The Sermon Grace And Truth by David M. McGee
Aug 03, 2014
Grace And Truth (31:43)
Referenced Scriptures: John 1:1; John 1:14-18
Audio
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
John 1:1
1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14-18
14) The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15) John testified about him. He cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.‘"
16) From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.
17) For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18) No one has seen God at any time. The only conceived Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
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This is a machine transcript of the sermon. It won't be completely accurate of what's said in the sermon.
I think that this is vital and far as I is him. They all shouted heresy in RAM off the pulpit and I will thank you. But it's great to be here and, yeah, I think that I often thought that if I would just speak a lot in at different places. I wouldn't be nervous ever know. But any your always nervous, Oslo, but nervous and in El Salvador. Actually, you know, when you visit a church, regardless if it's really a first time or or or not especially fearful of North American and known to be a Christian, they won by two to come on up and say a few words so very commented to get called up in the audit and have to have a sermon in your back pocket basically an offer for something that lady visiting one of the rural churches in El Salvador and the pastor asked her to come up and she didn't want to insurance super embarrassing to thought locking out that I knows the Spanish were dug up there and see what I can. And since thinking embarrassed. Embarrassed, I see embarrassed and she gets up and says brothers and sisters models. The abundance is still a con and that Asada, yes, the Coppola plus daughter so and by the size sounds like embarrassed right, but what you ask. He said his brothers and sisters, I am so pregnant and if the pastor 's fault so and then these types of things that I see happen more than you wanted on outfielder stories. This uneven myself translating for people and people trying to go ahead and speak Spanish right away and kind of saying things were going on at all. I didn't say that they didn't mean that the but anyhow, so, but it is it is good to be here and it's been now twelve years since Jenny and I want tell Salvador honor our honeymoon for a couple months and stay down there for almost eight years and up. It's been audio twelve years now that that you guys that your contribution has been spring training for a lot savoring for us as missionaries in supporting us and the Ministry of Hamas, a and so, first of all, thank you for that. I mean, that's it. It actually is amazing and it's mind-boggling to think that it's been twelve years already and that you don't so many things have changed over the years, but in since I know you guys are probably heard me talk about in last day now for twelve years with a kind of general updates and overviews. I thought maybe diving a little bit deeper to one of the philosophies or mindsets behind why we do what we do in El Salvador and through the ministry of a massé, but specifically built to make an application that I think is very broad to all of our lives and basically look into two essential elements for our Christian lives that that we try to implement through rural churches in El Salvador but that certainly we can be if many ourselves and Christians and are wary and those are great groups and were look at that. The juxtaposition between grace and truth. So, but think about it from that model of the last day is when Marseille means this feature link this link or connect or to former relationship, and last days that the word for that in Spanish and as I've you heard me say now for twelve years I we work with world churches that have a calling Division II to transform their communities and busy link or connect him to training and resources to build to work with the community. The fruit of that looks like a lot of other development type projects around the world from your water systems that health clinics to two houses to all sorts of things like that that that's the fruit above all that happens, but that it actually does the government. The fruit of that has been amazing. Now recently to see you when we first went down there and into an two thousand two. We're working with just a handful of churches this year. It blows my mind worked with over seventy churches who are employing a hundred and twenty projects this year on Caesar hundred and twenty separate projects close to seventy thousand people will be directly benefited this year from things like houses and health clinics in all these different elements that are are are visible and tangible. You know I am in with the goal of next year will be getting our goal of a hundred churches by twenty fifteen and wears us down a couple days ago were doing the strategic plan for twenty twenty, to think of two hundred and fifty churches serving you know about two hundred fifty thousand people which is close am I is a huge percentage of the population in El Salvador 's percentage of those who live in poverty. But what's interesting about this is that it's not about all the numbers is not about all the projects and the root of what we focus on Adam Marseille is not just trying to fill a gap or your fill of what would be considered a need as I receive these everywhere right, but we believe that poverty is not just the lack of material resources or lack of& but that is relational, has to do with relationships. First of all, broke relations between an individual and God. And second of all, and therefore basically because the writ broken relation between individual got people around them, and so we use a a a diagram for he frequently once been reestablished in a lot of different ways, but that that the primary relationship is between God and humankind. I ended out of this relationship you have multiple other relationships that happen. First of all, love your neighbor as you love your what self they got the relationship with self, then you have your relationship, love others write the first Viking, you can identify others as some people are it is not as good. Eight. You can call and easy others, which is basically friends and family and church and