Mercy For The Merciful

Several years ago about Coors the fourth gave his testimony to our businessmen breakfast in his testimony, he told the story of how, in 1975 he became a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said at that time I divested myself from the interest in the family beer business but I could not divest myself from a hatred that was slowly consuming me. His hatred was toward a man by the name of Joseph Corbett foreign February 9, 1960 Joseph Corbett kidnapped and held for ransom. Of course the third's father and seven months later course father's body was found on the remote hillside who had been shot to death by his captor, although of course was 15 years of age at the time and he said Joseph Corbett did not only kill my father. He killed my best friend is that I haven't only lost a father but also lost my best friend and for number of years after court's conversion to Christ hatred for Corbett just continued to consume him.

He said my resentment for this man seized within me and hindered my growing in grace, he prayed to God for help.

Always be careful what you pray about all prayed to God for help in one day. The spirit of God prompted him to go and visit Joseph Corbett in the maximum-security unit of Colorado's Canon city penitentiary. He tried to talk to Corbett but Corbett would not see Coors left the Bible there inscribed with the following words I am here to see you today and I am sorry that I could not meet with you as a Christian I am summoned by the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to forgive the end he says I do forgive you what course confession was that without the power of Jesus Christ. He could not have done that and the reason why genuine mercy could not be shown without the power of Jesus Christ is because mercy is not natural to us. We are not born merciful. We have an approximation of mercy, simply because we are created in the image of God but biblical mercy.

True mercy cannot be shown without the supernatural power and intervention of God's Holy Spirit. It is no more natural today to exercise mercy. Then it was at the time when Jesus pronounced those magnificent words in the amount of beatitude. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Because at that time Rome despise mercy at that time the Pharisees were saying that you only show mercy to those who show mercy toward you. A popular Roman philosopher called mercy. The disease of the soul. Mercy was seen as a sign of weakness.

Mercy indicated that you don't have what it take to be a man suddenly you don't have what it takes to be a Roman citizen man wrong glorified from discipline, they glorified absolute power, but they look down upon mercy.

Slaves were discarded like usable piece of furniture, women and children did not fare much better. If a woman gave birth to a daughter or a sickly son with one signal from the father. That boy either lives or ground that very day. Rome and their men.

They have treated women and children in the same way the people are treating the unborn today like Roman society.

We despise mercy and glorified brutality. You see whether we live in the period of time before Christ, or after Christ doesn't make any difference. She say what you mean, it doesn't make any difference what makes a difference is whether Christ is the center or not a society that removes Christ and his manifesto from the center of the lie is not better than pagan Rome before Christ even a church that relies more on sentimentality and ignores the Masters manifesto is not better than pre-Christian apostasy. Jesus said blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. If you haven't done in your Bible ready to Matthew chapter 5 turn to it now we so first of all, that you cannot come and be filled without declaring spiritual bankruptcy. Then we saw how those who declare spiritual bankruptcy of their own must mourn over their sin.

They must have power under control.

They must hunger and thirst for God's righteousness, and today were going to see that they must exercise mercy, they must show mercy in order that the mercies of God might continue to flow through them and Jesus is not saying that if you show mercy to people. People are going to show mercy back to you. That's not what is saying that might be okay, and might be right, but I am not saying this is what Jesus is saying you listen to anybody who's in a secular motivator with value would be nice to people because they'll be nice back to you. That is not what the text is saying here, but rather when I show mercy to others, God's mercy will flow through me.

I'm going to talk about this later.

The more I show mercy. The more God's mercy will flow through me, the less merciful I become. The further away I place myself from the mercies of God that is daily, upon I come up with. Probably some of the weirdest illustrations that you can think of but I know you remember them you forget the sermons remember the illustrations when I want to illustrate this morning is from the world of the chicken. Those who observe the behavior of chicken. Can you imagine somebody sitting there observing the behavior chicken but they do some good and they say that inside the chicken coop. There is a rigid society that is based upon pecking order, the top 10 has the right to strike around and for Conan sister Hinn without fear of retaliation. In descending order of status. The rest of the chicken they can do the same to those of lesser ranks. Those who specialize in the behavioral signs of chicken have noted the following visit a hand that is holding a lower position is often more cruel with the unhappy creatures under control then the queen of the hands.

