Saved By Grace
Sermon
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE
Sermons For Pentecost (Middle Third)
This subject causes one to focus on two significant theological expressions having a direct bearing on the quality of human life: salvation and grace. The apostle Paul adds a third expression that he calls faith; "For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast… (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)." So then, Paul contends that salvation is realized when grace is activated and faith comes alive. All three are critical to our spiritual well-being. However, major emphasis must be given to an analysis of grace.
A great many definitions have been offered for the word grace. Scholars and laypersons alike have tried to define grace out of the context of their experience, so that it might have meaning to the hearer. Grace has historically been defined as that unmerited, undeserved, and sometimes unasked for, love expression given in spite of the recipient. Furthermore, grace is that something which one cannot work to earn, buy, borrow or take by force. It is only realized as a gift grounded in faith.
An old native American man did not have significant claim to fame. No one recorded his success in life among the listing of who's who. He had never been featured on television or radio; popularity had systematically eluded him. Jesus Christ had no meaning in his life, but one day a missionary introduced him to the savior of the world and his life made a dramatic change -- in fact, a 180 degree change. Whereas before he lived in sin, he was now living in Christ. Somebody asked him what made his life different. He responded by taking a worm, placing it on top of a pile of leaves and then setting fire to the leaves. Just before the flames reached the worm, he snatched it from the fire. Then, he gave this testimony of grace. "Me -- the worm." Wow!! Me -- the worm. Could we not all say, amen? Are we not like the worm, snatched from the fire? Grace has been and is always at work in our lives. We receive grace on a daily basis, even though we are not deserving. Paul is absolutely correct, we are saved by grace.
Now, the text tells the story of Israel's sin. They desired to construct a lifeless god in the absence of Moses. This action stirred up the anger of God. Much speculation can be made regarding the action of the people as well as the leadership of Aaron while Moses was on Mount Sinai. However, the fact remains that God had already declared that we were not to have any other gods before the one true God. Further, we were not to make any graven images. Israel was guilty of sin. The sin of Israel angered God to the extent that he was ready to destroy the whole nation. It was God's intention to destroy Israel that caused grace to come alive. The salvation of Israel was the direct result of Moses' intervention. Israel was without knowledge as to the intent of God, but Moses was there just in time to snatch Israel from the "burning leaves."
In an attempt to better understand and appreciate salvation through grace, an exploration of the sin of disobedience, the anger of God and the power of intercessory prayer are necessary.
The Sin Of Disobedience
The impatience of Israel did not justify disobedience. Because a person has a difficult time with the unknown is not justification for disobeying the laws of God. The law was a measurable guide for our salvation. God intended for us to adhere to every law without the right, on our part, to choose whether we would be in compliance or not. The law was definite and void of an exception to the rule clause. Remember the admonition of Jesus, "Let your communication be yea, yea or nay, nay." Say what you mean and mean what you say. God said, "You shall have no other gods before me," and God meant every word.
Israel, in an attempt to justify their actions, argued that their leader, Moses, had been gone for 40 days. They did not expect him to be gone so long and thought maybe he was dead and would not return. Therefore, they felt a need for some spiritual expression to stand before them. After consulting with Aaron, they offered all of their gold and Aaron melted it and then made a "bull." The bull has oftentimes been seen as a diety. However, in this case, the bull became a god and reflected the sin of Israel. Israel was then in violation of the law of God.
They sought to worship their new god. Their worship was no more than mere noise. They had the right words, but the words were directed to the wrong god. They needed to hear the prophet Amos speak:
"Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!… (Amos 5:23-24 NIV)."
Israel understood neither justice nor righteousness. They had failed to be just or right with God. This failure represents the sin of disobedience.
Men and women today need to understand, like Israel, that God is seen by what has been done in history and not by what humans create. The "bull" obviously represented magnificent art form, but could not be a substitute for God. Here, in the text, the chosen people of God have credited their well-being to someone else. Their hope was misguided and misdirected. The end result was sin. God has no tolerance for sin and was therefore angry to the point of destroying even the chosen.
