The Touch of the Masters Hand
I’ve have been wanting to share
with our people on a Sunday night some truths regarding the reaching out and
just touching the greatness of the Word that God has made available and how efficacious
this Word really becomes to us in life.
The word touch is a very significant word used in the Word of God on a
number of different occasions and in a number of different ways. But when I think of touching and reaching out
for Christ and the answers to life, it’s an outreach, to touch is an outreach
for aid. It’s an outreach for joy, it’s an outreach for peace. It’s an outreach to get the answers, to find
out exactly where it is and how I can receive it. I think of it also as the touch like a child
reaching out for it’s mother. And you’ve seen it, you hold out your hand
and the little child reaches out for it.
Or you have the little child in your arms and the child reaches out for
whatever you got in your other hand, sometimes for your glasses, hair, necktie
or a few other little things. So tonight we’re just going to spend a little
time working the Word on the word ‘touch’.
And in Hebrews, I want to begin. In chapter 4, and in verse 12.
For the word of God [and the word word is the word logos meaning revealed word of God] is quick [meaning living] and powerful [the word powerful is the word energetic] and sharper than [sharper above any two edged sword. The Word of God is sharper. Well, if the Word of God is sharper, it’s going to be sharp. Even better than Wilkinson sword. Or Gillette or anything else. Sharper than any two edged razor blade. Look how sharp it is] piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, [and ladies and gentlemen, that medically is an impossibility]. There is no medical man, no scientist, there is nobody in the whole physiological field, medicine that can separate joint and marrow. It’s an impossibility. Look at that Scripture and it will turn you on. The Word of God is living, not something that died with Methuselah. That’s right. And the Word of God is energetic even to the end that this Word of God can divide joints and marrow. Do you know what it’s saying? That this Word of God is so sharp, so fantastic that something the world could never do, God’s Word can do for us. Isn’t that beautiful? You bet your life and is a discerner [the word discerner is a critic] - it comes from the word that the English word critic comes from. If the Word is the critic of the thoughts and the intents of the heart (mind is the text). It’s this word. You know it’s interesting to me that mankind is going to be judged by the same word in which he sits in judgment of today. Man sits in judgment of the Word. And you’ll hear men say, well, I don’t believe that Word. It’s a bunch of baloney. But the Word says that someday, man is going to be judged by the same word that today he sits in judgment of. The Thomas Paynes have come and gone, the Word of God is still here. That’s right. The critics can take a crack at the book, but taking a crack at the book doesn’t invalidate the authenticity or the power of it. No more so than grabbing a handful of mud in the middle of August, or any other time too, I guess. When the sun is blazingly hot, and you take a handful of mud and you want to cool it a little and you want to throw the mud on the sun so it’s not as hot. You don’t get any mud on the sun honey, you get it on yourself. That’s the Word of God. Amen. Men take a crack at God’s Word. They think it’s a baloney trip, they do not believe that it fits and works with a mathematical exactness and so forth. And therefore, they are always criticizing the Word. When the Bible says, it’s the Word that’s the critic of a man. Even to the end that it can separate that which nobody else could even begin to touch.
Note:
To
make Hebrews 4: 12 easier for you to understand, I will write it out as it is
stated in your King James version word for word.
For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. -- Hebrews 4: 12
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. -- Hebrews 5: 13
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession [confession is the text]. -- Hebrews 5: 14
The critics say the Word is wrong. The Word says it’s the critic of the critic. They omit the words Jesus the Son of so that they can propound the error that Jesus Christ is God. Jesus the son of -- does He mean what He says, does He say what He means? God ought to know who His son was, I know mine. Because of this let us hold fast, hold fast, don’t cop out, don’t flip, don’t blow it. Hold fast our profession It says in King James - the text reads confession. Hold fast to your confession. Go to verse 15.
For
we have not an high priest which [who] cannot [here it is who cannot be touched] be touched with the feelings of our infirmities;
[that then says he can be touched, so put that touch on him. Sure.
