God's Artwork on Display, Part 1

Today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll describes God's amazing grace by God's grace since we are all trespasses and sounds walking according to the culture that's lost its way. Since we are all in that category of lostness only grace would cause all loving, only God down into the ranks of humanity and pick us to be one of his own. Only great when we make the decision to follow Jesus. Once the spiritual force Rogers is from an idle position.

It will forward moving relationship with God today on Insight for living trucks when doll invites us to follow along in Ephesians chapter 2. As we discovered the mysterious role of God's grace in our redemption and his grace doesn't stop at conversion every day God is fashioning new life to make us useful for his purpose.

As Paul said, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works titled today's message God's artwork on display. I want to read just three verses from this smell, becoming ever more familiar letter of Ephesians.

Let me read verses 908, nine and 10 of Ephesians 2 if you vote no on the Lord for some time.

Your lips will move because they are so familiar to us, but not the 10th verse, which is of special interest today on the theme of a changed life and are being like Christ. Look at Ephesians 28 for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them, meaning walk in those good works were not saved by works, but we are saved for good works, which causes people to see and be attracted to our Lord.

They will see your good works and they will glorify your father is in heaven starting to preach here and I need to stop her delivered to sermons today with you for a moment. Join me in prayer. Please spell. It's a pretty awesome thing Lord to be in a place of your service.

It's a lot easier to form and run a company, even a big corporation and it is to serve the body of Christ because we as humans see the outward appearance, but you look on the heart. We reward achievements that everybody notices that you reward those things that are done. Nobody knows about you. Reward motives behind acts you reward generosity which is never publicly announced you reward sacrifice, which is just the MO of a real servant, and so father thank you for the joy of having men and women around us, supporting your work and believing in your ministry and trusting you with their whole heart and lean not on their own understanding. Guide us as a as a flock Lord there.

There may seem to be safety in numbers. But sometimes there is confusion and and and there is hypocrisy in numbers so we pray not to get large.

We pray to get deep if if your plan for us to grow in numbers, that's fine.

But that's not our plan. Our desire is to be people of quality and and and and authenticity, humility and grace and mercy and compassion, bettering deeds and words, people who have a heart for the whole world not just our own little backyard mentality Lord, your reputation is at stake here, not ours. So we hold this very loosely. We consider you very highly.

Our desire is to know Christ intimately and in knowing him to model his life authentically guard us from acts of the flesh from foolish decisions from rash actions from selfish motives. Give us wisdom, as so many serve behind-the-scenes now. Lord meet our needs through the giving of your people, for that is the way your work is supported. Always has been always will be in the process help us again. Lord I pray no Christ reprinted in his name. Well, there were giants in the land this past week and I had the privilege of standing among them effect on one occasion, I'm referring to the old Cowboys football team, but came back for their their coaches, memorial services, we were in one room. On one occasion and most of us were standing on one side and I was convinced the room was going to tilt. They didn't move over and spread things out and balance the weight. What a great reunion. What a wonderful time to be with these men, many of whom I'd only like you seen them from a distance and a few I'd known personally but not enough.

They were a family drawn together in the reunion of memories and the nostalgia of days gone by.

What what a great group and how much fun they would have together and they were embracing each other and to my amazement, not just talking but their arms were around each other and sometimes it be weeping together and then a little later than me laughing together and poking fun at one another. Those who would come on the team early on had their own stories to tell that you can imagine that came out of great colleges and wound up in this little scraggly football team that hardly had of building the median was Bob Lilly are said to let you know when I first came on the scene. I was really surprised.

He looked over at Eddie LeBaron member Eddie LeBaron stands about 5455 lilies about 12 seven so he's he looked over he said I thought we had problems. I realize we had a midget for quarterback story was that Landry never smiled, never laughed.

I thought Roger Starbucks comment was classic. He said you know he did look pretty stoic.

He usually carried himself without a lot of lot of frivolity that you said. I asked Walt Garrison on Wednesday. Walt Garrison one time reason I asked Walt if he ever saw the coach lab. He said well know, but I was only nine years, but he laughed and cried and he he felt deeply. The reason the man in our family is because the coach was such a father figure. Such a friend such a mentor.

Such a model maybe Randy White don't know anything about Randy's life. But I'll tell you he had the best line of the group as he referred to his coach, choking back the tears.

The man not only talked the talk, he walk the walk and I will tell you there is something about walking the walk becomes inescapable and undeniable as it relates to the message of knowing Christ. When you walk the walk.

It has a way of silencing the critics. I can tell you from a few years experience, knowing Tom Landry, the late great Tom Landry that he walk the walk. Whether it was laughing on the shoulders of his team when they when they beat Miami in January 1972.

