Intro:

• Recap
  • The passion of the series
    • We want to be a game changer for society
  • Jesus catalyst of change
  • Bringing order
  • Changing environments
  • Making one initiative 
  • Churches that change the world
  • People who change the world
• This weekend
  • The two words that changed the world

John 1:11-18 (ESV) 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Three gifts given by God to the world

1. Law - Laws create better societies. David was so grateful for the law
   1. The problem
   2. Laws can improve society, but never change the human heart. 
   3. When I was in school, it was good to know the rules, so I could begin to figure out how to break them! 
      1. The problem isn’t not knowing the law, it is the heart! 
   4. God gave the law a long time to work, but it never changed the world, it only exposed the true nature of the world
   5. Romans 3:21-22 (NLT) 21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
   6. So many people stop right here! They think that law will change it all. The world needs grace! 
2. Grace
   1. Our world needs GRACE… We are so far from perfect
3. Truth
   1. Our world needs TRUTH… We are drifting further and further from truth.  

Golf Example

• Law - The rules
• Grace - Mulligan
• Truth - A pro that showed me what I did wrong

Think about what changed you

• Grace
  • You feel drawn close to God because of His faithful, loving, grace! 
  • Romans 2:4 (NLT) Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
• Truth
  • Now you have seen and believe the truth and the truth sets you free
• These two things were the initiation of your change, but they perpetually work together to bring you to where you are now! 
  • Revelation brings you to change
  • When you fall short, grace picks you up and helps you continue

Let’s talk about these two words

1. GRACE SAVES
   1. Grace makes several assumptions about the world
      1. It understands that it is INHERENTLY BROKEN
      2. It understands that it will NEVER HEAL ITSELF
      3. It understands that it is the KEY TO HEALING
   2. Grace offers
      1. Grace forgives- I forgive you again
         1. 70 times 7
      2. Grace serves - I will help you up
      3. Grace gives - I will empty myself for you
      4. Grace restores - I will allow you to be restored
   3. The power to give grace comes from the ability to receive grace 
      1. When you truly believe that God gives us GRACE upon GRACE, you will want to give that to humanity. 
   4. Bible instances
      1. God’s relationship with Israel
      2. The prodigal son
      3. Zaccheaus 
      4. Peter coming back to Christ
      5. Paul killing Christians
   5. Grace will change you
   6. Grace will change your world
   7. Look down your row, who needs grace?
2. TRUTH FREES
   1. Grace pulls the blind man out of the ditch, truth heals his eyes so he doesn’t have to fall back in. 
   2. THE WORLD DESPERATELY NEEDS TRUTH RIGHT NOW
      1. Spiritual deception
      2. Moral deception
      3. Origin deception
      4. Purpose deception
   3. What is truth - Jesus is truth incarnate
      1. Jesus is true
      2. His word is true
      3. Example:
         1. The law is like oral navigational directions
         2. The truth is like seeing a map
   4. We don’t create truth, we learn it! 
      1. Gravity is true. You can’t say “I want to float instead of fall,” and that is true. It doesn’t matter if you want to float, the truth is that if you fall off your roof, you will hit the ground.
   5. Only when there is TRUTH can GRACE exist. 
      1. If I don’t tell you about eternal destruction, but I’m nice to you, I haven’t really loved you. 
   6. Truth
      1. How does truth change the world
         1. It reveals origin - where did I come from 
         2. It reveals identity - who am I
         3. It reveals destination - where am I going
         4. It reveals accountability - who will I answer to

The danger in having one without the other

• Truth without Grace gives us REBELLION
• Grace without Truth gives us RELATIVISM

As we conclude this series I want to pray for us to be TRANSFORMATIONAL PEOPLE

• Jesus made all the difference in the world. When he showed up, it changed things
• We are the same.
• We will bring the light of grace and truth