Randy Bell - Amazing Grace Episode 4: Commit to Great Works by God's Unmerited Favor

You are called by God's mighty grace to do great works.

It's not because of your works, but because of God's unmerited favor.

God recreates you to become a handiwork of His mighty hand.

You must choose to be obedient to God's plan for your life.

Thank you. Now look at number three. We were called by the power of God's mighty grace to do these great works. And here's where I want you to see the Bible teaches it, not me. Ephesians chapter 2, 8, 9. For it is by free grace, God's unmerited favor, that you are saved. You can't make a change in your life, only God can. He only can change my life, He only can change your life. Secondly, not because of the works that you personally can do. He already knows you can't do it. It's not a natural thing. It's got to be a supernatural thing. Verse 10, for we are God's own handiwork. He took a hold of us and did something that absolutely changes us. We become a handiwork or a trophy of His mighty hand. We become different people. And because we become different people, He recreates in Christ Jesus, born anew, in other words, become brand new born again people that we may do those good works which God pre-planned beforehand for us. Notice how he pre-planned it. He recreates Christ Jesus' ability inside us by His presence and His grace so that we live these lives that are absolutely contradictory to anybody else. That's experiencing the real power of God. Now, why don't most people experience God's power? We don't hardly see that much, do we? We're like in a desert compared to what's supposed to be here. Well, a lot of it's because of our opinions that we've put in our minds. We've determined it's not for us, it's for the other guy. It's for the other people. I've only been a Christian a short time. It can't be talked to me. It's got to be those other people. Everybody says the other guy. Everybody else is supposed to do it. Nobody says, yeah, that's me. And until you say, yeah, that's me, you'll never experience the power of God because God is looking for those who are obedient. Obedient. That's what it says here. He causes this to happen. He pre-planned it before you were born for you to be like He wanted you to be. And if you're not there, why not? He preplanned you to be there. He's given you the ability by His grace to be there. What possibly reason could you be for not being there? He's done everything except for you. One thing, He won't make you a robot, will He? You must say, yes, Lord, yes, Lord, yes, Lord. I will do Your will. I surrender to Your leadership. I will let Your power take a hold of me. I will be Your servant. As you allow Him, that power release comes when you continue to surrender, absolute, total surrender to Him. And no one can make you do that. And God chooses not to make you do that. He chooses that to be the secret of allowing you not to be a robot. He could make you do that, but wouldn't that be like a computer? Have you guys got computers? If you made your computer say every morning, I love you, Randy. You're my best master. What would that be but a vain attempt on your part? I'm the one that programmed it to do it. It wouldn't be real. The one thing he's chosen to let happen is you to say the yes part. Yes, Lord, I will. Take the guff of other people. I'll let them laugh at me if they want. But yes, Lord, I will do your will. Can you do that? Of course you can. Or you can ignore it and not do it. It's up to you. But when you say yes, bam, the power comes. And the strength comes to do that which is important. Notice as it's worded here, it says, again, that we may do those good works which God predestined or planned ahead of time for us, taking paths which He prepared ahead of time for us, that we should walk in them, living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live. Do you understand that He has a life plan for you? I've heard some preachers before say God has a permissive will. You ever heard them say anything like that? Think about what that's saying. Now, how could there be a permissive will? Let me give it to you straight up. It's either obey or disobey. And it's not permissive to be disobedient. If you live disobedient at Judgment Day, you'll find out that wasn't so permissible. you either as a believer obey or disobey. That's the two paths. That's the way. He already pre-planned, according to His Word, a walk for you, a direction for your life. He's already pre-planned that you do important things in His name to minister and serve and help those in Jesus' name. If you ignore it, you're disobedient. Now, do disobedient people get blessings from God? No. No wonder there's such weakness. Disobedient people are not going to have God's blessing. Believe me, my kids, if they try that, Dad, can I have a hundred bucks? Did you cut the grass I told you to cut? No. Did you put out the garbage? No. Did you do this? No. Did you do that? No. And you want me to give you a hundred bucks for whatever you need? The answer is no. Same answer that you just gave me all this time. You must choose yes, Lord. As much as you say yes, Lord, as much as you understand to say yes, Lord, continue to grow understanding more what He