The Grace of God - Kenley Miller

Well, good morning, greet you in the name of our Savior.

We as a family were anticipating all coming and joining

you in the service this morning, and then an abrupt

last minute change of plans and we ended up not

so you know how sickness goes. Sometimes the nights we

fare better and sometimes we fare worse. Nonetheless, happy to

be with you this morning, And in some ways I

feel like the message has been preached already, and I

have been stretched to worship with you already. Been thinking

of bringing some thoughts in regards to the grace of God,

and the way that brother Dan and kind of preface

this subject really has gotten our minds to thinking about

his invitation to walk with him. And I realized that

in our day and age, as we think about the

subject of grace, we relate to the abuse of the subject,

the permissiveness that man has has allowed that word grace

to include where wherein we can't even draw a line

of definition because it's so permissive. I realized that. And

yet let's not react in a way that we would

sidestep the power, because in essence, Titus says that the

grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

and it teaches us, and then it goes down through

the list teaches us that denying on godliness worldly lust,

we should live soberly, righteously and godly. Well, it's not

really the subject I want to contemplate this morning or

the It's not the where I was wanting to go

with this, And yet I wanted to just preface what

I was going to say, that the grace of God

is forgiving and it's merciful, but it's not inconsistent. I

was thinking of the song God Moves in Mysterious in

a mysterious way, is so it's coming down this morning,

And the third verse to that song says, judge not

the Lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace.

Behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face. I

think that that mirrors for us pretty well, how that

we often understand God through our sense, which is feeble

at best, and we struggle to understand the depth of

passion that he has to restore and re reconcile people

to himself. And as you think about the term grace,

think about, just briefly, what has it meant for you

in your past? Reflect a little on this influence of God.

What does it mean for you now presently? Where is

God's grace influencing in your heart? Presently? Further, what does

the grace of God call us to contemplate and hope

for in the future. Paul said to the Corinthians, I

thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace

of God which is given you by Jesus Christ, that

in everything ye are enriched in Him, enriched by Him

in all utterance and in all all, even as the

testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that ye

come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of

our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you unto

the end, that ye may be blameless in the day

of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful by whom

ye were called unto the fellowship of His son Jesus Christ.

Let's say a series of about six verses, and Paul says,

I am so appreciative of the work of God and

your congregation, because this gift is working itself out in

utterance and in knowledge, and it's confirming that you are

walking with God in his perfection. As we were just considering,

all right, that was his introduction to First Corinthians. We

think of grace as from perhaps many definitions we could

use to explain the term, but we think of God's favor,

unmerited favor. We think of divine influence, something that is

persuading us, perhaps quietly, not real, loud or bold, but

influencing us and then working itself out in our lives.

We think of blessing and joy, pleasure, delight, and pleasantness.

As we think of grace and the grace of God.

We use the term frequently, and I think it's appropriate

that we do. We think of it in terms of

rising above temptation, that the grace of God would enable

us to do that. We think of enduring a flick

and tempting and a trial, and the grace of God

enabling us in those situations. Think of the grace of

God in child training, Think of the grace of God

in ministry work. Consider with me just a bit a

few characters from Genesis. Adam and Eve in that original

transgression and completely contradicting and disobeying the direct guidance God

had given on their heart, God had given to them

to obey. Separation happened through that experience God promised a

solution to reconcile back to him, and that's grace. We

walk into Genesis a little further and we come to Noah,

and he lived in a time of great permissiveness, a

society that was seems like almost completely ungodly degenerated, to

the point God said, I'm going to do something so

complete that we're going to almost start over. And Noah,

year by year faithfully walked in obedience to God, in

putting one board after another into that vessel, preaching one

day after another to his society. And it says he

found grace in the eyes of the Lord. That's grace.

We go a little further and we come to Abraham

and Sarah. And Abraham and Sarah they walked a path

that was somewhat lonely. God called them out and led

them into a country that they weren't even sure where

they were going, somewhat lonely. In the fact of family life,

they had to wait until till they were old to

have children. They had to wait. And it says of

Abraham that of his life, sure that there's specific instances

that are in focus here in some ways, and yet

I think overall in his belief in God and his

standing on the promise that God would fulfill to him.

It says that that was accounted to him for righteousness.

If we would go to Romans, it talks about that

God God accepted him because Abraham placed his faith of

claim in God's faithfulness and stood with God in that

obeyed God. And that's grace. That's God's grace on Abram's life.

Now to him, that worketh is the reward, not reckoned

of grace but of debt. It says there in Romans.

But Abraham was accounted righteous, not because he'd worked for it,

but because the gift was rewarded through grace he believed God.

We could go on to David and his testimony. After

his blatant sin against God, his committing adultery with Bathsheba,

David said, restore unto me the joy of thy salvation

and uphold me with thy free spirit. Again, that's grace, restoration.

