2019-02-09-LIVE OAKS - Blessed are the merciful
note mine says maybe I'm not sure why it says maybe but you can put that right there in Matthew 5 and then let's let's go to the Lord again in prayer.
And that's the only thing I want for claim this morning is your word. Your your heart your character. Your plan your purpose your will your ways?
Proclaim it By the power of the Holy Spirit just Proclaim your word proclaim your name Proclaim your greatness. Show us who you are show us who we are to be in you. Please but please show us preach speak through me. If you would around me. If you have two in your name, we pray amen, but I can Matthew 5. We wish we got a few more weeks to go yet Matthew 5 starting and verse 3 blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied? Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive Mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called Sons and Daughters of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you another call all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets. Who were who were before you. forgive me got choked up there for second. What's it about being persecuted for righteousness sake I heard the baby. And I told you before everything is a sermon and to hear. hear newborn life here is just A beautiful sermon that is don't take the baby out, please.
Better preacher than I am.
in Revelation 19:9 Angel said to me right this blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb? And that's all the Beatitudes are it's it's just it's too it's the wedding supper of the lamb. Its who's going to be there. It's what is Jesus going to serve and the answer is everything and we have Disciples of Christ. We draw near to him. When silver drawn to that table and he sits us with us and we will feast. On everything everything will be laid before us and this morning were looking at verse 7 blessed are the merciful for they shall receive Mercy happy are the merciful deeply abidingly happy are the merciful. Add a bitingly happy to happiness. That won't end we're so used to Temporary just vaporous happiness that that we grass for a moment and then it's gone.
happiness joy will abide with us Who are poor in spirit? Who? Mourn who hunger and thirst for righteousness who are merciful. Before we dive into Matthew 7 this morning. I want to reiterate cuz it is such our habits. Get to read something like this, especially those of us who really deeply truly want to be a faithful follower of Christ. Our habit is to read anything at as a command as another item to put on our to-do list something to feel guilty about not doing later. The Beatitudes this this passage Matthew 5 these vs. This is not a to-do list to burden us. But this is not a list of things that we just need need to be better at doing. May I got to be more I got to be more I had to be more important. I got two more and better.
I need the hunger and thirst more for righteousness Mana. I need to work on my Mercy game it is weak. It's week. I got to I got to brush that up. I got to do some Mercyful burpees or something. I don't know I got to go to. Mercy CrossFit flip some tires. I don't I got it. I got to work on that. If that's if that's if that's what we walk away with with missed it, we completely missed it. This is not a compilation of Kingdom life skills that we have to master.
It's a description of the hearts that God has molded. It's a description of the hearts of the disciples that he has drawn close to him.
and the merciful the merciful will be there. The merciful will be among those whom God has drawn close to him. And that's not to say that you shouldn't allow today Matthew 5:7 all of Matthew 5 what we studied already that's not to say that we shouldn't let it convictus if you feel conviction this morning, if you if you walk away from this awesome blessed place this morning feeling conviction. Don't dismiss that and say I'll look me up Pastor. Tommy said that it's not a list of to do so, I just don't know what I'll just ignore that lalala. I'm not listening. That's not what I'm asking either if if this brings us conviction, and I pray that it does then welcome it. Welcome conviction because here's the deal conviction is not condemnation.
If you're feeling convicted by this message this morning if you're feeling convicted by the holy spirit this morning, he is not condemning you he's convicting you.
2 mistakes that we can make when we're under conviction. We can ignore it. Or we can take over. At the Holy Spirit bring something to our hearts and it's uncomfortable. We can be like me not listening not losing stuff supposed to be at to do thing. Anyway, so I'm not listening to that or we can take that conviction. We can take it. I got it from you. Take it from the Holy Spirit and you run with it. You make it a to do instead of a Keith doing
so if if if if if if conviction greets you this morning welcome him.
Let him in give him a good seat. Hebrews 3:15 says today if you hear his voice do not Harden your hearts. today if you hear his voice do not Harden your hearts as in the Rebellion a beautiful Rich context to that Hebrews 3 passage if you want to read later go to Hebrews 3 and The principle holds true if you hear his voice. Do not Harden your heart towards him.
Holy spirit is like a like a surgeon. He's got a scalpel. Sometimes he has to cut open. Sometimes you have to cut away. I sometimes he has to cut and he has to has to cauterize got to get a suture. You got a stitch back up. Don't fight him.
surrender to him
I kind of played whether to find the video and and and download it and transmogrify it and put it up on the screens. But there's a beautiful little clip and you are might have seen it. It's floating around there on the Facebook. I don't know if you're on the Facebook.
