Now, I'd love to see Andy conducting the
singing, and I'm quite sure he'll look no
more angelic than he did tonight when he
conducts the choirs in glory.
If you don't, brother, I'm going to have
a word with Peter about it myself.
Very good.
Now, it's nice to see you here again.
You've been keeping the thing going pretty well,
and we're glad of your fellowship.
You know how inexperienced I am now at
part of the palms.
This is only my second preaching session here,
and inexperience still shows itself.
Especially in this, that I got out a
list of addresses on the Gospel according to
Mark.
You've all had a copy of these.
And you notice that I've been going on
one after the other, one chapter after the
other, morning and evening and morning and evening.
And it means to say that you who
haven't been able to come in the mornings
have missed the continuity.
So what's the good of us giving consecutive
ministry?
Now, because of my inexperience, you have to
forgive me, and next time I'll do, as
if there is going to be a next
time, might all be in the glory, and
some of you might have had such a
satisfying ministry this week, it will last 25
years.
That's what happened when I was at Cambridge,
speaking at a missionary conference in the assembly
there just two or three years ago.
I said, satisfying ministry, must have been, you
haven't invited me since for 25 years.
However, next time I come, if there is
one, I'll do what some of the other
preachers have done, that is do a consecutive
ministry in the mornings of one particular type,
and then another type of consecutive ministry in
the evening.
Do you think that's a better idea, brother?
No view on it?
Well, what about all these people missing the
consecutive ministry in the mornings, because they not
come?
They will.
Well, let me just say, we must expect
all these people tomorrow morning, because not only
is it consecutive ministry, but tomorrow morning is
the last morning of these conference meetings, and
we are going together up the mountain with
the Lord in the morning.
You'll have to come tomorrow morning.
Oh, we're going right up the mountain with
the Lord in the morning.
Come in?
You are?
Amen.
A brother at the front says Amen.
Another one, that's two.
Well, praise the Lord.
Beware, two or three are gathered together again.
Very good.
Well, now, it's nice to get your fellowship
tonight, and we do trust and pray that
the Lord will richly bless his word to
our hearts.
In one of the assemblies that I preach
on occasion, and I shall be there for
the month of November, God willing, in Nassau,
you sort of have to keep your eyes
on the congregation.
In this one assembly, which is in a
very, very busy area, they keep the doors
open, and people come and go during the
meeting, you know.
And if you're not interested, and you're sort
of preaching, you look around, and half of
them are gone.
And then you see a few more dribble
in as you preach on, and it's like
that.
So, I'm going to keep my eye on,
just in case, you know.
And one preacher was preaching, and he was
looking up at the ceiling all the time.
Well, I tell my students always to look
the people right between the eyes.
Look at every one of them, right?
Keep looking.
And this preacher, he was looking up at
the ceiling, you know, and he was preaching
away at the ceiling.
And after 35 minutes, he looked down.
That was the end of his sermon.
And lo and behold, everybody had gone.
So, he turned round to the brother on
the platform, and he says, where are they
all?
He says, they've all gone.
Well, he said, think of that, why haven't
you gone?
He said, well, I'm the next speaker.
I'm the next speaker.
So, that's why I'm glad to see you,
and very glad there's no shifting congregation here
in Park of the Palm.
We're going to read together from Mark 8
this evening.
May God bless to us the reading of
his word.
And I think we'll read just a few
verses, commencing at 21.
Verse 21, but please keep your finger in
the beginning of the chapter as well.
We'll refer to that in a moment.
Mark chapter 8 and verse 21.
I think we ought to see what we're
looking at this morning, especially verse 33 of
the previous chapter for connection.
And he took this deaf and dumb man
aside from the multitude and put his fingers
in his ears.
That was the first touch.
And he spit and touched his tongue.
That was the second touch.
Verse 35, his ears were opened and the
string of his tongue was loose and he
spake plain.
And verse 37 was the text this morning,
he hath done all things well.
He maketh both the deaf to hear and
the dumb to speak.
Now chapter 8 and verse 21.
He said unto them, how is it that
you do not understand?
And he comes to Bethsaida and they bring
a blind man unto him and besought him
to touch him.
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 upon him, he asked
him if he saw anything.
And he looked up and said, I see
men as trees walking.
After that he put his hands again upon
his eyes and made him look up.
