Mark 4:24-25
Light is Given to be Used
In 'Light is Given to be Used,' Pastor Albert N. Martin expounds Mark 4:21-25, focusing on verses 24-25, to correct the misconception that being in Christ's inner circle guarantees automatic reception of truth. He commands believers to 'consider carefully what you hear,' reinforcing this duty with two aphorisms: the law of equivalent returns (you get what you put in, plus grace) and the law of inevitable increase or decrease (true grace always seeks more, while apparent grace withers). Martin applies this as a searching test of spiritual condition, a solemn prophecy for future growth, and a revelation of why some believers grow while others stagnate, urging diligent engagement with God's Word.
Primary Texts
Topics
Outline 10 sections · 52 min
- Introduction and Prayer 0:03
- Context: Correcting Misconceptions about Parabolic Teaching 3:10
- The Duty Commanded: Consider Carefully What You Hear 8:47
- Reinforcement: The Law of Equivalent Returns 12:36
- Reinforcement: The Law of Inevitable Increase or Decrease 21:47
- Summary of the Command and Aphorisms 27:41
- Application 1: A Searching Test of Spiritual Condition 29:51
- Application 2: A Solemn Prophecy for Future Condition 34:21
- Application 3: Revelation of Growth Rate Differences 40:51
- Conclusion and Final Exhortation 46:47
Key Quotes
“In other words, these verses are meant to correct a spirit of presumption that if I am presently the recipient of truth and light I will automatically forever be the recipient of truth and light.”
“He puts the burden upon His hearers to give themselves to a spiritual and mental discipline essential to understanding assimilating digesting and implementing what He has said unto them.”
“God nowhere promises the grace of continued illumination to the mentally and spiritually lazy. Nowhere. Nowhere.”
“You heard the little aphorism if you don't use it you lose it. That's this right here. You don't use it you lose it.”
“Our obedience is never perfect. Our obedience is rarely even and constant as it ought to be but our obedience is nonetheless real and rooted in the principle of loving attachment to Christ.”
“My ministry without your pains will produce little.”
“I have seen people with relatively limited IQs, utterly outstripped brilliant people, because they learned to consider carefully what they heard.”
“Well, he knew the human heart, and he knew that we needed every motive possible to spur us on in a discipline that is so utterly contrary to our native inclinations.”
Applications
All listeners
- Examine your true spiritual condition by assessing your obedience to Christ's precepts, specifically the command to consider carefully what you hear.
- Do not be content with mere exposure to the Bible; apply your mind and heart to the Word until it is understood, assimilated by prayer, and worked out in obedience.
- Repent for past ignorance or indifference to the duty of carefully considering what you hear, and resolve to do so from henceforth.
- Intend, by God's grace and strength, and out of love for Christ, to carefully consider what you hear as never before, recognizing this as a command, not a suggestion.
- Reflect on whether recent sermon series (e.g., Hebrews, Parable of the Sower) have made a practical difference in your life, driving you to prayer and implementation.
- Parents, if you have heard clear instruction about governing your children's wills, are you willing to pay the price to master their wills?
- Take to heart the truth that spiritual growth is not about intellectual cleverness but about diligently considering what is heard.
- Do not avoid the discipline of considering carefully what you hear because it exposes dark areas of the heart and demands costly changes.
- For those not yet Christians, be serious about God's witness concerning your heart and sin, and Christ's salvation. Put forth effort to cry to God to perceive your heart's state and Christ's remedy, rather than passively waiting for a 'heavenly zapping.'
- Seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near.
- Confess the sin of allowing the Word to slip through carelessness or willful distraction, and resolve with renewed vigor to carefully consider every word heard from God's Word.
- Thirst for more of God's glory and knowledge, and give yourselves to know Him and understand His Word and ways, trusting His promise to give more.
- For those in indifference, may God's Word arrest them and replace their indifference with a holy longing to understand the mystery of Christ and His salvation.
A full transcript is available on the tab. 107 paragraphs, roughly 52 minutes.
