really necessary to pray for our n is it really necessary to pray for our world? I ask you this question. Does it have to get worse for you to start praying? >> I don't know what news outlet you follow. I don't know what social media you you scroll on. But does it have to get worse for us to to realize the the mandate from God to fall on our knees and plead with him that he would have mercy on our city, that he would have mercy on our nation, that he would show our world, a revival the likes we've never seen before? Do we do we need to be woken up TODAY AND TO REALIZE our world is lost and without JESUS CHRIST, THEY WILL GO TO A SINNER'S HELL? DO WE NEED TO BE WOKEN UP TODAY WITH THAT REALITY?

>> The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my PEOPLE WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY AND SEEK my face and turn FROM MY WICKED WAYS, THEN WILL I hear from heaven, will forgive their sins, and will heal their land." I I know today that I'm just a preacher up here behind a pulpit, BUT I WANT TO to to to remind you today as church, as the center POINT, AS THE THE APOSTOLIC OF THIS CITY, THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PRAY, TO PRAY FOR HEALING, TO PRAY FOR AN AWAKENING, TO PRAY THAT PEOPLE WOULD WAKE UP AND REALIZE THAT THEY ARE LOST AND THEY NEED A SAVIOR. I I believe this also. I believe we can pray a big enough prayer today that will shift something in our city. >> I believe that there is so much power in this room that if we would just sincerely believe that we can pray a BIG PRAYER TO A BIG GOD THAT SOMETHING would happen. >> I I appreciate brother Carson you saying if it's in the Bible it can still happen today. >> If the Bible says that if we will humble ourselves and pray then he'll do something. I want you to be encouraged today. He will still do it. >> He'll do it according to what thus sayeth the word of God. Question today is this is will we choose mercy?

Will we choose to pray? There's Bible promises. We're locked and loaded with with the words from God. the the Bible, the prophet Joel said, "The latter rain will be greater than the former reign." What that means for us today is this is that the the previous revival compares nothing to the revival that God has planned for us. The the outpouring that they experienced in Acts is nothing to what God wants to do in 2026. >> The United Pentecostal Church, Global Missions, and now really the the entire movement has gotten behind this idea Pentecost every day. The concept that that the 3,000 that received the the Holy Ghost on the or the thousands that received the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost is nothing compared to what God wants to do now. That we can have truly Pentecost every single day. Let me tell you, I I believe that today somebody can experience Pentecost here. Somebody today can be the it could be the day of salvation for you. You walked in without the the power of the Holy Ghost, but you can leave this place speaking in other tongues as the spirit gives you utterance. I believe in Pentecost every day. I believe that that God's plan for this world is so great and it it supersedes anything that you and I can can fathom. >> I'm talking today about a move of God that is not just happening in Murphy'sboro, but that is truly international.

I believe where there is a person with a pulse and a heartbeat, they are a perfect candidate to experience Pentecost. >> It does not matter what language they speak. It does not matter what time zone they live in. It does not matter what color their skin in. It does not matter what their nationality is. >> It doesn't matter where they're from. It doesn't matter what their last name is. I want somebody to hear this today. My God is for each and every person that is alive. HE IS FOR HUMANITY. HE IS FOR MANKIND. HE'S FOR THE AMERICANS. YES. BUT HE'S FOR THE BRAZILIANS. HE'S FOR THE KOREANS. HE'S FOR ANY RACE, ANY NATIONALITY. My Bible says in Lukeap 19:10, "For the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." IF A PERSON IS LOST, THEN THAT PERSON IS A CANDIDATE THAT GOD IS CHASING AFTER. And let me just say this while I'm here. If God is for those people, then the church ought to be for those people. >> Jesus, he came to save the world. Are you thankful he came to save the world? >> Are you thankful he came to save you? Are you thankful he came to save your family? >> I love Jesus. I love him for so many reasons. But one of the greatest things about Jesus is that he is an equal opportunity savior.

