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Why It's Called Amazing Grace

Grace is amazing because God, in his infinite goodness, takes care of us when we can't take care of ourselves.

The most recognizable Christian hymn of all time is, undoubtedly, Amazing Grace. It has been recorded countless times by a wide variety of artists, including Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, the Grateful Dead, and, of course, the Vienna Boys Choir. It was a top 40 hit for Judy Collins in the sixties, and it was even played at Spock's funeral (on bagpipes) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

If you don't like the original melody, the words to Amazing Grace can also be sung to the tune of "Greensleeves", "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and even the theme to "Gilligan's Island" (a church camp favorite).

Most people are familiar with the words of the song, but they would hard pressed to tell you exactly what it is about grace that is so amazing.

We're in the second week of a series about grace, and I truly hope that by the time we have finished, we all have a firmer grasp on what grace it is and how it works in our lives. The more we understand grace, the more we recognize how amazing it is.

There are a number of textbook definitions that I could read to you that include words such as "manifested favor" and "vouchsafement"—but for the purposes of this series we'll define it in plain English. Grace is God's undeserved kindness. The doctrine of grace is that God treats us better than we deserve to be treated. Psalm 103 says:

He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (Psalm 103:10)

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. (Ephesians 2:8)

God's grace is extended to us not only in salvation—the fact that he lets us into heaven even though we are sinners—but it also is extended to us in everyday life. We can benefit from his goodness to us in all that we do.

Today we will look at a Psalm that emphasizes this wonderful reality of the God-centered life. This is one of the few Psalms that probably wasn't written by King David; it might have been written by Hezekiah. It is a beautiful song of God's grace over us. Let's listen to it:

(1) I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? (2) My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. (3) He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; (4) indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (5) The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; (6) the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. (7) The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; (8) the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Did you notice that recurring phrase? "Watch over." It appears five times in this Psalm. This is what God does: he watches over us. We live in his grace.

This Psalm is written from the perspective of a pilgrim on a journey to Jerusalem, most likely to worship and sacrifice at the temple. He expects that in the course of his journey he will face stressful situations, and he affirms his faith that God is watching over him and will take care of him.

In our journey through life, God is watching over us. He promises to take care of us. As we look at the symbolism of these verses in Psalm 121, I want you to notice three crucial areas of life in which you can count on God's help. First of all, he watches over you...

1. When Life Is Uncertain

This Psalm begins...

(v. 1) I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?

In other versions, "hills" is translated as "mountains." The Psalmist is referring to the mountainous area of Jerusalem, the ultimate destination of his journey. These mountains, though beautiful from a distance, were anything but safe. Not only was the journey through them treacherous, but also they had become hideouts for bandits who would attack travelers as they passed through. As the Psalmist began his journey toward the mountains, he said...

(v. 2) My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

In other words, he's saying, "These mountains don't scare me, because the one who made these mountains is watching over me." Listen to what he said...

(v. 3) He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

God has made a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week, around-the-clock commitment to take care of you.

The mountains of life cannot be avoided—the rugged terrain, the danger within. But we can face the mountains—the uncertainties of life—with the assurance that God is taking care of us. Our help is from him.

Does that mean nothing bad can ever happen to us? Actually, yes, that's exactly what it means—but not in the sense that we might think.

God has made a wonderful promise in scripture that we cling to no matter how uncertain things in life become. The Apostle Paul said...

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

The future is uncertain; we don't know what will happen from day to day. Sometimes it will be pleasant and sometimes it will be unpleasant. Yet, through it all, we have his promise that no matter what happens, it will ultimately work out for our good, and his glory, if we put our trust in him. That's grace at work in your life. God watches over you when life is uncertain. Secondly, God watches over you...

2. When the Heat Is On.

The Psalmist wrote...

(v. 5) The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day...

Some people might say, "It's not the uncertainties of the future that bother me; it's the certainties of right now that I'm worried about. I've got problems you wouldn't believe!"

I have a friend in Houston whose business was adversely affected by the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy, and it has been further threatened by the fallout of the Enron bankruptcy. Every day brings a new crisis, it seems, and he is struggling to keep his head above water.

Most people in his position would be falling apart emotionally, but my friend has maintained an even perspective. A few days ago he said to me, "If I have to start over, I'll start over. This isn't the worst thing in life that could happen. It's not like I've lost my salvation." I said, "But aren't you worried about the damage to your reputation if you lose your business? Are you worried about losing your credibility?" He said, "If I have to rebuild my reputation as I rebuild my business, then I'll rebuild them both. And God will help me every step of the way."

That's how God's grace is at work in your life. Even when we go through the heat, he makes it bearable by providing (as the Psalmist said) "shade at your right hand."

Have you ever stepped into the shade on a sweltering hot August day? You know what a relief it is, don't you? It's an amazing thing, shade. The temperature outside hasn't changed, but when you sit down under a shade tree, the heat becomes tolerable.

That's the same effect the grace of God has on your life. He may not take you out of the heat, but he'll provide shelter to help you bear the heat.

God's presence in your life doesn't mean that your problems will go away; it means that your problems won't get the best of you. God watches over you even when the heat is on. The third thing I want you to notice is, God watches over you...

3. In Your Darkest Hours.

The Psalmist wrote...

(v. 6) The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

Of course, he's speaking symbolically here—poetically, you might say. In reality, we have nothing to fear from the moon. He is referring to the darkness of our fears, our loneliness, the darkness of our pain. The darkness we experience when we hear from our doctor the word "cancer"; or from our spouse the word "divorce." When a child admits to having a drug problem, or being pregnant; when someone close to you dies; or when you fight a losing battle with sin. These events bring darkness into our lives—fear, panic, regret—and it is in these times that God's grace watches over us.

In the book of Romans, Paul wrote these words...

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:35, 37)

The pilgrim who wrote Psalm 121 made his journey with the assurance that even in the darkest hours of the night, God would be watching over him, guiding him safely. This is the grace of God at work in your life.

CONCLUSION

We've all heard the song, "From a Distance" by Bette Midler. The chorus says, "God is watching us, God is watching us...from a distance." The song has a good message, but it's not completely accurate. God is watching us—but it's not from a distance. He's right here with you. He's not observing you through a telescope as you face the uncertainties of life; he's right there with you. He's not viewing you through a satellite when you're going the fiery trials of life; he's with you, offering you shade from the sun and relief from the heat. He's not watching you from a remote heaven as you face the darkest hours of you life; he's right there with you, and even the darkest hour cannot hurt you.

The Psalmist wrote...

(v. 7-8) The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Notice he says: "your coming and going." As you go through the day-to-day rituals of life, he is watching over you. He wants to be your source of help, your source of strength. And he will be, if you turn to him.

It's called "Amazing Grace" because God, in his infinite goodness, treats us far better than we deserve. And, in his infinite goodness, he takes care of us when we can't take care of ourselves—when life is uncertain, when the heat is on, in our darkest hours.

Do you want to experience his grace in your life? Do you want to live with the assurance that he is watching over you? Here's how: ask. In your day-to-day "coming and going," ask for his help, ask for his strength, ask for his presence in your life. He's there. He's watching over you. He'll take care of you.

Steve May has been a pastor to pastors for more than 20 years, helping preachers and teachers to become more effective communicators of the gospel.

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Sermon Outline:

Introduction

Christians live in God?s grace because he watches over them.

I. When life is uncertain

II. When the heat is on

III. In your darkest hours

Conclusion

If you want to experience God?s grace, turn to him and ask.