The Sustaining Grace Of God Series

Sermon for August 30, 2009

Sermon Series: Sermons on the Grace of God

Sermon #02: God’s Sustaining Grace

Scripture Ref: Philippians 1:6 & I Peter 5:12

Philippians 1:6 ‘Being confident of this very thing, that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.’

I Peter 5:12 ‘By Silvanas, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting & testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein you stand.’

Introduction:

A few days ago I watched on television as ATHLETES from VARIOUS SPORTS COMPETED to QUALIFY for the next OLYMPIC GAMES which will be in Vancouver, Canada in 2010. There are 3 THINGS an ATHLETE MUST HAVE in order to MAKE IT.

1: SPEED 2: SKILL 3: ENDURANCE

The ATHLETE may SPEEDY & SKILLFUL but ENDURANCE is vitally important.

If we don’t make it to the END of the RACE we won’t be WEARING any MEDALS around our neck.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians:

Philippians 1:6 ‘Being confident of this very thing, that He which has begun a good work within you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.’

Paul surely SPOKE from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. GOD FINISHES what HE STARTS within us.

GOD who BEGAN the GOOD WORK within us will CONTINUE HIS WORK UNTIL it is finally FINISHED.

Paul did not say: GOD MIGHT FINISH HIS WORK within us.

No, Paul was BOLDLY CONFIDENT: ‘GOD WILL FINISH HIS WORK within us.’

Now that simply means:

If we truly WANT to RUN this CHRISTIAN RACE VICTORIOUSLY, then GOD WILL HELP US to go ALL THE WAY, until the FINISH LINE is CROSSED.

Last Sunday morning we looked at the SAVING GRACE of GOD.

That is when we are PLACED in the RACE. However, GOD wants to DO MORE than SAVE US. {Place us within the race :} GOD wants us to RUN the RACE VICTORIOUSLY.

GOD wants us to GO to HEAVEN.

I think for the most part the MAJORITY of us this morning have RUN this RACE ENOUGH to know there are some HURDLES we have to JUMP OVER.

There are some OBSTACLES & HINDRANCES along the way.

How can we be ASSURED we’re going to MAKE IT?

We cannot feel very CONFIDENT about many things in this life but we can BE CONFIDENT in the SUSTAINING GRACE of GOD.

NO ONE wants us to MAKE IT any MORE than the LORD DOES.

Before JESUS ASCENDED into HEAVEN HE PROMISED HIS DISCIPLES:

‘I WILL GO with you ALL THE WAY, even unto the end of the world.’

& they found that PROMISE of the LORD to be TRUE.

However, that PROMISE is also GIVEN to EACH ONE OF US this morning as well. We are NOT ALONE in this RACE. That should be of GREAT COMFORT to us.

What is SUSTAINING GRACE?

SUSTAINING GRACE is the POWER to KEEP on GOING when we often FEEL LIKE GIVING UP within.

Do we ever NEED that INNER POWER & STRENGTH? You bet we do!

SUSTAINING GRACE is also the POWER & the DETERMINATION to DO the RIGHT THINGS when we DON’T FEEL LIKE DOING the RIGHT THINGS.

The CHRISTIAN RACE has NEVER been PROMISED to be an EASY RACE.

There are so many PITFALLS in the RACE of LIFE.

There are so many OBSTACLES we have to GET AROUND.

But REGARDLESS of WHAT we are going through --& no matter WHAT TOMORROW MAY HOLD for us, GOD has HIS SUSTAINING GRACE AVAILABLE to us just FOR THE ASKING.

I Peter 5:8-10 8. ‘Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour. 9. Whom resist, being steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethern that are in the world, 10. But the GOD of all GRACE, who has called us unto HIS eternal glory by CHRIST JESUS, after that have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablished, strengthen, & settle you.’

Peter writes from his OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:

He knew what it was for the DEVIL to give him a HARD TIME, to make his WAY ROUGH, seeking to DEVOUR him. But he also KNEW what it was to FEEL the SUSTAINING GRACE of GOD to EMPOWER him WHEN he met the SNARES of the DEVIL head on.

The GRACE of GOD is there to STRENTHEN & to ESTABLISH & to SETTLE us, no matter WHAT HAPPENS.

No Matter What Happens: Circle those words: No Matter What Happens:

There are THREE THINGS in life that can CAUSE US to STUMBLE SPIRITUALLY & that can CAUSE us to GET OFF TRACK while RUNNING this RACE; THINGS that can PREVENT us from CROSSING the FINISH LINE.

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