Embracing God's Hands: Healing, Hope, and Praise

In our Western culture, many people believe that having a blessed life involves having good health, material wealth, few problems, positive experiences, and successful outcomes in life. Unfortunately, many professing believers in the Christian world don't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who have often been heavily influenced by our Western culture, have often capitulated to this perspective of life. [00:36:29]

But church, when you read the Bible, and you look at God and how he has dealt with his faith heroes, when God has his hands upon his children, there are a couple of things that happens. There are a couple of things that happens. God's presence is always with them. God's power is always with them. And God's guidance. It's always with them. [00:37:35]

Some of us can testify when you didn't, when you were trying to rob Peter to pay Paul, somehow. God gave you something so you could rob Peter to pay Paul. In the midst of it, you may not been able to get what you want and where you want and how you want, but God still provided, God still healed, God still woke you up in your right mind, and on today, you ought to have a reflective moment to know that if God can do that when I was down, just think about what God can do when I am up, because the only reason that I am up. [00:38:48]

All of us are born unable to walk to please God because we all was born in sin and shaped in iniquity. He is also poor. All of us as sinners are bankrupt before God, unable to pay for our debt towards sin. That's why God had to send his son Jesus Christ to pay on your behalf and my behalf. [00:47:26]

He was a beggar and many sinners have been begging, searching for satisfaction and a lot of us have searched it in alcohol. A lot of us have searched it in relationship. A lot of us have searched it in trying to pursue a degree or all these things of the world and you can have all of that stuff and still be empty because life is not about stuff. It begins with a relationship. With Jesus Christ. [00:48:07]

We all have a dim view of the world that is subjugated to our own preferences and prejudices. Did you hear what I said? Church, have you have you ever? Ever driven. Down the road and stopped at the light. And you see somebody on your left, on your right? And they they got a bucket, but they got a sign. Or a cup. [00:48:56]

Instead of recognizing that God is giving you and I an opportunity to identify the brokenness of humanity and as instruments of righteousness we should be able to be instruments in God's hands to meet a need so that it brings glory unto him and it bless somebody else as believers when God's hands is upon you we should be able to discern the condition of brokenness that many of our community members suffer from it's not just the outward thing it's something that is deep within their heart they need hope and the only hope for the world is the church. [00:50:35]

Peter tells this man look at us the bible says that he fixed his gaze upon them and to give them His full attention. And Peter says, I don't have any money. Which is strange because considering he was coming to worship, but church, this is not an ordinary worship experience. This was a divine appointment to meet the real need of a man who had allowed his physical condition and the circumstances of his life to manipulate others so that he can have what he wanted. [00:58:18]

The orthopraxy, or the practical application of this narrative, really should hit home for us. Why do you say that, pastor? Because the Bible says that Peter didn't just speak to the man for him to walk in the name of Jesus. But the Bible also says that Peter took the intentional initiative to raise him up by the hand. [01:01:12]

Some of y 'all still ain't got it. I said Peter didn't just speak a word to him. Be blessed. No, no. The Bible says that Peter said, be blessed but let me help you to be blessed by helping you and church that's what you and I need to do we need to speak into the broken lives of people but we also need to practically give them a helping hand because a helping hand helped them raise up and the bible says that immediately when Peter grabbed his hand and he helped him up his ankles and his feet were strengthened yeah y 'all missed that uh uh uh some of us want miracles to be done but we don't want to participate in the miracle God wants when he got his hands on you he not only wants you to pray for a miracle but he wants you to participate in bringing forth a miracle in somebody else's life and you can do that when you decide to be a helping hand unto them church is not about what you don't have to help someone it's about what you do have and on a practical level we have the gospel of Jesus Christ we have this love redemption of Jesus Christ who can save who can deliver the selfishness and sin and unforgiveness and pain that is often driven in people's hearts. [01:01:59]

And so, Father, if we can be your extension, your hands, your feet, to help transform lives and restore hope, that hope is to be able, Father God, to minister in such a way that we be a ministry of presence, something that we've seen biblically with Job's friends initially. All they had to do was just be there. [01:46:22]

And God, they need more mentors than what we have people. Amen. And so, Father, I'm praying that you would raise up not only churches, but business leaders within our community that will see the need and meet that need because, God, they want to invest into the community of our young people. Thank you for community and schools and all of what they do. [01:47:31]