# He lives to give more grace

Key Passage: James 4
Date: June 7, 2024

Turn your mind as we would to James chapter number four. James chapter number four in God’s word this morning. Last two Sundays we have been focusing on God’s grace, and I believe the Lord has us continue on that subject for a bit this morning.

We would not have any grace available to us if it wasn’t for the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And I believe here the passage we’re going to read is really speaking to a born-again Christian. That’s someone that has been justified. You say, what is that word justified? I think the best definition I’ve ever heard was just as if I never sinned. And because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ,

And His resurrection, His resurrection was necessary. I would never be justified without His resurrection. That proved that His sacrifice satisfied the Father. It was sufficient. Let me read you a passage: Who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. And if you are justified by the blood of Jesus Christ, you’re justified because of His resurrection.

And now let me say this: If you’re saved, do you still sin? Yes, you do. Unless you can walk on water, amen. And if you can, I’ll meet you at Percy Priest Lake. I want to get a good laugh for a while, you know.

Someone said, well, what’s the difference? The difference is there are sinners. The others are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. Not perfect. As we grow, we are sanctified. Many will use that term. We’re growing in the Lord. Someone said it this way: The preacher asked a little girl, “Are you saved?” And she said, “Yes.” He said, or he said, “Do you still sin?” She said, “Yes.” He said, “What’s the difference?” And she said, “Before I was saved, I was always running to sin. Now that I’m saved, I’m running from sin, but it still catches me sometimes.” There’s a difference. But I still sin, but I’m a saved sinner. I’m justified. I’m redeemed. I love my Heavenly Father. I don’t deserve Him. I know how much He loves me, and I want to please Him. And that’s your Christian life.

But the passage we’re going to read, I believe, is really speaking to Christians. He talks about prayer there a lot and things. So I want to kind of just note that at the beginning. It’s not going to be a salvation’s message per par overall. And I want to just say these things up front: It’s about grace. And if you are saved, you’re standing in a field of grace, God’s grace.

I want us to note a little bit about this this morning. I’m just going to glance at the first five verses. Then we’ll stand and we’ll read verse number six. Verse number one right there talks about why is there fussing and fighting. You know, even Christians fuss and fight. I know you’re like, wow, does that really happen? It does. Everyone smile. I know you married people out there. You never fuss or fight. I understand. Never, ever, ever, you know.

But he’s saying, where’s all this fussing and fighting going on, even wars? And he says it’s because something’s not right inside of you. That’s verse number one. Verse number two, he says, you want all kind of things and you do everything to get it. You’re even ready to kill to get it, but your problem is you’re not praying about it.

It’s a little bit depressing, these first five verses. Then verse number three, he says, you’re starting to pray, but you’re so selfish. It’s all about you meeting your lusts. It’s just kind of depressing. Verse number four, verse number four, he said, you’re going to the world to meet all your desires. And it breaks the heart of God when His people go to the world. God’s got everything you need. But we go to the world. It’s so sad sometimes Christians want to talk and act and dress and be just like the world. And why do you want to do that? They’re going to hell. I’m not trying to be mean, but that’s the honest truth. And I don’t want to be like them. I want to be set apart. I want to be like a born-again Christian. I want to march to a higher drumbeat. Not that I hate the world. I love them. I want them to get saved, so they’re not going to hell for Him.

But that’s verse number four. You’re breaking my heart, God says. You just keep going to the world to satisfy all your needs. And then verse number five, he says, there, he says, you just go that way so much that your spirit inside of you, it just starts getting envious. You see anybody that I’m blessing a little bit, and you just envy them. You’re starting to talk bad about God’s people. You just… It’s just envious about anybody I’ll bless, give him a good house, a car, or a truck, or marriage or what not, kids, you get envious over here. And your spirit’s like that. It’s a sad thing. But verse number six is a wonderful verse. Everything really changes, the tone of it changes, picks up. I love verse number six.

