MAKING SENSE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD – TOUCH
Exodus 19:12-13 & 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
What’s in a Touch?
INTRODUCTION:
A. This morning we are continuing on in our 5 part series entitled “Making Sense of Our Relationship to God.”
1. We have already looked at the senses of hearing, seeing, and tasting.
2. Today we will take a look at the sense of touch, the forth sense.
B. In preparation for this message I did a number of things
1. First I went to innerbody.com and factmonster.com and read about the sense of touch
2. It should be rather obvious to most of us that the sense of touch is a wonderful thing.
a. It is a part of our nervous system and there are nerve ending is every area of our body, located primarily in the dermis, or second layer of our skin.
b. Specialized sensory receptors give us the ability to sense heavy pressure, light touches, temperatures, as well as other factors that can damage skin tissues.
c. It is our sense of touch that allows us to have intimate relationships
1) Holding hands, hugging, even kissing are examples.
2) The sense of touch seems to be relationally oriented. (Personal space)
3. I then took my concordance and looked up the words touch, touches, touching, toucheth – you get the point.
a. What I found was interesting.
b. I began the search with the idea that the message would be about our Christian service
c. But what I found was that the great majority of references dealt with a completely different subject – relationship
d. And more specifically, our relationship to God
4. I then went to ChristianintyToday.com and did a search on the word “touch” and found 3453 articles
a. I only perused about 50 of them and the great majority, about 80%, dealt with personal relationship issues
b. The others dealt with how we might relate to a situation or theology
5. In all three cases the sense of touch was oriented toward relationship issues
C. With this in mind I think we can say with great certainty that when we think about the sense of touch, in connection with God, we are speaking about personal relationship issues.
1. We will first look at Touch from the O.T. perspective
2. From the N.T. Perspective and then
3. Make Practical Application for Us Now
Lets ask God to help us understand our relationship to Him this morning as we examine the spiritual sense of Touch
PRAY
I want to begin our exploration of the Sense of Touch by first looking at
I. TOUCH FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT PERSPECTIVE
A. I chose the passage out of Exodus because it seems to embody the essence of OT line of thought as it concerns holiness
1. Exodus 19:12-13 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: [13] There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
a. Three months prior to speaking these words to Moses at Mt. Sinai, God had brought Israel out of Egypt by s strong hand.
b. Many miracles had been performed, the most devastating being the death of all the first born in Egypt who were not protected by the blood.
c. This was followed by the parting of the Red Sea and mass destruction of the greatest army of their day.
d. Again followed by the Lord God providing water and bread in the wilderness.
2. Now having come to Mt. Sinai God is about to institute a new type of relationship with Israel – the law.
3. Be ye holy, for the Lord your God is holy! – this is the essence of the relationship
B. If you were to look through the book of Leviticus you would find the word touch (and its many forms) 28 times – of which 23 are tied directly to the word unclean
1. This touching might have been of a dead body, a monstrous women, a leper or other specified sickness, or specific animals that God had designated unclean.
2. The important thing about these laws is that they determined whether a person was in a proper relationship with God.
3. Deut. 29:9 states, Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do. (Blessing or Cursing in Deut 28)
4. The laws were give that Israel might be different from the surrounding nations - that they might be special to God – that they might be holy!
C. When it came to the things of the temple, the common man was not allowed to touch them: furniture, special offerings, priests clothes
1. They were clean, pure, and were not to be touched by those who were not called and set aside for the tasks.
2. Even the Ark was not to be touched – staves were put in it to be carried and we have one documented time that it was touched – and the man died.
D. Paul, speaking in the New Testament, but about his relationship to Israel said that he was Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; [6] Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Phil 3:5-6
1. He was not speaking about a physical touch
2. But of the intimacy – the relationship he had with the law, presumably concluding that it made his relationship right with God.
E. In a word, the saints of the Old Testament were considered clean when they brought their sacrifices for sin and touched not unclean things
1. The act of touch indicated an intimate attachment
2. It spoke of “relationships” – Good or bad.
3. Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy. Leviticus 19:2
From here we want to move on to see
II. TOUCH FROM A NEW TESTAMENT PERSPECTIVE
A. A classic verse from the N.T. is found in 2 Corinthians
1. 2 Cor. 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? [15] And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? [16] And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [17] Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, [18] And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
2. Please note that the emphasis is on the relationship with God
3. The reason for not being involved in a relationship with an unbeliever is that the two have no common ground and to do so ruptures the believers relationship with God.
4. Not to touch them – that is to come out from among them is to be received by the Father and be made sons and daughters of God!
B. If one looks at the miracles of Jesus you find at least a hint of this God to man relationship evidenced.
1. Whether it was the leper or the woman with an issue of blood, the touch of Jesus not only healed their physical abnormality, it brought them into a cleansed relationship with God and man.
a. The leper was told by Jesus to go and show himself to the priests and give an offering, why?
- Because as a leper he was unclean – separated from the activities in the temple and from his family until he was healed.
b. The woman with the issue of blood said that if she could but touch Jesus’ garment she would be made whole
- Again this was not just a physical illness thing: she had no part of the temple activities or relationship with her family
- In touching Jesus she was made clean
2. When we read of touch in the New Testament we find relationship – especially with God.
3. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 Pet 1:15-16
C. One other incident in the New Testament I want to mention
1. Mark 10:13-16 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. [14] But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. [15] Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. [16] And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
a. Now the spiritual lesson Jesus was teaching was about faith salvation by simple faith
b. But it does not remove the fact that Jesus was relational – and by touching the children He was blessing them
2. Again the significance of touch as a personal, intimate act is carried forth – spiritually speaking.
So where does that leave us? What is the
III. PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR US NOW? 1 Peter 1:15-16 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
A. The first touch that means anything eternal is the touching of the Savior.
1. We must realize that we are sinners and at odds with a righteous God – as such we are bound for an eternal place of separation from God called Hell
2. But God reached down from the heavens and Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again that we might come into a personal relationship with God.
3. There is no way possible for us to be holy and there by have a relationship with God without the cleansing of our sin by the blood of Jesus Christ
4. It was Jesus who said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
B. Once saved there is the matter of sanctification & glorification – that is becoming more like Christ
1. First, we need to know that there are those things God has spoke to us about not touching – things we are to abstain from
a. 1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
b. 1 Thes. 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
c. 1 Thes. 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
2. Second, we need to understand that Jesus knows what we are going through
a. The writer of Hebrews penned these words concerning Jesus: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15
b. Jesus knows intimately what we are going through – He has been there, it has touched Him and therefore we can believe Him when He says, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Cor. 10:13
3. Third, we need to know that those who are born of God are protected by Him and the wicked one, that is the devil, cannot not touch us.
4. And fourth, we need to know that we are secure, for Jesus said, I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. [29] My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. John 10:28-29
C. Finally, the apostle Paul writes in 2 Thes. 3:4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.
1. Because of their relationship to the believers in Thessalonica Paul and his associates knew that he could count on them to not only do the right things presently, but in the future also.
2. We are a family – we should have just such a relationship – knowing that we are there for each other and doing for each other.
3. Lets touch each others live for the glory of God!
CONCLUSION:
A. The sense of touch speaks about relationship
1. First and foremost with our God
2. Secondly with each other
B. Let us touch one another with a loving hand and may we touch our Lord with a life of intimate communion and glorifying to Him!
