Our subject for today’s sermon is “The Lamp of the Body”
I have a question for you. Is anyone here frightened of the dark? [acknowledge the responders]
Or does anyone have children or grandchildren who are frightened of the dark? My 10 year old daughter insists on going to sleep with the landing light on and her bedroom door open. She says that she can’t get to sleep with the lights off. I guess there are many Children like this.
But you don’t have to be a child to be frightened of the dark. Has anyone ever been pot holing? (cave crawling) Has anyone worked in the mining?
I have a number of friends all in our 20s or 30s and we meet once a fortnight for fellowship. And we do dumb things. Like hang gliding, or rock climbing and we have even done bungee jumping ( though I confess to chickening out of the bungee jump – but only because of the exclusion clause in my life assurance policy)
Last year we went pot holing in the Derbyshire Peak District national park for the first time. We decided to tackle a cave called "Simkins Pot" A simple cave, not much crawling – steady smooth sloping floor with one way in and out. No chance of getting lost just walk down hill for in and up hill for out.
We had all the right equipment – warm clothing a miners helmet with a lamp on the front, big boots.
This bunch of about 20 brave stropping guys had a great time. After about half an hour of walking down the cave we came to a cavern where there were some great fossils and rock formations.
We had a professional guide and we had done all the right things such as informing the farmer who’s land the cave was on that we were down the hole and would be no more than a couple of hours. If we did not return he agreed to send for help as is the custom with these friendly mountain farmers.
Everyone felt great and we were all having an enjoyable time until the guide suggested that we all turn out our lights and put our hands in front of our eyes. It was as black as black can get. Half a mile underground with no light what so ever. Even the stropping lads, normally brave and fearless were unnerved by the sheer darkness – even though it only lasted (say) 20 seconds. We continued deeper until eventually we came to a waterfall and very small tunnel that we could not squeeze through so we turned back and decided to walk out.
Now we had been in the cave rather longer then we had planned and though we were in no danger as we were walking out one man’s battery died and his miners lamp went out. A few minutes later a second lamp failed, then a third and a fourth and so on.
The guide said that he may have forgotten to charge the batteries since the last expedition but he was sure we’d be all right. Anyway he had an oil lamp which would surely last out and all we had to do was hold the side wall and keep walking – we couldn’t get lost.
As we were walking I took off my lamp from the helmet and shone it backwards. The guy in front had a lamp and I just followed him but the three behind me had no lamp between them so I shone their path.
Eventually we came to the entrance to the cave and were stood in the field catching our breath from a steady uphill walk and one of the men came up to me and put his hand on my shoulder. He said “ Thank’s buddy for shining your light for us” and the other two joined him. One said – I’ll not do that again – I was getting worried as we were coming up that tunnel”
You see even these big brave guys were frightened of the dark. BUT they were re-assured when someone shone a light for them to follow. And that light lead them on a safe path.
And that’s like life really. People everywhere are reassured when, in the darkness that they find themselves in, there’s a shining light to follow.
We are going to explore the passage from Lukes Gospel entitled “The lamp of the body” (Luke C11 v33-36 NIV)
Verse 33:- No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand,
The lamp we are referring to here is YOU dear brother and sister. YOU are the lamp - got that? And no one light’s a lamp and hides it under a bowl – or anywhere else for that matter.
If you are a Christian you are blessed because Jesus has lighted your lamp. There’s a moment in every Christian’s history when Jesus light’s your lamp.
That’s when you become a Christian.
Christians are not born Christians – You cannot inherit a true belief in Jesus. Sure, being born into a loving Christian family will help. If a child’s parents are good Christians they will most likely expose their child to some good Christian values and teaching. But that won’t make them a Christian.
If you are a Christian, then there was a moment in your life when you invited Jesus into your life or allowed Him into your life. When you received true forgiveness and the light of Jesus came into you. When Jesus lit your lamp.
And NO ONE – certainly not God puts the lamp that He lit, hidden under a bowl, “Instead” (it says in verse 33) “Instead he puts it on it’s stand, so that those who come in may see the light” So Jesus Lit your lamp and put you on your Stand.
What’s your Christian Stand? What do we here STAND for? Jesus has given us a stand so that those who come in may see the light. May see Him.
William Wilberforce and others made a STAND against slavery. Martin Luther King made a stand against racial oppression. William Booth made a stand when he founded the Salvation Army.
There are many stand’s throughout history I am sure we could recount them if we discussed the issue but let’s look at our stand.
When it comes to looking after the poor of this town – where do YOU stand?
When it comes to the homeless in this town – where do YOU stand?
When it comes to making peace with an enemy – where do YOU stand?
When it comes to the young hooligans who hang around the street corners of this very town – where do YOU stand?
I don’t want you to think me arrogant when I say YOU with such a pointing gesture. That’s a preachers you. With one finger pointing at you I have three pointing at me. Praise God I’m in this too.
But ehen you take up your stand on these issues does the light of Jesus Christ shine from you? Or is there a hint of darkness?
Verse 34 says Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light
The word eye here means “understanding of the word of God” In other words Your understanding of the bible is the lamp of your body. When your understanding of the word of God is good, your whole body will be full of the light of Jesus Christ.
