How To Be a Light For Christ This Christmas!
Matthew 5:14-16
I. Introduction -
A. Christmas is a dark time. A cold time. And yet can be such a wonderful time. Why? Yes the gifts, but there is something more special about Christmas than the gifts - it is all the lights that go up:
1. On Christmas trees
2. Throughout downtown over the streets
3. Around windows
B. And, it is not just the lights that catch our attention, but the animated lights, moving lights, colourful lights
C. Did you know that God has some Christmas lights of His own? God loves Christmas gifts and lights (James 1:17)! He enjoys them just as much as we do ours! Let’s see what they are!
II. Message - God’s Christmas Lights (Matt 5:14-16)
A. God’s Christmas Lights Are Christians (5:14)
1. Christ is the Light Source (John 8:12; 12:46)
2. Christians are the reflections of that Light (Philp 2:15)
3. But not just ANY Christians - but the Christians who have:
a. Been born again - not just going through religious motions
b. Been in this Book and know it (2 Cor 4:4) You can’t fool the world - they know the real thing when they see it!
B. God’s Christmas Lights Are Supposed to Shine (5:14-16) - who wants to have lights that don’t shine?! No one would buy a bulb to put under a container!
1. It is a dark world - it needs Light (John 3:19-21)
2. It is an uninterested world - they will do crazy things to try and put out your “Light” (persecution, pressure, ignoring you)
3. Don’t let things keep you from shining - God saved you to SHINE (Eph 5:8)
4. Christians shine in the following ways:
a. By keeping the reflection of Christ CLEAR in their life - don’t allow smudges to build up on the “mirror” - live a clean life! Find out how God says to live (not me, or this or that church, but God in His word), and then live it so that your life can be clear! Would Christ do what you do?
b. By walking with the Lord Jesus (Acts 4:13; Ex 34:29,30)
c. By working good works - not FOR your salvation, but for the salvation of OTHERS! Not dealing with boasting, or proud list of accomplishments, but a SPENDING so that someone else can know the Gospel!
1) Learning this Book - to know how to answer people’s spiritual needs
2) Giving your time so that you can go soul-winning
3) Giving your money so that the Gospel can go forth from local churches like this - this church itself is not funded by some hierarchy in another country - it is completely funded by the people who attend! That’s God’s way!
4) Serving the Lord - teaching a Sunday School class, leading songs, coming out to pray on Saturday evenings at 7pm, being at every church service, standing up for Christ at home, on the job, at work, etc!
C. God’s Christmas Lights Bring Joy to His Heart (5:16)
1. Rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:70)
2. God desires sinners to see YOUR good works (your clean life, and efforts to win them to Christ) so that they will glorify YOUR Father - they will know that He is the center-focus of your life
3. This Christmas, seek to bring joy to your heavenly Father, by your life, and by bringing someone else to eternal life!
III. Conclusion - This Christmas:
A. Determine whether you have God’s true Light in your heart - are you saved? Have you ever repented of your sin, and turned only to Christ?
B. Decide to keep your reflection of Christ in your life CLEAR!
C. Put out all the effort needed to Shine for the Lord Jesus - no holding back - God saved you to shine for Him
D. May the happiest person this Christmas be the Lord whom we serve!