Grace VS.

Grace is the what the unconditional love of God looks like. It is the goodwill, love kindness and favor of God that is freely given to us to partake of his divine life. In a word, grace is Jesus. Grace is not one of God’s blessings but all of them wrapped up together in the One who is full of grace. Grace is the Gift of all gifts from the Giver of all givers. - Paul Ellis

Grace Vs. Performance

Are there any JUNIORS in the house?

FAMOUS Jr’s

Ken Griffey Jr

Martin Luther King Jr

George Forman has names all five of his sons after him.

Not so famous Jr…

I am Jose E. Marquez Jr., and when my sons were born I refused to put on them what was placed on me. Because I am a JUNIOR, I have to be specific with the IRS, State of NJ, United States of America, etc…that I am not my father, because we have the same name but not necessarily the same life.

Today we are going to be sharing the life of a famous Jr who changed his name because of who changed his life!

1 Corinthians 15:9–10 (ESV)

For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

As Paul was writing this, could he have been thinking about Saul Sr??

1. Performers pretend.

Could he have been thinking about the days he was pretending (Acts; kicking against the goads), because good performers pretend the most.

Philippians 3:5 (ESV)

circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;

1 Samuel 9:1–2 (ESV)

There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

Performers are never enough.

This Saul that can be found in the Hebrew Bible, or what many call the Old Testament was:

Handsome and taller than anyone else. (1 Sam.9.2)

yet

ii. Saw himself as LESS SIGNIFICANT THAN

1 Samuel 9:21 (ESV)

Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you had spoken to me in this way?”

When we are given something before our character has been formed to hold it, it forces us to perform and become characters. Have you ever been asked to do something your character wasn’t formed for?

Instead of becoming a person of character I become a character pretending to be someone.

Performers always need more.

Saul also:

Needed to be surrounded by others. Entourage (1 Sam.9:27)

Didn’t share his calling with his family members ( 1 Sam.10.16; Imposter Syndrome)

People who struggle with imposter syndrome believe that they are undeserving of their achievements and the high esteem in which they are, in fact, generally held. They feel that they aren’t as competent or intelligent as others might think—and that soon enough, people will discover the truth about them.

i. I am only a leader because…

ii. I wouldn’t even be here if…

iii. If they only knew that…

3. Hid himself in baggage when Samuel was about to anoint him before all Israel. (1 Sam. 10.22)

What baggage do WE hide behind when God speaks into our lives?

4. Saul performed roles that were not his to play. (1 Sam.13:8-14)

5. Saul twisted God’s will to match his will. (1 Sam.15.30-30)

In my own life, I wish I could say I have been David. I wish I could say I was always after God’s heart, but I would be lying. I too have performed. Until I encountered God’s grace!

My performer.

I learned to perform in school as if everything was fine at home.

I learned to perform at home, as if I lives in the ideal household.

I learned to perform in church, as if I was the perfect christian leader.

UNTIL ONE DAY THE CURTAIN WAS PULLED UP AND EVERYONE SAY OZ WASN’T REALLY OZ!

I WAS SAUL!

BUT DAVID

Was born in Bethlehem. (1 Sam.16.1)

Was chosen because of his heart, not his stature. (1 Sam. 16.7)

Was the EIGHTH son.

Was a Shepard. ( 1 Sam.16.10-11)

Slaves and social rejects were shepherds.

11 Greear, J. D., & Thomas, H. A. (2016). Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel

5. Labeled by his father as the “smallest”.

6. Samuel stated he was “handsome” and had “beautiful eyes”, not labels given with admiration, but basically stating he wasn't a warrior, strong and mighty.

1 Corinthians 15:9-10 (ESV)

For I am the least of the _______________________, unworthy to be called __________________________, because I ___________________________________________. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

Saul Vs. Paul

Paul = little

I ask again, could Paul have been thinking about Saul and Paul when telling the Corinthians and us that if not for the grace of God?

Romans–Galatians (1 Corinthians 15:10)

When John Newton, a former slave-trader who wrote the song “Amazing Grace,” preached on this sentence, the way he assessed himself may be the pithiest way to summarize the Christian life: “I am not what I ought to be.… Not what I might be.… Not what I wish to be.… I am not what I hope to be.… [But] I am not what I once was, a child of sin, and slave of the devil.… I think I can truly say with the apostle, ‘By the grace of God I am what I am.’

When Paul said he was what he was due to God’s grace, could he have been reminded of

Psalm 32 (TPT)

How happy and fulfilled I AM are those whose because my rebellion has been forgiven, those whose my sins are covered by blood. How blessed and relieved I AM are those who BECAUSE I have confessed MY their corruption to God!

1. RECOGNITION

For he wipes their MY slates clean and removes MY hypocrisy from MY heart. Before I confessed my sins, I kept it all inside; my dishonesty devastated my inner life, causing my life to be filled with frustration, irrepressible anguish, and misery.

The pain never let up, for your hand of conviction was heavy on my heart. My strength was sapped, my inner life dried up like a spiritual drought within my soul. Pause in his presence

2. REPENTANCE

Then I finally admitted to you all my sins, refusing to hide them any longer. I said, “My life-giving God, I will openly acknowledge my evil actions.” And you forgave me! All at once the guilt of my sin washed away and all my pain disappeared! Pause in his presence

3. REMEMBER

This is what I’ve learned through it all: All believers should confess their sins to God; do it every time God has uncovered you in the time of exposing. For if you do this, when sudden storms of life overwhelm, you’ll be kept safe.