The Son of Man Came to Deliver Not Destroy

Father, we thank you for today. What a great joy it is to serve you. We thank you, Lord, for the opportunity we have to study your word, because it's about you. And I pray that today we would see you in all of your glory and worship you for who you are. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Turn once again in your Bible with me, if you would, to Luke chapter 9, Luke chapter 9, 61 verses, and chapter 9, I believe it is, yeah, 62 verses. I'm sorry. It's a long chapter, but we're just about done through chapter 9.

And today we look once again at the marvelous picture of Jesus Christ, our Lord. We've been looking at his ministry. We've been traveling with Christ for two and a half years through his ministry. We have seen all about the ministry for just about 32 and a half years. We began in Luke chapter 1 looking at the coming of the Messiah. And so we've had an extensive study of the ministry of Christ. And as we study the scriptures, we see Christ for who he is. And when we examine the Bible, Christ is our study, and we see him.

And the more we see him, the more we see us. And the more we see us, the more we see how far short we fall from his glory. And so therefore, the great study of Christ helps us to understand our condition and how much we need him and how much we need to fall upon him, his wonderful grace and his mercy to sustain us. So once again, today we will see our Lord. And we will see what happens as we study him, his attributes, and realize how far short we fall. And we can depend upon him for all things. Luke chapter 9, verse number 51.

And it came about when the days were approaching for his ascension, that he resolutely set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead of him. And they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for him. And they did not receive him because he was journeying with his face toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them? But he turned and rebuked them and said, you do not know what kind of spirit you are of.

For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went on to another village. This little incident is about one thing. And that one thing is the mercy of God. Now, his mercy is not mentioned in our text. But the text is about Christ. And we will see, it's all about his mercy. His tender, forgiving, kind, gentle, patient nature is once again put on display when it comes to understanding this little village in Samaria. And having understood our Lord and his mercy, we begin to see how far short we fall in our ministry of demonstrating mercy to others.

Mercy is a great word. You know, it used to be that parents named their children mercy, because it's such a beautiful name. It's such a beautiful representative of our Lord. To be called one who is merciful is probably one of the greatest, greatest compliments one could ever give to you. To be called merciless would be one of the great indictments someone would label you. For instance, if you are vicious and vengeful and looking for ways to destroy other people's lives, that would be a merciless person.

But to be called mercy is a word of great kindness and compassion. Now, we have studied the life of Christ. We have seen him walking along in the land of Israel. We have seen him in the valleys. We have seen him on the hilltops. We have seen him in the villages, on the roads. We have seen him on the lake. We have seen him around the lake. And it helps us understand the great ministry that Christ had with his own men. It was a ministry of true discipleship. It was a ministry where he would impart his life to his men.

It's a ministry that marks what disciple making is really all about. Discipleship is not about meeting once a week for a Tuesday night class. That's not discipleship. It's not about reading a book and coming together to even talk about the book. That's not what disciple making is. Disciple making is learning to interpret life's events through the mind of Christ. And so what Christ did was take his men with him on his journeys. And as they would encounter different events, different people, different situations, he would then interpret life and its events and its circumstances through his mind.

Because his men needed to think as he himself would think. And that's what true discipleship is really all about. And we saw last time that he taught them about a lesson on humility. So important. And now today a lesson on mercy. Very, very important. Why? Because God said through the pen of Micah, Micah chapter 6 verse number 8, what does the Lord require of you, O man, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Last time we learned about humility and how important it was to walk humbly with your God.

This time we're going to learn about mercy and how it is we are to love mercy and the one who is merciful. And how we are to do justly by by living that truth out in our lives on a daily basis. And so we come to to gather together on this Lord's day and we realize that there are many lessons that God wants to teach us. He was, of course, the lowliest. So he teaches about humility. He was, of course, the one who is merciful. So he teaches about mercy. This truly is about the mission of Christ and the mission of mercy that he had to the multitudes.

And there's only two points I want to cover with you this morning. They're in your outline. One is this, that mercy is exhibited all throughout the scripture. And then number two, mercy is extended to all sinners.

Simple as that. Mercy is exhibited all throughout the scripture and mercy itself is extended to all sinners. And we need to come to grips with that. So we're going to help you understand a little bit about mercy this morning. Help you come to grips with what the Bible says about mercy.

