ALL THINGS REVEALED
LUKE 12:2-3
I. INTRODUCTION
NOTHING ESCAPES THE EVER WATCHFUL EYES AND THE ETERNAL MIND OF HIM WHO IS SOVEREIGN. GOD HEARS ALL, KNOWS ALL, AND SEES ALL. YES MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, MANY HAVE DONE, ARE DOING, AND SHALL DO THINGS IN THE DARK THAT SHALL BE BOUGHT TO THE LIGHT, EITHER IN THIS WORLD OR AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST. WHILE THEIR DEEDS MAY GO UNOTICED FOR A WHILE, SOONER OR LATER THEY WILL PAY THE PRICE. AS I ROLL BACK THE TABLETS OF MY MIND AND SHARE WITH YOU THINGS THAT I DID AS A CHILD AND THOUGHT THAT I WAS GETTING AWAY WITH, SOMEWAY, SOMEHOW, MOMMA AND DADDY FOUND OUT ABOUT IT, AND WHEN THEY DID, CONSEQUENCES WERE SURE TO FOLLOW. ISN’T IT STRANGE HOW WE THINK THAT NOBODY IS WATCHING ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT WE HAVE BEEN BUSTED? NUMBERS 32:23 TEACHES, “AND BE SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT.” IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN MEN DO THEIR DIRT THEY WILL BE BUSTED. WHEN WE GO PLACES WE SHOULD NOT GO, WE GET BUSTED. WHEN WE SAY THINGS THAT WE SHOULD NOT SAY, WE GET BUSTED. WHY? BECAUSE NOTHING ESCAPES THE EVER WATCHFUL EYES AND ETERNAL MIND OF HIM WHO IS SOVEREIGN. ANYBODY HERE EVER BEEN BUSTED? REST ASSURED THAT ALL THINGS SHALL BE REVEALED.
II. THE TEXT
JESUS IS IN A DISCOURSE WITH HIS DISCIPLES AND HE MAKES THEM AWARE OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO COME TO PASS. WHILE HE WAS DESPISED BY THE PHARISEES, HE WAS LOVED BY THE MULTITUDE. HE TALKS ABOUT THE HYPOCRISY OF THE PHARISEES, AND STATES THAT ALL THINGS SHALL BE MADE KNOWN, AND PROCLAIMED UPON THE HOUSETOPS. THE CUSTOM OF MAKING PROCLAMATION FROM THE TOPS OR ROOFS OF HOUSES STILL PREVAILS IN THE EAST. THE GOVENORS IN THE EAST WOULD CAUSE THEIR COMMANDS THUS TO BE PUBLISHED. THEIR PROCLAMATIONS ARE GENERALLY MADE IN THE EVENING, AFTER THE PEOPLE HAVE RETURNED FROM THEIR LABORS IN THE FIELD. THE PUBLIC CRIER ASCENDS THE HIGHEST ROOF AT HAND, AND LIFTS UP HIS VOICE IN A LONG-DRAWN CALL UPON ALL FAITHFUL SUBJECTS TO GIVE EAR AND OBEY. HE THEN PROCEEDS TO ANNOUNCE, IN A SET FORM, THE WILL OF THEIR MASTER, AND DEMAND OBEDIENCE THERETO. AND JESUS USES THIS SAME PRINCIPLE.
WHEN WE EXAMINE THIS TEXT, WE SEE A TWOFOLD ILLUSTRATION OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS. FIRST, ALL THAT HE HAS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES WILL BE MADE KNOWN AS THEY DO HIS WILL. SECOND, THE HYPOCRISY OF THE PHARISEES WILL BE MANIFESTED SOONER OR LATER. ALL THINGS SHALL BE REVEALED! THERE ARE NO SECRETS FROM GOD.
NOT ONLY WILL THINGS BE REVEALED AT JUDGMENT, BUT SOMETHINGS HAVE A WAY OF SHOWING UP IN THIS LIFE TIME. A PERSON THAT CHEATS ON A SPOUSE, CAN CATCH SOMETHING THAT THEY DID NOT BARGIN FOR, OR NINE MONTHS LATER THEIR ACTIONS WILL CATCH UP WITH THEM. CONVICTED CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR LEFT BEHIND IN ONE STATE CAN FOLLOW YOU TO ANOTHER STATE, WHICH CAN PREVENT GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT.
VERSES 4-5 SHOULD ENCOURAGE US TO SPEAK HIS WORD AND DO HIS WILL WITH BOLDNESS, “AND I SAY UNTO YOU MY FRIENDS, BE NOT AFRAID OF THEM THAT KILL THE BODY, AND AFTER THAT HAVE NO MORE THAT THEY CAN DO. BUT I WILL FOREWARN YOU WHOM YE SHALL FEAR: FEAR HIM, WHICH AFTER HE HATH KILLED HATH POWER TO CAST INTO HELL; YEA, I SAY UNTO YOU, FEAR HIM.”
HISTORY TELLS US THAT THE PHARISEES HAD A PRACTICE OF HAVING CLANDESTINE MEETINGS ON PEOPLE THEY DID NOT LIKE, BUT THE LORD INFORMS THEM THAT THEIR ACTIONS WILL BE MADE KNOWN. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WHEN PEOPLE HOLD SECRET MEETINGS ABOUT YOU, DON’T FRET BECAUSE IT SHALL BE REVEALED.
III. APPLICATION
SINCE WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WILL EVENTUALLY BE REVEALED IN AT JUDGMENT, WE SHOULD STRIVE TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS, DOING THE WORKS OF JESUS, AND LEADING OTHERS TO JESUS. OUR MOTIVES FOR WHAT WE DO MUST BE PURE. IN OTHER WORDS WE SHOULD NOT DO THINGS FOR THE APPLAUSE AND APPROVAL OF MEN, BUT FOR THE GLORIFICATION OF GOD. WE MUST MAKE AN INTERNAL ASSESSMENT OF OUR SERVICE TO DETERMINE IF WE ARE SERVING, AND LIVING ACCORDING TO THE HOLY STANDARDS OF GOD. WHILE IT IS POSSIBLE TO FOOL MEN, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FOOL GOD. JUDGMENT WILL BE PUBLIC AND NOT PRIVATE.
HOW TRAGIC IT WOULD BE FOR US TO PUT IN ALL THIS TIME IN CHURCH, IN THE VINEYARD, DOING WHAT WE THINK IS GOD’S WORK, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT OUR LIVING HAS BEEN IN VAIN. JESUS SAYS IN MATTHEW 7:22-23, “MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY, LORD, LORD, HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED IN THY NAME? AND IN THY NAME HAVE CAST OUT DEVILS? AND IN THY NAME DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS? AND THEN WILL I PROFESS UNTO THEM, I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY.” IN OTHER WORDS, LORD, I SANG IN THE CHOIR EVERY SUNDAY, I SERVED ON THE DEACONS MINISTRY, I PREACHED IN THE PULPIT, AND JESUS WILL SAY I NEVER KNEW YOU.
MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, PAY DAY IS COMING AFTER A WHILE AND ALL THINGS BOTH GOOD AND BAD SHALL BE REVEALED. JESUS SAYS IN REVELATION 22:12, “AND, BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY; AND MY REWARD IS WITH ME, TO GIVE EVERY MAN ACCORDING AS HIS WORK SHALL BE.”I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT IT, BUT I WANT TO HEAR THE LORD SAY WELL DONE THY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT. I KNOW YOU HAD IT HARD SOMETIMES, BUT WELL DONE. I KNOW FOLK TALKED ABOUT YOU, BUT WELL DONE. I KNOW YOU WERE MISTREATED SOMETIME, BUT WELL DONE.
