WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:05.040 You know, none of us can earn our way into 2 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:09.000 heaven because eternal life is a free gift when you 3 00:00:09.080 --> 00:00:10.599 accept Jesus as the. 4 00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:11.640 Lord of your life. 5 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:15.400 Hey, everyone, this is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, and today 6 00:00:15.480 --> 00:00:19.239 Rick Warren brings a series called Good News about Grace. 7 00:00:19.559 --> 00:00:24.079 You can't truly understand the Christian life until you understand grace. 8 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:27.600 It's at the heart of your faith and your relationship 9 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:31.359 with God. And in this series you'll discover how not 10 00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:35.359 to only understand grace, but to experience it and the 11 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:38.799 joy it brings. So let's get started with part one 12 00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:41.240 of a message called Saving Grace. 13 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:46.439 I'd like for you to complete these common American phrases 14 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:51.159 for me. If it sounds too good to be true, 15 00:00:51.960 --> 00:00:55.640 it is all right. We make money the old fashioned way. 16 00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:57.880 We earn it good. 17 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:02.439 There's no such thing as a free You're very good 18 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:09.480 at this, okay. There is no gain without pain, and 19 00:01:09.799 --> 00:01:12.640 this is a very familiar one. God helps those who 20 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:18.239 help themselves great. Now, everything about the American way of 21 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:21.680 life teaches us that you get what you're in life, 22 00:01:21.959 --> 00:01:23.239 that there is no free lunch. 23 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:25.560 That you make your bed and then you lay in it. 24 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:29.519 And in America, we are very aware. 25 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:35.120 Of the values of competition and winning, and we know 26 00:01:35.159 --> 00:01:38.079 what it means to work hard and to use elbow Greece, 27 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:42.959 and we value effort and sweat, and we tell people 28 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:45.840 you get what you deserve in life, and if you 29 00:01:45.879 --> 00:01:47.760 want to make something of your life, it's up to you. 30 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:51.599 If it's to be, it's up to me. You got it. Now, 31 00:01:51.640 --> 00:01:55.879 this is called the American work ethic. The only problem 32 00:01:55.920 --> 00:01:59.599 with the American work ethic is God doesn't operate on 33 00:01:59.599 --> 00:02:02.560 the America and work ethic, and so it makes it 34 00:02:02.599 --> 00:02:06.799 difficult many times for us to relate to God because 35 00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:11.599 we're in this driven work mentality. Now the problem is 36 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:15.360 Some one five, verse eight. It tells us that God, 37 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:17.599 rather than being in a work ethic mode, it says 38 00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:23.159 God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and rich 39 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:27.080 in love. Would you circle the phrase gracious? The Bible 40 00:02:27.080 --> 00:02:31.599 says God is a gracious God. That means he he 41 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:37.000 loves to be gracious, gracious to you. God loves to 42 00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:40.680 bless people who don't deserve it. That's his nature. Aren't 43 00:02:40.680 --> 00:02:41.319 you glad for that? 44 00:02:42.759 --> 00:02:43.120 I am. 45 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:48.879 I'm glad that God blesses people who don't deserve it. Now, 46 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:53.759 you can't understand the Christian life at all unless you 47 00:02:53.879 --> 00:02:57.680 understand grace. It is the heart of our faith, it's 48 00:02:57.680 --> 00:03:01.520 the heart of our relationship to God. When you understand grace, 49 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:06.199 you're gonna feel closer to God. The more you understand grace, 50 00:03:06.759 --> 00:03:08.520 the more you're gonna be drawn to God, the more 51 00:03:08.520 --> 00:03:10.719 you're gonna love God, the more you're gonna be grateful 52 00:03:10.759 --> 00:03:15.120 to God, because it is the thing that God brings 53 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:20.680 us to himself by that system, the system of grace. Now, 54 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:23.479 today we're beginning a new series and I'm calling it 55 00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:28.080 Good News about Grace. What is grace, Well, grace is 56 00:03:28.120 --> 00:03:31.680 a multifaceted diamond. There are many aspects to it. There's 57 00:03:31.719 --> 00:03:35.080 no single definition that can describe what grace is all about. 58 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:39.400 One definition is grace is God's love and action. 