Sermon Notes 6-8-2014

Mercy is Messy!

Here we go!

Through out Jesus ministry mercy and grace were always messy. He was hated, mocked, questioned, beaten and eventually killed because he showed mercy to an undeserving world. Through studying the gospels I found mercy to not have a hard formula, there is no set of rules to tell us when and where and how. There is no check list to help understand where we display it, where we don't and the more a read and the more I study the time Jesus spent on earth what I find is that his whole life was showing mercy, and grace in different ways.

Jesus life mission was to image God in all he did, we know our mission is to also mirror Jesus in showing a dark world God. We know we serve a loving God who is compassionate with his children, who is slow to anger, and ultimately wants us all to see him for who he is in light of our sin.

So with all that said I want to share from the heart how we sometimes mistake mercy for always saying yes, always trying to help, and always being meek. Jesus sometimes had harsh words, sometimes said no, and sometimes said not now. He showed mercy to people who did deserve it, was take advantage of, and the people he showed mercy to in the end abandon him on the cross. What he never did was stop loving the lost right up tell his dying breath.

What is mercy?

Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, "price paid, wages", from merc-, merxi "merchandise") is a broad term that refers to benevolence, forgiveness and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social and legal contexts.

The bible tells us:

Psalm 103:8–13 (NLT)

⁸The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

⁹He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.

¹⁰He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.

¹¹For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

¹²He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

¹³The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

Ephesians 2:2–10 (NLT)

²You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

³All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

⁴But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,

⁵that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

⁶For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

⁷So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

⁸God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

⁹Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

¹⁰For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

What I take from these two passages

·      The greats ack of mercy is salvation

·      Gods merciful to his children who love and fear him

·      Gods desire is for us to know his Son

·      God wants to save us from our selves and the sin we live in

So our greats ack of mercy to anyone is to bring them in to the light of there sin, turn them away from the world, show them Gods love for them, and to mirror God so the see what God has for them.

So the burning question is how? When do act, when do we walk away, what boundaries do we set. I don't know if I have all the answers, but taking a closer look at Jesus will give some guidance, and allowing the Holy Spirit to lay it on our hearts bathing every decision in prayer will help keep us on the narrow path!

So much to do, so little time

The church and the people in it get bombarded with request for help, money, time, it over whelming sometimes. We have been programmed to help everyone, anyone we can. But is that always the right answer. We stand in the gap between a dying world and a living savior with only so many resources at our disposal. So how do we know when to say yes?

So I have three points to help start understanding this thing we call mercy!

·      Point one sometimes we say yes

·      Two, sometimes we say no

·      Three some times not now

Jesus showed mercy and performed Miracles for one reason and so should we!

John 10:37–38 (NLT)

³⁷Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work.

³⁸But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

·      We show mercy, un solicited acts of kindness for one reason

·      To show who the father is

·      To show the world Jesus

·      It might sound selfish, but if your identity is in Jesus your all about doing the fathers work

Sometimes we say yes!

We see more often than not Jesus said yes! Even when it was messy!

Matthew 12:9–14 (NLT)

⁹Then Jesus went over to their synagogue,

¹⁰where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)

¹¹And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would.

¹²And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”

¹³Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one!

¹⁴Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.

·      Jesus showed mercy even when it was not the “smart” thing to do

·      He was always about healing people, and imaging God

·      He never let society or social norms drive his acts of mercy

We need to be like Jesus

·      When we see some one in need we have to act

·      When we act we need to be imaging God

·      When we act we have to feed the souls not just there physical needs

·      We have to remember its not about us, its about shining a light in a dark world

·      No matter what end of the mercy your on, if someone gives it to you or you show mercy we have to remember to glorify Jesus in it all

Mercy is contagious!!

·      When we show acts of kindness and compassion we sometimes light a fire in others

·      The disciples are a good example

·      We see in the beginning of Jesus ministry

o   They bicker about who gets to sit on his right and left

o   And who is his favorite

o   They fall a sleep when he needs them the most

·      In acts

o   We see boldness

o   We see compassion

o   We see men not worried about then selves, but about doing Gods work

They were exposed to the master, and so are we through his word, and the Holy Spirit. We need to care out and show the love of God to a dark world. Like the apostles we can make a difference RIGHT HERE IN THIS PLACE!!

