The Attributes Of God 'G' for Graciousness

Bethlehem Bible Church iconBethlehem Bible Church

4 views

0 comments

00:00
all right well we've been going out through the attributes of God series on Sunday night Sunday morning specifically for the
00:06
New Testament with Matthew the book of Matthew and the Sermon on the Mount and Sunday nights we usually do
00:11
Old Testament or maybe some theology we've been going through a series on the attributes of God the perfections of God his characteristics who he is and what he does and we're up to the letter
00:23
G so so far we've had a God is all -knowing he's never learned anything in his entire existence be
00:31
God is beautiful there's he is a beautiful creation no he would never be created but he is beautiful by essence and by nature he is creator see he has decrees are one eternal decree
00:44
D is eternal is faithful and tonight G God is gracious G grace
00:52
God is gracious therefore he bestows grace as well and it is a very very important doctrine if you're off on this doctrine you're off on most things in the
01:03
Christian faith you could be matter fact eternally off on this doctrine and so we want to make sure we understand what is the grace of God decades ago now there was a conference and people were kind of debating
01:18
Christianity and is it unique that God became a man and someone said well you know other religions teach some doctrines about a new reincarnation or resurrection and some other religions would believe that the dead would rise and C .S.
01:37
Lewis the popular defender of Christianity in the day he said this in C .S.
01:42
Lewis style what's the rumpus about I know why
01:48
Christianity is unique he said it's matter fact easy it's grace what differentiates
01:55
Christianity from all other religions is the doctrine of grace and I have to admit in the last week
02:01
I have love to study what the Bible calls grace it is great the
02:07
Bible says rich manifold sufficient abundance abundant glorious sovereign and exceeding and it is my opinion that we have so much angst in Christianity today specifically because we do not understand grace
02:23
I love grace when I was a kid if you did something with bad manners my father would say way to go grace when
02:34
I was a kid if we didn't pray then someone would say well why didn't you say grace and I we had our fourth child that little one right there that needs to be obeying oh she's coloring okay that's fine and I thought you know what
02:52
I love the name grace so much I'm gonna name her grace not after Grace Kelly but after grace the concept in the
02:59
Bible if you turn your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 2 for our jumping off point we want to see how important grace is so I can answer the question when we start why should we care about the doctrine of grace why is it important and I want you to know that it is a doctrine it is something that comes from God that is to be shown to the entire world when
03:22
I was in California I'd go to the beach and there'd be a big blimp or a big biplane and at the back of the biplane there would be a cable and attached to the cable would be one of those large banners ever seen one of those at the beach someplace advertising some kind of pumpernickel bread or who knows what they're advertising some kinda big beach party and here in Ephesians 2 you're gonna see that there's this demonstration this eternal demonstration this display that God is gracious that he wants everyone all creatures to know that very thing and we'll back up a little bit in a moment but if you take a look at the context of Ephesians chapter 2 we're dead in our transgressions verse 5 by grace you've been saved he says parenthetically verse 6 raised up with him seated with him in heavenly places why why is all that happened verse 7 in order that in the ages to come in the successive ages to come throughout all eternity he might show he might display he might demonstrate he might advertise if you will the surpassing riches of his what grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus God with his extraordinary extravagant grace wanted to be demonstrated to all those would care to even pay attention the demonstration of the ages
04:49
God saves sinners through Christ death burial and resurrection one man called it
04:56
God's publicity program interesting so tonight we want to look at this doctrine of grace in a strange way the outline will be this several lies that help us understand grace biblically so we're gonna look at lies that are wrong and then we'll look at the opposite of those lies to see what the
05:17
Bible teaches about grace and a quote Winston Churchill he said many occasionally stumble over the truth but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened but for us today we want to look at this doctrine and say yes that's true intellectually and God therefore make it true in my life in my worship my work etc lies about grace that will help us understand the truth it's gonna be fun tonight better by the way if you're here on Sunday mornings
05:47
I ask a question please don't answer but on Sunday night you can just go and raise your hand and we'll get some good input lie number one that should help us understand biblical concept of grace is this
05:59
Satan votes against your salvation God votes for your salvation and man cast the deciding vote people heard that many people heard that Satan votes yes you
06:17
God votes sorry easy for me to say Satan votes no for salvation
06:22