59 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:42.360 Another definition is. 60 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:45.800 Grace is God giving me what I need, not what 61 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:49.879 I deserve. One of my favorite definitions is grace is 62 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:52.960 the face God wears when he looks at my failures 63 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:57.280 and he responds in a gracious way. Now, you need 64 00:03:57.280 --> 00:04:00.800 to understand the difference between grace and mercy is when 65 00:04:00.840 --> 00:04:05.759 God doesn't give us what we do deserve punishment, Grace 66 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:11.560 is when God gives us what we don't deserve blessing. Now, 67 00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:13.439 I know that many of you probably think, well, I 68 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:16.480 understand grace. I know we're saved by grace. I've known 69 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:19.399 that for many, many years. But I discovered that even 70 00:04:19.480 --> 00:04:24.399 many Christians, although they know they're saved by grace, I'm sure, 71 00:04:24.439 --> 00:04:27.399 don't act like it. In fact, they spend most of 72 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:31.240 their life thinking and acting like we're saved by works. 73 00:04:31.800 --> 00:04:33.720 And for many of you, even though you know you're 74 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:36.000 saved by grace, you don't get into heaven by doing good. 75 00:04:37.560 --> 00:04:42.319 Your entire life is built on pleasing God by trying 76 00:04:42.360 --> 00:04:45.920 to be perfect. And you think God is some unpleasable 77 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:48.319 parent up there in the sky with a clipboard and 78 00:04:48.360 --> 00:04:51.560 a pen, watching your every move, saying yeah that was good, 79 00:04:51.560 --> 00:04:53.519 and oh that was bad. Yeah that was good. And 80 00:04:53.759 --> 00:04:57.439 you think you have to earn God's approval. And you 81 00:04:57.480 --> 00:04:59.480 think if you do a certain number of good works 82 00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:01.800 and God's going go good girl, good guy. 83 00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:02.639 You got it. 84 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:05.279 And then if you don't do those things, God goes 85 00:05:05.319 --> 00:05:11.120 forget it. You're worthless and that's it, and you're saved 86 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:15.240 by grace. But you're actually living by works. Now when 87 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:18.319 you really understand grace. It's going to bring so much 88 00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:22.360 joy to your life. It is the most liberating thing 89 00:05:22.399 --> 00:05:25.279 in the world. And you can be a Christian for 90 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:28.920 twenty or thirty years and never really learn to live 91 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:31.680 by grace. So we're going to do a series on it. 92 00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:36.319 My goal is that through this series, you will not 93 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:41.759 just understand grace, but that you will experience it, that 94 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:46.319 you will feel it, that you will enjoy the grace 95 00:05:46.399 --> 00:05:50.319 of God in your life because it does bring so 96 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:53.839 much joy. Now, today I want us to start with 97 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:58.240 the foundation, which is saving grace. Now for the many 98 00:05:58.279 --> 00:06:01.759 of you, this will be a review. You understand saving grace, 99 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:05.720 but you cannot build a structure without the foundation. 100 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:07.000 And this is foundational. 101 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:10.160 And I think that it's good periodically that we sit 102 00:06:10.279 --> 00:06:13.600 back and we just remind ourselves what a good deal 103 00:06:13.639 --> 00:06:15.279 we got when we. 104 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:16.439 Received the grace of God. 105 00:06:17.319 --> 00:06:19.560 And so today I want us to look at five 106 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:23.240 aspects of saving grace. How is it you know for 107 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:27.199 sure that you're going to heaven when you die? Five aspects? 108 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:29.639 And I built it around a little acrostic to help 109 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:30.600 you remember grace. 110 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:32.439 G r ACEE. 111 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:35.399 Now I told earlier service it reminded me of a 112 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:39.279 story of a professor who went to Yale University and 113 00:06:39.560 --> 00:06:42.519 he decided he would speak on what is a Yale student? 