Sermon Tone Analysis

The Hand of the Lord Is with Us!

Acts 11:19-21

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - March 16, 2014

BACKGROUND:

*The Bible often talks about the Hand of the Lord.

In the KJV, the phrase "hand of the Lord" is found 39 times, with 36 times in the Old Testament, and 3 in the New Testament.

The phrase "Hand of God" is found 16 times in the Bible, 7 times in the Old Testament and 9 times in the New Testament.

(Note: All of these Scripture passages with some context are listed at the bottom of this sermon, and for further information, see SermonCentral sermon "The Hand of the Lord in Scripture" by Rick Crandall Exodus 9:1-4.)

*Naturally, there are other references to God's Hand that don't include these exact phrases.

For example, 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 says:

9. Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain.''

10.

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!''

So God granted him what he requested.

*And Ezra 7:8-9 says this about Ezra:

8.

And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

9.

For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

*With this background in mind, let's read Acts 11:19-21, to see how the Hand of the Lord is with Christians today.

MESSAGE:

*Is the Hand of the Lord with us tonight?

Sometimes we might be tempted to doubt it.

The Hand of the Lord was surely with the Christians in Acts 11.

And there is no doubt about it, because vs. 21 says with certainty: "The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord."

*The Hand of the Lord was surely with those Christians.

But is the Hand of the Lord with us today?

We might be tempted to doubt it, maybe because we don't see a great number turning to the Lord, or maybe because we are going through a terrible hardship.

*But think back to the early church, and let me ask you some questions.

Acts 11:19 mentions Stephen the Deacon.

He was stoned to death, murdered by the authorities for his strong witness for Jesus Christ.

Was the Hand of the Lord with Stephen when he was stoned?

There is no doubt about it, because in Acts 7:55, Stephen "being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God" to welcome him home.

*Was the Hand of the Lord with the early Christians in Acts 5, when a married couple tried to deceive the church, and had to die for their sin?

We may not understand why all of that happened.

But Hebrews 13:5 tells us that Jesus has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.''

So we have to conclude that the Hand of the Lord was with the church on that day of severe judgment.

*Was the Hand of the Lord with them starting in Acts 5:17, when the Apostles were thrown into prison and beaten?

The answer is yes.

Was the Hand of the Lord with them in Acts 6:1, when there was fussing and complaining in the church?

The answer is yes.

Was the Hand of the Lord with them in Acts 8, when a great persecution arose against the church?

Again, the answer is yes.

*Was the Hand of the Lord with the Apostle Paul when he was falsely imprisoned for two years.

We have to say yes, because at the beginning of that ordeal, Acts 23:11 tells us that one night "the Lord stood by him and said, 'Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.'''

*In every hardship, trial and tribulation, the Hand of the Lord was with those Christians.

And the Hand of the Lord is with us today.

We can be most sure of this great truth, because again in Hebrews 13:5, Jesus Himself said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.''

*Also Christians, I have to say that the Hand of the Lord is always with us, because we are in His Hand!

As Jesus said in John 10:27-29:

27.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

28.

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

29.

My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."

*Christians, the Hand of the Lord is with us tonight, and this Scripture helps us see how.

1. First: The Lord's Hand is with us when we suffer.

*Acts 11:19 reminds us that these early Christians had gone through some terrible suffering.

There God's Word says "those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only."

*This was a most difficult time for the church.

Stephen the Deacon was one of their best leaders, and he had been cruelly murdered.

That alone was a terrible blow to the church.

But the suffering did not stop with Stephen's death.

In fact, Stephen's murder set off a tsunami of persecution on the other Christians.

*Before he got saved, the Apostle Paul was one of the ringleaders.

His original name was Saul, and Acts 8:1-4 tells us that:

1. . .

Saul was consenting to his (Stephen's) death.

At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

3.

As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

4. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

*People were being beaten, thrown into jail, even killed, just because they were followers of Jesus Christ.

The early Christians had to run for their lives!

The church was scattered.

But the Hand of the Lord was with them when they suffered, and His Hand will be with us.

2. The Hand of the Lord is with us when we are suffer, and when we are saved.

*Verses 19-20 point out how we are saved by the good news of Jesus Christ.

Verse 19 says these early Christians were "preaching the word."

And vs. 20 says they "spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus."

*How are people saved?

First, we must hear the good news about Jesus Christ that was preached in these verses.

We have to hear God's Word tell us we are sinners, but God loves us, and sent His only Son into the world to die on the cross for our sins.

We also must hear that Jesus rose again from the dead because He is Lord, and that He will save us if we will turn to Him.

*When we really hear and believe the good news about Jesus Christ, when we turn to God and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, when we do what the people did in vs. 21, when we "believe and turn to the Lord," then we are gloriously saved!

And the Hand of the Lord is with us for salvation.

*In January 2007, there was a stunning rescue of two boys who had been abducted from their rural Missouri towns.

The people there called it a miracle.

Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby had disappeared four and a half years and 40 miles apart.

But police were stunned to find both boys alive and well in the same suburban St. Louis apartment.

Shawn was 11 when he disappeared on Oct. 6, 2002, and 13-year-old Ben hadn't been seen since getting off a school bus four days before the rescue.

*Franklin County Sheriff Gary Toelke headed the search for Ben, and he was elated after the rescue.

The sheriff began a news conference by telling reporters, "We have some good news, and we have some probably unbelievable news."

(1)

*How did that incredible rescue happen?

I'll tell you in a few moments, but those boys were saved!

Can you imagine how the families felt when their boys were found?

It was joy beyond measure!

But that is just a small taste of the joy in Heaven when someone comes to Jesus.

*Those Missouri families surely knew that know the Hand of the Lord was with them.

But how much more is the Hand of the Lord with someone when they are saved from hell!

3. The Hand of the Lord is with us when we are saved, and when we are separated.

*In vs. 19, the early Christians were scattered to the cities and towns north of Jerusalem, and as far as the Island of Cyprus.

They were scattered by persecution, and certainly separated from people they loved.

*We will also face times of separation in our lives.

Work or service to our country may take us hundreds or thousands of miles away for long periods of time.