Glorious Motivations To Share The Truth | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series)

if you can briefly Meet Me In The Gospel, According to mark,

And we're continuing through this book together.

And the portion that we will be discussing is in verse 21, 2

verse 23. Mark 4 21 to 23.

For a brief moment. I want you to place yourself in

the shoes of one of the disciples at this point, in the

ministry of Jesus. At very large meeting you here,

the master teaching and you pick up that the Lord is heavily

applying Parables to communicate to his audience.

And after wondering about this switch in his teaching style,

you inquire about it. And the Lord is gracious.

He's generous he is more than willing to disclose the purpose

behind this strategy. G.

And you learn that, a significant reason for why Jesus

is now teaching by using Parables was to conceal.

The truth from those who have been abstinent and constantly

rejecting who he was and what he has to say, while also provoking

the genuine heart to inquire further about his message.

And so from there, the Lord can obviously tell that you and the

other disciples are also asking because you didn't really

understand one of The Parables that he taught and that was the

parable of the sower. So he continues to give you the

meaning of that specific teaching.

And from there you discover that that particular riddle further

reveals how a majority of people who hear the truth.

Not just in Jesus day but even today a majority of people will

not truly accept the word for what it is.

And there will be a minority who will embrace the gospel on God's

terms now after hearing the reason for the parables and then

the purpose of one particular Parable and the meaning of it,

the parable of the sower, how would that make you feel about

sharing the gospel with others? Think about it.

Perhaps you would wonder if the Lord Jesus didn't really want

everybody to come to the truth and that he reserved his light

for those who are worthy of it in his estimation.

And if you don't think that then perhaps that kind of insight

with dampen your motivation to go out and put effort into

planting the seed and people's hearts, because there is a great

probability that you will be disappointed in the results.

And we have to be honest, perhaps this could be a

discouragement. For Christians to be serious

about preaching the truth. Because you already been told

that you should anticipate different kind of responses.

And some of them are unfruitful and that can really crush crush

you because we're human and we get discouraged.

So easily. Now it is not told whether or

not these disciples were thinking such thoughts, but

before, anything could be said, Jesus clarifies any potential,

misconception about the purpose behind his Parables and even the

meaning of one of those Parables that reveals what gospel

ministry will look like, And it's in these verses that we

have us before us today and verse 21 after explaining the

parable of the sower, he says, to them is a lamp brought in to

be put under a basket or under a bed and not on a stand for.

Nothing is hidden except to be made manifest.

Nor is anything secret except to come to light verse 23, if

anyone has ears to hear Let him hear.

Jesus asks a rhetorical question.

Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket.

Is it brought in to be put under a bed and not on a stand?

And the obvious answer is, of course, not to hide a lamp with

the to defeat the purpose of its design.

The very intention the very goal of a lamp and its purpose is to

illuminate its surroundings and to expel the darkness for the

sake of visual aid, it has no other purpose.

And when Jesus uses this analogy, what he is intending to

say. Is in like manner, the objective

of my truth living inside of you.

Dear Christian is no different. It's no different in essence.

What the Lord is saying, is he does not want his people to be

reluctant to be vocal to be intentional with their witness.

Just because there will be a flood of people who will be

hard-hearted, who will be superficial, and who will be

materialistic? Even in Jesus day, we are

familiar enough with his ministry to understand that his

audience included, stiff-necked Pharisees.

And with that crowds of people who are only interested in

Miracles and free meals. And yet we still see the servant

of God, the perfect servant of God and Mark plowing through the

vineyard and seeking the lost sheep of Israel.

And our hostel age today, gives us plenty of reasons to be

reserved with dispelling, the truth.

I mean, we can look out into this world just for a second and

you and I know this already and we perceive the rapidly

increasing resistance to God's righteousness and if we're not

careful that can tempt us to believe that there might not

really be a point. Hold on for dear life, that

clouds are going to split open soon.

But like a shining lamp you and I are not fashion to

discriminate against any kind of level of Darkness.

We're not we shine we continue to shine by God's empowerment in

his help. We continue to go as far and

wide as possible with the prayerful expectation, that some

will actually embrace the light. And so when Jesus says this, he

understands that the disciples just heard of the great

possibilities of hypocrisy or as time goes on that people will

prove to not really be born again and yet he still says but

it's not your job to determine that or to determine your

faithfulness and Zeal in the gospel because of that.

You keep going. You keep shining And if you

think about it further the analogy given by Christ here

has, another purpose has another purpose.

When you understand the context, what did Jesus?

Just finish explaining the parable of the sower, but he

ended on a specific note. Look at verse 20 of the same

chapter, but those that were sewn on the good soil, are the

ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit. 30

fold and 60 fold and 100 fold. For four weeks.

Every week, we touched on the different soils.

And the one soil, the fertile ground that that was distinct

was distinct because it was the soil, the type A Heart, That

embrace the truth and submitted to it.

And as a result beared fruit, true fruit lasting fruit,

Perpetual fruit And when we understand what fruitfulness

looks like, many things can come to mind, but when you genuinely

receive Saving Grace, something is going to happen.

