LOOKING FOR THE MERCY
SCRIPTURE: Jude 1:21 “Keep yourselves in the love of
God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
INTRODUCTION:
5083 tereo {tay-reh'-o} from
teros (a watch, perhaps akin to 2334); TDNT- 8:140,1174; v
AV- keep 57, reserve 8, observe 4, watch 2, preserve 2, keeper 1, hold
fast 1; 75
1) to attend to carefully, take care of [If
you do nothing else in life, “take care” to be in the love of God.]
1a) to guard
1b) metaph. to keep, one in
the state in which he is
1c) to observe
1d) to reserve: to undergo
something
Jude v. 21 refers to the
second coming; keep your hope sharp and bright, looking for the intervention
again of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ray
Stedman
As we keep the blessed hope
of Christ's immanent return alive in our hearts, this effectively keeps us in
the love of God, and helps us to not give away our faith. David Guzik
None
but those who “keep themselves” are likely to “save” others JFB
looking for in hope JFB
4327 prosdechomai
{pros-dekh'-om-ahee} from 4314 and 1209; TDNT - 2:57,146; v
AV - look for 4, wait for 3, receive 3, waited for + 2258 1, allow 1,
take 1, accept 1; 14
1) to receive to one's self, to admit, to give access to one's self
1a) to admit one, receive one
into intercourse and companionship
1b) to receive one (coming
from some place)
1c) to accept (not to reject)
a thing offered
2) to expect: the fulfilment of promises
1656 eleos {el'-eh-os} of
uncertain affinity;TDNT - 2:477,222; n n
AV - mercy 28; 28
1) mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined
with a desire to
help them
1a) of men towards men: to exercise the virtue of mercy,
show one's self merciful
1b) of God towards men: in
general providence; the mercy and clemency of God in providing
and offering to men salvation by Christ
1c) the mercy of Christ, whereby at his return to judgment he will bless true
Christians with eternal life
I. LOOKING FOR THE MERCY OF SALVATION
How many here can say like John Newton in his song Amazing
Grace, “I once was lost”?
A. Personal
Testimony --> Saved Dec. 5, 1982
1. At
the end of my rope.
2. In
fear of judgment.
3. In
need of mercy.
4. I
went to the House of God . . . looking for the mercy.
Titus 1:3 “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;”
5. He
saved me!!!!!! According to His mercy,
He saved me!!!!!!
Ephesians 2:4 “But God, who is rich in
mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved
us,” Ephesians 2:5 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us
together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”
B. To Seek And To
Save
Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a
son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from
their sins.”
Matthew 8:25 “And his disciples came to him,
and awoke him, saying, Lord, save
us: we perish.”
Matthew 14:29 “And he said, Come. And when
Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he
was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.”
How many times has this call gone
out?
How many times has He answered
the call?
Matthew 14:31 “And immediately Jesus
stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little
faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
Matthew 18:11 “For the Son of man is come to
save that which was lost.”
From the very beginning to the
very end, it was a ministry of mercy.
C. Look back
yourself to the that time when you came . . . looking for mercy.
I
Corinthians 6:9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom
of God?
Be
not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers
of themselves with mankind, 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall
inherit the kingdom of God. 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are
washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God.”
D. Keep in mind
that many who are astray today are just like you once were. The difference
now between you and them is that you have
accepted the mercy and they are still
lingering or looking for the mercy.
Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful: for
they shall obtain mercy.”
Remember, you will reap what you sow.
II. LOOKING FOR THE MERCY OF CONTINUATION (Strength to go on.)
A. At The End
1. Of
the Life Of A Loved One
2. Of
A Paycheck
3. Of
A “Bad Day”
4. Of
Falling To Temptation
B. The Difference
Between
1.
David vs. Saul
a. David
1. A shepherd boy with humble beginnings.
2. A Man After God’s Own Heart
3. Sinned and was reprimanded by Nathan.
4. Repented of his failures and returned to
God. (Looking for the mercy.)
5. Died in honor as a man after God’s own
heart.
b. Saul
1. Humble beginnings. Hid himself when chosen to be king.
2. Head and shoulders above the rest.
3. Sinned and was reprimanded by Samuel.
4. Hardened his heart and rebelled.
5. Committed suicide after being wounded in
battle.
I Samuel 31:2 “And the Philistines followed
hard upon Saul and upon his sons;
and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul’s
sons.”
I Samuel 31:3 “And the battle
went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and
he
was sore wounded of the archers. 31:4
Then said Saul unto his armorbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me
through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me.
But his armorbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a
sword, and fell upon it.”
2.
Peter vs. Judas
-->Both
were chosen to be among the twelve disciples.
Only one persisted. Why?
C. The Saint’s
Secret To Staying Saved
1.
Keep going back to the throne of grace . . . looking for the mercy!!
(I am in no way suggesting an abuse of the
grace of God by being willingly sinful.)
Hebrews
4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling
of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.”
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly [boldly--Greek,
"with confidence,"] unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to
help in time of need.”
mercy--"Compassion," by its derivation
(literally, fellow feeling from community of suffering), corresponds to
the character of our High Priest "touched with the feeling of our infirmities".
2. The throne of God is a throne of grace;
we may come to obtain mercy (not getting what we deserve) and find
grace (getting what we don't deserve) in our time
of need. David Guzik
D. Satan’s
Strategy
Discouraging us from this access is a
central strategy of Satan; David Guzik
1. He
either wants us to consider Jesus unapproachable (perhaps we should come
by Mary or the saints?), David Guzik “I can’t go directly to God.”
2. Or
to consider Him impotent to help, not as one who sits on a throne in
heaven.
“God can’t help me.”
3.
“I’ve gone too far. No one can
help me now.
III. LOOKING FOR THE MERCY OF CONFRONTATION
James 2:13 “For he shall have
judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against
judgment.”
James here guards us against
a selective obedience, the sort that will pick and choose which commands
of God should be obeyed and which could be safely disregarded. We are under the law of liberty; it
has liberty, yet it is still a law that must be obeyed and that we will
be judged by at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). As those who will be judged by the law of
liberty, we do well to show mercy to others by refraining from partiality;
the mercy we show will be extended to us again on the day of judgment, and will
enable us to triumph over judgment.
David Guzik
IV. LOOKING FOR THE MERCY OF GRADUATION
How many have breathed their last breath uttering the
words, “Lord have mercy.”
A. It will depend
on your heart’s intent. Is this just a
statement used casually.
It will depend on God’s mercy.
B. Sinners will
be looking for judgment.
Hebrews 10:26 “For if we sin wilfully after
that we have received the knowledge of
the truth, there remaineth no
more sacrifice for sins, 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of
judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”
C. Saints will be
looking for the mercy.
CONCLUSION:
I 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,”