The Power of Gentle Hands — Carter Conlon

This message is one of the Times Square Church pulpit series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. Other tapes are available by writing World Challenge PO Box 260 Lindale, Texas 75771 or calling 903 -963 -8626.

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The Need to Hear God's Word

I believe that if you want, you have to want to hear what I'm about to speak or it really will be a sweet song, but it will won't bring much change into your life. You have to want to hear it. If you want to hear it, I honestly believe that this will be a turning point for many, that you'll be able to look back to this day and say, I remember the day that God changed this area of my life.

And he made me into a different person. Now, Father, I ask you for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Lord, if you don't annoy it, the word is just a dead letter. It accomplishes nothing. But you, Holy Spirit, are the one who quickens the word of God.

You are the one who comes and makes the word a living reality in my life and in the lives of those that I, as well as others, am called to speak to. Lord God, I want this word. I want what I'm about to speak with all of my heart.

Lord, this is not my natural tendencies are not this way. And I need your power. I need your grace. Lord, I need everything that heaven has purchased for me on Calvary. Almighty God, let there be a change come into our lives today as we hear this word and we ask for great grace to respond to it.

Lord, destroy the works of darkness and let there be changes in our homes, in marriage situations, in our relationships with our children, with one another, in and outside of the Church of Jesus Christ.

God, establish your testimony and your strength in us and through us to our generation. I ask this. I'm believing with all my heart that you will do this today in Jesus name. Isaiah chapter 40, please, in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 40 and the Power of Gentle Hands

Isaiah chapter 40. I'm going to speak to you today about the power of gentle hands. The power of gentle hands. Isaiah chapter 40. And we'll begin at verse 10. Now, the prophet Isaiah, coming Messiah as the Holy Spirit has given it to him.

I remember this is the same Isaiah that previously stood before the throne of God. And he had an incredible revelation of the character, the nature, the power of Almighty God and ultimately was given of the Holy Ghost revelation and understanding of the purposes of God, humanity.

Isaiah chapter 40, verse 10. He says, behold, the Lord will come with strong hand and his arm shall rule for him. Behold, his reward is with him. And his work before him, he shall feed his flock like a shepherd.

He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young. I want to just read verse 10 again before I begin to speak. Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand and his arm shall rule for him and behold, his reward is with him and his work before him.

It has been and continues to be even today among those who don't know Christ in the nation of Israel. It has been the cry of the heart of of that particular generation for a Messiah, a promise in the scriptures that one day God was going to come.

A representative from heaven itself was going to come with a strong hand and he was going to rule over all and rule and reign over all the enemies that have ever risen their hands against in that day.

What were the people of God and what expectancy the people of Isaiah as they must have had? Verse 10 tells them and told them a powerful savior with a strong hand was coming to rule, carrying with him the promise of deliverance from all their enemies.

And surely, if any nation in the world has had enemies, Israel has had enemies at the particular time that these things are written. They are not far again from going into captivity and being swallowed by the power of their forces, powerful forces that have been gathered around them.

And how often they must have thought how incredible it will be when this Messiah arrives. Think of the awesome displays of his power that will accompany him, of the might and power of physical armies.

But aware also that a savior was coming with a strong hand and he was going to rule and he was going to reign and he was going to cast down the power of these nations that had for so long attempted at least to oppress the people of God.

I can see time and again as they went into what was then the house of God, hearing the scriptures opened and read to them, the questions within their hearts. They must have asked themselves, how will he reign?

What will he do? What will be this display of his power when he comes? Will he wave his hand and drown our enemies as the Egyptian army was drowned when it was pursuing the people of Israel as they left Egypt in the place of their captivity?

Or will he call down fire as Elijah did on the king's soldiers when they came to try to captivate him as he sat upon the hill? How will he come? Will he come in Elijah's flaming chariot upon which he rides into victory?

Is it this way that he's going to accomplish his will? I wonder how many theories must have been expounded about how he would display his power to the nations. Just like many theories about him are expounded today in pulpits unfortunately across the world who perhaps at this particular point of their understanding don't really know much about the Savior that they're speaking about.

How will he come? How will he display his power? What will it be like? And they formulated in their hearts what they thought was an understanding of his power so that when he finally came he was so opposite to what they thought he was going to be that they couldn't recognize him.

Not only could they not recognize him but the Bible tells us they despised him in their hearts. So many voices speaking about Jesus or the coming Messiah. So many voices but one voice who knew God was crying out who had seen him and he was crying out in prayer.

Isaiah 53 and the Rejected Messiah

Isaiah chapter 53 if you go there with me just momentarily just move ahead. I suppose who had the revelation but I really don't think anybody had a greater revelation than Isaiah because he had been in the presence of God and you'd read about that in Isaiah chapter 6.

And Isaiah as if he's paying words to God as he's writing this book that is inspired by the Holy Ghost and he said Lord who has believed our report? Our report the only way I can see that is he's including himself he said Lord it's yours and it's mine.

I have given the people a report of you. We saw that we're reading that report in Isaiah chapter 40 but Isaiah says Lord who has believed it? It's incredulous the way he's asking this particular question.

Lord the people want power they want violence they want instant victory yet you're about to reveal yourself in a way that so few are going to want. Isaiah is saying who has believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

He said that he will grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there's no beauty that we should desire him. He's despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him.

He was despised and we esteemed him not. In other words the word esteem actually in the Hebrew is not worth much. We looked upon Isaiah said the people are going to look upon you and because you are not what they desire they want power.

They want victory they want war in their sense of how it's achieved. And because you don't represent what they think you should be they're not going to value you. And it's even going to go beyond that.

They're going to have a despising in their heart for you and for your ways and for everything you represent about the kingdom of God. You're going to come as a root out of dry ground. No form or comeliness nothing about you that people would desire who don't really desire the things of your kingdom and truth.

And when we will see him there's no beauty that we should desire him. They will say this is not the Messiah that we will follow. We want dominance. We don't want submission. We want glory. We don't want obscurity.

Instant victory. We don't want a pathway that requires trust and obedience and patience. We want our king to be born in a palace not a stable. We want a king who talks about war not about humility and forgiving and loving your enemies.

We want him to come riding in on Elijah's flaming chariot into Jerusalem to take authority. We don't want him on a donkey with children before him praising his name. We want our king to sit upon a throne not hang upon a cross.

Lord he said who will believe our report. They look for a strong hand. What will you give them? How will they know your strength and your power? He asks the question he said to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

In other words Isaiah is saying God they're not going to believe our report about you. Who then is going to know your power? Which means that your strength that's the source of your strength. Who will know the source of your strength?

And it's as if the Lord himself answers Isaiah back in chapter 40. And he gives Isaiah as it is a description of the strength of God. And he says Isaiah here's my strength. I'm going to come with a strong hand and my arm will rule.

My work will be before me. Chapter 40 verse 11 he's saying to Isaiah. Isaiah I will feed my flock like a shepherd. Here's how my strength is going to be revealed. I was a shepherd. I really did have actual sheep.

For I don't know how many years I guess five or six years. And I can only relate to how it was in my heart to see them fed. My own definition would be a shepherd brings his sheep to an abundance. And it has to be a parasite free pasture.

A pasture can look good but if it has an infestation of parasites. It will do nothing but cause internal sickness to the sheep. It has to be free from infection. So I will bring them to an abundant parasite free pasture.

Where there are recognizable fences. Sheep are not comfortable if they don't know their boundaries. I don't know if you're aware of that or not. They are very very comfortable. And quite often they will walk the same path.

And they will travel the same boundaries. And they feel comfortable when they're enclosed. But even then even though they're in good pasture. And even though they're enclosed. The shepherd still watches them.

He keeps his eye on them. Because they are so prone to finding holes in the fence. And getting themselves into all kinds of trouble. David said in Psalm 139. He said thou compass my path in my lying down.

