January 24, 2016 - Carter Conlon - When Society Begs Jesus To Touch His Church

when society begs Jesus to touch his church from Mark Gospel of Mark chapter 8 if you have your Bible with you I'd appreciate if you could follow along the Father I thank you Lord with all my heart for the anointing of your Holy Spirit I thank you God with everything in me Lord that you are always speaking you are never silent no matter the situation that we are facing or the day we're living and you are always speaking and even more so as the day of your coming approaches and so father I ask you for an anointing of the Holy Spirit to touch my physical body give me strength to deliver this message and touch those who have come in online and are here physically in this sanctuary to hear it God change us move us forward into something that you have for us as your people in this time in which we are living help us Lord to be doers and not just hearers of your word god help us to open our hearts to you in a new way lord I thank you with all of my heart in Jesus name mark chapter 8 beginning at verse 22 then he that's being Jesus of course then he came to Bethsaida and they brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him so 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 on him he asked him if he saw anything and he looked up that's the blind man and said I see men like trees walking then he put his hands on his eyes again and made him look up and he was restored and saw everyone clearly then he sent up a way to his house saying neither go into the town nor tell anyone in the town now Bethsaida the name b'seder means house of hunting or fishing it was a particularly in a type of work that would benefit all of society their work in a sense provided food for many people outside of their borders it's it's it's a type of the church masse that you and I are are digging into the Word of God we are growing daily in grace as the Bible says as we behold Christ we're being changed from image to image and glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord and this nourishment that we bring out of the word of God enables us to strengthen our society that's the purpose of the church it's the testimony of the church it's why the Church of Jesus Christ is in the world if it was only about salvation then Jesus would save us and just take us all home immediately but he leaves us here because we are the light of this world it's Christ in us that becomes that like we have the Word of Life the disciples Philip Andrew Peter James and John all came from Masada now interestingly when you read the story it was the people who brought this man to Jesus and we presume that this man became blind while living there you know as his healing began to happen it appears to us that he already knew what man and what trees looked like so we can draw the assumption that he was a man at one time he could see but for whatever reason over the course of his life in the Seita he lost his sight and one of the expositors of this particular passage of scripture that I read says that the inhabitants of this place were notorious for their impenitence in their unbelief their behaviors their disregard of the things of God they were they were known for this and the scene reminds me of the days described by Jesus in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 12 where he said because lawlessness will abound the love of many will grow cold because Society will get so dark that the love in my heart and your heart for people the work of God for winning the lost for even even sharing it bringing that nurture to them will grow cold we will we will draw back as the people of God and we will draw back into preserving ourselves trying to keep our own joy alive and we will lose the vision the passion for the work that God's given us on the earth the passion of course is to win the loss to Him to be a living testimony of the goodness of our God to to be a display of the Christ who went to a cross and a display of the reason why he went to a cross say a people who are given Paul says to the Corinthian church for the needs of others but because of the lawlessness because of the vileness because of the amount of evil becoming good and good becoming evil there can be a revulsion comes into the hearts of even the most sincere of God's people and in that in that revulsion of what society is becoming we draw back and in a sense we've become blind to our purpose on the earth we start looking at other things we start looking at comforts for ourselves we start whatever vision we have is focused on something other than what God left us here to do and we become actually blind to our purpose on the earth you know that passage speaks to me about this about the danger of where we are and how we can lose our sight partially or in some cases we can lose our sight entirely but even in places like this there are moments in history when God visits again you see Jesus himself was in basada but the people there probably didn't fully understand some did but many didn't fully understand who he was but it's a moment when fallen society itself is literally begging the son of God to touch us again and to show them the pathway back to life it says they took it they brought a blind man to Jesus and begged him to touch him and when when there's a collective groan starts to happen in society it's a type of this it's it's people crying out to God and they're saying show me the waise show me the way I don't know