The world we live in today is changing.
And you know we wish and we hope and we pray sometimes for things
to go back to the way it was you know a lot of us would say well,
I wish we could live back in the 50s or 60s or 70s or whatever,
you know, times were good. Those were really good times but
sadly, the world has changed in a direction that is getting
farther and farther away from God farther away from spiritual
things, farther away from morality.
And the world is continuing to change.
Sometimes changes happen in our life that are good for us.
We like certain things that make changes in our life, maybe we
can remember something that happened in our life that
changed us. Changed our course in life.
There may have been an event or something that caused us to go
in a different direction than where we were going before and
things that change it, continually maybe in our life
from day to day. The life of a Christian is a
crypt is a is a life of change. And how great it would be for
Christ to change the lives and the attitudes.
And and all the things that we worry about in the world today,
if Christ was in the things that are in the world.
If Christ was part of the decision, making process in the
world, we pray for our leaders, that there might be a change or
a return to more. Excuse me, morality But we see
the world continuing to change in getting farther and farther
away from these things. But when Jesus comes into a
person's life, there is a change that happens when Jesus touches
the, the life of a human, their life changed, we can take from
our text in. Matthew the 8th chapter in
verses 23. We're going to notice several
examples of what happened to people when their lives were
touched by Jesus in Matthew. 8, and 2/3.
And behold there came a leper and worshipped. him saying Lord
if thou wilt thou canst make me clean, And Jesus put forth his
hand and touched him saying, I will be thou clean and
immediately. His leprosy was cleansed.
Notice the blind man in Matthew, 8 and verses 22 through 25.
And behold. And he becometh cometh to
bethsaida and they bring a blind man unto him and besought him to
touch him. And he took the blind man by the
hand and led him out of the town.
And when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands upon him, he
asked him if he saw it. And he looked up and said, I see
men as trees. Walking after that, he put his
hands again upon his eyes and made him look up.
And he was Turned and saw and he was returned and saw every man,
clearly notice the man with a withered limb in Matthew the
12th chapter verses 10 through 13 and behold.
There was a man which had a withered, had a hand withered,
And verse 13 then he said to the man stretch forth thine hand and
he stretched it forth and it was restored whole like as the
other. How about the Widow and Nan,
Luke 17, verses 11 through 15 and it came to pass the day
after that. He went into a city called Nan
and many of his disciples went with him and much people.
Now, when he came to, I to the city of do, the Gate of the city
behold, there was a dead man. Carried out, the only son of his
mother and she was a widow and much people of the city was with
her. And when the Lord saw her, he
had compassion on her and said, to her, weep not and he came and
touched the bear. That is an open coffin and they
that bear him Stood Still. And he said, young, man, I say
unto thee arise and he was and he that was dead set up and
began to speak and he delivered him to his mother.
Jesus touches the lives of men and women.
Today, of course, we don't see the Miracles and we don't
experience the Miracles because the Miracles that were talked
about here in these verses don't happen anymore because they had
a, they had a purpose, but in an illustration, Jesus touches the
hearts of men today and when had their hearts are touched their
lives change completely When you're touched and changed, you
have a deeper Foundation, we notice how buildings are built.
We notice how big skyscrapers are built.
They dig down deep into the Earth and they get down to Solid
Ground and they pour footings and put rebar in it and concrete
and all kinds of things to make a sure and strong Foundation.
They don't build it upon mud, they don't build it upon sand,
but they want to make sure that the foundation is very, very
Wrong. And when a Christian Life is
built, the beginning is not on the outside, but it's on the
inside, it's on the foundation. Within a man's Spirit within his
soul, you have to go much deeper than just the outside.
The foundation is laid Upon Jesus Christ, and if you don't
build on that Foundation, Your spiritual life, will crumble.
You see the world and the denominational World builds
their lives upon other things other than Jesus Christ and his
teaching and God's teaching. And those things will eventually
crumble and fall the time and elements the winds and things of
that nature that come along will cause those things to dissolve
and to be gone and and be destroyed.
But if your life is built upon the solid rock Jesus Christ, it
will stand through the the ages and through eternity.
You know, families must be built upon Christ.
And young people's lives must be built upon Christ.
We see the family crumbling in society today.
It used to be that half of the people who got married.
Their marriages ended in divorce if I remember, right.
I think it's much more than that now.
And people just think of marriage as something as an
agreement for however, long we can get along will just kind of
stick with it. But if it doesn't go right, then
we'll just let it go and go on to something else.
That's not what God intended for the family.
