Amazing Grace
If you have your Bible, please open it to Titus Chapter 2. An atheist complained to a Christian friend, “You Christians have special holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. Jews celebrate their national holidays, such as Passover and Yom Kippur. But we atheists have no recognized national holidays, it is unfair discrimination.”
His friend replied, “Why don’t you celebrate April first?”
If you have not been able to tell by the music today, today the sermon will be about the amazing grace given to us by God. We believe we are saved by faith through grace. God's grace is usually defined as undeserved favor. Grace cannot be earned; it is freely given. We count on God's grace and the bridge he built in our relationship with Him. I am beyond thankful for the grace of God that reached down and saved a wretch like me.
The song “Amazing Grace” is without a doubt one of the best-known Christian songs ever written. It is estimated that the song is played or sang about 10 million times every year. I am going to read you the story behind Amazing Grace. In 1744 Newton was by force into service in the Royal Navy. He was disgraced, relieved of his post, and traded for another man from a passing merchant ship, a slave vessel.
Beginning his career in slave trading, Newton soon became tempted by its profits. Merchants believed that trafficking in human trade was justified since slavery was permitted in the Bible as long as slaves were treated with dignity and kindness. That Newton engaged in the slave trade in such a manner was demonstrated by the willingness of slaves to secretly carry his letters to port to send to Mary. Despite a promising start with a slaver off the coast of Sierra Leone, Newton once again found himself in tough straits. Felled by malaria, he was at the mercy of the slaver's native mistress, whose abuse reduced him to the condition of the "wretch" he later described in "Amazing Grace." He recovered, however, but was soon to face another trial during which he was strengthened and inspired by Thomas à Kempis' Imitation of Christ. Newton was aboard ship one night when a violent storm broke out. Moments after he left the deck, the crewman who had taken his place was swept overboard. Although he manned the vessel for the remainder of the tempest, he later commented that, throughout the tumult, he realized his helplessness and concluded that only the grace of God could save him. Prodded by what he had read in Kempis, Newton took the first step toward accepting Christ.
Let us look at Titus Chapter 2 starting in verse 11.
READ TITUS 2:11-15
We defined grace as undeserved favor. God gave us this undeserved favor of salvation. Folks there is nothing we could have ever done to deserve or receive salvation, but God gave it to us anyway. What an Amazing Grace that is. That He reached down and saved us. Let us look closely at Amazing Grace this morning. I have 6 points that show how great and amazing that grace from God is.
1. A Saving Grace
Verse 1 of Amazing Grace says this:
“Amazing Grace how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.”
Like John Newton, we too are a wretch. A wretch can be described as someone who is despicable. Romans 3:23 says:
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
That means that every person to ever walk the planet has sinned and because we have sinned, we are despicable and a wretch. Y`all can get mad at me if you want to, but that is the truth. If we were great and wonderful people, there would have been no reason for Jesus to come and die on the cross. He came and He died to save us from the pit of hell. He came to save us from what we truly deserve. In today's age, there is a lot of entitlement going around. People think that they deserve happiness and think that they deserve whatever they want. Listen folks, the only thing that any of us truly deserve is spending an eternity in hell. Paul later says in Romans 6:23:
“For the wages of sin is death”
So, in Romans, Paul makes it clear that we have all sinned and the payment for our sins is death. Not just an Earthly death where we have this big funeral and people sing and cry, but an eternal death in hell. That is what we all deserve, but thankfully we have a loving and merciful Father.
“Amazing Grace how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!”
Verse 14 says:
“Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness.”
Jesus died for us to save and rescue us from an eternal torment in hell. The grace of God is a saving grace. We are all in need of saving. There is no one who can save themself or can be saved without Jesus Christ. Titus 3:5 says this:
“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
We cannot save ourselves. Listen folks, being a good person will not get you in Heaven one day. Doing and saying the right things and being nice to others will not get you in Heaven one day. Knowing about God and sitting in a church pew every Sunday will not get you in Heaven one day. The only way to get into Heaven is through Jesus. It is not knowing about Him, but it is about knowing Him and having a relationship with Him. Too many people today think they are saved because they have spent the last 30 years in a church somewhere. That will get you nowhere. You must know the Father. Titus 3: 3 says:
“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.”
