Grace Revealed and Received in the Person of Jesusby Bobby DeasonChurch of ChristShanghai, China 11 May , 20141

2This is my Bible. I am what it says I am, I have what it says I have, I can do what it says I can do. Today I’ll be taught the Word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive, I’ll never be the same, in Jesus name.”

Max LucadoGRACEMORE THAN WE DESERVEGREATER THAN WE IMAGINE3

DO WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF GRACE? “We talk as though we understand the term. The bank gives us a grace period. The seedy politician falls from grace. Musicians speak of a grace note. We describe an actress as gracious, a dancer as graceful. We use the word for hospitals, baby girls, kings, and pre-meal prayers. We talk as though we know what grace means.4

GRACE More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine by Max Lucado, Cont’dBut do we really understand it? Have we settled for wimpy grace? It politely occupies a phrase in a hymn, fits nicely on a church sign. Never causes trouble or demands a response. When asked, “Do you believe in grace?” who could say no? Max Lucado asks a deeper question: Have you been changed by grace? Shaped by grace? Strengthened by grace? Emboldened by grace? Softened by grace? Snatched by the back of your neck and shaken to your senses by grace?5

GRACE Max Lucado, Cont’dGod’s grace has a drenching about it. A wildness about it. A white-water, riptide, turn-you-upside-downness about it. Grace comes after you. It rewires you. From insecure to God secure. From regret riddled to better-because-of-it. From afraid to die to ready to fly. Grace is the voice that calls us to change and then gives us the power to pull it off. “Christ in you the hope of glory!” (Col. 1:27) Let’s make certain grace gets us. Heb. 12:15 “God gives us a new heart, Ezk. 36:26. New Birth by Grace. Todd, Tara and Taylor Storch - Patricia Winters 2010 (Lucado Grace, p. 8 kindle) The heart of Jesus beats within us, Gal. 2:20. 6

Grace Revealed in the Person of Jesus. “The Word became flesh and made hisdwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:14, 16-17)7

Grace Revealed in the Person of Jesus, Cont’d.3. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope-- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good, (Titus 2:11-14).8

Jesus’ Death is God’s Grace Gift to us all But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone, Hebrews 2:9. 9

II Corinthians 4:13-15 13 It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With 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 in his presence.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.10

SAVED BY GRACE“To be saved by grace is to be saved by him— not by an idea or a doctrine or a creed, or church membership, but by Jesus himself.”11

We Must Receive the Gift The Redemptive Grace of God Has Now Been Revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ the Lord. We Must Receive God’s Gift Of Grace, By Faith, Repentance And A New Birth, John 3:3-5; Acts 2:22-41.12

The Gospel is the Good News about God’s Grace Revealed and Received In Jesus Christ.1. Our pioneer preachers had a way of saying that the gospel consists of:   a.  Three facts to be believed — the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. b. Three commands to be obeyed — faith, repentance, baptism. c. Three promises to be enjoyed — Forgiveness of Sins, the Gift of the Holy Spirit and Eternal Life. d. I don’t think they or we have given proper place to the grace of God. So let’s make it clear that the facts, the commands and the promises of the gospel are all by grace. 13

The Adequate Gift of GRACECalled by grace – 2 Tim. 1:9; 2 Thess. 2:14Believe by grace – Acts 18:27Repent by grace – Acts 11:18; 2 Tim. 2:24-5Obedience by grace – Rom. 1:5; Tit. 3:4-7Saved by grace through faith – Eph. 2:8-9Instructed by grace – Tit. 2:11-14Work by grace – I Cor. 15:10; Eph. 2:10; Phil. 2:13Rewarded by grace – 2 Thess. 2:13-1714

The Gospel is the Good News of God’s Grace Revealed and Received In Jesus Christ, Cont’d. Let’s also make it clear what the gospel is. The gospel is not everything in the New Testament, and it is certainly not all the theories and deductions drawn by us. It is rather the good news of God’s saving grace offered through the shed blood of Jesus. It is the declaration that Jesus is risen from the dead. It is the announcement that Jesus is alive forever and is Lord of all. 15

“IT IS MY DESTINY!”E. Our Reception of the Revealed Savior should be: Jesus Focused, Grace Oriented and Love Motivated as we make our way to our final destination. We have a destiny. We have been created for High and Holy Purposes (Cf. Phil. 3:10-11, 13-14, 20-21). Anna in Bratislava, Slovakia 1992 – I asked her, “are you going to be a professional Cellist like your father?” She said….16

JESUS FOCUSED… GRACE ORIENTED… LOVE MOTIVATED.A Motto For Obtaining The Love and Grace Of The Unity Of The Spirit Among All Believers In Christ Jesus.17

18The Apple of His EyeDeut. 32:10; Psa. 17:8; Prov.7:2; Zech. 2:8

"Little Man of the Eye."The original Hebrew for this idiom was 'iyshown 'ayin (אישון עין), and can be literally translated as "Little Man of the Eye." This is a reference to the tiny reflection of yourself that you can see in other people's pupils. Other KJV translations of the word 'iyshown include dark and obscure, as a reference to the darkness of the pupil.This Hebrew idiom is surprisingly close to the Latin version, pupilla, which means a little doll, and is a diminutive form of pupus, boy, or pupa, girl (the source also for our other sense of pupil to mean a schoolchild.) It was applied to the dark central portion of the eye within the iris because of the tiny image of oneself, like a puppet or marionette, that one can see when looking into another person's eye.19

