Now or Never (Part A)

Bruce Reedy will not break the smoking flax. He will not quench you will bring forth justice and truth. That's what he thoughts doesn't mean he's on our timetable does do these things truth of God are a must learn. We do not get a pass when it comes to spiritual truth.

God never encourages us to be lazy when it comes to our faith but to plow work hard and long.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in Mark chapter 10 as he begins a new message called now or never. Mark's gospel chapter 10 will take verses 46 through 52 when they came to Jericho as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, blind Bart Emmaus, the son of Timaeus set by the road, begging when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say Jesus son of David, have mercy on me, then many warned him to be quiet when he cried out all the more, son of David, have mercy on me. So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.

Then they called the blind man saying to him, be of good cheer rise. He is calling you throwing aside his garment. He rose and came to Jesus.

So Jesus answered and said to him what you want me to do for you blind man said to him, Ramon.

I that I may receive my sight. Jesus said to him, go your way, your faith has made you well and immediately he received his sight follow Jesus on the road now or never. Is the title for this morning's consideration.

And of course keeping in theme with the blind man there is much to see in this life. Some of it's very wonderful. Some of it is horrific and much in between, and oh what we do with what we see matters very much to God. Some folks of so witnessed some terrible things in life and they cannot explain God the how can a loving God this and how can a good God that others say press forward in faith. Nonetheless, fact not only have they seen horrific things many of them have been persecuted and abused and still cling to the Lord and that is of course the outcome of faith of true faith God gave the ancient Jews the word to the prophets and in that word is his will for his people. How man should live before him who he was, what God had to say about himself and mankind. But it was viewed as odd by some of the people called to be God's people prophet Hosea who is the brokenhearted prophet is not the only one, but his heart certainly reflected how God felt at the treatment that God received from the people whom he loved so much. And if you read through the prophecy of Hosea. Only 14 chapters you can get through it in a day. If you read through it you find it, the prophet keeps mentioning how they would go elsewhere and not to God, and you being here a lamentation in the voice of the prophet and in the voice of God in the eighth chapter God says this through Hosea I have written for him the great things of my law, but they were considered a strange thing they didn't see it as anything but God and and God said I said I see this behavior. I see that you're not seeing who I am and what I am saying to you and this of course is the story throughout the ages. Those people they wanted something else instead of God. Whatever. So they turned a blind eye to the word of God as though there were no consequences. But there are consequences in this life and in the life to come. And in this morning's consideration, which is about this blind man who did get to see Jesus and then followed him.

Because what we see matters matters to God. Some have seen him in Christianity but Christianity did not live up to their expectations, and they become apostates they fall away from the faith. I mean, you know there's more and more it's going to be on the increase were many reasons, but it does happen. That's when an apostate is someone who was once holding to and no longer is Judas Iscariot became an apostate betrayer because Christ did not live up to his expectations and he became what we would say disillusion Christ did not do for the apostate with the apostate hope to do. They abandon the faith.

We are very much aware that these things do take place with.

We who believe also know that the Bible tells us truths about God and ourselves that we must hear and respond to. We must act on is not enough to be heroes of the word. We understand this basic concept of our faith.

So through the Holy Spirit. Our eyes can be open but what do we do with the site that we are given at the end of this story we we just stood and read that Bart Emmaus once he saw. He followed Jesus on the road that's not put in the Bible by mistake. It's deliberate everything in the Scripture is deliberate and that's why we cling to it. That's why God said man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God. This is repeated by the Lord in the face of Satan and we love it so now we look at the 46 verse and hopefully everything I just said will tie-in as we go through this last section of chapter 10.

Now they came to Jericho as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, blind Bart Emmaus to some of Timaeus set by the road, begging Bowie can't just pass by Jericho. We have to comment on it. It is the first Concord city of the Jews in the promised land. At just 5 miles from the Jordan River about 15 from Jerusalem is where Rahab the harlot was.

She she understood what God was doing and converted and that took away the excuses of everybody else in the city who perished by the sword of Joshua and his army. They are to Jericho's. Incidentally, there's the ancient ruins of just Jericho that was conquered by Joshua and the not very far away is the inhabited city of Jericho which plays into the gospel stories, but not going to take too much time to comment on that in the city of Jericho. The Lord was offered hospitality by Zacchaeus the tax collector, and of course he knows there was a great conversion of Zacchaeus and that profound word that comes out of the loop. Chapter 19 verse 10 that the that of the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost was talking about you and me, also lost souls who become saved by the work of the Lord also this city of Jericho was put into parable the Lord in the good Samaritan Samaritan was coming from Jerusalem down to Jericho. And of course he was caught and beat up and then ministered to.

Not the Samaritan but the Samaritan was the one that ministered to the man coming from Jerusalem to Jericho, Bart Emmaus, son of Timaeus, Timaeus. That's his father, bar, meaning son, and the means honorable name Timaeus means honorable and to put it together is the son of the esteem of an honorable person.

