Would you turn back to Luke chapter
21? I've entitled the message for
this evening, Mercy and Grace. Now the words mercy and grace
are not found in our text, but the definition of mercy And the
definition of grace is found very clearly in this passage
of scripture. Mercy and grace. I hope these don't seem to be
words that you say, well, I already know what that means. I hope
we have a desire to know what God's mercy and what God's grace
is, and how desperately I personally need, right now, God's mercy
and God's grace. In verse 35, the Lord says, For
as a snare, speaking of his second advent, when he comes I love
to think of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, don't
you? When he'll come, everybody will know it's him. Like seeing
lightning light up the sky at night, everybody will know. When he shall come with trumpet
sound, oh may I then in him be found. Now he says in verse 35
that as a snare, shall it come on all them that dwell on the
face of the whole earth. It will come to many as a great
snare. It will not be good. It will
be bad. It will be the beginning of eternal
misery for those people. Verse 36, Watch ye therefore,
and pray always, be on the lookout and always be praying regarding
this. Now here's something that you
and I need to be watching for and praying for. Watch ye therefore
and pray always that you may be accounted worthy to escape
all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the
Son of Man. And there we have mercy and there
we have grace. First, mercy. Mercy is God giving
me or God not giving me what I do deserve personally. I'm interested in
this, aren't you? I am very interested. in God
not giving me what I personally, in and of myself, deserve. Now look what he says. Watch
therefore and pray always that you may be accounted worthy to
escape all these things that shall come to pass. Are you worthy to escape all
these dreadful things that will come to pass on his second advent
when he comes to save the righteous and punish the wicked? Are you
in and of yourself worthy to escape all these things? Now,
if he does account you worthy to escape all these things, he
is not giving you what you deserve, isn't he? If he counts you worthy, when
in and of yourself you're not worthy, he's giving you, he is
withholding from giving you what you actually deserve. Now do you find that attractive? I want that desperately. Now grace is God giving you what
in fact you don't deserve but he gives it to you anyway. Now
do you stand able in and of yourselves? Can you stand before him at his
second coming when he comes in brightness and great glory? Well
of course you can't. Of course you can't. But if you're
made to stand, it's because He Himself has actually given you
what you, in fact, do not deserve. God's mercy, God not giving you
what you do deserve. God's grace, God giving you what
you do not Now, if God gave me what I deserved, I know what'll happen to me.
I'm talking about any of myself. If God gave me what I deserved,
I'd go to hell. If God was not pleased to give
me personally, If he was not pleased to give me what I didn't
deserve, I would go to hell. Do you believe that about yourself?
Now, if you do, you're greatly interested in this thing of God's
mercy and God's grace. Now, I'm very interested in these
two things. I don't want God to give me what
I deserve. I'm talking about for the sins
of this day. I'm not talking about yesterday, I'm talking
about today. And I sure enough want God to
give me what I do not deserve. Now that is a great interest
of every believer. I want to be counted worthy to
escape all those things that shall come upon the earth And
I want to stand before the Son of Man. Mercy and grace. Now, who is interested in this
thing of mercy and grace? Now I can answer that real easily. Sinners. are interested in this
thing of mercy and this thing of grace, people who believe
themselves to be sinners. Now, the sinner, quite simply,
is the one who commits the sins. God doesn't put sins into hell.
He puts the ones who committed those sins into hell. You've
heard preachers say, God hates the sin but loves the sinner.
Show me that in the Bible. It's not there. The sinner is
the one who actually commits those sins against God. And he commits those sins because
he is a sinner. This is very important. He doesn't
become a sinner when he commits those sins. He commits those
sins because he already is in his heart a sinner. He was born that way. He was born bad and he knows
it. Like David said, in sin did my
mother conceive me. Now he didn't mean by that that
she was committing a sin and conceiving me. He's saying when
I came out of the womb I was bad. In sin did my mother conceive
me. The scripture says the wicked
go about as soon as they be born speaking lies. Now everybody
that's a sinner knows this. I was born bad. Do you believe that about yourself? I was born bad. Behold I was shaped in an iniquity
and in sin did my mother conceive me. Now how did we get this way?
Turn to Romans chapter 5. Yeah, I can give the proper teaching
of this on scripture, and it won't do any good unless God
the Holy Spirit causes you to see that this is true regarding
you. It'll just be, you know, religious stuff, orthodox stuff,
but oh, if God gives me the grace to see that this is God's description
of me and why I am the way I am. Now look in verse 18 of Romans
chapter 5. Therefore, as by the offense of one, Adam's offense,
judgment, came upon all men to condemnation. When Adam was condemned,
me and you were condemned. That's what the Bible teaches.
