Grace to the undeserving
 A sermon by Bob Mendelsohn
Given at St Edmunds Anglican Church
12 September 2004

Thank you Bob for welcoming me to the pulpit today at St Edmunds. I've never been at this parish before, but the Eastern suburbs is not unfamiliar ground to a Jew for Jesus, you can understand. And I'm especially grateful on this Sunday before the new year to be addressing you on the subject of "Grace to the Undeserving." I hope you will get at least one, if not your two Bob's worth.

It's not hard to see evil in the world. We awake to it most every morning in the news. Another suicide bomber or homicide bomber has attacked some innocents in Beslan Russia or in Beersheba Israel. Then shockingly again for the 3rd time in 3 years western targets were bombed in Indonesia last week, this time our own Australian Embassy. Yesterday was the 3rd anniversary of the September 11 bombing by airplanes of the World Trade Center. When will this end?

We can see evil in other nations. Can we see evil in our own nation? I'm not speaking politically now, as that's not the role of the pulpit, certainly not when a foreigner is in it. But can we see evil in our own response to those in need or those downtrodden? Can we see a greed in our nation's wishes for excellent trade opportunities whilst trying to disadvantage others in their free trading with us? Can we remember the stolen generations of Aborigines and not be ashamed?

Not only are we nationally guilty of sins and selfishness. We are personally in trouble as well. Now I say this not to indict you particularly at St Edmunds. I don't know you personally well enough for that. But even the best of people in our world know their own sins. I think you still confess your sins against God and neighbour. I think you still ask God to forgive you for those things you have done against Him, by thought word and deed, by what you have done and what you have left undone.

Unless you are simply going through religious forms and wasting both your time and God's, I imagine that this is a meaningful prayer for you.

On Wednesday night Jewish people worldwide will celebrate the beginning of the High Holiday season. It's called the 10 Days of Awe and is introduced with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. We will be celebrating at Vaucluse with anyone who wants to join us this week at 7:30 pm at the Wentworth Anglican Church. One of the most important segments of the liturgy of the 10 Days is the confessional segment. We repent of our sins and ask God to forgive us.

I imagine the silliness of some people in this prayer time.

[story told of conversation with God in whom some don't believe]

In one case we don't know ourselves; in the other we don't know God.

So it is in our texts today. In the passage in Exodus, God is weary of the Jewish people and our response to Him . The scene is the waiting for the return of Moses. He is an old man who said 'wait here' and then was gone for 40 days, that's almost a month and a half. What did Israel do then? We built a golden calf and worshiped it. Oy, speaking about sin and evil!

Moses involves himself in the intercession ministry and God re-welcomes the Jewish people as his own. Grace, not because we merit it, but because God is rich in giving it. Grace to the underserving.

Paul wrote young Timothy and reminded him of the same lesson. Read 1 Tim 1.12-17.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service; even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (.12-17)

Listen to these key words, blasphemer, persecutor, violent aggressor. Ignorant. Unbelief. These are not testimonial words of faithfulness and apostolic origin are they? Ah, yes, I say yes! How? Because an undeserving man knows what he doesn't deserve and welcomes the grace of God and any benefit extended. When it comes, he is made new. And it's in the newness of the redemption, bought to us by Jesus and the blood he spilled on Calvary that we find eternal life. It's the blood of Christ that brings us forgiveness of our sins, known and unknown. So that's why Paul says he "found mercy" and as a result was able to extend that to others.

Remember in our reading of the Gospel today? Luke records for us the stories of things lost that get found. (Chapter 15) One a coin, another a sheep and finally a son whose prodigal father pours out kindness on him, long before he would ever merit it. In fact, I'm not sure that the son who was lost ever warranted the kindness of his father. Are you?

But one thing is sure in each of these stories in the Gospel, God wants to find the lost and bring it home to its rightful place.

So let me return to my original thesis.

When will this evil in the world end? When will grace come to undeserving people? The same way it came to us. Someone told us about the love of God. Someone gave us an opportunity to follow Y'shua, that's the Jewish way to say Jesus. Someone informed us, someone prayed for us.

That's the job in which we are to participate in these days.

And that's why we as Jews for Jesus do what we do, in sharing Jesus among the Jewish people, here in Sydney and throughout the region. Did you see the big billboard on the Maroubra Seals building? We took out big ads in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Financial Review, And that's why in a just a few weeks we will be establishing ourselves in the new office in Bondi Junction. We will have a book shop there Lord willing, too. And we'll invite you along to bring your Jewish mates to visit.

Thanks for donating to our cause in the months to come. Thanks for considering how we can dovetail with you in Jewish outreach here in Maroubra. Thanks for letting me address you today. Thanks for praying for us as we exalt his name together and as we both experience the grace of God and pass that on to others.