Don't Sign for the Package: Five Steps to Victory by Grace
Dr RJ Sing, 1 hr 45 min
Originally recorded as “Five Steps to Victory by the Grace of God”
Sermon outline
Grace is God's divine influence and ability resting on your life, and you walk in victory when you decide to partake of it, refuse defeat and offence, stand in it by faith, fill your mind with His Word and speak gracious words.
Main text
- Philippians 1:7
- Acts 4:32-37
Opening
He leads the church in praise, praying in tongues and confessions, teaching that praise is the way from discouragement to encouragement. During the offering he says prosperity comes by working God's principles patiently, not by trying them once, and tells how, the day after he bought suits for a man in need, a woman at a health spa gave him two brand new suits at the very same hour. After a church member's testimony and a greeting from a visiting pastor from Tanzania who found the church through its TV programme, he announces his title: 'Five steps to victory by the grace of God.'
What grace is: partakers of the grace on a man of God
In Hebrew grace means God's kindness, favour, beauty and pleasantness; in the Greek, charis is divine influence on the heart that shows on the outside. Paul told the Philippians they were partakers of 'my grace': God places a measure of grace on those in the fivefold ministry, and everyone who honours that gift partakes of it. The measure of grace matches the calling, and it is given for the church's healing, prosperity, favour and advancement.
Illustration: A wife who says she loves God but not her husband does not leave him outside in the doghouse; you love what God has given you, and the same goes for the ministry gifts He gives the church.
“The anointing of God on a man is not for the man. The anointing of God on a man is for the church.”
- Philippians 1:7
- Ephesians 4:8
- Ephesians 4:11
- Acts 6:7
Great grace was upon them all
When the early believers were of one heart and laid their gifts at the apostles' feet, great grace rested on them and none of them lacked. Barnabas sold land and laid the money at the apostles' feet and became a son of consolation. Sowing into the anointing brings divine grace back to you, and you cannot out-give God.
Illustration: He invites the front row forward and they are touched by the power of God without him praying for them, to show that grace is a real divine influence.
“The more you give, the more you get.”
- Acts 4:32-37
Come boldly to the throne of grace and the word of His grace
Hebrews 4:16 is God's open invitation: whenever you have a need you can come boldly and find grace to help. God's Word and His grace are able to build you up and give you an inheritance, so nobody has to stay the way they came in.
“Anytime you have a need, you can come boldly to the throne of grace.”
- Hebrews 4:16
- Acts 20:32
Step 1. Decide that you will partake of the divine grace of God
Do not come to church just because you want to or have to. Come knowing that grace is hanging all over the place, refuse to be distracted, and make up your mind to partake of it.
Illustration: Without looking at her or touching her, he asks a woman to stand in the aisle and she is touched by the power of God where she stands.
“The very air that you are breathing is charged with the atmosphere of God.”
Step 2. Decide once and for all, I will never be defeated in my life
Erase 'I'm discouraged' from your vocabulary; depression and oppression are evil spirits to be cast out, not conversed with. When you are down, church is exactly where you should be, early and praying in tongues. Once the devil defeats you he immobilises you, and you are no good to yourself or anyone else.
Illustration: You still bath and eat when you are discouraged, so why stay away from church? Nobody begs you to take a bath.
“If you say, I'm discouraged, it means you are having fellowship with the devil.”
Step 3. Take your stand in grace
We have access by faith into this grace, not by feelings or sadness. Whatever stands between you and the grace of God, press in and take hold of it by faith, and live offence free. If you have fallen from grace, God will abundantly pardon and you can come right back.
Illustration: If someone pinches your chair in church, sit on the floor, but don't let anyone rob you of your blessing.
“If you go by feelings, you've lost.”
- Romans 5:2
- Isaiah 55:7
Step 4. Flood your attention with the word of His grace
Joshua 1:8 says you shall make your way prosperous by meditating on the Word, so it is up to you. Satan will make sure offence comes, through children, leaders, neighbours or work, but you can refuse to take delivery of it. You go to work to do your job, not to be made happy, and you do not let anyone determine your destiny.
