Hope Rising

Micah chapter 6 and verses 6-8. Micah chapter 6 and verses 6-8. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with the thousands of rams or with 10 thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, oh man, what is good. and what does he the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God. We've been doing a Sunday morning uh the series on 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the love chapter.

And I want to kind of tie into that with this message tonight about mercy. God says that he wants us to love mercy. And you notice the word mercy begins with the word me. In Psalms 109:26, it says, "Help me, oh Lord, my God. Oh, save me according to thy mercy." And mercy starts with me. When we were traveling in Europe there, uh we went to France. And of course in France, they use that word mercy uh to say thank you. And uh in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, if you turn over there with me, 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and:es 15-18. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verses 15- 18. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and begin with verse 15.

The Bible says, "See that none render evil for evil unto any man, but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." And God wants us to show mercy. And and and that's one of the ways we can show our thankfulness to God. As we're thankful for God's mercy, as we receive God's mercy, we're able to give God's mercy as well. Psalms chapter 136:es 1-3. And then verse 26, they're going to put that on the screen right now. As you see on the screen when they put it up here, fellas, if you can stick it up there.

All right. Uh I don't It's not on the front screens, though, is it? There it is. Yeah. Okay. I want you to I want to do responsive reading. I'm going to read the verses and then I want you to read the part that says, "For his mercy endureth forever." All right, so follow along with me here. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. Oh, give thanks unto the God of gods, for his mercy endureth forever. Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his mercy endureth forever. Then verse 26 says, Oh, give thanks unto the God of heaven for his mercy endureth forever.

I'm thankful for the mercy of God. And it's because that he shows me mercy that I can also show others mercy as well. I I'm thankful for my salvation. In 2 Corinthians chapter 9:15, it says, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." You know, the Latin word for mercy where mercy comes from is mercy. It means payment or wage or reward. In Romans 6:23 it says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." If we got what we had earned, if we got our wage, if we got our reward for our sins, then we would go to hell. The wages of sin is death.

But the gift of God, God's gift is his mercy. You and I, we deserve to die because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, know not one, the Bible says. But God commended his love towards us that while we're yet sinners, Christ died for us. And I'm thankful that God did not give us what we deserved, but he gave us mercy. And mercy means not getting what we deserve. In Titus chapter 3 and verse 5, it says, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he has saved us by the washing of regeneration, renewing of the Holy Ghost." And it's God's mercy that saves us.

It's God's mercy that does not send us to hell and it's God's grace that gives us eternal life. In Ephesians 2:8:9, it says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, then not of yourselves. It's the gift of God, not of worksless amen boasts." And I'm thankful for God's mercy that he does not send me to hell as I deserve, but I'm also thankful for God's grace that he allows me to go to heaven to live with him forever. And I can't I don't deserve his mercy. I don't deserve his grace. I cannot earn it. It is only by God's mercy and God's grace. You see, ask God for his mercy. Ask God for his grace.

In Psalms chapter 85 and verse number 7, the Bible says, "Show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation." You got to ask God for his mercy. You got to ask God for his salvation. I wonder how many tonight, Anybody here tonight need $10? Anybody want want need $10? I've got $10 here uh that I'll give you. So, who Let's see who needs $10. All right. Let's see here. I'm going to go with Brennan. All right. I'm going to give you $10 there, Brennan. There you are. See, all he had to do is ask and receive. And that's what mercy and grace is. Is asking and receiving the mercy of God. So, I am I mercy starts with me.

As I have received God's mercy, then I am able to give mercy to others as well. It's important to see the power of mercy. Turn over to Matthew chapter 9. Matthew chapter 9 and:es 1-8. Matthew chapter 9:es 1-8. It says, "And he entered into a ship and passed over and came unto his own city. And behold, they brought unto him a man sick of Pauly lying on a bed. And Jesus seeing their uh face, said unto the sick of Pauly," son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee. And behold, certain of the scribes and within themselves this man blasphe. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Wherefore think you that evil in your hearts, but whether it's easy to say, thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, arise and walk.

But that you may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to over the forgive sins." Then say the sick of Pauly, "Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thine house." And he rose and departed unto his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. See the power of mercy to change lives and that's power that comes from God is power that God is the one that gives us in Luke chapter 17 in verses 3-5 it says take heed to thy yourselves that thy brother tres trespass against thee rebuke him and if you repent forgive him and if you trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him and the apostles said un the Lord increase our faith.

