6th September 2024

6th September 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Matthew 5:13-16)


Message (Alan Burke)


What does light do, it illuminates. When there is light darkness is dispelled, that which is hidden is disclosed and what ever is concealed comes into the open. When a power cut comes, and it’s something many of us have experienced, we can be left fumbling in the dark trying to find a torch or a candle, actually for most of us finding the candle isn’t the problem there are lots of them scattered about the house that you dare not touch because they are there just to look pretty, the problem is finding the matches. When you’ve finally found the matches and light the candle you put the candle is somewhere that it will illuminate the room, put it somewhere that will enable us to see and not walk in to things and do ourselves an injury. 


There is a sense here where Jesus is just staining the obvious, it’s unnecessary, of course a city in a hill cannot be hidden and you don’t put a lamp under a bowl, you put it on a stand so it gives light. 


Well since we are the light of the world we are to let our light shine. How are we the light of the world, well think to John’s gospel for a moment one of the I am sayings of Jesus where we are told in John 8; “…Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). Jesus is the lamp of God who has come to bring light and revelation of the kingdom of God, it illuminates the dark and the light of Christ is in us by the work of the Holy Spirit.


When we come to know Christ,  we have been illuminated by the light of Christ by the work of the Spirit are to manifest this light. Our task as the church as those who have been called from darkness to light is to live in the light and to make known the light of God’s kingdom in how we live and as we proclaim the good news of the Gospel about Jesus Christ the saviour of the world. This is what we are to do, in all that we do and the reason as v16 concludes is “that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”


So does this mean we do things that are clear for other people to see? Well Jesus also says in chapter 6:1“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. (Mt 6:1). Then to v6 when Jesus says “6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Mt 6:6.)


Remember where this teaching comes, it comes right after the teaching on persecution, if you are going to be persecuted there is the desire to act like a chameleon, when you face suffering for the sake of Christ it would be easier to try and blend but we are to let our light shine. It means then that we are not trying to get people to look at us, but we are not hiding that we belong to Jesus, we belong to him and we live for him, it will mean that we live differently, it means we live consistently, faithfully according to the word of God. In doing so we should be living in a way that shows forth what we are, that we are the Lord’s that we love him. By living in accord with what the scriptures teach us we live counter culturally, we live as the salt and light that we are and we show a world that is decaying a better way. 


If you know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, if you are a believer, then believer, no matter how rubbish you think you are doing in your walk with the Lord Jesus notice what Jesus says, it is not “try to be salt or light”, but “you are” declares you to be salt, he declares you to be light. This is what you are, he has called you to himself and live on knowing that he will help you to live as you have called to be right where you are. There are days that that will be tough, that you think you’ve made a mess of it but you are Salt, you are Light because you belong to Jesus.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q83. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
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