Overview

1. Look to Jesus, not your circumstances
2. Experience His blessings as you hear Him
3. See Jesus in the Scriptures
4. Keep hearing His words of grace

Look to Jesus, not your circumstances

There are many voices out there competing for our attention today, but God’s desire is that we hear one voice—the voice of His Son and the voice of grace.

What you hear can determine what you believe and how you live. When we hear right, we begin to believe right. And when we believe right, we begin to live right. Right believing changes the way we see ourselves, respond to our circumstances, and trust in the goodness of God. As we place our trust in Him, we can experience His provision, favor, and blessings in our lives.

Pastor Mark shared the testimony of a couple who had once believed they had to earn God’s blessings through their efforts, service, and penance. A poor investment decision had left them heavily in debt, and the resulting pressure brought a lot of tension to their marriage, eventually leading to talk of divorce. In the midst of it all, they felt that God had abandoned them.

Their turning point came when they heard the gospel of grace and began to understand that God’s love and blessings were not earned through their performance but freely given through the finished work of Jesus. As they turned their eyes to Jesus, the Lord began restoring their lives. Within a year, they had paid off their debts and mortgage, and more importantly, their marriage and family relationships were restored. Through it all, they came to see that Jesus is the true source of every blessing and the One they can always depend on.

Living under a constant sense that we have not done enough or measured up can leave us weighed down by guilt and condemnation. And as we saw in this couple’s story, this does not just affect us personally—it can also take a toll on our relationships with those around us.

And when things go wrong, it’s easy for that guilt and condemnation to turn into blame. We see an example of this in John 9. When Jesus and His disciples encountered a man who had been blind from birth, the disciples immediately asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2). Their first response was to look for who was at fault.

In the same way, when things are not going well, the natural tendency can be to ask, “What did I do wrong?” or “Whose fault is this?” But the good news of grace turns our attention away from ourselves and our failures and back to Jesus and His finished work.

Beloved, you don’t have to live weighed down by guilt and condemnation. Instead of dwelling on what went wrong or who is to blame, turn your eyes to the Lord. He knows every challenge you are facing, and He has provided a way out for you. 

The world may be getting darker, but take heart. Our Lord has overcome the world (John 16:33)! Whatever you may be facing, look again to Christ and Him crucified. See afresh how much He loves you, what He has accomplished for you at the cross, and how He is for you today.

Experience His blessings as you hear Him

The Lord does not just want us to know that He is for us. He wants us to experience His goodness and blessings in our lives. And how do we do that?

“And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the LORD your God.”
—Deuteronomy 28:2 AMPC

The Hebrew word translated “heed” is shama, which means “to hear.” The secret to experiencing the Lord’s blessings is in the hearing.

And what are we to hear? The voice of the Lord! As you keep hearing the good news of Jesus and all that He has accomplished for you, faith will arise in your heart to receive from Him.

Notice also the word “overtake.” What a beautiful picture of the Lord’s abundant provision! You do not have to run after His blessings. His blessings will come upon you and overtake you.

Deuteronomy 28 goes on to show us just how far-reaching His blessings are:

“Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.”
—Deuteronomy 28:3 NKJV

The Lord’s blessing goes with you wherever you go. The next verse says:

“Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.”

The “fruit of your body” speaks of your children. Perhaps you have been worried about your child or wondering how things will work out for them. Instead of allowing those concerns to fill your heart with fear, bring them to the Lord. Keep your eyes on Jesus and trust Him to take care of your children.

Then we read,

“Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.”

Your basket and kneading bowl speak of your provision and livelihood. Whatever work the Lord has placed in your hands, you can trust Him to provide for you and to bless all the work of your hand.

Then verse 6 tells us,

“Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.”

So His blessing covers your entire day. From your coming in to your going out, the Lord’s blessing is upon you. You can trust Him to lead you and your loved ones to be at the right place, at the right time, with the right people.

Even when opposition arises, you do not have to be afraid. The Lord will “cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”

You do not have to keep looking over your shoulder at who may have spoken against you or wronged you. The Lord Himself will fight for you.

Finally, verse 8 tells us:

“The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand.”

Perhaps you have been constantly checking your bank account, wondering whether you will have enough. Instead of looking at how much you have left or the size of the need before you, look again to the cross. If your heavenly Father did not spare His own Son but freely gave Him up for you, how shall He not with Him also freely give you all things (Rom. 8:32)?

Or perhaps you’re facing a health challenge today. Take time to see Jesus in the Gospels. See Him healing the sick and having compassion on those who came to Him. Let these stories stir up faith in your heart. You’ll start to see that the Lord is bigger than your problems.

And beloved, even if the situation you are facing is the result of your own mistake, His grace is still greater. Romans 5:20 tells us, “Where sin abounds, grace superabounds.” Today, your heavenly Father is able to restore you, not based on what you’ve done but based on the value of His Son.

