Transcription
Take our test this morning from Luke chapter 1:58. Luke 1:158. So the title of this message is: What happens when God decides to show great Mercy? What happens? Luke 1:158, New King James Version. It says, "When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown own great Mercy to her, they rejoiced with her."
Now, there are many instances because this gives you a very clear understanding of what God does when he decides to show his loving kindness in another dimension. When God decides to show great Mercy to individuals, to couples, to families, or to a nation, there are instances of dramatic interventions of God that were due to God's Mercy. Many interventions that God displayed. What we are talking about, and what He has chosen to do for us this season.
The first instance was in Genesis chapter 21, verse 1 to 2, Easy to Read Version. He said, "The Lord came back to visit Sarah as He said He would, and He kept His promise to her." Promises will be fulfilled. For some, for Sarah, it was after 25 years. Some of you have carried certain prophecies and promises. And to confirm to you that it is still authentic, God sends confirmations over time. And that was what He did to Sarah and Abraham. God spoke the first time, but over the years, God will show up and confirm again that He was indeed still going to do this thing for Abraham and Sarah. Even when Sarah had lost hope. In Luke, sorry, Genesis chapter 16, God still showed up again and confirmed that the promise was still standing.
So, He said, "God came back to visit Sarah as He said He would, and He kept His promise to her." At exactly the time, which is 2025 for someone here, as exactly the time God said it would happen, Sarah became pregnant. Sarah became pregnant. That thing that looked so elusive over the years, easily to just happen this year and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. Sarah conceived at the age of 90. So, when God decides to show great Mercy, things in your life that you have been written off over because of your age, and because of age, this can't happen again. In the season and days of visitation, God will particularly pick on such things and make it happen. Sarah conceived at age 90 and successfully delivered a boy. Sarah conceived at a time it was naturally impossible for her to have a child.
In Romans 4:18-21, Romans 4:18-21, Contemporary English Version. It says, "God promised Abraham a lot of descendants, and when it all seemed hopeless." That is what you should watch out for this year. Things that appear, you know, to be hopeless situations and conditions. And when it all seemed hopeless, Abraham still had faith in God and became the ancestor of many nations. Abraham's faith never became weak, not even when he was nearly 100 years old. He knew he was almost dead, and that his wife Sarah could not have children. All things being equal, there are certain things that cannot happen. All things being equal, except God decides to make it happen. And that was the same thing with Sarah here and Abraham. Verse 20 says, "But Abraham never doubted or questioned God's promise. His faith made him strong, and he gave all the credit to God." Abraham was certain that God could do what He had promised. I challenge you this morning to raise your expectation. Whatever you think that at a time in the past, you believed it will happen, but now due to natural conditions and circumstances or numerous failed attempts, you are beginning, you have come to a conclusion that, well, this will no longer happen, and you are ready to accept it that way. God is going to show up in that same area.
The second instance was in Genesis chapter 21:14-19. Genesis 21:14 to 19. Somebody say, "Great Mercy." Say it loud if it's your season. Second instance was in Genesis 21:14 to 19. Abraham's son, Ishmael, was at the point of death. He would have died within three days if God had not intervened. I want you to have an understanding of the kind of things that happen in the season of great Mercy. Things that for the rest of your life, it cannot happen again. Those are the kind of things that God steps in to make happen. For the rest of your life, it can't happen, it can't change. Those are the kind of situations that God will pick and turn around in the season of God's visitation, in demonstration of His great Mercy. He was at the point of death, but God delivered him. And then, in addition to preserving his life, God made a vow to make a great nation out of his descendants.
Genesis 21:14-19, New Living Translation. He says, "So Abraham got up early the next morning and prepared food and a container of water and strapped them on Hagar's shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba." So the journey has been rough, and now it came to this crushing point. He said, "When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush. Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards away. 'I don't want to watch this boy die.'" That was what was going to happen, guaranteed, guaranteed. If not that day, within the next two days, the boy would have died. She said, and as she burst into tears. Whatever is your greatest fear, God will not allow you to happen. Verse 17. He said, "But God heard the boy crying." God heard the boy crying. Somebody say, "Mercy." "Mercy." The boy could not pray, but Mercy, Mercy, Mercy drew God's attention to him. Mercy drew God's attention to him. The keys that will attract God's intervention. This young boy was not old enough to activate any of them, but the great Mercy of God, the compassion of God, was activated due to his condition because he was a child of destiny. And so, you sons and daughters of destiny, men and women of destiny, you know it already. It is clear that you carry a glorious destiny. Nothing will be able to stop you. You won't die before your time. Said, "But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, 'Hagar, what's wrong? Do not be afraid. God has heard the boy crying. God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.'" The Mercy of God, the compassion of God, is attracted to the pains of people, the cries of the innocent. So, verse 18. He said, "Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants." How? So that already guaranteed that this young boy, this little baby, now he's going to grow up, he will marry, he will have a child, at least he will have a child for this to be fulfilled. Verse 18. To be fulfilled, this boy must grow up. He won't die. He will marry. Nothing will stop it. He will have at least one child in order for this vow that God made to be fulfilled. Then, verse 19. He said, "Then God opened Hagar's eyes, and she saw a well full of water." Full of water. From nothing to abundance. From nothing at all to abundance. And it didn't take God time. He did it instantly. The moment He decided to step in. She didn't see a well that had some water. She saw a well full. Can you help me read it out? She saw a well full of water. Whatever you need so much, there will be more than enough of it in the name of Jesus Christ. Whether you are paying school fees in foreign exchange, there will be more than enough to deal with it. Whatever it is, God will show up on your behalf. So she quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink, so the boy lived. Great testimony.
