Don't Carry Your Canoe

April 12, 2015

Don’t Carry Your Canoe      NOTES NOT EDITED

Mark 10:46-52

SIS— God has an exciting adventure awaiting those of us who are willing to put the canoe of our faith into the white-water of life.

(Film Clip: A River Runs Through It)  A film clip from popular movie, “A River Runs Through It,” clearly demonstrates two different ways people live their lives.  Most opt for the safety of running along the bank of a raging, unsettled, uncertain river.  A few opt for putting off from sure to challenge whatever might lie ahead.  For those whose hearts yearn for adventure, the risk of what might happen is enough payoff – regardless of what the eventual outcome might be.

I do not think one can read the Bible without sensing that those who are on mission with God are part of an extreme adventure full of – well, full of life!  Jesus said so, Himself.  He said (John 10:10)

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

When we are born God sets us on an adventure.  Compare it, if you will, to an exciting rafting trip through the most beautiful and inspiring wilderness that you can imagine.  God wants us to experience the excitement and adrenalin–pumping action of paddling our way through the white-waters of a mighty river.  Every twist or turn that challenges us moves us one canoe length closer to realizing what it means to live “an abundant life.”  The problem is: most people are CARRYING YOUR CANOE.  You are not willing to take any risk or meet any challenge.  You enjoy (or at least tolerate) the safety of the bank when God wants you to enjoy the thrill of the river.  People who CARRY THEIR CANOES never experience the “abundant life” that comes from living in the white-waters of faith.  CARRYING YOUR CANOE will make you a slave to your circumstances.

There is a man in Scripture who grew tired of carrying his canoe of circumstances and decided to plunge into the exciting white-water of faith.  That man’s story is found in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 10:46-52.  Let’s read it together.

{46}Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. {47} When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" {48} Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" {49} Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." {50} Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. {51} "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." {52} "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Now, here we encounter a man that is not doing well in life.  He is surviving, but only barely.  He is in fact, a beggar.  A man with a disability that not only prevents him from working, but it makes him an outcast in society.  He is obviously challenged physically.  He is certainly challenged financially since he cannot work.  He is challenged “socially” because most people associated a disease like blindness with “grotesque, hidden sin.”  No friends; no family; no finances; no future . . . until he met Jesus!

An encounter with Jesus changes his life.  The man goes from barely surviving, to actually thriving.  He goes from sitting and begging to jumping and following Jesus.  How did he do that?  His renewal followed a three-step process.

1.  To experience life as an adventure you need to CAPITALIZE on the opportunities God provides For you (v 47).

Or, as we said down on the farm:
“Make hay while the sun shines.”

 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout,

"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

 There is a Latin phrase that describes what I mean when I say to “capitalize” on life’s opportunities.  The phrase is “Carpe diem.” It means, “cease the day.”  It describes a heart that is hungry to squeeze every last drop of life out of one’s existence.  It describes an “entrepreneurial spirit.” An “entrepreneur” is one who manages and organizes any enterprise – including one’s life – most of the times at great risk.  Success and blessing are not going to drop in your lap.  A sense of urgency (and risk) attends the blessing evident in this verse.  Casual Christianity is CARNAL Christianity.  You need to live with a sense of urgency.  You need to be ready to ‘strike when the iron is hot” as the old cliche goes.  The reason so many people manage to go through life in a survival mode instead of a thriving mode is that they fail to capitalize on the opportunities that God provides.  Many people want to see their ship come in, but they don’t take the initiative to go stand on the dock!

Do you know what are some of the most valuable things on earth?  All over the world people covet this item.  Yes, gold would fit into this category.  Precious gems would fit into this category.  But, I’m thinking of a pair of Levi Denim Jeans!  There are companies that actually buy used jeans to sell overseas at a great profit.  A pair of American made Levi jeans are considered a status symbol around the world.  That’s interesting considering how Levi Strauss came to manufacture these durable work pants.

Strauss set out for California during the Gold Rush to make his fortune by selling the miners heavy canvass fabric for tents and wagon covers.  When he arrived a local miner met him and they struck up a conversation.  Levi Strauss told the miner of his plans.  The miner replied, “You should have brought pants.”  This seasoned miner explained that there weren’t any pants strong enough to hold up under the harsh mining conditions.  Now, Levi Strauss could have seen this as an insurmountable obstacle, but instead saw it as an opportunity.  Levi Strauss capitalized on this opportunity and immediately made the miner a pair of pants.  As the saying goes, “the rest is history.”¹

Bartimaeus also saw an opportunity and he capitalized on it. Just above this text is a story of another man who also had an opportunity of a lifetime–an eternal lifetime–but did not capitalize on it.  In verse 21 of this chapter a Rich Young Ruler met Jesus.  Jesus said, “Go sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.”  Sadly, the story ends with the statement that the Rich Young Ruler refused Jesus’ offer and went away sad–sad forever.