In the off-Broadway play, Mama I Want To Sing, the daughter began to get beside herself and talk out of control. This caused the mother to authoritatively declare, "I brought you into this world and I will ‘sho' carry you out." This must be the way God felt. Israel had become a major disappointment. There is a saying, "With friends like you, I don't need any enemies." God was totally let down and felt rejected by the sin of Israel. The audacity to construct an idol god and forget their deliverance through the divine intervention of the one true God. The sin of disobedience is dangerous to healthy living.
The Anger Of God
Sin arouses the anger of God. Israel was guilty of sin. The people had broken the commandment of God. Their worship life had turned to an idol. The response of God is fierce. God told Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt… (Exodus 32:7)." The language is most interesting, God did not say "my people," but "your people." This reflects a disassociation with Israel. It means then, that sin succeeds in breaking the relationship with God. A person does not have the privilege of sinning while maintaining a meaningful relationship with God.
There can never be a meaningful co-existence between God and sin, for sin is always the chief enemy of God. The church, therefore, is challenged to fight sin whenever it exists. Sometimes sin appears in very prominent places, like the church. Then, the fight against sin must still go on in sacred places. God called Israel, "a stiff-necked people." How many of our churches today have members whom this description fits perfectly? Sin causes us to become stiff-necked. We begin to think more highly of ourselves and less of others.
God takes to the offense, "Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation… (Exodus 32:9-10)." This declaration of God is most profound. A person whose anger has been stirred up, wants to be left alone. It is as if to say, "Don't bother me -- leave me alone." Jeremiah declares, "The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart… (Jeremiah23:20 NIV)."
It is dangerous to leave sin unchecked. It is deadly to assume that sin will someday just go away. The church has to aggressively do battle with sin.
The first family, Adam and Eve, got caught in the sin trap. The outward appearance of sin is not ugly, but rather is very beautiful. It is easy on the optic nerve. The salivary glands are stimulated and the desire of the heart is intensified. Sin gets your attention and causes you to want the very thing that will destroy you. Obviously, the time in the center of the garden was fabulous to the eye and Satan took advantage of them.
Satan does the same thing to us today. We are caught in the trap of rationalizing the meaning of what God said. In other words, an attempt is made to take the word of God and make it fit our situation, giving our sinful actions justification. Even though the people of today are intellectually astute, sin is still sin, and the result of sin is still death. The anger of God was aroused against Israel because of sin. Likewise, the sin of the world today stirs up the anger of God.
Sin, then, throws out of balance the basic and dominant characteristics of God. Love, compassion and mercy are better descriptions of the temperament of God. To have overlooked the soul of Israel would not have been just or loving.
A surgeon performs a delicate operation to remove cancerous cells from the body. The surgery is regretted on the one hand, but the need and the ability to cut away that which destroys life is a blessing on the other hand. Medical technology has added years of life to countless numbers of people. Life is saved because of surgery.
The world needs a spiritual operation so that the sin that is alive and well in the hearts of humankind can be surgically removed. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to, "Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us… (Hebrews 12:1 NIV)." Life can only be filled with joy and meaning when sin has been extracted from human experience. A life with Christ is a life free of sin. That's our challenge, that's our goal to live sin free so that the anger of God will not be invoked against us.
The Power Of Intercessory Prayer
Grace was made manifest in the life of Israel as a result of the intervention of Moses. This man of God made an appeal on behalf of Israel. It is important to note that, according to J. Coert Rylaarsdam, Moses, "Is the unselfish servant without ambitions of his own? He is the divine companion, the intimate of Yahweh. Though he remains mortal and human, he has access to God as no other man has." Moses was the right man at the right time. He was the only person who could effectively appeal the sentence of destruction levied against Israel by God. Sin is a serious spiritual crime and is punishable by death.
In times of deepest need in the life of humankind, prayer becomes a change agent. God said to Solomon, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land… (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV)." God just wants a meaningful relationship with the people. The message is clear, keep in touch.
