To Whom God Shows Mercy

And if you take your Bibles and turn if you would to Psalm 57. Psalm 57 this morning. The last few weeks, we've been talking about prayer We looked last week what we should pray for many things we have to pray for. Sad to say the problem isn't that we don't have things to pray for. Problem is we often forget to pray.

We often look for solutions in every other every other part of life other than God and we forget to talk to him. In James four, James writes, you have not because you what? Because you ask not. You have not because you ask not. Jesus said, ask and it shall be given unto you.

Seek and you shall find, knock, and it shall be open unto you. For he that ask receiveth and to him that seeks, he findeth and to him that knocks shall be open. The Lord is gracious and merciful. It is because of his grace and his mercy that we have this opportunity today to know him. It is because of his grace and mercy.

We have this opportunity to know that our sins are forgiven in him. And to praise his name here together this morning. It is because of his mercy and grace that we have the opportunity to bring our requests before him. If you've read the Psalms, it becomes evident quite quickly that the Psalms are not only songs which is what Psalm means is song. But they, in many cases, are prayers.

Often Psalm is a prayer The whole Psalm portion of the Psalm is David or whoever the Psalmist may be talking with God Bringing their requests before God Expressing their heart before their God. Psalm 57 is one of those. It says here in verse one, be merciful unto me, oh God. Be merciful unto me. For my soul trusted in thee.

Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge. Until these calamities be overpassed. I will cry unto God most high, unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah.

That word Selah means rest for a moment. Meditate on what we just read. David continues God shall send forth his mercy and his truth My soul is among lions and I lie even among them that are set on fire Even the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword. Be thou exalted, oh God, above the heavens. Let thy glory be above all the earth.

They have prepared a net for my steps. My soul is bowed down They have digged a pit for me into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves Ze My heart is fixed, oh God. My heart is fixed I will sing and give praise. Awake up my glory. Awake psaltery and harp.

I, myself, will awake early. I will praise thee, oh Lord, among the people. I will sing unto thee among the nations, for thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, oh God, above the heavens. Let thy glory be above all the earth.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, we thank you today for word of God that you have preserved for us, we might learn more about you and about the relationship that we have with you through faith in your son, Jesus Christ. We pray Lord as we look into it today that we would be challenged in our service to you would be encouraged by your love and your mercy toward us and Lord that we would bow the knee before you that we would trust in you, that we would seek refuge. And our merciful God We pray Lord if there's one here today that's never trusted Christ that Lord that you would give them understanding today. That they might see their need and come to Christ.

In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen. Throwing ourselves upon the abundant mercy and graciousness of God is all a guilty sinner can do and want the redeemed in Christ have to be grateful for most of all. And also have to rely upon every day. The message this morning is about God's wonderful mercy towards us.

We're going to start in verse one. We're going to come back to the the phrase that begins with here, be merciful unto me, oh God, be merciful unto me. We're going to continue down the next few verses for my soul trusted in thee. Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge unto these calamities be overpassed. I will cry unto whom?

Unto God most high. Unto God that performeth all things to me. He shall send from heaven and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. First thing I want us to see this morning is David's plea and who he is making, to whom he is making his plea. Who is David crying out to?

For help. He is crying out to God. He is crying out to a god who isn't a statue who isn't a piece of stone who isn't just somebody's imagination or artwork, who isn't an inanimate object or even an inanimate object that can't do anything for him. He is calling out to the true and living God. He is not calling out to his friends.

David had friends. David had soldiers that were with him probably at this time. It says here in the title to the chief musician, it says at the bottom of the title of my Bible and when he fled from Saul in the cave, it would seem that David wrote this story and think when he was fleeing from King Saul who was coming to take his life, he was hiding in a cave fearing for his life from his enemy. A very real enemy. David had friends but he wasn't crying out to his friends.

He wasn't crying out, crying out to lifeless idols. He was crying out to the true and living God. In just the first few verses here, you see God several times. One, two, three, four times in the first three verses. Emphatically, reminding us that our help and our needs to come from God.

