I hope your Bible is with me
this morning, if you will, to 2 Corinthians chapter 8. And
there will be a meeting next weekend up at Hurricane Grace
Church in Ashton, Kentucky, next week, where Frank Tate is pastor. Me and Bruce Crabtree and Don
Fortner and Todd Nybert and Paul Mahan, and I can't think of the
other preacher, but I'll be back here for next Sunday. but looking
forward to going up there and hearing some good preaching.
I want to read the first nine verses of this chapter here,
2 Corinthians chapter 8, the first nine verses. Moreover, brethren, we do you
to wit or we want you to know and we are thankful for the grace
of God bestirred on the churches of Macedonia, how then a great
trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy, and their deep
poverty abounded under the riches of their liberality. For through
their power I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were
willing of themselves, praying with us much entreaty that we
would receive the gift to take upon us the fellowship of the
ministering of the saints. And this they did, not as we
had hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto
us by the will of God, insomuch that we desired Titus, that as
he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace
also. Therefore, as you abound in everything, in faith, and
utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your
love to us, see that you abound in this grace also. I speak not
by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others,
and to prove the sincerity of your love. For you know the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your
sakes He became poor, that ye, through His poverty, might be
made rich. For you to look with me back
here in 2 Corinthians, if you would, And I want to deal with these
first five verses if God would enable me. Moreover, brethren,
we do you to wit, we have seen this about you, of the grace
of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia. Now he's writing
to the Corinthians, but he's talking about Macedonia. Remember
when Paul had the vision, you know, come over into Macedonia
and help us. Philippi is in Macedonia. He
left the Thessalonians because they run him off and he got over
there and they listened to him. But how that in a great trial
of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty
abounded under the riches of their liberality. For to their
power are by record, yea, and beyond their power, they were
willing of themselves. praying us with much entity that
we would receive the gift to take upon us the fellowship of
the ministering of the saints. And this they did, not as we
had hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto
us by the will of God. I'm asking a question this morning
by the title of our message, what does grace look like? What
does grace look like? When you see grace, and you can
see grace, Grace can be seen. What does it look like? Before
I can see it, I must know what it is. You gotta know what grace
is before you can see it. There's those who don't know
what grace is, so when they're looking at it, they wouldn't
know what they're looking at. They don't even see what they're
looking at. But let me show you over, you keep this and then
look over in Acts chapter 11 with me. And here's an instance
of seeing the grace of God. Acts chapter 11 verse 22. But
what does grace look like? When you see it. But I do know
that those who don't know what grace is, they certainly can't
see it even when they're looking at it. But look what is said
here in verse 22 of Acts chapter 11. Then tidings of these things
came unto the ears of the church which is in Jerusalem. And they
sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.
who when he came and had seen the grace of God and was glad
and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart that they would
cleave unto the Lord. So back over here in our text,
what does grace look like? Well, the first thing it says
here in verse one, I bear witness to you that you have the grace
of God and look what it says, bestowed on the churches. Grace is bestowed. He said, I
bear witness to the grace of God, those at Macedonia. And
it's bestowed, that means it's given. They didn't do anything
to get it. Grace was not offered to them. It wasn't a response to anything
that they had did, asked, or promised. It was bestowed. It was given. God bestows grace. He gives grace. And grace is
never offered. Christ is never offered. God
never makes an offer to a sinner. God gives, God does, God purposes,
but He never makes an offer. How could anybody who has everything,
that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, how
could He ever offer it to anybody? You know, He's not set Himself
out as an offer, and He doesn't have set His Son as an offer
to be accepted and rejected, and grace is not an offer. It's
not given to accept or reject. And that's why Paul says, you
know, for we're saved by grace. For you see the grace of God.
How that, you know, that here was people dead in trespasses
and sins. And Paul says he quickened us.
And then behold, what manner of love the Father, he said,
oh, the amazing love of God that was bestowed upon us, given to
us through the Lord Jesus Christ. And he says, by grace are you
saved. not of works, lest any man should
boast. And so grace is not given to
accept or reject. And let me show you, you keep
this and look in Romans, right here in Romans chapter 4. We're
talking about grace, seeing grace, what does it look like? And that's
what people think, that grace is something that God offers
a person, they can accept it or reject it. And that if they
cooperate with it when it's given, then grace becomes effectual.