Would you do this just to show the Word of God honor, if you’re able to physically? Would you please stand as we read God’s Word together? It’s a wonderful, wonderful verse, I love it. This gives hope right here in our messed up world. It really does. Verse number six, right there, James 4, verse number six, he says, “But all these bad and sad things, but He giveth more grace.” Can you say amen right there? Oh, I’m so thankful for that. I need that. Anybody just honest about the situation? You need that. But He giveth more grace. I’m so glad Jesus died and rose again so I can have that grace. But He giveth more grace, wherefore He saith, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Now, if you’re a born-again Christian, He is ready to give you more grace. By the way, if you’re not a born-again Christian, He’s double-ready, if you will, to give you more grace and save your soul. But just for a bit, He lives to give you more grace. He lives to give you more grace. Would you pray with me that the Lord would speak to our hearts this morning? Would you do that?

Father, thank You for Your word. Lord, You know, I’m so simple-minded, just a country preacher. I would not have any idea on a day like this what the preacher should say. Thank You for Your word. Thank You for Your Spirit’s guidance. Well, we sure need You to speak to us. Father, You know these people have made time to be in Your house. And Lord, they’re honoring and worshiping You. While I believe You’ve already spoken to hearts encouraged, but during this time when Your family, and especially eats and dines from Your table, Father, would You give them what they need? Every one of them, Lord, please, from Your word this morning. And we’ll thank You, Lord, brag on You for what You do. Father, we ask for this in the name of Jesus, we pray, amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

I’m going to read a story for you. It is about Walt Disney World. It is before the dark side of Walt Disney World was so open and obvious, before just the wickedness was known. So just kind of have a little grace on that part of it, if you will, about this family. I want to read it for you. I’m not the best reader in the world, so if you would just try to stick with me, it’s a little bit longer than I would read on a Sunday morning typically. So stick with me as I read this story.

He says, “I never dreamed that taking a child to Disney World could be so difficult, or that such a trip could teach me so much about God’s amazing grace.” Our middle daughter had been previously adopted by another family. I’m sure this couple had the best of intentions, but they never quite adopted the child into their family and made her equal with biological children. After a couple of rough years, they dissolved the adoption, and we ended up welcoming and adopting an eight-year-old little girl into our home. For one reason or another, whenever our daughter’s previous family vacationed at Disney World, they took their biological children with them, but they left their adopted daughter with a family friend. Usually, at least in the child’s mind, this happened because she did something wrong that precluded her presence on the trip. And so by the time we adopted our daughter, she had seen many pictures of Disney World.

And she had heard about the rides and the characters and the parades, but when it came to passing through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, our eight-year-old little girl had always been the one left on the outside. Once I found out about this history, I made plans to take her to Disney World the next time a speaking engagement took our family to the southeastern United States. I thought I had mastered the Disney World drill. I knew from previous experiences that the prospect of seeing cast members in freakish, oversized mouse and duck costumes somehow turned children into squirmy bundles of emotional instability.

I didn’t expect that the prospect of visiting this dream world would produce a stream of downright devilish behavior in our newest daughter. In the month leading up to the trip to Magic Kingdom, she stole some food when a simple request would have gained her a snack. She lied when it would have been easier to tell the truth. She whispered insults to… that were carefully crafted to her older sister as deeply as possible. And as the days on the calendar moved closer to the trip, her mutinies multiplied.

A couple of days before our family headed to Florida, I pulled our daughter into my lap to talk to her about her latest escapade. “I know what you’re going to do,” she stated flatly. “You’re going to take me to…” “You’re not—excuse me—you’re not going to take me to Disney World, are you?” The thought actually hadn’t crossed my mind, but her downward spiral suddenly started to make some sense. She knew she couldn’t earn her way into the Magic Kingdom. She had tried and failed the last test several times before, so she was living in a way that placed her as far as possible from the magical place that she wanted to go. In retrospect, I’m embarrassed to admit it. In that moment, I was tempted to turn her fear to my own advantage. The easiest response would have been, “You don’t have to start behaving. If you don’t start behaving better, you’re right, we won’t take you.” But by God’s grace, I didn’t. Instead, I asked her, “Is this trip something we’re doing as a family?” She nodded. Brown eyes wide and tear-rimmed. “Are you part of this family?” She nodded again. “Then you’re going with us. Sure, there may be some consequences to help you remember what’s right and wrong. Amen. You’ve heard canoes or paddle bass from the rear, amen, you know? But you’re part of our family, and we’re not leaving you behind.”

