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What is the last think you expected that God has called you to? 

What is something The Lord may be calling you to now, that you may not be thinking of? 

Louis Braille

  • In 1812, Louis Braille was about three years old. He was playing with his father’s tool and injured his eye. It got infected, and he lost vision in both eyes.
  • At fifteen years old, a blind kid developed Braille. He was just a teenager, and yet we’re using Braille today. I don’t know how many millions of blind people have learned to read because of Braille.

The Last Ones You’d Expect

Mark 10 | No King but Christ

For even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life for the ransom of many.- Mark 10:45 · 1599 Geneva Bible

 

And he said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Then Peter answered, and said unto him, Thou art that Christ. -Mark 8:29

Mark 10:33–37, 40, 43–45

33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the high Priests, and to the Scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles.
34 And they shall mock him, and scourge him, and spit upon him, and kill him: but the third day he shall rise again.
35 Then James and John the sons of Zebedee came unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us that we desire.

40 But to sit at my right hand, and at my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.

43 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your servant.
44 And whosoever will be chief of you, shall be the servant of all.
45 For even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life for the ransom of many.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Scene’s rich young ruler and blind bartemeus

  1. The Rich Young Ruler — The One Everybody Would Expect

17 And when he was gone out on the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do, that I may possess eternal life?
18 Jesus said to him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, even God.
19 Thou knowest the commandments, Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt hurt no man. Honour thy father and mother.
20 Then he answered, and said to him, Master, all these things I have observed from my youth.
21 And Jesus looked upon him, and loved him, and said unto him, One thing is lacking unto thee. Go and sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me, and take up the cross.
22 But he was sad at that saying, and went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.  Mark 10:17–22

  1. Blind Bartimaeus — He Followed Jesus in the Way

46 Then they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples, and a great multitude, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind man, sat by the wayside, begging.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry, and to say, Jesus the Son of David, have mercy on me.
48 And many rebuked him, because he should hold his peace: but he cried much more, O Son of David, have mercy on me.
49 Then Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called: and they called the blind, saying unto him, Be of good comfort: arise, he calleth thee.
50 So he threw away his cloak, and rose, and came to Jesus.
51 And Jesus answered, and said unto him, What wilt thou that I do unto thee? And the blind said unto him, Lord, that I may receive sight.
52 Then Jesus said unto him, Go thy way: thy faith hath saved thee. And by and by he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.  Mark 10:46–52

  1. The Last Ones You’d Expect Have No One Left to Impress
  • And many rebuked him, because he should hold his peace: but he cried much more, O Son of David, have mercy on me. Mark 10:48
    • “Then shall the eyes of the blind be lightened, and the ears of the deaf be opened.” - Isaiah 35:5
    • “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be showed on him.”  - John 9:2–3
    • “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” -2 Peter 3:9
  • 20 Then he answered, and said to him, Master, all these things I have observed from my youth. Mark 10:20
    • Jesus said to him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, even God. -Mark 10:18
  1. Christianity — God makes us righteous in Christ
  • God is unimpressed by our religious résumé. All the glory belongs to him. “My glory I give to no other.” — Isaiah 42:8 (ESV)
  • “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
  1. Religious observance — We follow a path of practice
  • Buddhism — Meditation and the Eightfold Path as a way toward awakening.
  • Sikhism — Devotion to God and selfless service, like serving a free meal to the community.
  • Islam — Prayer and fasting during Ramadan as acts of obedience to God.
  1. Self-worship — We put ourselves in God’s place
  • Gnosticism — Look within to discover the divine spark through spiritual knowledge.
  • Atheism with secular utilitarian ethics — Judge actions by their consequences. Which choice produces the most overall well-being?
  • Luciferianism — Some modern forms pursue self-mastery and self-deification, making the self its own highest authority.
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  1. The Last Ones You’d Expect Have Nothing Left to Trust but Jesus
  2. So he threw away his cloak, and rose, and came to Jesus. -Mark 10:50

                  -Covering, Protection, Home, Safety,

  1. And Jesus looked upon him, and loved him, and said unto him, One thing is lacking unto thee. Go and sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me, and take up the cross. But he was sad at that saying, and went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. -Mark 10:21-22

Mark 10:23–27

  1. And Jesus looked round about, and said unto his disciples, How hardly do they that have riches, enter into the kingdom of God! And his disciples were afraid at his words. But Jesus answered again, and said unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches, to enter into the kingdom of God! -Mark 10:23-24

Rally Point — We Just Trusted God

         -Two Families, Rented Building

The Prison Economy — What Measure of Control I Think I Have

  • A man in a cement cell, behind bars in an eight-by-ten room, can still refuse to throw off his cloak and run to Jesus. The difference is trust. It can be hard for a rich man. It’s also hard for a man in a cell. With God all things are possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. The Last Ones You’d Expect Reap THE REWARD

If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all. -Mark 9:35

 

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. -Mark 10:43–44

 

 

For even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life for the ransom of many.- Mark 10:45 · 1599 Geneva Bible

 

 

With Persecutions, and in the World to Come, Eternal Life

52 Then Jesus said unto him, Go thy way: thy faith hath saved thee. And by and by he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. -Mark 10:52

28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have forsaken all, and have followed thee. 29 Jesus answered, and said, Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath forsaken house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my sake and the Gospels, 30 But he shall receive an hundredfold, now at this present, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands with persecutions, and in the world to come, eternal life. 31 But many that are first, shall be last, and the last, first.  - Mark 10:28–31

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Honour the Lord with thy riches, and with the first fruits of all thine increase. -Proverbs 3:9
  2. He that keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from afflictions. -Proverbs 21:23
  3. My son, refuse not the chastening of the Lord, neither be grieved with his correction.
    For the Lord correcteth him, whom he loveth, even as the father doth the child in whom he delighteth. -Proverbs 3:11–12

 

The boy who lost his sight gave people a way to read with their fingertips. He died two years before France officially adopted it. Today, somebody can sit down, open the Gospel of Mark, and read the story of blind Bartimaeus with their own hands.