Ephesians: "You are God's masterpiece..."

All right.

Well, if I haven't met you, my name is Mara.

I am Sam's wife, but we've been coming to Kingdom City since the very beginning, launch today, which it is crazy.

I was just thinking about this.

It's okay.

It's been almost a year, which is like, it's gone by so fast, and it's crazy just to see like all the new faces and so fun.

But if I have not met you, I would love to do that later.

We're gonna read Ephesians 2, 1 through 10.

It says, Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins, you used to live in sin just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil, the commander of the powers in the unseen world.

He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature.

By our very nature, we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else.

But God is so rich in mercy and he loved us so much that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.

It is only by God's grace that you have been saved, for he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness towards us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Jesus Christ.

God saved you by his grace when you believed, and you can't take credit for this.

It is a gift from God.

Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

For we are God's masterpiece.

He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do all so we can do the good things He has planned for us long ago.

This is the word of the Lord.

Good job, Mara.

How's everybody doing this morning?

Good man, I am excited to be in church today.

I just kind of had like a very celebratory weekend.

Had a wedding last night when my baseball players got married.

So celebrating with them, super fun.

And I feel like I'm just bringing that same energy in this morning, even though I'm working off of just a few hours of sleep.

But man, praise God to be in church today.

Come on on somebody.

Anybody happy to be in the house of the Lord?

Today I want to talk about grace.

Everybody say grace.

I love what it says in Ephesians chapter 2.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

That was very enthusiastic.

Keep that same energy.

Come on, Tyler.

All right.

I love what it says in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8.

Ephesians 2:8

It says, but God saved you by his grace when you believed.

Everybody say grace again.

Grace, I believe, is the gift that keeps on giving.

Amen?

Right?

It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Grace is a gift that's created by God for us for the glory of God.

Right?

Grace doesn't extend, it's like, man, a once and done kind of thing.

Like, man, I got grace and that's that's it.

Like it's the gift that keeps on giving.

God's grace makes salvation available to us.

God's grace gives us our identity in Christ.

And God's grace empowers us to continually do the work of Christ that He has called us to do, that we would be instruments of God's glory.

Can I get a good amen?

Not only have I been saved by the grace of God, but I have been purposed by the grace of God as well.

And I am empowered by the grace of God.

Let's pray.

Lord, thank you so much for this morning.

God, we thank you for your grace.

We thank you for what you're doing in this room.

We thank you for your word.

We thank you that you love us and that you don't leave us as we were.

But God, by your grace, you change us and you make us new in Christ.

Amen.

I believe, and this is probably a tough statement right here, but this is so today's message is going to be kind of like a big man running through a briar patch.

All right.

Just a point here and a point there.

You know, just kind of take what you can get today.

I do have three points, but it's gonna be a lot of just being all over the place.

And my hope is that you would be inspired not just to feel good, but inspired to be all that God has called you to be and to walk in that direction.

Amen.

I believe that many Christians live a stagnant, somber, stale life because we recognize what God has saved us from, but we don't embrace or recognize what we have been saved for.

Amen.

Like I believe a lot of us aren't living to our full godly potential because we recognize, man, God has saved me from my old life, but we're not looking clearly ahead for like, man, what is it that God has saved me for?

And praise God, I can get up here and be excited about what God has saved me from, but I can live a life of purpose when I realize what it is that God has saved me for and the purpose that He has on my life.

Amen.

The reality is that life before Jesus was tragic and was hellbound.

And we think that life after Jesus is only about avoiding temptation and awaiting our heavenly home.

But with that perspective, we only see ourselves as sinners in the hands of an angry God who's obligated to save us because of what Jesus did for us.

And like that is not a picture of what the fullness of the gospel is.

Like it's more to that.

Have you ever made a mistake?

Like when you're younger and you're in school, and maybe it's a Friday and you get a bad test on a grade.

Anybody ever got a bad test in school?

That happened to me a lot, probably far too many times.

My mom's listening to this, she's like, yeah, yeah, far too many times.

You had to do an extra year of uh undergrad because of this.

But have you ever had like a bad week of school?

You know, failed a test on a Friday.

But Friday is typically your family game night, kind of family hangout night.

So you get in the car and you're like, man, failed it, failed that math test.

All right.

And they're like, man, come on.

Like, like you gotta study harder or whatever, you know, the speech is right there.

