When Men Touch God
By W. L. Vincent (Preached at Bethel Community Church, Huntsville AL.)
Luke 8:42-48 As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 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."
Mankind seems to be predisposed to worship. It seems to be inherent in his nature. Whether they make their homes in the dark jungles of South America, or some high rise apartment in New York, where we find men – we find worshipers.
Men worship all kinds of Gods. They worship nature – the sun, moon and stars. They worship Idols, things they have formed from their own hands and from the recesses of their depraved imaginations. Isaiah the Prophet of God brings this indictment against such idolatry (Isa 44:9-20) “A man cuts a tree from the forest, with part he cooks his food and warms himself. But he takes the remainder and fashions a god – bows to it and cries ‘save me you are my god!’” But they cannot hear, they cannot see neither can they be moved with compassion!
The Prophet then raises his voice in the Name of the God of Israel: “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols!” “Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed — I, and not some false god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God.” (Isa 43:10-12; Isa 42:8)
What kind of God do we serve? Is he the impersonal god of spiritualism; just some force that mysteriously surrounds everything? Is he the self-made god of humanism and their intellectual idolatry? Who is the God of the Bible? The word teaches us that the God of Israel, that revealed Himself in Christ Jesus, is a God that can be touched. He is a God that can be moved. He is not an empty concept or some mysterious notion. He is not a well told story – an allegory simply to be passed on. He is a loving compassionate Father – that has moved heaven and earth to be involved in the lives of His creation!
Heb 4:15-16 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. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
I. God is seeking those who are seeking Him.
In our text we read of woman who was in desperate need. She had tried everything and everybody. Nothing had worked. She was out of options and running out of time. With what little strength she had left in her body, she crawled through the crowd of people that had gathered around Jesus. She wasn’t supposed to be the focus of the story. But she pressed her way toward the what was her last hope. You see she realized a very important spiritual principle – she said: “If I can just touch Him…” The miracle begins with a touch.
In the 10th chapter of Acts we find a gentile soldier named Cornelius. The Bible says that he was an Italian soldier. We can sort of read between the lines as this story unfolds in Acts 10. You can almost feel the hunger in this man. He seems to be doing everything that he knows to do. He prays, he gives. He wants to get as close to God as he can.
It is during one of those times when he is praying that an Angel appears to Cornelius. The Angle informs him that his prayers had come up as a memorial before God. The Angel tells Cornelius that he is to call for Peter, and that Peter will tell him what he needs to do.
Now get this: Peter doesn’t even want to go preach to this gentile soldier. And even when he goes, he is not expecting a conversion. As a matter of fact it says that when the Holy Spirit fell on them that Peter and his team were amazed.
Isn’t it amazing what kind of walls can be broken down; how many things will be shifted, when someone simply begins to reach out to a God that can be touched?
There is something about the nature of God that compels Him to reach out to those who seek after Him.
Jesus makes this plain when speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well. “We worship in this mountain, you worship in Jerusalem.” But Jesus said: “You are missing the point. God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. For the Father IS SEEKING such to worship Him.” Did you catch that? The Father is Seeking TRUE WORSHIPERS. God is Seeking those who are seeking Him!
Jesus wrote a check that heaven is legally bound to cash: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matt 5:6) If we are hungry and thirsty for God, all of the forces of darkness cannot prevent God from reaching us!
II. Heaven comes to Earth
Jesus was planning an invasion. He was planning on invading earth with His heavenly Kingdom.
"This, then, is how you should pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matt 6:9-10 How does the Kingdom come? When His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
Mark 9:1 And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power." In Acts 2 those who had gathered in an upper room for the feast of Pentecost witnessed as the lifeless vacuum of sinful humanity was filled with the live giving breath of the Holy Spirit. It rushed upon men so violently that is sounded like a rushing wind!
They had tarried for fifty days. They had been instructed by Christ to wait in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. I believe the modern day Church of Jesus Christ would do well to seek such endowment. We must as that infant church of the New Testament wait expectantly for the promise of the Father!
III. Before we are endued, God must be pursued.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jer 29:13-14)
Before we are endued, God must be pursued! Before heaven can come to earth, earth must reach toward heaven.
Matt 7:7-12 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
We must ask until He answers, seek until we find and knock upon the doors of heaven until we find ourselves in His presence – and filled with His glory.
I have recently been contacted by a Pastor in Nigeria who is wanting us to come and preach a crusade there. But you cannot just fly into Nigeria, you have to be invited. The local Pastor has to send an official letter of invitation, that letter must state what I would be visiting for, how long I would stay ect.
Just as the Local Pastor must invite me into his nation, so that I can bring ministry and the Word into that nation, I believe the supernatural dynamics of God’s law requires us to invite Him into our world.
When men touch God…heaven itself invades the atmosphere of earth. Lives are changed. Worlds are shaken. Christ is exalted.
“Who touched me?” Jesus said. Whoever they were, they were instantly healed. They were endued with heavenly power. They were overcame by the rushing mighty wind of the Holy Spirit. They were changed forever!
I close with an old worship chorus:
Reach out and touch the Lord, as He goes by
You’ll find He’s not too busy, to hear your hearts cry
He is passing by this moment, your needs to supply
Reach out and touch the Lord, as He goes by
