Freedom Ministries Fellowship Notes
God’s Grace Will Take You Where You Are “Trying” To Go
Opening prayer:
Praise and Worship: 10 minutes:
Testimonies: 5 minutes
Review: God’s Grace Will Take You Where You Are “Trying” To Go
Luke 16:16 says, “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached.” Since John the Baptist, we are supposed to tell people the good news about the Kingdom of God. The law focused on what man must do, but the Kingdom of God was a revelation of what Jesus Christ has done for us. Romans 14:17 says, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” In other words, the Kingdom of God is not based on external rules and laws, but it is about righteousness, peace and joy that are all free gifts from Jesus Christ.
When people hear and believe they are set free from all of their sins and that Jesus is freely blessing them, people are changed from the inside out. The gospel literally produces power inside people that effortlessly changes their external circumstances. Most believers are not resting in the fact that Jesus has redeemed them and there is nothing that will ever separate us again from our Father. The starting point of Christianity is that we are complete in Christ. We are not saved by grace, and then live a life of struggle to somehow earn our blessings. That is self-effort. Jesus worked, so we can rest in all of His blessings.
Self-effort looks like the following examples. I have to stop sinning. I have to be better and more disciplined. I need to work harder and stop making so many mistakes. The list goes on and on. These all sound like noble things to do, but there is not a lot of power to actually help a person follow through with these desires. The solution is found in Jesus Christ. He came to save us. He took all of our sins, judgment and curses upon Himself. In exchange, He freely gave us His life. The power to stop sinning comes from knowing that Jesus has already taken our sins upon Himself. We no longer have to struggle to be prosperous; we are prosperous because of Jesus Christ. Jesus became poor so that we could be rich. Jesus took our sicknesses and diseases, so we could enjoy divine health. Jesus was forsaken, so that we will never again be forsaken. Jesus willingly suffered shame and reproach so we could enjoy double honor. The cross changed everything. Jesus has perfectly redeemed us from all of the negative consequences of sin.
Jesus is our rest in the New Covenant. We can stop “trying” to be better, blessed, prosperous, healed, etc. All of the things that believers in the New Covenant are “trying” to accomplish have already been completed by Jesus. All of the blessings are freely given. This is the grace of God. We are not “trying” to be blessed; we are blessed! We are not “trying” to be a better Christian; we have been perfected by Jesus Christ. We can finally stop “trying” and rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of God is not about what we can accomplish, it is about enjoying the free gifts that Jesus Christ has purchased for us.
Prayer: 10 Minutes:
If there is any situation in your life that needs prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to pray through you for that situation. The Holy Spirit makes intercession for us according to the will of God. It is the perfect prayer and is always answered!
Announcements:
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Share God’s goodness together.
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Amen