And he was restored and saw every man
clearly.
And he sent him away to his house,
saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell
it to any in the town.
And Jesus went out and his disciples into
the towns of Caesarea Philippi.
And by the way he asked his disciples,
saying unto them, Whom do men say that
I am?
They answered John the Baptist, but some say
Elias, and others say one of the prophets.
He said unto them, But whom say ye
that I am?
Peter answered and said unto him, Thou art
the Christ.
And he charged them that they should tell
no man of him.
He began to teach them that the Son
of Man must suffer many things and be
rejected of the elders and of the chief
priests and scribes and be killed.
And after three days rise.
Verse 34.
And when he had called the people unto
him with his disciples also, he said unto
them, Whosoever will come after me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross.
And the Lord blessed to us that portion
of his word.
Now this chapter, at least the first part,
is essentially about forgetfulness.
And it is, that part I think is
concluded by verse 21, which we read first
of all, where he said, How is it
that you do not understand, that you have
really forgotten all that I did and all
that I said?
Do ye not remember, he said in verse
18.
You see the disciples had forgotten the recent
miracle.
Verse 4.
Whence can a man satisfy these men with
bread here in the wilderness?
And only recently, just before, he had performed
a miracle and fed multitudes from such a
small amount.
The principle there is, we must remember his
past wonders to be saved from our present
worries.
That's verse 4.
And then of course, later on, the Pharisees
had forgotten his word.
This is in verse 10 and 11.
They had forgotten his word and his earthly
signs and they were seeking for another sign
from heaven.
The principle here of course is that there
are none so blind as those who will
not see.
And then in verses 14 and 15, the
disciples had forgotten to take bread.
And of course they were all mixed up
really.
They got the wrong idea completely.
Their priorities were out of order and the
Lord Jesus had to explain this graciously to
them.
And the principle there is, our highest wisdom
is to get our spiritual priorities.
And then later on in verse 34 we
were reading about forgetting ourselves.
If any man will come after me, let
him forget himself.
Let him deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me.
The principle there is of course that the
Christian's cross is something to die.
However I don't think we can dwell this
evening on this first part of the chapter
although it is a very helpful and instructive
part in itself.
Man we know is a forgetful creature.
You know very well that my memory is
the thing that I forget with.
Perhaps you are afflicted a little way that
way also.
And of course I was reminding a friend
of mine the other day when he said
all great professors are absent.
But the great point is this of course,
that God never forgets with one exception.
When you trust His Son as your Saviour,
God never forgets that.
He saves you with an eternal salvation.
And when you come to the Lord again
in a special need and surrender your will
to Him, God never forgets that and He
takes you and uses you and blesses you
in a new way.
And when you come to a crisis of
real spiritual dedication to Him, God never forgets.
And He works out His purposes in the
dedicated life, in His own way, in His
own time to the glory of His own
name.
But there is one exception when I say
God never forgets, because when God forgives, He
forgets.
Our sins He will remember no more.
You know God said that these people in
Malachi's day comes to me just now.
Most of them were godless.
They were insensible to God's love.
They were insensible to their sinnership.
They had despised His name and couldn't see
it.
They were insensible to the fact that the
God of judgment and justice was on the
throne.
They were insensible to their need of conversion
and so on.
This is the outline of the book of
Malachi.
But there were a few who were the
exceptions.
And they responded to His love and acknowledged
His righteousness and received His salvation.
And the first thing they did was to
do what you are doing tonight.
They gathered together and had a meeting.
And they had meeting after meeting.
And the thought in their meeting was the
Lord.
He was the centre of their gathering.
And they thought on His name.
And He said, I'll never forget the judgment.
I will not condemn them.
I will spare them as a man spares
his own son.
And He says, and I'll have a book
made and put their names in it.
And the book shall be called the book
of remembrance.
Because I shall never forget them.
God loves to see us gathered together in
the park of the palms chapel.
In the mornings and in the evenings.
Around His word, thinking on His name.
Exalting His Son.
Exalting one another to follow the Lord Jesus
all the way.
God looks down from heaven and is very
pleased.
Especially when we go out of our way
to glorify His Son.
And to apply the word of God to
our individual lives.
May this be the result of our meeting
here this evening.
So we'll have to conclude this forgettory part
of the chapter with this little incident.
One man was very forgetful but his wife
was too.
