A Climb, A Crawl And A Shout

A Climb, A Crawl, and a Shout

Tonight I would like to talk about getting God's attention.

In the natural, when you and I are trying to get someone’s attention, what are some ways that we do it?

1) By them hearing us - we call their name

2) By them seeing us - we can wave at them

3) By us touching them -we can tap them on the shoulder

Tonight I would like to look at a few people who got Gods attention and the way they did it.

1) Zacchaeus

2) The Woman with the issue

3) The Blind men

A Climb - Luke 19:1-6

1 - Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.

2 - A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.

3 - He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.

4 - So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 - When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”

6 - So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

Zacchaeus was willing to climb up a tree to get a touch from God.

He wanted to see Jesus so he was willing to literally go out on a limb.

A Crawl - Luke 8:43-48

43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,

but no one could heal her.

44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.

48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

According to the Jewish ideas of the time, if this woman touched anyone, she imparted her uncleanness to them, an uncleanness that would not allow them to take part in any aspect of Israel’s worship.

Jesus recognized the touch of this woman.

Why is it that everyone else was crowding around Him and He didn't say someone touched me. The moment this woman touched Him, He said wait someone touched me.

God recognizes the touch of expectation...

The crowd had been with Jesus, but no one got Him to stop. Maybe they were just hanging out with Jesus and feeling cool.

Look at me I get to hang out with Jesus.

Going through the motions, saying the right things, going through their traditions, until someone stepped on the scene who was expecting a touch.

I know we might look at this crowd funny, but how many time have you and I come to Church and put on our Church motions, Christian language, and weekend tradition.

Tonight I want to know if there is anybody in the building that came expecting a touch from God and don't want to leave here the same.

She had to fight through the crowd.

It is amazing how many times in the Bible we see that someone had to fight through the crowd to get a touch from God.

Zaccheus had to fight the crowd - this woman had to fight the crowd - the blind men had to fight the crowd.

Believe it or not - you and I are going to have to fight the crowd if we want our breakthrough and our healing.

The crowd can not only be a group of people trying to pull you down.

The crowd can be doubt.

The crowd can be fear.

The crowd can be insecurities.

The crowd can be our past.

The crowd can be people hating on you.

The crowd can be those stuck in tradition.

Just like this woman had to make her way through the crowd I want to know if there is anybody in the house tonight that wants your touch so bad that you are willing to fight through the crowd.

It is amazing how you and I can let the crowd affect what we do whether good or bad.

Listen to this quote:

Sometimes we want the applause of others:

Crowd control is the method of making sure that a large crowd does not get out of hand. But the term may also refer to the control a crowd can wield over an individual. I was reminded of this in a newspaper article about an old carnival headliner nicknamed "Cannonball." In his younger days he was blasted out of a cannon 1,200 times. When asked why he did this, he replied, "Do you know what it's like to feel the applause of 60,000 people? That's why I did it!"