1st October Wednesday Service: Saved by Grace. By Deacon Kennedy Rapando

Some moments feel ordinary until you look back and see a quiet rescue. That’s how grace often arrives—unannounced, undeserved, and completely transformative. We open with gratitude for the unseen ways God has kept us through the year and then move into the deep current of Romans 5, tracing the story from Adam’s trespass to Christ’s overflowing gift. The thread running through every turn is simple and seismic: grace is unmerited favour that secures salvation, sustains us daily, and steers us toward a future already held in God’s hands.

I share a personal turning point—choosing a weekend challenge over entertainment—and how what looked like a small decision revealed a larger plan already in motion. From there, we wrestle honestly with law, sin, and the startling promise that where sin increases, grace increases more. We talk about righteousness not as performance but as alignment—seeking God’s kingdom first so our steps are guided and our outcomes shaped. When weakness presses in, we anchor in the promise, my grace is sufficient for you, and the defiant assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

It all leads to a vital comfort: we have a High Priest who knows our road and invites us to approach the throne of grace with confidence. Together we pray boldly for personal needs, safety on Kenya’s roads, wise governance, and peace among nations—from Jerusalem outward. If you need a reminder that God’s grace still works behind the scenes, still meets you in your limits, and still charts a path to life, this conversation is for you. Listen, share with a friend who needs courage, and if it helps you, leave a review so others can find their footing in grace too.

Chapters

• 0:00 Opening Gratitude & God’s Protection
• 2:00 Theme Set: Uncommon Grace at Work
• 3:40 Romans 5 Reading: Adam to Christ
• 6:15 Prayer for Open Hearts
• 7:15 Point 1: Salvation Secured by Grace
• 10:20 A Personal Salvation Story
• 14:00 Daily Preservation and Future Judgment
• 16:04 Point 2: Eternal Life Assured
• 19:00 Law, Sin, and Overflowing Grace
• 22:00 Righteousness, Direction, and Destiny
• 24:20 Point 3: My Grace Is Sufficient
• 27:00 Nothing Can Separate Us
• 30:00 Strength Made Perfect in Weakness
• 32:00 Point 4: We Have a High Priest
• 35:00 Approaching the Throne of Grace
• 38:00 Congregational Prayer & Petitions
• 41:00 Declarations over Roads and Governance
• 44:00 Intercession for Nations and Peace

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:02

We're in the month of October. Today is the first. I want you to turn to your neighbor and just give them a high five. Say that high five is from Rapando. It's my pleasure just to be here this evening. Thank God. From the beginning of the year, God has been with us. God has watched over us. How many things have happened this year? Along the way, maybe you're traveling, you got home, and you had news that there was an accident. You're walking in the night, you got home. Early in the morning, you heard that there were robbers on the same road where you walked. You walked, uh you were driving your car along the way, you met a policeman. He took you through a whole day of making sure that he was waste you wasted your time. But along the way, God has been in control, watched over you, taken care of you, sorted out things that you never thought they were there in the first place. You look at everything that has happened around us, at our families, at our church, in the nation of Kenya, and indeed you say there is a hand that is at play. There is something that we cannot see that is working on our behalf. And so, even as we talk about impartation of uncommon grace, spirit-led impact. I want you to have at the back of your mind that even with the things that you cannot see, the actions, the words you cannot hear, there is someone who is at work. Behind the scenes, there is someone who is at work. Making sure you breathe the breath of life freely, he gives to us. Making sure that even though we will go to the hospital sick, we are able to come out of that place because he is working behind the scenes to make sure that we are healed. That is the God that we serve today. And so, even as we talk about impartation of uncommon grace, there is uncommon grace at work. When you go into definitions trying to define what grace is, this is a definition that we've had uh a number of times. Grace is unmerited favor, something we didn't deserve. You're seated here, and many would have wanted to be here, but they're not here. It is unmerited favor. I you are favored. Tell your neighbor you are favored. God loves you, you are favored. There are many things that you have done today that many have wished they would have, but have not been able to do that. So, as we talk about unmerited favor, as we talk about uncommon grace, there is one who is at play. There is something that is happening behind the scenes that is making sure we operate as we do today. So I just want us to be up on our feet as we read Romans chapter 5, from verse number 12 to the end. That is our script for the day, and I'll just pick some things from there, even as we continue. The Bible says, Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, in this way, death came to all people. To be sure, where am I reading? Am I reading here or here? I'm a bit let me let me maintain on the bigger screen because all sin, verse number 13. To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone's account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many? Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man's sin. The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if by the trespass of one man death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man, the many will be made righteous. The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more. So that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through the righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And that's the word of the Lord. Let's appreciate the name of the Lord even as we pray. Father Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bless your holy name. Thank you for this wonderful evening that is given unto us. An opportunity to listen to what you have to tell us, to what you have to you have in store for us today. We want to pray that let your grace abound this evening. Even as we listen to you, open our hearts so that we may be ready to hear, that our hearts may be good soil this evening, that this word may be planted and bear fruit. We thank you, we bless your name. In Jesus' name we pray. In Jesus' name we pray. Let's have our seats. Thank you very much. So the title of my sermon this evening is saved by grace. Tell somebody beside you, saved by grace. We are saved by grace. So I have four pointers that I will share with us. So the first pointer is saved by grace, salvation secured. The second is saved by grace, eternal life assured. The third, saved by grace, my grace is sufficient. And then lastly, number four, saved by grace, we have a high priest. We have a high priest. So four things. On to the first one, saved by grace, salvation secured. I'll pick Ephesians chapter 2 from verse 8 to 10. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. How many of us remember the day you got saved? The day of your salvation? I know many of us have it at the palm of our hands. Like myself, I remember it was second term in the year 2023. Second term. And there was a crusade. What were they called in in high school? There was not crusades. Weekend challenge. Yeah, there was a weekend challenge, and I was done between going for entertainment, that is entertainment night, Saturday evening, and going for the weekend challenge. They were having a night of evening. So I was done between going to the dining hall or going to the one one of the classrooms where the weekend challenge was happening. So along the way, I just made a decision. Let me go, let me see what is happening in this weekend challenge. And that is how I received my salvation. And I stepped in that classroom, and my life has never remained the same. How many of us can remember that day which you gave salvation, which you gave your life to Christ by show of hands? If you're not raising, are you not saved? Also, I I I might change my sermon and now become an evangelist, yeah, to make sure that those hands that have haven't been raised, we are able to give you an opportunity to give your life to Christ. But what I'm trying to say is that that day is something that is put on record as a shift, a change in the dimension of your future, of your life, your relationship with Christ. And so when I when I talk about saved by grace, I'm talking about when I made the decision to go to the classroom where the weekend challenge was happening, at that moment it was my decision. But along the way, I didn't know that God had already planned it way before I made that decision. So on that day that you got saved, it was not your doing, it was not your decision. God has had already made that, He had a blueprint of your life of how Ken was gonna get saved in July 2023. I mean 20, 2003. I I'm confused. This pulpit, you know, when you stand here, words you you lose words. So 20 I wasn't in form 2 2023. Oh my god. I was in form two in 2003. Sorry about 20 years ago, I think my math, I think math has math, math, math has math, but all glory and honor to God. So 2003 July, I gave my life to Christ, and that day up to up to date is in my record books, and I know a number of you have have those days noted. So, what I was saying is that it was not your decision, God had already planned it way in advance, and that's why the Bible says in Ephesians 2 verse 10 for we are work, we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand. He prepared beforehand. The decision for you to accept Christ was a decision that was already put in plan that you will do so beforehand, way before you you say that you you've made a decision to do that, and so salvation is God's favor on those who have not done according to what he wants you to do. We are living in times where we are torn between making decisions, doing the right thing or the wrong thing. I would have made a decision that day to go through the dining hall and enjoy my night. And probably five, ten years down the land, that's when I would have made that decision to give my life to Christ. But just because God had already planned it for me that it was my day, He made sure that all my mind, all my focus would be in that class where the weekend challenge was happening, and that's where I found myself, and that's how I got to know of this Christ. Romans chapter 5, verse 9 says, Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him? He it is a continuous pro, he continues to save us, he continues to the the the the when I start I say that you you go home, there are things that are happened, they don't come close to you, you are your kids go to school, maybe or maybe not, you don't know where the finances are coming from, and God has already provided for you. Sickness comes and it falls way over or around, even not coming into your into your home, because God has put a hedge of fire around you to make sure that he secures you. So unmerited favor that is seen through us who are righteous, who are seeking him each and every day of our lives. Served to mean deliverance from God's wrath and final judgment. There is something that is coming. We don't live oblivious of the fact that there is a final day coming. So when he had when he was putting down Ken Rapando's plan, he said July 20, 2003, he will be saved so that at the end of it all, he escapes from my final judgment. So his grace is at work to make sure that my future is secure. Tell your neighbor his God's grace is at work to make sure that your future be secured. So when when you talk about saved by grace, salvation secured, salvation, you receiving Christ, salvation from the daily things that are happening around you. God continues to save you each and every day. And then salvation for the future, for the final judgment that is coming, He has already made sure that He secures your future through this grace that we're talking about. Let's appreciate the name of the Lord. Saved by grace. Number two, saved by grace, eternal life assured. Tell your neighbor, eternal life assured. Romans chapter 5, verse 20 to 21. I think we've read this. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. Let me read this. The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase, but where sin increased, grace increased all the more. God gave guys law dur during those days. And so when this law was there to govern them, I think there's a statement that we love saying these days that laws are meant to be. That statement did not start today, it started many, many years ago, during Moses' time. So these guys are given the the laws, and they made sure that they went over and above whatever was in the law to trespass against God's law. So today we are given laws, we're given rules, we are given ways. God has spoken to us of what we need to do, and we find ourselves grieving the Holy Spirit. We are not the first one, even Paul says that I wanted to do this, but in me was put a thorn of a thorn in my flesh that kept tormenting me each and every day. It kept tormenting him. So Paul points out that the law came to increase trespass, probably in the sense that once people had written laws from God, they committed not just sins against God's law in their conscience, but even more seriously, willfully, willful trespasses. They would go ahead and ignore what God says and continue doing it. They knew this is the way to go, this is not the way to go. They will forsake the right way and go the wrong way. How many of us have chosen not to do the right thing today? You know, this is not a place for me to be in, but you eventually, in one way or another, find yourself there. You know, this is the not the person I need to interact with. This is not the person I need to have a conversation with. You were you know truthfully in your heart, in your mind, in everything that you have, but eventually you find yourself there. And so, in all this, grace abounds. In all this, grace through righteousness abounds more than the increasing sins, which is death. In English, the wages of sin is, and so where we continue to sin, we are headed towards a definite end, which is death. But even as we continue to sin, there is something that we are being introduced to that is the righteousness of God that leads us to eternal life. So that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ. Grace reigns through righteousness to bring eternal life through Christ. Because we have received salvation, we have Christ in us, we no longer live like the world lives, but we are driven, we are led, directed by Christ. And by grace, through grace reigns through righteousness. Whenever we choose to do the right thing, whenever we choose righteousness, the Bible says Matthew 6 33 seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the other things that you want will be added and given to you. So at the end of it all, at this journey, at this line path, this is the beginning, this is where we are, and this is the future. When we were here, future was not secured, the future was not assured. But when we received Christ, we live with him, he walks with us, he directs our steps. Maybe if without him, the trajectory would have changed. But this is the the end, definite end of eternal life that we need to get to, and we are here. And Christ says, My son, this is the way. You seek his righteousness, you seek his kingdom, he leads you to where you need to go. And and and when we say eternal life assured, we mean with Christ through righteousness, we have a future that is definite, and Christ is taking us to this future. Let's appreciate the name of the Lord. Through Christ, our future is secure. Number three, served by grace, and uh and this this I love, my my grace is just sufficient. Every day we shortfall. The standards are high. We try to match the standards, but we come nowhere close to where we need to be. But the Bible says, My grace is sufficient. Tell your neighbor, my grace is sufficient. That is not Rapando's grace, the Lord's grace. The Bible says, My grace is sufficient. It doesn't matter what you go through. Today, circumstances overwhelm us. We are meant to make right decisions, and we don't do so. Regardless of how critical one's circumstances may be. So I want us to read from there. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Let's start. Shall trouble, what do you answer to that? Shall trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger. As it is written, for your sake, we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered in all these things, we are more than conquerors, through him who loved us. I want you to repeat that and just say, I am more than conqueror. Through him who loved us. For I am convinced. Let me pick it up from verse 38. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels, nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers that be, neither hide nor death, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing shall separate us from this love. And so, as I was saying, there are many things. See, all these things we were we were talking about, hardship, things that pushed us, and you feel weak. Speak to your heart and say, the Lord's grace is sufficient for me. In all the things that I go through, then in all the the hardships of life, the issues of life, God's grace is sufficient for me. For to underscore that his earthly weaknesses, these earthly weaknesses will be the platform for perfecting and demonstrating the Lord's power. So at that moment where you feel that you're pushed, at that moment where you feel that you're weak, that is where the encouragement comes in. That's where God wants to work in your middle. At that place where you feel you don't have anything to do, you are brought to your last option. And that last option is God. Because option A, B, C, D, E are always without God. And so you reach at a point where you say, No, I can't do this anymore. And that's where God says, My grace is sufficient for you. For it is made perfect in your weakness. So today, as a question to you, are you weak? Do you feel you have a weakness somewhere? And that is a question for you to retrospect. Just look and and and ask yourself, where am I weak? And I know you've got that place, I know you have that thing in your mind. And for an answer for that area where you're weak, say the Lord's grace is sufficient for me. The Lord's grace is sufficient for me. As you think about it, just take time and tell the Lord, Father, thank you for your unmerited favor. Thank you for loving me for who I am. Thank you for releasing a grace that ensures that I don't stay at my weak point, but I look forward to a point where I spring out of my issues and walk in your strength. Because when I am weak, that is when you make me strong. Because when I am pushed to the wall, that is when you come through for me and lift me up and sit me high in the right places of God. So when you're weak, that is when God comes in to make you strong. Let's appreciate the name of the Lord. That exemplifies another attribute of grace. We've talked about grace as being unmerited favor, but and now in this situation, we look at grace as being a power that is able to change situations. Power at work, power changing you from hardship to strength, from weakness to strength. God's power is at work within us, and so we bless the name of the Lord because we know it doesn't matter the circumstances that we are in, He will always be there because we have Christ in us, He will always be there to ensure that out of our weaknesses, strength is sin. Strength is exemplified, strength walks us through our issues in Jesus' name, amen. And then lastly. Served by grace, we have a high priest. Look, look at how this thing is at play. Let's come back to this. I will call it a trajection. Where it all started, where we are today we are going, and where it ends. We received Christ. He was there with us. He had already made a plan that on this day, July 2023, 20, 2003, wraps will get saved. He's there with me. I'm walking to where to the direction that I need to go. He's there to direct me to my path. At the same time, while here, he has gone somewhere. The eternal life, this is where we need to end. He's already there. While I'm still here, he's already there. He says, We have a high priest. So have it in mind that he's there, he's with you, and he's already at the end to secure everything for us. So the Bible says, For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. We have a high priest. When you're walking on this journey, he says he had already walked it ahead of you. He knew that somewhere along the way you will be weak. And so when he comes to help you, he knows the situation you're going through. The hardship he has already passed. He says he walked this past, he knows everything that we go through. He lived on this world as a man. He's able to empathize, he's able to, he knows the situation we are in. And so when he says, I am your high priest, he knows your situation because he has worked it before you do. And even as he does, he has worked it before you do, and he is there with you in the darkness, in the hardship, in the situation, in the issue, the Lord is there with you. Look at how grace comes to play. So served by grace would mean that He planned ahead to save you. He continues each and every day along the path to save you from situation, the issues of life. And he has already made sure that your future is secure and has planned ahead to save you. And so I in my mind as I was putting these notes down, I had said my title is saved by grace. So my four pointers were saved by grace. So point number one was saved by grace. Point number two was saved by grace. Point number three was saved by grace. Point number four was saved by grace. Christ all in all, from the beginning to the end, to the current, he is there with us. And that's why we call him a high priest. And on this point, our verse that we love to share, our verse that we love to speak out. Let us then approach the throne of grace. Our high priest is approachable. Today is a prayer service, and you here you came out, you came with different from different situations, different circumstances. Some of you are celebrating being the first. Maybe your salary came in yesterday. You're happy, your kids are about to close the school, everything is sorted out for you. You have you put down, you jotted down at the beginning of the year things that you wanted the Lord to do for you, and today you are here to come back to tell the Lord thank you for making sure that many of that checklist have been checked out as done. Today, saved by grace means we have an approachable high priest. He tells us, let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence that we may receive mercy and help in our time of need. Do you think he doesn't know what you need to ask of him? He says, even before you ask, he already knows. Even before you ask during the prayer time, when you walked into the church this evening, the Lord knew that Ken Rapando has this in his heart to ask of me. And so when you approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing where you're coming from and who you belong to, he says, You will obtain mercy, you will find grace to help you in your time of need. So be up on our feet and just remember the things that you asked God for when you came in. Remember the items, the prayer points that you carried with you when you