Grace is Greater  

One of my favorite places to visit is  

also one of the most unnerving places.  

I love taking trips and tours through  

caverns. Has anyone else done that?  

Toured a cavern? There’s one  

particular cavern in Pennsylvania that  

I’ve visited several times, both with  

family and on field trips as a teacher  

and a parent. It’s called Penn’s Cave  

Caverns.  

I know there are caverns here in  

Virginia, and perhaps one similar to  

Penn’s Cave, but what I love most  

about this one is that you tour it by  

boat.  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

Once you reach the center of the  

cavern, the guide turns off the lights,  

and you’re left sitting in complete  

darkness. I mean DARKNESS, the  

kind where your eyes never adjust,  

and you can’t even see your hand in  

front of your face.  

It’s scary and cold, and even though  

you’re surrounded by ten other people  

in the boat, it feels eerie, quiet, and  

even strangely lonely. Honestly, if you  

left me there without a light, I’d have  

no idea which way to go, left, right,  

up, or down, to find my way out.  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

Picture yourself in the dark, in that  

boat. And as you do, let me suggest  

another dark place many have  

visited…. DESPAIR.  

It’s not just sadness; it’s a place, a  

dark, hollow place of complete loss  

and absence of hope.  

Despair feels like this… You can’t see  

the way out. You reach your hand out  

but all you feel is cold, damp walls.  

You keep walking, hoping to find the  

light, but the tunnel only seems to go  

deeper.  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

The Psalmist knows this place:  

Psalm 88:6  

“You have put me in the lowest pit, in  

the darkest depths…  

You have taken from me my closest  

friends and have made me repulsive to  

them.  

Darkness is my closest friend.”  

If despair is this deep emotional  

tunnel, then hope is the light we long  

to see at the end. But sometimes the  

tunnel feels too dark, and the light too  

distant. That’s why God gives us 

something stronger than a match,  

stronger than any temporary fix…  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

Despair isn’t rare, we have all  

experienced it. 

You may be in that place right now.  

There are many things that can plunge  

us into despair. Actually, the very  

topics we have covered in this Grace  

is greater series, can leave you in  

despair, brokenness, guilt, and  

wounds. The loss of a loved one, a  

broken family relationship or divorce,  

loneliness, anxiety, depression, doubt,  

and the list can go on and on.  

When despair seems to swallow us up,  

Isolation, Distortion and Desperation  

crawl toward us.  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

Isolation, we start to pull away from  

God, people, community, the enemy  

convinces us that we are alone, and  

that no one understands or that we are  

a burden to others. Sometimes we stop  

attending church, we stop praying or  

worshipping.  

Despair allows distortion. It blurs or  

distorts what we know to be true, and  

before we know it God feels distant,  

even though He is right in front of our  

face. It twists how we see God,  

ourselves, and our circumstances.  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

Once we’re isolated and our vision is 

distorted, we lose our footing and  

Desperation sets in. In fact, those two  

words – Despair and Desperation- are  

very closely related.  

We stop expecting anything good to  

come. We act out of fear or numbness  

instead of faith. Despair convinces us  

the story is over, that there’s no way  

forward.  

In our desperation, if we aren’t careful,  

we try to light temporary lights,  

matches.  

Lights that end up burning us.  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

We start to scramble for false light  

in the darkest tunnels. 

A.Match of Control:  

Sometimes, in the darkness of despair,  

we reach for what I call the match of  

control. 

A tiny flicker we hope will push back  

the shadows. We try to take control, to  

fix what’s breaking, to manage what  

we can’t. 

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

So we start planning every detail,  

believing perfect schedules will block  

anxiety. 

We hover over our kids, trying to  

protect them from every hurt. 

We replay conversations in our minds,  

wishing we could take back the words  

we said. 

We tighten our grip on our finances,  

hoping security will quiet our fears. 

We try to manage other people’s  

choices, steering them where we think  

they should go. 

And sometimes, we even try to control  

God Himself, telling Him how and  

when to move. 

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

Control burns bright for a second, but  

it never lights the way. It only leaves  

us exhausted and in the dark again.  

(Blow out the match.)  

B. The Match of Destruction  

And then, there’s another match we  

sometimes strike in the tunnel 

the match of destruction. 

When pain feels too heavy and hope  

feels too far away, 

we reach for anything that promises  

even a moment of relief. 

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

So we turn to substances-drinking,  

drugs, or reckless thrills-to numb the  

ache. 

We let anger turn outward, lashing out  

at the very people who love us most. 

We make reckless decisions-gambling,  

taking risks-just to feel something  

again. 

We cling to toxic relationships,  

holding tight to those who only wound  

us deeper. 

And sometimes, heartbreakingly, we  

turn that pain inward…hurting  

ourselves in ways we were never  

meant to. 

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

It burns fast. It hurts. The tunnel  

doesn’t get any lighter, sometimes it  

even feels darker. 

C. The Match of Comfort  

And then, there’s the match of  

comfort.  

When the darkness feels too heavy  

and the ache too deep, 

we reach for something, anything, that  

might make us feel okay, even for a  

little while. 