The Bible says these words in the book of Proverbs, the third chapter, verses three and four. Do not let mercy and truth leave you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart so you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man. It's important for you to know that mercy is ranked right alongside of truth. Do not let mercy and truth depart from you. Bind them around your neck. Make them be a part of your everyday life for it will be well with you if you do that, Solomon says to his son.

Now we know about truth. We know that Psalm 138 verse number two says that God magnifies his word even as his very name.

So we know how high a standard God has for his word, his truth. How important it is to him that it's equated with the very name of Jesus himself. The Bible says in first Timothy three that the church is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

In other words as a church we are to uphold that truth. But we also know that that that truth is ranked right alongside of of mercy according to Proverbs three verses three and four. And we realize that that Paul said in Ephesians chapter four that we are to speak that truth in love. And so we begin to understand more about mercy. We realize that mercy is what God is. Psalm 103 verse number one and verse number eight says that God is merciful.

Psalm 145 verse number eight says that he is great in mercy. Mercy is not something God has. Mercy is something that God is. He embodies mercy. The Bible over the book of Hosea, the fourth chapter. We understand how what God thinks of mercy. Verse number one, listen to the word of the Lord oh sons of Israel.

For the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing, and adultery. They employ violence so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns and everyone who lives in it languishes. The problem with your land though Israel is that you lack truth and you lack mercy. You lack the knowledge of God to implement the truth and mercy so much so that the land itself languishes.

Over in Hosea chapter 12 verse number six God says therefore return to me. Observe mercy and justice and wait for your God continually. God is concerned that his people not only believe the truth but they demonstrate the mercy, listen, they demonstrate the mercy that helps others understand you are committed to that truth. Listen to what it says in Zechariah chapter seven. Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah verse number eight. Thus says the Lord of hosts dispense true justice, practice kindness and mercy each to his brother, and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor, and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.

But they refuse to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing and they made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts has sent by his spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts and it came about that just as he called and they would not listen so they called and I would not listen says the Lord of hosts. God says this you must demonstrate your commitment to truth.

You're going to demonstrate that in the kindness and the compassion and the mercy that my truth exemplifies and the nation of Israel refused to listen.

They didn't want to hear. They didn't want to hear about the mercy of God. They didn't want to hear about the extension of that mercy to others. So God says listen carefully when you called or when I called to you and told you what to do you would not listen.

Your hearts became stubborn so I tell you what when you call upon me guess what I won't listen to you. Could it be that so many times we go to God in prayer and there is no response from God simply because we are merciless. We will not show the mercy, the compassion, the kindness that is to radiate our lives and God says you refuse to hear me.

You refuse to respond to my word. So when you call to me guess what I will not listen because your sins of being unmerciful unkind and not showing compassion your sins have hindered my hearing your prayers. Could it be that that happens in many people's lives and they don't even know it today. They're Christians. They love the Lord and they have been praying for God to do something and God says I'm not listening because of your unmerciful spirit, your unforgiving spirit, your unkind heart truth and mercy are linked together and God wants us to follow his word.

Listen mercy is so beneficial to you. Listen to the words of Proverbs chapter 11. Proverbs 11 verse number 17. This is so good. The merciful man does himself good. In other words the merciful man does good to his soul but the cruel man, the unmerciful man troubles his flesh, harms his soul. The merciful man does his so good so much so that he when he goes to sleep sleeps well but the unmerciful man because of his worries, because of his distress, because of the cruelness in which he's demonstrated to others keeps his soul from ever being satisfied, from ever sleeping.

Proverbs 14 verse number 21 says he who despises his neighbor's sins but happy is he who is gracious to the poor will they not go astray who devise evil but mercy and truth will be to those who devise good. Mercy and truth will be to those who devise good. Why? Because mercy is godlike. That's why. Mercy is beneficial to your soul because once you have experienced the mercy of God by nature then you extend the mercy of God. And once you extend the mercy that you have now experienced that mercy now is shown back to you by God himself.

By continually showing mercy. That's what the psalmist said in psalm 36. The psalmist said these words in verse number five, thy mercy oh lord, in the new american standard it's translated loving kindness which is another way of saying the mercy of God, thy mercy oh lord extends to the heavens, thy faithfulness reaches to the skies. Verse seven, how precious is thy mercy oh God. Verse 10, oh continue thy mercy to those who know thee and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. The psalmist knew that once mercy was extended having been experienced he then receives mercy in return, the loving kindness of God.

Remember over in psalm, I'm sorry, Luke chapter 1 verse number 78, the song of Zacharias. Zacharias said because of the tender mercy of our God with which the sunrise from on high shall visit us. Verse 77 says to give to his people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins because of the tender mercy of God. We receive salvation, we receive forgiveness because of God's tender mercies toward us. So we see that mercy is is god-like. Luke 6 36 says that we are to be merciful even as our God in heaven is merciful.

Ephesians chapter 2 says that God himself is rich in mercy. He's not stingy with his mercy, he is rich in mercy. So because mercy has been experienced, mercy needs to be extended and that's why it's commanded over in the book of Colossians chapter 3. It says and so as those who have been chosen of God holy and beloved put on a heart of tender mercy or compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. You've been chosen by God, you've been set apart by God, therefore you need to be clothed with tender mercies, kindness, humility and patience.

Mercy is reciprocal. Matthew 5 verse number 7 says blessed are the merciful for they themselves shall obtain mercy. Those who extend mercy receive mercy. But note this, mercy is necessary in order to avoid the judgment of God. That's what James said. James chapter 2 verse number 13. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. That's what the whole parable of Matthew 18 is about. About the king who had forgiven a man such a such a little debt and that man who had begged for mercy received it from the king yet he went out and took a man who owed him a very little and shook him and threw him in the prison because he would not pay him just a fraction of the amount he owed to him and when the king heard about it he was furious and the king said these words should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave even as I had mercy on you and his lord moved with anger handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him and then it says the verse 35 so shall my heavenly father also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart do you know that if you don't show mercy by extending forgiveness to someone who has wronged you God turns you over to the tormentors your soul becomes tormented it's it's the same word used in Matthew 8 to speak of of of the centurion son who is in great pain almost unto death God says you need to experience some pain so that you understand the magnitude of my forgiveness towards you so that you will in no way ever withhold forgiveness from someone who has offended you mercy is exhibited all throughout the scripture because it defines our God he is a God of mercy and he extends that mercy in the new testament the word mercy Elias is a word that truly is defined this way it is the condescending love that reaches out and is ready to meet the need of someone whether they deserve it or not that is mercy it's the condescending love that reaches out to someone whether they deserve your mercy or whether they don't deserve your mercy it is the ultimate pity the ultimate compassion defined in Luke chapter 15 as as as we know the story of the prodigal son who once he returned to his father received the mercy of his father the tender forgiveness of his father it demonstrates the character and nature of our great God remember in Romans 9 23 the Bible defines us as vessels of mercy we are vessels those of us who are saved are vessels of mercy we have received the mercy of God his tender compassion his kindness toward us who don't deserve anything but hell yet we receive the gift of grace that is the mercy of God and that mercy is extended to all sinners and that's the theme of our story that's what this story in Luke chapter 9 is all about it's about the ministry in the mission of mercy let me help you understand how it is our Lord had a mission of mercy listen to what the text says in verse number 51 and it came about it's a term that that deals with we don't know the exact time it could have been a day or or two or a week or two after the preceding event it came about sometime after the argument arose about who was the greatest in the kingdom and Christ would teach them concerning humility and how it is they should be the least among themselves how they should not set themselves out to rank themselves above themselves but to set themselves under each one it came about sometime after that that this event then would occur and the bible says these words and it came about when the days were approaching for his ascension ascension this is a a verse of transition everything up to Luke 9 verse number 51 listen carefully was all about his coming and now from Luke 9 51 and following it's all about his going first of all it was all about his coming in Luke chapter 1 it was about a man and wife Zacharias and Elizabeth who would have a forerunner to announce the arrival of the coming one the messiah and then we have the announcement to to Mary about the coming of the coming one the messiah and that she would have a child and Luke chapter 2 the child came child was born and the shepherds came to see the one who who who had arrived and it was all about the coming one and when he came he grew and as he grew he would go from village to village extending mercy to those all around it was all about the coming of the messiah and as he came he would reveal more and more of who he was finally in Luke 9 we realize that they make that great proclamation when Christ says okay I have come who do men say that I am well some say you're Elijah some say you're Jeremiah some say you're one of the prophets but who do you say that I am well you are the Christ the son of the living God you are Christ the messiah of God the great confession it was all about his coming and in his coming the great revelation of his glory who he is and as he would come he would slowly but surely reveal more and more of himself to his disciples at a full grasp of the identity of the messiah but now now the emphasis will be on his going his coming would make the disciples think that the kingdom would come but