Title: “Where Do You Fit In”
Text: Romans 12:8
Tonight we are going to be looking at the Gift of Mercy! Thank God for the Mercy Person! The Person that is Sensitive to the needs, not only of the Body of Christ, but also to the needs of the World.
The Gift of Mercy is something that we probably don’t think a lot about, but when it is not in Operation, you sure know it! It is a very important Gift that God has placed within the Body of Christ.
p.1
I. We Serve A God Who Is Great In Mercy.
Maybe you have never thought to much about this, but if it wasn’t for the Mercy & the Grace of Almighty God, we wouldn’t have a Chance! Where would you be without His Mercy?
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.”
p.2
If it wasn’t for God’s Mercy we would be Consumed.
-He never quits loving us.
-He never stops caring for us.
-His Love & Mercy is Renewed Every Morning
God is our Father. His offspring are Suppose to be like Him. If God is a God of Mercy & Compassion, then His Children need to have the same Character Qualities.
Matthew 5: 7
“Blessed are the Merciful, For they shall Obtain Mercy.”
p.3
Mercy- The Special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to feel Genuine Compassion for People who Suffer
Physical, Mental or Emotional
Problems.
Let me go a step farther. They can translate that Compassion into Cheerfully done deeds. They reflect the Love of God for people that are Hurting!
This is the Type of Person, that when you Hurt, they Hurt! The Mercy Person, Love to help Hurting People.
p.4
Our Culture has tried very hard to Ruin this Gift. We are a Culture where it is not Cool to show Emotion, & Especially in Church.
-Now if you are at a Basketball game you can go Bananas & people thinks it’s normal.
-If you are at a Football Game, you have 100,000 people expressing their Emotions.
But when you are in God’s House, Society says, you are to be Cool, Calm & Collect!
1. King David Was A Man of Mercy.
-He expressed his Emotions.
-He reached out to Mephibosheth.
-He showed this Lame Man Kindness.....
-He did it for Jonathan’s Sake!
-David knew how to Express His Emotions.
-He Danced Before the Ark of the Covenant.
2. The Lame Man in Acts 3 Expressed His
Feelings. (God Touched His Body & He was Excited about it).
p.6
Mercy People show their Emotions. They show their Feelings. In the Future when you see a “Mercy Person” expressing their Love to God, I hope that you thank God for them!
-Thank God for the Person Weeping Around the Altar.
-Thank God for the Person who is Sensitive Enough to walk up to you & put their Arms around you!
II. The Gift of Mercy.
p.7
Mercy is one of the most familiar and one of the most needed gifts in the body. It is the Motivation to “identify” with & “comfort” those who are in need of Distress.
It aims at helping others by Empathizing with them & doing something good for them. The Mercy Person is a Strong Feeling Person.
1. A Facilitator is a Goal Oriented Person.
p.8
-He wants to get the Job Done.
-He has long range goals.
-He or She is Needed in the Body.
-They are Visionary Type of People.
But they may hurt your feelings on occasions in their attempt to get the Job done. These people are good people but they aren’t always as Sensitive as the Mercy Person.
2. Mercy People care very much about your Feelings.
p.9
They don’t always get a lot of Big Projects done, because they don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. They want everyone going in the same direction.
-Mercy people are Feelers!
-They can walk up to a Hurting Person & Minister!
-They feel the Hurts of Others.
-They know when others are Hurting!
If you have ever been Hurt Deeply, you appreciate the Mercy Person. They are very needed within the Body of Christ! But so is the Leader who isn’t quite as Sensitive to your needs!
p.10
In our Society, men with the Gift of Mercy are very often Misunderstood. The Mercy Person is suppose to show Mercy with “Cheerfulness”.
But many times they can become very bitter & hard, because at one time they were maybe misunderstood by someone in the Body! How many of you have ever been Misunderstood?
