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Amazing-Grace

God’s Amazing Grace

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The title of my message today is God’s Amazing Grace. And the text is Ephesians 2:8-10.

I’m sure almost every Christian knows some of the words to the song, Amazing Grace. It may be one of the most-recorded songs in history. And the plain fact is that God’s grace is truly amazing. We could use many superlative descriptions such as “Awesome”, “Breathtaking”, “Inspiring”, Unfathomable”, etc. and we would only touch the surface of trying to understand God’s grace.

According to Ephesians chapter 1, verse 4, God’s plan of grace started “before the foundation of the world”; that is, before creation. God loved His Son and wanted to present Him with a gift to demonstrate that love. The entire creation was part of that plan, and He chose every believer in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world to be a part of the “Bride of Christ”.

That plan never changed. It was the same plan before Christ was born, before David and Solomon, before the prophets, before Moses, before Abraham, before Noah and the flood, and before Adam and Eve.

God created the plan, and it was perfect. From the very beginning, the plan called for Jesus Christ to come to earth to die on the cross and make a way for all believers to be righteous in God’s sight. Jesus is, was, and always will be the way, the truth, and the life – no one can come to the Father except through belief in Him.

None of us deserved it. No one in the history of the world was ever good enough to deserve Heaven on their own. Please allow me to repeat that – No one in history was ever good enough to deserve to spend eternity with the creator of the world – Certainly not me!

I. My Testimony

In March 1975, I was just about to turn 23. I had been in the US Air Force for nearly 2 years, and I was lonely and miserable. I had one of the best jobs I could ever have had – a Tuba player in the US Air Force Band in Washington DC. Little did I know that God had me right where He wanted me!

One afternoon, I was alone in the breakroom with a young man from Mississippi named Buddy. Buddy didn’t come there knowing he was going to share the gospel with me. But the Holy Spirit knew, and He put Buddy there at that precise moment.

Somehow, Buddy sensed that I was unhappy and confused. Praise the Lord that he was obedient and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with me. A few days later, he did it again, and I repented of my sin and trusted Jesus Christ for my salvation. A few weeks later, a friend baptized me in a swimming pool (previously made available by the Holy Spirit). And 10 months later, Paulette said “Yes”, and we were married.

The next 40 years had its high and low points. There were times when we were very close to God. But without a doubt, the lowest point was when we lost our first-born son, Jeremy to a problem caused by his drug addiction. At one point during that journey, I remember vividly telling God I just didn’t trust Him anymore. Thank God for the 8th Chapter of Romans!

[Read Romans 8:28-39]

In all those years, God never forgot me, regardless of my actions [or inactions] toward Him. He makes promises all throughout His Word. Fortunately for all of us, God’s promises are totally dependent on Him – not on us, or our response. And He is incapable of breaking even one of His promises, for He is perfectly Holy, and Righteous.

In 2015, I started planning what I called “My Retirement Adventure”. January 4, 2016, was my last day at work. On January 13th Paulette and I boarded a plane for Roatan, Honduras.

And two days later, on January 15, 2016, God took over “My Retirement Adventure”! I honestly can hear Him saying, “I like this idea, so now I am going to be in charge!” And believe me, I am so glad He did! This was God’s amazing grace working in my life.

[Play At The Cross – Chris Tomlin]

II. Introduction to Ephesians

Before we get to our text, I want to make sure we understand the context. Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church was written while he was in prison in Rome. Based on what we know, the church at Ephesus was started by missionaries – Priscilla and Aquila, a couple left there during Paul’s second missionary journey. Paul later returned on his third missionary journey and pastored the church for about 3 years. And after Paul left, Timothy pastored the church. So, Paul was very familiar with the church and its people.

As we are learning in our Wednesday morning group, the first chapter of Ephesians talks at length about God’s amazing grace. It is all about the blessings we have in Christ, redemption, our inheritance, the Holy Spirit, and other resources available to us in Christ Jesus.

III. Ephesians 2: 1-3 – Dead in Sin

In my study Bible, Ephesians Chapter 2 is titled “Made Alive in Christ”

Before we met Christ, here is what the Bible says about us.

Ephesians 2:1 says: “You [We] were dead in your trespasses and sins”.

Ephesians 2:2 says: “you [we] walked –

  • According to the course of this world,
  • According to the prince of the power of the air,
  • Of the spirit [Satan] that is now working in the sons of disobedience.”

