February 21, 2016 The Work of Grace

Usher's abundant work you see them since you see it and I see it we're going to say it together. Can we say this together God's abundant grace enables abundant giving that accomplishes abundant work and God has called us to be a part of it. God did not call us to be a part of it. He would not need the church with it, and he would not need you. Angels that could come down and and be his his his his conduits of Gracie. He has angels that he could call to to be declares of the truth. But now he has called you to be declares of the truth to beat the Spencers of his Amazing Grace. Well, just to remind you of what we've been what we've been working out or looking at over the last several weeks. We began with the fact that that Dodge Dodge character of Grace needs to be our character as well. And we we looked at the scripture that talks about that died was rich and therefore we need to be that God was abounding in his love toward people at and therefore we need to be abounding in our love for people and that God wants people to experience kiss. His son and experience that full life in Christ. And therefore we need to be people followers of Jesus Christ to help one another experience the fullness of being in Christ. And then I talk with you two weeks ago about the act of Grace which the scripture tells us. His is is the act of giving he he told Titus and he told the church in Corinth that you need to be engaged in active brace in the act of giving that God wants to give through you and that God wants you to be generous givers of your time of your talent and of your treasure, I will tell you you cannot read scripture and say hold that that's four sisters sewing so over there cuz it doesn't apply to me know there is no loophole in the scripture. We all called to be generous Giver. Well this morning I want to conclude with that last phrase accomplishing abundant work. I want to invite you to turn in your Bibles to 1st Peter chapter 4 1st Peter. chapter 4

in 1st Peter chapter 4 in first number 10, and then we'll go back to verse number one and look at this passage. But inverse number then it says as each has received a gift.

Everyone of us and is it just talking about one gift? No, it's saying that every single follower of Jesus Christ has at least one gift to give we are to use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied Grace.

So what do we need to do? Now go to verse number one. the first number one it says Since there for Christ suffered In the Flesh arm yourselves. With the same way of thinking meaning that were the think like Jesus. In fact, we're does not just think like Jesus we are too too weird to imitate Jesus. We are to pattern our life after Jesus for whoever has suffered In the Flesh has ceased from sin. Now that's interesting. Wonder what what Peter is talking about they're so as to live for the rest of the time you're in the flesh no longer for human passion, but for the will of God What is Peter talking about remember Peter Peter was one of the 12 disciples? In fact, he was not just one of the 12 disciples. He was he was part of the Inner Circle. He was one of the of the three disciples that Jesus spent the most time with the others were were John and James. And so what we have here is is is a launching pad into how we are to how God is going to accomplish great work through us. First thing that we need to understand is that we are to live for our own pleasures. But we are to live for God's Will and for his glory. Do you see that as followers of Jesus Christ? It's not about what I want. Don't don't get me wrong. I I like Comfort like anyone when I come to church on a Sunday morning. I don't want it too hot and I don't want it too cold. I just want it just writes what I want to find the the place in the sanctuary, even though I sit in the front seat over on this side right over here time and time again, I understand that sound Dynamics in this room can be different depending on where you sit. Okay, and I like to be comfortable not only in an ice cube, but also being able to be comfortable in the the volume of of of of the sound in the service. I like Comfort now I go home. I I like good food. And I I like the kids behaving and I like I like everything just right don't you every one of us like Comfort what we do is we we we want comfort so much that it becomes the priority and not God we want comfort so much that it's about what we want rather than his will or his glory, but see what we see in the passage here is that it's not about us. It's about God and we need to come to the conclusion in our life that it's not about our comfort. It is about God's glory. No, the passage says in a sense. Do you want victory over sin?

I want victory over sin. And you know what Peter says if you want victory over sin settling your mind you're willing to suffer for Christ. Because so many of our sins are Center on us wanting Comfort on us wanting it our way. We want our plans are holds our dreams. I'm going to talk a little bit about that next Sunday morning in the service in are dramatized a series on the son of God. If we are not careful what happens is that we wanted our way and we begin begin to distance ourselves from wanting to align ourselves with God's will and his glory and as a result we enter into a life of sin, but if you want victory over sin settle in your mind that you're willing to suffer so settle in your mind that you're willing to do it God's way his way. And what happens is is that we begin to sever the nerve center of sin in our life. God wants you to live the Victorious Life to Live the Victorious Life. You need to settle God. It's not about me. It's about you. It's not about what I want. It's about your will and your glory and your praise and your worship and I want to live my life as an act of worship to you. k if you do that something challenging will happen to you. I want you to be aware of that. It says in inverse number. Let's go down the verse number for With respect to this they are surprised at who are they? That's the world. That's the people that you rub shoulders with every day that do not follow Jesus Christ, which respected this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same one of the botchery and they Moline you. Friends as we live for God's will and his glory do not be surprised by worldly opposition. It will happen. Here's the challenge the church has to face. I'm going to tell you and it's not not easy and it's not simple and it's not comforting in a way and that is our world doesn't think the way we do. When you put it in a different way, the world doesn't think the way God does.

