Warning About Rejecting God's Grace Series

Code Yellow Alert

Warning about Rejecting God’s Grace

Hebrews 12:14-17

* (To the screen) You remember this alert sign that we have watched over the past weeks. The flashing color represents the level of threat which we face. We are in an elevated status, a “Code Yellow” situation & are offering warnings from Hebrews.

* For years we have sung about the “Amazing Grace” of God. When I think back through the years, I am reminded about dozens of old songs which spoke to the grace of God. Songs like; “Wonderful Grace, Grace Greater than our Sins, and even “At Calvary” (Mercy there was great and grace was FREE!) And the younger generation has truly taken celebrating the grace of God to an entirely NEW level with songs like “Grace Like Rain” which includes an updated rendition of the old Amazing Grace as does My Chains are gone. Then with a shout the song says “Your Grace is enough.” Literally, the songs about God’s grace is cross generation because, anyone who has come to God through Jesus understands clearly the lavish, unconditional, and limitless grace of God.

* The old acrostic for “Grace” (God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense) is certainly one way to describe God’s grace, yet for me it will always be “God giving me what I don’t deserve.” It’s overwhelming to think of how much God extends and expresses His love to me.

* As much as God offers and wants to give His grace there are those who reject it. Maybe for us this is beyond imagination, but it still happens. For those who reject God’s grace, eternity is in the balance. We need to hear this warning.

1. The Directions to Us

a. The Responsibility for it – To the authentic believers HCSB writes, “See to it that NO ONE” while the KJV says “Looking diligently.” Other translations heap it on, “make sure” says one, “look after each other” says another, and even another says, “Be careful.” We can never get away from the divine responsibility for other people. God has placed on us His trust and responsibility for sharing His gospel and grace with everyone we know. Have you ever considered the question as to how people get to heaven?

* The way people get to heaven from Hueytown is through the grace of God, the blood of Jesus, and the witness of God’s people. That witness includes prayers for the lost, living in front of the lost, and sharing the story with the lost. How will they know if we don’t tell? You might say we should “show and tell,” it’s out task.

b. The Reach of it – Not only are we to “see to it,” but we are to see to it that NO ONE falls short of God’s grace. For me personally, one of the saddest stories in American history is that Sunday Mornings are the most “segregated times” of the week. I’m not just talking about the “black and white” issue, but about the “haves and have not’s”, the rich and poor, the contemporary and traditional, and the list goes on. It is not sad that these segments exist, but it is distressing to think that the gospel of God & church ministries has lost the passion, fervor, and divine perspective which allow the ditch-digger and the doctor to come before God together. We are told to see to it that NO ONE, not any miss (or fall short) of the grace of God.

c. The Risk from it - To reject the grace of God is very risky business indeed. It is only through the grace of God that we can find forgiveness, peace, joy, love, life, and much more. In eternal terms, Heaven will not be reached absent the grace of God. In earthly terms, “life to the max” will never be attained absent the grace of God. We are told even in this text about some of the undesirable attributes, qualities, or difficulties which develop in the life of a person who rejects God grace.

2. The Recognition from us – Did you realize that, as believers, we need to be able to recognize and/or discern difficulty, trouble, and sin, in our own life as well as the lives of others. When we are talking with a friend, our spiritual sensitivity should be so in tune with the Holy Spirit that we can sense as well as see issues which may be causing problem. The writer list 3 which may appear.

a. Bitterness springs up – Bitterness is not just a vine, it is a root! The reason this is important is because anything with a strong root system is hard to overcome. It could be very easy to become bitter after rejecting God’s grace because of the feelings which follow.