God’s Grace Transforms Us!

Today the message is entitled “God’s Grace Transforms Us!”

Over the past few months, God has been nudging me to remind you of the reason why we come together in a church, have a service and social activities (like the corn roast lunch today). Also, what we should be doing with our lives that God has so graciously given us. How we should live to be witnesses of God’s love to the world.

Today, we look at why we are here. What makes us gather together? What connects us and urges us to spend time in this way. I believe that it is God’s Grace! That is what moves in us to do this.

Ephesians 1: 3-8 NIV
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
5 he predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Robert J. Morgan, in his book “Nelson’s Book of Stories,” gives us a quote from Alexander Maclaren: “The word “Grace” is a kind of shorthand for the whole sum of unmerited blessings which come to men through Jesus Christ.”

Hebrews 2: 9 NIV
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

1 John 1: 7-9 NIV
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Galatians 2: 20-21 NIV
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Titus 2: 11-14 NIV
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

1 Peter 5: 10 NIV
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Now let’s look at an example of God’s grace at work. This is a well-known story, three parts put together to make a one wonderful purpose for us all.
The first two passages are on Peter’s denial of knowing Christ.

Luke 22: 33-34 NIV
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

Luke 22: 54-62 NIV
54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.
55 But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.
56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”
57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”
62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

After Jesus’s death and resurrection, we have a meal with Jesus and the apostles where Jesus reinstates Peter with a commission.

John 21: 15-17 NIV
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
Interesting that Peter denied knowing Jesus three times and Jesus asks him to feed His sheep three times. Truly redeeming Peter and reinforcing the whole message of we need to come to God every time we fail and repent so through God’s grace, we can continue to be God’s people.

Corrie Ten Boom is quoted saying, “When I bring my sins to the Lord Jesus, He casts them into the depths of the sea – forgiven and forgotten. He also puts up a sign, ‘No Fishing Allowed!’”

God’s Grace Transforms Us! We need to continuously seek to live out our lives honoring God’s grace and doing the ministry that God puts before us each day.

Now join me in the celebration of remembrance that we call Communion.