Randy Bell | Empowered by God's Grace for Great Works - Amazing Grace Episode 3

Randy Bell discusses the importance of God's all-sufficient grace and its empowering effect on believers.

He critiques the false gospel and the misuse of grace in modern Christianity.

Bell emphasizes the need to return to the fundamentals of the gospel and God's grace.

He explores the connection between God's grace and the predetermining call to great works.

Thank you. This is the second week in this topic that I'm concerned about with the awesome power of God's all-sufficient grace. Remember, I spent a lot of time last week trying to convince you, I guess, in one thing, that I believe there's two false doctrines that have literally devastated the church. Number one is the false gospel, correct? The gospel has been corrupted by taking the law of God out. It has not brought conviction of sin. People don't feel a need to repent of sin. And all they do is believe in Jesus in their brain, but they have no empowering difference in their life. That's a sign that the gospel has been fabricated and ruined by false doctrine in our current culture. Secondly was what they've done with grace. Grace has become basically a license to do what you want and God forgives you anyway kind of thing. And that's not what grace is. It never was. And because of those two false doctrines, we have a church, and I know this is not popular, but that means we have a universal church in America that is full of people who are sincere, but they're not born again. They're not true believers because they haven't come to the gospel of Christ, received His grace. No wonder their lives have not changed. Now we back that by the very evidence that we find in our culture. the surveys by Barna and different groups show that the people significantly have not changed. We've known that for a long time. But they haven't come to solutions to why. That is why. So that's why we must take the time to re-look at the very fundamentals. Whenever a basketball team or football team keeps losing, they go back to the fundamentals. That's the whole point. Going to the fundamentals here is the gospel of Jesus and the grace of God. Those are the fundamentals. Without those, there's nothing else, right? Those are really the core of everything. You can do all the other stuff, but without the two core points here, there's no hope. Everybody's going to end up in eternal judgment. So with that in mind, we want to look further today and tie it into what we talk about when we think of salvation. I mean, not salvation, Thanksgiving. I'm thinking of salvation still, but I wanted to tie it into it because this week's a week that we're taking the time to celebrate Thanksgiving. Now, we always have to keep asking the question, if God's grace is so powerful, why is it that generally the church is all defeated people who have not experienced the grace of God? And that's why we'll take the time to reflect on that powerful grace, even by going back in history a little bit and looking at some things that happened that founded our nation. One of the first things I want to go back to look at is the idea, first look at the bottom of the screen. You are predestined for great works by God's grace. God pre-planned for Christians to do great works, not just exist and go to heaven when they die, live a life, be people like everybody else, and then go to heaven. That's never been his predetermined plan. Look at 2 Timothy 1. 2 Timothy 1, the core scripture is verses 7 through 9. It says, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. So we see here the connection with grace and the predetermining call that we first of all notice that it says we've been given by God through when we became true Christians or received the real grace. Three specific things have happened to us that God says here. Number one, power. Well, that's exactly what we're talking about. Grace is when you're converted. You receive power. That's what the grace is all about. It gives you the power to desire and the power to do His will. That's what it says and defines that under my understanding. Therefore, we can see the backdrop here. We did receive power to do that which is different. We did receive power by God to live a different life for a different purpose, for a higher reason than anyone else. Secondly, we did receive love. We define love not as gushy feelings, but a driving force that causes us to sacrifice and care for others. So you have the power to do what God wants. We have the love given to us so that we will have a great desire to care for those and have tenderheartedness toward the people in the community. And then we have a sound mind. We have the ideas and thoughts coming directly from the Holy Spirit that gives us clarity to see what God's will is for our lives. It's all combined in that powerful gift of God's grace. And notice it's all combined for the purpose to share with me in the sufferings, excuse me, for the gospel. All of it's designed, pre-planned by God, so that the church rises up and does one thing as its core desire and reason and mission, to open up the gospel to others. That's the idea behind it. It's not the pastors. It's every true believer. Every believer got the power, not just the preacher, right? Everybody got the love of God, not just the preacher. Everybody received the sound of mine, not just the preachers. And so until we stop this con in our mind that only the preachers have this duty, we will never gain the ground or understand and have any true connection with God grace We joined to share with like in this case Paul wrote it to Timothy Share with me, Paul says, in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God