Which of course is very exceptional.
And she in church one morning said, how
awful.
She nudged him.
Jim, how awful.
I forgot to turn off the gas oven.
He says, don't worry dear.
It won't burn long because I forgot to
turn off the faucet in the bathtub.
The message really this evening is around this
idea that we were talking about this morning.
Because it comes in chapter 8 as well
as in chapter 7.
In chapter 7 this man who was deaf
and dumb did not come into the fullness
of blessing until Christ had touched him twice.
He screwed his finger into his ear, gave
him a real touch.
And he heard.
And then he touched his tongue and that
was the second touch.
And the impediment in his speech disappeared.
The strings of his tongue were loosed.
His tongue was loosed, the strings were loosed.
And he was able to hear the Saviour
and to speak forth his praise on the
second touch.
Now very often, as we shall see tonight,
it is the second touch that makes all
the difference in the life of a child
of God.
Very noticeable in some Christian lives and not
so noticeable in others.
There are some who seem to come into
the fullness of blessing at salvation.
But not many, most of us have to
progress in the spiritual life.
And have to come to the Lord again
and again and again in rededication in our
spiritual life.
In a little Methodist church in Britain some
time ago.
The deacons were having a deacons meeting one
Wednesday evening on their own.
In the front of the church, in the
front of the auditorium, only a little place.
And the point was this, the ceiling of
the old church was beginning to crumble.
And it needed repairs very badly indeed.
So they had a meeting to see what
could be done.
And they were discussing all sorts of things.
And the one blew all through the evening.
And somebody said well now it's going to
cost £500 to put the ceiling of the
church right.
And at that precise moment a piece of
plaster fell from the ceiling onto the bald
head of this dear brother who hadn't said
a word and who'd got all the money.
So he looked up and rubbed his head.
He said I'll give the first £250.
And one little brother was praying in the
corner for all his worth.
Lord, he said, touch him again, touch him
again.
He wanted another £250.
Said Lord touch him again.
And you know sometimes there isn't a full
response when the Lord touches them.
Well I must confess that anyway.
Sometimes we don't yield completely you know.
And the Lord has to touch us again
to bring forth a full response from our
hearts and our lives to his overture.
Now when I'm talking about a second touch.
And notice in the heading I've said something
terribly foolish.
I've put a second touch and a second
blessing.
Now don't let that lead you astray.
I might have said the 15th touch and
the 15th blessing.
Whenever the Lord really touches your soul and
there's a response in your heart there's a
tremendous blessing.
And in talking in language like that I
don't want to mislead you so I must
explain.
I'm not talking about the baptism of the
Holy Ghost after conversion.
Because there is no such thing in the
theology of the New Testament.
The baptism of the Spirit is always in
relation to the body of Christ.
And as far as the baptism of the
Spirit is concerned the sphere into which we
are baptised is never the Holy Spirit.
The sphere is always the body of Christ.
Look for the body of Christ in the
context every time.
I'm not going to give a lecture on
this but I'm just going to explain.
I'm not, I trust, propagating extreme doctrine this
evening.
Because I don't believe in a second work
of grace.
I don't believe in the eradication of the
old nature.
When you say, are we not crucified with
Christ?
Yes and no.
We are crucified with Christ only in the
divine reckoning.
And this is why we have to reckon
on the divine reckoning.
We still have the old nature.
So our old nature actually was not crucified
with Christ.
But if we enter into the divine reckoning
and this is why we are justified from
sin because we have died for our sin
in another.
This is Romans chapter 6 and verse 7.
This is why we have to reckon upon
what God is reckoning.
That we have died in Christ for our
justification.
And say with the apostle, I am crucified
with Christ.
For you have died in the divine reckoning
you have.
And your life is hid with Christ in
God.
So much for the little explanation.
Now if you will pardon a personal note.
In my experience, I professed faith in Christ
at the age of six.
It was at my mother's knee.
Well it was at the old kitchen table
where my mother and I were kneeling together.
One August bank holiday Monday morning at about
9.30 in the morning.
Asking her the way of salvation because the
night before I had been so troubled about
the coming of the Saviour and my unreadiness
for His appearing.
And she led me to Christ.
And it was real at the time.
But you know with a childish profession of
faith in Christ it is very, very necessary
to get a second touch.
