Here we are. In our summer series and we're
looking at the parables. When Mark first invited me to
speak over. The summer on the parables, I
got really, really excited and I completely geeked out.
I'm doing a theology degree at the moment and last year I got
the opportunity to really delve deep.
Into some of the parables and I was like, yeah, I want to do
something really meaty. I want to really.
Wrestle it and I really want to go for it.
And then every single one I kept thinking of, I was like, no, God
doesn't want me to do that. And I was like, oh, but I could
have really, I could have really shown off.
If I'm honest, that's what I was thinking.
I could have really shown. Off with that one, God kept
saying. No weeks kept passing and Mark
kept. Checking in with me and kind of
saying you were, you know, you're preaching a few weeks,
you know, you know what parable you get.
You know which parable are you going to choose?
And I was like, oh, no, no, you'll be fine.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've got some ideas.
I didn't have a foggiest. Not going to lie, didn't have a
clue. Sorry.
And. Everything that I kept thinking
of, God kept saying, No, I like to be really prepared, Really
prepared. Like to know.
Where I'm at know what I'm doing and God started.
Just kind of making. I think he kind of does it.
Just to make us feel a little bit like, you know that feeling.
And it wasn't until a few weeks ago.
When it hit me, I was at my site church.
And I had to go down this corridor I.
Walked down this corridor, started to and it was dark.
It was really dark and it kind of felt Moody.
Do you know what I mean? It kind of had that atmosphere.
There are a few guys down there and I thought this just feels
heavy, a little bit like, I don't know, like something could
kick off it. Didn't have a nice feeling.
It felt dark. Down the other side of the
corridor I could see a colleague.
Starting coming up and I was like oh, bless him, he, he.
Was kind of like shrugged over his books.
And he was walking, and I could. See, he felt really
uncomfortable. He was looking at the ground and
not around him. He was kind of shuffling down
this corridor and I thought, how can I help him?
Like, how can I help him? Like I'm down the other end.
I can't exactly walk with him. That would maybe make him feel
better. And I thought simple, just
switch. On a light.
Switch on lines light switches. Switched on the light.
Instantly the atmosphere changed the atmosphere.
Completely changed from being dark and heavy and kind of
Moody. Actually, it wasn't that bad.
The guys that were down there actually was smiling.
They weren't looking threatening.
It wasn't that scary, but the atmosphere.
Completely changed my colleague that was.
Walking up all of a sudden, his, his.
Whole demeanor changed. You could see his shoulders go
back. He.
Was kind of walking along. He was looking up, he was
chatting to people. When he walked down, he was
feeling much more at peace, and it was.
In that moment when God just said to me, we called to be the
light. So.
That's how I came on it to the parable of the lamp, but before
we. Go into the parable itself.
I want to kind of just explore just a little bit for a couple
of. Seconds, why Jesus taught in
parables? Because they are pretty.
Weird, aren't they? If we're honest, they can sound
a bit odd, so I was doing some reading.
And I found an article in a journal by Josh Porter and in it
he says that we should view Jesus.
Parables as works of art, He says that Jesus.
Is an artist, and at times a mysterious artist, willing to
provoke his audience. Jesus worked in the medium of
parables, which are short, fictitious narratives populated
by vivid. Metaphors now the creative in
me. Loves that.
I'm like, yes, I can kind of get into that headspace.
I can. Get into that, but why would
Jesus with one? Of the most the most important
messages about who he is. And God's Kingdom choose to
speak in such a weird way, even the disciples are the.
Same, don't they? Matthew 13.
They're like Jesus, Why are you? Speaking in parables, surely
there's a better way, a clearer way.
What are you thinking? Okay, they don't white say that
bit, but. They say the beginning bit.
I'm sure that's what they're thinking anyway, but Jesus
answers by using the prophet Isaiah and explains that they're
meant to be ambiguous. At least for some people.
You see, Isaiah was a prophet sent by God to call the the
people back to God. He was called to tell.
People about the coming judgment, But Isaiah knew that
not everyone was going to hear his message, so Jesus is.
Attempting to use the same imagery as Isaiah to communicate
something really, really powerful.
But. Jesus is the Messiah and it is
Him that is going to bring God's Kingdom, Josh Porter continues
and says that you can. Water down the creativity of an
artistic message so that it. Becomes comprehensible for a
wide audience. But there's a catch.
The more watered down the message, the weaker it becomes
for those who have ears to hear, which kind of explains why Jesus
likes. To communicate about God's
Kingdom in this way those already that get Jesus's.
