Luke 8:16-21 - Living Lights
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
Light is necessary for sight. Without light no one could see anything. The eye only sees because light passes through the cornea, hits the retina (or back of the eye), and then sends electrical signals to the brain via the optic nerve. The image is then formed in the brain.
The eye is such an amazing organ of the body. It is a beautiful example of the complexity of God’s creation.
As believers in Christ, Jesus charges us to be lights for Him in Scripture. We are to be that necessary aid that allows people to see the truth about Jesus Christ.
Matthew 5:16 shows this directly.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
This light is not innate to us as humans. It isn’t our natural goodness that shines. It is Jesus Christ who is the light of the world (John 8:12). For those of us who have been saved, we are to let His light shine in us and through us to lead others to Him so that they might see how wonderful He is.
In today’s passage, we will see this idea of light again. Jesus calls us to be lamps unto the world. We are to shine His light around us in a dark world. Join me as we read our passage for today.
Read Full Scripture:
“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.
For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”
Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd.
And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.”
But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Prayer
Today we will see three ways true believers share the Gospel with a lost world. The first is…
I. True Followers of Christ Are a Light Proclaiming the Gospel (16)
I. True Followers of Christ Are a Light Proclaiming the Gospel (16)
“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.
As we have already discussed, Jesus fills us as believers with His light, and we are charged to shine for Him in a lost and hurting world - a world full of darkness and sin.
Jesus, expounding upon this idea in verse 16 points out the ridiculous nature of hiding a light. When one lit a lamp in ancient times, they would place it out in the open on a stand so that it would light up the entire room (see the picture). The wick would be coming out of the front and the jar would be filled with oil. They didn’t have nice light switches like we do today! They had to actually physically add oil to the lamp and then light the lamp wick and place it in a place that would allow the lamp to provide the most amount of light for the space.
After going to all of that trouble, it would be insane to cover it with a jar or put it under one’s bed. What is the point of a lamp if it isn’t giving off useful light?
My friends, the lamp that Christ is describing is the one who has heard the Gospel and responded in repentance and faith. Lamps for Christ are those who are born again and saved. They have believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He was crucified for the sins of the world, that He rose three days later and now is at the right hand of the Father, and they have repented - or turned away from their sins - and submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Those who are true lamps of Christ should be shining for Christ.
Friends, how are you shining for Christ today?
Does everyone around you know that you are a follower of Jesus Christ?
I pray that it is not because you are obnoxious about it.
But I do pray that Jesus comes up in your every day conversations. I hope that you are talking the talk and walking the walk.
I hope that the darkness does not intimidate you, brothers and sisters. We need not fear the darkness because the light overcomes the darkness.
Yes, there will be battles lost by us. Yes, there will be trials and tribulations as our Lord warned us about. But we have victory in Christ. The darkness cannot overcome the light. See Jesus’ words in John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
We have a Savior who overcomes the darkness. It might not always look like we would like it to look. We may still be persecuted, and we may still struggle. But do not let the darkness make you hold back the light within you. He who is in you is greater than He who is the world (1 John 4:4). No one is greater, no name is higher, and no name is more powerful than the name of Jesus.
Hugh Latimer was a protestant martyr in 1555 and was burned at the stake by Mary I - also known as ‘Bloody Mary’ as she sought to return England to the Roman Catholic Church. He was burned because of his refusal to recount Protestantism.
Before being burned at the stake, however, he made the following statement:
“Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace in England, as I trust shall never be put out.” - Hugh Latimer
What amazing strength that this man had as he was burned alive for Christ. He knew he was literally going to become a lamp for Christ, and he embraced it through the power of Christ.
May we not be of those who shrink back (Hebrews 10:39). May we let our light shine before others so that Christ is given glory and honor and praise. He is worthy brothers and sisters.
True believers - true followers of Christ - walk in the light by proclaiming the Gospel in a dark world.
Next we see that…
Scripture References: Matthew 5:16, John 16:33, 1 John 4:4, Hebrews 10:39
II. True Followers of Christ Authentically Live Out the Gospel (17-18)
II. True Followers of Christ Authentically Live Out the Gospel (17-18)
For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
Verse 17 changes gears and goes from more of a charge to act to a charge to be. We are charged to shine the light of Christ to a dark and lost world. But we are also charged to be who God has called us to be. And here is a verse that is a word of warning for us to walk the walk.
Nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest. This means that everything will be revealed. Then He says nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
This is a terrifying verse at first glance. We should feel the weight of it for a moment. This teaching is mentioned throughout the Bible in many other places as well. We will only address a handful of the many. Consider Ecclesiastes 12:14
For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
or Psalm 90:8
You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
or Romans 2:16
on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
These verses are difficult. There are others as well that teach that everything we have ever thought, done, or said will be judged by God.
Jesus is warning against hypocrisy. He is looking for authentic believers. Jesus wants followers who seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Jesus wants followers who as Proverbs 3:5-6 says:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Are you an authentic follower of Jesus Christ?
Let that sit for a moment. God has a record of everything. When you stand before Him - every single thing will be brought to the forefront and you will be exposed for who you truly are. That is terrifying.
Now that you have felt the weight of His call upon you life, there is one more warning before the good news. Let’s look at verse 18…
Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”
Jesus ends this teaching with directly hitting on hypocrisy and false converts. Those who are true believers persevere. We saw last week this teaching in the parable of the sower. We saw that those who are called the good soil produce fruit. However, those who do not produce fruit are not true believers as true believers abide in Christ and He in them. We see here that false converts do not have - and what they think that they have is taken away from them.
We also discussed last week that many things that keep people from being true believers in Jesus Christ. And now Jesus hammers this idea one more time.
He admonishes us to take care then how we hear.
Note that Jesus gives a subtle but poignant warning. Take care - or be careful then how you hear. How you hear determines your eternity. If you hear without listening and without a right response to God in repentance and faith then you are not a true believer.
This is a very difficult teaching. Jesus pulls no punches here. And I pray that as it sits there in our minds as we evaluate our hearts for a moment. Are we truly in the faith? Are we true believers or are we hypocrites or false converts?
Jesus offers forgiveness to all. But it requires faith AND repentance. As James warns us in James 2:19
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
The demons believe in Jesus. Satan believes in Jesus. They do not even need faith because they have seen Him! They know He is God. Frankly, they testified to Him being God while He walked this earth better than anyone as we saw multiple demon-possessed individuals acknowledge Christ’s deity time and time again! But they refuse His Lordship, and they refuse to repent or turn from evil and turn to Him.
Friends, Jesus must be the Lord over all of our life - not just part of it.
Are you ready to go all in? I pray that you have and if not that you are ready today.
For those of us who are saved and born again, there is some very good news in this Scripture as well. This has been a pretty heavy burden to bear for a bit. Knowing that nothing we have said or done or thought is hidden is terrifying. Even for believers this is terrifying because we still have the sinful flesh that we continue to fight against. But for us who are in Christ, that burden has been taken by Jesus. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says…
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
For those in Christ, He has taken your burden of sin on the cross. He has borne the wrath of God that was directed at you. And now you stand faultless before God because the righteousness of Christ has been credited to your account.
What amazing news my friends! This transaction of grace is so sure that Paul can go on in Romans 8:1 to say:
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Read that with me, Church. (repeat Romans 8:1)
How much condemnation is there for us who are in Christ Jesus? None! How much condemnation is there for those who are saved? None!
Brothers and sisters, we can rejoice because of what Christ has done for us. I pray that understanding the weight of your sin has made you appreciate what Christ did on the cross even more-so today.
May we go forth authentically living out the Gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us in response to God’s wonderful grace and mercy.
Finally we see today that…
Scripture References: Ecclesiastes 12:14, Psalm 90:8, Romans 2:16, Matthew 6:33, Proverbs 3:5-6, James 2:19, Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 8:1
III. True Followers of Christ Audaciously Love Because of the Gospel (19-21)
III. True Followers of Christ Audaciously Love Because of the Gospel (19-21)
The word audacious means to be daring, brave, or even fearless.
True believers love Christ above all, and they love like Christ because they are loved by Christ.
We are only able to truly love because of Christ first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Let’s read the final three verses for today.
Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
There must have been quite another large crowd that had developed because His family was unable to reach Him.
We then see that a message is passed - likely from person to person - and finally reaches Jesus. The message is that His mother and brothers were there to see Him. Note who is absent here. We can likely infer that Joseph had died by this point. We know that He had died by the time Christ was crucified because Jesus entrusts John to care for His mother Mary (John 19:25-27).
One might ask why Jesus’ family had come to see Him. Most commentators think it is because they were concerned about His heavy workload. He was constantly teaching and leading great crowds. Mary, obviously had motherly concerns about her Son. However, we also see that His brothers’ concerns were not so pure.
John reveals to us that…
For not even his brothers believed in him.
