Our Merciful God
Notes
Transcript
Handout
In Times Like These, We Need a Savior
In Times Like These, We Need a Savior
Vision 2020
Focus:
Focus:
Pandemic 2020 – 20-minute encouragement to realize that God is merciful.
In Times Like These, We Need a Savior
In Times Like These, We Need a Savior
I’d be interested to hear what you and your family are doing to take advantage of the additional time that you are spending in your homes. Perhaps you’ve planted a garden, cleaned a closet, gone for a family hike, or played a game of Monopoly. Please post your activity to Facebook and we will find out how creative we are.
There is a hymn that the church sang called, In Times Like These. The lyrics were simple and went like this:
In times like these you need a Savior,
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
This Rock is Jesus, Yes He's the One,
This Rock is Jesus, the only One;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
I want to share some thoughts with you this morning about an amazing attribute of God, His mercy.
We Have a Merciful God
We Have a Merciful God
I came across a verse in the Bible earlier this week that made me begin to think about God’s mercy. It is found in the book of Nehemiah. Now Nehemiah was an Old Testament leader who was sent by Cyrus, the King of Persia, to go rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Along with Ezra, Nehemiah helped to reestablish the nation of Israel after their captivity. It is an amazing story. In Chapter 9 we find Nehemiah reminding the Israelites of the faithfulness and mercy of God and the faithlessness and sinfulness of the people of Israel”
They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them,
Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish the difference between biblical grace and mercy. Richard Trench showed the difference in this famous statement, “… the cháris of God, his free grace and gift, displayed in the forgiveness of sins, is extended to men, as they are guilty, his éleos (mercy), as they are miserable” (Trench, p. 170).[1]
(NIV) 17They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them,
Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish the difference between biblical grace and mercy. Richard Trench showed the difference in this famous statement, “… the cháris of God, his free grace and gift, displayed in the forgiveness of sins, is extended to men, as they are guilty, his éleos (mercy), as they are miserable” (Trench, p. 170).[1]
The distinction is powerful. His grace for our guilt, His mercy for our misery. It is no wonder then that our hearts are touched as we learn about the mercy of Jesus as He touched the sick, the possessed, and even the dead.
Imagine God looking into our situations, seeing the misery of our situations and having mercy. Certainly we are living in a time where the nation and world is hurting as the result of a virus but there is a greater and more deadly virus – sin. God still sees the misery and is merciful.
You see, we have to understand God’s heart, His love, His grace, and His mercy towards us.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Let’s explore His mercy even more….
(NIV) 8The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Let’s explore His mercy even more….
The Mercy of God
The Mercy of God
His Mercy is Guaranteed by Covenant
His Mercy is Guaranteed by Covenant
There are numerous passages in the Bible that point out God’s commitment to showing mercy to His people. Most of them are found in the OT but I want to mention one of several that is found in the NT:
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
A covenant is a formal, binding agreement or pledge between two parties. It is like a contract; but while a contract is a legal agreement involving specific terms and requirements, a covenant is a “life agreement” in which the parties pledge themselves to one another. A marriage is a form of a covenant. In the case of God’s covenant with his people, it is his pledge to be their God and for them to reserve themselves as his people.
(NIV) He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— 72to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, 73the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
A covenant is a formal, binding agreement or pledge between two parties. It is like a contract; but while a contract is a legal agreement involving specific terms and requirements, a covenant is a “life agreement” in which the parties pledge themselves to one another. A marriage is a form of a covenant. In the case of God’s covenant with his people, it is his pledge to be their God and for them to reserve themselves as his people.
A Covenant, not a Contract
A Covenant, not a Contract
In modern times we define a host of relations by contracts. These are usually for goods or services and for hard cash. The contract, formal or informal, helps to specify failure in these relationships.
The Lord did not establish a contract with Israel or with the church. He created a covenant. There is a difference. Contacts are broken when one of the parties fails to keep his promise. If, let us say, a patient fails to keep an appointment with a doctor, the doctor is not obligated to call the house and inquire, “Where were you? Why didn’t you show up for your appointment?” He simply goes on to his next patient and has his appointment secretary take note of the patient who failed to keep the appointment. The patient may find it harder the next time to see the doctor. He broke an informal contract.
