Mills Memorial Baptist Church
Wednesday Evening Worship 7/22
  • Under His Wings
  • Abide with Me
  • Psalm 145:8-9
    Luke 4:16-30
    There are certain truths in Scripture that become anchors for the soul because they reveal not merely what God has done but who God is.
    Circumstances change, governments change, people change, and even our own emotions can change from one day to the next.
    If our confidence rests upon circumstances, our peace will rise and fall with them.
    If our confidence rests upon the unchanging character of God, our hearts can remain steady no matter what tomorrow brings.
    That is why the study of God's attributes is so important.
    The works of God are glorious, but His works always flow from His character.
    Tonight we look at the character trait, gracious.
    The definition we will use tonight is:
    Gracious: Expressing to others the same mercy, grace, compassion, and kindness that Jesus Christ has so freely imparted to me
    God does not occasionally choose to be gracious.
    He is gracious because that is who He eternally is.
    David understood this truth well.
    As he neared the close of his life, he did not simply praise God for victories won or prayers answered.
    Instead, he delighted in the God who had remained faithful through every season of life.
    Psalm 145 is the only psalm specifically called "A Psalm of Praise," and it overflows with worship because David's eyes are fixed upon the Lord Himself.
    When we come to verse eight, David gives one of the greatest descriptions of God's character found anywhere in the Bible.
    He writes, "The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy."
    Those words were not originally David's.
    Centuries earlier, after Israel sinned with the golden calf, Moses pleaded to see God's glory, and in Exodus 34 the Lord proclaimed His own name, saying, "The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth."
    Think about that moment.
    Israel deserved judgment, yet when God revealed Himself He began by declaring that He is gracious.
    That does not diminish His holiness or justice.
    Rather, it reveals that our holy God delights in extending undeserved favor to guilty sinners while never compromising His righteousness.
    Hundreds of years later, that same gracious God stepped into human history in the person of Jesus Christ.
    Luke records that Jesus entered the synagogue in Nazareth, read from Isaiah, and announced that the promised Messiah had come.
    The people "wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth," and yet before the day ended many of those same people would reject Him.
    They admired His gracious words but refused to believe His gracious claims.
    That reminds us that it is possible to appreciate grace without truly receiving the Savior who offers it.
    As we study these passages tonight, I want us to see three simple truths that unfold naturally from the text.
    My prayer is that we will leave tonight not merely knowing more about grace, but knowing our gracious God more deeply.

    I. God Declares His Gracious Character

    Before David tells us what God has done, he tells us who God is.
    That order is important because every work of God flows from the nature of God.
    If we misunderstand His character, we will eventually misunderstand His works.
    David therefore begins with the Lord Himself.

    A. His Grace Is Rooted In His Nature

    Verse 8 begins with the simple statement, "The LORD is gracious."
    David does not say that God sometimes acts graciously.
    He says that God is gracious.
    Grace is not merely one of God's activities.
    It is one of His eternal perfections.
    Because God never changes, His graciousness never changes.
    There has never been a day when God was less gracious than He is today, and there never will be a day when He is more gracious than He is now.
    That truth gives tremendous comfort to believers because our assurance rests upon God's character rather than our performance.
    The Hebrew word translated "gracious" speaks of showing favor to someone who has no claim upon that favor.
    It is kindness freely given rather than kindness earned.
    That is exactly what the gospel is.
    Romans 11:6 KJV
    6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
    We contribute nothing that makes us worthy of salvation.
    We come as guilty sinners, and God receives us because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.
    David knew this personally.
    He had experienced God's grace as a shepherd boy chosen to become king.
    He had experienced God's grace after his terrible sins when he cried out in genuine repentance.
    He understood that every blessing in his life rested upon the undeserved favor of God.
    The same is true for us.
    If you know Christ tonight, you do not stand before Him because you earned His acceptance.
    You stand because He graciously gave what you could never deserve.
    That truth ought to humble us, fill us with gratitude, and produce joyful confidence as we walk with Him.

    B. His Grace Is Displayed In His Compassion

    David continues by saying that the Lord is "full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy."
    Grace is not an abstract doctrine hidden in the pages of theology.
    It is experienced through the compassionate heart of God.
    He sees the broken.
    He hears the cries of His people.
    He cares for those who trust Him.
    The Lord is also "slow to anger."
    How thankful we should be for those words.
    God is never impatient or impulsive.
    His anger is always righteous, measured, and perfectly controlled.
    Peter reminds us that the Lord is longsuffering, "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
    Every day the gospel is preached is another testimony to God's patience.
    Yet His patience should never be mistaken for approval of sin.
    The same God who patiently calls sinners to repentance will one day judge sin in perfect righteousness.
    David also declares that God is "of great mercy."
    His mercy is abundant.
    No one has ever exhausted it.
    Jeremiah wrote in …
    Lamentations 3:22 KJV
    22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
    Verse 9 broadens the picture by saying, "The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works."
    This describes God's common grace.
    He sends sunshine upon the righteous and the unrighteous.
    He provides food, strength, family, and countless daily blessings even to those who ignore Him.
    That does not mean everyone will be saved.
    Saving grace is received only through faith in Jesus Christ.
    But it does remind us that every good gift ultimately comes from our gracious God.
    When we understand who He is, worship becomes more than thanking Him for His gifts.
    It becomes delighting in the Giver Himself.
    As wonderful as Psalm 145 is, David could only describe God's gracious character.
    Several centuries later the world would have the privilege of seeing that grace with human eyes.