I might just say that her behavior grew better after that moment, but it didn’t. Her choices pretty much spiraled out of control at every hotel and rest stop all the way to Lake Winnebentostok. You know what I’m talking about, the Disney World. Still, we headed to Disney World on the day we had promised, and it was a typical Disney day: overpriced tickets, overpriced meals, lots of lines. Me, with just enough manufactured magic to consider maybe going again someday. In our hotel room that evening, a very different child emerged. She was exhausted, a little reflective, and a little weeping at times. Your pastor, too, what’s this problem? But her month-long episode of rebellion had faded. When bedtime rolled around, I prayed with her, held her, and asked, “So how was her first day at Disney World?” She closed her eyes and snuggled down into her stuffed unicorn. After a few moments, she opened her eyes ever so slightly and said, “Daddy, I finally got to go to Disney World, but it wasn’t because I was good. It’s because I’m yours.”

Friend, you have the grace of God, not because you’re so good. You have the grace of God because you’re His. If you’re a born-again Christian, friend, you have the grace available for you. I want to emphasize just really two words in this verse number six. I want you to go back to that verse, verse number six right there, James 4, verse number six right there in the Bible. This word here comes up twice. We’re going to emphasize, first of all. Help me out. You’re looking at that verse right there, James 4:6. He says, “But he…” What’s the next word? “Giveth more grace.” Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but what’s the next word? “Giveth grace unto the humble.”

Friend, God—you’ll never earn His grace. He gives grace. We’ve been preaching about it last Sunday. He gives you saving grace. He gives you sufficient grace. He gives you serving grace. You can serve Him by His grace, but He gives you that grace. By the way, He’s the most generous person there ever has been. He’s ready to give it to you. Now, here’s our mentality somehow in this world: where most of the things we have, we have to earn them. We think we have to earn grace. No, He says He gives grace. By the way, it’s not that kind of giving. You ever went on a trip and they said, “We’re going to give this to you if you sit through this 90-minute time share”? Anybody? Raise your hand. Now, come on now. How many of you met about a hundred of those? At least it feels like it, you know. You’ve been to two of them, you feel like it’s been a hundred of them. They say 90 minutes; it drags out to at least two hours. And then after that salesman’s done, if you don’t buy it, he’s going to go get his boss and he’s going to come in there and try to find out why you’re not buying their wonderful project and all these different things. And after a while, you’re like, that thing is not a gift. Amen? Is that good preaching to one? Amen. Man, you’re earning that thing, I promise you, friend. And somehow us Christians, we tend to think we earn the grace of God.

Friend, there are three problems with that thinking that we earn the grace of God. Look over, if you will, in Romans chapter number 11. Three problems with the—we say we know it’s a gift, but sometimes we get this mentality, “I’m going to earn the grace of God.” There are problems with that thought process. Look over in Romans chapter number 11, and look at verse number 6. Romans 11, verse number 6 in the Bible. God often puts grace on one side and works on the other side. You know the verse, many of you: “For by grace are ye saved…” If you know it, would you say it out loud with me, all right? Ephesians 2:8, 9. Here we go: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works…” Man, you realize, put works over here, verse number 9, verse number 8, grace over here. God often does that. Now look what he does here in Romans 11, verse number 6. And he says, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works? Otherwise grace is no more grace.” If I have to work for it, it can’t be grace because grace is me getting something I don’t deserve—God’s riches at Christ’s expense. So he says, “Now if it’s grace, it is no more of works. Otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace, otherwise work is no more work.” You can’t mix them; they’re like oil and water.

Now we get that sometimes about salvation. But then when it comes to you getting a prayer answered, we sometimes think, “I’m going to be such a great prayer warrior. I’m going to get my prayer answered.” Friend, you get your prayers answered because of God’s promises and the graciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and, friend, He’ll give it to you. So if I had to earn grace, it would no longer be grace. Understand that. Oh, they’re saying of the grace of God, it’s so ready; He’s so willing and ready to give it to you. He wants you to have it. You say, “So, preacher, does that mean I can go out and do whatever I want to?” No, no. The Bible says the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness, and lust, and that we should live soberly, righteously, in this present world. The grace of God—when you truly realize He gives it to me—it teaches me I want to live like He wants me to. Not because He beats me over the head, but because He’s so gracious to me, friend.

