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Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000655S
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00:04 Sermon #B655-Touch Me Again
00:20 Dr. Byrd: Mark chapter 8, verse number 22. 00:28 Mark chapter 8, verse 22, the word of God says, "And He cometh to Bethsaida; 00:36 and they bring a blind man unto Him, and besought Him to touch him. 00:41 And He took the blind man by the hand, and He led him out of the town; 00:49 and when He had spits on his eyes, and put His hands upon him, He asked him if he saw ought. 00:58 And he looked up, and said, "I see men as trees, walking." 01:05 After that, He put His hands again on upon his eyes, and made him look up 01:09 and he was restored, and he saw every man clearly. 01:16 And He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, 01:23 nor tell it to any in the town." Now, look at the text again, verse 23, 01:33 "And He took the blind man by the hand and He led him out of the town; 01:35 and when He had spit on his eyes, He put His hands upon him and He asked him if he saw ought. 01:39 And he looked up and said, "I see men as trees, walking." 01:43 Verse 25, that's the one for us to day. "After that He put His hands again upon his eyes 01:54 and made him look up. He was restored, he saw every man clearly. 01:58 " Today, I just want to challenge you on a subject, "Touch Me Again". Father, bless us now. 02:08 We prayed, we testified, we sung but now we need to hear a word from you. 02:17 As our title today says, "Lord, Touch Us Again," we know what you did in 2019. 02:25 We know what you did last Sabbath. We know what you did Tuesday night but God, 02:29 in the name of Jesus, touch us, again today. In the name of Jesus we pray. 02:40 Let everyone who loves Him, says, amen, amen. 02:45 The Bible says that Jesus, Jesus has just returned to Bethsaida, 02:50 a city near His homebase in Capernaum. In His previous visit to Bethsaida, 02:55 Jesus had healed many people who had been sick. 02:58 But when He comes back to Bethsaida this time, 03:01 He is met by a blind man who has been brought to Him by a blind man's friends. 03:08 Now, we have to know this man, the blind man had to be loved by his friends 03:13 because the man was blind. And because he was blind, somebody had to led him to Jesus. 03:22 Because he couldn't be brought to Jesus by himself, somebody had to lead him to Jesus. 03:30 You all hear what I'm saying. 03:32 The man's friends heard that Jesus was in town so they brought the blind man to Jesus. 03:39 In other words, those who could see interceded for the one who couldn't see. 03:45 Let that be a lesson for us today. For some of us to see Jesus, 03:50 somebody else had to led us to Jesus. 03:53 Where would some of us be right now if somebody else had not led us to Jesus? 04:02 That's why evangelism is so important. 04:05 The late great E. E. Cleveland said that, 04:07 "It's just one beggar telling another beggar where they can find bread." 04:13 When we find the bread of life, 04:15 we now have an obligation to help somebody else find Jesus 04:20 and experience what it's like eating at the welcome table. 04:25 We don't know the man's name. We don't know how long he was blind. 04:30 The Bible doesn't tell us all that. We just know the man was blind, 04:33 couldn't see and his friends wanted Jesus to touch him so he could see. 04:40 Now, if you keep reading, 04:41 you'll notice in verse number 23 that Jesus took the blind man by the hand. 04:46 Then the Bible says, "He led him out of Bethsaida." 04:51 Why did Jesus lead the man outside the city? 04:56 Why did Jesus lead the man outside of Bethsaida? I mean, Jesus is omnipresent. 05:00 Jesus is everywhere at the same time. Jesus could have healed the man in Bethsaida. 05:07 Why did Jesus lead the man outside of Bethsaida? 05:11 His reason is that Bethsaida is a city full of unbelief 05:14 and it's Christ's desire to lead you and me away from unbelief. 05:19 Jesus wants you to believe not disbelieve. 05:22 Many of the cities that existed during the ministry of Jesus are still thriving cities today. 05:27 Tiberius is a lively city. Cana, Jericho, Bethlehem are still large lively cities 05:33 but there are two particular cities that are nothing but a bunch of ruins right now, 05:40 Capernaum and Bethsaida. When you study and read your Bible in Luke chapter 10 verses 13 05:47 and 14, you would discover that these two cities, Capernaum and Bethsaida rejected Jesus. 