Title: How to Be Transformed by Grace
Text: Acts 8:1-3, Acts 9 and selected texts
Thesis: When we are intercepted by God we will be struck by his kindness, mercy, and grace.
Series: The Bible in 90 Days Whole Church Challenge
Introduction
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a fanciful movie based on Dr. Seuss’ classic holiday poem. The Grinch, a hairy, green, cantankerous beast, looks down on the town of Whoville from his home on a mountain of garbage. What he sees disgusts him. The people who live in Whoville (called the Whos) love Christmas and all its trappings. Possessions, decorations, lights, and partying consume the Whos. The Grinch’s disgust originated when he was mocked as a child because of his odd looks and the Christmas gift he hand-made. The Whos hate the Grinch as much as he loathes them.
Intent on destroying Christmas, the Grinch single-handedly devastates Whoville by stealing all their presents and Christmas trees. Tucked in his hideaway, he prepares to destroy all the loot he has stuffed into a gigantic pack. But before he can, he hears the townspeople singing in the valley.
The narrator explains: "Then the Grinch heard a sound rising over the snow. It started in low and it started to grow." The Grinch grimaces as the narrator continues: "But the sound wasn’t sad, but very merry. Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, were singing without any presents at all."
The Grinch is bewildered by these people who are robbed of their possessions yet are happy and singing.
So explains the narrator: "He hadn’t stopped Christmas from coming. It came. Somehow or other it came just the same. And the Grinch with his Grinch feet ice cold in the snow stood puzzling and puzzling how could it be so."
Finally, the Grinch speaks: "It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags. Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."
His eyes grow warm and soft and as big as saucers. Suddenly, he throws himself to the ground, convulsing as his heart grows three times the size it was before. He laughs. He cries. He claims to feel all toasty inside. Unfamiliar with tears, he thinks he is leaking, while a brilliant shaft of sunlight bathes his green face and reveals a sincere smile. The conversion of the Grinch is matched by a brilliant sunrise.
But then it dawns on him that the stolen gifts are about to slide off the mountain and be destroyed. For the first time, he actually cares. Transformed, he risks his life to keep the gifts from falling from the precipice. The Grinch’s changed heart is matched by changed behavior. (How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Universal Pictures, 2000), rated PG, written by Dr. Seuss, Jeff Price, and Peter Seaman, directed by Ron Howard; submitted by Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, Illinois)
The story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is about the transformation of the ugly, mean-spirited Grinch determined to destroy Christmas into a warm, gracious and loving Grinch. Our story today is about the transformation of an ugly, mean-spirited man who was determined to destroy Christians into a warm and gracious man who became a Christian. It is also the story of how our encounters with God are to serve as transforming moments in our lives as well.
How can we experience a life-altering encounter with God’s grace?
I. When we become aware of our own sin we can change.
Saul fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting…” Acts 9:1-6
Saul was a smug, self-righteous, right-wing radical Jewish leader. We first heard of him in Acts 7 where, during the martyrdom stoning of a Christian named Stephen, we are told that those who bore witness against Stephen and who were stoning him, laid their coats at Saul’s feet. Acts 8 tells us that on that very day a great persecution broke out against the Church in Jerusalem and Christians were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. And we are told that it was Saul who was the driving force behind the movement to destroy the Church and persecute anyone and everyone who was a follower of Jesus Christ. Acts chapter 9 begins with the words, Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s followers. He then had sought and received written permission to travel to Damascus to arrest any Christians he found there, be they men or women and return them to Jerusalem to stand trial.
This is a foreign scenario for we western Christians living in 21st Century United States of America where we have long cherished our First Amendment freedom of religion. The freedom of religion, freedom from the establishment of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly and association are at the heart of our constitutional democracy. The First Amendment forbids the government from the establishment of religion and guarantees all Americans the freedom to exercise or practice religion.
