“What Have You Done, For Him Lately?
This little light of mine/I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine/I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine/I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine/Let it shine/Let it shine
Do you remember the verses?
1. Everywhere I go/I’m gonna let it shine
2. Hide it under a tree Oh no!/I’m going to let it shine
3. Jesus gave me the light/I’m gonna let it shine
4. Don’t let the Satan blow it out/I’m going to let it shine
And it ends with, Let it Shine/All the time/Let it shine/Oh yeah!
I remember singing that song at about 6 or 7 yrs old with such vigor back in VBS, don’t you?
All the hand motions and bodily gestures that went with it.
Funny how willing to participate, children can be, isn’t it?
Sounds easy enough, though I wonder, in Christian circles all across the globe,
How many let their light shine for Jesus, this week?
This little song goes right along with the great commission,
Matt. 28:18-20 MSG.
18-20. Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."
Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life!
I’d say if someone were to do that, they would be letting their light shine a lot, wouldn’t you?
Everyone you meet?, that would be very challenging, are you sure?
Those are Jesus exact words, Spreading the gospel is important, so important that it was His very last words He spoke before ascending to heaven.
We’ve all seen the movies, you know the dieing scenes, where they wait and hang on,
Or they make a long trip home to tell someone something so important to them,
That even if it takes their last breathe, their willing to use it, that’s just how important it is.
You know, Jesus could have said most anything to the disciples,
But what He said was, keep up the work, tell everyone what I’ve taught to you and keep spreading the word, until the whole world knows!
Some might say, “that’s humanly impossible”, the whole world?, by yourself?, that would be a correct statement!
But the Word didn’t say to do it by yourself,
it said “I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”
TBS. in Matt 19:26 NKJ
26. But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
You see, that’s the problem, everyone wants and thinks that they can do everything on their own,
Far to many Christians have only a convenient relationship with God, instead of a committed one.
God is only for their convenience, for when ever they feel like it,
or for when they have a serious need they can’t work out on their own! (there’s a lot of 7-11 Christians in the world)
Matt. 5:13-16 MSG.
13. "Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
14-16. "Here’s another way to put it: 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. 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. 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.
Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.
I don’t know about all that preacher, that sounds like an awful lot of work to me!
That sounds like a Ca, Ca, Ca, Commitment and any ways what difference could one voice make!
That’s the same thing 100’s of thousands of millions have said, since the fall of man,
As they stood by and watched almost every religious freedom we have ever had, be annihilated one by one!
That’s the same thing, I’m sure many onlookers said, as the Mayflower sailed away,
What can one small group of believers do to change the world?
And in case you haven’t noticed, the accuser still has our religious freedoms under attack, they fought so hard to achieve, every night on the evening news!
Every one has enough time, energy and resources for everything else, but for what matters most in this life!
James 4:14 NKJ
14. whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
Gods looking for someone to step up to the plate to be counted and realize, they can make a difference.
How many people like to take a good, hot shower?
How many like to take a good, hot shower with lukewarm water?
Guess what, God doesn’t like lukewarm, anymore than you do!
There’s a lot of things in this world, that a person could complain about!
But Gods ability to Help you make a difference in the world for the kingdom, isn’t one of them!
I didn’t come here today with a list of complaints this morning, like how bad the economy is,
or to criticize capitol hill, or pass judgment on our present administration.
Yah there’s a lot of bad stuff happening in the world, but worrying about whats going on in the world, isn’t going to help our situation!
People are lost and on their way to hell and need to hear about Jesus salvation message!
We need to quit worrying about the world and look to the Word and realize that’s where the answer lies, to the whole worlds problems!
Am I ignoring, what’s going on in the world?
No, but I know this! No matter what happens, God is still bigger than whatever man can mess up and the devil can throw at us,
And serving Him and sharing the gospel is still #1 priority no matter what!
the Devil, would oh so like the world to think, “but he is not! and never will be! in charge,”
I don’t care what it looks like, or feels like or sounds like in the world today, God is still in control.