We talk about putting touch on people, how about trying God? It says He can be touched ….. but was in all points,
tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Note:
To
make Hebrews 4: 15 easier for you to understand, I will write it out as it is
stated in your King James version word for word.
For we have not in high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. -- Hebrews 4: 15
Can God be tempted? I should say not. But Jesus Christ the son of God was tempted in all things like as we are yet without sin. He could never have been your Savior and mine had he not been tempted. Had he come any other route than the route he came, he could not be your Savior and mine. He is our Savior who is able to save how far? To the uttermost. That’s good or some of us wouldn’t have made it. Right. He can be touched. He can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. So on and so forth. Jesus Christ was tempted in all things like as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews Verse 16
Let us therefore come reluctantly, hesitantly, with fear. No let us come how, boldly, boldly. And I’ve never seen people come boldly until after they’ve had the class on Power for Abundant Living. Up until that time they sort of just squeeze up to the throne occasionally. That’s right and they sort of hide behind it for fear that God will see them. Lord, I’d like for you to do something for me, but. Let us therefore come how? Well bless God it’s His Word, His Word’s His Will. He can be touched, He can be. Well, why don’t we just find out? That we may obtain mercy, and that we may find grace to help in the time of need. And ladies and gentlemen, this is a time of need. All over the world it’s a time of need. And He is the only one that has any answers that are irrevocable and absolutely true. Right down the line.
Note: To make Hebrews 4: 16 easier for you to understand, I will write it out as it is stated in your King James version word for word.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. -- Hebrews 4: 16
In Mark chapter 1. Listen to this great record. He touched me. Mark 1, verse 40:
And
there came a leper to him, [Jesus Christ] beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto
him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. -- Mark
Remember what we just read from
Hebrews? He can be touched with our
infirmities. Here is a man that is in
pretty poor shape. He has an incurable
disease. That’s right. The entire profession has pronounced it
incurable. Even the greatest place in
the
Well, he came to Jesus and he said to him if thou wilt thou canst make me clean. And Jesus moved with compassion, isn’t that beautiful? He can be touched with our infirmities. Jesus moved with what? Compassion, love, tenderness, understanding. Put forth his hand and did the unbelievable. He touched the leper. You just don’t do that. Well bless God, he did. That’s right. Because as far as the world would be now concerned, he would be ceremonially and every other way unclean. But Jesus was a Savior class, to the uttermost. He was the greatest revolutionary the world has ever seen. I think he broke every law that was ever written. Because he didn’t fit in the pattern of his time. Maybe that’s why they nailed him to that cross. You see, if you don’t quite fit within the pattern, people will do a number of things to you. First of all, they’ll try to tear you down. To bring you down to their level. Now, if they can’t bring you down to their level, then they’ll heap all kinds of persecution on you. They’ll slang you, they’ll do this, they will tell you you’re no good. They’ll tell you, look, you don’t join the gang because you think you’re too good. All this junk. Because people are always wanting to bring you down to the norm, the status quo, the common level of unbelief where nothing happens. That’s right. Jesus was moved with compassion. He did the very thing no one would have dared to do except a believer. He put forth his hand and touched the man who had a fantastic need. The leper. He touched him. And he said unto him, I will. I will what? Well, he asked Jesus if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Jesus said, I will.
I want to tell you when this leper came to Jesus, God stood up in heaven because there are very, very few people with a need as fantastic as that leper who would have thought about coming to Jesus. And when God sees a believer down here, He gets up. He doesn’t have to get up very often today, but He makes it maybe once in a while. He just stood up and took a look down there and he went wow. A leper down there saying to my son, my son, if thou wilt, you can do something about the situation. And God whispered in Jesus little ear and said, go ahead man, give it to him. And Jesus said I will, I will, I will. Well then, what is God’s Will regarding the leper? And don’t you come around and tell me God sent sickness to keep you humble. Or to make you good. That’s a bunch of baloney. He sent the Savior to deliver us. He can be touched. Isn’t that beautiful? To the uttermost. That’s right.
