if you can briefly Meet Me In The Gospel, According to mark,
And we're continuing through this book together.
And the portion that we will be discussing is in verse 21, 2
verse 23. Mark 4 21 to 23.
For a brief moment. I want you to place yourself in
the shoes of one of the disciples at this point, in the
ministry of Jesus. At very large meeting you here,
the master teaching and you pick up that the Lord is heavily
applying Parables to communicate to his audience.
And after wondering about this switch in his teaching style,
you inquire about it. And the Lord is gracious.
He's generous he is more than willing to disclose the purpose
behind this strategy. G.
And you learn that, a significant reason for why Jesus
is now teaching by using Parables was to conceal.
The truth from those who have been abstinent and constantly
rejecting who he was and what he has to say, while also provoking
the genuine heart to inquire further about his message.
And so from there, the Lord can obviously tell that you and the
other disciples are also asking because you didn't really
understand one of The Parables that he taught and that was the
parable of the sower. So he continues to give you the
meaning of that specific teaching.
And from there you discover that that particular riddle further
reveals how a majority of people who hear the truth.
Not just in Jesus day but even today a majority of people will
not truly accept the word for what it is.
And there will be a minority who will embrace the gospel on God's
terms now after hearing the reason for the parables and then
the purpose of one particular Parable and the meaning of it,
the parable of the sower, how would that make you feel about
sharing the gospel with others? Think about it.
Perhaps you would wonder if the Lord Jesus didn't really want
everybody to come to the truth and that he reserved his light
for those who are worthy of it in his estimation.
And if you don't think that then perhaps that kind of insight
with dampen your motivation to go out and put effort into
planting the seed and people's hearts, because there is a great
probability that you will be disappointed in the results.
And we have to be honest, perhaps this could be a
discouragement. For Christians to be serious
about preaching the truth. Because you already been told
that you should anticipate different kind of responses.
And some of them are unfruitful and that can really crush crush
you because we're human and we get discouraged.
So easily. Now it is not told whether or
not these disciples were thinking such thoughts, but
before, anything could be said, Jesus clarifies any potential,
misconception about the purpose behind his Parables and even the
meaning of one of those Parables that reveals what gospel
ministry will look like, And it's in these verses that we
have us before us today and verse 21 after explaining the
parable of the sower, he says, to them is a lamp brought in to
be put under a basket or under a bed and not on a stand for.
Nothing is hidden except to be made manifest.
Nor is anything secret except to come to light verse 23, if
anyone has ears to hear Let him hear.
Jesus asks a rhetorical question.
Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket.
Is it brought in to be put under a bed and not on a stand?
And the obvious answer is, of course, not to hide a lamp with
the to defeat the purpose of its design.
The very intention the very goal of a lamp and its purpose is to
illuminate its surroundings and to expel the darkness for the
sake of visual aid, it has no other purpose.
And when Jesus uses this analogy, what he is intending to
say. Is in like manner, the objective
of my truth living inside of you.
Dear Christian is no different. It's no different in essence.
What the Lord is saying, is he does not want his people to be
reluctant to be vocal to be intentional with their witness.
Just because there will be a flood of people who will be
hard-hearted, who will be superficial, and who will be
materialistic? Even in Jesus day, we are
familiar enough with his ministry to understand that his
audience included, stiff-necked Pharisees.
And with that crowds of people who are only interested in
Miracles and free meals. And yet we still see the servant
of God, the perfect servant of God and Mark plowing through the
vineyard and seeking the lost sheep of Israel.
And our hostel age today, gives us plenty of reasons to be
reserved with dispelling, the truth.
I mean, we can look out into this world just for a second and
you and I know this already and we perceive the rapidly
increasing resistance to God's righteousness and if we're not
careful that can tempt us to believe that there might not
really be a point. Hold on for dear life, that
clouds are going to split open soon.
But like a shining lamp you and I are not fashion to
discriminate against any kind of level of Darkness.
We're not we shine we continue to shine by God's empowerment in
his help. We continue to go as far and
wide as possible with the prayerful expectation, that some
will actually embrace the light. And so when Jesus says this, he
understands that the disciples just heard of the great
possibilities of hypocrisy or as time goes on that people will
prove to not really be born again and yet he still says but
it's not your job to determine that or to determine your
faithfulness and Zeal in the gospel because of that.
You keep going. You keep shining And if you
think about it further the analogy given by Christ here
has, another purpose has another purpose.
When you understand the context, what did Jesus?
Just finish explaining the parable of the sower, but he
ended on a specific note. Look at verse 20 of the same
chapter, but those that were sewn on the good soil, are the
ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit. 30
fold and 60 fold and 100 fold. For four weeks.
Every week, we touched on the different soils.
And the one soil, the fertile ground that that was distinct
was distinct because it was the soil, the type A Heart, That
embrace the truth and submitted to it.
And as a result beared fruit, true fruit lasting fruit,
Perpetual fruit And when we understand what fruitfulness
looks like, many things can come to mind, but when you genuinely
receive Saving Grace, something is going to happen.
