July 21, 2024 - Principles of the Spirit-Led Life: Enabling Grace

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes……/ When you participate in communion, you are proclaiming that Jesus died and shed His blood on your behalf, to redeem you.

#2 Remembrance

Never forget what Jesus did, Never forget that the cross is the ultimate demonstration of God’s love for you.

#3 Anticipation

Romans 8:22-23

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

We remember Christ’s death, but we look forward to His coming with anticipation.

#4 Sharing

1 Corinthians 10:16-17

16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.

#5 Separation

1 Corinthians 10:21

21 You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too.

Being in Christ, partaking of the Lord’s table draws a line of separation between you and everything that doesn’t honor Christ.

PRAY - Heavenly Father, how deeply grateful we are for communion.

We Proclaim your death, Jesus

We Remember Your love and Your sacrifice

We Anticipate Your return

We participate in Your death and resurrection, sharing with all believers and separating ourselves from everything that dishonors You.

Thank you that as we partake of You, we are receiving your life.

In Your name we pray, Amen

Let’s take His body that was broken for you (bread)……Now let’s take the cup, His blood poured out for us. (juice)

A quick but important announcement: Abide Church is now partnering with Global Awakening through their Network of churches and ministries throughout the world. If you are not familiar with Dr. Randy Clark and Global Awakening you can go to globalawakening.com and Global School of Supernatural Ministry at: gssmusa.com, they have an accredited seminary offering Masters & Doctorate programs. Our decision to join the network was based on our desire for accountability, pastoral care, training, resources and to be a part of a larger vision that fits who we are.

Tithes & Offerings

This morning we are continuing in our series on Spirit-Heart-Soul-Body, we are in the sixth week of identifying the 10 Principle of the Spirit-Led Life, something we could also call the “abiding life” as we understand that the indwelling Christ is strengthening our spirit to be the strongest part of us, putting down the life of the flesh and regenerating our soul, teaching even disciplining our mind will & emotions to serve our spirit that is in communication with Holy Spirit, being nourished by the True Vine, producing the fruit of Christ.

This week we will seek to understand more fully, Grace. Most Christians will define grace as the unmerited favor of God that forgives our sin and saves us. While this is true, it’s only a partial definition. Grace goes farther than forgiveness, farther than salvation…God’s grace is His power. It enables us to live in obedience. It is not earned, it is given. Grace is not earned, it is received. To experience more than incomplete Grace, we don’t work harder or do more…we believe better. Faith & Grace are connected.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Grace is given by God, it is His supply. “We are His workmanship” implies that this is an internal work being performed by the Spirit through our union with Christ. The Law and it’s commandments are Truth without Grace.. While the law was good, it had no power to change anyone. It simply acted like a light, revealing our flaws, weakness and sin. Grace, however, is the power which enables us to change.

John 1:17 (NKJV) 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

The external law was truth without grace, but now we can receive truth and grace through Jesus. The law reveals our great need for grace. Francis Frangipane stated in his book Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God “What God’s truth demands, His grace will provide”

When God says; “be holy as I am holy, purify your heart, deny yourself, pick up your cross, love your enemies and on and on…God’s grace provides us with the power needed to obey these requirements from our hearts. This is what we mean when we say “enabling grace”. God’s grace empowers us to obey what His truth demands, enabling us to abide in Christ and yield His fruit.

Jesus Himself defines grace best when he responded the Paul’s desire to be delivered from the thorn in his flesh…three times Paul prayed asking for this to be taken away…and Jesus answered…

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

According to Jesus, Grace is God’s power at work in our weakness. Or in other words; Grace is God’s ability applied to us when we have no power or ability. Grace is the indwelling influence upon the heart, that reflects in life. Or that is reflected in outward behavior. Barnabas came to the church at Antioch…

Acts 11:23 (NIV) When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

What the Spirit was doing among the believers there was outwardly evident. It changed people and their behavior changed so much, Barnabas could easily see the fruit of God’s ability at work. Paul attributes his calling as an Apostle and minister to the power of grace…

Ephesians 3:7–8 “By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.”

Acts 4:33 (NIV) “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all…”

Bryan Kessler developed his own definition for grace based in the study of scripture, lexicons, dictionaries and books;

“Grace is the unmerited power of God, enabling you to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil, to be who God calls you to be, and to do what God calls you to do, operating when you are conscious of your need by giving you new desires and the ability to respond to God’s truth from the heart.” - Kessler

Romans 4:4 (NKJV) Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

Grace can only be received, not achieved. Like Jesus Himself can only be received by faith, His grace is no different. Faith awakens as we believe what Jesus has finished for us and what the Holy Spirit continues to finish in our spirit.

