Let Your Light Shine

This Little Light Of Mine (Isaiah 6:1-9)

Intro: A few nights ago, something strange happened; an electrical storm came over our house and knocked the power off. I went to the closet where I had 4 candles stored for such an emergency. Fumbling thru the darkness I found a candle and lit it. Then I heard a voice say, “What do you think you are doing”? I looked around there was no one in the room. “I said Who said that”? A voice said, “It’s me the candle”. Then the voice said “Put me back in there right now”. I then told the candle “it’s your job to bring light to the darkness”. The candle replied, “I’m not ready I need more training, I’m still studying how to be a light, besides there’s three other candles in here take one of them”. As I put the candle back in the closet, the other three candles cried out “We ain’t going to go! The candle on the left said, “I’m too busy, I’m thinking about the importance of light, Light is very important you know”. I said, “yes light is very important, I need you to go light up the darkness”. The candle then replied” can’t you see? I don’t have time to go, I’m busy studying about the importance of light”. The candle on the right said “I can’t go I’m too tired from all the effort it takes to be in this closet all day, besides I’ve got a headache and I’m sick”. The candle in the middle said “Hey Mister don’t be looking at me , It’s not my job” ” I’m just a singer; lighting the darkness is not my gifting , my job is to encourage the other candles to shine a little brighter”. The candle in the middle began to sing and soon the other candles joined in This Little light of mine I’m gonna let it Shine, this little light of mine I’m gonna let it shine. And the room remained dark!!!

God is looking for someone to be a light in this dark world. But is anyone willing to shine?

Text: Matt 28:18-20

16 The eleven followers went to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 On the mountain they saw Jesus and worshiped him, but some of them did not believe it was really Jesus. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All power in heaven and on earth is given to me. 19 So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age.”

1: People who heard the voice of God and lit up

A. Isaiah

B. Abraham

(1) God told Abraham to go -Abraham went!

2. People heard the voice of God to be a light and didn’t shine

A. Jonah

(1) God told Jonah to go preach to Nineveh

(2) Jonah didn’t want to go

1. Nineveh was a long trip

2. Nineveh was a wicked place

3. Jonah didn’t like the people of Nineveh

(3) Jonah ran away from God

(4) The Storm

(5) The sailors

(6) The whale

(7) Hell in the whale

(8) Preached in Nineveh (wanted God to destroy them)

(9) Didn’t really want to be a light

(10) What was wrong with Jonah?

1. He was out of fellowship with God..

2. He was not a light

a. Hide in the bottom of the boat

b. Out of touch with the people around him

(Sailors)

c. Couldn’t help the sailors

We are like Jonah sometimes we are not a light to this lost dying world

We need to realize that we need to reach out to this lost and doomed generation.

3. Why Church people won’t be a light

A. Put God and his work last

1. Parties -Sports-social gatherings

2. Just want to serve God in the church on Sun.

3. Let good things crowd out right things

B. Just don’t give a flip

C. Fear

(1) I don’t know what to say

(2) What if I mess up?

(3) What will people think?

(4) I’m not ready

4. How to be a light

(1) Be real (you can’t shine if you’re not the real thing

(2) Let the love light of God shine thru you

(3) Be in relationship with God

(4) Is your life a reflection of Jesus Christ?

(5) Love God and people with all of your heart

(6) Be positive not negative

(7) Are you ashamed of being a Christian?

A/C Matt 5: 14 “You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 And people don’t hide a light under a bowl. They put it on a lamp stand so the light shines for all the people in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven.