The Fullness of Grace in Christ

Summary

The service opens in worship with a reading from Revelation 22, where the angel refuses John's worship and points him to God alone. Reflecting on Psalm 144 and Matthew 16, the preacher reminds the church that no one comes to know Christ as the Son of the living God by flesh and blood; it is the Father who reveals the Son. We gather not because of anything in ourselves, but because God in his sovereign mercy has drawn us to Jesus.

The heart of the message is grace. The preacher contrasts the law, given through Moses, with the grace and truth that came through Jesus Christ. Drawing on Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11 to come, take his yoke, and learn his meekness, he explains that Jesus is the only flawless original. When we copy other people we merely multiply distortions, so we must trace our lives directly onto Christ. By his grace, the undeserved gift, we are freed from sin (Romans 6) and enabled to bear fruit as branches abiding in the true Vine (John 15); apart from him we can do nothing.

Finally he warns that grace can be neglected or traded back for the false security of the law, because the heart resists change. Faith working through love (Galatians 5) keeps grace alive in us. The service closes with thanksgiving and intercession for the sick, for students, for travelers, and for loved ones who need to stand firm in the Lord.

Key Points

• We worship God alone; even angels refuse worship and point us to him (Revelation 22).
• No one confesses Jesus as the Son of God by human wisdom; the Father reveals the Son.
• Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ, surpassing the law given through Moses.
• Jesus is the perfect original; shape your life by looking at him, not at flawed people.
• Grace frees us from sin and empowers us to bear lasting fruit as branches in the Vine.
• Apart from Christ we can do nothing in the spiritual realm.
• Grace can be lost when it is taken cheaply; faith working through love keeps it alive.