Sometimes, despair tempts us to light  

a match that feels safe, something that  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

warms for a moment, but doesn’t help  

us find the light at the end of the  

tunnel. 

So we seek approval and  

validation…online, or in the people  

around us. 

We turn to food or drink to soothe the  

emptiness we don’t want to face. 

We overspend, convincing ourselves  

that one more purchase might fill the  

void inside. 

We sleep too much, or avoid what  

hurts, hoping that if we ignore it long  

enough, it might just disappear. 

We strike the match of comfort,  

hoping it will warm us, 

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

but it only flickers for a moment  

before the darkness returns. 

(Blow out the Match)  

When we rely on these fleeting  

comforts, we may feel a brief sense of  

relief, but the darkness soon returns,  

sometimes stronger than before. The  

warmth fades because these matches  

were never meant to guide us forward;  

they only distract us from the true  

source of light.  

Real hope, healing, and peace come  

not from momentary flames but from  

trusting the One who is the light of the  

world.  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

SLIDE:1 Corinthians 10:13  

“No temptation has overtaken you  

except what is common to mankind.  

And God is faithful; He will not let  

you be tempted beyond what you can  

bear. But when you are tempted, He  

will also provide a way out so that  

you can endure it.”  

All these matches – control,  

destruction and comfort are temporary.  

They give the illusion of light but  

leave us in darkness with no place to  

go. A Christian in despair is immobile,  

and that’s exactly the position the  

enemy wants us to be.  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

Transition into Peter Video:  

I wonder what you consider the  

darkest moment in Scripture? I think  

of Jesus dying of course. But just  

before that a different darkness settled  

on a man from the Bible you’ve come  

to know well.  

As we drop into Matthew 26, Jesus  

had just been arrested, He is now  

before the Sanhedrin, about to be  

condemned to death. Just moments  

earlier, Jesus informed Peter that Peter  

would betray him 3 times before the  

rooster’s crow.  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

When Jesus said this, Peter thought it  

was absurd. “Me, Jesus, I would  

never betray you. I will die for you, I  

would go to prison for you!”  

(Paraphrase). As a matter a fact, it was  

Peter who cut the guard’s ear off when  

trying to arrest Jesus in the garden.  

Peter made great promises. But you  

know what happened to him, don’t  

you?  

His grand promises led to denial,  

deceit and then, the dark place of  

despair. One moment he was bold and  

confident; the next, he was filled with  

shame, regret, and despair.  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

SLIDE: Read Matthew 26:69-75  

Meanwhile, Peter was sitting  

outside in the courtyard. A servant  

girl came over and said to him,  

“You were one of those with Jesus  

the Galilean.” 

70 But Peter denied it in front of  

everyone. “I don’t know what  

you’re talking about,” he said. 

71 Later, out by the gate, another  

servant girl noticed him and said  

to those standing around, “This  

man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

72 Again Peter denied it, this time  

with an oath. “I don’t even know  

the man,” he said. 

73 A little later some of the other  

bystanders came over to Peter  

and said, “You must be one of  

them; we can tell by your Galilean  

accent.” 

74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if  

I’m lying—I don’t know the man!”  

And immediately the rooster  

crowed. 

75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed  

through Peter’s mind: “Before the  

rooster crows, you will deny three  

times that you even know me.”  

Grace is Greater than Despair  

Part 1 

And he went away, weeping  

bitterly. 

It’s no coincidence that the Story of  

Peter’s betrayal is written in all four  

gospels, because despair is not rare.  

If you want to see despair…pay  

attention  

And remember: just as Peter’s story  

doesn’t end in the darkness, ours  

doesn’t have to either. 

· PETER IS IN A BAD PLACE 

· PETER IS ON THE BRINK- REALIZES WHAT HES DONE 

· SOMETIMES ITS WHATS BEEN DONE TO YOU 

· THE LOOK AND THE REACTION-SEEMS LIKE DESPAIR 

· ALL HOPE IS LOST-BETRAYED JESUS- HES GONNA DIE 

· GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR BROKENESS 

· GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR GUILT 

· GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR WOUNDS 

YOU HAVE TO FORGIVE LIKE YOU BEEN FORGIVEN 

AND IF THEY DON’T PAY YOU BACK/MAKE AN APOLOGY 

ITS NOT GRACE 

GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR DESPAIR 

· WHEN SOMEONE GETS PHYSICALLY SICK WE NEVER THINK A THING ABOUT IT- 

· WE NEVER WOULD LOOK AT THEM DIFFERENTLY OR TREAT THEM DIFFERENTLY- GET TREATMENT 

· WHEN IT COMES MENTALLY FATIGUED AND STRUGGLING 

· BATTLING ANXIETY- DEPRESSION- 

· EMOTIOINALLY FATIGUED AND STRUGGLING 

· SPIRITUALLY STRUGGLING 

· DESPAIR SEEMS TO BE BEYOND EVEN THAT 

· PLACE PEOPLE FIND THEMSELVES BELIEVE NO HOPE. 