people that are added immediately around you and then you have the other set of the others observe we could be considered difficult other whatever, but basically those that we don't let but those that we don't have direct relationship with her there that are not easily connected in our everyday life, and this would include yelp everything from community officials and leaders and people in the occasional having to do with them, but also the marginalized and the people they just do not use that you not come in contact with early she choose not to come in contact with, but on everyday basis. And then the other relationship is with creation or basically the rest of creation beyond humankind and with that, referring to basically all material things around us and and that you'll goes into even step materialism or or even with worshiping that the errors aren't yummy, but everything else our relationship with every every other inanimate object. Any inanimate object around us and basically the idea is these relationships are what are the fabric of life and of God 's plan for creation rate and poverty at its root being relational. The idea is it's there's broke these relationships of them broken the good plan that was sent out from the beginning has been fractured and broken, and if we are about. Once you have create lasting change. We have to be about restoring these relationships in every way that we gain and a good example of this. You can see just about any Canadian El Salvador and for instance have talked about many different pastors of the keynote of you over the many years of being here with a pastor Carlos news from the town of punching article which is a beautiful historic town in a just outside of San Salvador, but it's an amazing disposition because it's it's it's a beautiful town, colonial town with a huge. It just beautiful tile cobblestone streets of adobe homes are built on the outskirts of town. It's absolute abject poverty, and it's one of the most violent municipalities in the world. And Carlos drove other grew up in this community and he is his father left them left the family at an early age. His mother died, and so is basically orphaned and see when into gang life as so many kids do in El Salvador and El Salvador 's been in the news a lot lately with all of the children who've been coming north from Central America in your crossing the border illegally and many of them running from gain by many of them dying to just notate demands of what they can to get across the states for better life because of what they living in El Salvador right so Carlos got into gang life in early age and you can see in. He lived in poverty throughout throughout his life until he became a Christian and anyone back to school and he got no training is mechanic duties made a better life for himself over the years, but if you study Carlos his life a look at his poverty, especially when he is in his early twenties. You can see the brokenness at every level from not being able to recognize God to get it in and then that relationship, informing, who he wasn't himself of not having a low self-esteem and not understanding the money was connected with and then how that goes to even eat without a family structure to rely on. The only thing he falls into is going to be. How can he killed and destroyed to be able to get what he can, you know me in and they began life as a providing him the essential elements that he needs to be able to survive because it provides an structure that provides him money to prevent, provide them shelter. All these types of things and and and without that you can see how the door to just restore him began to come in with the housing project in given way to Carlos what it is activated. Night is coming with a feeding program. These are given featured Carlos every week. What exactly do you know if you're only ill treating one part of the problem, it ends up making it sometimes even worse, actually somewhat another way people talk about it beyond this relational is that poverty in their worlds problems. I like a big, not as if we come in and try and resolve it by saying, oh, this way here this the culprit. I'm going to sit by pulling on this strand right here obviously we just make it that much worse right and the EU recognizes this complex set of relationships that end up happening in the community and we pull à la when we actually end up making a worse time. So the idea is to come up with a way to be able to help restore relationships in a full and holistic way on and the application of that knowledge attorney, your Bibles. Those of you have American to go to John chapter one emergency two key elements that can help to inform all of these relationships in a in and in a very viable way John chapter one verse fourteen to seventeen, many, many of you have have heard and read this gospel of John many times and just recently I was reading through a book by Henry cloud and he focus on these verses and chapter fourteen or she me versus fourteen to seventeen and it was a really opened my eyes up to new truth in and help me to really get a deeper understanding of what the essential ingredients to making these types of written of a relationships work. So if you remembered to the gospel of John is a little bit different to begin a gospel Josquin play a lot different than any of the other Gospels. I may get confused which one starts with what, but one of the gospel starts with the one I'm starts with basically Jesus 's birth. No one starts with the chronology of of the recall at the family history of everybody to lead up to Jesus Luke. It is the ghost, the holy back to Adam basically starts the gospel talking about Adam and and really sees the second Adam John Dillon, Wanda goes to what's John one one in the beginning, the word was that was without an entire ago was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God city goes the hallway back to the beginning and sets up his big framework of this big cosmic God right. That is the word the logos that is absolute truth, and the word with a W, you know, and oftentimes truth in some of the versions has a T maritime abysses, the big concept, but so then he gets into the room. He introduces John the Baptist may get the verse fourteen, which says that that word the big cosmic boom became flesh, which is the same flesh word that Paul uses to talk about the flesh is weak. And