Grace is God doing in us what we can't do ourselves. In this passage, we see God's grace revealing Himself to Peter, Jesus building His church, and the church's victories over the power of death.
Today, we're going to chat about some seriously cool stuff about how God works in our lives. The gospel isn't just good news, it's like the best news ever. And we don't have to wait until we're in heaven to experience it. God wants to do amazing things in and through us every single day.
Picture this. You've got a huge jug. If you fill it with gas, how far can your car go? Some cars get 15 miles per gallon, others get 50. Now, think about how much gas it takes for a jumbo jet to take off. It's about 1,300 gallons! That's a ton of fuel burned in a short time just to get the plane in the sky.
Now, here's a quote from this smart guy named Dallas Willard. He said, "The true saint burns grace like a jumbo jet burns fuel on takeoff." That's a lot of grace, right?
What Dallas meant is that grace is more than just God being nice to us when we don't deserve it. It's God working in our lives to do what we can't do on our own. Grace is like a loving Dad actively helping us out. Jesus came to show us that God is a relational Father, not a strict judge.
And that's why we can burn grace like a jumbo jet. Grace isn't a thing or a limited resource. Grace is a Person! And that Person, Jesus, gives Himself to us without limit.
The true saint burns grace like a jumbo jet burns fuel on takeoff.
Today's passage is a chat between Jesus and His disciples. Jesus asks them, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter answers with a statement of faith, saying, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Let's read the passage.
[Read Matthew 16:13-20]
This passage is super important. It teaches us about who God is.
First, notice how Jesus asks questions to help His disciples understand who He is. Questions help us connect. Jesus asks them stuff like, "Who do people say I am?" and "Who do you say I am?" He wants to chat and build a relationship with them.
Not only does Jesus ask questions, but He also talks to us. In this passage, Jesus tells Peter that his statement of faith was revealed to him by God the Father. God actively talks to us and shows Himself through Jesus. This is grace! God is working in our lives to do what we can't do on our own.
Jesus says He will build His church on the rock of Peter's statement, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." The Church is built on the fact that Jesus is the Savior, the Son of God. It's not built on programs or political platforms. Jesus builds His church, and our job is to make disciples.
Jesus says that the gates of Hades will not overcome His church. This means that the Church is meant to be on offense, invading places of darkness with the love and light of Christ. We are called to take action and bring the message of Jesus to the world.
As followers of Jesus, we have an endless supply of God's grace in our lives. He is actively working in us and through us to do what we can't do on our own. So, let's go and burn grace today.
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!" (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Amen!
Let's pray together.
Jesus, you're the real deal, the Son of the living God! We trust you and follow you. Help us feel your love and goodness today. Amen.
This week, think about how you can "burn grace" in your life. Maybe it's forgiving someone who hurt you, or reaching out to someone who needs a friend. Remember, God's grace is there for you to use, not to store up. So, let's burn it like a jumbo jet and see what amazing things God can do through us!
1. Who do you say Jesus is?
2. How have you experienced God's grace in your life?
3. What does it mean to you that Jesus builds His church?
4. How can we as a group invade places of darkness with the love and light of Christ?
5. What is one area in your life where you need God's grace to do what you can't do on your own?
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