Sermon #B655-Touch Me Again
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Dr. Byrd: Mark
chapter 8, verse number 22.
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Mark chapter 8, verse 22, the
word of God says, "And He cometh
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to Bethsaida; and they bring a
blind man unto Him, and besought
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Him to touch him. And He took
the blind man by the hand, and
He led him out of the town;
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and when He had spits on his
eyes, and put His hands upon
him, He asked him if he saw
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ought. And he looked up,
and said, "I see men as trees,
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walking." After that, He put His
hands again on upon his eyes,
and made him look up
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and he was restored, and
he saw every man clearly.
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And He sent him away to his
house, saying, "Neither go into
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the town, nor tell it to any in
the town."  Now, look at the
text again, verse 23,
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"And He took the blind man by
the hand and He led him out of
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the town; and when He had spit
on his eyes, He put His hands
upon him and He asked him if he
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saw ought. And he looked up
and said, "I see men as trees,
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walking." Verse 25, that's the
one for us to day. "After that
He put His hands again upon his
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eyes and made him look up. He
was restored, he saw  every man
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clearly. " Today, I just want to
challenge you on a subject,
"Touch Me Again". Father, bless
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us now. We prayed, we testified,
we sung but now we need to hear
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a word from you. As our title
today says, "Lord, Touch Us
Again," we know what you did in
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2019. We know what you did last
Sabbath. We know what you did
Tuesday night but God,
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in the name of Jesus, touch
us, again today. In the name of
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Jesus we pray. Let everyone
who loves Him, says, amen, amen.
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The Bible says that Jesus, Jesus
has just returned to Bethsaida,
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a city near His homebase in
Capernaum. In His previous visit
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to Bethsaida, Jesus had healed
many people who had been sick.
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But when He comes back
to Bethsaida this time,
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He is met by a blind man who has
been brought to Him by a blind
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man's friends. Now, we have to
know this man, the blind man had
to be loved by his friends
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because the man was blind. And
because he was blind, somebody
had to led him to Jesus.
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Because he couldn't be brought
to Jesus by himself, somebody
had to lead him to Jesus.
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You all hear what I'm saying.
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The man's friends heard that
Jesus was in town so they
brought the blind man to Jesus.
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In other words, those who could
see interceded for the one who
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couldn't see. Let that be a
lesson for us today. For some of
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us to see Jesus, somebody
else had to led us to Jesus.
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Where would some of us be right
now if somebody else had not led
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us to Jesus? That's why
evangelism is so important.
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The late great E.
E. Cleveland said that,
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"It's just one beggar telling
another beggar where they can
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find bread." When we
find the bread of life,
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we now have an obligation to
help somebody else find Jesus
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and experience what it's like
eating at the welcome table.
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We don't know the man's name.
We don't know how long he was
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blind. The Bible doesn't tell us
all that. We just know the man
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was blind, couldn't see and his
friends wanted Jesus to touch
him so he could see.
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Now, if you keep reading,
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you'll notice in verse number 23
that Jesus took the blind man by
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the hand. Then the Bible says,
"He led him out of Bethsaida."
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Why did Jesus lead
the man outside the city?
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Why did Jesus lead the man
outside of Bethsaida? I mean,
Jesus is omnipresent.
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Jesus is everywhere at the same
time. Jesus could have healed
the man in Bethsaida.
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Why did Jesus lead the
man outside of Bethsaida?
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His reason is that Bethsaida
is a city full of unbelief
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and it's Christ's desire to lead
you and me away from unbelief.
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Jesus wants you to
believe not disbelieve.
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Many of the cities that existed
during the ministry of Jesus are
still thriving cities today.
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Tiberius is a lively city. Cana,
Jericho, Bethlehem are still
large lively cities
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but there are two particular
cities that are nothing but a
bunch of ruins right now,
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Capernaum and Bethsaida. When
you study and read your Bible in
Luke chapter 10 verses 13
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and 14, you would discover that
these two cities, Capernaum and
Bethsaida rejected Jesus.
