Designed To Shine

DESIGNED TO SHINE

Matthew 5:14-16

Preached At Greater Faith Church-Baptist

Waukegan, IL on Wednesday, May 16, 2007

• Text: Matthew 5:14-16

(v.14) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

(v.15) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

(v.16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, which is in heaven.

Subject: DESIGNED TO SHINE

I what to leave with you a few thoughts from Matthew’s Gospel that I think would help us in our evangelist thrust as we continue in our monumental task of winning 500 souls for Christ in 2007.

We find in our text ... Matthew 5:14

Jesus giving what is known as the Sermon on the Mount.

Well, in an effort to help us understand ... I think that it would behoove us every now and then when reading the scriptures to ask ourselves: who, what, when, where, how and why -- in order to glean a better understanding and to UNCOVER the truths that lie within.

Well ... in keeping with that let us look at the who of this particular text

notice that in (v.14) that Jesus said ... “Ye are the light of the world.” Well, I think that it is important for us to understand that Jesus was not talking to just any ‘ol body.

Nawl ... don’t get it twisted, although He did not call out any particular names (Ye)... He is however talking to a particular group of people.

Let me help you... 5:1-2

(v.1) And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: (v.2) And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying

Notice that He saw the multitudes... but He did not start teaching until His disciples arrived.

Why ... because Jesus being God, knew that some of those folks that followed Him did so only out of curiosity.

In fact, the Bible helps us understand this fact in Matthew 4:23 ... which tells us that Jesus had become famous not for what He was about to do, DIED on an old rugged cross but for His miracles.

Watch this ... notice that the Bible does not say anything about these people (talking about the multitudes) believing ... Nawl they were too busy receiving.

(4:24) tells us that the multitudes brought unto Him all sick people; devil possessed people; lunatics was being healed; and those who had the palsy (tremors, the shakes)

So we understand the WHO in our text...

We discovered that Jesus was not talking to any ‘ol body, although there were as the Bible records multitudes are around ... He is only talking to His disciples and He says to them in Matthew 5:14 ... “Ye are the light of the world.”

WHO: YOU

WHAT: A LIGHT

to put this is proper context ... Jesus is saying to His disciples ... You and you alone are the light of the world.

Well ... what is HE saying ... HE is saying, in this cold, dark dismal world -- if there was only one light ... let that light radiate from you.

Don’t worry about the multitudes. Don’t worry about your surrounding. YOU ... I’m talking to YOU. Greater Faith, don’t worry about what other churches are doing, don’t worry about who left this church to go join another, don’t worry about the multitudes ... you and you alone are the light of the world. You are the light of this community.

Jot this scripture down in your margins Philippians 2:14-15 listen as I read Paul’s instruction to the church at Philippi

(v.14) Do all things without murmurings and disputings: (v. 15) That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, (WATCH THIS) in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;”

WHO: YOU

WHAT: A LIGHT

WHEN: ALL THE TIME

Walk with me (v.14) “...A city that is set on a hill (watch this) cannot be hid.”

That simply means to me that we are required to shine all the time. We are required to yield our selfishness, our ambitions, our fears and even our pride ... in order to be used by GOD to transmit HIS Glory through us to this dying world.

WHO: YOU

WHAT: A LIGHT

WHEN: ALL THE TIME

(v.14) Notice that Jesus uses a metaphor to describe us as a city that “cannot be hid.”

I think this would be a good place to pause to talk about pride. In your shine-ing-ness let us understand that we are not light in and of ourselves... we are simply “Luminaries” -- reflectors of God’s light.