OK, this morning we're going
to be in the book of Jude once again, and we're going to look
at verse 2. Second verse of Jude, and I'd
like to read the first couple of verses here if they go together.
Jude, verse one. It says, Jude, the servant of
Jesus Christ and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by
God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called, mercy
unto you and peace and love be multiplied. And I'd like to call
this, look this morning at verse two. These we have, these we
have. Mercy unto you and peace and
love be multiplied. And this, remember from the couple
of lessons already that we've had on verse one, that this is
to God's people as all of the scriptures are written. But here
it's addressed to those that are sanctified by God the Father,
preserved in Jesus Christ and called. And that pretty well
defines and limits who it's speaking to. And then verse two goes with
that, mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied. I told
Norm that might have bitten off an awful lot for one day, but
we'll see how far we get through these three thoughts that are
here and we'll take a look at a few things. And the first thing
we're going to look at here is, as it says here in verse two,
we're going to look at mercy from God to his people. And what
mercy is somewhat, what the scriptures have to say about it. And if
you look at a definition of mercy, like in a dictionary or that
type of setting, mercy means that something is being withheld. There's either a punishment due,
or if a person has mercy on a debtor, the debt is being relieved or
forgiven. It's not getting what is deserved. And in our regard, as far as
with God's people and God, His mercy means we don't get what
we deserve by nature. We get what we have gained in
Christ as his people. And we're gonna start in Genesis
chapter two. And all the way through the scriptures,
these thoughts are here, many thoughts are here of God's mercy
to his people. And in chapter two of Genesis,
we're gonna read a couple of places in chapter two and chapter
three. In chapter two, let's look at verse 16. And he had made Adam and placed
him in the garden to dress it and keep it, it says. It says, but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, verse 17, thou shall not eat of it,
for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. Before that, he says, verse 16,
the Lord commanded the man of every tree in the garden may
eat freely, but of this tree, for in the day that thou shouldest
eat thereof, thou shalt surely die. And we know that They did indeed eat, their eyes
were opened, and we see them hiding from God. And then we pick this up in chapter
three, in verse nine, in verse eight, actually, it says,
they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in
the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from
the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
And the Lord God called unto Adam and said, where art thou?
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid
because I was naked and I hid myself. And he said, who told
thee thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof
I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, the
woman whom thou gavest to me, she gave me of the tree and I
did eat. The first thought here, a couple of thoughts here. God said, thou shalt not eat
of this, or thou shalt surely die. They did eat, and their
eyes were opened, it says. They did, at that instant, died
spiritually. They came in to God's presence
just as we do by nature. We knew nothing. We have no spiritual
sight. They didn't just say, well, we
messed up a little bit. Everything's going to be good
now. They were lost sinners in that time. They were spiritually
dead. from that time, and here they
hid themselves because they had a little fear now of God, and
before they just walked with Him, and they were at peace with
God at that time. Now they were not anymore, and
the thought here, a couple of things. First instance we have
that we can say God's showing His mercy, that He said, where
art thou? That He didn't just, At that time when they ate and
they were spiritually died, at that moment they died, God's
mercy that he had anything more to do with them. We know that
from what we've seen in the first verse of Jude, that God had a
people from long before this time that he had a people that
were set up, that were sanctified. God had a people sanctified or
set apart in his son. So this did not catch God at
a time when he said, oh no, now what do I have to do? This was
going to happen. This was going to happen in time. But by God's mercy, he didn't. just wrap it all up at that time.
But because he had a people that was not going to have to take
place. That was his mercy was going to be shown and much more.
And then in verse 15 of chapter three, it says, and I will put
enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her
seed. It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel."