Am I condemned for a sin that I didn't commit? No, you committed
it. When you were in Adam, when he
sinned, you sinned. You can't say, I wouldn't have
done it. Yes, you would for sure. Wherefore, as by one man sin
entered the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon
all men, in that all have sinned. When Adam sinned, me and you
sinned too, because we were in him. And I want you to think
about this. I mean, God gave him everything. He gave him everything. He was in the Garden of Eden
with one little rule. Now, it was a big rule, but it
was a little one. You can have fruit from every
single tree except this one. Now don't you reckon you could
have kept from eating that one fruit? Well if you reckon that, let
me assure you, you're wrong. You're wrong. When Adam sinned,
you sinned. Let's go on reading. Even so, in the same manner,
by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men
under justification of life. Just like by that one man's disobedience,
many were condemned, same way, by the righteousness of that
one. The free gift of salvation came
upon all for whom he died. It's not talking about all men
with that exception, because not all men are going to be saved,
you know that. But everybody Christ died for will be saved.
Verse 19, for as by one man's disobedience, many were made
sinners. Now in verse 18, it talks about
us being condemned because of that one man's action. And here
it says, here's why we're born bad. By that one man's disobedience,
many were made That's why I'm born into this world a sinner,
somebody who commits sin, somebody who breaks God's law. Now, I think this is interesting.
There are a lot of confessions of sin in the Old Testament.
I love them. I love them. What a blessing it is when God
enables us to take a Psalm of David where David is confessing
his sin and we enter right in with him doing that. Have mercy
upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness, according
to the multitude of Thy tender mercies. Blot out my transgression. Wash me throughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions.
My sin is ever before me against Thee, and Thee only have I done
this evil in Thy sight. that thou mightest be justified
when you speak and clear when you judge. Isn't it a blessing
when you're able to enter into that and pray just with David? I don't have any doubt that the
best prayers you and I pray are when we just read Psalms. David describes our heart better
than we can describe. I think of Isaiah's great confession
where he says, we all do faith as the leaf, and we're all as
an unclean thing, and our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. I think of
Daniel's confession in Daniel chapter 9. I love his confession
of sin. It'd be a blessing if you read
it this week. But you know what's interesting?
In the New Testament, I only read four times where someone
actually confessed to being a sinner. Three times it was an individual
and one time it was more of a collective confession. Now the first one
is found in Luke chapter 5. Now remember we're talking about
who's interested in mercy and grace. Well I know who's interested
in mercy and grace. Somebody like this. This is in
Luke chapter 5. Peter had not yet been called
to be an apostle yet, but he saw the Lord perform this mighty
miracle, and I think at this time he first saw who the Lord
really was. He wasn't a mere man. He saw
who the Lord really was, and look what he says in verse 8.
And when Simon Peter saw, when he saw clearly who this was,
He fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man. Oh Lord. Now that word sinful
is the same word that's always translated sinner. He said, I'm
unreformable. You don't really want to have
anything to do with me. I'm bad. I'm bad. The only thing for you
to do. There's no hope for me. I'm unreformable. Depart. You don't want to have
anything to do with somebody like me. Now that's Peter's confession
of sin. This was a new discovery for
him. He didn't know he was this way until right then. And when
he sees who he is, what's he say? Lord, you don't want to
have anything to do with me. I ruin everything I touch. If
I do it, it's no good. Oh Lord. He wasn't saying this
because he wanted the Lord away from him, but he could not see
any reason why the Lord would want to have anything to do with
him. I turn to Luke chapter 18. Very familiar passage of scripture. The Pharisee had stood and congratulated
himself with how good he was, and he gave God the credit. Verse
13, and the publican, standing afar off. would not lift up so
much as his eyes unto heaven, but he smote upon his breast,
saying, God, be merciful." And that word is propitious. God,
be propitious. Do something about my sin. Do
something to remove your anger for it. He doesn't make any promises. He doesn't say, God, if you do
this, I'll do that. All he says is, God be propitious. Do something about my sin. There's
nothing I can do about it. God be propitious to me, the
sinner. And here's the third confession,
1 Timothy chapter 1. Another very familiar passage
of Scripture. Verse 15, this is a faithful
saying, and it's worthy of all acceptation.
