“Stretch Forth Your Hand” - Luke 6 - May 18th, 2025 - Pastor Scotty Brown

And so if you have your Bible, we're going to be loving the Lord in Luke chapter 6.

Luke 6 · chapter mention

And I am going a little slower than I really wanted to here in this chapter.

But there's a lot of good stuff in here.

And so we saw last time in the first five verses there where Jesus got lambasted for allowing his disciples to rub the grain in their hand and to pop it into their

mouth and the Pharisees accused them of violating the Sabbath. And we talked about the Sabbath,

and the Sabbath is a created thing. We're not to worship created things, right? We're to worship

the creator of the created things. And that's where people get it so wrong. They put the

emphasis on whether it's angels or creatures or what happens.

have you, they end up worshipping the wrong thing. And God has called us to worship him and him only.

You shall have no other gods before me. And so Jesus ends up telling these people, listen,

the son of man is also Lord of the Sabbath. He's the Lord of that created thing, that day that God

had set aside. And I honestly, I don't really understand.

understand how, why they got so wadded up on the Sabbath, except for is how consistent it is.

Right?

Every seventh day is the Sabbath day.

Is that day of rest?

That day of just being still and knowing that God is holy.

That was the is what the command was, right?

Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

And so they had lambasted these guys, and Jesus had reminded them of the story of David when he came as he was running from Saul and was hungry and ate the showbread.

And the Lord was establishing the human need.

Human need is above the law.

And we see that even in the Old Testament temple there where the Holy of Holies and the mercy seat was there was there on the.

the top part of the ark as the angels are looking down into it and fascinated with it.

The New Testament is told the angels desire to look into this thing called salvation,

which is truly the mercy of God, right? You and I, we don't deserve to be saved.

And yet God has saw fit to show you and I mercy. And that's what Jesus desires from his people also.

when he tells them, go and learn what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice.

So Jesus was more interested in the spiritual life than he was in the physical life.

And he talked about it often about the heart.

God wants your heart.

And we always reference that time when Samuel goes to find a king.

to replace Saul and he he looks at David, this man after God's own heart. The Bible says that

from the heart flows the issues of life. He also tells us that out of the abundance of the heart,

the mouth speaks. You want to find out where somebody's heart is? Listen to him talk.

Because there is this connection. We're tongue tied. Our tongue is tied to our heart.

And so we must be careful.

That's why the Bible says to be quick to hear and slow to speak, right?

Because of that desperately wicked heart many times very wicked things flow from this heart.

Jesus also says that out of the heart, right, comes adulteries and wickedness and revilement and all these things.

Comes from within.

That's what he's concerned about.

Is your heart and mine.

And so many times we have a right attitude, but we do the wrong things.

Right? We think we're doing good and it turns out to be not so good.

But God obviously, he looks at those things.

I share this story about my oldest daughter when she was about three years old.

I came home, we were on this ranch and we had all.

kinds of little critters.

We are, and our bunny had had wrapped baby, baby bunnies.

And she comes up and she asks, she says, Daddy, I said, yes.

She says, do bunnies take naps with their eyes open?

I'm thinking, I don't think bunnies take naps with their eyes open.

I said, why do you ask, honey?

Because all the bunnies, they're not moving.

I think they're taking naps, but their eyes are open.

I says, well, what did you do?

Well, we gave him swimming lessons.

The heart was right, right?

Everybody should learn how to swim.

It's just like, poor bunnies.

So we ate rabbit stew for the next.

I'm just kidding.

But the Lord, he says the Sabbath was made for man and not the other way around.

Warren Wiersby says this, our Lord's defense in the field, when they were in the field,

was based on the Old Testament scriptures.

But his defense in the synagogue, what this man were about to read about, was based on Sabbath law.

God gave the law to help people not to hurt them. Amen? God is good. His law is good. The problem is we are not.

So read with me. We're just going to take a few verses this morning and I'll wrap it up. But in verse 6, it says,

Now it happened on another Sabbath also that he entered the synagogue and taught an amen.

man was there whose right hand was withered. And so the scribes and Pharisees watched him closely,

whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him,

but he knew their thoughts and said to the man who had the withered hand, arise and stand here.

And he arose and stood. And then Jesus said to them, I will ask you one thing. Is it lawful

on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil?

to save life or to destroy.

And when he had looked around at them, he said to the man,

stretch out your hand, and he did so.

And his hand was restored as whole as the other.

But they were filled with rage and disgust with one another,

what they might do to Jesus.

Lord, thank you.

Thank you for this passage of scripture that truly shows the heart of mankind.

Lord, and just how and what we are void of you, or should we dare say even those who come against you and are your enemies.

