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MC Saul used to spit some pretty ugly lyrics.

Murderous threats. Ill intentions. Slapping down serious judgement.

“Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.” (Acts 9.1 NLT)

He saw people outside his tribe as a threat to the establishment.

He was fueled by hatred for the way others believed and how they lived.

But then something huge happened that changed everything…

Saul met Jesus and experienced God’s grace.

Grace changed everything.

Saul changed. He became a new man. He even changed his name to Paul.

His heart changed. He thought differently. He saw things differently. He even sounded different…

He started spittin some new lyrics.

MC Paul brought grace to the microphone.

The new man, the changed man said, “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use if for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” (Acts 20.24).

Paul was now fueled by God’s vision.

He no longer saw people outside his tribe as a threat to the establishment. Rather, he saw them as God’s mission and God’s children.

Paul’s hatred had changed to love.

He received a new focus, purpose, agenda, mission from God.

That’s what grace does. It changes stuff. It changes us. Grace changes everything.

Grace causes us to love God, love people and love life.

Ya ever had someone point out something to you, something off in the distance… and you can’t see it?

I feel like this happens to me often.

It’s frustrating. I feel stupid. I’m tempted to just pretend like I see it – even though I don’t.

I bet we do the same thing with God – can’t see what he sees, get frustrated, feel stupid, tempted to pretend…

Here’s the good news: grace changes our focus.

Grace helps us see what God sees.

Grace gives us perspective, vision and clarity.

Seeing what God sees gives us purpose, significance, a sense of mission and a job to do: joining in God’s agenda to give grace to others.

“Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus.

Saving is all his idea, and all his work.

All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish!

We don’t play a major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing!

No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving.

He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” (Ephesians 2.7-10 MSG)

God’s grace helps me see it…

I have a reason for being: to love God, love people and love life.

Do you see it?

Carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders can be both intoxicating and addictive. When doing important work, it’s easy to think…

“I’m working so hard, doing so much – I’m irreplaceable.”

“I’m the only one who sees, understands, and gets it.”

“Without me, everything will fall apart.”

“Nobody else cares as much as I do.”

The frenzied and stressful pace of trying to be the solution, answer-man and super-achiever quickly spins out of control. The results?

Anger.

Frustration.

Depression.

Excuses.

Blame.

Sometimes, we need to be reminded that the world doesn’t actually rest on our shoulders. We aren’t the only ones who see, understand and get it. There’s still time for naps – and we probably should take one.

The Old Testament prophet Elijah had to learn this lesson.

He had become delusional, intoxicated, addicted to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

He started to believe that he was the only one.

Actually, there were 7,000 others just like him (1 Kings 19.18 & Romans 11.3, 4).

Elijah had become self-absorbed and self-important. He worked alone and was burning out. He was getting angry, frustrated and depressed.

God’s solution?

He had the prophet take a break from working, have several naps and eat properly.

After that, God directed Elijah to recruit someone younger to work with him.

Interesting, isn’t it? Even prophets need naptime.

It’s a great reminder for all of us who are doing “important work” – we all need breaks, naps, healthy food and some young people around us to invest in.

One definition of a hot mess – When one’s thoughts or appearance are in a state of disarray but they maintain an undeniable attractiveness or beauty.

Martha was a hot mess.

She looked good on the outside but was freaking out on the inside.

She was running around like a squirrel on meth trying to get everything just right.

The dinner table was perfectly set but she was beginning to unravel emotionally.

Her hair and makeup were impeccable but she was on the verge of a meltdown.

She was full of stress and anxiety.

And yet… Jesus, the personification of grace, was sitting there – relaxing in her living room!

He gently told her that she was a hot mess.

“Martha, dear martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing.” (Luke 10.41)

Wow. Moment of clarity. Reason. Sanity.

Maybe Jesus is gently telling you that “you’re a hot mess.”

Have you been fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing?

Time for a moment of clarity? Reason? Sanity?

“Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? If fussing can’t even do that, why fuss at all?

Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance – but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby along side them.

If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?” (Luke 12.25-27 MSG)

Squirrels are busy, hardworking, quick and a bit fidgety…

Now, imagine a squirrel on meth:

Anxious.

Super fast.

Stressed out.

Repetitive, obsessive behavior.

Teeth clenching and grinding.

Dark circles under the eyes.

Lack of sleep.

Unpredictable.

Paranoid.

Irritable.

Scary.

Sometimes we behave like squirrels on meth. We go beyond busy and hardworking. We end up stressed out, anxious, irritable, losing sleep, dark circles under our eyes.

That’s no good.

Stress and grace run in opposite directions.

Go with grace… you’ll enjoy the journey and love the destination!

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?

Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.

Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn how to live freely and lightly.” -Jesus (Matthew 11.28-30 MSG)

Do you stress, freak out and (over)react to things?

Do you take simple things and make them complicated?

If so… allow God’s grace to change you!