who has saved us and called us. Notice, calling is the other word used there. He saved us but didn't just save us. When he saved us, he called us. The calling is like being drafted. It's being drafted. You're not given the option to choose what you want here. You are called. That means you're given orders to do something. Very significant. We are called with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace. And there you find the connection of grace again. We're called by His grace and empowered by His grace to fulfill His holy calling, not according to our own strength and our own things we do, our works, but God's power. Now, going back in history, we look to our founding fathers. Generally, we look at the pilgrims. I'm going to look at the earliest group, the ones in Virginia for a minute, to give you an idea of how this is important. On the sandy beach of Cape Henry, Virginia, there was a crew of 149 people that landed in Virginia, coming from England. They were the Virginia Company. It was an organization, a financial-backed group, and they were led by a guy whose name was John Smith. He was the captain, and he was in charge. Now, they came, and when they got to the beach there, they got their little boat off and started coming onto the beach as they could with their small boat. The first thing they did when they got there was they constructed and put up a wooden cross and planted it in the beach. That was the first thing they did. Put that cross there as a visible marker. They did that on April 29th, way back in 1607. 1607, a long time ago. Now, as they waded ashore, they had survived over four months. Can you think about how we can go to England now with just hours? They took them four long, dangerous months in this tiny little boat they were in. and they went in the winter time of all things. So the water was freezing as they went through the stuff. Ice formed on the top of the boat, on the deck of the boat and the sails. They were out there trying to chip it away. Wind and cold. By the time we went through all this misery for four months, they were all sick. They were all, in fact, one person died from this trip. But miraculously, through all what they went through, the cold and conditions, they only lost to one crewman. And many of them were so sick and injured and wounded and beaten because the winds would knock them down. They'd slip off the deck and they'd bruise and break legs and whatever. They were just beat to a pulp. They got here. They were so excited as they crawled off that icy deck and off the water, they began to come to the beach. And that's that first mark to them. everything that was focused on one thing, they put that cross up. That's an amazing thing. You wouldn't find that in America much anymore. They wouldn't first thing think of, quick, let's put up a cross. But the symbol of everything about their lives and their journey was pictured in that cross, showing very interesting to me the predestined idea in their minds was to do a great work for God. It wasn't something that was just byproduct. Now, the pastor, Reverend Robert Hunt, He was the chaplain. Excuse me. He dressed in full garments that they wore in those days for being a preacher. He did all that dressed up just to go on the beach. And he waited on shore. He helped them when they erected that wooden cross. And the history says that tears of joy, tears of praise, and tears of thanksgiving rolled down their faces. All of the group, 149 people, as Reverend Hunt led a public thanksgiving service. It's the first public Thanksgiving service for America. Thanksgiving was birthed at that point on the cold beach in Virginia in the middle of wintertime. Or maybe it was by that time, maybe it wasn't winter. Obviously, you know, it could have been spring. I don't remember what time. What did they say they got there? April. So by then it wasn't cold any longer. It was spring and so it was warm. But it was still cool, I'm sure. And so they began their first permanent settlement to become what we know today as the United States of America. What an interesting beginning. Now, here's a portion of the written statement that they had that was their registered deed of who they were and what they were about. Still in existence today. And here's what it said in part. we would vouchsafe unto them our license to make habitation, plantation, and to deduce a colony of sundry of our people that part of the American colony called Virginia. We greatly commend a noble work, which may be the providence of Almighty God, hereafter tend to the glory of His divine majesty, in propagating of the Christian religion to such people as yet live in darkness and miserable ignorance of the true knowledge and worship of God. Now that's not what you'll find in McDonald's statement of their business. You won't find it at my place where I work. You won't find it over here, you know, anywhere. This combined into their actual contract states that clearly a huge part of what they're doing, obviously some of it was different. They were to do plantation, which means to grow and send crops to England. That was a true part of it. But a major issue of this was also to propagate the gospel of Jesus, clearly defined in writing. Now, that's amazing. That shows that overriding money, you know, a lot of times they try to tell you these people came because of greed and whatever. I don know if some did but in this case the overriding written contract from the people from England and the people that went was very clearly defined as also and partially a huge chunk of the idea was to share the gospel of Jesus knowing that they had a bigger job than just being a plantation Was it hard work