Sermon

Ep 373 | Touched & Changed - Terry Osburn 7-5-20

Church of Christ - Bakersfield, Ca

Open publisher episode ↗

Publisher transcript

Transcript

View source ↗
  1. The world we live in today is changing.

  2. And you know we wish and we hope and we pray sometimes for things

  3. to go back to the way it was you know a lot of us would say well,

  4. I wish we could live back in the 50s or 60s or 70s or whatever,

  5. you know, times were good. Those were really good times but

  6. sadly, the world has changed in a direction that is getting

  7. farther and farther away from God farther away from spiritual

  8. things, farther away from morality.

  9. And the world is continuing to change.

  10. Sometimes changes happen in our life that are good for us.

  11. We like certain things that make changes in our life, maybe we

  12. can remember something that happened in our life that

  13. changed us. Changed our course in life.

  14. There may have been an event or something that caused us to go

  15. in a different direction than where we were going before and

  16. things that change it, continually maybe in our life

  17. from day to day. The life of a Christian is a

  18. crypt is a is a life of change. And how great it would be for

  19. Christ to change the lives and the attitudes.

  20. And and all the things that we worry about in the world today,

  21. if Christ was in the things that are in the world.

  22. If Christ was part of the decision, making process in the

  23. world, we pray for our leaders, that there might be a change or

  24. a return to more. Excuse me, morality But we see

  25. the world continuing to change in getting farther and farther

  26. away from these things. But when Jesus comes into a

  27. person's life, there is a change that happens when Jesus touches

  28. the, the life of a human, their life changed, we can take from

  29. our text in. Matthew the 8th chapter in

  30. verses 23. We're going to notice several

  31. examples of what happened to people when their lives were

  32. touched by Jesus in Matthew. 8, and 2/3.

  33. And behold there came a leper and worshipped. him saying Lord

  34. if thou wilt thou canst make me clean, And Jesus put forth his

  35. hand and touched him saying, I will be thou clean and

  36. immediately. His leprosy was cleansed.

  37. Notice the blind man in Matthew, 8 and verses 22 through 25.

  38. And behold. And he becometh cometh to

  39. bethsaida and they bring a blind man unto him and besought him to

  40. touch him. And he took the blind man by the

  41. hand and led him out of the town.

  42. And when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands upon him, he

  43. asked him if he saw it. And he looked up and said, I see

  44. men as trees. Walking after that, he put his

  45. hands again upon his eyes and made him look up.

  46. And he was Turned and saw and he was returned and saw every man,

  47. clearly notice the man with a withered limb in Matthew the

  48. 12th chapter verses 10 through 13 and behold.

  49. There was a man which had a withered, had a hand withered,

  50. And verse 13 then he said to the man stretch forth thine hand and

  51. he stretched it forth and it was restored whole like as the

  52. other. How about the Widow and Nan,

  53. Luke 17, verses 11 through 15 and it came to pass the day

    Luke 17:11–15

  54. after that. He went into a city called Nan

  55. and many of his disciples went with him and much people.

  56. Now, when he came to, I to the city of do, the Gate of the city

  57. behold, there was a dead man. Carried out, the only son of his

  58. mother and she was a widow and much people of the city was with

  59. her. And when the Lord saw her, he

  60. had compassion on her and said, to her, weep not and he came and

  61. touched the bear. That is an open coffin and they

  62. that bear him Stood Still. And he said, young, man, I say

  63. unto thee arise and he was and he that was dead set up and

  64. began to speak and he delivered him to his mother.

  65. Jesus touches the lives of men and women.

  66. Today, of course, we don't see the Miracles and we don't

  67. experience the Miracles because the Miracles that were talked

  68. about here in these verses don't happen anymore because they had

  69. a, they had a purpose, but in an illustration, Jesus touches the

  70. hearts of men today and when had their hearts are touched their

  71. lives change completely When you're touched and changed, you

  72. have a deeper Foundation, we notice how buildings are built.

  73. We notice how big skyscrapers are built.

  74. They dig down deep into the Earth and they get down to Solid

  75. Ground and they pour footings and put rebar in it and concrete

  76. and all kinds of things to make a sure and strong Foundation.

  77. They don't build it upon mud, they don't build it upon sand,

  78. but they want to make sure that the foundation is very, very

  79. Wrong. And when a Christian Life is

  80. built, the beginning is not on the outside, but it's on the

  81. inside, it's on the foundation. Within a man's Spirit within his

  82. soul, you have to go much deeper than just the outside.