And but later on, like family night is still on the calendar, all right?

Game night, movie night, whatever family tradition might be, is still on the calendar, even though you made a mistake, even though you didn't have a great week at school, even though you may have failed a test.

It's like, man, family night is still on the calendar.

And guess what?

As being part of the family, you're still invited to family night, even though you didn't have a great week.

All right, all right.

And I think that too many of us approach God in this kind of way of like, man, I can't fully enjoy the gift that God has given me because I'm so fixated on my past, I'm so fixated on my struggles, I'm so fixated on the mistakes that I'm making, I'm so fixated on all of this stuff that I can't fully embrace or fully enjoy the gift that God has given me.

So I'm sitting here in family night, stressed and like, man, is a hammer gonna drop at any moment.

Like, I don't know if I need to partake in the pizza, I don't if I need to partake in the game because I didn't have a great week.

And the family is like, yo, it's family, it's game night.

Like, we will address that when it needs to be addressed, but you're still part of the family, whether you had a great week or a terrible week.

Have you a good amen in the room?

Too many of Christians approach God in this way, and we label ourselves as unworthy.

Everybody say unworthy.

And when we label ourselves as unworthy, what happens?

We live that way.

Right?

We live that way.

And when we see ourselves as unworthy, we approach God and we approach the things of God with this unworthy type of demeanor that says, I'm just barely holding on to grace.

Can I preach some truth to us this morning?

Yes or no?

All right, all right.

The truth is we are unworthy.

Like, dang, Charlie.

Gosh.

Like we are unworthy.

All right, we are unworthy but God.

Come on now, somebody in the room today.

We are unworthy but God.

Everybody say but God.

Ephesians 2, chapter, chapter 2, verses 4 through 6.

It says, but God, so rich in mercy, he loved so much.

That even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.

It is only by his grace that we have been saved.

For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

It's like, man, we may feel some type of way because of the life that we have lived, because of the life that we're living right now.

And we're like, man, I feel like I'm unworthy, and that might be part of the story, but also there's a but God part of the story as well.

It's like, man, I may not be walking in the fullness that God has for me to walk in, but God, who's so rich in grace, so rich in mercy, so rich in love towards us, like he still extends an invitation to us, no matter what our worthiness is.

Can I get a good amen in the room?

I'm talking about a strong amen.

Come on on, somebody.

All right, like I was one way, but by God's grace, I have been made new.

And by God's word, by his truth, I've been made new.

And I might not feel it all the time, but guess what?

My feelings are not my firm foundation.

Come on on, somebody.

Like my feelings is not what I'm building my life on.

My feelings are not going to be in the driver's seat of my life.

Like I might feel some type of way, but God's word is truth.

What God says is truth.

What God says about me is truth, not my feelings.

I was unworthy, but God.

Everybody say, but God.

But God made me worthy in Christ, according to Colossians chapter 1, verse 12.

Colossians 1:12

I was guilty, but God declared me righteous, according to Romans chapter 5, verse 1.

Romans 5:1

I was condemned, but God set me free, according to Romans chapter 8, verse 1.

Romans 8:1

Somebody shout, but God.

I was dead, but God made me alive.

I was an enemy to God, but he calls me his friend.

I was far from God, but God draws me near.

I was an orphan, but God adopted me into his family.

Can't get a good amen in the room today.

Come on, it's the but God side of the story that we're walking in.

I was a slave, but God calls me his child.

I was filthy, but God washed me clean.

I was lost, but God found me.

I was empty, but God filled me with his Holy Spirit.

I deserved wrath, but God gave me grace and he gave me mercy.

I deserve death, but God gave me eternal life.

I deserve rejection, but God welcomes me into his loving arms.

If you're grateful for a but God in your life, the enemy wants us to keep introducing ourselves by our past, by our mistakes.

But God, He introduces us by our new identity.

I was unworthy, but God qualifies me.

God justifies me.

God adopted me.

God forgave me.

God made me alive.

God brought me near to him, and God calls me his child.

Amen.

Is this good news today?

Are we feeling okay this morning?

Do we need a little bit more coffee?

Everybody okay?

All right.

All right, all right.

So we have to stop approaching God, stop approaching our Father as if we're some type of tolerated guest when he has invited us to the table as his beloved son, as his beloved daughter.

Amen.

