Monday, April 4, 2011

Withered ~ Worn Out ~ Waiting on JESUS!!

Sermon Notes
Saturday April 2, 2011

Sermon: Withered, Worn, and Waiting
Sermon Text: Luke 6: 6-11
Luke 6:10RSV - 10And after looking around at them all he said to him, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored.

The Pharisees were trying to uphold their faith tradition of the Sabbath in order to usher in the Messiah’s coming. They were used to the tradition that there would be no healing on the Sabbath. Jesus was confronting the Pharisees about what was lawful versus expedient. The man who came to the synagogue had a withered hand, was worn out by life, and was waiting to be healed.

Have you ever been withered, worn out, and waiting on Jesus?

Point 1: Withered House - Vs. 6-7: 6On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him.
The Pharisees had come to church for the wrong reasons. They didn’t come to get something from Jesus but rather they came just to check him out. Before Jesus could deal with the man, he had to deal with the house.

The house is withered when people come, but not to get a word. They just “come” to church out of their normal routine and they have their own pre-conceived agenda of how the church service should flow. When people come just to see who is at church and who’s not there, the house is withered. When you were young in the Lord, you came to church for other reasons. However, we must understand that when we come to church, it should be to get in the presence of the Lord. Jesus is always trying to pull you out of your comfort zone. (Matthew 9:17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."). You are comfortable in today but Jesus is concerned about moving forward into tomorrow.


Point 2: Withered Man vs. 8 - . 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.
Jesus made the man with the withered hand stand up. If it was just his hand, Jesus could have healed the man while he was sitting down. He wanted everyone to see what the man had been hiding. Jesus had to put the man in a posture to be healed. He wanted everyone to see the man because at the end there would be healing. Jesus had to put the man in a place of grace and work something out for him at that moment.

Sometimes we sneak into the church with our situation instead of revealing it. Situations always grow into sin when they’re left in the dark. We don’t ever want to be transparent and we’re always scared to reveal that we don’t have it all together. When you come to the Lord, be mindful that you can’t hide from him. You must be willing to be Jesus’ example and a witness for him. (John 1:9). Some things can’t be turned around until you get in his presence. You attitude must be: “I want to be delivered more than I want to hold on to my shriveled situation.” You come to church and you leave the same way you came because you didn’t get into his presence.


Point 3: Waiting for Jesus - Luke 6:10RSV - 10And after looking around at them all he said to him, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored.
Jesus told the man to stretch out his hand. The withered man was left-handed living in a right-handed world. Matthew 12:13 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.. The man’s hand had worked before, but the trials and tribulations of life caused it to be withered.

Jesus wants you to do what you’ve done before, but with his help this time. Sometimes we try to handle things in our own strength. There are times when you have to be quiet and just do what Jesus tells you to do. When he tells you to do something, don’t get into debate with him. No matter what you’re dealing with or whatever Satan took from you, if you try it with God, he will restore.
Joel 2:25- 25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm[a]— my great army that I sent among you.

Your latter rain will be greater than your former rain.
Haggai 2:9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

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