Hi and welcome to the Via Zion Summon Podcast.
We are a local church based here in Chennai, India.
We are so glad you are with us and hope that this will
encourage, inspire and instill fresh faith in you.
Our theme for the year 2024 is set apart and today we look at
how he sets us apart in a Dark World to be his lights.
We hope and pray that as you listen, you would be challenged
to live such a life of impact and influence in the places
where He has situated you. Hi Church.
It's a joy and a privilege to be sharing God's Word with you
today. And even as we take some time to
meditate, we're still in our entire New Year theme, which is
set apart. And I believe that God is
working in and through us. And especially as He's working,
there are so many areas that God's revealing to us that He
wants us to be set apart in. So even before you go into God's
Word, I just want to quickly say a word of prayer, that even as
we hear His Word, for those of you listening and for those of
you watching, that it will fall on the good soil of our hearts,
that it can bear a harvest. Loving Heavenly Father, I pray
even as we hear from your Word and even as I speak.
I pray that Lord, you would cover me.
You would pray that Lord, even as I speak, will be your words
that are coming. And I pray specifically that as
we meditate on your word, that the hearts will be in tune, our
spirit man will be able to receive it.
And that, Lord, we will be able to make changes in our lives so
that we will be able to allow you to do your work in and
through US. Lord, be with us.
In your most free name we pray. Amen.
Amen.
So even as we continue on with our sermon series set apart till
date, we've seen in the New year we saw set apart as a church.
How are we set apart? And then we saw we are set about
by the Father. We set apart through His Son,
Jesus Christ. And then we saw through the Holy
Spirit also we have set about, we have branded.
In fact, it says that we are, you know, marked by the Holy
Spirit. And I believe it's in that
marking that we start living it out every day, you know, dying
to ourselves. And I believe as we heard, that
we the following part after that was to know God.
We just don't come to terms of the fact.
You know what, I know Him, so there's nothing much more.
But I have a deep thirst and a longing to want to know him so
that I can understand his revelation clear.
I can understand what he wants me to say.
I can understand him clear every day I thirst after him.
So even as we step into God's word today, the title for my
sermon today is set apart to shine.
And the minute you hear this, you're probably thinking, OK,
why? Why are we talking about the
shine? Because if for a lot of us,
shining is intimidating, if we've probably felt that
pressure right from our school, our college, we probably have
been the ones who avoided, you know, like really being the
front of everything. We probably have avoided being,
you know, being out there and making ourselves probably
comfortable hiding in the shadows.
We are comfortable in the background, but some of us are
there who'd love to shine. But as we hear this, I believe
God wants us to understand that when we are set apart for him,
he wants us to shine. Why does he want us to shine?
I believe that because he's working in and through us.
Because we have the living God inside us.
A lot of times we just think, you know what?
Jesus is a far thing. Yes, he says he's close to me,
but I don't feel like I'm settable.
But God saying I am here to say that I'm setting you apart to
shine too long. We as Christ followers have been
timid too long. We as Christ followers have been
ashamed too long. We as Christ followers are like,
you know what? It's better if I just sit this
one out. But God saying no, I've placed
you at the point of time. I've placed you in a time in
history for you to be set apart so you can shine.
What do you shine? That's what we'll be seeing
today. Why are we called to shine?
So that we'll be able to give God the glory.
We'll be able to give God the glory so that we'll be able to
point everyone to Jesus. A lot of us have been gotten
comfortable with the dark. If I have to ask you how many of
you love Moody lit places. Like even right now, as you're
seeing this, there are pockets in which we've lit the
background just so that I as a speaker can stand out.
Those that that lot of fundamentals with regard to
lighting when it comes to, you know, filming and things like
that. But as we move, we also realise
that there are dark spaces within us.
If this was my heart, you will see there are places which are
lit, there are places which are dark, but God wants us to light
it so that we'll be able to see everything clear.
And oftentimes we have to come to terms, the fact that if Jesus
is in US, he's going to light up every area if we give control.
