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Matthew 5:7 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Please take out your copy of God's Word, which I hope you have with you, and I hope that it's well read and treasured in your hearts.
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And turn with me to Matthew chapter 5 and verse 7.
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Matthew chapter 5 verse 7.
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For the past month we've been considering together, as we learn from Jesus' teaching in what's most often called the Sermon on the Mount,
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what citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven look like.
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The overarching question before us has been, what characterizes those who follow the King of the Kingdom?
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Matthew chapter 4 verse 17.
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Matthew is presented to us the very beginning of Jesus' ministry and records for us.
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From that time, Jesus began to preach.
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And he summarizes his preaching.
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Jesus saying, repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
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And then we see at the beginning of Matthew chapter 5 a crowd gathering together.
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And Jesus, seeing the crowds, goes up onto a mountain.
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And he sits down and his disciples gather around him.
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And then Matthew records in verse 2,
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And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying.
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So we've considered, and I've asserted to you, that his primary audience are these disciples.
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And certainly there are others in his hearing.
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And we'll see much later in the sermon, he gives some very stark warning to those in his hearing.
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And I think it's right to understand that he's talking to those who are already citizens, those who were his disciples of this Kingdom.
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He's saying, this is what you will look like.
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Jesus declares that the citizens of his Kingdom are blessed or flourishing, we've talked a bit about.
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We have looked at the first four of these declarations of blessedness and seen that followers of Jesus Christ will be, verse 3,
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Those who recognize their spiritual poverty.
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Those who see that they have nothing to offer God apart from the wealth that is found in Christ.
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We've seen that those who mourn of their sinful state and the sinful state of the world around them,
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Who look at the world and see how very sin sick it is, are declared blessed.
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We have seen that those who are meek when wronged, people who don't seek retribution in their own cases, are blessed.
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And we've seen that those who have a deep longing to be found righteous and to persist in righteousness,
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Are declared by Jesus to be blessed.
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These people are declared blessed because theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
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They shall be comforted.
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They shall inherit the earth.
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And they shall be satisfied.
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So join me now in considering the next of Jesus' declarations of blessedness in Matthew 5, verse 7.
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Before I read this short verse, let me remind you, beloved,
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And this is God's word to us, written for his glory and our good.
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We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.
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Matthew 5, verse 7.
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Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
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So what does it mean to be merciful?
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Let's begin answering that question by stating that God is merciful.
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God's mercy is his goodness, particularly where people are miserable or distressed.
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Let me show you some examples.
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David says in 2 Samuel 24, 14,
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When Paul speaks of the fact that God comforts us in affliction in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3,
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He calls God the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.
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The Greek word translated in today's text, merciful,
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Is the same used in the Septuagint,
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That ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament that I spent way too much time explaining to you last week.
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The Septuagint uses the Greek word for the Hebrew word most common in describing God's character.
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The word used most often in the Hebrew language, speaking of God's character,
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Is this word the same that we find in our text today in the Greek language.
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It's often translated as mercy, love, loving kindness, or steadfast love.
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In most places you read in the Old Testament, you see those English words or phrases,
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This is that same Hebrew word translated into Greek that we find in our text today.
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In all of these cases, however,
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The idea passes beyond affection to compassion in action.
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It's expressed love.
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This loving kindness is not a feeling God has, but a way that he works.
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God's mercy is expressed, and it is expressed in helping those who are in need.
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If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are a recipient, praise the Lord, of God's mercy.
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He has been merciful to you.
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He is merciful and has expressed mercy to you.
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Apart from Christ, we find ourselves in an absolutely miserable state.
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We are separated from God and without any hope in this world.
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But because of God's loving kindness, because he is merciful, he has saved us in Christ.
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Our salvation is this great expression of God's merciful character.
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On your bulletin today, the Thomas Watson quote,
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Which I do, by the way, not as a proof to anything that I say, but to connect you to our history.
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We have a family that extends back through centuries.
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And I think it's helpful for us to see that we're not the only ones thinking in this way.
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Thomas Watson wrote,
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God is more willing to pardon than to punish.
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Mercy does more multiply in him than sin in us.
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Praise the Lord.
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Mercy is his nature.
