Participants: Charissa Fong
Series Code: FGW
Program Code: FGW000013
|
00:27 Our subject this morning is "Only Jesus. "
00:30 And so before we go any further I invite you to bow your heads 00:33 with me as we have a short word of prayer. 00:36 Our Father in heaven, thank you, Lord, for bringing us 00:39 here this morning. And as we open Your Word 00:42 and address a very wonderful subject: "Only Jesus, " 00:46 I pray that You'll send Your Holy Spirit 00:48 to speak to our hearts. Speak through me now I pray. 00:51 In Jesus' name, Amen. 00:54 If you have seen anything of the news over the past year, 00:59 you will know that at this very moment 01:02 our world is in a very unstable economic condition. 01:06 All of you should remember the economic crisis that 01:09 happened just a few years ago. 01:12 Wall Street has come to represent a 4-letter word: 01:15 F- E-A-R... fear. 01:19 The world is suddenly not what it used to be. 01:22 And even though I personally don't know much about 01:25 money matters, the one thing that I do know about money 01:29 matters is that it does. 01:31 Everybody is talking about this crisis because everybody 01:34 is affected by this crisis. 01:37 This isn't like an isolated natural disaster 01:40 that hits an isolated corner of our planet. 01:43 This crisis has affected the world entirely. 01:47 To help illustrate how global this crisis is 01:50 I catch the train to Uni every week. 01:54 And when I go on the train to Uni, I meet a friend of mine 01:57 and we go in together. 01:58 And every time I meet her on the train I'm always asking her 02:01 "Did you hear about this? Did you hear about the 02:04 earthquake in China or did you hear about what Barack Obama 02:07 said about this? " And every time she sits there, 02:10 she listens to me and she says: "Charissa, I haven't watched 02:13 the news yet. " And it always makes me feel really intelligent 02:16 'cause I just sit there and tell her everything that I know 02:19 all the way to Uni. 02:21 But when the world... crisis happened in the economy 02:26 even she was telling me about the crisis. 02:28 So that really made me realize "Wow! This is bigger 02:32 than we realize. " And we may not know much about 02:36 what the future holds but... 02:42 Suddenly the future isn't what it used to be. 02:46 And in a world of financial upheaval and stress 02:50 there is only one person who offers to you and I 02:53 hope for our future, and His name is Jesus Christ. Amen? 02:57 And when I see the headlines on the television, my mind 03:00 goes back to a wonderful passage that I find in the book of John. 03:04 And I invite you to come there with me. 03:11 The words of Jesus ring in my mind when I see the headlines. 03:20 You've got to see this if you've never seen it before. 03:23 John 14- Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - 03:27 verses 1 to 3. 03:29 These are the words of Jesus, and Jesus says: 03:32 "In my Father's house are many mansions. 03:35 If it were not so, I would have told you. 03:38 I am going to prepare a place for the New Zealanders. " 03:43 I'm sorry... is that not what it says? 03:45 "I am going to prepare a place for you. " Amen? 03:49 "And if I go and prepare a place for you I'm going to think about 03:52 coming back... " No, that's not what it says. 03:56 Jesus... He is certain: "I WILL come again 03:59 and receive you to Myself 04:01 that where I am there you may be also. " 04:04 Friends, when I see the headlines I am convinced 04:07 that Jesus is coming again and He is coming soon! 04:11 Amen. 04:12 Oh come on. You can get more excited about that than that. 04:15 Jesus is coming soon. Amen? Amen. 04:18 That's better. But ironically today I do not want to talk 04:22 to you about a financial crisis. 04:24 In fact, I want to talk to you about a man who had absolutely 04:28 no money whatsoever. 04:31 And if he lived today, the financial crisis would have 04:34 no effect on him because he had nothing to start with 04:37 in the first place. 04:39 However, while we find him at the beginning of our story 04:42 with absolutely nothing, by the time we emerge from his story 04:47 we discover that he has found something 04:50 that not even seven hundred billion dollars 04:54 could buy. And I don't know about you 04:57 but a rags-to-riches story like that 05:00 is something I've just got to see 05:01 and I've got a hunch you will want to see it, too. 05:04 So join me now in his story in the book of Mark. 05:08 Mark chapter 10 and verse 46. 05:23 Says: "Now they came to Jericho 05:26 and as He went out of Jericho with His disciples 05:29 and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, 05:34 sat by the road begging. " 05:37 Now let's hit the pause button right here because here's 05:40 our man. Please allow me to introduce you to poor, poor 05:45 blind Bartimaeus. 05:47 Some say it as though blind were his first name. 05:51 It is true Mark calls him Bartimaeus, 05:54 but we don't really know if that was his name because 05:57 Bar means son of 05:59 and Timaeus means unclean. 06:01 So he's the son of unclean. Not a really nice name. 06:04 And here as we find him in our story 06:07 he... we are told he is blind. We don't know how long 06:11 he has been blind... we just know that he is. 06:13 And as we meet him here he is doing something that 06:16 he did every single day of his life. 06:18 He is - well done - he is begging. 06:22 Now, as I have examined my past 06:25 I have discovered that I started out as a child. 06:28 Coincidentally, so did my sister. 06:31 And as I have examined that past even more closely 06:34 I realize that there were several times in my childhood 06:38 where I thought about and indeed tried to run away from home. 06:42 The only reason I tell you is because I know I'm not alone. 