God votes yes and you cast the deciding vote what's wrong with that by the way okay defeats
06:33
God's purpose of grace good Bruce makes God and Satan equal did you hear that somehow we've got these equal opposite forces yin and yang yes okay it makes us equal with God good any other comments yes
06:51
Steve well the problem is and Steve said for the tape purposes we would always lose and if you'll turn your
07:00
Bibles back there to Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1 we can't vote we are spiritually what dead we need
07:11
God's grace because we can act someone must act for us and if you look at Ephesians 2 1 and you were dead in your trespasses and sins emphatic you you were dead he says to the the church at Ephesus and here he gives this this one word this one monosyllabic word that defines and and describes men and women without Christ dead and you like the word dead in Greek does anybody know what it is when
07:43
I was in the operating room all the time and and they would operate on people and and do things and cut things and take things out and do ectomies and ologies and all kinds of other things
07:53
I I learned very quickly that there was a kind of tissue that they would always cut out the dead tissue and that dead tissue is also called what kind of tissue yeah that's right the necrotic tissue they always had to cut out that is the word here the necrosis the the necros we were dead this is not the figure of speech kind of dead like in the prodigal son my son was dead and now he's alive this is really spiritually dead a matter of fact where we're so dead we can't vote and if we were alive we would vote with if we could vote if you could cast the ballot if you could bypass the hanging chads if you could somehow register that you would always vote with Satan every single time if it wasn't for God's grace turn over while you're keeping your finger on Ephesians 2 turn over to 2nd
08:49
Timothy chapter 2 verse 26 a verse that will blow your proverbial mind if you don't think about it properly everyone says somehow we have free will and and God doesn't want robots etc etc they do not understand the fall they do not understand what happened in the garden and in the garden
09:07
Eve and Adam were there Adam was the federal head and he fell with his emotions with his intellect and his will and his will is fallen and it is captive to someone else even 2nd
09:19
Timothy 2 26 what does it say there about our will outside of Christ having been held captive by him to do whose will the unbeliever does
09:31
Satan's will he is not free from his own sin and he's especially not free from Satan's will show me an unbeliever and I'll show you someone who thinks that they have autonomy who is actually a puppet or a pawn doing the work of Satan matter fact
09:49
I could prove it another way go to John 844 if you'd like to hear from Christ himself here we have a even more weight of evidence to show that left to ourselves a we could never vote and if we could vote somehow being half alive are somehow semi -conscious we would always vote then with Satan John 844 you know the context well you are of your father the devil and you want to do the desires of your father he says the false teachers you're just a chip off the old block the apple does not fall too far from the tree and if you get to vote you're voting with Satan Satan one vote
10:38
God another vote you cast the dividing the deciding ballot is not biblical at all you are required to repent and believe yes but you need the grace of God you need the favor of God to quicken you to save you so then after you're saved you will say yes and vote in belief of Christ Jesus questions on that so far these will kind of build a little bit we could even dig into a little bit deeper and ask this question which we won't do because we've had a 10 part series on election does
11:13
God even vote for everyone to be saved so the problem is wrought the the the question is wrought with problems question number two you like this one
11:24
God helps those who help themselves God helps those who help themselves back to Ephesians chapter 2
11:31
I rarely come up with anything new I want to be like Derek Webb in his album who said
11:37
I wanna be like a mockingbird I have nothing new to say from the pulpit I just parrot the truth of God when the pastor comes up with something new you know it's trouble and so I did come up with a little slogan that is kind of new but that's all it's nothing on the
11:53
Word of God God helps those who help themselves that's a lie people help themselves to another helping of sin and lust that's all they help themselves to that's my original thought would you like another helping of taco salad from Moe's yes please and so if people want to help themselves they do the only help they help themselves to is another helping of more sin
12:16
God helps those who help themselves no look at Ephesians chapter 2 verse 3 among them we too all formerly lived in the lust of our flesh indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest
12:37
Romans 8 says the mind set on the flesh is death 2
12:42
Peter 2 says whatever a man is overcome by that he is enslaved man can't help himself
12:50
I have a question for you true or false yes or no the true or false would go this way the
12:57
Ethiopian can change his skin true or false true or false the leopard can change his spots how can then the sinner the dead sinner the enslaved sinner change himself we know that can't be
13:09