And
Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him I will; be
thou clean. -- Mark
Look at chapter 3, bless your heart. It says as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him and he was cleansed. Chapter 3, look at verse 10.
For
he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed [that’s not the
newspapers] upon him to touch him, as many as had
plagues. -- Mark
All they wanted to do was to touch him. See, there’s an identification. There is a cry in the soul for aid, for help, for peace. And ladies and gentlemen, that cry is abroad today. All over the nation, all over the world really. For someone who has the tenderness, the love of God. For someone who has the connection. Who can help people and who’s willing to help people and they pressed upon him simply to do what? Touch him. Christ isn’t here today, he took a trip called the Ascension. See? That’s right. And it says he’s seated at the right hand of God. And he’s coming back. But in the meantime, what’s going to happen down here? There is a little record in God’s Word if your born again of God spirit, it’s Christ where? That’s the spiritual side in you. Christ in you, the hope of glory. And then he has given to you and to me the Word of reconciliation and the ministry. So who has to make them selves available to be touched today? We do. We have to have a heart that’s tender. We have to have a heart that reaches out. We have to have a love that just allows itself to be loved. For we are the hands of God in Christ reaching out to the world. Look at Luke 7: 36. You’ll like this.
And one of the Pharisees desired him [Jesus] that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. -- Luke 7: 36
And,
behold, a woman in the city, which [who] was
a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s
house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, -- Luke
And stood at his feet behind him weeping, [and she stooped down] and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. -- Luke 7: 38
Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known whom and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. -- Luke 7: 39
That’s what went on in that little old head of that two bit Pharisee. Ha? Isn’t that something? He was a religious guy. He was a Pharisee. But religion doesn’t cut any ice. Truth does. You can have all the religion in the world and be all messed up. Sure. The spiritualists are just as religious as you are. A séance is just as religious as the meaning I’m conducting tonight. That’s right. Sincerity is no guarantee for truth. The Word of God is truth and the truth as it comes from God’s Word rightly divided lives in people, that’s what turns you on. The Pharisee said if this fellow was a prophet, he would have known she was a sinner.
And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon I have somewhat to say unto thee and he saith, Master, say on. -- Luke 7: 40
There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. -- Luke 7: 41
And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? -- Luke 7: 42
Oh, Simon threw back his shoulders and pushed out his chest and held up his head. He knew the answer to that one. Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And Jesus said unto him. Thou hast rightly judged or made a decision.
Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most [will love him more]. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. -- Luke 7: 43
And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she had washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. -- Luke 7: 44
And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, seest thou this woman? I entered into your house, a Pharisee trained according to the law, he knew the whole rigmarole. And when Jesus Christ came into his house, the requirement was that he should have offered him some water to wash his feet and his hands. He said when I entered into thy house thou gavest me no water for my feet. But she had washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head. When I came into your house, Simon the Pharisee.
Thou
gavest me no kiss: but this woman since
the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. -- Luke 7: 45
Thou gavest me no kiss. But this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment. -- Luke 7: 46
My head, with oil, thou didst not anoint. You should have but you didn’t. But this woman didn’t anoint my head, she stooped down so low she anointed my what?
