WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.439 --> 00:00:06.320 Hello, and welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope with Rick Warren. 2 00:00:06.519 --> 00:00:09.160 We are so glad you're here with us today. We're 3 00:00:09.160 --> 00:00:12.199 going to continue our series called The Keys to a 4 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:16.320 Blessed Life. And in these messages, Rick walks through Jesus' 5 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:19.000 Sermon on the Mount and shows us how to live 6 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:22.839 a truly hopeful and purpose filled life. All right, now, 7 00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:26.640 here's the final part of the message, your ministry of mercy. 8 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:31.559 You know, there's a famous story about President Abraham Lincoln's 9 00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:37.000 mercy that after the Southern States were defeated by the 10 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:40.399 Northern States in the Civil War in America one hundred 11 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:45.039 and fifty years ago, President Lincoln spoke to a crowd 12 00:00:45.920 --> 00:00:48.560 in Washington, d c. From the balcony of the White House, 13 00:00:49.399 --> 00:00:54.159 and he was laying out how his plan for reconstruction. 14 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:56.719 And at the end of his speech, a very famous 15 00:00:56.759 --> 00:01:02.679 senator from Iowa, whose name was James Harlan, shouted out, and. 16 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:04.599 What do we do with the rebels? 17 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:08.400 What do we do with these confederates who had started 18 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:12.719 this whole war in the first place. And the unmerciful 19 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:20.560 crowd shouted back, hang them, hang them, hang them. And 20 00:01:20.680 --> 00:01:23.319 what was interesting and this famous story is that Lincoln's 21 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:26.040 youngest son, Tad, who was at eleven at the time, 22 00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:28.640 was standing next to him and he said, looked up 23 00:01:28.680 --> 00:01:31.239 at his daddy. He said, no, Daddy, no, Papa, no, 24 00:01:31.799 --> 00:01:36.439 not hang them, hang on to them, hang on to them. 25 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:38.959 And Lincoln grinned at his eleven year old son and 26 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:42.599 he said, that's it to Tad's got the answer. We're 27 00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:44.799 not going to hang them. We're going to hang on 28 00:01:44.840 --> 00:01:50.959 to them. And that is mercy number five. A fifth 29 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:54.159 way to show mercy is to be kind. The Bible says, 30 00:01:54.400 --> 00:02:00.439 to those who offend me, be kind to those who me. 31 00:02:02.359 --> 00:02:07.719 You have probably noticed that the verbal attacks on Christians 32 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:08.960 are going up in our society. 33 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:09.639 Have you noticed this? 34 00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:15.919 And it's increasing, and people are taking slurs at Christians 35 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:19.560 and potshots at Christians and being attacked. 36 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:20.800 Like never a foreign America. 37 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:25.120 And there are a lot of groups pushing anti Christian 38 00:02:25.240 --> 00:02:29.759 agendas today because we represent a barrier, and the barrier 39 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:32.800 is we hold on to what God's truth is, and 40 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:35.000 we say, sorry, God's truth is God's truth, and we 41 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:37.759 just have to follow God's truth. As Peter said, we 42 00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:42.000 must obey God rather than men. And so these attacks 43 00:02:42.039 --> 00:02:42.719 are going up. 44 00:02:44.039 --> 00:02:46.919 What are you supposed to do with these people, these people. 45 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:50.039 Who are offensive. I remember turning on the TV one 46 00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:54.560 time and hearing a well known comic, well known comic 47 00:02:55.280 --> 00:03:00.000 using very blasphemous and very vulgar terms as he read 48 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:02.599 through the purpose Driven Life and made fun of God, 49 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:06.599 not of me, but of God. And I sat there 50 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:08.479 and I thought, now, Lord, what what would be my 51 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:12.800 response to this guy? Because you know, obviously he's not 52 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:17.159 hurting me, but he certainly is offending you. And and 53 00:03:17.960 --> 00:03:19.360 it just came in to me. I am to be 54 00:03:19.560 --> 00:03:21.639 kind to those who are offensive. 