My grace is sufficient
Introduction: As humans we may desire many things in
life: A good job, a good spouse, good kids, maybe a nice house and a
nice car. Perhaps we would like to play golf every Saturday. Perhaps
we would like to go to every estate sale possible. Perhaps we would
like to inherit a large sum of money (maybe...to make life a little
easier.) But what does God Word say about this? Many of us know that
we can't have our cake and eat it too. We are not on a battle with the
Joneses {we are in a spiritual battle}. What helps us in life? Who do
we turn to?
A)
Jeremiah 10:23 -
The prophet makes a declaration that man does not
have the ability to make it through life alone! Man
cannot see what is ahead of Him. You have heard the
expression that "hindsight is 20/20 ? No one can predict the future!
Only God knows what tomorrow brings
B) So, how does a person
get through in life? Where is their compass?
The psalmist says in
Psalms 119:105
(NASB95) "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my
path."
It is the Word
of God (God's Word) that helps us see through the darkness of this
world. Therefore, each step you take is guided by His Word. {just
imagine if your shoes had headlights} God lights up the path of
life!
So, Where
do we get our energy?...
A) That we
can do all things through Christ who gives us the stamina to handle
the situations and obstacles that come our way in life.
This verse
does not imply that you have the ability to do anything (e.g.
hop in a jet and be the pilot).
The point
is that it is Christ who lifts you up in the difficult times in
life.
B) People
usually don't worry about turning to Jesus when things are good;
however, some horrible event comes their way and they cry out to
Him. People will ask you to pray for them when trouble comes their
way. When things are going great for them, they usually don't ask
for you to pray for them. I tell you what, when things are going
good for you, PRAISE GOD. YOU GIVE HIM A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING!
-
Romans
6:17
(NASB95) "But
thanks be to God that though
you were slaves of sin, you
became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which
you were committed"
-
1
Cor 1:4-9 4 I
thank my God always concerning you for the
grace of God which was given you
in Christ Jesus,
5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in
all speech and all knowledge,
6 even as the testimony concerning Christ was
confirmed in you,
7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting
eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in
the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, through whom
you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord.
III. WITHOUT CHRIST WE ARE NOTHING
A) Just
because you are a Christian doesn't mean that you brag about it.
(The Pharisee's liked to brag and show off what they knew and what
they wore, all decked out)
-
2
Cor. 3:5 says our sufficiency
is of God! We are not to be going around and being judgmental.
(Consider the Pharisees):
-
cf.
Matthew 5:20 (NASB95)
"For I say to you that unless your righteousness
surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you
will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
-
Matthew 23:3-4
(NASB95)
3 therefore all
that they tell you, do and observe,
but do not do according to their
deeds; for they say things and do not do
them.
4 "They tie up heavy
burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are
unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.
- {Consider Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Grandpa :)}
-
Matthew 23:13-15
(NASB95)
13 "But woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because
you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not
enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to
go in.
14 ["Woe to you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses,
and for a pretense you make long prayers;
therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]
15 "Woe to you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and
land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make
him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
-
Pharisees did not have Christ dwelling in them
(they rejected the chief cornerstone)
-
But Christ lives in the Christian (Praise God)
-
The right attitude is what Christ displayed while
He was here on earth, lets be like Christ.
-
IV.
2 Cor. 9:8 says
that God is able to make all unmerited favor increase toward us! We
don't deserve His Grace, but He gives it anyway because He loves us.
-
He gives sufficiency in all things.
-
It is an indescribable gift.
-
We can increase to every good work.
-
-
Matthew 10:29-31 Says that God takes care of the sparrows and
that we are of more value than many sparrows. God knows how many
strands of hair that we have on our head! (What is there, like 6
billion people in the world? ). Sparrows are small insignificant
birds that were sold for practically nothing, yet, God cares for
their needs and by this we definitely know that God will take care
of ours.
-
We are not to fear, God will help us.
-
God will meet our needs and He will guide us if we allow Him to.
-
God is not going to twist our arms.
-
God did not create us to be robots.
-
He gave us free will.
-
We either choose to accept or reject His help. {remember
Jer.
10:23}
-
God does not move us around with strings.
-
He lets us decide.
-
Of course, if we choose to go through life without His light,
indeed, it will be a dark journey!
-
Paul knew this firsthand.
-
Sometimes, we just need to get out of God's way and let Him work in
us.
-
When things become difficult, we realize our need for God's help.
-
Why don't we let Him guide us each day of our lives?
Psalms 51:10-13 (NASB95)
10 Create in me a clean
heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your
presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your
salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach
transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.
-
Isaiah 40:31 - those who wait on the Lord will gain strength.
-
2
Corinthians 4:16 (NASB95)
16 Therefore we do
not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet
our
inner man is being renewed day by day.
-
Ephesians 4:23-24 (NASB95)
23 and that you be
renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and
put on the new
self, which in the likeness of God has been created in
righteousness and holiness of the truth.
-
Colossians 3:10 (NASB95)
10 and have put on
the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to
the image of the One who created him—
-
Psalms 16:11 (KJV)
11 Thou wilt shew me
the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right
hand there are pleasures for evermore.
- Psalm
46:11 says that God is our refuge (fortress)
- Psalm
139:7-8 says that God is omnipresent
- We are not alone. God is with us. Remember that!
- Isaiah
59:1 God can save you and He can hear you :)
- You need help? Call G-O-D.
Conclusion:
God's grace is sufficient because:
- He knows that we
need His guidance -
Jeremiah
10:23
- He gives us the
energy and stamina we need -
Philippians
4:13
- We are not
sufficient of ourselves -
2
Corinthians 3:5-6
- He makes us
able/adequate ministers of the new testament
- He helps us spiritually
- to be sufficient in all things
- that we increase to every good work (Thanks Father)
5. No
Matter How Down and Out We May Get, He is there for us!
- When we are weak,
he is strong -
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NKJV)
9 And He said to me,
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in
weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses,
for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Invitation: