"SPECIAL BLESSING" GOD'S UNLIMITED GRACE AND GLORY

God’s Unlimited Grace and Glory
The Gospel
September 18, 2011 AM

Intro: For the next three Sunday mornings we are going to be studying the theme: God’s Unlimited Grace and Glory. From start to finish this study is all about stewardship.

CBC and every Christian present here today: We need to know that God has made us His stewards. This means that He has entrusted certain things to us. And He doesn’t simply want us to own these things or possesses these things…He wants us and expects to manage these things for His honor and His glory!

Now, by his own sovereign design and plan He has made entrusted us with many things to manage, but over the next three Sundays we will narrow these things down to three simply words: Gospel…Giftedness…and Generosity

You may have noticed that there are several businesses out there that have the word “Limited” in their names. For example: Paint & Body Work Ltd, Hydraulics Ltd, Ltd Brands, and The Limited.

It has also been popular to use the word “Unlimited” in a company or business name. For Example: Bowling Unlimited, Buggies Unlimited and Lumber Unlimited.

And then you have your basic offers to provide unlimited quantities for a certain price. Like: All you can eat BBQ or all you can drink specials.

No matter what people say, promise, or advertise they are still limited in what they can provide.

Illustration 1: Kangaroo Cup
Illustration 2: George’s Ice Cream Certificate Sundae

With these two simple illustrations you can see how frustrating it is when someone promises unlimited and then cannot deliver…But I am so glad that God’s grace and glory are unlimited!

But how is His grace and glory made available to us? (It was made available to us at a special time, in a special place and in a very special way…2000 yrs ago on a Hill called Calvary Jesus died for you and for me.)

We all know John 3:16…But turn to Titus 2:11-14…

God’s Unlimited Grace and Glory Is Made Available through the Gospel

If not for the Gospel of Jesus Christ none of us would ever know of His grace or His glory.
Instead we all would experience His Justice and His wrath.

In fact, all of us are born with a death sentence hanging over us like a cloud of doom. We were destined for death and eternal damnation! Some may not like this truth; others may not accept it or believe it, but regardless of what they like, accept or believe God’s Word is clear!

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” “The wages of sin is death…”
But…praise be to God…that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Friends, it is the grace of God that brings us the Gospel…and it is the Gospel which opens the door to His marvelous grace and glory!

What is the Gospel? …seems like an easy question to answer…and it is, so long as you get your answer from the Word of God!

You would be amazed at how people answer this question…at how “Christians” answer this question!

Some say…the gospel is good news…that God wants everyone to go to heaven…or that you don’t have to go to hell…or the good news that God loves you and Jesus dies for you!

Paul gives us the answer to our question with simplicity and precision in I Corinthians 15:1-4…

Yes…the Gospel is the blessed truth that Jesus, who is God…died for our sins…was buried and rose again on the third day!

The Gospel is indeed good news! It is the good news that while we were sinners; while we were dead in our trespasses and sins; while we were wretched, hopeless and helpless; while we were wicked and vile and completely undesirable to God…yet still He demonstrated His love toward us by sending Christ to die for our sins. It is the good news that through the finished work of Jesus Christ a person can be brought back into a right relationship with God!

Now that is Good News! And here is the best part! The Gospel Is Not Limited!
Whosoever will may come! But how will they know if we don’t tell them?

It is the Gospel that makes available to every person the unlimited grace and glory of God. And those of us who have it are stewards of it! God has saved us and sealed us by His grace and for his glory…but He also sends us to share it with others!

Paul understood that the Gospel was and is a stewardship given us by God to share with others:
Turn to Romans 1:14-16…(debtor)

Think about this message that He has entrusted to us:

It is a Supreme Message - “I am not ashamed of the Gospel”

We know this to be true of Paul because he eventually gave his life for the sake of the gospel.

What is it that would cause a man to give up everything else in life for just one thing? That would cause him to risk life and limb in order to pursue that one thing? What is it? …it’s called the Gospel!

He was not ashamed of the Gospel, even though it was a new, foreign, and highly volatile message. He believed the Gospel to be completely supreme to everything else.

It is supreme in its origin – not the invention of man, but rather the intervention of God!
It is supreme in its duration – This news will never be out dated! (Even in eternity!)
It is supreme in its execution – it will completely accomplish its intended purpose.

There’s no other message, no other truth as supreme and glorious message of the gospel.
Every other man can preach and rave about whatever he likes, but we Christians ought to preach Gospel!

It is a Sufficient Message - “It is the power of God unto salvation”

It is sufficient because it is backed by the power of God! And it is by His power alone that any man can be saved!

The Romans were known for their power of the sword…and with the sword they had pretty much taken over the world …but Paul, came to Rome preaching the Gospel which is the power of God to save souls.

Jerry Vines - “It has the power to stir the mind, to stab the conscience, and to warm the heart. It can take a drunk and make him sober, take a harlot and make her pure. It can take thieves and make them honest. It can take a sinner and make him a saint. The Gospel has the power to save souls from an eternal hell.”

I want to tell you friends that there is nothing else so powerful in the entire world than the power of God to save sinners. He can save you today!

It is a Simplistic Message - “To everyone that believes”

The Gospel has never changes…the same simplistic message that was given two thousand years ago (and really was given in the very beginning to Adam and Eve).

So, it is simple because it is the same Gospel yesterday, today and forever! He died – in our place…He was buried – for our sins…He rose again – to share His victory with us!

This is the message and it never changes! Though it crosses every boundary: time, nations and languages, the message is the same! And we have been entrusted with it!

It is a Significant Message – “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.”

What revealed this righteousness? What revealed the necessity of faith? The Gospel!

The righteousness of God has been revealed by Jesus Christ through the Gospel…
The righteousness of God can be received by the Gospel through Jesus Christ…
The righteousness of God which has been revealed by Jesus Christ through the Gospel must be accepted by faith!

That’s the way it has always been and the way it will always be…” Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life! Amen! …Have you received His Gospel today?

If not then you really need to hear this last point…

It is a Solemn Message - “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”

Here’s the deal! The preaching of the Gospel is sweet to those who receive it, but solemn to those who refuse it!

John 3:36 - He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.

That word abides means - to stay, remain or dwell. The wrath of God is already upon and shall stay, remain or dwell upon all those who do not believe the Gospel.

This is why you need to be saved and it is why you need to share it with others!
That the wrath of God dwells upon them because of their sin
That faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ can cause that wrath to be removed forever
That there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun
That Jesus is their only hope

Closing:
Friends, Church, Christian: God has given to us His unlimited grace and glory through the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Have you received it today?
If so, are you being a good steward of it?

Senior Pastor John Sweat, Sr
Crossroads Baptist Chruch
1595 Baxley Road
Middleburg, Florida
904)376-5049