The Grace of God

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me will that him that we just song was written as many of you know by John Newton, an Englishman and also a slave trader can imagine making your living trading in slaves buying and selling slaves is not bad that's really bad that's awful yet here is a man who pursued that line of work making money, pursuing his own life until the grace of God sees them until he was saved by the grace of God and he is given us this magnificent him which clearly was his own personal testimony of God's amazing grace that saved a wretch like John Newton buying and selling slaves, but no response once he was blind but now he sees his lost no he's phones and the grace of God embraces all of the purposes and the plan of God. The grace of God essential and foundational to what it means to be an authentic follower of Jesus Christ. So Paul can say in first Corinthians 15 verse 10, by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain. I think many of us could say this this morning. Currently that we are what we are purely through the grace of God my last time you preached at Calvary completed the series in Revelation and I'm planning to begin to new series in the fall one on Sunday mornings one on Sunday evenings. But before then, as I preached today and the other three weeks before we begin the series after Labor Day. I've chosen to preach on these four subjects the first of which is the grace of God and then when I preach in August was the end of August. I will preach on the word of God and then the peace of God, and then the Labor Day weekend.

Lord willing, on the cross of Christ today are subject then is a great subject of the grace of God.

I'm praying that all of us would as Peter says of the end of his second epistle that all of us would grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that you would be an individual who has received God's grace not only received God's grace, but are continuing to grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ use you're saying. I'm not quite sure what that means. Well this one go to preach this morning for aspects of the grace of God. First of all, we are saved by the grace of God that is that God's grace which comes from heaven to us is revealed through Jesus Christ and we are saved, as we receive the grace of God by trusting in our Lord Jesus Christ, and this grace is the very opposite of works.

Let's send and read a couple of verses very important verses from Ephesians 2 verses eight and nine will you read with me this morning. Paul is writing he says four by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God not the result of works, so that no one may boast. Please be seated. I want to say that you will never understand God's grace until and unless first you see yourself as God sees you musical how does God see as God sees us as a sinner with our sin is a huge debt which weighs us down which ways is done so much that we can buy ourselves and eradicate the debt. The debt.

Fought it out. Atone for in the opening verses of Ephesians chapter 2, Paul paints about a dim, but a very realistic picture of the human condition. A condition which is true of all of us would serve the first century. Ephesians is true of 21st century charlatans. What does he say that we were dead in our trespasses and their sins, spiritually speaking, we are dead. He goes on to say that, spiritually speaking, we are slaves, spiritually speaking, we are condemned. Therefore, because of our hopeless position which we cannot remedy ourselves. We are spiritually dead spiritually slaves following our own desires, rather than living, to the glory of God spiritually speaking, what in the condemned cell because the wages of sin is that therefore we desperately needs the grace of God nor challenger this morning.

What you think of your sin. Whenever should you problem is that if we acknowledge the existence of Zen, which was when some people don't. I'm sure we are wiser than that.

We realize that all of us have sinned with my stop. We failed. We cannot live up to our own ideals finalize God's but if you see your sin, your wrongdoing as merely being committed against other people, you will never grasp the marvelous grace of God. If you think your primary problem in life is that you are missed.

Saps your mistakes, your sin, impact the lives of others as well as yourself.

You will look for a solution in the wrong place.

You will think that the solution to the problems of life is through changing your behavior walking through some issue in your way. For example, we are told by many people that are great problem today is not lack of self-esteem. Well, if you see self-esteem or a lack of self-esteem is your main problem.

You will then think that recovered a vulnerability sharing trying to be authentic with your friends and so on should be your goals rather than repentance and redemption and the forgiveness of your sins, because here is a critical point. If it is not a correct diagnosis of the problem.

There will never be a correct cure and you will end up going through life as millions do worshiping false gods withhold idolatry in the Bible is a one of the false gods. Well, becoming false gods in our culture are my great goal in life is to feel good about myself, my great goal in life is to get through life and and make life comfortable for myself, my great goal in life, someone says, is to fulfill my dreams. These are all false gods. Paul is saying something that we must understand the foregoing, to grasp how marvelous the grace of God is that saying yes your sin primarily in fundamentally is an offense against God. We forgotten this. We live in a self absorbed the world away.

Self absorbed culture here in North America of rapidly following rapidly falling moral standards you have read the recent report to Kim. I dimming a couple weeks ago and on the face of it, it seemed to be good news.

