OUR LOVING LORD DELIGHTS TO SHOW MERCY (Outline)
August 26, 2007 -
PENTECOST 13 -
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
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INTRO: A godless society turns against God and blames him for all things bad. The secularists want all the answers and expect to know and understand why. A great number of books are written to supposedly offer all the answers. Most recently “The Secret” has been written to provide the answers to and for the mysteries of this life. It is nothing new. A while back a book was written trying to explains the Lord’s will in this world. The title of the book was: “When Bad Things Happen to Good People”. The Christian reality would better write the book with the title, “When Good Things Happen to Bad People”. All mankind is born sinful, enemies of God. In his great grace and mercy our loving Lord causes good things to happen to and for this world of bad people. "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy"(MICAH 7:18). Today’s text presents us with the theme:
OUR LOVING LORD DELIGHTS TO SHOW MERCY.
I. All have disobeyed II. and need God’s mercy.
I. ALL HAVE DISOBEYED
A. Scripture records for us the enemies of Christ. Many nations live as unbelievers – God’s enemies.
1. Israel often lived as enemies of God. They rebelled, turned away and turned to false gods.
2. Even the apostle Paul realized that for a long time he had lived in darkness as God’s enemy.
B. Because of wickedness, rebellion and rejection God turns his attention to Gentiles in verse 13.
1. Paul has been sent to bring God’s good news to those considered religious rejects.
2. Verse 15 speaks of Israel’s rejection so that God’s message would go out to others.
3. God’s word always continually goes out. It will go from one nation to others.
C. Verses 13b, 14. These Gentiles now would arouse Israel to return to the grace and mercy of God.
D. There is a serious problem in our world today – always has been and always will be this problem. The problem is sin. Now, today, man tries to explain away sin by calling certain sins diseases. This explana-tion from man does not change the problem of sin. Worse some in this world do not even want to hear about sin or admit that there is such a problem infecting all of creation. Time and again Scripture reminds us that sin is alive and well and is a problem for everyone. "Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one"(PSALM 53:3). None escape.
E. You have heard the excuses of many. Some believe they are trying hard enough to please God. Others feel that certain sins are worse than others. They fell God is not as angry with the small sins that sneak up on a person in their daily living. ALL of these ideas and excuses are eternally dangerous! God does not rate sins. Sin is sin. It is not the quality or quantity that matters at all. "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it"(JAMES 2:10).
F. Make no mistake God is angry with sin. Our loving Lord is a just God and a righteous Judge. Those that live in wickedness, rebellion and sin will eventually answer for their own disobedience. They will have no excuse. They will have no one to blame except themselves. God will not be mocked. "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus"(2 THESSALONIANS 1:8).
OUR LOVING LORD DELIGHTS TO SHOW MERCY. It is painfully true that all have sinned and disobeyed God. We need help. Our help and our salvation come from our Lord who loves mercy!
II. (ALL HAVE DISOBEYED) AND NEED GOD’S MERCY.
A. We have already seen how the Lord no longer looked so favorably on Israel, his first-chosen.
1. Even though Israel disobeyed and rejected God the Lord will still provide mercy.
2. Verse 29 reminds the Gentiles that the Lord is still faithful in the face of unfaithfulness.
3. Man can never negate God’s primary will to have the lost come to a knowledge of salvation.
B. Remember Paul is addressing these words to Gentile believers. They knew what it was to be lost.
1. Verse 30. Now God has provided these Gentiles mercy that Israel has refused and rejected.
2. Verse 31. But Israel would also see God’s mercy once again -- shining from the Gentiles.
C. When man disobeys God still shows mercy, verse 32. Israel disobeyed and God’s mercy moved on.
1. Does God have men disobey so that he might show mercy? No.
2. Rather continual disobedience binds the unbeliever over to judgment. Consider Pharaoh.
a. Pharaoh hardened his heart time and again. b. Finally, there was no turning back.
D. Everything the Lord God has done for us is because of his great mercy for us as lost sinners. Left on our own we would be lost forever. Our good works cannot save. Our wealth, honor, power, and glory make no impression on the Lord concerning eternal salvation. We disobey and need God’s mercy. God knows this and provides an eternal answer to our earthly dilemma. "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit"(TITUS 3:4,5).
E. God’s solution for the problem of the disobedient man is meant for everyone. Our life here on earth is often called our “time of grace”. It is our time to enjoy God’s abundant until we understand it perfectly some day in heaven. This is our time to stand firm in the mercy our loving Lord has freely provided. Our time of grace is also the time we can turn back to the Lord time and time again in repentance. "Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon"(ISAIAH 55:7). We disobey, our Lord provides mercy.
F. God’s mercy is not to stop with us. True we enjoy and rejoice that God forgives day after day after day. God forgives us though we do not deserve it. God forgives us though we cannot buy his favor. What joy is ours. This joy of salvation is to shine in from our hearts onto our lips and out of our lives into the lives of others. This divine joy is to be seen by those who still sit in darkness. This eternal joy is to be seen beginning with our own families. "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them"(DEUTERONOMY 4:9). Our loving Lord provides.
CONC.: I pray that we have come to see the real truth of this life and the answer that God gives each and everyone of us. The world asks, why? The world wants to know why bad things happen to good people. But the opposite is really true. We stand in awe and wonder every day at God’s throne of grace. We may also ask, why? Why do all these good things happen to us who are bad people? All of us have disobeyed. We sin daily and we sin much in thought, word, and deed. We desperately need God’s mercy. OUR LOVING LORD DELIGHTS “TO SHOW MERCY”! All of this our loving Lord does in spite of our disobedient lives and ourselves. "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved"(EPHESIANS 2:4,5). Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM + www.kqnk.com
PENTECOST 13 readings:
JEREMIAH 23:23-29;
HEBREWS 12:1-13;
LUKE 12:49-53
