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Free Will Baptist Church
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Ironton, Ohio 45638

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Ordination
Let Your Light Shine

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Bob Bradley

_________________________ 

Mark 4:11

                      

11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

 

A couple of weeks ago we used the word initiate.  Do you remember that?  Do you remember talking about how the disciples were initiated and God gave them the ability to begin to learn or to understand about the kingdom of God?  I am going to use another word tonight because as I sat and thought today, I think this might make it little bit easier for us to understand.  The President will be elected November 7 then in January 15 or January 18 they are going to have a ceremony and they are going to do something.  What are they going to do?  They are going to inaugurate our new President.  What does the word “inaugurate” mean?  That is the day that he starts being President.  Do you think that he knows all there is to do on that particular day when he first starts?  He doesn’t know that does he?  However, as he or she—they are going to begin on that particular day—and that’s a scary thought too—to learn their job.  They don’t it all when they start.  They are initiated or inaugurated on that particular day and then from that day forward it is their responsibility to begin to learn and to execute the job of the President. 

 

Jesus has just called twelve individuals.  If you go back to chapter 3, you will find out that He has just called…

 

13 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.

14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

 

Do you remember that?  He ordained twelve.  He chose twelve men on this particular day and the Bible says that He ordained them--Get this—He inaugurated them.  On this particular day they did not know everything that they needed to know about being a disciple or apostle.  They did not know everything that they were going to have to do or all the responsibilities that they were going to have; they did not know that.  However, they begin on this particular day.  God laid upon them the authority to begin to understand the mystery of the kingdom of God. 

 

Here we studied the parable and they came and asked Him, “Explain these parables to us.  We don’t understand.  You are talking about sowing seed.  You are talking about hard ground, rocky ground, and thorny ground and we really don’t understand what you are talking about.”  However, He made this statement, “…unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God…”  That is what He said. 

 

He gave them ability on this particular day to start to understand their responsibility that they had toward Him, not only toward Him, but to be able to gradually start learning the mystery of the kingdom of God. 

 

In other words, the things that had been hidden or the things that their natural mind could not understand God enlightened them on that day or God gave them understanding on that day so that they could begin to understand the things having to do with the kingdom of God.  God have given them the authority, God had revealed unto them, giving them, enlightened them so they could start understanding the mystery of the kingdom of God.

 

As I said last week, or the week before last, you and I until we got saved had not the ability to understand the Bible.  A fellow that is unsaved cannot understand scripture.  It is impossible for someone that is not living in the will of God, not living as they should be living; cannot understand scripture because the Bible says that the Bible is inspired and we know that the discernment that is here it comes through by people that are spiritually minded. 

 

They had been inaugurated, they had been initiated, they had been given the ability to start to learn the job of being an apostle and being a disciple; they had been given that.  They did not know it all, but this is where they needed to start at.  This was their starting point.

 

Just like the President is going to start of January 15.  He does not know all of the responsibilities.  He has got a lot of them but he does not know them all just yet. 

 

The disciples here were going to have a lot of responsibility.  They did not know it all yet but as they went He was telling them that they were starting here at this particular point—the word inaugurated means to start—it means that they were going to start at this particular point to start learning about the kingdom of God and what God expected out of them. 

 

Mark 4:21-23

 

21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

 

Here Jesus is speaking to them and telling them some responsibilities that they have—they are just starting so they know a whole lot—so this is actually the first responsibility that He is giving these guys.  They have just been ordained.  They have just been inaugurated.  They had just been initiated.  They are just now starting to learn.  Jesus is going to give them their first responsibility as being a disciple, as being an apostle; He is going to give them their first responsibility on this particular day.

 

He asks a question:  “…Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel…”  When you read that in the Greek it tells us that He is expecting a negative answer.  In other words, He knows that the disciples know that you do not bring a candle or go buy a candle or bring a candle in to be put under a bushel.  That would not make any sense.  He is expecting a negative answer. 

 

He says:  “…a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed?  And not to be set on a candlestick?”  He is expecting them to say, “Hey, we know what a candle is.” 

 

When you look at a candle the word here is actually “lamp.”  A lamp is something that gives light.  They didn’t have electric like we have today.  They would make their lamps or make their torches, wicks or whatever; sometimes they had old little lamps.  They were clay jars and they would have a wick in them then they would fill them up with oil.  Then they would light them.  We even know that they had them on their shoes.  They were lamps and they used lamps to illuminate things.  They used lamps to give light.

