Shine! That's The Style!
Sermon
A Long Time Coming
Cycle A First Lesson Sermons for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany
Object:
It is appropriate on this day designated as the Epiphany Of The Lord to explore some questions we might ask Jesus as the light that has come to the world. We'll be a panel of inquirers and we will let Jesus Christ answer our questions. We will call our program Meet The Congregation.
Who?
Our first question will be, "Who is the light of this world?" In Matthew 5:14 Jesus tells us: "You are the light of the world." Did you catch that? The finger is pointing at us. You are the world's light!
In John 9:5 Jesus said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." And now Jesus looks at his followers and compliments them. "You," he says, "you too are what I am! Just as I shine as the light of the world, so you also shine as lights. People will look at you and they will not see darkness. They will see light!"
Now, who were those people Christ complimented so? They must have been special men and women! Who were they? They were common people like you and me. They were blue collar workers, simple fishermen like Peter, James, and John. They were tax collectors, government bureaucrats like Matthew. They were professional men like the physician Luke. They were construction workers, a tentmaker like Paul. They were housewives like Mary and Martha. And to them Jesus said, "You are the light of the world!"
The Church today has lost something of the wide significance of this text. "The pastor is supposed to shine," people say. "That's what he gets paid to do. But we church members, we don't have to shine. It's not possible to be the light of the world where I live and where I work." Do you feel this sort of thinking is rare today? Well, it is not! Just the other day a pastor introduced himself to a business man who responded, "Oh! You are a minister! You're one of those paid to be a Christian!" Now there you have it. Just like that businessman, many others today feel that shining as the light of the world is not for them. It is for the pastor. But it is not true. Jesus disagrees with this sort of segregated thinking. And as in the days of old, Jesus turns to all of his followers today and says, "You are the light of the world!" You are a lantern to guide people down the footpaths of life. You are a lighthouse to warn of danger. You are a friendly candle in the window to point the way home. You are the north star men guide themselves by. You are the light of the world.
Where?
So, who shines? You do! Another question we need to ask is: "Where do we shine?" Again Christ responds, "You are the light of the world." Where do we shine? In the world! Christ didn't say, "You are the light of the church." He said, "You are the light of the world," and that includes the office, the school, the factory, and the home! You are the light of the world wherever you go.
Many people say: "You know, pastor, I just cannot witness. I am too shy. I don't know what to say." But Christ is not inviting you to be a witness. He is not asking you to decide if this is something you want to do or not. He says you are light right now! You are the light of the world already. And whether you know it or not you have been witnessing for a long time! You witness in the way you pay your bills and order a meal in a restaurant. You witness in the way you drive a car, in the adjectives you use, in the way you treat your employees, and in the way you spend your Sundays. Your life witnesses even when you are not aware of it.
I was at a church banquet once. I had been invited to speak after dinner. And as I sat at the head table I suppose I was rather conspicuous. At any rate, the waiter had put a big slice of pecan pie beside each place setting. And since I love pecan pie and the main meal hadn't been served yet, I took my fork and ate a little piece of my pie. It was so good and I was so hungry I took a second bite. It was then that I became aware of a tussle going on between a mother and a little child seated at another table. The child was wanting to eat her pie before the meal and the mother was saying, "No, it will spoil your appetite!" Well, that little girl just pointed to me and said, "It's okay, Mama. He's eating his!"
Dear people, we need to realize that the light God has put in our lives cannot be hid. Jesus tells us, "A city set on a hill cannot be hid." God didn't light your lamp to hide it under a bushel. He puts it where it will be seen. It gives light to all in the house. When I was a small boy my family used to visit my grandparents in the mountains. We'd leave on a Saturday afternoon and return by Sunday night. When Sunday morning came, we did not go to church. We spent the time visiting with the family. Now my great-grandmother Mrs. Espy lived with my grandparents at the time. And she loved our visits. But when Sunday mornings came she went to church. I remember watching her prepare for church. She picked out her best dress. She put her shoes on with a great deal of effort because her feet were always swollen. Then she got her cane and headed for church. Once I remember her even going to church in the snow. How often as a child I watched her and wondered, "What is so important about church that she'd leave her family and go there? Why, if my feet hurt like hers I'd stay home. When it snows we stay home from church. Why does she go? Something she does there must sure be important to her." Yes, Mrs. Espy, you are dead and gone to be with Jesus now, but you were the light of your great-grandson's world. Oh, you never knew you were witnessing by what you did but there were little eyes watching you. You, Mrs. Espy! You were the light of the world! A city set upon a hill that could not be hid. Thank you for your faithfulness to me. I'm in church now come rain or snow, family visits, or slight illnesses. You pointed me to the church and the church pointed me to Jesus. You taught me faithfulness. And you weren't rude. You were the light of the world!
