"The world is full of people swimming in the dark, unwilling to surface to see the moon’s light (the scriptures) and find out where they are."
[This sermon is one of a series entitled "Sermon on the Mount, Concentrating on the Beatitudes," which is being preached on Sunday mornings by Pastor Tim Senter.]
Father’s Day for me was a glorious day. I pray each of you were able to enjoy the day as I did. I know many of you enjoyed our picnic at the park. Today, in our sanctuary, we return to our study in the Sermon on the Mount.
The last time we talked about this passage, we discussed how the light that we see works, how light displays the many facets of God and His people. We considered how our testimonies are seen in the light that is God, and the light that God created. There is much more to learn in that study, but we will save that for a future time and another discussion concerning light.
Today we look specifically at the light that is the Christian. This light is developed in the Christian as the attributes described in the Beatitudes grow into characteristics and behaviors that begin to mark this life. This new life in Christ changes and begins to take shape. Christianity, though not about behavior, results in behavior as a testimony to Christ within.
Once again, we look at the passage in Matthew 5:14-16, and consider the light of the world that is the Christian. We will consider the beacon on the hill. We will also look at the light on the lamp stand that others strenuously attempt to cover and hide.
There are a few periods in history that are considered times of enhanced knowledge and understanding. They are referred to in terms of light–specifically, enlightenment. One such period took place in the 15th through the 16th centuries at the close of the Dark Ages. During the Dark Ages, there was little thought of teaching, gaining knowledge, learning, or educational prowess. This was a time of pure existence. Man forgot much of God and who He is and focused upon what he thought was life. Though there was still much war and quest for land and empire building, we find a number of attempts at learning in the 1400’s. Portuguese ships set sail and mapped West Africa. Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492, and the first voyage from Europe to India and back took place from 1497-1499. In the 16th century, more explorations took man from Europe into Brazil. Interests in the arts were renewed as Leonardo da Vinci painted, Michelangelo sculpted, and Machiavelli wrote. Martin Luther planted his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.
There is a period that actually bears the name, “Age of Enlightenment,” the dates of which seem somewhat debatable. It began in the early-to-mid-17th century and ended in the early 18th century. This period was labeled because of the impact on study and concentrated efforts in human rationalization that had great moral, social, and political impact. This period developed self-governance, personal rights, and considerations of law that dominate our society today. Liberty, freedom, and reason were the mainstay instruction for this period. No longer was the King always right, and he was no longer a deity. Faith in Monarchism, oligarchicism, and aristocracy were slowly eroded during this period. It is interesting that as we fall deeper into governmental dependence, we place ourselves further into an oligarchy – we submit ourselves more and more willingly to the supposed elite. That is another discussion.
The ideas of Socrates and Plato have always been considered enlightened or intellectual. People who question their premise, especially in light of scripture, are considered unenlightened and even labeled ignorant or foolish. With both Socrates and Plato and for that matter any of those claiming to have the answers for the world today, reason is paramount. Another aspect that correlates to Platonian and Socratic philosophy that is still alive today is that authority is only for the enlightened, cultured or educated. We simpletons (especially those who believe in the scriptures as they are written) are unworthy of such a high calling as political leadership or representation. We are even considered too ignorant to be effective in media today.
Man, then, sees light not as intellectual prowess, but as a bare bones ruthlessness that stoops at nothing for power. The unenlightened are boorish. Our elected elite sees the normal voter today in this fashion – unenlightened, unable to lead, too much the simpleton. This is mainly due to the dependence indoctrination and brainwashing of our youth in public institutions – which is wrought on society for the purpose of producing more simpletons. Children are taught, for instance, that the government is the bank. Now that we have the unconstitutional takeover of these institutions by our current administration, this is probably a reality.
Enlightenment is supposed to mean true new knowledge and achievements, such as space and undersea exploration. Moreover, these feats man has achieved have begun to be devalued and there is less ambition to continue. They are less and less frequent now than in our near past because our current world is bent upon the pleasures of man, not on pleasing God. The medical field too has advanced with great strides, but it too is now falling prey to cheap and easy answers to medicines where physicians would prefer to write a script than actually research, study, diagnose, and cure a patient’s ills. I used to complain about having to wait for a Doctor to come into the exam room at the office. Now I am glad when I have to wait, because I know that the doctor (my current doctor, anyway) is actually caring for the patient. This art has been lost to the 15-minute, “What are the symptoms,” and, “Here is a drug to subdue them” visit.
