June 24, 2018

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

God's mercy is a big deal! A really big deal! And Paul emphasizes that truth by crafting Romans 12 around this great attribute of God!

God's mercy is the often overshadowed other brother of His grace!

This morning I want to share some insightful and inspiring quotes from the great A.W. Tozer on worship:

"As mercy is God's goodness confronting human misery and guilt, so grace is his goodness directed toward human debt and demerit."

"Don't allow false modesty,doubts or unbelief prevent you from accepting God's favor. The door of mercy stands wide open."

"We get the odd notion that God is showing mercy because Jesus died. No. Jesus died because God is showing mercy."

"When Jesus died on the cross the mercy of God did not become any greater. It could not become any greater, for it was already infinite. We get the odd notion that God is showing mercy because Jesus died. No--Jesus died because God is showing mercy. It was the mercy of God that gave us Calvary, not Calvary that gave us mercy. If God had not been merciful there would have been no incarnation, no babe in the manger, no man on a cross and no open tomb."

Does that give you a better view of God's mercy?

Here is a prayer from A.W. Tozer in closing:

O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, ‘Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.’ Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long.

Amen!