God's Great Grace

Well now we have a special treat last time Brian Taylor came. I think we all learned a lot. But today he feels that God laid on his heart a message about Grace and think the world needs a lot of Grace so

Good morning, everybody. Thank you so much for for having me today. And for those of you who do not know me and I my name is Brian Taylor and I'm the executive director at Fairbanks youth Advocates and maybe the most oft question. I am asked as well. How in the world did you get there? And we do a couple of things are at first we have a homeless shelter for runaway used use that have for whatever reason I can't fit in the home. Something has happened in the home Dynamic and they run away I'm going to also have a counseling center and I would like to see it this way in the youth center. That's for homeless kids. Those are the ones we pull out of the river and the Counseling Center is where we work up stream and we try to work on your shoes. So kids don't get thrown in the river. So probably again the most off question I'm asking is how in the world. Did you get here? How did you get to Fairbanks youth Advocates? I mean they skipped over the whole. How did you get to Alaska? Peace? And your how did you get here? You're how did you get somewhere where you were working with kids and also working with mental health professionals and and invariably I asked if I ask them a question that is she wants a long story or do you want the short story thinking most people just choose the short story and we'll move on will occasionally. Someone will say what you want. I would like the long story. So here's the long story the kind of give me a little bit of background about me. I grew up in a home where we were expected to do the vocation. Our parents are pointed us to do. I don't know if any of you had that expectation, but you know, what if you are dad was a farmer you were intended to be a farmer that wasn't your plan of Education there wasn't anything like that for me. I grew up in my dad was a general contractor and about 12 years of age. My dad said to me, you know, what I need two things in this contracting business is the number one. You said, I need a plumber. He said plumbers are killing us as far as Costco's and he said number to I need the electrician and they were two boys in our family by myself and older brother was about three years older and 21-day dad took us out to the shop and I couldn't have been more than twelve years old. Dad said, okay. Look at my brother. Nice as you call the coin flip flip the coin. Brother call the right heads. I knew immediately. My brother was scared to death of electricity. I knew that so I knew he was going to say I'll be the plumber. Well, that was my first vacation. I finished high school and served about electrical apprenticeship worked as an electrician. Yes. That was the first step of getting the yard started with a coin flip between I did that and I realize something while I was in my apprenticeship ever won cash. I did pretty well at academics not so much in high school, but when I actually cared and applied myself, it's amazing. How much better you can do. I'm so I lured you know what I like. Yeah, I get that makes it I also felt God was calling you to do something you need but I had a fear of what God might be calling me to do because in my mind, there are only two options at the guy never called me. That one would be missionary in the foreign field eating food. I did not like and the other option was not a lot better where I would be a pastor of Small little church on the corner and I would even have food that I didn't like I would be so starving. And so that was what I really thought God was calling me to do but I didn't really want to do it and I was just kind of in the middle of my apprenticeship. So I finished up my apprenticeship and immediately began College move to Oklahoma finished my undergraduate degree in Oklahoma and got a job. You would think I got a job pass tree somewhere. I had those opportunities but I was asked to come back to the Northwest and help another Pastor start at church of that didn't work. So well, so I got a job and his world as I am, you could Apprentice into other professions at that time Mental Health Professions. And so after four years, I apprenticed him. He can mental health professional did that for ten years still with the idea. God wanted me to do something still with the fears attached that God might want me to go overseas or God want might want me to be At the end of sunblock if the small little church but nevertheless I was obedient way back to graduate school and finished up there got my degree got all certified the Pomp and Circumstance yada yada yada all that. I thought for sure this was it, you know, this was a crucible this this was a moment. God was going to call me either to missions or to a church and sure enough I had church is calling off the hook. Are you interested? Are you not? So are you guys? Okay, I just heard you guys. Are you interested, please. Please don't make me do this while at the same time. I was working again. Just finishing up. My Master's Degree and I was working with a a prophet who happened to serve as my advisor the last year and another very unusual option came over the telephone. And I was invited to apply at a college. Why in the world would I apply to college God has called me to do something. There's nothing any Christian to do it a college. Why would I go to a college now back to about five years before? I had a dream of being a chemical dependency counselor? All right. That was my dream because I have a heart for people they're struggling with addiction. That would be a good thing to get I actually went down to the same College. I asked me to fly. I asked to get into the program and you know, what they told me I couldn't get in. That's right. They should wear their teeth on the program Brian. I said, why don't you take the other program and they said because you've never been an addict so we're not going to take you and if you're not an addict, you don't know what it's like to be in here that you can't teach other headaches are you can't be with the relics of shoot? Get the graduation. Finish school get a call from the chemical dependency department. They want me to come teach at the college.

I didn't say anything smart. I wanted to say Where Were You 5 years ago before I spent these thousands of dollars and thousands of hours and education but I didn't see anything and I and I talked to my office and I'm really struggling here. I think God wants me to do one of those two things and now I've got this opportunity and I'll never forget the day. We're sitting down across from the table from each other and he said Brian, you know, what everybody else is in your position except one thing everybody else is either going to go to the mission field or they're going to go to Somerville church somewhere. They could be just like that and he said I can count on one hand. I encountered one. The number of people going to ask to go to a college. And be a full-time instructor. I said that tell you anything. Immediately I said it sounds like a better option of going to the foreign Mission field. I was not stupid. So I took the job and work there for ten years. I worked teaching counselors eventually went into administration at the college. I worked with her and as the Director vocational rehab again, you're thinking how did you get here? But I was able to do that for ten years worth of college and finally a church called me on the phone and said Brian we think you're worse than wasting your talents as a college. But now I have pretty easy. You know I said, you know, I don't know if I'm wasting and they said yeah. We would like you to come and was a larger Church large how large is large or maybe eight hundred worshippers their week. We like you coming to be the administrative pastor. And so I thought well, this is surely what God wants me to do. So leave that job great retirement great benefits. Go to the church, not such great benefits no retirement. And the first day of the job. I was told by the way, if we fire you you also don't get unemployment benefits is like well, this is really good deal. This is what I feared the most I'm like Joe that which I fear the most has happened to me and that's that's my belief. But anyways, I stayed there for 6 years. Someone fell ill in my family with cancer and actually was my dad. I was forced to move got a job working in a prison guess doing what as a chemical dependency counselor. I didn't have the certifications but when I say Down explained to the word and then to the to the education director hiring. They looked at me and laughed and said your hired so I work for years and chemical dependency counselor that I left and I began to work as an accountant somewhere you said well, how do you get into accounting from all that way back in high school? I work for a CPA. The one thing I could do pretty well as a county worker or CPA. You know, that's what you had to learn how to do books on Ledger's he's big Ledger books if you know Christmas is coming up if you want to screw chica Scrooged with the accountant. That's that's how I learned how to do how to do things but I got a job doing that but I still felt mad I need to get back in the ministry. So I took a job as a social worker and a long-term care center. I said certainly God wants me here to work with these elderly people in and be a social worker and be one of their Advocates did that for for about a year didn't realize I like that that much then had to move back home again because this time my mom was having struggles. Move back home became a Hospice chaplain who knew I do death better than I do marriages, but you know what I seen do I like that job as a hospice manager. I got a job to be a business manager at a at a medical clinic shortly. Thereafter it after about three years on the job. I went and did that and guess what it is yet.