But God bestowed grace upon this church at Macedonia. And if everybody,
anybody ever knows anything and sees the grace of God, it's bestowed
on people. God gives it. And look what he
said here in Romans chapter four and verse three. And this is
what the first question we have to ask. What sayeth the scriptures?
What does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it
was counted unto him for righteousness. Now listen to this. Now to him
that worketh, reward is not reckoned of grace. If you work, God's
not going to give you grace. If you're working to be saved,
then it's a debt that don't have nothing to do with grace. Either
it's of works and not of grace or else it's of grace and not
of works. Grace and works do not mix in salvation. But to
him that worketh not, to be accepted, to be justified, but to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly
is counted for righteousness. Grace always means not of works. Not of works. It's never of works. Cannot be of works. Or it wouldn't
be grace. And all of salvation. From the
beginning to the end is by grace. There's no merit involved in
it. There's no works involved in it. And everything about our
salvation is by grace. Election is by grace. We were
chosen in Christ before the world began to the praise of the glory
of His grace. Can you, can you, can you believe
grace and not believe in election? Can you believe grace and not
believe it? That's an evidence of grace.
You see grace in your election. was chosen in Christ because
of the grace of God, the children not yet being born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, and our
justifications by grace being justified freely, freely by his
grace. redemption is by grace in whom
we have redemption through his blood again by freely by his
grace we have we have redemption by his grace we have forgiveness
by his grace And that Romans, Ephesians 1.7 says, having forgiveness
through the redemption, through the blood of Christ, according,
listen to this, to the riches of his grace. How rich is God's
grace? It's rich enough to take the
poorest, miserablest, blindest, sickest, lamest, vilest, darkest
sinner that's ever been born and give him grace and forgive
him of his sins. And I'll tell you something,
salvation doesn't end with forgiveness. People think that they hope up,
you know, when they get to the end, they'll have forgiveness.
Salvation starts with forgiveness, starts with forgiveness. Salvation
doesn't end in righteousness, it starts with righteousness.
Salvation don't end with you getting to the end of the way
and then hope you're accepted, hope you're righteous, and hope
you're holy. The salvation begins with forgiveness. Salvation begins
with righteousness. Salvation begins with holiness. What everybody wants to get and
attain to at the end, that's our starting place. I tell you,
beloved, regeneration is by grace. Regeneration is by grace. You
hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins by his
own will, by his own will begat he us with the word of truth.
Oh, grace, grace, grace, bless God for grace. Our calling is
by the grace of God. You know what Paul said when
it, please God who separated me from my mother's womb and
called me by his grace. Faith is by grace, for by grace
are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it's
the gift of God. And you know, and this is Bruce
and I talked about this a week or so ago. that our preservation
and our perseverance is by the grace of God. I'm amazed that
I'm saved at all. It's an amazing thing that I'm
saved at all. But that I stay saved, that I'm
kept saved, that I'm kept day in and day out, the way that
I am, the way that I think, the way that I act, what goes on
inside of me, It astounds me that I still saved after all
these years. Oh, listen. He said, unto him
that's able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless
before his glory, the Lord Jesus Christ. And our glorification
is by his grace for whom he did foreknow, them he also did predestinate. them he did predestinate them
he also called them he called he also justified them he justified
what did he do he also glorified what are we going to say to these
things what are we going to say and i'll say you this it takes
grace to receive grace it takes grace to believe grace now ain't
that right It takes grace to... John 1 17 says, Of His fullness
have we received grace for grace. He gives us grace so we can believe
grace. He gives us grace to keep on
trusting grace. Gives us grace to keep on believing
grace. Oh, bless His name. And I'll
tell you something else, that the good works of a believer,
and I don't think anybody would stand up today and say, boy,
I've had some good works this week. I don't think anybody would
do that. But even the good works of a believer is God's workmanship. They can take no credit for them.
