What a wonderful day to be in the house of the Lord. You are not physically located inside church because of all of this COVID-19 stuff. And frankly, for that matter, I'm in a school as well. We're not necessarily in a church building, but this is the Lord's day. It's been set aside for us to think about God, to worship God, to bring glory to God, do something different than what we do the rest of the week to set those things aside and to focus our thoughts, our attention, our energy toward glorifying God. And what a great opportunity that it overlaps today in particular with Mother's Day as far as the American calendar or the day that's set aside to celebrate mothers. I want to take just a second to say thank you, Lord. Thank you, Holy Father, for giving us mothers, for giving us godly mothers. And we read in Proverbs 31, verses 28 to 31, her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her. Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her works praise her in the gates." All of that All of that praise, all of that attention, all of the well-deserved glory that comes to any mother. that has been a godly mother is centered around that phrase, who fears the Lord. So may God bless every mother today who has committed their lives to fearing the Lord. And of course, that means that it comes with sacrifices. When you fear the Lord, you have had to do things that people just don't want to do. You've had to overcome incredible inconveniences. You've had to cook things that you never wanted to cook, clean things that you never wanted to clean, smell things that you never wanted to smell. But because you fear the Lord and your children, your husband can call you blessed. They praise you in the gates. So thank you very much. Okay, moving into our message for today, I'll be looking at Mark chapter 4, verses 21 through 25. And before we actually dive in, let's commit the time that we have to the Lord. Pray with me. Dear Lord, thank you for this particular time that you've given to us. Thank you for the gospel according to Mark. Thank you for this passage in Mark chapter 4. Within this, within the greater story, the greater redemptive story that centers on Jesus Christ. Lord, I pray that I would be faithful to the text. I pray that your Holy Spirit would take that holy word that you've given to us and that you would grip us right in the couches where we sit today, in the comfort of our homes, that it just might get a hold of us and cause us, Lord, to love you more, to be drawn closer to you, to value you more. Lord, may your Holy Spirit go forth through the preaching of your word. And it's in Jesus' name that we commit this time. Amen. Now, I know you all know I'm already, I'm a movie guy, and I don't know if everybody would agree, but I think most people would agree, the absolute best movies, the best movies, are the ones, not that have the most incredible explosion scenes, or the ones where the, Technology is cutting edge because technology changes and realism and all of those kinds of things change. The best movies are the ones that build on the characters. They're the ones that draw you in, the ones that make you almost just sense and feel like you are a part of the story that is taking place. And on top of that, the ones that just put the icing on the cake are the ones that are telling a story along the way, where afterward, you look back and you say, wow. Did you see how this happened? What the big reveal, what happens at the end that makes all of these things that we saw at the beginning make sense? All of the interplay, all of the things, all of the moving parts are coming together so that you experience this thing and you say, I think I got to watch that thing again. I need to go back because I think there are things that I might have missed and you want to go back and re-experience that even though you know the end. You still want to go back and you want to watch it, you want to look, you want to pick out things that were said. And that's exactly what's taking place as this story unfolds in the gospel according to Mark. So Jesus is continuing to teach. He's continuing to give all of this information that he knows for a fact that his own apostles that he has called to himself don't fully understand. They're not going to fully understand until after the resurrection. And yet he continues to teach. And I quoted this verse from Isaiah 28 verse 10 last time. He continues precept upon precept. Precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little. That's what Jesus is doing. He's continuing his mission. He's bringing the kingdom. But it's so interesting to see the way in which he's bringing the kingdom. They don't even know exactly how he's bringing the kingdom. And really, I think sometimes people have spoken about you know, or there's a sense anyway, in which, you know, was Jesus frustrated that they didn't understand more? And as we go through this, I think, no, I really don't think so, because he knows that they don't fully understand. And in fact, a lot of this is not even intend to be fully understood yet, until after its purposes have been completely fulfilled. And then they too can look back and say, okay, wait a minute. When that happened, when this happened, that was pointing to this, and this was pointing to that, and all of that was working together. If you're a parent, if you've ever raised a teenager, maybe you've tried to describe to them, look, here are principles