Active Faith: Transforming Darkness with Christ's Light

In a world that feels increasingly heavy with tragedy and violence, it’s easy to become numb, angry, or sad. Recent events have left many of us feeling as though we’ve reached a breaking point, the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Yet, in the midst of this darkness, there is a call not to retreat into fear or passivity, but to rise up with active, passionate faith. The challenges we face are not merely political or social, but deeply spiritual. We are reminded that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces that seek to sow chaos and despair.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 17 challenge us to examine the nature of our faith. When the disciples could not heal a suffering boy, Jesus pointed to their lack of faith—not the size of their faith, but its quality. He calls us to have faith like a mustard seed: not just small, but invasive, persistent, and transformative. Mustard seeds, once planted, overtake everything around them. In the same way, our faith is meant to invade and transform the darkness, not simply coexist with it.

We are not called to be passive observers, content with attending church and keeping our faith private. Instead, we are called to be light in the darkness, reflecting the goodness and love of God into every corner of our world. Just as the moon reflects the sun’s light into the night, we are to reflect the light of Christ into the brokenness around us. This is not about manufacturing our own light, but about being so close to Jesus that His light naturally shines through us.

Sometimes, it takes a breaking and a shaking—a moment of crisis—to activate the light within us. Like a glow stick that only shines when it is broken and shaken, our faith often becomes most visible and powerful in times of trial. Now is the time to move from passive to active faith, to step out of our comfort zones, and to let the world see the hope and love that we have found in Christ. We are assigned to people, placed in their lives to be a beacon of hope. Let us refuse to settle for mediocrity or complacency, but instead, let our faith be bold, invasive, and transformative.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Faith Must Move Beyond Passivity It is not enough to simply believe or attend church; faith must be active, engaging the world around us. The call is to move from a posture of reaction to one of action, stepping out to make a tangible difference in the lives of others. True faith is not content to remain hidden or comfortable but seeks opportunities to bring light into darkness. [07:30]
• 2. Our Struggle Is Spiritual, Not Political The real battle is not against people, ideologies, or political parties, but against spiritual forces that seek to divide and destroy. Recognizing this shifts our focus from fighting one another to standing together in prayer, love, and truth. Our weapons are not of this world, but are rooted in the power and authority of Christ. [11:04]
• 3. Reflecting Christ’s Light Requires Proximity Just as the moon reflects the sun’s light, we reflect Christ’s light when we remain close to Him. We are not called to generate our own goodness, but to mirror the love, forgiveness, and restoration we have received. The more we encounter God’s faithfulness, the more naturally His light shines through us into the darkness. [13:59]
• 4. Trials Can Activate Our Faith Moments of breaking and shaking, though painful, often serve to activate and reveal the light within us. Like a glow stick that shines brightest when broken, our faith can become most powerful and visible in times of crisis. These moments are opportunities for God’s love and hope to shine through us to a hurting world. [15:36]
• 5. Faith Like a Mustard Seed Is Invasive and Transformative Jesus calls us to have faith not just in size, but in nature—faith that invades and overtakes the darkness. Mustard seed faith is persistent, growing rapidly and transforming everything it touches. We are called to let our faith spread, overtaking enemy-held territory and bringing the hope of Christ wherever we go.
  
  ** [21:59]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:12] - Honest Conversations Among Leaders
• [02:51] - Vulnerability and Shared Emotions
• [03:58] - Remembering Recent Tragedies
• [05:48] - The Straw That Broke the Camel’s Back
• [07:30] - Called to Transform, Not Just Attend
• [11:04] - The Real Spiritual Battle
• [13:59] - Reflecting Christ’s Light
• [15:36] - Lessons from Glow in the Dark
• [17:53] - Active Faith in Every Area
• [21:59] - Mustard Seed Faith: Invasive and Transformative
• [22:42] - Refusing Mediocrity and Embracing Active Faith

Bible Reading

Matthew 17:14-20 (ESV) — > 14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) — > For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV) — > 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 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.”

Observation Questions

1. In Matthew 17, what reason does Jesus give for the disciples’ inability to heal the boy? ([17:53])
2. According to Ephesians 6:12, who or what is our real struggle against? ([11:04])
3. In the sermon, what is the significance of the mustard seed when Jesus talks about faith? ([21:59])
4. How does Jesus describe the role of His followers in Matthew 5:14-16? What does it mean to be “the light of the world”? ([13:59])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Jesus focus on the “quality” of faith rather than its size when He talks about mustard seed faith? What does this say about what God values in our faith? ([17:53])
2. The sermon says our struggle is not political or social, but spiritual. How does this perspective change the way we respond to the brokenness and violence in the world? ([11:04])
3. The pastor compared our faith to a glow stick that shines brightest when broken and shaken. What does this analogy suggest about the relationship between trials and the visibility of our faith? ([15:36])
4. What does it look like in practical terms to “reflect” Christ’s light instead of trying to generate our own? ([13:59])

Application Questions

1. The sermon challenges us to move from passive to active faith. What is one area of your life where you have been passive in your faith? What would it look like to take one active step this week? ([07:30])
2. The pastor said, “We are not called to be passive observers, content with attending church and keeping our faith private.” Is there a relationship, workplace, or community setting where you have been hiding your light? What is one way you could let your faith be seen there? ([07:30])
3. The message emphasized that our real battle is spiritual, not against people. Is there a person or group you have viewed as “the enemy”? How might seeing them through a spiritual lens change your attitude or actions toward them? ([11:04])
4. The analogy of the glow stick suggests that our faith can shine brightest in times of breaking and shaking. Can you share a time when a personal trial made your faith more visible or real to others? How did God use that moment? ([15:36])
5. The sermon described mustard seed faith as “invasive and transformative.” What would it look like for your faith to “invade” and transform a dark place in your life or community? ([21:59])
6. The pastor said, “We are assigned to people, placed in their lives to be a beacon of hope.” Who is one person God has placed in your life that needs hope right now? How can you intentionally reach out to them this week? ([11:04])
7. The message ended with a call to refuse mediocrity and complacency. What is one comfort or routine you need to let go of in order to step into a bolder, more active faith? ([22:42])