“We Don’t Get What We Deserve” Matthew 5:7 Beatitudes - #5
Intro: (My Court Date - Guilty - Judge showed Mercy - Didn’t get what I Deserved)
Today, we look at Beatitude #5 which states, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
First of all, let’s look at what MERCY is not. MERCY isn’t: 1. Pretending to have a heart
of care and compassion. 2. It is not Self-Seeking - not trying to act nice so that others
are nice to you. 3. It is not Self-Righteous - like the Pharisees who thought they were
getting brownie points from God by giving to the poor. 4. It is not bothering to show
kindness only when you think something’s in it for you. (That’s the job of a greedy
politician, not a true Christian.) 5. Mercy isn’t merely a feeling of pity or sorrow for others.
These are some things that MERCY clearly is not. This leads us then to the question,
WHAT IS TRUE MERCY? First of all, I’ll say that, “Mercy is Compassion that goes into
Action.” It is doing something with the feelings you have for someone.
The Bible asks us these questions, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” (I Jn. 3:17) “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” (Ja. 2:15-16)
Suppose someone you know is living without the Armor of God and without Spiritual food?
Will you continue to be content by feeling sorry for them? OR Will you spiritually show
true mercy and do something about it? True Mercy is Compassion that goes into Action!
Jesus is the greatest example of this kind of mercy. He saw those in need and He
showed compassion by doing something about it. He healed the sick, made the lame
walk, gave sight to the blind, made deaf ears hear and gave life to the dead. He’s done
these things to people both PHYSICALLY and SPIRITUALLY. He loved and forgave
everyone from Prostitutes to dishonest Tax Collectors.
Jesus had mercy on people because He saw their great need and because He loved them.
One of the most dramatic examples of His Mercy is found in John 8:1-11. Picture
yourself as the “sinner” in this story. (Read Verses) In the same way, he has also
done this for you and I. She didn’t get what she deserved and neither do we.
Our main scripture verse says that, “the merciful will be shown mercy.” What happens
then to persons who are not full of true mercy. What happens to the MERCILESS?
What happens to the Unrelenting Boss?
What happens to the Cut-Throat Businessman?
What happens to the Abusive Father?
What happens to the Manipulative Mother?
What happens to any of us who refuse to put our Compassion into Action?
To those of us who are content to say, “That’s a Shame”, “Look at those poor people”,
“That’s too bad for him”, “That’s a pity what’s happened to her”, “I really feel for them”,
“Isn’t that something?” and the list goes on and on.
Whether it’s Blatant or Passive, we will have to answer for not being MERCIFUL.
Scripture warns us with these words, “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged….. because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.”(Ja. 2:12-13)
In reference to the Unmerciful Servant, Jesus says, “Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow
servant just as I had on you? In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each one of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
It’s not a “pretty picture” for those of us who fail to be merciful with persons in our lives.
Conclusion: This morning, where do you see needs? Where is it that you can put
your Compassion into Action? Today, I pray that all of us would see the “uselessness”
of having only SORROW or only PITY on someone else and their situation.
Spiritually, who do you know that is piled full of guilt? That instead of more judgment could
really use some true, genuine Mercy? What will you do about it? Imagine what it would
be like to actually “.....face judgment without mercy?”
Illus. - I’ve read and heard it said that the best place to find the most cold-hearted,
judgmental and viperous people is to look for them Sunday morning sitting in their pew,
raising a stink. (I pray that’s not the case here.) The church should be a mirror of His mercy.
The bottom-line is this: Jesus Christ in His Mercy has SAVED YOU FROM HELL.
He saw your great need to be saved from evil and knew you were incapable of
saving yourself. In seeing your desperate need, He put HIS COMPASSION INTO ACTION.
He did something about it. He has given to you something that you didn’t deserve.
BY OUR SIN, WE DESERVE HELL. BY HIS MERCY, WE EMBRACE HEAVEN!
This week, be filled and be refreshed with this knowledge. Like Christ, put your Compassion
Into Action, be a mirror of Jesus Christ and be truly MERCIFUL.
Prayer