And in Mark 3:21 we see the following.
And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”
So now His family has come to try to bring Jesus to His senses and get Him to slow down. His brother’s lack of faith might have even caused them to either be jealous of Him or afraid of what might happen to them if He continued causing trouble with the religious leaders.
Whatever all of the underlying causes and reasons were - they had come to take Him back home.
I think we should take a moment to reflect on this. Jesus own brothers don’t believe in Him. They think He is out of His mind. How hard that must have been on Him. The brothers that He grew up with and played with now think He is out of His mind and frankly might even see Him as a liar as they do not believe that He is truly the Son of God.
After passing this message to Jesus, Jesus says something very interesting. Let’s re-read our last verse in verse 21:
But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
He says that his mother and brothers - in essence - His true family is made up of those who are hearers and doers of the Word of God.
The focus of His statement is not one of dishonoring or disrespecting His earthly family. It is less about His earthly family and more about His heavenly one.
Jesus’ main thrust for His statement is that true believers hear and obey the Word of God. And…
His statement alludes to and identifies one of the most beautiful doctrines in all of Scripture - namely the doctrine of adoption.
Jesus says that those who hear and do the Word of God are His true family.
1 John 3:1a (ESV)
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are...
We are called children of God - why - because of the love of the Father. He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross so that we might become children of God.
This blessing as children is seen in Ephesians 1:5 as well…
he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
Because of Christ’s work on the cross, we can be adopted as sons and daughters with Jesus. In facts Romans 8:16-17 says this...
Romans 8:16–17 (ESV)
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Wow, we are joint heirs or fellow heirs with Christ. We must not take this out of context. Jesus Christ is most certainly God, and we have no comparison to His glory and honor and praise. We are as nothing before Him. But this shows our relationship to the Father as adopted sons and daughters of the King.
But note the end of this verse - provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. We see yet again that true believers are those who persevere in the faith through the power of God. But for us who are in Christ, we have this promise. We are adopted as sons and daughters of God. No longer are we enemies of God (Romans 5:10) - we are loved by God.
And the end of verse 21 says:
Luke 8:21 (ESV)
But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Those who are adopted sons and daughters of God are those who are submissive and obedient to Him. John 14:15 states:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
My friends, obey Christ. If you want to show your love to Christ - read His Word, hear His Word, obey His Word, and be doers of His Word. Our love for Christ is played out through audaciously loving Him and others by being obedient to His Word. Stand firm my friends and persevere in the faith.
Scripture References: 1 John 4:19, John 19:25-27, John 7:5, Mark 3:21, 1 John 3:1, Ephesians 1:5, Romans 8:16-17, Romans 5:10, John 14:15
Conclusion:
As we come to a close, I want us to evaluate our lives. Are we adopted sons and daughters of the King of Kings? Are we legitimate children of God? There is only one way to be adopted by God - and that is through Jesus Christ alone. And,
Those who are His true sons and daughters:
Are a light proclaiming the Gospel
Are authentically Living out the Gospel
and are Audaciously Loving because of the Gospel.
Do those three things describe your life? I pray that they do. If not, respond to the free gift of eternal life by placing your faith and trust in Jesus and repent of your sins. He will welcome you with open arms and offers forgiveness and eternal life in heaven with Him. He will adopt you as His forever child.
For those of us who are already believers - proclaim the Gospel to those around you. So many need to hear the way of salvation. Be the lamp that God has called you to be. Don’t hid it under the bed or under a jar. Live out the Gospel in your families, workplaces, and communities. Walk the walk. And love God above all and others next because of the Gospel.
I want to finish today with an account about man who understood being a living a light for Christ.
Alexander Papaderos was a Greek culture teacher who shared the following account after being asked the difficult question - what is the meaning of life.
He went on to say:
“When I was a small child, during the war, we were very poor and lived in a remote village. One day, on the road, I found the broken piece of a mirror. A German motorcycle had been wrecked in that place.
I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, but it was not possible, so I kept only the largest piece. (holding it out he said) This one. And by scratching it on a stone, I made it round. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine-in deep holes and crevices and dark closets. It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places I could find.
I kept the little mirror, and as I went about my growing up, I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game. As I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child’s game but a metaphor for what I might do with my life. I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of light. But the true Light [namely the light of Christ] will only shine in the many dark places if I reflect it.”
Go forth today, brothers and sisters, and reflect the light of Christ. Shine as lamps on a lampstand.
Prayer