Second Chances: Which Side of Grace Do You Need?
Last Week’s Big Ideas
· God’s grace is uniquely both confrontational and covering at the same time. Grace has to confront us before it can cover us. Grace has to force your hand before you can grab its hand.
· 2 Reactions to Confrontational Grace: Receive or Recoil. Receiving grace produces forward momentum. Recoiling from grace produces backward momentum.
Grace carries 2 connected meanings: forgiveness and power. Forgiveness to begin a fresh start and Power to sustain a fresh relationship.
Matthew 9:9 (Amplified) 9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew (Levi) sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk].” And Matthew got up and followed Him.
Jewish Education
Level 1
Bet Sefer (House of the Book) ages 6-10
Memorized Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy
Jewish Education
Level 2
Bet Talmud (House of Learning) ages 10-14
Entire OT memorized (39) + an understanding of the oral tradition
Jewish Education
Level 3
Bet Midrash (House of Study)
“Follow me” Internship
Dis is an emotionally strong prefix. It’s more than the absence of something, it is the loss of something.
· Disillusioned isn’t the absence of perspective, it is the loss of hope.
· Disappointed isn’t a neutral emotion, it’s a negative emotion.
· Dissatisfied is more than empty, it’s also angry.
· Discouraged is more than the absence of courage, it’s a crushed soul.
Jesus is the only one who can adequately transform your “dis” and He does so by replacing it with His preferred prefix… “re”. Pre-fix replacement surgery)
· Re-surrection
· Re-conciliation
· Re-demption
Power Side of Grace
1. Grace empowers a Re-focus for our Dis-illusionment
2 Corinthians 4:6-18 (NIV) 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Power Side of Grace
1. Grace empowers a Re-focus for our Dis-illusionment.
Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Power Side of Grace
1. Grace empowers a Re-focus for our Dis-illusionment.
2. Grace empowers a Re-appointment for our Dis-appointment.
2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NIV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
If you are too busy fighting your place you won’t be able to find your purpose while you are there.
Power Side of Grace
1. Grace empowers a Re-focus for our Dis-illusionment.
2. Grace empowers a Re-appointment for our Dis-appointment.
3. Grace empowers a Re-alignment for our Dis-satisfaction.
Power Side of Grace
1. Grace empowers a Re-focus for our Dis-illusionment.
2. Grace empowers a Re-appointment for our Dis-appointment.
3. Grace empowers a Re-alignment for our Dis-satisfaction.
4. Grace empowers Re-lationships for our Dis-couragement.
Romans 1:11-12 11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. (Borrow faith / lend faith)
Hebrews 3:13 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
Hebrews 10:23-25 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Matthew 9:10-13 (NIV) 10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this; they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Follow Jesus to Forgiveness
Follow Jesus to Power
Invite others to find out Who you are following