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Text Sermons : ~Other Speakers A-F : Richard E. Bieber : LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

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It's easy enough to say to a person, "Jesus is the light of the world!" But for that person to know what you're talking about, they have to see the evidence. They have to see light.

If you say, "Behold! Jesus is the light!"

"Look unto him and be saved!", and the person still sits there in the darkness and sees no light at all what good have you done them?

When Jesus said, "I am the light of the world", people saw light!

He opened their eyes. He opened their minds. He touched their bodies. He took away that unbearable burden of guilt. He filled them with the love of God.

Jesus not only claimed to be the light, he caused his light to shine.

Jesus still causes his light to shine.

Chapter 9 of John is about more than the healing of a man born blind 2000 years ago. It is the story of every man and woman who ever comes to faith in Jesus. When you come to faith in Jesus, you literally pass from darkness into light. You "see" --- for the first time in your life.

You no longer depend on someone else to tell you about God and hope he's telling you the truth. Your eyes open and you're looking into the face of Jesus. And you know with inspired vision that He is very God of very God.

You see the path he calls you to take.

And you now see the things of darkness, that once looked so beauti­ful to you, for what they are: the doorway to spiritual death.

Jesus is the Light of the world.

Those whose hearts yearn for God are drawn to Him. Those whose hearts want no part of God flee from him.

Everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.

Many a person who is looked upon as a pure saint turns and runs from that light, because he knows that his goodness is false. If that light gets too close, the evil that's within him will be exposed.

And many a person who is looked upon as a hopeless sin­ner needs only to see one glimpse of that light and suddenly she no longer gets any satisfaction out of her sins. Nothing satisfies her now, but more light. So she draws near to Jesus and leaves the darkness behind her forever.

But for the people in this world to see this Light, it's got to shine from somewhere.

It doesn't come from the angels.

It doesn't come from signs in the heavens, - not in this age.

If they're going to see the light of Jesus in this age of grace, it's going to have to shine upon them through Jesus' followers.

"You are the light of the world", says Jesus to his followers.

You are the only light there is! If the people in that world out there are going to see my light, it will have to be through you."

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bus­hel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

If we are followers of Jesus then we are that light - even with all our hang-ups and weaknesses and problems. In the place where God has put us, Jesus commands us to remove the bushel and let our light shine. So what choice do we have but to let it shine!

He does not say, "I want you to strive to become the light of the world." He says, "You are the light of the world - right now.

He could have taken you out of this vale of tears the day you were saved but he didn't because you are the world's only light. That's the only reason you're still here.

So, what do we do? Too many of us take this light that Jesus puts into us and go looking for a corner to hide in, a hole to crawl into. We cover it with a bushel. "Don't let anyone see it! Because if the world sees this light of Jesus in us it may to start doing to us what it did to him.

We'll be persecuted! We'll lose our privacy!"

But Jesus didn't say,

"Let your light shire in your prayer closet."

He didn't say,

"Let your light shine in secret."

He said,

"Let your light shine before men."

Let those friends, relatives, neighbors, enemies, clearly see the light of Jesus Christ through you.

"Why can't I just go off on an island and be a believer? Give me the light, Lord, but let me keep it covered except when I feel up to letting it shine. You know me, Lord, I'm shy. I'm modest. I'm a quiet peace-loving person. I can't go out there and be some kind of public light."

A city set on a hill cannot be hid, nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand and it gives light to all that are in the house.

You can't hide this light. The only way you can hide this light is to put it out. That's what many are doing. They'd rather quench the Spirit of God in them than let the light shine.

Then there are those who have a beautiful 'Jesus line' when it doesn't involve risk. Man, can they talk about Jesus!---when those words of testimony to Jesus don't have to be backed by some inconvenience, some act of self-denial.

But when it's going to cost something to talk of Jesus - when they're going to have to back up their words with some deeds, or some hard cash for a brother in need, or a bit of danger, the light goes under the bushel.

The next time they lift up the bushel and talk about Jesus, there is no light. The light has gone out. Their testimony may sound mellow - but it's death.

The light shines when our deeds match our words.

We don't just talk Jesus - we live Jesus. We don't talk love - we live love.
We don't talk forgiveness - we live forgive­ness.
We don't talk peace - we live peace.
We embody in our living every claim we make for Jesus Christ. That's how we let our light shine.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see Your good works.

Hold Jesus up where they can see him not just with your mouth but with your life. Not just when you're out there putting on an act, but when you're home with your wife and kids. So that they see and hear and feel through what you do as well as through what you say---that Jesus loves them.

Yes, and even when our deeds seem to match our words, it's possible for us still to be putting on a show for our own glory. Instead of pointing the way to Jesus, manifesting the love of God, we're busy drawing attention to our winsome "sainthood."

The test of whether we're letting the light shine or merely putting on a phony act is: who gets the glory?

If God gets the glory then they are seeing God's light.

If I get the glory they're caught up in my darkness.

...that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.

If the good works that you do are done in the name and power of Jesus, the glory will go not to you but to God. They will marvel and glorify God who has given such power to men. You won't let them give the glory anywhere else but to God.

If the glory comes your way, you can be sure that they're not seeing God's light.

If people are going to know that Jesus is the light of the world, they're going to have to see that light shining in us.

We don't have the choice -

---would we like to let our light shine or would we prefer to lay low and keep it to ourselves?

---would we like to be missionaries or would we rather settle for the quiet life of sticking to our pew and sending someone else?

The command of Jesus is:

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN.

And, behind that command is the promise that he is going to be with us as we let our light shine, going to cause us to bear much fruit. Living souls are going to be brought from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and give glory to your father who is in Heaven






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