For we are His workmanship created under good works. We're at in
the Lord Jesus Christ. If anything good comes out of
us, it's got to be of the grace of God. If a good thought goes
through our mind, if a good word comes out of our mouth, if a
good thing goes across our heart, if a good deed comes out of our
hands, it's the grace of God that does it. It's the grace
of God that does it. And then that's why it says here,
the grace of God was bestowed. And he went into Macedonia, he
arrived at Philippi. And when he got down there in
Philippi and Macedonia, he went down by the riverside. That's
where the Jews gathered up. It's a Gentile city. And the
Jews would gather up down on the riverside, down there to
worship. And there's a whole bunch of
them eating down there. And Paul went down there and he began
to preach. And you know what the scripture
said? There was a woman there, a cellar of purple, very wealthy
woman. She was sitting there and she
gave heed to what the apostle said and you know what the scripture
said? Her name was Lydia and the Lord opened her heart. That's what grace is, the Lord
opening the heart. So what does grace look like?
I know it takes grace to see grace, but when we are, have,
see grace, what is it that we see? There are six things, six
things in these verses here, these five verses Verses 2 through
5 that I think we can see the grace of God. I think we can
see it and Will we pass the test? Look what it says there in verse
2. Will we pass the test? The test of trouble how that
in a great see the grace of God is bestowed on them How then
at a great trial of affliction? That's where you see the grace
of God when somebody's in trouble when somebody's in great affliction.
I when there's a great trial of affliction, when there's trouble
in the mind, trouble in the heart, and we're going to be tried.
God's going to try us. We're going to be tested. We're
going to have temptation. We're going to have pressure
brought to bear on us. We're going to have pressure
sometimes brought to bear on us that we think we're not going
to be able to bear. We're going to have adversity.
He said, in a great trial of affliction. These people over
in Macedonia had a great trial of affliction. And Paul said,
I see that grace of God there. And oh, and God did tempt Abraham. God did it. And he tried Simon
Peter and he said, oh, Simon Peter, you're gonna deny me. But yet he turns around and says
to Simon Peter, after he has tried, lovest thou me? And that's
what trials of affliction are. After you've been tried, after
you've been put in the fire, after you've been put in the
furnace, when you come out, if the Lord Jesus says, love us,
thou me, in the middle of it, can you say, yeah, Lord, thou
knowest? And I tell you, not only we tried
with adversity, things that's against us, adversity, but I'll
tell you another great trial that God tries people with, that's
prosperity and success. There's been more people fall
through prosperity and success than they ever had through poverty
and affliction and trials. I tell you, more people's left
the gospel because they found a better job somewhere. More
people's left the gospel and left churches because they found
more pay somewhere. They found a bigger house. They
found more money. And so they walk away from it
because of success and prosperity, but all adversity and trials. And I tell you, we'll be tried
on the job. How often are you tried on your job? When you're
on the job, and you're on the job there, and all the things
is said, and the foolish things, and the wicked things, and the
cursing, and the jokes, you tried on the job. And we're tried in
our homes. Oh my, tried in our homes. Tried
by our children. Tried by our grandchildren. Tried
by their actions. Tried by how they say. Tried
by what they're going through. Tried by going to jail. Tried
by drugs in them. Tried by a thousand things by
our children. They're great blessings, but
they can also be great, great burdens. And oh, listen, we'll
be tried in our marriages. Daryl and Joyce coming up on
60 years. And I tell you, there's not a
marriage ever been created, God, that didn't even, when God joins
two people together, there's not a marriage that does not
have troubles. There's not a marriage that people
don't get out of sorts with one another, misunderstand one another,
get ill and hateful with one another, get upset with one another,
and go a whole day and not speak to one another. Now, ain't I
telling it right? Of course, none of y'all still
so happily married. It never happens. But that's what I'm telling you.
