Mercy, Mercy, Me Series

DISCOVERING YOUR GIFT (MERCY); MERCY, MERCY, ME

PSALM 23:1-6

A MOTHER ONCE APPROACHED NAPOLEON SEEKING A PARDON FOR HER SON. THE EMPEROR REPLIED THAT THE YOUNG MAN HAD COMMITTED A CERTAIN OFFENSE TWICE AND JUSTICE DEMANDED DEATH. "BUT I DON’T ASK FOR JUSTICE," THE MOTHER EXPLAINED. "I PLEAD FOR MERCY." "BUT YOUR SON DOES NOT DESERVE MERCY," NAPOLEON REPLIED. "SIR," THE WOMAN CRIED, "IT WOULD NOT BE MERCY IF HE DESERVED IT, AND MERCY IS ALL I ASK FOR." "WELL, THEN," THE EMPEROR SAID, "I WILL HAVE MERCY." AND HE SPARED THE WOMAN’S SON.

MERCY - . . .TO FEEL GENUINE COMPASSION FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO SUFFER PHYSICAL, MENTAL, OR EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS,

C. PETER WAGNER . . . THE RECIPIENTS OF THE GIFT OF MERCY ARE OFTEN THE ILL, MENTALLY IMPAIRED, PRISONERS, BLIND, POOR, AGED, PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED, SHUT-IN, HOMELESS, AND, MENTALLY ILL.

PHYSICAL AILMENT . . .

OTHERS . . . KEPT/KEEPS . . .

DISPLAY MERCY OTHERS . . . MATTHEW 5:7 “BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, FOR THEY WILL BE SHOWN MERCY.”

MERCY – HEBREW WORD THAT MEANS “TO GET INSIDE SOMEONE’S SKIN, TO LOOK AT WHERE THEY VIEW LIFE AND FEEL WHAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING; TO MOVE IN AND ACT ON BEHALF OF THE ONE WHOSE HURTING.”

MERCY IS WHAT SUSTAINS YOU.

LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23 “THROUGH THE LORD’S MERCIES WE ARE NOT CONSUMED, BECAUSE HIS COMPASSIONS FAIL NOT. THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING, GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS.”

EPHESIANS 2:4 “BUT GOD IS SO RICH IN MERCY, AND HE LOVED US SO VERY MUCH, THAT EVEN WHILE WE WERE DEAD BECAUSE OF OUR SINS, HE GAVE US LIFE WHEN HE RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD.”

PSALM 136:26 “OH, GIVE THANKS TO THE GOD OF HEAVEN! FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.”

. . . JEHOVAH ROHI (THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD)

THE LORD I S MY SHEPHERD . . .

FOLLOW . . .

AS THE SHEPHERD GOES, SO DOES THE SHEEP . . . LEAD . . .

FLOURISH/THRIVE . . .

I SHALL NOT WANT

PHILIPPIANS 4:19 “AND MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOU R NEED ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS.”

PSALM 34 – “ . . . THE YOUNG LIONS . . .”

. . . PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD – SHELTER, FOOD, HEALING, DIRECTION, NOURISHMENT, POWER. . .

HE MAKES ME (CAUSES ME) TO LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES . . .

CHOICE PASTURES, GOD’S BEST, TENDER NEW GRASS, OUR DAILY BREAD . . .

AN INTERESTING THING ABOUT SHEEP IS THAT THEY WILL NOT LIE DOWN UNLESS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS ARE MET. (1) THEY MUST BE FREE FROM ALL FEAR. (2) THEY MUST NOT BE AGGRAVATED WITH FLIES OR PARASITES. (3) AND THEY MUST BE FREE FROM HUNGER.

AFRAID, AGGRAVATED, AHUNGERED . . .

UNCERTAINTIES, UNKNOWN, UNEXPECTED . . .

KNOWING THAT OUR SHEPHERD IS NEAR . . .

HE LEADS ME BESIDE THE STILL WATERS . . .

STILL WATER

DISCIPLES . . .

YOU/I . . .

HE RESTORES MY SOUL . . .

HE LEADS ME IN THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME SAKE . . .

THE HEBREW WORD TRANSLATED PATH MEANS “A WELL DEFINED, WELL WORN TRAIL” YET, WHILE THE TRAIL IS WELL LAID OUT, SHEEP STILL NEED A SHEPHERD. THEY ARE STILL INCLINED TO WANDER AWAY, NO MATTER HOW OBVIOUS THE PATH.

SHEEP ARE DUMB/DIRTY, ALWAYS GETTING LOST, HURT, SNAKE-BITTEN, POSSESS A TENDENCY TOWARD GOING THEIR OWN WAY AND DOING THEIR OWN THING.

ISAIAH - WE ARE ALL LIKE SHEEP WHO HAVE GONE ASTRAY, WE HAVE TURNED EVERY ONE TO HIS OWN WAY.” . . .

V.4 YEAH THOUGH I WALK . . .

OFTEN A SHEPHERD WOULD TAKE HIS SHEEP UP A VERY STEEP CLIFF TO TRAVEL OVER A MOUNTAIN. THE TRAIL WOULD ONLY BE ABOUT TWO FEET WIDE. IF A SHEEP WOULD LOSE HIS FOOTHOLD HE WOULD SLIDE INTO THE VALLEY OF DEATH. KNOWING THIS, THE SHEPHERD WOULD SPEAK TO EACH ONE OF HIS SHEEP, COMFORTING THEM THAT HE WAS NEAR AND THAT THEY HAD NOTHING TO FEAR.

HEBREW WRITER . . . 13:5 “I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.”

V. 4b YOUR ROD AND STAFF COMFORT ME . . .

THY PREPAREST A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES . . .

DALLAS McGILL – TABLE OF PROTECTION – THE SHEPHERD WOULD LAY HIS COAT, STAFF, CLUB, AND HIMSELF AROUND AN INJURED SHEEP BEING ANTAGONIZED BY OTHER SHEEP SO HE COULD EAT . . .

THY ANOINTEST MY HEAD WITH OIL . . .

MY CUP RUNNETH OVER . . .

V. 6 SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY . . .

CONCLUSION: ALLEY STORY . . .