1 00:00:00,050 --> 00:00:03,110 Morning everyone. Welcome to Courtright. 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:05,570 We're excited to have you here this morning. 3 00:00:06,460 --> 00:00:10,070 I know that the TV is slowly going to be moving over and I 4 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:13,330 just realized I should have practiced using it before the 5 00:00:13,340 --> 00:00:17,090 message. Alright, it's going to be an 6 00:00:17,100 --> 00:00:18,990 adventure. We're going to see what happens. 7 00:00:19,550 --> 00:00:21,690 Sorry for anyone who is newish here this morning. 8 00:00:21,900 --> 00:00:26,470 My name is Lindsey Sietsma. I am, I'm married to that guy. 9 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,790 He's a he's on staff here as one of the pastors, but I get the 10 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,310 privilege of guest preaching here fairly regularly. 11 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,370 So I'm very happy to be with you. 12 00:00:35,420 --> 00:00:38,190 I'm very happy to be here with you this morning. 13 00:00:38,260 --> 00:00:42,630 Oh, it even says next on it. That's helpful. 14 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,700 OK, I'm assuming that's the button that I'm going to press. 15 00:00:45,770 --> 00:00:47,640 That's great. Thank you. 16 00:00:47,980 --> 00:00:51,210 So this morning we are continuing on in our series in 17 00:00:51,220 --> 00:00:52,630 Luke. So if you have your Bibles here 18 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,990 with you, if you like to read the Bible on your smartphone, 19 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,290 you can turn to Luke 8. That's where we're going to be 20 00:00:58,300 --> 00:01:01,950 this morning. I will have the passage up right 21 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,390 here and then it should be on your side screens as well. 22 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:08,450 But we have been walking through the Gospel of Luke section by 23 00:01:08,460 --> 00:01:14,530 section, and we are digging in to this gospel, this good news. 24 00:01:14,540 --> 00:01:19,000 The good news is the announcement that the Kingdom of 25 00:01:19,010 --> 00:01:23,140 God is here, that it is breaking through in the person of Jesus 26 00:01:23,210 --> 00:01:27,900 and he is King. And Luke, through sharing the 27 00:01:27,910 --> 00:01:32,080 life and the teachings of Jesus, he is painting a picture of what 28 00:01:32,090 --> 00:01:35,740 life in the Kingdom of God is supposed to look like and how 29 00:01:35,750 --> 00:01:41,100 the people of God should live. And moving into this morning, 30 00:01:41,110 --> 00:01:43,420 we're actually going to spend maybe a little bit more time 31 00:01:43,430 --> 00:01:47,060 than usual on recapping what we looked at last week. 32 00:01:47,070 --> 00:01:50,420 Because while the entire narrative of Luke is is fairly 33 00:01:50,430 --> 00:01:53,540 linear, the verses that we're looking today are actually a 34 00:01:53,550 --> 00:01:57,440 direct extension of the passage that we looked at last week. 35 00:01:57,450 --> 00:01:59,640 Oftentimes they're even looked at together. 36 00:01:59,750 --> 00:02:03,180 So we are actually going to be starting back from last week. 37 00:02:03,190 --> 00:02:04,780 If you weren't here last week, that's OK. 38 00:02:04,790 --> 00:02:08,220 I am going to do a recap. So we're in Luke 8, starting in 39 00:02:08,229 --> 00:02:11,670 verse four and then looking at verse 15, and I'm not going to 40 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:13,690 read them. I'm going to summarize. 41 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,780 So last week we looked at the parable of the sower. 42 00:02:17,860 --> 00:02:20,810 And this is not a person who sews clothes, different 43 00:02:20,820 --> 00:02:23,330 spelling. This is a person who plants 44 00:02:23,380 --> 00:02:26,790 seed. And in this parable, Jesus says 45 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,270 that there is someone who goes out to plant seed. 46 00:02:29,340 --> 00:02:33,630 They throw it fairly indiscriminately on the ground 47 00:02:33,700 --> 00:02:39,080 and that depending on the soil that that seed fell on, the seed 48 00:02:39,090 --> 00:02:43,610 grows or doesn't grow. So it is very dependent on the 49 00:02:43,620 --> 00:02:48,270 soil that the seed falls on. And Jesus, to help his his 50 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,110 disciples understand what this parable meant, he he fairly 51 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,150 explicitly shares what it means. If we go next. 52 00:02:55,220 --> 00:02:59,150 Oh, Nope, that's my passage. I think that's OK. 53 00:02:59,230 --> 00:03:00,520 The passage from last week isn't there. 54 00:03:00,530 --> 00:03:01,930 That's it up. Oh, there it is. 55 00:03:01,940 --> 00:03:03,390 It's up there. OK, we're going to sort this 56 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:04,590 out. We're figuring this out as we go 57 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:06,670 along. This is this is a test. 58 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:11,230 So this is not the parable is parable is the seed is the word 59 00:03:11,300 --> 00:03:14,010 of God. It is the gospel that is the 60 00:03:14,020 --> 00:03:17,090 good news. So the seed is the word of God 61 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:22,010 and the soil that it falls into represents the responses that 62 00:03:22,020 --> 00:03:24,770 people often have to encountering the gospel when 63 00:03:24,780 --> 00:03:26,750 they when they hear it or when they see it. 64 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,370 Some people just don't really pay attention. 65 00:03:30,380 --> 00:03:32,880 They never see it, they refuse to engage, they just kind of 66 00:03:32,890 --> 00:03:35,640 ignore it. For other people, the worries of 67 00:03:35,650 --> 00:03:38,740 life, they come up and they become such a distraction, 68 00:03:38,750 --> 00:03:42,060 either the worries or the pleasures and the riches of life 69 00:03:42,070 --> 00:03:45,380 that it has to offer. For other people there is when 70 00:03:45,390 --> 00:03:49,420 testing comes their way, the soil or sort of the seed is not 71 00:03:49,430 --> 00:03:53,060 able to really get a firm ground and testing kind of chokes it 72 00:03:53,070 --> 00:03:56,460 and they fall away. But again, how the gospel takes 73 00:03:56,470 --> 00:04:01,730 hold in someones life or doesn't take hold is what this parable 74 00:04:01,740 --> 00:04:03,220 is about. It's about the seed being the 75 00:04:03,230 --> 00:04:06,670 word of God and how it can take hold in our lives. 76 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:10,930 And the last verse of this parable says, But As for in the 77 00:04:10,940 --> 00:04:15,170 good soil, those are the ones when they hear the word, they 78 00:04:15,180 --> 00:04:19,269 hold fast to it in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with 79 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,850 patient endurance. So there's a really large 80 00:04:22,860 --> 00:04:27,230 emphasis in the parable of the sower on hearing the word and 81 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,620 receiving the word. And one of the things I really 82 00:04:30,630 --> 00:04:34,440 appreciate it about Grant's message was this invitation to 83 00:04:34,450 --> 00:04:38,820 lean in that listening and receiving it isn't this passive 84 00:04:38,830 --> 00:04:41,500 process. It isn't always simple or 85 00:04:41,510 --> 00:04:43,240 straightforward. And it doesn't mean that we 86 00:04:43,250 --> 00:04:44,560 don't wrestle. It doesn't mean that we don't 87 00:04:44,570 --> 00:04:46,360 have questions. It doesn't mean that there are 88 00:04:46,370 --> 00:04:51,080 seasons of life where it doesn't feel like anything is growing. 89 00:04:51,090 --> 00:04:54,400 You know, there are there is seasonality to this journey. 90 00:04:54,510 --> 00:05:00,300 But this parable invites us to examine our heart posture 91 00:05:00,380 --> 00:05:05,660 towards God and his Kingdom. The parable of the sower is 92 00:05:05,670 --> 00:05:10,660 about truly hearing and receiving the word of God and 93 00:05:10,670 --> 00:05:15,830 what that can produce in those who are willing to lean in and 94 00:05:15,840 --> 00:05:19,630 see the Kingdom of God that is being revealed in the person of 95 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:21,860 Jesus. And the thing that I love about 96 00:05:21,870 --> 00:05:25,710 this imagery is that the gospel through this image of aliveness 97 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:28,550 and growth. And in our passage today, there 98 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,450 is no preamble, there's no transition. 99 00:05:31,550 --> 00:05:36,260 We see the verse that happens that I read in Luke 8 verses 15, 100 00:05:36,270 --> 00:05:41,580 and then Jesus very suddenly shifts the imagery immediately. 101 00:05:41,630 --> 00:05:45,360 He pills, He paints another picture to build on what He just 102 00:05:45,370 --> 00:05:48,040 said. So we are in Luke 816 to 18. 103 00:05:48,050 --> 00:05:50,240 I'm going to pull it up here. And then it might be on the side 104 00:05:50,250 --> 00:05:53,380 screens as well. It says no one after lighting a 105 00:05:53,390 --> 00:05:58,460 lamp hides it under jars or puts it under a bed, but He puts it 106 00:05:58,530 --> 00:06:02,730 on a lamp stand so that those who enter may see the light. 107 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,630 For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is 108 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,810 anything secret that will not become known and come to light. 109 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:14,820 So pay attention how you listen. For to those who have more will 110 00:06:14,830 --> 00:06:18,930 be given, and for those who do not have, even what they seem to 111 00:06:18,940 --> 00:06:23,590 have will be taken from them. Actually going to leave that up 112 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:27,280 since it's the whole passage. So my parents are here with us 113 00:06:27,290 --> 00:06:30,590 today, which means I either should or shouldn't tell this 114 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,410 story. We'll find out. 115 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:35,610 We'll find out. My husband will laugh at this 116 00:06:35,620 --> 00:06:37,960 one as well. So at at my house in kind of our 117 00:06:37,970 --> 00:06:42,140 later teen year, teenage and young adult years, there was 118 00:06:42,150 --> 00:06:44,020 this lamp. I'm gonna look at my parents. 119 00:06:44,030 --> 00:06:48,300 There was a lamp sitting on the front table in our front 120 00:06:48,310 --> 00:06:49,940 hallway. So I wish I had a picture. 121 00:06:49,990 --> 00:06:52,120 But the house that we lived in, you, you'd walk in the front 122 00:06:52,130 --> 00:06:55,820 door and there was this quite open foyer and off to the side 123 00:06:55,830 --> 00:06:57,840 there was a table that had a lamp on it. 124 00:06:57,850 --> 00:07:01,220 And then you had her staircase just off to the side and in the 125 00:07:01,230 --> 00:07:05,040 house, the upper level looked down into the foyer. 126 00:07:05,050 --> 00:07:10,200 It was open, so if the light was on on the table in the foyer, 127 00:07:10,210 --> 00:07:13,120 you could see it upstairs. So one of the bedroom doors was 128 00:07:13,130 --> 00:07:15,220 open, you'd be able to see the light shining in. 129 00:07:15,230 --> 00:07:17,620 If the door was closed, you could see the light shining 130 00:07:17,630 --> 00:07:23,140 under the door. So this light had a dual 131 00:07:23,150 --> 00:07:26,620 purpose. One, it allowed people to see 132 00:07:26,630 --> 00:07:30,100 what was going on in the house when you came in at night. 