KLC. SUNDAY 20/ 9/2015
TITLE. A SECOND TOUCH
GOD GIVES AS MUCH GRACE AS WE NEED
HE TOUCHED ME HE TOUCHED ME AND
OH THE JOY THAT FILLED MY SOUL
SOMETHING HAPPENED AND NOW I KNOW
HE TOUCHED ME AND MADE ME WHOLE
WHO HERE HAS KNOWN THE MASTERS TOUCH
SCRIPTURES.
MARK 8:: 22 -25
AND THEY CAME TO BETHESDA
AND SOME PEOPLE BROUGHT TO HIM A BLIND MAN AND BEGGED HIM TO TOUCH HIM
AND HE TOOK THE BLIND MAN BY THE HAND AND LED HIM OUT OF THE VILLAGE AND WHEN HE HAD SPIT ON HIS EYES AND LAID HIS HANDS UPON HIM HE ASKED HIM DO YOU SEE ANYTHING
AND HE LOOKED UP AND SAID
I SEE MEN BUT THEY LOOK LIKE TREES WALKING
THEN AGAIN HE LAID HIS HANDS UPON HIS EYES AND HE LOOKED INTENTLY AND WAS RESTORED AND SAW EVERYTHING CLEARLY
JEREMIAH. 1 5::10
BEFORE I FORMED YOU IN THE WOMB I KNEW YOU BEFORE YOU WERE BORN I DEDICATED YOU A PROPHET TO THE NATIONS I APPOINTED YOU
AH LORD GOD I SAID
I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO SPEAK I AM TO YOUNG
BUT THE LORD ANSWERED ME
DO NOT SAY I AM TO YOUNG
TO WHOMEVER I SEND YOU YOU SHALL GO
WHATEVER I COMMAND YOU YOU SHALL SPEAK
DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THEM
FOR I AM WITH YOU TO DELIVER YOU ORACLE OF THE LORD
THEN THE LORD EXTENDED HIS HAND AND TOUCHED MY MOUTH SAYING TO ME SEE I PLACE MY WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH
IF YOU ASK SOMEONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THE TOUCH OF GODS HAND TO DESCRIBE THAT EXPERIENCE THEY WILL USE WORDS LIKE WONDERFUL
AMAZING SUPERNATURAL AWESOME MIRACULOUS UNBELIEVABLE AND LIFE CHANGING
TOUCH IS SOMETHING EVERY HUMAN BEING LONGS FOR WAS DESIGNED FOR ...
AND DESPERATELY NEEDS
THIS MORNINGS MESSAGE IS ABOUT PEOPLE WHO GOD TOUCHED AND PEOPLE WHO LONGED TO BE TOUCHED BY GOD AGAIN
IN OUR GOSPEL TEXT MARK RECORDS FOR US A RATHER STRANGE EVENT
OF A BLIND MAN WHO WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS COMES TO JESUS TO BE HEALED
NOW THIS MAN WAS IN A BAD WAY
THIS GUY WAS BLIND
AND THAT WAS JUST ABOUT AS BAD AS ANYONE COULD BE IN JESUS TIME
TODAY WE CAN PREVENT AND TREAT SO MANY EYE PROBLEMS
MANY HERE WEAR GLASSES OR CONTACTS OR HAVE HAD LASER SURGERY OR CATARACT SURGERY
HOW WOULD LIFE BE FOR YOU WITHOUT
GLASSES OR CONTACTS OR SURGERY
BAD VISION IS BAD ENOUGH
BUT IN JESUS DAY TO BE BLIND WAS TO BE HELPLESS AND WITHOUT HOPE
HOW DID HE SEE HIMSELF
UNCLEAN UNWANTED UNWORTHY UNLOVED
ISOLATED
AS FAR AS WE KNOW THIS BLIND MAN DIDNT KNOW JESUS
HIS FRIENDS TAKE HIM BY THE HAND AND LEAD HIM IN DESPERATION FOR A MEETING WITH JESUS
THE MAN HIMSELF HAD VERY LITTLE FAITH AND EVEN LESS HOPE
AND NO CHANCE OF RECOVERY
AS FAR AS HE KNEW ALIVE BUT BLIND WAS AS GOOD AS IT WAS GOING TO GET FOR HIM
AND THEN JESUS TOUCHED HIM
HE TOOK HIM BY THE HAND
HE TOUCHED HIS EYES
THE MAN COULD SEE LIGHT AND PEOPLE AND MOVEMENT
BUT HIS EYESIGHT WASNT PERFECT
BUT THAT WAS STILL A WHOLE LOT BETTER THAN THE DARKNESS THE BLINDNESS
IN THAT TOUCH JESUS GAVE THE MAN A GLIMPSE OF POSSIBILITY.
