Sit Where They Sit | Compassion That Looks Like Jesus | Marcus Mecum | 7 Hills Church

Ezekiel chapter three, let's look at verse fourteen. So the spirit of the Lord lifted me up, speaking of Ezekiel, and took me away and I went in bitterness and the heat of my spirit. In other words, he's looking at the issues in his nation and it's bothering him. He's angry. He's struggling as he focuses on what's happening. His attitude towards it is he is heated on the inside. But it says, but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me when I came. To the captives at Tel Aviv who dwelt by the River Chabar and I sat there. Or I sat where they sat, that's what I want to preach to you about, I sat where they sat and remained there astonished among them for seven days. Have you ever had an event in your life that changed you forever? I mean, a clear event, had this event not happened to you, you would not be who you are today. An event that drastically changed you and from that moment on, for good or for bad, you look back and you think to yourself, nothing about me has been the same since that experience. I don't look at life the same. I don't look at people the same. I don't look at myself the same. I don't sleep the same. Nothing's the same because of that experience. Ezekiel is having that type of an experience. God is clear to Ezekiel, I want to use you powerfully. I'm going to use you to be a great preacher, a great prophet. To your generation, I'm going to give you visions that will last thousands of years. But before I can use you to influence your generation, I want you to go set where they sit and I want you to sit there for seven days. I don't want you to say a word. I don't want you to speak to anybody. No conversations need to be had. I want you to sit there and I want you to watch.

I want you to listen. I want you to feel what the people are going through. And the Bible says after seven days, he was so astonished by what he experienced. It changed him. I love what Tommy Barnett says, he says, whenever you talk to somebody about their sin, you should do it with a tear in your eye. I've said that statement a thousand times. I'll say it a thousand more. Before God will use you to reach anybody, he'll first need you to go sit where they sit. King David, the Bible says, used to refer to the Ark of the Covenant in Scripture by that terminology, by that name, that God box where the manna was and the Ten Commandments and where the Shekinah glory of God dwelt. He would refer to it as the Ark of the Covenant, and then he has that fall where he messes up with Bathsheba and has the season of sin hit his life. And after God restored David, he never referred to the Ark of the Covenant by name again. He called it the mercy seat. Every time you see David talking about God, about his presence, about what God can do, about what God, how God can restore any life, he looks at that and says it's because of the mercy of God. Twenty six times in the Bible you read about the mercy seat, it's the first seat mentioned in all of Scripture, the mercy seat. The last seat that's mentioned is the judgment seat, and you get that two times. And so we have the mercy seat 26 times and we have the judgment seat two times. It lets us know that the mercy of God should receive way more weight in our lives than the judgment because mercy triumphs over judgment. When you go through things like King David went through, whether it's your failure or something else, it changes you, it changes the seat that you sit in. When God made man out of the dust of the ground, he could relate to man, he made us in his image, he made us perfect, he made us holy. When man sinned, all of a sudden God couldn't relate any longer.

You have a world in sin and you have a holy God. And the divide is so great that it couldn't be fixed. God sent the prophets. couldn't fix it. He sent the law, they couldn't fix it. He sent the judges and raised them up in their generation, but they could not fix it. He caused great miracles to happen, like the Red Sea being parted and all kinds of signs and wonders would happen, but none of that could fix it. And so Jesus finally says, if I'm going to fix this, I can't hang out in heaven. I can't hang out and sing with the angels. I've got to go sit with them. If you want to know why God came, he had to show up to sit where we sit. Imagine you're on this great Caribbean vacation, Tahiti, you're on the beach, you're eating at five-star restaurants, you're in a five-star resort, and all of a sudden, in the middle of all of your relaxation, laying around, getting sun, you get a phone call that says your child is in trouble. It don't matter how beautiful it is. It don't matter how great it is. All of a sudden, you cannot enjoy one moment of it because your child is not okay. And that's how God, he saw us and he said, I can't just stay here. They're in trouble. I've got to go sit where they sit. And so for the first time in history, the omniscient one went to school. The gift given to us, wrapped in Mary's womb, he said, I've got to find out what it's like in the human arena. And so he took off his robe of glory. He put on a robe of flesh to find out what it's like when someone betrays you, to find out what it's like when the very people you lay your life down for, the friends you give your life for, don't even show up at your funeral. He wanted to find out what it was like to feel the hate of people that he loved and that would have no breath had it not been for him breathing into us the breath of life. He came to sit where we sit. Thirty years, no sermon, no miracles, no healings, no ministry function, just normal, everyday life. He went to school. He went to work. Nothing lavish, nothing that you would look at and say, oh, man, look at what he...no, just everyday being a son, being a brother, being a student, he experienced anger, tears, laughter. He wasn't a big deal in his community. No king was seeking a

