Pastor Rick's Daily Hope

Rick Warren: Hi, this is Rick Warren, Bible teacher for the Daily Hope broadcast. Did you know that because of Easter, your past can be forgiven, you get a purpose for living, and you can have a home in heaven? That’s good news! Where else can you get that kind of news? Nowhere else.

And did you know that at Easter, studies have shown people are more open to an invitation to go to church than at any other time of the year? Don’t go to church by yourself, but bring somebody who doesn’t know Jesus Christ—a family member, a friend, a coworker, a neighbor, a relative.

And if you bring them to that church service and they come to know Christ, you’re going to be making a friend for eternity. It’ll be the most important investment you can ever make in their lives. And by the way, if they come to Christ, would you let me know about it? I’d love to hear that story that you brought somebody to Easter and they found Jesus. You can write to me at rick@pastorrick.com. That’s rick@pastorrick.com. I would love to hear from you. God bless you and happy Easter.

Guest (Male): None of us can earn our way into heaven because eternal life is a free gift when you accept Jesus as the Lord of your life. Hey everybody, this is Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. Today, Rick Warren brings his series, Good News About Grace, to a close.

You can’t really truly understand the Christian life until you understand grace. It’s at the heart of your faith and your relationship with God. In this series, you’ll discover how not to only understand grace but experience it and the joy it brings. Okay, and right now, it’s time for the final part of a message called Living in God’s Amazing Grace.

Rick Warren: Now in light of what Jesus Christ has done for us, what should be our response? In light of the fact that all those 10 things that grace offers to us are made possible because of what Jesus did on the cross, how should I respond? Look at the verse at the bottom of the front page.

"So we beg you"—hear the urgency in Paul’s voice—"we beg you, do not let the grace you receive from God be for nothing." What do I owe Jesus Christ? I owe Him the rest of my life. I owe Him all that I've got. I owe Him the past, the present, the future, everything.

And so, as we conclude this 10-week series, I want to give you three ways you can express gratitude for God’s grace. Would you write these down? Number one, I can show my gratitude for God’s grace by making my life count. By making my life count. First Corinthians 6:20 says this.

"Don’t you see that you can't keep on living however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? So let people see God in and through your body." He’s saying here, you can’t understand the grace of God and just keep on living the same way you’ve always lived.

You can’t understand the grace of God and just keep on ignoring His commands, or just keep on wasting your time on trivia, or just keep on spending your money anyway you think you can spend it. You can’t do that anymore. You have been bought with a price.

After the failed assassination attempt on President Reagan, I remember him saying, "I have a new sense that I was spared for a purpose and that all my time belongs to God after that." Well, I want to tell you something. Because of Calvary, because of the cross, because of what we just celebrated and remembered, you were spared for a purpose.

Jesus Christ did not die on the cross for you to just go on living any old way you want to. He made you for a purpose. He created you for a purpose. He redeemed you for a purpose. He died for you for a purpose, and He wants you to fulfill it.

First Peter tells us this, "Each person should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms." He says here that the abilities and the talents and the opportunity and the education and the freedom and the relationships and all the things that you have that bless your life were not given just to be squandered, but they were given for a purpose.

And God expects you to use those for a purpose because He has shown you His grace. So what I say to you tonight, I beg you, I beg you, don't waste your life. Jesus Christ died for it. And if He died for it, you better not waste it. Make your life count.

Number two, the second way you can show gratitude for God’s grace is by becoming a generous person. By becoming a generous person. Remember the verse we read. "You are familiar with the generosity of Jesus Christ. Rich as He was, He gave it all away in one stroke; He became poor and we became rich."

Now let me just say this. If you want to measure how much you understand grace, if you want to measure how much you're living by grace, if you want to measure how much you are grateful for God’s grace, look at your giving. Look at your giving. Look at what the Bible says.

"Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace"—circle that—"all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

Now let’s circle all the "alls," okay? All grace, all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every—there’s another one—every good work. Those are the promises related to the person who becomes like Christ. And what was Christ like? He was a giver. God so loved the world that He gave.