And art acquainted with all my ways. David said basically God you surround me. And you watch me when I'm lying down. You watch me when I get up. On me. And in verse 5 he says. Thou hast beset me behind and before.

And laid thine hand upon me. That's an incredible thing. David is saying God you are all around me. And even though you know all of my ways. And your hand of protection is on me. You have touched me with the goodness of your hand.

That's an incredible thought. David says you've touched me. You've laid your hand upon me. Not to hurt me but for my good. You've led me like a shepherd. David knew God this way. That's why he could say the Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his namesake. David knew his God as a shepherd. He understood this. He had this revelation from the Holy Ghost.

That's why David became a man of strength. Because the arm of the Lord had been revealed to him. In a way that it was not revealed to many in his generation. How precious he says in verse 17 Also are thy thoughts unto me, O God.

And how great is the sum of them. David is saying you've encompassed me. You've touched me with your hand. You have so many plans for me. That I couldn't even number them. You have so many wonderful thoughts for me.

You have so many things that you want to do in and through my life. How great is the sum of them. Oh beloved, do you know that today? Do you know that God surrounds you because he loves you? Do you know that God puts perimeters around you?

Because he wants you to be in a place where his hand can be upon you for good. And where he can touch your life. He has more thoughts towards you than you can think about yourself. He's stronger and has more in his heart than anything that we can even think or ask the scripture tells us.

He's able to do more than that and wants to do more than that. Whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Isaiah, again the Lord says to Isaiah. And I will, first of all he said I will feed my flock like a shepherd.

And I will gather the lambs with my arm. This is what I will do with my strong arm. He said I will reach out and I will gather. Now the word in the Hebrew text means, the principle meaning is to gather the objects of his affection to a central location.

He said I'm going to use my strong arm. And I'm going to reach out. And I'm going to gather the lambs. And I'm going to take them to a place where I want them to go. And you can see Isaiah for a moment say well, heaven?

Is it heaven? Is that the place? And I see in my spirit Jesus saying oh no Isaiah. There's somewhere much greater than that. That I want to take them. He said in the next line he says I will carry them to my bosom.

Now the word carry means nasa. In the Hebrew text it means to raise, to lift up, to bear, to support, to help. In other words I will raise them up and I will draw them close to my heart. So that they will hear and know my desires for them.

That's what my strong arm is going to do. I'm going to gather a people who want me. I'm going to gather a people who call out to me. And with my strong arm I'm going to bring them right to my heart. Now isn't that an amazing thing about God?

Right to my heart. As I was preparing this I was thinking about the beloved disciple John. At the last supper where the scripture is literally fulfilled. In a physical sense where we see John free to leave his ear on the breast of Jesus.

Amazing. Exactly what he said he was going to do. He said I'm going to draw right to my heart. Because I want you to hear my heart. If you don't hear my heart you'll never become strong. You won't understand what it means to be a Christian.

You'll always be trying and failing in your own strength. I've got to show you something about myself. I've got to show you how gentle I really am. How much I really care. How much I long to do for you what you will never be able to do for yourself.

I will raise you up and carry you to my bosom. Psalm 32, 2 and 3 David says. Many there be would save my soul. There is no help for him in God. But thou O Lord are the shield for me. My glory and the lifter of my head.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I remember one time I was preaching in western Canada. And while I was there speaking some friends of our family decided to give us a dog. And I remember they gave it to my wife Teresa and for our children.

And when I came home this was the worst pet really that I ever had in my life in my home. No matter what you called this dog she wouldn't come it made no difference. And whenever she got out of the house we'd have to chase her all over the neighborhood it would look so foolish.

Whenever we would reach out to pet her or anybody would she would immediately urinate on the floor. You see that dog had known a heavy hand before she was given to us. She'd been raised in a place where hands were used to hit and not to soothe.

And I remember saying to Teresa over and over again look at this has got to go literally. People would come to visit us and she would sort of come up as if she's all happy. And as soon as somebody reached out their hand the whole family would shout don't pet the dog.

Because the moment you touched her you know what was going to happen all over the kitchen floor or wherever else she happened to be. And finally I was back preaching again and this dog so bothered me I said I've got to get rid of this.

I've got to get rid of this dog I'm so tired of this. And yet the Holy Spirit was speaking something to my heart said I want to show you something through this. Now it's hard to believe that God can teach you something through a dog.

But I want to show you how to get her over this. And so I just began to pray and I said God how can we stop there's no chance. The fear is so ingrained in this dog just like it is in many people coming to God's house.

You've known hands but it's not been good hands. Hands have hurt you and hands have slapped you and hands have beaten you and they put you down. And it's so hard to trust the hand of God. And you wonder like God can I really trust you?

And what will you do to me if I finally yield my life to you what are you going to do to me? Are you just like everybody else? When you find out all my flaws and my failures are you just going to kick me out and get rid of me?

When I perform well that you're going to accept me? And I remember the Lord began to show me something and it was just a simple thing. And it was from that scripture in Psalm 139 my glory and the lecture of my head.

I remember the Holy Spirit told me he said I want to show you something. And you're going to remember it all your life. When you go home I remember it as clearly the Holy Spirit says I want you to turn your hand over.

When you approach that dog don't approach that dog this way but approach her this way. And I want you to bring your hand under her chin from underneath. When you go to pet her I don't want you to come from up above and down.

Because that's all that dog has ever known and it's hurt her. I want you to come from underneath and lift her head. And by God's grace that made the world a difference. It seemed to bring that animal to some degree out of its fear.

There were always inconsistencies the odd quirk but it seemed to bring her out of it. And every time she would approach me or anybody else if we would come from underneath. And just come under her chin and lift her head.

There would be no fear. And David said you're the glory and you're the lifter of my head. My God when I failed you and my head is down and I'm looking at the ground. You don't come and you don't slap me you don't hurt me.

God you come and you lift my head you put your hand under my chin. And you say one more time look into my heart. And begin to understand my love for you and my concern for you. That I have nothing in my heart but good for you.

I have nothing but plans to make you strong. To bring you from image to image and glory to glory by the spirit of God. I have nothing but plans to make you a praise in the earth. To make my name as it is a praise in the earth by strengthening you.

And taking you and making you into a different man or a different woman. But you can't know it until you know the power of my gentleness. You have to know the power of God's gentleness. Or you can't grow in the grace of Jesus Christ.

Gentle Leadership of the Spiritually Young

I will gently lead Isaiah those that are with young. I will gently lead them. Those that are with young. Now we can look at that two ways. First of all it can be those that have within them new life. But it's yet young.

It can either be life that's come forth or it's coming forth. But yet that life is young and it requires a tender nurturing in order to survive. Jesus said I'm going to cherish that which is being brought to life.

I'm not going to destroy you when you make mistakes. I'll lead you tenderly. I will lead you gently. I will be there to whisper words of strength and encouragement. When you hang your head and you think there's no more tomorrow.

When you think the devil has triumphed over you. And you're not going to make it. He said I'm there and I will gently lead you. I will gently lead those that are young in the Lord. Many here today are young in God.

And you fail them and you feel so condemned. But he says I'm going to show you the true nature of my power. I didn't come to condemn anyone. I came that all might be saved. I came to give my life a ransom.

That you may be redeemed and bought back from the power of the enemy. I came to indwell you. And with the love of almighty God to lift up your head. To begin to understand that I have something for you.

That can only come from the heart of God himself. Hallelujah. He says Isaiah I will hold them in the gentle hand of God. That's why Jesus himself said in John chapter 10 verse 27. My sheep hear my voice.

He said I know them. And they follow me. I will give them eternal life. And they shall never perish. Say it with me. Never perish. Never. And neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. And my father he said which gave them to me is greater than all.

