Blessed are the Merciful
Notes
Transcript
Tonight we are going to talk about Mercy. Hear the Word
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Mercy is such a complex term
To understand Mercy we have to talk about a whole bunch of other things like justice, judgement, punishment, empathy, forgiveness...
Anyone with siblings automatically has many opportunities to learn all of these terms!
Twin with a sister 15 months younger
wrestle and hold them down and make them beg for mercy
parents get involved.... justice, judgement, punishment, forgiveness, yada, yada
So, lets talk about these terms so that we can understand Mercy
JUSTICE
We are fascinated with the idea of someone getting what they deserve.
Just look at the movies we make. Bad guy vs good guy
If you are wronged in some way by someone don’t you desire justice to be done?
It’s a God-given sense that we all share. One of God’s characteristics deals directly with justice. We often refer to God as a just God.
He wrote that sense of justice within our hearts.
4. Justice is not about revenge or getting back at someone. It is a system that holds people responsible for their actions.
True justice requires an uncompromisable standard and an incorruptible judge.
Justice should have an absolute standard and not be based on any opinion or prejudice.
God is THE Incorruptible Judge
btw, He is not like the sibling putting you into a situation in which you need to ask for Mercy
So, once justice prevails we need a JUDGEMENT
Delivering the verdict
The conclusion of the evidence based on the absolute standard of justice
Innocent or Guilty
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
PUNISHMENT Follows
As a child, it was getting grounded
As a sinner, it is death
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is where MERCY can be interjected
Mercy defined is the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment
Difference between Mercy & Grace
Mercy is NOT getting what we deserve
Grace is getting something that we DO NOT deserve
Mercy is having pity on or showing compassion to someone in difficult circumstances.
Mercy is not needed if there is no difficulty or judgement
It is not until I feel the knee on my back that I need Mercy
Justice has come and the verdict is handed down
The acting “judge” has the ability to either condemn or pardon the accused.
***Satan is no real “judge” and therefore cannot offer mercy and cannot make you beg for mercy
Mercy is NOT the abolishment of justice. Rather it is granting pardon instead of condemnation.
Mercy doesn’t make the wrong any less wrong
Mercy is a deep EMPATHY - literally something felt deep in the heart or gut.
Empathy is not just feeling sorry for someone, but literally putting yourself in their shoes and feeling their pain, their suffering
Empathy moves us to feel from the depths of our soul. It also moves us to action - to help others
FORGIVENESS
Defined it means “ceasing to feel resentment for wrongs and offenses; pardon, involving restoration of broken relationships”
Forgiveness changes our feelings, it pardons, it restores!
The Incorruptible Judge, our Just God has chosen this for all of us
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
God wants to show Mercy to all of us!!!!
It is way beyond our human understanding why God would choose to pardon sin
My sin yes, but that murderer? that bad guy?
19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
So now that we understand what Mercy is, let’s look at our verse again:
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
How do we live this word out? Live the Word
We want to receive Mercy, right? Therefore, we should be merciful to others
God chose not to judge us, so we should not judge others
God chose not to punish us, so we should not punish others
God chose to have empathy on us, so we should show empathy to others
God chose to forgive, so we should forgive
God chose to show Mercy, so should we
Problems will arise
When we rub shoulders with people you can bet that the inevitable is going to happen: Someone is going to rub you the wrong way.
Sometimes this is intentional, sometimes not.
This happens in every arena of life. This world is full of sin and full of broken people
Hurting people hurt people
God wants us to show Mercy!
6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Jesus even showed us exactly how to be merciful
In John 8, the Pharisees bring a woman caught in an affair and even present the law, stoning. Jesus tells them that if they have no sin, they can cast the 1st stone. They all leave and then the only real judge, Jesus, tells her “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Sometimes we cast judgment upon others forgetting the fact that we too deserve be judged. This cannot be.
We did not earn Mercy, we do not deserve Mercy. It was given freely by Jesus
Spiritual justice was served. When God warned in Genesis that disobedience would result in death, He meant it. He is a just God. We were Judged.
Our punishment : A debt of death was owed. Mankind was living it’s last days on death row and it was only a matter of time before our punishment would be carried out.
But then God sent His Son: John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Once we receive Mercy, God asks us to be a light and show others how to receive that same Mercy. And then He blesses us for being Merciful!
Take time to be empathetic and not judgmental toward others
feel for their situation as you understand that you once deserved death for your sins.
Choose to love them the way that God loves them
Forgive
Jesus teaches us to pray in Matthew 6:12 saying …forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
It is important to remember that we appreciate forgiveness! It is equally important for the forgiven to extend forgiveness.
Conclusion
Do we need Mercy?
Do we need to be Merciful?
When we look deep within ourselves, which of the two attitudes do you find in operation in your life. Judgment or Compassion/Mercy?
Mercy does not mean that we write off the wrong as a right. Not at all. Again, mercy would not be required if no wrong had taken place.
Mercy is not ignoring the situation or sweeping it under the rug. You still have to deal with the situation head on. Mercy simply reminds us to bring love and forgiveness to the table instead of judgment and condemnation.
Jesus had every reason in the world to condemn us to death. Thank God He choose to let love and forgiveness reign in place of judgment and condemnation.
Yes there is coming a day when all will be judged according to their actions here on earth. If your name is not found in the Lambs book of life, then you will face eternal judgement for your sins. However, if your name is found within the book, you get to spend eternity with Jesus for your sins have been washed away by His blood. You have been pardoned.
Our scripture is clear that we receive Mercy when we extend Mercy
Have you experienced His mercy in your life?
The call for Salvation
Do you need help extending mercy towards others?
In what areas of your life do you see the need to be more merciful?
Relationships with family
Relationships with friends
How you interact with others.
Maybe you are currently standing over someone with your knee in their back asking them to beg for Mercy.
Realize that you are not the judge
Realize what the true issue is so that you can work on forgiveness
Pray for them, forgive them, let God be the judge
I want us to take a moment to pray and ask God to help us be merciful towards others.
Again, not to simply ignore the situation, but to address the situation with love and forgiveness.