Text: Mark 10:46-52
I remember as a young man driving from the Kitchener area to the Niagara area many times when I was 16 & 17. How many of you remember the traffic circle that used to be located on the Q.E.W. near Stoney Creek? As a young driver, I would enter into this circle and on occasion would actually take an extra lab or two around the circle just for the fun of it before heading off again on the exit to Niagara. Perhaps you recall the traffic hub at the centre of the town of Goderich. When I’d go there to visit my uncle I was fascinated by this circular street with other streets going out of it like spokes from the hub of a wheel. How many of you feel like the path of life you’re travelling on is like one of these traffic circles. You go around and around. There are many ways which you could go from the hub, but you just seem to keep circling and the same opportunities come and go, again and again.
Life can become a monotonous rut really easily. A rut is a pattern of life that is not changing. It is a reflection of sedentary behaviour that involves little in the way of change or variety in life! There is a lack of ADVENTURE and God never intended our lives to be that way!
How many of you made a New Year’s resolution? Many of us do, but we all struggle with breaking out of the monotonous habits that we have developed. One writer put it this way:
I spent a fortune
On a trampoline,
A stationary bike,
And a rowing machine.
Complete with gadgets
To read my pulse,
And gadgets to prove
My progress results,
And others to show
The miles I’ve charted, –
But they left off the gadget
To get me started!
Maybe you’re here at Rosebank this morning and you know something of the rut of procrastination. How many of you have ever had the occasion to read any of James Herriot’s books chronicalling his experience as a veterinarian?
Herriot writes, “I used to sublimate my good intentions by coming home and sharing my experiences with my wife each day and always ending our conversation with, “I’ll write that in my book some day.” This would no doubt have gone on forever except for the fact that one day my wife called my bluff. She said, “Jim, you are never going to write a book.” She said it kindly, but I was aghast!
“Just what do you mean,” I asked. “Well,” she said, “You’ve been talking about this book for twenty-five years now and that’s all you’ve done.
I tried to reason with her that I am not the impulsive type and I always like to take time to think things over and we can’t rush into things, but she continued to be quite unreasonable.
She smiled at me and said, “Don’t take it personally dear, thousands of people are going to write a book someday and they never do.”
“But I will, I will,” I protested indignantly.
She smiled at me once more with a sad compassion and said, “Dear, you must know that old vets who are over 50 don’t suddenly start writing books!”
That did it! I went straight out and bought the paper and settled down to the doing of it!!!
Do you need to be motivated to get out of a rut or monotonous lifestyle?
Today we live in a world that is daily presenting wonderful new opportunities to break out of a monotonous existence. The call to adventure is clear, and we can break out of the ruts we are living in.
Maybe to add a little adventure in your life you need to take up bicycling!
Or go exploring down near the pond
Maybe you could add adventure to your life by playing a practical joke on grandpa!
How about adding a little sizzle to your life! Kids do not , I repeat, Not try this at home!
You could take up swimming!
Or maybe you could satisfy the desire of your inner child like Richard Dorsch did and get yourself a motorcycle!
And of course what starts out quite innocently can turn very bad all too quickly!
You could search for wildlife and get in touch with nature
Or become a chef and create a new gourmet delight!
If all else fails, you could take up skateboarding!
Well let’s get a little more serious and turn to the drama and adventure we read about earlier in our text.
Today we read of a man named “Bartimaeus.” If you were listening you can tell me that Bartimaeus had a problem - He was _______________. (Blind) Picture with me the life of tedium and boredom that he faced. In the culture of his day, a blind man could not work. He could not read or write. There were no braille books. It was very difficult to get around. There were no “seeing eye dogs” and even if there were they would be taboo to him because Jewish law said that a dog was an unclean animal to be avoided. In an effort to live he needed to beg others for mercy, so day after day after monotonous day he would sit by the side of the road crying, “Alms for the poor, Alms for the poor.” He was an object of pity. He only survived if people felt sorry for him. The best description of his life is the last four words of Mark 10:46 “Sitting by the road.” Friends Blind Bart was in a monotonous rut! Blind, begging, pitied, and sitting by the road. For almost everyone, in that culture such obstacles in life would have seemed overwhelming and unescapable.
But, not for Bartimaeus, …. he got out. The purpose of my message today is to show you how Bartimaeus broke out and into the adventure of real living and how you can do the same.
