Ecclesiology
The Gospel of
Lesson VIII
December
7, 2006
Subject: Paul the Minister of the Gospel of
Texts: 1
Corinthians 15:10-11 and Acts 20:24
1
Corinthians 15:10-11
(10)
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which [was bestowed] upon
me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly
than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
(11)
Therefore whether [it were] I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
Acts
20:24
(24)
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so
that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received
of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
I
Introduction
Moses
was a chosen vessel to minister to
Paul
was a chosen vessel to minister first to the Gentiles, and kings, and the
children of
Acts
9:15
(15)
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to
bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of
We
dare not question why these, and not
other men, were chosen. Both were given
special tasks. And as Moses could claim
a special
relationship to the Children of
II We take note
of what Paul thanked God for when he wrote to a Church.
Romans 1:8 Paul thanked God for the faith of the Romans. Not their piety, not their purity, not their
goodness nor their greatness, but for their faith
in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1: 15-16 …..He ceased not to give
thanks for their faith.
Philippians 3,5……… He thanked God for their fellowship
in the gospel.
Colossians 1:3…….… He thanked God for their faith,
love and hope.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 He thanks God for their work of faith, labour
of love and patience of hope.
2 Thessalonians 1:3… He thanked God that
their faith groweth exceedingly.
1 Corinthians 1:4 ….. He thanked God for the grace given to the Corinthians.
He could have thanked God for their faith and for their gifts (1
Corinthians 1:7).
He
tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:1 that
although they were gifted, they were carnal. And if any Church needed grace it was the
Corinthian Church. They were not
saintly. Their testimony was not
good. The changes against them were many
because of their carnal conduct. They
needed the message of grace and not law. They were abusing the doctrine of grace.
In Galatians, no thanks is
given. In Galatians 1:6, Paul marveled that they were so soon removed from him that called them into the grace of
Christ unto another gospel (not of grace)
The Galatians had fallen from grace and were back under the law.
When believers sin, they do not fall from grace. They fall into the arms of grace. The Corinthians abused the grace of God but the Galatians refused the grace of God.
III Definitions of
Ephesians
2:7
(7)
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding
riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
We
cannot fathom the meaning of the word grace
for it will take the ages to come to realize its full meaning to us.
Here
are some definitions given by men:
“Unmerited favour”;
“Loving pardon shown to law
breaking criminals”; -
Oh to see that we are all criminals!
“Grace is love paying the price”.
See
Philemon 18 and Luke 10:34-35.
Philemon
18
(18)
If he hath wronged thee, or oweth [thee] ought, put
that on mine account;
Luke
10:34-35
(34)
And went to [him], and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set
him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
(35)
And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave [them] to
the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
Matthew
15:21-28
(21)
Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of
(22)
And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him,
saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, [thou] Son of David; my daughter is
grievously vexed with a devil.
(23)
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth
after us.
(24)
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of
(25)
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
(26)
But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to
cast [it] to dogs.
(27)
And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their
masters' table.
(28)
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great [is] thy faith: be it
unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very
hour.
Matthew 15:21-28 is an illustration and
demonstration of what grace is. The word
for ‘dogs’ means ‘little dogs’. And that
woman was willing to take her place as a dog to eat crumbs under the
table! (Jeremiah 50:6)
Jeremiah
50:6
(6)
My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have
caused them to go astray, they have turned them away [on] the mountains: they
have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.
“Mercy”
is God withholding what we deserve. “
IV We are saved by grace (not graces)
Ephesians
2:5-9
(5)
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,
(6)
And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places]
in Christ Jesus:
(7)
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding
riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
(8)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:[it is] the gift of God:
(9)
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Not
by the first work of grace or by a second work of grace but by grace, period.
There
is no other way of salvation for sinners.
Ephesians 2:5………. When we were dead in sins (what can dead men do for themselves?)
hath he quickened us together with Christ (by
grace ye are saved)
Ephesians 2:8-10….. By grace are ye saved … it is a gift of God not of works, for we are created unto good works not by our good works.
Titus 3:5………...…. Not by works of righteousness we have done, …
he saved us.
Romans 4:5 ........... Salvation is only given
to him that worketh not.
Romans 5:6………… When we could do nothing , Christ did
everything.
Romans 11:6…….… What is of works is not of grace.
What is of grace is not of works.
John 1:12 ………..… All who are saved are sons of God.
1 John 5:1 ………… All who are saved are
born of God.
Romans 8:17 ………. All who are saved are heirs of God.
1 Peter 1:4-5……….. All who are saved have an inheritance reserved for them in Heaven.
Notice
that grace and faith are tied together. The blessings of grace flow to us through the
channel of faith, and both are gifts from God.
You cannot receive grace apart from faith anymore than you can receive
faith apart from grace. These two are
forever tied together.
We
are saved by grace through faith plus nothing.
Verse
9 of Ephesians is very positive. Not of
works! Say it again. Not of works!