that I want to teach you because you're about to go off on your own. live on a campus at college or you're about to be married and you're telling them things and you know for a fact there's no way that they can truly understand the depth of what it is you're trying to teach them, the wisdom you're trying to impart because they haven't been out of the house yet or they haven't actually been married yet or they haven't actually had children yet or something like that. And you know that it just takes that experience to be able to reflect back and for them to get a fuller grasp. They might understand what you're saying, but they don't get the real gravity of what's happening until they're into it. until they can look back and reflect on it. And that's what's happening here is Jesus is laying that groundwork. He's giving this information, knowing full well that they'll pick up some of it now, but really they're going to pick up so much more of it later. And so it's fun to know the end of the story and to be able to look back and to see how he's developing it, knowing that they don't quite know, but we do know. We're that party that's watching it unfold, even though we already know the ending. So in light of that, keep in mind this is taking place at a specific time to a specific people. And this setting of this particular account that Mark is giving us is right on the heels of the purpose of the parables. Remember that he just finished telling the parable of the sower. And he explained to them the purpose of the parables, that what's going to happen is when that seed is sown, that it's going to do two things. It's either going to increase a crop, or it's actually going to increase the judgment for those who do not have ears to hear. Now one thing, as far as setting as well, in the previous account during the parable of the sower, remember there was that conversation that took place where it's just Jesus with his apostles and he's separately with them and he explains the parable to them. But it appears that, it doesn't say explicitly, but it appears then in this next account that he's back to maybe the larger group of disciples where all of this comes out. And one of those reasons is because in one of the verses Down below, it does say, if anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. He's back to speaking to the group at large. Now, again, you know, we're not worried about the fact that maybe Mark doesn't put everything in exact chronological order. because it doesn't detract, it doesn't diminish from the fact that all of this is in a very intentional order. So this particular account comes right on the heels of the explanation of the purpose of the parables and how the apostles and the disciples should expect to see some of those responses to Jesus's parables. And so we read in Mark 4.21, and he said to them, is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed and not on a stand. So what he does is he jumps into using a metaphor. So it doesn't quite qualify to the extent of being a parable, but he uses a metaphor and he uses very commonplace things in this metaphor to draw out this truth. He uses a lamp, he uses a basket, and he uses a bed. Now a couple of the things that I need to point out as it relates to the Greek that is specific to this verse right here in verse 21 is there is something that is kind of unnatural and there is something that is natural. So let me explain here. In the verbiage where it says, is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket. Now, that actually, even in the Greek, even to the Greek speaker, the ancient Greek speaker, the original verbiage was really awkward. Besides me looking at it myself and trying to figure it out, there was commentator after commentator that said, that this was a really odd construction of that saying, is a lamp brought in to be under a basket. So really, the way that it could be read in a more direct way in the Greek is that it it provides personification to the lamp. It doesn't say, is a lamp brought in? But it actually would read, does the lamp come in? As if the lamp itself is the one coming in. So that would have been odd even for the Greek speaker of the day to hear him say. And yet he's using this metaphor with a common thing and he's assigning, he's giving personification to the lamp itself. So he's saying, does the lamp come in? And then the other thing that takes place within the language that we don't see in our English translation is that one thing that the Greek language does that, frankly, it would be pretty convenient if the English language did this as well, is anytime there's a question is where a negative is involved, in other words, you know, like is not a lamp brought in to be put under a basket. or is it not to be put under a bed? They actually have an additional word that they put in there that implies the answer. So when the question is asked, you can actually read the question in Greek and know what the anticipated answer is. So really, the way that it is written in the Greek communicates when it says, Does the lamp come in to be put under a basket? It's actually worded in a way that the Greek speaker could read that and know that the automatic implication or under a bed is no. And also in Greek, it's broken into a second sentence where it says, and not on a stand. And then that negative for the not there implies a yes. Now we can pick that out for ourselves, but just knowing a little bit