Grace The Truth That Transforms
Hallelujah come and give God a praise. Amen. Hallelujah psychic. I want you to praise God. Thank you. God is a man of God is coming this morning. Amen. Thank you. God we bless God this morning. We give him glory we give him honor and we give him praise this morning for he is God and above him. There is no other way maker Miracle Worker promise keeper light in the darkness my God, somebody say my God my God. Oh y'all show. I'm glad you hear me my God that is who you are. Louise going to be whatever you allow him to be in your life. Amen. Hallelujah. Thank you Lord, put your hands together one more time. Thank you. God hallelujah. Thank you Jesus. Amen eldest. by God Harris Amen, come on. Come on, take a chance together one more time. Amen.
Am I being heard? Make you a man sometime. This thing is a little touchy. Thank you Lord. Hallelujah. Amen. There you go. Number one.
Testing 1 2 3 getting better better better. Amen. Amen. Please be seated if you can. Prayerfully by the end of this message, you won't be able to sit down. Hey, man. We good OK all the way around.
you know we
When I knew that I was going to be giving this message today. I asked the Lord to give me something on some months ago and I was driving down the street and I was talking to the Lord. I said father. What do you want me to talk about? What should I wouldn't message to the people need? What is it that you want me to tell them at the time I had on one of my favorite sweaters Will Mock neck turtle and a head across. I wear my cross on it. And then in the midst of that driving, I look down and I notice I told my wife I said there's a hole in my sweater is my favorite sweaters, but I couldn't see the whole why couldn't see the blemish? I couldn't see the damage in my sweater because my cross cover that. The cross the cross of our savior lifetime covers are blemishes.
And that was that was and I thought about that as Grace. That is Grace. What makes a Christian what makes Christianity different today than any other actually not just today? What makes him different than any other religion? You know, there's been conferences and people have talked about it and there's been books written about it. And there was this is back in the early nineteen-hundreds a conference and everybody was trying to describe what makes Christianity different from other religions other states. And they talked about. Resurrection Resurrection Resurrection different know there are other religions someone pointed out that actually deal with Resurrection. They talk about it. They say it. Okay, if it's not that it must be that we teach that God came to us as man. Well know some other religions also teach that sort of doctrine that their God came to them in the form of man. What is the debate got heated because they try to figure out what was going on. What kind of things are there and a renowned Pastor name Spurgeon happen to be late. He came in and he was wondering what all the Ruckus about because it was good to eat it at this point. I'm saying how we can argue about God. He makes it plain to us, and we don't need to argue he knows. Submergent games and he says is that what this argument is about why CZ is Grace. There's no other Faith or religion that teaches Grace. We say it awful lot. We use it in almost everything we pray about it. You know we ask God for his great. Thank you for his grace and his Mercy we hear it in songs Amazing Grace. Hear it all the time. We do it in greetings Grace and peace to you for my Lord Jesus Christ. It's in the Bible all the time. And we do it. We sighted the only things that seem to be gone bad with somebody else and we looking at them and we sent but by Grace go I Could Have Been Me Could Have Been Me we said at the dinner table. Let us say grace. We use that word quite a bit. It's been heard everywhere and we learn it in scripture famous scripture. One of the best there is at least now that I understand it more and more God is told me my grace is sufficient.
My grace is sufficient. So we use Grace a lot. But I'm here today. Hopefully for those. Are you really don't understand what Grace is? We're going to cover that Grace is the most important thing there is in our Christian walk. in Romans, 6:14 I've got a got a rookie back there today. So we would stay right stay with me and Romans 6:14. We see that we are not to live by law. But under grace for sin shall not be Master over you for you or not under law, but under grace.
That is a heavy statement. It requires a awful lot of work to go into detail, but we're going to just touch it on the surface.
What does it mean living under grace?
What does it mean living under grace? I scriptures come from Romans 6:14 and 1st Peter as it was read by our readers a day Peter 5:6 through 10. Grace is the foundation about Christianity. We talked about salvation. But Salvation is a gift just like Grace, but without Grace there is no salvation. Let me see that again without Grace. There is no salvation.
