A CULTURE OF MERCY: A CHALLENGE FOR SOCIETY (EPH 2:4-5; MATT 23:23; MATT 9:13)

A CULTURE OF MERCY: A CHALLENGE FOR SOCIETY (EPH 2:4-5; MATT 23:23; MATT 9:13)

Delivered by: BRO EROMOSELE IKIAKHELE

On: JANUARY 6^TH, 2016

At: ST GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL CATHOLIC CHURCH, SAPELE ROAD, BENIN CITY

“But God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)”.

Ephesians 2:4-5.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees; hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and neglecting the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone”.

Matthew 23:23.

“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”.

Matthew 9:13.

Mercy is compassionate or kindly forbearance shown towards an offender, an enemy or other persons in one’s power.

Mercy is kindness or goodwill towards the miserable and afflicted, joined with a desire to relieve them. Grace is goodwill, loving-kindness or favour which bestows upon someone what he/she does not deserve.

God’s mercy towards man came as a result of His grace.

There is serious challenge in the society when it comes to the celebration of mercy because a lot of persons have not approached God’s throne of grace to obtain mercy and therefore, cannot show mercy since they have not accepted the love of God.

MERCY IN TWO DIMENSIONS

FIRST DIMENSION OF MERCY- Receiving God’s mercy (Hebrews 4:14-16)

God has given us the privilege of coming before His throne of grace to receive mercy and access the power of His grace in our lives.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace for help in time of need”.

 Hebrews 4:16.

We are called before the throne of grace, not before the throne of law. Mount Sinai was the throne of law and God use to descend on it and Israel could not draw near because of the bounds that were set about the mount. If a beast touched the mount, it was stoned or thrust through with a dart.

To the throne of law, we do not come now. For through Jesus the case is changed. To a conscience purged by the precious blood of Jesus, there is no anger upon the divine throne.

When I come before the throne of grace, the faults of my prayer will be overlooked. Our tired words, our gasping and stammering are overlooked at the throne of grace.

When we come before the throne of grace, there is hope for our lame, limping supplications. Our condescending king does not maintain a stately etiquette in his court like that which has been observed by princes among men, where a little mistake or a flaw could secure the petitioner being dismissed with disgrace.

Let all men come before the throne of grace because salvation is available.

Let sinners and the destitute come. No matter how their lives may have been, the blood of Jesus is able to make them clean. It is available for all.

What Mercy Does For Man

1.       Mercy justifies us to live. Romans 5:8-9:- Every believer has been justified to live through the sacrifice of Jesus. Rom 5:18-19; Col 1:19-22. Jesus took the judgment that was due us so that we could all be free from any judgment of condemnation or shame. We must embrace the sacrifice of Christ to experience the power of His mercy in our lives. Jesus doesn’t come to judge us but he comes to make a once for all judgment on the things that separates us from the love of God.

2.       God’s mercy gives us forgiveness of sin and debt. Matthew 18:21-35 :- There is no way we could have paid the debt we have accumulated in life through our actions. At one time or the other, we have made decisions that negatively affected our lives and that of others. We have caused hurts and damages through our actions. God is still merciful to all of us, so let us come to Him.

3.       Mercy eradicates the legal hold of demonic power over someone’s life. Mark 5:1-20; Col 2:14-15 Demonic holds come into someone’s life when he/she tries to obtain what God could have supplied, through ungodly and illegitimate means.

4.       God’s mercy heals the sick; Psalm 6:2. “Be merciful to me Lord, for I am faint, O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony”. (Psalm 6:2); Matthew 9:27-30; 15:22-28.

 SECOND DIMENSION OF MERCY- Showing and rendering mercy.

“Therefore, be merciful just as your Father also is merciful”.

Luke 6:36

Mercy is an eye for distress, a heart of compassion or pity and an effort to help in spite of enmity.

A saved person or a believer ought to be naturally forgiving because it’s part of him/her since he/she has been forgiven. A saved person is merciful because Jesus has shown him mercy. Matthew 5:7; Luke 6:36.

We are in a world where mercy towards one another is a difficult task even to the point of creeping into the body of Christ (the church).

We are caught up in the mechanics of religious activities with no eye to see distress, no heart to respond with compassion, and no effort to bring the relief of the gospel.

We act as if it was laws, traditions and rules that saved man rather God’s mercy.

We have turned our relationship with God into a religion of rules and laws.

Mercy is better than sacrifice Matthew 9:13.

Mercy is compassion for the lost and needy. Matthew 18:11; Ezekiel 34:16; Galatians 6:2; 1Peter 3:8.

Forgiveness is a type of mercy: Ephesians 4:31-32; Zechariah 7:9; Romans 12:17; 2Cor 2:7; Matthew 18:26-27.

HOW THE HEART BECOMES MERCIFUL

Mercy comes from a heart that has first felt its spiritual bankruptcy and has come to grief over sin.

Mercy grows out like fruit in a broken heart and a meek spirit and a soul that hungers and thirsts for God to be merciful.

Mercy comes from mercy, Jesus is the source and door of mercy. Matthew 27:50-53.

Our mercy to reach out to one another comes from God’s mercy to us.

The key to becoming a merciful person is to become a broken person.

CHARACTERISTICS OF MERCY Luke 10:25-37.

Ø  Mercy sees distress.

Ø  Mercy responds internally with a heart of compassion or pity towards a person in distress.

Ø  It responds externally with a practical effort to relieve the distress.

Ø  Mercy is shown even when the person in distress is by religion and race an enemy.