    II. Christ Demonstrates God's Gracious Character

    Luke chapter four records one of the most significant moments at the beginning of our Lord's public ministry.
    Jesus returned to Nazareth, "where he had been brought up," and entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day "as his custom was."
    That simple statement reminds us that faithful worship was His regular practice.
    When He stood to read, He was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
    He opened it to the passage we know as Isaiah 61 and read of the promised Messiah who would preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim deliverance to the captives, recover sight to the blind, and proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
    After reading the passage, Jesus closed the book, gave it back to the minister, sat down to teach, and every eye in the synagogue was fixed upon Him.
    Then He spoke words that changed everything: "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."
    He was not merely explaining Isaiah.
    He was declaring that He Himself was the promised Messiah.
    The grace David praised had now appeared in human flesh.

    A. Grace Was Heard In His Words

    Luke tells us, "And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth."
    The expression "gracious words" means more than beautiful speech.
    Jesus certainly spoke with wisdom and authority unlike anyone else, but Luke's emphasis is that His words were filled with the grace of God.
    Everything about His ministry reflected the Father's gracious heart.
    He offered hope to the hopeless.
    He proclaimed forgiveness to guilty sinners.
    He invited weary souls to find rest in Him.
    He announced that the long-awaited Savior had come.
    John would later summarize Christ's ministry by writing,
    John 1:14 KJV
    14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
    Notice those two words always remain together.
    Jesus was full of grace and truth.
    Grace never required Him to ignore sin.
    Truth never caused Him to abandon compassion.
    He could tell the woman taken in adultery, "Neither do I condemn thee," and then lovingly say, "go, and sin no more."
    He welcomed publicans and sinners while calling them to repentance.
    He comforted the brokenhearted while confronting self-righteous Pharisees.
    Our world often separates grace and truth, believing we must choose one or the other.
    Jesus perfectly demonstrated both.
    There’s something important here for every believer.
    Grace and truth!
    Paul tells us in Colossians 4:6
    Colossians 4:6 KJV
    6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
    Gracious speech is not weak speech.
    It is truthful speech delivered with the spirit of Christ.
    Some people pride themselves on "telling it like it is," but leave wounded people wherever they go.
    Others are so afraid of offending that they never speak the truth at all.
    Neither approach reflects our Savior.
    Jesus always spoke the truth, but He always spoke it with grace.
    As followers of Christ, our words should encourage, restore, instruct, and when necessary, lovingly correct.
    If our speech does not resemble the gracious speech of Christ, we should ask the Lord to continue shaping our hearts.

    B. Grace Was Rejected By Unbelieving Hearts

    The tragedy of this passage is that admiration quickly turned into unbelief.
    The people began asking, "Is not this Joseph's son?"
    Instead of believing what Jesus declared about Himself, they focused on what they thought they already knew.
    Their familiarity with Jesus became an obstacle to faith.
    They had watched Him grow up.
    They knew His family.
    In their minds, He could not possibly be the promised Messiah.
    Jesus knew what was taking place in their hearts.
    He told them that they would soon ask Him to perform in Nazareth the miracles He had done elsewhere.
    Then He reminded them of two Old Testament accounts they would have known well.
    During the days of Elijah, many widows lived in Israel, yet God sent the prophet to a widow in Zarephath.
    During the ministry of Elisha, many lepers lived in Israel, yet only Naaman the Syrian was cleansed.
    Both stories teach the same lesson.
    God's grace cannot be demanded.
    It is received by humble faith.
    The people immediately understood Christ's point.
    They were offended that He suggested Gentiles could receive God's grace while unbelieving Israelites might reject it.
    Luke tells us they "were filled with wrath."
    The same people who had marveled at His gracious words now dragged Him out of the city and attempted to throw Him from the nearby limestone hills surrounding Nazareth.
    Nothing had changed about Jesus.
    The change was in the hearts of the listeners.
    Grace exposed their pride.
    Many people admire Jesus.
    They appreciate His compassion.
    They respect His moral teaching.
    They speak highly of His concern for the poor and suffering.
    Yet admiration is not saving faith.
    One may admire the Great Physician while refusing the cure He alone provides.
    Imagine a man diagnosed with a deadly disease.
    He researches the finest physician in the world.
    He recommends that physician to his friends.
    He reads every book the doctor has written.
    He even speaks with admiration about the doctor's remarkable skill.
    Yet he refuses the treatment that could save his life.
    His admiration cannot cure him.
    He must personally receive the remedy.
    Many people treat Jesus that way.
    They admire Him from a distance but never trust Him as Lord and Savior.
    The good news is that Christ continued extending grace even after being rejected.
    He did not abandon His mission because people refused to believe.
    He continued preaching.
    He continued healing.
    He continued calling sinners to repentance.
    Ultimately He went to Calvary where the greatest display of God's grace and God's justice met.
    At the cross, the holy Judge took upon Himself the judgment we deserved so that guilty sinners could receive the grace they never deserved.
    David declared God's gracious character.
    Jesus demonstrated God's gracious character.
    The remaining question is how those who have received such grace should now live.