Prayer gives recognition of the existence of God. It is the avenue by which God becomes accessible to every individual. Each person, regardless of his or her social status in life can come to God in prayer. God is made available to all individuals at every age and station of life. Discrimination is nonexistent in the utilization of prayer. All persons ought to pray with great regularity. For a person's prayer life firms up his or her relationship with God. No prayer, no relationship.
Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, recognized the centrality of prayer. He was consistently moving away from the crowds and even away from his disciples to the heights of the mountains just to pray. Prayer for Jesus was a means of replenishing the needs of the soul. Prayer is to the spiritual body what food is to the physical body. The experiences of life, the struggles of the world and the toil of work are successful in burning up one's spiritual vitality. When the spiritual fuel gets low, one needs to fill with God through prayer.
Prayer is the expression of the soul's sincere desire, whether verbalized or cried out from within. Prayer is that something that causes an internalized chain reaction that somehow warms up the whole body even on a cold day. Prayer is that vehicle that allows a dying man to make peace with God. Luke tells us about a man dying on a cross along side Jesus and rather than a curse, he whispered a word of prayer. He said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom… (Luke 23:42 NIV)." Nine words that brought salvation to a dying man. Nine words of a dying man motivated another dying man to speak. The pain had to be agonizing, but in the midst of the pain the dying Jesus responded, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise… (Luke 23:42-43 NIV)." There is power in prayer.
Now, in the text, Israel had succeeded in stirring up the anger of God. God is now ready to destroy the chosen people. Sin had knocked them out of a right relationship with God. Moses had to be placed in a special class. He becomes a mediator who, because of what he is, effects a relationship between God and Israel, which but for him could not have been restored. In other words, there is present a godly person to intercede on behalf of God's people. Moses prayed to God on behalf of Israel, pleading for him not to forget the covenant made to Abraham, Isaac and Israel. God heard the prayer of Moses and answered by sparing Israel.
America and the world stand in need of intercessory prayer. Those who know the power of prayer ought to be pleading the case of a dying generation. The church ought to be a place of prayer. Every believer ought to be daily praying for the church and the world.
Jesus declared, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours… (Mark 11:24 NIV)." When prayer collaborates with faith, something good is bound to happen -- a change comes over us. Joy becomes not only a possibility, but rather an expected reality. Moses knew the power of the intercessory prayer, do you?
A great many definitions have been offered for the word grace. Scholars and laypersons alike have tried to define grace out of the context of their experience, so that it might have meaning to the hearer. Grace has historically been defined as that unmerited, undeserved, and sometimes unasked for, love expression given in spite of the recipient. Furthermore, grace is that something which one cannot work to earn, buy, borrow or take by force. It is only realized as a gift grounded in faith.
An old native American man did not have significant claim to fame. No one recorded his success in life among the listing of who's who. He had never been featured on television or radio; popularity had systematically eluded him. Jesus Christ had no meaning in his life, but one day a missionary introduced him to the savior of the world and his life made a dramatic change -- in fact, a 180 degree change. Whereas before he lived in sin, he was now living in Christ. Somebody asked him what made his life different. He responded by taking a worm, placing it on top of a pile of leaves and then setting fire to the leaves. Just before the flames reached the worm, he snatched it from the fire. Then, he gave this testimony of grace. "Me -- the worm." Wow!! Me -- the worm. Could we not all say, amen? Are we not like the worm, snatched from the fire? Grace has been and is always at work in our lives. We receive grace on a daily basis, even though we are not deserving. Paul is absolutely correct, we are saved by grace.
Now, the text tells the story of Israel's sin. They desired to construct a lifeless god in the absence of Moses. This action stirred up the anger of God. Much speculation can be made regarding the action of the people as well as the leadership of Aaron while Moses was on Mount Sinai. However, the fact remains that God had already declared that we were not to have any other gods before the one true God. Further, we were not to make any graven images. Israel was guilty of sin. The sin of Israel angered God to the extent that he was ready to destroy the whole nation. It was God's intention to destroy Israel that caused grace to come alive. The salvation of Israel was the direct result of Moses' intervention. Israel was without knowledge as to the intent of God, but Moses was there just in time to snatch Israel from the "burning leaves."
