I. Introduction: Whatever has “withered up” in your life, God came to make it “whole”!
a. We all have seen or had some things that have “withered up!” (Ex: The recent severe Winter that we have experienced in Florida, seemed to have killed every plant that was left exposed to freezing temperature outside and caused it to “wither!”)
b. Text: (Mk 3:1-6), Jesus heals the man with the “withered hand!” Things can be “withered,” not only physically, but also spiritually.
c. Physically: The man with the “withered” hand, was in a bad condition. “Withered” means that it had “shriveled up!” His hand looked like it was dried up, smaller, useless, this meant he was not able to work. It was attached to him, but was no good to him, and was a burden, it only served to weigh him down, slow him down, sapping his energy, dragging a heavy useless weight around.
d. Spiritually: Not only our hands, but our lives are “withered” without God! Despite the fact that God created us in His image, to be like Him. Since Adam’s sin in the garden, sin separated man from God. God declared that the “day you sin you shall die!”
i. Since man is born in sin, “cut off” from the source of life, he is in a “shriveled up” condition. He is “shriveled up” in his soul, spirit, mind and body. Ultimately if man does not get “reconnected” to God through, being born again by God’s spirit he will die! Destined to spend “eternity in hell! You must receive the “Holy Spirit!”
Man in all of his wisdom and the blessings of God still denies the reality of God, the We need to be “born again” and live a holy, sanctified life in this present world by the power of the Holy Ghost!
II. WITIHERED HAND LESSON: Before He healed the man, he used this as an opportunity to teach them a greater lesson, “Jesus came to give life, do good, even on the Sabbath day. God is not limited by time, or the day of the week!”
a. The spectators were not only cruel to the patient, whom they should have been doing everything they could to help him. But they were cruel to the Physician who came to help him!
i. (3), Jesus tell the man to “Stand forth!”
ii. (4) When he sensed the hardness of their “hearts”, He asked them a question. “Is it right to do evil or do good; heal or kill on the Sabbath?” Jesus grew angry at the sin in their hearts. They were resistant to the “truth” and refused to change. Therefore they said nothing. Jesus said if you are not far me, then you are against me. Even though you may not be saying anything with your lips, but sin is in your heart you are going to be judged.
III. ANGRY. Jesus grew angry, at the “sin” in their heart, but yet He didn’t sin. We must be like Jesus, and develop a “holy anger” at sin, and not at the person, “be ye angry and sin not!”
a. Great sins of Christians today is that “we have become so politically correct, not wanting to defend anyone, that we tolerate everything! WE ARE NOT angry!
b. Nothing “angers” the Christian anymore, at least not the right things! We see evil in the world, Satan wreaking havoc on the lives of families and children and the destruction of the marriage; slaughter of millions of innocent children, who live in the womb; homosexuality rampant; the church, pastors, leaders and Christians are silent!
i. * Ezek 33:6, Isa 56:10, “Son of man I have set you as a watchman, to warn to the people. My watchmen, shepherd, leaders are like “dumb dogs” that open not their mouth. They without knowledge, greedy, sacrificing the people for their own greed.”
c. Who will cry loud the truth of God! God has put it in my spirit to tell you the truth. The truth will make you free! Jesus we are the “salt and the light of the world.” I call you to becaome and “Agent of Transformation!” (Ro 12:2).
i. Make a difference, influence someone to get saved, repent and get the Holy Ghost!” God has given us a “ministry of reconciliation, and called us to be Ambassadors for Jesus Christ!” (2 Cor 5:17-21)
d. If the church and the leaders of God people are silent how shall the people know the truth? “If the blind lead the blind they both will fall into a ditch!”