Today, what will your decision be?  Every service we have men, women, and children who make a choices.  Some will follow the example of Bartimaeus and capitalize on the opportunity to meet and surrender to Jesus.  Others will meet Jesus this morning and walk away sad–eternally sad–because they will not capitalize on the opportunity a relationship with Jesus presents.

2.  To experience life as an adventure, you must MINIMIZE the Negative Influences  in Crowd Around You (v 48).

                       

Our text tells us that the crowd tried to silence the shouting of this blind beggar.  But, Bartimaeus would not keep silent. There is an urgency evident in these words recorded here:

(Mark 10:48)  Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet,

But, Bartimaeus would not keep quiet.  The Word says,

{48} he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Barimaeus “began to shout and kept on shouting until he caught Jesus’ attention.”  The NIV is a correct but weak translation of this sentence.  The word indicates “he screamed from the very depths of his inner being.”  It is a word the Greeks used to describe a guttural wail, as with those gods imprisoned in the nether world.  In the New Testament this word describes the kind of guttural scream that demons made when they encountered Jesus .  It is what we call in English, a “blood curtailing scream.”  It was not the soft-serve piety we see in many church services.  It was an urgent cry of desperation.  It was a cry intended to be heard above the negative clamor of those in the crowd.

Let me say, any great undertaking will have its critics.  I can hear people say to blind Bartimaeus as a child.  “You will never amount to anything you hopeless cripple.”  Perhaps many were not even this kind.  Indeed, it certainly looked as if the critics would be right.  Barimaeus had been a beggar many years.  But, we must always remember one thing:  The only opinion that matters is God’s opinion!

This happened to David .  You will recall that one time when David was a young man, the Israelites were being oppressed by the Philistines.  The Philistines had sent a giant named Goliath to taunt and make fun of Israel.  The Philistines challenged Israel to find someone to fight Goliath.  If they could defeat Goliath, the Philistines would be conquered–if not, then Israel was finished.  Not one Israelite came to the front to volunteer–except for a little shepherd boy with a fair complexion.  He was small, and was not counted among Israel’s fighting men.  He just happened to be in the area delivering food and water to his big, strong brothers who were soldiers in the Israelite army.

When David saw that nobody was willing to defend the honor of their God, David volunteered.  1Sam 17:28 says that David’s oldest brother Eliab accused David of ulterior motives for wanting to fight and dismissed his willingness as ridiculous.  In verse 33, Saul also had something negative to say to David.  Saul said, “You are not able to go out against the Philistine and fight him, you are only a boy!” David did not give in to the negative voices in the crowd.  He persisted.  He insisted.  Now the world knows the story of the shepherd boy who killed the Giant with a tiny stone delivered from a shepherd’s sling.

Don’t give in to the negative voices around you.  If you try to do something great for God you will always have those in the crowd who say it can’t be done.

One of the Father’s of the modern age was Robert Fulton.  His invention of the steam engine help spur on the Industrial Age.  When the crowd first saw Fulton’s invention there were many critics.  The crowd bellowed, “It’ll never start.  It’ll never start.”  Fulton cranked and cranked and cranked at the engine until he proved the crowd wrong and his steamboat was under power.  Fulton started moving down the river.  The crowd was momentarily quiet but then hollered, “It’ll never stop.  It’ll never stop.” 

Never listen to the crowd.  Minimize the negative voices around  you.  God’s opinion is the only one that matters. God says,

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Phil 4:13)

3.  To experience life as an adventure you must EXERCISE THE FAITH AVAILABLE TO YOU.  (V 52)

⁵²"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

In this verse, the KJV follows a more literal interpretation: “Go,” said Jesus, . . . and immediately he received his sigtht.”  I believe that little word “AND” is very important here.  The “word” and is a part of speech in both Greek and English called a “conjunction.”  It is a word that connects two ideas.  There is a connection between God’s covenant promises and our response.

Some people believe that a person who God has elected to be saved will be saved regardless of whether that person responds to that faith or not.  This doctrine is called, ‘Universalism.’  Some refer to this doctrine as “irresistible grace,” and push it to an extreme limit, meaning that a person cannot resist the grace and mercy of God.