 

He says here that you don’t buy one or bring one in to put under a bushel.  Why wouldn’t you put one under a basket?  A bushel here is a basket.  What would happen if you would light a candle and bring it in the house and then take a bushel basket and put it over top of it?  There wouldn’t be any light.  It wouldn’t make any sense whatsoever.  It wouldn’t diminish the fact that there was a candle under a bushel.  It would be there, but it would be useless.  It wouldn’t have any purpose at all. 

 

21 … a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed?...

 

Are you guys going to bring a candle in or a light in and put it under a bed?  That wouldn’t make any sense would it?  What would happen if you would bring a candle in and put it under a bed?  The bed would catch on fire.  Then there would be destruction there.  Not only would the bed catch on fire but it might the whole house would burn down.  The bed here is not like what we think about a bed.  The word “bed” in the original means “recliner couches.”  In other words, when they ate in Palestine or during this time; they did not sit in high back chairs and sit straight up like we sit straight up.  The table was close to the ground and they would recline when they ate. 

 

I’m not sure why they did that.  I have tried that before.  It does not work for me.  It may have worked for them but does not work for me.  They would recline on their side and they would eat.  They would have little cots or beds that they lay on as they ate they would prop themselves up, but they would eat on these little cots. 

 

He is saying are you going to bring the lamp in and put it under a bushel.  No, we are not going to do that.  Are you going to bring it in and put it under your cot that you are going to eat off of?  No, you are not going to do that because it would be destructive, it is going to catch it on fire. 

 

He says: “…not to be put on a candlestick…”  A candle stick was the lamp stand.  It would hold the lamp.  If you have been to weddings, the things they put all the candles in is the candlestick.  These may hold six to ten, while some have held one or two of them.  A candlestick was something that you sat up of the ground some.  You would sit the candle upon it so that it would give light and it would illuminate things everywhere. 

 

He is saying this and He is expecting them to say, “We don’t put it under a bushel.  We don’t sit it under a bed, but we put it on a candle stick.”  He is giving them their first responsibility there.  I want you to think about what He is doing.  He has been talking about sowing seed.  He has been talking about rocky ground, hard ground, thorny ground, and he has also been talking about some good ground.  He has been talking some that were sowed in the good ground and brought thirty fold, some sixty and some a hundred.  He is telling these fellows that they have been initiated, they have been inaugurated, and they have been given something here that they are not to hide.  They have been given something here.  They have something that was placed within them that they should not hide.  When you read the scriptures, the scripture is referred to as light.  Truth is referred to as light.  It was going to be these brethren’s responsibility not to hide the truth or the light that they had been give.  It was going to be their responsibility to make sure that the light they had been given, the truth that they had been infused with; they were to make sure that they did not hide that. 

 

Do you think it is possible for people that have been saved, born again?  God has placed His Holy Spirit within us, He has placed light within us; do you think it is possible for us to take that light and instead of sharing it with others; instead of sharing the truth with others—do you think it is possible that we take that and just hide that?  Do you think we don that?  Many times we do that don’t we? 

 

What we need to think about is this:  Truth is given unto you and I—the ability to understand truth was given unto these guys so that they could share it. 

 

I knew fellow years ago, probably one of the smartest men that I have ever met.  He was just a very intelligent guy, but even though he had this knowledge he was so lazy that he didn’t want to go anywhere so that he could teach it.  He just wanted it all for himself.  If God has blessed us with understanding; if God has given us His Word; if God has given us light then I have a responsibility and you have a responsibility to share that light; not to put it under a bushel.  Don’t hide it.  Don’t conceal it.  How is that going to do any one any good if God has blessed us and given us the ability to share the truth with people then what is it going to do anybody any good if I take that truth that He has given me and just put it under a bushel.  It is not going to do anyone any good. 

 

He is saying here, “Fellows you have started out on this journey.  You have been initiated.  You have been inaugurated.  I have given you the ability to understand the truths that are in the kingdom of God, but as you learn them, you need to share them. 