we have to be of the other afraid of the flash video in other words like that it's it's the weakness of the Word becomes flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the father, full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying this was he of whom I said you comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me. Verse sixteen says from the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another for the law was given through Moses Grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God but God the one and only, who is at the father 's side, has made him known. So this these two elements of grace and truth. It sounds like they almost go together pretty well. As if that was grace and love more peace and love right biggest high go together grace and truth. But if we look at the word that used for truth here and then also they day the combination with law that he's using is quite the opposite of grace. In a lot of ways what he or he does think of waving a word grace. How would you define grace, forgiveness is the forgiveness earned deserved, given exactly graces this undeserved unearned yell unconditional exactly what you think of when you think of on the right truth. First, what you think of when you think of the word law rules. The thing you need graceful for her height and most of the Old Testament of being is is is so much about laws and related one way to think of his conventional wisdom conventional wisdom says you do good, you get good you do bad, you're going to get back by consequences exactly a big consequence. Do you want to consequence we have insecure or great detail the consequences and you tried to have you. He tried to have the parameters as Europe as you're a parent to give them guidelines writing that apparent illustration, but they go, but obviously it's as good as it gets in terms of trying to have guidance and parameters like there's a need for truth. What happens when you get one more than the other late was what there's too much truth look like without any grace. Lots of law and no grace. We all know, it looks like it's its legalism. It's Judge mental is a misjudgment and the fruits of that almost always our guilt and anxiety. You know it's it's it's it's river. It was not what happens if you get all grace, but no parameters no law you get a bunch of nothing because you get everything right, because anything goes and there's no there there there is there is no law whatsoever to follow and so who cares in the day and more than anything. There becomes no direction and the group of all emptiness and it just to love the love and you know me, how may people be met that kind of have come up against the true side of things and maybe they've met a lot of Christians that are way too much truth without any grace in terms of where the actor talker or feel. And so they reject all that completely and will begin to believe anything we set conversation today with somebody who is who we are as we talk through it. They are basically saying I believe everything except for Christianity, not me. I'd so it's good if you're a hell we I really believe in Native American stuff because it's even older than Christianity. I really believe in these Celtic traditions because the point is not Christian knowledge, no they believe in always different things, but that it becomes nothing, because they've come up and to the front of of of the law and recognize themselves completely incapable of being able to achieve that. As we all do when we all should. But then they didn't get the greatest part, and so they run the other way, but so as you see this idea of Jesus Christ actually embodies grace and truth. The method Johnston on us. This is the fullness of grace and truth and that through Jesus Christ. Christ example, we know God through the fullness of grace and truth that make sense. I think it says that an interesting concept because as you get if you think about it every any other aspect of your life. There needs to be that balance in these days, this grace and truth concept is not a problem that needs to be softened by grace or truth. It's both. And it's not probably be solved, but attention that needs to be managed constantly needs it to the main veins that have been presented to us to do to move for insult, but John is telling us that this fullness of grace and truth has been seen that God has been known through Jesus Christ, and so they get back to what we do in El Salvador. We decided to say no. So if we if Jesus Christ is the fullness of this of what this means. Jesus then we need to study the life of Christ in order to know what grace and truth are all about it so actually work with these rural churches are our field staff or church coaches at the first set of of of of the material that they work through with them is first of all, let's look at Jesus 's life and first of all, what did he do you think about Jesus actions. It's absolutely amazing. The unity Jesus hang out with sinners, but he makes really mad. The Pharisees and the religious leaders of the day we were all a lot who felt comfortable around them know and they think of things like where did he go the places that he won as well. He was constantly taking you tourers from the main roads. Do you think the leper sees the lepers accused me were allowed to come up to Jesus. He was always going to them when he does that to you through the Temple through the pools of Bethesda. Our guide of Bethesda. That was like restricted for anyone who wanted to maintain cleanliness to be ongoing. The Temple. He was constantly taking detours away from the normal path to be able to meet those who were marginalized and he spent his time to think of how he spent his time. His time was spent primarily dealing and feeding and then retreating to go back to the father. Q back to the source and providing the full example of how of how relationships should be at every level. First of all, your relationship with God. Second of all, understanding who you are and your identity with God, and then from the whole gamut of it. He provides the perfect example. What becomes interesting about somebody like Carlos Pastor Carlos, who referring to is oftentimes when he needs Christianity, and as he did. He became a Christian and a very conservative evangelical church that provided law for him. He needed the way out a structure to get out of his gang ridden lifestyle