For those who are desirous to have a copy of Gods message tonight here in Canelar Church, I attached a copy for you. God bless you. “The working of God’s grace” 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 When typhoon Yolanda hit the Visayas, Tzu Chi foundation which is based in Taiwan sent ten million dollars to the relief and reconstruction effort in Tacloban. I was amazed by the quickness and magnitude of the response from a non-Filipino and non-governmental organization during the disaster. Here is a group that sends precious dollars to the Philippines instead of taking out our much needed reserve. After reading more about this group, I realized that it was not difficult for them to send that amount because they have ten million members world-wide. If each member will contribute one dollar, then they could raise the amount very quickly. However, the motivation of this group in helping those who are in need is based on acquiring good karma which they believe will bring them good fortunes in the future. God’s children also believe that the good things we do today will bring us good things in the future, but this is not our primary motivation. Our primary motivation is based on God’s grace. We have already received good things from God, and as response to that goodness we also share his blessings with others. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Apostle Paul said, “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you, otherwise you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.” God’s grace is the basis for our inclusion into the family of God. Paul mentioned the word “receive” twice in this passage. Someone did something for us which we now enjoy. As God’s children we received a very precious gift. Jesus died for us, he was buried and raised to life so that we would become partakers of his blessings. Paul is a very good example for us concerning God’s unmerited favor because he had no right to be part of the blessings because he persecuted the church, but because of God’s grace an outsider was included in the family of God. Forgiveness of sins can never be bought nor worked for. Forgiveness can only be given by a righteous God to a repentant heart who is ready to receive the gift. When Billy Graham was driving through a small southern town, he was stopped by a policeman and charged with speeding. Graham admitted his quilt, but was told by the officer that he would have to appear in court. The judge asked, Guilty, or not guilty? When Graham pleaded guilty, the judge replied, Thatll be ten dollars -- a dollar for every mile you went over the limit. Suddenly the judge recognized the famous minister. You have violated the law, he said. The fine must be paid--but I am going to pay it for you. He took a ten dollar bill from his own wallet, attached it to the ticket, and then took Graham out and bought him a steak dinner! That, said Billy Graham, is how God treats repentant sinners! God’s grace is the power that makes us humble. A person may bend down and submit to someone superior to him because he is forced to do it. Prisoners of war will kneel in front of their captors and submit to their wishes in order to escape death, but deep inside is the spirit of defiance. Only God’s grace can drive a person to his knees not because of fear but because of gratitude. Before Paul encountered Jesus, he was an arrogant crusader who wanted his way at the expense of innocent people. He did not care about those who belonged to God’s family as long as he got what he wanted. But when he experienced the grace of God he recognized that other believers are important and even better than him. The grace of God will always make us say, “Not I but Christ.” Sadhu Sundar Singh was a well-known evangelist who traveled to remote villages in Tibet and Nepal telling thousands of people about Jesus. He became very famous during his time for his sacrifices and miraculous experiences as he preached to the heathen and many times hostile audiences. He had a chance to travel to Europe, and he had completed a tour around the world. People asked him, Doesnt it do harm, you’re getting so much honor? The Sadhus answer was: No. The donkey went into Jerusalem, and people put garments on the ground before him. They cut branches of trees so that his feet would not hit the stone, but he cannot be proud. He knew it was not done to honor him, but for Jesus, who was sitting on his back. When people honor me, I know it is not me, but the Lord, who does the job. When a person experiences the grace of God, he cannot afford to be proud because he is just like the donkey on which Jesus rode. The glory and honor belongs to the rider and not to the donkey, but the donkey shares in the glorious moment. God’ grace motivates us for spirited service. When you already got what you wanted, what is the point of working for it? Many would work for something that is not yet in their hands and the moment they get it, they sit down and relax. Several years ago I told a story about a man who worked half his life to make a fortune. When he became so rich, he bought a very expensive ticket to go to a very remote island so that he would spend time to relax. When he arrived on the island, he immediately set up his tent and readied his fishing pole. As he was waiting for fish to touch his bait, he noticed a native of that island sleeping beside his small canoe. The rich man became curious and concerned about the fisherman who was sleeping very early in the morning, so he came near the fisherman and woke him us. When the fisherman was already awake, the rich man asked him why he was not out to sea to catch fish. The fisherman replied that he was already there and he caught some fish. The rich man suggested that the fisherman should go back to catch more fish. The fisherman asked him, why? The rich man argued that the more fish he catches the more money he will get. The fisherman asked, why? The rich man said that if he has more money he can buy more boats and catch more fish and become rich like him, and then he can buy a very expensive ticket to go to a very remote island and spend his time relaxing beside his small canoe. The fisherman looked the rich man in the eye, and said, “didn’t you see that that was exactly what I was doing before you disturbed my sleep?” People serve for various reasons. Some serve for money, while others for fame, and still others for power. However, those who received God’s grace serve out of gratitude to someone who made them worthy in spite of the fact that they are not worthy to be called God’s children. REJOICING IN PAIN Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision, visited a church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, nearly a year after the devastating earthquake. The churchs building consisted of a tent made from white tarps and duct tape, pitched in the midst of a sprawling camp for thousands of people still homeless from the earthquake. In the front row of that church sat six amputees ranging in age from 6 to 60. They were clapping and smiling as they sang song after song and lifted their prayers to God. The worship was full of hope...[and] with thanksgiving to the Lord. No one was singing louder or praying more fervently than Demosi Louphine, a 32-year-old unemployed single mother of two. During the earthquake, a collapsed building crushed her right arm and left leg. After four days both limbs had to be amputated, but she was leading the choir, standing on her prosthesis and lifting her one hand high in praise to God... Following the service, Stearns met Demosi and her two daughters, ages eight and ten, who were living in a tent just five feet tall and perhaps eight feet wide. She had lost her job, her home, and two limbs, but she was deeply grateful because God spared her life on January 12th last year (2010)...He brought me back like Lazarus, giving me the gift of life, says Demosi...[who] believes she survived the devastating quake for two reasons: to raise her girls and to serve her Lord for a few more years. God’s grace is the basis for our inclusion into the family of God. God’s grace is the power that makes us humble. And God’s grace is the motivation for spirited service and worship. Thank God for his wonderful grace.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 08:04:45 +0000
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