There are seven key things Bartimaeus did to get out of his rut. Now lest someone want to jump on me and say, “Listen pastor, Bartimaeus was helpless and except that the Lord healed him and performed a miracle for Bartimaeus, he’d still be in the rut.” Give me some space here and I think I can show you that Bartimaeus had seven steps that he needed to do on his way to receiving his miracle. I want to suggest to you that if you ever hope to rise above the crowd, to move past mediocrity, to advance your altitude, and apprehend all of the awesome destiny God has planned for you, you too must do these 7 things:
The first key is:
1.) Assume Responsibility for Your Own Life.
Look with me at verse 47. And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!”
Notice Bartimaeus took the initiative to cry out. This is perhaps the most important observation of all 7.
Do you remember the days of your childhood when you were do dependant on the care of others? If you were afraid or hungry or uncomfortable, mom or dad would always make it better. Do you recall those teen years when you had so little responsibility and yet you were still cared for and your needs were met. Then came the time you were supposed to be “Grown UP” and one of the most significant things that meant was assuming responsibility for your life. Could you make it on your own? Would you be a success in life?
One reason why it is so hard to break out is that it is difficult to leave the security and comfort of those days when you could count on someone else. We might make all kinds of excuses but we like the “NO RISK” zone of the rut we’re in, and we don’t want to give up the familiar for the unknown. Bartimaeus could certainly have taken that stance. He had a routine and it worked for him. He was a beggar! He had this spot on the side of the road. He knew how to provoke pity. Sure…. he wasn’t living the great adventure, but he knew where he would be tomorrow and the next day. But Bartimaeus, though blind had a vision of more! His dreams were bigger than the dreams of a beggar. He dreamed of being able to see!
What rut do you find yourself in today? Yes, you can blame someone else for it. Your parents, or lack of parenting, your social structure, your nationality, your genetic inheritance, your victimization by others, your rotten luck or your unfaithful friends. You are free to blame other people and circumstances all your life, but it is a heavy price you pay for such freedom. Blame others and you’ll be in a monotonous rut the rest of your life. Listen, if you choose to blame others for your problems, then give up hope, quit dreaming, don’t wait for your ship to come in or for someone to reach out and lift you up to a new level. Getting out of a monotonous rut is only for those who will stop making excuses and assume responsibility for themselves and recognize their power to choose, which brings us to the second step.
2.) Believe you can change!
Believing is faith expressed! For Bartimaeus, it took real faith to cast aside his cloak, jump to his feet and begin to make his way toward the crowd and the commotion surrounding Jesus. In the final analysis, what changed life so radically for Bartimaeus? Look with me at verse 52 - “GO your way; your faith has made you whole.” “Your faith” has made you whole. WHO’S FAITH? Where does faith come from? Is it a blind leap in the dark. No pun intended here. Faith needs to be placed in something or someone completely trustworthy. Notice what verse 47 says: “And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”
Here we have implied recognition and the evidence of prior knowledge. Bartimaeus had heard about Jesus and his ministry of healing. The NT tells us of at least 6 people who were healed of blindness and the NT also tells us that only a small percentage of the miracles were written down for history. Bartimaeus had heard the word!
How does that apply to you and me? Paul tells us in Romans 10:17. “So, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Hearing such stories produces faith! That is why I love to hear personal testimonies, and that is why I love the word of God - the bible. IT is full of stories of people who rose up above their circumstances and laid hold of all God had for them. The Bible is an adventure guide to lead us out of the ruts of life into abundant living, against incredible odds. It’s statutes strengthen, it’s precepts empower, it’s truth leads to triumph, and it’s guidance is always good. That is one reason why we need to meet together with others regularly to study the Bible, and encourage each other with it’s truths each week.
From inside the monotonous rut people don’t believe you can really change. They are busy perfecting the art of deferring the blame to someone or something else. They have made so many excuses up that anything beyond their binding boredom sounds impossible.
There is a great abundance of evidence both in the bible and in life experience to assure you that you can break out of your rut. But you must avail yourself of God’s resources by BELIEVING you can change.
3.) Clarify What You Really Need
Notice how in verse 51 Jesus said to Bartimaeus , “What do you want me to do for you.” Question? Why would Jesus Christ who knows every detail of your life, mine and of Bartimaeus ask such a seemingly silly question? I mean even you or I could have seen that Bartimaeus was poor, and blind. There must have been another reason for Jesus posing this question. The reason is this! Jesus wanted to make it clear to those standing by, to Bartimaeus, and to the group listening at Rosebank Church on Sunday January 28th, 2007 - that to receive what we believe for WE MUST ASK. “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, ask that your joy may be full.” John 16:24
We never break the boredom of the monotonous rut until we are willing to cry out for help and be specific with God as to what we are believing Him for. We must never stop asking either. I suspect that some of you have asked God very sincerely for things and believed him for things and because it did not happen right away, we equate that with failure and quit asking. If we quit asking (the devil whispers in our ear) then it won’t be so obvious that we are failing in our faith.