114 00:06:42.519 --> 00:06:44.079 That he said, I'm going to use an across stick 115 00:06:44.360 --> 00:06:47.920 y a l e and he spoke on four attributes 116 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:51.439 of a Yale student there. They're young, they're adventurous, they're loyal, 117 00:06:51.480 --> 00:06:54.519 and they're enthusiastic. But he went an hour and a 118 00:06:54.600 --> 00:06:58.759 half on this little four letter acrostick and it just 119 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:00.279 wore out the crowd. And by the time time it 120 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:02.000 was over, he looked down to the student on the 121 00:07:02.040 --> 00:07:03.279 front row and he said, what do you think of 122 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:05.519 my speech? And the kids said, well, I was just 123 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:13.639 thanking God that I didn't go to Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 124 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:17.120 Now I promise you that my grace across tache isn't 125 00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:19.240 going to take that long, So let's get right into it. 126 00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:24.839 G the g and grace stands for God's gift to me, 127 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:30.519 God's gift to me. Romans three twenty four says, well, 128 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:32.959 let's read it together. All of us need to be 129 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:36.560 made right with God by his grace, which is a 130 00:07:36.600 --> 00:07:40.040 free gift through Jesus Christ. And notice it says it's 131 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:44.920 a free gift Now, because of this American work ethic 132 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:47.600 that I was just talking about, many people think that 133 00:07:47.639 --> 00:07:50.639 they're saved by works, that they're saved by earning their 134 00:07:50.680 --> 00:07:53.639 way to heaven by being good enough that God says, okay, 135 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:56.079 come on in. If you were to go down here 136 00:07:56.120 --> 00:07:58.879 to Eltro Road in Rockfield and ask fifty or one 137 00:07:58.920 --> 00:08:01.800 hundred people on the sidewalk as they walk by, how 138 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:02.120 do you. 139 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:06.240 Get to heaven? You get a lot of different answers. 140 00:08:06.680 --> 00:08:10.759 But basically they could all be summarized in you got 141 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:14.639 to earn your way to heaven, And you'd hear things like, well, 142 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:16.839 the way you get to heaven is just try to 143 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:22.319 be good and do your best, or work real hard 144 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:25.040 at being good and just try to be a good 145 00:08:25.120 --> 00:08:28.759 moral person, or do more good things in life than 146 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:31.600 you do bad things in life. And if your good 147 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:34.519 pile is higher than your bad pile, well then God's 148 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:38.360 gonna say you're a good guy. Come on in. It's 149 00:08:38.399 --> 00:08:42.919 all based on works, not grace. Now you need to 150 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:47.960 understand that God says here salvation is absolutely free. Circle 151 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:52.240 a phrase free gift. You don't work for a gift. 152 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:57.000 It's a free gift. God says, Salvation is absolutely free. 153 00:08:57.159 --> 00:09:00.159 You can't earn it, you can't learn it, you can't buy, 154 00:09:00.519 --> 00:09:01.679 you can't work for it. 155 00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:04.879 Now, this is. 156 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:11.759 The fundamental difference between Christianity and every other religion, every 157 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:14.080 other faith, every other belief system. I don't care if 158 00:09:14.120 --> 00:09:18.440 it's Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, et cetera, et cetera. You can 159 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:23.120 summarize every religion in one word, and all the other 160 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:26.159 religions grace is the Christianity is the only religion that's 161 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:27.039 built on grace. 162 00:09:27.320 --> 00:09:30.080 It says God just gives you salvation. You don't do 163 00:09:30.120 --> 00:09:30.960 anything to earn it. 164 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:35.679 Every other religion is based on works, and you can 165 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:39.720 summarize them in one word, the word do. There are 166 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:42.879 certain things you do in order to gain God's approval, 167 00:09:43.799 --> 00:09:46.600 and it just varies. Each system is different. One religion 168 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:48.360 will say, well, you do these things, and another one 169 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:50.320 will say no, you do these things, and another one 170 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:54.639 will say no. You have the eightfold path, as in 171 00:09:54.679 --> 00:09:57.360 Buddhism and things like this, where you do certain things 172 00:09:57.399 --> 00:10:01.080 in order to gain bliss, gain heaven, gain God's approval. 173 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:06.759 It's always something you have to do, rules, regulations, rituals, 174 00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:09.480 et cetera. On the other hand, if you were to 175 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:15.120 summarize Christianity in one word, it's the word done. It's 176 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:19.120 already been done for you. It was done on the 177 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:23.759 cross by Jesus Christ. He paid for your salvation, he 178 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:29.399 paid for your sins. It's already been done. I had 179 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:31.279 a guy ask me one time. He said, Pastor Rick, 180 00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:34.600 what can I do to be saved? I just got 181 00:10:34.600 --> 00:10:38.960 a plan with him. I said, you're too late. I 182 00:10:39.039 --> 00:10:42.759 kind of shocked him. I said you're too late. He 183 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:45.440 said well, and I said, yeah, you're about two thousand 184 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:49.240 years too late, because what needed to be done for 185 00:10:49.320 --> 00:10:51.960 your salvation has already been done and you can't do 186 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:56.919 anything about it. Jesus Christ already did it. He paid 187 00:10:56.919 --> 00:10:59.720 for your salvation on the cross, and now it's a 188 00:10:59.720 --> 00:11:03.080 free gift to you. That's why Jesus Christ, when he 189 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:05.519 was hanging on the cross stretched out his arms. 190 00:11:05.639 --> 00:11:09.879 One of the things he said was it is finished. Now. 191 00:11:09.960 --> 00:11:13.759 He didn't say I am finished, because he wasn't. He's 192 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:16.840 still alive day he resurrected himself. He wasn't saying I'm finished. 193 00:11:16.840 --> 00:11:17.799 He said it is finished. 194 00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:19.840 What's the it? Your salvation? 195 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:24.600 The plan to provide for the grace for every person 196 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:28.919 who needs it. It's finished, God says here it is. 197 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:31.679 It's a free gift, So there isn't anything you can 198 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:36.559 do to save yourself. You just accept God's free gift 199 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:40.080 of grace. See, I'm not getting to heaven based on 200 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:43.159 what I do. I'm getting to heaven on based on 201 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:45.679 the basis of what has already been done for me 202 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:51.159 by Jesus Christ. Now, folks, that's the greatest gift you're 203 00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:53.759 ever going to be offered. No, you're never going to 204 00:11:53.799 --> 00:11:54.399 get a better. 205 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:54.720 Deal than that. 206 00:11:56.200 --> 00:11:59.759 And if you really understand grace, you will accept it 207 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:05.000 because it is a priceless gift in your life. It's 208 00:12:05.080 --> 00:12:08.120 God's gift to me. The R and grace stands for 209 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:16.080 received by faith. God's gift is received by faith. Ephesians 210 00:12:16.120 --> 00:12:18.919 two eight and nine says this, for it is by 211 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:22.159 grace that you have been saved through faith. Circle that 212 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:25.720 through faith, and this is not from yourselves. It's the 213 00:12:25.720 --> 00:12:28.799 gift of God, not of works, so that no one 214 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:31.360 could boast. And they're saying here that faith is the 215 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:34.480 key that unlocks the door to heaven. And he says 216 00:12:34.519 --> 00:12:36.399 it's just a gift, but you have to receive it 217 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:38.240 by faith. If I have a gift for you, and 218 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:41.519 I say, here's this gift for you. It's one hundred dollars, 219 00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:44.559 Come and get it. Well, it'll just sit there unless 220 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:45.919 you come and receive it by faith. 221 00:12:45.960 --> 00:12:47.200 You have to have faith, and I'm going to give 222 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:50.000 it to you now, he says. 223 00:12:50.039 --> 00:12:54.039 Because salvation is a gift, you can't brag about it. 224 00:12:54.759 --> 00:12:56.480 If you could work your way to heaven. Do you 225 00:12:56.519 --> 00:12:59.639 realize how miserable it would be in heaven everybody be 226 00:12:59.639 --> 00:13:02.360 bragging about how they got there. Well, I got here 227 00:13:02.360 --> 00:13:04.200 because I did this. Well I got here because, oh well, 228 00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:06.840 let me tell you what I did, and we'd all 229 00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:09.039 be trying to one up each other with great stories 230 00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:12.759 of what great people we were on earth. God says, Now, look, 231 00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:16.519 it's a grace gift, your salvation. I just give you 232 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:19.919 forgiveness free. I give you heaven free. Here it is. 233 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:22.080 So what do you do with the gift. You can't 234 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:24.440 brag about it. You can only accept it and be 235 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:31.159 grateful for it. Romans four sixteen says this people receive 236 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:34.600 God's promise circle the word promise by having faith. 