Video Transition: John 1:14
Summary of our Series Renew 2021:
Thesis: We need to be renewed by connecting or re-connecting with the Lord this year in 2021. To do this requires a renewed mind, a renewed soul and a renewed passion for Jesus.
Key theme Scripture Verse:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” - Romans 12:2
Our theme for 2021 is Re-new - we accomplish this by:
1. Renewing the mind
2. Refreshing the soul
3. Reigniting a passion for Jesus
When we decide to go after these (RE’s) another (RE) occurs – the word is revival – what is a revival? – it’s an extraordinary event moved by the power of the Holy Spirit to get people to repent and come to the Lord. It takes place within the church, within individuals lives, family lives and within the community. Revival is a great spiritual awakening and will change people, families, churches and communities – it’s a divine move of God.
Key point: The “Re’s” we have been exploring are all key ingredients to revival and renewal – these “Re’s” are to be looked on as beacons of wisdom, insight, light and hope for us to be renewed in 2021.
Scriptures pointing us to Redemption:
Romans 3:21-24: 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 5:12-21: Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 15But 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! 16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 20The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
• Summary of past messages: We need to pursue renewal by re-thinking and re-phrasing our mindset and words and by embracing Redemption which includes words such as retrieval – recovery – reclamation – repossession all of these are intertwined in Redemption and God’s act of Grace – I highlighted on Easter how Grace is greater than your sin or predicament. Key word “Grace is Greater!”
o This phrase is the title from Kyle Idleman’s book “Grace is Greater” and I encourage you to pick it up and read it.
• I noted, that the author of Hebrews stated, “See to it that no one misses the gift of grace!”
o Hebrews 12:15: “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
? How do you miss grace?
• You look at yourself in a deceived mindset and think you are not that bad!
o Kyle states, “We can all find ways to reach the conclusion that I’m not that bad, but in doing so we miss out on God’s great gift of grace. Until we recognize our need for grace, we won’t care about receiving it.” Idleman, Kyle. Grace Is Greater (p. 27). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
o But if we open our hearts up to Grace it is their waiting to embrace us with open arms!
o Kyle adds, “Our ability to appreciate grace is in direct correlation to the degree to which we acknowledge our need for it.” (Idleman, pg 23)
o This is why the apostle Paul talks so much about grace – he persecuted the early church and was on a mission to have it wiped out and stopped. He was responsible for people being martyred and destroyed for their belief in Jesus. But Jesus appeared to him on the Damascus road to give Paul grace and truth and it changed Paul’s life.
• See Romans 1:5 and Romans 16:19 to see how Paul opens with grace and closes with grace in his letters
• I highlighted: “God’s grace is compelling when explained but irresistible when experienced.” Quote by Kyle Idleman.
o I love this quote – Why because I do not think you can argue someone into experiencing grace! Did you here me? Grace does not flood into a person’s spirit being by argument – he flows into a person’s heart and soul by the Holy Spirit!
o Kyle states this about the greatness of Grace:
? Grace is powerful enough to erase your guilt.
? Grace is big enough to cover your shame.
? Grace is real enough to heal your relationships.
? Grace is strong enough to hold you up when you’re weak.
? Grace is sweet enough to cure your bitterness.
? Grace is satisfying enough to deal with your disappointment.
? Grace is beautiful enough to redeem your brokenness.
? Grace explained is necessary, but grace experienced is essential.
• Idleman, Kyle. Grace Is Greater (pp. 17-20). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
• I finally challenged you with the question: “What is holding you back from grace?” In Grace is Greater, Kyle gives three reasons people stand off from embracing grace:
o Assumption #1: Jesus wants nothing to do with me.
? They think that their mistakes or their sin has caused Jesus not to want them.
o Assumption #2: Jesus is more interested in religion than me.
? No, He is more interested in a relationship with you rather than establishing a religion.
o Assumption #3: He’s making an offer that’s too good to be true.
? Grace is a amazing offer – we don’t deserve it but God said we can have it if we believe – in Grace and Truth.
? Many of you responded at Easter by doing the wood chips and writing on them Grace is Greater than? I am praying that God shows you that grace is always greater!