Speaking to the serpent about the coming Messiah would come. This is the first where we can
say this foretells the Messiah coming. And then in verse 21
of chapter three of Genesis, it says, and unto Adam also and
to his wife, Did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothe
them? The other point here, the third point that we're gonna
look at here in Genesis. that of God's mercy that he clothed
them. And this picture of that clothes
them with animal skins, probably sheepskin as we would like to
interpret that because of the symbolism there. But needless
to say that those coats made from animals, animals had to
be sacrificed to do that, to cover them. A picture indeed
of the covering that God provides for his people in his son. And
so this is, The first and I guess great picture of God's mercy
to man that we have in the record is when after the fall that,
like I said, and like Mike had said before, he didn't just turn
them to cinders and call it a day. But the Lord had a people and
has a people that he is about and does and will redeem and
not lose any of them as we see in John. In Exodus chapter 34,
we're gonna look at a few places, but in Exodus chapter 34, and just some thoughts that it shows
us about God's mercy, and they're endless, just about in the scriptures,
but we're gonna look at a few of them. Exodus 34, in verse, and verse seven, this is Moses,
remember the story, went up on the mount, came back, they were
partying around a golden calf and things, and the first tables
of stone got broken, and so God called him back up again to make
new tables as of the first, and he goes up there, and it says
in verse six, six and seven, it says, and the Lord passed
before him and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful
and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and
truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression
and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the children's
children, unto the third and fourth generation. But hear that
he is merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in
goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity
and transgression and sin. Here God is, it says, gracious
and merciful to thousands and whoever and however many that
are written in the Lamb's Book of Life are those thousands and
that He is merciful and gracious to. Now God is merciful and gracious
to the world in general. that the rain falls, the sun
comes out, plants grow, men prosper, and all the things that man does
in their lifetime. And there's a lot of men that
are evil, even by our measurement of things physically or not spiritually,
but just as we commonly would say, that prosper, that God is
merciful to and allows him to prosper in this world. And there
are a lot of God's people that don't prosper in the same ways. mercifulness and as we'll see
peace and love is not measured how man measures them but as
how God measures them because They have to do with God's people
and his view and treating of God's people in the Lord Jesus
Christ. All these things we have are
rooted and he is these things to us. He is our mercy from God. He is our peace from God and
he is our love from God. We'll see that. In the Psalms, just a couple
of places, a lot of the Psalms speak of the mercy of God. to
his people. And starting in Psalm 85, if
you go through the Psalms, you could spend a day, at least one
session together, just going through and mentioning just the
times that word is mentioned in the Psalms. But many... many places, but Psalm 85, starting
with verse seven, it says, and up above it talks about God of
our salvation, and the psalmist says, turn us, O God, turn us
to thee. But verse seven, it says, show us thy mercy, O Lord,
and grant us thy salvation. I will hear what God the Lord
will speak, for he will speak peace unto his people and to
his saints, but let them not turn again to folly. Surely his
salvation is nigh them that fear him, that glory may dwell in
our land. Mercy and truth are met together.
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall
spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down
from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good, and
our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before
him, and shall set us in the way of his steps. Speaking of
his righteousness and his salvation provided to his people, but here
that Mercy and truth are met together
here. This is an interesting verse.
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. And it speaks
of God being just and being perfect and demanding that, and yet in
his son, permitting and allowing mercy on us by the one that was
not given mercy, one that had to, the sacrifice for his people
that our Lord was. And then chapter 98, Psalm 98. Psalm 98, starting with verse
one, it says, sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done
marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm
hath gotten him the victory. The Lord hath made known his
salvation, his righteousness he hath openly shown in the sight
of the heathen. He hath remembered his mercy
and his truth toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the
earth have seen the salvation of our God. It said, he hath remembered his
mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel. And he did indeed
show mercy and goodness to the country, to the nation at that
time. But as we see in many places,
all are not Israel that are of Israel. There is a nation of
Israel, and then there is the true church of the living God,