However, as great as some of these achievements of man are, they only serve to drive man further into darkness. Knowledge of the things of this world gives man a false sense of power and authority over destiny. This is a false wisdom, born from the darkness of the world, and it brings us no closer to God. This type of faith manifests itself in existentialism (only existence and experience is reality), or Scientism (what man proves in science is reality and we will eventually explain all so-called miracles through science). Humanism is also a focus of man-centered thought where man thinks he determines his own destiny and his reason is paramount. The more we grow intellectually, the less we need deity in any form. Humanists believe they become their own god. In fact, one could justifiably and quite credibly argue that these successes take man further from God.
Today’s Christian, too, is no closer to God than the Christian in the first century. Yet, that person was closer to God than most of those in the world today can ever be. The challenge is what to do with knowledge – primarily serve God or self.
Once again, we look at the proposition that “just as God’s light, the true light will not be hidden; true Christian light cannot be ignored. The truth is that “it is our sin the dulls that light of Christ within us, not a lacking in His provision thereof.”
We will consider two things then because of these scriptural truths. Only Christians have light, and we will look at what happens because Christians have light. First, the one thing real Christians have that the world lacks – light.
I. Only Christians Have Light
You are the light of the world. That is the testimony of scripture. Christian, if you truly believe in Christ in your heart, if you are truly exercising this truth in your life, and if you are continually seeking more of this truth to further purify yourself, you have good reason to believe you are the light of the world.
Do you know that the Christian actually scares people because he or she is beholden to Almighty God? Yes, because the Christian realizes they answer not only to man, but also to God for all things in their lives; they scare man. Man is scared because anyone who desires to control people wants that control completely within their hands. Unfortunately, no worldly leader can provide the type of self-sacrificial leadership or relationship that Christ does the Christian.
No politician or world leader can give comforting light regardless of what they say they can do. Many promise change of any sort in order to win the election. Their change normally turns out to be something they envision as a good thing, but it has nothing to do with bettering the country as a whole. Man in the day of Paul was the same way. Follow Rome, become a Roman citizen and you will receive great preference and peace. However, with that vow came an awful responsibility – serve Caesar and worship him as god. This is no different from the Egyptians of three millennia before Caesar.
No politician or world leader is enlightened enough to know all things. Regardless of how much the news may boast someone’s intelligence, it is nothing compared to the wisdom in the word of God alone. Further, most of these leaders do not read or believe in the real word of God. There is more in the book we call the Bible, which teaches true lessons of living a successful life, than any man can ever conceive. Some may say that we grow with experience. If that were the case, the Middle East would not currently be in turmoil. They had peaceful periods and have done nothing to promote peace among themselves in that region for centuries. This is because man’s knowledge is limited; it is finite. We are assimilating the world’s permissive and socialistic tendencies, and refusing to recognize (as well as losing the ability to implement) the valuable lessons that history clearly provides, especially regarding true discipline. The Bible, not liberal social history, taught me that in the book of Joshua.
No politician or world leader is capable of even seeing the problem, because they themselves are in the darkness. Politicians who vote for abortion simply could care less about children and life on a real level. They have to apply an esoteric definition based upon their needs. To man, life is a matter of productivity. A woman is more productive than a newly-born infant, therefore, the infant can be sacrificed for the good of society. In fact the pro-abortionist will argue that the woman’s productivity in society is reduced because of the care she has to devote to the child. This is all the more reason to rid society of this burden. This is the end logic of the argument for relieving a young girl of a life-encumbering teen pregnancy, or a woman who finds herself pregnant with a Downs or otherwise handicapped child. This is a very sterile and uncaring position that is presented under the guise of a “right to life” and liberty for the pregnant woman. It denies completely any consideration of the life that is destroyed. The light that God is, and that which the Christian exemplifies, cares equally for both. Man cannot care equally for both because the darkness of death permeates his life.
No politician or world leader is capable of little more than hypothesis because their pride does not let them move past their personal desires and wants. Sociologists always want to try out their doctrinal thesis on our country because they think they are right. Unfortunately, it is simply a thesis. Just as Kant’s thoughts were only theoretical, Darwin’s hypothesis was (and still is), after all, a hypothesis and Marx’s societal contemplations were only his personal musings, so too are the immature childish contemplations of any man who attempts to determine the whole of the world in any endeavor. However, the Word of God and His thoughts, His ideas on how His creation should be run and be organized; His thoughts and ideas on how societal structure should be developed; His thoughts and His ideas on philosophical moral application in life – that has weight and strikes the heart of these pride-filled people to the quick. Because it hurts to be wrong, the Christian who shines the light of truth suffers persecution from those who gain popularity in the darkness. Because Christians are the light in the darkness that sheds questionability on things that contain very little certainty, we are found, isolated, and attacked.
