210403 - Touched by Gods Finger -Resurrection Life - S050

3 with you hog sameach. Happy holiday. What holiday is it? Well, it's the last day of Passover and it's sort of like for church, the Messiah, Resurrection Saturday. We're off a day.

but,

Welcome starts Messiah. I know we have at least two newcomers. Thank you for coming and I looking forward to meeting you at. We have a fellowship meal, you coming. People want to meet you.

I love kids. I sent a funky email that a friend forwarded this week about a kids prayers. So the little boy says Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, it's okay. I'm having a lot of fun. The way I am.

And then the little girl, the mom invites, a lot of people over to dinner and wants to show off her daughter. So she says, the hunting, you, you go ahead and say the prayer for us. And little girl says, I don't know what to say. Mommy, I don't know what to say in the mommy says, it's okay, it's okay. I just just say what Mommy says. I'll just say what my Lord. Why did I invite all these people over for dinner?

I love them.

Yep. Yep. Welcome Church, the Messiah. This is the oldest fragment. We have of an extent, the New Testament portion is it goes from around 100 AD from the from the Book of John, I just like it. It's called The Ryland Papyrus, it's part of it, it's not all of it, but it's a beautiful picture. We love the word of God, and we love the fragments that have been preserved. We're grateful that we have fragments that we've gotten the word of God from without them. We would not know what the word of God is. So we're incredibly grateful. We're on a three-and-a-half-year cycle of Torah have to readings Torah, and prophetic readings and Jews go through it in one year, early Jews, some in the land, and Israel went through and three and a half years twice, and 7 years, which correspond with the Schmidt's are the years to meet out of the Year release. If you want to know more about that, talk to me later, they were up to stay or 50 out of about 158 ish. And when we were putting together the schedule, We didn't think about putting together a day for Resurrection, but Kyle decided to announce last week that I would be doing Resurrection today.

and I thought, Do they even fit together? They do. Yeah, so the magician's can't duplicate the lice and they say this is the Finger of God. and I thought about that the whole week and I thought,

I've been touched By God's finger. I've been called.

God said.

And I did. And what's your touch to know you're touched? What's your touch to know he's real? And once you're touched, you realize he has instruction for you and he can even show you where to go. With his finger. Toki, I know. Anyway, Touch by God's finger, Resurrection Life. That's kind of a dual sermon of a sort. This is day in Christianity, Today, March Showing a beautiful church with the three. Beautiful stained glass windows.

and there's a lot of commentary going on. A lot of comments going on, on both sides and Christianity. The day is kind of making the argument that these sides are not the issue. If we're Christians, we need Unity of the body. And so maybe maybe we're making some of these things like idols. And here we are going through the plagues of Egypt where God puts down all the idols. I'm not making any political comments. I'm just, I'm just thinking. Yeah, if we've got the wrong Focus, we need to get the right Focus who can give us the right. Focus. God

and he'll point out what that is if we're listening Be on God's side. United States now is kind of in a civil war it just is it just is, I don't like it. I don't like it at all. During the Civil War Abraham, Lincoln was reportedly asked if God was on his side I heard this a little bit different. A woman said mr. Lincoln aren't you glad that God's on our side.

And Abraham said Abraham. Lincoln said, my concern is not whether God is on our side, my concern, my greatest concern is to be on God's side. He's right, we could be off center a little bit here. So let's not be of Center. Let's be on God's side. Let's try to listen to what he has to say. My greatest concern is to be on God's side for God is always right. And the early sixties, I was 10 a tentative in 60. I was 9 and 10 and my Dad decided to join a Civil War reenactment group. So I became very knowledgeable for a 10 year old kid about the Civil War. We, we went to Battlefield. We saw what was going on and whenever I think of Abraham Lincoln, I think about this terrible crisis that he felt the whole the union together. And the union today is falling apart. All over the world. What union? The union of the body of Christ.

We can't let that happen. We need to be involved about preserving the Union.

One thing I learned very early is that very strong believing Christians were on both sides of the battles in the Civil War. They were trying to do what they thought was, right? God eventually judge the nation.

And that's enough on that.

Anyone know where this is?