Message and his mission will understand it, but they will
grow. Deeper in that understanding,
but those that are stuck with those hardened religious
self-righteous hearts, the parables are likely just to
confuse. Them, but maybe provoke them.
You see, Jesus wants to trigger questions and provoke us.
Ultimately, Jesus wants to know us and to be known he wants to
speak to us. At the About the truth to the
deepest level. Of our souls.
Suppose we read these parables. Let's not try focusing on trying
to get like a one liner life lesson.
That's not what these are about. Jesus wants to get our creative
juices going. He wants us, his audience.
To do more than just listen and think he wants to awaken us.
Awaken us to the truth of who he is.
But his message and the coming Kingdom to use our imaginations
to engage our emotions and to be challenged and provoked into
action. So I'd just like to pray before
we get into. The word and then we're going to
get stuck in. Sound good?
Good. Come, Holy Spirit.
Father God, I pray that you would.
Awaken us that you wouldn't use. Our imaginations that you would
engage our emotions and Holy Spirit would.
You challenge and provoke us into action.
Amen. And then so if you have a Bible
with you. If you.
Could turn to Matthew Chapter 5, maybe you've.
Got an app if you don't? That's no problem at all.
The words are going to come up on the screen.
I actually find it easier. I get so easily distracted and
I. Find it easier to follow on the
screen, you ready? Yes.
So Matthew 514 to 16 it says this you are the light.
Of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be
hidden. Neither do you put a light.
Lamp light a lamp and put it under a bowl instead.
They put it on its stand and it gives lights to everyone in the
house. In the same way, let your.
Light shine before others that they may see your good deeds.
And glorify your Father in heaven.
Now this parable is also found. In Mark Chapter 4 verses. 21 to
25 and Luke chapter 8 verses 1618 Guess what guys?
Setting your homework that you love it when I.
Always set homework. Go and do a little.
Compare and contrast. Really dig deep.
If I'm honest, I was planning to preach on all of these versions
it got so it took me on such a journey it started to get so
deep I it was. Starting to hit me on so many
different levels. It was becoming a miniseries
which you know. But I don't know how Mark would
have felt about that. Would have gone on a few weeks,
so literally this week. God went Nope.
What are you talking about now? I started planning this and he
was like, no go back to where? I had you in that corridor.
Reduce it down. And speak on that, but please,
please. Do do your homework because I
can tell you it will take you on such a deeper level.
There is a book that I would like to.
Recommend to you it should be coming up on the screen now,
although Portiago has a. Lastminute.com for me with the
slides it's called Stories with. Intent by Klein, Snodgrass and
If you're a geek like me and you want to get to know these
parables a little bit more, I can highly, highly, highly
recommend that book so. I have been a compassion and
justice pastor here in the Vineyard for around I it gets a
bit blurry 10 years I was first a.
Volunteer and then came on as staff.
So my work has. Predominantly been in the areas
of poverty and injustice and their effects.
And I find it an absolute privilege.
I really, really do. I say to people I get to see the
very best. Of humanity.
But also, unfortunately, I get to see the very worst.
I get to see the. Best when I see people coming to
know Jesus. And their chains are broken
free, and they step into a new life, that transformed life that
God has for. Them.
I see people coming out of. Poverty and breaking the chains
of injustice. I see people's generosity.
Oh my gosh. Generosity kids after so many
children. Giving up their birthday
presents, Christmas presents and giving so sacrificially people
that give up days of work. Giving up their wage to come and
serve week in week. Out hours of dedicated service.
Kindness that you just wouldn't believe.
People sitting down and talking and loving and walking out their
face. And it is a joy to be a.
Part of and see faith. In action in that way, but
unfortunately I've seen the very, very worst as well.
It is a very dark. And broken world.
I cannot tell you the conversations and the meetings I
have had with. People living in abuse coming
through the doors black and blue.
I've sat down and pasted those on both.
Ends of that abuse, the abuse and the abuser.
And it's painful, Just as painful on both sides.
I've seen the devastating effects of addiction.
Not just for the person that is just so bound in it.
So bound and it's so hard to break free, but it also affects
their. Friends, their families and even
has a a knock on effect on communities.
I've walked alongside people that have fled countries where
it's. So unsafe that they have risked
human trafficking, sexual exploitation, homelessness,
just. I spent some time out in what
was the Jungle in Calais before that was destroyed and it.