We have a statement the Elder. by Grace the lost and found By Grace God's children stand with confidence Grace. Without Grace there is no salvation.
Wow. Without Grace there is no air to breathe. Without Grace there is no love to be loved. Grace it is a pentacle of our Christianity. It's one of most important words in the Bible and our lives and the more I understand Grace. The more I say, thank you God for your grace. And it's got to be a real statement because that's what it's all about. So, how do I understand this sufficiency of Grace? How do understand the sufficiency of Grace I mean words are words but to understand what they mean in contacts is it is important got heavy and it is in your heart is your heart. Even more so when you understand what I'm saying today, you understand. That's it. Even that is Grace even that is Grace. So what does it mean to live by Grace a big word Grace Grace? Let's look at it by definition. According to Webster's Dictionary it is an act of kindness courtesy or clemency. Grace is when someone does something for you that you could never deserve or earn. You could never deserve our that's Grace.
And that falls into that category is doing it.
Grace is God giving us what check this what we need not what we deserve. God gives us what we need and not what we deserve. Okay, let the teacher in me come out and say okay. That's that statement alone. The subject cover is God. God gives the grace. Is not something we do is not something we are and it's not about us. It's about God he gives Grace. It's an attribute of God. It is character of God not us. It is the character of God. So take us out of the equation. And God is what he's Grace. He's Grace. His love is Grace. It's about God Joyce Meyer sums it up. Say grace is the power of God made available to all our needs. For our needs scuse me. It meets all I need. That's Grace. Grace is the power of God made available to meet all our needs.
So when you have need what is it that you're looking for you're looking for Grace. looking for Grace So this morning if you're struggling with issues of life, and I don't know anybody in here that may be speaking for myself when you're struggling with issues of life is God's grace and it's on this nice little not going to help you. Remember Grace Grace God's riches at Christ's expense.
I thought I'll tell you story about my cross covering the hole in my sweater. Is God Christ through God covers all our sins? Covers all our inequities covers. Everything about us is his grace. It's his grace. You know, if you look in the Old Testament Grace is used in the Old Testament law may be about 11 to 12 times. I believe it's what I saw. But he talked about that. Once again is the Webster dictionary definition, but when you get to the New Testament, it takes on a different meaning and picks up another word to it called divine grace. God's grace divine grace we've taken out your works is part of it and I'm covered in The Second One Jump Ahead getting excited about it. It is given to us by God as a free gift. Grace is the power from God that gives us both the desire and listen and the ability to do his will. I read that one more time. Where am I be? Ready? Grace is the power from God that gives us both the desire and the ability to do his will. Those of us who have been and not set any studies and bible study. We started off by asking ourselves to questions. This is what the Bible studies all four. What do I believe about? My face was 1 and 2 was how do I know the will of God? 2 questions that Bible Study Answers for you. What do I believe about my face? And how do I know the will of God? We asked ourselves with all that we want to do God's will how do you know the good of God comes from in the Bible? But now we know something new attitude that it is his grace that gives us the power to know his will. It is Grace that gives us the power to know his will.
sufficiency, let's look at the sufficiency thing 2nd Corinthians 12 verses 7 through 10 says a thorn in the flesh. This is Paul talking. And Paul says he tells the world that he has a thorn in his flesh that was given to him. He calls it a messenger of Satan to tour made him so that he would not be exalted said he would not exalt himself now think about that for a second. If God made each and every one of us perfect.
And we had no sin. First of all, who would we be we would be Christ. But even Christ did not exalt himself above God. He was not the normal man. So he knew he couldn't exalt himself before God. He knew God personally, but us we have to learn of God. We have to learn it and I hearing If we miss that Mark, then all the sudden most of us would have ego trip problems.
