How Can Praise Help Us Share The Gospel?

February 17

1.    How Can Praise Help Us Share the Gospel?

by Erik Lutz, AiG–U.S.

Layman

Keywords

acts-of-the-apostlesauthor-erik-lutzbiblical-authorityAnd when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:23–25, ESV)

One of the most common accusations unbelievers have against Christians is that we are hypocrites. When our walk does not match our talk, the world sees through our façade and ignores us when we share the good news of salvation. All too often this happens because Christians fail to trust and rejoice in the Lord.



A trial comes into our life—whether it’s physical, financial, relational, or something else—and our first response is to worry. We quickly forget that the situation is completely in the hands of our caring Father who makes “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).



You have probably never faced the kind of intense persecution Paul and Silas encountered in Philippi. After being severely beaten for sharing the gospel, these men were locked away in the inner prison. Sitting in the darkness with the blood and searing pain from the lashes still fresh on their backs, they certainly could have despaired. Instead, they prayed and sang praises to the Lord.



Praise is essentially the opposite of complaint. It requires us to take our eyes off our difficult situation and focus instead on the God who upholds us. Misery and self-pity cannot last in the light of who our God is and all the blessings He daily pours out on us. Paul later wrote the following to the Philippian believers:



Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. (Philippians 2:14)



When people see us praising God despite our trying circumstances, they will be amazed and glorify God for it. Our testimony is validated when unbelievers see in us the peace, “which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) and “joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8), because these virtues only come from God.



As a result of their godly attitude in the midst of this trial, God worked mightily through Paul and Silas. He used their testimony to affect the Philippian jailer to the point that he and his whole family believed in Christ.



Today’s big idea: praising God in all circumstances can powerfully impact our world.



What to pray: ask God to help you praise Him no matter what your situation may be.



Source: http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2011/09/08/praise-share-the-gospel

Amazing Grace - Answers in Genesis

Devotions for

New Temple Baptist Church

Lay Renewal Weekend

 Week 1

Please consider reading the devotions each and every day. There is a different devotion labeled for each day for this week. Every devotion has an important point for you to read, consider and pray over in order to help you grow in your relationship with God. We will be providing devotions for the first three weeks. After that, we encourage you to find a devotion source of your own and continue in your growth and daily walk with God. This could be a book, an online devotion web site, or an app you can download on your phone or ipad. Today’s devotion talks about God’s amazing grace that we do not deserve and the journey that John Newton took in order to write this song. Today is a time to praise Him for His amazing grace.

February 16

1.    Amazing Grace

by Tim Chaffey, AiG–U.S.Layman

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:21, 23–24)

Few hymns are as popular or as treasured as “Amazing Grace.” Believers understand that we are all sinful and that only by God’s grace can any of us be saved. Perhaps those who were saved out of an exceedingly wicked and destructive lifestyle understand this reality better than those who have been raised in Christian homes. The author of this tremendous song certainly recognized his great debt of sin that had been forgiven by the Lord.

John Newton worked in the British slave trade, capturing natives from West Africa and selling them to be transported around the world. He knew full well the miserable conditions on the slave ships would cause approximately half of the captives to die before they ever arrived at their destination. Those who did survive would be subjected to a lifetime of slavery.

God’s grace broke through the darkness of Newton’s heart, and he was converted to Christianity. Although he knew his sins were forgiven, Newton could never shake the memories of thousands of lives destroyed by his actions. His agony was powerfully displayed in the recent film about the ending of the slave trade in the British Empire, which is aptly titled Amazing Grace.

In 1779, as a minister in an Anglican church, he released a hymnal with assistance from his friend William Cowper. It contained the lyrics to the first four verses of the hymn. The fifth verse was added by John P. Rees in the following century.

The words explain Newton’s journey from wretch to redeemed believer. Christians recognize that God has worked the same transformation in all of our lives, and we can wholeheartedly sing along.

1.       Amazing grace—how sweet the sound—that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.

2.      ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed!

3.      Thru many dangers, toils and snares I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

4.      The Lord has promised good to me; His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures.

5.      When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’d first begun.

Chris Tomlin added the newer chorus to the song, and had this to say about his contribution:

I started doing some research on “Amazing Grace,” and I was blown away that the last verse (“When we’ve been there 10,000 years bright shining as the sun“) was written about 100 years later. The original verse by John Newton was “The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,” this incredible verse is one I’d never seen in a hymn book. I started thinking about where John Newton came from, the slave ships, and what God had done in his life. We’re all made slaves to sin in our life, but God has set us free. He has ransomed us from our slavery. I just wanted to add this idea that I hope brings freshness to the heart of the song.

Chorus: My chains are gone; I’ve been set free; My God my Savior has ransomed me;

               And like a flood, His mercy reigns; unending love; Amazing Grace!

Today’s big idea: never through our own efforts, but only by God’s grace can we be saved.

What to pray: praise God for His amazing grace “that saved a wretch like me.”

Source: http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2011/10/05/amazing-grace