Parables of the Kingdom

Today on the Lord's.

The addition of Renewing Your Mind from the first time the first sin was ever committed.

Beloved, fallen people went into hiding from God. And so it is our nature as corrupt people try to put some kind of covering over the pure light of the gospel. Jesus said it's impossible to quench. This light is the kingdom of God, life, and how does it work to address those questions. Jesus taught her in one of those parables is found in Mark chapter 4 today. Dr. RC Sproul continues his sermon series from this gospel and we begin with verse 21 Jesus asks is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket work under a bed and not understand.

Let's join Dr. scroll down when you begin this morning by being a little bit tricky about the translation that I just read it almost baffles me completely, but I have a theory to explain the mystery. And that is why in the world. The translation that I have used in most of the ones that you have before you translate verse 21 is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed baffles me, because here in this translation the indefinite article is used rather than the definite article and the concept of the lamp is left in a generic sense when the Greek New Testament clearly uses the direct article and makes the lamp the subject of the sentence and the only proper way to translate what is in the original here is degraded like this. Does the lamp come in order to be put under a basket or under a bed know what's the difference why am I not completely baffled while to understand this little detail which I think is a significant little detail in biblical days when the gospel writers were compiling their documents. They didn't just spin things out of their minds, but it's almost assured conclusion we have that very early. There circulated a group of sayings of Jesus called Loki, or simply the words or teachings of Jesus, which were at the disposal of the synoptic writers and included in these Loki a word lists of similes and aphorisms in parables, and so on, and the gospel writers had the authority and the opportunity to place these statements of Jesus in any contacts they wanted to in their gospel in order to make the point that they were trying to make and this simile of the lamp that is not to be put under a bushel or under a table is found in all three of the synoptic Gospels, and since Matthew and Luke do not use the definite article. I suspect that's the reason why our translators here ignore the fact that Mark does use the definite article. So what's the big deal.

But here's the big deal if we just look at this simile is referring to any lamp generically that is ever brought into a room and placed under a basket or under table, we miss the significance of what Mark is saying here is not talking about any lamp is talking about. I lamp he's talking about the lamp who is the subject of this discourse.

What Jesus says is the lamp, not to be hidden under a bushel, will what is the lamp he speaking were properly we should ask who is the lamp because in biblical categories, God himself, and particularly his law is referred to as the lamp and now Jesus is talking about the light that is come into the world with the breakthrough of the kingdom of God and the one who is the lamp is Jesus himself and what he saying here with this simile is I did not come here to be hidden and concealed in secrecy forever. I came here as a lamp that is to be set up on the lampstand so that the light that I bring may burst forth, and manifests itself clearly to all who dwell in darkness. I didn't come to be covered with a basket or hidden under a table now again the references Jesus makes here is drawn from the common experience of the people of that day whose homes were illumined at night by oil lamps and it just so happens that this morning I have brought one of them with me this little piece of pottery is over 2000 years old.

It dates back to biblical times. It's a very crude instrument. You can see that it's like a bowl where a couple of the edges have been pinched together and this was a typical oil lamp from the ancient world where the oil would be poured into the bowl and then were the portion of the bowl is pinched together. There would be a floating wick that would come up out of this point and that wick would be drenched in the oil from the lamp and the wick would be lit with fire. And then this tiny little lamp was expected to give light to the room where you wouldn't take a lamp like this and put a bushel basket over it. Would you shut out the light. Nor would you take a little lamp like this and put it under a table where the light would be blocked or eclipsed. Jesus is obviously you take a lamp like this and you put it on a place where whatever light it generates may be clearly perceived throughout the house and dear friends, it is the duty of the church in every generation, and it is the duty of every pastor and it is the duty of every Christian to take that lamp and remove the basket put it in a prominent place where people can behold the truths of God and of his son Jesus goes on in his teaching here.

