Our Only Hope

OUR ONLY HOPE? !

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.

THIS IS A TWO PART LESSON.

I STAND AT NIGHT, AMID THE CITY’S THRONG;

AND I SCAN THE FACES THAT PASS ALONG.

AND I READ A HISTORY OF WOE AND OF WANT AND OF GRIEF,

AND MY HEART GOES FURTHER THAN MY HAND CAN REACH,

AND I FEEL A SERMON I COULD NEVER PREACH. Author Unknown.

TEXT:

Romans 8: 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, ( uselessness), not willingly,

but by reason of him who hath subjected the same IN HOPE.

24. For we are saved BY HOPE: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doeth he yet hope for?

25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience WAIT FOR IT!

28. And we KNOW that all things work together for the good to them that love God,

to them who are called according to His Purpose.

31. What shall we then say to these things?

IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?

32. He spared not His Own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him

also freely give us all things?

35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,

or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

37. Nay in all of these things WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM THAT

LOVED US.

38. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,

nor things present, nor things to come,

39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, SHALL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US

FROM THE LOVE OF GOD, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1. SHUT UP BLIND MAN, THERE IS NO HOPE FOR YOU!

JESUS IS CALLING YOU OUT OF YOUR HOPELESSNESS! LISTEN!

A.Blind people in Jesus’ day wore a special coat that would help identify them from a distance

that they were blind. Much like a blind person today would have a white cane, or a seeing eye dog.

You could identify the blind by their colored coat. When people saw this coat, they knew the person

was blind, a hopeless beggar.

B. Not every one has compassion! Some people see people with problems as a threat to their comfort

zone.

C. There was a blind man that lived in Jericho with little to no hope. There was no government programs,

there was no Braille reading system. As a matter of fact the blind man was not allowed to go into the

sanctuary of God.

D. The only hope for this blind man was to sit out on the main road going into town and beg.

E. Many people passed by, I am sure many turned their heads and walked by without looking

at this helpless pity.

F. I am sure that many people walked by and made fun of this blind man.

G. My heart breaks for HOPELESS PEOPLE. What can we do?

We can’t do anything to help this blind man? What is the use?

Mark 10: 48 And MANY CHARGED him that he should HOLD HIS PEACE:

BUT HE CRIED OUT THE MORE A GREAT DEAL, Thou Son of David have mercy on me.

H. Bartimaeus, you may have come begging in no hope! But Buddy, here comes Jesus!

I. Bartimaeus ONLY HOPE WAS THE PRESENCE OF JESUS.

J. Bartimaeus was going to make a declaration of HOPE!

Blind Bartimaeus will change his name, he is going to meet Jesus and the hopeless will

come face to face with THE HOPE OF THE AGES!

Mark 10: 50 And Bartimaeus, CASTING AWAY HIS GARMENT, AROSE AND CAME TO JESUS.

K. Notice the attitude change in this man, he is still blind, but HE GETS UP, HE TAKES OFF HIS COAT,

AND HE COMES TO JESUS.

L. If Bartimaeus had listened to the negative, out of touch crowd, if Bartimaeus had been quiet, we would

have never known him. This blind hopeless man, had to arise out of his HOPELESSNESS.

Mark 10: 49 Jesus stood still, he called Bartimaeus and stated: BE OF GOOD COMFORT, RISE,

JESUS IS CALLING YOU!

Mark 10:51 Jesus asked him: WHAT WILT THOU THAT I SHOULD DO UNTO YOU?

BARTIMAEUS HAD THE RIGHT ANSWER: LORD THAT I MIGHT RECEIVE MY SIGHT...

Mark 10:52 Jesus said: GO THY WAY, THY FAITH HATH MADE THEE WHOLE.

M. BARTIMAEUS WILL NEVER AGAIN WALK IN THE HOPELESSNESS OF BLINDNESS.

BARTIMAEUS WILL NEVER WEAR THE PITY COAT OF A BLIND MAN, WHY?

WHY? BECAUSE HE GOT THE ATTENTION OF THE SAVIOR! Jesus was his ONLY HOPE!

2. GOD GAVE A SON OF PROMISE AND THEN HE DIED! HOPE? NO HOPE?

THE HARVEST IS UPON US, WE NEED OUR SON, AND HE GETS A HEAD ACHE AND DIES?