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They didn't believe in Jesus and
now today, they lay and lie in
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ruins. Let that be another
lesson for us today. It's
dangerous to reject Jesus.
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When you reject Jesus, when you
disbelieve in Jesus, you'll lie
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in ruins. Jesus had to lead the
blind man away from this
unbelieving-Jesus-rejecting city
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but then the text lets us know
that Jesus also had to deal with
this man personally.
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Think about it. Think
about it, Bible scholars.
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You will never read in the Bible
where Jesus conducted any mass
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healing services. Yes, Jesus,
fed 5,000 men plus women and
children with 2 fish and 5
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loaves of bread but nowhere in
scripture is it recorded that
Jesus healed a mass group of
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people at one time. "At the pool
of Bethesda"--someb ody say--
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"what about that?" No, not
to be confused Bethesda with
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Bethsaida. There
were number of blind hot
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and withered people at the pool
of Bethesda waiting for the
movement of the water
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because when the angel of the
Lord, we know when he troubled
the water, only one person,
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that first person who jumped in
the water after the troubling of
the water was healed.
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Not everyone, just one.
Why is this? Jesus heals people
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individually. Jesus doesn't save
groups of people or the masses
of people. He saves individuals.
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Some of us think that just
because we're Christian that --
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and we were born in the
Christian home that we're
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Christians because we were
just born at Christian home.
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But being born, my friends,
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in a Christian home doesn't make
you a Christian any more than
being born in the airport,
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makes you an airplane.
[Congregation: Applauding]
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You must have a personal
relationship with Jesus in order
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to be a Christian. Don't
get it twisted now. It's a great
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experience to come and
congregate every Sabbath at the
Oakwood University Church.
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It's a wonderful thing for us to
stand together and sing together
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and pray together and worship
together and praise together and
fellowship together
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and hear the word of God
together with hundreds even
thousands of other people.
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The Bible is clear in
Hebrew chapter 10 verse 25,
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"Let us not forsake
the assembling of ourselves
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together, there is a blessing in
coming together." There is
strength in us being together
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but don't you ever forget,
God saves us individually.
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Just because you go to church
doesn't mean you're going to
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heaven. There are a lot of
people go to church who are
going to bust hell wide open
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Going to church is
important and it's biblical
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but you also have to have a
personal relationship with Jesus
if you are going to heaven.
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Do I have a witness in
this place? [Congregation: Yes]
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The first thing Jesus did was
take His brother by the hand,
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lead him away from a place of
unbelief to a place where he
could deal with him
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individually. Look at verse 23
again. Then the Bible says, "And
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when He, Jesus, had spit on the
man's eyes"--let me stop right
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there. Jesus who was omnipotent
which means Jesus is all
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powerful. He spits on the man's
eyes. Jesus didn't have to spit.
Jesus could have just spoken a
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word. Jesus could have just
said, "Your eyes are healed,"
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and the man's sight
would have been restored.
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Jesus could have just placed his
hands and touch the man's eyes
and he would have said,
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could have said, "Open your
eyes, " and the man's sight
would have been restored.
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But the Bible says,
"Jesus spat on the man's eyes."
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That's another lesson
for somebody else today.
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Sometimes God's way of bringing
you out may not be the way you
wanted to come out.
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Sometimes when God is bringing
you out, God doesn't bring you
out comfortable or classy.
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Sometimes you have spit on your
eyes. Sometimes you have mud on
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your face. Sometimes you end up
in a pig's pen. When God is
trying to save you,
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sometimes you end up in
bankruptcy courts. You lose your
house. You're embarrassed.
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There are some people
who wanted change in their
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life as long as it doesn't cost
them anything.  [Congregation:
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Responds] But not only that. I'm
learning from this text. Jesus
rarely or seldom heals in the
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same way. Now, have
you read the New Testament?
