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but we are there in Isaiah 49 I'm going to do my best to lift my voice above the rain but if you have a look at verse number 16 Isaiah 49 verse number 16 it says behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands the title for the sermon tonight is upon the hands of God upon the hands of God and you know when I was thinking about this this sermon today I was just thinking about you know the fact that I was meditating on the fact that God that I'm always on God's mind you know and you're always on God's mind you're a child of God if you've trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior he is constantly on your mind and not only on your mind but God gives us this illustration here and you know he talks about us our names very much being graven on the palms of his hands and then I was kind of thinking about my body as it were my hands and what have you and you know what part of my body do I see the most often when I go about my daily life you say well maybe it's your face but not really I can't see my face right now unless I've got a mirror maybe it's your feet well not really because I got shoes over my feet maybe it's your legs I've got pants on maybe it's your your torso I've got a jacket and shirt on but the part of me that's clearly visible that's very visible to me no matter what I do are my hands you know how often do we see our hands regardless of what you're doing if you're you're preparing a meal you know you're seeing what your hands are doing if you're out working a job if it's a maybe it's a blue-collar job and you're just laboring picking up some bricks you you know you're directing your hands to go and pick up those bricks if you work in an office you know you might be typing away in a white-collar job typing away in a computer you see where your hands are on the keyboard and on the mouse and you know whatever it is that we do Brevin our our hands are very visible I would say I think it's very reasonable to say that the body part that we see the most often in our life are our hands and so if God says that our names are graven upon the palms of his hands doesn't that tell you then man God must be thinking about me all the time regardless of what he's doing whatever he's doing with his hands I'm a constant reminder you know my name is a constant reminder to him he's constantly thinking of me he's constantly thinking of you every time he works with his hands and that got me thinking once again you know why is it that I as a man go out and labor and work a job and you know I've not always been a pastor I've worked other jobs before why is it that I do you say you do it for the money no no I do it to look after my family I do it to provide for my wife I do it to provide for my provide for my children and you know I think about what God does you know regardless of what it is whether it's the controlling of the weather whether it's something significant something large or something small where he steps in and maybe answers a prayer of yours God is doing it thinking of you God is doing it with your name on his mind every time he doesn't work he does it with your name on his mind and so we're looking at the book of Isaiah here let me just give you a quick idea what Isaiah is I of course was a prophet and he was preaching to the southern kingdom of Judah the northern kingdom was being taken over by the Assyrian Empire you guys know the story where the kingdom of Israel was divided into two kingdoms the northern kingdom retained the name of Israel and the southern kingdom had the name of Judah well Israel northern kingdom is being decimated by the Assyrian Empire and Judah is now afraid maybe it's us maybe they're going to take over us next and if you look at as I 49 verse number 13 it says as I 49 verse number 13 it says sing Oh heavens and be joyful Oh earth and break forth into singing Oh mountains for the Lord have comforted his people and will have mercy upon his afflicted you know Isaiah is telling the the southern kingdom of Judah look God is here to comfort you you know you're not going to be taken over by the Assyrian Empire you know God is promising you're gonna be fine but also in the book of Isaiah he's also warning the southern kingdom look if you go and continue the same ways as the northern kingdom then the Babylonian Empire is going to take over you but for the time being while this chapter has been written God through his prophet Isaiah is telling his people look I'm here to comfort you sing and rejoice praise the Lord and worship him there's no point of being afraid of this this northern kingdom of Assyria and so look I've comforted you my mercy upon is upon you those are afflicted but then verse on 14 just like human beings are like God's people can be in verse number 14 but Zion said the Lord have forsaken me and my Lord have forgotten me we could feel that way you know if our if we were being taken over by a foreign Empire we have the fear of war and the concerns you make you think man God you've forgotten about me Lord you you've forsaken me you know why have you forgotten us of the people of Zion of course are those in Jerusalem but those are the southern kingdom you know their mindset is God you you man you've allowed them to take over the northern kingdom you've decimated northern kingdom when next why have you forgot why don't you come in through Lord and defending us protecting us from this Empire and that's human nature you know as much as God promises us and his promises are great and his comforts are true and it's all true God is always there he's gonna see you for every trial when you're in the midst of that trial