>> He does not care who you are. He does not care what your what your background looks like. He doesn't care what kind of mess you found yourself in even yesterday. He doesn't care about any of those things today. His only INTEREST IS TO FIND those who are lost AND MAKE THEM FOUND. HE WANTS TODAY TO FIND SOMEBODY WHO DOES NOT KNOW HIM AND WAKE THEM UP TO THE REALIZATION THAT HE IS THEIR SAVIOR. >> Jesus is a friend to the savior or to the sinner. >> I know some of y'all may not like that, >> but he is a friend to the sinner. Amen. >> The church needs to be a friend to the sinner. >> WE DON'T PUT OUR NOSE in the AIR AND WALK BY ALL OF HUMANITY THINKING WE'VE GOT IT ALL FIGURED OUT AND THEY ARE NOT WORTH OUR CONVERSATION. WHEN WE SEE ANYONE ANYWHERE THAT DOES NOT KNOW JESUS, I DON'T CARE THEIR RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND, WE INTRODUCE THEM TO JESUS CHRIST. We need to realize our assignment today. We need to realize we need to wake up to to what God has called the church to do to do in the last days. I know in church when you start hearing last days, everybody starts getting nervous, but folks, it's in the word of God. It says when his spirit's poured out that that these are going to be the last days.

>> Has his spirit been poured out? >> Are you filled with his spirit? than we are living in the last days. >> I know we're one day closer today than we were yesterday. I know we're one second second closer now than we were just a second ago. We need to wake up. We need to wake up. We we need to stop letting the enemy confuse us. Stop letting the the adversary distract us. I I need us to comprehend our kingdom assignment today. And that is Jesus is still pointing us towards broken people to people that need to have a revelation of him and to experience him for themselves. >> We are not facing a hopeless situation, church. >> It may be overwhelming considering the amounts of people that are lost even in our own neighborhoods. But the assignment is not an impossibility. I I I wish somebody today would leave this place with a full understanding that Jesus is still on the throne, that his word is still alive, that he is still to be exalted, that the devil is still to be defeated. I I WISH SOMEBODY TODAY WOULD COMPREHEND WE ARE ON THE WINNING side and that we can have victory wherever we go. It's not time for the church >> to start hiding in a cave. >> The most dangerous thing we can do right now as a church is be silent.

>> Don't be a silent church. Be an audacious church. Be an apostolic church. Be a audacically. Audacity. Wow, that was really easy for me to say. Apostolic. I'll ask pastor to choose an easier word next year. It's not time for the church to be hiding in the cave. It's not time for the church to be licking its wounds. It's not time for the church to be counting our losses. No, WE NEED TO COMPREHEND THAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE cities saved. THAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE ADDICTS FREED. THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE BACKSLIDERS RESTORED. THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO ON THE OTHER SIDE AND WE'RE GOING TO SAY, "LOOK WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE. LOOK WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR THE world around us. Bible verses like he will do exceedingly abundantly. >> Above all we ask or think is not just preacher talk. It's what the word of God says. >> When the Bible says every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess, that's not some hypothetical dream. that is a reality that's going to take place one day. But for whatever reason, there there feels sometimes like there's this sentiment floating around the church that somehow God is done with this world, that he's finished, >> that that we've reached as far as we can reach, that we've seen all that we're going to see when it comes to revivals and outpourings.

And let me just say this, and and I again, I am for every nation. I am for every nationality, but there is a mindset in the American church that what God does overseas, he cannot do here. I rebuke that in Jesus name. >> If God can do it somewhere in Africa, he can do it here in America. >> If God can do it somewhere in Asia, then he can do it right here in Tennessee. >> If God can do something in Europe, he can do it here in Murreey'sboro. That's right. >> He's not a >> There isn't a J junior version of God that we get to experience here in America. He is the one true living God right here in the good old states of America. Realize it. >> We can see miracles today. >> We can experience lives being put back together today. We cannot buy the lie from the enemy that he's done reaching America. He's done reaching our cities. I don't believe it. >> Jonah, he's a experiencing God calling him to reach a city, a city that looks a lot like a city that we would live in today. A city full of wickedness, a city full of evil, a city full of people that wanted nothing to do with God. Hear this preacher today. Just because someone you know doesn't want to have a relationship today with God doesn't mean that's going to be what they are tomorrow.

>> Don't don't give up. >> Don't don't wave the white flag. Don't don't say he can do it for every other family but not my family. The Bible says in 2 Peter chapter 3:9, "The Lord, he is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but he is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any, >> any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." We We got to get that into our spiritual DNA today. that there is not a single person that's outside of the reach of Jesus Christ. We need to get that as a part of who we are that we truly BELIEVE THAT HIS HIS PLAN, HIS GOSPEL IS FOR ANYONE, anywhere at any time. >> Do you believe that today? >> Do you believe THAT HIS GOSPEL HAS ENOUGH POWER TO REACH THE WORST SINNER in Murreey'sboro >> AND TO SAVE THEIR SOUL? He's not willing that any should perish. >> There's not a single person that's living today that that has breath in their lungs that Jesus has said is not worthy of being reached out to and to see if they would have a willingness to have a relationship with Jesus. We are living in a an age of mercy. >> Thank you, Jesus. >> We ought to be taking advantage of that. God. >> John 3:17 says, "For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." >> I mean, I'm I'm getting right into the middle of my message today.

If Jesus, the perfect one, the Messiah, the savior, the one without sin, if he came to this world not to condemn the world, then who are you and I to do that? Who who are you and I to look at people and judge them >> and say they are less than or not capable of having their life changed. >> The Bible says that he did not come to condemn the world but that he that the world might be saved through him. Jesus is in the saving business. >> Now, now understand what I'm I'm saying here. I'm not suggesting today that there will never be a day of judgment. We understand that. That's what the word of God says. But I also acknowledge that today that right now in this present moment, this is not the time of judgment. >> This is not it. >> THIS IS THE TIME TO REACH. THIS IS A TIME TO TO SHARE. THIS IS A TIME TO SHOW MERCY, TO SHOW GRACE TO A CITY THAT IS DESPERATE TO SEE IT. >> We have time, folks. We have time. My question is, what are we doing with it? What are we doing with it? Jonah, he was given a message. He was given a calling. He said, 'Hey Jonah, I need you to go to the city of Nineveh and preach. God, he saw a lost city and he was not okay with it.

So, he sent somebody there to preach, to teach, to give the people an opportunity. That's what he's doing today, too, folks. He He's still tapping people on the shoulders. Hey, I need you to go to this part of the city. I I I need you to focus on these neighborhoods. Hey, I I need you to to reach this kind of of nationality. I hope you believe what I'm saying today. God's still tapping people on the shoulder, saying, "Hey, I want to put a call of God on your life. There there are still people I want to reach. Yes. >> When when when God saw the wickedness of Nineveh, he didn't just shrug and say, "Well, I tried. They had their chance." No, he he he activated Jonah with an assignment. And Jonah, he he goes and he preaches and he sees a a nation restored and put back together. And that's an amazing response. But the the issue that I have with Jonah is that Jonah was not eager to see a city saved. And I feel the Holy Ghost for the last few weeks pushing me for this Sunday. And I want everyone to understand. I'm preaching to me today. But are we just like Jonah? Have we become a church just like Jonah that knows there's a need that sees the people out there? But we say, "God, I I want to do anything but that.

