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Encouragement For Struggling Saints
September 23, 2012 Ainsworth Assembly of
AM God Church
BIBLE TEXT: Mark 4:21-34
INTRODUCTION
This morning we are leaving the Parable of the Sower behind and moving on to the next section of Mark’s gospel record.
I trust that each message shared (we shared a total of five) from the Parable of the Sower was helpful. There is a lot of food for thought in what Jesus says that can really help us understand the Christian life.
Now today we move on. I trust that this message today will especially encourage you in your faith in Christ. To open this message I want you to look at a cartoon I ran across way back in 1994. It is an edition of Hagar the Horrible. Maybe some of you like to read that comic strip. On this particular day Hagar is talking to a character he calls ‘Dirty Dirk.’ Here it is:
“Hagar says to Dirty Dirk. “Dirty Dirk, get it together!” (As Dirk is laying by a trash can, hair long and disheveled, etc.) And Dirk replies, “I’ve got it together… You should’ve seen it when it was apart.”
I share that cartoon because it highlights a truth. What looks like progress to one may not look like progress to another but don’t let that discourage you. You know what you used to be like and if you are making progress toward where God wants to take you, Praise God for how far you have come. Don’t be discouraged looking at how far you have yet to go!
I don’t know why but I feel like some in this congregation may need an encouraging word today. I believe there is a lot of help and encouragement in these three parables we are about to look at.
I hope you will listen carefully and spend some time thinking about this portion of God’s Word. There is way more here than I can talk about in 30 minutes. But I want to give you enough to lift you up and whet you appetite for more.
The first thing I want to talk about for a moment are the benefits of EMRACING THE TRUTH!.
1. THE BENEFITS OF EMBRACING THE TRUTH. 4:21-25
21Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
A. The truth is our friend.
Jesus uses a simple little picture that anyone in his audience would understand. Even though He is talking to first century Jews we can understand and get the picture also.
The typical first century home probably consisted of one room. There were no electric lights but olive oil lamps were commonly used. I’m sure it was probably pretty dark in most of those homes as they did not have window glass to cover window openings. When one entered a home he lit a lamp so he could see his way around inside. Did he put the lamp under a basket or under the bed? Of course not! He didn’t want to set the place on fire! He put it on a lamp stand in a prominent place so the light could light up the room.
In a dark room, light is a good thing if you want to find something. Light is a good thing if you want to avoid stubbing your toe on something. Light is a good thing if you are eating so you can see what you are eating. Light is a good thing if you are cooking so you can put in the right amount of ingredients. Light is a good thing!
Then notice how Jesus applies the figure. Everything will eventually come out into the light! All secrets will be brought out!
What are you saying Pastor? I’m saying the truth is the believer’s friend! We don’t have to fear the truth. We don’t have to fear being known! We don’t have to fear people knowing who we really are. We don’t have to fear the truth of God’s Word and what it says about man. We don’t have to fear and be afraid of speaking the truth.
Jesus said it this way, “31Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)
Most of us as Christians fear the truth. And especially new Christians seem to fear the truth. But God wants us to learn to deal in the truth. He wants us to honestly and truthfully confess our sins. He wants us to be truthful about our feelings. He wants us to be truthful about our shortcomings. Its coming out anyway! That’s what Jesus is saying. Its coming out anyway. You might as well deal with it now!
B. The more you welcome truth, the more you get.
Notice Jesus next statement about the truth.
Here’s what it says in the Living New Testament:
“Then he added, Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given- and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” (Mark 4:24-25)
What is the gist of Jesus’ statement? If you listen and take in the truth, more will be given to you. If you choose to do nothing with what you have already heard you will lose what you have. What is Jesus talking about?
The more you and I welcome the truth, the more we will get. The more we open our heart and ears to God’s truth, the more we will be given.
Again, Jesus is calling for us to embrace the truth, welcome the truth, see the truth as our friend!
Light is a good thing in a dark room. We want as much as possible. And truth is a good thing to light up our life.
Do you want a better life? Then start dealing in the truth. Do you want to grow as a person, learn to be truthful about your faults and shorcomings. Quit trying to dress them up so they look better than they really are.
America has become a society of liars. We used to sit and laugh while Lucy or the Fonz would tell white lies in the sitcoms of the 50’s and 60’s. But I wonder if we have sown the wind and are reaping the whirlwind?
I’m concerned that even supposedly Christian people dealing in the truth is very difficult.
The following illustration helps you see my point.
Did you ‘chop down the cherry tree?’
George, did you chop down the cherry tree?
No, dad.
I think you are lying.
No, no, no! I swear I did not chop down the cherry tree.
Son, I saw you out there with your ax. Your punishment will be worse if you lie. Now, tell me the truth!
