Shine

Shine Philippians   2:15b -16a Daniel 12:3 October  3, 1999 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introductory Light is a very popular topic in the Word of God. The character of God Himself is often spoken of in terms of light. John wrote, "God is light" (1 John 1:5); James calls God the "Father of lights" (James 1:17); Paul wrote that God "dwells in unapproachable light" (1 Timothy 6:16); the "shekinah" glory of God always showed itself as a bright light, even on the face of Moses (Exodus 34:29); Psalm 104:2 tells us that God "wraps himself in light as with a garment." The revelation of God is also demonstrated in terms of light. In Exodus 3 Jehovah God revealed Himself through a burning bush; In Exodus 13 God demonstrated His near presence to the Israelites in the desert by appearing as a pillar of light; the revelation of the birth of the Savior was given to the shepherds near Bethlehem in a shower of light as "the glory of the Lord shone round about them" (Luke 2); and, of course, on the mount of Transfiguration, a brightness arrived in a cloud to reveal the true nature of Jesus to His disciples (Matthew 17); "The Lord is my light and my salvation" reads Psalm 27:1; Jesus said, "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." (John 12:46) At the very commencement of creation, God spoke into the darkness and created light, and that light dispelled the darkness. In all of His dealings with this world, God is about dispelling darkness--the darkness of ignorance about Him and His will, the darkness of sin through forgiveness in Jesus' Name, and even the kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan. And he intends to do that through the church! The church is pictured as the kingdom of light standing against the kingdom of darkness, encroaching on and dispersing the darkness. Christians are called most deliberately "sons of light" (1 Thessalonians 5:5) and "children of light (Ephesians 5:8), they are those who are living in the "kingdom of light" (Colossians 1:12); we are, according to Jesus, the "people of the light" (Luke 16:8); in fact, while He said of Himself "I am the light of the world (John 8:12)," He also says of those who follow Him, "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:16). Here is what we need to understand--that God, who is Light, has sent Jesus to our world of sin-saturated darkness, to bring the light of the revelation of His grace toward us ("in Him was life, and that life was the light of men" - John 1:4). Once in Christ, we have become, not only children of the light, but also bearers of the light to the remaining dark world. In his book, The Body, Charles Colson tells the story of Pastor Laszlo Tokes who became too successful at bringing light into darkness in the eyes of his Romanian government. Laszlo preached the gospel boldly and within two years saw his small church grow to 5,000. The authorities confiscated his ration book so he couldn't buy fuel or food. Then in December, 1989, they decided to exile him. When the police arrived they were stopped by an unmovable crowd of people. Members of other churches and denominations stood shoulder to shoulder in protest. All day, the police tried to disperse the crowd but they wouldn't budge. Just after midnight a 19-year old Baptist student named Daniel Garva, pulled out a packet of candles. He lit one and passed it to his neighbor. One by one the burning candles were passed through the crowd. The crowd stayed all through that night and the next. The police finally broke through and knocked in the church door. They bloodied Pastor Tokes's face then paraded both him and his wife through the crowd. An outcry from the people led them to their city square of Timisoara where they began a full-scale demonstration against the Communist government. Once again, Daniel Garva passed out his candles. Troops were brought in and ordered to shoot the crowd. Hundreds were shot and Daniel had his leg blown off. Their brave example inspired the entire population of Romania and within days the bloody dictator Ceausescu, was dead. For the first time in half a century, Romania celebrated Christmas in freedom. In a world of hostile darkness, God has called us to light a candle of love. Although the presentation of His Light may not be favorably received, such faithfulness will yield results beyond our grandest dreams. The text from which we launched this mini-series was Philippians 2:14-16: Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, IN WHICH YOU SHINE LIKE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE, AS YOU HOLD FORTH THE WORD OF LIFE... When Paul described the believers as people who shine, he was describing what naturally happens when the people of light are themselves in a dark world. They are: People Who Stand Out Everybody knows that farmers are "outstanding in their fields"... but Christians, too, are "outstanding" in a world of darkness. In actuality, the word Paul uses here is the word PHOSTER, which referred in common terms to a "harbor light" or a lighthouse. We know what a lighthouse does, don't we? It gives direction for ships so they don't run ashore. I am excited about a development that is happening all over Christendom right now. Hundreds of inter-denominational groups and church leaders are coming together in a cooperative effort under the theme of Lighthouse. If you've been reading any kind of major Christian journal lately you have run into this idea, originating with Mission America. Their goal is a worthy one: to reach every person in America with the gospel by year's end 2000. More than 300 different parachurch organizations and major denominations are coming together under this banner. We will be cooperating fully, and you will be hearing more and more in the coming months about the grass roots operation which involves every Christian family dedicating their home to the Lord as a "lighthouse" in their particular neighborhood. What a powerful, end-of-the-century, practical demonstration of the truth set for by Paul, that we are like bright stars in our dark and corrupt world, holding forth the word of life. This kind of effort blends in beautifully with our vision as a cell-based church, as we value the Christian home as a center for ministry to those around. Begin praying about your part in this awesome "Lighthouse" movement. Hugh Hewitt has written an alarming "state-of-the-church" kind of book, just published last year, entitled The Embarrassed Believer. In that telling work, Hewitt goes into great detail to demonstrate how Christians, particularly in America, are behaving as anything BUT shining stars of witness, and how we are far from reaching our potential in influencing those around us. His primary answer to the compelling question of "why?" is that the average believer has not faced and dealt wit the problem of intimidation--most Christians, he says, are, in fact, embarrassed believers. Statistics over and over report the same responses from Americans: over 90% say they believe in God. 60% say they attend religious services regularly. More than 80% say they believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and, amazingly, 70% of Americans personally identify with a Christian denomination! This means that at least 80 million adults are saying they have something to shine about. But they're not! If this many people were like stars shining in the universe, the whole world would be blinded! The light has not been shining brightly, has it? To use the words of Jesus, most of us have been hiding our light under a basket. But, imagine with me, if only half that many were ablaze with the love of God -- I mean, life-committing, flesh-denying, Jesus-loving, witness-bearing, REVIVED--if there were 40 million vocal, active, loving, witnessing believers turned loose on America, what would happen? What is it that makes us less than bright as lights in our world? Let me make a couple of suggestions, and the reason I mention them is because the first step in making the correction that is needed is to identify the problems: So, what makes us wimpy? 1. The fear of the sneer - The Promise-Keepers rallies have drawn the most attention in America in terms of Christian notoriety. A week after the PK rally for prayer in Washington a couple years ago, the New Republic mocked the rally with the sub-headline: Christian He-men Hold a Hug-in. There it is - the sneer we are afraid of. In the same issue of that elite magazine, an inside story was entitled, "Promise Keepers: How burly conservatives became sissies." As long as we remain afraid of these kinds of comments, two things will remain true: 1) we are too proud, insecure and self-centered to call ourselves disciples, and 2) we will never shine brightly, because we have a paralyzing fear of the sneer. 2. The tend to blend - Whether it is for upward mobility to a position or career that will not outlast this mortal earth, or for acceptance by our peers who apparently matter more to us than the Lord does (because we do what they want us to do, and we don't do what He wants us to do), or for sheer carnality which counts it a high honor to look like others who succeed or are in style. If you stand for Christ you are automatically downgraded in the eyes of the world's elite to at least second-class religionist. 3. Deliberate Deafness - This is when the believer simply decides for whatever reason not to listen to the Lord's leading in witnessing opportunities. There is a laziness in us which makes us hard of hearing when it comes to sharing our faith. We are chicken-hearted, so we close our ears to anything the Holy Spirit says to us in terms of witnessing to others. They say that silence is golden--but sometimes it's just plain "yellow". Here is some good news: God is changing things and drawing more and more believers out of the majority role of silent saints into the place of willing witnesses. He's moving hundreds and thousands of deadbeat Christians from the "frozen chosen" to excited evangelists. Our world, our culture, is getting ready to receive the Good News like never before. People are afraid - even hard-core pagans are waking up to the startling truth that life lived apart from godly standards leads to darkness, danger and death. Violent crimes, hate crimes, white collar crimes--it is becoming very clear, even to those who've been blinded by a liberal media, that we have a serious need for a new moral climate. I believe we are seeing signs of a new openness to the gospel of Jesus among people who are afraid. People are also lonely. Best-selling books of the past two decades warned that in an increasingly high-tech society, people will be needing much more personal care and concern from one another. they will feel increasingly isolated and will wake up to their need to be meaningfully connected to other people. Alvin Toffler in his book Future Shock spoke of the connection between "high-tech" and "high-touch", and it is coming true. As people in our culture cocoon and isolate more and more, they are coming face to face with a new and terrifying sense of aloneness. They are looking for communities of trust and care. Enter, the church. God is preparing to meet the needs of such people through the saving grace of the gospel of Christ, and the caring community of cell groups in neighborhoods all over the metro-east area. As we pray, seek the Lord and open our mouths to share the good news we've been keeping to ourselves far too long, we are going to see an unprecedented number of people come into the kingdom--a massive harvest of souls. And this is what the Lord wants. This is why He placed you and me here in the St. Louis metro-east area as lights shining in this dark world! Let me share with you what makes us "light" to the people around us; what makes us able to impact their lives in a positive way. It is because we are people of HOPE. One medical surgeon told of how he found a way to handle the high stress of the medical profession. When asked how he could harry a smile all the time as he faced the disease and sickness around him, he said, "I always look on disease from the CURATIVE STANDPOINT." What he was saying is that he focuses on the potential of the cure, rather than the ravishing effects of the disease. I believe the world around us is hungering for the church to stop whining about how bad and how bad off the unbelievers are, and to step up to the microphone and start saying there is an answer! There is good news! God is there and He cares for you! You can have hope and purpose in this life! There is a CURE for what is killing you! This is how we must shine. As people of hope in a dark and dying world. This is the point of 1 Peter 3:15. This is a guiding verse when it comes to how we are called to share Christ with those around us. There Peter writes, In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. Did you catch that--what the people around you should be asking you about? Your HOPE! Sure, you live in a dark and despairing world, Christian, BUT YOU HAVE THE ULTIMATE ANSWERS! Yes, life can be tough, BUT IN JESUS CHRIST YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS! Sure, there are problems all around you, believer, BUT I CONSIDER THAT OUR PRESENT SUFFERINGS ARE NOT WORTH COMPARING WITH THE GLORY THAT WILL BE REVEALED IN US. Sure, you might bottom out, but you have a blessed hope! Sure, you've been a slave to sin, but He's making you a kingdom conqueror Sure, this life has its battles, but you are a victor in Christ, and nothing, nothing, nothing can separate you from His love! Sure, it's hard to see the junk of this world, but you'll see Jesus in the next! Sure, while we're still in these bodies we will experience tears and sorrow and pain and death, but Revelation 21 promises you that in that day God will wipe away every tear from your eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away! Rejoice, Christian, live your life with HOPE, with confidence, not in the future you can make for yourself, but in the future God has provided for you. Be a holy optimist and you will be a light in this dark world, and people will come up to you and ask you about the hope that you have in you. Then be ready to tell them. Daniel is the most precise Old Testament prophet when it comes to predicting the major events of the world. When he writes of the "time of the end" he prophesies so clearly about the work of the Christians in this day: Those who are wise will SHINE LIKE THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE HEAVENS, AND THOSE WHO LEAD MANY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS LIKE THE STARS FOR EVER AND EVER... Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord Jesus is speaking to His church in no uncertain terms, that it is time for the sleeping giant to arise; time for the hitherto silent witness to speak. he is calling His church to participate in a great harvest. He is telling us to SHINE! And He is speaking to each of the children of light, and issuing a challenge, as C.S. Lewis put it in the last book of his The Chronicles of Narnia, to move "further up and further in". We must no longer live a compartmentalized life, but our Sunday experience of God needs to become a 7-day-a-week experience. we must shake off the fear of the sneer, the tend to blend and our deliberate deafness to His leading. We must repent and be healed of our "embarrassed believer"-ism. We must stand and shine for the one who has loved us, and declare that we love him enough to be fully committed to His purpose. And His purpose is NOT just to make us cozy and comfortable in the kingdom--it is to USE US to take back the ground the enemy has stolen, and to (as Jude 23 puts it) snatch people from the fire and save them. And we must become once-and-for-all serious and committed about living holy lives for him, so that when others see us they will believe God is at work in our lives. We must commit to loving ourselves a lot less and loving others a lot more. We are NOT here for ourselves alone, but primarily for those who are not yet born again! Can we love lost people like the Lord loves them? Can we offer them the HOPE He has given to us?                   [Back to Top]