WHAT A GREAT DIFFERENCE
SCRIPTURE: II Corinthians 6:14 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: or what
fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”
What a great difference.
“You can’t get two things more opposite than light and darkness.” Ray Stedman
I. DARKNESS
A. Defined
Strong’s 4655 skotos {skot'-os} from the base of 4639; TDNT - 7:423,1049; n, n;
AV - darkness 32; 32
1) darkness
a) of night darkness
b) of darkened eyesight or blindness
2) metaph.
a) of ignorance respecting divine things and human duties, and the
accompanying ungodliness and immorality, together with their consequent misery in hell
b) persons in whom darkness becomes visible and holds sway
B. Darkness is Manifested Throughout the World
1. The darkness looks like this in the world and the U.S.A.:
a. There are over 1 million abortions a year in the world.
b. 100 million children are homeless in the world.
c. 1 million women and children are forced into the sex trafficking industry.
d. George Barna reported that in the year 2000 only 32% of Christians claimed
they tithed to the church. When they checked the household income it showed that only 12% of the families actually tithed.
e. According to one recent pole only 44% of the population in the United States
attend church worship services on a Sunday morning.
f. 48% of teens are sexually active in the world today.
g. In an area school district a survey was done of the school to find out how
many students felt premarital sex was wrong. 68% of the school students said it was not wrong.
h. There are over 20,000 murders in the U.S.A. in a year.
i. The Divorce rate for Christians and the world is 53%.
2. Our world is a dark place. Richard Crow
a. In this world we live in, we must be politically correct, not offend anyone.
b. Millions of people today live in the darkness of witchcraft, drugs, alcohol,
violence, gambling, lying, stealing.
3. WHY???? Richard Crow
a. Many people are living lives that are contrary to the Word of God.
b. They feel that there is nothing wrong with fornication, adultery, murder,
hatred, prejudice, planting bombs, shooting people, or failing to serve a
Living God.
c. Man loves darkness because their deeds are evil.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and
men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 3:20
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved. 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to
the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
d. Right has become wrong and wrong has become right.
Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put
darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet,
and sweet for bitter!
C. Making decisions in the dark can lead to some regrettable consequences.
Back in the days before electricity, a tightfisted old farmer was taking his hired man to
task for carrying a lighted lantern when he went to call on his best girl. Why, he
exclaimed, when I went a-courtin I never carried one of them things, I always went in
the dark. Yes, the hired man said wryly, and look at what you got!
II Corinthians 4:4 In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of
God, should shine unto them. 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus
the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 4:6 For God, who
commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
D. Darkness is the absence of light.
II. WHAT IS LIGHT?
A. Scientists are baffled by the mystery of light they can study it but still don't understand what
light is.
1. Light reveals the world to us. It triggers in our brains the sensations of color.
2. Light sets our biological clocks.
3. Light feeds us, supplying the energy of plants to grow.
4. It inspires us with special effects like rainbows and sunsets.
5. Light gives us life- changing tools, from incandescent bulbs to lasers and
fiber optics. Speed = 186,000 miles per sec. (8+ X’s around the earth per sec)
B. Scientists say, body and soul crave light. Scientists tell us that light is essential to our daily
lives. This is why we crave it and desire it.
1. Light is as important as air we have been told. Fish need water like we need light.
2. Scientist's tell us that light gives us Vitamin D for healthier bones. It's called the
Sunshine vitamin.
3. Light gives us sight and keeps us cheerful. A shortage of light can unleash the
winter blues, diagnosed as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
a. Many medicate this disease with drugs and alcohol.
b. Suicides increase.
c. Domestic violence increases.
d. When you don't have light you have SADNESS.
C. God is light according to the Bible and he's as mysterious as light in the natural sense but
like scientists we can study God and understand what light does in our life.
I John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you,
that God is light (5457), and in him is no darkness at all. 1:6 If we say that we
have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
Strong’s 5457 phos {foce} from an obsolete phao (to shine or make manifest, especially
by rays, cf 5316, 5346; TDNT - 9:310,1293; n, n; AV - light 68, fire 2; 70
1) light
a) the light
1) emitted by a lamp
2) a heavenly light such as surrounds angels when they appear on earth
b) anything emitting light
1) a star
2) fire because it is light and sheds light
3) a lamp or torch
c) light, i.e brightness
1) of a lamp
2) metaph.
a) God is light because light has the extremely delicate, subtle, pure,
brilliant quality
b) of truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity associated
with it
c) that which is exposed to the view of all, openly, publicly
d) reason, mind
1) the power of understanding esp. moral and spiritual truth
For Synonyms see entry 5817
D. Light dispels darkness.
III. WHAT COMMUNION?
A. Fellowship
Strong’s 3352 metoche {met-okh-ay'} from 3348; n f ;TDNT - 2:830,286;
AV – fellowship 1; 1
1) a sharing, communion, fellowship
B. Communion
Strong’s for 2842 koinonia {koy-nohn-ee'-ah} from 2844; n f; - TDNT - 3:797,447;
AV - fellowship 12, communion 4, communication 1, distribution 1, contribution 1,
to communicate 1; 20
1) fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse
a) the share which one has in anything, participation
b) intercourse, fellowship, intimacy
1) the right hand as a sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic office)
c) a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an
embodiment and proof of fellowship
C. What a great difference. You can’t get two things more opposite than light and
darkness. Ray Stedman How can they have communion?
IV. UNEQUALLY YOKED?
A. Unequally Yoked ? Defined
Stong’s 2086 heterozugeo {het-er-od-zoog-eh'-o} from a compound of 2087 and 2218;
TDNT - 2:901,301; v AV - be unequally yoked with 1; 1
1) to come under an unequal or different yoke, to be unequally yoked
a) to have fellowship with one who is not an equal: 2Cor 6:14, where the
apostle is forbidding Christians to have intercourse with idolaters
B. Yokes have two characteristics: Ray Stedman
1. A yoke is not easily broken. It is more or less a permanent union. Ex: Marriage 2. A yoke is constraining. It forces compliance. You must do what the other
one is doing.
V. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE.
A. Your Father Is Light
I John 1:5 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you,
that God is light (5457), and in him is no darkness at all
B. Jesus Is Light
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that
followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
John 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk
while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in
darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. 12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in
it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
C. Ye Are Light
Matthew 5:14 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 5:15 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. 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
1. Light is to be the distinguishing factor between the followers of Christ and the world
of darkness. Light is the necessary ingredient we need to shine forth in this
world. Michael McCartney
2. In biblical times every home had its lamp burning all night. The lamp did not give
much light, but testified to the fact that the house was inhabited. These lamps,
small oil-filled bowls, were set high on pottery stands.
Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
I Thessalonians 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
I Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
CONCLUSION
What happens if we don’t shine? The headline news gets worse and worse.
The church is crippled by its lack of commitment today.
By it’s lack of giving of their time.
By it’s lack of giving of their finances.
They are losing their impact on a lost and dying world.
The churches ministry is becoming more and more worthless and meaningless because they are not rescuing anyone from the darkness.
Matthew 4:16 “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.”
John 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 1:7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 1:8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into
the world.
John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
