Now You Have Something To Shout About

Brothers and Sisters as we are about to make our exodus out of 2020 and about to cross on the threshold of 2021 I think that it is of the utmost important to understand that we all have something to shout about because when we reflect back on the days of our lives in 2020 we all have had our share of good days as well bad days, we have all had our moments of ups and downs. We all have had either had a touch of covid, or known someone with covid, and there is a great possibility that we knew someone that died from covid. Yes, we have all had our share of dangers toils and snares, but in the midst of it all God has still been good to us. That’s why I feel that it is imperative, vital and with a sense of urgency that this proclamation, this announcement and claim is validated that you have something to shout about. We ought to enter the year 2021 shouting, because shouting is one of the greatest instrumental tools in giving God the praises that he truly deserves. I know that it is important because even David discloses, divulges and releases a statement to us in Psalms 22 and verse 3 that says “that God inhabit the praises of his people, and if he inhabits the praise, in other word dwells or lives in the praises of his people then we ought to be shouting every chance that we get. for shouting suggest great victory as well great praise and if the Lord has done anything for you in 2020, then you have something to shout about.

Now to fully appreciate this text, we must understand the context in which it sets. And my teacher Ms. Beckfire taught us in grade school that we have to understand the past in order to appreciate the present this episode in the text takes place during the last days of Jesus ministry Jesus had been teaching on marriage and divorce, he blesses the little children, he counsels a rich young ruler and tells him that to inherit eternal life he must sell all of his possessions and follow him. He teaches the multitude that with God all things are possible. He predicts for the third time his death and resurrection. He teaches about the greatness in serving, and as he journeys from Galilee to Jerusalem the text informs us that he passed through Jericho. Now as he was leaving Jericho, he met a man who lived there, by the name Bartimaeus—the son of Timaeus who was blind and sat by the Jericho road with his tin cup of existence begging

As we look at Bartimaeus open his classroom up and teaches us some value able lessons, and as we enter-into 2021, and the first lesson that he teaches us is that our conditions doesn’t have to be our conclusion. 2020 had some major blows, but our 2021 doesn’t have to be the same. In other words we had some problems that pushed us down, shoved us down, and laid us down, but we remembered the song that said we fall down but we get up. He also teaches us that we ought not allow the opportunity of a lifetime to pass us by. Because the next thing that the text reveals is that when Bartimaeus heard that

Jesus was passing by he began to shout, and I believe he reason that he shouted is because Bartimaeus had heard how Jesus turn water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana, he had heard how Jesus took a two piece and five biscuits- ok, two fish ad five loaves of bread, and break it and bless it and fed 5000 not including the women and children. He had heard about how the woman with the issue of blood found a pharmaceutical shop in the hem of Jesus garment, how she touch the hem but receive her Healing from the him. Verse 47 in the text says (When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Bartimaeus didn’t wait till Jesus got there to shout but he shouted before Jesus got to where he was. In other words, he gave God some praise in advance, since he heard that faith come by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Can I borrow a skinny minute and tell you what I`m talking about?

Bartimaeus didn’t need no preacher to preach him happy

-he didn’t need no choir to sing him happy

-he didn’t need no deacons to pray him happy

-he didn’t need no hymn of preparation, all he needed to know was that the living word of God was near and the bible says he began to shout-son of David have mercy on me