Romans 5 says we are help less that's why we need grace no graces needed if you could help yourself is a good definition of grace that's too long to write down it helps destroy this idea that God somehow gives to people as they have earned it scholar
13:30
Mitton said this is the definition of grace God's other generosity unselfish spontaneous recklessly prodigal generosity which acts wholly out of loving concern for his people's need even if they're completely unworthy of his love and help which he offers to them that's why
13:55
God in first Peter 5 is called a God of all grace alright line number three any questions so far line number three
14:03
God grades on a curve kinda trick question God grades on a curve what do we think about that comment anyone kinda bell curve and you know it's like you're in fifth grade sixth grade you just in school you bomb the test but in your your generous kind heart you just hope more people bombed it than you did so you'll are more people bombed it worse than you did so you'll get a good grade does
14:28
God grade on a bell curve any comments well he maybe does great on a curve but it's the bell curve of his holiness it's his curve it's not in comparison to someone else we are in comparison to God himself that's why when
14:49
I read a verse like Exodus 15 who is like the O Lord among the gods who is like the majestic and holiness terrible inglorious deeds doing wonders one man called the holiness of God his utter unapproachability
15:10
I've heard it said that God is allergic to sin I've heard it said that God and sin when they come into coexistence there is a nuclear spiritual winter how many sins did it take for Adam and Eve to be thrown out of the garden how many sins did it take for Moses to not enter the promised land how many sins did it take for Elisha's servant to be smashed with leprosy how many sins did it take for Ananias and Sapphira to be buried one sin so what do we do with this great
15:45
God this holy God who's too pure to look upon evil how do we how do we stand in his presence what do we do
15:54
John Gershner said could God help us possibly
16:03
God that is the most preposterous appeal of all it is against him that we have done all the sinning it was his law we violated it was his commands we disobeyed it was his image we had ruined it was his purposes we were seeking to frustrate it was under his wrath we are now it was under his wrath we now are it was his awful judgment from which we were seeking escape why would
16:32
God ever rescue us from the judgment in which he had placed us answer because he's not just holy he is gracious and if you go back to Ephesians chapter 2 you'll see that in a whole section there that talks about his mercy his grace his love
16:49
Ephesians 2 .4 but God being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in trespasses he made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved it's amazing that God could have just been just but no he was more than that he was a
17:09
God of grace line number four alright here we go you know all these other ones you probably know this one too but it's very important I think for our review line number four that would make us somehow look poorly upon grace if we believe this lie ready line number four faith is the cause of salvation faith is the cause of salvation that's a lie faith is the cause of salvation why is it a lie maybe you disagree with me why do you think it isn't a lie yes gladden okay good let's go back to Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 faith is not the cause of salvation you were not saved because of your faith sadly many evangelicals have bought into that and it's more papish than it is evangelical but Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 for by grace you have been saved through faith he could have said you but you're saved by grace but he does an interesting word order for emphasis he says for by grace to put it up front to push it to the front so you have the right kind of perspective for by grace you have been saved to show with word order that is entirely of grace so God gets all the glory you have been saved through faith now there we go do do you see in your and I'd like to know if anybody's translation says you are saved because of faith anybody have that translation does it say in anyone's translation you have been saved on account of faith
19:06
Josh yours does you just stretching your arm okay I was gonna have a panic attack thinking somebody's got a
19:12
Bible here in the church the the Revised Standard perversion or something that says on account of faith you are not saved because of faith you are not saved on account of faith you are saved through faith and there's all the difference of the world eternal world for that very thing through faith it's not a the ground for it's not a cause faith true or false is the cause of your salvation true or false faith is the result of your salvation one denies grace the other one embraces grace and if you take a look at the reason if you wanna know why you're saved on account of because of it's earlier in the section in Ephesians 2 verse 4 but God being rich in mercy because you wanna know why you're saved because it's right there in 2 for because it is what great love with which he loved us the
20:14
Greek is very precise very precise and in Ephesians 2 8 the means is faith the cause is not faith the cause is
20:25
God's love I love to think about Exodus when I think of faith you might wanna flip over there because it's so wonderful Exodus chapter 14 to show that God gets the glory to make sure that when you get to heaven you are saying to God I'm here because of grace and my faith was was not even meritorious