Introduction and Prayer
This sermon was preached on Sunday morning, January 27th, 1985, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey.
Now let us turn together to the fourth chapter of the Gospel according to Mark, Mark chapter 4. And will you follow in your Bibles as I read verses 21 through 25.
Mark 4, beginning with verse 21. Having completed his private interpretation, or his interpretation in private, to the disciples and the more intimate followers of that parable of the sower, our Lord then goes on to say, and he said unto them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, and not to be put on the stand? For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested. Neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.
If any man has ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what you hear, for with what measure ye meet, it shall be measured unto you, and more shall be given unto you. For he that hath, to him shall be given. And he that hath not, from him shall be given.
And he shall be taken away, even that which he hath. Now let us again ask the one who spoke these words to come by his spirit and to give us understanding in that. Let us pray.
Our Father, we thank you that you are never weary of the coming of your people. We read again and again in your word that you are weary with empty form and religious sham. And we read of your complaint that your people, seem to be weary of you and would not approach you. But we never read a word that would discourage us from coming in our felt need and crying out, Lord, have mercy upon us.
Our Father, our minds are natively dark and restless and unable to concentrate and to perceive your truth. Send your spirit, we pray, that under his presence, and powerful influence, we may come both to understand and to receive in faith and obedience these words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hear our cry as together we present it before you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Context: Correcting Misconceptions about Parabolic Teaching
Now our meditation this morning will focus upon verses 24 and 25 of the passage read in your hearing. However, before we take in hand the task of seeking to understand the meaning and the message of these two verses, let me just remind you of the general setting in which these words were spoken. According to verses 1 and 2 of Mark chapter 4, the vast multitudes in the Galilean region pressing in upon the Lord Jesus had forced him to
find a retreat, as it were, in a little boat from which he preached to them as they sat upon the shore. And as he preached, the dominant teaching method at this time was that of parables. Later on, he retired to a more private place, according to verse 10, with his disciples and the inner group whom he had identified as his newly emerging spiritual family, those who heard and did the word of God through him. And in that situation, he did basically two things.
He expounded the meaning of the major parable given while he was there in the boat, and the mixed crowd was upon the shore, namely the parable of the sower and of the soils. And the record of that interpretation, found in verses 13 to 20 of this chapter, we have studied in some detail. But the second thing our Lord did, when he was alone with the Twelve and with that inner circle, was to explain the reason for adopting the parabolic method as the major teaching method in his public ministry.
And in doing this, he made it plain that this present method was calculated to fulfill the purpose of God in two ways. First of all, to effect, to effect judicial blindness on the nation of Israel. And we read that very clearly in verses 11 and 12. But unto them that are without, all things are done in parables, that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.
But the second reason for teaching in parables was to underscore, the reality of discriminating grace to his own. To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. And in the very use of the parables, and then in their subsequent interpretation to his own disciples, another underscoring of that in verse 34, privately to his own disciples, he expounded all things. Our Lord is underscoring that.
Discriminating grace to his own. Now having done this, our Lord is concerned to correct two misconceptions which might arise from his present method of parabolic teaching and the explanation given for that teaching. The first possible misconception he corrects in verses 21 to 23. He had expounded in secret the meaning of the parables.
But lest they assume that what was given in secret should be kept a secret matter, he tells them no. This light of spiritual illumination I have given to you is an expedient for the present moment that it be given in secret. But I give it in secret that like a lamp it should be displayed in a prominent place. The things that are now hidden are hidden in order that they might be manifested.
