I recall when I was a boy, when
I attended Sunday school, hearing a song, a chorus really, and
I hadn't heard it in many, many years until just a few weeks
ago. It goes like this, everybody ought to know, everybody ought
to know, everybody ought to know who Jesus is. He's the lily of
the valley. He's the bright morning star. He's the fairest of 10,000. Everybody
ought to know. And that's exactly what our master
teaches us in our text this evening. Luke chapter 8, verses 16 through
20. As we read this portion of scripture,
let us keep in mind the context in which it is found. You cannot
rightly interpret any portion of scripture if you do not interpret
it within its context. It is a terrible disservice to
your soul and the souls of others. And it is a terrible disrespect
to the word of God just to pull phrases and words and statements
and verses out of scripture and quote them and apply them wherever
you want to without regard to their meaning. If you want to
understand the scriptures honestly and properly, always interpret
the scriptures in their context. Now in this passage, our Lord
Jesus has just given us the parable of the sower and his explanation
of it. And now in verses 16 through
21, he gives a very practical, personal application of that
which he has taught in the parable to you and me. He's speaking
now to his disciples who heard him, and this is what he says.
No man, when he has lighted a candle, covers it with a vessel, or puts
it under a bed, but sets it on a candlestick, that they which
enter in may see the light. That makes pretty good sense,
doesn't it? It just makes good sense. You light a candle, you
light it so folks can see. Read on. For nothing is secret
that shall not be made manifest, neither anything hid that shall
not be known and come abroad. Take heed, therefore, how you
hear. For whosoever has to him, it
shall be given. And whosoever has not from him
shall be taken away even that which he seems to have. Then
came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come
to him for the press. And it was told him by certain
which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring
to see you. And he answered and said unto
them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word
of God and do it. Now the things that we have just
read were written by God the Holy Spirit for our learning
and our admonition and they are given for this purpose to nail
down and fix in our minds this one mighty lesson. That which
God teaches us by his grace we are to proclaim to others. That's
what's taught in the passage. What God teaches us, what God
reveals to us by his grace in his word, we are to proclaim
to others. If God has been a light and set
it in his candlestick, he has done it so that men might see
the light. He doesn't hide it. All right,
now let me show you three very, very weighty things in these
verses. Number one, our master teaches
us principally here. It is our responsibility to proclaim
abroad the gospel which we have learned by divine revelation. You say, well, but pastor, we're
not preachers. It is our responsibility. as much the responsibility of
Shelby Fortner, who cannot and should not and must not ever
stand before men and preach publicly. She's a woman. It is as much
her responsibility as it is her husband's, who's called of God
and gifted of God to preach the gospel. It is our responsibility,
the responsibility of every individual believer, the responsibility
of every gospel church, the responsibility of every gospel preacher. It
is the responsibility of all who have learned the gospel to
proclaim the gospel. That's our business. That's our
business. Look at verse 16. No man when he hath lighted a
candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed, but
setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter may see
the light. For nothing is secret which shall
not be made manifest, neither anything hid that shall not be
known and come abroad. In other words, no one lights
a candle to hide it. The reason for lighting the candle,
the reason for lighting the candle is to hold it forth so that as
you go forth with the candle, it may diffuse light before you
and all who enter a room may see the light that's in the room.
And whenever we read or hear these words falling from the
lips of our master, we ought to first think of ourselves and
apply them to ourselves. God has revealed the gospel to
you and me. What an astounding fact. What an astounding fact. God
Almighty has reached down from heaven in these dark, dark hearts
of ours. Hearts that would not and could
not see. He has opened our hearts and
planted in our souls the light of His grace. Gospel knowledge comes only by
divine revelation. True spiritual knowledge comes
only by divine revelation. You cannot know these things
except God revealed them to you. Flesh and blood is not revealed
to you, but my Father which is in heaven. Why do you reveal
it to us? He's revealed the gospel to us
and has given it to us as a trust. It's been committed to our hands
by divine providence and grace that we might carry it forth
into the world in which we live in this our day. This is our
day. This is our day. We can, we sometimes
have a tendency to read the newspapers and we get a little morbid and
a little sad because what's going on around us. Bobby Estes, this
is the day God made for us. And he didn't make any mistakes.
This is our day. This is our day to serve the
interest of his kingdom. This is our day to serve the
honor of his name. There has never been and can
never be a better day this side of eternity for you and I to
do what God has given us the opportunity and privilege of
doing. Never been a better day for you and I to walk with Him.
