Be Ye Merciful (Luke 6:32-36)
Gary McManus, 03/06/2016Part of the Mercy series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Luke 6:32-36 (p.1021 / p. 1033)
No penalty = mercy
Mercy is by definition UNDESERVED
Jesus practiced what he preached.
Jesus isn’t calling us to do anything
that he himself has not tested and done!
Did Jesus love his enemies.
He certainly did. He denounced his enemies
but STILL gave his enemies every opportunity
to come back to God. Jesus even pointed out
what his enemies were doing RIGHT.
Mercy is a God quality. . .why be merciful?
Because the Heavenly Father is merciful.
Pastor saved the tough message for four weeks
into the season: Jesus calls US to be merciful.
. . .because God is merciful.
THREE reasons to be merciful:
1. Jesus said so.
2. Because God is merciful.
3. (and this one is the kicker)
WE HAVE BEEN SHOWN mercy.
(Matthew 18:23-35) [Nobody said it was easy.]
Showing mercy is counterintuitive. It looks painful
but it is really good for you; like exercise.
Showing mercy has benefits for the merciful.
How to cultivate mercy:
1.Pray for the person.
(at least once a day for four weeks)
Whatever needs to be forgiven. . .
mercy is letting go of that
“you owe me” idea.
(Matthew 5:44-5; Pastor likes the KJV here.)
See also Luke 6:28, Matthew 5:7.
Mercy exercise #2:
give more thought to your wrong doer.
Can you discern a reason or motivation
for their wrong doing?
[Pastor has a poor personal example.
But your offender may have been ignorant.
But Jesus forgave saying: (Luke 23:24)
Father, they don’t know what they are doing.]
When is mercy enabling?
When is it time for “tough love”?
See Galatians 6:7 and Matthew 7:20.
Also Proverbs 11:1, Isaiah 61:8.
Must be a case by case basis but if we,
by showing mercy, interfere with reaping
what is sown, then we need to back off.
The Lord loves justice—and our God is into mercy also.
Real life voices from Rawanda. . . Amen
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