All right, we don't earn a seat at the table, but we receive a seat at the table because of Jesus Christ.

And this is the grace of God.

And I've got good news for you, better news for you is that it does not stop there.

Amen.

Like that's the grace of God, and that's just the beginning of the story.

It's like, man, I was one way, but God brought me out, delivered me, set me free.

But that's just the beginning of the story.

God's grace doesn't just save us from condemnation, but it saves us for a purpose.

Here I say purpose.

God's grace, it produces something in our lives.

So here's my first point right here is that God's grace makes you a masterpiece.

Everybody say masterpiece.

I'm gonna preach, I'm gonna sweat today.

Is that okay?

God's grace makes me a masterpiece.

God's grace makes you a masterpiece.

Like we can talk about the grace of God and be like, man, I was so terrible back in the day or last night, whatever it was, but the grace of God covers that.

We're like, oh, praise God.

But guess what?

The grace of God is also taking you somewhere as well.

Just like a piece of art or a piece of or construction doesn't design or build itself, neither do we.

And as much as, myself included, we like to see ourselves as being self-made, we're not.

Amen.

Like as much as we like to see ourselves being self-made, self-produced, all these types of things, like we're not.

Before we existed, the Bible says that God planned for us and God designed us masterfully so that we can do why so that we can do a good work, a work that He created us to do, a work that He equips us to do, and a work that He empowers us to do, that we are gifted by God for the glory of God.

Everybody say masterpiece.

Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10.

Ephesians 2:10

We're gonna go back to it and it says this, for we are God's masterpiece.

Like, man, somebody say, Wow! Like, oh my goodness, I am God's masterpiece.

Like that should give me some confidence to know that the Bible, the word of God, says that I am God's masterpiece and that he has created us anew in Christ so that we can do good things that he planned for us to do.

The Bible says long ago, like before we were ever thought of.

Right?

The word masterpiece right here is very interesting.

Like it's translated the way Paul writes is translated to be like a poem or like a work of art, which is an awesome thing.

But it really just piques my interest because he says that we are a masterpiece, like a work of art or like a piece of poetry, which is a beautiful thing.

But then he goes on to say that we are created in an artful kind of way so that we can do good works.

It's like, man, if I look at a piece of art and like, man, this is beautiful.

I want to admire.

I got some pictures up here real quick.

Let's go to this first one.

Who knows what this is?

The Mona Lisa, right?

Beautiful.

Like you go to a museum and you're like, man, I can stare at the Mona Lisa and admire it and say how awesome and how beautiful it is, or yeah, kind of average.

Anyway, let's go to the next one.

Let's go.

What's this one called?

This is the night?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I can go and stare at this and say, my gosh, wow.

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, and just look at it.

And you know what that's doing for me?

Uh give me something to look at.

All right, next one.

All right, I can go, who knows who this is?

What is it?

The the thinking man, yeah?

Yeah, I can go and where is that at?

Anybody know?

Five points, whoever knows it.

I said Piedmont Park.

Negative five points.

All right, you can go to wherever it is, and somebody say Italiana, and stare at it and look at it, and really feel like, man, this is inspiring me.

What's the next one I got right here?

All right.

Uh, who knows what this is?

Yes, beautiful, beautiful, all right.

And we can go and stare at that and look at it and admire it and be in awe and wonder of how beautiful it is and the craftsmanship that went into it.

What's the next one?

I go into my and then we have these things, right?

You have a violin, you have a scalpel, you have a commercial plane, you have a watch, uh a Swiss, what do you call it, mechanical watch.

And you have these things right here that I consider, and maybe you do as well, to be masterpieces as well, right?

Right?

So we have a masterpiece that we can look at and stare at, and then we have masterpieces that are functional.

Everybody say functional.

All right, you are God's masterpiece and you're not made for a museum.

Amen.

Come on on, somebody.

We're going somewhere with this.

You are God's masterpiece and you are not made for a museum.

You weren't created to be admired by people.

You were created to be used by God.

A masterpiece in the hands of the master becomes an instrument of transformation.

Amen.

When we think of a masterpiece, sometimes we envision something that we can look at and something that we can admire.

But we are not made for admiration, we were made to be a functional masterpiece.

We were made for work.

Somebody say work.

All right, that probably took all the joy out of the room, but that's okay.

We were made for good works that God planned for us long ago.

