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How Can We Let our Lights Shine?

Sermon by  Thomas Thornhill Jr

Passage: Philippians 2:15

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As most of you know, I am scheduled to leave later this week to preach a gospel meeting in North Florida.  The theme of that meeting is going to be “Lights in a Dark World”.  This is a study about the importance of being a proper example.  I have been presenting some of the lessons associated with that theme from time to time here.  2 weeks ago I presented a lesson about how we are to be examples in every area of our lives.   Today, I want to address some things we can do to be proper examples to those around us.

It is no secret that there is much darkness around us and the world desperately needs to see the light of the gospel of Christ.  That will only happen if that is the light we are shining – being a proper example.  Let us notice 3 things that are fundamental to letting our light shine.

1. Be holy
   1. What is holiness? The qualities of superior moral purity and being set apart for God.  In summary, holiness means that you live like you belong to God.
      The word “holy” is found about 95 times in the NT (NKJV).  The Greek word (ἅγιος hagios), which is often translated “holy” (including “Holy Spirit”) is rooted in the same word translated “saint” and “sanctify”.
   2. God is holy – To understand holiness, consider God. According to the Dictionary of Bible Themes, holiness is “The quality of God that sets him utterly apart from the world, especially in terms of purity and sanctity.”  1 Peter 1:13-16.  The holiness of God is a recurring theme throughout the Bible.
      It reminds us of how He is to be approached with reverence and awe.
   3. The Law of Moses and holiness. We can further understand what holiness is, including the holiness of God by examining the LOM.  While we are NOT under the Old Law anymore, it was written for our learning (Romans 15:4).
      Leviticus 11:44-45, For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
   4. Consider the following:
      1. From the very outset of the giving of the Law of Moses, and even prior, with promises to the patriarchs, it is clear that God intended to create for Himself a nation that was holy – separated from the world, AND pure in its conduct, based upon God’s standard.
      2. Moses was on “holy ground” at the burning bush. Exodus 3:4-6 – Moses was told to take of his shoes because it was holy ground?  What made that ground holy? Likely it was not chemical structure of the dirt.  It was the presence of God that made it holy.
      3. Exodus 19:6 – At Mount Sanai, God declared He intended for them to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Exodus 19:10-12 – instructions for the children of Israel to consecrate themselves.  Boundaries were put up around the mountain, warning the people that if they touched it, they were to be shot with an arrow.
         Then the thundering voice of God speaks – the 10 commandments (Exodus 20:1-18).  What and AWESOME sight that must have been to be in the presence of God.
      4. The book of Leviticus – written to govern the priesthood and regulate the PURITY of Israel. While often avoided or passed over because of its technical details about various sacrifices – when and how to offer them, instructions about purification, the purity of leaders, etc., an understanding of this book was crucial for the purity of Israel AND UNDERSTANDING purity in the presence of God.
         It is said that when children were being raised among Jews, the first book they were taught in synagogue was Leviticus.  That is because of its dealing with holiness (being set apart, and purity).
         The priesthood was about purity – we find consecration and the shedding of blood to purify priests so that they could serve.  They had very strict instructions as they carried out their duties.  Consider Leviticus 10:1-3 – with the burning to death of Nadab and Abihu.  Note the warning of God in vs. 3 – I must be regarded as holy.  This explains HOW SERIOUS this is to God.
      5. The tabernacle was a pure place – built with 2 chambers requiring washing before they could enter. Within the tabernacle we have the holy place, and the “holy of holies” – Hebrews 9:3 (Exodus 26:33).  These were designed according to God’s pattern.
         Consider the expression, “Holiest of All” (NKJV, KJV).  The expression literally means, “holy of holies” or the holiest place.  What made that second chamber more holy?  It was where the Ark of the Covenant was, where the High Priest would go to meet with God to atone for the sins of the people.
         Everything about the priesthood, sacrifices and the tabernacle was designed to emphasize the holiness of God AND the need for those who approached and served Him to be holy.
      6. This is just a sampling from the Old Law that helps us understand holiness!
   5. How does holiness affect my influence?
      1. We are called upon to be holy, even as He is holy. That is an awesome thought.
         1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7 – this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from fornication…God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.
         Hebrews 12:14, Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
         Romans 12:1-2 and the command to present our bodies as living sacrifices, goes back to God’s holiness.  That is what sacrifices were about.
      2. When we are holy as God would have us to be, we will be reflecting the light of the gospel.
         We will realize that we belong to God in all that we do.  People will see God in us (Matthew 5:16), and that we are different – cf. 1 Peter 4:3-4
      3. It will be reflected in every area of our life as we addressed last night.
         1. Our personal conduct on social media as previously discussed. “I’m holy! Should I share this?”
         2. I might ask, Should I really go to this dance? Is being popular with my peers more important than being pleasing to God?
         3. Should I really be drinking, even socially? Even if it is legal, IS IT HOLY?
         4. Does my appearance reflect the modest disposition Paul addressed in 1 Timothy 2:8-10?
         5. What am I doing with my free time, when watching television, or on the internet? Is my conduct holy or unholy?
         6. Is this relationship I am in pleasing to God?
         7. How close do I really want to get to the “line”?
         8. When I do sin, what measures do I take to deal with it. 2 Corinthians 7:11 – NKJV, “you proved yourselves clear in this matter” – “clear” is a form of the Greek word for holy.
         9. And many other questions.
      4. If we want to let our lights shine, we need to be holy!
2. Be a servant