You’re never going to become like Jesus until you learn to be generous. Because the Christian life is summed up in three words: love, serve, and give. Love, serve, and give. And until you learn to be generous with your time, with your money, with your life, with your resources, with your opportunities, you’re not going to be like Christ.

Nothing is greater proof that you understand grace than that you are lovingly gracious and generous to other people and to God. So what I’m saying is this. If you’re uptight when I or some other pastor starts talking about giving, or you get defensive, or you get stingy, or you get nervous, it means you don't understand grace.

Because look at that verse again. He says if you give cheerfully, liberally, abundantly, what’s God going to do? He says He will take care of all your needs, all the time, in every way, however you need them. Now here’s the question. Are you going to trust a God who gave His life for you?

If you can trust Him enough for salvation, can't you trust Him enough in your finances? The truth is you really don't own anything. You don't own anything. God loans it to you for 60, 70, 80 years and then you give it back. You don’t own anything. It’s all His in the first place.

If my daughter comes to me and I give her five bucks to buy me a present, where's the money really coming from in the first place? But God does that with us. He gives to us liberally, generously, abundantly, and then He says, "Now show a little gratitude. Be generous in giving yourself, tithe back to me," and on and on.

Why? Because He needs the money? No. He wants you to become like Him. He doesn't want you to have a stingy heart. He wants you to have a Jesus heart. A heart that says, "I can't wait to give in every area." See, the Bible says—you might write this verse down—Romans 8:32.

"If God or since God loved us enough to give us His own Son, won't He love us enough to take care of every one of our other needs?" That’s kind of logical. The fact is I can say that I love God and I can sing that I trust God and put Him first, but my wallet and my checkbook can show a real difference.

God wants me to become generous like Him and He wants me to make my life count. Those are ways to show gratitude. And there’s a third way: by sharing the good news of grace. By sharing the good news of grace. Acts 20:24, let’s read this first together, okay? Read it aloud with me.

"The most important thing is that I have a successful career." It doesn't say that. "The most important thing is that I"—what?—"complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me: to tell people the good news about God's grace." Now notice it doesn't say the most important thing in life is to get married.

It doesn’t say the most important thing in life is to fund your retirement. It does not say the most important thing in life is to travel a lot and have a lot of fun. It does not say the most important thing in life is to become famous or pay off the house. It says the most important thing in life is to fulfill your mission.

Now if Jesus died on the cross for you and showed His grace to you so that you could fulfill your mission, if you don't, that’s called a massive eternal waste. Now part of that mission—it’s just a part of it, it’s not all of it, but a part of your mission is to tell other people the good news of grace.

God put you on this earth for a reason. God put you on this earth for a purpose. He has a mission that only you can fulfill. But part of that mission, once you step across the line, is to tell other people. You know Christ because somebody told you. Who are you going to tell?

Let me just say it like this. If you knew, I mean, if somebody died for you, would you want to know about it? Yeah, you would. If somebody died for you, you’d want to know about it. And friends, that is the motivation behind everything we do here at Saddleback Church.

You see, Jesus died for every single person in Southern California and the world. And this weekend, the typical resident in Orange County will sit at home watching TV, got his hot cocoa probably or a Bud or something, newspaper, TV on, kicked back, relaxed, totally unaware that Jesus Christ died for them and the grace that is available, both in the past, the present, and the future.

Totally oblivious to that fact. And if that person lives and dies without ever knowing that their sins are forgiven, that there’s a place in heaven, that there’s a purpose for living, then for that person, Jesus Christ’s death is a waste. It’s a waste.

The Bible tells us in Second Peter that the Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. God wants everybody in His family. Everybody needs Jesus. And because God cares, we must care. And one of the ways we show gratitude for our own salvation is to share that good news with other people and to tell them. Because people are dying for the grace of God.

Now let me ask you a very serious question. Is anybody going to be in heaven because of you? If you died right now, is anybody going to be in heaven because of you? The big question is, who am I going to tell? Do not come to Easter to share the greatest news in the world without bringing somebody that you care about.

