City on a Hill

What do I need to know?

We are called to be a light to all those around us.

Why do I care?

If you are a follower of Jesus this is not an optional command. You have the ability to be a light to your friends that don’t believe.

What do I do?

Live out the gospel in your life to everyone around you.

Points

Intro

Prayer

Christian Home

Middle school sin

Involved in church

Felt alone

High school: no hope

Aidan

Went to Aidan

He shared gospel

Light in a dark place

Jesus talks about a light in a dark place

Read

In the dark of the world, we are light

Can’t hide a city

Light lamp on purpose

Command from Jesus

Sharing the gospel means more

Hook

Hey guys, like Jaxon said my name is Aaron and I’m brand new to the Grove. I am a student resident so I’ll be around here a lot. I don’t know most of y’all, but I would love to get to meet you, so feel free to come introduce yourself. Today I want to tell you guys a little bit about me and who I am.

Before I begin let me pray for us “Thank you Lord for this day and for gathering us here this morning (evening). Prepare our hearts and minds for your word today. Amen”

Like some of you guys, I grew up in a ‘Christian’ household. Me and my family called ourselves Christians and we went to church most Sundays, but I didn’t really know Jesus and I didn’t really have a relationship with Him.

In middle school I got new friend and teammates and I started walking down a path of sin. I was watching things and looking at things that I shouldn’t have been, but I didn’t care, because I didn’t understand why it was so bad for me. and I wanted to do the things that other people were doing and I wanted to make my own decisions.

But in middle school I also became really involved in my church and youth group. So I was living a kind of double life. At church I acted like a good kid, but at school and in sports I was acting like everybody else.

This led to me feeling really alone. I had this secret life that I felt like I couldn’t tell anyone about or else i would be made fun of or judged. It felt like no one new the real me and i was all alone.

When I got to high school, I continued to feel this way, but I had experienced that life so long that I had lost hope. I felt stuck and didn’t think life would ever be different.

I felt lost. I had no direction in life and i felt broken. I had experienced so much from my family and my friends and teammates that I felt like I was damaged.

But there was a guy I knew on my football team named Aidan. Aidan was a really popular guy. Kind of our school celebrity. He was known as the christian guy, not because he went to church but because he lived differently from everyone else.

Aidan lived out his faith when he was at school and in sports and when he was alone.

So when I was going through this really difficult time I went to have a conversation with Aidan. I told him about how I had been living and how I felt and I told him I wanted what he had in life.

In that conversation Aidan shared the gospel with me, which is just the good news of Jesus and what he did for us. I had heard the gospel countless times in church, but I didn’t accept it and understand it Aidan shared it with me.

When he shared the gospel with me it meant more because He lived out his faith everywhere he was.

My life was saved and that night I really began a relationship with Jesus.

Transition

Aidan was a light in a dark place for me. When life felt hopeless and I was trapped in my sins Aidan displayed a light that I had never seen but I wanted.

Jesus talks about being a light in a dark place and He tells us how we can be a light to the people around us like Aidan was for me.

Scripture

Matthew 5:14–16 ESV

“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.

The first thing Jesus says is that we, as Christians, are the light of the world. In a world of darkness and pain Christians are supposed to be the light that shines through.

Next Jesus uses a metaphor. If you think about a city, its got tons of light coming from it and if a bright city is on a tall hill, there would be no way to hide the light. Everyone for miles would be able to see the big city.

Jesus uses another metaphor. If you think about a lamp or a lightbulb, you light it up on purpose, so you wouldn’t hide the light. You would put it in the center of the room so that it will light up the whole house.

Then Jesus tells us what we should do. He says, “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works. So Jesus doesn’t want us to believe in secret. He wants us to live out our faith and do good works everywhere we are.

We do this so that everyone can see the way we are living and be drawn in like I was to Aidan.

Jesus isn’t happy with us living a double life. He wants all of you and he wants all of me and He wants to set us free from the sin and bad decisions that we feel trapped in.

He wants us to let the light of our faith be seen by everyone and if we do live out our faith, sharing the gospel with people will mean more and have more weight in their lives.

Prayer

I want to pray for us again before we head to our small groups.

“Thank you Jesus for speaking to us through your word. I ask that you would set us free from the sin in our lives and help us to live for you and be a light for you everywhere we go. Amen.”