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The Bible records Jesus' healing
several different blind men in
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the New Testament and
each time He healed them,
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He used a different method of
healing which means then God is
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a God of variety. God seldom
saves two people in the same
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way. The same way God save
me may not be the same way God
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saves you. You don't hear what
I'm saying? He may save me on a
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sermon. He may
save you on a song.
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He may save somebody else on the
same song sung in a different
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way. Some people come to Christ
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and they walk down this isle
and their tears are flowing from
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their eyes and they've
all prostrate before the Lord.
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Other people just smile
at their point of conversion.
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Other people just quietly place
their faith in Jesus Christ.
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Be careful my friends, that you
don't legislate, how somebody
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ought to be saved. God is a God
of variety. Just praise God,
that they got saved.
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[Congregation:
Cheering. Applauding.]
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The same way He healed you may
not be the same when He heals
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me. Jesus spat on this man's
eyes. Put His hands on the
brother and then he said,
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"Do you see anything?"
The man looked up and he said,
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"I see people but they
look like trees walking around."
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The man could see but
the man couldn't see clearly.
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His eyes were opened but his
vision was blurry and that's
just like some of us.
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Our eyes are open but
our vision is still blurry.
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What am I talking about? God can
be doing something miraculous
right in front of your face
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but you still don't see it. God
is healing people but you still
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don't see it.
[Congregation: Cheering.]
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God is restoring people
but you still don't see it.
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God is saving people
but you still don't see it.
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God is delivering people in this
church from death, defeat,
depression, divorce
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and distress but you still don't
see it. God is changing you. God
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is restoring you. You're not the
man you used to be. You're not
woman you used to be.
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God is trying to save you but
you still don't still see it.
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Your eyes are opened
but your vision is blurry.
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So on the verse 25 it says that,
"After that, Jesus put His hands
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again." Everybody say
again. [Congregation: Again.]
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On the man's eyes. Jesus did it
again. Somebody's gonna get this
00:13:14.19\00:13:24.40
in a minute. Why did Jesus have
to touch the man again? Did He
fail the first time?
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Why didn't the man have
clear vision immediately?
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Jesus never does anything
haphazardly so why did Jesus
have to touch the man again?
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I'm learning in my life that
sometimes God has to touch us
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again so we can see things
clearly. You all hear what I'm
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saying. What am I talking about?
Jesus was leading this man in
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faith. As the Lord touched his
eyes the first time, the man
didn't fully believe
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but Jesus had to touch his eyes
again so his faith could grow
and he would fully believe.
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Isn't that how the Lord has had
to work in some of our lives?
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Some of us we responded in faith
believing the first time we
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heard the gospel but
for some folks here today,
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it took several times for you
to hear the gospel in order to
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respond. But as God's spirit
continues to work in their
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lives, they are eventually
brought to a place of obeying
faith resulting in salvation.
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Somebody's still not
getting it. Let me try this way.
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When an individual decide
that they're going to become a
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follower of Jesus, at that
moment they become justified in
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Jesus Christ. That's what we
call God's imputed righteousness
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but there is more to
the Christian life than
00:14:50.62\00:14:55.29
justification. Too many people
think that when they walk down
this isle and they give their
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life to the Lord and
become justified in Christ,
00:14:59.66\00:15:02.70
that they had their
ticket to heaven punched
00:15:02.73\00:15:06.50
or that they've taken up some
insurance policy that has
guaranteed them salvation.
00:15:06.53\00:15:13.01
They said, that they are now
exempt from pain, exempt from
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suffering, exempt from trial and
tribulation. "Pastor Byrd, I
give my life to the Lord,
00:15:17.91\00:15:22.48
why does trouble
keep coming my way?"
00:15:22.52\00:15:27.09
But Romans 8 tells us the
purpose for which God save us to
grow us spiritually
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and to that image, we conform to
the image of Christ. That's what
we call, sanctification.
