What Does Grace Look
Like?
Acts 11:23
January 18, 2015 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I.
Introduction (Acts
11:23)
A.
Barnabas came to a
church of Gentile Christians in Antioch and instead of seeing pagans, naked,
worshipping idols and beating themselves, and saw the Grace of God – plain as
day!
B.
So, What does GRACE
look like? Would you recognise it if you saw it?
1.
Grace is kind of
hard to see in our culture – it is not everywhere
2.
As a matter of fact,
it is pretty rare
3.
And even when it is
present and visible, Most people are quite blind to it – it is like someone who
is colour-blind. Have NEVER noticed it before!
C.
Let’s Define Grace
again
1.
A constant Attitude that gives, and gives, and gives towards those who deserve
nothing
2.
Holding back wrath and condemnation that people DO deserve
3.
Being kind at no cost to the receiver – paid for by the giver
4.
Something Greater than anything this side of heaven!
5.
Not a license to live as we please – but to live better
6.
God’s work on my life to make me more like Jesus – Changing ME and not the other
person
7.
In summary:
a.
Yes, you have rules, Godly expectations of yourself and others – you never throw
those out (God’s Grace did not get rid of His laws)
b.
But Grace means Softness, Yielding, Tolerant, Kind, Patient, Forgiving
c.
NOT demanding, exacting, sharp, harsh, fierce, mean
D.
Do you see much of
that around these days?
E.
I want to show you
how to recognise Grace when it is in action, and how to develop it in your way
of living!
II.
Background
A.
Let me show you a
couple of examples of people who needed their eyes opened to God’s Grace, or
they would have missed it!
B.
Balaam (Num
22:10-12, 21-34)
1.
Balaam was a wicked,
selfish prophet
2.
He could only see an
opportunity to be recognised, popular, wealthy
3.
He could only see
money
4.
He almost missed
seeing God’s grace, in the donkey, and in the patience of God
5.
And if it weren’t
for that donkey, Balaam would have faced God’s wrath head on!
C.
Hagar (Gen 21:1,2,
8-12, 14-19)
1.
Hagar was a servant
that Abraham had brought out of Egypt.
2.
She had been nothing
but trouble for both Abraham and Sarah
3.
And her son Ishmael
was now causing more problems
4.
So Sarah ordered
Hagar and Ishmael out of her home
5.
She was homeless -
helpless
6.
She could only see
disaster, and hopelessness
7.
And she almost
missed the miracle of God’s provision
8.
Oh how wonderful it
is when God opens our eyes to His grace – His goodness – His kindness towards
us!
D.
Did you know that,
the whole Bible is not just full of events, and people – it is full of GRACE
E.
We all need our eyes
opened to Grace this morning!
III.
Message
A.
See Grace in the
Cross
(Hebrews 2:9)
1.
What do you see
happening on the Cross?
2.
Most people only see
a poor travelling teacher dying
3.
But if you look a
little closer, you will find… GRACE!
a.
Softness
b.
Yielding to the
Roman Soldiers
c.
Tolerant of all the
false accusations
d.
Kind when people
were yelling Crucify Him
e.
Patient enough to
trust God through it all
f.
And most of all, you
will find Someone Forgiving those who were hurting Him
4.
You see, GRACE put
Jesus on the cross
5.
And Grace KEPT Him
on the cross
6.
And Grace was at
work all the while Jesus was on the cross
a.
Father, Forgive
b.
Today, thou shalt be
with me
c.
Jesus took care of
everyone around Him – even though HE was hurting, and abandoned, and alone
d.
Oh, God has laws,
expectations of every man, woman, and child in the world
e.
And God’s Grace did
not get rid of His laws
f.
So, instead of
Demanding, and exacting, sharp, harsh, fierce, mean…
g.
You will see Jesus!
7.
That’s why
Christians preach the cross, and honour what happened there!
B.
See Grace in Your
Salvation
(Titus 3:3-7)
1.
What do you see when
you look back at the day you repented, and cried out to God to have mercy on you
a sinner, and save your lost soul? What do you see?
a.
You ought to see
GRACE!
2.