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So God is merciful as we're considering what it means for us to be merciful.
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We need to also consider that Jesus Christ is merciful.
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Jesus is the great expression of God's mercy toward us.
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And he sets for us an example of being merciful.
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In Matthew chapter 9 and verse 27,
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Two blind men cry out to Jesus saying,
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Have mercy on us, son of David.
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And we can read on that Jesus heals their blindness.
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John MacArthur, our contemporary pastor, in his commentary on this text, wrote,
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Jesus Christ was the most merciful human being who ever lived.
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He reached out to heal the sick, restore the crippled, give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and even life to the dead.
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He found prostitutes, tax collectors, the debauched and the drunken, and drew them into a circle of love and forgiveness.
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Jesus wept with the sorrowing and gave compassion to the lonely.
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He took little children into his arms and blessed them.
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He was merciful to everyone.
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He was mercy incarnate.
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God's very character made flesh that we might view him and learn from him how it is that we are also meant to be merciful.
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Beloved praise be to God that we, who were once the destitute and the outcast,
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we who were in great need, miserable and distressed,
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have been shown mercy in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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Peter expresses this very sentiment in 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 3,
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where he writes,
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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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According to his great mercy,
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he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
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And Paul tells us in Titus chapter 3 verse 5,
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that Jesus saved us,
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not because of works done by us in righteousness,
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but according to his own mercy,
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by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.
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So we have as our great example for what it means to be merciful,
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this God-man who came and not only served in the temporal,
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but served in the eternal,
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laying down his very life for the sake of ours.
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This is the very impetus.
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This is the foundation on which we build lives of mercy,
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that God in Christ was merciful to us.
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It is the reason that we turn and are merciful to others.
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But we are not naturally merciful.
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This is not a thing that comes of our own doing.
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Before Paul's statement of that incredible truth in Titus 3.5,
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that we are saved according to Christ's own mercy,
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he writes in Titus 3 verse 3,
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For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient,
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led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures,
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passing our days, listen to the opposite of mercy,
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in malice and envy,
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hated by others and hating one another.
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This is the natural state of man.
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This is where we find ourselves apart from Christ,
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apart from the renewing work of God,
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we are not merciful.
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This is true today,
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and it was most certainly true in Jesus' day.
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Both Roman and Jewish culture,
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mercy was equated,
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it was seen to be the same as weakness.
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The two walked hand in hand together.
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To give you just a brief example from Roman culture,
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when a baby was born into a family,
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the father could decide whether or not the baby would live.
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Would give the baby a thumbs up or a thumbs down.
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And in many cases,
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if the baby didn't meet the father's standard,
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the baby would be immediately drowned.
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This was natural and normal in Roman culture.
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Anybody in our country that wants to praise Rome,
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the Rome of yesteryear,
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oh, shake your heads at them.
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Slaves were put to death at the whim of the master.
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Wives could be put to death at the whim of the husband.
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The culture was not merciful.
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To be merciful was to be weak.
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And Jewish culture,
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despite all of their commands given in the Old Testament,
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also expressed lots of unmerciful attitude.
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Look quickly later in Matthew 5,
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verse 43 and following,
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where Jesus says,
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verse 43,
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you have heard that it was said,
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so this would be a common saying of the day,
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you have heard that it was said,
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you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
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So here's the common teaching of the day.
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Be unmerciful.
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What is Jesus' response to this teaching?
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He says,
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with the authority that Christ could bring to bear,
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but I say to you,
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love your enemies
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and pray for those who persecute you, right?
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Be merciful so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven.
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For he makes his son rise on the evil and on the good
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and sends rain on the just and the unjust, right?
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Be merciful as your father in heaven is merciful.
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Prove yourself to be sons by expressing his character.
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And he goes on,
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verses 46 and 47,
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for if you love those who love you,
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what reward do you have?
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How easy is it to love those who love us?
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Do not even tax collectors do the same?
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And if you greet only your brothers,
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what more are you doing than others?
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Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
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It's of no benefit to you,
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but rather be merciful.
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Also, Matthew chapter 23 and verse 23.
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Jesus says,
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these are often called the woes.
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He speaks woes to the Pharisees,
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which are quite the opposite of these declarations of blessedness.