237 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:36.919 This is the promise of salvation. 238 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:40.639 This happens so that the promise can be a free gift. 239 00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:42.679 Now, what's he saying here? 240 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:49.120 Salvation isn't based on my performance, thank God. It's based 241 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:53.759 on God's promise, not my performance. It's not based on 242 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:59.360 my goodness. It's based on God's grace. I'm getting to heaven, 243 00:13:59.399 --> 00:14:03.840 not based on my merit, but on God's mercy. That's 244 00:14:03.879 --> 00:14:05.600 why he gets all the credit, He gets all the 245 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:08.559 glory because it's nothing that I could do. It's a 246 00:14:08.600 --> 00:14:12.159 free gift that is received by faith. Now, the Bible 247 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:15.240 is full of stories illustrating the principle of grace. 248 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:17.759 There are many of them. One of my favorites is 249 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:18.600 in the Old Testament. 250 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:21.639 It's in Second Samuel, chapter nine, and it's a story 251 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:25.080 of a young disabled boy named Maphibischef. 252 00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:26.840 How'd you like to have that name? 253 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:34.679 I probably called him Phiby for sure, Hey, Phiby yo yo, Phiby. 254 00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:40.279 Maphibischef was the son of Jonathan, the grandson of King Saul. 255 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:42.879 In the Old Testament, do you remember the story of 256 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:46.960 David and Saul. David was crowned, was going to be 257 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:50.080 the king. Saul was the current king, and Saul was 258 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:54.759 jealous of David. So most of David's life Saul was 259 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:57.440 trying to kill him, and he chased him all over 260 00:14:57.480 --> 00:15:01.840 the countryside. David spent most of this time hiding from Saul, 261 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:07.639 avoiding being killed out of jealousy, but David never retaliated. 262 00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:12.600 In fact, he became best friends with King Saul's son 263 00:15:12.759 --> 00:15:16.559 named Jonathan, and they made a secret covenant that either 264 00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:18.679 of them ever died, they would take care of each 265 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:23.799 other's family. Later on, both Saul and Jonathan were killed 266 00:15:23.799 --> 00:15:28.720 in battle and David became the king. All of Saul's 267 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:33.960 relatives immediately were in fear, thinking David, who King Saul 268 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:35.799 has been trying to kill all his life, is now 269 00:15:35.799 --> 00:15:36.759 in control and he's going. 270 00:15:36.759 --> 00:15:37.919 To kill all of us. 271 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:41.240 And so they all tried to escape and hide. And 272 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:43.360 one of them that they were trying to hide was 273 00:15:43.399 --> 00:15:45.440 the son of Jonathan named Maphibisheth. 274 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:46.759 And as the. 275 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:50.600 Nurse was carrying the young boy out, she dropped him 276 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:53.720 in the escape. His legs were broken and he became 277 00:15:53.960 --> 00:15:58.600 a paraplegic. So here was this young disabled boy living 278 00:15:58.679 --> 00:16:02.000 in fear, frightened for his life that the man who 279 00:16:02.039 --> 00:16:07.600 is now king would retaliate against him. One day, David says, 280 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:12.960 is there anybody still alive? In Saul's household that I 281 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:18.480 could show kindness to Grace. And they said, yes, there is. 282 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:21.759 There's one little kid. He's a disabled little boy and 283 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:27.200 his name's Maphibischef. He cannot walk. David said, bring him 284 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:31.200 to me. Now you can imagine the fear in Maphibischef's life. 285 00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:34.559 Here's the King invite him to the court. He's thinking, 286 