Grace Abounds

Romans 6:1-12 On our recent vacation in Canada, we got lucky. Real lucky. We had saved enough credit card and travel points over the years that we were able get first class seats the whole way to Vancouver and back. Ah, the leg room, a nice wide armrest, complimentary snacks and drinks, and delicious meals. Instead of feeling like a sardine needing emergency chiropractic care when we got off the plane, it was relaxing and enjoyable all the way there and back. It got me thinking perhaps we should offer first class seating here in our church on Sunday mornings. These rows up in the front we’ll call third class. They seem to be the least desirable seats. Is it because I knock things over while I’m preaching? Is it because I tend to call on people in the front rows with tough questions during the service? Those seats in the middle we’ll call second class, a little more foot room, and maybe an amenity or two, like a mint and a moist towelette? And those ones all the way in the back will be first class. We’ll ask the Memorial Committee to purchase some plushy cushions for the first class section, and maybe we’ll hire some servers to bring snacks and beverages during the service. And during my fire and brimstone sermons we’ll offer back rubs to ease some of the tension. So are you happy where you are, or is it time for an upgrade to first class? Would anyone like to volunteer to be our upgrade coordinator? Thank you, Jordan. See him after the service, and I’m sure you will find the upgrade fees are quite reasonable. OK, let’s get underway. Buckle your seats belts. And let’s get on with the sermon! By the way, it’s a good thing your seat belts are buckled, because there’s going to be a little turbulence during the sermon. It’s not the weather, it’s what Paul says, and what Jesus does, that will shake up your comfort level. So hold on. You know, Paul doesn’t hold back when he has something important to say. In a letter to his friend Timothy, Paul writes “In my life the grace of the Lord overflows!” Let me tell you right off that this is an outrageous thing for Paul to say, because if anything in his letter to Timothy Paul should have been weeping about all of the ways God was punishing him. Paul was a first class sinner! He was a first class sinner because he had blood on his hands from having arrested, tortured, and killed Jesus’ followers. Anyone here a first class sinner? How about second class sinners? Or are you a third class sinner? It doesn’t matter because God forgives you no matter what class you’re in. God offers us grace and forgiveness not because we deserve it but because we need it. We don’t have to earn God’s grace, we don’t have to work hard to deserve God’s grace. God’s grace is offered for one reason only: because you need it, I need it, we need it. In fact, I think that this idea of grace is one of the most radical concepts ever introduced to the world. Jesus talked about grace, he demonstrated grace, and he got attacked and crucified for grace. Forgiving sinners? Some people couldn’t accept it! How could God possibly forgive sinners? Pharisees were outraged when they heard about the first-class sinners Jesus invited to dinner with him: tax collectors, law-breakers, and worse. Pharisees were great defenders of the law, and when they saw all of those sinners having a party with Jesus they couldn’t complain enough about it! Well, we’re having a gathering just like that this morning, and if those Pharisees were here they’d probably be outraged to hear that you are on Jesus’ guest list, too! So we’re not just talking about Paul being overflowing with God’s grace, we’re not just talking about all of those law-breakers Jesus invited to dinner centuries ago. We are especially talking about you, and the mercy and forgiveness that God wants to overwhelm you with today! This is why I am a Christian. Not because I have worked hard to attain special knowledge and faith, but because God has been so generous with me … and with you. To be Christian is not just to subscribe to a set of beliefs. To be a Christian begins with discovering that your name is on God’s invitation list. There are over 4 billion people in the world, and God has made sure that your name is on the list. In his Letter to the Romans Paul responds to a serious misunderstanding concerning grace. It appears that some people thought that if we sin more, if we are more greedy, if we are more violent, that God will offer even more grace to the world. Sin in order that grace might abound? Even more than this, some believed that if God offers grace to everyone, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class sinners all, then what’s the point of even trying to do good? If everyone is forgiven, why bother? Just keep on hurting other people. I don’t hear too many of you saying these things, so I think you’ve figured it out. If you truly experience the power of God’s grace, then it’s impossible to be oblivious to sin! We are forgiven, grace-filled people … and it shows! There’s another problem with grace. I call it “underestimation”. We sometimes wonder if we really deserve God’s overflowing forgiveness! We are so aware of our own weaknesses, mistakes and missed opportunities. Christians are especially good at underestimating the possibility of grace, and frequently don't know what to do with it when it is offered. If anything, it adds to our sense of guilt, rather than lead us to freedom. Yet Paul turns this on its head, when he says this grace is given beyond measure, it is an overflowing forgiveness that spills into the lives of those around us. Grace is freedom to live in faith and trust. When Jesus heard the Pharisees complaining about the guest list, he told the story about the woman who had lost a valuable silver coin. She searched everywhere for it. It must have meant everything to her. Finally, after turning her entire household upside down, she finds it. And now the important part … when she finds it she calls all of her friends over for a party. That’s how it is with God, Jesus says, God throws a party every time a sinner is found, every time a sinner 1st class, 2nd class and 3rd class discovers the incredible generosity and love God shows to each one of us.