Everybody in this room and out of this room ought to receive
this as the best thing they've ever heard. That Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am. Not I was, not I used to be,
of whom I am the chief. Now there's someone who needs
mercy and who needs grace. Now one other passage of Scripture
turned to Romans chapter 5. This is more of a collective
confession. This is Paul speaking as the
spokesman of every believer. Romans chapter 5 beginning in
verse 6. For when we were yet without
strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely
for a righteous man will one die, yet for adventure for a
good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his
love toward us in the while we were yet sinners. Now he's speaking
as a we here, not just a me. He's speaking as the representative
of every one of God's people. While we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. If you're a sinner, Christ died
for you. And do you hear that? If you
are a sinner, Jesus Christ shed his precious blood for you, and it's been put away. He died
for sinners, and whatever he does must be successful. Christ Jesus died for sinners,
people who, if God gives them what they deserve, He'll send
them to hell. And if God does not, if God does not withhold from
them what they actually deserve, God will send them to hell. Now all these things are going
to come past God's judgment against sin and sinners and the only
way I can escape is if I'm counted worthy, counted worthy by God
himself. to be able to escape these things
and to stand before the Son of Man. Now, let's think of the
language here. He says, I'm going to have to be counted worthy. Not simply that my sin is forgiven
or that my sin is overlooked, but I myself am going to have
to be counted worthy to escape these things. Now, how in the
world can I be counted worthy? When I know in and of myself
I'm not worthy, how can I be counted worthy? Well, turn back to Luke 18. It's what
the Bible calls justification. Verse 13 once again, And the
publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as
his eyes unto heaven. but smote upon his breast, saying,
God, be merciful. God, be propitious. God, do something
about my sin. Remove it through the propitiatory
sacrifice. The Lord says, I tell you, this
man went down to his house. What? Justified. counted worthy to escape all
those things that shall come upon the face of the earth. Now
here is how somebody like me or somebody like you can actually
be counted by God Himself to be worthy. And if God counts
you worthy, it's because you are worthy. It's not pretend. It's not play acting. You're
actually worthy to escape all these things. If you're justified,
You see that man who confessed his own sinfulness, you know
what happened to his sin? God lifted it up off of him and
placed it upon his son. And his son became not worthy
to escape the judgment of God. And God took the righteousness,
the perfect obedience of His Son, and He placed it upon that
man, and that man became literally worthy. It's what the Bible calls
justification. Being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Turn back to Luke chapter 20. Verse 35. Let's read verse 34. And Jesus answering said unto
them, The children of this world marry or are given in marriage,
but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and
the resurrection from the dead, they neither marry or are given
in marriage. It's not about husbands and wives
in heaven. But notice the language. They're
counted worthy to obtain that world. Now, if I'm counted worthy,
that means God is going to look at me, Todd Nybert, and he's
going to say, well done, thou good, and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy
Lord, because I've been counted worthy." Look in Acts chapter
5. This is after they had preached
the gospel. And they were beaten for preaching
the gospel and commanded not to speak any more in the name
of Jesus. And we read in verse 41. And they departed from the presence
of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer
shame for his name. They were counted worthy. What
an honor that is to be allowed to suffer shame for his name. I couldn't help but thinking
of Revelation 12, 11 where it says, They overcame him by the
blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and
they loved not their lives even to death. And that's true of
every believer. By God's grace, their greatest
privilege would be to be counted worthy to be allowed to suffer
shame for his name. What grace that is to be accounted
worthy. And then the next thing he says,
he says, oh what a grace it would be to be counted worthy, to be
accepted before him and to escape all those things that are come
upon the face of the earth. And that's what mercy is. It's
not getting what you deserve. And here he speaks of grace next,
to stand before the Son of Man, to stand accepted before the
Son of Man. to stand complete before the
Son of Man. Now this is God giving me what
I do not deserve. For me, this sinner, to stand
before Jesus Christ, to stand accepted, to stand perfect, to
stand complete in Him. Now there's the negative side,
I don't get what I do deserve. And here's the positive side,
I get. what I do not deserve. To stand
accepted before the Son of Man. When I stand before Him on Judgment
Day. Now you think about this. Such is the reality of justification. And I believe this. I can't get
hold of it mentally, but I believe it. I'm going to stand before
God on Judgment Day. I'm going to stand before Jesus
Christ my Redeemer on Judgment Day. And He's going to say there's
no fault in Him. He's perfect. He's without sin. Standing perfect and accepted
in Him. Now this standing, first of all,
is in grace. Turn to Romans chapter 5. Verse
2, By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand. That is standing that I'm going
to have when I stand before Christ himself. And even when I say
that, it makes me feel kind of weird because I think I know
what I am in myself. But yet by grace, I will stand
to where God says I see no fault. Perfect. Justified in Christ
Jesus. the Lord. Peter spoke of the
true grace of God wherein you stand. Now, grace and grace alone
is why I'm going to stand this way. Don't you say amen to that.
