Hide it under a bushel? No!, I’m gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bushel? No!, I’m gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bushel? No!, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine all the time, Let it shine! Won’t let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine. Won’t let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine. Won’t let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine all the time, Let it shine! This Little Light of Mine This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine all the time, Let it shine!

Church of Christ at Medina July 6 th, 2014 fotaonline.org

Our world is full of darkness. Man would have us believe that we are more enlightened than ever before. Yet, the teaching of Jesus holds true. We live in a world of darkness. This darkness is because of sin. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

Our world is full of darkness. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Ephesians 2:1-3, ESV “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

Our world is full of darkness. “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love…” Colossians 1:13, NKJV “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

Christians are the Light of the World! Light has one major function – to illuminate! In our case, light will show wickedness, evil and sin for what it is! “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:19-21, ESV) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

Christians are the Light of the World! “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”” Ephesians 5:11-14 ESV “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

Christians are the Light of the World! The life of a Christian should be obviously different from the world around us. It should be visually evident like a light in a dark room. If it is not, then we must examine our lives because we cannot be like the world and like God at the same time. (1 John 2:15-17) Christians are not the source of the light. Rather, we reflect the light that comes from the Ones we follow. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

Christians are the Light of the World! God is Light! – “This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5, ESV) – “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 22:5, ESV) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

Christians are the Light of the World! Christ is the Light! – John 1:1-14 – “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”” (John 8:12 ESV) – “So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.” (John 12:35-36, ESV) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

Christians are the Light of the World! The Holy Spirit brought us the light! – Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (ESV) – Psalm 119:130 – “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. (ESV) – Hebrews 4:12-13 – “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (ESV) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

Christians are the Light of the World! As Christians, we are not the source of the light, but we do reflect the light of God within us! – This first requires a change in our character (Matt. 5) – “For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6, RSV) – Ephesians 5:6-10 – “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” (Philippians 2:14-16, ESV) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

Christians are the Light of the World! As Christians, we are not the source of the light, but we do reflect the light of God within us! – “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV) – “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-6, ESV) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

We must let our lights shine! It has never been God’s intention for His children to hide in obscurity. Rather, we must let our lights shine! “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) Light is intended to illuminate and guide. When it doesn’t, then it has lost its usefulness. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

We must let our lights shine! At the same time, we must be careful that we do not allow our lights to be dimmed or “snuffed out” because we too close to the world. – 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 – 1 John 2:15-17 Let our lights shine and not flicker on-and-off. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

We must let our lights shine! Our lights are to shine, but we are not to shine our own light. “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:11-12, ESV) Bad Example: The Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14 Good Examples: Romans 1:8, 1 Thess. 1:4-10, 3 John 2-4 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

Conclusion The world is full of darkness, and light can only come from God. God expects His light to be shown in the world in the lives of Christians. Christians shine this light by first being the right kinds of people, and then our actions follow. “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!” “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) fotaonline.org

References Images Itunes Fotaonline.org Documents Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by Martin Lloyd-Jones Gospel Lessons from Various Evangelists