Ephesians 2:3 continues: “Among them, we too all formerly –

  • Lived in the lusts of our flesh,
  • Indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
  • We were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

This is certainly not a flattering picture, but the Bible says it so it must be true. Lots of movies like to portray humans as basically good people – “there’s goodness in you.” That is not what the Bible says.

We had no choice but to live the same as our earthly father, Adam because our sin-nature controlled us. There was no way we could rescue ourselves, even if we wanted to. Our state was anything but godly. We were both incapable of and unwilling to choose Christ.

And Romans 3:11 makes it even more clear:

“There is none who understands,

There is none who seeks for God”.

IV. Ephesians 2: 4-6 – “But God”

Against the backdrop of all that bad news, and in accordance with God’s marvelous amazing grace, we arrive at Ephesians 2:4 which begins with – “But God…”

Those are two very powerful and very encouraging words – “But God”. Even though we may be incapable and unwilling, God’s power is unlimited –

“with God, all things are possible.” Matt 19:26.

Verses 4 through 6 tell us about the power of God’s love for us –

  • God is rich in mercy,
  • He loved us with His great love,
  • Even when we were dead in our transgressions,
  • God made us alive together with Christ,
  • God raised us up with Christ,
  • He seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Also, Romans 5:8 tells us –

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

And earlier, Romans 5:5 states –

“and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

V. Ephesians 2:7 – The Best is Yet to Come!

We come to verse 7-

“so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace toward us in Christ Jesus.”

I believe God is telling us in this verse – “The best is yet to come – You haven’t seen anything yet!”

VI. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us how we are saved

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

According to this passage, as well as many others in the Bible, our salvation was totally a work of God.

  • He loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die on a cross in payment of the penalty for our sins – all of our sins, past, present, and future.
  • The above verse starts with “For by grace you have been saved”. Our salvation is God’s free gift to us, and it is the only way we can be saved.
  • The above verse says that our faith is a gift of God, not of ourselves. While we were sinners, and not seeking or wanting anything to do with God, He gave us the faith to believe.
  • Salvation has nothing to do with works. Not anything we or our parents did. We didn’t deserve it, and we cannot do anything to earn it.
  • There is nothing for which we can take credit; nothing to boast about. We didn’t do it – God did.
  • And God did it solely for His glory.

VII. Ephesians 2:10 – What Is Our Response

In light of this wonderful free gift from the Creator of the universe, “How should we then live? What should be our response? Let’s read Ephesians 2:10.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Here is the application of this message. God starts this verse by reminding us who we are, and why He leaves us here on earth rather than immediately taking us to Heaven after we are saved. Then and only then, here is where good works come in – AFTER we are saved by grace.

Yes, but which works? God even took care of that little detail. He has already prepared the works we should do. Our response to God’s amazing grace is to find the good works God has prepared for us, and then walk in them. The Holy Spirit will lead and help you find them.

My challenge to each one of us is – Find the good works God has prepared for you. Then walk in them. In other words, do them.

I believe many would refer to this as “their calling”.

VIII. Final Comments and Prayer

If you have any questions about this message or this church, how to know you have eternal life, or any other topic, please come up after the service. Also, if anyone desires to be baptized, we can arrange to do that. One of us would love to talk with you and try to answer your questions.

Thank you for your kind attention. Let’s pray.

Lord God Almighty, thank you for your grace, your free gift which we don’t deserve. We are thankful for Jesus Christ. Thank you for forgiving our sins, for redeeming us, and giving us the hope of eternal life with you.

Thank you for drawing us to you to receive this marvelous gift. And thank you for sealing us with the Holy Spirit to guide us as we live on this earth, and throughout all eternity. Help us to find the good works you have already prepared for us, and help us to walk in them.

In the wonderful and powerful name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

2000-years-of-the-Great-Commission

God Equips The Called – Trust in His Promise

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There is a saying that has become very significant in our lives since we arrived in Medellin. My title is only part of the saying. “God doesn’t call the equipped; God equips the called.” As I’ve told you before, Paulette and I are not pastors. We didn’t graduate from Seminary or even Bible college. But that didn’t stop the Lord Jesus Christ from bringing us to South America to help start a new church! We are simply amazed, yet thrilled that He has chosen to use us for such a wonderful ministry. And we are not alone!

