Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction:
No one would expect a person like him to produce such beautiful music and have a wonderful voice.
Someone who was insignifcant to the visible eye, was actually very signficiant to the in invisible eye.
The the visible eye, he just looked like an autistic kid.
But that performance showed us that there is more to the visible eye.
And that is true of the kingdom of God.
What appears weak and insignificant is actually powerful and eternally significant when God is at work.
Just last week, a video went viral on the internet.
That video was a clip from the show America’s Got Talent.
It received over twenty million views and brought tears to many Americans.
II.
The Kingdom Grows Mysteriously
Kody Lee, who is also blind and autistic, played piano and sang a cover song which received a standing ovation and the first contestant to receive the golden buzzer of season 14 of AGT.
The judges were blown away and said that this is something they would remember forever.
III.
The Kingdom Expands Exponentially
He was the first contestant to receive the golden buzzer of season 14 of AGT.
What made the performance truly memorable was that no one expected it.
No one expected that he would play the piano and sing as well as he did.
And everyone was surprised.
And we see there is more than meets the eye.
What is seen
What appeared
And why were so many people moved and brought to tears?
Well we see that there was more to this contestant that meets the eye.
That principle is also true spiritually.
No one expected the coming of the kingdom to come it did.
And with God there is more than meets the eye.
And those with ears, will have ear to hear.
As we saw last week, Jesus teaches in parables to reveal truth to his disciples.
What is confusing and perplexing to the outsiders, is explained privately to the disciples.
What seems insignificant to the crowds, is eternally significant to the disciples.
What seems weak and despised, is strong and precious in God’s eyes.
What seems to be small, actually has cosmic significance in God’s eyes.
And these truths apply to the message of the Kingdom as Jesus gives three parables illustrating what the kingdom of God can be compared to.
In , Jesus teaches three parables, to encourage his disciples in the ministry that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to spiritual truth.
And these parables will show us supernatural and mysterious growth of God’s kingdom.
And we as God’s people can find encouragement when things do not appear as they seem.
I. Parable of the Lamp (How knowledge of the kingdom is revealed) (vv.
21-25)
II.
Parable of the Growing Seed (How the kingdom grows supernaturally) (vv.
26-29)
III.
Parable of the Mustard Seed (How the kingdom exceeds human expectations) (vv.
30-34)
Scripture Reading:
I.
The Parable of the Lamp (vv.
21-25)
Jesus is probably teaching beside the sea on a small boat.
He is continuing to teach in parables to the crowds and the disciples.
We saw last week how Jesus illustrated to us how people respond to God’s word in the parable of the soils.
Parables were extended word pictures from everyday life that illustrated a spiritual truth, especially about the kingdom.
And he gives another parable illustrating how the kingdom is to be revealed with the parable of the Lamp.
Lamps were usually small pots with a small wick that you would light.
To keep the lamp burning, you would continue to pour oil in these vessels.
Some lamps could be put on a stand.
And these lamps would light rooms and the entire house.
They did not have electricity as we have today and often take for granted.
These were essential household items.
And the illustration is obvious: light is not to be put under a basket, or under a bed, but on a stand.
Why?
Because the function of the lamp is to disclose, manifest, and expose what is in the room.
What does the Lamp symbolize?
In the OT, a lamp is not infrequently a metaphor for God (2 Sam 22:29) or the Davidic Messiah (2 Kgs 8:19; Ps 132:17) or the Torah (Ps 119:105).
Not only does Mark distinguish the lamp by making it the acting subject, but he refers to it with the definite article, the lamp.
Finally, reference to the lamp coming (Gk.
erchetai) is more suitable of a person than an object, and has indeed been used of Jesus earlier (1:7; 3:20).
These particulars signal that this is no ordinary lamp.
The image points to Jesus as the implied agent, for whom the lamp is a metaphor.
Jesus is the lamp of God who has come to bring light and revelation (John 1:5; 8:12).
The degree to which one hears the parables, the extent to which one allows the kingdom to break upon oneself, will determine the measure of one’s understanding.
Now, I really wrestled with this text this past week.
Because what is Jesus saying here?
Does the lamp refer to Jesus himself?
God himself?
The word of God?
Or the disciples doing good deeds?
Some take it to refer to Jesus because in the original language there is a definite article.
Jesus also himself says, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Some people think it refers to the Word of God: Your Word is like a lamp unto my feed and a light unto my path.
Some people think it refers to disciples doing good deeds as we see in ,
I think it probably refers to the message of the kingdom contextually.
I think generally all these apply, but I think it refers to the message of the kingdom that Jesus has been preaching.
I could be wrong, but the point here is that the message of the kingdom is not meant to be concealed, but meant to be revealed.
The kingdom comes through the message of the kingdom.
All people are to hear the message of the kingdom and all people are called to respond to the message of the kingdom.
The problem is that many people respond differently to this call as we saw in the parable of the soils last week.
Truth is meant to be made known
This is why Jesus was teaching primarily and healing secondarily.
This is why the disciples were to be with Jesus, so that he might send them out to preach and teach.
The application for us is that we are not to shrink away from telling the truth to others.
We are not to conceal the truth of the gospel, like a lamp that is put under a basket.
No, we are to shine forth the truth of God’s word in our speech and our deeds.
You remember in church history how the Roman Catholic Church concealed truth to the people.
The mass and the rituals replaced the pulpit.
People could not understand the Word of God because the mass was conducted in Latin.
People did not have the Word of God in their own hands.
And it was through the work of the Reformers that they recovered the priority of the preaching and teaching of the Word of God that lit a fire throughout Europe where people began to see the glorious truth of Scripture.
It was a recovery of the gospel found in the Word of God.
Lloyd Jones has said that every great revival in history has come as a result of the recovery of biblical preaching.
And one day the hidden will be completely made manifest in the second coming of Jesus.
If we want to be a revived church, we need to prioritize book day in and day out, week in and week out, year in and year out.
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