He said there's nothing hidden that will not be revealed or anything be kept secret but it should come to light and he saying now that even though the lamp that he has brought into a world of darkness. And remember, John tells us the darkness could not overcome it. Darkness has no power to quench light. When light is present and Jesus understood that I live in a world that prefers darkness to light a world that likes to dwell in secret, but from the first time the first sin was ever committed. Beloved, fallen people went into hiding from God and fear the light less that if the light dawns. We will be exposed and we will be naked and we will be ashamed. And so it is our nature as corrupt people to try to put some kind of covering over the pure light of the gospel. Jesus said it's impossible to quench this light, nothing that is in secret. Now will stay in secrecy. Everything that is hidden everything that is concealed will be revealed, and he's talking about the full manifestation of his nature and of his kingdom. At the last day and then he goes on to say, if anyone has ears to hear this with them.

Say, are you listening and paying attention to what I'm saying I am the lamp of God. I am supposed to be made manifest. You hear what I'm saying you grasp my teaching here. Lisa, take heed what you hear. For with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you and to you who hear, more will be given. There's a little play on words here because the basket that he talks about is a basket that is used for measurement and it's as if Jesus is saying the same size basket that you put over this lamp I would put over you if you hide my light completely whatever light you had we taken away, but the same measure by which you manifest my lamp I will manifest my glory in you is a tremendous thing that we are called to be children of the light and we are called to set forth the light of Christ to this dying world around us in the said River however much you listen and heed however much you are involved now. Whatever you possess of that light in this earthly sojourn when the kingdom comes in his fullness all the more will be given to you is just like the parable of the talents, but if you take that talent buried in the ground.

If you take that light and covered with a bushel. Whatever you have now will be taken away forever. Then he gives another parable he says the kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground and sleep by night and rise by day. I just come back to this whole metaphor of sewing and the seed remember the last time we were together with Mark's gospel we looked at the parable of the sower while Jesus is taking a little tangent off of that and now he's not talking about the different soil into which the seed is sown, but he's talking about one of the most remarkable dimensions of nature that we experience all the time. He said a man sows the seed they does the bad goes about tonight gets up in the morning hasn't done a thing while he was sleeping while he was sound asleep that seed that was so is at work. It's energized. It's already in the earth, the rain is coming.

While I'm asleep in the earth brings forth first the blade, but a shoot then the fruit than the whole harvest becomes right in the sickle is brought to the harvest Jesus and that's the way the kingdom of God is tiny little seed place the ground you go to sleep while you're sleeping. The sea is coming to life imperceptibly in a mysterious matter. No, we used to say when we were in seminary and we listened to the higher critical scholars with all of their cynicism and skepticism attacking the Bible at every page and so on. I had one professor who said about the higher critics. He says I can't believe the arrogance of these men was what he means is they think that they can watch the grass growing from 2000 years away. I can even do it if they were there, you can't perceive all this going on with the kingdom of God.

This is very comforting to me and should be comforting to you that this is of God's kingdom works. I remember once I was standing at the door after service. I don't know where it was in this young man came up to me and he said hi my name is so-and-so and he said I met you. 15 years ago when you were preaching a little country church in Pennsylvania and he told me what my sermon was and then he said I came to you after the service.

As I was going out and I shook your hand and I asked you a question and he told me what he said and then he said, and here's what you said and he repeated verbatim what I have said to him 15 years earlier. Was he passing by me at the door so I went home and I could not get your words out of my head and God used that comment that you made that day to convict me to go into the ministry-assured and plan that and you know really. It was scary. It was terrifying so I wonder how many other words I've spoken to people that I don't remember at all but wounded them, created scars on their souls that they carry. To this day.

We have no idea how powerful a simple word can be. Every year in America. 16,000 ministers leave the ministry, some for moral reasons but most leave the ministry because they feel unappreciated by their congregations and they feel like they're spinning their wheels that their preaching their hearts out and nothing is happening, they need to hear this parable Jesus is the kingdom of God is not that you throw some seed on the ground and five minutes later had to skew mongers harvest or they'll listen to Paul and he said one sows another waters but it's God who brings forth the increase. II don't like to be personal like this investor came to me as this is you gotta read this letter so I read this three-page letter with this fellow was telling me about how he first heard when my lectures 20 years ago so and then I read some books and all of this, he became involved in table talk and all the rest and he was just thanking me for this ministry and I got to the end and I read his name guys on national radio every day is one of great leaders of our church movement in our society and I had no idea that anything I ever said or wrote had any impact on him because that's the way the kingdom is we don't know what God does with our service or with our efforts, we plant the seed go to bed.