  83. The foundation is laid Upon Jesus Christ, and if you don't

  84. build on that Foundation, Your spiritual life, will crumble.

  85. You see the world and the denominational World builds

  86. their lives upon other things other than Jesus Christ and his

  87. teaching and God's teaching. And those things will eventually

  88. crumble and fall the time and elements the winds and things of

  89. that nature that come along will cause those things to dissolve

  90. and to be gone and and be destroyed.

  91. But if your life is built upon the solid rock Jesus Christ, it

  92. will stand through the the ages and through eternity.

  93. You know, families must be built upon Christ.

  94. And young people's lives must be built upon Christ.

  95. We see the family crumbling in society today.

  96. It used to be that half of the people who got married.

  97. Their marriages ended in divorce if I remember, right.

  98. I think it's much more than that now.

  99. And people just think of marriage as something as an

  100. agreement for however, long we can get along will just kind of

  101. stick with it. But if it doesn't go right, then

  102. we'll just let it go and go on to something else.

  103. That's not what God intended for the family.

  104. And if the family today is not built upon, Jesus Christ, were

  105. there is something that is completely common between the

  106. two. It will crumble.

  107. It will have problems. It will have trials that come

  108. its way. And so, it is also with young

  109. people when they build their lives, they need to be building

  110. their lives Upon Jesus Christ. Jesus said in Luke 6, and verses

  111. 46 through 49, and why call why call ye me?

  112. Lord Lord, and do not the things which I say, Whosoever cometh to

  113. me and heareth my sayings and doeth them.

  114. I will show you to whom he is like he is like a man which

  115. built in-house and dig deep and laid the foundation on a rock.

  116. And when the flood arose in the Stream, beat vehemently upon the

  117. house and it could not shake it for, it was founded upon a rock.

  118. But he that heareth and do with not is like a man that without a

  119. foundation built a house upon the Earth again which which

  120. Against which the stream did beat vehemently and immediately

  121. it fell and the ruin of the house was great.

  122. Notice also 2nd or 1st Corinthians 3 and verses 10

  123. through 13, according to the grace of God, which is given

  124. unto me as a wise. Masterbuilder, I have laid the

  125. foundation and upon and, and another buildeth thereon, but

  126. let every man, take heed how he buildeth thereon for other

  127. Foundation can no, man, lay than that is laid.

  128. Which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this

  129. Foundation, gold silver, precious stones wood, hay

  130. stubble. Every Man's work shall be made

  131. manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be

  132. revealed by fire and the fire shall try.

  133. Every man's work of what sort it is.

  134. You see time and elements. Make their Mark and Decay on

  135. everything in this world but neither time or anything else.

  136. Can affect that the person that has their life?

  137. Sure. And steadfast in the foundation

  138. of Jesus Christ. Remember that song that says

  139. upon the solid rock? I stand all other ground is

  140. sinking sand. All other ground is sinking

  141. sand. A life that is not built upon.

  142. The strong foundation will be a rock.

  143. That will be a life. That is not sure.

  144. And steadfast notice also, Hebrews 3 and verse 8, Jesus

  145. Christ the same yesterday today and forever.

  146. And we don't have to worry about That Foundation ever crumbling

  147. because it's something that that we can rely on, we can build our

  148. spiritual life on that and not have to worry about anything

  149. else. But when Jesus touches the life,

  150. he lifts us out of the sinking sand and places, our feet on the

  151. Rock and gives us an eternal Foundation.

  152. Notice Psalm 40 in verses 1 through 3, I waited patiently

  153. for the Lord and He inclined, and to me, And heard My Cry.

  154. He brought me up out. Also up out of the horrible pit

  155. out of the Miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established

  156. my goings. And he has put a new song in my

  157. mouth, even praise unto our God. Many shall see it, and fear and

  158. she'll trust in the Lord. We see the lives of people

  159. change. When Jesus is involved in their

  160. life, when Jesus is that Foundation of their spiritual

  161. life, we see lives change for the better. maybe you've seen

  162. someone that was In sin, maybe whatever it was, maybe it was,

  163. maybe it was drugs. Maybe you've noticed the family

  164. member that was involved with drugs or maybe they were

  165. involved in and living a riotous life or some kind of promiscuity

  166. and whatever it may be. But when Jesus touches their

  167. life, their lives change, it lifts them up out of the Miry

  168. clay and sets their feet on Solid Ground.

