Shine!

Bright Examples

Moses

Exodus 34:29–35 ESV

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Exodus 34:29–34 ESV

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded,

ex 34:29-

Jesus

Luke 9:28–31 ESV

Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Turn it up!

Veiled Truth -

Hardened Minds

1 Corinthians 4:3–4 ESV

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.

1cor 4:

Isaiah 6:8–10 ESV

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

isa 6:8-

Christ the Revealer

Truth was in OT

1 Corinthians 15:1–4 ESV

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

Turning to Christ is enlightening, not retreating

Matthew 16:17 ESV

And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

1 Corinthians 13:9 ESV

For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

1 Corinthians 13:9–12 ESV

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

1 Corinthians 13:9–10 ESV

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

I once was lost, but now am found;

1cor

I once was blind, but now I see

Brighter and Brighter -

Gospel Focus - beholding the glory

John 1:14 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The enlightening power of God is only known to those who look to Christ!

Isaiah 45:22 ESV

“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Acts 4:12 ESV

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Darkness to Light

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

There are some here today who have yet to look to Christ in a saving way. It is not because He is not present, or willing, or any less glorious, but because you prefer your own sin so much as to go to damnation holding onto it.

John 3:19 ESV

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

One Degree to Another

Progress, not Perfection

Progress nonetheless!

1 Corinthians 15:9–10 ESV

For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

Post Tenebras Lux - the cry of the reformers

Semper Reformanda - Always Reforming

Gospel Light

Not Tampering -

2 Corinthians 2:17 ESV

For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

I. Of the Scriptures We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter, that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union , and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.

Jesus - “It is written” - Matt 4

Matthew 22:31 ESV

And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God:

It is not can the text be used in this way, but rather simply: WHAT DOES THE TEXT SAY?

Speaking Openly

If we are speaking God’s truth in love, then we have no reason to hide it!

1. Everyone’s conscience

2. In the sight of God

Psalm 56:4 ESV

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Psalm 118:6 ESV

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Hebrews 13:6 ESV

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

2 Corinthians 11:25 ESV

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;

That is what flesh can do to you or to me, and did do to Paul, yet he said he would speak OPENLY

2. IN the sight of God

Trust God to Speak

2 Corinthians 4:5–6 ESV

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 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.

2cor 4:

May the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus shine among us, that the lost would be drawn and the saved would be changed more and more to the image of Christ. And may we speak openly and plainly the Word of God to this end!