He is our helper. He is the one to whom we should cry. He is the one whom David would take shelter under. In verse 57 he says, In the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge until these calamities be overtaken. Like a hen stretching out her wings to protect her little chicks.

David saw God metaphorically is having wings that could be stretched out over him to protect him in times of trouble. Till the storm passes over. There are many storms in life and life itself might be considered a storm. We can't stop the storm. We are vulnerable to the storm and the storms of life but there is one in heaven who is our refuge till the storm passes over.

It is to him that David cried. When he needed help He is the supreme the God most high as he's called here in verse two The most high God God's position in heaven as most high is not meant to indicate distance from his children. There was a song that was popular when I was a teenager. Part of the lyrics went like this. God is watching us from a distance.

That God is supreme, that God is most high, that God is exalted, is not meant to indicate that God is watching us from a distance, that he is separated from us and we from him. What it is meant to indicate is that God is in a position of power most highly exalted who has the power and the authority and the might and the sovereignty to protect us in times of trouble. He is in a place of power Not only is he in a place of power but he is in a vantage point to where he sees and he knows what's happening in your life and mine. God is not oblivious to your troubles. You may be here today I may know your name.

I might know where you live. Some of you, I've known you for a little while and I know some of your family. You've shared with me some of your burdens. There's much of your life I don't know. But I know someone who does.

He sees everything from his vantage point He sees it and he has the power to do something about it. He is the most high God and not only does he have the power to do something not only does he has the vantage point to see but as David reminds us here he cares. He cares. Like that mother hen that stretches out her wings. Says in verse two, I will cry unto God, unto God most high, unto God that performeth all things what?

You see that? For who? For me. You see, God isn't a disconnected being out there. He is a personal God.

He lives inside my my heart. He hears my prayers. He sent his son from heaven to die on the cross for my sins that I might be forgiven. That I might become his child that he might bless me in untold ways He cares about me. He works in whose behalf.

He works in my behalf. He works in your behalf. Can you imagine that? You know we elect representatives to go off to Congress to work in whose behalf, in our behalf. Do they always do that?

No, they don't. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. The president is elected to work in our behalf. He's not there to tell us what to do. He's there to serve us.

That was the purpose of the way our government was established. For the what? For the people. That doesn't always happen that way. A matter of fact, president doesn't know me.

President for the most part could care less about me. But there's someone greater than the president in heaven and he cares about you and he cares about me and he has asked us, requested of us, invited us to come boldly before his throne. To bring our request to him. Because he desires to do great and mighty things in our life. They Solomon David's son wrote here trust in the Lord with all thine heart.

Lean not into thine own understanding. All thy ways acknowledge him and he shall what? Direct thy paths. If you'll acknowledge him by faith, if you'll look to him in faith, trust in him and call upon his name. He says, I will what?

Direct whose paths? Your paths. He cares that much for you. He's interested that much in your life and in your doings. The most high God That's amazing.

You know, we're so used to thinking about it but it's amazing. He cares for you. He cares for me. He wants to be intimately involved in my life and in yours and if we'll let him, if we'll look to him in faith, he will direct us. In the way that we should go.

He sends forth his help from this exalted place in heaven. And rescues those who put their trust in him. Verse three, he shall send from heaven and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. David says, from heaven, he hears my cry and for heaven, he gives forth the command to rescue me from my enemies Do you have enemies today You do whether you know it or not And the enemies that pose the greatest danger to you are not of flesh and blood. And they're great.

And they're powerful. And we are no match for them. But he is. He is and he cares for you. So, we see David's plea here.

He cried out to God, the most high God. The God who is all powerful and the God who cares about him. What did he cry out for? He cried out for mercy. Be merciful unto me, oh God.

Be merciful unto me. David didn't say to God, give me what I deserve. Because he knew that if he cried out to God for that he wouldn't like the result. We don't cry out to God give me what we deserve because I know what I deserve. I am reminded every day of my life what I deserve Every time I sin.

