20 May 2018
I. Introduction
-- turn
in Bibles to Acts 2:1-4
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were
all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent
wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on
each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak
in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
-- I
want to begin this morning by sharing with you a true story about a woman named
Annie -- now, Annie was a fan of Do-It-Yourself TV -- she would watch all the
DYI shows on the Home and Garden Network and the Learning Channel and all the
others -- she’d watch as these normal, everyday people transformed their houses
into showplaces all on their own, without having to hire others to do the work
-- and Annie caught the buzz
-- you
see, Annie wanted to tile her kitchen floor, but after watching all of those
DYI shows on TV, she came to the decision that rather than paying over $700 to
an expert, she could do it herself -- so, she went out and bought a "do-it
yourself" tile kit from Home Depot -- this kit was perfect -- it laid out
the procedures step by step and all you had to do was follow it and your tile
would be laid in no time at all
-- Step
One was simple -- just spread the powerful glue on the floor -- done -- Annie
was proud of herself -- then, Annie went to Step Two, only to slip and fall
face-first into the slippery glue -- and, before she knew what had happened,
she was stuck to the floor
-- when Annie's
Yorkshire Terrier saw her lying on the floor, she did what all dogs do when
their owners are in trouble: she went over to lick her owner's face -- so now
both Annie and her dog were stuck in the glue
-- But
luck was on Annie's side, because her two daughters -- ages 9 and 10 -- were home
-- she yelled out for help, and when they came running and realized what had
happened, they began laughing hysterically -- But eventually, with their help,
Annie got unstuck from the floor and was able to go on to Step 2 and lay the
tile -- mission accomplished -- But she still had glue all over herself, and
didn’t know what to do -- they never covered this on TV -- so she called a glue
emergency hotline, but no one answered.
-- now,
as Larry Munson used to say, “Get the picture” -- While she was waiting for
someone on the hotline to pick up, the glue on her body finished hardening,
such that:
(1) her
right foot became stuck to the floor
(2) her
legs became stuck together
(3) her
body became stuck to the chair, and
(4) her
hand became stuck to the phone
-- Finally,
she managed to hang up and had to dial 911 with her nose.
-- When
the rescue personnel arrived they found Anne still stuck to the chair and the
floor and the phone -- sitting there, wearing only her underwear.
-- Fortunately,
the rescue crews were serious, competent, highly trained professionals, who
laughed until they cried -- After they recovered, the rescue crews were able to
free Anne with solvents, and everything was fine -- Anne got her new floor and
saved herself $700
-- So, what is the point of this story? -- well,
just like Annie, we sometimes find ourselves stuck -- we find ourselves in a
rut, unable to get out -- we find ourselves just doing the same old-same old in
the same way, every day -- and, this can happen in our spiritual lives, too --
even though we’re Christians, we can get caught up in a familiar old sin, and
find ourselves just unable to get loose -- or, maybe we’re just stuck going
through the motions and we feel like our faith is not what it used to be
-- this
morning on Pentecost Sunday, I wanted us to talk for a few moments about
breaking free -- about getting out -- about getting unstuck and out of our ruts
and into the life God has planned for us
-- for,
you see, that’s really what Pentecost is all about -- that’s what the Holy
Spirit can do in your life -- if you let Him
II. Pentecost
-- let’s
touch on the story of Pentecost from Acts 2 -- everyone in here is familiar
with this story -- with this seminal event that is the true birth of the Christian
church
-- as we
read in Acts 1:3, after Jesus rose from the dead, He spent a period of forty
days with His disciples -- teaching them and showing Himself to them and giving
convincing proofs that He was alive -- this was a crash course in Christianity
for the men who would become the leaders of His new church
-- and,
at the end of these forty days, when the time was right, Jesus called His
disciples together and told them that He was leaving -- but, He said, “do not
leave Jerusalem...wait for the gift My Father promised which you have heard Me
speak about -- for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be
baptized with the Holy Spirit”
-- and
Jesus led them out to the Mount of Olives where He ascended into heaven,
physically and visibly, before their eyes
-- the
disciples left the Mount of Olives and returned to the place where they were
staying, and a few days later, on the day of the Jewish festival of Pentecost,
the Holy Spirit came to the disciples as promised -- He didn’t come upon the
disciples as He did in the Old Testament with the prophets and the kings --
temporarily resting upon them for a time and a purpose
-- no,
when the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, He came to indwell the believers -- to
fill them with His presence and His power -- to live within them -- and us --
forever more
-- this
is the story of Pentecost -- this is the story and the event that we are
celebrating and recognizing today
-- with
this backdrop in place, I want us to go back to our original concern that we
opened with -- what do we do when we find ourselves in a rut? -- trapped in the
familiar? -- in the same old-same old of life -- both physically and
spiritually? -- and what role does the Holy Spirit play in helping us break
free from this place of bondage?