In other words, the higher you get the more merciful you become. It illustrates my point, the most merciful of all is the person whose closest to the father of mercy and the closer you get to the father of mercy, the more merciful you are.

What is mercy well. As I listen to people.

I notice how they confuse mercy with grace.

They confuse mercy with forgiveness. They confuse mercy with justice. They confuse mercy with love and that is why I want to relate mercy to each one of those in the way I'm going to define. It is this. I want to tell you. First of all that mercy is more than forgiveness. Secondly, mercy is less a love fragment. Mercy is different from grace. And fourthly, mercy is one was justice. Now that reminds you of a bad philosophy class.

Welcome to the club, but I will explain it in a minute. Somebody asked me said what did you do when you go to Dr. the philosopher as it is very simple. I spent 4 1/2 years in a dark room looking for a black cat that is not there is less philosophy to house that's not all going to do today.

Mercy is more than forgiveness.

Tell your Bible to Titus chapter 3 in verse five the apostle Paul tells us this. Titus 35.

The Jesus saves us, not by deeds and not by works, but according to his mercy wanted mercy probe Jesus to do mercy prompted him to wash us and cleanse us and forgive us of our sins. God's forgiveness for our sins flows from his mercy mercy is bigger than forgiveness.

How, listen carefully, God forgives us when we sin, but God is merciful all the time even when we don't sin. Just as you are not can be merciful to somebody who never wronged us and never sinned against us.

Jesus is merciful toward us all the time. Forgiveness becomes operational only when wrong is done when I sin against you and I, and asking for forgiveness.

You forgive me, but you could have mercy on me all the time God forgives us our sins, but is merciful all the time. Mercy is operational all the time why and how. Because mercy leads us to forgiveness, mercy, results in forgiveness, mercy produces forgiveness, mercy is exercised when hurt has occurred. Forgiveness is exercised when hurt is occurred, but mercy can be exercised all in all circumstances God's mercy doesn't just forgive us our transgressions, but God's mercies reaches down to us and reaches down thought weaknesses God's mercy reaches down to us reaches star names God's mercy reaches down to us for protection. God's mercy reach down to us for guidance for the direction so mercy is more than forgiveness, mercy, results in forgiveness. Secondly, mercy is less a love so what you mean by that forgiveness flows from mercy. Mercy flows from love. So if you putting arrows report love arrow mercy arrow forgiveness Ephesians chapter 2 verses four and five is what Paul said but God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, is rich in mercy, because of his love.

When we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ just as mercy is more than forgiveness. So is love more than mercy, love can manifest itself in many ways, but it may never involve mercy or forgiveness, love loves even when there is no wrong committed love loves even when there is no need exhibit love loves all the time. The Bible said that the father loves the son.

There is no need. There is no sin involved, but the father loves the son and the son loves the father. The Bible said that the father and the son love the holy angels. The Angels don't sin or have needs but they are love. When you I get to heaven soon I hope we will not have sin, we will not have needs, but the fathers gone the love us just the same love, mercy, forgiveness, love manifests itself in mercy and mercy produces forgiveness. If mercy is the physician love is the friend if mercy is for need love, love, whether there is a need or not. If mercy is for times of trouble. In times of need. Love this for all the time.

Please hear me right you can show mercy without loving but you cannot love without showing mercy. I will repeat that you can show mercy without loving but you cannot love without showing mercy. You can come to visit Michael.

I really love you I love you very much but I can't stand with you in times of trouble is Michael I really love you but in your times of needs. I can't do anything about that. I'm gonna leave you alone. That will be a love that is noteworthy of the word because true love manifests itself in mercy, and sometimes those moments of mercy needs are defined not by the one who is giving the mercy but the person who is receiving the Michelle explained that to is much easier for all of us from to somebody really desperate. We don't help. Who defines that the need for mercy and asked my wife to forgive me. Later on. Somehow I find myself that I am a need to show mercy to my wife when she was desperate, but when she tried to talk to me during the news when I was watching the news as it cannot wait. Well, it's a need for her at that time she was one of the filing that need for mercy, not left to define the need for mercy and I can rationalize it was not really big.

Need I can think of it later on. But that's not the proper definition, the mercy is defined by the person who is in need of that mercy for that time. For that moment the indication that I love somebody is that I show mercy to that individual in times of needs love is always constant, but mercy is changeable.

Love is unconditional.

