The Means of Grace

Order of Service

• Sunday School Lesson — The Ordinary Means of Grace

---

Sermon Title: The Ordinary Means of Grace

Scripture: Acts 2:42

I. The God of Grace

A. Creation itself is an act of grace — God did not have to create, yet he did B. Grace is especially understood in the context of the fall

1. God made man upright, with perfect righteousness, holiness, and knowledge (Psalm 14:2-3)
2. Because of Adam's sin, all are fallen and corrupt — Romans 3:23 C. Fallen man needs a special working of God's grace to be redeemed and restored

II. Grace Comes Only Through Jesus Christ

A. The gospel proclaims that needed grace comes through Christ alone — John 1:14, John 1:17 B. The Reformation recovered the biblical answer to how sinners receive Christ and his benefits, over against Rome's claim that grace came only through the institutional church

III. The Ordinary Means of Grace Defined

A. God has chosen to bind himself largely to certain definite means in communicating divine grace (Berkhof) B. Westminster Shorter Catechism Q. 88: the outward and ordinary means are his ordinances — especially the Word, sacraments, and prayer — made effectual to the elect for salvation C. The pattern is seen in the early church — Acts 2:42: devoted to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and the prayers

IV. The Word

A. The word is absolutely central to all the means of grace B. Romans 10:14-15 — Paul's chain of questions shows that preaching is the appointed means by which sinners come to faith

1. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ — Romans 10:17 C. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 — all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness D. 2 Timothy 4:1-2 — the charge to Timothy: preach the word, in season and out of season E. The vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37) illustrates the life-giving power of the proclaimed word

V. The Sacraments

A. The reformers understood the word and sacraments together as the chief ordinary means of communicating Christ B. 1 Corinthians 11 — at the Lord's Supper believers remember Christ and proclaim his death until he comes C. Augustine called the sacraments a visual word — they communicate the same grace as the word, fitted to embodied, human recipients D. Baptism is the sign and seal of the beginning of the life of faith; the Lord's Supper sustains and nourishes faith throughout the Christian life

VI. Prayer

A. Acts 2:21 — everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved; the act of saving faith is itself an act of prayer B. Prayer is the response to the gospel and a means by which Christ is communicated to his people C. The word remains central even in prayer

VII. The Role of the Ordinary Means in the Life of the Believer

A. The means are called ordinary because they are the regular, usual means — and because they are nothing flashy or fancy B. Our temptation is to seek grace through more spectacular or novel means; the Lord calls us to trust what he has given

1. Experiences may be used by God, but only as they are interpreted in light of or bring to mind God's word (Kevin DeYoung, Daily Doctrine) C. The means are made potent only as they are joined with the work of the Holy Spirit and received by faith D. Westminster Shorter Catechism Q. 89 — the Spirit makes the reading, and especially the preaching, of the word effectual for convincing and converting sinners and building them up in holiness and comfort through faith to salvation E. Practical application: examine your attitude toward corporate worship and the preaching of the word — do the ordinary means of grace hold a central, joyful place in your life of faith?