And you see the very fact that the interpretation given only to the inner circle is now public property for any who opened the Gospel of Mark is an indication that they understood our Lord's message. But now there is a second misconception that our Lord is concerned to correct and that misconception or possible misconception is corrected in verses 24 and 25. Because he said to you, it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom, but to them that are without in parables unexpounded, unexplained, and because of willful blindness this now becomes an act of judicial hardening
in that blindness, lest you think, he says to his own, that being in the inner circle and hearing my interpretation means that you will from here on in automatically be the recipient of truth, I want to correct that misconception. And he said unto them, take heed what you hear, with what measure you meet or measure it shall be measured unto you and more shall be given for he that hath to him shall be given and he that hath not shall be taken away that which he hath. In other words, these verses are meant to correct a spirit of presumption
The Duty Commanded: Consider Carefully What You Hear
that if I am presently the recipient of truth and light I will automatically forever be the recipient of truth and light. Now, having tried to give you a feel for the overall structure and setting of the passage as we come to the verses themselves what we have basically are two things. We have a duty commanded in the first part of verse 24 and then we have a duty commanded a duty reinforced by two basic aphorisms in 24b and in verse 25. First of all then, the duty commanded, verse 24a,
and he said unto them, and most likely Mark uses those words to indicate that there was probably some time lapse between verse 23 and 24. How much time? We do not know whether our Lord simply had a lengthy pause whether some other event entered but be that as it may the next words that come from him are in the form of a command. And he said unto them take heed what you hear.
Now the word translated in the old American standard take heed is the basic verb in the New Testament that means to look and it is actually used that way many times when describing the physical act of placing your eyes on someone. Hopefully right now you are looking at me and if I were to say in Greek what you are doing I would use this verb. You are looking at me. Looking at me, you are seeing me.
But now when it is used to describe a mental or a spiritual or an intellectual activity it means to ponder to consider with mental concentration someone or something. And one of the more modern translations gives a very accurate conveyance of this idea when they translate this verse not take heed what you hear but consider carefully what you hear. And it is in a present imperative. Be continually considering carefully
what you are hearing. Now there is every indication to point to the fact that these words were spoken not to the mixed multitude but to that inner circle. And our Lord here commands them to consider carefully what they are now hearing. In other words He says to them what you heard from my lips in public is not enough.
What you have heard from my lips in this more private this inner circle context is not enough. You must now pay careful attention to what you have heard. In other words He puts the burden upon His hearers to give themselves to a spiritual and mental discipline essential to understanding assimilating digesting and implementing what He has said unto them. What He lays upon His hearers is that of a constant concentrated conscious mental spiritual
Reinforcement: The Law of Equivalent Returns
duty. Consider carefully what you hear. Now after commanding the duty our Lord then reinforces the duty by two basic aphorisms. And I labored long to know what to call them and I said well I'm going to use the right word and then I'll define it.
An aphorism is a short concise statement of a principle. A short pointed sentence expressing a wise observation or a general truth. Have you ever heard the little aphorism? It's the early bird that gets the worm?
That's an aphorism. That's a short concise statement expressing a wise observation or a general truth. And when we say it's the early bird that gets the worm we're expressing the general truth that usually the most industrious person gets the most gains. Or you've heard the little aphorism no gains without pains.
That if you want to make progress in anything there's a price to be paid. Whether it's in your studies whether it's in sports whatever it is no gains without pains. Those are aphorisms. Now what our Lord does is to reinforce His commandment the commandment being consider carefully what you hear He's going to reinforce it and to seek to incite and to impel to obedience by these two aphorisms contained in our text.
The first is what we can call the law of equivalent returns. It's as though one of the disciples should say now Lord we have attended upon your words in public we felt that what you had to say was worthwhile enough that we turned from other pursuits and gathered with the multitude on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and we listened intently as you spoke. Furthermore when the crowds dispersed we joined your inner circle of the twelve and we are part of those who've come with you into the house to hear you expound the parable to explain to us why you're using now the parabolic method. Surely Lord that's enough.