then in Luke 9 we also saw that there was the the the the the proclamation about the cross of Christ that he must die and then again later on in Luke chapter 9 the disciples were were taken back by the amazement of the crowd when Christ cast out the demon of this young boy they thinking once again that that the kingdom would come to earth at that time and Christ says no it's a certainty I'm going to die I'm on a mission of mercy I have come to demonstrate my mercy this is not a time for judgment it's a time to extend mercy and so I've come to extend that but before before anything happens concerning the kingdom before the crown there must be a cross before the glory there is Golgotha before the coronation there's a crucifixion before the exaltation there is a humiliation you must understand all of that the death must occur he came to present himself having effectually presented himself as the messiah these last six months of his life having come it's all about now his going to Jerusalem to die to show the ultimate mission of mercy he came to die for unworthy man he came to die for sinful man it's all now going to be about his glory is his going and it came about when the days were approaching for his ascension these are not just generic days these are specific days soon the specific days the fullness of those days remember our lord operated on the timetable of his father everything was running on course nothing had happened out of sync everything was running exactly as our lord wanted it to run because he was on the timetable of his heavenly father and it was a time the days are approaching for his ascension his on olympus only time the word is used in the new testament some people think it it refers to his lifting up at calvary because in john chapter 3 he says as a serpent was lifted up in the wilderness so must the son of man be lifted up and in john chapter 12 it says very clearly if i be lifted up i will draw all men to myself but i think it goes way beyond that to literally the ascension the new american standard version had it right when it says time was approaching for his ascension how do we know that because as you recall earlier in luke chapter 9 when they are on the mount of transfiguration there was a discussion between moses elijah and jesus in a verse number 31 they were talking about things concerning his exodus his departure all the things that would take place in jerusalem concerning his departure now we know we know that jesus anticipated that departure in john 17 in verses 4 and 5 in his high priestly prayer he would pray about going back to glory and receiving the glory he had before he arrived on earth hebrews 12 verses 1 and 2 talks about the joy that was set before him he could despise the saint the shame because there was a joy what was the joy it was the glory the exaltation the coronation that would be his after he died rose again and ascended back into glory to sit down at the right hand of god the father it's all about the fullness of time everything was running on course up to this point it had all been about the coming of the messiah but now there's a transition it's all going to be said about his going he's going back to his father he's going to jerusalem in order to go back to his father in heaven and the bible says clearly he resolutely set his face to go to jerusalem that is a word of discipline that is a word of conviction that is a word of resolve i'm going to jerusalem i'm going to die i'm going to rise and i'm going to ascend it's time to go to jerusalem now jerusalem is only a few days walk from samaria but say they would meander all around the land of judea until the time of passover when he would arrive in jerusalem that's why in the garden he said nevertheless let nevertheless thy will be done let this cup pass for me but nevertheless let thy will be done lord why because he had resolutely set his face to go to jerusalem because that's where he would die the ultimate act of mercy he would provide a way for you and me who are unworthy to go to heaven it would be through a sacrifice and so he was on a mission of mercy that's so important jude says he called it the mercy of our lord jesus christ unto eternal life and the bible says over in second corinthians chapter four verse number one therefore since we have this ministry as we received mercy we do not lose heart what would keep paul from discouragement what would keep paul from depression what would keep paul from from giving up what would keep paul from from throwing in the towel and saying i quit he had received mercy and now we had a ministry that pertained to mercy folks listen the understanding of god's mercy in your life keeps you going from day to day a lack of understanding about the mercy will cause you to throw in the towel to quit to become discouraged to become angry set back fed up but to understand the mercy of god and how it's been manifested in your life how you are a recipient of that mercy because you are a vessel of mercy and now you have been entrusted with the ministry of mercy that in itself will cause you intrinsically to be motivated from the inside out not to quit but to keep going not to be discouraged but with resolute determination complete the ministry that god's entrusted to you until that time you are in glory with him that's so important and so this mercy exhibited all through scripture is extended to lost people is extended to sinners listen to what the bible says it says this and he sent messengers on ahead of him he went and entered a village of the samaritans now this is unique because christ would go where no jew would go the samaritans were people who were half breeds who had abandoned their jewish roots and their jewish heritage they had absorbed paganism they served their own gods they had their own style of worship at mount garrison their temple had been destroyed so they were kind of like the the outdoor woodstock kind of people they were kind of like the free spirited people they worshipped in great spirit but not in truth there was great spirit to the worship of the samaritans it was that outdoor kind of flair it was an outdoor