His Grace Is Enough

His Grace is Enough – Ps 121, Matt 2:1-23.

Gladstone Baptist Church – 31/12/06 am

1. Last year we have seen God Grace – he provided for & protected us.

We serve a wonderfully kind and gracious God. Do you agree with me. He is a God who cares for us immensely. He is there when we need him. And when we don’t think we need Him, He still is providing and protecting us though we don’t give him credit. He is a gracious provider and a gracious giver of all good things

God is our shield and our strength – “The name of the Lord is a strong Tower – the righteous run to it and are safe” Prov 18:10. His grace is enough for us. Do you agree with that?

I want to read you a Psalm about God’s wonderful protection and while I am reading it, I want you to think about some ways you have seen God’s provision and protection this past year. How has he helped you? How has he proved himself faithful? Tell me about His grace in your life. After the Psalm, I’m going to come down and give a few of you an opportunity to share how you have seen God be gracious to you this last year.

Psalm 121…

I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

How has God provided for you or helped you this last year?

God is a wonderful God who cares so much for us.

2. God always is gracious to those who love and follow Him. He will do the same for you in 2007.

You know, God is always gracious to those who love and follow Him. The Bible gives one account after another of how God provides for his people.

Adam & Eve – even when they sinned, God provided clothes for them

Noah & his family – God gave them a boat

Abraham – he gave an heir and a land.

Jacob – God gave prosperity

Joseph – God gave a position and power that could save his family

The Israelites – God gave a leader in Moses to lead them to the promised land

God gave Joshua victory

God gave David forgiveness

God gave Daniel a safe nights sleep

God gave Jonah a free ride back to shore

God gave Esther safety as she approached the king

God gives us what we need and it was great to hear some of you testify to that this morning.

As a church, we have had the opportunity several times this year to look back and give thanks for what God has done for us corporately. We’ve celebrated our 40th birthday and we can say thanks to God for everything He has done. As Roger & Wendy left us, we were able to look back over their time and say thank you to them for what they have contributed to this place. Perhaps there are too many good things in our church history to remember or too many people who have contributed to it to say thankyou to them all, but we can never the less say thank you for everything God has done.

And if there is one thing I know about God, it is that he doesn’t change. He will always be gracious to those who love him, because he always has been.

Today as we prepare to enter a new year, I want to spend some time and look at an example of God’s grace that happened when Jesus was born. I pray that we will take heart as we recognise that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

3. God’s grace that first Christmas

The Magi visit Herod for information and Herod plots Jesus’ destruction - But God tells the Magi to return via another route

The Visit of the Magi

Matt 2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”