Sermon Tone Analysis

*We may not be what we want to be*, but *none* of us have *arrived*.

*We should all* be *pressing toward to mark*, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

*Unfortunately*, we *haven't reached that place yet*, *but* thank God, we are *not what we used to be*!

We *should not be critical* of *ourselves*.

We *should not judge ourselves* *by* *the way we picture others*.

*Sure* the Bible tells us in (*/1COR 11:31/*) to *judge ourselves*, But we *should not judge* *ourselves* by *the way we perceive others* to be.

Or you could say, that we *should not compare ourselves with others*.

*I.*

*God created* *you to be a king*.

The *very moment you receive Jesus* as your Savior, you were *made a KING* & a PRIEST.

*A.* Something that *I want to make* it *clear*, is that *Jesus is the KING of KINGS*.

*1.** **/REV 17:14/** *

                                          *a.*

Are you one of the “*chosen*”?

*i.*

You might be able to say, “*yes*” to that question.

*ii.*

*If you* have *excepted Jesus* as *Lord & savior*, *you are* one of the *chosen*.

*b.*

But he *goes on to say*, “*those with Him* are *called* the *chosen &* the *Faithful*.”

*i.*

*We know* that *you* *are* the *chosen*, but *are you also* the *faithful*?

*ii.*

He said that the ones */“WITH”/* Him are the */chosen/* & the */faithful/*.

*2.*

Now in that *same* *V* it *refers* to *Jesus* *as* the *King of kings*.

*a.*

*Meaning* that *there are many kings*, but *Jesus is the Kings over those kings*.

*b.*

*If* you're *wondering* *who* these *KINGS are*.

The answer is *you & me*.

*i.*

You might be a king, but He is the King of Kings.

*ii.* *God intends* for all *Christians to reign as kings*.

*B.** **/ROM 5:17/** *

                              *1.*

The *AMP* of that *V* says, “*/For if, because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God's] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) & the free gift of righteousness (putting them into right standing with Himself) reign as kings in life through the One, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one/*.”

*C.*

This *V.* *makes 2 qualifying statements*.

*1.**

**1st* of all in that *V.* it says that *those who receive* “*ABUNDANCE OF GRACE**/”/* *will reign as kings*.

*2.**

**/EPH 2:8‑9/* The thing that I wanted you to see here is that *when you got saved you received the grace of God*.

*3.*

Now turn with me to */1PET 1:2/*.

*a.*

In Peter's opening to his letter *he expresses his hope or his prayer* that *GRACE WOULD BE MULTIPLIED* unto them.

*b.*

*That tells me* that there are *different degrees of* the *grace* of God being upon someone.

(The same thing goes for peace.)

*c.*

Go back to */ROM 5:17/* *If* there is *different degrees* of *Grace* then *how* are we going to *get* that *ABUNDANCE OF GRACE* that (*/ROM 5:17/*) says that *we need to reign as kings*?

*D.** **/2PET 1:2/* Here *Peter says* that *GRACE can be multiplied to you **through* the *knowledge of God*.

*1.*

The *NIV* words it like this, “*/Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord/*.”

(NIV)

                              *2.*

One thing that I think is important is that *we need to get to **know our God*.

*a.*

Through *prayer*, *reading* the *Word*, *fellowship* with Him, *worshipping* Him.

                                          *b.*

That's *one important area* that we *need to be diligent in*, *so we can reign as kings* in this life.

*E.* Before I can go on to, We *should look at what Grace is*.

*1.*

*Some say* that it's *God's unmerited favor*.

*a.*

*Everything* that *we receive* from God *is* His *unmerited favor*.

*2.*

*Some* *have said* that Grace is *God's riches at Christ's expense*.

*a.*

Again *everything* that *we receive* from God *is at Christ's expense*.

*3.*

*Those things are true*, but *it's also God's power*, *God's Holy Spirit*, *God's ability*.

*a.*

Remember what *Jesus said to Paul* in (*/2COR 12:9/*) He said, “*/My grace is sufficient for thee/*:”

                                          *b.*

In other words, “*/My ability is sufficient for thee/*.”

*II.*

Back in (*/ROM 5:17/*) it says, “*/They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ/*.”

(KJV)

                  *A.* We said that there are */2/* *qualifying statement* *given* in that *V* for us *to reign as kings*.

*1.*

The */1st/* was that you need to *receive an abundance of grace* in order to reign as kings in this life.

*B.* The */2nd/* qualifying statement is also *found in* (*/V 17/*) “*/Those which receive the gift of righteousness shall reign in life/*.”

[As the *AMP* puts it “*reign as kings in life*”]

                              *1.**

**/2COR 5:17‑21/** *This* V.* tells us that *we have God's righteousness*.

*a.*

*But there was a time* that we we're *not so righteousness*.

*b.**

**/ISA 64:6/** *

                              *2.*

There was *a time before* we ever *accepted Jesus*, that our *own righteousness* was as *filthy rags*.

*a.*

*We we're the furthest thing from* being *righteousness* in God's eyes.

*b.*

*Even though* we might have *tried to be righteous*, we weren't.

*3.**

**/PHIL 3:1‑9/** *

                                          *a.*

Notice that Paul says, “*/not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law/*.”

*b.*

I sure that you have *heard of the phrase*, “The *letter of the law killeth*.”

*c.*

*Trying to keep* the letter of the *law for salvation* will *produce* *death*.

*Spiritual death*, because you *can't keep it*.

*i.*

(*/GAL 2:21/*) Says, “*/For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain/*.”

*d.*

But *Paul said* that */righteousness is found through the faith of Christ/*, */the righteousness which is of God by faith/*: (*/PHIL 3:9/*)

                                          *e.*

In other words, *We receive* the *righteousness* that is *needed* to *reign* *in this life as kings* *by receiving Jesus* as our Lord & Savior, & *putting our faith in Him* that He is our righteousness *& walking in that righteousness*.

*III.*

*Some people* say that we just have to *hold out to the end*, we may *barely make it*.