"Being with Jesus - what do you want?" message by Rev Dr Ng Swee Ming on 2 Oct 2016

1. BEING WITH JESUS
REV DR NG SWEE MING | 2 OCTOBER 2016
WWJDwhat would Jesus do

3. 1. What is the name of the 1st city Joshua
conquered in the ‘Promised Land’ ?
Answer :
JERICHO

4. 2. In which city were 2 Israelites saved
by ‘visiting’ a prostitute ?

5. 3. Over which city did Joshua proclaim -“Cursed
before the Lord is the man who undertakes to
rebuild this city…” ?
Answer :
JERICHO

6. 4. Which city is known as a “City of Palms” ?
Answer :
JERICHO

7. 5. The “Mount of Temptation” where Jesus
was tempted by the devil is situated near
which famous city ?

8. 6. What is the name of the world’s oldest
inhabited city ?
Answer :
JERICHO

9. 7. What is the name of the world’s lowest
(below sea level) city ?
Answer :
1,300 ft
below sea level
Answer :
JERICHO

10. 8. When I say the word :
“Sycamore Tree”
which city do you think of ?
Answer :
JERICHO

11. 9. Jesus invited himself to have tea with a
very rich man. In which city was this ?
Answer :
JERICHO

12. 10. In the Gospel of Mark, where did Jesus
perform His last healing miracle?
Answer :
JERICHO

13. new WWJD Sermon Series …
i. BEING with JESUS : Who… ?
ii. BEING with JESUS : What… ?
iii. WWJD with Worries
iv. WWJD with Children & Families
v. WWJD with Corruption

14. new WWJD Sermon Series …
2016 Theme Verse
Mark 3:14b-15 “…that they might
BE WITH HIM and that he might send
them out to preach and to have authority
to drive out demons.”
Intro: BEING with JESUS : What is it …
What can I …

15. Mark 10:46-52
46 Then they came to Jericho …

16. Jesus Final Journey to Jerusalem
Just before Passover Celebration …
About 10 days before ‘Calvary’…

17. Mark 10:46
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.

18. BEING with JESUS : What is it …
Bartimaeus
‘Son of Timaeus’…
Greek - ‘tamaios’ :
honor , honorable …
Aramaic - ‘timai’ :
defilement, fear, unclean …
What a contrast …
–son of honor ….
–son of defilement, unclean…

19. BEING with JESUS : What is it …
Bartimaeus
• Blind ….
• Poor …
No home ….
No School …
Only ‘work’ - Beggar …
No family …
No future …
A failure …
1. HOPELESS
1825

20. BEING with JESUS : What is it …
Bartimaeus…
But even though blind…
he can hear …
he can talk …
Q: Do blind people hear better ?
Yes – if they blind from birth or very young
No – if they get blind later in life
Jericho busy town, proximity to Jerusalem…
On the main road through town …
Hear a lot …. Learn a lot ….
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

21. Bartimaeus…
• Must have heard about a ‘new teacher’….
‘teaching with authority’
Performing miracles …. Healing ….
Even the blind !!!
Q: Do blind people dream ?
Yes or No ??
BEING with JESUS : What is it …BEING with JESUS : What is it …

22. BEING with JESUS : What is it …
Bartimaeus…
Q: Do you think he ever dreamed of
meeting Jesus ?
Q: Do you think he ever dreamt of
meeting Jesus and asking Jesus to
heal him ?
Q: Do you think he ever dreamt
meeting Jesus, asking Jesus to heal
him and JESUS HEALING HIM ?
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

23. BEING with JESUS : What is it …
Bartimaeus…
HOPELESS to start with ….
with every hearing of Jesus …
with every dream encounter ….
becoming 2. HOPEFUL ….
 what if ….
 could it …
 if only I encounter …
 too far-fetched …. just a dream …
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

24. Mark 10:47-48
47 When he heard that it
was Jesus of Nazareth,…

25. BEING with JESUS : What is it …
Bartimaeus…
HOPELESS to start with ….
…. HOPEFUL !!!
 can it be true … JESUS …
 am I dreaming …
THE JESUS who healed the deaf …
THE JESUS who healed the blind …
 JESUS really passing this way !!!!
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

26. Mark 10:47-48
47 …. he began to shout,
"Jesus, Son of David,
have mercy on me!"

27. BEING with JESUS : What is it …
Bartimaeus SHOUTED …
"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!“
WAIT ….
Something is wrong here ….
a poor …
uneducated …
dirty beggar ….
Was declaring …
JESUS IS THE MESSIAH !
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

28. Mark 10:47-48
48 Many
rebuked him
and told him to
be quiet, …
“Jesus, Son of
David, have
mercy on me!"
QUIET
SHHHH….
QUIET….
Don’t Disturb
the master…
he’s busy ….

