Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
This week, we are going to look at: WHERE THERE IS DARKNESS, LIGHT
After last weekend’s ice storm...maybe this line means more to us than usual!
We all quickly realized how DIFFERENT & DIFFICULT life is without LIGHT!
The BIBLE is full of themes.
If you stick around here long, you’ll see the broad KINGDOM OF GOD THEME
Another powerful re-occuring theme: DARKNESS & LIGHT.
NIV Genesis 1: 1-4 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2) Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3) And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4) God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
From the very beginning, God shows us that our world is distinguished by two contrasting truths...LIGHT vs. DARKNESS.
As we read further in God’s Word, we see that GOD is the source of ALL LIGHT.
Ps 18:28 You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
Ps 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
Ps 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
As we continue to read about LIGHT vs. DARKNESSS...prophets start to see something changing.
No longer is LIGHT and DARKNESS going to just opposites.
THE LIGHT is going to do something pro-active.
LIGHT is going to INVADE DARKNESS.
NIV Isaiah 9:2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
NIV Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2) See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3) Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
NIV Luke 2:28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29) “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30) For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31) which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32) a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
JESUS IS THE LIGHT
NIV John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2) He was with God in the beginning. 3) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4) In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5) The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6) There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7) He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8) He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9) The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10) He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
NIV John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20) Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21) But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
NIV John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Do you see the natural progression?
GOD IS LIGHT
JESUS IS LIGHT breaking in on darkness
NOW.....WE ARE THE LIGHT!
Read it in the MESSAGE
Matthew 5:13-16 (MsgB)
"Let me tell you why you are here. ......You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. [15] If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. [16] Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
Lord, make me an instrument of YOUR LIGHT!
BEING GENEROUS WITH YOUR LIFE! ouch!
Last Sunday...inviting our neighbors over for breakfast. Shoveling ice & snow off neighbor’s sidewalks.
CHURCH was cancelled last week. BUT NO, the Lord showed me that CHURCH was actually the BEST it’s been in weeks!
WHY?...because Sandy & I were able to be LIGHTS in the DARKNESS...literally. We had light. Our neighbors didn’t. GO!
What about you? Does it take a power outage to bring that LIGHT out of you?
PRAY
