Fellowship Bible Church - Mullica, Hill N.J.

God’s Love is like a coin which has 2 sides: grace and mercy:

In His mercy, something deserving was held back.
In His grace, something undeserved was given.

Mercy is Initiated. Through Whom? A merciful God.
Mercy is Extended. For Whom? Those in need.
Mercy is Actioned. By Whom? His children.

Mercy is Initiated.
Through Whom? A merciful God.

The Lesson: Mercy Makes Relationship Possible

From the very beginning of the record of Scripture we see the mercy of God. But it is nowhere more apparent than from the instructions that were given to Moses to build the tabernacle. God provided a way for mercy to be realized – and He initiated it.

All the furniture in the tabernacle all had deep, spiritual significance. But no more significant that the Ark of the Covenant – and more specifically, the mercy seat that was on the Ark of the Covenant.

Read Exodus 25:10-22.

The Ark of the Covenant was to be:

· certain dimensions (3X2X2)
· made with a certain type of wood (Acacia)
· had a certain type of angel overlooking it (cherubim)
· had to contain three elements (10 commandments, Aaron’s rod that budded and manna).
· was only be seen by a certain person (the high priest)
· on a certain day (the day of atonement)

God’s presence would be there, and the blood which made atonement of the sin of the people would be there.

And in that combination – the presence of God and blood for atonement, there was mercy from God – a withholding of his wrath.

"The Hebrew word for which 'mercy seat' is the translation is technically best rendered as propitiation,' a term denoting the removal of wrath by the offering of a gift." (Tyndale Bible Dictionary).

Propitiation is the idea of the wrath of God being satisfied.

For the Jew of the Old Testament, they would find mercy at the place where God was, and the blood was applied. God reached out and initiated this act of mercy.

As a New Testament Christian, we find mercy at the place where God was, and where the blood was applied at the cross.

Mercy is Extended.
For Whom? Those in need.

The Lesson? Mercy Deepens our Love.

Throughout the history of the Bible there have been moments of great need for mercy – and it was graciously provided.

Mercy was extended to David. What should have happened to David? He should have been killed. But instead of death God was merciful to David. Yes, there were horrible consequences – but there was also great mercy.

Mercy deepened David’s love for God.

Mercy was extended to Paul.

Paul was the worst of the worst. But what was shown to Paul? Mercy.
1 Timothy 1:13 says:

“Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.

Mercy deepened Paul’s love for God.

Mercy was extended to you.

Can I just tell you what the Bible says about the type of person you are? The state of every person at some point in their life is this:

· Romans 3:23 says you are a sinner and do not measure up to God’s standard.
· 2 Chronicles 6:36 says there is no one who does not sin.
· Isaiah 53:6 says we all go our own way, not God’s way.
· Mark 7:21-23 says that from our hearts come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.
· Jeremiah 17:9 says your heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick
· Titus 1:15-16 says both your mind and your conscience is defiled.
· John 8:34 says you are enslaved to your sin.
· Proverbs 21:10 says your wicked soul desires evil.
· Psalm 51:5 says you were conceived in sin and iniquity.
· Romans 8:7-8 says the mind set on the flesh is hostile towards God.
· Romans 5:8 says we are the enemies of God.

Ephesians 2:1-3 says this….

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.”

But Ephesians 2:4-5 says this…

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Titus 3:3 says this:

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

But Titus 3:4-5 says this:

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”

Mercy Deepens our Love for God.

Mercy is Actioned.
By Whom? His children.

The Lesson? Mercy Deepens our Love.

The Bible doesn’t teach that the result of mercy for the believer is passivity. Quite the contrary.

In Romans 11, Paul has been talking about the fact that:

· Gentiles have been brought into the program of God
· As God begins to work with the Gentiles, the Jewish people have now been temporarily set aside
· The Jews have experienced a temporary hardness of heart until the times of the Gentiles comes to an end.
· At that time many Jews will be saved.
· It’s a future, end-times, glorious truth.

In light of those truths Paul says in Romans 11:28-32 that God has extended mercy to us (four times).

But how does he start Romans 12?

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Because of God’s mercy – present your body as a living sacrifice.

God’s mercy is active.

That means I get up on the altar as a living sacrifice to God and say:

“Lord, because of your great mercy my life is not mine it’s yours. Use it however you see fit.”

“The problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps crawling off the altar.” - D.L. Moody

A sacrifice on an altar has no self agenda.

Have you crawled off the altar? Is it time to surrender yourself anew to Christ? Would you?

Mercy is Initiated. Through Whom? A merciful God.
Mercy is Extended. For Whom? Those in need.
Mercy is Actioned. By Whom? His children.