Let Your Light Shine

• “THE EXTREMITY OF THE ISLE, PHAROS, IS A ROCK WHICH HAS UPON IT A TOWER CONSTRUCTED OF WHITE MARBLE WITH MANY STORIES AND BEARS THE SAME NAME AS THE ISLAND.

• THIS WAS AN OFFERING BY SOSTRATUS OF KNIDOS, A FRIEND OF THE KING’S, FOR THE SAFETY OF MARINERS, AS THE INSCRIPTION SAYS; FOR SINCE THE COAST WAS HARBORLESS AND LOW ON EITHER SIDE AND ALSO HAD REEFS AND SHALLOWS,

• THOSE WHO WERE SAILING FROM THE OPEN SEA NEEDED SOME LOFTY AND CONSPICUOUS SIGN TO ENABLE THEM TO DIRECT THEIR COURSE ARIGHT TO THE MOUTH OF THE HARBOR.

• STRABO – GEOGRAPHICA 7 BC

• THIS IS THE PHAROS, BETTER KNOWN AS THE LIGHTHOUSE OF ALEXANDRIA.

• COMPLETED BY PTOLEMY THE SECOND IN THE SECOND CENTURY BC IT WAS ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD.

• CONSTRUCTED ON A LIMESTONE ISTHMUS, THE LIGHTHOUSE SOARED TO A MAJESTIC HEIGHT OF 449 FEET.

• IT WAS THE TALLEST STRUCTURE IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME.

• AT THE TOP, STOOD A 22-FOOT-HIGH STATUE OF THE SEA GOD POSIDON LEANING ON HIS TRIDENT.

• THE PHAROS WAS EQUIPPED WITH A MIRROR DESIGNED BY ARCHIMEDES THAT COULD HARNESS THE POWER OF THE SUN TO REFLECT A BEAM OF LIGHT NEARLY 30 MILES.

• AT NIGHT, A MASSIVE FIRE BURNED VISIBLE FROM 17 MILES AWAY TO GUIDE SHIPS INTO THE HARBOR.

• “BUILT IN A COLONNADED COURT, THE LIGHTHOUSE WAS BUILT IN FOUR GIGANTIC SECTIONS.

• IN THE MAIN CENTRAL SECTION WERE THE WINDOWS OF 300 ROOMS.

• THERE, THE MOST REVERED ASTRONOMERS AND MATHEMATICIANS OF THE DAY GATHERED - HUNGRY FOR KNOWLEDGE, CONSTANTLY DEBATING AND EXCHANGING IDEAS THAT SHAPED THE WORLD.”

• A TECHNOLOGICAL WONDER, THE LIGHTHOUSE HAD A DOUBLE SPIRAL STAIRCASE AND A HYDRAULIC MACHINE FOR RAISING FUEL TO THE ROOF.

• IT WAS TOPPED BY A CORNICE OR MOLDING - ON THE FOUR CORNERS OF WHICH STOOD GIGANTIC STATUES.

• JUST BELOW THE CORNICE WAS A MESSAGE FROM THE ARCHITECT SOSTRATUS THE CNIDIAN INSCRIBED TO THE 'SAVIOR GODS OF MARINERS', WHO WERE - IN HIS ESTIMATION – “CASTOR, POLLUX AND PTOLEMY HIMSELF.”

• DAMAGED BY AN EARTHQUAKE IN THE 9TH CENTURY AD, THE PHAROS FELL IN 1323.

• ITS RUBBLE LIES BENEATH THE WATERS OF THE GREAT HARBOR OR ALEXANDRIA.

• THE LIGHTHOUSE OF ALEXANDRIA GUIDED MANY SAILORS HOME.

• I CAN REMEMBER COMING INTO THAT VAST PORT ON A US NAVY DESTROYER,

• EVEN TODAY, ALEXANDRIA IS A BUSY HARBOR WITH TREACHEROUS, CHOPPY WATER.

• IT WAS A WONDER THAT THE MARINERS OF LONG AGO COULD GET HOME.

• BUT LED BY THE LIGHT OF THE SUN IN DAYLIGHT AND THE GREAT FIRE AT NIGHT,

• THE PHAROS GUIDED MANY SAILORS TO SAFETY.

• ITS RADIANT LIGHT COULD BE SEEN FOR MILES AND MILES.

MATTHEW 5:14-15- “YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A CITY SET

ON A HILL, CANNOT BE HIDDEN; NOR DOES ANYONE LIGHT A LAMP AND

PUT IT UNDER A BASKET, BUT ON THE LAMPSTAND, AND IT GIVES

LIGHT TO ALL WHO ARE IN THE HOUSE. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

BEFORE MEN IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD

WORKS, AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN.

• WHILE MEN BUILD, TOWERS EQUIPPED WITH LIGHTS TO GUIDE ONE ANOTHER HOME,

• JESUS BUILT HIS CHURCH TO STAND AS A BEACON TO LIGHT THE WORLD WITH HIS PRESENCE AND TO GUIDE THE CHILDREN OF GOD HOME TO HIM.

• SO, AS RICHARD HALL REMINDS US EVERY WEEK, “LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE”.

• THIS MORNING – HOW TO LIVE A RADIANT LIFE THAT LIGHTS THE WAY FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW.

• BUT, BEFORE WE START THAT PART OF THE LESSON, LET’S PRAY.

• FROM THE GREEK WORD “PHOS” MEANING “TO GIVE LIGHT”,

• LIGHT IN THE GREEK CAN MEAN “LIGHT AS SEEN BY THE EYE”.

• IT CAN ALSO MEAN “TO REACH THE MIND”.

• SCIENTIFICALLY, LIGHT IS A LUMINOUS EMANATION FROM CERTAIN OBJECTS AND BODIES THAT ENABLES THE EYE TO SEE FORM AND COLOR.

• BESIDES DESCRIBING THE NATURAL PHENOMENON OF LIGHT, LIGHT HAS AT LEAST 7 OTHER MEANINGS IN SCRIPTURE.

• LIGHT IN THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF THE GLORY OF THE DWELLING PLACE OF GOD.

1 TIMOTHY 6:6 – GOD LIVES IN UNAPPROACHABLE LIGHT.

• IN FACT, LIGHT SPEAKS OF THE VERY NATURE OF GOD.

1 JOHN 1:5 – THIS IS THE MESSAGE WE HAVE HEARD FROM HIM AND

ANNOUNCE TO YOU, THAT GOD IS LIGHT, AND IN HIM THERE IS NO

DARKNESS AT ALL.

• LIGHT SPEAKS TO THE IMPARTIALITY OF GOD.

JAMES 1:17 – EVERY GOOD THING GIVEN AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS

FROM ABOVE, COMING DOWN FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHTS, WITH

WHOM THERE IS NO VARIATION OR SHIFTING SHADOW.

• THE BIBLE DESCRIBES GOD AS THE ILLUMINATOR OF HIS PEOPLE.