Never been a better day for you and I to serve Him. Never been
a better day for you and I to do what God has now given us
the opportunity to do. He has made this day for us and
made us for this day. Let us understand this is the
day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it and
serve Him every day of it with every fiber of your being. He's
given us the gospel. that we might proclaim the gospel
in this our day. He didn't give us the knowledge
of His dear Son. He did not reveal to us how that
God can be just and justify sinners. He did not show us His glory
and His grace, His righteousness and His mercy, His truth and
His love. He did not make these things
known to us so that we would stand back and admire them, and
study them, and discuss them, and say, boy, did you see this?
Let me show you something. and then debate about him and
fuss about him, argue about him. He gave us the gospel that we
might carry it into this world for the saving of his elect,
for the glory of his name. Ever stop and wonder why on earth
has God Almighty let Sam Wall in this world after bringing
you to know his son, after bringing you to believe the gospel, after
planting his grace in you. God and his providence arranged
for you to meet that little girl raised up here, fall in love,
marry her, hear the gospel and believe. And now Sam, he has
made you perfect in Jesus Christ. Now you can ball that over a
little bit. Perfect. There is absolutely nothing more
for God to do for any of us than He has already done to make us
accepted with Him in glory. Nothing. We are right now meet
to be partakers of the inheritance of saints in life. Well, why
did He leave us here then? Why has He left us here? So that
for the honor of His name We might be instruments in His hands
for the saving of other sinners just like us. Can you think of
any other reason? Can you think of any other purpose
for our existence in this world? Can you think of any other reason
why He left us here? Just so we could suffer a while
longer? Just so we could endure more trouble? Just so we could
endure more heartache? Oh no! He has left us here so that we
might be instruments in His hands for the glory of His name. whereby
he will call out a people for his namesake. The gospel is a
talent trusted to us as stewards of the mysteries of God. That trust brings with it a great,
great weight of responsibility. Let me address myself first. Preachers. This preacher, let me exclude
every other preacher, this preacher, this one right here, is responsible
unto God to preach the gospel as widely, as thoroughly, as
fully to this generation as God in his providence will permit.
It is my responsibility. It is my personal responsibility. It is my personal responsibility
to proclaim the gospel to all the world while I live. So you
can't do that. I know it but I give it a good
shot. It's my personal responsibility. It is my personal responsibility.
The world is perishing. Do you understand that? This
generation is going to hell. It's going to hell for lack of
knowledge. God's given me the cure. What
barbaric cruelty it would be just to hold the cure in my medicine
cabinet and say, look here what I got. It is my personal responsibility. Though I preach the gospel, I
have nothing to glory of. Nothing to boast of in that.
The only reason I'm here to do it is because God put me here.
The only reason I have any ability to do it is because God gave
it to me. The only reason anybody pays any attention to anything
I say is because God calls them to pay attention. I have nothing
to glory of, for necessity is laid upon me, yea, woe is unto
me if I preach not the gospel. Turn to Ephesians chapter 3,
let me show you something. The highest honor, greatest privilege
any sinner can ever know is the honor and privilege of being
called sons of God. Here we are, sons and daughters
of the Almighty. Next to that is this privilege. Look at verse 8. Unto me, who
am less than the least of all saints, I'm the smallest nobody among
nobodies, the most insignificant, insignificant among insignificance.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, no qualities
in me to qualify me. You might say, well, boy, he
make a good preacher, he's so smart. I don't qualify. He make a good preacher, good
speaker, I don't qualify. He make a good preacher, good student,
I don't qualify. And I don't say it boastingly, just fact.
Unto me who am less than the least of all saints is this,
look at it, this grace given. Oh, how God has graced me. That I should preach among the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ. That's my personal
responsibility. I used to think When I was younger
and had the world by the tail on a downhill pull, you know,
I knew everything and had everything under control. I thought, well,
this ain't going to get easy as you go along. The weight weighs more heavily
on me now than it ever has. It is more consuming of my thoughts
than it's ever been. And that's the way it ought to
be. Now, let me speak to you. Let's exclude everybody else.
Let's just pretend there are not any other believers in this
world. Let's just pretend there are not any other churches in
this world for just a minute. Let me speak to you, my brothers
and sisters in Christ. To you individually and to you
as a congregation. It is our responsibility and
oh what a privilege to feed the world. It is our responsibility, our
great distinct privilege, our high, high honor, chosen, called,
sanctified, born of God, redeemed by the blood of Christ. It is
our great privilege, extreme honor, us, the least of all people. Us, the most insignificant, most
incapable of all peoples. It is our privilege to preach
Christ to this generation. And that's the only way. That's
the only way, Bob Potts, that you can serve your neighbors
or your families for the glory of God. That's the only way,
James, you can serve your neighbor or your family for the glory
of God. That's the only way we can serve this generation for
the glory of God. The only way. Look in Matthew chapter 28. So preacher, how do you do that?
