Sovereign Grace Chapel, located at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to today's broadcast. My title for today is this, Christ Has Mercy, Not Sacrifice. My text is from the Apostle Matthew's record of Christ's words himself, words spoken by the master himself, the Lord of glory, God manifest in the flesh, and it's found, my text is found in Matthew chapter nine, and I wanna read just verses nine through 13 from my text this morning.

Matthew 9, verses 9 through 13. And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom. And he saith unto him, follow me. And he arose and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, why eateth your master with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard that, he said unto them, they that behold need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth. I will have mercy and not sacrifice, for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. in this world but self-serving preachers and self-righteous heretics would dare preach or teach anything contrary to Christ's own words about why he came. And again, I say that nothing but self-serving preachers and self-righteous heretics would preach and teach anything other than who he came to save. He tells us exactly here who it is. But go ye and learn what that meaneth. I will have mercy and not sacrifice, for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

So let's hear the workmaster's words again. I wanna go through this. I have just three or four main points I wanna give you this morning.

But think about this. I want us to look at the reason for Christ's words. I want us to look at the rebuke of Christ's words.
I want us to look at the reprimand in Christ's words. And there'll be three thoughts under that heading.
And then fourthly, I want us to see the discrimination in Christ's words.

So here are the master's words again. Think about it. The reason for Christ's words. They were an answer to the conceited religious mockery toward Christ and those that he was associating with. Do you see it? Let's read it again. And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom. And he saith unto him, follow me. And he arose and followed him.

Now some of the other writers tells us that it was Matthew's house that he went to where this meal was taking place. And it says in verse 10, and it came to pass as Jesus said at meet in the house, behold, many publicans. Do you see that? Publicans. Now, who are these publicans? They were Jews. who were collecting taxes from other Jews for the Roman government. and they were considered sellouts. They often took far more than what the tax actually was. They made their money by overcharging people on their taxes. They were notorious for this.

But look at it. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners, the down and out people, the people from the red light district, if you will, the people from back there on Backstreet somewhere, And many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, do you see that? That's what I said, I said it's the reason for Christ's words. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, why eateth your master? with publicans and sinners, you see it? So again, I say the reason for Christ's words is they were an answer to the conceited religious mockery toward Christ and those he was associating with.

Second thing, the rebuke of Christ's words. Christ rebuked, he rebuked the self-righteous notion that he, that he, the Messiah, God manifest in the flesh. Christ rebuked the self-righteous notion that he, the Messiah, was a friend of good religious people. He rebuked that. I know that's contrary to our day, but he rebuked that.

Verse 12, look at it. Here is the rebuke. We looked at the reason for his words, is those conceited self-righteous people. and their mockery of him and who he was associating with. But now we're looking at the rebuke of his words. When Jesus heard that, he said unto them, they that behold need not a physician, but they that are sick. Now, of course, he is illustrating here. He's saying to these Pharisees who were mocking him for gathering and eating with these publicans and sinners and then questioned the disciples, not even him. Now, even to him, they kind of went behind his back, so to speak. And they asked his disciples, why has he eaten Republicans and sinners? And when he heard that, he said unto them, they that behold need not a physician, but they that are sick. So again, Christ rebuked the self-righteous notion that he, the very Messiah of God, was a friend of good religious people.

Hear me now. The heresy so prevalent then, in our Lord's day, in that Master's day, the heresy so prevalent then, and it's still prevalent today, is that God is trying to find some good people to bless. It's just not so. He's not looking for one good person to bless, because in fact, in God's sight, there's none good, no not one, but many people think they are good in God's sight. So again, I say the heresy's so prevalent then, and the heresy's so prevalent today, is that God is trying to find some good people to bless. God's trying to find some good people to show mercy to, some good people to save. And you know what my summary to that is? Hogwash, hogwash, because that's exactly what he said the contrary. But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, they that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

So we've looked at the reason for Christ's words. Now we've looked at the rebuke for his words, but now I wanna look at the reprimand in Christ's words. Okay, the reprimand in Christ's words. And as I said before, I wanna give you three thoughts in this reprimand.

