TITLE: Devoting Your Life to the Family Business

TITLE: Devoting Your Life to the Family Business

• TOPIC: The Easy Burden of Grace• TEXT: John 1:14-18• THEME: God’s grace frees the believer to

focus on serving Him

Former Home of John Walton

As believers in Jesus Christ we are called to participate in the family business and all the benefits that

go with it.

John 1:11-13

“11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to

all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to

become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of

human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

Why is the incarnation of Christ significant to believers?

I. In Christ we see the glory of God. (14)

John 1:14

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”


A. The Meaning of “Word.”

John 1:1

“The Word was in the beginning with God and the Word was God.”

John 1:2

“He made everything that has been made.”

“Word”

The “Logos:” Communicates thought, reason and information. Jesus then is the ultimate communication of God to man.


A. The Meaning of “Word.” B. The Meaning of “Incarnation.”


A. The Meaning of “Word.” B. The Meaning of “Incarnation.” – The Word became flesh. That is what we mean

by incarnation- God became man.

Isaiah 7:14

The Messiah would be called “Emmanuel- God with us.”


A. The Meaning of “Word.”. B. The Meaning of “Incarnation”C. Christ came from the Father full of grace and truth.

Two ingredients

To fully know God and make Him known: Relationship and truth are essential

Grace (Relationship)

Makes a relationship with God possible. Grace accomplishes for us what we cannot accomplish on our own. Grace gives to us that which we do not merit. It is a gift. The gift is salvation and with it adoption into God’s family that grants us the legal right before God to be declared His children

Truth

What we know about God, sin, man, Jesus, Satan, etc. All truth is Gods truth and all truth starts with Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Contrast the Two Ingredients

• Truth without grace is cold, impersonal and intimidating. God can appear as distant and uninvolved


• Truth without grace is cold, impersonal and intimidating. God can appear as distant and uninvolved.

• Grace without truth is mushy, sentimental and shallow. God can appear as weak, spineless and superficial


• Truth without grace is cold, impersonal and intimidating. God can appear as distant and uninvolved.

• Grace without truth is mushy, sentimental and shallow. God can appear as weak, spineless and superficial.

• Both are needed and Jesus offers both. We not only know about God (truth) but we know him (grace).

Like Dr. Bob Jesus stooped low into our world so we could

understand God better.


II. In Christ we receive grace (15-17)

John 1:15-17

15 “(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”


A. John the Baptist spoke of His greatness

Matthew 11:14

“…and if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come

Luke 1:17

"And he shall go before him [Christ] in the spirit and power of Elijah"

Isaiah 40:3-5

“3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God

Isaiah 40:3-5

4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Acts 1:21, 22

The twelve apostles had been with the Lord Jesus, "beginning from the baptism of John."


A. John the Baptist spoke of His greatness. B. The grace Jesus offers replaces the old grace. The new grace supersedes the old.


A. John the Baptist spoke of His greatness. B. The grace Jesus offers replaces the old grace. The new grace supersedes the old. C. The old grace was the Law of Moses.

Romans 8:1-3

“1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in

Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin

and death.

Romans 8:1-3

3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the

likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the

flesh,


A. John the Baptist spoke of His greatness. B. The grace Jesus offers replaces the old grace. The new grace supersedes the old. C. The old grace was the Law of Moses. D. The results of grace and mercy.

Instead of motivating His children to honor the family name by saying, "do and I will love and bless you,"

God has said, "I have loved and blessed you, therefore, do."

He followed the same pattern in salvation, for He did not say, "Be good and I will save you, "but He

said, "I will save you that you may be good."

The response that he desires from us is a life of spontaneous love and service.

It is now a matter of us saying, “I will do

'these things out of genuine thankfulness for having been loved and served and a genuine

desire to impart this love and service."

The Advantage

• Each member of God's family is thus freed from the anxiety of maintaining status or of gaining merit and thus may direct his whole energy to the best performance of the family business, which is, the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31).

The risk

Arises out of the fact that it is the most sacred things in life which may be most profaned. The dangers are that some may interpret this gracious liberty as an invitation to do as they want and that others may attempt to enforce legalistic codes.

1. The freedom of grace preserves the proper meaning of social

freedom.

1. The freedom of grace preserves the proper meaning of social

freedom.

The proper response to grace is a matter of motivation and enablement. This

means that grace involves "I want to keep the rules because of what I have received"

attitude rather than the "I must keep the rules in order to receive" attitude.

2. The freedom of grace fosters a true spirituality rather than a

spirituality of necessity, convenience or smugness.

2. The freedom of grace fosters a true spirituality rather than a

spirituality of necessity, convenience or smugness.

It will prevent Christian love from becoming laxness, or sentimentality

and it will keep holiness from becoming carping criticism or

unapproachable conceit

Miroslaf Volf

But the gospel tells you that you are not defined by outside forces. It tells you that you count; even more that you are loved

unconditionally and infinitely, irrespective of anything you have

achieved or failed to achieve.

Imagine

Imagine a community of believers motivated and empowered by grace.

This is the church- it is us. Grace frees us to devote our full attention

to family business.


III. In Christ we know God (18)

John 1:18

“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship

with the Father, has made him known.”

III. In Christ we know God (18)

Any attempt to know or see God apart for Jesus is defective and

incomplete

Three kinds of “Sight”

1. Physical: perception through the eyes- this is the sense John is using here.


1. Physical: perception through the eyes- this is the sense John is using here.2. Rational: perception through rational thought and inference


1. Physical: perception through the eyes- this is the sense John is using here.2. Rational: perception through rational thought and inference3. Spiritual: perception that comes through communion with God

APPLLICATION:

1. You are part of a great family and with it come great benefits and responsibilities. You are called to engage in the family business of making God known.

APPLLICATION:

2. God has removed all emotional and spiritual obstacles to performing your best for the family business by giving you grace. Grace frees you to focus on your task not on you weaknesses.

APPLLICATION:

3. We have a model in Jesus of what it means to engage in the family business. In love for the Father he obeyed even the most extreme command one could imagine. In love for us He humbled Himself to the service and salvation of others

Science cannot answer the “why” of our existence- but, God can.

It is the same as that Jesus

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TITLE: Devoting Your Life to the Family Business