And as time goes on, there will be a Conformity.

Yes, a patient Conformity, but you're going to look more like

Jesus. This is what he's saying.

But listen, when you think about bearing fruit, what comes to

mind when you think about being transformed in the New Birth,

what comes to mind? Well, some would say, the fruit

of the spirit, right? We know, then, Galatians

Galatians 5:22–23

5:22-23, 3 it includes love joy. Peace patience.

Kindness goodness, faithfulness. Gentleness self-control.

Wonderful. That's true.

There's going to something's going to happen to your

attitude, to your thought, process to your relationship

with your wife, your husband, your children, your coworkers.

Absolutely. But Jesus didn't limit it to

that because in the mind of Christ, what is included with

fruitfulness when the person really receives the truth?

What is included in the result of that is that you will not

only hear the truth, but you also Proclaim it.

You're also going to share it. That's the reason the Lord

transitions from the teaching of bearing fruit.

To illuminating, the light of the message of the Gospel, they

are inseparable, they're Inseparable.

If your soul is saved, guess what?

You're going to be a soul winner.

It's not a negotiable to the Lord.

You one cannot hear Embrace and apply the saving message of

Jesus and then continue to be able to conceal it and not share

that news with others. And here's what it means.

When the seed of the truth meets a believing heart, it will not

only change your passion to know, God, it will not only push

you towards personal Holiness. It will now only Propel you to

now be in fellowship with Christians.

It will now birth, something, something else.

And that is a Conviction to know and to bring people to the

knowledge of the Christ who saved you.

So I hope that's clear. The transition of thought is not

a completely different teaching. Jesus is not expanding upon what

it means to bear fruit. What your life is going to look

like it includes shining your light and it's not speaking

about your conduct, the idea that preach the gospel, and when

you need to use words, you can't preach the gospel.

Without words, you need to open your mouth, you need to share

it. You need to testify and the Lord

is saying these things are connected.

If R truly are good soil then something's going to come out.

Well what's going to come out light?

Well yeah I'm going to be more loving and more patient.

And no no not just that like truth is going to an outcome and

radiate from you that will potentially win others to the

same Christ that you love. For any professing Christian to

admit that he has absolutely no thought or interest of sharing

their faith is an extremely concerning diagnosis.

And that's why the Lord in verse 23 of our text says, if anyone

has ears to hear, Let Him hear in essence, you saying pay

attention to the implication that I am making pay attention

to the conclusion of what I just taught, regardless of your

attendance, regardless of your appreciation for sermons Jesus,

makes it clear that the good soil is someone who will bear

fruit and bearing fruit includes a conviction to testify of the

truth. I use the word conviction

because if I use the word desire, it can be a misleading,

determiner of sincerity. Feelings.

Are not always good. Some days that your Ally and the

next day, they betray you, But I say conviction to share the

truth because conviction is something deeper conviction is

about Duty conviction, as about an ambition, a core ambition for

your existence. That drives you into a certain

direction, whether you feel like it or not.

And that is what the Lord is speaking about.

And I want to prove that to you, according to arguably, the

greatest missionary who has ever lived.

The Apostle Paul turn to Romans 1 quickly in verse 14 and 15,

and maybe this will motivate and encourage you.

To understand what the Lord is looking from us.

Romans 1, 14 to 15. The Apostle Paul says, I am

under obligation, both to Greeks and to The Barbarians, both to

the wise and to the foolish. So, I am eager to preach the

gospel to you also who are in Rome.

And in verse 16, he is not ashamed of the Gospel.

There's three things he's saying there about his his ministry,

his preaching Ministry, the first one is I am under

obligation. The second one is, I am eager.

The third one is I'm not ashamed.

Now, here's what's interesting. He begins by saying I am under

obligation. Obligation came first and then

eagerness followed Now the perfect place to be in our

journey on the earth as ambassadors for Christ is to

have obligation and eagerness hold hands along the way but

that's often not the case. What is often true is that you

and I have an obligation and that drives us and then some

days the eagerness will be there while other days.

It's not We don't go with the eagerness first.

It's the obligation. I goes first and then everything

follows, but you and I have known that that coupling

passion. Have we not especially after

we've been saved this. This, the surging energy that

just is bubbling in us the moment.

We have tasted freedom in Jesus and it required little effort

for you to go out and to open your mouth and to mention the

name of Christ. You remember what that was like,

right, you had a haircut appointment, and you were less

concerned. Bout your hair and more

concerned about the hopeful opportunity that in that chair,

you're going to share your testimony.

In those moments where you were a student and you got saved and

college and your daily prayers included, oh God.

Before the semester ends, give me the opportunity to say

something to those. In this particular group project

of mine. There was the strength there is

this flame and it seems Supernatural and it is

Supernatural. If you remember the altar of

sacrifice in the Tabernacle, the fire on, that altar was supposed

to be burning day and night. It was never to be extinguished.

But what's remarkable about that altar?

Is that the fire that initiated that burning Came From Heaven?

