Just as God calls us to be the salt of the earth, as we studied last week, He also calls us to be the light of the world. It seems like it is along a similar vein of thought, but yet there are new lessons to be learnt here today as well. Let’s start by reading our key text for today.
Matthew 5:14-16
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Although the text calls us to be the light of the world, it doesn’t actually say how we can become the light of the world. So how can we be the light of the world?
- 2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. - Just as God commanded light to shine out of darkness at the very beginning, He wishes to shine light into our hearts as well.
- What is that light? It is the light of the knowledge of God.
- How did God command light to shine at the very beginning? There in Genesis 1 it is recorded clearly. He spoke and light was created.
- So if we want to be the light of the world, we need to begin by having that light shine into our hearts first.
- How?
- Psalms 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. - That light is the God’s word, the Bible.
- Psalms 119:105
- If we want to be the light of the world, if we want light to shine into our hearts, we need to have an interaction with the word of God. Notice it has nothing to do with going to church. Going to church is important. But that doesn’t make us the light of the world. The foundation of it all is allowing God’s word to shine into our hearts.
Why is it so important that light shines into our hearts first?
- Well let’s go back to the beginning in creation to see how our heart parallels the earth.
- Genesis 1:1-2
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. - Before God created anything, before He created light, the Bible describes the earth as formless, void and dark.
- What do these words mean?
- “Formless” means desolation, worthless, vain, confusion, empty place.
- “Void” means undistinguishable ruin and emptiness.
- “Dark” means misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow and wickedness.
- This sounds a lot like the earth that we live in today because many of our hearts are like that. Many of us live empty lives, confused lives, lives full of sorrow and wickedness.
- And so before God can call us to be the light of the world to shine His light to others, He needs to shine that light in our hearts.
- Peter puts it this way:
- 1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: - Before God can choose us to be His people, He needs to call us out from darkness first into His marvellous light. We can’t possibly be a light to the world when we ourselves are still in darkness. We can’t possibly tell people about Jesus when we ourselves don’t know Him or are living a life like His.
- 1 Peter 2:9
- There needs to be an obvious change. Just as light is opposite to darkness, in order for us to show forth God’s praises, it’s not just from a mouth declaring the word of God but there needs to be a change in our life as well.
- Light does not only represent the Bible. What else does it represent?
- John 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. - Jesus is that light of the world.
- John 8:12
- The Bible must so impact our lives that the character of Jesus is formed within. His life is our life, His thoughts are our thoughts, His desires and purposes are our desires and purposes.
- It’s not just a round of reading the Bible and doing our daily devotions that make us the light of the world. But there must be an understanding of His word that speaks to each of us so uniquely and intimately that the life that we now live is exactly the way that Jesus would have lived it if He were in our position.
- So the call to be the light of the world is not just simply a command, but it is a lifestyle. It’s not just something that we can raise our hands and say, “OK, I want to be the light of the world.” No, it’s a calling. We must be born again. Old things must pass away and there must be a new creature, a new person, that must be created in Christ Jesus that is formed from within.
- The Bible must shine into our hearts, and we can know that it has been effective as we see how our lives change on the outside as Jesus’ character shines out.
- Just as a city that is put on the top of a hill, when it shines out at night, it will be obvious to everyone that it is there and cannot be hidden. So a life that is lived in Christ will shine out and also cannot be hidden too. It is not even something that can be forced. Yes there will be struggles. But the desire for change, the desire for a better life, the change in focus and purpose comes from spending time in God’s word. It will create those desires there that we never had before. A desire for a more holy life. This is not something that is forced.
In Matthew 5, it also compares shining our light to a candle giving light to a room. Let’s refresh.
- Matthew 5:15
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. - It’s logical. We don’t light a candle and put it under a basket or under a bowl. That would simply extinguish the light from the candle.
- It’s not that people are intentionally doing that. There is no such thing as hidden or secret light. We can’t just say, “Oh, I don’t want to shine my light today.”
- What Jesus is trying to point out here is that if you have light, it will shine. People will be able to see it. It cannot be hidden no matter how hard we try.
- If we think we have light but it’s just hidden, then we have deceived ourselves. The light is not hidden, it’s just that we have no light at all. Meaning, if we aren’t shining light, we don’t have any light in our hearts.
- Let me put it a different way. God has called us all to be lights of the world. He has called every Christian to be that light. We all ought to have the character of Christ. And our character’s cannot be hidden. We will either shine the character of this world or we will shine the character of Christ. It’s not an on and off switch that we choose at will. We cannot force ourselves to be lights, it is something that will come naturally based on what we are spending time beholding.
- Luke 11:34
The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. - How we are spending our time will determine how we live, will influence our actions and also what we say.
- Is our body full of light or is it full of darkness?
In Matthew 5:15 it says that the candle must be put on the candlestick if it will give light to the whole house. What does that candlestick represent?
- Revelation 1:20
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. - The candlestick represents the church.
- Whilst we are not saved by attending the church, it is through the church that God has ordained for the light to shine out to the whole world.