And as time goes on, there will be a Conformity.
Yes, a patient Conformity, but you're going to look more like
Jesus. This is what he's saying.
But listen, when you think about bearing fruit, what comes to
mind when you think about being transformed in the New Birth,
what comes to mind? Well, some would say, the fruit
of the spirit, right? We know, then, Galatians
5:22-23, 3 it includes love joy. Peace patience.
Kindness goodness, faithfulness. Gentleness self-control.
Wonderful. That's true.
There's going to something's going to happen to your
attitude, to your thought, process to your relationship
with your wife, your husband, your children, your coworkers.
Absolutely. But Jesus didn't limit it to
that because in the mind of Christ, what is included with
fruitfulness when the person really receives the truth?
What is included in the result of that is that you will not
only hear the truth, but you also Proclaim it.
You're also going to share it. That's the reason the Lord
transitions from the teaching of bearing fruit.
To illuminating, the light of the message of the Gospel, they
are inseparable, they're Inseparable.
If your soul is saved, guess what?
You're going to be a soul winner.
It's not a negotiable to the Lord.
You one cannot hear Embrace and apply the saving message of
Jesus and then continue to be able to conceal it and not share
that news with others. And here's what it means.
When the seed of the truth meets a believing heart, it will not
only change your passion to know, God, it will not only push
you towards personal Holiness. It will now only Propel you to
now be in fellowship with Christians.
It will now birth, something, something else.
And that is a Conviction to know and to bring people to the
knowledge of the Christ who saved you.
So I hope that's clear. The transition of thought is not
a completely different teaching. Jesus is not expanding upon what
it means to bear fruit. What your life is going to look
like it includes shining your light and it's not speaking
about your conduct, the idea that preach the gospel, and when
you need to use words, you can't preach the gospel.
Without words, you need to open your mouth, you need to share
it. You need to testify and the Lord
is saying these things are connected.
If R truly are good soil then something's going to come out.
Well what's going to come out light?
Well yeah I'm going to be more loving and more patient.
And no no not just that like truth is going to an outcome and
radiate from you that will potentially win others to the
same Christ that you love. For any professing Christian to
admit that he has absolutely no thought or interest of sharing
their faith is an extremely concerning diagnosis.
And that's why the Lord in verse 23 of our text says, if anyone
has ears to hear, Let Him hear in essence, you saying pay
attention to the implication that I am making pay attention
to the conclusion of what I just taught, regardless of your
attendance, regardless of your appreciation for sermons Jesus,
makes it clear that the good soil is someone who will bear
fruit and bearing fruit includes a conviction to testify of the
truth. I use the word conviction
because if I use the word desire, it can be a misleading,
determiner of sincerity. Feelings.
Are not always good. Some days that your Ally and the
next day, they betray you, But I say conviction to share the
truth because conviction is something deeper conviction is
about Duty conviction, as about an ambition, a core ambition for
your existence. That drives you into a certain
direction, whether you feel like it or not.
And that is what the Lord is speaking about.
And I want to prove that to you, according to arguably, the
greatest missionary who has ever lived.
The Apostle Paul turn to Romans 1 quickly in verse 14 and 15,
and maybe this will motivate and encourage you.
To understand what the Lord is looking from us.
Romans 1, 14 to 15. The Apostle Paul says, I am
under obligation, both to Greeks and to The Barbarians, both to
the wise and to the foolish. So, I am eager to preach the
gospel to you also who are in Rome.
And in verse 16, he is not ashamed of the Gospel.
There's three things he's saying there about his his ministry,
his preaching Ministry, the first one is I am under
obligation. The second one is, I am eager.
The third one is I'm not ashamed.
Now, here's what's interesting. He begins by saying I am under
obligation. Obligation came first and then
eagerness followed Now the perfect place to be in our
journey on the earth as ambassadors for Christ is to
have obligation and eagerness hold hands along the way but
that's often not the case. What is often true is that you
and I have an obligation and that drives us and then some
days the eagerness will be there while other days.
It's not We don't go with the eagerness first.
It's the obligation. I goes first and then everything
follows, but you and I have known that that coupling
passion. Have we not especially after
we've been saved this. This, the surging energy that
just is bubbling in us the moment.
We have tasted freedom in Jesus and it required little effort
for you to go out and to open your mouth and to mention the
name of Christ. You remember what that was like,
right, you had a haircut appointment, and you were less
concerned. Bout your hair and more
concerned about the hopeful opportunity that in that chair,
you're going to share your testimony.
In those moments where you were a student and you got saved and
college and your daily prayers included, oh God.
Before the semester ends, give me the opportunity to say
something to those. In this particular group project
of mine. There was the strength there is
this flame and it seems Supernatural and it is
Supernatural. If you remember the altar of
sacrifice in the Tabernacle, the fire on, that altar was supposed
to be burning day and night. It was never to be extinguished.
But what's remarkable about that altar?
Is that the fire that initiated that burning Came From Heaven?
That's in Leviticus. It came from heaven and it
burned up the alternate authenticated, the priesthood
Ministry in the Tabernacle, being approved by God and it was
the responsibility of the priest to make it and continue for it
to burn. And that's the truth for you.
And I Christ puts that passion in us, the new birth opens our
eyes. There's something in us now
that's that's giving us this sense of Duty and there's an
eagerness with it. And yet what happened?
So often is that over time because of the Failure to
nurture that flame. It becomes Embers and yet, there
are people. After decades still have that
passion still loves Souls. Still are on a shame.
Still are excited about walking into a new environment and
knowing their main mission is I'm going to share the truth,
how? Because they fed the flame They
fed that flame. And my goal in the service
today. How providential in this
Christmas season? Is for you to hear some, just
some glorious, motivations to be a shining lamp.
That's my intention in this message today.
I'm only going to give you some. I'm not going to give you all.
I can talk to you about. Hell, I can talk to you about
the coming judgment. I can tell you about how we will
all stand before the Judgment seat of Christ.
I can tell you about the rewards that God, is reserved for us and
have it and those are all legitimate reasons.
But I'm just going to give you some Something that will stir
you prayerfully something that will recalibrate your efforts to
being intentional mindful that I am something for the glory of
God. I am a lamp and I'm not meant to
be hidden. And so on this brief Sunday
afternoon, may I point your attention to just three
different thoughts and my prayer behind this is that there would
be an excitement that would be unlocked as you here every
point. And the first one that I want to
mention to you you so that you would not hide or you would not
be forgetful or you not be kidnapped by slothfulness or
fear or embarrassment. Is the first idea and it is this
you have a treasure to Great to keep to yourself.
You have a treasure to Great to keep to yourself and I'm going
to point you to an illustration from the Old Testament, and
second Kings chapter 7. Six and seven something happens
Samaria which is a part of Israel was surrounded by the
syrians. And and because of this
encampment, they were besieged and this this surrounding was a
strategy and Military times to create a man-made famine.
The people that were surrounded would not be able to go in and
out to, to buy, or to sell or to receive Commerce.
They would be stuck. And hopefully, in due time, once
they start starving and thirsting and people are dying,
they would come out and surrender.
Under to their enemy and the the economic collapse at that point
during the ministry of Elijah was drastic.
It was horrible. You had women eating their own
children. And without getting into, too
many details, Elijah the prophet predicts and prophesize.
One day that overnight everything is going to turn and
Israel's favor. The prices are going to change.
People are going to survive by a sheer Miracle overnight.
Everything is going to drastically change for the glory
of God. And then while you're reading
that, you re chapter 6, you read chapter 7, the scene shifts, It
takes us two for lepers. For lepers who are at the gate
and they're having a conversation among themselves.
And the conversation is something like this.
What are we doing here? If we go into the city we're
going to die. If we stay here, we're going to
die. So we have nothing to lose.
Why don't we just go to the Syrian Camp present ourselves if
they Embrace us? Okay, we will live.
Will have some rations to feed on if they kill us.
Well what's what's the point anyway?
Because we're going to die if we just stay.
And so these lepers agree with one another, and they make their
way towards the Syrian Camp, crossing their fingers, perhaps
only to behold an unforgettable sight and second Kings. 7, 8, we
read. And when these lepers came to
the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank.
And They carried off. Silver and gold and clothing and
went and hid them. Then they came back and entered,
another tent and carried off, things from it and went and hid
in them, what happened? Not a soldier in sight.
God had done something where he made it perceive that the
Israelites hired other nations to come against the syrians and
so all the soldiers by hearing things now, flee and leave
everything behind unguarded unsecured.
And it was at that time while these men were just taking a
50/50 chance show up to that site and everything is
abandoned. So they look at each other say,
this can't be but it is and so they now begin to eat and drink.
They haven't in drinking a meal for who knows how long They
begin to clothe themselves with with with garments of royalty
even perhaps and they hide other things to make an investment for
later on and so as they are just indulging and basking in this
miracle that God provided something Dawns on them.
This conviction falls upon them in this very happy moment and
the Holy Spirit, shows us exactly what it was.
That was troubling, their souls and verse 9.
And then they said to one another we are not doing right.
This day is a day of good news if we are silent and wait until
the morning light punishment will overtake us now.
Therefore come. Let us go and tell the Kings.
Household. So, you see here, they are
consuming indulging, and this was God's provision.
But then in this process, they stopped in their tracks and the
conviction. Settles in this isn't, this
isn't all right here because there still are people who are
back there and they don't know about this. so let's at least
tell them, And they make their way back and they tell the rest
of the city. And here's the point that I want
to make I believe one of the reasons that we are slow to
share about what God has provided for us in Christ.
Is because we have forgotten what it's like to be lost.
We have lived with hope for so long.
We forgot what it's like to live without hope.
We enjoy fellowship with our creator.
Our Savior on a daily basis. We can't remember what it was
like to go day by day without him.
We have tasted the goodness of the Lord in so many ways.
That's we don't recall what it was like to be a Slave.