kind of ministry it was kind of unique in its own style and yet it was completely void of truth and it was the samaritans this samaritan village that christ would send these messengers to this is important it's very important because the ministry of christ went beyond the conventional limitations his ministry was worldwide his ministry was to all mary had spoken about it in luke chapter one in her great magnificent explaining about the the mercy of god from generation to generation and simeon would also explain it as he received has he helped us understand that the light had come and now would be shown upon the gentile nations and luke is very unique at showing to us how it is christ came for all men matthew focuses on the jewish people but luke focuses on all humanity that's why he speaks so so readily uh concerning the the prostitutes and the the thieves and and tax collectors and the ignoble the people that are on the outskirts and and that's why luke records that whole significant statement in luke chapter four when christ came to preach in the synagogue at nazareth and christ began to demonstrate how it is he came for all men and he gave the illustration about that gentile widow and zarephath and and that terrorist king namen how they came to faith because they were outside of jewish people they were outside of judaism they were they were gentile people but they received the grace and mercy of god so luke has an emphasis on how it is that mercy is extended to all people and here it is they go to a village in samaria and it was to a samaritan woman in john 4 that christ would present the gospel to and she would give her life to christ it was the most famous of all parables the parable of the good samaritan which we will cover in a few weeks in luke chapter 10 the most famous of all the parables where a samaritan is the hero of the story and remember in act chapter 1 verse number 8 when the command was given to the disciples that after this the holy spirit will come upon you you will receive power and you will be my witnesses in jerusalem judia and samaria see that christ came for all men not just some men so important to understand and so these messages were sent and they would come into the city of of samaria and into this village and they would say we want to let you know that there there are 12 men coming they're they're all jews now jews wouldn't go through samaria they would walk around samaria because of its defilement but these messages would go in and say we we have 12 men 12 apostles 12 preachers and we have somebody else and it's god god is coming to your city god is coming to visit you god and 12 of his men are arriving and we need you to make preparations for their arrival the bible says verse 53 and they did not receive him wow huh god's coming so we don't want him they did not receive him they rejected him now why did they reject him this is very important to understand they didn't reject him for theological reasons they rejected him for racial region reasons it was a racial rejection not a theological rejection how do we know that the bible says and they did not receive him because he was journeying with his face toward jerusalem he is a jew he is going to that city where that temple is that herodian temple is and they despise the herodian temple he is going to jerusalem he will worship in that temple in jerusalem he will in no way pass through this area he is not coming here because he is a jew who worships in the herodian temple it wasn't because they recognized him as the lord god of it wasn't a theological reason it was a racial reason he's a jew he's going to jerusalem and we will not have him here okay and when his disciples james and john saw this they said lord do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them now that's probably a pretty rational reason lord they don't want you we got an idea we're going to call fire down from heaven and we'll just burn them up we'll just we'll fry them right here now james and john's sons of thunder they they tend to think that way they're kind of violent men anyway and they're thinking you're not going to receive my lord then you know what you're as good as dead let's burn them up now ask yourself this question where did they come up with that idea what made them think of that they had never done that before had they healed sick yes had they cast out demons yes had they raised the dead yes had they ever called fire down from heaven answer no so what made them think that they could call fire down from heaven and consume these samaritans yes for the simple reason that they were in the exact same region that elijah called down fire from heaven when the king had sent 50 men men to to capture him and take him back and because he was a man of god he called fire down from heaven and consumed them all greeb out of first kings chapter one consumed all and then the king sent 50 more people 50 more soldiers and elijah called fire down from heaven again and consumed them and then the king sent 50 more soldiers and and and they came to beg elijah to come with them and of course their lives were spared but remember john was on the mount of transfiguration and who was there with john elijah they got this elijah thing going on they're elijah conscious after all i've been on the mountain with elijah elijah was here he did it lord we're prophets of god we're being used of god like elijah was lord let's just call down fire from heaven zap him be done with it and off to jerusalem we go sounds like a pretty good idea if you're carnal insensitive and unmerciful which jesus is not and so very simply this it says but he turned and rebuked them and said you do not know what kind of spirit you are of for the son of man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them it was time for the disciples to learn a very key lesson you can't go through ministry and zap and everybody who rejects me you just can't do that that's not the time for that nor have you been given that responsibility now this is very important because you need to understand that there's a time for mercy and this was that time there's going