Ransom, Part 3: Be Gracious

    (Matthew 20:28) “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."The title of my message today is:  Be Gracious(Luke 6:45) “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”(Philippians 2:14) “Do everything without complaining or arguing,”(Proverbs 21:19) (NLT) “It’s better to live alone in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife.”(Philippians 2:1-4) “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”Signs that we are gracious: 1.    You give a good first impression(John 1:42) (MSG) “…..Jesus took one look up and said, "You're John's son, Simon? From now on your name is Cephas" (or Peter, which means "Rock").”(John 1:47) (MSG) “When Jesus saw him coming he said, "There's a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body."2.    You give others another chance(2 Timothy 4:11) “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.”3.    You give respect to someone in front of others(2 Peter 3:15) “Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.”4.    You give the truth at the right time(Proverbs 25:11) “The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, And a wise friend's timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.”5.    You give encouragement to the dream of others(1 Thessalonians 5:11) “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”6.    You give the credit to others7.    You give a secret from your heart(James 5:16) “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”8.    You will be led by the Spirit more and more(Galatians 5:25) “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. In other words, I’m convinced that if we STAY IN STEP with Jesus, every now and then, He gives us the grace we need.” (Acts 2:41-42) (MSG) “That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.(Acts 2:43-45) (MSG) “Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met.” (Acts 2:46-47) (MSG) “They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.”