 

We could have the smartest individual in the world; you may be the smartest individual in the world, but if you do not want to share what God has blessed you to know, then what is it doing any good.  If you know every word in the Greek, and you can read the Greek New Testament forwards and backwards and you take the Old Testament and read it all in Hebrew and you knew what it all meant; what would it do any good if you were not teaching it to somebody?  What would it do any good, if you were taking that and concealing that truth, what would it be doing any good? 

 

He was talking to the twelve, but he also is talking to you and me.  I know that I know there are a lot of things that we can’t do.  He never gave me the ability to heal people.  He never gave me that.  A lot of things that these guys had the ability to do, we cannot do.  However, He has given us the ability, if we are saved, if we have been born again, God has given us the ability to understand truth; to understand what the Bible says.  We have a responsibility to teach what the Bible.  Light is the truth.  Light is the Bible.  It is our responsibility to teach truth.  That is our responsibility.  When we do that then other people gets enlightened.  As we teach other people then God will enlighten us more so that we can enlighten other people.  That is how this works.

 

Some brought 30 fold, some brought 60 fold, and some brought a 100 fold; but He was saying here, whatever the ability you have, you do not need to conceal it.  Whatever the level of enlightenment that you have—whether you teach on a third grade level, a sixth grade level, or a tenth grade level—the ability that has been delegated unto or given unto you; use that to start working on understanding the mystery of the kingdom of God so that you can teach other people. 

 

I have said this before.  The person that learns that learns the most in any class is the teacher.  If the teacher is honest and sincere, wants to learn, wants to be a good teacher—whether it is in church, school or wherever—if that individual is a good instructor, then he or she wants to keep up with the new things that are coming along all the time.  This way the kids that are coming in under him or her can be taught some new things.  That is the same thing.  If we are interested in teaching the truth, then we have to gradually learn, gradually apply ourselves to truth, read, study, pray, seek the face of God; then God will continue to enlighten us as we can handle it, we can continue teaching unto others.  That is our responsibility. 

 

Hiding it Under a Bushel

 

What are you any good, if you are a candle and God is comparing us to a candle, if we are candles and we are under a bushel; what are we doing any good?  We are not doing any good.

 

If you read the book of Romans 1, you will find out something.  There are folks in this world today that know the truth but they conceal it.  The Bible says here in Romans 1, talking about some people here that are ungodly people; but He says:

 

Romans 1:18

 

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

 

You will find what he is telling us there, that they know what truth is, but they don’t want to tell people what truth is.  We have many preachers and teachers that know what truth is, but they don’t want to teach truth because it will run off some of the crowd.  If the truth would be taught, then some of the people would not come.  Some of the money would stop, some of the activities that the church is doing, so that they never have to stop.  Therefore, they hold the truth in unrighteousness.  In other words, they conceal the truth. 

 

Hiding it Under the Bed

 

On the flip side of that, we have some folks today that are taking the candle and putting it under the bed.  That means it catches on fire.  It destroys, it is very destructive.  Many folks are using the Word of God in a very destructive way.  Some holding the truth, some knows what truth is on the flip side of that there are others that are taking the Word of God and using it for their own benefit.  They twist it and turn it and making it say something that it does not say; and deceiving people, leading people astray, people are being lost because of people who are twisting and turning the Word of God to suit themselves.  They are taking the Word of God and putting it under their bed, under their cot; it catches on fire and is very destructive.  Not everybody that says they are a preacher is a preacher.  Not everybody that is on TV today is somebody that you need to be listening to.  Not everybody that publishes Christian books today; we call them Christian books; many of them you don’t need to be reading.  They are very destructive.  They lead you down a path that Christian people should not go down.  It is very destructive. 

 

Put it on a Candlestick

 

We need to be careful on how that we deal with the truth, the light, the Bible, God’s Word, that He has given unto us.  We don’t need to put it under a bushel.  We don’t need to put it under the bed, but we do need to take it and put it on a candlestick.  Do you know what will happen?  People will be able to see the truth, the Bible, the Word of God.  That is what is important.  It is the Word of God that changes your life.  It is the Word of God that saves people.  It is the Word of God that condemns people of their sin.  It is the Word of God that enlightens us.  It is the Word of God that will teach us things that we don’t know.  It is the Word of God that does that. 