That's in Leviticus. It came from heaven and it

burned up the alternate authenticated, the priesthood

Ministry in the Tabernacle, being approved by God and it was

the responsibility of the priest to make it and continue for it

to burn. And that's the truth for you.

And I Christ puts that passion in us, the new birth opens our

eyes. There's something in us now

that's that's giving us this sense of Duty and there's an

eagerness with it. And yet what happened?

So often is that over time because of the Failure to

nurture that flame. It becomes Embers and yet, there

are people. After decades still have that

passion still loves Souls. Still are on a shame.

Still are excited about walking into a new environment and

knowing their main mission is I'm going to share the truth,

how? Because they fed the flame They

fed that flame. And my goal in the service

today. How providential in this

Christmas season? Is for you to hear some, just

some glorious, motivations to be a shining lamp.

That's my intention in this message today.

I'm only going to give you some. I'm not going to give you all.

I can talk to you about. Hell, I can talk to you about

the coming judgment. I can tell you about how we will

all stand before the Judgment seat of Christ.

I can tell you about the rewards that God, is reserved for us and

have it and those are all legitimate reasons.

But I'm just going to give you some Something that will stir

you prayerfully something that will recalibrate your efforts to

being intentional mindful that I am something for the glory of

God. I am a lamp and I'm not meant to

be hidden. And so on this brief Sunday

afternoon, may I point your attention to just three

different thoughts and my prayer behind this is that there would

be an excitement that would be unlocked as you here every

point. And the first one that I want to

mention to you you so that you would not hide or you would not

be forgetful or you not be kidnapped by slothfulness or

fear or embarrassment. Is the first idea and it is this

you have a treasure to Great to keep to yourself.

You have a treasure to Great to keep to yourself and I'm going

to point you to an illustration from the Old Testament, and

second Kings chapter 7. Six and seven something happens

2 Kings 7 · chapter mention

Samaria which is a part of Israel was surrounded by the

syrians. And and because of this

encampment, they were besieged and this this surrounding was a

strategy and Military times to create a man-made famine.

The people that were surrounded would not be able to go in and

out to, to buy, or to sell or to receive Commerce.

They would be stuck. And hopefully, in due time, once

they start starving and thirsting and people are dying,

they would come out and surrender.

Under to their enemy and the the economic collapse at that point

during the ministry of Elijah was drastic.

It was horrible. You had women eating their own

children. And without getting into, too

many details, Elijah the prophet predicts and prophesize.

One day that overnight everything is going to turn and

Israel's favor. The prices are going to change.

People are going to survive by a sheer Miracle overnight.

Everything is going to drastically change for the glory

of God. And then while you're reading

that, you re chapter 6, you read chapter 7, the scene shifts, It

takes us two for lepers. For lepers who are at the gate

and they're having a conversation among themselves.

And the conversation is something like this.

What are we doing here? If we go into the city we're

going to die. If we stay here, we're going to

die. So we have nothing to lose.

Why don't we just go to the Syrian Camp present ourselves if

they Embrace us? Okay, we will live.

Will have some rations to feed on if they kill us.

Well what's what's the point anyway?

Because we're going to die if we just stay.

And so these lepers agree with one another, and they make their

way towards the Syrian Camp, crossing their fingers, perhaps

only to behold an unforgettable sight and second Kings. 7, 8, we

read. And when these lepers came to

the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank.

And They carried off. Silver and gold and clothing and

went and hid them. Then they came back and entered,

another tent and carried off, things from it and went and hid

in them, what happened? Not a soldier in sight.

God had done something where he made it perceive that the

Israelites hired other nations to come against the syrians and

so all the soldiers by hearing things now, flee and leave

everything behind unguarded unsecured.

And it was at that time while these men were just taking a

50/50 chance show up to that site and everything is

abandoned. So they look at each other say,

this can't be but it is and so they now begin to eat and drink.

They haven't in drinking a meal for who knows how long They

begin to clothe themselves with with with garments of royalty

even perhaps and they hide other things to make an investment for

later on and so as they are just indulging and basking in this

miracle that God provided something Dawns on them.

This conviction falls upon them in this very happy moment and

the Holy Spirit, shows us exactly what it was.

That was troubling, their souls and verse 9.

And then they said to one another we are not doing right.

This day is a day of good news if we are silent and wait until

the morning light punishment will overtake us now.

Therefore come. Let us go and tell the Kings.

Household. So, you see here, they are

consuming indulging, and this was God's provision.

But then in this process, they stopped in their tracks and the

conviction. Settles in this isn't, this

isn't all right here because there still are people who are

back there and they don't know about this. so let's at least

tell them, And they make their way back and they tell the rest

of the city. And here's the point that I want

to make I believe one of the reasons that we are slow to

share about what God has provided for us in Christ.

Is because we have forgotten what it's like to be lost.

We have lived with hope for so long.

We forgot what it's like to live without hope.

We enjoy fellowship with our creator.

Our Savior on a daily basis. We can't remember what it was

like to go day by day without him.

We have tasted the goodness of the Lord in so many ways.