and all he was doing and it the church provide out for in an amazing way. However, it became all law and no grace for everybody else, and of the goods of the pre- common theme that we get saved, recognizing that we are sinners and then we spend the rest of her life trying to save it were not right. Anyhow, Carlos ends up being a pastor who will now wants nothing to do with anyone outside the church. He has recognized themselves only on the law side, and he in God 's team were good, right, and then that law siding judgmental is on works well with his church, but that it can play cut them off from everything else in the world. The world is evil and everything about it is even while nothing do with it all the sinners outside the church, and you turn her burn down deal with them in a mean and this is how almost all of evangelicals in and in Latin America have become over the past twenty years. However, Carlos and defining diving deeper into Scriptures and recognizing first of all what Jesus did. And then what Jesus said and fully grasping this idea. Gracie had the true stuff figured out, but fully grasping this idea of grace opened his eyes to this is what Christianity needs to be all about. This is what our mission is a church needs to be all about showing truth and love, grace and love and everywhere around us and the results have been absolutely amazing and he, like many other pastors in the region. All the sudden say we need to do things to help these people, and both at at at the marginalized, and also even with the with the political structures. A visit of his own community, instead of, whereas before he was hard-core left-wing like a politician guy in his community who wanted nothing to do with any anything new from this other political party whatsoever, and they were just as bad and ready to burn any as well, you know all the sudden he says I'm at work with my community associations. I've never worked with the mayor 's office, regardless of their political party and bring them into to build a help with the marginalized and in speaking of the political party that he was out ill with an exit is no longer becomes like just black Wayne on the law. For that, either. Every aspect of his life becomes comes about that. All of a sudden he starts to recognize that is farming villages doing corn, beans for his own family isn't enough, you start using it is that the creation to build a benefit other people 's needs on home gardens and now started us to lobby a cooperative which is actually amazing. It is our harvest or ten thousand out of this was cooperated. They had and he is one of the owners of it. One of its, the church leaders and into of the community members that are lay leaders of the Catholic Church, who he wanted nothing to do with before and saying it opens up a whole new spectrum and their church membership grows. Everything grows. But it's all about recognizing that it's all grace and truth. And I'm just living out exactly what got what Christ lived out on the earth, and so it's a lot of fun to see you know when when you've got these pastors who previously had all this was was broken, broken, and they got the best and best of intentions of trying to help, but the good that the concept is too close to know a but yet is still so simple disabled. This is what Jesus did, but until it now. And it is exciting time for us at adding lost it right now because you know, got seventy in these s at Vassar) since he now is replicating with seven different churches in his area, you know, and they're doing multiple projects from the candidate they've implemented at twenty five houses over the past couple years. You built homes from people in the worst conditions than Street projects in your improving the infrastructure of the streets or public school mayor 's office. Always everything you hold municipality is being changed and transformed and wanted most amazing things about you was that I talk want to committee leaders said that the UNESCO, which is the Canadian Association base like the city Council of the area. They had been fighting for years and they believe is located on non- locally in our stuff going on. All of a sudden, with three with faster cars and three, the church leaders and party Association and they brought in the both political parties. The table. All of a sudden they trust them, and actually they brought transparency and justice in the kingdom values to local government and absorbing item measure really look at that much, but it's like what they've happens over and over again. All of a sudden you're able to bring in the church begins insurance begins in grace, and all of a sudden you got government that even does something good that the real miracle is. But as you see these things as well, and I see as Henry cloud talks about his, but that the grace and truth. These things don't just happen overnight. That last essential element that there is time& give it time and the focus on time is not necessarily what's been happening for years. What's can happen now. What can I do today with this mission and vision is grace and truth. And finally, what I did today with what I got and he and which is the other thing always blows me away with these pastors meeting schedule live in on nothing compared to what these committees are living on nothing compared to what we got and they are maximizing what is the guys given in their hand today focusing on that and knowing that with time, this is going to bear fruit that with time, this is going to be the fruition of all that, that Christ has set forth in front of us and all that Christ has given us to do so as it says the Word became flesh and wealth among us. We've seen his glory, who came from the father, full of grace and true how does folders we have received graced the law was given through Moses and grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. But spray, God, I thank you for your words. I thank you for sending your son to be the example of grace to be the example of truth. I pray Lord that each of us with go out of here in the next week and months ahead, and the examining our concept of you. How do we see you got how do I see you full of grace, just for the truth and law are you wrathful are you vengeful or a loving, are you help us Lord to understand you, and therefore to translate this into everything to recognize that if we have these inner feelings of