The Hand
by Raymond Sloan
November 22, 2020 · Cornerstone Apostolic Church (Chattanooga, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Matthew 25:31-40

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/raymond-sloan--the-hand
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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pray together lord we are so indebted to you we love you jesus you are god you are good and you are an awesome god to us right now lord we come to you in praise and prayer believing you for great things lord one more time i make myself available to you jesus i need you jesus we have gathered in this place today to love you pray lord god somehow some way we could get a hold of you if we could simply touch you lord everything can change in our lives i love you lord so looking forward to the throne room would you give the lord praise before you sit down one more time i love you lord i believe in you lord god i believe in you thank you jesus hallelujah somebody say in jesus name thank you singers musicians thank you to teaching staff sound audio video greeters security everybody that's involved with making the church happen thank you so much i appreciate greatly all your sacrifice and your investment in the kingdom amen you are investing in the future things you can be seated if you feel like you need to again to all of our guests i welcome you if you're online today i welcome you well we are here once again in the holiday mode this week this week we will gather with family friends loved ones we'll gather around tables and we'll enjoy some well-deserved time off maybe in america in case you haven't noticed though we have been through much there is still much that we can complain about did anybody in the last seven days complain about something nobody wants to answer here in the good old usa whether you know it or not gasoline is still 175 a gallon or less yeah a dozen eggs if you go to all these you're less than a dollar a dozen huh milk you can buy a gallon of milk for less than three dollars in some places now you and i because i've got a real loud ring up here brother david if you can back this one down just a smidge you and i might consider everything at cost to be outrageous why my goodness prices are going up meals are getting smaller tips are getting larger basically most of the time we forget the facts everybody say the facts in most places around the globe right now the cost of living is well over what the people make for an example average price for a gallon of fuel in the world is about five dollars and fifty cents a gallon and we complain sometimes about a buck 59 at some places huh milk they sell it most countries by the liter if you add that up to a gallon it's about seven dollars a gallon somebody say moo cow bread if you bought it packaged should be about 350 a loaf those are just a few of the basic essentials and and i know of what i speak because i've lived in other countries before i know that things in the usa are somehow some way a bit cheaper this afternoon every one of us left the comforts of our homes with the heat or the air running we climbed into our vehicles while wearing our best church clothes we drove on paved roads and streets and interstates we talked and we chatted about the busy week that we had or the excitement of the upcoming week because it is thanksgiving after all we walked into this building with carpet on the floors lights and sounds cameras and even hand sanitizer for those who would use it shoes and socks working bathrooms with real toilet paper y'all think it's strange ask lauren what's going on in haiti dresses high heels suits and ties we will leave this place sometime this afternoon and basically every one of us will have one purpose in mind and that is food can we go eat we'll go home there'll be food in the cupboard and on the table hear what i'm saying many of you will go to your favorite restaurant or of choice and you'll sit down to a nice meal even some of you will complain that the steak was overcooked or wasn't the way you liked it or the rice wasn't to your specifications and the staff that should have been trained how to fix that blunder and not bring you such distasteful food after all you are paying for it and they ought to know what you like we live in the great united states of america somebody ought to say god bless america i'm simply mentioning these few details that are so often overlooked because much of what we have we don't give enough thanks for it we expect things even though we do not deserve things i know that in our nation here the preacher we are accustomed to a higher standard of living i understand that and it only makes sense that when things don't go your way you ought to get upset about it and set somebody straight in the kitchen i mean we're obligated to put them in the right place and make them to realize that 22 tip you're trying to earn you got to earn it because it's by standard that's what i'm accustomed to i don't know if anybody in here has ever had the joy and the privilege of sitting down at a restaurant in public only to have to scrape the roaches off the table before you got to eat been done and had that before and i didn't get them all off the table if you had to choose between between using the fuel in your vehicle having to go to work or having to go to church which one would you choose although in many other countries you'd have to pay five dollars plus a gallon of fuel i wonder sometimes where our heart is and where our minds are set have we become spoiled if you will to the spoils of of this great nation in which we live i am not here today please understand on this thanksgiving week i'm not here with an indictment against anybody i'm simply here to tell you that there is power in a thankful heart there is power in a thankful spirit if you will approach this week of thanksgiving realizing you and i have a whole lot to be thankful for you might not be driving that car or that truck or living in that house or wearing that suited clothes like everybody else around you you might even justify a bad attitude because you work harder than anybody else i've come to declare to you that you need to realize every breath that goes in your mouth into your lungs is a gift from god and you need to be thankful for it i have spent the last several sundays