1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,080 We are one church. We love God, love people, love 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:06,960 His mission, and love His church. 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:09,560 Welcome to the One Church podcast. 4 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:17,840 We are talking about the words of Jesus. 5 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,960 Jesus words change our lives. Jesus words have changed my life 6 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,920 and they can change yours. And today our words that we 7 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:30,280 focus on are Jesus said you are the light of the world. 8 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,680 Now I love light in our lounge at home. 9 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,080 The first thing we do when we come down the stairs as we turn 10 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,280 the light on, and we don't just turn the main light on, we turn 11 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,120 on the nice lamps around the room. 12 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,560 Because who turns the main light on first thing in the morning? 13 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:46,440 I don't know. The only time the main light 14 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,280 goes on in our house is when we're doing hair or when we're 15 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:50,680 looking for something that's lost. 16 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,360 Other than that, keep it mood lighting and keep it nice and 17 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:55,240 dim. We love lighting in our house. 18 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,080 Last Thursday night you may have realised it started to snow and 19 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:01,000 maybe you watched out the window as it snowed. 20 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,840 We sat in our Conservatory and Annabelle, myself and Philippa, 21 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:07,080 I thought the snow had stopped and she said no. 22 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:09,200 Dad, look at the light of the neighbour's window. 23 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,280 You can see the snow is still falling. 24 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:13,800 And we looked over and you can't see anything in the dark, but 25 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,000 they're against the light of the neighbour's window. 26 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,240 You could clearly see the snow was falling. 27 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,520 Light always shows us the reality of how things are. 28 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,640 It shows us what is real. Jesus words to us today, they're 29 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:27,360 powerful. Why are the words of Jesus 30 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:29,600 powerful? Well, in the New Testament we 31 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,040 see that the words of Jesus can still a storm speak life into 32 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:35,560 somebody that's dead. They command demons to flee. 33 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,440 His words stop a murderous persecutor in his tracts, in 34 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:42,840 the, in the case of Saul and even beyond this earthly 35 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:45,920 ministry, Jesus is the word of God. 36 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,720 And if we go back to Genesis one, we remember this Genesis, 37 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:52,280 the beginning of the Bible and the beginning of all time. 38 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,320 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 39 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,000 Now the earth was formless and empty. 40 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,000 Darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God 41 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:07,640 was hovering over the waters. And God said, so the first thing 42 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:09,639 that we have here is God speaking. 43 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:14,360 God spoke the world into being. He breathed life into us. 44 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,800 He is the personal speaking, breathing, interacting God. 45 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,040 This is his nature. This is who He is. 46 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,800 You have this setup. But then what's the big hook? 47 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,280 And God said, let there be light. 48 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:32,200 The result of the words of God speaking creation into being is 49 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,000 a light. Light is a wonderful thing and 50 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,040 it's a powerful image, and light makes a difference. 51 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:43,240 And when Jesus says something to us like this, you are the light 52 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,560 of the world, it should make us sit up. 53 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:48,080 Take note. He's the one that spoke light 54 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:50,360 into existence. He's the one that brings light 55 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:54,520 to all darkness. And now He calls us by name to 56 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:59,080 go and be light to the world. Matthew 5, verse 14 to 16. 57 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,000 Here we go, You are the light of the world. 58 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:06,520 A town built on a hill cannot be hidden, neither do people light 59 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,080 a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on it's 60 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,200 stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. 61 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:17,560 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they 62 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:22,520 may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 63 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,080 First of all, let's consider the light of a lamp. 64 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,520 The lamplight. Neither do people light a lamp 65 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:31,920 and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its 66 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:35,320 stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. 67 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,920 It's quite hard to imagine the context Jesus is speaking into. 68 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,600 Because we live in a world full of light. 69 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:46,080 We have St lights lighting our way at night time. 70 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,000 We have electric lights powering us. 71 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:50,360 Does everyone remember the day before electric lights? 72 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,000 Does anyone of that era? I'd hope not. 73 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:55,000 I don't think so, unless you're much older than you Look that I 74 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:56,200 don't think anyone remembers that. 75 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:58,720 How about the day before you could go into your pocket and 76 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:00,720 turn on a torch anytime you wanted? 