God's Grace: Finding Hope Through Trials and Humility

 

Summary

In reflecting on the life of Manasseh, we are reminded of the profound truth that God desires to bring sinners to Himself through His word. However, when we refuse to listen, He may choose to lead us back through more challenging paths. Manasseh's story illustrates how God sometimes uses trials and tribulations to capture our attention and draw us closer to Him. The ideal way for a sinner to come to God is by hearing His voice and responding in obedience. Yet, when we resist, God may allow us to experience hardships, not as a punishment, but as a means to bring us to repentance and salvation.

The simplicity of the gospel is often overlooked. Salvation is not about complex rituals or overwhelming emotions; it is about hearing, believing, and living by the word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and through faith, we are justified and saved. The gospel message is straightforward: believe and live. It is not about adding unnecessary burdens to our already heavy loads but about accepting the grace and mercy offered through Jesus Christ.

For those who find themselves in the thorns of life, bound by trials and tribulations, there is hope. God uses these experiences to bring us to a place of humility and dependence on Him. Whether through financial difficulties, loss of loved ones, or personal afflictions, these challenges can be the very means by which God draws us closer to Himself. It is in our emptiness and brokenness that we are most open to receiving His grace.

Ultimately, the call is to come to Jesus just as we are, without pretense or pride. We are invited to trust in Him, to bring our emptiness and allow Him to fill us with His love and mercy. The journey to Christ may be different for each of us, but the destination is the same: a life transformed by His grace and a heart renewed by His love.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Simplicity of Salvation: Salvation is not about complex rituals or overwhelming emotions; it is about hearing, believing, and living by the word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and through faith, we are justified and saved. The gospel message is straightforward: believe and live. [05:19]

2. God's Use of Trials: When we refuse to listen to God's voice, He may allow us to experience hardships, not as a punishment, but as a means to bring us to repentance and salvation. These trials can be the very means by which God draws us closer to Himself. [14:25]

3. Emptiness as a Gift: It is in our emptiness and brokenness that we are most open to receiving God's grace. We are invited to bring our emptiness to Jesus and allow Him to fill us with His love and mercy. [10:09]

4. The Call to Humility: We are called to come to Jesus just as we are, without pretense or pride. Humility before God opens the door to His blessings and forgiveness. [32:30]

5. The Power of the Cross: The cross of Christ is the central symbol of our faith, reminding us of the sacrifice made for our salvation. It is through the cross that we find hope, forgiveness, and eternal life. [34:13]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:12] - Manasseh's Story
- [00:34] - The Proper Way to God
- [01:04] - Coming Among the Thorns
- [02:24] - God's Warnings and Invitations
- [03:52] - The Simplicity of the Gospel
- [05:19] - Faith Comes by Hearing
- [07:32] - The Happy and Accessible Way
- [10:09] - Emptiness and Fulfillment
- [14:25] - Trials as God's Tools
- [17:47] - Extraordinary Troubles
- [21:20] - Loss and Spiritual Awakening
- [23:28] - Mental Trials and God's Call
- [28:56] - Captivity and Deliverance
- [34:13] - The Power of the Cross

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. 2 Chronicles 33:10-11
2. Romans 10:17
3. Matthew 11:28-30

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Observation Questions:

1. What was the initial response of Manasseh and his people when the Lord spoke to them, according to 2 Chronicles 33:10-11? [00:12]

2. How does the sermon describe the "proper way" for a sinner to come to God? [00:34]

3. What does Romans 10:17 say about the role of hearing in developing faith?

4. In the sermon, what are some examples given of trials that God might use to draw people closer to Him? [14:25]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the story of Manasseh illustrate the concept of God using trials to bring people to repentance and salvation? [14:25]

2. What does the sermon suggest about the simplicity of the gospel message, and how does this relate to the idea of faith coming by hearing? [05:19]

3. How might the concept of "emptiness as a gift" be understood in the context of personal trials and tribulations? [10:09]

4. What does the sermon imply about the importance of humility in approaching God, and how does this relate to the call to come to Jesus just as we are? [32:30]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you resisted God's voice. How did that experience shape your faith journey, and what did you learn from it? [14:25]

2. The sermon emphasizes the simplicity of the gospel. How can you focus on the core message of "believe and live" in your daily life, avoiding unnecessary burdens? [05:19]

3. Consider a current trial or hardship in your life. How might this be an opportunity for God to draw you closer to Him, and how can you respond in faith? [14:25]

4. In what ways can you bring your "emptiness" to Jesus this week, allowing Him to fill you with His love and mercy? [10:09]

5. How can you practice humility in your relationship with God, coming to Him without pretense or pride? What steps can you take to cultivate this attitude? [32:30]

6. The sermon mentions the power of the cross as central to our faith. How can you keep the significance of the cross at the forefront of your mind and actions this week? [34:13]

7. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to trust Jesus more fully. What practical steps can you take to deepen your trust in Him? [12:24]

Devotional

Day 1: The Simplicity of Faith
Salvation is not about complex rituals or overwhelming emotions; it is about hearing, believing, and living by the word of God. The gospel message is straightforward: believe and live. Faith comes by hearing, and through faith, we are justified and saved. This simplicity is often overlooked in a world that values complexity and ritual. The essence of the gospel is not about adding unnecessary burdens to our already heavy loads but about accepting the grace and mercy offered through Jesus Christ. The call is to embrace this simplicity and let it transform our lives. [05:19]

Romans 10:17-18 (ESV): "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for 'Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.'"

