Turn on the light

Turn On The Light , morning message at Dellviw Baptist 2-12-06

8-For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9-(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. 11-Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12-For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13-But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14-for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’
(Eph 5.8-14 NIV)

It is true that no amount of darkness can extinguish even the smallest source of light . . .

In the classic and currently popular Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe Chronicles of Narnia, a little girl named Lucy is drawn into the magical world of Narnia by the faintly warm soft glow of a street like lamp she sees while stumbling out of her earthly dimension (through the wardrobe) into Narnia.

We were first drawn to God by the light of Christ; that’s partly what light does, it serves to guide to and reveal the previously unknown. Our Scripture reminds us:

8-For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light . . .

Light and darkness (synonymous with day and night) were ancient metaphors for contrasting: truth and falsehood; life and death; revelation and confusion; good and evil; meaning and chaos.

The Scripture writers used this well known metaphor (light and darkness, day and night) to contrast being a child of God (knowing and loving God) and living apart from the truth of God (choosing the secrecy of darkness).

When one comes into the light (to Christ), God transforms us from darkness into light.

At one time we were enemies to God. We did whatever we wanted. We thought thoughts of darkness and acted upon our dark thoughts. The Scripture admonishes us new children of light to no longer behave and live as the children of darkness.

5-Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light and there is no darkness at all in him. 6-If, then, we say that we have fellowship with fellowship with him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions. 7-But if we live in the light—just as he is in the light—then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin. (1 Jon 1.5-7 Good News Bible)

“God is light and there is no darkness at all in him.”

Scripture has always testified that God is light and free of any darkness.

He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. (Daniel 2:22)

God, however, did not avoid the darkness. Jesus came to illumine the dark land and redeem its prisoners.

Did you ever think of yourself as a prisoner to darkness? There is a bondage and addiction that accompanies darkness.

Scripture records:

1-I n the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2-From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3-Through him God made all things; not a thing was made without him. 4-The Word [Jesus] was the source of life, and this life brought light to the people. 5-The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has never put it out.

Other translations say that the darkness did not comprehend or understand the darkness, but the better rendering is more violent.

Darkness is active and violent. Darkness seeks to extinguish light. Darkness resists light.

But as the Sun slowly breaks into the dawn of morning, so does Christ into this world and our life.

9-(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

Galatians 5.22 talks about the fruit of the Spirit. Ephesians 5.9 commends the fruit of light. If you’re in God these things should be evident:

1. Goodness or acts of charity and benevolence;
2. Righteousness (doing the right and pure thing toward others and God);
3. Truth (always speaking and seeking the truth in all matters).

What truth are we telling others as a church?

What good and benevolent thing are we doing as church?

What work righteousness are we contending for as a church?

We live in a dark land inhabited with prisoners, victims and violent people (whom take advantage of the darkness).

The victims and prisoners cry out, “Where is the light?” “Who will come to me and show me the way out of here?” “Who will come tom and rescue me?” Where is the light, hope and rescue?

We live in a dark land and we are the light of Christ. If we (Christians) do not shine out into the darkness there will be no message of light and gospel in this dark land.

If we as (Christians) do not shine out into the darkness there will be no freedom for the prisoners or rescue for the victims of this darkness.

You are light in the world . . .

I was gripped once again by my Christian responsibility this week. I was watching a PBS documentary about the vast sex slave trade practiced all over the world (on our borders as well).

Slaves in this day and age? Many young girls are kidnapped and others are falsely enticed into the dark practice of prostitution (sex slaves).

One woman was invited to leave the Ukraine and shop in Turkey for inexpensive merchandise to take back and sell in her Mother’s home shop. She was married with a 5 year-old son and caring husband. Also, she was 4 months pregnant. An acquaintance had lied and said that he knew the Turkey well and would watch out for her, that she could come along on a trip he had make to Turkey. Once there, he sold her for a $1,000 to a pimp and left her. She barely escaped; she was raped and lost her baby and was emotionally and physically scared.

Another story in the documentary focused on a young woman’s return home to Russia, Chernobyl from the sex slave trade in Turkey. Many of these women are desperately trying to find income for their poor families. They are falsely enticed to oversea work with the false promise of making more money than they could ever possibly make at home.

She returned home to Chernobyl to her sister who had a brain tumor and her younger brother with a deadly cancerous lesion on his stomach and with two other hungry children. She went back to prostitute herself, because she did not know of any other way to provide money to care for her family’s medical and basic survival needs. She was arrested and deported. Her brother died shortly afterwards.

I watched this and cried out, “Where are you God in this situation?” His reply was:

11-Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12-For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13-But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14-for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’

We are the light of Christ in this dark land. If we do not shine into the darkness there will be no light!

‘Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’

Expose the darkness and wickedness of this world we live in.
Rescue the exploited and victimized.
Shine the gospel toward the lost and dying.

Every light must have an energy source.

Fire from heaven is our source: Be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5.18)

Read Hymn 573 Set My Heart Afire