Perhaps you have seen the billboard along I-70 that projects President Obama as a turbaned cartoonish terrorist , posing the question: President of Jihad? The billboard calls for the President to produce his birth certificate to prove that he is a citizen and admonishes Americans to “Wake up!” and to “Remember Ft. Hood!”
Phil Wolf, owner of Wolf Automotive stated, “It my sign, my business, and my property.” And even the most offended, who hold to our constitutional right of free speech, must agree.
On Thursday when I took Bonnie out to DIA we followed a car that had the most offensive and vulgar sticker I have ever read plastered on the bumper. Offended? Yes! Disgusted? Yes! Embarrassed that a fellow human being could have so little class? Yes! But… I respect that person’s rights to stick bumper stickers on his car.
And I am grateful that that same privilege is extended to me as a person and to the Christian community.
If we lived in Somalia or in some Middle East countries or China we would be familiar with the age old story of persecution and martyrdom of Christians… but here in America we have been insulated from any state imposed restrictions regarding the practice of our faith. However, in other parts of the world, our brothers and sisters are well aware of what it feels like to have someone like Saul breathing out murderous threats and persecuting anyone known to be a follower of Christ.
Saul was a good man in his own eyes, but in the eyes of those he persecuted and in the eyes of God… he was not so good and he was personally responsible for the suffering of countless believers and their families.
One night I was called to the home of an immigrant family. The street was filled with police cars. The house was surrounded by what looked like a SWAT officers. The man was brought out of the house, forced to the ground, and cuffed. His wife, mother and children watched the action unfold and saw him taken away to jail. It was one of those situations where you feel absolutely helpless. They came, they arrested him and they jailed him. It turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. The man they were looking for lived in Brighton…
That is the power Saul had. He could kick in your door, take you into custody and take you away if you were suspected of being a Christian.
Interestingly, Saul thought he was a pretty good guy. He was not aware of how wrong he was or of the depth of cruelty to which he had sunk. He had not a clue that he might actually be wrong and acting contrary to the will of God.
But Jesus stopped him in his tracks and gave him a little “come to Jesus” talk after which Saul decided to change his ways. The first step toward transformation is an inner realization of one’s sin followed by a willingness to change.
There is a slew of amusing one-liner light bulb jokes. But this is the most compelling and thought provoking light bulb joke I have ever read: How many Psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but the light bulb really has to want to change.
The first step toward transformation is an inner realization of one’s sin followed by a willingness to change. What was true of Saul is true for each of us. When we realize there is sin in our lives that hurts others and displeases God the first step toward transformation is acknowledging it and demonstrating that you really want to change.
So the question is: What is it about your life or your character or your habits or your attitudes or actions that needs to be changed?
God in his grace confronts and convicts us… and once we are aware of the need to change we can be awakened to the grace of God.
II. We are awakened to God’s mercy.
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 9:10-19
It is important that we understand that God was not just interested in putting Saul out of business. God was not just intent on stopping Saul from his merciless intentions. God’s intent was not to simply blind and incapacitate Saul… God was not opposed to Saul seeing. God wanted Saul to understand mercy and grace. God wanted Saul to see again but with a new perspective in his sight. And so God Sent a man named Ananias to go to Saul, speak words of grace to him, lay hands on him and pray for the restoration of his sight.
Just a couple of weeks ago, following Grace’s death, I asked Al Guenther how he was doing. And characteristic of Al he said, “Better than I deserve.” I have heard him say that many, many times. And I always hear it just as he intends it to be heard. His heart is filled with gratitude for the goodness and grace of God in his life.
Before Al Franken was the junior U.S. Senator from Minnesota, he was a pretty savvy writer and performer on SNL before becoming a political commentator, author and host of a nationally syndicated radio program. He had an amusing catch phrase and wrote a book by the same title. He used to say, “I’m good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!”
Until Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul thought he was good enough, smart enough and the apple of God’s eye. Then he was humbled and he learned otherwise. And it was then, as he wallowed in his humiliation and shame that God came to him with mercy and grace and restored his sight.