133 00:07:30,110 --> 00:07:34,340 So as my sisters and I, as we got older, I have two sisters, 134 00:07:34,490 --> 00:07:38,180 we would come home later from being out with friends or being 135 00:07:38,190 --> 00:07:44,740 at work or yes, on dates. But the light was on when we got 136 00:07:44,750 --> 00:07:47,640 home largely so that we weren't stumbling around in the dark and 137 00:07:47,650 --> 00:07:49,840 waking up everyone else in the house. 138 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:55,010 But the other thing this light did is that it acted as like a 139 00:07:55,020 --> 00:07:59,850 little mini messenger. So the last one who was home at 140 00:07:59,860 --> 00:08:01,700 night. So it was your job to know if 141 00:08:01,710 --> 00:08:04,570 you were the last one home coming into the house at night. 142 00:08:04,580 --> 00:08:09,370 And if you were the last one, it was your job to turn off the 143 00:08:09,380 --> 00:08:12,200 light. And that way when my parents 144 00:08:12,210 --> 00:08:14,830 woke up at 2:00 in the morning or whatever, they could just 145 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:18,610 look under their door and they could see if the light was on or 146 00:08:18,620 --> 00:08:20,340 off. And then they kind of compare 147 00:08:20,350 --> 00:08:22,520 that to the time and then either worry, they're not worried 148 00:08:22,530 --> 00:08:25,700 depending on how the situation is happening. 149 00:08:25,850 --> 00:08:28,500 And yes, it did happen, certainly happened to me that 150 00:08:28,510 --> 00:08:31,540 someone turned out the light before everyone was home. 151 00:08:31,550 --> 00:08:33,960 And then you're walking home into a dark house and, and 152 00:08:33,970 --> 00:08:37,360 trying to figure way you're stumbling around in the dark and 153 00:08:37,370 --> 00:08:39,720 you really do miss the light in those moments. 154 00:08:39,730 --> 00:08:42,970 If anyone's had to do that. And for all of you people who 155 00:08:42,980 --> 00:08:46,300 are troublemakers, yes, I know the security system is flawed 156 00:08:46,310 --> 00:08:48,310 and all you had to do was go into the house and turn off the 157 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:50,200 light and then leave again if you wanted to. 158 00:08:50,290 --> 00:08:55,420 And I will not confirm or deny if that ever happened to one of 159 00:08:55,430 --> 00:09:00,400 my sisters or to me. Don't People who are thinking 160 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:02,450 don't break the rules. The rules are you turn off the 161 00:09:02,460 --> 00:09:06,310 light and then you go to bed. But the light had a job. 162 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:09,790 The lamp had a purpose. It gave light. 163 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,610 It is meant to be functional. It wasn't decorative. 164 00:09:12,620 --> 00:09:15,310 It was there to do something. And Luke points out how 165 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:17,550 ridiculous it would be. No one is going to light a 166 00:09:17,560 --> 00:09:20,670 candle or light a lamp and then they're going to hide it. 167 00:09:20,740 --> 00:09:23,930 That's pointless. A late a light and a lamp is 168 00:09:23,940 --> 00:09:27,230 used to give light. It's light is meant to be seen 169 00:09:27,340 --> 00:09:31,140 and experienced, and more than that, it is often intentionally 170 00:09:31,150 --> 00:09:35,760 put in a place where it can give the most light, where the light 171 00:09:35,770 --> 00:09:41,860 can be seen by the most people. And Jesus shares this analogy of 172 00:09:41,870 --> 00:09:44,640 the lamp right on the heels of the parable of the sower. 173 00:09:44,650 --> 00:09:47,240 There's no break, there's no change in subject. 174 00:09:47,310 --> 00:09:51,860 So Jesus introduces the lamp to connect it to what he has just 175 00:09:51,870 --> 00:09:55,560 shared in the parable before. It's why we wanted to recap it. 176 00:09:55,910 --> 00:10:00,910 So the Word of God, the message of the Kingdom, it is active and 177 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,830 it's growing and it's taking roots in the heart of people who 178 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:06,330 have ears to hear and hearts to receive. 179 00:10:06,380 --> 00:10:12,030 But it has a purpose. It has a job to do. 180 00:10:12,300 --> 00:10:16,690 It isn't meant to be hidden. It isn't meant to be stagnant. 181 00:10:16,700 --> 00:10:20,790 It is meant to be visible and on display. 182 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:25,110 It is meant to be a light to show people the way forward. 183 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:29,190 The Kingdom is purposed and on mission. 184 00:10:29,430 --> 00:10:33,060 If the parable of the sower is about hearing and receiving the 185 00:10:33,070 --> 00:10:36,660 word, then the next the next section shows us that true 186 00:10:36,670 --> 00:10:39,980 hearing and receiving compels a response. 187 00:10:40,050 --> 00:10:46,240 The gospel brings about action. It is not passive, it is active. 188 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:50,430 The Kingdom of God. Once it takes root and begins to 189 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:53,350 grow, it is not meant to be hidden. 190 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:56,810 That's not the point. Like the seed that falls on good 191 00:10:56,820 --> 00:11:00,170 soil, it produces fruit. It becomes visible. 192 00:11:00,180 --> 00:11:04,130 It only reaches its purpose by producing visible fruit. 