Released to Shine

Out theme for 2024 is “Possessing the Land”

Last year I preached a series on 1 Corinthians entitled “The Spirit-filled church.

It was about this church in the Gentile world living at the intersection of spiritual reality and one of the darkest places on earth.

A year later, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church again.

Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthian church is to not just be filled with the Spirit, but to release the Spirit.

We don’t just live in spiritual reality, we bring spiritual reality to bear in every situation that we find ourselves.

We carry the Presence of God with us to change the atmosphere wherever we go.

Last week we were released to bring the comfort of the Holy Spirit and we did that for each other at the close of the service.

This week we are released to shine.

When God created the world, what was the very first thing He created? Light!

Genesis 1:3 ESV

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Light shone in contrast to the darkness.

And light is connected to God’s goodness, the opposite of which is evil.

In in this passage we will see that truth is like light and goodness, it shines brighter against the backdrop of deception and error.

Light produces life.

It is the defining moment in God’s new creation when he says, “Let there be light.”

And the light comes on in our mind and our heart and exposes everything that is dark, false or evil.

The Holy Spirit in us releases us to shine brighter, to shine bolder and to shine forever.

I hope we can discover together that light in each of us, because we were made to shine!

Shine brighter.

Did you know that there is a flash of light when conception occurs?

Scientists at Northwestern University first observed this in 2011 when doing fertilization experiments on mice. Then in 2014, they were able to film the phenomenon happening in human fertilization. This time they had the right equipment to observe, but to study it. What they saw was millions of tiny Zinc molecules exploding over a period of about two hours like a tiny fireworks show, while new life was being created.

The report goes on to say that researcher have been able to correlate the amount of light with the heath and viability of the embryo. This is promising for IVF studies because it gives scientist a way to know almost immediately if the procedure is likely to succeed.

I can relate to that - when I see someone come to Christ - it’s like new creation.

It’s like I am observing flashes of light - realization of who God is, who they are and what life is all about.

The more dramatic conversions are like the Apostle Paul, all of the energy that they spent on selfish pursuits, now gets channeled into serving God.

The best part is watching the changes happen like a series of fireworks - one explosion just leads to the next.

As Christians, our whole life should be characterized by transformation - just a series of changes producing light as a result.

Paul said something similar to the Corinthians:

We shine as evidence.

2 Corinthians 3:1–3 ESV

1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Paul seems to be addressing an issue but we are not privy to the details - someone is asking for Paul’s credentials in writing.

The ancients Greeks invented Democracy, but you could say that Rome turned it into a Bureaucracy.

They still used the rhetoric of “rule by the people” - but everyone knew that it was certain Roman rulers who were in control.

They were the ones with lots of money and armies at their command.

They would put on these big elaborate festivals with food, alcohol and sports entertainment to create the impression that the people loved them and were on their side.

Of course, if you were a public figure, you should have endorsements from people in power - that would take the form of letters.

Letters were form of influence.

People who want public influence can collect letters of endorsement from people who have a lot of people under their influence.

Hey, why earn votes when you can buy them?

Paul doesn’t play that game.

Power is not how many people say they like you.

Power is not how many “big named” people you know.

Power is not the letters of recommendation that accompany your resume.

Power is a transformed life!

You want to know what real power is? - try creating something, actually changing things for the better.

How many people can put on their resume that they actually helped change peoples lives for the better?

Paul says, “do you want to see my resume? You are my resume!”

You are all the evidence that I need that there is real power at work here.

We shine with confidence.

2 Corinthians 3:4–6 ESV

4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Notice we have repeated word here - sufficiency.

Sufficiency has to do with measuring quantity or quality.

Are you good enough?

Do you matter?

Paul’s answer is that life is not measured by things, or even people.

What this world considers important is passing away.

1 John 2:15–17 ESV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

The world’s idea of confidence is the “self-made man or woman”

You have to make a name for yourself.

You have to be successful - code word for money.

Be “respectable” - that means people pretend to like you so that people will like them.

Do you know what makes Paul confident?

The same God who created the universe and spoke life into existence lives in me by His Spirit!

That confidence doesn’t make us arrogant - it makes us humble.

I’m not interested in what you call power, because it’s worthless.