To the false promises of iniquity and perversion.
And that's why I think in part, we are extra passionate right
around the first few months after we come to know Christ.
Because we're just steps away from the hellish life that we
were saved from. And so the smoke almost is still
on our garments and the the memories are still fresh and the
saving power of Jesus is in the Forefront of our minds.
And then we walk in that freedom, long enough.
And on top of that, this becomes our world.
And we're surrounded with other Christians who have also
experienced that joy and that salvation and over time, you
know what happens, we become more and more disconnected with
those who are still bound. and so, in part, what happens is not
intentionally, but because we're not constantly mindful, we're
not just like these lepers who remembered where others were the
same destitution that they were in our compassion grows cold,
And listen, you remember right? What was a priority in your life
and mind? We want to share that wherever
I'm going man, worship when you're going to that family
gathering. You're praying that there's
going to be an opportunity that one of your cousins are going to
hear your test all of that now changes to this, be honest, be
honest, you get on the plane and I'm really I really don't want.
I hope this person doesn't ask what I do or where I'm from, or
what I am not interested, isn't that happen?
I know you want to amend it. Now, it's almost a burden.
And what Paul says in, Romans 1, 14 where you just heard I am
under obligation, the Greek word, there is very powerful.
He says I am a debtor. I am a debtor, you know what
that means? I owe it to them.
I owe it to the Greek, I owe it to the Barbarian.
What I have been exposed to what I am in right now, compels me to
reveal to others, at least to know what is possible for them.
A preacher who is now in heaven said something.
So cleverly and I loved it. So I'll share it with you when
you and I fish for fish. What we do in that is we take
these creatures out of a beautiful life and bring them in
to death. But when you and I fish for men,
we pulled them out of a horrible life and bring them into eternal
life. Here's the thing.
You and I have to understand that the message that you and I
carry is the only message that can save.
It's a hopeful message. It's a message of love.
It's a message of forgiveness. In other words, there is no
reason for you and I to be embarrassed about the gospel.
Have you heard what people believe out there, by the way,
have you If there's anybody, who should be hesitant to share,
what they believe it's the world out there who have forsaken, the
wisdom of God Utah, you talk to somebody who just had a
promotion or something. He said, that's wonderful, man.
That's good. I'm so happy for ya.
The universe has been really good to me.
Oh, the universe has been good to you.
Can I tell you something rocks and stars?
Don't care about you. The universe doesn't care about
you. Go visit a planet and see what
the universe will do to you. And so we look out into this
world and we're so sheepish, and it is the message.
The only message that can deliver and put hope in a person
and opened their eyes and set them free.
So Paul can also say right after I am under obligation, I am not
ashamed. I want to point another thing
out to you about these lepers who are out here in the field.
They would not have been compelled to go back to the city
unless they had first enjoyed what was provided to them.
Do you understand what that means?
It's no different with the gospel.
One of the best contributions that you can make to your
Evangelistic efforts is to take the time to savor who Jesus
Christ is is to take the time to relish and what you have in
Christ. And what happens there when you
begin to like these men realize, what is before you the banquet,
the joys the treasures and you begin to now grow in your
Delight, in God's promise. In the person of Jesus Christ,
evangelism becomes less of a duty and it's the Overflow of a
delight. We've made this very complicated
and it's a very easy formula. I can really prove this to you
many examples. Let me give you a simple one.
Who is more compelling to have? You spend a Saturday night with
your loved one, or with your friends at a restaurant, the
person who read the five-star reviews or the person who ate
their themselves, let me ask it a different way.
What would make you more animated to be an evangelist for
that Hidden Gem that you found in the city?
You reading the reviews and seeing what other people said,
or are you having an experience with what was in there and
tasting it for yourself? Do you see And so, when you come
to the place where salvation is not just experiential is for a
moment. But when you grow and go from
glory to glory to glory, and you realize that the menu in God is
endless and the treasures in his word are continued, to be found
and discovered. You will be stirred in a way.
But if you just think it's just the duty or responsibility will
never be able to offer you. The deeper you go in the things
of God the greater your drive will be for people to hear what
you have and listen if your pursuit of the knowledge of God
is shallow. So will you evangelism be If
your pursuit of the knowledge of God is shallow.
So will your evangelism you're witnessing?
Your testifying be? You have a, you have a treasure
to Great to keep to yourself. We've all known that at one
point, but you have to realize that there is still so much
territory to find, and when you find it, I'm telling you.
It will bring a jolt to you. That will bring you to be more
excited to reveal. What it is.
That's been known. Number two, you are, the means
by which God reaches the lost. You are the means by which God
reaches the lost a few weeks ago, we heard about Cornelius.
This men who is not saved but he was Hungry to know the truth and
God sends an angel to visit him. And when his Angel visits him,
he tells them to fetch for a man by the name of Peter.
And this Peter will come and tell him the message that he
needs to hear to be saved and we touched on this point.