God Equips the Called Through Other People

In many ways, The Lord has shown us that He knows what He is doing and that He is in total control. Here is how in our case “God equips the called”:

  • First, He trained for 10 months under some folks who did know what they were doing. We appreciate all that Dan and Carol did to get us started the right way. They helped a lot.
  • Second, He brought some very smart people around us to help grow this church in spite of all our weaknesses. Robert is a Master’s candidate at Liberty University. He will soon start work on his Doctorate. Paul is an ordained minister who has worked in churches and other Christian ministries, and also in business his whole life. These guys are not here by accident!
  • Third, He introduced us to Michael and Nichole who are now our best friends. They have been missionaries from Colorado for almost 4 years. Less than 2 years ago, we didn’t even know they existed. Now we work side-by-side with 3 small-group Bible studies. We met them the week we arrived in Medellin. If that’s not enough, we discovered we were living in the same apartment complex! In a city of over 3 million people with tens of thousands of apartment complexes, that was not just a coincidence.
  • Fourth, He just happened to have a couple here who have been missionaries to Colombia for more than 50 years. They were here ministering long before Pablo Escobar became so notorious. And Jesus made sure we found Mark and Barbara as well as their missionary son, Andrew and his wife Johana. What an incredible source of encouragement they have all been for us.

The Bible Says God Chooses and Equips Us

In preparing this post, I discovered several articles that were so excellent, I had to link them here. These authors write much better than I could write. The first is entitled “He Equips the Called”. This article references passages from the New Testament which speak to God’s Divine work in the lives of His people. He chooses us for His own good purposes. God’s divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He works in us to accomplish His will, and He equips us with everything we need for doing His will.

Another is titled “When The Lord Calls, He Equips“. It brings out several men from the Old Testament including Moses, Jonah, Gideon, and Jeremiah. Each of these men had questions and even fears about being adequate for the task. But in every case, God proved faithful. He equipped the called. And He assures us that He will put the words in our mouths and the tools in our hands to accomplish the work He has begun in us.

Jesus Is Building His Church

God Equips The Called - Dr. John MacArthur Jr, Pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California
Dr. John MacArthur Jr, Pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California

I found a wonderful message from Dr. John MacArthur the other day titled “How the Lord Builds His Church”. In his introduction, he quotes Matthew 16:18 in which the Lord Jesus said, “I will build My church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” In other words, Jesus is going to build His church and nothing can stop Him, nothing can overpower Him!

Dr. MacArthur looks to the Book of Acts for the means Jesus used to grow the church. And the first thing he says is that Peter preached the simple gospel message on the day of Pentecost and 3,000 souls were saved and baptized. I can’t imagine where they found enough water! This message is “transcendent”. That means it does not change. It is the same regardless of culture, age, nationality or geography. Paul says

“And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” 1 Cor 2:1-2

God the Father doesn’t need our help to change the terms of His message for different peoples. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the only way to the Father. And if that is not enough, John 3:16 provides the final say –

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

The Important Question

Dr. MacArthur also said, “The question for us is by what means does the Lord build His church? That is the compelling question. Because whatever that means, that’s what we want to be engaged in so that we can be a part of what He is doing. Then, He will not have to move to someone else to use them instead of us, thus forfeiting our usefulness, our joy, and our eternal reward.”

Jesus is Building His Church in Latin America

Here in Medellin, we see Jesus building His church. Of course, the Bible defines “church” as a body of believers, not a physical building. He is building His church on the confession of faith found in Matt 16:16, “Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus is building His church for Spanish-speakers, and English-speakers, for Colombians, Americans, Europeans, and Venezuelans. When Michael and I were privileged to go to a mission conference in Brazil, we saw clear evidence that Jesus is building His church in every country in Central and South America. Our youngest missionary was from Mexico City, and he testified that Jesus is building His church all over Mexico. And our 17 months in Panama showed us clear evidence that Jesus is alive and well there also, building His church through those He has called and equipped.

This month, we have been so encouraged by two different couples from Idaho, in whom God has built a desire to come to Medellin and be used to minister as the Holy Spirit leads. It once again shows that God is very interested in Medellin.

Final Thoughts

The Holy Bible
“The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” Eph 6:17

Recently, I was introduced to the book of Titus. It is full of God’s wisdom and encouragement:

“4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7

Praise the Lord for His goodness and lovingkindness.

Steve Tuggle