That's we don't recall what it was like to be a Slave.

To the false promises of iniquity and perversion.

And that's why I think in part, we are extra passionate right

around the first few months after we come to know Christ.

Because we're just steps away from the hellish life that we

were saved from. And so the smoke almost is still

on our garments and the the memories are still fresh and the

saving power of Jesus is in the Forefront of our minds.

And then we walk in that freedom, long enough.

And on top of that, this becomes our world.

And we're surrounded with other Christians who have also

experienced that joy and that salvation and over time, you

know what happens, we become more and more disconnected with

those who are still bound. and so, in part, what happens is not

intentionally, but because we're not constantly mindful, we're

not just like these lepers who remembered where others were the

same destitution that they were in our compassion grows cold,

And listen, you remember right? What was a priority in your life

and mind? We want to share that wherever

I'm going man, worship when you're going to that family

gathering. You're praying that there's

going to be an opportunity that one of your cousins are going to

hear your test all of that now changes to this, be honest, be

honest, you get on the plane and I'm really I really don't want.

I hope this person doesn't ask what I do or where I'm from, or

what I am not interested, isn't that happen?

I know you want to amend it. Now, it's almost a burden.

And what Paul says in, Romans 1, 14 where you just heard I am

under obligation, the Greek word, there is very powerful.

He says I am a debtor. I am a debtor, you know what

that means? I owe it to them.

I owe it to the Greek, I owe it to the Barbarian.

What I have been exposed to what I am in right now, compels me to

reveal to others, at least to know what is possible for them.

A preacher who is now in heaven said something.

So cleverly and I loved it. So I'll share it with you when

you and I fish for fish. What we do in that is we take

these creatures out of a beautiful life and bring them in

to death. But when you and I fish for men,

we pulled them out of a horrible life and bring them into eternal

life. Here's the thing.

You and I have to understand that the message that you and I

carry is the only message that can save.

It's a hopeful message. It's a message of love.

It's a message of forgiveness. In other words, there is no

reason for you and I to be embarrassed about the gospel.

Have you heard what people believe out there, by the way,

have you If there's anybody, who should be hesitant to share,

what they believe it's the world out there who have forsaken, the

wisdom of God Utah, you talk to somebody who just had a

promotion or something. He said, that's wonderful, man.

That's good. I'm so happy for ya.

The universe has been really good to me.

Oh, the universe has been good to you.

Can I tell you something rocks and stars?

Don't care about you. The universe doesn't care about

you. Go visit a planet and see what

the universe will do to you. And so we look out into this

world and we're so sheepish, and it is the message.

The only message that can deliver and put hope in a person

and opened their eyes and set them free.

So Paul can also say right after I am under obligation, I am not

ashamed. I want to point another thing

out to you about these lepers who are out here in the field.

They would not have been compelled to go back to the city

unless they had first enjoyed what was provided to them.

Do you understand what that means?

It's no different with the gospel.

One of the best contributions that you can make to your

Evangelistic efforts is to take the time to savor who Jesus

Christ is is to take the time to relish and what you have in

Christ. And what happens there when you

begin to like these men realize, what is before you the banquet,

the joys the treasures and you begin to now grow in your

Delight, in God's promise. In the person of Jesus Christ,

evangelism becomes less of a duty and it's the Overflow of a

delight. We've made this very complicated

and it's a very easy formula. I can really prove this to you

many examples. Let me give you a simple one.

Who is more compelling to have? You spend a Saturday night with

your loved one, or with your friends at a restaurant, the

person who read the five-star reviews or the person who ate

their themselves, let me ask it a different way.

What would make you more animated to be an evangelist for

that Hidden Gem that you found in the city?

You reading the reviews and seeing what other people said,

or are you having an experience with what was in there and

tasting it for yourself? Do you see And so, when you come

to the place where salvation is not just experiential is for a

moment. But when you grow and go from

glory to glory to glory, and you realize that the menu in God is

endless and the treasures in his word are continued, to be found

and discovered. You will be stirred in a way.

But if you just think it's just the duty or responsibility will

never be able to offer you. The deeper you go in the things

of God the greater your drive will be for people to hear what

you have and listen if your pursuit of the knowledge of God

is shallow. So will you evangelism be If

your pursuit of the knowledge of God is shallow.

So will your evangelism you're witnessing?

Your testifying be? You have a, you have a treasure

to Great to keep to yourself. We've all known that at one

point, but you have to realize that there is still so much

territory to find, and when you find it, I'm telling you.

It will bring a jolt to you. That will bring you to be more

excited to reveal. What it is.

That's been known. Number two, you are, the means

by which God reaches the lost. You are the means by which God

reaches the lost a few weeks ago, we heard about Cornelius.

This men who is not saved but he was Hungry to know the truth and

God sends an angel to visit him. And when his Angel visits him,

he tells them to fetch for a man by the name of Peter.

And this Peter will come and tell him the message that he

needs to hear to be saved and we touched on this point.

