NOTE: I am putting my weekly sermons on the church website. It will be on for two weeks (usually posted on Friday) and then placed in the Archives area by date. You can download in a matter of seconds.

Let me know what you think. The church Email is: SLUMC@att.net, Phone: 480.895.8766

June 29, 2003 Sermon: "The Means of Grace"
Scripture: Matt. 7:7,8; Acts 17:11,12
Reverend Larry Gerber

In the Old Testament we hear the words from Malachi 3:7 - "....Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the Lord Almighty. "But you ask, ‘How are we to return?'...."

Jesus said, according to Matt. 7:7,8 - "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

And Luke says in Acts 17:11,12: Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true. Many Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

Simply put, down through the ages, long before the birth of Jesus, and over and over, since his birth, ministry, death, and resurrection, the Grace of God has been available, but mankind has gone away from His decrees, and have not kept them.

A little further in the Book of Acts, it is said that (v.42) "...they continued steadfastly in the teaching of the apostles, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers,..." John Wesley tried to bring the Grace of God to the colonies, and eventually, he succeeded in developing the Methodist Society, that later became The United Methodist Church, which proclaimed the means of grace as the way to a full life. We celebrate John Wesley's 300th birthday this year, but I wonder how much of his teachings we still celebrate and witness.

He said that, "... by means of grace, I understand outward signs, words, or actions, ordained of God, and appointed for this end, to be the ordinary channels whereby he might convey to men (and women), preventing, justifying, or sanctifying grace.. We are to bless God, both for the means of grace and hope of glory, and to remember that the sacraments are an outward sign of inward grace. The chief means of grace are prayer, both private and public; searching of the scriptures - which means reading, hearing, and meditation upon; and receiving the Lord's supper, eating bread and drinking wine in remembrance of him; and these we believe to be ordained of God, as the ordinary channels of conveying his grace to the souls of men (and women)."

To receive the means of God's grace, we are to 1) wait for it in prayer: "Ask and it shall be given..knock and the door shall be open....seek and you shall find..", 2) read and study the scriptures. The Bereans searched the scriptures daily, and therefore many of them believed; they found the grace that God had ordained, and 3) we increase the grace of God by waiting for it in the partaking of the Lord's supper. This is also a directive from God, Himself.

Our country was founded on the grace of God. Today, we begin a week of celebration of our freedom as a country. The Declaration of Independence was signed over 225 years ago. A long time ago, but not nearly as long ago as God blessed His people with His Grace. The blessings are still there. We are weakened by our laxidasical ways of living. We, as Christians, and as Americans, have fallen from the grace of God, by neglecting earnest prayer; by not reading the scriptures daily for edification, and by not partaking in The Lord' Supper in Rememberence of Him.

We need to respect others rights and freedoms in America, but that doesn't mean that we should become lax in our ways. As God's people, and as Christians, we cannot back away from our duties and privileges as followers of Jesus Christ. We don't have to condemn other ways of worship in order to stay the course. What we must do, is to continue witnessing that we hold as the truth. God's Grace is abundantly available to all who seek; to all who pray; and to all who kneel before Him. This is our faith. This is the faith of our fathers. This America the beautiful. This is the America that "God shed His Grace on Thee". This is my country, land that I love. And I ask myself: Self, what have you done lately to receive God's Grace? Self, what have you done to promote brotherly and sisterly love? Self, what have you done to promote the love of Jesus to your neighbors? And in the words of Thomas Jefferson (paraphrasing) Self, what do you believe to be self evident? What does it mean that all are created equal, that we are all endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? And finally, self - what does it mean that in our declaration to be free, we have a firm alliance on protection of divine providence, and that we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honour?

We need a rebirth in the church. We need another Great Awakening in America. We need to restore our faith in God, and in each other as children of God, if it isn't already too late. And we know that it isn't too late, because God is ready and waiting for us to return to Him; and Jesus said - Come to me - ask, seek, knock. John Wesley took his mission, and God's message to the colonies of America, because he believed in God's grace, and wanted this new country to know about the grace of God. When we did, we flourished. When we closed our eyes, it was our downfall. From the beginning of time, God has offered Grace upon Grace to His chosen people, and time upon time, we have fallen from His Grace by our negligance in earnest prayer, reading of the Word, and Breaking of the Bread.

Where we going as a country? Where are we going as a church? Where are we standing as individuals? What are we doing about promoting the Grace of God? Do we sing Kay Sara Sara - what will be will be? Or do we sing MY Country ‘Tis of Thee, America the Beautiful, God shed His Grace on Thee...from sea to shining sea?

How earnest are we in our prayer life, and in our witnessing? John Wesley came to America with this motto: "Offer them Christ". Last week we celebrated God's Grace with children in our midst. We have a plan to offer them Christ, in the future. God's Grace is not for us alone, but is for us to share in outreach ministry, through prayer, reading and studying the scripture, and offering Christ.

George Washington, kneeling in prayer at Valley Forge prayed like this: "Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage, we humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will. Bless our land wit honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitude brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endow with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in Thy name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth. In time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and, in the day of trouble, suffer not our Trust in Thee to fail; all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

When was the last time you heard an earnest prayer, directed to our God, the God of Grace, outside your place of worship? If we are to receive the Grace of God, and if we are to witness that Grace, we need to ask, seek, and knock. We need to study, believe, and act on those beliefs. We need to believe that we have:
• Faith that our Church will meet our needs, as well as the needs of others. • Faith that our gifts of food to the hungry will be put to proper use. • Faith that our contributions of time and effort will bear good fruit in the greater community. • Faith that our monetary offerings to the church will truly support God's work in the world. And toughest of all: • Faith that what we give away will not diminish us, but will give us greater balance and peace and purpose in life. Being a Church is all about balance. It's not going to put more apples in our fruit bowls or autos in our driveways, but it is going to give us the deep satisfaction of using our abundant gifts to meet the most pressing needs of people around us. Participating in the work of the Church means sharing spiritual and material resources so that together we can do God's will, and be a creative and committed community in an individualistic world. Jesus himself, Paul says was the Prototypical Sharer: "For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ," says, Paul, "that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich" (v. 9). God said that His Grace is available to all. Jesus said that we need to ask, seek and knock. John Wesley said that we need to offer them Christ. I say - "Join our church and we'll give you a life."
Let us pray........
Let us stand and sing with conviction: America, America, God shed His light on Thee.

Let me know what you think. The church Email is: SLUMC@att.net, Phone: 480.895.8766