Choose the Lord. Todd's Road Grace Church would like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd Nybert. We are located at 4137 Todd's Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at 9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services. For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.

Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert.

When Paul is closing his epistle to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians chapter 16, he said in verse 23 to this church, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Now, that is my prayer for myself. This is what I want. for the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to be with me. And this is my prayer for you, that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. This is the greatest benefit that you or I could ever have. to have the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ being with us. The grace, the favor, the saving benefit of the Lord Jesus Christ being with you.

John said in John chapter one, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father. Now this begetting is not an event of time, but it's eternal. He's always the only begotten of the father. He's the only expression of who God is. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Now, if you have His grace, you have Him, and you have all the fullness of His salvation. By grace are you saved. through faith, and that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast."

Now, I want to consider his name for a few moments. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, he is the Lord. And He is your Lord, whether you know it or not, because He's everybody's Lord. The scripture says in Romans 14, 9, that He is Lord both of the dead and the living. If you're dead in sins, He's still your Lord, and He is in control of you. His will will always be done with regard to you. Somebody says, He's not my Lord. Yeah, He is. You just don't know it. He's Lord of the dead and the living.

Oh, He's the Lord of the living. To every believer, He is my Lord and my God. But let's think about this name, Lord. To say that He's Lord means that He has a will and His will is always done because He is Lord. This is not an empty title. He's Lord of creation. He spake the world into existence. It was Jesus Christ who said, let us make man in our own image. He is the creator because he's God. He is the Lord God. He's the Lord of creation. He brought the universe into existence. If he willed it, he could bring 10 million more universes into existence. He created the vastness of the universe. He created the minutia of the atom.

He is Lord of creation and he's Lord of providence. Now providence is everything that happens in time. There was a time when there was no time eternity. Time began at creation and everything that happens in time. He's the Lord of by him. All things consist. He's the first cause behind everything. He holds absolute control over everything. What about the bad stuff? He's in control of that. What about the disasters? He's in control of that. And here's the thing about the Lord, you and I can't get a grasp of this intellectually, I realize that, but he brings good out of evil. Whatever happens is going to glorify him. The Lord has made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. He's Lord of providence and that's why all things work together for good. All things, not most things, all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose. And he's Lord of salvation. What that means is if I'm saved, it's up to him. If you're saved, it's up to him. He is Lord of salvation. The leper understood that when he said, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. It's all up to your will because you're Lord.

Now, somebody says, you mean I have no control in salvation? Yes, exactly. And that's good news because if your salvation was up to you, you wouldn't be saved. Um, but he is Lord of salvation. He is the Lord Jesus. I love his name. Jesus savior. Thou shalt call his name, Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. What a name as the savior. And he's the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, Christ, the Messiah, the anointed, three offices. This is his offices. This is not his last name. As Messiah, this represents his offices.

What think ye of Christ? Well, that's his office as prophet. He is God's prophet. He is the Word of God. And He's a prophet like no other prophet. All the prophets of old said, thus saith the Lord. He never said that. He said, I say it to you. He's God's prophet. He's the very Word of God. He's God's priest. He's that priest after the order of Melchizedek. The priest that if he represents you, you must be saved. You can't be anything but saved if he brings your name before the Father because the Father always hears him.

Now remember, a prophet brings us a word from God, a priest brings us to God. He said to Peter, Peter, I prayed for you, that your faith fail not. And Peter's faith did not fail because Christ prayed for him. When he said, Father, forgive them, they know not what they do, everybody he prayed for was forgiven. He's God's priest. He's God's King. That's the third office. He's the King of Kings. He's the Lord of Lords. It's not an empty title with him. He really does rule. Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now listen to this. Paul says to the Corinthians, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. With you. In Matthew chapter one, verse 23, behold a virgin. shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. Now, if I say I'm for you, that means something. It means something. I'm for you, I wish you the best. But if I say I'm with you, that means more, doesn't it? That means I'm right there alongside of you.

Now, I want you to think about this. Emmanuel, God with us, not God against us, not God far away, but God with us. And Paul says the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Now, if I would pick out a verse of scripture, that most clearly defines and illustrates what the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is. I believe I would pick 2 Corinthians 8, verse 9. Let me read that to you. And this is what Paul is praying for the Corinthians. This is what I pray that I might have. This is what I ask the Lord that you might have. We won't have it unless he gives it to us. It's not something we can earn or achieve. He must give it to us for us to have it. But let me read this passage of scripture from 2 Corinthians 8 9. Paul says, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, Yet, for your sakes, he became poor, that you, through his poverty, might be rich. You know, Paul speaking to those who do know, not everybody does, every believer does. I can't say to an unbeliever, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, because an unbeliever knows nothing about the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. He doesn't know who Jesus Christ is, and he certainly does not understand grace. He believes in salvation by works. He doesn't understand this concept of grace. And by believing in works, he shows he's totally ignorant of the character of God, ignorant of his own character and his own sinfulness, and ignorant of how God saves sinners.