Only a handful of the people of the multitudes account was multitudes that Christ delivered and cleansed and healed only a few of them are name one of them, Mary Magdalene, who the Lord cast out seven demons, Lazarus of Bethany was raised from the dead. Simon the leper it's not explicitly said that Simon was healed of his leprosy are cleansed of his leprosy, but the implication is clear that it was not sitting at his table and he still leper and reading into that a little bit. I would add his name to the list is Malka's hooves eat who the one who had a close shave of Peter went to hack off his head and Mr. got his ear release but is it open and missed and then there is the father of Bart Emmaus. Mark is the one that names him the son of Timaeus, Luke and Matthew also telling the story they omit the name and he didn't have his own name. That's part of the story to us is a blind beggar that is nameless. I mean, that's no name, the son of someone else, the son of Timaeus. Did he have one. Did anybody even care. Evidently the two of them were noted early church or otherwise. Mark would really not much point putting their their names in the story, but the early church, at least in the circles that Mark wasn't likely knew these two men and they were likely believers, but this is all we know of them.

Matthew tells us there were two backers, Mark and Luke single out Bart Emmaus because he is the spokesman and likely the one that continued to follow the Lord it says here in verse 46 that he set by the road, begging all of this is important. Every single word man shall not live by bread alone everywhere the proceeds for the amount of mouth of God, not a jot or tittle is unimportant to us because it gives the Holy Spirit opportunity to speak to us to encourage us if necessary to correct us the did the word of God to so many things for the believer and as much as we have to see him face in this life we can use all of the ammunition we can lay our hands on in here this man set by the road, begging not only is he blind but he's poor terrible combination and the irony of this is areas blinded begging and his name means the son of the esteemed one is not much esteemed about him right now on the road like this is nothing to envy in this man is nothing to me about him that we know at this point that we could point to and say boy this is something that you you you want to have in your life. They put him on the sideline is no longer in the game is just on the side, begging, trying to get by. You pitied him some despised him most probably ignored him.

He was a defect on the landscape, not something that you want to look at, not something that would excite hope and admiration. There are other things that were more useful than this man Jesus knew all about it.

Of course the sufferings that we see in this life you know you can see animals sufferings what is to know why would God allow such things. We begin to question the goodness of God. The kindness of God and were not careful that thinking turn into a fire out of control as it has for many, abandoning God of protesting against him with this man Bart Emmaus. He doesn't fall for that lie from hell he doesn't say why blind I will and getting ahead of myself. I'll come back to that. But Paul writes this just sort of a note from God that I know about the curse of sin. I've not lost sight of Romans eight for we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. You don't read the word groans and ignore it. It stands out as we can identify with groaning in life and the prophet of the apostle Paul. He just throws this in their and the reader comes along and reads it in the Holy Spirit takes his divine finger and points to these things we grow stronger, wiser, more useful because there anyone here that wants to be a born-again Christian and useless to God.

I don't think so. We all want to be useful to God that introduces a series of other issues and questions and problems because we want to be useful. That's not enough. It's a good intention. It's a good start, but there needs to be more verse 47 we continue 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, look at this very critical point that sets the tone for everything that's going on between this man in Christ.

Luke says hearing a multitude passing by. He asked what it meant because he couldn't see what was going on. He says, so they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. They only said, Jesus of Nazareth. Bart Emmaus connects the dots he then calls him the son of David, that is quite profound. This theology was in place.

He knew enough of his Scripture to get in front of Christ to get the Lord to have compassion on him, Bart Emmaus, son of Timaeus new and believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of David, just all they said, Jesus of Nazareth. They needed to say no more. Then came the outburst, he began to cry out and say Jesus son of David, have mercy on me. The prophets long ago said that the Messiah would be a descendent of David to the throne will take one. There are many Jeremiah 23 behold, the days are coming, says Yahweh that I will raise to you, David. A branch of righteousness at Kings Arena prosper and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth in his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely. This is the name by which he will be called Yahweh our righteousness course that incorporates contains within that prophecy. The first coming of Christ and the second coming of Christ which we are going to be a part of their will be. Actually, there's 1/3 coming of Christ for his church.

We call that the rapture of the saints, and then there is the coming of Christ with his church that is the second advent, the return of Christ, where he cleans up the house then ends the rule of man in the kingdom now comes and enters into the millennial reign. Anyway, back to our story here. Had they not told Bart Emmaus. This news had they ignored him or left out that important name Jesus Bart Emmaus might never have known that he was near story would not of gone in this direction. He never would've been able to call out for deliverance. While a Christian reads this and thinks about that and then says how many people my life do I need to tell about Jesus when the opportunity is given to me by God.

Other times, again God will would tell us know that's not for you.

As he did with Paul and Barnabas closing doors for them. I don't want the gospel preached there yet, not by you not right now I've got something else for you that is a prerogative of the Holy Spirit's prerogative of God to lead and guide us.