· I’M NOT A COUNSELOR/CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST 

· BUT WE MIGHT HAVE SOME IN THIS PLACE 

· PROBABLY HAVE MORE HEADED TO THIS PLACE 

· IM PRAYING WE COULD HELP PREVENT THAT AND THE LORD WOULD INTERVENE- 

· HOLY SPIRIT SPEAK TODAY 

· DO YOU REMEMBER THESE BOOKS?  

· THEY WERE WILDLY POPULAR 

· WE GOT TO PICK THE ENDING 

· MANY WOULD SAY- I WOULDN’T CHANGE THIS 

· MANY WOULD- THIS IS NOT WHAT I PLANNED 

SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:3 

3. “ELIJAH WAS AFRAID AND RAN FOR HIS LIFE. WHEN HE CAME TO BEERSHEBA IN JUDAH, HE LEFT HIS SERVANT THERE, (WHY) WHY GO ALONE? 

SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:4 

WHILE HE HIMSELF WENT A DAYS JOURNEY INTO THE WILDERNESS. HE CAME TO A BROOM BUSH, SAT DOWN UNDER IT AND PRAYED THAT HE MIGHT DIE. 

SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:4 

I HAVE HAD ENOUGH, LORD, “HE SAID. “TAKE MY LIFE; I AM NO BETTER THAN MY ANCESTORS.” 

SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:5 

5. THEN HE LAY DOWN UNDER A BUSH AND FELL ASLEEP. ALL AT ONCE AN ANGEL TOUCHED HIM AND SAID, “GET UP AND EAT.” 

SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:5 

6. HE LOOKED AROUND, AND THERE BY HIS HEAD WAS SOME BREAD BAKED OVER HOT COALS, AND A JAR OF WATER. HE ATE AND DRANK AND THEN LAY DOWN AGAIN. 

SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:7 

7. THE ANGEL OF THE LORD CAME BACK A SECOND TIME AND TOUCHED HIM AND SAID, “GET UP AND EAT, FOR THE JOURNEY IS TOO MUCH FOR YOU.” 

SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:8 

8. SO HE GOT UP AND ATE AND DRANK. STRENGTHENED BY THAT FOOD, HE TRAVELED 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS UNTIL HE REACHED HOREB, THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD. 

SCRIPTURE I KINGS 19:9 

9. THERE HE WENT INTO A CAVE AND SPENT THE NIGHT. 

· ELIJAH- JUST CELEBRATED 1 GREATEST MIRACLES 

· RUNS- BY HIMSELF- TREE-WILDERNESS-CAVE 

· DESPAIR 

· 40 DAYS- 40 NIGHTS- DESPAIR 

· SCRIPTURE REVEALS FOLKS IN DESPAIR 8:30 

AGONY IS THE EXPRESSION OF DESPAIR 

I WANT HOLY DESPAIR NOT EMPTY DESPAIR 

· RESEARCHERS AT UC SAN DIEGO 

· STUDIED SPOILER ALERTS- IMPROVED ENJOYMENT 

· TIME WATCHING GAMES ALREADY HAPPENED 

KYLE IDELMAN- DAUGHTER 11 

JUST KEEP READING… 

· CORRIE TEN BOOM 

· CAPTURED IN 1944- THEY WERE HIDING JEWS 

· NAZIS IMPRISONED HER FATHER/SISTER 

· “There is no pit so deep, the love of God is not deeper still,” 

· When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer” 

SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 7:10 

10. “FOR GOD SOMETIMES USES SORROW IN OUR LIVES TO HELP US TURN AWAY FROM SIN AND SEEK ETERNAL LIFE” 

PSALM 40 

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. 3 He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord 

PETER-DAVID-ELIJAH-2 ON EMMAUS ROAD-MARY MAGDALENE 

· GRACE doesn’t just forgive our sin or heal our brokenness; it meets us in our despair and lays a pathway out. 

THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF A SEASON OF DESPAIR 

1. DRAW ME CLOSER TO JESUS 

2. MAKE ME MORE LIKE JESUS 

GREATEST HOPE AND EVIDENCE OF GODS GRACE 

ITS PETER 

JESUS COMES BACK TO PETER AND DOESN’T REPRIMAND 

JESUS WELCOMES/INVITES 

IF PETER CAN GET TO DESPAIR 

JOHN THE BAPTIST 14 MINUTES 

ELIJAH 

SO CAN YOU- AND HIS GRACE IS GREATER 

WE HAVE CARDS FOR YOU TODAY TO WRITE ON 

GRACE IS GREATER ON THIS SIDE 

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO WRITE ON THIS SIDE 

WHAT DOES GRACE LOOK LIKE? 

TEARS THAT HEAL A FRIEND WHO LISTENS 

A HUG SCRIPTURE 

PRAYER GETTING OUT OF BED 

WORSHIP SONG A TEXT MESASAGE 

RESTING IN GODS PRESENCE 

Dia de la Raza- DAY OF THE RACES 

Heritage celebration is an Esperanza Viva Annual event that celebrates the gift of our diverse races within our church. From the message, music, activities, and food, everything is planned with an evangelistic heart and motive. 

PANAMA COFFEE 

Invite your Spanish-speaking friend and join us in celebrating what God has made 

https://www.bible.com/events/49505375

Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus 

Grace is Greater Part 6 

Grace is greater than despair. 

Today, we are continuing our Teaching series called “Grace is Greater” 

This series keys off a book by the same title, and it is written by Pastor and author Kyle Idleman. 

Throughout this series, we want to be reminded of God’s grace in our lives. To understand that His grace is greater than any sin, any brokenness, any failure or regret in my life, and the lives of others around us. We want to experience that great grace in our own lives and see how that grace serves to change our world. 

We don’t want ever want to forget God’s grace. 

Today we want to experience the greatness of God’s grace in the places of our despair. 

Despair. The complete loss or absence of hope. 

Characterized by a loss of faith and trust in God’s promises. 

Perhaps an overwhelming feeling that God has forgotten about you, or that everything has been taken away. Marked by a complete loss of desire to do…anything 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭2‬‬ 

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 

This is King David, who lived about 1000 years before Jesus, he was the King of Israel. 

As a boy, he had fought wild beasts defending his fathers sheep. He was a mighty warrior who took down literal giants. He had his flaws and battles with sin, and yet, the still bible calls him a man after God’s own heart. 

This great man of God and fearless leader, was not immune to feelings of despair. His life got messy on more than a few occasions. 

In his younger days, before he was king, His boss king Saul tried to kill him several times. Many years later, even His own son would turn on him. 

We know that David dealt with despair, because we have some entries from his prayer journal. Prayers like Psalm 13. 

As David prays in this Psalm, he says that he feels as if God has forgotten him. Like he couldn’t see the Lord, as if he was hiding. 

That’s what despair does. It takes our minds and our focus off of the faithfulness and goodness of God. 

How long do I have to wrestle with these thoughts, how long do I have to carry this sorrow God? God how long are you going to hide from me? 

How long is this anxiety, these run-away thoughts, this grief in my heart- God how long do I have to stay in this place. 

These are questions of despair. 

That you experience despair, is not necessarily a reflection of a lack of faith, it doesn’t automatically mean we have done something wrong. It simply means that we are here, where life is hard, and the battles are real. 

The greatest men and women of faith in the bible delt with it too. 

We might not be able to control the thoughts or the feelings that come into our mind, but friends, we do have a choice in what we do with them. 

The reflection of our faith in the Lord, our confidence in his grace, comes in what we choose to do with those feelings. 

We can choose to believe that God’s grace is greater than that despair. 

The Lord is working all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. The Lord is doing that, and he doesn’t want you to miss it. 

Don’t allow despair to become your destination. Press on to hope. 

HOPE- From Psalm 13 

H-Honest with your struggles. (Vs. 1-2) 

O-Open up to God. (Vs. 3-4) 

P-Preach to yourself.(Vs. 5) 

E-Engage in worship. (Vs. 6) 

God’s grace is greater than despair! 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭6‬‬ 

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. 

BAPTISM RECAP VIDEO 

• WELCOME- HERE 

• LAST WEEK- WE CELEBRATED BAPTISM TOGETHER 

• PACKED OUT IN HERE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS 

• 15 PEOPLE WENT PUBLIC WITH RESPONSE JESUS 

• THIS WEEK-CONTINUE SERIES GRACE IS GREATER 

• HEBREWS 12:14-15 

¹⁴Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵See to it that no one MISSES the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 

PREVIOUS WEEKS 

• PREVENIENT GRACE– GRACE THAT WOOING US 

• GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR BROKENESS 

• GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR GUILT 

WHEN GRACE MOVES IN- GUILT MOVES OUT  

WOODY HAYES PICTURE                                             

• LEGENDARY COACH OF OHIO STATE FOOTBALL 

•  Hayes five times NATIONAL CHAMPIONS  

• On December 29, 1978, the Buckeyes played in the Gator Bowl against Clemson. 

• CHARLIE BAUMAN-INTERCEPTS PASS 

• HAYES PUNCHES HIM-THROAT 

• NEXT DAY HE IS FIRED- DIDN’T WANT  

TOM LANDRY PICTURE 

• DALLAS COWBOYS COACH 

• BEING HONORED AT A PRESTIGIOUS BANQUET 

• LANDRY COULDN’T TAKE HIS WIFE- TAKES HAYES 

• EVERYONE ELSE WAS BEATING HIM UP 

• I FIGURED WAS WOUNDED ENOUGH 

• DISGRACED COACH HAYES– EXTENDED GRACE BY LANDRY 

GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR BROKENESS 

YOUR GUILT 

YOUR WOUNDS–       WHAT DO YOUR WOUNDS PRODUCE?  

WHO IS T GREATEST? 

MATTHEW 18:21 

  21. “THEN PETER CAME TO JESUS AND ASKED, “LORD, HOW MANY TIMES SHALL I FORGIVE MY BROTHER OR SISTER WHO SINS AGAINST ME? UP TO 7 TIMES? 

MATTHEW 18:22 

  22. JESUS ANSWERED “I TELL YOU NOT SEVEN TIMES, BUT SEVENTY SEVEN TIMES.” 

NUMBERS SLIDE    

    3- THAT’S WHAT THE TALMUD SAID- 3 TIMES 

   7- PETER THOUGHT I WILL MORE THAN DOUBLE IT 

 77- JESUS SAYS IN THIS TRANSLATION 77 TIMES 

490- IN ANOTHER TRANSLATION HE SAYS 70X7-490    

• PETER DOESN’T ASK JESUS A GENERAL QUESTION 

   ²³“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. ²⁵Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.  (150 MILLION) 

²⁶“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. (PARTIAL PAYMENT?) 

²⁸“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. (20$) He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. (CHOKE-HANDS NECK) 

²⁹“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 

³⁰“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.        (COMMUNITY WITNESSED NO GRACE) 

³²“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.   

MATTHEW 18:35 

   ³⁵“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” 

• FROM YOUR LOGIC- FROM YOUR FEELINGS 

• FROM YOUR REASON AND UNDERSTANDING 

• STORY ABOUT GRACE -MET WITH NO GRACE 

• DO WE REFLECT THE MASTERS HEART? 

RED CROSS SYMBOL                                         

• COME HERE FOR  

PROTECTION-AID- A GLOBAL SYMBOL-OPEN TO ALL  

WOUNDS 

   LACERATION- PUNCTURED WOUND-AVULSION 

   CONTUSION(BRUISE)-HEMATOMA- BURNS 

   WHAT ABOUT A PAPER CUT? 

TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS– IT DOESN’T 

•  SO YOUNG- WE DON’T UNDERSTAND WOUNDS 

• SOME OF US HAVEN’T LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE TO NOT HAVE WOUNDS 

• SOME WOUNDED BY CHURCH- IS THAT WORSE? 

• EXPECTATION IS CHURCH SHOULD NEVER DO THAT 

• WHY ITS FULL OF WOUNDED PEOPLE- NOT EXCUSE 

“WELL IF THEY APOLOGIZE” – THAT’S NOT GRACE 

IF THEY PAY ME BACK- THAT’S NOT GRACE 

IF THEY MAKE IT RIGHT 

THEY OWE YOU AN EXPLANATION– THEY OWE YOU A CHILDHOOD – THEY OWE YOU A JOB BACK 

MARIE KONDO 

• ART OF DECLUTTERING- DOES IT SPARK JOY? 

• MANY OF US RUMINATE ON WHAT DOESN’T 

• EPHESIANS 4- PAUL CONTRASTS LIFE-GET RID OF BITTERNESS/RAGE/SLANDER/MALICE  

JOHN 20:19                                         

  19. ON THE EVENING OF THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, WHEN THE DISCSIPLES WERE TOGETHER, WITH THE DOORS LOCKED FOR THE FEAR OF THE JEWISH LEADERS, 

JOHN 20:20 

  20. JESUS CAME AND STOOD AMONG THEM AND SAID, “PEACE BE WITH YOU!” 

JOHN 20:21 

  21. AFTER HE SAID THIS, HE SHOWED THEM HIS HANDS  AND SIDE. THE DISCIPLES WERE OVERJOYED WHEN THEY SAW THE LORD.  

JOHN 20:21 

  21. AGAIN JESUS SAID, “PEACE BE WITH YOU! AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, I AM SENDING YOU.” 

JOHN 20:22 

  22. AND WITH THAT HE BREATHED ON THEM AND SAID, “RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

JOHN 20:23 

  23. IF YOU FORGIVE ANYONE’S SINS, THEIR SINS ARE FORGIVEN; IF YOU DO NOT FORGVE THEM, THEY ARE NOT FORGIVEN.  

JOHN 20:25 

  25. “BUT HE SAID TO THEM, “UNLESS I SEE THE NAIL MARKS IN HIS HANDS AND PUT MY FINGER WHERE THE NAILS WERE, AND PUT MY HAND INTO HIS SIDE, I WILL NOT BELIEVE.” 

JOHN 20:26 

  26. A WEEK LATER HIS DISCIPLES WERE IN THE HOUSE AGAIN, AND THOMAS WAS WITH THEM.  

JOHN 20:26 

  26. THOUGH THE DOORS WERE LOCKED, JESUS CAME AND STOOD AMONG THEM AND SAID, “PEACE BE WITH YOU!” 

JOHN 20:27 

  27. THEN HE SAID TO THOMAS, “PUT YOUR FINGER HERE; SEE MY HANDS. REACH OUT YOUR HAND AND PUT IT INTO MY SIDE. STOP DOUBTING AND BELIEVE.” 

JOHN 20:28 

  28. THOMAS SAID TO HIM, “MY LORD AND MY GOD”  

VIDEO                                                                     

• GRACE RECEIVED IS HARD FOR SOME. 

• GRACE EXTENDED SEEMS HARDER 

LISTEN LOVED ONES “ALISTER BEGG” WOULD SAY 

GRACE ALWAYS FLOWS-IT IS NOT STAGNANT 

GRACE > BROKENESS- GUILT- WOUNDS-REVENGE-REPAY 

• JESUS POST RESURECTION APPEARS 2 EMMAUS RD 

   ²⁸As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. ²⁹But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 

³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³²They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” 

³³They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together³⁴and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” ³⁵Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. 

