Most of us in this sanctuary may have the awesome responsibility of being married to another human being - someone so special we don’t want to live without them. As part of the marriage ceremony, we made a covenant, an agreement to love and honor each other until death parts us. It is a serious agreement; not to be taken lightly by either party and one holding much responsibility.
If I were to give you time to share how you met your spouse and to describe your courtship, everyone would have similar tales…. I am sure many of you in this room remember the TV series, The Walton’s. My grandparents reminded me of them. Zeb, the grandfather would constantly make passes, whisper in her ear, make her blush and try to smooth talk Esther. He affectionately called her "the old woman"………. When my grandfather Arthur Reeve was alive, he would entertain us at family gatherings with his "courting" stories of Bernice Mawson. Grandma would smile and interject the parts Grandpa “missed.”
Born to the mayor of Jacksonville, IL, my grandfather liked his STAG beer but also became a good race car driver, much to the dismay of my great-grandfather. During one of the races, my grandfather was injured and lost his left eye; however, he recovered. He later would become one of the most successful farmers near Jacksonville, in Morgan County.
Grandma was a dedicated wife and mother of 11 children. She was a faithful member of the Centennial Methodist Church and that is where she met Charles Arthur Reeve. During family reunions, Grandpa Reeve would tell how he courted Bernice in his rattletrap buggy and his faithful horse Jezebel. Often, Mauvisterre Creek would flood with water swirling around Jezebel’s knees, and he would have to unhitch Jezebel and ride to the Mawson farm bareback. He would often relate how they would sit on the porch, help with chores, walk hand in hand down the farm lane, or attend Sunday evening services together, Grandpa tried and tried to convince Bernice to marry him...for she was the girl of his dreams. It took 2 years for her to finally accept; after all she did not want to give up her comfortable, $15 00 a week job at Klines Dept Store and enter into an uncertain and fearful relationship. "After all," she was fond of saying," your grandpa was still a stranger." His perseverance during early 1916 enables me to stand before you now.
Through 52 years of marriage they put up with each other; though thick and thin…. through loss of children…and through good times and bad. But you know, they met the Lord still loving each other very deeply.
Grandpa pursued Grandma, finally persuading her to enter into a covenant of marriage with him. They depended on each other….their faith….their love for God…. and they persevered. They knew the head of their household was Jesus Christ, and they never let their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren forget it. Grandpa had pursued Grandma much the way God pursues us. As followers of Christ, our number 1 priority should be to be in relationship with Him.
God made us for that purpose. Ephesians 1:4-10 says: "For God chose us before the creation of the world"....in love God chose us to be adopted as his children through Jesus Christ, according to His will.
This morning we are going to talk a little bit about God’s Grace. This free and unconditional love has several different parts, and the first part is "prevenient". Just like the parts of a marriage, prevenient grace is the "courtship" of God seeking us to begin a relationship with Him.
Let’s take a look at this PREVENIENT GRACE and see what it really means: Here are some key words:
1) Covenant-is an agreement made by 2 or more people, one agreeing to provide protection or help and the other for loyalty.
2)Pre--is Latin for before.
3)Venia—means to go-- so Prevenient means, "To Go Before". God speaks to us, wanting us to be close enough to Him to call Him, Abba (daddy or papa) since we are his children. Traditionally, God is referred to as a father but this morning I would like for you to Picture God as the most loving person whom you ever known, the one that you trust completely and who you know is always, always there for you. For that is truly WHAT and WHO God IS. He keeps after us until we accept Him as Lord and Savior. He pursues us in love, just like Grandpa pursued Grandma Reeve. God’s pursuing or "wooing" us is also called - prevenient or beginning.
3) Grace -God’s love toward us, unearned and undeserved; by grace God forgives our sins, enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts and strengthens our wills.
God loves us so much, that he sought us-HE CHOSE US-to be in a relationship with him BEFORE He made the earth. He gave us free will, intelligence, and authority over all the animals; thus, making us different from all His other creations. This profound, everlasting, free and unconditional love is called - grace!
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, called prevenient grace "preparing" grace, for as we mature in years and gain knowledge and understanding, God works through us to prepare us for our relationship with Christ.
In other words, God loves us, not because we deserve it….or have earned it…. but because he wants to give us a free gift before we ask.