Did you forget it that God sent the angel not to preach the

gospel to him? He could have and I'm sure that

angel would have been much more eloquent and convincing than

even the great Apostle Peter. But God in his good pleasure

reserves, that responsibility for the redeemed.

Think about that. Thought for a moment, think

about that and I try to think about that.

As often as possible, what a thrill, what an honor, what a

privilege, even the seraphim, even the cherubim even these

Heavenly Creatures as glorious as they are, have not been given

permission to wear the badge of ambassador of Jesus Christ.

On the earth. You have.

I have By the grace of God. And now, I think about this and

I know that some of you in here have been saved from a direct

encounter with God himself and I'm not undermining, or

discrediting such a testimony but God's method of reaching

people. The blueprint, the strategy has

always been forgiven Souls reaching lost souls and planting

that seed in their hearts. That is really what it's all

about and many of you in here, if you just think about it can

testify. I would not be where I am today.

Yes, we know by God's grace but the means think about the means

if it had not been for fill in the blank, if it had not been

for fill in the blank, Maybe it wasn't one person.

It was one person who planted another person who water,

another person who water another person who watered.

And that's how God works. For many of you is the presence

of Godly Parents who nurtured You by way of example, and

taking the time to disciple you and you are where you are today.

Because of them, even if you drifted off for a season for

others, it was a college student who was unashamed of the truth

and they invited you for a cup of coffee or they put a track in

your hand when you're walking from one class to the other.

And now here you are serving Jesus Christ and perhaps for

others, it was a preacher that you heard, Maybe.

On social media, someone who doesn't even know you exist or

some service, you are invited to and you you heard the truth and

it shook your soul. And here you are, you're loving

the Lord, You're serving the lord.

And the point that I'm trying to make is this, that there is this

chain of redemption, there's this chain of souls, who have

been saved since the Inception of the church and you are a link

to that chain and you're not the end of it.

If the Lord continues to Terry, you're a link to this chain,

only for another link to be added to it.

Until the Lord chooses to come back.

And, you know, when it comes to studying the word, I'm always

blessed by examining the lives of the men and women of God that

are in the Forefront of our Bibles.

But can I tell you something? That's even more exhilarating to

me when you carefully read and you discover the unsung heroes?

When you see these characters that show up in the pages of

scripture like a flash of light and then they disappear, but

they were instrumental in the grand scheme of things.

And there's so many things I want to point out to you in

that, but I want to just limit it to another example, you heard

an example with syrians Leprosy and Elijah.

I'm going to give you another example on this point with the

syrians with leprosy. and with Elijah, It's a story of Naman

that General from the Syrian Army, Naaman was told of this

Prophet who had such a connection with the true and

living God that he can heal disease and so name.

And now comes and finds this man of God, and this man of God

sends Messengers to meet him, and to give him instructions of

what he should do. If he wants to be cleansed from

this. This horrid thing.

And he was told go to the Jordan and dip seven times into that,

and you'll be healed. And what an insult, what an

insult to this, men of status, there is far greater rivers and

pools of water. And you want to take me to the,

to the, the shallow thing, called the Jordan and he was, he

was offended. And there's a gospel truth in

that, that the Simplicity of our message confounds, the wise it

calls for people in humility to submit to the imputed

righteousness of God. It just asks you to surrender

and stop and not thing that you have to do anything.

Great to be able to attain what God wants to give you to heal

your soul. But have you ever thought about

what started it all? What brought Naaman to even come

before Elijah. How did that even all begin?

And that's what I want to show you.

So you're there, hopefully in Second Kings 7, but scroll back

to 2nd Kings 5, verse 2, and I want you to see this and I pray

that it inspires you, you know, why?

Because not all of you are going to have a platform to preach on.

Now, all of you are going to have a widespread YouTube

account. Now all of you are going to be

invited to share a book that you wrote about the things of God.

But look at this story and second Kings, chapter 5 verse 2.

2 Kings 5:2

Now, the syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little

girl, from the land of Israel and she worked in the service of

Naamans wife. She said to her mistress, would

that my Lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria, he

would cure him of his leprosy. So Naaman went in and told his

Lord, thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel and the

king of Syria said, go now and I will send a letter to the king

of Israel. This, this is before that Syrian

scene where they besieged the city this is, this is before

that, apparently, there were raids that the syrians were

committing against Israel. And in one of those raised, they

took a little girl took her from her family, took her from her

parents, from her home from her safe neighborhood.

They abducted her and they gave her a job.

You're going to be a maid. You're going to serve Naamans

wife and here's this little girl.

We don't know her age, we don't even know her name.

Not only is that Faith miserable and itself to the human

perception. But on top of that, the house

that she's serving in his extra gloomy, Because name and now has

this incurable disease and it wasn't just irritating to the

flesh. It was a social curse.

He would never be able to relate to his wife in the same way.

Again, he would never be able to go and see his friends.

So, freely. He was stuck and he tried to

cover that thing up as much as possible, but it was known to

the household name in has leprosy.

And here's this young lady, realizing, the opportunity of

the moment, and she has enough audacity and boldness to open

her mouth and say, I know somebody that can cure you.