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 

Psalm 147:3 

 
ISAIAH 53:5 

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 

• YOUR WOUNDS DO NOT DEFINE YOU 

• JESUS WOUNDS DEFINE YOU 

COMMUNION                                                                                  

• The Lord’s Supper is also a celebration and proclamation of Jesus’ real, spiritual presence with us, of the forgiveness offered to us through Christ’s work on the cross, and of the ongoing spiritual nourishment 
  he provides us. 

• It is also a celebration of the unity of Christ’s body, the church, as well as a meal of hope, of anticipating the heavenly feast of Christ’s coming kingdom.  

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”  For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.     1 Corinthians 11:23-26 

WOUNDS – WHAT DO YOUR WOUNDS PRODUCE? 

IS THE HURT DONE TO YOU GREATER THAN THE GRACE YOU HAVE TO GIVE?  

YOUR NOT GONNA BE ASKED TO FORGIVE MORE THAN YOU HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN 

Grace is Greater: Wounds 

• Button in a tourist shop:to err is human, to forgive is out of the question. 

• Many of the Epistles, letters in the back of your Bible, mention something of grace and peace in their opening greetings. 2 Timothy 2, begins with Paul’s admonition to Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 

• God’s Riches At Christ Expense = (GRACE). 

• But what does this mean in an experiential sense? How can we live according to grace? To be “strong in grace.”? 

• The answer is quite plain and simple:  

• We grow strong in grace when we understand God’s unconditional forgiveness of us, then learn to unconditionally forgive others. 

• WHAT IS FORGIVENESS? 

• (SLIDE) Forgiveness = Deliberate release of anger, resentment, and other negative feelings toward someone who has wronged you 

• DO YOU WANT TO BE FREED TODAY? 

• When Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed! 

• The Spirit of God wants to set someone free today—perhaps it is YOU. 

• (SLIDE) Hebrews 12:14-15 (tells us what happens when we fall short of grace): 

• Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 

• Not forgiving means to fall short of the grace of God, and that results in bitterness.  

• A root of bitterness doesn’t destroy the other person, but instead destroys ourselves and those closest to us  

• There is no middle ground with forgiveness. We either apply God’s grace or we follow a road toward bitterness. 

• MESSAGE: 

• (SLIDE) Ephesians 4:30-32 

• 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 

• Christians, those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, are called on to ”put away” the things which entangle unbelievers — what used to rule our hearts. 

• This includes SINS such as malice (spite and desire to do ill towards someone) wrong, slander, commotion (rage/anger/brawling), and bitterness.  

• Instead, being changed by God’s spirit, we should demonstrate a Christ-like attitude of love and forgiveness. 

• 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  

• DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN? 

• Sin is not minor: Sin against God is seen as a grave offense with serious consequences, so much so that it required the death of God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, to provide atonement 

• Oswald Chambers. 

• We trample the blood of the Son of God if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only explanation for the forgiveness of God and for the unfathomable depth of His forgetting is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the outcome of our personal realization of the atonement which He has worked out for us. It does not matter who or what we are; there is absolute reinstatement into God by the death of Jesus Christ and by no other way, not because Jesus Christ pleads, but because He died. It is not earned, but accepted. All the pleading which deliberately refuses to recognize the Cross is of no avail; it is battering at a door other than the one that Jesus has opened. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement is a propitiation whereby God, through the death of Jesus, makes an unholy man holy. 

• “The purpose of the cross,” someone observed, “is to repair the irreparable.” 

• (SLIDE) Matthew 6:14-15 (directly after teaching them how to pray ‘Lord’s Prayer’) 

• 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.  

• (SLIDE) Matthew 6:12 

•  And forgive us our debts, 
      as we also have forgiven our debtors. 

• Imagine that, before we get this warning from Jesus (14-15), Jesus told us to ask God for grace (forgiveness) but only at the same level and frequency as the forgiveness we extend to others. —like John 8 

• That can be simultaneously freeing and unnerving.  

• As always, Jesus is the model. We are to extend grace, not necessarily because we want to or think it’s “fair”, but because in forgiving others we are recognizing the forgiveness we ourselves have received in Christ.  

• I admit that no one can in there power live like that 

• But our Lord and Savior says, “YOU MUST!” 

• Two aspects of this verse are difficult to process.  

• First, human nature struggles to conceive of forgiving those who have hurt us. Human beings can do truly depraved, horrible things to each other. Some atrocities are difficult to describe, or to think about, let alone forgiving someone who has done them.  

• All the same, Jesus insists we understand how much God has forgiven us for.  

• Read carelessly, this teaching is also difficult to square with the idea that God’s grace is a free gift, one in no way dependent on a person’s works.  

• Yet that is the persistent teaching of both the four Gospels and the New Testament. Jesus’ death pays for our sin and His perfect righteousness becomes our own through faith.  

• Does this mean those who refuse to forgive others can still be saved? Ultimately, that is the wrong question. God’s intent is for all true Christians—those who have been born again, who have been forgiven by the death of Jesus for their offenses against God—to turn and freely forgive anyone who has wronged them. In other words, this verse speaks to evidence of salvation, not a requirement for salvation itself 

• Unforgiveness is inherently contradictory to godliness. 

