Sermon Central
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Sharing God's Amazing Grace
Contributed by Anthony Zibolski on Oct 4, 2016 (message contributor)
Summary: God's Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.
Sharing God’s Amazing Grace
The last time we got together we talked about the transformation that God desires for our lives.
Some we can do on our own and we are expected to want that.
Some we can only do by the power of the Holy Spirit actively working in our lives.
Hurts, habits, and hang-ups are usually impossible without God’s help.
Illustration-(Shared with Bountiful Blessings)
Dog and Cat diary
If you were to look at a dog’s diary, it would be different than a cat.
The dog’s diary for a day would read something like this;
Went outside today and played with my master- My favorite thing.
Went inside and had a delicious bone, my favorite thing.
Took a good long nap- my favorite.
The cat’s diary would look a little different;
Woke up to day 948 in captivity.
Looked outside but found nothing of interest.
Just lying here with nothing better to do.
Hope no one bothers me.
The difference is how you look at things and what you put value too.
Apostle Paul in his writings to the church at Corinth is pointing them to the new life that is available in Christ and what to be careful of to not let the old life sneak back in and take control.
I really believe that a lot of believers are living subpar because they are not allowing God to change them. They are living in their own strength when the power of the Holy Spirit is available.
For those of us that are right now in the midst of a trial and experiencing sufferings, Apostle Paul tells us that it is temporary; WE DO NOT LIKE TO HEAR THAT.
We want God to fix immediately anything that we are displeased with.
2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”(17) “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
It is how we look at the things we are going through. If you believe that this life is all there is, you will live for yourself and live it recklessly and careless.
Or, realize that this is a temporary life and the best for me is yet to come and these trails, these setbacks, these sufferings are only but a moment when compared to time of eternity.
Some of us are waiting for some new bodies. These old ones are just not working right. This earthly tent has holes in it. This body has disease, has flaws, and has just plain gotten old.
You young people will one day understand that because we were sitting there just like you and the time has flown by.
Prayer- (That God would anoint our ears to hear what He has to say to us this morning.)
2 Corinthians, Paul is talking as a believer being a new creation, about ministry to each other and how we can help each other survive in a world that is getting more selfish, more demanding, and more dangerous and our God given rights are being taken away.
In the text this morning, he talks to the church about hardship.
Paul really opens his heart to the church here. He is honest, yet has encouragement for the people that are suffering and going through tough times.
The Bible is full of people who went through hard times.
Joseph/Abandonment
Abraham/ Stranger in a foreign land.
Job/ Endless trials and sufferings
The disciples/ persecuted for their faith
(V 3), he says that he will not be a stumbling block to anyone that his ministry would not be discredited. Apparently, someone was attempted to discredit his ministry.
Someone was saying hurtful and wrongful things.
Anyone relate to that?
He comes to this conclusion after what he says in verse one, “As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.”
How many are amazed at God’s grace?
Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.
That God would care enough for me to save me blows me away. I know how I am.
That God is so patient with us when He would not have to be.
He forgives, He restores, He gives second, and third chances is absolutely a God thing!
He says to us that we cannot forget His Grace in our everyday life and the sufferings we are going through now because they are temporary and He has eternity for our future.
Apostle Paul calls it ministry here, but it is everyday life because our lives are to be ministries back to God. He says in all circumstances, everyday, everyway, we are to remember the grace given to us and give grace to others we come in contact with.
