Transformative GraceMuskoka Lakes Ministry of Knox, Port Carling & Zion, Torrance
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Message: Transformative Grace
Reverend Glynis Faith
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Announcements
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1) Knox Board of Managers meets Thursday at 7:00p.m.
2) Community prayer will be taking place via Zoom on Monday evenings, beginning this Monday. Meetings begin at 7p.m., and if you would like to take part in this, please email me and I will send you the link.
3) Lectio Divina is held via Zoom on Thursday evenings 7-9 p.m.
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Call to Worship
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Amazing Grace – a gift from God
We were lost, but now are found
We were blind, but in Christ we see.
Praise God – Praise God – Praise God – Praise God
Together, let us worship and praise God. AMEN
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Prayer of Adoration & Confession
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God of grace, you offer us more than we could ever deserve – more than we could ever earn – asking nothing more than our complete trust in Your Word.
Jesus, Lord and Saviour, You set aside Your crown and Your robe to walk in human flesh. You showed us how to defeat temptation and honour God in all we do and say. You gave up Your life to free us from our sins – You, who are perfect, paid the price for my – for our flawed choices – for our sins. Lamb of God, You deserve our praise.
Spirit of God, You guide and teach us, and You prompt us when we are not following the examples given to us by Christ Jesus. We trust You to continue transforming us through Your amazing grace.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we adore You, we put our faith in You and together we praise Your glorious name.
Gracious Triune God, we confess we are weak in the face of temptation. We often accept socially accepted practices, despite their opposition to your Word. Lord, forgive us, and as we are willing, transform us into Your image, we pray.
Fill us with Your presence of grace, as we unite our voices across the airwaves to repeat the prayer Jesus taught us, saying, “ Our Father, who art in heaven… hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thine will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Forever and ever. AMEN
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Scripture
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1 Timothy 1:12-17
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1Chronicles 17:16-20
Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said:
“Who am I, LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, my God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You, LORD God, have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men.
What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant, LORD. For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises.
There is no one like you, LORD, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.”
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Message
“ Transformative Grace ”
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A transformation is generally a gradual process. There is, however, often a big moment or big scene that signals the transformation, like that of a butterfly breaking the cocoon and pushing out to spread its wings - - it is a process - - for the butterfly, beginning with a little caterpillar eating everything green it crawls across, then finding just the right place and wrapping itself into a cocoon, while a behind the scenes transformation begins. Then, at just the right time it breaks through the cocoon and slowly pushes itself out – opening its wings and setting sail gracefully through the air.
There are many kinds of transformations – tadpole to frog – egg to bird (or egg to breakfast sandwich, if you have a bit of ketchup and cheese) – a young child into young adult into mature adult into an elderly adult, and so on. Some transformations occur more internally – as we grow and have new experiences our beliefs can be challenged and transformed.
Our faith is another example of something that can be, and often is transformed throughout our lives – transformed by our experiences, by the examples of other people’s faith, by a reading from Scripture or even from a conversation during Bible study or after church.
What I thought we might talk about today is transforming grace.
- Some people follow a Christian path all their lives, yet they can look back and see times where their faith has been challenged or has struggled. This is often a time of transformation where we can look back at God’s grace strengthening us as we grow in our relationship with Christ.
- Others speak of a roller coaster ride as they try to understand the grace of God in the face of their individual contexts and through examples of other Christians they have come into contact with in their lives.
- There are people, like the Apostle Paul, who have a life changing experience and encounter God’s grace in ways that change their lives instantly. These conversions, although instant in one sense, by the apostle Paul’s own admission, do not lead to instant sainthood. This is what Paul says long after his conversion, and as he is trying to make sense of his own behaviour, he says “In fact, I don't understand why I act the way I do. I don't do what I know is right. I do the things I hate.” Romans 7:15. Paul is talking about human nature, and he goes on to say, “O what a wretched man am I.”
This is where grace begins the process of transformation in our lives – the admission of our sinful nature – O what a wretched soul I am.
Not to say that I am a horrible despicable person (although, before my morning coffee, a case could be made for horrible and despicable), but in the presence of God’s goodness and glory, I can admit, I am not worthy to stand on my own accord.
If I am honest, I must confess, I do not deserve God’s grace! But isn’t that exactly what makes God’s grace so amazing? God does not give us what our sins deserve – God gives us grace – undeserved forgiveness!
When we fully acknowledge our wretchedness and see our sins for what they truly are – a defiance against God – then we can accept the amazing transformative grace of God into our lives and let it begin to change wretches like us. Just like the caterpillar needs to admit it has eaten enough and stop to build its cacoon, we need to admit our sins – accept God’s transformative grace, allow Christ to wrap us in undeserved forgiveness and trust the Holy Spirit to be the wind beneath our wings. ///
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.
John Newton, the author of these words, was transformed from slave trader to passionate preacher and hymn writer through the grace of God, but his journey, like many Christian’s journey, involved a process of transformation.
I would suggest his journey began as a child when his mom faithfully taught him Scriptures and prayers. Although she died when he was just 7 years old, her faith remained in his mind and heart. (Parents – grandparents – the seeds you plant today in your children will grow when the time is right, even if you are not here to see)
John grew up and became a seaman like his father. Eventually he became captain of his own ship and like many sea captains of the day, he entered the slave trade.
In 1748, John was reading a book called “Imitation of Christ” by Thomas Kempis, and on March 10th of that year he was returning to England with newly retrieved slaves when he encountered treacherous weather at sea. John cried out to God for deliverance.
The ship would arrive safely ashore in England and John’s spiritual life would begin to be transformed.
Now, we might think that John would land ashore and give up his life as a slave trader, but that is not what happened. John, like many of us, spent several years rationalizing his behaviours. The slave trade was legal, so there must not be anything wrong with it. Without the labour provided by slaves the economy would suffer, so it would not make sense to cause everyone to suffer. Etc., etc., etc… (this thinking could be rationalized within a society that accepted the practice of buying and selling humans)
John changed many of his ways and committed himself to attending church and such, but instead of freeing the slaves, he committed to providing them ‘better treatment.’ He also eased his conscious by holding weekly worship services and mandating his crew to attend.
Over the next several years, however, God tugged at his conscious until John gave up the slave trade and became one of the strongest voices opposing slavery.
As God’s grace transformed John’s life, he would later sense a call into ministry – a call to show people the way to freedom through God’s transformative grace – a call he accepted, becoming a passionate preacher known for his frequent retelling of how the sweet sound of God’s grace transformed a wretch like him. ///
Friends, how has God’s grace transformed your life? What transformation might you be experiencing right now? And how might telling your story help others see the glory of God’s Amazing Grace?
May the words of this hymn bless and encourage you as we sing - - - Amazing Grace
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Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession & The Lord’s Prayer
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Who are we Lord, that You should call us to heirs of Your kingdom? Who are we that You should give up Your throne to walk among us, taking our burdens upon Your shoulders to offer us a place in Your kingdom?
We do not deserve Your favour, and yet You hold out Your grace to all who will accept it! Thank You, God of Grace. / Thank you Jesus, for bearing our burden upon the Cross. / And we thank You, Spirit of the Living God, for Your continued presence and guidance in our lives.
Gracious Father, as we grow in our realization of Your amazing love and grace, we are increasingly aware of the needs of others, and we bring those needs to you in prayer.
Through the toils and troubles of this broken world we see the evidence that Your grace is not known by all, so we pray for revival in our land. We pray that You will ignite those who have received Your amazing grace to share their stories and help the lost to find their way. We pray that Your children will live faithfully by Your Word and will shine Your light of love for all the world to see.
Where there is sickness, we pray for Your healing touch.
Where there is mourning, we pray for Your comforting presence.
Where there are emotional struggles, we pray for Your peace and assurance.
Where there is hunger, we pray for an outpouring of generosity.
Where there is loneliness, we pray for active Christian outreach and fellowship.
We pray for teachers and students as they prepare to return to school. We thank you especially for dedicated Sunday School teachers and youth leaders, and we ask for Your blessings to be upon them as they continue to find creative ways of sharing Your amazing grace throughout the pandemic we are in.
With grateful hearts we bring these prayers to You, in the name of Jesus, our Saviour, AMEN
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Commission & Benediction
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Remember the grace you have received from God. As you go into this coming week, let God’s grace continue to transform you as you offer others the grace you yourself have received. And as you do . . .

May the love of God, the Peace of Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit go with you. AMEN
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Support the Work of Knox and Zion in 2021
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DONATIONS TO ZION, TORRANCE
Mail cheques to Zion Presbyterian Church 1046 Torrance Rd, Torrance, ON, P0C 1M0
E-Transfers to zionchurchpc@gmail.com No security question required
Pick up ~ Please call the office (705) 765 3797 to arrange pick up

DONATIONS TO KNOX, PORT CARLING
Mail cheques to Knox Presbyterian Church Box 283, Port Carling, ON,
P0B 1J0
E-Transfers to KnoxChurchPC@gmail.com No security question required
Pick up ~ Please call the office (705) 765-3797 to arrange pick up