guilt and shame. That's an indicator for how we see you or if we had these indicators of spiritual pride or entitlement. That's also how we see you help us understand the ways that we are treating others, both those that are close around us and those that we would typically have nothing to do with give us wisdom, give us a vision for how you would use his God. Yes, these things in Jesus name amenI think that this is vital and far as I is him. They all shouted heresy in RAM off the pulpit and I will thank you. But it's great to be here and, yeah, I think that I often thought that if I would just speak a lot in at different places. I wouldn't be nervous ever know. But any your always nervous, Oslo, but nervous and in El Salvador. Actually, you know, when you visit a church, regardless if it's really a first time or or or not especially fearful of North American and known to be a Christian, they won by two to come on up and say a few words so very commented to get called up in the audit and have to have a sermon in your back pocket basically an offer for something that lady visiting one of the rural churches in El Salvador and the pastor asked her to come up and she didn't want to insurance super embarrassing to thought locking out that I knows the Spanish were dug up there and see what I can. And since thinking embarrassed. Embarrassed, I see embarrassed and she gets up and says brothers and sisters models. The abundance is still a con and that Asada, yes, the Coppola plus daughter so and by the size sounds like embarrassed right, but what you ask. He said his brothers and sisters, I am so pregnant and if the pastor 's fault so and then these types of things that I see happen more than you wanted on outfielder stories. This uneven myself translating for people and people trying to go ahead and speak Spanish right away and kind of saying things were going on at all. I didn't say that they didn't mean that the but anyhow, so, but it is it is good to be here and it's been now twelve years since Jenny and I want tell Salvador honor our honeymoon for a couple months and stay down there for almost eight years and up. It's been audio twelve years now that that you guys that your contribution has been spring training for a lot savoring for us as missionaries in supporting us and the Ministry of Hamas, a and so, first of all, thank you for that. I mean, that's it. It actually is amazing and it's mind-boggling to think that it's been twelve years already and that you don't so many things have changed over the years, but in since I know you guys are probably heard me talk about in last day now for twelve years with a kind of general updates and overviews. I thought maybe diving a little bit deeper to one of the philosophies or mindsets behind why we do what we do in El Salvador and through the ministry of a massé, but specifically built to make an application that I think is very broad to all of our lives and basically look into two essential elements for our Christian lives that that we try to implement through rural churches in El Salvador but that certainly we can be if many ourselves and Christians and are wary and those are great groups and were look at that. The juxtaposition between grace and truth. So, but think about it from that model of the last day is when Marseille means this feature link this link or connect or to former relationship, and last days that the word for that in Spanish and as I've you heard me say now for twelve years I we work with world churches that have a calling Division II to transform their communities and busy link or connect him to training and resources to build to work with the community. The fruit of that looks like a lot of other development type projects around the world from your water systems that health clinics to two houses to all sorts of things like that that that's the fruit above all that happens, but that it actually does the government. The fruit of that has been amazing. Now recently to see you when we first went down there and into an two thousand two. We're working with just a handful of churches this year. It blows my mind worked with over seventy churches who are employing a hundred and twenty projects this year on Caesar hundred and twenty separate projects close to seventy thousand people will be directly benefited this year from things like houses and health clinics in all these different elements that are are are visible and tangible. You know I am in with the goal of next year will be getting our goal of a hundred churches by twenty fifteen and wears us down a couple days ago were doing the strategic plan for twenty twenty, to think of two hundred and fifty churches serving you know about two hundred fifty thousand people which is close am I is a huge percentage of the population in El Salvador 's percentage of those who live in poverty. But what's interesting about this is that it's not about all the numbers is not about all the projects and the root of what we focus on Adam Marseille is not just trying to fill a gap or your fill of what would be considered a need as I receive these everywhere right, but we believe that poverty is not just the lack of material resources or lack of& but that is relational, has to do with relationships. First of all, broke relations between an individual and God. And second of all, and therefore basically because the writ broken relation between individual got people around them, and so we use a a a diagram for he frequently once been reestablished in a lot of different ways, but that that the primary relationship is between God and humankind. I ended out of this relationship you have multiple other relationships that happen. First of all, love your neighbor as you love your what self they got the relationship with self, then you have your relationship, love others write the first Viking, you can identify others as some people are it is not as good. Eight. You can call and easy others, which is basically friends and family and church and people that are added immediately around you and then you have the other set of the others observe we could be considered difficult other whatever, but basically those that we don't let but those that we don't have direct relationship with her there that are not easily connected in our everyday life, and this would include yelp everything from community officials and leaders and people in the