Keep Your Light Shining
Psalm 18:28
Good Morning to all of God’s People from the Voices Of Hope Evangelistic Team! It’s such a blessing to be able to worship with you today wherever you are! I thank God for the opportunity to serve Him and to share His message with the world through today’s technology!
Our Message today is titled “Keep Your Light Shining” and is based on the scripture in the Old Testament Book of Psalms, Chapter 18, verse 28 which says (NLT): “You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.”
A young girl once consulted with her minister. “I cannot stick it out any longer. I am the only Christian in the factory where I work. I get nothing but taunts and sneers. It is more than I can stand. I am going to resign.”
“Will you tell me,”asked the minister, “where lights are placed?”
“What has that to do with it?” the young Christian asked him rather bluntly.
“Never mind,” the minister replied. “Answer my question: Where are lights placed?”
"I suppose in dark places,” she replied.
“Yes, and that is why you have been put in that factory where there is such spiritual darkness and where there is no other Christian to shine for the Lord.”
The young Christian realized for the first time the opportunity that was hers. She felt she could not fail God by allowing her light to go out. She went back to the factory with renewed determination to let her light shine in that dark corner. Before long, she was the means of leading nine other girls to the Light.
Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father, help us to remember what You have called us to do. We must let Your light shine through us to others. Our own needs and desires and levels of social or physical comfort must never consume the oil You’ve given us to let our lights shine in front of other people who need to see a picture of who You are and what You can do in a heart that used to be dark.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen
The story is told of a lighthouse keeper who worked on a rocky stretch of coastline and who received his new supply of oil once a month to keep the light burning.
Not being far from shore, he had frequent guests. One night a woman from the village begged some oil to keep her family warm. Another time a father asked for some to use in his lamp. Another needed some to lubricate a wheel. Since all the requests seemed legitimate, the lighthouse keeper tried to please everyone and granted them all. Toward the end of the month, he noticed that the supply of oil was very low. Soon, it was gone, and the beacon light went out.
That night several ships were wrecked and lives were lost. When the authorities investigated, the man was very repentant. To his excuses and pleading their reply was: "You were given the oil for one purpose-- to keep that light burning!"
In my studies, I read the following:
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians! They praise God with their lips, but walk out the door and do not let on by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
Because God is light and in Him no darkness can ever be, then those who are God’s must be in the same condition. Walking in the light of the Light of the World means having fellowship with God, and true fellowship with each other. We have been given this unbelievable gift of light, yet we forget sometimes that we are to live a life that shows it!
Our lights in the darkness will help direct people to God. We are God’s secret weapons. And in order for us to be effective in that task we need to keep our lights burning bright. Not just on Sunday; He didn’t tell us to be the light of the church; instead, we are told to be the light of the world, the light of work, of school, of shopping. Not just a Sunday light, but a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday light. We shouldn’t have to say “Look, I’m a light;” our actions should prove that.
The opposite of light is darkness. If we walk into a room with the lights on and we turn them off, then the room becomes dark. Darkness is where light isn’t. That being the case, spiritual darkness can be described as the lack of spiritual light.
The New Testament gives several clear examples of the effect of spiritual darkness in our lives. "Men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil" (John.3:19). "…their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21).
Some people would rather stay in the darkness of a broken relationship with God, rather than seek His light. That’s part of the sinful nature that lives in us. Its rebellious attitude says, "I would rather walk the way that I want, rather than the way God wants." Darkness conceals the reality of our standing before God. Ninety percent of all violent crimes happen after sundown. Why? Because darkness conceals what people are doing. It works no different in spiritual darkness. Light reveals. The Bible tells us that God has a plan for each of us to walk. "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16).
God’s plan is like a light, showing us where to head. When we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, when we’ve repented of our sins and our name is written in the “Lamb’s Book of Life,” it DOES NOT end there.
Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT) tells us: “Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”
This is what’s called “The Great Commission.”
God has called us to go and be a light in a dark place!
Once we’ve been ignited by the flame of God’s love, His forgiveness, His Word, once the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ shines in our hearts, it is so important that we keep the light of God burning in our lives for others to see.
Keeping the light burning in us is going to change us. It will change our priorities (Matthew 5:14). It will change our behavior (Ephesians 5:18).
We should not waste our light; it is to shine brightly for all to see. It is our duty to stand out, not for our sake, but for the spreading of the gospel, for light into a dark world, for the glory of God.