Think about Paul all of my heroes. This man was a sinner to the to the first degree. He persecuted Christians. He had the law on his side over the law. He had the capital l a w on his side so he could do it himself to use me. He could do what he so desired to Christians and he did. He developed a reputation that all of a sudden his life changed. No, excuse me, his heart changed. He was met with Grace. He understood Grace. His life completely changed so much so it took him a long while first of all to preach that it become a fossil. Nobody want to accept him as a parcel or he's just going to do what's wrong. He's living in the back door to get us. And then they realize this man was for real. He was for real. So he says that he had a thorn in his side to keep him humble. So he was met with Grace. My grace is sufficient. God would not answer his prayers. He prayed three times. They have this Thorn from his side with God is what it is removed from him many of his aches and pains and we pray to God Lord. Please deliver me from this. Please deliver me from this and yes.
That's a whole different problem.
He said my grace is sufficient for you. This is what God had told Paul for power. We never finish. The rest of that for power is perfected in weakness.
Listen that again. My grace is sufficient for you for power is perfected in weakness.
Therefore I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses so that Christ's power May reside in me.
so because of Christ I am pleased in I am pleased in weaknesses and insults and catastrophes and persecutions and in pressures for when I am weak then I am strong that seems redundant, but he just finished saying why There's all kinds of statements that go in all kinds of scripture. The joy of the Lord is my strength. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. All this because of the grace. Devon says that I am pleased my weaknesses because for when I am weak then I am strong.
That gives us all hope that teaches us all that we need to be strong and how we need to have strength. I like this verse because it reminds me of my own many times. I've got a I got a strong right hand. God is giving me a a faithful mate. And when I am weak she reminds me of my weaknesses and it always makes me stronger. Did you have to think about your shortcomings? You have to look at the mirror? You can't not be afraid of it because it's God's way of letting you know, you are not perfect. You have found with these. And they can all be forgiven because of God's grace. It's efficient the supply, give you an illustration. I need to give you this illustration. Now I'm do some numbers. This is about numbers, but you understand the magnitude of the numbers as I give them to you and we look at things that cannot be measured easily. Okay, how many gallons of water are in the ocean? And well, there are people who actually have computed this the answer is 3.612 * 10 to the 20th power. That's 31 6.3.6 1/2 * 1 with 21 zeros behind it. How many gallons of water in figure this out by way of volume how many stars are in the universe in the known universe? Well, there's actually a group of astronomers in Australia who figured out that 76 tilian that 7 followed by 22 zeros. That's a whole lot that's calculated from the steaming stargazers. That's a lot of stars. How many grains of sand are there in the world?
They figured out calculated 7.5. Quintillion at is 500. What is it 7.5 quintillion? That's a whole lot of zeros behind that. my point we actually could care less how many stars there are how many Centigrade this and there are but guess what God's grace is bigger.
It is bigger. It is bigger. It is much bigger. A man was given a large sum of money to distribute to a poor pastor. And it was such a large sum he figured I can't give this all to him at one time. That's not to be good for him. So I need to give him little by little. So he put the sum of money in an envelope it delivered it to the pastor with a message that says more to follow. You know where it came from. He just knew he had a sum of money. So the next opportunity he was given an envelope it once again at the same amount of money in it, and it said more to follow. And again the third day the 4th day all of which said more to follow until all the money was gone. Well, that's what God's grace is like it's always something more to follow. That's all of me with this cuz this was an interesting Journey. God justifies Us in righteousness of Christ, but there's more to follow he adopts us into his family. But there is more to follow.
Stay with me now. He prepares us for heaven. I guess what is more to follow? He gives us Grace. But there's more to follow.
all the way up until when up until we are in heaven, but guess what? There's more to follow. There's more to follow.
So God's grace is sufficient starts to make meaning now. It is sufficient for whatever we need.
Is sufficient for whatever we meet. That's critical. Go to Ephesians 2 6 and 7. Ephesians 2 verses 6 and 7 and Raisa raises us up. So that in the coming ages. He might displayed look at this. He might display or he is seated with us with him rather. We are seated with him in Heavenly places with Jesus Christ's buttons verse 7. Look what it says. Ages to come he might show The surpassing Riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Jesus Christ. His grace in us in Christ use me. So he is still preparing us for what more to follow? More to follow right now. We are hoping in.