And I tell you, we be tried. Now look, could you keep this
and let me show you something over in Mark 4. Here's some people
who were tested by trial and tried by God. They was tried and they failed. No, how can you see the grace
of God when somebody's going through a great trial of affliction
through prosperity, adversity, or success? What'll happen to
them? What'll happen? Look what it
says here in verse 16. The sower, he's went out here
and he sowed the seed. He sowed it on foresight and
look what it says. And these are they, likewise,
which are sown on stony ground, who, when they have heard the
word, immediately receive it with gladness. Oh, they hear
the word of God. Oh, that's the best thing I've ever heard. Oh,
the grace of God. I've never heard nothing like
it. And then watch. And have no root, listen to this,
in themselves. There's not no grace there. They
have no root in themselves. And so endure but for a time
after, now listen to this, after when affliction or persecution
arises for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. And these
are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the word
of God. Will we pass the test? Will the
grace of God be seen in us? Well, I tell you, I do know this.
For every one that's made a profession, I remember old Jack Shanks told
old Carl Pounds this, and I've heard Henry say it I don't know
how many times. For everybody that makes a profession,
they say, you reckon I'm, let's wait 10 years, let's wait 20
years. He told old Carl Pounds, Carl Pounds got converted and
started showing up at the service. He said, Brother Shanks, I want
to profess faith in Christ. Okay. He said, boy, do you think
I'll make it? He said, ask me in 20 years from
now, 35 years later. He was here attending services
here, him and his wife, for several years. He's back in Texas now.
But just wait and see. I don't know how many times Henry
would say to somebody, you know, I've heard him say this, said,
boy, so-and-so made a profession. So-and-so started in the ministry.
And he'd say, well, let's wait a little while. Let's see what
happens. Wait a little while. Just wait a little while. You
know what it says? He that doesn't profess, he that
doesn't join the church, he that doesn't become a Calvinist, But
it says, he that endures to the end, the same shall be saved.
And I'll tell you that through a great final, that's where you
see the grace of God. Now look back over here. Again,
let me show you another way we see the grace of God. He says,
oh, said in that verse two, how then a great trial of affliction,
the abundance of their joy. Oh, an abundance of joy. Oh, where grace is, there's gladness. Where grace is, there's joy.
Oh, you can't believe the gospel if you know there's... Listen,
how can you believe in grace and not rejoice? How can you
have the grace of God and not rejoice? And not be glad and
not have plenty of joy? Joy is a fruit of the Spirit.
The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness
and peace. And listen to it, joy in the
Holy Ghost. Now the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing. And all beloved, listen. There
are those who come and hear preaching, hear what I preach and what other
preachers preach, but they never seem to rejoice, never seem to
rejoice, never seem to rejoice in the scriptures, never seem
to rejoice in the gospel. When Paul told the Philippians,
this Macedonian church, he said, rejoice always in the Lord. Again, I say rejoice in the Lord.
Can you be elected by the grace of God without rejoicing? Can
you be redeemed by the blood of Christ and not rejoice? Can
you be justified by God's grace and not rejoice? Can you be forgiven
of your sins, regenerated by the Spirit, preserved and glorified
by Christ and not rejoice? Oh, the Lord. David said, the
Lord has done great things for us. And you know what he said?
I'm glad. I am glad. I am glad. And where there's
grace, where there's grace, there's an abundance of joy. We rejoice
in grace. I rejoice in it. Do you rejoice
in the grace of God? Oh, thank God for grace. Look
at another one of them. Oh my, abundance of joy. Great
fight of afflictions, but it gives you an abundance of joy.
Look at the next word. And their deep poverty abounded
under the riches of their liberality. Their liberality. You know what
that word liberal means? They were in deep poverty. Deep
poverty. But oh, how generous and how
liberal they were in giving. These people were poor. Oh, it
says they were in deep poverty. And that word poverty, if you
look over in your margin, it says simplicity, simplicity. But they were genuine and liberal. Paul and says, look what it says. They had this riches of their
liberality, the riches of their simplicity, the riches of their
generosity, and they were poor, poor. And he says this, And they
prayed us, they prayed us to their power by our record and
beyond their power they willing were of themselves, praying us
with much entreaty that we would receive the gift. They had to
beg, they were so poor that they had to beg Paul to take the offering
that they were given to them. He said, you all are too poor.