06:45 Who else tried to run away from home? Anyone else? 06:47 Oh thank you... the hands are going up. 06:49 Wonderful. Well, I tried to run away from home. 06:52 And I don't quite remember the reason why I tried 06:55 to run away from home. 06:57 Maybe it was because my dad wanted me to do some exercise. 07:00 He said: "do some push-ups, " and I didn't want to do them. 07:02 Or maybe my mum said: "Go and have a shower" 07:05 and I didn't want to have one. 07:06 I can't remember the reason why... 07:09 I just know that every single time I tried to run away 07:13 from home it was always the same story. 07:16 I would walk out the front door of my house 07:18 past my house, and I'd get about 20 minutes away from my house. 07:23 It's not very far. Then I'd stop and I'd turn around 07:26 and I'd look back at my house to take this one last 07:29 longing look at my house because that's what they did 07:32 in the movies. When two people walk away 07:34 they walk, they stop, they look back 07:36 and it's the best part of the movie... so I would do that. 07:39 Walk away... look back. And when I looked back at my house 07:43 every time my mum would be there in the kitchen window 07:47 chopping some vegetables for dinner. 07:50 And I don't know how, but she'd always 07:52 look up at the right time. 07:53 She'd stop what she was doing and look up out the window, 07:57 smile at me, and wave. 08:00 And it would be then at that moment that I realized 08:03 I had nowhere to go for dinner that night. 08:06 Who was going to feed me? And so I stayed at home. 08:09 And praise God, I'm still at home. Amen? 08:11 Amen. Not for the same reasons though. 08:14 But at least... The point is: at least I have a home 08:18 to go home to. You see, poor blind Bartimaeus... 08:21 he didn't even have a home to go home to. 08:25 Every single day he had to beg for everything he got. 08:29 And I can't think of a more demoralizing predicament 08:33 for a man to find himself in. 08:35 I mean, most of us find it hard to ask for directions 08:38 when we're trying to go somewhere. 08:40 Can you imagine begging for food? 08:42 For everything? Just to live and survive. 08:45 Put simply, it is a gross understatement to say 08:49 that Bartimaeus led an unhappy life. 08:54 Every day he would feel his way to the side of the dusty road 08:59 there in Jericho where he would beg from sunup to sundown 09:04 hoping that someone would be kind enough to toss him 09:07 a few crumbs of bread or even a few coins. 09:10 And believe me, friends, you experience the world 09:13 a whole lot differently when you're sitting by the road 09:16 in Jericho. The roads aren't like the ones you and I drove on 09:20 to get here. They're dirty and they're dusty. 09:23 So Bartimaeus probably wasn't the cleanest character 09:26 in town and it's highly likely that as he sat by the road 09:30 there in Jericho he cupped a lot more curses and insults 09:35 than he does coins. 09:37 All he needed was for one thing to change in his life 09:42 so that he could actually walk upon the road he was begging 09:45 beside. And so that's all he needed was his sight. 09:50 Of course for that, he needed a miracle! 09:52 And I don't know how, but somehow in the darkness 09:56 of his blindness Bartimaeus kept holding onto hope 10:01 that one day that miracle would happen for him. 10:04 That one day a cure would be found. 10:08 It was springtime in Palestine. 10:11 Bartimaeus... he could smell it. Spring was in the air 10:15 and he knew what that meant. 10:17 That meant that there were going to be a lot of people 10:20 traveling between Jericho and Jerusalem that day - 10:24 a 24 kilometer journey - and he hoped 10:27 that religious pilgrims on a religious pilgrimage 10:31 they would be generous. 10:32 And so we continue on in the story. 10:35 Mark chapter 10, now look at verse 47. 10:39 Says: "And when he heard that it was Jesus" - 10:42 this was Bartimaeus - 10:43 "Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say: 10:46 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. ' " 10:51 Bartimaeus... he hears the approaching buzz 10:55 of an unusually large crowd. 10:58 He has never quite heard a crowd this large before. 11:02 And so he asks a passing shadow 'cause he can't see 11:06 he says: "What's all the commotion about? " 11:08 And the stranger stopped and he says "Well, Jesus of Nazareth 11:11 is passing by. " 11:13 And Bartimaeus hears that name Jesus 11:17 and it means something to him. 11:19 This wasn't just a man from Nazareth that was walking past. 11:23 No, this was the Messiah. So you see, someone had told him 11:27 about Jesus before... he knew about Jesus. 11:30 Mark doesn't tell us how he knew or who told him. 11:35 Maybe it was the leper or the paralytic 11:38 whom Jesus had already healed in Mark's gospel. 11:42 Maybe the suffering woman. 11:44 How she had stopped by Bartimaeus one day 11:47 and told him of how she had just reached out to Jesus 11:50 and managed to barely touch the hem of His garment 11:54 and she had been healed. 11:56 Or maybe Jairus's daughter, while she was on her way to the 12:00 markets one day, maybe one day she stopped by Bartimaeus 12:04 and she said: "Bartimaeus, you wouldn't believe what's happened 12:07 for me. Jesus! He raised me from the dead! " 12:11 We don't know how he knew but somehow he knew 12:15 how all who came into Jesus' presence had their lives 12:19 radically changed. 12:21 And as Bartimaeus is putting the puzzle pieces together 12:24 in his head he realizes that that Great Physician 12:29 whom he has only ever heard about, 12:31 only ever dreamed about, 12:34 was closer to him now than He had ever been before. 12:39 And for all he knew, Jesus might never pass by 12:42 that way again. 12:45 And so question: how does a blind man 12:48 find a stranger in a passing crowd? 