Title: God’s School of Grace
Most colleges offer a continuing education program.
These classes they offer can be a valuable resource for those who wish to go on learning and enriching their lives.
Lots of people take advantage of these opportunities, however many do not.
Maybe they don’t know about the possibility
Or maybe they just hated school so much they would not touch the idea of going back to school with a 10-foot pole.
But I have news for All Christians in this church today
YOU ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO ATTEND SCHOOL AGAIN
Yes! You must attend God’s School of Grace
In fact you are already enrolled
You have been on the roll call since the day you became a Christian
Have you been studying?
Would you like to see your report card?
Sorry, it is already in the hands of our father ---in heaven
???How did you come to be enrolled in God’s school of Grace?
It’s the first step we take after coming to know the Lord as savior
Jesus paid the price for your tuition. (By his shed blood.)
And the apostle Paul wrote the school catalog
In it He describes
• What the curriculum includes
• What the incentive plan is for being a good student.
• And what provisions God has made to enable each student to progress toward an A+
He wrote all of this in
Titus 2:11-15
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. [12] It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, [13] while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, [14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
[15] These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
This morning’s message is entitled GOD’S SCHOOL OF GRACE
I WANT FOCUS ON THE APOSTLE PAUL’S SCHOOL CATALOG
I. The Curriculum of Grace
II. The Motivation of Grace
III. The Enablement of Grace
But First I want to ask a question
If you were to receive your spiritual report card right now how would you do?
Have you been mindful of the lessons you need to learn?
Or have you been standing back with a 10-foot pole resisting the Holy Spirit’s work in your life.
The good news is that God’s school of grace is set up so you do well.
If you give yourself to learning all you can
You will come forth shining as gold
And be ----the HONOR STUDENT
even if you did poorly at every other school.
Prayer……………….
I. THE CURRICULUM OF GRACE
A. Grace is our subject
Grace is the most vast and comprehensive subject ever.
In fact it is so extensive that the subject can never to be exhausted.
Simply stated
Grace is a word that describes God’s activity toward man
From Grace we receive all the benefits of eternity
Everything we need know for life is tied up in GRACE.
Furthermore not only is GRACE our Subject
B. Grace is our teacher
Titus 2:12
[12] It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
Think about what a teacher does.
Literally a teacher is a giver of knowledge or skill.
Here however, Grace as our teacher implies so much more.
Grace is
Our instructor
Adviser
Encourager
Exhorter
It admonishes us
Guides us
Restrains us
Rewards us
And corrects us.
How does grace accomplish all this instruction?
God’s Grace trains us by increasing our understanding of God,
The great giver,
So that we can explore and enjoy all that he has given.
C. Grace is our Curriculum
A curriculum is a schedule for dispensing knowledge
Line upon line, precept upon precept,
So that students can grasp knowledge and master it.
In order for us to understand God’s grace He has made a plan for our education.
The curriculum of Grace has two basic courses.
THE FIRST COURSE IS ----
1. HOLINESS 101 – the goal of this course is to teach us to say NO to ungodliness, and worldly passion.
In the 1980’s it became popular to JUST SAY NO to drugs
Nancy Reagan began the campaign.
However, Just saying NO was not original with Nancy Reagan
It has always been God’s idea.
In God’s plan, Man does NOT ONLY SAY NO, but his decision to say No is backed by the GRACE of God, Giving us the power to make it a reality.
____________________________________________________
Years ago we watched a movie called the bear. In the film the a bear cub has lost its mother and is learning how to survive with the help of very large male grizzly.
The young cub gets separated from the big grizzly and is attacked by a mountain lion. The Lion is going to kill the little bear, but the cub decides to stand up against it.. to Say NO
Its prospects of surviving against this lion are impossible
Except for the Grizzly who shows up at just the right moment and standing behind the cub scares the lion away.
In like manner our ability to say No is backed up by The power of God to help us see it through.