Lord, I pray that today that we wouldn't be those enemies, but we would be those who would yield and that we would stretch forth our lives towards you this day.

Lord, that you might, by your goodness and by your mercy, do a work in each one of us as we look at this.

would you teach us in Jesus' name? Amen. And so he comes to another Sabbath. Here we go again.

And this seems to be a cycle just over and over again. And I think I shared last time we were together

that I know these people and some of them that I've been friends with over the years that so cling to the Sabbath,

they believe that if anyone doesn't worship on the seventh day, which would be Saturday,

they're going to go to hell.

Do you think God's that watered up about what day?

I think it's the apostle Paul that says, just everybody be persuaded in their own heart.

Some hold to the Sabbath day.

Do you want to do that?

God bless you.

That's good.

He says, some esteem every day alike.

And that's okay too.

The problem is, you guys, is when we start putting our take on things on other people,

that's where the problem lies.

And so this is what these people are trying to put something on Jesus

that was never meant to be hung on people,

and especially to this extent.

And it's interesting that Jesus had addressed this in Matthew,

Matthew 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12 and realizing that every man that was standing there watching what he was going to do

would have rescued a sheep on the Sabbath day, an animal. And yet here, they're not willing to rescue

somebody who bears the image of God. How twisted is that? In fact, he says it in Matthew

Matthew 12:11

chapter 12, verses 11 and 12. Then he said to them, what man is there among you who has

has one sheep. And if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out

of how much more value then is a man than a sheep. The scribes and the Pharisees had turned God's

gift of the Sabbath into a heavy yoke that nobody could bear. No, it was. It was. It was a,

the serious thing, right? Keep it holy. You remember the Old Testament reference of the dude

picking up sticks, right? He probably should have been picking up a little stick occasionally

throughout the week instead of going out and doing it on the Sabbath. And what did they do? They rocked

the dude to death. They killed him. God was dead serious about his law. But these guys are

taking it to a different place. So the scribes and the Pharisees had turned God's gift into a heavy

and they had made their traditions doctrine, which was not to be, right?

Which was not to be.

Over in Matthew chapter 15, he addresses this where he says in verse 7 of Matthew

Matthew 15 · chapter mention Matthew 15 · chapter mention

chapter 15, hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophes I about you saying,

these people drawn near me with their mouth and honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

And in vain, they worship me teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

And that's the problem with putting tradition or what you think, what I think, is above God's law.

Because so much of what some people believe, it's not in God's law at all.

Men have just put their traditions in that place.

So about 200 years before Christ, there arose what was called the Great Synagogue,

and it took the Ten Commandments and the whole law of Moses and added interpretations.

I think there's a verse about that, isn't there?

About adding?

Right?

Most people like to quote Revelation 22, which is, it should stop you in your tracks,

and you should be a little bit concerned about it,

that those who add to this, the prophecy of this book,

the plagues of this book will be added to them.

And it talks about or taking away.

But that wasn't a New Testament thought.

That came from the Old Testament.

Deuteronomy chapter 4, verse 2, it says,

Deuteronomy 4:2

You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you,

nor take away from it that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God,

which I command you.

we were never to add to the Word of God.

Take it at face value, let it do its thing, which it does, and you have to leave it right there.

Keep your opinions to yourself.

Opinions are like feet.

Most people have them and they all stink.

Right?

And yet this is what these people, the great synagogue had given 39 prohabilms.

prohibitions to interpret, thou shalt do no manner of work.

Right?

So they said, plucking a head of grain was constituted reaping, and rubbing it in your hands

constituted threshing.

And you weren't to do that on the Sabbath day.

And so there were others, right?

It was unlawful to heal on the Sabbath day.

day. You weren't to apply a bandage or ointment. However, there was a concession that if your life was

on the line and you needed like a tourniquet, you could apply a tourniquet. You see how ridiculous it gets?

Like, what? What are you talking about? And that's true. There in the Mia Shereem there in Israel

today, there'll be these little boys with their little locks and stuff.

stuff. And on the Sabbath day, if you drive bribe, they'll chuck rocks at you.

Because you're kindling a fire in the combustion engine that you're driving.

And you can't have dinner and pay cash for it. Now, you can go have dinner and pay with a card.

So my wife likes to do that, too.

You can pay with the card, but you can't.

And it just gets more ridiculous.

And so the Lord says in Matthew

Matthew 15:6

15, verse 6,

thus you have made the commandment of God

of no effect by your tradition.

When you read God's word,

like I said before,

it is really important to just take it for what it says.

Let the chips fall where they may.

Is it offensive at times?