Don't you believe that with all your heart. You do if you're
a believer. You know your only standing is in grace. Now turn
to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Verse 1, Moreover, brethren,
I declare unto you the gospel, the good news, which I preached
unto you. It's a gospel that I preached
when you first heard, which also you have received, and wherein
you stand. Your standing is in the gospel
by which also you're saved, if you keep in memory what I preached
unto you, unless you bleed in vain. Now here's something that
every believer keeps in memory. Their standing is only in Christ. We really believe that. And we
persevere in this. We keep this in memory. That's
what perseverance is. Now, I know this. Somebody believes the gospel. They're
going to persevere in the gospel no matter what else they do.
You may be wondering what in the world are they doing, but
I know this. If they're believers, they will persevere in the gospel. They will do that. And that's
where their standing is. Persevering in the gospel. Turn with me to the book of Jude,
verse 24. right before the book of Revelation. Verse 24, Now unto him that is
able to keep you from falling, and to present you. Now that
word present is the same word translated stand. To make you
stand faultless. faultless before his presence
with exceeding joy. Colossians chapter 4 verse 12
says, talks about a man praying for us that we may stand perfect
and complete in all the will of God. Now if God does that
for me and causes me to stand perfect and complete in all the
will of God, you know what that is? That's grace. That's grace. We believe that all together.
Turn to Romans chapter 14, verse 4. Who are you to judge another
man's servant? To his own master he stands or
falls, he doesn't answer to you. Yea, he shall be holding up,
for God is able to make him stand. Why does he stand? God is able
to make him stand. And look in verse 10. But why
dost thou judge thy brother? Why dost thou set it not thy
brother? For we shall all, every believer, every one of us, we
shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Now understand,
that's not saying You better watch out because you're going
to have to be judged too. You start judging your brother, God's going
to judge you. That's not what that's saying. That's saying
every believer will stand perfect, accepted, and complete before
the judgment seat of Christ. Now that is grace. Mercy is God
not giving you what you deserve. deserve to escape all these things
that will come upon His second return. But if He has mercy on
us, we will. We'll be accounted worthy to
escape all those things. And you and I don't deserve to
stand before the Son of Man, but if He gives us His grace,
you know what? We'll stand before the Son of Man. Now, let me remind
you, the only people who are interested in this are sinners. People who really believe that
if God gave them what they deserve they would not escape those things
that will come upon his second return and that there's no way
in and of themselves they could stand before the Son of Man.
Their desire is mercy and grace. Now I think of, I couldn't help
but in thinking of this passage of scripture, I thought of Lot. Lot, Brother Lot. Unfortunately, if me and you
would give our opinion regarding Brother Lot without any of the
information found in the New Testament, if we gave our opinion
about Brother Lot, you know what we'd say about him? We'd say
he couldn't be saved. He couldn't be saved. Look at
the decisions he's made. Look at the direction he's gone.
Look at the things he's done. He could not be saved. Now that would be our judgment. But you know what God calls him?
He calls him Just Lot. Justified Lot. He calls him that righteous man
whose righteous soul was vexed day to day by their unlawful
deeds. Now that's what God calls him
in 2 Peter chapter 2. Why? Because Lot was a recipient of mercy and
Lot was a recipient of grace. And that's what every sinner
desires. Now the Lord says watch and pray
always that you'd find mercy, that you might escape those things
that are coming. and that you'd find grace, that
you might stand before the Son of Man, accepted, perfect, and
faultless. Mercy, grace, and what's the
third word Paul always uses when he's opening up an epistle to
the people he was writing to? Mercy, grace, and peace. The only thing that will produce
peace, real peace, is mercy and grace. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's name that you would have mercy on
us for Christ's sake. and cause us to be accounted
worthy to escape all those things that will come at the second
advent of thy son. And Lord, we ask for grace that we might stand before him
faultless. Lord, we ask for mercy and grace
to believe your gospel. We ask for mercy and grace to
cause us to persevere in the faith, grounded and settled,
and to not be moved from the one hope of the gospel. Lord,
save us by your mercy. Save us by your grace for Christ's
sake. In his blessed name we pray.
You got wings? Pass me not in number 235. We'll
stand and sing.