Think of it. These good, that is good in their own eyes, they were whole. They didn't need any help. Rather than them needing God to bless them, they thought they were a blessing to God. They thought that God was probably pretty fortunate to have people like them, these self-righteous religious Pharisees. These good religious moral people were told of their ignorance of a basic fact about God sending Christ into the world. You see it? They found out through his word, they're the ignorant people, not the publicans and the sinners. The publicans and sinners was coming to him who came to save publicans and sinners.

So again, the reprimanding Christ's words. The very fact is he told them of their basic ignorance of the fact of why God Almighty sent his son into the world.

Here's number one under this reprimanding Christ's words. But go ye and learn what meaneth. Now, if you look at it, if you're following along, Matthew chapter nine, verse 13, you will read in the KJV, but go ye and learn what that meaneth, which in the English language would refer back to something he said. In a sense it does, but he's not saying just refer back to what I just said, that is they that behold me not a physician, but they that are sick. But what it reads is this, but go ye and learn what meaneth.

Now here's what he's asking them to learn. He's quoting from the Old Testament. I will have mercy and not sacrifice. That's what we need to learn. That's what we need to listen to. But go you and learn what meaneth. I will have mercy and not sacrifice. That's the first reprimand. You need to learn this. They were the ignorant ones, as I pointed out. They were the unlearned ones, not the sinners about him. The sinners were coming to the source of blessing, Jesus Christ himself. The sinners were associating with him who had the words of life. The Pharisees were mocking this. Isn't that amazing? But go ye and learn what meaneth. I will have mercy and not sacrifice.

Here's the second thought from this reprimand of Christ. God says, Christ said this, God, now you see it? God will have mercy, but go ye and learn what meaneth. And the I will here is God speaking from Hosea chapter six and verse six. Go ye and learn what meaneth, God will have mercy. Do you see it? I will have mercy and not sacrifice. You see it? And not sacrifice. And then Christ kind of explains it, if you will. For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

So the second part of this reprimand is God will have mercy. Think about this. Thus Christ, by this statement, he was rebuking, he was reprimanding the belief that man can earn God's favor by their devotion. You don't earn God's favor by your devotion. You don't earn God's favor by your morals. You don't earn God's favor by your good doing. It doesn't work that way. God said, I will have mercy. and not sacrifice. It's not what you do for God, it's what God must do for you. I asked you the question, do you need God to do something for you? Or are you okay? If you're okay, then Christ said he didn't even come for you. Isn't that what he says?

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, why eateth your master with publicans and sinners? It wasn't a serious inquiry. It was a mocking rebuke of Christ. So he rebukes them back and he reprimands them. But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, they that behold need not a doctor, They need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

So again, I'll say this. Christ rebuked the belief that man can earn God's favor by his devotion, that he can earn God's favor by his morals, that he can earn God's favor by his good doing, that he was rebuking any thought that you can sanctify yourself before God. God is the sanctifier. And he did it through Jesus Christ on Calvary's tree. This is the truth. In other words, God's not looking for your sacrifice for him. He offered a sacrifice through the person of his son. And he did that for strengthless sinners. He did that for ungodly sinners. He did that for sinners who are enemies against God. Romans chapter five. But here's the third thought under this reprimand in Christ's words. Think of it. The very mention of mercy. Okay, the word mercy. The very mention of mercy. And this phrase, I will have mercy and not sacrifice is pertinent to what Christ said. He said, this is what you need to go and learn. This is what you need to hear and think about and consider and pray about and consider from the word of God. I will have mercy and not sacrifice. It's pertinent.

Mercy is for beggars. Mercy is for the down and out. Mercy is for sinners. Mercy is for the ungodly. How would you feel if you're sitting there, if you're still listening to me this morning, and you're sitting there and you're listening to me, and if I were to meet you on the street and I said something just horrible to you, I put you down, I said something about you that wasn't true, I embarrassed you in front of all of your friends, and then I turned around and told you, I'm gonna let you show me mercy. How would you feel about that? You see, you don't demand mercy. Mercy must be freely given. Mercy are to those who have offended someone else. Mercy, as I said, is for beggars. Mercy is for the down and out. Mercy is for sinners. Mercy is for those who have no other hope but mercy. They can't do anything to make up for what they've done or said or even who they are. They need mercy. Mercy is for those who have done the exact opposite.