Did you forget it that God sent the angel not to preach the
gospel to him? He could have and I'm sure that
angel would have been much more eloquent and convincing than
even the great Apostle Peter. But God in his good pleasure
reserves, that responsibility for the redeemed.
Think about that. Thought for a moment, think
about that and I try to think about that.
As often as possible, what a thrill, what an honor, what a
privilege, even the seraphim, even the cherubim even these
Heavenly Creatures as glorious as they are, have not been given
permission to wear the badge of ambassador of Jesus Christ.
On the earth. You have.
I have By the grace of God. And now, I think about this and
I know that some of you in here have been saved from a direct
encounter with God himself and I'm not undermining, or
discrediting such a testimony but God's method of reaching
people. The blueprint, the strategy has
always been forgiven Souls reaching lost souls and planting
that seed in their hearts. That is really what it's all
about and many of you in here, if you just think about it can
testify. I would not be where I am today.
Yes, we know by God's grace but the means think about the means
if it had not been for fill in the blank, if it had not been
for fill in the blank, Maybe it wasn't one person.
It was one person who planted another person who water,
another person who water another person who watered.
And that's how God works. For many of you is the presence
of Godly Parents who nurtured You by way of example, and
taking the time to disciple you and you are where you are today.
Because of them, even if you drifted off for a season for
others, it was a college student who was unashamed of the truth
and they invited you for a cup of coffee or they put a track in
your hand when you're walking from one class to the other.
And now here you are serving Jesus Christ and perhaps for
others, it was a preacher that you heard, Maybe.
On social media, someone who doesn't even know you exist or
some service, you are invited to and you you heard the truth and
it shook your soul. And here you are, you're loving
the Lord, You're serving the lord.
And the point that I'm trying to make is this, that there is this
chain of redemption, there's this chain of souls, who have
been saved since the Inception of the church and you are a link
to that chain and you're not the end of it.
If the Lord continues to Terry, you're a link to this chain,
only for another link to be added to it.
Until the Lord chooses to come back.
And, you know, when it comes to studying the word, I'm always
blessed by examining the lives of the men and women of God that
are in the Forefront of our Bibles.
But can I tell you something? That's even more exhilarating to
me when you carefully read and you discover the unsung heroes?
When you see these characters that show up in the pages of
scripture like a flash of light and then they disappear, but
they were instrumental in the grand scheme of things.
And there's so many things I want to point out to you in
that, but I want to just limit it to another example, you heard
an example with syrians Leprosy and Elijah.
I'm going to give you another example on this point with the
syrians with leprosy. and with Elijah, It's a story of Naman
that General from the Syrian Army, Naaman was told of this
Prophet who had such a connection with the true and
living God that he can heal disease and so name.
And now comes and finds this man of God, and this man of God
sends Messengers to meet him, and to give him instructions of
what he should do. If he wants to be cleansed from
this. This horrid thing.
And he was told go to the Jordan and dip seven times into that,
and you'll be healed. And what an insult, what an
insult to this, men of status, there is far greater rivers and
pools of water. And you want to take me to the,
to the, the shallow thing, called the Jordan and he was, he
was offended. And there's a gospel truth in
that, that the Simplicity of our message confounds, the wise it
calls for people in humility to submit to the imputed
righteousness of God. It just asks you to surrender
and stop and not thing that you have to do anything.
Great to be able to attain what God wants to give you to heal
your soul. But have you ever thought about
what started it all? What brought Naaman to even come
before Elijah. How did that even all begin?
And that's what I want to show you.
So you're there, hopefully in Second Kings 7, but scroll back
to 2nd Kings 5, verse 2, and I want you to see this and I pray
that it inspires you, you know, why?
Because not all of you are going to have a platform to preach on.
Now, all of you are going to have a widespread YouTube
account. Now all of you are going to be
invited to share a book that you wrote about the things of God.
But look at this story and second Kings, chapter 5 verse 2.
Now, the syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little
girl, from the land of Israel and she worked in the service of
Naamans wife. She said to her mistress, would
that my Lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria, he
would cure him of his leprosy. So Naaman went in and told his
Lord, thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel and the
king of Syria said, go now and I will send a letter to the king
of Israel. This, this is before that Syrian
scene where they besieged the city this is, this is before
that, apparently, there were raids that the syrians were
committing against Israel. And in one of those raised, they
took a little girl took her from her family, took her from her
parents, from her home from her safe neighborhood.
They abducted her and they gave her a job.
You're going to be a maid. You're going to serve Naamans
wife and here's this little girl.
We don't know her age, we don't even know her name.
Not only is that Faith miserable and itself to the human
perception. But on top of that, the house
that she's serving in his extra gloomy, Because name and now has
this incurable disease and it wasn't just irritating to the
flesh. It was a social curse.
He would never be able to relate to his wife in the same way.
Again, he would never be able to go and see his friends.
So, freely. He was stuck and he tried to
cover that thing up as much as possible, but it was known to
the household name in has leprosy.
And here's this young lady, realizing, the opportunity of
the moment, and she has enough audacity and boldness to open
her mouth and say, I know somebody that can cure you.
