God Calls Us To A New Way Series

Opening Text: Luke 9:21-26

THE GRACE WAY SO FAR

Week 1: Foundational – The Cross of Jesus

Week 2: God speaks to us – Through His Life giving Word

Week 3: God’s focus for us – Being His evangelical and reforming people (church)

This week: The Grace way - calls us to a new way

1. A DIFFERENT FOCUS FOR LIFE

From The Law dominates

A life shaped by:

what you do

personal goals and interests

rules as a way of success

how the world sees you

To Grace dominates

A life shaped by:

What Jesus has done & is doing and will do for you

God’s mission and way of life

rules to love God and others

how God sees you through Jesus

Colossians 4:2-6

HOW IS GOD CALLING YOU TO A DIFFERENT FOCUS IN YOUR LIFE?

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”  So they pulled their

boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him. Luke 5:10-11

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

How might God’s calling to you to the grace way of life, change the way you live?

What might it look like for you to be God’s missionary of grace to the people in your life?

(For some this may mean a change of vocation or job, but for most people this means having a different approach to life, eg. seeing your job primarily as a place where God has placed you to be his missionary of grace)

2. A LIFE OF RELIANCE ON JESUS AND NOT SELF

Then Jesus said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. Luke 9:23-34

YOUR IDENTITY

You are saved and forgiven by Jesus, nothing else.

Being a disciple of Jesus means our mission/purpose in life is shaped and resourced by Jesus and His grace.

What does this mean for you?

THEOLOGY OF THE CROSS

A life of reliance on Jesus and His grace leads to a life of living what is known as living the Theology of the Cross

God comes to us – in our current imperfect situation

We depend on Jesus on the cross for a future

– we don’t earn our way to God.

We die to self and are raised by Christ to live a new way of life (Baptism and daily repentance)

It’s not about what we do, but what God does for us and through us

Truly follow Jesus, don’t just admire Him (Be an active participant not just a spectator) Soren Kierkegaard

Live for costly grace not cheap grace

Grace we can only receive because of the cross of Jesus

A life of grace is in opposition to getting what one deserves

A life of continually growing as a disciple of Jesus

A life where your efforts are for others

A life where you live for God’s graceful mission Dietrich Bonhoeffer

LIVING THE GRACE WAY

1/ Live with confidence that you are saved, God loves you and your future is secured. (Galatians 2:15-21)

2/ Grab hold of God’s grace to shape your life

3/ Let God’s vision and way of life be your vision and way of life.

4/ Be God’s missionary of grace wherever you are.

“This grace of God is a very great, strong, mighty and active thing.

It does not lie asleep in the soul.

Grace hears, leads, drives, draws, changes, works all in people, and lets itself be distinctly felt and experienced. It is hidden, but its works are evident.” Martin Luther

You can view my preached sermons at www.sydney.lutheran.org.au