55 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:23.159 You see. 56 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:26.240 The problem today is this whole idea of culture war 57 00:03:26.840 --> 00:03:29.439 is you got to decide whether you want to win 58 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:34.039 the argument or win them to Christ. And you've heard 59 00:03:34.120 --> 00:03:36.319 me say this, for you can't. You don't ever make 60 00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:40.199 a point, you don't get across your point by being cross. 61 00:03:40.759 --> 00:03:43.039 You've got to You've got to just say. 62 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:45.319 I'm more interested in winning them to Christ than I 63 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:48.599 am in winning the argument. Let me give you an 64 00:03:48.599 --> 00:03:50.680 example of why we ought to be kind to those 65 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:54.280 who offend us. One Timothy, Chapter one, Paul gives his 66 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:57.719 own life as an example. Even though I once was 67 00:03:57.719 --> 00:04:00.719 a blasphemer there are plenty of those in our world, 68 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:06.199 and a persecutor of Christians and a violent man. He said, 69 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:12.199 I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 70 00:04:12.280 --> 00:04:15.319 That's the key. Realize they're acting in ignorance and unbelief. 71 00:04:15.719 --> 00:04:19.959 I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst 72 00:04:19.959 --> 00:04:26.240 of sinners, Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an 73 00:04:26.279 --> 00:04:30.040 example for others who would believe on him and. 74 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:33.720 Receive eternal life. 75 00:04:33.879 --> 00:04:36.279 You see, if you'd lived in Paul's days, you probably 76 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:38.879 wouldn't want to be very interested in being kind to 77 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:41.000 those who offend you. You wouldn't be interested in being 78 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:44.959 kind to Paul. He was persecuting Christians, he was attacking Christians, 79 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:47.480 he was throwing Christians in jail. And that he said, 80 00:04:47.480 --> 00:04:51.079 I was shown mercy so that I could come to 81 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:54.720 Christ and then my life would be an example to others. 82 00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:59.199 Jude Chapter one makes it even clearer Verse twenty two 83 00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:02.199 to twenty three, show mercy to those who have doubts, 84 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:06.199 and really some translation, they show those who disbelieve he's 85 00:05:06.199 --> 00:05:09.800 talking about. He can say, show mercy the atheists, show 86 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:14.600 mercy to those who have doubts. Save others by snatching 87 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:18.639 them from the fire. One more for Jesus, show mercy 88 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:23.279 to them while being careful that you aren't contaminated by 89 00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:25.959 their sins. In other words, we're to avoid sin, but 90 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:29.920 we are to love everybody. That's the way we show mercy. 91 00:05:30.040 --> 00:05:32.839 Now let me give you two more. And these last 92 00:05:32.920 --> 00:05:37.480 two you have probably never ever considered as acts of mercy, 93 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:40.639 but Jesus taught that they were acts of mercy, and 94 00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:43.720 even quote Sosaiah six to six and both saying, the 95 00:05:43.800 --> 00:05:46.040 reason you don't get this is keys. You don't understand 96 00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:48.560 the full meaning of mercy. So let me give you 97 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:52.360 two more. A sixth way that you can practice your 98 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:55.519 ministry of mercy this week is this, build bridges of 99 00:05:55.600 --> 00:06:02.120 love to the unpopular. Build bridges of love to the unpopular. 100 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:07.600 There are people in your circle, people who live on 101 00:06:07.639 --> 00:06:10.600 your street that nobody wants to hang out with, people 102 00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:13.639 who you work with that everybody tells the joke behind 103 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:17.680 their back. They may have those quirks, or they may 104 00:06:17.720 --> 00:06:21.800 have a different lifestyle, or they may have a different 105 00:06:21.879 --> 00:06:25.480 belief system, or they may have a different religion, or 106 00:06:25.560 --> 00:06:29.279 they may dress differently because of their culture or whatever. 107 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:32.680 But they're not on the in crowd. They're not popular, 108 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:36.639 they're the outcast. And this is a facet of your 109 00:06:36.680 --> 00:06:40.480 ministry that's often overlooked. Building a bridge of love to 110 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:48.360 the unpopular is what I call premeditated mercy. Now, you 111 00:06:48.439 --> 00:06:52.560 often think when I say premeditated, you think a premeditated murder. 