Good morning!
Welcome to your morning coffee! May our Heavenly Father embrace us today, welcoming us into his presence and holding us close. Father, guard our hearts and minds with your peace today. Reveal in us our deep, daily, and desperate need for your son Jesus. And by his work embrace us! May our hearts and minds, guarded by you, cry out in grateful praise. Heavenly Father, we need you. We will always need you. In the name of Jesus and by his work, his living, dying, and living, help us to shine today to those around us who do not know you. By the indwelling power of He, the Holy Spirit, guide and direct us today. Help us to shine forth the light of our Christ.
Your Morning Song: "Go Light Your World" by Chris Rice
Your Monday Morning Sermon Recap: Matthew 5:14-16
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.
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Jesus is the light of the world. He is the way, the truth, and the life for all who would believe in him. And as he has given us himself as our light, we ought to be reflecting his light to others in our community. But what does it mean to shine? What is the difference between shining and hiding?
Hiding our light simply means not living obediently to God's word. It means becoming a chameleon mimicking the world when you leave church. We then quickly become the joke I recently learned, "Sunday morning saint and a Monday morning ain't."
Shining our light is simply living obediently to God's word. It means being the same saved, Christ-like person in all places at all times. Not perfect, but determined to dedicate our whole will, our whole desire to God's desires and designs. And our shining will show out in how we live. Our conduct will convey our character and in this way our good works will turn the hearts and minds of some of those around us to praise God (not us).
These good works create good will, which creates opportunities to share the good news. If we would just shine. Obey God in and invite God into every area of your life. As we talked about last week, if you are offering up your whole selves to God on his terms, then your whole life will be transformed more and more into Jesus-likeness. And if you do this your lived life will shine so bright!
Your good works. Your daily integrity. Your daily sincerity. Your daily kindness. Your daily gentleness. Your daily graciousness. Your daily love for God expressed through eager obedience will create good will in the hearts of those around you. They will see who you are expressed through how you live and act and speak in all things, and as you shine, they will want to know, "what’s up?" They will give you openings to explain yourself, to answer questions, to have good conversations. And in that moment, when your shining good works have created this promised good will, you may have an opportunity to share the good news that Jesus came to a perishing world full of perishing people, to save them. And all they have to do is believe in him and the work he did to claim us as his own.
So. Church. Are you shining and seeking to share Jesus? Or are you hiding? Church, if you are a lamp, are you hiding under an earthen basket, or are you on a stand for all to see?
When you drive your car, are you shining? When you stop to talk with a friend on the street, are you shining? When you stand in the check-out line at the grocery store, are you shining? When you are tempted to anger, or despair, or annoyance, or any other temptation, do you instead choose to shine?
Jesus our savior commands. Jesus our savior makes us able. Jesus put his name and reputation over our obedience to his commands. If we are faithful to shine, we cannot fail.
Shine!