77 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,960 Now I I remember scrabbling round when I was a kid for 78 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,480 batteries for torches, but now I've got one in my pocket 79 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:08,720 anytime. How about the day before 80 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,520 headlights where vehicles couldn't travel at night because 81 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,240 they didn't have a way of lighting the way? 82 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:17,200 Remember this, The world Jesus is speaking into is 1, where St 83 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,600 lights, phone lights, electric lights, headlights. 84 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:22,760 They're not something that people would ever even have a 85 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:26,320 concept of, let alone have in their personal lives. 86 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,680 This is an era where when light is off and when the sun goes 87 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,160 down, work stops because you can't see where you're going. 88 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:37,760 So when Jesus is talking about being a light, the significance 89 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,840 of that is, is not to be underestimated. 90 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,800 And when I think of lamps, I don't know why, but this image 91 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:48,240 that comes into my head when Jesus says no one puts a lamp 92 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:51,080 under a bowl, I'm thinking of our mixing bowl at home and our 93 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:52,920 little clicky electric lamp as well. 94 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,080 But remember, this is the kind of lamp Jesus was talking about. 95 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,560 These are different types of oil lamps that were found from the 96 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,520 era of when Jesus was speaking and walking on the earth. 97 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:04,960 And some of them are quite crazy looking, I've got to say. 98 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,040 But this is the kind of lamp we're talking about. 99 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,000 It's a lamp that is filled with oil with a Wick at one end. 100 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,000 It's lit, and then the oil inside burns. 101 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,360 And usually they last from anywhere from as little as 30 102 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,920 minutes up to two or more hours. But you would have to 103 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:24,000 continually refill these lamps with oil. 104 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,880 Now, when it says lamp stand, maybe you imagine this like a 105 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,360 menorah or something grand. You know, this. 106 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,800 Oh, that's the next one. Yeah, maybe you imagine that, 107 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,640 but I've looked into it and actually when it says lampstand, 108 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,440 it means something. If you go 2 slides ahead, 109 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:43,440 something like this, there would be parts of the walls of homes 110 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,760 or places in the days that Jesus lived and ministered, where you 111 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:51,200 would take your oil lamp and you would place it on a stand on the 112 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:52,920 wall. And by doing that it would light 113 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:55,000 the whole room. So it's not just like some 114 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,240 nicely formed stand in the middle of a room with an 115 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,440 electric light you click on, but it is something that is filled 116 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:04,480 with oil, lit and placed in a prominent place so the room is 117 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:06,920 lit and without it you wouldn't be able to see. 118 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,840 It is hard to imagine in a world where our phones light our faces 119 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,160 a lot of the time, where the TV flickers in the corner, where 120 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,760 the Christmas lights twinkle on the tree, or if you've just 121 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,120 taken it down, no longer twinkle on the tree. 122 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:23,080 It's hard to imagine the kind of impact that a simple oil lamp 123 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:27,960 would have on a house. Now, when I think of Aladdin's 124 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:30,120 lamp. Now, you might have thought like 125 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,840 me, I asked one of the kids yesterday as well, because I've 126 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:35,400 always thought of it as some kind of posh gravy jug just 127 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:37,480 because of the way it looks. Has anyone else ever thought 128 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:40,560 that here's Aladdin's lamp and it should be. 129 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:42,080 Yeah, there it is, Aladdin's lamp. 130 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:44,480 But actually that, of course, is a lamp, an oil lamp. 131 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:46,320 But I've just always thought of it as a gravy jug. 132 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,560 Just me, Maybe not, that's fine. But yeah, filled with oil 133 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:53,080 littered the end and then the oil burns and gives off a light. 134 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:57,400 Now what is Jesus trying to say to us and how can we find a 135 00:06:57,400 --> 00:06:59,360 little bit of meaning in this for ourselves? 136 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,480 What are Jesus words saying to us and how does understanding 137 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,440 this help us think? Well, if Jesus is talking about 138 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,280 being a light and lighting up a room, we need to consider this. 139 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,200 We can light up a room and we are called to light up the rooms 140 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:17,080 that we walk into. We are called to go be lit, be 141 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:20,720 full of oil, be ready to burn, and then to be placed in a 142 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:24,080 prominent place where we give light to the people who are all 143 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,560 around us. Did you know that the light of 144 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:30,200 Jesus, who is the light of the world can shine into your life, 145 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:32,320 but also can shine through your life? 146 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,240 Today in Planetshakers we're doing something where we shine a 147 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:37,880 light through a piece of paper that's got a little cut out of a 148 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:40,160 person on it. Thinking about how Jesus light 149 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:43,560 shines through US and today that is true of us. 150 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:46,320 Jesus light can shine through you. 151 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:49,000 Jesus light can shine through you in any room that you walk 152 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:50,560 into. You do not need to be 153 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,480 intimidated or go into a room and feel small. 