Mark 5:16 says: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
People will know that there is something different about us and about our lives by the way we walk, talk, act, react; by the places we go.
Let’s protect our light and keep it burning; don’t let it go out and lose opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives. We need to walk and talk with God every day to keep our light burning brightly. Don’t let it go out, don’t let it flash on and off, keep it burning!
When trials come – praise the Lord.
When pain comes – praise the Lord.
When the enemy comes – praise the Lord.
Keep the light burning!
We keep our light burning so that we are a witness to others.
We keep our light burning so that people can see what Christ has done for us.
We keep our light burning so that we can direct people’s paths to the right road.
We keep our light burning so that we can direct people to the cross.
Let our light shine to our family.
Let our light shine to our friends.
Let our light shine to our neighbors.
Let our light shine to our co-workers.
Let our light shine to the total stranger.
Let our light shine to every person that we come in contact with.
A little boy was sitting in church with his mother and as he looked around at the beauty of the stained-glass, curiosity finally got the best of him and he asked, “Who are all those people?” To which his mother responded, “they are saints.” And then sensing that this was a teaching moment she asked “Do you know what saints are?” He pondered for a moment and then responded, “They are people the light shines through.”
This world can be a very dark place. If light represents hope, a lot of people are living in darkness. If light represents joy, a lot of people can’t see the light of day. If light represents what is good and right, then many people have a very dreary existence. If light represents hearing and understanding that Jesus loves them and has a future for them, many people are stumbling blindly through life.
This world needs lots of light. And guess where they are going to get it? That’s right – from you and from me. Wherever we go, there should be light. Think about this: We may be the only light the people around us see. Don’t wait for someone else to be light to the people in our lives. Let it start with us.
Years ago, the communist government in China commissioned an author to write a biography of Hudson Taylor (a British Protestant Christian missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission (CIM, now OMF International) with the purpose of distorting the facts and presenting him in a bad light. They wanted to discredit the name of this consecrated missionary of the gospel. As the author was doing his research, he was increasingly impressed by Taylor’s saintly character and godly life, and he found it extremely difficult to carry out his assigned task with a clear conscience. Eventually, at the risk of losing his life, he laid aside his pen, renounced his atheism, and received Jesus as his personal Savior. [Darrell Stetler, SC]
Our lives are on display; let’s let our lights shine!
If you aren’t being a light to those lost in darkness, is it because you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Let the Light of the World come into your life right now.
John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
And I John 5:13 tells us: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
Jesus has provided the gift of salvation to us which gives us not only hope for today, but hope for eternity.
In Romans 10:9, we are told that “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
We receive salvation when we:
(1) Repent of our sins.
(2) Trust Jesus Christ as our Savior.
(3) Confess Jesus Christ as Lord.
If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, invite Him into your life right now.
Or maybe your light has gone out. Are there those who are dreadfully far away from Jesus and feel okay with that? Have you allowed your comfortable, personally focused desires to act as an eclipse between you and God? The Light may not be out, but you know it is really dim; there’s a darkness around you that doesn’t fit and you know doesn’t belong. Is Jesus obscured or completely blacked out of your life? Do you miss him?
All it takes is to open yourself and say "I want things to be different. I know things need to be different. I know what’s wrong, what doesn’t belong and I invite You Jesus, to come and change me. I want you back."
When we turn back to Jesus in repentance, when we ask for forgiveness, intending to live a godly life again, God’s mercy reaches out to us with a message of love. God is a God of mercy, of redemption, of restoration and of renewal. Just come by faith to the throne of grace to receive it. He is waiting for you with open arms. Repent all over again and get back to fulfilling God’s plan in and through your life.
I’ll close with this story.
Benjamin Franklin wanted to interest the people in Philadelphia in street lighting. He did not call a town meeting nor try to persuade the people by talking about it. He acted upon what he considered a good idea. He hung a beautiful lantern on a long bracket in front of his house. He kept the glass polished and carefully trimmed and lit the wick every evening at the approach of dusk. The lamp helped the people see the pavement ahead; made them feel more secure at night. Others began placing lights in front of their houses. Soon Philadelphia recognized the need for street lights.
Be the one today to light up your neighborhood with the light of life. Let it shine. Let your light shine TODAY!
I pray that you will be abundantly blessed in the coming week!
In Jesus’ name, Amen.