Sermon Tone Analysis

Jesus has called us out of the world and made us a light in the darkness.

In this Scripture, He has compared us to a city that is on a hill.

He states that we are a city of lights the that cannot be hidden.

When he speaks of a city set on a hill, it is his intention for us to be the head and not the tail, but we have chosen to be the tail and not the head.

We have chosen to tuck our tails and run and not be the light he intends for us to be in the darkness.

The world we live in is in great darkness!

Sin is everywhere!

We all know this to be true.

It has come about because some call evil good and good evil; they put darkness for light and light for darkness.

Many of these are the political leaders that we have selected.

We have said we want them to rule over us and not godly men and women.

The darkness in our world today is our fault.

Especially in this nation because our leaders are the ones we select.

We vote for people that support the murder of innocent babies in their mother’s womb and not be ashamed, and then we wonder why our children can murder innocent children sitting in their homes with random gunfire and not be ashamed.

We promote murder and take pride in it.

We vote and support people that promote alternate lifestyles than the word of God.

We encourage fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and all forms of immorality and declare it is acceptable for our society.

We support people that have no respect for God or country and want to rewrite the Bible.

Brothers and sisters, look at the world we live in.

It is so full of darkness!

Why?

Because we who are the light of the world refused to be let, our light shine!

Has not Jesus said you are the light of the world?

Where is the light you are supposed to let shine?

Where are you people who claim to be of the light?

When you go into the darkness to choose our leaders do you choose darkness, or do you choose light?

Don’t you realize that God has said that what’s done in the dark will come to light?

Let your light shine!

How long do you intend to remain hidden?

Are you ashamed of the gospel of Christ?

Let your light shine!

If not now, when?

When do you intend to be a true ambassador for Christ?

Don’t you think our children deserve a better world?

What we are passing to them is a world of darkness.

Don’t you see that if we let our light shine, we could give them a better world?

How can we do this to our children?

Are we ashamed to speak out against the sin that is around us?

Jesus said,

How Long Do You Intend to Remain Hidden?

You must not be!

Because Christ tells us clearly that if we do not speak up for him in this adulterous and sinful generation, we will find a great surprise when he comes in glory with his holy angels.

Let us look at that again and remember that we are the light of the world; we must let our lights shine.

What are we going to do?

How long will we remain hidden?

Don’t you realize the only way we can stay hidden is that we hide our light?

If we hide our light, is the reason is we are ashamed of our light?

What other reason can it be?

What excuse do you have?

If you are a servant of the Lord, and if you say you believe in Jesus, then you must be willing to stand out!

He created you to be on a hill.

You cannot remain hidden!

You must not remain hidden!

You must be willing to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Are you?

Jesus makes it clear that although we have a choice, we must not seek to hide in the darkness.

There is no other way around this! If you and I remain silent and do not allow our light to shine, we have chosen to stay in darkness.

If we stay in the darkness, we will be condemned along with the darkness.

Jesus told us to let our light shine.

Why don’t we?

Is it because we are ashamed of the gospel of Christ?

Are you ashamed of the gospel of Christ?

Are you afraid of what men will do to you?

There is nothing unique about this generation compared to other generations.

All Christians have had a responsibility to let their light shine in their generation.

Every generation has its risk for us as Christians.

The risk is the same in every generation Jesus said:

This is just one of the things that come along with being called a Christian.

In every generation, we all must face persecution.

That is the way God designed it.

We are going to be persecuted, and that’s just the way it is.

He has told us that in this world we will have trouble (John 16:33) and that

We have got to understand that we have a blessing coming when we are persecuted.

Jesus said,

This is no different than what has happened in the past.

When the apostles were brought before the political leaders in Jerusalem the high priest asked them,

They were faced with some of the same challenges we face today.

We speak about them because they were firm in the faith.

We have the same opportunity that the apostles had.

They even rubbed it in the face of the political leaders.

They carried on and said with boldness…

Wow!

They had just said to them, “didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name?”

And they responded to their leaders reminding them that they murdered Jesus by hanging him on a tree.

Why didn’t they just say they aborted his life?

Don’t you think they should have been considerate of the acceptable ways of society?

Then they went on to say

I don’t think they were ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

I don’t think they were letting their light the hidden.

What courage they had!

And their names are written in heaven.

Let’s see what the leaders did then.

We must realize that what men may do to us in this world cannot affect our eternity unless we allow them.

All men can do is get us to remain silent and, by our silence, follow them as they lead us into hell with them.

Satan is so clever and shrewd.

If you don’t speak up for Christ, he knows Christ will not speak up for you.

Now listen, I want to ask your question, who are you more respectful of, man or God?

The people of this world are of darkness; we are of the light.

We must stand for the light like Jesus stood for the light.

He was persecuted for it, and we must understand we also will be persecuted for it.