112 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:59.600 But I'm saying premeditated mercy involves intentionally building friendships with 113 00:06:59.720 --> 00:07:04.360 people people who don't have friends, and intentionally building friendship 114 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:09.600 with people who are unbelievers, And intentionally building friendships with 115 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:14.040 people who seem on the edge or are not as 116 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:18.920 loved or as accepted in the mainstream because of their religion, 117 00:07:19.240 --> 00:07:23.279 their lifestyle, their looks, or whatever. Now, why does God 118 00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:27.120 want us to build bridges of love to the unpopular 119 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:31.240 and specifically to unbelievers. Because you cannot win your enemies 120 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:36.040 to Christ. You can only win your friends. And before 121 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:38.959 somebody's going to accept Christ, they've got to have a 122 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:41.839 bridge to Christ. And before they want to know is 123 00:07:41.959 --> 00:07:45.199 Jesus credible? They want to know are you credible? And 124 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:47.480 before they know Jesus is their friend, they want to know, 125 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:52.160 will you be my friend? And long before anybody comes 126 00:07:52.199 --> 00:07:55.879 to Christ, somebody's got to befriend that person. You cannot 127 00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:58.839 win an enemy to Christ. You must win them to yourself. 128 00:07:58.920 --> 00:08:01.800 Before you win them to Christ, she must become a friend. 129 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:06.800 That's an act of premeditated mercy. 130 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:09.079 Here's a good example of it. Matthew. 131 00:08:09.160 --> 00:08:12.639 Chapter nine the Bible says Matthew, who is one of 132 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:18.000 the twelve Disciples, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to 133 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:19.000 be his dinner guest. 134 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:20.759 Nothing wrong with that. 135 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:26.560 But then it says, along with his fellow tax collectors 136 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:31.600 and many other notorious sinners. Now, if you're in the irs, 137 00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:32.600 I apologize to you. 138 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:32.919 Today. 139 00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:37.639 It's a little bit different today. You may be unpopular, 140 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:40.399 but you aren't a notorious sinner if you are a 141 00:08:40.440 --> 00:08:45.039 tax collector. But in those days, here's why tax collectors 142 00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:49.039 were considered notorious sinners. They were allowed to skim whatever 143 00:08:49.080 --> 00:08:52.799 they could get. So a tax collector, for Rome could 144 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:55.399 come in and say, you know, Caesar would say I 145 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:58.799 want one denari from every household, and the tax collector 146 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:01.159 could come in and say I need tendinary from you, 147 00:09:02.159 --> 00:09:05.120 and you had no recourse. There was nobody to appeal to. 148 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:07.559 You had to pay it. It was like extortion. Then 149 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:10.840 he could pocket nine and pass on one, and so 150 00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:16.240 the worst job, the most unpopular job, because they were 151 00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:16.919 all cheats. 152 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:17.679 They were crooks. 153 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:23.720 There were swindlers, were the tax collectors, and they were 154 00:09:23.799 --> 00:09:27.559 right out there along with you know, prostitutes and lepers. 155 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:30.320 And they didn't have drug pushers in those days, but 156 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:36.200 that kind of level of people that everybody despised. So 157 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:39.360 it says Matthew invites Jesus and his disciples to his 158 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:42.919 dinner as his dinner guest, along with all of these 159 00:09:42.919 --> 00:09:45.320 people of the ill repute, his fellow tax collectors, and 160 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:51.840 many other notorious sinners. The Pharisees, that's the religious leaders. 161 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:57.440 They were indignant. Why does your teacher eat with such scum, 162 00:09:58.120 --> 00:10:03.120 they asked his disciples. And when he heard this, Jesus replied, 163 00:10:03.799 --> 00:10:05.440 healthy people don't need a doctor. 164 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:08.840 Sick people do. 165 00:10:08.919 --> 00:10:12.120 Go learn the meaning of this scripture, and he quotes 166 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:13.279 HOSEA six six. 167 00:10:13.639 --> 00:10:14.919 I want you to be merciful. 