There Is Mercy For Your Mess

Introduction

Morning. Indeed, it is a blessing to be able to be out on this day to fellowship with those of like precious faith to sing these songs and to worship and commune with one another. Indeed, that is a blessing. Amen. This morning, we’re going to talk about, or the lesson is entitled, There is Mercy for Your Mess. There is Mercy for Your Mess. I would be remiss if I did not thank the elders for giving me this opportunity to do some extra study, to examine the word, and to bring it forth to you this morning.

And force me to go back and look at things from a different perspective. Also, want to thank Brother Lindy for bringing those songs this morning. I called him on yesterday and asked him if he would lead those songs. And I wanted those songs led for us because if we say that we’re in the glory land way, that means our mind is out, we already see ourselves in heaven. We already see ourselves with saints that’s gone on before us. But we also know that we got there not on our own volition, but through the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

And so when we sung amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me? I hope that you sung that evaluating yourself and asking yourself, do I allow God’s grace to work within me? Do I extend that grace and mercy to others? Beloved, life is often messy and full of unexpected, life-changing events. When we experience these events, many of us are left reeling, some of us are shaken from our messes, some of us may be knocked off kilter. When life takes a turn that the scripts that we have plotted out for ourselves don’t line up.

Or we brush them, or we brush past them, sometimes even denying that there really is a mess. Or we blame others for them and become the victim. Why do some of us allow the messes of life to erode our faith? To live life as a polished pretender. You might say, what is a polished pretender? Well, this is one who comes every Sunday, every Wednesday, they faithfully sit in the pew. But when you engage them, their language is not on things above. It’s not full of grace. It is complaining. And it is one that does not show real joy in Christ Jesus. But they are faithfully here. Why do some of the messes of our life push us to fall away? Why do the messes of our life move us to consider if God really does love us?

Or even more question whether there really is a God. See, beloved, these messes are places that Satan hangs out. And when we do any of the aforementioned, we deny the possibility that God intended the difficulties of life to become a small part of his bigger story. Yes, the difficulties of this life can shape us and mold us and perfect us to tell the bigger story. Some of us cannot accept the idea that the heartbreaks and hurdles are meant to become trophies of his grace rather than secrets to be buried. The good news is mercy is never far from us. God has made provision for us through Christ Jesus to move on beyond the messes in our life. This morning, beloved, I want to share for us two tools to help us take a deeper look at our messes, both past and current, and discover or rediscover God’s life-changing grace and mercy.

Only then we truly move on and extend that same grace and mercy to others. Let’s look at tool number one. But as you’re looking at that, I want you to see there.

A failed marriage, a job loss, unexpected diagnosis, an empty nest. That means when all the children leave, a friend’s deep betrayal, a mountain of debt, a stronghold of sin, unexpected life changes. You know, beloved, life does not come with a playbook that’s scripted out. Life doesn’t have the red zone like you see on TV that tells you where everybody’s moving as they get ready to cross the goal line. Life doesn’t work like that. We do have the inspired word of God that is the foundation and the recipe for eternal life. But the bottom line is we don’t have a playbook to deal with these messes. So I hope you have examined that.

1. Admitting to the Mess

What is a mess defined as? Webster defines it as a situation or state of affairs that is confused or full of difficulties. And those things that I just showed up there, those are things that reflect a mess. But let’s look at the tools for how we can deal with these. The first one that I want us to look at is admitting to the mess. Admitting to the mess. I’ve asked a couple of brothers to read those passages there. Romans 3, verses 23 through 26, and Ephesians 2, verses 4 through 5. So if we could have Romans 3 read aloud, please.

This was demonstrated righteousness. Because if the forbearance of God passed over the sins previously committed.

Amen. Ephesians 2, verses 4 and 5. But we all have written to the heart and because of the great love with which we love us. Even when we reject the trespasses, let us believe together with Christ. By grace is here to say.

By grace, we better accept. Beloved, the very essence of the gospel message tells us that we are a mess. And here’s the thing. No one is exempt. We’re all on equal footing when it comes to our contribution to the trashy landfill of sin. Now, here’s the deal. Some people’s trash may smell worse than others. However, at the end of the day, it’s all trash and it all smells. Our darkness is in some way a prized possession if it drives us into the heart of God. Without mercy, our darkness would plunge us into despair and for some of us, self-destruction. We come to God as beat up, burnt out, ragamuffins who definitely need his grace. Time alone with God reveals the profound depths of the poverty of our spirit.