That's why he is Lord. Jesus was not coming this way again. It was now or never.

He's heading towards Jerusalem, and there he will be murdered and crucified in public, Bart Emmaus seems to be saying I don't care what's going on. I'm calling out to him. It is now or never. So at this point this blind man had to make two choices within his own heart was Jesus the Messiah.

Indeed, rabbis didn't think so. Bart Emmaus, the son of Timaeus evidently did not care what the rabbis said if it did not match what he believed. A lot of people will go. Whatever the windows I've noticed driving for example, here we go. A lot of folks didn't want to do their speed limit. They wanted to your speed limit is why you catch up to them and then they will let you go. Why can't they keep doing that the 20 miles an hour in the 50s zone that they were doing before I got there. Okay, slow personal answer like I could see it happening and you're not with me because you must be the people I'm catching up to get your own speed limit right back to this since I'm the only one that struggles on the road so no past, we heard about your struggles on the Rotella some other things you struggle with no don't be nosy anyway. The other point that he had to settle in his own heart is the Messiah good. If he is sovereign and all that the prophets say he is. Is he good does he care about me. I been blind and poor I don't even have a name. Why can I approach him. He did not allow all those things to get in his way.

He is determined to get in front of Jesus Christ. The lessons that fly off the page that they would rob those who have excuses for coming to Christ of any seriousness visits are you kidding me again of Rahab.

Rahab can understand. These are the people of God than what was wrong with everybody else in the city Rahab. Rahab had enough heart fortitude to say I don't care what they think I know what I think Jack on that there are those that cast themselves in serving Christ as I mentioned earlier, only to discover faith and devotion. Do not deliver to them what they had hoped the hope that Christianity would be this miracle drug in life that would just somehow do the things that they listed before God when they find they still have to struggle. They still have to fight at the do with fear at the deer deal with depression that the deal with opposition that the deal with all these other things still instead of clinging to Christ the slide away because they factor out the important things of God's word that face up to these things, God does not shy away from human suffering.

Just because he doesn't stop.

It doesn't mean he turns a deaf ear or a blind eye to it. We all know this verse we who believe bison who said this class though he slay me, I will trust him like that you say Job you know it, though he slay me, I will trust him. The apostate does not do that apostate may do it early in the walk then fall away.

Later in the walk, and Satan is counting on it.

So he placed people you do not listen to me today. I'll be back tomorrow. I'll be back next month I'll leave you for a while, but I'll be back.

We know this. That's is MO's method of operation Job chapter 19 for I know that my Redeemer lives and he shall stand at last on the earth.

This is deep into Job's experience. This is not the first day of the struggle is been deep into this now.

Now it's got these four friends in their the entourage with them show up.

They don't help them they heard him, he stands firm. I know my Redeemer lives, and you can't take that away from me. I know the one this going to rescue me is alive and I don't fault him for allowing this air drove struggle. There were those down days that he did down moments that he had to know God is chasing me set me up like an enemy comes at me like a warrior than he did it back together again. He did not even know he did not know that he was God's champion that it was Job and his testimony. A righteous man who turn from evil versus Satan some question again the goodness of God. Therefore, they going oftentimes to question his existence by staring too long and too hard at the curses in this world and to get their eyes off of God. But Emmaus did have is to get off of God.

You could say he had a heart for him. He did not fall for that from hell that he knew that lie is likely a thought of the time and time again did every reason to be bitter at Christ at religion at people who talk about faith God's mercy. Men have good reason to question God, no reason to deny you can ask all the questions you want. Sometimes you'll get answers my experiences most of the time you won't outside of what's been answered in Scripture.

There are exceptions, but I cannot unknow him were also my going to go as Peter said to Jesus does nowhere else you read you've encapsulated everything that I need to know about God and I'm not going anywhere.

Verse 48 then many warned him to be quiet and he cried out all the more, son of David, have mercy on me, people interfering with this man calling on Jesus.

They overcame their interference he dialed it up after that I'm going to take from his eyes to be with you.

Make him a beggar may be to give them some of the benefit. Maybe they thought he was going to ask Jesus for money as a beggar would do that is possible. Anyway, this determined spirit to lay hold of God's blessings is found throughout Scripture. One of the most poignant or outstanding cases of Jake is Jacob wrestling with the angel of the Lord to obtain the blessing he just wouldn't let go. Wouldn't stop. Granted Jacob's case, the match lasted through the night for us to be a long night night can be a lifetime, we will lay hold of the blessings God will not silence a voice that truly calls out for him.

He's not going to silent, that voice. Isaiah said it this way. A bruised reed he will not break the smoking flax. He will not quench. He will bring forth justice and truth is what he does, doesn't mean he's on our timetable, but he does do these things truth of God are a must learn. We do not get a pass when it comes to spiritual truth.

God never encourages us to be lazy when it comes to our faith, but to plow to work hard and long. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com what you there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio you could search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast app that's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time.

As Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of Mark Rocky on cross reference radio