We are told 50% of high school students.

United States had no a student's or use. It is wonderful what a great job.

Our teachers are doing 50% chance of a high school students know a student's that was up apparently in the 90s.

It was 38%.

When I went to school.

We didn't really have a B's and C's. We have percentages, but I can tell you in the high school I went to 50% of the students were not a student's when this happens, the report says with a note of realism.

SAT scores are down to five of our high school students are making is why is it that the SAT scores are done while a couple of reasons. One is is much more difficult to cheat and SAT exam at high school. You think I'm kidding you know the high high percentage of students who cheat get someone else to write your paper copy and exam get mom get your brother to write your paper, or a desire for the school for the teachers to set a different standard.

So on the face of it.

We're doing well with along comes the more objective SAT scores in these seemingly great students turn out even worse is that why my mentioning this and mentioning it to remind us that unlike our culture, where standards go down and we grade on the curve and a great desire in many areas of life is to make everyone feel good about themselves in the middle. :-) On the report card. The reality is that God sees us as well below his standard ball is going to say majestically. Romans three verse 23 that all of sinned and fall short of the glory of God, I'm saying in the Bible is saying that God's standards irrespective of the standards of the United States irrespective of your standards irrespective of the standards of Charlotte that God set standards is a mutable God doesn't change his standards to make you or me feel good about ourselves, but I'm glad you got God like that you've not got a little God that you can control until God's standards are high and here is his verdict on us. We have all savings is a hotel availability of a two-year Ephesians 2 verse four but God, being rich in what Paul doesn't say judgments will doesn't say condemnation of the we deserve it, but God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when you were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved is a magnificent so the pulse of his. For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing is not what you produce to the table is entirely of the free, unmerited computer grace of God. What's grace. Why is it so amazing because were wonderful people know it's amazing because were not wonderful people. It's amazing that God knows us better than you know yourself but God loves you amazing. Let's face it, we sometimes find one another. Difficult to love. Don't wait for sinful people. We get frustrated by other people's failures as well as our own and we see how good that person say that to me.

I thought they loved me about the camp for me.

But here is God who knows all about you who made you and you rebelled against him, and you've gone your own way. And yet, in great mercy and in great love and in great grace he sends our Savior Jesus Christ. Because grace is God giving us what we don't desire, and his kindness and his love come to us through our Lord Jesus Christ, and it comes to those who are totally totally undeserving of it and can't work for. If you could work your way to God. If you could work to get eternal life if you could atone for your own sins that were to be no need for Christ to come and die on the cross but salvation is always by grace alone. God's amazing grace to those who don't deserve it. What we do, that looks of what we do, that looks to ourselves. Grace doesn't look to what you can bring to the table. Grace is not used by yourself trying to change your life. Grace is looking to put God in Christ has done has done a magnificent thing is the coolest thing that Christ comes to save me to redeem me so that my sins may be forgiven, saved by grace. Paul makes it clear elsewhere. The grace of God is always greater than our sin because someone sitting here this morning saying John you don't need to convince me that my style but IIII think I'm one of the worst sinners in Charlotte on one of the cheapest of sinners will glad you're here because of the tremendous good news for you. Yes, your sin may be bad. Perhaps we would be shocked if we knew all that you've done and all that you've said all that you've thought. I think that's true of all of us. But God's grace is always always greater than your set and I come to God as I am in my sinful condition coming from. I said that's called repentance and looking to Christ as my Savior and when I do that the Bible says that I am saved by grace do I receive that grace. It is through faith. For by grace you have been saved through faith in our faith doesn't save us.

We receive God's grace through faith. Faith saving faith and in the Bible true saving authentic faith always looks to the object of the faith.

So the writers of the New Testament talk about believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes they use the little preposition into I am to believe into Christ.

I am to embrace Christ and to trust in Christ unto put my whole weight on him. He alone can save me. That's the point of view than that you cried out to Christ. Next top look to what you've done on the crosses my Savior.

You've taken away all of my said, Lord, cleanse me and forgive me, were saved by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ the Lord.

But secondly we are secure by the grace of God, I'm saved by the grace of God, but I am secure and can I say, eternally secure by the grace of God is about your Bible that in the feet. Ephesians to look back to Ephesians 1 because Paul is saying wonderful in the first 14 chapter 414 verses of Ephesians 1.

That God the father and salvation chooses us, God the son redeems us and God the Holy Spirit seals us and this is all of his marvelous grace. I am saved by the grace of God and I am secure by the grace of God we are told that one of our biggest problems in our society is a lack of security were told by those who do studies that our society that relationships are riddled with insecurity. The people are not sure who they are weak and wondering this for the people think of me. My good enough. Can I make it. Is this marriage going a word that Mike was about my kids and we are very very insecure people. Yes, I realize we have national insecurities. But I'm thinking of it individually. There's a sense of insecurity will you understand God's grace. The more secure, you're going to be because God's grace which saves me also secures me listen to Paul as he writes in Ephesians 1 verse three Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ in these verses Paul over and over again talks about being in Christ in the beloved in him. This is our security that I am in Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ very important with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Even as he chose us in him that is in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved in him in Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to this to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us wonderful door than the plan of grace.

The father chooses me the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit seals and makes it personal to me and it is accomplished by God the son, and his redemption.

This plan of grace is secure because it's not your plan or its not my plan. It is secure because it is initiated by God the father before the foundation of the world and God. Paul is explaining that God the father chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. How is this plan implemented.

It is implemented by God's wonderful son who comes in obedience to the father's will and accomplishes the plan of grace through his death on the cross for our sin. And Paul is telling us here something marvelous that we rejoice in this morning that God's plan of grace is not just to save us. That indeed is marvelous, amazing, but it is to adopt us into his eternal family. He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ. That security is part of the family of God. John tells us that in first John 31 bold what manner of love is this, that the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called children of God. What kind of love does God love you with joy missing him tell you it's the kind of love that adopts you into the very family of God so that you are now a child of God. All of God's grace. So I stand here. I'm a child of God, I'm part of the family of God.

God is my father, Cory.

With Christ, his son, and God doesn't throw us out of his family and grace. I am placed in that family and in God's grace I am secure in that family while grace what love and the salvation is personally applied to us by the Holy Spirit, verse 13 in him in Christ you also, when you had the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory that seal is a mark of security. I have the Betty stamp of God on me your saved by the grace of God, you have a stamp of security on you stamps sealed by the holy spirit, a deposit guarantee of our inheritance was a guarantee is a guarantee that what God has begun he will accomplish is a down payment. So Paul says in Philippians 1, verse six, I'm sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will completed until the day of Jesus Christ. Does God fulfill his purposes.

Does God leave something have done this God change his mind.

He makes a plan and then those in the different direction. You and I do that but God never does that.

What he begins he accomplishes this work of grace which begins when I place my faith in Jesus Christ will be accomplished.

I am eternally secure in Christ, the righteousness of Christ is mine. When I stand before God, my father, my sins are forgiven and through the grace of God I am righteous before him. Amazing.

The plan of salvation does not give you tremendous security in life we know in a personal level that children who grow up in a family aware mom and dad love each other where they are loved of these are much more likely to be secure individuals than children that grow up in a broken home. Just think of this.

I don't know what kind of home you were brought up in one sense, it doesn't really matter because God's grace is greater than any home God's grace is greater than a broken home in your relationships in the past may produce great personal insecurity in you. But if you grasp the grace of God that not only are you saved by grace but you are sick you in your grace was in the Paul talks about this in Romans eight magnificent passage but maybe just one verse three or Romans eight verse 30 Paul is telling us of God's purposes.

God never goes back on his promises that the member Paul says although we had faith last, he is faithful for God can't deny himself. In second Timothy but notice Romans eight verse 30 those whom he predestined he also called those whom he called, he also justified and those whom he justified he also glorified. Marvelous as justification. The declaration by God in his grace that I'm righteous.

In other words, if I am saved by the grace of God.

This is guaranteed that those whom God justifies. He also glorifies this is the golden chain of salvation, and it will never ever be broken.

Not one person is going to be lost between the golden links of this chain so you know that I was recently in Scotland. Wonderful. Thank you for that. We arrived it was 50�. He said this a little cold.

I said this is wonderful. It's raining it's cold in Scotland. It's 50� but I spent a week of study in the little village. My mother is from the north. In the little village cults and then the model is right on the coast north of some a mile west of the little village what I was was the castle of thin litter and litter castle as a boy he would clamber over there. The rocks in the course was very dangerous and go to it being older and wiser.

I didn't clamber to its but I took this photo of it from with her counsel, it dates from the 13th century's old old castle and hundreds of years before it was inhabited but was built as a kind of defense and the story is told.

I had been over the years and and recheck the story is told that the, the heir to the castle little boy I was being held by his nurse and the little boy.

I guess like many little boys was a bit of an activist in the fellow jumped out of the nurses hand fell down onto the cliffs. She of course was absolutely overwhelmed when after the little boy dear to the castle and both of them were lost friend and I thought of that difference from salvation that we are held by gourds himself, and he will never, he will never ever let any of us go. He will hold us fast member of the magnificent words of our Lord Jesus in John chapter 10 verse 28.

I give to my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hands now is not security with them. If you were holding my hand, you could be in circumstances. What I couldn't hold you. I'm not that strong. But as I go through life and as you go through life which are saved by the grace of God remembered his brother sister that you are in the hand of Christ himself. In fact, Jesus is not only will no one snatch you.

I do my hand.

My father would give them.

He is greater than no and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand. I and my father are one unit is tremendous security in the grace of God I am held by Christ himself.

He holds me fast and whoever much. I struggle another week. My faith may be whatever mass I may get myself into in life. God in his grace is marvelous grace holds me fast as Paul's magnificent argument is that Romans eight that ultimately there is nothing in the whole universe that can separate us from what from the love of God in Christ Jesus you never fall away his divine purpose is certain to reach its gold were saved by the grace of God we are secured by the grace of God. Third, we are sanctified by the grace of God is a word with the sanctification man think of it as a spiritual transformation is to shoot subjects I got going to the one aspect of sanctification is this that those who are justified by God. Those who are saved by his grace, God in his grace doesn't leave us as we are through the work of the spirit. He's doing something incredible.

He is making us more and more like Jesus. We call that process sanctification. Justification begins our sanctification glorification completes our sanctification. One day when I die when I see Christ.

When Christ comes. I will be glorified perfectly sanctified meantime, I don't need to tell you. For those of you who know me I'm not yet perfect.

I'm not yet there.

But in the grace of God I'm involved in this process of saying to vacation the grace of God which saves us is also a grace which transforms us know. I emphasized in Ephesians chapter 1 that when Paul is talking about all of the spiritual blessings in Christ. He emphasizes this repeatedly almost in every verse from the opening verses of Ephesians 1 that we are in Christ that whip in the beloved that we are in him. The Christian can understand this concept that it is vital in our sanctification the Christian through the grace of God is united to Christ in Christ, so that a Christ whose remote I just look on and call when I'm in difficulties no, I am in Christ, he is in me. This is a personal, intimate, growing relationship I'm in Christ are united with Christ and his dad in his burial and his resurrection. It is therefore Paul's argument in their sanctification. Romans six is therefore inconceivable that those who are in Christ should continue to live as they did prior to being saved by the grace of God done with me, totaling six where we will see this. The transformation of grace sanctified by the grace of God and the Romans chapter 5 policies is saying so wonderfully that God's grace is greater than our sin we we we love that we rejoice in the someone's God sees for that sounds pretty good. If God's grace is my saying I can. I can just saying I can live as well. I God a kind God. God's grace is God's will is limited. I like because however much I say in God's grace is always greater was argument Paul is going to totally demolish Romans six verse one what shall we say then are we to continue in sin that grace may abides by no means absolutely not guilty and Jim says, God forbid, is his question how can we who die to sin still live in its you say that your saved by the grace of God. You claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ. You claim that you're in Christ you claim that you united to Jesus Christ then can you continue to live as you did prior to your confession that the question with the reality were saved by grace alone.

That's true through faith alone. That's true, but the faith which saves us is not alone. We stood and greeted we stood and read Ephesians 2 verses eight and nine. But what does verse 10 say Paul hasn't finished. Ephesians 2 verse 10, but we are his workmanship, created for good works that we should walk in them. It is true.

Good works have no part in my salvation entirely by the grace of God, but no time following Christ. Now that I have received his forgiveness and his magnificent grace it inconceivable that I could live just as I once did. No justification doesn't depend on our sanctification that is true, but because we are in Christ. The salvation which is by grace alone results in a transformed life is this what Paul says. Two Corinthians 517 if anyone is in Christ, magnificent expression.

