Touched

The Power of Touch

Today 3 bible stories

Listen to the new testament

Touched and healed

Laid hands on children and blessed

Touch is so important (It is one of the primary senses that grounds us to the world - to now)

Pleasure

Giving and receiving love

Hug - literally heals your body - Increases Oxytocin (the happy hormone) in your brain - 20 seconds

Even holding a pillow helps when you are stressed.

Babies develop and thrive on touch

POWERFUL GIFT from God linking us to the beauty of life

One of the primary ways we experience the world

It was so important that Jesus became a fleshly body and touched the world with his love.

Powerful gifts can be damaging when misused or mishapen into our ideas of what is best.

We all desire touch and are built to experience it.

Renee- stop to give hugs and kisses

Soft.....and Renee and Dada like quilt with heavy weights

What happens when it goes wrong?

Experienced the full breadth of touch

I have experienced all kinds of abuse - absence of nurturing touch, violence, and abuse.

It is normal to feel defeated in this area.

When you have experienced negative touch, lacked nurturing affection, or used touch inappropriately against others, it is normal to feel stuck, ashamed, angry, depressed.

But GOD does not want us to be in chains - not defeated

Also, some who struggle with taking touch too far, this may not be because you didn’t receive it, but because touch has so much power to give comfort.

Our world says the our comfort and sexual expereinces are the MOST important aspects of life

So if you struggle in this area - your life and happiness is over. THAT IS A LIE FROM THE PITS OF HELL

God cares about your character more than your comfort

You are a child of God not a blob of human flesh controlled by sexual urges.

Most people who fall into problems with touch desires are using God’s gift of comfort and love within the bodies to heal another desire - such as feeling chosen or blessed.

God wants to give you the good gift of healthy, wonderful touch and restore it.

God comes to restore.

I personally have been so redeemed and blessed in this desire. (In our series, I have others that God is still redeeming in my heart, but this one is so amazing!)

Every day, you experience life in your bodies and every day God can use others, pets, and his loving hand to restore your heart.

Jesus came into our world and touched everyone, even disobeying the law of Moses to heal.

When Jesus touches us, our whole world is changed

Matthew 8:1–4 NLT

Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

Jesus didn’t have to touch him, but this man desperately needed to be touched

His world had been devoid of physical contact - that was how leprosy was spread.

He was an outcast - unable to be touched by his family

Felt like someone so despicable and unclean

BUT the leper came to Jesus, knelt, and worshipped

Jesus met the desire of his heart - Touched him, validating his humanity and pouring value back into his soul, AND healing him - restoring him to hug his family and friends

When we run to touch Jesus, our Faith is restored.

John 20:24–29 NLT

One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Thomas faith was shaken and he didn’t dare trust in hoping again.

Maybe this is where you are at?

You can’t see the way forward

You feel defeated

Your emotions are blocking your faith

Jesus rose again with a physical body - One that carries the fullness of the marks of redemption.

Tell story from God and Trauma - Scars —Jesus —

When you touch Jesus - When you see him as holding your scars -

Listen to the loving voice of God - saying - “Don’t be faithless any longer - Believe!”

What happened to Thomas after?

There is not much in the new testament

He traveled the farthest, along the silk trading all the way to India

He took the words Jesus said seriously

What happens if you need touch

If you are alone - single, a divorcee, a widow or a widower -

as a body we understand that you may not have as much access to daily touch,

Animals can be such a blessing here

the church can help,

but nothing is as precious as running to Jesus for his healing touch.

Women bleeding

Exhausted everything - 12 years of battling debilitating illness - the bleeding put her into seclusion -

No one would touch her

She couldn’t marry

She was utterly alone in the world

She finally gave up trying to have people meet her needs

Instead, she ran to Jesus.

She told herself, if I could just touch his garment

If I could just touch him

I know, I just know I will be healed.

She approached Jesus with faith - holding nothing back and received healing

How does Jesus respond?

WHO TOUCHED ME?

He wanted her faith to shine in this moment

The disciples were so puzzled because so many people touched him in the crowd.

She touched him with a heart of worship, of expectation, of faith

She came to Jesus as her only hope

She was willing to receive anything from him

Jesus said, to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” Mk 5:34.

Jesus will heal you, in his way, in his timing, but it will always be through His touch and in his will. Yet, there is clearly in scripture people asking for healing over and over - with the faith that God can do something about it.

God literally delights in us - He wants to pour his love over us.

Read from God and Trauma - Love

So let’s run to Jesus and ask him to touch us (to be that fountain of love in our life)

Ask him to heal us with the powerful touch

He has touched my life, where I have even felt a physical warmth of his love. It changes everything.

I have to remember that touch - profound and wonderful - it is not something God has gifted me with daily.

God literally delights in us - He wants to pour his love over us.

Let’s go to God with the belief that he will help, starting with worship like the leper - kneeling before our Lord

Let’s go to God no longer faithless and doubting as Thomas was, but remembering that Jesus bears our scars for redemption

Lets go to God with the faith that If we can just touch Jesus’ robe, we can be healed.

Keep asking, Keep seeking, Keep trusting.