says, He has actually a path of life for you. He has a great plan for you personally. You that He wants to use to help strengthen other people, to be a blessing to others in Jesus' name. Will you say yes? That's the question. Will you say yes? It's all planned there. And every one of us has got that. It's not just me. Every one of us has got that invitation. Now, you do not need to volunteer for this calling. You know why? You ever heard of the draft? When the time of war? When you get an invitation from the government in a time of war as a draft, can you say no? You can. What will happen if you say no? If they catch you, they'll drag you to jail or whatever. You're punished for it. This, I want you to understand, this is the same thing with God. You were called to this before you were born. If you say no, you will hurt from it. The thing is, you don't need to volunteer. You've already been called. God already called you to this. I don't care how old you are. I don care whether you young or old You called to this Look at 1 Peter 1 verse 2 Who were chosen Ouch that the first word Not who were asked Did God ask you to do something? No, it says you were chosen. That's like, I chose you to put out the garbage and don't come back until you do it, kid. And, you know, the results will be there. It says you who were chosen and foreknown by God the Father and consecrated, which means to be set apart, encouraged, strengthened, and given the right tools to do what He wants you to do. In this case, first of all, to be holy. Now, holy is not a complicated idea either. Holy is not something that's kind of like glowing things with halos on your head like angels or whatever. Holy means you go on God's side because He's the only one holy and you stick with Him. The only reason you're holy is because you're next to Him. He moves over here, you move with Him. He moves back, you move with Him. When you're there with them and doing what he's telling you to do, you're walking in holiness. But when he says, hey Randy, go over there and help that person, I say, I'm not helping that person. They yelled at me the other day. Then I'm over here. I'm not holy. I'm over against them. What is it? Obedience or disobedience? It's real simple. It's not that complicated. Now people make it complicated, but it's not. Notice, by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus. See where I'm not making that up. It's right there in the Amplified Bible. It clarifies the Greek idea. chosen and foreknown by God the Father and consecrated, made holy by the Spirit to be made obedient to Jesus Christ. Obedience is the key. The Messiah is what that word Christ means. A lot of people don't even understand that the word Christ isn't some abstract word. It's just a Greek translation of the word Messiah. The chosen one that God had before the foundation of the world to come to die for my sin. He was the Messiah, the promised one to deliver me. and to be sprinkled with his blood. Remember, he shed his blood to pay for my sin. That's what it's saying by saying sprinkled by his blood. And then look at right away, we go right back to that word I'm talking about all this time. May grace, spiritual blessing, and peace be given you in increasing abundance. Notice what happens when you obey. With obedience, you get an increase. Increase. you gain more blessing. You gain more peace of mind. You gain abundance with His hand upon you. The obedience brings more. It's like taking a drink out of a fire hydrant. Think about it. You ever take a drink out of a fire hydrant? It'd knock you over, wouldn't it? That stuff comes running out of there. Just think, put your mouth up and open. Wham! You go flying. What a blessing you get. You get more and more. It definitely gives you a lot of juice that way. A lot of drink. And that's the idea. You get more and more from God. Well, that's not a bad thing, is it? Don't you want more blessing from God? More and more and more? The key then is to see your calling. You're not given an option here. You've been drafted, if you want to use the word. You've been called to open your mouth and be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. You must take charge of this. Now, even the way it's defined, it's talking about when we say who were chosen and known. That's the amplified version. The King James uses the word elect, and I just want to make sure you see that's why they use the term here. According to the normal translation, it says, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. The word elect is a Greek word, and it translates as select. You were selected. See, that's what I'm talking about. That's why I say drafted. You weren't asked. You were selected. Go through the list and say, okay, okay, okay. Valerie, you're selected. See? No volunteering here. You were selected. And they called you by name. Valerie, this is your job. Go do it. Yes, Lord. See, you're selected to do this. That's very clear. Selected. We are selected to be obedient to join in on the great works that he's told us to do. No excuse. Unless you're not of him. Now, also as you're called into the grace of Jesus, the gospel is that power that changes people's lives. Notice in Galatians 