Absolutely.

Because you and I are evil or are desperately wicked,

as it tells us in Jeremiah,

and it has an effect on us.

Now, in verses 6 and 7, it says,

now it happened on another Sabbath that he entered the synagogue,

and a man was there whose right hand was withered.

So the scribes and Pharisees watched him closely.

Most people believe, when you look at biblical commentary,

and here these might be opinions, so take it with a grain of salt,

is that the guy was planted there.

The scribes and the Pharisees went and got this,

hey, here's a guy with an ailment, right?

And we're going to take him to the synagogue and see what happens.

See if we can catch him in something.

And it says, and they watch very closely,

and that's why many believed that, hey, they just planted him there.

They were laying for Jesus.

You know what's really fascinating to me, folks?

Is what the enemies of Jesus knew about him.

And even today, those who are,

they would never maybe vocalize that they are enemies of Jesus.

But they deny him by the way they live their life,

by the way they speak, by where they go,

by who they hang out with, by what they look at.

And these enemies of Jesus, they knew that Jesus went to church, right?

So they could count on that.

They knew that Jesus would teach the Word of God.

They could count on that.

They knew that Jesus cares for the needs of the people.

That's why they got this guy.

And they knew that Jesus would be drawn to this man

because he had a need.

But they cared about none of those things at all.

What about you?

what do you care about

you care about who this person

Jesus is do you care about him

invading your life I do

in fact

I don't get too watered up about people

other people sin

because that's a distraction from my own

those are the ones I need to deal with is my own

and so it is with you, right?

If you spent most of your energy concentrating on your own weakness and failure and your own sin,

everybody would be better off, right?

Wouldn't we?

No, we got to point it out, man.

And it's not that we don't pass a judgment on behavior and on social issues.

I think we can make claims that are truthful and are.

according to God's word, but the ultimate judge is not you and I.

God's going to make that call.

I get upset sometimes when people say, they're in hell.

I know they're in hell.

No, you don't.

You have no idea what's going on in the heart of that person when they take their last breath.

You and I can't make that judgment.

We could make a judgment on their behavior.

Well, it didn't look good for them.

you know, but God ultimately makes that call.

And so we have to be careful as believers.

Let's be so abrasive and unapproachable as Christians.

We pass this judgment when we should be in a place of ultimate thanks for God's mercy and not his judgment on our own lives.

That's just a great way to live.

realizing what we deserve.

But they only cared about finding a fault or an accusation against Jesus.

Really, these guys are really playing into Satan's camp, are they not?

They were blinded by their hatred for him.

and their hatred blinds them from actually acknowledging and recognizing the truth.

Isn't that what Satan does to you and I?

He accuses day and night.

The sad thing about Satan accusing you and I, day and night, is he's usually right.

His accusations are true.

But God is so good.

I just read John chapter 15 this morning.

John 15 · chapter mention

I had to catch up on a little Bible reading, you know,

and where Jesus says, I am the vine, you are the branches,

abide in me, abide in my love, right?

Apart from me, you can do nothing.

And that's so true.

and Satan is really good at laying heavy trips on us.

You know, we come to church and Satan whispers in your ear,

what are you doing here? Why are you here?

Why did you come to church?

And hang out with all these righteous people who've got it together.

Right?

Listen, the dude standing up here behind this pulpit does not.

have it together, right? I am always just this far away in the world, the flesh and the devil,

of falling and making a mess.

We have more in common with each other than we know, right? We're not,

different because we wear a cowboy hat, right?

Maybe got a few more bruises and bumps than some others, but we're all the same.

We're all fallen creatures in need of this God to just invade our lives and help us.

Because apart from him, we are helpless.

We're like this man here that we need to be made whole.

We all have something withered in our life that we need to bring to the Lord.

And so Jesus, he no doubt, probably figures, okay,

you guys about got this guy, watch this.

Right?

but he knew their thoughts.

That's a scary thing, isn't it?

He knew their thoughts.

Do you ever get shocked?

Do you ever get shocked at your thoughts?

You're just like, where'd that come from?

Am I going crazy?

I remember after becoming a Christian,

I had thoughts, some thoughts that I'd never had before.

I'm doing, wow, that's a, that,

is a doozy.

Right?

And I didn't realize the scriptural truth

that the Bible instructs us

to take our thoughts captive

to the obedience of Christ.

And I didn't realize what this all...

And I'm just going, man, these thoughts are just...

They're murderous and they're adulterous

and they're wicked and they're evil

and they're just like...

Walk by a motorcycle with the keys in it.

you're thinking, hey.

Right, we're thieves.

Liars!

