Hidden Light Is No Light

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:13–16 NIV

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

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Introduction

There’s no shortage of darkness in our world. It bombards us every single day when we hear the news of hatred, violence, petty partisans picking one another apart like buzzards on a dead carcass. It’s dark…it’s black…pitch black.

Worse still, the experts on every side of an issue believe they are the ones carrying the light. But it’s an illusion…part of Satan’s deception. Even the church, sadly, can get sidetracked with all of the rhetoric, political correctness, and self-righteousness, so much so that we lose sight of who we are and what we are called to be and do in this world.

It’s true, Bible-believing people do not believe there are more than 2 genders…God only made 2. We don’t believe a homosexual lifestyle is ok, because it is very clear in the Bible that it is not at all God’s plan for His creation. We know from the Bible that people living together outside of marriage have circumvented God’s design and are on shaky ground. There are many other moral and spiritual issues I could point to as being contradictory to God’s word.

Do I think pointing out all these things to the world will change their minds about how they live? No, because people cannot be changed unless their heart is changed. Without the light of Christ, the world stumbles in darkness, mistaking lies for truth, down as up, wrong as right. What is needed is a bright light to bring the truth into focus. Where does that light come from?

Christ chooses you to bring His light to hearts lost in this dark world

Interrogatory: If Christ chooses us to bring light to His world…we ought to point that light where all can see rather than hide it away.

Hidden Light is no light at all

Transitional: One indispensable way to bring light to a dark world is to simply speak the word of truth…the Good News…let it be part of our normal vocabulary through the day.

Big Idea Christ chooses you, His followers, to bring His light to hearts lost in this dark world

Words that shatter darkness

Acts 1:8–9 NIV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

Witnesses shatter the darkness

Acts 1:8 NIV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8–9 NIV

Witnesses — they testify in a court setting - Jesus was setting the stage for them to be the messengers of His Kingdom…empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Witness — martyr — sometimes the person willing to speak out ends up losing everything … but they are will because the message is non-negotiable.

When we openly and joyfully acknowledge who Jesus is, our witness of the truth blows a hole in the darkness…the roaches scatter!

Witnesses shatter the darkness

They give a first hand account of what they know to be true

Acts 4:19 NIV

But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!

Acts 4:19–20 NIV

But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

In it says that they overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…even in the face of martyrdom

Teachers shatter the darkness

Matthew 28:19–20 NIV

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 5:14–16 NIV

Teachers make and keep disciples that boldy speak the name of Jesus through their own personal testimony

Mt. 5:

A disciple is a follower of Christ — an open vessel…ready to be filled with the life-giving truth of God’s word

A disciple is an open vessel…ready to be filled with the life-giving truth of God’s word

Application

Are you a witness for Christ? Do you testify about what you know first hand? Do you desire to teach others and help them follow Jesus too?

Transitional: Words are a must…but if they are not accompanied by a lifestyle that reflects those words, then your heart is out of sync with the heart of God

Works that spotlight the heart

Works, in our conversation today, are not necessarily specific things like feeding the hungry, volunteering, or other visible acts that people might call good works (those are all important)

What we do is vital when we have the mind of Christ

Matthew 5:16 NIV

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Works that spotlight the heart

What about...

Matthew 6:1 NIV

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

These two passages force us to think...

…that they may see your good deeds and glorify the father

…if you practice your good works to be seen…no reward in heaven

Here’s what I know…

Motivation matters — the condition of the heart matters — our surrender to Jesus, every part of who we are from the inside out matters

What is the catalyst behind your good works? To be seen by men or to pursue what moves the heart of God?

What we do is vital because of what we are up against

Romans 1:18–32 NIV

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 1:

What we do…how we live our lives, is of extreme importance to the Kingdom of God

Not so we can look spiritual

But so people can see the legimate image of Christ in our lives, as we live this life with a humbe, real desire to please Him

Challenge — What will you do, knowing that Christ chooses you to bring His light to hearts lost in this dark world?

People see how we live and hear what we say

They judge us —

Do they see a sincere person truly living to honor Christ, imperfect as we are?

Christ chooses you to bring His light to hearts lost in this dark world

Challenge

Why do you suppose Jesus told the disciples to let their light so shine before men so that the Father may beglorified?

Pride, ego, selfishness,sin…the enemy is always looking for an opportunity.

We are called to let our light shine before men is to force us to depend upon the Lord to make it possible.

Another reason — that we might spur one another on to good works that glorify the father. (Heb 10:24)

Hebrews 10:24 NIV

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

Make a committment today

With God’s help, I will listen daily, through His Word and prayer. I will learn to depend upon Him for the strenght to live in such a way that my works (everything I say and do) will give glory to Him and shine the light of Christ all around me.

With God’s help, I will take my eyes off myself because, in my own strenght, I am bound to fail. Rather I will keep my eyes on Him and live for Him by His power working in me

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