And if the family today is not built upon, Jesus Christ, were
there is something that is completely common between the
two. It will crumble.
It will have problems. It will have trials that come
its way. And so, it is also with young
people when they build their lives, they need to be building
their lives Upon Jesus Christ. Jesus said in Luke 6, and verses
46 through 49, and why call why call ye me?
Lord Lord, and do not the things which I say, Whosoever cometh to
me and heareth my sayings and doeth them.
I will show you to whom he is like he is like a man which
built in-house and dig deep and laid the foundation on a rock.
And when the flood arose in the Stream, beat vehemently upon the
house and it could not shake it for, it was founded upon a rock.
But he that heareth and do with not is like a man that without a
foundation built a house upon the Earth again which which
Against which the stream did beat vehemently and immediately
it fell and the ruin of the house was great.
Notice also 2nd or 1st Corinthians 3 and verses 10
through 13, according to the grace of God, which is given
unto me as a wise. Masterbuilder, I have laid the
foundation and upon and, and another buildeth thereon, but
let every man, take heed how he buildeth thereon for other
Foundation can no, man, lay than that is laid.
Which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this
Foundation, gold silver, precious stones wood, hay
stubble. Every Man's work shall be made
manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be
revealed by fire and the fire shall try.
Every man's work of what sort it is.
You see time and elements. Make their Mark and Decay on
everything in this world but neither time or anything else.
Can affect that the person that has their life?
Sure. And steadfast in the foundation
of Jesus Christ. Remember that song that says
upon the solid rock? I stand all other ground is
sinking sand. All other ground is sinking
sand. A life that is not built upon.
The strong foundation will be a rock.
That will be a life. That is not sure.
And steadfast notice also, Hebrews 3 and verse 8, Jesus
Christ the same yesterday today and forever.
And we don't have to worry about That Foundation ever crumbling
because it's something that that we can rely on, we can build our
spiritual life on that and not have to worry about anything
else. But when Jesus touches the life,
he lifts us out of the sinking sand and places, our feet on the
Rock and gives us an eternal Foundation.
Notice Psalm 40 in verses 1 through 3, I waited patiently
for the Lord and He inclined, and to me, And heard My Cry.
He brought me up out. Also up out of the horrible pit
out of the Miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established
my goings. And he has put a new song in my
mouth, even praise unto our God. Many shall see it, and fear and
she'll trust in the Lord. We see the lives of people
change. When Jesus is involved in their
life, when Jesus is that Foundation of their spiritual
life, we see lives change for the better. maybe you've seen
someone that was In sin, maybe whatever it was, maybe it was,
maybe it was drugs. Maybe you've noticed the family
member that was involved with drugs or maybe they were
involved in and living a riotous life or some kind of promiscuity
and whatever it may be. But when Jesus touches their
life, their lives change, it lifts them up out of the Miry
clay and sets their feet on Solid Ground.
Also, when you're touched and changed the world really sees a
difference. I might say that the world
should see a difference. Because we are not of the world,
we're separate and apart from the world.
We can't tell sometimes the difference though for those who
are living in sin and then also called themselves Christians.
But we ought to see that difference.
And when Jesus really touches the heart of man, there is a
difference notice in 2nd Corinthians 5 and verse 17.
Therefore If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature or
a new creation old things are passed away, behold.
All things are become new, Galatians, 6, and verse 15.
For in Christ. Jesus neither circumcision
availeth, anything nor uncircumcision but a new
creature creature. If he's ins foreign verses 22
through 24 that you put off concerning the former
conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the
deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true Holiness, Colossians 3 in verses 1 through
14. If you then be risen with Christ
seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on
the right hand of God, set your affection.
And on things above, not on things on the earth for ye are
dead. And your life is hid with Christ
in God. When Christ, who is our life
shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory
mortify. Therefore, your members which
are upon the Earth fornication, uncleanness inordinate
affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which is
idolatry for which things sake, the wrath of God cometh on the
children of disobedience in the, which he also walked sometime
and you lived in them. But now you also put off all
these Anger wrath, malice blasphemy filthy communication
out of your mouth, Li not one to another scene that you have put
off the old man with his deeds and put on the new man which is
renewed in knowledge. After the image of him that
created him where there is neither Jew, nor Greek
circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian scythian, Bond or
free. But Christ is all and in all put
on therefore as the elect. Act of God, holy and beloved
bowels of mercies kindness. Humbleness of Mind, meekness
long-suffering forbearing one, another and forgiving one,
another, If any man have a quarrel against any even as
Christ, forgave you? So also do ye and above all
these things put on charity, which is the bond of
perfectness. He tells us here in the last
latter part of this these scriptures that we just read
about the things that we should put on in our life.
