God's School Of Grace

Title: God’s School of Grace

Most colleges offer a continuing education program.

These classes they offer can be a valuable resource for those who wish to go on learning and enriching their lives.

Lots of people take advantage of these opportunities, however many do not.

Maybe they don’t know about the possibility

Or maybe they just hated school so much they would not touch the idea of going back to school with a 10-foot pole.

But I have news for All Christians in this church today

YOU ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO ATTEND SCHOOL AGAIN

Yes! You must attend God’s School of Grace

In fact you are already enrolled

You have been on the roll call since the day you became a Christian

Have you been studying?

Would you like to see your report card?

Sorry, it is already in the hands of our father ---in heaven

???How did you come to be enrolled in God’s school of Grace?

It’s the first step we take after coming to know the Lord as savior

Jesus paid the price for your tuition. (By his shed blood.)

And the apostle Paul wrote the school catalog

In it He describes

• What the curriculum includes

• What the incentive plan is for being a good student.

• And what provisions God has made to enable each student to progress toward an A+

He wrote all of this in

Titus 2:11-15

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. [12] It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, [13] while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, [14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

[15] These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

This morning’s message is entitled GOD’S SCHOOL OF GRACE

I WANT FOCUS ON THE APOSTLE PAUL’S SCHOOL CATALOG

I. The Curriculum of Grace

II. The Motivation of Grace

III. The Enablement of Grace

But First I want to ask a question

If you were to receive your spiritual report card right now how would you do?

Have you been mindful of the lessons you need to learn?

Or have you been standing back with a 10-foot pole resisting the Holy Spirit’s work in your life.

The good news is that God’s school of grace is set up so you do well.

If you give yourself to learning all you can

You will come forth shining as gold

And be ----the HONOR STUDENT

even if you did poorly at every other school.

Prayer……………….

I. THE CURRICULUM OF GRACE

A. Grace is our subject

Grace is the most vast and comprehensive subject ever.

In fact it is so extensive that the subject can never to be exhausted.

Simply stated

Grace is a word that describes God’s activity toward man

From Grace we receive all the benefits of eternity

Everything we need know for life is tied up in GRACE.

Furthermore not only is GRACE our Subject

B. Grace is our teacher

Titus 2:12

[12] It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

Think about what a teacher does.

Literally a teacher is a giver of knowledge or skill.

Here however, Grace as our teacher implies so much more.

Grace is

Our instructor

Adviser

Encourager

Exhorter

It admonishes us

Guides us

Restrains us

Rewards us

And corrects us.

How does grace accomplish all this instruction?

God’s Grace trains us by increasing our understanding of God,

The great giver,

So that we can explore and enjoy all that he has given.

C. Grace is our Curriculum

A curriculum is a schedule for dispensing knowledge

Line upon line, precept upon precept,

So that students can grasp knowledge and master it.

In order for us to understand God’s grace He has made a plan for our education.

The curriculum of Grace has two basic courses.

THE FIRST COURSE IS ----

1. HOLINESS 101 – the goal of this course is to teach us to say NO to ungodliness, and worldly passion.

In the 1980’s it became popular to JUST SAY NO to drugs

Nancy Reagan began the campaign.

However, Just saying NO was not original with Nancy Reagan

It has always been God’s idea.

In God’s plan, Man does NOT ONLY SAY NO, but his decision to say No is backed by the GRACE of God, Giving us the power to make it a reality.

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Years ago we watched a movie called the bear. In the film the a bear cub has lost its mother and is learning how to survive with the help of very large male grizzly.