Let Your Light Shine

One of those “glory” passages that we love to hear… and then we think: “one day”. “I can’t wait to see this happen”, or even “World watch out! One day I’m gonna shine, and when I do you’d better be ready!”

I want to propose to you that this is our calling.

What are we waiting for?

Your Light has Come

Isaiah 60:1 ESV

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

Sometimes we feel like something in us has to change before we can really shine

We have this idea that shining is for special, or “anointed” Christians or that we need to work our way into shining

I’ll shine more when

I deal with that sin

I read the Bible more

I get myself organised

I’m not so tired

It’s subtle because these are all good things to address and they do affect how much we shine out Jesus to the world. But what happens is that we easily fall into the problem that the Galatians had - what we begin by the Spirit, we turn into something of the flesh or self-effort

So what does it mean to shine? [Look at “Light”, “Shine” and “Glory”]

Arise, shine for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

Light = salvation: 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 Pet 2:9

Light = life of Jesus: 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.” Jn 8:12

Light = resurrection life and all that is good: for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true)... Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Eph 5:8-9 & Eph 5:14

Light = that which shows the way & true knowledge: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Ps 119:105

Light = the power which brings order to chaos: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. Gen 1:1-4

So when Jesus says “your light has come”, it doesn’t matter how you’re feeling, what your past is, whether you’re doing well not not right now

You are in the light because you have been called out of darkness, into his light

You carry the light, because you have Jesus in you by the Holy Spirit. This means that you carry within you, all the fruit of the light, the goodness of God, the way, the truth, they life, the power that brings order to the chaos.

So now: Arise, Shine!

Jesus transfiguration: And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

Mt 17:1 & Mt 17: 5

Our transfiguration: I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Rom 12:1-2

Arise, shine for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

The kabod - weighty and overwhelming presence of God - Language that reminds of encounters with the presence of God:

Moses and the burning bush

the presence of the LORD like a devouring fire on top of Mt Sinai

Ezekiel falling on his face because of the brightness of the LORD

Paul being blinded on the road to Damascus

Also reminds me of the temple:

where “the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD” 1 Ki 8:11

So when God says “the glory of the LORD has risen upon you”, it’s talking about His presence with us. Both in direct encounter and ability to talk with Him and hear Him speak; and that we are now his temple - the place where his presence dwells, where his glory rests.

No wonder we can’t stand up sometimes!

But it’s why we can shine - it’s not about us anymore - he has chosen us as a people to carry his presence and represent him on the earth.

To shine out what salvation looks like.

To shine out the goodness of God

To shine out the life of Jesus

To shine out resurrection life and power

When we see that - the enormity of what it means to be a Christian, our hesitations about shining just don’t have any power, they’re just not relevant. You can’t work your way into this kind of shining by reading the Bible more or be working harder at your faith. We need our minds renewed to see the fullness of what God has done for us and in us, and then we will be transfigured - the inner light of the life of Jesus will shine out.

This week ...

Shine in the Darkness

Isaiah 60:2 ESV

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.

Circumstances don’t dictate how much we can shine. Sometimes we can find ourselves waiting for circumstances to change before we shine… especially when it comes to people:

When she’s sorry for what she’s done, then I can be kind

When he changes his attitude, then I’ll forgive or show respect

God calls us to more than that - it’s in the darkness that we can shine the brightest

God says that darkness will cover the earth, BUT His people will shine - are you ready for that?

But God, it’s not fair!

It wasn’t fair when they crucified my Son - and He never stopped loving

If we are called to be like Jesus, then we are called to let His life shine out of us even when circumstances are hard or unfair.

James: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds ....

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Jam 1:1 & Jam 1:17-18

Let us be a people in whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Let us be a people who shine out the life of Jesus in every situation!

Shining for the World

Isaiah 60:3 ESV

And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Sometimes we can be waiting for the world to change. Either reminiscing about the good old days (the light was brighter then), or giving up on now while we wait for the future (this world’s too far gone so I just need to hang on until I die or Jesus comes back).

BUT… the light in us is not just for us, it’s for the world!

We talked last time about taking the gospel of the Kingdom out to the nations, displacing the kingdom of darkness with the rule and reign of God.

We talked about being temples - carrying the presence of God with us - the Holy Spirit hovering over and filling us.

This is what being temples looks like. It looks like a people, separated from the darkness, who shine out to the nations displaying what God is like, what his character is, what it looks like when He is in charge.

It looks like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

It looks like the poor, the widows, the marginalised, the weak being taken care of.

And God says that when his people are shining out light, reflecting the glory of God, that the world will be changed. We are his game plan. The world needs us to shine!

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. Ro 8:19

We’re not waiting for the world to change… we are world changers!

We know that things won’t be fully set right until Jesus comes back; but now, our job is to shine, to give the world a taste of heaven, a taste of the kingdom to come, a taste of who God really is. The world is a different place when we shine. That means you are changing the world - just by being you!

Paul said it like this in Philippians:

English Standard Version Chapter 2

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing,

15 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,

Recap and Conclusion

So, to recap, believe that you already have the light of God and His glory rests on you. You can shine right now - you need nothing more.

Shine in every circumstance. Don’t wait for things to get better. If things are hard, shine anyway.

Don’t wait for the world to change. Be the change by letting the life of Jesus shine out of you. The world needs you.

Let’s wake up every morning with this prayer on our lips:

Thank you God that I am a new creation

Thank you God that I am shining out you more every day

Thank you God that I am a shining light in this world because Jesus lives in me

English Standard Version Chapter 4

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.

2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

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