FOUR WORDS CONCERNING GOD’S AMAZING GRACE – Part 2 of 2
Titus 2:11-15
INTRODUCTION:
A. Phillip Yancey describes grace in his book What’s So Amazing About Grace. He writes, “Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more—no amount of spiritual calisthenics and renunciations, no amount of knowledge gained from seminaries, no amount of crusading on behalf of righteous causes. And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less—no amount of racism or pride or pornography or adultery or even murder. Grace means that God already loves us as much an infinite God can possibly love.”
1. I don’t know about you, but I’m glad I do not have to perform to win God’s grace & love – God’s Grace is indeed Amazing Grace!
2. It is because of His grace that nothing I do will ever change His great love for me that He showed in Jesus Christ
3. The apostle John wrote, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
4. His grace is so overwhelming – He loves me in a manner that I do not deserve and can not fully comprehend! AMEN?
B. Last week we defined grace in a very simple way:
1. We defined grace as “free unmerited favor”
2. When attached to God, as in “God’s grace” it is the free unmerited favor that God shows towards man.
C. We also looked at two words concerning God’s Amazing Grace
1. The first was Salvation, Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, and we know this because Paul writes
a. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of your- selves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph 2:8-9
b. This grace is found in Jesus Christ and has come to all men
c. You can know God’s grace this morning if
1) You will admit that you are a sinner
2) Believe Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead
3) Repent – turn from your sinful self-centeredness and self-sufficiency to the Lord
4) And ask Him to save you, Romans 10:9 & 13 state, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved….For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
d. Praise God for His amazing grace
2. The second word Concerning God’s Amazing Grace we looked at was Sanctification
a. Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
b. When we get saved we are changed and we begin to look and live life from a different perspective – God’s!
c. By God’s grace we endeavor to become more like Christ in our thoughts, motives and actions. – Praise God for His amazing grace
D. So that brings us up to date on the first two Words Concerning God’s Amazing Grace
1. Today we will look at the final two words derived from our Bible passage
2. Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, [12] Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; [13] Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; [14] Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
3. Our last two words concerning God’s Amazing Grace derived from this passage are
a. Anticipation
b. Consecration
4. Let’s go to the Lord and ask Him to show us how amazing His grace is this morning!
PRAY
We begin this morning’s look at God’s Amazing Grace by considering the word
I. ANTICIPATION, Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; I originally was going to use the word Expectation, but this one seemed to more appropriate
A. Have you anticipated something?
1. Maybe you were looking for something good to happen like a surprise party or maybe you were looking for that ONE Christmas gift.
2. Maybe you have been saving for a hunting rifle, a new guitar, a car, or looking for the right job or the arrival of a new son or daughter
3. You had been thinking about it for quite a while, looking forward to the day it becomes a reality – everyday brings you one day closer to THAT day
4. And then – bam -there it is!
5. The excitement is great! Ever been there?
B. Well you could be!
1. If you have experienced God’s Amazing Grace in Salvation and Sanctification, you should be in anticipation of His coming
2. There is joy and hope in waiting with expectancy for Jesus Christ
3. Paul wrote Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
4. And with every day that passes we ought to be getting more excited!
- But I’m afraid most of us are not thinking about Christ’s second coming, to say much less anticipating it – thus life is mundane at best.
C. Paul mentions that the grace of God gives us the anticipation of two things: the blessed hope & glorious appearing of Jesus
1. Let me begin with the “blessed hope”
a. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul spoke of Jesus Christ as our hope
b. More specifically, Christ coming for His own
1) Furthermore Peter writes Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3
2) 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
c. And I am excited about the way it will happen, listen, as Paul writes, But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thes. 4:13-17
d. We look expectantly for Christ to come and take us to our heavenly home, through the rapture, whether physically dead or alive!
c. this will remove us from the presence and influence of sin forever!
2. And then the second part of this anticipation is found in Christ’s coming the second time, visibly, to the earth to establish His kingdom in righteousness! In the book of Revelation we read
a. Rev. 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: .
b. Rev. 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
D. We may have to deal with sin and its rampant exploitation of God’s grace in delaying judgment, but one day it is coming
1. We may suffer for righteousness sake, now
2. We may be oppressed by the heavy weight of the sinful world system, now.
3. We may struggle against our flesh, now
4. But praise God for His grace, one day He will do away with it all!
5. The Word Concerning God’s Amazing Grave that explains this is wonderful feeling of excitement is ANTICIPATION!
And this leads us to the Final Word Concerning God’s Amazing Grace
II. CONSECRATION, Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
A. Oh, what a wonderful word – Consecration
1. The word means: * sanctification of something by setting it apart as dedicated to God;
2. God, by His grace has set us aside as something special to Himself
3. He did this through the giving of His Son Jesus Christ!
4. Through Jesus’ death He redeemed us from all iniquity and purified us!
5. Through Jesus’ resurrection He has given us the power to be a people who are different from the world and who push forward to do that which honors God and meets the needs of people!
B. Folks, we do well to stop thinking about our own self-esteem
1. Anything we can find in ourselves to help us feel good about ourselves will fall far short of what we are in Christ Jesus!
2. Listen to Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
3. And it was Jesus who said, In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:2-3
C. Consecration might sound like a scary or harsh word but it is just the opposite – it means we are God’s!
1. He has no greater treasure in the universe
2. We are God’s particular treasure! Glory!!
3. Listen to me folks
- We may be a nobody in this world
- We may be a nobody in this country
- We maybe a nobody in this state
- We maybe a nobody in this church
- We maybe a nobody in my family
- We may feel like a nobody, period
4. But praise be to God’s Amazing Grace We are a child of the King of kings and Lord of lords
5. And there is no greater position or honor in all this world and the world to come. AMEN?
CONCLUSION: We have looked at
A. Four Words Concerning God’s Amazing Grace
1. Salvation
2. Sanctification
3. Anticipation
4. Consecration
B. God’s Grace is indeed Amazing!