Kind of beautiful in it. The National Park. It's in Maryland. Close to Gettysburg, you're right.

Near Sharpsburg, Maryland, the Confederacy called this the Battle of Sharpsburg. It's known as Antietam Antietam battlefield. This is the sunken road so the Antietam battle took place in three stages, the cornfield in the morning, the sunken Road and then also known as Bloody Lane. and then, Rob Burnside Bridge.

A cruel war is Raging in the United States in our country and our families throughout the world, we need to preserve the unity and the union of the body of Christ.

We've been touched by the Finger of God, we have resurrection power within us. We have a responsibility.

To preserve the union of the body of Christ in front of everything else. That's our At least one of our most important things. How can we do that? Let him guide, our thoughts, words and actions. If we're about to say something that we think, might offend someone or hurt someone, or injure, someone or cause harm, we should think at least twice. Before we say it, we need to be careful what we say. We need to speak the truth. Yes, but we need to speak the truth in love. Truth. Just truth can be extremely hurtful and Wrong.

You can speak the truth and be guilty of sin.

In speaking the truth. Hard to understand, pray without ceasing. I've been praying more this last month than I have for a long to. Well, no, I pray a lot all the time, but I've been praying even more and without ceasing I think is, is a good word, try to walk, according to his leading, the Lord is leading us. we should try to walk according to his leading, set down your own perceived agenda, but I think Chill a little bit here, just back off of your attitude and put it down and say can I listen to what's going on? Set aside your own perceived agenda and listen to what the other person is saying. At least, listen, hear it. There's a lot of hurt a lot of Anguish, a lot of pain being felt by people in the United States Christians and non-christians. And if we're not listening to their pain, if we're not weeping with them, if we're not sharing in their griefs, then we're not doing what we should be doing.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry if this is too hard. It's, it's hard. I know people are hurting. People are hurting all over the place. This last year has been terrible. People are hurting so much. It's, it's just crazy. And it seems to be getting worse and worse, and people are ignoring the people that are hurting and somehow, we have a responsibility as the body of Christ to put down or stuff. And, and listen, sometimes when I was in contract, negotiations, really volatile contract negotiations in the Air Force and later,

There'd be an adversarial situation to contractors. Would come in on opposite sides or something or the owner's representative would would come in and people would come in with their lawyers. And I remember saying, look, if you want this meeting to involve lawyers it can. But today this meeting is adjourned. if you want to talk, if you want to try to work out things, we can continue today, but the lawyer cannot be here. I can I can be adversarial. But I would prefer to try to work out what we can work out. Not compromise necessarily but come to some agreement. Arbitration maybe would be a better word. I don't know.

Another thing I might say is just leave your weapons at the door.

We sang a song this morning about the sword. I'm Ill, the war no more. Put down your swords. Goa Cara. Visit anyway, I almost brought a civil war sword from Bloody Lane. I have one. I thought it would be too offensive so I didn't bring it. So people are hurting who need the Lord's help, and he's put us here. To help is put us here to put down our stuff to listen and to try to help not to make up what we should do. Not to react immediately. But to think about what the person saying to feel what they're experiencing and try to listen to what God is saying, we should do to help not do what we think we should do. We jump to that too quickly. Generally, we are instruments of his peace. Make me an instrument of your peace. Lord make us instruments of your peace. Where is he? Where there is hatred. Let us so. Love. Etc. Etc. You all know the song. And bottom line. As Christians, we are called to love one another. And others, let's just true. Cruel war is, Raging, who agrees? The cruel war is, Raging Raging outside. Who agrees? We have some responsibility here.

Is there anything else that we should say before we move off of this slide? We have to give up our judgments. Give up our judgements, put on our own perceived agenda. Leave the weapons at the door. Don't come in here with lawyers.

Same thing kinda your right stop judging. Stop prejudging. Stop having perceptions about what someone else thinks and believes.

This is especially important with teenagers.

But I'm not going to talk about that.

This is the third phase of the Battle of Antietam Burnside Bridge.

1862.