Kobe screwed up everything I got up at Nome, Alaska. I'm working for the hospital there. And there's one that we've been there maybe about a year my wife and I decided you know why this this gnome thing isn't going to work. And so we we literally prayed God we will go anywhere just outside of what we've just done outside of Alaska that sweep right now. That's really laying it all out. There is enough folks Ben laska changes and we didn't want to leave Alaska and so we we prayed about going to do for the South Southeast. I mean we prayed about going up to the Deadhorse. We we were willing to go wherever and and God seemed to send us here and lo and behold I'm where I'm at. How do you say will Brian? What is that mean? What is it? You didn't answer the question. How did you get there? And really I have answered the question. I got there by God's Great Grace. I had no plan. I had no prep school to prepare me to come here. I didn't I didn't have this in my a vocational a handbook. I certainly wasn't looking at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and find out you know, what where is there a good Market, you know the server to be somebody like this but I realize what I didn't know what direction to go. God did when I didn't know what to do or to go through God did when I didn't know which courses to take which vocation to take God did and God opened door after door after door and literally is by his grace that I'm here and somehow this combination of all these weird things that I've done is a perfect fit that Is God's grace? And according to the Bible grace is how God deals with people here. I'm somewhat early was talking about how God is is not like that vending machine where you just put money into, you know, pull the lever in and out Pops to mr. Goodbar peanut Eminem's or anything you want but some people think God is like this Cosmic cop. The God is just standing up there. And if you're afraid that Bop a mole game at a at a at a Fair carnival or something and we think that guys just waiting for us to pop her head out the wrong hole. That's not it when we can't walk he carries us. when we have no strength, he sustains us when we have no plan like me God gives us Direction and it's often through the trials and the struggles and as to the Brokenness and it is to the herd ultimately see the greatest of God's grace if you have your Bibles. Take them, Entered a second Samuel chapter 9 should have had you turn here earlier my bad, then you could have been I'm actually here when we're ready to move on. But let me give you a moment 2nd Samuel chapter 91 of the best would I believe Old Testament stories of Grace that you'll find in the Bible?

It goes like this. a beginning in verse 1 second Samuel chapter 9 David asked David is the current king of Israel. Is there anyone still left of the House of Paul Saul whom I can show kindness for Jonathan sake now, there was a servant of salts household name Ceiba, they called him to appear before David and they sing in the king said to him. Are you ziba your servant he replied the king asked is there no one still left of the House of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness ziba answered the king. There is still a son of Jonathan. He is crippled in both feed. Where is he the king ask and see the answers. He is in the house of Mick her son of a meal and load of our King David had him brought from lodebar in the house and make her son of a meal with son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David. He bowed down to pay honor and David said the FIB is Chef your servant he replied and David continue and he said don't be afraid David said to him for I surely will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will storage you all the land that belonged to your grandfather saw and you will always eat at my table midshipman Faber Chef bow down and said, what is your servant that you should notice a dead dog like me. And the King's summons ebersol servant said to him. I have given your Master's grandson everything that belongs to Saul and his family you and his sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops. So that your Masters grandson may be provided for a Mitsubishi grandson of your master will always eat at my table now zeeba had 15 sons and twenty servants. Then Ziva said to the king your servant will do whatever my Lord the king commands. I'm his servant to do. So mephibosheth Aid to David's Tea table, like one of the King's son mephibosheth had a young son himself named Mica and all the members of zebras household. We're Servants of mephibosheth and mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because she always ate at the king's table and he was crippled and both feet. Okay. I'll let me explain a little bit of a lot more sense David. The second king of Israel the first king of Israel, you'll remember his saw and saw was one of those guys unlike me he was tall dark handsome and he was one of those individuals that is a leader people has gravitated towards and. Took him from a very humble State even though he was he was very normal-looking and and God called him and got said you're going to be my king. You're going to Shepherd my people remember the Israelites, you know that they got tired of following God properly and they said, you know, what we will we want to be like everybody else. We want a king and so God gave him a song, but the problem was solved. He solved wasn't humble. And Saul didn't have this deep lasting passion for God. That's what was it long after he was King that the God was disappointed that he ever appointed him as such because Saul was going to do a song wanted to do regardless of what God commanded him to do. So God through the prophet Samuel what does saw one day and since so, I'm going to tear the kingdom out of your hand. It is no longer going to be in your lineage. But instead I'm going to give it to a man after my own heart. I were told that after that that saw was vexed by a spirit. In other words. He wasn't happy. He wasn't happy emotionally. He wasn't happy mentally and as the story unfolds in the Bible says if there were times his salt would be tormented by demons and God happened to place in Saul's life this young Shepherd boy named David. Now David had been called and he's been told he's going to be the next King. Saul doesn't know that b but David also plays music just like your pastor does and so was Saul would be would be struggling with these different emotions. When you be struggling with these different Spirits, you would call David in a David would play the heart and with Sue this spirit and David became very good friends with everybody in the court including someone nearly his own age. And that would be Saul's son Jonathan. And finally after David has been so much time there in the palace and and David I got to know Jonathan so well the to begin to talk and they begin to confide in each other and David one day said, you know, I was annoyed by this profit and someday I'm going to be in this throne and and Jonathan said, you know, I see that I see where my dad is not a man after God's Own Heart. I see where my gut my dad isn't somebody who's passionate for the Lord and I see how God has touched your life. And God has used your life and Jonathan said David when you come into your kingdom, do you promise to treat me kindly and have mercy on me to have Grace on me to give me something I do not deserve. And David said certainly I do. Fast forward about 20 years and the war broke out with the Philistines and Jonathan whom David love dearly as her brother was killed and saw all ultimately ended up taking his own life. And finally everybody knew that you know what there was going to be a change in leadership and in those days when there was a change in leadership when one linked to ascending and another lineage was about to begin guess what happened to the former lineage? They were killed as exactly right. They were exterminated. They were just done away with him and that did a couple of things one it eliminate eliminated the imminent threat of somebody coming but it also was a deterrent for somebody else. You may get an idea that maybe I can come and I can be and I can overthrow David. I'm in the Bible says when this happened when the court found out that King Saul had been slain and there would be a new person coming in people began to scatter lights Rats on a sinking ship. As a scattered one of Jonathan's son. Is that the Bible calls him and nursed Jonathan's nurse or Jonathan was pretty young at this age was picked up like a football and she began to run for the hills. But the Bible says that mephibosheth was dropped. And when he was dropped key, he somehow broke his legs. Both of them messed up his ligaments and the Bible says he is crippled and never could walk from that day forward now again fast forward about 15 years. David's been King David's in Jerusalem. And David is thinking about his best friend Jonathan and he says, you know, is there anybody left that household that you know, I can show Mercy to that I can show kindness to that. I can pour out God's grace upon as God has poured out his grace upon me. and someone there said, you know what they're there is a guy named ziba and So they called Z been said hazy, but you escaped the The Purge you were left behind you. You were one of the good guys, you know, is there anybody left of Jonathan's house? This was probably the worst moment is he was like, you know why? One if you lied, he would lose his life. Two if you revealed that there was a direct heir to the throne still living he would probably cost that man his life. So what is zebra? Do you take some political route and Zeba answered the king. He said there is still a son of Jonathan.