You can't give this. And they begged him. They begged
him, take it. And they were poor people. And
they said, but they got some money together. And they was
going to give to Paul to take and use it and go help somebody
else with it. And they had to beg Paul, take
it, take it. You're too poor for that. Take
it. Take it. Oh, he is hesitant because of
the poverty. But I tell you something, love
always does. Love always does. Where there's
love, there's liberality. Where there's love, there is
generosity. Now look what it says down here
in verse seven and eight. This is what love does. Therefore,
as you abound in everything, now he's talking to the Corinthians
now. Therefore, as you abound in everything,
in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, and in diligence, and in your
love to us, see that you abound in this grace also. But I speak
not by commandment. I'm not commanding you. I'm not
coercing you or telling you to do anything. But by occasion
of the forwardness of others, like these people from Macedonia,
and to prove the sincerity of your love. Let's see how much
you love. Let's see how much you love. How much did God love? What did He give? How much did
Christ love? What did He give? What did He
give? Liberality means simplicity, singleness, bounding. Look, turn
right over here to chapter 11, right to your right, and turn
over to chapter 11, verse 3, and look what it says here. Simplicity,
singleness, bounty, very liberal. They do it with simplicity, singleness.
He said, but I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled
Eve through his subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted
from the simplicity that's in Christ. And the margin means
singleness, oneness, singleness. Now that's, you know, when you
think about Christ, you don't think about Christ and His person
and His work being simple. You just don't think of that.
When you think about God, Him being God, manifest in the flesh,
think about His blessed person, think about His glorious work.
You don't think in simplicity. But what do you mean by simplicity?
One, single, you know. And I'll tell you what, it's
so simple in this sense. It's simple or single in this
way. There's a simple cause for salvation. You know what it is?
Grace. Grace. There's a simple reason
for salvation. The Lord Jesus Christ and Him
alone. There's a simple righteousness. There's only one, single, simple
righteousness. The righteousness of Christ and
Him alone. A simple faith. A simple faith. The object of
it is the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone. That's what he's talking
about, the simplicity of Christ. A simple provision. Who provides
for us? God only. God does. And we have
a simple motive. And it's for His glory. And a
simple rule of faith. The Word of God. The Word of
God. We don't have to have somebody
tell us. And when grace is seen, when grace is seen, it's always
in simplicity. It's only complicated when we
complicate it. When the grace is seen, it's
simple. It's singular. It's simple. And they seen the
simplicity. The grace was seen in the liberality,
the simplicity of these people. Let me show you another one over
here. Let me show you another one. They had a willingness.
Where grace is seen, there's a willingness. what it says in
verse 3, to their power I bear record or to their ability I
bear record and yea beyond their power beyond their abilities
they were willing of themselves. They had a willingness and what
that means beloved they didn't have to be coerced, they didn't
have to be begged, they didn't have to be pleaded with, they
didn't have to be threatened, they were willing of themselves. It was what they wanted to do,
it was what they wanted to do. And I'll tell you, this is when
people have to be coerced to give, have to be manipulated
for them to do what they should willingly, freely, graciously,
genuinely. When people have to be coerced,
manipulated to do what they should by the preacher or anybody else,
grace is not there. You don't have to beg, you don't
have to plead, you don't have to argue, you don't have to debate,
you don't have to manipulate, you don't have to coerce, you
don't have to threaten. You know, in the day of His power,
what does it say? His people, His people are made
willing. And in fact, He says, you know,
that it's God which works in you both to will and to do of
His good pleasure. And I know what, I do know this,
and it makes no difference to me. People can do what they want
to do. People can do what they, everybody
in this building can do exactly what they want to do. I do what
I want to do. And nobody don't have to do anything
they want to do. If grace don't make you do it,
don't do it. Huh? If you don't want to do something,
just don't do it. If you know, Bill Clark said this one time,
Bill Clark, he's, he was a missionary to Africa and a preacher and
started a church in England called the Wellen. And oh, he's a wonderful,
wonderful man, Irishman. God used him mightily, but he
said this, trust Christ and do what you will. Don't do what you will, but if
you trust Christ, do what you will. Now, ain't that right?