T.S. Today I want to talk about Grace and Truth! We can call them the GT of the Holy Spirit!
Sermon: Key 3 to Renewal/ Revival – is to have a Grace and Truth Awakening!
Thesis: Redemption means to be reclaimed – bought back – restored to a rightful place! The heart of Redemption is centered in God’s grace. Grace is God’s favor even when we do not deserve it. I believe from studying revival’s of the past that we get renewed and revived by understanding Grace and Truth. They are connected together and not in conflict with each other.
Scripture Texts for today’s message:
John 1:14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Ephesians 1:3-7: Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
Introduction:
Redemption is the kind act of God sending Jesus to rescue us from death and devastation and it is rooted in grace and truth. Jesus came to clean up the mess mankind had made of the world. He came filled with Grace and Truth! This GT has the power to quickly clean things up when embraced and used!
Question Stanley, “Have you ever been responsible for cleaning up a mess that’s so big you don’t know where to begin?” Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 19). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
Illustrations: Cleaning up the mess’ at Sand Hill Lake Bible Camp and the spiritual lessons I learned:
Illustration 1: The frozen pipe bursting after 100 below windchills and flooding of Chalet.
Illustration 2: The flu rips through kid’s camp.
Illustration 3: Family Camp and the backed up sewer system in ladies bathroom.
I learned in the midst of messes God was right there with me helping to clean them up. I was not alone in the cleanup and I know from looking back on my life God was there to clean up my messes too. He has been doing it from the Beginning by the way!
I. Cleaning up giant messes is not new to God: Grace and Truth know messes and they know how to clean them up.
a. Quote Andy Stanley: “Because of grace, God chose to clean up what we messed up.”
i. God is still cleaning up our messes by the way – would you agree with me? I can look at my own life and see Him at work cleaning up the messes I have made – I don’t deserve this grace filled action from Him but he does it because he loves me and wants a closer relationship with me.
b. Andy Stanley stated, “It’s impossible for us to imagine how God must have felt when he looked at the mess sin had made of creation (Remember the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden). Everything had been corrupted (with their choice to allow sin in). Nothing remained untainted. A perfectly balanced ecosystem designed to meet the needs of every uniquely created organism, contaminated. Contaminated by the very ones assigned to protect it!”
i. We need to be reminded what was lost when Adam and Eve choose sin over grace and God’s truth – this explains the tragic stories of the Old Testament when others choose to forgo God’s grace and reject God’s ultimate truth!
1. Stanley, “In the beginning there was no guilt. In the beginning there was no condemnation. In the beginning the first two people never went to sleep at night wondering where they stood with God. Whereas God’s expressions of grace were innumerable, his requirements were minimal. That tells us a lot about God.”… “His one rule was simple you can eat of anything else in the garden but do not eat from that one tree!” Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 10). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
ii. Stanley reminds us what was lost when Adam and Eve rejected God’s grace and truth, “In the beginning there was more beauty than mankind could absorb. In the beginning there was more food than could be consumed. In the beginning there was purpose. In the beginning there was intimacy free of intrigue and suspicion. In the beginning there was uninterrupted fellowship between God and humanity. And in the beginning there was freedom. Freedom to decide. Just as God was under no compulsion to create and provide, so mankind was under no compulsion to receive and reciprocate God’s love. Grace in its purest form can have no strings attached. This fragile system fueled by grace and gratitude hinged on an even more fragile ideal: trust. God completely trusted mankind with his creation. Every day Adam and Eve chose whether or not they would be trustworthy with this responsibility. And for a while they were. How long, we do not know. We do know, however, that eventually man violated God’s trust, and everything changed. Everything.” Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 11). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
1. When sin is left to run unchecked – uncaged – unleashed it reaps a whirlwind of destruction (It always kills, steals and destroys). Sin ran wild contaminating every corner of the world - mankind worshipped evil idols rejecting God their Creator – man did evil over and over – horrible evil like child sacrifice, rape, murder, abuse, terrorism, slavery, sexual immorality, everything became contaminated by sin.