meeting with him. Just everyday, average, in the world's eyes, even insignificant, but he did it to sit where we sit. He didn't do it for himself. He did it to us. He did it to relate to us so that we would have a high priest that's touched with our infirmities. We would have a God that we could know no matter what we're facing, we could look to him and know he gets every single one of us, every gamut of emotion, every life experience you can imagine. He has sat where we sit. And so we thank him today and we worship him like we have because when we couldn't get to him, he got to us. We worship him because we have a God, the Bible says, that became sin that I might become the righteousness of Christ Jesus. Are you thankful today that you have a God that you can talk to when you can talk to nobody else? Not even your best friend. Things are too complicated. Sometimes I don't even have the words. I don't even have what it would take to articulate to somebody what's happening on the inside, but I need a God that is holy, yet he understands I'm a man. I'm a human being that is strong when I'm weak, that picks me up when I've given up on myself. We've got a God that came and sat where we sat. He sits with me in my insecurities. He sits with me in my fears. He sits with me when I feel abandoned. He sits with me when a loved one fails me. He holds you in the middle of the night when you're broken and you don't know who to turn to. He'll walk on water if he has to, to get where you are. He'll climb mountains. He'll move mountains, whatever it takes to get to you. Has anybody ever had him sit with you when your children are on drugs? Sit with you when you've lost that job and you don't know how you're going to pay the bills. He said, I'll never leave you. Whatever your situation is, I'll never forsake you. He sat with me. He sat with you. And this is what the Bible says. So we could be seated with him. That he took your death, your sin, your curse, and he gave you his life, his mercy, and his blessing, and that he raised you and I up and he seated us in heavenly places and he's blessed us with every. spiritual blessing. God held nothing back. He didn't say, well, I'm going to give them a little this and not a little bit of that. Well, I might forgive them of a couple sins, but I'm still going to make sure they prove themselves before I forgive these sins. Well,

I'll restore them a little bit, but you know, I'm not so sure I can actually heal that wound in their heart. No, he blessed us with every spiritual blessing. When you're free, you're not free. Halfway who the sun sets free is free. Indeed. You're forgiven fully, completely. Think about the extremes he went to, to sit with us so we could have a seat at his table. The only way you get that seat is because he came and sat with us. And because of his sacrifice, he pulls out that seat and says, you can sit at my table. The first Samuel chapter 20, verse 17 through 22. I'm not going to turn there, but it's a great story of King Saul, Jonathan, the King's son, and David, who would be the future King. And Jonathan, the King's son has great concern for David. He has a fractured relationship with the King. He knows David is on the run. He's hurting. He's confused. He's troubled. He knows that David and the King are at odds at this point in their life. And so Jonathan has a conversation with David. He has a conversation with David about specifically about how there's a seat at the King's table and it's empty. And David says these words, you will be missed because of your empty seat. And we have a David generation right now that has a fractured relationship with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. They're troubled. They're confused. They're not at peace with the King. And in the same way that the King's son, Jonathan was David's only hope God's son, Jesus Christ is this generation's only hope. And Jonathan tell David, you will be missed that we should miss every empty seat represents a seat that God says, that's a seat for a David. Every empty seat should, should do something in us to say, let me say it like this. Maybe not you and I, but I can promise you Jesus right now has somebody on his mind. He has a David out there on his mind right now today. And he's wondering, is there anybody, is there a church? Is there anybody that cares about people beyond themselves and cares that there's still some Davids right now that are troubled? They're lost. They're on their way to hell. And God has to raise up somebody that will say, God misses you. Every empty seat represents a David that God misses that God loves. And now let's talk about every full seat here. And let's talk about the lengths Jesus went to, to give you a seat. The least we can do is ask God, how can I help someone else find a seat? And this is what Jonathan tells David. This is how God does it. He says, David, listen, I'm going to shoot some arrows and these arrows are going to show up. And when you see them, there's a message attached to every arrow. I'm going to give you clear direction. I'm going to tell you what to do. I'm going to show you what steps to take