Wherefore I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. -- Luke 7: 47
Wherefore I say unto you. Her sins which are many are forgiven. For she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. -- Luke 7: 48
And he said unto her thy sins are forgiven. Boy what a record. What a record. The Pharisee invited the Lord Jesus Christ, he had everything going for him. He was a religious leader with a knowledge of the Old Testament, the law, the whole trip. He knew all that. When the Master came, he offered him no water for his feet. He didn’t give him the holy kiss. He offered him no anointing for his head. But a woman, whom that Pharisee said, if he was a prophet, he would know who that woman was. He would never let her in here. Aren’t you glad that our God can be touched? Oh, boy oh boy. I’ve been this route, you know, where I wasn’t good enough to get in their fellowship. That’s right. Because I combed my hair sideways or something. Right. Or you do something else. Well I thank God we have a Savior who can be touched with our infirmities. Maybe the religious echelon will laugh, maybe they’ll do a lot of stupid things but they can do as they fool please. We just love the Lord Jesus Christ. Because when we needed him, he was there. And he didn’t cast any damaging remarks. He simply offered us his hand. Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I’ll give you what? Rest. That’s right.
Call unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. -- Matthew 11: 28
And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. -- Luke 7: 48
He never said that to the Pharisee. As far as the Pharisee was concerned, he didn’t have any. But he was loaded to the hilt. He had pride, he had envy and all that other stuff. You know, honey, he was sorry that he invited Jesus to come for dinner. Because Jesus contaminated his house by allowing this woman to come in. So he said, he forgave one of a $500 debt, another debt. Simon saw that principle. You and I have to see it. Jesus Christ is a Savior for all of us. He is the one that you can touch. There is no problem, so fantastic, so big that he does not have the answer to. There is no need any man has that he cannot supply. For the Word says he will supply all of our need according to his poverty and glory, no, according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus. That’s why he’s our Savior. Look at Luke 8, verse 41.
And
behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the
synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’
feet. And besought him that he would
come into his house: -- Luke
For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him. -- Luke 8: 42
And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any. -- Luke 8: 43
Came
behind him, and
touched the border [the hem] of his garment:
and immediately her issue of blood stanched. Luke 8: 44
She just touched the hem of his garment. Jesus was walking along with his apostles. This woman had a need. And whenever you have a need, you’re reaching out one way or the other. This woman had a need and all she reached out for was simply to touch the hem of his garment. She didn’t say if I can only put my arms around him. If I can get close enough to kiss him on the cheek. She said within herself if I can but touch the hem of his garment. The hem of his garment. And immediately the issue of blood stanched. And the word stanched is a medical term technically meaning stopped, terminated, kaput, over with.
And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? -- Luke 8: 45
And Jesus said, Who touched me? Who touched me? When all of them denied, everybody around said, we didn’t do it, master, we didn’t touch you. Peter, he’s the wise guy again, you know. He’s always there. He’s right on that Peter fella. Peter and they that were with him said Oh, but master, look, the multitudes are around us here. The multitudes thronged thee and pressed thee and sayest thou, Who touched me? That’s good logic isn’t it? Right on. Right wrong but right on. And Jesus said, Peter. Quiet. Somebody touched me.
And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue [dunamis inherent - power] is gone out of me. -- Luke 8: 46
The word virtue in the Greek is the word dunamis - power - inherent power is gone out of me. And ladies and gentlemen, whenever you as a believer help anybody. When you get touched by people who have a need, who need aid, who need peace, who need love and joy, you got to give. It’ll go out of you, honey. It’ll go out of you sir. You’ve got to have it. You can’t give anything away if you haven’t got it, right? You haven’t got a dollar in your pocket, you couldn’t give it to me. That’s right. Rufus Mosley used to say, if you want to communicate the measles, get a good dose of it. Then you can communicate what you got. If you got enough of the love of Christ in the renewed mind within you in manifestation, then when people come to you, you can let them walk on your feet until they learn to walk on their own. You become hands that hold out the bread of life. You become feet that move among the almost dead to offer them life. You’ve got to be willing to be touched. So that other people can get their hunger satisfied and their thirst quenched. Jesus said, somebody touched me. For I perceive that power has gone out of me.
And when the woman saw that she was not hid [from the eyes of the Lord Jesus], she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. -- Luke 8: 47
And he said unto her, you should not have touched me. Don’t you know I’m the master? I’m here with the apostles, we’re the bigwigs. No. On another incident in the Word of God, Peter and the apostles pushed him away and said master, you’re getting too crowded. Jesus had to lay the rap on Peter and straighten him out a little. That’s right.
