Sac Sardines

I was a camp director of a children’s camp for 20 years a few hours away from here. At retreats we had a game that we loved to play it was called sardines. We are going to play sardines right now. I need 10 people right now who are going to play sardines.

Alright here are the rules. Sardines is like hide and go seek but reverse.

In hide and seek everyone hides and one person seeks.

In sardines one person hides and everyone seeks, now here is the catch when you find the hider you have to attempt to hide with them.

Alright Tina you are the hider you have to hide quick everyone else will go out of here until I get you and then you have to try to find them get a good look at them right now.

Play Sardines.

So what does that have to do with the Bible!

There is a word in the Bible that is one of my favorites that I want you to understand

Grace - God’s riches at Christ expense or GOD GIVING US SOMETHING THAT WE DON’T Deserve or didn’t earn. God’s Gifts

Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Throughout the Bible God’s grace is a gift to everyone who would find it. But God doesn’t want it to be hard to find it.

Find Grace

Does anyone know the story of Noah? SURE GREAT FLOOD But

Genesis 6:8 “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

Noah found grace. God chose Noah to build an ark to save the world two by two. Did Noah DESERVE that? NO! He now I know that this is hard to hear deserved to drown with all the evil in the flood but Noah out of all the people found grace and God saved 8 people from the flood. It was God’s gift to Him

Do you know the story of Joseph? SURE GREAT Saving his family

Joseph was a slave and found grace

Genesis 39:4 “So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.”

Joseph was a slave in potiphars house and found grace and his master potipher was the agent of showing God’s grace to Joseph. Joseph ended up in prison and once again found God’s grace. He ended up in Pharaoh’s house and found grace

The grace that God gave joseph saved the world once again just like in the days of Noah. Everyone would have died in a famine but God gave Joseph grace to save him from the 7 years of famine by preparing for it during the 7 years of plenty. That dream was God’s grace

Joseph’s grace saved his family

Genesis 50:19–20 “Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”

In Noah’s Day God’s grace saved 8 people

In Joseph’s Day God’s Grace saved 70 people

It sounds like a game of Sardines to me

Do you remember the story of the golden calf?

The children of Israel had rebelled against the LORD and worshipped a golden calf. They deserved to be punished. They deserved the wrath of God but that isn’t what they recieved. And when God says that he will wipe them off of the map. Moses finds grace.

Exodus 33:12–13 “Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.””

Moses says if I have found grace save these people. Save them

Exodus 33:17 “So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.””

They children of Israel were all saved by God they found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Think about it the days of Noah how many people were saved. 8

How many were saved in the days of Joseph 70

How many were saved in the days of Moses millions

Sounds like a game of sardines to me. As time goes on more and more people have been blessed because people found grace in the eyes of the LORD and you are all in an eternal game of Sardines. Jesus Christ

Jesus brought a greater game of grace.

John 1:17 “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

In the Old Testament who found Grace

Noah Joseph Moses more and more saved.

You want to know who started a next level game of sardines with Grace. JESUS CHRIST!

Jesus Changed the rules

Luke 19:10 “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.””

Jesus still has a game of Sardines. But now the rules are brand new. It’s not just Jesus waiting for people to seek him and hide with him. He is also actively seeking. Hide and seek works because people are seeking someone hiding. Sardines works because someone is hiding. Jesus says we are done hiding. You are seeking me and I am seeking you. This game of sardines. Won’t save 8 or 70 or millions. Jesus has saved billions.

Jesus came to seek sinners

Luke 15:1–2 “Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.””

Jesus left the 99 to seek the one

Luke 15:4–7 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

Jesus is seeking for the one who is lost. He already has a big old group of people that he has saved and he is still looking for one more..

I am telling you that if you seek him you will be found by him.

Jeremiah 29:13 “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Matthew 7:7–8 ““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

When you seek him you will find him. He is seeking for you. If you are both looking the game won’t last long. But Jesus is looking for you today and you can be saved by him.

8 then 70 then millions today billions

Grace is God blessing you because of what he did on the cross.

2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Jesus died on the cross so that you can have the riches of heaven. Jesus wants to find you if you want to be found by him

Jesus is right there go find him grace

Titus 2:11–12 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

You can be saved by God’s grace

Acts 15:11 “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.””

God is going to give you good things.