Matt 9:13a - But go ye and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice…

Matt 12:7 - …I will have mercy, and not sacrifice…

The Pharisees in the two portions of scriptures in Matthew had cold hearts towards people’s needs and suffering and consequently nullified their sacrifices in God’s sight.  They did not see the hungry nor did they see the infirmed but they certainly knew how to sacrifice.

Jesus not only tells them, “I will have mercy and not sacrifice;” He tells them, “go and learn what that means.” He is, in essence, telling them to get the scriptures out and do a word study on “Mercy,” to find out what it means.  Jesus’ words are still pertinent today. 

The church today also needs to do a deep study and learn what “mercy,” means – from God’s point of view – and start with “mercy” in the House of God.” 

If we can be merciful and compassionate towards each other, then we just might be able to see the world’s needs through compassionate eyes…

Key #1

Disobedient and unmerciful hearts cannot offer a sacrifice that is acceptable to God.

The Temple was a place of sacrifice, yet on this day, there was only one man with an obedient heart present – the man with the withered hand…who…

• Didn’t try to figure it all out; didn’t listen to the arguments about legal terms; didn’t tell Jesus to wait for a better time – He obeyed… “Obedience is better than sacrifice…” I Sam 15:22

…and, there was only one man of mercy present – Jesus! 

This man didn’t need Jesus to offer a sacrifice; He needed Jesus to show him mercy and Jesus didn’t need the man to offer a sacrifice; Jesus needed the man to obey.

Strong’s - 1656 - Mercy

Kindness or good will toward the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them;

• We cannot continue on with our sacrifices, tending to our order of service and ignore obedience.
• We cannot continue on with our sacrifices, tending to our order of service, and ignore mercy.  

If sacrifice alone could have healed anyone, there would have been no lame, blind, deaf or demon possessed left, for sacrifices were regularly done - more than enough to have saved, healed and delivered everyone present. 

Jesus is teaching them a powerful truth about mercy and sacrifice in Matthew 9 and 12, instructing them to “go and learn what it means,” and the man with the withered hand would demonstrate true obedience to the call of Jesus.

• What a combination – Sacrifice, Mercy and Obedience!  Now that would get God’s attention! 

Jesus knew that one could not suffice for the other, but that all must work in right relationship with God and man - and in His Book, Mercy comes first.

Mercy always overrules legalism…and God, through Jesus, overruled the full weight of the law when we were all guilty.  If there is an absence of Mercy, you will find a judgmental spirit, criticism abounding, the satanic ministry of accusation working and self-righteous condemnation filling the gap. John 8:4-11 

• Everyone heard the same words this man with the withered hand heard, but their responses were totally different.
• His response was filtered through need and activated by faith.
• Their response was filtered through a religious mindset and cemented in place by legalism.

Key #2

A person with a heart of mercy not only sees the needs of others, but recognizes their own need of God’s Mercy. 

I had someone tell me this:  “Bitterness is like taking a cyanide pill and waiting for the other person to die.”  Anything as introverted as bitterness, unforgiveness, a critical spirit, or a spirit of legalism shuts the door against God’s mercy (and forgiveness) that would naturally flow to anyone in need. Everyone needs God’s Mercy, but not everyone receives it.  God’s mercy cannot get inside the door a cold heart shuts. 

Jesus would have touched them all, if only…

When God sent revival, He wanted to revive every church, every person, every church leader…but not every church or every person or every church leader has yet received what God sent. 

Jesus has been knocking by the power of the Holy Spirit on the doors of churches all over the world and upon the hearts of His people, but some are still unable to cast off the old religious form and order that has served them for so many years.

Note:  Religious form and order serves us but oftentimes fails others!  The “Rigidity of Religion” has always created a “Closed Heart Ministry.”

Oh that the whole church world would have the kind of open heart the man with the withered hand had.

There are times when the lights just come on and this was one of them - suddenly something clicked in this man’s spirit.  He had been around religion but had not seen mercy in God’s house…and if you need mercy - you are listening. 

• Think about how many need mercy in our world – in the church…

Key #3

Mercy!  If you’re giving it, someone is there to receive it because so many need it.

Jesus demonstrated mercy and compassion in and out of the Temple.  He was readily received by many who were desperate for a touch from His healing hands, or from His healing heart of forgiveness.

Fact and Question:  The House Of God, anywhere believers are gathered, should be the safest and kindest place on earth!  It should be a refuge, a haven, a place of restoration and healing.  It should be…but have I done my part to make it so?

There are times that the Holy Spirit is speaking so clearly that everyone should just stop and seek God’s help and forgiveness.  This is what I feel right now in the middle of this message.  Who said and altar call had to be at the end of anything?

• Lord, forgive me for the many times I have looked the other way because “I don’t have the time to deal with ‘that now.’”
• Forgive me for not taking time to really see, feel, hear and respond to the needs of the hurting.
• Forgive me for rushing past to try to avoid the obvious, because I didn’t really want to “get into that.”
• Forgive me for the times I have been harsh, unloving, unkind and lacked in true Godly mercy for my brother or sister who had stumbled or fallen.
• Forgive me for not reaching out across the spanse of pain and separation to touch someone who had no reach left in them.
• Forgive me for talking about but not praying for the needs another had.
• Forgive me for not having a gentle hand to lay upon the shoulders of “the silent weepers” of your House.
• Forgive me for putting myself ahead of others…   

Key #4

There are people everywhere that are just as desperate today to have anyone take notice of their plight in life.