Because when we read in Revelation, we see Jesus says
behold, I'm standing at the door and knocking.
And every time when he knocks are we giving him full access or
are we giving him part access or are we just giving him a day
pass or are we just giving him an hourly pass to say God, you
can only come in at this time of the day, but God saying can I
come in. The second thing why we are
called to shine is because once we have received hope, we need
to emit that hope out to this world.
The world needs hope and oftentimes the only people that
they will have direct contact in which they can see a physical
sense of hope is you and me. So today if God's placed you
know place where he's asking you to shine.
So that is hope will be visible. A lot of us today have heard the
saying, you know, we we think you know in whatever life throws
at us. We think that there's a silver
lining, you know, at the end of the tunnel.
And a lot of times you've gotten so comfortable with the darkness
and that little bit of light there.
Because we think, you know, that's the end.
I don't need. I don't need that light.
I know I can. I've gotten comfortable with
stumbling, groping things around here and defining my way.
But God's saying no, I'm setting apart to.
God is saying today that I'm setting you apart so you can
shine, so you can shine boldly. You'll get comfortable in all of
the light and today My reference passage today is from Matthew,
chapter 5, verses 14 to 16. I'm reading from the Amplified,
and this is what it says. You are the light of Christ to
the world. A city set on a hill cannot be
hidden, nor does anyone light a lamb and put it under a basket,
but on a lamb stand. And it gives light to all those
who are in the house. Let your light shine before men
in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral
excellence and recognize and honor and glorify your Father,
who is in heaven. Even as we read this.
As you're going to meditate on this, this is probably a
familiar passage. You know, we've sung a lot of
songs about shining a light, this little light of mine.
Let it shine. But as we go into this, I want
us to have our hearts open. And as we read from verse 14,
the first verse says you are the light of Christ to the world.
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
The first thing that I would like for us to make a note is
our source really matters. If we are called to be set apart
to shine, our source matters. Why does our source matter?
In 2024? Why does our source matter?
Because today, as Christ follow us, if you're not careful, we
will somehow be illuminating what culture is dictating us.
You know, I was just reading an entire article of what 2024
looks like in this in this busy world today and when it When I
read these are three key things that came out from that article,
it said the Creator economy keeps growing.
What does that mean? It means that there are man
driven agendas all around today. We are living in a creator
centric world. We have YouTube video creators,
we have Instagram video creators, we have creators of
all sorts and we are driven by that.
We think we're coming up with the next big idea for those of
you who've are already subscribed and following all
these people like, you know, Mr. Thank You, Mr. Beast, and those
who are constantly putting out content and churning out and
they're trying to do so much good and all that.
But there's man behind the driven agenda.
There's something that's driving them and yet it feels like
there's still emptiness in that, so that economy keeps going.
And so if you're not careful of what we are called and what we
are set about to shine, we'll start taking all this.
The second thing we see that our brands today are starting to
become more socially aware. They're becoming more, you know,
giving more importance to activism and things like that.
And we see that those are all man made.
We suddenly will make it a purpose that we'll start shining
our light for all of Man Made's purpose.
Good works is good. Social injustice is good.
Climate change is good. All that is good.
But know when you're a Christ follower there's a far bigger
light. God's calling you to shine.
You're so smart. Us today.
The third thing is when I read the current trends, this was
nostalgia drives entertainment. If you notice, we are living in
the remix after remix. We are living in the remix after
the remix. My wife still loves Backstreet
Boys and you know, in the car every time she gets hold of the
Spotify. When it's her turn, she plays
Backstreet Boys and surprisingly they came out with an album last
year. They are trying to stay
relevant. They came out of their
Millennium album back in 2000. I remember listening to it in a
cassette and then I was able to get ACD off it.
But when you live, we we see man is always going back.
They're going back to yesteryear's glory, man's glory,
man driven, man made, and man glory.
Everything revolves around man and the importance that he
thinks he's bringing. How many remakes of movies have
happened? 25 years old movie have been
remade and yes, it's done exceptionally well.