- Yes we must shine the light as individuals. It must begin there in our personal relationship with God and His word. But the church is what God will use to shine His character to the whole world.
What does it mean to shine this light though and how is it connected to the church? How can we make it practical for ourselves today? Let’s dig a bit deeper. Let’s come back to Matthew 5.
- Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - The Bible says that we must shine our light before men. And that light is connected with some sort of good works.
- What good works is this? How many we know what should we be doing at this time? Is it just simply living our Godly sanctified lives?
- The result is mentioned there in Matthew 5:16 though. It says that when people see us shining our light, when people see our good works, they will end up glorifying our Father which is in heaven. They will give glory to God!
What does it mean to give glory to God?
- Well firstly what is the glory of God?
- Exodus 33:18-19
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. - Moses was speaking here and he wanted to see God’s glory. As a result God showed him His goodness, His graciousness and His mercy. God showed him His character! The glory of God is His character.
- So when people see our good works there in Matthew 5, they in-turn will give glory to God. They will begin to shine the light of God’s character to those around them also.
But what sort of good works can we have that will lead people to see those good works and end up giving glory to God?
- When people see you being patient nowadays, that’s what we should be right? Being kind to the stranger on the street. Feeding the homeless.
- All these sorts of works don’t separate us from the rest of the world and from other religions out there.
- Going to church on Sabbath.
- That is a good work that the Bible said we should do. As much as not stealing or not killing, we should also keep the Sabbath.
- But when people see us going to church on Saturday, even the Christians think that we are weird.
- People don’t see us going to church and then they turn around the praise God! Sometimes it’s quite the opposite.
- So that good work can’t be just about keeping the Sabbath.
- How about diet reform. Becoming a vegetarian maybe?
- When people hear that you are vegetarian nowadays, firstly they might think you are Buddhist or New Age.
- Or secondly they just think you are downright weird.
- Look, it’s good to take care of your health. It’s good to follow the health principles. But people don’t turn around and give God the glory when they see you living that way.
- Well how about living out in the country or wearing long skirts? These sorts of things sometimes make us more weird in the minds of other than pointing people to give glory to God.
- Look, don’t misunderstand what I’m trying to say. We need to have good characters to shine out to the world. The Bible is very clear about it.
- Philippians 2:14-15
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. - We need to be blameless and do things without murmuring. We need to allow the character of God to shine through our lives. But it doesn’t always result in people giving glory to God. At most, what it does is it will get people interested as to why we live a certain way or act a certain way. How are we able to still be so kind to the person who spoke roughly to us, or why are we still so honest when we could potentially lose millions in a business deal? It make them enquire about us, but not really give God the glory.
So then what is the work that we can be doing, that when people see our good works they will glorify God?
- Light represents the Bible. And what we can do is call people out of darkness as 1 Peter 2:9 says.
- Romans 10:14-15
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! - We need to be the channel of blessing for the gospel. This is the gospel commission.
- Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.- We need to preach the gospel to every creature.
- And not just preach.
- Matthew 28:19
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.- We need teachers as well.
- This commission was not just given to trained pastors and teachers and evangelists. It was given to every Christian!
- Every person can be a teacher or a preacher. And unless we rise up to that calling, people will continually be left in darkness.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. - The god of this world is Satan. And he has come up with a multitude of devices to keep people in darkness. Unless we shine the light of that glorious gospel, many people will remain in darkness and also perish in darkness!
If we are to be a light to the world today, we need to be found sharing the gospel of God.
- Yes there is teaching and preaching. But there is also selling books door to door. Whatever way we can, ourselves, personally, share the gospel – God is calling us to it!
- No matter how much you think God has not called you to share the Bible, you have mistaken your calling.
- You may be the quietest person on this earth, God is still calling you to share the gospel today.
- Revelation 14:6
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.- That angel there in Revelation 14 is not a literal angel. The word angel means messenger. That messenger is you.
- We must preach the gospel to every nation, to every person on this earth.
- And this is why the church becomes such an important institution. The work of God must be organised.
- And after we have shared about the gospel, after we have shared about Jesus from His word, we must bring people to the church. After all, the church was established by God shortly after the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
- Acts 2:27
…And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
- Acts 2:27
- Through teaching and preaching, through sharing the word of God, people will get baptised. And yes, they are getting baptised into Christ. But at the same time, they are added to the church.
- Why are they added to the church? To be saved? Of course not! They are saved already by getting baptised into Jesus Christ.
- So then why put the candle on a candlestick? Why add them to the church. Because it is there we can be trained for service so that the light of the gospel can shine even brighter to light up every corner of the room. It is there that we can also bring others to come and worship together with us our God and our Saviour. We get baptised for service!
Jesus is calling each of us today to be the light for this world, to teach and to preach and to share the gospel message to the whole world. Without which Jesus cannot come.
Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
May we be found as lights of the world today. Not only shining the light of God’s character, but also shining the light of God’s word to all around us. Let us take our calling more seriously today as a light to this world.