193 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:07,970 And just like that, a lamp is only useful when it is being 194 00:11:07,980 --> 00:11:12,750 used to help people see. The gospel is meant to be 195 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:17,070 actively visible and working, and it is meant to be active, 196 00:11:17,180 --> 00:11:23,480 invisible through people. I have so many questions for God 197 00:11:23,490 --> 00:11:26,400 one day. I'm sure you have your list too. 198 00:11:26,470 --> 00:11:30,080 Maybe some of them are the same, but one of my main questions is 199 00:11:30,150 --> 00:11:33,100 God. Why on earth did you ever choose 200 00:11:33,110 --> 00:11:37,100 to work through people? Doesn't it seem horribly 201 00:11:37,110 --> 00:11:40,580 inefficient? I know me like, why does God 202 00:11:40,590 --> 00:11:42,180 ever choose to work through people? 203 00:11:42,250 --> 00:11:45,880 And yet the Bible, the story of God, it's pages are filled with 204 00:11:45,890 --> 00:11:49,660 story after story of God calling people to be an active part of 205 00:11:49,670 --> 00:11:53,480 what he is doing on this earth. Even the very disciples who are 206 00:11:53,490 --> 00:11:57,160 listening to him share this. Even you and I who are in this 207 00:11:57,170 --> 00:12:01,820 room and the Word is speaking to us now, the Word, the gospel, it 208 00:12:01,830 --> 00:12:06,890 is meant to be lived out in those who follow Jesus, the 209 00:12:06,900 --> 00:12:11,620 gospel, the good news that Jesus is King and that his Kingdom is 210 00:12:11,630 --> 00:12:15,600 here and available. It is not meant to be just 211 00:12:15,610 --> 00:12:19,760 pretty words. It's not meant to be decorative. 212 00:12:19,810 --> 00:12:24,880 It has a job to do and we are meant to be a part of this. 213 00:12:24,890 --> 00:12:28,980 We are supposed to participate in it if we call ourselves his 214 00:12:29,050 --> 00:12:31,840 followers. There's an old church song. 215 00:12:31,850 --> 00:12:35,290 If you were raised in the church for any amount of time, there's 216 00:12:35,300 --> 00:12:39,010 a song that's called This Little Light of Mine. 217 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:43,810 I'm sure many of you know it. This Little light of mine, I'm 218 00:12:43,860 --> 00:12:47,940 going to let it shine. And that doesn't mean that we 219 00:12:47,950 --> 00:12:51,260 need to stand on street corners yelling at people about the love 220 00:12:51,270 --> 00:12:54,560 of God, which is generally off putting and often sounds more 221 00:12:54,570 --> 00:12:57,820 like condemnation. But when we talk about living 222 00:12:57,830 --> 00:13:01,420 out the gospel, sharing the gospel, it is the grace and the 223 00:13:01,430 --> 00:13:05,820 love and the freedom in Christ that we have experienced, the 224 00:13:05,830 --> 00:13:11,430 good news that we have received, and the knowledge that it isn't 225 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:15,610 meant to be hoarded. It isn't meant to stop at just 226 00:13:15,620 --> 00:13:18,310 words. It's not about performative 227 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,410 gestures. It's not something we bury in 228 00:13:21,420 --> 00:13:24,530 our lives that we just pull it out when we need it, or 229 00:13:24,540 --> 00:13:27,970 something that we keep at a distance so that it can't ever 230 00:13:27,980 --> 00:13:32,030 take root in our lives. It isn't meant to be a gate to 231 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:35,790 keep us in or offence to keep other people out. 232 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:39,790 So often I think we we have this knowledge of the Kingdom as 233 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:42,630 being this static finite thing, but it's not. 234 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:46,010 It's not finite. It's expanding and it's growing 235 00:13:46,100 --> 00:13:51,090 and it is meant to be seen and shared and spread and lived out. 236 00:13:51,860 --> 00:13:56,450 The gospel is a light to people. The Word of God is a light to 237 00:13:56,460 --> 00:14:00,450 people and it is to be available to all people. 238 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:04,490 And Jesus shares why this matters in verse 17. 239 00:14:04,540 --> 00:14:07,050 Do I have just verse 17 up here? Let's see. 240 00:14:07,660 --> 00:14:09,710 Nope, that's alright. Verse 17. 241 00:14:09,780 --> 00:14:11,670 There's numbers right there to help us. 242 00:14:12,100 --> 00:14:14,150 In verse 17, Jesus shares why this matters. 243 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:17,610 He says for nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor 244 00:14:17,620 --> 00:14:22,330 is anything secret that will not be made known or come to light. 245 00:14:22,380 --> 00:14:24,350 And there's a dual image of what this means. 246 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:28,940 I know the sentence structure is kind of weird to our ears, but 247 00:14:28,950 --> 00:14:32,150 there's this dual image of what the gospel or the word of not as 248 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:34,850 light means. So in the Bible, light often 249 00:14:34,860 --> 00:14:39,490 refers to hope, or to write seeing, or to understanding, or 250 00:14:39,500 --> 00:14:43,130 to revelation. And Luke is playing with all of 251 00:14:43,140 --> 00:14:48,850 these meanings. So on the one hand, when we see 252 00:14:48,860 --> 00:14:52,510 this verse 17, for nothing is hidden that will be disclosed. 253 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:55,510 This is the Kingdom breaking into the world. 254 00:14:55,620 --> 00:14:58,730 It's about being the light that is revealed in the person of 255 00:14:58,740 --> 00:15:01,370 Jesus himself. And the parable of the sower. 