And no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand. I and my father are one. He says I'm going to hold you in my hand. And if you don't believe that's enough. He said my father is going to hold you in his hand.

And if you don't believe that's enough. I and my father are the same. In the gentle hand of God. And no power of hell is going to prosper against you. No lie of the devil. If you want me you're going to know me in strength.

You're going to understand what true strength is all about. Psalm 18 if you go there with me please in the Old Testament. It's all about David becoming strong. He starts out in verse 1. He says I will love thee O Lord my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God. In whom I'll trust, my buckler, the horn of my salvation. He talks about calling upon the Lord. He talks about God rising up at his throne. As it is riding upon the wings of the wind.

And coming down and discomforting all of his enemies. He talks in this psalm about God giving him power to triumph over everything that rises up against him. He says I pursued my enemies. And I cast them down into the dust until they were not able to rise again.

So what's the source of his power? There's a powerful verse. Three verses actually or four right in the middle of this psalm. That really gives us an understanding of where the source of David's strength was.

In psalm 18 verse 32 he said it is God, verse 32, that girds me with strength. And makes my way perfect. It is God. David knew where his strength came from. Verse 33 he says he makes my feet like hind's feet.

That's like a goat's feet, a mountain goat as it is. And sets me upon, he gives me the power to climb. What I could never climb in my own strength. What I could never accomplish. God comes and gives me the strength.

Just like a mountain goat to go up. You can see sometimes I've seen the odd documentary over the years where they virtually climb things. It looks like it's impossible. And when it looks like there's no foothold a mountain goat can still climb and get to the top.

He teaches my hands, verse 34, to war so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms. That's incredible. David is saying God gives me such incredible strength. That even if I was drawing back and the bow was made of steel.

He's given me such strength. It's as if the strength had no limit that God has given to me. That a bow of steel is broken by my arms. It's a beautiful figurative language when you look at it. He says there's an inexhaustible supply of strength given to me of God that has no end.

Then verse 35 he says thou has also given me the shield of thy salvation. That is you covered me with the knowledge that I am beloved of you. You've covered me with the knowledge that my enemies can't prosper against me.

And thy right hand hath holden me up. And thy gentleness hath made me great. Thy gentleness David says. Remember the psalmist said God if you marked iniquities who could stand? But there's mercy with you that you may be feared.

David says thy gentleness. Here's the key. Here's what came upon me that made me the man that I became. A man who could climb what others couldn't climb. A man who could fight when no one else could fight.

Oh beloved you've got to understand this. It's the gentle touch of God that gives you strength. It's not the lust for power. It's not zeal and having all the doctrinal correctness that's available to the church today.

It's the gentle touch of God. It's the receiving of the touch of his hand. It's the acknowledging that he loves me. And he will carry me. He will keep me. His strength will not fail me. Thy gentleness has made me great.

Hallelujah. It gave me room to lift my head. I could raise my hands in the sanctuary. Even though I may have had the worst week of my life. There's no limit to your strength. There's no limit to your supply of grace.

Your gentleness has made me what I am. Be the testimony of every saint of God. In the last days of your life. When you get old you should be able to raise your hands and say My mighty God has made me grace alone that came on my life.

And you changed me. From image to image and glory to glory. In spite of my failures and my faith. All of my faith in God. Of your gentle hands came into my life. Hallelujah. Actually the word in the Hebrew for great means multiplied me or brought increase into my life.

Thy gentleness multiplied me. I could shout for a hundred years just looking at that one line of scripture. Because it's so true. The older you get folks. The more you realize how much grace we have needed.

Gentle Ministry and the Responsibility of Grace

1 Thessalonians 2 7 and 8 he says. We were gentle among you even as a nurse or a nursing mother cherishes her children. So being affectionately desirous of you. We were willing to have imparted unto you not the gospel of God only.

But also our own souls because you were dear to us. Paul said we were gentle with you. And many of the gentile churches you know were a mess. Many of the people's lives I mean. You look at the Corinthian church.

