WHAT DO YOU WANT? What are you expecting?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
INTRODUCTION:
A. The Jewish Talmud suggests:
1. Moses gave 613 laws and commandments to God’s people.
2. David reduced them to 10 major commandments.
3. Isaiah reduced them to two.
4. Habakkuh reduced them to one: THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.
B. Let us pretend? Pretend with me we just found a fancy bottle and we rubbed it. Then a genie came out and said: I will give you three wishes?
WHAT WOULD YOU ASK?
C. You will never find a bottle like that, but I have a serious question: WHAT WOULD YOU ASK OF GOD TODAY?
Would you ask boldly? Would you seek things that will rust and fade?
D. JESUS ASKED A MAN: WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?
I. JESUS ASKS A SERIOUS QUESTION --- WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO
FOR YOU?
A. Sometimes a question can be a great learning tool.
Socrates and Aristotle were great teachers of their day, and they asked many questions of their students?
B. There is a great study: the great questions of the Bible?
The first great question of the Bible was asked by Cain: AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?
C. JESUS WAS A GOOD TEACHER AND HE OFTEN ASKED QUESTIONS LIKE: WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
KJV
Mark 10:51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
NIV
Mark 10:51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."
NASB
Mark 10:51 And answering him, Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!"
LB
Mark 10:51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked. "O Teacher," the blind man said, "I want to see!"
KJV
Luke 18:41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
NIV
Luke 18:41 "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied.
D. JESUS HAS A POINTED QUESTION TO ASK A BLIND MAN ON THE ROAD TO JERICHO.
II. THE BLIND MAN HAD TO OVERCOME A MEAN AND CRUEL AND NEGATIVE RELIGIOUS CROWD! THIS MAY BE MY OPPORTUNITY!
A. Jesus and his crew were traveling to Jericho.
Jericho means: SWEET FRAGRANCE, PRAISE, WORSHIP, PRAISE BEYOND HUMAN ABILITY.
B. THERE WAS A BLIND MAN NAMED --- BARTIMAEUS!
C. There was no government or social programs for blind people.
Blind Bartimaeus was totally dependent on the mercy of his family and friends for his existence. Bart had someone bring him out on this busy highway in the hopes others would feel sorry for him and give him something.
D. Bartimaeus was a PROFESSIONAL BEGGAR!
Someone cared enough to tell this begging blind man JESUS IS COMING THIS WAY!
E. Bartimaeus had learned to use his ears to listen to the things happening around him.
Off in a distance Bartimaeus could hear the noise of an excited crowd. This blind man knew JESUS IS PASSING CLOSER AND CLOSER.
Mark 10:46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
F. BARTIMAEUS MUST HAVE HEARD THE CROWD AND HE STARTED YELLING, HE WAS SCREAMING, JESUS I AM OVER HERE! JESUS PLEASE COME CLOSER.
G. It appears the crowd was embarrassed by this blind man’s behavior, and MANY REBUKED HIM,
THE RELIGIOUS CROWD WAS NOT HELPING BARTIMAEUS GET TO JESUS, THEY WERE SAYING, SHUT UP BLIND MAN! SHUT UP.
H. The more the crowd told the blind man to SHUT UP, the more he yelled.
III. BARTIMAEUS: JESUS HEARD YOU AND JESUS HAS CALLED YOU TO COME TO HIM!
PAY ATTENTION, WE MUST GET GOD’S SON TO HEAR OUR CASE!
A. Have you ever noticed how we turn our heads away when we pass the Salvation Army? Or a crippled soldier?
B. JESUS CAME TO A HALT, JESUS WAS STANDING STILL, JESUS SAW THIS BLIND MAN, AND THE POINT OF OPPORTUNITY WAS MEETING THE ANSWER!
Mark 10:49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
C. Be of good comfort! JESUS HAS FOCUSED HIS ATTENTION ON YOU!
D. Why didn’t Jesus walk to the blind man?
Was it not cruel to make the blind man walk toward Him?
E. NEVER FORGET TO RECEIVE A MIRACLE THERE IS ALWAYS AN ACT OF FAITH THAT BRINGS GOD’S FOCUS ON THE NEED! It is better to obey than to give sacrifice!
