Blessed are the merciful
Notes
Transcript
What do I want them to know? Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy
Why? Mercy brings forgiveness, grace, compassion and kindness
What do I want them to do? Be merciful
Why? To show people who Jesus is
ME/WE
You have heard it said “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”
You can read about it in Lev 24
If you do something to me that is unjust, I get to do injustice back to you in equal measure.
You have to make payment for your sin.
You have to make restitution for you sin to make us good.
You have heard it said ‘you do the crime you do the time or pay the fine”
- Whatever offense you commit you need to pay for that offense.
You do the time of pay the fine for the offenses you commit. (stealing, speeding, lying you need to do the time or pay the fine)
You have heard is said, “If you disagree with someone’s beliefs you need to cancel them out” know as cancel culture.
if see someone you know you or don’t know that you that disagrees with our beliefs you are encouraged to cancel them out and celebrated when you do.
TENSION
But is
Cancel culture
or
If you do the crime you do the time or pay the fine
or
An eye for an eye a tooth for tooth
THE WAY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD?
The kingdom of God is 100% (which many of these believes state) justice only?
OR IS THE WAY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD DIFFERENT?
In addition to that question
WOULD WE WANT THE GOD TO BE ONLY 100% JUSTICE to us and nothing else?
HELL NO
(I say that on purpose)
Why do I say that on purpose?
If God was 100% justice with nothing else, what do we deserve?
DEATH AND HELL
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Spiritual death
Also, if God was 100% justice we all deserve not only death but hell.. WHICH IS TALKED ABOUT 167 TIMES IN THE BIBLE AS A REAL PLACE..a place of weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth and separation from God.
2 Thess 1:8-9
in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
Bottom line
IF GOD WAS 100% JUSTICE we are in trouble, we are doomed.
GOOD NEWS GOD IS NOT A ONLY 100% JUSTICE, HE IS A 100% something else
What else is God? MERCY
WHAT IS MERCY? Forgiveness, kindness, grace and compassion given to someone who does not deserve it.
Look what Eph 2 says
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
This is good news....THIS IS GREAT NEWS
God is 100% mercy and 100% justice....God has other attributes too we will get to that another day.
God is 100% mercy and 100% justice....God is not a lot of mercy and a little justice nor is He a lot of justice and little to no mercy
There is a great error and danger if we make much of one and less of the other.
100% mercy without the justice (the law) is DESTRUCTION or ANARCHY
-We are seeing this all over the much of our modern world....(it’s God is mercy, mercy, mercy or grace, grace, grace with a little bit of justice..... People saying oh God will forgive you....oh that’s not big deal…moving the goal post as to what sin....this is not good…one sin brings death and hell....Sin is a big deal.
When we do this it
- it cheapens mercy and grace....it makes sin like a we owe a $5 late fee to the library.
What awe do you have if someone pays a $5 fine for you? Not much, but what if someone payed a fine that no one else could pay? That without it you are doing time in HELL?
This is why mercy and grace are so amazing
100% justice (law) without grace is death and hell....our pentaly if God was just justice (law) is death and hell
100% grace no justice = destruction, anarchy
100% justice no grace = death
But praise be to God He’s both. And because of the that we go from death to life.
JESUS THEN SAYS TO US THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE MERCY, YOU TO SHAW BE MERCIFUL LIKE GOD
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Jesus says my kingdom is going to be about mercy
This is nothing new, God over and over throughout the bible calls his people to be merciful.
let’s read Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries: Updated Edition 2617a חֶסֶד (chesed)
חֶסֶד chesed
MERCY
What does God say to the Pharisees? Those who follow the letter of the law, religious in every way....but lack mercy
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
God says in 18:33…should not show mercy as God has shown us mercy?
And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’
WHO ARE WE TO SHOW MERCY TO?
5 groups of people
MERCY TO THOSE IN NEED
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.
Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
(what was thought at the time was your neighbor was someone who agree with you and liked you and not those people out there or who disagree with you)
(a priest a man that is supposed to be a man after God’s own heart. Micah 6:8…surely he will show mercy…meet the need)
(the Levitate, a man of God, a pastor of their day)
(a Samaritan, “what’s a Samaritan doing in the story? these people where hated by Jews, they were halfbreeds)
(two denarii which is about 2 months worth of wages…this shows you how beat up the man was)
Mercy sees the need and meets the need.
-it does not turn a blind eye and say “I didn’t see that”
But instead sees the need and meets the need
God says the same should be of us.
Are you seeing and meeting the needs or are avoiding because like the priest and Levite you have others things to do, and you don’t want to get messy?
2. Mercy to those who are lost, who do not know God?
What was Jesus response when He saw the lost crowds who were living not for God.
IS JESUS FIRST RESPONSE TO THE LOST CROWD REBUKE?
Does he come right out of the gates to chaste those who do not know God…HE is going to bring the LAW and JUSTICE
NO
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
God has mercy on the lost....
IS that our response?
Or is our response to condemn (mercy for me not for thee) them because they do not live according to God’s standard, God’s kingdom but they are not apart of God’s kingdom.
1 Cor 5 “why do you judge those outside the church? If you are to judge or hold someone to justice should it not be the ones inside the church?
I was convicted of this this week by God using my son Ben.
Someone in our household accidently turned the TV on and it happened to jump to a news station and surprise surprise relaying false reports and someone said we need to pray (thinking pray for this news reporter to repent from his spewing of lies and hatred....) and Ben says, “Pray for Jesus to come into his heart?”
Are we moved in the same way my son Ben is or the way Jesus is to the lost and helpless?
Plus remember we once were just like them.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
3. Mercy to those who deny God?
Where do we see a prime example of this in the Bible? From someone who walks with God or someone who walks with God but yet denies Jesus?
NOT OUT THERE LOST, BUT INSIDE AND DENYING
Peter
Peter who has walked with Jesus for 3 years, Peter who’s in Jesus’ inner circle of 3
Peter who said he would never deny Jesus, denied Jesus at Jesus’ greatest hour of need, at the time Jesus was being arrested and put on trial and eventually put to death.
Peter denies him not once by 3 times.
How does Jesus respond to Peter after the resurrection?
Does Jesus say, “Peter you’re out!”
No, Jesus shows Peter mercy and not only that Peter becomes a pillar for the early church.
How are you towards your family member who has walked away from God or DENY GOD? Do you have mercy towards them
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,
let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
4. MERCY TO THOSE WHO DOUBT
And have mercy on those who doubt;
This is similar to DENY, but they are different.
DENY IS TO REFUSE
DOUBT is to DISBELIEVE...
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
There are people God has brought into our lives and were to be the evidence both in our deeds and with the Good news.
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
Be merciful and show them the evidence…they still might doubt or might deny…both cases we are to show mercy.
Be merciful to your family and friends right now who are doubting....many are doubting during this pandemic.
5. MERCY TO THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US
We have Peter again coming before Jesus, Peter wants clarification. Judism taught 3 times was enough…so Peter doubles it and adds 1.
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
many an unlimited amount
What mercy says I am going to forgive you over and over and over and over and over
We are not to hold onto grudges but forgive them…every time you do you are reenacting the Gospel.
Is this not what Jesus has done to us?
Eph 2
Are you holding onto to justice when Jesus says mercy?
GOSPEL
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
We have received mercy
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
COMMUNION SCRIPT
Communion, also called The Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist, is the family meal of Christians. It is a meal of nourishment, remembrance and celebration of the work Jesus has done. We invite followers of Jesus Christ to partake of this sacrament: if you are not prepared to share in this meal, we encourage you to spend this time in prayer. We hope that this time is helpful to you as you consider your relationship with Jesus Christ and with His people, the church.
Apostles Creed (please stand)
(elders come forward)
COMMUNION
The minister shall declare the Words of Institution.
In full view of the people the minister shall take the bread and say:
The Lord Jesus, the same night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks,
he broke it
The minister shall break the bread.
LORD’S DAY
and gave it to them, saying,
“Take, eat;
this is my body which is given for you: do this in remembrance of me.”
Lifting the cup, the minister shall say:
“In the same manner he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
In partaking of the bread and cup it shall be said:
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.