Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/church4u/sermons/86719/amazing-grace/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] Toast 2 from verse 11 it says, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

[0:45] Let us pray. Lord, we thank you for your word and your grace, for the word of your grace, for your mighty love, and for this time, this precious time we can think of you and dwell on what you've done for us.

[0:58] In Jesus' name, amen. Amazing grace. Amazing grace. God in grace extends an invitation. His arms are open wide to us.

[1:09] And the grace of God, it speaks of his loving kindness, doesn't it? Of his tender mercies and of his saving power. Grace. Grace.

[1:19] How do you put it into a definition? Some have defined it variously as grace is everything for nothing to those who don't deserve anything.

[1:30] I'll say that again. I'll say that again. Grace is everything for nothing to those who don't deserve anything. God's great, awesome, amazing grace is shown to us by the free gift.

[1:45] God gave in love at the cross. He gave his grace. And grace really is personified in a person.

[1:56] The Lord Jesus Christ. He is grace. He's the perfect definition of it. And we can't earn it. And we don't deserve it.

[2:07] Yet he gives it. He gives salvation. For the grace of God hath appeared. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.

[2:20] The grace of God brings salvation. Grace. Marvellous. Matchless. Wondrous. Grace greater than all our sin. Grace astonishing and amazing.

[2:32] Someone has spelled grace as an acrostic. If you think of the G-R-A-C-E. Here's a good one. There's lots of others. God's riches at Christ's expense is one. Here's one that I read about.

[2:44] G-R-A-C-E. G stands for gift. Who loves to get gifts? G stands for gift.

[2:56] The principle of grace. It's a gift. R. R stands for redemption. Redemption. Redemption. Redemption. It means he's setting us free at his cost.

[3:11] Redemption. He's liberating us. Freeing us. Redemption. It's the purpose of grace. His purpose at the cross was redemption. To redeem us.

[3:22] To set us free. To break the shackles. And the fetters. The chains. To release us from sin's bondage. Redemption. G. Gift. R.

[3:32] Redemption. A. Access. Access. A. Access. It's the privilege of grace. Think of the access. The wide open door is given to us.

[3:44] The wide open door into his presence. The wide open door into heaven. Because of his love. We who are afar off are brought near. Given access. You know you don't need a swipe card.

[3:56] Or to prove your ID. Or you don't need to qualify. To pay for this access. This special access. It's freely given. Freely offered to you.

[4:07] His access. Into the very throne room of the almighty God. Gift. Redemption. Access. C. Character.

[4:19] C stands for character. If you like. The product of grace. When grace comes in. It makes a transformation. When grace comes into our heart. Something happens on the inside of us.

[4:31] That makes life take a different course. The character of Christ comes to us. By his mercy. By his grace. Gift. Redemption.

[4:42] Access. Character. E. Eternal life. Eternal life. Grace is God's unmerited favour. And it stands for eternal life.

[4:54] That's made possible. And E. Eternal life is the prospect of grace. I'll just repeat that for those that might want to be noting this. Gift. The principle of grace.

[5:05] R. Redemption. The purpose of grace. A. Access. The privilege of grace. C. C. Character. The product of grace. And E.

[5:16] Eternal life. The prospect of grace. It's perspective for us. Eternal life. But really you've got it now. If you believe you have. Eternal. Everlasting life.

[5:27] For the grace of God. That bringeth salvation. Hath appeared to all men. Grace. Grace. God's kindness. And his unmerited undeserved love.

[5:39] And mercy. His unmerited favour. And kindness. Brings eternal life. By faith. Simply trusting him. Grace. It says. Appear. When? Grace.

[5:50] Appear. It's transliterated. Epiphany. This word. It means that light dawns into the darkness. That's the picture of it. Like the big searchlight. The big spotlight of God.

[6:01] Is turned on. And brightens our darkened world. Our darkened hearts. Grace. Appear. Like a light going on. Like a light bulb moment. When you trust him.

[6:12] When you receive him. The light goes on. Wow. I see now. Once I was lost. Now I'm found. Once I was blind. Now I can see. Amen. That's grace.

[6:24] Grace appears. The light goes on. It dawns in our darkness. The light of the world dawned on our planet. When Christ stepped out of glory. And into the human form of a child.