He gives it to you. He’s a wonderful giver. If I have to earn grace, then it is no longer grace. He said three problems. Another problem with that: Back over there in James 4, verse number 6. Go back over there, if you would, please. James 4, verse number 6. I want you to notice the last part of the verse. We’re not focusing too much on it. Look at that last part there. He says, “But he giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud.” That’s an amazing statement to be. God does—He hates the sin of sodomy, homosexuality, very clear in Scripture. Romans 1 says it’s vile. Now, He loves the sinner, but He hates the sin. And God says that, no matter what the president says about, you know, today and what all they did—by the way, well, I’d hate to be in his shoes when I face the law one day, especially by the way he’s treating Israel. I’d hate to be in his shoes. Amen. Genesis 12 was here in Scripture, amen. He’ll bless them that bless them and curse him that curse them. You understand that’s still in Scripture. He said, “Why are you getting off on that?” I don’t know, but I wanted to shoot that rabbit I was chasing there. Amen, you know? If you’re going to chase a rabbit, I might as well shoot it, you know. Oh, okay, now I know I was there. That is true. Hey, but you know, as much as God hates that sin, He still loves that sinner. But as much as He hates that sin, you know, the Bible never said God resisted the Sodomite.

You know, God doesn’t like alcoholism. People getting drunk. It’s amazing how many babies get beat and wives beat up and husbands sometimes beat up. The wife’s a little stronger than him, we’ve got a better right than him, what not, over alcohol. Come on. The vast majority of domestic violence, alcohol is involved. Jerry Hunter, he was a police officer for 23 years, I think, in Nashville. I think it was 23 years. And, boy, he’s got so many stories. He’s got good stories. We drove from here to Florida one time to pick up church pews years and years ago. We had to stop at every exit and get donuts. What about that? No, we did. But he had so many stories to tell. I love to hear him all. And you ask him, he’ll tell you the vast majority. By the way, he’s been stabbed in domestic violence. The vast majority, alcohol is involved. But you know, the Bible doesn’t say God resisteth the alcoholic. But it does say, God does say that He resisteth the proud. Take it out with the Pharisees in Jesus Christ. God resisteth the proud.

Then watch the last part of that verse there. He says, “But giveth grace unto the humble.” Yeah. So here’s the thing: What’s the price? If I have to earn the grace I get, first of all, it wouldn’t be grace. And second of all, I get proud. Look what I did. I’ve been reading my Bible, and I’m for reading the Bible. Praise the Lord, by God’s grace, been doing it for years and years. I’m for it. But if I say, “Well, I’ve been reading my Bible, and that’s why I got all this,” you know what? It’s all about me. No. That’s why the Bible says in Peter, he said, “Grow in grace and in the knowledge of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, unto Him be glory.” I don’t earn grace. He gives grace. Number one: it wouldn’t be grace. Number two: I’d be prone to pride. Number three: if we earn grace, we would be leaving Jesus Christ out. It’d be all about me.

I love the verse, Second Corinthians 8 and 9: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” And let me just say this: When I’m preaching on grace, the last three Sundays counting today, I’m not talking about going out and living a worldly life. I’m not talking about, you know, listening to the wrong kind of music and drinking this, and you can do whatever you want to. I’m saying if you follow the grace of God, you’re going to live a wholly clean life. That’s what it’s teaching you. But you’re not going to get there by pulling your bootstraps up and you’re strong and all that. You’re going to get there by the grace of God, friend.

But you realize God gives grace. He’s ready. He’s powerful now. Jesus earned it on the cross, and He has the grace ready to give to you. And when you realize, “I get the grace of God because I am His.” My dad, he was what many would call a functioning alcoholic. He worked and did all that, but he drank every day. A little drink every day. He drank some every day. You know, that’s what most of the functioning alcoholics are. And he would try to change. He’d rid of all that, and he couldn’t do that. But he got saved, and God’s grace filled his life. And he went down, and he threw that bottle. I would always tell that story. And he wanted me to tell the story: “Paul, I didn’t throw it in the woods. I threw it in the river, amen! So the fish got drunk, amen, you know.” But he threw that out, and, praise the Lord, he never touched it again because God gave him the grace to grow.

I’m not talking about where all we live in, but I’m saying, God, His grace is available. When you say, “I can’t be what I ought to be for the world. I can’t read my Bible. I can’t be all that You say”—whatever it may be in your life—you’re denying the grace of God. It’s available. He’ll give it to you. We miss the grace of God because of our pride. We miss the grace of God because of our lack of faith. I’m trying to just emphasize these last couple studies: It’s available for you. You mess up a little bit. “I can’t get any grace.” No, no. You get grace because of the Lord, not because how good you are. He’s got the grace available. He giveth. He giveth.