12:52 How does someone who cannot see 12:54 see the One that they are looking for? 12:56 I mean, there is Jesus - his only hope in life - just 12:59 passing him by. But poor blind Bartimaeus hasn't got a hope 13:04 of seeing Him or finding Him. 13:06 Well friends, like they say: "Where there's a will 13:09 there's a way. " And he has a voice and he can use it. 13:13 And friends, when your one shot a life is passing you by 13:16 and all you've got is a voice, 13:18 you use that voice like there's no tomorrow. 13:20 Like they say: "If all you've got is a hammer, 13:22 everything looks like a nail. " 13:24 And so he begins to shout. 13:27 "Oh Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, Lord. 13:31 Over here. Lord, I'm over here. Have mercy on me. " 13:36 I wish we had an audio recording of that cry 13:40 because bottled up in that cry was a lifetime of rejection. 13:45 A lifetime of depression and loneliness. 13:49 All of that gave strength to his voice. 13:53 And notice verse 48: 13:55 "Then many warned him to be quiet 13:59 but he cried out all the more 'Son of David, 14:02 have mercy on me. ' " 14:05 You know, the funny thing about common sense 14:08 is that it's not all that common. 14:10 You would think that somebody who could see 14:14 they would see the need of poor blind Bartimaeus 14:17 and see another opportunity to take someone straight to Jesus. 14:21 After all, this crowd has seen Jesus heal so many times 14:26 before. But you know what? 14:28 Instead of taking him to Jesus the crowd turns at him. 14:32 They look at him and they say: "Shhh, be quiet. 14:35 We don't want to hear you any more. " 14:37 Now we can't be too hard on this crowd because let's face it 14:40 this kind of thing happens every day all the time 14:44 in many different situations. 14:46 I don't know if you've noticed 14:48 but university students have this gift of being able to 14:52 look like they know what they're doing 14:53 even if they don't know what they're doing. 14:55 And to convince people around them that they have something 14:58 very important to do they just have to look serious 15:02 and walk fast... and people respect them. 15:04 Well, I was at university one day 15:07 looking very serious and walking very fast to the computer room. 15:10 I got in the computer room and there were young people 15:13 all over the computers. And so I found a computer, 15:16 put my bags down, logged on, 15:18 began to do my work. 15:20 And as I was doing my work 15:23 I was interrupted by this noise and it went like this: 15:27 "Dadumm. " Know what that is? 15:30 No? Yes? No? 15:33 That is a mobile phone losing battery. 15:36 Now I head this phone beep and I looked around 15:40 because that's what phone beeping is for: to get one's 15:43 attention. But do you know what? Nobody in that room 15:46 moved. Nobody even batted an eyelid. 15:49 They just kept going, and I couldn't understand it. 15:52 I thought: "Someone's phone is losing battery and they're 15:54 not going to turn it off. " Well, I can handle a phone 15:57 beeping, you know, once or twice. 15:59 But when a phone beeps for 20 minutes 16:02 and nobody does anything to stop it, 16:05 then it's unacceptable. 16:06 And so I was there working and this phone continues 16:10 to beep. And so finally I started getting annoyed. 16:13 And I started looking at the person next to me 16:16 eyeing them to make them look at their phone. 16:18 They didn't move. So I started staring down 16:20 the person on the computer opposite me. 16:22 Nothing moved. I looked at this person. 16:24 Nobody seemed to care or notice. 16:26 And so finally I was just fed up with them all. 16:30 I logged off the computer, picked up my bag, 16:33 stormed out of the computer room 16:34 muttering to myself how lazy they all were back there. 16:38 And as I'm storming across the campus I heard this noise. 16:41 "Dadumm. " 16:42 It had been my phone all along. 16:45 And in the same way that there I was, sitting in that 16:49 computer room blaming everybody else 16:51 thinking that everybody else had the problem 16:54 when I was the one who had the problem 16:56 so it is with this crowd. 16:58 Friends, they are following Jesus for all the wrong reasons. 17:03 They think Bartimaeus has all of the problems 17:05 when really they were the ones who had a big problem as well. 17:09 They're following Him for all the wrong reasons. 17:12 Some of the people are in the crowd that day 17:14 'cause they're there for the action. 17:16 They have heard that Jesus is a great miracle worker 17:19 and they want to have a front-seat spot just in case 17:23 He performs another one. 17:25 Others have heard that Jesus is a great preacher. 17:28 They love to hear Him teach 17:30 and so they certainly don't want a worthless nobody 17:34 like Bartimaeus interrupting Him on their highly deep 17:37 and philosophical theological discussion. 17:40 Others are there because their friends are there. 17:43 Others are there because their parents made them come. 17:46 Others are there because they're looking for a boyfriend 17:49 or a girlfriend. They're all in the crowd 17:51 for all the wrong reasons, and you and I must pay attention 17:55 to this crowd because often it is a picture of the church. 18:00 Sometimes, Christians, we crowd Jesus... 18:02 and when we do we build up a wall that keeps us and Jesus in 18:07 and real people with real needs out. 18:11 And so the crowd... they turned to Bartimaeus: 18:14 "Hey you, shhh! Pipe down; be quiet! 18:19 I wish you could see what you look like. 18:21 You are an embarrassment to this community. 18:23 You are just so embarrassing. Just... we don't want to hear 18:26 you; we don't want to see you. This is a religious festival. " 18:30 And then in hushed religious whispers to their religious 18:33 friends: "I can't believe he would do this at an occasion 18:37 like this. The man is mad! " 18:41 But friends, the Bible tells us something remarkable. 18:44 That as the crowd told him to be quiet 18:47 the Bible tells us the more they told him 18:50 the louder and the louder his cries became. 18:54 And friends, let's not gloss over this 18:57 because it takes guts to sit by the side of the road 19:01 in the darkness of your blindness calling out to Jesus 19:04 when there is a crowd threatening to silence you. 19:07 That takes guts. 19:09 I mean I've been in Australian history classes sometimes 19:12 and, you know, they ask us when did Captain Cook arrive? 19:15 And nobody wants to say the answer. We're just too afraid 19:18 to say the answer. But here is Bartimaeus. 19:20 He's sitting by the side of the road calling out to Jesus. 19:23 And friends, I'd like to show you this quote: 19:26 wonderful quote by a wonderful author. It says: 20:01 The story is told of Dwight Moody. 20:04 He went to visit a prison once. 20:06 And after preaching to the inmates he then went and visited 20:09 them all in their cells. 20:11 And as he went and made his visits 20:13 he asked them all this one question. 20:16 He said: "What brought you here? " 20:18 And you know what they said? He got a whole myriad 20:21 of responses. The responses he received 20:23 went something like this: 20:25 "I don't deserve to be here. " 20:27 "I was falsely accused. " 20:29 "I was framed; I was given an unfair trial. " 20:33 Not a single one of the inmates was willing to admit 20:36 their guilt until finally Moody reached the end of the corridor. 20:40 He peered into the cell door there and he saw a man 20:44 sitting down with his face in his hands sobbing. 20:48 And Moody said: "What's the matter, friend? " 20:50 And the man said: "My sin is more than I can bear. " 20:53 And Moody said: "Praise God. " And he went and he was able 20:57 to introduce that man to Jesus Christ. 21:00 This quote... I read it to you because sometimes I wonder 21:04 if we really see ourselves the way God sees us. 21:07 'Cause perhaps if we could see our true condition 21:11 our prayers will be so much more earnest and heartfelt. 21:15 Perhaps if we could see ourselves the way God sees us 21:18 our calls on Jesus would be so much more sincere 21:22 like Bartimaeus. 21:23 Let's continue on. Notice verse 49: 21:28 "So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. 21:33 Then they called the blind man saying to him 21:36 'Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you. ' " 21:41 Amidst the chaos of that crowd 21:44 a lone plaintive voice reaches the ear of Jesus 21:49 and the Bible tells us that Jesus stopped. 21:52 Why does Jesus stop? 21:55 Friends, I think there are two wonderful reasons why Jesus 21:58 stopped. The first reason why Jesus stopped 22:01 is because the faith of poor blind Bartimaeus 22:05 had arrested His attention. And faith in Jesus Christ 22:08 always does. Can you say "Amen? " 22:10 Amen. Up until this point Jesus had been going here 22:14 and going there, saying this and saying that. 22:16 Mark really hasn't given us much of an opportunity 22:20 in his gospel to stop and catch a breath. 22:23 But suddenly a worthless wretch of a man 22:27 like Bartimaeus... he calls out to Jesus and the Bible says 22:31 He stopped. And I am so glad that the Bible tells us that. 22:34 Jesus stopped for Bartimaeus. 22:37 And by the way, if you read the wonderful commentary called 22:40 The Great Controversy, if you do some historical research, 22:44 the Bible... I'm sorry, those books tell us that when John Hus 22:49 who was a Reformer... when he was dying, burning at 22:52 the stake because he chose to be faithful to Jesus, 22:55 they tell us that he died singing. 22:58 Do you remember what he was singing? 23:00 He sang: "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. " 23:05 Same cry as Bartimaeus. 23:07 And I think that's wonderful because if Jesus stopped 23:10 for Bartimaeus then we can be sure that He wasn't far 23:13 from Hus either. Amen? 23:16 That's the first reason why Jesus stopped. 23:18 Now the second reason is really something. 23:21 I think it's radical. I love the second reason 23:24 because, you see, as I watch the news sometimes 23:26 and I see, you know, the financial crisis and all the 23:29 other crises that we face today 23:31 the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 6:19-21 23:37 come to my mind. So turn there: 23:39 Matthew chapter 6 verses 19 to 21. 23:44 They come to my mind... the words of Jesus. 23:47 And this of course is taking us to His Sermon on the Mount. 23:51 Matthew 6 verses 19-21. Jesus says: 23:55 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth 23:58 where moth and rust destroy 24:02 and where thieves break in and steal. 24:04 But lay up for yourselves treasures in Tyrene 24:07 where neither... " 24:09 I'm just making sure you're with me. 24:11 "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven 24:13 where neither moth nor rust destroy 24:16 and where thieves do not break in and steal. 24:18 For where your treasure is 24:21 there your heart will be also. " 24:23 Now I have read those verses many times, 24:26 and I've just always assumed that I knew exactly what 24:29 Jesus was talking about when He said "treasure. " 24:32 After all, didn't we begin in John 14: 1-3 24:35 and Jesus told us about the mansions that are up there 24:38 in heaven? Oh that must be the treasure. 24:40 Gold... streets of gold. That's the treasure 24:42 Jesus is talking about. 24:44 But with the crisis and everything 24:46 curiosity got me studying. And so I did some research 24:50 and I came across this wonderful quote. 24:52 It is a long quote but I'll tell you it is a wonderful quote. 24:56 Let's read it together: 25:49 Don't you think that's amazing? 25:51 When we share Jesus with somebody else 25:54 we are investing in God's kingdom because according to 25:58 Jesus treasure is people. 26:01 You and I are God's treasure. The quote goes on: 26:25 And I love this part: 27:21 Mount of Blessing pages 89 and 90. 27:24 Why does Jesus stop? 27:27 Because, friends, He had to stop. 27:30 It was for people like Bartimaeus that God had 27:34 bankrupt heaven to save. He sent Jesus for people 27:37 like Bartimaeus. There was treasure, and so when 27:40 Bartimaeus called out to Jesus 27:42 Jesus had to stop because he was treasure. 27:45 Day in and day out this had been the message 27:49 that Jesus was trying to communicate to His disciples. 27:52 "Listen Andrew, listen Paul, John, Peter. " 27:56 Not Paul... because he wasn't a disciple. 27:58 But anyway, you know what I mean. 27:59 "Listen to Me, " He says. 28:01 "It's not about fame; it's not about fortune. 28:04 It's all about people. " 28:06 It's all about Jesus and it's all about people. 28:09 But sadly, His disciples - no matter how much time they spent 28:13 with Him - they still didn't quite catch on. 28:16 Because come back to the book of Mark again. 28:19 Mark chapter 10 verses 36 and 37. 28:24 We find two disciples approach Jesus right before we meet 28:29 Bartimaeus. And when they do 28:32 Jesus asks them a question. 28:34 He's about to ask Bartimaeus... Notice verse 36 28:38 of Mark chapter 10. 28:39 "He said to them: 'What do you want Me to do for you? ' " 28:43 And verse 37... watch what they say: 28:45 "They said to Him: 'Grant us that we may sit 28:48 one on Your right hand and the other on Your left 28:51 in Your glory. ' " 28:53 Fascinating. 28:55 After spending so much time with Jesus - 28:58 walking with Him, talking with Him, eating with Him - 29:00 they still hadn't caught His passion for souls. 29:05 And so Jesus spelled it out for them 29:07 as He spells it out for every successive generation: 29:11 for you and I today. 29:13 He spelled it out in verse 45: 29:16 Jesus says: "For even the Son of Man did not come 29:20 to be served but to serve 29:22 and to give His life a ransom for many. " 29:27 It was all about people and it's still all about people. 29:31 And friends, I know people and I know that you know people 29:34 who don't know Jesus. 29:36 They're sitting by the side of this life like Bartimaeus. 29:40 And they may not know it, but deep down they're calling 29:43 out. They're looking, they're searching for something more 29:46 to this life. God forbid that like that crowd 29:50 you and I would turn around and tell them to be quiet. 29:54 If there was ever a time in history where our treasures 29:57 were not just well spent but best spent 30:00 in advancing the everlasting gospel - the gospel of Jesus - 30:03 it is today. Amen? 30:05 Amen. Because, look, the treasure is everywhere 30:07 to be found. I slept in one morning... 30:11 it happened. And when I woke up my mum said: 30:15 "Look Charissa, you've missed the bus. you're going to have 30:17 to... I'm going to have to drive you to the train 30:19 if you're going to get to Uni today. " 30:21 So I got up and I jumped around and I cleaned my teeth 30:24 and I ate my breakfast. The other way around. 30:26 And jumped in the car and we went to the train station. 30:30 And as I got out of the car I saw the train 30:33 coming in the distance. So I ran up the steps 30:36 and I ran down the steps and I pressed a few buttons 30:39 on the ticket machine and it spat out a ticket for me 30:42 and then I jumped onto the train. 30:44 Sounds very dramatic? It wasn't that dramatic. 30:46 And I got on the train and I sat down 30:49 and usually what I do is I just put my train ticket in my purse 30:53 and then I don't think about it for the rest of the day. 30:55 But for some reason on this particular morning 30:58 I chose to look at my ticket. 31:00 As I looked down at my train ticket I realized 31:03 that I had bought the wrong ticket. 31:05 I had bought a return ticket to the station 31:07 and I didn't want to return to this station in the afternoon. 31:10 I wanted to go on much further to get home. 31:13 But I'd bought the wrong ticket, so I thought well maybe 31:16 I'll just put it away and I'll forget about it. 31:18 You know, everything will be OK. 31:20 I'll put it away in my purse, and I kept sitting there 31:23 on the train. But it was like a broken recorder was going on 31:26 in my head: "You have bought the wrong ticket; you have 31:29 bought the wrong ticket. " 31:30 I get to Uni. I'm sitting in my lectures 31:33 and I can't hear a word that the lecturer is saying. 31:36 All I can hear is: "You have bought the wrong ticket. 31:38 You have bought the wrong ticket. " 31:39 So I go to my tutorial and I'm trying to listen in on 31:43 the discussion and trying to contribute, but I can't 31:45 because all I can think about is this ticket that I have 31:48 in my purse... and it's the wrong ticket. 31:50 I get on the train and I'm going home again and I'm thinking 31:53 "Lord, I know I bought the wrong ticket 31:55 but do You think just this once I could cheat my fare? " 31:58 I'm asking God if I can break His commandments. 32:01 But anyway... don't ever do that. 32:03 And I felt impressed: "No you can't. You've got to get off 32:05 the train because you've bought the wrong ticket. " 32:07 So I got off the train at the station I didn't want to get off 32:11 at. I bought the right ticket. It was mid-day, so the trains 32:15 don't come very frequently. 32:17 So I went and I sat on a seat that looked something like 32:20 that and I began to eat my sandwiches. 32:23 It's a pretty pitiful sight. I was the only one 32:25 at the train station. Anyway, as I'm eating my sandwiches 32:29 and as time is going because the train's not going to come 32:31 for a little while, people slowly began to come and join me 32:35 there in the station. And as I was eating 32:38 I looked over and this lady came and she sat down 32:40 on a seat like that just opposite. 32:43 And I looked at her and smiled and kept going eating my food. 32:46 And then I looked back again and I noticed she was reading 32:49 a book... a book called Daily Meditations. 32:53 And it was like a little light bulb went on in my head: 32:56 "Oh, that lady must be a Christian. 32:59 You must have bought the wrong ticket so that you can 33:02 talk to her. " Now, I thought "Well that's a wonderful idea... 33:06 that makes sense. " But I'm a very shy person, 33:08 you see, and so I thought "There's no way I could 33:11 ever talk to that lady on that seat. " And so I just 33:13 kept sitting there feeling very convinced that I needed to 33:16 talk to this lady. So the train finally came. 33:19 We hopped on the train together and I thought: "No, I'm too shy 33:23 to sit next to her. " So I just sat in the cabin and I watched 33:25 her where she went from the cabin. 33:28 I said: "Lord, I feel very impressed that You want me 33:32 to speak to this lady but I'm too shy to do it. 33:34 So look, if she goes to my station and if she walks to 33:39 my platform at the station where I'm going, 33:41 then I'll talk to her. " 33:43 So OK, that's good; I'll leave it at that. " 33:45 The train pulls up at my station. 33:47 She didn't get off at any previous station 33:49 and she got off at my station. 33:51 I thought: "Well that's one test down. " 33:54 And as I'm following her up the steps of the station 33:56 I'm watching to see which way she will go. 33:59 And sometimes when you think people are following you 34:02 maybe they are. And so I followed her up the steps 34:05 there at the station and I watched. 34:07 Which platform will she go to? 34:08 And would you believe it? She made a beeline for my platform. 34:12 So I thought to myself: "Well, this is it. 34:14 It's now or never. " 34:15 And so I ran up behind her and I tapped her on the shoulder 34:18 and I said: "Excuse me. Are you a Christian? " 34:22 And she looked at me kind of shocked 34:24 and she said "No. " Now when she said that 34:29 I had no idea what to say next. 34:31 Because in my mind the only reason why I was chasing 34:35 this woman was because she was a Christian. 34:37 And so when she said "No" I said: "Oh, I'm sorry. " 34:39 And she looked at me as we walked down 34:42 the steps again and we sat on another seat that looks 34:45 just like that. And she said to me: 34:48 "So why did you think I was a Christian? " 34:49 I said: "Oh, because I saw you reading that book 34:52 back there at the station. " 34:54 And she smiled and she took it out and she showed me. 34:57 Yes, it was a book called Daily Meditations 35:00 but it was all about how people meditate on the trees 35:02 and on grass and on nature. 35:04 I didn't know people do that, but they do. 35:07 And I said: "Oh, that's why I thought you were a Christian 35:10 because they read devotional books as well. " 35:13 And she smiled and she could say "Are you a Christian? " 35:16 I said: "Yes, I'm a Christian. " 35:18 She said: "Well what kind of a Christian are you? 35:20 Are you a Buddhist Christian? 35:22 Are you a Presbyterian Christian? 35:23 What kind of a Christian are you? " 35:25 I said: "Well I'm a Seventh- day Adventist Christian. " 35:27 She said: "Ah, yeah, and what do you believe? " 35:30 Now I always get very excited when people ask me 35:32 that question... so excited I never know where to start. 35:35 And so I thought: "Well, OK. This is where I'll start. " 35:38 I said: "We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word 35:41 of God. And in the Bible we are told that God created 35:45 this world in six days and then He rested the seventh 35:49 and He invites us to do the same. " 35:51 And she said: "Yes, I believe that too. " 35:53 I said: "You do? " She said: "Yes! " 35:55 She said: "I believe that God created this world in six days 35:58 as well. " I said: "Oh. " 36:00 I said: "Well that's why we call ourselves Seventh-day 36:03 Adventists. " And the second part of our name 36:05 Adventists... well we call ourselves Adventists 36:08 because we believe that Jesus is coming again. 36:10 You know, we see signs round us and we are pretty sure 36:13 that it's not going to be very far away; 36:15 Jesus is coming soon. " 36:16 And she said: "Yes, I believe that as well. " 36:18 I thought to myself: "really? " 36:21 She said: "Yes, I have read Matthew 24. " 36:24 She's now telling me about Matthew 24. 36:27 And she says: "And I read there that Jesus says that there will 36:30 be earthquakes and famines and pestilences 36:32 and yes I believe Jesus is coming again soon too. " 36:35 I said: "But you're not a Christian? " 36:37 She said: "No, but I read books of all religions 36:40 and I read that in the Bible. " 36:41 I said: "Wow. " She said: "I also believe in 36:44 the universal principles of thou shalt not kill 36:46 and thou shalt not steal. " 36:48 And she starts quoting the Ten Commandments to me. 36:50 I said: "This is incredible! " 36:53 She says: "You know I believe that our bodies are the temple 36:55 of the Holy Spirit and that we need to look after them" 36:58 and she said "So I look after my body and I'm a vegetarian. " 37:02 I said: "Really? " She said: "Yes, you know it's better 37:06 for you. " I said: "Yes, I know. " 37:07 And we kept talking like this and I'm thinking to myself 37:11 "Wow! This lady's a Christian - she's a Seventh-day Adventist 37:14 Christian - and she doesn't even know it. " 37:16 And I thought to myself: "I've got to get her number. 