Illustration: For a year and a half an intercessor at a church he attended turned her back whenever he and his wife walked past, until one day he tapped her on the shoulder, greeted her and hugged her; he could have been offended and left the church.
“Refuse to take delivery of it. Don't sign for the package.”
- Joshua 1:8
- Proverbs 28:1
Step 5. Speak words of grace
Let no corrupt communication, slang or swearing come out of your mouth, because it grieves the Holy Spirit who lives in you and leaves your prayer life dry. Speak words that minister grace, and bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
“Practice to talk nice.”
- Ephesians 4:29
- 2 Corinthians 10:5
Rest in the grace: the Spirit in you calls for the resources
Do not trust your paycheque; trust the grace of God, who sent ravens, manna, water from the rock and an angel's bread to a discouraged prophet. In the new covenant the Spirit who raised Christ lives in you, calling in what you need while you sleep in peace. God often uses the least likely people, like the widow of Zarephath.
Illustration: While others take sleeping tablets, a child of God can lay his head down and say, 'Shalom, shalom, peace, peace.'
“You can have challenges and yet have peace.”
- 1 Kings 17:6
- 1 Kings 19:4-8
- Romans 8:11
- 1 Kings 17:9
- Matthew 17:27
Putting it into practice
- Come to every service expecting to partake of the grace on it.
- Stop saying 'I'm discouraged'; when you are down, come to church early and pray in tongues.
- Refuse offence from family, church or work: don't sign for the package.
- Meditate on the Word day and night, and clean up your speech.
- Trust God for small things, like a parking space, and grow your faith from there.
Closing
He speaks words of grace over the church and over the visiting pastor, prophesying growth, fire in his preaching and healing in his hands, and tells the church to catch the prophetic words too. He prays for a sick woman who came from hospital for prayer, lays hands on many people, prophesies increase, overflow and promotion, speaks grace over each branch church, and hands over to Pastor Zubeda for the announcements.
Declarations he led
- I'm equal for anything. I can overcome any challenge in the name of Jesus. The strength of the Lord is upon me.
- Nothing can frustrate me. Nothing can defeat me. I'm more than an overcomer.
- Nothing can stop me. God has started a great work in my life and he will see it come to pass.
- This is my tithe, this is my offering, I give it joyfully to the Lord.
- I am going to partake of the divine grace of God.
- I refuse to be offended.
- I shall not lack. God's abundance is my portion. God's favor is my portion.
- My hands are anointed. My feet are anointed. Everything about me is anointed.
- I'm growing, growing, growing in grace.
In his words
- “The thing that will take you from discouragement to encouragement is one word, is a will to praise Him.”
- “You're not going to get a million rand if you don't trust God for a parking space.”
- “The anointing of God on a man is not for the man. The anointing of God on a man is for the church.”
- “Refuse to take delivery of it. Don't sign for the package.”
- “The church is not a religious institution. It's an eternal institution that imparts the divine grace of God.”
Every scripture in this message
- Daniel 3:25
- 1 Corinthians 15:57
- 2 Corinthians 2:14
- 1 John 4:4
- 2 Timothy 1:7
- Proverbs 28:1
- 1 Samuel 30:6
- Philippians 1:6
- 3 John 2
- Ezekiel 44:30
- Philippians 1:7
- Ephesians 4:8
- Acts 6:7
- Ephesians 4:11
- Acts 4:32-37
- Hebrews 4:16
- Acts 20:32
- Romans 5:2
- Isaiah 55:7
- Joshua 1:8
- Ephesians 4:29
- 2 Corinthians 10:5
- 1 Kings 17:6
- 1 Kings 19:4-8
- Romans 8:11
- 1 Kings 17:9
- Matthew 17:27
- Zechariah 4:6
- Mark 16:18
- John 10:10
- Proverbs 10:22
- Isaiah 54:17
- John 7:38