Making a Difference: (2)
David Hunter Hildebrand
Missions Month • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 55:46
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To recap last week, The Lord uses to powerful metaphors here to describe true believers.
He calls us salt and light. Both are very valuable and both very useful.
But, both are vastly different in the way they function.
Like we saw last week, Salt is a internal element.
Salt works from within. It speaks of the indirect influence of the gospel.
Salt is largely negative as far as its influence goes
It retards corruption by its purifying ability, but it cannot change corruption into incorruption.
It rejects rot and decay by its preserving ability, but it cant change rot and decay into eatable meat
It reinforces taste by its pleasing ability, but it cannot change the food it touches
it rouses a thirst for the Water by its promoting ability, but it cannot give water to a thirsty soul.
Light though as more of a positive influence
The reason for this is that It is external
Light is the communication of the gospel
Light not only reveals what is wrong and false but it helps produce what is right and true.
When Jesus called us Salt and Light, he was telling us that we were left in this world to influence it for the glory of God.
Think about these to elements,
Salt is composed of chloride and sodium.
Individually these elements are explosive but together they take bland food and make it edible.
Light, specifically sunlight.
Without the distance we are from the sun and the filters that God has placed over the earth to filter the sunlight, we could not survive.
Yet that same light that has the ability to kill whatever it touches also provides plants with much needed elements for growth and survival. And sunlight provides humans with much needed vitamin
What miracles!
Both Salt and light have the ability to alter this world.
But So does a true born again believer
As true born again children of God, we have the ability and opportunity to Make a difference.
Last week we were able to see how we can have a impact on those around us simply by how we live our every day lives.
This week I want to look at how as light we can make a difference in our world by being the shinning Christians that God wants us to be.
The First thing I want us to see is ....
I. The Christian and His Glowing
I. The Christian and His Glowing
v.14
A. The Element to Supply the Light
A. The Element to Supply the Light
Ye are the light
The right element is a must
Now if I was to take a coke bottle and screw it into a light socket, that would be stupid. (Apparently a coke bottle has the same threads as a light bulb)
there are too many people that are trying to tap into the socket and are not the right element.
Just because something fits doesn't mean it is the right element.
You can fit a round peg into a square hole, but that doesnt mean it goes there
Only those items that are designed to produce light can become a light.
Now let me ask you, (bring out a light bulb) is this a light?
No!
A light bulb is not the light. It is designed to supply light.
Light comes from electricity flowing through an element and then that element heating up enough to produce light.
A bulb is just a bulb until you but it in the right socket and turn on the switch, then it becomes the light.
Same with a candle.
The candle is not the light. It is the element that supplies light.
Light comes from another source that supplies the wick with the ability to give light.
Jesus said in John 9:5
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Christ was not only the receiver of light he is the giver as well.
The Psalmist tells us that it is the Lord that is my light
That is why He said ye are the light,
because He is the source that supplies the power to the element for it to shine.
B. The Environment to Shine the Light
B. The Environment to Shine the Light
of the World
A light does you no good in a bright room.
There are a lot of shinning lights in here this morning but what good is your light in church?
Christ says, ye are the light of the world, not the light of the church.
The Church is where you are to receive the necessary tools to help you become a brighter light
The world is where we are to shine the brightest
Paul tells the church in Philipi, Phil 2:15
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
The darker it is the brighter the light shines
C. The Elevation to Show the Light
C. The Elevation to Show the Light
A city that is set on a hill cannot be hide
Have you ever taken a light and put it under your bed in the dark?
it only gives light to the underside of the bed and maybe a few inches along the floor.
Now Place the same light on a shelve in a dark room and now you can see the whole room.
You may have the the power flowing to the element and the element may be heating up and glowing but you have placed it at its lowest place and its effectiveness is limited.
I lived in the mountains of VA and growing up I remember being outside at night and looking up to the mountain and being able to see lights. I couldnt see our neighbors because they were behind some trees. But I could see the ones at a higher elevation.
The brighter and higher we shine our light the more people will notice.
The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Next we see
II. The Christian and His Giving
II. The Christian and His Giving
v.15
A. The Neglect of Our Giving
A. The Neglect of Our Giving
“and put it under a bushel.”
To light a candle and hide it is ridiculous not to mention straight up neglect.
Light a candle and place it under a dried wooden bushel basket and see what happens.
most likely it will catch fire and if it is unattended will endanger the lives of those in the house.
This may be a little funny because who actually would do that right?
but think about how hiding our light is neglect of the eternal safety of others.
Not shining our light is neglecting those around us of the joy and hope that lies with in us.
Paul and Barnabas tell us in Acts 13:47
For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
We are to light the path for others to come to Christ and when we are hiding our light under a bushel we are neglecting them of the salvation we enjoy.
We are neglecting them of the cure to their illness
We are neglecting them of the freedom we as God’s children enjoy
We are neglecting them and sealing their fate
Lets not neglect the world of the light they so despertly need
Lets place it on a candlestick.
when we place our light on a candlestick it causes an effect.
B. The Effect of Our Giving
B. The Effect of Our Giving
When you turn on a switch or light a candle there is one thing it does, it dispels any darkness around it.
It gives light to those that were in darkness
You ever been with out power for an extended period of time?
Things begin to become dreary after a while.
But as soon as the sun comes up or the power comes on, dreariness turns to delight, does it not?
Light brings life to plants
Light dispels jondas in a baby
light turns a dreary day into a happy day
When we stop neglecting our giving of light to others, we will begin to see a change in those around us.
III. The Christian and His Glistening
III. The Christian and His Glistening
v.16
to Glisten means to shine lustrously (brightly)
A. Our Glistening Reveals Our Generosity
A. Our Glistening Reveals Our Generosity
When we allow our light to shine bright we put our good works on display
Why do the lights of, say Vegas, get so much attention?
Because they shine bright. They Glisten. They attract your attention.
When we glisten we attract peoples attention too.
Now remember there are different kinds of light
Have you ever been in a room with a black light?
What does it reveal?
Yeah all the bad.
Same goes for some Christians, they are a light but they are revealing to many bad things about themselves or others around them.
There kind of light turns off more people then it attracts.
We need to be sure our light is glistening not glaring
We should be shining brightly revealing the generosity that Christianity is known for.
We should be what we are.
Love thy neighbor as thy self
do good to them that hate you
pray for them that dispitefully use you
To many Christians proclaim the name without projecting the light.
B. Our Glistening Reveals Our God
B. Our Glistening Reveals Our God
This bothered me for a brief moment while studying.
I thought my light was to draw attention to God not myself?
Then I got to thinking, about how God can take an old no good whoremogger like me and save me and call me and place me where I am today.
If that is not God I dont know what is.
When you and I shine bright and show generosity to others, it shows the world that if God can do this to us He can do it to anyone.
But the path of the just is as the shining light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Conclusion
So we have over the past two weeks looked at how as salt and light make a difference in this world.
As salt we have a preserving ability.
We have a promoting ability
How salty of a Christian are you?
Are you making a difference?
As a light we are to glow, give and glisten for God.
How bright is your light?
Are you revealing generosity which in turn is revealing God?
Are you neglecting your light? Are you keeping it from others?
What kind of effect are you having if any, on those around you?
Are you like a city on a hill?
And the most important question.
Are you the right element to shine?
Do you know Jesus?
I dont mean just know who He is, I mean actually know Him as the One and only Savior, your savior?
That is the only way you can ever shine for Jesus.
I pray if you are in here this morning and dont know Christ as your savior, I beg you dont leave here that way.
For the rest of us, we are saved born again believers. We are the children of God. Therefore we are to let our light shine.
Are you doing that?
Are you being a shinning Christian?