In an attempt to better understand and appreciate salvation through grace, an exploration of the sin of disobedience, the anger of God and the power of intercessory prayer are necessary.
The Sin Of Disobedience
The impatience of Israel did not justify disobedience. Because a person has a difficult time with the unknown is not justification for disobeying the laws of God. The law was a measurable guide for our salvation. God intended for us to adhere to every law without the right, on our part, to choose whether we would be in compliance or not. The law was definite and void of an exception to the rule clause. Remember the admonition of Jesus, "Let your communication be yea, yea or nay, nay." Say what you mean and mean what you say. God said, "You shall have no other gods before me," and God meant every word.
Israel, in an attempt to justify their actions, argued that their leader, Moses, had been gone for 40 days. They did not expect him to be gone so long and thought maybe he was dead and would not return. Therefore, they felt a need for some spiritual expression to stand before them. After consulting with Aaron, they offered all of their gold and Aaron melted it and then made a "bull." The bull has oftentimes been seen as a diety. However, in this case, the bull became a god and reflected the sin of Israel. Israel was then in violation of the law of God.
They sought to worship their new god. Their worship was no more than mere noise. They had the right words, but the words were directed to the wrong god. They needed to hear the prophet Amos speak:
"Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!… (Amos 5:23-24 NIV)."
Israel understood neither justice nor righteousness. They had failed to be just or right with God. This failure represents the sin of disobedience.
Men and women today need to understand, like Israel, that God is seen by what has been done in history and not by what humans create. The "bull" obviously represented magnificent art form, but could not be a substitute for God. Here, in the text, the chosen people of God have credited their well-being to someone else. Their hope was misguided and misdirected. The end result was sin. God has no tolerance for sin and was therefore angry to the point of destroying even the chosen.
In the off-Broadway play, Mama I Want To Sing, the daughter began to get beside herself and talk out of control. This caused the mother to authoritatively declare, "I brought you into this world and I will ‘sho' carry you out." This must be the way God felt. Israel had become a major disappointment. There is a saying, "With friends like you, I don't need any enemies." God was totally let down and felt rejected by the sin of Israel. The audacity to construct an idol god and forget their deliverance through the divine intervention of the one true God. The sin of disobedience is dangerous to healthy living.
The Anger Of God
Sin arouses the anger of God. Israel was guilty of sin. The people had broken the commandment of God. Their worship life had turned to an idol. The response of God is fierce. God told Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt… (Exodus 32:7)." The language is most interesting, God did not say "my people," but "your people." This reflects a disassociation with Israel. It means then, that sin succeeds in breaking the relationship with God. A person does not have the privilege of sinning while maintaining a meaningful relationship with God.
There can never be a meaningful co-existence between God and sin, for sin is always the chief enemy of God. The church, therefore, is challenged to fight sin whenever it exists. Sometimes sin appears in very prominent places, like the church. Then, the fight against sin must still go on in sacred places. God called Israel, "a stiff-necked people." How many of our churches today have members whom this description fits perfectly? Sin causes us to become stiff-necked. We begin to think more highly of ourselves and less of others.
God takes to the offense, "Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation… (Exodus 32:9-10)." This declaration of God is most profound. A person whose anger has been stirred up, wants to be left alone. It is as if to say, "Don't bother me -- leave me alone." Jeremiah declares, "The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart… (Jeremiah23:20 NIV)."
It is dangerous to leave sin unchecked. It is deadly to assume that sin will someday just go away. The church has to aggressively do battle with sin.
The first family, Adam and Eve, got caught in the sin trap. The outward appearance of sin is not ugly, but rather is very beautiful. It is easy on the optic nerve. The salivary glands are stimulated and the desire of the heart is intensified. Sin gets your attention and causes you to want the very thing that will destroy you. Obviously, the time in the center of the garden was fabulous to the eye and Satan took advantage of them.
