A Passing Opportunity - Part 2

Welcome to the In Touch Podcast with Charles Stanley for Thursday, November fourth. Get help sharpening your sensitivity to the Lord so you can recognize and embrace His passing opportunities. Think of all the wonderful ways that God expresses His love to you and the wonderful opportunities that He gives us to serve Him back. And yet, many people go through life never relating that as a gift from God, but it is a gift from God. So, I want us to look at a passage of Scripture. It's a brief passage, and you wouldn't think about this in term of opportunity, but when you realize what really happens in this particular passage, then you realize the same thing could happen to you and me.

There are times in your life and mine when opportunities will pass us by. That's why we need to be sensitive as children of God. So turn, if you will, to Mark chapter ten, and I want us to look at these verses about this particular person because it's a simple but a wonderful example of what we're talking about when it comes to opportunities.

So, let's talk about the setting for a moment. It's Jericho, in and out of Jericho, the gates there and so forth. And so, here's this man who's sitting there, beginning in verse forty-six of this tenth chapter. Then they came to Jericho, and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus and Azarene, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.

Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stopped and said, Call him here. So they called the blind man, saying to him, Take courage, stand up, he's calling for you. Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, What do you want me to do for you? And the blind man said to him, Rabboni, I want to regain my sight. And Jesus said to him, Go, your faith has made you well.

Immediately he regained his sight and began following him on the road. Now, Bartimaeus, he probably had almost nothing, but he had a garment. And the Scripture says that when Jesus called him, he threw aside that garment and jumped up.

He didn't just say, Well, let me think about this. He jumped up because somehow he knew this was his one opportunity to get his sight. Hoping and praying that somehow this man who'd healed others would heal him. He wasn't about to waste a moment. He jumped up, threw aside his garment, and you say, Well, what's so significant about that?

I'll tell you what I love about it. He wasn't coming back. He knew and believed that he was going to be healed and he would never need that old dirty, filthy garment another time.

He laid it aside. So he'd bring him to Jesus. And listen to what Jesus said to him, very important. He said, What do you want me to do for you?

Do you realize that Jesus has probably said that to you many times? You've knelt to pray and you didn't even know how to pray. You were in despair. You were discouraged. You were a despondent. You had all kind of needs. You were emotionally upset.

You were full of fear and anxiety and worry and fretting and all the rest. And you get on your knees to talk to Him and you say, Oh Jesus, I'm this and oh Jesus, I'm that and all this. And I wonder how many times He said to you, What is it you want me to do for you? And I don't believe Jesus said that to Bartimaeus sternly, but very lovingly the Son of God said to him, What is it you want me to do? He wanted Bartimaeus to tell him.

Jesus knew what He needed, but isn't it interesting He didn't say, What do you need? He said, What do you want me to do for you? And He said, Rabboni, that is Lord, Master, I want to receive My sight.

I want to regain My sight. So, how did He address him? That word Rabboni means My Master or My Lord, acknowledging the fact that he'd heard enough about Jesus and what He was doing. He must be the Messiah, because who could raise the dead? Who could heal the blind?

Who could make the leper clean? Only the Son of God. And so, when He addressed him, He called him, My Master, My Lord, I want to regain My sight. And the Scripture says that Jesus right there gave him His sight. And the Scripture says His response was, I'm sticking with you, forget where I've lived.

And he began to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, you say, Well, what's so significant about that? Well, there's several things.

First of all, that nobody is insignificant in the eyes of God, no one. Your friends may have turned you away. You may have never felt you had any significance at all.

You may have grown up feeling sort of second rate. And oftentimes I hear people say, Well, why would God want to speak to me? I'll tell you why. Because He loves you. Because He wants a personal, intimate relationship with you. Because He wants to change your eternal destiny.

He wants to give you life at its very best. That's why He's willing to speak to you. That's why He's willing to forgive you.

That's why He's not willing to turn you away. When you come to Him asking for forgiveness of your sins, you'll get it. When you come to Him repenting of your sins, you'll be saved. When you come to Him asking for eternal life, you're going to receive it. He's there willing to receive, to listen, to hear.

He knows our heart. When Bartimaeus came to Him, he came to Him with fear and trembling. Can you imagine this moment? I'll try to imagine this. Imagine being totally blind and standing in the presence of the Son of God.

Can you imagine the heartbeat of blind, begging Bartimaeus? Standing at the moment of opportunity in his life? And he's standing, think about standing in the presence of God.

It would be like standing in the presence of no one else. Think about the fact you're standing in the presence of omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, of mercy and love and goodness and grace and kindness, and you're standing in the presence of all of that. He couldn't see, but he had to feel something that was indescribable, and then Jesus opened His eyes.

I don't think we can even conceive of that. Jesus said, What is it you want Me to do for you? Lord, that I may regain My sight.

And He gave Him His sight. If you should say to the Lord Jesus today, Lord, that I might be saved. He'll save you. Lord, that I might be healed.

You know what? God chooses to heal some. He doesn't always choose to heal everybody. And people will tell you if you have enough faith, you'll get healed no matter what.

That is a total violation of the teaching of the Word of God. Because sometimes it is through pain and suffering and sickness that we learn things about God we wouldn't learn any other way. Sometimes there's difficulty, hardship and pain and suffering and journeys in our life that we wouldn't choose. Wouldn't be our choice, and yet God uses them. And so, on this occasion, He chose to save him.

He chose to heal him. He took advantage of an opportunity. Listen, it was a passing opportunity. And that's what this whole passage is about. It's about a passing opportunity. There are people who take advantage of their opportunity, who are handicapped in some ways physically, and yet isn't it amazing how they outdo all the rest of us?