• Reality of many: 

• Idleman says we tend to deal with our feelings of hurt, anger and bitterness by  

• 1) repression, holding them down or,  

• 2) rehearsal – rehashing our least favorite memories over and over.  

• Now, TODAY, it’s time to release. 

• Grace and forgiveness can be painful and messy. 

• When we are the wound-er, we hope for grace — I’d say we often apply it ourselves 

• When we are the wounded—we tend to want justice. 

• “Often it is the case that we judge others by their worst actions, and we judge ourselves by our best intentions.” 

• Obviously, this can be a very difficult topic, particularly, for those of you who have experienced some kind of abuse… 

• And perhaps many of you are holding unforgiveness towards because they have wounded you/sinned against you 

• “To sin against” creates a wound 

• Physically  

• Emotionally 

• Mentally 

• Relationally 

• Typical responses that we cling to: 

• “But you don’t know what I’ve been through.” 

• “Not after what he/she’s done to me.” 

• “He/she has destroyed my life.” 

• “It’s too painful to even think about.” 

• Types of wounds: 

• Father 

• Mother 

• Marital 

• Church  

• Enemy 

• Family 

• Self/Shame 

• You may be asking, “Does a person need to be completely healed of the effects of wounding/offense before they must/can extend grace???” 

• Short answer: NO 

• Illustration—Found in the clothing of a dead child at Ravensbruck concentration camp. 

• (SLIDE) O Lord, remember not only the men and woman of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all of the suffering they have inflicted upon us: Instead remember the fruits we have borne because of this suffering, our fellowship, our loyalty to one another, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown from this trouble. When our persecutors come to be judged by you, let all of these fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.  

• The grace of forgiveness takes obedience + courage + humility  

• It does not mean tolerance and acceptance OR that what happened is OK — but it does mean truly forgiving  

• Kyle Idleman Grace is Greater: 

• (SLIDE) Grace is only grace is it goes both ways. Receiving it from God but refusing to give it to others isn’t an option. 

• Often the church is known for its outrage toward people outside of our community who need grace rather than outrage for the people inside our community who refuse to give it. 

• Stop thinking about what’s been done to you and start thinking about what’s been done for you. 

• John Stott (pastor and theologian) 

• “Once our eyes have been opened to see the enormity of our offence against God, the injuries which others have done to us appear by comparison extremely trifling. If, on the other hand, we have an exaggerated view of the offences of others, it proves that we have minimized our own.” 

• (SLIDE) Colossians 3:13 

• Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 

• · God holds back His anger a very long time when we sin against Him. He bears with us a long time, even when we sorely provoke Him. 

• · God reaches out to bad people to bring forgiveness to them; the habit of man is to not reconcile if the offending person is a person of bad character. 

• · God makes the first move towards us in forgiveness; the habit of man is to only be reconciled if the offending party craves forgiveness and makes the first move. 

• · God forgives often knowing that we will sin again, sometimes in the exact same way. It is the habit of man to forgive only if the offending party solemnly promises to never do the wrong again. 

• · God’s forgiveness is so complete and glorious that He grants adoption to those former offenders. In the habit of man, even when forgiveness is offered, he will not lift again the former offender to a place of high status and partnership. 

• · God bore all the penalty for the wrong we did against Him. In the habit of man, when he is wronged, he will not forgive unless the offender agrees to bear all the penalty for the wrong done. 

• · God keeps reaching out to man for reconciliation even when man refuses Him again and again. In the habit of man, one will not continue to offer reconciliation if it is rejected once. 

• · God requires no probationary period to receive His forgiveness; in the habit of man, one will not restore an offender without a period of probation. 

• · God’s forgiveness offers complete restoration and honor; in the habit of man, we feel we should be complimented when we merely tolerate those who sin against us. 

• · Once having forgiven, God puts His trust in us and invites us back to work with Him as co-laborers. In the habit of man, one will not trust someone who has formerly wronged him. 

• Just as we don’t deserve God’s forgiveness, someone you know may not deserve yours. It doesn’t matter: We are still commanded to forgive them. 

• CONCLUSION: 

• Bitterness hinders revival/God’s purposes in and through your life 

• Unforgiveness actually keeps us from gaining an audience with God – hinders intimacy. 

• Are you struggling to experience JOY and PEACE in Christ? 

• THE LITMUS TEST FOR GRACE  

• Have you extended the grace of God, the grace of forgiveness, towards the person who has hurt you the most and least deserves it? 

• You say, ‘That isn’t fair!” 

• GRACE ISN’T FAIR — THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT GRACE!!!!!! 

• Ask yourself, how am I doing in THAT area/relationship with forgiveness?   

• Perhaps it will show how far you have to go in really realizing how merciful God has been to you.   

• Friends, if you cannot grasp the mercy of God in Christ towards YOU, then you do not have the capacity to forgive others the wounds that they have done to you.   