168 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:20.080 I don't want your sacrifices, for I've come to call sinners, 169 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:26.279 not those who think they're already good enough. Now follow 170 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:29.440 me on the logic. On this, the Pharisees are attacking 171 00:10:29.559 --> 00:10:32.559 Jesus for hanging out with the wrong crowd. And Jesus says, 172 00:10:32.679 --> 00:10:35.279 you know what your problem is, guys, you don't understand 173 00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:41.759 the true nature of mercy. Why because they thought mercy 174 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:45.759 was simply forgiving people and helping people who need help. 175 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:47.120 No, no, forget. 176 00:10:47.159 --> 00:10:52.519 Mercy also includes building bridges of love to the unpopular. 177 00:10:52.759 --> 00:10:56.320 And Jesus says it here. He says, I'm going to 178 00:10:56.360 --> 00:10:58.759 a party, and I'm going to a party with people 179 00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:01.759 that nobody wants to hang out with, the ill repute, 180 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:07.720 the unpopular, the fringe, the negative, the criminals, the riff raft. 181 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:11.440 I'm going to go to a party. Jesus says, why 182 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:16.840 because I understand mercy and you don't. And you don't, 183 00:11:17.480 --> 00:11:20.840 and he says, go learn the meaning of Hosea. 184 00:11:20.519 --> 00:11:20.919 Six to six. 185 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:22.519 Now, I want you to notice this because it's got 186 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:25.639 a lot of truth in here. It says Matthew invited circle. 187 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:30.679 That word invited. Question, when was the last time you 188 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:36.519 invited unbelievers for dinner? That's an act of mercy. When 189 00:11:36.559 --> 00:11:39.799 was the last time you invited? Have you ever had 190 00:11:39.960 --> 00:11:42.879 any notorious sinners in your home. 191 00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:49.840 Besides you? Besides you? 192 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:52.639 You want to be merciful. Now we're getting where the 193 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:58.480 rubber meets the road. Do you even have any close 194 00:11:58.759 --> 00:11:59.879 unbelieving friends? 195 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:07.399 Do you? If you don't, you're not like Jesus. The 196 00:12:07.480 --> 00:12:08.600 problem is, the. 197 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:11.159 Longer you are a Christian, the more you tend to 198 00:12:11.159 --> 00:12:14.000 hang out with other Christians, and the fewer non believing 199 00:12:14.039 --> 00:12:14.559 friends you have. 200 00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:16.919 How do you expect the good news to get out. 201 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:19.919 If you don't have any friends who are unbelievers and 202 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:22.440 you're not inviting them over for dinner. If you're not, 203 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:25.480 you don't understand what mercy is all about. Jesus says, 204 00:12:25.639 --> 00:12:26.840 go learn the scriptures. 205 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:27.320 Now. 206 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:32.759 Notice it says Matthew invites these quote riff raft, these unpopular, 207 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:37.879 the non loved people of society over for dinner, and 208 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:40.399 it says the religious people are indignant. 209 00:12:40.759 --> 00:12:41.840 I want to warn you. 210 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:46.519 That if you truly listen, if you truly begin to 211 00:12:46.519 --> 00:12:51.679 live a life of mercy, the moral and the political 212 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:57.960 legalists will criticize you. They will attack you, and they 213 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:01.879 will get mad at you. Why they did with Jesus. 214 00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:08.039 It wasn't It wasn't the riff raff of life that 215 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:12.559 disliked Jesus. It was the religious people because he hung 216 00:13:12.600 --> 00:13:17.759 out with the wrong crowd. It's like a Democrat hanging 217 00:13:17.799 --> 00:13:23.559 out with Republicans, or a Republican actually having Democratic friends 218 00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:31.120 for dinner, or another religion or another lifestyle, or someone 219 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:33.639 who is involved in some kind of sin you totally 220 00:13:33.720 --> 00:13:37.919 disagree with. If you begin to live a life of mercy, 221 00:13:38.360 --> 00:13:42.159 you will be criticized. This is a motivation behind much 222 00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:46.240 of the criticism that I get. Why because I make 223 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:49.600 friends with a lot of different people. I have friends 224 00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:54.480 who are Muslims, and I have friends who are Jewish 225 00:13:54.519 --> 00:13:59.080 and Mormon and Buddhists. I have friends who are atheists. 