III. Breaking Free from the Same Old-Same Old
-- I
want us to answer that by looking at a story from Mark 10:46-52 -- the healing
of blind Bartimaeus -- because I think we can find an example of breaking free
from the actions of Bartimaeus in this account
-- look
with me now at Mark 10, starting in verse 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 (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging.
-- so
Mark tells us that Jesus and His disciples had come to Jericho -- we don’t know
how long they were in the town, but we have to assume they were there for at
least a day -- we don’t get the impression they just came to the city and
walked through on their way to somewhere else
-- they
were there long enough for a large crowd to gather -- which kind of implies
that Jesus had been teaching and preaching and maybe even doing some miracles
and works in that place -- He had done enough that He had caught the attention
of the people, and now they are walking with Him as He is leaving their city
-- Mark
tells us that as they were leaving, they passed by blind Bartimaeus, who was
sitting there beside the road begging -- Bartimaeus was in a rut -- he was the
epitome of being in a rut -- for his life consisted of sitting there in that
same place day after day after day, begging from those who passed by
-- every
day, Bartimaeus would get up, roll out of bed, and make his way to the gate of
the city where the largest crowds would filter through -- every day, he would
find his spot -- the same old patch of familiar ground where he sat every
single day -- and he would begin to beg -- calling out to the crowd for money
to support him -- and every day, after the crowds dwindled down and as the
gates were starting to close, Bartimaeus would get up and maybe go to the
market and buy a loaf of bread and a flask of wine from the vendor and go home
and eat and go to bed -- knowing that tomorrow was going to be the same --
every single day exactly the same
-- kind
of like that movie, “Groundhog Day,” where Bill Murray’s character experiences
the same day over and over again -- that’s the way Bartimaeus was going through
life
-- maybe
that’s the way that some of you are going through life -- maybe that’s the way
your secular life looks -- just getting up, going to work, coming home, going
to bed, and doing it all again the next day
-- and
maybe that’s the way some of your spiritual lives look -- your faith has turned
into a routine where you just get up and come to church on Sunday and sit in
that same seat you’ve been sitting in for years and years and years and sing
the same old hymns over and over again and you hear that same old preacher just
droning on and on about a passage you’ve heard preached before and then you get
up and you go home and nothing changes and you come back next week and do it
all over again
--
that’s where we are at at the start of this story -- that’s where Bartimaeus is
at -- maybe that’s where some of you are at, too
-- verse
47
47 When he heard that it was Jesus of
Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
-- so
Bartimaeus is sitting in his same old familiar place, doing his same old
familiar thing, but today, there’s something different -- but today, there’s
Jesus
-- what
a great phrase! -- what a great thought! -- but, today there’s Jesus -- we can
have that thought, too -- it changes everything -- look what happened to
Bartimaeus
-- when
Bartimaeus heard the noise of the crowd, he knew something different was going
on -- he asked those around him what was happening -- why were all the people
there -- what was different? -- they told him it was Jesus of Nazareth -- so
Bartimaeus began to shout out in a loud voice, “Jesus, have mercy on me”
-- here
we see the first step in breaking out of our ruts -- in getting unstuck from
the spiritual glue that bind us -- we have to open our eyes and see the
possibilities around us -- we have to open our eyes and see what could be
-- this
week I listened to a commencement speech from David Foster Wallace, an author I
am currently reading -- and this speech just really resonated with me -- in
this graduation address, Wallace encouraged those young men and women to get
past the mundane -- to get past the self -- to not allow themselves to get
stuck into a prison of their own making, but to open their eyes and look around
them and see the possibilities -- to choose to live differently from the world
--
that’s what’s going on with Bartimaeus here -- he may have been physically
blind -- he may have been trapped in his same old-same old rut, but when he
heard Jesus was walking by, he realized what that meant -- he had heard the
stories of the healings -- of the miracles -- of the great prophet and teacher
who taught with authority and spoke the word of God to everyday people -- he
knew that Jesus had healed others -- and, if Jesus was walking by, then why not
cry out for that same healing for himself?