154 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:57,040 Jesus has placed you in the places you are so you can go in, 155 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:00,240 be lit up from the inside, and then have His light shine 156 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,080 through you and make a difference. 157 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,560 Light brings clarity. It illuminates darkness. 158 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:09,320 It shows things as they are, like snow falling in the night 159 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:11,840 sky. It shows us the reality of who 160 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,920 we we are and also the reality of what God is like and His love 161 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,320 for us. You are called to shine brightly 162 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,600 wherever you go with the light of Jesus shining through you. 163 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:24,360 And you are called to be placed in a prominent place and change 164 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:27,520 the atmosphere of the rooms that you walk into. 165 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,240 These lamps, they didn't just burn on their own though. 166 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:34,520 They needed oil to burn. And suddenly things like give me 167 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,720 oil in my lamp keep me burning. Like maybe we've never really 168 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:40,640 thought about it as an oil lamp like that and but it is 169 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:41,880 important. Should we sing it? 170 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:44,360 Give me oil in my lamb. Keep me. 171 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:51,480 Come on everyone, Give me oil in my lamb. 172 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,600 Keep me burning, keep me burning. 173 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,920 To the chorus, Sing, Hosanna, sing. 174 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:03,120 Can I have the worship team up please? 175 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:04,640 No. No, please. 176 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:09,320 OK, fine. Finish on Sing Hosanna. 177 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:13,120 Sing Hosanna to the King. Primary school flashback, 178 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:14,120 anyone? Did you enjoy that? 179 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,040 Very good. But suddenly the significance of 180 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:18,920 a phrase like that. Give me oil in my lamp. 181 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:21,320 Keep me burning. We realise these lamps would not 182 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:23,720 light without being filled with oil first. 183 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,240 So we're called to bring light into dark places, to be put 184 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,680 somewhere prominent and change the atmosphere in the rooms we 185 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:32,440 walk into. But also we're called to be 186 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:35,640 filled regularly with the oil of God. 187 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:40,240 We cannot shine bright without being filled first with his oil. 188 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:45,280 Now we see that Jesus refers to oil in the parable of the 10 189 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:48,400 virgins, in Matthew 25, and in other places in the Bible. 190 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:51,720 The idea of being filled with oil becomes more significant 191 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,720 when we understand the lamp. But we're called to be filled 192 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:58,000 with the oil of the Holy Spirit every single day. 193 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,840 And if if an oil lamp only lights for 30 minutes, how about 194 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:03,880 this? Why don't we pray every 30 195 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:06,040 minutes? God, fill me again with your 196 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:08,800 Holy Spirit. Fill me again with your wisdom. 197 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,560 Fill me again with your faith. Give me the gift of faith. 198 00:10:12,560 --> 00:10:15,040 Fill me up so I can shine brightly. 199 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,560 We cannot do anything without Him, and any light that we try 200 00:10:18,560 --> 00:10:22,400 and shine without His oil will inevitably go out and certainly 201 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:25,720 will not change the atmosphere in a room and bring clarity and 202 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:28,080 revelation. And the ignition of the Holy 203 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:31,960 Spirit setting you on fire so that you can burn bright is 204 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,160 vital today. I guess you could take anything 205 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:37,760 from what we're going to say in the next few minutes, but why 206 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:40,200 not let that be the presiding thought today? 207 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,120 Jesus has called me to be a light to the world. 208 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,440 He has said that we are the light of the world. 209 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,760 We are to take His light and shine it to those around us. 210 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:52,360 We are to burn brightly and change the atmosphere in every 211 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:55,080 room that we walk into to make a difference. 212 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:59,000 And the only way that's possible is if we are full of oil and we 213 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,880 are lit by the Holy Spirit. So today be filled and 214 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:05,960 overflowing, filled with the Holy Spirit, God's very 215 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:10,240 presence, His wisdom and faith. May your life overflow with His 216 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:14,760 oil and may you be lit, set on fire again by the Holy Spirit 217 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:18,320 giving you everything you need. And would you shine the light of 218 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:23,360 Jesus to the world around you? It takes conscious time and 219 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:28,520 upkeep to keep your oil lamp full, but you are designed to be 220 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:33,240 filled, to be filled and to be filled again, and to burn and 221 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:37,000 shine brightly for Jesus. So I guess the thing you can 222 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,800 take away is that stay replenished and also don't hide 223 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,080 your light. You were made to shine brightly 224 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:45,560 and change the atmosphere in the rooms you walk into. 225 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:49,400 So take your oil lamp of your life, walk into every room, 226 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:52,680 imagine a space on the wall that was just there for you, like a 227 00:11:52,680 --> 00:11:56,120 brick on the wall just for you, and place your lamp high and 228 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:58,360 expect that you're going to change the atmosphere of the 229 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:00,800 rooms you walk into. Now that's some thoughts about 230 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,880 that, but what does Jesus mean when he says shine bright? 