So don’t be occupied with your lack, your mistakes, or the size of the challenge before you. Don’t let what you see around you fill your heart with fear. Look to Jesus and all that He has accomplished for you, and let His love and finished work anchor your heart.

See Jesus in the Scriptures

Now, what does it mean to hear the voice of the Lord? We find the answer in the account of His transfiguration on Mount Hermon.

When Peter saw Jesus together with Moses and Elijah, he suggested building three tabernacles—one for each of them (Matt. 17:4). In doing so, he was placing the Lord on the same level as Moses, who represents the law, and Elijah, who represents the prophets.

But before Peter had even finished speaking, the Father responded:

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
—Matthew 17:5 NKJV

The Father did not say, “Hear them.” He said, “Hear Him!”

Notice what happened next. When the disciples heard the Father’s voice, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. Yet Jesus did not distance Himself from them because they had made a mistake. Matthew 17:7 tells us, “But Jesus came and touched them and said, ‘Arise, and do not be afraid.’”

Beloved, no matter where you are today or what you’ve done, the Lord does not turn His back on you because you’ve made a mistake. He draws near to you. He wants you to know His love and hear His words of grace: “Arise, and do not be afraid.”

And when the disciples lifted their eyes, Scripture tells us, “They saw no one but Jesus only” (Matt. 17:8). Their attention was no longer on Moses (the law) or Elijah (the prophets). Their eyes were on Jesus alone.

And this is the Father’s heart for us, too—that our eyes would be on His beloved Son and our ears attentive to His voice of grace, rather than the voice of the law and its demands.

Does this mean we disregard the Old Testament? Certainly not! Our Lord Jesus came to fulfill the law, not abolish it. And He is in the Old Testament concealed—the stories, types, and shadows point us to our Lord Jesus and His finished work.

We can see Jesus in stories like Joseph, David, and even Ruth. Boaz, the wealthy and willing kinsman-redeemer, is a beautiful picture of our Lord Jesus, who was both able and willing to redeem us.

As you read the Scriptures, begin to see Jesus—His beauty, His loveliness, His grace, and His finished work. As you behold Him in the Word, His grace begins to transform you from the inside out.

Pastor Mark also shared a picture of our Lord’s name in Chinese, 耶稣, drawing attention to the elements that depict the ear, fish, and grain. This brings to mind Jesus multiplying the five loaves and two fish, a beautiful picture of how, as we keep hearing the good news of Jesus, He can bring increase in our lives.

Then, in the Chinese character for “blessing,” 祝, Pastor Mark showed how the elements depict God speaking about His Son. Again, it points us back to the same truth: God’s blessings flow when we keep hearing Jesus.

Keep hearing His words of grace

We all want to grow in grace and see good fruit in our lives. And it begins with hearing and continuing to hear the voice of our Lord Jesus and His words of grace.

Hebrews 3:15 tells us:

“Today, if you will hear His voice...”

Notice the word “today.”

Every day is a fresh opportunity to hear His voice and be reminded of what Jesus has accomplished for us. Because it is easy for us to slip back into being conscious of the law and its demands rather than of the Lord’s grace and supply, we need to keep hearing the good news of Jesus. So take time to listen to the Word and let it bring Jesus and His finished work back to the center of your heart. And today, there are so many ways for us to do this.

Pastor Mark shared one final testimony of a student in China whose grades had dropped to near the bottom of his class as pressure mounted ahead of the national college entrance examination. Despite trying different study methods, his grades did not improve, and the stress led to increasing tensions within his family.

The boy eventually surrendered his situation to the Lord. Although his grades did not improve immediately, he continued to trust Him and regularly received comfort and strength through the Day and Night  Daily Experience on the Gospel Partner App. 

A few months before the examination, his grades began to improve, and the family went through the examination period with a deep sense of peace. His final score was more than 60 points higher than his mock examination scores, and he was eventually accepted into his dream top-tier national university!

Perhaps you are also in a season where you have yet to see the breakthrough you are believing the Lord for. Be encouraged to keep receiving His Word and allowing Him to strengthen your heart along the way.

If you are worried about your children, hear the voice of grace and be reminded of how much Jesus loves and cares for your family.

If you are concerned about provision, look again to the cross and be reminded that the Father who freely gave you His Son will also take care of your needs.

If you are discouraged by a mistake you have made, hear again that Jesus’ finished work is greater than your failure and that His grace is there to restore you.

Friend, keep hearing the Son. Take time every day to hear about Jesus—His goodness, His love, and the perfection of His finished work.

Hear Him today. Hear His words of grace.

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These sermon notes were taken by volunteers during the service. They are not a verbatim representation of the sermon.