Every time He reveals his will to me and I choose not to follow. Every time I give in to the flesh, I'm reminded of what I deserve and I don't deserve heaven. I deserve hell. I deserve punishment. I deserve separation from a holy God because I am a depraved, destitute sinner.

The only hope I have of eternity. The only hope I have in life. The only hope I have for forgiveness is found in Jesus Christ, my savior. The only hope I have is the mercy of God because I don't deserve his blessings. I do not deserve a home in heaven.

Because I fail him every day and so I'm reminded that I need his mercy. David didn't say, give me what I deserve. David didn't say, give me what I have earned. The Bible says in the New Testament, Ephesians two eight and nine, for by grace, by God's mercy and gracious heart, through faith you have been saved. For by grace through faith and not of yourselves, it is the what?

The gift of God not of works lest any man should boast. The Bible tells me in Romans six twenty three, for the wages of sin is death. You know what I have earned? Death. You know what I have?

Eternal life in Jesus Christ, my Lord. Two completely diametrically opposed things death hell or eternal life in heaven. That's what God offers but not because we've earned it. It's not by works of righteousness which we have done but it's according to his what? His mercy for I could not earn his love.

I could not earn a place in heaven. No matter how hard I try there was one who earned it for me. His name is Jesus Christ. He came to this Earth. He lived a sinless life.

And then he died on the cross for me. He paid the price for me that I through his grace and mercy might be redeemed David didn't cry out to get what he deserved He didn't plead with God to give him what he had earned. He pleaded with God for mercy I've shown this on the screen I think for the past three weeks in a row. So, y'all ought to become familiar with this passage during the life of Jesus, he told the story wanting to contrast the difference between the publican who was a tax collector and a traitor to his people, a sinner, to his own. Known to be a sinner.

Versus a Pharisee who thought he was good enough in his own right. And he spoke of the two coming to pray in the temple. I don't have it up here but the Pharisees said to God, I thank you that I'm not like this terrible sinner over here. Was he like the terrible sinner? Just like him.

Before who? For God, only one difference, the Pharisee didn't know it. He didn't recognize it. So, therefore, because he didn't know he needed a savior, he didn't recognize his sin. He didn't call on God for what?

Mercy. But the publican on the other hand, the publican standing afar off would not lift up so much his eyes into heaven but smote upon his breast saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone that exalted himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be what? Exalted.

Why did the sinner do? What I did when I was nine years old? He came to God and he cried out for what? Mercy. God, be merciful to me a sinner.

I sat in a service one night. Church in Franklin County, Virginia and for some reason that night, I couldn't escape the fact that I was a guilty sinner and that the only way to be saved from sin and hell was by God's what? Mercy and so I cried out to him and he saved my soul. He did the same for the publican. He's done the same for millions.

He'll do the same for you. If you will cast yourself upon his mercy I I went to university in South Carolina called Bob Jones University among other things, Bob Jones is known for having rules. A lot of my peers didn't want to go to a school like that because they had gone to a Christian school for several years and it had rules and they wanted to be away from what? Rules. By the way, can you escape rules?

No, you can't. All all life is full of rules. But you know, teenagers want to go to some place where supposedly there are no rules. Well I went to a place where there were a lot of rules and including rules about where you could go off campus, when you could go, how you could go, where you could go and anyway, I decided one day I wanted to go somewhere and I knew that I couldn't get permission to go there and so rather than obeying the rules, I decided, well, nobody will ever know, I'm going to go anyway and so I did. And guess what, nobody but God would have known except I ran my big mouth and I told somebody.

I told two or three somebody's, I one of those somebody's I told was one of these people that just can't live with themselves when you have told them that you did something wrong and they think it's their mission in life to get you straightened out and and make you face the consequences of your actions. Now, at the time, I wasn't happy with this person. Looking back, This person actually helped me But Kate and I had just started dating and I was decided, okay, well, I've gotta do something about this. He's not gonna let it go. And so I I told Kate after chapel, I said I have to go see the dean of students after chapel today and I might not be here tomorrow.

