Our PRINCIPLE ASSETS-III—1Corinthians 1:3(:1-9)
ATTENTION:
After I got saved by Jesus Christ, I lost interest in my job as a marine biologist. But before God could convince me to pastor, I had to pick up a ‘bread route’ with Flowers Baking Co. I ran the route in Rowan & Cabarrus County, NC.
Every morning at 2:30am, I would load up individually designated ‘stacking crates’, with freshly baked white bread & various other breads & bakery items.
Then, I would load the filled crates onto my ‘delivery truck’ with a ‘hand-truck’, & then place the racks in a specific order, with a metal ‘pull-stick.’. Then, I would drive to the stores & restaurants that I was responsible for.
Lots of times, I would NOT remember ‘how’ I got to my first Food Lion, because I was always sleepy!
•My ‘bread truck’—Without the truck, I would have been ‘dead-in-the-water’ as it were!
•The ‘delivery truck’ in particular, plus the ‘stacking crates’, & the ‘hand-truck’ & ‘pull stick’, were Principle Assets that made possible the completion of my daily deliveries!
*Likewise, the Church has many Assets, that are necessary & eternally significant!
NEED:
We must administer the Good News to each other, & to a world that is lost in sin! If we ‘forget’ or ‘neglect’ the assets, which God has provided, then we will fail our God-ordained mission!
An ASSET— ‘A useful or valuable thing, person, or quality’; ‘An advantage or A resource.’
Paul & Sosthenes opened their letter to the Corinthian church by informing them of their most important spiritual assets.
The local(our) church has important spiritual assets.
We will attempt to answer the question:
‘?What are some of our church’s most important spiritual assets?’
1Cor. 1:1-9 reveals some principle spiritual assets of the Christian Church.
In previous weeks we found that...
1. APPROPRIATE APOSTLES(:1)
&
2. SANCTIFIED SAINTS(:2)...
...are principle assets of the Christian church.
Today we’ll find that...
3—Another Principle Asset of the Christian church is...
GOD’s GRACE & PEACE(:3)
Explanation:(:3)Experiencing/Receiving
:3—“Grace to you & peace from God our Father & the Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Grace to you & peace...”
The phrase is similarly repeated in: Rom. 1:7; 2Cor. 1:2; Eph. 1:2; Php. 1:2; Col. 1:2; 1Thess. 1:1; 2Thess. 1:2; Philemon :3
1Tim. 1:2; 2Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4—“To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, & peace from God our Father & Jesus Christ our Lord.”
1Pet. 1:2—“elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience & sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you & peace be multiplied.”
2Pet. 1:2—“Grace & peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God & of Jesus our Lord,”
God’s desire for all people, & particularly His people—the church, the saved— is for them to experience His “grace” “& peace.”
And so, the desire of God’s SERVANTS, including Paul & Sosthenes, is for all of God’s people to experience the fullness of “grace” “& peace” that are offered to them & come “from God.”
*“GRACE”:
God's “Grace” encompasses/subsumes all of God’s unmerited favor that is extended/offered to mankind.
God shows His love for all of mankind by ‘graciously’ offering & providing redemption for them as individuals, even when they/you had no love for Him. That is, “salvation is freely given by God to undeserving sinners.”[ISBE 1982(‘Grace’)]
Rom. 5:8—“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Eph. 1:7, 8—“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom & prudence,”
1John 4:9-10—“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us & sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
*Consider parents. They love their children so much that they are ‘gracious’ to them, providing for them what they cannot provide for themselves.
The acronym, “Grace”[G. R.A.C.E.]—‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.’
“Grace” is shown to us thru God’s actions. His perfect & divine choice is to lavish us with the ‘unearned’ beauty of His forgiveness. Therefore He forgives us by His “grace.”
*“To you”—“To” all the church. All who belong to God thru Christ.
*“& PEACE”:
Biblically speaking, the word “peace” describes SPIRITUAL satisfaction, completeness, soundness, & wholeness.[WAElwell’s EDOT1984; ISBE] All of those aspects are manifested in the ‘rest for the soul’ that Jesus described & invites us to take part in(Mat. 11:28-30).
•Mat. 11:28-30—Jesus said,—“Come to Me, all you who labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you & learn from Me, for I am gentle & lowly in heart, & you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy & My burden is light.”
*God’s “peace” comes to our lives, as a RESULT of His “grace.”
So GOD’S “peace” can ONLY come to Your life, WHENEVER God’s “grace” has been fully ‘realized’ & made practical in your life!
•‘Realized’--meaning that it must be both personally admitted & personally accepted by YOU, the individual.
•Life is fraught with & filled with, the anxieties & stresses that go along with an unnerving & gnawing uncertainty. That ‘uncertainty’ is lived-out WHENEVER “grace” has NOT been ‘realized’! That ‘uncertainty’ indicates a life that is ‘devoid’ of God’s “peace”!
“from God our Father & the Lord Jesus Christ.”
“from God our Father...”
True “grace & peace” are couched or bound together, in both “God our Father” as well as in “the Lord” who is “Jesus Christ.”
*What does it mean to refer to “God” as “our Father”?
