Using Our Light
Bro. David Rogers
Pastor Bethlehem Baptist Church
Winona
Luke 8:16-18
Prayer
Introduction
So many today are afraid of using the light that is within them. They have listened to the Satan’s lies that they are not good enough to spread the Gospel or that they don’t know enough. But the truth is we are to let our light shine. I know I have talked about this topic once before but our light grows dim and we need to let it shine brilliantly. People need to be able to see it from afar. Like a city on a hill whose lights you can see form a distance so should our light shine so bright that it too can be seen from a distance.
An industrial titan remembered his farm boyhood. It was his chore to go to the barn in the dark to secure the farm animals before the family bedtime. He dreaded what lurked in the shadows on the way to the distant barn. His father gave him unforgettable advice.
The lantern from the farmhouse would cast its light to the yard gate and no further. When he came to the yard gate, the lantern cast its light to the corral fence and no further. When he came to the corral fence, the lantern cast its light to the windmill and no further. When he came to the windmill, the lantern cast its light to the barn door. The wise father reminded the frightened lad that he had only to go as far as the light took him, with the assurance that the light would take him further at the next point of need.
That is all we must do we just let the light lead us to the next point of need. Never are we to walk out of the light but always walk in the light. Notice that darkness flees from light and that the light always reveals what the darkness has hidden. The light always sets free what the darkness has imprisoned. The light is a key that opens the door of truth and lies must flee from truth.
I. How are we to use our light?
a. One we are not to cover up our light.
i. We must not hide it from sight.
1. people must be able to see the light within us. Don’t be afraid to let your light shine. If it cost you a job so be it God has another one for you.
2. Our light points the way from this terrible world. It reveals the truth which dispels the darkness around us.
ii. We let people see our light.
1. We are to be like Elijah and be bold in our Lord. The World may not like us but that is not important. Our lives are the Lords to live through and we are to be bold and let our light shine.
iii. We want to lead people to Christ by how we live.
1. Our lives are a window to God. People see God through how we live, talk, and walk. Is our windows clear and bright so people can see in or windows dirty and hazy so people see a distorted vision of God. Scientists also tell us that light will not reduce – You cannot dismantle the parts of light and have light. It will not work if you try to reduce it or dismantle any of lights parts it will not work.
Light is non reduce-able but you can use light as a source of energy because you can compress a lot of lights energy in a very small point.
Example when you use a magnifying glass on a sunny day to start a fire. When you do this experiment you are concentrating and compressing light together in one focused area. Result you light a fire.
Lasers are designed to work this way.
Scientists tell us that this is one of the miracles of light: “It has no volume. And photons have no charge, so in the process of being concentrated into a very small space, they don’t repulse each other as negatively charged electrons do.” (NIF will fit 4 x 10 the 24th power photons into the target capsule.) “They don’t bother one another” is the way Moses put it. “How many angels of light can dance on the head of a pin? In theory, and infinite number” (National Geographic, Oct. 2001 ed. page 10).
Think about this statement – Light should not bother one another but gather together to gain greater power.
God himself is light and he is non-reduce-able. You take away any part of God you don’t have God.
The Lord gathers together his lights and compresses them together to stir up a fire in the world. To show light in the middle of darkness.
Spiritually this principle should be the same. The individual light elements should be able to come together and not repulse each other. A truth that the Christian church of today has neglected and ignored.
2. Do we live like we are going to Heaven or do we enjoy suffering and shame. I don’t know about you but for me as a Christian I know that no matter what happens here in this world I am already a victor through Jesus Christ.
3. We want to share Jesus with all who don’t know Him. Charles Swindoll gives us some interesting advice when he states:
When you live in darkness, you not only have no ray of light, you don’t even know where home is. That is the way it is for the majority in the world. Some folks are born, raised, and die in cultures that have never seen their first flashlight of hope. Imagine it! When the truth of that hits me, I find myself a little impatient with Christians who do nothing but shine lights for themselves. They even have what we might call flashlight parties where they just shine the light on each other. Lots of light! Too much light to be hoarded! Jesus says to shine for the world. Shine your light into the darkness; that’s where it is really needed. Spend less time in your own little well-lighted all Christian world and more time there in the darkness (63)!
b. We are to let people see Christ in us.
i. We are to be a light house which leads people to salvations shores.
ii. Our light is to be the mirror in which people see Jesus. Our lives are to be a living testimony for Jesus Christ.
iii. Our lives are to be an open book. We can not hide anything from God.
iv. Our lives are to show how Jesus has blessed us.
v. We are not to be quite about what God has done for us we are to share it with all.
II. Why are we to let our light shine for all to see?
a. Because we are told to by Jesus. It’s very bright in the middle of the day, but no matter how bright the day is, night eventually comes and the light fades away. However, it is possible - in theory at least - to live our entire lives in the light of the sun, if we were simply to keep journeying westward fast enough to keep up with the sun. But because we don’t make that journey west, the day fades into night; light changes to darkness. The journey would be too difficult, it would cost too much, it would be too tiring. It’s easier just to be satisfied with where we are. That’s not a bad analogy for faith. Walking in the light of Christ - continually - is a difficult journey. It carries with it certain costs. It can at times be tiring and discouraging. But it has one great reward: it is a journey that we take with Jesus constantly at our sides, urging us on, lifting us and carrying us when we weary, providing for us when we think we just can’t give any more. There is a great source of strength to see us through this difficult journey of faith - the source of strength is the light of Christ, and it never fades, as long as we continue in faith and continue to trust, and continue to act on what we believe. If we do those things, the light of Christ will continue to shine within us and through us.
b. Because as His ambassadors here on earth we are to represent our kingdom just as earthly ambassadors represent their nations here or earth.
c. Since our citizenship is not here on earth we are to witness to those who are lost.
III. Where are we to shine our light?
a. Everywhere we go for all to see.
b. There are no secret service agents for God. We are all front line soldiers.
c. We are to shine for our family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and every stranger we meet.
IV. Conclusion
a. Did God create everything that exists? Does evil exist? Did God create evil?
A University professor at a well known institution of higher
learning challenged his students with this question. "Did God create
everything that exists?"
A student bravely replied, "Yes he did!"
God created everything?" The professor asked.
Yes sir, he certainly did," the student replied.
The professor answered, "If God created everything; then God created
evil. And, since evil exists, and according to the principal that
our works define who we are, then we can assume God is evil."
The student became quiet and did not answer the professor’s
hypothetical definition.
The professor, quite pleased with himself,
boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the
Christian faith was a myth.
Another student raised his hand and said, "May I ask you a question,
professor?"
"Of course", replied the professor.
The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"
"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you
never been cold?" The other students snickered at the young man’s
question.
The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According
to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the
absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when
it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter
have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 F) is the total
absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of
reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created
this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."
The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"
The professor responded, "Of course it does."
The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does
not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton’s prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn’t this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to
describe what happens when there is no light present."
Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"
Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have
already said. We see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of
man’s inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and
violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing
else but evil.
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least
it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God.
It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to
describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the
result of what happens when man does not have God’s love present in his heart.
It’s like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness
that comes when there is no light."
The professor sat down....
