Saved by Grace, Now What?

Scripture: and

Objective Statement: Every Christian can figure out if they are living by grace or by works. How? Every Christian can figure out if they are living by grace or by works by how tired they are.

Today we will continue our journey of discovering some more truths about the complex term we call grace. Before I get really going in this week’s message

Today we will continue our journey of discovering some more truths about the complex term we call grace. Before I get really going in this week’s message let me ask you to do something for me this morning. On your bulletin or on a scrap sheet of paper I would like for you to answer these two questions:

let me ask you to do something for me this morning. On your bulletin or on a scrap sheet of paper I would like for you to answer these two questions:

When I cross the finish line the reward I most want to receive is ______.

As I approach the finish line what I am most afraid of is ________.

I asked you to consider these questions because your answers I believe will dictate the kind of pace that you will run in life. When you begin with the end in mind, then you develop your strategy on how to obtain what you are most desiring.

I asked you to consider your answers because those answers I believe will dictate the kind of pace that you will run. Let me share with you my answers to help explain.

Let me share with you my answers to help explain.

A manly embrace from God.

Seeing disappointment on God’s face.

Based on those answers what kind of pace do you believe I will attempt to run? The pace I am going to try and run is to do whatever it takes for God to give me that kind of embrace. I see the embrace of the father for the prodigal son, but I do not see myself as the prodigal son. I see myself as the older, dependable, loyal, reliable, trustworthy son who remained behind while the younger son took off. I see myself as the Pharisee, or the Sadducee, who has diligently lived and taught the law. I see myself as Martha believing that if there is work to be done, then the work must be done. That as much as I would like to sit and to listen to Jesus teach, or to play with the children, there is much work to be done and I cannot play until that work is completed. That is the pace I would run believing that if I maintained that pace - I would indeed experience the Father embracing me in a way that I desperately want to experience.

Hebrews 10:1–3 NIV

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.

Paul wants us to know that the pace I have just described is not sustainable. He uses the language of sacrifice. My system would lead me to annually provide a sacrifice so that I might remember I have yet to finish the race. I would also make these sacrifices on an annual basis so as to avoid experiencing what I am most afraid of - seeing disappointment on God’s face. In other words - I keep running because I am afraid of disappointing God and I keep running because I am afraid of missing out on that embrace from God.

Hebrews 10:1–3 NIV

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.

I also think about those who long to be noticed. They want to be discovered, but they don’t feel like anyone is actually out looking for them, like the shepherd looking for the last sheep, or the one searching for the lost coin. That’s how they hear the words, “BUT THOSE SACRIFICES ARE AN ANNUAL REMINDER OF SINS” in their minds it doesn’t matter how many sacrifices they make, how hard they try to get noticed they feel like they are destined to be ignored, or passed over. So they do anything it takes to feel like they are being noticed by God. They take up a pace that cannot be sustained.

:

On Monday, I went for a 7 mile training run. I am training to run a fictional 10K (6.2 miles) in less than an hour. On this run I was supposed to run a portion of it at specific paces. My coach emailed me after the run, “Pay attention to those paces the first mile of the reps! You got out the gate hot!” There were two exclamation points in those sentences.

What do exclamation points mean?

That’s right emphasis, a strong, emotional emphasis.

What was my coach emphasizing?

His displeasure with me running my reps too fast. Why? Because he knew I would not be able to sustain that pace for the entire race, which meant I would not be able to reach my goal.

Last week we discovered that grace is forgiveness, but it is also more than forgiveness. Grace gives us a different starting line. Most of us run a race believing that at the finish line we will hear “Well done. Good and faithful servant.” I believe that if I run the race well I will receive the embrace from God that I want. I offered to you that because of grace we not only hear those words at the end of the race, we also start the race with those words. God has already given to me that manly embrace that I am longing for at the end of the race. That is what Paul is saying - “If you keep returning a system that constantly reminds you of who you were and who you are, you are not running the race that God intended for you to run. You are still trying to get to the race. You are still trying to earn a spot on the line. That is why you continue to feel guilty, embarrassed, and ashamed of your past. That is why you continually make these annual pilgrimages for sacrifice making.”

Starting the race knowing that you already received what you most want in life - to be known, to be loved, to be affirmed, to be seen, to be understood, to be told that you matter, to be validated, should allow you to run the race whole-heartedly. Yet, my experience in ministry and even in my own life, reveals to me, that most Christians when they get to your age they feel exhausted, as if they are running on fumes, having nothing left in the tank to give to others.

Why does that occur?

Let’s see if a story might help us.

Once there were two high school students who each received scholarships to Harvard University. Full rides, every possible expense paid. Both were bright kids, and both felt intimidated by the reputation of such a great college. They each thought, “I don’t deserve to be here.”

One student studied day and night. She gave it all she had.

The other student began to enjoy the thrill of college life: parties, the big city nearby, and the freedom of being on his own for the first time in his life.

By midterm, the first student was still working hard, earning C’s and B’s in her classes. The other was failing every class and placed on academic probation. By Christmas, the first student had earned a 3.0 GPA, but the second had flunked out of Harvard.

Which of these two students laid hold of the opportunity given to them?

What factors are you calling upon to make that determination?