A little while back, my neighbor—we wanted to cut some trees down in his yard. He was afraid they were going to fall on some power lines and what not. The storm was coming, so I went over. And I was glad to be able to help my neighbor. And I was glad. You know, every man in the world likes to get his tools out, you know. And I got to get my chainsaw out. You know, I thought I was somebody with that chainsaw, you know. And we cut down some trees and cut it up and all that. And at the end of that, I said, “Mark,” I said, “don’t pay me anything.” And I meant this. I said, “Mark, if you give me something, if you pay for this, it’s going to take the joy away from me. I’ve enjoyed being able to help. And I don’t want you—don’t pay me. It’s going to take some of the joy away.” And friend, the Bible says, God giveth. And when you think you’re all that and you’re earning the grace of God, God said, “Don’t you understand? I want to give you something. Jesus purchased that on the cross of Calvary, and I give you grace.” He giveth. You think about that little girl. She got to go to Disney World, not because she was all that, but because her Dad was all that. And we get the grace of God because our Dad is all that for it.

Now let’s go on. First of all, we just looked at one word: “giveth.” All right? Let’s look at one more word, and we’re going to be done, and there’s going to be an Easter egg hunt afterwards, Amen. Don’t you push those little kids out of the way and get that egg. I know there’s chocolate in there, but you don’t have to have that now. Another word here. Look at verse number six. Verse number six right there, James 4, verse number six. Look there one more time, would you please? “But he giveth…” What’s the next word? “More.” When you’re not what you ought to be? Yeah. Friend, can I be honest with it? Because you’re not what you ought to be, neither am I. But He giveth more. He’s not pushing you away. He’s not saying, “I don’t—I’m sick of giving you grace.” No, He giveth more. He’s got the grace available for you.

Here’s the thing about it: God has foreknowledge. In fact, let me read a couple of verses. Isaiah 46:10: “declaring the end from the beginning.” You know God, He declares the end from the beginning. I love this verse, Isaiah 57:15: “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity.” Can you imagine? That’s hard for us, you know, finite beings, to just kind of imagine infinite God. He inhabited eternity. I mean, He can go to eternity past, eternity of future, all at the same time; He inhabits eternity. So when Jesus, 2,000 years ago, He shed His blood on that cross at Calvary, and three days later, He rose again that Resurrection Sunday morning—by the way, that’s when they started having church on Sunday, Amen. No wonder. It’s not the mark of the beast if you have church on Sunday. Check it out in the New Testament. That’s when they had church on Sunday, the first day of the week. Amen. You’re all right. You’re honoring His resurrection. We don’t work, work, work, you know. We rest in Jesus. Then we work for Him because we’re saved. But anyway, all these rabbits this morning—goodness gracious, you know. But I get on the rabbits and I forget where I was at. What about that?

So Jesus, when He rose again, He knew already what your day would be like today, and what your day is going to be like on a Monday. Somebody said, “Don’t talk about Monday right now.” And here’s the thing: He purchased all the grace you will ever need for every single day. If the Lord tarries, He hasn’t come back yet. He’s already gone into 2025. He’s gone into the day after election, whatever happens then. He’s—all these things. He inhabits eternity. And Jesus, when He died and rose again, He purchased all the grace you’ll ever need for every single thing you’ll face. He has prepared for you. They have these diets nowadays. How many of you out there say, “I’m on the seafood diet”? Anybody out there? Seafood, you eat it, Amen, you know? They have these diets where they get your height and your weight and all that other stuff, you know. And then they prepare your meals for you, and they send it to you, and it’s got everything you need, and all the nutrients and all that stuff. And if you eat this, you’ll get just the weight you want to be and all that stuff. But they’ve prepared the meals for you way ahead of time. It has no preservatives in there, I promise you for you. I’m not going to talk bad about those diets. I probably need some of those diets. But anyway, but it’s already prepared for every day what you need. And that’s what Jesus did on the cross.

