The Hand Of The Lord - Part 2 - Pursuing Intimacy With God

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The Hand Of The Lord – Part 2

In Part 1 of this 3 part series we began to look into God’s Word to find the keys to having the Lord’s hand on your life and ministry. Jesus told us in John 15:5 that “without Jesus we can do nothing.” Oh we the church can do some good things, but so can organizations like the Rotary Club or other charities. Jesus is referring to the supernatural works of God such as preaching the Gospel and reaching many lost people. And making a great difference in people’s lives where many are transformed and made into faithful & fruitful disciples.

We discovered in part 1 that the 1st key to having the Lord’s hand on you is your complete surrender and total commitment to Jesus. Fully committed to Jesus and willing to make sacrifices for Him and His kingdom work and mission in the world. When we have the same kind of absolute commitment to Jesus like the early church had, then we will be what God wants us to be.

Now we will look at the 2nd key and vital thing we need in order to have God’s hand on us.

The 2nd Key To Having The Lord’s Hand On Your Life & Ministry

Acts 8:1 “Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”

Acts 8:1 tells us that a great persecution broke out against the church, and everyone in the church except the apostles were scattered to other areas. This was shortly after Jesus’ death on the cross, and the church at the time was based in Jerusalem. Every ordinary person in the church was scattered to other regions because of persecution. But the apostles stayed in Jerusalem.

Acts 8:4 “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.”

Verse 4 tells us that everyone that was scattered preached the word of the Lord wherever they went. Again, these were the ordinary people of the church. Look what they did. It says “they preached the word” wherever they went. When the verse says “they preached the word” it means they specifically preached the Gospel everywhere they went. We know this from reading later in Acts 11:19-20. “So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.”

Every Believer In The Church Preached The Gospel Everywhere They Went

Imagine a church where everyone shares the Good News of Jesus with others, not just the pastors or leaders. They understood that God’s plan for the church is for everyone to share Christ with others.

And they understood that this is what Jesus commanded them to do in Matthew 4:19 and Matthew 28:19-20.

Matthew 4:19 “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Not only did they understand this, but they obeyed what the Lord said to do. All of them. Thus the hand of the Lord was with them, and He empowered them to reach a great number of people for Jesus. God used everyone in the church, including the ordinary people, to do extraordinary things for His glory.

The Results Of God’s Hand On His People

Let’s go back to Acts 2 to see what happens when Jesus’ followers and the church are totally committed to Him. And they are willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill His commandments and His mission.

Acts 2:43 “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” – Not by the apostles, through the apostles.

2:44 “And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common.” – A supernatural love and unity from God in the church

Acts 2:45 “And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.” – A Godly love and concern for others

2:46 “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.” – Godly unity, and great joy & sincerity in their hearts

Acts 2:47 “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” – all of the people in the church were faithfully obeying Jesus and sharing the Gospel everywhere they went. And the Lord produced great fruit as a result of their efforts.

God Loves To Use Ordinary People In Extraordinary Ways

This is the kind of church that God wants. And this is the kind of fully committed Christian that God wants you to be. Because He wants to use you and other believers in great ways. God loves to use ordinary people in extraordinary ways.

In Part 3 of this series we will look at some examples of how God used ordinary people in great ways.

Pursuing Intimacy With God

Pursuing Intimacy With God is committed to helping you with the most important thing in your life… your intimacy with God , your fellowship with Him, and your partnership with God in His Kingdom work & mission.

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