Key Scripture
James 2:5-13
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Prayer
Father, thank you for your mercy. Holy Spirit, speak and move through your Word in my life. Help me to listen when you speak, to respond when you call and to turn my life over to Jesus.
In Jesus’ holy name, amen!
Sermon Notes
If grace is getting what you ever deserved, mercy is not getting what you do. Mercy can be a truly difficult concept to grasp until you’ve seen it in action.
Mercy is compassion, kindness and forgiveness where it is completely undeserved.
In Hebrew, mercy is primarily written in two words:
1 - Hesed: Loving
2 - Rachamim: Tender
In all your messiness - all your brokenness - God is meeting, comforting and cleaning you. This is so much more than the kind of mercy given out of pity. It’s the kind of mercy you want to give because you love your child that much!
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
All three of them are well-known in the community but for very different reasons:
1 - The woman for her reputation
2 - The pharisee as a religious leader
3 - Jesus as both
Jesus welcomes even your most broken worship because he knows the heart - you don’t have to have your life together, but you do need to repent!
Sometimes, broken praise is the most powerful, most profound and most authentic worship there is. It blesses Jesus more than we can imagine.
Is it worth the cost? The cost of dignity, repentance, reputation.
God’s Hesed - He made a promise to show grace, compassion, love, forgiveness and mercy to his people.
God’s Rachamim - His tender, gentle mercy like that of a mother and her child.
You are the Beloved. You are intimately loved long before your parents, teachers, spouses, children and friends loved or wounded you. That’s the truth of our life. That’s the truth spoken b the voice that says, “You are my Beloved.”- Henrie Nouwen
Baptism is a big deal!
1 - You’re sins are washed away (Acts 2:38)
2 - You’re united with Jesus’ death and resurrection (Romans 3:3-4, Colossians 2:12)
3 - You’re showing the world you belong to Jesus (Galatians 3:27
4 - You’re baptized into the family of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)
4 - You’re baptized by the Holy Spirit through prayer
Questions and challenges:
Q: Where do I need to show and receive mercy in my life?
Q: Does my worship, my love for Jesus, reflect how much I know Jesus has done for me?
Worship this week