Text:
Acts 4:33:
“And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”
Theme:
Three Helpings of Grace
Introduction:
The Book of the Acts of the Apostles
o Acts of the Apostles is the 5th book of the New Testament and the final book of history of the New Testament.
o Acts was written by Doctor Luke, that “Beloved Physician”, mostly during his time in Rome.
o Although it is entitled Acts of the Apostles, the book actually focuses primarily on the activity of Peter and Paul.
o The key to the contents of the book is in Acts 1:8, “Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and i Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
o It is only a book of beginnings, a history of the founding of churches, the initial steps in the formation of the Christian society in the different places.
- Chapters 1-12 – First 12 years of the Christian church – ministry of Peter – From Jerusalem to Antioch
- Chapters 13-21 – Paul’s missionary years – planting of the church among the Gentiles
- Chapters 21-28 – Paul at Rome – From Antioch to Rome
Our text deals specifically with the portion of scripture describing the apostles and their first actions after the establishment of the church.
In this scene Peter has just healed the man who was laid at the gate called Beautiful, and he then preached Christ to those around. When the leaders found out, they came asking how Peter could have performed this miracle. Of course, Peter told them…by the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Oh, did the Holy Spirit move that day. Peter was already full of the Holy Ghost when he started talking. Then, afterwards, everyone else got caught up to the point that they sold their possessions and laid the money at the apostle’s feet!!!!
However, there was something else that was mentioned that oftentimes gets overlooked…
“and great grace was upon them all”
What is Grace?
- Grace is understood to be a PARDON…an overlooking …”Don’t worry about it”…”It’s alright anyhow”
What is God’s Grace?
- Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” – It is not of our own doing.
- Romans 9:15-16, “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
- God can do what He wants to do!
Is God’s Grace for all?
- Yes, but not at the same time and not for the same situations!
There are THREE HELPINGS OF GRACE that God offers to fill our lives with life!
Body:
As an appetizer, there is a…
First Helping — The State of Grace
Matthew 5:45:
“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
God ALLOWS this grace for all
¡ Available to everyone
¡ The State of Grace, for both the believer and the non-believer, is manifested in how God:
- Gives us life
- Maintains nature for us (sun, rain, earth, etc.)
- Helps us even when we won’t acknowledge Him
- Loves us!
- Ephesians 2:4, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”
- Keeps on reminding us of His presence
- We can sit in church and cry, sing, pray, shout and preach without even fully submitting to him!
Matthew 7:21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Existent at all times until death
God is always there!
Maybe not IN US but always AROUND US!
¡ Psalms 139:7-10, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”
If that is not enough, then there is a…
Second Helping — The Saving Grace
Acts 15:11: “But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”
God IMPARTS grace to any who BELIEVE and RECEIVE Him
¡ If we would just believe and receive, we can be saved
- Romans 10:9-11, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
¡ Grace gives us that chance to be saved
- Ephesians 2:5, “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”
- Then, earlier in Ephesians 1:3-6 explains how God’s Grace has saved us:
¨ Verse 3 says that it has BLESSED US
“with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”
He has given us a FORETASTE now and a REWARD later
¨ Verse 4 says that it has CHOSEN US
“in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love”
Many are called but few are chosen
- God calls all to be obedient but only few are chosen to benefit from His grace
¨ Verse 5 says that it has PREDESTINED US
Ø “unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”
Ø What God has for me, it is for me!
¨ Verse 6 says that it has MADE US ACCEPTED
Ø “wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved”
Ø I am His, and He is MINE!
- As Ephesians 2:5 says, “BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED”
If that is not enough, then there is a…
Third Helping — The Restoring Grace
Romans 3:23-25: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”
God DOES for those believers who TRUST Him
Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
¡ It Is An Infusion Of Grace On Our Behalf
- 1 John 1:7-10 gives the reality of our relationship with God through Grace…WE NEED GRACE
- But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
- If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
¡ We are restored to a relationship with Him through Jesus’ blood à Atonement
- In spite of what we did, we can be forgiven and restored to Him BY HIS GRACE!!
- “In all our ways”…
¨ and we all got some funky ways…
- “ACKNOWLEDGE HIM”…
¨ Take your three helpings of Grace
- “and he WILL”
¨ through His GRACE
- “direct our paths”
¨ KEEP YOU!!!!
Conclusion:
We need to accept God’s Grace
God’s Grace is the:
- Foundation for faith
- Fuel for repentance
- Motivation for works
- Provider of eternal life
- Entrance to God’s love
- Seal for our relationship with God
First of all, Grace wasn’t given because we are so good, but because God is so GOOD!!!Secondly, Grace is available to all of who will:
¨ REPENT
¨ BELIEVE
¨ BE BAPTIZED
¨ RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST
I know this because GRACE SAVED ME!!!
Amazing Grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now I’m found
Was blind but now I see.
Through many dangerous toils and snares
I have already come,
But grace has brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.
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