Your House—A Lighthouse
Phil 2:12-17
Dr. Roger W. Thomas, Preaching Minister
First Christian Church, Vandalia, MO
Introduction: We have been exploring the theme of prayer for the better part of year now. In ten months we have looked at some basic principles of prayer, considered an example or two from the Bible of powerful prayer, and dug deeply into the Lord’s Prayer. We have three or four more times on Sunday night to talk about this topic. My intention is that after the first of the year, we will step by step begin implementing what we have been talking about for a year. Not that we haven’t been implementing some of the Bible’s lessons on prayer! I am simply convinced that we have just begin to touch the hem of the garment. There is much more we have to discover and do.
Tonight I want to take a step in that direction by introducing to you a vision for one way of praying that can have a powerful impact on our community—and an even larger impact on this church and your own family. But let’s work our way toward that gradually.
First, a very basic challenge: One of the core values of this congregation has always been the restoration of New Testament Christianity, endeavoring to be and do as a church what Christ intended his church to be as described in the pages of the New Testament. That is, in part, why we practice baptism the way we do. That is how it was done in the pages of the New Testament. It is what Jesus intended. It is also why we observe the Lord’s Supper as often as we do. Very few non-Catholic churches partake of communion every Lord’s Day. We do so, we contend, because that is the example we find in the New Testament. That’s good! Restoring New Testament Christianity is a valid principle and a very good value to strive for as a congregation.
But why stop with baptism, the Lord’s Supper, or the importance of the elders and deacons in the church? What would happen if we also made it a high priority to restore the New Testament’s emphasis on prayer—prayer not as a last resort but as a first impulse? What would happen if developing praying believers in their walk of faith became as important to us as immersing believers at their profession of faith in Christ? What if we prayed together as much as we ate together? What if we had as many prayer meetings as committee meetings? What if the number one characteristic of every leader, Sunday School teacher, and worker in the church that we looked for was a vibrant speaking relationship with God? What if we absolutely expected prayer to be answered? And talked and acted as if seeing obvious answers, at least from time to time, was normal? And not seeing those answered prayers, at least from time to time, was a great tragedy? What if our plans and decisions were not limited to what we thought we could do, but what we could pray for? What if we planned and worked for dreams so large that we knew we would absolutely fall on our faces if God were not a part of it? If the plans were not prayer driven?
I know the problem that many of us have with prayer. We have been born and bred to believe that prayer is an easy way out. We say that real faith works. “Faith without works is dead” is the motto of many churches like ours. The truth is that faith without prayer is humanism. Works without prayer are sterile, lifeless, and drudgery. The faith that does the works of God must be a praying faith.
Prayer is not an easy way out. Quite to the contrary, many of us pray no more than we do because it is too hard. We give up quickly because we become weary and worn out. Our faith muscles are weak and not up to the rigors of praying. Don’t forget Jesus disciples who pledged their loyalties to him, who were ready to die for him when their faith was questioned on the night before the cross. They would do anything for the Master they insisted—except one thing. When asked to tarry in prayer in the Garden, they fell asleep. Most of us would do the same. Many a strong man or woman could do almost anything for an hour before they could simply prayer for an hour. Doubt me? Try it! Report the results. Tell us if is easy or hard to prayer.
In fact, human nature being what it is, prayer is one of the hardest things in the world to do. It requires a big faith, but a small ego. An ego so that small that it needs God and knows it. This is something we humans are slow to acknowledge. But once we discover the power of the God who beckons us to pray without ceasing, we find that life is much more fun when we make room for God.
Ben Patterson, Dean of the Chapel at Hope College relates a story by G. K. Chesterton to illustrate the adventure of prayer. Chesterton tells of a little boy who was granted a wish: he could be tiny or he could be a giant. It was his choice. He thought it was a “no brainer.” He wanted to be a giant! The wish was granted, and at first being a giant was great fun. The Pacific was a wading pool. The Rockies were a dirt-bike course. Newark, New Jersey, could be squashed like a cigarette butt. But after a while life got boring. Everything was beneath him. There wasn’t much to do or anyone to do it with. It’s lonely being a giant.
Chersterton suggests that had he chosen to be tiny, his backyard would have been the Brazilian rain forest, the sand box the Sahara. He could have spent a lifetime exploring the attic. What fun he could have had with a sled and a half-gallon of ice cream! Chesterton’s conclusion: Life is more interesting for the small, the lowly. It’s more interesting because there is room for God in it!
Bob Pierce, the wildly eccentric founder of World Vision, used to talk about what he called "God Room." It was the gap between what he could humanly accomplish and what could happen only if God intervened. Anyone with a passing acquaintance with Pierce knew there was a lot of God Room in his life. Is there God room in your life? Is there God room in this congregation?
Anyone interested in taking the first steps toward making room for God? I want to challenge you to an experiment. Anyone can do it! You can! There is absolutely nothing in heaven or earth than can prevent you—if you want. If you are willing to take some small steps! Big steps aren’t needed. In fact, the bigger the steps the less likely you will have any room left over for God. If you are to have room for God, you have to think small! Small about yourself and big about God!
Between now and the end of the year I want to encourage each of you to begin to make your home, your family, your Sunday School class—whatever—this can be applied individually or collectively—a lighthouse of prayer. Even though, we don’t live near any huge body of water where lighthouses are a matter of life and death, we know the idea. A lighthouse is a place in the darkness that shines for the safety and direction of others who come near by. A lighthouse is only a relatively small structure compared to the vast ocean, but it makes a difference far beyond its small size. The metaphor is different but the principle is the same in the text from Philippians 2. Christians are to have an impact on the darkness. You can have a huge impact on the darkness around you when you become a lighthouse of prayer. The concept of individual families and homes becoming lighthouses of prayer in their community and neighborhoods is an idea as old as the New Testament that has been revived in recent years. I want to explain the basic concept and outlines some practical principles that you can implement right now.
First, let me review the biblical foundation for this concept and then describe some first steps. The concept begins with five basic Scriptures. You know them well—
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:13-16). Jesus intends that every follower shine for God’s glory and have a difference-making impact on the people around them.
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20). Our mission individually and collectively is to recruit others to follow Jesus too. This is our church’s purpose and our purpose as individual parts of it.
Listen to how Scripture begins to unite this mission with the call to pray. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Col. 4:2-6) Did you catch that “salt” theme again? It is the idea of influence here linked with prayer and pointing others to our God.
Note the combination again of prayer and reaching the lost for Christ. “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. 7And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing” (1 Tim. 2:1-8).
Finally, the basis of all prayer lies in our confidence that God hears and responds. No prayer is futile prayer, if God is listening—and he is if we are praying in his will! “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).
Do you believe that we are called to be lights in this community? Do you believe that our Christ-given mission is to seek men and women, boys and girls, for Christ? Do you believe that this is a task so big as to be impossible without prayer? Without God’s assistance in response to prayer? Do you believe that God’s desires to see unsaved people in this community saved? Do you believe that if we are praying according to God’s will, he hears and answers? If we pray and faint not, we will see his results? Will you begin praying—expectantly praying—to that end?
This is the lighthouse challenge! Making your house a lighthouse of prayer requires three priorities: Prayer! Care! Share! A Lighthouse of Prayer is Christians praying for their neighbors daily and then caring for them in practical ways and then sharing with them as the Lord provides opportunity.
It starts with prayer. You all have neighbors who could use a blessing from God. That is the object of Lighthouse praying. They may be Christians or they may not be. They could still use blessings regardless. The lighthouse challenge is for you to pray five specific blessings, for five neighbors, for five minutes a day, five days a week, for five weeks. Of course, you can pray more than that. This is the starting place. Could you do this?
Our lighthouse praying is for five blessings for our five neighbors. Remember the word BLESS. For five minutes a day for five weeks, we pray for these five concerns for our five neighbors. B—stands for the word body. It is a reminder to pray for the health, strength, and physical concerns of those around us. L stands for labor. Here we pray for their work, their income, their financial needs and security. E stands for their emotional needs. Here we pray that they might experience joy, and peace, and satisfaction. That they might know hope and faith in their inner lives. The first S stands for social. We pray for their marriages, their family, and their friends. We pray that they will know God’s best in every realm of their social relationships. The second S stands for spiritual concerns. Here we pray for their salvation if they are not believers in Jesus. If they are, we can pray that they grow in faith and grace, that their witness be consistent and powerful before all who know them. Could you pray for those five areas for five neighbors for five minutes for five days for five weeks?
Once you have begun praying for those five neighbors, the second lighthouse priority begins. Prayer then care! To care means to simply find some practical way to help them, do something good for them, or connect with them in a way that brings practical blessing to them. It could be as simple as taking them some cookies or helping them rake leaves or something entirely different. The key is to expect God to reveal to you some practical need that you can care about after you have been praying blessing upon your neighbor. It is God’s job to bring it to your attention. It is your job to obey when God calls.
The final priority is to share your faith as God provides opportunity. The timing is God’s; the willingness is yours! God will be faithful to his job. Guaranteed! After you have prayed, and cared, be prepared to be amazed how God will suddenly open a door of opportunity for you tell them how you have been praying and God has been answering. After that you just do what seems the loving and natural thing to do as a person who has seen the amazing grace of God at work. You point them gently toward Jesus, always giving him the glory.
But remember the first step is to pray; the second is to care in practical ways; the third is then and only then to begin to take advantage of the opportunities that God provides to let your light shine.
Conclusion: That’s a lighthouse of prayer! What if we had dozens of folk in this church faithfully doing just that from now until the end of the year? I wonder what God would do? I wonder what amazing stories of answered prayer and changed lives might be told?
Too simple? Too easy? I think not. I think this is very, very hard. So hard that if we are to do it we will have to leave room for God. There is no other way!
***Dr. Roger W. Thomas is the preaching minister at First Christian Church, 205 W. Park St., Vandalia, MO 63382 and an adjunct professor of Bible and Preaching at Central Christian College, 911 E. Urbandale, Moberly, MO. He is a graduate of Lincoln Christian College (BA) and Lincoln Christian Seminary (MA, MDiv), and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin).