[6:37] A man. Spotless. Sinless. Perfect. To be the sacrifice for us. That's grace. The grace of God was shown to us. In Christ dying in our place on the cross.

[6:49] He was in our place. The Bible says that our sin was in his body. Christ died in our place. That's grace. Paying our penalty.

[7:01] Taking our shame. Paying the price. And rising again now as the living saviour. For those who will trust him. Grace has appeared. Teaching us. That denying ungodliness and worldly lusts.

[7:14] We should live soberly. Righteously. And godly. In this present world. Grace shows us the way to live. It teaches us. It trains us. It's as if we step into a school of grace.

[7:26] When you are saved. You enter. You enroll in the school of grace. If you like. The grace teaches us. It trains us. Grace is our personal trainer.

[7:38] Helps us to live more like Christ. To be more like him. It trains us in the way to go. In the godly way. Not the godless way. But in God's way. And the end of this training course.

[7:49] The graduation day. If you like. Is as the second appearing of Christ. We'll see him. And we'll receive his well done. These verses show us three tenses.

[8:01] If you like. Of salvation. I'll pick this up. Three tenses. Of salvation. We can see. In these. Verse 11. 12 and 13. Verse 11. Shows us the past.

[8:13] The past. The grace of God have appeared. It has appeared in the past. The grace of God has appeared. To all men. The past. Speaks of justification.

[8:26] When we're saved. When we trust him. When we call on him. In simple faith. Trusting him. Turning from our way. To his way. Receiving his gift. The grace has appeared. As justification.

[8:37] A one time event. He legally declares you. Forgiven. And pardoned. And set free. The past. The grace of God has appeared.

[8:48] Bringing salvation. Justification. A one time event. Then we go to the present. The present. Teaching us. That is sanctification. The present.

[8:59] Lifelong process. If you like. The present tense. Of salvation. Is that he's training us. He's teaching us. He's making us. Sanctified. Or holy. He's training us to be like Jesus.

[9:11] He's making us more like him. That's the present tense. It's a lifelong process. When you're saved. Till glory. Is sanctification. He's working on us.

[9:22] I'm still a work in progress. Believe it or not. I've still got some faults. My wife can tell. My wife can tell you. That I've got lots and lots of them. Many more than you could know.

[9:33] And I hope you'll never find out. But no. Sanctification. Is the lifelong process. Isn't it? When we trust him. And he's working on us. Working on us. Day by day by day. Until we see his face.

[9:43] That's the present tense. He's teaching us. Sanctification. And then future. Future. Looking for that blessed hope. And the glorious appearing. That glorification.

[9:55] The blessed hope. That joyful hope that we have. The Lord in grace is returning. For a prepared people. Looking for that blessed hope. And the glorious appearing.

[10:06] Of the great God and our Saviour. Jesus Christ. Are you ready? Are you ready? The tenses of salvation.

[10:18] He hath appeared. Past. Justification. He's teaching us. Sanctification. Present tense. Getting us ready. That glorious appearing. It's yet to come. That's future.

[10:30] That's the glorification. When your body's going to be transformed. And you'll be changed. In an eye blink. In the moment. In the twinkling of an eye. And you'll be made like him.

[10:41] Glorification. Are you ready? Are you ready for that. Joyful search and hope. That he's coming. Are you expecting it today? Are you expecting your Saviour is coming?

[10:53] Are you preparing? Are you ready? He's promised to come. Are you expecting for that glorification? Meantime we are to remember his death.

[11:04] Until he comes. That's what this is about just now. We remember his death. We remember the justification. We remember the sanctification work. The glorification. We remember grace.

[11:15] Gift. Redemption. Access. What was the C? Character. That's always the C. Justine. Eternal life.

[11:27] It's glorious grace isn't it? Amen. Glorious grace. And so we remember his death. Are you one of his redeemed? Who gave himself for us.

[11:37] That he might redeem us from all iniquity. And purify unto himself a peculiar people. Zealous of good work. A special people. He gave himself, it says, willingly.

[11:50] Willfully. He himself was the gift. And his coming and dying was for a purpose. For a people. For saving those that will trust him.