So be on God's side. Lincoln's comment, sir, or Madam. It doesn't mean to matter to me whether God is on our side. The important thing is that we are on God's side, be on God's side. What's in the statement? This statement has at least three truths that should be reviewed its legitimate to invoke the name of God within the realm of political discourse. If someone says, that's not legitimate because we're secular Nation, it's legitimate. It's been legitimate from the very beginning, George Washington, invoke the name Abraham, Lincoln invoked the name, numerous presence of invoke the name. I don't know which presidents haven't and I don't want to try to think about it. But I know that it's it's something that should be done and is done. His name can be invoked. God's existence isn't merely symbolic or allegorical. God is always right. We hold these truths to be self-evident.

God has placed these truths in our heart. There's no argument here.

God's existence isn't symbolic. And finally, God takes sides. Sometimes some will be justified While others stand in opposition to the opponents. And even to God,

And Paul writes in 1st Corinthians factions are needed to show. Who is genuine? It's kind of complicated to read in the Greek polis thing. Surely there are their arguments with in your groups and I understand that God does this so that you can work things out and figure out who's right? And that's fine. Work toward a common truth. That's true. That's not fiction. But there should be no divisions that the word divisions here is schisms, there should be no schisms, that should don't leave the body because you disagree with someone be part of the body and enter into conversation. Listen. And in Converse, I call that Unity with diversity and we kind of have that here. At church, the Messiah. If we, if, if we practice anything we practice discipleship, In unity and we allow diversity to a point.

I was on a diversity committee at our TA and they wanted to bring in some new diversity elements and I said I got to draw the line here. I, I can't I can't be part of a group that wants to include this kind of diversity.

I can include the idea of respect. And mutual.

Niceness. But I don't want to celebrate some of these diversities and I I said I'd have to leave the the group if they did that and they decided not to do it. Maybe they've done since then, I don't know. Not my business. so, Antietam was the bloodiest day in American history ever.

September 17th, 1862 bloodiest day. Not the bloodiest battle they were bloody or battle that lasted a month, two months long, but Antietam was the single bloodiest day, a hundred and twenty five thousand soldiers fought at Antietam with fixed bayonets with with battle swords with 50 caliber muskets. With all kinds of craziness. Approximately 4000 men died on that one day. It startles me that we haven't had a bloody or days since then. D-Day the day wasn't bloody or for Americans.

In all of American history. The bloodiest day. Terrible. The picture of Lincoln with his generals near near Antietam Battlefield around the time of the battle, probably within a week and a It it was it it was kind of a lost the union greatly out, man, the Confederacy. But the Confederacy stood, their ground. And there were a lot of casualties on both sides of the South decided. They were going to postpone or cancel their invasion of Maryland in the North after the Battle of Antietam because it was so deadly and they went back to Virginia. and this was technically a lost the battle but it was kind of a strategic win because The Confederates going south to Virginia gave Lincoln the confidence to write.

The Emancipation Proclamation.

Within 5 days.

Supply 5 days. After this. Terrible battle. It completed Penny five pages. Witcher in the National Archive. A great day in American history and world history and the reason it's important for world history is the French and the British refused to acknowledge the Confederacy and they weren't that happy with the north either. But after the South defeated, the South and Lincoln wrote, these five pages the Emancipation Proclamation,

They kind of like the north because there were opposed to slavery. And finally, America had taken a stand and written a document that they could support. It went into effect January 1st, 1863, some see it, as merely symbolic. I don't, I think it's a very important thing that President Lincoln did and I'm grateful that he wrote it and I'm grateful that the terrible losses in this battle were worth something. Because it gave him the confidence to pendas and to post it as an important executive order. Thank you for bearing with me on that.

This is where I'd like to be.

All worshipping the lamb.

Not the donkey, not the elephant. Those are be Pagan Idols from Egypt. I'm kidding. Enough of that third plague back to the Torah Exodus 8 16 through 19 and the Jewish Bible verse 12 through 15 and I said the most Darren, I'm paraphrasing cjb say to her own strike, the dust of the ground with your staff dust will become licensed to read Egypt, Aaron did so there were lights on people and animals that just became like a strategic positions, tried with your secrets to produce lights but couldn't and so, they said the Pharaoh, this is the Finger of God. Now, that might mean what I think it means there might be something else and it warrants a slight discussion. What did they mean? They're at least three possibilities they believed in the power and action of God or in the power and action of God's. But we know this much about the Egyptian, they like to pray and worship their God so that they could control their gods and they didn't know how to control their gods in order to get lice. And so they might not have been so confident, this was their gods. I think they actually meant this is the power and action of God. This is God, we can't duplicate. This is the second possibility we're out of here with this third plague. They tried and gave up and you never see them again. And in this whole plague story, they leave, they don't try anymore, they're done. They've exhausted all their resources and they go home. I think they didn't want to be dead because they weren't able to do something for a wanted them to do. Yeah, I know. Got that. Yeah.