Like we look at this violin right here, we look at that scalpel up there, we look at the uh commercial airplane, we look at a Swiss mechanical watch, and every one of them are uniquely designed and took much time to design for the most part, and they are admired.

Why for their craftsmanship?

But none of them fulfills its purpose by sitting on a shelf.

Amen.

None of these things right here are very valuable if they're just sitting on a shelf doing nothing, or sitting parked doing nothing.

A violin has to be played, a scalpel has to be used in order to produce healing.

All right, an airplane must carry people and it has to fly.

A watch must keep its time.

The greatness isn't found in how they were made, it's found in what they were made for.

Come on now, somebody in the room today.

Give God a hand clap of praise.

Amen.

Come on and give them praise this morning.

In the same way, Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10 says that we are God's workmanship, that we are God's masterpiece.

Ephesians 2:10

But God doesn't create us merely to be admired for his craftsmanship.

He created us in Christ Jesus for good works.

So we are masterpieces on a mission.

Everybody say mission.

So the question is, what are you saved for?

Praise God.

We can all come up here and share our story of what God saved us from.

But man, what a testimony it is.

It's when we can get up here and say what God has saved us for.

Good works that God has planned for us to do for his glory.

Have I say his glory?

That God did not save us so that we can look pretty or so that we can live a pretty life, but he saved us and he set us apart for good works.

Here I say good works, which leads me to our next point right here is that God's grace sets you apart to do godly work.

Amen.

That God's grace, by his grace, we are a masterpiece created in Christ Jesus.

Why?

So that we can do works that God planned for us to do far before our existence.

A masterpiece in the hands of the master.

All right, the creator, I say this all the time to our FCA guys at Georgia State, is that man, God, our creator, defines the creation.

But I want to add this to that statement as well.

It's that the creator also uses his creation.

So my creator defines me.

My creator, God, identifies me.

But here's the awesome part as well is that my creator, God, he also uses me.

All right.

Somebody say, use me, Lord.

Someone is going to use you, whether you realize it or not.

Why not let it be God?

Amen.

Somebody's going to use us.

Like, if you give me the opportunity, I'm going to need something like, hey, bro, can you help me out with this thing?

Like, somebody's going to use us.

Why not live our life on mission and let it be God who uses us?

Because the truth of the matter is that if you do not grasp hold of God's vision for your life, then people will grasp you for theirs.

Amen.

Like, man, if I don't grab a hold of the vision and the mission that God has for my life, then I'm just going to live life on autopilot and people are going to grab me and use me to build their vision, to build their thing, to march according to their agenda.

But man, I want to be so locked in with what it is that God has for me that I'm living my life on mission and I'm living my life on purpose.

And man, if I can Serve somebody and help somebody.

God's called me to do that, but I'm gonna live my life according to the agenda that God has set for me.

Can I get a good amen in the room today?

I hope we're recording this because this is really good preaching.

I'm gonna need to go back and encourage myself in the Lord.

Come on now, somebody in the room today.

I don't know about you, but I need to be reminded of this.

It's like, man, am I living my life on purpose?

Or am I just living my life according to wherever the wind blows?

Like, may I just wake up and go to work, clock in, clock out, and pay some bills and wake up and do again tomorrow?

Right?

Or am I living my life on mission, on purpose, to see yourself in the hands of God?

Amen?

To picture yourself as a masterpiece in the hands of God.

And here's the kicker.

It's that I'm in the hands of God.

And a lot of times when I make that statement or hear that statement, I picture myself in the hands of God, just resting in God's hands.

Just abiding in God's hands.

Which is very important.

Everybody say very important.

It's important that we can rest in the hands of God.

It's important that we can be abiding, be connected to Christ in that way, because we need to be connected to Christ, because it says so in John 15.

Like it's important for me to understand that I'm resting in God's hands, but I also need to see myself as working in the hands of God as well.

Amen.

This doesn't get preached a whole lot, so maybe the amens will be more scattered.

But but man, I don't want to just see myself as resting in the hands of God.

I want to see myself as being used in the hands of God, that I'm being used by God, that I am an instrument.

Here I say I am an instrument used by God.

And the vision, the mission that God has for my life is to not only rest in the hands of God, but to also be used by God's hands as well.

Amen.

Don't let the world and culture and whatever set you at the agenda that the world has for you.

