SPEAK UP - MARK 10: 46-52

A BLIND MAN HEALED

46 They came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many warned him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, “Have mercy on me, Son of David!”49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up; he’s calling for you.” 50 He threw off his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus answered him, “What do you want me to do for you?”“Rabboni,”, the blind man said to him, “I want to see.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.” Immediately he could see and began to follow Jesus on the road.

BIG IDEA: WE MUST USE OUR VOICE TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT JESUS!

OUR PASSAGE AND STORY FOR TODAY IS ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND AND POWERFUL HEALING ACCOUNTS IN ALL OF THE GOSPELS...

THIS HEALING MIRACLE, IS IN FACT, MARK’S FINAL MIRACLE RECORDED IN HIS BOOK...

WE’VE GOT BARTIMAEUS - BAR MEANING “SON OF” TIMAEUS...

SEATED IN A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE ELSE IS MOVING.

HE’S STUCK IN HIS CONDITION - BLIND.

HE’S STUCK IN HIS POSITION - SEATED.

AND HE’S STUCK IN HIS LOCATION - BY THE ROAD.

AND YET, THIS BLIND AND DESTITUTE BROTHER MUSTERS HIS VOCALS TO GAIN THE ATTENTION OF JESUS (AS HE WAS PASSING BY)...

THE MULTIPLE TIMES I’VE STUDIED THIS PASSAGE, I’VE ALWAYS TAUGHT IT FROM BARTIMAEUS’ PERSPECTIVE OF SPEAKING UP...

BUT HERE RECENTLY, I STOOD BACK FROM THE TEXT IN ORDER TO HEAR MORE VOICES IN THE TEXT...

WATCH THIS: BARTIMAEUS - A BLIND BEGGAR, WAS SEAETD BY THE ROAD. 47 - WHEN “HE” HEARD THAT IT WAS JESUS OF NAZARETH....

BARTIMAEUS HEARD, BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE TOLD HIM JESUS WAS PASSING!!! SOMEBODY ELSE CHOSE TO SPEAK UP!!!

DON’T YOU MISS YOUR MOMENT OF CONVICTION: HOW ARE THE BARTIMAEUS’ EVER GOING TO HEAR ABOUT JESUS - THAT HE IS PASSING BY - IF WE DO NOT SPEAK UP?

BARTIMAEUS VERY LIKELY HAD NO IDEA THAT HIS DESTINY WAS ABOUT TO BE FULFILLED...

THAT HIS LIFE WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE...

JUST IMAGINE HOW MANY PEOPLE PASSED HIM DAILY AT HIS POST...

BEGGARS’ DAYS ARE FILLED WITH BEGGING!

HE’S NOT TRYING TO COME UP, HE’S TRYING TO SURVIVE...

AND YET, SOMEBODY WHO PASSED BY IN HIS PAST INFORMED HIM THAT THE MESSIAH, HAD IN FACT, COME!!!

THEY TOLD HIM THAT THE ONE WE’VE WAITED FOR HAS COME…THE PROPHECY HAS BEEN FULFILLED...

AWWW, BUT BEING BLIND AND LIMITED IN MOVEMENT, BARTIMAEUS COULD ONLY SIT AND HOPE!

SO WHEN HE HEARD IN VS. 47, HE ALREADY KNEW WHO JESUS WAS...

THIS IS WHY HE PROCLAIMED: JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!!!

Son of David, occurring here for the first time in Mark, designated the Messiah as David’s Descendant (2 Sam. 7:8–16) and became a recognized title of the Messiah-King

BARTIMAEUS IS TESTIFYING AS HE IS CRYING OUT!

HE’S SAYING: I HEARD ABOUT JESUS!!!

I KNOW YOU’RE THE ONE...

YOU’RE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD...

YOU’RE THE SON OF GOD…YOU ARE THE CHRIST!!!

AND BARTIMAEUS COULD TESTIFY TO WHO JESUS IS, BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD ALREADY TOLD HIM ABOUT JESUS!!!

BELOVED, THOSE WHO ARE BLIND...

THOSE WHO ARE LOST...

THOSE WHO ARE SEEKING…ARE PLACED IN OUR PATH, SO THAT WE (THE FOUND) WOULD SPEAK UP...

“LORD, LAY SOME SOUL UPON MY HEART...

AND BLESS THAT SOUL THROUGH ME...

AND MAY I HUMBLY DO MY PART...

TO LEAD THAT SOUL TO THEE....”

BELOVED, WE ARE SIX WEEKS OUT UNTIL RESURRECTION SUNDAY!

WE HAVE BEEN POSITIONED AND EMPOWERED TO BE A VOICE WHO CRIES OUT TO THE WORLD THAT JESUS SAVES…WE’VE BEEN EMPOWERED TO CALL PEOPLE TO RISE!

AND SO FOR OUR TIME THAT REMAINS, I SIMPLY WANT TO EXHORT ALL OF US TO THE URGENCY - THE NECESSITY - FOR ALL OF US TO SPEAK UP!!! LOOK AT YOUR NEIGHBOR AND SAY, “SPEAK UP!”

NOW WHILE IT IS A BLESSING THAT SOMEONE CHOSE TO SPEAK UP TO INFORM BARTIMAEUS THAT JESUS WAS PASSING BY, IT’S ALSO A BURDEN THAT THERE WERE ALSO THOSE WITH EYES TO SEE, BUT HAD NO VISION!

YOU SEE, I’VE ALREADY GIVEN YOU THE “OPPORTUNITY FOR BARTIMAEUS.” HE WAS SEATED IN A POSITION TO MEET THE MASTER...

BUT LET ME ALSO GIVE YOU THE INCONSISTENCY OF THE CROWD!

AGAIN, IT’S WONDERFUL THAT SOMEONE TOLD HIM THAT JESUS WAS PASSING BY...

IT’S WONDERFUL THAT AT AN EARLIER POINT, SOMEONE TOLD HIM THAT THE MESSIAH HAD COME...

THE CHALLENGE ARISES WITH THE INCONSISTENCY OF THE CROWD:

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 10)

47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many warned him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, “Have mercy on me, Son of David!”

THEY TOLD HIM JESUS WAS PASSING BY, THEN THEY SCOLDED HIM FOR SPEAKING UP!!!

WHY WOULD ANYONE TELL SOMEONE TO KEEP QUIET, WHO IS SIMPLY TRYING TO GET JESUS’ ATTENTION?

SOME SUGGEST THAT THE CROWD DIDN’T WANT THEIR JOURNEY TO BE DELAYED…THOSE WHO WERE WITH JESUS WERE HEADED SOMEWHERE.

OTHERS SUGGEST THAT THEY WERE OBJECTING TO THE DISORDER AND TERMINOLOGY OF BARTIMAEUS! ((JESUS, SON OF DAVID))!

WOW!

CHURCH, WE HAVE MUCH TO LEARN FROM THE ACTIVITY OF THE CROWD.

WE MUST NEVER ALLOW THE CROWD TO GET US OFF-MISSION!

WE KNOW WE’RE OFF MISSION, WHEN CONFLICTING MESSAGES COME FROM US. WATCH THIS!

THE CROWD GOES FROM INFORMING HIM THAT IT WAS JESUS PASSING BY...

TO WARNING HIM TO KEEP QUIET...

TO TELLING HIM TO HAVE COURAGE!

HOW MANY MESSAGES ARE WE SENDING?

WE HAVE THE TRUTH! THE LIFE-CHANGING MESSAGE OF JESUS CHRIST, BUT WE DON’T TELL NOBODY!

WE’VE HAD OUR LIVES TRANSFORMED BY HIS SPIRIT AND POWER, YET WE REFRAIN FROM SHARING WITH FRIENDS, RELATIVES AND ACQUAINTANCES...

BUT WHEN THEY MIRACULOUSLY MAKE IT HERE - TO THE CHURCH - WE WRAP OUR ARMS AROUND THEM, SAYING, “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WE’VE BEEN WAITING ON YOU?”

WE MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET OFF-MISSION!

WE MUST BE CAREFUL THAT OUR MESSAGES MATCH OUR ACTIONS!

THAT OUR EXPERIENCE WITH CHRIST IS BEING CONSISTENTLY SHARED WITH OTHERS...

IF WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO US, THEN WHY DO WE ONLY SHARE THAT WITH OTHER BELIEVERS?

WHEN WE MUZZLE OUR WITNESS, WE’RE HUSHING THE BARTIMAEUS’ IN OUR LIVES...

WHEN WE (AS A CHURCH) FAIL TO GO, WE’RE WARNING THE BARTIMAEUS’ TO KEEP QUIET!!!

THE CROWD DOESN’T WANT MORE FOLKS TO MEET JESUS, THEY WANT TO KEEP JESUS ALL TO THEMSELVES!!

BELOVED, WHEN WE MISS OUR MISSION, WE MISS OUR MOMENT: ILLUS: scheduled Uber to drive me to airport in Austin for 4am. Got my confirmation that JANICE would pick me up in a blue Nissan Pathfinder…

I walk out of the hotel being notified that my driver had arrived….BUT it’s MATTHEW!!

I’m a little confused, so I asked, “I thought Janice was driving me this morning!”

He asked, did u schedule it? I replied yes!

Well, he said, “WHEN THE DRIVER DOESN’T CHECK IN WITH UBER “ON-TIME,” the system notifies ANOTHER DRIVER!!!

YALL, Although JANICE was scheduled, she didn’t SHOW UP, and she LOST THE OPPORTUNITY!!!

WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO OVERSLEEP ON OUR WITNESS APPTS!

WE MUST NEVER ALLOW THE CROWD TO GET US OFF-MISSION!

ALSO, WE MUST NEVER ALLOW THE CROWD TO SILENCE OUR VOICE!

FAMILY - FRIENDS - FELLOW BELIEVERS…USE YOUR VOICE!

BE THE ONES TELLING THE BLIND THAT JESUS IS PASSING BY...

BE THE ONES TELLING THE SEEKERS, TAKE COURAGE - HE’S CALLING YOU!

BE THE ONES TELLING OUR NEIGHBORS WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR YOU!

BE THE ONES TELLING YOUR FRIENDS THAT JESUS CAN TRANSFORM THEIR WHOLE EXISTENCE!!!

BE THE ONES WHO SPEAK UP!

WHEN THE CROWD SILENCES OUR VOICES, WE MISS OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND THE KINGDOM!! BELOVED, IT’S ABOUT KINGDOM!!! KINGDOM!

KINGDOM IS BIGGER THAN CAMPUSES.

KINGDOM IS BIGGER THAN PASTORS. KINGDOM IS BIGGER THAN PREFERENCES!!

KINGDOM IS ABOUT LIFTING UP JESUS THROUGH OUR LOCAL ASSEMBLY IN SUCH AN ATTRACTIVE WAY, THAT THEY’LL RESPOND LIKE BARTIMAEUS: JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!!!

OUR VOICES ARE ELEVATED, WHEN WE ASSIST FOLKS IN GETTING TO KNOW CHRIST!

SO BELIEVER: REFLECT UPON YOUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE LORD. WRITE IT DOWN.

REFLECT UPON HOW YOU RECEIVED HIS GIFT OF SALVATION. WRITE IT DOWN.

REFLECT UPON WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU - THE DIFFERENCE JESUS HAS MADE IN YOUR LIFE. WRITE IT DOWN.

REFLECT UPON HOW YOU WANT THE LORD TO USE YOU DURING THIS SIX-WEEK SEASON LEADING TO RESURRECTION SUNDAY. WRITE IT DOWN!

SPEAK UP!

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BARTIMAEUS.

THE INCONSISTENCY OF THE CROWD.

FINALLY, AND WE’RE FINISHED:

THE INTENTIONALITY OF JESUS!

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 10)

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 10)

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

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 10)

52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.”

DO YOU SEE IT? HE’S INTENTIONAL!

OF COURSE, HE’S NOT SURPRISED BY THE BROTHER’S CRIES FOR DELIVERANCE…HIS SOVEREIGNTY LED JESUS TO JERICHO (IN THE FIRST PLACE).

WHEN WE TELL FOLKS ABOUT JESUS, WE’RE NOT SAVING THEM… BUT WE ARE PLAYING A ROLE IN THEIR DELIVERANCE.

AND WHAT WE SEE IN THIS TEXT IS JESUS SAYING, “JUST GET THEM TO ME!” I’LL HANDLE THE HEAVY LIFTING. TELL ‘EM WHAT I HAVE DONE, AND I’LL SHOW ‘EM WHAT I CAN DO FOR THEM...

JESUS TRANSFORMED BARTIMAEUS FROM A BLIND BYSTANDER TO A SIGHTED FOLLOWER!

DON’T YOU TELL ME WHAT JESUS CAN’T DO!

NAW, ON SECOND THOUGHT, TELL ME WHAT JESUS CAN DO! TELL ME WHAT HE’S DONE FOR YOU…THEN TELL SOMEBODY ELSE THAT - HE’S INTENTIONAL.

CLOSE: CHANDLER GIVING GUS HIS JERSEY!