ITS LIT BE LIT. Wayne Chaff What does God say about light? Genesis 1:1-4 (NIV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. Before God created plants, animals, and humans, God created a light on the very first day because there can be no life without light! By the way, did you notice the power of God? God just spoke and it happened! Psalm 36:9 - For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Illustration // Close your eyes for a moment What do you see? How important is light? Without light, there will be no life! In the dark, there will be no life! WHY IS LIGHT IMPORTANT 1. DIRECTION AND GUIDANCE Exodus 13:21 (NIV) a. By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
God had to physically lead the Israelites through the desert, WHY? They really didn t know where they were going. Remember they have been enslaved for 400 years and you talking about people who have never been anywhere except home and the mud pit to make bricks. So they had no Idea where they were going. God wanted them to get used to following His lead. He knew Life in the new world was going to start out tough and He wanted them to realize He was the answer to their problems and their obstacles. LIGHT UNTO MY PATH Psalm 119:105 NIV Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Illus when parents lit the path children can follow // but because its lit they begin to explore and discover // when the miss the mark don t criticize you light the path. Things change! From one decade to the next things change! Telephone to a cellphone Vhs tapes -à Blu Ray player Letters to a text message. Cassette tape à MP3 player
2. REVELATION James 1:23-24 (NIV). 'Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.' God's Word is like a mirror. We use mirrors to evaluate ourselves. We look in a mirror to assess the damage from the night before. Then we do something about it. What good is a mirror if we don't do anything about what we see? God says a mirror reflects what we're like on the outside and God's Word reflects what we're like on the inside. HOW USEFUL IS THE MIRROR IN THE DARK The word of God is the light! S - Is there a sin to confess? P - Is there a promise to claim? A - Is there an attitude to change? C - Is there a command to obey? E - Is there an example to follow? P - Is there a prayer to pray? E - Is there an error to avoid? T - Is there a truth to believe? S - Is there something to thank God for?
Psalm 119:11 (NLT) 'I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.' Because if your word is inside me it will reveal things that are not of you. 3. SAFEST PLACE TO LIVE IT BEGINS WITH LIGHT Plato once said: We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark: the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. John 1:1-4 NIV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. (NIV) Without the word of God // we are all in darkness //
The New Testament clearly tells us that Jesus is the light, which shines on those walking in the land of the shadow of death. 1. "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12 (NIV) 2. " the true light that give light to every man was coming into the world." John 1:9 (NIV) 4. TRANSFORMATION Letting the light shine on you is going to change you. 1. It will change your priorities- "You are the light of the world." Matthew 5:14 2. It will change your behavior- "Live as children of light." Ephesians 5:18 3. It will change your standing before God- "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. Ephesians 5:9 For the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),