Shine! Series

Sermon – David Simpson

Lanier Christian Church

February 19, 2017 Series: Revive! Sermon #5

Shine!

Matthew 5:16

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

“Shine!” That one word says so much. It is a challenge, a command, and an inspiration to live boldly for our Lord…and it’s all wrapped up in one word. Shine! “Let your light shine…” are words from our Lord’s great Sermon on the Mount that he preached before crowds of people who had gathered to hear his masterful teaching.

“Shine.” It really has a ring to it doesn’t it? It’s hard to have a frown on your face when you say the word. Kind of reminds you of the days when your parents got you out of bed in the morning on a school day, and they said: “Rise and Shine!”

“Let your light shine…” said Jesus. (Say that with me)

Light is one of God’s greatest creations. It’s been associated with the presence of God (1 John 1:5 – “God is light; in him there is no darkness”); Light is associated with the truth of God (John 3:21 – “Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light”) and light is a description of God’s people. For instance, Ephesians 5:8 challenges us to live as “children of light.” You certainly don’t want to be known as children of darkness – that sounds like a horror movie, doesn’t it?

Before Adam and Eve were created, the Almighty brought light into being. In Genesis 1:3-4: “Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good.” Throughout the Bible, light represents truth, grace, and the awesome activity of God, while darkness symbolizes sin, evil, and the works of Satan.

Then, Jesus comes on the scene and he literally shows us the light of God.

John 8:12 records the words of Jesus: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The light of life….Does that describe how you feel each day? Do you have the light of life guiding you throughout every day? Are you following the light of Jesus? If you are, then you have the light of life within you! And, if you have the light of life within you, then we must do something with that light. It should not be hidden. It should not be covered up. It should not be snuffed out. It should not be switched off.

Just preceding the “shine verse” Jesus says in Matthew 5: 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

I want you to notice that Jesus doesn’t say that you are like light, or at some point in the future you will be light. He says, “You are the light of the world.” He also called us the salt of the earth. To bring flavor and healing and cleansing to our world. To prevent decay among the people God created.

This is what we’re called to be. Salt and Light. It’s who we are and why we live in this world. Once we are saved by the grace of God we automatically are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. The word “you” here is emphatic and in the plural. It literally means, “You, my followers, and none others, are the salt and the light.”

That simply means we are to have influence on others as a reflection of God in our lives. Others should literally see God at work in and through us! Light was made to shine and we were made to shine!

What a humbling thought that is, but it’s true. The light of Jesus shines through us. It’s how HE designed it to be. YOU are the lamp. YOU are the spotlight. YOU are the flashlight. YOU are the candle. YOU are the lighthouse.

We all know that the moon shines at night, yet it has no light of it’s own. It is simply reflecting the light of the sun. We, as Christians, not only have the light of life within. We are reflecting the light of the son – the SON – everyday!

A Peanuts cartoon showed Peppermint Patty talking to Charlie Brown in which she said, “Guess what, Chuck? The first day of school, and I got sent to the principal’s office. It was your fault, Chuck.”