But God's asking no. Will you as Christ followers,
Will you as my followers make me your only source today?
The culture will come and go, but the constant thing as Christ
follows is our source remains the same.
The Greek word for light in this sense in verse 14 is force which
means luminousness. And it's interesting, We as
human beings are actually a non luminous object.
We ourselves, in our own right, don't have anything to shine.
But the minute Jesus comes in, he's saying you start becoming
luminous. He changes our long, luminous
nature into a luminous one. We start receiving, we start
showcasing that light. We just aren't reflecting, but
we are having the source within us, so that's why we are so
tender. Many a times when we are
struggling in our faith, our light dims.
But when we are encouraged in our faith, when we dive deep
into God's word, when we are dwelling, when we are digging
deep wells, our light shines brighter within us.
The source really matters. So today we are just not
reflecting Him. We are having His light within
Him, and that's the power the Holy Spirit has within us when
He takes us to the places He wants us to know.
Geshon, your sources me. Take me into these places.
Take me into your bedroom. Take me into your offices.
Take me into your workplaces. Take me into the place where you
meet with your friends. Take me into your dining table
conversations. You become the source for Jesus
to shine through you. So today I would ask you, as
much as we stay relevant to all these topics in culture, may we
know that we are set apart to shine.
In John chapter 8, verse 12 Jesus says this.
He says when Jesus spoke again to the people he said I am the
light of the world. Whoever follows me will never
walk in darkness but will have the light of life.
It's a well known verse. A lot of us have probably just
taken that first section of the words.
I am the light of the world. Jesus said I am the light of the
world. In message it says this little
bit more in detail for us to understand with regards to our
everyday walk. It says in verse 12, Jesus once
again undressed them. I am the world's light.
No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness.
I provide plenty of light to live in.
So today, if you're stumbling, if you're stumbling in your
faith, if you're stumbling in pornography, if you're stumbling
and texting that other person who you should not be, if you're
unhappy with your spouse and you're stumbling away, may you
go back to the source who's calling you to be set apart when
you are set apart, when his light is working in and through
you, he lights up every area. He lights up every area.
If you're stumbling in bitterness, I pray that you'll
be able to partake of his joy and his love.
If you're stumbling because you're coveting someone else's
wealth, may you know that because his light shines in you,
the covetousness will change to contentment.
Move to where the light is calling you towards.
Allow the King of Glory to come in.
When he comes in, his light will shine into every area.
As I mentioned earlier, we've lit pockets over here so that it
looks good, but God's saying no. When I come, I want to shine it
so bright. When we film here in a daylight,
we don't have to use any lights. Everything is lit and it's so
nice. It just cleanses.
Everything light cleanses and I believe God wants to cleanse us
inside. When we are intentional about
our source, who's Jesus? Who's within us, who set us
apart, we start emitting Jesus around.
We suddenly are lubed as we are starting to bring light.
And what does that bringing light look like?
It looks like the qualities of Jesus as he walked here on this
earth. And So what does that?
How do we cultivate that? How do we allow, how do we
nurture that light to really shine?
We allow His Holy Spirit to work in and through us.
Quiet times matter. The time I go back to His word
to read, to meditate, that matters because that's where I'm
able to fuel the light that is within me.
We who've received His light are consciously aware of sin.
We know that when we stumble, God, this is not of you.
We are quick to repent. We are quick to go to the cross.
We're quick to say, God, I'm sorry this, this very thought
that I had this jealous thought that I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have been having it as your child.
So today Church, I would ask you can we go back to our source
who's Jesus? For those of you who've not made
your source as Jesus, I would invite you on this journey.
We are set apart so that we can shine Jesus.
The second thing we read from this verse in Matthew chapter 5
is his light gives us the confidence to stand and not
hide. When we read in Matthew chapter
5, verse 15, it says nor does anyone light a candle and put it
under a basket but on a lamp stand and it gives light to all
who are in the house. As followers of Jesus, Jesus is
asking us would we come to a place of being bold enough to
overcome fear and to take that lamp and keep it out.
