God's love and grace extend to all, even those who have strayed far from Him. The parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and prodigal son illustrate God's relentless pursuit of the lost and His joy when they return. While we may identify with the prodigal son in our need for forgiveness, we must also guard against the self-righteous attitude of the older brother. God's grace is abundant, and He invites us to rejoice with Him when others turn to Him, remembering our own salvation and seeking to share this good news with those around us.
Christ's return is imminent, though the exact time is unknown. As Christians, we must remain vigilant and spiritually prepared. This involves utilising the 'means of grace' - practices like Bible reading, prayer, church attendance, and sharing the Gospel - to stay filled with the Holy Spirit. Just as the wise virgins in Jesus' parable had enough oil for their lamps, we too must be 'oiled up' spiritually. Our goal should be to walk properly 'as in the daytime', representing Christ well right up to when He returns.
This sermon explores the story of Jonah, highlighting his initial disobedience and following repentance. It emphasises the grace of God, who offers such second chances to those who stray. By drawing parallels between Jonah’s experience in the belly of the great fish and our own moments of failure and despair, the sermon encourages listeners to trust in God’s gracious and forgiving character to hear and answer our cries for help. Ultimately, it underscores the joy and fulfillment experienced when we, partly because of His magnanimous enablement of His divine grace, live out an obedience to the divine call.
Matthew 5:48 spells out Jesus' intention of his raising the standard of the Beatitudes in order to have us aim at the "teleios ", the final result of our sanctification. It is that we arrive at the perfection of the Father. This is God's aim in having you become a Christian in the first place. And what we were learning in the morning service as well as tonight in the 5'00 o'clock Service. Particularly Jesus is lifting our eyesight to aim at the standard for God to be happy with you to be in his Kingdom!" Paul's personal journey on this purpose is a good example for us in Romans, chapters 6 through to 8.
"In our church we have been talking about in the morning services the old covenant led by Moses the law and the new covenant Led by Jesus and the biblical statement. That's The law came by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ This morning particularly we are looking at the word grace and the fact that grace is when God pours out His love love and does something for you totally undeserved. That's his grace."