And and this clash between culture and the church is going to become severe. And people will shake their heads and they will not understand why you live a certain way. They will tell you that the Bible is archaic. The Bible is is maybe maybe a good in an incense as I as a literary piece, but it's not ever meant to be the revelation of God himself.

They will tell you that you're not a nice person if you if you espouse to to to how God wants you to live and they will they will tell you that that the idea of God Is So old-fashioned. Why don't you just live a little and why don't you give you get current with the times and why don't you just join us in the party?

But as followers of Jesus Christ We Roll eyes. Oh, there's going to be a party but it's going to happen at the marriage supper of the Lamb right now. I am called to live my life in such a way that that it doesn't matter what the culture says. What matters is what God says. Now when opposition happens your way tonight, I mean, this is not a I think in the in the in the reading of this it's not just talking about, you know, the over persecution like Christians might be suffering in certain countries in the world. I'm talking about where you are right now when you are living your life pleasing to the Lord and people just don't understand.

When you are invited to things that you know would not glorifying honor God and you say no and they just don't understand. Is it eventually they begin to make fun of you or they they begin to ridicule you or put you down and sometimes that is a very difficult and very lonely experience, isn't it? But see we need to make a decision. I'm going to live the will of God and I'm going to live for his glory and as a result, I'm going to expect opposition. I'm not going to be surprised by it. But in the fact that I am not going to be surprised by I'm not going to react to it.

I'm not going to react angrily. I think sometimes that I've seen the church you don't hold the fort kind of mentality where it's US versus them and and and we Shield ourself from from the world and we don't want to have anything to do with anybody else except us four and no more and I've been tied experience that I've seen it and I've even been

but it's not about God wants and he has called me to be a light in the dark world. He has called me to be salt in a flavorless world than he is said I could I want you to not be surprised when people say things against you. In fact, the scripture says, you know what Jesus said that you know, they're going to hate you but they really hate me.

So let's not be surprised. Let's not overreact. Let's pray for people and let's believe that God is going to use you. Use you use you you and you and you over there. God is going to use you in a mighty way to be conduit to his grace. But don't worry when people will shake their heads at you and say you're no fun anymore. Don't worry about that. What's important as we we heard about this morning? What's important is that God rejoices over us that is what is important? If so. So this leads us to something else nestled In this passage and its inverse number 7 inverse number 7. Peter Wright says the end of all things is at hand. Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

I think what Peter is talking about here is that we need to allow the reality of Christ second coming to motivate us. I was

there's probably 220 some of us in this particular room right now. Okay, and there's probably 220 something of us something of different ideas about the end times. BK well, let me let me just tell you 2 things about the end times number one. It's going to happen. We don't know when but it is going to happen. That's a definite the scripture makes it abundantly clear. It's going to happen. And the scripture also seems to indicate that. Even though there may be signs. There is a little bit of a surprise.

Let's paint it. Jesus doesn't come back for the until 200 years from now. Let's just let's just Use that hypothetical.

Every one of you in this room still doesn't know when you're in comes. Okay. We don't know. If today is your last day on planet Earth. Don't know. I have a little bit of a flight phobia. Not a big one. I'll go on flights, but everytime I go on the flight. I make certain everything's right between me and God.

I make certain everything's been confessed that I need to confess so that if it's the end. If it's the end I'm with Christ.

Sometimes our fears lead us into strange things. But listen. Knowing that one day we're going to be with Christ and we don't know exactly when that day is going to be doesn't it make sense that that should motivate us to be engaged in the work of God making the most of every opportunity. That's what Paul writes in a fusion that we need to make of the most of every opportunity because we do not know how long we have and we need to be fully engage because we need to come to this conclusion friends that every person that does not put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ is lost. Every person that does not put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ has a destiny to spend an eternity apart from Christ.

I shared with you before and I'll share it with you again. There was an atheist who wrote about this particular issue and he said if the church actually believe this I may consider the claims of Christ. What you often? The church does not act as if they truly believe that if you do not know Jesus Christ, you're going to spend an eternity in the Lake of Fire. If we do not understand and believe that spin there is nothing that motivates us to reach our world for Jesus Christ and Friends received me desperately to hear the message of Jesus Christ. No, I cannot save any once but I know who can't and he has designed that we are to be his Witnesses.

And we need to be motivated by the fact.

That time is drawing too close. And are we going to be engaged in the activity of God? There it is. Answer the question. And that leads me to the final point this morning. I always liked it when Pastor said and finally.