37:19 I've got to invite her to church. " 37:20 And so I asked her... I said: "Do you go to church? " 37:23 She says: "No, I don't go to church 37:25 but I meet with a group of friends every Saturday afternoon 37:28 and we pray. We pray to God. We don't know who He is 37:31 or where He is but we believe there is a God 37:34 because when we pray good things happen. " 37:36 Don't you think that's amazing? 37:38 Here is someone I just bump into at a train station 37:42 and she believes that Jesus is coming again. 37:45 She believes that God created this world in six days. 37:48 She believes that she should look after her health. 37:51 She believes that she can pray to God and she prays to God 37:55 every seventh day, and she doesn't even know who she is. 37:58 And there's a group of people that are out there that are 38:00 just like her. And so I thought to myself: 38:03 "I've got to get her number. " 38:04 I was too shy to ask so I said to her: 38:07 "Do you know I'm part Chinese? " And she was an Asian lady 38:11 and she said: "Oh, can I get your phone number? " 38:14 So we swapped numbers there in the train station. 38:17 And friends I tell you that story because it's an unfinished 38:21 story. Because I believe that there are people like this 38:24 everywhere. They're in your community; they're in your 38:26 workplace; they're in your schools. 38:29 People who are on the verge of the kingdom. 38:31 People who are so close to Jesus but they just can't see Him. 38:35 And they are waiting for someone like you and me 38:38 to take them straight to Jesus Christ. Amen? 38:42 Now we haven't finished our story yet. 38:44 That was a nice diversion. We must keep going because 38:47 something incredible has just transpired in our story. 38:51 Jesus is calling Bartimaeus and I love that. 38:56 All this time Bartimaeus has been calling out to Jesus. 38:59 Jesus has stopped and He tells the crowd to go and get him. 39:03 And I love how Jesus does that because nothing quiets criticism 39:07 like involvement. And so the crowd... they turn 39:09 to Bartimaeus and they say: "Hey you, get up; rise. 39:13 Jesus is calling you. " 39:15 And I want you to notice what happens in verse 50. 39:19 "And throwing aside his garments he rose and came to Jesus. " 39:24 Friends, that verse might seem highly insignificant 39:29 to you and I today. You might think 39:31 "OK, he left his jacket behind. Let's keep going. " 39:34 But it's not insignificant... it is highly significant 39:38 because of the three gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke - 39:42 Mark is the only gospel writer who includes this detail. 39:46 And it is significant because that coat that he leaves behind 39:51 that was probably the most valuable thing that he owned. 39:56 But when Jesus called him to come, Bartimaeus... 40:00 he counts the cost and he wants to follow Jesus. 40:03 He wants nothing to hold him back, and so he makes 40:06 an immediate sacrifice so he can go straight to Jesus. 40:10 He probably extended that coat to people as they passed by 40:14 so they could toss him bread and coins. 40:17 But when Jesus calls he is willing to pay the price. 40:21 Wants nothing to hold him back and he goes to Jesus. 40:24 His actions of immediate sacrifice... they speak volumes 40:29 to you and I today because sometimes you and I struggle 40:32 to find time, to make time, to spend with Jesus, don't we? 40:35 We live in a very busy world. 40:38 We have been like a family, whom a pastor went to visit. 40:41 He went there and he sat down, he was talking with them. 40:45 And then he looked up at the clock on the mantelpiece and 40:47 realized that time has just flown and he has to be going. 40:50 So he stood up and he said: "Look, I've got other people 40:52 to see. I'll see you again soon. " 40:55 And the six-year-old in the family piped up and said: 40:59 "Oh, don't worry about the clock pastor. Dad put it forward 41:02 a whole hour when he saw you coming. " 41:04 You know, sometimes we are like that with God as well. 41:07 We don't want to make time to spend time with Jesus. 41:11 And that's of course very significant: this leaving 41:14 behind of the coat. And of course it is also significant 41:17 of another transaction that happens when we come to Jesus 41:20 isn't it? Because the Bible tells us that our righteousness 41:23 our goodness, our good deeds... they're like filthy rags. 41:28 But when we come to Jesus the Bible tells us that 41:31 Jesus offers to us His perfect righteousness. 41:35 And in light of an exchange like that, why would you and I 41:39 ever want to hold onto our own? Amen? 41:42 Now let's keep going because we're nearly there. 41:48 "So Jesus answered and said to him: 41:51 'What do you want Me to do for you? ' 41:54 And the blind man said to Him: 'Rabboni, that I may receive 41:58 my sight. ' " 42:00 I imagine as Jesus asks Bartimaeus this question 42:04 Bartimaeus... he falls on his knees before Jesus. 42:08 With tears streaming down his cheeks he says: "Lord, 42:12 I want to receive my sight. " 42:15 And how this request must have thrilled the heart of Jesus. 42:19 At this man... seeing him on his knees before Him. 42:23 And you and I read this text today and we think 42:26 "Well Lord, surely You knew what was wrong with the man. 42:29 Surely You can see his problem. 42:31 He's blind; he wants to see again. " 42:33 But friends, sometimes God asks those questions 42:37 not to get information but to get us to admit our need 42:41 of Him. And when you and I are all wrong and willing 42:45 to admit it then we're all right. 42:47 And notice what happens in the next verse - verse 52- 42:50 it is absolutely loaded. "Then Jesus said to him: 42:54 'Go your way; your faith has made you well. ' 42:58 And immediately he received his sight 43:02 and followed Jesus on the road. " 43:05 Friend, there are several days in my life which I will never 43:09 forget for as long as I live. 43:11 I will never forget the day when I was sitting in a primary 43:15 classroom... I was in kindergarten 43:17 and the teacher had just explained addition. 43:20 1 + 1 = 2 43:23 And I remember sitting there and I remember thinking 43:26 "that is just amazing! " I walked out of that classroom 43:29 and I looked at the playground and I just didn't see trees. 43:33 I could count them. There were four trees on the playground. 43:36 I'll never forget that day. 43:38 I will never forget the day when I was sitting on the 43:40 kitchen floor. My mum had just got off the phone 43:43 to a friend. And I asked her, I said: 43:46 "Mom, you know how you call Joan Joan and Susan Susan? 43:50 Well who are you, you know? Do you have a name? " 43:53 And she said to me: "My name is Gail 43:56 and your dad's name is David. " 43:58 And I remember just thinking that was just revolutionary. 44:01 My parents had names like everybody else in the world. 44:05 I'll never forget that day. 44:06 I will never forget the day when in my primary classroom 44:10 I got my homework back and I'd been getting it back like this 44:13 for a while. And it said: "Charissa, this is not how 44:17 you write a complete sentence. This is not how you write 44:19 a complete sentence. " 44:21 And I remember thinking to myself: "How do I do it? " 44:23 And my friend... she turned to me and she said: 44:26 "Charissa, this is how you write a complete sentence. " 44:29 And I've been writing them ever since. 44:31 I'll never forget those 3 days. 44:35 But friends, on that day when Bartimaeus... 44:37 he opened his eyes and he looked straight into the loving face 44:42 of Jesus, not only was that the first face he ever saw 44:47 but it would forever be the most beautiful face 44:50 he ever would see. 44:53 He would never forget that day for as long as he lived. 44:57 And friends, this word here. Jesus says: 45:00 "Your faith has made you well. " 45:02 In the Greek that word is sozo and it also translates as saved. 45:07 This means that Jesus is literally saying to Bartimaeus 45:10 "Your faith has saved you. It has made you well 45:14 and saved you. " And I am so glad 45:17 that Jesus says that to Bartimaeus. 45:19 He doesn't say: "Your friends saved you; 45:22 your fortune saved you... " 45:24 because he had nothing. "Your education saved you. " 45:27 He said: "Your faith has made you well. " 45:30 But friends, Jesus prefaces this wonderful news 45:35 with three words. He said: "Go your way. " 45:39 Friends, that was a test. 45:41 He had his sight now; he could do whatever he wanted. 45:45 He could go and see Palestine. 45:47 He could go and marvel at the gardens in Jericho. 45:49 He'd probably never seen a flower before 45:52 and Jericho means smell because of the beautiful gardens 45:54 they had there. But friends, the Bible doesn't leave us 45:58 guessing as to what Bartimaeus does next. 46:01 Actually Mark is so excited about what he chooses to do 46:05 he slips the end of the story in right there at the end 46:09 of verse 52. The Bible tells us 46:12 that he followed Jesus on the road. 46:16 You say: "OK, big deal. 46:18 He's on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. " 46:22 But friends, it is a big deal 46:24 because this is the last healing miracle in Mark's gospel. 46:28 And it is significant because not only was that road 46:32 the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. 46:34 It was the road that took Jesus straight to the cross 46:38 where He would die because He loved Bartimaeus... 46:42 because He loved us. Amen? 46:46 And Bartimaeus... he followed Jesus down that road. 46:49 Faith is always personal but it is never private. 46:53 And friend, all of us have things in our lives 46:55 that try and make us not call on Jesus. 46:58 To stay with what's comfortable and don't change and, 47:01 you know, don't follow. 47:02 But friends, there is something wrong with a person 47:05 who knows the right thing to do and they still want time 47:09 to think about it. Following Jesus hasn't gotten any easier 47:12 over time. There are still people today that will make it 47:15 hard for you. It's hard to follow Jesus 47:18 but friends, follow Him anyway. 47:20 Follow Him as Bartimaeus did and you will be blessed. 47:24 If Bartimaeus had sat by the roadside and not called out 47:27 and done nothing, no one would have blamed him 47:30 but no one would have remembered him either. 47:32 In closing I would like for you to notice this quote: 47:55 How many? All... 48:12 Friends, the heart of our message today is simply this: 48:16 a blind man by a dirt road 48:20 hears that Jesus is passing by. 48:22 He calls out to Jesus. Jesus stops and calls him. 48:27 And Bartimaeus... he rose, risked all, 48:31 and followed Jesus. The question is: will you? 48:35 Will we follow Jesus as well? 48:37 Friends, if you have listened to the Word of God today 48:40 and you feel impressed that you want to follow Jesus as well 48:44 would you stand with me as we close in prayer? 48:46 You want to say: "Lord, I want to follow Jesus 48:49 as Bartimaeus did wherever that road may take me. " 48:52 Would you stand with me as we pray? 48:59 Let's pray. 49:01 Our loving Father in heaven, we thank you, Lord, 49:03 for the story of Bartimaeus... 49:05 a blind man who came to Jesus and left seeing. 49:09 And Lord, in his story we have found ourselves. 49:12 Like him we choose to follow Jesus. 49:15 We know that it's not easy to follow, but today 49:17 we want to follow. Please give us grace to follow You 49:21 wherever the road may take us. 49:23 And we thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayer. 49:25 We believe You are coming soon. 49:27 Bless us now in Jesus' name, Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17