I know somebody that can solve this, I know somebody that can
deliver you look that blesses me for many reasons.
And let me give you one as you heard, this is not a favorable
position. You were taken from everything
that you've known and you are now a servant to the enemies of
your people and the enemy of your God. and I, when I thought
I looked at that I said I know many Christians to who are not
in the most favorable position, nothing even close to this.
It almost embarrasses me to use this as an example, but still
you're in that job that you hate, you're not with the best
family. You have very difficult people
in your life. Providence has not necessarily
brought you through the most glorious episodes.
But you have a choice in those moments.
I see this young girl as a woman who had Faith.
She had Faith, she believed, who God was?
She believed to the prophet of God was.
And here's this woman choosing not to be bitter against God.
You know how I know that because she's willing to testify about
him And more than that, she's not willing to be bitter against
Naman who probably was in charge of this raid.
You know, she could have thought to herself on.
A man has leprosy good for him. That monster deserves it.
I hope he rots in that leprosy. Brothers and sisters.
We have to be careful that as we look out into this world and see
what they are doing with the truth, whether they're doing
against the truth to not justify our righteousness by being
critical constantly and failed to see them as a mission field.
There's a very fine line between being righteous and being so
critical that we look at them. As people that are not even
deserving of our efforts, our love our service, this young
girl has a compassion. And God's Providence, even
through horrific means brought her into these courts.
So that at the right time, this man can hear about a prophet who
is the messenger of the true? God, and this man would receive
his healing and not just healing.
He would say your God is a true God, and I want to worship Him.
What's your name? I don't know who she a prophet.
Absolutely not had it not been for her.
The prophet would never have been able to minister to him the
way he did in the subsequent chapters.
Think about that for a moment. This little girl in this awesome
scene was really the one who started it all and you have
heard me, quote often the great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, the
prince of preachers. But have you ever wondered who
preach to Charles Spurgeon? Have you ever thought about it?
Who preached to Charles Spurgeon?
We are still reading his sermons, we have sort of
borrowing from his commentaries long gone after he is in glory,
but where did it start? For Charles Spurgeon.
I'll tell you where it started. Because God has preserved the
records of it. This man had these empty
religious convictions, and he would practice prayer and he
would read the Bible and he would go to church, but he was
not saved. And here he was 15 years old, on
a cold winter morning, deciding to go, perhaps to the church
that he regularly attended. And as he steps out, he realizes
that there is a blizzard. And so he tries to move forward.
He tries to make his way into the front steps of that church,
but the storm was so intense. That it deviated him and cause
him to go in a different direction and here, he finds
that a shorter distance, a small little Methodist Church.
And so he enters in people, barely in attendance.
And on top of that, the preacher of that church was in there
maybe he was snowed in. And so what do you have?
You have a Layman? Somebody from the church who
goes up to take his place and this man, according to Spurgeon
was not very impressive, he seemed to be like a Shoemaker or
Taylor of some sort. There was no way that from the
surface. He was a professional preacher
and he wasn't because as he went up there from the King James, he
quotes from his text and Isaiah 45:22.
Look unto me. And be you saved all the ends of
the Earth for I am God and there is none else and As he was
explaining him breaking down this text Spurgeon.
Remember that he wasn't even pronouncing some of the words
correctly. But here goes as he's preaching
and looking around and seeing that.
There's people barely there, That this preacher from this
Pulpit. Looks at this, young man.
Charles Spurgeon. And he says, young man, you look
miserable. You look miserable.
Imagine that. That would grab your attention
if you're half-asleep. Aspersion wasn't half asleep.
He was gripped and he leaned in and the man continued to exhort
him realizing that he was a stranger.
He was not a common attender of this church.
And so this Layman looks at him and says and you will always be
miserable in life and in death until you obey my text.
Look unto Jesus Christ. Spurgeon.
Remembers something happening, the dark clouds of his soul,
moving aside and sun shining in. And it was so obvious that when
he went back home after that service, his mother without a
word being said by spirits and looked at him and said,
something wonderful has happened to you.
Who's Charles Spurgeon? All of us know who is this
preacher? We don't know.
But on a Sunday where people
were barely there and the preacher couldn't even show up,
was one of the greater greatest preachers who is Ever preached
from the Bible born. You are a link in this great
chain. You don't need a mic.
You don't need a Pulpit. You don't need a jacket.
You need to be faithful. You need to be hungry and to be
willing and God can do Miracles through your life.
Lastly, I'll end here. Not only do you have a treasure
to Great to keep yourself? Not only.
Are you, the means by which God reaches Souls?
But the response of men, this is my final motivation to you.
The response of men is not your responsibility.
So let's go back to mark for. And look at verse 22.
We looked at verse 21 as a lamp brought in to be put under a
basket under a bed. And not honest.
And then he goes on to say, for nothing is hidden except to be
made manifest. Nor is anything secret except to
come to light? What is this mean?