I know lots of young people in the
assemblies in America today who profess conversion when
they were five and six and seven and
eight.
And they hate the assembly today.
Won't go near the assembly.
They don't like God's people.
And they never worship the Lord.
And you talk to their parents, they say,
oh yes my child.
Mary was saved when she was six.
I think it is very, very important that
there is a confirmation by a second touch
in the life of these children who profess
faith in Christ.
You know that in your experience if you
were saved when you were a child.
You had to come again and again and
again to the Lord.
Not to be saved again, you could only
be saved once.
But to get real assurance from God that
you are born again and are His child
and ready for the coming of Christ.
And it was when I was nearly sixteen
and I was baptised in our chapel at
home and I made my profession of faith
in Christ standing in the water that really
a great change came in my young life.
I was about sixteen at the time.
And then when I was seventeen or a
little older the pilgrim preachers came to our
chapel and on a Thursday night Brother Thomas
was speaking to the young people.
The chapel was filled and he made an
appeal to us to give our young lives
to Christ.
And a number of us responded that night
and I did too.
And it was very real with me and
I sang because this was his request if
you mean this sing it standing while the
others sit.
And a number of us young men in
the assembly stood and we all sang from
our hearts and meant it and God remember!
And we sang take my love my Lord
I pour at thy feet it's treasure store.
Take myself and I will be ever only
all.
Now this man hearing the story he could
not.
Where there is no vision the people perish.
It's a very sad thing for people to
go through life blind.
We're very very deeply sympathetic in one of
the assemblies in Nassau there's a whole family
come to the morning meeting sort of chain
style hanging on to one another.
There's about four ladies and one man they're
all brothers and sisters and they walk in
together like that because they've been blind all
their lives.
Very very sad to see and we're very
sympathetic with those who've gone through life blind.
Like this man.
But of course our deepest concern is for
those who are spiritually blind.
Because they really will be lost forever unless
the eyes of their souls are opened by
a touch from the Saviour.
So they brought this man to Jesus.
They knew that he needed the divine touch.
And he needed the divine touch to enjoy
full life.
To see, to go the right way.
And of course to see his Saviour, the
Lord Jesus himself.
Now this really, this incident is an allegory
of the disciples' position at this time.
They were very forgetful.
They only had kind of half spiritual vision.
They were half blind at this stage.
But you know they were going to get
another touch.
A second touch before very long.
He said, carry ye here in Jerusalem.
He said to them, you're going to get
another touch.
You're going to be endued with power from
on high.
You're going to be my witnesses throughout the
world.
But he will touch you.
He will be in you.
He will abide with you forever.
And this is your power of
the earth.
Now the Saviour led this man out of
the town.
He took him by the hand.
Led him out of the town.
And the man felt his touch.
The Saviour wanted to bless him.
He took him away from the crowd that
he might work on him.
Bring him into the blessing.
And what a day that was for this
man.
When he took the prophet hand of the
Saviour.
And the Saviour led him away to bless
him.
And he felt this first touch of the
Saviour's power in his soul.
Now God's design and desire and objective for
us all is good.
His tender mercies are over all his works.
If he takes you by the hand one
day and leads you away from the crowd.
As in chapter 7.
Or leads you out of the town as
in chapter 8.
You'll know that he's leading you aside.
That you might feel his touch.
That you might get his blessing.
He does that purposely.
Because his desire and design is good.
There is a verse in the Psalms which
you all know so well.
David said he has not only given me
a hearing.
And given me a ride.
In Britain we say given me a lift.
Out of the Māori clay.
And given me a firm foundation for my
faith.
And given me a hope for the future.
Established my goal.
But he's given me a new song to
sing.
And he said it's a song of praise
unto God.
Many shall see it and fear and trust
in the Lord.
And the analysis of that verse is very
interesting.
It's a song of praise to God.
It is a song of effective testimony.
Many shall see it and fear and trust
in the Lord.
And it is a new song.
He hath put a new song into my
mouth.
And fourthly it is an individual song.
He hath put a new song in my
mouth.
But you know what strikes me?
Mostly in the verse.
Something I haven't said yet.
The fifth heading for the analysis of the
text.
And he hath put a new song in
my mouth even praise unto God.
The Lord wanted David to sing.
The Lord wanted his servant to be happy.
And the Lord wanted to bless him.
