Josh Smith - Class 4: Suffering from Grace

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

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   Alone, broken, afraid, black. First a light piercing in its brightness, so intense it sears my eyeballs and plunges my world into utter darkness. Then a voice, clear and still, questioning me, condemning my life's work in an instant. I'm on the ground and I want the black earth to open up and swallow me.

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   But instead I'm led by the hand to a room where I sit to await my sentence. Thoughts swirl around in my head. A life of righteous ambition in tatters. Jesus of Nazareth? Those people of the way?

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   I try to sleep, but the cries of those I led to the slaughter echo in my head. Scenes play around, so many to choose from. The look of surprise and fear on their faces as I pulled them from their beds in the night. Screams of children torn from their parents' arms. Wrists bound roughly, bleeding.

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   Men stumbling, no mercy shown. The sound of stone hitting soft flesh. The serene look on so many of their faces. Their whispered prayers of forgiveness for me. And yet I loathed the sight of them and what they taught. They were a thorn in my righteous side. And I took pride in bringing them down.

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   I was relentless in my pursuit. What have I done? I'm filled with shame, anguish, guilt, remorse. The long-winded prayers so close to my lips as a Pharisee are now gone.

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   A small prayer creeps from my lips. Forgive me, Lord. But how can I pray to the one whose son I crucified? To the one whose followers I've hunted down, imprisoned and stoned? I deserve death. I deserve the vengeance they will choose for me. And yet I dread it. The hours pass agonisingly slow.

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   I could not tell you how long I was in that room. It felt like a lifetime. I can tell you how long I was in that room. I can tell you that eventually the tears flowed down my cheeks as I wept in prayer, crying from the depths of my soul for forgiveness. God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

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   Eventually, I hear footsteps. A door opens. I tense. It is time to accept the fate I deserve. I expect cruelty and aggression. And yet, warm hands touch me. The hands cut my face. And a kind voice speaks words I can scarcely comprehend.

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   Brother Saul, it says. Brother Saul. Those were the first words that Saul would hear. Having been a persecutor of the ecclesia. Having been probably the greatest enemy of the truth since Christ died. And what an amazing story of grace. What an amazing demonstration of God's kindness. In calling Saul to repentance. What an incredible moment in this man's life.

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    And you know, he would never, ever, ever forget the kindness that was shown to him. And we're going to see tonight that this man became obsessed with God's grace. Completely obsessed with it. Because of how much he appreciated just what he had been. The love and the kindness that had been shown to him.

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    So you know, there's three accounts really of that story in Acts. Acts chapter 9, Acts chapter 22 and Acts chapter 26. But if you just come to Acts 22. I just want to just start working our way through. Just how much this conversion. And how much this man was. Just this wonderful story.

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    And demonstration of God's grace. So Acts chapter 22. It's this moment. This moment that I've just read this little story from. Where here he is. And he's retelling this story. In verse 11 he says, When I could not see for the glory of that light. Being led by the hand of them that were with me.

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    I came into Damascus. So we're in Acts 22 and verse 11. Now verse 12. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law. Having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there. He came unto me and stood. And said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. Now I want you to take particular attention here.

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    To see what it says. And the same hour. I looked up. Upon. Him. Who's it talking about? Yeah. You would say it's Ananias, isn't it? Here's Ananias. He's came and he's. And he's stooped down. He says, Brother Saul, receive your sight. And he opens up and he's. Well, there in this picture is Ananias' face.

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    The first thing he sees. Does anyone know what Ananias' name means? Can you take a guess? Grace. Grace of Yah. Grace of God. Yeah, it's a grace of God. So here we've got this beautiful picture, haven't we? At the moment he opens his eyes. He sees, as it were, the grace of God.

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    As he looks up upon him. As each time he would write about this, he would always remember it as a story of grace. No need to turn there, but in Galatians chapter 1, it says that I was, I profited in the Jews' religion, verse 14, above many my nephews in my own nation, being exceedingly zealous in the traditions of my fathers.

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    But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace to reveal his son in me, that I might preach him among the nations. Every time he refers to this story, he would remember it as a story of grace. And just come to 1 Corinthians 15, which was our reading.

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    As he recounts his encounter with the risen Lord. And he goes through, doesn't he, of all that the Lord had seen. First Peter, and then the 12, and then the 500. In verse 8, and last of all, he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles.

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    They are not meant to be called an apostle because I persecuted the ecclesia of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am. I'm only the apostle Paul because of grace, he says. And his grace, which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain. But I laboured more abundantly. If you remember our last, our first session, this is the word superabundant.

