BEING ENCOUNTERED BY AMAZING GRACE
JOHN 3. 1 - 4
Many years ago, John Newton penned the words, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. Newton was not a theologian, not a preacher, Sunday school teacher, or choir director. Newton was a slave trader, a seaman, a rough type of fellow. This was before his encounter with amazing grace. Once God’s grace encountered him, he was noticeably changed. A life wasted on the degradation of others changed into a life of serving God.
I ask that you do not tune me out just yet. Most, if not all of you here today profess to be Christian, and might feel that preaching about grace encountering a man is nice for evangelism, but you have already taken care of that. Please open your heart and mind for the next few minutes as you allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you on this subject. Take just a minute and clear your mind of lunch plans, afternoon chores, world news, and the like. Lay aside for a few minutes any ill feelings you have toward others, any thoughts of bitterness, anger, malice, or jealousy. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak truth to your heart, allow you to be truly honest with yourself, to encounter you today so that you may never be the same, that you might leave this building closer to God, emptier of self, and more filled with Holy Spirit of God.
I want to share with you this morning some thoughts about religious people, people of great conviction, people of strong “church” background, that were encountered by grace, that were challenged in the way they thought, and then through the Holy Spirit I pray each of us will be encountered where we are at by amazing grace.
1) NICODEMUS
* The Bible tells us he was a man of the Pharisees, a ruler of the Jews. Nicodemus was not just someone who went to the temple. He was a leader. He was knowledgeable. Knew the law, knew the very elements of it. No one would have looked at him and thought he needed to be changed. He had risen to a seat of authority, was very scholarly, was revered by those who served under him.
* All of his accomplishments, all of his money, all of his status left him feeling empty. There was still something missing. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, but he knew it was there. His life was characterized by strict adherence to the law and keeping it. Washing, eating, traveling, who he associated with and who he avoided, but still something was missing.
* He came to Jesus by night. Something didn’t sit right with Him. He was seeking information. If this fellow was really who he claimed to be, He would have some answers. He came by night to avoid persecution from his religious crowd.
* Jesus’ response to Nicodemus seemed strange. Born again, what is that? That can’t happen. Impossible. So he asks the question as to how this happens. Christ’s response is that being born again is a product of the Spirit of God.
* Holy Spirit works through grace to bring salvation the lost.
* Nicodemus’ problem – religious, not saved. The cry of his heart was for truth. The need in his life was for Christ. Religion hadn’t done it. Position failed. Power left him powerless to help himself. Wisdom had left him searching for answers, and his money had left him spiritually bankrupt.
* He was searching for answers and truth. Grace met him and satisfied his longing.
2) SAUL – ACTS 9. 1 – 6
* Similar in some ways to Nicodemus. Educated, on the rise to power, determined, in the right crowd (you need to be in the right crowd for power and position), religious, and well-respected in the temple crowd.
* Had everything in place. Was secure in his religion, was secure in his beliefs. Anyone who professed this Christianity thing was a heretic, was guilty of defying God, should be imprisoned or killed.
* Received permission to jail all the Christians he could find. On his way to serve the warrants. Encountered by grace. He wasn’t searching for answers, he already had his own ideas about the answers. Wasn’t looking for truth, wasn’t looking for Christianity, he was looking for Christians. They would be imprisoned.
* Saul wasn’t looking for answers, but grace encountered him anyway.
3) DR. LAW ROMANS 3.20
* I want to introduce you to a third person. He, like Nicodemus and Saul, is educated, determined, and religious. The main difference between this guy and the other two is that this fellow professes to be a Christian. He can quote that by grace are ye saved. He knows John 3.16, Rom. 3.23, Rom. 6.23. He has held many positions in the church, and has influenced many more. He pays his bills on time, he is good to his family, he is a pretty good employee. You can pretty much trust him with a secret, he thinks it is wrong to drink, cuss, and gossip. He goes to church every Sunday, sometimes on Wednesday too. Goes to ss, sings in the choir, and usually pays attention during the preaching service.
* This fellow, although probably candidate for deacon or trustee of his church, has a deep problem. He wants to refer to the “rules” about everything. He believes in the law, supports the law, and is quite frank about quoting Scripture to support the law. Let’s call him Dr. Law.
* His life is a list of can dos and don’ts. He reads his Bible, sometimes he prays, he notices when others do wrong and remembers it. Somebody will have to pay for that. You can’t get away with being bad. But he too stands in need of being encountered by amazing grace.
4) DR. GRACE. ROMANS 3.24
* One final person I want you to meet today. He comes to church. Sometimes He isn’t noticed, but He is here. He longs for the people in His church to talk to Him, really talk to Him. Not simply a “how are ya,” but a real conversation. He is more like Nicodemus than Saul, because He is looking for something. He is looking for freedom. He doesn’t get along very well with Dr. Law, even though they attend the same church, and often sit on the same pew. He is not as loud and boisterous as Dr. Law, so when He makes a suggestion, it is often not heard. Dr. Law seems to bring everyone’s attention back to the “rules.”
* This person too believes it is wrong to drink too much, to not be good to His family, and to gossip, but He doesn’t advertise it. He would much rather focus on what He has the freedom to do. He can worship, He can praise God, He can glorify the Father.
* Let’s call Him Dr. Grace. He is searching for people, like Saul was, but not to arrest them. He wants to encounter them with the true liberty available through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. He wants them to see that you can spend your life living by a bunch of cannots, and be miserable. But, if you will live and worship in the freedom He provides, you will have a satisfied, joy-filled life.
* He sees when others do wrong, but instead of judging and condemning them for it, He seeks to see them reconciled to God, seeks to restore them, instead of tearing them down.
5) THE QUESTION.
* Where do you fall in line. You may be a Nicodemus and be searching for truth, you may be a Saul and be persecuting the church. But, if you are here and have a testimony of salvation, it is more likely that you are like Dr. Law or Dr. Grace. Sad to say, though, most of us are more like Dr. Law than we should be, and less like Dr. Grace than we should be. We have a choice to make. We can leave here the same way we came, or we can respond to being encountered by grace and ask the Holy Spirit to make a lasting change in our life this morning.