A GLIMPSE OF HOPE OF HOW MUCH BETTER LIFE COULD BE AND THE MAN WANTED MORE
HE WANTED TO BE TOUCHED AGAIN
HE WANTED A SECOND TOUCH
HE WANTED MORE AND JESUS STRETCHING OUT HIS HAND TOUCHED HIM AGAIN
AND IN THAT SECOND TOUCH
THE MAN WHO HAD BEEN BROKEN BY BLINDNESS WAS HEALED AND WHOLE AND COMPLETE
HIS FUTURE AND HIS LIFE WAS RESTORED TO HIM
HE NOW SAW HIMSELF AS
CLEAN. WANTED I HAVE WORTH LOVED
IN COMMUNITY
LET EVERY EYE BE OPENED IN THIS PLACE
OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART LORD OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART I WANT TO SEE YOU
AND IN THAT SECOND TOUCH THE MAN WHO HAD BEEN BROKEN BY BLINDNESS WAS HEALED AND WHOLE AND COMPLETE
JEREMIAH IS ANOTHER PERSON WHO WAS TOUCHED BY GOD ::: AND THEN TOUCHED AGAIN
NOW UNLIKE THE BLIND MAN WHO HAD LITTLE FAITH
JEREMIAH WAS A MAN OF GREAT FAITH
HE LOVED GOD AND HE KNEW THAT GOD HAD ALREADY TOUCHED HIM
IN FACT GOD REMINDS JEREMIAH BY SAYING
BEFORE I FORMED YOU IN THE WOMB
I KNEW YOU.
YOU SEE GOD HAD BEEN PERSONALLY AND INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN CREATING JEREMIAH
AND JEREMIAH WAS A FOLLOWER OF GOD
HE WAS GODS MAN EAGER AND READY TO LIVE FOR GOD AND TO LIVE FOR GOD AND TO SERVE HIM
BUT THERE WAS JUST ONE PROBLEM JEREMIAH COULDN'T DO IT NOT EVERY DAY NOT 24/7
HE FELT INADEQUATE HE HAD WEAKNESSES AND FAULTS
BUT HE JUST WASNT THAT GOOD
SOUND KIND OF FAMILIAR
BE ENCOURAGED
GOD USED JEREMIAH AND HE WANTS TO USE YOU
EVEN THOUGH WE MESS UP AND SCRAPE OUR KNEES GOD STILL SEES GREATNESS IN US
JEREMIAH NEEDED SOMETHING MORE THAN HE HAD IN HIMSELF
HE NEEDED ANOTHER TOUCH OF GODS HAND
AND SO GOD TOUCHES JEREMIAH AGAIN
TOUCHES HIS MOUTH AND JEREMIAH GOES ON TO BE ONE OF THE HEROES OF THE FAITH
I JUST LOVE HOW GOD CAN TAKE AND TRANSFORM A TIMID BUT WILLING
SELF CONSCIOUS DISCIPLE INTO A CONFIDENT CAPABLE LEADER WITH JUST THE TOUCH OF HIS HAND
THE TOUCH OF GOD IT REALLY IS AMAZING AND WONDERFUL AND AWESOME
BUT YOU KNOW ME. THIS ISNT JUST ABOUT THE BLIND MAN AND JEREMIAH
ITS ABOUT YOU TOO AND ME
THE WORD OF GOD ALWAYS !!!! ENCOUNTERS US AND CHALLENGES US
AND ASKS US WHAT ABOUT YOU
WHATS YOUR STORY HOW DO YOU FIT INTO GODS STORY
YOUR STORY MAY NOT BE IN THE PAGES OF THE BIBLE OR WRITTEN IN INK
BUT YOU HAVE A STORY AND LIKE IT OR NOT
LOVE IT OR NOT YOU ARE WRITING IT RIGHT NOW
YOUR STORY MAY HAVE SOME SIMILARITIES TO JEREMIAH'S STORY
YOU HAVE A SENCE THAT GOD IS CALLING YOU TO DO SOMETHING OR CALLING YOU TO BE SOMETHING MORE THAN YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN BE
