Sunday May 22, 2022
https://www.facebook.com/Encountertexoma/videos/492090419383638
Complete these for me…
If it sounds too good to be true… it is.
We make money the old fashion way, we … earn it.
There’s no such thing as a free … lunch.
No pain no…gain.
God helps those who … help themselves
Everything in our nation until recently, has taught us that you get what you earn in life. There is no free lunch and that when you make your bed you lie in it.
This was called the great American Work Ethic. This is a good thing for any nation. But God does not work that way. So our work ethic the thing that has made our nation the greatest on the planet, works against us when it comes to God.
We cannot work our way into heaven.
God is a gracious or grace filled God. We don’t deserve it nor can we earn it, He just likes to be gracious to us.
You really cannot understand the Christian Life unless you understand GRACE.
When you understand it, you will feel closer to God. You will love him more and want to obey and trust him more.
Remember the story of David and Saul. David was going to be the king. Saul was the current king and Saul was jealous of David.
So most of David’s life, Saul was trying to kill him. He chased him all over the countryside.
David spent most of his time hiding from Saul, avoiding being killed out of jealousy. But David never retaliated. In fact, he became best friends with King Saul’s son, named Jonathan.
They made a secret covenant that if either of them ever died they would take care of each other’s family.
Later on both Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle. And David became the king.
All of Saul’s relatives immediately were in fear thinking, “David, who King Saul has been trying to kill all of his life, is now in control and he’s going to kill all of us.” They all tried to escape and hide.
One of them was the son of Jonathan named Mephibosheth. As the nurse was carrying the young boy out in the escape, she dropped him.
His legs were broken and he became a paraplegic. So here was this young disabled boy living in fear, frightened for his life that the man who was now king would retaliate against him.
One day David says, “Is there anybody still alive in Saul’s household that I can show kindness too?” (Grace) 2 Samuel 9
They said, “Yes, there is. There’s one little kid. He’s a disabled little boy named Mephibosheth. He cannot walk.”
David said, “Bring him to me.” You can imagine the fear in Mephibosheth’s heart. Here’s the king, inviting him to the court and he’s thinking, “I’m going to be killed, executed. It’s over. It’s done.”
But to his surprise when he arrived, David said, “I’m going to take you in, Mephibosheth, and make you a part of my family.
I want you to live here in the palace for the rest of my life. I’m going to pay all your bills. I’m going to meet all your needs. You are to sit at my table each night and dine with me and I’m going to treat you just like you’re one of my own sons.” That’s grace!
The Bible says that God comes to us and we’re broken, we’re disabled in areas of our lives, crippled in some areas.
Our emotions are crippled or other things are happening in our lives and God comes and says, “I’m going to bring you into My family. I want you to sit at My table.
I’m going to treat you like royalty, one of My own, simply out of My grace.”
Romans 5:6- “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”
Man is incapable of saving himself!
Ephesians 2:4-5- “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)”
Acts 15:11- “We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”
SAVING GRACE! WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SAVING GRACE.
- Saving Grace is a gift already given.
Ephesians 2:8-9- “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
2 Corinthians 5:17-18- “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ…..”
ALL I HAVE TO DO IS RECEIVE IT! SAVING GRACE!
2. Saving Grace is greater than any failure in my life.
Romans 5:15- “But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death too many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness too many through this other man, Jesus Christ.”
Saving grace is greater than any sin in your life! Saving grace never fails!
3. Saving Grace is for everyone.
Romans 10:10-13- “For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
CONCLUSION:
Romans 10:14-15- “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
Mephibosheth had lame feet!
Our lame feet become beautiful feet when we experience saving grace and share saving grace.
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you though this message?