What if after four years at Harvard this young lady found herself in the ICU of her local hospital because her body just quit working as she needed to prove she was worthy of the 4 year scholarship by maintaining that 3.0 G.P.A.?

What if the other student had figured out by Christmas that he didn’t really need an education from Harvard, but what he discovered is that he liked working under the hood of cars, so he left Harvard and became a Wal-Mart auto-mechanic.

We are tired, worn-out, exhausted, unable to approach anything that calls us to expand God’s Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven, whole-heartedly, because we have done exactly what my coach said, “We got out of the gates with a pace that we could not sustain.”

Hebrews 10:1–3 NIV

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.

Hebrews 10:

For most of our lives we have been running towards this imaginary finish line believing that once we cross that finish line we will finally hear, we will finally receive, what we have most longed to hear and receive. And the sad reality is - God told us at the starting line what we needed to hear - “I love you. I am with you. I validate you. You matter to me. I notice you.”

I also think about those who long to be noticed. They want to be discovered, but they don’t feel like anyone is actually out looking for them, like the shepherd looking for the last sheep, or the one searching for the lost coin. That’s how they hear the words, “BUT THOSE SACRIFICES ARE AN ANNUAL REMINDER OF SINS” in their minds it doesn’t matter how many sacrifices they make, how hard they try to get noticed they feel like they are destined to be ignored, or passed over.

For most of our lives we have been running towards this imaginary finish line believing that once we cross that finish line we will finally hear, we will finally receive, what we have most longed to hear and receive. And the sad reality is - God told us at the starting line what we needed to hear - “I love you. I am with you. I validate you. You matter to me. I notice you.”

So that leaves me with a question - “If I am exhausted now, if I have run out of gas, if my heart is no longer on expanding God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, is it too late? Will my final days here on earth be described in terms of exhaustion, tiredness, or burn-out? Is there no chance for me to once again feel whole-hearted about something?”

My friends I want us to look to the story of the circus elephant to discover the answer to those questions. For it is here that we will discover yet another truth about grace. Grace has set us free to NOT run towards God, but WITH God.

The process for elephant training is a very cruel and painful process. The practice of elephant training is part of the reason that circuses like Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey no longer use circus elephants. But the point I want to emphasize is that when a baby elephant is purchased for the circus, the training begins by putting a large yoke, around the elephants head, or around the foot. This yoke is then anchored to a large stake in the ground. The stake is driven deep into the ground. As you would expect, the young elephant not knowing any better would resist, the yoke, would pull against the yoke, would fight against the yoke. When the young elephant finally stopped struggling against the yoke, the trainer would begin the next phase of training.

Now I am not saying we are elephants, although elephants are exceptionally smart animals, but perhaps you might see that the reason you are tired, worn-out, is because you have been resisting, pulling against, for I don’t know how long, the yoke that God has placed around your heart. You keep trying to do whatever it takes to get to the finish line, to receive whatever reward it is that you desire, you keep struggling because you are afraid that when you get to the finish line something is bad is going to happen, but if today you will become like that elephant and you stop struggling against God’s yoke - you will discover another truth about Grace - Grace has set you free to run with God. Grace opens your eyes to this truth - You are not alone. God is with you.

Are you tired? Are you worn-out? Are you overwhelmed by the struggle? Are you saying to yourself I just don’t have it in me anymore to try and prove I am someone worth noticing, someone you should pay attention to, someone you should care about? If you are there then you are ready for God’s next phase of training. That is why Jesus says -

Matthew 11:28–30 NIV

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We have been taught that the American Dream, is to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. This is the prescribed finish line for us Americans. That pursuit is what attracts thousands of people to this great country year after year. Yet, I have been telling you this morning that is the wrong pursuit. Many of us are tired and worn-out because of this pursuit. When you felt energize, inspired, and motivated to pursue life, liberty, and happiness, what did you do? You pursued it whole-heartedly. Likewise, when you felt tired, worn-out, and exhausted, what did you do? You went on vacation, you retired, you pursued with less than a whole-hearted effort. Feelings are not enough to sustain this pursuit. I might feel like I am God’s masterpiece, God’s beloved son today, but tomorrow who knows what feelings I might have. And if my feelings are inaccurate then my actions will be inaccurate. The only thing that will sustain me, the only thing that will cause me to act in a way I should act even when I don’t feel like it is truth. Truth must be what is the driving force for all that I do.

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Life, and the Truth.” In a time when people are believing there is no truth, there is only fake news, fake chocolate, fake religion, fake people, how can I possibly say that Jesus is truth? Because I am an empty-tomb Christian. I have chosen to see the world through the lens of the resurrection. I believe He was dead for 3 days and on the third day He rose from the grave. So when Jesus says, “You will know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free.” I believe Him. I don’t fight it, I don’t resist it, I don’t struggle against it. My willingness to not struggle against that reality makes it possible for me to hear Jesus say, “Come to me...”

The truth that we learn about grace this week is grace has set you free to run with God. So stop pursuing life, liberty, and happiness, and instead become a student of the Truth. Make the rest of your days here on earth all about learning and experiencing more of the Truth that Jesus claims to be. You have been saved by Grace, now choose to pursue Truth for that is the race you were meant to run.