the way to life I don't know the way out of despair and addiction and hopelessness and my marriage is breaking apart I don't know how to bring healing I don't know how to connect with you got it I don't know and in a sense I feel in my spirit that society itself is is bringing with its cry it's bringing the church it's bringing you Society is bringing me again to the Son of God and saying we beg you to touch your church again we beg you to give your people vision one more time we beg you to do something so that we might know the way out of this darkness in this hopeless situation that we we find ourselves in even when in the Book of Jonah when Jonah took a trip far away from the purpose of God for his life even then the captain the ship master came down to Jonah and challenged him to wake up he said call out to you God because we're perishing and who knows but that God will answer you and save us and I can hear this collective groan in this generation we're living in they don't know what they're asking for but they're they know instinctively that the answer should be in the church it should be in the house of God and and so I feel in my heart that the the unsaved those like those in vicita who infamous in a sense for their their behavior and their lack of faith are calling out to Jesus to touch his church one more time for their sakes they don't fully understand it they can't fully realize what they're crying out for but that's what they're asking God to do would you please touch your church would you please touch those who are called by your name would you give them sight not only for their sakes but for our sake there is a collective cry again I believe going out across this nation in verse 23 says he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of town in other words Christ is saying I want to take you away from all around you that has contributed to the loss of your vision I want to touch you and let you see again I want to take you outside of what has discouraged you I want to take you outside of what has disheartened you I want to take you away from what took away your vision I want to take you into a secret place just you and me Jesus says and in that place I want to touch you in a way like you've never known perhaps in all of your life and says he took him by the hand and led him out of town and the interesting thing is I believe the blind man began to see even before he could see and he began to understand that even though he was in a disadvantaged condition himself that he had not escaped the attention of the Son of God rather the full attention of Jesus in his time of need was completely and only on him in other words he could see or he saw his own value in the sight of God before he could physically see and that's something the Lord will do for every one of his children when you and I feel like we're all alone were in a time of isolation when the Lord seems to lead us away from everything that occupied our time everything that we're familiar with he takes us into this unfamiliar place but we become aware that we are the full focus of his attention I want you to know that today I want you to know everybody who's been let out of town in this season that we're in right now that you are the full focus of the attention of the Son of God he is speaking just to you to do something in your life and even though you might be aware of your feelings you may be aware that you haven't prayed the way you should you haven't been living the way you should maybe you're aware that you're left on the earth to be a testimony of the mercy of God but you your life has been fruitless largely fruitless for in some cases for many years and you might be a man or woman and says I don't see the reason for my life I don't see the purpose for my life I see the promises of God or at least I used to but somewhere along the and I lost my vision somewhere along the line I ceased to believe that God could use me I ceased to believe that God could make a difference through my life I ceased to even care somewhere along the line I lost the passion of God for the lost and they walked by me every day and I don't care I'm more interested in looking at the buildings in New York City in the trees than the people if I were to leave New York City if I'm visiting people would say when I get home what did you see in New York City and and folks you're in trouble if all you can talk about is trees and buildings and yellow cab cars and flashing lights because all of those things are going to pass away it's only the people in the streets that are eternal and if you and I are children of God our eyes have got to be open to what really matters again and it's only God that has the power to touch us and give us that vision and in order to do it he will take you and I into a place that we're not familiar with technically speaking he will take us by the hand and take us out of town I've been there I know what that feels like then he does something very unusual he spit on his eyes and put his hands on him and asked him if he saw anything Jesus when he spit on the eyes of this man I believe in type at least it means that it shows us that it's by my mouth is by that which comes from the mouth of God that you have the power to renew your vision it's a time it's a season where we simply get back to the promises of God with a humble heart and say Lord I'm not where I should be and I'm not doing what I feel I'm called to do and I'm not bearing fruit for your kingdom like I