I can send you a link in the email.
But it's it's it's this it's this footage of this deer caught in a fence. Wrapped up in and bailing wire and this is Rancher this farmer. He comes upon this deer who's struggling and it's around his neck and constructing his neck in and he has the right tools. He has the steps in and he's trying to get to the deer to release him from the fence in the deer fight and kicks and thrashes.
He gets angry and it's like I feel it. I like I see it right I'm talking I'm talking I'm talking the video.
I could sense. I guess what he's saying what he's thinking. Stop fighting against me. I'm trying to save you. I'm trying to work something here. I'm trying to set you free.
the deer Was under the condemnation of that fence.
He's being put under conviction to stay still. Let me do my work so that you can be set free.
God does not condemn you he can fix you welcome him.
Matthew 5:7 blessed are the merciful for they
shall receive Mercy. Who is going to receive Mercy? the merciful
don't let us feel your conviction this morning. And be set free. And your name's you?
This blessed statement. More than any of the others in my opinion has the potential to be misunderstood misapplied. Take this one more than door than any of the others I think has some potential for us to walk away from it. If we're not careful God's not merciful himself to speak to us Faithfully. This has the potential of walking away from here coming back.
I don't want to lose my Mercy. I've got to be more merciful.
I pray we don't walk away like that. This passage Matthew 5:7 blessed are the merciful for they shall receive Mercy directly connected to another passage to another teaching of Jesus and I mean directly connected and I would be a fool not to spend the bulk of our time this morning in Matthew 18 starting in verse 21 it it's a parable I've even taught through here. I believe it all gets going to jumbled up in my heads. And my head's clearly clearly. I'm jump.
Matthew 18 starting in verse 21
some of the coolest little passages in the gospel start the same way then Peter.
You know, we're in for something good and relatable Peters involved. Thank you Peter.
Matthew 18 steering numbers 21 then Peter came up instead of Jesus. Oh Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as I don't know. 7 *
that's right. You did musume guy. I said seven times. Rabbinical tradition would say that you should forgive someone three times. Chupitos going I'll see you three times and raise you another time.
7 * boom God's perfect number how right am I Jesus?
Hello pizza.
Jesus says not just seven times not just seven times but seven times Seventy Times. 7 * 70 *
77 * Chapitre thought he was being awesome. He thought he was really awesome. He thought he was an overachiever. He thought it was a ridiculous, but that's a silly amount of times to forgive someone and Jesus is saying no now you're not even close.
The God's perfect number you times that by God's perfect number you times that by 10U 490 times. Jesus said you forgive somebody 490 * Jesus speaking in hyperbole or some people might pronounce hyperbole.
I thought about this funny video. I can put online it would get billions of used. It is like a fake commercial for something called a hyperbole hyperbole.
Just giving you a little insight into. What's going on up here?
Yeah, that's the other mind. Exactly. That's Tommy's mine Thomas now Thomas is getting frustrated cuz Thomas is trying to preach to me.
What Jesus is saying is don't keep score Peter.
Don't keep score.
There's not even a question. Your brother sins you forgive them. A question of how many times I question if you should if your brother sins against you forgive him.
To drive the point home. Jesus told them a story. starting in verse 23 of Matthew 18 Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a King who wish to settle accounts with his servants. actually slaves Bond slaves So King has slaves and he's wanting to settle accounts with his slaves.
When he began to settle verse 24 when he began to settle one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents. Got Talent, I did some math you should be proud of me a talent is what a laborer could earn. over about 20 years the one challenge for the labor in the world at that time. You're basically saying a lifetime. Arabic Arabic of a day laborer you can get about 20 years and other professions you could stretch that out of it, but a day labor a slave labor you could you could get twenty good years out of That's one Talent.
This slave owed the king ten thousand talents. Oda King ten thousand lifetimes of Labor
headed to math but six billion dollars 6 billion is what this? servant of the king 6 billion dollars
first 25 and since he could not pay duh.
His master ordered him to be sold with his wife and children and all that he had and payment to be made which wouldn't even come close. Right, which would not even come close to paying what he truly owed. First 26 to the servant fell on his knees imploring him have patience with me and I will pay you everything notice his plea. patient with me in ten thousand years. I will pay you back.
She knows she knows everybody knows this cannot be repaid.
He's he's just pleading for patience. Just be patient with me. I promise I promise this time it's going to be different how many times have you had Atomic infection in front of Jesus? And your takeaway was this time? I'm going to be different this time. I'm going to do it different right. Just be patient with me. Give me some more time. Don't be a fool. I know I could get this together if you just be patient with me.
