The Light in You
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
Have you ever thought about how important light is to us? I saw a documentary one time on the psychological effects the lack of light has on prisoners that are confined to isolation. It changes a person, and not for the better.
Yet, in this world, there is great darkness around us. We live in an age where people are debating whether it is okay to take the life of a child once it has been born. People steal and kill and destroy to get what they want. They don’t care about others.
Yet, in this dark environment, God has called us to shine as lights in this world. John spoke of this promise in
At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
What is that new commandment?
Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
:
Now this is not our text this morning, but it does reveal the subject of what we will be discussing. We are going to be talking about “The Light in You.” We are going to examine what lights us up and what dims us and what we can do about it. Let’s get started!
Read Text. Pray.
1. Your Light was Meant to Shine (v.33)
1. Your Light was Meant to Shine (v.33)
Jesus talks about the illogical practice of lighting a lamp, only to hide its light. No one would waste the time and resources to light a lamb and go hide it’s light. The light is there for a purpose. We hope to be able to see with it.
You also have a purpose. Your purpose is to demonstrate the glory of God to save. You are a walking witness for Christ!
Illustration: Secret Shoppers
You were never meant to be a secret Christian. You were intended to be put on display as a work of God’s ability to save to the uttermost.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-
2. Our Light Can Be Dimmed (v.34)
2. Our Light Can Be Dimmed (v.34)
What Influences Can Affect Your Light?
Television
Music
Books
Social Media
News Channels
Friends
What are some positive influences that can increase the light in your heart?
Regular Bible Reading
Prayer
Worship with God’s People
Good Christian Books
Sunday School Classes
Discipleship with Close Friends
What is currently influencing your light right now?
Are these influences positive or negative?
3. Be Careful What You Allow Inside Your Heart (v.35-36).
3. Be Careful What You Allow Inside Your Heart (v.35-36).
In the same way that you can be a positive witness by shining light into the world, you can also be a negative witness as well. You may even be truly saved, but your are not demonstrating the power of God to save in your life, because you continue to live in sin, or you have a poor outlook on life.
Let me just say that people are not attracted to negativity. Sometimes we need to be confrontational about things in a loving way, but that is never a positive experience for either party. However, if you are always being negative, soon no one will want to be around you. I think there are a lot of depressed Christians walking around.
Depression can be caused by many different things, but one aspect of it is that you have a poor perspective. You may feel that things will never changed and you are doomed to walk this path in life. Let me remind you that God made a new creation in you in Christ. Nothing is beyond God’s power to change.
If you earnestly seek God and keep a heavenly perspective, things can change. Listen to what Colossians tells us to do.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3
I once had a counseling professor in Seminary that pointed out that depressed people are often looking down. He said, “You know you never see people that are depressed staring up into the sky.”
I know that depression in much more complicated than just where you cast your eyes, but let me encourage you that if your eyes are cast in the direction of Christ, you will be on your way to changing the influences in your life. Your perspective on everything will begin to change.
Conclusion:
As we close this morning, let me leave you with the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount recorded by Matthew.
Matt. 5:
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.
As we go out in this world this week, remember that it is our job to shine like lights in this fallen world. Let’s follow the example of what Paul instructs the Philippians to do in
Do all things without grumbling or disputing,
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
If you do not know Christ as your Savior this morning, let me just encourage you to reach out to Him. You cannot change who you are on your own. If you are in misery right now, it might be that God is trying to get your attention through what you are going through. You see, God doesn’t desire that you live your best life now so that you can spend eternity separated from Him in Hell because of your sin.
For those who are not in Christ, things are not good between you in God. You are at war with Him. His wrath abides on you and will be poured out because of your sin. So God sent Jesus to die for you that you wouldn’t have to endure that punishment. That is the ultimate picture of love. Jesus said, “No greater love has a man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.”
You can be at peace with God by choosing to accept the free gift of God’s grace. He will flip the switch on in your heart and turn on your light.
Remember that we are all called to shine and even the dimmest light shines brightly in the darkness. We truly live in a dark age, but that just means the gospel can shine even brighter!