I bet he's crippled. And we're crippled means he's a no-good he's of no use David he's of no threat to you. He can't walk. In the Bible goes on in in in Silas says he's living in somebody else's house sold in a place called Lo debar literally and he were the Lord of our means. No Pastor was a Barren Wasteland. So what zebra was really saying is this is this individual is physically crippled. He's in no location whatsoever where he's a threat to you. He's like living in Nome like maybe I was or one of the other Villages Saint Lawrence island is somewhere out in the in one of the villages. He was there. He's not a threat to you. Let him be don't cause him any harm

So David Bible says called his couriers to him in verse five and David said he'll bring him to me. and they went and they when 50 miles about Northeast from Jerusalem went to lodebar and most likely had to carry. mephibosheth back mephibosheth Falls before David and David and David just says Mississippi chef

the next several versus I just I just noticed this a measurable kindness thrown out beginning in verse 7. David says these three magic words he think about this is Chef 20-25 years of age right now and lived in fear his whole life and lived in hiding was in the middle of nowhere. Certainly. No one would know who he was or he was still safe David simply looks at him and he said don't be afraid. I know you've been living in fear your whole life. I know you've heard rumors that everybody in the former in the former line to the King has been killed from the military people all the way down to the servants. They looks at mephibosheth and he says Don't Be Afraid. It goes on for 7 for I surely it will show you the kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan and I will restore you all the land that belonged to your grandfather saw and you will always eat at my table suisse's mephibosheth. Not only don't worry. You're not only not going to die. Today. You're going to live from this day on but I'm appointing you in the Bible says that a zebra had 15 sons and twenty servants. I put that together I get 35. So so David says there are 35 people they're going to wait on you and they're going to care for all the land that your grandfather saw had and you're going to be perpetually taken care of. They're going to plow your fields are going to take care of your crops. They will harvest your crops still take him to Market. They'll bring in income for you. They are going to serve you you are just not going to be put away somewhere. You're going to be treated like one of my Suns The Bible says in verse 8 mephibosheth bow down. He says what is your servant that you should notice a dead dog? Like me the famous chef says David. I have nothing nothing no education. No career. No vocation. I was hiding I'm crippled. I can't run. I can't walk. I can't do manual labor.

