YOU ARE PART TWO
Matt
5:13-16
Many of you know the children’s Sunday school song “This
little light of mine” For
many years this song has been speaking volumes of biblical truth into the
hearts of God’s children.
“A song so simple, you’re
humming
it right now to yourself!”
A well-known gospel song written for children in the 1920s by Harry Dixon Loes, which has impacted church generations since then. Unfortunately for me…. this song had no purpose or meanings to my life until God grabbed a hold of my heart in my adulthood. Before this truth penetrated my heart through the gospel I had no light to shine, because I wasn’t a born-again believer in Jesus Christ. Instead of letting my heart be a mirror that reflected His light to the world, I let my flesh be a mirror and reflected to whatever was around me. Well I think the intentions of the song writer were to express exactly what Jesus is saying here in His sermon.
We/You are a light, not the
Light!
But a light to the world.
See! Jesus is the Light but we are to lights for Him and His gospel. See our lights bring truth to bear and rescues people out of darkness.
“Light exposes darkness to
the path of gospel.”
John MacArthur said
“We cannot witness to the world if we do
not go out into the world; and we cannot go far into the world before coming in
contact with all sorts of wickedness. But we are never to identify with that
wickedness, or give it opportunity to take hold in our own life. To compromise
God’s standards is to weaken our witness as well as our character.”
The darkness is strong around us, and we need to be a strong light exposing the darkness around us. For the purpose that we too don’t become dim lights or desensitized by the culture, and the talking heads of this generation. Turn on the lights in a basement. What happens the floor start to move? Insects and critters in our basements hate the Light. Just as our present world systems hate the things of God, they will hate the light of God’s children. But we must gently expose the darkness for what is because a soul hangs in the balance.
What does the bible say about
us
being lights to the earth?
Solomon wrote, “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.” Prov 4:18-19 The "just" man is one that is made righteous through the righteousness of Christ imputed to him. In the new birth he or she is created anew in Christ, in righteousness and true holiness; and, under the influence of divine grace. The divine grace of the gospel to live soberly, righteously, and godly, holy and shine as lights to darkened world. Paul said you were once like those in darkness so shine your light for them to see. “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” Eph 5:8. The Apostle Paul also said we have been approved by God through the gospel to be lights for Him and His glory. “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred (positioned us, moved us from one place to the next) us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Col 1:11-14
Understand! We haven’t been approved by our own merit or our good deeds. Our approval or qualifications come only by the divine workings of Christ and the gospel. Peter said, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9. “Being a child of Light reveals the heart and guides our footsteps
but it also exposes something
the world doesn’t want to see.”
“Light”
In the analogy of light to the world, the good works of Christ’s followers are to shine for all to see. “Darkness is the absence of light. Trying to go
after it directly, is like chasing your shadow.” As D A Carson said, “A world which by implications, is masked in thick darkness.” See! Light produces fruit that is pleasing to God….. but darkness is a denial of the sun and is fruitless and yielding nonproducing deeds/fruits. It’s like putting a tarp over a patch of grass…leave down for a period of time and what do you see when you lift it up? Dead grass. But when the light is exposed to the grass it does something unimaginable! It slowly can be brought back to life. By exposing the darkness for what it is……it will in turn through God’s grace restore a person who is darkness into His glorious light. “Our commission as children of Light is to hold everything up to the light of scripture, to expose and seek to remedy whatever is evil.” Many will hate the light and those whose lives provide the light, and they will try to stamp out the light and silence the church. Others will feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit and see the darkness of their deeds. They will turn from their sin to Christ and thereby, thereby begin to glorify the Lord.
The gospel saves!
This is why Jesus says “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”. Matt. 5:16 Our lives are to glorify Him…it’s never been or about us, at all. The gospel is one part the other is displaying to others in darkness the glory of God, who saves sinners like them. Our mandate and call in this life is to glorify our glorious God by imitating Him to lost and broken people; who do not realize they are lost, broken and waiting final judgement by a sovereign and holy God. What does that look like? By what Jesus said in the opening of His sermon. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matt 5:13-16
Martyn Lloyd Jones said,
“As a Christian, I should always have
this general effect upon men before I have this specific effect. Wherever I may
find myself, immediately that ‘something different’ about me should have its
effect; and that in turn ought to lead men and women to look at me and to say.
“There is something unusual about that man.” Then, as they watch my conduct and
behavior, they begin to ask questions. Here, the element of “light” comes out;
I am able to speak and to teach them. Far too often we Christians tend to
reverse the order. We have spoken in a very enlightened manner, but we have not
always lived as the salt of the earth. Whether we like it or not, our lives
should always be the first thing to speak; and if our lips speak more than our
lives it will avail very little. So often the tragedy has been that people
proclaim the gospel in words, but their whole life and demeanor has been a
denial of it. The world does not pay much attention to them. Let us never
forget this order deliberately chosen by our Lord; “the salt of the earth’
before ‘the light of the world’. We are something before we begin to act as
something. The two things should always go together, but the order and sequence
should be the one which He sets down here.”
Where salt preserves and light brings comfort, warmth, peace and it helps to remove fear, anxieties to a broken and darkened heart. Light brings a calmness of mind to listen and receive wisdom of biblical truth.
It’s this light that Jesus said that we do not hide it or cover it up with something. (v15) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand,
and it gives light to all in the house.” This would have made perfect sense to His listeners! Because you would be crazy to hide your light under a basket. Why? Take the “light from a city” if it was a cloudy night out in the woods you would be lucky if you could see your hand before your face. Total blackness. But if there was a city nearby perhaps a hundred kilometers away the darkness is relieved. The light reflects off the clouds and the night that was blackness doesn’t seem so dark anymore or unbearable to handle. Just as Christians who let their light shine before men cannot be hidden, because our light illuminates in the blackness of this fallen world. Same is true in the home. Take for example to ample amount of times the power goes out in Killaloe! It’s pretty creepy when you look outside because you can barely see the church across the parking lot. There is an eerie feeling, but as soon as you light a candle, or use a flashlight there is a sense of ease and calmness. Because it brings light into the room. Light is a powerful tool for others to observe and follow. We are to shine like that in a darkened eerie world that has no hope for tomorrow. Not superficially like the Pharisee’s but like lights for Christ and the gospel. The light is the “good deeds” performed by God’s children, in this way others see that you are different and they recognize that you are followers of Christ. As Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35
And this past couple of months we have been a prime opportunity to preserve and shine for His glorious gospel. We live in a time where we can display both these characteristics for the world to see as they continue walking in darkness. As they continue to walk in fear of death and the unknown. But as Martyn Lloyd Jones said; we must keep it in the order that Jesus speaks of here in His sermon. And this is only possible through the new birth. Not by our strength or might; but by His grace in our lives, though His divine purposes for others to see and hear the gospel.
“We are supposed to be salt
to the earth
and a light for the True
Light”
We are to be a “salty church” and a “rejoicing light” for this darkened world. For this darkened Killaloe, that we call home.
What are some ways we can show the world this light of Christ in the new birth.
1. You Take Light To The Darkness, Because Light Exposes Darkness And Uncovers Every Shadow.
In John’s gospel we see the source of Light and what the gospel does to light up the darkness. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” John 1:1-9. Like John the Baptist we have been given a special mission as His children to go into the darkness and display the light of Christ for others to see and witness.
2. You
Speak In Ways That Are Right, True, Honorable And Trustworthy. Speak The Truth No Matter
What.
Jesus said as you walk in His path speak biblical truth into darkness, "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matt 10:24-28. Christ proceeds to encourage his disciples to an open, plain, and faithful attention of the Gospel, not fearing the faces and scowls of men.
3. You
Shine Together As A Church On The Foundations Of His Grace; And Authentically
Praise The Name Of The Lord When Given The Opportunity.
Paul said, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.” Phil 2:12-16. What a time in history to really display this to a world in darkness. Seize every opportunity to reveal what is in your heart by the light you display for His glory.
4. You
Realize That Christ Has Already Determined Your Value So Your Display Is An Outward
Profession Of An Inward Transformation.
As we read in Isaiah, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Isaiah 60:1-3. We are visible lights of His redeeming grace. God has always opposed those who would do things outwardly while the heart is far from Him. Don’t be like the hypocrites but like His adopted children, “Let your light shine” the inward transformation of the gospel. Be a beacon, lighthouse of hope, to an already broken and decaying culture.
5. You
Be Who God Created You To Be, Despite How Others Feel. God Created You, As You,
For A Good Reason.
As Paul said, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Col 3:1-15. Whether you’re light shines 1oo yards or ten feet. We shine nonetheless for His eternal promises and glory. When we shine light, when we let our light shine bright! God sends it into dark places. We may not even know the distance that our light will shine, but though our surrender to His will, we will shine into this darken world to see and find rescue in Christ alone.
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs tells of one particularly faithful English Christian, the author writes: “He was a good salt of the earth, savory biting the corrupt manners of evil men; a light in God's house, set upon a candlestick for all good men to imitate and follow.” Dr. Rowland Taylor, who the author declares was so good at pointing to Christ, was burned as a martyr on February 9, 1555. In the same book, a later story tells of two Christian friends who are tied up to be burned back to back on the same stake: Dr. Ridley and Mr. Latimer. When a lighted stick was laid at Dr. Ridley's feet, the account says that it caused his friend Mr. Latimer to say: "Be of good cheer, Ridley; and play the man. We shall this day, by God's grace, light up such a candle in England, as I trust, will never be put out." They died as martyrs on October 16, 1555. Yet, even in their death, they hoped to proclaim the light of Christ! What a humbling story!
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine,
let it shine, let it shine, oh let it shine.
Ev'rywhere I go,
I'm gonna let it shine.
Ev'rywhere I go,
I'm gonna let it shine.
Ev'rywhere I go,
I'm gonna let it shine,
let it shine, let it shine,
oh let it shine.
Jesus gave it to me,
I'm gonna let it shine.
Jesus gave it to me,
I'm gonna let it shine.
Jesus gave it to me,
I'm gonna let it shine,
let it shine, let it shine,
oh let it shine.
Though many of us will never face what these men faced; we are to be ready nonetheless, for His precious gospel that gives eternal life. Light cannot be anything other than what it is. It's bright; it dispels darkness; it enables people to see
what they are doing. God is light, and since He sent His Holy Spirit to live inside believers, so are we. As his ambassadors on earth, we shine even when we don't know it. And as believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to shine the light of Jesus Christ in any circumstance in which we find ourselves.
You and I are called to
influence
others for Him!
As Paul said “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Rom 13:11-12. As one puritan preacher said “I heard the voice of Jesus say, “I am this dark world’s Light; Look unto to Me, thy morn shall rise, And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found In Him my star, my sun; And in that light of Life I’ll walk, till travelling days are done.” This is our duty to expose the darkness with gentleness and humility until we leave this earth into eternal glory. With the invitation of the gospel to those who are darkness, to come into His glorious light and live for the glory of His Name.
You are a light to the world!
What are you reflecting?
What does your light say
about you?
Where are you shining your light in this world?
Hopefully its shining bright for His glorious gospel that saves to the uttermost. And as Jesus went outside to the world so are we with the light of the gospel. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Heb 13:13-16
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