ought to somewhere along the line I went blind but Oh God the words of your mouth have the power to give me back my vision the words of your mouth have the power to keep me alive in the spirit the words of your mouth have the power of God to help me to see what ordinary men can't see and those outside the kingdom of God can't see the words of your mouth have the power to give me a renewed vision for my life to see what my life is supposed to be and what my life can be if I will let you continue to speak to and not only did he spit on his eyes and says but he put his hands on him he touched him the touch of God has the power not only to restore our vision but to renew within us the heart that needs to go with it it's not enough that I just see the lost all of a sudden I need a heart to go with what I see that's why he doesn't just touch the man's eyes but he puts his hands on him and I can see him putting his hands perhaps on his chest and saying by my power within you not only will I give you vision again but I'll give you a heart I'll give you heart how folks if you if you've lost the heart of what being a Christian is all about let him lead you out of town again let him touch you in a new way let let let your life become the principal focus of the Son of God let him touch you in a way like he never has before and then he said to him do you see something do you see any what do you see now and then he said I see men like trees walking in other words I see people I suppose to the extent that I can see them unless God helps me to see them in a different way I never used to see the people I used to see the trees and I used to see the buildings and I used to see the lights and I used to see the entertainment I used to see the restaurants but now I see the people but I don't see them as much more than the trees in the buildings but at least now I see them but then he does something incredible he said I put his hands on his eyes again and this time he made him look up I think it was I want you to see something that you've lost sight of I want you to look up beyond the buildings and beyond the trees and even beyond the people and I want you to see something God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved I want you to see your purpose I want you to understand why I'm touching you again I want you to know why I'm putting my heart back inside of you as my church I want you to know why I'm going to give you vision and revive you one more time because I so loved the world God so loved the world he gave His only begotten Son and might I add to that verse if God would allow me God so loved the world that he left you and I hear God so loved the world that he left us as a visible testimony of not only who he is but of the passion of his heart for every soul created in the image of God advantaged and disadvantaged educated uneducated rich and poor living in a palace and living on the street every soul equally valuable in the sight of Almighty God who died for every one of them I want you to see my heart I want you to see the passion of the work that I've entrusted to you on this earth I want you to understand that it's all about the lost everything is about winning the lost out of an eternal hell and into a place where they're going to dwell with God for all of eternity he made him look up I love that he touched his eyes again and made him look up and he was restored the scripture says and he saw everyone clearly that's what I'm praying for for myself and for you and for this church is that God would you revive us again God would you touch us again would you give us a renewed vision would just show us things to come would you help us to see the value of every soul every created in the image of God would you give us a heart that makes us unable because of love to back away in fear from the message that you have placed within us for others would you help us to speak when we need to and to reach out where we ought to would you God Almighty give us that inner strength that can only come from the Holy Spirit of God and says then he sent him away in verse 26 to his house saying neither go into the town no tell it to nor tell anyone in the town a lot of people have been perplexed by this verse for many years but I see something in it you see the man had just experienced a miracle they had brought him to Jesus for a miracle and folks when God begins to do the miraculous that can become everybody's focus during the prayer meetings that we've had recently in this church I've heard in the last week of two phenomenal astounding miracles that God has done here one young lady with type 3 cancer was completely stage 3 cancer was completely healed of her cancer by the power of God another young lady that works for us had broken a bone in her hand and it was already x-rayed it was already diagnosed she was going went in to get an MRI to determine what kind of a surgery they were going to perform because this needed to be surgically fixed when she went in last week to get the MRI there was no break in the bone whatsoever it had completely healed by the power of God and she told me she said I felt in one of the prayer services God actually speak to my heart and tell me I've healed you and you see here's the point we can't let the focus turn to just healing we can't run immediately back into town and say I I was blind and I can see and everybody just simply looks at the blind man who now can see and they start running just for the and they start running