We're all the same, and we need the touch of the man who can make whole,

those things in our lives that are withered.

And he looks at these guys and he knows their thoughts, right?

And he said to the man,

with the withered hand arise and stand here.

Think about this guy for a second, right?

Maybe he's planted, maybe they coerced him to come to the temple.

And now this rabbi is saying, hey, dude, come here, come here, stand right.

I want you to stand right here.

You know, and he's got his hand all gnarled up.

Maybe he didn't want to.

But you got to take your hat off to him, don't you?

Because he did.

Jesus said, you come, you stand here.

I think that was a step of faith. See, that's what God's looking for.

Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6. I call it my life verse, though I've got many life verses.

Hebrews 11:6

But it says, he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder.

You've got to come to him by faith and that he is a rewarder for those who diligently seek him.

And so here's this guy and Jesus tells him, you know, stand right here.

Jesus knew their thoughts.

Now, Jesus knows your thoughts.

And he knows my thoughts.

In John chapter 2, the gospel of John chapter 2 in verse 25, it says that,

John 2 · chapter mention John 2 · chapter mention

and Jesus had no need that anyone should testify of man,

for he knew what was in man.

In another place, it says that Jesus wouldn't give himself over to man because of what was in man.

And it was not good.

And so he knows and he's analyzing what these guys are doing because he knows their thoughts.

In Ezekiel chapter 8, Ezekiel talks about having this vision and the Lord speaks to him in this vision.

Ezekiel 8 · chapter mention

He says, hey, Ezekiel, I want you to dig through this wall.

and then I want you to go through this door.

And when he goes through the door,

there's all of these pornographic images

and the perversion and the wickedness of those things

that are on the walls of the minds of the people of Israel,

the priests and the leaders of Israel.

He said, this is what's going on.

What would God see if he could look into the walls of your mind?

what would he see?

Because he is and he does and he sees it all.

That thought is horrific for me.

It has driven me to try to take my thoughts captive

to the obedience of Christ Jesus.

Because like I told this woman last night

at our cowboy church there in Gooding,

I said, listen, if you do not take these thoughts captive,

they will take you captive.

And he sees it all.

And yet he's still there.

Jesus sees all that you and I are,

and he's still right here for the taking.

He's still inviting us to come to him.

How dare him.

Right?

Why would he do that?

Because it's a love that you and I, we don't fathom.

It's beyond our understanding, this love that God has for us.

And so he has this man standing here.

By faith, this guy's standing here.

And then he asked a question.

He said, is it?

I will ask you one thing.

Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good?

or to do evil? Good question. We all know the answer. Duh. Is it ever okay to do evil?

Why is it that? The people think that. Sometimes, well, it's okay to do evil. There's certain

evils you can do once you become an adult. I've had people tell me that. I am an adult. Really?

So that justifies your evil because you're an adult.

And you can consciously do it now instead of just stumbling into it.

What's...

How ridiculous that thought is.

Or to do good.

To destroy life or to save.

Simple.

They were silent.

Think of the awkwardness of that silence.

right?

And that guy's standing there going,

wonder, you know, how he concealed his hand.

I had a friend that had a hook.

For years, I didn't know they had one.

They concealed it so well.

And no doubt this guy's standing there.

And these guys, they got no answer.

He's got him stumped.

James would tell us, right,

that he who knows to do good and

does not do it, to him it would be sin.

For Jesus not to address this guy's issue, it would have been sin.

How many times have you been guilty of that?

Have I been guilty of that?

He who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

You're just like, oh, gosh, we're all sunk.

I could have helped that old lady today across the street.

It was raining.

I stayed in my nice, dry car.

It just really sheds light on our condition.

I wonder if there was any body language going on between Jesus and the dude with the hand.

Maybe a wink or a nod, head nod, you know?

Watch this.

It's going to be cool.

Because I'm convinced you guys, God has a sense of humor.

I mean, look at you.

Right?

Look at us.

We're just like comedy.

We are comedy on two legs.

It's just,

uh...

Now it says, right,

and when he looked around at them,

he said to the man.

Now,

it doesn't say it here,

but in Mark,

Mark's account of this, check this out, in Mark's account, Mark 3.5, it says,

and when he had looked around at them, listen, with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts.

Jesus was grieved that these guys had so hardened their heart, they couldn't recognize goodness.

You met people like that?

Folks, I'm convinced that there is a hardness that people can come to, and that's the end of them.

They couldn't turn back even if they wanted to.

It's like God gives them over.

It tells us in Romans chapter 1, he gives them over to that hardness.

Romans 1 · chapter mention

Are you that hard?

Please don't go there.