attempting by the holy ghost to try to help this church all of us to get through a time of unrest and chaos uncertainty and confusion in our nation and the only thing that i can tell you today with a confidence and assurance is god is still on the throne god still knows what's going on in your life here the preacher today he is still there he still knows what's happening he knows who's going to be at your dinner table this week at thanksgiving he knows what trials and tests that people are going to bring into the family but right now friend at this sunday evening service i wonder if there is somebody that will jump to your feet and simply thank the lord for a gallon of milk simply thank the lord for a loaf of bread simply thank the lord for an egg in your refrigerator simply thank the lord for fuel in your car thank the lord for electricity in your house thank the lord for running water in your bathroom come on is there anybody thankful today paul wrote to the church in 1st thessalonians 5. in everything verse 18 says say it with me give thanks in everything give thanks every neighbor and say everything be thankful why this is the will of god in christ jesus concerning you everything give thanks being thankful and having an attitude of thankfulness will change everything in your life hear me a thankful heart will see things for what they really are when you thank god for the smallest the biggest will hang very great and large in your life realizing that everything comes from the hand of god when you give thanks for the good and the bad you will recognize that god is indeed in control and your life is not falling apart like some suppose it is but in the good days you ought to be thanking god in the bad days you ought to be thanking the lord god when the ups come in your life thank him when the bad comes in your life thank him anyway when things don't make sense thank him when things you get a bad report thank the lord when you can't explain what's going on thank the lord god it is the will of god that you have a thankful heart thankful thankful when you help others when you see the bigger picture when you proceed to understand that i should be thankful for all things then you will recognize the greatness of god in your little bitty life when mrs klein told her first graders to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful she thought how these little children these first graders who lived in a in a very terrible neighborhood what did they actually have to be thankful for she knew that probably most of the class would draw pictures of turkeys or or of bountifully laden thanksgiving tables that was what they believed was expected of them and so surely this first grade teacher knew that's what they would draw what took mrs klein aback was what little douglas drew douglas was a forlorn and and likely be found close to her shadow as they were outside for an example for recess he was that child that was not very outspoken he was the one that was very looked over call on to her he he would get stay close to her and for some reason all the other first graders laughed or or pointed a finger at him many times and he was simply a first grader what drawing was simply this it was a hand obviously the picture was a hand but whose hand the class was captivated by his image the the teacher miss klein stood there with the drawings one at a time and and asked the class to identify him and and when she held up douglas's picture it was simply a hand and maybe someone in the class said i i think it must be the hand of god that brings us food another one spouted off no no i think it's the hand of a farmer because he's the one that grows the food we eat and grows the turkeys another child spoke up abruptly and said no it looks more like like the hand of a policeman it protects us i think said one young one that it's just simply supposed to be about all the hands that help us but douglas could only draw one of them thus the drawing was a hand mrs klein she gathered the class back together and put them into their position for the next lesson and she simply bent over to young douglas and and spoke into his ear when everybody else was was working on their project she bent down and simply whispered to him whose hand is it that you drew douglas with his eyes cast down and with a low voice he simply mumbled this teacher it's your hand she remembered then the times that douglas had reached for her and she took it no other hand could he recognize that would love and help him but hers could it be that a simple act of compassion and love that you as an individual share with someone during this thanksgiving time could change their life i reminded us today of in our great nation how very blessed that we are even though we have some to complain about right but the thing that will stand out to others might not be that gallon of milk or might not be that thing that is supposed to have value it might simply be they're thankful that you care about them i'm asking you today in this time of thanksgiving i know it's quiet now because there are many that are searching yourselves could it be that a soothing word would be something that someone would be thankful for i'm sure glad that somebody spoke kind to me today could it be that a hug or a pat on the shoulder a positive attitude in a very negative world is what people are looking for today i have struggled i will be honest with you over the last several months with this mask pandemic because i can't see your smile i tell people often i haven't brushed my teeth in seven months you don't even know stuck my tongue out at you twice during church do you even realize it i'm joking mostly and i'm trying to read eyes when people smile but it's it's the challenge and i don't mind telling you i've struggled with that anybody else know what i'm talking about but this one thing i do know there's a world out here there's a world that you walk in every single day and people are so hungry for just simple humanity what would it be like if during this week of thanksgiving god's good to us that you would simply say to somebody you know what the lord's good it's amazing to watch the the minds and and the response of many people at grocery stores and and just this week i found out that that at walmart neighborhood you can't even talk to the checker outer person because