of that detail in there, I think can be really helpful. So let me put it together a little bit and read it the way that, you know, using English, of course, the way that maybe a Greek speaker in ancient Greek would have heard it. Which is, does the lamp come in to be put under a basket or under a bed with the implied, no. And does the lamp come in, does it not come in to be put on a stand with the implied answer to be, well, yes. So the metaphor there, I'm sure that you can pick up on it your own, but it's even more explicit in the actual original language, and it's communicating that that lamp's design is to maximize the light. Of course that's the point. That's the whole purpose of a lamp, is so that the light might be maximized. They would take those lamps, just like you would do if you were camping, and you hang that from some point in the ceiling, or you set it on a lamp stand so that it can emit as much light as possible. So not only does it make it clear that what Jesus is doing by personifying the language of the lamp, you know, coming in, not only is he communicating clearly that it's himself, but there's also a historical aspect to the reference of a lamp that he is making evident. So again, now there are verses that refer to the fact that the Messiah, that the Savior, is connected to light and to a lamp. Now, did the apostles, when they heard this, know that at the time? I have no idea whether or not they would have picked up on that. But again, these are the types of little nuggets that he's laying on along the way that they will be able to go back and say, oh my goodness, do you realize The way that he said that that one time, he said, he said, does the lamp come in? He was talking about himself. Because if we think back, remember in 2 Samuel 22 verses 29 to 30, it says, for you are my lamp, Yahweh, and my God lightens my darkness, for by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall." In other words, the lamp is being referred to as the way that victory will be secured. You are my lamp, and it's by way of that lamp that you can run against a troop and that you can leap over a wall. It refers to that idea of salvation. And then in 2 Kings 8, in verses 18 and 19, it talks about Joram, who is the son of Ahab. So you know the story of Ahab and Jezebel and all the horrible things they did. Well, as you might imagine, they brought up a horrible son named Joram. And this is how it reads in 2 Kings 18-19. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, so this is referring to Joram, as the house of Ahab had done. For the daughter of Ahab was his wife, and he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh. Yet Yahweh was not willing to destroy Judah for the sake of David his servant, since he promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. So he had promised David that a holy, a pure descendant was going to be coming from the line of David. A Messiah was going to come from the line of David. And in this very passage that's actually referring, you know, in the context of Joram and how evil he is, that Judah was not completely turned over because God had promised someone to come from the line of David, and he's referred to a lamp. In Psalm 132, verse 13, it reads, He has desired it for his dwelling place. And then jumping down to verses 17 and 18, there I will make a horn to sprout for David. So again, messianic language. There's going to be a Messiah that is coming from the line of David. And how does he describe that? He says, there I will make a horn to sprout for David. I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine." This lamp will be adorned with the crown. This lamp is a messianic lamp. And then we know now obviously the book of John written by the apostle John. was authored after this particular time that we're reading about in Mark, but just imagine how the apostles again were reflecting back about this whole idea of the lamp and how that ties in then to what John has to say in John chapter 1. I'm going to verses 4 and 5, in him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. This whole idea of Jesus is that lamp, he's providing the light, he's dispelling the darkness. And then John 8 verse 12, again Jesus spoke to them saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." These are the things that after the resurrection, as far as those precept upon precept and line upon line that Jesus is continuing to share, that they would be reflecting back on and hiding in their heart like a lamp that they may not sin against God. Okay, so keeping in context what it is that's taking place here, remember the flow that Mark has given us. So we have just a few episodes ago, we have that Jesus was standing in the temple. He heals the leper. He can't get any kind of a response from the Pharisees. They make their determination at that particular time that they want to destroy him. And then immediately after that, we have the Beelzebul controversy, where publicly they are saying that he is under the power of Satan, that he is serving the evil one, and that the casting out of demons, the miraculous signs that he's demonstrating is all because of his service to Satan, being under the power of Satan, being in league with Satan. So they've decided to destroy him. They make this wild accusation. We then get to the parable of the sower, where Jesus says, look, when the word goes out, when the word is being sown, here are some ways that you're going