Coconut
Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2005
- Messages
- 4,663
The Trouble With Us
AMAZING GRACE, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.
The trouble with us is we think we are pretty good people.
Sure we talk about grace, we sing about grace, but really in our heart of hearts, we think we`ve been pretty decent living people, compared to some that is. Most of us grew up in adverage homes, many come from christian homes. We may have partied a bit in our younger days, even were immoral at times, but all in all, we werent that bad. At some point, God calls our name, He draws us to Himself by His spirit, and tells us He has chosen us to serve Him. Shall I serve Him? Well thats not that difficult of a decision to make, I wont have to give up much, drinking, smoking, cussing, all those bad things that make a man look...well bad, and we all have a secret yearning for people to like us, and say nicer things about us.
The trouble with us is we think we are pretty good people.
First thing we do is find a church, and its not long before we learn how to fit in... always be sure to show up for Sunday services, always wear a smile, learn the language... God bless you, or how are you, always sounds good, even if you mean neither... learn to worship out loud (you quickly learn this really makes you look even more spiritual) and appear to be raptly attentive while the sermons being preached, even if its stale or boring. The song service is everybodys favorite part, singing those songs of zion makes us feel really good, a real emotional boost if you know what I mean, and if they should happen to sing Amazing Grace, even if we dont think its that amazing that God would find us lovable, we will probably have the grace to get a little misty eyed.
The trouble with us is we think we are pretty good people.
You reading this, lets get something settled. You are no good. Yes you read that right.
And yes that means you. But you say I`m a pastor, a preacher of the gospel, a theology student, a missionary, a youth leader. You are no good. Oh I know it goads a little to read that. Since you got 'saved' you have worked really hard at being a good person, you pretty much did everything right, with only a slip here and there, nothing really bad, theres some people you know way worse than you. No they arnt worse than you, you are as bad as it gets. How do I know that? God said so. Read Rom 3:10 or Mar 10:18 if you need proof.
The trouble with us is we think we are pretty good people.
Now lets get to the heart of this trouble. The prophet says in Jeremiah,
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
No, hes not just talking about the wicked person down the street, hes talking about your heart and my heart. We have not just wicked hearts, but desperately wicked. So desperate in fact, that it takes an act of God, or namely Gods grace, to even
allow our hearts to taste His goodness. You may say, well I am not a murderer, or a sexually immoral person, i`m not that wicked. Yes you are. Your heart is quite capable of murder, and if you think thats not true, let someone dare commit some evil agianst you or those you love. A little slander is all it takes to bring the carnal nature out in most of us. You might say, that would be righteous indignation. Did you not hear God say you dont have any righteousness? Not even a drop of it. The only righteousness you or I can claim is Gods alone. The only difference between you and I, and the murderer, the drunkard, the sexually immoral, the thief, the hate filled, and ignorant sinner, is grace. Not a spec of that grace comes from within you, or because of you, but in spite of how unworthy you and I are.
The trouble with us is we think we are pretty good people.
Gods grace is always, for all of us, unmerited. You and I were sinners, are sinners, would always be sinners, and every last one of us is worthy of the death penalty, but God in his great mercy, did something about that.
Do you think because YOU made a choice to accept Gods grace, it somehow makes you a little better than anyone else in the eyes of God? You are not better, your guilt is simply covered in blood if you`ve accepted Christs atonement.
It was God that unlocked that prison door for us, and you and I dont dare forget it. God says go tell them the good news, that I come to set whosover will, free. Do we run to tell them the good news? Or do we decide it would be better to tell them how great a sinner they are, and that we want nothing to do with them, unless they become as righteous as we now are? I am not worthy to tell a man hes a great sinner, I will leave that to the good preachers, but I can tell him I know someone who has great grace, and who wants to set him free. When our hearts truly being to grasp what undeserving grace has been offered to us, we will not find it so hard to share this grace with others, but our refrain will ever be, except for the grace of God there go I...
When Jesus stood up to read, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to tell the good news to the poor. He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set oppressed people free, and to announce the year of the Lord's favor."
