Sermon Tone Analysis

In John 17:17 Jesus said,

We live in what many call a microwave society and by that we mean we want things and we want them quickly.

When we want to know something, we can find answers at the press of a button, if we’re hungry we can drive to a window and get it and if you’re disgruntled with your life, we’ll there’s tons of people on social media who will recommend different “life hacks” to us.

Do you know it can be like that for the church too?

If you get on google or YouTube, there are tons of videos that claim to give you the tools to quick Church growth and even though all of those aren’t necessarily bad, what if I told you that God has already given us tools for growth for our own Christian lives?

We are beginning a series on The Means of Grace and today I want us to learn:

What does that mean?

What are they?

And what does the Word of God as a means of grace mean for us?

What is a “Means of Grace”

“The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption are His ordinances, especially the Word, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper and Prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.

(Rom.

10:17; James 1:18; 1 Cor.

3:5; Acts 14:1; 2:41,42)”

Now, that term salvation there is not referring to justification, but our sanctification.

And before I define what a means of grace is, I want us to look

Before I define it, I want to give us a little bit of an example in 1 Corinthians 1:17

What Paul is telling us here is that to the world, this message seems insane but for the Church, it is the avenue by which God saved us.

So, with that being pictured for us, let me tell you what the phrase, “Means of grace” means.

“The Means of grace are those avenues by which God has promised to give sanctifying grace to His people by the presence of His Word and His ordinances, which are baptism and the Lord’s table.

It is through these things that we are strengthened in our faith as we are reminded of God’s faithfulness to us.”

Jeff Robinson said, “In Acts 2:23, Peter preached “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men,” and in verse 41 we read, “. . .

there were added that day (to the church) about three thousand souls.”

The “foolishness of preaching” has power that confounds our wisdom, because what the world sees as weak is strong in God’s eyes and vice-versa (2 Cor.

12:1-10).

Acts 2:42 tells us that the whole church “devoted” itself to the ordinary means of grace: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

(ANY QUESTIONS?)

So now that we have hopefully answered this question.

I want us to jump into the series as we cover the first and most important of them all which is the Word of God.

And I know, I know, we just covered this topic a little bit on Wednesday night, but this is such an important subject that we need to hear more on it.

The Word of God as a Means of Grace

For Conversion

The message and transformative work of justifying grace is given to sinners through the Word of God.

For Sanctification

It brings conviction of sin and turns us toward righteousness

It gives us wisdom and direction.

It gives comfort and reviving to our hearts.

Can All of These Promises Be True?

Yes, God Will Remain Faithful To His Word

His Word Will Not Return Void

The Word of God is the avenue that the Spirit primarily uses to work.

Jeremiah 23:29

An Examination of It’s Work Among God’s People

The Revival in Nehemiah 8:1-12

The Word both wounds and heals

The Growth and Strength of the Church in Acts

The Church in Acts always seems to have the mention of the power of God’s Word and it’s supremacy whenever there is mention of their growth.

In Acts 6 as we see the Church submitting to the Word and it’s growth among them, we immediately see the affects of it as a bold man named Stephen stands up to declare the Word.

When the Word has reign in our lives, we will see evidence of it.

Conclusion

We Are Sanctified By The Word.

But not only have we been called by the Word and to the Word, but we have been

Entrusted With The Word