I don't know. So, anyway, I went with my friend and we went to the dean of students. That's the highest disciplinary authority in the school. And I made appointment, knocked upon his door. He said, come in and I threw myself upon his what?

His mercy. I didn't say give me what me to what I deserve because I knew what I deserved. I just blatantly disobeyed a rule because it was in my way. I didn't say give me what I earned because what I earned was punishment and discipline. I cast myself upon his mercy.

And thankfully, he showed mercy. And I got to stay in school and didn't get in a whole lot of trouble. We serve a merciful God He isn't up in heaven waiting you for for you to mess up so he can squash you He's up in heaven waiting for you to cry out to him for his what? For his mercy. To trust in his mercy.

Because apart from his mercy, there is no salvation Apart from his mercy, there is no help coming from heaven because I haven't earned it and I don't deserve it. But praise God, he grants it anyway. Titus three five, it says, not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy, he saved us. While the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. It is only by God's mercy and by his power to cleanse my heart and change my life.

That I stand here redeemed child of God because I haven't earned it and you know something I never will but God and his mercy says in Hebrews four sixteen, I quoted a few minutes Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may find, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help. In time of need. Praise God. We serve a gracious and merciful God, high priest. In Matthew nine thirteen, Jesus said, but go you and learn what what that meaneth.

I will have mercy and not sacrifice for I am come not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. The Pharisees had made themselves the arbitrators in their religion of of right and wrong and reward and punishment. They were a very unmerciful lot. It was to them that Jesus spoke. They had rebuked Jesus for for hanging out with the riffraff of society.

What are you doing with these people? Jesus said, go and learn what the scriptures say when it says, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. Jesus said, for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Unlike the Pharisees, who demanded of others empty rituals and works. Jesus had a better choice Salvation from sin.

Victory over the flesh and the devil. By the mercy and grace of God. While the Pharisees had no place for true love and mercy in their hearts. Christ most certainly did and God most certainly does for you. His mercies, the Bible says, are new one.

Every morning His mercy endures forever. If it didn't, I'd be in sad shape. If it didn't, I'd be without hope. Because every morning I have to get up. And confess my sins and thank God for his mercy David cried out to the most high God He didn't cry out for what he deserved.

He cried out for mercy and he cried out for deliverance from his enemies. He says in verse four, my soul is among the lions. I lie even among them that are set on fire even the sons of man whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword. In verse six, he said, they have prepared a net for my steps. My soul is bowed down.

They have digged a pit for me. Into the midst whereof they have fallen themselves. You see, David had enemies. His enemies were real and dreadful and powerful. His enemy at the time was Saul but it was not so much Saul as it was the evil that was behind Saul.

The Bible says, our enemies are not flesh and blood. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Why do we need to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and not our own. It says, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

My enemy is not my neighbor. My enemy is not the the king or dictator of North Korea or Iran. My enemy is not one who would persecute me. My enemy is the evil that is behind them. My true enemy is the evil that resides in my own flesh that would draw me away from God and into trouble and apart from Christ and eternity in hell.

That is the true enemy and that enemy we cannot defy, defeat with the sword or the gun or the cannon or the battleship. We can't defeat that enemy in our own power. But greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world and who is he that is in us? If you're a Christian today, that he is God. And he can defeat that enemy.

He can give you victory over the flesh. He can give you victory over the devil. Devil. If you'll come to him in faith today, he'll give you victory over hell. The victory is in Jesus Christ and the armor that he gives that it goes on to explain in Ephesians six.

Armor that is made up by faith, hope, and peace. Not metal gunpowder and flesh The Bible says, be sober, be vigilant because your adversary, the devil is a roaring lion, walked about seeking whom he may devour. He's your real enemy. The real battle that we face, the eternal battle is a struggle between good and evil. Struggle between God and Satan.

