Well, I'm going to go ahead and
get started. So if you would turn with me to Proverbs 21 and
verse 21. Proverbs 21. And verse 21. He that followeth after righteousness
and mercy findeth life righteousness and honor We have in this one short verse
a lot of good news First there is a righteousness that is followed
after This following is to pursue or run after a It is not a doing
of righteousness. It is a pursuing after it. It's
like that passage I read last Sunday from Philippians 3. Philippians
3, 10, 11, and 12. That I may know him and the power
of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made
conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain unto
the resurrection of the dead. not as though I had already attained,
either were already perfect, but I follow after if that I
may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ
Jesus." Paul was talking about pursuing after Jesus Christ.
He knows it is Christ that has laid hold of him because he says,
which also I am apprehended of Jesus Christ. But he also knows
it causes us to be actively engaged in reaching for Christ. We do
all this by his power, of course. But God's people, those who have
been apprehended of Christ, pursue him. So we also see something
else here that is pursued, mercy. These are two things by nature
we do not have. And because of who we are, these
are two things we must have. We lack much more, but for sure,
these two things we do not have by nature. And I want to be clear,
it does not say we do righteousness and or that we do mercy. We pursue
it as something we do not have. Those who are like this, that
do pursue these things, do not presume on God. They know they
neither have these things in and of themselves and they know
they do not deserve these things. So let's look at righteousness
and mercy and the pursuit of those things. So first I want you to think
about this verse as it speaks about righteousness and mercy,
and it's very familiar to you, Matthew 9, 13. 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. This
verse here confirms what has been said in Proverbs 21, 21.
First of all, there are none righteous, The only righteousness there
is in this world is that righteousness which is righteousness in man's
own eyes. But scripture is clear that even
our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in God's eyes. If one were
truly righteous, there would be no need of repentance. So
if you think you are righteous, Jesus Christ did not come for
you. If you think in some way you can do righteousness, then
Christ did not come for you. He did not die for you. There
is no other way to see that. Jesus Christ must call us to
repentance or we will never repent. If Jesus Christ does not call
us, there will never be a time when we will turn to God from
idols. That's repentance. That is a
taking sides with God against ourselves, admitting that we
are sinners. And that is admitting that I
am a sinner. It's not a group think kind of
thing. It is Christ coming to an individual and letting you
know that you are a sinner and in need of righteousness because
you have none. We can also see here that mercy
is for sinners. Mercy is kindness or goodwill
towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire
to help them. Jesus Christ is willing and desiring
to show mercy to those sinners who are miserable and afflicted.
He wants to help them, just as he did with Nineveh. As Walter
pointed out, Jonah got mad and did not want to go to Nineveh
because he knew God would be merciful to them. The people
of God know that their God is a merciful God because they know
what he has done for them. That is a stark contrast to men
and women today who think God owes them mercy. They think that
if they do something, and you can plug in quite a few things
there, but they think if they do one of many numerous things
that God must show them mercy. A child of God, by the grace
of God, does not presume God will show them mercy. God's people
continually cry out for mercy because their sin is ever before
them. It is not ever before a righteous,
merciful God, but it is before them. In seeing their sin daily,
they cry out for mercy daily, because they know they need it
daily if they are to serve him. God is a merciful God. Jonah
did not want them to be shown mercy, knowing that God is a
merciful God. Men and women today expect God
to show them mercy. They think they deserve it. Mercy
is not something that is deserved or earned. Mercy is something
that is shown from one who has the ability to show it, and that
to another who does not have it, does not deserve it, and
has not earned it. The reason they need mercy is
because they are sinners. What has made them miserable
and afflicted is that they are sinning against God. He is absolutely
righteous and holy and we have offended Him. Do you see yourself
as offending a righteous, merciful God? but see something else in
our verse in Proverbs. Those who pursue after righteousness
and mercy find something. They are pursuing these two things
and in the course of pursuing those things, they find something. They find things that they did
not have before. First of all, life. Now it's
not just that they get life, but they find life. When those
who by God's grace pursue God's righteousness, they find where
life is. They find Jesus Christ. Jesus
Christ is the only place life can be found. Outside of him,
there is no life. So your only hope is to be found
in him. in whom dwelleth all life from
God. If you are in him, if finding
him, and you will only find him if he first finds you, but if
you find him, you will find life from the dead. What else? You pursue righteousness and
mercy, you will find righteousness, or justice is what the word means.