IV. BARTIMAEUS HAD ALREADY MADE UP HIS MIND! BARTEMAEUS WAS NOT GOING HOME THE SAME WAY HE CAME. WE CAN PROVE THE BEGGAR HAD A MINDSET AND ATTITUDE
CHANGE! LET ME SHOW YOU THIS BLIND MAN HAD MADE UP HIS MIND BEFORE THE MIRACLE CAME TO HIS HOUSE.
A. As Bartimaeus heard the INVITATION, COME --- HE CALLS YOU...
We see Bartimaeus make a big adjustment...
Mark 10:50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
B. How do we identify a blind person today?
A blind person carries a white cane that has a red bottom on it.
When we see this red and white cane we know the person is legally blind.
C. IN BIBLICAL TIMES BLIND PEOPLE WORE A SPECIAL COAT, THAT WHEN A PERSON SAW THE COAT FROM A DISTANCE, THEY KNEW THIS PERSON WAS BLIND.
By this special coat, one might give alms, or they might walk around the person.
D. BARTIMAEUS MADE UP HIS MIND BEFORE HE MADE IT TO JESUS, I AM NOT RETURNING TO BEGGING FOR A LIVING. I SHALL SEE MY MOMMA’S FACE BEFORE THE SUN GOES DOWN!
E. BARTIMAEUS --- CASTED AWAY, HE THREW HIS BLIND MAN’S ROBE AWAY, FOR HE WOULD NEVER AGAIN NEED THIS RECOGNITION AS A BLIND PERSON!
F. Bartimaeus was still blind as a bat, but FAITH IS BEING RELEASED.
V. THE FIRST FACE BARTIMAEUS EVER SAW WAS THAT OF GOD’S SON --- JESUS! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? ASKS JESUS? THE MIRACLE WAS ALREADY IN THE
MAKING.
A. I once had a blind friend named Willie Cook. Willie was blind from birth. Willie sang and played the guitar. He was very good. I often would drive him to a church to play music, and I would play the bass or lead for him.
B. On one trip in the mountains of eastern Kentucky I was telling Willie the beautiful fall colors.
Willie said: You don’t get it do you?
I said: Get what?
Willie explained he only knew one color, that was black. Red or yellow meant nothing to him. I thought how sad a black world must be?
B. JESUS IS COMING NEAR! OUR DREAM, OUR OPPORTUNITY APPROACHES! COME CLOSER JESUS!
JESUS STOOD STILL --- the blind coat is gone.
C. THENJESUS ASKS A POINTED QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Mark 10:51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
D. THE BLIND MAN HAD ALREADY RELEASED HIS FAITH AND HIS MIRACLE WAS WITHIN REACH.
E. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW HAPPY AND FLOODED WITH JOY WHEN THE BLIND MAN SAW, RED, GREEN, PURPLE? Wow, we just think this is a Bible story. This is a real miracle for
someone Jesus had compassion!
F. Jesus could see the blind man’s faith when he couldn’t see!
VI. WHAT DO WE WANT? WILL WE BE MADE WHOLE?
ONLY A STRANGER GIVES THANKS? THE SAMARITAN DID NOT KNOW HIS RELIGIOUS DUTY? 9 HAD A RELIGIOUS DUTY THAT SUPERCEDED THEIR REAL DUTY! THANKSGIVING IS NEEDED TO BE MADE WHOLE!
A. There were 10 sick people. These 10 people were very sick? Death was close and the lepers could not go near their families or their homes.
Lepers would often gather themselves together and minister to each other.
B. These 10 had enough sense to RECOGNIZE JESUS AFAR OFF --- THEY CRIED, JESUS, MASTER HAVE MERCY ON US!
Luke 17:14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
C. THE 10 LEPERS WERE NOT HEALED IMMEDIATELY.
THEY WERE HEALED AS THEY WENT.
D. ONE OF THEM RECOGNIZED JESUS HAD HEALED HIM. A leper had a duty to go to the priest and be pronounced clean, the Samaritan --- the stranger didn’t know
this obligation, and he returned to Jesus to say: THANK YOU!