We heard your words and hung upon them when you spoke them openly in the public theater. Surely Lord now that we've heard them in the private place isn't that enough to hear their Lord now say to them consider carefully what you have heard and knowing that this discipline of careful, conscious, constant attention to what you've heard is not native to you I want to shove you push you nudge you encourage you in the way of obedience by these two simple, concise statements of general principles. The first one is this the law of equivalent returns look at the text
pay careful attention to what you hear why? with what measure you measure it shall be measured unto you and more shall be given unto you. Now this little aphorism or ones very similar to it are found several times in the gospels and it's interesting that the aphorism is found in totally different contexts. In Matthew 7-2 Jesus has just forbidden a sinful judgmental attitude judge not that you be not judged and in that context he says
for with what measure you meet it shall be measured unto you. So the context there is reinforcing the duty of avoiding a pattern of sinful judgment and our Lord says to buttress obedience to that command he gives this law of equivalent returns. The measure you use in measuring out judgment to others will be precisely the measure in which God will measure out judgment to you. In Luke 6-38 it's found in connection with a command to generosity give and it shall be given unto you.
Good measure press down etc. Now we learn from this that such aphorisms and statements of general principles can have many applications and that each context determines the precise point of emphasis. Now in this context what is the point of emphasis? Do you see the connection?
Carefully consider what you hear. Why Lord? Because the measure you use in measuring out will be precisely the measure that will be used in returning to you. With what measure you measure it shall be measured unto you.
Now what's the point of emphasis in the passage? Well the point of emphasis surely is this. Pay careful attention to what you hear. But Lord that demands mental and spiritual concentration.
That demands prayer. That demands application searching of heart. Yes the Lord says and the measure to which you are willing to expend yourself to consider carefully my words will be the measure in which you will receive from God the blessing of illumination. The blessing of understanding.
The blessing of assimilation and transformation by my word. And then only here in Mark do you find this and you'll even get the bonus of grace. Notice with what measure you measure it shall be measured unto you and more shall be given unto you. The Lord is saying do you want to make gains in the true knowledge of myself and of my kingdom?
Do you want truly to lay hold of the significance of what I've said? Then you must pay careful attention to what you hear. It is not enough to hear the word in public. Not enough to hear it in private.
You must pay attention to it and if you don't then if your output of spiritual and mental application is minimal your returns of spiritual profit will also be minimal. Perhaps the best commentary on this great principle with reference to understanding the word of God is found in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 2 verse 1. My son, if you will receive my words and lay up my commandments with you
so as to incline your ear unto wisdom and apply your heart to understanding. Yea, if you cry after discernment lift up your voice for understanding. If you seek her as silver search for her as for hid treasures then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God for the Lord gives wisdom out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. You see it is God who gives wisdom unto you is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.
But now here is the question. In what path does he give it? In the path of mental and spiritual sluggishness and laziness? In the path of a laid back indifference to the kind of concentration demanded by meditation, personal reflection, specific implementation?
No. God nowhere promises the grace of continued illumination to the mentally and spiritually lazy. Nowhere. Nowhere.
Rather he promises those graces to the mentally and spiritually diligent. It is only our Lord says as you put out that you will return and the reward of grace does not come to the lazy for the Holy Ghost was never given to put a premium upon laziness. He was given so that in this ongoing discipline of paying careful attention to what we hear that discipline would prove fruitful. With what measure you measure out it shall be measured unto you and more shall be given.
Reinforcement: The Law of Inevitable Increase or Decrease
Then our Lord gives the second aphorism. He is reinforcing the command consider carefully what you hear. Aphorism number one the law of equivalent return. What you give is what you'll get.
Now the second one is the law of inevitable increase or decrease. Look at the language. The law of inevitable increase or decrease. For he that has to him shall be given and he that has not from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.
Oh wait a minute isn't that a lot of double talk? It says and he that has not shall be taken away even that which he has. Well does he have or doesn't he? Well the solution to that is found in the little twist that we have in Luke.
Even if we didn't have this we would understand that our Lord was speaking in a way that was meant to catch the ear and the meaning is obvious but if you'll notice in Luke chapter 8 verse 18 Take heed therefore how ye hear for whosoever hath to him shall be given and whosoever has not from him shall be taken away even that which he thinks or that which he seems to have. Now remember the setting. Remember the setting. Our Lord is speaking now not to the mixed multitude but he's speaking to the inner circle.
