In the last 2 studies we looked at the parable of the soils that showed to us that there are distinctions in how people respond to the Word of God and the Gospel. In this study by the providence of God, we will see that flow continue whether that comes to us in this way because of the actuality of how Jesus taught at this time or whether it is how the Holy Spirit directed Luke when he wrote this letter. Either way what we see is that Jesus moves to teach more on the point of making sure that your practice should line up with your profession. To profess Christ as Lord means nothing if it is not actually a reality in your life. To profess Christ and live a life of religion based off of your own interpretation of Scripture or in a life of justifying sinful behavior is hypocrisy. It is with this that shows the reality of who you are. This Scripture that we will study will help us in seeing how it is that we must live, it will show to us a warning about the dangers of living hypocritically and we will see instructions on how we need to be living on a daily basis. With that let’s dive into our Scripture and our first point.
1.Confessing your profession.
Look with me at Luke 8:16-18 “Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it with a container or puts it under a bed, but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 So beware how you listen, for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”
Coming off of the last parable we really look at this as an addition to what Jesus had been speaking on. He made clear that the only people that are really Christians are those that are actually producing that which comes from God. The point is that many people can be religious and good moral people but only those that are actually Christians are those that are producing the fruit from God. Morality is not proof of salvation, good deeds are not a proof of salvation neither is giving money or time but only the proof that God is changing you throughout your life. You can not tell someone is genuine until you see their life over time. You may think they are genuine and may even feel like they really are but in reality only time will show that. Are they looking more like God or are they remaining connected to sin and the world? It is this that shows the reality.
Jesus brings us to the point of showing the proof of what is on the inside by not hiding what God has done. In reality no true Christian will hide what God is doing by remaining in their sin or by not living out the way that God is changing in them. We all sin but we do not want to remain in that sinful state instead we look to live differently, talk differently and think differently. I believe it is with this that we see Jesus say in verse 16 “Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it with a container or puts it under a bed, but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.
This is a very familiar statement that many people know but we need to understand what He is speaking on here. I think that what we see in Matthew 5:14-16 gives us a clearer picture of this where Jesus says “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
We must not hide what is on the inside, we must not hide what God is doing on the inside of us but rather live it out and speak to others about the light of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul proclaims this truth of what his ministry would be as Jesus outlined to him what he would do in Acts 26:18 where he says he was to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.
The light is in opposition to the darkness of our sinful lives and nature. It is against the darkness of our culture and fleshly desires, and it is the light that shines bright in the darkness of night. The light is seen clearly in darkness and there is no mistaken when light comes along into the darkness. This shows us that how we live will and should be clearly seen. This shows us that how we speak, how we think and how we share the Gospel is not in some hidden way because no act really can share the truth of the reality of what God is doing on the inside of you.
The fact is that you may try to hide the reality of what is on the inside of you but what is on the inside will show it’s fruit eventually. Jesus continues and says in Luke 8:17 For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
Many people may fool others with their good works, their nice personality and their financial assistance but you will never fool God. Look with me at what the last two verse of Ecclesiastes says, this is Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 The end of the matter, all that has been heard: fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the end of the matter for all mankind. 14 For God will bring every work to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
So clear and so true! God will show you your deeds and your motives if all you have is some type of personal reform. God wants us to live lives that are in obedience to what He has commanded. It is with this that Jesus warns and instructs on what we must do in Luke 8:18 where He says So beware how you listen, for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.
Listening is definitely important in the reality of spiritual growth. If you are not listening then you definitely will not know what to do but in the same way if you are only listening to have knowledge and not allowing what you hear to change you then you will not change and only proves your hypocrisy. Notice the words that Jesus speaks here. First He says for whoever has, to him more shall be given.
This is the reality of what spiritual growth will do, this is the reality of what true Christianity will prove. The Christian will find themselves growing in knowledge, growing in maturity and growing in evangelizing. They will not sit dormant in the church, they will not live a life of sinfulness and worldliness but they will be moving away from those things. Secondly Jesus says whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.
To me this seems to fit right along with what we saw in the parable of the soils. Those that seemed to be on the right track were eventually removed out of that place because of not being connected to the vine. They have no root toward God, they have no connection and they fall away and bear no good fruit. What they seemed to have was only superficial and outwardly. What they had fell away or in what Jesus says here, was taken from them. Why did this happen to people that looked so good outwardly? The short answer is that they had no inward change, they were not actually Christians but only wanted the benefits of what following Christ really gives. They want eternal life, they want eternal blessing but they did not want to live the way God demands and commands. It is with this thought that we will look at our second point.
2.Living your profession.
Look with me at Luke 8:19-21 And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.” 21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
We have looked at how our profession should affect our confessing but it never will stop there. Our profession will always show up in how we are living daily. I see this post on social media that says something like this: If you are not ashamed of Jesus then post this and share with others. It is with that post that people feel like they have fulfilled their duty to confess Christ before others but in reality that is not what Jesus says or means. Yes we need to confess to others but we must also allow our lives to be changed in such a way that proves that we are different that the world.
As we look at our text we need to understand that Jesus is not trying to disrespect His mother or His brothers even though many of them did not believe in Him at this time. His point goes beyond that to a spiritual lesson. I want to point out first that as always Jesus has a huge crowd following Him. This crowd was so big that His mother and brother’s were unable to get close to Him. In fact as we see in verse 20 says And it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.”
For some of us that would be a welcoming thing to hear that your family is outside wanting to talk to you. This was not so much the case for Jesus because if we look at Mark’s account I believe we see that some of His family was those that were trying to silence Him. I do not believe that His own mother would be but we are not sure of that at this point because He was saying things and doing things that seemed contrary to what most expected when the Messiah was to come, so she easily could be convinced as well that He was crazy. Mark 3:20-21 says And He *came home, and the crowd *gathered again, so that they could not even eat a meal. 21 And when His own people heard this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.”
It is just a little further down where we see this exchange that we are studying on in Luke. The point of it all is to show the reality of who it is that is really children of God or truly Christians. This is where we see Jesus say in Luke 8:21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
He wasn’t renouncing His family or deciding to leave them permanently but was showing the people the reality of what being in the family of God is all about. The point of this is to show to us what following Jesus is all about. It is not about you being blessed with financial gain, having perfect health, living like the world but it is in the obedience to the Word of God. Many people think that this type of teaching is legalistic but it is far from that. Legalism says that you receive salvation because of your ability to keep the commandments. Moralism says you can earn salvation by being a good person or as long as your good outweighs your bad deeds. But true Christianity is living outwardly how God is changing you inwardly which shows the reality that you are a follower of Jesus.
James 1:22-25 says But become doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he looked at himself and has gone away, he immediately forgot what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
You will not continue to live in a way that does not match your profession and confession if you have been truly saved. And when you do fall into those sinful behaviors, as we all do, God will convict you and do what it takes to get you back to where you need to be. Our profession must and will change our confession and our way of living. There is no way we can be indwelt by the living God and remain in the same way of living as we did before.
As we close I want to leave with this final verse from 3 John verse 11 that says Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
Listen, hear, confess and live out the Word of God. It is this that shows that your profession is a reality.
Disciple's Direction 