Now if you want to work go ahead.
But God will have none of it.
Romans
4:4-5
(4)
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of
grace, but of debt.
(5)
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him
that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for
righteousness.
For
if you work it then is no longer grace because work
involves debt, Romans 4:4.
Romans 4:5 tells us that God only
justifies those who work not.
You
do not work for a gift.
You
do not pay for a gift
You
can only receive and accept a gift.
All who have ever been saved, all
who will ever be saved will have been saved by grace.
“We
are not saved by the love of God. We are
not saved by the mercy of God. We are saved by the grace of God. If God could have saved us by His mercy, it
would not have been necessary for Christ to die. If God could have saved us by love alone the
death of Christ would not have become a reality.”
Remember
God does not love us because Christ died for us but Christ died for us because
God already loved us. Christ died so
that God could justly save us by grace and grace alone. When we were guilty sinners and the law
demanded death, Christ paid the penalty of all our sins and now when God saves
by grace, He wants no help from us at all.
Our salvation is totally a work of God on our behalf. The grace is all in God and not in us. There can be no intrusion of the human
element into the work of grace. Man
contributes nothing to the work of grace.
Dwight
Pentecost:
“ Man’s need was far greater than men could merit and grace is God’s
response to man’s need.”
The
world cannot know grace as long as it finds sufficiency and merit in man. Trusting in ourselves at all, we cannot and
do not fully trust Christ.
Proverbs
3:5-6
(5)
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not
unto thine own understanding.
(6)
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
It
is impossible to depend completely upon God as long as one tries to contribute
something, however little that may be.
Man
is not saved by reaching up to Heaven, but by God reaching down to man. This He has done in grace. Look into your own heart and see whether you
are trusting, even in a small fraction, in anything you are doing for God,
instead of finding in your heart that you have ceased from your own works and
are resting in the work accomplished on the cross. Jesus said “it is finished”. The work of salvation was done!
V
Our Standing is in grace.
Romans
4:25-5:1-2 It
is grace wherein we stand.
(25) Who was delivered for our offences, and
was raised again for our justification.
(1)
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ:
(2)
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Cf 2 Corinthians 3:6…...The letter (the law) killeth.
Cf 2 Corinthians 3:7….. It is a ministration of death.
Romans
6:14……………..We (the Church) are not under law, but under grace.
Redemption Songs
186...“Free from the law…”
John
1:17 ………….. Grace came by Jesus
Christ.
1
Peter 5:12 …………...The true grace of
God wherein ye stand…
2
Timothy 2:1 …………..Be
strong in grace.
VI We are
Schooled in grace.
Titus
2:11-13
(11)
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath
appeared to all men,
(12)
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
(13)
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and
our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Grace teaches us to live soberly, righteously and godly.
Grace teaches us to look for that blessed hope.
Grace teaches us how to give (another lesson).
Hebrews
13:9 It is a good thing that
the heart be established with grace.
(9)
Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For [it is] a good
thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not
profited them that have been occupied therein.
VII We are
Succored by grace.
Hebrews
4:16 Grace to help in time of
need. Grace for special occasions in our
life as Christians
(6)
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Philemon
25 Grace with our spirit
Hebrews
12:28 Grace to serve acceptably
Until
we get to Heaven, we will not know from how much the grace of God has saved us.
VIII We are
Sustained by grace.
Grace
for the long haul!
2
Corinthians 12:7-10 Grace sufficient
(7)
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the
revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan
to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
(8)
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it
might depart from me.
(9)
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I
rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
(10)
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in
persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I
strong.
IX Conclude
2
Peter 3:18 Grow in grace not into grace.
(18)
But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever.
Amen.
James
4:6 God giveth
grace.
(6)
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud,
but giveth grace unto the humble.
cf James 4:10
(10)
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Acts
20:32 Grace that builds us up.
(32)
And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is
able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are
sanctified.
2
Corinthians 9:8 Able to make all grace
abound.
(8)
And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having
all sufficiency in all [things], may abound to every good work:
Redemption
Songs: Hymn 795
Just when I am dishearten’d,
Just when with cares oppressed,
Just when my way is darkest,
Just when I am distress’d,
Then is my Saviour
near me,
He knows my every care;
Jesus will never leave me,
He helps my burdens bear.\
CHORUS
His grace is enough for me, for me,
His grace is enough for me;
Thro’ sorrow and pain, thro’ loss
or gain,
His grace is enough for me.
Just when my hopes have vanish’d,
Just when my friends forsake,
Just when the fight is thickest,
Just when with fear I shake;
Then comes a still small whisper,
“Fear not, my child, I’m near,”
Jesus brings peace and comfort,
I love His voice to hear.
Just when my tears are flowing,
Just when with anguish bent,
Just when temptation’s hardest,
Just when with sadness rent;
Then comes a thought of comfort,
“I know my Father knows,”
Jesus has grace suficient,
To conquer all my foes.