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He says,
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woe to you,
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scribes and Pharisees,
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hypocrites,
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for you tithe mint and dill and cumin.
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They were down to the tithe
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and these very,
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very tiny things,
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these very particular things,
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which Jesus commends them for,
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but then says,
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and you have neglected the weightier matters of the law,
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justice and mercy and faithfulness.
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These you ought to have done without neglecting the others.
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So,
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the one of the ruling classes,
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religious Jews of the day,
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Jesus says to them,
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woe to you,
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you hypocrites,
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you care about stuff,
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so tiny.
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He says later in chapter 23,
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that you strain out the gnat
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and you swallow the camel.
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You're neglecting the weighty matters of the law.
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There's another account that makes a similar point in Luke chapter 10.
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Let me invite you to turn there with me.
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You can mark Matthew chapter 5.
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Let me invite you to turn there with me.
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Let me invite you to turn there with me.
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This is likely a story familiar to you.
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Luke chapter 10,
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beginning in verse 25.
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Jesus is making this very point.
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This teaching would have just been astonishing to them
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because remember,
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this is a people who are not naturally merciful.
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This is what they're talking about right now.
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The culture of the day.
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Not naturally merciful.
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Beginning in verse 25.
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And behold,
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a lawyer stood up to put him to the test,
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saying,
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Teacher,
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what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
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And Jesus said to him,
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what is written in the law?
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How do you read it?
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And he answered,
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you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
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with all your soul,
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and with all your strength,
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and with all your mind,
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and your neighbor as yourself.
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And Jesus said to him,
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you have answered correctly.
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Do this,
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and you will live.
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Right?
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So it's the right answer.
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One of the themes of the Sermon on the Mount
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is whole person righteousness.
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So not merely the exterior of rightness,
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but the interior as well.
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And this man needed this to be addressed,
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this lawyer.
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So verse 29,
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but he,
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desiring to justify himself,
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right?
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Not a man who's poor in spirit,
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said to Jesus,
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and who is my neighbor?
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Jesus replied,
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you don't ask Jesus questions like this.
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Jesus replied,
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a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho,
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and he fell among robbers,
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this was a dangerous road to travel,
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who stripped him,
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and beat him,
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and departed,
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leaving him half dead.
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Now in the eyes of the religious elite,
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this would have made him dirty,
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unclean,
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right?
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They couldn't practice mercy,
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because they didn't want to defile themselves
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with the blood of this man.
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So verse 31,
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now by chance,
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a priest was going down that road,
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and when he saw him,
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he passed by on the other side.
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So likewise,
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a Levite,
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when he came to the place and saw him,
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passed by on the other side.
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But a Samaritan,
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now understand,
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to Jesus' Jewish audience,
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found here in Luke chapter 10,
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the Samaritans were not a liked people,
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right?
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There's a lot of misunderstanding,
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miscommunication.
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Look up what a Samaritan is,
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and you get all kinds of answers.
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But most likely,
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Samaritans were people that had intermarried
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during the Assyrian captivity,
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and were transplanted back into the Samaritan town.
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So Jews perceived them as kind of half-breeds.
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When Israel was resettled,
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the second temple,
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the Samaritans wanted to help in the building of it,
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and they denied them the ability to,
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and so they had built their own temple,
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and had their own form of worship.
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So there's a lot of butting heads between the two.
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So you need to see that this Samaritan
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is expressing that his neighbor
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is this Jewish man
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that's been beaten and left
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on the side of the road.
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So verse 33,
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But a Samaritan,
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as he journeyed,
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came to where he was,
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and when he saw him,
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he had compassion.
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He went to him and bound up his wounds,
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pouring on oil and wine disinfectant.
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Then he set him on his own animal
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and brought him to an inn
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and took care of him.
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And the next day,
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he took out two denarii,
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two days' wages,
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and gave them to the innkeeper,
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saying,
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Take care of him,
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and whatever more you spend,
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I will repay you when I come back.
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Which of these three do you think
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proved to be a neighbor
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to the man who fell among the robbers?
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And he said,
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the lawyer said,
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the one who showed him mercy.
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And Jesus said to him,
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You go and do likewise.
