“Responding With Grace—the What and the Why”10/21/18 AM

Scripture Reading Galatians 6:9-10

Introduction: As Christians we are called to RESPOND with GRACE to those around us.Last week we looked at some Scripture passages that affirmed that call, and today we’ll look a little more deeply at what that looks like and the reason behind living that way.

A. The WHAT of Responding with Grace—the MANNEREph. 4:29-32; 5:15-17; Col. 4:5-6Follow-up to last week’s Scriptures/sermonWords and actions

Responding with grace is the way of the new life, not the old.Responding with grace is the way of Christ, not the world.Responding with grace is the way of love, not selfishness.

Prov. 16:24—“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”Prov. 12:18—“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

ESV—“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Prov. 15:26—“The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight.”Prov. 25:11—“Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given.”

NKJV—“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”Prov. 10:19—“Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.Prov.17:27-28—“The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.“O God, make the bad people good, and the good people NICE.” (Prayer quoted by Philip Yancey, What’s So Amazing About Grace?, p. 30)When do we have the right to treat people “un-gracious-ly”?

B. The WHY of Responding with Grace—the MOTIVATIONWhat should be our motivation for how we love and treat others?

The way they treat us (the world) The way we think they can treat us—what we can get out of them (the world) The way we want to be treated—the Golden Rule (Matt. 7:12) The way we love ourselves—Jesus’ 2nd greatest commandment (Matt. 22:34-40) The way God in Christ has treated us

Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 4:32; 5:1-2; 1 John 4:7-11; John 13:12-17“Classmate Saves Schoolboy from Embarrassment”The story is told of a certain 9-year-old who is sitting at his desk in school when all of a sudden there is a puddle between his feet, and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop, because he knows when the boys find out, he'll never hear the end of it. And when the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.The boy puts his head down and prays this prayer: "Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat." He looks up from his prayer, and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he's been discovered. As the teacher is coming to snatch him up, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl filled with water. She stumbles and dumps the goldfish bowl in his lap. He pretends to be angry but prays, "Thank you, Jesus! I'm born again!" Now, rather than being the object of ridicule, this kid is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. When he comes back to class, all the kids are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. This sympathy is wonderful!But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to Susie. She tries to help, but they tell her to get out: "You've done enough, you klutz!" As the day progresses, the sympathy gets better and better, and the ridicule gets worse and worse. Finally, at the end of the day, they are waiting at the bus stop. The boy walks over to Susie and whispers, "Susie, you did that on purpose, didn't you?" Susie whispers back, "I wet my pants once too."Citation: As told in a sermon by Dr. Robert Tuttle, Jr.; submitted by Ron Watts, Cape Girardeau, Missouri © 2005 PreachingToday.com & Christianity Today International

Conclusion: We will never regret “living GRACE-FULLY in an UN-GRACIOUS world.”Eph. 2:10; Titus 3:8; Rom. 12:17-211 Cor. 15:58; Gal. 6:7-10 Acts 10:34-48; Matt. 5:13-16; 1 Peter 2:9-17DO I respond with grace?

“Responding With Grace—the What and the Why”Introduction: As Christians we are called to ___________ with __________ to those around us.

A. The ___________ of Responding with Grace—the ___________

Eph. 4:29-32; 5:15-17; Col. 4:5-6Prov. 16:24; 12:18 (ESV); 15:26; 25:11 (NKJV); 10:19; 17:27-28

“O God, make the bad people good, and the good people _______.”

B. The ________ of Responding with Grace—the _______________

Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 4:32; 5:1-2; 1 John 4:7-11; John 13:12-17

Conclusion: We will never regret “living _______________ in an _______________ world.”

Eph. 2:10; Titus 3:8; Rom. 12:17-211 Cor. 15:58; Gal. 6:7-10; Acts 10:34-48; Matt. 5:13-16; 1 Peter 2:9-17

_________ respond with grace?