Sermon Tone Analysis

The fundamentals of God's economy are sound!

Isn't it wonderful to hear a statement like that in times of great economic and financial upheaval in the United States and around the World?

I wanted to take a few moments to share with you today concerning some of the events that have taken place over the past few weeks and months, as well as provide you with some encouragement from the Word of God.

When I hear someone make a statement that the "fundamentals" are sound, maybe you're like me, and have to ask yourself what exactly those fundamentals are!

 

My desire is not to convince you that the world economy is sound, because God is the only one that knows the direction we are going, yet I do believe that when we take a look at God's fundamentals, we will see that in fact, He's not worried while He sits on His awesome throne in Heaven.

I'm going to just briefly state a few things that I believe are equated with God's economy, and I trust you are encouraged.

I went to dictionary.com and typed in the word “economy” just to see if there was anything within the definition of the word that would assist me in sharing these thoughts with you today, and I found the following under the area that covers God’s Economy:

 

*a. the divine plan for humanity, from creation through redemption to final beatitude.**

*

 

I especially like the next one as it states:

*b. the method of divine administration, as at a particular time or for a particular race.**

*

 

I believe today that God has a plan, and this plan was implemented from the very beginning of creation, and continues to this day, and WILL continue even as eternity comes upon the horizon of this world.

So, with the idea that there are many, many aspects of God’s Economy, I want to look at just 3 of them today.

*I.

**THE FUNDAMENTAL OF GRACE REMAINS AMAZINGLY FREE!*

The Bible tells us in: *Ephesians 2:8** For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.*

His grace is still amazing!

*Grace in it's essence means "unmerited favor".*

In other words, we receive the grace of God in our lives as a totally FREE gift that we cannot earn regardless of how hard we try.

Why is grace so amazing?

One of the main reasons that come to mind is that in our own human reasoning, we determine that people who have done wrong are not in need of mercy, but often, in our legalistic and judgmental spirits, we feel they deserve justice and ultimate punishment instead of something that “gets them off the hook” so to speak.

*I like this following illustration by Robert Capon:*

*You’re worried about permissiveness—about the way the preaching of grace seems to say it’s okay to do all kinds of terrible things as long as you just walk in afterward and take the free gift of God’s forgiveness ….*

*While you and I may be worried about seeming to give permission, Jesus apparently wasn’t.

He wasn’t afraid of giving the prodigal son a kiss instead of a lecture, a party instead of probation; and he proved that by bringing in the elder brother at the end of the story and having him raise pretty much the same objections you do.

He’s angry about the party.

He complains that his father is lowering standards and ignoring virtue—that music, dancing, and a fattened calf are, in effect, just so many permissions to break the law.

And to that, Jesus has the father say only one thing: “Cut that out!

We’re not playing good boys and bad boys any more.

Your brother was dead and he’s alive again.

The name of the game from now on is resurrection, not bookkeeping.”*

*—Robert Farrar Capon, Between Noon and Three./

Christianity/ Today, Vol. 30, no.

7.*

 

The Lord allowed a story such as this to be in the Word of God not just so that we would see who HE is, and how HE would react to the prodigal coming home, but also as a challenge to us to have the same type of reaction of Grace and Mercy when we find ourselves in this challenging position.

As I have read this story, I realize that when we are confronted with the Prodigal coming home, or in other words, someone who in the mind of the world doesn’t deserve mercy, *we have the option of reacting either as the Forgiving Father, or the Prideful Brother.*

If ever there is a fundamental of God’s Economy or Plan, it is Forgiveness!

Forgiveness is offered when it hurts a little bit, and I believe Forgiveness should be offered even when it hurts a lot.

God’s Economy would ultimately fail if this Fundamental were eliminated in our lives.

First of all, we would have no opportunity to receive this FREE gift in our lives from him.

We would be hopelessly lost in our sin.

Secondly, our relationships with other people would simply dry up and blow away because relationships without forgiveness as a foundation will have NO hope of survival.

The Bible tells us that our BEING forgiven by God, is contingent on our forgiveness of those who have offended us*/.

In other words, if WE want mercy in our lives, we need to have mercy go out of our lives!/*

*Matthew 5:7** says: 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.*

The Bible tells us also that there is absolutely no way we could earn this free gift, even if it meant that our lives were filled with doing good things.

* *

*Titus 3:5** (NIV) 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,**  *

 

As I look at a scripture like this, I realize that just as His Grace was extended freely toward me, then in turn, I need to extend my Grace to others around me without expecting them to “earn it”.

No, it would be complete foolishness if someone were to come and ask our forgiveness, and we said, “well, I’ll forgive you halfway for $50, but if you want to be fully forgiven, then I’m going to have to get $100.00” then we can put it in the rearview and move on.

