But By the Grace of GOd

But By The Grace of God 1 Cor. 15:9-10

Friday, August 24, 2018

1:27 AM

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

1 Corinthians 15:10

From <https://my.bible.com/moments>

Testimonies are powerful things. They can influence people to purchase things, they can settle cases in courts, they can be huge motivators - they are powerful things. Paul is testifying here briefly -

Testifying of his personal experience with God - listen to this:

Verse 9 - I am the least of the apostles - this was not just false humilty - Paul explains why he feels this way - BECAUSE I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF GOD!!!"

Then I love how the very next verse starts.

It starts with That little word BUT:

That three letter word is a conjunction that expresses the idea of "unless; if not; except that (followed by a clause, with 'that' expressed.)

Paul is saying UNLESSS GRACE WAS EXTENDED TO ME I WOULD BE YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE RIGHT NOW!!

But because of Grace Paul says - I am what I am

I don't know if the Apostle Paul was an emotional person or not - but I have to guess that as Paul was writing these words - the tears were running out his eyes and dripping onto the parchment.

THE GRACE OF GOD MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN OUR LIVES!!

IT should give us hope - that even though we see hard cases, things that look impossible to us - people who seem so unmoved, and so unconcerned about their soul who seem to be going the opposite direction to grab hope of this - THERE IS GRACE THERE IS GRACE

Three times in this verse Paul writes the term grace; he lives, travels, and works by God's grace.

Simon J. Kistemaker, Baker New Testament Commentary – Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1993), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 537.

It is wonderful that God's Grace can make such a difference.

I recently received in the mail a free book from Every Home For Christ (which you can go to their website and still get for free as of today) Entitled Look What God is Doing by Dick Eastman. While there are many stories and I may share more at a later time the first story really grabbed my attention as an example of the idea of "But by the grace of God I am what I am"

The story is about Sanji Adonga a worker of Every Home For Christ who was working in a sprawling Muslim city in North Africa. A place very few Christian workers labor in because the population is primarily Muslim.

Sanji Adonga clutched his bag of gospel messages tightly and proceeded to the next apartment Sanil had an assignment from God. He was part Of a tiny army Of believers from a ministry called Every Home for Christ who Were committed to visiting every dwelling in this North African Muslim enclave.

It had not been the best of days; most people who appeared at their doors had refused even to accept the message. But when they closed their doors, Sanii usually put a booklet on the front step anyway, so these individuals would not be

missed in the house-to-house evangelism campaign. And if no one answered his knock, the young evangelist Slipped the

Good News about Jesus under the door. Sanji wanted every Muslim to meet Jesus. After all, he himself was a Muslim

Who had found Jesus.

Now Sanji was approaching the next Muslim apartment. Knocking tentatively on the door, the worker was greeted by a man in his mid-twenties. Sanji smiled and handed him the message.

"I give you the truth," he declared boldly, handing the young man a gospel booklet.

The man took the booklet, glanced at it briefly and opened it. Then, apparently seeing a reference to Jesus Christ. began cursing and ripped the booklet into pieces. "This is not truth!" he shouted. "This is a lie!" With that he threw the torn booklet into the face of the evangelist. "Leave now—and don't ever return or I'll kill you!"

Shaken, Sanji headed hastily for the next apartment just up the street and continued his work until early evening.

The man at the door was 25-year•old Abdulai Masa, the son of a wealthy local merchant. He helped direct one of his

father's businesses. That night Abdulai fell into a deep sleep. He had forgotten the experience with the evangelist earlier that day.

But during the night the young Muslim felt two powerful hands grab his shoulders in the darkness and begin to shake him violently.

Was it a dreadful dream or was it real? At first he was not sure. The hands gripped tighter and Abdulai, convinced that a thief had broken into his apartment, swung his arms wildly to fend off the unseen intruder. But in the darkness he could feel no body to go with the hands grabbing his shoulders.

Abdulai's heart was beating like a loud African log drum, and he sat up shaking. "Who are you?" he shouted. •What do you Want?"

He reached up and turned on the lamp hanging over his bed. The room was empty.

"Who are you?" Abdulai asked again. thinking perhaps this had been a dream after all. A voice filled the room.

"You have torn up the truth,"- the voice said with authority.

Abdulai's eyes darted in every direction. Obviously another person was in the room with him. "Where are you?" he shouted again. "What do you want?"

"You have torn up the truth." the voice repeated. "The message you were given by the visitor at your door was God's truth that points to eternal life. It tells of the only way to lasting peace and happiness, and you have torn it up."

Abdulai was still shaking. But what can I do now? Surely the pieces of paper have been blown away by the wind." -I will tell you where you may find another booklet. Take paper and pencil and write this address."

Abdulai could not believe he was hearing a voice with visible body. But he grabbed a paper and pencil and wrote down the name and address Of Sanii Adonga.

"If you want another booklet," repeated the voice, "you must go to this address when the sun rises. You will find the same man who stood at your door today."

Abdulaj Masa slept little the remainder of the night. At the crack of dawn he dressed and headed for the address on the paper.

Sanii had just risen when he heard a knock at his door. Wiping sleep from his eyes, he opened the door and stood in

disbelief as he looked Into the face Of the young man who had threatened his life the day before. How had this man found

his address in a city of more than a million? He was certain no one had followed him the previous evening, and the only

address on the booklet was a postal box in a distant city. Besides, this man had torn up his booklet.

What are you doing here?" Sanji asked, swallowing hard.

I've come for another booklet." Abdulai answered. "I must have a new copy of what you gave me yesterday."

"But you threw it in my face. And how did you find my address?"

"The voice in the night: the Muslim explained

Describing how the hands had shaken him awake and said he had torn up the truth.

"The voice gave me your address." Abdulai concluded, "It also told me you would give me another booklet."

An amazed Sami retreated to his bedroom and returned

With a booklet. Then. for more than an hour, he used the

pamphlet to explain in depth what it meant to receive Christ as Lord. By the end of the explanation. Abdulai Was convinced the message was true he prayed and gave his life to Jesus.

Now perhaps the majority of people do not have grace act like that in their lives in such a dramatic way - but in reality if we could see that whethaer a Devout Muslim in a South African Muslim city or a teenager in a small town in rural America that it is God's Amazing Grace that makes us what we are today.

It's not who we once were but who we are today in Christ - that only Grace can do friends.

But for the grace of God - think about that this week - think about that when you see the homeless on the street, think of that when you see that coworker who is hostile to the Gospel, think about that when you see your neighbor think about it all the time - God's grace can make a difference in their life -

YOU MAY BE THE VESSEL GOD WANTS THAT GRACE TO FLOW THROUGH!!!