Body Parts Mix

Now, last month, we had to take a little break from the series that we started in parts of the body because we had the Thanksgiving and dedication service. But today we are back looking at different parts of the body and what the Bible says about them. This is not something that we normally do on Sunday mornings. Usually we work through books of the bible, in a systematic way. We've just finished, for instance, a series in the song of songs, but on this first Sunday the month, we do something a little bit different, often looking at a theme.

And, we break up the bible teaching, with prayers and songs. Now in this series so far, we've looked at the eye and we've looked at the ear. And today, we are looking at the the hands. The hands. Okay.

What does the Bible say about our hands? And how we ought to use them. But first, let's begin with a reading from scripture. This is from Psalm 95, and it's all about how our great god uses his hands. Come, let us sing for joy to the lord.

Let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with Thanksgiving and extoll him with music and song. For the lord is the great god, the great king above all gods. In his hand, are the depths of the earth and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Come. Let us bow down in worship. Let us kneel before the lord, our maker. Let's do that together, shall we? Let's pray.

Father, we thank you this morning for this beautiful day. We thank you that you are our creator, that you are the god who has made this earth and has made the heavens, that you are the god who formed the dry land and the seas with your hands. We thank you that you are the god who has created us. And sustains us even today. We thank you for the lord Jesus Christ who is our savior, and we thank you for all the truths that we can delight in, all the things that he has done for us.

Thank you that if we are his, you hold us safely in your hands. And we pray this morning as we think about hands, how you have given us hands, and what they are to do that you would open our eyes and help us to understand the teaching of your word, and we ask it in Jesus' name. Our men. So as I said at the beginning, we are thinking today about the hand, about the human hand, as is the case with the eye and the ear, which we've looked at previously, the hand is an incredible piece of engineering. K?

It's worth actually putting your hands in front of you as you cannot do with your eyes and your ears and having a look at them They are amazing, aren't they? I was doing some layman's research on the hand this week. 27 bones in a human hand. 29 joints, a hundred and 23 ligaments, all working in harmony to create this tool of tools, this incredible piece of engineering. The way our thumbs and our fingers work together is absolutely incredible.

There is almost no other creature that can use its thumbs and fingers, except I think the koala bear funnily enough is 1. But the way our thumbs and fingers work together is amazing. You think about all the jobs that you have to do on a day to day basis. They would be impossible if your thumb didn't come to aid your fingers. In doing what you need to do.

You think about Seoul. I mean, that there would be there would be no computer gaming. None. Aiden's face looks a mixture of shocked and broken and mortified about the possibility of a life without computer game. The way the thumb and the finger work together is is an incredible thing, isn't it?

Isaac Newton apparently said, In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of god's existence. It's amazing. In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of god's existence. They are amazing. The fingernails apparently give an indication of your overall health.

So by looking at someone's fingernails, you can tell if they've got particular deficiencies in certain minerals. You can tell if they're lacking in iron, they're they're kind of a a a test to see how healthy we actually are. When you hurt a finger, I mean, we all know what this is like when you've cut a finger or you've ripped a nail or something, it's amazing how many times your cat it, then throughout the day, isn't it? How many jobs you're trying to do and you're, oh, ow, oh, because you're using your fingers all the time. It's why when people have, bad cases of arthritis in the hand, it can be so sort of crippling for them, really.

Because even simple I mean, my dad has got very bad arthritis in his hands, and even simple jobs like, taking a jam jar lid off or playing the guitar, become almost impossible. Things that are just an ordinary part of life or things that you enjoy become extremely, extremely difficult. So the hand is amazing. We need it for all kinds of things. And this came up on 1 website I was researching.

I don't know why this particular fact was on here. But if you were to lose a finger, what do you think is the best finger to lose? What'd you reckon? There's the hand. Which 1?

Not the ring finger? The index finger. Raw, did you say index finger? Yeah. Yeah.

So it's a slightly unreal scenario. But if you're ever in a situation where you do have to decide which finger you would like to lose, then, surgeons say opt for the opt for the index finger. Okay? But basically we can't do without any of them yet. They are they are an amazing amazing piece of engineering.

Now when it comes to the hand as well, as we know, shall I get that picture off? Would that be better? Yeah, let's move on to the next 1, Mandy. When it comes to the hand, as we know, the human hand can be used for great goods or for great evil. There is the power of life and death in the human hand.

So you probably are all familiar with this image. This is the, quarter final of the 19 86 World Cup, England versus Argentina, This is the 50 first minute of the game, and Diego Maradona jumps up, puts his head towards the ball But what does he actually use to put it in the back of the net? His hand. As I said, great evil. Is possible with the human with the human hand.

You can with your hands, think about your hands, what you can do with them and your fingers, you can point at somebody else and you can mock them, and you can crush them as you make jokes about them, or you can use your finger to be very helpful and to point somebody in the right direction. Same finger, 2 very different purposes. You can use your hands very tenderly to stroke a stroke a dog, or to be be kind and caring to someone, or you can use your hand, hover it over a bug, smash. It's the power of life and death in the hand. Well, think about your fingerprint.

The fingerprint is just an amazing thing. Okay? They are unique. They are actually formed in the womb. They will stay with us for the rest of our lives.

They they help us to grip things apparently, the fingerprint, but also what is it that can incriminate a murderer at the scene of a crime? It's the fingerprint. Great good. Great evil. Well, you think about how we use our hands for communication.

I mean, for for those who who can't, can't hear, and can't speak properly perhaps, 1 of the ways you can communicate meaningfully with them is with the hands. With sign language. You can actually build relationships with people without words and without hearing, but using your hands. But also in ancient Rome, you remember that the power of life and death was in the hand. Thumbs up.

Thumbs down. Well, you think about clapping. We can clap As we just did with Daryl and Marie as a way of saying, welcome. We love you. Congratulations.

It's great to have you. But if we just vary the pace slightly, It means hurry up. It means well done in a sort of sarcastic way. All we have to do is vary the pace and we know it means something completely different. With their fingers, a scientist can draw the structure of an atom.

But with those same fingers, he can put the finishing touches to an atomic bomb. A surgeon can use his fingers to perform the most incredibly delicate life saving operations, but that same surgeon can use his finger to turn off a life support machine. Life and death good and evil is in the hand. The hands are a ma they are amazing. They are an incredible piece of engineering.

So what does the Bible say then about how we ought to use these tools, these Swiss army knives that we all carry around with us. How should we use them? Well, that's what we're gonna get into in just a moment, but first, we're gonna sing another song together. The band are gonna come up, and we're going to sing, come, praise, and glorify our god. Come praise, and glorify our god.

Let's stand and do together. Right. So how does the Bible say that we ought to use our hands, these incredible pieces of engineering. Well, as the song says, just like the boots were made for walking, the hands were made for working. The hands were made for working.

In a in a book called, the book that made your world, It's written by a man called an Indian man called Visual Mangawadi. And, he talks about the difference between the Christian and the Hindu view of work. And, in this quote I'm about to show, he's talking about, an Indian famine in the seventeenth century, a terrible famine that took place, and, he's writing with frustration about why nothing was done in order to help those who were suffering, in the famine. And he says, he says this. The monsoon had failed, and people had nothing to eat.

Why was Indian agriculture so dependent on rains? Northern India has many perennial rivers fed by Himalayan glaciers. Couldn't the people who built the Taj Mahal, build dams and canals for peasants. And in the book, his answer is, well, yes, clearly they could have It's not that they were lacking the ability or the technology to put these incredible complex structures together. I mean, they built the Taj Mahal But on the other hand, no, they couldn't of because it didn't fit with their worldview about work.

At that time, manual work was looked down on, and the work of collecting water and of harvesting crops belonged to the lower castes. That was their destiny. In fact, their salvation was tied up in hauling water in that, in that world view. And so why would we create industry in order to help them when actually they are confined to that kind of life forever. And that's why he actually says in the book, it is virtually impossible to find an Indian guru, a teacher who is like the apostle Paul, a teacher who also made tents with his hands.

Because in that thinking there would be no dignity in that, either you're a respected religious teacher, or you're having to do the lower work, the manual work. You wouldn't find both together. But in Christianity, he says it's just so it says it's so different. Here's what he, says a bit later on. The Bible presented a god who was a creator, neither a dreamer or a dancer, as Indian sages believed.

God was the architect of the cosmos. He shaped man out of clay as a potter does, making man in his own creative image and commanding him to rule the world creatively. In other words, he's saying the reason why Christians have such a different view, a different ethic about work is because they're made in the image of a god who works and creates with his hands. And he's absolutely right. Psalm 19 verse 1, The heavens declare the glory of god, the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

The lord is the great god, the great king above all gods in his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. So although it is true that he doesn't have a, a, a pair of physical hands in the same way that we do, That is how creation is described as the work of god's hands. In other words, the Bible is telling us that as we live in this world, it's like living in a crime scene. The creation is like a crime scene, and the fingerprints of god are everywhere.

We can see the intentionality, the law, the purpose, the design of his hands, his fingerprints, are everywhere. You and I, we actually live in the work of god's hands. We breathe in the work of god's hands. There is no excuse. And therefore, as people who are created in the image of god, We should use our hands like him for working and for creating.

He used his hands to form the seas. And he gave us hands to image him as a worker in the world. In Proverbs 31, there's a wonderful description of the wife of noble character, but, it's about more than just a wife. It's actually a description of wisdom. This is what a wise person does.

And looks like, probably 31. A wife of noble character, who can find. She is worth far more than Ruby. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm all the days of her life.

She selects woolen flax and works with eager hands She is like the merchant ships bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still night, She provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. She considers a field and buys it Out of her earnings, she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously. Her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand, she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the paw and extends her hands to the needy. So do you see, as I said earlier, the hand is like a Swiss army knife. It has got literally hundreds of functions and the wife of noble character shows a stat.

She works with eager hands. She provides for her household She uses her fingers for the spindle, and she opens her hands to give to the poor. She uses her hands For everything, she uses her hands to work. Aristotle famous philosopher called the Hands the Tool of Tools, the greatest of tools. These hands help us to do what god has made us to do which is to work.

Actually, when you think about it, if you think about your job, if you're working at the moment, is there is there any aspect of it that you could comfortably do without your hands? Whether it's pressing enter on a keyboard and confirming a 10000000 pound transaction. Don't know how many are doing that week to week here, but, if that's you, you need your fingers, or whether you're in the caring professions, perhaps a midwife or a nurse or involved in the care of children. You think about nurses. How could they get by without their fingers?

They need them to apply the right pressure for the right job sensitively drawing blood from patients in order to care for them. Or you might use your hands to drive taxis your hands to cut hair, to fill it fish, to fix pipes, to work on websites, all kinds of things The hands are an amazing toolbox, which help us to bear god's image. As a worker. Now of course it's true that there are many people, perhaps people here who can't work for health reasons, or their situation in life makes it difficult, or, you know, there are some, some here who would love to be able to work with their hands. But just can't find a job at the moment.

There are a thousand things to consider, but I want you to see how Christian this is. Work is wonderful. It is frustrating because it's damaged by sinfulness But work is a good thing. God is a worker, and he has given us hands so that we can image him in this world. And not only in the world, actually, in the church, we'll think about that in a moment, but that's the big idea.

Boots made for walking, hands made for working. And that's why the Bible says that actually if we won't put our hands to work, not if we can't, but if we won't, if we refuse to use our hands for work, we may end up in trouble. We might survive financially, but if we flat out refuse to put these Swiss army knives to the task, then not only will we end up in trouble, but it actually says something about us spiritually. That's what the Bible says. Have a look at Proverbs chapter, 6 and 26.

Go to the ant you slug art. Consider its ways and be wise. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers food at harvest. How long will you lie there? You slug art?

When will you get up from your sleep? Little sleep, little slumber, little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come on you like a thief. And scarcity like an armed man. A sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

Okay? Both of those pretty funny pictures to imagine in 1 way, but the point is laziness is deadly. The lazy person who will not put his hands to the work, to work. The lazy person who will not look after their own spiritual life and work on that that's a point here as well, will be in big trouble. It's not wise, and it's not good for us.

These hands are made like our creator's hands. He has made them so that in a thousand different ways, we can image him to the world by working in all kinds of different ways. These are wonderful things that god has given us to do his work in the world. So that's the first thing. Boots made for walking.

Next time you hear that song, remember that your hands were made for working. We're gonna sing our next song, greater than we can imagine. God is greater than we can imagine, and we're gonna stand and bless his name together as we sing. So let's do The hands were made for working. That's our first first thing we learn about the hands, but secondly, we see that our hands are made for giving.

Our hands are made for giving. I don't know if you've ever heard someone described as tight fisted. It's, rarely a compliment. Is it? You think of someone who is tight fisted, you might think of a scrooge, for instance, he's a famous tight fisted man from literature.

Oh, but he was a tight fisted hand at the grindstone, scrooge, a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner. Imagine that What a terrible thing to have written about you? A scraping tight fisted sinner? Well, this is something that the Bible is very, very vocal about. Have a look at this verse from deuteronomy.

This is, about god's people in the old testament. If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the lord your god has given you, do not be hard hearted or tight fisted toward them, rather be open handed and freely lend them whatever they need. And that phrase tight fisted there literally means do not shut your hand. Do not draw your hands together. Don't pull your fingers in like a drawbridge.

That's the image as you approach an old fortified town or city, and the drawbridge came up. It meant you're not coming in and nothing is coming out. There is no hospice tality, no generosity here. The Bible says no no no. Don't draw your fingers in and be tight fisted be open handed, especially in the church, as we see there, and in act 2, famous, verse here from the new testament.

All the believers were together. This is describing the early church and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. What a great challenge that is, isn't it? They didn't see themselves as individuals, but they saw themselves as brothers and sisters, as people who were part of the same living organism, if you like.

And therefore, to open your hands and to give to a brother or sister wasn't in a sense a loss because you were taking care of your own body. 1 commentator says this about this early Christian church. Fellow ship costs something in the local church. Fellow ship is not just a sentimental feeling of oneness, It does not take place simply because we happen to be in the church hall. Fellowshiphip comes through giving.

So many people never know the joys of Christian fellowship because they have never learned to give themselves away. So many people never learn, never know the joys of Christian Fellowship, because they've never learned to give themselves away. That is really true. As we open our hands to give to other brothers and sisters, we find that the open hand is replaced by a hand of fellowship. We find that as we give, we grow in love for 1 another, it really is amazing to see the correlation between these 2 things.

When we give ourselves to the church, we will grow in love for god's people. It is sad when people decide that they want to stay on the sidelines. They want to keep back to keep their distance. They don't want to give themselves to the church that those folks are often the ones who tend to drift. There is a clear relationship the Bible says between open hands of giving and the receiving of the hands of fellowship.

As we give, we grow in love for 1 another. And in 1 sense, it shouldn't be a surprise to us because that dynamic is actually at the heart of the Christian good news anyway, isn't it? That off the wall is our gospel. Have a look at this, verse from 2 Corinthians. For you know the grace of our lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Generocity is at the heart of the good news. Jesus Christ our lord and savior came, and in a sense gave up all of the riches of heaven and became poor He came to this earth with open hands in order to beckon us in to the riches of knowing god. So to be tight fisted, you see, means to be stingy. To be tight fisted means to, always be panicking that we might be short changed in the transaction. But the Bible says, come on, remember your Savior.

Remember Jesus, his sacrificial open handed gift to us. It's just over the top extravagant, isn't it? What he has done? And the more that we can know him, the more we'll want to use our hands to give away to give ourselves, not just about giving financially, although that is included, but it's about giving ourselves, giving ourselves to 1 another in a thousand different ways. We all know the phrase, don't we?

Can I lend you a hand? Can I lend you a hand with that? It means can I can I use myself to serve you? Can I help with a practical job? Can I make you a meal?

Can I help with your car, can I do something? Can I lend you a hand? Can I serve you in some way with myself? That's what's in view here. Pete's, old, colleague, and I think, old boss, Brian Ed, Brian Edwards, was it at a hook?

