Do Something

February 21, 2018

Mark 4:21-25

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? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And 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.”

Last year we had a series of sermons and lesson on “Do Something,” and someone from outside of the Christian Church might wonder what is that all about.  Well, it is all about obeying what Jesus has said, and it is clear from this paper written by Jon D. Wilke.

“When it comes to discipleship, churchgoers struggle most with sharing Christ with non-Christians according to a recent study of church-going American Protestants.

The study conducted by LifeWay Research found 80 percent of those who attend church one or more times a month, believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith, but 61 percent have not told another person about how to become a Christian in the previous six months.”

Mr. Wilke, states 20% never pray for their family and friends who they know are not believers in Christ.  I believe Jesus ask some questions each of us who claim to be followers of Christ need to give thought to. “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?  One would assume the lamp in this parable is Jesus, and we who are followers of Christ understand it is not our story but His that is so important.  It is Christ in me that is the hope of glory, and each of us should have a story to share about what Christ has done for us.  Why do we hide that story from people we care for, is it not as if we have put it under a basket only to share with others who believe as we do on Sundays. 

Jesus goes on to say this; “For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light.”  One might ask is the contempt shown to Christians and the Church today tied to that 61% who go by the name Christian but have hidden what He has done for them under a basket?

Then Jesus states; “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.”  The Church in the USA must have a listening problem, and if not, we have an obedience problem.  The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.”  Could it be that because we have not used what we have heard, that it's taken from us?  But the reverse is for us who will listen and obey; we will be granted more revelation and understanding.

From The Back Porch,

Bob Rice