Does it matter? How patient the king is? It? Doesn't matter. How patient God could be with us. We cannot repay what we owe.
Patience with me. I will repay you everything.
Have pity for him verse 27 the master of that servant released him. And forgave him the debt. Don't miss it. This is a Slave. Pleading for more time to labor as a slave to repay what he owed and the King's response was. I forgive the debt and you are free.
You owe me nothing.
10000 years of hard labor forgiven
six billion dollars worth given
he walks away a free man.
Galatians 5:1 declares for Freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
That slave was set free.
to go leaping from the throne room I am three.
He was just hoping to be allowed to continue working yet. He gets to leave a free man.
back in verse 27 and out of pity for him the master of that servant released him and forgave the debt, but in your heart just sank. first word of verse 28 but is there always have to be a butt?
but When that same servant went out he found one of his fellow servants. fellow servants fellow slave
Who owed him a hundred denarii?
I did some more math. How much was the servant just forgiven six billion dollars ten thousand lifetimes of Labor? How much was this servant owed a hundred denarii about $12,000? about 20 weeks of labor
or another way to put it. a debt 500000 times less than the debt. He was just forgiven. This fellow servant owed him a debt 500000 times smaller.
And seizing him he began to choke him saying pay me what you owe.
Imagine you were forgiven $500,000. You were forgiven $500,000.
You walk out of the mortgage lender and you see a brother owes you a dollar and you grab them by the throat and you safe.
So as fellow servant verse 29 fell down and pleaded with him having patience with me and I will pay you does that sound familiar?
This is a debt he could pay off.
This isn't that where he would just need a little more time and he could pay it.
First 30 he refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken taken place, they were greatly distressed and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. So apparently some snitches don't get stitches.
The dentist Master summoned him and said to him you Wicked servant. I do a word study on that. I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything with Wicked that were jumped out at me looking double check. This one Wicked in the Greek. Hannah Ross forgive me if I mispronounce evil Rossum miserable
In the Miserables not like he makes other people miserable. He's miserable. He's evil low some miserable. You evil low some miserable servant.
I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me and you should not have had mercy on your fellow servant. As I had mercy on you. An angel in my Tad righteous anger his master delivered him to the jailers literally translated torturers. Deliver them to the torturers.
Until he should pay all his debt. How long would that take every moment of his life? And yes, the illusion is not just to prison. to an eternal prison of torture
Wicked evil Lowe's some servant will not pay back what he owes, but the king will give him every second available to try and pay the debt back.
Jesus says in verse 35, so also my heavenly father will do to everyone of you if you do not forgive your brother or your sister.
Matthew 6:14 through 15 listen to this
Jesus says for if you forgive others their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others. Their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses?
So talk about I mean that that seems to be like a like a to-do item to me. I mean the text seems very clear to me that oh my goodness. I got to do this. I got to forgive my brothers and sisters can't be any more black and white with the red letters hear Jesus says you have to if you don't forgive your brothers and sisters Your Father in heaven will not forgive you that's the text. There's always text and then there's context context
zoom out
Matthew 6 starting a purse 5 here's context for us to context is going to sound a little familiar.
Jesus says when you pray you must not be like the Hypocrites but I love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners that they may be seen by others truly. I say to you they have received their reward, but when you pray go into your room shut the door pretty your father who is in secret and your father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray do not keep up empty phrases as the Gentiles do or they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them. For your father knows what you need before you ask him praising like this. Our Father in heaven Hallowed be your name Your Kingdom Come your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts.
And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation lead us not into temptation, but Deliver Us from Evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses neither, will your father forgive your trespasses?
So there's the Lord's Prayer and that's a text that we all know we grown up reciting hearing. publicly reciting the rarely ever in context the contact you just continue right after the prayer. I know he doesn't say I'm in he says but Deliver Us from Evil 4. It's connected for if you forgive others before it's connected to the entire passage before it. It's connected to yes, the Lord's Prayer, but even before it the context is hypocrisy do not be a hypocrite now hypocrisies very confused for us right now. We think hypocrisy is is like, okay, so you really you really believe something right? Or at least you really say you believe something but then you're not really willing to follow your own advice. And you kind of do the Parker c means you're being fake all together and you know what you're doing. York you trying to put on a front You're trying to fool you trying to mislead. You are not it. You're trying to look like it you're not.
