Embracing God's Grace and Mercy in Our Lives

Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound concepts of grace and mercy, delving into their biblical meanings and implications for our lives. We began by revisiting the idea of mercy, which is not merely about avoiding punishment but about experiencing God's healing presence. This mercy is akin to the soothing and healing properties of oil, as understood in biblical times. It is a call to embrace God's compassion and healing rather than fearing His wrath.

We then transitioned to discussing grace, a concept often confused with mercy. Grace is the empowering presence of God that enables us to do what we cannot do on our own. It is the divine influence that brings joy and gratitude, and it is through grace that we experience spiritual gifts and transformation. Grace is not something we can earn; it is a gift that empowers us to live the life God calls us to.

We also touched on the nature of God, emphasizing His essence and energies. While God's essence is vast and unknowable, His energies are how we experience Him in the world. This duality highlights the mystery of God and the importance of approaching Him with humility and openness.

The story of Job was used to illustrate the complexity of suffering and the misconception of divine retribution. We learned that suffering is not always a result of sin but can be an opportunity for God's glory to be revealed. This understanding challenges us to trust in God's goodness and His plans, even when we face hardships.

Finally, we discussed how to access God's grace. It requires our participation and cooperation, a willingness to walk with God and engage in His work. We must humble ourselves, embrace our weaknesses, and approach the throne of grace with boldness. By doing so, we open ourselves to the transformative power of God's grace, which empowers us to live beyond our human capabilities.

Key Takeaways:

- Mercy as Healing Presence: Mercy is not about avoiding punishment but about experiencing God's healing and soothing presence. It is a call to embrace His compassion and healing, moving beyond the fear of wrath. [01:16:51]

- Grace as Empowerment: Grace is the divine empowerment that enables us to do what we cannot do on our own. It brings joy, gratitude, and spiritual gifts, transforming us from the inside out. [01:28:50]

- The Mystery of God: God's essence is vast and unknowable, yet His energies are how we experience Him. This duality invites us to approach Him with humility and openness, acknowledging the mystery of His nature. [01:19:02]

- Suffering and Divine Glory: Suffering is not always a result of sin but can be an opportunity for God's glory to be revealed. Trusting in God's goodness and plans challenges us to see beyond our hardships. [01:23:18]

- Accessing Grace through Participation: To access God's grace, we must participate and cooperate with Him. This involves humbling ourselves, embracing our weaknesses, and approaching the throne of grace with boldness. [01:41:00]

Youtube Chapters:

- [0:00] - Welcome
- [01:13:06] - Testimony and Prayer
- [01:14:15] - Apology and Humor
- [01:15:57] - Understanding Mercy
- [01:17:33] - Mercy in the New Testament
- [01:18:17] - Introduction to Grace
- [01:19:02] - God's Essence and Energies
- [01:21:21] - Teaching Genesis and Job
- [01:23:18] - Suffering and Divine Retribution
- [01:25:00] - God's Unfathomable Essence
- [01:27:15] - Experiencing God's Grace
- [01:28:50] - Definition of Grace
- [01:30:14] - Challenges and Grace
- [01:32:09] - Receiving Grace
- [01:35:52] - Accessing Grace through Relationship
- [01:41:00] - Humility and Participation
- [01:50:07] - Approaching the Throne of Grace

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Isaiah 55:8-9
2. Ephesians 2:8-9
3. Hebrews 4:14-16

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#### Observation Questions
1. How does the sermon describe the difference between mercy and grace? [01:15:57]
2. What are the two aspects of God mentioned in the sermon, and how do they relate to our experience of Him? [01:19:02]
3. According to the sermon, what role does suffering play in revealing God's glory? [01:23:18]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of grace using the example of the Apostle Paul? [01:44:43]

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#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean to experience God's mercy as a "healing presence" rather than merely avoiding punishment? [01:16:51]
2. How does the sermon suggest we can access God's grace through participation and cooperation? [01:41:00]
3. In what ways does the sermon challenge the traditional view of divine retribution in the context of suffering? [01:23:18]
4. How does the sermon explain the relationship between humility and receiving God's grace? [01:42:23]

