Welcome To The Family Sermon Vi: Disseminating God's Grace To Whomever Whenever Series

DISSEMENATING GOD’S GRACE TO WHOMEVER WHEREVER

Did you hear about the grocery store owner who put up a sign that read: “Eggplants – 25 cents each, 3 for a dollar” . . . Customers complained that they should get 4 for a dollar! So, each one who complained got 4 for a dollar. The owner of a shop next door came over and said, “Why don’t you fix the mistake on your sign?” “What mistake?”, asked the grocery store owner, “Before I put up that sign, no one ever bought more than one eggplant.”

Which goes to show that if you have something worth selling or sharing, a lot depends on how you present it to your prospects. The grocery store got the attention of prospective buyers, engaged them in conversation, then disseminated to them more than they had initially thought they would get.

Not that we should press this analogy too far and go so far as to say that a bit of trickery is okay for disseminating the gospel, we would do well to realize that when we come upon folks who need what we have to offer, the manner with which we present it to them has a lot to do with whether they “buy” into what we are “selling”.

A Rule of Thumb practiced by Paul for disseminating God’s grace was simply “to whomever wherever” in a convincing manner so that they want what you have to offer.

There must be, on the part of disseminators of the gospel, effort put forth to reach others . . . an enthusiastic embrace of opportunities . . . an encounter of the kind that has as its motive the “selling” of the gospel – such as the encounter which occurred near the city of Philippi down by the riverside - Acts 16:6-15 . . .

With God as their Father, Jesus as their Savior, and the Holy Spirit as their constant companion, these disciples of discernment and distinction embraced an unusual opportunity to disseminate God’s grace to whomever wherever!

They did not go everywhere for a very good reason: The Holy Spirit prevented them! How grateful we should be that our efforts are monitored by our Paraclete (the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus to go alongside us)! Q: Have there been times in your life when you wondered why a door was closed . . . your plan did not work out? Then it struck you: My way, or my plan, was not according to God’s plan or purpose. So, accept it and move on!

Moving on to a seaport town where commercial trading enticed merchants from all over the world, God’s messengers waited until they received further word from the Lord – and, while they waited and prayed, Paul had a vision in which he received the Macedonian call: “Come over and help us!”

Folks, it is so true: When God closes one door, He opens another . . . which, if responded to by faith, inevitably leads to greater and mightier things than anyone ever imagined. Which tells me: God can do anything but fail! Q: How long did it take Paul and the other missionaries to answer the call? “Immediately . . . at once . . . without delay” -- they got ready and responded -- by faith.

By faith --- Abel . . . Enoch . . . Noah . . . Abraham . . . Isaac . . . Jacob . . . Joseph . . . Moses . . . What more shall I say? Time does not permit me to tell about all the others who were commended for their faith . . . Even so, God had planned something better! And folks, Paul and his company of the committed knew first-hand what that something better was!

By faith --- in response to a vision given to Paul by the God of the saints of the Old Testament – these three missionaries made a bee line effort to go to the Macedonian city of Philippi located on the southern coast of Europe. They arrived on a Friday, and spent the night there.

On Saturday morning - the sabbath - they got up bright and early to pray. Looking for a quiet place outside the city, they followed a path that led them down by the river where they came upon a gathering of women from the (United Methodist Church) whose Circle of friends were engaged in spiritual matters . . . whereupon these men were invited to join the ladies for coffee and conversation.

One of the devout women (whose name might just as well have been Helen) no doubt had been led there by the Spirit of God so that she would be in that place at that time for such a time as this.