Sermons and Outlines

Mark 10:46-52

BARTIMAEUS: A BLIND MAN WITH 20/20 VISION

Intro: They say that there is no one so blind as he who will not see. I suppose that is true for there are many people walking around in the world today who's eyes work just fine, yet they cannot seem to see that the way they are living their lives will eventually lead them into eternal damnation. In this story, we are presented with a man who was absolutely blind. Bartimaeus could see nothing with the physical eyes with which he had been born, yet he could see things one a spiritual level that others were blind to. This man was blind physically, but he had 20/20 spiritual vision.

As I look out over this congregation this morning I am reminded again of the truth that not everyone who came in here today can see. Oh, your eyes work fine. You didn't have to rely on a white cane, a seeing eye dog, or someone with vision to assist you this morning. However, there are those among us that simply cannot see. Though they can see the world around them, they cannot see the truth of God's love and plan for their lives. Why? They are blind spiritually.

This morning, I intend, from this passage, to help you see that Jesus is who you need. I believe that a close examination of the Scriptures will help restore your spiritual vision and will help you to make the decision for Jesus that you need to make. All I ask from you is that you allow the Lord the opportunity to speak to your heart and that you respond as He leads you today. If you will do this, then you can leave this place in a right relationship with God and possessing 20/20 vision, at least spiritually. Please join with me for these few minutes as we look together at Bartimaeus: A Blind Man With 20/20 Vision.

I. V. 46 HIS PITIFUL CONDITION

A. He Was Blind - Apparently, this condition was one with which he had been born. Blindness was a common condition in Bible times, because of various diseases and sanitary conditions.

B. He Was A Beggar - Because of his Physical condition Bartimaeus was prevented from finding and performing a job in order to earn a living. In that day, there were no welfare programs or charitable institutions who would help him. There was no social security or other government programs to which he could turn. Bartimaeus was totally dependent upon the generosity of others in order to survive. His was a pitiful and wretched condition!

C. In his condition, Bartimaeus is a good portrait of every person who is outside Jesus and lost in sin. Like Bartimaeus, the lost person is spiritually blind, 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 4:18. They are blind to their condition, to their sin and to their impending eternal doom. Only Jesus can open your eyes! Like Bartimaeus, the lost person is also a spiritual beggar. They can do nothing, and they have nothing within themselves to produce salvation. They are simply sitting by the highway side begging as Jesus passes by.

I. His Pitiful Condition

II. V. 47-49 HIS PERSISTENT CRY

(Ill. Even though Bartimaeus was blind, he was able to se things that others all around him, who had their vision, could not see. In these verses, Bartimaeus proved that even though he was blind, he still possessed 20/20 spiritual vision.)

A. He Recognized Who Jesus Was - Apparently, Bartimaeus had heard about the miracles preformed by Jesus. He must have heard about the lepers, the lame, the demon possessed, even the dead that Jesus had touched and made whole again. As he sat by the highway, he heard the travelers as they talked one to the other. He had heard about Jesus and he knew that what Jesus had done for others, He could do for Bartimaeus!

(Ill. This is the first step in coming to Jesus for your own salvation. You must recognize who He is and know that what He has done in the lives of others, He can do for you. Our duty is to accept what the Bible teaches about Jesus. When we do, we can be certain of salvation - Rom. 10:9.)

B. He Realized What Jesus Could Do - Bartimaeus exercised faith in Jesus, which is the key ingredient for receiving anything from God, Eph. 2:8-9. Beyond that, this poor, blind man saw things that most of the people who were in that multitude never saw. In fact, He saw some things that many in this building have never seen. Some things that you need to see today.

1. He Was That His Greatest Opportunity Had Come - For years this man had sat by the highway begging. He was helpless and in a hopeless condition. As Jesus passed by, it dawned on Bartimaeus that if Jesus was who He claimed to be, this was the day of his greatest opportunity. As a result, he began to cry out for the Lord to have mercy on him. Bartimaeus, though blind, was able to opportunity when it stared him in the face.

(Ill. There are those in this room this morning who need to see that today may well be the greatest opportunity you have ever faced in your life. You have the opportunity this morning to come to Jesus and be forever saved by His grace. If you ignore this opportunity and choose to go on in your sins, then there nothing in front of you but Hell, 2 Cor. 6:2.)

2. He Saw That This Opportunity Could Easily Pass Him By - If Bartimaeus had sat still that day and said nothing, then the next day would have been like all the others before. He would have sat by the road begging until he died. He may have been blind, but even he could see that unless he did something about this situation, he was doomed to a life of misery and darkness.

(Ill. Every lost person in this room needs to understand that Jesus Christ loves you He died on the cross to save you and He will do just that today if you will only come to Him. However, He will not force Himself into your life. If you do not receive Him, then you will never be saved. If God has been calling you to come to Him, I challenge you obey that call. If you refuse, then this golden opportunity will certainly pass you by.)

3. He Saw That This Opportunity Might Never Return Again - Apparently, Jesus had never passed that way before and for all Bartimaeus knew, He might never pass that way again. He knew that if he were going to receive help from Jesus, then he had to call on Jesus while He was near.

(Ill. Again, lost friend, you need to understand that if you allow salvation to pass you by this morning, you may never have the opportunity to be saved again. You see, you cannot be saved any time you want to be saved. The only time you can come to the Lord is while He is calling you to come to Him. When you feel that pressure on your heart. When you know you are lost and know that you are headed to Hell and want to change, then that is the time to come to the Lord, John 6:44. To delay may mean that you will never have the opportunity to be saved again - Gen. 6:3. Isaiah's advise is still good today - Isa. 55:6.)

4. He Saw That Christ's Way Was Far Better Than His Own - After Bartimaeus had received healing from the Lord, he was told to "go thy way." However, he saw that Christ's way was a far better way than his own and he followed Jesus and according to Luke 18:43, he praised the name of the Lord as he followed Jesus in the way.

(Ill. There is a lesson here for every person who has been saved. Especially those who have come to Jesus in recent days. After salvation, there will be a change of direction in your life, 2 Cor. 5:17.)

C. He Repeated The Cry - Those who stood by, and those who were traveling with the Lord tried to make Bartimaeus stop crying out to the Lord. However, his determination was so great to get help from the Lord that he continued to cry out, and in fact, he simply got louder. He was not hindered or bothered by the opinions of others. He needed something from the Lord and he was determined to get it. Regardless of what anyone thought or did!

(Ill. My friends, there is nothing or no one worth going to hell over. Situations, circumstances and people may try to stand in your way and keep you from Jesus, but you should allow nothing to keep you away from the Lord who loves you and wants more than anything to save your soul. Be like Bartimaeus and get serious about coming to Jesus. He is worth any price. He is worth any loss. He is the only One who is worthy of your soul. I know this, when you get serious about coming to Him, then nothing, not family, not friends, not some pleasure or pet sin, nothing will be able to keep you from getting to Jesus.)

D. He Received A Response - When Jesus heard the cry of this beggar, He stopped in His tracks and called for Bartimaeus to come to Him. What a glorious moment that must have been for this poor, blind beggar! His faith was honored and he received an audience with the Lord Jesus.

(Ill. May I say to every lost person in this auditorium today that Jesus Christ is not too busy to hear your cry either. In fact, there is nothing in this universe more important to Him than you are. Remember the price that He paid for you. He proved His love for you when He climbed Calvary and paid for you sins on the cross. I promise you that if you will cry out to Him, He will save your soul today!)

I. His Pitiful Condition

II. His Persistent Cry

III. V. 50 HIS PERSONAL COST

(According to this verse, when Jesus called, Bartimaeus got up to go. The Bile says that he cast away his garment. This means that he threw aside his outer coat and jumped up to go to Jesus. This coat must have been very valuable to Bartimaeus. He must have known that someone else could easily pick it up and carry it away. He must have known that he could have lost it and this man would not have had the means to replace it. However, he counted the cost and was willing to pay whatever price was necessary just to get to Jesus.)

(Ill. I do not want anyone to leave here today under the impression that coming to Jesus is without personal cost. Sometimes the price we are called on to pay is very high. Some have lost family and friends over a decision for Christ. Some have given up home and even their lives because they chose to follow the Lord Jesus. Everyone who comes to Him has to give up something. Some sin or some wicked relationship, something. You simply need to know that however high the cost may be that you have to pay, in the end that cost is very cheap when compared with the worth of your soul - Mark 8:36-37. Do not be afraid of the cost, what a person receives from Jesus far out ways any price we may be called on to pay.)

I. His Pitiful Condition

II. His Persistent Cry

III. His Personal Cost

IV. V. 51-52 HIS POWERFUL CURE

(Ill. When Bartimaeus came to Jesus, he was asked a very important question and his response was one of pure faith. He trusted Jesus to heal him and then, the impossible happened, the blind man received his sight was restored to wholeness at the word of Jesus. We need to understand that when Jesus said "hath made the whole" that this phrase literally means, "has saved you". Bartimaeus got far more than physical healing that day, he also got spiritual healing as well.)

(Ill. This is what happens when the lost person responds to the Gospel of grace. Immediately, when faith is exercised, the power of God moves in that person's life and God saves them instantly, completely and eternally! In this day of religion and self-righteousness, we need to remember that salvation only comes about through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 16:31! If you are trusting anything other than Jesus for you salvation, then you are in for a rude awakening when you leave this world. It is Jesus Christ or it is nothing!)

I. His Pitiful Condition

II. His Persistent Cry

III. His Personal Cost

IV. His Powerful Cure

V. V. 52 HIS PREFERRED COURSE

(Ill. As I mentioned a moment ago, after Bartimaeus was healed, Jesus told him to go his way. Bartimaeus, however, wanted to be near to One who had healed him and had saved him. This is a theme repeated several times in the Gospels. For instance, I think of the Gadarene Demoniac in Mark 5 who wanted to go be with Jesus after he was healed and saved.)

(Ill. This simply reminds us that when salvation comes into a life, that there will be a desire for the things of God. The saved person will want to walk with the Lord in holiness. They will want to be around other saints. They will want to be in the church and be part of what God is doing in the local congregation. There will be a profound change of life. It will be dramatic! In many cases, it will be as dramatic as what happened to Lazarus when Jesus raised him from the dead, John 11. As simply as I can state, it let me just say that when Jesus saves you He makes you alive in Him, Eph. 2:1-10. When this happens, you will be different. And, if you aren't different after you have made a profession of faith, then you probably aren't saved!)

Conc: One day a Christian and a Communist were sitting on a park bench watching the world go by. As they watched, a poor, drunken beggar walked by dressed in rags. The Communist pointed to the beggar and said, "Communism would put a new suit on that man!" To which the Christian responded, "Maybe so, but Jesus Christ can put a new man in that suit."

Folks, you do not need to run over a new leaf. You do not need to get "religion". You do not need to try and make a bunch of worthless external changes. What you need this morning is to be born again. You need for Jesus to put a new person in your suit. If you know you are lost and would like to be saved, then I invite you to come to Jesus right now. He will save you if you will respond to Him.

I would also like to say to those who are already saved that many of God's saints are walking around like blind beggars. If you are saved, you are not supposed to live like a sinner. If there are things in your life that need to be made right with the Lord, then I invite you to come to Him right now. He will receive you, forgive you and restore you this morning if you will only come to Him.

Jesus is passing by! Please do not this opportunity pass, come to Him and be made whole.