231 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,560 What does it mean to shine? We've said it there, but 232 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:09,560 actually to shine, Jesus equates it with this. 233 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,720 Let your light shine before others, that they may see your 234 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:16,160 good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 235 00:12:16,560 --> 00:12:19,880 And we realise that what Jesus is referring to here in the 236 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:22,440 middle of the Sermon on the Mount is this. 237 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:25,840 The light that you shine is going to be the way you live, 238 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:29,120 the way you act. Your good deeds will point 239 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:33,200 people towards God in heaven and so they may glorify him by the 240 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:35,840 way you live. What a powerful and a 241 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:39,880 challenging thought that is. Now, the Bible's full of imagery 242 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,760 of light, especially the light of the heavens, the stars and 243 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,560 the skies. Why is there so much talk about 244 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:50,160 the stars and the skies and the heavens in the Bible? 245 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:52,680 Well, when you walk outside, can you? 246 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:54,720 I almost feel jealous thinking about it. 247 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:57,880 As Jesus and his disciples walk out in the darkness and they 248 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,720 look up, they're not going to be clouded by the lights of the 249 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:04,080 streets or the lights of the motorway or the lights of the 250 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:07,120 ambient surroundings. But as they look up, they would 251 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:11,720 see the night sky as it is in Philippians 2 when it says that 252 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,640 we're called to shine like stars in the sky as we hold out the 253 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:17,040 word of life. Imagine the brightness of the 254 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:21,200 stars as Jesus walked on the earth and some places in the 255 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,400 world. They get close to that now and 256 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,680 it's if you've ever seen somewhere a dark sky site is a 257 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:29,520 sight to behold. So when we talk about shining 258 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,800 like stars and shining brightly and letting our light shine 259 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:36,120 before others, we imagine that almost the light of the moon 260 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:40,400 where it basks over a a night over a night time scene. 261 00:13:40,560 --> 00:13:42,800 Imagine that that's what you're called to be like. 262 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:46,400 Let your light shine so that many will see your good deeds 263 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:50,880 and glorify God in heaven. So Jesus is implying something 264 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,760 that we're called to live differently, we are called to 265 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:56,800 live differently and glorify God in the way we live. 266 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:00,320 And through IT people will see our lives and they too will 267 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,920 glorify God because of how we've lived. 268 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:05,160 Do you feel that's a responsibility? 269 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:07,960 That is a heavyweight? Perhaps you feel that's a 270 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:10,440 privilege and an honour, but you're overwhelmed at the 271 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:13,640 thought of how do I represent Jesus wherever I go in how I 272 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:16,080 live. The good news is His yoke is 273 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,960 easy and His burden is light. He will give you nothing you 274 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,800 can't handle. So if Jesus is saying this, that 275 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:24,360 we're called to live like this with good deeds and glorifying 276 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:27,480 God, then he's going to give you everything you need to do it. 277 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:30,040 He's going to give you every bit of oil that you need to fill 278 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:33,400 your lamp to stay burning and making a difference and changing 279 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:35,520 the atmosphere in the rooms you walk into. 280 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:38,800 So why are we talking about moonlight now? 281 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:40,840 Why are we talking? We talked about lamplight, but 282 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:42,200 why are we talking about moonlight? 283 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:46,880 What's the distinction about the moon from the sun or a planet 284 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,720 from the stars? You may already know, but it's 285 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:54,360 because the moon simply reflects the light of the sun to those 286 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:58,840 who see it, and a planet simply reflects the light of the sun to 287 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,760 those who see it. We are called to be like the 288 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:06,800 moon facing the sun, reflecting his light and illuminating those 289 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:08,440 around. So when they see us, they don't 290 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,240 see our light, but they see the light of the sun shining and 291 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:15,240 reflecting through US. Jesus speaks of a people whose 292 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:18,480 good deeds and their whole lives lead others to glorify God. 293 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,320 The great news is he did it. He didn't just speak about it, 294 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:26,040 He was the example of it. Jesus life, the way he spoke, 295 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:30,280 the people he ate with, the time he spent, the miracles he 296 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:34,880 performed, the teaching that he presented, all of it glorified 297 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:37,160 God. He lived his life in a perfect 298 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,560 way, the perfect life that we were designed to live. 299 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:43,360 Jesus did it all, He did it all. He accomplished everything he 300 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:47,040 needed to accomplish his words, his actions, everything he did. 301 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:49,880 He is the example of what it looks like to live a life of 302 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:54,080 good deeds and glorify God and lead others to glorify God too. 303 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:57,360 So if you want to know how to live, follow Jesus. 