Full
Pt. 4 - Grace Full
I. Introduction
Are you full? If so, what are you full of? Your "fullness" will determine what overflows to every area of your life. And yet the truth is that if we find ourselves closer to the "e" than the "f" we are in the majority. In a recent study of 1,000 churches and the spiritual growth of their congregation the researchers discovered that only 11% (or in other words 1 out of 10) would say they are compelled by their faith to love God and love others! 89% in the wilderness. Saved? Yes. Full? No! Emptiness reigns in the church community. However, I want to remind you and challenge you that God does intend for us to be full! I am going to continue to read these because they are promises that we must allow to come to life in our spirit - not just for my neighbor but for me.
John 10:10
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that _________ (insert your name) may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance - to the full, till it overflows. (Amplified Version)
Colossians 2:9-10
You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When _________ (insert name) came to him, that fullness comes together for _________ (insert name), too. His power extends over everything.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.
The accurate and mature understanding is knowing that salvation was only part of the picture. He came to save but He also came to enable us to experience fullness in life!
So I want to clearly state for us some of the things that should fill us so that we are able to experience this fullness that Jesus came to give us.
I have declared that we must be thank full and purpose full. I want us to continue on this path to fullness.
John 1:14 (NIV)
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John makes it clear that when Jesus arrives on the scene that He is full of grace. That was apparent wasn't it? You can't read about the life of Jesus and not come to the conclusion that He was full of grace. I don't have the time to reflect or even draw your attention to all of the example of that but here are just a few.
Woman caught in adultery. Others wanted to stone her He cleared her. The woman washing His feet. Others wanted to cast her out He offered entrance. The woman at the well. Others wanted to avoid her and He detoured to get to her. One of His 3 best friends deny Him. Turned his back on Him. Jesus hands Peter a mulligan. And perhaps one of the greatest examples is how Jesus dealt with the thief on the cross. Notice I said the "thief" on the cross. No question of guilt. All appeals had been exhausted. Delays by lawyers have expired. He was a crook. He was tried, convicted and sentenced. You might even be able to draw the conclusion that he was either a repeat offender or stole something so significant that he winds up on a cross. Yet, Jesus was so gracious that He extends entry into heaven to this criminal that cries out for mercy. Jesus' entire life and ministry was marked by grace. It seems Jesus always went out of His way to give grace.
But we forget to read on . . . John 1:16-17
Out of His fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the Law was given to Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John also makes it clear that His fullness made it not only possible but also an expected and foregone conclusion that
We must be grace full!
Said another way grace full people should be full of grace. We have all received grace so that we could in turn extend grace!
Two targets for grace this year . . .
We must be grace full to others.
Have you ever stopped to consider that Jesus wasn't easily offended. His life was so marked by grace that He was almost unoffendable. Your grace level is revealed by how easily you are offended.
Notice that no one Jesus was grace full to deserved it. Prostitutes, promiscuous, pompous and prisoner. Grace undeserved but also unreserved. Who do you have in your life who deserves and has earned no grace?
You may say it isn't possible to live this way. However, I remind you of the account of Stephen. One of the earliest examples of a follower of Christ. Hit with rocks. In the very process of being executed and he responds with forgiveness rather than fists! How? Acts 6:8 says, "he was a man full of God's grace and power."
Maybe we are offended and revenge full because we aren't grace full. Paul goes another step and says in Colossians 4:6 - Let your conversation be always full of grace. So grace full that it even seeps over into our mouth! Too many of us allow grace to show up in our conversation in the church lobby but not the parking lot.
Jesus tells a parable we call the parable of the ungrateful servant. I submit to you it could also be called the parable of the ungraceful servant. Too often that is our story. Grace received but same grace never extended. What am I saying? We must remember that we have been the recipient of undeserved and unearned grace and become quick to forgive, quick to give the benefit of doubt, quick to be moved by compassion, quick to withhold judgement. Grace filled so grace full.
Back to the account of Jesus and thief because it shows just how full of grace Jesus was! Stop and think about the pain Jesus was in. Jesus is hanging there as an innocent man being asked for grace by a man who deserves what he is getting. Don't you know that when we are hurt it is so easy to justify hurting. And yet in His pain He still operated and offered grace. Some of you have allowed your pain level to lower your grace level. What you are enduring can't empty you of grace. You can't let what is crucifying you cripple your grace fullness. You have a choice this year you are bleeding . . . Bleed grace. You are weeping . . . Weep grace.
Listen you can't be grace full if you are pain full, hate full, or spite full. Because if you are full of those things you will be hurt full.
Who is crucifying you? Despitefully using you? It is time for us to be grace full and mercy full. If we are grace full this year, then we will be less offended and we will offend less. We will handle offenses better. We will be more attractive to those who long for grace.
We must be grace full towards ourselves.
We must be grace full - that also means when we examine our own life. Too many of your are regret full, shame full and remorse full and since you are full of those things then you will allow everyone else to receive grace but you can't/won't become grace full. Listen Jesus has grace for you too. This is the year for you to forgive yourself. This is the year to embrace the grace that you have.
Make no mistake what you did was stupid, terrible, ugly, despicable and perhaps unspeakable but it is also grace covered.
Either Paul lied or what he declared about his examination of his own weakness is true when he said he received a word from God that "My grace is sufficient!" It is time to embrace the sufficiency of His grace. It is adequate. Where great sin, failure, short coming abounds greater grace abounds. You need to be grace full towards you this year!
1 Peter 1:2 is my prayer "Grace and peace be yours in abundance."
May what was said about the disciples in Acts 4:7 be said about us - Great grace was upon them all. I realize in that instance it is referring to grace as favor but allow me to change the meaning a little for us. May it be said when we deal with those who don't deserve that we are found to be grace full. May it be said that when we are tempted to be full of shame, remorse, and regret that instead we were grace full. God help us that by the end of 2017 that it be said of us, "Great grace was upon them all!" No one left out. No one outside the reach of grace. Enemies covered by grace. Guilty covered by grace. The one I see every morning in the mirror covered by grace. The one I have been imprisoned by my anger, rage, and shame are now extended grace because I am so grace full I can't do anything but be gracious.
Prayer for those who need to be able to come to the place to be grace full to others.
For those who need to be grace full to themselves.