And you say, “I can’t be the dad I want to be for the Lord.” Yes, you can, by the grace of God. “I don’t know what I’m going to do when I face that problem.” When you face that problem, you’re a born-again Christian, God’s going to give you the grace you need to face that problem. You ever heard of dying grace? Everybody ever heard of God’s going to give you the grace you need when you die? That’s true. I heard of two preachers that were flying and the plane had problems, what not. One of them was scared to death. And then the other one, he said, “Well, aren’t you scared?” He said, “I am scared.” He said, “I just know we’re not going to crash. We’re not going to die because God’s not giving me dying grace right now.” I’m scared of that too. Every day, every problem you face, every obstacle, every heartache, every trouble, God has the grace prepared for you at that moment. And God says He has more grace. God’s such a gracious God.

Here’s the sad thing when I’m not really preaching. I’ve heard of a story of a man that was in training, desert training in the military. And they had taught him, they said, “We’re giving you water; you can’t be out there a couple days. Don’t drink much of that.” You know, if you drink it all the first day, you can be—don’t drink it all, you know. And he would not drink any of that water, and they found his body. And the sad thing about it, they found his body, and it had a canteen full of water. And he just wouldn’t drink it. And after a while the sun kind of gets to your head, you know, and you just won’t drink it. And he died of no water, and he had it right there. And sometimes us Christians can have the same mindset. The devil just gets their mind and messes us up. And God says, “I’ve given you the grace. I’ll give you more grace that’s available for you.” Drink from God’s grace. He’s got what you need: the grace to live for Him, the grace to stand for Him, the grace to overcome hard times, the grace to be faithful to the Lord even during tough times.

But too many Christians are stuck on the sideline because we’re not, by faith, taking the grace. Look at verse number seven real quickly here. Verse number seven, we’ve got to hurry along here. We’ll just kind of get this one more verse than we’re done. James 4, verse number seven right there. Talk about this grace in verse number six: God resisted the proud, giveth the grace to the humble. Then he said, verse number seven, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” I love that verse. So my Christians that are winning and fighting in this fight against the devil—too many Christians are kind of stuck on the sideline because they’re not accepting the grace and using the grace. And you’re going to be stuck on the sideline. And God comes along, He’ll hook His four-wheel drive truck up to yours, if you will, and it’ll give you more grace so you get back into the fight for the Lord. It’s a sad thing to see people just sidelined. They’re not in the fight for good and right. They’re not winning anybody in the Lord. They’re not making a difference. They’re not shining for the Lord Jesus Christ. And they’re just stuck in their problems and their weakness. And God says, “I’ve got more grace for you. Take it by faith and get back in the fight for the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I love this illustration. If you’ve been in our church, you’ve heard me use it many of times. If you’ve been in our church for years and years, it’s illustration number 78. You know that one? Brother Frank says, “Yes.” Brother Frank, would you stand and tell that one? You can tell it better than me. He probably could. Joseph. Joseph is a wonderful picture, a type somewhat of Jesus Christ, Joseph. Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver. Jesus was sold by Judas for 30 pieces of silver. Joseph was hated by his brothers. Jesus, He came into His own, the Jewish people, and His own received Him not. They hated it. Crucified and crucified and crucified. Joseph was tried, and he lived in a foreign country. Jesus left heaven and came down to a foreign country, if you will. Joseph died in a foreign country, Egypt, and he told them, “Hey, take my bones.” His body didn’t stay there. Jesus died three days later. His body left this whole world, too, Amen. So many pictures. Remember Joseph? He was in Egypt there. And remember the Pharaoh had those dreams: the seven plentiful years, then the seven very lean years. Remember that? You remember that? Yes? Good deal. And then those seven lean years, the economy went belly up, and they didn’t have any corn or nothing, you know. And back home, his family needed food. And so remember the brothers, they came to visit him, and he tested him a little bit. But eventually, remember, they all moved over to Egypt, and Joseph nourished them because Joseph for seven years had been storing up those silos of corn. In fact, at the very end of it, when Dad had died, the brothers came to Joseph and said, “Joseph, Dad said, ‘Be good to us.’” They were lying. And Joseph said, “Fellas, don’t worry about it. I’m not in the place of God.” Joseph makes this statement. It’s a wonderful statement. It’s an amazing statement that Joseph would say this. He says, “But as for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

