But by the grace of God I am what I am

1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

·         I do not deserve Grace because I….

o   We can all fill in this blank with old and new things. Right?

o   I do not deserve because I did this or that… and because I did not do this or that…

·         But by the grace of God I am what I am (an Apostle)

·         BIG BUT! How many of you are glad that that word is there? (Have you seen the movie Shrek? Donkey sings a song at the end of the movie remember? (I like big Buts and I cannot lie…)

o   The enemy the devil has twisted this to mean today “By the grace of God I can get what I want”

o   What I am, not who I am!

§  Is there a Difference?

·         What I am is a child of God, called to be a Minister, who I am is Jerry Lillard

·         Grace guides us to be a “what” you are already a “who”

·         Grace has already been given through Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8-9) to become someone.

o   By the Jesus Christ we have been made the righteousness of God, we have been adopted into his family, made the Children of God.

o   Now we can receive the Grace of God to become something and to do something for him.

o   Grace guides my life in a certain direction, in a path, into a lifestyle, into obedience.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. NIV

o   Grace makes me what I am

§  Can you or I say today, what I am today is because of the Grace of God. What I am right now is what God has done. It is all his doing?

·         Remember it’s not who I am it is WHAT I am.

o   Can I say my laziness is from God, my bad temper is from God, my fear is from God….of course not, this is my doing.

·         his grace to me was not without effect.

o   Can his grace be without effect? Yes, if we do not partner with Grace for God’s purposes.

§  In other words, “As I partnership with his Grace”

o   No, I worked harder than all of them—

o   yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.