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JESUS FOCUSEDThe Focal and Pivotal Point Of God’s Revealed Word, The Bible, To Man Is:1. Jesus  Genesis 3:15, 22:18 cf Galatians 3:162. Jesus  Matthew 17:4-8 cf 2 Peter 1:16ff3. Jesus  Luke 24:27ff 4. Jesus  John 12:21 5. Jesus  1 Corinthians 15:1-46. Jesus  Hebrews 12:1-4 cf 1:3, 8; 3:17. Jesus  Revelation 1:8; 22:16Jesus is the Crimson Thread from Gen. 3 – Rev. 22In 1226 Verses In The New Testament Jesus’ Name Is Mentioned 1275 Times. 21

The Anticipation Of Both Angels And Prophets: “The Fullness Of The Times”.The Anticipation Realized: The Messiah, Jesus The Son Of God Revealed!1. 1 Peter 1:10-122. Hebrews 1:1-53. John 1:1-18; 5:394. Acts 4:12The Entire Biblical Testimony Focuses On Jesus Christ!22

The Anticipation Of Both Angels And Prophets: “The Fullness Of The Times” Summarized.1. The Law was focused on Jesus Christ.2. The Psalms were focused on Jesus Christ.3. The Prophets were focused on Jesus Christ.23

The Entire Biblical Testimony Focuses On Jesus Christ, Cont’d.244. The angels were focused on Jesus Christ.5. God, the Father, was focused on Jesus Christ.6. The Holy Spirit’s focus was on Jesus Christ.7. The Apostle’s/N.T. Writer’s focus was on Jesus Christ.

On What Or Whom Are You Focused?To what or whom are you looking? “Doctrinal” fixation? “Problems of the church” fixation? “Issues” fixation? “Traditions of men” fixation? “A fixation of a ‘famous’ person”? “A fixation of Self”?Do you see Him? Are your thoughts and eyes fixed on Him?25

My Motto, - A Short Phrase With A Guiding Principle, A Goal - Is To Be:Jesus Focused, Grace Oriented and Love Motivated26

Why Grace and Love Are Minimized?Until Jesus is in focus GRACE will not be understood, appreciated, properly received and administrated.Only when Jesus is one’s focus will it be possible to LOVE, that is “to love as he loves.”(John 13:34-35)27

FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS!All human problems, within and without the Church Body of Christ, are due to a blurred and distorted view; a cock-eyed view, a wrong focus.28

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WITH JESUS IN FOCUS WE WILL BE:Firmly rooted in God’s Word in our hearts.Solidly founded on “God’s righteousness.”Joyful recipients of His grace.Desiring to be obedient to His will. Thankfully humble and grateful.Gracious, kind, long-suffering and accepting of all fellow-believers.Non-judgmental, not contentious but forgiving to all.30

WE SHALL BE LIKE JESUS, OUR MASTER, CALLS US TO BE:one who is poor in spirit, meek, mourns, hungering for His righteousness merciful,pure in heart and a peace-maker(Matthew 5:1-16)31

BEING JESUS FOCUSED… …We Shall Be Like Him, Our Lord and Master, Truly “Salt and Light”……Seeing one another as Jesus sees us.…Seeing ourselves as Jesus sees us.…Being and becoming more like Jesus.32

“JESUS FOCUSED.”Concluding ThoughtsLet Christ remain what He is, namely the center, while various circles surround Him.“Do not infect that heavenly philosophy of Christ with human decrees. Do not remove the target from its position.”33

3434“His Grace Reaches Me”Grace is Received in Lavish Abundance on Us.

3535Grace Received in Lavish Abundance On Us Through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:4-8) For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

3636LAVISHED (Gk. Perisseuo)WHAT DOES IT MEAN?Super AbundanceOverflowMore than EnoughOver and Above the TopInundatedFlooded OverAboundTotally Covered

3737Our God is:The God of More than Enough. The God of Superlatives. The God of Lavish Abundance. The God who “so” loved He gave. The God of surpassing grace. The God of the indescribable GIFT.

38A MORAL LESSONA mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.”Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”38

Thank You Jesus!We Love You So Much!39

Concluding StatementsGod’s eternal Grace Plan is all about HIM and our relationship to HIM IN CHRIST JESUS.Jesus’ prayer, John 17:3 – “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (“To know” is intimacy)Do we know God as our Father, Jesus as our Savior, and the Holy Spirit as our indwelling presence of God?40

JESUS FOCUSED… GRACE ORIENTED… LOVE MOTIVATED.A Motto For Obtaining The Love and Grace Of The Unity Of The Spirit Among All Believers In Christ Jesus.Larry Deason41

YOU HAVE RECEIVED HIS GRACE SHARE ITI PETER 4:10Go Make Disciples (Matt. 28:18 – 20)BE THE INCARNATION OF JESUS – HIS BODY!“Christ in you the Hope of Glory” (Col. 1:27)MAKE THE TEACHING OF JESUS – ATTRACTIVE (Titus 2:10)SHINE LIKE STARS – AS YOU HOLD OUT THE WORD OF LIFE (Phil. 2:15-16).42

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:2)43

44FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS AND YOU WILL BETRANSFORMED INTO HIS LIKENESS WITH EVER INCREASING GLORY, (HEB. 12:2; 2 COR. 3:18).

THE END45

What the Gospel is and Isn’t.2. It is important that we distinguish between the gospel and the apostles’ teaching. One is the message of salvation that the crucified Christ is the risen Lord; the other is instruction in the teaching of the apostles. (See I Cor. 15:1-4)3. As we place more emphasis on grace, let us make clear that while grace and works (to be saved) are incompat-ible, grace and obedience are not incompatible. Grace to be enjoyed, calls for a response - obedience. 4. This is why the apostle twice in Romans refers to the “obedience of faith.” Obedience is not a work, but a response to grace. Faith, repentance and baptism -- responses to the gospel -- are “acts of grace,” as Alexander Campbell called them. (Eph. 2:8-10)46