TLDR;
This sermon focuses on understanding and accessing God's mercy. It highlights that God delights in showing mercy and that His mercy is responsible for divine visitations, wonders, healings, access to inheritance, revelations, favor, and even divine vengeance. The sermon also outlines the ways to obtain mercy: helplessness, prayerfulness, righteousness, and mercifulness.
- God delights in showing mercy.
- Mercy is responsible for divine visitations, wonders, and healings.
- Ways to obtain mercy: helplessness, prayerfulness, righteousness, and mercifulness.
Introduction: The Enduring Mercy of God [0:03]
The sermon begins by emphasizing the enduring mercy of God, referencing Psalm 136. The speaker expresses a desire for those who need healing to receive it, trusting that God will touch them, even after the service concludes. The objective of the sermon is to understand the mercy of God and how to access it.
God's Delight in Mercy [1:04]
The speaker asserts that God is a merciful God who delights in showing mercy. Referencing Micah 7:18, he notes that God pardons iniquity and does not retain anger forever because He delights in mercy. God is eager to demonstrate His benevolence. Examples such as Paul the Apostle, Moses, Rahab, and Ruth are used to illustrate how God's mercy can transform lives and include individuals in His plan, despite their past.
The Impact of God's Mercy: Divine Visitations and Wonders [3:14]
The mercy of God is responsible for divine visitations. The speaker references John 5 and the pool of Bethesda, which means "mercy," where an angel granted visitation. He shares a personal experience where a sudden change in plans allowed him to minister to people who needed a transformation, attributing it to God's mercy. The mercy of God is also responsible for wonders. Psalm 136:4 states that God alone does great wonders, and His mercy endures forever. Wonders are a product of His mercy, and appealing to His mercy invites both visitation and the manifestation of wonders. The speaker recounts instances of unusual weather patterns during crusades as examples of God's wonders.
The Impact of God's Mercy: Healings, Inheritance, and Revelations [9:48]
The mercy of God is responsible for healings. The speaker references blind Bartimaeus, who called on Jesus for mercy and was healed. Mercy is also responsible for access to our inheritance in God, as stated in Psalm 136:21-22. Without God's mercy, the devil would prevent us from receiving our inheritance. Furthermore, the mercy of God is responsible for the revelations of God and His glory. Moses' request to see God's glory in Exodus 33:18-19 was granted because of God's mercy. Access to deeper revelations and glory is not based on personal achievements but on reliance on God's mercy.
The Impact of God's Mercy: Divine Favor and Vengeance [17:43]
The mercy of God is responsible for divine favor, acceptance, and election. God chooses individuals based on His mercy, not on their works, as illustrated in Romans 9:11-15 with Jacob and Esau. Boasting in personal abilities is discouraged; instead, reliance on God's mercy is emphasized. The mercy of God is responsible for divine vengeance and judgment. Psalm 136:10-18 describes how God's mercy on His people results in His judgment on their enemies, such as the slaying of Egypt's firstborn and the defeat of great kings.
The Way of Mercy: Helplessness [27:18]
The first way to access mercy is through helplessness. God shows mercy to those who recognize their need for help. Hebrews 4:16 encourages believers to come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find help in times of need. Pride is the enemy of mercy, so humility is essential. The speaker shares personal experiences of humbling themselves before God after ministry, acknowledging that their qualifications were not responsible for the outcomes.
The Way of Mercy: Prayerfulness [32:20]
The second way to access mercy is through prayerfulness. Coming to the throne of grace involves prayer. Moses' prayer for God to show him His glory led to God's mercy. Prayerlessness disconnects individuals from God's mercy. The speaker encourages believers to revive their prayer lives and seek God at the mercy seat in the holy of holies.
The Way of Mercy: Righteousness and Mercifulness [34:25]
The third way to access mercy is through righteousness. Proverbs 28:13 states that confessing and forsaking sins leads to obtaining mercy. While perfection is unattainable, sincerity with God is crucial. A lifestyle of unconfessed sin disconnects individuals from mercy. The fourth way to access mercy is by being merciful. Psalm 18:25 states that God shows Himself merciful to the merciful. The speaker shares an example of a brutal man who could not receive mercy because he was unmerciful to his family. Increasing mercifulness activates mercy from heaven.
Practical Application of Mercifulness [38:37]
The speaker emphasizes the practical application of scripture, urging listeners to look for opportunities to show mercy to others. Galatians 6:10 encourages doing good to all, especially members of the household of faith. Helping someone in need should be seen as a blessing, not a burden. The speaker encourages listeners to seek out someone to show mercy to before the week is over, promising that it will change their lives and bring favor from God.
Call to Prayer and Salvation [40:41]
The speaker leads the congregation in a prayer of thanksgiving for God's mercy, acknowledging its role in visitations, wonders, healings, inheritance, revelations, election, and judgment. He then invites those who want to make their ways right with God to come forward, confess their sins, and receive mercy. A prayer of salvation is led for those surrendering their lives to Jesus, followed by a call for those bound by addictions to come forward for deliverance.