•To say that God is our “Father” is to say, that He reigns with ‘providential care’ over the entirety of His creation. And He wants you to willingly receive His providential care![SBCBF&M]
God provides for your well-being at all times! But keep in mind that, His ‘provision’ also involves/entails ‘corrective measures’ of chastisement.
•Heb. 12:6-8—“For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate & not sons.”
•So, to receive “God our Father’s” “grace & peace”, is to receive His deepest most heartfelt ‘provision’ for YOU in ALL matters of an individual’s life...AND for us ALL matters of the gathered Church’s life!
“& the Lord Jesus Christ.”
As does “God our Father”, so the apostle Paul wants us to be the recipients of “grace & peace” that flows “from” “the Lord Jesus Christ.” Both “God our Father” “& the Lord Jesus Christ” work flawlessly, inseparably(explain?...), & seamlessly together in order to bring you God’s “grace & peace.”
*When a person or a gathering of persons(the Church) says, that “Jesus” is their “Lord”,—what is meant, is that they have willingly surrendered ‘mastery’ over their own lives, to “Jesus Christ”! “Jesus” is thus welcomed as Master or “Lord” over all that a person & church is, & over all that they do!
Eph. 6:5-7—“Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear & trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, & not to men,”
Rom. 6:22—“But now having been set free from sin, & having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, & the end, everlasting life.”
1Cor. 7:23—“You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.”
The result is that such people & such churches, live for “God” thru faith in “Jesus Christ”!
Argumentation:
Concerning GOD’s GRACE:
Rom. 11:5-6—“Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
•No one can by their effort, ‘work’ themselves into God’s favor or into God’s heaven.
Eph. 2:4-9—“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Jn. 1:17—“For the law was given through Moses, but grace & truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Rom. 3:21-26—“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law & the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all & on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just & the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
2Cor 9:8—“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
1Cor. 15:10—“But by the grace of God I am what I am, & His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
2Cor. 12:9-10—Paul relates what the risen Lord Jesus revealed to him:—“And He[the Lord] said to me[Paul], “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2Cor. 6:1—“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
Rom. 12:6-8—“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
•It is entirely an act of God’s “grace”(‘graciousness’), that we are enabled towards God’s spiritual ends, in the particular ways that we are.
Rom. 5:1-2—“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Argumentation:
Concerning GOD’s PEACE:
1Cor. 14:33—“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”
Col. 1:19-20—“For it pleased the Father that in Him[Jesus] all the fullness should dwell, & by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
Rom. 5:1—“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
Jn. 14:26-27—Jesus to His disciples—““But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, & bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Isa. 26:3-4—“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.”
Php. 4:6-7—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus.”
Col. 3:15—“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; & be thankful.”
Lk. 1:7879—Zacharias’ prophecy—“...the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness & the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.””
Jn. 16:33—Jesus said,—“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Eph. 6:15—makes reference to:—“...the gospel of peace;”
Lk. 19:41-42—“Now as He drew near, He saw the city & wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
Heb. 12:14—“Pursue peace with all people, & holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:”
1Thess. 5:23—“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; & may your whole spirit, soul, & body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2Pet. 3:14—“Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot & blameless;”
Eph 4:1-7—“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness & gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body & one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God & Father of all, who is above all, & through all, & in you all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
*?And what IS “the measure” “of Christ’s gift”?...
•It is the perfect or ‘optimal’ measure of God’s “grace” for YOU in particular. It is ‘optimal’ measure of God’s “grace” that any given person is intended to put-to-use or employ.
•“The measure of Christ’s gift” is limited only by YOUR faithfulness! And that ‘faithfulness’ is focused on trusting ALL that is encompassed/comprehended/comprised/included thru the name of Jesus Christ!
•God’s intended “measure of Christ’s gift” for YOU can only be met or reached when Jesus is YOUR Lord!(:3)
Illustration:
Billy Bob wants $4000 to paint his car. He approaches his ‘old friend’ Tom, but Tom hedges at the request.
• Tom reminds Billy Bob of his past graciousness...Saved Billy’s life in the Gulf War—Matched Billy Bob to his wife—Gave them money for their honeymoon—Provided for a blood transfusion for Billy Bob’s daughter when she was hospitalized—Tom Co-signed a $27,000 loan to save Billy Bob’s Company...
• Billy Bob replies—‘But TOM, what have you done for me lately!?’
*Billy Bob hadn’t experienced Tom’s grace & peace!
Application:
?Do YOU live by God’s GRACE & PEACE?
?Is GOD’s GRACE & PEACE an Asset for YOU?
?Are YOU an Asset to the Christian Church?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The Assets that were part of my bread delivery ensemble. Without it & other necessities, there can be no ‘realistic’ delivery!
So, the Church has Eternally Significant Assets intended for all people! God wants you to take hold of them, put them to use, & not merely talk about them!
Action:
A Principle Asset of the Christian Church is...
3. GOD’s GRACE & PEACE(:3)
As well as:
1. APPROPRIATE APOSTLES(:1-2a)
2. SANCTIFIED SAINTS(:2)
Pt#3 only! presented 07/16/2023am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC, 29512
Pts. 1-5 presented 07/21/2013pm to:
FBC C’belle
206 Storrs Ave.
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 1-5 Presented 03/01/1998pm to:
Penia Baptist Church
3738 Old Penia Rd.
Cordele, GA 31015
