Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace N E W

H O P E

C H U R C H

End times

Authored By:

Rev. Mark Odle

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Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now I am found, was blind but now I see, T’was grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved.

Understanding what is so Amazing about Grace.

Grace as defined in the Greek Text Grace = the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection through one’s life.

Why is Grace so Amazing?     

Regardless of where you find yourself Regardless of what you think about God Regardless of who you are Regardless of when you call upon the Lord Regardless if you don’t call upon the Lord

God’s divine influence upon your heart is there trying to make that needed change in your life, in order to help you be right with God.

II Peter 3:9 NCV The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives.

It is important that you understand God’s divine influence!  As pertaining to eternal life  As pertaining to your heart  As pertaining to your daily walk

Where are you seeing his divine influence personally?

Amazing Grace

How sweet the sound Understanding sin --- and its effect upon life.

Romans 5:12 NCV Sin came into the world because of what one man did, and with sin came death. This is why everyone must die—because everyone sinned.

Let’s go back to the beginning:

A Commandment Made Genesis 2:15-17 KJV (15) And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. (16) And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest eat freely, (17) But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

The Commandment Broken Genesis 3:6 KJV And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Sin Entered Genesis 3:7 KJV And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

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Amazing Grace

Now God’s Grace comes:

Romans 5:15, 18, 21 NCV (15) But God’s free gift is not like Adam’s sin. Many people died because of the sin of that one man. But the grace from God was much greater: many people received God’s gift of life by the grace of one man, Jesus Christ. (18) So as one sin of Adam brought the punishment of death to all people, one good act that Christ did makes all people right with God. And that brings true life for all. (21) Sin once used death to rule us, but God gave more of his grace so that grace could rule by making people right with him. And this brings life forever through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Facts:  Adam’s one sin brings death  Christ’s one act of grace brings life

Grace over sin --- brings eternal life

Sin over grace --- brings eternal death

Oh, how sweet the sound of Amazing Grace!

Amazing Grace

That Saved a Wretch like Me The Gift of God

We have a Choice to make!  Being spiritually dead  Having spiritual life

Spiritually Dead: Ephesians 2:1-10 NCV (1) In the past you were spiritually dead because of your sins and the things you did against God. (2) Yes, in the past you lived the way the world lives, following the ruler of the evil powers that are above the earth. That same spirit is now working in those who refuse to obey God. (3) In the past all of us lived like them, trying to please our sinful selves and doing all the things our bodies and minds wanted. We should have suffered God’s anger because of the way we were. We were the same as all other people.

Spiritual Life: (4) But God’s mercy is great, and he loved us very much. (5) Though we were spiritually dead because of the things we did against God, he gave us new life with Christ. You have been saved by God’s grace. (6) And he raised us up with Christ and gave us a seat with him in the heavens. He did this for those in Christ Jesus (7) so that for all future time he could show the very great riches of his grace by being kind to us in Christ Jesus. (8) I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves: It is a gift from God. (9) It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it. (10) God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.

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Amazing Grace

It is a Gift from God:

The Gift:  New life with Christ  Saved by Grace  A seat with him in the heavens

The Giver:  God

When is this gift yours?  When you reach out and accept God’s saving grace by faith believing it is for you.

Do you have this Gift?

Do you desire to have this Gift?

If you know that you are spiritually dead, as you are right now, and desire to have spiritual life and if you are willing to accept God’s gift of life, would you pray?

Dear God: I know that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus died for my sins, and arose again. I ask you to forgive me of all my sins, and ask you, Jesus, to come into my heart. Thank you God for saving me and giving me eternal life. I now give myself to you. Be the Lord of my life. In Jesus’ name. A-Men.

Amazing Grace

I Once was lost but now I am Found Can it be that easy?

Can that gift be mine?

Romans 10:9-13 NCV (9) If you use your mouth to say, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved. (10) We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we use our mouths to say that we believe, and so we are saved. (11) As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.” (12) The Scripture says “anyone” because there is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is the Lord of all and gives many blessings to all who trust in him. (13) As the Scripture says, “Anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved.”

Is it possible to simply believe in your heart and confess with your mouth and be saved?