Again, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation the old has passed away. The new has come. Something this change something dramatic, something really go.

This is not just a hobby. I approve my hand and said oh I love Jesus I love singing these items. I signed a piece of paper saying I believe in Jesus, how person who's in Christ, the person who's had a supernatural experience of being born again by the Holy Spirit is change perfect failings stumbling that is certainly true. But God has withdrawn the supernatural work through the Spirit who is given to us, that results in a transformed life. One of the great experiences I had when I was recently in Scotland and render the little cottage for some peace and quiet and is good to spend a few days with me and she said what do all the time. When you're studying is about to eat what you cook and I realized I said the wrong thing.

So part of the time. Part of the time she went to friends in Aberdeen and I was alone in the car that you can do a lot with the fish suppers and haggis and everything else I survived working in the village and here's a woman deliver myself and that she knew I was and she said there is I don't know if you know you but my father came to saving faith in Christ through your grandfather.

My name is John Heyman row. My grandfather was called John hay fisherman all his life, and I said to happen. She said for several years.

My father was an unbeliever rep rebelling against the gospel and have the gospel rebelled against what wanted no part of the Christian faith. He was on the same fishing boat as you can. Father and he said that she said you know your grandfather was a quiet man. My grandmother was very talkative, so I'll leave you to decide to articulate afterwards but my grandfather was the kind of man who didn't say too much, but when he spoke, people listen. You know what kind of person, slow to speak, quick to hear, slow to anger is my grandfather and she said my father watched your grandfather in the ship that when you're working with someone in a heading drifter in the Northstar Macy's in Scotland heart work in your with that person. The they are written very cramped features quarters you get to know them. This is not the Christianity that just comes to church on Sunday and puts on your best certain smiles and then goes and lives like the devil no and she said the way your grandfather live had such an impact on my father that he put his trust in Christ that made me rejoice. My grandfather died many years ago I thought how wonderful here's a quiet humble fisherman, but use something now that he was perfect. Of course it wasn't. But there was something about him so that a man who didn't know Christ could look at my grandfather and say there's something different and John the points of the Christ is what Paul is saying that the grace of God transforms us. Look at Romans six versus seven and 11. Grace considers us dead to sin and alive to God. Romans six verse 741 who has died has been set free from sin. Verse 11 so you also must consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Napoleon said in Romans six verse two. How can we who died to sin still live in it. Look at verse 10 for the death that he, Christ died.

He died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God.

We are we are more familiar with the truth, the wonderful truth that Christ died for our sins. That's true. But Paul is saying. Not only does Christ died for your sins. When Christ died on the cross he died two sin, Christ died for my sins. That is freedom from the guilt of sin, Christ died to sin. That's freedom from the power of sin in my life because what the Lord Jesus Christ to he made atonement for our sins on the cross. When you went into that he was buried. He died and he rose again and that he rose again. He conquered Satan he broke the power of sin and of darkness on the paddle and dance and the devil himself, and rose triumphantly. He not only died for our sins, he died to sin no.

If Paul's argument in Romans six. Check it out as Christ died to sin. We who are in Christ we who are united to Christ have also died to sin was seen as a sin is very real.

Sin tempts us, but we through the grace of God, died to sin. This is the transformation of the grace of God produced in the life of the believer to say to the power of sin, the tyranny of sin, the cruel tyrant of sin, you know its impact on your life. Sin is a hard mass that is 90 he's merciless that power that tyranny that stranglehold that the rose once on your life know through the grace of God has been broken. You have been free died to send you know alive to God in Christ Jesus. Once we were in this kingdom kingdom of darkness.

The kingdom of sin. Now we are in the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ with change sides. Once I was under the law of sin not under the law of the Spirit. Paul says in verse 14 for sin will have no dominion over you since you're not under law but under what grace grace we live not under the legalistic law no longer under the tyranny of Satan. I live under grace arrived in Bridgeport writing 50� and we went to the car couple things that you will do. You can you rent a car unless you ask for the automatic is going to be the shift and though the competition is no problem to me. I like to think I'm a good driver good and occasionally has other thoughts. The fellow said to me looking at my North Carolina driver's license. As you know, you know, separates excise shift.