Did Jesus sing? If you if you want to be genuine. Genuine if you want to be real.
Do you want to be delivered from evil?
It gives us a way to pray. Focused on the Lord focused on his kingdom focused on his will focused on depending. Holy on him leaning. Holy on him.
Forgiving everyone else because you've been already forgiven by him that that's how you can lean on him. That's why he's holding you because he's forgiven you that's why he's supplying every one of your needs all six billion of them. You've been given By his Mercy he has he has made you knew he is in Lifted you off the ground and made you knew. Be delivered from the evil. Of not sharing the same with others. Forgive us for the evil. I'm demanding. From others what God has already forgiven you. Same word Deliver Us from Evil Wicked Lowe's.
same word planner Ross in the Greek
lead us not into temptation. But Deliver Us from Evil. We have been forgiven. It would be evil of us for not to forgive others to not forgive others. Jesus considers it evil you haven't tripped up. Jesus is not saying you got to make sure that you forgiving other people. You got to keep your scorecard, correct? That's what Peter was asking about the beginning. What's how do I how do I make sure the scorecard is balanced correctly? So like 7 times how to do it, right?
490 times Peter Limitless times even then she just doesn't mean keep score.
Is listen back in Matthew 18 and 34 to 35 and did anger his master delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly father would do to everyone of you if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.
Forgive your brother from your heart. I did a word study on heart.
It's the effective Center of your being. The center of our desires your automated desire Factory.
you've got your souls first responder. Passagem from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. It's why when I'm building or working on something and I smashed my thumb and I go out that hurts. I wish I hadn't done that and I don't take I'm like, I'm so encouraged because I knew that came from my heart and I might sweet I am I am more disciple than a sailor today. I get very encouraged.
amenbo
If you're take away, you want to know what the bottom line is take would just wait for the donkey then write down whatever had just said.
Jesus says You must forgive them from the heart what that means is Jesus is asking us in this is really difficult. Don't go home.
balance the score card remember the teaching decide that it wouldn't be worth losing your forgiveness to give forgiveness. So you force yourself to pick up the phone and you force yourself to say I forgive you.
We don't get off that easy. Jesus who sang
The Reflex of your heart should be forgiveness The Reflex of your heart should be to pull out the Snips and cut away the barbed wire.
around the neck of someone who's choking Set free.
I've been given so much. How could I how could I begrudge you the dollar?
And if you remember from a few weeks ago, it doesn't cost you anything.
It ain't you everything.
even though what we would Think would make us most happy. Tear out the other person's throat.
Take from there. Corpse everything. That they owe you.
You decide you know what? I'm not going to do will make me happy. I'll do what's right.
if you hunger and thirst after righteousness if you know how bankrupt you are in spirit. If you have mourned over your own sinful Brokenness.
Then then your heart will just cry I forgive you.
Jesus is saying if you willfully holdback that forgiveness.
You're not losing anything. You're proving. You never had it.
Patricia draccus
the true should bring us conviction. not condemnation conviction cuz right now you're probably the deer. strangled by barbed wire
Jesus that Good Shepherd He's got the tool. And he wants to forgive you. He wants to snap every single wire in set you free.
Jesus is not giving us a lesson in Kingdom debt math. And the secret formula to not have yours held against you. This is Jesus the heart surgeon giving us a radioactive. Dye contrast CAT scan to determine whether your heart beats the blood of Mercy which brings life and freedom Joy. Or beats the blood of evil which brings death and rebellion and misery and slavery. Today if you hear his voice do not Harden your heart. pray
How many how many dollars?
The people owe me Jesus. And hold it over him and hold it against. Oh really it out in my heart. I'm asking Holy Spirit route that out route that out.
Show it to me. Put it in front of my face.
Freedom is at work here.
I laid myself in front of your throne Jesus and and I played it just gives me more time. And you pick me up you held me in your arms in.
If you want me to give you time. But not to work this off. Time to enjoy your freedom time to enjoy me forever.
I'm still leaning on you Jesus. I'm still leaning on you.
Thank you for the freedom. You've given me.
Pizza sit if there is someone here this morning that doesn't know that freedom is never felt that freedom.
in bondage in barbed wire
Maybe this morning is the first time they stop kicking and thrashing and fighting and they just surrender and allow you Holy Spirit.
By the life and work in death and resurrection of Jesus by the preordained on Mighty plan of God the Father be set free.
I'm asking for Freedom this morning. Jesus set people free. In your name we pray amen. As we sing Our closing song this morning if that is you this morning and you you need to be set free you want to be set free God is calling to you be set free