I’ve been preaching on Acts 2:42 at Cross of Christ Fellowship and we’ve been spending quite a bit of time considering the “ordinary means of grace” together.
I have found J. Ryan Davidson’s book helpful.
Here’s some of the quotes I especially appreciated:
The need to understand and appreciate the ordinary means of grace: “Sundays, in many American churches, have been turned into a time for emotionalism, entertainment, or for programmatic ministry. What has been jettisoned along the way are the simple, ordinary mechanisms that God has ordained for the growth and nourishment of his people: preaching, baptism, the Lord’s supper, and prayer.” (11)
Definition of ordinary means of grace: “ The instruments Christ ordinarily uses to birth and strengthen the faith of the elect as he is present among them.” (20)
Explanation: “what we mean by this phrase is that God uses these very means as the mechanisms to birth and strengthen saving faith within the believer.” (18)
Clarification: “these means do not save us; rather, they are instruments used for the believer’s spiritual nourishment” (90)
Call to teach and utilize the ordinary means of grace: “In a day when many want to hunt for the next spiritual tool, seminar, book, device, or gimmick, we need to understand that while the Lord uses a myriad of things in the life of every believer, He has promised that by the ordinary means of grace—preaching, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer—He will bless and grow His people in grace.” (105)
