Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Mar 8th, 2014 Amazing Grace – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 23 – 26

(Second Milers also read – 2 Corinthians 9 – 13; Proverbs 8; Psalms 36 – 40)

“If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.” (Deuteronomy 24:7)

“Amazing Grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.” – John Newton

Good morning. We can see by Deuteronomy 24:7 how God feels about slavery. There was a time that John Newton realized he was in trouble with God. John Newton worked in the slave trade. And God started working on him…

“‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!”

Joseph’s brothers were in a mess too: they sold their brother into slavery; and they knew it was wrong, but they also saw an example of God’s amazing grace…

“And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.” (Genesis 50:15-21)

God had sent Joseph ahead into Egypt to preserve the lives of his family. God sent Jesus ahead to preserve our lives by shedding His precious blood as payment for our sins.

“Thro’ many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.”

What has you in bondage today? What are you enslaved to? One day, all the works of man held in this world will be burnt in fervent heat. The only thing you can take with you is that precious soul you led to the Lord. We should get our priorities in order: God, family, and everything else. Jesus said…

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:1-3)

“When we’ve been there ten-thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.”

Peace. (Ephesians 2:8-9)