Sermon Tone Analysis

Giving all honor and Praise to my Lord and Savior.....Jesus the Christ......

I greet you in the name of Jesus.

I’m thankful for this opportunity to share with you this evening......

I praise the Lord for the officers, leaders and members of First Mount Zion Baptist Church ....

I praise the Lord for my good friend .....fishing buddy......golfing friend........your Pastor...... Reverend Shon Hagwood.

I’m grateful for our friendship over the years and the fellowship that we’ve had together....... I’m gonna tell yall First Mount Zion.....if you don’t already know..... your Pastor knows how to catch fish..... yes he knows how to find them and catch them.........

You see......knowing how to fish.....is one thing......but knowing how to catch fish.....is a different thing.

Your Pastor knows how to catch fish.......he knows the bait and lures to uses.....and how to reel in the lures.....to attract the fish.

I’ve seen him in action......

He knows how to catch bass....... I’m thankful for the fellowship we’ve had out on the lake.....and most recently......being able to swing the golf club with him.

He know how to golf as well..... your Pastor....Dr.

Marco McNeil (who I believe was with you on Sunday for your Church Anniversary.....and I had an outing at Top Golf and your Pastor was racking up points....

I believe he came in first place in both games we played.......

I have truly enjoyed our friendship and fellowship.

We thank God for his First Lady.....Taryn Hagwood....

I want to praise the Lord for my Lovely wife....and First Lady of First Baptist Church of Badin..... Lady Christie Neal.

Mark 10:46–52 (NRSV)

46 They came to Jericho.

As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.

47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.”

And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”

50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.

51 Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.”

52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.”

Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Spring Up from your Set Backs

WE PRAISE THE LORD FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER AND WORSHIP HIM.....SEEKING TO HAVE OUR SPIRIT REVIVED.....OUR HEARTS ENCOURAGED.....AND OUR MINDS MATURED.....

I ENJOY REVIVALS.....BECAUSE ....IT’S DURING REVIVALS THAT WE ARE SEEKING TO BE REJUVENATED BY THE WORD OF GOD.....THE WORD REVIVAL MEANS THE ACT OR INSTANCE OF BEING REVIVED…A RENEWED ATTENTION TO OR INTEREST IN SOMETHING.

....A PERIOD OF RENEWED RELIGIOUS INTEREST....

IN OUR TEXT......I BELIEVE THAT WE SEE A GOOD EXAMPLE OF SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL REVIVAL.....A REVIVED FAITH........AND A REVIVED SENSE OF SIGHT.

LET US LOOK AT A MAN WHO GIVES US A GOOD EXAMPLE OF GETTING A RENEWED LEASE ON LIFE …….

BUT NOT ONLY DOES HE GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF BEING REVIVED AND RENEWED.....BUT AS WE LOOK OVER OUR LIVES.....IT SHOULD HELP UP BE THANKFUL FOR THE MANY WAYS THAT THE LORD HAS BLESSED US…..

I BELIEVE THIS EVENING…..THAT MANY OF US CAN IDENTIFY AND RELATE WITH THIS MAN IN OUR TEXT…

HE IS AN EXAMPLE OF MANY OF US IN THE CHURCH WHO HAVE HAD TO TRUST AND DEPEND ON GOD…

TRUSTING AND DEPENDING ON GOD….WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE WE’RE UP AGAINST A WALL…..

WHEN WE FEEL STUCK….WITH NO WHERE TO TURN AND THERE IS

……SOME TYPE OF OBSTACLE... SOME TYPE OF DISADVANTAGE... OR HANG UP

THAT STANDS IN OUR WAY …..WHETHER PHYSICAL OR SPIRITUAL.…

AND…….

WHATEVER THAT HINDERANCE OR OBSTACLE THAT WE ARE FACED WITH………IT IS ALSO A FACT THAT GOD DOES NOT ALWAYS REMOVE THE HINDERANCE OR SET BACK THAT WE ARE FACED WITH……

AND IT IS OUR FAITH……THAT WE HAVE TO HOLD ON TO.

FIRST MOUNT ZION…..STAY WITH ME…..

WHETHER A SPIRITUAL OR PHYSICAL HANG-UP OR HINDERANCE……EVEN THOUGH THE LORD DOESN’T ALWAYS REMOVE IT……

HE DOES HOWEVER GIVE US THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME THEM...

HE GIVES US THE ABILITY TO SPRING UP FROM OUR SETBACKS...!

FIRST MOUNT ZION

I’VE LEARNED….IN MY 52 YEARS OF LIVING….

THAT YOU’VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND THE PAST…… IN ORDER TO APPRECIATE THE PRESENT...

AND…..TO FULLY APPRECIATE THIS TEXT….. WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT….AND THE CULTURE IN WHICH IT SETS...

FIRST OF ALL…….. WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT BEFORE THIS ENCOUNTER TAKES PLACE WITH BAR-TI-MAEUS …….

THIS IS DURING THE LAST DAYS OF JESUS’ MINISTRY... AND WE SEE IN THE PREVIOUS TEXT THAT…..

JESUS HAS BEEN TEACHING ON MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE…

HE BLESSES LITTLE CHILDREN AND TELLS US THAT OUR FAITH MUST BE LIKE THEM…IN ORDER TO INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN….

HE COUNSELS A RICH YOUNG RULER AND TELLS HIM THAT TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE….. HE MUST SELL ALL HIS POSSESSIONS AND FOLLOW HIM…

HE TEACHES THAT “WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE…”

JESUS THEN PREDICTS FOR THE THIRD TIME….

HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION…

HE TEACHES US THAT THERE IS GREATNESS IN SERVING…….

AND NOW WE FIND JESUS…… COMING THROUGH JERICHO.

(V46) OUR TEXT TELLS US …….THAT AS THEY WERE LEAVING OUT OF JERICHO…… THERE WAS A BLIND MAN NAMED BARTIMAEUS...SITTING BY THE ROAD BEGGING……

BROTHERS AND SISTERS…….NOT ONLY HAVE I LEARNED THAT WE …..MUST ……UNDERSTAND THE PAST………..TO APPRECIATE THE FUTURE……

BUT I’VE ALSO LEARNED THAT WHEN YOU TRACE THE ETYMOLOGY OF A WORD….…… IN OTHER WORDS…… THE HISTORY OF A WORD……

ESPECIALLY WHEN DEALING WITH SCRIPTURE…..

IT GIVES YOU A BETTER PICTURE OF THE WHOLE ACCOUNT......

YOU SEE….

THE ETYMOLOGY OR HISTORY…..OF THE WORD JERICHO MEANS CURSED...

IT BECAME KNOWN AS THE ACCURSED PLACE BECAUSE WHEN JOSHUA CAPTURED IT…..WE SEE OVER IN JOSHUA 6:26 THE WORD OF GOD TELLS US

Joshua 6:26 (NRSV)

Joshua then pronounced this oath, saying,

“Cursed before the Lord be anyone who tries

to build this city—this Jericho!

At the cost of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation,

and at the cost of his youngest he shall set up its gates!”

…..HE CURSED IT.…..

SO HERE WE HAVE THIS CURSED CITY……AND JESUS IS COMING THROUGH IT….

AND I DON‘T KNOW ABOUT YOU SAINTS…..BUT

ISN’T IT GOOD TO KNOW THAT……

JESUS WILL GO PLACES THAT ARE CONSIDERED TO BE CURSED….

PAUSE

SO IN OUR TEXT……

.... AS HE WAS LEAVING JERICHO……HE MET A MAN NAMED BARTIMAEUS THAT LIVED THERE...!

AND WHAT WE FIND FROM OUR WORD STUDY….

YOU’LL FIND OUT THAT…..FROM THE NAME BAR-TI-MAEUS….

THAT

‘BAR,’ ……IS AN ARAMAIC PREFIX THAT MEANS ‘SON OF...’

SO….IN OTHER WORDS……HE WAS THE ‘SON OF’ TIMAEUS...

STAY WITH ME….. ALL OF THE BIBLE SCHOLARS IN HERE………..I’M GOING SOMEWHERE…..

THEREFORE …….WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT

BAR-TI-MAEUS WAS REALLY NOT HIS NAME...!

IT SIMPLY IDENTIFIES HIM WITH HIS FAMILY...

YOU SEE……..TIMAEUS IS HIS FATHER’S NAME...

BUT IF YOU DIG JUST A LITTLE FURTHER ……TO THE ROOT OF THE NAME TIMAEUS…..

YOU WILL FIND THAT THE HEBREW CONNOTATION OF THAT NAME MEANS UNCLEAN

TIM MAY……MEANS UNCLEAN….POLLUTED, NASTY, DIRTY, CORRUPT, FILTHY (YOU GET THE PICTURE)...

SO BAR-TI-MAEUS MEANS "THE SON OF THE UNCLEAN."

IN OTHER WORDS……HE’S THE SON OF A FILTHY MAN... THE SON OF THE CORRUPT MAN... THE SON OF THE MESSED-UP MAN...! AND HE LIVED IN THE CURSED CITY...! (TALK ABOUT BEING TORE UP FROM THE FLOOR UP)…..

SO HERE WE HAVE A MAN…

THE PLACE THAT HE LIVED WAS CURSED... HIS PEOPLE WERE NASTY... HE COULDN’T SEE…

AND TO TOP IT OFF…….