you're like man God you even see me it's just how we are it's a weakness it's our flesh unfortunately and then what does God say in verse number 15 can a woman forget her suck-in child you know mums you're never gonna forget your kids they're always gonna be on your minds all right that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb then he says yay they may forget yet will I not forget thee because even if your mom does forget God says but I'll never forget you I'll never forget you and look you know mothers have a very close you know attachment to the children that they brought into this world of course they've had them in their womb for the nine months you know to keeping that child are safe and protected in the womb the child is brought forth the child can do nothing without mom mom needs to feed and to nourish that child the child grows and mom is there to educate and to train up that child there is a really close connection when you say between parents and children but God says look even if your parents fail and parents fail even if your mother and your father fail you God says I will not fail you I will not forsake you and I know some of you have grown up in homes that are broken some of you have grown up where you don't have mom and dad you know you haven't had the love of mom and dad but you know God's promises that his love is there for you okay and then he says in verse number 16 where we get the the title for the sermon behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me and so you know again every time the Lord goes to work anytime he does anything our names are there engraved on his palms of his hands just like I was saying to you every time I went to to to work my job even though I might have felt like it was a dead-end job even though I might have been a job that didn't give me a lot of personal satisfaction you know what I'm going out there I'm gonna give my best because I'm doing it for my family you know I'm working for my family you know what when God goes to work he goes to work for you you're on his hands you're on his mind he says thy walls are continually for me of course talk about Zion Jerusalem there were walls that would protect them from the enemy and God says look I'm even watching your walls you're safe you're secure okay I'm not going to allow the enemy to break down your walls then he says in verse number 17 thy children shall make haste thy destroyers and they that that made the waste shall go forth of thee he says look you're gonna be delivered by that from the Assyrians you know God's gonna come through God's gonna protect you but I wanted to take that passage where God says I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands and just think about how much God thinks of us and how important you are to God that your very name is upon his hands now if you can come with me keep your finger there stay in Isaiah we've got a lot of references in Isaiah that we're going to turn to but if you can come with me to Leviticus chapter 19 please come with me to Leviticus chapter 19 Leviticus chapter 19 now let me take you back to my teenage years I think I was about 19 years old roughly and I had a my best friend maybe I was 18 I think I was 18 my best friend from school you know he was a believer I love him you know I still love him to this day and he said to me you know what I just want to glorify God you know I just want to I want to do something great for God so what I'm going to do I'm going to tattoo on my arm a cross you know a cross right there so I can always testify of Jesus Christ who died for me on that cross and he was like genuine like he was really sincere and he just wanted to pray that I do believe he's just sincerely wanted to praise God and that's what he wanted to do and he shared that with me and I said to him like what like why why would you do that you know don't you know what the Bible says about tattoos and and marking upon your flesh and you know what passage you turn to because what God like we were just read in Isaiah 49 verse 16 behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands he goes God has tattooed our names on his hands so why would God be against that no look I'm not preaching about tattoos but I just want to touch upon this because of my memory of a friend and you know what when you want the Bible to say whatever you want it to say you can make it say whatever you want okay really at the end of the day you can truly make the baby Bible say whatever you want if you really wanted to but let me ask you a question do you really believe God has hands of flesh and blood where the billions that have trusted him as Savior are actually tattooed on his hands do you believe that well anyway it's going to turn to Isaiah 19 verse number 28 to Isaiah sorry Leviticus Leviticus 19 28 please Leviticus 19 28 this is a commandment from the Lord it says ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead nor print any marks upon you I am the Lord brethren this is a command from the Lord he goes don't put any marks on your body don't put any marks on your flesh don't put any cuttings in your flesh and that's what tattoos are you know I mean look there's nothing new under the Sun you know anything you want to know about the world today is already covered in God's Word for you you just have to open God's Word and say Lord show me what you have to say so if God is commanding his people don't tattoo yourself don't put these marks in your flesh do you really believe God has tattooed himself you say well maybe pastor no no no I'll just quickly read you from a familiar passage you all know this is one of my favorite stories in the Bible this is when Jesus Christ met the the Samaritan woman at the well okay and he says in John 4 23 I'll just read it to you John 4 23 Jesus Christ says but the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the father seek of such to worship him then he says in verse number 24 God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth so does God walk around with flesh and blood hands tattooed no he's a spirit okay God is a spirit it says we ought to worship him in spirit so tattooing on a crucifix and putting Jesus loves me on your arm you're not worshiping in the flesh brethren we're here to worship him in spirit God does not receive that kind of worship God does not accept that because that's contrary to his word and we're to worship him in truth you know again you can make the Bible say whatever you want it to say if you want it you know but hey let's go with what God clearly says the truth of God's Word what he says and by his spirits by the spirit that I have in my new man I'm going to worship my Lord God who is spirits okay so I just wanna make that very clear just in case there's any confusion because again my best friend was confused okay so I don't think you're an idiot if you're confused okay I care for my best friend I hope he's doing well and anyway I was able to convince him once I showed him in the Bible the clear commandments not to print any marks not to make any cuttings in your flesh but the first point that I have for you brethren when we think about God and the fact that we are engraved in his hands metaphorically speaking okay is that he said he said yet will I not forget thee nobody said but Zion said the Lord have forsaken me my Lord have forgotten me and God says yet will I not forget thee so brethren as we see our hands you know as the most common part of our body that we lay our eyes upon as God works and he lays his hand his eyes as it were on upon his hands brethren he does not forget you your name is there the moment you are saved your name is written forever in heaven okay you cannot lose your salvation you can't be bad enough to lose it because you're never good enough to get it in the first place you'll never be forget forgotten by God and isn't that come is that comforting when you feel like God where are you Lord I'm going through such anguish I'm going through such pain I'm going through such sorrow I'm going through such trial what are you there and God says in his word I've not forgotten you your name is engraved in my hands and that should give us a lot of comfort all right so Lord no matter what you do I'm on your mind you know no matter what rain you might send or what weather you may have for us you know whatever prayers you might answer for me Lord I'm in your mind constantly because I'm engraving your hands he'll never forget us and of course Hebrews 13 verse 5 for you have said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee I will never leave thee nor forsake thee you know even when we walk away from the Lord when we backslide and we get far from the Lord spiritually speaking but when you start doing things that are contrary to his word and we walk in our own in our own will versus God's will we do hurt our fellowship we do break our walk with the Lord in that process but God says I'll never leave you and that's what's so wonderful about being a Christian even when you're so badly in the dumps you know even when you're so backslidden God says he'll never leave you and you just God is just ready to forgive you God is ready to accept you at any moment you say Lord I'm sorry Lord I want to be back in fellowship with you Lord I want to be walking with you and God says look I've never forgotten you I've never left you welcome back into into fellowship such a beautiful thing come with me to Psalm 119 Psalm 119 please Psalm 119 the title was upon the hands of God and so I just want to look at a few references about God's hands and just to remind you guys these are things you all know but it's good to be reminded and you know to understand just how valuable how loved you are to God you know but Psalm 119 verse number 73 Psalm 119 verse 73 Jod thy hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments so it said thy hands have made me and fashioned me you know what God's hands have made you he knows your heights your length of hair the number of hairs in your head you know the appearance of your face look the Lord has shaped you exactly the way he wants you know you you you know when you look in the mirror and you go man I wish I looked a little more handsome I wish I was a little bit taller you know I wish my hair color was this or that I guess it's more of a ladies thing you know I wish my hair wasn't straight I wish it was curly and the curly girls say I wish it was straight and whatever it is you know just remind yourself hold on no God his hands his hands made me I'm special there is no one else in the world like me God has given me my personality he has made me exactly who I am and remind yourself of that because there is a lot of you know I was gonna say the world the word self-esteem look I know what it means to have a poor self-esteem it's where your self you know you're critical of self and some people say well you need to have you know a good you know you need to have good self-esteem about yourself kind of but I don't like self-esteem I'd rather be esteemed by God you know I mean because God is the one that's made you and he's made you special and he's given your strengths and he's given you your weaknesses and you're valuable to him you know one thing I like to muck around I like to joke around but one thing I don't like to joke around and one thing I don't like to hear kids joke