who is the true Israel that the nation was a picture of. Contained
within that was some of his people, of his church. And to those he
has made known his salvation, it says, his righteousness hath
he openly shown in the sight of the heathen, and remembered
his mercy and his truth towards the house of Israel. And he had
remembered his mercy. He'll never forget that. All
the attributes and things we know of God are, it talks about
being of Christ, yea and amen. All things of God are yea and
amen. Those things that he hath determined, that he has set out,
that he has appointed. None of that can change. We have
a hard time operating in those thoughts and those type of things
that are forever, even things that by a new Not
buy a new light bulb that they last forever. I've got some of
those LED lights that are really great, bright lights. I've changed
some of those in far shorter time than they say on the package
that they're good for. So we can't, we, but as God being,
forever, and we're gonna see in another one of the Psalms,
his mercy endureth forever, and we looked through that Psalm
one time. His mercy in all ways endures forever, as do the rest
of his attributes. Psalm 98. Oh, just a minute,
we just read that one. Psalm 103, just over a little
bit here. And these are just, these are
by no means exhaust the verses in the Psalms alone, but we're
gonna look at a couple other places. Psalm 103, starting with
verse eight. It says, the Lord is merciful
and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. He will not
always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath
not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to
our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above
the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As
far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions
from us. Like as a father pitieth his
children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him, for he knoweth
Our frame, he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his
days are as grass as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
For the wind passeth over it and is gone, and the place thereof
shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is
from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his
righteousness unto children's children's. His mercy of the Lord from everlasting
to everlasting upon them that fear him. Those that are his,
his own, that he reveals that to, that he puts spirit's life
in the new birth as it's called and as it's necessary to people
to know God and to see God. It says from everlasting to everlasting
upon them. He didn't have mercy in time
on his people. That mercy was from, again, it's
hard to fathom that, from everlasting that these things are. One more
time in the book of Psalms before we move along. Psalm 136. Psalm
136. There's a theme you'll see in this psalm. It says, give thanks unto the
Lord for he is good, for his mercy
endureth forever. Give thanks unto the God of gods
for his mercy endureth forever. And on down through 26 verses,
different shades and thoughts of that, but all ending, every
verse ends with his mercy endureth forever. That makes a powerful point in
this psalm. Those things are not from, for
a time period or a particular doing of it, but all time, all
mercy from God in our Lord is from the everlasting. And it's
all in him, it's in Christ. As this said, Where is that in that culture?
Second verse, Christ be my first elect, it said. And then chose
our souls in Christ, that this is all built upon that in
him, in Christ is that. In Luke 18, we're gonna go by
that to Romans chapter nine, but I'm stopping by in Luke 18
on the way, and it speaks of the publican and the Pharisee
there. And one of them thanks God for
what he's like, of his own doing, no doubt, of his own doing. And
the publican says, be merciful to me, the sinner. And then we've
looked at that and that picture of what man in his own self is
like, and then man when God puts a new heart in him. But turn
to Romans chapter nine, please. Romans chapter nine. Okay, Romans chapter 9 starting
with verse 11. Now all through the book of Romans,
pretty heavy teaching on who God is and who man is and how
we have standing before God the Father in and we're gonna see his love
and mercy and peace that we have. Those things are covered a lot
in the book of Romans, but in chapter nine, verse 11, to start
with, verse 11, it says, for the children, being yet not born, neither having
done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said
unto her, the elder shall serve the younger, as it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this purpose
have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that
my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath
he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. And this is a theme that is very
bold through all of the scripture that God will have mercy on whom
he will have mercy. And on those whom he has sanctified
in the Lord, those he has mercy on and has had mercy on, does
have mercy on and will have mercy on because of our Lord and Savior,
what he has done for his people. And then in Hebrews chapter two, Read this chapter 2. It says, starting for about verse 14 and reading down
just a little bit, chapter two of Hebrews. It says, for as much
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself
likewise took part of the same, speaking of our Lord, that through
death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that
is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were
all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not