I like to tell a story from the Old Testament,

and it happened in the year five thirty nine or

approximately five thirty nine BC. Cyrus the Great was leading

his army, or he was managing his army, directing his

army around the city walls of Babylon, and as he

gave direction, the troops cut off the water supply that

was flowing into the city of Babylon, and there was

an aqueduct that channeled it into the city, and that

night as they worked to build a diversion dam that

directed it around the side. That same night, Belshazar was

partying with his lords and drinking on all that revelry,

and he called for the vessels of gold from the

temple in Jerusalem that his father or grandfather had brought

back to Babylon. He called for those vessels to come

and to be used in this celebration. Belshazar did and

he literally saw handwriting on the wall. God spoke to

him directly. Well. That night as a stream, as the

river was diverted and the soldiers came in, Cyrus the

Great took the throne and he began to reign. He

became the new world power. He entered Babylon overcame and

sat on the throne. Cyrus was a man that God used,

and scripture makes this very clear that Cyrus was an

instrument in God's hand, and it's interesting to consider that

that part of the story because Cyrus even recognized God's sovereignty.

Cyrus recognized God as Lord in heaven. Well through this

God directing in his heart, Cyrus invited captive Jewish people

slaves to return to their home country. And he had

perhaps set up a governor by the name of Rebebul.

We're not exactly sure what place, what parts Rebebel filled

in Babylon, but he does have a Babylonian name, so

perhaps he had some level of direct direction or responsibility.

And under his hand, unders Rebebul's hand and Ezra's hand,

they led a group of Jewish people back to Jerusalem.

That first wave of refugees. They returned to their homeland

with Cyrus's blessing and Cyrus's resources. And it appears that

this happened about the first year of Cyrus's reign. And

so they come home, and they find their home cities,

and they begin to settle in. They find a place

to put their belongings down, to call home. And and

then it says that they came to the temple in Jerusalem.

What was left, what wasn't left, It was destroyed, but

they came there as one man, ready to rebuild the

purpose that they had for returning to Jerusalem to rebuild worship.

Cyrus had given them that direction to go home and

build a temple, and so as they settled there that

then they gathered at the temple site. It says that

they gathered as one man, and they set up the

altar of the Lord so that worship could continue. Worship

could begin again, reconvene, and they began offering sacrifices morning

and evening. Following that, under the leader's rallying of the group,

this group laid the foundation for the new temple, and

it was caused for much rejoicing as they did that.

No doubt, many of these had not been to the

temple site before Babelon was what they knew of as

a home because of how long they had been held captive.

But some of these did remember the previous place of worship,

and this was cause for rejoicing that the temple foundation

was laid. But then trouble hit and the surrounding countries

observed this new development as well, this reconstruction effort, and

they came along and they offered to lend their hand

and their resources. Well Ezra as rebeable, they gave them

a decisive denial. They said no, you have no part

with us. We will be the only ones to have

our hands in this building project. For this, these neighbors

began to implement opposition and they wrote a letter to

the king and they said, if O King, if these

folks continue in building, they're going to be a threat

to your kingdom. They're not going to support you. The

effect was that the work stopped. We're not exactly sure

how long, or I'm not exactly sure how long it

stopped for, but it stopped. And we find in our

Bible two minor prophets that God raised up over that time,

the prophets Hagei and Zechariah. And it's interesting that hage

I has multiple messages in his two chapters there short book,

two chapters. We as multiple messages as a motivational prophet

that God was raising up to renew the building effort.

And these messages in hage I are dated, and so

they give a bit of a picture of the passage

of time that it happened. They're dated in five point

twenty BC from what I've from what I've found, and

so potentially there could have been fifteen to nineteen years

that this foundation had remained idle possibly God raised up

these two prophets, Hagey and Zachari. If you care too,

you can turn to Zecharia ter five four. It's in

this context that I would like to read the chapter

now Zechariah. Four. And the angel that talked with me

came again and waked me as a man that has

wakened out of his sleep. This is the message to

Prophet Zechariah, who God was raising up to inspire his

people back to building the temple. Verse two. The angel

and said, unto me, what seest thou? And I said,

I have looked and behold a candlestick all of gold,

with a bowl upon the top of it, and his

seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps,

which are upon the top thereof, and the two olive

trees by it, one upon the right side of the

bull and the other upon the left side thereof. So

I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying,

what are these, my Lord? Then the angel that talked

with me answered and said, unto me, knowest thou not

what these be? And I said, no, my Lord. Then

he answered and spake unto me, saying, this is the

word of the Lord unto Zerubabyl, saying, not by might

nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord

of Hosts, who art thou o great mountain before Zerebebel,

thou shalt become a plain, and he shall bring forth

the headstone thereof, with shoutings crying grace, grace unto it. Moreover,

the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, the

hands of Zurebebel have laid the foundation of this house.

