Living as a Lighthouse
January 28, 2007
Challenge of Lighthouse Living
1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5
INTRODUCTION
When she was 1 1/2, she was extremely ill, and she lost both her vision and hearing. It was like entering a different world, with completely new rules, and she got very frustrated. By the time she was 7 she lived and acted more like an uncontrollable animal than a child. Her parents knew they needed help, so they hired a tutor.
But how do you teach and blind and deaf child. How do you communicate? Where all others had given up one tutor found success. Using a manual alphabetic formed into the palm of her hand, words were repeated over and over again to the little girl.
While she quickly mimicked the movements with her own hands, there was no awareness of their meaning.
Then one day at the water pump, with one hand thrust under the flowing water, while the tutor repeated signed the letters W-A-T-E-R into her hand recognition dawned. The child made the connection that the manually letters stood for the wet flow cascading over her hand. By days end she knew and understood 30 words.
Thanks to Anne Sullivan’s willingness to face the challenge of teaching a blind deaf child, Helen Keller’s life was reborn. Before her death she would write 11 books and learn to read five languages in Braille.
We are talking about living as a lighthouse. If we accept that call we will face challenges. But if we face them and prevail we will offer the world a similar gift¡Xrebirth¡Xnew birth¡Xwith the forgiver.
T.S. Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5 and let’s look at the challenges we will face living as a Lighthouse.
1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men 16 in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.
17 But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. 18 For we wanted to come to you-certainly I, Paul, did, again and again-but Satan stopped us. 19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
3:1 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. 5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
THE THESSALONIANS HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CHALLENGES WILL BE AS WE ENDEAVOR TO LIVE AS LIGHTHOUSES.
I. Face reorganized lifestyle 13-16
USCG Lorain Station Cape Sarichef Alaska.
Cape Sarichef Light was a lighthouse located on the northwest tip of Unimak Island, approximately 630 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. It marks the northwest end of Unimak Pass, the main passage through the Aleutian Islands between the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Lit July 1, 1904, it was Alaska’s second coastal lighthouse, and the only U.S. manned lighthouse on the Bering Sea.
Cape Sarichef Light was the most westerly and most isolated lighthouse in North America. Unimak Island is the largest in the Aleutian Chain, approximately 75 miles long and 17 to 30 miles wide. The island is a wildlife refuge populated by bears, caribou, wolves, fox, bald eagles, grey whales, and seals.
In the 1970’s to be station on Cape Sarichef was to be assigned to isolated duty. The Isalnds only population is the station’s crew of 21 individuals. To fulfill you mission requires a drastic reorganization of your lifestyle.
A coast guardsmen describes his life.
. . . no town, no radio, no trees, no summer, no TV, no women, for a solid year
. . . countless bears, herds of caribou, wolves, fox, bald eagles, grey whales, seals, etc
. . .We were not allowed to go outside without a high powered rifle and 2 way radio because of bears and other dangers
. . .during the summer months when it stays light out till around midnight. That takes some getting used to, and by the time you are used to it things start to switch, and the winters have very short days.
Paul indicates that part of Lighthouse living is the challenge of reorganizing our lives.
1 Thess 2:13-14
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: . . .
NIV
A. Incarnation of the Word of God
Receiving and accepting of the Word of God. When we don’t just hear it, when we say this makes sense and we start to incorporate it into our lives then it goes to work on us on the inside.
It begins to change how we act and react in everyday life.
App: In your sermon notebooks, begin to highlight those things to which you say, “Yep that needs to be a part of my life.”
App: Begin to talk to others about how you see what you are hearing and accepting changing you.
App: Ask others how they are being changed by what they are discovering in the word of God.
App: Keep a record, a journal or a notebook of those discoveries.
App: Don’t see yourself as changing growing, expose yourself to more of the word, more study, more interaction with other.
B. Leading to Consistency of experience
The power of the word at work in us is that it will lead us to a right and consistent experience with God and with Life. The Thessalonians became models, examples copies of others walk in a right relationship with God.
The word of God should become so incarnational in our lives that we resemble the believers and churches we read about in the book of Acts.
Test: Do other people talk about how they see you being changed?
Test: Is you life still being changed by the word of God at work within you or are all your stories about what God did in the past?
II. Face emotional cost 17-20
One of the challenges we will have to face is the emotional cost of Lighthouse living.
Deep emotions come when we have invested our lives in another.
We confess that we are fans of American Idols. It is one of our guilty pleasures. The show is a rollercoaster of emotions, not just for those who compete on the show, but for the family and friends who are standing by or sitting in the audience watching.
1 Thess 2:17-20
17 But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. 18 For we wanted to come to you-certainly I, Paul, did, again and again-but Satan stopped us. 19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy. NIV
Look at the emotional phrases in this passage.
-- torn away
-- intense longing
-- made every effort to see you.
-- wanted to come to you
-- I, Paul, did, again and again
-- you are our glory and joy.
Test: One of the signs of lighthouse living is that the emotional impact challenges us. If we are never being impacted by the emotional cost we’re probably not living as a lighthouse.
III. Face defining moments-trials
In the movie deep impact Elijah wood plays the role of a high school student who discovers a comet headed toward earth that could lead to an extinction level event.
Offered a place of safety in a shelter in the mountains he marries his high school sweetheart in an attempt to ensure her safety and her families.
When they are separated he has defining moment. He must face the decision of not entering the mountain side ark and attempt to rescue his young bride.
The Trial is his defining moment. Hide in the mountain or perhaps loose his life trying to save her.
As he hugs his father goodbye everything he will be as a man will be defined by that moment.
Thessalonians were facing their own defining moments-- trials. How they faced them determined would determine what type walk they would have with God. Paul is so concerned that they don’t fail this defining moment he sends timothy to them. Listen to Paul.
1 Thess 3:1-5 NIV
3:1 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. 5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
A. We should expect to face trails.
Paul warned them about them and wasn’t surprised when they occurred.
B. We should be ready for the challenge.
Paul understood it was possible to prepare for the challenge through strengthening and encouragement.
C. We should recognize them as defining moments.
Paul realized the Thessalonians could fail in depending how they faced trials
Test: How are you defined by the trails in your life? Do they define you as a lighthouse?
THE THESSALONIANS HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CHALLENGES WILL BE AS WE ENDEAVOR TO LIVE AS LIGHTHOUSES.
SUMMARY
LIGHTHOUSE LIVING
The challenge of reorganized lifestyle
The challenge of the emotional cost
The challenge of facing defining moments
CHALLENGE:
1. Is it time for you to commit to the word, get involved in a house church, a Bible study, Bible Fellowship so that your life is reorganized by the word working within you?
Perhaps you need to open your heart up to the word that you can be changed by it.
2. Is it time for you to become deeply connected with others, to pay the emotional cost so that you hurt with others and rejoice with others.
Perhaps you need to confess that your life has been all about you, but now you want make the choice of connecting with others.
3. Is it time to admit that you have been failing in your defining moments¡Xin how you face trails in your life?
Maybe you need to name the trail that has been defeating you and claim victory over it so that you can begin to become a lighthouse in the midst of your trails.
Maybe today is your defining moment. As we close in prayer, if you would like to pray with someone simply come forward and we will meet you here.
T.S. Listen to the words of this song by NEWSONG . . .
He’s been waiting all our lives to hear us say,
I am your’s Lord take my hand and lead the way
When you believe He’s all you need
that will be your defining moment.
As you live your life walking in His light,
trusting Him completely,
that will be,
that will be,
your defining moment.