How?
Who shines? You do! Where do you shine? In the world! There in your homes, on the job, at play, and especially when your children visit. Either you shine or you do not shine! Now, is there another question you would like to ask Jesus about shining? Yes, there is! "Jesus, if we are the light of the world, how do we shine?" Christ's answer is, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works." How do we shine as lights? We shine with good works!
It is true that good works do not save us. We are saved by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are saved by our faith in what God has done for us. But because we are saved, because we are Christians, we do good works!
Look at the works Jesus did. He saw that the blind, the lame, the leprous, the deaf, and the dumb got medical treatment. He fed the hungry and pointed the way to the confused and lost. He saw that beverages were provided for wedding guests and taught a group of people to pray. Following Christ around is to witness one good deed after another. He literally laid down his life for others.
How about you? If someone followed you around would he see good deeds? Would he see you going the second mile, turning the other cheek, being a good Samaritan, and sharing a cup of cool water with the thirsty? Have you ever noticed how a boat leaves a wake? That's right. The path of a ship is marked by a wake sometime after it passes. Did you know that you leave a wake behind you? It's true! When you pass through the world each day you leave a mark on both people and things. You either leave people feeling agitated, depressed, and cheated, or you leave them feeling more hopeful and at peace. What kind of trail do you leave behind? Is it a trail of good works? The scripture says that Jesus went about doing good. And how often we Christians are just content to go about.
The Bible teaches that we are to follow Christ's example. Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do" (John 14:12). In other words, our lives must match Christ's. To call ourselves Christians and not do good works is like wearing a green striped shirt with blue plaid pants. Our character and our name wouldn't match. It wouldn't be in style! But here is what is in style this epiphany season for the faithful Christian! Good works!
Man alone cannot do good works like Christ. We cannot shine like this in our own strength. Consider the moon, for example. In and of itself, the moon has no power to shine. It is only a dull, barren ball of dirt. But when the sun shines on the moon it lights up. You and I are like the moon. We are barren, dirty people. There is no light in us. But we can shine when God sheds his light on us! We can reflect his light! And that is what happened to us Christians. God has removed the barrier of sin that blocked his light from us. There is no longer an eclipse. The Bible says, "For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light. For the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true" (Ephesians 5:8, 9). Brethren, do you hear this word from the Lord? Once you lived in darkness. God's light was eclipsed by your sin. But now Christ has removed that barrier. God's light shines upon us. And like the moon we reflect that light in good works!
Why?
So, who shines? You do! Where do you shine? In the world! How do you shine? By reflecting God's light in good works. Now we have one final question to ask Jesus before our show Meet the Congregation is over. "Jesus, we have asked who and where and how. Now we want to know why. Why do we shine?" And again the answer comes from Christ's own words. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Why shine? So others will see and respond by giving God glory! In other words, we do not shine to brag about how good we are. The Pharisees did this. They wanted people to notice them when they did their good works. "Hey, look at me! I'm giving to the poor. See me putting money in the temple treasury? What a good boy am I!" But this is not as God would have it! Christ condemned the Pharisees for their self-righteousness. He told his followers to do good deeds but to do them so God would receive the glory and not themselves. The psalmist prayed, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy name give glory" (Psalm 115:1). And this is what we are to do. We do not want people to believe in us. We want them to believe in Christ. We do not want people to praise us. We want them to praise God. We do not want people to say, "What a fine man you are!" We want them to say, "What a great God you serve! I shall serve him, too!"
If you are a person with a green thumb you have no doubt noticed how our houseplants tend to grow toward the sunlight. Plants will turn toward the window that lets light in. This effect is called phototropism. And this is the effect our lives should have on others. We should turn them toward the light. We should turn them to God. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
So we have asked who, where, how, and why, and we have been told: "You are the light of the world. A city set upon 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." You! You, the common followers of Jesus Christ, have been complimented by God today! The light of the world, the most beautiful man who ever lived, has pointed his finger at you and said, "You are the light of the world!" So, shine, Christian! Shine! That's the style!