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    So as he's, as grace has been given to Paul, he says, I laboured, I laboured superabundantly. Then they all, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. So Paul used this. He used this kindness that was shown to him as a motivating force in his life. He says, he laboured more abundantly than any of the other apostles because of the exceeding kindness that had been shown to him.

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    So you know that of the 156 times in the New Testament, the word occurs. Paul uses it, 118 of those. He became obsessed with grace. As we said, the Jerusalem poor fund, the collection that he carried around, he called it this grace. And he even coins a phrase to the Corinthians saying that he will soon grace them with his presence.

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    You know, if you come to Romans, let's just begin at Romans chapter one. You'll see how Paul writes his epistles. See, salutation in verse seven of Romans one. No need to turn there, but anyone like a guess as to how he might end the book of Romans. As he's signing off, he says, Gaius, mine host and the whole ecclesia saluteth you.

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    Erastus, the chamberlain of the city, saluteth you. And courtes a brother. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. How do you think he starts in 1 Corinthians? Well, verse three says, Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. How do you think he ends 1 Corinthians?

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    The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Do you know every single letter he wrote? Bar one. Every single letter he wrote begins and ends with grace. The one that's not is Hebrews. It doesn't begin with grace, but it ends with grace. And normally I ask if anyone's got any ideas why that would be to offer some suggestions afterwards.

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    The best response I've had to that is that perhaps it wasn't appropriate for Paul when writing to the Hebrews to begin with grace. But by the time he's finished the book of Hebrews, he's quite comfortable to end with grace, having given a good understanding of salvation in Jesus Christ. So he was a man that was obsessed with grace, using it as a powerful, motivating force in his life.

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    Using it all the time. And I think it's a good example for us young people that we shouldn't be scared of this topic. A good and true understanding of grace means that there's no way we can think about it too much. We can never overuse it. If we understand it, it will only make us more motivated to serve our God.

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    So come now to... We'll just summarise those on the screen. Just for those who are taking notes. So we see that he became obsessed with grace because of his own experience.

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    Every epistle he wrote begins and ends with grace. He uses the word grace 118 out of 115 times. 156 times. Now, let's just come now to 1 Timothy 1.

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    1 Timothy 1 and verse 12. Paul says that I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, who was before a blasphemer and persecutor and endures, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly and unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant, super abundant, faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

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    This is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Now, I just want to stop there for a second. Remember last night we had that graph with how we could change the graph, first of all with God's standard and also our perception of what our natural state was and the size of grace was diminishing or expanding, depending on how we viewed those two things.

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    Well, here is the Apostle Paul considering himself to be well, chief of all the sinners. I mean, I know what he went through must have been terrible for him as he became an Apostle, knowing what he'd done to the Ecclesia. I mean, we would never think of the Apostle Paul like that, would we?

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    But you see, through his own eyes, through his perspectives, in his own life, what had been done for him, the amount of grace in his life, if you like, was bigger than ours. It's enormous in his own eyes because he can see clearly this line of where we are in our natural state and where God's standard and righteous requirement is.

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    So carry on from verse 16. How be it? For this cause I obtain mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to everlasting life. I think this is really interesting, isn't it? There's sort of two ideas contained here in this verse.

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    One is that, well, he obtained mercy, you'll see, as a pattern. So it's basically saying, the first idea is, well, if I can be saved, well, anybody can be saved. If I've done the things that I've done, persecuted the ecclesia, then there is room for repentance and forgiveness for anybody. But the other thing is that his life would be a pattern.

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    His life would be a pattern for us in calling from repentance, but also in accepting a life's work. And it would be a pattern for all them which would hereafter believe on him. And I really want to touch on this a little bit tonight, that the Apostle Paul is a pattern for us.

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    And I want to see what that can teach us about grace. You know that what's interesting about the Apostle Paul is that he considered his ministry a grace. He considered the ministry that he received a gift from God. If you just come to Romans chapter 15, Romans 15 and verse 15, Nevertheless, brethren, I've written the more boldly unto you in some sort as putting you in mine because of the grace that is given to me of God that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.

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    ministering the gospel of God that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. So this grace which was given to me by God, he says, was, well, it was becoming a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. It says the same again in Ephesians 3. If you just come over to Ephesians 3.

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    Ephesians 3. Ephesians 3 and verse 1. For this cause I call, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if you've heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you, would how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery. And just coming down to verse 6.