If you set a goal or have a dream and miss it, you can always try again. If you have no goal, no dream and you hit it, you are in a monotonous rut. If you don’t want to set a goal, dream a dream, or view a vision then part of you will die and your rut will be your grave, but Jesus and his Word the bible clearly call us higher. He says, “Pray without ceasing! Don’t be weary in doing what’s right.” IF you really want to break out of your rut, you’ll have to clarify what you really want.
“What do you want me to do for you,” Jesus said. Bartimaeus did not hesitate to declare his goal and dream: “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”
4.) Stop Worrying About What Other People Will Say.
Something that keeps many of us in our ruts is a fear of what others will think or say. Bartimaeus didn’t have to wait long to know what others would think about his goal. Look at verse 48. “And many sternly warned him to be quiet, but believe me, he kept crying out all the more, SON of David, have mercy on me!”
You see, he had to get beyond what others would think or say. What you and I need to realize is that if we ever hope to break out of the monotonous rut, we need to stop listening to the vast majority of the world around us. Most of the world is on a broad downhill road, and they are going with the flow of pessimists and nay-sayers who are quick to tell you why things can’t be done, dreams can’t be realized, goals can’t be met. They stress, “Why risk being laughed at? Why risk failure? Why go against the vast majority? Take the easy route. Go with the crowd.”
That’s why the bible warns us about the company we keep. If we hang with fearful negative people we will be fearful and negative. Isn’t it interesting that in certain Old Testament battles God sent those who were fearful and negative home, because He can do more through fewer people who will really trust Him.
The crowd around you is a fickle crowd too. Think about it friends! What does verse 48 tell us they were saying to him: “And many were sternly telling him to be quiet.” How does that translate to our cultural vernacular? “Shut up you worthless beggar. The Master is not interested in the likes of you.” Picture the scene! Jesus is walking, Bartimaeus is yelling! Some of the crowd is yelling back at Bartimaeus! Others - in what is described as a multitude are talking, laughing and perhaps some singing and in the midst of this great cacophony of sound, THEN -verse 49 simply says, “So Jesus stood still.” Now in the midst of all the clamour, what voice cuts through the din to the ears of Jesus and caused him to stop. The voice of Bartimaeus.! Jesus said then, “Call him here.”
I love this next insight! How many of you know that the opinion polls of the masses are fickle and very suspect? This same crowd that condescendingly yelled “Shut up” one moment earlier, now seeing Jesus stop and respond to Bartimaeus, goes through an instant transformation of heart and in verse 49 they now call to this same Bartimaeus saying, “Be of good cheer. Rise, for He is calling you.” You can almost read between the lines and see some of them, standing before Jesus, eyes cast toward the ground, muttering, “Yes, um, well … we were just saying to our friend Bartimaeus here, why don’t you turn to Jesus for help, were’nt we?
Please understand what I am saying this morning friends. Godly counsel and support is critical at times for all of us. But choose carefully who you listen to. If you listen to the majority crowd you will stay in your rut. Seek God first, godly counsel second, and stop worrying about what the rest of the people will say! So where are we on our journey to God’s great adventure?
1.) Assume responsibility for your life.
2.) Believe you can change
3.) Clarify what you really need.
4.) Stop worrying about what others will say.
5.) Stop Waiting For Ideal Circumstances
The conditions on the day recorded in our text were far from ideal for a blind beggar sitting on the roadside. They crowd was large, the noise level was high. Jesus was not coming to Jericho to speak or meet with the poor and needy like Bartimaeus. He was making tracks through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. What chance did a blind man have of actually getting to Jesus? Perhaps another time would be better. Perhaps New Year’s, or maybe my birthday Bartimaeus might have reasoned. I’ll just wait a little longer - then for sure I’ll do something to bring about change. SOUND FAMILIAR? That is the language of Monotonous Rut Dwellers!
The Los Angeles Times carried the following article:
My brother -in-law opened the bottom drawer
of my sisters bureau and lifted out a tissue wrapped
package. “This,” he said, “is not a slip. This is lingerie.”
He discarded the tissue and handed me the camisole.