Taking the old man of sin and putting it off taking it off and
putting on the new man. The new created man with in our
lives, all these things love and mercies and kindness and
humbleness meekness long-suffering.
And we see that the world today doesn't have these traits.
Not that there aren't good people out there because there
are, but it seems like we're bombarded with all these.
Attitudes of selfishness and all these kind of things.
But so when we are touched by Jesus, We are changed with our
attitudes and with our dispositions in life.
And the whole world sees and should see the change in US.
When you're touched and changed your made better on the inside
as well. We change our affections from
things of the world to spiritual things.
Our desires are changed from the desires of the world, and
desires of our own fleshly lust to things that are Godly.
And that we serve, our God. In doing this were made free, we
have a hope and a piece that other men and other people can
understand or changed on the inside notice Romans 6, and
verses 16 through 23 know, ye not that to whom you yield
yourselves, servants to obey his servants.
Ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death, or of
Disobedience and to righteousness.
But God be thanked that ye were the Servants of sin.
But G have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine, which was
delivered. You being then made free from
sin. Ye became the Servants of
righteousness, I speak after the manner of men because of the
infirmity of the of your flesh. For as ye have yielded, your
members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity.
Even. So, now yield your members
servants to righteousness, unto holiness.
For when ye were the Servants of sin, you were free from
righteousness. What fruit had you then in those
things there? Where of you are now ashamed,
for the end of those things is death.
But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, he
have your fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting life for
the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ, Our Lord so, when we are touched, we
are changed on the inside, you know, and Sometimes we've seen
this happened that we worry about folks, and we think that
we need to change the outside first.
Before we change the inside, we need to get them all in line
with what we think the Christian ought to look like and and dress
like and talk like, and all these things.
But the thing is, when the heart is changed, those things do
change. It may take a little while, but
they change. We have to give people the
opportunity to grow. We have to let them learn.
We have to let the word of God sink into their minds and so
they can apply it in their lives.
But eventually when that person is changed on the inside, when
you're touched and changed, you live a better life on the
outside as well. Jesus said, in Matthew 5 and
verse 14, through 16 year or the live, the world, a city that is
set on a hill. Cannot be hid.
Neither do men, light a candle and put it under a bushel, but
on a Candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the
house. Let your light.
So shine before men that they may see your good works and
glorify your father, which is in heaven.
So when Jesus touches the lives of a person, they're changed on
the inside and that cleans us up on the outside as well.
That cleans us up on the outside as well so that others.
See Christ Living in us, we do things differently than we used
to do. We don't do things that we used
to do. And things of that nature or
changed on the outside were made different on the outside.
Also when you're touched and changed, you have a different
Spirit or a different attitude. The spirit that we're talking
about is the Christian Spirit. The spirit of Christ is the
spirit of love and forgiveness Jesus love those loves those who
love him, but he also loves those who hate him.
Until we're trying to live a life.
That is mimicking Christ. We haven't got it all figured
out, we can't just change a couple things we can't just say,
well, I'm not going to drink anymore.
I'm not going to steal anymore or I'm not going to kill anymore
and a, but I'm going to go ahead and go to church and I'm going
to worship and and I'm going to do that.
Isn't that isn't just going to church, isn't what it's all
about. It's much deeper than that.
Unless you have the spirit of Christ in your everyday life, we
have a long ways to go. Notice Philippians 2 and verse 5
5, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ.
Jesus, it's our attitude of how we deal with others and how we
deal with things in our life, Galatians 6, and verse 1.
Paul said Brethren. If a man be overtaken in a
fault, ye which are spiritual restore, such a one in a spirit
of meekness. Considering thyself lest thou
also be tempted how we deal with other people how we deal with
problems in our life. If we've been touched and
changed, we should have the spirit.
We love people, we forgive them, we help them in every way that
we possibly can and leave everything else in God's hands.
When you're touched and changed, you give more.
You know, one of the traits of a good Christian is that they see
not what they need but they see what others need.
They see what others are lacking in their lives, whatever it may
be. Giving their time and their
talent to the, to the benefit of others.
And we should look upon the world as those are folks that
need their soul saved. They're lost.
They're hungry. Maybe for the word of God.
And they need someone maybe just to mention to them the story of
Jesus about what he did for them.