There's only one place where you will find that, you will
not find it in your doing. In fact, there, you will only
find death. And that's why you're pursuing
after righteousness and mercy. But Jesus Christ is the righteousness
of God without the law, the scripture says. So if the righteousness
and mercy you seek does not find that righteousness, you have
not found righteousness. If your pursuing of righteousness
and mercy does not point you to a person, and that is the
person of Jesus Christ the Lord, the righteousness and mercy you
have found is not a true righteousness. It may be a righteousness that
is filthy rags in God's sight, but it is not true righteousness. We have one other thing here
that is found when a person is made to pursue righteousness
and mercy. honor, or that is, glory. There is no greater glory than
seeing Jesus Christ. For such a dead dog as I, to
be enabled to see him, it is a glorious sight. The three in
one God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
And I mentioned Jesus Christ being glorious, but then I mentioned
the three in one God, why? Because Jesus Christ thought
it not robbery to be equal with God. Because he is God. If we see God, it will be in
the face of Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us, Noah found
grace in the eyes of the Lord. Whose eyes do you think he was
beholding? It was none other than the Lord
of glory, Jesus Christ. Turn with me to Exodus 33, very
premier to you all. Exodus 33. And we'll see some
of this glory. Exodus 33 and I'm gonna start
in verse 12. Exodus 33, starting in 12. And Moses said unto the Lord,
see thou sayest unto me, bring up this people, and thou hast
not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said,
I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight,
show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace
in thy sight, and consider that this nation is thy people. And
he said, my presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee
rest. And he said unto him, if thy presence go not with me,
carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known
here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is
it not in that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated,
I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face
of the earth. And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing
also that thou hast spoken, for thou hast found grace in my sight,
and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee,
show me thy glory. And he said, I will make all
my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name
of the Lord before thee. and will be gracious to whom
I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show
mercy. And he said, thou canst not see
my face, for there shall no man see me and live. And the Lord
said, behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon
a rock. and it shall come to pass while
my glory passeth by that I will put thee in a cliff of a rock
and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by. And I will take
away mine hand and thou shalt see my back parts, but my face
shall not be seen. Moses desired to see the glory
of God. Who is it that you think Moses
saw? It was none other than Jesus
Christ the Lord. Moses saw that it was a man passing
by. Moses knew he was seeing the
Messiah. What a glory to behold. God came
down, the three in one came down. I know I don't get this glory
completely. I can't even tell you completely
the fullness of this glory. I know this world does not see
this at all. But it was God Almighty, the
one who is righteous, holy, undefiled, and all-wise and all-powerful. It is He that came down. This man took on the form of
a servant and was made a curse and sin for his people. And this
just amazes me. Sin and that offense against
this righteous holy God, but sin causes the wrath of God to
be kindled. So you think all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God? I know this. I have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. Here's what God tells us in his
word about his wrath. Psalm 212, kiss the son. lest he be angry and ye perish
from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are they that put their
trust in him. It only takes but a little wrath
from God to destroy you, to destroy the whole world. We cannot even
fathom his wrath. Psalm 90 11 says, who knoweth
the power of thine anger? Even according to thy fear, so
is thy wrath. Sin, that's what I am and that's
what I do, and that sin kindles the wrath of God. If you think
that wrath of God is against what you do but not against you,
you know, you've heard people say that. God hates sin but loves
the sinner. You know, smile, God loves you.