I hope a lot of Salvation to make it in the gate. But once we get him the case is more to follow. God's grace is sufficient in Salvation
1st Timothy 1 verses 15 and 16
this saying is trustworthy and deserving full acceptance Christ. Jesus came into the world to have sinners.
To save Sinners gives me and I am the worst of them. Again. This is Timothy. But I received Mercy because of this so that in me the worst of them Christ Jesus my demonstrate the utmost patience as an example to those who believe in him for eternal life. If you think you have an unblemished, are you are blemish Beyond repair. Are you smart people who think they're blemished beyond repair? This is important for them to understand. You cannot out send God. You sense cannot be so great. And so heavy that God cannot forgive you his grace is sufficient.
His grace is that we have met some people like that. I pray to God there's nothing here, but we have met people like that now walks who thinks that the sins they have done it too much. I'm not I'm not going that way. I can't go that way. I've done too much going on. I got to get myself together first before I can come to God we've heard that before. Grey God's grace is sufficient. You cannot out send God. I'm sorry. You cannot send God he has Grace for you. Let me give you another illustration when I was younger. I read a book that has stuck with me all my life called the cross and the switchblade. I don't know if anybody else has read that a lot of times Bible study groups read it, you know teen groups read it because it's about the story about a young Puerto Rican boy named Nick Cruz. He happened to be a gang leader back in the sixties and I've ever seen West Side Story very similar to something like that. He was a gang leader in the 60s and one of the most notorious gangs. It was a large gang. Well, he ran into. This man named David Wilkerson. He's the author of the book The Cross and the switchblade.
David Wilkerson was a pastor and he went into the inner city so that he could save souls and he ran into Nick Nick was a serious issue. He was a problem. He was going to wind up in the electric chair killing someone whatever but he was going to be was an issue. I thought it was he was an abused child with growing up his mother abusing. He hated people he hated things that was just his lifestyle. And we also once again, we may have known some people like this or know them. So he felt I don't want to hear your message. This is this crazy. He even spit on him when David was trying to saving tell him about the grace of God by Jesus saving the soul didn't work didn't work. They rejected me lately. I don't want to hear that. David said what he said next to him just totally took the cruise off guard. He said you can cut me up into a thousand pieces and lay me out of the street and every one of those pieces will still love you had broken down that broke him down. One day we're going to have a rally Christian rally but date with Nick thought it was an opportunity to prove that he wasn't the man that this guy thought he wasn't so he set up a rumble, you know gang fight as he set up a gang fight to be at the rally. So his gang all his game shows up at the rally along with his other game. So they can cause mischief. But doing a service something touch Nick, he couldn't handle it Heroes and went to be saved and in doing so each one of his members one by one for safe. The other gang as well. So Nick understood. God's grace is sufficient no matter what level of sin he thought he could do it was not enough. It was not enough. It radically changed his life. So the grace of God is sufficient for salvation. The grace of God is sufficient for suffering. suffering Dennis word 1st Peter 5 and 10
We heard this the day. Now the God of all Grace God of all Grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ. Jesus Will personally what restore or perfect you he will establish he will strengthen. He will support or confirm you after you have suffered a little on some version suffered a little while. x a A little while. What's that little while he the definition of a little while. A little while. Is that 2 Days 1 week 3 weeks. A minute and hour to little while you see we think finite we think temporary. We should not be thinking temporary. We should be thanking eternal. a little while our life is but a short span of time. We live but a little while on this Earth. A little while for those of us who have known someone who passed away. It was gone within a blink of an eye. Your life just a little while and it seems like just a little while that they left us. So we talked about little while or time this respect. We should not be thinking temporary. We should not be thinking one day 2 days. If you want me to if you want me to be the rest of my life. Then I will suffer through because it just for a little while. Because the rest of our life or rest of our time is in eternity. So we should not be thinking it was suffering forever because we won't that's so the word says so I will not be in this forever, whatever my deliver my situation it will pass this too shall pass. It'll be gone. notice the four things that God says What is the word says?