just for the miracles here's what I feel the Lord was saying don't run back to town and let the focus just be on your physical healings if I start healing the sick in your myths if I start doing the miraculous don't let that become your focus but let the love that I've now put in your heart for every person you meet that that be your focus let that be the testimony of what God has done for you Jesus was not telling this man never to go back to town but don't run now because if you run that would be just all about the miracles and nobody's life will be changed everybody will run to the house just to get some kind of a supernatural touch from God but they will fail to understand the full mission and ministry that I'm placed upon my church let your life become the answer for the deepest cry in the hearts of the people where you live remember they brought this man to Jesus and begged Jesus to touch him and that touch on your life and that touch on my life is evidenced by a renewed passion for not only Christ but a renewed passion for the work of God and for the lost in our society let that be the reason you go back to town let it not just be about the fact that you were blind but now you see but let it be about what you see let it your message not just be about your eyes let it mess the message be about the incredible value you now see in every soul that God sets before you let that be your message let that be what God does through your life I believe with all my heart that we are living in a season of spiritual awakening I believe with all my heart that society itself is begging God to do something they're not necessarily doing it collectively but they're doing it when they're alone at night they're doing it when they're sighing on the sub they're doing it when they're crying in their cars and they don't even know what they're doing they don't know what the purpose is but what they're really doing is they're bringing a blinded church to the Savior and saying please we beg you to touch your house again we beg you to cause your people to live and see us and to see our Worth and to see our value we beg you to open the eyes of those who once fished and hunted and brought provision to us but somewhere along the line they've lost their sight we beg you God to touch them that's what the cry is all about they don't really articulate it that way but that's really what's coming from the hearts for where do they go if we're not alive what message will they hear when they get there if people start running to the church so they're just going to come into a place that's just flatlined we're all nobody sees them nobody nobody moves towards their pain nobody offers them a seat and opening puts their hand on the shoulder to pray nobody sees them as of being any worse or of any value that's what God has to touch his church first that's why it's got to be you and me that's why God has taken his church out of town that's why that's why we're not in town today we're out of town most of Times Square Church is out of town it's not about a snow storm it's something deeper than that God is touching us again God is bringing us back to life God is giving us vision God is showing us as a people what really matters New York City with all its lights and its sandcastles is going to be gone to the wind one day there'll be nothing left of this the only thing left of the people walking in the streets when I go to Central Park I don't want to come home with a report about the trees I've heard that many times over the years did you go to Central Park oh I did what did you see all the trees are phenomenal I don't want to just see trees I want to see the people in the park I want to see the eternal value of every soul I want to be moved by the compassion of God and the love of God that casts the fear out of my heart I'm speaking to people about a God who loves them I want the priority of my life to be brought back into focus and I don't want to go back into town until I see people the way God is touching me to see them that's why the church is out of town praise be to God praise be to God praise be to God God knew this day was going to come God knew it on Thursday that the church would not be able to meet today most everybody here our visitors and thank God for you God knew the time skirt church would be at home today my challenge to you the congregation of this church and those that join with us online every week is to let God touch you let this message go so deep within your heart that when you come back to town it's going to be all about others it's gonna be about the people and the work of God that's what revival is all about revival is God bringing us back into focus again giving us back our eyes giving us back his heart thank you Jesus thank you lord I want to sing a song that the Lord gave me years ago he was sitting in my kitchen probably 30 years ago now I guess have my guitar and I just started to worship he gave me a song and I never ever want that song to leave my heart but I want it to increase for the sake of others it's a song called I Love You Jesus I'm gonna ask people online to sing with us too as well today and those that are here in the sanctuary we're gonna stand to sing it together and if if you feel that God brought you here to renew you if you feel that God brought you here today to give you strength that you need to serve Him and to love him if you feel that God brought you here from out of town so that when you go back to your town or your