   1. Holiness is about you getting right with God. But what about others?  One way we let our light shine is by serving others as often as you can.
   2. Jesus, the ultimate example of service –
      Matthew 20:28 – He came to serve and give His life a ransom…
      Philippians 2:5-8 in describing the humility of Jesus notes that He took the form of a bondservant to come to this earth and die for us.
   3. John 13:1-15 – as He washed the disciple’s feet, we find the ultimate example of service.   AND in this example, Jesus noted we are to follow His example.  NOT a foot washing ritual, but serving, even in a lowly capacity.
      The 3 years He spent preaching and teaching were filled with service. He healed, taught and helped.  He often went to those despised by the Jewish rulers.  He went to tax collectors and “sinners”.  He went to the poor.  He went to the needy and desperate.  He loved and had compassion.
      His teachings often emphasized our need for service –
      Matthew 25:31-46 – as He described our judgment based upon how we interact with others (both what you do and fail to do).
      Mark 9:31 – Jesus speaks of even giving someone a cup of cold water in His name not being unnoticed.
   4. Luke 10:29-37 – In the parable of the good Samaritan where Jesus is answering the  question, “Who is my neighbor” we find what real service is about – while the priest and Levite passed by without helping, a despised Samaritan stopped, had compassion, bandaged his wounds, took him to an inn and paid for it and promised to do more if needed.  This is an example of service, even when its not easy to do.
   5. We are called upon to serve others
      Titus 2:14 – we ought to be zealous for good works
      James 1:27 – pure and undefiled religion is this… to visit (etc.).  Galatians 6:10 – as we have opportunity, etc.
      Galatians 5:13 – through love, we are to serve one another
   6. There are so many different ways we can serve. Of course, there is helping someone with whatever they need and you are able to assist them – and we ought to have that type of disposition.  Helping others can also include words of encouragement, standing up for someone who is doing the right thing, praying for them and many other things.
   7. Serving others is often your best opportunity to open a door to further study and discussion about God and Christianity. People do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
      1. It makes our faith real – we show others that we care about God and His will. James 2:18, I will show you my faith by my works. Our actions, WHEN accompanied by a godly attitude, show others we genuinely believe in God.
         From a practical standpoint we MUST realize that others know how Christians are SUPPOSED to act.  They are watching and many are making judgments.  Notice 1 Peter 2:11-12 – be honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
      2. It makes our faith practical – we show that we care about others, including them (personally). James 2:14-15 – it’s not just lip service.  1 John 3:16-19 – let us love in deed and in truth.
      3. It can cause others to glorify God – Matthew 5:13-16. Be reminded, as your light shines, it gives others opportunity to glorify God because they see you good works.
      4. It could lead to opportunities to teach – as we noted often, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” We have to care.
         The most effective way to reach the lost is by letting your light shine.  When you do good for others, it can in time lead to opportunities to teach them.
      5. Final thought on serving – it needs to be genuine! Don’t make it another check mark event in your life as a Christian.  Most people can see through that.  Consider 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.
      6.    And thus we have noted two qualities that can help us let our light.  MANY more could be added to these but time will not permit.  But these two subjects can be summarized in Matthew 22:37-40 – the first and second commandments.
3. With a proper attitude
   1. The importance of attitude – Having addressed holiness with God and service toward other, we conclude with a third key element – OUR attitude! For many, this will determine if you even get an opportunity to share the light of the gospel with them.
      The Bible never uses the word attitude, but it is certainly emphasized throughout – as we are told what type of disposition we ought to have and what we ought to avoid.
      Jesus alluded to the importance of attitude as He spoke about the heart, faith, love toward others as well as hope.  These are subjects that are developed and manifested by the attitudes we have.
      YOUR attitude is where shining your light begins.
      So, let’s just briefly talk about attitudes – both good and bad.
   2. Attitudes that turn people off – no one likes to be someone with a bad attitude. There are people who are bitter, sullen and quick to lose their temper – Ephesians 4:31
      There are those who complain and criticize everything.  James 5:9, Philippians 2:14-15
      Some are outright hateful and ugly as they deal with others – Titus 3:3 – that was your former life
      There are the prideful and selfish –  2 Timothy 3:1-2, Romans 12:16
      There is also hypocrisy and dishonesty.  All the scriptures in the world are meaningless if others see that you are not living it yourself.  2 Corinthians 8:21
      Each of these are qualities people just don’t like being around.  When someone has such a disposition, they are often avoided.
      WHY were the Pharisees and Sadducees condemned by Jesus?  Because they were guilty of these very types of qualities.  While there might have been some good qualities associated with them, most of what we read is strong rebukes by Jesus.  Consider Matthew 23, Luke 18:10-11, their arrogance in John’s gospel as they confronted Jesus and criticized Him as He healed on the Sabbath.
   3. Attitudes that win people – conversely, you drastically increase your opportunity to win others when you have godly attitudes. Some of these include:
      Kindness – 1 Corinthians 13:4, Colossians 3:12
      Self-control – 2 Peter 1:5-7, cf. 1 Corinthians 9:27
      Patience – 1 Corinthians 13:4 – love “suffers long”, Romans 12:12
      Humility – Philippians 2:3-8
      Integrity – 2 Peter 1:5 – integrity.
      Optimism and positivity – people would rather be around someone who is hopeful than the doom and gloom so much around us.  1 Corinthians 13:6 – love “believes all things”
      Mathew 7:12 – summarizes this.  The golden rule – treat others the way you want to be treated.
   4. Your attitude is where your light BEGINS to shin How is your attitude?

And thus we can see some things we can develop that will help us let our light shine.  Does the world see your faith?  Think about it!