occasional having to do with them, but also the marginalized and the people they just do not use that you not come in contact with early she choose not to come in contact with, but on everyday basis. And then the other relationship is with creation or basically the rest of creation beyond humankind and with that, referring to basically all material things around us and and that you'll goes into even step materialism or or even with worshiping that the errors aren't yummy, but everything else our relationship with every every other inanimate object. Any inanimate object around us and basically the idea is these relationships are what are the fabric of life and of God 's plan for creation rate and poverty at its root being relational. The idea is it's there's broke these relationships of them broken the good plan that was sent out from the beginning has been fractured and broken, and if we are about. Once you have create lasting change. We have to be about restoring these relationships in every way that we gain and a good example of this. You can see just about any Canadian El Salvador and for instance have talked about many different pastors of the keynote of you over the many years of being here with a pastor Carlos news from the town of punching article which is a beautiful historic town in a just outside of San Salvador, but it's an amazing disposition because it's it's it's a beautiful town, colonial town with a huge. It just beautiful tile cobblestone streets of adobe homes are built on the outskirts of town. It's absolute abject poverty, and it's one of the most violent municipalities in the world. And Carlos drove other grew up in this community and he is his father left them left the family at an early age. His mother died, and so is basically orphaned and see when into gang life as so many kids do in El Salvador and El Salvador 's been in the news a lot lately with all of the children who've been coming north from Central America in your crossing the border illegally and many of them running from gain by many of them dying to just notate demands of what they can to get across the states for better life because of what they living in El Salvador right so Carlos got into gang life in early age and you can see in. He lived in poverty throughout throughout his life until he became a Christian and anyone back to school and he got no training is mechanic duties made a better life for himself over the years, but if you study Carlos his life a look at his poverty, especially when he is in his early twenties. You can see the brokenness at every level from not being able to recognize God to get it in and then that relationship, informing, who he wasn't himself of not having a low self-esteem and not understanding the money was connected with and then how that goes to even eat without a family structure to rely on. The only thing he falls into is going to be. How can he killed and destroyed to be able to get what he can, you know me in and they began life as a providing him the essential elements that he needs to be able to survive because it provides an structure that provides him money to prevent, provide them shelter. All these types of things and and and without that you can see how the door to just restore him began to come in with the housing project in given way to Carlos what it is activated. Night is coming with a feeding program. These are given featured Carlos every week. What exactly do you know if you're only ill treating one part of the problem, it ends up making it sometimes even worse, actually somewhat another way people talk about it beyond this relational is that poverty in their worlds problems. I like a big, not as if we come in and try and resolve it by saying, oh, this way here this the culprit. I'm going to sit by pulling on this strand right here obviously we just make it that much worse right and the EU recognizes this complex set of relationships that end up happening in the community and we pull à la when we actually end up making a worse time. So the idea is to come up with a way to be able to help restore relationships in a full and holistic way on and the application of that knowledge attorney, your Bibles. Those of you have American to go to John chapter one emergency two key elements that can help to inform all of these relationships in a in and in a very viable way John chapter one verse fourteen to seventeen, many, many of you have have heard and read this gospel of John many times and just recently I was reading through a book by Henry cloud and he focus on these verses and chapter fourteen or she me versus fourteen to seventeen and it was a really opened my eyes up to new truth in and help me to really get a deeper understanding of what the essential ingredients to making these types of written of a relationships work. So if you remembered to the gospel of John is a little bit different to begin a gospel Josquin play a lot different than any of the other Gospels. I may get confused which one starts with what, but one of the gospel starts with the one I'm starts with basically Jesus 's birth. No one starts with the chronology of of the recall at the family history of everybody to lead up to Jesus Luke. It is the ghost, the holy back to Adam basically starts the gospel talking about Adam and and really sees the second Adam John Dillon, Wanda goes to what's John one one in the beginning, the word was that was without an entire ago was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God city goes the hallway back to the beginning and sets up his big framework of this big cosmic God right. That is the word the logos that is absolute truth, and the word with a W, you know, and oftentimes truth in some of the versions has a T maritime abysses, the big concept, but so then he gets into the room. He introduces John the Baptist may get the verse fourteen, which says that that word the big cosmic boom became flesh, which is the same flesh word that Paul uses to talk about the flesh is weak. And we have to be of the other afraid of the flash video in other words like that it's it's the weakness of the Word becomes flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the father, full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying this was he of whom I said you comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me. Verse sixteen says from the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another