That is a scary, scary place to go.

And we are in a day and age where it tells us at the end of the age,

that the love of many will grow cold.

Is your love growing cold?

Don't let it.

Don't let it.

Press in.

Draw close to Jesus.

Be more passionate about him

than you've ever been in your life.

Don't let your hearts get hard

because it angered him and it grieved him.

And no doubt as he's looking around at this guy,

and he tells him,

stretch out your hand.

The other act of faith,

the guy has to take a step of faith.

He could have argued,

Lord, I've had this hand like this for years.

I can't stretch it out.

It's paralyzed.

I've tried.

What's your excuse?

What's my excuse?

We have none.

And he stretches it out.

Now,

it's interesting, Luke, Luke is the only one that tells us that it's the right hand.

Right? The right hand in scripture is always a symbol of strength. It's the man's strength.

And God wants to restore his strength. God wants to restore your strength and my strength.

And it was made whole as the other. Pretty cool. Pretty cool story.

And maybe today Jesus is asking you, stretch forth that part of your life.

Just needs to be made whole.

It needs to be made well.

It needs strength restored to it.

I don't know what it is, but at the end of service, like Steve said, you're going to be able to come over here and pray.

Have somebody pray with you.

Take that step of faith and stretch forth.

that part of your life to the Lord, just give it to him.

Watch what he does.

Because God, listen, God always honors faith.

Always honors faith.

He loves it.

He loves when we come to him by faith.

That thing that may be plaguing you and you just say, I can't get past it.

You can with him.

Because he has got a strength that you and I don't have.

in verse 11

the most heartbreaking

thing of the whole story

and it says

and they were filled with rage

and discussed with one another

what they might do to Jesus

filled with rage

think about that

it's just like at what

the goodness of God

they're filled with rage at the

goodness of God? It's funny, that word rage. It means foolishness. It means senselessness. It means madness.

It means stupidity. They're filled with this folly. Against what? Against God's goodness.

Against God's truth. Against the Lord's mercy? Against his power? Are you serious? Against a miracle?

That's what they're raging against?

And so it's almost like it feels like these people are in that place.

They've gone to that point of no return.

We see that through the book of Revelation.

When we went through the book of Revelation,

or all those people who, even when they could see the Lord in the air,

they would call on the rocks and the mountains fall on us and hide us from the face of him.

Such a horrific place to be in our lives.

And so maybe the Lord is just telling you, you know what?

Stretch forth.

Stretch forth your life.

And let me touch you.

And you'll be made whole and complete.

That's why Jesus came.

Amen?

Hey, we're going to enter into a time of communion.

So if you have your elements,

we're going to remember what Jesus did for us

that would give us that strength

and give us the ability to realize that God,

by his spirit,

has paid it all.

And we're going to bring the bread before the Lord

that is a symbol of his broken body

that was broken for us on our behalf.

Part of that new covenant

that him being poured out as this drink offering

as he laid bare his back and his brow

for the crown of thorns.

and the scourge.

And so, Lord, we offer the bread before you right now

remembering the great sacrifice

of your body being broken for us.

Lord, help us to never take it lightly.

But recognizing the power of it all,

this incredible act of love

that was completely and totally for our benefit.

So, Lord, we just remember you now.

as we partake of the bread that was broken for us.

Let's partake.

Bless it.

Likewise, he took the cup and said,

this is a new covenant of my blood.

Lord, that you signed it in a crimson ink paid in full.

It is truly finished the payment for all that we deserve,

all the anger and the rage that our hearts have had towards you,

and you're willing to forgive it.

So, Lord, we accept that forgiveness now as your blood was shed on behalf of us, Lord,

to wash us as white as snow.

Oh, Lord, thank you.

Thank you that you were willing to do what you did.

That you gave it up, and you allowed your side to be pierced where the blood and the water flowed.

Lord, being symbolic of our washing, our cleansing.

Praise you for it, Lord.

Bless the cup now as we partake in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Let's all stand, shall we?

Lord, we just ask you now to go.

go with us this week. Lord, we're going to have opportunities to speak life. And, Lord, you tell us that

life and death are in the power of the tongue. So this week, I pray that your words would be upon our

lips, Lord. God, that you would bless your people as they go from this place. Lord, fill us with

your Holy Spirit. Lord, we know that apart from you, truly, we can do nothing. So we pray that you

would have your way and bless as only you can. And Lord, just move those.

those that need to stretch and bring forth those things before you right now, Lord,

give them the courage to do it, Lord, and set them free and bless their faith, we pray.

In Jesus' mighty name, and all God's people said, amen.

God bless you guys.

Have a nice dry afternoon.