“Amazing Grace” (Sermon & Song)

1. “Amazing Grace”(Sermon & Song)

2. Do We Understand Just How Amazing God’s Grace Is?

3. Amazing Grace was written by John Newton (1725-1807). • Englishman who worked on slave ships. • During a storm that almost caused his ship to sink, Newton cried to the Lord for mercy and afterwards became religious. • After becoming a minister, he influenced government leaders to abolish slavery (e.g., William Wilberforce). • Newton wrote hymns to emphasize the importance of his sermons.

4. “Amazing grace” describes the personal struggles that he faced (that we all face) and how by God’s amazing grace, we can overcome!

5. “By the grace of God I am what I am.” • Newton identified with the words of the apostle Paul: 1 Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

6. “By the grace of God I am what I am…I am not what I ought to be. How imperfect and deficient I am! I am not what I wish to be.” And then added: “Though I am not what I ought to be, I can truly say that I am not what I once was—a slave to sin and Satan. I can heartily say with Paul: ‘By the grace of God I am what I am’!” – John Newton

7. Can you identify with the words of Paul? Do you understand just how amazing God’s grace is?

8. Our Need for God’s Grace: Verse One • “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me” • God’s grace is so amazing that it can save even a wretch like me! (e.g., 1 Tim. 1:12-15)

9. “A Wretch Like Me” 1 Tim 1:14-15 (NKJV) 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. – cf. Acts 2:36-38; 1 Cor. 6:9-11

10. Everyone in the world is wretched(i.e., troubled, afflicted, miserable) due to their sins (Rom. 3:23) and desperately needs deliverance!

11. “A Wretch Like Me” Romans 7:24 (NASB)“O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” • Jesus is the only one who can free us from “the body of this death” – or the slavery of sin (Rom. 7:25b; John 8:31-36).

12. “A Wretch Like Me” To receive God’s grace, a person needs to first acknowledge that they are “wretched” (in sin) and need to be forgiven.

13. Revelation 3:17 (NASB) “Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”

14. Our Need for God’s Grace: Verse One • “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me” • “I once was lost but now am found” • The Lord desires to seek and save the lost (Ezek. 34:16; Luke 19:10).

15. Ezekiel 34:16a (NASB) "I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick…

16. Luke 19:10 (NASB) "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

17. Luke 15:24 (NASB) for this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' And they began to be merry.

18. Each person must choose to return to the Lord. 1 Peter 2:25 (NASB) For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

19. The gospel of the grace of God calls us back to God! 2 Cor. 5:20 (NASB) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

20. Our Need for God’s Grace: Verse One • “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me” • “I once was lost but now am found” • “Was blind, but now, I see.”

21. “Was blind, but now, I see.” • Before coming to Christ, every person is morally and spiritually blind due to the influence of Satan in their lives (2 Cor. 4:3-4). • Only until a person is humble enough to admit their “blindness” and need for spiritual guidance, will he/she then begin to truly see (John 9:39-41).

22. John 9:39-41 (NASB) 39 And Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see; and that those who see may become blind." 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things, and said to Him, "We are not blind too, are we?" 41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.

23. Luke 1:78-79 (NKJV) 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

24. Our Introduction to God’s Grace: Verse Two • “T'was grace that taught my heart to fear.” • Grace is not a license to sin (Jude 4), but a powerful reason not to! • “The gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) not only saves, but it also teaches us to fear and obey the will of the Lord.

25. Titus 2:11-12 (NASB) 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

26. Our Introduction to God’s Grace: Verse Two • “T'was grace that taught my heart to fear.” • “And grace, my fears relieved.”

27. By the grace of God, Jesus “tasted death” so we wouldn’t have to! Hebrews 2:9 (NASB) But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

28. Hebrews 2:14-15 (NASB) 14 Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

29. 1 John 4:16-18 (NASB) 16 And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

30. Our Introduction to God’s Grace: Verse Two • “T'was grace that taught my heart to fear.” • “And grace, my fears relieved.” • “How precious did that grace appear” • The grace of God is indeed precious, “held as of great price” (Thayer);

31. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NASB) 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

32. Ephesians 1:5-7 (NASB) 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,according to the riches of His grace.

33. When does God’s precious “grace appear”?

34. Our Introduction to God’s Grace: Verse Two • “T'was grace that taught my heart to fear.” • “And grace, my fears relieved.” • “How precious did that grace appear” • “The hour I first believed.”

35. “The hour I first believed.” • “The hour” or critical time we come to first believe in Jesus, grace begins to “appear” or make its introduction. • Faith in Christ comes by hearing God’s word (Rom. 10:17) and genuine belief in Christ is shown by obedience to the gospel (Rom. 6:17-18).

36. “Grace appears” the very hour a person responds in obedient faith to the gospel to be saved: Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.

37. Acts 16:29-32 (NASB) 29 And he called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household." 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.

38. Acts 16:33-34 (NASB) 33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34 And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household. “The hour I first believed.”

39. God’s Grace Protects and Leads Us Home: Verse Three • “Through many dangers, toils and snares we have already come.”

40. Like the apostles who faced “many dangers” (2 Cor. 4:7-10; 6:4-10), Christians today will be tested by trials, tribulations, and persecutions (1 Pet. 1:6-7; Acts 14:33; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Pet. 4:12-16).

41. Through “toils” or exhausting labors, there is a temptation to grow weary of doing good (Gal. 6:9-10; 2 Thes. 3:13; Heb. 12:3; 1 Cor. 15:58).

42. There are many “snares”, traps, or entanglements of sin we must free ourselves from in life (Luke 8:13-14; 2 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 2:20).

43. By God’s amazing grace, we can overcome it all! (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

44. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NASB) 9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

45. God’s Grace Protects and Leads Us Home: Verse Three • “Through many dangers, toils and snares we have already come.” • “T'was grace that brought us safe thus far” • Our strength to live the Christian life comes from God’s amazing grace: “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1b).

46. God’s grace has “brought us safe thus far” and it is more than enough to protect and keep us safe from the evil one throughout life.

47. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NASB) But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

48. God’s Grace Protects and Leads Us Home: Verse Three • “Through many dangers, toils and snares we have already come.” • “T'was grace that brought us safe thus far” • “And grace will lead us home.” • Christians are “heirs of the grace of life” (1 Pet. 3:7; Titus 3:7). • By His grace, God delivers us from evil and brings us safely to Heaven.

49. 2 Timothy 4:18 (NASB) The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

50. 1 Peter 5:10 (NASB) And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.