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Let Your Light Shine
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

LETTING YOUR LIGHT SHINE
Matt. 5:14-16

INTRO: This is the third in the series of messages on the subject "LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE". You will remember that the last message on this subject dealt with the statement, "Ye are the light of the world", Vs. 14. We showed why the saved are lights, and how the unsaved are in darkness.

Today, we shall continue our examination of this text passage. We shall deal primarily with the major function of a light.

I. LET US LOOK FIRST AT WHAT THE PURPOSE O FA LIGHT IS:

A. The job of a light is to shine before men:

1. That's exactly what Vs. 16 says Christian lights should do. Jesus' words are, "Let your light so shine before men", Vs. 16. Now, a light should light up the place so that everyone can see.

2. If a light fails to do that, then it has failed in it's whole purpose:

a. Why even light a light, if noone will be enabled to see byi t?

b. lt isi n view of this that Jesus used the classic illustration of Vs. 15, "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel":

(1) Certainly not! A candle is not made to be put out of sight or to be hidden. Jesus' own words, in Mark 4:21 are, "Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed? And not to be set on a candlestick?"
(2) Wouldn't you think the owner was somewhat stupid, if you went into his dark house, and found his lights all covered and hidden?

c. A covered light is of no value.

3. Yet today, many Christians keep their spiritual lights carefully guarded and hidden:

a. They blush, and the heart beats faster if they feel that someone is about to find out their true convictions; and they get weak when they think someone is about to find out they believe that the Bible is really true from cover to cover. This is especially true of young people in public schools and universities. They are embarrassed to think that their peers and professors, and the general academic community, will find out that they really believe in the old fashioned principles of the Bible.

b. Most Christians are actually embarrassed to talk about, or do anything that involves a truly Godly stand. They don't want the people at work, the neighbors, or the people in their social clubs to find out where they really stand.

c. Too many Christians purposely try to talk, act, look, and conduct their lives just about like everybody else, so that they don't stand out, or look conspicuous:

(1) They are like Obadiah, who was a silent Christian in wicked Ahab's house, I Kings 18:1-16.
(2) They, like big, tough Saul, who, when the chips were down, was found "hiding among the stuff", according to I Sam. 10:22.

4. But, one thing for sure: a light should stand out and be conspicuous.

B. In fact, the ideal arrangement is that a light be put into such a prominent place that everyone can see it:

1. Jesus said, in Matt. 5:15, to put it "on a candlestick" in such a place that all who "enter in may see the light ", Luke 8:16.

2. Isn't that what big companies do today? They spend thousands of dollars on engineers and interior decorators to get the most candlepower out of the lights they use.

3. Now that is exactly what the Bible says God expects to see out of us, his children, whom he says are the light of the world:

a. He expects us to shine; to light up the place; to help men see.

b. Listen to the scriptures:

(1) Eph. 5:8, "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light. "
(2) Matt. 5:16 plainly states, "Let your light .... shine"
(3) Rom. 13:12 exhorts, "Let us ... cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. "

c. How I wish to God that it could be said of us as King Belshazzar's wise men said to him, of Daniel the prophet, in Dan. 5:11, "There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him. "

d. I say to you, fellow Christian, if you have a talent, a light within you, use it. If there is any light in your soul, and there is, let it shine. That's why it's there, to shine, shine, shine. Our little children sing a little song, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine; this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. "

4. Now, there is a place from which Christian lights are to shine:

a. Jesus said the place for a light to be is on a "candlestick". "Candlestick" is from the Greek word "Luchnia" (Lookh-nee-ah) meaning "a lamp stand".

b. In the New Testament, the Lord's churches are said to be the spiritual candlesticks or lampstands. Rev. 1:12-13,20 makes that amply clear when John says, "And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. " Then Vs. 20 explains, "The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. "

c. Folks, the New Testament picture is that Christians are lights, and churches are lightstands; and Jesus is saying that every light ought to be on a lightstand; or that every Christian ought to be shining forth from a church. Listen to him speak in Matt. 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. " Listen to his question in Mark 4:21, "Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?" Hear him again in Luke 8:16, "No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light."

d. The divine case is clear. Candles are made to be put on candlesticks; and likewise, Christians are made to be out in churches. The Lord himself is the one who made this point

II. IF CHRISTIANS WOULD ONLY LET THEIR LIGHTS SHINE, MEN WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE BEAUTIFUL GLORY OF OUR GOD:

A. The lost don't see. They don't understand God at all, and they have almost no comprehension of what his plan and purpose in this world really is:

1. So many condemn and criticize God's work:

a. Because they've never seen it; they've never seen the light.

b. Their minds are clouded and darkened by misconceptions and false opinions. And many have gained these misconceptions and false opinions by observing the lives of Christians; God's people acting in darkness, when they should have been acting as lights.

2. So the lost world continues to fight, condemn, and walk on in darkness, because they've never seen the glorious beauty of the truth:

a. They are blind, and do not know it.

b. Jesus said in John 11:10, "But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him".

3. And the sad thing is that most of those men, who are in darkness like this, are in darkness because they have never seen anything but darkness in those who should have been lights:

a. They've looked into the lives of professing Christians, and seen hypocrisy, prejudices, empty testimonies, self-will and self-glory, rebellion against God ordained authority, dishonesty in the basic actions of life, and a thousand other works of darkness; all in the name of Christianity.

b. They've looked at churches; and what they have seen has been social organizations, exploitation of the poor, political maneuvering, inner strife and division among the membership, hard, self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitudes, and a hundred other works of darkness, rather than the light of truth, and the pursuits of God's word.

c. No wonder the world is still in darkness. There is hardly anyone around to show them the light.

B. But, if men could only see the light, they'd glorify God:

1. There wouldn't be so much antichristian, anti-God, anti-church sentiment.around, if there were more honest, true, light shining Christians.

2. Jesus said in our text, [Matt. 5:16] that when we let our lights shine before men, they'll see and "glorify your father which is in heaven."

3. I'll never forget what a change was wrought in my heart once I saw the truth: the light came in:

a. I had been wrong, in darkness in my thinking about God's way.

b. Then I saw; and it was beautiful, precious, sweet.

c. The scriptures describe it this way:

(1) II Cor. 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. "
(2) Solomon said, in Eccl. 11:7, "Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasent thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. "

4. Oh, fellow laborers, how we need to help men see the light:

a. Jesus said in Jno 11:9, "If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. "

b. If we'd only help men see the glorious light of the gospel, and introduce into their hearts the principles of divine truth that are in the Bible, they'd see how to avoid heartaches, disappointments, worries, and the thousands of miseries a darkened life can hold.

c. By an introduction of divine life, the Lord's work would triumph, and victories would be won.

5. But remember, men cannot see without a light. And, Jesus said, "Ye are the light of the world", Matt. 5:14. Fellow Christians, if you continue to hide your light under a bushel, the lost men of this world will not see. They will stumble on in darkness and confusion. Oh, how important it is that you let your light shine! That's the very purpose of your having it in the first place.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"