While the above may sound unreasonable to even think about, I believe this kind of spirit can carry over into our relationships with others though.

How could we get trapped into making people “earn our Grace”?

Well, one of the ways is when we demand that a person act a certain way before we extend our love and forgiveness to them, or if we see that they have done enough things “for” us to finally earn our favor toward them.

The Fundamental of Grace is Still Amazingly Free, and serves as a challenge for us to in turn, offer this same kind of Grace to others.

For some reason, it is so difficult for people to reach out and simply accept this gift, but this is what must happen for Christ to truly come into our lives.

You may have heard the statement, "If it's free, it's for me!"  Well, Salvation is free, yet it was not cheap by any means!

Christ willingly laid down His life for us.

*II.

**THE FUNDAMENTAL OF WAGES ARE STILL THE SAME!*

 

On the other side of the point made previously, we must also remember that the wages are still the same for those who would reject His precious gift of mercy as we see in the Word of God:

 

*Rom.**

6:23a For the wages of sin is death...*

 

Of course we know the second part of that verse speaks of the gift of God, but too many people overlook the important first part of this verse because we would much rather enjoy a "gift", than get this "wage".

The world we live in somehow believes that God is only about “gifts” and not “wages” – Now, when you use the word “wages” it almost seems like “work” is somehow involved, and indeed it seems that the word “wage” could only be equated with something positive.

Yet, as we read this scripture, it is clear that one day a person who has rejected the FREE gift of God and His grace will receive the ultimate WAGE, and it is Death.

We are not talking about physical death, as we know that everyone is going to die, but we are talking about spiritual death in which a person is lost forever in Hell for eternity.

*A WAGE speaks of work that preceded the wage being given.

*

 

I believe today that while it may seem like it’s an easy thing to be a sinner, we must recognize that Satan is a hard taskmaster, and will do his best to deceive you into working for him in a variety of ways, yet you soon will realize that you are bound beyond anything you ever imagined, and only the blood of Christ can set you free and provide the healing you need.

*In one of our large industrial towns a plant was erected for the manufacture of artificial flowers.

The work was enjoyable, and the wages paid to the employees were far better than they had been able to earn elsewhere.

The establishment was looked upon as a godsend, and the proprietor as a benefactor to the community.*

* *

*Very soon, however, the health of one of the brightest and most capable girls began to fail.

She went listless and weary to her work, and when it was done was barely able to drag herself home.

One day she was not able to leave her bed, and a week later the undertaker’s hearse stood at the door.

She had been the support of a feeble mother and several small children.

Suddenly other employees went home from the factory white and fainting, to go to work no more.

Finally an investigation was made, and it was found that the workers had been all the while inhaling the most deadly chemicals, which were used in the coloring of the flowers.

While they had been generously paid in money, a part of the real wages was—death.

*

* *

*Sin may pay you liberally in mirth or money, but that is not all.

There is a part of the pay that can be deferred for a time, but it is sure to come.

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die!” (Ezek.

18:20).*

How often we hear of young lives highly popular in the entertainment industry whose lives have been cut short as a result of the harshness of the taskmaster they serve.

*Names such as:*

*Heath Ledger, OD Presc.

Drugs -  Kurt Cobain , John Belushi, Elvis Presley, Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, Len Bias, Chris Farley, Ken Caminiti, Sigmund Freud, Billy Martin.*

* *

*SHOW PICTURES AND GET NAMES IN SYNC*

 

The Bible says in: *"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).*

*/David Wilkerson states the following: This scripture (Matthew 11:28) is the invitation of the cross: It is a call to every soul that is sick of sin! Jesus was calling out to all who were weary with binding chains, powerful habits, besetting sins -- all who were tired of the lying, the cheating, the adultery, the depression.

He was saying, "I know you're weary from dragging your chains around, tired of the sleepless nights.

Yes, sin is a hard taskmaster.

Come to me now with all your heavy burdens.

There is no other way but through my cross!"

Jesus died on the cross not only to forgive sin, but to break its wearying power over us! /*

 

*Why is this important in the discussion of God's economy?*

It is important because we must recognize as Christians that it is both our duty and privilege to share the Gospel with a world that still needs to hear an adequate presentation of the Gospel.

Take time to become acquainted with a simple way to share your faith, backed up by the Word of God.

Also, live your faith in front of people that will even lead them to a point of asking you how you can have so much peace in tumultuous times, and let them know about the rest and peace that God offers.

* *

*So, just has His Grace is still Amazingly FREE, and the Wages are Still the Same, we see lastly today that: *

 

*III.

**THE FUNDAMENTAL OF GIVING IS STILL VALID!*

 

God GAVE His Son, and Jesus GAVE His life, and in those 2 acts of mercy showed the very essence of what God is all about.

These are our examples of sacrificial giving.