The people who from all external appearances had a saving attachment to Christ expressed in their hunger for his presence and his word. They seemed to possess the identifying marks of the family of God which he had just previously identified. Those gathered around him. He said here is my mother my father, my brothers and my sisters.
But now our Lord buttresses this command. You must carefully consider what you are hearing. You must not become lazy in your ears or assume that merely hearing even in the inner circle is enough for notice the connection now the word for ties it together in the same realm of concern. He that hath to him shall be given and him that hath not shall be taken away that which he has.
Now this aphorism just like the former is also found in several different contexts in the New Testament. In Matthew 25, 29 it's found in conjunction with the parable of the talents. And then in Luke 19, 26 it's found in conjunction with the parable of the pounds. So it again is one of those universal principles that can be applied in different specific areas.
How do you see its significance in this context? The one who is truly having and is manifesting that he truly has by doing what? By applying himself to get more to such a person more shall indeed be given. But the one who does not truly possess he appears to possess a saving relationship to me a saving relationship to my word but in reality he doesn't from him because he does not aspire and pay the price to gain more acquisition of true spiritual knowledge and experience eventually
that which he seems to have shall be taken away from him. You heard the little aphorism if you don't use it you lose it. That's this right here. You don't use it you lose it.
To him that hath shall be given and the proof that he truly has is that with every aspect of grace and get this it's a vital principle true grace implanted in the soul is ever a thirsting question. For more grace in all of its dimensions the grace that initially implants a saving sight of Christ is always implanted in such a way as to make the heart in which it is implanted long to know him better that I may know him and the power of his resurrection. The grace implanted at conversion that produces hatred for sin
is the grace that grows into an increasing hatred for sin. The grace of love to the brethren implanted in the soul in regeneration is that grace that develops and we grow in love one to another likewise with the grace of this saving response to the word of Christ. Him who truly has it more shall be given because the one who truly has is the one who is prepared to meet out spiritual and mental endeavor and exercise personal disciplines that he may have more and because he truly has and grace in him is an active principle
he receives more. But from him who has not in reality he has no vital genuine heart attachment to Christ. He has just enough to make him feel comfortable and appear respectable but the root of the matter is not in him. From him shall be taken away even that which he appears to have.
Summary of the Command and Aphorisms
So you see the law of inevitable increase or decrease there's no standing still in the presence of the word of Jesus. No standing still no sitting as it were on a point of constant stagnation or indifference. Now can you put it all together? Here the duty is commanded.
I have spoken to you in public our Lord says. I have expounded to you in private the tremendous significance of this parable of the sower and the soils. You have seen that nothing short of a heart that receives the word and brings forth fruit with patience indicates a saving response to the word. Now he says to these people consider seriously continually what you are hearing.
Don't be content with mere hearing. Consider carefully what you hear. And now I reinforce that duty by these two aphorisms the law of equivalent returns. You will get out of hearing of the word what you put into it plus the bonus of grace and this is so because of the inevitable increase or decrease in the realm of the operations of grace.
If through sluggishness or presumption you refuse to put forth the effort necessary to make gains you will manifest that the root of grace is not in you and ere long you'll even lose before the eyes of men what you seem to possess in their eyes at this time. Now having attempted to open up the meaning of the command the reinforcement of that command with the two aphorisms now in the third place what does all of this say to us? Well let me suggest four lines of application. First of all these words constitute
Application 1: A Searching Test of Spiritual Condition
a searching test of our true spiritual condition. Whenever we confront one of the Lord's imperatives they constitute a searching test of our true spiritual condition. You see one of the indispensable marks of a saving attempt of a saving attachment to Christ is obedience to his precepts. If you love me you will keep my words.
He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. And being made perfect he became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him. Now our obedience is never perfect. Our obedience is rarely even and constant as it ought to be but our obedience is nonetheless real and rooted in the principle of loving attachment to Christ.
Now let me ask you as you have heard this commandment of Christ this morning pay careful attention to what you hear. Consider seriously what you are hearing. It is not enough to be exposed to the Bible in the public reading of it or even in the more intimate exposition of it publicly or in books. You must apply your mind and heart to that word until that word is understood and assimilated by prayer and worked out in a life of obedience.
Now what do you intend to do with this command? Do you sitting here this morning find that your heart is running out in communion with Christ even as I am preaching saying Lord Jesus this is your word to me. You are saying to me consider carefully what I hear and Lord I have not been doing that I have been considering what I hear I have been content to hear I have been content to give passing thought to what I hear but Lord I have not been diligently considering carefully what I hear. And there is not even now in your heart the motions of repentance either for ignorance of the duty albeit it was here in scripture
so it must be willful ignorance or indifference if there is not that acting of repentance for failure to consider carefully what you hear with the resolve that from henceforth you shall how can you name the name of Christ? Do you think it is enough to be found in a circle of people who gather around Christ as he ministers by his spirit through the word in the midst of his gathered people? He said to those who stood about him in his physical presence it is words fall upon the outer chamber of the ear and it is not enough that they even are explained carefully in the intimate association of this home you individually personally
must push if that word is to profit you now do you intend to put forth that effort? if you love me you will keep my commandments and you see as a minister of Christ I am under obligation to underscore that this is one of his commandments for he said make disciples of all the nations baptizing them teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you and this is one of the commandments he gave to them consider carefully what you hear and therefore I cannot present it as though it is a suggestion it is an imperative it is a command of Christ and if you love him because you have embraced
his love to you then your heart even now says Lord Jesus by your grace and in your strength and out of love to you I intend as never before carefully to consider what I hear you see it is a real test of your character are you just waiting for the sermon to get over to fill your mind with other things are you waiting for it to get over that you might consider carefully what you have heard so I say the text first of all constitutes a searching test of our character but secondly it constitutes a solemn prophecy concerning our future condition
Application 2: A Solemn Prophecy for Future Condition
your future condition in terms of what further light grace and growth will be given is determined by what you are doing now with the word that you hear isn't that what it says with what measure you measure and it is a passive verb it shall be measured to you now who is the agent in that passive verb God is and so God is saying I will deal with you in direct proportion to the manner in which you deal with my word you deal in terms of conscious effort to perceive and implement believe and absorb and spiritually assimilate
my words if you deal out little teaspoon fulls of effort all you are going to get is little teaspoon fulls of return that is what God says with what measure you meet it shall be measured unto you and then he goes on to say in the next verse he that hath to him shall be given but the person who does not have who only appears to have in the process of time what he even appears to have is taken away from him you see this is a solemn prophecy concerning our future condition now let me get very pointed have the studies in Hebrews made any practical difference in your life over the past months
all of the solemn exhortations and all of the glorious revelations of the perfections of Christ so applied yourself by these spiritual disciplines of meditation and prayer and holy assimilation and determined spirit rock implementation to have the book of Hebrews put its stamp upon you or are you the same person you were before what about our studies in the parable of the sower in the soils has it driven you to your knees to cry to God that he would break up any rocky areas that are keeping the root system sinking deeply into the subsoil of your heart have you cried to God for grace to see the stumps
of the weed bushes the thorn bushes that need to be rooted out has it made any difference or are you the same person you were before has it made any difference that you've been hearing such clear practical instruction about the molding of your children from the way some of you have so little grip over the wills of your kids if you've heard the text it's a matter of life and death to govern the wills of your children and you're still not willing to pay the price to govern their will
to master their will here's the prophecy with what measure you meet it shall be measured to you he that hath shall be given he that hath not shall be taken away that which he seems to have I often speak of the privileges and the wonderful wonderful rewards of a lengthy pastorate and they are many but I tell you this is one of the qualities of a lengthy pastorate you live long enough to see this verse fulfilled before your very eyes there were people when I came into this area over twenty years ago who seemed to have and have much but time has shown they have nothing
what they seem to have has been taken away while under the very same ministry others have gone from grace to grace and strength to strength and have blossomed into ornaments of God's mighty transforming power many of there are like other people but the truth of the matter is there is
this Light that is everything from the spirit of his ministry to the way in which he structured his sermons. And if you want anything to discourage you as a preacher, it's read a book that sets forth the Lord Jesus as the great preacher.
And when we behold him as a preacher, we wonder if we've ever even begun to preach.
But you see, here was the only perfect preacher who ever lived, who had preached to these people publicly, who had expounded to them privately, and after all of that, he says... You see it?
The Son of God incarnate, who spoke as never man ever spoke, says,
My ministry without your pains will produce little.
Thank God over the years, many of you have obviously learned the disciplines of being good listeners. And I hope that some of us who apply ourselves at least have begun to begin to learn what it is to preach. And we're determined, we're determined that we'll go to our graves trying to learn how to preach. But dear people, all of our pains to be accurate in handling the Word, to be clear in our structure, simple in our language, and if we use big words to define them, all of our pains to illustrate and bring the Word home with close application.
Do you see? Our labors will come to naught unless you consider carefully, continuously, what you hear.
If it was true of Jesus' words, it's true of His servants.
Application 3: Revelation of Growth Rate Differences
But then there is a fourth and final word of application, and it's this.
This text constitutes a sobering revelation of the fundamental reason for the different rates of growth among God's people. A sobering revelation of the fundamental reason for the different rates of growth among God's people. You see, spiritual growth has little relationship to chronological time.
There are people who go from being little-born ones, just out of the womb spiritually, to full-blown manhood in five years.
Some are still in infancy. Maybe they've come from infancy to toddlerhood in 20 years. And you know what the difference is? Here's the fundamental difference.
The one learned early the disciplines of considering carefully what he heard, and was never content until what was heard was understood to the best ability at that present time, after much prayer and crying to God for illumination, was not content until there was assimilation, application, personally, specifically, to his own life, and then implementation according to the present level of grace. And what happens? That person becomes a full-blown man. Now, where do I get that notion?
Right out of the Hebrews passage that we studied several months ago. Chapter 5 in Hebrews. Notice, he wants to lead his readers into some of the riches of truth concerning Christ. Christ as the Great.
The great priest after the order of Melchizedek. And he says in verse 11, Of whom we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, seeing...
And you remember the paraphrase or the translation that Professor Martin has been giving you. You've become lazy in your ears. For when by reason of the time, enough time is passed, that you ought to have a sufficient grasp upon truth, and a sufficient manifestation of the power of that, that truth in your life, the time you ought to be teachers. For Bible never says a man should teach simply because he's got a head full of notions.
He's got a life that validates the absorption of the truth he would convey to others. For when by reason of time you ought to be teachers, you have need again that someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God, or become such as have need of milk and not of solid food, for...
Everyone that partakes of milk is without experience in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe, but solid food is for full-grown men. How do they become that? Even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. What's the difference between those who remain babes and those who become men?
Here's the difference. One can carefully...
And the other is too lazy. He feels that when he's read his Bible and gone to church, his work is done! And God says, All right, the law of equivalent returns. You measure out such a paltry bit of effort to consider what you hear, to absorb it, to have it written upon the tables of your heart with power.
Your life will manifest that. And God measures out meager returns to such a person. That's the fundamental difference. And oh dear people, I plead with you.
This morning in the name of your Savior, take this to heart. It's not a matter of intellectual cleverness or gray matter. I have seen people with relatively limited IQs, utterly outstripped brilliant people, because they learned to consider carefully what they heard. And you see, when God's truth comes to us, demanding that we believe things that humble us, demanding that.
We obey things that cut across the grain of our natural inclinations. You see this considering carefully always has ethical and moral implications, doesn't it? You see, the truth is always according to godliness. Therefore, it's always pointing out the ungodliness, whether of thought or of life.
And that's why some of us don't like this discipline of considering carefully. We get too close to the light of that truth, and it begins to expose the dark areas of the heart. And we say, that's got to change. and this has got to change, and this has got to be incorporated into my life, and that's got to go, and I'm not ready to pay the price.
So what do you do? You fill your mind with something else.
And because you do not consider carefully what you hear, your returns from God are minimal. And if that pattern goes on, it may lead to the time when what you now seem to have will be taken away, and there will be nothing. Spurgeon stated it so graphically. He said, I think, the term he used when what appears to be an innocent little bit of unbelief and hypocrisy will curdle into open blasphemy.
Conclusion and Final Exhortation
Dear people, these are serious words, and as I have spent hours before them crying to the Lord, Lord, what did you mean? Why did you say these things? To the best of my present light and understanding, I believe I have conveyed the sense of our Lord's words, and I close with this simple question. Why?
Why did Jesus? Have to enforce the command with those two aphorisms, those two principles of the operations of God in his kingdom? Why wasn't it enough that he simply could say to his followers, consider carefully what you hear? Well, he knew the human heart, and he knew that we needed every motive possible to spur us on in a discipline that is so utterly contrary to our native inclinations.
May God bring us again and again, and back to these words, and what is said here to the inner circle, it applies to you who are not yet Christians. I know and you know that we are saved not by our pains, but by the pains of the Son of God born on our behalf. We are saved not by what we do, but what he did, and yet that very Savior said, strive to enter the narrow gate,
and unless you come to the place where you are serious about the witness of God about your own heart, and your own sin, and God's salvation in Christ, serious enough to begin to put forth effort to cry to God that you might perceive the state of your heart and the glory of his remedy in Christ. If you're just waiting back and hoping you'll get some heavenly zapping, my friend, the first zapping you'll get will be the zapping of the day of judgment. You're responsible to seek the Lord while he may be found, and to call upon him while he is near. May God grant that we shall lay to heart the words of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us pray.
Our Father, we thank you for the record of the words of our Lord Jesus, and we would desire many of us with all of our hearts to receive his gracious commandment which has been expounded in our hearing to consider carefully what we hear. We confess with shame that all too often we have allowed the word to slip, as it were, through our fingers, through carelessness, and at times through willful distraction, because we knew that word, if meditated upon and assimilated by prayer and meditation
and implemented by holy obedience, would mean radical changes that we weren't prepared to make. Lord, forgive our sin of not paying care and of not paying careful attention to your words. And as many of us resolve this morning that with renewed vigor we shall indeed carefully consider every word that we hear from your word. O Lord, give us grace.
We know that our resolutions will peter out in defeat and in spiritual paralysis unless you give us grace. Grant us that grace. We are thirsty. We are thirsty.
We are thirsty, Lord, to have more given unto us. The little we have come to know of your glory and the preciousness of the knowledge of yourself has indeed inflamed our hearts for more. Grant us, Lord, fulfill your promise that as we measure out more than a teaspoonful of effort as we give ourselves to know you and to understand your word and your ways, fulfill your promise to give to us in measure and even more. O God, fulfill that promise to us, we pray.
And for any who yet sit in indifference, may your very word arrest them this morning and may their indifference be replaced with a holy longing to understand and to know the great and unveiled mystery of Christ and of his salvation. Honor, we pray, the effort to open up your word and apply it to the consciences of men. Seal it, we pray, to our prophet and to your praise. Now, our Father, we ask that you will be with us that as we leave this place and many return to their homes that throughout the remainder of this day we may find ourselves
considering carefully the words of our Lord Jesus. We ask in his name. Amen.
This transcript was generated by automated speech recognition and may contain errors. It is provided for study and reference only; the audio recording is the authoritative source.
Passages Expounded
This is the central text, with verses 24-25 being the primary focus for the sermon's command and reinforcing aphorisms.
Texts Expounded
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