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God's imparted righteousness
where day by day by day we grow
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into a what God would have us to
become. So then the first touch
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is justification. The second
touch is sanctification. But
then God doesn't stop there
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because if I've got a witness in
this place, for you to come to
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Jesus, it took more than on
touch. It took more than two
touches. It took three. It took
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four. It took five touches and
Lord, you got to touch me again
and again and again.
00:16:11.43\00:16:19.67
[Congregation: Cheering.]
00:16:19.71\00:16:21.34
Let me tell you all something.
I'm not the man I used to be.
I'm not the man I was.
00:16:21.38\00:16:27.38
I've been here next Sabbath will
be 8 years. I'm not the same
person I was 8 years ago.
00:16:27.42\00:16:35.76
The first time I was justified
in Jesus was on August the 8th
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1980 at the Elim Seventh-Day
Adventist Church in Saint
Peters-burg Florida, 801, 6th
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Avenue South. St. Peters-burg
Florida, 33142. Somebody says,
"You know when and where
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and what date you are baptized?"
00:16:57.65\00:16:58.98
If you know your birthday,
you can know when you are born
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again. I've walked down
that isle, tears in my eyes.
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I didn't know everything that
I know now but at that moment,
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I was justified in Jesus Christ.
But 40 years later, I'm still
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growing. Into what God what
would have me to become day by
day, I'm sanctified in Jesus
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Christ. And I may not be what I
should be but I praise God today
I'm not what I used to be.
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I had to suffer a little bit.
I had to suffer and struggle a
00:17:36.42\00:17:42.06
little bit but Peter says in
first Peter, 5-10, "That after
you have a struggled awhile,
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after you had suffered a while,
God will then establish you. God
will then strengthen you.
00:17:47.50\00:17:53.94
God will then settle you." God
had to touch me again and again
00:17:53.97\00:18:00.78
and again. Is there anybody else
that God had to touch again and
00:18:00.81\00:18:04.91
again? Sometimes, because
we've been on the church so long
00:18:04.95\00:18:10.59
and we've come to the beginning
of the year so many times
00:18:10.62\00:18:15.22
because we've gone through a
cycle of youth days, senior
adult days, children's days
00:18:15.26\00:18:21.33
and college days and education
days and alumni days and
00:18:21.36\00:18:27.00
anniversary days and outreach
days and all kinds of days. We
just run church business as
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usual. Another year of
board meetings, another year of
00:18:34.44\00:18:40.55
elder's meetings, another of
year of deacon's meetings,
another year of deaconess's
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meetings, another year of
revivals, another year of
sabbath school, another of
00:18:45.89\00:18:52.56
adventurers and path-finders and
personal ministries and men's
00:18:52.59\00:18:55.43
ministries and women's
ministries and music ministries,
00:18:55.46\00:18:59.67
just another year!
[Congregation: Yeah!]
00:18:59.70\00:19:01.70
And we become bored,
predictable, conventional, no
new ideas, no innovation, no
00:19:01.74\00:19:16.72
creativity, so God has to touch
us, again. God has to touch our
00:19:16.75\00:19:27.86
eyes again. God has to touch his
church again. He has to help us
00:19:27.93\00:19:35.77
see new things. He has to help
us see new things in ministry. I
know in this church we've had
00:19:35.80\00:19:41.41
great revivals. I know many have
gotten baptized. I know we've
had Christmas specials.
00:19:41.44\00:19:45.65
I know we built a family life
center. I know we've renovated
00:19:45.68\00:19:51.42
this sanctuary. I know we're
completing the academy but God
in the name of Jesus, we need
00:19:51.45\00:19:58.99
you to touch us, again. Touch
our eyes again. Help us to see
more clearly and completely.
00:19:59.03\00:20:05.53
How far can you see it?
[Congregation: Responds.]