God’s grace teaches us to say NO and we can do it by his Grace.
The Question is, Just what are we to say NO to?
The Second Course in the curriculum of God’s School of Grace is:
B. MASTERING YOUR IMPULSES 102
The goal of this course is to learn to let God bulldoze the trash away from our lives and to allow him to build positive spiritual qualities in us.
His method of teaching us is familiarity with that which is HOLY.
Let me illustrate.
A Chinese boy who wanted to learn about jade went to study with a talented old teacher. This gentleman put a piece of the stone into the youth’s hand and told him to hold it tight. Then he began to talk of philosophy, men, women, the sun, and almost everything under it.
After an hour he took back the stone and sent the boy home.
The procedure was repeated for weeks. The boy became frustrated--when would he be told about jade?--but he was too polite to interrupt his venerable teacher.
Then one day when the old man put a stone into his hands, the boy cried out instantly, "That’s not jade!"
The point is clear: the way to know what is ungodly or worldly is familiarity with that which is holy and that, which is of Christ.
These two courses may seem too difficult.
Some may feel it is not possible to do well in courses like these.
But Paul insists that it is possible.
It is possible for the people who wholeheartedly and enthusiastically apply themselves to knowing God
To knowing a God who loves to give
And who keeps on giving to people like you and me who don’t deserve it.
WE CAN PASS THE CLASS
But like in any good school the courses we must take have an established motivational plan under girding them
Lets talk about
II THE MOTIVATION OF GRACE
Most of us would agree that it is easier to learn when we have something to look forward to.
An A
An Honor
A reward
Our education system has built-in incentives
And God’s School of Grace has incentives too.
Titus 2:13 says,
[13] While we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ
We have something to look forward to that is absolutely incomparable to any earthly reward.
Paul calls it the blessed hope.
We have all said I sure hope this or that
-I hope it does not rain.
-I hope I get a good grade on the test.
-I hope you understand what I am trying to say
-I hope I get my tax refund someday
In that case Hope is like wishful thinking.
Hope in the New Testament however
is not something we wish for, but something we are assured will take place
And the word blessed in this phrase refers to the fact that it inspires happiness and delight.
As Paul points out in VS. 11
Jesus 1st advent occurred just as predicted.
Titus 2:11
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
And his glorious appearing will occur as predicted also.
His return is our motivation to keep learning and growing in His school of Grace.
And if motivation is not enough
Lets talk about
III. THE ENABLEMENT OF GRACE
Titus 2:14-15
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
[15] These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
God’s Grace enables us to make it
To learn all the lessons
And come forth shining as Gold
How
1. He redeems us from all wickedness
In other words
Christ paid the ransom to release from the power and bondage of sin.
When Billy Graham was driving through a small southern town, he was stopped by a policeman and charged with speeding.
Graham admitted his guilt, but was told by the officer that he would have to appear in court.
The judge asked, "Guilty, or not guilty?" When Graham pleaded guilty, the judge replied, "That’ll be ten dollars -- a dollar for every mile you went over the limit."
Suddenly the judge recognized the famous minister. "You have violated the law," he said. "The fine must be paid--but I am going to pay it for you." He took a ten dollar bill from his own wallet, attached it to the ticket, and then took Graham out and bought him a steak dinner!
"That," said Billy Graham, "is how God treats repentant sinners
2. He enables us by removing our guilt
He purifies us.
And sets us free to serve him
No matter what we have ever done before
I was reminded of the prodigal son
The prodigal son is given a kiss not a lecture,
He is given a party instead not an attitude that says will just wait and see if you can make it.
Thank God that he ENABLES us by His Grace
CONCLUSION
The catalog is clear
The school bell has rung
The teacher is passing out the tests
How will you do?
Have you been applying yourself?
Or
Are have you been falling short of your responsibilities.
It’s not too late
To make a fresh start
And make the grade
God’s school of grace is freely given
It must be freely received, and freely pursued.
PRAYER