to be a time where god will never dispense his mercy upon sinful man in fact if you read over in luke chapter 10 we'll be here in a couple of weeks it says this um in luke chapter 10 verse number 10 it says but whatever city you enter and they do not receive you go out into its streets and say even the dust of your city which clings to your feet we wipe off and protest against you yet be sure of this that the kingdom of god has come near i say to you it will be more tolerable in that day for sodom and gomorrah than for that city woe to you chorus and woe to you beseda for if the miracles had been performed in tyre and sidon which occurred in you they would have repented long ago sitting in sackcloth and ashes but it will be more tolerable for tyre and sidon in the judgment than for you and you copernim you will not be exalted to heaven will you you will be brought down to hades there is a time when mercy will no longer be extended to those who've seen the miracles and heard the message and rejected it in full revelation mercy will no longer be extended but to those who are ignorant who have not seen nor have they heard mercy is extended that's what paul says in first timothy chapter one remember that in his great testimony that he had persecuted christians but he did it in ignorance and then he says and the mercy of god was shown to me folks this is so crucial the bible says they would leave and go to another village another village but you know what it's not the end this is not the end for samaria because listen to the words recorded in the book of acts acts chapter eight verse number six and the multitudes with one accord were giving attention to what was said by philip as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing says in verse number five and philip went down to the city of samaria and began proclaiming christ to them and the multitudes with one accord were giving attention to what was said by philip as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing for in the case of many who had unclean spirits they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed and there was much rejoicing in that city it was not time for them to receive the messiah but when you come to the book of acts in the eighth chapter after christ had died for those in samaria rose again for those in samaria and ascended up into heaven for those in samaria and philip would go back and perform many signs and wonders and miracles in samaria that there were many then who gave their life to christ the messiah in luke 9 it was not their time in acts 8 it was their time that's why we extend mercy because we don't know what time it is for those we share the gospel with doing we don't know we just keep extending mercy we have a mission of mercy like christ had a mission of mercy we have a ministry of mercy that keeps us going having experienced the mercy of god we set now to extend it as well as explain it to those who have yet to receive that mercy because we want them to have what we ourselves have we want them to experience the forgiveness of god as we have received the forgiveness of god and that's why jude says these words in jude 21 keep yourselves in the love of god waiting anxiously for the mercy of our lord jesus christ eternal life and have mercy on some who are doubting save others snatching them out of the fire and on some have mercy with fear hating even the garment polluted by the flesh jude concludes his epistle concerning apostasy your ministry must be consumed with mercy because there's people out there who have yet to obtain that great mercy of god so when you go to them you extend the mercy because you've experienced mercy you explain mercy because you've experienced mercy you exhibit mercy because you have experienced mercy mercy should exude our lives why because mercy and truth are ranked together they go hand in hand our lord was on a mission of mercy it was not the apostles to to consume those who would not repent and believe it was not our ministry to to call down fire from heaven upon those who do not receive the gospel we preach the gospel we want to introduce them to christ they don't want to hear the gospel you know what it's not time for the mercy to be extended to them yet from god we extend mercy to them through kindness and gentleness and mercy that we portray because evidently it's not their time and we don't even know if they will ever experience that mercy but that's not ours to judge that's our lord's and so our lord trying to train his men to be like him to minister like he ministered wanted them to know you got to do justly but you got to love mercy and you've got to walk humbly with me those three qualities make up the minister of christ you love the truth you love the truth you love mercy and you love to walk humbly with your god and and that's how how luke 9 is beginning to wrap itself up you've got to love humility you got to love to to put yourself under others and demonstrate mercy as you go living out the truth that's been proclaimed to you we had that mission the same mission that christ himself had how you doing at that are you extending mercy to those round about you knowing that it's maybe not their time only the lord god knows they're ignorant in their unbelief they have no idea as to the understanding of christ the messiah through mercy that ministry we give them the truth about the god of mercy that they in turn would be the recipients of the mercy that god extends to them let's pray together father we thank you for this day and we thank you lord for the mercy that you've exhibited in our lives that you extended to us when we were so unworthy and we were able to see and to grasp we are so grateful for that mercy the tender compassionate kindness of god lavished on those who are so undeserving and yet we've received the gift of eternal life maybe there's someone here today lord who has yet to receive that gift may today be the day of their salvation may they come to the saving knowledge of jesus christ our lord and realize that he came on a mission of mercy that they might be recipients of that mercy we pray in jesus name amen