It's only the believer who knows the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the reason they know it is the Lord has made it known to them. If you know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, it's because he revealed himself to you. And Paul appeals to the saving knowledge of the believer. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, believers are people who know someone. And everything they know is based upon their knowledge of that one. Paul said, I know whom I have believed. He didn't say, I know what I believe. He said, I know whom I have believed. And what you believe is determined by who you believe.

For instance, if you know who he is, you know if he died for you, you must be saved. You know it's impossible for him to die for you and you to not be saved because you know who he is. You know, every believer does, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what Paul was wishing and praying for the Corinthians and for himself. You know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now I love grace. You know, the church that I pastor is called Todd's Road Grace Church. I don't really see any denominations in the scripture. I know there's Baptists and Presbyterians and Church of Christ and Catholic and on and on and on. None of that's in the Bible. I don't care to be identified with some man-made brand of religion, but oh, I want to know something about the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, what is God's grace? I've already quoted one scripture, by grace you're saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. What is grace? Well, the only way you can define scriptural grace, what the Bible means by grace, is by looking at it in the attributes of the God of all grace. God is eternal. He never began to be. God's grace is eternal. God is sovereign. He does according to His will. His will is always done because He's sovereign. His grace is sovereign grace. He gives it to whom He will. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I'll show compassion on whom I will show compassion.

God is all-powerful. His grace is all-powerful. That's why it's irresistible and invincible. If God gives you His grace, you're unable to reject it. He saves you by His grace. God's grace is independent like God is independent. God has no needs. He doesn't need you to do something before He can act in your behalf. He is independent and His grace is independent. It needs no works from you.

For the children being not yet 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. It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger, as it's written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. God's grace is independent. It doesn't need for you to do something before it can work for you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, Now, I wish I could describe this as I ought to, but to think about the riches of the Lord Jesus Christ, you know, the graces, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich,

Now, when we think of riches, we think of material wealth. We think of millionaires. We think of billionaires. I don't suppose there's such a thing as a trillionaire. There may be, but we think of things like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos, and we think of their multiplied billions of dollars, and we can't even imagine having that much money, but we think of wealth in terms of money. But with the richest man there is, there is an end of their wealth. It can be measured. And there's a place where it stops. And in reality, as rich as they are, it's his money. It's all His. They have it because He gave it to them to work out His own glorious purpose. But His riches are infinitely beyond that. What they have is His and so is everything else. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. Oh, the infinite riches He has as God. You know, when I hear preachers begging for money, I think, they don't know my father. My father has infinite riches, and I'm not gonna beg a human being for money. God's got a lot of money, and I hope I say that reverently. He has infinite wealth, the riches of the Lord Jesus Christ. They're immeasurable.

And we think also of riches in terms of relationships. You cannot have any money, but if you have good relationships, you can count yourself a rich person. What a blessing it is to have a good marriage, where you can trust your spouse, and you know your spouse has your back, and you know it's going to be that way until death alone parts you. What a blessing that is. What a blessing it is to have a good relationship with your children. What a blessing it is to have friends, true friends that you can count on and that you enjoy. A man that doesn't have riches materially but has great relationships, that man is rich.

Now you think of the relationship the Lord Jesus Christ had. He was beholding the face of his Father. Before time began, riches of fellowship between the one God and three distinct persons, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. They delighted in one another. Oh, what relationship they had. When the Lord created man, it wasn't because he needed to. He was perfectly self-sufficient and happy in himself. This is just the overflow of his goodness. But the relationship of Jesus Christ, he had angels falling at his feet and worshiping him. Oh, his relationships. He was rich in relationships.

He was rich in power. A lot of people think, well, wealth is power. Well, no, it's not. The only one who truly has power is the Lord. That's the way humans think. Who's this? Oh, he's got money. He's got power. No, he doesn't. He doesn't have any power. Power belongeth unto the Lord. But people think of, in terms of power, wealth, when you think of the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, He has all power. He says, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. His will must be done.