226 00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:02.480 I have friends who are gay. I have friends who 227 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:06.000 are all kinds. I spend when I'm not at Saddleback, 228 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:09.000 I spend most of my time usually speaking to groups 229 00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:15.759 that I totally disagree with. Why Because I'm practicing the 230 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:21.240 ministry of mercy, and Jesus hung out with people who 231 00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:24.960 were different than him. This is the motivation. Now they've 232 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:27.360 come to him. The Pharisee said, why do you hang 233 00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:29.519 out with this scum? You know, let me ask you 234 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:33.799 who's the socially unacceptable group in your circle? 235 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:37.919 By the way, they called him scum. 236 00:14:38.200 --> 00:14:41.600 Anytime you use a put down or humor against somebody else, 237 00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:47.159 you are being unmerciful. Now, Jesus wasn't afraid of guilt 238 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:48.720 by association for two reasons. 239 00:14:48.840 --> 00:14:50.720 He knew who he was, and he knew what his 240 00:14:50.759 --> 00:14:53.159 mission was. He knewho he was. 241 00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:56.320 He didn't need the approval of pharisees. He knew exactly 242 00:14:56.360 --> 00:14:59.320 who he was, and he knew his mission to seek 243 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:01.559 and to save that which is lost. And if you 244 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:04.840 know who you are, you don't need the approval of 245 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:08.639 the legalist. You don't need the approval of the critics. 246 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:11.960 You don't need the approval of the self righteous who 247 00:15:11.960 --> 00:15:15.080 set them out as jury and judge on your life. 248 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:19.039 You do what Jesus did. You go have parties with 249 00:15:19.159 --> 00:15:22.440 people in order to win them and love them and 250 00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:26.200 share the good news and show mercy. And Jesus says 251 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:29.799 to all these guys, go learn the meaning of mercy. 252 00:15:30.679 --> 00:15:34.559 When they accuse him of guilt by association. Then number 253 00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:37.440 seven one more, And this one's going to surprise you too. 254 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:42.120 Jesus taught that to have a ministry of mercy, you 255 00:15:42.200 --> 00:15:53.600 must value relationships over rules. You must value relationships over rules. Now, 256 00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:56.360 if you're a rule keeper, that just creates all the 257 00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:00.960 wrong ways, And particularly if you're in the HR department, 258 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:06.120 and you have policies and procedures. Jesus would say, put 259 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:14.960 people before policies, put people's needs before procedures, put relationships 260 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:19.919 before rules and regulations. He would say, choose love over law. 261 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:24.600 Let me give you a very important and sightful incident 262 00:16:25.080 --> 00:16:27.360 Matthew chapter By the way, look at this verse up 263 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:31.240 on the screen. Romans twelve thirteen ten says love is 264 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:32.679 the fulfillment. 265 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:33.240 Of the law. 266 00:16:34.200 --> 00:16:38.120 So if you're doing the loving thing, it's genuinely for 267 00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:42.519 their benefit, not yours. For their benefit, you're doing the 268 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:46.240 right thing. Now look at Matthew chapter twelve. Here's another 269 00:16:46.279 --> 00:16:49.000 time Jesus has a run in with the legalist Pharisees. 270 00:16:49.399 --> 00:16:53.440 Another time, Jesus was talking walking through some grain fields 271 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:58.240 on the Sabbath, and his disciples were hungry, so they 272 00:16:58.279 --> 00:17:02.279 began to pick some grain and eat it. Now some 273 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:08.119 Pharisees saw this, these religious leaders, and they protested, your 274 00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:15.799 disciples are breaking God's laws by harvesting grain on the Sabbath. Okay, 275 00:17:16.039 --> 00:17:20.839 they're rule keepers, But Jesus said, haven't you ever read 276 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:25.319 what King David did when he and his soldiers were hungry. 277 00:17:26.119 --> 00:17:28.319 He went into the house of God. That's the temple, 278 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:32.519 and there he ate the holy bread, the consecrated. 279 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:33.920 Bread reserved for the priest. 