Shine as the Light of the World

Jesus calls His disciples to something higher than minimum Christianity. Matthew 5 moves from what Christ produces in a believer, mercy, peace, love, and a changed spirit, to what Christ wants to produce through that believer in a dark world. Jesus first names His people salt, meant to flavor the world and slow down its corruption, and then He says, “Ye are the light of the world.”

The darkness of the world often goes unnoticed by the people sitting in it. A person can get comfortable in a dark room until somebody flips on the light, pulls back the shades, and exposes what was there all along. The world is darker than it realizes, and even churches can get accustomed to darkness while claiming everything is fine. Christ does not call His disciples to complain about that darkness, rant about it, or hide from it. Christ calls them to shine.

The light is not a Christian’s personality, opinion, goodness, or ability to win an argument. Christ is the light, and His people are reflectors of Him. The goodness of God, the grace that pardons sin, and the Savior who took the sinner’s place on Calvary are what expose the false hopes of a world that says, “Just do your best.” Salvation changes a person so that others can see the greatness of God, not the greatness of that person.

Jesus places His people like “a city that is set on a hill.” A city on a hill does not have to beg for attention, because its position makes it visible. Christ lifts His people out of the miry clay and sets them on a solid rock, not so they can act like they are still hiding in the valley. The Christian life is not designed to fly below the radar, blend in, or stay incognito. Kindness, mercy, faithfulness, prayer, courage, and a refusal to bow to wickedness make Christ’s people visibly different.

Jesus warns that a candle can be covered by a bushel. The bushel is not necessarily wicked in itself, because legitimate things such as family, work, comfort, possessions, activities, reputation, and entertainment can become coverings when they are put in front of God. Busyness can stack up like hoarded bushels until a person has to fight through everything else just to get to God.

Jesus gives the purpose of shining: “that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Light must be seen, not merely talked about. A building cannot do the work that obedient Christians refuse to do. Christ calls every disciple to get busy, punch holes in the darkness, and let a watching world see a life that points straight back to the Father.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Christ calls disciples to shine [01:59:26] Jesus does not hand the responsibility to somebody else. Every believer has the Spirit of God, the Word of God, and some measure of influence. A small light becomes precious in a pitch-black place, so no faithful life is insignificant. [119:26]
• 2. Darkness needs exposure, not complaints [01:51:40] Darkness does not need to be ordered, trained, or delivered. Darkness simply takes over when light is absent. Christ’s answer to a dark world is not constant outrage, but a visible witness to the goodness and truth of God. [111:40]
• 3. Christians reflect Christ, not themselves [01:56:38] The goal is not to make people impressed with a Christian’s personality, opinions, or accomplishments. A mirror has value only when it reflects the light shining upon it. A changed life should make people ask about the Savior who made that change possible. [116:38]
• 4. Bushels can hide a real light [02:15:00] Many hindrances are not openly sinful things, but ordinary things placed in the wrong position. Comfort, schedules, family events, possessions, and fear can become coverings over Christ’s work in a life. A legitimate bushel becomes harmful when it keeps the light from shining. [135:00]
• 5. Good works should glorify the Father [02:18:37] Faith that remains only in words gives the world little to see. Good works are not a substitute for salvation, but they are evidence that Christ has made a difference. The final aim is never human praise, but that others would glorify the Father in heaven.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [101:01] - Reading Matthew 5:14-16
• [102:43] - Saved by Grace
• [105:18] - Salt and Light
• [107:36] - Getting Comfortable in Darkness
• [111:40] - God Calls His People to Shine
• [113:50] - Reflecting Christ to the World
• [118:02] - The Reality of Your Light
• [125:07] - A City Set on a Hill
• [132:56] - The Bushels That Hide Light
• [138:13] - Good Works and God’s Glory
• [141:35] - Buildings Cannot Replace Shining
• [142:43] - A Call to Personal Responsibility

1. In Matthew 5:14-16, what three pictures does Jesus use to describe the visible influence of His people: light, a city, and a candle?
2. According to Matthew 5:16, what are people meant to see, and whom are they ultimately meant to glorify?
3. What are some of the ordinary “bushels” that can cover a believer’s light, even though they may not be sinful things by themselves? [02:16:30]
4. In Philippians 2:15, where are believers called to shine, and what kind of world are they living in?

1. Jesus says, “Ye are the light of the world,” while John 8:12 says that Jesus is “the light of the world.” How can a believer shine without making the Christian life about his own personality, opinions, or accomplishments? [01:56:38]
2. What does the picture of a city set on a hill teach about the difference between seeking attention for oneself and living openly enough that others can see Christ’s difference in a believer’s life? [02:05:30]
3. Why is a bushel a fitting picture for things like work, family responsibilities, comfort, possessions, entertainment, fear, or a crowded schedule? When do good things become harmful coverings? [02:13:18]
4. Matthew 5:16 connects good works with the Father receiving glory. What makes good works a witness to God rather than an attempt to earn salvation or gain praise from people? [02:18:37]

1. Where is it easiest to hide faith in Christ—at work, with family, around neighbors, online, or among friends? What would it look like to shine there with kindness, courage, truth, and grace rather than with arguments or complaints? [02:08:42]
2. Is there a “bushel” presently taking too much room in life—busyness, comfort, reputation, entertainment, possessions, fear, or something else? What one change could help put that thing back in its proper place under God? [02:16:30]
3. Think about the people God has already placed nearby. Who may be living in spiritual darkness without realizing it, and what is one gracious way to point that person to Christ this week? [01:54:57]
4. What good work could be seen this week that would make others more likely to glorify the Father rather than praise the believer—helping someone in need, showing mercy, keeping a promise, praying with someone, or speaking about salvation?
5. When the world’s darkness feels discouraging, is the first response more often complaint, anger, withdrawal, or faithful action? What would it mean to “punch some holes in the darkness” in a practical way this week? [02:02:19]
6. Jesus did not save His people to hide His work in them. What part of Christ’s saving grace and change in life could be shared more openly with someone who needs hope? [01:57:36]