  169. Also, when you're touched and changed the world really sees a

  170. difference. I might say that the world

  171. should see a difference. Because we are not of the world,

  172. we're separate and apart from the world.

  173. We can't tell sometimes the difference though for those who

  174. are living in sin and then also called themselves Christians.

  175. But we ought to see that difference.

  176. And when Jesus really touches the heart of man, there is a

  177. difference notice in 2nd Corinthians 5 and verse 17.

  178. Therefore If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature or

  179. a new creation old things are passed away, behold.

  180. All things are become new, Galatians, 6, and verse 15.

  181. For in Christ. Jesus neither circumcision

  182. availeth, anything nor uncircumcision but a new

  183. creature creature. If he's ins foreign verses 22

  184. through 24 that you put off concerning the former

  185. conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the

  186. deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

  187. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in

  188. righteousness and true Holiness, Colossians 3 in verses 1 through

  189. 14. If you then be risen with Christ

  190. seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on

  191. the right hand of God, set your affection.

  192. And on things above, not on things on the earth for ye are

  193. dead. And your life is hid with Christ

  194. in God. When Christ, who is our life

  195. shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory

  196. mortify. Therefore, your members which

  197. are upon the Earth fornication, uncleanness inordinate

  198. affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which is

  199. idolatry for which things sake, the wrath of God cometh on the

  200. children of disobedience in the, which he also walked sometime

  201. and you lived in them. But now you also put off all

  202. these Anger wrath, malice blasphemy filthy communication

  203. out of your mouth, Li not one to another scene that you have put

  204. off the old man with his deeds and put on the new man which is

  205. renewed in knowledge. After the image of him that

  206. created him where there is neither Jew, nor Greek

  207. circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian scythian, Bond or

  208. free. But Christ is all and in all put

  209. on therefore as the elect. Act of God, holy and beloved

  210. bowels of mercies kindness. Humbleness of Mind, meekness

  211. long-suffering forbearing one, another and forgiving one,

  212. another, If any man have a quarrel against any even as

  213. Christ, forgave you? So also do ye and above all

  214. these things put on charity, which is the bond of

  215. perfectness. He tells us here in the last

  216. latter part of this these scriptures that we just read

  217. about the things that we should put on in our life.

  218. Taking the old man of sin and putting it off taking it off and

  219. putting on the new man. The new created man with in our

  220. lives, all these things love and mercies and kindness and

  221. humbleness meekness long-suffering.

  222. And we see that the world today doesn't have these traits.

  223. Not that there aren't good people out there because there

  224. are, but it seems like we're bombarded with all these.

  225. Attitudes of selfishness and all these kind of things.

  226. But so when we are touched by Jesus, We are changed with our

  227. attitudes and with our dispositions in life.

  228. And the whole world sees and should see the change in US.

  229. When you're touched and changed your made better on the inside

  230. as well. We change our affections from

  231. things of the world to spiritual things.

  232. Our desires are changed from the desires of the world, and

  233. desires of our own fleshly lust to things that are Godly.

  234. And that we serve, our God. In doing this were made free, we

  235. have a hope and a piece that other men and other people can

  236. understand or changed on the inside notice Romans 6, and

  237. verses 16 through 23 know, ye not that to whom you yield

  238. yourselves, servants to obey his servants.

  239. Ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death, or of

  240. Disobedience and to righteousness.

  241. But God be thanked that ye were the Servants of sin.

  242. But G have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine, which was

  243. delivered. You being then made free from

  244. sin. Ye became the Servants of

  245. righteousness, I speak after the manner of men because of the

  246. infirmity of the of your flesh. For as ye have yielded, your

  247. members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity.

  248. Even. So, now yield your members

  249. servants to righteousness, unto holiness.

  250. For when ye were the Servants of sin, you were free from

  251. righteousness. What fruit had you then in those

  252. things there? Where of you are now ashamed,

  253. for the end of those things is death.

  254. But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, he

  255. have your fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting life for

  256. the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal

  257. life through Jesus Christ, Our Lord so, when we are touched, we

  258. are changed on the inside, you know, and Sometimes we've seen

  259. this happened that we worry about folks, and we think that

  260. we need to change the outside first.

