Outstretched Arms of Grace -- Restoring Grace

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Bethany Bible Church April 9, 2017 Dr. Ted Wueste

Outstretched Arms of Grace -- Restoring Grace Luke 22:54-62 I. Peter was following Christ, but from a place of _______________ . “... and Peter was following at a distance.” (vs. 54)

II. Our sinfulness always leads to _______________ . “Man, I do not know what you are talking about...” (vs. 60)

III. He remains _______________ to us when we fall. “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter...” (vs. 61)

IV. His grace leads us to a place of _______________ . “And he went out and wept bitterly.” (vs. 62)

V. His grace restores us to deeper places of trust. John 21:15-17

Disconnection versus Connection After Jesus was arrested, Peter followed Him at a distance. But the distance was not merely physical - it was also internal. At this moment in time, Peter was disconnected from his Lord. We can find ourselves disconnected from Christ during seasons of discouragement, disillusionment, and deception. Our own sinfulness compounds our disconnection from God because we attempt to resolve our brokenness through our strength, power, and wisdom. But our efforts here only succeed in increasing our own self-protection and self-love. Whenever we disconnect from God, He never disconnects from us. Jesus remained connected to Peter, even in the midst of Peter’s forceful denials of Jesus. And Jesus never disconnects from us as believers, even in the midst of our darkest sins. Jesus always invites us to live before Him as connected and deeply loved individuals. Whenever we sin, Jesus wants us to draw even closer to Him, not pull away from Him in distance and disconnection.

Questions for Discussion and Further Reflection 1. Why did Peter deny Jesus? What do you think he was thinking and feeling at the time? 2. Imagine you are Peter after his third denial, and Jesus turns to look at him (you). How do you envision Jesus’ gaze at you? What does His gaze communicate to you? 3. Where and when have you been tempted to deny that you know Jesus? How did you feel? Have you resolved this with God? 4. Do you feel connected or disconnected to Jesus? How can you draw closer to Him in connection? 5. How will you meet Jesus in your brokenness?

4/6/2017

Our disconnection always comes out of a place of …

“We are not producing worshippers in this country. Rather we are producing a generation of spectators, religious onlookers lacking, in many cases, any memory of a true encounter with God, deprived of both the tangible sense of God’s presence and the supernatural relationship their inmost spirits crave.” Sally Morgenthaler

Our disconnection always comes out of a place of … • discouragement

Peter was following Christ … but from a place of disconnection.

Our disconnection always comes out of a place of … • discouragement • disillusionment

“and Peter was following at a distance.” v. 54

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Our disconnection always comes out of a place of … • discouragement • disillusionment • deception

Process of detachment or holy indifference

Our sinfulness always leads to sin.

He remains connected to us when we fall.

“Man, I do not know what you are talking about…” v. 60

“And the Lord turned and looked at Peter…” v. 61

“It is necessary that we become indifferent to all created things so that, on our part, we want not health rather than sickness, riches rather than poverty, honor rather than dishonor, long rather than short life, and so in all the rest; desiring and choosing only what helps us praise, reverence, and serve God.” Ignatius of Loyola

The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself. 2 Timothy 2:11-13

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“The exact and discriminate meaning of the word grace should be crystal clear to every child of God. With such insight only can he feed his own soul on the inexhaustible riches which it unfolds, and with such understanding on it can he be enabled clearly to pass on to others its marvelous, transforming theme … Grace means pure unrecompensed kindness and favor.

“Many years ago I was driven to the conclusion that the two major causes of most emotional problems among evangelical Christians are these: the failure to understand, receive, and live out God’s unconditional grace and forgiveness; and the failure to give out that unconditional love, forgiveness, and grace to other people …

“What is done in grace is done graciously. From this exact meaning, there can be no departure; otherwise grace ceases to be grace. To arrive at the scope and force of the Bible doctrine of salvation by grace alone we need to follow consistently the path indicated by the exact meaning of the word.”

“… We read, we hear, we believe in a good theology of grace. But that’s not the way we live. The good news of the gospel of grace has not penetrated the level of our emotions.” David Seamands

Lewis Sperry Chafer, Grace

“I am utterly convinced that on the judgement day, the Lord Jesus is going to ask us one question and only one question: did you believe that I loved you? that I desired you? that I waited for you day after day? that I longed to hear the sound of your voice?”

His grace leads us to a place of brokenness. “And he went out and wept bitterly.” v. 62

Brennan Manning

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“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

His grace restores us to deeper places of trust. John 21:15-17

John 12:24

“We cannot stand the sight of our dark side, so we repress it, push it under, thinking we have thereby disposed of it. But we have not. We have simply pushed it into a place where it both has us in its grip and automatically projects itself on the person or the nation we do not like;

How will you meet Him in your brokenness?

“so the tension we will not stand in ourselves is carelessly and irresponsibly cast out to increase the tension and strife and anguish of our world.”

“Most people tell you they want to get out of kindergarten, but don’t believe them. All they want you to do is mend their broken toys. ‘Give me back my wife, Give me back my job. Give me back my money. Give me back my reputation, my success.’ This is all they want; they want their toys replaced. That’s all.

Charles B. Hanna

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“Even the best psychologist will tell you that, that people don’t really want to be cured. What they want is relief; a cure is painful.” Anthony deMello

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