This is the manuscript of the fifth and final sermon is the series "Finding and Following God's Guidance"
Jesus taught that Christian influence, your influence, could provide light to the entire world!
Matthew 5:14 NIV “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
The You in “you are the light of the world” is in the emphatic position. In other words, Jesus is saying, “You and you alone” are the light of the world. No one else can take the place of the Christian in this world, which is dark with sin.
Scripture
Luke 11:29-36 NIV As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here. “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”
Text: Matthew 5:14-15 NIV “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither 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.
Introduction
This is the fifth and final sermon in a series that I started at the beginning of this month. The series title was and is “Finding God’s Guidance”. The text of the very first sermon was.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
We can't see into the future, and without God’s wisdom we will not completely understand today. We can expect that we will encounter some complex and confusing turns in our lives that will test us and our deepest commitment. We often wonder how we will make it.
Do we have any assurance that we can safely and successfully make it? Yes, we can make it—and make it victoriously if we follow God’s guidance.
God’s guidance is available. We can seek it, receive it, and trust it. His guidance is available in the Bible which is our Guidebook.
Last week I said that sometimes in seeking and following the Guidebook to finding and following God’s we will still lack confidence and clarity. The process can be confusing and frustrating because there is more to it than you originally thought.
There are three things that we can do to overcome the confusion and still respond to God’s guidance with clear obedience to his will. I talked about them last Sunday.
We can walk in the light we already have.
Ephesians 5:8-10 NIV For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.
We can test to approve what is acceptable to the Lord.
Romans 12:1-2 NIV Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
When we do those two things we can then
Confront and correct the unfruitful works of darkness.
In other words, we can rebuke or silence the works of darkness to bring out conviction or confession of guilt. Not just by our words but more significantly by our conduct. God’s guidance is given to us to show us how to live and influence people in an evil world.
As I said last Sunday, when you have the Word of God in your mind, your eyes on Jesus, you will reflect God’s light which offers guidance to the world.
So today I want to end with the fact that God’s light in us offers guidance to the world.
When you get outside the city with all its lights you can really see how far light is visible. The glare of a match can be seen for a mile. Light from a good flashlight is visible for one and one-half miles. Light from a 100-watt lamp can be seen for twelve and one-half miles. The headlights from your car are visible for twenty miles on a clear night.
Jesus taught that Christian influence, your influence, could provide light to the entire world!
Matthew 5:14-16 NIV “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither 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. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Christian influence is also described as preservative
Matthew 5:13 NIV “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 underfoot.
That preservative is through the demonstration or the illumination of your light.
I. The Christian’s light can light up the world.
A. When Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” it was in His Sermon on the Mount, and the people He was talking to could really relate that statement.
You see, the houses in Palestine were very dark and had only one small circular window not more than eighteen inches across. Each home had a lamp that was no more than a boat-shaped pitcher like the ones for serving sauces and gravies. This pitcher was filled with oil and in it was a floating wick.
The lamp stood on a lampstand that was no more than a small wooden table. For safety’s sake, the lamp was removed from its stand and put under what was essentially a wooden bucket so that it could burn without risk when the family was away from the home. Once the lamp was lit they didn’t want the flame to go out. They didn't have matches or lighters so once lit it had to stay lit as long as possible.
B. Light exposes darkness.
The primary purpose of the lamp’s light was to be seen. The houses were dark and with only one small window you needed the light so you could move around the house without bumping into and knocking over stuff. So, our Lord was saying that the Christian is to love in such a way that others might see Christ in his or her life and not run into things that may impact their lives for eternity.
As it shone through the small window the lamp served as a guide to those coming home from outside and to those coming to visit. The best guide to the better life is that of a Christian whose influence counts for Christ.
As the light from the lamp shone throughout the house it warned those in the house of dangerous obstacles they could trip over.
The Christian’s influence should serve as a warning sign for all to observe. His or her life should say, “Warning! Walk this way!” and you will avoid eternal trouble.
II. Only the Christian can be the real light of the world there are counterfeits out there.
Let’s look again at:
Matthew 5:14 NIV “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
The You in “you are the light of the world” is in the emphatic position. In other words, Jesus is saying, “You and you alone” are the light of the world. No one else can take the place of the Christian in this world, which is dark with sin.
A. While Jesus was on earth, he was the Light of the World.
John 8:12 NIV When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 9:4-5 NIV As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
John 12:35-36 NIV Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
B. When Christ left the earth, He gave Christians the responsibility of demonstrating him to the world
Philippians 2:14-16 NIV Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
C. The radiance of the Christian’s life depends on how close he or she is to Jesus Christ
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 NIV For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Paul is referring to the gospel being the "light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
In 2 Corinthians 3 the previous chapter, Paul discussed God's glory being reflected in the face of Moses. As a reflection, that glory began to fade as soon as Moses left the presence of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:7-10 NIV Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory.
The glory shining from the face of Christ, though, never fades.
2 Corinthians 3:11 NIV And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
Jesus is the source of the light. To see and know His glory is to share in God's glory for eternity.
III. The Christian’s light cannot be hidden.
A. Like “a city set on a hill,” the Christian’s influence cannot be hidden.
Matthew 5:14 NIV “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
A city with shining lights on a hill can be seen from all directions on a dark night.
B. However not all lights have the same wattage.
Some are only 15 watts and others are 500 or even 1,000. God can use even a dim bulb on a dark night. Regardless of how dimly it shines, someone is observing your light, the light of a Christian’s influence.
IV. There is a place for every Christian’s light.
A. Your light is not ignited or turned on just to fizzle out later.
Lights are lit for the purpose of shining. The wooden bucket was placed over the lamp only on rare occasions, when everyone left the house. The lamp was never lit for the purpose of being covered, it was lit to provide light both inside and as a guide for those outside.
B. There is a place for every light.
Just as each light in the Palestinian houses sat on its own particular table so that it would shine through the small window and to the rooms of the house, each Christian has a particular place from which he or she is to shine.
Conclusion
Light makes no noise. Lighthouses may have loud horns but the light makes no noise it just shines. The influence of Christians causes others to see Christ in them. But for what purpose? Surely not for their own glory! Christians influence the world toward Christ for the glory of God.
Galatians 2:20 NIV I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The world lies in the darkness of ignorance and sin. The world needs the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. We Christians must show them Christ. Let them see Him in your words and actions. Shine the light of Jesus to the world every day and to everyone.
Show Jesus’ humility.
Show Jesus’ service.
Show Jesus’ commitment.
Show Jesus’ obedience.
Show Jesus’ sacrifice.
Show Jesus’ faith.
Show Jesus’ love.
Show Jesus’ mercy.
Show Jesus’ grace.
Show Jesus’ forgiveness.
Show Jesus’ courage.
Show Jesus’ strength.
Show Jesus’ care.
Show Jesus’ concern.
Show Jesus’ hope.
Show Jesus’ teachings.
Show Jesus’ knowledge.
Show Jesus’ judgment.
Show Jesus’ wisdom.
Show Jesus’ values.
Show Jesus’ priorities.
Show Jesus’ example.
You are the bearer of good news. The message of Jesus is in you.
Matthew 5:14 NIV “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Sermon Audio
