Embracing Grace: Our Spiritual Need and Invitation

Devotional

Day 1: Spiritual Needs Take Precedence Over Physical Desires

Our deepest need is spiritual, not physical, financial, or emotional. Jesus came to address our spiritual death caused by sin, offering grace as the ultimate gift. This grace is not earned but freely given to all who accept it. [24:10]
Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV): "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved."
Reflection: Consider an area in your life where you are seeking physical or material fulfillment. How can you shift your focus to address the spiritual need underlying this desire?

Day 2: Grace is a Gift for Everyone

Grace is not a reward for good behavior but a gift for the forgiven. It is available to everyone, regardless of their past or current status. This truth challenges religious norms that emphasize behavior over grace. [08:08]
Titus 3:5-7 (ESV): "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
Reflection: Think of someone you know who feels unworthy of grace. How can you demonstrate to them that grace is a gift available to all, regardless of their past?

Day 3: Experiencing Grace Transforms the Heart

Understanding grace intellectually is different from experiencing it in the heart. True transformation occurs when grace moves from a concept to a lived reality, as illustrated by personal testimonies and biblical stories. [04:50]
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Reflection: Reflect on a moment when you experienced grace in a transformative way. How did it change your perspective or actions?

Day 4: The Law Highlights Our Need for Grace

The law exposes our need for a Savior, highlighting our dependence on God's mercy. It is not the opposite of grace but a tool to show us our need for forgiveness and transformation. [16:49]
Galatians 3:24 (ESV): "So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith."
Reflection: Identify a rule or expectation you have been trying to meet. How can you shift your focus from striving to meet this standard to relying on God's grace for transformation?

Day 5: Inviting Others to Experience Grace

Our role is to invite others to experience the grace of Jesus, not to save them but to point them to the Savior. This involves sharing the good news boldly and creating opportunities for others to encounter grace. [36:31]
Matthew 5:16 (ESV): "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Reflection: Think of someone in your life who needs to hear about the grace of Jesus. What is one specific way you can share this message with them today?

Sermon Summary

Our greatest need is spiritual, and this is why Jesus came—to address the spiritual death caused by sin. If life feels incomplete or unsatisfactory, it may be because God is still at work in your life, offering grace, the greatest gift. Grace is not earned; it is freely given to all, regardless of past actions or current status. This truth is central to our series, "The Season of Grace," where we explore Ephesians 2:1-10. Grace is often misunderstood or complicated by religious practices, but it is simple and profound. It is not a reward for good behavior but a gift for those who are forgiven.

Reflecting on my journey, I realized that understanding grace intellectually is different from experiencing it in the heart. This transformation happened for me in a dorm room, where grace moved from a concept to a lived reality. Many have left the church because the message of grace was unclear, replaced by a focus on behavior and rules. The story of the prodigal son illustrates this, showing that grace is for everyone, not just those who seem deserving.

At Boulder Mountain, we emphasize that grace is for all people. Ephesians 2 reminds us that we were all dead in sin, but God, rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ. This transformation is not about fixing our old selves but receiving a new heart, as illustrated by the story of a heart transplant. The law shows us our need for a Savior, not as a means to earn grace but to highlight our dependence on God's mercy.

The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 includes unlikely figures, demonstrating that grace is for everyone, even those society deems unworthy. Jesus' interaction with the paralytic in Matthew 9 shows that our greatest need is spiritual healing, not just physical. Grace is inviting to the unrighteous but threatening to the self-righteous, challenging religious norms and traditions.

As we approach Christmas, let us remember that Jesus came to offer grace and forgiveness. Our role is to invite others to experience this grace, not to save them but to point them to the Savior. Let us be bold in sharing this good news, knowing that grace is the heart of the gospel.