20:48
Exodus chapter 14 here's a good picture of how God saves and it's all of God it is all done by God we don't do anything except respond
21:00
Exodus chapter 14 then the Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh his horsemen and his army and they overtook them camping by the sea besides two funny named mountains there's no way out seas on one side the mountains are on the two other sides and Pharaoh and his hordes are behind so in front you've got to see on the side you've got the two mountains and behind is
21:27
Pharaoh how do you get out there's no way out there's absolutely no way to get out children ladies verse 13 but Moses said to the people do not fear and what a great encapsulation of even spiritual salvation here it's temporal but it's the same thing stand by and see the salvation of the
21:51
Lord with the instrument of faith and this time it's not faith it's actually seen it's by sight which he will accomplish for you today for the
22:02
Egyptians whom you have seen today you will never see them again verse 21 then
22:07
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turn the sea into dry land so the waters were divided what a great picture of salvation there's nothing you could do you're in a corner as it were you're in a tight spot and God must come to the rescue how can a dead person have some kind of committing confident faith can't
22:34
God has to save and then we respond with faith I could say a lot about this and I think
22:47
I have in the 10 -week series on election but Thomas Hooker said
22:53
God justifies the believing man not for the worthiness of his belief but for the worthiness of him and whom he believes it is not our contribution faith it is our response to what
23:10
God has done we contribute nothing except what sin we cannot save ourselves even by our own faith by grace you've been saved through faith not because the faith and if you look back at Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 and that not of yourself whether it's faith whether it's salvation whether it's all of it it is the gift of God and if you look down to verse 9 of chapter 2 why is all this happening so that no one should boast when you stand before God in heaven and he says why why are you gonna be in heaven well
23:47
God you've saved me and you've I sent your son to die my place raise him three days later from the dead and and I embrace that and all my friends didn't believe but I had the personal wherewithal and I had the the inside and I studied hard and and I believed in my friend didn't somehow high -fiving yourself and patting yourself on the back and self -congratulatory it just doesn't make sense if God sacrifices his son don't you think that he would be zealous as Isaiah says for his own glory that's why when we have discipleship here at church
24:27
I tell the young man and the older men who come when you give your testimony please do not ever start your testimony and begin to talk about your faith by saying these things
24:39
I know we've all done I've done it but I try not to do it anymore because it's misguided don't say
24:46
I accepted Jesus I decided I walk the aisle I received why don't you put it in Ephesians two terms
24:58
I was dead in trespasses and sins but God rich in mercy with great love he saved me he saved me he saved me from my sins he gave me faith he gave me the
25:08
Holy Spirit and the list goes on and on I like to give my testimony where God is active and I am passive God is the actor
25:17
I am the one acted upon it is not God up in heaven tapping his toes going you know what if Mike would just believe that I could possibly save him
25:27
God has never taps his toes number one whether they're met metaphorical toes are spiritual toes of course those are all stupid questions
25:35
God is not there waiting for us to do something God is the initiator is
25:42
Jesus called the author of our salvation is he called the alpha yes he is we cannot pull ourselves out of the own muck muck and mire of sin we have no boasting there as you've heard me quote my brother often you will not get to heaven one day and high five
25:59
God and scream out we did it and our faith we have to remember is a gift it is not the cause it's one of the things that transform my mind and my life when
26:09
I realize it wasn't my even my own faith that that was a gift when you first get saved you're all semi
26:15
Pelagian we all are when you first get saved you're thinking you know what I I'll use grace terms it's all of grace it's all unmerited favor it's all demerited favor it's all this all of God but he did all that and now he's waiting for me to believe that's not what the text says and you say oh but at Revelation chapter 3 says that why don't we turn there just for a minute to see if it's true
26:43
Revelation chapter 3 verse 20 why are all our favorite verses in evangelicalism why are they all taken out of context and misquoted
26:52
John 3 16 is one that sometimes is misquoted but most the time at least that's got enough words that we get the context but Revelation chapter 3 verse 20 somehow people jam this in so they think you know
27:07
I mean I was taught this as a kid weren't you I could sing the song even I won't do that because that would not be gracious to you but you know behold behold
27:16
I stand at the door and knock knock knock if anyone hears my voice I will open open open right off you go well there's a context for all this behold
27:26
I stand at the door knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into him and we'll dine with him and he with me
27:33
Jesus is a gentleman he's not gonna force his will that would be unloving how many times have you heard that I hear it all the time turn on radio you'll hear it somehow
27:46
Jesus has to be a gentleman and you have to decide friends Ephesians 2 says we're dead we're not going to decide furthermore this verse has nothing to do with that here's a church this church says we're
28:00
Christians we all believe in Jesus but Jesus says
28:06
I don't believe in you there's one thing more important than you accepting Jesus in your heart and that's
28:13
Jesus accepting you in his heart and he doesn't accept you in his heart unless you pay homage to him and believe in him and worship him and this church here doesn't and he stands outside of this apostate church he's outside of the church
28:29
Ian Murray says in one of my top five all -time books outside the Bible that if you haven't read this is one of my top five the forgotten
28:37
Spurgeon it's not just about Spurgeon it's about God -centered theology he's talking about counseling and youth work quote for example a booklet which is much circulated in student evangelism at the present time lays down three simple steps to becoming a
28:52
Christian first personal acknowledgement of sin second personal belief in Christ substitutionary work these two are described as preliminary but the third so final that to take it will make me a
29:05
Christian Murray says I must come to Christ and claim my personal share and what he did for everybody this all -decisive third step rest with me
29:14
Christ waits patiently until I open the door then he will come in once I have done this
29:20
I may immediately regard myself as a Christian the advice follows tell somebody today what you have just done and quote study that passage in Revelation 320 and you'll find it has nothing to do with personal evangelism our salvation it has to do with this apostate church and Jesus saying
29:38
I'm not in that church somebody gets saved and I'll come in that's certainly true I also found in the same vein just as I am written in 1836 by Charlotte Elliott how many people know just as I am we probably have some people here that have walked the aisle to just as I am the 50th chorus you probably walked the aisle right did you know where it says just as I am without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me and that thou dis bid me come to thee
30:12
O Lamb of God I come I come we try to tell people
30:17
Oh come down the aisle but did you know that miss Elliott wrote that hymn for people that couldn't walk and the driving point for that issue is this it's not coming to the front of some aisle to from some front of some stage it's coming to the
30:39
Savior it is the idea where you have you come in faith it's amazing to me what makes you a
30:46
Christian why are you a Christian because of your faith no because of the grace of God line number five gets better or maybe worse without well as well
31:02
I've got to set it up in the form of a lie it's hard to do how do
31:16
I set this up in the form of a lie all right so skip the lie part there's the deviation but for the grace of God we would be no better than Judas Herod Jezebel and Hitler but for the grace of God everyone in here myself included would be no better and maybe worse than Judas Herod Jezebel and Hitler grace is a divine sovereign act of favor we don't talk this way anymore
31:56
John Newton hears his epitaph written with his own hand anybody ever heard it he understood it he understood as he would say to himself
32:07
I was the man that split up these people the children from their parents and the wives from their fathers and it would haunt him what he did when he was unsaved
32:18
John Newton clerk once an infidel in Libertine was by the rich mercy of our
32:25
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ preserved restored pardoned and appointed to preach the faith he had long labor to destroy and that strike you does me turn to 1st
32:39
Timothy chapter 1 if that doesn't strike you well let's look at Paul's let's look at Paul's not epitaph but it could just as well have been if we're comparing him to John Newton and when
32:50
I think of grace you have to remember what pink says if you think of grace you have to mean that the recipient has no claim upon what
33:01
God has done it's charity pure charity pink would say look at 1st
33:06
Timothy chapter 1 verse 12 and wait till you spot the word grace you'll see it 1st Timothy 1 12
33:11
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me because he considered me faithful putting me into service even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor and I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief and the grace there it is of our
33:30
Lord was more than abundant with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus it is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners among whom
33:41
I am foremost of all we are no better than someone who's a horrible sinner by the way when
33:53
I think of this it has helped me when I look at sinners who are the scum of the earth who are the worst people in your in your life that you know of that maybe you see begging for food outside your work maybe they're prostitutes maybe they're homosexual
34:08