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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's mercy as a healing presence. How did it change your perspective on God's compassion? [01:16:51]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of humility in accessing grace. What is one area of your life where you need to humble yourself to receive God's grace? [01:42:23]
3. How can you actively participate in God's work this week to access His grace more fully? Consider specific actions you can take. [01:41:00]
4. The sermon discusses the mystery of God's essence and energies. How can you cultivate a sense of awe and openness in your relationship with God? [01:19:02]
5. Think of a current hardship you are facing. How can you shift your perspective to see it as an opportunity for God's glory to be revealed? [01:23:18]
6. The sermon mentions the importance of community in receiving grace. How can you engage with your church community to support and be supported in your spiritual journey? [01:48:01]
7. What practical steps can you take to approach the throne of grace with boldness in your daily prayer life? [01:50:07]

Devotional

Day 1: Mercy as God's Healing Presence
Mercy is often misunderstood as merely the absence of punishment, but it is much more profound. It is about experiencing God's healing and soothing presence, akin to the properties of oil in biblical times. This mercy invites us to embrace God's compassion and healing, moving beyond the fear of His wrath. It is a call to open our hearts to His love and allow His mercy to transform our lives. By understanding mercy in this way, we can approach God with confidence, knowing that His desire is to heal and restore us. [01:16:51]

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a situation where you have been holding onto fear or guilt. How can you invite God's healing mercy into that area of your life today?

Day 2: Grace as Divine Empowerment
Grace is the empowering presence of God that enables us to do what we cannot do on our own. It is not something we can earn; it is a gift that brings joy, gratitude, and spiritual transformation. Through grace, we experience spiritual gifts and are empowered to live the life God calls us to. This divine influence transforms us from the inside out, allowing us to overcome challenges and grow in our faith. Embracing grace means recognizing our limitations and relying on God's strength to guide us. [01:28:50]

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you feel inadequate. How can you rely on God's grace to empower you in this area today?

Day 3: The Mystery of God's Essence and Energies
God's essence is vast and unknowable, yet His energies are how we experience Him in the world. This duality highlights the mystery of God and invites us to approach Him with humility and openness. By acknowledging the mystery of His nature, we can deepen our relationship with Him and grow in our understanding of His love and power. This understanding encourages us to seek God with a humble heart, recognizing that while we may not fully comprehend His essence, we can experience His presence and work in our lives. [01:19:02]

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you cultivate a sense of wonder and humility in your relationship with God today?

Day 4: Suffering as an Opportunity for Divine Glory
Suffering is not always a result of sin but can be an opportunity for God's glory to be revealed. The story of Job illustrates the complexity of suffering and challenges the misconception of divine retribution. By trusting in God's goodness and His plans, we can see beyond our hardships and recognize the potential for growth and transformation. This understanding encourages us to trust in God's purposes, even when we face difficulties, and to seek His presence in the midst of our struggles. [01:23:18]

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a recent hardship you have faced. How can you see God's glory being revealed through this experience?

Day 5: Accessing Grace through Participation and Humility
To access God's grace, we must participate and cooperate with Him. This involves humbling ourselves, embracing our weaknesses, and approaching the throne of grace with boldness. By doing so, we open ourselves to the transformative power of God's grace, which empowers us to live beyond our human capabilities. This participation requires a willingness to walk with God and engage in His work, trusting that His grace will sustain and guide us. [01:41:00]

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16, ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to humble yourself and participate in God's work, allowing His grace to transform you?