Now listen to me. This is vital. Mercy is for those who've done the exact opposite of merit. Merit is to earn something. Merit is to do something that deserves a reward. The only thing I deserve because of my sin is to be abandoned by God in the blackness of the lake of fire forever. I need mercy. I have offended God. He has not offended me. You have offended God. He has not offended you. Do you see that? Or are you a well person? Are you a good person? Are you a righteous person?

So remember, we have the fact, we see in this context, we have the reason for Christ's words. They were an answer to the conceited religious mockery toward Christ and those he was associating with. Did we see the rebuke of Christ's words? Christ was rebuking this self-righteous attitude, this self-righteous notion that he, the Messiah, was to be a friend of good religious people. He was a friend, according to Luke. Luke puts it one way, he was a friend. of publicans and sinners. I like that. A friend of publicans and sinners.

But then we also see, as I said, the reprimand in Christ's words. And this reprimand had three facets. Go and learn something here. Go and learn what this means. You see, those who think they're good, those who think they're righteous, those who think they've earned God's favor, they're the unlearned ones. It's those, Oh, miserable, wretched publicans and sinners. God had taught them a lesson. I need mercy. It's not about what I can do for God, but it's about what God must do for me. Oh, that's so true. Mercy. Remember, mercy's the exact opposite of merit.

This is the problem with most of so-called professed Christianity today. These preachers out here behind these podiums, behind these pulpits, are teaching men and women they need to merit God's favor. They need to do something to get God's favor. I'm telling you, you've done nothing but deserve his wrath and his judgment and his condemnation. You need his mercy. You need his mercy. But here's the fourth thing. And I realize this is not a popular thing in our day, but this is Christ's words. I'm bringing this to you from Christ's words itself. Remember, the reason for Christ's words, the rebuke of Christ's words, the reprimand of Christ's words. But now we have this fourth thing I've mentioned to you, the discrimination in Christ's words. Do you hear what I just said? I realize that words taboo in this day, it's the discrimination in Christ's words.

For, this is what the Lord of glory himself said, for I am not come to call the righteous. You see that? He didn't come to call righteous people. If you're good, you're out of the picture. If you're righteous, you're out of the picture. If you're not a sinner, you're out of the picture. He didn't even come to call you. Do you see what he has said? That's what he said. For I am not come to call the righteous. Where do you take your place? Where do you see yourself? Can you gather up with these publicans and sinners and say, well, I need to sit down with him who has all mercy. Him who is plenteous in mercy. That's who I, or do you stand back and mock? Do you stand back and make fun of those who come to him, and desire to eat with him, and fellowship with him, and believe in him, and trust in him, and you mock them? Every time they make a mistake, every time they sin, every time they fall, you want to point the finger at them and say, why is he associated with them? Because he came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Do you hear that? That's what he said. The discrimination in Christ's word. For I am not come to call the righteous.

Listen to me now. Jesus did not come for anyone whom God has not brought to their wit's end because of their sin, because of their not their merit, their demerit, not because of their goodness, but because of their ungodliness. He came to save ungodly people. If you're following along, turn to the 107th Psalm. This is an amazing Psalm. And I'm not gonna read it all. It's quite lengthy. But I am going to read much of it. And we will spend a lot of our remaining eight or nine minutes that I have here. Psalm 107. Now remember what I said. Remember what we're talking about. We're talking about the discrimination in Christ's words. Christ himself said it. He said it. This is not my take on it. This is not Sovereign Grace Chapel's take on it. This is Christ Jesus himself, his take on it. For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Now, listen to Psalm 107, and I will begin in verse four. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way. They found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted. Do you see that? Fainted in them. You ever been there? God ever brought you to that place? Now let's read on. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men. For he satisfies, what? What does he satisfy? Or maybe more pertinent, I should say, who does he satisfy? Verse nine, for he satisfy the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Look at it, such as sit in darkness. Do you see it? God ever brought you there? He ever brought you, not only, I'm not talking about just seeing the darkness around you. I understand we're in a world in which darkness surrounds us everywhere, but I'm talking about seeing the darkness, look down in here, it's down in your own soul, do you see it? Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being found in affliction and iron, because they, here it is, I have to confess this, Can you confess this? Because they rebelled against the words of God.