280 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:38.119 Then Jesus says to the Pharisees, you would not have 281 00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:41.839 judged these innocent men talking about his disciples if you 282 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:43.759 knew the real meaning of scripture. 283 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:48.279 I want you to be merciful. I don't want your sacrifices. 284 00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:51.279 There it is again, he quotes Hosiah six six for 285 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:55.079 the second time, for I am the Lord of the Sabbath. 286 00:17:55.400 --> 00:17:56.039 Now get this. 287 00:17:57.720 --> 00:18:02.039 The Pharisees come and say, you're disciples are breaking the law. 288 00:18:02.119 --> 00:18:02.920 The Jewish law. 289 00:18:02.920 --> 00:18:05.640 Says you can't harvest grain on the Sabbath, and they're 290 00:18:05.640 --> 00:18:06.440 harvesting grain. 291 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:10.400 And Jesus said, wait a minute, they're hungry. They're hungry. 292 00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:13.640 I'm the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made 293 00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:16.839 for man, not man for the Sabbath. And he's saying, here, 294 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:23.279 I put love before the law. I put people before procedures. 295 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:29.160 I put relationships before rules and regulation. He says, you 296 00:18:29.160 --> 00:18:31.799 guys don't get it because you don't understand the meaning 297 00:18:32.119 --> 00:18:35.559 of mercy. He says, I want you to go and 298 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:38.119 read that scripture. If you knew the real meaning of 299 00:18:38.119 --> 00:18:40.839 the scripture. I don't want your sacrifice, I want your mercy. 300 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:44.359 Then you wouldn't have a problem with the disciples picking 301 00:18:44.440 --> 00:18:45.839 some grain on the Sabbath. 302 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:48.039 They're hungry. 303 00:18:49.319 --> 00:18:52.319 I want to dare you to do something very risky 304 00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:53.079 this week. 305 00:18:54.359 --> 00:18:56.000 Not pitt gran on the Sabbath. 306 00:18:57.759 --> 00:19:01.799 But I want to dare you to commit an act 307 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:10.079 of premeditated mercy with one of these categories. Yes there 308 00:19:10.200 --> 00:19:14.160 is at tension. Yes there is a tension between mercy 309 00:19:14.759 --> 00:19:18.759 and personal responsibility. 310 00:19:18.920 --> 00:19:23.720 Yes there is. But I have personally decided that if 311 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:26.880 I'm going to air, I'm going to err on. 312 00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:32.039 The side of being too gracious, too merciful, and too forgiving, 313 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:35.680 because if you're going to air, that's the side I 314 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:40.480 would rather err on. Does that make sense? Let me see, 315 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:43.319 Wait a minute, Rick, can you go? Can't you just 316 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:48.839 go overboard on mercy? Absolutely you can. Jesus did. It's 317 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:55.519 called the cross. On the cross with arms outstretched, he says, 318 00:19:57.039 --> 00:20:00.440 I'm doing this to be merciful, Father, forgive of them. 319 00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:02.880 They don't know what they're doing. That is the most 320 00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:08.799 over the top example of mercy ever. He let them 321 00:20:08.839 --> 00:20:13.680 beat him, whip him, scourge him, spit on him, put 322 00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:16.960 a crown of thorns on him, and he never retaliated. 323 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:22.160 He absorbed every one of the blows. And then what's 324 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:23.000 his response? 325 00:20:24.119 --> 00:20:24.400 Father? 326 00:20:24.519 --> 00:20:27.119 Forgive them? They don't know what they're doing. Like Paul says, 327 00:20:27.240 --> 00:20:29.920 I was ignorant and unaware of what I was doing. 328 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:33.640 Can you go overboard on mercy? Yes, you can look 329 00:20:33.640 --> 00:20:40.359 at the cross. It's way way way overboard. Maybe you've 330 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:44.400 never accepted God's mercy to you. The Bible saysn't tied 331 00:20:44.440 --> 00:20:47.240 us three five. It is not by works of righteousness 332 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:49.319 as we have done. We talked about that last week. 333 00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:54.119 But according to his mercy, he has saved us, the 334 00:20:54.160 --> 00:20:57.039 Bible tells us in Hebrews four sixteen. Let us approach 335 00:20:57.119 --> 00:21:01.880 the throne of Grace with confidence, for there we will 336 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:06.559 find mercy, mercy, and grace to help us in our 337 00:21:06.599 --> 00:21:10.519 time of need. If you haven't accepted the grace and mercy. 338 00:21:10.279 --> 00:21:13.200 Of God, you need to do so today. Now. 339 00:21:13.240 --> 00:21:15.920 I want us to close a little bit different way today. 