God's Amazing Grace

AMAZING GRACE

God’s Grace is the most fantastic gift God has given us.

In fact its unbelievable but its there for all of us and its proof is revealed in His Son Jesus Christ.

That God in His divine Grace gave His only Son to die on the cross for us – and Jesus did this willingly for each one of us.

What more could we ask for?

Introduction to Hymn (347) – Amazing Grace

Grace changes lives, gives a new perspective of what life is all about and we can learn so much from each other's experience, for example John Newton.

If ever there was a man who truly experienced God’s grace it was John Newton the author of this wonderful hymn 'Amazing Grace'.

Even though he was brought up in the church as a child, he became a calloused man full of anger, pain, and uncertainty and because of that, he experienced a very troubled life.

At one time, he was a commander of a slave ship, he would anchor his ship off the coast of Africa and pack it with slaves.

They were ruthlessly chained side by side, row after row, one after another just like a can of sardines and many slaves died on those long voyages.

During a raging storm at sea the ship nearly sank and John was almost drowned… he cried out to God for his mercy.

And he survived by God’s Grace and that experience caused John Newton to give his life to Christ.

He was ordained and served in 2 parishes but his life in slavery haunted him for many years.

He became a strong supporter of William Wilberforce who triumphantly fought against the slave trade.

John wrote many hymns during his ministry but Amazing Grace is his most famous….

And if there was ever a man who experienced God’s Amazing Grace, it was John Newton!

And it was that storm at sea that was the bolt of lightning that John realised God’s Grace saved a wretch like me.

HYMN – Amazing Grace – which starts with the storm

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDdvReNKKuk)

Amazing grace, How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come,

'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far

And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me

His word my hope secures;

He will my shield and portion be,

As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease

I shall possess within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

Address:

Grace: It Really Is Amazing! It is a fantastic gift from God but as with any gift it came at a cost…. A great cost … it cost the life of the Son of God.

A Queen had a young daughter who was faced with a deadly illness.

The doctors told the Queen that she needed to stay away from her daughter’s face and under no circumstances was she to breath her breath because she would contract the disease herself and it would kill her.

A few days after hearing this warning the Queen went to visit her daughter.

The daughter began to choke and as the Queen lifted her daughter up to help her from choking she held her in her arms and as her daughter died, the final words out of her daughter’s mouth were “mommy would you please kiss me.”

Even though the Queen knew that she would die from that act of love, she leaned over her daughter and kissed her.

Two months later the Queen was dead from the same disease.

Because of God’s amazing grace Jesus kissed you and kissed me... He died because He loves us. The Father in Heaven sent Jesus because He loves us.

God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should NOT perish but have eternal life.

God’s grace is truly amazing.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind but now I see.

Grace – St Paul encapsulates Grace through his many letters in the NT, For Paul Grace was the whole essence of his being, his existence.

But why was Grace so important to him?

When Paul thought and wrote his letters he was thinking and writing out of the depths and heights of his own religious experience.

He knew what he had been and he knew what he was – and what a change from Persecutor of the Church to one who was now persecuted.