Another story was in Genesis 41:1-46. Joseph was thrown into prison and remained in prison, but one day, one year, everything changed. Joseph was suddenly released from prison. Suddenly released from prison. Whatever symbolizes that prison experience in your life, God terminates it this year. God releases you this year. He was released from prison and then appointed Prime Minister in Egypt. He was not an Egyptian, and suddenly Pharaoh just created a new position and made that position the highest, the most powerful, the most influential position after his office as king of Egypt. You are going to see people use their power, use their influence, use their authority to do you and your family a great favor this year. Someone is going to approve something for you this year, and that singular act will make a lot of difference in the name of Jesus Christ. You know, Joseph was not qualified. He was not qualified for it by normal conditions. He was only 30 years old. Only 30 years old. He had done well in his own little journey so far, in his father's house, to the butler's house, even in prison. Whatever they told him to do, he was coordinating well, but he had never managed, you know, such an important project, not even on a provincial level, talk less of a national level. He had not managed a national program like that before. He didn't lobby anybody. No interview, no interview, no presentation of credentials. It was just given the job. And not an ordinary job. A job that was an appointment that was so good that it turned around the entire fortunes of his entire family to the extent that they all relocated. They all relocated. They all relocated because of the appointment given to one son. One son.
Another instance of. So the more you look at these cases, it becomes clearer to you. It becomes very clear. In 2 Kings 4:1-7, 2 Kings 4:1-7, the widow of the prophet was delivered from a financial problem, a big financial problem, and also received an instant financial empowerment. She was about to lose her two children to creditors, but God miraculously canceled her debt. And the Lord then empowered her with funds to start a fresh business. A fresh. The Lord empowered her. Elisha, you are familiar with that story. Elisha asked her, "What do you have in your house?" She said, "I have nothing but just one small bottle of oil." That's enough. It's not about what you have. It's about anything that God can use to generate your miracle. And so he gave her prophetic instructions. He said, "Go and begin to pour that little oil. Borrow as many vessels as you can, and begin to fill them with the oil from the little bottle." And then the miracle started happening. Not one, all the vessels she could get were filled up. And I've also always given us an illustration that whenever you have a divine opportunity, maximize it. Because if that woman was able to borrow 1 million vessels, she would have had 1 million vessels filled with miracle oil. Any day you have the opportunity, maximize that divine opportunity. So in verse 7, she went back to Elijah the prophet, who said to her, "Sell the olive oil and pay all your debt. Something will happen soon, and all of that financial issue will be cleared completely. It will be cleared completely. It will be cleared completely." And my spirit is still mentioning that there is a man in particular that God is speaking about. Whoever is that man, Mercy has found you out this morning. Say, "Sell the olive oil and pay all your debt, and there will be enough money, enough money, enough money left over for you and your sons to live on." Enough money. By the time God does what He has planned to do.
