Embracing Untouchables

You are listening to a message from Thrive Community Church, a church located in Southwest Florida. For more info visit us at thrive-fl.org. This message is on touch but I don't want to go too far down the road without saying thank you to John and the people of Thrive for the opportunity to preach to just give the main man a little break here now and then and especially when he's on vacation. So thank you for the privilege of bringing the Word of God to Thrive, the opportunity to be touched by the music and the people and ministry that's here. It is my delight. So I am just the sub as we go on. So that being said I need one more demonstration. Okay who would like to? Okay John, if you insist. He's just there waving his hand in the front seat. Stand in front of me and turn and face the people of God. So you see any difference in John yet? He's got some tension in these shoulders. Yeah he's doing that. So what is being communicated to John? He doesn't like being what? Oh yeah that's sure. Yeah he's never used to being in public. What's being communicated to John? I'm married to a physical therapist. So I have learned absolutely. So not only that, just again more bonus material, her physical therapy class their motto was physical therapist rubbed you the right way. I said I have to make that woman my my wife. That's amazing. We actually were married by then. So what do you see? What do you feel? How does it feel to you to have me rubbing John's shoulders? What does that do? It shows caring. Jealousy. Right before communion we're all going to kind of share that. And you can feel the difference already in the shoulders. They're starting to relax. There's a reason not to do it. Thank you. Thank you brother. Again same phenomenon. That was an old story, an ancient story that really made a difference in our family. And it was one touch and it birthed the whole phenomena. And just what was communicated right now with with John and I did it to do that. So it's phenomenally incredibly important. Now it's easy to do that when I know John would receive it and based on those shoulders could use it. And we would understand and be a part of things. But how would that touch be communicated if there was a crazy man who was drooling and he's just in some institution and you walked in those doors and he wanted to hug you. What would that feel like? Yeah, I saw that look on your face. It's a little difficult. Yet that's exactly what Jesus did last week. John pointed it out. That Jesus was ready to embrace folks who go ugh. Again more examples with Mary Louise because she's a physical therapist but she used to work at Denton State School and often work with folks who were very deformed. We were just talking about that. It often could be hard to touch somebody who's incredibly deformed because it makes us feel vulnerable and that touch feels very communicates a lot doesn't it. So what we're talking about today is a story within a story that has a lot of common denominators with last week because it's Jesus moving toward him not just going I love you but doing what Mary Louise did pulling the hand around putting around the waist and have mercy. And I would offer to you that and we'll kind of take a look at that. The American culture is way different and way short on the kind of intimate touch and we're oftentimes afraid of it and believe me as the pastor and trained as a marriage and family therapist I'm keenly aware that touch can be a phenomenal that can do damage and I was also very very aware that I was the only man and when I was at working with Peace Church in Naples over there I was the only man with a staff of 36 women right and and 156 children that touch had to be very cautiously delivered and I was very very certain to make sure any touch occurred in public venues and I was careful but it was a little what kids would see me they would come running up to me not all of them but a few and grab my leg running at three so they they weren't all programmed into the keep away and I do that they were doing so it would be like I'd be cautious in hugging somebody and the kid we grab it onto my leg and I'd bend down and so we're gonna take a look at the way Jesus embraces not just those who are ready for a shoulder rub or a hug but the unembraceable the untouchable this start within a story is where we're going the transformational power of Jesus touch now touch is so wide and the sermon is kind of wide itself because it's a lot of material and touching is a metaphor it's a physical reality many of us are associated with danger and post COVID are we post COVID I'm not sure in this era whatever this era is COVID has left its mark on our touch you know because some folks are still cautious about the touch somebody doing the fist bump and which is fine I get they have to go according to your own comfort level but it's like a whole new phenomena others have been touched starved through COVID you know what that's like you just long to b...