NOW YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT
Mark 10:46-52
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A first grade teacher seated her students in a circle. She asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up. One child announced, "I'd like to be a nurse like my mother," or "I want to be a banker like my father," or "I want to be a teacher like you, Miss Smith."
2. The last child to speak was the most shy and timid little boy in the class. He said, "When I get big, I'm going to be a lion tamer in the circus. I'm going to face those animals with my whip and chair and make them leap through hoops of fire."
3. Seeing the disbelieving looks on the faces of his classmates that he could ever act so boldly or bravely, he was quick to reassure them, "Well, of course, I'll have my mother with me."
4. We are sometimes shy and timid about standing up for Christ in the midst of an immoral society. We only need to remember the promise, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:13).
B. TEXT
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Mk. 10:46-52
C. THESIS
1. In the last year, we’ve all had our share of trials and troubles, but God has been good to us. We ought to enter the year 2021 shouting, because a shout is one of the purest forms of Praise to God. Psalms 22:3 says “God inhabits the praises of his people” we ought to be shouting every chance that we get.
2. Jesus had been having a busy day: He taught on marriage and divorce, he blessed the little children, and he counseled the rich young ruler. As He passed through Jericho, he met Bartimaeus—the son of Timaeus who sat by the roadside with his tin cup of bare-existence and begged.
3. In this passage, Bartimaeus opens his classroom up and teaches us four valuable lessons:
I. OUR PRESENT CONDITIONS DON’T HAVE TO BE OUR CONCLUSION
A. A BAD START
Bartimaeus had a really tough life until this day
1. HIS NAME means "Son of the Unclean"/defiled. This designation “unclean” was used of lepers or those leaking bodily fluids. Whatever they touched was defiled, in fact, that was His father’s name. How would you like the name “Defiled” on your mailbox? If ever God seemed to be against someone, it was him!
2. A BEGGAR. He was so poor that he existed from one meal to the next. His clothing was little more than rags. He was exposed to the weather -- heat, cold, rain, clammy, etc., and didn’t have an opportunity to bathe.
3. A “BLIND” BEGGAR. Not only defiled & a beggar, he was blind. But at least he knew he was blind (better than many!) and he wanted to change. But he knew there was no solution but divine intervention.
B. BUT A CHANGE WAS APPROACHING!
1. The first lesson of Bartimaeus’ class is that you can start bad but that God CAN change your situation IF you ask Him. 2020 may have had some major blows, but 2021 can be totally different.
2. Our problems may’ve pushed us down, shoved us down, and laid us down, but we don’t have to stay down! We can get up! Let 2021 be a year of victory for you!
II. DON’T LET THE OPPORT. OF A LIFETIME PASS YOU BY
A. JESUS WAS PASSING BY
1. Bartimaeus next teaches that we shouldn’t allow the opportunity of a lifetime to pass us by.
2. When Bartimaeus heard that JESUS was passing by, he began to shout. WHY? because Bartimaeus had heard how Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding of Cana; how Jesus took a boy’s fish & chip lunch and fed 5,000+.
3. He’d heard how the woman with the issue of blood found a pharmaceutical shop in the hem of Jesus garment – how she touched the hem and received her Healing from Him. Vs. 47 says, “When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
B. BEGIN SHOUTING BEFORE THE MIRACLE ARRIVES
1. Bartimaeus didn’t wait till Jesus got there to shout, but he shouted before Jesus got to where he was – he gave God praise in advance! since he’d 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?
2. Bartimaeus didn’t need a preacher to preach him happy
-he didn’t need a choir to sing him happy
-he didn’t need a deacons to pray him happy
-he didn’t need a hymn of preparation – all he needed was that the Word of God to be near, and the bible says he began to shout, “Son of David have mercy on me!”
3. Some may say, “Is it really necessary that we shout?” I remember the man who got throat cancer & lost his voice. During worship he would jump occasionally. “Why do you do that?” someone asked. “I’d rather lose my voice and still have my shout, than to lose my shout and still have my voice!”
4. The 3rd lesson of Bartimaeus is…
III. DON’T LET PEOPLE STOP YOUR PRAISE/FAITH
A. MAKE A BREAK FROM PEER-PRESSURE
1. Not only did Bartimaeus NOT let the opportunity of a lifetime pass him by, he didn’t let the CROWD keep him from praising.
2. The Living Bible says the crowd told him (vs. 48); "Shut up!” When you start really seeking God, radically moving toward God – you can be sure the world will discourage you. They’ll think you’ve lost your mind, you’re wasting your time, You’re throwing your life away. Of course, they don’t see what you see.
3. Sometimes, more troubling, is the response of the religious world has: “Take it slow; you’re moving too fast!” "You’re getting too excited/ fanatical."
4. Many are afraid to go to the altar because "my friends will think I'm weird."
B. LET YOUR SHOUT OUT!
1. In 2021, don’t allow anyone to silent your praise.
2. Bartimaeus didn’t have force his way through a mob like the woman with the issue of blood (Mk. 5); he didn’t have 4 friends bring him to Jesus like the paralyzed man (Mk. 2).
3. But he used what he had, and what he had was a shout down on the inside and it was powerful enough to get Jesus’ attention. When Jesus heard him, he stopped in His tracks and had Bartimaeus brought to Him.
IV. GET RID OF ALL THAT HINDERS YOU
A. HE THREW ASIDE HIS CLOAK
Bartimaeus gave us one more lesson – he got rid of things that would hinder him from getting to Jesus. Bartimaeus’ "THROWING ASIDE HIS CLOAK demonstrated:
1. He was Leaving his old life. The cloak defined who Bartimaeus was; that he was poor and blind. It was probably the only possession he owned, if it was not held in pledge.
2. It was Act of Faith; with sight, he would never be blind or a beggar again. He had had that cloak positioned over his knees to catch the coins as he begged. Throwing off that cloak showed he believed he wasn’t going to need it anymore.
3. We all have to throw off our cloaks (dependencies) that bind us to our circumstances. That cloak had defined Bartimaeus. We have to throw off the definition of who we think we are. Throw off your failure, your weakness, your depression, your sinful habits, your old life.
4. Isa. 64:6 says, "All our righteous acts are like filthy rags." TODAY GOD SAYS: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isa. 1:18).
B. THE KEY? GET TO JESUS!
1. The key is to get to Jesus. I don’t care how you get to Him: you can get there by train, you can get there by plane. You can ride a bike or you can hitch-hike. You can get there by bus, or car, or even a hoverboard. Just get to Jesus; And when you get there, Shout!
2. WE HAVE A LOT TO SHOUT ABOUT; “Jesus is our victory!” “Nobody but the Lord saved me!” “He is my way Maker!”
3. But if those aren’t enough, here’s the greatest reason: on Friday, they crucified Him before lunch, He died before dinner, but He got up before breakfast. And when He got that Sunday, He declared that He had “all-power” in his hands!
4. Somebody help me shout!
5. Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, I want to see.” Sometimes our prayers are all over the place. We want answers to all our problems at once. But Bartimaeus asked for the one thing most important: his sight. If YOU get that, then all of your other problems will melt away!
6. WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARD? “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. There was a poor woman who lived next door to an atheist. He often mocked her faith and derided her as misguided and having an “imaginary friend.”
2. One day he overheard her praying for some groceries. He went out and bought a couple of sacks of groceries and put them on her porch first thing in the morning, and stood nearby.
3. She opened the door, saw the groceries, and exclaimed, “Praise God, He’s answered my prayers!”
4. He stepped out and said smugly, “It wasn’t God that overheard you and bought those groceries, it was me that did that! Ha!” She said, “Then I praise God even more!” “What for,” he said?
5. “I PRAISE HIM FOR TWO THINGS: the first is that He provided me with groceries, and the second thing is that He made the devil pay for them!”
B. THE CALL
1. HOW MANY KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT TO SHOUT ABOUT? How many want to see 2021 be different from 2020? Let’s show a little faith and begin to praise Him in advance for a great new Year.
2. JESUS IS PASSING BY THIS MORNING; don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Let’s go to Him right now! Come to the front to draw close to Him.
3. DO YOU HAVE THINGS HINDERING YOU? THROW THEM AWAY! How many of you need spiritual sight? Let’s pray!
[This is a rewrite of Dr. Jwt Spies message of the same title.]