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    That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. Whereof I was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. So he aligns this ministry that he received as part of the grace that he received from God.

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    So it's his ministry or his work. Now, what's interesting or what's unusual you might say about calling his own ministry, his work in the truth, a gracious gift from God?

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    What was his ministry like? We've got it pretty tough down here. I think that's the understatement of the century. I mean, it was hard, wasn't it? It wasn't a calling to a really cushy job. I mean, the ministry that he took on, he took on the sufferings of Christ. He was Christ to the Gentiles.

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    And he considered that grace, a great kindness that had been given to him. I mean, that in itself is incredible. Let's just have a look at some of his writings. You know, that it wasn't even that he just discovered this afterwards. Like, he was sort of going into the ministry with his eyes closed, so to speak, and he found out about that part of the job later.

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    He knew right from the start what it would be about. See, if you come to Acts chapter 9, Acts chapter 9, which is the first story of his conversion, verse 15, There it is. Really clear and plain. And he took hold of that and said, what an incredible kindness that's been given to me.

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    And you know, we don't have time, and you can probably look at this in your own time, but in all three of these accounts, Acts chapter 9, Acts chapter 22, and chapter 26,

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    there's allusions back to the servant songs of Isaiah. As even as Paul recounts this story, and he's quoting back to these passages of Scripture about the suffering servant, he knew what this would be about. And yet, he accepts it as a gift from God, a great kindness that was done to him. Come over to Acts chapter 20.

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    Acts chapter 20, in verse 21, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, he says, behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there. So I'm off to Jerusalem, I don't know what's going to happen to me there.

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    Verse 23, save, we'll save this one thing, that the Holy Spirit witnesses in every city I go to, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. I don't know what's going to happen, who I'm going to meet, I only know this one thing, that the Holy Spirit in every city says that bonds and afflictions abide me.

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    Verse 24, but none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God. I mean, what an amazing person. Come over to chapter 21, verse 11.

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    We've got the incident with Agabus. Verse 11, and when he was come unto us, Agabus, he took Paul's girdle and bound his own hands and feet and said, thus saith the Holy Spirit, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle. He shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

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    When we heard these things, both we and they of that place, we besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. Don't go to Paul, there's going to be trouble up there. And Paul answered, what mean ye to weep and to break my heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

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    And when he would not be persuaded, we cease saying, the will of the Lord would be done. Just an incredible attitude, isn't it, from the Apostle Paul accepting this ministry.

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    We'll just summarize that up here on a slide. So we saw in 1 Timothy that his conversion and his calling would be a pattern for all those who would believe.

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    He considered his ministry as a gift from God, a great kindness that had been given unto him. But his ministry would be a ministry of suffering. And we can see this connection, can't we? But start to establish between the grace of God and the suffering that he is experiencing. And that he would experience throughout his ministry.

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    You know, we actually have seen this so far in where we've been. We were in 1 Peter and chapter 1, remember, a couple of days ago, where we found that when the prophets inquired of that salvation that would come unto them, what did we find it was? Well, it was the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.

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    That was the grace that would come unto them. So we already know that suffering is part of this grace, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we've been considering.

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    So, just pose the question now, why is it, why do we have this, why do we have this connection between God's gift of grace and suffering? How do you think it relates to God's purpose with us and what he's doing with grace in our lives? What's your thoughts? what was the purpose of grace?

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    Well, Mike, they're a tough crowd tonight. Why do we experience suffering? To make us stronger. To make us stronger. What was the purpose of grace? Let's just wind it back a few steps. What was the purpose of grace? to bridge the cap between the top of the wall and the wall around yesterday.

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    That's right. And even beyond that, simpler than that. To fill our weaknesses. Yes. Yeah. But why is God sending out his grace, his kindness? What is he looking for? A response to love. Yes. But it's ultimately working us through a process, isn't it? beginning at repentance. And where's he taking us? What's he taking us to?

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    Remember? Sorry? A reputation of himself. That's right. To God manifestation. To becoming perfect. So it's from repentance changing us to becoming perfect. So how do you think suffering is involved in that? Develops our character. That's right. Suffering develops our character. So suffering is the means by which God does that. Suffering is one of the means by which he takes us and changes us and moulds our character so that we can be presented perfect.