came in this evening. And so the Lord says, You can have we can have that on the screen, Hebrews chapter 4, verse number 16. I know you came here with a prayer, and today said by grace would mean that God has ensured that our salvation is secure. God has ensured that our eternal life is assured. God has ensured that his grace is sufficient at our difficult moments. And God has ensured that today, as we seek him at the place of prayer, he hears us and answers us when we call. So you today you came with prayer items, you pray, you you have those prayer points in your mind. Tell the Lord, thank you for releasing your mercy. Thank you for releasing your grace. Thank you for answering my prayers when I called. Thank you for listening to me on this first of October. Thank you for answering my prayer. Thank you for being here with me and assuring me that you are a God who is right close, right nearby, ready to listen to me, ready to hear me when I call on you. Thank you, King of Kings. Thank you, Lord of Lords, for you alone are worthy of all praise. We approach your throne of grace with confidence this evening, knowing that we have obtained mercy, we have received grace to help us in our time of need. In Jesus' name we pray. Let's appreciate the name of the Lord. If you are not here today, Rapando will be preaching to the benches. Turn to your neighbor and just appreciate them and just give them a high five. Say thank you for coming to the service this this Wednesday evening. And the Lord will bless us. I want to release us to the rest of the week. Know this God's grace is sufficient. At that situation, God's grace is sufficient. His unmerited favor is all over you, all around you, all over your kids, all over your family. He's gonna ensure that you go out safely, you come back safely. He's gonna ensure that you be productive at your workplace. And no one will look at you and say, There is nothing you're doing in this office. He's gonna ensure that your workplace is secured. He's gonna ensure that your businesses are secured. He's gonna give you an idea. Because of this grace, he's gonna give you an idea that you will share out, and that will come out as a bomb. It will surprise you. That is the God we serve. His grace is sufficient. I had my brother Petro talking about the accidents that are there on the road. We want to declare that God is ensuring that our roads are safe for passage, safe for each and everyone, saved and not saved, Muslim, Christians, Hindus, our roads are secure because we have a remnant who know the Lord in Kenya. So from Nairobi to Nakuru, to the western parts, from Nairobi to Machakos, to the coast, from Nairobi to Thika, to the north, we want to declare that our roads are safe, covered by the blood of Jesus Christ for divine protection. We speak against a blood that is speaking from this from this land and say that there is one blood that we ascribe to that speaks better things than the blood has that is speaking at the moment. The blood of Jesus Christ that covers all our roads. And so this blood speaks life, and so we speak life to our transport systems this evening. No more accidents. We put it to a close. Any thought, any idea, we want to bring it to the obedience of the name of the law of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so let's appreciate the name of the Lord because our roads are secure this evening, because God is in control. We want to speak also to the name to our governments, governance systems. Lord, you know the leaders that we have today. Your grace is sufficient. In the midst of all this turmoil, in the midst of all this confusion, Lord, you are able to keep us safe. You are able to keep our economy safe. You are able to keep our businesses safe. You are able to make us thrive through using the leadership that we have to ensure that there is good governance. So let your grace be sufficient even into the corridors of power, to the leaders that we have today. We want to speak to the nations of the world. I know today we are talking about wars, we are talking about conflicts all over the world. Today we speak a grace that is sufficient to the nations of the world. May you, Lord, cause wars to cease. You who are able to cause wars to cease, do that. Let peace reign. At first, we pray for peace for Jerusalem. And let as Jerusalem is peaceful, let that peace transcend to all the nations of the world. So mention just one of the few. I know you can mention Ukraine, you can mention Russia, you can mention all the nation, Congo, here close to us. Just remember one of the nations and tell the Lord, Father, let your grace be sufficient to this nation, this wonderful day. King of Kings, we thank you. We bless your holy name. Thank you for this wonderful congregation that you've enabled us to look back and see how we are saved by grace. And so, Lord, even as we go forth from here back to our homes, may you go ahead of us and after us. Father, we have a few days remaining to the end of the week. Lord, may you watch over our coming in and our going out. Father, everything we put our hand to do, Lord, let it be successful. Father, may you increase us from one level to another because you are for us. Christ in us, the hope of glory. We thank you, Lord. We bless your name. For this, we pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And may the church say, Let's appreciate the name of the Lord. Amen. I can see we have a cup of tea and some snacks. So even as we break the service this evening, let's continue fellowshipping together around that cup of tea. Let's continue to share how the grace of God is sufficient in our lives. So, Lord, we bless the tea and those who are serving us. We want to pray as we partake. May it be nourishment to our bodies. Through fellowship, Lord, we will be blessed this evening. In Jesus' name we pray. And now may the grace of Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore. Amen. Thank you very much.