Now God's design for you is good.
Or judge you.
Or cut you off.
Or stop you.
He's wanted to lead you on.
Maybe he'll lead you out of the town.
That he might lead you into his blessing.
His desire and design is always good.
The Lord is good to all is the
key verse of Psalm 145.
And his tender mercies are over all his
works.
So he felt the touch of the Saviour.
And thank God for this first touch.
That many of us can testify about when
we knew his saving grace.
Now I don't like to hear people giving
their testimony like this.
Now my testimony is this.
That I was brought up in a Christian
home.
And I was made to go to Sunday
school.
And when I was seven I trusted Jesus.
And gave him my heart.
And when I grew older I dedicated my
life to his service.
Now that isn't a very good testimony is
it?
I mean it's a good testimony in a
way.
But it doesn't seem to be much either.
But when a brother gets up and he
says.
Like Spurgeon in Spurgeon's language.
Stand here and give a cosy little chat
about something or other in the scriptures.
And a little talk about his own experience
of Jesus.
Not on your life.
This is what he said.
All joy inexpressible.
All rapture divine.
Amen.
We learned to do that this morning.
Oh we didn't learn to do it this
morning.
I was trying to teach you that's what
they do in Nassau you know.
And if you're supposed to say anything good
that wasn't me.
Amen.
May you all say Amen.
All joy inexpressible.
All rapture divine.
All happy day and no mistake.
When Jesus from my heart did take.
The load of sin that made it ache.
And filled my heart.
Means so much to us.
It's not enough you know.
I know you're converted.
But are you dedicated?
I know you're saved.
But are you surrendered?
I know that you're born again.
But are you living the life which is
the Christ?
It's true we often need a second touch.
And I believe.
Some of you during these days of conference
here.
At Park of the Palms.
Have heard the voice of the Saviour calling
you.
And I'll touch you again.
And it's happened has it?
In these last three months or so.
And it's happened.
And you feel that the Lord has all
of you now.
And your eyes have been opened upon
your soul.
Although you were 62 years ago.
In one conference in England.
Arnold Pickering was one of the echoes of
service.
He had to go and speak at this
conference.
And the idea in this assembly was.
That the brethren who gave the messages in
the evening.
In the short afternoon session.
Before tea time.
You know meal time.
They had to give a personal.
Do you know what happened?
Amen.
To you today.
And so it was this man needed a
second touch.
Of course he did.
He could only see men as trees.
He could see so much.
He'd never seen anything before.
Thank God for the power.
But it wasn't enough.
When there is only a single touch.
It often means.
There is a blurred vision.
One touch only means.
You see men as trees walking.
You're in need of a second touch.
You can't shake hands with a tree you
know.
Can you?
Your fellowship is restricted.
You need a second touch.
You can't go through life.
Cutting down men as though they were trees.
You need a second touch.
You know you'll always find as you go
through life.
Whatever church you join.
There is a little bit of imperfection.
I spoke to a young man who left
out.
In one of the assemblies.
Where you're leaving really.
But have a good look round.
And if you do find a perfect church.
Don't join it.
And wherever you go.
There is a little bit of imperfection.
And you see men as trees walking.
And he thinks that's true.
Brother you see.
And he said.
I know all about.
I've met them everywhere.
I've gone through the land.
Of course this was through England.
Of course.
But he said.
No he said.
In Archer.
And I don't really.
Although he was such a nice brother.
Until he died.
And then of course.
That was a real transformation.
Then.
But it's marvellous what the Lord can do
with us.
You can't go through life cutting down trees.
Like the cantankerous brother.
Cutting down men as trees.
You can't live with trees.
You need a second touch.
You must see men clearly as men.
As human beings.
You must acknowledge the fact.
That the same Holy Spirit of Jesus.
Who's in your heart.
Is in his heart.
In her heart as well.
If you see his race.
And you don't see his grace.
You see men as trees.
If you see his label.
And you don't see his spirituality.
You see men as trees.
If you see his nationality.
And you don't see his spirituality.
You see men as trees.
And you need.
A second.
And this was this man.
And the Lord said.
Do you see anything?
He said.
Not a lot.
He said.
Right.
I will touch you again.
That the blessing may be complete.
And perfect.
Where there is a second touch.
There is clear vision.
Because you see on this occasion.
The Lord Jesus touched him again.