Don't let the world tell you how you should use your gifts, how you should be wired, how you should be thinking.

Understand that I am an instrument created by God and used by God however He sees fit.

That God has wired me a particular type of way.

That God has created me in a particular kind of way.

And everyone around me and the world is going to say, Man, I want to use your giftedness to build what I'm doing.

And a lot of times I want to use my giftedness to build what I want to do.

But guess what?

It's not about what I want to do, it's not about what someone else's agenda is for my life.

Man, God, I am an instrument in your hands.

Use me however you see fit.

And there's freedom in that.

Amen.

James chapter 2, verses 17 and 18 says this faith by itself is not enough.

James 2:17

Okay, James.

I appreciate that.

Faith by itself is enough.

Unless it produces good deeds, it's dead and useless.

Some people have faith and others have good deeds.

But I say, How can you show me your faith if you don't show me if you don't show your good deeds?

I will show you my faith by my good deeds.

I'm in the hands of God so that I can be used by God.

But to find peace in his hands by finding purpose in his hands as well.

Alright?

I'm gonna have peace in God's hands, I'm gonna have rest in God's hands, but guess what?

I'm also gonna have purpose.

Everybody say purpose.

I'm gonna be purposeful in the hands of God as well.

That I am his instrument, I am his vessel, I am his workmanship, that I was created by God and I am sustained by God, and I am available to be used by God, amen.

If God is using you, your job becomes your mission field, amen.

That if God is using you, work, everybody say work becomes an act of worship.

That if God is using you, your business becomes a place of ministry, that if God is using you, then every conversation becomes an opportunity to reflect Christ.

That if God is using you, everybody say use me, God, every interruption can be a divine appointment.

Amen.

Come on on, somebody.

That if God is using you, your success becomes stewardship instead of status, that if God is using you, influence becomes responsibility instead of popularity, that if God is using you, your talents become tools instead of trophies, that if God is using you, your platform becomes a pulpit for the gospel.

Somebody say, use me, God.

That if God is using you, your money becomes a resource for the kingdom of God instead of an idol to protect.

That if God is using you, your pain becomes a testimony that becomes someone else's invitation to Jesus.

Come on, somebody, say use me, God.

Man, if God is using you, your trials become trainings.

That if God is using you, your victories glorify God rather than yourself.

That if God is using you, ordinary moments become eternity.

They alter eternity.

That if God is using you, every single season in your life has a purpose.

That if God is using you, we can rejoice because nothing is wasted in the hands of God.

Come on now, somebody in the room today.

I feel a Pentecostal shout today, but it is a-okay if that's not your thing.

Because God does not create masterpieces to sit on a shelf.

He creates masterpieces for functionality.

Not so that people will admire the masterpiece, so that people will glorify the master.

That we are not just saved from something, but we are saved for something.

That God doesn't simply just save you so that we can go to heaven one day, but God saved you so that He can send you out into the world today.

Man, that God didn't just save me so that I can like, man, I'm looking on to go to heaven one day.

I'm just gonna struggle through this life and just get through barely, and I'm gonna understand it better by and die.

But guess what?

God didn't save us from something, not just from something, but God has saved us for something that He's sending us out into the world today.

That you are a masterpiece with a mission, a work of art with a purpose, a vessel with an assignment, that you are an instrument in the hands of the master.

So every morning that we wake up, that I'm not saying to God, God, will you bless what it is that I'm going to do today?

My prayer is going to be, God, how do you want to use your masterpiece today?

Not God, will you bless my agenda?

Not God, will you bless the thing that I'm putting my hands to?

But God, no, I'm surrendering my life to you in such a way that says, God, I am your masterpiece made for your work.

So God, will you use me and show me how you want to use me today in whatever environment that I find myself in?

Everybody say I am a masterpiece, built for good works.

Say, God's given me a purpose, and I'm going to walk in it.

So God's grace makes us a masterpiece.

But God's grace also evokes gratitude as well.

Amen.

That God's grace produces gratitude within me.

The truth of the matter is, what is it that Jesus created?

God created me to be a resource.

That God creates me and He created me in such a way that I can have a secured attachment to God as my father.

That I can be secure in my relationship with God.

And my response to the gift of salvation is man, I'm grateful.

When I say grateful, because when I remember what Jesus has done for me, the question is, like, man, how can I not worship?

Like, how can I not praise God?

