Sunday 05/03/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church
Sermon Title: “The Recovery (Living in Grace)” – “The Anatomy of a Second Chance” Sermon Series (Part 3 of 4) – Romans 6:14, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Ephesians 2:8-9
(Cover
Picture)
I have a question for us all to consider this morning. It
might sound like a simple question, or it might sound like a complex question.
Here is the question, are we living in Grace? What do I mean by this? Are
living everyday knowing and feeling God’s grace and love in our lives? Do we
feel the love of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit? If you have made
mistakes, if you have committed sins, or if you have done something else, which
we all have, are you or have you made a “spiritual recovery”? Well, what do I
mean by a “spiritual recovery.”
(Spiritual
Recovery - Picture)
I ask this and
these questions, as we are continuing our four-week sermon series this morning
called “The Anatomy of a Second Chance.” This medical or surgical sounding
sermon series walks us through failing, as Jonah failed to followed God the
first time God asked him to. This was “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure)” and
Jonah failed, as all people sometimes fail. Getting a real medical diagnosis is
the first step towards hopefully being on the path towards health and wellness.
Last Sunday we
discussed the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Judas Iscariot around the topic of “Repentance
and Forgiveness.” In fact, the sermon title for last Sunday once again, was
called “The Operation (Repentance and Forgiveness),” as the Prophet Jonah
failed in the Book of Jonah, but then succeeded. Peter and Judas Iscariot both
failed. Jesus restored Peter, but Judas Iscariot unfortunately took his own
life. Failing and falling short, missing the mark and “the diagnosis,” it is
admitting failure. When we can admit to God that we have failed, that we have
fallen short, then our diagnosis of failure can be forgiven through spiritual
surgery. When we go to Jesus and repent of our sin and wrongdoing to Him, and when
we receive His spiritual forgiveness, His spiritual surgery is our repentance
and His forgiveness.
The question then
is, is after we fail and admit it, and after we repent and our forgiven, then
what? The answer is part three of this sermon series this morning called “The
Recovery (Living in Grace).” Now I do not know about you, but some of the most
interesting pastoral visits that I have ever had were when some was in recovery
and there anesthetic and other drugs were just wearing off. I learned if you
truly want know what someone thinks, talking to them in recovery after surgery
is a wonderful way to find out what they think! Oh, the things that I have
heard!
Now as a full disclosure this morning what is Pastor Paul’s
actual medical and surgical knowledge. This is probably the best answer I can
give you:
(Operation
Game - Picture)
I have performed surgery,
brothers, and sisters, but only in the game Operation. Who has played Operation
here? Further, I am very good at the game Operation as I am starting to look at
youth ministries in this church!
So, we get diagnosed, we admit our failures, our sins, and our
missteps, then we repent and get restored like the Apostle Peter did. We then live
in God’s grace. The God who loves us unconditionally, the God who never
abandons us, and the God who sent His own son in the world to live and die for
us. The Jesus that appeared to the disciples and others after His resurrection
just so they would get that “holy surgery of repentance and forgiveness.”
Brothers and sisters, when we know we have failed, Jesus offers us exactly what
we do not deserve, forgiveness, love, and grace. What do we do with it though?
I have seen large grown men, through various men’s ministries that I have been
part of, that when they realize fully what the forgiveness of Christ is, and
when they receive it, I have seen tears and joy. The grace of God in Jesus
Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit is real and it is offered to
everyone. Who gets this offer? All people do, and with zero exclusions!
As I said last
Sunday, I believe that if Judas Isacariot had not killed himself out of shame
and guilt for selling Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver, that Jesus would
have offered him forgiveness. “The Recovery (Living in Grace)” is hope itself.
Even so, some of us may have come here this morning, feeling broken, or
average, or exhausted, or feeling great today. Some days the answer God gives
me, is through one or more of you. The church is therefore my brothers and sisters,
a hospital, and we all on some level need some spiritual medical care.
It is my hope and my prayer whether you have been in this
church ninety-years or nine-minutes that you find this church to be a spiritual
safe haven. That this church can be your “Third Place.” You see there is where
we live, there is where we work or spend a lot of time, but it is also good to
have a “Third Place.” A “Third Place” where you can feel safe, a place where
you know are loved, where you are cared for. If your spiritual glass is empty,
then we can spiritually pour love into each other. You see, on my best days I
am your pastor, but on my worst days, some of you just might be pastoring me.
(God’s
Supply of Grace - Picture)
For this I know, God’s
supply of grace is always greater than our need. Sometimes we get this directly
from God, and sometimes God offers us grace, healing, deep faith, and strength
from each other. This is why a good Christian Church is important, not just so
we can be here for an hour on Sunday, or longer if the pastor is long winded.
The church, of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior is a community that lives out this
thing called faith, life, hope, and service together. We are stronger together.
I am proud to be able to say this is my second and my third place, as I do work
here.
In looking at the scripture that we read through this
morning for this message on “The Recovery (Living in Grace)” we first have the
Apostle Paul’s letter or epistle to the Romans 6:14 that says, once again:
(Romans
6:14 - Picture)
14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace (Rom. 6:14, NRSV).
Through
Jesus Christ we are not under a system of works. The old law before Jesus came required
perfection, and none of us are capable of this. We fall, we stumble, we miss
the mark, we turn to Christ, and He restores us again and again. This is my
friends, grace, amazing grace. For with Jesus, we have abundant and unwavering
grace.
In our reading for this morning from the Apostle Paul’s
second letter or epistle to the Corinthians, we hear in 12:9, once again this:
(2
Corinthians 12:9 - Picture)
9 but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me (2 Cor. 12:9, NRSV).
There is well over
one-hundred verses in the Bible that include the word “grace,” which in the
biblical context means:
“the free, unmerited favor and love of God, often described as divine assistance, mercy, or pardon” (https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+grace).
We do not serve it, but
we offered through Christ exactly what we do not deserve, grace. Grace that is
in us, grace that is abundant and sufficient, and that is perfect in our
weakness. Christ dwells in us despite our weaknesses. When we fail, when we
repent, we receive forgiveness, we receive grace. We get what we do not
deserve, and we get it abundantly.
The last scripture we discussed this morning, is from the
Apostle Paul’s letter or epistle to the church in Ephesus, or the Ephesians. In
Ephesians 2:8-9, it says, once again:
(Ephesians
2:8-9- Picture)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast (Eph. 2:8-9, NRSV).
Our salvation in Christ, our spiritual freedom, is because
of grace. A free gift from God that we cannot earn, and something that we
should not brag or boast about. We fail, we miss the mark, we make mistakes, we
repent are forgiven, and then we receive and live in grace. We then live the
love and hope of Jesus that has been given to us through, you guessed it,
grace. This is spiritual recovery, this is grace.
When we get baptized or when we join a church, we are
celebrating the grace of God through Jesus Christ. We are celebrated that we
have come to know Christ, are a new creation, our future is not our past. We
are changed, we are restored, we encounter Christ, faith, and hope, which makes
us a new creation.
To have a sermon that can walk out of the church with us
into Adams and the world this morning, here are some application points for us
to consider this with this sermon “The Recovery (Living in Grace)”
Recovery and living in grace are centered
on scriptures emphasizing God's strength, restoration, and unconditional love
over human effort. Key verses include 2 Corinthians
12:9 ("My grace is sufficient for you"), Ephesians
2:8-9 (salvation by grace, not works), and Romans 6:14 (no
longer under sin's power), which provide hope and empowerment for
transformation.
Key Scriptures for Recovery and Grace:
·
Empowerment & Strength: Philippians
4:13 ("I can do all this through him who gives me strength")
and Isaiah 41:10 ("I will strengthen you and help you")
provide strength when facing struggles.
·
Freedom from Shame & Sin: Romans
6:14 states that sin is not your master because you are under grace, not
law, while Romans 8:1 promises no condemnation for those in Christ.
·
Renewal & Restoration: 2 Corinthians
5:17 declares that anyone in Christ is a new creation, and Psalm
23:3 promises, "He restores my soul".
· Walking in Grace: 2 Peter 3:18 encourages believers to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord," and Hebrews 4:16 invites believers to approach the throne of grace to receive mercy.
Core Principles
·
It is a Gift: Recovery is sustained by grace, not
personal works, relieving the burden of perfection.
·
Transformation, Not Perfection: Romans
12:2 emphasizes being transformed by the renewal of the mind, shifting
focus to inner change.
·
Hope in Trials: James 1:12 blesses those who
persevere under trial, offering encouragement for the long journey of recovery.
(https://www.google.com/search?q=the+recovery+%28living+in+grace%29+scripture).
So, friends,
have you recovered from your own spiritual surgery, where you admitted failure,
and then repented are received for forgiveness? Have you and do you feel the
unmerited grace of God in Jesus Christ? For He offers it to us freely and
abundantly. Amen.