According to the Bible, however, the Lord asks: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”
The Bible indicates the covenant is more like the ties of a parent to her child than it is a doctor’s appointment. If a child fails to show up for dinner, the parent’s obligation, unlike the doctor’s, isn’t canceled. The parent finds out where the child is and makes sure he’s cared for. One member’s failure does not destroy the relationship. A covenant puts no conditions on faithfulness. It is the unconditional commitment to love and serve. - Bruce Shelley, I.H. Marshall, Jesus the Savior, IVP, 1990, p. 275ff
God’s Mercy is Endless
God’s Mercy is Endless
It seems impossible that anyone’s mercy could be endless. In fact, most of us struggle to be merciful. We have a way of avoiding the ugly. In 2015 Oskar Groenling was put on trial for atrocities as a German SS sergeant. On the stand his version of mercy was appalling. His description of the genocide and gassing of 300,000 Hungarian Jews included the ‘soft’ terms of “processing” the Jews. The movement of the crowds was “very orderly and not strenuous” while the survivors remember families being torn apart. This is quite the contrast to God, who sees all, who knows all, and remains merciful.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
(NIV) But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—
Turn to me and have mercy on me,
as you always do to those who love your name.
God’s Mercy as Seen in Jesus Christ
God’s Mercy as Seen in Jesus Christ
(NIV) Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name.
God’s Mercy as Seen in Jesus Christ
God’s Mercy as Seen in Jesus Christ
When we talk about God’s mercy it is so exciting to see it demonstrated in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus told his disciples and tells us today that if we have seen Jesus, we have seen the Father. As Jesus walked the paths and streets of Judea, Samaria, and Palestine he saw the misery of people in grief, in sickness, disabled, and demon possessed. What an incredible example of God’s mercy. Jesus wept, healed, commanded, and forgave. Because He did those things, we can also see the heart of a merciful God!
(NIV) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus told his disciples and tells us today that if we have seen Jesus, we have seen the Father. As Jesus walked the paths and streets of Judea, Samaria, and Palestine he saw the misery of people in grief, in sickness, disabled, and demon possessed. What an incredible example of God’s mercy. Jesus wept, healed, commanded, and forgave. Because He did those things, we can also see the heart of a merciful God!
God’s Mercy is Universal
God’s Mercy is Universal
There is an interesting story in the OT. It is the story of Jonah. Jonah was a prophet who was told by God to preach against the town of Nineveh. Nineveh was a nasty place. The people were involved in all types of sin that any self-respecting Israelite would avoid. Jonah didn’t want to go because he realized something about God – that he was forgiving and merciful. Jonah didn’t want to go and deliver a hard message and then have the Ninevites get “off the hook” through God mercy.
At the end of the short story and an encounter in the belly of a whale, Jonah complains to God. God answers with a question:
And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
God’s question ends the book. I think it is an appropriate question, really a statement for us today. Yes, God is in the business of showing mercy to even those who live in sin. He is even concerned for the animals!
(NIV) And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
God’s question ends the book. I think it is an appropriate question, really a statement for us today. Yes, God is in the business of showing mercy to even those who live in sin. He is even concerned for the animals!
Our Merciful God Hears Us
Our Merciful God Hears Us
Sometimes we find ourselves thinking that God is not listening and is not concerned. Well, I hope that you’ve been convinced that we have a merciful God who loves us as a Father would. His love is endless, for everyone, without end, and the proof is the person of Jesus Christ.
The Bible gives us extraordinary faith to know that God hears us:
David writes -
The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
And the prophets Daniel and Joel say –
(NIV) The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.
Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.
And the prophets Daniel and Joel say –
Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.
(NIV)\ Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.
Some of you know that I am a big fan of George Washington. We live hundreds of years later but our worlds are still connected by our gratefulness of God’s mercy. I want to conclude with a prayer President Washington prayed at his inauguration on April 30th, 1989
(NIV) Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
Some of you know that I am a big fan of George Washington. We live hundreds of years later but our worlds are still connected by our gratefulness of God’s mercy. I want to conclude with a prayer President Washington prayed at his inauguration on April 30th, 1989
“Almighty God: we make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. “And, finally, that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy and to demean ourselves with charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (Inaugural Prayer, George Washington).
[1] Garland, D. E. (1979–1988). Mercy; Merciful. In G. W. Bromiley (Ed.), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised (Vol. 3, p. 323). Wm. B. Eerdmans.