They're kind of sick. Moses and Aaron actually better magicians and we are or they can control their God and that's not true. Another third possibility is it's like today's acts of God Insurance. Clause anyone in here have an insurance contract

Does it say except acts of God?

Generally does your agent really believe that God is choosing to take action against you by doing this terrible flood or tornado hurricane earthquake. Probably not. So, they're kind of, like, staying another way to say. These are the original insurance adjusters.

They added an exception Clause. I like the first one. They believed it was the power and action of God and Jesus quotes this. So it's important to kind of way this out. God demonstrates his strength. God has many ways of demonstrating his strength. The way that he's demonstrated his strength. The most in my life is simply by saying words to me, not audible words, but words that I understood he was saying and I knew what they meant and I knew what I had to do and I knew he was real and What once you know he's real once you know, he's talking to you once he's got your attention. It's kind of hard to ignore him.

I have. But sometimes I haven't. So he demonstrates his strength. How does he do it with a finger? With a mighty hand with an outstretched arm with a hand and arm with the right hand and other things? This is an all-inclusive by the finger. We have David singing praises to God, that he's created the universe with his fingers.

You get it, tablets inscribed by the Finger of God. Jesus drove out the Demons, by the Finger of God. And Jesus wrote in the dust with his finger. These are all demonstrations of God's strength, Mighty hand outstretched, arm, hand, and arm. Right hand Majestic and power. Your right hand is brought Victory Kings says, farmers will hear Why does he show his strength to foreigners will hear? That was kind of reflected in this week's Torah reading? The world will know that you are God. And then ultimately God says, he'll stretch out stretch out his hand against Edom against the Philistines and also against you if you're not aligning yourself with what he is, trying to get you to do, Israel, or church the Messiah. Judgment can come. Pictures pictures. Pesach Haggadah. How many went through the Passover celebration this week? so, you use the Haggadah This is perhaps the oldest known Haggadah. It's written by Rabbi Yosef a hot guy Levy Rabbi Yosef from the Galilee would be another way. It's not his last name as he's from the guy, he's a Galilean. About a hundred Cee, he wrote it. It was actually penned by the sages before that. They had it memorized but they, they penned it around 300C in y'all's day. He was dead now, but he was known to have said these things from where can we derive? The Egyptians were struck with 10 plagues in Egypt in 50 at the sea. This is Passover. Haggadah one of the earliest ones magician said this is the Finger of God and that the sea is, says, Israel saw. The Lord's great hand

Yadim. Eileen. She's not there. Hebrew people, yadim guidolin.

Great Tanz. Yep. Lord's Grace has Most translations, don't say it that way, but you didn't get a lame is pretty clear. It's not it's not confusing. He showed his great power. Some might say God's finger struck the Egyptians with 10 plagues. They said, they, they from horses. This is the Finger of God, you'll say says, well, all ten plagues were by the single finger. There was a light action of God. They weren't the big action of God, but God is great and struck the Egyptians with fate 50 place cuz they saw his great hand at the sea. and if you think about that, the impact on Egypt of losing their entire Army,

Was probably worth 50 plagues. It was bad. They didn't recover from it. They might have recovered from the 10 but it took a long time to recover from the 50. Jesus finger. Jesus had been a logically accused of casting out demons by the prince of demons Beelzebub full. And he said that makes no sense. A household divided against itself, going to fail a kingdom, can't impose itself. You can't have division in the Kingdom. That's sort of what we're talking about today. A kingdom divided against itself. Can't fail. We should not be divided. We should be unified in Christ. First. We can also be other things but that's got to be the most important. But Kingdom divided against itself will fail. And he said, if I drive out demons by the Finger of God than the kingdom of God, has come upon you.