It was exquisite; silk, hand made and trimmed with a
beautiful webbing of lace. The price tag, an astronomical
figure was still on it. “Jan bought this the first time we
went to New York, eight or nine years ago. She never wore
it even once. She was saving it for a special occasion. Well
I guess this is the occasion.
He took the camisole from me and put it on the bed along with
the other clothes we were taking down to the mortician. His hands
lingered on the soft material for a moment and then he slammed the
door shut with his knee and turned to me. “Don’t ever save anything
for a special occasion,” he sputtered through clenched teeth. “Every
day you’re alive is a special occasion.”
I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed
her unexpected death. I thought about them as I rode on the plane
home from the small Illinois town where my sister and her family lived.
I thought about all the things she had never seen or done or heard.
Some time has passed but I still think about those words a lot. Those words
have changed my life. We use our good china regularly. And our crystal comes
out for such important celebrations as “losing a pound” or getting the clogged
sink unplugged.
“Someday” and “One of these days” are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If
it is worth seeing, or hearing or doing, I want to see it, hear it and do it now.
I will not hold back or put off something that I know would be good and right and
and pleasing any longer.
What do you know of that would be good, and right and pleasing to God that you
have put off? Waiting for just the right time may leave you in a rut that becomes a
grave. Stop waiting for ideal circumstances.
6.) Do Something Bold and Dramatic
Now we are pushing the baby birds out of the nest! We are talking risk here aren’t we, and some of you have already dismissed this sermon as applicable to you because you like the certainty and predictability of the rut. Well, that is your CHOICE. But stop blaming others or complaining about where you’re at in life if that is the case.
Bartimaeus put it all on the line! It was all out front for everyone to see. Look with me at verse 50. “And casting aside his cloak, he jumped up, and came to Jesus.”
What a big, bold, public stand to take. Hey! He wanted out of his rut!
Part of the insidious power of peer pressure is the fear to take a stand. To declare our allegiances. I said several weeks ago that is one of the main reasons why the bible teaches “Believers Baptism” because Jesus said, “If you won’t confess me before men, neither will I confess you before my Father which is in heaven.” Some of you listening to me today have been “CLOSET CHRISTIANS,” for years and have never publicly taken a stand for Jesus Christ or publicly confessed your allegiance to him. Let me say this morning He will not change His Word for you! His word is settled forever in heaven and it is you that needs to change! You need to be willing to do something bold and dramatic, and you will find that as you draw near to God in that way, He will draw near to you. You will know his presence and power in a totally new dimension as you declare your stand for him, his Word, and His principles publicly.
Finally, if you want to break out of the monotonous ruts of life…..
7.) Now is the time to make your move.
Perhaps no other word has limited God’s grace and goodness in our lives more than the word LATER. Bartimeaus did not hesitate to follow his convictions. He took action while Jesus was passing by. The bible says, “Today is the day of salvation.” You may not have a tomorrow. Listen friends, we can never catch up with good intentions. Postponed obedience is disobedience.
Perhaps the most dangerous rut a person can be in is one that leads them away from God and closer, more intimate relationship with him. It is with that in mind I share the words of this haunting poem.
I looked upon a farm one day, that once I used to own;
The barn had fallen to the ground. The fields were overgrown.
The house in which my children grew, where we had lived for years-
I turned to see it broken down, then brushed away the tears.
I looked upon my soul one day. To find it too had grown
With thorns and nettles everywhere - the seeds neglect had sown.
The years had passed while I had cared for things of lesser worth;
The things of Heaven I let go when minding things of earth.
To Christ I turned with bitter tears and cried, “O Lord - forgive!”
I haven’t much time left for You, not many years to live.
The wasted years forever gone, the days I can’t recall
If I could live those days again, I’d make YOU Lord of all.
Some of you are here today and God has been speaking to you for years about really getting serious with him. You have felt the heavenly tug of the Holy Spirit on your heart and you’ve heard his gentle voice whispering in your ear, “There is a better way to walk,” but you’ve said “LATER.” For some of you it is the public response to the gospel God has been speaking to you about. He has been after you to declare your recognition of the very public love and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for you. For others of you, He has been speaking to you about being baptised as a public witness that you want him to be your Lord and you want to leave the old man - the old life buried.
For still others, you have been living life in a circular rut and never getting anywhere spiritually because you have been afraid to trust, to have faith, to step out, to go after all that God has for you. Listen this morning God desperately wants you to get desperate in your desire to have all he has for you. Will you ignore the crowd, and cry out today to the only one who can really make the needed difference in your life and your circumstances? Will you like Bartimaeus jump up and cry out to Jesus……for his is passing by this way, here today.