When I remember how God found me and where he found me, how can I not praise him?

When I remember what he rescued me from, how can I not give him glory?

Back in the old church, I used to say, when I think about the goodness of Jesus, come on now, somebody.

And all that he has done for me, how he saved my soul, how he set me free, like when I think about what God has done for me, like I can't help but praise him.

I can't help but give thanks to.

I can't help but have a heart of gratitude towards God when I think of his goodness and all he's done for me.

Whoo! Come on on somebody in the room today.

Man, I'm not going to be fixated on who I used to be, but I'm going to be fixated on who Jesus is.

That I'm not living in the shadow of my past, but I'm living in the light of his grace.

That I'm not going to rehearse my failures, but I'm going to remember God's faithfulness.

That I'm not defined by my worst days, but I am defined by the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Come on on, somebody, and give God a hand clap of praise today.

That I am God's masterpiece created by God Himself.

That I am redeemed by God and I am filled with the Spirit of God with a purpose to be used by God for the glory of God.

That the Bible says, Man, let the redeemed of the Lord say so.

Come on now.

Somebody shout hallelujah.

Hey, we work on it.

Man, come on now.

All right, that every single compliment, every single opportunity, every single victory, every single door that's open, every single life that's changed is not just what I'm doing, but it's God's strength and God's power working through me by his grace.

That is the amazing grace of God.

That is the empowering grace of God.

And I give it all back to him.

Why?

Because all of the glory belongs to him anyway.

That God's grace isn't just amazing, but God's grace is empowering.

Somebody say, empower me, God.

That amazing grace did not just improve my life, but amazing grace rescued my soul.

That I deserved judgment, but I received mercy.

That I deserved separation, but I received adoption.

I deserved death, but I received life.

I deserved hell, but God welcomes me into his family.

Like that's the amazing grace of God.

And the only appropriate response is gratitude.

Amen.

That grace received evokes gratitude.

Grace received produces gratitude in my heart.

That the grace of God doesn't make me cower before God, but grace gives me confidence before my father.

That grace doesn't keep me at a distance, but grace invites me to come boldly before God.

The grace doesn't whisper, stay back, but grace shouts, come near to God, come near to me.

Come on, somebody give him praise today.

The Hebrews chapter 4, verse 16 says, Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace.

Hebrews 4:16

Somebody say boldly.

The grace doesn't identify me by my sin, but grace identifies me as a child of God.

The grace doesn't remind me of what I done, but grace reminds me of what Christ has already done.

The grace doesn't tell me that I have to earn God's love.

Grace tells me to rest in God's love, to be identified in God's love, to identify myself like John did, as I am the one that He loves.

Amen.

Come on on somebody, this is setting somebody free today.

This is good news.

Come on, someone give God a hand clap of praise this morning.

So when we come into the presence of God, when we come even into the house of God in a space like this, that I don't enter in timidly, I enter in thankfully.

Come on on, somebody.

That I don't enter in terror, but I enter in trusting.

I don't enter in trying to earn my acceptance, but I enter in because I am already accepted in Christ Jesus.

I love what it says in Psalms 100, one of my favorite passages in scripture.

And it says, Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all ye lands.

I would test the room right now, but I don't know if we're ready for that.

It says, Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all ye lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness.

Come before his presence with singing.

Know that he is the Lord and He is God.

It is He who has made us and not we ourselves.

That we are His people, that we are the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and come into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, bless His name, for the Lord is good, and His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures for all generations.

Come on, somebody, and give God a hand clap of praise today.

Come on, let's stand up on our feet this morning.

And man, when I'm preparing a message like this, you know, I get a little excited.

You know, even in my preparation, I'm like, man, like this is good stuff.

Like this is the gospel that I'm not just saved from something, but I'm saved for something as well.

It's like, man, it's the grace of God.

It's God's amazing grace.

And Ben's gonna help me out right here.

And where I thought, man, we've got to sing amazing grace.

Come on, somebody.

Come on, does that fire anybody up today?

I'm like, man, we have got to sing of the grace of God.

Give me my my melody so I can hear what I'm doing here.

Come on, let's sing this together.

Say a may sing grace.

Say how sweet let's sing.

The saved wretch.

Say her wretch.

Like me.

I once was lost.

Come on, say, I once was lost, but never found.

I was blind.

I see we say that one more time.

