Sunday Service
Father in Heaven, how we thank you that we have a God who loves us and would do whatever possible. To help us along this path, way of life. And so we look at your word to help us to understand you more deeply into conformed, to the image of your wonderful son. Jesus Christ, we can only do so because your spirit is active and alive in our hearts. And we pray for that Spirit today to really revive each of our hearts and draws near to you. And pray that your spirit would guide me that as you have laid words on my heart, that I would be responsive to your spirit in me, in Jesus name. Amen. Well, we are looking at the various things. We're going to take a look at Mercer today. The whole idea of us, sharing mercy, and very often. When we think about Mercy, we think about the cross in the mercy that God had for you and me and we think well Mercy involves you know, being forgiving in our lives for something on a fence that was done to us and there's a lot of things that go along with and then that's a very important part of the message that God has for us in the whole idea of Mercy. But I think there's a greater portion of Mercy that we don't often think about. And that that has to do with our response to those around us. Because you and I are all, we're all Sinners. And we all struggle and we're imperfect people, and we are in constant need of Mercy, which is displayed by the Avenue of the kindness. We share with others, the humblest that we have in our hearts, the gentleness that we deal with other people. The Compassion you have for somebody's life who is struggling, all of these things are needs that we have in our life to draw us closer to him. And we need to think about that perhaps even more than we think about forgiveness because that comes along now and then but not always. So we're going to be looking at James again, James is a great book that gives us not only how we ought to live but If it demands that we take those steps and live that way, and that's the same way with mercy here. We're going to be in James chapter 2 verses 8 to 11 right here and we'll finish off with two more later his head. If you really keep the Royal law found in scripture the Royal law, love your neighbor as yourself you are doing right? But if you show, favoritism, you say, none are convicted by the law as long as breakers for whoever keeps the whole law. And yet, stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, You shall not commit adultery also said, You shall not murder. If you do not give me to V Daltrey, but you do murder, you become a law breaker. Okay, the focus is on the idea of our response to other people and how we deal with them and that that's where God is leading Us in. This whole idea, love your neighbor. As yourself that whole idea, you know, so often we we think of you know, loving our friends and family and that sort of thing. But we don't often think about what how do I respond to my neighbor in the activities of life when I'm walking around town or anything like that? Am I really displaying The Life of Christ to those people? Is their kindness in my words is there compassion for the struggles of their going through. Is there a gentleness? In the way I step? Am I a humble person willing to connect with others? All of those things, are things that God calls us to in dealing with people who are our neighbors. And if you wonder who your neighbors are, it's whoever you meet in the day, okay? It's not just the person living next door. Leviticus gives us that Royal law and Leviticus 9 18. It says, do not seek Vengeance or bear, a grudge against anyone among your people. But love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Okay, that's a call even way back in the time of Moses, that whole idea, was that, that love was really important to the people of Israel and is really important to the Christians today. The whole idea of the sense of loving one another. It's one of the commands of God. Remember, God says, if you love me, you'll obey my commands will. This is one of those Big E's that we find a scripture in Jesus Christ actually. Mentioned it a number of times in the New Testament because it's so important. In Matthew 22:39, he says in the second command is like it. Remember the First Command was love. The Lord. Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind with all your strength. The second ones just like it, love your neighbor as yourself. In other words, part of living the Christian Life is giving up some of what you think you ought to have and giving it to somebody else. Because believe it or not, talked about earlier, as we look to the promised land Heaven, our possessions are how one of our possessions is how we behave to others around us. You know, you're storing up Goods in heaven. Every time you give a kind word, every time you have compassion and fall on your knees and pray for somebody every time, there is a sense of patients for somebody who is being too slow for your needs. You're storing up possessions in heaven. We don't think about that often. Do we? But that's what God gives us, that all idea of doing it. It pull fills our lives that fulfills God's desire for us. We find a Romans. 13:8, let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt of love for one another, whoever loves others has fulfilled. The law. In other words, all those things that we do for somebody else who feels the law. It's like the fruit of the spirit that love joy. Peace, patience. Kindness gentleness faithfulness self-control, all those things, are things that as we incorporate in our Alive's, they truly go out to others and become a rich blessing for us in glory. I think that's pretty exciting to think that God is keeping track of those moments in our lives and chalking up those benefits. Jesus tried to help the, the people of the, of his time, understand this. And one of the great struggles he had was with people who literally said that they were the righteous ones Walking with God and yet, they weren't the Pharisees and the keepers of the law. And he has several times truly lambasted them in Matthew 23. He gives seven woes to those who think they were leaders. And yet were not. And in Matthew, 23:23 says, these words, one of the woes, what do you teachers of the law and Pharisees? You Hypocrites, you give a tenth of your spices meant DeLand coming by You have neglected, the more important matters of the law, Justice, mercy and faithfulness, you should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former. In other words, there is power in those other things and then you will if you do those things, love the mercy and the faithfulness of God will give you encouragement in following Along on those little itty bitty things that you need to do. Their light. Well, James not only gives you the sense of what you should be doing, but he says now go and do it. And so, he carries it on as we take a look at the next couple of verses verses 12 and 13 of James 2. He says speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom. Because judgment without Mercy, will be shown to anyone who is has not been merciful. Mercy, triumphs over judgement. In other words, God doesn't want us to go around looking at people and seeing what's wrong? He wants us to see what's wrong and help. And those people through the attitudes of your mind, the kindness in the gentleness, in The Compassion that you feel towards those people, he wants that to be a part of your life, rather than a judgmental attitude to seek to redeem and change. You know, what's God's goal is for your life and my life?
