20231231 Grow in Grace 2024
Grow in Grace • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Call to worship - Psalm 65:4-7
4 How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You That he would dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple. 5 By fearsome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea; 6 Who establishes the mountains by His strength, Being girded with might; 7 Who stills the rumbling of the seas, The rumbling of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples.
The Lord teaches his disciples to pray - Matthew 6:6-8
6 “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore, do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread. 12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]
Scripture Reading - Luke 18:1-8
1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 “Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice from my opponent.’ 4 “And for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice, lest by continually coming she wears me out.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 “Now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? 8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on the earth?”
Grow in Grace 2024 - 2 Peter 3:18
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Since 1995, almost 30 years, I have preached a New year’s message based on the commandment of 2 Peter 3.
Each year, each month, each day we should heed the words of the apostle Peter who challenges us to grow - not physically but spiritually.
And his challenge is specific - grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
First, notice the object of our growth
(1) The object of our growth - Jesus
- Jesus, God incarnate, Jesus the promised King of the Old Testament, Jesus the suffering servant of the Book of Isaiah, Jesus the prophetic Son of Man in the Book of Daniel, Jesus the perfect and eternal Son of God who is the Word of God become flesh
And he is more than this - He is the Lord, the Master of all things and therefore worthy of the title Lord of lords and King of kings.
(2) The focus of our growth - grace and knowledge
We are to grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”
9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
It is God’s favor, God’s sovereign disposition toward the believer, a goodness which dispenses love and mercy and justice and spiritual power. Grace is God being for us and not against us. Grace is God protecting us from our own sinfulness and selfishness. It is the undeserved grace of Christ that saves us from the deserved wrath of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
We are to grow in grace by recognizing the depth of God’s grace - it is sufficient, we are to grow in grace by acknowledging our spiritual weakness, we are to grow in grace by boasting in our weaknesses, in other words, giving God the glory for who we are and what we are and where we are instead of thinking that we somehow are responsible for anything of spiritual significance in our lives
We are to grow in the grace and the knowledge of Christ
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
Notice how grace and knowledge are connected.
Grow in the understanding of everything the Lord is doing in you and through you - that’s grace
Grow in the understanding of who God is, who Jesus is, so that yu can understand why He does what He does in your life,so that when life is difficult and trials and struggles come you will not give up.
And this idea of not giving up is my challenge to you for 2024. And i specifically do not want you to give up in the area of prayer.
(3) Do not give up in prayer because of the grace and person of Jesus Christ - Luke 18:1-8
1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 “Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice from my opponent.’ 4 “And for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice, lest by continually coming she wears me out.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 “Now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? 8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on the earth?”
Prayer is communion, time speaking to the Trinity and verbally thanking the Father Son and Holy Spirit, praising the trinity, adoring the Trinity, spending time in confession and repentance, and praying for the Lord to work on behalf of those who need Christ, those who have personal struggles, and those, both believer and unbeliever, who are in leadership in our church, our city, our state and in our country and around the world
Parables - stories with a spiritual punchline, meant to teach one main spiritual truth
The reason for the parable is verse 1 Luke 18:1
1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,
The truth of the parable is found in Luke 18:2-7
2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 “Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice from my opponent.’ 4 “And for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice, lest by continually coming she wears me out.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 “Now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?
God is not like the judge, God cares, God will bring justice, God does hear our prayers
But the punchline is found in Luke 18:8
8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on the earth?”
Will he find faith? Yes, because those who have been growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ will know that through the work of Christ, through the obedience of Christ, through the death of Christ we have a faith that has been given to us and we have a salvation that is secure because of the just and gracious mercy of God.
There are big churches and there are small churches. But it is not size that makes a church great. It is the coming together of believers that the greatest ministry of the church is prayer. Prayer fuels evangelism. Prayer fuels missions. Prayer fuels the wisdom necessary to serve faithfully in a secular culture.
There is only one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who as the Son of Man will return to claim those who are held tightly and securely in His hand and who through growing in grace and knowledge will be found faithfully praying.
Will you accept the challenge for 2024 of being a person of faithful prayer?
Let’s pray
Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis (21)
Now the God whose affection never cools, whose attentions never wavers, whose arm never relaxes, and whose grace never fails, rescue you from every evil attack and bring you safely to His heavenly kingdom. Amen.