“Great are Your tender mercies, O Lord.” (Psalm 119:156 NKJV). “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. 9) The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.” (Psalm 145:8-9 NKJV).
Last month, we released a series from portions of a message, by the Late David Wilkerson. They were well received. We have another that you may enjoy.
*I want to ask you a question I’ve been asking myself lately: Are you a merciful person? Most of us would answer, ‘I think I am merciful. To the best of my ability, I sympathize with those who suffer. I feel the pain of my hurting brothers and sisters in Christ, and try to help them. I do my best to assist my neighbors in need. And when people hurt me, I forgive them and don’t hold a grudge.’
I believe all true Christians have a good measure of mercy for the lost and hurting. I thank God for that. But the sad truth is, God’s Word exposes in many of us deep roots of bias and very limited concepts of mercy.
Most religions that claim to fear God, have a creed or doctrine that says, ‘God’s tender, loving mercies extend to all of humankind.’ As followers of Jesus, we talk so much about His tender mercies to the wide world. But here is the truth:
*Most Evangelical denominations do not even extend God’s tender, loving mercies to each other, or to those who have split off from them and started another group.
Over the past five years I have visited some fifty countries conducting ministers’ conferences. All over the world I have seen bickering, disunited church systems that are neither tender nor merciful. I think of some leaders of Baptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, and other groups that have been so unloving to others. Too often they refuse to fellowship or even speak to one another!
A denomination in one country wouldn’t let our advance team even enter their office doors. They said they refused to work with us as long as we were cooperating with other ministries who were alienated from them.
*A vast number of white churches do not even extend God’s tender, loving mercies to their black brothers and sisters, or to Hispanics or Puerto Ricans or other ethnic groups.
Tragically, this prejudice is just as true in some ethnic churches as well. The congregation becomes uncomfortable when whites show up. In some places, the unspoken attitude is: ‘This isn’t your place. You’re not welcome here.’ This happens not just in the South, but in cites in the North, East, and West. I know it is true here in New York.
*Even among some devoted believers, there exists a biased, limited mercy that doesn’t extend to certain kinds of sinners.
There are many people to whom large numbers of Christians limit God’s mercy. I think of prostitutes who work in godless brothels. I think of people in Africa and other continents dying by the thousands with AIDS. I think of homosexuals who endure endless heartaches and mental anguish, the trials of their lives, and who drink themselves into oblivion to try to cover their pain.
Yes, I believe homosexuality is a sin and that it is condemned in Scripture. Yes, I believe the wages of sin in this world are bringing about disease and death. But I cannot believe God shuts out His tender mercies to any sinner who cries out to Him for Christ’s mercy and love.
From what I read in Scripture, I can’t accept that my Savior would ever turn down the desperate cry of a prostitute, a homosexual, a drug addict, or alcoholic, who has hit rock bottom. His mercies are unlimited: there is no end to them. Therefore, as His church — Christ’s representative body on Earth — we cannot cut off anyone who cries up for mercy and deliverance.*
We will continue in Part 2. CHRIS
*This is an excerpt from a message delivered at Times Square Church, in New York City, July 2, 2007, by the Late David Wilkerson. World Challenge Pulpit Series.
Covenant Chronicles with Chris Lovett 
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