340 00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:17.559 I want you to bow your heads right now, but 341 00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:20.200 I want you to keep your eyes open. Okay, So 342 00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:23.279 if you'll bow your head and keep your eyes open, 343 00:21:23.480 --> 00:21:27.079 so you can look at your message, notes. And what 344 00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:29.680 I want to do is I want to end by 345 00:21:29.720 --> 00:21:35.440 asking you to consider some personal application questions and then 346 00:21:35.480 --> 00:21:38.359 doing something about it. In these seven areas of how 347 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:41.960 do I be merciful? So I'm going to ask you 348 00:21:41.960 --> 00:21:45.839 a question, and next to each of these numbers, I 349 00:21:45.880 --> 00:21:49.160 want you to write down an initial, just the first 350 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:53.079 initial of a person that you're thinking about. Okay, so 351 00:21:53.160 --> 00:21:55.640 number one, how do I be merciful? Be patient with 352 00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:58.799 people's quirks? I want you to write down who has 353 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:05.400 irritating quirks that I need to be patient with this week? Now, 354 00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:08.039 nobody's going to see this except you, but you can 355 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:12.519 just write down the first letter of their name. Who 356 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:16.200 has irritating quirks that I need to be patient with 357 00:22:16.400 --> 00:22:16.839 this week? 358 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:17.680 Write down a name? 359 00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:25.680 Number two, who around me is obviously hurting that I 360 00:22:25.720 --> 00:22:26.680 could help this week? 361 00:22:27.880 --> 00:22:29.759 Can you write down a name? Can you write down 362 00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:30.400 an initial? 363 00:22:31.960 --> 00:22:35.519 If you can't think of anybody who's obviously hurting around, 364 00:22:35.799 --> 00:22:39.839 it means this you're not paying attention. It means you're 365 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:43.240 so wrapped up in yourself you can't even see the 366 00:22:43.319 --> 00:22:47.960 people around you who are hurting. Okay, how about number three? 367 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:52.519 The third one? Give people a second chance. Who do 368 00:22:52.559 --> 00:22:55.799 I need to give a second chance to. This may 369 00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:59.160 be tough for you, but this is the ministry of mercy. 370 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:00.759 Who do I need to give a second chance? To 371 00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:05.240 write down an initial, first initial of somebody. You can 372 00:23:05.359 --> 00:23:09.960 use this later on this week. Number four, do good 373 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.000 to those who hurt me? Who has hurt me? That 374 00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:20.079 I could do good too? Who has hurt me that 375 00:23:20.200 --> 00:23:27.759 I could do good to? Number five, I am to 376 00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:30.279 be kind to those who offend me. Who offends me? 377 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:37.559 Maybe it's a comedian, maybe it's a politician, Maybe it's somebody. 378 00:23:37.559 --> 00:23:39.680 But you can write down a name, maybe somebody close 379 00:23:39.720 --> 00:23:42.039 to you, who offends me that I should start praying for. 380 00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:48.160 Who offends me that I should start praying for rather 381 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:52.559 than just being offended by them. Maybe if you're close enough, 382 00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:58.599 you could be kind to them. Number six build bridges 383 00:23:58.599 --> 00:24:01.440 of love to the unpopular. 384 00:24:04.160 --> 00:24:05.160 Who's the outcast? 385 00:24:05.240 --> 00:24:10.599 Who's the unpopular person that I could build a bridge 386 00:24:10.599 --> 00:24:15.559 of love to? Who is the outcast or unpopular person 387 00:24:15.880 --> 00:24:18.160 I could build a bridge of love to at work 388 00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:23.680 in my community, at the soccer games, here, at church anywhere. 389 00:24:26.039 --> 00:24:30.680 And then number seven, who is an unbeliever I could 390 00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:35.680 invite over for dinner in the next two weeks, just 391 00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:39.759 like Matthew did. Who's an unbeliever that I could invite 392 00:24:39.759 --> 00:24:42.039 over for dinner in the next couple weeks and then invite 393 00:24:42.119 --> 00:24:49.920 them to church. This, friends, is your ministry of mercy heaven. 394 00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:54.519 They Father, Your word convicts all of us. And as 395 00:24:54.559 --> 00:24:57.640 I look at these seven things, I think of lax 396 00:24:57.799 --> 00:25:02.079 and faults. Weakness is in my own life. And I 397 00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:04.559 pray that rather than just hearing the word, we would 398 00:25:04.599 --> 00:25:09.960 do something about it. Give us the courage to be merciful, 399 00:25:11.680 --> 00:25:15.279 Give us the courage to this week to do radical, 400 00:25:15.960 --> 00:25:21.240 premeditated acts of mercy in Jesus' name. 401 00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:22.640