"The Same Hands" Pastor Albert Almore
We talked about something a few weeks ago that I just can’t shake. We talked about when it came time for God to deliver His people from Egypt, with the Red Sea in front of them, and with Pharaoh and his army quickly coming up behind them, it is here that we find God’s instructions to Moses in Exodus 14:16,
“Raise your staff and STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”
Exodus 14:16
God told Moses to stretch out his hand. I can’t help but to wonder, if something whispered to Moses, "Let’s not be crazy now Moses. Certainly God can’t use those hands. You might be fooling all of these people, but you’re not fooling me, and you’re not fooling yourself. You know what you did with those hands.” What in the world is this little voice talking about? I believe this little voice is talking about what took place in Exodus 2. Let’s rewind to Exodus 2:11 where it reads,
“One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.”
Exodus 2:11
“He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.”
Exodus 2:12
“When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?””
Exodus 2:13
“He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.””
Exodus 2:14
Now let’s fast forward back to the moment with God asking Moses to stretch out his hand—the same hands he used to kill someone. The same hands that he used to bury the individual that he killed in the sand. Lord, you want me to stretch out these hands?! The same hands I used to stretch out to murder someone? The same hands I used to bury him, you want me to stretch out these hands—THE SAME HANDS??? In fact that’s our sermon title for today…
THE SAME HANDS
Guilt. Condemnation, and regrets don’t have the last say so over your hands.
Guilt. Condemnation, and regrets don’t have the last say so over who God chooses to use. GRACE DOES.
God sets the record straight with Moses about this in Exodus 33:19 when He told him….
“…I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.””
Exodus 33:19
I know at times it’s hard to understand it, yet still, you must accept it—God wants to use you. God wants to use your hands.
And the moment you set out to be used by God, no matter how small or big the task may seem, here comes the voice of the enemy.
Do you really think you can lead people in worship with those same hands?
Do you really think that when people pull up at church, that they need to be greeted by those same hands?
I don’t care what that preacher says, don’t even think about serving in Motion Kids. Do you really think that you’re worthy to pass out a cup of water to those little ones, or to rock a baby during service with those same hands???
This tactic isn’t new but it’s often useful to cripple us from allowing God to use our hands. Nehemiah went through something similar in his day. An enemy by the name of Sanballat wrote a letter to Nehemiah telling him to come down off the wall, we all know what you’re doing. You have a plan in your heart to rebel against the government, get everyone on your side for doing such a good deed, and try to make yourself the next king. You know the king is going to find out about this right. What do you think he’s going to do then. To this Nehemiah 6:8 says,
“I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.””
Nehemiah 6:8
“For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.…
Nehemiah 6:9
Thanks to Nehemiah, we now have a battle plan for combating the enemy.
📝 Recognize that there is NO TRUTH in the story that the enemy is telling you.
📝 Recognize that the enemy is MAKING THE WHOLE THING UP that you can’t be used by God.
📝 Recognize that the enemy is attempting to FRIGHTEN you.
📝 Why? He wants your hands to DROP from the work. He doesn’t want you to FINISH what God has started.
But as we read Nehemiah 6:9 in full, Nehemiah gives us the prayer of all prayers. It reads,
“For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” BUT NOW, O GOD, STRENGTHEN MY HANDS.”
Nehemiah 6:9
📝 I need you right now, O God, to STRENGTHEN MY HANDS!
O God, strengthen my hands so that I won’t be afraid.
O God, strengthen my hands so that I won’t drop this work.
O God, strengthen my hands so that I may finish what you’ve started.
O God, strengthen my hands so that I won’t disqualify myself from what you qualified me for.
O God, strengthen my hands so that I won’t allow guilt to have the last say, but instead your grace.
📝 God strengthens our hands, by REMINDING US of all of the hands that He’s used.
The same hands that Peter used to tell Jesus to get away from me, are the same hands that God used to lay hands on the sick.
The same hands that Peter used denying Jesus with, are the same hands that God used to raise the disciple Tabitha from the dead.
The same hands that Paul once used to drag Christians out of their homes, are the same hands that God used to write 13 books of the Bible.
The same hands that Rahab the prostitute used as a woman in the night, are the same hands that God used to lower down His people from a rooftop to save their lives.
One of God’s people must’ve fell in love not just with Rahab’s hands during this encounter and believed that she could be forgiven, and accepted by God. Guess who shows up in the genealogy of Jesus, you guessed it, our girl Rahab.