Example:

Matt 9:27; 29 - And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, “Thou Son of David, have mercy on us…Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

Like the man whose hand was withered, these men had withered vision – symbolic of another problem in the church.  They had been sitting there, blind for a long time. It must be pretty exciting for blind people when someone comes along with sight. They did the same thing the man did – they s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d.  They asked for mercy and received it in the same moment as their sight was restored.   This has also happened in revival with so many of you.   Where you once were blind, you now see.

God has a way of opening eyes, ears and restoring arms and legs and cleansing and softening hearts – preparing His Church to go forth in spiritual wholeness.

It is true revival when God stretches every element of His Church!

Let’s look at the definition of “stretch,” as an action verb, which relates so strongly to what happened in this instance… 

Dictionary.com – v. Stretch - to extend one's muscles or limbs, as after prolonged sitting or on awakening.

This has been problem #1 in the church today – prolonged sitting and sleeping. 

The man had experienced a prolonged “withered-idleness,” as it were and was being awakened by the call of Jesus.  It’s a good day when Jesus turns His eyes upon you and speaks a Word of healing! Hear the sound of mercy reaching out to this man…

Matt 12:13a. - Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand.

This man heard something that resonated deep within his spirit – something that went far beyond what his mind could figure out – and obedience flowed from him as naturally as could be because someone cared about him in a world that never had noticed him.

Matt. 12:13b …And he stretched it forth…

The choice was his and it is ours…”stretch it forth!”  Many have done just what this man did – stretched in obedience to Jesus’ call. 

Key #5

While others dispute legal terms, some people’s faith builds to believe Jesus’ call to stretch forth the withered hand.

• This man didn’t view Jesus in the same light as the rest who were in church that day. 
• He didn’t even know it was his day to be set free from his withered hand, but his heart was obviously open to heed the invitation that Jesus gave. 
• He reached out to Jesus when others drew their withered hearts away from Jesus. 

Freedom or bondage is just that close or just that far – just a single choice.

Jesus called our names and told us to “stretch!”  Our hunger for “more of God” powered our reach and drove us forward to a powerful and life-changing encounter with Jesus.  This encounter brought restoration to a dead, useless part of our spiritual life – as the arm that hung limp to our side was now stretched out and made whole.

Jesus healed people and they could never be quiet about it – they had to tell somebody what the Lord had done.  This happened to us too.

Key #6

Healed people tell.

Matt 9:31 - But they, (the two blind men) when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

The two blind men could not keep silent about what the Lord had done.  I am not sure about the issues of obedience to the Lord’s instructions, but I can say that they were pretty excited men. They did not lack in passion for what Jesus had done.  See also the passionate testimony following the healing of this man in Mark 7…

Mark 7:32-37

32        And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.

33        And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;

34        And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, “Ephphatha,” (Strongs 2188 ephphatha- Be thou opened! to receive the power of hearing, the ears of the deaf and the eyes of the blind being considered as closed, that is, Be opened.)

35        And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plain.

36        And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;

37        And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

• Oh, that there would be a multitude of people today that would be “astonished beyond measure,” and “publish” the great things the Lord has done! 

Everyone Jesus touched in some significant way became preachers.  They had to take it to the streets.  Look again here in Luke 5 at the man with leprosy…

Luke 5:12-15

12        And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

13        And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

14        And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

15        But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

Key#7

This is the next step in revival – when miracles flow from the Word we preach and new, fresh testimonies of God’s current move abound. 

We have preached and few have listened.  We have fulfilled scripture in the reverse – preached and had little to confirm the Word.  Jesus said preach the Word and signs and miracles would follow those who believe and they would confirm the Word. 

Fact:  The testimonies of what Jesus did for us have grown old with a spiritually ailing and aging Church.  There is sameness, staleness as people have sat in the same place for years on end. 

• Oh that there were fresh testimonies of God’s working power in His House – that a fresh word of radical change, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, would erupt like fire from the lips of God’s people. 

• Oh, that these revived saints would run from His House to the streets and reveal the truth that has been hid behind closed doors for so long – Jesus saves! He heals and delivers!  Jesus cares! Jesus is full of tender compassion and mercy! 

• Oh that there were saved, healed and delivered people who ran through the city streets unable to keep quiet about it and published the goodness of God, declaring the wonders of His touch!

That is why revival is so necessary and why the old wine skins will not hold what God is doing. It is time to stretch!

Thank God for the many warriors of faith that have broke the bands of religion and had an encounter with the Living Christ and already know their destiny is to be used of God to break bands from others that have withered any part of their body, mind or spirit. 

Passion to tell overwhelmed us when Jesus revived “our arm.” 

We became torches of fiery zeal to be used of God.

We began to believe that God wanted to flow through us to others – not just a trickle, but a powerful, regenerating demonstration of the Power of God that would confirm the Word that we preached so well in His house all these years.

Somewhere in the heat of revival, you began to believed and received what you have desired and prayed for – a new, “made every whit whole” arm – one that will reach beyond its cramped, withered confines of religion – one that will reach beyond yourself to touch Jesus and then others.

Key #8

True disciples do it too.

Acts 3:6 - Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.