256 00:15:01,460 --> 00:15:04,350 Jesus made it clear for some, the Kingdom is always going to 257 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:06,510 remain elusive. The word of God is going to be 258 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:08,750 shared and not everyone is going to see it and not everyone is 259 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:11,890 really going to hear it. Not everyone is going to 260 00:15:11,900 --> 00:15:13,770 understand. Not everyone is going to choose 261 00:15:13,780 --> 00:15:17,860 to choose to follow. Jesus even quotes Isaiah 6 in 262 00:15:17,870 --> 00:15:21,070 the passage to describe this reality, and it talks about a 263 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:26,790 heart posture of people who can hear but they can't truly 264 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,110 listen. And they can see, but they don't 265 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,640 really see or perceive what's going on because their hearts 266 00:15:32,650 --> 00:15:35,270 are hardened towards it. And this is a reality. 267 00:15:36,700 --> 00:15:40,090 But in that same passage of Scripture, in that same section, 268 00:15:40,100 --> 00:15:44,470 there is Isaiah 9, a passage that is often linked to the 269 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:47,930 messianic promise, the promise that there will be a forever 270 00:15:47,940 --> 00:15:50,810 Messiah king coming. And it is a promise that Jesus 271 00:15:50,820 --> 00:15:53,070 fulfills. And the Scriptures say this, 272 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:58,910 that the people walking in darkness have seen a great light 273 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:01,930 on those living in the land of deep darkness. 274 00:16:01,980 --> 00:16:07,520 A light has dawned, so for those who truly hear, for those who 275 00:16:07,530 --> 00:16:12,320 receive the Word with open hearts, a light breaks through. 276 00:16:12,330 --> 00:16:15,330 That is the connection between the passage of the sower and the 277 00:16:15,340 --> 00:16:17,500 lamp. There is a clear seeing, there 278 00:16:17,510 --> 00:16:20,060 is a clear hearing and receiving and doing. 279 00:16:20,130 --> 00:16:25,300 Jesus is the revelation of God and people will see Him for who 280 00:16:25,310 --> 00:16:30,080 He is, that He is the fulfillment of the Kingdom 281 00:16:30,130 --> 00:16:32,300 promises. The Bible also talks not to 282 00:16:32,310 --> 00:16:34,610 spend as much time on this. But the Bible also talks about 283 00:16:34,790 --> 00:16:40,150 the one day when Jesus will return and every eye will see, 284 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:43,820 every ear will hear, every knee will bow down. 285 00:16:43,830 --> 00:16:48,310 It's called an eschatological promise of what is coming in the 286 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:51,770 future. And this verse does speak to 287 00:16:51,780 --> 00:16:57,090 that of the Kingdom fully in its culmination being revealed one 288 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:01,110 day. But Jesus is bringing increasing 289 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,510 light, increasing right sightedness. 290 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,940 He reveals more and more of what the Kingdom of God looks like 291 00:17:08,950 --> 00:17:11,359 and what the people of God are called to look like. 292 00:17:11,430 --> 00:17:14,520 And that is the hope. That is the light. 293 00:17:14,530 --> 00:17:17,579 That is a hope and light for this world. 294 00:17:17,910 --> 00:17:21,520 So when a piece of this in verse 17, when it talks about things 295 00:17:21,589 --> 00:17:25,079 being disclosed, things coming to light, this is about the 296 00:17:25,089 --> 00:17:29,820 Kingdom being revealed, about people having an increasing 297 00:17:29,870 --> 00:17:34,420 understanding, an increasing revelation of Christ that 298 00:17:34,430 --> 00:17:38,700 nothing is hidden, that will not eventually, that will not 299 00:17:38,710 --> 00:17:42,010 eventually be visible. And this brings an increasing 300 00:17:42,020 --> 00:17:47,070 hope to the world. But there is another side to 301 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:51,250 this image of light in verse 17, and it's a little bit more, dare 302 00:17:51,260 --> 00:17:55,270 I say uncomfortable, because light doesn't just show up to 303 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:58,550 help us see and understand what is beautiful and what is good, 304 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:02,660 but it also exposes what is hidden and it confronts the 305 00:18:02,670 --> 00:18:05,030 darkness. The gospel. 306 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:07,710 I gotta be, I gotta be careful. I said I really struggled with 307 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:09,950 how to how to frame this section. 308 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:13,190 So I hope the sentiment behind the words comes out If the words 309 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:16,480 are not perfect. But the gospel is not something 310 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:21,090 that is soft or gentle, that is meant to quietly coexist in this 311 00:18:21,100 --> 00:18:26,020 world but never disrupt it. The Kingdom of God is meant to 312 00:18:26,030 --> 00:18:28,800 expose this world for what it is. 313 00:18:28,890 --> 00:18:33,840 It holds up the values of the Kingdom and it puts them next to 314 00:18:33,850 --> 00:18:38,080 the values of this world. And the contrast should be 315 00:18:38,130 --> 00:18:42,410 clear, and it should sure, it should stir us, and it should 316 00:18:42,420 --> 00:18:46,320 make us wrestle and question and be reflective and look at our 317 00:18:46,330 --> 00:18:49,870 lives and our world and in the things that we are doing and in 318 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:54,260 the places that we inhabit. And even if we try to hide from 319 00:18:54,270 --> 00:18:58,080 it, we can't. The darkness comes to light when 320 00:18:58,090 --> 00:19:03,080 God's Kingdom breaks in. Nothing is secret that will not 321 00:19:03,130 --> 00:19:05,580 come to light. That's what the Bible says. 322 00:19:05,650 --> 00:19:08,820 And that is both hopeful and a little bit of a warning. 