Which means when I step out, I'm confidently taking Jesus out.
I don't lock him up in my house and go out as Gershom.
No, I take Jesus in me outside, which means there are places
where I may not walk. There are places doors, which I
don't open. There are meetings which I
probably don't have to sit under.
There are dinner things which I need don't have to be partaking,
of which the Holy Spirit will Alert me to.
There are some battles which I may not have to go into because
God's telling me those are not your battles, those are not
yours to carry. I might hold it in prayer.
I'll pray for them. But I may not indulge in certain
things because of the sake, because I will realise me being
set apart comes at a cost. My light, which I shine with
Jesus being at the center, comes at a cost.
Anything that I allow when will dampen it, will cause it to
darken, will cause the light to be dull.
And this is what it says in James chapter one verses 23 to
25. For if anyone who listens to the
word without obeying it, he's like a man who looks very
carefully at his natural face in a mirror.
For once he has looked at himself and has gone away, he
immediately forgets what he looked like.
But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of
liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a
careless listener who forgets but can an active doer who
obeys, he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does
in his life of obedience. There are a couple of things
that stand out in this. In verse 25 it says but he who
looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty.
It's funny that you know, you have this word that says perfect
law and the law of liberty, which means we still live this
life, that of freedom that Jesus gives with certain constraints,
with certain guard rails, because it protects us, it
protects us. So which means what are some of
the things that God's alerting you today?
Because when the light starts working in you, when you put it
out there, you will also guard the area that God's calling you.
To stand confidently, we need to do 2 things that we we need to
do 2 things that when we hear when we read this word, we need
to do 2 things. The first one, we need to move
from just being careless listeners to being careful
listeners. The light changes the way we
listen. We suddenly are careful.
We know every word that God's telling us matters.
Every promise that God speaks to us matters.
His word is just not working in this season.
But it's also preparing me for the season to come.
It's also a revelation of what I need to be doing in the future,
of what God's calling me to do. So today, have you been
careless? We many times have taken the
Susan because we've hidden the light and we're not confident
enough to stand out because we're scared of the world.
We're scared of the people who will bully us.
We're scared of the people who will mock us.
We're scared of the people who will target us.
But Jesus is saying if you're confident enough and your faith
is in me, you'll become careful listeners and not careless
listeners. Careless listeners are one who
you just take it in one ear and leave it you.
You look in the face. You don't remember how you've
seen yourself or how you look careful as you pay attention to
everything. You note it down.
You meditate on his word, Psalms, one says.
You meditate on his law day and night.
The second thing is inactive doers to active doers.
When you're inactive, you have the light, but you just.
You know what? I'll hide it.
I don't want to be active. I don't want to be an active
Christian. Because you know what?
I can't live. I can't be the happening life
with God saying if you're following me, if you're being
set apart, if I am causing you to stand and shine that light,
that light which will last through your generation, you
will be an active doer of his word.
Active doer. I do understand there are
seasons when we take a backseat, but it's in the backseat.
God still moves you to minister. God still moves you to
encourage. God still moves you to
strengthen. A lot of people today are taking
a backseat because it's not comfortable for them.
The Christian walk is not meant for you to be comfortable, it's
for God to make you uncomfortable so that you'd be
comfortable only in him. The journey is never meant to be
comfortable. We've built cars and station
wagons and tempos and all that to make a journey comfortable.
But the Christian walk is 1 where we are comfortable.
In Jesus, the journey will be hard, and that requires us to
have these two things core to us.
When Jesus is our light, active listening, careful listening,
and active doing. A lot of people today are
struggling to find what God's calling us to do.
We are waiting for that one big thing to happen and we know what
God It's in your everyday doing that God reveals what you have
to do. A good friend of mine, Jeremy,
his wife, when I, when we had met him, we were catching up,
was saying she loves doing laundry.
And mind you, in their house they're like at a given time, at
least 10 people. And when she said that, she
said, you know what, That's where I am closest to God.
That's where I am able to meditate.
