Creating a Culture of Evangelism

A local church once took a mission trip to build a church in a remote village in Russia. They were building the house of worship from the stones of an abandoned Russian prison. Let that sink in. What a powerful scene!

That's the Grace of God!

But our God is bigger than that!

Careful attention was taken to preserve the stones. While removing one of the large stones, they discovered a hollowed-out stone with a canister in it; inside the canister was a hastily written note: “We are a group of Christians being forced by Communists to take the stones of our church and build a prison where we will stay until we die. Our prayer is one day these stones would once again be used to build a church.”

Now that is the Grace of God!

Thank the Lord for His Grace!

There is nothing more powerful in all the world.

Without it we would be hell bent and Hell bound.

Instead, we are heaven bent and heaven bound.

That story comes from Evangelist Matt Brown who you can follow on twitter @evangelistmatt, or you can find him on thinke.org.

1 Corinthians 1:4 (ESV) — 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,

1 Corinthians 1:4 ESV

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,

Paul thanks God for Grace given to the church he loves.

He knows to whom to give thanks

Whatever good has become of these believers is by God's grace.

That is true for us as well.

I give thanks for the grace of God that has been give to each of you.

He is thankful for grace, not works

ThankGod

In the case of this letter, he gives thanks for grace in part because he is about to address some very difficult sinful behavior within the church.

When we deal with our shortcomings, our sinfulness, we become thankful for the Grace of God.

That’s the place where Grace becomes the most noticeable

When it is in stark contrast to our sinful nature.

Paul says in Romans 7:24–25 (ESV): 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

We are thankful for grace when we know we don’t deserve it.

And we are thankful for the grace of God when those that we love receive it.

The church at Corinth needed the Grace of God

They have some sin issues - sexual sin, drunkenness, class arrogance, and much more.

When Paul tells them to separate from the one man who is in such deep sin,

1 Corinthians 5:4–5 (ESV): 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 5:4–5 ESV

4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

The command is not given because of the nature of the sin, or its egregious nature, but because the man will not repent and cease from the sinful behavior.

He wants them to deliver him to Satan, cut him off from the church in essence, so that he can see the contrast, know that he needs the grace of God.

Because Grace is given after the amen of a prayer of repentance.

Sin is covered by grace, but unrepentant, willful sin is not.

Church, are you in prayer for those who have not heard this truth in their heart?

We all have times where our walk of faith is not in line with the blessings we are receiving.

We have been confessing sin and we know that we are forgiven, but it continues to remind us that Jesus alone is worthy of the favor of God, we receive His favor unmerited.

And sometimes we reap the benefit of God’s graciousness in the midst of our awareness we do not deserve it.

I am in one of those times.

I am surrounded by overwhelming blessings, and I am acutely aware that I don’t deserve them. I am not worthy of my healthy and wonderful grandson, I am not worthy of my beautiful wife, I have not earned the joy of the pastorate.

Yet, here I am, swimming in the deep end of God’s Grace.

I deserve condemnation, as I still frustrate the purposes of my God, but I have found in Him forgiveness and grace, unmerited favor through continual repentance.

This understanding is why we are thankful for God's grace.

If you understand say “Thank You, Father, for your grace”, “I don’t deserve it”

Look around, church.

You know that many of those that you gaze upon have also received the grace of God.

That is what this text is about.

Thankfulness for the grace given to others.

Paul had a heart for the people that worshiped Jesus in Corinth.

And he was thankful that they had been saved by grace.

On your heart in this moment I know you can think of some here, and others that you love whom God has shed His grace upon.

To know that we will finish our course here on earth and meet with all the saints again in glory.

Surely that is worthy of Thanks.

What peace the grace of God provides.

That too, is worthy of Thanks.

Think too, church, that grace is continually flowing to us as we are being sanctified in this life.

John 1:14–17 (ESV): 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Grace upon grace, as we are separating from our old ways grace is continually being given to carry us forward towards Christ.

Paul was afraid that he had taught so well that grace covers our sin, that the church at Rome might get the impression that the way to increase grace in our lives was through sin.

Romans 6:1 (ESV): 6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

The answer is God forbid that we should live any longer in sin.

The truth is that grace does not come through sin, but through repentance of sin.

Every time we humble ourselves in confession to the Father, we receive grace, the unmerited cleansing from that sin and the stain thereof.

Paul also saw the grace he received as a call to ministry.

1 Corinthians 3:10 (ESV): 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.

Each of us are called to use the grace that has been given to us as a call to the ministry of reconciliation, given to all children of God, for the extension of the kingdom.

We do not dispense grace, as some errantly think, but we lead people to it.

We help them find the grace they need in the Father through the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

For the grace we have received and for the grace given to those we love, we ought to give thanks.

How do we give God thanks for Grace?

We ask for more.

Like a great meal, you ask for seconds and thirds.

Then you ask for the recipe and you share it with friends and loved ones.

Where do we get this Grace?

Grace is found at the end of a prayer of repentance.

When we acknowledge our sinfulness, the ways we fail to love God and others, according to God's commands, we find forgiveness, and Grace follows our Amen.

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes for this time of prayer?

We give thanks to you, Almighty God and Father, for giving us the forgiveness we have not earned, for cleansing us from sin for which we willingly committed, and for giving to us eternal life in your presence, which we do not deserve.

We give thanks to your Son Jesus, who purchased this grace for us with his life, dying for us while we were yet sinners, and for paying the heavy price for our sin.

We give thanks for the resurrection of Jesus on the third day, making a way for us into your eternal kingdom.

We are a thankful people, Father.

With your eyes still closed and bowed in prayer, I would ask you to consider this: Have you surrendered your life to Jesus?

If you have, at some point in your life repented of your sinfulness and given your life to the Son of God as your savior and your Lord, would you raise your hand?

Give Him thanks dear church.

Do some of you hear in your hearts this morning the call of God to acknowledge that you have not surrendered your life to Jesus?

Do you have the need this morning to truly repent and turn from your sinful ways, and turn to the Better Way, the truth, and the life, Jesus Christ?

If you are ready to repent of your sins and surrender your life to Him for the saving of your soul and for the receiving of eternal life will you pray with me now?

Almighty God, I have lived in ways that are unloving towards you and unloving towards my neighbor, lived against your commands and your law, and as I acknowledge my sin I turn away from it and turn towards you asking that you would forgive my sins. I give you my life and pledge to follow after the Way of your son Jesus Christ who I believe died for my sins, was buried and rose on the third day. This I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Please continue to keep your eyes closed and bowed.

If you prayed that prayer with me, and have surrendered your life to Jesus, your first act of obedience to God is to be baptized to identify with Him.

If you desire to take this step in the days to come, would you be bold enough to stand up right where you are?

Church, open your eyes and look at your new brothers and sisters in Christ.

If no one

We are thankful for your grace Lord God, and ask that you would grant us the strength and faith necessary to go now and share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with all that you lead us to share it with. May you receive, honor and glory from our lives as we live for you and you alone. In Jesus’ name we pray.

Will you rise with me as we give thanks singing our closing Hymn #705 in your hymnals “It Is Well With My Soul”