Beloved, if you want to see where and how your spirit is, spend time with God. Spend time in his word. Spend time in the company of other saints, in prayer, in conversation that is uplifting and edifying. Then we will see God working. Let’s examine, let us now look at one who admitted their mess. If you have your New Testament, turn over to John, the fourth chapter. John the fourth chapter. I want to look quickly at the woman at the well. In John the fourth chapter, I’m just going to read a few verses to set it up. In verse 5, there, it says, So he came to a city, he being Jesus, came to a city which is called Siktar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus, therefore, being weary from his journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour of the day, which was around noontime. Verse 7. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give me a drink. For his disciples had gone away into the city. Verse 9. Then the woman of Samaria said to him, How is it that you being a Jew ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. I want us to skip down to verse 13. In verse 13, well, actually, in verse 11, the woman said to him, Sir, you have nothing to draw, and the well is deep. Where then do you get that living water?

See, Jesus had said to her in the previous verses, if you knew that the gift of the gift of God, who it is who says to you, give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. Jesus is telling her, I have some living water here to give you. But let’s follow on. In verse 13, Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. Then Jesus said to her in verse 16, go call your husband and come here. Now the Samaritan woman replies, I have no husband.

Jesus responded, You are right in saying, I have no husband. For you have had five husbands. And the one that you are with now is not your husband. What you have said is true. Now, here’s what I want us to chew on. Why would Jesus tell her to go and call her husband if he knew her story in advance? In other words, Jesus knew what her situation was. Jesus knew that. He knew that before the encounter. So then why would he tell her to go do something that he already knew the answer to? Jesus knew that living water was of no value to this woman unless she was willing to what? First admit or acknowledge her mess. Jesus didn’t call her out to harass her or to shame her, but rather to show her how desperately she needed what he was offering.

There was mercy for her mess. And the encounter changed her life forever. We know that because of how she responded after the encounter. And guess what? She didn’t go and bury her shame and hide out. She went and told others. If you read there in verses 28 and 29, she left and went into the town and told the people to come see a man who told me all that I ever did. Could this be the price? That same woman, and beloved, appreciate the scriptures when it said that she went to the well about the sixth hour. That’s noontime. Why do people go? Why would she go get water in the middle of the day? When did people most of the time go get water? In the morning.

So she was, we could speculate that she was there at that time of the day because she was avoiding the judgments and the condemnations of people that knew about her.

2. Getting Real

See, beloved, there is mercy for your mess. But you gotta be willing to admit and acknowledge that you’re in a mess. That’s hard to do. That takes courage. And when we go around here like with the polished pretender looking good, wanting to look good, but we’re suffering corrupt inside, that does not spread the joy of Christ. Let’s look at tool number two getting real. Getting real.

And verses 14, 14 through 16. Can you read that for us, Brother Aaron? Well, we are his workership created in Christ Jesus. God prepared before us that we should walk in them. Verse 14.

Having a body in his flesh. That is the law of commands.

So that he created himself, one new man for the two, thus take peace. Beloved, how often have you heard someone say, stay true to yourself? Many of us quote Shakespeare when he said, This above all, to thine own self be true. You might say, well, wait a minute. What does that have to do with getting real? Here’s what it has to do with getting real. Nowhere in the scriptures do we find anything speaking to this idea of finding ourselves or staying true to ourselves. That’s pop psychology.

I’ve lived long enough, beloved. I’m 55. Some days I’m 56. But today I’m 55. That if I followed my every whim, every desire, I would be a mess. Worse than I am. We get real when we get acquainted with and embrace what our purpose is while we’re here. What is our purpose? Our purpose is one, we were created in Christ Jesus for what? Good works. And if you go back and read the passages of Brother Aaron read, it further illustrates why we exist. And see, beloved, when we embrace our purpose and why we exist, it makes the messes less messier. When we embrace our purpose, it helps us to get real with who we are. Because our identity is to be found in Christ Jesus rather than our own passions, pursuits, and our own sinful humanity.

Our goal is not to stay true to ourselves, but rather stay true to the person God created us to be. We cannot know the person God created us to be without taking an honest look at our lives. Being honest with others and ourselves about our messes requires laying our hearts and souls bare before a living God on a consistent basis. I’m not going to have Luke 18 read. But if you go back and look at Luke 18, it was about the tax collector and the Pharisee. The Pharisee fooled only himself. The tax collector, beloved, laid it out there. And if you will, in verse 14, in verse 13, and the tax collector standing afar off would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but be his breast saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner.

See, beloved, it takes courage to get real. It takes courage to get real. Hebrews 4, 13 and 16. Who has that? And there is no creature hidden from this sight. But all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. See then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heaven. Jesus, the Son of God. Let us hold fast our confessions.