05:51 They didn't believe in Jesus and now today, they lay and lie in ruins. 05:57 Let that be another lesson for us today. It's dangerous to reject Jesus. 06:01 When you reject Jesus, when you disbelieve in Jesus, you'll lie in ruins. 06:07 Jesus had to lead the blind man away from this unbelieving-Jesus-rejecting city 06:12 but then the text lets us know that Jesus also had to deal with this man personally. 06:18 Think about it. Think about it, Bible scholars. 06:21 You will never read in the Bible where Jesus conducted any mass healing services. 06:28 Yes, Jesus, fed 5,000 men plus women and children with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread 06:34 but nowhere in scripture is it recorded that Jesus healed a mass group of people at one time. 06:41 "At the pool of Bethesda"--someb ody say-- "what about that?" 06:43 No, not to be confused Bethesda with Bethsaida. 06:46 There were number of blind hot 06:48 and withered people at the pool of Bethesda waiting for the movement of the water 06:51 because when the angel of the Lord, we know when he troubled the water, only one person, 06:55 that first person who jumped in the water after the troubling of the water was healed. 07:00 Not everyone, just one. Why is this? Jesus heals people individually. 07:09 Jesus doesn't save groups of people or the masses of people. He saves individuals. 07:16 Some of us think that just because we're Christian that -- 07:19 and we were born in the Christian home that we're Christians 07:21 because we were just born at Christian home. 07:24 But being born, my friends, 07:25 in a Christian home doesn't make you a Christian any more than being born in the airport, 07:30 makes you an airplane. [Congregation: Applauding] 07:34 You must have a personal relationship with Jesus in order to be a Christian. 07:41 Don't get it twisted now. It's a great experience to come 07:45 and congregate every Sabbath at the Oakwood University Church. 07:48 It's a wonderful thing for us to stand together and sing together and pray together 07:53 and worship together and praise together and fellowship together 07:57 and hear the word of God together with hundreds even thousands of other people. 08:01 The Bible is clear in Hebrew chapter 10 verse 25, 08:03 "Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, 08:07 there is a blessing in coming together." There is strength in us being together 08:11 but don't you ever forget, God saves us individually. 08:16 Just because you go to church doesn't mean you're going to heaven. 08:20 There are a lot of people go to church who are going to bust hell wide open 08:24 Going to church is important and it's biblical 08:26 but you also have to have a personal relationship with Jesus if you are going to heaven. 08:31 Do I have a witness in this place? [Congregation: Yes] 08:32 The first thing Jesus did was take His brother by the hand, 08:35 lead him away from a place of unbelief to a place where he could deal with him individually. 08:43 Look at verse 23 again. Then the Bible says, "And when He, Jesus, 08:48 had spit on the man's eyes"--let me stop right there. 08:54 Jesus who was omnipotent which means Jesus is all powerful. 09:02 He spits on the man's eyes. Jesus didn't have to spit. Jesus could have just spoken a word. 09:12 Jesus could have just said, "Your eyes are healed," 09:16 and the man's sight would have been restored. 09:19 Jesus could have just placed his hands and touch the man's eyes and he would have said, 09:25 could have said, "Open your eyes, " and the man's sight would have been restored. 09:29 But the Bible says, "Jesus spat on the man's eyes." 09:35 That's another lesson for somebody else today. 09:37 Sometimes God's way of bringing you out may not be the way you wanted to come out. 09:43 Sometimes when God is bringing you out, God doesn't bring you out comfortable or classy. 09:48 Sometimes you have spit on your eyes. Sometimes you have mud on your face. 09:54 Sometimes you end up in a pig's pen. When God is trying to save you, 09:59 sometimes you end up in bankruptcy courts. You lose your house. You're embarrassed. 10:05 There are some people who wanted change in their 10:07 life as long as it doesn't cost them anything. [Congregation: Responds] 10:11 But not only that. I'm learning from this text. Jesus rarely or seldom heals in the same way. 10:21 Now, have you read the New Testament? 10:22 The Bible records Jesus' healing several different blind men in the New Testament 10:27 and each time He healed them, 10:28 He used a different method of healing which means then God is a God of variety. 10:35 God seldom saves two people in the same way. 10:40 The same way God save me may not be the same way God saves you. 10:46 You don't hear what I'm saying? He may save me on a sermon. 10:50 He may save you on a song. 10:53 He may save somebody else on the same song sung in a different way. 10:58 Some people come to Christ 11:00 and they walk down this isle and their tears are flowing from their eyes 11:04 and they've all prostrate before the Lord. 11:07 Other people just smile at their point of conversion. 11:10 Other people just quietly place their faith in Jesus Christ. 11:14 Be careful my friends, that you don't legislate, how somebody ought to be saved. 11:21 God is a God of variety. Just praise God, that they got saved. 11:29 [Congregation: Cheering. Applauding.] 11:30 The same way He healed you may not be the same when He heals me. 11:37 Jesus spat on this man's eyes. Put His hands on the brother and then he said, 11:45 "Do you see anything?" The man looked up and he said, 11:49 "I see people but they look like trees walking around." 11:57 The man could see but the man couldn't see clearly. 12:04 His eyes were opened but his vision was blurry and that's just like some of us. 12:14 Our eyes are open but our vision is still blurry. 12:20 What am I talking about? God can be doing something miraculous right in front of your face 12:25 but you still don't see it. God is healing people but you still don't see it. 12:30 [Congregation: Cheering.] 12:31 God is restoring people but you still don't see it. 12:34 God is saving people but you still don't see it. 12:38 God is delivering people in this church from death, defeat, depression, divorce 12:42 and distress but you still don't see it. God is changing you. God is restoring you. 12:49 You're not the man you used to be. You're not woman you used to be. 12:52 God is trying to save you but you still don't still see it. 12:55 Your eyes are opened but your vision is blurry. 13:00 So on the verse 25 it says that, "After that, Jesus put His hands again." 13:11 Everybody say again. [Congregation: Again.] 13:14 On the man's eyes. Jesus did it again. Somebody's gonna get this in a minute. 13:24 Why did Jesus have to touch the man again? Did He fail the first time? 13:32 Why didn't the man have clear vision immediately? 13:36 Jesus never does anything haphazardly so why did Jesus have to touch the man again? 13:42 I'm learning in my life that sometimes God has to touch us again 13:49 so we can see things clearly. You all hear what I'm saying. 13:53 What am I talking about? Jesus was leading this man in faith. 13:57 As the Lord touched his eyes the first time, the man didn't fully believe 14:01 but Jesus had to touch his eyes again so his faith could grow and he would fully believe. 14:06 Isn't that how the Lord has had to work in some of our lives? 14:11 Some of us we responded in faith believing the first time we heard the gospel 14:16 but for some folks here today, 14:18 it took several times for you to hear the gospel in order to respond. 14:22 But as God's spirit continues to work in their lives, 14:27 they are eventually brought to a place of obeying faith resulting in salvation. 14:33 Somebody's still not getting it. Let me try this way. 14:36 When an individual decide that they're going to become a follower of Jesus, 14:41 at that moment they become justified in Jesus Christ. 14:46 That's what we call God's imputed righteousness 14:50 but there is more to the Christian life than justification. 14:55 Too many people think that when they walk down this isle and they give their 14:59 life to the Lord and become justified in Christ, 15:02 that they had their ticket to heaven punched 15:06 or that they've taken up some insurance policy that has guaranteed them salvation. 15:13 They said, that they are now exempt from pain, exempt from suffering, 15:17 exempt from trial and tribulation. "Pastor Byrd, I give my life to the Lord, 15:22 why does trouble keep coming my way?" 15:27 But Romans 8 tells us the purpose for which God save us to grow us spiritually 15:36 and to that image, we conform to the image of Christ. That's what we call, sanctification. 15:43 God's imparted righteousness where day by day by day we grow 15:50 into a what God would have us to become. So then the first touch is justification. 