Jesus the Restorer of hands and hearts
Luke 6:6-12
Our front lawn in this summer heat has been turning from thick and green, to greenish-yellow, to yellow-brown, in places it has withered away and died. This last rain has helped, it has turned greener, and thicker again. What caused the lawn to rejuvenate? The rain helped to revive it.
This story of my lawn that withered away and was revitalized is a good illustration concerning God, and man.
Withered & Revived
In Luke chapter 6 we have (2) lessons to learn from.
1st a man with a withered hand, that prevented the man from living as actively as he wanted to live
2nd a withered church. That failed to live dynamically.
Billy Graham once said:
" We take excellent care of our bodies, which we have for only a lifetime; yet we let our souls wither which we will have for eternity."
Withered means:
That which once held life, but now the life is gone. (Like my once green lawn)
That which was once strong is now fragile and weak.
That which was once beautiful is now twisted and deformed.
That designed to be functional, effective - but rendered powerless.
Hope withers into pessimism.
Faith withers into cynicism.
Love withers into selfishness.
Luke 6:6-11
6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?" 10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Revitalization is God’s special work.
Revitalization means to resurrect that, which was too far-gone.
Revitalization means to make as good as it’s ever been.
Revitalization means to completely renew.
As evidence
Lazarus - reversed the process of decay, restored him not just alive, but well.
Gadarene Demoniac - not just cast out the legions, but clothed and restored to his right mind (as if they never been there)
Crippled man at the Pool of Bethesda
The woman with an issue of blood handed her need over with a simple touch.
In Luke 5:12-16 we have a touching story that focuses attention on the inner needs of human beings, and shows us Jesus’ concern for these needs
A leper came to Jesus and fell down in front of Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."
Recognizing the spiritual implications.
1. First he dealt with a withered hand.
2. Many today are withered;
Withered, heats, minds, vision, faith, emotions
Jesus commanded him Stretch forth thy hand
A. He had to hand over his handicap.
1. We’ve held that thing close to our bosom long enough.
2. Jesus won’t take your need from you, you’ve got to hand it over.
2. By dealing with a withered Hand, He dealt with a withered congregation.
THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH is a ministry of people. When a church lives, it lives because the people within are vital and active. When a church dies, it withers and dies not because the brick and mortar and carpet and pews get old and begin to crack and rip and crumble. A church withers and dies because the people wither and die.
Mark 3:5
And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Being grieved by their hardness of their hearts (Their first love had withered away)
Being grieved by their obstinate stupidity and blindness.
It is hard when nothing moves it; when a man is insensible to the sufferings of others, to the dangers of his own condition, and to the commands of love, and to God.
a. Like this man’s hand, this synagogue was designed to be a blessing, but instead it had become a burden. (Nothing heavier than lifeless religion)
b. Designed to reveal Jehovah God, but it failed to recognize Him.
c. Designed to minister to the needs of the people yet this man had sat for years with no help.
d. Withered because they become distracted from their real purpose.
e. Withered because they become separated from their life source.
Restoration begins right now. Will you be honest before God and hand over that withered area of your life?
Joel 2:25-27.
"And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten," etc. These words refer to a twofold restoration.
Lost years can never literally be restored. Time past is gone, and you cannot have it back. As you think about this, it will strike you that the locust did not eat the years; they ate the fruit of the years.
There is a strange and wonderful way that God can give back wasted blessings, the unripened fruit of past years.
If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23). There is a power beyond all things that can work great wonders. Who can make all the devouring locust restore their prey? God alone can do what seems impossible.
This is the promise of His grace: I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten (Joel 2:25). God can give back all those years of sorrow, and you will be the better for them. God will grind sunlight out of your black nights. In the oven of affliction, grace will prepare the bread of delight. Someday you will thank God for all your sadness.
God restores is several ways
For not only would God forgive and restore sinners to be sons of God, but He would also empower their lives, that they might be freed from all that had enslaved them before.
Renewal does not mean changing a habit and a few prayers.
Renewal is faithfulness.
Renewal means seeking holiness.
Renewal means the exercise of sincere and patient charity, spontaneous sacrifice and generosity of heart.
Restored through
1) Worship.
2) Fellowship
3) Communion
4) Prayer
Abound in You
Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) was a
Dutch theologian and scholar.
Sever me from myself that I may be grateful to you;
May I perish to myself that I may be safe in you;
May I die to myself that I may live in you;
May I wither to myself that I may blossom in you;
May I be emptied of myself that I may abound in you;
May I be nothing to myself that I may be all to you.
