Have you ever tried something and failed really bad at it? Failure is rarely a reason to give up and quit. We just finished listening to a zillion campaign commercials. Among the candidates who lost are candidates who will one day become great political figures. Among the candidates who won, are many who lost several times before they finally were elected.
Let me tell you of one candidate you know about. Imagine, how easy it would have been for this young man to have bowed his head and given up. He failed in business in ’31, he was defeated for the legislature in ’32, he was elected to the legislature in ’34. His sweetheart died in ’35, he had a nervous breakdown in ’36, he was defeated for speaker in ’38, he was defeated for elector in ’40, he was defeated for Congress in ’43, he was elected to Congress in ’46, defeated for Congress in ’48, defeated for Senate in ’50, defeated for vice president in ’56 and for Senate in ’58. But fortunately he was elected president in 1860. His name was Abraham Lincoln. He proves that failure need not be permanent.
We like to think that success is based on one victory after another, but even in the sports world, we know that simply is not true. Hank Aaron, the African American who broke Babe Ruth’s home run record, struck out more times than 99% of the players who make it to the major league. Yet we do not remember him for the strike outs, just the home runs. He was of the belief after each strike out, if I just get another chance, I’ll hit a home run.
Everybody who finds their way to Jesus Christ, comes with the realization somewhere along the line, they failed miserably in their relationship to God. They come to God, not with a bold list of demands, but in a humble spirit in need of a second chance. I do not fully understand where we got the image of God being an old angry man with a long beard ready to zap us from out of space for each error we make, but it did not come from the Bible.
For the bible informs me that our God is a Second chance God. He took a murderer by the name of Moses, and turn him into a great national and spiritual leader. He took a liar and deceiver by the name of Jacob, and made him the cornerstone of a nation. He took an adulterer and murderer like David, and used him to write many of the Psalms to strengthen and encourage the people of God. He took a woman who had been married and divorced five times and was now living with a sixth man and turned her into the first evangelist to go into Samaria. He took some of us, who know what we were, and turned us into to what we are becoming today.
Today we are going to talk about the extreme grace and forgiveness of god. In my message tonight we will talk about a leader who worshipped everything God detested. Not only that he led his nation to do the same. He worshipped other gods, he even sacrificed children to them. How many of us in this room have really messed up with God? I think I can safely say everyone in this room has failed God at one point or time. Some of you might be saying, yeah but you haven’t blown it as bad as me. I have committed sins that are unpardonable. God could never forgive me of these unpardonable sins. Today we are looking to look at God’s Faithfulness in forgiveness.
Open your Bibles to 2 Chron. 33:1-20
2 Chronicles 33
Manasseh Succeeds Hezekiah in Judah
1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.
2He did evil in the sight of the LORD according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel.
3For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he also erected altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
4He built altars in the house of the LORD of which the LORD had said, "My name shall be in Jerusalem forever."
5For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
6He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
7Then he put the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever;
8and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them according to all the law, the statutes and the ordinances given through Moses."
9Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.
Manasseh’s Idolatry Rebuked
10The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.
11Therefore the LORD brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.
12When he was in distress, he entreated the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
13When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.
14Now after this he built the outer wall of the city of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance of the Fish Gate; and he encircled the Ophel with it and made it very high. Then he put army commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.
15He also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, as well as all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city.
16He set up the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.
Let us pray
1. The great chasm between a Holy God and sinful man(realize that you are a sinner)
A lot of times God chastens us to get our attention.
(Heb 12:5 KJVR) And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
(Heb 12:6 KJVR) For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
(Heb 12:7 KJVR) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
How comforting that should be to us. To know that one of the intimate Father son moments is when God is discipling us. That is when we know we are His. How many time do we groan about the sufferings we may be going through oblivious to the work Christ is doing behind the scenes. When we are in this times we need to evaluate our situations and ask is God trying to correct me. Is there something I need to address in my life. Manasseh was doing everything against God’s will and God got His attention. So step 2 is the major crisis that helps us see who Christ is. He is our redeemer and the only one that can rescue us from the sinful pit. Notice what Manasseh does in verse 12, humbled himself greatly before God. As we say in the south he had some humble pie. That is the key to forgiveness is humbling yourself before an almighty God. In the first verses Manasseh was a sinner oblivious to his sin now he is very aware of it. He comes to God in brokedness and humility. Here Manasseh realizes he needs a savior and look at what he does next.
(2.)Confess your sins before your loving Heavenly Father
(2Ch 33:13 KJVR) And prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God. Manasseh humbled himself and prayed. God heard his prayer forgave him and returned him back to his kingdom. What a gracious heavenly Father. Here is a man that led his country to worship pagan gods, sacrificed in God’s temple, carved idols in God’s temple, he even sacrificed his children to these gods. Yet God didn’t hesitate to forgive him Aren’t you glad that forgiveness rests on the Lord? It would be hard for me to forgive that but not God. Max Lucado in his book Grip of Grace talks about Jeffrey Dahmer, one of the lowest forms of human life ever to exist. This man did things that only animals did, a true barbarian. In this chapter he talks about Jeffery Dahmer becoming a Christian at the end of his life and how hard that is to accept for people. That a convicted murderer if his conversion was sincere which by all accounts was is extreme grace. Aren’t we glad we have a merciful Savior. Manassah is an awful person, but look at how quick God forgives him with a humble and sincere heart. The Bible tells us, (Rom 10:9 KJVR) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.(Rom 10:10 KJVR) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Mannasseh called on the name of God and God true to his word forgave him.(1Jo 1:9 KJVR) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. What a merciful Savior, no matter how bad you have messed up God is faithful and just to forgive you.
(3.) Changed lifestyle Confirms Christ as Lord of your life.
(2Ch 33:15 KJVR) And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.
(2Ch 33:16 KJVR) And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.
Before Manassehs conversion experience he is sacrificing to and worshipping heathen god’s now look at him. He repairs the altar of the Lord, sacrifices offerings, and commands Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. That is what true Christianity looks like. You are living in a life of sin and you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and savior and then you have a life- changing experience.
(Eph 4:22 KJVR) That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
(Eph 4:23 KJVR) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
(Eph 4:24 KJVR) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
You become a new man. You are changed, you now walk after God in holiness and true righteousness. Your changed lifestyle confirms Christ as Lord of your life
The story of Mannaseh is a perfect plan of salvation. (1.) First admit that you are a sinner, the Bible tells us in (Rom 3:23 KJVR) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; We have all sinned everyone in this room. (2.) Believe that Christ died for your sins and rose again and Confess with your mouth that Christ is the Lord and Savior of your life.(Rom 10:9 KJVR) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.(3.) Commit your life to Christ and live every breathing moment for Him. If you have never given Jesus Christ Lordship of your life I urge you to do it tonight. If you are already a Christian and realize that you aren’t where you need to be in your Christian walk, I urge you to get things right with Him tonight.
