When Jesus Crossed My Path | Pastor Brandon Beals | Venture Church

Happy Easter. Welcome to Venture Church. Thanks for joining us.

This is now our third Easter gathering. I'm gonna warn

you I lost my voice halfway through the first gathering,

so it's not you, it's me, So we'll just go

for it today. The cool thing about Easter is churches

around our region are gonna have their largest attendance of

the year this weekend. And because pastors know that people

will come to church on Easter, they're gonna pull out

all the stops. I mean, you're gonna go to some services.

Angels are gonna be swinging from the rafters. There's a

church where the pastor is coming in on a zip line.

I could be rolling out in a Harley if you

ever got me one hint. But this is the Sunday

where you have your best singers, your best musicians. Now

we have incredible musicians and singers adventures, so you know

whoever we have is the best. So just know that

people are gonna be dressing to impress thank you next week.

I'm gonna wear a Vegas Knights jersey while I preach,

so you've been warned. But most of all, the preacher

is going to tell you the story of the resurrection

of Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus is the single greatest

event in all of human history. There is no other

event that is more important for me and you than

the fact that Jesus rose from the grave. In fact,

we know Easter is one of two services that even

non religious people will come to church. You can invite

people to Christmas Eve even if they have no church

interest whatsoever. They'll probably come check it out, but they

will definitely come if you invite them to an Easter service.

In fact, people that are quote unquote Christians but don't

do the church thing, they'll at least come to church

on Easter. So I was thinking about this as I

was preparing the message today. I thought, just about every

person here, even if you have very minimal church experience,

know the story of the Resurrection, because for some of you,

it's the only sermon that you ever hear every year.

I'm going to prove it right now. I'm going to

pick a person at random, and I will allow you

to fake your way through the resurrection store. All right,

let's go. I'm just kidding. I'm not gonna do it. It's

so funny watching the expressions on people's faces. They are like,

I'm never coming back to church again. You better not

pick me.

Ah.

They say that people's two greatest fears. Number two is death,

Number one is public speaking. So you would rather be

dead than doing what I'm doing today. I decided that

I wanted to change things up this Easter. I know

that many of you are here and you're a seeker.

You're exploring faith, you're curious about faith. Maybe you're here

because your mom made you come. But I decided this Easter,

instead of telling you the story of the Resurrection, which

again is the most important event in human history, that

this year, I wanted you to learn something new. I

want to share with you why I became a follower

of Jesus. The thing I love about this church, venture church,

is I love the diversity at this church. Our church

has incredible ethnic diversity. But not only do we have

ethnic diversity, but we have ideological diversity. We have all

of these people from all of these different walks in

life backgrounds that come together to this place. I mean,

we have people you aren't probably sitting next to someone

that this is the only church they've ever gone to,

and you're also probably having on the other side, someone

sitting next to you that is a second, third, fourth

generation kid. I mean, we are all over the spectrum.

We come from all of these different religious traditions and backgrounds. Now,

I got saved at a wild, crazy, hyper Pentecostal charismatic church.

My wife got saved at a very small Lutheran church,

and we're everywhere in between. We have multi generations here.

I mean, I'm a proud gen xer. Most of my

staff they're millennials, My children are gen z my parents

are baby boomers. We have people that every election are

staunch right winged conservative Republicans, and we also have people

that every election are hardcore, rabid left wing liberal Democrats.

And all of these people come together to this place

to worship. We have people that are died in the

wools Seahawks fans, but you're attending a church where the

pastors all Greater Nation. But my favorite thing about this

church is that all of these people with all these

different backgrounds and thoughts come together at this place because

we share one common experience that unites us and makes

us family, and that is that at just the right moment,

Jesus crossed our path, and Jesus changed everything. You might

be new to church, but I want to tell you

that in the church we have some common language. There

are common things that church people talk about that people

outside of the church don't talk about. Let me give

you an example. If you're at the gym and you're

talking to the guy who's spotting you, you don't all

of a sudden ask him this one, Hey, out of curiosity,

what's your favorite Bible verse? But that's a normal question

in the church. Here's another normal one in the church.

Which Bible character do you relate to the most? For me,

I didn't grow up in church. I wasn't raised in faith,

and so when I answer that question, I usually get

a look of show from people, because when they say, pb,

who's your Bible character you relate to the most? Say?

I relate to a guy by the name of Bartimaeus.

