Pastoral Letter 205
Dear Members of St. Andrew’s Uniting Church, Friends and Adherents,
Grace and peace to you all.
We continue our journey through the forty days of Lent as we get closer and closer to the crucifixion event of Jesus and celebrating His triumphant resurrection on Easter morning. This is the fourth week of Lent, and we are reflecting on the grace of God. A grace that we do not deserve as people who have failed God over and over again, as we see similarly in the story of His people, Israel, recorded in the Scriptures. We too, as the people of God, the church and the members of the body of Jesus Christ, do not deserve His grace. Our Lord and Saviour, died on the Cross, rose from the tomb to bring hope to this broken world and to reconcile us with God and have His mercy.
As we get closer to the Holy Week and retell the story of His suffering and death, let us remember that all those things happened by His grace and because of His unconditional love. Jesus gave His life as a ransom for our sins, misbehaviour, guilt and faults. He paid our penalty willingly giving His life to save us from condemnation and gave us a chance to be the children of God and the people of God. What an amazing grace demonstrated in the ultimate sacrifice.
Next Sunday, 17 March 2024, I will be at the Willoughby Armenian Evangelical Church for the Armenian Missionary Association of Australia’s (AMAA) Sunday Worship and to preach. Our friend, Bob Minton, will cover for me, leading the Service and preaching. Please make a note that there will be no Morning Tea next Sunday, because the hall will be set for the AMAA’s Annual Fundraising Luncheon, and the kitchen will be busy as the caterers will do their preparations. If you wish to join the Luncheon on Sunday 17 March at 12:30 pm, please talk to Penny.
Also, note that our Bus trip to Wentworth Falls Lake, which was scheduled for Wednesday 6 March, is now rescheduled to 20 March at 9:00 am. Please put your name down on the sheet if you plan to join us on the trip.
Please continue to pray for those who are going through difficult and tough time, seeking God’s presence, help and healing.
If you are not able to join us tomorrow, please light a candle and join us following the attached Order of Service.
Please let me know if you or anyone else has prayer points.
Here are some prayer points for this week:
- Pray for this Lent season, as we ponder and reflect examining our faith in Christ.
- Pray for the Middle East, and the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
- Pray for the people Artsakh who are refugees in different parts of Armenia facing many challenges.
- Pray for the AMAA as they plan their annual Fundraising Function to support the Artsakh refugees.
- Pray for the poor, the sick, the struggling and the stressed.
- Pray for those who are going through a difficult time with health and financial issues.
- Pray for Ned, as he recovers from COVID after being hospitalised for a few days.
- Pray for our church and our future plans as we seek God’s guidance.
Best Regards
In Christ
Krikor
MESSAGE
God’s Amazing Grace
Numbers 21:4-9, John 3:14-21
What do you think of when you hear the word grace?
In the Christian community we are surrounded by this word. Schools and churches are named Grace. We sing songs of grace such as Amazing Grace.
We are constantly surrounded by this word, but do we truly understand the magnitude of grace…?
Grace is an incredibly critical and important doctrine to our Christian faith.
This morning, we are going to look at grace. We are going to look at the notion of God’s love coming to us free of charge, no strings attached, absolutely unconditional.
In order, to get a good understanding of it we are going to look at some scenes in Jesus’ life. Interestingly enough, Jesus never once used the word grace. Rather, He taught it, and He lived it.
In looking at some instances of Jesus displaying this grace I hope that we come to an understanding of God’s grace and then live it!
The first step in understanding God’s grace is realising it is:
1. Not something we can EARN
This is a foreign idea because we live in a society that is based on earnings and rewards.
For example, we work tirelessly for a week or two, and then anxiously await our hard-earned pay check. We have never heard of anyone going up to their boss after they receive their pay checks and saying, “Thank you. Oh, thank you for this undeserved gift. How can me possibly thank you enough?” No, this is not how it works. You earned that pay check.
We are engrained and deep-rooted with the idea: the more and harder we work the more we will receive in return.
This idea is very much present in the business world.
For example, this idea is present in companies where employees are graded on scale of 1 to 10/15. 1 would be given to clerks and secretaries whereas 10/15 is chairman of the board. You must reach probable grade 8/10 to receive a parking spot. Higher grade brings with it such bonuses as an office with a window, plants and a free mobile phone with unlimited internet access. And for higher grades offices come equipped with private bathrooms, cars and free to use business credit cards.