to see people respond. and they are this list of negative things that are going to happen. But ultimately what Jesus is communicating through this metaphor is he's saying despite all of this he will not stop to bring the kingdom to earth. He can't stop, he won't stop. And so in using this metaphor, what does he say what two things would happen? Referring again to the fact that the lamp and with the basket and with the bed, he says, you know, does a lamp come in to be put under a basket or under a bed? It's interesting to think about, you know, so he's referring to a bushel basket. It holds approximately two gallons. If you put it under, if you put this lamp, so the light under the bushel basket, what happens? It would get snuffed out, making it useless. And then if you take that same lamp and you put it under a bed, not only will people not see it, but it will light the bed on fire and cause ultimate destruction. So, in a way, what Jesus is saying is that he's using these parables to continue to teach these truths because he cannot hide that light under a under a bushel basket. He's not going to stop bringing the kingdom. And also on the other end of the spectrum, he's not going scorched earth at this point. He's not revealing absolutely all of the truth for all of his adversaries to completely understand. He's saying, look, I'm going to continue to give this precept upon precept, line upon line, I'm going to continue to give you this teaching. And then in verse 22, he goes on, for nothing is hidden except to be made manifest, nor is anything secret except to come to light. So what he's doing is he's giving us the confirmation Or he's giving them the confirmation. He's giving it to us in the sense that we get to see it now after it's done, we're looking back. But he's giving them the confirmation of this whole idea of this treasure hunt. It's an ultimate treasure hunt. This idea, this word accept, think of it in a different way. It works appropriately in English as well. But think about it as a word of purpose. For nothing is hidden except that, in other words, so that it might be made manifest, or in order that. For nothing is hidden except that, you know, it's supposed to be made manifest, and nothing is secret except, or in order that, to come to light. In other words, It's hidden for a specific reason, just like a parent hosting a treasure hunt for their kids. Yes, they're hidden, but they're hidden in a certain way and for a certain purpose for them to be revealed. That's the entire purpose. So this idea of the metaphor that's being given in these verses is a supplement to the previous verses. So take, for instance, verses 11 and 12. I'll just read verse 11 out of there. Mark 4, 11 says, "'To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables.'" So he's saying that these things are hidden for a purpose. He's putting them out there as hidden. This is part of the whole messianic secret. He's saying, look, I'm giving you information that will all make sense later. And he's telling this, so he's charging them with the messianic secret, knowing full well that they are going to have a complete aha moment, you know. to an extreme degree and probably over and over again. And it reminds me of that account in 2 Kings chapter 7 where Israel, you know, they're surrounded by an enormous army and they're starving. They're literally starving to death. And then God, you know, comes in he makes the opposing army think that that they're being attacked and they flee and they leave behind all of their food and all of their goods and then there are four lepers who are about to die and they said well let's just go into the enemy's camp and if we get to eat great if they kill us fine because we're going to die anyway and then they go there and they end up finding enough food for absolutely every Everybody, it was an incredible act of God for the Israelite nation at that particular time. But the first thing they want to do is they want to get all of this stuff, all of this booty that they're discovering. And then they stop and they say, this isn't right. This isn't right. We've got to go back and we have to tell everybody. And I just think of that as well, that the apostles, all of the disciples that have been listening, that have been hungry to hear what Jesus has to say, that after the resurrection, when they're connecting all of these dots, that they just are thinking, we have got to go tell people about this. We cannot possibly keep this to ourselves. So at this particular time, Jesus's kingdom is largely hidden and he knows that it's going to be manifest to all. He's sowing those seeds, he's sowing those seeds precept upon precept. And the fascinating way about his technique of doing this is to continue to bring his kingdom because the time is fulfilled and the kingdom is at hand. Therefore, he's giving all of this information to lay all of this groundwork that they're going to understand later. He does it with parables that are memorable, they're non-confrontational really, they're kind of unassuming, they're peaceable in a sense, and yet they're powerful. Here he's even using a metaphor to explain a parable and why he's using parables. So he's speaking this way absolutely intentionally. So what are we to do with that? What are the disciples expected to do with that? How should they feel about that? What are they thinking when he's telling them these things? He just gave them a list of, hey, here are