God’s grace is powerful, but it’s affect is not universal.  For a person to capitalize on the opportunities God presents, as we mentioned above, one must exercise the measure of faith that God has given them.  For example, the Apostle James said (Jam. 2:18),

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

The confusion comes when we translate the Greek word for “faith” into the English word for “faith.”  In Greek the word for “faith” is almost always a “verb”-- a word of action.  In English “faith” is a noun, something we have or do not have.  In the New Testament the emphasis is on “doing” not “having” faith.

One evangelist reminds us that “Faith is a verb . . . faith accepts the Word of God, faith affirms confidence in the Word of God, and faith acts upon the Word of God.”  V. Havner

Look at how Bartimaeus exercised his faith . . . First, in verse 50 he “jumped to his feet, throw his cloak aside and went to Jesus.” Second, he “quickly and directly spoke to Jesus about his need.”  Bartimaeus said, “I want to see!”  Third, Bartimaeus did as Jesus commanded.  Verse 52 says that he “Went and followed Jesus.”  After this process the Word of God says, “immediately he received his sight.”

Many do not exercise the faith God gives to them and therefore never receive the blessing God intends for them.  They do not capitalize on the opportunities God provides for them because they do not exercise the faith God gives them.

I’ve said it many, many times:  “Knowing about Jesus is not enough.  We must have a personal relationship with Jesus.” 

Again, let me remind you of the Rich Young Ruler.  Like Barimaeus, this young man recognized the opportunities available by following Jesus.  Like Bartimaeus, the Rich Young Ruler talked with Jesus about his life.  But, unlike Bartimaeus the Rich Young Ruler did not EXERCISE ANY FAITH IN JESUS AND THEREFORE WENT AWAY SAD AND UNFULFILLED.

This is the case with many people every week–is it not?  How many people come to church, offer prayers to Jesus, and go away from the worship service as empty as they came.  In fact, one recent survey revealed that 6 out of every ten Christians that go to church receive little or nothing from worship services.  So, we see the problem: if 60 per cent of church members fail to capitalize on opportunities to know and serve Jesus by exercising our faith, then there is not much chance our faith will make a difference in the world.

Here’s something I’ve learned over the years:  “If you will simply exercise your faith in humble obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ the results will always exceed your expectations.” 

For example, I read about a man who decided to take a walk in the country.  He was telling the story to one of his friends.  The man said, “Somehow, I managed to get into a large open pasture that was the home of a very big and a very cranky bull.  The bull caught me in his eye and started to charge.  I instinctively started to run.   The only escape I could see was a tree in the middle of the pasture.  The problem was–the lowest limp was ten feet off the ground.  When I got to the tree I jumped as if my life depended on it and I missed the limb.”  The man’s friend replied curiously, “Well, what happened?  You look O.K. now?”  The man replied, “I caught the limb on the way back down!”

When we exercise our faith, the results will always

exceed our expectations.  We need a sense of adventure that will drive us to accept the risks associated with great faith.

Can you imagine the impact the testimony of Bartimaeus had as he followed Jesus.  From birth to adulthood, he had been blind.  Once he was a beggar, now he was a blessing!  I’m sure in the years that followed, the results of that encounter with Jesus exceeded everything that Bartimaeus could have imagined.  The simple exercise of faith changed not only Baritmaeus, but it changed the world.

Our faith, however small, always has an affect on others. In his book, Exploring the Gospels, Jerry Vines tells about a medical missionary who performed surgery on a blind man and restored his sight.  For some time after the operation, the man disappeared.  After a time, there was a knock at the missionary doctor’s door.  The doctor opened the door to find his former patient holding a rope.  On that rope were ten more blind people!²  That’s the kind of life God intends for you:

a full, abundant life that is blessed by God and a blessing to others!

Now, what about you?  As we witnessed in the film clip at the beginning, we all fall into one of two groups.  One group sees life as an “adventure” and excitedly and expectantly puts their canoe into the white-water of life.  The second group runs along the river bank in relative safety—void of any truly exhilarating experiences in life.  Riverbank living is “so-so and ho-hum.”

God intends for you to live a full and abundant life.  He does not want you to just run along the banks.  He wants you to set your canoe of faith into the white-water of life and experience true adventure.  God does not want you to beg on the street corner of worldliness for a crust of happiness!  That wasn’t good enough for Bartmaeus and it is not good enough for you and I. 

The process is simple: CAPITALIZE on the opportunities God provides for you.  They may be masked in danger and challenge.  MINIMIZE the negative voices in the crowd around you; and EXERCISE the measure of faith God gives you.  Then, your life will overflow with abundance and adventure. 

Don’t leave here today carrying your canoe.  Launch out into the river of life and expect God to meet you with a great adventure.  Faith—real faith—is the greatest adventure a human can experience.

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