Heb 4:16 So let us keep on coming with boldness to the throne of grace, so that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
AMAZING GRACE, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.
The trouble with us is we think we are pretty good people.
Sure we talk about grace, we sing about grace, but really in our heart of hearts, we think we`ve been pretty decent living people, compared to some that is. Most of us grew up in adverage homes, many come from christian homes. We may have partied a bit in our younger days, even were immoral at times, but all in all, we werent that bad. At some point, God calls our name, He draws us to Himself by His spirit, and tells us He has chosen us to serve Him. Shall I serve Him? Well thats not that difficult of a decision to make, I wont have to give up much, drinking, smoking, cussing, all those bad things that make a man look...well bad, and we all have a secret yearning for people to like us, and say nicer things about us.
The trouble with us is we think we are pretty good people.
First thing we do is find a church, and its not long before we learn how to fit in... always be sure to show up for Sunday services, always wear a smile, learn the language... God bless you, or how are you, always sounds good, even if you mean neither... learn to worship out loud (you quickly learn this really makes you look even more spiritual) and appear to be raptly attentive while the sermons being preached, even if its stale or boring. The song service is everybodys favorite part, singing those songs of zion makes us feel really good, a real emotional boost if you know what I mean, and if they should happen to sing Amazing Grace, even if we dont think its that amazing that God would find us lovable, we will probably have the grace to get a little misty eyed.
The trouble with us is we think we are pretty good people.
You reading this, lets get something settled. You are no good. Yes you read that right.
And yes that means you. But you say I`m a pastor, a preacher of the gospel, a theology student, a missionary, a youth leader. You are no good. Oh I know it goads a little to read that. Since you got 'saved' you have worked really hard at being a good person, you pretty much did everything right, with only a slip here and there, nothing really bad, theres some people you know way worse than you. No they arnt worse than you, you are as bad as it gets. How do I know that? God said so. Read Rom 3:10 or Mar 10:18 if you need proof.
The trouble with us is we think we are pretty good people.
Now lets get to the heart of this trouble. The prophet says in Jeremiah,
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
No, hes not just talking about the wicked person down the street, hes talking about your heart and my heart. We have not just wicked hearts, but desperately wicked. So desperate in fact, that it takes an act of God, or namely Gods grace, to even
allow our hearts to taste His goodness. You may say, well I am not a murderer, or a sexually immoral person, i`m not that wicked. Yes you are. Your heart is quite capable of murder, and if you think thats not true, let someone dare commit some evil agianst you or those you love. A little slander is all it takes to bring the carnal nature out in most of us. You might say, that would be righteous indignation. Did you not hear God say you dont have any righteousness? Not even a drop of it. The only righteousness you or I can claim is Gods alone. The only difference between you and I, and the murderer, the drunkard, the sexually immoral, the thief, the hate filled, and ignorant sinner, is grace. Not a spec of that grace comes from within you, or because of you, but in spite of how unworthy you and I are.
The trouble with us is we think we are pretty good people.
Gods grace is always, for all of us, unmerited. You and I were sinners, are sinners, would always be sinners, and every last one of us is worthy of the death penalty, but God in his great mercy, did something about that.
Do you think because YOU made a choice to accept Gods grace, it somehow makes you a little better than anyone else in the eyes of God? You are not better, your guilt is simply covered in blood if you`ve accepted Christs atonement.
It was God that unlocked that prison door for us, and you and I dont dare forget it. God says go tell them the good news, that I come to set whosover will, free. Do we run to tell them the good news? Or do we decide it would be better to tell them how great a sinner they are, and that we want nothing to do with them, unless they become as righteous as we now are? I am not worthy to tell a man hes a great sinner, I will leave that to the good preachers, but I can tell him I know someone who has great grace, and who wants to set him free. When our hearts truly being to grasp what undeserving grace has been offered to us, we will not find it so hard to share this grace with others, but our refrain will ever be, except for the grace of God there go I...
When Jesus stood up to read, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to tell the good news to the poor. He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set oppressed people free, and to announce the year of the Lord's favor."
Heb 4:16 So let us keep on coming with boldness to the throne of grace, so that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
