1 Chronicles 4:9-10 READ TEXT “that Your hand would be with me,”
Figuratively the hand of God signifies favor and power in the Bible.But this word hand and prayer means so much more than that.
As we have been studying and praying the prayer of Jabez as a church family my hope is that God will use this prayer in our lives to challenge us to believe God wants to bless us and to increase our influence as we looked at last week.
This week we move to a leap of faith. As we begin to believe God and share Jesus God begins to open up more and more opportunities in our lives for Jesus the enemy begins an assault against us.
Our enemy doesn’t mind if we sit in a pew on Sunday and sing a few songs and associate with other believers. But when we really begin to associate ourselves with the power and presence of the Holy spirit Satan gets nervous.
Here then is the next focus of our series: that Your hand would be with me,The cry of the Christian heart that’s hungry for the presence of Jesus in our lives says, “Dear Lord, I need you.” I am living in total dependence on you being there and coming through for me.
The enemy doesn’t want us to live this way and that’s why some Christians never really step this far in faith. It’s like covert operations behind enemy lines, because as God enlarges our territory for Him we start taking territory away from the enemy.
In the first significant engagement between American troops and the Viet Cong, U.S. soldiers found themselves surrounded and outnumbered by their enemy 450 U.S. against more than 3,000. In the Ia Drang valley the Viet Cong had plenty of experience there 11 years earlier they drove the French completely out of Viet Nam.
So how did 450 Americans, 12,000 miles from home defeat over 3,000 Viet Cong, who knew they terrain, had and extensive tunnel system for troop movement, and the first to fight this new style or war, how did they win?
Simply put, they had a leader who had unshakeable desire to not accept defeat and every one of his men knew that because their leader touched them in such a way that they refused to quit.
You and I have been touched by our Savior and if we want our family to be stronger, our community to be better and our country to turn around you and I have to live under the umbrella of The Power of His Touch. We have to have an unshakeable desire not to accept defeat. So today let’s examine how to go on in faith.
I. Draw Me Close (Hand of God=Protection)
According to God’s Word the grabbing of the hand signified friendship (2 Kings 10:15). I can’t know what Jesus wants me to do unless I stay close to His touch. When
my boys were real little we made them hold our hands as we are walk through a crowded street or parking lot to protect them. But the older they get the less they realize they need to stay close to me.
The reality is as Christians we do the same thing. If we’re not careful and life’s dangers and snares come our way we have got so accustomed to the parking lots and busy streets in the world we quit holding God’s hand.
Is it because we think we have God all figured out? And we know how to cross the street ourselves.
Seminary professor and pastor Harry Emerson Fosdick compared our understanding of God with our understanding of the sea. He said, "I know the sea but I don’t know the vastness of the sea. There is a part of the sea that washes up on the sands of my life. I can bathe in it. It lulls me to sleep with its waves. And yet, I know only a very little part of the sea." It’s the same way with God, isn’t it? He is so close we can almost reach out & touch Him. And yet, He is so magnificent that we will never completely understand all about Him.
The Bible says in Philippians 3:10, “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,” (NKJ) that’s what Paul prayed Jesus I want to know you.
Story is told about an old farm couple who were driving along in their pickup and she says, “We never sit all snuggled up in the truck like we used to.” He looks over at her and replies “I haven’t moved” When we discover as a church or as individual believers that we aren’t as close to God as we once were, understand this He didn’t move, we did.
His hand on our lives, His protection, His blessing is something many christians say they want. But in order to have His hand on us we have to want more of Him—Jesus wants this for us. His heart cried in Matthew 23:37, “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”
Are we willing to draw close to Jesus? See those things near and dear to us we keep close. I pray that God use circumstances, trials good things and not so good things, whatever it takes to keep me close to Him. Lord, Draw us close…
II. Keep Me Clean (Hand of God=Purity)
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
(Isaiah 41:10) Psalm 18:20 reminds us that the Lord rewards us according to our righteousness—according to the cleanness of our hands—WORSHIP!
When we are saved from the power of sin by His death on the cross we have His righteousness placed within us. The closer you and I are to Jesus the more we fall in love with Him the more we hate our sin. Sin becomes the thing we do less of rather than something we plan on doing.