watch for the arrow. But when the arrow shows up, there's a message attached to it. One of the greatest indictments in the Bible was to the tribe of Ephraim. And it says they went to battle. They had a bow, but no arrow. The church is above, but God's wanting to know, do I have any arrows? Do I have anybody that I can send to a David to bring them a message? Jesus is going to get to David's. He has to have an arrow. To get to them Every family Should have an arrow Every high school should have an arrow Every college should have an arrow Every workplace Should have an arrow every city should have a bow shooting all kinds of arrows everywhere. We can think about it shooting arrows That's what all those locations are. We're just putting together some more bows and we need some arrows You See an empty seat represents a lost son and daughter and I challenge you Over this next season once again to be an arrow To our city and our community to personally make the commitment. I will go find a David I Will go find somebody I'll be that arrow I'll let God send me into that situation that person's life Personally I'll go find a David How do you do it You sit where they sit You don't just push past you listen you feel You relate And you let God in his way and his timing The Bible says compel them. This is Luke chapter 14. You compel them this you know what the word compel means make them want to do it and The instructions are clear that you compel them that my house Might be full in other words that there be no empty seat. You're like preacher. You're trying to fill up the church

Listen, I gave it up a long time ago. I Gave that up so long ago. You know, what's good for me Just sit back in my life relax But I like what David said King Saul tried to give him his armor David said I haven't proved these I Don't know how else to pastor. I Don't know what that kind of going at church just making all the religious people happy. I don't know how to do church like that. I Just have this slingshot and these stones and my shepherd's bag And I know how to do what I do and that is continue to tell us there's David's and There's a God who loved him gave his life for him and in the same way God made sure you have a seat at his Table our response they may never come back here again. And so be it but we're gonna be some arrows In this next season The harvest is plentiful These are the words of Jesus but the laborers are few Lift up your eyes church. It's wide and the harvest You know what that tells me that tells me that that they had the same problem we we have I don't really know I can't really think of anybody Now look up you got to look You got to look for it In Jesus name, so this is what I want us to do. I Believe before you ever preach to someone Or let me say it like this you should never preach to anybody you've not prayed for And every human being deserves to have their name whispered in the ear of God And so we're going to Lift up somebody's name. Somebody took your name put it on their lips and say God would you help them? Oh He's so arrogant. Oh She's so stubborn. Oh She's so hurt

She don't have a sense of identity God you know how she's got she didn't mean to but she hung out with the wrong crowd and got caught Some type of dumb vice Somebody whispered your name and so we're for about ten minutes Going to take some time and we're going to pray But I want us to pray for the lost as a church pray for the hurting Pray for the Davids that are out there and then pray that God would use us to be an arrow that God would help us Go find a David and if you'll look Mark my words because we've been praying Divine opportunities will open up to every single one of you. Can we stand up on our feet? Jesus, you said that if we lift your name up, you will draw all men. We speak against every demonic, deceptive spirit that would lie to the people of God to get us to shrink back from the mission that you've called us to. In the book of Acts, because they were filled with your spirit, they spoke with boldness, they spoke with courage. You took those 120 people and you shot them as arrows to their generation. You shot them into the city of Jerusalem. You shot them to Antioch. You shot them to Ephesus and Corinth and to Philippi. You shot those arrows and they turned their world upside down. And here we gather as your people because you set where we set. You bridged that great divide. You came to where we are. And now Father, we're asking you on behalf of others to use us in this next season to be a light in the midst of the darkness. We thank you for freedom that's coming to those who are finding themselves right now in some type of chain or bondage. We thank you for salvation that's found in the great name of Jesus, that that name will be proclaimed like never before. And Father, that there will be such a drawing to this place and more importantly, such a