1, I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ. Now, the concern of the churches that were in the state, like Galatia was like a state, like we talk about Florida in that time period. inside that area called Galatia, which is basically in the areas of what country called Turkey today, part of it there. There was a bunch of churches in that area who were kind of getting along, agreeing with themselves on doctrines that were deciding they were going to do. They were drifting away from the very thing that we've talked about last week, just like the American churches. They didn't like the idea to be so radical and so upfront and saying you have to turn from sin all the way, follow Jesus and repent and act like you're a criminal. we want an easy religion, we get happy and rejoice all the time, and go home and do our thing. But they were kind of doing that too. They started listening to the phony lies of a false gospel. And he says, listen, it's a different gospel. It's not even a real gospel. And so the church from the very first century was having problems with this. It's not something that happened new in America. This has gone on back and forth as different churches won't listen to Jesus Christ and His teaching. It says, you and the grace of Christ to a different gospel, which is not another, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. Notice there's always been this problem of people trying to pervert it. This is where you have to again say, no, I'm not listening to these guys who tell me it's so much easy, just believe in Jesus as long as I believe in my brain and Jesus. I'm going to heaven. No, no. The repentance had to start the whole thing. You had to be truly born again. And it says, the point is, you were called into the grace of Christ. Grace is always connected with God's Word for you, for you personally. Jeremiah 1 goes back to my example of how Jeremiah was called by God and was called before he was born. Look again as it's worded up, tie these two together. Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Remember how powerful that is? How can somebody know you before you were not only born, but before you were even in your mama's womb? That's got to do some amazing things. That means that God is so powerful, He had made you personally, knew you directly as who you were. Randy Bell was known by God not only before my mother had me, but before I was even conceived. He still knew who I was and knew who you are, each one of you. And it says here, before you were born, I set you apart for my purpose. You were called to his purpose. Next it says, I appointed you. Notice again, Jeremiah was drafted. See that? I appointed you. I didn't ask you to be a preacher, Jeremiah. I appointed you to be one. Wow. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations. Now Jeremiah says what all Americans say Who me I can do that Almighty Lord I do not know how to speak I only a boy I an excuse here I can do that You crazy There no way I can be this this person you wanting to do for these great works that you claim need to be done to all the nations I can do it I just a little guy and I don have any abilities Moses did it here God called Moses and Moses says I can talk very well I can do that and he said, okay, shut up. I'll give you your brother to help you, but no more excuses. And it says actually God got angry with Moses. Every time you make an excuse, God gets angry. You know why? He's given you everything you need. It doesn't matter that you don't think your voice is good enough or you don't have the ability or you're too afraid or whatever. God has given you the voice before you were even thought of. God thought of you before your parents thought of you. He's given you everything necessary because He created you ahead of time. You can do what He's called you to because He made you available to do it. What's your excuse then? Fear and disobedience? No way. Don't let that take you out. Because look at what He responded. The Lord said to Jeremiah, don't say that you are only a boy. You will go wherever I send you. You will say whatever I command you to say. That's a draft if I've ever heard it. Don't you tell me that. You will go where I've told you to and you will say what I've told you to say. Now get out of my presence and go do it. Wow! Man alive! God's tough. God's tough. Because God made you and He knows exactly what you can and cannot do. He would never order you to do something you can't do. You know that? But the point is, God always orders you to do things you don't think you can do. Do you know that? He'll tell you to do something that's bigger than you can possibly think you can do. And it's true in a sense you can't do it without Him. But that's why He gave you His grace. And His grace is given to every Christian. It's the same grace. Like that atomic power from FP&L. It's hooked up to you, sir. It's hooked up to you, ma'am. And by the grace of God, you can do what He says because He's given you every part necessary to accomplish it. You can. You can do it. Now, also on that same idea, Galatians 1.6, I marvel that eternity said that, but notice we are all commissioned like Jeremiah. The thing, it's easy to say, yeah, but I'm not Jeremiah. Well, I wish you could get