You spend all your power, money and influence just trying to keep up the appearance that you actually deserve it.

Jesus demonstrated humility and I want to show the world Jesus.

Real power is laying your life down and being raised from the dead.

When you no longer care what happens to you - that is when you become invincible.

Contrasting the written letter with the power of the Spirit is going to inspire another example of human power versus real power.

We shine His glory!

2 Corinthians 3:7–11 ESV

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

So this is call a “how much more” argument.

Paul grew up in Judaism where Moses and the Torah were ultimate.

As far as Paul knew, Moses was the greatest person that ever lived and the Ten Commandments were the greatest laws ever to be written.

Greater than Aristotle, Socrates, Plato or any of the great thinkers that the Corinthians would have been familiar with.

But even Moses and the Ten Commandments were surpassed by Jesus.

If Moses is great, Jesus is so much greater.

What is the repeated word here? - glory. - doxa.

Lexham Theological Wordbook δόξα

It is most relevant to aesthetic beauty when it is used in connection with the ideas of brightness and majesty. Doxa is often characterized by or used in conjunction with brilliant light

By using the Greek word doxa, Pau is connecting the connecting the dots between the Corinthian desire for honor and power with the Old Testament concept of God’s presence and glory.

The same word can mean both things - majesty and brightness.

It is also the word used in the Greek OT to translate - Chabod - the weight of God’s presence.

Which kind of glory do you mean? - earthly Majesty or heavenly brightness?

What kind of glory do you want?

What if I told you that there is a glory that is greater than anything we have known?

God is making new creation - and that new creation spark is what has begun in us.

Shine bolder.

I hope that I am communicating this well - this is a big deal!

If you get this concept down, it will change everything else in your life.

Colossians 1:27 CSB

27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

What do you think?

How does that make you feel?

It should make you bold!

Boldness to come out of hiding.

2 Corinthians 3:12–16 ESV

12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

So even Moses, the hero, was human.

He had to veil his face after being in the presence of God because people couldn’t handle the glory.

And people still can’t handle the glory.

I’m not just talking about the people watching, but also the people being watched.

If God showed up one Sunday and we had a powerful revival where thousands of people got save and their lives transformed - it would be a mixed blessing.

Of course that what we want- but is it really?

Where would be go with all of the people?

New believers need to be discipled, who is going to do that?

When people come to Christ,they have practical needs - how are we going to handle that?

How would we handle publicity - good or bad?

How will we steward our time and our resources so we don’t burn out?

Before we are too hard on Moses, let just face it - we all have limitations when it comes to the glory of God.

But Paul seems to be saying that what began as natural limitation eventually became an accepted limitation.

The veil became permanent.

People no longer looked for the glory.

The veiled that once shielded the face is now a condition of the heart.

We not only don’t look for the glory, we no longer even want it.

Have our hears become accustomed to darkness?

Do we try to hide from the glory?

Do we try to hide the glory?

Do we substitute “respectable” for glory?

God help us if we do!

Boldness to be transformed.

2 Corinthians 3:17–4:1 ESV

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.

God is not like any human ruler.

Human rulers try to contain and control everything under their influence.

God is Spirit - like wind or breath - you can’t contain it or control it.

Like breath - ti doesn’t really belong to you - you can’t keep it in - you can only borrow your breath.

Like wind, you can’t control it, but if you know how to use a sail, you can harness it to move you forward, but you will have to move and change with it.

The same is true with the glory of God.

You can’t contain it, if you want to benefit from it, you will have to move with it.

If you want to make it yours, you will need to give yourself over to it.

God will not be domesticated! He cannot be tamed!

The Holy Spirit is not ours to do with what we wish.

The glory of the Spirit changes us - recreates us in His image.

We become ministers of His glory.

We serve the Spirit, the Spirit does not serve us.

That is the fundamental transformation that takes place when the veil is removed.

Boldness to face the truth.

2 Corinthians 4:2–6 ESV

2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Paul says that the power of the gospel is not manipulation and control - it’s the truth.

No smoke and mirrors.

No AI doctored videos.

No carefully pieced together sound bytes.

No million dollar media consultants to make you look good.

What if we had the courage to just tell the truth?