Now, I’m sure you’re wondering why God would seek YOU out for a relationship…… Throughout history, God pursued and made many covenants with people who felt just as confused, or unworthy as you may be feeling right now.
Genesis 9 relates how God decided to destroy a sinful world and only Noah and his family were saved. Because of Noah’s faithfulness to God, the ark was built, loaded with animals and provisions, and floated for 40 days and nights in the rain. God promised NEVER to destroy the world again, but give us another chance. The sign of this promise was the rainbow.
Genesis 12 relates how God looked upon plain, common, ordinary Abram and promised that he would be the father of Israel through Sarah his wife.
Moses had a speech problem. But God chose him to free the Israelites from bondage in Egypt.
God looked on the heart of David and saw him as a loving, caring and faithful man. God made a contract with David, and in 2 Samuel 23 promised that David’s descendants would be many, and from them would come the Messiah.
Did you know that Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David all sinned, They had faults and failings just like we do; yet God sought them out not because they deserved it or earned it, but because God loved them and wanted them…. just as He loves us and wants us to be in a relationship with Him.
God is calling you to a covenant with Him. The Lord knew you before you were born. God has watched over you throughout your lifetime and wants to give you a very rare and precious gift.. His love… It is found only through his son Jesus Christ. This is the NEW Covenant -God would make Himself known to us and we would be his people (Jer 31). It is a covenant sealed with an everlasting love-God’s Prevenient Grace.
God has been calling you, watching over and protecting you, creating you in His image, and preparing you for a relationship with Him. He wants to give you His love. He wants to give you a gift that is everlasting…. that won’t rust, tarnish, or break. Just like the Energizer Bunny---it NEVER gives up. It just keeps going and going and going…. It is a gift just for you. It is called Prevenient Grace and is yours just because God loves YOU.
The sign of his promise is found in John 3:16; So great is God’s love for us, so much does God want to save us and bring us to Him, that His only Son was willing to die for us-to set us free from the sins that would bind us and keep us from that relationship, to give us eternal life with him.
How do you know when God is really speaking to you? Here are a few hints:
The most important influence on your life will be the presence of the Holy Spirit- that inner presence or conscience that speaks to you and guides you in your daily activities and decisions (John 16).
The church-the body of believers-is ready and willing to help you, pray with you, talk to you, and to help guide you in your study of the scripture.
Your family may be there to support you, listen to you, counsel you and love you.
Friends may also yet be another form of prevenient grace. A friend is someone who is closer to you than anyone else. Friends listen to you, support you, and laugh with you and cry with you. They accept you as you are. God wants to be your friend, also.
Your father has a gift for you---------
(The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. With her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh please Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, Please!"
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box, and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl’s upturned face. It’s $1.95. That’s almost two dollars. If you really want them I’ll think of some extra chores for your and in no time you can save enough money to buy them yourself. Your birthday’s only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma. As soon as she got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted… 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores. Then she went to the neighbor and asked if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. She LOVED her fake pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere--Sunday school, Kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. (Her mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.) Every night when she was ready for bed, her father would come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked her, do you love me? “Oh yes Daddy. You know that I love you!”
Then give me your pearls, he said. “Oh daddy, not my pearls, But you can have Princess--the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember daddy? The one you gave me. She’s my favorite.”
That’s ok, honey. Dad loves you. Good night. And he kissed her cheek. About a week later, after the story time, he asked her again, “Do you love me?......... Daddy, you know I love you! Then please give me your pearls, he said.”
“Oh daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby-doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper.
“That’s okay. sleep well. God bless you, little one. Dad loves you” and as always, he kissed her cheek gently.
A few nights later when her father came in, she was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
“What is it, honey? What’s the matter?” She didn’t say anything, but lifted her little hand up to him and as she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, “Here, Daddy. It’s for you”. With tears gathering in his own eyes, her dad reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave then to her…... He had them all the time……. He was just WAITING for her to GIVE UP the dime store stuff so he could give her a Genuine treasure.) (1)
That is so much like our heavenly father. The Lord has HIS gift of grace or love just waiting for you! He is trying to draw us to him (John 6:44-47) Just like the little girls father’s gift of genuine pearls for her. God’s love is real! It is THE Real Thing! God is wooing you to become friends with him and to share all of what he has with you. (Rev 22:17) My friends, what a WONDERFUL, PRECIOUS, PRICELESS gift.
AMEN
(1) Source: The internet many years ago.
