Reflecting Our Merciful Father

Introduction

Robert Robinson was a British pastor in the late late 1700s and early 1800s who has a fascinating story.

He grew up in a rough home with no Christian witness, and began to run the streets with a London gang at an early age.

A drunk gypsy told Roberson and told him that he would live to see his children and grandchildren. The thought of his children or grandchildren seeing him live this way deeply burdened him.

A few nights later, half-serious and half-jokingly entered a tent revival with the Methodist preacher, George Whitfield.

Shortly after the sermon, he gave his life to Jesus and surrendered to the ministry.

His ministry was a powerful outworking of God.

He pastored several churches, and one of his churches grew to over 1,000 people in attendance by the grace of God.

On the three year anniversary of his conversion, he wrote the song, Come Thou Fount.” *Read the lyrics on the screen.

Unfortunately, Robert Robinson began to dabble in bad theology, and He strayed far from Jesus.

One day, Robinson was riding in a carriage. He was alone in the carriage except for one other woman. And she was humming and singing the song, “Come Thou Fount.” As the account goes, Robinson tried everything to get her to stop singing and humming the song. This only caused her to talk about the song and what it meant to her and how it had changed her life. She asked him if He had ever heard the song.

He replied, “Madam, I am the unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago; and, I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, if I could feel them now as I felt them.

She replied gently, “Sir, the streams of mercy are still flowing.”

Her comment struck Robinson, and he later returned to the Lord as the prodigal son who came from the far country. The mercy of God softens the hardest of hearts.

Mercy, per our Gospel Truths, is “not getting what you do deserve.” It is the reality that we are sinful, rebellious, and wilful creatures destined for eternal wrath. But God, who is rich in mercy has delivered us from our sins and withheld from us the rightful punishment for our sins.

If I am honest with you, I personally struggle with mercy. And the reason I struggle with mercy is that I don’t want to need it. You know what is harder for an American adult than giving mercy. Receiving it.

Think about the last time you asked someone for their forgiveness. Or the last time you had to receive mercy from someone. It makes us uncomfortable.

It would be nice if one day, I could get on my knees before the Lord and not have to pray like the tax collector, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

May we receive the mercy of God this morning that we might give it to others.

Read Luke 6:27-36

Luke 6:27–36 ESV

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Explanation

Jesus defines mercy to His disciples. Mercy that is rooted in love is one of the most difficult things in the world to give. Jesus gives us tangibles to see if we do it well.

Love enemies

To love your enemy means to wish the best good for your enemy and actively work towards that best good for them.

How in the world do we live this way? (v35-36)

You can only love your enemy of you remember that you were once an enemy of who, through Christ, granted you a heavenly Father in Himself who loves you perfectly and unconditionally.

You can only give mercy if you have also received mercy in the life-changing way our God gives mercy.

Can you look at someone who hates every fiber of your being and wish the absolute best for them?

When you have a hard time loving your enemies, remember how Christ loved you and gave Himself for you.

Do good to those who hate you

When we know that someone dislikes or hates us, we have several knee-jerk reactions.

We become defensive.

We strike back against them verbally whether to their face or others.

We begin to hate them.

Instead, the initial reaction of our hearts should be, how can I make their life better. What good can I do for them.

Some of you need to free yourselves from the grip that someone holds over your life because of what they think about you. The answer to their hatred will never be retribution.

Bless those who hurt you

Make life easier for those who make life hard on you.

The Roman Empire crumbled before the local church. It wasn’t the intellectual arguments, the cultural conversations, or talent or giftedness of her leaders. It was the love they showed people who wished them dead.

Pray for those who abuse you

The connotation of the Greek word is consistent harm. Think of someone who actively takes pleasure in making your life miserable like a bully who is waiting at the front door of the school every morning to beat you up and take your lunch money.

This isn’t a one time thing, but rather, it is a continual pattern of someone’s life.

I need to make something clear. If you are experiencing abuse, you need to talk to someone.

Jesus says to pray, but God is also a just God.

And just because someone has done something horrible to you does not mean that you need to position yourself continually in a position to be abused.

APPLICATION

Jesus helps us to let go of the words I use to justify our retaliation. I/ME/MINE.

The reason we feel the need to retaliate against others is that we feel that we are entitled to whatever they have taken.

The Golden Rule - And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

The Golden Rule is very common, even in the world around us. And as a result, its meaning has been altered in some ways.

Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you. “Leave others alone so that you might be left alone.”

John Piper says, “The problem with this kind of teaching is that it can be obeyed simply by doing nothing. Jesus command is much more demanding. It requires action, creativity, and ongoing love towards the people in our lives.”

We often come to the Golden Rule If you treat others well, you will receive from them in return.

The Golden Rule is an active moving towards someone with love and grace.

Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Thank God that His mercy wasn’t passive, but He actively pursued our hearts.

Loving people who are like you does not reveal your heart. Loving people who are not like you reveals your heart. (read v.32-34)

These commands are not commands of emotion, but rather, they are commands of the will.

You don’t simply get to do these things when you feel like it. You have to do it even when you don’t feel like it.

However, the more you do it when you don’t feel like it, the more you will begin to want to do it.

A few years ago, I cut sugar out of my diet. I didn’t want to do this… but I needed to do it. I wasn’t feeling well, and I needed to lose some weight. When I began, I had headaches, less energy, and crazings… MISERABLE.

The longer I persevered, the less I craved sugar and the better I felt.

In the same way, the longer we attempt to love our enemies, the

Merciful God

He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

Do you know who the ungrateful and evil are? It isn’t them. It’s us. And the Lord still always and forever will meet us with kindness.

Every time we have taken our Lord’s grace for granted? Kindness.

Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. The summation of the entire text.

Invitation

Some of us need to fall under the grace and mercy of our Father.

Some of us need to repent of our lack of mercy to others.