We don’t have to fear, we don’t have to have a spirit of hopelessness and despair.
In fact those things are the opposite of faith and aren’t of God, were not going under, were going over, around, or right down the middle! Amen?
It doesn’t matter what happens to gas prices, even though they seem like a yoyo, on a daily basis.
It doesn’t matter what happens to health care, or social security, or retirement plans, or the stock market, or anything else for that matter.
God is still bigger than all those things, God has the last word on everything and God is still in charge.
Ill. The church is just like Noah’s ark in the old testament: The flood waters rose till they covered the whole world,
but the ark just kept ridding on top of the waters,
The waters represent all the drama, all the strife, all the tricks of the accuser,
And no matter how high the water rises in life, God will always take us higher
We need to not be weary in well doing, despite the circumstances that go on around us,
we need to be faithful in letting our light shine!
If the world doesn’t hear the good news message of,
Forgiveness,
Healing,
Prosperity,
All the gifts of the Spirit and The Promises and Blessings God has promised those who diligently seek Him, from us, who? will? they? hear it from?
If Jesus is coming back and we know He is, for a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle,
Shouldn’t we be busy, trying to prepare His church, the way He wants it, before that day arrives?
Its not like He is going to give a ten minute warning, before the trumpet blows!
TBS. that day will come, like a thief in the night!
Never has things looked any bleaker financially for the worlds economy, in the history of the world,
Never has there ever been a greater opportunity to serve the Lord and let our light shine for Him, than now!
Never has the world needed the real hope and change message of the grace and forgiveness of Jesus more than now!
We were chosen by God to live right now in this time in history,
and if God in all of his infinite wisdom saw fit to allow us to live and be part of history, it is because he believes in us, He always has.
He knows, if we will allow Him to work in our lives, that there’s nothing that we can’t do, Praise God!
TBS. That God put Ezekiel in the midst of a valley full of Dry bones (because God knew that Ezekiel possessed the faith, to tap into the power to transform that situation).
One lone prophet with the word of the Lord in his mouth transformed that valley of dry bones into a mighty army.
And God can do the same for you, if you will allow Him and have faith!
Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJ
20. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21. to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
You know what,
*you may be the only Christian in your family,
*you may be the only Christian on your job,
*you may be the only Christian in your neighborhood.
Don’t look at it as a disadvantage, look at it as an opportunity for God to work a miracle, in every on of those situations!
Its time to quit looking at our circumstances and look to the one,
who has the power to change our situations, no matter where we are!
Its time to quit saying woe is me and start saying “Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world.”
Isaiah 60:1 NKJ
Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
*This is not the time to stop helping your fellow man,
*this is not the time to quiet down our praise,
*this is not the time to worry about being politically correct or socially acceptable,
That has only gotten us stuck in the muck of the worlds way of thinking, almost to the point of no return.
If political correctness doesn’t make you sick to your stomach, it ought to!
Its time we as Christians quit being a spectator and became a participant on Gods team!
Its time we let our light shine brightly for the Lord and shared the gospel, that we sometimes take for granted.
It’s not enough to just know the assurance of your salvation, it’s time we got concerned about someone else’s welfare, than our own!
One day we will be held accountable for what we have done for the Lord,
And with that in mind, it kind of gives new meaning to the phrase,
“What have you done for me lately” doesn’t it?
Well remember that one time I gave,
“What have you done for me lately”?
Hey, I used to volunteer all the time,
“What have you done for me lately”?
Just like Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep, the same still holds true for you and me!
TBS. Everyone to whom much has been given, of him much will be required,
The only thing that has true and lasting value, is what we do in this life we have been given, for the Lord!
Sharing your faith is important, you may be the only thing standing between someone and eternity.
Whether you plant, or you do the watering, just be faithful and tell someone about the life changing message of the Gospel of Jesus and God will do the rest!
Remember to ask God to bless your endeavors and increase your territory today for the kingdom,
And He will, every step of the way of the journey.
Amen? Praise the Lord, Lets pray!
Thanks to Terry Sisney for partial outline
