Thankful for God's Grace

Happy Sunday, and happy November! I love this time of year. I love that this election is about to be over. I, I've had enough of calls and texts and commercials and mail. As November rolls around, I'm, I think of Thanksgiving. I'm so excited.

In a few short weeks my kids and grandkids will all be at my house. We'll eat and play and visit and enjoy one another. This month in my sermons I want to talk about being thankful. Each week I will choose a topic and go with it. Today I am thankful for the grace of God. Let's talk about that today.

One of the best definitions of Grace that I have found is this: grace is God choosing to bless us rather than curse us as we deserve. Grace is God choosing to bless us rather than curse us as we deserve. Listen to these words from Ephesians 2:8: "For by Grace you have been saved through faith. This is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." When you come to God and ask for forgiveness and salvation, he will save you and give you his grace.

I remember in college years ago that every now and then a professor, many years ago, every now and then a professor would tell us to grade ourselves. It happened more than once. They' tell us to pick our final grade. I never could give myself an a. When that happened to me, I always thought that I could do better, and I usually took a b.

I, I'm still that way. I always think that I can do better. I truly believe that if I got what I deserved, God would have Zapped me a long time ago. Today I am thankful for his grace. Let's look at a couple of stories about the grace of God.

We find the story of zakus in Luke chapter 19. Jesus entered Jericho, and he made his way through town, and there was a man there named zakus, and he was the chief tax collector in the region, and he'd become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short, we're told, and he couldn't see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree beside the road. Jesus was going to go past that way, and zakus could get a good look at him.

It worked. When Jesus came by, he looked up at zakus and called him by name. "zakus," he said, "quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today." Now zakus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy, we are told.

Let me pause the story for a moment. Please know that this is not a coincidence. This was planned. Jesus was on a mission. This was a Divine appointment. We're about to see a great example of the grace of God.

Now, zakus was not well thought of in Jericho. He was the chief tax collector. The people did not care for him at all. Luke tells us this in verse 7, after zakus was invited to Jesus's house. It says, "The people were displeased. 'He's gone to be the guest of an notorious sinner,' they grumbled."

zakus, a notorious sinner. When the people saw Jesus called him down, they were hoping that Jesus was about to curse zakus, just to chew him out and judge him right there on the spot. Instead, Jesus goes to his house for a meal. zakus was saved that day, and Grace was in full force. I love that story, the grace of God.

Let's look at one more. It's found in the book of Acts, chapter 9. As the chapter begins, we meet Saul. We've seen him before in the book of Acts. He was with the religious zealots that stoned Steven to death early on in the book.

Saul is Hardcore. He's not a likable man. He's headed to Jerusalem, or from Jerusalem to Damascus, to capture Christians and bring them back for trial. He wants to Stamp Out the father followers of Jesus.

Let me read beginning in verse three: "As he was approaching Damascus on this Mission, a light from Heaven suddenly Shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' Saul asked. The voice replied, 'I am Jesus, the one who you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the City, and you'll be told what you must do.' The men who stood with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone's voice, but they saw no one. Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink."

Now think about it. Isn't this a good thing? God stopped this monster from killing more Christians. He was going to Damascus strong and ready to fight, and when he got there he was blind and could do nothing El on his own.

He had a bad reputation. God speaks to a believer in Damascus named ananas, and God tells ananas to go and help Saul. Let me read to you what ananas said in verse 13: "'Lord,' exclaimed ananas, 'I've heard many people talk about the Terrible Things this man has done to the Believers in Jerusalem, and he's authorized by the leading priest to arrest everyone who calls on your name.'" ananas was not ready for God to show Grace.

As you know, God showed Grace to Saul. Saul became known as Paul, and he wrote lots and lots about Grace. Let me close with these words that Paul wrote to a young man named Timothy. Paul said this: "I am grateful to Christ Jesus our lord Lord, who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received Mercy because I had the acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."

May the grace of our Lord overflow for you with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Today, let's be thankful for the grace of God. Pray with me.

God, thank you. We have not received what we deserved, but we have received your love and your grace. Thank you for looking at us with more love than a grandparent looks at a grandchild. Thank you for loving us so much you sent Jesus for us to die on that cross. Father, as We Gather this month, month to say what we're thankful for, help us to think about the grace of God. In Jesus' name, amen.

God bless. Happy Sunday.