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    Just come to Philippians chapter 1. Philippians chapter 1 verse 6. He says being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. So here we've got God and those that have been baptised have been entered into the grace room which is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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    And there's a work that's begun. Remember the three step process. There's a work that's begun. And he's saying God is going to perform that work. It's like if we signed up to this, God is going to see it through. He's going to perform this good work. And verse 7 says even as it is meet for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart in so much as both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye are all partakers of my grace or partakers with me of grace.

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    God is working in your life now. God is going to perform this good work in you. And so we're changed aren't we? We're changed by the things that we experience and the things that we suffer. Come back to Romans chapter 5.

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    Romans 5 and verse 1. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so. It's not only rejoicing in hope of the glory of God but we also glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts.

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    so there's purpose in what we're experiencing in suffering as part of God's kindness God's grace in changing us in making us perfect for his purpose. In James chapter 1 this is something you don't have to turn here I can read it we'll be familiar with these verses my brethren count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience but let patience have a perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing.

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    That was what the purpose of grace was wasn't it we said at the start to make us perfect and it's not going to be necessarily an easy ride it's not easy the way that he makes us perfect is he brings trials and suffering into our lives so that we can be changed we can endure and in the end we become perfect and verse 12 says that blessed is that man that endureth temptation for when he has tried he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him so it might seem unlikely but suffering is part of grace as part of God's kindness it's part of the way he is getting us into his kingdom and it's absolutely necessary there's a verse up there we haven't been to and I think it's really powerful so let's just head over to Hebrews chapter 5 because we see this same pattern just as it was in the apostle Paul we see this same pattern in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ Hebrews 5 and verse 7 speaking of Christ who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was hurting that he feared though he were a son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered and being made perfect he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him as Paul was the pattern so is Christ and we follow the exact same thing so remember at the very start we talked about

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    those stories of Noah and Lot and how and how determined how much effort there was shown from God's part to save his desire to save is incredible in those stories wasn't it and it's the same for us God is going to do whatever if we if we take on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we're signing up to God working in our lives both through the word and through circumstances in our lives that he is in control of whether or not he orchestrates them is another thing entirely but he allows them he's in control and so the things that he brings and circumstances that come into our life are for a reason and a purpose our lives are controlled by God he is looking after us and he wants us into his kingdom and the things that we are experiencing are being part of him performing his good work so he has begun a good work and he will perform it until the day of Christ and so I suppose the question comes as to well are we suffering you know is this really relevant to young people here at UKYC is it relevant to talk about the things that we are experiencing as suffering and to find comfort in the fact that there is purpose to what we might be experiencing here is just some of the things that I could think of and of course I don't know the things that are going on in your friendships and your groups your ecclesias your families but here are some of the things that I know in my family and my ecclesias and my

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    friendships is happening anxiety depression sickness trauma broken families tragedy financial problems results of bad decisions ecclesial disputes family problems stress of finding a husband and wife husband or wife I should say peer pressure you know this is something I I think the moment I realised that I was old older than you know a young person attending a conference was when I was struggling to understand some of the peer pressure that was leading to some of the young people at home self-harming sorry anyway you can read them for yourself sorry but people are suffering everybody is experiencing something and I think young people we need to be talking about some of these things and we need to be sharing them with each other but most importantly we need to be finding comfort that there is purpose to what we might be experiencing the events that you and I go through like I say might not be orchestrated by God but God is allowing them to happen and he cares very deeply for you and for me he's committed to working with us to make us perfect he demonstrated that by giving his only begotten son we must believe it he wants you and I in the kingdom and he is working to do that and he was a man we've seen tonight who kicked against that who resisted and ended up coming around quite spectacularly and I'm sure I mean he had to live with what he'd done for the rest of his life it wouldn't be a nice experience but we are suffering and there is purpose for it I just want to finish with perhaps

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    one of my favourite quotes which is in Acts chapter 14 talking about Paul and Barnabas' preaching work it says in verse 21 that when they had preached the gospel in that city and had taught many they returned again to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith and that we must it's absolutely necessary it's not an optional thing we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God and I love to read this verse and to visualise this room once again that we're all standing in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ for those who have been who have entered into Christ and we're standing in this room and now we've got a description of the door and on the other side of the door it says is the kingdom of God and the door is much tribulation how much comfort is it young people to think about the things that you might be experiencing or your friends or your family and to think if we can just hold on whatever it is we're going through and take comfort that if you are struggling if you're suffering if you're going through much tribulation then in a sense you're standing in the doorway to the kingdom of God and I like to think about that when you're going through some really tough times and trials just remember that when you're in that moment you're standing in the doorway to the kingdom of God and I