Now here’s the thing I want to get to. Jesus, when He came from heaven, He lived in this foreign land. He shed His blood. He was filling the silos with grains of grace. And every bit of grace you need for those seven lean years—seven, the number of completion—to live in this sin-cursed world, Jesus filled that silo up for you. It’s amazing. Even when Joseph was testing his brothers, he would not let them pay for it. They always gave them their money back. They came from Egypt—came over there, excuse me, came from the land of Goshen over to Egypt—and Joseph said, “Hey, I’ll nourish you.” That’s the Bible word. I’ll nourish you. And Jesus stored all the silos full of grace. And Jesus says, “My family come over here in this sinful world. I’ve got all the grace stored up in those silos for your every day of your life. If you’re not saved, He’s stored the grace except for you to get saved this morning.”

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please? Our heads are bowed and eyes are closed. Maybe you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, you know, I need to humble myself. I need to, by faith, realize the grace is available. I don’t live in denial. I don’t live in rebellion. I want to take the grace. By the grace of God, I want to get back in the race. I want to be all I can be for the Lord Jesus Christ.” Maybe you’re there. You say, “You know, I… I just so kind of stuck on me earning it, and I need to realize He’s ready to give it. It’s available. And I want to take it because I’m His. I’m a born-again Christian. I want to take that grace. I realize it’s available.” God spoke to my heart about that this morning. And if that’s you, just lift your head, preacher. God spoke to my heart about that grace this morning. God bless you. God bless you. Oh, yeah, we’re so prone to try to earn it. But He’s giving it. He’s giving grace out today. Jesus earned it. Today is the day to come and claim it by faith. A great day to do that. Anybody else, preacher? Man, I need to claim that grace by faith. God spoke to my heart about that. Anybody else? God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Oh, it’s good. God bless you. Anybody else? “I need to claim this grace. I need to just accept it by faith. I can be what I want to be by the grace of God.” Good, good, good, good. He’s got His grace. He’s giving out grace today. Giving more grace, giving more grace. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. He’s got the grace you need. Wonderful. Thank you for raising your head. You put your heads down.

Maybe you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, I’m not His. I don’t know that I’m His child. I don’t know that I’m born in the family of God. I don’t know that I can look and say He’s my Heavenly Father. If something were to happen, I was in a car accident and I was to die, I may wake up in hell. I really don’t know. I’ve never settled that.” I realize that He’s got the grace available, and honestly, I just don’t know that I’ve accepted it by faith. And the preacher—God’s kind of tugging at me. I want to settle this thing. Oh, friend, He loves you. He’s got the grace available. He would love for you to receive it by faith today. “Preacher, I don’t know. I’m not sure.” You’re just sitting there. You’re just like, “Man, I just… I don’t know about that.” If that’s you, would you just simply—with heads bowed and eyes closed—would you just simply raise your hand? “Preacher, I don’t know. I don’t know that I’m a child of God. I don’t know that I could get all that grace. I’m not sure if I were to wake up, I don’t know if I’d be in heaven or hell.” Anybody, just slip up your hand. “Preacher, I don’t know.” I don’t know. Just slip up your hand. I don’t know if I were to wake up, I don’t know if I’d be in heaven or hell. I’m not sure about that. Anybody else, just slip it up. Just a moment. We’re going to stand. When we stand, I’m going to have a word of prayer. When I do that, I want to pray for you. I love you, and I mean that. I’m not just saying that. I would love you to get that grace that’s available.

Now, I pray, when we say amen, if God’s spoken to your heart, I’m going to invite you to come to an old-fashioned altar. Many of you raised your hand. So God’s just kind of tugging at my heart. You’ll be obedient to the Lord. If you don’t, you’ll just be obedient to the Lord. If you raised your hand, you’re not sure you’re a born-again Christian, not sure you’ll wake up and be in heaven, there’ll be a man standing down front facing the auditorium, there’ll be a man in the back facing the auditorium. You go to one of those men, they’ll take the Bible, and from the Bible, they’ll show you how you could know heaven’s your home. Maybe you say, “I know I’m saved, but God’s tugging. I need to accept that by faith. I need to stop trying to earn it. There’s too much about me.” I need to get my eyes off of me and trying to earn. You need to get my eyes on Jesus. Get your eyes on Jesus. That’s where the victory is. That’s where grace is. He came to bring grace and truth. Would you do that if He’s tugging at your heartstrings? Let’s all stand, if you would, please. Let’s all stand.