We don't know much about Bartimaeus. He's only briefly mentioned

in scripture. He's mentioned in Mark ten, Luke eighteen, Matthew twenty.

We know a couple things about Bartimaeus. The first thing

we know is that he was incredibly poor, and he

was a beggar. It was common practice in the first

century for beggars to line up along a roadway that

was frequently traveled and a hope for the benevolence and

kindness of strangers. Now, in the first century, it was

a part of their religious tradition. It was an act

of worship that you beat generous and you help the poor.

It was referred to as almsgiving. So they would set

up along a main roadway hoping that someone would show

them kindness. Now, we're used to seeing beggers. We're used

to seeing panhandlers. We live in Seattle. This is part

of our scenery. Like every freeway exit there's people panhandling.

I leave a grocery store, there's people panhandling. We are

very used to seeing those that are less fortunate than

us asking for help. But Bartimaeus wasn't just poor. Bartimaeus

was blind. Interestingly, the Bible doesn't tell us how he

lost his sight. The Bible just tells us that Bartimaeus

is poor and Bartimaeus is blind. He could have lost

his sight due to an accident. He could have lost

his sight due to a disease that happened later on

in life. He could have lost his sight from birth.

In fact, there are some in his time that believed

Bartimaeus was blind as a punishment. Might not have been

a mistake that he had made, but he was being

punished for something that his parents had done. Regardless, Bartimaeus

was a blind beggar, and I relate to him now.

I'm not blind. I would say at times, I was

figuratively blind. I would challenge some of you. You are

here today and you might not know it, but you

are figuratively blind. But I definitely was a beggar. I

wasn't begging for handouts. I was begging for answers. And

even though I wasn't raised with a faith background, I

had questions. And the older I got, the more ominous

these questions became. By the time I was in high school,

I was a chronic insomniac. I would lay in bed

at night staring at my ceiling, overwhelmed by how big

the world was and how small I was. Have you noticed, then,

when you're an infant, your entire world is your house.

By the time you're a toddler, your world expands to

your yard. By the time you're in elementary school, it's

the whole area, the neighborhood. The world just keeps getting

bigger the older you get. By the time you're in

high school, the world seems big and ominous. And I

was overwhelmed by how big the world seemed, but by

how small and insignificant my personal life seemed. I was

overwhelmed by the nagging questions that no one seemed to

be able to answer. What is the meaning of all

of this? Why am I here? What's the purpose in

all of this? And frankly, does anyone even care? Now?

I don't want to be overly dramatic. I was not suicidal.

I was not depressed. I was a pretty happy kid.

But I couldn't deny the fact that life seemed pointless, meaningless.

As a high school student. The best I could conclude

that what you were supposed to do with life is

try to get into the best college you could get,

the highest paying job you could find, Marry the most

beautiful woman you could find, buy a house, trade that

house in, get a bigger house, do it several more times.

You'd do the same thing with cars. Eventually you'd become

a yuppie. Remember the phrase yuppie. I grew up in

the eighties and nineties. Everybody wanted to be a yuppie,

a young urban professional. What did it mean? It meant

you were an educated professional who worked at death job.

You lived in a nice, safe suburb, in a nice

house with a white picket fence, you drove a BMW,

and you had two point five children. That's what it meant.

But by the time I was a sophomore in high school,

there would be times like the questions were so overwhelming.

I remember thinking, would it even matter if I wasn't here?

If I wasn't here, would anyone even notice? Would anyone

even care? Life seemed pointless? It seemed meaningless. Honestly, life

felt monotonous. The future looked monotonous. Get up, go to work,

come home, sleep and repeat, and live for the weekend.

The older I got, the louder those questions got, the

more monotonous it all seemed. Why am I here? What

is the purpose of all of this? Does anyone really care?

Did you know? That was Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus got up every morning,

but because of his affliction, he couldn't even help himself.

He had to be helped to the spot where you

would spend the entire day begging, hoping for the kindness

of strangers. Then those same people would help him back

to his house. He'd fall asleep, get up, repeat, day

after day, the same thing, monotonous, until one day Jesus

crossed his path. Mark chapter ten describes it this way.

It says when they came to Jericho, as Jesus and

his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city,

a blind man Bartimaeus, was sitting by the roadside begging.

When he heard that it was Jesus. He began to shout.

So Bartimaeus starts hearing this crowd coming, and he thinks,

what is all the commotion? Where are these people coming from?

And he asked anyone that would listen what is going on?