I want to reach anyone besides those people. God, let me go anywhere besides talking to them about Jesus. >> Have we become a church like Jonah? Jonah, he he saw it. He he felt the call, but he decided in a moment that he wanted to do anything besides follow God's will for his life. The Bible says that that Jonah not only did he disobey God, but that he got in a boat and went to Tarsus to get away from God's presence. Tarsus was 2500 miles basically the opposite direction of Nineveh. He said, "I I I don't just want to disobey God. I want to get outside his presence because I don't want to feel the conviction. What God has been speaking to me about is that if we become a church like Jonah, we will try our hardest to de dismiss ourselves from his presence so that we don't have to feel the conviction, the Holy Ghost conviction of disobeying what he's prom or called for us to do. But folks, when you escape the presence of God, you're you're entering into a most dangerous area. >> See, Jonah, he didn't just turn in his title. He he didn't say, "I I don't want to be a prophet anymore." He He ran from the presence of God. He He did this with the with the understanding that ultimately I can't run away from God. You can run, but you cannot hide.

That's why I tell Finn every night, my three-year-old, when it's night time, bedtime, you can run, Bob. But but Jonah, he he wanted to run from the presence of God. He wanted to flee from the presence of God. But hear me today. It will always cost you something to disconnect from the presence of God. The Bible says that Jonah, he had to pay the fair. It's going to cost you something. And then he went down into the ship. And the Bible says over and over again that Jonah continued to go down. He went down to Japa. He went down into the ship. He went down into the belly of the fish. When you get outside of the presence of God, the only way you're going to go is you're going to go down. >> It's a downward spiral. >> That's why the psalmist said in Psalm 27, "One thing have I desired, and that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord each and every day of my life." Folks, we need to be a church that desires NOTHING MORE than to be in the presence of God. >> I I don't believe in dead bread. I don't believe in dead church. I believe in a alive word and I believe in an apostolic church where we see signs, miracles, and wonders. I believe that everything we do, everything should be about getting in the presence of God >> because it's in his presence that you find success.

If I was to ask the audience today, the church today, who wants success? I don't think anybody's going to say, I would prefer not be successful. If you are that person, we have a very special time of prayer at the end of the service. We'll pray for you. But but we have I think misunderstood what it means to be successful in the kingdom of God. Success in the kingdom is not the people you know. It's not your ability. It's not your education. It's not how prepared you are to do it. Ultimate success in living for God is are you in the presence and the will of God for your life. Jonah, he wanted to run from the presence of God. and ultimately he delayed a revival in Nineveh. So today I want to ask this hard question for you. Is your disobedience halting or slowing down the revival that God has planned in these last days? Nineveh did not have revival until Jonah got there. What what would Murphreey'sboro look like if we were not a church like Jonah? And we said, "God, yes to everything he asked us to do." Again, I I hope you understand my spirit today. I'm not If if I'm getting on to any person in this room, it's me. It's me. When pastor's been preaching and I've been sitting over there and I've been hearing him say that we need to be the church and we need to be audacious.

He's been speaking to me when he's talking about how God is burdening him with souls and this city and and reminding him that there is nothing we can do in here that's that's equal to going out there and actually taking the gospel truth out there to them. It's been convicting me. It's it's been convicting me that we don't just sit on truth, that we don't just sit on our apostolic experience, but we share it with the broken world around us. >> Today, we need to get ourselves back in his presence. We need to get sensitive again to the move of the Holy Ghost. We need to let his spirit, his his holy ghost fire stir something inside of us that like Jeremiah, it's a it's a word that that that that has been shut up in our bones, but it can't stay there anymore. >> We've got to tell somebody. We've got to share it with somebody. >> When is the last time you shared your faith with somebody? And again, you can move your feet back. I'm not trying to step on anybody's foot necessarily, but when's the last time when's the last time you invited somebody to church? Well, Brother Wes, you've been talking about saving our city and that and and inviting a friend. That doesn't do that. Yeah, it does. Yeah, it does. Where do you think revival starts? Where do you think revival starts?