Military practices this idea as well. Assigned a title, uniform, salary and code of behaviour, every soldier knows exactly where he or she stands in relation to the other. You salute and obey superiors; you give orders to the inferiors.
In sports people rewards are given to those who complete passes, gets goals, trys, wickets – runs, throw strikes, or make baskets, and has no place for those who fail. Player of the match or the player of the season being awarded certain medals.
We are constantly engrained with this idea that the harder we work the more we receive.
This however is the exact opposite of grace and opposite to the way Jesus presented it as he was here on earth.
He told the: Parable of Workers in the Vinyard – Matthew 20:12-15
These other workers got what they did not deserve. But that’s God’s grace. It is not based on what we can do or what we deserve or earn. He freely gives it to us. He is the God of grace who loves and provides the needs of the people regardless of what they do.
Similarly, it is human nature to think that we can gain God’s love, or His love is based on what we do and how we respond to Him. In our life we often judge our relationship with God with the things we do.
God’s love for us is not determined on how much good we do compared to how much good we don’t do or the bad we do. Rather, God’s love comes to us no matter what we do. It comes and overflows us.
Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more and there is nothing we can do to make God love us less.
Grace means that God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love. It is absolutely not determined on what we do, it is not earned.
The second we must understand about grace is that it:
2. Allows Second Chances
Parable of the Gracious Father – Luke 15
Grace allows a second chance; that is what God does for us.
When we stumble, when we struggle, when we are disobedient and unfaithful God is always there to welcome us back with open arms.
I do not think there is any greater example of this then the life of the Apostle Paul.
He was a devout Jew. He hated the name of Jesus. He purposed in his heart to do everything he could to stop the spread of Jesus’ name. He went from church to church ravaging them, dragging the believers out and having them thrown in prison.
This great man who wrote about half of our New Testament confessed: “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man.”
He knew grace, he understood grace, because he had experienced grace.
This grace changed Paul’s life forever. God’s grace gave Paul a second chance.
The third thing we need to understand about grace is that it is our:
3. Means to Salvation
In different religions of the world interestingly salvation is always something that is worked for. Fortunately, that is not how it is for us as Christians.
Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works so that no one can boast.”
Our only way to salvation is by grace. And this grace was offered on the Cross.
It is only by the grace of God, that He would choose each of us who are sinners, completely separate from Him. We who can do no good in compared to His greatness, He has taken us out of this state.
What an amazing grace!
So, what do we do with all of this understanding of grace?
We have looked at it being something.
We cannot earn, we seen that it allows second chances, and that it is the means to salvation.
Someone has said: “Knowing grace is one thing, living it is another.”
Similarly, we have been given this grace by God; therefore, it is our privilege as well as obligation as Christians to show this grace to others.
Let’s turn to Matthew 18:23. We are going to look at the parable of the unmerciful servant.
Unfortunately, this is a pretty accurate portrayal of many churches. When the world thinks of the church, unfortunately they do not often see grace. In fact, they see divisions, pride, hatred, jealousy, unforgiveness, etc. as it was in the first century church.
When our friends or our relatives see us, do they see grace?
How come we are not seen as giving off grace?
What are we missing?
Do people see our extending favour or kindness to them or to ourselves?
C.S. Lewis wrote: “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”
In today’s first reading we see that the people of Israel getting inpatient on the way they speak against God and Moses and God sends venomous snakes among them. The snakes bit them and many died. When they realised that they sinned against God asked Moses to pray for them. And so, Moses did. God ordered Moses to make a bronze snake and lift it up high on a pole. When anyone was bitten but looked up to the bronze snake lived. This was the God’s grace shown to them.
And in the familiar gospel reading Jesus clearly states God’s grace given to all through His Son. Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned.
Grace is the best gift Christians can give the world because it is the best gift we have ever received. From an early age we are taught to survive in a world that does not know grace.
We are taught mottos such as:
The early bird gets the worm!
No pain no gain!
There is no such thing as a free lunch!
Demand your rights!
Get what you pay for!
None of these reflect grace.
During the celebration of changes in South Africa, Jessye Norman sings Amazing Grace.
She begins to sing:
Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now I am found – was blind but now I see.
After those first two lines something remarkable happens in that stadium. Seventy thousand fans stood silent.
By the time she reaches the second verse:
As grace first taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved.
She had the entire crowd in her hands.
Then came the third verse:
God’s grace has brought me safe this far, and grace will lead me home.
A several thousand are singing along.
The world thirsts for grace. When grace descends, the world falls silent before it.
Let’s leave here today and give the world some grace.
Amen!