I don't know who's the worst in your mind it is only by the grace of God that you are in your condition or you'd be just like him
34:23
I go to India and I see the well actually more than a billion now people
34:29
I just look at them and I drive by these weird shrines and sometimes strange erotic shrines and things that I just think
34:38
I can't believe these people are doing that if you think of grace properly you will never say
34:45
I'm better than those people I'm somehow way past that a proper understanding of grace helps me with my pride it helps me see sinners who need
34:58
God's grace lie number six legalism is better than anti -nominee ism that is to say keeping the law is somehow are adding to the law is better than somehow minimizing the law a lot of times in the
35:19
Bible legalism is going to talk about adding things to grace regarding salvation but let me just talk about this a little bit with sanctification let's see how could
35:30
I really push the buttons tonight would be the best way to do that usually provocative statements some kind of hyperbole something like that one of the alright here here it comes and you know me for those visitors here sorry
35:42
Joey brought your family tonight I want you to think about this and we'll back up if you want to damn your kids to eternal hell
35:51
I've got a lot of explaining to do after this let them watch leave it to beaver and veggie tales every single day and tell them that's real religion
36:03
I like leave it to beaver I'd rather have my kids watch leave it to beaver than super sinful
36:13
Ninja Turtles or whatever they're called I don't know what they are I mean I have no idea what's even on TV I'm not after cartoons
36:19
I'm not after TV I'm not after that demonic box that you put in your house I'm not after any of that it has nothing to do with TV but friends we at this church if we saw someone who was licentious and who was loose in their living and it would go around and disregard all the laws of the civic arena and all the laws of morality we would know at this church that is wrong and that is bad and God has given these people away but what we don't realize if we somehow get grace out of focus even though subtracting from the law of God and living loose
36:57
Lee is bad it is just as bad to somehow have rules of sanctification that are added because they also hurt grace well and I and you with your background to correct me if I'm wrong with things like you know what
37:30
Christianity is defined by what we don't do and here's how we we show we're favorite of God we don't see movies right especially you know our rated movies or we don't go to the theater the passion pit it's okay to rent whatever we want in our own home we have different rules we don't smoke right and we don't drink right we we don't hold hands when we're dating etc etc etc now back to the comment about veggie tales and leave it to beaver
37:59
I let my kids watch that he tells veggie tales but I tell them there's no gospel in veggie tales and they usually throw verse out of the end that's completely out of context that has nothing about the gospel we live because of the gospel we are not just justified by the gospel we are also sanctified by the gospel yes we have to be it's
38:21
Galatians chapter 3 you're gonna start running well with the gospel but then all of a sudden once we're running well yeah we'll kind of back up a little bit and we'll just have a bunch of rules
38:30
I mean we have to be careful lawlessness is just as bad as adding rules
38:36
Paul said in Galatians 3 1 you foolish Galatians who has bewitched you before whose eyes
38:43
Jesus was publicly portrayed crucified who's tricked you I'm the one
38:48
Paul says who preached to you publicly I've told you the right gospel and some kind of sorcerer some kind of magician some kind of a person has come along and seduced you he says don't do that and when he calls him foolish that's not the word moron that he usually calls people who are foolish and deficient in their brains he uses the word
39:10
Anatos which means you know better you can think but you won't think that's the word he uses
39:26
I heard my friend boo yawn preached the other day and I thought it was very insightful he said he was driving down the street and some guy had his his arm out of the door and the guy had a huge big tattoo and booze a little boy said daddy that guy's not saved we need to pray for him boo said he was super upset because he wanted to make sure he wasn't the one teaching his son to think that way
39:54
I thought that was good that's why line number seven follow so easily in this one
40:06
I hope you are encouraged by this if you're not encouraged by anything else line number seven that if you understand grace you can walk knock down this wall walled lie
40:19
God loves Christians more when they obey God loves Christians more when they obey
40:29
God you love me more when I obey should you obey God first though that be a good thing to do yes but should you obey
40:37
God so he'll love you more it begs the question could God ever love you more turn to John 17 one of the greatest chapters in all of Holy Writ John 17
40:47
John himself by the way is taking a nap he's probably had some wine at Passover and he is off sleeping and Jesus is praying by himself but the
40:59
Spirit of God gives John this prayer that Jesus actually prayed under inspiration
41:05
John 17 and here it'll drive us towards grace is free favor absolutely free favor eternal free favor and if God gives you the greatest gift through grace
41:18
