Joe White Drive Time Podcast

Unmatchable Gift From God - Romans 3:23-25

"A fine college student athlete came to my office to talk about God. The guy was lost. He was so incredibly lost. He had caused two abortions. He had drank alcohol, like a fish in a pond. In his search for meaning in life, he scuffed the idea of a personal loving God, and he had paid a dear price for his wrongdoings."

Family Discussions:

1. How can you explain God's amazing tender grace?
2. How should that grace motivate you?
3. Why is that grace so hard to comprehend?

Transcription:

00:14          This super scripture today is from Romans 3:23-25. It says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but being justified is a gift by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in his blood through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness because the forbearance of God has passed over the sins previously committed." This is awesome. Hey, you want a gift? You want a free car? You want a brand new car? You want to Porsche? Do you want a Lamborghini Diablo? Do you want a Lexus? Do you want a MasterCard with unlimited spending and no bills to pay ever? You know what? The very heart of scripture, and that's where we find ourselves today is this amazing, overwhelming, unparalleled, unmatchable gift from God to you.

 

01:18          Fall short? In the scripture that means you could never ever get there alone. Justified? In this verse that means your sin and debt is paid totally. Gift? That means without charge. That means it's free. Grace? That simply means undeserved completely. Redemption? That means bought with a price. That means bought with his blood. You know, last week a fine college student athlete came to my office to talk about God. The guy was lost. He was so incredibly lost. He had caused two abortions. He had drank alcohol, like a fish in a pond. In his search for meaning in life, he scuffed the idea of a personal loving God, and he had paid a dear price for his wrongdoings. He was a mess. His first wife was a stripper. She left him for another man. His daily agony was in comprehensible. But as we began to talk, he pitched many unanswerable, stereotypical questions about God. Like how could a good God allow suffering and evil? You know, how could a tribesmen who never had a chance to hear get to heaven?

 

02:31          It was all just a smokescreen from the heart. That was elusively longing for a real relationship with his creator. I've heard the conversation in many ways a thousand times, but as if I had planned it at that moment. Then I began to explain to him from scripture the indescribable love of a good father for his son. My daughter and my precious grandson came up in a tiny camo hat and tiny camo PJs. She placed that tender precious grandson in my arms and she spoke for baby. She said, granddad, I want to go hunting with you. Man, I held that baby in my arms and I was just overcome with a deep sense of a dad's love that I can't express on paper. The college athlete saw the picture of God's redemption unfold before his eyes. You know what? He had no more questions. That night he gave his life to Christ and he has decided to give his life to purity so that others might see the truth of this wonderful passage in scripture.

 

03:37          Here's the questions for today. How can you explain God's amazing tender grace? And how should that grace motivate you? And why is that grace so hard to comprehend? And here's the lifeline for the day. Grace is getting what you don't deserve. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve.

 

Getting What We Don't Deserve - Titus 3:3-8

"I have an old friend named Dan Roberts, and he has got to be one of the most wonderful men I've ever met in my life. Dan also is very talented with the guitar and a great singer and a great songwriter. Dan was pointed out as the number one cowboy singer in the country and took that trophy home and all of his humility."

Family Discussion:

1. Is there a person that you know that needs to understand that one simple truth? 

Transcription:

00:14 You know what's so neat about scripture to me? Well, there's a lot of things that are neat about scripture to me, but one of them is just how much gigantic truth there is in some tiny little places. Titus is just a little bitty book, but man, it is packed with incredible truth from God. Today we're in Titus chapter three verses three through eight, and it says this, "For we also once we're foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived in slave to various lust and pleasures. Spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God, our savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us. Not on the basis of the deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to his great mercy by the washing and the regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit." I have an old friend named Dan Roberts, and he has got to be one of the most wonderful men I've ever met in my life.

01:15 Dan also is very talented with the guitar and a great singer and a great songwriter. Dan was pointed out as the number one cowboy singer in the country and took that trophy home and all of his humility. And I'm sure to the joy of his wife and kids. But Dan wrote country music with Garth Brooks and he toured with Garth for a few years. And one time Dan and Garth, who are great friends, were out on Garth's farm and Dan said, "you know what, Garth?" He said, "Grace is getting what we don't deserve and mercy is not getting what we do deserve." And that simple line, "Grace is getting what we don't deserve and mercy is not getting what we do deserve." Burned a hole in Garth Brooks' heart. A few years later, Garth did a compilation CD of all the greatest songs that he'd ever written and on that CD,

02:07 It was dedicated to that one idea and he wrote it on the compilation package that summarized his life. Grace is getting what we don't deserve and mercy is not getting what we do deserve. Isn't that great? You ought to write that down somewhere. Maybe stick it on the mirror of your dresser or your bathroom. And you know what folks? I'll tell you the joy of my life is all over this country on football fields, in football locker rooms, at basketball courts and basketball locker rooms, professional baseball, colleges, high schools. I get to share that with players. And it is just the most awesome thing in the world. In fact, this morning I was sharing that same truth with a group of, of men and women at a prayer breakfast. And I just watched that simple concept change lives and watch men and women come to the cross.

03:01 I've literally seen an entire prison, 1400 inmates, transform from the warden to the guards. To the inmates across that prison. Completely revolutionized and transformed by that one thing that's transformed my life. And I'm sure if it hasn't, it will transform yours. The grace of God is getting what we don't deserve and the mercy of God is not getting what we do deserve. And my question for you today is this: Is there somebody, maybe that person is the person you're looking at in the mirror right now. Is there a person that you know that needs to understand that one simple truth? That grace is getting what we don't deserve and mercy is not getting what we deserve. And if you can think of that person and it may be your own heart, share with that person today.