to set a colony up Did it take a lot of hours to build their homes and build their plantations? Yeah, but it didn't matter. A part of it, which Americans, this is where we drop. We say, I don't have time to do this part. I'm busy with my family and my job, and I need a day off. And they don't see a major part of this worldview as being also sharing Jesus with the dying world. See the difference? We've come a long way to destruction in our culture in the church. The church in general sees the leaders to do the work, and they sit back and watch them. They want to come to the show and have the good praise and worship time and then go home. They do not see this as part of their calling, and this is what's caused us such destruction. But not here. The founding of our nation was based on the very idea that other people needed Jesus. I want you to definitely see that as the foundation. Then, let's take the concept of what we find in Scripture. Number one, God designed us in his heart before we were formed in our mother's womb. Listen to that again. God designed us in his heart before we were formed in our mother's womb. In other words, before the foundation of the world. Notice where we get an idea of some of this from. Jeremiah 1.5 is interesting. Obviously, he's one man, but it's an illustration. If it works for him, it works for all of us, basically, if you think it through. Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you. What does that say? Before I formed you in the belly, I already knew you. How could he know us before in the belly unless he had already formed us in his heart or his mind or someplace? It had to be so designed that before we were born, we were still already there. We were a person. That's amazing to me how he words this. and before you came forth out of the womb, I sanctified you. Before we were even born, he already pre-planned Jeremiah. He already knew who he was and what his purpose was. Before he was even born, after he was formed in the womb, he was already called and set apart to do the ministry. Notice how that one-two event happens. And it says, and I ordained you a prophet unto the nations. Now, if you compare that to the Christian Great Commission, there's no difference here. It's the same thing. We were called, but to think of it in terms that what we're saying is God designed each you and me in His heart before we were formed in the belly of the mama, that's an incredible, incredible, incredible statement by God. And you see that your high calling then, how powerful that is. Before you were born, you were already known and loved. Now, let's ask a basic question. How was grace provided before the world began? How did God give us grace before the world began? How could that be? Well, in the same token, if you think that He knew us before the world began, then obviously we can look at the second step. Look at John 1.17. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. It says again, The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. If grace came through Jesus, we also know something very important about God's will. Look at Revelation 13.8. The lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. God in his heart had Christ crucified before the world began. Just like he knew us before the world began. Notice how all these things before even the world began establishes our identity in Jesus Christ. God predestined the death of his son just like he predestined us to do great works. And also he knew us before the world began. All those befores are powerful as we hear God saying grace is so powerful I make it happen before you see it. Now that's mind boggling. I can't quite get to all that, right? but if he's designed us in his heart before we were formed in our mother's womb that means before the world his salvation was given he knew us already his commission for us was given we were already called to do a great and mighty work for god all those things ahead of time now think about if you have a party and you're invited to a party it's already there for you the choice is you can either say yes or no, but it's already offered, right? And this is what we're saying here. Grace and your life and everything about it was given beforehand. Therefore, you only can respond to God and say either yes or no. You can't say, I don't know. It's got to be yes or no. If you ignore the invitation, it's a no. If you're invited to a party and you don't go and you just say, well, I didn't say no, but if you didn't show up to the party, you still took the no, right? Because you didn't show up. There's no neutral here of saying yes, no, or maybe. It's either yes or no if you don't show. Now, let's add the second thought here. When he designed us, and I'm talking about God, when God designed us before the world, he planned for us to do great works before the world was even formed. Notice how it says in John 14, 12, most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, He will do also. And greater works than these He will do because I go to my Father. That's Jesus. He's speaking to people that follow Him, not just believe in their head. He's talking to His disciples who, beyond just believing in their head, they actually took steps to obey God. They followed Jesus in their life. When He told them to do something, they did it. They listened to His teachings They followed what He said And He now telling them and teaching them a very and powerful truth He who believes in me the works that I do he will do also The works that Jesus did were a number of things First of all he was on a mission before the world began. That mission was what? What was his mission that he did to come to this earth before the world