Responding to God's Call: Humility, Prayer, and Healing
Summary
### Summary
In today's sermon, we delved into the profound message found in 2 Chronicles 7:14, where God speaks to Solomon after the completion of the temple. This scripture is a call to action for God's people, emphasizing the importance of humility, prayer, seeking God's face, and turning from wicked ways. The sermon began with an honest reflection on the current state of our world, filled with injustice, violence, and division, which can lead to discouragement even among the faithful. However, the focus was on how we, as God's people, should respond to these troubling times.
God's message to Solomon is timeless and relevant to us today. It reminds us that despite the chaos around us, we are called to be set apart, to act differently, and to embody the characteristics of God's people. This involves not just calling ourselves Christians but living out our faith through our actions and attitudes. The sermon highlighted the importance of genuine repentance and the need for a deep, personal relationship with God.
The analogy of baking a cake was used to illustrate the necessity of following all the steps outlined in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Just as missing an ingredient can ruin a cake, neglecting any part of God's instructions can hinder the blessings He promises. The sermon concluded with a powerful reminder that God is always listening and ready to forgive and heal our land if we meet His conditions. It is a call for the church to rise, pray, and take its rightful place as God's chosen people, demonstrating love, humility, and faithfulness in a world that desperately needs it.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Importance of Humility and Prayer: Humility is the first step in approaching God. We must acknowledge our dependence on Him and not rely solely on our own strength. Prayer should be our first resort, not our last. It is through prayer that we communicate with God and seek His guidance and intervention in our lives. [01:07:38]
2. Seeking God's Face: This implies a deep desire for a close relationship with God. It is not enough to go through the motions of religious activities; we must earnestly seek His presence and guidance in our lives. This longing for God should be evident in our daily walk and decisions. [01:09:06]
3. Turning from Wicked Ways: Genuine repentance involves a complete turnaround from sinful behaviors. It is not just about feeling sorry but making a conscious decision to change our ways and align our lives with God's will. This step is crucial for experiencing God's forgiveness and healing. [01:10:35]
4. The Power of Unity and Obedience: The word "and" in 2 Chronicles 7:14 ties all the steps together, emphasizing that we must follow all of God's instructions to receive His promises. Unity in the church and collective obedience to God's word are essential for His blessings to manifest in our lives and communities. [01:11:19]
5. God's Promise of Healing and Forgiveness: When we meet God's conditions, He promises to hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land. This is a powerful reminder that the current conditions of our world are not permanent. There is hope and restoration available through God's grace and mercy. [01:13:29]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[52:11] - Introduction and Key Verse
[53:35] - Reflections on Current Events
[54:48] - The Church's Response
[55:55] - God's Instructions to Solomon
[57:39] - Acting Differently as God's People
[58:27] - Relevance of God's Word Today
[59:29] - Authority of God's People
[01:00:22] - Characteristics of God's People
[01:01:13] - True Commitment to God
[01:02:30] - Examining Our Fruits
[01:03:12] - True Discipleship
[01:03:45] - Reputation and Conduct
[01:04:20] - Fruits of the Spirit
[01:04:43] - Love and Service
[01:05:04] - Identifying as Disciples
[01:05:23] - The Conditional "If"
[01:07:38] - Humility and Dependence on God
[01:09:06] - The Necessity of Prayer
[01:10:35] - Turning from Wicked Ways
[01:11:19] - The Binding "And"
[01:12:55] - Following All Steps
[01:13:29] - God's Promises
[01:14:23] - Healing the Land
[01:15:02] - God's Attention and Response
[01:16:30] - Invitation to Follow Jesus
[01:17:32] - Responsibility as God's People
[01:24:11] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
- 2 Chronicles 7:14
- Matthew 7:21
- Galatians 5:22-23
### Observation Questions
1. What are the four actions that God calls His people to take in 2 Chronicles 7:14?
2. According to the sermon, what are some current events that can cause discouragement among believers? [53:35]
3. What analogy did the pastor use to explain the importance of following all of God's instructions in 2 Chronicles 7:14? [01:11:19]
4. What does Matthew 7:21 say about those who call themselves followers of Christ but do not do the will of the Father?
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is humility considered the first step in approaching God according to the sermon? [01:07:38]
2. How does the sermon explain the significance of the word "and" in 2 Chronicles 7:14? [01:11:19]
3. What does it mean to "seek God's face" and how is this different from merely participating in religious activities? [01:09:06]
4. How does the pastor relate the concept of genuine repentance to turning from wicked ways? [01:10:35]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you relied on your own strength instead of humbling yourself before God. How can you change your approach in similar situations in the future? [01:07:38]
2. The sermon mentioned the importance of prayer as a first resort. How can you make prayer a more integral part of your daily routine? [01:09:06]
3. Think of a specific area in your life where you need to turn from wicked ways. What steps can you take this week to align your actions with God's will? [01:10:35]
4. The pastor emphasized the power of unity and obedience in the church. How can you contribute to fostering unity and collective obedience in your small group or church community? [01:11:19]
5. Identify one way you can seek a deeper relationship with God this week. What practical steps will you take to seek His face more earnestly? [01:09:06]
6. The sermon highlighted the importance of demonstrating love, humility, and faithfulness. Choose one of these characteristics and describe a specific action you will take to embody it in your interactions this week. [01:04:20]
7. Reflect on the promise of healing and forgiveness in 2 Chronicles 7:14. How does this promise give you hope in the current state of the world, and how can you share this hope with others? [01:13:29]
Devotional
Day 1: Humility and Dependence on God
Humility is the first step in approaching God. We must acknowledge our dependence on Him and not rely solely on our own strength. Prayer should be our first resort, not our last. It is through prayer that we communicate with God and seek His guidance and intervention in our lives. [01:07:38]
James 4:10 (ESV): "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."
