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As a child growing up one of my fond memories was that of watching The Lone Ranger. The “bad guys” in their black hats would be terrorizing the “good guys” in their white hats. When thigs would look the darkest in would come riding “The Lone Ranger” along with his companion Tonto. The Lone Ranger would shoot straighter, hit harder and ride fater than any other cowboy on TV. When the battle was over the Lone Ranger would be seen riding off in the sunset and someone would ask, “Who was that masked man?”
Mark 8:22-29 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" 24 He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village." 27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" 28 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
I. What Does the Future Look Like?
a. Dan 10:14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future , for the vision concerns a time yet to come."
b. Matt 26:64 Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
c. Mark 8:22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
d. Some people in town heard that Jesus was coming their direction. They had a friend (?) who was blind. They thought IF they could take him to Jesus, IF Jesus would heal him, then he would experience a different future than what he currently faced.
e. You can’t truly meet Jesus and not have your future changed.
Someone said, "My past is gone; my present is passing; my future is arriving." The best thing about the future is that it comes upon us by degrees, a day at a time. We can manage that! Whatever it holds, my future is mine: if it be fair weather, let me bask in the sun; if it be storms, let me bend with the wind. The future belongs to those who can make adjustments.
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For centuries the islands of New Zealand were unpopulated. No human had ever set foot on them. Then the first settlers arrived. They were Polynesians from other Pacific islands who had sailed a thousand miles in outrigger canoes. The Polynesians came with the purpose of settling in New Zealand. How did they know the land was there? How did they know they would not simply sail across empty seas until food and water ran out and they perished? The Polynesians had known for generations that land was there because their voyagers had seen a long white cloud on the distant horizon. They knew that when a cloud stayed in one place over a very long period of time, there was land beneath it. They called New Zealand the Land of the Long White Cloud. Faith is like that. It is voyaging to an unseen land, journeying to an unknown future. But it is not mere guesswork, or chance, or superstition. There are facts behind faith, facts that suggest conclusions.
f. OUR FUTURE LOOKS LIKE WHATEVER OUR DEPENDANCE ON GOD ALLOWS IT TO LOOK LIKE
II. Will We Follow Jesus?
a. Mark 8:23 He (Jesus) took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.
b. Matt 4:19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
c. Matt 10:38 … anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Rom 15:5-6 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
d. If you follow Jesus, what will change?
i. Lifestyle might change
ii. Friends might change
iii. Thoughts might change
iv. Heart will change
v. Future will change
The blind man had to decide would he allow this stranger to lead him to an unfamiliar place!
"Babies are our business, our only business." So runs the ad of a famous maker of baby food. No one expects a baby to eat the food adults eat. So we read in the Bible of the "milk of the word" and of "meat." Everyone expects that a baby will grow. Parents know that babies do not all grow at the same rate nor do things at the same age but they do expect every baby to grow. We must be patient with those who are "babes in Christ" but we must never stop encouraging them to follow Peter's instruction and grow in grace and knowledge.
Painted on the inside wall of a little church in Yugoslavia were two verses. Isaiah 55:6: "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near." The other was Matthew 16:24: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
Christ is reaching out to take your hand … what do you do? Do you jerk your hand back out of fear or do you trust him to lead you to a greater place?
III. Will We Put Aside Our Pride?
Mark 8:24 - 25… When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" 24 He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
Matt 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Rev 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.
a. Let’s see how this goes … a man you don’t know takes you by the hand and leads you to a place you haven’t been to before. When you get there … he spits on you and asks if you can see???
b. Can you see pride getting in the way of this God moment?
In every Christian's heart there is a cross and a throne, and the Christian is on the throne till he puts himself on the cross; if he refuses the cross, he remains on the throne. Perhaps this is at the bottom of the backsliding and worldliness among gospel believers today. We want to be saved, but we insist that Christ do all the dying. No cross for us, no dethronement, no dying. We remain king within the little kingdom of Mansoul and wear our tinsel crown with all the pride of a Caesar; but we doom ourselves to shadows and weakness and spiritual sterility.
c. Who is sitting on the throne of your life right now?
IV. Will We Persevere?
Mark 8:24-25 When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" 24 He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
Luke 18:2-8 He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' 4 "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" 6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
a. Will we persevere in our faith? Some have already given up in fighting the good fight of faith.
Several years ago a thirteen-year-old boy who attended Mohawk Central School at Paines Hollow in New York heard an appeal for contributions to Santa Claus Anonymous, a group that provides gifts for unfortunate children that otherwise would go without Christmas presents. The boy struggled to save a few pennies for this purpose. On the Friday before Christmas vacation he had fifteen cents and planned to turn in this small treasure at the school that day. But a furious blizzard blasted the area that Friday and the school buses could not run. So the boy waded a considerable distance through deep snow to give his fifteen cents to the school principal. The principal found it difficult to control his emotions as he accepted the gift, for the youngster was one of the destitute children listed to receive a Christmas present from Santa Claus Anonymous.
Myanmar … Youth Minister workshop. B’Dan a 40 year (chin) old man who worked with youth in his village. (youth up to 35) wanted to attend the workshop. The workshop was held in Rangoon the capital. B’Dan lived over 500 miles from the capital. He had never seen a white man. He walked 75 miles to catch a river boat. The boat stopped at every port along the river. It took three days to make the boat trip. Where he got off the boat was 100 miles from Rangon. He walked to Rangon. In his village, he was a miner working in the ruby mines near his village. The mine owner had given B’Dan a small bag of rubies to sell to pay for his trip. It took two weeks for him to come to the conference… attend and return home.
So tell me…. What is it that keeps us from being sold out to God?
V. Who Will Make a Difference?
Mark 8:27-29 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" 28 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
a. Remember the encounter that Jesus had with the woman at the well.
i. He knew all about her history.
ii. She was amazed ay His understanding of her.
iii. She went into town and told them come and meet this man who told me everything I ever did.
iv. Jesus knew her and still loved her.
b. Jesus knows you and still He loves you.
c. Rom 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
d. Rom 5:8 While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 Cor 15:3-8 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