If you are a Christian, you are no longer enslaved to your sin and you are no longer going to get what you truly deserve. Are you truly saved? The love and grace of God is a saving grace. He can save you right where you are at.
“Amazing Grace how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.”
2. A Calming Grace
Verse 2 of Amazing Grace says this:
“Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!”
The grace and love of God is calming Grace. John Newton was worried and anxious and as soon as His grace fell over him, it says that his fears were relieved. He was at peace. God can give you a peace like you have never known before. I have not really shared this story with many people, but the final days leading into my mom's death were filled many sleepless nights. She passed on Wednesday, April 26th but she had gone unresponsive the Saturday before. In those 4 very long days, none of us slept much if at all. I remember that Wednesday night I decided I was going to try to lay down and try to get some rest, but I could not. I was tossing and turning and then finally I grew very tired and was about to fall asleep. I looked at the time as I put my down and it was exactly 10:35 pm. A few moments later, they came in and woke me up and told me she had passed. She passed at exactly 10:35 pm. The calmness and peace that God put over me was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Isaiah 26: 3 says this:
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”
Those who fully trust in God will have peace. They will have peace because they know that no matter what happens, He is still in control, and He still has a plan. God gave me peace and calmness in one of the darkest moments of my life so far. In John Newton`s mind, he was worried, and he probably thought the end was near. He said his fears were relieved when he believed in Christ. I said it last week or maybe the week before, but you do not have to understand God`s plan, you just need to trust it and have faith in it. Even in your darkest times and in situations where you find yourself disappointed because of something, God is still good, God is still in control, and God still has a plan. Trust in God. Like the old hymnal says,
Have faith in God, He`s on His throne
Have faith in God, He watches o`er His own;
He cannot fail, He must prevail;
Have faith in God, Have faith in God
The grace of God is a calming grace. He can give you calmness that nothing else in this world can. One of my favorite things to do at the beach is wake up early and watch the sunrise. It was actually something me and my mom did together. Before a whole bunch of people get up and are all over the beach. It is nice and quiet and calming and yet as calming as it is, it cannot even begin to compare to what God can do. He will calm those who trust in Him.
“Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!”
3. A Protective Grace
Verse 3 of Amazing Grace says this:
“Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.”
In his time before writing Amazing Grace, John Newton faced a lot of danger and hardships. We looked at a few of those earlier. He knows that through God`s grace alone, he is safe and made it through it. He said that grace has brought him safe through many dangers, toils, and snares. The God that did it for John Newton is the same God that can do it for you. 2 Thessalonians 3: 3 says this:
“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”
God will guard you against the devil. Now, that does not mean you will not go through hard and difficult times, it just means that in those difficult times that God is till with you and God is still protecting you. Think about it. Look at Paul for example. Paul was arrested, beaten, stoned, and thrown in jail. Even in those hard and difficult times, Paul wrote the book that we call Philippians. Philippians in considered to be Paul`s happiest letter or book and he wrote it from harsh conditions in jail. By now, most of us, if not all of us, have heard the song Whom Shall I Fear. Look at some of those lyrics.
You crush the enemy
Underneath my feet
You are my sword and shield
Though troubles linger still
Even though we are surrounded by darkness and troubles, God still protect us. He is still with us in every situation. No matter how dark, hopeless, or impossible a situation may seem, God is still with you there in every moment. The grace of God is a protective grace. He protects us because He loves us.
“Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.”
4. A Rewarding Grace
Verse 4 of Amazing Grace says this:
“The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.”
We have a promise from God. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 says this:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
I told y`all last week that if God promises to do something, He will fulfill that promise in His time. Not our timing, but His timing. Receiving the grace of God is rewarding. Yes, you will face hardships and difficulties in this life for it, but it is so worth it. The Bible tells us that those who believe and trust in Jesus will one day spend an eternity in Heaven with Him. We will be in a place with no more suffering or pain. A place where we do not have to worry about making ends meet. A place where we do not have to worry about politics. A place of eternal paradise. That is what we are promised if we truly believe and trust in God. Listen closely to this next part... Your parents' faith will not get you into Heaven. Your children's faith will not get you into Heaven. Your sibling's faith will not get you into Heaven. Only your faith will do that. You personally must believe and trust in Jesus Christ and live your life like you do. Nobody can do it for you, you must do it yourself. The grace of God is a rewarding grace. He will reward those who believe and trust in Him. The question is, do you believe and trust in Him?