His hands shall also finish. And thou shalt know that

the Lord of Hosts has sent me unto you, for

who hath despised the day of small things? For they

shall rejoice and shall see the plummet in the hand

of the rebelble with those seven they are the eyes

of the Lord, which run to and fro through the

whole earth. Then answered I and said unto him, what

are these two olive trees upon the right side of

the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I

answered again and said unto him, what be these two

olive branches, which, through the two golden pipes empty the

golden oil out of themselves. And he answered me, and said,

knowest thou not what these be, and I said no,

My Lord then said he, these are the two anointed

ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

So in this vision, the candlestick is a thing of significance.

It would have been for them as they renewed, renewed

worship that had been that had been quiet for so long.

The candlestick that represent God represents God's light dwelling with

them that I don't believe was supposed to go out.

But notice how it describes this candlestick of gold. It

has seven lamps in which it's holding, and there's one

bowl that sits on the top of it. On either

side is an olive tree, wherein oil is conduit to

the bowl directly from the tree. What does this all mean?

Why was this in the vision? Remember again, this is

in the context of construction on the Temple having stopped,

and the leaders having lost their zeal and lost their vision,

and God bringing about a message that would bring direction

in how to how to begin, how to renew? I

believe that the two olive trees here represent the source,

whether it's God's spirit his grace, represent the source supplying

the oil needed to keep the flame burning. On either

side stood an olive tree that was perpetually giving oil

for this, for this lamp. In other words, I believe

God is saying I'm still here. I'm still enough for

the project to go on to completion. You know, you've

remained quiet on the project for quite a while. You've

went and you've built your own homes. But it is

time to begin again. And I am there, with olive

trees on either side, to supply the needed grace to continue,

regardless of your opposition to continue. He says, it disrubble.

He says directly, this is the word of God to

this leader, not by your might, not even by the

power of Cyrus. But ultimately it's my spirit that will

enable you to carry this on to the end. And

I would like us to consider, in looking at at

this story, how easy it is for us to feel

our knees shaking at the task, And how quickly for

me it is this way, How quickly distractions come, and

what ifs come to make me question can I follow

through with with whatever it is? Just simply with with

Christian life and discipleship. God says, it won't be by

by might, it won't be by power, It'll be my spirit.

Standing on either side, supplying the oil, keeping the flame

burning day and night. Verse seven. This mountain, whatever it was,

it was, it was, it was, it was a challenge.

Rebbebull was facing it. Says that it will become a plane.

It will become a way in which progress will be unhindered.

The mountain will become a plain, and he'll bring forth

the headstone. Thereof the headstone with described for us the

finish work, the last step stage. He'll bring it to completion,

crying what well, grace, grace, beauty, enabling, grace of God

will complete. It will bring you to that point of

placing that stone in the finished spot. Notice also verse ten.

I think this Irubbubule probably felt pretty small, probably felt

like his workforce was pretty small, and trembled at the

task of rallying them to begin again. Who had despised

the day of small things? If you're in Zechariah, if

you flip back about a page, I want to read

hageye I, chapter two and verse three as relates to

zet to Zerubbabule's perspective of his job. Hagyi two, verse three,

Who is left among you that saw this house in

her first glory Solomon's temple, and how do you see

it now? Is it not in your eyes? In comparison

of it as nothing? Did Rebbable feel small? I think

he did. I think he felt pretty overwhelmed with the

task at hand. But you know, God works in small ways,

and I think as relates to grace, this is pretty

important that we understand. God wants our efforts as small

as they are. Elijah heard a still small voice. Moses

felt pretty small as he as he received the summons

to return to Egypt. And his speaking I'll say disability.

I don't know what it was, but his speaking disability

created that challenge, that mountain for him. God says, go,

I'll use you. Joseph was but a young man when

he entered Egypt. David just had a rock, a small rock,

and a slingshot. Five rocks, five small rocks. You know,

Dorcas used a needle. We could go on down the

line of small things. God God's grace enabled to accomplish

tasks that were his his work, his his doing. This

past week, I was working about a mile off of

a main road, and it was it was beyond where

cell tower service would reach. And so it was it

was kind of a quiet area and and not not

a lot of well, I couldn't reach my wife if

I'd wanted to call her. I I was out working

by myself some of the time, and it was just

kind of back back in the in the woods. And

so I was had been given a small thing by

the homeowners. I mean given a set of keys on

a key ring, and that was my access. That was

the way in which I would be able to access

the project. And so there was a key to the gate,

there was key to the house. And I purposed in

my heart that I would put the keys at a

designated spot every time and I'd be able to keep

track of them. Small things. You know, sometimes small things

feel very crippling when we when we don't have them working.