around with is when they tease each other's appearances you know ah you know you I don't know whatever it is you know you know kids are they'll tease about this about that you know and it's like you know when you start I mean look I'm fine with mucking around I'm finally joking around pastor about the tie I don't mind you know what when you start mocking another person's appearance that their natural appearance you know what you're mocking the hand of God because he fashioned that person to look that way you know to have those dimensions to have that appearance to have that color you know to have that eye color that skin color that hair color that's God's work and I just find it strange when people mock the appearance and I just think man you're smocking God I don't want to be in your shoes because God has fashioned me to be special God has given me a personality there's no one else in the world like me you know it's been made by God now you might say well pastor I'm a stubborn person and maybe God made me stubborn I'm a rebellious person pastor maybe God's maybe rebellious that's not God that's your sin nature okay that's why in this very verse okay let's read it again verse number 73 says thy hands have made me and fashioned me then he says this give me understanding he says look God can you make me a little wiser Lord can you help me to learn help me to understand your will in my life then he says this that I may learn thy commandments you know the psalmist is saying Lord I'm not a perfect man like yes you've made me you fashioned me but I've got a lot of shortcomings and now Lord can you equip me with the ability to know what your word says so I can follow your commandments so I can be more Christlike so I can please you in my holy living see so God has made us yes but don't rest I'm just pastor I'm just this is where I am you know I can't be changed well no you need to go to God who made you who knows how you tick okay you're not gonna add a cubit to your statue or anything like that we right but what you can do is allow God to work in this mind okay to give you wisdom to give you understanding because a lot of people think they know God you don't know God until you know his word you don't know God until you know his commandments okay you say God teach me guide me God's giving you a brain as well he's giving you the reason the ability to reason the ability to think okay if you're saved you have the Holy Ghost of God living within you okay and he can teach you amazing things by his word by his commandments so his hands have made you he knows how you tick and I love how he says that I may learn thy commandments and I was not saying you know you know I'm just going to do God what I feel like doing or Lord I'm going to just pattern myself to society's standards now the Psalmist says no Lord I want to know your standards I want to know your commandments so give me that understanding and I can you make that your prayer tonight you know and we all have different stages in our spiritual life myself included I'm not at a point as a pastor where I just know everything of course not so I need to go Lord can you give me understanding can you give me wisdom can you give me something to teach your people in the house of the Lord you're there in Psalms come with me to Psalm 22 come with me to Psalm 22 Psalm 22 verse number 12 Psalm 22 verse number 12 Psalm 22 verse number 12 many bulls have compassed me strong bulls of patient have beset me round they gaped upon me with their mouths as a ravening and a roaring lion I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels before I keep reading of course these are the words of the Psalmist here but we know prophetically speaking this is the words of Jesus Christ when he was on the cross okay because it continues in verse number 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws and thou has brought me into the dust of death for dogs have compassed me the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me look at this they pierced my hands and my feet I may tell all my bones they look and stare upon me look his bones are all dislocated in his body you know you don't get this in the New Testament but in the Psalms look he can see his bones just sticking out he can tell them he can count them he goes man I'm on the crack I can see my bones just sticking out there he's been so disfigured with the beating and the weeping whipping before he was even put on the cross verse number 18 they part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture and you know that took place with the soldiers on the cross when they took the garment of Jesus and then they basically decided how they're going to share that amongst themselves but the point that I wanted to cover there verse number 16 the second the second part for the last part they pierced my hands and my feet they pierced my hands and my feet that's of course Christ being crucified to the cross and so when I think about the fact that Christ has these and it's eternal isn't it because even when Christ was resurrected from the dead didn't he show his disciples his pierced hands and his side you know these things are there for eternity you know I mean for you know when we go to be with God in eternity and we look upon Christ we're going to see those pieces and so when God looks at his hands when Christ looks at his hands you know he sees in our names that engraved on his hands he sees that he has redeemed us it's a constant reminder that he has redeemed us through his suffering that he has redeemed us through his suffering and I think about that what did it cost Christ to redeem us what did it cost Christ to save us it was his life Christ gave his life he gave everything that he could possibly get you give gave his life he took my sins he took your sins upon himself he faced the wrath of his father and then he gives us his righteousness in return so when we stand before God we don't stand before God in our righteousness our good works and always stand before God in the righteousness of Christ and then I think about that hold on if you Lord have given me your life those pieces in your hands are a constant reminder of what you've done for me then who am I to doubt who am I to doubt that you won't come through for me when I'm going through a time of difficulty because you've already faced the worst suffering you can possibly face for me you've already died for me you rose again from the dead for me so there's nothing that God will withhold for me if he's not going to withhold his life what could possibly God withhold from me there is nothing and so I'm just reminded again when we think of the hands of God just how valuable you are that he gave his life for you sometimes we will make the mistake you know God's done so much for me I'm gonna repay him you can't repay God you can't I mean it's good at your heart and I want to pay him back you can't pay him back that's why you have to die for you that's why he had to be the payment for your sins you're not gonna pay it back but you know what you should say man if I'm so valuable to Jesus Christ then you know what I'm gonna you know I'm gonna do the best I can I know I have a sin nature I'm gonna do the best I can to serve him faithfully I'm gonna do the best I can to live a life that glorifies him I'm gonna do the best I can to live a life that testifies of Christ you know that that that preaches the gospel of Christ and shows others how they can be sure of heaven how they can be sure of salvation because of what Christ has done for them the Brethren he has redeemed us for his suffering so I know we're talking metaphorically here but you know I just think about the fact when Christ has those pierced hands and then he sees my name right next to that piercing boy wow how important are we Brethren not only the God make us but he saved us and he gave his life for us can we meet to Ecclesiastes chapter 2 Ecclesiastes chapter 2 verse number 24 Ecclesiastes chapter 2 and verse number 24 and I'm just gonna touch upon something here but for me in my life this was a game changer for me just this thought it's a very simple thought and it's something you already know but for me it was a game changer and I'll just quickly tell you you know in my sort of mid 20s working a job had a few kids with my wife and and again stuck in a dead-end job so you feel you know you feel like you're not going anywhere you know you feel like you're just stuck you're not really gaining skills you're not really going you know to any places you're not sure if you're gonna get the pay increases or you're gonna be noticed enough to get the promotions and other positions and things like that and I would come home sometimes just frustrated just like I just I'm not living the life that I I want to be living I'm not working the job and you know I mean it's still a good eight hours of your life I mean you want to be doing something you think you want to be doing something where you feel man this progression here there's profit in this I'm doing well but then I came across some some basic truths of the Bible that just changed my life you know and for example Ecclesiastes 2 24 Ecclesiastes 2 24 it says there is nothing better for a man that he should eat and drink and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor this also I saw that he was from the hand of God we know Ecclesiastes King Solomon he's trying to find meaning in life and he gets to the point goes you know what even working a job even laboring is has been given to me by the hand of God and then when I labor and I get my paycheck and go eat my meal I can go drink my juice or whatever it is right I'm gonna rejoice in that because this has been given to me by God and that changed my whole perspective to life because I used to have this idea well you know I'm only doing things I'm only in the will of God I suppose I'm only serving God when I'm in church and when I'm reading my Bible and when I'm soul-witting and and these are the only things potentially that God really cares about when I start to understand how to my job has been given to me by the hand of God and we know the New Testament we're told to to work and to work as though we're serving our Lord Jesus Christ it's not the employer that the manager in the office or whatever it is it's not the manager the supervisor on the job that you're working for you're working for Jesus he's giving you that job so you can have the provisions so you can have what you need to get through life and as a man to take care of the wife and to take care of the children these things are given to us by the hand of God and when I realized this in my again my mid early early mid 20s everything changed I went to work and I started to enjoy work did you get a promotion I didn't it's the same job but just saying hold on God you've given me this job Lord you're making me pay the bills you're making me make sure that the my children have clothes and my family have food and that but you know there's a roof over our heads Lord this is by your hand everything changed and so God always make sure that your provisions are being met you know if you labor men you need to lay by need to work you know God has given you that ability that capability the satisfaction of going and doing something with your life God has given given that in you put that in you but our jobs and