WEBVTT 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:08.160 Hey friends, here we are. Another week, another 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:11.779 episode of the Semi -Seminarian on this week. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:14.560 We have another bonus episode, a devotional that 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:17.339 comes from our dinner church that we have on 00:00:17.339 --> 00:00:19.859 Thursday nights. Tonight we look at the story 00:00:19.859 --> 00:00:23.660 of Blind Bartimaeus, which shows us that we have 00:00:23.660 --> 00:00:27.440 to focus on the things we do have and forget 00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:30.039 about the things that we don't have if we're 00:00:30.039 --> 00:00:33.240 to live the best life that God intends for us. 00:00:34.509 --> 00:00:38.310 This message will be as impactful for you as 00:00:38.310 --> 00:00:41.009 it was for me, and I hope that you will enjoy. 00:00:48.030 --> 00:00:55.810 So while we're finishing up our cake here, I'm 00:00:55.810 --> 00:00:57.750 going to go ahead and do our little devotional. 00:00:58.070 --> 00:01:01.880 Tonight is one of my... One of my favorite Bible 00:01:01.880 --> 00:01:05.000 stories, it's found in the Gospel of Mark, the 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:08.319 first Gospel account that's written, in Gospel 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:12.700 account of Mark, chapter 10. It's a story of 00:01:12.700 --> 00:01:15.700 a guy alongside the road by the name of Blind 00:01:15.700 --> 00:01:20.620 Bartimaeus. And the thing I think is so captivating 00:01:20.620 --> 00:01:22.780 about this story is the fact that it represents 00:01:22.780 --> 00:01:25.340 an individual who's kind of been pushed aside 00:01:25.340 --> 00:01:28.939 by the rest of folks and just kind of left there 00:01:28.939 --> 00:01:31.659 along the side of the road many, many different 00:01:31.659 --> 00:01:35.239 times. And perhaps you might find yourself feeling 00:01:35.239 --> 00:01:37.920 maybe like there have been times when opportunity 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:41.439 has passed you by. Some relationships have moved 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:46.560 on without you. Or perhaps you feel like, you 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:49.859 know what, I'm damaged goods. I'm not good enough. 00:01:50.680 --> 00:01:56.340 And so I'm just going to stay here and sit. and 00:01:56.340 --> 00:02:00.879 watch people go by as they do great things. Today, 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:03.620 though, out of God's Word and through His truth, 00:02:03.780 --> 00:02:08.159 what you're going to find is that you are actually 00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:12.180 exactly where you need to be to do something 00:02:12.180 --> 00:02:15.620 very special that God is going to do through 00:02:15.620 --> 00:02:19.719 you. So in this study of blind Bartimaeus tonight, 00:02:19.879 --> 00:02:23.969 chapter 10, We're going to focus on this guy 00:02:23.969 --> 00:02:27.629 who again talks to Jesus and Jesus stops along 00:02:27.629 --> 00:02:30.990 the side of the road to help him. Now that doesn't 00:02:30.990 --> 00:02:34.689 seem to happen much in our world today. We typically 00:02:34.689 --> 00:02:37.550 just don't stop for folks on the side of the 00:02:37.550 --> 00:02:41.189 road like hitchhikers. We just don't pick up 00:02:41.189 --> 00:02:45.110 people like that necessarily anymore. Maybe it's 00:02:45.110 --> 00:02:48.629 obviously out of safety, but perhaps we're just 00:02:48.629 --> 00:02:51.439 busy. and we don't like the interruptions to 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:54.259 our routine. In fact, the story that we're going 00:02:54.259 --> 00:02:56.819 to look at here in the Gospel according to Mark, 00:02:56.939 --> 00:03:00.020 you could almost say is a type of interruption. 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:03.219 An interruption in what, you might say? Well, 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:05.219 let me give you a little bit of context of where 00:03:05.219 --> 00:03:07.840 the story is situated within the Gospel account. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:11.500 Jesus was leaving Jericho. That's how our account 00:03:11.500 --> 00:03:13.719 begins tonight. Jesus was leaving the city of 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:17.520 Jericho, and He was headed to Jerusalem. The 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:19.860 reason that he was headed to Jerusalem in this 00:03:19.860 --> 00:03:23.219 part of our story at this time, which was the 00:03:23.219 --> 00:03:26.240 Passover, was celebration of the Passover feast. 00:03:26.539 --> 00:03:30.680 This would be his last Passover meal. Subsequently, 00:03:30.680 --> 00:03:33.539 it's known in the scripture as the Last Supper. 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:37.039 And it would be the last meal he would have before 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:38.979 his friends, before he was betrayed by one of 00:03:38.979 --> 00:03:42.780 his own, Judas. Later arrested, falsely accused, 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:47.439 beaten, and ultimately crucified. So, in our 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:49.719 story, as they head down the road, he and his 00:03:49.719 --> 00:03:55.280 disciples, that's where he's headed. So you might 00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:58.840 say, contextually in our story here, that Jesus 00:03:58.840 --> 00:04:02.039 would be at the pinnacle of his ministry. He 00:04:02.039 --> 00:04:05.219 would be at the maximum where he was in his mission, 00:04:05.300 --> 00:04:10.759 where he was going. But God, for just a moment 00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:15.939 here, redirects one of Jesus' steps. And we're 00:04:15.939 --> 00:04:17.980 going to see that redirection play out here in 00:04:17.980 --> 00:04:21.680 our story. Then they came to Jericho as Jesus 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:24.220 and his disciples. Together with a large crowd 00:04:24.220 --> 00:04:27.139 were leaving the city. A blind man, Bartimaeus, 00:04:27.139 --> 00:04:30.060 which means the son of Timaeus, was sitting by 00:04:30.060 --> 00:04:33.100 the roadside begging when he, being Bartimaeus, 00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:37.839 heard. Now, why is that important? Because understanding, 00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:40.680 of course, Bartimaeus was blind. He couldn't 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:45.250 see, but he could hear. You see, Sometimes we 00:04:45.250 --> 00:04:50.550 focus so much on our don't haves. I don't have 00:04:50.550 --> 00:04:54.550 this or that. Or I can't or don't do this or 00:04:54.550 --> 00:04:58.290 that. Or I just wish I had and one day maybe. 00:04:59.209 --> 00:05:03.230 Well, what is it that you do have? You see, because 00:05:03.230 --> 00:05:07.050 Bartimaeus couldn't see, but he sure enough could 00:05:07.050 --> 00:05:11.089 hear, and when he did, Bartimaeus took what he 00:05:11.089 --> 00:05:16.040 had and he acted. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy 00:05:16.040 --> 00:05:20.459 on me. Don't focus so much on what you don't 00:05:20.459 --> 00:05:23.860 have and forget what it is that you have. The 00:05:23.860 --> 00:05:26.959 Apostle Paul writes in the 12th chapter of Romans, 00:05:27.079 --> 00:05:31.079 you all have gifts. He says, some of you, your 00:05:31.079 --> 00:05:33.779 gift is prophesying. Then prophesy in accordance 00:05:33.779 --> 00:05:37.420 to your faith. If it's serving, then serve. If 00:05:37.420 --> 00:05:40.279 it's teaching, teach. If it's encouraging, well, 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:43.329 then give encouragement. If it's giving, Give 00:05:43.329 --> 00:05:47.029 generously, he says. If it is to lead, then do 00:05:47.029 --> 00:05:50.290 it diligently. If it's to show mercy, do it cheerfully. 