Yet, without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need. Beloved, that’s a beautiful passage there. There is no creature hidden from his sight. But all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. Beloved, God knows what you’re going through. God knows your mess, your messes, your troubles.

Can you lay that out at his feet? Some of you might be saying, wait, wait, wait, wait, Brother Barfield. You know what? I know that I’m a liar. Matter of fact, that’s the most truthful thing I said. I’m a liar. I’m not a liar. I’m being hypothetical, okay? Are you saying that I should tell God that guess what, God, I’m a liar? Yes, you’re a liar, but that is not what is going to define you. You’re laying at his feet because you want to receive the help to live a life without lying. You might be saying, Well, if God already knows that I’m a liar, why do I need to tell him? Well, beloved, go back and read the passages that we read earlier. Why do we confess our sins?

Because, see, when it’s verbalized, when we say it, we take ownership for it. There’s no running, there’s no hiding, there’s no escaping. And when we can take ownership of who we are in part, but who we are striving to be greater, that is a blessed thing. We are to come bold to the throne of grace, boldly, boldly. Paul challenged us in 2 Corinthians the 13th chapter around verse 5 to examine ourselves, to test ourselves. Examining yourselves implies that there could that you could be disqualified, lose your salvation. The test of our relationship is the ethical quality of our behavior. I would say, beloved, that many of us are maybe hesitant to examine our hearts for fear of what we might find. Here’s something.

Chapter. And I want us to look at verse 35. And then I want us collectively to read together verses 38 and 39. Now I’m going to be reading from the New King James Version. But here’s something. When we read verses 38 and 39, if you truly believe those verses, then read it in such a way that it reflects your belief in that. If you don’t truly believe those verses, then perhaps I would encourage you not to read it.

When we get to verses 38 and 39, if you believe what the thus saith the Lord there, read it like you mean it.

What then should we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? So I want you to ask yourself this question. If in the midst of your mess, if you believe that God is for you, who can then be against you? Which means you can come through this mess with the assistance and aid and mercy of God Almighty. He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall we not with him also freely give us all things? Let’s skip down to verse 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or pearl or sword. And you can throw in there mess. As it is written, for your sake we are killed all day long.

We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Now, verse 37. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Now, beloved, verses 38 and 39. Let us read. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present or things to come, nor height, nor death, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Beloved, if that is something that you read and you truly believe, the mess that you in will not separate you from the love of God. If you believe that.

Things present, things to come. And see, when we believe those things and live those things, and those things are the foundation of our faith, these messes are nothing but something that we will use to give glory to God Almighty. And it will come out in our conversation. It will come out in our work. It will come out in everything that we do. So if you go back to the message there, let’s say some of the life-changing events. Let’s say you find yourself now caring for a loved one who is sick, a spouse that’s sick, an aging parent is sick. And you say, Lord, I don’t want to do these things. Lay them at the feet of God. And he will get you through it. And maybe you need to admit your own inadequacies.

Maybe you need to admit that you really did not see your life in this place. But here you are. What are you going to do? What are you going to do? We have to be authentic in our walk, in our talk, in our total being. Psalm 51, verses 6 through 10 is an anthem for authenticity. When we are real and authentic, we have decided to embark on a journey. The journey is not for the faint-hearted or fragile. And you may find yourself standing alone against the norm because real believers are not content to sit on the sidelines and remain silent about the power of the Word of God. Are you saying, Brother Rufus, that I’m supposed to go around spilling my guts and going to the workplace?

Conclusion

Hey, praise Jesus, praise God. Hallelujah. That’s not what I’m saying. But what I’m saying is, when your heart is grounded in the grace and mercy of Christ Jesus, beloved, you will look at yourself and you will look at others differently. Messes don’t control you and define you. Messes are only a part of you that you know you will end up giving grace, giving glory to God Almighty. We’ve come to the end of our lesson. And you might be sitting in your seat today, and you’re saying to yourself, you know what, Brother Rufus, my life is not a reflection of God’s grace, but it’s simply a regurgitation of misery, blaming, pain, and victimization. I would say to you, you have an opportunity to make that change right now.

You have that opportunity. You have an opportunity to get real, to profess your state, and to ask the saints and God above to help you get through it. Now, I also know that there may be some in this audience who have not put on Christ in baptism. And you might be saying to yourself, you had some good information there, brother. Really good information, and I’m going to use it. Here’s what I would say to you. If you are outside the body of Christ, you are in the worst mess of all.

To be before God Almighty and hear him say, Depart from me, I never knew you. If you need whatever you need of a spiritual nature, this is your opportunity to come forth and let it be known as we stand and sing the invitation song.