Giving
Welcome to Refinery Life Australia.
Join me in The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Today we continue our series titled Finding and Following God’s Guidelines.
In times like these, we are in need of God’s guidance more than ever.
Today we are talking about God’s Light in Us Offers Guidance to the World.
Prayer
Father, every good and perfect gift comes from you.
We have plenty to eat, warm homes, jobs, good health, loving families, and a caring church family.
We thank you for every good and perfect gift you send our way.
Help us to trust you and to practice being generous.
Help us to give sacrificially, to give more than you require, so that we can meet the material and spiritual needs of others and so that you might receive praise and honour.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
Text
Matthew 5:14-16 AMP
14 “You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 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.
Scripture Reading
Luke 11:29-36 AMP
The Sign of Jonah
29 Now as the crowds were increasing [in number], He began to say, “This [present] generation is a wicked generation; it seeks a sign (attesting miracle), but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah [the prophet].
30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man also be [a sign] to this generation.
31 The Queen of the South (the kingdom of Sheba) will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and look, something greater than Solomon is here.
32 The men of Nineveh will stand up [as witnesses] at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and look, something greater than Jonah is here.
33 “No one lights a lamp and then puts it in a cellar nor under a basket [hiding the light], but [instead it is put] on the lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.
34 The eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive, focused on God], your whole body also is full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts]. But when it is bad [spiritually blind], your body also is full of darkness [devoid of God’s word].
35 Be careful, therefore, that the light that is in you is not darkness.
36 So if your whole body is illuminated, with no dark part, it will be entirely bright [with light], as when the lamp gives you light with its bright rays.”
Introduction
The glow of a match can be seen for over a kilometre on a dark night.
Light from a good torch is visible for about three kilometres.
Light from a 100 watt lamp can be seen for 20 kilometres.
The head lights from your car are visible for over thirty kilometres on a clear night.
Our Lord taught that Christian influence can light the whole world!
Christian influence is described as preservation, the salt of the earth, through demonstration, the light of the world.
- The Christian’s light can light the world.
- When Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” he related the mission of the Christian to a familiar Palestinian object.
The houses in Palestine were very dark and had only a small circular window not more than fifty centimetres across.
Each mom had a lamp that was no more than a bowl filled with oil with a floating wick.
The lamp stood on a lamp stand that was really just a small wooden table.
For safety’s sake, the lamp was removed from its stand and put under an earthen pot so that it might burn without risk when the family was away from the home.
B. Light exposes darkness.
The primary duty of the lamp’s light was to be seen.
Thus our Lord indicates that the Christian is to love in such a way that others might see Christ in their life.
C. As it shone through the small window and as its rays reached the rooms of the house, the lamp served as a guide.
The best guide to the better life is that of a Christian whose influence counts for Christ.
D. As it shone through the small window, the light warned travellers of dangerous obstacles along the road.
The Christian’s influence should serve as a warning sign for all to observe.
Their life should say, “Warning! Walk this way!”
2. Only the Christian can be the light of the world.
Our Lord is saying, “You and you alone” are the light of the world.
No one else can take the place of the Christian in this world, which is dark with sin.
- While Jesus was on earth, He was the light of the world.
Look at John 8:12, John 9:4-5, and John 12:35-36.
B. Since Christ left the earth, Christians have been given the responsibility of demonstrating Him to the world.
Have a look at Philippians 2:15.
C. The radiance of the Christian’s life depends on how close he is to Jesus Christ.
Read 2 Corinthians 4:6-7.
3. The Christian’s light cannot be hidden.
- Like “a city set on a hill,” the Christian’s influence cannot be hidden.
A city with shining lights can be seen from all sides on a dark night.
B. Not all lights have the same wattage.
Some are only 15 watts and others are 500 or even 1000.
God has use for even a dim bulb on a dark night.
Regardless of how dimly t shines, the light of a Christian’s influence is being observed by someone.
4. There is a place for every Christian’s light.
- The Christian is not fired up to fizzle.
Lights are lit for the purpose of shining.
The bushel was placed over the lamp only on rare occasions.
The lamp was never lit for the purpose of being covered.
B. There is a place for every light.
Just as each light in the Palestinian houses sat on its own particular table so that it would shine through the small window and to the rooms in the house, each Christian has a particular place from which to shine.
C. Without the elevation of the lamp, the light is wasted.
Lighthouses are tall for a reason!
We must find the will of God for our lives and shine from it to the best of our ability.
People walking in darkness need the light of Christians in all sectors of life to guide them to Christ.
Thus each believer must bear the responsibility of keeping their lamp shining brightly for Christ at all times.
Conclusion.
Light makes no noise.
Lighthouses sound no drums.
They merely shine.
The influence of Christians causes others to see Christ in them.
But for what purpose?
Surely not for their own glory!
Christians influence the world toward Christ for the glory of God.
With Paul, in Galatians 2:20, the Christian asserts, I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Until next time
Stay in the Blessings
Giving
I really want to encourage you to be diligent with your Bible study time, because God has so much more for us than we can get from just going to church once or twice a week and hearing someone else talk about the Word.
When you spend time with God, your life will change in amazing ways, because God is a Redeemer.
Theres nothing thats too hard for Him, and He can make you whole, spirit, soul and body!
You’re important to God, and you’re important to us at www.refinerylife.org
When it comes to prayer, we believe that God wants to meet your needs and reveal His promises to you.
So whatever you’re concerned about and need prayer for we want to be here for you! Or even if you just want to say Hi, you can contact us
2021 IS A YEAR OF REFORMATION
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