I know somebody that can solve this, I know somebody that can

deliver you look that blesses me for many reasons.

And let me give you one as you heard, this is not a favorable

position. You were taken from everything

that you've known and you are now a servant to the enemies of

your people and the enemy of your God. and I, when I thought

I looked at that I said I know many Christians to who are not

in the most favorable position, nothing even close to this.

It almost embarrasses me to use this as an example, but still

you're in that job that you hate, you're not with the best

family. You have very difficult people

in your life. Providence has not necessarily

brought you through the most glorious episodes.

But you have a choice in those moments.

I see this young girl as a woman who had Faith.

She had Faith, she believed, who God was?

She believed to the prophet of God was.

And here's this woman choosing not to be bitter against God.

You know how I know that because she's willing to testify about

him And more than that, she's not willing to be bitter against

Naman who probably was in charge of this raid.

You know, she could have thought to herself on.

A man has leprosy good for him. That monster deserves it.

I hope he rots in that leprosy. Brothers and sisters.

We have to be careful that as we look out into this world and see

what they are doing with the truth, whether they're doing

against the truth to not justify our righteousness by being

critical constantly and failed to see them as a mission field.

There's a very fine line between being righteous and being so

critical that we look at them. As people that are not even

deserving of our efforts, our love our service, this young

girl has a compassion. And God's Providence, even

through horrific means brought her into these courts.

So that at the right time, this man can hear about a prophet who

is the messenger of the true? God, and this man would receive

his healing and not just healing.

He would say your God is a true God, and I want to worship Him.

What's your name? I don't know who she a prophet.

Absolutely not had it not been for her.

The prophet would never have been able to minister to him the

way he did in the subsequent chapters.

Think about that for a moment. This little girl in this awesome

scene was really the one who started it all and you have

heard me, quote often the great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, the

prince of preachers. But have you ever wondered who

preach to Charles Spurgeon? Have you ever thought about it?

Who preached to Charles Spurgeon?

We are still reading his sermons, we have sort of

borrowing from his commentaries long gone after he is in glory,

but where did it start? For Charles Spurgeon.

I'll tell you where it started. Because God has preserved the

records of it. This man had these empty

religious convictions, and he would practice prayer and he

would read the Bible and he would go to church, but he was

not saved. And here he was 15 years old, on

a cold winter morning, deciding to go, perhaps to the church

that he regularly attended. And as he steps out, he realizes

that there is a blizzard. And so he tries to move forward.

He tries to make his way into the front steps of that church,

but the storm was so intense. That it deviated him and cause

him to go in a different direction and here, he finds

that a shorter distance, a small little Methodist Church.

And so he enters in people, barely in attendance.

And on top of that, the preacher of that church was in there

maybe he was snowed in. And so what do you have?

You have a Layman? Somebody from the church who

goes up to take his place and this man, according to Spurgeon

was not very impressive, he seemed to be like a Shoemaker or

Taylor of some sort. There was no way that from the

surface. He was a professional preacher

and he wasn't because as he went up there from the King James, he

quotes from his text and Isaiah 45:22.

Isaiah 45:22

Look unto me. And be you saved all the ends of

the Earth for I am God and there is none else and As he was

explaining him breaking down this text Spurgeon.

Remember that he wasn't even pronouncing some of the words

correctly. But here goes as he's preaching

and looking around and seeing that.

There's people barely there, That this preacher from this

Pulpit. Looks at this, young man.

Charles Spurgeon. And he says, young man, you look

miserable. You look miserable.

Imagine that. That would grab your attention

if you're half-asleep. Aspersion wasn't half asleep.

He was gripped and he leaned in and the man continued to exhort

him realizing that he was a stranger.

He was not a common attender of this church.

And so this Layman looks at him and says and you will always be

miserable in life and in death until you obey my text.

Look unto Jesus Christ. Spurgeon.

Remembers something happening, the dark clouds of his soul,

moving aside and sun shining in. And it was so obvious that when

he went back home after that service, his mother without a

word being said by spirits and looked at him and said,

something wonderful has happened to you.

Who's Charles Spurgeon? All of us know who is this

preacher? We don't know.

We don't know. But on a Sunday where people

were barely there and the preacher couldn't even show up,

was one of the greater greatest preachers who is Ever preached

from the Bible born. You are a link in this great

chain. You don't need a mic.

You don't need a Pulpit. You don't need a jacket.

You need to be faithful. You need to be hungry and to be

willing and God can do Miracles through your life.

Lastly, I'll end here. Not only do you have a treasure

to Great to keep yourself? Not only.

Are you, the means by which God reaches Souls?

But the response of men, this is my final motivation to you.

The response of men is not your responsibility.

So let's go back to mark for. And look at verse 22.

We looked at verse 21 as a lamp brought in to be put under a

basket under a bed. And not honest.

And then he goes on to say, for nothing is hidden except to be

made manifest. Nor is anything secret except to

come to light? What is this mean?