And made him look up.
Now this is a phrase.
Which I like very much.
He made him look up.
Now if he had looked around.
He would have been in despair.
And if he had looked within.
He would have been despondent again.
But he looked up.
And there was the Lord Jesus.
Right in front of his face.
He opened his eyes at the second touch.
And he turned his eyes upon Jesus.
And looked full in his wonderful face.
And what a tremendous blessing.
That was.
John Mark you know was the man who.
Had a second touch.
We were talking about this in the introduction
on Sunday.
Had it had gone on the first missionary
journey.
With Paul only half way.
Rather less than half way.
And then went back home.
It only seemed men as trees walking.
And he wasn't wholly dedicated to the Lord.
And he gave up the work.
But then.
During the years.
And then there were quite a number of
years between.
I forget the number.
I think it was sixteen years between.
He had another touch from the Lord.
And Paul got to know about it.
And he said bring John Mark.
He's had another touch from God.
He'll be a blessing to me.
And Peter was very fond of John Mark.
Especially.
When he had a second touch.
And gave him all the information.
That he could remember.
About the Lord Jesus.
And about his work.
And about his sayings.
And John Mark wrote them in this gospel.
That we are studying this week.
Now Elijah of course.
We read in 1 Kings 19.
Was touched.
And then.
Touched again.
And it was on that second touch that
he went.
For forty days.
And it was after a great victory.
That Elijah was in despair.
And that's often the case.
When we've had a great time of triumph.
And blessings.
The conference has been good.
And the fellowship grand.
Sometimes a sudden surge of despair.
Or loneliness.
Attacks us.
And we're like Elijah of old.
And we need a second touch.
Which will make us go right on.
In the ways of being Christ Jesus.
And so it was also with Daniel.
He said a hand came.
And touched me.
And I fell at his feet.
And he said I was on all fours.
Right on my face.
Before him.
And his first touch.
Weakened me.
And brought me low.
But then thank God.
Says Daniel.
He touched me again.
And he put strength in me.
And I stood upright.
And he strengthened me with strength.
In my soul.
Where is the blessedness I knew.
When first I saw the Lord.
Do you remember that day?
And the blessedness.
And how you walked on air.
And how you testified to his saving grace.
How his joy thrilled your soul.
The hope of his coming was clear in
your mind.
And now.
There is very little blessing left.
You need a second touch.
Jeremiah you remember.
Went down to the potter's house.
And the vessel that the potter was making.
He noticed.
Was marred.
In the hands of the potter.
The vessel was still in the hand of
the potter.
When it was marred.
Even while we are in God's hand.
And we know his saving grace.
Times come when our lives are affected.
And there is a scar.
Or a break.
Or a marring.
And we need a second touch from the
master potter.
We need to lie in his hand.
And say Lord touch me again.
Mold me again.
And make me again.
After thy perfect will.
Cannot I do with you.
As this potter did with the clay.
Seth the Lord.
Cannot I make you again.
So as I conclude tonight.
I am just going to ask you.
For our mutual help.
One or two little questions like this.
Do you sometimes feel.
That you are a victim.
Instead of a victor.
In Christ.
Well you need his second touch.
Is it that occasionally you are spiritually cold
and dead.
You wake up in the morning and there
doesn't seem to be any spirituality about you.
You have no desire to read.
Or to pray.
Or to seek the Lord's face.
Or to walk with the Lord through the
day.
It's because you need a second touch.
Are you fruitless in your life.
And you feel you might be going home
to God soon.
And there is nothing to take with you.
Fruitless.
You have never gone out into the street.
And led anybody to the saviour.
Never gone downtown.
Making some contact with your track distribution.
Never gone to the hospital for Jesus sake.
To try and lead the dying person to
Christ.
And you feel your life is fruitless.
Do you.
Brother.
Sister.
Come in for a second touch.
From the saviour.
Tonight.
Are you sometimes joyless.
You think of all your problems instead of
your blessing.
You count your calories instead of your blessing.
And the sadness in your soul.
Because you're thinking of all things around you
in the world.
And the problems of life.
Instead of looking off into his face.
And you're joyless.
You need a second touch.
You have no spiritual desire sometimes.
You are occasionally materialistically minded.
You're thinking of your bank account.
Whether God is going to be faithful or
not.