15:56 The second touch is sanctification. But then God doesn't stop there 16:02 because if I've got a witness in this place, for you to come to Jesus, 16:05 it took more than on touch. It took more than two touches. It took three. It took four. 16:11 It took five touches and Lord, you got to touch me again and again and again. 16:19 [Congregation: Cheering.] 16:21 Let me tell you all something. I'm not the man I used to be. I'm not the man I was. 16:27 I've been here next Sabbath will be 8 years. I'm not the same person I was 8 years ago. 16:35 The first time I was justified in Jesus was on August the 8th 1980 at 16:44 the Elim Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Saint Peters-burg Florida, 801, 6th Avenue South. 16:52 St. Peters-burg Florida, 33142. Somebody says, "You know when and where 16:57 and what date you are baptized?" 16:59 If you know your birthday, you can know when you are born again. 17:04 I've walked down that isle, tears in my eyes. 17:09 I didn't know everything that I know now but at that moment, 17:14 I was justified in Jesus Christ. But 40 years later, I'm still growing. 17:22 Into what God what would have me to become day by day, I'm sanctified in Jesus Christ. 17:29 And I may not be what I should be but I praise God today I'm not what I used to be. 17:36 I had to suffer a little bit. I had to suffer and struggle a little bit 17:42 but Peter says in first Peter, 5-10, "That after you have a struggled awhile, 17:47 after you had suffered a while, God will then establish you. God will then strengthen you. 17:53 God will then settle you." God had to touch me again and again and again. 18:00 Is there anybody else that God had to touch again and again? 18:04 Sometimes, because we've been on the church so long 18:10 and we've come to the beginning of the year so many times 18:15 because we've gone through a cycle of youth days, senior adult days, children's days 18:21 and college days and education days and alumni days and anniversary days 18:27 and outreach days and all kinds of days. We just run church business as usual. 18:34 Another year of board meetings, another year of elder's meetings, 18:40 another of year of deacon's meetings, another year of deaconess's meetings, 18:45 another year of revivals, another year of sabbath school, another of adventurers 18:52 and path-finders and personal ministries and men's ministries 18:55 and women's ministries and music ministries, just another year! 18:59 [Congregation: Yeah!] 19:01 And we become bored, predictable, conventional, no new ideas, no innovation, no creativity, 19:16 so God has to touch us, again. God has to touch our eyes again. 19:27 God has to touch his church again. He has to help us see new things. 19:35 He has to help us see new things in ministry. I know in this church we've had great revivals. 19:41 I know many have gotten baptized. I know we've had Christmas specials. 19:45 I know we built a family life center. I know we've renovated this sanctuary. 19:51 I know we're completing the academy but God in the name of Jesus, we need you to touch us, 19:59 again. Touch our eyes again. Help us to see more clearly and completely. 20:05 How far can you see it? [Congregation: Responds.] 20:09 Because I've learned in life you will only get as far as you can see. 20:14 How do you see our church? [Congregation: Responds.] 20:18 How do you see our ministry? Just a cycle of days? Good sermons? Meetings to pass the time? 20:30 Some good songs? Because you will never get as far as you can see. 20:35 That's why you have to have some vision. 20:38 That's why you have to come out of your comfort zone. That's why my friend you must grow. 20:43 That's why you have to be creative. That's why you have to be innovative. 20:46 That's why you have to change. That's why you have to think big! [Congregation: Yeah!] 20:50 I think big. You got to think big and hang around other folks who think big, not small 20:56 because you can't have gallon-sized vision hanging around pint-sized people. 21:00 [Congregation: Responds] 21:03 Lord, touch us again. Help us to see more clearly. 21:11 But not just the church, touch me individually. Help me to see new things for my life. 21:20 Lord, you've touched me before but I need You to touch me again. 