If you trust Christ, and I tell you what, willing of themselves,
if you don't give, if you won't do it, and if you don't, don't.
And that's what they was willing of themselves. And there has
to be a willingness. And I, you know, and that's just,
oh, as such, it has to be a willingness. And these people were willingness.
You know, where the grace of God is seen, there's a willingness. There's a willingness. And I
can say of this congregation, you know, lest you think I'm
getting on to you, that this congregation, for the size of
it, is very generous, very generous. We've taken up some awful big
offerings to do a lot of work over the years, and I'm very
thankful for it, very thankful for it. But where there's grace
is seen, There's a willingness, a willingness, a willingness
to do, a willingness to hear the gospel, a willingness to
help the congregation, a willingness. And let me show you another place
where grace of God is seen, where you can see grace. We're here
in verse four. Praying with us with much entry
that we should receive the gift, and listen to this, and take
upon us the fellowship of the ministering of the saints. Where
grace is and where grace is seen, there is a desire to be involved
in the fellowship of the ministry of the saints. There's a desire
to be in fellowship of the ministry of the saints. And that's what
he says upon us, the fellowship of the ministering of the saints.
They want to be involved in that ministry and the fellowship of
ministering to the saints. And God's people are saints.
Don't you have to do something special to become a saint? All of his people are saints.
That means sanctified ones, special ones, God set apart. These are
my people, they're sanctified. Sanctified by God the Father,
sanctified by the Holy Spirit, sanctified by the blood of Christ.
We're sanctified, we're God's children, God's special saints,
God's treasure. And where there is grace, there's
a genuine desire to be a servant to the saints. Where there's
grace, there's a genuine desire to be servants to the saints.
And I'll show you that. Look over. You keep this. You
keep now 2 Corinthians. Look in Matthew 20. Matthew 20. Here's your perfect illustration
of what I'm talking about. Matthew 20. You know, to be a
servant. God's people are sanctified and
where there's grace, there's a genuine desire to be a servant.
And that's to the saints. By love, serve one another. Look
what our Lord says here in Matthew 20, in verse 20. Then came to him the mother of
Zebedee, John and James, children with her sons, worshiping him
and desiring a certain thing of him. They wanted something
from him. And he said unto her, what is
it you want? She saith unto him, grant that
these my two sons may sit the one on your right hand, the other
on the left when you get into your kingdom. I mean, I want
my two sons to have the highest positions in the kingdom of God.
I want these fellas, I want them to be somebody. I want them to
be as high as they can go in the kingdom of God. But our Lord
answered and said, you don't know what you're asking. Are
you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and be
baptized with the baptism that I am with? And they say unto
him, we are able. And they are because we did it
in Christ. And he saith unto him, you shall
indeed drink of my cup and be baptized with the baptism that
I'm baptized with. Now we're going to what Christ
went through, we went through is what he's saying here. but
on my right hand and on my left it's not mine to give but it
shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my father and
listen to what happens now when the ten heard it talking about
two when the ten heard it they were moved with indignation they
got upset it upset them they got upset about this against
these two brethren they said oh my i mean they got upset with
james and john they were indignant they got upset with them pretty
pretty upset with them But Jesus said, all of you come over here,
I wanna talk to you. He said, you know the princes,
the princes and the powers and the leaders and the rulers of
the Gentiles, they have dominion over them. And they that are
great exercise authority on them. They're the ones that's got the
authority and they exercise it over them. But now listen, it's
not the way it's gonna be among you. It's not the way it's gonna,
let the Gentiles do what they do, but it's not gonna be the
way it is in the kingdom of God. But whosoever will be great among
you, let him, not the, you want to be great? You really want
to be great? He said, I'll tell you how you
can go and do it. Let him be your minister. And whosoever
will be chief among you want to be chief? Me and Joe was talking
about the other day, sometimes you get too many chiefs and there's
not enough Indians. Everybody wants to be the boss,
you know, but nobody wants to do the work. And that's what
happens sometimes. We get too many bosses. Too many
cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth is what I've heard. And
that's, you know, that's not scripture, but you get my meaning. And whosoever will be chief among
you, let him be your servant, even as the Son of Man came not
to be ministered unto, but to minister and give his life a
ransom for men. You know what the way of the
flesh is? It's like mother of Zebedee's two children. The way
of the flesh is I want them to be the top. I want them to be
the top dogs. I want them to be recognized.