Jesus is saying this because he just finished admitting That the
purpose, the main purpose of his Parable was actually hide the
truth from those who already admitted that they don't want
it. But by saying what he says here
in verse 22, he wants to also let his disciples and us know
that The Parables that he was using was a strategy for a
specific audience at a specific time and for a specific period
of time. Because he's saying even though
that I am concealing the truth here, the characteristics of the
Kingdom will not remain hidden. Much longer, they will come to
light. It will be revealed completely,
this is just a temporary thing. Is just a partial hardening but
the manifestation of what I have to say will explode and it did
when he sent out his Apostles in the power of the Holy Spirit.
But it's interesting to know that the phrase here that Jesus
uses was echoed in. Luke, 12 verse 2, when he was
warning, his own disciples about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.
What he was saying, was very similar things that the things
that seem to be hidden, they won't be hidden.
Much longer, they will be made manifest, it will come out in
the open. And I think there's a second
application to what the Lord is saying at this time.
Because remember, the disciples heard some will reject it right
away. Some will seem to receive it
with great enthusiasm. Others will also seem to embrace
it, but as time goes on, they're going to prove to be faulty.
And Jesus wants to let them know.
Listen. Don't get caught up in trying to
distinguish who is genuine and who's not genuine Time Will
Reveal. Time will expose it, time will
make it known sometimes as a short amount of time.
Often times it will be stunning to realize how many years it
took for somebody to be exposed but it's almost as though he's
trying to bring them Relief by using this.
Don't get caught up in the responses, don't get caught up
in the results just obey verse 21 and Shine the lamp.
And when it comes to how people will actually React to what you
have to say time will do its Duty.
And don't be disappointed. Don't be overwhelmed.
Realize that every person will be responsible for the truth
that they hear. And that's really what verse 24
verse 25 is, but I'm keeping that for another time, So you
see what the Lord is trying to say, and it's a motivation for
you. And I, the response of men is
not your responsibility. Your responsibility is to Simply
give what God told you to give. And I think that's important for
many people because I know so many who are winded.
And if they don't want to admit it, but they're almost just
expecting disappointment. When they hear somebody came in,
they heard the message they got saved and they want to get
baptized and then a few weeks later they're just gone and it
just like, you know, I don't know.
And this is for you. This is for you don't measure
your faithfulness, based on what people respond with, what did
Jesus tell, Peter, Do you love me?
Yes. Lord you know I love you feed my
sheep. He didn't say do you love my
sheep? Yes.
Lord. I love your sheep.
Then feed my sheep. Do you love me?
Yes.
Or then feed my sheep? Your love for Souls will not
take you very far to reaching. Souls your love.
For Christ will though. Don't forget that and so I look
at this and I realize, okay, Lord I'm not going to be
exhausting. I'm not going to get into the
place where I preach the truth and have skepticism in my heart.
I'm not going to I'm not going to do any of that.
I'm not going to try to manipulate the person to try to
keep them as long as possible because we don't need yet
another person to walk out and prove to be rocky soil.
It's going to discourage everybody else.
None of that you don't need to do any of that.
Just shine. And let the light do with the
light can do. And the men who reject the
light, they will be held accountable for it.
Your responsibility is simply love me enough that you want to
tell others about me. I'll share an end, a story and
closing. I'll never forget the time.
When I was a college student, some of you most of, you know,
this where we would spend every Saturday to just go out and
share with our college campus and we would go beyond that.
We would go downtown Toronto and we would share and a group of us
would come together and then we would break up into groups and
go out into the Dundas Square of downtown Toronto.
And then we would come back into our apartment and debrief about
how our time was sharing the truth to people.
Can I tell you something? You would be amazed to know how
many people in the middle of the street.
We're willing to have a conversation about God.
It was astounding to me how many people were willing to stop and
share and listen, but on this particular night, something
happened, that was a very rare occasion.
One of my friends went out to share with a group of his
friends that were connected to that night and they came back
and I've never seen him so disappointed, so discouraged.
He sat with us and when we went through the circle, he opened
his mouth. He says, look I got to be
honest. Tonight was rough, we'll explain
said me, and so. And so we came up to the group
of guys around our age and we ask them questions and this this
individual with that group began to just relentlessly mock us.
And I could even get another word out, he would just stop me
and continue to mock me. He just it came to the point
where I said, look, man, I'm not going to, okay?
You want to just at least take this.
I'm done here. And I could tell that he was so
dejected. So just overwhelmed by how he
was just publicly mock like that.
Because we had not seen it like that.
And we encourage them. We said brother.
Don't don't be overwhelmed. You did your part you planted
the seed and that's it months. Go by months go by I'm out of
that apartment. Even I get a phone call from
this friend and he calls me says, you won't believe it.
I said, what because you remember that night and he began
to remind me what happened say? Yeah, he goes.
Listen, you remember how I flew out overseas and went to Germany
for a few days. I said yeah, you know, so there
I am in the airport Pearson Airport.
I'm getting some snacks before the flight, and while I'm in one
of those little stores, I see that guy from that time, we went
out evangelizing and I avoided him like the plague.