You see, mercy is something that can only be shown through God's power. It can only be given through God's power. In Romans chapter 12, God says that that vengeance is his. And what he calls you and I to do is to show the mercy of God. Um and and God wants to show his mercy. You know, mercy is something that we give uh to others. Look at Matthew 5. Matthew chapter 5 and verses 23- 26. Matthew chapter 5 and beginning with verse number 23 down through verse number 26. Matthew 5:23 the Bible says, "Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembers that thy brother have ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way.

First be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift. agree with thine adversary quickly while Zar in the way with him, lest any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge delivered to the officer, and now be cast into prison. You see, God wants to show mercy to others. But, you know, it's not mercy if if the person's bigger. If somebody bigger than me comes and shoves me or pushes me and I say, "Well, I'm going to show mercy to that person." That's really not showing mercy. That's showing wisdom of not going after somebody's bigger than you. But you know when when we need to understand that what most of us do is not mercy.

It is fear to confront the problem and to solve it. And mercy is not fear to confront the problem and solve it. God said if you have ought with your brother or your brother have ought with you, you need to go and to deal with that and to forgive one another. And and it's not mercy to avoid the problem and not confront it. Mercy is dealing with the problem, but mercy comes from strength. Go over to Romans chapter 15. Romans chapter 15 and look at verses 1 through3. Romans chapter 15:es 1-3. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let everyone who has pleased his neighbor for his good to edification.

For even Christ pleased not himself, but as is written, the reproaches of them that reproach thee fell on me. You see, mercy is given in strength. Mercy is when somebody smaller than you shoves you and you say, "Listen, I'm going to show you mercy. I'm not going to give you what you deserve, but I'm going to show mercy." And mercy comes through strength. And so often we think of mercy as being weakness, but it's not. It's strength. And mercy can be fun. In Romans 12 and verse number eight, the Bible says, "He showeth he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness." And the word cheerfulness is where we get our word hilarious from.

You know, God wants us to realize that mercy is not something we have to do grudgingly, but it's something we can do hilariously. You know, when my kids were little and they do something to their brother or sister, I we would make them go and say, ask forgiveness and and then the other brother or sister would say something like this, I forgive you. You know, uh they weren't showing hilariousness. They weren't showing cheerfulness. And God wants us to show mercy with cheerfulness. That doesn't mean you're happy about what happened to you. In Matthew chapter 5 and verse 7, it says, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

In verse number 12, it says, "Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted the prophets which were before you." You see, when you have to show mercy, it means something's somebody's done something to hurt you. But yet God says we need to show mercy. It's not weakness to show mercy. It's strength. And and and we need to show mercy with cheerfulness. Sometimes you just got to learn to laugh it off. Go over to First Peter chapter 4. 1 Peter chapter 4. I think there are situations that what we really need to do is just learn, you know what, that happened and just to kind of laugh it off and get on with your life.

In 1 Peter 4:es 13-16 it says rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed you may be glad also with exceeding joy if you be reproached for the name of Christ happy are you for the spirit and g of glory of God and of God rested upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified but let none of you suffer as a murderer as a thief or as an evildoer as a busy body and other men's matter matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on his behalf. And sometimes when things happen in our relationship, whether our marriage, our family, or relationship with others, sometimes we just got to learn to, you know, just to laugh it off.

We need to be willing to suffer for Christ. We need to be willing to take what happened and and not make a a big deal out of it. Uh the idea there of the word rejoice in this verses I read is to be cheerful. And it goes on to say exceeding joy. It means to jump for joy, to be happy. The same word is Matthew chapter 5 where it says, "Blessed are the merciful." God says, "Listen, mercy is not something you give grudgingly." It's not something you give because you have to, but it's something we give in cheerfulness and in joy and the opportunity to show the same mercy that God has shown me to be able to show it to you as well.

You see, it it's it's the right kind of mercy. In Matthew chapter 5 and verse 7, it said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Now, if you've read your Bible very much, you know Matthew chapter 5. Turn over to Ephesians chapter 4, by the way, but you know Matthew chapter 5, we call that the biatitudes. And I don't know if you if you know this or not, but a a bee, if it stings you is going to die. If he stings you, you're going to he's going to die. You know what? I I think I would look for other ways to resolve the problem. But so often when we have a problem with somebody, we're like that bee and what we do, it causes us to die.