  261. Before we change the inside, we need to get them all in line

  262. with what we think the Christian ought to look like and and dress

  263. like and talk like, and all these things.

  264. But the thing is, when the heart is changed, those things do

  265. change. It may take a little while, but

  266. they change. We have to give people the

  267. opportunity to grow. We have to let them learn.

  268. We have to let the word of God sink into their minds and so

  269. they can apply it in their lives.

  270. But eventually when that person is changed on the inside, when

  271. you're touched and changed, you live a better life on the

  272. outside as well. Jesus said, in Matthew 5 and

  273. verse 14, through 16 year or the live, the world, a city that is

  274. set on a hill. Cannot be hid.

  275. Neither do men, light a candle and put it under a bushel, but

  276. on a Candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the

  277. house. Let your light.

  278. So shine before men that they may see your good works and

  279. glorify your father, which is in heaven.

  280. So when Jesus touches the lives of a person, they're changed on

  281. the inside and that cleans us up on the outside as well.

  282. That cleans us up on the outside as well so that others.

  283. See Christ Living in us, we do things differently than we used

  284. to do. We don't do things that we used

  285. to do. And things of that nature or

  286. changed on the outside were made different on the outside.

  287. Also when you're touched and changed, you have a different

  288. Spirit or a different attitude. The spirit that we're talking

  289. about is the Christian Spirit. The spirit of Christ is the

  290. spirit of love and forgiveness Jesus love those loves those who

  291. love him, but he also loves those who hate him.

  292. Until we're trying to live a life.

  293. That is mimicking Christ. We haven't got it all figured

  294. out, we can't just change a couple things we can't just say,

  295. well, I'm not going to drink anymore.

  296. I'm not going to steal anymore or I'm not going to kill anymore

  297. and a, but I'm going to go ahead and go to church and I'm going

  298. to worship and and I'm going to do that.

  299. Isn't that isn't just going to church, isn't what it's all

  300. about. It's much deeper than that.

  301. Unless you have the spirit of Christ in your everyday life, we

  302. have a long ways to go. Notice Philippians 2 and verse 5

  303. 5, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ.

  304. Jesus, it's our attitude of how we deal with others and how we

  305. deal with things in our life, Galatians 6, and verse 1.

  306. Paul said Brethren. If a man be overtaken in a

  307. fault, ye which are spiritual restore, such a one in a spirit

  308. of meekness. Considering thyself lest thou

  309. also be tempted how we deal with other people how we deal with

  310. problems in our life. If we've been touched and

  311. changed, we should have the spirit.

  312. We love people, we forgive them, we help them in every way that

  313. we possibly can and leave everything else in God's hands.

  314. When you're touched and changed, you give more.

  315. You know, one of the traits of a good Christian is that they see

  316. not what they need but they see what others need.

  317. They see what others are lacking in their lives, whatever it may

  318. be. Giving their time and their

  319. talent to the, to the benefit of others.

  320. And we should look upon the world as those are folks that

  321. need their soul saved. They're lost.

  322. They're hungry. Maybe for the word of God.

  323. And they need someone maybe just to mention to them the story of

  324. Jesus about what he did for them.

  325. Acts 2 Acts, 20, and verse 35. I have showed you all things.

  326. How that? So laboring, you ought to

  327. support the weak. And to remember the words of the

  328. Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to

  329. receive. Also, when you're touched and

  330. changed, you have a better future waiting for you.

  331. The Christian has a hope of Eternal salvation that those

  332. that are living in the world, don't have it won't count about

  333. how much money you have. How many things you have?

  334. All the pleasurable things that you've done in your life, the

  335. fame, or the power, or the position, whatever it may be,

  336. all those things will not matter on the day when the Lord

  337. returns. But you have a hope.

  338. You have a hope of eternal life which those that are living in

  339. sin and those that are living in the world don't have.

  340. So, when you're touching change, you have a better future waiting

  341. for you. Paul said in second, Timothy 4

  342. in verses 6 through 8 for, I am now ready to be offered and the

  343. time of my departure is at hand, I've fought a good fight, I have

  344. finished. My course, I have kept the faith

  345. henceforth. There is laid up for me a crown

  346. of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall

  347. give me. Me at that day and not to me

  348. only but unto all them also that love his appearing.

