Grace

05-06-2018

God’s Grace

Intro - how this sermon came to be

We talk a lot of about Grace, we use it in our everyday language, often times it is a church word we don’t fully understand

How we use it in the church?

We say things like lets have grace, or we should have more grace, or you need to have more grace, Praise Jesus for His grace, they have so much grace

or maybe we joke in church circles that some people are extra grace required to deal with

I think we may have gotten the whole grace thing wrong

Grace Defined - not getting something you do deserve

If we start to think of Grace how it is defined, then we start to maybe understand that we don’t fully understand this thing called grace

I wonder if we read verses about Grace and agree with them because that’s what we are supposed to do

Romans 6:1–2 NASB95

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

I wonder if you and I read this and at church we agree with these and say of course this makes sense

Of course we don’t want to take for granted the grace of God

We read this and goes well of course that is right but does our life reflect what Paul is saying about grace

Does our life really reflect that we should not really go on sinning

I believe we say yes this verse is correct, but our lives do not reflect that, our lives say that we want the believe that grace is a license to live how we want

We like cheap grace

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is created with coining the phrase cheap grace

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Quote

Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession...Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate

See he explains cheap grace is the grace you and I extend to ourselves and each other if we are honest

We extend grace to each other without the expectation of discipline

we like to seek forgiveness with out the act of repentance

we like to take communion without confession our sin

we like to preach Salvation without preaching the real possibility of hell

See I think we have a misunderstanding of grace

Titus 2:11 NASB95

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

Grace is salvation in Jesus Christ

If we understand grace as getting what we do not deserve, then you and I do not deserve salvation through Jesus Christ

As a side note, salvation does not come through anyone else or it is not salvation

since grace is not getting what you and I deserve

what you and i deserve is death and separation from a perfect God

remember that grace looks like salvation through Jesus Christ

the grace of God sent Jesus to the cross

Gods grace is covering that payment, covering that debt, whipping it clean

Some of us believer and rightly so that God will forgive our sins no matter what

the problem is forgiveness is only part of the issue, true grace is extended when forgiveness is partnered with repentance

1 John 1:9 NASB95

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Like the Romans verse we almost use this verse as a liscense to live however you and I may choose to live

if you and I ask for forgiveness and repent of our sins, then God is faithful to forgive them (check that verse)

the problem is that some of us believe since we have that we are covered and no longer need to live for Jesus

we say that since we have Jesus in our hearts and he will forgive our sins and Jesus extends grace I can live how I want

Adrian Rogers said that

Grace is the availability to live our how you want to live, but not wanting to live like that

This is true grace, the grace from Jesus says you can live how you want technically, but as a follower of Jesus anyway you don’t want to live like that

Romans 6:1–2 NASB95

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

this is costly grace

This is the grace that grants forgiveness but expects repentance

This grace will forgive your sins but expects you to repent and change your ways

This grace will cover your mistake but will expect discipline to be carried out, and to help you so we dont make that mistake again

This grace made communion and fellowship possible with God, but expects confession of sin, you are able to take from Gods table but God expects your heart to be in the right place and for that to happen you and I need to confess our sin to God

This grace will cover you but expect you to put your whole self in it, not just part of, that means that you and I if we want to grow need to be seeking older wiser Christians out and have them disciple us, pour their selves into us, but we need to come under their leadership and we have to be avaiable for that to happen

This grace put Jesus on the cross which made it possible for you and I spend eternity into heaven

this grace that put Jesus on the cross, expects you to pick up your cross and follow after him, everyday, not just when it is easy

I think maybe before today you and I have misunderstood grace, I think after today, at least we have a launching point for grace

I pray that we will continue to extend grace to each other but when we extend grace, we also provide discipline, and discipleship, and helping them to grow

Closing

Church we cannot continue to live in the cheap grace

maybe you are here today and you have never given your life to Christ, I would invite to the front

or maybe you have lived in the cheap grace long enough and you would like to recommit your life

or maybe you would like to make some other decision, the altar is open for those who wish to pray at the altar

you be obedient as God leads you