You are the Lamp!

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

According to Mark

The Parable of the Lamp

Mark 4:21-25 

This parable picks up where the Parable of the Soils ends. The soil is the human heart. The seed is God’s Word - the Seed is the Gospel. 

The Bible says it is obvious who is saved and who is not. And we were saved to serve God and do good works.

Malachi 3:18, Ephesians 2:10, Titus 2:14

• The Parable (v. 21)

Truth is objective. What is true - is true. It’s not whether or not it’s “true to me” or “true for you....”

Truth doesn’t depend on my acceptance of it to be true. 

As disciples of Jesus Christ - the truth is essential to us. Disciples are learners. 

And if we are learners, what are we learning?

• We’re learning the truth. The Word of God. 

Truth is determined by God. The One who does not change. The only One where Truth is ultimately found. 

John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. 

We would not know truth if it weren’t for the Word of God, The Bible (John MacArthur).

• The greatest measure of your spiritual life is this: what is your relationship to God’s Word?

This parable is really an amplification and explanation of verse 20 – those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 

• This is the beginning of the Great Commission (a sort of “Pre-Great Commission)

So Jesus asks a question - is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? Getting a lamp going wasn’t quite as easy as flipping a light switch, but without it, your home was dark. It was necessary. The lamp had a very specific purpose.

There’s a lot of work that goes into getting this light going. 

Nobody is going to go to all that work and then hide it. 

Putting it under the basket is counter productive. It is, in fact, the opposite of what you’re supposed to do. 

• The purpose of the lamp is to give light to the room. 

You are the lamp. I am the lamp. The lamp is every true disciple of Jesus Christ.

We have the light in us. The light of the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. The truth of the Gospel. 

This is the light. The Word. The Truth. The Gospel. 

The purpose of a lamp is to give light to the room. As believers we are to glorify God and proclaim His Truth to the whole world. To broadcast His truth. To shine His truth. 

No one in their right mind is going to light a lamp and hide it. How ridiculous is that? And it’s not just “don’t hide it” - but “put it in the best spot” In fact, it wouldn’t even occur to you to hide it. That defeats the whole point. 

• Because of Christ we’re not under God’s Wrath

We have been forgiven

We have been adopted

We have been made His children. 

We have been chosen as disciples. 

What we do is give light. Up on a lampstand for all to see. To give light to as much as possible.

It just doesn’t make sense, it’s not logical, it doesn’t calculate, it doesn’t compute:

...That a believer isn’t sharing the Gospel. Isn’t shining forth the light of the Gospel. 

Matthew 5:14 – “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ 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. 

Our responsibility, our privilege, our joy is to shine as much light. To shine the Gospel. To sow seed. As far and wide as we possibly can.

• The Point (v. 22)

• The Gospel is not meant to be hidden.

Your responsibility is to shine the light and get the word out. 

God will bring the growth.

We understand hide now - reveal later. My wife got me a birthday present recently (a coffee bean roaster and what a great gift it was - but that’s a story for another time) - she went to great lengths to conceal it from me until the right time. And she was excited to bring it out on my birthday. 

The Gospel was at one time hidden. Now it is to be revealed and shared with as many people as possible. 

• Hear and Obey (v. 23)

Jesus says “if anyone has ears to hear, let him hear” quite a few times. Over a dozen times. 

He’s saying: “Are you listening. Are you paying attention? Did you hear what I just said to you? I want to make sure you weren’t distracted. I want to make sure you didn’t zone out for a minute and miss this.”

• If you hear and don’t obey - you didn’t really hear
Steve Lawson says this: If you leave here and don’t step out into the dark world and let your light shine in every imaginable way, then you did not hear what Jesus just said

• What and How (v. 24)

“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.

There are two issues here

1. What you listen to

You need to be careful what and who you listen to. Be careful who’s teaching you listen to.

Be careful what books/magazines/blogs/etc. you read. Be careful what music you listen to. 

Are you placing yourself under the teaching of sound doctrine? Then there is more oil being poured into your lamp. Are you placing yourself under false teaching? (such as Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, TBN & other “prosperity gospel” teachers? Click here for a great post on False Teachers) If so, it’s taking oil out of your lamp.

It really does matter where you go to church and whose teaching you listen to.

2. How you listen

The degree to which you listen to and pursue the truth - opening your ears and heart – engaging in learning... to that same degree you will benefit from it. 

• Are you really engaged? 

Are you someone who doesn’t want to come... I’m here, but only because I was “dragged” here by ____.

Or The person who just can’t get enough... “I just have to get more. Can’t intake it fast enough.”

At the beginning of our worship services we put on the screen:

• “Prepare your heart for worship”

How are you preparing your heart for worship?

Let’s get real practical for a minute. 

What are you doing to be prepared for our corporate worship gathering?

How are you preparing your heart?

Preparing for Sunday morning starts Saturday night. Are you constantly staying up late? Are you so exhausted that you can’t focus?

When you’re here, are you here. Is your Bible ready? Note sheet and pen?

Are you reading the passage that will be preached on Sunday?

“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.

When you’re engaged, striving to grow spiritually, you will grow.

Three words that are very helpful in this area

• Discipline – we all need to be more disciplined. Show up early, etc.

• Effort – it’s not just going to happen. You’ll have to put forth effort

• Intentionality – discipline and effort must be done for a specific purpose.

Be intentional about what you’re doing. Aim for sanctification. 

1 Peter 1:13-16 – Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, ¹⁵ but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

• The goal is sanctification. 

I fully agree with John Piper when he says “Sanctification is a group project.” It’s something we do together.

Our church’s purpose statement is: Worshiping Jesus, Following Jesus, Sharing Jesus...TOGETHER!

• A Promise, a Warning (v. 25)

This is the underlying principle. 

• You’re either moving forward or backward in the Christian life. 

There is no standing still. 

For the one who has (The one who has Christ.)

more will be given (If you are in Christ - you will go to heaven. More will be given.)

And that is a wonderful, glorious truth. 

and from the one who has not (The one who is not in Christ, who has not repented)

even what he has will be taken away

This is the truth. 

Acts 17:30-31 – The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness

The one who has - who has Christ. He or she will get heaven. 

The one who has not - what you have now - what you have here on this earth will be taken away and you will be forever lost in hell eternally. There will be wrath and judgement and punishment. 

The wonderful, glorious message of salvation has been given to us to shine forth for everyone to see.

It just doesn’t make any sense that we wouldn’t do this. That we’d hide it under a basket instead of telling everyone we possibly can. 

Reflection & Application Questions:

• Are you sharing the Gospel?

If you know enough about the Gospel to be saved, you know enough to start sharing the Gospel. You do need to strive to know more, but you can start right now. If you don’t know enough about the Gospel to share with others, you probably don’t know enough to be saved. 

Why aren’t you sharing the Gospel? It really doesn’t make sense.

• What are you hearing?

You’re filling your mind and heart with things every day. What are you filling it with? God’s Word? Gospel-saturated music? Solid, biblical teaching? Because when you’re listening to the right things, still more will be added to you. That’s exciting! (If you’re wondering about someone you listen to, ask)

• Do you have ears? Will you hear?

We have so much access to the truth. Most of us have more access to the truth than almost all of history and more than so many in the world today. We must be intentional to hear truth and respond. What is your response to God’s Word?

There really should be only two possible responses

1. Take it - be obedient - go out and shine the light. Share the Gospel.

2. Repent and turn to Christ - repent and believe in the Gospel.

or:

3. Continue in unbelief. 

My hope and prayer is that your response would be one of the first two.