That that that that's my zone. Find your zone.
Because when you find your zone, you'll be able to listen to him
carefully. Find your zone because it's in
that everyday doing that you will be able to find the plan
and purpose for your life. And couple of things that we
have to take as we keep our light over here so that we can
confidently shine bright is that we need to stop being
disobedient today. If God's alerting you if you've
hidden your light far too long, stop being disobedient.
Take the light and put it out there.
Let the people know. Yes, probably you compromised a
year back, but now you can make a fresh start.
Probably you've been giving in to that temptation time and
again. But here you can still make your
body holy so that you're ready for marriage.
If you've been struggling with a certain kind of addiction, take
a confidence stand today in Jesus so that you will be
obedient to what he's calling you to do.
Tina constantly has been talking to our youth, discipleship about
this. As you go into this world, as
you meet with other people you know many times you build walls
to protect us. But when you allow the Holy
Spirit, he'll build walls with gates so that at those moment
where he tells you now is your time to talk, open the gate,
minister. Listen, allow them in.
You'll be able to do it. Second thing is when you are set
apart to shine, I mean, God is calling you to be on the table
so that you can shine brighter. You need to stick with it.
Don't just say, you know what? I was shining his light in my
20s. Now in my 30s after getting
married. I want to put it down.
Don't. Don't.
It rather has to be more brighter now.
Your kids have to see it. Your family, your extended
family has to see that you are able to take a stand for Jesus
for what you believe in. So we are set apart to shine.
So stick with it. Let's be people of conviction.
There are three levels of conviction.
When I always look I need to have a personal conviction and a
vision for my own self. Then my family who I'm getting
married into will be able to have a conviction for them as a
family together and 3rd as a community.
We can have a vision and conviction for ourselves
together. And the reason why I'm saying
this is if we lack in one, it spills over to the other.
A lot of us today are so guarded about our family convictions and
whatever, and there's so much that we forget about our own.
But today I would ask us, can we first start with our own
personal convictions? Not my spouse's conviction, but
my own. What is God asking me?
And the more I look at it like one of our church members, Eddie
his, I was observing their family closely during their
wedding time of Eddie's younger brother.
It's very evident that Auntie has a very personal conviction
and a vision for her life, even though she's been a widow for
the longest. That translates into a family's
vision and conviction and that automatically transmits to a
larger family vision and conviction.
And as I was seeing that, I realized God, if I'm if I look
at that auntie, one thing I can see is she was obedient to your
call. She's stuck with your promises
and we can see the reward of that happening.
And so today when you are called and when you're called to be
placed that to shine. Life will be hard, shining will
be hard. Remember, light pushes through
darkness, light pushes through that.
So we need to keep that posture of pushing so that we are
pushing ourselves through darkness.
We cannot allow the darkness to overcome us.
So even today, as God's calling you to shine, I would ask for
you if you're a Christian, probably you're just, you know,
shining it for two hours on a Sunday.
And mind you, in a week we have 168 hours. 168 -, 2 is just 166.
And I ask and ask you that you would move from just being
confidently. A lot of us are confidently
shining the light for those two hours.
But God's saying, no, I want more active doers from a Monday
to a Saturday. A lot of us, you know, have
orchestrated our lives so much that we are around people who we
think Find people where you can start sharing the love of
Christ. Find people where you can start
encouraging them. Find people.
Whoever God intersects in your life, let them have a taste and
a glimpse of heaven here on earth.
We are set apart to bring heaven here on earth.
So for that to happen, for us to be more effective in these 168
hours, we need to overcome fear. A lot of us are captivated by
fear so much that we are like, you know what, God?
I will hide it underneath so no one else will see.
It will be a closeted thing, but God saying no.
I want you to open it out and shine your light.
Put it out there. The season has come.
Revival is here for us to shine. Set apart to shine so that
others will be able to see it. His light causes us to shine and
take it to those who are hurting so that we can point them to
Jesus. But in that mess, maybe also
develop a personal vision and a conviction which will translate
to our families, which will move on to our communities and as I
said earlier, maybe be careful listeners and active doers.