Reflection: In what ways have you complicated your faith journey? How can you return to the simplicity of hearing and believing God's word today?


Day 2: Trials as Pathways to God
When we refuse to listen to God's voice, He may allow us to experience hardships, not as a punishment, but as a means to bring us to repentance and salvation. These trials can be the very means by which God draws us closer to Himself. Manasseh's story illustrates how God sometimes uses trials and tribulations to capture our attention and draw us closer to Him. The ideal way for a sinner to come to God is by hearing His voice and responding in obedience. Yet, when we resist, God may allow us to experience hardships to bring us to repentance and salvation. [14:25]

James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Reflection: Think of a recent trial you have faced. How might God be using this experience to draw you closer to Him?


Day 3: Emptiness as a Gift
It is in our emptiness and brokenness that we are most open to receiving God's grace. We are invited to bring our emptiness to Jesus and allow Him to fill us with His love and mercy. For those who find themselves in the thorns of life, bound by trials and tribulations, there is hope. God uses these experiences to bring us to a place of humility and dependence on Him. Whether through financial difficulties, loss of loved ones, or personal afflictions, these challenges can be the very means by which God draws us closer to Himself. [10:09]

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV): "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. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel empty or broken? How can you invite Jesus to fill these areas with His grace today?


Day 4: The Call to Humility
We are called to come to Jesus just as we are, without pretense or pride. Humility before God opens the door to His blessings and forgiveness. Ultimately, the call is to come to Jesus just as we are, without pretense or pride. We are invited to trust in Him, to bring our emptiness and allow Him to fill us with His love and mercy. The journey to Christ may be different for each of us, but the destination is the same: a life transformed by His grace and a heart renewed by His love. [32:30]

1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV): "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where pride is holding you back from fully surrendering to Jesus? How can you practice humility in this area today?


Day 5: The Power of the Cross
The cross of Christ is the central symbol of our faith, reminding us of the sacrifice made for our salvation. It is through the cross that we find hope, forgiveness, and eternal life. The cross stands as a powerful reminder of the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is through His sacrifice that we are offered hope, forgiveness, and eternal life. The power of the cross is not just in its symbolism but in the reality of what it represents: the ultimate act of love and redemption. [34:13]

Colossians 1:19-20 (ESV): "For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."

Reflection: How does the reality of the cross impact your daily life and decisions? What steps can you take to live more fully in the light of Christ's sacrifice?

Quotes

The proper way for a sinner to be brought to God is for God to speak to him and for him to hear in Holy scripture. God warns men he tells them that sin is an evil thing and and that if it is persisted in it will bring endless ruin to them. [00:02:12]

Whenever God speaks to us in any way let us listen and listening let us obey especially when he sets before us Jesus crucified and says to us trust in him and you shall be forgiven accept the great sacrifice believe that your sin was laid on him and you shall be forever clear of it. [00:03:43]

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God we hear the gospel we believe it we live by it there is the whole Machinery of Salvation we preach a crucified savior and whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life yet we cannot beat it into men's heads that salvation is so simple as this. [00:05:14]

The gospel message is believe and live why should men want to make their case worse than it is it is already as bad as it can be why struggle to find an impossible addition to your present danger Why Try to import foreign and extraneous griefs into your already unbearable misery. [00:06:46]

The proper way the scriptural way is come to Jesus put your trust in him believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved this then is the happy way it is also an accessible way if I preach to you that you must have so much despair so much of terrible Agony of Soul you might say I cannot go along that road. [00:07:49]

Bring nothing to the Savior except your nothingness come to him empty just as you are in a short time some of the fruits in our Gardens will be ripening suppose we have a fine apple tree or pear tree with fruit on it quite ripe as you stand under it you can imagine that you hear it talk trees have a language. [00:09:19]

So Jesus wants nothing of you but your emptiness and you may come to him just as you are in fact this is the only way to come to him a right if you live in the country where you have an old-fashioned well do you ever say to yourself I dare not let this bucket down till I fill it. [00:10:03]

God often brings men and women to himself by taking their children from him there was a sheep that would not follow the shepherd so he stooped down and took the lamb up in his bosom and walked away with it and then the mother followed bleeding after him it may be so with all of you who have lost dear children. [00:21:22]

In brief all I have been saying amounts to this take the old road by the Cross of Christ and do not need to have your path strewn with thorns come to Jesus just as you are and come now spirit of God draw them I feel that my words are so feeble when I talk to you about this great salvation. [00:22:39]

Christ died for sinners Christ died the just for the unjust to bring us to To God In Due Time Christ died for the ungodly now look this way look to Jesus do not look 20 ways look only this one way the Son of God the son of man bore sin in his own body on the tree. [00:34:24]

Salvation is all in Christ it is not what you are or what you ever will be your hope lies in Jesus Christ dead buried risen again pleading at the right hand of God coming again in glory rest you there my beloved hearer rest you there now whether you have come by the old original right way. [00:34:58]

Where you are tonight where you sit in that Pew or those aisles look to Jesus by faith and the great transaction is done and you are saved what do I mean by by your being saved that you will thereby Escape hell you will do that but I'm not talking about hell just now you will escape from the power of sin. [00:35:47]

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Transcript
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