GRACED III

The Behavior of Grace

1 Samuel 30; 1-20

Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, ² and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. ³ So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. ⁴ Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no more power to weep. ⁵ And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite had been taken captive. ⁶ Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

⁷ Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. ⁸ So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?”

And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail to recover all.”

⁹ So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. ¹⁰ But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor.

¹¹ Then they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David, and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water. ¹² And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. ¹³ Then David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?”

And he said, “I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind because three days ago I fell sick. ¹⁴ We made an invasion of the southern area of the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.”

¹⁵ And David said to him, “Can you take me down to this troop?”

So he said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop.”

¹⁶ And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. ¹⁷ Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. ¹⁸ So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. ¹⁹ And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. ²⁰ Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before that other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

I.                   THE POWER OF GRACE

1.     Grace changes your position

Romans 3:24

²⁴ being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

2.     Grace changes your condition

Acts 20:32

³² “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

II.               HOW GRACE BEHAVES

1.     Grace is Thankful

2 Corinthians 4:15

¹⁵ For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

2.     We must speak Grace Speak

Colossians 4:5-6

⁵ Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. ⁶ Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

3.     Grace produces faith and love

1 Timothy 1:14

¹⁴ And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

4.     Grace produces Humility

James 4:6

⁶ But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:5

⁵ In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

5.     Grace produces Endurance

1 Peter 5:12

¹² By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

6.     Grace has Responsibility

1 Peter 4:10

¹⁰ As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

7.     Grace produces a desire for more grace

2 Peter 3:18

¹⁸ but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

8.     We must behave in the Spirit of Grace

Jude 1;4

⁴ For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Answer Key: Position; Condition, humility, 

GRACED

The Power of Grace

Joshua 2:1-24

Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. ² And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.” ³ So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.”

⁴ Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. ⁵ And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, which the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” ⁶ (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) ⁷ Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

⁸ Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, ⁹ and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. ¹⁰ For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. ¹¹ And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. ¹² Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, ¹³ and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”

¹⁴ So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”…¹⁷ So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, ¹⁸ unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. ¹⁹ So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. ²⁰ And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.”

²¹ Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.

²² They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. ²³ So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. ²⁴ And they said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.”

I.                   WHAT CAN GRACE DO FOR ME

1.     Grace changes our position

Cháris - to rejoice

Grace, particularly that which causes joy, pleasure, gratification, favor, and acceptance, for a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude. It’s a favor done without expectation of return. It’s the absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor.

2.     Grace changes our condition

Romans 8:3

³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.

3.     Grace is inexhaustible

John 1:16

¹⁶ And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace

4.     Grace empowers us

Ephesians 3:7

Of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Acts 4:33

³³ And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Acts 20:32

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.

Hebrew 12:28

²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

5.     Grace is Transferable

Ephesians 4:29

²⁹ Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that, which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Believers are not to speak unwholesome (sapros, “rotten”) words (cf. 5:4), but helpful (agathos, “good, beneficial”; cf. 4:28) words for the purpose of edification. Good words benefit (lit., “give grace” or enablement to) the hearers

6.     Grace is a Covering (i.e. Umbrella)

Philippians 1:7

⁷ just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace

7.     Grace is sufficient for any problem

Romans 5:20

²⁰ Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more

           

II.                YOU MUST HAVE FAITH IN GRACE

Romans 4:16

¹⁶ Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

Romans 5:2

Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

                       

                       

Answer Key: position; empowers; sufficient,

CLEAR:

A New You

(Part IV)

Romans 12:1-2

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. NLT

Proverbs 23:7

As a man thinks in His heart so is He

I.                   OUR THINKING PROCESS

We create reality with our minds

1.     Our brain is a massive electrical field (Magnetic fields, electrical impulses, chemical effects, etc.)

2.     90 to 99% of the action in our mind happens in the non-conscious metacognitive level. At this level, they're about 400 billion actions per second.

3.     The conscious cognitive level is 10% of my action. It functions at about two thousand actions per second.

Fun Fact: One brain generates more (electrical impulses) in one day than all the cell phones on the planet.

II.                THOUGHTS BECOME THINGS

How memories and emotions are stored…

1.     Electrical Signals Start a Process

2.     A signal travels to cell chromosomes 

3.     They travel to a particular strand of DNA

4.     The strand is zipped up (cocoon state)

5.     It releases a code (blueprint) determining what type of proteins to create

6.     RNA takes a photocopy

7.     Molecules in the cell create protein around that thought or memory and it is reality along with the emotions

III.             THE PROCESS OF FREEDOM

1.     God reveals unhealthy thoughts and emotions

2.     We become aware of our issues

3.     These unconscious thoughts are now in the conscious prefrontal cortex where changes can take place

a.      Neuroplasticity  - The brain is malleable and adaptable, changing moment by moment of every day.

b.     Neurogenesis  - Every morning when you wake up, new baby nerve cells have been born while you were sleeping. These nerve cells are ready to be programmed into what we want. We can use them to create new thought patterns.

Lamentations 3:22-23

²² Through the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. ²³ They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

IV.             THREE RESULTS OF EMOTIONAL TRAUMA

1.     Low Self Esteem

2.     Super-Sensitivity

3.     Perfectionism

V.                WE MUST FEED ON OUR IDENTITY IN GOD

2 Corinthians 5:17

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

1 Peter 2:9

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light

Galatians 2:20

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

John 1:12

¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name

Romans 8:17

¹⁷ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

VI.             PRAYER FOR INNER HEALING

Answer Key: Minds; unhealthy; - Sensitivity

Add caption

Enduring

in

“The Faith”

2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”  

We live in a time when many start out in “The Faith” but don’t finish in “The Faith”.  It’s important for us to grasp that the Christian race is not a sprint but a marathon! It’s a race of endurance; therefore, God wants to “condition us” tonight so that we are firmly secured in The Faith.  Each of us should have the expectation that we too, as Paul declared and even our Lord Jesus, have FINISHED the assigned purposes of God for our lives.  Now before we discuss enduring in The Faith, we must first have a clear understanding of what being in “The Faith” is. -2 Corinthians 13:5

It is so easy to equate The Faith with religious duties or even having regular faith.

What is “the faith”?

The faith is……

ü Being a committed follower/Disciple of Jesus Christ.  (Acts 2:42; 1Cor. 11:1)

ü Loving Humanity (both saints & sinners)  (John 13:35; John 3:16)

ü Doing Righteously (1 John 3: 7) 

ü Relationship not Religion  (Matthew 7:21-23)

ü Walking in humble submission to the Lord and the saints (1 Peter 5:5)

ü Being led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14)

ü Enduring Hardships while pursuing Christ (Luke 14:7)

Why don’t we finish?

Reasons People Don’t’ Endure in the Faith: 

A.) Satanic Attack

B.) Becoming offended (by people; by god)

C.) Perceiving a blessing to be delayed

D.)Being stagnated/stuck in a season

E.) Cares of Life

How do we endure in “the faith”?

I. stay _____________ to jesus – “the finisher”

John 15:5 (AMP) “I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.” 

II. Keep the right _________________ .

Romans 8:28 (KJV) “And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.”

III. Stay ________________ and _______________for the lord

Matthew 5:6 (KJV) ⁶ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

iv. Draw strength from your divine _________________ .

Exodus 17:11,12 (KJV) “¹¹ And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

¹² But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”

V.  _________________ on the lord

Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Answer Key: I. Connected  II. Perspective   III.  Hungry, Thirsty   IV. Supporters

                  V.  Wait