2. The author of Genesis tells us, The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. (6:5–6) Soon afterward, God flooded the world, destroying all those who refused to believe in him. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 19-20). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
3. Did you catch the thought Unrepentant sin – filled God’s heart with pain! Have you caused God pain? I hear many who blame God for the consequences of their sinful choices and say God caused them great pain. But I believe we have caused God great pain because of our sin filled ways and rejection of God’s truths.
T.S. – GT came to clean up our mess caused by sin and we need to know and embrace Grace and Truth because they are not in conflict with each other, they work in tandem with each other and Jesus modeled this truth and this power to change the world. We to need to be like Jesus and allow Grace and Truth to work in tandem in our lives to change this broken world.
II. Grace and Truth are not in conflict with each other! (John 1:14)
a. Following thoughts from https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/jun/08/truth-and-grace-go-hand-in-hand/
i. Quote: ”Christians can be both. Let’s be gracious. And let’s be truthful. Christians can, and must, be both. We don’t have to believe the popular lie that to be gracious we cannot be truthful. Or, worse yet, that for us to speak the truth reveals a lack of grace. Grace and truth go together. They’re not in conflict. Is it an ungracious action to oppose a law that seemingly validates a sinful lifestyle? Is speaking the truth akin to condemning prejudice? To be a Christian is to believe in and follow Jesus Christ as savior and lord. We can look to Jesus and follow his example when it comes to navigating the rough waters of living in a culture that increasingly rejects God’s ways. Jesus was always gracious. Jesus was always truthful. Did you catch that last part? Grace and truth go together; they’re not in conflict. Grace and truth exist in harmony. Jesus was full of grace and truth. And so must be his followers. The cross of Jesus is an emblem of grace. But don’t miss the other side of the same cross. Jesus’ death was necessitated by our sin. At Calvary, Jesus boldly and publicly proclaimed the truth of our sinfulness, our need for his grace, and then died to ensure that God’s forgiveness could be extended to all who believe in and follow Christ. Christians mirror Christ’s grace by extending love, kindness and the hope of God’s restoration to others. And Christians mirror Christ’s truthfulness by calling sin what it really is: sin. Grace and truth go together. But to harmonize the two virtues often is to suffer as Christ suffered. “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master,’?” Jesus said to his disciples. “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” The one who personified grace and truth was rejected for it by many people. We should expect no less.”
ii. Grace and truth are not in conflict! Christians can be graceful and truthful. How do I know Jesus was both! Jesus was always gracious. Jesus was always truthful. When you are both Jesus’ warned us that we would be persecuted just like He was but we are to be both as fully devoted followers of Jesus. It’s grace and truth which renew a broken world. The reality is this GT is the only thing which can reform and renew our sin filled world in rapid – or fast way.
b. The power of Grace and Truth all lived in Jesus – He was both – I call these the GT of the Holy Spirit and we need to understand them and embrace both of them to bring renewal to ourselves and to this broken world!
i. G = Grace is God’s favor even when we do not deserve it or have even earned it.
ii. T = Truth is the state of being true as in opposition to false. Truth is centered in that which true in accordance with fact and or reality. It’s also a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality.
1. So, I have dubbed these the GT of the Holy Spirit – if you know anything about cars a GT is labeled a sports car – It means fast – powerful – It’s a car designed for high speed and being able to perform for long periods of time at high speed. But it’s not only high speed but also GT was originally labeled by the Italians as Grand Touring or Grand Turismo which means a car which transports people at a fast speed for long distances in relative comfort and luxury.
T.S. – Grace and Truth are the GT of the Holy Spirit and they work together in harmony to clean up messes created by sin and to birth a revival that will transform a broken and deceived culture or world. They have bene doing this from the Beginning – since Creation!
III. Grace and truth have worked together since the beginning of time as we know it.
a. Stanley states, “Grace has been the basis of our relationship with our Creator from the very beginning.” (p. 1).
i. Illustration: The other day someone mentioned to me how hard it was to read parts of the Old Testament because of God’s instruction to the Israelites about wiping nations out immersed in detestable ways. We call that Genocide!