  349. What a wonderful thing. When we're touched by Jesus when

  350. he reaches out and touches the heart of man, today they have a

  351. hope we have a hope a hope of Eternity.

  352. Which were so. So thankful for Jesus also said,

  353. Matthew 25 and verse 34 then shall the king say unto them on

  354. his right hand. Come you blessed of my father

  355. inherit the Kingdom prepared for you.

  356. From the foundation of the world.

  357. Also 1st Corinthians 2 and verse 9 Buzz that as it is written eye

  358. hath, Not Seen Nor Ear heard, neither have entered into the

  359. heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that

  360. love him. Revelation, 20 21, and verse 2.

  361. And I John saw the holy city. New Jerusalem coming down from

  362. God out of Heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

  363. We can all thank God that he allowed his son to die for us

  364. and that Jesus blood touches us comes in contact with us and

  365. cleanses us from our sin and by doing that, it gives us a hope.

  366. When a person is touched by the blood of Jesus, when he's

  367. touched by the hand of Jesus, we have a hope of eternal life.

  368. We have a hope of something that is beyond our comprehension.

  369. And we live, you know, in a, in a world that seems like today,

  370. you know, where everyone has their personal space.

  371. And you go up and you touch somebody and they say, don't

  372. touch me. You're in my personal space.

  373. We are the ones that allow Jesus to touch us.

  374. We are the ones that allow him to to touch our lives and to

  375. make the changes that need to be made in our lives.

  376. We can tell Jesus, don't touch me.

  377. You're in my personal space and we see this in the world today

  378. where people will stick their fingers in their ear to say.

  379. Basically, I don't want to hear it.

  380. I don't want to hear about your savior.

  381. I don't want to hear about Christ and they can't be touched

  382. with the hand of Jesus because they won't allow it.

  383. But we are the ones that allow Jesus to make the changes in our

  384. life that need to be made Revelation 3 and verse 20,

  385. behold I stand at the door and knock If any man will hear my

  386. voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with

  387. him. And he with me, well, how can I

  388. change? How can Jesus touch me?

  389. Well, that's notice. Romans 6 and versus 76, 17 and

  390. 18, but God be thanked that ye were the Servants of sin.

  391. Remember, we read this earlier, but ye have obeyed from the

  392. heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered.

  393. You being then made free from sin.

  394. Ye became the Servants of righteousness of the what is

  395. that form of doctrine that he's talking about here.

  396. You have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine.

  397. To be freed from sin, we have to obey that form and what is it?

  398. We first must first must hear the word of God.

  399. So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

  400. If you're going to allow Jesus to touch your life, you have to

  401. hear his his words. You have to hear the truth that

  402. is taught within his scripture. We also must have faith in what

  403. we've heard. Mark 16 and 16.

  404. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he

  405. that believeth not shall be damned.

  406. We have to have faith. Than what we have heard and read

  407. and studied Luke 13 and verse 3. It tells us that we need to

  408. repent. I tell you nay but except ye

  409. repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

  410. And then we must make the confession of our faith.

  411. Confess. The name of Jesus Christ.

  412. In Matthew 10, and verse 32 whosoever, therefore shall

  413. confess me before men, him will? I confess also before my Father,

  414. which is in heaven and then we must be baptized into Christ,

  415. Act 2, and verse 38. Eight, then Peter said, unto

  416. them, repent and be baptized every one of you.

  417. In the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you

  418. shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost to have our sins.

  419. Forgiven. We must obey that form of

  420. Doctrine. This is the form of Doctrine.

  421. This is the doctrine, which God and Christ have given us, and

  422. provided us to obey him. Then we must.

  423. Remain faithful, Revelation 2, and verse 10.

  424. Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of

  425. Life. If we have strayed from the path

  426. of righteousness, we have done things wrong.

  427. We must confess our faults confess, your faults, one to

  428. another and pray one. For another that you may be

  429. healed, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man,

  430. availeth much. This is the form of Doctrine.

  431. This is how we allow Jesus to touch our lives, and change our

  432. lives. For the better for the good.

  433. So that we can have a hope of eternal life.

  434. We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the

  435. Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you

  436. would like any additional information or you would like to

  437. receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.

  438. Please email us at info at search of Christ.

  439. Bakersfield.com, our service times are on Sundays at 10:30

  440. a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.

  441. Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our

  442. honored guest.