304 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:01,200 Follow what he says. You may already know this, but 305 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:03,760 the word we're speaking about today, you are the light of the 306 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,160 world, is found in Matthew chapter 5. 307 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,120 It's in part of the Sermon on the Mount. 308 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:13,000 It's very likely that Jesus preached all the different parts 309 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,880 of the Sermon on the Mount in different places at different 310 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,920 times to different people. And just here we have this 311 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:22,800 encapsulation that's presented to us like this long sermon. 312 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:25,960 Of all the things that the Kingdom of God is defined by, 313 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:28,760 this is the kind of Kingdom Jesus had come to bring. 314 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:31,800 This is the kind of life that we are called to live. 315 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,280 So if you want to know the kind of life that will glorify God 316 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:39,760 and lead others to glorify him, a light life, then why not look 317 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:43,960 to the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew chapter 5 to Chapter 7. 318 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:48,920 These words inspire us today. In a world where light pollution 319 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:52,920 is everywhere and it can be hard to see the light of the sky, you 320 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:56,040 really do have to shine bright. So shine brightly. 321 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,240 The other night when we were driving home together, the moon 322 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:01,520 was orange. Did you see the giant orange 323 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:04,400 moon the other day? I mean, it was incredible. 324 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:07,079 And we had St lights, headlights, everything. 325 00:17:07,079 --> 00:17:11,240 But all of us in the car, we were just transfixed by this 326 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:14,440 huge old orange moon glowing in the sky. 327 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:18,119 We need to shine brightly so that people will glorify God by 328 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:19,760 seeing the way that we live for Him. 329 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:24,760 Here is a summary of what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, 330 00:17:25,079 --> 00:17:27,640 and this is a little bit of the way we're called to live. 331 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:30,800 You are the light of the world, and if you want to shine 332 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:34,800 brightly, make a difference in the rooms you go into, shift the 333 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:37,120 atmosphere where you are. And if you want your life to 334 00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:41,640 glorify God and point others to glorify Him too, then just 335 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:46,160 perhaps we can live like this. Blessed are the meek, the 336 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,440 righteous, the merciful, the pure in heart and the 337 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:52,360 peacemakers. Be reconciled. 338 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:56,960 Live in peace, remain pure in your thinking, honour marriage, 339 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:00,440 keep your word, do not seek revenge. 340 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:06,440 Love neighbours, love enemies, Do not unrighteously judge, Give 341 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:11,440 to the needy, Pray about everything fast and keep it all 342 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:16,040 between you and God. Seek His Kingdom, glorify His 343 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:21,840 name, rely fully on God, give generously, store up heavenly 344 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,280 treasure. Don't be pulled by the love of 345 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:27,600 money. Do not worry, God will provide 346 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:32,800 all you need, what you eat, what you wear and tomorrow ask, seek 347 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:36,320 and knock. Trust your Father, follow the 348 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:40,200 hard, narrow but right way. Watch out for the wolves that 349 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,520 come and build your house on Jesus teaching. 350 00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:48,640 If we could all truly live like that we would shine brightly and 351 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:52,800 point others to glorify God. So I wonder, where do you need 352 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:55,720 to work on in your own life? Where do you need to be more 353 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:58,080 like Jesus? Where do you need to follow his 354 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:00,600 teaching and where do you need to shine a bit brighter? 355 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:05,440 The words of Matthew 5 to 7 speak to us today and the take 356 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,520 away and the challenge is simply go and do likewise. 357 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:11,960 Go and live like Jesus lived. Go and follow his teachings. 358 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:15,120 Build your house on the rock and you are the light of the world. 359 00:19:15,120 --> 00:19:18,080 Let your life shine before everyone you come to. 360 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:22,000 Let your light shine before men so they may glorify God and 361 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:23,760 people will notice the difference. 362 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:27,480 For me, what people normally say to me is this. 363 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:29,880 They say where do you get your energy from? 364 00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:32,200 Wow. And now that's not in any way me 365 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:34,280 bigging myself up. I'm just saying it's often a 366 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:38,000 door that opens where people say how do you stay so positive? 