Just A Touch

Researchers have found that preterm newborns who received just three 15-minute sessions of touch therapy each day for 5-10 days, gained 47% percent more weight than premature infants who’d received standard medical treatment.

Studies show that just touching patients with Alzheimer’s disease can have huge effects on getting them to relax, make emotional connections with others, and reduce their symptoms of depression

Tiffany Field has found that massage therapy reduces pain in pregnant women and alleviates prenatal depression- in women and their spouses alike.

And Tiffany Field has further suggested in her research that children with autism, widely believed to hate being touched, actually love being massaged by a parent or therapist

You see, according to Neuroscientist Edmund Rolls, touch activates the brain’s orbitofrontal cortex, which is linked to feelings of reward and compassion.

Dacher Keltner is his article “Hands On Research: The Science of Touch,” states:

“Our hands are far more profound than we usually realize: They are our primary language of compassion, and a primary means for spreading compassion”

The great Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet Michelangelo said:

“To touch can be to give life.”

In other words compassion is literally at our fingertips

Regrettably, though, some Western cultures are pretty touch-deprived, and this is especially true of the United States.

Transition To Body

Last week’s message- Jesus the Great Physician

Matthew 9:12–13 ESV

12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Last week’s bible study study lesson- Knowing & Being in the Presence of the Greatness of Jesus

Matthew 9:14–15 ESV

14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

It’s an Issue of Faith

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 NLT

1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

Body- If we are to Experience the Power of Jesus’ Touch

Embody Remarkable Aspects Of Our Faith

Matthew 9:18–19 NLT

18 As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.” 19 So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him.

The man was a leader of the synagogue

Chief official in a synagogue

Prominent member of the community (they generally take little risks to their prominence)

For this prominent man to humble himself in this way before Jesus was to recognize Jesus’ power in a serious way.

Embody- to represent in human or animal form : PERSONIFY

Remarkable= extraordinary

Aspect- a particular status or phase in which something appears or may be regarded

appearance to the eye or mind

Raising someone from the dead is extraordinary

The remarkable aspects of our faith…

“It ain’t over till the fat lad sings”

She hasn’t sung yet….

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Embody Remarkable Aspects Of Our Faith

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Exercise Reckless Abandon With Our Faith

Matthew 9:20–22 NLT

20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

A woman interrupts the procession to the synagogue ruler’s house

Isn’t that just like a sister girl!

Illustration: In 210 BC, a prominent Chinese warlord named Xiang Yu led his rebel forces across the Yangtze River to battle against the Qin dynasty. Camping by the water for the night, his troops awakened in the dawn to find that their ships were burning. Firstly, they hurried to their feet to fight off their attackers, only to discover that it was Xiang Yu himself who had set their ships on fire.

In this ancient tactical maneuver where troops were without ships for the retreat, they were left with only one choice – to fight desperately and move forward, or perish. From the perspective of “expected utility” theory Xiang Yu simply created a sharp asymmetry between the costs of loss for soldiers of the confronting armies; asymmetry that probably had a tremendous focusing effect on Xiang’s forces, which mobilized all their mental and physical resources and thereon crushed their enemy in nine consecutive battles.

Xiang Yu demonstrated what we call “Reckless Abandon”

Reckless- marked by lack of proper caution : careless of consequences

Abandon- to give (oneself) over unrestrainedly

The woman in our text today had suffered for long 12 years:

12 years of bleeding

12 years of being labeled perpetually unclean

12 years of pain

12 years of isolation

12 years without worship at the temple

The woman had a social and religious problem in addition to a physical problem,

Because the penalty for entering temple while unclean ranged from forty lashes to death by stoning

Sometimes you got to exercise “Scandalous Faith”

And Demonstrate Desperate dependence on the grace of God!

Matthew 9:22 ESV

22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

Be Courageous

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 25.156 θαρρέω

to have confidence and firmness of purpose in the face of danger or testing—‘to be courageous, to have courage, to be bold.’

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Embody Remarkable Aspects Of Our Faith

Exercise Reckless Abandon With Our Faith

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Excuse Ridiculers’ Attacks At Our Faith

Matthew 9:23–26 NLT

23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. 24 “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him. 25 After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.

Meaning of Excuse:

Overlook

Ignore

Dismiss= remove, show someone the door

Matthew 9:24 NLT

24 “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him.

Illustration: Kendrick Lamar would say- “Don’t Kill My Vibe!”

Sleep implied that death is a state from which believers will be awakened at the resurrection

When the Son of Man Comes, Will He Find…

Luke 18:7–8 ESV

7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

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Embody Remarkable Aspects Of Our Faith

Exercise Reckless Abandon With Our Faith

Excuse Ridiculers’ Attack At Our Faith

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Transition To Close

A Now To Him Who Is Able

Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

To Keep Him in Perfect Peace…

Isaiah 26:3 ESV

3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Eyes Have Not Seen…

1 Corinthians 2:9–10 ESV

9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

Close- God the Father’s Reckless Abandon in Expressing His Love For Us

Embody Remarkable Aspects Of Our Faith

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Exercise Reckless Abandon With Our Faith

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Excuse Ridiculers’ Attacks At Our Faith

Romans 5:8–11 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 4:7–12 ESV

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.

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