was even created? He already had it planned to do. What was he going to come here for? he came to die for you and me because he already knew we were going to be criminals before him spiritual criminals defying his laws disobeying him and in major trouble that he would bring us to justice by taking us to eternal prison which is damnation and hell is what it is spit it right out. And so he says, though, that he was planning to give us the ability to do such great works as he did. In other words, a purpose to lay down our lives to help other people in this community who are also in the same place. They will go into eternal destruction. If we ignore the invitation to help, what happens to those people? they go to hell who else is going to do it no one it's either they go to hell without us trying to stop them or they go to hell because we do our own thing and ignore them as they go to hell either way they go to hell unless we do something to break that from happening that's why he's saying here he says listen I'm not asking you to do something that you can't do I understand that you can't change lives. I understand that you can't make people believe. But I'm going to give you the ability, power, to do greater works than you can do naturally because I so love the world that I already gave my only begotten Son to die for them. And therefore, just like I've given Him to the world, I give you. So if you say you're a believer in Jesus, if you say you're a Christian, God's gift to the world is you. Now, if you mess it up, what's hope for them to have? You're the gift. And if you ignore it and refuse to do anything about it, they all end up in final judgment. We're the only hope they've got. Does that make sense? That was his plan before the world began. So now we can't sit around and say, I don't like to do it. That's kind of religious fanatical stuff. I'm not into that. I'm not a preacher. I'm not going to do it. you can't say those things. You're not hearing the truth that God already called you before the world. Notice the second point here that I've showed. Through our good deeds, He said that we would be salt of the earth and the light of the world. Remember, that was the beginning of His sermons. If you go to Matthew 5, 6, and 7, it's called the Sermon on the Mount. It's His initial teaching to the world of what He wanted people to do that followed Him. And He talked right away at the beginning talking about the fact that if you're going to follow Him, you are the salt of the earth. And salt in our day is to make things taste good. But the salt back then was they didn't have ice in refrigerators. The only way they kept their food from rotting, like their fish and their meat, was to put salt on it. Salt preserved their food from rotting and being wasted. He says, like in my day, you will be the salt of the earth. You're the only preservation for life they've got. You're their only hope. Secondly, he said, he didn't say no longer, I'm the light of the world. Notice what he said. He told them, you, speaking of any person who claims to be a Christian, he says, you are the light of the world. Very clearly telling you what I'm saying is true here. I'm not trying to give you an opinion that I have created here. This is Bible. The Bible of Jesus teaches that if you don't understand this, you're going to never lift a finger to help others. You'll leave it for somebody else to do. You'll leave it for the preacher to do it. You'll leave it for the other churches to do. But you won't rise up to try to stop the people from being lost forever. But you personally are called to be the salt of the earth. You personally are to be the light given strength for the world. The only hope they have to understand who God is and how to come and go to heaven. Does that make sense? You're it. There is no other option here. he said he also when he talked about this he said that through these two things that we live out if we truly will take charge of it will be the fact that god will be greatly glorified greatly glorified and when you use the word glorified remember glory is like it's like a light bulb that's what they talk about they'll say an example they'll say like a star has a certain glory to it it's talking about light. So in other words, we're saying in a figurative sense, through us being the light of the world and being salt, God will be so visibly shown throughout the world that the world will be changed and blessed by the presence. Now, we have to ask, are we that kind of a blessing like the sunshine to people? Are you a blessing to the people you're around? Do you give off such life to them that it helps preserve their lives as they collapse and fall apart and their lives are wasted as they end up to have no answers. You see so many people into drugs and alcohol. Why do they do all that stuff? Because they don't have real happiness. Who needs to be falsely made happy if you already got joy and peace in life? But if you don't have it, you get drunk, so forget your problems or to try to have artificial fun to feel good or whatever. Why would you need drugs? All those things are if you don't have anything inside, you take something else to try to get you there, right? Even if it doesn't last, I hear people say, at least it makes me feel good for a while. See, they don't have. They're empty. We're the only help to give them life that will glorify God and give them hope. And if they don't have it from us, there is no other answer. Stand up and shout. Stand up and shout. Shout it. Shout it. Shout it. Stand up and shout. Stand up and shout. Shout it. Shout it. Stand up and shout it if you love my Lord

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