Today: Made to Shine

50 Years!

Now what I want to say is “wow that’s a long time...” but if I do that it is slightly self incriminating.

And if I look around here…I’d have to say that there are some of you who can say you remember that day…or those days when this land was being leveled out and the building was going up....

So if I’m old…that would make some of you really…old. Haha..

On a serious note though…how many of you were able to watch this building go up? If you’re online put your hand up too....Jeff give us some confirmation if there are some online who were there.

I’ll bet some of you might have even helped put this building together.

And there have been a few teams of people who have kept this building looking great! Not just the building but the land…the property.

And I shouldn’t just say “looking great.” I think what is better to say is that there have been many people who have kept this building and property in great shape to be used by God in many ways…right? If I started naming people we’d be here all day.

Kids and adults have met Jesus for the first time and many joined up with Him …made a decision to follow Him here in this place.

Many people have watched Jesus live and teach through other Christians in this place.

Many many songs have been sung together in this place.

Jesus has been remembered through communion many times on this property.

There have been marriages, birth announcements, funerals, anniversaries, birthday parties.

Our community has used this place for gatherings and celebrations and meetings and get-togethers.

Around this building many many many ball games and matches have been played…softball baseball t-ball soccer flag football kickball volleyball and probably more.

People have sledded down the small hills, hiked through these woods and watched movies in the parking lot.

There have been potlucks and pig roasts and outdoor services and community festivals.

Money has been raised through dinners downstairs for mission trips and families in need and special projects.

Well over a thousand kids have been loved and cared for through our day care center…being taught God’s Word.

There have been auctions, and rummage sales, and there’s been food give-aways…and more recently holiday meals cooked, prepped and send from this building.

There’s been contadas, plays, performances, concerts, and conferences here.

There’s been Christmas Eve services, Good Friday services, Easter morning breakfasts and Easter Egg hunts.

And you can all of you could add more to that list. Many of you could add personal stories to that couldn’t you?

And we all know that this isn’t the church. This is a place where the church meets together and ministers together. A place where ministries happen and a place where Jesus’ love is shared. Amen?

What an incredible gift from God. God’s given us a great gift…and we give thanks to Him and those who worked with His leading to make this happen many years ago. This is a great tool …it has been something this church family has used and will use to share in God’s love. And again…we thank God for this land and this building Amen?

50 years. Now that’s not the age of this church family....This church family family started well before that…some of you are probably thinking about the sign that we’ve had hanging in the lobby that says 1880. And I believe it was even before that that there were groups of people beginning to gather together in the little town of North Industry.

This building…and this church family…have been used by God to shine His light here in this community. And we’ll be the first to admit that we’re not perfect…but its in this imperfection where we recognize the grace of God. This building has been a great gift but God’s love and grace to us is even bigger.

So now the question is…will we continue to shine His light? Will we? Amen? From here or wherever we are.

We’re not just the church when we get here and meet together. We’re the church…the body of Jesus…wherever we are…each and every day.

Two verse to focus on today…The first is from John’s account of Jesus and the second is from Matthew’s account.

The first…let’s read this together. John 8:12

John 8:12 LEB

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Right here we have …from Jesus… two definitions of this word “light” that he uses. He - is the light. And whoever follows Him will have the light…of life.

As we continue this idea that each day is a gift we have from God…a day to experience with Him and with each other…we realize that if He created the day…and there’s goodness in it, and we can see from His perspective…through His eyes and His heart…and we can do our best to stay humble…if we can do those things then we are set up well to Shine His Light.

We were made to shine.

Jesus also said this...

Matthew 5:14-16

Matthew 5:14–16 LEB

You are the light of the world. A city located on top of a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and place it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it shines on all those in the house. In the same way let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

You were made to shine - God’s Light

John’s Gospel tells us Jesus is the light that “shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). And Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy: “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16).

Jesus also told His followers, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). If we’re lights, what’s our power source? “The Lord is my light” (Psalm 27:1). “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). “The LORD will be your everlasting light” (Isaiah 60:20).

If we carry this light....if we were made to shine....what is our power source?

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Just this passed Christmas we had the news of the possible Christmas star in the night sky. Do you remember that? It was also called The Great Conjunction.

It was the first time in hundreds of years that the planets Jupiter and Saturn came together.

Did you know that the four brightest “stars” in our night sky are really planets? Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Venus.

The reason we can see them in the night sky is because they reflect energy and light from a light source…our solar system’s sun.