    III. Believers Display God's Gracious Character

    The purpose of studying God's attributes is never simply to increase our knowledge.
    God reveals Himself so that His people might know Him, worship Him, and become more like Him.
    The gracious God who saved us now calls us to reflect His gracious character in the way we live.
    We don’t become gracious in order to earn God's favor.
    We become gracious because we have already received His favor through Jesus Christ.
    Grace received should become grace reflected.

    A. Grace Received Must Be Reflected

    Paul writes in Ephesians 4:32
    Ephesians 4:32 KJV
    32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
    Notice the pattern.
    We forgive because we have been forgiven.
    We show kindness because God has shown kindness to us.
    We extend compassion because we have experienced His compassion.
    The Christian life is not an attempt to imitate Christ through sheer determination.
    It is the life of Christ being formed within those who belong to Him.
    This truth changes every relationship we have.
    A gracious husband remembers how patiently God has dealt with him and therefore responds patiently to his wife.
    A gracious wife chooses encouragement instead of constant criticism because she remembers the grace she has received.
    Parents discipline their children with firmness, but also with compassion, seeking restoration instead of simply expressing frustration.
    Church members refuse to hold grudges because they know they live every day by God's forgiveness.
    When God's grace fills the heart, it eventually appears in the life.
    That doesn’t mean graciousness ignores sin.
    God never overlooked our sin.
    He dealt with it completely at the cross.
    Likewise, biblical grace does not pretend that wrong is right.
    Instead, it responds to wrong with truth, humility, forgiveness, and love.

    B. Grace Leads To Holy Living

    Some people hear a lot about grace and wrongly conclude that obedience must not matter very much.
    The Bible teaches exactly the opposite.
    Titus 2:11–12 KJV
    11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
    Grace is not permission to continue in sin.
    Grace is God's power to grow beyond it.
    We do not obey so that God will accept us.
    We obey because, through Christ, He already has.
    Perhaps tonight you have been discouraged by your failures.
    Remember that the God who saved you by grace has not stopped being gracious.
    Confess your sin, receive His forgiveness, and keep walking with Him.
    Perhaps you have become critical, impatient, or unforgiving toward someone else.
    Ask yourself whether your response reflects the grace God has shown you.
    When we lose sight of God's grace toward us, we quickly lose grace toward others.
    David began by declaring, "The LORD is gracious."
    Luke showed us that gracious Lord walking among men in the person of Jesus Christ.
    Now the Lord desires for His people to become living demonstrations of that same gracious character.
    Our homes should be marked by grace.
    Our churches should be marked by grace.
    Our conversations should be marked by grace.
    Our witness to the lost should be marked by grace.
    People should not simply hear us talk about God's grace.
    They should see His grace at work in us.

    Conclusion

    As we close, let’s return to where David began.
    "The LORD is gracious."
    That statement has never changed.
    He was gracious when He proclaimed His name to Moses.
    He was gracious when David sang His praise.
    He was gracious when Jesus walked the roads of Galilee.
    He is gracious tonight.
    Every blessing you enjoy, every prayer He answers, every sin He forgives, and every promise He keeps flows from His gracious heart.
    May our response be the same as David's.
    Let’s praise Him because of who He is.
    Let’s trust Him because His character never changes.
    And let’s go into this week asking the Lord to help us extend to others the same mercy, grace, compassion, and kindness that Jesus Christ has so freely imparted to us.

      • Romans 11:6KJV1900

      • Lamentations 3:22KJV1900

      • John 1:14KJV1900

      • Colossians 4:6KJV1900

      • Ephesians 4:32KJV1900

      • Titus 2:11–12KJV1900

  • O, How I Love Jesus
Mills Memorial Baptist Church
millsmemorialbapt@gmail.com
989-843-6433
https://millsmemorial.faithlifesites.com
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