NOTE: I preached this sermon for the first time a few years ago. I have tried to track down A SOURCE (even if it wasn’t’ the original source) for the illustrations used
"BIG IDEA": Passages like Ephesians 2 and Luke 14 remind us that God freely and continually gives His Saving Grace to anyone who will receive it by faith and help us to SEE what grace is like.
READ Ephesians 2:4-9
From time to time something unexpected happens when I ask for help finding something in a store. Occasionally the clerk will not only tell me where to find what it is I’m looking for—he or she will show me.
If that’s happened to you, you know that there are times you really don’t need that kind of help. And yet you also know that there are times when it really comes in handy.
Although it’s not in response to a question Jesus does something like this during a banquet at the home of a Pharisee (READ Luke 14)
A few months ago I met with some people in our congregation to gather ideas for helpful sermon topics. One topic that came up a number of times was grace.
So in January I want to try to address some of the questions raised in our discussion. As I prepared this series I concluded that one thing it would need to include was a "Grace 101" type of sermon.
Passages like Luke 14 and Ephesians 2 show us that God freely and continually gives His Saving Grace to anyone who will receive it by faith and help us to SEE what grace is like.
It is not by accident that Luke includes Jesus’ words about counting the cost of discipleship right after his Parable of the Great Banquet. Christians need to hear Jesus’ words about discipleship because they challenge the notion that we can call ourselves Christians and make Jesus our spiritual adviser rather than Our Lord. We also need to hear Jesus’ words because they help us to clearly see the cost of grace.
Living gracefully, in the grip of grace, cannot happen unless we count the cost of discipleship and lay hold of God’s gift. In today’s message my plan is to follow Jesus’ example by helping us SEE what grace is like. Having shared elements of this message before this may feel like a review for some—which is certainly something we need from time to time. Sometimes we need to get back to Grace 101 to see other things in our life more clearly.
TRANSITION: The way grace is described in Ephesians 2 and other places helps us to SEE grace in terms of forgiveness.
Billy Graham was driving through a small town when he was stopped by a policeman for speeding. Graham knew he was speeding and admitted his guilt but was told by the officer that he would have to appear in court
The judge asked Graham for a plea to which he said, "I’m guilty." "That will be ten dollars", said the judge, one dollar for everyone mile over the limit. You’ve broken the law, he continued, and the fine must be paid. But I’m going to pay the find for you. Taking his wallet out of his pocket the judge attached it to the ticket, gave it to the clerk, and took Graham out to dinner. That, said Billy Graham, is how God treats repentant sinners [Bible.org, cited from Progress Magazine, December 14, 1992).
In the early 1800’s when Napoleon led France to war against Great Britain he found it necessary to establish a draft. Men were drafted into the army by a lottery system. When someone’s name was drawn he had to go off to battle. There was one exception to this. A person could exempt if another was willing to take his place.
On one occasion the authorities came to a certain man and told him he had been drafted. He refused to go saying, "I was shot and killed in battle two years ago." At first they questioned his sanity, ut he insisted that this indeed the case.
"How can that be?" they questioned. "You are alive now!? He explained that when his name came up, a close friend said to him, "You have a large family, but I am not married and nobody is dependent upon me. I’ll take your name and address and go in your place." And that is indeed what the record showed.
This rather unusual case was referred to Napoleon who decided that the country had no legal claim on that man. He was free. He had died in the person of another. Jesus willingly took our place, taking on himself the penalty of sin. [sermonillustrations.com)
Seeing grace in this way turns our thoughts to 2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
FORGIVING OUR DEBT WHEN WE CANNOT PAY—GRACE IS LIKE THAT.
TRANSITION: Paul’s words in Ephesians 2 and Jesus description of discipleship help us SEE grace in terms of hope.
The Gold Watch- Lucille Wales’ husband Henry retired from his job as a mechanic at the local Ford dealership he was given a gold watch inscribed with his name. Henry was so proud it became his greatest treasure. "Now I have something special I can leave to our son" he would tell his wife.
