2 Corinthians 12 GRACE IS SUFFICIENT

1. God’s Grace Is Sufficient in Supply

ILLUSTRATION:

How many gallons of water are in the ocean?

Answer: 3.612 x 10²º gallons of sea water in the ocean. That is 3.612 x 1 with 21 zeros.

How many stars are in the known universe?

Answer: 70 sextillion (7 followed by 22 zeros) was calculated by a team of stargazers based at the
Australian National University.

How many grains of sand are in the world?

Answer: 7,500,000,000,000,000,000, or seven quintillion five hundred quadrillion grains of sand.

Even if these answers are incorrect, here is my point: God’s grace is bigger than all these numbers!

You could empty the oceans and beaches of water and sand and pluck every star from the sky, and
God’s grace has only begun!

“A large sum of money was given to [a man named] Rowland Hill to dispense to a poor pastor. Thinking
that the amount was too much to send all at once, Hill forwarded just a portion along with a note that
said simply, ‘More to follow.’ In a few days the man received another envelope containing the same
amount and with the same message, ‘More to follow.’ At regular intervals, there came a third, and a
fourth. In fact, they continued, along with those cheering words, until the entire sum had been received.

C. H. Spurgeon…said: ‘When God forgives our sins, there’s more forgiveness to follow. He justifies us in
the righteousness of Christ, but there’s more to follow. He adopts us into His family, but there’s more to
follow. He prepares us for heaven, but there’s more to follow. He gives us grace, but there’s more to
follow. He helps us to old age, but there’s still more to follow…Even when we arrive in the world to
come, there will still be more to follow.’”

Author unknown. “More to Follow.” Bible.org. Publication date unknown. August 8, 2006.

http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=667

Ephesians 2:6-7 says, “He also raised us up…so that in the coming ages He might display the
immeasurable riches of His grace in [His] kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

2. God’s Grace Is Sufficient in Salvation

I Timothy 1:15-16 says, “This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them. 16 But I received mercy because of this, so
that in me, the worst [of them], Christ Jesus might demonstrate the utmost patience as an example to
those who would believe in Him for eternal life.”

ILLUST: Nicky Cruz was the leader of the toughest gang in New York City.

His Satanist parents abused him brutally, so he grew up a hardened man void of love and full of hate.

“I wanted to do to others what my mother did to me,” Nicky says. “I used to feel good when I hurt some
people.”

But privately, he didn’t feel good.

“Privately. When I was alone, loneliness became like a seductive woman that crawled inside my chest
and [ate] me. I was there twisting and fighting; I felt so lost.”

Only two people saw the desperate condition of Nicky’s heart. One was a psychologist.

“He told me about five times. ‘There’s a dark side in your life that nobody can penetrate. Nicky, you are
walking straight to jail, the electric chair, and hell. There’s no hope.’”

The other was a pastor named David Wilkerson. He risked his life to tell Nicky there was hope.
“I heard his voice: ‘God has the power to change your life.’ I started cursing loud,” says Nicky. “I spit in
his face, and I hit him. I told him, ‘I don’t believe in what you say and you get out of here.’”

Nicky never expected what he heard Wilkerson say next.

Wilkerson replied, “You could cut me up into a 1000 pieces and lay them in the street. Every piece will
still love you.”

Nicky says, “It did damage. Good [damage] in my brain and in my heart. I began to question, and for two
weeks I could not sleep thinking about love.”

Nicky and his gang showed up at one of Wilkerson’s rallies. One by one, they gave their lives to Christ. It
was the crucifixion – Jesus’ death on the cross -- that grabbed Nicky.

“I was choked up with pain, and my eyes were fighting and tears became to come down and more tears
and I was fighting and then I surrendered,” says Nicky. “I let Jesus hug me, and I let my head rest on His
chest. I said I’m sorry. Forgive me, and for the first time, I told somebody I love you.”

The love Nicky got in return radically changed his life.

“When I had opened my eyes, I got a new heart. I’d been born again. I’m a child of the Lord.”

3. God’s Grace Is Sufficient in Suffering

I Peter 5:10 says, “Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will
personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little.”

Notice the four things the “God of all grace” will personally do:

a. God Will Restore

If your life is falling apart, God can restore it!

If your marriage is falling apart, God can restore it!

Some of you look at the mess you are in and wonder how you will ever get back. I want you to know that
God restores lives in the midst of suffering.
b. God Will Establish

When I think of God establishing me, I immediately think of the house on the rock. No matter what
comes against you, you can be established because of God’s grace and His power.

c. God Will Strengthen

d. God Will Support

Something I want you to notice before we continue: “Suffered a little” can also be translated to say “a
little while,” or “a small extent.” This is important because our focus is not on the temporary; our focus
is on the eternal. Remember, God works in and for eternity. If you don’t feel like God is answering your
prayers, be patient. One day, all your suffering will be gone. Our rock foundation is in the hope of
heaven.

4. God’s Grace Is Sufficient in Sin

Grace is greater than all our sin!

Romans 5:20 says, “…where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more…”

You can’t out-sin God’s grace. You may have as many sins as sand on the beaches or stars in the sky or
gallons of water in the ocean, but God’s grace exceeds your sin.

You say, but you don’t understand. I have cheated on my husband. I have abused my wife and children. I
have stolen. I have cursed God. I have murdered. Listen, “where sin abounds, grace abounds all the
more.”

5. God’s Grace is Sufficient in Service

II Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way,
always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.”

It does not matter where He places me or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me. For the
easiest positions, He must give grace; and in the most difficult, His grace is sufficient. So, if God places
me in great perplexity, must He not give me much guidance? In positions of great difficulty, much grace?
In circumstances of great pressure and trial, much strength? As to work, mine was never so plentiful, so
responsible, or so difficult; but the weight and strain are all gone. His resources are mine, for He is mine!
-- - J. Hudson Taylor

Living in God’s Grace

1. Surrender Absolutely

2. Walk Accordingly

a. Walk in the light

b. Have grace towards others

3. Respond Appreciatively

a. Praise God for His grace

4. Preach Incessantly