Quotes

1) "When we're asking for God's mercy, when the word talks about God's mercy, it's actually speaking about this healing presence of God, right? Because olive oil back in biblical times was used for different things, but it was really used for massaging into wounds and bruises and things like that. So when we're asking for mercy, we're asking for his soothing, for his healing. That's what we're asking for. So it's... It's a huge change because, you know, we kind of have this, you know, we're influenced by Puritan culture and there's this sermon that was preached called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, and that's kind of our idea of mercy. Like he's just barely dangling us over the fire. It's like, I'm going to have mercy and no, I'm not going to throw you in. But that's not it at all. It's more his compassion. His compassion towards you is so great." [01:16:51] (55 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2) "See, the thing is, when Jesus was walking the earth, his mercy was his compassion towards people, right? Like it says that he was moved with compassion, but it's his grace that actually fulfilled the healing, that actually made the healing happen. It's his power. It's his grace. So we're going to get to grace, but I first feel like we need to talk about God. Yeah, we're in church. We're going to talk about God. See, the ancient church. The ancient church, talking about God, they believed that there were these two aspects of God. One was his essence, and one was his energies. And I'm not talking about like a new agey, like, your energy's off. Man, I don't like the energy around that guy. It's not that at all. It's energeo. It's talking about the way he energizes things in the earth, the way that he moves in the earth, the way that we experience him in the earth." [01:18:17] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3) "We can't even comprehend the universe, and how can we comprehend the one that put it in order? Right? This essence. This essence. Understand this first. Isaiah 55, 8 through 9 says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Thank God. Thank God that his thoughts are higher than my thoughts. But here's the thing. In the New Testament, Paul says, but we have the mind of Christ. So we can fathom what he speaks. We can understand. But the thing is, that's not to understand. The fullness of God, that's to understand his perspective looking outward on the world. That's to understand what he sees about someone else. That's to understand what he wants, his will in the earth." [01:19:49] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4) "We have to understand that God is good. There is consequence to sin, yes. But God is compassionate. He's full of mercy. And he's full of grace. He is so good. He's better than we think he is. Who alone has immortality? Who dwells in unapproachable light? Whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. That's 1 Timothy 6.16. I'm just going to take a moment. Because Job wrecked me. And I tell you why. Because we're going through this. And there's, you know, Job is going through all the suffering. Then he comes to a point. This is, like, not related to grace at all. But it just, like, hit me. So I'm just going to read this really quick. If that's okay with you guys." [01:23:18] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5) "Grace is the empowerment by the Holy Spirit to do the things that I can't do on my own. To give me the capabilities to do the things that I need to do that I can't do on my own. That's what grace is. Grace is the empowerment of God to do the things I need to do. It's the empowerment of God to live the way I should live. Because you can't white-knuckle that, right? Has anybody tried? It doesn't work. It doesn't work. It's just energizing. You know what's weird? We've had this charger debacle in our family. Chargers that don't work. The kids lost chargers. There's no chargers anywhere and everything's dead. My phone hasn't been fully charged for a week. Then I go in my office and I've got an extra long charging cord that comes out. It's really nice. I plugged it in. I'm like, why isn't this working?" [01:29:36] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6) "His grace empowers me. Also, the spiritual gifts. It's charismata, which are these abilities that are given by the Holy Spirit. Spiritual gifts. Things like prophecy. Healing. Tongues. All these different spiritual gifts. These are also God's grace. So pretty much at the bottom of all this, grace is the empowerment by the Holy Spirit to do the things that I can't do on my own. To give me the capabilities to do the things that I need to do that I can't do on my own. That's what grace is. Grace is the empowerment of God to do the things I need to do. It's the empowerment of God to live the way I should live. Because you can't white-knuckle that, right? Has anybody tried? It doesn't work. It doesn't work." [01:28:50] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7) "We receive grace by receiving from others. And this is why I said that if you need prayer, if you need healing, if you need anything, please come up after church. It doesn't take a super spiritual person to pray for you and for God's grace to come through them and give you what you need. It doesn't take the super Christian. It doesn't take like, I need that person. I mean, maybe the Lord's pointing somebody out to you, but just come up and receive prayer. We've seen so much breakthrough with kids praying for people. Crazy, like crazy breakthrough. Again, I'm talking about the church again, or the school again, but at the school we've seen kids praying for healing for each other and stuff happening. It's crazy. So receive prayer." [01:48:01] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8) "Lastly, we approach the throne of grace. So his essence, is unknowable. The vastness of who he is is unapproachable. But he's made himself known and he's made himself approachable. Hebrews 4, 14 through 16. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the son of God. Let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then, with confidence, draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." [01:50:07] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Chatbot

Transcript

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