The Bible says that the King David and some of the zebra and said you're going to take care of him. He's going to eat at my table and Bible says mephibosheth eventually had a family. He had a young son and all the members of this household work. We're Servants of mephibosheth and I noticed a few things. I want to point out. The first one says We've all been dropped. and her broken we've all been dropped in her broken. Members of the nursery. Rhyme Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses All the King's Men couldn't put Humpty together again. Yeah, that sucks. We have fallen. We are falling in nature and we are broken. I think about just yourself for a second. Let me use example of myself and my wife one day. I swear she orders jeans and pants like nobody's business. I'm off the internet and one day I said, what? Why are you ordering so many I mean for this shipment for in that shipment and my wife is very tall slender and beautiful. We have just the opposite problem there. But anyway, she was once my pant leg I get them to They look like right up like high waters and if they don't want and if it isn't long enough and and sometimes when you wash them they shrink and sometimes you wash them. They don't shrink. So now she has parents that roll up to hear. She has some that go up to here on her ankles and I said, you know what? I can't relate to that problem, but we've all got problems. Don't worry. We don't like the way we look there's there's something broken as you get all of you find more things that are broken or that's a great revelation. We're all broken. We all have deficits in our life. We're all missing something just like mephibosheth promising something. the second truth is this God's grace is available to all of us. Here's a man that died in the 80s and 90s was very popular. As far as a Christian speaker. He's still alive today. He was a bit of a controversy controversial see the wonderful things. He did to help people with his name was Tony campolo, and he have interact interactive that he was a pastor speaker sociologist Todd in Philadelphia at one of the universities there and was fabulous as far as being motivational and I just wanted you to jump in and serve Jesus, but he tells the story of 11-week. I'm he going to call and he needed to go speak in Honolulu, Hawaii and that's a long ways from Philadelphia about a six-hour difference. And so when he got there, he said his body clock was all messed up and and he just couldn't seem to get anything in sync and so he's up at 2 a.m. One morning and decide you know why I'm starved, you know by this time. I've eaten breakfast. I'm thinking about lunch. I've had coffee so at 2 a.m. And gets up and on the Lulu and he decided he's going to go find something to eat. Well Honolulu, you think at least the way he explained it when he was there was like a Fairbanks it. Everything closes down after the bars close in one that everything was closed. But finally he found this CD Diner up this side street that was open and I'm it was obvious. The owner was the only one there attending the whole the whole place and it was it was a bit unusual in that there were no tables staggered around. There was just one long bar or seed. The area and said the guy comes up to me said yeah, what do you want? And he was a rough guy who worked at midnight shift on the own Vision on the business. And Tony said I I didn't know what to ask for it. I just want a cup of coffee and a doughnut and you know, the guy was grimy. He'd been working on machinery and equipment things you do often evening hours a day at Eatery & and Tony said he went over there today to get is a donut and wiped us and kind of across this apron and grab the donut and and put it on a little saucer and plop down the saucer in the cup of coffee and said there. And Tony said he was all alone and you just just eating there minding his own business in about 20 minutes people began to trickle in to this Diner and because there were no tables he found himself know they're sitting in the middle and and people were lined up next to him. And and he first he said he began to notice that they were all females and he's going to think she's over Philadelphia. What am I going to tell her I got in this Diner in all these females and then it that your realization hit him. These just weren't ordinary females. These were the street Walkers of the evening has had just gotten off work that had stopped at about 3:30 in the morning to get some breakfast before they go home and his first thought that was run, you know, I got all these tricks, but I just need to run but he said something told me I just needed to sit there. And be still and be quiet. And so as he was sitting there just nibbling on his donut minding its own business listening and he's obviously fascinating conversations on both side of him immediately to his right. There was a young lady sitting there and she looked at the young lady sitting next to her and said, hey, you know, what tomorrow is my birthday. And one of the prostitutes looked at her and said what what's a big deal you want a party or something? And she said you don't have to be mean. I'm just making a statement. I've got a birthday tomorrow after we had a party. Something and idea struck Mr. Campolo So we stayed for another hour until the whole place cleared out snow about 4 in the morning. Hopefully it clears out and talk to the guy that gave him the donut. He's just lay next to me in and the owner of the spine the cameras that you let that person know her name is Agnes and she's one of the good ones. She's one of the good people who's who's got into a bad situation and and she said she's leaving just now handing out. She's she's one of the good ones and Tony look at the owner says you aren't I can throw a birthday party tomorrow morning. He called his wife from out of the kitchen. It was cooking in the back at least.