“Salmon begot Boaz BY RAHAB, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king.…
Matthew 1:5-6
The reformed and changed prostitute, Rahab, becomes the Great-great-great grandmother to David, the shepherd boy born in Bethlehem---the future King of Israel!
I can see some critics right now as they were going through the genealogy of Jesus. "Let’s leave her name out of the genealogy. Let’s use her middle name or something.” But I hear God saying, leave her name in there! My people need to know…
“My NAME is greater than anything that you’ve been NAMED!” -God
Leave her name in there! My people need to know,
"My NAME is greater than anything that you’ve been CALLED!” -God
You tell my people, I want to use those same hands for my glory! You tell my people, I want to use those same hands to feed the hungry. You tell my people, I want to use those same hands to give drink to the thirsty. You tell my people, I want to use those same hands to clothe the naked. You tell my people, I want to use those same hands to push buttons in production, or to park cars with on Sunday morning, because the bottom line is this…
📝 Regardless of what you’ve been CALLED, you’re still CALLED.
NOBODY HAS THE POWER TO RECALL WHO GOD HAS CALLED.
John 20:19-20 says something interesting. It says,
“Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “PEACE BE WITH YOU.””
John 20:19
“When He had said this, HE SHOWED THEM HIS HANDS and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”
John 20:20
I know you have a past, but Peace be with you.
I know you did some things you’re not proud of, but Peace be with you. Every time we don’t feel worthy Lord, show us your hands! Every time we forget that we’re redeemed, Lord, show us your hands. Every time we doubt ourselves, or doubt you like Thomas, Lord, show us your hands.May you deal with us, like you dealt with Thomas in John 20:27,
“Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, AND LOOK AT MY HANDS; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.””
John 20:27
Do not be unbelieving thinking you’re not worthy. Do not be unbelieving thinking you can’t be forgiven. Do not be unbelieving thinking I can’t use you. Recognize that there is NO TRUTH in the story that the enemy is telling you.
He wants your hands to drop from the work, but before you do, before you doubt Thomas, and allow unbelief to get the best of you—LOOK AT MY HANDS!
THE REASON WHY NOBODY HAS THE POWER TO RECALL WHO l’VE CALLED IS BECAUSE…..
📝 My hands, TOOK THE PLACE of your hands.
I knew what you were going to do before you did it. That’s why I told them, "Put the nails right here!”
Since My hands, took the place of your hands, it’s time for your hands to take hold of it. It’s time for your hands to take hold of this moment that we’re in. This moment that we’re in, we’ll never get again. Once this moment is gone, it’s going to be gone. Therefore we must do like the workers of Nehemiah in Nehemiah 3:1…
“Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel.”
Nehemiah 3:1
“NEXT TO Eliashib the men of Jericho built. And NEXT TO THEM Zaccur the son of Imri built.”
Nehemiah 3:2
“ALSO THE SONS of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.”
Nehemiah 3:3
“AND NEXT TO THEM Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, made repairs. NEXT TO THEM Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. NEXT TO THEM Zadok the son of Baana made repairs.”
Nehemiah 3:4
“NEXT TO THEM the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.”
Nehemiah 3:5
As you keep reading, you keep seeing, next to them. Next to them. Hand to hand, side by side, they did it together. Hand to hand, side by side, they did it, next to each other. Hand to hand, side by side, each individual did what they could. Some built this. Some worked on that. Some contributed this. Some contributed that. But they did it together. I must ask you in this moment….
CAN GOD USE YOUR HANDS?
Motion Church something for the greater is coming. Motion Church something for the greater is about to be poured out on this county. God is going to need all hands on deck for what’s coming.
ARE YOU GOING TO BE PART OF THIS MOMENT, OR ARE YOU JUST GOING TO HEAR ABOUT IT?
I don’t know about you, but I want to be able to say, "I was there. Gosh, I remember…”
Something for the greater is coming.
I hear the Lord saying, "They might not look like you, but can I still use your hands?
I know you have a lot going on, but can I use your hands?
I know you don’t like to talk about some things from your past, but just like Jesus did, SHOW THEM YOUR HANDS.
Because I’m going to use those same hands that the enemy tried to use to tear your life down and those that you were connected to, TO BUILD MY KINGDOM. Just watch me. I’m going to use The same hands. I’m going to use the same hands.