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:37.559 I'm going to be killed. I'm executed. It's over, it's done. 287 00:16:38.679 --> 00:16:43.120 But to his surprise when he arrived, David said, I'm 288 00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:45.559 going to take you in, Maphibischeff, and make you a 289 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:49.000 part of my family. I want you to live here 290 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:51.600 in the palace for the rest of your life. I'm 291 00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:53.480 going to pay all your bills. I'm going to meet 292 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:56.000 all your needs. You were to sit at my table 293 00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:58.559 each night, and you're to dine with me, and I'm 294 00:16:58.559 --> 00:16:59.720 going to treat you just. 295 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:03.600 Like one of my own sons. That's Grace. 296 00:17:05.400 --> 00:17:09.039 The Bible says that God comes to us and we're broken, 297 00:17:09.720 --> 00:17:12.640 we're disabled in areas of our lives. We are crippled 298 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:16.480 in some areas we have our emotions are crippled, or 299 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:20.079 other things are happening in our lives, and God comes 300 00:17:20.119 --> 00:17:23.039 and says, you know what, I'm going to bring you 301 00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:25.920 into my family, and i want you to sit at 302 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:28.920 my table, and I'm going to treat you like royalty. 303 00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:32.000 You're one of my own, simply out of my grace. 304 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:35.880 Do you remember the story of the prodigal son that 305 00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:39.000 Jesus told. There was a man who had two sons, 306 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:41.039 and one of them got a little anxious and was 307 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:44.039 independent spirited, and he came and said, Dad, I want 308 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:46.960 you to give me my half of the inheritance. And 309 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:50.960 the dad said okay, So he split the future inheritance, 310 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:53.680 gave half to one son right then, and the kid 311 00:17:53.720 --> 00:17:57.000 took off and he, you know, skipped down, went over 312 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:00.079 to you know, sunset Strip in Jerusalem, and just I 313 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:03.400 did party hardying, you know, and he's having a great time, 314 00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:06.160 wine women, a song, living it up, blowing all the 315 00:18:06.200 --> 00:18:08.400 money and everything. And one day he runs out of 316 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:13.359 money and there's no ATMs in Jerusalem, and he hits 317 00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:18.319 bottom morally, spiritually, financially, in every way possible. In fact, 318 00:18:18.319 --> 00:18:22.079 it said he ended up having to work feeding pigs 319 00:18:22.119 --> 00:18:24.599 in a pig sty, and he was so hungry he 320 00:18:24.599 --> 00:18:27.920 would eat the food that the pigs were eating. Now, 321 00:18:28.039 --> 00:18:30.400 you know, that Jewish people don't eat pork, So that's 322 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:33.319 about as low as you can go, living with a 323 00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:36.640 pig and eating a pig's food, so culturally he couldn't 324 00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:41.880 get more degraded. And one day, while he's in this mess, 325 00:18:42.039 --> 00:18:46.839 the younger son goes, what am I doing? My father's 326 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:48.920 servants are treated better than this. 327 00:18:50.319 --> 00:18:51.359 He says, you know what, I think. 328 00:18:51.359 --> 00:18:53.559 I'm going to go home and I'm going to go 329 00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:55.480 back to Dad and say, Dad, I've blown it. 330 00:18:55.559 --> 00:18:56.440 I made a mistake. 331 00:18:56.559 --> 00:18:59.920 I'm sorry, and I don't even deserve to be called 332 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:03.640 your son anymore. But Dad, just make me one of 333 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:07.079 your hired servants, and I will work for you as 334 00:19:07.079 --> 00:19:09.000 a servant, not as a son, for the rest of 335 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:11.480 my life, because your servants are treated better than I 336 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:15.279 was out in the world. And the story goes that 337 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:18.880 is the prodigal son was coming home. The father saw 338 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:22.200 him from a long way off, and it says he 339 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:25.680 ran out to greet the boy and he grabs him 340 00:19:25.720 --> 00:19:28.119 in a big bear hug, and he hugs him and 341 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:30.200 embraces him. He didn't wait for him to get cleaned up, 342 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:32.039 to get that smell of pigs off him, or all 343 00:19:32.119 --> 00:19:32.920 that kind of stuff. 