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So in very practical ways,
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express this attitude of mercifulness.
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Go and be merciful.
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If you're to love the Lord your God,
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as the lawyer said,
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with all your heart,
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and with all your soul,
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and with all your strength,
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and with all your mind,
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and your neighbor as yourself,
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this will get expressed.
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We are not naturally merciful,
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but we are called to be merciful.
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Those who have been made new
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in Jesus Christ will be.
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This will be the evidencing
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that we've been made new in Christ.
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We will be merciful.
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Those who have received mercy
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will express mercy.
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And beloved,
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we do not do this perfectly.
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But we should desire to do it perfectly.
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We should be seeing the outworking
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of these first four beatitudes.
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That we recognize we're poor in spirit.
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We're broken over our sin
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and the sin of the world.
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We find ourselves meek,
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submitting ourselves to the will of the Father.
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Not seeking retribution
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for our own rights to be defended.
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We're hungering
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and we're thirsting for righteousness.
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And this begins to work itself out
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in things like mercy.
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Now, God has in his character
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incommunicable and communicable attributes.
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That is to say,
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incommunicable attributes
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are characteristics
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that we as human beings
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cannot emulate.
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Praise God, that's true, right?
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That he's God and we're not.
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He's the creator.
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He created all things
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and we're the created.
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Some examples of this
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would be God's independence.
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You may remember from a while ago,
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God's aseity.
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That he plugs into nothing,
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but everything plugs into him.
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He's self-existent.
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We're not.
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We're dependent upon
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this creator God
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who has made us
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and sustains us.
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God is also unchangeable.
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It's one of his attributes.
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It's unchangeableness,
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if you'll allow,
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or immutability.
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God does not change,
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but praise the Lord,
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we do,
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and hopefully,
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we're changing for the better.
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But the communicable attributes
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are things,
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characteristics of God
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that we can,
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by grace,
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and should emulate.
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and merciful,
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loving,
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kind,
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is one
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of those attributes
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that,
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by the power that God
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works within us,
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we can emulate.
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Not with perfection,
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not the way he expresses it,
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but we can be pressing
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and working
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in that direction.
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We can serve
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as image bearers
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in the way
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that we're merciful
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to others.
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Beloved,
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we show ourselves
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to be citizens
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of the kingdom of heaven
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by being merciful,
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by showing
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that we follow
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the king
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of this kingdom,
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by feeding the hungry,
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caring for the orphan
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and the widow,
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by comforting
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the bereaved,
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by loving the lonely
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and rejected,
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by forgiving
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the offender,
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by showing
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compassion
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to the destitute.
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I am glad
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to be part
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of a church
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that as I think
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about what it means
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to be merciful,
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I can trace
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acts of mercy
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even in this week.
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Even mercy
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expressed toward me.
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Paul writes
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in 2 Corinthians
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chapter 1
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verse 3 and 4,
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Blessed be the God
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and Father
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of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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the Father of mercies
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and God
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of all comfort.
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I read that to you
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previously.
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But verse 4
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goes on to say,
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Who comforts us
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in all our affliction
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so that we
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may be able
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to comfort those
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who are in any
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affliction
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with the comfort
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with which we
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ourselves
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are comforted
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by God.
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You see,
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God comforts,
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God is merciful
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toward us
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in our affliction
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so that
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we can be
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comforters,
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be merciful
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to others
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in their
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affliction,
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in the same
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way.
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So we're meant
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to be merciful,
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right?
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By God's grace,
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those of us
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who have been
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made new
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in Christ
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are meant
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to live
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this way.
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Jesus told
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a parable
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as a warning
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to those
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who are not
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merciful.
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And I want you
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to also turn
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there with me.
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So turn to
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Matthew chapter
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18
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and verse
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23.
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The uninspired
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subtitle you'll
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probably see in
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your copy of
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God's word
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will be
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the unmerciful
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servant.
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It's a very
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apt title
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for this
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parable.
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Matthew
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chapter 18
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beginning in
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verse 23
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and following.
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Jesus said
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the kingdom
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of heaven
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may be
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compared to
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a king
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who wished
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to settle
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accounts
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with the
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servants.
25:58
So you see
25:59
very careful
25:59
what he's
26:00
saying here,
26:00
right?
