Max Lucado - Surprised by Grace
Summary:
The preacher wants to remind us that God loves us so deeply that He gave His only Son so whoever believes in Him won’t perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Through a charming story of a man winning free groceries and sharing the prize with a stranger, he illustrates how we’ve received an even greater surprise gift of grace—we can’t pay our sin debt, but Jesus has covered it completely. The conclusion is an invitation to accept this gift, stand with Christ through life’s troubles, and secure eternal life by praying to receive Him.
Greeting and Opening Blessing
All the very best to you on this day from my home to yours. God’s richest blessings! May you be reminded today that God has designed you to live forever. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Expanding Our View of Life
Can we ask God to help us expand our view of our lives to understand that this time in this version of life is just a fraction of our existence? I’ve got a story that I think will illustrate this gift of life. Now, maybe you’re happy, and maybe you’re in a hurry. God bless you! This five-minute message may not resonate with your situation. If so, please, before you slip out, could you let us know how to pray for you? But if you can stay around, I’ve got a story I want to share with you.
Relating to Our Unsettled Times
If you can relate to the theme of being unsettled in these days, not only do I have a story I’d like to share with you, but I also want to pray for you. Again, I know I prayed for you yesterday, but maybe I could pray for you once again. These three words—wounded, worry, weary—seem to describe us. We’re wounded from relationship issues, racism issues. We’re weary; we’re weary from the pandemic. We’re worried; we’re worried about jobs, worried about school. In a word, we’re just so unhappy; we’re unsettled. But John 3:16 promises a gift, a gift of life. A story I heard illustrates it.
The Story’s Origin
Now, to be clear, this story made its way to me from a friend who heard it from a friend who I’m sure heard it from who knows who. So chances are it has suffered through each of the generations and translations. But even if there’s only a splinter of fact in what I heard, oh my goodness, it’s really worth retelling. It seems a fellow is doing some shopping at a commissary on a military base. He doesn’t need much; just came in for some coffee and a loaf of bread.
At the Checkout
He’s standing in line at the checkout stand back in the pre-COVID days, and behind him is a woman with a full cart. Now her basket overflows with groceries and even some appliances. As he turns, he steps up to the register. The clerk invites him to draw a piece of paper out of a fishbowl, and the clerk says, «Now, if you pull out the correct slip, then all your groceries today are free.» Well, the fella asks, «How many correct slips are there?» The person behind the register says, «Well, there’s only one.»
Winning the Prize
Well, the bowl is full, so the chances are slim, but the fella tries anyway. And wouldn’t you know it? He gets the winning ticket! He reaches in and pulls it out—what a surprise! But then he realizes he’s only buying coffee and bread. What a waste. But this fellow, he’s quick. He turns to the lady behind him—the one I told you about with the mountain of stuff in her grocery basket—and proclaims to her, «Well, what do you know, honey? We won! We don’t have to pay a penny!»
Sharing the Good Fortune
She stares at him. He winks at her, and somehow she has the wherewithal to play along. She steps up beside him, puts her arm in his, and smiles. For a moment, they stand side by side, wedded by good fortune. In the parking lot, she consummates the temporary union with a peck on the fella’s cheek and goes her way with this grand story to tell her friends.
The Deeper Meaning
I know, I know, I know what they did was a bit shabby. I get that—he shouldn’t have lied, and she shouldn’t have pretended. But that taken into account, isn’t it still a great story? And isn’t it a story that’s not too distant from our own? Friend, we too have been graced with a surprise—a surprise of grace. Even more than that of the lady. Yeah, her debt was high, but she could pay it. We can’t pay ours; we cannot begin to pay ours.
Our Greater Gift
And we, like the woman, have been given a gift—not just at the checkout stand but at the judgment seat. We too have become a bride, and not just for a moment. We are the bride of Christ for eternity—not just for groceries, but for the feast. And don’t we have a grand story to tell our friends?
God’s Love and Invitation
The story I share with you today, my friend, is that your heavenly Father loves you. In Jesus Christ, He extends to you the offer of an eternal lifetime and welcomes you to stand with Him in these troubling days, in these difficult days. There’s so much I wish I could take away from you—the weariness, the wounding, and the worries. We can do some, but that’s all not going to be taken away until we get home.
Receiving Eternal Life
What can be taken away is your uncertainty about your eternal life. Would you please invite and receive the invitation of Jesus to stand with you, to stand next to you? He offers to you the greatest gift of all—the gift of grace. Just pray something like this: «Dear Lord, I say yes to Your yes. I say yes to You. Thank You; I need You to forgive me. I need You to save me. I need You to be my King, my Lord. Yes, in Jesus' name, amen.»
Closing Hope
Sometimes I think when we come out on the other end of this crazy season, if we’re not first in heaven, if we’re still on earth, we’re going to look up and see a lot of people gave their hearts to Christ during these days. And I pray you’re one of them.