The vindictive, harsh and exacting God he had cultivated in his mind was not vindictive, harsh and exacting at all. God was good and gracious and forgiving. God was a big-hearted, Good News God who cared about and loved all people, even Saul.
This is what Saul later said of himself, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinner – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” I Timothy 1:15-16
In my years of ministry I have made several observations. Among them:
I have observed that sometimes people who have become followers of Jesus Christ after having lived a very sinful life or who have been broken by a despicable failure of character or wallowed in shameful behavior, then, having been awakened to the mercy, forgiveness and grace of God, sometimes have a keener grasp of the richness of God grace than those who have traveled a less sordid path. Jesus said, “He who has been forgiven much, loves much.”
A second observation is that those who have been awakened by God’s grace either respond as did Saul / Paul with humility and continued awareness of God’s grace. Or they become self-righteous, contrasting their own newfound goodness with that of those who are not so good and condemning them for their short-comings.
Once awakened to God’s grace our hearts are filled with loving gratitude to God and graciousness toward those who are yet to experience God’s grace in Christ Jesus.
The person awakened by God’s grace sings the words of Amazing Grace with heart-felt emotion: “I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.” Amazing Grace is the story of John Newton’s life. Amazing Grace is the story of Saul’s life. Amazing Grace is the story of every believer’s life. If we are truly awakened to God’s grace, we never forget who and what we were and we are continually dumbfounded by the privilege of living joyously and freely under the grace of God.
Having been made aware of our sin and awakened to the grace of God, we can then become the person God wants us to be.
III. We are made alive to our new calling.
The Lord said, “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel… “ At once Saul began preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. Acts 9:15, 20-22
God wanted Saul to become all that he could be… a transformed and redirected Saul. Saul was God’s chosen instrument to carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ beyond the Jewish community into all the world. The man who once was set on wiping Christians and their Christ off the map was to become the bearer of the Good News of God’s grace not only to the Jews but to Gentiles as well. Now Saul or Paul as we know him best was the kind of person God could use for God’s good and the good of others.
What might such a transformation look like in our lives?
• Perhaps the grace of God may transform us from being materialistic to giving with gracious generosity.
• Perhaps God’s gracious forgiveness will transform us into gracious people who forgive others.
• Perhaps God’s grace will transform our worrisome negativity and despair into a life of prayer and trust.
• Perhaps God’s grace will transform our self-righteousness into humility and compassion for others.
• Perhaps God’s grace will transform our disinterest in the spiritual fate of the lost, nearby and far away, into a genuine passion for those who do not know Christ.
• Perhaps the grace of God will transform our self-serving perception of what it means to a Christian to a biblical understanding of what it means to be conformed to the image of Christ.
Conclusion
I am an avid reader of National Geographic Magazine. National Geographic is for me a window into the universe. Sometimes I get to see into the farthest reaches of the universe. Sometimes I get to see what lurks, lies and/or lives in the deepest oceans. Sometimes I get to see people and places around the world that I will never personally experience. But one of the features of National Geographic I most enjoy are the fold-outs. Sometimes when I open the latest issue I flip through the pages and happen upon a beautiful landscape… and then I notice that it is the first page. So I open the fold out to see two thirds of the picture and then I open the third page and there is the whole picture with a three-page panoramic view.
Saul’s life was like a three-page fold-out panoramic picture. Our lives are like a three-page fold-out panoramic picture. Our lives are like an unfolding panoramic picture or the unfolding of the segments of a journey… a spiritual picture or a spiritual journey.
Throughout this series of stories from our daily bible reading we have accompanied lots of people on their spiritual journeys. And as we have made our way, we have been on our own journey of faith. Today our journey takes us to a new place where we have to look back at who we were. We have to look at who and what we are. And we have to look forward to see who and what God wants us to become.
In looking at the past, the present and the future, we are compelled to see our entire journey as a journey marked by gratitude for God’s grace.
At one time we were… But then the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. Titus 3:3-5
