TD Jakes - Demonstration of Faith (02/26/2017)
Drawing from the miracle of the man with the withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath, the preacher teaches that true faith is demonstrated not through rituals or traditions, but by actively stretching beyond limitations, pain, and criticism in obedience to God's word, seizing the opportunity to act on faith even when it seems impossible.
Faith Must Be Demonstrated
If faith is the substance of things we hope for, and if it is in fact the evidence of things not seen, then faith must be demonstrated. If it is substance for what we are hoping for and I cannot see your hope, if it is the evidence of things not seen, then faith must be demonstrated. And we are talking about demonstrations of faith. How many of you have faith? Oh, that is a good thing, that is wonderful. What we are going to explore tonight is, how do you think that faith is best demonstrated?
Because it occurs to me tonight that one of the great controversies that existed in Scripture that is still relevant today is, how do you demonstrate your faith? Is it by your baptism? Is it by your communion? Is it by your clothing? Is it by your cleansings? Is it by your ceremonial washings? How is your faith demonstrated? How do you demonstrate your faith?
The Man with the Withered Hand
"And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. And he said unto the man which had the withered hand, 'Stand forth.' And he said unto them, 'Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day, or to do evil? To save life or to kill?' But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, 'Stretch forth thine hand.' And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other."
Now, what is a hand? It is a symbol of power. It is what we reach with. It is what we grasp with. So, his power is withered, his reach is withered, his grasp is withered. And he is in a synagogue with a withered hand. That means he sees stuff he cannot reach. That means he wants stuff he cannot hold onto. That means he wants to move stuff that he does not have the power to move. His heart is not withered, his leg is not withered, his eyes are not blind, his ears are not deaf. His hand is withered. His reach is withered. His grasp is withered. His power is withered.
A Unique Miracle in a Withered Synagogue
This is the only time in the New Testament amongst all the miracles, halt people and blind people and lame people and lepers and disease-infested people and people with blood diseases and even emotional disorders, this is the only time in the gospel that we see a man with a withered hand. Is not that ironic? After this day in the field, we come in the house and we see this man with a withered hand. Cannot reach, cannot grasp, cannot move. And the man is seated in the synagogue, in a synagogue that has lost its power, in a synagogue that has lost its reach, in a synagogue that has lost its grasp.
Is not this man an illustration of the synagogue he is sitting in? Is this man not outwardly what the synagogue is inwardly? Is it not true that they have lost their ability to reach, to grasp, and to move? Is it not true that their traditions have made the Word of God of no effect? The synagogue is still there, but has it not lost its reach, its grasp, and its ability to move? And is that not why they are jealous of Jesus in the first place? Because is not Jesus the arm of God?
A Stretching God Before a Withering Church
Who have believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Is not Jesus God stretching out to humanity? And the more God stretches out to humanity, the more religion withers. So, you see a stretching God before a withering church. So, when Jesus entered into the synagogue, it was God stretching out, stretching out to a synagogue who had a withered hand, and the only time in the New Testament that we see a man with a withered hand is in a withered synagogue before leaders with withering intelligence.
The withering intelligence of the Pharisees combines with the withering indifference of the synagogue, and embodies itself in one man with the withered hand. And I will show you and I will prove to you that the synagogue is withered because they do not see the need of the man more important than the day of the healing. So there they are, Lord have mercy. This is starting to bless me right now. Esteeming their principles more important than the person, they are willing to let the man remain withered for the sake of the principle rather than to extend the principle to serve the bondage of the man.
Jesus Challenges the Man to Stretch
And here comes the Word made flesh and walks in the room. And here He is, standing before a withered hand. Here Jesus is an outstretched arm before a withered hand, and religion jumps right in between them and says, "Wait a minute, it is the Sabbath day." You all do not hear me. This man is the synagogue. And Jesus comes in the synagogue, again to stretch out to them. And their interpretation of Scripture causes them to wither from an opportunity to experience the Messiah.
How many times has God extended to you an opportunity, and you missed the opportunity because your mentality withers away from God's promise stretched out to you? Oh God, help me. Oh God, help me. Oh God, help me. I do not know who I am teaching for tonight, but the arm of the Lord is revealed unto you. He is stretching out towards you. He is given you opportunity. He has given you days. He has given you chances. He has given you chances to experience the power of God.
It Is Stretching Time
And whatever is withered in your understanding of God or your understanding of yourself, the Lord sent me here tonight to say that God wants to heal your withered understanding of yourself, your withered perception of God, your withered fear about your situation. God is saying to you who have been limited, "Stretch forth your hand." Touch three people and tell them, "It is stretching time." It is stretching time. It is stretching time.
If you are going to experience what God has for you, you have to stretch beyond your limitations. You have to stretch beyond your opinions. You have to stretch beyond your revelation and go where you have never gone before so you can do what you have never done before. Slap somebody and say, "Stretch out." Stretch, stretch out, stretch out, stretch out, stretch out. This is your chance to stretch. If you do not stretch, you are going to be where you have always been.