all the negative responses that you're going to get when the word is sown. But the word must continue to go out. He's telling them, I must continue to share this. Well, he's not mumbling in a corner, right? He doesn't say, well, based on how people are going to take it and the attacks that I'm enduring, I'm going to go hide my lamp under a bushel. No, he's going to let it shine. And in fact, what does he say in verse 23? If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." So this is interesting because in the previous set of verses he was talking a lot, largely, he hit the point of his parable of the sower had to do with those who did not produce a crop, those who absolutely were not listening for various reasons. And now he's directing his attention to those that do hear. Look, if you have ears, Listen to this. Let him hear. He's assigning the responsibility of those that can hear to hear, to discern what he's saying, to apply it to their lives to the degree that they can. And he's basically saying, hear this. If anyone has ears to hear, hear this. And then right after that, in the very next verse, he actually tells them, after he says, hear this, he says, pay attention. There's more here than meets the eye. So verses 24 and 25. And he said to them, pay attention to what you hear. So he's talking to those, his audience at this point now is those that can hear. Look, if any of you that have ears to hear, let him hear. And then he said to them, pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you. And still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given. And from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." So he's making the point clear that it's not that you hear that's important. What's important is how you hear. You realize, just in this previous account in the parable of the sower, he already described these people, that there's going to be rocky soils who have no depth of soil, and that even though they're right there and they hear it, that there's going to be no crop. And then there's this other group that's going to hear it, that's among the thorny soils. And it's going to seem like they hear it, and it's going to seem like they're producing, they're going to produce fruit, but no, the cares of the world and everything else that's going on in life chokes it out, and they don't produce. But then there are those that it's going to fall on the good soil and they will produce a crop 30, 60, 100. So he's saying that if you don't have ears to hear, if you don't love Jesus Christ, you will not produce a crop and even what they do here will be taken away. This use of the language about measuring, actually is a proverb at that particular time. And we know that to be the case because this same phrase is used in other portions of scripture. So, perhaps when you read this original account in this particular context, it seems a little discordant with you or you're wondering, okay, how is it that this idea of the amount that I measure out will be measured back to me when it has to do with if I have ears to hear, I need to hear, okay, and I need to pay attention to what it is that I'm hearing, and then it goes to this what you measure out. It almost seems a little like misplaced or something. That's why it's important to remember that this is actually like a proverbial saying at that particular time. So pulling from Matthew 7-2, look at how this same saying is used in this verse. For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." So you can see in this particular context that it's being used in the sense of, okay, well, however much you judge others, that's how much you will be judged back. Now, with that phrase used in side to side or in the context of that, it almost seems to fit better. Like, okay, well, I'm judging. So the degree that I do that, all right, the measurement will be measured back to me. That's how much I'll be judged back. So that seems to fit better. And then in Luke 6, verse 38, it reads, give, and it will be given to you. good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap, for with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." So again, we see, okay, well, that saying is being used again right there, and it absolutely makes sense. The amount that I give, there's a sense in which however much I give, you can expect God is saying that there is a a sense, a measure that it will return back to me. In other words, what's being communicated here is this entire principle of reciprocity. There we go. Principle of reciprocity that to the degree, to the extent that you do this thing, it will return to you to that same degree. And so knowing that that's really the principle that's being communicated, this principle of reciprocity, now let's put it back in the context where we just read it. where he says, pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. Okay, well, knowing what you know now, think about this. He had already spoken about those who wouldn't listen and that don't produce a crop. He's adjusted and focused his attention now on those who are able to hear. If you are able to hear, listen to this, and in fact, pay attention, and not only pay attention, but the degree to which You are drawn and you are listening and you are applying your heart and your life to hearing the truth and understanding the kingdom that he is speaking of. To that degree, it will be measured back to you. So in verse 24, it's a call to listen. It's