Mercy Ministry Series

• Chris Barksdale
• Jan 9, 2010
• Series: Mercy Ministry
• Categories: Church Planting Articles

Chris Barksdale | Lead Pastor | Hollywood Church | Hollywood, CA

The History and Practice of Mercy Ministry

 
Intro:
 
We have spent the last four weeks looking at Jesus’ teaching in Luke 10 on good
Samaritan, Matt 25 on sheep and goats, overview of OT and NT. Today I want to answer
some practical questions but I first want to look at history! Did the early church get this
message of mercy and justice? Did they practice it? I think we will find a resounding yes
and actually see that much of the growth of Christianity was due to these very things!
 
You see, the common accusation made against the church today is that it doesn’t really
care about people but that is not what it was like for the early Christians. Karl Marx back
in the 19th century observed that church members who are deeply involved in the church
reflect a sense of alienation from the world, a desire to escape from it through
attachment to the church, a wish to have their church escape from the world with them.
As a matter of fact, survey’s show that the more theologically conservative a church is,
the less it tends to be concerned about the people it is around. David Mobeg made this
observation in his book “The Great Reversal” in 1970:  
 
David Mobeg “Those who place a high value on salvation are
conservative, anxious to maintain the status quo, and unsympathetic or
indifferent to the plight of the marginalized and the poor.”
 
Thus we have today churches that either; love theology, believe the Bible and preach
the gospel but care nothing for people around them; or churches that love the poor,
involved in social action and don’t care much about the Bible or theology. As I’ve said all
along in this series. If we are to have an impact in this city we have to more committed to
the gospel than the most conservative church and at the same time more committed to
mercy ministry and social justice than the most liberal church. We have to be a mercy-
minded missional church, which is just what the early church was! (Read Entire Article)

Mercy Ministry and the NT

 
Introduction: 
 
Jeremiah 29:4-7  "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have
sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:  5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat
their produce.  6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give
your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not
decrease.  7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the
LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
 
 
1. Does the NT command us to show mercy and do justice?  
 
Luke 6:35  But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your
reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the
evil.  
 
Luke 10:25-37  And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall
I do to inherit eternal life?"  26 He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?"  
27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."  28 And he said
to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."  29 But he, desiring to justify
himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down
from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and
departed, leaving him half dead.  31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when
he saw him he passed by on the other side.  32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place
and saw him, passed by on the other side.  33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where
he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.  34 He went to him and bound up his
wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn
and took care of him.  35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the
innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come
back.'  36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among
the robbers?"  37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go,
and do likewise." (Read Entire Article)

Mercy Ministry and the OT

Intro:

1. What does the OT have to say about doing justice and showing
mercy?
2. Does God really care about doing justice and showing mercy?
Exodus 34:6  The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God
merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
Isaiah 30:18  Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to
show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
He is continually working for justice and showing mercy:
Deuteronomy 10:17-18   For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the
mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.  18 He executes justice for
the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.
Psalm 10:14   To you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless.
Psalm 146:7-9  The Lord executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The
LORD sets the prisoners free;  8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those
who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.  9 The LORD watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless. (Read Entire Article)