But the gift Lucille and Henry’s son wanted for them was to relocate. But Henry refused. Every day Henry and Lucille would work in the rose garden in front of their house. After awhile it was the only bright spot in the neighborhood. It wasn’t long before Lucille and Henry became known as the Rose couple.
Around 10 pm one evening a friend called asking Henry for help. His car had broken down and he needed Henry to help get it started again. Sounds like the carburetor—shouldn’t be long.
How about picking up some milk on the way home?" I asked. "Sure," Henry said, "but don’t wait up, honey." When I hadn’t heard from Henry by 11:30, I began to worry; Henry always called if he was delayed. I began to pace the floor and pray while I waited. After an eternity there was a knock on the door.
Later that evening her worst fears were confirmed. During an apparent robbery attempt, Henry and Charlie had been gunned down by neighborhood gang members. Both were dead. When personal effects were given to the family—the gold watch was not among them.
Lucille’s son tried to assure her that the loss of the Gold watch didn’t matter. She couldn’t be comforted about Henry or the watch. She often prayed, "Please, dear Lord, help the police find Henry’s killers. Weeks passed with no arrest. She would instinctively check the wrist of everyone who passed by; she even visited the local pawn shops.
Eventually Lucille’s children offered a reward for the return of the watch. Six months passed and no one responded. The owners of the Ford dealership presented Lucille with a gold watch exactly like the first one. But for Lucille it wasn’t the same.
Meanwhile Lucille’s roses had fallen into gross neglect. One weekend her oldest daughter came to stay overnight. The next morning she suggested they get up early and prune the roses.
As they worked in the garden a young African-American man walked past two or three times. He paused as if he wanted to say something. Finally Lucille spoke to him and said, "Son, would you like some of my Roses?"
Are you the Rose Lady, he asked. She nodded saying "Yes I am—who might you be?" "Name’s Jared" he mumbled. He hesitated a moment before he reached out and took the flowers be was holding out to him. Then he left without a word.
The next Saturday afternoon the young man appeared again. "You sure like my roses, son" she laughed as he stood staring. He appeared so nervous and jumpy that she suddenly became afraid.
"Rose Lady," he finally said, "I need to talk to you—it’s important." They sat in silence on the front port for a few minutes. Suddenly he reached in his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. He cleared his throat and said, "Got something that belongs to you."
In the folds of the handkerchief was Henry’s watch. Tears streamed down her face. "I didn’t kill," he declared, "I swear."
Then Jared told his story: He was with his gang when they decided to rob Henry and Charlie. But Jared was shocked and angry when one of the gang members pulled a gun and shot the two men. "They told me to go over and get their wallets and check for jewelry," he explained, "but when I was unfastening the watch you husband said something. "He whispered, "Get my watch to the Rose Lady, tell her I love her."
"I hid the watch from them," he continued, "I was afraid to bring it to you sooner. Are you going to turn me into the police?"
"I’m going to ask you to do the right thing," Lucille told him. "It’s not that easy; you now" he said. "If I go the police those boys will relocate me to the cemetery. I’m sure it’s not easy, Lucille said, but I’ve always found that when you do the right thing—God will take care of the rest.
Lucille didn’t see the young man again. He did go the police and his friends were eventually arrested for the murders—but Jared was not charged. Lucille says, "it was as if he had given be back Henry’s watch and God gave Jared back his life."
Sometime later Lucille ran into one of Jared’s relatives. "Where is the young man these days?" She asked. "Oh, he’s in college right now!" she said proudly. "You tell him the Rose Lady said hello."
Years later hearing that Jared had graduate from college Lucille had an idea. She found the duplicate gold watch boxed it up and sent it to the new graduate with the best wishes of the Rose Lady."
Of the experience Lucille says, "my roses and my heart were in full bloom again. But Lucille’s forgiveness made a difference in the life of Jared-freeing him from his past to become someone new. (A Match Made in Heaven, by Susan Wales and Ann Platz)
Seeing grace in this way our thoughts turn to 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.
