Grace: I Am What I Am

The grace of God instructs us. We live because of God's grace. We love because of God's grace. We forgive because of God's grace. We have happiness because of God's grace. Our actions should always be motivated by grace, and grace has a name: Jesus! Listen as minster Anderson George discusses the power and persuasion of grace from the book of Titus.

Transcript

God is so good. God is so good God, and is so good. And He is so good. God is so good.

I know God is so good. God, so good. So good. He died for me. He for He died for. On.[00:01:00] 

To, he's coming back. He is coming. One day he coming to take me away. He coming back and he is so good. He loves me, so he. I know my God loves me, so I know he'll me so that He so good to God is good. God,

I know.

My God is good. [00:02:00] God is so good. And he's so good too. One more time. Say God is good. God,

I know. My God. So good.

He is so good to me. If you believe that, say amen. Amen. Alright, don't play with me now. I, I believe there are at least 10 persons inside here who honestly. Firmly believe that God is good. I'm not saying that everything in life is good, but you know one thing, one person who is, is God. And if you believe that, feel free to say amen.[00:03:00] 

All right. All right, that sounds better. Not only is God good every now and then, he blesses us with good news, and we have had several occasions of good news. A few weeks ago, one of the good news that we had was re saying yes to Jesus. You all almost get it. Alright. Uhhuh, Uhhuh, Uhhuh. One of these days you'll get it without prompting.

Another uh, good news that we got a few weeks ago was the introduction to the world of. Baby Beaker Andrew. There you go. Good news. Good news. And on today, God has blessed us with even more good news. Let's start, not necessarily in order, but by [00:04:00] asking Jared and Colleen just to show their hands so everybody knows where you are.

They sit there every Sunday and they have indicated. That they are officially placing their membership here with us at Oh, there you go. There you go.

That's good news. Let's add to that. Eddie's handwriting is so bad that the only word I could make out here is Bobby, but I know it's his sister, Eddie's sister. Bobby is also placing her membership here. That's good news

and news that makes me want to preach is that Kaylee and Mason have said yes to Jesus.

Boy, you, oh, and that we're going to witness the [00:05:00] baptism just after the sermon, right? So we're excited for that. But for now, let's hear a word from God and it's going to come from Titus chapter number two. Titus chapter number two, verse 11 and 12. Titus two 11 and 12,

scripture says, for the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men. Instructing us that to deny on godliness and wieldy desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age. Lemme read that one more time. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny on [00:06:00] godliness and worldly desires.

And to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age. For the time that I stand before you, I want to speak from the sermon title. By grace, I am what I am by grace, I am what I am. And on today, I'm not trying to be overly theological. In fact, the concept that I want to tell you to teach you, to remind you of is simple.

It's that grace informs our behavior. That's it. I want you to be aware that the reason why you do what you do is because grace informs your behavior. In fact, if we re-look at our text, we could read it this way. Where [00:07:00] Paul essentially says, for the grace of God has appeared instructing us, if we cut out everything else that is extra to the text, what you remain with is the idea that the grace of God that showed up in your life, the grace of God that appeared to us.

Is teaching us, it's instructing us and it's instructing us about right behavior. That is to say that the reason why I worship is because of grace. The reason why I love is because of grace. The reason why I forgive is because of grace. The reason why you see me happy in church is because of grace. I'm gonna say this until you catch this.

It's not because of obligation. It's [00:08:00] not because of necessity. It's not even necessarily because God commanded it. I want to be this way because God showed me grace. The point I want to get you to reach and to understand is you should live the way you live because of grace. Not necessarily because there's a law hanging over your head, but Grace appeared in your life and the grace that showed up change your life.

So the reason why is Grace. You are looking at me funny. I remember Paul himself saying in First Corinthians, I am what I am by the grace of God. Paul himself is going to tell us that the reason why he operates, the reason why he does what he does is grace. I would like us [00:09:00] to reach our point where when it comes to worship.

You worship, not because there is a verse saying you should not forsake the assembly, but because you've been touched by grace. I hope that we reach to a point where you fellowship, not because there is a verse that says you should fellowship, but because you've been touched by grace, you are looking at me funny.

There is a difference between someone who does it because it's commanded. And someone who does it because they've been moved to

uh, and this week Mahalia decided that she's going to devote the entire week to eat salad, and I decided I would be a good husband. [00:10:00] And join her in this past week to only eat salad. But I didn't do it because I wanted to. I didn't do it because I was moved to, I felt obligated. I felt like being a good husband meant that I should eat salad.