“The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.”
5. A Never-Ending Grace
An added verse of Amazing Grace says this:
“The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.”
The love and grace of God will never end. John Newton said it in Amazing Grace. The Earth will one day fade away. The Bible says that God will destroy it with fire. So, this Earth will be destroyed and will disappear, but God never will. God will be forever mine. Not only will God forever be mine, but God will also forever love me. Jeremiah 31:3 says this:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you.”
God loves us with an everlasting love. A love that will never end for all of eternity. A love that caused Him to send Hone one and only son to die a horrible death on a cross for all of mankind. That is a special type of love. Listen folks, love all of y`all to death. I really do, but if I had a child, I would not give them up to save any of y`all. I would not and I imagine all of y`all would say the same thing. I love all of y`all but nowhere near as much as God loves you or as hard as God loves you. He loved you enough to let His son die for you. That is an everlasting love. Another difference between my love for you and God`s love for you is that you can do something to affect my love for you. You can say something or do something that hurts me and affects my love for you, but there is nothing you can do that will affect the love that God has for you. If that is not grace, then I do not know what it is. We defined grace as undeserved favor. We do not deserve a type of love like that. We sin time after time and break God`s heart every time we do it and yet He still loves us unconditionally. God`s grace is a never-ending grace.
If you do not know Christ, I want you to listen very closely to this next part. No matter what you have done. No matter what you have said. No matter how much you think you have messed up or made mistakes, God still loves you. I love the song that says:
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
I thank God that He left the 99 to come after me. God loves you. He has always loved you and He always will love you.
“The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.”
6. A Persevering Grace
Verse 5 of Amazing Grace says this:
“When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.”
The grace of God is a persevering grace. Perseverance can be described as continuing in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success. God still loves us and gives us grace even in times when it would probably be better if He did not. John Newton said when we have been here 10,000 years. Think about how long humanity has been on Earth. Some say millions or billions of years and some say only a few thousand years. I believe the Earth was created about 6,000 years ago, but either way, that is a long time. Humanity has given God reason after reason after reason to give up on us, but God never has. Think about some of the major events that have happened. The Holocaust. Both World Wars. The way that nation after nation has treated Israel. The way the homeless and the poor have been forgotten and left behind. Day after day. Year after year. Decade after decade, we give God a million reasons to give up on us, but He does not.
In Luke 15, Jesus tells the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The younger son gets his inheritance from his dad before he even dies, and he goes far away, and he wasted every penny he got, and he has nothing to show for it. He finally decides to come home and face his father. The man that the son basically told that he wished he was dead. The son who broke his father's heart. It was a tradition in that day that if a son ever left home like he did and came back, he was to be stoned by the entire town. The son was walking home and as soon as he got into the father`s view, the father ran out to the son and hugged and embraced him and also shielded him in case any stones were thrown. The son disrespected his father. Told him that he wished he was dead. Wasted his entire inheritance by partying and drinking. Made a mockery of himself and the entire family, but as soon as his father saw him, he ran to him and hugged him and welcomed him back home into the family.
Jesus does the same thing for us. We ventured far off away from God in our sinful lifestyles and we break His heart. We completely deserve death in hell for eternity, but Jesus steps in and when He sees us making our way back home to Him, He immediately runs out to embrace and hug us. Listen folks, even when you were a far way off, He was waiting for you because He loves you. You take one step towards Jesus and Jesus takes every other step towards you. The grace of God is persevering grace and a persevering love. Even when we give Him a million reasons to turn away from us, He never leaves. That is a God of love.
“When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.”
The beautiful message from John Newton in Amazing Grace is that he was saved right where he was at. In the middle of something he should not have been doing. He was not saved after he got home and completely gave up slave trading. He was not saved after he got his life together. No, he was saved right where he was at. In the middle of his brokenness. In the middle of the darkness. In the middle of chaos and sin, he was saved. Listen folks, I do not know where you are at today in life. Maybe you are struggling. Maybe you keep making mistakes and you feel ashamed or guilty. Like John Newton, God can save you right where you are at. In your brokenness and your sin and your shame, God can reach down and save you. He is calling for you. Will you answer? Let us pray.
