Sermon # 14 - Seeking God Sincerely Series

We remind ourselves that this series of messages are based on Act 11:21“And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.” (KJV)

The Lord’s hand is a powerful hand, a hand that helps, a hand that exalts us, and His hand is at work in all areas of our lives. However, as we studied in detail in the previous chapter, only when our hands are willing to do all that is required of us to do, can the Lord’s hand intervene to do His part on our behalf, and eventually bless the work of our hands. Each one of us have certain responsibilities entrusted to us that the Lord expects us to fulfil, in order for His blessings to be bestowed on us.

People who sought after God….

1. The man with a withered hand

In Mark 3:1, we read, “Jesus went into a synagogue again. A man who had a paralyzed hand was there.” (GW)

When Jesus lived here on earth, not only did He teach, but often He modelled what He taught, and thereby set an example that others could follow. If we think of it, Jesus was probably the only one who had no need to go to church. However, an important part he modelled to his followers, was His regular attendance and participation at the local synagogue. The word ‘again’ in the above mentioned verse, clearly meant that Jesus used to visit the synagogue frequently. It was at one such visit to the synagogue, that Jesus met a man with a paralyzed or withered hand.

We can also recall another incidence where Jesus modelled humility and servant leadership to His disciples, when he put a towel around his waist, took a basin of water and stooped down to wash all of their feet. No words could have demonstrated more powerfully Jesus’ lesson on being humble, and a servant leader to His disciples. It was an unforgettable practical lesson deeply etched in the minds of His disciples that holds good for all of us even today.

That day when Jesus went to the synagogue, there was present a man with a withered hand. If we could for a brief moment put ourselves in his situation, we would probably understand that he must have come in and sat there with a heavy heart, and a deep sense of helplessness and embarrassment. He was unable to do things with his hand that everyone else could with ease, and therefore would not have been able to mingle freely with others because of his malady. In spite of his limitations that could have kept him away from the synagogue, he decided to be there, and not let his infirmity be a hindrance to being in a place of worship and fellowship.

Often we make many excuses to not be in church, and in fellowship with other believers. It’s good to remind ourselves that church is not a place of social gathering, but one where we come together to seek God, worship Him, desire to be in fellowship with other believers in order to be strengthened in our faith, and thereby bless one another. Our motive to come to church should not be just to be on the receiving end, rather to look for ways whereby we can give of ourselves to the Lord, and be a blessing to others.

If the man with a withered hand chose not to be at the synagogue, he had every reason to do so, and no one could have blamed him for that. He had enough reasons to justify himself to not be in fellowship with other people. However, there must have been something that motivated him to overlook his infirmity, and be present at the synagogue. He must have realized the fact that if he used his physical infirmity as an excuse to stay away from the synagogue, it would result in him becoming weak spiritually, and that this would pose a far greater problem than his physical weakness.

In Matthew 18:20, we read, “For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them." (GNB).

Every time we gather together as a church, we must remember that the Lord is there in our midst. The Lord’s promise is that even if there are only two or three people gathered together in His name, He will certainly be present there among them. When we come to meet the Lord with the rightful expectation and motive, we will surely go out a transformed people. Whenever we come to church we do so with the eager expectation that the Lord who is among us knows our hearts, is aware of all our needs, is ready and willing to bless us, revive us, strengthen us and send us out with His divine presence and blessings. We should never allow our physical weakness to hinder us from attending church for when we do so, we are weakening the spiritual part of us, which requires to be strengthened regularly. Only as our spirit and soul grow in the Lord, will our physical body also receive wholeness and well-being.