To be redeemed to be redeemed. In other words, he wants to restore. What was in the garden when Adam and Eve had. Not sinned yet, they had a wonderful relationship with the Living. God, they look forward to seeing him every single day and that having fellowship and joy in his presence, that's what God wants for you. And for me
Now if that's what God wants for each of us, shouldn't that be what we want? For each of us. I mean it just makes sense that if God created us to have that relationship with him, don't you think that we ought to desire? Everyone to have that same relationship that want to be our desire. 2nd Corinthians 5:10 says for we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ. So that each of us may receive what is due for the things done while in the body whether good or bad. And we look at bad back at our lives and we see some of those crumbling moments in our lives. Aren't you? Glad with all your heart that you were not one of the characters of a scripture because when God revealed their lives before mankind, he didn't just revealed a good stuff that happened but he revealed the deepest sins. Would you like the deepest of your sins to be displayed before the whole congregation? Probably not, probably not because we God wants to redeem those things. He wants to wipe them out and get rid of them. And when we go before the cross and confess our sins, he does forgive and he forgave the Old Testament characters, Moses, and David and Abraham who all struggled with sin. We're also great Servants of God because they saw his face and his forgiveness. So, he wants us to do that as well.
We have choices.
We always have a choice how we respond in life. What we choose to do James looks at this and James 125 you said but whoever looks intently at the end of the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it. Not forgetting what they've heard but being but doing it they will be blessed and what they do. In other words You and I have a choice. We can either do what God has called us to do, or we can choose not to do it. And even if you're a Believer and you choose not to do it, there's no blessing in it for your lives. There's no reward.
Can you imagine standing in heaven and you're looking around and you're seeing all these crowns being laid at the feet of all these other believers and you haven't done what God has called you to do. And you look down and there's nothing there except Yeah, I was safe but I didn't do anything for the Lord. God wants us to be involved in this life and doing the things he's called us to do. If we do that.
We will be blessed Matthew. 5:7 says, blessed are the merciful for they will be shown Mercy?
In other words, if we show Mercy, if we show the kindness and compassion than the gentleness in the humility and the patience to others,
we're receiving blessings on top of it blessings. It's the higher action that God has called us to Matthew 913 says, but go and learn what this means. I desire Mercy, not sacrifice, I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners Each of us is a center called by God to be righteous before him. And when we are called and if I asked you, if you are a believer in Christ, most of you would Raise Your Hands, Say Yeah, I'm a Believer in Christ. Will you have been called to a life of mercy and Grace to those around you?
That's how we walk closer to the Living God. And that's how we find Rich and Powerful blessings. Not only this light because God does bless you for being that way in this life. But in eternity, the rich blessings that we actually can take out of this life. You and I can take something from this life. But it's never possessions. It's always those things that we have done for the Living God. That's brain.
Grace's father how we thank you for your rich and Powerful blessings that you do give to our lives and we pray that we would live lives of mercy and Grace of peace with our brothers and sisters.
Enriched Our Lives Lord in this week. In Jesus name, amen.
May the Lord bless you. And keep you may the Lord smile on you. Shine his light upon you. May the Lord make his face to go to give you his peace. Give you his paw.
May the Lord bless the Lord smile on. Shine his light upon may the Lord give us.
Give us his peace. Last, we came to this place today and let's now we will go in the name of the father and the son last week, aim to this place today plus. Now we will go in the name of the father and the son lest we came to this place today and must now we will go in the name of the father and the son.
May the Lord.
And keeping the Lord smile on us. Chinese light up on May the Lord give us
Go now in peace.
Go now in peace.
Oh, Father in Heaven. May we go in peace as we recognize your presence in our lives, for when we understand, you're right with us. We do have that piece and that comfort in this life. So bless this richly. Oh, Lord, has we go for it in Jesus name? Amen.