YOUR MINISTRY OF MERCY
The Keys to a Blessed Life (8 Beatitudes) – Part 5
Rick Warren
June 7-8, 2014
To serve is to minister... anytime you help somebody in Jesus name.
God wants you to be a provider or agent of mercy in the world.
Matthew 5:7
What you give, you will get. This is the key to a blessed life.
Forgiving people who do not deserve it.
Helping those who can't help themselves.
There are 7 ways you can transform your relationships through being merciful.
WHY BE MERCIFUL TO OTHERS?
1. Since God has shown me mercy. (Eph. 2:4-5)
“Shouldn’t you have mercy on others, just as I had mercy on you?”
Matthew18:33 (NLT)
God wants us to pass mercy on.
2. God commands me to be merciful.
God has told us to do what is right, love mercy, and be humble and fellowship with God. (Micah 6:8)
“I don’t want your sacrifices! I want you to be merciful!”
Hosea 6:6 It is more important than worship.
3.Because I will need more mercy in the future.
“You must show mercy to others, or God won’t show mercy to you
. . . But the person who shows mercy can stand without fear at the
judgment.” James 2:13 (NCV)
4. Showing mercy brings happiness. It is the source of happiness and blessings.
“If you want to be happy, be kind to those in need; it is a sin to
despise anyone!” Proverbs 14:21 (TEV)
“A merciful person helps himself, but a cruel person hurts himself.”
Proverbs 11:17 (GW)
Your own soul is nourished by being merciful.
HOW DO I BE MERCIFUL?
1.Be patient with people's quirks and irritating or annoying behavior.
“Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults
because of your love.” Ephesians 4:2 (LB)
“The wisdom that comes from heaven is pure, peace loving, gentle
at all times, and willing to yield to others. Wisdom is full of mercy...”
James 3:17 (NLT)
Refuse to become angry or upset by people's behavior... that is showing mercy.
Learn to show mercy at home first!
2.Help anybody who is hurting. Care to be aware.
“Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it.”
Proverbs 3:27 (TEV)
“[When you do] acts of mercy, show mercy with cheerfulness.”
Romans 12:8
God wants you to watch your attitude.
3. Be kind and forgiving.
“Don’t get bitter or angry or use harsh words that hurt each other.
Don’t yell at one another or curse or ever be rude. Instead, be kind
and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you
because of Christ.” Ephesians 4:31-32 (CEV)
Don't be harsh, ridicule or put down others - if you do you are being unmerciful.
4. Do good to those who hurt me.
Give people what they need, not what they deserve.
“Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without
expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and
you will be children of the Most High, because God is kind to the
ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Luke 6:35-36 (NIV)
Hurt people, hurt people.
People you want to love the least, need love the most!
They need your mercy.
Rise above the hurt by forgiving and releasing it.
President Abe Lincoln spoke to a crowd about reconstruction after the war in Washington DC from the balcony of the White House. The crowd wanted to hang the rebels. Lincoln's 11 years old son, Tad said "Hang onto them."
5. Be kind to those who offend me.
You don't get across your point by being cross.
Win them to Christ by kindness, not by winning the argument.
(Paul) “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a
violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and
unbelief . . . I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners,
Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for others
who’d believe on him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:13,16
“Show mercy to those who have doubts. Save others by snatching
them from the fire. Show mercy to them, while being careful that you
aren’t contaminated by their sins.” Jude 1:22-23 (GW/NLT)
Avoid sin and love everyone!
6. Build bridges of love to the unpopular.
Pre-meditated mercy: intentionally building friendships with people who don't have friends, outcasts, misfits, or are different than you.
“Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to be his dinner guests,
along with his fellow tax collectors and many other notorious
sinners. The Pharisees were indignant. ‘Why does your teacher eat
with such scum?’ they asked his disciples. When he heard this,
Jesus replied, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.
Go learn the meaning of the Scripture, “I want you to be merciful; I
don’t want your sacrifices!” For I have come to call sinners, not
those who think they are already good enough.’”
Matthew 9:10-13 (NLT)
7. Value relationships over rules.
Put people's needs before policies.
Choose love over law.
Love fulfills the law.
Error on the side of grace and love and kindness. Jesus gave the greatest example ever of going overboard on mercy by dying on the cross and being tortured for us.
He said, "Father forgive them!"
“Another time Jesus was walking through some grain fields on the
Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began to pick some
grain and eat it. Some Pharisees saw this and protested, ‘Your
disciples are breaking God’s law by harvesting grain on the
Sabbath!’ But Jesus said, ‘Haven’t you ever read what King David
did when he and his soldiers were hungry? He went into the house of
God, and they ate the holy bread reserved for the priests? . . . You
would not have judged these innocent men if you knew the real
meaning of the Scripture, “I want you to be merciful. I don’t want
your sacrifices!” For I am the Lord of the Sabbath!’”
Matthew 12:1-8 (NLT)
Stop being petty.
When you are criticizing others remind yourself it is a warning signal that there is probably a log in your eye.
Think of people who fit each of these 7 areas that you need to reach out to this week and show radical pre-meditated acts of mercy!
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