Cry out to God-Touch Him-Give yourself and Dance in the Morning

Cry out to God-Touch Him- Give yourself and Dance in the Morning
July 16, 2006
Psalm 30
Lamentations 3:22-33
2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-14
Mark 5:21-34
Prayer
Lord, use me this day to shout your Word in all places. ? Amen
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
1-Silence
Have you ever experienced silence? I mean total silence. Let?s try?.
(be silent for 30 seconds)
OK- Did you hear silence? ? What did you hear? (ask for responses)
The only time I have come close to total silence was when I was on a hike in the Smokies. I had gone far up into the mountains and sat on a log to pray. I stopped and noticed that all the birds had stopped singing. I listened and listened and couldn?t hear a thing but my own breathing. Then a jet flew overhead and broke that form of silence. But even with this I did not experience silence. Our Psalmist for today is speaking of this type of silence. A silence that takes us close to death- Silent oblivion.
Oblivion- being totally forgotten ? and here we talk about silent oblivion. I think this must have felt like the farthest place from God.
2-Cry
And then we cry. So far from God we cry. What profit is there in my death? Why do I feel so far from God? I need you Lord, so badly! If I die will my dust praise you?
Life is tough sometimes. Look at our hospitals. Look at all the suffering surrounding you this day. Read the newspapers about war- about murder- about death ? about destruction- unemployment ? rape- -- any number of issues.
(show yesterday?s paper- examples- real examples)
We cry to God?why? Why does it have to be this way ? and sometimes we hear silence. Sometimes we can?t hear God. We listen and only hear silence. I think sometimes God falls silent for a very good reason. In Revelation chapter 8 there is mention of silence in heaven for about half an hour. We just experienced 30 seconds?and it really wasn?t silent.
God hears our cry-no doubt ? but sometimes the response is silence- In our cry God will respond- but for now there is silence.
It seems that whenever God falls silent- something big is about to happen- something really big.
Just think of a couple examples- The still small voice of God to Elijah
And my favorite example hearkens back to the song Silent Night- Something big about to happen- things are quiet now ? but just wait?just wait.
3-Reach
But how do I tend to respond to this silence- this oblivion from God? I like so many others reach out- reach out to God- ask the questions- plead my case- reach out to God ? look in his Word- search and search and search ? continue to listen- if only I could touch the edge of his cloak I would be healed---if only- if only!
But I can?t reach him- He is just beyond me reach- I stretch trying to reach him and then something happens.
My Savior draws near- my Savior comes to me- my Savior crosses my path.
You see ? I couldn?t reach him with my own effort. Never could- never will. I can only reach my Savior due to his presence and choosing to come close to me. It?s wonderful. Jesus chooses to come close to us. We can?t reach him- but he lovingly reaches us.
And then?.
4-Touch
And then it happens ? the touch- I touch his cloak ? I hear his voice- I read his Word- The silence is broken- the touch is felt. Healing is coming. Things are changing. Something big is taking place in me. Something big is taking place all around me. That touch!
In Mark ? Jesus was touched by a woman that suffered from bleeding. In Jewish law- this woman?s touch would render Jesus "unclean". And Jesus aware that power had gone out from him questioned who touched his clothes. Imagine the fear this woman had felt. She felt healing yet Jesus wanted to know who touched him. The woman had been living a life declared "unclean" by Jewish law. She had touched Jesus and been healed. But now had she made Jesus unclean too? I don?t think so. So in this touch. This touch of a Savior drawing near enough for the woman to reach out and finally make contact- She is healed.
And in this touch you too can be healed- you too can feel the healing taking place instantly.
This touch of Jesus ? this healing saving touch of my Savior - I am healed- God breaks open the heavens and reaches down- God comes down to us- to save us- to be touched by the filthy- to be touched by the unclean-? God invades our sinful- filthy bloody lives with forgiveness and salvation. You see ? it?s God?s touch in our lives that heals us - we must humble ourselves in God?s presence and feel the touch?feel it deep- deep in the heart of our soul- because God?s touch is from deep within his soul to us- to you to me.
So there it is ? that touch- from the healing power of his Word- the Word made flesh- the Word that dwells among us- the Word that comes close enough for each one of us to be able to reach out and touch- the Word in a Savior Jesus Christ
5-Believe
You see- God will always be close enough for me to reach out and touch- God breaks the silence with something big- God makes something big take place just when I need it- just after the silence that caused me to reach out- in that silence I reach out to God then he is close- so close- close enough that if I have faith in him- healing will occur. If I believe in Jesus healing power with all I have ? I know- I just know it! ? Jesus will heal- Healing that all of us need. Healing that we need from our sinful selves and this sinful world we live in. Healing that brings a joyful freedom.
Jesus told the woman that her faith had made her well?now go! ? Go! ? what a wonderful thing to say- Jesus felt his power go out to this unclean woman- Jesus didn?t become unclean too- his very cleanness instead cleaned the woman- healed the woman ? and freed her from this Jewish law- Instead of Jesus becoming unclean- the woman became clean.
Oh how my Savior turns it all around. Even the Law- My Savior turns it all around. In this faith- In this Savior we are free- we are clean we are given a new command ? Go! ? Go in peace!
6-Give
In this healing I can only respond with giving. Giving myself completely to my Savior. Giving myself first to the Lord. That?s the giving the churches in Macedonia experienced. They gave themselves first to the Lord- Jesus gave up all his riches and became poor, so that you could become rich- So give beyond your means- beg to give and share in ministry- giving that simply flows out of the purposes of God working in your life. Give God?s love and light to each other. Give that touch of God to your neighbor when they need it most. Share the peace of God in that touch- Think back to how we just shared the peace and give that touch ? that comfort- that love- that healing to each other. Give beyond your means- because you are a redeemed child of God- Give it ? and give it freely.
The grace of God is freely given, undeserved favor and forgiveness that God offers through Christ to those who will accept it in faith- it is always to be bestowed- never a human achievement- through what you endure- discover the reality of God?s love and power- it is when faith exact hardship or sacrifice that a hidden treasure is revealed in God?s grace. Give it freely in your world ? today and all week long. From that cry of silent oblivion to this joyful giving we rejoice.

7-Dance
We rejoice and we dance. Now that we have felt the touch- now that we have felt the healing- now that we have felt the forgiveness ? now that we have given ourselves- let?s dance- let?s dance with each other all week long- let?s dance this day the dance of life ? because out of mourning our Savior has allowed us to touch him we have been brought up- restored and joyful dancing comes in the morning of our new lives-
Can?t keep silent now?no way! ? We can?t keep quiet about God- and we can?t thank him enough!
Conclusion
Sometimes you have to reach your lowest point- silent oblivion and cry out to God- Reach out and touch his cloak-Believe with all you have- Give yourself up- And there will be dancing in the morning.
Thanks be to God! ?
Now let?s listen in that silence once again. ? There it is! ? I hear it now! ? I hear life- I hear love- I hear my Savior.
Now let?s share that peace- that love of God- that touch once again- like you all do so well- each and every one. Let?s dance in the joy of the morning!
The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Amen