The Gift of Mercy
Supernatural Gifts of Grace • Sermon • Submitted
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Any area that God calls you to do
God gives gifts so that you can not only be successful in your vocation but so that you can use your gifts in your church and in your family.
Romans 12:6–8 (KJV 1900)
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Prophets
Servants
Teachers
Exhorter
Giver
Ruler / Administration
Mercy
John the Beloved
• Deeply loyal to friends
A person with the gift of mercy will demonstrate loyalty to a friend by even reacting harshly toward those who attack him. When the Apostle John watched the Samaritans reject Jesus whom he loved, John wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume them.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
• Need for deep friendships
The very nature of a person with the gift of mercy requires close friendships. These friendships, however, must have mutual commitment which is often reaffirmed. John enjoyed such a friendship with Christ. He was not only closer to Christ than most of the other disciples, but he referred to himself as the "disciple whom Jesus loved."
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
21:7.201)
• Empathize with hurting
people The gift of mercy enables the one having it to sense which individuals are hurting and to share the pain with them. Along with the pain, a mercy senses the full scope of emotions. John wrote his first epistle to give joy, fellowship, hope, and confidence and to cast out fear and torment.
(See
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
• Decisiveness based on benefits
Those with the gift of mercy find it hard to be firm because they do not want to offend other people. Therefore, the mercy must see that greater hurt and offenses will occur if he fails to be decisive. When John was faced with denying Jesus, he demonstrated boldness and decisiveness which caused the Sadducees to marvel.
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
• Deeply sensitive to loved ones and friends
The gift of mercy carries with it the ability to sense genuine love. It, therefore, carries a greater vulnerability to deeper and more frequent hurts from those who fail to demonstrate sincere love. John used the word "love" more than any other disciple in his Gospel and epistles.
• Attract people in distress
One with the gift of mercy has a deep understanding of people who are going through mental or emotional distress. This sensitivity causes those with hurts to be drawn to him and to confide in him. When Christ died, he transferred responsibility for his grieving mother to John.
Suffering helps us understand how to be sensitive to the hurts of others
• Desire to remove hurts
Whereas an exhorter will try to help a person find benefit from his hurts, the one with the gift of mercy will try to remove the source of them. The message of John's first epistle was for Christians to stop hurting and hating each other. (See
11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
There is an eternal benefit in suffering to find the eternal value of suffering.
• Measure acceptance by closeness
A person with the gift of mercy tends to need physical closeness in order to be reassured of acceptance. The closeness includes rich times of fellowship. John sought out the closest place to Christ at the Last Supper and leaned upon the Lord. His need for physical closeness may also have prompted his request to sit next to Christ in glory.
35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
• Attracted to prophets
The statement that opposites attract is certainly true with the motivational gifts. Those with the gift of mercy are attracted to those with the gift of prophecy. The firm truth of the prophet is thus balanced with the gentle love of the mercy. John spent more time with Peter than with any other disciple.
8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.
4:13-19;
14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
They compliment and balance one another
Misuses
• Taking up offences
The tendency of one with the gift of mercy is to take up an offence for someone who is being hurt by another person, especially if the one being hurt is a friend.
Before comfort is given, a prophet should check out what caused the hurt, and an exhorter should give steps for properly responding to it.
• Becoming possessive
The deep need for commit- ment in a close friendship can cause those with the gift of mercy to monopolize the time and attention of others. As he experiences disappointments in one friendship, the mercy tends to place greater demands on a new friendship.
Protective and possessive in friendships
• Tolerating evil
If those with the gift of mercy do not have spiritual discernment as to why people suffer, they may give sympathy and and encouragement to those who who are suffering as a direct result of violating God's moral laws. The one with the gift of mercy can learn discernment by seeing people through the eyes of the other spiritual gifts.
Mercy givers need to be sensitive to what laws of God are being broken that could be causing the problems
• Failing to be firm
When a person with the gift of mercy is given a position of leadership, he will tend to avoid disciplinary action which is needed. As a result, the person who should have been disciplined is not brought to repentance, prophets react to his leadership, and other "mercies" react to the prophets.
• Leaning on emotions vs. reason
Because those with the gift of mercy have such sensitive feelings, they tend to base their decisions on emotions rather than on principles. Their subjective reasoning can easily cause them to reject Biblical doctrines which seem harsh to them.
Discipline is difficult to endure or give
• Defrauding opposite sex
A person of the opposite sex tends to be drawn to one who has the gift of mercy. This attraction comes about because of the ability of the "mercy" to be a sensitive, understanding, and responsive listener. This factor must be considered in any relationship which a "mercy" has with a person of the opposite sex.
An affection can be given or received
Men should learn to be sensitive, understanding, and responsive listeners.
Defrauding others
• Reacting to God's purposes
Unlike exhorters, who look at suffering as a means of receiving more grace and growing spiritually, those with the gift of mercy tend to react to the idea that God would allow a good person to suffer. Unless the person with the gift of mercy maintains a proper perspective, he can easily become bitter toward God.
Suffering causes us to become better people
• Failing to show deference
When a person with the gift of mercy demands physical closeness in a friendship, he may fail to consider the desires of others who need that person's time and attention. For this reason, John was gently reproved for his request to be next to Jesus in His kingdom.
Mercy givers need to understand the ones that they want to be close to,
Cutting off insensitive people
A person whose words and actions reflect insensitivity to the feelings of other people will be quickly recognized and reacted to by one with the gift of mercy. Rather than trying to help this insensitive person, the "mercy" will tend to close off his spirit and cut off fellowship with him.
Protect your morality - do not give your heart to someone
Romans 12:15 (KJV 1900)
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Mercy givers the church needs you
your family needs you
prophets need you
Our goal should be to develop all these gifts to the point that others might not be able to tell
Jesus had all these gifts
You are in Him and He is in you - you have all these gifts in Christ
The Lord has given us amazing gifts
We will give an account for these gifts we’ve been given