You can think about that long time. When a strong man guards his own house, it's secure. But when a stronger man to Feats them, he takes the weapon. Those not with me or against me, those who don't gather with me or scattering. What's this have to do with driving out demons by the Finger of God? It kind of makes you scratch your head. What's going on here? Be eligible. So be eligible for Lord of the Flies. If you the lord of the donkey, the lord of the false god that the Lord is the lord of the Demons. The killer Prince of demons be eligible. So, be eligible.

He's kind of by Illusions saying The Magician's of Egypt. Where the Demons of be eligible.

The Lord of the Flies. And he used his finger.

And defeated. Buildable because he's not the prince of the Demons. He's the supreme god, who's wrecking, havoc and judgment on all the gods of Egypt. And then he's ten plagues with his finger.

So who's the strong man? He's talking about here?

He is.

Jesus is the strong man. He's the only one who can defend this house.

If someone can to feed him, he takes his weapons. If they thought they were the strong, man. He is taking their weapons.

He has the Finger of God.

Not the finger of Beallsville. So, there's a lot in this verse, it's packed.

Those who don't gather with me or scattering be part of my kingdom. Be part of the unity of the body of Christ. Be part of The people who listen to my voice and who follow where I lead? Be with me in this. And so are you know that I'm always trying to play out the thing? Like what's it look like? What's it look like imagine Jesus lifting his finger as he's doing this.

If I drive out demons by the Finger of God, can you imagine this?

Huh.

Leave your weapons at the door. Yeah. You made the same point God made by plugging Egypt with insects, he showed Satan and his demons. They have limits. All I had to do to defeat Satan was one Little Weapon.

Casting out demons one of her favorite artists to. So Jesus finger, one more and I think this is a symbol of power. I think it's I think, I think that he's demonstrating his power in this You might not think so writing in the dirt. Doesn't seem like a very powerful thing, but I think it is. I think it's very powerful, Yeshua sat down to teach, goes to the temple courts. This is probably the week before he was taken to the Cross during that week. Holy Week, a woman was accused of adultery was brought in and Jesus was asked to come and she be Stone. What do you say? I'm paraphrasing. He bent down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They stood up saying one without sin cast, the first stone and then he went down to continue riding with his finger, right? Any ideas? I've written down a few. Yes. Mary Sylvia Okay, well let's go to the list.

I think when he does this. Not a person present would have missed the point that he's making an allusion to God, writing the tablets with his finger.

He may have been listing the names of the male adulterers. Teacher a woman, caught in the act of adultery herself.

Have you read your Torah? Are you Clueless?

You can't commit adultery while you can but I think that's what they're saying here. So maybe he's written down the names of the male adulterers who been guilty of adultery with her and maybe some of them are in this Angry Crowd.

Joe.

Simon. Nevermind.

I think I think he does as he does this. I think they would have also gone Aaron's staff striking the Dust. Lice. Plagues judgment. Authority over beelze Bowl. You don't have authority. I have authority.

and, I think you may have been writing from Leviticus both the adulterer, and the adulteress will be put to death.

Those are the possibilities. I came up with I think they're all viable. I think they may all be true.

Beautiful. Painting by Amanda named young. Sung Kim. A Christian artist. This is oil on cork. It's just a beautiful, beautiful image. Resurrection.

He is risen. How old do you think this statement and response is?

As far back as it goes. This is one of the earliest things written in Latin and it's just it's been taken pretty much intact by Churches throughout the history of the world. It's referring to a quote in in Luke. He is risen indeed and he has shown himself to Peter or something like that. So he is risen. He is risen indeed, one more time. He is risen. He is risen in you. He is risen, indeed.

Hallelujah.

Jesus. Resurrection, I want to thank Brian for this. See, he showed me this and see if you sent me a teaching, you wanted me to look at and on the first day of the week while I was still dark Miriam and went to the tomb. And she saw the Greek word is blepo the stone removed. She ran to Peter the disciple, Jesus loved and said, they've taken the Lord. We don't know where they put him Peter and the talmid ran for the tomb, the disciple. Jesus loved to tell me that I was the first at the tomb. He beat him. A lot of a lot of people make. A lot of this is John the author of The Gospel of John and I've only come across a disagreement with that, in the last year.