on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of
Abraham. Wherefore, in all things that
behooved him to be made like under his brethren, that he might
be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to
God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in
that he himself has suffered, being tempted is able to succor
them that are tempted." And up here it says why one of the things
that purposes that he took on flesh as did his brethren, is
that it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that
he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining
to God." He came and he was perfect on
earth, lived perfect, completely sinless, regardless of what others
may think or or try to say, he was the perfect son of God, the
perfect God-man here on earth. And he partook of all the things
that we partake of, hunger, thirst. It said, tempted in all things
as we are, but without sin. He knew of those temptations,
but it wasn't, to him, it wasn't tempted like, He came up to a point and then
decided which way he would go tempted. We come up to those
things and we know which way we'll go, but it was not a temptation
to him as to us, but he knows what those temptations were because
he suffered or was subject to those things. But he was faithful
and perfect in those things. And it said that he might be
a merciful and faithful high priest. And again, mercy holds
back that which by nature and by ourselves that we deserve. And then in chapter four of Hebrews
also, It says in verse 16, let us therefore,
up above here speaking why we're here of those that standing and
that we enter into rest. It says, let us therefore come
boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and
find grace to help in time of need. And that here where it
says that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time
of need. I think God's people are always mindful that God has been
merciful to us. in all times, in all areas, we
need His mercy, and we have gotten that, and we have gotten covered
by that righteousness of our Lord. So look into those, some of those
things a little more on your own. Now we're gonna change thoughts
a little bit, but they're tied so closely together. that in
verse 2 in Jude, not only mercy, but that we have peace. peace unto you, and that peace
that, a couple thoughts on that, the peace that is spoken of there,
the peace that men speak about, and this time of year, a lot
of times, in cards and everything else, they're thinking of no
fighting, people are not hungry, everything's calm in the world,
that kind of things. That's not the peace that it's
speaking of here, because we know those things are not, Those
are, that kind of peace is so in flux and changing all the
time. No matter how we define it or think of it, whether it's
nations or families, those things can change, that kind of peace.
The peace that it's speaking of here, that Jude speaks about
is that peace that we have with God through God. the Savior through
Jesus Christ. And we're looking at a couple
of places, but this time of year, that's the peace that the scriptures
speaking of. Men have a different take on
that, of what they think that peace is, and it's simply in
the flesh. And we may never have peace in
the flesh as far as that goes, but we have peace through the
Lord with God the Father. We're at peace, we're at rest
in Him. And just a few places for this,
we're gonna look at in Isaiah. In Isaiah, and much spoken in the book of Isaiah,
and a few people, worldwide call it the gospel according to Isaiah,
but I think all believers call it that. It's the gospel according
to Isaiah, much spoken of what our Lord does and has done and
will do for his people and the coming of the Messiah and those
things that are spoken of to his people. But in chapter nine, There's much also in Isaiah speaking
of God's people seeking out mercy and pleading for mercy with the
Lord. But in chapter nine, oops, let
me get to chapter nine. Isaiah chapter nine, starting with verse two. It says, the
people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. They
that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath
the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation
and not increased the joy. They joy before thee according
to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the
spoil. For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff
of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise and garments
rolled in blood, but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the
government shall be upon his shoulder, And his name shall
be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government
and peace there shall be no end. Upon the throne of David and
upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment
and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the
Lord of hosts will perform this. here speaking again of one of
the many places that we have in the Old and New Testament
of the coming of the Messiah, of the one that... would truly bring peace, true
peace to his people and not worldly peace. And whenever I see this
about these things it speaks about and it's established forever and
there's no end to these things. I think about the two on the
road to Emmaus and they're after the Lord was crucified and they're
headed home and whether it was two men there,
or some say it was the man and his wife because they had come
together, but whatever, they're speaking and the Lord comes upon
them and says, what's the problem? And they say, are you a stranger?