26:00
He's saying
26:01
this is what
26:01
the kingdom
26:02
of heaven
26:02
is like.
26:03
This is
26:04
how it
26:04
operates.
26:06
As those
26:07
who are
26:08
either in
26:09
that kingdom
26:09
or those
26:11
who are not
26:11
but may be
26:12
looking into
26:13
it and
26:13
desiring to
26:14
be part
26:14
of it,
26:15
we should
26:16
really listen
26:17
to what's
26:17
being said
26:18
here by
26:19
our Lord
26:19
and Savior.
26:20
Verse 24,
26:21
when he
26:21
began to
26:22
settle,
26:24
one was
26:24
brought to
26:25
him who
26:25
owed him
26:26
10,000
26:27
talents.
26:29
Now,
26:29
this is a
26:30
staggering
26:31
sum of
26:32
money.
26:33
You'll see
26:33
people,
26:34
they'll try
26:34
to say
26:34
this would
26:34
be like
26:35
millions
26:35
and millions
26:35
of dollars
26:36
today,
26:36
but it's
26:39
not really
26:39
an amount
26:39
you could
26:40
put a
26:40
figure on.
26:41
A talent
26:41
was the
26:43
largest
26:44
unit in
26:45
that modern
26:46
in the day
26:46
of currency,
26:47
the largest
26:48
unit,
26:49
and 10,000
26:51
was the
26:52
highest figure
26:53
used in
26:54
ancient
26:54
accounting.
26:55
So he's
26:55
using the
26:55
two very
26:56
highest numbers
26:57
he possibly
26:57
could use
26:58
in this case
26:59
to say this
27:00
was an
27:00
astounding
27:01
debt.
27:02
This was a
27:03
debt that
27:03
was not
27:04
going to
27:04
be repaid.
27:06
Verse 25
27:09
And since
27:11
he could
27:11
not pay,
27:13
his master
27:14
ordered him
27:14
to be sold
27:15
with his
27:15
wife and
27:16
children and
27:16
all that
27:17
he had
27:17
and payment
27:18
to be
27:19
made.
27:20
So the
27:21
servant fell
27:22
on his
27:22
knees,
27:23
imploring
27:24
him,
27:25
have patience
27:25
with me
27:26
and I will
27:27
pay you
27:27
everything.
27:29
And out
27:29
of pity
27:29
for him,
27:30
the master
27:30
of that
27:30
servant
27:31
released him
27:31
and forgave
27:32
him the
27:33
debt.
27:34
What an
27:34
astounding
27:35
thing.
27:35
This
27:35
unpay
27:36
able
27:37
debt.
27:38
He deserved
27:39
to be
27:39
sold and
27:40
to be
27:41
punished
27:41
until he
27:42
could pay
27:42
the debt.
27:43
And this
27:44
servant says
27:44
there's not
27:45
a chance
27:45
I'll pay
27:46
it back.
27:46
Have
27:47
mercy
27:47
on me.
27:49
And he's
27:49
forgiven
27:50
the debt.
27:52
Verse 28
27:52
But when the
27:54
same servant
27:54
went out,
27:55
he found
27:55
one of his
27:55
fellow servants
27:56
who owed
27:56
him a
27:57
hundred
27:58
denarii.
27:59
And seizing
28:00
him,
28:00
he began
28:00
to choke
28:01
him,
28:01
saying,
28:02
pay what
28:02
you owe.
28:04
Now,
28:04
this is
28:05
comparatively
28:05
a hundred
28:06
denarii,
28:07
comparatively
28:08
a fraction
28:09
of what he
28:10
owed his
28:10
master.
28:11
It's a
28:11
fraction.
28:13
A denarius
28:14
being the
28:15
common silver
28:15
coin of the
28:16
day,
28:16
was equivalent
28:18
to about a
28:18
day's wage
28:20
for a
28:20
laborer.
28:21
Kind of the
28:22
typical blue
28:22
collar wage
28:23
of the day.
28:24
So I think
28:25
it's important
28:26
for us to
28:26
note that
28:26
this is still
28:27
a great
28:28
sum.
28:28
This is
28:28
three months
28:30
wages.
