Shining the Light of the Gospel
Notes
Transcript
Scripture Reading
Scripture Reading
16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”
19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”
21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
Introduction
Introduction
Last week - Christ going out from town to town, teaching / parables.
Christ continues his teaching to his disciples
Speaks to them in a parable (recall last week - also a parable)
But the meaning of this parable is certainly not veiled. It is clear.
As Christ continues here… teaching His disciples about some of the implications of following Him, and being united to him
In essence, following Christ has consequences.
Another way of saying this: There is a purpose in following Christ
Following Christ means responsibility to Christ.
The orientation of a disciple of Jesus Christ is radically altered such that they now have a primary goal and mission in life - bringing honour, glory and praise to Him!
This morning - consider one parable; and one teaching scenario.
Both have important implications in terms of what it means to be a disciple.
Both demonstrate the importance of living out the faith we profess!!
1. The Parable of the Lamp (vv.16-18)
1. The Parable of the Lamp (vv.16-18)
The first is a parable concerning a lamp.
Notice how Christ introduces this parable…
1.1. Lamps are Made to Give Light (v.16)
1.1. Lamps are Made to Give Light (v.16)
Begins with a simple assertion…
16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.
The same / similar parable will be told later on in Luke 11:33.
The picture is quite clear.
Consider their context - no electricity.
Darkness was the norm… light was given through torches that were burned in order to provide light.
Light in homes was provided by means of a lamp
Without that lamp, the darkness would be great… you would be able to see next to nothing.
Lighting the lamp would have been essential for them to be able to function in the darkness.
And so the picture is obvious.... no one lights a lamp and then places the lamp in a place where it cannot function as it was designed to function.
Purpose
What is the purpose of this light?
It is in order for people to see the light…
More importantly, that people may see rightly.
We are to be concerned that people around us in the world may see correctly, and may see things in such a way that they have been illuminated.
Parable Applied...
The world is in darkness - descended into a state of darkness at the fall of man
In the book of Colossians, the sin-cursed World is spoken of as the dominion of darkness (Col.1:13)
In Acts 26:18, Paul explains how Christ commissioned him with the task of turning people from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.
As Christ preaches this very parable - he is emphasizing the world lost in darkness, and the importance of light within this context of terrible blackness.
I want to outline / develop this idea of the darkness of a sin-cursed world, and the fact of God being the light…
God is Light
The Old Testament particularly demonstrates God as Light...
In the night darkness, God guided the Israel by giving them light...
21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.
God was always the one that gave light to the saints of the Old TEstament. Meaning that they could see and understand things clearly
3 Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
28 You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
3 Send forth your light and your truth,
let them guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
In the context of a world of darkness due to sin, only God is able to provide light in order to direct the paths of man.
This is foundational Gospel truth…
Here is God’s working out His redemptive plan through the course of history in order to make His ways known.
Christ as Light
Note - Christ is the light of the world.
We must understand that Christ came in order to bring light.
Earlier in Luke - song of Simeon in the Temple…
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”
Jesus came to bring the light of the Father into a world of darkness.
In speaking about Christ, John writes...
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
Then just later on, also speaking about Christ...
9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
As part of the developing redemptive purposes of God, Christ comes as the great light.
Christ is the ultimate revelation of the person of God.
He comes in order to show the world the true nature and character of God.
He comes in order to bring to fulfilment that which had already been revealed by God to His people Israel in the Old Testament, and thus to provide light to mankind.
Christ is the ultimate self-disclosure of God to mankind. And it is by Jesus Christ, His person, and His work, that we may gain insight into the redemptive workings of God.
Keep in mind what we considered last week in terms of the parable of the sower.
10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,
“ ‘though seeing, they may not see;
though hearing, they may not understand.’
In other words, at that point in time, God was revealing to the disciples the secrets of the kingdom - that is the redemptive work through Christ.
With that in mind, we must consider...
Disciples / Christians as Light
Turn to John 12...
Context - Christ speaking about his crucifixion...
Read John 12:35-36
Read John 12:44-46
The reality is that Christ would only be there for a time, and His bringing of light was being given to the disciples.
But the bringing of these disciples into the light was not merely for their benefit.
Rather - it was done in order that they too may go forth and bring light to others through Gospel proclamation.
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
That light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ has been granted to us as members of Christ’s church, and our glorious responsibility is to let that light be seen by the world around us…
We are called to be the light of the world that shines in the darkness.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
The point of you receiving the light of God’s truth, is so that you will in turn shine the light of the Gospel into the darkness of the world, in order that praise may be given to God!