I can't see the cookbook.

Not Charlesworth. Who's the guy we saw at the Oxford Doug. Witherington witherington makes a good argument that the disciple Jesus loved is Lazarus.

And we can laugh at that, but it could be that that's who it was. So it's either John or Lazarus or someone else. But I'm not so over-the-top on sang. This is definitely John, I don't know anymore but it doesn't matter. It's the other guy who ever ran their first was wanting to get there. First he was apparently younger and more energetic. Kind of like mac got more energy than he knows what to do with.

And he got there first, but Peter went in first and he saw they are real. The burial sheets and the clock that had been on his head, still folded up. Now, the important thing about a cloth being folded up.

If you're being resurrected from the dead, why would you fold the cloth of carefully? And lay it down. Huh.

No, it's tradition in the culture there, and Roman culture. And the, the Jews were very familiar with this. And they've just celebrated a stator where they celebrated their freedom, like, Romans sitting at a table, like free. Romans the the honored guest the, the main person at the Seder, if, if it is at the end of meal at any meal, the main person that any meal, if you got up from the meal and he was done eating, he would take his napkin and throw it down. but if you plan to come back,

he folded it carefully. To let everyone know.

He's coming back.

Still folded up.

Then the disciple Jesus loved went in and saw a dumb and believed they didn't yet know he was supposed to rise from the dead. So here's a little word, play on the three words, blepo C, observe simple observation. I want to see it sunny out today. They are real is related to our word for Theory. He thought he thought about it, he wondered about it. It came up with a hypothesis. He tested the hypothesis may be kind of like the scientific method and developed the theory on what was going on.

Esau. But didn't go in. Peter went in and saw the folded up clock.

I observe something and I have a theory. It's developing.

Then the disciple Jesus loved went in and saw I don't and believed C. Understand, I get it.

I got I get it. I didn't just understand it. Oh,

Resurrection Life. He is risen. He is risen indeed. Today, if you hear his voice, don't Harden your hearts. I am the resurrection and the life whoever believes in me, even if he dies shall live the spirit of the one who raised Jesus lives in you, he will also give you life by his Spirit living in you. If we put our hope in bisaya for this life only if we only think being a Christian is important now, Worth the most pitiable people on earth. Because there will be a resurrection.

A resurrection of bodily, Resurrection, according to the oldest principles of the early church. A lot of people think, I don't know, it's just a spiritual Resurrection. My body is going to stay in the ground. It's not what the Bible says. Will be a bodily, Resurrection.

But Jesus has been raised. He's the first fruits of those who died and we will be, we will be next. You've been touched By God's finger, he's touched you, how many feel they've been touched By God's finger? If anyone doesn't feel they've been touched By God's finger simulator. Well, not today. I'm too tired.

I really am. But I want to talk to you. Hey, I know you can see me at the meal, that's it. If anyone feels they have been touched By God's finger, see me at the meal.

No one can come to me unless the father calls him a Rob.

And I will raise him up on the last day. Resurrection Life already and much more to come. The God of all Grace is called you to his eternal glory in Christ, he himself, will restore confirm, strengthen and establish you. So walk, according to his leading, he is pointing the way to go. We might not be able to figure out what that means quickly, but I think we can figure it out if we pray. I'm ending with a song with a with a with a, with a ham, seems like a good day for old hymns. Jesus calls us or the tumult of our life's wild Restless sea. We live in a world of life's world wild Restless sea day by day, his sweet voice sounded saying Christian. Follow me as of old Apostles heard it by the Galilean Lake turn from home and toiling Kindred leaving all for his dear sake. Jesus calls us from the worship of the vein, world's golden store. All the idols, we put in front of God, he's calling us from those from each Idol. That would keep us sing, Christian, love me more than those in our Joys. And then our sorrows days of Toil and hours of. He's still, he calls and cares in Pleasures. Christian love me more than these. Jesus calls us by thy mercies savior. May, we hear thy call give our hearts to thine obedient servant. Love the festival. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Amen.