1. If you come to understand God as being Grace filled and Truthful you begin to understand some of the tragic stories of the Old Testament when God instructed Israel to wipe out nation immersed in evil ways – sin is destructive – it kills - steals and destroys.
a. Grace is God’s undeserved favor – but Grace works in tandem with Truth – Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father except through me – John 14:6
b. There is a right way to live and interact with others – The Creator set this in motion in the Beginning – God is grace filled and He will eliminate sin from this world because He is truth – because sin is evil – it’s destructive to the human race – it will keeps killing, stealing and destroying if it is left unchecked – allowed to run wild!
1. Yes, these stories seem very harsh – Genocide is not a pleasant word, but a word filled with bloodshed and death! Yes, it’s in the Old Testament – you do read about it!
ii. From these stories many misunderstand God and who He is!
1. Stanley notes, “In his book The God Delusion, noted atheist Dr. Richard Dawkins declared, The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”
a. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 2). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
b. Wow it’s obvious Richard has never experienced the Grace and Truth of God.
i. His physical handicap has made him bitter even angry at God as being a bully.
ii. Can you see why Richard is like he is? Have you been in this position? We fail to acknowledge how evil we really are.
2. Stanley notes, “With all that in mind (talking about Old Testament stories), it would seem that a study of grace should begin with the gospel of Matthew. On the surface, it appears that the birth of Jesus signaled the beginning of an age of grace. However, a careful reading of the Old Testament reveals grace to be God’s preeminent characteristic from the very beginning. So that’s where our journey will begin. In the beginning.”
a. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 3). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
3. Stanley, “The Hebrew God existed before anything. He brought all matter and time into existence out of nothing—not because he had to but, apparently, because he wanted to. And that’s where we encounter the very first expression of God’s grace.”
a. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 4). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
i. The big question is why do we all exist? Why did God choose to even create the world and mankind?
ii. We don’t have right to be a live?
iii. We did not deserve the life we have and the world we live in – we did nothing to earn it?
b. Our problem is many feel they are owed something for being alive – but they are not – they feel they should be entitled to anything and everything they want – they believe they are owed some special perks or privileges – but we are not owed anything because we have done nothing to deserve what we do have – God did it all and then gave it mankind who then messed it up.
b. The truth is Grace came to mankind at the point of Creation when God made all the amazing things in the world and then handed them over to Adam and Even to manage, care for, populate and enjoy.
i. Stanley, “Assuming you believe in God, let me ask this question a different way. Why did God create anything? Some argue that he was lonely, but I don’t think so. Even if that were the case, an argument could be made that the act of creation was an extraordinary act of grace. God created life, which created the potential for you and me. Creation gave you an opportunity to be. And God was under no obligation to give you or me that opportunity. Why is there something rather than nothing? Because God decided there should be something. And part of that something is you! In the beginning God created, and this was a marvelous act of grace. But that was just the beginning.”
1. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (pp. 4-5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
ii. Stanley, “God declared each phase of creation good because it was good for us.”
1. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 7). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
2. God said His creation was good not because he is a great creator – He is – but because it was good for mankind!
iii. Stanley, “God created the world, filled it with goodness, and then gave it away. He handed us the keys. He created a world perfectly suited to sustain the human race. What did we do to deserve this incredible, pristine abundance? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. That’s grace. From the standpoint of human experience, the creation of the universe and God’s giving it to humanity was the beginning of grace.”
1. How amazing is God’s Grace?
a. Majestic sunsets—those are set in motion for you.
b. The seasons that enable us to plant and harvest—those are for you.
c. The variety of fruits and vegetables you have enjoyed throughout your life—those are for you.
d. Your choice of salmon, sea bass, trout, or snapper—or beef that’s for you.
e. The beach, the mountains, the lakes, the streams, the rainforest, the jungles, the plains—all for you to enjoy.
f. There is more beauty in this world than any one person can fully comprehend, greater abundance than any one person can consume. Why? That’s the nature of grace.”
i. What did we do to earn on this beauty around us?
ii. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (pp. 7-8). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
c. God loves us – always has – that’s why He created this world and gave it to us – this act of Creation and creating mankind and then giving Him His creation is an act of Grace – we did not earn the right to rule this world – God gave that to us in the Garden – then we gave it away to evil and sin!
i. Stanley, “God established his pattern of lavishing grace upon those he loves. But the best was still to come.”
1. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 8). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
ii. Stanley, “We see from the very beginning of creation that God desires what is good for us. That’s grace. Undeserved favor. God wanted, and continues to want, only what is good for us. For you.”
1. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 8). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
2. News Flash – In spite of sin everywhere and a fallen and broken world - God’s desire is that all of us would discover and embrace His amazing grace!
iii. Stanley, “We do know, however, that eventually man violated God’s trust, and everything changed. Everything.”
1. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 11). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
d. You may be thinking what changed in God’s creation – sin entered the world and everything changed – everything started spiraling downward – death was unleashed along with sin to kill, steal and destroy!
i. Today we dramatically underestimate the impact of sin on our world – but when sin came into a grace filled environment it destroyed everything – trust was broken – the abundance of blessing was lost – people turned on each other started killing each other and blaming each other!
1. Stanley, “In the beginning Adam blamed God for his troubles, and mankind has been blaming God of evil in the world. But since a broken world is all we’ve ever experienced, we can’t begin to appreciate how far things are from the way God intended them to be.”
2. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 12-13). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
3. Sin will always cause’s devastation and heartache.
ii. Our problem is the corrupted world we live in is all we know! But the problem is we really think we are not that bad!
1. But we all are that bad – none of us deserve God’s grace and mercy but He gave it lovingly anyway.
e. Abraham was declared righteous by his faith – His trust in God set in motion his righteous standing with God not a list of do’s and don’ts.
i. While those Jesus debated appealed to the Law of Moses as the standard by which righteousness was attained soon learned grace and forgiveness were the means to righteousness within the teaching of Jesus.
ii. The apostle Paul would reach farther back into Israel’s rich history and appeal to the story of Abraham as a grace moment:
1. Paul stated, “It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. . . . Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. (Rom. 4:13, 16)
iii. The only way to clean up a giant mess is to pick a spot and begin. God began with an ordinary man.
1. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 31). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
2. “God chose to wade in hip deep and clean up the mess sin had created.” Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 20). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
3. Abraham was chosen by Grace nothing he did deserved the gift and promises God gave Abraham but he was a step toward cleaning up the mess created by sin!
a. God would begin with a nation, a nation chosen by him to demonstrate his power and goodness to the rest of the world. This nation would receive his favor as part of a one-sided covenant in which he obligated himself and demanded nothing in return. The LORD would initiate this covenant as an expression of his grace, not in response to any merit of theirs.
i. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 21). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
b. Abraham was a sinner yet God still blessed him and gave him the promise of the birth of a nation.
i. This was where God decided to begin cleaning up the mess sin had made. He determined to begin a nation through a man with no influence, no children, children, and no homeland. God said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). And then, for no reason other than he just wanted to, God made Abram a threefold promise. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (Gen. 12:2–3)
1. When God initiated his relationship with Abram he began with a promise—a promise Abram did not deserve or ask for. This was all God’s idea.
a. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (pp. 22-23). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
2. God called Abram to trust him, and despite his sin, Abram found peace with God through faith.
a. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 25). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
b. What sin you might ask?
i. Why would a man who had been protected by God in miraculous ways fear a mere king? And no doubt in the back of Abraham’s mind was the nagging fear that perhaps his breach of faith would forfeit God’s promises. This incident, along with the attempt to fast-track an heir, was certainly reason enough for God to renege on their deal. But as Abraham was discovering, he didn’t really have a deal with God. Instead, he was the recipient of an unconditional promise.
ii. Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 27). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
4. Stanley states, “And with that, the cleanup had begun. The mess sin had created was being addressed. God’s plan of redemption was unfolding. And the common thread throughout the story was grace. Because of grace, God chose Abraham. By grace he declared him righteous. By grace God provided for and protected Abraham and his family, even when they disobeyed. It was God’s grace that moved him to bless Abraham and Sarah with a son. And it was God’s grace that would move him to see this story through to completion.” Stanley, Andy. The Grace of God (p. 30). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
T.S. – We seen from the Old Testament that grace and Truth have been in partnership from The Beginning – God is both Grace and Truth – Jesus was filled with Grace and Truth and the Holy Spirit today wants to dispense Grace and Truth into your lives and have you pass it on to others – this world does not want you dispensing Grace and Truth!