Jesus is saying this because he just finished admitting That the

purpose, the main purpose of his Parable was actually hide the

truth from those who already admitted that they don't want

it. But by saying what he says here

in verse 22, he wants to also let his disciples and us know

that The Parables that he was using was a strategy for a

specific audience at a specific time and for a specific period

of time. Because he's saying even though

that I am concealing the truth here, the characteristics of the

Kingdom will not remain hidden. Much longer, they will come to

light. It will be revealed completely,

this is just a temporary thing. Is just a partial hardening but

the manifestation of what I have to say will explode and it did

when he sent out his Apostles in the power of the Holy Spirit.

But it's interesting to know that the phrase here that Jesus

uses was echoed in. Luke, 12 verse 2, when he was

Luke 12:2

warning, his own disciples about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.

What he was saying, was very similar things that the things

that seem to be hidden, they won't be hidden.

Much longer, they will be made manifest, it will come out in

the open. And I think there's a second

application to what the Lord is saying at this time.

Because remember, the disciples heard some will reject it right

away. Some will seem to receive it

with great enthusiasm. Others will also seem to embrace

it, but as time goes on, they're going to prove to be faulty.

And Jesus wants to let them know.

Listen. Don't get caught up in trying to

distinguish who is genuine and who's not genuine Time Will

Reveal. Time will expose it, time will

make it known sometimes as a short amount of time.

Often times it will be stunning to realize how many years it

took for somebody to be exposed but it's almost as though he's

trying to bring them Relief by using this.

Don't get caught up in the responses, don't get caught up

in the results just obey verse 21 and Shine the lamp.

And when it comes to how people will actually React to what you

have to say time will do its Duty.

And don't be disappointed. Don't be overwhelmed.

Realize that every person will be responsible for the truth

that they hear. And that's really what verse 24

verse 25 is, but I'm keeping that for another time, So you

see what the Lord is trying to say, and it's a motivation for

you. And I, the response of men is

not your responsibility. Your responsibility is to Simply

give what God told you to give. And I think that's important for

many people because I know so many who are winded.

And if they don't want to admit it, but they're almost just

expecting disappointment. When they hear somebody came in,

they heard the message they got saved and they want to get

baptized and then a few weeks later they're just gone and it

just like, you know, I don't know.

And this is for you. This is for you don't measure

your faithfulness, based on what people respond with, what did

Jesus tell, Peter, Do you love me?

Yes. Lord you know I love you feed my

sheep. He didn't say do you love my

sheep? Yes.

Lord. I love your sheep.

Then feed my sheep. Do you love me?

Do you love me? Yes.

Or then feed my sheep? Your love for Souls will not

take you very far to reaching. Souls your love.

For Christ will though. Don't forget that and so I look

at this and I realize, okay, Lord I'm not going to be

exhausting. I'm not going to get into the

place where I preach the truth and have skepticism in my heart.

I'm not going to I'm not going to do any of that.

I'm not going to try to manipulate the person to try to

keep them as long as possible because we don't need yet

another person to walk out and prove to be rocky soil.

It's going to discourage everybody else.

None of that you don't need to do any of that.

Just shine. And let the light do with the

light can do. And the men who reject the

light, they will be held accountable for it.

Your responsibility is simply love me enough that you want to

tell others about me. I'll share an end, a story and

closing. I'll never forget the time.

When I was a college student, some of you most of, you know,

this where we would spend every Saturday to just go out and

share with our college campus and we would go beyond that.

We would go downtown Toronto and we would share and a group of us

would come together and then we would break up into groups and

go out into the Dundas Square of downtown Toronto.

And then we would come back into our apartment and debrief about

how our time was sharing the truth to people.

Can I tell you something? You would be amazed to know how

many people in the middle of the street.

We're willing to have a conversation about God.

It was astounding to me how many people were willing to stop and

share and listen, but on this particular night, something

happened, that was a very rare occasion.

One of my friends went out to share with a group of his

friends that were connected to that night and they came back

and I've never seen him so disappointed, so discouraged.

He sat with us and when we went through the circle, he opened

his mouth. He says, look I got to be

honest. Tonight was rough, we'll explain

said me, and so. And so we came up to the group

of guys around our age and we ask them questions and this this

individual with that group began to just relentlessly mock us.

And I could even get another word out, he would just stop me

and continue to mock me. He just it came to the point

where I said, look, man, I'm not going to, okay?

You want to just at least take this.

I'm done here. And I could tell that he was so

dejected. So just overwhelmed by how he

was just publicly mock like that.

Because we had not seen it like that.

And we encourage them. We said brother.

Don't don't be overwhelmed. You did your part you planted

the seed and that's it months. Go by months go by I'm out of

that apartment. Even I get a phone call from

this friend and he calls me says, you won't believe it.

I said, what because you remember that night and he began

to remind me what happened say? Yeah, he goes.

Listen, you remember how I flew out overseas and went to Germany

for a few days. I said yeah, you know, so there

I am in the airport Pearson Airport.

I'm getting some snacks before the flight, and while I'm in one

of those little stores, I see that guy from that time, we went

out evangelizing and I avoided him like the plague.