How do we do that? As a congregation, you support
the cause of Christ around the world faithfully. Here locally,
yes, but around the world. We give of our means for the
cause of Christ. What God's put in our hands,
He has not put in our hands just for us to lavish ourselves with
luxury. He's put in our hands to use
for His glory, for the furtherance of the gospel. Now look at verse
18 of Matthew 28. This is our Lord's final word
to His church. Jesus came and spoke unto them
saying, all power, all power. If we have to believe that, we
wouldn't need much inspiration elsewise. All power, all authority,
all dominion, all possession of all things for all time, for
all eternity, all power, all control over every thought of
every man's mind, all power is given to me. Wasn't given to
him as God the Son, he possessed it from eternity. Given to me
as the God-man mediator, as the head of my church. Given to me
in heaven and in earth. Now then, look at what it says.
Go ye therefore. Let me give you a better translation.
Really is a better translation. While you are going therefore.
Here we are. He's put us in this world and
we're going through it. We're pilgrims just passing through.
Why are you going, he says, since all power is given to me? And
you're going through this hostile enemy territory. Why are you
going? Preach the gospel. Teach all nations. Proclaim to
them what I've taught you. Baptizing them. Now you don't
go baptize them and then teach them. You teach them and then
baptize them. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and
Son and the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I've commended you. Whatever I've taught you
in secret. You get up on the housetop and
tell it. Why are you going? Oh, but people won't like that.
People get upset. People just... Can't you imagine
what people are going to do? And Lord, I'm with you always. It'll be alright. It'll be alright. You don't have to count on anybody.
You don't have to be afraid of anybody. You don't have to worry
about what anybody's going to do. I'm with you. I'm with you. I'm with you always. Now then,
look at John 20. Verse 21. and hang on to your seat. Then Jesus said to them again, Peace be unto you. Now take your
pen and underscore this word, circle it, put a star beside
it. As. What? In exactly the same manner. For exactly the same reason.
As my father hath sent me, even so send I you. And he breathed on them the Holy
Ghost. What on earth does that say?
Just exactly what you must with honesty conclude it saying. Did
the father send him to save a people? Why send us? Did the Father send
Him for the gathering of His elect? That's why He sent us.
Did the Father send Him in mercy? That's why He sent us. Did the
Father send Him to proclaim light to the Gentiles? That's why He
sent us. Did the Father send Him to proclaim liberty to the
captives? That's why He sent us. As the
Father sent me for the saving of His people. Now, I send you,
my representatives in this world, when we read these words or hear
them, we certainly ought to think of others around us. We live in a world of darkness. Multitudes through the world
are perishing. Without God, without Christ,
without hope. Multitudes in this city perishing. Without God, without Christ,
without They don't know God from a billy
goat and don't know the gospel from Hollywood entertainment.
Perishing for lack of knowledge. Would to God somehow, somehow
he'd put that in our hearts. Sons and daughters, brothers
and sisters, neighbors and friends, enemies too, perishing. Perishing. going to hell. Robert Murray
McShane, that preacher so greatly used of God in Scotland many,
many years ago, died I think when he was 29 years old, but
mightily used, pastored Christ Church in Dundee, Scotland. Tell
you how far things have gone. The pastor of that church recently
started listening to some of our tapes and for for a Scottish
preacher this is something else he sent a hundred dollar check
in here one time several years ago said send me as many tapes as
that will get here and he started preaching he started preaching
what he was hearing and they put him out to pasture but back
years ago McShane preached the gospel faithfully one day he
was standing in the streets of Scotland in Edinburgh or Glasgow
I think it was He stood on the street corner and just broke
out in tears, weeping. A friend standing beside him
said, what's wrong? He said, oh, I hear the thud
of Christless souls walking to hell. You see, the gospel God's given
us It's not just something we debate. This is where we're different
from you. This is how we do things different
from you. This is what we believe different
from you. No! This is light! This is life! This is salvation! And without it, there is none.
There is none. Turn to Romans chapter 9, if
you will. Is there nothing we can do for
them? Oh, indeed there is. We can't save sinners? No, sir.
We can't cause men to believe the gospel? No, sir. We can't
even incline folks to do so, no matter how passionate we are,
no matter how zealous we are. We can't do anything to change
the condition of a dead, depraved, doomed, damned sinner. But we
can tell them the gospel. We can preach the truth to it.