They had a man living in incest with his mother. In the church and everybody thought it was okay. It would be so easy not to be gentle. And it's the easy way not to be gentle with people. But he said Paul said we were gentle among you.

We were affectionately desirous of you. And we were willing to have given you not only the gospel but our own souls. Because you were dear to us. You know tragically today there are so many who come to the knowledge or the profession of Christ.

And yet continue to use their fingers to point and the hand of God that's upon them to hurt. And I believe that's the greatest tragedy of all in the house of God. Receiving grace but doing the very thing that Moses did that cost him the promised land.

Taking the rod and saying you rebels. He had received such grace. And he so misrepresented God that God says I can't let you in. You can see it but you can't go in. And I think today of the amount of people who come to the house of the Lord.

And get such an incredible supply of grace. And then go home and have perhaps a son or a daughter that is going through trouble. And having received such grace and then coming in the house and pointing the finger.

And using the hand to hurt. And speaking words that they shouldn't speak. That don't represent the kingdom of God. And all times thinking this is the way to yield power. But beloved that's exactly what the children of Israel that crucified Christ did.

They said we don't want this gentle Savior. We want a Savior of power. We want a Savior that rides flaming chariots. We want a Savior that makes war. And in their heart they're saying that's the Savior I want.

That's how I want to serve God. I don't want humility. I don't want a cross. I don't want gentleness. I want a pointing finger and a slapping hand. And they think that's going to represent the kingdom of God.

In 2 Timothy chapter 2. In 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 24. Paul says the servant of the Lord must strive. But be gentle to all men. Gentle. Apt to teach patience. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.

If God for adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. The servant of the Lord must not strive. But be gentle to all men. Apt to teach patience. In meekness. Instructing those who are in effect opposing their own salvation.

If God for adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. I spoke to a young man yesterday who was raised in this church. He attended here and was part of the youth ministry here from the second year of its inception until he left for college.

Never gave his life to Christ. And I spoke to him yesterday. He's four months saved now. And he's absolutely on fire for God and feels the call to preach the gospel. Went to college and went so far from God that he joined the communist party.

I said, and I looked at him. I said, what turned you? What was the pivotal point? He said, it was the love of my mother and father that turned me. Their love never changed. They remained steady. All they ever did was encourage me.

Power in gentle hands, beloved. There's such power. We display more of the spirit of God with gentleness than any other thing we can even attempt to do on his behalf. Go ahead to Titus chapter 3 verse 2.

Paul says to Titus in verse 2, he says, speak evil of no man and to be no brawlers. But gentle, showing all meekness to all men. Speak evil of no man, but be gentle. Now the word speak evil in the Greek is blasphemy, which is really where we get the word blaspheme.

And it means to hurt the reputation or to smite somebody with reports of words. Speak evil of no man, and do not be a brawler, but be gentle. And showing all meekness to all men. The book of Philippians chapter 4, if you'll turn there with me.

Chapter 4 verse 2, there was two men called Iodias and Sentatia. He says, I beseech them that they be of the same mind in the Lord. Now the word for mind is actions of the will and affections. In other words, Paul is saying to these two, well I'm assuming they're men, but he says, let your actions and affections be in line with those of God.

Here are two obviously who have gotten into some kind of a contention. And he says, and I entreat thee also, verse 3, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also and with other of my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life.

And so he's saying, help those who need help. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice. And in verse 5 he says, let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Now the word moderation is also translated gentleness in other translations of the Bible.

Be of the same mind, he said. Let your gentleness be known to all men because the coming of the Lord or the day of the Lord is at hand. In other words, don't be stubborn and don't hold grudges. Let's go to James chapter 3 and I'm going to, I'll be closing shortly.

Wisdom from Above Is Gentle

James chapter 3, I want you to pay real close attention to this. Verse 14, that's right after Hebrews. Verse 14 says, but if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth.