Hope Living Church
At: Cayucos School
When: Sunday, Feb 15, 2015
Message: Building His Church
Series: "Let us do something beautiful for God."
Title: Building His Church : Grace
Last week, the message was built on a quote from Mother Teresa: "Let us do something beautiful for God."
The idea was that our ultimate joy is in using what God has given us to do something amazing for Him.
Much like King David who poured his entire fortune into gathering the materials to build the Temple, we have this opportunity to build something wonderful here at Hope! A quote from last week:
Life's biggest challenge and greatest joy is doing something beautiful for God. Mike Kinney
In 2015 I want to let Jesus take HLC to where He wants it to go. Period!
My job, and all of our jobs for that matter, is to follow Him unconditionally! I’m super excited for the journey ahead!
But how can we stay excited, motivated for the future of Hope Living Church? Energized about the role we get to play in this great story God is writing here?
Be expectant! Dare to dream!
But as the Scriptures say, No eye has ever seen and no ear has ever heard and it has never occurred to the human heart All the things God prepared for those who love Him.
1 Corinthians 2:9 VOICE
By this verse, it’s safe to accept the reality that we can’t begin to imagine it!
Perhaps the whole point of this verse is that we wouldn't allow our minds to get involved, but our hearts?
Our minds try to measure and compare, to preconceive and get disappointed.
Our hearts are much more prone to be open to possibilities, to accept everything that comes as from the hand of God.
I think about that moment when Jesus spoke a word to Peter:
Matthew 16:15-19 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.
Now I say to you that you are Peter which means ‘rock’, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven...
Peter had a revelation!
He heard from God! Jesus was so moved by the example Peter set that he chose to commend it and mark Peter with a new name!
Jesus was establishing the church- of course Jesus is the Cornerstone. But the deal is that He uses us as living stones to build his church.
Peter himself said this:
1 Peter 2:4-5
You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
This week, we will begin to reveal the foundation for what God wants to do here at Hope Living Church!
The thought of the day today, the keyword that drives this exciting time is GRACE!
Everything in Christian life pretty much all revolves around Grace! Jesus is the Rock, the embodiment of grace, the foundation.
2 Timothy 1:9
He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
Here's the key! He saved us and called us- Because of #1- His purpose and #2- his grace!
His purpose assures me that it's all His! The responsibility for this church isn't on you or me!
His grace assures me that I don't have to 'perform', his grace came before time began to carry us part any human limitation.
Immediately, I think of “It is by grace you are saved by faith, not of works lest any man boast.” Let’s check out this passage together:
Eph 2:4-10 NIV
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Application:
Grace by the above scriptural description is:
Given to us in Christ before time began.
It’s how God operates- according to His plan. We are a part of a story written before Creation!
It is about His works. He doesn’t exist to to serve our purposes- it’s the other way around!
The motivation is that He loves us! His heart is merciful towards us- ‘Rich’ in fact! - Vs 4
Made alive (merely existing before Christ!)
Raised up in the heavenlies - (vs 6) past tense, it's our current state!
His Purpose in using 'train wrecks' like us is to display his grace to all! Vs 7. People can look at us and say, wow, if God can accomplish that with them, then he can do great things in my life too!
It's a gift! Totally independant of my actions. Requires faith, not works.
The exciting part- we are his Masterpiece! He crafted us to do the very things he designed us to do!
There's so much more! For now, let's remember the power and importance of Grace! We have been provided grace to be free in Christ to grow uninhibited into all we are destined by God to be! This church we are called to be is only possible because we have received abundance of His grace!