The third thing his light. When he's our source, his light
transforms us and we are radiant.
There are two distinct stories when I when I was meditating on
this as it says, you know, in verse 16, it says Matthew 516.
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see
your good deeds and moral excellence, and recognize and
honor and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
There are two distinct stories, and I've taken those two
different passages that I want us to meditate on.
One is from Exodus chapter 34. The other one is from Acts
Chapter 9. Exodus 34 says this.
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the 2 tablets with
the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face
was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.
When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face
was radiant and they were afraid to come near him.
Now here, Moses didn't know that because he was spending more
time with God, he had actually taken a lot of that light
direct. His face was radiant.
And I believe today when we are set apart, our face has to be
radiant. When people look at you, they
need to see that. They need to see that radiant
face and be like, you know what? I want to go and talk to her.
I can share something with her. And I know there's some hope
that I can see in that person's face.
Is our face radiating with hope or is our face radiating with
fear? A lot of us have this fear of
like when our faces are radiated with fear.
You know what? Don't come near me.
I don't have time for you. You know what?
Don't come near me. I can't spend time with you or
don't come near me. You know I'm I'm too good.
I can't spend time with you. We have some kind of bias.
But God saying if you carry the light of Jesus in you, you will
be radiant. And what does it mean radiant?
It means that Greek word here is Quran to send out raise what he
got from God was send out what he got from God.
And so today if we need to have this light transform us, we need
to spend time with the person who will transform us.
The more we spend time with him, the more radiant we become and
the more radiant we become. It's not for us to go on a
higher pedestal. It's what would say God.
May you increase and may I decrease.
Our encounter with Jesus is meant for total transformation.
Acts, Chapter 9 verses 1 to 9 is when Saul is on the road to
Damascus and he encounters the light.
No one else could hear him. They saw a bright light, but
only Saul could see the light, was blinded by it and could
hear. And I believe God wants to have
that transformational experience with each and every one of us,
that the moment where our lives were transformed is so important
that we need to make a note. We need to say and use that as a
pivotal point to tell people, this is where God met me.
This is where God changed me once and for all.
And what does the transformation look like?
My current situation doesn't dictate it.
When you look at Saul's situation, he was going after
the Christians there who Christ follows.
He was about to enter into a city of Damascus to persecute.
He had every authority to go into, but everything changed.
He went there. He received Jesus as his Lord
and personal Savior, spent a few years and then went about doing
the mission of God. Active listening.
Careful listening, active doing. And so today I want you to come
to a place of saying, you know what?
I want to be transformed by this light, this transformed life
that I live, causes me to shine so that others one year we are
transformed by the light that I shine.
You know, I was in Dhaka last year and I was, you know,
talking with one of those people there.
And the story goes along like this, where one beggar family
came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ a year or two back,
and this lady used to beg, she received Jesus.
She started shining the light of Jesus, and soon her beggar
friend also realized that she needed this hope that her friend
has and she and her husband experienced the gift of
salvation. And then sooner or later they
come into the waters of baptism. And today they are running a
home fellowship of leading many others into the saving grace.
So today what happens in these kind of stories when we listen,
it's that when one person catches the light and when they
are transformed, it passes on, it passes on.
We are able to do good deeds because of the transformation
that happens. Good deeds is an outcome of
that. Because of the transformation
happens, we are able to live, right?
So today if you're condemning yourself, you're if you're in a
place of shame and guilt of you know what I've not lived right?
Now is the time for transformation to happen.
I love Jesus to come in and do the thing that he needs to do in
and through you, because he can change everything around.
He first will change us before he can change the situation.
Because remember when Jesus was walking here on these on the
earth, when he was touching people and healing them, He
healed them but he gave them a condition.
He said go and sin no more. He said go and live right.
Your healing doesn't cause you to live however you like.
No, it comes with its boundaries.
Christian walk comes. It's that perfect law and
perfect freedom. It's a law of freedom and the
law of liberty that we live in that that tension.