00:05:50.410 --> 00:05:53.110 The fact of the matter of what Paul is writing 00:05:53.110 --> 00:05:56.689 is that we all, each and every one of us, have 00:05:56.689 --> 00:06:03.870 gifts. You have do's. I do have. I do have this. 00:06:03.949 --> 00:06:08.089 Don't worry about the don'ts. Because the beauty 00:06:08.089 --> 00:06:12.519 of being on the team as it were, the body of 00:06:12.519 --> 00:06:16.100 Christ, is that we all have different gifts and 00:06:16.100 --> 00:06:18.779 different talents, different resources that God 00:06:18.779 --> 00:06:21.800 will choose to utilize and work together to form 00:06:21.800 --> 00:06:25.180 this tapestry of beautiful work of God's people 00:06:25.180 --> 00:06:28.420 doing His job, doing His work to bring Him glory. 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:33.360 So, what do you have? Look at who you are and 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:36.860 what God's done in your life, how He's used your 00:06:36.860 --> 00:06:40.459 story, and what's happened. You have eyes to 00:06:40.459 --> 00:06:43.620 see, but you're not the sum total of some past 00:06:43.620 --> 00:06:48.879 fracture, some break that you had, some imperfection 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:51.899 that's in your past. That's not what defines 00:06:51.899 --> 00:06:56.660 you now. You're someone special. You could even 00:06:56.660 --> 00:07:00.379 say a masterpiece created in Christ Jesus to 00:07:00.379 --> 00:07:04.360 do good works. Great things that God has prepared 00:07:04.360 --> 00:07:07.660 in advance for you to do. Don't focus so much 00:07:07.660 --> 00:07:10.620 on what you don't have and forget what you do 00:07:10.620 --> 00:07:15.300 have. Verse 48. Many people rebuked him and told 00:07:15.300 --> 00:07:19.060 Bartimaeus, Be quiet! But he shouted all the 00:07:19.060 --> 00:07:24.639 more, Son of David, have mercy on me. And isn't 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:28.459 it true in life? When you start to take a step 00:07:28.459 --> 00:07:31.480 in that direction, many times you'll find the 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:36.579 discouragers, the haters, they always say, Haters 00:07:36.579 --> 00:07:40.180 going to hate. Understand, Jesus is in transition 00:07:40.180 --> 00:07:45.000 here. Jesus is in transit. He's traveling. He 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:48.800 is not stopping. Bartimaeus, I'm going to hang 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:51.180 out. It's not like Jesus says, I'm going to hang 00:07:51.180 --> 00:07:53.920 out here so I can take some time to figure you 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:57.319 out. Jesus is saying, Bartimaeus, I'm not going 00:07:57.319 --> 00:08:00.639 anywhere. I don't even care about going to Jerusalem. 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:04.670 Hey everybody, let's just take a break. Because 00:08:04.670 --> 00:08:07.589 we're all going to wait on Bartimaeus here. That's 00:08:07.589 --> 00:08:11.509 not how this story happens. He was moving towards 00:08:11.509 --> 00:08:16.050 Jerusalem, and Bartimaeus seized an opportunity. 00:08:16.949 --> 00:08:19.209 And there are opportunities that pass you by, 00:08:19.290 --> 00:08:22.310 that come by you, and it's time not to worry 00:08:22.310 --> 00:08:25.310 about what you don't have, but to seize the moment 00:08:25.310 --> 00:08:27.810 that God has set in front of you that will happen 00:08:27.810 --> 00:08:32.720 this week, that might even happen today. And 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:35.360 you'll seize that opportunity and you will say, 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:40.620 Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. Don't 00:08:40.620 --> 00:08:43.679 worry about what you don't have. Look at what 00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:49.240 you do have. It's simple, right? Choose to look 00:08:49.240 --> 00:08:52.019 at your life in a different way. Choose to do 00:08:52.019 --> 00:08:54.980 something different, right? Because if you always 00:08:54.980 --> 00:08:58.659 do what you've always done, you're always going 00:08:58.659 --> 00:09:01.830 to have what you've always had, right? You've 00:09:01.830 --> 00:09:05.309 got to do something different. Einstein is the 00:09:05.309 --> 00:09:09.669 one that said, listen, right? The definition 00:09:09.669 --> 00:09:13.590 of insanity is doing the same thing over and 00:09:13.590 --> 00:09:15.850 over again and expecting a different result. 00:09:17.029 --> 00:09:19.970 So when is the best time to start doing something 00:09:19.970 --> 00:09:24.029 different? Well, today. Today is a great time 00:09:24.029 --> 00:09:27.990 to seize what God has put in front of you. Stop 00:09:27.990 --> 00:09:30.509 it with all of the don'ts. Like, I don't have 00:09:30.509 --> 00:09:34.409 any excuses. It's time to stop the excuse making 00:09:34.409 --> 00:09:37.669 and start making memories. Start making opportunities. 00:09:38.190 --> 00:09:41.629 Start trudging forward in what God's called you 00:09:41.629 --> 00:09:45.029 to do. So moving along in our story here, verse 00:09:45.029 --> 00:09:49.629 49. Jesus stopped and said, call him. So they 00:09:49.629 --> 00:09:53.529 called the blind man. Cheer up, they say. On 00:09:53.529 --> 00:09:56.639 your feet, he's calling you. Throwing his cloak 00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:59.840 aside, he jumped to his feet and he came to Jesus. 00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:02.559 And isn't that interesting how Jesus sometimes 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:05.460 can use what you might have seen as distractions, 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:10.960 as the discouragement, to actually be your encouragement 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:14.679 to bring you closer to Jesus. So they lead him 00:10:14.679 --> 00:10:18.100 up to Jesus. And understand in the context, I 00:10:18.100 --> 00:10:22.279 love the fact that you don't have to have sight 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:28.460 to be seen. You see, Jesus saw Bartimaeus. Because 00:10:28.460 --> 00:10:32.159 Bartimaeus heard, and he didn't get caught up 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:35.779 in the fact that he couldn't see. He found out, 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:39.860 this is Jesus going by. And I've heard about 00:10:39.860 --> 00:10:42.960 Him. I've heard that He's healed blind folks 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:47.059 before. And I'm blind, and I want to see. And 00:10:47.059 --> 00:10:51.559 so Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. I don't 00:10:51.559 --> 00:10:54.360 care that the crowd is yelling at me to shut 00:10:54.360 --> 00:10:57.159 up and to stop talking. I'm going to talk all 00:10:57.159 --> 00:11:01.120 the more because this is my opportunity and I 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:04.879 will not let it pass by this time. And he continued 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:07.500 to yell all the more. You don't have to have 00:11:07.500 --> 00:11:12.059 sight to be seen. Jesus sees Bartimaeus, calls 00:11:12.059 --> 00:11:15.259 to him, and I love this, verse 51, Jesus asked 00:11:15.259 --> 00:11:20.340 Bartimaeus, what do you want me to do for you? 00:11:21.100 --> 00:11:26.740 The blind man says, Rabbi, I want to see. Here's 00:11:26.740 --> 00:11:29.899 the thing. When we look at that, that seems like 00:11:29.899 --> 00:11:33.419 a really obvious question. There's a blind guy 00:11:33.419 --> 00:11:37.539 in front of you. He probably wants to see. And 00:11:37.539 --> 00:11:40.120 like, what would I do? What would you do? Put 00:11:40.120 --> 00:11:43.419 yourself there. Think about this for a moment. 00:11:44.679 --> 00:11:51.120 If God incarnate, that means in the flesh. in 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:54.460 the flesh, was in front of you and asked you 00:11:54.460 --> 00:11:57.120 the question, what do you want me to do for you? 00:11:58.259 --> 00:12:04.259 What would you say? You see, Bartimaeus said, 00:12:04.379 --> 00:12:09.399 Rabbi, I want to see. That word in Greek, Rabboni, 00:12:09.419 --> 00:12:12.679 he was saying Jesus, the son of David, early 00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:16.860 on. And that was kind of that messianic. Jewish 00:12:16.860 --> 00:12:19.299 messianic title that was given to Jesus. But 00:12:19.299 --> 00:12:21.899 this time, when he speaks to Jesus and he's close 00:12:21.899 --> 00:12:24.419 to Jesus and he's in the presence of Jesus, this 00:12:24.419 --> 00:12:27.539 time is different because this word is very, 00:12:27.580 --> 00:12:31.500 very different. The word Rabboni, it's only uttered 00:12:31.500 --> 00:12:34.500 one other time in the gospel account by anyone. 00:12:35.500 --> 00:12:38.779 And it was Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb when 00:12:38.779 --> 00:12:43.220 she saw Christ. And she said, Rabboni, my master, 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:49.549 my Lord. When Bartimaeus says this, it's personal. 00:12:50.450 --> 00:12:56.909 It's, my master, my Lord, I want to see. And 00:12:56.909 --> 00:13:00.629 maybe, maybe perhaps Bartimaeus, even in his 00:13:00.629 --> 00:13:04.029 blind sight, could see better than many of us 00:13:04.029 --> 00:13:10.230 today. Rabboni, my master. When you understand 00:13:10.230 --> 00:13:13.570 who you are in Christ and what you can be, you 00:13:13.570 --> 00:13:17.409 operate and you function differently. You find 00:13:17.409 --> 00:13:20.990 a sense of value that comes from someplace else. 00:13:21.070 --> 00:13:27.570 My master, Jesus says to Bartimaeus, go. Your 00:13:27.570 --> 00:13:30.909 faith has healed you. And immediately he receives 00:13:30.909 --> 00:13:33.669 his sight. I mean, could you imagine standing 00:13:33.669 --> 00:13:37.360 there whenever that occurred? And then Bartimaeus 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:43.120 followed Jesus along the road, it says. And perhaps 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:46.179 for someone here today, that's what's going to 00:13:46.179 --> 00:13:50.960 happen. You're going to receive your sight. Not 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:54.860 physically, more importantly, spiritually. You 00:13:54.860 --> 00:13:58.200 don't have to have sight to be seen. And when 00:13:58.200 --> 00:14:01.500 you're seen by Jesus, you'll never be the same 00:14:01.500 --> 00:14:07.309 again. Go your faith. Rabboni, my master, has 00:14:07.309 --> 00:14:10.850 made you well. You are created in Christ Jesus 00:14:10.850 --> 00:14:14.950 to do good works. You are not the sum total of 00:14:14.950 --> 00:14:19.429 your past mistakes. Jesus forgives our sin and 00:14:19.429 --> 00:14:22.950 creates in us something new, something special, 00:14:23.169 --> 00:14:28.710 a masterpiece, a work of art. Maybe not what 00:14:28.710 --> 00:14:32.490 you thought you were going to be, but actually 00:14:32.490 --> 00:14:35.690 something better. Better than new, scripture 00:14:35.690 --> 00:14:39.850 says. In him created to do good works which he 00:14:39.850 --> 00:14:44.129 has prepared in advance for you to do. May we 00:14:44.129 --> 00:14:47.409 find that our value is in who God says that we 00:14:47.409 --> 00:14:51.850 are, not in what other people say about us. And 00:14:51.850 --> 00:14:55.370 in that we will operate and we will live a life 00:14:55.370 --> 00:14:59.269 of abundance in God who has called and created 00:14:59.269 --> 00:15:08.279 us to be. Well, there you have it, the story 00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:12.039 of blind Bartimaeus. I hope that you were able 00:15:12.039 --> 00:15:14.779 to take something from the wisdom of God's word 00:15:14.779 --> 00:15:17.620 in this message. Hey, I want to remind you that 00:15:17.620 --> 00:15:20.059 if you want to be a big help to us, that you 00:15:20.059 --> 00:15:22.120 can make sure whatever platform you're listening 00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:25.220 on, first of all, that you do subscribe so that 00:15:25.220 --> 00:15:27.419 you know when new episodes are coming your way 00:15:27.419 --> 00:15:31.500 also. If you would take a time to rate and review 00:15:31.500 --> 00:15:34.000 the podcast, we would certainly appreciate it. 00:15:34.019 --> 00:15:37.600 It's a way that more people can see what we're 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:40.360 doing here at the Semi -Seminarian. I hope you'll 00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:42.759 come back. We've got another installment next 00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:46.519 week on our study of the gospel according to 00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:49.659 Matthew. So until then, friend, I want you to 00:15:49.659 --> 00:15:51.879 be blessed and be a blessing.