Apparently, he would say that all you need to be hospitable All you need to serve another brother and sister is a kettle and rich tea biscuits. You don't you don't need anything else. You don't need to put on a great show or have the best of ingredients. If you've got a kettle and you've got a finger with which to operate it, then you can be wonderfully hospitable. So do you see our hands are made to be open?

To forgive us. I was trying to think about this, and it's probably wrong, but, very rarely is a closed fist, a good thing, is it? There's probably our circumstances where a closed fist is a good thing, but normally a closed fist is not good. An open hand means handshake It means welcome. It means beckoning in.

It means giving. Open hand means you you're welcome. I'm I'm sort of making myself vulnerable in 1 sense by opening my hands, but in order to snatch something, and you know this even looking at even very young babies. In order to snatch something, you've got to close your hand. You have to snatch it and bring it in.

In order to fight you've got to close your hand. See, very rarely, I think, is a closed fist a good thing. We were made to have open, generous giving. Hands as our savior has opened his hands generously for us. Well, we've seen that, god created our hands and gave us hands in order that we might work.

We've seen that he created our hands not to be closed, but to be open and generous. And, thirdly, god has also given us hands so that we might join hands with others in the church and partner in the gospel. Our hands are made for gospel partnership. Now this is this is actually quite a big deal in the new testament. Often hands were used to express a kind of shared value or a, or a shared unity in the gospel mission.

So in the book of acts, for instance, there's a case where, some widows are being overlooked in the distribution of bread, And, the apostles get together, and they say, right, we need some people to take care of these widows, and they get 7 men who are full of the Holy Spirit, and what they do is they gather them together and they lay their hands on them and pray for them and commission them to their work. The laying on of hands was an expression of we we set you apart. We're with you for your gospel task. Or in acts 13, even more, more explicitly, if that 1 could, pop up as well. It says, now in the church at Antioch, there were prophets and teachers, Barnnebus, Simien Cordonijah, Lucia of Cyrene, Menean who had been brought up with herod the Tetra arkansas.

While they were worshiping the lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said set apart for me Barnabus and saw for the work to which I've called them. So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands upon them. And sent them off. It's very interesting, isn't it there? That the the actual laying on of hands or the placing on of hands was a way of saying we are with you in this task.

We want you to know that we share in what you're doing, we are behind you, and we are commissioning you out for the task to which god has called you. And I think it's a very it's a very special thing. We've actually thought about doing that here at Cornerstone, perhaps once a term or once a year, to get Sunday school workers and overseas, missionaries out and musicians out and to and to lay hands on them and to say we pray for you, we we we're commissioning you out into the year. We're commissioning you into the service that god has given you. It's a way of expressing that fellowship in the gospel.

But it's more than that. It's also as a way of saying, look, what you value, we value They're saying here in acts 13, look, we can't all go overseas. We're not all gonna do that, but we absolutely believe that that you should, and we want you to, and we're with you as a church. We can't all be feeding the widows every day. But we're gonna lay hands on you to say we love what you're doing.

We believe in what you're doing. We are sharing together in this ministry. Or when leaders like Timothy were set apart for leadership, hands were laid upon him. And it was a way of saying, we recognize your calling. We recognize that you can be set apart to leadership, we want to support you and value you as our as our leader.

All of that, they could have just said, couldn't they? They could've just said those things, but they place hands upon him to make visible what they already believe. To show them that they are joining together in this task, or when the sick are prayed for, there's often the laying on of hands. Which is not seen in any way to be a a a, a magical gesture or or a way of, transferring power But it's a way of saying, look, we we love you. We wanna pray with you.

We we're gonna touch you. We we're gonna we're gonna share in your suffering in 1 sense. We're actually gonna share your suffering in a tangible way by laying hands on you as we pray for you. Now I know this is England, and even the very idea of this is like going for a filling, and in some cases, of course, it is is, isn't appropriate. But the the laying on of hands is a biblical thing.

Because of what it represents, unity in the gospel, fellowship, devotion to 1 another, a shared mission, making visible the invisible, care for the sick, all these kinds of things. It's a way of saying we are partners in the work that god has given us to do, and that is what these hands are for. As a way of expressing gospel, fellowship, and gospel partnership. So now we really are going to sing again and, the band are gonna come up, and we're going to sing mine our days that god has numbered a wonderful reminder that god in his sovereignty knows all of our days and cares for us intimately. So let's stand and sing praises to him.