Now you think of the riches of Jesus Christ, and I haven't even scratched the surface of Yet for your sakes, he became poor. The Lord Jesus Christ condescended to become a man. He condescended to be a one-celled being in Mary's womb. This is God, the God-man. He spent nine months, the period of gestation, in the darkness of a woman's womb. When he was born, he wasn't born in a palace. You know the health, wealth gospel preachers try to preach is evil. I mean, it's evil. When people talk about, God wants you to be wealthy and healthy. Christ Jesus was born with the smell of manure in the air in a barn, in a stable. He lived for 30 years, poor, the carpenter's son.

Jesus of Nazareth, born in that place where Nathanael said, can any good thing come out of Nazareth? He was born of the carpenter. He was a carpenter. He was not wealthy, but this is not really talking about the poverty I want to speak of. He lived a perfect life for 30 years. He never sinned. And yet, after the three years of public ministry, 33 years, he was nailed to a cross. And how poor he became then.

Now, he became poor in righteousness when he was made sin. He who has infinite righteousness, when He was nailed to the cross, it's because of the sins of His people becoming His sins. And He became poor in righteousness. He became poor in praise. Him who angels praised has now made the butt of jokes, people making fun of Him. He is made poor in relationships when He's on the cross. His father forsook him. He was all alone on the cross. He didn't have angels with him at this time. Now they were with him in the garden of Gethsemane, I know. But when he was nailed to the cross, he was all alone. His people forsook him and fled. He became poor in relationships when he was made sin.

Listen to this scripture. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21, for he hath made him sin for us. who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Now, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and this is appealed to the knowledge of every believer, that though he was rich, infinitely rich, there's no way you and I can understand the riches of God, though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor. that you, through his poverty, might be rich.

Now, it says he did this for your sakes. Now, when Paul says that, he's speaking to believers. He didn't become poor for all sons of Adam, because if He did, they would all be saved. It is just a complete misconception and error to think that what Jesus Christ was doing on the cross was making salvation available if you do your part. He died for you, now you gotta accept him or you won't be saved. There's no gospel in that thinking. It's just wrong. Everybody he was made poor for is going to be made rich.

So when he's talking about, for our sakes, he's talking about the elect. He's talking about those who believe. That's the evidence of election. You believe the gospel. You won't know anything about being one of God's elect unless you believe the gospel. Then you'll know you are one of God's elect.

There were other reasons he became poor and went to the cross. He did so because it was God's eternal purpose. He's a lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He did it to glorify his father. Oh, the glory God received in what Christ achieved on the cross. He did it to manifest to us who God is. You see, the cross is the most God-like thing God ever did. He makes all of His attributes known in the cross, the glories of the cross.

But I love what Paul says, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich. Now this is not talking about material riches. Now, you may have material riches and the Lord will save you. He saves rich people. He saves poor people. He may save you and you'll be sick and poverty-stricken all the days of your life, but if He saved you, you're very rich.

But his purpose in becoming as poor is that everybody he died for through his poverty might be rich. How rich? Rich in righteousness is the main meaning. I have no personal righteousness. I have not kept one of God's commandments one time and neither have you whether you know it or not.

But let me quote 2 Corinthians 5 21 once again. For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Now this is what the Lord achieved by becoming poor. Everybody he died for is made the righteousness of God in him.

Listen to this scripture. Of him are you in Christ Jesus. That's the only place I want to be is in Christ. I don't want God to see me independent of Christ. I want to simply be found in Christ. Of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us.

Listen to these verses. Wisdom. God can have fellowship with me because in Christ I have the very wisdom of God. He's made into us righteousness. God can't embrace anyone but someone who has perfect righteousness. In Christ I have perfect righteousness. He's made into us holiness. God's not going to have fellowship with somebody that's not holy. There can't be as holy as he is. Christ is my holiness before God. He's made unto us redemption, full deliverance.

Listen to this scripture from 1 Corinthians. This is how rich we are. Paul said to the church of Corinth in 1 Corinthians 3, 21 through 23, for all things are yours, whether they be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come All things are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. All things are yours.

And you know, the wealthy of this world, they may lose it all. It's happened many times. Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. They may lose it. But in Christ, I can't lose the riches and the wealth I have of his righteousness. I'm a joint heir of Christ and an heir of God, and I can't be lost.

Now, what a wish the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with That's my prayer for myself. Lord give me your grace for Christ's sake. Amen.

To receive a copy of the sermon you have just heard send your request to todd.neibert at gmail.com or you may write or call the church at the information provided on the screen.