a call to hear. It's a call to discern. It's a call to apply. That's what he's telling them. Essentially, even if you don't understand absolutely everything, because they don't, there's no way that they could, but if you're hungry for truth, Hunger more, search more, discern more, apply it more to your life. And then he gives an answer for what it is that you can expect as a result in verse 25. It's a description of the fact that not only will it be measured back to you, but it will return to you exponentially compounded. For to the one who has, more will be given. And from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken from him. This whole idea of listening, if you are listening, if you are truly paying attention, and you desire to know more, and you're hungry for it, and you're committing your life to understanding the truths that he is bringing, that he's drawing from all of the Old Covenant, from all of the Old Testament, and that he's applying to himself, you will gain even greater understanding. The book of James at this particular point hadn't been written yet, but the principle stands that we read in James 1 verse 5 that says, It's that same principle. If you hunger for it, if you want his wisdom, if you want to hear what he's saying, you desire for the seeds that are sown to be grown in your heart so that you produce a crop of 30, maybe 60, or by the Lord's great blessing, 100, then he will do that to you and do that for you. Now, what's interesting, though, is that what Jesus doesn't do, even though this is very positive language that, hey, it will be given to you in an even greater measure, is that he doesn't solve the disparity. That whole, all of these have-nots that we saw in the parable of the sower, and then we had this list of what takes place with those in the good soil. Jesus doubles down on it. He's saying, hey, those who don't have, it's even going to be taken away from them. I liked the way one commentator, the analogy that the commentator used. This is the quote from him. The more a man thinks, the more he will understand. And the less a man thinks, the less his power of understanding will become. Close quote. So the idea, you know, that makes a little more sense. It's like, okay, well, if you're right there, and you're actually, physically, geographically, in the same, in the presence of the Son of God Himself, hearing what it is that He has to say, seeing Him, maybe to a certain extent getting to know Him, and yet you refuse to apply yourself to understanding what it is that he is saying, that there is no love in your heart for that son, then your unwillingness to think, your unwillingness to develop a relationship with that son will result in even a greater hardness. Your failure to pay attention, to listen, to hunger for that will result in ignorance, and that willful ignorance will calcify into a barren soil. I think a principle that's really helpful to keep in mind, especially in our culture today here in the United States, is that Jesus's mission was absolutely to bring justice. There's no question about that. But you want to know what his mission was not? It was not to bring equality. Jesus didn't come to say, okay, I'm going to make it so that absolutely everybody is going to hear and understand everything that I'm saying. What he does is he brings the message. He brings the truth. He is tying, he is connecting, he's pulling things from the Pentateuch, from the law, from the prophets, from the Psalms. He's packaging all of these things and it's all pointing right back to him. And for those that refuse to listen to that, and to be humbled by it and to come to him with love they will receive Jesus's, they will receive God's justice but they will not be pulled out of their ignorance. In fact it will be increased. So here we have thousands that are right there in his presence and basically he's communicating to them, you better choose wisely what you're hearing right now. You better choose very wisely what it is that you're going to do with this information. In Proverbs 1 verses 5 and 6, You know, this kind of reflects a principle that we're reading about this idea of to the degree you measure, it will be measured back to you. Proverbs 1, 5, and 6, let the wise hear and increase in learning. They're already wise. But if they hear, they will increase in learning. And the one who understands, obtain guidance. To understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. They're already wise, they're already understanding. And yet it's that same wisdom, it's that same understanding that leads to greater wisdom and greater understanding. And in Proverbs 9 verse 9, give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning." This is that whole principle that's taking place. That's what Jesus is communicating to all of the disciples, to the crowds that are listening to him at this particular point. He's already given the parable of the sower about the ways that many will not listen to him, and now he's given an instruction to those that are willing to listen. you will be made still wiser, you will increase in learning. This is a supplement to the parable of the sower. Okay, so it's a metaphor pointing back to the parable that of course all of it's pointing back to Christ. And it's always important, always important, that we look at what the parable has to say or the metaphor and make sure we're looking at it in light of its own particular time, by its