John 8:12

Making decisions in the dark can lead to some regrettable consequences. Back in the days before electricity, a tightfisted old farmer was taking his hired man to task for carrying a lighted lantern when he went to call on his best girl. “Why,” he exclaimed, “when I went a-courtin’ I never carried one of them things, I always went in the dark.” “Yes,” the hired man said, wryly, “and look at what you got!”

Some people change their ways when they see the light, others only when they feel the heat.

Light is essential to our daily lives; would we try to walk at night on a strange and unfamiliar path without some source of light?  But yet we do, as Christians.

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.”

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.”

When Christ lives in us, we become the light of the world because of Christ IN us.  The Bible says that “No light should be hidden.”

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.”

- Don’t hide your light.
- Let it shine for the entire world to see.
- Light our world for Christ.

While on maneuvers, a battleship lookout noted a light in the dark, foggy night.  After noting the light’s coordinates, the captain recognized his ship was on a collision course with the other vessel.  The captain instructed, "Signal the ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees."  The return signal countered, "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees."  The captain signaled, "I’m a captain, change course 20 degrees."  The response was, "I’m a seaman second class, you’d better change course 20 degrees."  By this time the captain was furious.  His signal curtly ordered, "I’m a battleship.  Change course 20 degrees."  The reply: "I’m a lighthouse. You make the call." 

We must allow the light of Christ to be steadfast in our life.  Shine where He says shine; Go where He says go.

Our world of 2009 is a very dark place.

In this world we live in, we must be politically correct and not offend anyone.  Millions of people today live in the darkness of witchcraft, drugs, alcohol, violence, gambling, lying, stealing.  Why?  Many people are living lives that are contrary to the Word of God.  They feel that there is nothing wrong with fornication, adultery, murder, hatred, prejudice, planting bombs, shooting people, or failing to serve a Living God.  Men love darkness because their deeds are evil.

In John 3:19 we read: “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

The result is that right has become wrong and wrong has become right.
Isaiah 5:20  “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

The reason we see so much sin and evil is because people are in spiritual darkness.  Even some believers want to live in and be a part of the world.  God’s Word tells us that we are to live IN the world and not OF the world.  When we let the world come in us, we don’t know the difference between right and wrong.

You’ve heard it said: a boat in the water is good; water in the boat is bad.

Today there is a need for Light.  We are not only to BE the light but we should also SHINE the light.  It is something we choose to allow God to do through us.

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.”

We need to bring knowledge of Christ to a world that doesn’t know Him.  We need to bring light to a world that lives in darkness.  HOW?  By sharing Jesus and lighting our world around us; by telling your friends, family, and acquaintances; by becoming a reflection of Jesus Christ everywhere.  What does it mean to reflect Christ?

An article in Newsweek titled The Fall of the Dinosaurs explored the downfall of corporate giants such as General Motors, IBM, and Sears.  Tucked away in the opening remarks were these words: "The institutions of family, church, and government have long since lost their luster."  Whether the diminished luster is perceived or real, an illustration from Russian scientists may contain the answer. 

On February 4, 1993, officials at the Flight Control Center near Moscow reported the successful deployment of a space reflector.  This aluminum-covered disc was used by cosmonauts in the space station Mir to reflect light from the sun to the dark side of Earth.  With a twenty-five-foot disc in space, they were able to produce a two-mile circle of light on earth.  Such a move placed Russia in the forefront of this reflective technology. If the church has lost its luster, it may be due to our feeble attempts to produce light rather than failure to reflect the Light.  How much greater would be our impact if we started being better mirrors of the Son!  That’s what we are about - reflecting the light.  Jesus is the light.  But it seems the world is so big and there are so many people.  How can we shed light for all of them?  How do we light a big world that has been blinded by the prince of the air – Satan?

One person at a time.  Our world is composed of our families, friends, and acquaintances.  If all of us commit ourselves to bring part of our world to church, we will shed the light of Christ into their lives and see many won to Christ as a result.  As we examine our world, we need to shed light into it.

Who will begin to shed light into the world?  People say “it’s bad out there…”   It is bad out there, but God is bigger and can handle all the “bad”.  The question is; what can we do to make our world a better place to live?  Jesus took just 12 disciples to reach the world for Christ.  They were accused of turning the world upside down.  Actually they were turning it right side up.  We have the same commission today.

So, how can we light the world?  First of all there is a great need for repentance.  We can’t share what we don’t have.

A Romanian Pastor became too successful in the eyes of his government.  He preached the gospel boldly and within two years saw his small church grow to 5,000.  The authorities confiscated his ration book so he couldn’t buy fuel or food.  Then in December 1989, they decided to exile him.  When the police arrived they were stopped by an unmovable crowd of people. Members of other churches and denominations stood shoulder to shoulder in protest.  All day, the police tried to disperse the crowd, but they wouldn’t budge.  Just after midnight a nineteen-year-old Baptist student named Daniel Garva, pulled out a packet of candles.

 He lit one and passed it to his neighbor.  One by one the burning candles were passed through the crowd.  The crowd stayed all through that night and the next.  The police finally broke through and knocked in the church door.  They bloodied Pastor Tokes’ face, and then paraded both him and his wife through the crowd.  An outcry from the people led them to their city square of Timisoara, where they began a full-scale demonstration against the Communist government.  Once again, Daniel Garva passed out his candles.  Troops were brought in and ordered to shoot the crowd.  Hundreds were shot, and Daniel’s leg was blown off.  Their brave example inspired the entire population of Romania, and within days the bloody dictator, Ceausescu, was dead.  For the first time in half a century, Romania celebrated Christmas in freedom.  In a world of hostile darkness, God has called us to light a candle of love.  Although the presentation of God’s Light may not be favorably received, such faithfulness will yield results beyond our grandest dreams.

As Americans, we live a rather cushy life.  We are not familiar with direct persecution such as illustrated in the story you just read.  Our persecution is more subtle.  It is more in the area of intimidation than persecution.  That intimidation is intended to silence us.  While we still have the legal right to do so, we must become more vocal, not only inside the church building but outside as well.  One way is by writing letters to the editors of newspapers.  Another way is to become part of God’s army by getting involved with the Maine Family Policy Council.

May God help us to be unashamed warriors, lighting up the World of Darkness.