00:20:05.57\00:20:09.90
Because I've learned in life you
will only get as far as you can
00:20:09.94\00:20:14.51
see. How do you see our church?
[Congregation: Responds.]
00:20:14.54\00:20:18.51
How do you see our ministry?
Just a cycle of days? Good
sermons? Meetings to pass the
00:20:18.55\00:20:30.49
time? Some good songs? Because
you will never get as far as you
00:20:30.53\00:20:35.76
can see. That's why you
have to have some vision.
00:20:35.80\00:20:38.33
That's why you have to come out
of your comfort zone. That's why
my friend you must grow.
00:20:38.37\00:20:43.24
That's why you have to be
creative. That's why you have to
00:20:43.27\00:20:46.11
be innovative. That's why you
have to change. That's why you
00:20:46.14\00:20:50.48
[Congregation: Yeah!] have to
think big! I think big. You got
to think big and hang around
00:20:50.51\00:20:56.05
other folks who think big, not
small because you can't have
gallon-sized vision hanging
00:20:56.08\00:21:00.72
around pint-sized
people. [Congregation: Responds]
00:21:00.76\00:21:02.99
Lord, touch us again.
Help us to see more clearly.
00:21:03.02\00:21:11.37
But not just the church, touch
me individually. Help me to see
new things for my life.
00:21:11.40\00:21:20.01
Lord, you've touched me before
but I need You to touch me
00:21:20.04\00:21:25.48
again. And if you don't believe
that God can touch you again,
look back over your life
00:21:25.51\00:21:31.69
and look at how far God brought
you through. [Congregation:
00:21:31.72\00:21:35.32
Responds] You were unemployed
but you're still here. You've
been sick but you're still here.
00:21:35.36\00:21:43.57
You've been broke but you're
still here. [Congregation:
00:21:43.60\00:21:46.94
Responds] You've been talked
about and criticized but you're
00:21:46.97\00:21:50.64
still here. You've been lonely,
you've been betrayed but you're
still here! News flash,
00:21:50.67\00:21:57.71
if you're not dead God's not
done. [laughs] [Congregation:
00:21:57.75\00:22:03.92
Applauding.] You had to be here
this morning, thank you, Jesus,
so you could be able to say,
00:22:03.95\00:22:09.09
"Jesus, touch me again."  I
feel like giving up but touch me
00:22:09.12\00:22:17.57
again. I feel like throwing
in the towel but touch me again.
00:22:17.60\00:22:21.97
I know I've messed up but touch
me again and God says, I will
00:22:22.00\00:22:29.21
touch you again. God says I will
bless you again. I will heal you
again. I will restore you again.
00:22:29.24\00:22:34.98
I will give you your joy
again. Praise God for the again.
00:22:35.02\00:22:39.89
Hallelujah for the again and I
know Jesus can do it.
[Congregation: Amen. Applauding]
00:22:39.92\00:22:45.93
Because 2000 years ago, Satan
thought he had won. Satan
thought he had defeated Jesus.
00:22:45.96\00:22:57.74
Satan thought Jesus'
sacrifice was insufficient.
00:22:57.77\00:23:02.78
He thought that the relationship
between God and man had forever
00:23:02.81\00:23:07.72
been broken. That it was
severed, that it was cut. The
enemy was laughing. Hell was
00:23:07.75\00:23:17.13
having a party. Demons were
high-fiving each other. Satan
had given them the weekend off.
00:23:17.16\00:23:24.07
"We got them." "They're
down, they're out." "It's over."
00:23:24.10\00:23:30.07
But what Satan didn't know is
that we serve a God who can do
00:23:30.11\00:23:37.55
it again. That we serve a God
who defeated Satan in heaven.
Defeated Satan at Jesus' birth.
00:23:37.58\00:23:43.89
Defeated Satan at
Calvary. Defeated Satan at the
00:23:43.92\00:23:48.69
resurrection. Jesus was
crucified on Friday, lay resting
on the grave on the Sabbath
00:23:48.72\00:23:53.56
but early in Sunday morning,
He got up with all power in his
00:23:53.60\00:23:58.27
hands and I came to
serve notice to Satan.
