In the Bible, light is good and darkness is bad. We live in a dark world that desperately needs light. Our two texts point us to the light, and what it has to do with us.
I. John 8:12 - Jesus is the light of the world. A. We see the challenge of walking in the light: "He that follows me....." If we plan to be the light, we will have to follow Jesus. B. We see the fact of the light: If we follow Jesus, we will not walk in darkness.... C. We see the promise of the light: "but shall have the light of life.... If we follow Jesus in faith, we will have Jesus, the light of the world, in our lives. II. Matthew 5:14-16 - We are the light of the world. A. First, it is not our light, but the light of Jesus shining on, in and out of us. The source of moonlight is the sun...The source of our light is "Son" light. B. Second, if we have His light we reflect it by sharing it and by living the light before the world. 1. We can reflect Christ's light by our attitudes... Sour attitudes do little to make us shine. 2, We can reflect Christ's light by our actions. Example: How we treat those who serve us, etc. 3. We can reflect it by what we say to people. Dr. R.G. Lee saw this epitaph in a cemetery in England: "Here in silent clay, Lies Miss Arabelle Young, Who on the 21st of May, Began to hold her tongue." C. Third, when we reflect Christ's light, we bring glory to God: "glorify our Father which art in heaven. Jesus is the light of the world, and He enables us to be His lights in our dark world. Based on how you live your life, are you one of Jesus' lights?
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Paul wanted to go to Rome as a witness, not as a sightseer (vs. 13). In fact, he was a "debtor" to those people, which means he thought he owed it to them to tell them about Jesus. We can learn from Paul's spirit here and be better witnesses. I see
three elements of witnessing here that we need to pay attention to. I. The first element is boldness. "I am not ashamed..." A. Verse 15 - He was not just unashamed, he was eager to share the gospel with the "sophisticated" Romans. B. Stop and think: What is there to be ashamed of? Jesus? Bible? Faith in Jesus? Being heaven bound? The Great Commission? Nothing here to be ashamed of. C. If we are serious about being witnesses, we must be bold about it. II. The second element is "the gospel of Jesus Christ." A. What we have to share is the good news about Jesus Christ. 1. About His incarnation. 2. About His being the promised Messiah. 3. About His perfect life and His ministry to the world in His day. 4. About His victorious death on the cross. 5. About His resurrection and His coming again. B.It is the good news about salvation for everyone who will believe in Jesus. "The power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes." C. It is personal good news about our own experience of salvation in Jesus. We can share with people what He has done for us. III. The third element is that the gospel is inclusive. "....to the Jew first and also to the Greek." A. It is not just for people like us, or who agree with us. B. It is not just for people brought up in the church, but the "down and out" as well as the "up and out." C. The gospel of Jesus is for the whole world. This means that we should witness and minister where we are and pray for and give to missions around the world. Which of these elements can we leave out and be true witnesses of Jesus Christ? Let's claim all of these elements of Christian witness. |
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