Because she's eating salad. I felt like if I were to have a prime stick while she's eating grass, I would not be a good husband. So why did it Out of necessity, I did it out of obligation. Here's the problem. By Wednesday I was done.

I wanted some wings. [00:11:00] You weren't doing some fries, you weren't doing it last night. I wasn't doing it last night. I wanted some pizza. In fact, I bought pizza Wednesday night. I was done with salad, but I remember Wednesday night while enjoying a good flight. A question came to my mind that said, Anderson, haven't there been times before where you have gone for a longer period just eating salad?

And the answer was yes. So I asked myself what was different between those times and this time. And the answer I came to was those times before I wanted to do it. This time I had no desire to do it, [00:12:00] so there was a difference in how it was done and how long it lasted. There is a difference between those who come to worship because they appreciate what God has done in their life.

And those who come to worship because Hebrews 10 24 says, do not forsake the assembling together of yourself. Sir, there's a difference. I'm hoping that we could appreciate grace more so that by appreciating grace more, it changes how you behave. So I'm laying the foundation that Paul is talking about behavior, but as he talks about behavior, he wants you to know that the reason for your behavior is grace.

It's not anything else, and I'll make that makes sense in two seconds. But let me show you that the book [00:13:00] of titles is really about how you behave. Init chapter number one. This number 16. Paul speaking to the young minister, tells him that people profess to know God bought by their deeds behavior. They deny him being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed or behavior.

Again, init chapter number two in verse number seven, Paul says, in all things. Show yourself to be an example of good deeds or behavior with purity in doctrine and dignified again, init Chapter number two. In verse number 14, he says, Jesus gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed behavior and to purify for himself a people for his own possession.

[00:14:00] Excited or zealous for good needs or behavior In titers, chapter number three, verse number one, he tells the preacher, remind God's people to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed or behavior. Drop down Titus chapter number three, verse number 14, our people.

Church people must also learn to engage in good deeds or behavior to meet pressing needs so that they will not be unfruitful. I don't know if you tracked with me, but I just presented to you six verses that emphasize behavior in three short chapters. Paul is evidently by repetition. Talking about how we behave, [00:15:00] but don't misunderstand me.

This is not just a sermon or even a reading on the fact that you should be morally good. This is not, I'm not necessarily telling, telling you that you should be morally good. You should, but that is not the message of title. That's not Paul's message. Paul is not just saying to do good deeds and to be good.

He's saying that the reason why is because of God. You only catch this, watch this. I understand there are some persons I've encountered in my lifetime that I wish that I could take my Bible, the really big one. That I don't walk with because it's too big. But I could take that and smack someone upside down the head with it.

I know [00:16:00] I'm the preacher. Yeah, I said that. But I have a good intention. I wanna smack them. And I'm praying that by osmosis, all the words that are in scripture get copied in the cranium. At the moment of impact,

but I have not yet smacked anyone with my study Bible. And if you ask me why it's not because they did not deserve this smack, it's because of grace

or your, your, y'all didn't get this. I've had some neighbors. That I've been unneighborly towards me, but I haven't responded by being ly in return. And it's not because they didn't deserve it, it's because [00:17:00] I've been touched by grace. There are some persons who did me wrong and never apologized, and I have already forgiven them.

I did not forgive them because they felt, sorry I didn't forgive them because they deserved my mercy iga them because I've been touched by grace. I'm saying that every Christian needs to reach our point where the reason why you do what you do is because of God's grace in your life. It's in the text.

Paul makes this argument in room init three from verse number one. He says, remind them to be subject to rules, to authorities to be obedient, to be ready for every good lead to [00:18:00] malign. No one to be peaceable. Gentle. Showing every consideration for all men. Now, there are some things on this list I'm still working on.

There are some things on this list I still struggle with. See, in a moment of transparency, it's difficult for me to show consideration for all men. Especially those who don't show consideration for me. You're okay with the preacher saying where he struggles? Mm-hmm. So I'm trying to be like that, but I'm not always,

but here it is. Paul says, I should show consideration for all men. He didn't say the men you like [00:19:00] or the persons you prefer. Show consideration to everyone, and if he stopped there, then this would simply be good teaching. But he goes on to say, the reason why is because this three says four or because. So the reason why I behave this way is because we also once will foolish ourselves.