There's the day of that I was going to go

and finish up the project. I was thinking of taking

another vehicle, so I knew I needed the keys. I

went to the spot I designated to put them, and

they weren't there. And as I was trying to consider

where could I have missed laid them, I didn't think

I had, and I thought, well, they must have fallen

out of my pocket back at the project, and so

I decided to take the same vehicle I'd been using,

and they must be up there on the ground somewhere

forty five minutes later. So I was there looking on

the ground, made my way to the house, made my

way to the house twice. I couldn't find them. You know,

It's just a small thing, really, And I was of course,

I was praying, and I was asking God, would you

show them to me where I might have laid them.

Maybe they bounced out into the weeds. I'm just not

looking in the right spot. Well, I had mislaid them,

and God led me to think of where they were.

They were in a pocket of another jacket, you know,

there they are. But he led me to that point

only after I had I had fumbled, and I was

I was weak. I wasn't sure what I was going

to do. And sometimes our weaknesses in the flesh feel

that way. They feel to me. They do. Do you know?

God wishes to take our little things done in faith

and use them in in his work. How does this

all relate to God's grace in our lives? Ephesians two

eight says that by grace were saved, and that's through faith,

not of ourselves. It's a gift, It's a gift of God.

Can I reflect on the work of God in my

heart and reflect on change and improvement and realize that

that is His influence bringing about perfection and walking with him.

You know he wishes, He wishes for his grace to

pervade in every area of our lives. Two Corinthians three

eighteen speaks of this process. We all with open face

beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord

are changed into the same image, from glory to glory.

Even as by the spirit of the Lord we have

the beholding part to do. We have the seeing the lamp,

believing the tree is there. We have that part to do.

But the Spirit of God works through the grace of

God to build the temple. It says, not by might

nor by power, but by my spirit. God will take

us through to the end, to the finish, to laying

the capstone. And sometimes in between the span of where

we began, where we laid the foundation, and where we finish,

we can question will we make it? I appreciate the

picture that is painted there in Zechariah, of crying grace,

grace as the capstone is laid, grace that has taken

us through. It's humbling to consider that God would take

our efforts and use them in his work in his kingdom.

It's awe inspiring to think that he would do that.

But he so longs too as we looked at dwell

with those who are humble in contract. Grace permeates our lives.

This week, one day, we had some carpet installed in

our house, and there was a couple of things that

permeated our house. One was my wife chose to do

some baking that day, and there was the sense of

chocolate chip cookies that I think reached every corner of

our house, and it was enticing and it was appealing.

There was another odor that happened that day. You know,

as they sew a seam of carpet together, they take

an electric looks like an iron, and somehow they melt

the resin or the bottom side of the carpet so

that the two mold together. That created another scent in

our house that permeated. I think grace is like that

in a lot of ways. It just flows through. You

don't see it, how do I say it. You don't

see the grace itself, but you see the effect of

it as it works itself out in every area of life.

We already noted this morning of Verse and Calautions, where

it says, let your speech be always with grace, seasoned

with salt. We also heard the passage let us come

boldly to the throne of Grace, that we may find

that we may find mercy and grace to help in

time of need. Another verse in Claus says, singing with

grace in our hearts to the Lord Grace is a

reflection of the work inside one. Peter four ten says

four ten, and eleven says to us, as every man

hath received the gift, even so minister this one to

another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles

of God. If any man minister, let him do. It

is of the ability of which God giveth, that God

in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to

whom be praise in dominion forever and ever. Amen, you

know the gift, the manifold grace, which is a gift

of God, speaks through our lives. And you may find

speaking easy, or you may find it hard. But I

don't think God particularly makes a difference because he wants

to use his gift of grace through us. Amazing grace.

How sweet the sound. One more story was working not

far from home a number of years ago for a

man who had been attending our church. He wasn't He

was a firm believer, out spoken believer, but he wasn't

a member there at home. But he came and he

was an inspiration to us. He came regularly, and he

had some repair work that a couple of us were

there at his house doing. And I just remember, very clearly,

it'll probably keep this, keep this through my life. Very

clearly he was. He was a humorous gentleman. He he

could twist the way to say something and really speak

volumes in a few words. And he looked at me

one day and he said, you know, to you, it's grace.

To me, it's amazing grace. And I contemplated that, and

I've contemplated that ever since. How sweet the sound that

saved a wretch like me. God's influence is something that

mirrors our response to him. In other words, when I

see the exceeding greatness of my need, then I will

see the exceeding greatness of his grace, and he will work,

and he will minister, and he will use the oil

of his spirit, and not barely keep the lamp burning,

keep it bright and flourishing, day and night. May the

Lord bless you as you consider that influencing power in

your life worthless