And there are people who come from nowhere with almost no education and they invent things that amaze people who are supposed to be so intelligent. Listen, you can't estimate what God can do in somebody else's life. So, don't try to estimate what He can do in your life. Surrender your life to Him and watch Him work.

You may say, well, I'm glad I got rid of that. Now, what's the will of God in my life? Sometimes the best thing that can happen to us is for God to remove all the stuff that we place such high value on so we can get down to the real thing. It's a wonderful day of opportunity for a child of God every day. You have an opportunity to tell somebody else how to change their eternal destiny. You have the opportunity of guiding your children to be godly children and to do the will of God for their life. Opportunity after opportunity. It is a matter of do you believe it, number one.

And number two, will you take advantage of it? You see, you can give God no legitimate reason for not taking advantage of the opportunities He's given you. Now, let me tell you what's so significant about this whole passage.

Because I title this message, A Passing Opportunity. Do you know where Jesus was going? He was going through Jericho, taking that walk to Jerusalem for the Passover and to the cross to die for our sins.

It was the last time He ever walked that way. It was Bartimaeus' last opportunity and only opportunity to be saved and to be healed. Let me say this. There is one opportunity you cannot afford to miss. And that's the opportunity to be saved through your faith in the death of Jesus at Calvary. That is the opportunity to surrender your life to Christ. You say, well, I'm going to do it one of these days.

You think so? I'll just give you this warning. You'll have the opportunity to be saved one last time. You say, well, when's that going to be?

I don't have any idea. What I want you to see is this, opportunities are passing. Opportunities are passing. And there are people who would probably have to say today, I missed that opportunity.

He took advantage of it. Look at Him and look at me. People say, I'm going to get saved when I get ready. Jesus said, no, you won't. You'll get saved when the Spirit calls you and draws you. That's why it's so very important when you listen to the gospel and the invitation to confess your sins to Christ and receive Him as your Savior. Why it's so very, very important you take advantage of that opportunity. You don't know that you'll have another one.

Maybe a young person and God's calling you to some area of service for Him and you're considering it. Take advantage of it. Obey Him.

Because listen, there are some opportunities that once you turn them down and time goes by, the opportunity is gone. I'm pleading with you in Jesus's name. This is the way you trust Jesus as your Savior. First of all, you acknowledge the fact that the Word of God is true, that He's the Son of God. And you acknowledge the fact that when He lived, He lived to go to the cross.

Lay down this life, shed His blood for our sins. You believe that His death on the cross paid you a sin debt in full. You're willing to ask Him to forgive you of your sins. And you're willing to ask Him to save you by His grace. You're not coming because you deserve it.

You don't understand a lot of things about it. You just know He died for you. He paid your sin debt in full. And you want forgiveness and cleansing and a new life. And you're surrendering your life to Christ. The most important decision you will ever make. And the one decision you do not want to let go by. You have the occasion at this very moment to change your whole eternal destiny.

But you must choose it. Remember what Jesus said to Bartimaeus? Bartimaeus, what do you want me to do for you?

And I would ask you this question. What do you want God to do for you right now? It's an occasion, an opportunity for you to be saved and to go to heaven when you die.

Or maybe you are saved and God is speaking to your heart. What do you want Him to do for you? Do you want Him to show you His will for your life?

Well, let me ask you this. Are you willing to do whatever He called you to do? Has He called you again and again and again to some area of service and you've excused it, rationalized it? Suppose you don't hear that call anymore. Suppose God becomes silent. Do you think you have escaped the call of God?

No. The opportunity passed you by. I don't know of anything any more serious than to answer God's call, whatever it is, when He called you. But Bartimaeus, one moment in time, changed his life for good. And for you, one moment in time right now can change your eternal destiny for all times.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, I plead with you to ask Christ to forgive you of your sins. Surrender your life to Him and then watch Him work. If you are a believer and you're a rebel, running from God, having it your way, stop and ask God to forgive you and to cleanse you and surrender your life to Him and tell Him. You're willing to obey Him, the next opportunity He brings to you to answer God is yes, it'll change your life. But it's a decision you must make. One thing for certain, listen carefully, you cannot avoid the present opportunity of this moment.

You may ignore the challenge, but you cannot avoid the fact you have an opportunity to thank Him for what He's done in your life and is doing or the opportunity to make things right. You've been planning on being saved. It's an opportunity. It's an opportunity for you to surrender your life to Christ.

You're saved, but it's all about you. It's an opportunity to get honest with the Lord. Let Him begin to use you for His glory. You are sitting right now in the presence of an opportunity.

What will you do about it? Maybe God has challenged you to tell somebody else about Him and you've ignored it and forgotten it and walked away from it. Maybe it's an opportunity for you to go back and ask for forgiveness for something the way you've treated somebody else. Maybe it's an opportunity for you to catch up with God on your finances, on your tiling. Maybe it's an opportunity for you to go and straighten out something between you and someone else.

That there's a rift between you. Maybe it's an opportunity for you to commit yourself to get serious about living the Christian life and getting in the Word of God, praying every day, letting Him work in your life. This is a moment of opportunity. And I pray that you'll respond to it according to the way He tells you to, not what I suggest. I pray that you'll do it. And Father, how grateful we are for Your love, Your patience, Your goodness, Your kindness toward us. I pray the Holy Spirit will speak deeply, strongly to every single person who's listening to recognize that You are a God of grace and goodness and love and mercy.

But You offer opportunities that have a limited span. Thank You for Your kindness toward us. Thank You for this simple passage of Scripture. And thank You for reminding us that we're people of opportunity. And You give them in order to use us to Your honor and Your glory.

And we pray this in Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening to part two of A Passing Opportunity. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or In Touch Ministries, stop by, intouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia. We'll see you next time on It's Supernatural!