away with that excuse, but I'm going to take that away from you too. Notice the commissioning that God gave Jeremiah with it. He said, I'm going to send you to all the nations. Is that what he said? I'm going to give you what I want you to say, and you're going to go change the world. is what He's telling them. Go change the world. Now, if you go to Matthew 28, when Jesus left the earth after He was dead, resurrected, and spent 40 days with His followers, the Christians, all the disciples, He gave them this mandate. Go out and train everyone you meet far and near in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this day after day after day right up to the end of the age. Go into all the world. And it wasn't to the preachers He was talking. He talked to every one of all the disciples that were there. The commission or the command, the appointment given, is the same for you and me, every one of you, if you actually say you're a follower of Jesus. That's it. Now, if you're not a follower of Jesus, you get out of it. But then again, you've got to go to eternal judgment. But I mean, if you're in, this is the appointment you've given. This is your duty. This is your job. You don't get out of it. This is your calling. The point is, how well are you going to do your job? Are you going to do it with all gusto you can, try your hardest? Or are you going to make excuses and just not do anything? What happens in that kind of situation when you won't do it? When you won't do anything? See, God's called you to do it. You're telling Him no if you don't do it. It's part of His call on your life. That's what grace is all about. This is why not a lot of people have God's grace because they've told Him no from the outset. Right? Let me finish with a few thoughts about the pilgrims. The pilgrims are the people that we generally go to when we talk about Thanksgiving this week. Now, Thanksgiving is basically becoming a bogus holiday. The companies can't make any money off of it. So they start Christmas now because that's how they make money. So they don't want you to think about it. Most people in our country don't really love God. So Thanksgiving is to thank God. So how do you have a Thanksgiving if you don't thank the God who gave you anything? So that's kind of a boring thing. So most people in America are not into Thanksgiving anymore. It's no fun because you have to turn around and actually have something to be thankful to God about, which most of them don't practice or connect with God. So what would they deal with? Well, when you think of the original, the pilgrims were Christians. You have to understand why it's so significant to at least us as a church. The pilgrims were Christians. These Christians were originally from England. The problem at that time was they were not from the Church of England. They were a group that worshipped God in a practical way. Like Baptists, they're different from Methodists or whatever. They were just like a different denomination. But they were legally then in trouble. So they were not liked by the government. They basically persecuted them. They basically crushed them. They couldn't get good jobs. I mean, things were rough. Half their people were in prison. And so they decided to serve the living God under the pressure they were on. They needed to go someplace else. Because obviously they couldn't serve God where they lived. All they did was find themselves imprisoned and hated and destroyed for what their faith was. So some of them fled to Europe. They went to Holland to try to get a better life for their families. And also waited for all of their partners who were still stuck in prison to get finished with their prison terms so they could flee and come with them. So they spent a number of years, not in America, but in Holland, trying to survive. In that country, they were still not attacked by law, but like any place you go to a new country, what happens? Or a new culture, they were under prejudice. Nobody would let them have work. The best jobs they could get were the kind like you hear from the immigrants today They get to go pick the pickles or whatever They get the jobs nobody wants That exactly all they could get They couldn make a living Their kids were having a rough time They were being just it was even hard there. Finally, after their friends got out of prison, they determined they could not survive there any more than they could in England. And they determined then that they would attempt to flee to a place where they could do a fresh start, where they could truly establish Jesus Christ as Lord and take the Word of God to the ends of the earth, as God told them to do in the Great Commission. So that is where you get the story of the pilgrims. They came to America to serve God. Well, by the time they went across the Atlantic Ocean on these little tiny ships, they were half sick and dying of diseases. It takes them four months to travel across the Atlantic Ocean at that time. They were sick and dying. By the time they got there, it was winter time. They couldn't grow any food. Half of them starved to death. By the time spring came, half of them were gone. They all died. It was the harshest, most expensive thing they ever tried to do. They