Who?
Our first question will be, "Who is the light of this world?" In Matthew 5:14 Jesus tells us: "You are the light of the world." Did you catch that? The finger is pointing at us. You are the world's light!
In John 9:5 Jesus said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." And now Jesus looks at his followers and compliments them. "You," he says, "you too are what I am! Just as I shine as the light of the world, so you also shine as lights. People will look at you and they will not see darkness. They will see light!"
Now, who were those people Christ complimented so? They must have been special men and women! Who were they? They were common people like you and me. They were blue collar workers, simple fishermen like Peter, James, and John. They were tax collectors, government bureaucrats like Matthew. They were professional men like the physician Luke. They were construction workers, a tentmaker like Paul. They were housewives like Mary and Martha. And to them Jesus said, "You are the light of the world!"
The Church today has lost something of the wide significance of this text. "The pastor is supposed to shine," people say. "That's what he gets paid to do. But we church members, we don't have to shine. It's not possible to be the light of the world where I live and where I work." Do you feel this sort of thinking is rare today? Well, it is not! Just the other day a pastor introduced himself to a business man who responded, "Oh! You are a minister! You're one of those paid to be a Christian!" Now there you have it. Just like that businessman, many others today feel that shining as the light of the world is not for them. It is for the pastor. But it is not true. Jesus disagrees with this sort of segregated thinking. And as in the days of old, Jesus turns to all of his followers today and says, "You are the light of the world!" You are a lantern to guide people down the footpaths of life. You are a lighthouse to warn of danger. You are a friendly candle in the window to point the way home. You are the north star men guide themselves by. You are the light of the world.
Where?
So, who shines? You do! Another question we need to ask is: "Where do we shine?" Again Christ responds, "You are the light of the world." Where do we shine? In the world! Christ didn't say, "You are the light of the church." He said, "You are the light of the world," and that includes the office, the school, the factory, and the home! You are the light of the world wherever you go.
Many people say: "You know, pastor, I just cannot witness. I am too shy. I don't know what to say." But Christ is not inviting you to be a witness. He is not asking you to decide if this is something you want to do or not. He says you are light right now! You are the light of the world already. And whether you know it or not you have been witnessing for a long time! You witness in the way you pay your bills and order a meal in a restaurant. You witness in the way you drive a car, in the adjectives you use, in the way you treat your employees, and in the way you spend your Sundays. Your life witnesses even when you are not aware of it.
I was at a church banquet once. I had been invited to speak after dinner. And as I sat at the head table I suppose I was rather conspicuous. At any rate, the waiter had put a big slice of pecan pie beside each place setting. And since I love pecan pie and the main meal hadn't been served yet, I took my fork and ate a little piece of my pie. It was so good and I was so hungry I took a second bite. It was then that I became aware of a tussle going on between a mother and a little child seated at another table. The child was wanting to eat her pie before the meal and the mother was saying, "No, it will spoil your appetite!" Well, that little girl just pointed to me and said, "It's okay, Mama. He's eating his!"
Dear people, we need to realize that the light God has put in our lives cannot be hid. Jesus tells us, "A city set on a hill cannot be hid." God didn't light your lamp to hide it under a bushel. He puts it where it will be seen. It gives light to all in the house. When I was a small boy my family used to visit my grandparents in the mountains. We'd leave on a Saturday afternoon and return by Sunday night. When Sunday morning came, we did not go to church. We spent the time visiting with the family. Now my great-grandmother Mrs. Espy lived with my grandparents at the time. And she loved our visits. But when Sunday mornings came she went to church. I remember watching her prepare for church. She picked out her best dress. She put her shoes on with a great deal of effort because her feet were always swollen. Then she got her cane and headed for church. Once I remember her even going to church in the snow. How often as a child I watched her and wondered, "What is so important about church that she'd leave her family and go there? Why, if my feet hurt like hers I'd stay home. When it snows we stay home from church. Why does she go? Something she does there must sure be important to her." Yes, Mrs. Espy, you are dead and gone to be with Jesus now, but you were the light of your great-grandson's world. Oh, you never knew you were witnessing by what you did but there were little eyes watching you. You, Mrs. Espy! You were the light of the world! A city set upon a hill that could not be hid. Thank you for your faithfulness to me. I'm in church now come rain or snow, family visits, or slight illnesses. You pointed me to the church and the church pointed me to Jesus. You taught me faithfulness. And you weren't rude. You were the light of the world!