And so today may the transformational light cause you
to live, live doing what God's called you to do.
Good deeds will happen only when your inside is allowed, is
flooded with this light. Good deeds will happen only when
you're able to allow it to permeate into your decision
making, into your spirit man, into your soulmate, so you can
live the way God's calling you to live so that generations
ahead of you will be blessed. So today, what is the call for
all of us? What is the call for all of us?
Because we all want to shine this light.
We all want to shine this light. A lot of us today are still
stuck in this whole, you know, old paradigm of WWG of what
would Jesus do. We, we, we contemplate, we think
we are like, you know what? What will Jesus do?
And we fail to do anything. We're just thinking.
We're just debating. We're just arguing.
We're just like finding we've become critics rather.
But God saying can you be do us today.
Because if you are seeing that your setup are to shine you need
to start doing it. Light produces, you need to
start moving and taking me into your spaces.
You need to I need to see things change.
You know I love what Craig Rochel says, especially it's one
of the things they keep plastered around life church and
I was visiting time and again I've gone there.
I've seen this that we will do anything short of sin to reach
people who don't know Christ, anything short of sin.
So which means there are so many avenues for us to really
participate. Each of us are so uniquely made
by a Creator that each of us will uniquely reach whoever we
are called to reach. And all of that is important.
That's just not one way, it's one way Jesus.
But there are many ways to tell about him.
And so today the challenge is in this 2024, how are you telling?
How are you? Because you have the capacity
and the uniqueness of taking that light and keeping it in the
space that God's called you to take.
I'm doing it in the space God's called me to take.
And just remember, as each of us stand there, we all stand and
support one another, strengthen one another, encourage one
another. God wants us to be intentional.
You know, you and I have not been called to fulfill a small
Commission. We have been called to fulfill
the Great Commission. And the Great Commission
requires the church not to love people with the small love of
Jesus Christ, but with the big love of Jesus Christ.
A lot of us, especially, you know, as we've been progressing
year on year, I've been seeing a lot of people who come into
church and say, you know what, we love a small fellowship.
But the problem is we don't serve a small God.
If we serve a small God having a small fellowship, our love for
people also will be small. But we start small.
We have started small. And what we have seen time and
again year on year when we go back and ask God, God, what are
you wanting me to do? He is saying pour out the love
that I have given on you to the people who come.
And people keep coming because we are serving a big God.
We are serving a Great Commission which requires us all
to be in active duty. All of us, if you're 50 or 50 of
us, have to be in active duty If you're 100 hundred of us.
If it's thousand thousand of us, Just remember we only are stuck
with a certain percentage of people being active to the call
and Commission that God's called us this.
Imagine of each of us understood this, of being set apart to
shine. We all will be carrying His
right. So today may I ask, as I
conclude as I head, towards concluding that our faith will
move us to action. Our faith will not make us
critics and reviewers and you know, people who are just by the
bystanders. But we'll become active doers.
We'll be keen, keen listeners and active doers.
You know, even before I conclude, I just had had two
thoughts. One of the things we do with
regard to cinematography, we need to light and as I mentioned
we light in filmmaking. Lighting is a whole big
department and there are a couple of in the things that
they use. One is when we have a light
source, we shape that light. So for example, if I have a
light source pointing this way and I don't want the light to
fall on the left side, I use a material or a stand with a
material called a flag, a Black Flag and that cuts off any light
that can fall onto the left side.
And today a lot of us have so many flags on our light and God
saying can you remove all those flags we have shaped, we have
cut off light. We are saying God you don't have
to shine light on my finances. God, you don't need to shine
light onto my phone. You know I don't want you to
shine light onto the messages onto those VMS that I'm sending
out, onto those pictures I'm sending out.
No, I don't want to shine your light onto these relationships
into these people that I'm this constant.
Know the minute I'm a follower of Jesus and when I ask his
light to shine, it shines on everything.
So today, Church, God's asking, will you remove the flags from
your life? A lot of us have not allowed his
light to shine on our emotional part.