No, I got too fast. Yeah, I got it. I got the I got the patience of a mat. You know, I am in when when I'm visiting a church in somebody else's preaching I have to be prayed up because I know my mind will wander. And it's not always spiritual things. I may wander about lunch sure, you know other things. So again, if I do that, I know you do that, too.

Let's look at verse number eight of First Peter chapter 4 above all. Keep loving one another earnestly. since love covers a multitude of sins show Hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied Grace.

What we need to do is we as a church as individual followers of Jesus Christ and collectively the corporate body. We are to engage in the work of Grace. That's what we're about. We're not about being entertained. We are about doing the business of God in the business of God is the work of Grace that's what we are to to do. But sometimes that is incredibly difficult show the slide for me so that slide. There you go.

My wife showed that to me on Facebook. I liked it so much that I decided to share it with you. The top of that cartoon says who wants to change everybody's hands are raised.

Who wants to change? Number one is Iker. Hey, I decided to do something this morning. Actually, it was by total accident, but God has a way of using things and it's like wow, you're wonderful and doing this we decided we had a couple weeks ago talking about Hospitality Ministry and and greeting Ministry and we wanted to do some changes. And I bet you it freak you out today. If it just made you so uncomfortable that you did not get a bulletin from the table in the in the lobby. Okay. Can I confess to you something in love? That table has always irritated me from the very first time I ever walked into this building. Okay, let me tell you why I got to tell you why and those of you that like the table. I love you.

And we're going to spend an eternity with Christ. Okay, just keep that in mind.

But it gave me the the feeling. When I first walked in on Sunday morning to years ago last week as the pastor. That we wanted to put the bulletins there. So no one had to touch me. Now I know that's not the case. But that was the first thing that came into my mind over to pick up our own Bulletin. Okay, so I decided after 2 years.

We're going to make a change. The ushers will hold the bulletins as you walk into the sanctuary and give it to you and shake your hands. Kate we're giving you something you're not just taking something we're giving it to you. It may sound so subtle, but I think it is very important that we come across as a church that deeply values and loves people. Okay, then what we did was we moved. I didn't know this was going to happen this morning, but it was just perfect. We move the information booth from the middle to one of the sides over there and that probably freak you out. Okay. In fact I had so many people coming through the doors of the church sing what's different what's happened?

Because let me tell you change is so difficult for us. Yes, we say yes. Amen. Let me tell you we got to change. And that just illustrates my first two sub points to this. First we need to love exceedingly. We need to love people.

We need to love people so much that we we are not so concerned with how they look. how they smell their hair do we're not we're not concerned about those things were were concerned about loving people connecting people to Christ. That we value people so much and and were motivated by this Christ loved us so much. He gave his life for us. How much should I didn't love people?

It's not about just merely that gooey emotional Kind of Love is seeking the greatest good for someone above and beyond what I want.

It's thrust me into my uncomfortable Zone. I like to be comfortable just like you. But sometimes God wants to thrust us into feeling uncomfortable, especially when it comes to people that you do not know. And that leads me to my second point we are to be hospitable.

We made a subtle change also and it's going to be it's going to continue to be a major change in our church. I'm I wanted and I'm so grateful to my son Ethan and Travis McGee and they just got right into work and they were holding the door open for people's they came in. Cuz I want I want people to know that when they step foot on this property. We can't wait to see them. And we can't wait to see what God is going to do in their life. Sometimes we come to church and it's all about me meeting somebody. I did also something very subtle today. And I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do because I wrestle with this I didn't have breeding time this morning. Breeding time for a newcomer is a very awkward experience. Because often times if we're not careful, the newcomer is left all by themselves. Because when greeting time happens, we are more engaged in wanting to meet people we know rather than people we do not know that is just a part of life. Okay? Now there's some of you you just you can't wait to meet a new face, but the vast majority of us, you know going up to a stranger is not one of our natural.

But it should be the the practice of our church, don't you agree? I want every. Going to give us a lot of newcomers over the next 6 weeks a lot of them.

And I need your help. I can't remember how many readers are on our team right now. Probably 15-20. And what I am looking at is we need to double or triple that. I need far more greater than we have right now. I want you to be praying about something and then what I want you to do is we're going to have a short meeting right after service today. What room are we having that Bob Mason? Are you in here? What room 200 rooms 200 rooms right over there all the graders all the ushers. You need to go there short meeting but everyone else that wants to be a greeter or not. Sure. I want you to go in there too. And if all of you try to jam in there, so be it will be a great picture to put on Facebook. Okay, we need a lot of reader so that every time the doors are open not just on Sunday morning, but Sunday night when we have a price service when on Wednesday night our family night service, we have greeters at every door welcoming people into the church that we're not going to let anyone try to guess which door to enter and try to guess where to go. We're going to have people right there and we're going to help because we're going to be hospitable. Because we love people see that's what the scripture tells us. That's what we are to do. And so I want us to put it in the practice folks. You say why I've only been two weeks. Can I do that? Yes. your breathing Yes. Yes.