they took all of them out and put all the machines i hate talking to myself at the checkout i enjoy talking to the waiter anybody ever been to lunch or supper or breakfast with me what's the first thing i ask when they come to the table what's your name i want to know your name and i will use that name 30 times during the meal you know why i'm nothing but i want to make them feel like something i'm thankful hear me matthew 25 31 when the son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats hang on to it verse 33 and he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left then shall the king say unto them on his right hand come you blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for i was hungered you gave me meat i was thirsty you gave me drink i was a stranger you took me in naked and you clothed me i was sick and you visited me i was in prison you came unto me then shall the righteous notice this is not the sinner the unrighteous this is the righteous they will answer him saying lord when saw we thee and hungered and fed thee you're thirsty gave thee drink when saw we thee a stranger took the end or naked and clothed thee or when saw we thee sick or in prison and came unto thee verse 40 and the king shall answer and say unto them verily i say unto you and as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren you have done it unto me in this writing you'll notice in your king james version the letters are in red indicates it came from the mouth of jesus the best the translators could decide and you'll notice there will be a separation from goats and sheep righteous from unrighteous and when we do the simplest of things around us to those who are close to us or even far from us we have to understand friend that when we show thankfulness and and when we encourage others around us and when we we try to simply be there for somebody we try to show them kindness what we are doing is we are doing it as unto the lord and it is in that environment where you and i should decide you know what if i'm simply reaching out to those around me with a smile or a pat on my back or i'm sure glad you're here there is a picture that is being drawn and i wonder sometimes in the details in the fine print in all that we do does that picture show a thankful heart what little douglas was demonstrating when the teacher asked them to draw something they were thankful for he could have done like the rest of the kids he could have drawn the turkey or the pumpkin pie or the bicycle or whatever it was but instead something stuck out to that child for him to say teacher when you put your hand out to me i'm so thankful because nobody else would do it i stand here today and i respond in the scriptures to tell you this those that are hungry thirsty naked sick in prison when you reach out to them in whatever the circumstance you need to know something the king of glory is standing watching us and he's noticing why because when you show thankfulness when you are gratified lord god unto you i give you honor and glory why because everything that you have given me i used for you i stand here on this thanksgiving week brother duran would you come and i simply declare to you i have so much to be thankful for i have seen with my own eyes the poor yes i have i have seen with mine own eyes those who were down and out and literally had nothing i have seen with my own eyes an experience in my own life those who did not have two pennies to rub together much less two times but yet i watched them come into the house of the lord god with a rejoicing on their lips saying whatever you've done for me this week lord i've come to bless you and lift you up in jesus name i've watched those who have had nothing but simply reach out and receive something and with my own eyes i'd watch them take it and in turn give it to someone else knowing that true gratitude says such as i have give i thee on this thanksgiving week i want you to know friend we have so much to be thankful for far be it for you and i to ever take it for granted for be it for you and i to simply say we deserve this we are americans by the way and therefore we have all of this and we should have it all i think very quickly i'm not a doomsday pastor i'm not somebody that gets up and preaches the nay and the negative but i'm telling you our great nation if things continue on the path which it appears that it will we are in for a very very stout awakening in this country i don't know how else to say it but as for me in my house we're going to serve the lord we're going to believe in the lord god we're going to trust him from the rising of the sun we're going to know that he's in control and thank him for every little thing or every great thing you better know friend if i ask you for a bottle of water i'm going to say thank you why because i know that it means something to you every service at the end of the service i'm not patting myself i'm simply learned that faithfulness works i look at that young man right there and i say thank you for investing in this service today i say it to everybody that i can't thank you why because you've got so many choices to make and those in the world have made choices that have led them into discouragement into bad investments into selfishness pride and arrogance but in the house of the lord we need to be thankful even for a drink of water why because to a man dying a thirst that's worth a billion dollars be thankful for what you have teach your children to be thankful they better not get up from that table without first giving thanks i close with this stand to your feet please in this week of thanksgiving find somebody and share a smile with them is that possible now you may have to pull your mask down and put it back you know i don't know how it works for you but let them know that you believe in them i have no ulterior motive it's amazing to me what people of prominence can do in a room i i like people watching because it's very interesting because i are one of them but it's amazing i'm pretty confident not 100 but i'm relatively confident that right now if a lebron james were to walk into this room every one of these young folk would know his face he'd recognize him wouldn't you wouldn't you what would you do he could walk in here say anything do anything you wanted to and just because of who it is you'd go