IV. VALUABLE. Jesus witnessing the hardness of their heart to help the man with the “withered hand,” asked them in
a. Luke 14, “Which of you that had a donkey or ox, would not pull it out of the ditch on a Sabbath day? Then is not a man’s life more valuable than an ox or donkey?”
i. In our society, a man can get sent to prison and heavily fined for “in human” treatment of a dog; cat, horse, bird or turtle!” (Ex: Michael Vick). Not that animals are unimportant or we condone cruelty to animals, but how much more are you, (a human, created in the image of God), worth?
b. Jesus taught, in Mt 6:27, “God takes care of lilies of the field, birds in the air. How much more are you, a human life, to God? “
i. How can we slaughter 5000 unborn children a day, reached the 50 million mark, sin Roe vs Wade, in 1973, on Jan 17, 2010, and call it a “women’s right!” You don’t have the right to shoot your own dog or cat or not feed it, you will go to jail!
c. CALVARY: God sent Jesus, His only begotten Son, the precious lamb of God, the most precious thing that He had (Jh 3:16), to shed his innocent blood for the redemption and the forgiveness of man’s sin! (Not a dog, cat, bird, horses, trees…).
i. God wants you to know that you are the most precious, valuable, thing to Him that He ever created! [“You are valuable to God!”]
V. MIRACLE: Jesus turns his attention from the “spectators” to the “patient.” He tells the man, “Stretch out your hand!” Jesus lets us know that no matter what opposition we may face we must be compelled by the love and faith that we have in God to do and say what God commands, by the grace and power of the Holy Ghost!
a. INTERESTINGLY: Which hand does he stretch out? Interesting, the man stretches out the “withered hand!” The “messed up hand!”
i. Normally people try to “cover up mess!” Things that have “broken, embarrassing or stink” in our life.
ii. We “cover up” things that are embarrassing. (Family, relationships, marriages, divorces, children in jail, backslidden, sickness, financial problems, character defects, lost our jobs, car, house, drug addicts, bad habits, homosexuals, habits).
b. We “pretend” that everything is fine. When everyone around the man knew his hand was withered; everyone know you have a situation, a problem.
VI. CHURCH: We get dressed, come to church and pretend that everything is okay. We refuse to come to the altar, repent and ask God to forgive us, Save me, Fill me with your Holy Ghost, Use me, make me a soul winner !
a. “Straighten out my withered hand!” We are too embarrassed.
b. However, your withered hand is obvious to everyone around you, but you pretending, dressing it up, faking it, loud talking, changing the subject, refusing to answer the phone, the email, the letter. You’re in “self denia” doesn’t alter the fact, “your hand is withered, you need to OBEY Jesus, “Straighten our your hand!”
i. Lord straighten out my withered hand!
c. Ex: (Jh 11:34) Mary and Martha, and Lazarus, you’re too late he’s stinking! But Jesus is never too late and things are never to stinky! Notice Jesus says, “show me where you laid him”
d. Because until you get the courage to show Jesus your mess he can’t fix it!”
VII. I declare to you that Jesus can straighten out your “withered life!”
a. Problem: life is a mess, family, mind, spirit, attitude, emotion, habit, pain, hurt, unforgiveness, rejection, loneliness, depression, suicide. “Turn it over to the Lord!”
i. Stop struggling, “covering up” pretending like everything is okay!
b. You will never be healed until you OBEY the voice of God! “Stretch forth your withered hand!” Stretch out your withered hand in Prayer, Working for the Lord, Giving, (Time and Talent), Witnessing! You will never be healed, Try, Stretch forth!” You will be healed by the power of God!”
c. That’s why we come to church! Be real with the Lord! Cast your (problems), care upon Him! Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden…”
VIII. Jesus is here you can “stretch out your withered hand!” Right now!
a. That which is withered, Jesus already knows! Stop trying to hide it, everyone knows!
b. That withered hand, “can receive strength, grow, move muscles, arm, hand and fingers!”
IX. Challenge you! “Stretch out that withered hand, condition, life!” If you are not saved, baptized in Jesus name! Be filled with the Holy Ghost! “Stretch out that withered hand!”
a. Jesus came that you don’t have to live with that “withered hand,” life, soul, spirit, situation!
b. You are precious to Lord, he died that you don’t have to wither up and die! Don’t you want to live? Be restored and made whole? Stop pretending!