00:23:58.30\00:24:01.07
I came to tell the devil, blow
out the candles, stop the party,
00:24:01.10\00:24:06.74
Jesus is about to do it again.
Jesus is about to touch us
00:24:06.78\00:24:13.08
again. Those of us who have been
beaten, bruised, hurt,
shattered, tattered, torn,
00:24:13.11\00:24:24.09
just Satan when you thought you
had gotten rid of us, here we
00:24:24.13\00:24:33.07
go, again. Praising the name of
Jesus, lifting Jesus up. Jesus
said if I be lifted up
00:24:33.10\00:24:40.78
I will draw all men unto me and
I am so glad that I serve a God
who can touch again.
00:24:40.81\00:24:49.52
I serve a God who can touch me
again. He doesn't wait on better
00:24:49.55\00:24:55.29
material. He doesn't wait
on a more obedient person.
00:24:55.32\00:24:58.26
He doesn't wait on somebody who
is more clean, more righteous,
00:24:58.29\00:25:02.33
more holy. He says, I'm going to
use somebody who betrayed me,
who disobeyed me, who let me
00:25:02.36\00:25:14.51
down but I'm going to use them
again. [Congregation: Oh yeah!
Cheering. Applauding.]
00:25:14.54\00:25:19.05
And I'm going to be real with
you all, that's why I can't fool
00:25:19.08\00:25:25.69
with folk, who have never done
anything wrong? They make me
nervous, they make me scared.
00:25:25.72\00:25:37.47
I'm afraid of them because I see
God using people who have blown
it, who've messed up,
00:25:37.50\00:25:49.78
who have fallen on their face,
who have failed and floundered
and faltered and flunked
00:25:49.81\00:25:56.22
and just when they were ready to
say that "I'm no good." "There's
00:25:56.25\00:26:04.39
nothing to me." "There's nothing
to God." "There's nothing to
this thing we call a church."
00:26:04.43\00:26:09.13
"There's nothing to this life."
That's when the Holy Ghost looks
them in the eye and says,
00:26:09.16\00:26:17.14
"I'm about to touch you again."
I can see clear again because
the rain in my life is God.
00:26:17.17\00:26:26.55
I don't know who this is for but
I declare under somebody today,
00:26:26.58\00:26:31.22
God is not finished with
you yet. So having done all to
00:26:31.25\00:26:39.06
stand, stand! Broke but I'm
going to stand. Burdened but I'm
going to stand. Hurt but I'm
00:26:39.09\00:26:44.93
going to stand. Confused but I'm
going to stand. Lonely but I'm
00:26:44.97\00:26:48.77
going to stand. Weak but I'm
going to stand. I call every
person who messed up and blew it
00:26:48.80\00:27:01.08
and your life was a mess and you
feel like giving up and walking
00:27:01.12\00:27:07.99
away. It's not that you don't
have any blessings but there's a
00:27:08.02\00:27:15.96
hole in your heart and you need
God to touch you again. In the
name of Jesus, I call you to the
00:27:16.00\00:27:31.81
altar today. Come out wherever
you are. The Lord is calling
because he wants to touch you,
00:27:31.85\00:27:44.79
again.
[Congregation: Applauding.]
00:27:44.83\00:27:46.29
Thank you very much for tuning
in to this week's Breath of Life
00:27:46.33\00:27:50.80
broadcast. We hope and pray that
you've been blessed by Dr.
Byrd's inspirational message.
00:27:50.83\00:27:55.44
If you would like to hear
this sermon in its entirety,
00:27:55.47\00:27:57.84
please feel free to visit
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00:27:57.87\00:28:03.88
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00:28:03.91\00:28:09.78
[END]
00:28:09.82\00:28:24.80