21:25 And if you don't believe that God can touch you again, look back over your life 21:31 and look at how far God brought you through. [Congregation: Responds] 21:35 You were unemployed but you're still here. You've been sick but you're still here. 21:43 You've been broke but you're still here. [Congregation: Responds] 21:46 You've been talked about and criticized but you're still here. 21:50 You've been lonely, you've been betrayed but you're still here! News flash, 21:57 if you're not dead God's not done. [laughs] [Congregation: Applauding.] 22:03 You had to be here this morning, thank you, Jesus, so you could be able to say, 22:09 "Jesus, touch me again." I feel like giving up but touch me again. 22:17 I feel like throwing in the towel but touch me again. 22:22 I know I've messed up but touch me again and God says, I will touch you again. 22:29 God says I will bless you again. I will heal you again. I will restore you again. 22:35 I will give you your joy again. Praise God for the again. 22:39 Hallelujah for the again and I know Jesus can do it. [Congregation: Amen. Applauding] 22:45 Because 2000 years ago, Satan thought he had won. Satan thought he had defeated Jesus. 22:57 Satan thought Jesus' sacrifice was insufficient. 23:02 He thought that the relationship between God and man had forever been broken. 23:07 That it was severed, that it was cut. The enemy was laughing. Hell was having a party. 23:17 Demons were high-fiving each other. Satan had given them the weekend off. 23:24 "We got them." "They're down, they're out." "It's over." 23:30 But what Satan didn't know is that we serve a God who can do it again. 23:37 That we serve a God who defeated Satan in heaven. Defeated Satan at Jesus' birth. 23:43 Defeated Satan at Calvary. Defeated Satan at the resurrection. 23:48 Jesus was crucified on Friday, lay resting on the grave on the Sabbath 23:53 but early in Sunday morning, He got up with all power in his hands 23:58 and I came to serve notice to Satan. 24:01 I came to tell the devil, blow out the candles, stop the party, 24:06 Jesus is about to do it again. Jesus is about to touch us again. 24:13 Those of us who have been beaten, bruised, hurt, shattered, tattered, torn, 24:24 just Satan when you thought you had gotten rid of us, here we go, again. 24:33 Praising the name of Jesus, lifting Jesus up. Jesus said if I be lifted up 24:40 I will draw all men unto me and I am so glad that I serve a God who can touch again. 24:49 I serve a God who can touch me again. He doesn't wait on better material. 24:55 He doesn't wait on a more obedient person. 24:58 He doesn't wait on somebody who is more clean, more righteous, more holy. 25:02 He says, I'm going to use somebody who betrayed me, who disobeyed me, who let me down 25:14 but I'm going to use them again. [Congregation: Oh yeah! Cheering. Applauding.] 25:19 And I'm going to be real with you all, that's why I can't fool with folk, 25:25 who have never done anything wrong? They make me nervous, they make me scared. 25:37 I'm afraid of them because I see God using people who have blown it, who've messed up, 25:49 who have fallen on their face, who have failed and floundered and faltered and flunked 25:56 and just when they were ready to say that "I'm no good." "There's nothing to me." 26:04 "There's nothing to God." "There's nothing to this thing we call a church." 26:09 "There's nothing to this life." That's when the Holy Ghost looks them in the eye and says, 26:17 "I'm about to touch you again." I can see clear again because the rain in my life is God. 26:26 I don't know who this is for but I declare under somebody today, 26:31 God is not finished with you yet. So having done all to stand, stand! 26:39 Broke but I'm going to stand. Burdened but I'm going to stand. Hurt but I'm going to stand. 26:44 Confused but I'm going to stand. Lonely but I'm going to stand. 26:48 Weak but I'm going to stand. I call every person who messed up and blew it 27:01 and your life was a mess and you feel like giving up and walking away. 27:08 It's not that you don't have any blessings but there's a hole in your heart 27:16 and you need God to touch you again. In the name of Jesus, I call you to the altar today. 27:31 Come out wherever you are. The Lord is calling because he wants to touch you, again. 27:44 [Congregation: Applauding.] 27:46 Thank you very much for tuning in to this week's Breath of Life broadcast. 27:50 We hope and pray that you've been blessed by Dr. Byrd's inspirational message. 27:55 If you would like to hear this sermon in its entirety, 27:57 please feel free to visit us at www.breathoflife.tv. 28:03 Or, call us at (256) 929-6460. 28:09 [END] |
Revised 2020-01-10