Committed to The Gospel of God’s Grace

TAPESTRY COVENANT

We profess that we are believers saved by grace through faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are committed to loving God and each other, learning and growing in the Word, and living out the reconciling and unifying gospel blessings in our lives by being witnesses to our neighbors wherever the Lord places us.

We commit to the assembling of the Saints in worship of the Triune God. We commit to engage in regular fellowship with our brothers and sisters by carrying one another's burdens and being diligent in encouraging and exhorting one another in the name of Christ.

We commit to supporting the vision and mission of Tapestry Church utilizing our time, talent and treasure. We commit to submitting to Christ through the faithful leadership of the elders and pastors as they seek to serve in obedience to the scriptures, equipping the saints for the work of ministry.

We hereby affirm these covenant vows by God’s grace.

SERMON TEXT

Acts 20:24 ESV

24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

INTRODUCTION

On the transfer portal and our culture’s understanding of commitment.

Pastoral Prayer

THE FOUNDATION OF GOD’S GRACE

The context of Paul’s gospel statement: the gospel moves powerfully while Paul is in Ephesus.

Acts 19:20 ESV

20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

In chapter 20, Paul shares one last time of prayer and encouragement with the elders of the Ephesians church.

Acts 20:22–23 ESV

22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.

The Gospel of God’s Grace is the Message About Jesus

Acts 20:20–21 ESV

20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:3–5 ESV

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

“At its briefest, the gospel is a discourse about Christ, that he is the Son of God and became man for us, that he died and was raised, and that he has been established as Lord over all things…” - Martin Luther

The Gospel of God’s Grace is the Message About Jesus’ Kingdom

Acts 20:25 ESV

25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.

The message about Jesus is more than just a philosophy about being a good person. It is more than just a prayer to keep us out of hell. It is an announcement of the current and coming universe restoring Kingdom.

Acts 19:23–26 ESV

23 About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. 25 These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. 26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.

“Before the gospel comes to give us anything like [personal experience], it tells us that something is going to take place in the whole world. It refers to cosmic things before it mentions individual aspects.” - Martin Lloyd-Jones

THE POWER OF GOD’S GRACE

The book of Acts consistently points us to the power at work in the proclamation of the gospel message.

Acts 19:17–20 ESV

17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

God’s Grace Powerfully Frees us From Our Enemies

The grace of God in the gospel is the cure to the curse of sin.

The Christian message rightly understood means this: The God who by the word of the gospel proclaims men free, by the power of the gospel actually makes them free. To accept less than this is to know the gospel in word only, without its power.

A. W. Tozer

God’s Grace Powerfully Works to Transform Us Into God’s Image

The transformed life of the Apostle Paul. From threats and terrors against Jesus to:

Galatians 2:20 ESV

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

The world is not waiting for a new definition of the gospel, but for a new demonstration of the power of the gospel.

Leonard Ravenhill

THE COMMUNITY OF GOD’S GRACE

Acts 20 helps us to see the foundations and power of the gospel of grace and also gives us insight into how the church—the community of the gospel of grace—operates in light of the grace of God.

The Community Guards the Gospel of Grace

Acts 20:28–30 ESV

28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

The Community Builds Up Believers

Acts 20:32 ESV

32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Where grace exists it reigns; it is the dominant factor in the situation.

J. I. Packer

The Community Generously Gives Away the Gospel of Grace

Acts 20:35 ESV

35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

The proof of grace filled commitment to the gospel—we come to be filled up by God and to pour into others.

CONCLUSION & PRAYER

We cannot take another step toward health in our church and health in our own lives until we commit to the gospel of God’s grace being the foundation of our lives and our fellowship.

Prayer