It it affects us more than it affects the other person. In Ephesians chapter 4 and beginning with verse number 30 down through verse 32, it says, "For we're all members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." That's chapter 5. Let me get chapter 4 here. Chapter 4 and verse 30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed under the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you to all malice and be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake had forgiven you. See, God wants us to show that mercy.

And so often when we have a problem with somebody, it's like we're like to be and we've got to sting. We've got to get them back. And who do we hurt the most? Ourselves. The Bible says in James chapter 2 and verse 13, "For we shall all we shall have judgment without mercy that has showed no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment." God says, "If you're not going to show mercy, then you're going to have judgment. But when you show mercy, then you have mercy as well." And so we need to realize that mercy is something that we need to give to others and give cheerfully, not grudgingly. In Psalms chapter 85 and verse number 10, it says, "Mercy and truth are met together.

Righteousness and peace have kissed each other." You see, uh you could have uh the truth. The truth is that person hurt you. But you may be right, but if you don't show mercy, then you're the one that loses out. When I don't show mercy to my wife, then I lose out on all the kisses, you know, until we get it resolved with each other. And God says mercy and truth have to come together. Yes, there's a problem here, but let's resolve that problem. Let's show mercy in that problem. Let's work through that problem. In doing that, the Bible says that God wants us to be merciful. To be merciful. In Psalms, um I'm sorry, Proverbs 11:17, it says, "The merciful man doeth good to his own soul, but he that is cruel troubleeth his own flesh.

When I get revenge against that person, that affects me. But when I show mercy, then the Bible says it's good for my own soul. And God wants us to be full of mercy. When I am full of mercy, then I have to share with others. Go to James chapter 3, the book of James chapter 3. See, a lot of times we'll say, "Well, a pastor, I just can't show mercy to that person. I can't forgive them." But when I'm full of mercy, then I can share it with others as well. In James chapter 3 beginning verse number 13, who is a wise man ended with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good con conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

But if you have bitter envy and his strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envy and strife is, there is confusion every evil work. But the wisdom is from above is first pure, then peaceable and easy being treated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness shown in peace of them that make peace. And when you're full of mercy, then you have mercy to give. You see, the more you have received, the more you have to give as well. Go over to Luke chapter 6.

Luke chapter 6 and look at verses 35 through 38. Luke chapter 6 and beginning with verse number 35, Bible says, "But love your enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again. And your reward should be great, and you shall be the children of the highest. For he's kind unto the unthankful unto the evil. Be therefore merciful as your father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given unto you. good measure, pressed down and shaking together, and running over shall men give into your bosom.

For the same measure you met, with all it shall be measured to you again. You see, when you have more, the more mercy you have, the more mercy you have to give as well. Anybody else here like to have $10? Anybody else like to have $10? Well, you know what? I just happen to know somebody has $10 that they can give to somebody. So, spread stand up here. All right. and uh find somebody here that you want to give. Who wants $10? Raise your hand so Brendan gets to choose who's going to give it to. All right. You know why Brennan had $10 to give? Because he had received $10. You know why we have mercy to give?

Because we have received mercy. And the more mercy that you receive from God, the more you have to give. And God says the more that you give, what does he do? He gives you more. You can't outgive God. And and we need to learn that mercy is something that benefits us. It's not just about the other person showing them mercy, but it's about me receiving mercy as well. And God wants us to learn how to give mercy. The more you give, the more you get. Matthew 6 14 and 15. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses.

You see, the more I forgive, the more I receive the forgiveness of God. And the more I've received the forgiveness of God, the more I have to give the mercy and the forgiveness of God. So what does God want us to do? Micah 6:8, he has showed thee, oh man, what is good? What does the Lord require of thee? But to do justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with thy God. And as I challenge you this morning, as I challenge you again tonight, is to realize that every time you have a chance to show mercy, every time you have the opportunity to forgive somebody, that is a blessing of God. Because God is saying, listen, because you have an opportunity to show mercy, because you have an opportunity to forgive somebody else, then you have the opportunity to get more from me.

And you cannot outgive God. And so we need to learn to show the mercy of God in our relationships with others and to see it not as I have to forgive them, I have to show them mercy, but as an opportunity. Praise God. I get to give mercy. And the more I give, the more I get from God as