I've never seen such. Squalor and these were people
just like. You and I just like you and I,
leaving and fleeing their countries.
And what are they met with? Are they met with a welcome?
And a safe haven? No.
And we wondered why they would risk everything to get in a boat
and so elsewhere. Once you meet with people like
that. You see the darkness of this
world, the rates. Of poverty in this country are
skyrocketing. There were just some.
Stats out last week from the Child Action Poverty Group and
childhood poverty in particular. The numbers are trebling and I
and I just think it's just to get so.
Much worse with winter coming. I mean, these are working
families, working families. That can't afford to put food on
the table for their children. That is not right.
It is not okay. We have a loneliness pandemic in
this country. I spoke to somebody a few weeks
back and they had. I was the first person they'd
spoke to in about two weeks. Two weeks they go to the.
Supermarket just to have some. Human contact.
And it isn't just out there. It's going to be.
Said loneliness happens in this church as well.
I've touched on this before. Being single in a church can
really suck. There are people here.
That have never been invited to a families for a Sunday lunch.
Loneliness can destroy us. And it will.
Destroy our communities and that's what the devil wants.
You know, we live in such a broken.
And hurting world, crying out for someone to switch on the
light. But there is good news.
There is good news. The light has.
Been switched on the light. Has been switched on.
It says in John eight that Jesus is the light of the world.
Jesus is the only. One that can bring healing and
restoration and transformation. This hurting and broken world it
is only. Him it is only his light, his
power, his authority. That can bring it in the
vineyard. We have a really strong Kingdom
theology this that means that we believe that Jesus through
Jesus's life, death and resurrection.
He inaugurated God's Kingdom coming here on earth, but we're
living in this period of this now, and they're not yet.
Although God's Kingdom is here, it hasn't come in completion.
But the Bible tells us that it will come in its.
Fullness when Jesus returns but that.
Doesn't mean that we just sit here complacent.
Waiting for that day? No, you see when we.
Put our trust in Jesus when that lights.
Ignites in our heart and that flame fans, and it becomes
bigger. Our hearts are transformed.
And that transformation doesn't stop.
That continues it. Continues when we start reading
our Bible, when we pray, when we when we worship Him.
Now when I talk about worship. I'm not talking about just sun
worship, although I love. Sun worship, I think it's.
I love to worship God. In that way, but I think in the
West in the West in. Particular in a modern church,
we just see that as a. Form of worship and we forget.
The cool that is on our life we are called to be.
Obedient to God, to submit to Him, to pick up our.
Cross and follow Him and that is how we worship.
We worship him with how we use our bodies.
We worship. Him in our every single day, but
what we do. And how we treat others, that is
the worship that he is calling us to.
But in that? He brings wholeness and
flourishing. And light and that floods us.
So why would we want to keep that?
Why would we want to keep that to?
Ourselves, and hide it under a bowl like our passage tells us
if. We know that we have the key.
We have the light. To bring that healing and
transformation to others, let's not keep it hidden.
It says in our verse, Doesn't it put it on a stand to light?
The whole house. And Jesus isn't just talking
about our. Homes with our families,
although that's part of it. We have to take that.
The House is the world is the world the light that.
You have in you is to shine in the world.
You know the light that is given to us by Jesus by entering into
our hearts, which transforms us, should impact our families, our
friends, our. Communities, every sphere that
we found ourselves in. That light should impact them.
We should. Live so counterculturally to the
world we should live so. Differently that people ask us
why we should be sharing. Our resources, not storing it up
for ourselves, putting it away in a bank, I'm not telling you
to be. Not financially wise.
Do you really need the new car, or could you bless someone else
with one? Do you really need the bigger
house? If you do, great, invite others
into it. There's a saying, isn't there?
What is it? Don't build.
Tall offenses build a wider table.
Something like that. I love that saying.
I'm like, yes, that is how we should be living, the others say
to us, Why do you live so differently?
But it isn't that we can boast or get a little pat on the back.
Are making us feel good. It's not about that.
It's not to fulfill some sort of need within us.
It's all because of Jesus. It's so that others.
Can see Jesus in us, His light, his power, that they're so drawn
toward him that they don't even see us.
They don't even see us. Have you ever seen bugs Life.
I think it was bugs life if it wasn't bugs like life.
Shout at me which film it was. It was a cartoon and it had bugs
in it. So I kind of think it was bugs
life. And there were these bugs.