Christ Jesus how could he love you any less John 17 22 to 26 circle it in your
41:26
Bibles Jesus is praying the glory which you have given me I have given to them that they may be one just as we are
41:33
I and them and you and me that they may be perfected in unity so that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you have loved me father
41:48
I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am so that they may see my glory which you have given me for you love me before the foundation of the world
41:58
Oh righteous father although the world has not known you yet I have known you and these have known that you sent me
42:06
I have made your name known to them and we'll make it known so that the love with which you love me may be in them and I in them friends
42:17
God couldn't love us anymore God couldn't love us any less because he has loved us in Christ if you are in Christ does the father love the son with what degree of love with the all the love that the
42:30
Godhead has he loves the son if you're in Christ he loves you now
42:36
I could think about it this way though I have kids Haley Luke Maddie and Gracie and when they disobey me
42:45
I stopped loving them I tell them that out loud I no longer love you the laws of the
42:52
Medes of the Persians let it be said let it be written let it be decreed right how stupid is that I never do that it's okay to say stupid from the pulpit if you're the preacher it is stupid they are my children and they'll always be my children if they go off and run wild God forbid
43:14
I will still love them that is a divinely given love I believe for our children and so there's this love that God has for his children which kind of we can see with it with a mild echo of me loving my children now if they disobey am
43:33
I sad or do I just go yeah keep disobeying way to go you keep sinning and I keep loving some people would say
43:42
God loves to forgive and I like to sin so I like to give God an opportunity to forgive a lot so I'll sin a lot we wouldn't don't want to do that that's
43:50
Romans 6 that's Romans 6 1 but even when you think about the concept of forgiveness there is judicial forgiveness the day that you believed through grace through faith
44:06
God forgave all your sins past present and future and there's nothing anyone can ever do about that but there's also a parental love where it's as if God's favor it's if Scott countenance it's as if God says if you disobey me you're not kicked out of the family but there will be consequences and some of those consequences are found in the parental love of Hebrews 12 called discipline yes
44:35
I remember you know driving into the driveway with my father's car and he told me to be in by midnight and he told me not to get in an accident and so I made the bend coming around the cul -de -sac and it was about 4 in the morning and driving down the thing
44:51
I thought you know what I'm gonna trick my dad he's he just uh you know born yesterday and so I turned the key off and coasted into the spot in neutral 4 o 'clock in the morning and got caught and my father did not say even though he was unsaved my father did not say you're out of the family but he disciplined me he disciplined me we want to obey because he's our father but if you obey
45:27
I don't want you to ever think that somehow God loves you more because then you forget about the death of Jesus for you well there's so many more to go
45:38
I'm just gonna blast through these as fast as I can line number eight self -esteem is good for the soul how does grace destroy that idea how does grace pulverize that idea salvation
45:53
Trevor Cragen says signifies not the worth of man but the sinfulness of man salvation signifies not the worth of man but the sinfulness of man that's a little bit different than Robert Schuller who says the most serious sin in which is the one that causes an unbeliever to say
46:11
I am unworthy that is that's that's the real lie we are unworthy so God give us your grace that you would to unworthy people true or false
46:22
Christ death proves your self -worth it proves you are worthy to go to hell is what it proved that's the worth and you've heard me say it many times but deafenbaugh is right if a plastic surgeon called you offering you free cosmetic surgery so that you could be used for advertising you should feel grateful not proud he did not choose you because you were so attractive but because you were so ugly and could demonstrate the marvelous skills he has as a plastic surgeon so it is with God's grace deafenbaugh said
46:58
God sent Christ to the world to suffer to die in the sinner's place he did this because we were in such terrible shape he did this so that he could demonstrate his grace transform a dead man into a living sacrifice a living testimony of his grace and power
47:20
Horatius Bonar said in unbelief there are two things a good opinion of self and a bad opinion of God lie number nine if we understand grace it will help us take away
47:33
God look down the corridors of time saw that you believe and chose you it gets rid of the the initiating grace of God the grace of God that sovereign and undeserving 2nd
47:46
Timothy chapter 1 verse 9 it says who has saved us who has called us with the holy calling according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began lie number 10 all roads lead to heaven this turns grace into some kind of sappy amorphous love
48:08
God must extend as I said this morning the scepter of his kindness and grace for you to enter into his heaven lie number 11
48:18