Do we realise the significance of this for our own day to day living in the world?
The working of Christ, the fact of His power and the truthfulness of His claims, is to be evidenced in the lives of Christians.
This is the purpose… this is critical - it’s essential… Are you shining forth the Gospel light of Christ through your daily living?!
We are not lights with an on-off switch, depending on what we feel like.
We don’t suddenly switch of our light because we feel like a break from shining… and we want to spend a bit of time in the darkness.
The fact is that the church brings the light of God, the light of Christ, into a world lost in darkness, and we are called to shine...
in terms of letting your light shine.... is your manner of life such that it is lighting the world around you with the Gospel truth?
Are your words that are spoken showing light?
Are your actions towards others showing light?
Are you attitudes towards people, and towards situations in life, demonstrating the light?
NB!!! We have the joy and privilege of not only being in the light of Christ, but then taking that light to the world, and shining before them!!! What a glorious calling!!
1.2. All will Be Revealed by the Light (v.17)
1.2. All will Be Revealed by the Light (v.17)
Christ then makes an interesting statement… and various interpretations have been taken.
17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.
Two senses in which all will be revelaed by the light…
First - The Disciples would reveal the Gospel truth in Christ to the world.
Consider back in verse 10 - purpose of the parables…
10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,
“ ‘though seeing, they may not see;
though hearing, they may not understand.’
In one sense, the disciples must recognise that there will be a ever-increasing revelation of the mysteries and glories of Christ
Let us be sure that there is no greater revelation than is given in Jesus Christ.
We cannot reveal more than what God has revealed in Christ.
But we must make known the saving purposes of God through Christ, as revealed in the Scriptures.
That was the work of the disciples as they took the Gospel forth into the world (Great Commission)
And that remains the task of the church…
As we take this Gospel message forward, the church of Jesus Christ will be built up.
But there is another sense in which we need to understand this “all will be revealed...’
The fact is also that as the Gospel is proclaimed, as sinners are presented with the truths concerning the holiness of God, and their own sinfulness, and their need for a Saviour, they will be exposed to these truths…
In this sense, the Gospel will expose. Light will be shed upon the hearts of men.
Those who walk in darkness will have their deeds of darkness exposed by the light of the Gospel and the truth of God’s word.
Let us be sure that not everyone will respond positively!!
Many will reject the Gospel.
In fact - many will hate the Gospel!!!
Just as the darkness of the world hated Christ’s coming, so it will hate the proclamation of Christ.
Consider corruption in SA - or any whistleblower worldwide… what happens when the truth about their actions is exposed?
Threats!! Death threats!!
So it is with the Gospel.
Practical application -
As we go about living our identity in Christ, as we live good lives among the pagans; as we live holy and upright in a crooked and depraved generation…
What do you suppose the response is going to be?
As we live in South Africa, and the church takes a stand against sinful laws that they are seeking to bring in, and we oppose that in the grounds of the Gospel…
As the government - even right now - is seeking to bring in legislation that will seek to find people guilty and hold people to account for saying something that someone perceives as promoting inequality - even if based on religious convictions.... we are going to be shining very brightly…
But let us be sure that we will not be popular!
But Christ never called us to popularity!!
In fact, he told his disciples that this would indeed take place.
Turn with me to Matthew 10...
Read Matthew 10:17-33....
Dear friends, everything will be brought into the light ultimately.
Our task; our calling as disciples of Jesus, is to be those who live such lives that the darkness in this world is exposed for what it truly is.
Thus… the third thing that we see through this parable...
1.3. Live in Light of the Light (v.18)
1.3. Live in Light of the Light (v.18)
18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”
Notice the exhortation of Christ to his disciples here.
“Consider carefully how you listen...”
Keep in mind that Luke has just recorded the parable of the soils, where Jesus said to his disciples - “He who has ears to hear, let him hear...”
Hearing has attached to it the idea of obedience.
With this in mind, we must recognise the three emphases in the Gospels in terms of hearing…
There is the fact that we should hear (Luke 8:8b)
There is the consideration of what we should hear (Mark 4:24) - be careful then what you hear...
And we should be careful how we hear (present passage in Luke 8:18).
Four different attitudes of the heart… four different types of soil.
Only one type of soil brings forth much fruit… are you being careful about how you hear?
We cannot simply hear the Gospel message, the truth concerning Jesus Christ, and then fail to take action in accordance with that truth.
God’s call to mankind is to hear the Gospel message, and then to go out and produce fruit that is in accordance with that truth.