He himself. 4% confirm strengthen and establish
Those are four important things. He says his word. God is not a man that he should lie. He will restore if your life is falling for it. God will restore it. Without your marriage is falling apart. God will restore it. When were together it'll be restored. So we will look at some of you look at the mess you're in and you wonder how do I ever get back or you may run into somebody however, get back or Lord? I just made a mistake. I just sinned against you. How do I get back? God's grace is sufficient. is sufficient
there's another part we won't go into it today. By the way, I did not mention. This is the part 1 the second part to this. Because you're so much about God's grace to be need to be discussed and understood. God will establish you when I think of God establish me. I mean to be think of House on the Rock. Bible talks about that house. Is that house going to be movable flood run over take it. It's a wind going to blow it off its foundation. It's all a rocket stable.
Jesus had left Peter said you would be the rock of my church. She called him Rock Peter stands means Rock.
That's on the rock that mean God's church will get blown over washed away now established forever built on a rock.
No matter what comes our what comes up against us. God will establish us and we have seen it time and time again. There's not a person in here that I know if I look at tell you you have had something happen to your life and God didn't turn around and stab s*** for reestablishing. He didn't turn around and confirm you in some way shape or form. He confirms you. This we all know that we've all seen it everyone in here. If you haven't make sure you see me and I will tell you and remind you. God will strengthen his strength and health strengthen us in our stamina or to endure the health. He will provide you with power.
words that you provide you with power You think that you don't have the strength to do something and you can no longer endure God's grace is sufficient. Just keep telling yourself that God's grace is sufficient and all that, you know.
Will coming to play at some point in time because we know we only suffer for a little while.
Almost done. I will support. And once again, I know just too many people in here or around the world that I know that I have not seen God supporting in one way or another dose in the most unlikely people to assist. I don't know where You coming to the situation in my car Derek something happens that was not coincidence. That was the grace of God will send you resources that you never thought you'd ever have God's grace is sufficient.
That's what I can tell you. If sometimes we've had some situations come up and we took a chance figure out how to deal with them how to handle them and God comes through for us. He comes through this Provide support. For a little while. Keep that in mind for a little while. God doesn't work in short skirts. He works for where in eternity. Eternitees the beginning in the end.
He can see what's going on. God's grace is sufficient and send back to that again. No sin is greater than God. No sin women, but I have not murdered. No sin.
Give me the Dollar Tree. No, sin. I stolen no sin. Whatever you can say fill-in-the-blanks. There is no sin greater than God.
I said all those things by the way, I had not met him saying this is a rhetorical just to be done with that. Grace is greater than all sin Romans 5 and 20. Paul Gibson once again allowed for he's a lawyer. Paul gets into a ditch and speech and he starts breaking things apart and then he makes it simple for the simple man when you look at it it may sound complicated but in detail, it is very simple in Romans 5 and 20 says the law came so that the transgressor would increase but we're Sinners increase grace abound the more. Grace abounded more. He simply said where sin is X Grace is Multiplied even more the bigger the send the bigger the grace.
Keep that in mind when you get on your pity kicks. And you start saying Lord I've messed up. I've messed up. Once you get over that then look at your grace is sufficient God's grace is sufficient. All I need to do is go to him God's grace is sufficient. No sin is too great. That is a friend scripture. That is a freight but wait a minute of God's grace went into this also positive God's grace is sufficient. In the law cuz I break the law does that mean I can go ahead and break the law anyway, cuz God's grace sufficiently covers me. He said be a bit not so. Not we have to think about all the other things that go along with that. We got to think about our walk with God. I don't care for running but God I just got to stay on the path. Can't run to the right left step. Wait a minute. Yes, I can ask for it cuz I Do Slip and that's what God takes into account our hearts. Lord I just stepped off the step. I didn't mean to really God. Okay I can forgive you for that. Going to rain down there Step give you for that. The Rundown it again I can't forgive you for that.