My granddaughter Elizabeth came to me at the age of six and said, “Grandpa I want to be baptized.” I sat down with her after being asked about the 10th time and explained what it meant to be baptized. First: You must understand that Jesus died for us on the cross, was buried, then on the third day arose and came alive again, and is now with God in heaven. She said so easily and real, “Grandpa, I believe!” I questioned in my mind, what do I do now? In the next few days, Elizabeth began to tell people that she had gotten saved at Grandpa’s.

Then God’s Word spoke to my heart. Rom. 10:9 If you use your mouth to say, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.

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Amazing Grace

Acts 8:36-37 KJV --- And the Eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

Elizabeth had just done this very thing, and had wanted to do it all week. She just needed to know how to be saved.

Facts of Salvation:  If you believe in your heart --- God raised Jesus from the dead --- You will be saved  Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed  Anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved

If Elizabeth, at the age of six, could understand her need for salvation, and that it is that simple, can you?

Elizabeth was baptized just a few weeks later, by Grandpa!

Amazing Grace

Was Blind, but now I See Being the Christian God wants you to be

Philippians 2:12-18 NCV 12. My dear friends, you have always obeyed God when I was with you. It is even more important that you obey now while I am away from you. Keep on working to complete your salvation with fear and trembling. 13. Because God is working in you to help you want and to do and be able to do what pleases him. 14. Do everything without complaining or arguing. 15. Then you will be innocent and without any wrong. You will be God’s children without fault. But you are living with crooked and mean people all around you, among whom you shine like stars in the dark world. 16. You offer the teaching that gives life. So when Christ comes again, I can be happy because my work was not wasted. I ran the race and won. 17. Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God. If I have to offer my own blood with your sacrifice, I will be happy and full of joy with all of you. 18. You also should be happy and full of joy with me.

It’s important to understand:  God’s Amazing Grace  Sin and it’s effect upon man  The Gift of God  The moment of Salvation But we still have another step to understand  Being the Christian God wants me to be

Keys to the life as a Christian: 1. Keep on working to complete your salvation 2. Do everything without complaining or arguing 3. You offer teaching that gives life 4. Offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God

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Amazing Grace

Explanation of Life as a Christian

1. Keep on working to complete your salvation with fear and trembling.  Salvation is lived out every day, the rest of your life.  Fear --- means reverence or respect  Trembling --- acknowledging sin and understanding its power to bring death

You won’t be alone in working to complete your salvation:  Because God is working in you to help you  Help you want and to do and be able to do  What pleases him

With God on your side you can!!! 2. Do everything without complaining or arguing.  Then you will be innocent and without wrong  You will be God’s children without fault  Shine like stars in a dark world

But don’t forget: You are living with crooked and mean people all around you.

Always remember: 3. You offer teaching that gives life.  Who do you know that is lost in their sin?  Can you share with them how to be saved?  Salvation is for them also!

What do I do now? 4. Offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God. Serving God:  Going to church  Praying for others  Reading and studying your bible  Telling others of their need for salvation  Using your talents and gifts for God.

Amazing Grace

T’was Grace that taught my Heart to Fear And Grace my Fears Relieved In Romans 5:1-11, we find 7 Treasures in Being Right with God.

Romans 5:1-11 NCV

(1) Since we have been made right with God by our faith, We have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2) who has brought us into the blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory. (3) We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. (4) And patience produces character, and character produces hope. (5) And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us. (6) When we were unable to help ourselves, at the moment of our need, Christ died for us, although we were living against God. (7) Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die. (8) But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners. (9) So through Christ we will surely be saved from God’s anger, because we have been made right with God by the blood of Christ’s death. (10) While we were God’s enemies, he made friends with us through the death of his Son. Surely, now that we are his friends, he will save us through his Son’s life. (11) And not that, but now we are also very happy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we are now God’s friends again.

The 7 treasures in being right with God: (1) We have peace with God (2) The blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy (3) We are happy (4) We also have joy with our troubles (5) God has poured out his love to fill our hearts (6) Through Christ we will surely be saved from God’s anger (7) We are now God’s friends again

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Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now I am found Was blind but now I see T’was grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved

Are you amazed with Gods Grace? Is the sound of salvation sweet to you? Have you come to Christ to be saved? Are your fears relieved?

If not, please take time right now to do so!

If yes, rejoice forever more!

Notes

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