Notice what he then goes on to say...
"Whoever has will be given more… but the one who does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away...”
The one who “has” here - speaks of those who receive the word and take it in.
Those who respond appropriately to the Gospel..
And those who put into practice that which they’ve heard.
On the other hand… Christ speaks of one who does not have… even what he has will be taken away...
Included in Christ’s message here would have been a confrontation of the religious leaders of that day.
They had the law of God. They had the revealed truth of God. They thought they knew…
They were not only listeners, but were teachers. And yet they didn’t realise that they were in darkness.
But - bring this closer to home…
Are there not those who listen - sit in the church… hear… but there simply is no fruit in their lives…
Again, Christ is calling for some honest self-evaluation.
Judas Iscariot would have been another example of this.
He walked with Jesus. He heard the teaching of Jesus. But within himself he was a thief that used to help himself to the money that they had…
And ultimately, he would go on to betray the Saviour!
48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
With this in mind, Luke now goes on to record this teaching scenario...
2. The True Familiy of Christ (vv.19-21)
2. The True Familiy of Christ (vv.19-21)
Luke now records an encounter that builds on the previous truth.
These must be linked together…
2.1. The Visit From Christ’s Physical Family (vv.19-20)
2.1. The Visit From Christ’s Physical Family (vv.19-20)
19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”
I doubt the fact that Jesus had a mother and brothers is in much dispute today among us.
Plenty of evidence in the Scriptures…
55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
But the question is - why did he respond the way he did?
Sadly, his mother and brothers didn’t believe
They didn’t acknowledge and believe that he was the Messsiah.
3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do.
5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
In fact, in this account, where Jesus’ mother and brothers come to him, their very reason for coming to him was because they thought he was deranged...
20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
And so what he declares is that even though this is his biological family, he has family that is far more important.. those who truly believe in Him.
Just one or two comments on this before we move on…
Christ is not saying that your biological family is not important.
Within the Gospel context, showing love and kindness to your own family is the first mark of Christian piety.
If any man does not provide for his own family, he is worse than an unbeliever.
So this is not a matter of abdicating responsibility towards family members.
Remember, the Pharisees were rebuked by Jesus because they were teaching their tradition that said you needn’t support your father and mother if you’re devoting your gift to God (Mark 7:9-13; Matthew 15:3-6) … And Jesus said they were nullifying the word of God.... they had things backwards. God’s commandment was to honour your father and mother.
Christ himself would show care and concern for his own mother, even as he hung on the cross… he would make arrangements to have her cared for…
And so in the text before us here, Christ was not promoting a dishonouring of family.
But he was showing that the absolute highest priority is faith in Him and obedience to Him.
But the absolutely critical matter is the priority of Jesus Christ, and serving Him.
As an aside...
We will be pleased to know that ultimately his family did come to believe in him
14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother.
But coming back to our texts, we must now see where Christ places the emphasis...
2.2. The Mark of Christ’s Spiritual Family (v.21)
2.2. The Mark of Christ’s Spiritual Family (v.21)
Christ now clearly demonstrates to his disciples who it is that are his true family…
21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
Two things are very important in our consideration of Jesus words here.
Firstly, the importance of hearing and putting into practice...
We’ve already considered this in some detail this morning.
Christ just emphasizes that truth here… We must listen, and we must put into practice!!!
We do not belong to the family of Christ by declaring that we belong.
We do not belong to the family of Christ because we speak the right lingo, or because we sit in the right church, or attend the right meetings....
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
We are called to evaluate our lives in light of the Gospel truths, and seek to live in obedience to Christ.
It certainly won’t be a perfect obedience....
The question is are you seeking Him, and are you abiding in Christ, delighting yourself in Him?
The inevitable result of that will be fruitfulness in your life.
By way of encouragement .... seek to delight yourself in Christ.
Study His word with a view to knowing Him… understanding his ways… delighting in that which He has done for you.
But secondly of importance here… rejoice that we may be called those of the family of Christ.
11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
What a profoundly encouraging statement!!!
We become brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ - the king of kings… the one by whom and through whom all things have been made.
We enter into the most glorious family that could ever exist.
Doesn’t that just thrill your heart?!
Application / Conclusion
Application / Conclusion
Some brief comments in closing...
The parable of the sower demonstrated that the soil of the heart is essential…
The fact was that the good soil would result in a crop - 30, 60, 100 times..
The emphasis there was on the outworking of that which had taken place within
So here, there is need of an outworking of that which has taken place within.
Are you trusting in the Gospel message!?
14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.