Doesn't come into your mind.
You're just calculating on your stocks and bonds.
And you're weighing things up.
And you're a bit despairing.
And you're far.
Your mind is filled with materialistic things.
And you need a pattern.
From Christ your saviour.
Or you're just plain fearful.
You're fearful.
And the saviour said be of good cheer.
But you can't be of good cheer.
Because your soul is filled with worry.
And you're just wondering what's going to happen.
And you're fearful.
And you've forgotten his promise.
Remember it says they were perplexed.
Because they came and found the tomb was
empty.
Why were they perplexed?
They'd forgotten his promise to rise again.
And in the last, one of the signs
of the last days is this.
That there should be perplexity.
Perplexity.
Men's hearts failing them for fear.
Fearfulness and perplexity.
But he said you need not be perplexed.
He said believe in me.
I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go away I will come
again.
They forgot his promise to rise again.
And were perplexed.
And if we forget his promise to come
again.
In these days in which we live.
We should be perplexed.
And fearful as well.
Fearful.
You need a second chance.
Probably you know of some men of God.
Close old names they are.
Men of God who went on so far
in their Christian experience in an ordinary way.
And then one day they had a second
touch from the Master.
And they became mighty.
That's why their names are household names in
Christian circles today.
D.
L.
Moody was preaching his sermons in Chicago before
he came to Britain.
And of course he was doing a good
work And a few were being led to
Christ.
And the work was gradually increasing.
And it was a good work.
And then he came to Britain and he
preached the same sermons.
Word for word.
And there was a mighty revival.
And thousands and thousands were led to Christ.
What had happened?
D.
L.
Moody in between times.
He said they are the same sermons brethren.
But it is a new power.
Hudson Taylor.
There in the heart of China with the
burdens of the new mission weighing heavily upon
his soul.
Felt he would collapse amidst all the weight
of responsibility when he gave up.
And he let go.
And he entered into rest in Christ who
is our life.
Touched him the second time.
And brought peace into his soul.
We were talking about George Muller the other
day.
Was it last night?
And I was trying to find in my
Bible the exact saying.
And now I have it.
There was a day he said when I
died.
Utterly died.
Died to George Muller.
To his opinions.
To his preferences.
And to his tastes.
And to his will.
Died to the world and its approval.
And its censure.
Died to the approval and the blame of
my brethren.
And my friends.
And since then I have studied only to
show myself approved unto God.
For Jesus sake.
Only.
And that was the time of his second
touch.
There was a certain conference in Britain a
few years ago.
And the preacher was Stephen Osler.
You know that he used to be an
evangelist in the assemblies.
I worked with him some years ago.
In some certain ways.
And know him very well.
I did in those days.
And he was giving some very heart warming
and searching ministry.
And sitting in the congregation there was a
young man whom also I knew.
Who was an evangelist.
I knew this evangelist.
He had been to our town.
As a matter of fact he was taken
ill while he was preaching.
And I had to finish his sermon for
him and give the invitation and then visit
him in hospital every day.
And every time I visited him he was
on the phone to America where he lived.
And he soon got better.
But this evangelist was sitting there and he
had been an evangelist for some years.
And I tell you what happened in that
meeting that day while Stephen Osler was preaching.
Christ came alongside this young man and gave
him a second touch.
Very definitely.
And he will testify to this experience.
And his name is Billy Graham.
The Lord Jesus is with us tonight.
Not only to save the lost.
Not only to restore the backslider.
Not only to inspire us again and again
and again with his presence.
But he is here to touch our souls
in a new way.
We must respond to his call.
You to his touch.
And as we yield our souls are finding
peace.
Longsought.
We thank the Heavenly Father that our Lord
Jesus went on earth on some occasions met
people and blessed them and then touched them
again that they might receive the fullness of
blessing.
God forbid that any of us here this
evening should stay at the first touch.
Lead us right on in full dedication in
absolute surrender and absolute ceasing and absolute repentance
to a knowledge of Christ and a dedication
to Christ that has never been known before.
As we feel the touch of his pierced
yet powerful hand upon our souls tonight.
Lord Jesus.
Lord Jesus draw near.
Meet us now in the point of our
need and give us another touch.
To the glory of thy name in our
lives for our own personal good and for
the blessing of others through us.
And this we pray for with praise and
evening worship in thine own precious name.