THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM #5
Text: Matthew 5: 2-12
Tonight we study the fifth key to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is MERCY --- "BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, FOR THEY SHALL OBTAIN MERCY"
Everyone desires The Mercy of God and shrink back from the Justice of God! If God had given us Justice instead of Mercy we would all be in hell or headed for hell tonight! WITHOUT GOD’S MERCY WE ARE WITHOUT HOPE! --- Rom. 6:23 - We all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. The only prayer we can pray is.... GOD BE MERCIFUL TO ME A SINNER! (Lk. 18:3)
The Christian has received the Mercy of God through the forgiveness of Sin, through the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the main context of this verse is that we that have received the Mercy of God through Jesus Christ should be Merciful! --- IF WE GIVE MERCY WE WILL RECEIVE MERCY!
MERCY: The Gift Given to the guilty. MERCY is a word heard in our Courtrooms. After the conviction has been made, the jury has declared your guilty, and the sentence is about to handed down from the Judge, MERCY is begged for. --- We know we are guilty but we would like to throw ourselves on the mercy of the court. WE BEG FOR MERCY! --- The only hope is that the gavel will not come down with the sentence, but that the Judge will show Mercy!
OUR GREATEST NEED IS MERCY: If our greatest need had been education, God would have sent an educator --- If our greatest need was technology, God would have sent a scientist --- If our greatest need was entertainment and pleasure, God would have sent an entertainer --- BUT SINCE OUR GREATEST NEED WAS MERCY, GOD SENT US A SAVIOR!
I NEED MERCY, YOU NEED MERCY, THE DOWN AND OUT NEED MERCY, THE UP AND DOWN NEED MERCY, THE CHRISTIAN NEEDS MERCY, THE SINNER NEEDS MERCY...... WE ALL NEED MERCY!
MERCY IS OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDS OF CHRIST
In Mt. 22: 36-40 - Master which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
We are to treat others the way the Lord treats us! --- God is merciful.... God is forgiving....
God loves us.... God is patience with us..... (These are not a matter of feeling, These are a matter willing) WE ARE WILLING TO TREAT OTHERS THE WAY GOD TREATS US! ---- AND IF WE ARE NOT WILLING TO FORGIVE OTHERS NEITHER IS GOD WILLING TO FORGIVE US! (Mt. 6:15)
IF WE ARE NOT MERCIFUL, THEN WE WILL NOT OBTAIN MERCY! --- IF WE GIVE MERCY, WE WILL RECEIVE MERCY! --- Nothing proves that we have been Forgiven better than our own readiness to Forgive! --- THE REAL CHRISTIAN GIVES WHAT OTHERS NEED, NOT WHAT THEY DESERVE. --- We need to wish God’s blessing on others as we would like to be blessed ourselves!
WE NEED TO BE A DISPENSER OF GOD’S MERCY
MATERIALLY - I JN. 3:17,18 --- EMOTIONALLY - II Cor. 1: 3,4 --- SPIRITUALLY - We need to be a joy dispenser for Jesus – The greatest need is to get people to the saving knowledge of Jesus!
LET US PURPOSE IN OUR HEARTS TONIGHT TO BE A BETTER WITNESS FOR JESUS AND TREAT OTHERS THE WAY GOD TREATS US!
BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, FOR THEY SHALL OBTAIN MERCY!
