Series: Things Jesus Wants Us To Know
Part 12 -
- You (Truly) Are The Light Of The World!Luke 11:33-36
INTRO: Do you ever take a Red-lettered Bible and marvel at the words of Christ? Does His wisdom contained therein reach you like none other? Well, this is what I am trying to do with this series, let us see what He wants us to know from His Word. So, do you think it would be neat to sit down with God and ask Him questions? What about ask Him for favors or help in our day to day problems? Well this we can and do all the time. We may not be face to face, but we do talk to God. Prayer, that is what we all it. That is something we need in our lives.
I have been doing a series entitled "Things Jesus Wants Us To Know. We have been working through the Gospel of Luke. We have learned many things. Today I want to look again into Luke 11.
Luke 11:33 - 36
33
No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.34
The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.35
Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.36
If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
Let's look and see what we can hear…
We are like a "lit" lamp for others to see - 33
Like a halogen not a fluorescent (hot not cool)
Not to be hid
Meant to be exposed (as on a lampstand)
Easy to be seen (by others)
It answers the question… A lamp is good for what?
To light things up (reveal) - 34
Show their thoughts and weaknesses
Strength of Christ's love in our lives
Strength of Christ's rescue for us
Strength of Christ's regeneration for us
We can also see…
Weakness of our attempts to just do better or just bring change or goodness into our lives
Another use for light…
Prevents darkness from smothering our lives (when God's revealing light is used on our lives
In this scripture we also find…
A great warning from the Lord - 35
Make sure of the light in our lives (I think of all those who are entangled in cults and false religions of this world - Jim Jones' followers had the wrong "light")
[Have you ever used the wrong spice? - tell about incident at cafeteria]
The Devil's angels appear as angels of light according to the scripture
Our own ideas and righteous ness can be a bad light
False teachings can be a bad light
Yet we can have the proper light…
Jesus taught in John 1 that He is that Light - the True Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
We can see that people use a false light instead of the True Light, they use…
Light of suitability or convenience to examine their lives
Light of satisfaction or contentment to examine their lives
Light of secrecy to examine their lives
Light of suppression to examine their lives
Light of similarity (if it is okay for them then it is okay for me) to examine their lives
You know we are very seldom without light in this life. I am talking naturally. At the flick of a switch light comes at our command. In the greatest place of darkness, light can open up our eyes. We should be so glad for the light that encompasses us spiritually too.
[Share story about power outage at Laverne's]
So we can see a false light is often used, but when we use God's Light of truth to examine ourselves we see correctly…
We see a…
Light of exposure of our sins (then we can allow Him to help us)
2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Light of exemption from the final cost of sin's pain/harm/faults through the Lord
Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Light of emancipation or redemption from our sins through the Light that God has given us (through His Son Jesus)
2 Corinthians 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.
Light of example of our standing and walking with Him and He with us
Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Philippians 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Light of encouragement for others to serve Him
1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Light of eternal blessing in Christ
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.
Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 052707am