But mercy is conditional by need our love for one another as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ must always be constant must always be unchanging, but our love is manifesting itself in the times when the mercies are needed when the need arises. Mercy is more than forgiveness, mercy is less the love and thirdly, mercy is different from grace. Listen carefully. This is important in the final analysis, all of our problems. All of our problems all of your problems and all of my problems emanate from sin. All of them. If you have a problem analyzing the little beyond it and find that soon.

Is there marital problems emanate from selfishness and pride, disunity and discord arise from jealousy and envy. Even sickness and disease have come into the world as a result of Adam's sin in the garden and all of our problems.

Mercy comes in gives us relief, but grace deals with the root of the problem in all of our problems.

Mercy comes in and deals with the symptoms but grace deals with the corners mercy offers relief from punishment, but grace gives pardon mercy relieves pain, grace cures the disease. One thing about the good Samaritan when he bandage the wounds of this man who was beaten by robbers.

We took the time to take care of him. That was mercy. The moment you put him on his donkey, and it took him to the nearest hotel and paying the expenses for this man's recovery that was grace, his mercy relieve the pain, but grace provided the healing in our salvation when we repent and turn to the Lord mercy says now you not going to hell. Grace comes in the city is with you going to heaven. Mercy says all I feel sorry for you. I was just something I can do for you grace as I pardon you mercy says I will overlook your mistake.

I will overlook your wrongs, but grace this heart will know more.

So mercy is more than forgiveness, mercy is less on love and mercy is different from grace forcefully.

Mercy is one was justice. Please listen carefully.

This is an important issue for our society today, there are many people who would want us to believe that mercy and justice. Don't go together. There are many people trying to make us believe that mercy and justice are opposed to each other. There are all nominations that have opted for denying one of the most important characteristics of our God mainly justice why because they see no place for justice in their understanding of mercy, not the biblical understanding of mercy is what they say. They say God can be both merciful and just. At the same time.

They say if God is completely just happily punish sin. This sight of God is merciful. He must never punish sin, but the Scripture is clear that the mercy that ignores sin is a false mercy that mercy that winks at sin is neither mercy nor justice, mercy that refuses to deal with sin is sentimentality, not mercy, it is best false mercy that David showed toward his rebellious son Absalom. It was this false mercy that stopped David from disciplining his rebellious son and dealing with his sin and which only served to confirm him in his wickedness.

It is this false mercy that stopped thousands of parents across the land from disciplining the children and then I end up living in sin and wickedness. It is best false mercy that says*society that we should not hold people responsible for their sin that we should not hold people responsible for the wickedness.

Instead, offer them at sheep pardon without justice without remorse. No wonder we are in the mess that we're in to ignore justice is to desecrate mercy to ignore justice is to create anarchy to ignore justice is to cheapen grace to ignore justice is to deny the truth and Psalm 85 verse 10 says that truth and mercy have met together and rewrite pleas that can be no mercy without a price. Somebody asked by the price of one of my children wreck the car as some of them have in the past. Operator God they won't do it again and they come home. I know said that I am really sorry well if I'm not inclined to forgive them the reminder that I preach a sermon on mercy is one thing about preachers kids they know how to argue theology reminder of your own words. I will have mercy, and out of the mercy, forgive them but I'm gonna pay the price to pay the bill. Not only that I pay the deductibles but also pay the increase of the premium for the rest of the family. Mercy is not cheap.

I struggle with mercy. I really do.

When I surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I was such an intellectual snob that I would cut people down and want to come up with a stupid idea immediately telling how stupid that idea was not tell them why now that is not be still stupid, but it wasn't the way of exercising mercy God had to teach me a few things for God. 10 years ago I become more merciful than I was 20 years ago and thank God that today are more merciful today than I was 10 years ago in our prayers. I walk with the Lord that I become more merciful the next 10 years from now than I am now any active mercy somebody pays a price.

It could be money. It could be time it could be sheer inconvenience. Whatever it is. This priest walks in.

See somebody need is going to work to the service around the church service. So there is a robbery like helping but I got ago he can inconvenience himself, the Levites, the same thing. What this wealthy businessman. He comes in, though he's a Samaritan.