-- now,
think about this from your standpoint -- if you find yourself trapped in a rut
this morning -- physically or spiritually -- open your eyes -- look around --
and look within -- for Jesus may not be walking by for us as He did for
Bartimaeus that day, but He is present within us -- we carry within us the
capacity for change -- the means of a miracle -- the ability to get out of our
ruts once and for all -- all we have to do is open our eyes -- believe it is
possible -- and cry out to the Holy Spirit for help
-- verse
48
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be
quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
-- there’s
that same old story again, this time from the world -- that same old defeatist
attitude -- “stop calling on Jesus -- nothing is going to change -- just be
quiet -- accept who you are -- accept where you are -- and just get on with
your life”
-- the
second step in breaking free is to stop listening to the voices of the world
that tell you that you can’t -- that you won’t -- that you aren’t able
-- drown
them out -- don’t listen to their voices -- but cry out all the more to Jesus,
just as Bartimaeus did -- Mark says when the crowd rebuked him and told him to
be quiet, he just yelled all the more for Jesus
--
someone once said that we can’t solve the problems of today by using the same
kind of thinking that created them -- you have to think differently -- you have
to stop listening to the voices of the crowd and believe that things can be
different when Jesus comes by
-- verse
49
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up!
On your feet! He’s calling you.”
-- Jesus
stopped -- read that again -- “Jesus stopped” -- Jesus always responds to the
cry of a true believer -- He always responds to someone who calls out to Him in
need
-- when
He heard the cries of Bartimaeus -- when He saw his persistence and his
insistence, even in the face of opposition from the crowd, Jesus stopped and
said, “Call him -- bring him to Me”
-- step
3 in breaking free is persistence -- we have to keep on, keeping on -- don’t
let the world get you down -- don’t listen to their voices -- but believe that
Jesus hears your cries and that He is going to respond -- know that the Holy
Spirit who indwells you is working within you to intercede on your behalf --
and that by crying out in Jesus’ name, He will stop and move heaven and earth simply
because you ask
-- verse
50
50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to
his feet and came to Jesus.
-- now,
don’t miss what is going on in this verse -- when Jesus said, “Come,”
Bartimaeus leapt up and threw his cloak aside and ran to Jesus -- that cloak
was important -- that cloak was more than just a piece of clothing -- it was a
symbol of his position -- it was a symbol of his need -- it was what he sat on,
day after day after day, as he begged for his survival -- it was what he
wrapped himself in to protect himself from the elements -- it was his comfort
and his protection and his means of making a living
-- but
when his eyes had been opened -- when he realized that Jesus was offering a
different way -- he left the old behind -- what need did he have of a cloak
when a miracle was waiting? -- what need did he have of reserving a spot to beg
in tomorrow if his eyes would be returned today?
-- step
4 in breaking free is to cast off that which is hindering you -- to cast off
and leave behind the same old-same old that has you trapped -- and to step out
in faith into the possibilities that Jesus has for you
-- it’s
like the quote in your bulletin from Joyce Meyer -- good intentions aren’t
going to get you out of a rut -- good intentions are not going to effect a
change in your life -- the only way to get out of a rut is to jump up, cast off
that which is hindering you, and take action -- that’s what Bartimaeus did by
running to Jesus and looking for His power to change his life -- that’s what we
can do as Pentecost people, knowing that we have the Holy Spirit within us
-- the
power to break free is with you daily -- all you have to do is believe and take
action
-- verse
51
51 “What do you want me to do for you?”
Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
-- why
did Jesus ask Bartimaeus, “what do you want Me to do for you?” -- because
Bartimaeus was facing a choice -- he could have chosen the same old-same old --
he could have said, “I need money -- please give me some food -- please fill my
cup for today” -- but, that would have put him right back in the same place
tomorrow
-- but
Bartimaeus chose to break free of his rut and to ask for that which would make
a true difference in his situation -- he chose to seek the extraordinary over
the ordinary -- “Rabbi, I want to see”
-- with
that request, Bartimaeus demonstrated his faith -- he believed Jesus could heal
him -- he believed that Jesus could make a difference -- he believed that Jesus
could set him free from the bondage he was in
-- to
paraphrase the old cliche -- he asked for more than just a fish -- he asked
Jesus to teach him to fish
-- with
eyes, he would no longer have to beg -- with eyes, he would no longer be
trapped in the same old-same old -- with eyes, he could do that which was
impossible at this moment
-- when
we come to Jesus -- when we ask the Holy Spirit to do something in our lives --
make sure you are asking for something that is not just temporal or temporary
-- ask for the stars, because the Creator of the stars is waiting for you to do
so
-- verse
52
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed
you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
-- with
a word, Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus -- his eyes were restored and he received
his sight -- but still, a choice remained
-- what
was Jesus saying when He told Bartimaeus to “go?” -- what choices were laid
before him?
-- he
could have chosen to go back to his old life -- back to Jericho -- maybe not
blind, anymore -- maybe with more opportunities to do things -- to make a
living -- to change his life -- but his world would still be limited -- he
would still be there among the same old people that he knew -- walking the same
old streets that he walked every day -- doing the same old things in the same
old way again -- and, before you knew it, he would be back in another rut of
the familiar
-- but,
Bartimaeus chose differently -- he chose a different road -- he chose to follow
Jesus into the unknown and to live a life of unexpected blessings and
opportunities in gratefulness to the Savior who had saved him
-- what
will you do with your freedom? -- when Jesus reaches down -- when the Holy
Spirit works within you and changes you and opens your eyes and offers you a
new way, what will you do?
-- what
road will you follow?
--
Bartimaeus chose the road with Jesus, and it made all the difference
IV. Closing
--
reading this story on Pentecost Sunday made me stop and consider where I am in
life -- the choices that I make -- the things that I do
-- I
couldn’t help but think of Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken”
-- I had
to read this poem in school, but I never really appreciated it until I was much
older and was out in the real world where we are faced with decisions and
choices every day
-- if
you don’t mind, I’m going to read it to you right now -- it’s not a long poem,
but I believe it does bring home the point of this passage when it comes to
choosing a different way -- a different path -- of choosing to break free from
our ruts and in choosing to receive the possibilities that the Holy Spirit
opens for us
The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
-- Frost
tells us in his poem that the two roads he faced were entirely different -- one
was well-traveled -- the other was not -- one was the path taken by most of the
people -- the other one was selected by
the few
-- that’s
the choice that is before us as Christians today -- we are faced with so many
choices and so many decisions in our lives -- where do we go? -- what do we
buy? -- how do live? -- what should we do?
-- the
example of Bartimaeus urges us to take the less-traveled path -- the path that
leads out of the same old-same old and into a life worthy of the calling of God
-- this is the higher path -- the better way -- a way filled with opportunities
and excitement and adventure
-- because
of Pentecost -- because of the sending of the Holy Spirit to indwell us and to
fill us with His power and His presence -- we have the choice to break out of
our ruts -- to break free from our same old-same old existence -- and to step
out into a new life with Jesus
-- choose
today to do different -- choose today to be different -- open your eyes -- cry
out to the Holy Spirit -- receive the impossible -- and follow Him down the
road where He beckons
-- if
you’re lost -- if you’re trapped in a spiritual rut -- if you’re unsure of
where you are with God at the moment -- do what Bartimaeus did -- cry out to
the One your heart seeks -- go back to your first love -- begin again by
seeking God, because God has promised if we seek Him, we will find Him -- if we
draw near to Him, He will draw near to us -- begin by seeking Him through His
word -- by crying out to Him in your heart -- and running to Him through the
word and through your prayers -- this is the way you find yourself again in God
-- this is the way you break free of your spiritual ruts
-- let us
pray
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