28:31
I think
28:32
about three
28:32
months wages.
28:33
Man,
28:33
that's a
28:34
debt.
28:34
That's a
28:34
debt owed.
28:36
Right?
28:36
But it's
28:37
relatively
28:38
insignificant.
28:40
It's
28:41
relatively
28:41
insignificant.
28:44
Verse 29.
28:46
So his
28:47
fellow servant
28:47
fell down
28:48
and pleaded
28:48
with him,
28:49
have patience
28:50
with me
28:51
and I
28:52
will pay
28:52
you.
28:54
He refused
28:55
and went
28:56
and put him
28:56
in prison
28:57
until he
28:58
should pay
28:58
the debt.
28:59
When his
29:00
fellow servant
29:01
saw what
29:01
had taken
29:02
place,
29:02
they were
29:02
greatly
29:03
distressed
29:03
and they
29:03
went and
29:04
reported to
29:04
their master
29:05
all that
29:05
had taken
29:06
place.
29:07
Then his
29:08
master summoned
29:08
him and
29:09
said to
29:09
him,
29:10
you wicked
29:10
servant,
29:11
I forgave
29:12
you all
29:13
that debt
29:13
because you
29:14
pleaded with
29:14
me and
29:15
should not
29:16
you have
29:16
had mercy
29:17
on your
29:17
fellow servant
29:18
as I
29:19
had mercy
29:20
on you.
29:21
And in
29:22
anger,
29:22
his master
29:22
delivered him
29:23
to the
29:23
jailers until
29:24
he should
29:24
pay all
29:25
his debt.
29:26
So also
29:27
my heavenly
29:28
father will
29:28
do to
29:29
every one
29:30
of you
29:30
if you
29:30
do not
29:31
forgive
29:32
your brother
29:33
from your
29:34
heart.
29:35
So here
29:36
we see
29:37
a man
29:38
who has
29:39
received
29:39
astounding
29:41
mercy,
29:43
this offer
29:44
of forgiveness
29:45
of his debt,
29:46
but he
29:47
doesn't turn
29:48
and offer
29:48
the same.
29:50
Jesus is
29:50
saying this
29:51
is what the
29:51
kingdom of
29:52
heaven could
29:53
be compared
29:53
to.
29:54
We,
29:56
owing
29:56
an astounding
29:58
unpayable
29:59
infinite
30:00
debt
30:01
to God
30:02
have seen
30:03
by faith
30:04
that debt
30:05
canceled
30:06
and the
30:07
infinite
30:08
righteousness
30:08
of Christ
30:09
credited
30:09
to us
30:10
and so
30:11
we ought
30:12
to then
30:13
turn and
30:13
offer
30:14
the same
30:14
kind of
30:15
forgiveness
30:16
to others.
30:18
Right?
30:18
Little
30:19
infinitesimal
30:20
debts now
30:21
owed us.
30:22
We ought to
30:22
be turning
30:22
around to
30:23
others
30:23
and offering
30:24
them an
30:25
astounding
30:26
amount
30:26
of mercy.
30:28
Beloved,
30:29
it is wrong
30:30
for the church
30:30
not to be
30:31
part of
30:31
mercy ministries
30:32
because we
30:32
pay our
30:33
taxes.
30:34
It is wrong
30:36
for us to
30:36
feel embittered
30:37
towards those
30:38
who take
30:38
advantage
30:39
of social
30:40
welfare.
30:41
We ought
30:41
to go
30:42
to them,
30:43
right?
30:43
Hearts
30:44
recognizing
30:45
that we
30:45
have been
30:46
forgiven,
30:47
that we
30:48
have taken
30:49
advantage
30:50
and offer
30:51
great
30:52
mercy.
30:53
to these
30:53
people.
30:54
This is
30:55
the way
30:56
we're
30:56
meant to
30:56
live as
30:57
citizens of
30:58
the kingdom
30:59
of heaven.
31:01
And so
31:02
why does
31:02
Jesus
31:03
declare
31:04
blessed
31:04
these
31:06
people,
31:06
these
31:07
merciful
31:07
people?
31:10
And our
31:10
text says,
31:11
for they
31:12
shall
31:12
receive
31:14
mercy.
31:16
Those
31:17
who have
31:17
received
31:18
mercy will
31:18
be merciful
31:19
and
31:20
therefore
31:20
will
31:21
receive
31:21
mercy.
31:22
It's a
31:22
great big
31:23
mercy loop.
31:26
In
31:26
Matthew
31:26
chapter
31:27
25,
31:27
verse 31
31:28
and following,
31:29
Jesus
31:29
speaks of
31:30
the final
31:31
judgment
31:31
and the
31:32
basis for
31:33
his
31:33
judgment,
31:34
as we
31:35
will see,
31:36
is mercy
31:37
shown to
31:38
others.
31:38
So join me
31:39
there.
31:39
I know
31:39
there's a lot
31:40
of text
31:40
today.
31:51
Matthew
31:52
chapter 25.
31:56
Now hear me
31:57
carefully as we
31:57
read this.
31:59
We are not
32:00
saying that
32:01
because we're
32:02
merciful, we
32:02
earn God's
32:03
favor.
32:04
We've been
32:05
shown mercy
32:06
and so we're
32:07
merciful, right?
32:08
We're found
32:08
in him.
32:09
We're
32:09
citizens of
32:09
the kingdom
32:10
and this
32:11
is the
32:11
evidence,
32:12
right?
32:12
This is the
32:13
evidence that
32:14
we've received
32:14
the mercy
32:15
of God
32:15
and will
32:17
fully and
32:17
finally receive
32:18
the mercy
32:19
of God.
32:20
So do not
32:20
get that wrong.
32:21
No one is
32:22
saying that
32:22
we're saved
32:23
by our
32:24
works here.
32:25
Listen to what
32:26
Jesus says,
32:26
verse 31
32:27
and following.
32:28
When the
32:29
Son of Man
32:30
comes in
32:30
his glory
32:31
and all
32:31
the angels
32:32
with him,
32:33
then he will
32:33
sit on his
32:34
glorious throne.
32:35
Before him
32:37
will be gathered
32:38
all the nations
32:39
and he will
32:39
separate people
32:40
one from
32:41
another as a
32:42
shepherd separates
32:43
the sheep
32:44
from the goats
32:45
and he will
32:46
place the sheep
32:47
on his right
32:48
but the goats
32:49
on his left.
32:51
So there's going
32:51
to be this final
32:52
judgment.
32:52
There's going
32:52
to be a
32:53
separation
32:53
and we want
32:55
to be counted
32:56
among the
32:56
sheep.
32:57
Those who are
32:58
placed in the
32:59
place of honor
33:00
at the right
33:01
of the glorious
33:02
throne.
33:03
Verse 34
33:05
Then the king
33:06
will say to
33:07
those on his
33:07
right,
33:08
Come you
33:09
who are blessed
33:10
by my father.
33:11
Inherit the
33:12
kingdom prepared
33:13
for you from
33:13
the foundation
33:14
of the world.
33:16
For I was
33:16
hungry and
33:17
you gave me
33:18
food.
33:18
I was thirsty
33:19
and you gave
33:20
me drink.
33:21
I was a
33:22
stranger and
33:23
you welcomed
33:24
me.
33:24
I was naked
33:25
and you clothed
33:26
me.
33:27
I was sick
33:28
and you visited
33:28
me.
33:29
I was in
33:30
prison and
33:31
you came to
33:32
me.
33:32
All things,
33:34
all things
33:34
that we can
33:35
do.
33:36
Verse 37
33:37
Then the
33:38
righteous will
33:39
answer him
33:39
saying,
33:40
Lord,
33:41
when did we
33:41
see you hungry
33:42
and feed you
33:43
or thirsty
33:43
and give you
33:44
drink?
33:46
And when
33:46
do we see
33:47
you a stranger
33:48
and welcome
33:49
you or naked
33:49
and clothe
33:50
you?
33:51
And when
33:51
do we see
33:51
you sick
33:52
or in
33:52
prison and
33:53
visit you?
33:55
And the
33:55
king will
33:56
answer them,
33:56
Truly,
33:57
I say to
33:57
you,
33:58
as you did
33:59
it to one
33:59
of the least
34:00
of these,
34:00
my brothers,
34:01
you did
34:02
it to
34:03
me.