367 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:39,760 How? And it's an opportunity for me 368 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:43,840 to share a bit about my faith, my belief about Jesus and living 369 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:46,400 a life to him and him give giving me everything I need. 370 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:50,240 I wonder when you walk into a room and the way you live, the 371 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,240 way you conduct yourself, the way you act, the way you reply. 372 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:55,280 How about this? The way you navigate hard 373 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,840 situations, the way you navigate crisis. 374 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:00,880 Do people notice a difference in you and your life? 375 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:03,200 Do they comment on it? Do they see it? 376 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:07,400 It may be that your boss noticed you, that you always keep your 377 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:10,280 word at work or maybe as a neighbour that you choose not to 378 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:12,160 gossip. It may be in the way that you 379 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,360 love and have patience towards your child. 380 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:17,440 There are so many ways that we can shine brightly, and all 381 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:20,400 these ways we've talked about in the Sermon on the Mound. 382 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:23,040 I wonder when people ask, will you make the most of the 383 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:26,640 opportunity to be like the moon and not bring glory to yourself, 384 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:29,760 but reflect the light of the sun and point people to Him? 385 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,360 May it be that the way we live our lives help others to glorify 386 00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:35,280 God. Now we've thought about the 387 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:37,680 lamplight changing an atmosphere in a room. 388 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:39,920 We've thought about the moonlight letting our life 389 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:43,240 glorify God, be like Jesus and point people towards Him. 390 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:46,840 The final light I want us to think about very much linking to 391 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:50,000 that imagery of a house last week is the porch light. 392 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:56,080 Jesus says a town built on a hill cannot be hidden in the 393 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:59,040 context of the day. When Jesus spoke, a city on a 394 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:03,280 hill was a powerful thing. It was an image of strength, it 395 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:07,600 was an image of fortitude and also it was a place of refuge. 396 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,040 Now for us in Leicester, we don't have many cities or towns 397 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:13,160 on hills. We have Beacon Hill, people like 398 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:16,240 Beacon Hill that was talking about Beacon Hill and we're in 399 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,080 scrapped off. That's a little bit of a hill. 400 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:22,080 We can see the park, Abbey Park fireworks in a little tiny 401 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:24,760 flicker in the distance on Bonfire night. 402 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:27,720 We actually went this year to go and watch Abbey Park fireworks 403 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:31,080 in an industrial estate nearby. Even though it was cheaper, it 404 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,080 wasn't better. I've got to say next year we may 405 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,120 actually go. But it was quite fun. 406 00:21:35,120 --> 00:21:38,720 We saw another cheapskate family that we met in schools out as 407 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:41,040 well. And yeah, getting a freebie and 408 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:42,680 having fun in an industrial estate. 409 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:46,880 So, but being a hill on a on being a city on a hill was a 410 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:49,400 powerful thing. In the days where Jesus 411 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:52,800 ministered, he would understand that the image of a city on a 412 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,040 hill or a town on a hill, people would know it's a powerful 413 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:58,360 thing. In the book of Joshua, you have 414 00:21:58,360 --> 00:22:00,400 the importance of a city on a hill. 415 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:04,680 Throughout the establishment of what it looked like in ancient 416 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:08,680 Israel, the the key cities in Israel were talked about were 417 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,240 important. They were strategically placed. 418 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:14,320 So no, none of them were more than a day's travel away at any 419 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:16,880 time. So when we think of Kadesh, 420 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:20,320 think of Shechem, when we think of Hebron, all of these 421 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:24,200 mountainous towns, mountainous cities, they were places of 422 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,760 fortitude and refuge. There were places of strength. 423 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:31,840 And we're called to be like that, a town that shines 424 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:35,280 brightly on a hill. And I think of a town on a hill 425 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:37,040 that from a distance you can see it. 426 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:39,200 In those days, of course you could see it. 427 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:41,480 But I don't want us to think just about a town. 428 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:44,640 Let's zoom in a bit closer and think about another light. 429 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:48,640 Zoom into the neighbourhood, zoom into the street and then 430 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:52,480 zoom into the house and then zoom into the porch light, which 431 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:55,480 is on. There's a show called Modern 432 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:59,960 Family and at the end of Modern Family there's a scene where the 433 00:22:59,960 --> 00:23:04,440 dad, Phil, he stands with his wife Claire, and their children 434 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:07,280 have all left home. They've left the family home and 435 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:09,960 they have a moment with an empty room and they say, what should 436 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,720 we do now? And Phil says leave the porch 437 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:15,560 light on and he talks about how they'll always be welcome to 438 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,400 come home. I guess the reason that we want 439 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:21,240 to shine bright is not that people say, wow, your life is 440 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:23,840 different. I want to be like you or not. 441 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:25,320 Simply say like, oh, that's nice. 442 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:28,240 You've been changed by Jesus. It's good to know why you shine 443 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:29,520 brightly and why you're different. 