 

If we don’t ever look into it, if we don’t ever read it, if we don’t ever expose our self to it, then we are not going to be like a light that is sitting on a candlestick.  We are going to be like the candle that is sitting under the bushel.  I’m not saying that we are not saved, but I am saying that we are using the ability, the light; the revelation that God has given us, whether it is small or great; if we are concealing that which God has given us then it is just like taking a light and putting it under a bushel.  The candle is there, but it has no purpose and it has no use.  That’s a good for us. 

 

If He is commissioning these men, and this is the first thing that He is telling them after He has called them.  Some of these guys are going to be the leaders of the New Testament church.  If it was important for Jesus to tell them not to conceal the truth, not to conceal, cover up, or not to put a bushel over the light that He had given them; then I would think that it would be important to you and I.  Don’t you think?  The reason that it is so important is this.  Jesus was going to take these twelve men and as they worked here in Jerusalem, and we know the Holy Spirit was going to come on the day of Pentecost.  Fifty days after Jesus died; we know that the Holy Spirit was going to come.  He was going to Baptize all those that believed into the body of Christ, by one Spirit, whether Jew, Greek, bond or free.  With these men He was going to take the Word of God around the world. 

 

When people look at you what do they see?  When they look at us what do they see?  Do they see a candle that is sitting upon a lamp stand?  Do they see a candle that burning very bright and giving light?  When I’m talking about light, I’m talking about spiritual light.  I’m talking about the Word of God.  When they see us today and how that we are living today; do they see some spiritual help there?  The Bible tells us that those that are on the outside are living in darkness.  We were once there.  We were once living in darkness.  People today that are unsaved are living in darkness.  If a candle/lamp is made to be put in a lamp stand so that all those in the house can see it, then you and I should live our lives in a way that this lost world that is living in darkness; they should be able to look at our lives and to be able to see light.  What do they see when they see us?  What do they see?  Do they see light?  They should.  They had better because if they don’t then there is judgment coming your way. 

 

What does my neighbors see when they look at us?  What do my co-workers see when they look at my life?  What do the people at the grocery store see when they look at my life?  What do they see when I am around and no one else knows me?  My actions—what do people see from that?  It should be light.  A Christian that is living in the will of God there should be light radiating from their lives.  Jesus is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we have been saved and we have accepted Him, He is living on the inside of us, therefore we should be radiating, a light should be radiating out of us. 

 

We need to ask ourselves; where are we at?  What are we doing?  When people look at us do they see a bushel basket?  Do they see something on fire?  Do they see someone that is very destructive and hateful and mean?  Or do they see light?

 

I promise you, if you ever been lost in the darkness, do you know what you can see?  Have you ever gone SNIPE hunting?  I went snipe hunting and I was the guy holding the bag.  What that means for those of you who don’t know anything about that.  They would take you down and put you in the holler and they say you stand right here and we are going to go upon the hill and run these snipes off and you are going to catch them in this bag.  What they would do is; they would run off and leave you.  So that is what they do and you are thirty miles from nowhere in the middle of the night and they run off and leave you.  Do you know what you can do if they do that and when you are in darkness?  Do you know what you can see for miles and miles?  You can see just the very smallest bit of light. 

 

The ships tonight that are on the sea, the sea may be raging.  The sea may be going up and down.  Big ships may be lost.  They may not know where they are at because of the storm.  If they get close enough to where they can see a light house they might just see a flicker somewhere, but that tells them that there is safety there.  It tells them that is the direction they need to go to get to safety.  When we are lost in the woods, or we are lost where we are at, when we see that little bit of light that tells that is the direction we need to go to safety.  When someone looks at our lives and the light of the Lord Jesus Christ is shinning forth from our life that shows them that is the way that we need to go to get to safety.  It is serious. 

 

You can’t make your light shine.  You can rub on your globe.  You can shine your crown.  You can do all kinds of stuff and that won’t make this world see the light.  You have to let your light shine.  You cannot make it shine.  You have to “let” it shine.  There is a difference there. 

 

People think that they can work their way into this thing.  Friend, we are saved by the grace of Almighty God through faith, it is simply the gift of Almighty God that we are saved.  When we live in the will of God, He has commissioned us.  He has given us.  He has inaugurated us.  He has initiated us.  He has given us some understanding for us to use and gradually begin to learn from His Word.  As long as I am doing that the light is getting brighter.  I’m not making it shine, but as I gradually apply myself to Him and to His Word then that same light that He is gets brighter and brighter in my life and in your life.  We call that being more spiritual. 