He looks at your heart. So his grace is sufficient. His grace is also patient. It's also patient, but once again. I understood this Grace thing and it said God has the last word anyway. He has the last word and giving you the grace. He has the last word in the final stages is still all about Grace. So we're at the mercy of who God and His grace too by his grace.
One last when grace is sufficient in service. grace is sufficient in service and all of us serve one form another 2nd Corinthians 9 and 8 says And God is able to make every Grace overflow to you. So that in every way always having everything you need you met excel in every good work. Please God gives us all the tools. We need to see in doing his work.
under his will which we get through Grace. It all flows together. No clothes together. It does not matter where he places me or how that is rather for him to consider than me.
For the easiest positions, he must give Grace. And in the most difficult his grace is sufficient. God places me or you in a great plexity perplexity must be not give me or you much guidance. Imma, bring this your home in a second and positions of great difficulty much grace and circumstances of great pressure and trial much strength. Has to work mine was never so plentiful. So responsible or so difficult, but the weight and strain are all gone. His resources are mine for he is mine. This was actually written by J Hudson Taylor who was a British Protestant missionary. He was assigned to missionary work in China. In the 1900s and during that time that was not a very pleasant place to be he had a very difficult job because it was difficult cultural experiences to deal with it was a different person a government that is very difficult to what he's saying no matter where he is. God is going to his God's grace is going to sustain him to get him through the next If it's hard God's going to give you much guidance if it's easy, he still going to give you guidance. To work through it. Think about the jobs you had think about the positions you had when you ask God to move you because it was like being in what was the guidance he gave you he gave you much when the job was easy. I remember when the job is easy. I still need it guidance from God. No matter what. He was. He's going to he's going to give you that based on the suspicious efficiency of Grace.
so in summary
Surrender, absolutely. So, how do I do this thing? How do I do this walk? living under grace
walk in the light part of our mission to walk under the guidance of Christ. Have Grace towards others all we forget that sometimes we need to have Grace towards others. I think we have Caleb and Jaylin and here, you know, you have your parents Grace. That's just a natural normal thing for a parent to give their child Grace. Panerai James the children Grace when they're good and when they're bad. You give Grace thirdly respond appreciatively. Oh my goodness. We say thank you God. Thank you Jesus. We need to mean that not just have words because of their Grace we're saying thank you because they could choose not to give up on me depending upon the Lord to give me Grace. So be appreciative praise God for his grace lastly you say what do you mean by preacher incessantly? Each one of us has a Ministry. Whether we know it or not. You have a Ministry your life is your ministry the people you come in contact with is your ministry how they see you becomes your ministry it is how you represent Christ. That's your ministry because we're in his ministry. So preach incessantly live and walk in the light and appreciate God and live, right?
We're going to add salt have for you today. There's so much more that I learned about Grace. But I'm glad that that's what God told me to do because he touched me and said, you know sometimes sermons are not just for the congregation. Sometimes they're also for the minister. Because he touches our lives he gives us information as we can pass on but it's something that we've learned or something that's been in our heart and our spirit and I appreciate that. The next time we do part 2 when my time comes up again. I'm going to talk about the benefits of Grace in the misunderstandings and misconceptions about Grace. Some of us have those and then we're going to look at the Divine Purpose of Grace. She's at 1 and it word I told you about so. by the grace of God I want you all be blessed. a man
father God we thank you for this word that was delivered today or gone. Thank you for teaching me. Oh God about Grace what it means that I know that I would not have salvation o god without your grace. I know that I would not have the life that I have a god without your grace. I think you will God that you have placed your hand upon me. And those are the hero God we ask her father that you continually show them your grace. Oh God, because I know father that there is more to follow and we bless you and we thank you in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Lord.
Hallelujah, thank you. God hallelujah. Thank you Lord. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Lord. Sister tab. Amen. Come on toothless. Amen. Amen. Hallelujah. Thank you Lord. Amen.
Amen, thank you. Come on y'all give God a praise a man just have an equal doing the best. You can back to a message to Caitlin had to step out on us. We thank God for sister Tavern Eagle stepping in. Amen. His grace is sufficient for us a man. His grace is sufficient.