MERCY The Key to New Beginnings I

               I.   AMERICA JUST RECEIVED INCREDIBLE MERCY

II. WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED INCREDIBLE MERCY

In some way, the Lord had pressed delete on some impending circumstances or plans of the enemy that were in play.

We have received the Mercy of the Lord and have been given a new beginning

Isaiah 43:19

Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 42:9

Behold, the former things Behold, have come to pass, And new things I declare;      Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

III. WHEN MERCY IS GIVEN IT MUST BE RECIPROCATED

            Matthew 18:21-35

            Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.                    24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded           that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment is made. 26 The servant, therefore, fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him               a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying,          ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

It is imperative in this hour that we both understand God’s Mercy towards us and embrace a lifestyle of mercy towards others

We typically give mercy to the measure that we understand that we have received it from God. When we lack mercy, it is a sign that we do not clearly see the mercy that God has given us. When we think we have been treated unfairly (in being overlooked by God and His people), then we are not able to be genuinely gracious towards others. The fuel that helps us resist our natural anger and annoyance towards others is gratitude for receiving mercy that we do not deserve.                         We have each received far more forgiveness (after we were born again) than we perceive.

            THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES DEMAND WE GROW IN MERCY

Matthew 24:3-10

³ Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? ... “⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom….these are the beginning of sorrows.” ⁹ “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you (Murder) and you will be hated (Hatred) by all nations for My name’s sake. ¹⁰ And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.

a.       Angry insulting speech is the norm

b.      People feel empowered to say whatever, whenever.

c.       Happening in the Body of Christ…We are venting and speaking angry and laying aside the Kingdom M.O. of Mercy, kindness, forgiveness, long-suffering etc.

d.      Social media surges this.

IV. A FRESH LOOK AT MERCY

1.     Mercy is Who GOD is

Exodus. 34:5-7

⁵ Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. ⁶ And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, ⁷ keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

Psalm 106:1

¹ Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

2. Mercy is what GOD delights in

Micah 7:18

¹⁸Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant…? He does not retain His anger forever because He delights in mercy.2. It's what He delights in

Matthew 9:9-13

9 Jesus…saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him. 10 As Jesus sat at the table in the house.…many tax collectors and sinners…sat down with Him…11 The Pharisees…said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with…sinners?" 12 He (Jesus) said, "Those who well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

3. His Mercy Triumphs over judgment

            James 2:13

13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

           

4. God freely Gives Mercy

Hebrews 4:15-17

¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Lam 3:22-23

²¹ This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. ²² Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. ²³ They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

5.     The Extent of God’s Mercy

Gen 18:20-26

²⁰ And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, ²¹ I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” ²² Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. ²³ And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? ²⁵ Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” ²⁶ So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”… ³² Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.

Gen 19:1-11

Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening…When Lot saw them, … he made them a feast, and…and they ate. ⁴ Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. ⁵ And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.” ⁶ So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, ⁷ and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly!...⁹ And they said, “Stand back!”…So they pressed hard against the man Lot and came near to break down the door. ¹⁰ But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. ¹¹ And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great so that they became weary trying to find the door.

6.     God’s Chosen agent for Heart Transformation is His Mercy

Luke 7:36-47

³⁶ Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him….And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner…brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, ³⁸ and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰ And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” ⁴¹ “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” ⁴⁴ Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. ⁴⁵ You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. ⁴⁷ Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Roman 2:4

⁴ Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

7.     God’s Mercy is:

a.       Great. Numbers 14:18; Isa 54:7.

b.      Rich. Ephesians 2:4.

c.       Manifold. Nehemiah 9:27; La 3:32.

d.      Plenteous. Psalms 86:5, 15; 103:8.

e.       Abundant. 1 Peter 1:3.

f.        Sure. Isa 55:3; Micah 7:20.

g.       Everlasting. 1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalms 89:28; 106:1; 107:1; 136:1–26.

h.      Tender. Psalms 25:6; 103:4; Luke 1:78.

i.         High as heaven. Psalms 36:5; 103:11.

j.         Filling the earth. Psalms 119:64.

k.       Overall his works. Psalms 145:9.

V.                 WITH MERCY YOU NEVER LOOSE

1.     You do yourself good

Proverbs 11:17

¹⁷ The merciful man does good for his own soul, But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

2.     Mercy makes you Great

Psalm 18:35

³⁵ You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great

3.     Mercy keeps you from unnecessary trouble

Jonah 1-3

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ² “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” ³ But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. ⁴ But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea so that the ship was about to be broken up… ⁷ And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. ⁸ Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”…¹¹ Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.¹² And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”…¹⁵ So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. ¹⁶ Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.

Jonah 3: 1-10

3 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, ² “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”…⁵ So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. ⁶ Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. ⁷ And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying,

Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. ⁸ But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. ⁹ Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?

¹⁰ Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

Jonah 4:1-11

4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. ² So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God³ Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.

⁴ Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

⁵ So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. ⁶ And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. ⁷ But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. ⁸ And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” ⁹ Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” ¹⁰ But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. ¹¹ And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?