He was walking one side of the story.

I was walking the other. I was ready to just leave and

before you know, it as my back is turned toward him, I hear him

calling to me. And I turn around, I realize it

is him. And this man looked at me and he

says, do you remember me? Because he has a remember you?

And he goes, I have to apologize for how I treated you that

night. This is not a guy that we saw

here and there was a guy on the street that we bump into.

He said, I got to apologize for how I treated you that night.

Because I have to tell you, the reason why I acted that way was

because you and your friends who came up to me, convicted me so

badly because I could not believe that on a Saturday

night. There was a group of guys my age

that were going around telling other people about Jesus.

And it bothered me so much that my defense mechanism was to mock

you and Scorn you and try to get rid of you as soon as possible.

He goes on another thing. I'm a pastor's kid.

And I walked away from all of that.

But I got to tell you. Now, I'm serving as a youth

leader in his church. And I'm walking with Jesus, Now,

I Believe by God's grace. He allowed a stranger from the

streets of Toronto to bump into that same person who witnessed

him months later, to encourage him, and let him know.

What is efforts did? But what if he had never

revealed it to him? What if the last thing?

That he saw and heard was a man who hated the things that he was

saying and showed that he wanted nothing to do with the truth

that he believed. I think we're going to have a

lot of surprises waiting for us in heaven.

Not just surprises of you're here, you're here.

There's also going to be, we're sewing.

So Isn't so-and-so supposed to be here.

Are you saved? Are you born again?

Are you a real Christian? Are you in for a surprise when

you stand before? Jesus Christ, I will do to you

today in the next couple of minutes.

What that preacher did. For Charles Spurgeon.

Some of you today, we're sitting here are miserable.

You're not fooling anybody with your smile.

Your miserable, your, enter your Void, you're just wandering in

this life, trying to fulfill the void that every other purpose

that you endeavored to accomplish.

Has failed to deliver. But in God's Providence,

perhaps. At a church that strangely has a

service at 1 p.m. on a Sunday, you're here.

And you thought to yourself, I would never come to church on a

Sunday morning maybe. Yeah.

But I have gardening to do and I got shopping to do.

And, and so 1 p.m. is just inconvenient.

But here you are one p.m. on a Sunday, were coming up to three.

You're probably wondering. When are you going to stop?

So I can have my late lunch. Not letting you go right away.

Do you know Jesus? Have you been saved?

Are your sins forgiven? Do you have a vibrant living

relationship with the Living? God have you made a conscious

decision that you will surrender to his saving work?

Do you know in your heart that your name is written in the

Lamb's Book of Life? Do you know that if God forbid

on your way home today you were to slip into eternity which you

are going at one point that you have, the assurance that the

person you will meet. Who is your maker is indeed your

savior? If not, then God in his goodness

has presented you the opportunity before it is too

late. That at this time, you will say,

I realized the severity of my sin, I realized the goodness of

his saving love, and I will not leave here without making that

decision, that I will live for him, I will trust in him.

I will repent of my sins and embrace his goodness.

And his love by saying, wash me in the blood.

Cleanse me savior? Or I die.

Today, you can be saved today. You can be saved and all that

you've been looking for. You will discover has been and

always will be in Jesus. Believer.

I pray that in the Simplicity of this message you will have a new

found passion and desire to be mindful of the purpose that you

have on the earth. And don't go with desire and how

you feel as God as we close in prayer.

Today, for a conviction, ask God for what Paul had.

Oh God, put under me. The obligation that I have.

The obligation and oh, God may not just be mere duty, but maybe

that I've discovered such deep things in you.

That the Delight of what I have discovered is now overflowing

them bubbling over into the people who don't know you.

Oh, he will do it, he will do it.

And I pray that this church, this church, Would be filled

with soul winners. God can do it.

Let's pray. Lord in this afternoon, we've

heard the Simplicity of What our identity is.

What our purpose is as good soil, who bear fruit.

Lord, we want not only the conviction, we also want that

eagerness that Paul had. And so we just pray that there

would be a personal Revival in each of our hearts.

To be able to walk through this life.

No longer apps in mind that the shoulders that we rub, their

more than just business partners.

The more than just co-workers, they're more than just family

members. There are potential brothers or

sisters in Christ. And we ask Lord that, we would

know the wisdom of the spirit. Of how to go about this. and

that Lord, we would just think a little longer and realize that

there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed about when it comes

to your truth being shared. And so Lord we pray by your

grace maybe realize that we have a treasure to Great to keep to

ourselves. Maybe realize that we are the

primary means by which you reach the loss.

May be realize that there is the response of men is not our

responsibility. And that on that final day, we

will see the fullness of the fruit of our efforts.

Oh, Lord. Just revive us again in this

including the preacher revive us again.

Lord to go beyond to go beyond these walls.

And what we just worship you, we worship you.

That you have indeed come and said for the sinner in this

house, may they realize that you have singled them out.

And you're calling to them what you said to Charles Spurgeon

through that man's lips. Look unto me and Jesus name.

Amen.