And we ought to do so with fervency, passion, and zeal with every
fiber of our beings. Paul says, I say the truth in
Christ. I lie not, my conscience also
bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. Heard Ralph Barnard preaching
on that text one time, he said, now this is what that means,
I ain't playing church now, I'm telling you the truth. I'm telling you
the truth. God's my witness. I have a great
heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. How come? Cause of my brethren. my kinsmen. I could wish myself
a curse from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh. I frankly acknowledge I don't
understand all the theological ramifications
what he just said but I frankly acknowledge also I don't experimentally
understand the passion of the man's soul and I want to. Look at verse 1 of chapter 10.
Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for Israel is
that they might be saved. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter
5. One more text. Verse 10, we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the
things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether
it be good or bad. Shelby and I were chatting a
little earlier this afternoon, getting ready to come over here. How many I've seen, for one reason or another, mothers
and fathers, husbands or wives, abandon the gospel and are perfectly
justified, perfectly, oh, the Lord knows, he understands. Oh,
what a day it will be when a lost mama meets her lost son, a lost
daddy meets his lost daughter, lost husband meets his lost wife,
a lost wife meets her lost husband. who led them to hell before the
bar of God. When lost preachers meet lost
men whom they deceived before the bar of God. Now look at the
next word. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord. terror. I am terrified for you who know
not God. The terror of justice. The terror of God's wrath. The terror of God's holiness. Our God who is a consuming fire. Knowing the terror of the Lord. We persuade man. We persuade
man. Oh, that's preaching. That's
preaching. We persuade man. Folks stand
up and I hear preachers sometimes say, I don't care whether you
believe what I'm preaching or not. I care. I care. Paul said, we
put the pressure on. We're going to shut you up to
Christ. We're persuading you. Persuade you to believe on the
Son of God. I fully agree with J.C. Ryle,
who said, the highest form of selfishness is that of a man
who's content to go to heaven alone. And the truest charity
is to endeavor to share with others every spark of gospel
light we possess ourselves and so hold forth our own candle.
that it may give light to everyone around us. God never lights a
candle to have it burn alone. Now, just
briefly, in verse 17 our Lord is declaring this, the gospel
must and shall be preached in all the world. You remember what
he said in Matthew? This gospel of the kingdom shall
be preached in all the world, then shall the end come. It's
going to be preached in all the world. You mean, Lord, by one
means or another, somehow or another, in all the four corners
of the earth, north, south, east, and west, In all the dark regions
of this world, in all the hamlets of this world, in all the nations
of this world, to all the peoples of this world, sometime or another,
between the time that word's spoken and the time you come
in your glory, you're gonna cause the gospel to be preached everywhere!
Maybe he'll let me do some of it. Everywhere! Everywhere. He says, nothing is hid that
shall not be revealed. He said, these things I've spoken
to you in parables, you're going to tell them on the housetop.
Now this 17th verse is not talking about some future time when God's
going to, you know, show the whole world an X-rated movie
of what goes on in your mind. That's not what it's talking
about. He's talking about the revelation of the gospel, reading
its context. People these days speak as though this book is
still a matter of things hidden. Oh, no. The apostles were inspired
of God to give the light. And they put it on paper. You
got it in your hand. The full revelation of the word
of God. And God still diffuses that light
through the world by the instrumentality of his church and preachers as
the gospel is preached. So that things that were hidden
from generations before are now made manifest and openly proclaimed. Anytime you hear somebody say
the, you know, Back a few years ago when everybody was talking
about the turn of the century and the end of the world, you
know, well, the Bible is a book of code. This is God's code book. Figure the code out and you can
figure out when the Lord is coming. Figure the code out and you can figure
out the times. This is not God's secret code. This is God's revelation. It's revealed. And it's our business
now to proclaim it everywhere. He says it will be preached to
all generations or to all parts of the world in this generation.
Now, secondly, I won't spend much time here because I've dealt
with it a good bit. We must take heed how we hear the gospel. Take heed therefore. in the light
of these things, in the light of the fact that God has committed
the gospel to you, in the light of the fact that God has lit
this candle in your soul, in light of the fact that God has
planted you in his kingdom, in light of the fact that God has
revealed the light of the grace and glory of God in the face
of Christ to you. Take heed, therefore, how you
hear. The degree to which Bob and Mary
Lou Duff will benefit from the preaching of the gospel depends
greatly on how you hear it. Take heed, therefore, how you
hear it. How you hear it. Would you hear the word, whenever
you come to hear the gospel preached, maybe sit here on a Sunday morning,
listen to Lindsay expand the scriptures, or you hear me, or
you hear one of these other