Let's say amazing grace.

Say amazing grace.

How sweet.

Like me.

I was loss.

Say I was lost.

I fell as bright.

I see.

Now this is old school.

We used to say, Praise God, praise God.

We say it again.

Praise God.

Praise God.

Praise him.

Praise God.

Praise God.

Praise God.

With all you have to say.

Say praise God.

Praise God.

Oh, praise God.

Pray.

Pray.

Pray.

Praise God.

We have manga nailed this one.

It says grace.

Say grace.

Yes, grace.

Grace, grace, grace, holy grace, that will pine in place with this.

Grace, grace.

Say grace, grace.

Holy grace, grace.

Yes, it's grace.

That is great.

Then home.

My woman's saying again.

Say grace.

Sha grace.

Grace.

Oh it's grace grace.

Holy grace that will pardon and cleanse with grace.

Grace.

Holy grace.

Yes, it's grace grace.

Holy grace.

That is greater than all nine sick.

We're gonna give him praise this morning.

Amen.

Come on now, somebody.

Good stuff, man.

Come on.

Come on now.

I feel like we need to tag that last line.

Because I feel like sometimes we understand, man, God's brought me from something, but God's brought me to something as well.

That is grace that is greater than all my sin.

Let's tag it again.

Say, it's grace that is greater than all.

Come on, one more time.

It's grace.

Yes, it's grace that is greater than all my sin.

Let's go.

Come on.

Come on now.

Come on, give me some gospel chords real quick.

Come on, Ben.

Give me a little seven on there.

It's grace that's greater than all of my sin.

Like, man, that's God right there.

It's like, man, I may have been one way, but now I am new in Christ Jesus.

And it's his grace that's greater than my past.

That it's his grace that's greater than my failures.

It's grace that's greater than my train of thought.

Like it's grace that is greater than all my sins.

Come on now.

That it's amazing grace.

Man, I want to encourage us in this kind of way today.

It's like, man, my time with God doesn't always have to be like this reflective, like somber type of thing.

It's like, man, this is the gospel.

I said, this is the gospel.

The gospel is good news.

I don't have to come before God with this somber, reflective mentality.

Oh, that's important from time to time.

But man, I can come to God in celebration.

And you might be here saying, But man, Charlie, you don't know the life that I live.

It's like, man, all the sin that I've done, all the terrible stuff that I've done, like you don't know what I'm struggling with.

And like, man, Jesus died for me.

And it makes me sad.

It's like, man, man, Jesus died for me.

It's like, man, it's like, gosh, he did that for me.

But guess what?

He arose from the grave.

Amen.

He endured death, burial, and he overcame it all.

And we serve a king, we serve a God who is alive.

So he didn't just die for you, but he was resurrected for you as well.

And it's something that we can celebrate.

That we sing songs of joy before the Lord.

That we sing songs of deliverance before the Lord.

That we sing songs of victory before God.

Amen.

That man, this house ought to be a house of joy, that this house ought to be a house of worship.

That this house ought to be a house where, man, the energy is high.

That we come in expecting, that we come in expecting to receive from God, to rejoice in all that God has done.

Why?

Because we are the redeemed, and the Bible says, let the redeemed of the Lord say so.

So when grace grips your heart, gratitude becomes your language.

Worship becomes your response.

You obey God from a place of delight.

And you realize that all the glory and all the honor and all the praise goes back to Jesus because he's worthy of it all.

Amen.

So maybe you're here today in this room, today, and you're like, man, I want to receive this grace that we're all singing about, that we're all shouting about, that Charlie's sweating about.

Like, I want to receive this grace that we're talking about this morning.

And maybe you're here today, you're like, man, I don't have that joy.

I don't have that thing.

And what I want to say to you is God's arms are open wide, and he says, Come on home.

The door is open, my arms are open, and not only that, I am pursuing you.

And I want to let you know that God's pursuing you this morning.

And maybe you're here in this room and you're saying, like, yeah, I understand the grace of God, but man, I don't understand the joy of the Lord.

Like when I think about where God has brought me from, like it invokes a sadness within me.

And what I'm saying is, man, you can have the joy of the Lord, and God's joy can be your strength.

So as our prayer team comes forward and you're like, Man, I want to receive that joy, I want to receive salvation.

These guys and girls are here to pray for you, and we're gonna sing a song of worship.