own particular place, and its own particular people that it's being given to. And the metaphors are the same way, you know, the particular time, the particular place, and the particular people. So we, on the other side of resurrection, knowing how the story ends, knowing how all of this goes, get the opportunity to look back and to see how they're first hearing all of this information, how they're digesting it. But that same message that ultimately they're going to learn about, the apostles and the disciples, after the resurrection, that message is the message to us today. We're in a better place than they were at that particular time hearing Jesus say this. We're on the other side of all of those aha moments. But again, for those who have ears to hear, the message is still the same. You must repent and believe. Jesus did bring the kingdom. In Isaiah 55 verse 6 it says, seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he may be near. And that's the command that Jesus is giving. Call upon me. Seek me. The truth is right here in front of you. The alternative is that you steal your heart, you harden it, you stiffen your neck, You clench your fists and you say, I don't need it. It's not important to me. And you rely on things like, well, I'm an American. You rely on things like, well, I go to church regularly or often enough. Or you rely on pedigree. You know what? My dad was actually a pastor. My grandfather was a pastor. We're good people. I come from a really good family. You rely on your job. Maybe you do something really important that helps people. I'm a police officer. I'm a nurse. I'm a teacher. I do really good things to help people. Maybe you rely on your good deeds. You know, I take care of my grandmother. I help people. I'm kind. I'm generous. I give lots of money to charitable organizations. Those things do not save. There are people that stood in the very presence of the Son of God and heard him speak the truths that were to become inscripturated, that were to become the holy word of God. and they were deaf, and they were blind, and their hearts became even more hard. In Matthew 7, 22 and 23, it says, on that day, referring to Judgment Day, when Jesus returns again, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me. you workers of lawlessness." Do you see in that message right there, he is communicating the same thing that he was communicating to the disciples at the time that he was giving this metaphor about the lamp and about the bed and about the basket. He is saying that if you have ears to hear, then listen, pay attention. This is life. This is eternity that hangs in the balance. All of these other factors, all of these other metrics that we like to use to try to measure and justify ourselves are meaningless. However, I will remind you that if you are willing to listen, or perhaps you've been listening for decades, and your heart is hungry for scripture, and you thirst for righteousness, and you seek the Lord first, then I will just repeat to you what we already read out of Mark 4, verses 24 and 25. This is my message to you, believer. This is God's message to you, believer, through the gospel of Mark. Pay attention to what you hear with the measure you use. It will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given. If you are that faithful one, then be encouraged. Still more will be added to you. More will be given. If you seek God, he will give you the desire of your heart. If you are asking him for wisdom, he will give it to you, and he will give it to you abundantly. So, brother and sister in Christ, be the light. Be that lamp. Be the one that gives the word, that lives a life that others can see and say, wow, There is something different about her. Wow, there is something different about the way that guy treats his wife, the way that he parents his children, the way that he deals with conflict, the way that he looks his boss in the eye and says, boy, I really screwed up. All of those things, living the life that the Bible tells us to live, clearly tells us to live, is seen by the whole world. Don't hide it under a basket. Live that life. And still more will be added to you. Be a sower. Let those seeds fly. Let them know about Christ. Let the words of God's scripture be on the tip of your tongue. Be that kind of Christian. Still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given. Thank you, Lord, for that. Let's pray. Dear God, it's such a beautiful thing to see that you enter a concept, you use a proverb that talks about reciprocity, that you talk about the fact that, look, come to me, all you who are weak and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Come, listen, discern, apply this to your life. and it will be measured back to you. Not only will it be measured back to you, it will come back to you in spades. It'll come back to us, Lord, in increased blessing, not wealth and health and all that other earthly stuff. No, Lord, we're talking about the salve for the soul. We're talking about what only the Holy Spirit can bring, a peace that passes all understanding and an eternity in your presence, Lord. Thank you. Thank you for these promises. May we recommit ourselves to serving you, to being faithful in your word, to faithfully living that same word, and to faithfully sow that word, Lord. May we honor, bless, and exalt you in all that we do and all that we say. We commit ourselves to this very task in the name of your son, Jesus. Amen.