Listen to this in Isaiah, Isaiah 13, nine. Behold, the day of
the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay
the land desolate, and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out
of it. It says here, he shall destroy
the sinners. Not what they do, but they themselves,
sinners. but yet there is mercy found
in God's wrath. It is found in his glory. You
all know this passage quite well, as Walter has brought this out
quite ably. Habakkuk 3, 2. O Lord, I have
heard thy speech and was afraid. O Lord, revive thy work in the
midst of the years. In the midst of the years, make
known. In wrath, remember mercy. But let's look at this verse
a little and ponder it as it concerns our text in Proverbs.
It first says, oh Lord, I have heard thy speech. What speech
are we talking about? His word, his word tells us that
sin and the one that does sin must be destroyed. God abhors
sin and those who commit sin. Does that not make you start
to think about God's statement where he says, for all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God. The glory of God being spoken
of is not the law of God, although it was glorious. But there is
one who is much more glorious, and it is he who is the glory
being spoken of. The glory we have come short
on is the glory of Jesus Christ the Lord. We do not deserve to
see him. We in fact by nature do not seek
him. It causes such a one who by God
come to this place where they hear his speech. What happens
to them? They become afraid. Why? because of his wrath is kindled
but a little. If his wrath is kindled but a
little, he will certainly destroy them forever, destroy me forever. But when they are brought to
this place, and not all are, some are left to themselves,
but yet others are brought to this place where they see his
wrath, but they cry out to God. Oh Lord, revive thy work in the
midst of the years. In the midst of the years, make
none. What is this saying? God calls
me to see your work, not my work. My work will condemn me and cause
me to be consumed in your wrath. I want to see your work. What
is that work? That work is the glory of God. Christ the Son came down and
was given. Jesus was born, born under the
law that he might redeem them that are under the law. God Almighty
himself who has been offended because of my sin against him
came down. It is he that done the work needed
to save a people. He did not leave this work undone
because he said it is finished. If God says it is finished, then
the work is finished. His work was this, in wrath,
remember mercy. God the father's wrath came down
on Jesus Christ the son in his people's stead. He was their
substitute. I thank God he was my substitute. I could not, I cannot stand his
wrath. If God's wrath caused God the
Father to turn his back on the Son, how much more do you think
the holy God will forsake a sinner like me? If God the Father's
wrath put the Son to death, how much more do you think his wrath
would kill me and that forever? Because I am no perfect sacrifice. I would be consumed forever by
his wrath. But because the Son did what
he did, mercy comes to those to whom Jesus Christ came to
die for. You think God loves everybody?
You think God loves everybody? You better start concerning yourself
with this. Does God love me? I am a sinner undone, unclean
before him. Oh, but if he might be merciful
to me. I know he is a merciful God,
but will he be merciful to me? First Chronicles 16.34, we read,
oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy
endureth forever. I know if I am ever to see his
wrath, I will be consumed forever. But if the Son took my place,
I will see His mercy and that forever. Mercy is not earned
by us. Mercy is not deserved by us. Mercy is given to us, and that
only if I am in Christ. Those who pursue righteousness
and those who pursue mercy do not pursue it thinking they deserve
it or they have earned it. Here is what it is to pursue
righteousness and mercy. Psalm 4 1. Hear me when I call,
O God of my righteousness. Thou hast enlarged me when I
was in distress. Have mercy upon me and hear my
prayer. God will reward us according
to our works. either our works in the flesh,
or if he was pleased to place you in his son from before the
foundation of the world, then you will be judged by the works
of his son, them being your works by substitution. The work that
we now do are those works that he has ordained for them that
love him, and those that he both works to will and to do of his
good pleasure. But here's Psalm 62, 12. Also
unto thee, O Lord, belong with mercy, for thou renderest to
every man according to his work. I pray he does not render to
me according to the works of my hands. I am doomed forever
if that be the case. But if he renders to me the work
of his son, then what God sees is the son. What does God see? Life, justice, and glory. Life, righteousness, and honor.
