A Sermon For You
A Ministry of Huckaby’s Evangelism
By- Evangelist Gary Huckaby
And The Hand Of The Lord Was With Them
(Preached at Fellowship Baptist Church
Manchester, Ga - 1990)
Acts 11:19-21, "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus , ands Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus, And the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord."
I believe in Christian education. It starts at home, with the teachers being father and mother, and it begins at birth and will continue through this earthly life on into eternity. Education is a necessity for the human race.
God uses the educated, as well as the uneducated. The success of their life’s service depends on this one basic fact. "The hand of the Lord is with them."
I had rather that God, take me home to heaven, than not to know that "The hand of the Lord is NOT with me." I, many times during the day, ask the Dear Lord, to let me know His presence is with me. To keep His hand upon me during the hours that I am working and the conscience moments during my life and that I may know Him for the rest of my days on earth.
The story of our text is about the local Church in Antioch, the saints had been driven from Jerusalem by one Saul of Tarshas, and enemy of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many left land, homes, wealth, and even unbelieving friends behind to go out and spread the Gospel of the risen Lord. They went everywhere preaching the Gospel. It was a spiritual explosion. Barnabas was called in to help in this great work. Then later after his conversion, the Apostle Paul was called to assist in the building of this Church and soulwinning ministry.
For one year, the Christians at Antioch had a Bible Conference, can you imagine that a whole year of constant meetings and soulwinning? God give us a REVIVAL of the early days of the New Testament Church, and conviction of the early Christians. The reason that Antioch was captured for Christ is seen in our text; "And the hand of the Lord was with them!"
It was not that they were great preachers, it doesn’t take great preachers, but preachers, preaching of our Great God. It was not in the great singing, for we barely see them having song services, it was not even in their great organization, nor organizers, but, "The hand of the Lord was with them!"
By the way it was at Antioch that they were first called Christians, meaning that the lost unbelieving people were calling them, "little Christ’s."
(Prayer)
Heavenly Father, breathe on us today. Come and speak to each heart and life through Thy Word, save the lost, revive the backslider, strengthen the believer, fill Thy servant with Thy Holy Spirit, In Christ Jesus I ask you. Amen!
What Does It Mean To Have His Hand Upon You?
(1) To have His hand upon you means; to have His Power. Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in Judaea, and in Samara, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
Power for what? Power over sin for one thing. Power over the temptations of the Devil for another, and Power over others, especially those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ.
(2) To have His hand upon you means; You have God’s protection in life.
It means that God’s man is indestructible, until God finishes with him, no one or nothing can stop him from his duty to God’s service. In John chapter ten we can see God’s protection for the child of God. Verse 28-29, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand." We are in the hand of Jesus, and Jesus and I are in the hand of the Father. We are also sealed by the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 4:30 says, "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." So tell me who can get to us here? No one or nothing is greater than God, nor Jesus, nor the Holy Spirit, and all three are our protection. "And the hand of the Lord was with them!"
(3) It means to have His provision during this life and the life to come.
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19. Do you have any idea what the early Church did when they got into trouble? Look in the book of Acts 4:31, "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness." How many local Churches do you know do this when they get into troubles? First they PRAYED, then they were filled with the Spirit of God and then they spake God’s Word with boldness. They were not a timid bunch of Christians, they spake the Word with a holy boldness. This doesn’t sound like most of the Church gatherings that are going on in our land today, does it?
When Paul disobeyed, the Holy Spirit used it to a better glory. The prison Epistles were written, Revivals came, and a large part of our New Testament came from this reason.
The Perspective; We see things only as God allows us to see them. Therefore the question now is;
On whom does the hand of the Lord rest? I pray that you get the yearning to have His hand upon you today. How can you have this?
(1) His hand is upon them who Honor the Bible as The Word of God. From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21.
(2) God’s hand is upon those whose ministries Honor His Son.
The basic doctrines of the Virgin birth, the Pre-existent Christ, His Vicarious death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension back to heaven, where He is seated at the right hand of the Father, His return for His bride, and His second coming to this earth, to set up the millennial kingdom for a thousand years.
(3) His hand is upon those who Rightly Divide the Word of Truth.
2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth."
Those who glorify the gifts of the Spirit above the Lord Jesus Christ are wrong in their glorying. All of the gifts of the Spirit were given for winning souls.
Why, the very purpose of Christ coming to this earth was to seek and save that which was lost. Soulwinning is the most important job of every Christian. Do you win others to our Lord?
(4) The hand of the Lord is upon those who Honor His Gospel.
What the lost world needs today is not more dinners, or B.B.Q’s, nor does this lost world need more all night singings, or praise meetings, nor entertainment’s. What this old world needs most is to be saturated with The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through Sunday Schools, Prayer meetings, (sometimes all night prayer meetings to pray for the lost and dying souls, on their way to a Christless eternity in hell.)
We need more Gospel literature to combat the false literature of the cultist, and more Christians to give out that literature. We need a personal revival in the heart of the New Testament local Churches, starting with the backslider preachers in the pulpits, and then the regular Church members. God can and will send a Holy Spirit Revival if we have His hand upon us!
(5) God’s hand is upon those who Win Souls. The Bible tells us that there is a special crown for those who win souls, Daniel tells us that they that win souls will shine as the brightness of the stars heavens, and that they are wise.
(Daniel 12:3). James 5:20, says, "Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."
If you are not Born Again today, please receive Christ as your Lord and Saviour right now. The Bible tells us that "he that cometh to Him (Jesus Christ) that He would in no wise cast you out."
Bow to Him and confess Christ. Romans 10:9 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."
Please dear lost one, come to Jesus Christ, He is waiting for you to call on Him.
Pray; Lord Jesus come into my heart and save me. I believe that you died on the cross, and rose from the dead. I repent of my sins, I am trusting now in you as Lord and Saviour. In Christ name I ask you. Amen.
If you have made a decision to receive Christ after reading the message by our founder, Evangelist Gary Huckaby; he would like to hear from you. We will gladly send you some Scripture helps
as you begin your new life in Christ Jesus.
Write to us at.
Huckaby’s Evangelism
P.O.Box 1011
Pine Mountain, GA. 31822
email-glhuck@earthlink.net