Dad, I answered your question truthfully. Still, I must take complete responsibility for all my actions. While my answer was legally accurate, I did not volunteer information. Indeed, dad, I did cause the cherry tree to be lying on the ground. To do this was wrong. It constituted a critical lapse in judgment and a personal failure on my part, for which I am solely and completely responsible.
I know my answer to you gave a false impression. I misled you, my own father. I deeply regret that. I can only tell you I was motivated by many factors -- first, by a desire to protect myself from the embarrassment of my own conduct. I was also very concerned about protecting mom from this shock.
What I did, dad, was use a saw to cause the cherry tree to fall. Only after the tree was already down did I go get my ax to chop off individual branches. So I chopped off branches, but sawed down the tree. Look at the saw cut on the stump and the ax cuts on the branches. Therefore, legally, I told the truth. I ask you to turn away from the spectacle of this fallen tree and to return our attention to a solid family relationship. ______
Illustration by: Tom Geier, author, from The Washington Times, 9/30/98
My point this morning is that God deals in the truth. If we want to make progress as a Christian and as a person attempting to be better tomorrow than I am today, I have to embrace the truth. The truth is my friend!
Now notice the second picture we see here.
2. THE MYSTERY OF KINGDOM GROWTH. 4:26-29
The second point we want to look at this morning is the wonderful mystery of kingdom growth.
26And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Again, Jesus takes us to the farm to illustrate a very encouraging truth. The farmer goes out and scatters his seed on the ground. He does not sit out by the field watching and worrying to see whether the seed will sprout and grow. No while he goes to bed at night and goes about his business during the day, what is happening? The mystery of the life in a seed begins to work.
Remember when you were a young child the first time you planted beans in a cup of dirt? I don’t know about you but I kept digging up the seed to see what was going on with it. It was really neat to plant it in a glass jar and watch the mystery of life begin.
It first sprouts and a root begins to come out. Then comes the first little shoot of green. Eventually the blade matures and puts forth a head. If its small grain we call it a head. And finally the grain appears in the head.
Does the farmer understand all that makes the seed grow? Absolutely not! He knows that his job is to put the seed in the ground and wait. The life in the seed will do the rest. When the grain is ripe in the head, then he takes his sickle and cuts down the grain and harvests his crop.
What is the point? My friend, the point is this: If you will open your heart to the seed of Christ, the mystery will happen in you! You won’t have to sit and worry about how you will grow and produce fruit for God, but as you let the life giving power of Christ’s Spirit work in you life will happen. And you will mature to the place where there will be a harvest of righteousness in your life.
The Daily Bread devotional of Friday, November 16 (not sure what year, 06 or 07) started out: “In June of 2006, Israeli doctors and scientists successfully germinated a 2,000 year old date palm seed. Found at the Herodian fortress of Masada on the west bank of the Dead Sea, the seed was tagged “Methuselah” for the man with the oldest recorded age in the Bible.”
What is encouraging about this Pastor? Friend, there is life in the seed! Here’s a 2,000 year old date palm seed sprouting and growing! Absolutely amazing!
When you open your heart to Christ and He truly comes in a mystery begins to happen. You sleep and rise and go about your business, but something is growing in you!
New desires begin to come forth in one’s heart!
New attitudes of forgiveness and tenderness develop!
New understanding comes!
What is happening? The mystery of the kingdom of God!
Sure you and I need to water the plant. We need to give it some sunshine. We need to fertilize it a bit. But God makes it grow! And He will make you grow!
And you and I can take heart knowing that when we admit Jesus Christ into our lives, the mysterious growth of the kingdom of God will start happening. A seed of life is planted in our inner man!
The apostle Peter put it this way to his readers:
23having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides £forever, ( I Peter 1:23)
The apostle Paul put it this way to the Corinthians:
“So then death is working in us, but life (is working) in you.”
(II Corinthians 4:12
This is the great mystery. The Spirit of God brings life to our inner man and begins to produce spiritual growth.
My friend, trust God that He knows what He is doing. Trust God that He knows each stage you need to pass through and eventually He will bring you to a place of fruitfulness and abundance.
My question to you today is this? Have you opened your heart and life to Christ? If you have done that you will have the witness of the Spirit in your heart. You will sense you are different. You will sense peace and rest in your soul. Does that describe you? “For the kingdom of God is…righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)
And that brings us to the third picture here today.
3. THE MAGNITUDE OF KINGDOM INFLUENCE. 4:30-32
4.
Now thirdly and finally we see the magnitude of Kingdom influence.
30Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
Again what is encouraging about this? The black mustard plant (pictured on the screen) starts from a very tiny seed. But it eventually becomes so large that it provides shade and a roosting place for birds.
And the kingdom of God begins in our lives with a tiny seed of believing faith. Then look out because that tiny faith has great potential.
I’m sure we could apply the parable on many levels, but today lets think about how this applies to us personally.
When Jesus Christ is truly admitted into our hearts, the kingdom comes to us. And there is no stopping that kingdom until it has grown to dominate our life.