Jesus saves people even if they don't believe in him God has decreed that grace saves is also discreet that faith in that graciousness is the instrument lie number 12 told you we were going faster the proverbial pygmy our person down in New Zealand that has never heard about Jesus doesn't need to hear about him to get to heaven that's that's a lie that's a lie he needs to hear about Christ Jesus 1st
48:56
Corinthians 15 verse 10 says the grace of God's with me and then
49:02
Paul says so we preach and so you believe got a couple more and I'm just gonna last room lie number 13 grace must be given to all people to be fair comments on that one you've got to give grace to everyone
49:18
God so otherwise it wouldn't be fair if you didn't there's a 10 -week election series
49:25
I could refer you to Arthur Pink said were God to show grace to all
49:30
Adams descendants men would at once conclude that he was righteously compelled to take them into heaven as a meat compensation for allowing the human race to fall into sin but the great
49:40
God is under no obligation to any of his creatures least of all to those who are rebels against him grace is a gift salvation is a gift
49:50
God doesn't refuse anyone who comes to him in faith number 14 and lastly grace can be separated from Christ Jesus's death on the cross what
50:04
I'm after there is when you think of grace I want you to think of the grace of God but I also want you to think of Calvary there's the grace that brings salvation
50:11
Ephesians 2 there's the grace that brings eternal life Romans 5 there's the grace that is connected with the mercy of God Hebrews 4 there's grace that's a associated with the death of Christ Hebrews 2 9 so much so that the gospel is even called the gospel of grace acts 2024 but I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself in order that I may finish the course and the ministry which
50:39
I received from the Lord Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God in the last two minutes we have
50:51
I want you to get your WD -40 out and turn to Romans with me WD -40 on the spine of your
50:58
Bibles and we're gonna go we used to have Bible drill around our house I don't know if you do that or not by the way
51:03
I was thrilled that Andrew Goddard today got on the thigh of Christ in Revelation 19 the
51:11
King of Kings and Lord of Lords he beat everybody out of that gate didn't he that was excellent so here we have another not a game but just a little exercise in the importance of the grace of God the demerited favor of God through Christ Jesus death burial and resurrection
51:28
Romans 1 7 grace to you and peace from God our
51:35
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ Romans 16 20 ready you're gonna you're gonna catch on here in just about 15 seconds 16 20 the
51:47
God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you first Corinthians 1 verse 3 grace to you and peace from God our
51:59
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 23 what do you think it might say see a pattern the grace of the
52:12
Lord Jesus be with you what do you think 2nd Corinthians starts off with any guesses sola boot straps a do a good job work hard sweat toil
52:23
I mean Paul these aren't just words right these aren't just phrases 2nd
52:29
Corinthians 1 to grace to you the last chapter 2nd Corinthians 1314
52:34
I'm just gonna speed up but you get the idea the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the
52:40
Holy Spirit be with you all Galatians you think it starts off with grace 13 grace to you you think it ends in grace yes it does the grace of our
52:49
Lord Jesus Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1st Thessalonians 2nd Thessalonians 1st
52:55
Timothy 2nd Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews ends with it grace be with you all 1st
53:01
Peter 1 1st Peter starts off with it 2nd Peter 1 starts off with it 2nd
53:07
John starts off with it and Revelation starts with it and Revelation 22 21 the grace of the
53:14
Lord Jesus be with you all and that's why we're told in 2nd Peter chapter 3 grow in grace that's why in number 6 you know the
53:22
Aaronic blessing Yahweh the personal name of God bless you and keep you the
53:28
Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the
53:34
Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you peace if you want to define
53:39
Christianity in one word a great word is grace we didn't deserve anything
53:44
God flooded us with his favor and we are to respond with gratitude as a
53:50
Heidelberg confession would talk about three things guilt here's who we are in Adam and of our own sin grace the eternal plan of God the father choosing the son dying for the spirit ceiling and our response is gratitude guilt grace gratitude let's close in prayer
54:18
Lord we'd be off on our own without your word but we have it to teach us about the grace of God and thank you for that thankful for your spirit who would move these men ships as it were by by the wind in their sails to write these dear truths for us were thankful for the illumination of the spirit that we might understand we're thankful that we have been sealed to the day of redemption as an act of grace by your spirit and father we are recipients of your goodness and kindness thank you for that we want to praise you for your grace we deserve damnation and you give us grace we have earned wrath and you've given us grace to think about hell and the place of grace less there who could ever imagine yet you have given us heaven