It it doesn't start with a thunder and it could but it has not that I've known start with a thunderous voice over the city of Murphy'sboro. Everybody go to center point, get to the altar. That'd be great. We we'd have to build a bigger altar. I'm pretty sure revival starts in homes. >> And it starts in the hearts of those homes. >> And it starts with you getting one person, reaching one person with the truth about Jesus Christ. Jonah, he disobeyed. He did not follow what God had asked for him to do. Caused there to be a great storm. And you know the story. They they drew lots. They figured out Jonah's a problem. They threw him out of the boat. There's a whole message there for somebody preach one day and that is this. Be careful who's in your boat. >> You got a lot of chaos in your life. It may be because you have a Jonah in your boat. Well, okay. I'm gonna be careful. >> But just because they signed up for your connect group doesn't promise you they're not going to be a Jonah in your life. Okay. All right. Getting back to my notes here. It's safe over here. We need to make sure that we are ministering to people who are hurting. Understanding the call that God has placed in our lives. that again there is not a single person in this world that has gone too far that God cannot reach them.

In Jonah we see this amazing experience take place where Jonah he eventually goes I'm not going to go through all the details but we know he he gets thrown off the boat the the fish some say a well swallows them up. Wouldn't that be terrifying? Yeah. Some of you are going to go to Captain D's today and you're going to have a different revelation. Imagine getting thrown up with all that fish guts. Not not ideal. Not a good day. I do find it kind of humorous in Jonah chapter 3 when God calls him for the second time. He answers and says, "Yes, Lord. I'll go to I'll go to Nineveh. You ain't going to throw me another fish's belly. You don't have to teach me that problem or that situation twice. Jonah, he goes to Nineveh and he and he sees he he preaches a very simple message and he sees the restoration of of a great city, 120,000 people, the king, the most influential person there in Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria. He he says, "Hey, everybody's going on a fast. Your animals are going on fast. Like, we're we're all fasting. We're all getting right with God." And again, I look at Jonah and I'm like, Jonah, what a what a word. Good job, Bob. You're probably preaching general conference next year. I But the sad reality is that in Jonah chapter 4, we see that Jonah is disappointed.

It's disappointed. I I It's hard for me to wrap my mind around that. It's hard for me to comprehend how Jonah would not be ecstatic that an enemy to his people have been redeemed by the one true living God. It It's hard for me to understand that. But then I look at my own life and I look at the people that I pass by every day and I have to ask my question myself the question, am I any better than Jonah? Am I any better than him? I'm coming to a close in just a few minutes, but my message today is so simple and that is this. Is that if God can save Nineveh, then he can save Murphreey'sboro. >> If God can reach the city of Nineveh, then God can reach the nation of America. >> Folks, they've not gone too far. They're they're not wrapped up in so much sin that the Holy Ghost can't grab a hold of them. >> The Bible says this, "And such were some of you." >> Maybe today we need to be reminded of where it was exactly we found ourselves in that myy clay and that he picked us up and he put us on the rock to stay. Maybe today we need to be reminded of our testimony and share it with somebody because it could be very well your testimony that helps saves a person.

If God can turn Nineveh, he can turn our city. If God can redeem the people there, he can redeem the people today. We just cannot resent revival when it shows up. We can't be people who look at the revival and begin to judge it and criticize it and be critical. Let me just say this, and I hope this sounds okay. When God starts pouring out his spirit on all flesh, there are going to be people that come through those back doors that look nothing like us. >> And we're going to have to be okay with that. >> We're we're going to have to be good with that and say, "Yeah, bring them on. Bring more. Bring your sisters. Bring your cousins. Bring your Bring them all. I I believe this. I believe that God still works in the sanctification process. >> I believe that anybody can be sanctified. I believe anybody can be justified. I believe that the blood of of the Lord, it can work for anybody whosoever will. It's the question today is will we be like Jonah or will we feel a call to our city and answer it. So we stand to our feet today and the conclusion of Jonah, the book of Jonah. You know, the the book of Jonah, if you read it, and I encourage you to read it, but the end of Jonah, Jonah chapter 4, it just concludes with a question.

God sees Jonah's frustration with the revival that's taking place, and he just asked the question. He says, "Jonah, is Nineveh not worth my compassion? Are are the 120,000 souls in Nineveh, Jonah, are they not worth your time? As a church, sometimes I think we count blessings weird. We see all the things God has given us. I'm I want everybody to hear this. I'm thankful for the things. I'm thankful for the cars. I'm thankful for the homes. But the greatest blessing he has given us today is the opportunity to reach out to somebody >> and share with them what Jesus has done >> for us. God, he looks at Jonah and he asks this question and then the the book ends. And I felt today in the Holy Ghost to ask this question to the church today. The same question that God looked at Jonah and asked him, I feel compelled to ask you today. Is Murphy'sboro not worth compassion? Is your schools not worth compassion? Is your workplace not worth mercy? Is your neighborhood, is the street you live on, is it worth the mercy of God? I feel like the Lord would answer that question and say yes, it's worth it. So you ask yourself, well God, then how are you showing mercy? He's showing mercy by the people that are in this church >> right now. God chose mercy for Murphreey'sboro. When God called out your name, when God reached out to you and changed your life, he planted mercy in Murreey'sboro.

He chose mercy for Rockville. He chose mercy for New Salem. He chose mercy for Walter Hill. He He chose mercy for Rutherford County when he called your name out and planted you where you live and where you work. >> I want somebody to have this revelation today. You are mercy. >> You are walking mercy for this city. When you walk DOWN THE STREETS, YOU'RE NOT JUST SKIN. YOU'RE NOT JUST FLESH. YOU ARE MERCY FOR A CITY. >> God chose mercy. >> Will you choose mercy? >> Will you choose mercy when you go eat today after church? Will you choose mercy when you have that next opportunity to tell a relative about Jesus? Will you choose mercy WHEN WHEN SOMEBODY TALKS to you at work nana in a way THAT YOU DON'T LIKE? WILL YOU SHOW MERCY? WHEN SOMEBODY OFFENDS YOU, WILL YOU SHOW MERCY? God chose mercy. And he asked the question, are they not also worth the mercy that you've experienced in your life? God feels compassion for the city. He feels compassion for the people. He feels compassion and mercy for your neighborhoods. You're proof positive of that. Today I would encourage you, choose mercy with your voice, with your prayer, with your obedience. Choose mercy. Yes, the culture, the sin in this world is rampant. But we can still choose mercy. Jonah preached a simple message. A king heard it. A city was changed.

Today, you can preach the name of Jesus. You can choose mercy and there will be fruit from your labor. Choose mercy. Be audacious and choose mercy. Let's bow our heads right now. Lord, I pray God that as I've been obedient to what I feel like you've placed in my heart, that there would be a revelation and an understanding in this room of the value that you've placed in us. God, you've given us the opportunity to choose mercy over judgment to run in this city like we have been given a divine assignment for such a time as this. God, if I have ever ran away from being mercy, if I've ever cowed down, God, and not been mercy for somebody, God, I pray that today you would forgive me. that you would remind me of the importance, God, that that I serve in in your kingdom, God. That the problem is not the world around me and the problem is not your word. It is not the city. It's that I HAVE BEEN SILENT for too long. I have not been audacious. BUT GOD, I AM MERCY FOR SOMEBODY TODAY. LORD, like you gave Jonah a second chance, God, today I'm asking for you to give me a second chance. God, give me an opportunity again to be mercy for somebody to go in the city and to show your compassion and your love and your grace.

Jesus name. Church, I'm going to open up these altars right now. I'm going to ask for everybody to come forward. Our city needs us. Our our streets, they need us. The streets you work in, the streets you walk in every day, they need you to be mercy. YOUR WORKPLACE, IT IT NEEDS MERCY. And you're going to show up tomorrow and you're going to be mercy for those people. Come on right now, church. Come on. Why don't we surrender some things over to God right now? If you want to kneel, kneel. If you want to lift up your hands, lift up your hands. But right now, why don't we surrender to whatever it is that God has called for us to do? Choose mercy right now. Choose mercy.