Here’s what Jesus said:

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers – most of which are never even seen – don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?

What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving.

People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.” (Matthew 6.30-33)

Relax.

Don’t be so preoccupied with getting.

Respond to God’s giving.

People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things – but you know God and how he works.

Steep your life in God – his reality, initiative and provision.

Don’t worry about missing out.

All your needs will be met.

Relax!

Jonah didn’t like the people of Nineveh. In his opinion, they deserved the worst.

He didn’t want to play any part in extending grace or mercy to “these people.”

He was so turned-off by the Ninevehites, when God called him to go preach to them, he ran…

Opposite direction.

Boat.

Storm.

Thrown in.

Swallowed by a whale.

Three days in the whale’s belly.

Whale spit-up…

Running didn’t work. God’s plan was bigger than Jonah’s prejudices and opinions!

Instead of judgment, God poured out His grace on the sinful people of Nineveh.

Jonah was furious. He lost his temper. He yelled at God, “God! I knew it – when I was back home, I knew this was going to happen! That’s why I ran… I knew you were sheer grace and mercy, not easily angered, rich in love, and ready at the drop of a hat to turn your plans of punishment into a program of forgiveness!” (Jonah 4.1, 2 MSG).

Silly Jonah.

He knew God was all grace and mercy.

He received God’s grace and mercy for himself – yet he didn’t want “those people” to receive God’s grace and mercy.

A few lessons we can take away from Jonah:

• Running from God’s plan never works.

• God’s plans are bigger than our prejudices and opinions.

• Don’t try to block the flow of God’s grace and mercy to others (you might end up being whale spit).

• Give, as happily as you’ve received, God’s grace to others!

The religion scholar had just done a fantastic job of summarizing all the commandments – “Love God with everything you have, everything you are… and love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.”

Jesus gave his summary an enthusiastic two thumbs up.

But the religion scholar started to feel trapped. It was a great summary of the law, but did he really want to be held to that standard?

“Looking for a loophole, he asked, And just how would you define neighbor?” (Luke 10.29 MSG)

Jesus, in typical Jesus-fashion, tells a story. It’s a pretty famous story too – it’s where the term “Good Samaritan” came from.

After his story-telling, Jesus asks the religion scholar, “Which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?”

The religion scholar replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Remember how he was looking for a loophole?

Well, he didn’t get one.

There are no loopholes in God’s demand for us to extend mercy and grace to others.

No exception clauses. No excuses. No loopholes.

“You Pharisees manage to find loopholes for getting around the basic matters of justice and God’s love. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required.” (Luke 11.42 MSG)

“God is all mercy and grace.” (Psalm 145.8 MSG)

“I want you to show mercy.” (Matthew 9.13 NLT)

You know those Groucho Marx disguise glasses? The ones with bushy eyebrows, big nose and a Mario-style mustache?

How about Devil Horn glasses? You ever see someone wearing those?

When we look at people, we’re either wearing Devil Horn glasses or God goggles.

Do you see people as God sees them or are you looking at people the way Satan does?

The Bible calls Satan “the accuser” (Revelation 12.10). He’s gifted at hurling judgment, criticism, guilt and accusations. His Devil Horn glasses magnify all that’s bad, wrong, ugly and messed-up.

God sees things differently.

He looks at us through the finished work of the cross – through the blood of Jesus. He sees his creation waiting to be redeemed, restored and renewed. He has compassion on us because we are like sheep without a shepherd – needing to be rescued, cared for and protected.

Before he met Jesus, Paul the Apostle wore Devil Horn glasses. He was on the hunt, looking for people to accuse, judge and condemn. Then he met Jesus, experienced grace… and that changed everything.

Here’s what Paul had to say after experiencing God’s grace:

“God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you…” (Ephesians 3.2 NLT).

He went from looking for people to judge to looking for people to extend God’s grace to.

Paul exchanged those Devil Horn glasses for some God Goggles.

We should do the same.

I remember going to my Scottish great aunt’s house for dinner. Whenever we came over, she prepared the most amazing food and served it on her finest china. I felt like royalty. As a result, I was on my best behavior.

Grace brings out the best in others.

If you treat people the way they deserve to be treated, you just get more of the same behavior.

If you treat people poorly, you invite them to become worse.

If you give grace, you nurture and bring out he best.

Without grace, we tend to…

• Enjoy listening to (or reading) a bad report about someone else.

• Predict someone’s failure.

• Separate ourselves from others, cutting them out of our lives.

• Judge people.

• Cut people down with harsh and unkind words.

• Speak cynically about people we don’t even know.

With grace, we…

• Have a big heart for others (including people who aren’t part of our “tribe”).

• See people the way God sees them – as his kids!

• Bless others (including people we disagree with or don’t understand).

• Speak graciously about people.

• Welcome and include people into our lives.

• Choose to believe the best, not the worst about others.

“Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.” – Colossians 4:5, 6 (The Message)

Grace brings out the best in others!