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I. THE GRACE OF GOD A,
Saves - Eph. 2:5-6, 8-10
Without the grace of God, there would be no salvation for
man. B.
Sustains - 2Cor. 9:8
1. Pray for forgiveness of daily sins, for strength to overcome,
and for blessings to continue. C.
Is Conditional - Matt.
1. The condition is continued obedience; God’s grace is not
irresistible. D.
Is Un-deserved - Acts
1. Neither Jew nor Gentile had done anything to deserve it.
No one has; that’s what makes it grace. E.
Is Special Favor - Heb. 6:13-14,17-18;
James 4:6 II. THERE IS A GRACE OF CHRISTIANS A.
2Cor. 8:7, 19
1. Affliction + Joy + poverty = rich liberality - 2Cor. 8:2
2. Ex. 36:3 B.
Grace is not limited to God’s gift of salvation through the offering
of Jesus Christ His Son.
1. Peter calls God’s grace “manifold,” meaning by many means
and in many forms. III. CHRISTIANS ARE TO BE THE MEANS OF GOD’S GRACE A.
1Peter B.
Exegesis
1. Third of three responsibilities Christians have toward
one another:
a. 1Peter 4:8 - “Have fervent love for one another”
b. 1Peter 4:9 - “Be hospitable to one another”
c. 1Peter
2. Every person has received a gift
a. No one is without a gift to share with another
1) Matt. 10:42 - cup of cold water
b. Only the unbelievers and worldly do not realize that all
they have comes from God. Occasionally Christians forget
that.
c. Men pride themselves on their advantages: body strength,
intellect, affluence, talents, all of which
they call their own.
d. Such an attitude is incompatible with the mind of Christ.
3. These gifts come from God’s kindness and love.
a. Not just for you to make you special, but to make you
a means of distributing the gifts of God to others.
b. God gave you what you have, not merely because He loves
you, but because He loves others and is using you
as a steward of
His blessings to show forth His love.
c. It is part of God’s
1) Answers prayers
2) Cares for His own poor children
3) Protects the weak and vulnerable
4. Minister it to one another - seek for the opportunity
to serve.
a. This service is appointed.
1) Imperative form - God is not making a suggestion.
b. This service is beneficial
1) God set it up for the well being of others - He knows
best
c. This service is mutual - no one is wholly a giver or a
receiver.
1) One who insists on giving only,
is prideful.
2) One who insists on receiving only,
is slothful.
d. This service is grace - it is part of God’s designed structure
of distribution of His blessings.
5. As good stewards
a. A servant freed from his bondage, trusted by the Master
to oversee affairs in his house, such as distribution
of the Master’s
goods to the other servants.
b. It isn’t yours; you hold it in trust
for God.
c. If you decide to keep your gifts for your own use alone,
you will give the Master a reckoning one day.
d. You become the breakdown in God’s system of grace distribution
6. Manifold grace of God
a. For those who use their gifts, remember that it is God’s
grace, not yours.
1) Don’t get all magnanimous and condescending when you
distribute it or use it for others.
2) Give God the credit and glory.
b. 1Cor. C.
Application
1. Do you have a talent for speaking? Teach!
2. Do you have a talent for motivating words? Encourage!
3. Do you have a manual skill? Use it in the Kingdom!
4. Do you have the gift of comfort? Wait on the weak and
weary!
5. Do you have two coats? Give one to him who has none!
6. Do you have an abundance? Share
it where there is a lack! D.
Deflection
1. Amish song leader humility - “Someone else can do better.”
2.
3. Old fashioned self-centeredness - “Let someone else put
himself out.” Conclusion: A.
God gave you a gift intending that you use it in the service of
others. That’s how His grace is distributed. B.
You hold your gift in trust; it does not belong to you, nor does
it originate with you. You better not keep it for yourself. The
little church building's aisles swelled with the unusually large
gathering until there were no more pews to squeeze into. A
few more latecomers shuffled down the aisle and leaned against the
wall. Then I noticed Andy's entrance. His smile beamed with
a special joy until he saw that "his" spot on the back
row was filled. Regular members usually left the seat empty,
knowing that Andy would arrive late from the home for the mentally
disabled. Confusion masked his face as the opening song ended
and he had found no place to sit. With characteristic simplicity
Andy made his way up the center aisle to the large clearing just
below the pulpit. He lowered his huge body to the floor, crossing
his legs Indian style. As
the rest of us sat down, another man, a member in the church for
many years, left his place in the pew and started up the center
aisle toward Andy. It took a long time for him to reach the
front. Respect for this eighty-year-old Christian, much loved by
all of us, or perhaps sheer curiosity, brought a hush over the whole church. Even the preacher
gripped the sides of the podium and just watched. Slowly the
aged man shifted his lean frame onto his cane and lowered his aged
body to the floor beside Andy.
The minister closed his Bible over his sermon notes. "Our
sermon has just been preached," he said. “As
each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Sometimes it is just a matter
of allowing ourselves to be briefly inconvenienced. |
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