I AM CALLING FORTH THE GOLD TODAY
COME ON ONE MORE TOUCH
AND THE BLIND MANS STORY IT MAY NOT BE SO DIFFERENT FROM YOUR OWN
IN SOME WAYS YOU MAY BE JUST LIKE THE BLIND MAN
OH YOU CAN SEE ALRIGHT BUT YOU KNOW. IF NO ONE ELSE KNOWS
THAT YOUR LIFE IS JUST A BROKEN AS THIS MANS YOUR SITUATION SEEMS JUST IMPOSSIBLE
YOUR HOPE OF THINGS BEING BETTER
OF BEING A WINNER AND NOT A LOOSER
IS ALL BUT GONE. AND YOU FEEL HELPLESS TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT
PERHAPS LIKE THE BLIND MAN YOU YOU NEVER REALLY MET JESUS EITHER
NOT FACE TO FACE
AND LIKE THE BLIND MAN YOU WANT TO HAVE FAITH BUT ITS HARD
YOU KNOW THIS STORY SOUNDS AWFULLY FAMILIAR TO PEOPLE
JESUS TOUCHED HIM AND TODAY HE IS WILLING TO TOUCH YOU
HIS TOUCH TOTALY TRANSFORMED THIS MANS LIFE
GAVE HIM A FUTURE AND A REASON TO BELIEVE
AND A REASON TO REJOICE
A REASON TO GET UP IN THE MORNING AND TO GET DRESSED AND TO GET GOING
TALK ABOUT AWESOME AMAZING AND WONDERFUL
AND IF JESUS CAN DO THAT FOR THIS BLIND MAN HE CAN TOUCH US TOO
YOU DONT NEED A WHOLE LOT OF FAITH
JUST A LITTLE
WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO HAVE A TOUCH LIKE THAT FROM JESUS TODAY
OR LIKE JEREMIAH YOU CAN SAY GOD HIMSELF HAD A HAND IN YOUR CREATION
YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING TOUCHED BY GOD
BUT TODAY YOU KNOW YOU NEED A FRESH TOUCH
ITS BEEN TO LONG. YOUR DRY AND THIRSTY COME AND DRINK HERE IS LIVING WATER
WOVEN INTO THESE TWO STORIES OF JEREMIAH AND THE BLIND MAN
IS A DIVINE TRUTH THAT IS ECHOED THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE
YOU SEE GOD IS NOT DONE WITH US YET
WE ARE A WORK IN PROGRESS
IF YOU ARE NOT THE MAN YOU WANT TO BE. HANG ON IN THERE GOD IS NOT DONE YET. THERE IS YET ONE MORE TOUCH
JEREMIAH AND THE BLIND MAN LIVED HUNDREDS OF YEARS APART BUT GOD IS THE SAME YESTERDAY TODAY AND FOREVER
THEY BOTH LONGED FOR A TOUCH
THE BIBLE IS FULL OF STORIES OF PEOPLE WHOES LIVES WERE TOUCHED BY GOD
JESUS TOUCHED THE BLIND MAN
AND GAVE HIM BACK SIGHT AND HOPE
HE TOUCHED LEPERS
AND GAVE THEM DIGNITY
JESUS TOUCHED THE WOMAN WHO WAS SICK AND BLEEDING
AND GAVE HER HEALTH
JESUS TOUCHED THE PEOPLE WHO WERE PARALYSED
AND SET THEM FREE TO WALK AND RUN
JESUS TOUCHED CHILDREN
AND BLESSED THEM
JESUS TOUCHED A DEAD GIRL
AND GAVE HER LIFE
WHAT ABOUT US. TODAY
WHAT DO YOU WANT GOD TO DO FOR YOU TODAY
WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO BE TOUCHED BY GOD TODAY
IN A LIFE CHANGING WAY
JESUS SON OF GOD HAVE MERCY ON ME.
AMEN