29. "Son of David,
have mercy on
me!"
Remember Bartimaeus …
Poor …
Uneducated …
Dirty beggar …
Q: How will he react …
Q: How will he respond …
to public opinion, criticism…
Q: Will he be cowed into silence…
Q: If you were in his shoes,
what will you do ?
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

30. Mark 10:47-48
48 … but he shouted
all the more,
“Son of David,
have mercy on me!“
takes a lot of courage …
takes a lot of strength …
Or maybe, just maybe
sheer desperation …
sheer “FAITH” …
"Son of David,
have mercy on
me!"
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

31. "Son of David,
have mercy on
me!"
BUT …
How will Jesus respond ?
Jesus – about 10days from
Calvary …
Will he have time for a beggar ?
Quite sure he had bigger and
better things to do …
Did Jesus hear ?
Even if he heard,
will he even respond ?
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

32. Mark 10:46-52
Possible alternative title for Today’s Sermon :
‘The Man Who Stopped Jesus’
49 Jesus stopped …  God HEARS the Faintest Cry…
esp the sincere cry from
the depths of our heart …
 TODAY are you desperate …
 TODAY are you sincere …
 TODAY are you crying out …
 IF YOU ARE …

33. Mark 10:49
49 Jesus stopped
and said, "Call him."
So they called to the
blind man,
"Cheer up! On your feet!
He's calling you."
Q: What do you think is
going on in his mind ?
 Can it be true ?
 Sure Jesus is calling
me and not
someone else ?
 Wait let me take a
bath first …
 Let me pack my
stuffs first …

34. Mark 10:50
50 Throwing his cloak
aside,
he jumped to his feet
and
came to Jesus.
 His cloak is his only
form of livelihood …
 What about the
‘MONEY’ …
 Casting everything
aside …
Q: Do blind man jump?
 He jumped …
 Must have literally
ran to Jesus …

35. Mark 10:51
51 "What do you
want me to do for
you?"
Jesus asked him.
 THE All Important
Question ….
THE SAME QUESTION
that Jesus
 asked …
 is still asking …
 will still be asking ...
"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME
TO DO FOR YOU?"

36. Mark 10:51
51 … The blind
man said, …
Bartimaeus could have asked for …
 WEALTH ….
 WISDOM …
 POSITION … etc etc.
Ref : Mark 10:36
"What do you want me to do
for you?" he (Jesus) asked.
Q: What will YOU ask for ?

37. Mark 10:51
51 … The blind man
said, "Rabbi, I
want to see.”
(ESV) "Rabbi, let
me recover my
sight."
Bartimaeus asked for
something that he had lost …
Q: What things sometimes we
take for granted ?
Family & Spouse …
Friends …
Education, Food, Shelter
Health …
God !
Freedom to worship ?

38. Mark 10:52
52a "Go," said
Jesus, "your
faith has
healed you."
Immediately
he received
his sight…
I can see …
I can see …
Thank you
Jesus…
Q: Where did he get the FAITH ?
How, When …. ?
 Sincerity …
 Simplicity …
GOD sees …
GOD hears …
GOD answers…

39. Mark 10:52
52b and followed
Jesus along the
road.
Recovered his physical sight
 So thankful …
 So grateful …
Q: Did he know where Jesus
was going ?
Q: Did he know what will
happen to Jesus shortly ?
Q: Of the 100’s or more that
Jesus healed - Bartimaeus
the only 1 of 3 named -
WHY ?

40. BEING with JESUS : What is it …
Application : Lessons from Bartimaeus
Journey from ….
HOPELESS
HOPEFUL
HOPE-FULFILLED
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

42. Application : Lessons from Bartimaeus
From HOPELESS to HOPEFUL to HOPE-FULFILLED
He was desperate for Jesus …
He was not going to be prevented by ‘social
decorum’ - what others say or think …
He cried out with all his strength …
This type of cry …
Jesus hears …
Jesus accepts as he is …
Jesus breaks through …
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

43. Application : Lessons from Bartimaeus
Jesus TODAY is still asking the same question …
What Do You Want Me To Do ?
What Do You Want Me To Do for you Today ?
A need ….
A situation …
A desperation …
Q: is there sincerity ?
Q: is there that deep desire,
even desperation ?
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

44. Application : Lessons from Bartimaeus
Bartimaeus was physically blind.
Most of us are not physically blind ….
Q: But are we SPIRITUALLY BLIND ?
Q: Which is worse …
Physical Blindness OR
Spiritual Blindness ?
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

45. Quotes:
You may have 20/20
vision and still be
spiritually blind
The only thing worse
than being blind
is having sight but no
vision. Better to be blind and see
with your heart,
than to have two good
eyes and see nothing.
Helen Keller
1880-1968

46. Application : Lessons from Bartimaeus
John 9:39-41
39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this
world, so that the blind will see and those who
see will become blind."
40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him
say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"
41 Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be
guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see,
your guilt remains.
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

47. BEING with JESUS : What is it …
Application : Lessons from Bartimaeus
2 Cor 4:3-4
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is
veiled to those who are perishing.
The god of this age has blinded the
minds of unbelievers, so that they
cannot see the light of the gospel
of the glory of Christ, who is the
image of God.
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

48. BEING with JESUS : What is it …
Application : Lessons from Bartimaeus
Bartimaeus was physically blind.
Most of us are not physically blind ….
Q: But are we SPIRITUALLY BLIND ?
Q: Which is worse …
Physical Blindness OR
Spiritual Blindness ?
If you know … you seek / accept help
If you DO NOT KNOW ….
BEING with JESUS : What is it …

49. BEING with JESUS : What is it …
Conclusion :
Bartimaeus shouted :
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me”
Q: Is that what you WANT ?
Is that what you NEED ?
From HOPELESS to HOPEFUL to HOPE-FULFILLED
Jesus TODAY is still asking the same question …
Q: What Do You Want Me To Do ?
What Do You Want Me To Do for you Today ?
BEING with JESUS : What is it …