It was dark. And these bugs were really
attracted to light. And there was one of these strip
lights. But unfortunately, it was one of
those bugs after this. Really, really sad.
And these bugs are like going. Towards it and they're like
they're getting called towards. It and these other bugs go, no,
don't look at the light. And these bugs are like, Oh my
gosh, but I can't help it. It's so beautiful.
And they go flying in there and they get zapped.
Very sad. Now, I'm not going to say Jesus
is going to ZAP you, although. I have been known to go Holy
Spirit zapping. And I I'm really lame.
I I just embarrass everybody around.
Whenever I think of it, I'm like that's what I want.
But it's true. That's what we.
I want people to see Jesus. So much that they don't even see
me, and that they're so transfixed on him, they will
follow wherever he leads, but it does come up across.
It does. Come at a cost the following.
Jesus isn't always easy and I cannot stand here and tell you
that it is. Because it isn't this this.
Last season in the last few weeks have been particularly
hard, I feel like. I've been kind of going along
and kind of like, yeah, my eyes are fixed on Jesus.
I keep. Hitting those really annoying
little potholes of life that keep just giving you a slap.
Little things like this breaks that breaks this.
Has gone wrong. Now you've got to deal with
this. Now that's not happening.
This. You know what I mean.
I have felt completely spent emotionally, physically,
financially, spiritually. All of the links.
Done. Done.
To the point, if I'm really honest, I did not want.
To be up here today preaching, I was like, done, done.
My light was not very bright until Thursday well.
Still kind of sulking, feeling sorry myself for all these
things that just weren't going right.
And I had an encounter with someone and they said to me, why
are you being why? Have you been so kind to me?
I. Was a little bit taken aback.
I was like, I didn't even realize, if I'm honest, that I.
Had been particularly kind. I thought I'd been really Moody.
But they said why? Why have you been really kind?
And I just felt really prompted. I started sharing with them.
Kind of where I'm at, how I feel, but I started talking to
them. About Jesus.
And then I started talking about God's Kingdom and God's.
Plans and purposes for their life.
This guy told me that he was Muslim and I and we had this
amazing conversation. He was.
Asking such deep questions so the lights, no matter how I was.
Feeling or what was going on in my life.
All of that went into the darkness where it belongs, and
the light of Jesus in me, which I didn't, wasn't even aware that
was shining. It ignited something in his.
I was able to give him a Bible. He was desperate for me to come
back later that day. I was like, I just can't come
back today. I'm so sorry I gave him a Bible.
I've given him some different readings and things and I'm
planning to meet with him again next week.
And I could see it in his eyes, this little flame.
It was that bug moment. So he just, he's getting his
eyes fixed on Jesus and nothing else.
He didn't want to know about anything else and in that
moment, everything of. How I was feeling, or how hard
it is, or the worldly, how hard it is faded into nothing.
Jesus's light has shone into someone else's heart.
What is better than that? What is better than that?
So what does this look like for you?
I would just like to invite the worship team back up and I kind
of want to ask you some questions.
What is God starting to challenge and provoke you about
an interaction? Where are some.
Of the areas of darkness that you are surrounded by, where can
you bring your light? Are there people in your
community who are lonely? If you don't know, ask.
God, ask God to show you. Start broadening your horizons
of what some of the issues are in this world.
Is there an injustice that you're aware of that needs the
light of Jesus to transform it? Then bring it.
I don't want to hear. The Church should be, the church
could be. Let me tell you, you are the
Church. You have the light of Jesus in
you, and it is your responsibility to bring it.
Yours. So bring it, because there is a
hurting Dark World that is crying out for you to switch on
that line. And each of us are made so
differently. The light that I bring will be
completely different to the light that Mark brings.
Completely different to the one Katarina brings.
She has her own light, the joy. She has brought this this
morning. Just by being herself and
giggling. That is her light, you know?
I don't care how old you are. I don't care how young you.
I don't care if you're single. I don't care if you're married.
I don't care if you're 80, you bring the light.
That Jesus has put in Can you stand?
And I want to pray. Any spirit, would you come.
I I just really got this excitement that there are people
that want to take the. Message abroad that there's
countries that people have just started getting obsessed over
and you don't know why and you're thinking, I can't afford.
What about my job? What about this?
Let it fade into the darkness where.
It belongs. And and I also felt that there
were people here like me, if I'm really honest.
I used to say I can't run a church.
I can't be a sight pastor. I can't do it when I'm.
I will do XY&Z. It's rubbish.
God can and will use you in. Whatever