The longer you walk in the same rut, the deeper it gets and the harder it is to pull out of it.
It becomes a trench.


1. Assume responsibility for your own life.
Bartimaeus shouted out loud to Jesus- was taking initiative and responsibility to make a dramatic change.
Change your attitude about your situation, or change your situation.


2. Get the right information.
Bartimaeus knew enough about Jesus to call Him Son of David.
When you know Jesus, who He is and what He's done, you've got the right information.


3. Stop worrying about what other people will say.
Bartimaeus shouted all the more.
It is so much better to let God teach you through mistakes, than to remain in your rut, where everybody likes you, but your life is going nowhere.


4. Cast aside extra weight.
Bartimaeus cast aside his garment.
Our baggage: a. excuses for not doing what God wants
                      b. inability to forgive
                      c. obsession with material things


5. Clarify what you really need.
Bartimaeus said, “I want to see.”
The power that you gain in your life from faithful, believing prayer is actually all you really need.

1. All of the Old Testament points to Jesus.
(Genesis 14: 18-23, Psalms 110:4, Luke 24:27)


2. Jesus was both a King and a Priest.
a. Melchizedek's name alone was a foreshadowing of Christ.
b. In Jesus, the offices of king and priest converged.


3. Jesus can save anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Technically, Jesus had no geneology.
vs. 16- Jesus is a priest not on the basis of His ancestry, but on the basis of an indestructible life.
Because Jesus rose from the dead, He is a priest forever.


4. Jesus offers us His communion.
Melchizedek offered bread and wine to Abraham.


5. Jesus deserves our first and best.
Melchizedek received a tithe from Abraham.


The Levitical priesthood was always meant to be temporary.

Changes from one priesthood to the other
1. The Temple would be changed (I Corinthians 3:1)
2. The sacrifices would change. (Hebrews 7:27)
3. The offerings would change. (I Corinthians 16:2)
4. Access to God would change. (Matthew 27:50-51)
5. Prayers would change. ( in the name of Jesus)

All Christians have “burning bush” experiences, when we meet God, and that encounter demands a personal response.
When God chooses to speak to us, it happens according to His terms.
Moses' responses – typical of us
1. “Who, me?” (vs. 11)
We assume His call must be intended for someone else.


2. “Who are You?” (vs. 13)
God is the One who Is. He is the ultimate reality.
God's will is for you to serve Him and to love Him.


3. “What if I fail?” (4:1-5)
God provides you with all the resources you need.
If you obey the Lord, you will succeed.


4. “Please send someone else.” (4:11-13)
Whose power are we talking about, His or ours?
Think what God can do through you if you just let Him.  

Mindsets that cause us to miss opportunities
1. “I have to see it to believe it.”
vs. 38 “we want to see a miraculous sign from you.”
This attitude masks a willful determination not to believe.
We do not need more proof of God's power before making a decision to trust Him.


2. “I've got to clean up my life first.”
Our mistake is thinking our discipline earns us God's favor.
Wrong order                                       Right order
1. clean up your life                            1. Give your life to God
2. Give your life to God                       2. Let Him clean up your life
3. So He can use it                              3. Then He'll use it


vs. 45 “the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”


3. “I'll just watch from a distance.”
vs. 50 “For whoever does the will of My Father n heaven is My brother and sister and  mother.”
There is no “inside track” in His Kingdom.
Don't miss out on what God has for you!

1. Take your words seriously.
The unpardonable sin is a sin committed with words.
vs. 32 “Anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
The attitude of hardening your heart will be revealed in your words.


2. Change the attitude of your heart.

vs. 34 “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.”

The sin is not so much the words you speak, but rather what is in your heart that caused you to speak them.

It's an operation you can't perform on yourself.


3. Engage your mind before your mouth.

Avoid those things that allow you to vent your anger and frustrations, and then regret it later.

vs. 36 “Men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.”

Worry about the state of your heart first, and the words you say will simply be what pours out from your heart.