Key Takeaways

1. Spiritual Need Over Physical Need: Our deepest need is spiritual, not physical, financial, or emotional. Jesus came to address our spiritual death caused by sin, offering grace as the ultimate gift. This grace is not earned but freely given to all who accept it. [24:10]
2. Grace is for All: Grace is not a reward for good behavior but a gift for the forgiven. It is available to everyone, regardless of their past or current status. This truth challenges religious norms that emphasize behavior over grace. [08:08]
3. Transformation Through Grace: Understanding grace intellectually is different from experiencing it in the heart. True transformation occurs when grace moves from a concept to a lived reality, as illustrated by personal testimonies and biblical stories. [04:50]
4. The Law and Grace: The law exposes our need for a Savior, highlighting our dependence on God's mercy. It is not the opposite of grace but a tool to show us our need for forgiveness and transformation. [16:49]
5. Inviting Others to Grace: Our role is to invite others to experience the grace of Jesus, not to save them but to point them to the Savior. This involves sharing the good news boldly and creating opportunities for others to encounter grace. [36:31]
** [36:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:27] - Introduction to the Series
[03:00] - Personal Journey with Grace
[05:37] - The De-churched and Grace
[06:19] - The Prodigal Son and Grace
[08:08] - Grace for All People
[12:31] - But God: Mercy and Grace
[13:17] - The State of the Unsaved
[15:03] - A New Heart in Christ
[18:06] - The Genealogy of Jesus
[20:46] - The Paralytic's Greatest Need
[24:10] - Spiritual Needs Over Physical
[28:57] - Protecting What We Value
[30:33] - Matthew's Calling
[36:31] - Inviting Others to Grace

Sermon Clips

And so, next point, if it is not good, God is not done. If it is not good in your life right now, if you can't say and you can't sing this morning in this room that it is good and it is well with your soul, yeah, everything else may not be well, but it is well with my soul, then let me propose to you, then, that God's not done working in your life, that God is offering you today grace, the greatest gift to ever be given. Amen. [00:00:22] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Religion is really difficult. Difficult. Religion is a weight. Religion is difficult to follow. And so how did we take this very easy, complex, simple complex of grace, and we made it so difficult? So we're looking at Ephesians chapter 2, a little background on me. Gave my life to Jesus. Said yes to Jesus when I was about eight years of age. [00:02:37] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Grace is not earned, it is offered. So if you're taking notes, grace is not earned, it is offered. Listen, grace is not for good people. Grace is not for bad people. Grace is for all people. There is no one that took more of God's grace to save than it took to save me. It takes the same amount of grace, my friends. Eternal life is not a reward for good people. It is God's gift for forgiven people. [00:08:20] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

But God, but God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ. When did he do that? When did God show up? When does he give us mercy? While we were trespassing. While we were in our sin is when God shows up. But God, I'm so grateful for being a sinner in our trespasses. We're but God's verses. [00:11:44] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

He gives us a new heart. He takes that, Ephesians 2, 1 through 3, he takes it out and he gives us a new heart. Ezekiel 36 .26 says I will give you a new heart and I will give you a new heart. I will give you a new spirit. Tara Storage had a daughter who was 13 and this daughter died in a skiing accident. It was this family's worst nightmare. They went through the funeral, they went through a burial, lots of tears, but they decided to donate their daughter's organs. [00:14:28] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

And God did not give us the law to encourage us to live a perfect life. He gave us the law to expose our need for a Savior. That we're all in need of a Savior. Christ for me, with me, all the pronouns. Christ for me, with me, beside me, ahead of me, under me, et cetera. But Jesus in you is the most repeated phrase of Paul throughout the epistles. Amen. [00:16:24] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

The greatest need of any individual on the planet is that their sins be forgiven. And Jesus knows that. And so he's lowered down below and Jesus says to his friends, I don't think he's talking to the paralytic in this passage. He says to his friends, I see your faith. I see the work that you did to get him here. And he says to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven. [00:22:06] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

What happens in the church when the gospel is not front and center? Other things become more important. The building becomes more important. The lawn becomes more important. Tradition becomes more important. What Jesus did when he showed up is he upset. the religious institution of the day. So let's make sure that doesn't happen here. They asked Jesus, what's the most important commandment? He says, love God and love people. That's it. [00:28:37] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Our job is not to save. Our job is to simply invite. As what's been said many, many hundreds of years ago, it's just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. And that's what we're doing here at Boulder Mountain. Would you join me in prayer? Father, thank you for grace. Forgive us when we've overcomplicated grace, when we've added things to grace, when we've made people feel like they have to behave a certain way in order to receive grace. [00:36:31] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

I thank you for that message. If anyone in the room here today has not received the goodness and the grace that you offer, that we would do that today. Father, for the prayer requests in the room, I pray that those who need prayer would come forward for prayer today. It would be a privilege and an honor to pray with people this morning. Thank you for your goodness. Thank you for loving us first. In Jesus' name, amen. [00:37:35] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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