drawing to your grace and such a drawing to your goodness. In Jesus name, now ask God to use you to be an arrow. Use me even outside of this platform. Send me to somebody. Let me be discerning. Let me be sensitive. Let me not shrink back. Let me not allow insecurity or fear to hold me back. In Jesus name, use me to be an arrow. Now listen, I want you to say somebody's name. Maybe in January you fasted for them and let's just begin to speak their name. Speak the name of that son or daughter, that mother or father, that husband, that wife, that friend, that colleague. Even use us as strangers. The people that we just come in contact with, we're looking, we're asking for divine opportunities and open doors. Let us not get to heaven and not be able to look behind us and say, their blood is not on my hands because you used me to be an arrow. In Jesus name, can we lift up our hands all across this room? Come on, he said what you said. Come on, let's pray for our city. Let's pray for our community. Let's pray for our church. Let's pray for one another. In Jesus name, we saturate this place with faith and prayer, declaring that a mighty harvest is coming in Jesus name. Every eye closed and every head bowed, maybe you're in this place today and you're a David. You're on the run, you're troubled, you're confused. Just the way life has hit you. Maybe you find yourself today in a place that you're distant, far from God.

You're not at peace with Him. In your heart today, you'd say, Marcus, I know I'm not right with God. I know that Jesus is not the Lord of my life. And you're here and you'd say, I need a new beginning. I need a new start. I need forgiveness. You're here today and you'd say, I want to make Jesus Christ the Lord of my life. I want the God who came to sit where I sit. I want to know Him. I want a relationship with Him. I don't want to know about Him. We're not talking about church. You want to know Him. He's not a God that's aloof or far off. He came near so you and I could know Him. The Bible says He knocks on the door of your heart and if anyone opens up, He'll come in and dine with you. I love that. He just comes in to where you're at personally, one-on-one and says, you and me, we're going to figure some things out. You don't have to have it all figured out because He's coming in and He's going to sit at that table. Thirty-five years ago, I opened the door of my heart. I cannot tell you how important that decision was. It changed everything for me. I can't look at one good thing in my life without going back to that moment. I just said, I'm not doing this without you. I need you. And God can do the same thing for you. You're hearing you'd say, Marcus, I need to get right with Jesus Christ.

I need in the beginning on the count of three, lift your hand as high as you can. One, two, three, throw that hand up as high as you can. Thank you. Keep it raised. Again. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you up there in the very back. Anybody else? Thank you over here, ma'am. God bless you. Anybody else? You say, Marcus, that arrow got to me. That message got to me. We'll wait for just a few more moments. Is there one more? God bless you. God bless you. Is there one more? Come on, we'll wait for one more. One more, David, that's been troubled and running. You'd say, Marcus, pray for me. I can't keep doing life like this. I can't keep living life like this. Let's all put our hands on our hearts. And we're going to pray this with those who raised their hand.

The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is God's only son and that he raised him from the dead, that's how salvation occurs. Somebody said, well, a prayer can't save anybody. Well, a believing prayer, all things are possible. You go from death to life when you believe and you pray. I believe a miracle takes place when you believe in your heart. Come on, we're saved by grace, undeserved favor through faith, right, believing, believing that God sent his son to die on a cross for my sin and that he raised him from the dead. And I believe that. And I pray that absolutely that is what saves the soul. And it's so simple. It puzzles people. You say, well, what if my life don't look perfect after this? Well, welcome to the club. But you take the first step like a little baby. Anybody have any little babies? Anybody in here ever kick your baby because it falls after the first step and says, get out of here. You're not a real baby. No, it's learning to walk. When you've been born again, you learn, you learn, you stumble, you fall. Anybody in here tried to walk and fail? I did. I still do. I might have already fallen this morning. I don't know. But he lifts us back up. So let's all pray this with those who lifted their hands. Believe this in your heart. As you say this with me, Jesus, I believe that you're God's only son, that you sat where

I sit, that you became sin so that I could be right with God. I believe that you died on that cross to sacrifice your life to pay the price for my sin. You shouldn't have, but you did. But I know you didn't stay in the grave, but God on the third day raised you up. And now today, that same God is raising me up into a brand new life in Jesus' name.