And so they have it all planned to the next morning. He got there at at 2 in the morning and you decorated that greasy little diner up and and up on that the of the mirror right in back of the serving area. He put up this big sign that says happy birthday Agnes and evidently word of God around the count on the streets because I do not want to hear about 1:30 in the morning that place is filling up already with people who are looking for free eats in a place to go that's warm, but I'm finally he's sitting he's there. He's got everybody prompted it. It's it's all gussied up the whole area and Agnes walks in and all at once. Everybody says happy birthday Agnes.

And she breaks down. I just began to sob.

Agnes did nothing to deserve that Grace. It was poured out on her. The owner and his wife they they weren't believers. They were Christ followers. If they got to witness this grace. Called-out report out on Agnes latter part of the story everybody's clearing out and he said that you told me you are sociologist. You're a preacher. Hey just me. You as well. You have I do that too. And he says tell me what kind of church you a preacher had until I said I didn't know what to say. And so I looked at him and said I guess a preacher of one of a place where prostitutes and people can come into just as they are. And receive Grace. The owner said I'd attended church like that.

And sometimes we can begin to think our churches. our country clubs elitist there's a proverb. It's written that goes like this.

When there are no oxen. The stall is clean.

Now the auction in ancient days was not only your mode of transportation. That was your tractor. That was maybe three or four years down the road year your sustenance your meat. But that auction also made a mess in the stall. And we can have churches places where we can come places. We can Fellowship that are nice clean and sterile and there are no Messi's. places God wants us to be are those the pour out an enormous amount of Grace on everybody who comes in? Do you eat you turn on the news in and you hear things about that the war in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas and you hear about Hezbollah coming on what should probably learn more about a geography than than they never talked to school today, but you learn about 11. I knew more about Syria and Iran Iraq, you can learn about all these different places on the map and you know, what? Not unlike me or just like me. You know what the solution is for that area. It's for people to embrace God's grace. What would I notice here in this text 4 x 4 x the writer says essentially the four thing for things that are four times says the same thing and vs76. You will always eat at my table and verse 10. You always eat at my table verse 11. So mephibosheth ate at David's table. And then for the first 13 said she always ate at the king's table. The point was not sustenance. The point was a relationship. Any sensually David had brought him into his home. To be one of his own. And we are dropped we are broke and we're no different than the Mississippi Shaft or anybody else in this world, and it's only by God's grace. You and I are here today. And it seems to be a place where God's grace can change everything.

Dear God. Thank you so much for your word. Thank you for this example of your Amazing Grace. Lord our money does not change our circumstances really. You're having a good job is in our cure-all. You having everything perfect in our family or finding the perfect shirts that none of that is a cure-all. your grace And just the receiving of it as it's offered freely to each of us. That's the answer. I pray for people in different situations. They're here today. Whether they're struggling physically emotionally spiritually vocationally and their family. However, they are struggling. They see that you are crazed is the answer and may they see that your grace will provide the ultimate healing. The reminder that my favorite Chef never walk but his grace your grace. Sustain him for the rest of his life. And it will last as well. In the strong name of Jesus. I pray. amen

Thank you for coming today. Sometimes we think that church is for the well, but church is actually for the sick the broken all of us so. As we shift our mindset to realize that God has brought Brokenness. into our midst Because we're here may we accept those around us? Love them as Christ loves stand for his truth, but pour out his great grace to others. I'm glad you came. Thank you. You're dismissed.