city that you're going to have you want to have a deeper passion for the of God you want a deeper love for the lost you want to go all the way with God and you want his purposes alone to be fulfilled in your heart if that's the cry of your heart I'm gonna ask you to when we stand just come and join me at the front of this auditorium and we're gonna take a moment just to pray together and ask God to do that very thing please don't be ashamed just get up when we stand and just move to the front then we'll pray together we'll believe God that he will hear and he'll answer the cry of your heart let's stand together please and we're gonna sing this song together I love you love you love you Jesus [Music] and I praise your Holy Name [Music] you are the Alpha and Omega [Music] you're the first the last the same I love you jeez [Music] now praise your holy day you are the Alpha and Omega [Music] the first the last assay you left them high and you on the tree you died for seniors just like me I raised my horse with a cry [Music] little scarred hands of God you let them hang and you on the tree [Music] God procedures just like me I raised my horse up with raha your nail scarred hands a dry [Music] I love you love you love you Jesus [Music] praise your Holy Name [Music] you are the Alpha [Music] the first was the last assay I love you Jesus I love you love you [Music] praise your Holy Name [Music] you are the Alpha and Omega the first is the last the same you let them hang you on a tree thank you God you you are the tree [Music] diverse ears just like me I raised my voice up with a bra you're near sky hands and dry you let them hang you on a tree let's sing that again you let them hang you on the tree you died for sinners just like me I raised my voice up with a crowd [Music] you're nail-scarred hands are dry you know I want you to know everybody in the sanctuary today I want you to know that Jesus loves you with a love that you can't even begin to understand until you allow your heart to be open to it and say Lord I'm asking you to touch my heart again with an awareness of how much you love me and I want you to put that love so deep in me that I lose the fear because remember the Bible says a perfect love casts out fear I want you to put that love in my heart so deep that I I'm no longer afraid to talk to others about you but I would be moved by your love for them perfect love casts out fear I'd be moved by your love for people to tell them just that Jesus this Lord that you love them and to show them that you love God that you would move my heart especially now when people are crying out in the darkness for light now father I pray God for my brothers and sisters at this altar who have come from this city or maybe other countries Lord they've come they're visiting this church today and I pray God that the deep cry of their heart has been met that that as they return home that not be the same again to be changed and for those of us in the city Lord I pray God for all of us Lord then Lord give us a harvest of souls in this generation by the thousands bring them into the house of God give us the courage to love them as confused and dark as many may be give us the courage Lord just to be there for them and to love them come help us God as you begin to heal and do miraculous things in our midst to not focus just on those things but to focus on that which is greater than all of these things the value of one soul the value of one life the value God that you showed us and leading one blind man out of town and spending so much time with him thank you Lord for knowing that we are loved that you care that you haven't forgotten us and you're not upset with us Lord you love us you love us Lord you love us you love us make us aware of that God make us aware of our incredible value in your sight so that we can tell others what we know about ourselves go father a thank you for this with all my heart thank you for the snowstorm thank you God for using it to bring us here today God thank you Lord we bless you God with all of our heart Lord we thank you thank you Jesus thank you Jesus I see a lot of Tears here this morning I just encourage you at the altar just to spend time with the Lord there's no rush there's nowhere to go anyway spend time with God just pray it through just pray it through talk to him until you know that he's answered your prayer talk to him until you know you've you found the strength that you need there's no rush pray together we'll we'll just keep the music going for a little bit longer and we'll sing a little bit and David's gonna lead us in some worship and as he does and thank you David for coming in thank you for making the effort to get here today thank God for Harry rah sound guys brother chooks god bless you good to see you praise the Lord father just we bless you we bless you Lord I don't know what else to say we bless your Lord you've been so good to us go we thank you when you bring us back together as a church Lord God may we be so transformed may the love of Heaven be so filling our souls O God that we'll never be the same again give us the eyes to see people Lord give us the eyes to see people the way you see them that's our cry that's our prayer we bless you for answering that in Jesus name

Channel: Times Square Church

Views: 10,038

Rating: 4.9796953 out of 5

Keywords: Carter Conlon, Sermon, Times Square Church

Id: tB1cr75-ghk

Length: 36min 4sec (2164 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 29 2016