Well, now we've looked at a number of, ways in which we can use our hands, ways in which we should use our hands, but, in this last point, I want us to see how god uses his hands. How does god use his hands? And there really is, a truckload of things that we could say. The the phrase, the hands of the lord, and the hand of the lord, is a a rich biblical theme to to explore. But we're only gonna pick up on a few things.

And I've already mentioned creation in the first point, but there's a a few others for us to look at. Now, 1 of the most common ways that the hand of the lord is described is actually in terms of his judgment. So we read this in exodus 15 that your right hand lord was majestic in power, your right hand lord. Shattered the enemy. So when the lord's hand stretches out, particularly in the old testament, when the lord's hand stretches out, it's often a way of describing his judgment.

He is he is showing his wrath or his anger against a a nation perhaps or a particular individual like pharaoh in in this case. When the hand of the lord goes out, it it can mean judgment. Another phrase that is often used in the Bible is this idea of being given into the hands of men. When god gives someone into the hands of men, it's actually another way of describing his judgment, and it's quite a frightening thought, isn't it? Because it's as if to say that god is from now on going to surrender his care for you, and your fate and your destiny will be decided by evil hands.

You will now be given into the hands of men, and they will decide your future. It's a kind of frightening idea, isn't it? When Jesus says that, what does he say? I'm going to be delivered into the hands of men. I'm going to be at their mercy in 1 sense.

So it's a sign that sort of judgment is coming as Jesus face that judgment for us. So the hand, the hand of the lord goes out in judgment, but it can also mean salvation for sinners. When the hand of the lord reaches out, it can be reaching out to rescue. Have a look at deuteronomy 7. The lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.

But it was because the lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery. It's like, god reaches down, isn't it, into our sin? And into our misery, and with a mighty arm, he pulls us from the swamp sets us on our feet side by side with him, He uses his hand to bring redemption and salvation. It's like that iconic, movie scene, isn't it? Where 1 character is hanging on the edge of the cliff or on the edge of the building.

The fingers are burning. They can't hold on anymore. They let go. And just as they do, There's a hand of a friend that reaches over grabs their wrist and brings them to safety. God uses his mighty hand like that to pull us from danger and to bring us to safety?

Or you imagine a mother when she's when she's approaching a very busy road, approaching the end of a pavement? What does she say to her child. Take my hand. Take my hand. Hold my hand.

Because you need to be in mom's hand. If you're gonna cross a busy road. So to be inside somebody's hand is to be in a place of protection. Is to be in a place of safety from danger, all those kinds of ideas, we find in the scriptures. Psalm 16, another 1 which helps us to see that Mandy, if you could flick that on.

It says I keep my eyes always on the lord with him at my right hand I will not be shaken. No matter what happens, and no matter how busy the road is he is with us, close by holding our hand. We are safe in those gracious hands of God. Or Jesus says this, this is such a comforting, fountain to drink from in John, John chapter 10. My sheep listen to my voice.

I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish no 1 will snatch them out of my hand. My father who has given them to me is greater than all. No 1 can snatch them out of my father's hand. I and the father are 1.

Is there a better place for Christians to be than than there, held in the hands of the father and the son You've got all the the triune power of god, if you like, father, son, and holy spirit, all of the majesty and power of god working for our salvation to protect us and to shelter us, enclosed around us to keep us safe from our enemies. If you've got an enemy who wants to snatch you out of god's hand, that's what they've gotta deal with. They gotta deal with the power of the father and the son and the spirit, the lord of hosts, the lord of majesty. If they wanna rob you from god's saving hand, then they better be ready to go up against that. JC Ryal and his, old, old bishop of Liverpool says, this Christ declares that his people will never perish.

Weak as they are, they shall be saved. Not 1 of them shall be lost and cast away. Not 1 of them shall miss heaven. If they stray, they shall be brought back. If they fall, they shall be raised.

