Anchored 1 - Anchored By Grace

It's the first Sunday of the new year and Pastor Brad is starting a new series titled "Anchored." This morning he talks to us about being Anchored by Grace. The text for this morning is found in Ephesians 2:1-9 (MKJV)

Pastor's Notes:

Ephesians 2:1-9 NKJV
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the [a]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
INTRODUCTION
Good morning, everyone!
I don’t know about you, but I feel good today. The stress of the holidays are gone, goals are set, and we are looking forward to the future to new and better things.
As I was praying last month and seeking the Lord on what I might share, the Holy Spirit showed me a picture of an anchor.
An anchor is something heavy that is used to stabilize an object from moving off course.
For instance, a boat might throw an anchor to stay in a specific spot.
I wanted to share of the next three weeks some spiritual anchors that have helped me stay the course in my walk with God, and also will help us as a church as we go forward into the future.
Today, I’d like to share with you about the anchor of grace.
God’s grace is very amazing!
ILLUSTRATION
I remember once particular day, I was walking with my son Adam through a parking lot of a store. Cars were everywhere and it was almost as if people were driving without paying any attention.
Being afraid of the traffic, Adam clenched my hand tightly, and he felt so secure doing so. He felt safe having a hold on his father’s hand!
What he didn’t realize is that while he had a very tight grip on me, I actually had a tighter grip on him!
TRANSITION
I believe that is a great picture of our walk with God. We are clenched tightly to Him as we walk through life, but yet He also has a much tighter grip on us.
It can be said like this:
“Faith is my grip on God, but grace is God’s grip on me!”
Now, I know that many of us haven't been taught a lot about grace. I know I wasn’t.
I grew up in a super strict church, and I thank God for it! I cant stomach preachers who teach greasy grace. You know, the type of people who say stuff like, “If you are saved, you really can live however you want. Sin doesn't matter anymore.”
Nothing could be further than the truth!
If anyone ever tells you that sin isn't a big deal, you better run from that quickly!
Look what Titus tell us about grace:
Titus 2:11-14 NKJV
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
True grace is not just unmerited favor, but it’s also divine empowerment.
Grace helps you overcome sin, not enables you to live in it!
But that’s not something I heard coming up.
TRANSITION
As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure I got saved every week.
Now, before you go getting all mad at me, I understand fully that a person can backslide. I understand that a person can reject grace. I know a person can be saved, and yet they can turn back.
The Scriptures warn us against such things.
Yet, growing up, my view of God was lacking grace.
He was going to get me. As a matter of fact, He was most likely waiting on me to mess up.
I was only taught one aspect, and I had a wrong view of the fear of the Lord.
But I’ve come to realize something about Jesus, and John tells us:
John 1:17 (NKJV)
17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
So what is grace?
The word “grace” is the Greek work Charis, and it means “favor, divine influence upon the heart, a gift, unmerited.”
BACKGROUND
In our passage, the Apostle Paul is dealing with different religious cultures in Ephesus, which required the follower to offer sacrifice to gain acceptance, or to trust in deeds to make right with their god.
Paul is hitting this fallacy straight on, because we cannot work to earn God’s favor or grace.
Look at what Paul teaches us in Ephesians about the grace of God.
APPLICATION

Sin separated us (vs.1-3)

- We were dead. Why? Blame Adam!
- Trespasses and sin overtook us. That’s what sin does.
- We were walking according to the world.
- We acted out the lusts of our flesh.
- We were deserving of judgement. God must judge sin!
2.    Love sought us (vs. 4-7)
- Mercy is what we don’t deserve.
- God loved us. 1 John 4:19 NKJV
- God loves us before we could clean ourselves up. Romans 5:8 (On the screen).
- Love motivated Jesus to go to the cross.

3.   Grace saved us (vs. 8-9)
- It was unmerited favor.
- It is a gift.
- We can’t boast in it.
- It was not our goodness.
- Isaiah 64:6 NKJV
- Romans 10:1-3 NKJV (on screen)

4. Faith connected us. (vs.8-9)
- Jesus did the work.
- Our faith is what connects us to it.

CONCLUSION
Romans 5:12-21 NKJV
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the [a]offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many [b]offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s [c]offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore, as through [d]one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one[e] Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.