PILGRIMS, WE WORSHIP AND SERVE THE GOD OF ALL GRACE

PHBC January 2, 9, 2000

Series: First Peter, Sermon #87

PILGRIMS, WE WORSHIP AND SERVE THE GOD OF ALL GRACE

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:10-14

TEXT: 1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

INTRO: It occurred to me, as I started preparing this message, that nothing could be more appropriate for this first message in this first service of the New Year than the one I am preaching this morning. I have called it, Pilgrims, We Worship and Serve the God of All Grace.

I hope you will let the first phrase in this verse sink into your mind and heart. Immediately after warning these pilgrims of Satan’s desire to devour and calling on them to resist him steadfastly, Peter, born along by the Holy Spirit, turns their attention to the God of all grace. He reminds them that the God of all grace has called them unto his eternal glory. Can there be any higher expression of grace than that—that the high and infinitely holy and perfectly just God of Heaven would call such unworthy worms as we are unto his eternal glory.

Yes, there is a higher expression of grace than that. He further tells them that the God of all grace has called us unto this eternal glory by Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son whom he sent into the world to die so that he might call us to this eternal glory. Then, Peter tells them that there will be an end to their suffering for that is just for a while to bring them to perfection, or maturity, and to stablish, settle and strengthen them.

I. GOD IS TRULY THE GOD OF ALL GRACE

A. Consider the Lord’s own proclamation to Moses when he appeared to him on the mountain that burned with fire. Exodus 34:5-8 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. 8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

1. How could anyone keep from worshipping after such a declaration of God’s grace and mercy.

2. Consider the content of this declaration.

a. He calls attention to his identity—he is the LORD God.

b. He is the LORD God, who is merciful, and how we do need mercy.

c. He is the LORD God, who gracious and his grace is amazing and wonderful.

d. He is the LORD God, who is longsuffering, something we who are so prone to wander need in our God.

e. He is the LORD God, who is abundant in goodness and truth.

f. He is the LORD God who keeps mercy for thousands.

g. He is the LORD God who forgives iniquity and transgression and sin.

h. He is just exactly the kind of God we sinners need and Pilgrims, this is the wonderfully gracious God whom we serve and worship.

B. Consider David’s estimation of God’s grace. Psalm 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

C. God is so full of grace that when he forgives our sins he casts them into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:18-20 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old

1. God is so gracious that he separates our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

2. God is so gracious that he blots out our sins and will not remember them—men may remember them but God does not ever bring them up against us again. Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Jeremiah 31:34 I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

D. He is the God whose grace super abounds over sin. Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

1. Sin abounded in the life of Saul of Tarsus but grace did much more abound. 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

2. Sin abounded in the life of a woman caught in adultery but grace did much more abound. John 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

3. Sin abounded in the life of the woman of Samaria but grace did much more abound. John 4:29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

4. Time forbids me to cite more examples but the Bible is full of illustrations of the abounding grace of God, even in the lives of the saved—David, Solomon, and others.

E. He is the God whose grace reigns because his throne is a throne of grace. Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

1. Sinned reigned in our own lives until grace deposed it.

2. Where divine and sovereign grace reigns, sin cannot reign. Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

F. He is the God of reigning grace and therefore sovereign grace. Exodus 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. Romans 9:15-23 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

G. There is great comfort in knowing that God is the God of all grace. Psalm 145:8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

1. Being gracious he is full of compassion toward those who are the objects of his grace.

2. Being gracious he is longsuffering and slow to anger to the objects of his grace.

3. Being gracious he is of great mercy to those who are the objects of his grace.

H. It is interesting that one of Jonah’s complaints and one of the reasons he fled to Tarshish was his knowledge of God’s graciousness and he wanted to keep God from being gracious to that great city of Gentiles. Jonah 4:2-3 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

I. He who will take a bunch of vile, hell-deserving sinners and call them to his eternal glory is surely deserving of the designation of the God of all Grace.

J. Because he is the God of all grace, he deserves our worship, praise and service.

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