We’re continuing with the theme of discipleship.
Last week, I encouraged you to think about discipleship through the lens of “growing in grace.” This is where discipleship must begin.
One of the ways I’ve tried to do that over 20 years of pastoring is by ending every sermon at the cross.
Action steps can be helpful, but if we’re not careful, people can walk away thinking the Christian life is mainly about their own work rather than Christ’s finished work for them. You’ll never live at your best until you believe God accepts you at your worst.
I’ll give you an example. This past week, my pastor preached a fantastic sermon on “taking the high road” using the story of Abraham and Lot splitting ways. His point was simple: be more like Abraham and less like Lot.
It really was a great sermon. But afterward, I couldn’t stop thinking about how he missed an opportunity to bring me back to the cross.
The truth is, I’m often much more like Lot than Abraham. I’m selfish. I’m inclined to choose what benefits me most. That’s exactly why I need a Savior.
And thank God Jesus took the high road all the way to the cross. Because Jesus did not do what was best for himself, I’m now able to approach the throne of grace.
Do you see the difference?
When you end with grace, you remind people that Christianity is not about earning God’s love, but receiving what Christ has already accomplished.
What if David and Goliath was not just about defeating the giants in your life, but also a reminder that Jesus has already defeated the greatest giants of sin and death?
What if Jonah was not just a warning about running from God, but also a reminder that another man was thrown into the storm for us and spent three days swallowed by death so we could be saved?
I believe with enough prayer and study, you bring every sermon back to the need for grace and the beauty of the cross. Every time they hear it and receive it, we help them grow in grace.
Today, I’m giving you 1 stat, 1 quote, and 1 story to help you preach on grace.
Story
In the classic, Les Misérables, Jean Valjean was a poor man who stole a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s starving child.
He was caught and sentenced to 19 years in prison.
After 19 years, he leaves prison angry, hardened, branded as a criminal. He has a yellow passport that tells everyone he is a dangerous, former convict. No one will take him in, hire him, or trust him.
One night, a bishop named Myriel takes him in. He feeds him, gives him a bed, and treats him like a man.
In the middle of the night, Valjean steals the bishop’s silver and runs. He’s caught by the police and lies. He says that Myriel gave him the silver, so they drag him back to Myriel’s home and ask him, “He says you gave him this.”
The bishop looks at Valjean and says, “Yes, I gave it to him,” and then he adds, “But you forgot the candlesticks.” And he gave him more silver.
After the police leave, the bishop leans in and tells Valjean, “With this silver I have bought your soul for God.” And Valjean breaks because he was shown mercy. And it changed his life.
He became a different man, showing mercy, generosity, and spending his life rescuing others.
Takeaway: We were guilty, caught, and deserved to go back to prison, but Jesus gave us the candlesticks.
Source: This story comes from the opening section of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.
Interesting Links
What’s So Amazing About Grace
Recently, I have been rereading several Philip Yancey books. I know he was caught in a scandal, and I’m not endorsing or excusing his behavior, but when the news broke, I was struck by the idea that the man who wrote the greatest book on grace (in my opinion) now needed it more than ever, so I reread his book What’s So Amazing About Grace.
If you want to better understand and preach on the topic of grace, I highly recommend you read this book.
Flannery O’Connor and the Violence of Grace
I enjoyed this article about the author Flannery O’Connor and how her writing challenges our assumptions about ourselves. If you’ve never read any of O’Connor, you need to.
Galatians Series by Timothy Keller
This series of teachings on the book of Galatians by Pastor Tim Keller was one of the most important and best explanations of grace I’ve ever heard. After listening to it years ago, I taught through Galatians with my church, and it was a defining series for us.