How?
Who shines? You do! Where do you shine? In the world! There in your homes, on the job, at play, and especially when your children visit. Either you shine or you do not shine! Now, is there another question you would like to ask Jesus about shining? Yes, there is! "Jesus, if we are the light of the world, how do we shine?" Christ's answer is, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works." How do we shine as lights? We shine with good works!
It is true that good works do not save us. We are saved by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are saved by our faith in what God has done for us. But because we are saved, because we are Christians, we do good works!
Look at the works Jesus did. He saw that the blind, the lame, the leprous, the deaf, and the dumb got medical treatment. He fed the hungry and pointed the way to the confused and lost. He saw that beverages were provided for wedding guests and taught a group of people to pray. Following Christ around is to witness one good deed after another. He literally laid down his life for others.
How about you? If someone followed you around would he see good deeds? Would he see you going the second mile, turning the other cheek, being a good Samaritan, and sharing a cup of cool water with the thirsty? Have you ever noticed how a boat leaves a wake? That's right. The path of a ship is marked by a wake sometime after it passes. Did you know that you leave a wake behind you? It's true! When you pass through the world each day you leave a mark on both people and things. You either leave people feeling agitated, depressed, and cheated, or you leave them feeling more hopeful and at peace. What kind of trail do you leave behind? Is it a trail of good works? The scripture says that Jesus went about doing good. And how often we Christians are just content to go about.
The Bible teaches that we are to follow Christ's example. Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do" (John 14:12). In other words, our lives must match Christ's. To call ourselves Christians and not do good works is like wearing a green striped shirt with blue plaid pants. Our character and our name wouldn't match. It wouldn't be in style! But here is what is in style this epiphany season for the faithful Christian! Good works!
Man alone cannot do good works like Christ. We cannot shine like this in our own strength. Consider the moon, for example. In and of itself, the moon has no power to shine. It is only a dull, barren ball of dirt. But when the sun shines on the moon it lights up. You and I are like the moon. We are barren, dirty people. There is no light in us. But we can shine when God sheds his light on us! We can reflect his light! And that is what happened to us Christians. God has removed the barrier of sin that blocked his light from us. There is no longer an eclipse. The Bible says, "For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light. For the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true" (Ephesians 5:8, 9). Brethren, do you hear this word from the Lord? Once you lived in darkness. God's light was eclipsed by your sin. But now Christ has removed that barrier. God's light shines upon us. And like the moon we reflect that light in good works!
Why?
So, who shines? You do! Where do you shine? In the world! How do you shine? By reflecting God's light in good works. Now we have one final question to ask Jesus before our show Meet the Congregation is over. "Jesus, we have asked who and where and how. Now we want to know why. Why do we shine?" And again the answer comes from Christ's own words. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Why shine? So others will see and respond by giving God glory! In other words, we do not shine to brag about how good we are. The Pharisees did this. They wanted people to notice them when they did their good works. "Hey, look at me! I'm giving to the poor. See me putting money in the temple treasury? What a good boy am I!" But this is not as God would have it! Christ condemned the Pharisees for their self-righteousness. He told his followers to do good deeds but to do them so God would receive the glory and not themselves. The psalmist prayed, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy name give glory" (Psalm 115:1). And this is what we are to do. We do not want people to believe in us. We want them to believe in Christ. We do not want people to praise us. We want them to praise God. We do not want people to say, "What a fine man you are!" We want them to say, "What a great God you serve! I shall serve him, too!"
If you are a person with a green thumb you have no doubt noticed how our houseplants tend to grow toward the sunlight. Plants will turn toward the window that lets light in. This effect is called phototropism. And this is the effect our lives should have on others. We should turn them toward the light. We should turn them to God. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
So we have asked who, where, how, and why, and we have been told: "You are the light of the world. A city set upon 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." You! You, the common followers of Jesus Christ, have been complimented by God today! The light of the world, the most beautiful man who ever lived, has pointed his finger at you and said, "You are the light of the world!" So, shine, Christian! Shine! That's the style!