344 00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:34.960 He hugs him, and then he says, Hey. 345 00:19:34.920 --> 00:19:38.119 Bring out all the royal robes and bring out some jewelry, 346 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:40.720 and let's give him the official family ring and let's 347 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:41.559 throw a party. 348 00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:48.599 My son has come home. That's grace. That's grace. 349 00:19:50.039 --> 00:19:55.720 The kid deserved condemnation. The kid deserved to be judged, rejected. 350 00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:58.799 The kid deserved to lecture from the dad' said I 351 00:19:58.920 --> 00:20:06.119 told you so. But instead he's received with love, unconditional love. 352 00:20:07.079 --> 00:20:09.559 That is the grace of God and it is a 353 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:11.279 received by faith. 354 00:20:17.240 --> 00:20:19.960 Hey, thanks so much for joining us here on Pastor 355 00:20:20.039 --> 00:20:22.880 Rick's Daily Hope. I've got some exciting news to share 356 00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:25.960 with you today. Some generous friends of Daily Hope have 357 00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:29.519 offered a ten thousand dollars matching grant, and that means 358 00:20:29.559 --> 00:20:32.200 whatever amount you give to help share the hope of 359 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:37.079 Jesus worldwide is gonna be matched up to ten thousand dollars. 360 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:39.279 Here's Pastor Rick to tell you more. 361 00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:42.799 Hi, everybody, thanks so much for listening today. You know, 362 00:20:42.920 --> 00:20:46.240 my hope is that God uses this broadcast to help 363 00:20:46.359 --> 00:20:50.200 deepen your relationship with Jesus. Now, these Daily Hope messages 364 00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:55.000 are distributed on radio stations and digital platforms all across 365 00:20:55.079 --> 00:20:58.559 the globe, and listeners are writing and letting us know 366 00:20:58.920 --> 00:21:01.759 that their lives are being changed. They're telling us that 367 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:04.160 they're walking with Jesus and that guilt and fear has 368 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:08.160 been chased from their lives by God's love. You know, 369 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:11.759 relationships are being restored and marriages are being healed, and 370 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:15.000 many people are saying that they've found their life purpose. 371 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:18.160 I want to say thank you to you, because we're 372 00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:21.599 only able to carry the hope of Jesus to these 373 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:25.319 people all around the world because of gifts from generous 374 00:21:25.319 --> 00:21:29.759 listeners like you. I just wanted to say I am 375 00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:34.039 so grateful for your prayers and your financial support. 376 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:35.079 Now. 377 00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:38.799 I understand in times like these many of you are 378 00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:40.880 unable to give financial support. 379 00:21:41.160 --> 00:21:41.839 Hear it from me. 380 00:21:42.359 --> 00:21:48.039 That's okay, because I never want anybody to give unless 381 00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:51.759 God leads them to give. That's between you and God, 382 00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:53.960 not between you and me, but between. 383 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:54.160 You and God. 384 00:21:54.880 --> 00:22:00.559 And your prayers are a continual and incredible contribution to 385 00:22:00.680 --> 00:22:04.640 this Daily Hope ministry. Now, if you do want to 386 00:22:04.680 --> 00:22:09.519 give a financial gift, I've got some really great news 387 00:22:09.559 --> 00:22:12.079 to share with you. There's a generous friend of Daily 388 00:22:12.119 --> 00:22:16.519 Hope Broadcast who is offering to match the amount of 389 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:20.359 your gift. In other words, if you give twenty dollars, 390 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:23.799 then that persons combined it with a grant to make 391 00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:27.519 your gift forty dollars. Now, if you've never given a 392 00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:29.759 gift to Daily Hope, I want you to pray about 393 00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:33.119 partnering with us so that together we can continue to 394 00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:35.200 share the hope of Jesus. 395 00:22:35.079 --> 00:22:38.599 Throughout the whole world. I love you so much. 396 00:22:39.079 --> 00:22:41.880 Just go to pastorrig dot com to have your gift 397 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:46.519 matched up to ten thousand dollars. Once again, it's pastorg 398 00:22:46.599 --> 00:22:49.119 dot com. Or you can text the word hope to 399 00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:52.559 seven oh three to oh nine. That's the word hope 400 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:55.440 to seven oh three oh nine and again. All of 401 00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:57.720