He was walking one side of the story.
I was walking the other. I was ready to just leave and
before you know, it as my back is turned toward him, I hear him
calling to me. And I turn around, I realize it
is him. And this man looked at me and he
says, do you remember me? Because he has a remember you?
And he goes, I have to apologize for how I treated you that
night. This is not a guy that we saw
here and there was a guy on the street that we bump into.
He said, I got to apologize for how I treated you that night.
Because I have to tell you, the reason why I acted that way was
because you and your friends who came up to me, convicted me so
badly because I could not believe that on a Saturday
night. There was a group of guys my age
that were going around telling other people about Jesus.
And it bothered me so much that my defense mechanism was to mock
you and Scorn you and try to get rid of you as soon as possible.
He goes on another thing. I'm a pastor's kid.
And I walked away from all of that.
But I got to tell you. Now, I'm serving as a youth
leader in his church. And I'm walking with Jesus, Now,
I Believe by God's grace. He allowed a stranger from the
streets of Toronto to bump into that same person who witnessed
him months later, to encourage him, and let him know.
What is efforts did? But what if he had never
revealed it to him? What if the last thing?
That he saw and heard was a man who hated the things that he was
saying and showed that he wanted nothing to do with the truth
that he believed. I think we're going to have a
lot of surprises waiting for us in heaven.
Not just surprises of you're here, you're here.
There's also going to be, we're sewing.
So Isn't so-and-so supposed to be here.
Are you saved? Are you born again?
Are you a real Christian? Are you in for a surprise when
you stand before? Jesus Christ, I will do to you
today in the next couple of minutes.
What that preacher did. For Charles Spurgeon.
Some of you today, we're sitting here are miserable.
You're not fooling anybody with your smile.
Your miserable, your, enter your Void, you're just wandering in
this life, trying to fulfill the void that every other purpose
that you endeavored to accomplish.
Has failed to deliver. But in God's Providence,
perhaps. At a church that strangely has a
service at 1 p.m. on a Sunday, you're here.
And you thought to yourself, I would never come to church on a
Sunday morning maybe. Yeah.
But I have gardening to do and I got shopping to do.
And, and so 1 p.m. is just inconvenient.
But here you are one p.m. on a Sunday, were coming up to three.
You're probably wondering. When are you going to stop?
So I can have my late lunch. Not letting you go right away.
Do you know Jesus? Have you been saved?
Are your sins forgiven? Do you have a vibrant living
relationship with the Living? God have you made a conscious
decision that you will surrender to his saving work?
Do you know in your heart that your name is written in the
Lamb's Book of Life? Do you know that if God forbid
on your way home today you were to slip into eternity which you
are going at one point that you have, the assurance that the
person you will meet. Who is your maker is indeed your
savior? If not, then God in his goodness
has presented you the opportunity before it is too
late. That at this time, you will say,
I realized the severity of my sin, I realized the goodness of
his saving love, and I will not leave here without making that
decision, that I will live for him, I will trust in him.
I will repent of my sins and embrace his goodness.
And his love by saying, wash me in the blood.
Cleanse me savior? Or I die.
Today, you can be saved today. You can be saved and all that
you've been looking for. You will discover has been and
always will be in Jesus. Believer.
I pray that in the Simplicity of this message you will have a new
found passion and desire to be mindful of the purpose that you
have on the earth. And don't go with desire and how
you feel as God as we close in prayer.
Today, for a conviction, ask God for what Paul had.
Oh God, put under me. The obligation that I have.
The obligation and oh, God may not just be mere duty, but maybe
that I've discovered such deep things in you.
That the Delight of what I have discovered is now overflowing
them bubbling over into the people who don't know you.
Oh, he will do it, he will do it.
And I pray that this church, this church, Would be filled
with soul winners. God can do it.
Let's pray. Lord in this afternoon, we've
heard the Simplicity of What our identity is.
What our purpose is as good soil, who bear fruit.
Lord, we want not only the conviction, we also want that
eagerness that Paul had. And so we just pray that there
would be a personal Revival in each of our hearts.
To be able to walk through this life.
No longer apps in mind that the shoulders that we rub, their
more than just business partners.
The more than just co-workers, they're more than just family
members. There are potential brothers or
sisters in Christ. And we ask Lord that, we would
know the wisdom of the spirit. Of how to go about this. and
that Lord, we would just think a little longer and realize that
there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed about when it comes
to your truth being shared. And so Lord we pray by your
grace maybe realize that we have a treasure to Great to keep to
ourselves. Maybe realize that we are the
primary means by which you reach the loss.
May be realize that there is the response of men is not our
responsibility. And that on that final day, we
will see the fullness of the fruit of our efforts.
Oh, Lord. Just revive us again in this
including the preacher revive us again.
Lord to go beyond to go beyond these walls.
And what we just worship you, we worship you.
That you have indeed come and said for the sinner in this
house, may they realize that you have singled them out.
And you're calling to them what you said to Charles Spurgeon
through that man's lips. Look unto me and Jesus name.
Amen.