Now, that's not how you talk about yourself. But I know the younger me was foolish or at the very least did some foolish things and I just believe if the younger Anderson did foolish things and the younger, you did foolish things too. And I'm being kind, I'm sure in consideration by saying the younger you, some of you would catch that on the way home because.[00:20:00] 

We also will foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lost and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God, our savior, and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us. Oh, you all, Mr. Shall.

I was this, but when, God. Lemme say it one more time. I was this, but God. Oh, I know what you miss. I, okay, I got it. I got it. See, but is a word of contrast that indicates what comes after the book is different. That what than what came before [00:21:00] it. So here's a good example. I was blind, but now I see I was lost, but now I'm found I was blank.

But, uh, what Paul is doing is showing us. That our behavior is theologically motivated.

The truth is your behavior, the way you love, the way you forgive, the way you worship, the way you treat others should be. Theologically motivated, and if we are [00:22:00] Christians, that's the mandate. So that in a very real sense, when someone asks you, why do you do what you do, you should say it's because of God and it's because of His grace in me.

Go back to Titus three one. That's what he says. He says, but when the kindness of God, kindness of God is a good word for grace. It's when the kindness of God and his love of pay. That something changed in my life. Let me say it this way. You're not the man you used to be because of God. You're not the woman you used to be because of God.

When you intersected with God, he changed something about your life. He is the take takeaway. He did it not because [00:23:00] you deserved it. He did it because he was kind. Ooh. I would like to tell you that God saved me because I was awesome all by myself. He had to save me because I was handsome. Just had to. Amen.

Thank you, Jimmy. And, and, and, and The handsome didn't work. He, he had to save me because. I could sing kinda, I'm a pretty okay person, but the truth is none of those things were the reason why God saved me. God didn't save me because I could sing bass or soprano, alto, tenor. He didn't save me because I look good on some [00:24:00] days.

He didn't save me because of my bank account or my status. He saved me because he had enough grace to include even me.

His grace reaches me, so the only reason why I'm alive today. Is because God has been kind. The only reason I could stand behind the Sacred Desk and now preach to you about the grace of God is because God has been kind to me. The only reason I have the ministry I do, the wife that I do, the life that I do, is because God has been kind.

And his [00:25:00] Paul under inspiration now saying, because God has been kind, because his grace showed up in your life, you now need to behave differently. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Teaching us that denying ungodliness and wildly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.

But before I go, I need to tell you that Greece has a name. When you read. Grace in scripture, grace is not an abstract term. [00:26:00] Grace has a name and it doesn't take a scientist to figure out the name of grace, but let's work it out. In this text it says, when the kindness of God, I was savior and his love appeared, so I'm looking for something, or someone that appeared.

And then I go to John one. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him and without him was not. Anything made that was made in him was the light of men. And the light shined in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it, not verse 14 said, and the word became flesh and tabernacle or dwelt among us.

And we beheld his glory. Glory as of the only [00:27:00] begotten father in heaven, full of grace and truth for the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Now watch this. Just in case you miss all of that. The same Jesus in John 14 will tell us disciples, if you see me, you've seen the Father.

If you know me, you've known the Father. So when God was demonstrating grace, he was doing it in the person of Jesus. So to say you've seen grace is to say you've seen Jesus to say you've been touched by grace. Is to say that you appreciate Jesus. Left heaven, came down on earth, lived as a man, hung on a tree that wasn't for him, died on a [00:28:00] tree for sins that were not His, was buried in a tomb that did not belong to him, but then rose again on the third day so that you now could have life.

And life eternal so you could live different. Jesus' life shows the kindness and the grace of God and that kindness and grace of God should inform how you behave. Let's all stand. Don't sing yet. Let's just stand.

I told you before that your. Actions, your deeds, your behavior should be theologically motivated. What that means is we need to do introspection even now and ask ourselves, [00:29:00] did I show up here today because of the right reason?

Do I act the way I do? Because of the right reason. And if that reason is not because of grace, we have work to do. Grace should be so pervasive in your life that without thinking about it, everything you do is impacted by it. Everything that you do. And so. I'm simply asking for you to rethink God's grace in your life, how it has shown up, what it has done, and then allow that grace to inform how you worship, how you think, [00:30:00] how you act, and how you behave.

If you need prayer for whatever reason, I want you to meet me. On the front row, we're gonna sing whatever song John has now, and as he's singing, if you stand in need of prayer, I want you to meet me on the front row and we'll pray together that God's kindness remain in your life so that you could breathe another breath and live another day.

But hopefully that day that you live and that breath that you breathe would be impacted by the grace you were given, let's sing.