Sermon Tone Analysis

A long time ago, a man truly experienced God’s grace His name was John Newton.

Though he was brought up in the church as a child, he became a calloused man full of anger, pain, and uncertainty.

Because of that, He experienced many troubles.

At one time, he was a commander of a slave ship.

He would anchor his ship off the coast of Africa and pack it with slaves They were ruthlessly chained side by side, row after row, one after another just like a can of sardines.

Many slaves died on the long voyages and were thrown overboard for the fish to eat.

During a raging storm at sea, John Newton finally gave his life to Jesus Christ.

Over the next few years, God brought people across his life in order to disciple him.

He later became one of Britain’s most powerful evangelists.

Feeling guilty about his past slavery involvement, He triumphantly fought against the slave trade.

He wrote many hymns during his ministry years but one has become his most famous one.

Maybe you’ve heard of it, it's entitled, Amazing Grace.

If there ever was a man who experienced God’s Amazing Grace!

Newton served as the minister of a church for 44 years before his death at the age of 83.

Here’s what he had inscribed on his tomb stone:

"John Newton, … once an Infidel and Libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich Mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the Faith he had long labored to destroy."

Newton was a captian of a slave ship and in 1745 Newton was enslaved himself by Princess Peye of the Sherbro people.

She abused and mistreated Newton just as much as she did her other slaves.

Newton later recounted this period as the time he was "once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in West Africa."

For Newton God’d grace wasn’t just amazing because John was forgiven for his malevelenant ways, but because God change him from an enslaver to an abolitionist.

verse 17

Romans 5:17 (NASB95)

17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

The work of sanctification brings one to “reign in life” and experience the freedom from sin that has previously enslaved man.

The reign (or abundance) of grace breaks the reign of sin!

I love that.

God gives us grace in abundance.

Abundance here means; plenty, richly, one definition says, “enough to spare.”

One might ask, “why does God pour out grace to us in that manner?”

my initial response to that is.

you need it.

cuz He’s amazing

There is far more grace than there is sin

there is far more grace than there is evil

Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more!

Romans 6:1 raise a question.

The question pushes us to a right understanding of grace and leads us to another question.

what is grace?

The greek word Charis, which is also translated, favor.

Grace refers to the condition of being given or shown favor, especially by someone in a position to exercise goodwill by meeting a particular need.

Grace can also refer to the manifestation of such a disposition of kindness in the form of material benefaction, including the giving of gifts, the approval of one’s request, the granting of freedom or mercy, and the deliverance or salvation from evil or harm.

Grace is also, strength or power.

Grace indicates that which is freely given without merit upon the part of the receiver.

Grace is not limited to God ability to forgive but grace is also POWER.

So notice the question.

What shall we say then?

Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

Notice he’s response

I know what we always say, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.”

Listen you want be sinless until Jesus returns, but you ought to sin less.

Shall we we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

The answer is, NO!

Grace sets man free from the power of sin.

Grace’s power is greater than sin’s power.

“The reign of grace in breaking the power of sin in the flesh.”

Dr. Carroll Thompson

Listen, thats amazing..

Some of us have been in some horrible situation.

some of us have had some terrifying things done to us.

some of us have done some mortifying things in our lives...

God the good news is God has enough grace for that.

Justification is a promise to all who believe.

Those who respond in faith receive the benefits of God’s grace.

Im not just a sinner.

He didnt give me His grace to cover my sinner, or just so i could be forgiven for my sin.

but he gave me grace in abundance so i could reign with him, and that that is amazing.

Ill close with Ephesians 2 ill paraphrase

Verse 1: You were dead in trespassing and sin

Verse 2: You formerly walking according to the course of the world

You walked according to the prince and power of the air

You were a son of disobedience

Verse 3: Formerly lived in the lust of the flesh

You indulged in desires of the flesh and of the min

and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Verse 4:But God Who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

verse 5: Even though we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.

By Grace You have been saved

verse 6: and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus

verse 7:So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus

verse 8: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Grace indicates that which is freely given without merit upon the part of the receiver.

Faith and grace are joined together in “holy Matrimony.”

This amazing grace…