01/14/2024 Church service

周日礼拜

视频

         By Grace Alone 恩典

 

Titus 3:5: He saved us because of his mercy, and not because of any good things we have done. God washed us by the power of the Holy Spirit. He gave us new birth and a fresh beginning.
提 多 書 3:5: 他拯救了我们，不是因为我们的行为，而是靠他的怜悯、重生的洗礼和使我们更新的圣灵。(page 1936)

Matt 7:14: But the gate that opens the way to true life is narrow. And the road that leads there is hard to follow. Only a few people find it.
馬 太 福 音 7:14: 但是，通向永生的门是非常窄小和艰难的，只有极少数的人才能找到它。(page 1568)

John 3:36 - “He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him”
约翰福音 3:36: 信子的人有永生；不信子的人得不到永生，上帝的烈怒常在他身上 (page 1721)
John 5:24: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
约翰福音 5:24:“我实实在在地告诉你们，谁听从我的话，又信差我来的那位，谁就有永生，不被定罪，已经出死入生了。(pg 1725)
Rev 22:17: The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
啟 示 錄 22:17: 啟 示 錄 22:17: 圣灵和新娘说∶“来！”愿听到的人都说∶“来！”愿口渴的人都过来。愿任何想得到赋予生命的泉水的人，都无偿地得到它。 (page 2017)

 

 

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视频脚本 Script

By Grace Alone
Titus 3:3-5
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not

There was a time – many decades ago – when going to the gym was a daily part of my routine.
Not just the treadmill, either. The iron plates!

The usual crowd was there most days – and since we knew each other, we worked out together – spotting each other at the bench press, etc.

More than once during this time period, I would get to the point that I needed help getting the heavy weights off my chest. I just couldn’t push them off of me and onto the rack all by myself.

If I didn’t ask for help, I wasn’t going anywhere. The weight would only get heavier.

There are situations in all of our lives where we can’t take care of things all by ourselves.
The burden just gets too heavy. Like the burden of our sins.

as Step 2 of the Twelve Steps describes it, “We came to be aware that a Power greater than ourselves”… was necessary.

U2: “Sometimes you can’t make it on your own”
Tough. You think you've got the stuff
You're telling me and anyone - You're “hard enough”
You don't have to put up a fight - You don't have to always be right

Listen to me now - I need to let you know - You don't have to go it alone.

Trying to bench press too much weight and discovering that you are trapped by your own denial of human limitations – is a lot like what we do when we try to live a victorious life under our own power.

PRIDE could have kept me trapped under those heavy weights… how would that have ended? (what if I had been all alone in that gym?)

As long as you’re running away, you’re going to miss the greatness God put in you. You can’t conquer what you don’t confront. Too often we’re comforting what we should be confronting. We’re making lists of excuses. But you can’t run from everything that’s uncomfortable. You can’t ignore issues, sweep them under the rug, and think they’ll go away. When you get honest with yourself, when you confront what you know you need to deal with, it may be uncomfortable, but God gives you the grace, the strength, and the power to do what you couldn’t do on your own.

THIS is why Jesus came. This is why He shed His blood. THIS is why He died on that cross. For you and for me.
Revelation: If I preach anything less that our complete and total redemption because of Christ alone, I am not truly preaching the cross – and therefore, not preaching the truth.

“ …he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”

Today’s Message is entitled: By Grace Alone. My purpose for this message is to instill in a deeper way the truth that we are saved by grace through faith, and not of works. We can never earn our salvation. It is a gift. (Eph 2:8)
A gift we should receive with gratitude and humility.

Wesley: “It is strange that any whom he has actually saved should doubt the universality of his grace!”

“We allow, it is the work of God alone to justify, to sanctify, and to glorify; which three comprehend the whole of salvation.”

“I believe justification by faith alone, as much as I believe there is a God…I have never varied from it, no, not a hair’s breadth from 1738 to this day.”

“Taking the word in a more particular sense, faith is a divine evidence and conviction, not only that ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,’ but also that Christ ‘loved me, and gave himself for me.'”

Martin Luther: "We do not become righteous by doing righteous deeds but, having been made righteous, we do righteous deeds."

R.C. Sproul: "The whole basis for our relationship with God is rooted and grounded in grace, that which is not earned."

Anyone who has shared the gospel with others has discovered people who said things like, “I try to live a good life.” “I hope my good outweighs my bad.”

They think they can push off that weight (and debt) of sin under their own power.

Here is an illustration of Salvation through Grace by Faith, as illustrated by Jesus:
Luke 18:9-14 (read)

The publican goes to heaven not because he is special but because he is shown mercy by God through receiving the redemption of Christ the Savior. A sinner does not need to pay any cost to go to heaven because the Lord Jesus has paid everything on the cross. The Pharisee perishes because he does not have the Savior, whereas the publican is saved because he has the Savior.
Like that Pharisee, PRIDE can keep you buried under those heavy weights…
Pride can keep you lost. Pride can keep you bound.

“That’s just the way I am”
If you argue for your limitations, you get to keep them.

God sent us a savior because we needed to be saved

Watchman Nee: Salvation is the free gift of God, and it is freely given to all sinners who believe.

“In summary, you who are good men, do not boast in yourselves, for your good cannot save you. And you who are bad men, do not be discouraged, for your bad may not be your condemnation. Praise and thank God, how wonderful is His salvation! Though we all are like the publican, being hopeless and helpless sinners who deserve eternal punishment, God nevertheless has caused the Lord Jesus to die on the cross for us that we may be saved by believing and accepting Him as our Savior. What amazing grace this is! Let the sinners follow in the steps of the publican. Come to God, confess your sins, and ask Him in faith, saying: “God, be merciful to me a sinner, for the Lord Jesus has indeed died on the cross for me.”
God will save you. Thank Him for His so great salvation.”

Straight is the Gate
Matt 7:14: But the gate that opens the way to true life is narrow. And the road that leads there is hard to follow. Only a few people find it.
John 3:36 - “He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him”
This grace not only saves us, but also empowers us to live the Godly life we wanted to live:
Titus 3:8: This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.
John 5:24: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
Rev 22:17: The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Hillside United Methodist Church
3739 US 80
Phenix City  AL  36870
United States
Pastor: Mike J Koger

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