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/The Gift of Mercy/
“A Ready Help in Time of Need”
Romans 12:8
 
I.
Blessed Are The Merciful.
The concept of mercy is seen throughout Scripture, from the Fall to the consummation of history at the return of Christ.
Mercy is a desperately needed gift.
The Lord requires His people to follow His example by extending mercy to others.
To discover its essence we will look at three basic aspects of mercy: 1) /its meaning/, 2) /its source,/ & 3) /its practice/.
A.
The Meaning of Mercy.
1.
The Religionist were not Inclined to show Mercy.
/a)        //Many Thought Mercy was Considered One of the Least Virtues.
/
1)        /It was in the same category as loving those who had shown love to you./
/(a)      /You loved those who loved you, and you showed mercy to those who showed mercy to you.
1.         /That attitude was condemned by Jesus later in the Sermon on the Mount./
You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you… For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?
Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
"And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more /than others/?
Do not even the tax collectors do so?
(Matthew 5:43-47 NKJV)
2.         /From a casual reading of (Matt.5:7) it appears that: /
a.
The way to get along with people is to be nice to them; and the way to receive benefit from people is to bestow some benefit on them.
b.
The way to win friends and influence people is to be nice to them & they will be nice in return.
c.
Our being merciful causes those around us, especially those to whom we show mercy, to be merciful to us.
Mercy given will mean mercy received.
/For such people, mercy is shown to others purely in an effort toward self-seeking./
The ancient rabbi Gamaliel is quoted in the Talmud as saying, “Whenever thou hast mercy, God will have mercy upon thee, and if thou hast not mercy, neither will God have mercy on thee.”
Gamaliel’s idea is right.
When God is involved there will be mercy for mercy.
“If you forgive men for their transgressions,” Jesus said, “your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (Matt.
6:14-15).
/b)        //Some Say ‘mercy’ is A Sign of Weakness./
1)        /You Didn’t Have What It Takes To Be A Real Man.
/
/The Romans glorified /manly courage, strict justice, firm discipline, and, above all, absolute power.
They looked down on mercy, because mercy to them was weakness, and weakness was despised above all other human limitations.
2.       This Principle does not Always Work Among Men.
/a)        //Men Are Not Naturally Inclined to Repay Mercy for Mercy./
1)        /Mankind’s Heart is Vengeful By Nature & Likes To Get Even/
/(a)      /The idea “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” sounds good.
1.         Mans problem is that while he wants to receive mercy from God, he also wants to dispense justice on others.
We don’t want people to get away with evil against us.
/(b)      /The best illustration of that fact is the Lord Himself.
1.         /Jesus Christ was the most merciful human being who ever lived.
/
a.
He reached out to heal the sick, restore the crippled, give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and even life to the dead.
b.
He found prostitutes, tax collectors, the debauched and the drunken, and drew them into His circle of love and forgiveness.
c.
When the scribes and Pharisees brought the adulteress to Him to see if He would agree to her stoning, He confronted them with their merciless hypocrisy: “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
When no one stepped forward to condemn her, Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way.
From now on sin no more” (John 8:7-11).
d.         Jesus wept with the sorrowing and gave companionship to the lonely.
He took little children into His arms and blessed them.
He was merciful to everyone.
e.         Luke 4:40; 17:13; Matt.15:22; 17:15; 19:13-15; Mk.2:16-17; 10:47
!!  
!! b)        What Was the Response of Jesus Showing Mercy?
!! 1)        He shamed the woman’s accusers into inaction, but they did not become merciful.
!! (a)      By the time the accounts of John 8 ended, Jesus’ opponents “picked up stones to throw at Him” (v.
59).
!! (b)      When the scribes and Pharisees saw Jesus “eating with the sinners and tax-gatherers,” they asked His disciples why their Master associated with such unworthy people (Mark 2:16).
!! (c)      The more Jesus showed mercy, the more He showed up the unmercifulness of the Jewish religious leaders.
!! (d)      The more He showed mercy, the more they were determined to put Him out of the way.
The ultimate outcome of His mercy was the cross.
!! 2)        The fifth beatitude does not teach that mercy to men brings mercy from men, but that mercy to men brings mercy from God.
!! (a)      If we are merciful to others, God will be merciful to us, whether men are or not.
!! (b)      Those who are merciful ... shall receive mercy from God. God gives the divine blessings to those who obey His divine standards.
3.
What Is Mercy Related To?
/a)        //Four Areas /
1)        /Mercy & Love (Eph.2:4-5)/
– Forgiveness flows out of mercy, and mercy flows out of love.
2)        /Mercy & Forgiveness –we will talk about that a little later./
3)        /Mercy & Grace (2Tim.1:2)
– /mercy relates to the negative, grace relates to the positive Mercy offers relief from punishment; grace offers pardon for the crime.
4)        /Mercy & Justice /
 
B.
The Source of Mercy.
*1.
*Pure Mercy is a Gift of God – Psalm 62:12
*/a)        /**/It is not a Natural Attribute of Man but is a Gift that Comes with the New Birth./*
1)        /For Us To Show Mercy it Takes a Special Work of the Holy Spirit In Our Lives./
/(a)      /God must plant this aspect of His nature within us; it is a gift.
1.         /We must experience God’s Mercy /to be merciful in its full sense
2.         Mercy is only for those who /through grace and divine power/ have met the requirements of the first four beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-6)
a.         (v.3
/humility/)/ –  /bowing humbly before God in poverty of spirit,
b.         (v.4
/repentance/)/ – /mourning over and turning from your sin,
c.         (v.5 /surrender/)/ – /meekness and submissiveness to God’s control, and
d.         (v.6
/holiness/)/ – /hungering and thirsting above all else for His righteousness.
The way of mercy is the way of humility, repentance, surrender, and holiness.
3.         For us to show mercy takes a special work of the Holy Spirit in our lives & therefore, it is properly listed as a gift.
2.
When Mercy Is & When It Is Not.
/a)        //Some Have the Gift & Others Don’t.
/
1)        /Those Who Do – They Show Mercy With Cheerfulness.
/
/(a)      /They give offenders a second, third & fourth chance with cheerfulness.
/(b)      /When you really feel like you’ve blown it & they lift you up & out of your despair.
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