Scripture Reference: Matthew 5:14-16

II. The Light is Powerful

“You are the light of the world.” The church is to be the channel of Light to this dark world. The light shines through us, but we are not the source of that Light. We are merely the instrument, the bulb or candle that reveals the light. Jesus is the Light of men.

▪ We have been given the power to reflect the light of Christ. What a powerful light that is. It is able to conquer the darkness of sin. There is no darkness so dark that light can’t conquer. A single match in a dark room will dispel the darkness.

▪ Do you remember the time that you walked in darkness and the light of Christ opened your eyes that you could see? There is no greater power in all of creation than the power of Christ and His power is revealed through His light.

▪ There is a world that slips further into the grip of sin each year. They are deceived and desperately need the light of Christ in their lives. He can take a life that is gripped by sin and make it whole again. We have the power of God within us and there is nothing other than our willingness that can hinder us from letting our light shine. This world has tried for thousands of years, but the Light remains.

III. The Light is Projected

“A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” When light is being produced, it cannot be removed; it can only be covered or shut out. I can flip the switch and turn off the light, but as long as it is on, I can do nothing to remove the light. Light has properties that cause it to radiate all around its source.

▪ Light moves at an incomprehensible speed of 186,000 miles per second. That speed could circle the earth 7 times in one second. The light of Christ has the same properties. It can’t be contained. When it is revealed it radiates from the source, touching all that it comes in contact with. It has the ability to penetrate the darkness of the heart and illuminate the soul.

▪ As said already, the light of Christ needs to be shared with the world. Light is made to shine rather than to be hidden. Jesus implies that it would be foolish to light a candle and then put it under a bushel basket. We are all filled with light, so why doesn’t it find its way out into the world. Sadly many of us have hidden our light and if not always, at least some of the time. That is the only possible reason for it not shining. Jesus has placed it in our hearts; we can’t flip the switch and turn it off, so it must be covered or shut out. We have made the conscious decision to hide our light.

▪ If the light of all Christians were revealed, the entire world would be filled with light. The church is to be that city set upon a hill, revealing light. The world is powerless to stop the light when it is shining. Consider a world so filled with light that when sinners came out of their dark places of hiding that the light immediately exposed them.

▪ There is little light being shone and plenty of hiding places, even in the open, for sin. We as God’s people need to resolve in our hearts to fill the communities around us with the light of Christ! Darkness has to flee from the light. We can send Satan and his evil influence packing. He can’t stand to be within the exposure of the Light!

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, ESV © 2016 by Crossway Bibles.
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