323 00:19:09,500 --> 00:19:13,300 The hope is this. There is a hidden darkness that 324 00:19:13,310 --> 00:19:16,900 festers in our world. There is corruption and greed 325 00:19:16,990 --> 00:19:20,760 and oppression, injustice and hate, and there is unspeakable 326 00:19:20,770 --> 00:19:25,340 things that humans do to one another, but it doesn't get to 327 00:19:25,350 --> 00:19:28,580 stay hidden forever. The Gospel, like the light 328 00:19:28,650 --> 00:19:33,740 flooding into a dark room, will expose it all, and only once 329 00:19:33,750 --> 00:19:37,760 it's exposed can it be confronted and healed and 330 00:19:37,770 --> 00:19:42,160 ultimately defeated. I love how Jesus describes the 331 00:19:42,170 --> 00:19:45,780 Kingdom in the Gospels. The Kingdom is a mustard seed. 332 00:19:45,990 --> 00:19:49,530 Mustard seed. It's small and unassuming, and 333 00:19:49,540 --> 00:19:53,160 yet it is stubbornly invasive. It's a weed. 334 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:57,980 It's yeast, quiet at first, but absolutely impossible to 335 00:19:57,990 --> 00:20:02,040 contain. It's a light put on full 336 00:20:02,090 --> 00:20:05,060 display. The Kingdom is not subtle or 337 00:20:05,070 --> 00:20:10,940 passive or fragile. It moves in, it grows, it 338 00:20:10,950 --> 00:20:13,460 invades. And like flipping a light switch 339 00:20:13,470 --> 00:20:17,970 on in the dark room, the darkness doesn't stand a chance. 340 00:20:19,010 --> 00:20:23,740 But that same light will also confront the darkness within us, 341 00:20:24,350 --> 00:20:27,870 the hidden places that we don't want anyone to see, the 342 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:32,110 compromises, the decisions that we wish we didn't make, the sin 343 00:20:32,120 --> 00:20:34,980 and the struggles we wish that we didn't have, the things that 344 00:20:34,990 --> 00:20:37,240 we might rather keep in the shadows. 345 00:20:37,390 --> 00:20:40,080 The gospel exposes and confronts it all. 346 00:20:40,170 --> 00:20:42,700 And it does not do this to shame us. 347 00:20:42,770 --> 00:20:44,600 It does not do this to condemn us. 348 00:20:44,610 --> 00:20:48,010 It does this to call us into the light. 349 00:20:49,370 --> 00:20:53,480 Throughout Luke, Jesus is saying that the Kingdom is here, it's 350 00:20:53,490 --> 00:20:56,260 right now, and it is breaking in. 351 00:20:56,270 --> 00:20:59,060 It is a truth that is still real today. 352 00:20:59,110 --> 00:21:05,210 The Kingdom is on mission, and that mission is the light of the 353 00:21:05,220 --> 00:21:08,690 world. We are called to be hearers and 354 00:21:08,700 --> 00:21:15,170 doers of this word, to be a part of this work, to confront this 355 00:21:15,210 --> 00:21:19,720 darkness, to share the light and to bring the things that are 356 00:21:19,730 --> 00:21:22,470 happening and the darkness to light. 357 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:27,250 And with that in mind, Jesus ends these this three verse 358 00:21:27,260 --> 00:21:30,710 section that we're looking at with what I think is a little 359 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:35,650 bit of a sober warning. And verse 18, he says then pay 360 00:21:35,700 --> 00:21:41,320 attention to how you listen. For those who have more will be 361 00:21:41,330 --> 00:21:46,520 given and for those who do not have even what they seem to have 362 00:21:46,580 --> 00:21:52,150 will be taken away. So pay attention to how you 363 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:55,660 listen. Because of hearing and receiving 364 00:21:55,710 --> 00:22:00,120 our lived out in our actions, then we need to be really, 365 00:22:00,130 --> 00:22:05,660 really careful that we are in tuned to the gospel capital G, 366 00:22:05,890 --> 00:22:10,390 not any gospel. Because friends, we have to be 367 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:14,840 really honest about this. There are false gospels out 368 00:22:14,850 --> 00:22:17,960 there. There are words that sound like 369 00:22:17,970 --> 00:22:21,600 truth, but in the end they are not going to lead to any kind of 370 00:22:21,610 --> 00:22:24,800 life. There are messages floating all 371 00:22:24,810 --> 00:22:30,230 around us, whispering, sometimes shouting that the values of this 372 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:34,680 world will lead to success and happiness and peace and 373 00:22:34,690 --> 00:22:36,860 security. And you've heard them. 374 00:22:36,870 --> 00:22:39,530 I've heard them, I've bought into them. 375 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:41,710 I'm still probably buying into some of them. 376 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:47,060 They sound very convincing. They're the gospel of self, that 377 00:22:47,070 --> 00:22:50,660 if you focus on yourself, protect yourself, pursue your 378 00:22:50,670 --> 00:22:53,190 own comfort, and chase your own happiness, then you're going to 379 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:55,540 be fulfilled. And it doesn't really matter if 380 00:22:55,550 --> 00:22:57,580 you have to burn some bridges to do that. 381 00:22:58,210 --> 00:23:01,320 There's the gospel of achievement that if you work 382 00:23:01,330 --> 00:23:05,120 hard enough and you climb high enough and you earn enough, you 383 00:23:05,130 --> 00:23:09,540 will be secure and no one can take it from you. 384 00:23:10,250 --> 00:23:14,180 There's the gospel of appearance that if you look the part, that 385 00:23:14,190 --> 00:23:19,260 if you curate the your image correctly, then you will be 386 00:23:19,270 --> 00:23:22,420 accepted and appreciated and loved. 