Stretching Beyond Limitations
If you do not stretch, you are going to stay in the same condition. If you do not stretch, you are going to sit in the same chair. If you do not stretch, you are going to have the same job. If you do not stretch, you will never get out of your predicament. It is time for you to stretch. Stretch in how you think. Stretch in how you function. Stretch in how you perceive yourself. You are playing it too close. You are playing it too close. You are playing it too close. Do you hear what I said? You are playing it too close. And the only reason God showed up was to create an atmosphere for you to stretch. Pull your neighbor and say, "Stretch!"
"Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored whole as the other." Wait a minute, He never healed him. He challenged him. He challenged the man with the withered hand to do something that people with withered hands should not be able to do. He did not lay hands on him, He did not anoint him with oil. He just gave him an opportunity to stretch.
Faith Requires Action, Even When It Hurts
I do not know who this is for, but God is giving you an opportunity. Whoo, my God. Do not put it on me because I tell you, I will turn this Bible class into a revival tonight. The call to the man with the withered hand challenges him to do something that the man with the withered hand has not historically been able to do, not to grasp, not to reach, not to move. Now, this is a demonstration of faith. Faith is the substance, uh oh, wait a minute.
I did a little research on withered hands. And people with withered hands not only do not have muscle, they do not have the bone, the substance to stretch. The whole thing is withered like this. But since faith is, Lord, you are asking me to stretch, and I do not have nothing to stretch with. And God is saying, "Stretch out on My Word." I do not have the money for this. I do not have the degree for this. I do not have the background for this. I do not have the training for this.
Stretch Over the Pain
And yet I am being challenged to do something that I have never done before. My daddy never did it. My mama never did it. My auntie never did it. I do not have the resources that I can see to accomplish the challenge before me, and yet God has given me an opportunity to stretch. So, I left the theologists and went to the therapists. And the therapists told me... the theologists said that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The therapist said to the theologist, "Well, if you do stretch, stretching hurts."
You see, a body at rest stays at rest. And since this hand has never been stretched, the first time is going to hurt, but you got to stretch over the pain to be free from the past. So, what do we get out of this? We get that it hurts to stretch, but we must stretch anyway. It hurts when you are insecure, when you are intimidated, when you have low self-esteem, and you have an opportunity that requires that you have the courage that is not historically in your personality. It hurts to stretch.
The Miracle Happens in the Stretching
You say, "Well, this is not me." That is not true. Just because you never done it before does not mean it is not you. God is challenging you to discover stuff you will not know you have because, oh God. And one more thing. I want you to understand Jesus said, "Stretch forth your hand." When He said it, the hand was still withered. It did not get healed till the man tried to do what Jesus said. Hearing the Word will not heal you, but doing the Word.
Touch three people and say, "I dare you to try." I dare you to try to be the man you want to be. I dare you to try to do what you have never done before. I dare you to leave your past behind and go into the final frontier, where miracles occur. I dare you to press over the pain and stretch into the possibilities. I dare you to deny the bonelessness, the frailty of the tissue, the body at rest. And with nothing but the Word, do it anyway.
Slap somebody and say, "This is your year to do it anyway." None of that is what impressed me. What impressed me is that the challenge comes and the stretching comes not only in the midst of pain, but in an environment of criticism. At the same time the man is stretching, the critics are criticizing, letting me know that I do not have to have your support to stretch out.
Stretch in the Midst of Criticism
I can stand there with you quoting Scriptures against me, but if God be for me. Slap your neighbor and say, "Stretch." While they are talking about you, stretch. While they are arguing with you, stretch. While they are debating whether you can do it or not. You do not need the Pharisees to say amen for you to be able to stretch out your hand. Somebody who is under fire and been up under attack, the Lord sent you here tonight to tell you that the Pharisees do not have power over your predicament.
Let them say whatever they want to say. When God says stretch, stretch. The reason that is important to me, I know where two or three are gathered together in His name that He is in the midst. I know if any two agree as touching anything, it shall be done. But there was not no agreement. He stretched in disagreement and got his miracle. And I do not know why the Lord wanted me to teach this tonight, but in the middle of the disagreement, stretch anyway.
Seize the Moment Before Jesus Withdraws
Who am I teaching for tonight? And he stretched it, say that. And he stretched it. And his hand was restored. Sit down, I am just talking. And his hand was restored whole as the other. "And the Pharisees got mad," verse 6, "went forth, straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him how they might destroy him." Verse 7, "But Jesus," who confronted their withered intelligence, their withered understanding of Scripture, walked into the temple to find the man with the withered hand.
Verse 7, we see a withering Jesus who withdrew Himself from the synagogue. So Jesus, who was stretched out, found a man with a withered hand. The man with the withered hand has now stretched out his hand. And when the man with the withered hand stretched out his hand, Jesus withdrew from the synagogue. You all do not hear what I am saying to you. Jesus stretches Himself out to you for a moment. Seize that moment before He withdraws because the only thing He came to heal was you, not your critics.