Heeelp!

Heeelp!

The Power of Grace

12/10/03

I. Introduction

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel.

In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox. The lad dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was very large.) When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn’t roll it up and over the little wall.

Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved—but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.

All this time the boy’s father watched from the living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy’s father. Gently but firmly he said, “Son, why didn’t you use all the strength that you had available?”

Defeated, the boy sobbed back, “But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!”

“No, son,” corrected the father kindly. “You didn’t use all the strength you had. You didn’t ask me.”

With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox.

Tonight’s message is called HEEELP! And we’re talking about The Power of Grace. Grace is not only a grace for second chances like we talked about last week, but grace is also this thing that comes to our aid when we need it.

Remember we said that the word grace has various uses- goodwill, favor, loving-kindness, thanks, recompense, reward, and benefit. But grace is also defined as God’s ability added to our ability.

II. What Kind Of Help?

What kind of help is available?

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV 16Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Well, what kind of help do you need?

Do you need help with your exams? Do you need help just to make it through the day? Do you need help to finish your chores in time? What about help to figure out how to do your math homework? There’s grace available.

Do you have some important decisions to make? Are you trying to decide where to go to college? What about who to take to the prom? Or should I even go to the prom? Where should I take my date to eat before the prom? What if she doesn’t like Burger King? Decisions, decisions. There’s grace available.

What about financial stuff? How am I going to pay for that extravagant prom date? Forget the prom, what about Christmas presents? What about that Acquire the Fire retreat that’s coming up in a few months? Dad needs a new tie for Father’s Day, where am I going to get the money? I need help. There’s grace available.

What about T-R-O-U-B-L-E? Are you going through any trouble? Is life at home not exactly ideal? Does it seem like everything in your world is falling apart? There’s grace available.

Psalm 46:1 NKJV 1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 121:1,2 1I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

How many of ya’ll can remember going through rough times? Some of you may remember times not knowing when your next meal would be. Some of you might remember times where your parents weren’t getting along and there was a lot of strife and junk going on in the house.

I remember tough times. I remember when my dad lost his job and was out of work for months and months. I remember my brother and I having to work multiple jobs to help buy food for the family. I remember having to comfort my mom when my parents were facing a terrible divorce. And I distinctly remember needing help during that time. And there was grace available.

“Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.” – Mike Atkinson.