Reflection: In what areas of your life are you relying on your own strength instead of seeking God's help? How can you intentionally practice humility and dependence on God today?
Day 2: Seeking God's Face
This implies a deep desire for a close relationship with God. It is not enough to go through the motions of religious activities; we must earnestly seek His presence and guidance in our lives. This longing for God should be evident in our daily walk and decisions. [01:09:06]
Psalm 27:8 (ESV): "You have said, 'Seek my face.' My heart says to you, 'Your face, Lord, do I seek.'"
Reflection: How can you make seeking God's presence a priority in your daily routine? What specific steps can you take to deepen your relationship with Him?
Day 3: Turning from Wicked Ways
Genuine repentance involves a complete turnaround from sinful behaviors. It is not just about feeling sorry but making a conscious decision to change our ways and align our lives with God's will. This step is crucial for experiencing God's forgiveness and healing. [01:10:35]
Isaiah 55:7 (ESV): "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
Reflection: Is there a specific sin or habit in your life that you need to turn away from? What practical steps can you take to align your actions with God's will?
Day 4: The Binding "And"
The word "and" in 2 Chronicles 7:14 ties all the steps together, emphasizing that we must follow all of God's instructions to receive His promises. Unity in the church and collective obedience to God's word are essential for His blessings to manifest in our lives and communities. [01:11:19]
Ephesians 4:3 (ESV): "Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
Reflection: How can you contribute to unity within your church community? What actions can you take to promote collective obedience to God's word?
Day 5: God's Promise of Healing and Forgiveness
When we meet God's conditions, He promises to hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land. This is a powerful reminder that the current conditions of our world are not permanent. There is hope and restoration available through God's grace and mercy. [01:13:29]
Jeremiah 33:6 (ESV): "Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security."
Reflection: In what ways do you need God's healing and forgiveness in your life? How can you trust in His promise of restoration and take steps towards experiencing His grace and mercy?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, look what God said. If you follow what I tell you to do, then I said, then will I hear from heaven. just simply do what I tell you to do, talking to his people now, talking to the church, if you just, then will I hear from heaven. Not only hear from heaven, he said, and oh God, this is so good. Not only will he hear from heaven, he said, and I will forgive their sin. Not only will he hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and he'll heal their land." [01:13:29] (168 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The first thing that we are told to do is humble ourselves. Part of being humble is telling God that we need Him. The problem with us sometimes, we try to fix everything all by ourselves. Tell God that we need Him. Tell Him that there's a dependency upon Him. We shouldn't be too proud to ask for God's help." [01:07:38] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Forgiveness of sin goes hand in hand with healing the land. But the thing is, the land has a sin problem. The land has a sin problem and this is the answer. How can that healing blessing be sin? And that's why it's so important that we all hate and sharing the word of God because the land has a sin problem." [01:14:23] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "There's so many folk who are following unnecessary trends, following the wrong path because they're paying attention to what the church is doing. And there's going to come a time where I believe that folk are going to come running to the church. And yeah, it might just get that bad. It might just get that bad. But God has to get our attention somehow. He's got to get our attention somehow. The question is, are we listening?" [01:17:06] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Jesus is the answer. He came and died so that we all might live and have a right to the tree of life. And here is the good news, family, Romans 10 and 9, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, then thou shalt be saved. That's the word." [01:16:30] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "There should be some characteristics. That demonstrate that you are a child of God. I said should be. There's really two types of my people. What you called by my name. The first type is. Those who call themselves child of God. Now. You call yourself a child of God. But if you don't show any fruit. You might need to re-examine yourself." [01:03:12] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "We cannot get caught up in the conditions of what's happening in the world in the first day that we want to do and go report something and say something on Facebook and try to agree with folk and try to like what they say and do all of that type of stuff. Our posture in this season ought to be to pray. And if there are folk that contradict that, ask them how to pray." [01:09:06] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Now, the fourth thing is to turn from our ways. Words of sorrow must be followed up by actions that match. To turn from one's sinful ways is precisely what the biblical teaching about repentance means. To do an about-face reversing the course of one's conduct. Acknowledge your sins and surrender to Jesus." [01:10:35] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The call to action that the church ought to have for such a time as this. Well, I would come to tell you. You know, a few weeks ago. We saw a debate. We about lost our mind. We in bad shape now. I don't know what we gonna do. Well, I would tell you that it don't matter. Who in the white house. Cause I know who's sitting on the throne. Don't matter who in the senate. Cause I know who's sitting on throne." [59:29] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "And this is where, and this is where the church and the people of God, we need to be mindful of how we respond to these events that are occurring in this world. Yeah, I've seen some of the comments that say, I don't know if it was real or if it was even staged. I've seen those comments, but we cannot be promoters of discord because we got in the media. And in this world, it's my people which are called by my name." [55:55] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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