1 Timothy 1:12-17 August 16, 2009
Amazing Grace
Do you have someone who loves you? Is there something in your life that reminds you of their love? When you see it or hear it, it reminds you of how much you are loved, and it takes you back a little so you have to catch your breath?
Paul Amazing grace story.
A Pharisee who was against Christians – not just teaching against the church, but actively persecuting.
Acts 7:58-8:3 The crowd dragged Stephen out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
…And Saul approved of their killing him.
… Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
If Saul lived in modern times, he could have been indicted for crimes against humanity.
When the Christians fled out of Jerusalem and Judea, Saul asked for, and was granted permission to travel to Damascus, arrest Christians there and bring them back for trial in Jerusalem. At the beginning of Acts 9, it says that Saul was breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. It may have been that he knew that the authorities would look the other way if some of the Christians didn’t make it to trial, but died while “resisting arrest.”
Some of you know the story:
As Saul was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.
Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord!” he replied.
The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”
“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”
But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.
Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”
All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”
At the end of verse 11, Saul (now Paul) mentions “The gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.” And it takes him aback; he is reminded of the grace that God has given him, and he has to catch his breath and give thanks.
“I have to thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”
Paul is like a Rwandan Hutu, who participated in the genocide, but has now been adopted into a Tutsi family.
But it is even bigger than that – Paul isn’t only adopted into the Christian family – God calls this Jew of Jews to take this message of grace and salvation to the rest of the non-Jewish world!
You would think God would keep a lid on Paul – he had done such terrible things to Christians – “you can be forgiven, but go live in a quiet monastery in the desert, alone, preferably.”
Instead, God puts the fox in charge of the chickens!
He is blown away at where he is: knowing where he has come from.
He is like John Newton, the former slave trader, saved and turned abolitionist who could write “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me: I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see!”
The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”
This is what grace is: Paul is going completely against God, deceived that he working violently for God, God comes and meets him and says, “Hey you’re getting it all wrong!” He doesn’t zap him with a lightning bolt, he gets his attention, and then shows him the right way to go.
If anyone needed grace it was Paul - & God never runs out of grace – whether you are Mother Theresa with only a few things to forgive, or you’ve committed crimes against humanity like Paul, God pours his grace out on you abundantly!
Redemption – we can get used to the idea, but it is still really radical
We mostly do not “get” grace; or redemption – the power to change.
– Barry’s Trespass notice, - others
– Jean Valjean not “getting” grace. - ourselves
Paul, still in a state of reverie, says “Now, here’s a trustworthy saying: memorize this one kids: “Jesus came into the world to save sinners.””
Before this, the word “sinner” was a term of derision, you called someone a sinner and spat – they were fuel for the fires of hell. But Paul has changed his tone. “Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst!
This is not false humility on Paul’s part – He is being honest. He is still blown away by the fact that God not only saved him, but he entrusted him with his message of salvation for the whole non-Jewish world!
Great Evangelist of last century once said; “When I get to heaven, I will be surprised by who is there: I will be surprised by who is not there; but I will be most surprised but the fact that I am there.”
Paul says that the reason that God saved him from being the worst sinner is to show Jesus’ immense patience to people, and realizing this, they might also believe and be saved.
God is so patient – he describes himself this way to Moses in Genesis 34:6-7 "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.
This is dangerous stuff! If we let out how patient God is, that he is even patient with Paul, the worst people might hear and think that God might be patient with them too! And then the doors of heaven would be open to everyone! SHHHHH! We might start to believe that God could even forgive a guy like me!
We may be surprised at the people we find in heaven. God has a soft spot for sinners. His standards are quite low.
- Desmond Tutu
Then Paul can’t contain himself, and he breaks off into song:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Here’s the idea – you might feel like Paul – that you are the lowest of the low, the worst sinner – you have hurt far too many people to be forgiven. God will never run out of grace for you – he will forgive you, and he may even put you in charge! Or maybe you’ve only messed up a little in your life – you really aren’t so bad… don’t worry, God sees your sin as as great as Paul’s – he’ll pour out his grace upon you too.
Altar call.
