Worthy Of Our Praise - The Mercy Of God

Temple Baptist Church - 7-19-2009

2 Samuel 22:4; Psalms 23:6

Introduction:

A. We have seen that the Lord is worthy of or praise because of His excellent name, His wondrous works, His exceeding power, His matchless grace, infinite wisdom, His wonderful Word, Majesty, and His sovereignty. His name is truly wonderful, His works marvelous, His power beyond our imagination, His grace is truly matchless, His wisdom past finding out, His Word both perfect and eternal His majesty matchless, and His sovereignty absolute.

B. Tonight, I want to look at one of the greatest gifts ever bestowed upon man. The mercy of God. As a rule when dealing with either grace or mercy, I give the following definitions:

1. Grace is getting what you do not deserve.
2. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve.

C. Tonight, you are looking at a one hell deserving preacher! Without any false humility and certainly with no bragging on a past sinful life, I often say that I have no idea why God would give me the “time of day.” I think of the verse that says, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

D. In 1976, God came to where I was when I could not come to Him, reached down His hand in mercy to a wicked man, and saved my rotten—hell deserving soul! Do you remember when God came to where you were? Do you remember the life that God saved you from? Do you remember the wonder, permanent change that He made in your life? Do you remember?

E. And He is not worthy of our praise tonight?? You should be able to praise Him for all eternity for just the little that I have already said! No wonder the psalmist said, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”

F. I want to take a biblical look at the Mercy of God for a few minutes so as to get a fresh look at just what God did for me!

G. I cannot look at everything in one short message as the word “mercy” is found 276x in 261 verses; the word “mercies” is found 44x in 44 verses, while the word “merciful” is found 40x in 36 verses but we will look at enough to cause us to praise the name of the Lord! We will find that:

1. God’s Mercy Is Everlasting - Psalms 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalms 136:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. (There are 26 verses in this Psalm and each verse concludes with the same phrase: “his mercy endureth forever.”)

2. God’s Mercy Is Unchanging - Lamentations 3:22-23 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

3. God’s Mercy Is Abundant - Numbers 14:18 The Lord is longsuffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression...

Psalms 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy.

Joel 2:13 “........he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil.”

4. God’s Mercy Is Supernatural - Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

5. God’s Mercy Is Never Exhausted - Nehemiah 9:27 Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

6. God’s Mercy Is Demonstrated - Psalms 116:5 Gracious is the Lord and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

7. God’s Mercy Is Ever Present – Lamentations 3:23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

1. The Lord Is Merciful In His Salvation - 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (He saw our sinfulness and still sent the Saviour! We deserved Hell and yet He send His only begotten Son that we might go to Heaven one day. He saved us from a life of sinfulness and a Devil’s Hell! Don’t tell me He is not worth to be praised tonight! Glory to His wonderful name!)

Psalms 86:13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

Titus 3:4-7 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

a. Christ died for the ungodly (Rom.5:6)
b. Christ died for those without strength (Rom 5:6)
c. Christ came to seek sinners (Luke 19:10)
d. Christ came to save sinners (Luke 15:10)
e. Christ died for transgressors (Isaiah 53:3-8)
f. Christ died for murders and blasphemers (I Timothy 1:15)
g. Christ died for his enemies (Romans 5:10)

Ephesians 2:4 But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

1 Timothy 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

2. The Lord Is Merciful In His Provision - Psalms 78:72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands. (God has been good to me in times when I have not been so good to Him. He has never let me down in the 32+ years that I have been saved. I have lived well; I have eaten well; I have paid the bills! When I was laid off, He gave me a job. When I had a great need, He sent someone. That is mercy!)

3. The Lord Is Merciful In His Protection - Psalms 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Psalms 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

4. The Lord Is Merciful In His Forgiveness - Hebrews 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (No matter how terribly that I fail Him, He forgives! No matter how often I fail Him, He forgives! No matter how many times I fail Him, He always forgives and—and thank God—He forgets!)

Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.