[12:01] And so redemption. To redeem. It speaks of a slave. Set free. You know that not long ago there were slaves. And in some countries there still are sadly.

[12:13] People that are slaves. Jesus has come. To set us free from the slavery of sin. The devil is a hard taskmaster.

[12:25] And Jesus can set you free. That's redemption. That's his redeeming love. It's also likened to how you have someone held captive. Held hostage. And someone pays a ransom to set them free.

[12:39] You know I've heard stories even in the news lately. Of people that are held captive. And the captors are demanding a ransom. Some astonishing figure. We can't pay the ransom price.

[12:53] Jesus has to pay the price for us. Jesus has to pay the price for you. To set you free. To deliver you from that slavery. From that captivity.

[13:04] And he can. So we come. He invites by grace. He invites you. All you who do believe. The Lord's special people who is redeemed.

[13:17] Set free. He purchased us out of sin's captivity. Brought us out of darkness. Into that glorious light. Astonishing. Dazzling light. Who is the light?

[13:29] Jesus. Is the light of the world. And he rescues us from sin's domain. We're born anew. Made alive from the dead.

[13:41] Made his own special people. And that's what this table is all about. And he beckons you to come. We practice this as a reminder.

[13:51] Not as some magical ritual of man's making. Or some spooky supernatural thing happens to the bread and the cup.

[14:03] But this is a reminder. Of what he has done. And I know I need to be reminded of his grace. Every day. Every day. And so. I invite you.

[14:15] As he would invite you to this table. That speaks about grace. Astonishing grace. To remember God's work of grace. At the cross. I'll call the ushers now. Those that have been appointed.

[14:28] Mick. Ian. Michael. Casey. We're going to hold the bread and cup together. And then partake as one. And I invite you to partake.

[14:41] The word tells us to examine ourselves. To not partake lightly. If there's a reason why not to take. Then please let it pass.

[14:51] But better still. Make it right with God now. Settle it with God now. If you're not saved. You can be saved in an eye blink. In a moment.

[15:02] In the twinkling of an eye. As you simply trust him. And say. Lord I'm a sinner. I'm held in sin's captivity. I'm held in that jail cell of my sin.

[15:14] And I want you Lord to save me. I want to receive that ransom price. That you have paid. That penalty for my sin. The death penalty. That you have paid for my sin.

[15:26] And I receive it now. By faith. And so you can be. One of the redeemed. One of the special people of God. For the grace of God. Have appeared to all men.

[15:39] All men. He gave himself for us. To redeem us from sin. And let's consider afresh. That amazing grace this morning. Grace that is greater than all my sin.

[15:51] As a song goes like that. I know not. I know not why God's wondrous grace. To me he hath made known. But I know whom I have believed.

[16:06] And am persuaded that he is able. To keep that. Which I have committed unto him. Against that day. Amazing grace. How sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me.

[16:18] Saving grace. It happens. As he simply received. His work at the cross. For the grace of God. That bringeth salvation. Have appeared to all men. Teaching us.

[16:29] That denying ungodliness. And worldly lusts. We should live. Soberly. Righteously. And godly. In this present world. Looking for that blessed hope. And the glorious appearing.

[16:40] Of our great God. The great God. And our saviour. Jesus Christ. Who gave himself for us. That he might redeem us. From all iniquity. Sin.

[16:52] And purify unto himself. A peculiar people. Specially purchased. Zealous. Of good works. I trust you. You'll trust him now.

[17:04] May this be a turning point. May this be a. Another stake in the ground. As it were. Another milestone. You're going to commit. And he will keep that.

[17:16] Which you've committed unto him. Against that day. Commit to follow him. Commit to live for him. Commit to walk in that grace. Commit to know his grace.

[17:29] More surely. Every day. Till that. Sure and blessed hope. Of his coming again. And be ready for that day. Be ready for that day. We are to partake.

[17:41] Until he come. There's a. There's a. There's a. Time when this will cease. When we'll see. His face. Him face to face. And he says that.

[17:52] I'll. I'll drink it anew with you. As it were. In the kingdom of God. And we'll be. In his presence. Grace.

[18:06] Grace. Marvellous grace. Grace that is greater than all my sin. Thank you.