 

That light gets brighter so that people say, “Hey, I need to be there.  I need what they have.  I’m lost and I can see hope there.  I can see that is what I need.”  It is serious.  Living a Christian life is not automatic.  Living a spiritual Christian life is not automatic.

 

Living a life that the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ can shine forth from you is not automatic.  You just don’t come forward and say I believe Jesus Christ and go out here and win the world.  It doesn’t work that way.  We are saved; His Holy Spirit moves in, He begins to enlighten us gradually in understanding His Word.  The more we understand the brighter we get.  Not necessarily smarter, I’m not talking about that, but brighter our life gets.  We do get smarter. 

 

Truth teaches us.  Truth instructs us.  Truth brings us to a place that we can understand more of the Bible. 

 

What do people see?

 

22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

 

He is telling His disciples here that even though there is mystery about the kingdom of God.  That was truth that had not been revealed.  A mystery is not like reading a book.  A mystery here in the Bible is the truth that only can be understood by the revelation of God.  That is what a mystery is.  He is saying that there may be a lot of mysteries here.  There may be people that has there candle under a bushel.  There may be some of them today that are using it in a very destructive way and putting it under their bed.  He is saying that there is coming a day where nothing is going to be hid, but it is going to be made known or made manifest.

 

We think today that it doesn’t matter.  We think today that I’m going to heaven.  I’m saved.  I made a commitment to God 20 or 30 years ago.  I come forward and prayed and asked God to forgive me and I have not done anything since then but I know that I got saved then.  We think that just excuses us from all the responsibilities from then on.  You are wrong if you think that.  You have a responsibility to let your light shine.  You have a responsibility to take the light that God gave you on that day that you were saved and put it on a candlestick and let it shine.  You have that responsibility.  You may have taken it for 10, 15, or 20 years and put it under a bushel; you may have done that, but there is going to be a day that is going to be revealed.  In other words, there is gong to be a day that we are going to stand before Almighty God.  There is going to be a day that God is going to make manifest, maybe to more people than just you; who you really were.  That is a scary thought, isn’t it?  There is going to be a day when all these folks that have held the truth, who knew the truth, and would not teach the truth, there is going to be a day that those folks and what they have done is going to be made manifest.

 

These guys who have used the truth in a very destructive way may have fifty thousand people sitting in their auditoriums tonight.  If they have used the truth in a very destructive way to get those there, it is going to be made manifest one day. 

 

What I am trying to say is that there is going to be a day that people are going to understand what truth is.  People are going to see the truth to what truth really is.  The sad part about it is it is going to be too late for a lot of people.

 

I was talking to someone yesterday that believes once you get saved, you can never be lost.  You can commit adultery.  You can lie.  You can cheat.  You can steal.  You can drink.  You can kill.  You can say whatever you want to.  This individual doesn’t think that you can ever be lost.  What that guy has done; someone along the line has deceived him into believing that lie.  There is going to be a day that they truth is going to be revealed to that individual.  He is going to understand what truth is, but it is going to be too late.  If he does not repent before he leaves here, it is going to be too late. 

 

There is going to be a day that the truth is going to be made manifest.  There is going to be a day that this world is going to know who truth is.  He is going to come one day with all the hosts of heaven.  He is going to come one day.  This world is going to see Him.  This world is going to do everything that they can to stop Him from coming, but He is going to come anyway.  He is going to come and He is going to break all rule, all power and all authority.  This world is going to see who truth really is.  Truth is going to rule, is going to reign from this earth for 1000 years.  This world and all the smart people, and all those that thought they were enlightened, all those that thought they were so smart; they are going to see who truth is.  They are going to know who truth is and He is not a democrat and He is not a republican either.  He is the God of all eternity.  He is the creator.  Men are going to know who He is. 

 

How are you responding to the truth?

 

23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

 

We all have ears.  Everyone sitting here tonight has a set of ears; some bigger than others, some shaped differently, but that is not the ears that He is talking about.  He is talking about this ear down in here.  I know we have to hear with these ears, but He is talking about we need with our hearts.  It is very important to what we listen to.  It is very, very important what we listen to, but it is also very important how we deal with the light that God has given us. 

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