And people started saying that Jesus was coming. Jesus, the

guy we've heard about. He's about to walk by you. Bartimaeus,

he'd heard about Jesus. He had friends that were into Jesus.

He had friends that were into the whole church thing.

They were into religion. But that wasn't for Bartimaeus. He

just really had no interest. But Bartimaeus could not deny

that he was here and Jesus was coming, So he

begins to think why not. By the time I was

a sophomore in high school. I was going to church

on occasion. I went to our youth church. I went

because the girls were cute. There's one particular service we

had a guest speaker. I remember everything about this service.

I remember where I was sitting, I remember who was speaking.

But most of all, I remember what was going through

my mind. Being new to this church thing. I didn't

know why I was feeling butterflies. I didn't know why

I was getting all anxious. I didn't know why the

hair on the back of my neck was standing up.

And I started having this conversation with myself in my head,

and I begin to think there's definitely something different here,

and I have to do something about it. That was

Bartimaeus that day, as Jesus crossed his path, Bartimaez is thinking,

I've tried everything else. No one has been able to help.

All of these questions that I have, no one has

been able to answer. I'm here, Jesus is coming. Why

don't I try this? So the Bible says, Bartimaez begins

to cry out. He begins to shout, Jesus have mercy

on me, Jesus save me. And as Bartimaez got louder.

Everybody else got more indignant. Here's what happens. Verse forty

eight of Mark ten, it says many rebuked him and

told him to be quiet. In the Book of Luke eighteen,

it says verse thirty, those who led the way rebuked

him and told him to be quiet. Here is the

harsh reality of life. You're here. I don't know what

what happened to get you here today, but the harsh

reality of life is that there are people in your

life that are trying to keep you from Jesus. They

might not even know that's what they're doing. They're just

discouraging you from going to church. They're just talking negatively

about Christians. But they are trying to keep you from Jesus.

Whether you or I like it or not, that is

a harsh reality of life in twenty twenty six. But

the Bible is clear. The prophet Jeremiah said it this way.

He said, you will seek him, and you will find

him when you seek him with all of your heart. Man,

I remember the day that that guy was preaching, and

I have this weird idea pop into my head. And

I didn't know that the Holy Spirit would speak to you.

I didn't know about things like having conversations with God

in your head. You've done that. But I remember sitting

there thinking, I think I'm supposed to be doing what

that guy is doing now when I'm having this argument

in my head. There's a million reasons that that is

not logical. Number one, I had not read even a

chapter in the Bible yet alone the entire Bible. How

was I going to someday be teaching the Bible? And

I remember I just thought this, I'm here, Why not

tried everything else? And I said, Jesus, if you're real,

have this guy stop and tell me. So people are

trying to silence Bartimaeus, but he just shouts louder, Jesus,

have mercy on me, Jesus, save me. Finally he gets

Jesus' attention, and Jesus walks over to him and he says,

what do you want me to do for you? Well,

if you've been blind most of your life, and you've

been dirt poor, begging most of your life, might as

well tell the truth. So Bartimaeus says, I want to

see man. I've tried everything else, nothing has worked, But

I've heard about you. Maybe you are the answer. It

can't be a coincidence that I'm here and you're crossing

my path today. Luke describes this so amazingly. Luke eighteen,

verse forty two. Jesus said to him, receive your site.

Your faith has healed you. Then immediately Bartimaeus received his site.

It is like this blackness, this darkness just cleared up.

He was like these scales over his eyes fell off.

He could see. Then the Bible tells us that he

immediately begins following Jesus. You think he starts praising Jesus

when other people see blind Bartimaeus with his sight following

Jesus worshiping Jesus. The Bible says that other people begin

to praise Jesus. One encounter with Jesus, and for Bartimaeus,

life started making sense. Life had a purpose. Someone cares

so that particular service. I had this weird conversation. I'm like, Lord,

if I'm supposed to be doing what he's doing, make

him stop and tell me. Now, I've been a preacher

for thirty five years. I've preached thousands, that is not

an exaggeration, thousands of sermons, and there has not been

one time that I have been pacing the platform preaching

where I have all of a sudden stopped, pointed it

someone and talked specifically to them, except for when I

was a youth pastor and I was having to correct

a student. But that was different, so I didn't even

have the context to know what I was talking in

my head doesn't normally happen. All I know is I thought,

if I'm supposed to be doing what he's doing, make

him stop and tell me. He immediately, mid sentence stops,

describes what I'm wearing, points at me, and says, God

has ordained you to preach the gospel. I remember thinking

this church thing is cool. But that was the moment

that Jesus crossed my path. That was the moment life

made sense, life had purpose, life had meaning. Someone cared,

We're gonna close with a special song for you, Sean,

he said in.

