What Do You Want From God?

WHAT DO YOU WANT? What are you expecting?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

INTRODUCTION:

A. The Jewish Talmud suggests:

1. Moses gave 613 laws and commandments to God’s people.

2. David reduced them to 10 major commandments.

3. Isaiah reduced them to two.

4. Habakkuh reduced them to one: THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.

B. Let us pretend? Pretend with me we just found a fancy bottle and we rubbed it. Then a genie came out and said: I will give you three wishes?

WHAT WOULD YOU ASK?

C. You will never find a bottle like that, but I have a serious question: WHAT WOULD YOU ASK OF GOD TODAY?

Would you ask boldly? Would you seek things that will rust and fade?

D. JESUS ASKED A MAN: WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?

I. JESUS ASKS A SERIOUS QUESTION --- WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO

FOR YOU?

A. Sometimes a question can be a great learning tool.

Socrates and Aristotle were great teachers of their day, and they asked many questions of their students?

B. There is a great study: the great questions of the Bible?

The first great question of the Bible was asked by Cain: AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?

C. JESUS WAS A GOOD TEACHER AND HE OFTEN ASKED QUESTIONS LIKE: WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?

KJV

Mark 10:51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

NIV

Mark 10:51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

NASB

Mark 10:51 And answering him, Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!"

LB

Mark 10:51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked. "O Teacher," the blind man said, "I want to see!"

KJV

Luke 18:41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

NIV

Luke 18:41 "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied.

D. JESUS HAS A POINTED QUESTION TO ASK A BLIND MAN ON THE ROAD TO JERICHO.

II. THE BLIND MAN HAD TO OVERCOME A MEAN AND CRUEL AND NEGATIVE RELIGIOUS CROWD! THIS MAY BE MY OPPORTUNITY!

A. Jesus and his crew were traveling to Jericho.

Jericho means: SWEET FRAGRANCE, PRAISE, WORSHIP, PRAISE BEYOND HUMAN ABILITY.

B. THERE WAS A BLIND MAN NAMED --- BARTIMAEUS!

C. There was no government or social programs for blind people.

Blind Bartimaeus was totally dependent on the mercy of his family and friends for his existence. Bart had someone bring him out on this busy highway in the hopes others would feel sorry for him and give him something.

D. Bartimaeus was a PROFESSIONAL BEGGAR!

Someone cared enough to tell this begging blind man JESUS IS COMING THIS WAY!

E. Bartimaeus had learned to use his ears to listen to the things happening around him.

Off in a distance Bartimaeus could hear the noise of an excited crowd. This blind man knew JESUS IS PASSING CLOSER AND CLOSER.

Mark 10:46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the 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!"

F. BARTIMAEUS MUST HAVE HEARD THE CROWD AND HE STARTED YELLING, HE WAS SCREAMING, JESUS I AM OVER HERE! JESUS PLEASE COME CLOSER.

G. It appears the crowd was embarrassed by this blind man’s behavior, and MANY REBUKED HIM,

THE RELIGIOUS CROWD WAS NOT HELPING BARTIMAEUS GET TO JESUS, THEY WERE SAYING, SHUT UP BLIND MAN! SHUT UP.

H. The more the crowd told the blind man to SHUT UP, the more he yelled.

III. BARTIMAEUS: JESUS HEARD YOU AND JESUS HAS CALLED YOU TO COME TO HIM!

PAY ATTENTION, WE MUST GET GOD’S SON TO HEAR OUR CASE!

A. Have you ever noticed how we turn our heads away when we pass the Salvation Army? Or a crippled soldier?

B. JESUS CAME TO A HALT, JESUS WAS STANDING STILL, JESUS SAW THIS BLIND MAN, AND THE POINT OF OPPORTUNITY WAS MEETING THE ANSWER!