Mercy sometimes is painful, and we have to know like Jesus, we will have people take advantage of our grace!!

Matthew 11:20–24 (NLT)

²⁰Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God.

²¹“What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.

²²I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.

²³“And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today.

²⁴I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.”

·      Not everyone will find Jesus through your mercy

·      They didn’t then and they wont now

·      But Jesus is our great example and he continued his fathers work

·      MERCY IS MESSY!!

Some times the answer is not now!!

Sometimes Jesus said wait, not now.

Matthew 15:21–28 (NLT)

²¹Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

²²A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

²³But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

²⁴Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

²⁵But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

²⁶Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁷She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

²⁸“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

·      Jesus wanted to see her faith

·      Sometimes we have to see people trying, before we act

·      Sometimes we get in Gods way if we “Rescue” people from there sinful consequences

·      Sometimes the best thing is to sit and wait for the Spirit to work in them and help when they are ready

·      Sometimes when the heard breaks the best thing to do is find a shade tree and wait for them to come together

We need to guard are time with God

Matthew 14:13 (NLT)

¹³As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns.

·      We have to have time to rejuvenate and get our time with God

·      We have to continue our walk our we are no good to anyone

·      We have to have time with our family or we get burnt out

Luke 4:42–44 (NLT)

⁴²Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them.

⁴³But he replied, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”

⁴⁴So he continued to travel around, preaching in synagogues throughout Judea.

·      We need to continue to spread the good news

·      We cant let “some” people consume all our time

·      We have to continue to spread the message

·      Some of you have talents that people will take advantage of and use all your time

·      Keep spreading the wealth, keep spreading the word

Sometimes it no!

Mark 1:35–38 (ESV)

³⁵And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

³⁶And Simon and those who were with him searched for him,

³⁷and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”

³⁸And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”

Why does Jesus say no?

First, in terms of his humanity, he is limited.

·      He has not come to save Capernaum only and must devote attention to other places as well.

·      In effect he must allocate his (humanly speaking)  ”limited” resources justly and effectively.

·      This is also the case with us. We must help the poor but we must also feed our children and meet other just obligations.

·      Saying “No” is not necessarily un-Christlike, but is rather a humble admission of our limitedness.

A second reason Jesus likely says no is that he will not allow himself to be defined merely as a medical miracle worker.

·      He has come to preach and ultimately to take up his cross.

·      Part of what he preaches is the role of the cross in life.

·      It is not always appropriate to alleviate every burden.

·      To be labeled as “Mr Fix-it” is to be diminished.

·      For the Lord did not come merely to heal the body, but also and even more so, the soul.

·      Jesus’ “No” is therefore also a teaching moment.

·      We too who would imitate Christ should not think that alleviating burdens is our only mission.

·      Sometimes it is more loving to let others carry the crosses God intends.

·      We are not necessarily callous or un-Christlike in this if our intent is allow people to experience necessary growth or to experience the necessary consequences of their choices.

·       

We must be careful not to easily excuse ourselves from our duties to help others but neither should we become enablers or those who cause others to become too dependent. We should not usually do for others what they can do for themselves. The Lord could not allow himself to be drawn into a situation where what was good about him (healings) overshadow what was best (salvation and the preaching of the Kingdom). Therefore, he said, “No.”

2 Corinthians 1:3–7 (ESV)

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

⁴who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

⁵For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

⁶If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.

⁷Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

·      God will take you where you haven’t intended to go in order to produce in you what you could not achieve on your own.

o   Some times we get in Gods way when we say yes

o   Sometimes we stop people from learning from there bad choices

·      Difficulty is not a sign of God’s unfaithfulness; it is evidence of his redemptive zeal and love.

o   Sometimes people go through suffering and hard times to see Gods love and redemptive nature

·      God has chosen us to live in a fallen world where we cry out for comfort so that we can be agents of comfort in the lives of others.

o   Sometimes God puts us through suffering so we can only look up, and if we interced we hinder the process of salvation