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!"
An old fable of a Donkey
n old fable that has been passed down for generations tells about an elderly man who was traveling with a boy and a donkey. As they walked through a village, the man was leading the donkey and the boy was walking behind. The townspeople said the old man was a fool for not riding, so to please them he climbed up on the animal's back. When they came to the next village, the people said the old man was cruel to let the child walk while he enjoyed the ride. So, to please them, he got off and set the boy on the animal's back and continued on his way. In the third village, people accused the child of being lazy for making the old man walk, and the suggestion was made that they both ride. So the man climbed on and they set off again. In the fourth village, the townspeople were indignant at the cruelty to the donkey because he was made to carry two people. The frustrated man was last seen carrying the donkey down the road.
Tonight I stopped by to encourage you - don't let the crowd dictate what you do for God.
Don't let the people on the sidelines determine how you step out for God.
It is time to go for all that God has for you..
How many times have you and I been in the Presence of God and we leave the same, but if you get someone who is expecting a touch from God
A Shout - Matthew 20:29-34
29 - As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.
30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33 “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”
34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
A - The crowd told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder.
Here we go with the crowd again. The crowd told the blind men to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder.
I have a question - what do you and I do when the crowd tells us to be quiet.
Do we quiet up or do we step it up?
See some people like to act like the crabs in a bucket.
A crab bucket is what it is: crabs in a bucket. However, what happens in the bucket full of crabs is what makes it a famous saying.
When a single crab is put into a lidless bucket, they surely can and will escape. However, when more than one share a bucket, none can get out. If one crab elevates themselves above all, the others will grab this crab and drag'em back down to share the mutual fate of the rest of the group.
Crab bucket syndrome is often used to describe social situations where one person is trying to better themself and others in the community attempt to pull them back down.
B - Jesus saw their faith and stood still.
Imagine that Jesus stopped and called the blind men. He saw their expectancy and stopped what He was doing and called the blind men.
WOW!!! - There is something about the cry of expectancy.
C - He asked what do you want me to do for you?
Jesus knew these men were blind, but He still asked what do you want me to do for you?
See sometimes we need to go out and get what God wants to give us.
Jesus could have just came and said you are healed, but He wanted these men to go after what they wanted.
He wanted them to go after what they were expecting. Is there anybody here tonight that is willing to go after what you are expecting?
Sometime you gotta go after what God wants to give you.
II Kings 5:14 - Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Are you and I ready to go after what God what we are expecting God to give us.
Are we willing to go after what God wants to give us