for the law was given through Moses Grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God but God the one and only, who is at the father 's side, has made him known. So this these two elements of grace and truth. It sounds like they almost go together pretty well. As if that was grace and love more peace and love right biggest high go together grace and truth. But if we look at the word that used for truth here and then also they day the combination with law that he's using is quite the opposite of grace. In a lot of ways what he or he does think of waving a word grace. How would you define grace, forgiveness is the forgiveness earned deserved, given exactly graces this undeserved unearned yell unconditional exactly what you think of when you think of on the right truth. First, what you think of when you think of the word law rules. The thing you need graceful for her height and most of the Old Testament of being is is is so much about laws and related one way to think of his conventional wisdom conventional wisdom says you do good, you get good you do bad, you're going to get back by consequences exactly a big consequence. Do you want to consequence we have insecure or great detail the consequences and you tried to have you. He tried to have the parameters as Europe as you're a parent to give them guidelines writing that apparent illustration, but they go, but obviously it's as good as it gets in terms of trying to have guidance and parameters like there's a need for truth. What happens when you get one more than the other late was what there's too much truth look like without any grace. Lots of law and no grace. We all know, it looks like it's its legalism. It's Judge mental is a misjudgment and the fruits of that almost always our guilt and anxiety. You know it's it's it's it's river. It was not what happens if you get all grace, but no parameters no law you get a bunch of nothing because you get everything right, because anything goes and there's no there there there is there is no law whatsoever to follow and so who cares in the day and more than anything. There becomes no direction and the group of all emptiness and it just to love the love and you know me, how may people be met that kind of have come up against the true side of things and maybe they've met a lot of Christians that are way too much truth without any grace in terms of where the actor talker or feel. And so they reject all that completely and will begin to believe anything we set conversation today with somebody who is who we are as we talk through it. They are basically saying I believe everything except for Christianity, not me. I'd so it's good if you're a hell we I really believe in Native American stuff because it's even older than Christianity. I really believe in these Celtic traditions because the point is not Christian knowledge, no they believe in always different things, but that it becomes nothing, because they've come up and to the front of of of the law and recognize themselves completely incapable of being able to achieve that. As we all do when we all should. But then they didn't get the greatest part, and so they run the other way, but so as you see this idea of Jesus Christ actually embodies grace and truth. The method Johnston on us. This is the fullness of grace and truth and that through Jesus Christ. Christ example, we know God through the fullness of grace and truth that make sense. I think it says that an interesting concept because as you get if you think about it every any other aspect of your life. There needs to be that balance in these days, this grace and truth concept is not a problem that needs to be softened by grace or truth. It's both. And it's not probably be solved, but attention that needs to be managed constantly needs it to the main veins that have been presented to us to do to move for insult, but John is telling us that this fullness of grace and truth has been seen that God has been known through Jesus Christ, and so they get back to what we do in El Salvador. We decided to say no. So if we if Jesus Christ is the fullness of this of what this means. Jesus then we need to study the life of Christ in order to know what grace and truth are all about it so actually work with these rural churches are our field staff or church coaches at the first set of of of of the material that they work through with them is first of all, let's look at Jesus 's life and first of all, what did he do you think about Jesus actions. It's absolutely amazing. The unity Jesus hang out with sinners, but he makes really mad. The Pharisees and the religious leaders of the day we were all a lot who felt comfortable around them know and they think of things like where did he go the places that he won as well. He was constantly taking you tourers from the main roads. Do you think the leper sees the lepers accused me were allowed to come up to Jesus. He was always going to them when he does that to you through the Temple through the pools of Bethesda. Our guide of Bethesda. That was like restricted for anyone who wanted to maintain cleanliness to be ongoing. The Temple. He was constantly taking detours away from the normal path to be able to meet those who were marginalized and he spent his time to think of how he spent his time. His time was spent primarily dealing and feeding and then retreating to go back to the father. Q back to the source and providing the full example of how of how relationships should be at every level. First of all, your relationship with God. Second of all, understanding who you are and your identity with God, and then from the whole gamut of it. He provides the perfect example. What becomes interesting about somebody like Carlos Pastor Carlos, who referring to is oftentimes when he needs Christianity, and as he did. He became a Christian and a very conservative evangelical church that provided law for him. He needed the way out a structure to get out of his gang ridden lifestyle and all he was doing and it the church provide out for in an amazing way. However, it became all law and no grace for everybody else, and of the goods of the pre- common theme that we get saved, recognizing that we are sinners and then we spend the rest of her life trying to save it were not right. Anyhow, Carlos ends up being a pastor who will now wants nothing to do with anyone outside the