Shine The Light of Christ
A Sermon by Elise Beatrice

“Okay, so today we’re reading Luke 8:16-8. 
Please, Lord God, glorious one of Israel, please guide me. Guide us. Teach us your words.
Help us know what You want us to know today. And please bring everyone here present to learn what You want them to learn today and to listen to your words. In Your glorious name, my Lord Jesus, thank You for everything. Thank you for teaching us, my Lord God. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit of Truth, for taking over and guiding us with what You want Him to teach us today.
Thank You, God, in Your glorious name, Jesus. Amen. 

“No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on the stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.
So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.” 
These words are true. And when we look at those words, we see exactly that no one does that. No one indeed lights a lamp and covers it with a bowl or hides it under the bed. So whenever we’re using the light, it is so that people can see and not stumble because the light shows us the way. It shows us the path where to put our foot. So when the Lord is saying to us “a lamp is placed on the stand, where its lights can be seen by all who enter the house.” So, if in our housethere is no lamp, nobody sees, whoever enters will fall. But when we have the light, we put it on the stand where everyone can see in order that they do not fall. So is it just the lamp, like any physical lamp that the Lord is speaking about here? Not really. He’s speaking about the spiritual lamp. For we are speaking here about the spiritual matter, about the battle between good and evil. And while we are in that battle, we don’t fight in the physical way. We fight with the Word of God. So, the Word of God, as the Bible says, is a lamp to our feet. So because once that lamp is showing us the way to put our foot so that we don’t fall into the darkness. So when we put our light to shine, it’s not really the light that we humans are providing. We cannot really shine a light that isn’t there. We cannot shine a different light other than the light that Christ shines. For if we shine the light that the world considers as the light, we fall.We can only rescue someone with the Light of Christ. And we can really shine that light, only when we let Christ in us, when we live for Him, when we live for Him and by His words. 
Lord, your Word is a lamp to my feet. 
So, what is the most efficient light that we can shine that people can see and not fall and not stumble? It’s that same Light: The Word of God. The Word of God that we welcome and store in our hearts and from within us it shines that light because we are equipped with the knowledge of God, with the truth of God and the understanding of God. 
And once we’re equipped, it is in us. And then that light reflects from within us and shines out. We can see properly and everyone who can see that, they will also see.  
Sometimes, we may look at someone and see Christ in them. We may look at someone else, and we see instead darkness. The one who is reflecting the darkness, everyone who goes there will become that darkness too. They will stumble. They will fall. But however, the one who is reflecting the Light of Christ, everyone who sees it will surely know where to go. They will surely understand, “Yes, if I am in that light, I will not fall in the pit. I am surely in the right direction.”
So we can only shine the light when we have what the light needs to be shown in us, when we live by It, and dwell in It, and remain in God’s love and light. But if we are still conforming to the pattern of the world, we are not really shining our light, even if we may know the whole Bible.
So we must understand the words of God and let them inside us, and obey God and live for Him. And by His words. That is only when we are sure to bring someone to see the real light, the light that ought to be in, not the light according to ourselves, but the light according to Christ. 
So, are you able to shine your light until someone sees without God? No. Nobody can shine that light without first obeying God. 
It’s like when the Lord speaks about the blind guides: if you’re blind, if anyone is blind, they cannot help another one to see, and together, you’re all going to fall into the pit. It’s the same with the light. If anyone’s still conforming to the pattern of the world and darkness, they cannot truly shine the light. For if that light was indeed there in the first place, they would not still be embracing the things from the darkness. So we need to be driven by the light, and stay put in the Light and remain in His love. Then, we can then be able to shine that light, and other people will see. 
It is not about how much we smile at people. It is not about what we give to people. It’s about how we obey Christ and let Him use us to indeed shine that light and bring His people to Himself. On our own, without Christ, we can’t do it. It doesn’t matter whether we can smile at someone. Our smile won’t take them to Heaven. We can smile at others as much as we want and even give them whatever they may want, but if we don’t have Christ, we’re still not shining the real light. And if we’re not living for Christ, and by His words, we are still not shining the real light.

“For all that is secrets would eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to us all.”

 So some may claim to shine the light, but not everyone is really shining that light. Whatever they are hiding will be exposed. If we shine the good Light, we produce good fruit. But if we reflect darkness instead, we just produce evil fruit. And even though some may hide it, it will be exposed. “Nothing that is kept secret will remain secret.” It’ll all come into the open. And God will reveal to all who indeed was shining the real light, and those who were pretending to shine the light, but were instead fearing the darkness. 
So I’ve understood the most efficient way to shine that light is to team up with the One who is called the Light, Christ. Because if we are not with Him and obeying Him, we shine completely a different light, something that we are thinking it is the light, but that kind of light that we just think it is the light won’t bring anyone to Christ and won’t bring anyone to Heaven. 
We are now in a broken world, and many are lost and don’t even know how to get out of darkness. And they are looking around. 
Imagine a town where it’s all dark. Yes, and in the midst of that darkness there is a house that is well lit. Wouldn’t anyone see that light? And those who are in the darkness would see that house that is well lit, and they would approach it and come to it, because that light that is shining from afar, they would follow that direction and they wouldeventually get inside that light. And while they are in that light, they are no longer in the dark. 
So the Word of God, Christ is the Light who came to shine in darkness. And though He sits at the right hand of His Father, now, His words that He spoke remain that Light. His words are that lamp that we are meant to shine. Yes. 
So we all need to stand there like the house that is well lit, so that everyone in the darkness can see it. But we cannot do that in the most efficient way without Christ and His words and obedience to Him. Yes, so, we are like the house that God put us in this earth so that we can shine continuously. Let Him shine His Light in that house so that everyone who is in the darkness will see. 

So, Lord, thank you so much, God, for helping us to shine that light as you want us to shine it. For helping us to shine Your Light and not what we think is the light. 
I’ve come to understand that living for You is beautiful. It’s rewarding because You do the job that is hard. You do it for us. You are the One helping us to shine that light. You are the One using us to bring Your people to Yourself, to bringthose who are lost back to Yourself. 
So I thank You, Glorious Father, for what You do, for what Your Son does, for what Your Holy Spirit does.
And I thank You, my Lord Jesus, for what Your Father does, for what You do, for what Your Holy Spirit does. We thank You, God, and we bless You for Your willingness to save people, for Your willingness to forgive people, for Your love that You have and that You so generously want to give it to everyone. I just pray, my God, that many will see that light. But first, there must be that light to shine for them to see. 
I pray, my Lord God, that You will help Your leaders of churches to truly understand the meaning of that light, for many are lost in the dark, and they are looking for the light where the light is, and most of them are not seeing because many are not really shining that light. They’re not really seeing. 
I pray that You bless those who are faithful to You, and who are really shining that light and striving their best to do it for the sake of all those who are in darkness so that they can see and come back to You so that they are safe. 
Thank You, Lord God, for Your continuous patience with us, for Your love, undying love that’s always there for us.
You’re always willing to pour Your love in us, even in the hearts of those who may have lost touch with reality. So I thank You, God, for what You do every day and for everyone You save every day. 
In Jesus name, I pray. Thank You, Lord God. 
We love You, and we bless You. Please help us all, beginning in each home, to be with You indeed, for then, we will know how to help other people outside.
Thank You, God, for Your grace and Your mercy and Your love, Your joy and deliverance from evil. 
In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.”

LFAS3 Church