The woman came trembling, she did not know what to expect. She only knew she’d been delivered. And she saw what was happening among the other people there. She wondered what would Jesus really say. And he said unto her, Daughter. Oh, that must’ve brought tears to her soul. He didn’t say you old renegade, you good for nothing nincompoop. What’d you do this for? He said to her Daughter. Now when the Word of God says Daughter, it means what it says and it says what it means. This woman was a believer. And Jesus Christ the son of God said, Daughter. And you could just see the love of God go out to this beautiful, beautiful little woman. And the words ”be of good comfort ” are omitted in all the texts, but it’s all right if you like it. Thy believing hath made thee what? Whole. The believing of the woman simply to do what? Touch the hem of his garment. She believed that if she could just touch the hem of his garment, she would be healed of an issue of blood that nobody could stop. All believing equals what? Receiving. That’s the Word.
Just touch the hem, just the hem. She believed. He said your believing hath made you whole. And this word whole is a fantastic word. It doesn’t mean she was just healed. Because people can be healed of a sickness and still not be made whole. Because you can be healed of a sickness and be meaner than mean. The word whole, sir, is the word sozo in the text and it means to be spiritually, physically, mentally and every other way, whole. That’s the Savior that I called a Savior. That’s the kind of Jesus Christ our Savior is. He is one who is able to save to the uttermost and make us completely, completely, completely, complete in him. It says so in Colossians 2: 10.
And
ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
-- Colossians
She reached out and just touched the hem of his garment. And immediately the issue of blood stopped and she was made whole. And then he said one more great truth that the world again needs to hear in our day and time and you know what it is? Go in what? Peace. Man, that’s something. To be made whole, that you can once again, go into life, and know that you have peace. And sir, peace is not dependent on your environment. Peace is dependent upon what you got on the inside. In the midst of hell, you can have peace if you got the right stuff on the inside. And in the midst of heaven, you can be unpeaceful if you got the wrong stuff inside. Heaven is only wherever God in Christ is in you. Peace. The world talks about it but it will never get it without the Prince of peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s an individual trip. He said thou art whole and go in peace.
And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith [pistis-believing] hath made the whole; go in peace. -- Luke 8: 48
Some of you know that through the years, I’ve been sort of a collector of little old poems I find pinned up on the wall and pick up here and there and yonder. But, many, many years ago I picked up this poem, it’s been used nationally. Lawrence Welk, even 10 years ago, used it and a few others. I’d like to share that poem with you tonight. It’s called,” The Touch of the Masters Hand” it’s from one of our old volumes, called Album of Verse, volume 1.
The Touch of the Masters Hand
Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
thought
it scarcely worth his while to waste much time on the old violin,
so he held it up with a smile;” what am I bidden, good
folks”, he cried
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?” “A dollar, a dollar ;
then two!”
“Only two? Two dollars; and who’ll make it three? Three dollars, once; three
dollars twice; going for three..”
But no, from the room, far back, came a gray-haired man
and he picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin, and tightening all the
loose strings, he played a melody pure and sweet as a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer, with a voice that
was quiet and low, said:
“What am I bid for the old violin?” And he held it up with the bow.
“A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two? Two thousand! And who’ll make
it
three? Three thousand, once, three
thousand, twice, and going and
gone,” said he. The people
cheered, but some of them cried, “We do not
quite understand what changed its worth.” Swift came the reply:
“The touch of a master’s hand.”
Now many a man with life out of tune, all battered and
scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless
crowd, much like that old violin. A
“mess of pottage,” a glass of
wine; a game – he travels on. “He is
going once, going twice, he’s going and almost gone.” But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
never can quite understand the worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought by
the touch of the Master’s hand.
~
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