Without bringing somebody that you love. Without somebody that you’re concerned that they go to heaven too, not just you. And I’ve left the space there at the bottom where I’d like for you to write down the name of a non-believer who lives in this area that you care about.

You say, "I can't think of anybody." Then you got a problem. You can't think of anybody you care about who doesn't know the Lord in this area? Then I’d say start praying quickly that God would open up your heart to see the faces of people around you who are desperate for the good news.

And they’re running from fad to fad, to therapy, to books, to seminars, to this New Age thing, to that psychic thing, to that seminar, to the running everywhere trying to find the fulfillment in an affair, trying to find it in workaholism, trying to find it in some sport or hobby. And there’s this gaping God-hole in their life that says only the grace of God can fill it.

And we have the greatest news in the world. And the way we show our gratitude for the grace of God is by making our own lives count, by living a life of extravagant generosity, and by telling as many people as we can about the good news. Let’s bow our heads.

You may need to confess your ingratitude to God today. You may need to say, "Jesus, please forgive me for taking Your grace for granted." You may need to confess a fear. "Father, I've been afraid to make my life count for You."

Or maybe to say, "Father, I've been afraid to use the abilities You’ve given me in ministry. Or I’ve been afraid to tithe and put You first in my finances. Or I’ve been afraid to identify myself as a follower of You at work. Please forgive me for taking Your grace for granted."

I invite you to follow me in this prayer. Say, "Father, I want to make my life count for You." Just say that in your mind. "And I want to commit the rest of my life to using the life You gave me in serving You and fulfilling the purpose You made me for. I want to fulfill my mission."

"And I want to become a generous person, starting with tithing back to You in gratitude for all You’ve done. And I’m going to trust You with my finances. And I want to be used in sharing the good news of Your grace. Help me to find at least one person this Easter to invite to hear Your word."

With their heads still bowed, if tonight as we took communion you prayed that prayer and said, "God, by taking this tonight, I am saying Jesus, I believe in You and I want to receive Your grace," and tonight you’re accepting Christ into your life, please let me know about it.

But just pray this: "Lord, thank You for loving me enough to die for me. I don't understand it all, but as much as I know how, I want You to come into my life and save me and lead me from here on out. In Your name I pray. Amen."

Guest (Male): Hey, if you’ve just prayed along with Rick to accept Jesus in your life, Rick would love to hear from you. Just email rick@pastorrick.com. We’ll send you free tools to help start your relationship with Jesus. Pastor Rick has created a beautifully illustrated book called *Journey with Jesus*, and this book is stunning. It’s filled with beautiful photographs, colored mosaics that depict the sacrificial journey Jesus made to save us. Here’s Pastor Rick to tell you more.

Rick Warren: Every year, Christians from all over the world remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ by traveling to Jerusalem, where they walk the path that Jesus took on the way to the cross. That path is called the Via Dolorosa, which literally means "the way of suffering."

Since you may not be able to ever travel to Jerusalem, I want to suggest a way for you to celebrate and reflect on and pray about what Jesus did for you on the cross. So I’ve created a brand-new, one-of-a-kind resource that will take you through the 15 stops that the Bible tells us Jesus took on the road to Calvary and His death on the cross.

Now we’re calling this resource *Journey with Jesus*. *Journey with Jesus* is a deluxe, hardcover gift edition book that’s illustrated with really beautiful photos, high-quality glossy photos of mosaic tile artwork that reflect each of the stops that Jesus made on His journey to the cross.

You’re not ever going to forget this gift. It’s a great gift book to keep and to study over and over again, and it’d make a great gift for your family and your friends too.

Guest (Male): Be sure to request your copy of *Journey with Jesus* when you give a gift to help Daily Hope share the love of Jesus around the world. Just go to pastorrick.com to get your copy of this great resource. That’s pastorrick.com, or you can just text the word Hope to 70309. Again, that’s the word Hope to 70309. Be sure to join us next time as we look into God’s word for our daily hope. This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope and your generous financial support.