Sermons tagged #Merciful

How does believers' behavior show their blessedness? Matthew 5:7–9 prepares us for the morning sermon on the Lord's Day. In these three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that believers' behavior shows their blessedness by showing that they are about to come into their inheritance in Christ.

We live in a world where many people are anxious, stressed, exhausted, and hopeless. And it's easy to see why, given the amount of conflict and brokenness we experience in everyday life. But the Advent season reminds us that hope is a person – a Savior who came and will one day come again.

Psalm 116 " I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. 2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. 3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. 4 Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. 5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. 6 The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. 7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. 8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. 10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: 11 I said in my haste, All men are liars. 12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? 13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. 14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people. 15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. 16 O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. 17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. 18 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people, 19 In the courts of the LORD'S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD."

A full understanding of the word merciful, and mercy is needed to fully understand this verse and not draw a wrong conclusion.

Learning and Leaning

We will gather with joy and thanksgiving this Lord's Day to worship Him while having our hearts and minds brought to focus on missions. We bring our missions emphasis week with two sermons from Acts 2. In the morning we see "The Missionary God" from Acts 2.11. This is such a rich passage - 2.1-13 with our focus on 2.11. Come with excitement to refocus on God's mission. Scripture Reading: Genesis 11.1-9; Acts 2.1-13 Text: Acts 2.11 Message: "The Missionary God" Theme: This merciful act of God reveals Who is behind every missionary endeavor Who hears? Through whom do they hear? How do they hear? What is told and heard?

WCF 2.1 There is but one only(1) living and true God, (2) who is infinite in being and perfection,(3) a most pure spirit,(4) invisible,(5) without body, parts,(6) or passions;(7) immutable,(8) immense,(9) eternal,(10) incomprehensible,(11) almighty,(12) most wise,(13) most holy,(14) most free,(15) most absolute,(16) working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will,(17) for His own glory;(18) most loving,(19) gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin,(20) the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him;(21) and withal, most just, and terrible in His judgments;(22) hating all sin,(23) and who will by no means clear the guilty.(24) (1) Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4,6. (2) 1 Thess. 1:9; Jer. 10:10. (3) Job 11:7,8,9; Job 26:14. (4) John 4:24. (5) 1 Tim. 1:17. (6) Deut. 4:15,16; John 4:24; Luke 24:39. (7) Acts 14:11,15. (8) James 1:17; Mal. 3:6. (9) 1 Kings 8:27; Jer. 23:23,24. (10) Ps. 90:2;1 Tim. 1:17. (11) Ps. 145:3. (12) Gen. 17:1; Rev. 4:8. (13) Rom. 16:27. (14) Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8. (15) Ps. 15:3. (16) Exod. 3:14. (17) Eph. 1:11. (18) Prov. 16:4; Rom. 11:36. (19) 1 John 4:8,16. (20) Exod. 34:6,7. (21) Heb. 11:6. (22) Neh. 9:32,33. (23) Ps. 5:5,6. (24) Nah. 1:2,3; Exod. 34:7. (WCF 2:1 WCS)

The God of mercy says mercy no more. Is our current day mirroring the events that Hosea warned his countrymen about? Listen and decided for yourself.

We continue our exposition of Jesus' sermon in Luke 6, and his call for us to be merciful as our Father is merciful.

In this passage we see the providence of God at work in amazing and unexpected ways. Paul and Silas end up beaten and in prison for casting out a demon. But this was no accident. God used the wickedness of Paul and Silas' persecutors in order to bring the Gospel to the Philippian jailer and his whole family. God showed mercy and grace to a man entirely unworthy of it, just as we were unworthy of God's mercy. Praise God for his providential grace!

We have heard over the last 8 weeks or so about soft-hearted listening to the word of God. Today, if you will hear His voice! That phrase from Psalm 95 echoes through Hebrews 3 and 4. Well, the author has wound up his discussion with a reminder of the penetrating word of God, a word that cuts and exposes and pierces. But now he moves to the positive side of that: listen to the word, because it tells you of something joyous, something wonderful. It tells you of a sympathetic high priest, and urges you to come to Him for grace to help in time of need. In a nutshell, today's sermon says this: because your high priest has passed through the heavens, hang on to Him; because He sympathizes with your weaknesses, draw near.

The name of God is beautiful and rich. Indeed, rather than preaching just one sermon on it, I would love to pause and preach a sermon on every one of the attributes that God lists as belonging to Himself in our text this evening. As valuable as that would be, though, we are going to hasten through these, what the Jews call the "thirteen attributes," in just one sermon this evening. We are going to see that God's glory, which Moses asked to see, is inseparable from His name, and this demands that we listen to Him, fear Him, and obey Him.