Sunday Preview ~ January 28, 2010

My sermon this Sunday is called, “Covenant Love: Mercy that Brings Transformation” from Matthew 9:9-13 and Hosea 6:1-6. In Matthew 9:13, Jesus quotes a passage from Hosea 6:6, “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'” Jesus tells the disciples to go figure this scripture out, because understanding it is a key to knowing how to serve God and help people effectively.

The Hebrew word translated mercy in Hosea 6:6 is hesed, which is used over two hundred times in the Old Testament and is translated variously as love, loving-kindness, unfailing love, faithfulness, or mercy. Hesed is the powerful, unchanging, transforming, covenant love of God.

This is a spiritual priority I wish I had understood many years ago. Over the years I have made a lot of sacrifices trying to serve God and help people which, in hindsight, did not bear much fruit. We are in a world with many needs and we have a limited amount of time and energy. My hope is that this message will enable us to understand the mercy that brings lasting transformation, so that we maximize our fruitfulness and minimize ministry burnout.