REDEEMING OUR TOMORROWS WHEN WE HAVE NO HOPE—GRACE IS LIKE THAT
TRANSITION: Jesus’ words in Luke 14 and Paul’s words in Ephesians 2 and elsewhere also help us SEE grace in terms of reconciliation.
A number of years ago a frail black woman rose slowly to her feet in a South African courtroom. She was 70-something, the years deeply etched in her face. Facing her from across the room were several white security officers. One, a Mr. van der Brock, had just bee found guilty of murdering the woman’s son and her husband.
The man had come to the woman’s home a number of years earlier. He had taken her son, show him and point blank range and then burned his body as he and other officers reveled in the act.
Several years later, van der Broek returned to take the woman’s husband away as well. For two years, she could learn nothing of what happened to him. Then, van der Broek cam back for the woman herself. She was led to a place beside a river. There she saw her husband bound and beaten lying on a pile of wood. The last words she heard from his lips as the officers poured gasoline over his body and set him on fire were "Father, forgive them."
Justice caught up with Mr. van der Broek. He had been found guilty and it was time to determine his sentence. As the woman stood the presiding judge asked, "So what do you want? How should justice be done to this man who has so brutally destroyed your family?"
In reply the woman said, "I want three things. I want FIRST to be taken to the place where my husband’s body was burned so I can gather up the dust and give his remains a decent burial. My husband and son were my only family she said.
Secondly I want Mr. van der Brock to become my son. I would like for him to come twice a month to my home and spend a day with me so that I can pour out on him whatever love I still have remaining within me.
And finally, she says, "I want Mr. van der Broek to know that I offer him my forgiveness because Jesus Christ died to forgive. This was also the wish of my husband. And so, I would kindly ask that someone come to my side and lead me across the courtroom so I can take Mr. van der Broek in my arms, embrace him and let him know that he is truly forgiven.
As the court assistants led the elderly woman across the courtroom, Mr. van der Broek, overwhelmed by what he heard and fainted. Then quietly from those in the courtroom, friends, family, and neighbors—all victims of similar oppression and injustice—began to sing "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found." (Preaching.com)
Do you remember Jesus parable of a son restored?
Read Luke 15:11-20
Seeing grace in this way our thoughts turn to Romans 8:15
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received a Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry "Abba," Father.
RECEIVING US AS CHILDREN WHEN WE HAVE NO CLAIM—GRACE IS LIKE THAT.
CONCLUSION: Imagine someone came to you and told you they wanted to give you the house of your dreams. Everything you could imagine you needed and even some things you couldn’t imagine were in this house.
There is nothing you can do to earn the house, there is no way you could pay the person who is giving you the house. What you need to do is to possess this house is accept the keys and walk through the door.
But rather than receiving the keys and walking through the door—you sleep on the front lawn. Or maybe you try to get in a different way. Either way, you are offered this wonderful gift—but choose not to live in it.
You don’t need to imagine such a scenario because that is exactly what God does when he invites us to live by and in His grace. Yet sometimes we are like the fellow who chooses to sleep on the lawn or in the street.
We do that when we think we can pay our own debt.
We do that when we remain chained to the sins of yesterday and let them rob us of our hope for tomorrow.
We do that when we forget that God has received us as his children even when we have no claim.
If we truly count the cost (1) We become like the merchant who gave up everything he had to possess the "pearl of great price." He was not foolish—but wise (2) We see that holding on to what we think we want stands in the way of taking hold of what we need.
God sees us as we really are. Christ’s nail pierced hands not only read out to us . . . hey hold us up. We don’t deserve grace. We don’t deserve the invitation to the heavenly banquet—but grace is like that. He forgives a debt we cannot pay, redeems our tomorrows when we have no hope, and receives us as children when we have no claim.
DECISION QUESTION: We have seen what "grace is like." Are you ready to take hold of God’s gift and grace—to live gracefully?