You and I ought to
face God’s wrath (Titus 3:3)
a.
Tit 3:3
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived,
serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and
hating one another.
b.
God doesn’t HAVE to
give us second and third chances constantly
c.
We all have earned
the trouble we are in, and going to be in
3.
Yet, He waited
patiently FOR ME
4.
And He saved me out
of the goodness of HIS graciousness, NOT because of any value there is in me
(Titus 3:4-7)
a.
Tit 3:4
But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man
appeared,
b.
Tit 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his
mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy
Ghost;
c.
Tit 3:6
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
d.
Tit 3:7
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to
the hope of eternal life.
5.
Take a good look at
God’s forgiveness for all your sins
and see the word at work in your heart, the work of God humbling you
All of which are the result of GRACE, and not WRATH
6.
We need to change
our focus from our own goodness (which is a lie) and onto God and see His grace
toward the ungodly
7.
And THANK God that
He looks at us through the grace of His Son!
8.
That’s why
Christians get excited when they think about their salvation – because they have
experienced AMAZING GRACE
C.
See Grace in Every
Page of the Bible
(Hebrews 13:9; Acts20:32)
1.
There is GRACE in
every chapter
a.
Yes, there is meat
to shew on, and hard things to understand, things that must be thoroughly
studied
b.
But there is milk;
easy to understand things to notice, and to learn from!
2.
Many people only see
God’s anger, wrath, judgment in the Bible – and those are all there
3.
But they fail to see
all the waiting, and long-suffering that God went through before He had to
judge!
4.
AND they fail to see
the way God made for everyone to escape
a.
As with Nineveh – by
repentance and humility
b.
As with the world in
Noah’s day – by repentance and getting in the Ark
120 years God was willing to WAIT on mankind to repent
c.
As it is today –
through faith in Jesus Christ alone! (2Cor 6:1,2)
5.
As you read your
Bible, page by page, chapter by chapter, look for grace – look for GOD being
kind, patient, merciful when he ought to be full of wrath
a.
Adam and Eve – God
warned them of the consequences, then when they ignored His law, he was ready to
execute His wrath, but He instead offered GRACE by a substitute, that would take
the wrath!
b.
Moses – temper led
to him becoming a murderer, yet God gave him another chance
c.
David – an
adulterer, liar, and murderer, and yet was given mercy, at CHRIST’S expense
d.
Peter – a traitor to
Christ, yet given another chance without question or remembrance!
e.
The woman caught in
adultery – given another chance to live without sin
f.
Saul of tarsus – a
fanatical zealot who murdered and tortured Christians… yet offered another way
of life, and Saul took it! Became the greatest Christian this world has ever
known!
D.
Make sure there is
Loads of Grace in Our Attitudes
(Hebrews 12:28; Romans 12:3; Ephesians 3:8)
1.
Yes, you have to
have rules, Godly expectations of yourself and others – you never throw those
out
2.
But remember, grace
means a Softness, Yielding, Tolerant, Kind, Patient
3.
NOT demanding,
exacting, sharp, harsh, fierce, mean
4.
So, Have Grace in
the way we act and react to each other (1Peter 3:8,9)!
a.
Not reacting like
you do naturally… But with grace (Softness, Yielding, Tolerant, Kind, Patient)
b.
Not with anger,
wrath, evil speaking… but with kindness and grace
5.
The way we Talk, and
what we say when we speak (Col 4:6).
a.
Take a good look at
your words! LISTEN TO YOURSELF!
b.
Are they gracious
words? Or harsh words, stabbing words?
6.
In the way you look
at other people
a.
Do you honour
others, or demean them in your thinking?
b.
Do you tear people
down, and edify and build them up?
c.
Are people always
problems, or are they souls for whom Christ died, that He asks you to minister
to at every opportunity?
7.
At the way you look
at yourself
a.
People need to see
humility – because it is the soil of grace! Pride produces wrath, and anger, and
division
b.
You need to believe
you are nothing, but that it is God at work in you, and through you!
8.
Gracious attitudes
towards those that upset you will not come naturally.
a.
It is NOT in you and
me
b.