Luke 17:15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed?
but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
E. WHERE ARE THE NINE?
There is a sweet lesson here, 10 were healed, BUT ONLY ONE WAS MADE WHOLE.
We need a complete, total healing from Jesus, GET UP, GO YOUR WAY, YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WHOLE.
F. What do you want? Will we be happy to settle for less?
G. Have you ever heard of a DRY ALCOHOLIC? A dry alcoholic does not drink booze, but the scars and issues are still present.
VII. WILL A SPIRIT OF MANIPULATION KEEP YOU FROM YOUR MIRACLE? ANGER BECOMES A TOOL TO WHICH WE TRY TO GAIN CONTROL OVER OTHERS.
What do you want Naaman?
A. WHY DO PEOPLE PITCH TEMPER FITS? TEMPER TANTRUMS?
POUT? NO MIRACLES FOR YOU?
Jezebel and Ahab were so self-centered, they could not listen to God’s man. Ahab pouted to demand his way. Jezebel bypassed the man of God.
Never forget the same dogs that licked Nabboth’s blood, would lick Ahab and Jezebel.
WHEN THEY WENT TO BURY JEZEBEL ALL THE DOGS HAD NOT EATEN WAS HER SKULL, HER FEET, AND THE PALMS OF HER HANDS. WHAT A TERRIBLE COST!
No miracles, all 70 of their seed die?
B. DID YOU KNOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH DON’T RECOGNIZE THE MEN
OF GOD? We see power struggles, committee meetings, and programs that try to bypass the man of God. I heard the other day of a church that their board has
equal power to the pastor. The board is the employer, the pastor is the employee?
That is not God’s way.
C. God always uses a man: Moses? Joshua? Gideon? Peter? Paul? Elijah? Elisha?
2 Kings 5:8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
D. A little servant girl was taken captive to get the story that there was a man of God that knew the word of God and thus he could do the work of God!
E. MANIPULATE:
To control or manage by artful, unfair, insidious means.
To use to your own advantage.
To have power over.
To take power, authority.
2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
F. WHY WAS NAAMAN MAD? He was in a fit of rage?The Preacher never preformed to his standards?
G. JUST DO IT?
JUST DO IT! BELIEVE IN THE OFFICE OF THE MAN OF GOD AND OBEY!
2 Kings 5:13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
H. One dip? Still leprosy? Two dips? Crazy preacher? Three dips? Seventh dip --- A MIRACLE...
I. NAAMAN ALMOST MISSED HIS MIRACLE GETTING MAD AT THE PREACHER.
Naaman had enough guts to admit he had been wrong.
There is a man of God among us!
2 Kings 5:15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no
God in all earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
J. I know there are some wolves that dress up like shepherds and they are really just feeding themselves.
Too many preachers are trying to sell things to make a profit. Prophet?
Can you imagine missing a miracle because of unforgiveness? Or anger?
VIII. WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHY DO YOU WANT IT?
IS THERE A LESSON HIDDEN IN MIRACLES? WHY DOES GOD HEAL PEOPLE?
A. Have you ever heard what mixed emotions are? Mixed emotions has a simple definition:
TO WATCH YOUR MOTHER IN LAW DRIVE OVER A CLIFF IN YOUR BRAND NEW MERCEDES IS MIXED EMOTIONS!
B. Jesus healed Peter’s Mother- in- law! There is a powerful lesson about miracles found in God’s word?
Some feel healing is to alleviate pain? Others feel God touches people to prove His power?
C. God has reasons behind touching His people.
Matthew 8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
D. Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law so she could GET UP AND MINISTER.
E. Miracles, what would we desire of God if we could just believe?
It have nothing to do with pleasing people?
God does not want to make miracles and signs a freak show or a circus?
God wants to turn life’s around and people to raise up and minister to others.
G. Signs are to follow believers, not believers following signs! Free bread and fishes may get a crowd, but they can never keep a crowd!
WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM GOD?
WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING?
DO YOU DREAM? OR ARE YOU TRAPPED IN A RUT?
Do you know what effectual, fervent prayer means?
Shall we roll over and play dead?
Arise my love, let us ask God boldly.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