We are taught in our Society to Repress Our True Feelings;
-2 year old boy “Skins his Knee”---boys don’t Cry.
-5 year old breaks His Arm----Boys don’t Cry.
p.11
-12 year old gets hurt in Football----Be a Man Son!
So this little boy that has always been taught to repress his feelings grows up & gets married. He begins to have Marital Problems. But he doesn’t know how to Express His Feelings & His Hurts to His Wife---because He has been taught to Hold them in!
Please hear me tonight. Don’t teach your children that it is wrong to cry or show their feelings. God made us Emotional Beings! Men need to Learn how to Hug More!
p.12
If you are a Mercy Person as a Man, you are not a Harsh Disciplinarian. Your method is not to Grab them by the Hair. You might sit down with them & say, “We need to Talk about This Son.”
A lot of wives, see Mercy Men as Weak Men & if they aren’t careful they will lose respect for them. Ladies be careful here please, & don’t try to wear the pants in the family because that isn’t God’s Place.
III. The Good Samaritan Was An Excellent
Example of a Mercy Person.
p.13
Please turn to Luke 10:28-37. We know this story very well. Jesus said, “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, & fell among thieves, who Stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, & departed, leaving him half dead.”
A certain “Priest” or “Pastor” walked by this man that was in the Ditch, but he didn’t have the time to stop. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side of the road. (God help us). He was too busy Preparing his Sermon.
-He was maybe a good preacher.
-But he forgot that Ministry is People.
p.14
Later that day, a “Levite” or a “Deacon” came to the place where the man was wounded & Lying in a Ditch, but he didn’t have time to Stop either, because it would make him Late for his Board Meeting.
-He was thankful for his Position.
-But he didn’t have time to get involved.
-He saw the man in the Ditch.
-But he passed by on the other side.
-And he didn’t think too much about it.
-He forgot that he was chosen to Serve.
“But a Certain Samaritan was Also Traveling”
p.15
-He was considered as a Half Breed.....
-The Jewish People didn’t like his kind.
-But the Samaritan came to where he was at!
-I see several things in this story.
1. He saw the man in the Ditch & had Compassion.
He had the Ability to feel the Hurting man’s Distress.
2. He went to him. Mercy people are Drawn to Hurting People. v.34
3. He bound up his wounds. He wanted to Remove the Hurt.
p.16
4. He took care of the man in the Ditch. v.34
5. He paid his bill. He was sensitive to the Hurting Persons Needs. v.35
6. He Trusted the Innkeeper. He had the Ability to Discern the Inn-Keepers Sincerity.
When their Gift is not Functioning Properly, they may let their feelings out by Lashing out in Anger. But on the Inside it is Tearing them to Pieces.
p. 17
IV. The Profile of a Mercy Person.
1. Easily discerns the Motives of People.
2. Looks for the good in People. They are none
Critical.
3. They Sense the Spiritual & Emotional Atmosphere of a Group.
4. They are Attracted to Hurting People.
5. They want People to have a Right Relationship with Each Other.
p.18
6. They don’t want to Hurt Anyone!
7. They can often detect insincerity in others.
8. They are often drawn to other Mercy People.
9. They may lack firmness, unless they see that it can help.
10. They can Die Emotionally without Strokes.
p.19
V. Pollutions of the Mercy Person.
1. They may easily explode when their feelings
are Repressed.
2. They may Nurse a Hurt for a Long Time.
3. They may Turn Inward, if they are Hurt by
Someone.
VI. Profiles of a Child.
1. Shyness, quiet disposition. (Hates Yelling).
p.20
2. Easily upset by Noise or Harsh Commands.
3. Smiles a Lot, loves to be Cuddled.
4. Finds it hard to Stand up for their Rights.
5. Drawn to the Rejects of Society.
6. Runs in Small Groups.
7. Finds it hard to communicate about feelings because they are so deep.
8. They are Emotional Children & they need to Learn how to Handle their Emotions.
p.21