our provisions comes by his hand just remind yourself that okay when you get your paycheck right and you're paying the bills off and you're going grocery shopping don't be like oh man I work so hard to make this happen say all glory to you God you gave me my job and you've given me the provisions thank you Lord it's by his hand and I tell you it changes absolutely everything when you're serving Jesus and you know you know what this matters this matters to Jesus he cares how I work he cares that I do my best he cares that I'm providing for my family changes everything now I told you to keep a finger in Isaiah come with me to Isaiah 64 please Isaiah 64 Isaiah 64 Isaiah 64 verse number 8 Isaiah 64 verse number 8 now this is a very famous verse Isaiah 64 verse number 8 now again remind yourself of Isaiah it's the southern kingdom worried about the Assyrians all right they've done wrong they've been a wicked people as well they have not done things God's way and God is warning them but then God says here in Isaiah 64 verse 8 oh sorry they say to God but now Oh Lord thou art our Father we are the clay and thou our Potter and we all are the work of thy hand again what are we we are the work of his hand and this illustration Reverend God is the Potter and we are the clay God is the Potter and we are the clay you know someone who's into pottery you know they're going to make cups and vases and I mean I don't know I'm not a very artistic person I don't know what they make I remember trying to pottery in school high school I was rubbish at it you got a mold that you know that little I had to make you know one of the things one of the early things I had to make was like an ash tray I don't know why not one of my family smoked but anyway I had to make that right and you know once you sort of motor you put in the kiln so it gets you know heated up and and and the moisture gets out of it anyway when I took mine out it had cracks all over it yeah it was hopeless and they'll fingerprints still markings it wasn't smooth and nice you know I was just hopeless at that kind of work but you know we have the illustration here of us as clay and one thing I observed of course and this is obvious but once you put that pottery into the kiln and it heats up and the moisture is removed the clay gets hardened okay the clay gets hardened and once it's hardened it's not easy in fact it's impossible in this illustration to be changed and you know if you want God to work in your life you have to be easily moldable okay you need to say God not my will but thy will be done Lord you make me what you need to do you you change me how you need to change me Lord you help me overcome the challenges and the sins and the problems that I have the way you want to Lord Lord if you want to put me through trials and difficulties so I'll be refined then Lord do it if you have to it's not easy because we as human beings we want to do it our way we say Lord I know I've got it under control I'll do it my way you know instead of going to God's Word and learning about God you know I'll make up who I think God is by my imagination you know a God that maybe is okay with my problems and my sins and look when you get prideful and you get hardened and God is trying to mold you it's gonna be a difficult process for you very difficult man if you want God to make you into what he wants you to be you have to be moldable and when the pride comes in when you're hardened by it in your heart say no Lord soften me please soften me before I get so hard that I can't be changed you're in Isaiah sorry let's keep going there look at verse number nine so you got the people in Judah saying this to the Lord you know Lord mold us we are the work of thy hand then in verse number nine they say be not rough very sore Oh Lord they're like God please don't be so angry at us because they've done wrong right neither remember iniquity forever behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people look if you're far from the Lord tonight and if you're not doing well with the Lord tonight be like this say Lord I know I deserve your wrath I know I deserve your punishment Lord can you go easy on me Lord I do seek you I do want to be molded by you I do want to be changed by you Lord can you please be merciful as I seek you you see God has wrath you know a lot a lot of churches don't teach this you know the average Christian doesn't think God ever gets angry the average Christian doesn't think God you know hates the wicked they don't hear they don't hear about the wrath of God they don't even understand it you know and then when you start teaching even about hell hellfire a place of eternal torment but the Bible makes it very clear that people are tormented day and night forever and ever they can't process that because they never heard of a God like this they've never heard of the God of the Bible they don't understand a God who can be angered the Brethren we can anger God you know we can be so far from the Lord so stiff-necked so unwilling to be changed by him where God gets mad all right look we're in Isaiah come to me come with me to Isaiah chapter 30 Isaiah chapter 30 verse number 1 Isaiah chapter 30 verse number 1 Isaiah chapter 30 verse number 1 I'll give you the context of this chapter very quickly but as Judah we're concerned about the Assyrian Empire okay the southern kingdom they were worried about the Assyrian Empire instead of going to God so saying hey God help us Lord we're going to you for protection they went to the Egyptians because they said well the Egyptians got their army all right let's run to them let's seek their help instead of running to God and so that's what this is what Isaiah