Outrageous Mercy: When God’s Love Exceeds Our Expectations

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”  Isaiah 55:8

What if the greatest thing about God is that He cannot be confined by our expectations?

Throughout Scripture, we see that God’s thoughts are higher than ours and His ways are beyond what we can comprehend. God may have taken on flesh and walked this earth, but He was never limited or restricted to the bounds of humanity. He was tempted in every way we are, yet remained without sin.

There is no one who compares to Him.

There is no king like Him.

Even when Jesus was mocked as the “King of the Jews,” dressed in a scarlet robe and crowned with thorns, humanity could not diminish who He truly was. They could mock Him, beat Him, and crucify Him, but death could not stop Him, the grave could not hold Him, and man could not eliminate Him.

There are no bounds to what God can do.

Just when we think He has reached the capacity of what we need in our lives, He exceeds it all.

What Does “Outrageous” Mean?

As we begin this new sermon series, Outrageous, it is important to understand what the word means.

Outrageous means exceeding the bounds of what is usual, reasonable, expected, or acceptable. It is something astonishingly bold and extreme.

Throughout this month, we will look at things in the Word of God that are truly outrageous.

God’s promises exceed what is usual, reasonable, expected, or acceptable. His Word is so outrageous that it leaves mankind speechless and in awe of His wonder.

And after this month, the prayer is that when you hear about the great and miraculous things Jesus has done and continues to do you will simply be able to say:

“Well, that is just outrageous!”

One of the most outrageous things about God is something we all desperately need:

His mercy.

A God Who Delights in Mercy

Micah 7:18–20 gives us a beautiful picture of God’s character:

“Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.”

This isn’t simply a promise from God. It reveals who God is.

He outrageously pardons our sins.

He outrageously shows unfailing love.

He outrageously shows compassion.

Ephesians 2:4–5 reminds us that God is rich in mercy and that His great love reaches us even when we were dead in our sins.

That is what makes His mercy so outrageous.

We don’t receive it because we earned it. We don’t receive it because we were perfect. We receive it because He is merciful.

The Woman Caught in Adultery

One of the clearest pictures of God’s outrageous mercy is found in John 8.

The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus who had been caught in adultery. They placed her in the middle of the crowd and reminded Jesus of what the law commanded.

They weren’t looking for mercy.

They were looking for an accusation.

But Jesus responded in a way they didn’t expect.

He told them:

“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”

One by one, the accusers left.

Eventually, Jesus was standing alone with the woman.

He asked her where her accusers were and whether anyone had condemned her.

She answered, “No man, Lord.”

And Jesus said:

“Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

That is outrageous mercy.

Jesus didn’t pretend that sin didn’t matter. He didn’t tell her that what she had done was acceptable.

Instead, He offered her something she could not give herself: mercy and an opportunity for a new life.

Mercy Changes Lives

The woman caught in adultery experienced it.

Zacchaeus experienced it.

Peter experienced it.

Saul experienced it.

Everyone who came to Jesus experienced His outrageous love and mercy.

Again and again, Scripture shows us people who didn’t deserve another opportunity, yet Jesus gave them one.

That is the kind of mercy God offers.

We deserved death, but He gave us an opportunity for life.

That is outrageous.

God’s mercy goes beyond what we expect. His love reaches farther than we think it can. His compassion meets us even in the places where we know we have fallen short.

So when you find yourself wondering whether God could forgive you, whether He could still use you, or whether there could be another opportunity for your life, remember this:

His mercy is outrageous.

His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

His ways are higher than our ways.

And His love is greater than we could ever comprehend.

That is the God we serve.