When we think of the idea of grace, it might be a little challenging. In Ukrainian it’s difficult to translate a sermon on grace, because there are lots of words to use – but maybe there isn’t an exact word.
It’s difficult in English as well. We primarily use the word “grace” in a church setting. We talk about dancers being “graceful” but that really loses the meaning of the word.
Because, really, when we look outside of the Christian religion we don’t see much grace. Grace is what separates Christianity from all the other world religions. While we might share a lot of the same Holy Scriptures, and even have similar ideas and stories about God – in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we experience grace. We didn’t do anything to earn it; it is entirely a God-thing.
And in the Christian life, we experience grace a lot. We experience grace daily as we try to live out our faith, but we have also experienced grace before we ever realized it.
If you're a Pilgrim, grace should be meaningful to you. You should think of the ways that God has shown grace to you. You should be able to remember times when you have shown grace to others.
We titled this sermon series, "On the road again..." because we believe that as Pilgrims we are on a faith journey. We are going to focus on three stories of grace in the Bible. It just so happens that all of these people were on the road to somewhere when they experienced grace. David will preach about Saul on the road to Damascus, and Jesus on the road to the cross, but tonight I will talk about Jesus and the others on the road to Emmaus.
Please read this scripture with me.
Luke 24:13-35
When I was in Thailand I was visiting a museum near the hotel I was staying at. A young couple were having some photographs taken, and I was struck by how beautiful the young woman looked in her traditional Thai dress. I spoke a little bit with the couple and asked the woman if I could take a picture of her. I thought it was a little strange that she didn't seem embarrassed that some stranger would want her picture.
We talked a little more about the museum and about the weather, and I moved on with my vacation. The next morning I was reading the local paper and on the front page were several pictures of the royal family. Front and center I saw the young couple and the beautiful princess in the traditional wedding dress she had been wearing the day before at the museum.
I had accidentally met the princess of Thailand before the Thai people. I had talked with her about the weather without knowing who she was.
In the scripture story we see Jesus interacting with people long before they realize who He is. Jesus teaches these two men while they are on their journey. He explains the scripture and helps them to understand what it means.
God does this in our own lives as well.
So imagine that we are going on a long journey together. You don't know the destination, but you're ready to go anyway. You go to pack you bags, and you find that they are already packed. You think, "Oh, I'm sure I'll need toothpaste!" and you find that it's been packed. In fact, everything you think you will need is in your suitcase - as well as several items that you're sure you will never need.
So, let's take a sit before we go on our journey and just relax a little bit.
Here: I'll get us going with some stories:
I grew up in a Christian family and went to church every Sunday. I was a pretty bad little kid. I was so bad that one of my Sunday School teachers asked my parents not to bring me back. I hated going to church, and my parents forced me to go every week. I hated church, but I still knew that there was a hole in my heart. When I was 11 I went to a summer camp - during that week away I realized that I needed to turn my life over to God. I asked forgiveness for my sins and I tried to live differently.
Now, some would say that at this moment I experienced the grace of God. But, I believe it goes much further and much deeper than that. I believe that I experienced the grace of God long before I ever acknowledged God.
God was present in my life from before I was born. In Jeremiah it is written, "For I knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb." God had a plan and a vision for my life before my parents did.
John Wesley called this idea Prevenient Grace: literally, "the grace that comes before." He had an idea of how God had been active in his life from an early age. When he was five he was rescued from a house fire. He sat at his mother's feet as she led his father's congregation while he was away on business. He learned that his life mattered and that he better do something good with it. He learned that anyone could lead and that God called all people, regardless of wealth or class, to follow Jesus.
When John Wesley grew up he became a priest - but he felt that the church he loved so much didn't show or offer grace to people. Only the wealthy were welcome inside the church. So, John and his brother Charles began a crusade to change that. They began preaching outside of the church - wherever people would listen to them. They shared with others the goodness of God, and they told people that God offered them grace.
In their small groups they offered everyone the chance to experience and express the grace of God in their own life.
In the Bible story today what is the specific thing Jesus does when the men realize who they have been speaking with? Jesus breaks the bread. When he does this, their minds flash back to the last supper where Jesus broke the bread. He had told his disciples to remember him every time they broke bread. We experience grace every time we take communion. Maybe in your own faith journey you had your first communion long before God was an important part of your life. Maybe you just didn’t care about him, but week after week God showed you grace through communion.
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I want you to think about the ways that God has come before and led the way in your life. I want you to think about how God showed grace before you even thought about God.
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When I look at the path my life has led, I can see God's grace working long before I acknowledged God.
Just to give one example: When I was five or six my mother had a piano student named Maxine. Maxine was an older woman and her family had come to America from Slovenia. She spoke Slovene, and enjoyed teaching me words and phrases. Some weekends my mother and I would meet her at the local nursing home where many old people spoke Slovene. I would listen as they spoke and she would show off her little student to the other Slovene speakers. Well, fast forward to the present and (ena, dve, tri, schtiri, pet) sounds a lot like the numbers in Ukrainian. Now, not many young children in America grew up hearing and learning Slavic languages. Long before I was a Christian, God was preparing me for this period of my life - right here, right now, that I get to share with you.
And God is just as active in everyone's life. God slowly but surely presses people towards faith. He graciously guides them on the path of life.
1. I want you to share the ways that God led the way in your lives with the people around you. Take a few minutes to share a few stories or examples.
2. How did Jesus show grace to you on the path of life before you ever recognized him?
3. How have you showed the grace of God to others?
If someone in your group had a really good story, I want you to bring them up here and help them tell it.
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God is present in everyone's life. When I look at my path I see people who have showed me the grace of God.
Sometimes it's really hard to show grace to others. It's easier to judge - and, consequently, we judge a lot more than we show grace.
God wants to use us as a way to show grace to those who do not yet believe. We must always be looking for ways to reach out to others, to show them the grace and forgiveness of God, so that we may help God to build the road for them.
Dear friends, as Pilgrims we are on a journey. Long before we knew we would take the journey; God packed our bags, God set a direction, and God prepared our fellow Pilgrims to go with us.
We are on the road again ...
[[David Goran and I are co-preaching a 3 week sermon series. We are going to try to sing the Willy Nelson song, "On the Road Again" and I plan on working up a special music number with some of the musicians to go along with the theme. David will preach on Sanctifying and Perfecting grace.]]
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