I’m going to have a word of prayer. As soon as I say, amen, if God is tugging at your heart, would you be obedient to the Lord? If you’re not sure you’re going to heaven, please let us be helping that. We have a man standing down front and a man in back. You go to either one of them, get that thing settled. Father, thank You that You gave Your Son, You shed Your blood, You rose again, to give us the grace we need. Father, help us humbly and yet in faith to receive the grace You have available for us. Every one of us, Lord, help us not live in guilt and defeat; help us live in victory by the grace You have available for us. Lord, the one of us that raised their hand, maybe others, Lord, didn’t raise their hand, but they’re not sure heaven’s our home. Father, let them know we love them. And Lord, let them just settle this thing today. Come down front and go in the back and talk with someone and get this thing settled about their eternal destiny. Have Your will in our life during this time. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. If God spoke to your heart, would you come? God spoke to your heart. That’s right. Don’t wait for anybody else. Come get the grace. Come get the grace. He’s got the grace available. Just us Christians, sometimes we get the mindset, “I’m going to be good enough to get grace.” No, no, no. Let’s come get the grace He has available. If you’re not sure heaven’s your home, there’s a man standing right there. There’s a man in the back. Go to them. We’d love to be a help. We’d love to be a help. We’d love to settle this thing, well, you know for sure heaven’s your home. You got to settle. You can go to bed at nighttime and say, “Man, I’m going to heaven. If anything would happen, I’m going to wake up in the eyes of Jesus Christ right before Him.” God’s tugging at your heart. Maybe it just comes, “I need to get grace. I need God just to humble down and by faith accept the grace He’s got available.” Would you do that? Would you come? You’d be obedient to the Lord. You do that. He loves it when His children come to Him and say, “I want to accept the grace You’ve got available for me.”

Would you bow your heads for just a moment? Would you bow your heads right where you’re at? If you’re a born-again Christian, would you just thank You? Would you just thank You so much? If you’re not sure heaven’s your home, right there you stand, would you? You say, “I know I’m a sinner, and I understand there’s a penalty on my sin: death and hell. But I believe Jesus died for me. I believe He’s got the grace available for me. Right now, I’d like to accept that by faith.” We’ve already mentioned the verse, “For by grace are ye saved through faith.” And you say right now, “I want to put my faith in Jesus to pay for my sins and to give me heaven.” You know, by the mercy of God we miss hell; by the grace of God we gain heaven. Right there where you stand, you say, “I need to call on Him and accept His grace by faith right now.” Right there where you stand, would you just in your heart, would you tell Him, “Dear Lord Jesus, I admit it, and I know I’ve got some sin in my life. I understand there’s a penalty on that. But Jesus, I believe You died and rose again for me. Right now, Jesus, right now, I’m accepting Your grace by faith. Would You come into my heart? Would You save me? Thank You, Jesus, for Your grace and for saving me.”

Our heads are bowed, eyes closed. No one looked. Just for a moment. Keep your heads bowed and eyes closed. You said, “Preacher, I just prayed that. I just prayed that. I meant that. I meant that. I meant that. I meant that. I meant that. I meant that. I meant that. I meant that. Just to be my Savior.” I just prayed that. Just slip up your hand, and I meant that. Just slip up your hand. Anybody like that? Just prayed that Jesus would be my Savior? Just slip it up. Just slip it up. God bless you. God bless you.

Oh, we got a wonderful, wonderful Savior. Would you just thank You? Would you love Him for His grace? They’re going to play for just a moment more. Would you take the time? Say, “Thank You, Jesus, for dying and being raised for me for my justification.” Would you do this? Just a moment. We’ll be dismissed.

Amen. Amen. So glad you’re here this morning. If you’re glad for the grace of God, would you say amen? Amen. Praise the Lord. Paul said, “I am what I am by the grace of God.” And I’m so thankful. It’s available. He giveth more grace. It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing. Good to have everyone here, honored to have you here on Easter. Today we celebrate our Savior’s resurrection. There will be Easter egg hunts going on up front. Here will be the little ones. Back here on this side will be primary, kindergarten, first, and second grade, and then the far side—my office kind of is in line far side—with the junior age, third to sixth grade, and then those that are 80 years or older…

Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - He lives to give more grace - Sunday AM 03312024