387 00:23:23,540 --> 00:23:26,670 There's other gospels, the gospel of hate, the gospel of 388 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,530 oppression, the gospel of exclusion, the gospel of 389 00:23:29,540 --> 00:23:31,690 injustice. And they say that these things 390 00:23:31,700 --> 00:23:34,790 are just necessary parts of a fallen world. 391 00:23:34,980 --> 00:23:38,530 And perhaps the one that I am the most scared of is the gospel 392 00:23:38,540 --> 00:23:41,160 of apathy. It says that there is nothing 393 00:23:41,170 --> 00:23:44,590 that we can do to change the way that they that things are. 394 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:49,720 So why would we even bother? Jesus showed us. 395 00:23:49,810 --> 00:23:53,980 He told us that his Kingdom it doesn't sound like, and it 396 00:23:53,990 --> 00:23:57,400 doesn't look like the world's version of Kingdom and of 397 00:23:57,410 --> 00:24:00,900 empire. His Kingdom does not look like 398 00:24:00,910 --> 00:24:05,060 what this world values are called success or says simply 399 00:24:05,110 --> 00:24:10,030 must be. His light reveals the cracks in 400 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:15,460 those false gospels and in the way that they enslave us, how 401 00:24:15,470 --> 00:24:21,370 they lead to death and never to life and friends. 402 00:24:21,820 --> 00:24:25,810 I don't say that as a warning. I say that because it is a 403 00:24:25,820 --> 00:24:29,100 grace. Because once exposed, we don't 404 00:24:29,110 --> 00:24:32,430 have to be fooled anymore. We don't have to be taken in by 405 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:35,970 those false gospels, even as seductive as they can be 406 00:24:35,980 --> 00:24:39,790 sometimes. The Word of God, heard and 407 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:46,790 received, calls us into action, and how we respond is telling. 408 00:24:46,860 --> 00:24:51,060 It will tell us something about ourselves. 409 00:24:51,510 --> 00:24:54,600 It'll tell us if we live in a Kingdom of our own making or if 410 00:24:54,610 --> 00:24:58,760 we live in a Kingdom where Jesus is king and his word is truth. 411 00:24:59,210 --> 00:25:01,660 I love how the author Fred Craddock puts it. 412 00:25:01,890 --> 00:25:05,900 He summarizes this verse by saying those who lean forward to 413 00:25:05,910 --> 00:25:09,260 hear, who invest trust and commitment, who come to the 414 00:25:09,270 --> 00:25:13,270 altar of the word seeking, asking, and hungering, these are 415 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:15,800 the ones to whom more will be given. 416 00:25:16,290 --> 00:25:19,310 Those who think they already know, who acknowledge no 417 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:22,790 blindness, who listen with ears that register only likes and 418 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:26,220 dislikes, who fold the arms across the chest waiting to be 419 00:25:26,230 --> 00:25:29,920 convinced or entertained, who want information without 420 00:25:29,930 --> 00:25:34,440 obligation, those are the ones who discover painfully that even 421 00:25:34,530 --> 00:25:37,900 what they thought they had has been taken away. 422 00:25:38,390 --> 00:25:41,480 In the Hebrew scriptures, the wisdom literature, so there's 423 00:25:41,490 --> 00:25:43,260 several books like things like Proverbs. 424 00:25:43,330 --> 00:25:47,820 There's this idea that those who are wise will seek greater 425 00:25:47,830 --> 00:25:51,920 wisdom and will be given it. And this idea is coming from a 426 00:25:51,930 --> 00:25:55,510 similar tradition. Those who hear and listen and 427 00:25:55,570 --> 00:26:00,130 act out what has been shared with them will receive ongoing 428 00:26:00,140 --> 00:26:04,330 knowledge and understanding and a greater measure of the 429 00:26:04,340 --> 00:26:08,090 perception of the Kingdom that is continually being revealed. 430 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:14,330 And to those who hear and reject or refuse to listen, those who 431 00:26:14,340 --> 00:26:17,210 are blinded by their own belief in their rightness and their own 432 00:26:17,220 --> 00:26:22,170 self righteousness, that's not ultimately going to count for 433 00:26:22,180 --> 00:26:25,350 anything. And so Jesus leaves his audience 434 00:26:25,360 --> 00:26:28,670 at the end of this passage, and he leaves it with us here today 435 00:26:28,740 --> 00:26:32,250 with a choice. Are we going to be people who 436 00:26:32,260 --> 00:26:37,650 lean in, those who come with humility and hunger, with a true 437 00:26:37,660 --> 00:26:42,380 courage to listen? If that's the case, then more 438 00:26:42,390 --> 00:26:44,820 will be given. The Kingdom will keep unfolding, 439 00:26:44,830 --> 00:26:48,130 The light will grow brighter, the understanding will deepen. 440 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:50,970 And I'm not saying this is about having all the answers. 441 00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:55,210 It's about having the posture of a disciple, a heart that says, I 442 00:26:55,220 --> 00:27:00,210 don't know everything, but I want to see Jesus more. 443 00:27:00,420 --> 00:27:03,730 I want to hear and see what he is doing. 444 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:07,890 I want to know him. We want to be part of the 445 00:27:07,900 --> 00:27:13,560 Kingdom that He is building. The other choice is to be those 446 00:27:13,570 --> 00:27:18,010 who come with arms folded and hearts closed off, Those who are 447 00:27:18,020 --> 00:27:22,190 convinced they already see clearly, who approach God's Word 448 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:24,480 like consumers instead of seekers. 