IV. The problem of today – Is we devalue grace and truth – we blow off our need for grace and truth – so in doing this we devalue God’s plan of Redemption through the sacrifice and death of Jesus Christ.
a. We still think we know best – not God – We still have people telling us God is Dead – the Bible’s way is evil and my way is good.
i. Scripture warned of this happening:
1. Isaiah 5:20: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
2. Romans 12:9: Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
3. I Thessalonians 5:19-22: 19Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil.
4. John 8:44: You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
5. Romans 1:28-32: And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
b. But if we look at all the foolish thinking happening today in our post Christian culture – it reveals and shows how many do not understand grace and truth:
i. They say, “You cannot determine a person’s sex at birth!”
ii. They say, “It’s okay to kill babies it’s better for the baby then to be unwanted!”
iii. They say, “A child can choose their own sex as a child but not drink until 21!”
iv. They say, “You cannot use an ID to vote to keep it from being a corrupted system yet we use ID in every other venue of life!”
v. They say, “It’s okay to practice all kinds of sexual immorality in society because it will not hurt anyone!” But Sex trafficking is at an all time high as well as porn.
vi. They say, “In China people are being forced to give their organs to others who are rich and powerful and it’s okay they are more deserving.”
vii. They say, “It’s okay to do drugs and consume drugs because you can control it!”
viii. They say, “It’s your right to have special privileges over others you are entitled!”
ix. They say, “It’s the guns that kill people not the people pulling the trigger except if you are police officer then it’s the person pulling the trigger.”
x. They say, “It’s okay to destroy other people’s property and steal if you are frustrated.”
xi. I could give many other current cases of how people do not understand God’s gift of Grace and Truth.
c. We need to dispense Grace and Truth for revival to break out and fix this broken culture and world. You need both – you cannot have one without the other!
i. Grace without truth breeds a license to sin and unholy living and say God’s okay with that!
ii. Truth without Grace breeds legalism – a religious do and don’t system that is harsh and heartless and forgoes forgiveness and mercy.
Conclusion:
What do we need to know?
Answer: Regret, Remorse, and Repentance leads to the path of experiencing grace and truth. We do not need to miss out on receiving grace and truth from God for our sins! Grace is chasing us and wants to embrace us will you let it today? Truth is running right next to Grace and wants you to embrace it too! These two are not in conflict!
Why do we need to know this?
Answer: If we ignore or reject the gift of grace and truth provided by Jesus and His resurrection then all we have left is condemnation, death, lies, deception and a life filled with cursing, and pain. A life without Grace and Truth has no future – no hope – no good life – no eternal life – no peace. But Grace and Truth are calling to us today – question - are you hearing their voices? Will you respond to both?
What do we need to do?
Answer: Accept responsibility for our sins, ask Jesus to forgive us and be the Lord of our life – and embrace His Grace and Truth. You can experience it! They are not in conflict with each other they go together like Peanut butter and jelly! Jesus had both so can we!
Why do we need to do this?
Answer: It’s a matter of life or death – blessings or cursing’s – forgiveness or judgment! Grace and Truth are here waiting for you to embrace them and experience them – Jesus had both and He wants you to have both.
Grace and Truth are Greater than any of your sins or any of your situations! Connect today with The GT of the Holy Spirit – and get ready for an exciting thrilling ride!
Conclusion:
Don’t miss out on Grace and Truth today – I challenge you to embrace them and experience them today – it’s free – it’s refreshing and empowering – it’s the chance to encounter and connect with the Holy Spirit and with God. It’s the opportunity to gain wisdom and understanding and connection with the Lord in a day filled with judgment and deception.
