“More in ‘24: Part Two”
More Series
AV First
Pastor Ed Carlson
1/21/24
Definition of “More”: A greater quantity, number, or amount. A greater amount of something than before. Greater in size or amount or extent or degree.
Ephesians 3:20 (ESV)
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.
God’s Grace
Grace is…unmerited Divine Blessing and Favor given to you and me by God due to the simple fact that He loves you and me and desires to see His children thrive. His Grace empowers us for Godly living, sanctifies us, encourages us, guides us and blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others.
“The doctrine of grace lies at the very heart not merely of all Christian theology but also of all Christian experience. If we have an incorrect or inadequate understanding of the biblical teaching on grace, our whole grasp of the meaning and purpose of Christianity will be deficient in consequence. … Grace speaks of God’s initiative, of the priority of God’s action on behalf of us poor sinners. … Grace enriches, and the enrichment it brings is owed entirely to God’s prior action of mercy in Christ Jesus. Divine grace precedes all. That is the whole point of grace.” –Phillip Hughes in But For The Grace of God.
Not only should we embrace grace as God’s gift to us that is richer than we could ever imagine, but also that we should embrace grace as the governing paradigm of our entire existence.
What Does God’s Grace Do In Our Life?
1. His Grace
Romans 3:21-24, 27-28 (ESV)
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
2. His Grace
Matthew 18:23-35 (ESV)
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
3. His Grace
Hebrews 2:14-15 (ESV)
14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
4. His Grace Has Given Us
Luke 4:14-21 (ESV)
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Ephesians 1:3-8 (ESV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed 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, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.
At AV First…
Jesus is our Priority
The Gospel of Jesus will always be first in our lives and in our message. We will say “no” to many good things in order to do what’s most important. We refuse to let the message of the Gospel be hijacked by anything else. It is our Priority.
People are our Purpose
People matter to God and therefore matter to us. Every single person that walks through our doors is someone Jesus died to rescue. We value people over systems and programs. It is our Purpose.
Generosity is our Privilege
We have freely received, so we freely give. Our response to God’s irrational grace is a life of irrational generosity. We choose to be generous with our time, energy and finances. It is our Privilege.
Serving is our Position
Jesus didn’t come to be served, but to serve. So should we. We elevate our calling over our gifting. We believe that if you are too big to serve, you are too small to lead. We get to lead because we choose to serve. It is our Position.
Healthy Families are our Passion
Healthy families have been God’s design from the beginning and the foundation of any healthy church or community. We believe that the family is a Divine institution that is worthy of our time, effort and sacrifice. It is our Passion.
Honor is our Posture
Honoring others honors God. We will look for every opportunity to honor people with our words and our actions. We will give honor to those God has placed over us, beside us, and under our care and leadership. Respect is earned, but honor is given. It is our Posture.
Excellence is our Presentation
God is in the details, and so are we. We believe that excellence honors God and inspires others. The calling is significant, therefore nothing is insignificant. We embrace a spirit of excellence. It is our Presentation.