444 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:33,400 The reason we shine bright, it's not just a light up a room like 445 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:36,840 a lamp. It's not just to reflect the sun 446 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:40,560 like the moon does, but it's so that we see people drawn to the 447 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,880 porch light and we see lost children coming home. 448 00:23:44,360 --> 00:23:47,200 The reason that we speak, that we act different, and the reason 449 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:50,240 we live the way we live for those of us who follow Jesus in 450 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,880 the room is that there would be many more who also find Jesus 451 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:57,680 and find his forgiveness and find the Father's embrace 452 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:04,200 because the porch light is on. In Luke 15, Jesus tells a 453 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:08,680 parable and he speaks about a lost sheep and then a lost coin 454 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:11,920 and then a lost son. He speaks about a son who takes 455 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,480 his father's inheritance and goes away and spends it in wild 456 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:17,680 living. He finds himself in ruin with 457 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:21,360 nothing left, and his thoughts turn to the father's house, the 458 00:24:21,360 --> 00:24:23,880 place where he was warm, had food and shelter. 459 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:26,760 And he thinks, if only I could go back as a servant. 460 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,960 And in the moment in the story Jesus tells, where the lost son 461 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:34,680 turns to go home, he arrives and he sees in the distance his 462 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:37,560 father's house. And I want to tell you today 463 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:40,760 that the porch light is on and the father is waiting. 464 00:24:41,360 --> 00:24:43,960 And in the moment in the story, you have this powerful image 465 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:47,440 that is unheard of in the culture where the father, the 466 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:50,000 distinguished father, runs to the son. 467 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:53,080 He picks up his cloak and he runs and he embraces his son and 468 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:55,400 welcomes him home. He gives him a robe. 469 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:58,200 He gives him shoes on his feet, a ring on his finger. 470 00:24:58,200 --> 00:24:59,960 He's accepted. He's home. 471 00:25:00,120 --> 00:25:03,040 He is given identity again. And he is welcome back into the 472 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:05,400 family. He's given the the ring, the 473 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:09,480 signet ring, the Crest of the family is placed on his hand. 474 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,320 And in that moment, he expected to be and welcomed back as a 475 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:16,680 servant, but instead is welcomed back as a dearly loved child. 476 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:20,920 And the message of of the gospel, the message of the 477 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:23,840 Bible. And the reason Jesus came is he 478 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:27,120 didn't just come to teach good stuff and help people to live 479 00:25:27,120 --> 00:25:30,360 better. He came that lost people may be 480 00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:34,320 reconciled to God, that those who are far away from God may be 481 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:37,520 bought near to God. Those lost in darkness would 482 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:42,000 know the light of the world. And in John 8, Jesus said it 483 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,760 very clearly. He spoke again to the people and 484 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:47,400 said, I am the light of the world. 485 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:51,400 Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have 486 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:56,160 the light of life. Jesus is the way for all who 487 00:25:56,160 --> 00:26:00,600 come, He with his arms stretched out on the cross, bearing the 488 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,520 weight of our burden of sin and shame. 489 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:07,640 Jesus paid it all. Jesus death means that we can 490 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:09,360 live. The things we've done wrong and 491 00:26:09,360 --> 00:26:13,200 distance us from God no longer can hold us because Jesus 492 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,280 carried them on the cross and with his arms outstretched. 493 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:20,360 We are reminded of the story he told in Luke 15 of a father with 494 00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:24,520 arms outstretched welcoming Homer son who was dirty. 495 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:27,680 He smelt of the pigs. He was hungry and he was lost, 496 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:30,480 but he was wrapped up in the embrace of the Father. 497 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:34,040 This is why Jesus came. It's amazing to think that 498 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:37,880 probably a couple of years later or maybe months later, we don't 499 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,760 particularly know exactly when this sermon was preached. 500 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:43,320 It's not all chronological, however. 501 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:47,720 A time later, Jesus who spoke those words at the Sermon on the 502 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:50,920 Mount, who told people that you are the light of the world. 503 00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:55,200 Jesus was the one who was taken. He was captured, He was 504 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:58,080 arrested, he was tried, he was unfairly sentenced. 505 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:01,880 He was beaten, he was taken, he was humiliated, nailed to a 506 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:04,520 cross. And as he hung in front of those 507 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:07,720 who had called his name in adoration, but then shouted, 508 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:10,200 crucify him. He was carrying the weight that 509 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,880 we could never carry because Jesus took our weight of sin on 510 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:18,040 the cross, because he died, was buried, and on the third day was 511 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:20,560 raised to life. Because of what we've celebrated 512 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:23,680 at the table today, what we've rejoiced about as we sang All 513 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:27,320 Hail King Jesus, all of it is so that lost children can be 514 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:29,760 brought home and God can be glorified. 