The oss.

Hit the edge of theor, he heard the crowd.

Passing high, but he couldn't go, so he started crying again,

like a child at the door. When they tried to

cry him.

He shouted and more. I want to see freeing from

this darkness screeping over me. I won't see, Son of David,

have mercy on me.

Mm hmm.

Oh.

Now his heart was trimly. Could this really be true?

A voice in the darkness said, what do you want

me to.

Who I won't see?

Free me from this darkness sweeping over me. I want

to see, Son of David, havember see on me. Eyes

opened in the moment of grace, Lie feeling the sky.

Wa touch and he sees the face of Lie.

Now I'm like that blind.

Man who lived long ago, Hince. I want to see

geezus and I just don't care who knows who I

want to see? You free me from this darkness sweeping

over me.

Who I want to serious.

Son of David, have mercy on me? Who I want

to see? Free me from.

This darkness sweeping over me. I want to say, Son

of David, have mercy on me.

As I was praying for today, this is honestly what

I asked for. It wasn't that the place would be full.

It wasn't that we'd figure out all the parking issues.

I was hopeful about that, But no, my honest my

prayer was this. I said, Lord, can there be one

person each service that has an encounter with you that

this Easter twenty twenty six changes their life, just like

you did for me. You are not here today by accident.

This is your moment. This is the time when Jesus

crosses your path. You're here. You've tried everything else. Why

don't you see if Jesus is your answer? I want

to ask everyone to buy your heads and close your eyes.

I have a simple question today. If you're here, you

do not know Jesus, but you want to. I'm going

to count to three, and when I say three, if

that is you, I want you to raise your hand.

I also know that there are some of you here.

You've gone to church, You've prayed prayers. You're that Christian

that only comes occasionally Easter and Christmas. But if you

were honest about this question, are you in a right

relationship with Jesus? You wouldn't know how to answer that. Well,

today is your day where you can say this Easter.

I want to leave knowing I am right with So

if that is you, when I say three, I want

you to raise your hand. Two. So no one looking

around here, I go one, two, raise your hand, now

three hands up. Our staff is going to run over

to you. Play something in your hand. All this does

is that shares with you what we do next? What

is your next step. I'm going to invite everyone that's

here to pray a prayer with me, but specifically for

those of you that raise your hand. If you pray

this prayer and you mean this prayer, you leave knowing

this Easter you are right with Jesus. So with every

eye closed, every head bowed, I want you to repeat

this prayer after me. Everyone say, Dear Jesus, I come

before you today, and I admit I'm messed up. But

today I ask you to forgive me. I invite you

to come into my life and to change me. I

choose from this day forward to serve you with my life.

Thank you for forgiving me and for saving me in

Jesus' name. Amen.

Whether this is your first time here or you've been

here many times, you might be wondering what comes next.

And we actually have a page on our app called

What's Next. It has a Bible plan you can join

for this week, and also has some resources for you

to read and study and learn, and some discussion questions

that you can wrestle with or do as a f family.

Even we hope that you will also come back and

join us again next week for our regular Sunday services.

So to give you a little more info about that,

watch this.

Hey.

We hope you've enjoyed your Easter experience here at Venture.

We would like to invite you back next week for

two special things. First, we want to invite you back

as we begin our Stressed series. Through this series, we

will cover what God has to say about stress, worry,

and anxiety. We're so excited for Pastor Brandon to kick

off this series. We're believing that it will speak to

people with it being such a relevant topic today. The

second thing I wanted to share is that we have

a big announcement next Sunday. We've been working on this

for over a year and we're so excited about it.

The only way for you to hear is if you're

in person here next Sunday. You'll be able to hear

about it and see it. Thank you so much for

joining us today. We hope to see you next week

at church on Sunday morning.

That made it so extra super sleuth secretive.

But actually what.

We're unveiling to you is the new design for our

Kids ministry, which is under wraps right now. But come

back next week, especially if you have kids, and you

can see where we're going with that. We're really excited

about it. If you will stand to your feet, we

want to say thanks again for being here with us

on Easter. If you're new, a few of our staff

will be hanging out in the Discover Room. We'd love

to meet you.

Happy Easter.