A lot of us are struggling in so many emotional areas and we are
saying God, you are not Your Holy Spirit is a council.
But I need, I need to find my own way to deal with this.
I love Jesus into it because he will take it away that because
Jesus wants to be in every part of each other.
So can we remove that flag the 2nd?
Thing which God reminded me, and I believe a lot of us have as
Christians have gotten so comfortable, is to use this
sheet we call these diffusion sheets, you know, scrims,
screens. And we always put it in front of
a light source. And what happens is that evenly
spreads it. And I feel, and I strongly feel
the Holy Spirit was saying too long.
You Christians have put too many screens.
You've, you know, diluted the gospel.
You're making this gospel look very pretty.
You're making this gospel look. You're removing the rawness.
There's a certain amount of harshness when the light hits
directly remove, remove every form of diffusion sheet that
you've put. Because I'm not here to diffuse
the truth doesn't diffuse it. It's the same that the
directness of the truth remains the same.
And so today, can we allow his light to shine that way?
Because today, what happens when we put the few sheets Sunday?
We come as a good Christian. We come as a nice person.
We come across as a nice person. Oh, this person listens to me.
Oh, this person. No.
Let us come across as genuine as how we are to the people you
have to listen to. We listen.
When the Holy Spirit prompts to say something, we obediently
say. We won't say a word to break
them or to our words would be carefully measured.
And I pray that even as we as the Holy Spirit works, because
this season is where the Holy Spirit is shaping us, he doesn't
want us to have any of this. As we enter into the new season,
into this remainder of this year, into the years to come,
he's saying, can you remove the flag?
Can you remove this diffusion sheets?
Let me be the sole person who is shining the light.
A lot of us have marred those crims with our experiences.
And so if we think of Jesus through that experience, we
think exactly through that. Don't we don't see the wholeness
of who he is? Jesus is wanting to change us.
A light that shines like the city on a hill.
It's visible. People should see the visible
sign that Jesus is in US and working in and through us.
So let his light shine. Let his hope be seen in and
through us. Even before I conclude, I want
to read a verse from Isaiah chapter 16, verses one and two,
and this is what it says. As I conclude, I believe it's a
promise for us, for those of us who are making that commitment
for allowing him to shine. It says, Arise, Jerusalem, let
your light shine for all to see, for the glory of the Lord rises
to shine on you. Darkness as black as night,
covers all the nations of the earth.
But the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.
All nations will come to your light.
Mighty kings will come to see your radiance.
So church, even as I close, you might be like, you know what?
I'm still scared. I'm still worried.
Jesus is within you. The one who's within you is
greater than one who's in the world.
I pray that you'll have the confidence, the confidence stand
and not to hide that light. And I pray the one who
transformed you will work in and through you to transform others,
so that you will be glowing with radiance.
So would you arise each and everyone, Would you arise all
those who are listening to us, would you arise all those who
are watching us. For the glory of the Lord rises
to shine on you. Can we pray, our loving heavenly
Father, Lord, we thank you, Lord, for this time.
Thank you, Lord. Even as we have heard your word,
I Commission each and everyone of us, Lord Jesus, in the name
of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit that we all will rise up
Boldly. We declare that Jesus, you are
our only source. Jesus, we are sorry for hiding
you under a table, covering you up.
But today, with confidence, which comes from you, strength,
which comes on you, we take and put you on the stand so that you
will be able to shine amongst everyone who walks up path.
I pray your light, which transforms us, will move out of
us, so that will transform others around us.
That we will be radiant a lot. That we will be able to glorify
you, that we will be able to lift you up in all
circumstances. Be glorified, be honored.
We ask that you would go before us.
Bless this week for us, Lord Jesus, as we step out, that we
bless the work of our hands. Strengthen us.
Your most holy Name we pray. Amen.
So, Church, even as you step
out, I pray that God will bless you, that He'll cause you to
stand and shine so that you need to bring Jesus into this world.
And remember, you are set apart to shine.
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