Hmm. I can take my place there, sadly. Look, and contend the counsel of the Most High. We sit around bragging about our will rather than God's will. We sit around and brag and talk about what God wants us to do, rather than talking about, bragging on what Christ has already done. Now don't we? Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron because they rebelled against the words of God and condemned the counsel of the Most High.

Therefore he brought down their heart with labor. They fell down and there was none to help. Here's somebody, sounds like to me, needs what? Mercy and not sacrifice, don't it? All right, now let's go on. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and break their bands asunder.

Who's doing all the work here? They're doing all the sinning, God's doing all the saving. Isn't that like what it is to you? They have all the demerit and he's the one giving them all the merit. They're the ones that need mercy, he's the one that's giving it. Look at it, oh, that men, verse 15. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men.

For he hath broken the gates of brass, he hath cut the bars of iron and sunder. Fools, because of their transgression and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Can you take your place there as a fool before God? Huh, can you? Can you? You say, well, that's not me. Well, he didn't come to call you. Isn't that what he said? Didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Look, verse 18. Their soul abhorred all manner of meat, and they drew near unto the gates of death. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, look at it, do you see it? Just this, he sent his word and healed them, huh? is the word of God, is this book what matters to you more than anything else, hmm? This book, God's word, Christ's word, huh? He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions.

Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men. The psalmist just cannot let this go, can he? He just cannot let this go, but look, he's not done yet. He's not done yet. And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of what? Not effort, not good works, not merit. Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works. Do you see that? And declare his works with rejoicing.

Those who need mercy don't brag about what they've done because the only thing they've done sin against God. The only thing they've done, rebelled against God. The only thing they are is ungodly before God in and of themselves. And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing.

They that go down to the sea in ships that do business in great waters, that is this storm of tribulation and trouble because of seeing these, now listen, these sea, nobody else does. That man or woman, that religious man or woman, they're just floating around easy on a calm sea. They just go to church, and they sing for the Lord, and they pray for the Lord, and they do all these wonderful works for the Lord. They're just on a calm sea, but not these people that the psalmist is talking about. They go down to the sea in ships. They do business in great waters. These, verse 24, these see the works of the Lord and his wonders, where at? In the deep. That's where they see it, in the deep.

Look, for he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind, and he lifteth up the waves thereof. Who brings this sinner to see that he or she is a sinner? God does it. God must do it. Look, verse 26, they mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths. It's like this, look, on them waves, like this, up and down, up and down, up and down, up. They're not like these religious, nice, sweet, moral folk, look, that's going like, they're up and down. Up and down, they mount up to heaven. They go down again to the depths. Their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are, here it is, and are at their wit's end.

God ever brought you there? That's the question. God ever brought you there. Look, then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them, do you see it? And bringeth them out of the distresses. He maketh the storm a calm so that the waves are still. Who's doing all the work here? Who's showing all the mercy here? God is, God is. But the only people he's crying out for are those that need what? Mercy. Mercy, oh my, oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for the wonderful work, that his wonderful works to the children of men.

Again, remember, in this passage, in my text for this morning, we see the reason for Christ's words is this self-conceit of self-righteousness. We see the rebuke of this words, Christ himself being rebuked for associating with people who need mercy. How self-righteous could that be? mocking Christ and those who need mercy. And then we see the reprimand in Christ's words. And we looked at three thoughts concerning that. But now we've looked at this, the discrimination in Christ's words. For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Do you see it? Sinners to repentance. This is exactly what God does. He grants repentance. He gives repentance.

God will bring, and when God does a work on a man or a woman and shows them what they really are in and of themselves, he'll bring them down in that deep waters. and they'll go up and down and up and down and up and the waves blow and they have no help. Then what do they do? They cry unto the Lord for what? Merit? Huh? Merit? No. They cry out unto God for mercy. Mercy. You see, according, you remember old Jonah, right? Stuck in that fish's belly, huh? What did he say about salvation? Jonah said these words, salvation is of the Lord. Amen.