Paul says - here is the truth:

Jesus is Lord!

And we are only here to point you to Jesus.

“let there be light!”

If God would only give people the eyes to see that everything that is trying to get their attention is all a distraction.

It all comes down to this:

God loves you.

Jesus died for you.

What are you going to do about it?

Shine forever.

Philippians 2:14–16 CSB

14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.

We are supposed to shine like the stars.

Do you know how bright the stars are?

The closest star to earth is alpha centari - over four light-years away.

Serius, the brightest star is twice that distance (8.6 ly)from earth.

Canopus is a giant star, second brightest, but over 300 light-years away.

If you want to shine like a star, you can either be bigger and brighter or just a lot closer to where people are.

Limitations will be shattered.

2 Corinthians 4:7–11 ESV

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Last week we talked about how Paul found the comfort of the Holy Spirit against the background of affliction and suffering.

In this chapter he uses a different illustration - light shining against the backdrop of darkness.

When God said, “let there be light” he literally made something out of nothing.

God does the same thing in us.

2 Corinthians 4:6 MSG

6 It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.

What is the treasure that we have in clay pots?

It is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.

The Paul talks about being crushed.

What happens when a clay pot is smashed?

Whatever is inside comes out!

Do you see the picture?

Remember the story of Gideon - how a elite force of 300 defeated an innumerable army - with jars and torches.

Judges 7:16 ESV

16 And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars.

Judges 7:20 ESV

20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

The light was concealed by the clay pots until it was time to release it, bringing the element of surprise.

The smashing of the jars only made the light shine brighter - a lot brighter!

Our humanity is like jars of clay, but like Christ we also contain a secret.

There is a light inside of us that shines brighter than anything in this world.

If we get broken, smashed, crushed - which of course happens in this world - that is when the light shines the brightest.

That is when the enemy realizes that they are surrounded by light.

So what might look like defeat can lead to victory.

We make declarations of faith.

2 Corinthians 4:12–15 ESV

12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

If you have the perspective of eternity, you can make declarations about your present circumstances and declare Christ's victory.

Gideon smashed the jars, the light was released and the result was a great victory.

Paul is declaring that if they are being crushed, the light of God is being seen through it and the result will be a great victory for Corinth.

In other words, it doesn’t matter what happens to me as long as it glorifies God!

If the enemy is really active, God must be up to something.

If the battle is intense, the victory is going to be that much sweeter.

The more I suffer, the more God gets the glory!

Paul is quoting psalm 116 and its a psalm about facing death.

Psalm 116:10 ESV

10 I believed, even when I spoke: “I am greatly afflicted”;

Paul didn’t say the “greatly afflicted part”

He didn't have to - everyone knew what he meant.

But perhaps they also recalled the words of the psalm right before that.

Psalm 116:8–9 ESV

8 For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; 9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

Nothing, even death, can’t stop God’s new creation.

Nothing can put out the light of the glory of God in you.

Nothing can separate you from his presence.

Nothing can stop you from glorifying God.

We see beyond the natural.

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 ESV

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Don’t loose heart if you are going through tough times today.

What is going on inside you is more important that what is going on outside.

Our bodies are temporary, but our soul is eternal.

Our pain and our sorrow is temporary, God’s glory outweighs it all.

Our circumstances are temporary, but the character that is formed in us goes with us into eternity.

The evil and darkness of this world is passing away, but the light and the truth of God in us is going to shine forever.

You might feel small and frail in your humanity, but that’s OK.

The things that this world considers powerful and important are mostly fake anyway.

That is all part of the era that is passing away.

The only thing left will be light, love and truth.

Everything else is temporary.

The light is you - now that is real - so let it shine!

Questions for reflection:

What gives you confidence? Is it your money, your reputation or your good looks? What about who you are on the inside? Does the truth about who you are make you bolder or does it make you want to hide?

Does your life glorify God? Do people even know what is inside of you? Are you releasing the Spirit in you? Does the light of God’s love shine through or do people just see a cracked pot?

Let’s make some declarations of faith:

I am alive and the Spirit of God lives in me.

God created me for good and He will be glorified in me.

God has filled me with light that I would shine forth His goodness and His radiance forever.