2 Timothy 2:1 “Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus.”

Grace gives us the spiritual strength to live from victory. Many Christians have a partial and incomplete concept of grace applying it to salvation only, but we need to learn how to live in grace every day.

Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV) As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Grace is the substance by which we rely day-by-day, sometimes even moment-by-moment of the Spirit for life, power, strength and assistance. Grace gives us the power to overcome sin. Grace changes you from the inside out.

Titus 2:11–12 “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,”

Being instructed in how we should live in the biblical context of this verse, pertains to how children are trained, through correction and discipline. Hebrews speaks of the Holy Spirit being our trainer and even calls Him the “Spirit of Grace”

Hebrews 10:29 (NKJV) Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

The Spirit of Grace trains and instructs us to overcome sin and live from God. Even the indictments to the 7 Churches in Revelation 2 & 3; losing our first love, compromise, complacency, Jezebel, false doctrine, being luke warm….the encouragement of Jesus to overcome these things is not at all possible without God’s enabling grace.

If your understanding of grace lets you flirt with the world, compromise morality, live selfishly, or to continue in sin…it’s not true grace, that grace is an absolute fraud. True grace enables us to overcome sin, not be overcome by sin.

Grace enables us to be. Due to our success-oriented culture, too much emphasis on what we do, how much we do, what we make from what we do over-rides who we are. Many people place their entire identity in their name, their occupation and their achievements.

Grace enables us to become who God has called us to be. Beyond our occupation, beyond our talents or gifts, beyond any ministry calling, it is the eternal calling to be trained toward maturity, a prepared and equally yoked Bride who will reign with Christ as adopted sons who are fit to administrate the Father’s estate. This is eternal authority, eternal glory, next age stuff, but we are here now being trained for the next age.

Acts 20:32 (NKJV) So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Maybe you remember this language from previous messages; God desires to align our living condition with out legal position. He desires to close the gap between who you are in Christ, and who you are in experience. Grace is God’s empowering presence that enables you to become the person that God sees when He looks at you.

Just as love and faith are both verbs, they are active, not passive, Grace is active as well. Grace is not an excuse to be lazy. Dallas Willard said, “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.”

Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Paul worked harder than anyone at advancing the gospel, but He didn’t do this by his own strength, Grace enabled him to do what God called him to do. Augustine said: “Grace is given not because we have done good works but in order that we may have the power to do them.”

Think of all the scriptures about gifts and how different gifts are distributed to certain people “according to the grace given to us” and these gifts and talents are given so we will have the ability to do things, to accomplish our mission, to get some things done. So even though grace is never earned by what we do, grace is the power to be able to respond to God and accomplish mission.

Grace operates best when we know our need. Human nature is prideful. Even in the garden, Adam & Eve didn’t want to continue to rely on God. But Jesus says; “Power is perfected in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9) Paul learned the truth of this statement in his own life through experience, he later said:

2 Corinthians 12:10 (NLT) “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Self-reliance, stubbornness and pride are directly opposed to grace and can stifle your ability to enjoy living in grace.

James 4:6 (NLT) “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Recognizing and admitting our need of God allows grace to flow through humility. Humility is exchanging self-reliance and living the Self-Life for relational dependence on Christ and living from His life in your spirit.

Matthew 5:3 ““God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

Being poor in spirit is recognizing our absolute need of God and His enabling grace. It is knowing that without His grace we will never be transformed, be conformed to the image of His Son, or become the inheritance He desires. It is internalizing

John 15:5 (NLT) …“For apart from me you can do nothing.”

Grace gives us new desires to obey. Grace is never a license to sin and it doesn’t minimize the need for obedience. Grace changes the way we obey. Instead of trying harder to be good, modifying behavior or bodily restraint which is produced by the law, grace transforms our spirit, then our heart, giving us the desire to obey God. Grace doesn’t make obedience optional, it makes it possible. It gives us the desire for humility instead of pride, meekness over stubbornness, peace instead of anxiety, and obedience to God’s word rather than conforming to cultural demands.

Grace helps us respond. Grace motivates us to respond to the work God has already done in our spirit, working out our salvation from our spirit into our heart, soul and body. What is the point of transformation if we are not responding to these new realities?

Please don’t forget to sign up for helping with the Pine Point dinner this Thursday. We’re going to need to put the team together quickly, so help us out by signing up today!

Let’s pray, Jesus we need you, we need your grace and the Holy Spirit’s work to bring renewal and regeneration to our hearts. We want to represent you well and extend your Kingdom to those around us.

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