Another instance of God's demonstration of great Mercy was in 2 Kings chapter 13:20 to 21. 2 Kings 13:20-21. A man that had died already, definitely some days earlier, and he was now finally about to be buried. And the man who carried his cups suddenly saw some Syrian warriors coming, and out of fear, in order for them not to also lose their lives, out of fear, they threw the cups of this dead man into the nearest tomb. By Providence, that tomb happened to be the tomb of the Prophet Elijah. Now, please take note of this. This is where you understand the place of Mercy. You can't. If you take the cups of someone who has died and place that cups on top or beside, just be in contact with the corps of a respected vessel of God that has also died, there's no guarantee that what happened here will happen. That is where the Mercy of God. So this one is not about. It's not about you. It's not about the step at the end of the day you took, because some others could do exactly the same thing, and the outcome will not be the same. And in Romans, it will remind us that it's not of him that willed it, it's not of him that runneth it, but of the Lord that showeth that showeth Mercy. If it was about determination alone, step of faith alone, would have been seen a lot of things everywhere. And when Mercy is at work, the person who did not even make any effort, did not make any effort, you would see miracles happen. As soon as the dead man's body. Can I tell you this? Can I tell you this? Do you know that God performed this? Could have performed this miracle not because of this man, not because of this man. God could have performed this miracle because of the wife of this man. God could have performed this miracle because of the children of this man. I'm telling you from other many cases where God has intervened, and you will see that for the sake of someone, the person that God really wanted to show Mercy to is different from the person that actually received the miracle. Something was going to happen to some woman, and the child dies. For the sake of that woman, because of that woman, God will revive that child. I'm telling you a divine principle. And to confirm this, you see it happen in Luke chapter 7. As Jesus was entering the village of Nain, a widow was coming out there. What happened? Her only son. She was already a widow, and the only son of consolation she was left with died. It was so devastating that you will read in that narrative that the entire village came out to mourn with her, to show you how painful it was. Everybody sympathized with her. And this woman did not ask Jesus. That shows you the place of Mercy. The place of Mercy. Can I tell someone this? This year, starting from this month, show Mercy to someone. There are some things you can do, and it will amount to a miracle for someone. Are we following here? It will amount to a miracle. It will amount to a miracle. So go. You can singlehandedly. This great Mercy we are talking about. Allow God to use you to do it for at least one person. One person. You can bail out one person. You can cancel the debt of one person. I'm telling you this morning, for your own breakthrough to happen. So a seed. A seed that will bring out tears of joy from at least one person. From at least one person. 10,000 naira is a miracle for someone. 50,000 is a miracle for someone. 100,000 is a miracle for someone. So let God use you. Yes, let God use you. This thing we are talking about, let it start January. Let it start January. And God can use you to make it happen for one person. Make it happen for your church. Make it happen for one person. And God will raise up someone, some people, to make your own happen.
The next instance is in Job. Job chapter 1, Job chapter 2, and Job 42. Job lost all his great wealth within 9 months, but God intervened. God showed him great Mercy, restored back to him everything he lost, everything he lost, even more, and then gave him more than what he lost. More than what he lost.
The next instance is in Daniel 2:1-19. Daniel and his three Hebrew friends, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, would have faced the king's death penalty. The king had a dream. He knew there was a message, and he couldn't even remember the dream. So he told all the officers in his palace to tell him his dream and interpret, and they could not. And then he threatened all of them that he will kill them all if they could not tell him his dream. And Daniel stepped into his presence, pleaded for a little time, and that time he needed just to pray. Thank God, the king agreed. Daniel went back, called his three friends, and they declared one night vigil. One night vigil. They prayed one night. Just one night. And this was even without fasting, but they prayed with all their heart, and all their prayer points were centered around God's mercy to reveal the king's dream. And God answered them that same day. After they prayed in the morning, God revealed everything to Daniel. And that was how not only the four of them, but all the other officers in the king's palace were spared from instant death. I pray that in this year of God's Mercy, God will use you to deliver many people.
And so, other instances in Daniel 3:1-30. The three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were condemned to instant death in the burning fiery furnace, but God intervened and delivered them. Then, in addition, that is why we call that one great Mercy. In addition to this deliverance from instant death, the king promoted the three of them. Not a small promotion.
Another instance was in Daniel chapter 6:1-28. Daniel was thrown into the lion's den to be killed, but God intervened and changed the outcome.
Then in Mark 5:25-34, Mark 5:25 to 34. The woman with 12 years issue of blood was completely healed. Completely healed. 12 years. And I can tell you, Mercy was a factor here because many others were also touching the robe of Jesus at the same time. The woman touched His robe, and the same reason I gave us earlier, if someone was to attempt to do this same thing today, in some instances, a miracle could happen, but it's not guaranteed. That is the place of Mercy. That's the place of Mercy. So, you know, that's why we have to be humble. Be humble when God gives you success because sometimes it's not necessarily because or absolutely because of what you did. Someone else will do exactly the same thing and will not get the same result. That's the place of Grace. Sometimes it's a place of Mercy. So we need to stay humble. When God does some very spectacular things, it's not necessarily about your strategy or the things you did that is good, but others would have done even more than what you did. People are watching to see success secrets, and they are ready to do it, but they don't always get the same outcomes, the same results. Sometimes the only reason they didn't get that same result was Mercy, was Grace, was favor.
In Luke 1:1-58, we're closing up now. Luke 1:1-58. God enabled Elizabeth to conceive and deliver His son at an age that was considered impossible, and that's why people, you know, people said God had shown her great Mercy.
In Luke 1:36-37, Luke 1:36-37. The voice, an angel was speaking here to Mary. He said, "Sounds impossible, but listen. You know your relative Elizabeth has been unable to bear children and is now far too old." This an angel speaking. This an angel speaking here to Mary. He said, "Has been unable to bear children and is not now far too old to be a mother." So this is a fact. He said, "Yet, that's a God factor. Yet, that is the power of God's Mercy and intervention. She has become pregnant." The God factor. As God willed it. Yes, in three months she will have a son. So the impossible is possible with God. Can I tell you this? The great compassion that God needs to have in His heart towards you for that thing to happen, it's already activated. It's already activated. Now is the time for the manifestation of the effect of that great compassion.