Go Light Your World

Go Light Your World Isaiah 49:6, Matthew 5:13-16 Good Morning, Here we are into fall, end of September, and the cooler days and nights are upon us. On November 5, before we go to bed, we set our clocks back one hour. “ Fall back” ... This is a time when the darkness increases, the lack of light is increasing. There is more darkness than in the summer months. Rest assured, I am not here to speak about the controversy of DST (daylight savings time) or whether we should participate in it or not. However, what I am speaking of, that which God has placed on my heart, is the importance of light. There are thousands of references of light in the Bible. Today I will share my view of some of those references. Light shining in the world is a great event. We seem to look at the world a bit happier when the sun is shining down on all the beauty that is around us. When we don’t have the sunlight, the world seems bleak. Having light, whether natural or produced another way, seems pretty commonplace in today’s world as there are many ways to produce light — use of a candle, with flame, solar panels in which the power is produced from the sun. The sun is a huge producer of light as is the moon. And the sun and moon are constant as they are created by God. Along with the candle/flame combo, there are oil lanterns, flashlights with batteries, to mention a few. As you can tell I am not a scientist, but I do know that I am not a big fan of the dark, unless it is to sleep or to look at the stars. But the fact is, I love the light of the day! The brighter, the better. Light bulbs of every wattage to LED bulbs, fluorescent bulbs, mercury and halogen are a few types of sources of light, too. Streetlights, spotlights, traffic lights, fog lights all are ways to illuminate our way each day. A story/a witness … A short time ago there was a lady. She had been through and suffered many tragedies and losses in her life. She was angry, bitter and not at all herself. Her faith had always been strong, but Satan had snuffed it out. It was easy to be sad, miserable, lost and afraid. While on a family vacation, she tried to find peace and comfort in her mind and heart. All the while trying to do this on her own ... it didn’t work … (I know many of us here have been through the same type of situation). One day she walked to the waters’ shore, the St. Lawrence River. You see she was at the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse in Cape Vincent, NY. While sitting at the edge of the water, the lighthouse was towering in the sky. Every once in a while the fog horn would sound, which gave chills also. The purpose of the horn sounding and the light flashing made her think of all that it was designed to do as the lights on top were still shining… although it was daylight. The lighthouse made her think about its purpose and her purpose. She sat quietly and prayed for peace and direction. As the waters’ waves were crashing, the lighthouse stood beautifully. The lights were beaming out, and it was then and there that she realized that God was her lighthouse. His love and light will guide and protect and save me for His salvation. That’s right — this is my story. Why did I share this? To show God lights our way, that He provided a light for me to follow. Brought me out of the darkness and into the light, to find our way when we are lost. When speaking of the lighthouse, one thinks of fog. So many times, our lives are distorted by the fog in our minds. We wander about, not sure of our path; minds are darkened by the fog. Which way to go? What to do? God is the Light of the world, meaning He is our guide, our source of the way to go. His endless love for us gives great hope. In today’s world it is real easy to be bleak, downhearted, ready to give up. There seems to be a lack of compassion, understanding and unity among us. We all want what we want, when we want it, and I don’t care if I offend you. But if we truly follow God’s Word, the path will be shown to us, and He will shine his light every day. Along with His light is the message that we are to share His light, send out His light to others. Sending out His light to the world. I have a sign on my wall (Emily made for me) that states, “Make like a lighthouse and shine!” I love this message as it is spot on and speaks volumes of importance. We can all share one thing with others. Be a ray of hope by telling others of God and His love, that Jesus is the way to salvation and eternal life. When we share/witness, we are shining our light for Jesus. Do you shine your light for Jesus? If so, do all your shining for God’s glory, not your own. Be the light in this world! The light I am speaking of is your understanding that God is your Father, Jesus is your Savior, and your path is led by the loving involvement of the Holy Spirit. It is the awareness of how better our life is with Jesus in control. Having Jesus shining a light on our path. We treat ourselves and others better as we realize God loves us and provides all our needs. This understanding becomes evident to us as the light shines inside each of us. The light of thankfulness that Jesus saved us, and that we have hope in God to face all our needs and request each and every day. In the Scripture I read earlier, Jesus is talking to His disciples. He tells His disciples that all believers are the salt and light of the world. He continues by saying that believers are to be like lights! He described the light as a testimony of His followers, revealing and illuminating the truth. Lights that were not meant to be hidden under a basket. Our lights are our purpose that God has given to each of us, part of His plan/calling. When we accept our calling, our wicks are lit inside and shine through us for all to see. That’s how God intends to get His work done here on earth. Through you and me. It’s not just the pastors and missionaries who share the Light; it is for all of us who love the Lord. Jesus is the Light of the world! He calls His disciples to be the light unto the world as well. Just as a small lamp can give light to a large room, each of us individually can be a beacon of light in our homes, workplace, and out in the community. In 1 John 1:5-7 it reads, “This is the message He has given to you: God is the Light and there is no darkness in Him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth. But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from every sin.” At this point I am sure some of you are thinking “This Little Light of Mine.” You know the song we learned as young children. Now that I shared about Jesus is the Light and we need to share His light, one might wonder “just how do we shine our light for Jesus?” One way to shine our light is to share your faith. Share with anyone who needs it. Another way is to take your light where it is dark, where there is loneliness, sickness, sadness, abuse. And, most importantly, we need to shine as a church, shine as a family of believers. Are we doing that? How can you shine this next week? As I am standing here, I see in all of you many talents or gifts God has given you. Those gifts, or better known as lights, are not to be hidden, you know, keep it to yourself. Each talent, no matter what, is to be shared with the world. God didn’t give you those talents for your benefit, to keep to yourself! What are you waiting for? Shine your light! I view myself as a prime example as I have experienced God’s love in my life. That love gives me confidence to be here now speaking (although there are still times I am nervous). I know that no matter what happens, I have God on my side; and He will shine a light for me to guide my every step. Am I super trained and knowledgeable in Scriptures? No! Do I want to know more about all that the Bible can teach me? Yes! However, I do want to share my life experiences, life’s lessons, and I love to encourage others to do the same. Be a witness to others, shine your light for God’s glory! With Jesus shining the light of the way, we will never be in the dark. While preparing for today’s message, I was given a song found by my sister Wendy. It is called Go Light Your World. The message was so apropos that I titled my message after it, and I now am going to share some of the words. There is a candle in every soul Some brightly burning, some dark and cold There is a spirit who brings fire Ignites a candle and makes His home [Refrain] Carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle and go light your world, Take your candle and go light your world. That is just one verse of the song, but I do advise you to check it out on You Tube. It is sung by Kathy Troccoli. The message is wrapped up in that song … Take your candle, your light, and go light your world… In Jesus’ name, Amen. Rosalie