chapter 30 covers and in the Isaiah chapter 30 verse number 1 it says woe to the rebellious children save the Lord that take counsel but not of me they took counsel of the Egyptians okay not of God and that cover with a covering and not of my spirits that they may add sin to sin that walk to go down into Egypt and have not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and to trust in the shadow of Egypt say look you've gone and you put your trust in Pharaoh you've gone and you put your trust in Egypt because you've not come to hear the word of my mouth you've not come to inquire of me Judah and so God says they're rebellious now drop down to verse number 9 drop down to verse number 9 God we're still talking about being molded by God we're still talking about God being a a potter and we being the clay here in verse number 9 Isaiah 30 verse number 9 says that this is a rebellious people lying children children that will not hear the law of the Lord okay so when he says about when God said that they did not ask at God's mouth earlier in verse number 1 or verse number 2 sorry now he makes it clear what they're talking about they will not hear the law of the Lord okay where is the law of the Lord in our Bibles all right when it came to the Lord was the first five books that were written by Moses so when we wanted to hear from the Lord the Lord says look you've got to go to my word you need to open your Bible but you refuse to do that and when you refuse to go to God's Word God says you're a rebellious children and then verse number 10 instead of hearing God's Word this is what they want instead verse number 10 which say to the seers the seers of the prophets okay it says there see not and to the prophets prophesied not unto us right things these people so far from God they go to the preachers hey look just please don't preach to us you know the things that are true and right we don't want to hear it don't preach don't teach instead it says speak unto us smooth things prophesy deceits Reverend the churches that are made up of hundreds and thousands of people those preachers are smooth they've got the smooth words they'll preach deceits they'll preach lies and people love it that's how it is people want to God's not mad at me I'd rather hear that than I go into a pastor like pastor came to pull that I where he says hey you know God can get mad at you when you're walking away from him so I really hear the smooth things just teach me the things that are nice all the time you know that's what that's what mankind is like prophesy deceits I'd rather hear lies and hear the truth verse 11 says get you out of the way turn aside out of the path cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us we don't want to hear about the God of Israel just teach us anything else verse number 12 where for thus save the Holy One of Israel because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and stay thereon therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high wall whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant look at verse number 14 that's what I wanted to bring it to you and he shall break it as the breaking of the potter's vessel that is broken in pieces he shall not spare so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a shred to take fire from the hearth or to take water we've all out of the pits for thus saith the Lord God the Holy One of Israel in returning and rest shall you be saved in quietness and confidence shall be your strength and ye would not you know God uses this illustration once again you guys are like this vessel you've been hardened you're good for nothing and you know like God just gives the illustration of being smashed and now you can't you're good for nothing you can't be used for anything Reverend God's made us God wants to mold you God wants to change you in accordance to his word and according to his law according to the Bible learn what God wants from you according to the Bible you know it's a hard job sometimes being a pastor because sometimes I have questions people come to me they know they've done wrong they know they're in sin but they come to me pastor essentially they're not saying these words but this is essentially what they're saying pastor can you comfort me in my sin can you make me feel comfortable I can't like I love you brother I love you sister you know nothing God's never left you he's not gonna forsake you all right I mean we all make mistakes but if you come to me for my advice I'm gonna tell you what God's words I'll tell you in love I'll tell you in truth what God's Word says okay don't get offended at me this is God's Word you get offended you get offended his word because I'm not gonna just preach you smooth things I'm not just gonna pat you on the back when you're in sin look I don't want any of us to become a vessel so hardened so corrupt so useless that God says I'm just gonna smash it you know and there's an interesting teaching I won't go into all of it right now but it's interesting teaching Christ where he says that salt that has lost its savour is good for nothing but to be trodden under the foot of men you know we can get to a point where we're so far from God God says you're no longer any use to me you know I mean you're saved you're going to heaven nothing's gonna change that praise God because salvation is what Christ has done but brethren do we care about doing something back for God do you want to do something great for God then you need to be moldable in his hands you need to be able to be shaped in his hands God how do you want me to be how do you want me to act Lord what is it that you want me to believe God what way do you want me to