Shining Like Stars

See, friends, your life and my life together in Christ is meant to shine in such a way that others see Jesus. This isn't just my idea. This is what Jesus says in Matthew 5, verses 14 and 16. In fact, read those words with me if you can. You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before others. Now, notice what Jesus doesn't say. He doesn't say, try to be the light. Work at being the light. Claim the light. No. He says, you are the light. Already now because of him who is the light of the world. We shine not for our own sake, but we shine for others so that others might see Christ. Our good works are not good for our sake. They're good for our neighbor. They serve to point to Christ alone. [00:09:41] (60 seconds)  #YouAreTheLight

But yet, we know we fall short. See, sometimes we know our own weaknesses. We confess it together every time we gather in worship, as we did again this morning. Confess our brokenness. Confess our inability to be that light shining in the darkness. Confess that, yes, sometimes the darkness overwhelms us. But we confess that sin because God has promised to forgive that sin, cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and send us back out to shine like stars in the universe, holding on to his very own word. [00:10:41] (35 seconds)  #ConfessAndShine

``When our light is dim and we've lost our way, we once again realize our true light isn't in our own strength, but it's in his strength. Jesus said it so beautifully. He said it in John 8, verse 12. He says, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. The light we shine is not our own, but that which Christ himself has put into us. [00:12:05] (28 seconds)  #LightNotOurOwn

It's almost like if we had a cross here, and I know it doesn't reflect very well into where you're looking at, but I want to kind of get you this idea that the light that Jack's going to shine isn't Jack's light. It's going to be Jesus' light through him. And the light that you shine isn't your light, it is Christ's light through you. You get to reflect his love and his light into the darkness of the world around me. It is his strength, it is his righteousness, his mercy, his victory, which fills us and reflects out into the world in darkness, a hope that's found not in ourselves, but in Christ alone. [00:12:57] (36 seconds)  #ReflectChristsLight

That's what John describes Jesus as. That looked dark for a while there for Jesus, especially on that day when he's crucified on the cross, that afternoon when the sun is dark and the whole universe, the whole creation reacts to the creator of the world hanging on a tree willingly that he created, suffering and dying. But we know his death is not the answer. It is the answer, but it is the final saying. For three days later, he comes victoriously rising from the grave, overcoming our sin, breaking the world's false lights, restoring our sight and teaching us once again how to shine. [00:17:09] (43 seconds)  #VictoryInTheResurrection

So that's what we've been called to do. And that's what my third point on here is that when our individual's lights come together, they shine and they guide people home. One star can draw your eye, but a constellation guides you. Even here with all the city lights, if the sky is bright at night, you can still look up and say, those three stars, that there's, I still see Orion's valley, I still see Polaris, and their patterns tell a story. And that's what the church is. Not just scattered lights, but a constellation placed intentionally by God. [00:17:52] (37 seconds)  #TogetherWeGuide

One piece is relatively insignificant and small but you put them together and it creates a dynamic display of light. And similarly, individual Christians with their diverse gifts and backgrounds you form one body, the church. And when you unite it in a common work and a common witness that reflection of Christ's light it looks cool to a world in darkness. [00:21:33] (24 seconds)  #DynamicLightDisplay

Your partnership in the gospel allowed that to happen. We had that new parking lot last year we figured it out now so we're going to know how we do this so well to tell that story and crystal clear that the hope we have the reason we do this and invest the resource the time and the energy to it is because we believe Jesus matters and you, the people the community matter to us and to Jesus and we want to let that light shine brightly this year. [00:22:56] (24 seconds)  #ShiningHopeInCommunity

Because it's a real Jesus and he comes in real flesh and real blood to give his life as a ransom for many because he's the hope of the world in the midst of a dark world that's in a crooked and perverse generation we get to shine like stars in the midst of it. [00:23:31] (15 seconds)  #UnitedInChrist