But that’s only part of it. Too many Christians don’t understand the fact and finality of God’s forgiveness. I believe if you surveyed the church of America today and asked them if the are conditionally or completely forgiven most of the people would say emphatically they are only conditionally forgiven. And they base that on how they feel not on what the Bible says. Let me explain:
A. Realize I’m forgiven
The Bible says in Psalm 103:12, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” God removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. Do you understand how far that is? Let me just give you a hint. If you were to travel north from anywhere, at what point would you begin going south? At the north pole. But if you were traveling east from anywhere, at what point would you being going west? You could go east forever and never be going west. That’s how far God removes our sins from us when they are forgiven.
But are we walking in that forgiveness? Are we appropriating that in our lives to live better lives? Has that biblical truth enabled us to forget the past and overcome?
As one of my favorite choruses Amazing Love goes, I’m forgiven because you were forsaken, I’m accepted you were condemned. How many Christians realize because of Jesus we are now totally forgiven and accepted by God? Amazing Love indeed!!!
B. Release Forgiveness to another
Here’s the central issue. Many have failed in this facet of forgiveness and they don’t realize the enemy has them in bondage of resentment and bitterness. They now poison other people rather than live lives than stir others toward God’s love.
Many people today have a problem with this idea of forgiving others. Abuse, neglect, ridicule, words that have been said in anger—But listen to the words of our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount,
“And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.” (Matthew 6:12)
Aren’t most people today looking for forgiveness? Isn’t that the salve for every soul?
The truth is you and I will never feel clean before God if we fail to forgive someone of the sin they have done.
“There is no slightest suggestion that we are offered forgiveness on any other terms. It is made perfectly clear that if we do not forgive, we shall not be forgiven. There are no two ways about it.” C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity p104-105)
When King David finally became king asked if there were any descendants that he could bless as an honor to king Saul and Jonathan, Saul’s son and David’s friend. David forgave Saul and honored Jonathan and one lone survivor of the family was blessed to live in the King’s palace. Understand David had been running for his life for 8 years.
We can never be free to be what God wants us to be if we fail to forgive others along the way. Lord, Draw me Close, Keep Me Clean…
III. Make Me Complete (Hand of God=Perfect)
This word hand in our text not only means the power of God. It means that when I hold Brenda’s hand or my boy’s hands that I keep them close to me and not only that this word means consecration. Set apart through the process of sanctification that we are not complete in Christ until we are growing in that relationship.
You and I can do nothing to change the world or be of any use to God unless we first see we cannot rely on us we have to depend on Him. We have to grow up, through prayer and Bible study and steps of faith if we truly are going to impact eternity. This is the role of the pulpit and the church to help the Christian understand this.
“Most churches do a good job of getting people to first base or maybe even second base. People will receive Christ, be baptized and join the church (that’s getting them to first base). Some churches also do an excellent job of helping believers develop the habits that lead to spiritual maturity (that’s getting to second base). But few churches have a plan to insure that every believer finds an appropriate ministry (third base), and even fewer quip members to win others to Christ and fulfill their life mission (home plate).” Rick Warren
We have done a pitiful job in churches to educate our children, youth, young adults and Senior Saints on the Word of God. Paul said it this way.
“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” (Colossians 1:28)
It’s my job and every preacher’s job to preach in such a way that your faith is perfected.
I will as every pastor before me stand before God and answer for my preaching.
Charles Simeon said that preaching should answer three questions.
Charles Simeon:
1. Does it humble the sinner?
2. Does it exalt the Savior?
3. Does it promote holiness?
The church and the pulpit must have a plan to grow healthy, mature Saints. Christians whose faith is perfected in the Word of God.
Conclusion: Over 58,000 Americans died in Viet Nam. On Panel 3 East at the Viet Nam Memorial you’ll find the names of the 234 who died at the battle for the Ia Drang valley. 242 more were wounded and November 17, 1965 was the deadliest ambush for Americans in the entire Vietnam War, with 155 killed and 126 wounded.
The truth is we who are Christian have been touched by the Master’s hand. How many casualties has taken place in the battles along the way? How many Christians do we know who have been ambushed by the enemy.
David allowed Mephibosheth Jonathan’s son, Saul’s grandson to live in the place. He had been dropped by a nurse when he was a little boy, crippled in his feet the Bible says. You and I have been crippled by sin, the battle is real but His touch is what we all need.
Have you been touched by His power? Then I encourage you to go on in your walk.
Stay close to Him. Pray that for me too.
Stay clean before Him.
You’ll never be complete unless you serve him and tell others about Him. I pray you realize The Power of His Touch because you can make a difference in this world.
PRAY
