There’s the story told about a man and his wife
spending a vacation at an oceanfront hotel. They
were very committed to work, family, and church
but they desperately needed some time off. One
night a violent storm sent crashing waves against
the shore. All during the night, they could hear
the power of the storm, the wind, the gigantic
waves pounding upon the shore. The man kept
thinking while lying in his bed about his own
storms and the continuous demands his business
made upon his life, and the strain it placed upon
his personal life.
Later that night, the wind died down and the
storm was over. The man got up early that
morning to see what damaged the storm had
made. All along the shore, he could see what
seemed to be thousands of starfish. Soon the sun
would pierce the clouds and its heat would dry
the starfish. Stranded on the beach the starfish
would helplessly die. But then he noticed a
strange sight. A little boy was throwing
something in the water. He was throwing the
starfish, one by one, into the water.
“Why are you throwing the starfish back in the
water?” the man asked the young boy. “There
are so many of them. What real difference can
you possibly make since there are hundreds of
starfish on the bank?”
“Well, you’re right,” said the boy as he picked up
another starfish and threw it back into the water.
As the starfish sunk into the water, he looked at
the man and said, “But it made a difference to
that starfish.” (Denis Waitley, Seeds of Greatness)
There’s a truth to that story, and it teaches us
that we can in many ways make a positive
difference in the lives of other people.
Beyond that story, I want to say, that when
we PRAY AND TRUST IN Jesus Christ, He
MAKES EVEN A BIGGER DIFFERENCE.
Our message this morning is this, WHAT A
DIFFERENCE JESUS MAKES!
TRUSTING JESUS MAKES ALL THE
DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD!
When we Work, we work, but when we pray and
trust Jesus, then God IS AT WORK! In the Bible
God invites us to reach out in faith and receive
His blessings. A character in the Bible by the
name of Bartimaeus found out what a difference
Jesus could make in his life. If you will turn to
Mark 10:46, you will see his story. What a
difference Jesus made in his life. Let’s look now
at Mark chapter 10, verses 46 through 52.
What difference did Jesus make in the life of
Bartimaeus? I believe that’s an excellent
question, because many people don’t see the
difference. People say, “I don’t see any
difference in becoming a Christian. I don’t see
that it will make a change in my life. I don’t see
that there is a difference between Christians and
those who are not confessing Christians.”
What real difference is there by coming to
church? What real difference can there be by
giving tithes and offerings? What difference will
it make if I come to church, or if I come once in a
while? What difference will it make if I pray,
let’s say, 15 minutes daily, or if I pray once a
week? As far as I can see, I don’t really see the
difference.
It reminds me of visiting a man on several
occasions. His wife was a member of the church,
but he had no plans of coming. I asked him about
giving his life to Jesus, and coming to the church
services. I won’t forget his response: “Well,
preacher, here’s how it is, some do, and some
don’t and I guess I’m one of those who don’t.”
To him there really was no visible difference
whether you were saved, or not.
The truth is, whether we believe it or not, Jesus
does make a difference! And the first lesson we
can see is this:
1. Jesus makes a difference to people who
know they are in Need! v.46
There were MANY PEOPLE surrounding Jesus, but
one man had a desperate need. A great number
of people were close to Jesus, but out of the
multitude we can see blind Bartimaeus begging.
Bartimaeus was not the only blind person in the
story. There were many others blinded to their
own spiritual condition. It’s like churches today
surrounded by the gospel of Jesus, but have no
real desperate needs. It’s like what we read in
Revelation 3:17 “Because thou sayest, I am
rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched,
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”
We have need of Jesus this morning! We have
need of spiritual awakening this morning! We
have need of revival! We have need of a mighty
move of God upon our church to stir us, to
convict us, to change us, to bring us to a place of
deep repentance. We have need of Holy Ghost
power! We have need of God’s Saving Grace!
But we won’t see much of a difference in our
church unless we RECOGNIZE THE NEED.
Bartimaeus was blind, and he was a beggar.
It is an awful thing to be physically blind, but it is
even more to be spiritually blind. The bible says
in 2Corinthians 4:4 “The god of this world (the
devil is called god of this world) has blinded the
minds of them which believe not” And again we
read in Ephesians 4:18 “Having the
understanding darkened, being alienated from
the life of God through the ignorance that is in
them, because of the blindness of their heart.”
Bartimaeus was blind, and he was in poverty.
There is also the poverty of the soul. Many who
are rich in material things, are yet poor in soul.
They are spiritual beggars, spiritual street people
who do not know Jesus as their saviour. Jerry
Vines in his commentary on Mark says, “When
Adam sinned in the garden of Eden, humankind
fell to the spiritual poverty level. Those without
Jesus are spiritually poor today. Their lives are
like an empty pocket, a ragged pocket that has
been turned inside out, emptied of everything of
worth and value.” (Exploring the Gospels, Mark,
pp.214-215, Jerry Vines)
The first step in discovering the difference is to
recognize YOUR NEED. Jesus makes a difference
to those who have a need.
Is there a spiritual need in your life? God
promises to pour out His blessings upon those
who are thirsty. In Isaiah 44:3 “For I will pour
water upon him that is thirsty..I will pour my
spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon your
offspring.”
Jesus makes the difference to those who know
they are in need.
2. Jesus makes the difference to people
who cry out in faith. vv.46,47
It’s the cry of faith that Jesus will not turn away.
We know Bartimaeus had faith because of the
title he gave Jesus. He said, “Jesus, thou son of
David.” Bartimaeus recognize Jesus to be the
Messiah. The Promised One to come to open the
blind eyes. That was one of the signs. In Isaiah
35:5 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be
opened.” That was the sign given to John the
Baptist. If you recall when John the Baptist was
put into prison. He began to have some doubts
about Jesus as to whether He was the true
Messiah. John the Baptist sent one of his
followers to Jesus to ask if He was the Messiah,
the Saviour, or should they look for another.
Jesus sent them back saying, “Go tell John that
the blind are receiving their sight.” That was one
of the signs. It was predicted that when the
Messiah would come, He would open blind eyes.
Jesus healed folks of many diseases. He healed
folks of leprosy, lameness, all types of diseases,
but there is one illness that Jesus healed the
most, and that was the condition of blindness.
So Bartimaeus came to the right Person.
When you need a miracle, you need to know
where to go. This world will leave you in the
dark. Religion will leave you in the dark. All the
philosophies of man will leave you in total
blindness. ONLY JESUS CAN OPEN THE BLIND
EYES.
His cry of faith was for mercy. “Have mercy
on me.” Before a person can be saved, they
must come the humble way. Jesus does not, and
can not, and will not save the proud, and the
arrogant. Bartimaeus did not demand his own
rights. He came with no demands, but only a plea
for mercy. We live in a society that is always
demanding their rights. If we got what we trully
deserved, it would be eternity in hell.
We are not saved because we have a right to be
saved. We don’t stand before Holy God at the
pearly gates, and say I’m going in because I have
my rights.
“Not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to his mercy he saved us.”
Titus 3:5
His cry of faith was persistent.
He refused to be discouraged by the crowd.
He refused to be quieted down by folks who
were embarrassed by his shouting.
They were probably ashamed because they did
not have the “cry of faith”. If God leads you to
this altar every service we have, keep on praying
no matter what people say. But what will they
think about me, “he/she must really have a
problem.”
Can you imagine what they said to Bartimaeus?
Man, you’re out of your mind. Jesus ain’t got time
for you.
What difference Jesus would make, if we so
determined to pray, and pray, and pray, and cry
out to God in desperation for revival. Do we
have that kind of desperate praying?
3. When Jesus makes the difference it will
show.
v.50 he cast away his garment..no longer did he
need the garments of a beggar. He was now a
child of the king. He was now clothed with a new
suit. He was clothed with the robe of
righteousness. He got his physical eyesight, and
he got spiritual eyesight.
Two men were sitting on a park bench. One was
a Communist, the other a Christian. Along walked
by an beggar with old, torn and tattered clothes.
The Communist said, “Communism will give that
man a new suit.” The Christian said, “Christianity
will put a new man in that suit.” Only Jesus can
give the change. Only Jesus can make you a
brand new person. Education can give you
information. Self-help programs can offer
opportunities for reformation. Only Jesus can give
a person total transformation. Faith in Christ will
bring about the transformation from being lost to
being found.
What a wonderful change in my life has been
wrought since Jesus came into my heart!
I have light in my sould for which long I had
sought, Since Jesus came into my heart!
Since Jesus came into my heart, Since Jesus
came into my heart, Floods of joy o’er my soul
like the sea billows roll, Since Jesus came into my
heart.
You can witness the change that Jesus makes in
a human life. 2Cor.5:17 “If any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.”
There was the evidence in Bartimaeus of a
changed life. Now (v.52) he followed Jesus.
A medical missionary performed sugery on a poor
blind man..Some time after the operation the
man disappeared..A few days later the medical
missionary opened his door and there was the
man with a rope. On the rope were ten more
blind people.
If Jesus has made you see, you can not help but
find the blind people in your community and
bring them to Jesus.
Jesus makes a difference, and IT SHOWS...
HAS JESUS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR
LIFE?
January 12, 2000
Swan Creek Baptist Church
Pastor Chris Gowen
161 Hudson Rd
Ethridge, Tenn 38456
clgowen@yahoo.com
http://swancreek.faithsite.com