I want them to be prominent among people. I want them to be prominent
in the kingdom of God. But you know what the way of
grace is? Is to minister, to be a servant.
Oh, you know all you have to do to be great? All you have
to do to be great is to be a servant. That's all you have to do to
be great. Be a servant. That's all you have to do. Pretty
simple, ain't it? All you have to do to be great,
be a servant, be a servant. All right, and let me show you
another one. Where grace is seen, there's a giving of yourself,
a giving of yourselves. And look what it says in verse
five. And this they did, not as we had hoped, but first gave
their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God.
Where there is grace, there's a giving of yourself, body and
soul, lock, stock and barrel. the Lord. They gave themselves
to the Lord. They gave themselves, first they
gave themselves to the Lord. That's the first thing they did,
gave themselves to the Lord. Where grace is seen, people give
themselves to Christ. Old Barnard used to get out a
pen, and I think I've done it before. He said, here, get your
pen out and sign your life away. He said, here, I give myself
away, and I'm going to sign this right here and say, Lord Jesus,
I'm yours. Everything that I am. How can
I not give myself away? Sign away all my rights, sign
away all my power, sign away all my ability, sign away all
my property, sign away my soul, sign away my children, sign away
my wife. Here, not only do I give myself,
but I give everything that I know, hope in, everything that I know
in my life, I give to you. The apostle said, I'm not my
own. I'm not my own. Why ain't you? I was bought with
a price. I'm not my own. I've been bought
and paid for. I don't own myself. I've been
bought. I've been paid for. Who bought
me? Christ did. What did he buy me with? With
his blood. And I'm bought. I'm bought and paid for. And
if somebody buys you and pays for you, you're his servant.
And you give yourself to him. Oh, that's why Solomon said,
I'm my beloved's. Oh, he says, I'm his bond slave.
That's what he says. And what he does with me, that's
his business. That's his business. Oh, John
Newton said this. He said, if God sent two angels
to the earth, sent two angels down here, said, I want you to
rule this kingdom over here, and I want you to keep the streets
clean in that kingdom. It would not make a hair's breadth
difference which one of them did it because they were doing
what the Lord told them to do. sweep streets, clean the commode. You know how many preachers has
cleaned the commodes? I can name you half a dozen that's went
in the bathroom cleaning the commodes. Run sweepers? Oh listen, but first they gave
their own selves to the Lord. Oh and they gave themselves after
they did this they gave themselves to us. and everything they had
by the will of God. Like Phoebe, they became service
to the church. And you know what our Lord said
in closing? As much as you did it to the least of one of these,
my brother, you did it to me. And I'll tell you something,
how I treat you is how I treat Christ. I don't treat you right,
I'm not treating Christ right. If I don't show grace towards
you, I ain't got grace from Christ. How I treat you is how I treat
Christ. And what I know of Christ and
trust Christ will determine how I treat you. Ain't that right? And I tell you what, grace looks
like this. It passes the test. What test?
Great trial of affliction. If you see grace, you'll see
folks that get through great trials of affliction. Where grace,
where you see grace, there's joy. Where you see grace, there's
liberality. Where you see grace, there's
a willingness. Where you see grace, there's
a ministry to the saints. Where you see grace, you see
folks that's giving themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, Savior, Savior, Savior. Oh, our Savior. Thank you for
the truth. Thank you for grace that can
be seen. Grace that's real. Grace that's effectual. Grace
that abounds. I know sin abounds, and I know
it did abound. but all worried about it. Grace,
grace, grace, grace did much more about it. God bless this
word to the hearts. I know it takes the Holy Spirit
to make it fruitful, to make it lodged in the heart, and I
ask that you'd cause that to be done for Christ's sake. Amen.