Satan does the same thing to us today. We are caught in the trap of rationalizing the meaning of what God said. In other words, an attempt is made to take the word of God and make it fit our situation, giving our sinful actions justification. Even though the people of today are intellectually astute, sin is still sin, and the result of sin is still death. The anger of God was aroused against Israel because of sin. Likewise, the sin of the world today stirs up the anger of God.
Sin, then, throws out of balance the basic and dominant characteristics of God. Love, compassion and mercy are better descriptions of the temperament of God. To have overlooked the soul of Israel would not have been just or loving.
A surgeon performs a delicate operation to remove cancerous cells from the body. The surgery is regretted on the one hand, but the need and the ability to cut away that which destroys life is a blessing on the other hand. Medical technology has added years of life to countless numbers of people. Life is saved because of surgery.
The world needs a spiritual operation so that the sin that is alive and well in the hearts of humankind can be surgically removed. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to, "Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us… (Hebrews 12:1 NIV)." Life can only be filled with joy and meaning when sin has been extracted from human experience. A life with Christ is a life free of sin. That's our challenge, that's our goal to live sin free so that the anger of God will not be invoked against us.
The Power Of Intercessory Prayer
Grace was made manifest in the life of Israel as a result of the intervention of Moses. This man of God made an appeal on behalf of Israel. It is important to note that, according to J. Coert Rylaarsdam, Moses, "Is the unselfish servant without ambitions of his own? He is the divine companion, the intimate of Yahweh. Though he remains mortal and human, he has access to God as no other man has." Moses was the right man at the right time. He was the only person who could effectively appeal the sentence of destruction levied against Israel by God. Sin is a serious spiritual crime and is punishable by death.
In times of deepest need in the life of humankind, prayer becomes a change agent. God said to Solomon, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land… (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV)." God just wants a meaningful relationship with the people. The message is clear, keep in touch.
Prayer gives recognition of the existence of God. It is the avenue by which God becomes accessible to every individual. Each person, regardless of his or her social status in life can come to God in prayer. God is made available to all individuals at every age and station of life. Discrimination is nonexistent in the utilization of prayer. All persons ought to pray with great regularity. For a person's prayer life firms up his or her relationship with God. No prayer, no relationship.
Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, recognized the centrality of prayer. He was consistently moving away from the crowds and even away from his disciples to the heights of the mountains just to pray. Prayer for Jesus was a means of replenishing the needs of the soul. Prayer is to the spiritual body what food is to the physical body. The experiences of life, the struggles of the world and the toil of work are successful in burning up one's spiritual vitality. When the spiritual fuel gets low, one needs to fill with God through prayer.
Prayer is the expression of the soul's sincere desire, whether verbalized or cried out from within. Prayer is that something that causes an internalized chain reaction that somehow warms up the whole body even on a cold day. Prayer is that vehicle that allows a dying man to make peace with God. Luke tells us about a man dying on a cross along side Jesus and rather than a curse, he whispered a word of prayer. He said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom… (Luke 23:42 NIV)." Nine words that brought salvation to a dying man. Nine words of a dying man motivated another dying man to speak. The pain had to be agonizing, but in the midst of the pain the dying Jesus responded, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise… (Luke 23:42-43 NIV)." There is power in prayer.
Now, in the text, Israel had succeeded in stirring up the anger of God. God is now ready to destroy the chosen people. Sin had knocked them out of a right relationship with God. Moses had to be placed in a special class. He becomes a mediator who, because of what he is, effects a relationship between God and Israel, which but for him could not have been restored. In other words, there is present a godly person to intercede on behalf of God's people. Moses prayed to God on behalf of Israel, pleading for him not to forget the covenant made to Abraham, Isaac and Israel. God heard the prayer of Moses and answered by sparing Israel.
America and the world stand in need of intercessory prayer. Those who know the power of prayer ought to be pleading the case of a dying generation. The church ought to be a place of prayer. Every believer ought to be daily praying for the church and the world.
Jesus declared, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours… (Mark 11:24 NIV)." When prayer collaborates with faith, something good is bound to happen -- a change comes over us. Joy becomes not only a possibility, but rather an expected reality. Moses knew the power of the intercessory prayer, do you?