church. He has recognized themselves only on the law side, and he in God 's team were good, right, and then that law siding judgmental is on works well with his church, but that it can play cut them off from everything else in the world. The world is evil and everything about it is even while nothing do with it all the sinners outside the church, and you turn her burn down deal with them in a mean and this is how almost all of evangelicals in and in Latin America have become over the past twenty years. However, Carlos and defining diving deeper into Scriptures and recognizing first of all what Jesus did. And then what Jesus said and fully grasping this idea. Gracie had the true stuff figured out, but fully grasping this idea of grace opened his eyes to this is what Christianity needs to be all about. This is what our mission is a church needs to be all about showing truth and love, grace and love and everywhere around us and the results have been absolutely amazing and he, like many other pastors in the region. All the sudden say we need to do things to help these people, and both at at at the marginalized, and also even with the with the political structures. A visit of his own community, instead of, whereas before he was hard-core left-wing like a politician guy in his community who wanted nothing to do with any anything new from this other political party whatsoever, and they were just as bad and ready to burn any as well, you know all the sudden he says I'm at work with my community associations. I've never worked with the mayor 's office, regardless of their political party and bring them into to build a help with the marginalized and in speaking of the political party that he was out ill with an exit is no longer becomes like just black Wayne on the law. For that, either. Every aspect of his life becomes comes about that. All of a sudden he starts to recognize that is farming villages doing corn, beans for his own family isn't enough, you start using it is that the creation to build a benefit other people 's needs on home gardens and now started us to lobby a cooperative which is actually amazing. It is our harvest or ten thousand out of this was cooperated. They had and he is one of the owners of it. One of its, the church leaders and into of the community members that are lay leaders of the Catholic Church, who he wanted nothing to do with before and saying it opens up a whole new spectrum and their church membership grows. Everything grows. But it's all about recognizing that it's all grace and truth. And I'm just living out exactly what got what Christ lived out on the earth, and so it's a lot of fun to see you know when when you've got these pastors who previously had all this was was broken, broken, and they got the best and best of intentions of trying to help, but the good that the concept is too close to know a but yet is still so simple disabled. This is what Jesus did, but until it now. And it is exciting time for us at adding lost it right now because you know, got seventy in these s at Vassar) since he now is replicating with seven different churches in his area, you know, and they're doing multiple projects from the candidate they've implemented at twenty five houses over the past couple years. You built homes from people in the worst conditions than Street projects in your improving the infrastructure of the streets or public school mayor 's office. Always everything you hold municipality is being changed and transformed and wanted most amazing things about you was that I talk want to committee leaders said that the UNESCO, which is the Canadian Association base like the city Council of the area. They had been fighting for years and they believe is located on non- locally in our stuff going on. All of a sudden, with three with faster cars and three, the church leaders and party Association and they brought in the both political parties. The table. All of a sudden they trust them, and actually they brought transparency and justice in the kingdom values to local government and absorbing item measure really look at that much, but it's like what they've happens over and over again. All of a sudden you're able to bring in the church begins insurance begins in grace, and all of a sudden you got government that even does something good that the real miracle is. But as you see these things as well, and I see as Henry cloud talks about his, but that the grace and truth. These things don't just happen overnight. That last essential element that there is time& give it time and the focus on time is not necessarily what's been happening for years. What's can happen now. What can I do today with this mission and vision is grace and truth. And finally, what I did today with what I got and he and which is the other thing always blows me away with these pastors meeting schedule live in on nothing compared to what these committees are living on nothing compared to what we got and they are maximizing what is the guys given in their hand today focusing on that and knowing that with time, this is going to bear fruit that with time, this is going to be the fruition of all that, that Christ has set forth in front of us and all that Christ has given us to do so as it says the Word became flesh and wealth among us. We've seen his glory, who came from the father, full of grace and true how does folders we have received graced the law was given through Moses and grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. But spray, God, I thank you for your words. I thank you for sending your son to be the example of grace to be the example of truth. I pray Lord that each of us with go out of here in the next week and months ahead, and the examining our concept of you. How do we see you got how do I see you full of grace, just for the truth and law are you wrathful are you vengeful or a loving, are you help us Lord to understand you, and therefore to translate this into everything to recognize that if we have these inner feelings of guilt and shame. That's an indicator for how we see you or if we had these indicators of spiritual pride or entitlement. That's also how we see you help us understand the ways that we are treating others, both those that are close around us and those that we would typically have nothing to do with give us wisdom, give us a vision for how you would use his God. Yes, these things in Jesus name amen