If I am to see Him, it will be He that does this. To see Him
is the work of God. What does the scripture tell
us? This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom
God hath sent. If you see any of your works
as gaining you favor before God, then you do not see his righteousness
and mercy. Let's look at a few examples
of those who receive mercy. A very familiar, Matthew 15,
22. And behold, a woman of Canaan
came out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying, have
mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously
vexed with the devil. She was told by the Lord himself.
In 24 he said, but he answered and said, I am not sent but unto
the lost sheep of the house of Israel. She had a need and she
knew that the only one who could provide such a need was Jesus
Christ. She was not going to do anything
for Christ, only worship him. That is, bow down to Him and
worship Him, verse 25. Then came she and worshiped Him,
saying, Lord, help me. If you can be easily dissuaded
from worshiping God because you are told you are not worthy,
then you are not bowing down to Him and you are not believing
Him. To believe Him is to know that
you can do nothing of yourself. and that if he should do nothing
for you, all hope is lost. What does the Lord then say to
her? In verse 26, but he answered and said, it is not meat to take
the children's bread and to cast it to dogs. Does this dissuade
her or cause her to leave? What does she do in 27? And she
said, truth Lord, yet the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from
their master's table. She takes her rightful place
as a dog, but a dog of the king. Because just one crumb coming
from him is mercy to my soul. Now we have Mark 10, verses 46
and 47. Let's read this one. And they came to Jericho, and
as they went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number
of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the
highwayside begging. And when he heard that it was
Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, thou
son of David, have mercy on me. He heard that it was Jesus passing
by. He did not want Jesus Christ
to pass him by because he knew he needed mercy. He has the inability
to help himself, but he knew that this one and only this one
could help him. No one, even if they say for
you to keep quiet and calls you to keep silent, you will cry
out to Jesus Christ because you know he is your only hope. What did they say in verse 48
of Mark 10? And many charged him that he
should hold his peace, but he cried the more a great deal,
thou son of David, have mercy on me. No matter how many people
tell you not to go here or not to go there, don't hear them
over there because they preach a God that is an absolute total
sovereign control. and you have no say in the matter
and it's all up to God's will. Don't hear that. That's what
they'll say. No matter how many people say that to you, you will
not listen. If this is one who really needs
mercy, you won't listen. But it will cause you to cry
out the louder and even more. Have mercy on me, the sinner. If you will not hear those who
proclaim his gospel, that gospel that reveals the Son of God,
Jesus Christ the Lord, as God's righteousness and mercy, then
you will never see life, justice, and mercy. Because it is in Jesus
Christ and Jesus Christ alone where it can be found. It is
not give your heart to Jesus. It is rather, create in me a
clean heart, oh God. It is not, what will I do for
Jesus? It is rather, what will he do
with me? Those who pursue after righteousness
and mercy will go to great lengths to be where they can hear of
him. They will not be able to bear hearing anything else than
hearing of God's righteousness and mercy. If you know yourself to be one
who is in need of righteousness and mercy, then you will, by
his grace, hear those who preach of that one who is the righteousness
and mercy of God. You will pursue it. I enjoy several
things in life, but if he took his gospel from me, if he put
me in a place where I could not be with God's people or where
I could hear the gospel, I think I would go mad. Here is my cry and here is my
song. Psalm 23, six. Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever. This is all because of his righteousness
and mercy. Because of his righteousness
and mercy, I have life, I have justice, and I have glory. If
I am His and He is mine, then all God will ever see is Him. He will see life, justice, and
glory. Depth of mercy can it be? Mercy
still reserved for me. The answer is, if He died for
you, there is plenteous mercy, and His mercy endureth forever. Because of his righteousness
and mercy, I will see life, righteousness, and glory before a thrice holy
God, all to his praise, honor, and glory. Amen. Dear Lord God,
thank you for once again allowing us to be here today and hearing
words of your son, dear Lord. As we go about, dear Lord, Seal
these words to our heart, dear Lord. Cause us to ponder on your
word, to think about you, dear Lord. We'll get to doing so many
things as we go out. So many other things that we
have to take care of in this life, dear Lord. Stay our mind
on you. All these things we ask in his
name. Amen.