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Someone say Tactical - Grace

We are continuing with our sermon series on tactical Grace

We are talking about utilizing the Grace of God for the Good of the Kingdom

Last week we discussed the foundations and definition of Where we’re going

WE talked about tactical being : aiming at an end beyond the immediate action

So we are going to utilize the Grace that God has shown us in his unmerited favor and we are going to operate as recipients of Grace and live in response to that grace in the battle that we find ourselves in

The grace that we freely received we are going to live in the light of in order to share in that with other people to gain the military advantage of growing the kingdom of God

Because remember you were dead in your trespasses yet God because of his love for you and being rich in mercy brought you from spiritual death to spiritual life in Christ Jesus our Lord

Today we’re going to jump into some of the tactics of tactical grace

How many of you know who the green beret’s are?

The Green Beret’s are the unofficial name of the United States Army Special Forces

They do a bunch of stuff, but one of the things they do best is

they go in behind enemy lines

understand the culture the lifestyle the language of the local population

then collectively living and fighting with those local people against the bad people

They train up the locals and help them to defeat their oppressors through the technology and training that the green berets have taught them

I could just drop the mic right there, but lets connect the dots and get into this a bit

Lets go to our scripture

1 Corinthians 9:19-22

1 Corinthians 9:19–22 ESV

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

Here we have Paul talking to the church at Corinth

This church was one of Paul’s problem children it seems

He planted this church but they went off the rails a couple times and Paul had to write to them and help them get on the right path

He even has to defend his ministry to them because there were other false teachers that came in and badmouthed Paul to the Church

In this section we have paul talking about his freedom in Christ and how he uses that

Freedom… another nuance of God’s grace right… free favor in our lives

Paul talks about how he went in land lived in different contexts and brought the grace of God to those who needed it

To the jews he became a jew

Not that he rejected Christ… but he lived according to their customs to build bridges with them to share the Gospel fo Christ

To those under the law I became as those under the law… though myself not under the law

Paul is saying while he was living among the jews… yall not eating pulled pork, cool I’ll do without pulled pork too

Not that its a sin for me to eat pork, but if that bothers you guys, I’ll have compassion and start building the bridges in order to reach you where you are

To those outside the law I became as one outside the law

I need to take a moment in here to clear something up before it becomes an issue in anyone’s life

Paul is not saying that he went out and sinned with the sinners to convince them to follow Jesus

How could someone just as high as you tell you anything about a hope that you can find in Christ outside of that drug?

What he is saying is that he honored Christ, but didn’t stick to the ritualistic rules of religion. He didn’t worry about ceremonial uncleanliness because he is free in Christ

He could break bread with the leaper. He could eat with the tax collectors. He could go into the home of the romans.

Not to say this is super awesome andI want to live like this forever… but to seek for common ground. To learn where the bridges are in order to point people back to Jesus

What Paul did was he went behind enemy lines and he learned the language and the culture and the customes of people. Then he lived life along side them and helped them fight the enemy of their soul!

Paul pointed them to Jesus so that they could come from spiritual death to spiritual life

So that they could be free from the power of sin and death

so they could be free from the oppression of the enemy of their souls

Paul taught them how to engage in spiritual battle so that they could live as a gorilla military force behind enemy lines winning more souls

AKA he planted a church in that city with those people

Paul was exercising tactical grace

There was no way those people who paul went to deserved to hear the Gospel

The Gospel being brought to them when they were at their worst was the Grace of God freely given to them

The Philippian jailer about to commit suicide? He was given the grace of new life him and his family

The grace that Paul was sharing began with building bridge into the lives of those who the church at that time was overlooking

Paul went to the ones who needed hope

He extended grace by looking for ways to connect to people that he wasn’t like

He didn’t do it by showing up with the colonial mindset of “I’m paul, I know better, live your life like me”

He became as one of the culture in order to point them to the truth of Jesus Christ and the salvation found only in him

To point people to the hope that is found in Christ

Paul wasn’t out there shaming non-believers and prostitutes and women who just had abortions and those living in alternative lifestyles.. .he wasn’t out there guilting them into the kingdom

He was bringing the hope of the Gospel and looking for ways to befriend and walk alongside folks.

Not in ways that say your perfect the way you are

But in ways that say God loves you where you are and he loves you too much to leave you there

You will never win a person to Jesus who you see as an enemy

You have to look for bridges to bring them to christ not walls to explain away their need for Jesus

Paul is living out the mission that started from the very beginning and was perfected in Jesus

Jesus. The second part of the trinity. Everlasting. Co-eternal with the father and the Spirit

entered in behind enemy lines

He had to learn the language

the culture

He had to become as one under the law in order to free us from the bondage of the enemy

Then the Holy Spirit came behind enemy lines and he teaches and encourages.he strengthens and builds up the allied forces

the church

he builds us up so that we can live in grace and victory behind the enemy lines pushing back darkness and winning souls

This is the Special Forces Grace that God calls us to

This is one of the tactics that we use in our everyday life

To challange you

When was the last time you sought to learn more about someone who you have no reason to like?

When was the last time you sought to build a bridge with someone who is traditionally seen as an enemy?

Who is the “those people” in your life?

When was truly the last time you wanted to see the best in them? Not because they deserve your favor, but because they are someone that God loves and wants you to love as well?

Your assignment this week. Seek to begin a conversation with someone to learn about them. Not to convert them. Not to argue them into your position. But just to see if there is a common ground somewhere in thier life that the Lord may want to use to minister to them.