And God takes that seed and he germinates life and the life grows and produces a full harvest. But then God himself reaps for his own glory. So we need to forget about trying to see the fruit of our service immediately.

It doesn't matter if we see it, were supposed to do it and we are to take that light and make it clear make it plain and let the chips fall where they fall. Then Jesus continues in this little string of parables with another parable drawn from growing said torture would liken the kingdom of God with what parable shall we picture. It's like a mustard seed when it is sown on the ground is smaller than all the seeds on the earth when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs shoots out large branches so that the birds of the year may nest under its shade back in the 80s, we were involved in the International Council on biblical inerrancy or recalling the church and the church is scholars back to affirm defense of the inspiration of infallibility of sacred writ. There was a New Testament professor.

One of the largest seminaries in America who had abandoned the doctrine and was teaching his students that one could no longer believe in the inerrancy of sacred Scripture.

Because there's a clear mistake in the New Testament right here in the passage that I just read to you and he would tell his students. Jesus said that the mustard seed was the smallest of all seeds and we know that there are seeds that botanists know are more minute in size than the size of the mustard seed. Imagine giving up your whole view of Scripture in your overview of Jesus. Based upon that life that I is there no room for hyperbole in the teachings of Jesus does not Jesus or the gospel writers tells in all Capernaum came out to hear him that the we understand that to mean that every man woman and child every invalid came out that they know two weeks ago the Pittsburgh paper said the whole city turned out to welcome some folks from Detroit, but we know when we read that the were not saying when not accusing the reporters of why and we also know that in Hebrew idiom. It was a common adage among the Jews to refer to the mustard seed is the smallest seed because it was superlative. Lee small there small smaller and smallest.

It was in the category of the soup are relatively small and to accuse Jesus of falsehood. Here is just astonishing to me. But anyway, what is the point that Jesus is making about the kingdom of God, you take this tiny seed not a watermelon seed, not an acorn this tiny little seed, you can hardly keep it in your fingers and so small, and you put it in the earth. I get out of this rainy, infinitesimally small seed. The Arthur wraps this Bush grows into a tree so big, so full that the birds put their nests and get shade from this that began as a seed so small it was almost in visible Jesus isn't just telling stories about farming.

His concern here is to teach us about the kingdom of God and how the kingdom of God works smallest word that you speak the smallest service that you give God can take that tiny, seemingly insignificant thing and bring a kingdom of it. This points to the greatness of God, not to the greatness of the mustard seed.

But the greatness of God's providence which works every day to bring about his plan for the ages.

We are not wasting our time here listening to the word of God. That word is at work in you right now by tonight. You may have forgotten everything that I said this morning. If I gave you a quiz at the evening service what I preach on this morning.

Most of you would flunk it. That's why 16,000 ministers quit the ministry file care if you can remember the night because the word of God is in you know and it's at work and is bringing its fruit in its season that's how God's kingdom is built not with entertainment, not with flash. Not with all of the pizzazz that we tried to conjure up but by obedience to his word. Which word is attended by his spirit in groups and grow and grow until the day the Lord of the harvest comes men and I can't help but think of that to a familiar passage in second Timothy chapter 3, all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness is our prayer here at later ministries that God's word is doing its work in each of us as we hear God's word preached. Thank you for joining us for the Lord stay addition of Renewing Your Mind. Each week we returned to Dr. RC Sproul sermon series from the Gospel of Mark in today's message is titled parables of the kingdom. Each of the parables we heard today describes how God's kingdom manifested itself on earth like a small lamp and like a small seed. It's comforting to know that God will accomplish his work is thankful for the clarity that RC brings to these passages. That's why were eager to get today's resource offer into your hands. Since RC's commentary on Mark's gospel is nearly 400 page hardbound volume is an excellent way to deepen your understanding of the truth that we find in this gospel you can go online to make your request. You'll find us@renewingyourmind.org and that's Renewing Your Mind.org I want to make sure to thank you for your faithful support of this ministry events around the world continue to point to a profound need for the gospel. All peoples, nations and tongues were working diligently right now. The translator teaching materials into a number of languages so your financial support allows us to continue that work were grateful even listening to Renewing Your Mind. The listener supported outreach of later ministries were grateful that you enjoy this hope to see you right back here next Sunday for Renewing Your Mind