34:05
I pray
34:05
that you
34:06
count yourself
34:07
and that
34:08
others who
34:09
are examining
34:09
your life
34:10
count you
34:11
among these
34:12
blessed
34:13
sheep.
34:14
That we
34:15
can say of
34:16
ourselves and
34:16
that people
34:17
who are
34:17
around us
34:18
looking at
34:18
our lives
34:19
or inviting
34:19
into our
34:20
lives can
34:21
say,
34:22
Merciful,
34:22
yes,
34:23
merciful,
34:23
you are
34:24
merciful.
34:25
As God's
34:26
been merciful
34:26
to you,
34:27
you are
34:27
merciful.
34:28
this
34:29
working
34:30
is the
34:31
evidence
34:31
of your
34:32
salvation,
34:33
that you
34:33
belong to
34:34
the kingdom
34:35
of heaven.
34:37
I pray
34:38
that you
34:39
are not
34:39
counted
34:40
amongst
34:40
the goats.
34:42
Verse 41,
34:44
then he
34:45
will say
34:45
to those
34:46
on his
34:46
left,
34:48
depart
34:48
from me,
34:49
you cursed
34:50
into the
34:51
eternal fire
34:51
prepared for
34:52
the devil
34:53
and his
34:53
angels.
34:54
For I
34:55
was hungry
34:55
and you
34:56
gave me
34:56
no food.
34:57
I was
34:58
thirsty
34:58
and you
34:58
gave me
34:59
no drink.
35:00
I was
35:00
a stranger
35:01
and you
35:01
did not
35:01
welcome
35:02
me,
35:02
naked
35:02
and you
35:03
did not
35:03
clothe
35:04
me,
35:05
sick
35:05
and in
35:05
prison
35:06
and you
35:06
did not
35:06
visit me.
35:08
Then they
35:08
also will
35:09
answer
35:09
saying,
35:09
Lord,
35:10
when did
35:10
we see
35:10
you hungry
35:11
or thirsty
35:11
or a
35:11
stranger
35:12
or naked
35:12
or sick
35:13
or in
35:13
prison
35:13
and did
35:14
not
35:14
minister
35:15
to you?
35:16
Then you
35:16
will answer
35:17
them saying,
35:18
truly I
35:18
say to you,
35:19
as you
35:19
did not
35:20
do it
35:20
to one
35:21
of the
35:21
least of
35:21
these,
35:21
you did
35:22
not do
35:22
it to
35:23
me.
35:24
And these
35:24
will go
35:24
away
35:25
into
35:25
eternal
35:26
punishment,
35:27
but the
35:27
righteous
35:28
into
35:29
eternal
35:29
life.
35:31
There's
35:31
a weighty
35:32
thing to
35:32
consider
35:33
here,
35:33
to really
35:35
ask
35:35
ourselves,
35:36
and again,
35:37
those around
35:38
us,
35:38
those who
35:38
are following
35:39
the way
35:40
of Christ,
35:41
those who
35:41
are citizens
35:42
of the
35:42
kingdom,
35:43
am I
35:44
merciful?
35:45
Does this
35:46
characterize
35:46
my life?
35:48
Some of
35:49
you may
35:49
know about
35:50
the mercy
35:51
of God,
35:52
but have
35:52
yet to
35:52
experience
35:53
the mercy
35:54
of God,
35:54
have yet
35:55
to turn
35:56
to Christ
35:57
by faith.
35:59
And we
35:59
have a
35:59
beautiful
36:00
promise in
36:00
closing in
36:02
James 2,
36:03
verse 13.
36:05
James writes,
36:06
for judgment
36:07
is without
36:09
mercy to
36:10
one who
36:11
has shown
36:12
no mercy.
36:13
Hear that
36:14
again.
36:14
For judgment
36:15
is without
36:16
mercy to
36:17
one who
36:18
has shown
36:18
no mercy.
36:20
Mercy,
36:21
triumphs
36:23
over judgment.
36:26
So Jesus
36:27
says,
36:28
blessed are
36:29
the merciful,
36:30
for they
36:30
shall receive
36:32
mercy.
36:33
Let's pray
36:34
together.