"But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness", verse 34 continues.
Perhaps this poses a challenge to some of us when we take up our stand on an issue such as the young hooligans hanging around the streets.
What would Jesus say to these Young people. Is your stand the same as His? Do we wish these kids would get lost? I wonder how Jesus would treat these guys.
About 3 years ago we invited the rough youths from the locality into our Church on Friday nights.
And we saw some problems.
Almost every week some youngsters came in drunk. One week one was so drunk he passed out and we thought he was dead. We looked after him – brought him round and took him home. His parents thanked us – they were decent folk.
A young girl and boy of about 16 used to come from time to time with their baby child. We just loved them.
We once got in some drugs dealers trying to sell dope to the kids – and we took the drugs off them and asked them to leave. We were very quiet and gentle – but there was no way that they were going to sell drugs on our patch - on God’s patch. Some of the kids used to bring cans of beer and bottles of white cider but we explained that they were not allowed on Church premises and so they respectfully left their cans in the bottom of the hedge just inside the gate.
It was like cowboys depositing their guns with the sheriff in an old western film the title of which fails me - they could pick them up on the way out of town. Yeh - you remember that film too! It was really good sometimes because they often had a good time and as they left forgot to collect their beer and booze. We used to love emptying them down the drain after they’d gone.
You could say that WE made a stand on various issues; we weren’t judging but we weren’t compromising either. And in all the two years I was involved in that project I never saw any violence from any of the kids – even though most of them were much bigger than me.
AND one day a group of kids found their way into the church sanctuary. They’d been in a couple of minutes when I walked in with the thought of ushering them back into the church hall. As I was trying to usher them back they started asking questions.
Is it new? They asked – I said no – it is in fact very old, built in the early 1900s – it’s just loved.
A few questions later one girl asked a real challenging question. Can we say a prayer before we leave.
WOW – as a true Christians we’d all jump at the opportunity to share our faith with these seeking young minds. Well not exactly – I think I said something like “stop taking the mickey – come on let’s get into the other room” Oh me of little faith!!!
But they pushed me. So I agreed to a prayer. Some said that they didn’t know how to pray and would I teach them. I thought “ I don’t do this sort of thing” - I do now but I didn’t THEN. So we teased out a few prayer needs and I asked them to imagine they had just sunk into a warm relaxing bath tub and just allow God to come into their hearts. I explained that after a prayer it is customary to say the words AMEN. BUT ONLY IF THEY AGREED WITH THE PRAYER. If they didn’t agree then just keep quiet. As we relaxed the words of the prayer gently came to me and I felt the spirit moving. At the end there was the loudest (or should I say STRONGEST) amen I’ve heard.
The youngsters looked real peaceful and they quietly got up and went back into the Church hall. All except one. A young man had been seated a few rows behind the bunch and he was sobbing. I asked if he needed me and he said that he did. Over the next 15 minutes or so he managed to tell me the darkness which was troubling his mind. His Mother had had a serious heart attack that day and was lying in hospital. He didn’t know whether she would live or die. He was frightened. I Asked if a special prayer would help and he wanted one – so I obliged.
Afterwards he looked better and in a few minutes he had composed himself and was able to join the bunch in the other room.
You see even the hooligans that hang around on the street need a light to shine on them. Even they are looking for a light. You’ll be glad to hear that his mother made a full recovery and the boy has turned out to be a real good respectable young man; I see him from time to time in the neighbourhood.
THEN as we read on through the passage from Luke’s gospel, verse 35 gives a cautionary note from Jesus. "See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness" He’s told us that we have to have good understanding of His word and now he’s telling us to be obedient to the word. "See to it that the light within you is not darkness" – is not evil.
People often challenge me because they know that I’m a Christian. Sometimes they say bible misquotes to trap me. They have probably never ever read the words that they spout out. They merely hear a distorted made up phrase and then blurt it out to justify their sins.
Things like:- “Do unto others as they do unto you – only do it first” as justification for mistreating someone. When we all know the phrase is nearer “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” You know the sort of thing I mean.
Let’s not get into evil because of a lack of understanding of the word of God. And let’s not do evil things. There is no where in the teachings of Jesus Christ where Christians are given license or blessing to mistreat anyone. See to it that the light in you is not darkness.
And then we end with verse 36
"Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you"
My old Minister used to say to us “Whenever you see the word Therefore” look what it’s THERE FOR
“if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted”
WHY?
"as when the light of a lamp shines on you" The light shines on YOU. That’s the promise for all Christians. The blessing of Jesus Christ himself on YOU.
That’s what the word of god is for.
That’s what the understanding of God’s word is for,
That’s what obedience to the word is for.
It’s so that that the light of Jesus will shine on YOU.
It’s for you, and you and you and you AND praise the Lord ME.
Dear fellow Christian
Jesus came into Your life – He lit your Lamp
He gave You a Stand – His word in the bible.
He put you on that Stand so that other people will see him In you.
And he urges us to get to know that word and to do that word – to understand it fully. – to have a good eye on the bible.
And he does it all that his Blessing will shine through you and ON YOU.