I said yes I know so shift in American driver's license by have I can drive a car with gears. Thank you sir. The other thing that you got to remember, of course, even more importantly is that in the UK we drive on the left-hand side of the road and so no problem to me, drove few hundred miles towards the end of the trip would on the motorway going off slip road to meet. When my brothers and his wife coming off made a right-hand turn and I think it must've been in deep theological thought or something, but I was driving quite nicely in good he said and I looked up the car coming towards me. He said that the poor man had his hands up and I don't think it was sing hallelujah and so you're ready to meet God know and so I thought okay I think you should go back in the left-hand side. So we drive in the left-hand side not imagine if I said to you listen to Americans you need to go back to the laws of the night, I'm on the left-hand side is much better.

Tired of being under this government here in the United States. Why don't you concede defeat.

Finally after all these years and go back under the pilot and the authority and the laws of the United Kingdom you would say John you were to log its growth. What would you say to me you say we were once under these laws. We were once under the pilot on the authority of the United Kingdom would have you forgotten John there was a war a lot of independence and in fact we won that war, and we cannot go back and we will now go back to the laws of the United Kingdom.

We like our laws, our power American politics were not going back and furthermore we like driving on the right hand side of the point is we who have been free from the power of sin at the tyranny on the stranglehold of sin in our lives. Why is a brother sister you want to go back to that. Tell me why why did you want to go back to that old life to the priory to the agreed to the law lost to the Buddhism that drugs and the anger in the less than the bitterness of hot. Why would you go back to that sin has been is what I plugged in your life why your thinking in God's name to plug it back in. No, Paul is saying you died to sin. Don't plug it back in live a life of grace alive submitted to the Lordship of Christ. A life yielded to the wonderful gracious ministry of the Holy Spirit, who will lead you in the path of righteousness and joy rather than back to the old tyranny transforms my life of grace can I say this grace of God transforms the church. I'm praying that we account for church with no more about the grace of God.

God's grace embraces all peoples, all nationalities, all colors all cultures God and his grace has provided one savior same for two Gentile sin for black/white all have sinned, only to be washed by the same blood. All are indwelt by the same Holy Spirit, and so the true church, the authentic church comprises people of the same salvation of the same body of the same mission and of the same glorious future. Christ calms and breaks down all of the barriers that we are ranked and we are not one in Christ's Jews in the wonderful nothing like that in this world so at Calvary church. We enthusiastically embrace all cultures, all perspectives, all nationalities, all traditions, all racist people from all backgrounds, including the Scotsman because we believe that what unites us as a people of God is far richer is far more profound than what divides us know we don't have a Chinese church or Hispanic church on a Russian church or an Indian church or a Scottish church a Boomer church or other people have these churches. I know that I don't see that in the Scripture yes, we have an identity. Yes, if you are Hispanic or Chinese or British or whatever you your private of that. Yes I'm proud of that identity is not the most important thing about me. The church of Jesus Christ is not about me worshiping a certain way with only Scottish people of a Scottish heritage. How dreadful would that be see some of you agree with me but seriously where the church of Jesus Christ.

Peter says, first Peter four verse 10 as each has received a gift use it to serve one another as good stewards of what of God's mandate is a work of God's manifold grace.

One of the wonderful things that Cortes and his grace is that when you're sick gives you a gift you to use that gift, not for your own ego, but to use it to salve one another as a steward as a manager of vault of the manifold multifaceted multicolored grace of God. The picture of two men planting trees is a what's so special about these two men.

They have one goal and is the plant treats a common goal of two people doing it but would you believe that one man is blind and the other man has no arms know you could excuse them and saying well I'm blind of norms I can plant treats know by themselves. It would be impossible for either one of them to plant a tree, but working together in God's grace. The complainant tree usage on the very gifted emotional what I can do a counter to your anger, asking people to work as a coach to serve in children's ministry.

I'm not sure if that's me.

I don't know if I can do for someone asking you to do a little personal why I'm asking you to serve God as a display to the world this play to the very angels of heaven, that this is a display of the multicolored manifold variant grace of God very quickly were saved by the grace of God were secured by the grace of God were sanctified by the grace of God. My time is totally gone but got the congregational meeting and I'll just be blessed that because of on this final point, we never said it finished at 11 o'clock to note I didn't and her finally we persevered by the grace of God, of the QuickTime to second Corinthians chapter 12 because this is very very important usage on the sides.