follow I'll do it even if it's hard okay because I want to be moldable I want to be changed I don't want to be so hardened so hardened when I seek counsel I don't even go to you God I go to everybody else I go to everything else but you please be careful be careful now come with me to 1st Peter 5 1st Peter 5 I'm near the end now thank you for your patience 1st Peter 5 please 1st Peter chapter 5 and verse number 5 1st Peter chapter 5 verse number 5 you know what if we want to be moldable by God if we want to be shaped by God we have to be humble all right it's the opposite of pride pride stiffens you pride hardens you we need humility that's the point we say Lord you know I'm wrong Lord I'm I need to be changed Lord my thoughts are wrong my actions are wrong all right will you lower yourself before God and some people struggle with this I think well if I lower myself I'm going to show myself to be weak and helpless you know but I want to understand this very this principle is all over your Bible Old Testament New Testament 1st Peter chapter 5 verse number 5 it says likewise ye younger submit yourselves unto the elder I'll stop there for a moment you know we need to learn to respect the elderly once again our generation has lost that you know when I was going to school we were told when on the train or the bus you know what if there's no seats and they're you know people standing up get off your seat you're young you don't need to sit down let father sit down you see a pregnant woman get off your seat let us sit down you know what our generation has lost that it's strange I catch the train I I'm going to Sydney tomorrow to preach at blessed up at this church and when I get off the airport I catch the train and sometimes I travel during peak hour traffic you know there's school children there's workers and I see the school kids just sitting there laughing cracking up sitting down and you see a lot of people just standing there like what happened anyway humility lowering yourself it says yay all of you be subjects one to another and be clothed with humility for God resist of the proud and give of grace to the humble and then verse number six humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time why would you want to humble yourself under his hand because that same hand when you're humbled under his hand it's the same hand that will exalt you it's the same hand that will lift you up in due time the fastest way to promotion in the workplace I know okay I got promoted seven times no I got promoted nine times in seven years better paying jobs better positions say what did you do I just humbled myself I said you know what I'm going to this job I'm going to the best I can I'm going to say yes boss well the boss wants I'm going to do it I'm going to give my best I'm going to lower myself I'm going to make myself of nothing no reputation and man when you do that people look at that go man this guy's a good worker let's give him a pay rise let's give him the promotion he cares about the work he cares about the office he cares about the company he cares about the objectives he cares about the goals I've seen this in my life you know what like we got a lot of kids you guys know that I started to learn this so well that every time my wife and full pregnant we've been a month or two I knew it he's a pay rise here's a promotion because it all comes from the hand of God it's his provisions it's his job you just humble yourself to his hand and in due time in his time he'll lift you up sometimes we think we have to lift ourselves up we have to talk about ourselves look how good we are look how smart we are slowly stuff say what I know nothing God you know all things what I need to be changed by your hand you know what Lord every time you act you're thinking of me you love me you care about me every problem you allow me to go through is for my betterment for my profits when you take that approach and just humble yourself God says I'm gonna exalt that's his promise I'm going to exalt you I'm gonna lift you I'm gonna recognize you and boy you know I mean it's nice to be recognized and to be lifted and honored by man but how much more so when you're lifted up by God and honored by God you know how much more special is that so brethren title for the sermon was upon the hands of God you know our names are graven upon his hands when the Lord acts he thinks of you I think it's amazing when the Lord acts he thinks of you and he wants to change he wants to mold you to be more like his son the Lord Jesus Christ but just in quick summary the six points I've had for you number one he'll never forget us you know even when he feels that way he hasn't forgotten you number two his hands made you okay you've been fashioned you've been made by God you know you don't have to be so self-conscious about your appearance say God you made this is how you want me to be I'm special I'm unique all right you know how I tick you know how I think you know how I feel number three he has redeemed us through his suffering you know when Christ has his nail print in his hands you know he's reminded of how much he has done for you you know God's not going to let you down number four our jobs and our provisions come by his hands enjoy your job don't whine don't complain hey do you remember when the soldiers came to John the Baptist and John but hey be content with your wages don't complain soldiers don't whine don't murmur number five God is molding us to be like Jesus Christ you know here's the potter we are the clay and lastly God is seeking to lift you up by his mighty hand but first you need to learn how to humble yourself under that mighty hand all right Brevin let's pray