LIGHT YOUR CANDLE

14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. New Revised Standard Version.

The Sermon on the Mount. Often this sermon is looked at as the beatitudes, but Jesus spoke about so much more than just the beatitudes. The recording of the Sermon on the mount is found in Matthew, chapters 5, 6 and 7 and Jesus gives us many things in this sermon.

He gives us the way we should conduct ourselves

the way we should conduct ourselves,

he explains why he came

he tells us how to give

how to live

how to fast

not to judge

what to say

What not to say

He gave us the Golden Rule

And He told us what I’m going to talk about today, today’s message title is “Light Your Candle”.

Our Scripture text says, “You are the light of the world.” But what does that mean?

Jesus is delivering this sermon shortly after his 40-day fast and test in the desert. Before Jesus began His ministry, he went through some things. Even God himself went through preparation before beginning his ministry, he didn’t wake up one day and say, I think I’ll start preaching today. He prepared, he spent time in the synagogue, he spent time with the teachers listening and learning, he was baptized by John the Baptist, he spent time alone fasting and praying, then Satan came to tempt him and he overcame that. Ministry is a serious thing and it takes preparation.

Jesus has called his disciples, invited them to follow him, he’s healed some people and now he is sitting on a mountainside preaching to over 5,000 people.

I find it interesting that, after his preparation, Jesus began his ministry by gathering a team. He knew his assignment, he knew how much time he had and he knew he would need someone to continue the ministry when he was gone. We should take note of this, there are too many pastors who are not preparing their replacement nor are they preparing the people for new leadership. So much so, that often times, the first pastor to come in after a long-sitting pastor retires or the Lord calls them home, does not stay. Our time here is limited, what are we leaving behind?

We should take note of this, there are too many pastors who are not preparing their replacement nor are they preparing the people for new leadership. So much so, that often times, the first pastor to come in after a long-sitting pastor retires or the Lord calls them home, does not stay. Our time here is limited, what are we leaving behind?

Jesus began making preparation for his departure at the beginning of his ministry and he began speaking those things that weren’t as though they were. At the beginning of his ministry, before he was really known in the region, before perfoming a lot of miracles, he sat down on a hill and preached to his 12 disciples and over 5,000 people and among other things, he told them, “You are the light of the world”. Now I’m not sure, but I just believe and have to say those people probably had no idea what that meant when he said it.

They were ordinary men and women, many of them didn’t know who this Jesus was, a few of them had seen some things he had done, there may even have been some of the people he had healed sitting in the crowd that day. Nevertheless, he told these people you are the light of the world. They may have thought, I’m nobody really.

I’m just a wife - so was Esther and she saved the Jews from annihilation when Haman wanted to destroy them.

You are the light of the world.

I’m just a husband - So was Boaz when he became the kinsman redeemer and the grandfather of King David

You are the light of the world.

I’m just a mother - so was Mary and she gave birth to the Savior.

You are the light of the world.

I’m just a father - so was Abraham and God made him the father of many nations.

You are the light of the world.

I’m just a servant - so was the little girl who served Naaman’s wife and she helped Naaman get healed of leprosy

You are the light of the world

I’m just a daughter - so was the woman with the issue of blood, but she pushed through the crowd and made her way to Jesus to receive her healing and her faith will be forever remembered.

You are the light of the world

I’m just a son - so was Jesus and He saved the whole world from their sin

You are the light of the world.

Jesus called these people on the hillside, these common, ordinary, everyday, no title, no position, people, the light of the world. They were peasants and fishermen and tax collectors, not Scribes or Pharisees or Sadducees, they were people like you and me.

So as light what are you supposed to do? Well Jesus said in “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life”. So if Jesus said He is the light of the world, and He said you are the light of the world, then it only stands to reason you do what Jesus did.

So what does light do?

Light dispels darkness

Light exposes lies

Light reveals truth

Light shows the way

Light gives hope

Light gives warmth

Light shines and lets the whole world know that Jesus saves, that He is our redeemer, that He gave his life so that we may live.

Light is not afraid to shine, it can’t help itself.

You are the light of the world. Are you shining bright? Or have you let your light grow dim? How can my light get dim, Pastor? I’m so glad you ask.

Your light begins to get dim

When you stop praying

When you stop reading your Bible

When you stop going to Bible study

When you stop going to church

When you separate yourself from the saints

When you separate yourself from God.

All of a sudden you look up and you are standing in the dark, all alone and you’re wondering where did everybody go? God, where are you? And the answer is, He’s right where you left Him, waiting for you to come back. Are you breathing? Then I’ve got good news for you, it’s not too late. Reconnect to the source of your power and let you light shine bright.

Not only did Jesus say you are the light of the world, but he said, “A city built on a hill cannot be hid.” When you let your light shine there is no hiding it. When we’re driving into Atlanta, there’s a point we get to just after we go under Riverside Parkway when the city of Atlanta with its skyscrapers seems to appear right before your very eyes. You’re driving along, you go under the bridge and as soon as you come from under that bridge, BAM the city is there and I love that view. At night there is a building whose tip is made up of lights. There is no covering that city or the lights on the top of that building. The top of that building is you. You are the light that makes up the top of the building and don’t you allow anything or anyone to dim or try to cover your light.

Another thing that can cause your light to dim is sin. Don’t you allow anyone to bring sin into your life that will dim your light and don’t you invite sin into your life. Did you know we do that sometimes? We invite sin when we allow certain people into our lives. We invite sin when we lie. We invite sin when we covet other people’s things and gifts, we invite sin when we carry unforgiveness and envy and strife and anger and backbiting and malice and hatred and sew discord and all manner of evil.

While you’re being that city on the hill, be careful, don’t get haughty because pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Anyone ever play king of the hill as a kid. You try to get to the top of the hill but so is everyone else and they’re doing what they can to keep you from getting there? Satan is at the ready to tell you, show you, tell God why you should not be up there on that hill. As you strive to be the city on the hill, as you strive to be the light of the world, keep in mind that Satan is looking for a way to snuff out your light, he’s looking for a way to destroy your city; he’s looking for a way to put your lamp under the bushel basket, instead of it sitting on the lampstand. And don’t worry, in the Kingdom of God there is more than enough room for everyone’s light to shine. My light doesn’t get dim when your light shines and neither does your light dim when mine shines. You see all of our lights need to shine bright to fight the darkness in this cold and evil world.

Fortify your city with prayer and meditation and reading your Bible and going to church and going to Bible study and hanging with the saints. Fortify your city by being connected to God. Fortify your city by telling of God’s goodness, tell others what He’s done for you. Revelations tells us the enemy who goes to God day and night accusing us is thrown down and we overcome him by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. You want to take away Satan’s power of guilt and shame over your life? Confess your sins one to another and pray for each other so you can be healed. That’s why you’ve heard the expression, confession is good for the soul. Sin destroys you and confession heals you.

Confess your sins, receive your healing and watch your light begin to glow brighter and brighter. You must remember you are not the first and only person to go through what you went through, and you will not be the last. Your testimony can set someone else free, your testimony can help someone else navigate the shark invested waters that we live in. Your testimony can be the light, lighting the path out of darkness for someone else. You see this life is not about you, the problem you had is not about you, the hell you went through is not about you, it’s about the person coming behind you looking for a way out and if you’re too ashamed, or too embarrassed, or too guilt ridden to share your testimony, you leave them there in the darkness. Light your candle.

When you light your candle, you give light to everyone in the house and the house is not just where you live, the house is wherever you are. When you’re in the break room at work and you’re the only Christian in the room, don’t walk out when they start telling the dirty jokes and leave them in darkness, let your let shine, start talking about what you did at church on Sunday or the Bible study lesson last night or the program your church is having on Sunday, but don’t leave them in darkness. You may be the only Bible they see, light your candle.

Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. I said it before, this walk, this life, what we go through, what we say and what we do is not about us, it’s about our Father in heaven. We get the victory but God gets the glory. And the victory we desire is God’s divine and perfect will and plan, not asking him to bless what we’re doing, we need to join him in what He’s doing.

You want sure success? Find out where God is working and join Him. God you get the glory, give us the victory. We are winners, Satan may indeed win a few battles, but praise God, hallelujah, we win the war. You see, trouble won’t last always, because there is an end, whether you go home to be with the Lord before Jesus comes or whether you’re caught up to meet Him in the air, there is a reckoning that will occur.

“See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell[b] with them; they will be his peoples,[c] and God himself will be with them;[d] 4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”

John wrote of it when he wrote, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” 5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”…John goes on to say, “the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless,[e] the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

There is life after death, and not just another life, it’s an eternal life, the question is where will you spend it? But before that, before that eternal life you have to make a decision here and today would be a good day to make that decision because the rest of today is not promised. Jesus came to be the example of the light of the world, He came to show you, He didn’t just tell you to do it and figure it on your on. You see there was a time, before the kings, when man did what was right in his own eyes, they were making and worshipping idols and kidnapping women and in the New Testament, we’re told man’s righteousness is as filthy rags to the Lord.

But praise be to God, Jesus came to model the light, He came to show us what the light of the world looked like and we cannot be that light of the world without the Light of the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

If you’ve never accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior I invite you to come at this time. Perhaps your watching online, pray this prayer with me. Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner, I believe you are the Son of God, that you were born of a virgin, died for my sins and ascended back to the Father where you now sit. I ask you to forgive me for my sins, come into my heart and be Lord of my life. In Jesus name I pray amen. If you prayed that prayer for the first, congratulations you are now a part of the kingdom of God, find yourself a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area and get busy being that light I’ve talked about today. If you live in the west Metro Atlanta area, we would love to see you here at Love Christian Center, 3755 Kings Hwy.

Perhaps you’ve already made Jesus Lord of your life, but you don’t have a church home to work out your own salvation we invite you to come at this time and make Love Christian Center that place. The doors of the church are open for church membership.

Re-dedication