A victory that has already been won for us by Jesus Christ on the cross. For when he died on that cross and took upon himself the price of our sin. He defeated the plans of our enemy and when he rose again from the dead, he rose again victorious from the grave. And offers salvation and life to all those who put their trust in him but we need to be sober and we need to be watchful because the enemies out there Turn if you would hold your place there in Psalms. If you'd like, turn to Romans seven.

You don't have to. I'm gonna read just a few verses from there but I can't fit them on the screen. Sometimes when I'm frustrated with myself, I read this passage to be reminded that I have the victory. There is victory in Jesus Christ You know, Paul struggled with the same things we do He reminds us of it here. Romans seven verse 18, for I know that in me, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.

For to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not do, that I do. Now, if I do that, that I would not, it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me. You see, Paul says, there's a struggle within me and the sin that still resides in my flesh fights my desire and will to serve the Lord every day. So, that many of the things I would do for the Lord, I don't do and many of the things I shouldn't do, I find myself doing.

He says, verse 21, I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me for I delight in the law of God after the inward man. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The next phrase, I thank who? God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

You see, God isn't up there waiting to squash you for doing wrong. God is a merciful and loving God. Who wants to lift you up? He wants to rescue you sin and hell. He wants to rescue you and help you to deal with the the trials of life and with the temptations of the flesh, with the attacks of the devil.

He'll help you. But you need to what? You need to call on him. You need to trust in his mercy You need to cast yourself upon the mercy of God every day And thank him for the grace that he gives. To get victory over the flesh.

To reserve you a home in heaven, to forgive you of all your sin. We are no match for this enemy It's a wonderful thing that Christ has volunteered to stand. In our defense. David finishes with a few words of praise in Psalm 57. He says in verse seven, my heart is fixed, oh God, my heart is fixed, I will sing and give praise.

Awake up my glory. Awake psaltery in harp. I, myself, will awake early. I will praise thee, oh Lord, among the people. I will sing unto thee among the nations.

For thy mercy is great unto the heavens and thy truth unto the clouds. David ends with a word of praise. He sought earnestly to wake up every morning to hurry on the dawn that he might therefore have the opportunity to praise the Lord again. Do we meet every day with that same expectation that same longing, that same desire we should we should because his mercies are new one. Every morning.

To praise him before his people. Those who know him. To praise him in view of all people even the Gentile nations who didn't. To praise him for his mercy, to praise him for his truth. In his trustworth nature This world has no stability It is built upon sinking sand.

But the truth of God is an unmovable foundation. On which you can build your life. And withstand the storms of life. The one who stretches his wings out to protect you If you will but cast yourself upon his mercy. In faith.

David praises the Lord that he would be exalted above all and be seen before all. For who he really is, a god of power to redeem and to rescue. The weak, the sinner, God of mercy to help those who come to him by faith. Jesus said, come unto me all you that labor. And heavy laden.

I will give you rest. Are you laboring on today under a load of sin? Are you laboring today under a load of guilt? Are you laboring today? Under unbearable circumstances?

Are you laboring today under the recognition? That you haven't earned God's favor but his wrath. There is mercy today to be found in him. If you will call on him in faith, he will hear. He will show you what?

Mercy. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. He that believeth on him is not condemned. Show mercy. But he that believeth not is condemned already.

Because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. If you're here today and you've never trusted Christ as savior, I plead with you today. As we sing this hymn of invitation in just a moment, Will you come? I would love to show you from God's word how you can be safe today in Noah. Let's pray.

Dear God, thank you Lord for your love, for your goodness to us, for your mercy. That you do know what's going on in our life and Lord that you do care, that you have the power to change our lives, even ourselves to rescue us from sin and eternal destruction. Lord, I pray if there's anyone here today that's never trusted Christ as savior that They would like to know what that's all about. Lord, that they might come as we sing. That they might catch me after the service.

Lord, that they might come to know you and the salvation that you bring and I pray Lord for those of us who do know you, that we might be reminded of your mercy and of your grace Not only that is brought to us salvation but that Lord is with us every day To grant us strength against the enemy. To forgive us when we fail. To pick us up when we fall. To protect us from the storms of life. In Jesus name, we pray.