You Can’t Touch This!
by Pastor Jim May
1 John 3:1-3, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
Little kids are amazing and a joy to be around most of the time, but there are times when they can be especially selfish. They want what they want, when they want it; and they want to keep it all for themselves.
The Toddler Property Laws
1. If I like it, it’s mine.
2. If it’s in my hand, it’s mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it’s mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.
5. If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I’m doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks just like mine, it’s mine.
8. If I think it’s mine, it’s mine.
9. If it’s yours and I steal it, it’s mine.
10. If I saw it first, or last, makes no difference, it’s still mine.
Those are some pretty selfish attitudes for sure, but I want to let you know that there are some things that God has given to me that I guard with all my power. I want to hold on God’s promises and rely on His mercy and grace to get me through this life and into the one to come.
M. C. Hammer, one of the Rap idols of the worldly crowd, once wrote a tune, “if you can call it that”, titled, “You Can’t Touch This”. I won’t repeat the lyrics of that song or say much about it other than I wanted to use his title for this message. Mr. Hammer has the attitude that the things of the world, with its sex, booze and wild living is something to be desired and he declares to the world that you, “can’t touch this”.
Well, Mr. Hammer, you can have your wild life living because I’ve found something that is far better. It’s something that I can build my life upon and not have the fear that my foundation will fall. It’s something that won’t leave me cold, dead and alone in some dark ally when all my friends are gone, and most of all it’s something that won’t leave me screaming in the flames of Hell for eternity when this life is over. It’s something that gives me peace, joy and a real life worth living and I can’t die from it because it gives me eternal life.
I want to rap right back at the world that Jesus is my Lord – you can’t touch this!
Jesus is my Savior – you can’t touch this! Jesus is my King – you can’t touch this! Jesus is coming soon – you can’t touch this! If you want to rap, let me tell you that Jesus is Almighty God and my friend – YOU DEFINITELY CAN’T TOUCH THIS!
No one can touch the Love that my Father in Heaven has for me. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
There is no greater verse in all of God’s Word than the power of God’s love that is shown to sinful man than this verse. If there was nothing else but this, it would be all we would need to get to Heaven.
No one can touch the sacrifice that Jesus paid for my soul. No one can touch the power of His precious blood that washes my sin away. And certainly no one can touch the glorious power of His resurrection!
Jesus has purchased my soul, he has given me eternal life, he has washed my sins away, he has given me so many great and wonderful promises, and he has promised me an eternal reward in Heaven! You can’t touch this!
Romans 8:15, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
Devil you can’t touch this! Sinner you can’t touch this! Lukewarm and backslidden Christians, you can’t touch this!
I’m a son of God, adopted by my Father in Heaven, and made an heir and joint heir with Jesus Christ! You can’t touch this!
Nothing in this world can compare to what God has done for me!
I can lift my eyes toward Heaven, and speak to Almighty God, and know that He is listening, that He cares, that He loves me with an undying and unconditional love, and that He will come swiftly to my side when I need Him! You can’t touch this!
I don’t care if the world ever knows who I am, as long as my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. It doesn’t matter whether my name ever goes up in lights and the world celebrates my life, as long as I know that my name is written there and that Jesus has a mansion waiting for me in Glory! You can’t touch this!
We may not look like much, act like much or amount to much in the eyes of the world right now, but that’s because we don’t belong to this world. We belong to a far country, and to a city built without human hands, whose builder and maker is God! We are traveling by faith, like Abraham, to the Promised Land! Heaven is my home, with its streets of Gold, River of Life, and the Tree of Life that bears 12 kinds of fruit for the healing of the nations. You can’t touch this!
Because I love Jesus, and most importantly, because He first loved me, I want to live for Him in this life, so I can live with Him in the world to come!
One day soon, I’m going to lay this old body down and like Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:8, "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."
Then, in that great Resurrection morning, when all the dead in Christ shall arise, I’m going to be reunited with this body and it won’t be the same anymore!
I don’t know how to describe what I will become! There are no words in my vocabulary to explain what I shall be! But I’m going to be like my Lord and that’s good enough for me!
The body that I shall have, whether after I’m resurrected from the dead, or changed in the moment and twinkling of eye, will be a glorious body, without spot, wrinkle or blemish, washed in the Blood of the Lamb and made righteous and whiter than snow!
I’ll take my flight like a mighty eagle and soar through the heavens to meet my Lord in the air, and so shall I ever be with him! You can’t touch this!
I love that song that Janet Pascal used to sing all the time called, “Ain’t No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down!”
Death has no power over me any more! Death has been swallowed up in victory!
You can’t touch this!
Because I have this great hope for a brighter tomorrow, I desire to live in such a manner that will be pleasing to my Lord! I don’t want what this world has to offer. All that the world can give, fame, power and fortune pale into insignificance when compared to the glorious promises that await me.
Let the world party on! I’m going to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and you can’t touch this!
Let the world have its riches and wealth! I’m going to a place where the wealth of this world is used to pave the streets that I will walk on and you can’t touch this!
Let the world sing of its heroes and call them little gods! I know the one and only Living God, and He has given me all I need and you can’t touch this!
Let the world live in darkness and sin! I have been set free from the bondage of sin, and Jesus has brought me into His marvelous light and you can’t touch this!
I’m going to present my body as a living sacrifice unto the Lord! I owe Jesus all that I am and all that I ever will be! But look at the blessings He gives me in return for that reasonable service that I can give!
He gives me all that I need! He pours out blessings upon me that I cannot contain! He causes me to have a spring in my step and a hope in my heart! He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul! He prepares a table before me in the very presence of my enemies that want to destroy my soul! He leads me in paths of righteousness and He has given His angels charge over me! You can’t touch this!
Let us praise God for all of His wonderful promises! Praise Him for our great salvation!
Praise Him for his mercy! Praise Him for His grace! Praise Him for eternal life!
Just praise Him! Worship the Lord with all your heart! Devil – You Can’t Touch This!
