Well when it came to my favorite subjects their were two that I just were not good at. One was Math and the other was science. Though science and math are still weaknesses of mine, I do remember learning one law that will help us in understanding this subject of how we treat grace.
What I have here is my contraption of a pendulum. You know what a pendulum is. You can find them in clocks and other things. Well there is a physical law that speaks to how a pendulum works. The law of the pendulum says that a pendulum can never return to a point higher than the point from which it was released. It has to do with friction and gravity. I don’t understand all of that but what I do understand is that if I take this pendulum when it swings back it will always fall short of the original release point and as it swings the arc will continue to be smaller and smaller until it finally stops.
Here is what I mean. Notice this is where I will start it from now watch and see that as it moves it gets smaller and smaller which shows that there is a law of pendulum and indeed it does work. Now anyone have a problem with that.
Okay, Chrysta will you come here please. Now remember that the law of the pendulum states that the pendulum will never return to a point higher than the point from which it was released. Now are you willing to stand here and allow me to take this brick and try the theory of the pendulum? If the theory is true then your nose should be safe. So Do you believe this theory is true? Now what people can’t see is that you are starting to get sweaty and nervous up here. That was a weak yes.
You see that’s the problem. It is easy to believe in this law when it is simply theory and we are talking about it. Yet when your life depends on this law of the pendulum, it shows a lack of faith and belief in the theory.
Now you say, what does this have to say about our reaction to grace? Well is it not true that it is easy for us to believe in God’s sufficient grace for me on Sunday morning or Wednesday night. Oh how easy it is for us this morning to stand up and say Oh yes I rely on God. I rely on him fully and completely. I trust him with everything
Yet what happens when we are outside of church. What happens when things don’t go like we planned. What happens when sickness, sorrow, difficulties come in our life. What happens when God says my grace is sufficient for you now trust me? What can easily happen is we let go. We run from the brick. We don’t trust the theory when put into practice.