449 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:29,750 Even what little they have won't really amount to anything that 450 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,890 matters. So this morning let me just ask 451 00:27:32,900 --> 00:27:37,680 a few questions. How do we live as bearers of 452 00:27:37,690 --> 00:27:40,360 Christ light? If we call ourselves his 453 00:27:40,370 --> 00:27:46,140 followers, Are we hearing and responding and reflecting his 454 00:27:46,150 --> 00:27:50,320 light, his word, the Gospel to others? 455 00:27:50,370 --> 00:27:55,380 Are we living as people of the Kingdom individually or as a 456 00:27:55,390 --> 00:27:59,230 collective unit? Or in some ways, are we more 457 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:04,680 like little black holes who absorb but never reflect, taking 458 00:28:04,690 --> 00:28:09,820 in but never shining out. The Kingdom of God is not hidden 459 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:14,070 to those who want to see it. And when they do see, the light 460 00:28:14,140 --> 00:28:16,790 is not meant to be hidden or covered up. 461 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:20,250 It's meant to shine this little light of mine. 462 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:23,820 I'm going to let it shine through our lives, through our 463 00:28:23,830 --> 00:28:26,510 words, through how we love others. 464 00:28:26,860 --> 00:28:29,330 And that's even when the world pushes back. 465 00:28:29,380 --> 00:28:32,930 And yes, it is going to push back. 466 00:28:33,500 --> 00:28:38,450 But the good news is this. The Kingdom of God is here and 467 00:28:38,460 --> 00:28:43,230 it is moving. The light shines, the seed 468 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:46,230 grows. And for those who lean in, who 469 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:50,410 listen, who respond, who act, they get to see the Kingdom 470 00:28:50,460 --> 00:28:56,440 unfold. They get to see God at work and 471 00:28:56,450 --> 00:28:59,340 the light. It's not just there to expose, 472 00:28:59,350 --> 00:29:04,380 it'll also heal and restore and set free. 473 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:09,170 So how are we listening As individuals, as a community, as 474 00:29:09,180 --> 00:29:12,870 a church, inside these walls, as part of the greater worldwide 475 00:29:12,940 --> 00:29:17,550 church, How are we listening? Are we leaning in? 476 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:22,100 Are we attuned to the gospel that Jesus taught and lived out 477 00:29:22,180 --> 00:29:26,000 and poured out? Are we bringing the light? 478 00:29:26,970 --> 00:29:31,090 Are we putting the Kingdom on display even when it costs us? 479 00:29:31,810 --> 00:29:37,050 Are we confronting the darkness both in the world and in 480 00:29:37,060 --> 00:29:41,480 ourselves? Are we listening? 481 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:48,340 If you'll bow your heads in prayer, Father, we thank you 482 00:29:48,430 --> 00:29:53,080 that you are a God who speaks, that you are alive and active 483 00:29:53,150 --> 00:29:57,660 and moving, that we can see you at work, that you are not 484 00:29:57,670 --> 00:30:00,920 distant and you are not hidden, but you are present. 485 00:30:01,310 --> 00:30:07,330 That you are revealing yourself through your Word, through your 486 00:30:07,340 --> 00:30:10,080 Son, and through the Kingdom that is breaking into this 487 00:30:10,090 --> 00:30:12,310 world. God, may we be attuned to the 488 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:16,630 work of the Kingdom breaking in. God, would you give us this 489 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,350 morning and in the days to come, the years to come, the time to 490 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:23,260 come? Give us ears to hear, not just 491 00:30:23,270 --> 00:30:25,940 for the sake of hearing, but so that we can truly listen. 492 00:30:26,010 --> 00:30:31,880 Can you give us hearts that are soft enough to receive your word 493 00:30:32,370 --> 00:30:36,780 that it would transform us from the inside out, that we can take 494 00:30:36,790 --> 00:30:38,380 it to the world? God. 495 00:30:38,910 --> 00:30:41,060 God, we know that there are times that we are going to 496 00:30:41,070 --> 00:30:43,620 resist. We know that there are times 497 00:30:43,630 --> 00:30:46,660 where we hide from your light, from what you are doing. 498 00:30:46,750 --> 00:30:49,600 We know that there are gospels in this world, and sometimes we 499 00:30:49,610 --> 00:30:53,130 settle for them. God but today we just ask for 500 00:30:53,140 --> 00:30:56,530 the courage to be aware of that, to just give us an awareness of 501 00:30:56,540 --> 00:30:59,410 where that's happening in our in our lives. 502 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:03,910 That maybe be people who listen. Well, may we be people who 503 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:07,260 reflect your light in our own lives and our church community, 504 00:31:07,270 --> 00:31:10,430 that we bring that light to this city, into this country, into 505 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:12,590 this world. God that we can just remember 506 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:16,570 that we carry your Kingdom around in the spaces that we go 507 00:31:16,580 --> 00:31:18,770 to. God, thank you for letting us be 508 00:31:18,780 --> 00:31:22,510 part of this work. We pray all this in your Son's 509 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:24,330 name, Amen.