515 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:34,400 And today this is my testimony. The porch light was on when I 516 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:38,800 came home when I was young, when I was a boy and I I wanted to 517 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:41,720 find out about Jesus for myself. And I made that commitment to 518 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,400 say I believe in Jesus and I want his forgiveness. 519 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:48,360 And all of us, wherever we are Jesus, we ask that our world 520 00:27:48,360 --> 00:27:50,240 would be saved. May this be the year of 521 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:54,160 salvation, the year of favour. May we see an outpouring of your 522 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:56,600 Spirit. May we see our lives completely 523 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,200 transformed. May the lives of us here in the 524 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:03,280 room today and our young people and our children here today burn 525 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:06,360 brightly for you. May will be full of your oil, 526 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:09,320 burning bright, placed in prominent places, changing the 527 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:11,640 atmosphere in a room, and it would point to you. 528 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:14,760 May our lives be different. May there be something about the 529 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,840 way we live that follows your sermon on the amount that 530 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:20,480 follows your ways and follows in your footsteps. 531 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:23,640 And Jesus, we ask that through the way we live and through what 532 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:27,040 we share with others, Would it be this year that many people 533 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:30,880 see the porch light is on, the father is waiting, his arms are 534 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:34,200 outstretched, and Lord, you're ready to welcome lost children 535 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:35,920 home. Lord, we pray this would be the 536 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:39,840 year of salvation, a year of prodigals coming home, a year of 537 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:43,720 reconciling, a year or families that have been divided would be 538 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:47,840 reconciled to as they unite around the truth that Jesus save 539 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:50,200 them all. Lord, we pray that our streets 540 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,880 will be full of people who are walking, finding local churches 541 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:56,960 and communities of believers because they've had dreams and 542 00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:00,040 visions, because they've opened Bible that our Bibles they 543 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:02,160 received when they were children or when they were younger, 544 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,480 because they've gone online and searched what is Christianity, 545 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:07,920 Who is Jesus? Would our streets be full again 546 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:11,560 of people walking to the sound of church bells and finding a 547 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:13,840 place where they can come and worship you, Jesus? 548 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,120 Lord, we believe that we can see a day like that. 549 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:19,920 But Lord, maybe now, maybe in these times, maybe now in Jesus 550 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,000 name. And Lord, would you use us, use 551 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,880 us to burn brightly, to shine brightly? 552 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:27,680 Lord, we're ready to be different. 553 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:30,720 We're ready to be set apart. We're ready to go and shift the 554 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:33,160 atmosphere in a room and do something that no one else 555 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:36,760 expects because we're following you, Jesus, And we ask that you 556 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:40,920 would use us for your glory, always for you and always for 557 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:43,160 your glory. And through our lives would 558 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:46,360 people see the one who truly loves them, and that is you, the 559 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:49,800 Father who waits with the porch light on to welcome lost 560 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:53,440 children home. Here's three ways we can respond 561 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:58,600 today #1 stay replenished. Keep your oil lamp full. 562 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:03,000 Today is a chance to allow God to fill up your lamp again. 563 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:06,360 You cannot shine if your lamp isn't full. 564 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:10,440 Holy Spirit, come and fill us. Lord, give us your wisdom. 565 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:14,720 Lord, give us the gift of faith. Help us to burn brightly for 566 00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:16,480 you. So be replenished. 567 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:20,440 Secondly, help us to follow your teaching Jesus. 568 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:22,680 Keep following the teaching of Jesus. 569 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:25,280 And you may want to reflect on some of those words we said 570 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:27,240 earlier from the Sermon on the Mount. 571 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:29,600 So stay replenished, full of oil. 572 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:32,080 Keep following the teaching of Jesus. 573 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:36,480 And finally, may our lives point people to Jesus. 574 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:40,600 May our lives point people to glorify God and be changed 575 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,800 forever. You are the light of the world. 576 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:48,360 A town built on a hill cannot be hidden, Neither do people light 577 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:51,440 a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its 578 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,640 stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. 579 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:59,080 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they 580 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:03,480 may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 581 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:07,640 These are the words of Jesus. These are the words that Jesus 582 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:10,280 said, and may they change our lives today. 583 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:17,400 You are the light of the world. The Lord bless you and keep you. 584 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:21,240 The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 585 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:25,120 The Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.