The words are too plain to be evaded. He has said it, and he will make it good my sheep shall never perish. If we belong to Christ, we are in his hands then god will sovereignly keep us. What a great place for us to be. And then you just think about those precious hands of Jesus himself.

When you read through the gospels, how many times is our lord Jesus stretching out his hand in order to bring grace and compassion. How many times is he touching those who everybody else in the world would want to get rid of. Even when the religious enemies are closing their fists around pebbles, To throw and execute the sinner, Jesus comes with tender hands in order to touch and redeem and to bring grace to them. That's how our savior uses his hands. The eyes of 2 blind men, the ears and the tongue of a deaf mute even the worst of all, a leper, a leper, Jesus touches to make them clean.

He takes in his hands, 5 loaves and 2 fish. He prays for them, then he opens his hands again, and he gives generously. And greatest, greatest, greatest of all is when those life giving wonderful hands was stretched out and nailed to a cross. When the son of man gave his life for us, upon that tree, to ransom us from the wrath of god, to pay the price for our sin to redeem us from a a life under god's judging hand forever. Jesus opened his precious hands and took the nails for us in his hands.

You and I as Christians are saved by faith in the nail pierced hands. Of Jesus Christ, our lord. That is that is grace that we do not deserve. Because if we're honest, friends. We we we know the truth, don't we?

About how we've used our hands. We haven't really used them to be generous, to give to promote the gospel. We've been tight fisted, and we've been selfish And we've used our fingers to point at other people and to to put them down, at least in our hearts, if not if not literally, We've used our hands to shelter our lips as we whisper about somebody else so they can't see us. We've rolled our hands up tightly into a fist in order to curse others that god has made in his own precious image. We've used our fingers and our hands to look at things and click on things that frankly offend our our great god.

We've used our hands not to to help people but to bring religious guilt upon people. Haven't we? Listen to what Jesus describes of the pharisees. You experts in the law woe to you because you load people down with heavy burdens they can hardly carry and you yourselves will not lift 1 finger to help them. Isn't that how we've used our hands?

We've been very good at telling people what religious laws they ought to be following, but actually really not being willing to lift even 1 finger to help them to follow god's ways. That is the truth. We've been like Eve, who used her hands to reach out and sin and we've been like Adam, the first sluggard who relaxed his hands and did nothing in the face of great evil. God would be absolutely right to close his hand around the iron scepter to come and to dashes to pieces for all eternity. But he doesn't.

He opens his hand, puts the scepter of judgment to 1 side, and he comes and takes the nails for us. He comes with gracious sin bearing hands to pay the price and to wash away our sins and to truly forgive us. And so do you see when we understand the grace of the lord Jesus, and the way he's used his hands to save us, we can pray, okay, now lord help me. Help me now, as 1 redeemed by your blood, to use my hands, to work for your glory, to be generous and to give of myself, to partner in gospel fellowship. Praise you farther for these hands.

These great works of engineering, and thank you that whatever I do, whether I eat or drink, whatever it is, I can do all to the glory of god. These hands are amazing, aren't they? And when we think of how god has used his hands for us, while then we're free to use our hands to serve him and other people. Let's close with a prayer and then we're going to sing our final song together. For the gold, we, come to you this morning, and we confess that we have sinned against you, and that we have used not only our eyes and our mouths and our ears, but our hands to sin against you.

We have relaxed our hands in the face of evil, and we have not acted when we should have done. And we have also taken our hands, these instruments that you have given us, and we have willingly put them to work for sin. And all we pray that you would forgive us. We know that we deserve to face the right hand of judgment, the shattering hand. Of the almighty God.

But we thank you lord for the grace of our lord Jesus Christ. That though he was rich, yet for our sakes, came poor so that we, through his poverty, might become rich. We thank you that as we gaze back at the cross, we see a vulnerable helpless and yet stunningly righteous powerful savior who could have destroyed every 1 of his enemies in that moment with a click of a finger We see him surrendering his hands to nails, to bear the price of our sin. We thank you so much for your gracious, pierced hands, and we pray father that now knowing and tasting your grace, you would help us to use our hands, to work, to give, to partner in gospel fellowship, and to bless others. And we ask it all for Jesus' sake and glory.

Our men.