Don't know what's going on? They crucified the one that we
thought this was gonna take care of the problems. And they were
looking at it as, the peace and the end of the problems they
had in an earthly manner only. And they saw that in that way,
and that was the bubble pop. They didn't know what they were
gonna do now. They might as well go home because the show's over. He was killed and dead and put
in a tomb, not just harassed a bit, but that was the end of
it as far as they're concerned. And then it goes on, and we know
that the Lord opened their eyes and said, and all the law and
the prophets, all the scripture, he opened to them concerning
himself, all that's speaking of himself, and opened their
eyes to that. And later on, when he's meeting
with the rest of them, the Lord opens their eyes and revealed
to them the truth of the scriptures that they had. that it wasn't as they perceived
and all was not lost. Indeed, as he showed them and
all the law and the prophets, I think they came to understand
it was necessary as he told the apostles, this is going to take
place. The apostles even said, no, that
doesn't sound like a good plan to us. But if it didn't take
place that way, if he was not, the lamb slain before the foundation
of the world and carried out, there would be no peace. There's
not gonna be any peace any other way, but through him and through
that time. And turn to Isaiah 26, please,
while we're right here too. And I realize taking, excuse
me, pieces out of chapters and out of books is just a glimpse
at a thought that is there, but it takes the reading of the whole
of scripture to see some of the full picture of what's being
talked about, and do that on your own. Chapter 26, in the
first few verses it says, in that day shall this song be sung
in the land of Judah. We have a strong city. Salvation
will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Opening the gates that
the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee,
because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever,
for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. and up here, speaking
of God, will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on
thee because he hath trusted in thee. That's not from teaching. Paul had the best teaching of
his day as far as man is concerned and as far as the scriptures,
the words of them were concerned. That teaching and that instruction
fell woefully short of what it was speaking about. until the
Lord revealed himself to Paul. And he says, I can match anybody
in education. But in understanding, he had
nothing until the Lord revealed himself to him. And here where
it says, keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on
thee because he trusteth in thee. And that peace is just because
he causes that, instills that faith in his people. to believe
the things that he says are so, and that peace is peace with
God the Father, not peace on earth. And where it says peace
on earth this time of year a lot, that's a good, I mean, everybody
would like to see that, but that is not what the scriptures, the
peace the scriptures speaks of. If he gives us peace on earth
or peace with our neighbors or other countries, that's a blessing
to anybody. That's a blessing to all people,
and God's people appreciate that as much as anybody. But that's
not the peace that is what passes all understanding as we see another
place. That peace can only be given
and only understood by that which God gives. Turn to the book of John. into
the book of John. And not to pass by all the many
other passages that we have in our hands here on these things,
but for the sake of time somewhat, but chapter 14 of the book of
John. And go down to verse 22. Verse 22, the Lord speaking,
Lord praying up above for the father would send the comforter
to his people. Verse 22 of John chapter 14,
it says, Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it
that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us and not to the world?
Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he will
keep my words, and my father will love him, and we will come
unto him and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth
not my sayings, and the word which ye hear is not mine, but
the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto
you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the
Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, shall teach
you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever
I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace
I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let
not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. And up here
it says, my peace I give you, not as the world giveth. and the comfort, speaking to
the comfort that the world can give people in time of sorrow
or whatever, that's feeling sorrowful or pitying somebody or that type
of thing, but that's not the comfort that God's people have
or get from him. And here where it says, my peace I give unto you, not
as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid." And that peace is only granted and
given to us that we can know that When we've realized that
we stand under the mercy of God because of our Lord, because
we stand under the righteousness and covered by that righteousness,
that God sees us as it sees Christ. And as that one song we've sang
says, God sees my savior, then he sees me and he sees us in
him. He doesn't see us outside of
him or standing on our own, but only in him. And that's where
that piece comes from. And we'd get to the next spot
about the love that speaks in this passage. And we'll see how
that ties together and we'll... do that next time and we're going
to look at just one more spot here and then we're going to continue next week. Turn to the
book of Ephesians for just two quick thoughts here that I don't
want to stop without. In chapter two
of Ephesians, A lot of chapter two that we know, start with verse four, chapter
two of Ephesians, verse four. It says, but God who is rich
in mercy, for his great loveworth, he loved us. Even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ. By grace
are you saved, and hath raised us up to sit together in heavenly
places in Jesus Christ." And then skip down to verse 14, it
says, And verse 13, but now in Christ
Jesus, ye who are sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath
made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition
between it, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even
the law of commandments contained in ordinances, to make of himself
of twain one new man, so making peace. Christ is our peace. Christ is in him the mercy that
we have. He is our peace, and we're going
to see next time, we're going to look at that third thought,
the love that he's spoken of, that Jude speaks of to believers.
And with that, we'll close for today
and pick it up next week. Thank you.