We could look at the moon the same way. The moon …on a clear night and when its full…isn’t it incredible just how much light it gives off? Now is the moon a light source? No…it simply reflect the light of the sun.

Take this light bulb. It was made to shine. It was created in order to be used…to give off light. Now…think about it though…can this light bulb give off light on its own?

No, it needs a power source. It needs a source of energy to shine.

Plugged in…it does what it was created to do. Unplugged…well, it doesn’t quite get the job done does it?

What’s the key factor here in both cases…the lights in the night sky and this light bulb?

What happens if something gets in the way ....gets in between the moon and the sun. We call that an eclipse right? What’s needed for the moon and those planets to shine…reflecting the light of the source (the sun), is to have a direct line of sight....nothing standing in the way....nothing floating by to cast a shadow. NOthing to create darkness.

Likewise…this bulb needs to stay connected, plugged in. Unplugged…or a frayed wire, or a loose plug, will cause this light to lose it’s direct connection to the source.

Its in those days, days when we don’t have a direct line of site to God or a direct connection with HIm that shadows and darkness can creep in. And its in those times that we lose our luster....in fact…in reality, we begin to try and shine our own light…something we were not created to do. Or we might rely on perceived light sources...

At church little Jane had listened to a sermon on "Let Your Light Shine." The only part she remembered was the text, but she didn't understand what it meant until her mother explained, "It means that you’re like a candle that’s lit…when you do good things and things that make God smile…that’s when your candle shines its light." In the afternoon there was trouble in the playroom between Jane and her brother and sister…Jane had gotten into a fight... and Jane excused herself for being naughty by saying, "I've done blowed myself out." She understood…there are times when we snuff our that light....times when we disconnect from the source.

In those times …its hard to live Today…as Today was meant to be lived.

We were made to shine! To reflect God’s glory....made in His image.

Reflecting his light means that we’re constantly pointing back to Him…to His glory.

In Jesus’ day…when He was talking with those people probably near Capernaum…this is from the text from Matthew that we just read. The Sermon on the Mount…In that day those people new what darkness meant.

This was a time before street lights and porch lights and security lights … When Jesus told them that …in His Kingdom…they would be the light of the world…I think they understood how the world could be dark…how life could be dark.

So they understood the metaphor…but they also understood the reality of what He was saying. In the Old Testament, God was often called the light. Israel was often call the light.

This darkness was the separation between God and humanity…between God and His creation.

And here is Jesus…coming into the world saying…ok everyone. The Light is here. Re-creation has begun. And I want you to be a part of this. This is who you were created to be.

And here Jesus is calling those who might become followers of Him…people of His Kingdom…to be the light in their world.

But this is hard isn’t it? Lots of times we want to shine our own light. Jesus tells us, and this is in Matthews account…not to do things so people look at us....but to do things so that people see the Light in us.

Light helps us see reality. Light helps us see reality. God’s perspective.

Light exposes Evil…helps us recognize goodness.

Light helps us see right and wrong

Light helps us see what the darkness tries to hide.

Light helps us see truth.

But when we get in the way…or when we allow someone or something other than God himself to be our power source or our light source. And this is sometimes easy to fall into isn’t it? We have a bad day and or something horrible happens and it’s hard to see God and His light. He wants to reach out and hold us or just tell us it will be ok…but there are things like grief or depression or fear in the way.

Sometimes we have baggage…that we’ve carried for a long time…that stands in the way of a direct line of site to the source of life…God himself.

Sometimes its our own pride…we like to shine OUR light…the solar system revolves around us…we try to take Glory that is God’s for ourselves.

On that note did you notice how Jesus referenced the light to that group of people in Matthew’s text?

He didn’t say you are lights....He said you are the LIght....one light…everyone pointing back God and His Light.

Light....singular....not multiple lights....corporately....think of the church family in a community or neighborhood here....we each shine the same light so that....

What do you think…so that....

People will see God shining into their world…into their darkness…into their needs....into their brokenness.

C. S. Lewis said this...“Don't shine so others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him.” —C.S. Lewis

Each and everyday we have the chance to be close to and reflect The Light…Jesus.

John 3:19-21 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

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. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

1 John 1:5-7 ESV / 3 helpful votes

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

John 8:12 ESV / 3 helpful votes

John 8:12 LEB

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Church family …God has us here for a reason. To shine His light in this neighborhood and in this community…so that others will Him and hopefully believe.

Let’s pray...