Sermon Central
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The Certainty Of God’s Grace (Father's Day) Series
Contributed by T.j. Conwell on Jun 22, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: If His grace means anything to us; can we really separate it and His promises? Therefore, why do we worry about the things God has already defined and promised? What is keeping you from experiencing more of His grace?
The Certainty of God’s Grace (Father's Day)
Grace Sermon Series, Part 4
Introduction
- The word translated "grace" in the New Testament comes from the Greek:
-- It is the word “charis”, which means “favor, blessing, or kindness”
- When grace is used in connection with God, it takes on powerful meaning
-- Grace is God choosing to bless us rather than curse us as our sin deserves
-- When we realize what we’ve been given, we can all extend grace to others
-- IMP: We do NOT want what we deserve … the penalty for sin is DEATH!
--- Rom 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- Bottom line: Grace is His benevolence to the undeserving (you and me)
- Read Romans 8:28-32
- Paul’s words show us how he has staked everything on his faith
-- Romans 8:31 is a question, a rhetorical question for us to consider today
-- For Paul, this is not a gamble type of question – but one of certainty!
- On Father’s Day, what greater certainty could we have than to love our Father?
-- This is what we will explore today, and how we see how to honor Him always
- Pray
∆ Point 1 – The words suggest a conflict
- Paul was definitely convinced that evil existed in this world
-- Ephesians 2:1-2, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air.”
- Paul was also convinced in their power to hurt and destroy
-- Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
- Paul’s words in just one verse force us to consider the depth of the supernatural
-- If God is for us … there must be something or someone against us
-- It’s a statement of faith, but a reminder that we are not alone in life
- Humans today express conflicting opinion/views quite often
-- Obviously we know about countries at war; but even internally we struggle
-- We know that we should not sin, but yet we rebel and turn away from God
- Challenge: Sometimes our attitudes can ruin our hope of a better life
-- What a difference your day can make when you choose to have a good attitude
- Most often, things we cannot control can definitely ruin our day
-- The unexpected phone call, the text message, the news of a catastrophe
-- All of these things can definitely take our focus and our hope off God’s hope
- Additionally, some people try to rationalize it as “just the luck of the draw”
-- FACT: The explanation can be made however you want to … but …
-- There are forces fighting against us that wage war and seek to destroy us
- Now, against all those challenges, add those things which we have no control:
-- Nature, life, death, the unknown things that ALL seek to ruin our focus
-- All of us face the struggle of admitting one thing: “We are not in control”!
- Paul forces us to take note of this and admit that we’re not the center of life!
-- It really is a masterful way that he puts these words together for us to consider
-- He asks, “… If God is for us, WHO can be against us?”
- TRANS: Reluctantly, you and I have to admit that we are in a conflict
∆ Point 2 – The words show us a challenge
- Paul’s statement is, even in its description, a challenge for all of us to consider
-- If God is for us, there are NO MORE challenges that exist in the world
-- If God is for us, there are NO MORE elements for us to be worried about
-- If God is for us, there are NO MORE enemies for us to fear in our lives
- Paul issues us a challenge, based on loyalty, to understand who God is
-- If we serve a risen Lord, a God that cannot be defeated, why do we worry?
-- Why is it our life’s mission to ensure we become the center of attention?
- God has allowed me to have cancer … but is it life ruining? NO!
-- I don’t know how it all ends, but He does!
-- I don’t know the effects later in life, but He does!
-- I don’t know how it may drastically change my life, but He does!