Acts 2 Acts, 20, and verse 35. I have showed you all things.
How that? So laboring, you ought to
support the weak. And to remember the words of the
Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to
receive. Also, when you're touched and
changed, you have a better future waiting for you.
The Christian has a hope of Eternal salvation that those
that are living in the world, don't have it won't count about
how much money you have. How many things you have?
All the pleasurable things that you've done in your life, the
fame, or the power, or the position, whatever it may be,
all those things will not matter on the day when the Lord
returns. But you have a hope.
You have a hope of eternal life which those that are living in
sin and those that are living in the world don't have.
So, when you're touching change, you have a better future waiting
for you. Paul said in second, Timothy 4
in verses 6 through 8 for, I am now ready to be offered and the
time of my departure is at hand, I've fought a good fight, I have
finished. My course, I have kept the faith
henceforth. There is laid up for me a crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall
give me. Me at that day and not to me
only but unto all them also that love his appearing.
What a wonderful thing. When we're touched by Jesus when
he reaches out and touches the heart of man, today they have a
hope we have a hope a hope of Eternity.
Which were so. So thankful for Jesus also said,
Matthew 25 and verse 34 then shall the king say unto them on
his right hand. Come you blessed of my father
inherit the Kingdom prepared for you.
From the foundation of the world.
Also 1st Corinthians 2 and verse 9 Buzz that as it is written eye
hath, Not Seen Nor Ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that
love him. Revelation, 20 21, and verse 2.
And I John saw the holy city. New Jerusalem coming down from
God out of Heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
We can all thank God that he allowed his son to die for us
and that Jesus blood touches us comes in contact with us and
cleanses us from our sin and by doing that, it gives us a hope.
When a person is touched by the blood of Jesus, when he's
touched by the hand of Jesus, we have a hope of eternal life.
We have a hope of something that is beyond our comprehension.
And we live, you know, in a, in a world that seems like today,
you know, where everyone has their personal space.
And you go up and you touch somebody and they say, don't
touch me. You're in my personal space.
We are the ones that allow Jesus to touch us.
We are the ones that allow him to to touch our lives and to
make the changes that need to be made in our lives.
We can tell Jesus, don't touch me.
You're in my personal space and we see this in the world today
where people will stick their fingers in their ear to say.
Basically, I don't want to hear it.
I don't want to hear about your savior.
I don't want to hear about Christ and they can't be touched
with the hand of Jesus because they won't allow it.
But we are the ones that allow Jesus to make the changes in our
life that need to be made Revelation 3 and verse 20,
behold I stand at the door and knock If any man will hear my
voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with
him. And he with me, well, how can I
change? How can Jesus touch me?
Well, that's notice. Romans 6 and versus 76, 17 and
18, but God be thanked that ye were the Servants of sin.
Remember, we read this earlier, but ye have obeyed from the
heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered.
You being then made free from sin.
Ye became the Servants of righteousness of the what is
that form of doctrine that he's talking about here.
You have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine.
To be freed from sin, we have to obey that form and what is it?
We first must first must hear the word of God.
So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
If you're going to allow Jesus to touch your life, you have to
hear his his words. You have to hear the truth that
is taught within his scripture. We also must have faith in what
we've heard. Mark 16 and 16.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he
that believeth not shall be damned.
We have to have faith. Than what we have heard and read
and studied Luke 13 and verse 3. It tells us that we need to
repent. I tell you nay but except ye
repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
And then we must make the confession of our faith.
Confess. The name of Jesus Christ.
In Matthew 10, and verse 32 whosoever, therefore shall
confess me before men, him will? I confess also before my Father,
which is in heaven and then we must be baptized into Christ,
Act 2, and verse 38. Eight, then Peter said, unto
them, repent and be baptized every one of you.
In the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost to have our sins.
Forgiven. We must obey that form of
Doctrine. This is the form of Doctrine.
This is the doctrine, which God and Christ have given us, and
provided us to obey him. Then we must.
Remain faithful, Revelation 2, and verse 10.
Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of
Life. If we have strayed from the path
of righteousness, we have done things wrong.
We must confess our faults confess, your faults, one to
another and pray one. For another that you may be
healed, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man,
availeth much. This is the form of Doctrine.
This is how we allow Jesus to touch our lives, and change our
lives. For the better for the good.
So that we can have a hope of eternal life.
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
would like any additional information or you would like to
receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.
Please email us at info at search of Christ.
Bakersfield.com, our service times are on Sundays at 10:30
a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our
honored guest.