God gives us grace
so that we can extend grace to others (John 1:14,16)
E.
Look for Grace in
Your Marriage
(1Peter 3:7)
1.
What would people
notice about your relationship with your husband or wife?
a.
A Softness towards
each other? That’s grace
b.
Yielding to the
wishes of the other? That’s grace
c.
A Tolerance of
differences, and pet-peeves? That’s grace
d.
Kindness when the
other is angry and upset? That’s grace!
e.
Patient with each
other, letting each other grow, and mature? That’s grace!
f.
And most of all,
each Forgiving each other instantly, and completely? That’s grace!
2.
Make sure your mate
SEES grace in how you treat them – whew!
a.
Not just exacting
the law
b.
And NOT only your
expectations, and condemnations for failures
c.
But a deep kindness,
and giving of second and third chances
3.
Make sure that you
mainly notice the good things in your
marriage instead of always only seeing faults
4.
Let’s make our homes
places of grace – places where we see GRACE interacting with Grace
5.
Because it is in the
place of Grace, that God is there!
F.
Look for and develop
Grace in our Church
(Acts 11:19-23)
1.
Barnabas travelled
300 miles north of Jerusalem to a church of Gentile Christians in Antioch of
Syria, and instead of seeing pagans, naked, worshipping idols and beating
themselves in worship of false gods…
2.
He saw what God’s
grace had done TO them, by watching how they now treated each other, as they
followed the life of Jesus Christ:
a.
He saw thoroughly
Converted people – different than they used to be
1)
Grace is not God
tolerating your sins
2)
Grace is paying off
every one of your sin’s debts
3)
And then
transforming you from a sin-loving sinner, into a Saviour loving saint!
4)
Changed! Changed
desires, changed loves, changed purpose, changed mind
5)
Converted!
b.
He also saw, A
Loving people, compassionate towards each other
1)
Jesus said, “By this
shall all men know that ye are MY disciples, if ye have LOVE one for another!”
2)
Grace is when people
from so many nationalities, cultures, get along like FAMILY
3)
Grace is when people
overlook pet-peeves, and aggravations – because we are FAMILY!
4)
Have very short
memories about hurts, disappointments, let-downs
5)
God will bring us
all into judgment based on how much grace we have with each other! Take it
seriously!
6)
People are WAY too
thin skinned!
7)
These Antiochan
Christians loved to be together!
8)
Loved preaching
9)
Loved giving
10)
And loved serving
11)
That’s when you see
GRACE in action!
c.
Barnabas also saw,
People who lived by faith instead of by force, or by fear
1)
The people in
Antioch were used to being beaten into believing whatever their king believed
2)
They were used to
living in fear of their religious ruler’s wrath
3)
But now, they feared
ONLY God
4)
And they believed
with all their heart because they made the choice themselves!
d.
Barnabas saw the
grace of God in those people as a church!
3.
That’s what I want
to see here, in our church. Not just a bunch of religious people, but a body of
believers, who have been affected, by the grace of God in their lives!
IV.
Conclusion/Invitation
A.
Tell me if you see
grace anywhere – real grace!
1.
You will learn what
it looks like FIRST on the Cross
2.
If you are born
again, you OUGHT to see AMAZING Grace in Your Salvation
3.
Take the time to
notice Grace in every page of the Bible – don’t miss the goodness of God in
every page towards those that do not and never could have deserved His kindness!
4.
Make sure there is
loads of Grace in your way of living and thinking and acting and reacting
5.
Make sure there is
abundant Grace in your Marriage
6.
Let’s all develop
Grace in our Church!
B.
If you do not see
Grace in your life, You only get your eyes opened by conversion (Acts 26:18)
1.
By being shown what
really happened on the cross
2.
Until you accept by
faith that THAT was grace for you, when God should instead pour out His wrath,
then you will NEVER see the goodness of God
3.
You will only see
opportunities to succeed, make money, take power, have power, become popular,
revenge wrongs, get rid of enemies
4.
And you will miss
the grace of God, that has been patiently at work, leading you to a changed
life! Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the
riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the
goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
C.
Will you let Christ
open your eyes to His amazing grace this morning?