• IT IS ONLY BY EXPERIENCING THE FULLNESS OF THE GOSPEL + IN TURN RECEIVING A NEW SPIRIT – THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

• RESPONSE: 

• One article expounds on it this way: 

• The choice is clear, and extremely serious. Determine not to fall short of the grace of God. Remember that Christ forgave you far beyond what you deserve, and forgive others in the same way. Give up that grudge or bitterness. Forgive that family member, friend, associate at work or other person with whom you have a problem. The stakes are high, for if you fail to grow strong in grace, and are unable to forgive, you are charting a path to pain and heartbreak — not for the other person, but for yourself. 

• (SLIDE) Forgiveness = Deliberate release of anger, resentment, and other negative feelings toward someone who has wronged you 

• THE CHOICE IS CLEAR AND IT’S YOURS 

• Repent & Release 

• WELCOME- NEW TODAY WELCOME 

• 4 CAMPUSES TODAY OUR ONE CAMPUS GATHERS 

• WE HAVE BAPTISMS IN TWO DIFFERENT SERVICES 

• WANTED THIS ENTIRE CAMPUS TO GATHER  

• LIVES TRANSFORMED- 

• FAMILY SERVICE- DISCIPLESHIP 

• KIDS HAVE NOISEMAKERS- CELELBRATE 

WHAT 

   BAPTISM- WORD MEANS BAPTIZO 

   DIP-IMMERSE-SUBMERGE. 

   ANCIENT CHURCH DOCUMENT CALLED DIDACHE’ 

   ALLOWED FOR SPRINKLING/POURING-  

WHY 

   MATTHEW 3:13-14 

   13. THEN JESUS CAME FROM GALILEE TO THE JORDAN TO BAPTIZED BY JOHN. 14. BUT JOHN TRIED TO DETER HIM SAYING, “I NEED TO BE BAPTIZED BY YOU, AND DO YOU COME TO ME?”  

• JESUS CAME A LONG WAY- 70 MILES 

• FIRST ACT TO START HIS MINISTRY 

  MATTHEW 3:15 

   15. JESUS REPLIED“LET IT BE SO NOW; IT IS PROPER FOR US TO DO THIS TO FULFILL ALL THE RIGHTEOUSNESS.” THEN JOHN CONSENTED.  

• FIRST WORDS SPOKEN IN MATTHEW (12 YEARS OLD) 

• LUKE SAYS “AS HE WAS PRAYING” HEAVENS OPEN 

OUR TRADITION WE RECOGNIZE 2 SACRAMENTS 

• COMMUNION-       BAPTISM 

MATTHEW 28:16 

  ¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  

MATTHEW 28:17 

  ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.  

 MATTHEW:18 

  ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  

MATTHEW 28:19 

  ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name  

MATTHEW 28:19 

  of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 

WHO 

• ANYONE WHO IS SAVED- NO NEED TO WAIT 

• CAN YOU GOT TO HEAVEN WITHOUT BEING BAPTIZED? YES BUT WHY WOUILD YOU WANT TO? 

• WE ARE NOT SAVED BY BAPTISM 

• WATER DOESN’T WASH US CLEAN-NOT MAGIC 

ROMANS 6:3 

   3. OR DON’T YOU KNOW THAT ALL OF US WHO WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST JESUS WERE BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH.  

ROMANS 6:4 

   WE WERE THEREFORE BURIED WITH HIM THROUGH BAPTISM INTO DEATH IN ORDER THAT, 

ROMANS 6:4 

   4. JUST AS CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD THROUGH THE GLORY OF THE FATHER, WE TOO MAY LOVE A NEW LIFE.  

ROMANS 6:5 

   5. FOR IF WE HAVE BEEN UNITED WITH HIM IN A DEATH LIKE HIS, WE WILL CERTAINLY ALSO BE UNITED WITH HIM IN A RESURRECTION LIKE HIS.  

WHEN 

• AFTER A CLASS/MEMBERSHIP/SEMINARY 

• RIGHT AFTER YOU GET SAVED 

BAPTISM IMPORTANCE IN COMMUNITY 

KID FALLING ASLEEP PICTURE 

• MANY CAME TODAY TO SPECTATE 

• IT COULD EVEN SEEM LIKE THIS 

• THIS ISN’T A SPECTATOR EVEN TODAY 

TENNIS PLAYER CELEBRATING 

• THE PLAYER IS CELELBRATING 

• SOME ARE TAKING PICTURES  

• MANY ARE CELEBRATING WITH HIM 

 TO GET YOU READY TO CELEBRATE IN COMMUNITY  

• BAPTISM ISN’T A SPORTING EVENT  

RADIO GUY LOSES IT 

PLAYERS LOSE IT- BAND LOSES IT- FANS LOSE IT 

• BAPTISM ISN’T A GAME WINNING SCORE 

• BUT IT IS A GREAT EVENT FOR EVERYONE TO JOIN IN SUPPORT AND CELEBRATE AND ENCOURAGE 

• KIDS IN THE ROOM HAVE BELLS? PARTICIPANTS 

WHY COMMUNITY MATTERS 

• CANDIDATE ENTER TANK 

• TESTIMONY READ- WHY DO THIS? 

• CELEBRATE LOUDLY WHEN THEY COME UP