In 50 years of ministry, I preached 50 Easter Sunday sermons, but I can only remember one of them. The best Easter sermon I ever preached was one where I didn’t actually preach. Instead, I interviewed a woman who is one of God’s many miracles of redemption and grace.
Her life before meeting Jesus was typical of many who attend Maywood Baptist Church. She was a heroin addict and knew the desperation of being homeless. Like many people in the depths of their addiction, she reached out to God, who loves the addict—and everyone else, for that matter.
God healed her from the serious effects of years of drug use. She was able to find a home and get help with her addiction through Healing House in Kansas City. Since then, she has developed a vibrant relationship with Jesus, her Savior.
It’s now been several years since she helped me preach the best Easter sermon of my career. God has given her a husband, two healthy and lively children, and a career in healthcare. She is one of the major leaders at Maywood Baptist Church and an excellent example of Isaiah’s message of redemption and rebuilding.
Remember these things, O Jacob,
and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you, you are my servant;
O Israel, do not forget me.
I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.
Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it;
shout, O depths of the earth;
break forth into singing, O mountains,
O forest and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob
and will be glorified in Israel. (Isaiah 44:21-23)
When this young woman was homeless, Jesus was with her. When she was in intensive care with a serious liver problem, He was also there. When she cried out for help, Jesus was ready to forgive her sins and heal her broken heart and body.
Not only was she able to leave intensive care, but blood tests revealed that Jesus had completely healed her body.
Just as the heavens and earth sing God’s praises in Isaiah’s poetry, this young woman sings His praise with a personality and a face that exudes gratitude and the love of God.
Prevenient Grace
The Methodist church has a term that captures how God comes looking for us before we ever decide to look for Him.
The theological term is “prevenient grace,” and it refers to the grace of God that “comes before” any human response to God. It is God’s grace that precedes and enables a person’s first movement toward faith and repentance.
Over the years, many people have spoken up in groups I was attending and said, “I know Jesus was with me, even when I was in my addiction and living in a drug house.” I see this as God’s prevenient grace that seeks us before we ever decide to turn to Him.
As we reflect on God’s grace that reaches us before we respond to Him, let’s focus on three key phrases in these verses from Isaiah: Remember, do not forget, and sing.
(1) Remember: I hope you weren’t in a drug house or the ICU when you came to the Lord, but take a moment to remember the time when He reached you.
Before I prayed the simple prayer, “Lord, you can have my life,” I was already interested in Him to some degree. I occasionally read portions of the Bible and prayed. I believe this was the prevenient grace portion of my life with Jesus.
(2) Do not forget: A woman once came forward to receive communion and hesitated before the minister. He said to her, “Take and eat. It is for sinners.”
Let’s never forget that the cross of Christ is God’s solution for our sin problem. God’s grace has redeemed us and is in the process of rebuilding us into the best version of ourselves we can be.
Charles Spurgeon’s book, All of Grace, beautifully captures what we need to remember about God’s love for us.
(3) Sing: If God hadn’t called me into the ministry, I’d probably be in sales pushing cornflakes on unsuspecting breakfast cereal connoisseurs.
As a salesman for the Lord, I always want to be good advertising for Him. I want my words and actions to show His character and nature to the people I meet. Preferably, I want this to be a natural expression of my life.
Now that I have told you my story, take a moment to remember, not forget, and sing of God’s grace in your own life.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 