Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

In the previous weeks we have been trying to think Biblically about the church

The foundation of the church

The marks of a true church

Right preaching of the Gospel

Right administration of the ordinances

The marks of a healthy church

godly leadership

covenant membership (commitment not consumerism)

key to this covenant membership is loving one another

Today in light of it being reformation Sunday I want to go back to the right preaching of the gospel, again one of central marks of a true church.

If we go back to the reformation, one of the central issues for Luther and other reformers is that the gospel was not being rightly preached

Specifically today I will focus on one aspect of the error in the preaching of the catholic church and it is that justification or salvation was something that could be bought, something that could be paid for by the selling of indulgences.

One of the things that made Luter furious and one of the things that he attacked in the 95 theses was the selling of indulgences.

One of the emphasis of the Reformation is that salvation is by grace alone.

Salvation cannot be bought, it cannot be earned; instead it is the free gift of God through Christ Jesus our Lord to everyone who believes.

In light of this I would like to think through this truth today

Premise:

Bible clearly teaches our need for grace, God’s liberality with grace, and and that knowing God’s grace is life changing.

Our Need

In the words of Paul Washer the most terrifying reality for us is that God is good

The reason why is this so terrifying is that we are not good

So what does a Good and Holy God do with sinners who are not good but instead are wicked, are sinful

The Bible establishes the fact that we are not good

Listen to the word of God when it comes to broken and fallen humanity

And again

Now again let’s look back to the verse we read earlier

We are broken and sinful

You see the Bible clearly teaches us our need for grace

God is good and we are not

God is pure and holy, we are unclean, we are defiled

Even our best deeds are polluted garments before our Holy God

We deserve God’s wrath

But God

Ephesians 2.4-

We have nothing that we can give God

God’s Grace

One of the things that I want us to see this morning is that God’s grace is a theme that runs all the way through the Scriptures.

We see God’s grace

things that I want us to see this morning is that God’s grace is a theme that runs all the way through the Scriptures.

Adam and Eve

what did they deserve?

death to be eternally separated from God but God promised life

Think of God’s grace here, Adam and Even owed God complete obedience, worship, and adoration just because He was their Creator, but He had also revealed Himself with Adam and Eve and graciously allowed them to fellowship with Him, that is grace in and of itself

Abraham

Abraham

Noah

he was a good pagan and yet God called Abraham out of darkness and into His light

God enters into covenant with Abraham

, ,

It was all of grace

But notice this, in this gracious covenant that God makes with Abraham God promises grace that will flow to the nations through Abraham

Genesis 12.1-

Some see this is the first clear expression of this eternal covenant of grace where God promises to graciously bring redemption and restoration to humanity through Abraham’s seed, that is through our Lord Jesus Christ

One might even say that all of the other covenants that we see in the scriptures are directly related to God’s covenant with Abraham in that they are serving or fulfilling that covenant

Israel

God hears their cries and delivers them from Egypt

God graciously enters into covenant with Israel

God graciously reveals Himself and His ways to Israel

Within this covenant we learn of humanity’s desperate need for a gracious covenant that will completely transform us, that we cannot keep the law

We learn that it is not enough to have the law written on tablets of stone but that we need it on the heart

We learn that we need a substitute that is qualified and willing to take out place

This covenant with Israel is the tutor that leads us to Christ who will fulfill the Abrahamic covenant

David

God enters into covenant with David promising him an eternal throne

we learn that God’s plan is not only to redeem His people, but to rule and reign over His people through an eternal King

This King will be the seed of Abraham who will bring blessing to the nations

be a shepherd

this Davidic King will also

There is more that we could say, but I want you to see that the OT is ultimately leading to the fulfillment of God’s promise of grace and blessing that will flow to the nations.

So that when we come to the NT we read this is the gospel of John

Notice the immeasurable riches of God’s grace comes to us in Christ Jesus our Lord

The fulfillment of the covenant of grace that we see in Genesis finds its fulfillment in the person and the work of Christ Jesus our Lord.

God’s

riches

at

Christ

expense

Let’s look at some of these riches in

1:3-10

Grace’s Work

Scripture teaches us that God’s grace brings us forgiveness of sin and the hope of eternal life but it does not stop there,

It also teaches us that God’s grace changes our lives

God’s grace moves us to good works

We work

Ephesians 2.10

But not only that

The most gracious people are those who know the grace of God in Christ Jesus our Lord

Do you live like you have been given much grace?

Do you treat others like you have been given much grace?

Oh brothers and sisters may the gospel of grace always be central for us at TBC

DUSTIN KENSRUE LYRICS

"Grace Alone"

I was an orphan lost at the fall

Running away when I'd hear your call

But Father, you worked your will

I had no righteousness of my own

I had no right to draw near your throne

But Father, you loved me still

And in love before you laid the world's foundation

You predestined to adopt me as your own

You have raised me up so high above my station