All right. third use your gifts

Remember God's word says everyone of you that are followers of Jesus Christ. God has given you at least one gift. And a gift is given to you to use. not to keep in a sense, what you need to do is give the gift away.

not if I was smart and wealthy Maybe I would have done it this way. We would have done that. We would have done the talents. Where I would have given let's say we would have had three people up. Well, that would not necessarily work because the I would said, you know, okay, we'd give one person $500 one person $200 in one person $100. But the person with the $100 may not feel very good because in the parable the person with the one Talent sort of God cast into fiery Darkness.

But what we need to do is we need to recognize God has given us a gift. We need to use it. And we need to you need to you need to find a way to use it but don't don't try to figure out all this can only be use a certain body. So we work together in helping people find their place and utilizing their gift. Okay. But you need to utilize your gift. It may not be the way that you thought it would be utilized but you need to use it but also friends sometimes we we we we come to the conclusion all I got this message and there's another gift. God has given you as well. You need to use all your gifts that God is giving you his glory to his honor. And then finally my final sub-points she pastors like you use finally a lot, too. Embrace stewardship Embrace stewardship

what God has given to us doesn't belong to us. We need to carefully manage it to his glory. Meaning we have to come to the place in our life that all that we have all that we are Belongs to the Lord. And I need to utilize all that I have and all that. I am for his Divine Purpose.

Too often we think at all. It's about me and we hoard and we are not givers and we are not helpers. We are very selfish. But God has called you to the selfless life. where to buy out him and his glory we love people when we are hospital when we Embrace stewardship something begins to happen in our life. We begin to see the work of God's grace manifested. We begin to see people set free from sin and darkness industry people healed and delivered.

We see the Miracles of God because God desires a a person and God desires a church to work through his his varied braces. He wants to use you. He wants to use you. Lord God I pray this morning. That we would have a heart. open to being used by you for your glory and your will.

Lord God I pray and I ask in the name of Jesus.

That you will help us. help us fully engage in your work with a hunger and the desire to your glory not our Glory not not the Applause for us.

smile ball.

Lord is about you.

Lord help us To be about what you are doing.

Lord I ask this in Jesus name. Let's Stand Together.

It just a moment. I'm going to invite our prayer team forward to pray for everyone that has a need.

And I want you to be comfortable how we're going to start concluding our services unless God gives a different direction. I want you to know that if you have a need in this room, you do not have to leave here without receiving prayer for for your neat. Okay. I want you to know that I would that you're going to be prayed for in fact, I want invite the prayer team forward right now. You can find your place up here.

God wants to do work in our light he wants to perform Miracles. I believe it. Maybe your hearing you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. But you are felt something all day today and you just see you just sense that God wants you to have a relationship with him and God wants you to trust in him. Maybe you've been wandering away from God for a long time. But you're here today and you just sense. You know what? I don't want to wonder anymore. I want to live for Christ. Just a moment when I call everybody for needs to come forward and to be prayed for I want you to feel comfortable coming forward to and this team will pray for you. But for everyone that has a need you have a need this morning. I want you to feel very comfortable right now to come up and to be prayed for God is a God who wants the lab asleep or his grace upon him. You may need killing. God wants to heal you you may need directions in your life. God wants to give Clarity to your next step. God wants to do something marvelous in your life, and he wants to help you. Friends, what we need to understand is that God has a purpose for this church and God wants us to be ready for what he intends to do in our life and we need to be open. Open for people to come into this place and we lavishly loved them for his glory and honor we need to come expecting for God's healing and for God's Miracles working in our life. We need to come believing that God is able to do incredible work. We need to come to church with an expectant heart again and believe and trust in him father God. I thank you Lord for all Lord this congregation and the opportunity that we have to pray for one another. Bored as people come forward Ward for prayer. I pray that this will be a place of Miracles that this will be a place of Victory Lord that bad habits or would be broken or just fear Lord. God would be thrown away Lord. I pray that your power and might even had would be upon our life to your glory to your honor to your appraisal. And Lord. I pray that you will help us as a church Lord to be to be fully aligned with what you are doing more and that we will walk or wife as Jesus walked that we will live as Jesus live after Christ as a church. We will fully engaged with your grace. and your mercy Lord I pray Lord that you will guide our hearts actress Ward I ask in Jesus name in Jesus name for all those that are praying and waiting for prayer. You don't rush out or anything, but I just want to remind are greeting and ushering Ministry in 200 rooms. And for those on the deacons screening Committee in the conference room. God bless you.