Let Your Light Shine
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linked with last week’s message
The Model of Christ- His humility seen in His condescension. His exaltation because of His humiliation. Obedience of Christ- willing to humble himself.
Also, linked to the Philippians conduct. Their behavior has implications for people receiving the gospel.
Their oneness, their spirit of unity, will determine their effectiveness in being a witness and a light for Christ.
The light that God has placed within us is needed in Huron and surrounding areas.
God had previously desired for Israel to be a light to the Gentiles. Because the Israelites failed, Paul is challenging the Philippians to be a light to the Gentiles in this Roman colony.
Let your light shine by....
3 Ways to let your light shine.
1st way to let our light shine is by...
1. Pursuing a deeper relationship with God
1. Pursuing a deeper relationship with God
In order for us to model Christ and His humility we have to live a life of obedience, just as Christ was obedient. This life of obedience will usher forth in a radiant light for the gospel. Our lives will radiate Christ to each other and to the world.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
Psa. 34:
With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
What motivates you to study and obey God’s commands?
Extrinsic motivation- perform a behavior or engage in an activity to earn a reward or avoid punishment?
Young person will clean their room if they get paid for it.
Intrinsic motivation- engaging in a behavior because it is personally rewarding. The behavior itself is its own reward.
Young person will clean their room because they find it personally rewarding to have a clean room.
Extrinsic- Study to get a good grade.
Intrinsic- Study to learn about a subject.
Extrinsic- Study God’s commands out of desire to avoid punishment.
Intrinsic- Study God’s commands because they are a delight to my heart and soul.
Is there any area in my life that I am wandering from God’s commandments?
Do you practice deceit? hide things from other people. hide things from your parents. hide things from your spouse. hide things from your family.
Do you always tell the truth? the whole truth.
Are you controlled by selfishness, envy or jealousy? If things don’t go your way, how do you deal with it?
Do you take it to God in prayer?
Sinclair Ferguson- book Maturity- says we have the “tendency to drift away from full and joyful obedience to the Word of God.” We still have a sin nature that has to be defeated everyday.
Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways.
We have to be aware of our fleshly desires and temptations to let our eyes wander, thereby hindering our passion to pursue a deeper relationship with God. If we are not careful we will begin to focus on things of the world which will extinguish the light God wants us to shine in the world.
Robert Murray M’Cheyne wrote in his diary that “the seeds of all sins are in my heart, and perhaps all the more dangerously that I do not see them.”
But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
“Job feared God and shunned evil”
Pursue a deeper relationship with God so you can “work out” your salvation to its ultimate goal- “Christlikeness”. This is sanctification.
vs. 12 Our responsibility- put forth effort.
vs. 13- God’s power- his enablement.
Victory over selfishness and sin. Being a people that pleases God in how we relate to one another.
The reason we are to pursue a deeper relationship with God is so that we can allow God to use us for His good purpose (His will, His honor, His glory)
God is the one who gives us the divine energy to fulfill His will for our lives. We desire to please God in all we do. God gives us the power- “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
Discover your spiritual gifts
Develop your spiritual gifts
2nd way to let our light shine is by...
2. Publicly shining like stars in a dark world
2. Publicly shining like stars in a dark world
By maintaining a spirit of humility and obedience
By obeying God’s command to serve without “complaining or arguing”
One commentator said “It was used of the cooing of doves.” Not a loud boisterous sound, but an undercurrent of muttering or murmuring.
“arguing”- “disputing”- One commentator- Greek word carries the idea of discussion or debate, with the underthought of suspicion or doubt.”
This is a command. It is a positive command about a negative behavior.
This is the only appearance of this word in Paul’s writings.
It occurs often in OT writings about Israel- when they were in the desert and wandering.
They complained against Moses- but ultimately they were complaining against God-
And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”
Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’ ”
Ex.
God desired for the Israelites to be a light for the Gentiles.
“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
complaining- could mean that we are not willing to accept God’s plans and God’s timetable for something. We want it yesterday. God may want it tomorrow.
Complain about God’s lack of provisions- maybe God wants us to lack, so we have to trust Him.
Complain about behavior of others, when we have issues in our own lives.
“may become”- you are not there yet.
“blameless”- Ken Wuest- “free from fault or defect”
“pure”- “unmixed- like wine without water, or metal without alloy. No impurities.
“without fault”- or without blemish- faultless or unblamable.
“crooked and depraved”- “crooked”- turning away from the truth. “depraved”- “perverse”, “distorted”, “twisted”.
“Shine”- not as the light itself, but reflecting the true light of God to a lost and dark world. Shine as luminaries. A candle in a bag.
God lit our candle-
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
“hold out the word of life”- Ken Wuest- “to hold forth as to offer”. We offer them the gospel, hope, truth, freedom, joy, peace, relationship with Christ.
“boast”- “rejoice”- on the “day of Christ”- rapture of the church, when Jesus takes us to be with Him.
“labor”- “work to the point of exhaustion”
Let your light shine by
Speech that builds others up according to their needs- words of encouragement.
Speak truthfully to your neighbor-
Humble yourself to experience God’s grace- - Focus your attention on your own shortcomings and spend less time pointing out the shortcomings of others.
The 3rd way we can let our light shine is by...
3. Praising God for the faithful witness of fellow believers
3. Praising God for the faithful witness of fellow believers
Here is the Model for unity in Paul- His humility and obedience in fulfilling God’s call on his life. Paul is modeling what he desires the Philippians to grab a hold of.
Paul speaking of his martyrdom- He senses his days could be numbered. But he rejoices because of the Philippians faithfulness in shining the light of the gospel to the Gentiles.
Paul’s life is being poured out in death- just like in the OT when they poured the blood on the sacrifice itself.
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.
Song by Kathy Tricolli -”Go Light Your World
There is a candle in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold
There is a Spirit who brings fire
Ignites a candle and makes His home
Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world
Frustrated brother, see how he's tried to
Light his own candle some other way
See now your sister, she's been robbed and lied to
Still holds a candle without a flame
Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world
We are a family whose hearts are blazing
So let's raise our candles and light up the sky
Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus
Make us a beacon in darkest times
Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, deceived and poor
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world
Source: LyricFind