Our Triune God Brings Blessings

OUR TRIUNE GOD BRINGS BLESSINGS (Outline)

May 30, 2010 -

Pentecost 1 (Trinity) -

1 CORINTHIANS 13:11-14

INTRO: Blessing is the word that describes gifts from God. Our lives are filled with God’s blessings. We are showered abundantly with daily gifts from God – blessings. As believers we gratefully recognize that all that we have and are we owe to the Lord God Almighty. Our gracious God lovingly, freely pro-vides for us here on earth. Even more importantly our gracious God makes sure that believers are blessed with eternal gifts. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (2 PETER 1:3). We have all that we need.

OUR TRIUNE GOD BRINGS BLESSINGS.

I. Free grace. II. God’s love. III. Fellowship

I. FREE GRACE

A. The believers at Corinth struggled greatly. They lived in the wickedest city of the known world.

1. These new believers also faced difficulties inside the church with doctrinal issues.

2. God inspires Paul to write a second letter of clear instruction and harsh encouragement.

3. “Finally, brothers, good-by”. They heard God’s words. Paul comes to the end of the letter.

B. “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ…be with you all”. God blesses these believers with grace.

C. Everyone is born into this world with sin. Adam and Eve sinned. This original sin is our dreadful in-heritance from the very moment of our conception (Psalm 51:5). Our desperate need from the instant our lives begin is forgiveness. Only by the grace of Jesus Christ our Savior does anyone have forgiveness. Rejoice that our triune God brings blessings. "But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" (ROMANS 5:15). Sin came to all. God’s grace more so.

D. Grace is God’s undeserved, free gift of love for mankind. Sadly too many today try to make God’s grace into a work. Mankind cannot earn God’s grace. No one deserves the forgiveness that Jesus freely provides by his life, suffering, death, and resurrection. Nor can we purchase forgiveness for one single sin. Rather, forgiveness is freely given as a gift of grace from God. Jesus freely forgives. Such is divine grace. "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" (COLOSSIANS 1:19,20).

OUR TRIUNE GOD BRINGS BLESSINGS by the free gift of grace from Christ, our Savior.

II. GOD’S LOVE

A. Paul says good-by. The grace of Jesus Christ was their only motivation for living lives of faith.

1. Therefore Paul adds: “Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal”. God’s grace changed lives.

2. They learned of perfection from the life of Jesus. God’s love by faith bound them together.

B. God’s blessing emphasizes the success of the word of God on and for these believers.

1. “May… the love of God… be with you all”. God’s love was preached to them in God’s word.

2. God’s love is in the grace of Jesus Christ who died for them. God’s love would be with them.

C. The love of the Lord God Almighty is closely connected with Christ our Savior. We are reminded that the Triune God is intimately connected in carry out divine plans for the benefit of a sinful world. Trinity means three Persons – only one God. God’s love is almost beyond our human understanding. "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved" (EPHESIANS 2:4,5). Out of love God sent his Son to die for us. Us – who still sin daily and sin much! Rejoice, our triune God brings blessings.

D. We are coming to that time of the year when weddings flourish. June is that month when many cou-ples come before God’s altar and proclaim their undying love. Later, realities set in. So sadly, all too many think their undying love has died. The love of mankind grows cold. This is not the case with God.

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him" (1 JOHN 4:16). Think about it – God lives in us. The sinless dwells in the sinful. Love!

OUR TRIUNE GOD BRINGS BLESSINGS as seen in the love of God through Jesus our Savior.