Wonderful Melissa. My life is hard. My life is difficult. I don't know about you but I got trials and disappointments in and difficulties in life can assail all of us do all of us to life is hard. Life is difficult, but the grace which saves you the grace which secures you the grace which sanctifies you is a grace which is always sufficient for your problem for your needs.

Paul here, and as I can can control very quickly, because this thorn in the flesh. We don't need to go into the particulars of any praise to God that God in his grace would remove the thorn in the flesh in God doesn't do so. He says in the end of verse seven. The phone was given in the flesh, a messenger of Satan reading from two Corinthians 12 seven to harass me to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that he should leave me you are something you keep praying about some situation living your family may be your work. Maybe your health some simulation that is really dreadful news to all life would be so much wonderful if this was removed, and you keep pleading with the Lord.

But he said to me.

Verse nine point by grace notice. It's God's grace is visible in others will park my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the pilot of Christ may rest upon me.

For the sake of Christ that I'm content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecution, commendation for when I'm weak then I'm strong really absolutely grace of God to God sometimes denies this request only to remove the stones in the flesh, but we must understand that and then removed thorn is not unanswered prayer. In the circumstances. The Lord gives not less thorn but more grace and more power extraction is what we would like when you like that thorn taken not thorn extraction, but grace in injection.

my grace is sufficient for you and your brother, my dear sister, god never allows the phone in her life. without sufficient grace god's grace. not only is always greater than sin.

god's grace is always greater than the thorn. it is always sufficient. it never runs out its this is a supernatural undeserved grace, which is always there. each day, all of the grace all of the strength all that i need to supply through the magnificent grace of god. every day my life. i go into my closet and invariably was a clean shirt factors number, clean shirts.

i never put them there.

i go in this morning. nice clean white shirt. i put it on.

i have nothing to do with it.

all i know is when i go into that closet. there is a beautiful shirt for me. you say john, you really spoiled well you can cynically say that i call it grace.

and if you don't have grace in your mind. i'm sorry for your my case that's other worksites.

it is always there. grace grace incidentally seriously get on the grace in your marriage of marriages can have real problems. also, you can't laugh at yourself for one another and the problems but listen, you will never go to the closet you will never be in a situation where your empty-handed tomorrow with a doctors appointment at the trading.

why was she didn't have the doctors appointment would be marvelous of god healed you right now, this moment god is able to do that you pray for that is appropriate, but as you go to that insinuation or you go to work or whatever the situation is that is so difficult. it is so painful. it's excruciating and you think my insinuation in my life without problem in my life will remove light would be just so wonderful as i guarantee you see the doctor tomorrow when you go to work tomorrow. whatever is god's grace is sufficient for all of the grace you need all of the strength you need all of the wisdom you need. god will supply.

if you humbly look to him and you will find this qualifying that when you're weak, then he is strong. i been in situations and i know many of you have been in situations because i walk through the situations with some of your quit if we had known in advance what was going to happen, we would say i will never ever get through that it is so difficult i could survive that if that happened to me your garden is grace has brought you through john newton writes about this grace thus far is grace that saves you the grace that keeps you the grace that sanctifying you and is a grace which is always always sufficient. don't quit. don't give up.

don't be better to god, who is infinite in his grace and submit to him and surrender your life to him and he will give you all of the grace that you want as we close this morning will you open your heart and your life to the god of all grace can ask you to stand as a woman to do with all of this.

i don't know. for the grace of god saves us the grace of god secures us the grace of god sanctifies us and the grace of god is always always sufficient to believe that you believe so if you're here and you're not safely open your heart to christ asking to come and see insecurity that you have. we take that to the lord and rejoice that your securing this grace you're thinking of clicking back into the old life we ask god for the strength not to do that and to rejoice in this sanctification, the transformation of life you find a christian.

i'm very, very difficult life is be hard for you last week last month last year we went god once again to pull that grace into your heart. this is a marvelous, infinite grace of god honors father.

we stand here, we thank you for your magnificent absolutely incredible grace which you pour upon us.

you know e. chartier, the heartaches, the fears and insecurities sin through your spirit. you know each one of us may many crying out to christ were tells us believe in the lord jesus christ and will be saved may many believe in him begin this wonderful adventure of grace for calvary church father, may we be a people of grace sometimes what what hearts with one another. what legalistic where where were tough with mechanical ritualistic rather than receiving and displaying this marvelous grace of god. may that be true of us in christ name, amen