He didn't stop and he said I wonder whether he's a Samaritan or a Jew. And you know, in fact, it was clear that he was a Jew and I want to give you just an impression of what that is like this would be like somebody from the Hamas, the Palestinian revolution regroup taking care of someone from the Jewish Defense league painted usually can see it can understand it. A Ku Klux Klan is taken care of a black revolutionary. That's what it is. He was so unusual, and Jesus was doing with her trying to hammer the point in the mind of this lawyer who came to argue with him in a little philosophical legal way. Jesus deliberately tells him that story in order to get his attention.

Mercy is not cheap. Somebody has to pay Jesus is saying that if you want to be merciful and if you want to receive mercy and you better be merciful. And if you're merciful, it is not gonna be easy gonna cost you, and I want to tell you there is no greater act of mercy when you tell somebody about Jesus Christ and we need that more desperately today than any other day and I'm gonna tell you why, because we have people running around thinking that they can receive God's mercy and that there will gonna end up in heaven without repentance. They gonna be in for a shock.

The church is preaching. Cheap grace. Churches are preaching salvation without repentance are offering people false hope through false gospel and they are preaching false mercy. If anyone is depending on the good deeds to make it to heaven.

Don't count on it. If anyone is depending on the goodness to make it to heaven. Don't count on if anyone is presuming on God's mercy that somehow is don't let the men in the last day, think again. That is not biblical.

If anyone thinks that they can come to God on their own terms, not on God's own term for getting it will not happen for God's mercy is not based only upon his love, but is also based on his justice. That is why if we ever exercise need to exercise mercy of telling about Jesus and the grace of God that's available to us through him we need to do it today. God's mercy is not grounded upon sentimentality, but it is grounded upon his blood that was poured out on the cross as a payment for use in the penalty of my sin and the sin of all those who repent the good news of the gospel is that the price of our sin. The penalty of our sin is paid in full and only effective for those who do wrong across God's justice was satisfied and when you are in our trust in that act of God on the cross that he has done that in our behalf. We would receive mercy.

Don't believe those who tell you that the good news of the gospel is that God winked at sin over God glossed over justice or that God compromise righteousness that everybody is going to make it wanted to. That's heartbreaking. Those people who preaching false gospel and false Gratian. Cheap grace is like somebody digging a well covered it with straw in the meeting of the person and talked to both going in together as well believe in my heart and I don't say that to enjoy your Satan.

So I believe that God has special judgment for false teachers and false preachers. Mercy is more than forgiveness, mercy is less than love mercy is different from grace and mercy is one with justice. Jesus said blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. That doesn't mean that I'm going to earn mercy from the hand of God, because I'm going to show mercy know that is contrary to Scripture.

Such an idea doesn't even make sense in the Bible, not even in the Old Testament. What Jesus was saying was this that when you exercise mercy when you show mercy toward others. You gonna have your heart in such a condition you got your have your heart in such a place to be open to receive mercy from the hand of God, day after day in day off today is going to keep pouring his mercy into you and as I said earlier, the more I draw closer to my lord the more mercy I received in the more mercy I show the more mercy I received a memo mercy receivable mercy. I show in other words, God wants us to be channels of mercy.

He wants us to be conduit for mercy and if mercy is blocked and the child was blocked. God is not going to keep pouring in, because he can't. When you are not show mercy. We experience liberation when you are not show mercy experience being set free.

When you and I show mercy. We are not dragged down by grudges that Sapphire energy and that steal our joy when we exercise mercy. You have become unshackled from the emotional chain that is penalizing you when you begin to show mercy, you will break that spiritual hunger is stopping you from growing in grace break that spiritual bondage that stopping you from growing in mercy and when you exercise mercy.

You are liberated from the darkness and the bitterness that is earning you from growing and being spiritually fruitful in the kingdom of God and other critical time that Ames points and shoots to know that the critical spirit that is enslaving you is clogging the flow of cops mercy into your life, the physician called the merciful must operate in us today to remove the blockage in order that his mercy might flow through us again as we been seeing through this whole series this manifesto that the master has given us. He intends for every one of the steps to be a step for our growth in character to be like his son the Lord Jesus Christ.

Heavenly father, the secrets of all of our hearts are known to you, none of it can be hidden from you.

Father, we thank you for the conviction of the Holy Spirit is of his love is of your love that we become of the conviction in order to deal with that which is blocking your mercy flowing through us, wash us afresh and cleanse us by the blood of the Lamb. It is in Jesus name we pray.

Amen. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org@LTW.Ward