barely made it through. As they were starving and hungry and struggling and everything in their lives was always rotten, no matter what they did, it didn't turn out. They were thinking, where is God? What happened here? Here they're just struggling and crying out to God, have mercy on us. We've tried everything to please you. We've made these choices to try to show our obedience. Instead, what we get is we've lost our wives and our children to starvation. We have no hope. While they're in the middle of that struggle, guess what happens? Anybody know? Squanto, an Indian, walks into their settlement, speaks perfect English, which blows their mind. It's like he's a ghost from heaven or something. I mean, these people spoke strange languages and everything else. He walks up and talks to them and literally saves their lives. He shows them how to grow crops, how to survive. He saves their lives. So when fall comes, the harvest was plentiful. And out of their gratefulness to the living God and the thankfulness to the Indians, they invited Him to come for a Thanksgiving feast. The Indians brought deer and all kinds of food. Huh? Corn and everything else. The turkeys were definitely used too. And as they gathered, the thing about the whole issue was nothing more than gratefulness for a God who saved them from sure death. Now, not that many people in our culture don't even have an experience like that, do they? We've got it pretty easy here. Even if we have it hard, we usually have enough food to eat and whatever. We don't have the expense and the cost nor the drive they had. But remember, what drove these people was the grace of God. They wanted to share the good news of Jesus with those who needed to hear. They were believers. Of course they had a true Thanksgiving. Of course it meant something. Now, the only people that have a true Thanksgiving today, what do we have on Thanksgiving today? If you see anything, it's football games. Now, some football teams probably need to be saved by God, but they won't. Some, you know, I mean, it's just nothing's there. The whole heart of it is gone, isn't it? It's been stripped absolutely out of the culture and out of people. There's only handfuls of people who actually get together at Thanksgiving because they are thankful to God for His mercy and kindness to them. Right? Now, how about you? Are there things this week that you can honestly look back and say, Man, God saved my hide. And I want to be grateful. This is my time to gather my family and friends, just like the pilgrims did, so that we can take the time to say to God, thank you, thank you, thank you. Not just go and have fun and play basketball and watch movies and go shopping or whatever they want to do. It's actually a time to say, wow, God, how merciful you've been to us. This year we can look back and see what you've done. We can look back in our lives and see what's come to bring us to this point. We've come this far by faith. You've done these things. I'm not perfect yet, but man, thinking back to where I came from, wow, what a difference. Thank you that you've made such a change. Looking back always helps. Looking back is what brought them to such tears and gratefulness as they gave thanks. I love the way that guy painted this, showing they're just amazed that God's got kindness. They show the sincerity. The guy stands up praying with hands in the air right in the middle of the table saying, thank you, God. Indians probably didn't quite understand Most of them didn't speak English. It was only Squanto. He had to keep translating to the Indians for everything. He was the only one that knew English. The others did not. So they had quite a combination of things as they had a day of tremendous, tremendous gratefulness. Why and how? Because of the grace of God. Why can you have a true day of Thanksgiving where everybody else in our culture basically will not? They'll be too busy arguing with their kids, watching football, doing something, and not having a true heart of gratefulness. But there'll be a few of us, you, who can truly take the time and say, thank you, oh God. And that will make God smile. When the whole world else, I mean, even though these few people had that, remember, nobody else in the world was thanking God much at that point. This was like the initial times of Thanksgiving. It wasn't there before. We were the nation that had the blessing of groups of people coming with that drive to share the good news and to serve God that fed the beginnings and the foundation of a nation. Are we perfect? Absolutely not. Boy, do we have problems. We've had so much sin that's corruption that's ruined so many things. But don't let that blind you from what the initial was. The foundations of people were Christian, true believing Christian people who came here to start with. Now what happened after that? Criminals and ungodly came too seeking to devour, get fortunes and get greedy and everything else. But in the midst of all that around them, it was true believers who really set this in motion for a nation like we have. Don't lose that. Be grateful for this country and pray for those who are evil and have no idea what it means to have a true Thanksgiving. Thank you.

Playlist coming soon.