yeah i was in church today with lebron i mean him like this he's the tall one i don't care you put any name in that you want to governor president bill gates my daughter got to shake bill gates's hand i said what was he like she said it was like this cuz that dude's worth billions you think that he'd have a you'd go i feel you or something i don't know what do i know you built microsoft this i know this i know the lord jesus came through that back door there are some that wouldn't even recognize it i'm sorry but i have a really good way of getting beside myself i just don't like to because i don't like two of me sorry but i would lose it brother roger i'd be off this platform y'all could finish the service yourself i dead straight to him i wouldn't ask him for one thing because everything that he's given me to this point he didn't have to but i'd grab a hold of him and just think i'd smell him i'd i'd pull one of my grandmas on him yes lord my grandma's do that when she patted people on back yes jesus whoa i'd reach up and get a hold of his head i'd rub on his face i'd rub on it everything you'd get all sweaty because you know why i'd do that because i don't know how long he don't stay and the line was formed behind and i don't know how long i'd hold on but i want you to know his hand reached to me one day and changed everything in my life some of you don't even deserve to be standing on your own two feet but the hand of the lord reached to you somebody was kind to you and shared the word of god with you you need to know that's worth giving thanks for this altar is open on this thanksgiving sunday i want you to come and bring every ounce of gratitude that you've got whatever you can muster up gratitude thankfulness and get to this altar lift your hands to the lord reach out for his hand and realize lord you've been good to me you've allowed me lord god to have a family you have blessed me lord in my health although i might be facing situations i'm not afraid of it because i'm in your hand i'm trusting you i've come today lord thankful just to know you thankful lord to wrap my arms around you jesus come on that's right let this house right now be a house of thanksgiving thank you jesus oh i'm so thankful jesus i give you thanks jesus come on that's right jesus i thank you for the breath in my body i thank you for the grace and the mercy and love that you shared with me i thank you lord for the church family come on you got a lot to be thankful for throw your hands to heaven thank him thank you lord god for two good eyes for two years thank you lord for the vehicle that i can drive thank you for the job that i can go to thank you lord for those who have reached out to me thank you jesus your loving your grace lord is real come on that's right a thankful heart a thankful heart a thankful heart a thankful attitude i'm so thankful to know you jesus that's right come on thank him thank you jesus i thank you jesus you can receive healing with a thankful heart yes you can you can receive the holy ghost with a thankful heart right now you can you can receive direction for your life right now with a thankful heart yes you can how i thank you jesus i thank you jesus that's right come on think about him he's a good god he's a holy god lift your hands all over this place lift them to the lord i thank you jesus i thank you lord i love you jesus i believe in you jesus that's right come on a thankful heart a thankful heart hallelujah thank you jesus thank you jesus you're worthy you're worthy jesus if you're comfortable with it get up close to somebody and together lift your hands up come on throw their hand to heaven with yours and give the lord thanks come on give the lord thanks together i thank you jesus yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah i thank you jesus i rejoice in you lord you've been so good you've been so good thank you jesus that's right thank you jesus thank you lord now pray for them lord anoint my brother today my sisters speak to their heart lord let them always be thankful for your mercy and your grace thankful lord god for all the goodness and the mercy you've shown i am thankful lord thankful jesus come on that's right how i love you lord i love you lord i bless you jesus before you leave here right now think of everything that you can and thank him for it come on you might not get another chance this week thank you open your mouth lord i i thank you come on come on think of it i thank you whatever struggle you're in right now thank him for the victory whatever is wrestling against you right now thank him for it lord i'm gonna be better for it god you're still in control you're you're still on the throne it's okay come on thank him and everything give thanks that's the will of god that's the will of god be thankful i love you love you love you lord i love you jesus oh how i need you lord i bless your name jesus i want you to know church i love you my wife and i we pray for y'all we believe in y'all we're thankful for you i say we're thankful for you we're thankful for what god's doing in you and to you and through you it's going to be good it's going to be good it'll tell how it's going to turn out but only the lord knows we're thankful for you this week you make sure give thanks and i don't mean pray as fast as you can so you can get back to the game that means stop turn it all off we want to thank you lord i want to thank you lord jesus thank you so much for being here today pray with me would you lord we give thanks today you've been so good to us you've been so good to us thank you lord for the church for the church family thank you for the opportunity to gather together in worship i pray lord you would bless the remainder of our week as we go into this week god let it be anointed by your hand lead us in the plain path you know god what's happening out in the world you know what's going on in the future but we're we're going to be thankful every step that we take you're opening doors you're making a way i love you and i plead your blood over every single one of us i plead your blood lord over those that are online watching lord and worshiping you i plead your blood the word of god be powerful in our lives this week we'll love you for it and serve you forever because you're god and you are on the throne in jesus name somebody say amen amen