Just as he walked the walk. When he wept alone over the grief of the loss of his daughter Lisa to liver cancer after the birth of her little baby he walk the walk.

Whether it was a time of being glorified by the fans are vilified by a new owner. He walk the walk.

Whether it was a in the spotlight or in the shadows whether it was a time of great joy when he realized he had a championship team on his hands are time of great confusion when they just couldn't seem to win matter what all of this cold and together because he walk the walk. This is a perfect occasion for me to say this, and then to add a little extra comment for no extra charge. It isn't difficult to bury a man who finishes well. It is terribly difficult to bury a hypocrite. Don't do that to me. Okay, don't leave your mess for me in your family to clean up.

Don't go there. I will say without hesitation.

You'll never have to worry about some skeleton rattling around Tom Landry's as yet unopened closet time will come when all of the secrets will be known all of the truth will be let out. And there will be no scandal because he died as he lived in authentic model of the Christian life now is your type of model is the kind of close people aside and presses him for decision that he wasn't your type but if he's the type. If your type is the one who lives the life easier, guy is my, guy because there is something about that kind of life that carries with it its own wonderful reward not only your critics silence. Unbelievers are retracted and even if they don't believe as you believe they will not have you as a reason for their unbelief. Don't give them any. Now how does all of this tie in with Ephesians 2, eight, nine and 10 a one word answer beautifully just beautifully. I'm glad you asked the great temptation on all our parts. Who knew this man and loved him from a distance and by the way is one of those heroes that when you got up closer, rather than being disappointed. He was even better, but it's our tendency when you're around greatness like this to think all my goodness, what, what a marvelous example of of humanity and of himself, who needs Christ, we got a lifelike white stop.

I thought several times in the many meetings that I attended before, we had the final memorial for him.

I thought, I think Tom Landry would stand upright here and say stop, quit talking about me so much talk about the one I love and believed in, because he liked all who become God's workmanship was saved by grace through faith. And it wasn't of himself.

If you don't know the story that you don't know when, after Road a time of winning. He admitted that he still felt empty still lacked what one would call contentment and peace within. Through a series of interesting events that kind of came back to back. He was led to Bible study, which turned into a prayer session which led to his acknowledging himself as a sinner in need of a Savior and he turned his life over to the Lord Jesus Christ and by faith he trusted him for his eternal life, and at that moment he was ready to die. Though God had many years for him to live music. You're really not ready to live until you're ready to die and once ready to die. You can live as long or short is God's pleased for you to do but world in this category. See verse eight with a great reminder. It's all by grace, by the way it's by grace through faith but the faith is a business is it is an unseen journey you were not there in his heart when he gave himself to Christ. I was not there when you gave your heart to Christ. Even if I'd been in the same room. I wasn't in your life. I didn't see it. You don't see the faith you witnessed the result of faith by God's grace since we are all verse one dead in trespasses and sins. Verse two walking according to the culture that's lost its way. Since we are all in that category of lostness only grace would cause our loving holy God to reach down into the ranks of humanity and pick us to be one of his own only grace would give his spirit the empowerment to give you the ability to say yes yes Lord only grace.

So when you believe justice when Landry believed it was a private turning, but it leads to a public walk saved by grace through faith. That's when he started to walk the walk. Until then he only walk the talk, but when Christ came to live in his life. Randy White couldn't look the other way and believe me there are those who watch us more closely than they'll ever read a gospel account of Christ challenging his will was it because we started going to church because we began to do a Bible study because we decided to quit swearing or because we decided we would be faithful to our mate wasn't because we were christened or or dedicated art no no no, don't look at it were saved by grace through faith, not of yourselves, not as a result of works, it didn't start within yourself and it didn't come because you worked at it, I thought of a classic illustration that would help this make sense when we fly we go from one place to a destination, no matter how far away it is completely without the power to make it happen. I get on a plane in Dallas-Fort Worth and three and I have hours later I get off that plane. How foolish it would be for me to walk out the jetway and walk into the terminal and say I didn't borrow my arms tired. I have flown 3 1/2 hours from there to here I am the one that brought my cell. Want to find a place to put me away. Chuck, you didn't do it you got in the plane you set down and buckled up. You trusted the law of aerodynamics. You don't even understand. I don't see the wind that goes under the wing being more than the wind that goes over the wing so that the thing by its remarkable engineering takes all.

I just see the thing waiting times and times, and I pray like mad and get off the runway and so it takes all sitting there, but I know the name of the pilot government departments partner have any idea what they're doing up. I trust that they are doing the right thing and I hope we're going in the right direction about you but when I fly out. I don't know where north is, I can't figure out where West is a new loan. The sun helps but that keeps moving around in the clouds get in the way I have to sit there and hang on by faith and you know what I often do, I just often sleep Mohammed Ali when he was at his arrogant heights as of that is the champion the heavyweight champ of the world got on a plane is set on first class and deciding what going to snap his seatbelt and the flight attendant walked up very close to take off and said excuse me sir, you need to put on your seatbelt. He said Superman don't need no seatbelt.

She said Superman don't need no airplanes snap on your sink. Please we all need an airplane to get from here to there. All we gotta do is snap on the seatbelt. You and I need help to get from earth to heaven.

We can't get there on our own. We got to trust someone would never see.

We gotta believe in somebody we've never met.

Physically we couldn't pick him out of a crowd.

He walked alone among us today because it looked like just one of us, but he's the pilot you the passenger and he flies you from earth to heaven and he's never lost a passenger, nor will the sword makes sense that it's not of yourselves. It's all of grace. Look at the words, not one, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Not even Tom Landry can boast not even Mother Teresa could boast not even your good godly mother can boast not even your faithful father can boast the best pastor the most sacrificial servant. The most significant missionary none will ever be able to walk like a peacock around heaven or pound their chests, saying I did it anymore than you and I could walk off an airplane and say I flew here on my own. You don't get from there from here to there like that no one may boast. By the way, if it were based on works. Stop and think how many women would you know you had worked enough. Okay, let's go there three a day.

I think three good works. A day ought to be enough to expect of anybody if you're busy to good works. Now you say that that's not enough, about 66 is a lot I'd say maybe six wire 12.

Some of you would say 1212. The 15 to 59… 30 a month. What's only one a day maybe it ought to be 120 and see where I'm going with enough giving about 50% of what you make is that enough. Well let me do 50% is not enough, about 75%. Is that enough that didn't work right.

What if you live under a bridge. You don't even own a home so that you get everything you got, you have a home is that enough you're still wearing those closer to go there.

I mean, how much is enough for you to say I earned my way and did it. There's another guy lives across the tracks you don't have the benefits you've gotten he won't be able to do what you did because he never chance to do were not all created equal.

Much as I love the man who wrote that you know it's not true. Now we are all created at the same level but equal were not the same breaks the same intelligence.

All of the same gifts will not of the same skills is not equal playing field for all equal to sinners.

That's why the gift works done if I come to you and say here's a gift. Don't do anything for you just take just take it to get your ticket get to make the flight you take to get got the flight learned if you earned it. It's a way you're listening to Insight for living Bible teaching of pastor and author Chuck Swindoll today and again tomorrow. Chuck is presenting a message called God's artwork on display. To learn more about this ministry. Visit us online at Insight world.or it's encouraging to focus our undivided attention on verses like Ephesians 2, verse 10, during a season in world history. This mark by fear and anger 2020 will be forever remembered as the year of the global pandemic, the bombing in Lebanon and horrific violence in our major cities. How much better to give ourselves to God's gift to mankind.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works will. To that end, Chuck handpicked a book that he found uplifting and helpful on his short list for recommended reading is this inspirational book from pastor and radio Bible teacher Philip to Corsi before entering the ministry. Philip served on the police force in Belfast, Northern Ireland during intense political upheaval will this book to cover was written for our times. Chuck said your family needs this. You need this. Our country needs this, especially now to purchase a copy of take cover finding peace in God's protection. Call if you're listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 or go online to Insight.org/store. In closing, let me say a word of thanks to our monthly companions and all those who give generously you're accomplishing far more than you'll ever know because your gift not only allows us to provide these daily visits with Chuck, a small portion is multiplied overseas in our ongoing pursuit of vision 195 vision 195 is our stated mission to reach all 195 countries of the world with God's amazing grace. So to give a one time donation today.

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Some have suffered greatly, but all of us have felt the loneliness of a quarantined lifestyle through it all were grateful to God has used the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll to continue uninterrupted by the coronavirus or even through civil unrest, God's amazing grace is our overarching every day on Insight for living. In fact, it's quite possible that God is used. Our daily program to extend his grace to you. Will these daily visits with Chuck are made possible in part by monthly companions and were inviting you to join this influential team of monthly supporters signed up today by calling if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8880. Please jot down our contact information and follow the Lord's prompt when you do that you will become okay sweet fragrance of God's great here at home all around become a monthly companion by calling us listening in the United States. Call 1-800-772-8888 or go online to Insight or/month and tomorrow Chuck Swindoll continues his encouraging message called God's artwork on display right here on Insight for living. The preceding message God's artwork on display was copyrighted in 2000 2001 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll.

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