Blessed are the Merciful
(*This this sermon was not recorded due to tech issues.)
Mercy is often times a forgotten attribute of God that many people take for granted until they realize their great need for it. Not only is mercy given by God, but He created mankind to have the same capability of giving it to others. Likewise, human mercy is often forgotten until someone notices its needed but nowhere to be found. So when the children of Adam give mercy freely to one another it is refreshing to the whole of humanity. Nothing in all of creation is greater than God’s love expressed in His mercy to mankind and nothing is more precious among humanity than people lovingly giving mercy to each other.
SERIES TEXT
Matthew 5:1-10, “1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
TERMS
- Disciples: Committed learners and students of Jesus Christ.
- Sermon on the Mount: The longest single portion of Jesus’ teaching found in Matthew 5-7 that serves as the foundation of Christian morality and spiritual practice.
- Beatitudes: From the Latin word, “beatitudo,” means, “the blissful, happy, and blessed sayings of Jesus.”
- Blessed: From “beatus” in Latin, means “to be spiritually happy and successful because of God’s favor upon one’s life.” Also, the term “blessed” has to do with God’s divine approval of one’s life resulting in His favor, Numbers 6:24-26.
- Kingdom of Heaven: The active rule and reign of Jesus in one’s life and upon the earth with kingdom blessings, v. 3 & v. 10. Notice that Jesus teaches the kingdom of heaven is currently given to the disciple, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” not, “for they will have the kingdom of heaven.”
SERMON TEXT
Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.“
THE MERCIFUL
- Mercy means to be (a) kind and compassionate to others in their times of suffering and (b) forgiving to others that sin against you.
- “Mercy embraces both forgiveness for the guilty and compassion for the suffering and needy,” Expositor’s Bible Commentary.
- Justice: When you get what you deserve. Mercy: When you don’t get what you deserve. Grace: When you get what you don’t deserve, Ephesians 2:1-10.
- Compassionate Mercy is demonstrated by the Good Samaritan when he helped care for the injured man, Luke 10:25-37.
- Forgiving Mercy is exemplified in the King’s forgiveness of the indebted servant, Matthew 18:21-35.
SHOWN MERCY
- If we show others mercy through compassion and forgiveness we will be given mercy from God.
- Don’t let what others did to you cause you to forget what God has done for you.
The amount of compassion you give others shows how much you appreciate God’s blessings in your life. And the amount of forgiveness you give others reveals the depth of your understanding of God’s forgiveness.