Heath Youth Message

So Reagan made me aware last week that you have been journeying through the Gospel of Mark, which is awesome!

Who can tell me one thing that you remember so far, something that has really stood out to you as important from this Gospel account so far?

Maybe just three or four of you?

So, what I want to do with just a few brief moments that we have together is challenge you to think about the Kingdom of God.

Jesus said something interesting in v11

“To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that “ ‘they may indeed see but not perceive,

and may indeed hear but not understand,

lest they should turn and be forgiven.’ ”

Now, I’m sure Reagan did an excellent job expounding on that already, so I won’t belabor it, but I’ll just make this point.

There are secrets to the Kingdom, and the parables are designed to distinguish between true disciples, and those on the outside.

The one who is in Christ, and is a disciple of Jesus, has been given an unlocked mystery.

But for the religious, the pharisee, the skeptic, the unbeliever, that person will only hear the parable’s as nice sayings, and helpful stories, but they will see and not perceive the deeper meaning that points to Christ, and the Kingdom, and ultimately the forgiveness of sins.

What needs to be asked when we read the parables of Jesus is, what did he intend for His church to hear?

We’re going to pick up in v21, and read down to v29. Among other things, there is a clear challenge, and a clear encouragement in this text. Both are needed if we’re to be successful in spreading the news of the Kingdom to the world we live in right now.

Let’s read, then I’ll draw out a few points, and we’ll be done.

First , Jesus makes the point that a lamp has an intended purpose, and there are certain things that would be foolish and useless to do with a lamp.

When you bring a lamp or a light into a dark room you set it up high so that it lights up the room. You don’t put it under a basket or a bed.

Christ came into the world as the light, and how did he spread that light? By preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and then ultimately being lifted up on the Cross for all to see.

The Christian has been given the light of Christ, and we must do what he did. Don’t hide his word, but declare it. Don’t be ashamed of the light, but show it and steward it.

Why? Because that’s what the light of truth is intended to do.

v22 tells us that nothing is hidden except to be made manifest and nothing is secret except yo come to the light.

That’s how each of us are to think about the truth.

Truth is a mystery to many.

There are many who can’t see it, and many who reject it, and love what is false, and hate what is good.

But we have the light of Christ, and his Kingdom, and what are we to do with it.

We are to bring it into the darkness and watch God work.

We also need this very same process to work in us too, and this happens as the light exposes sin in our own hearts.

So, pay attention to what you hear.

Don’t just let anything into your life…in your eyes, in your ear canals that calls itself light and truth, because the only true light and true truth is Jesus Christ and His word.

Now here’s the challenge… “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

These words are in the context of hearing.

Pay attention to what you hear, and when you hear what is true, how then will you use it?

The profound part of this is that for people who struggle with reading and knowing the Word of God, the way to increase your love for the Word is to, in fact, intentionally give yourself to it, because with the measure you use the light that you see, and the truth that you hear, it will be measured back to you, and even MORE than that.

When Jesus says, “for the one who has, more will be given.” He’s saying, for the one who has the light, hears the truth, shines the light - you will continue to have, and be given more. And you will see the fruit of that light as you walk in righteousness, and repent of darkness.

But the one who has not - who is this? This is anyone who rejects the light, or is careless about the light, or suppresses truth when it’s heard - this person will suffer the loss of even of grace he or she was shown in life, because ultimately rejecting the light of Christ’s truth and word leads to a bitter end, and a loss of a person’s very soul.

The Challenge? Pay close attention to what you hear, and put a greater measure of your heart and life into the light of truth, and watch God increase it.

And I’m so thankful that Mark included this next parable right after this one, because we need the encouragement it brings.

As we learn what the Kingdom is like, we learn what to expect on the mission.

We know now that we’re supposed to shine the light, and not hide it. Keep spreading the seed, so to speak.

But what about the results?

A results-driven culture is not entirely bad, but if you have false expectations, you’re destined for depression.

Look at v26 again.

What I want you to notice is that in God’s Kingdom, it grows primarily, not because people scatter seeds on the ground, but because God gives the increase.

A man scattered seed on the ground, but what do we notice next? He sleeps and rises each day, the sprouts come up, and he’s like “Oh My Word!”

The seeds get planted, and that’s important, but “The earth produces by itself...” Hallelujah for that, because I don’t know how to grow a seed, and neither do you.

That’s what the Kingdom is always going to be like until the return of Jesus.

Why is that an encouragement to me?

Because from this point in time today, and through all of human history until Christ sends his angels to harvest the righteous from the earth, God is doing His work, and it will be accomplished.

Brothers and sisters, he’s calling each of you to that exciting mission of planting, and sowing. But when you don’t see the results, whether in your life, or in the world, or in this community, resign yourself to this parable’s truth. Be faithful to what God has called you to. He will be faithful to slowly but surely save his people from every nation, tribe, and tongue - including in Heath, Ohio.