In all this, the statement of scripture is that man is unable to lead man into the light of God, or to any real light. The Christian, on the other hand, is the light to the world. In his pride, man is unable to admit that the simple testimony of a Christian actually means much. Man makes these testimonies “relative” in order to give them only limited exposure. Therefore, let’s see how things look if we paint with this same “brush” of relativism.
Painting Kant relatively, we find that his sole ambition was to become a great and influential philosopher. To accomplish this personal goal, he secluded himself in the darkness of self-denial. Kant denied himself any real interpersonal interaction, and never married because these relationships would hinder his ability to concentrate on his personal importance, success, and tasks. He became a societally functional monk with a singular purpose – world-renown and lasting recognition as a philosopher for his own satisfaction. Kant served no one except himself, therefore he could have had no concept of true sacrifice (something very much required in any successful society).
Darwin and Nietzsche’s testimonies are just as relative. Both Darwin’s and Nietzsche’s philosophical aptitudes are colored with great interests in, and submission to, the thinking of others. At one point during a round-the-world scientific voyage, Darwin spotted a light-colored line of soil high on a volcanic face. When he inspected this line, he found seashells and evidence of other marine life. Because he had just read a book by another individual that discussed the beginnings of the uniformitarian principles of land development, he immediately agreed with the reasoning of the author. Even with a supposed Christian education and some biblical instruction, Darwin easily gave up the teaching of God for the reason of man. He gave great credence to hypotheses based in inductive reasoning, and others that limited God’s power to act through His creation. This type of relational limit to God’s power is easy to understand from Darwin’s dark and unenlightened Unitarian foundation. Everything in Darwin’s life points to a belief in man’s understanding and ability to reason through who and what god may be, not that there may be a God capable of miraculous achievements. Nietzsche fell prey to much the same hypothetical reasoning, which was steeped in the darkness of the world. These two men, and others, were just able to draw out their thesis to a greater extent than those before. Smart men, yes–but most certainly fools as far as God is concerned.
Marx’s relativistic discussions are equally as dark and interesting. He came from a strong Jewish heritage, but the family seemed to convert to Lutheranism for social purposes. His status in society was mostly hand to mouth, never truly accumulating wealth of any sort. Though this may not seem important, it explains why he would eventually theorize that all would live on an equal plane – true Marxism holds that there is no affluence, there is no poverty–all are communal and equal. Communism. The life he led included some luxuries, but these were born to ensure that a proper social status be visually maintained. All of these men saw other men’s studies and carried them forward. All of them equally argued to discredit the historical value of the scriptures.
We should note here that there are regular archeological finds in the Middle East and elsewhere that prove the scriptures you hold in your hand to be true. None of these “thinkers” had the benefit of today’s historical finds, scientific studies, or even current hypothesis based in these facts. Yet, they were positive they had the answers to their prospective studies. They are today ( just as the “thinkers” of today will be tomorrow) proven repeatedly and regularly wrong. Yet, people still want to implement their ideas.
Look at people today folks. If they espouse a way to lead others, it is because they want to be the leader, not because they want to better the life of man. In man’s efforts to ingratiate and promote himself, he squelches true enlightenment. Many of these folks are so bent upon their devices that they stoop to degrade other scientists who propose theories based on better facts and data. Global warming is a perfect example. The evidence for this trend is shaky at worst and immature at best. Yet, meteorologists, even those who founded the most popular and accessible weather reporting on the Internet, are vilified, and run out of their profession, denied positions, and discredited to quell the dissent. This is the darkness of pride that man heaps upon himself. The same is happening, as we have discussed many times, concerning Intelligent Design, Creationism, and evolutionary theory. One thing that all of those folks that came before today encouraged, that all of those who were counted as thinkers before also encouraged, and all of those who are today held up as the standards for their prospective thought’s claim: independent thought and communication or debate. Today, we have a wholesale blackout of dissenting opinions. They choose the darkness folks, and not the light. John 3:19 tells us of these people as they seek darkness because it furthers their desires, and their desires are evil, not good. Men desire to be known, to be idolized, and to have their pride assuaged, messaged, and coddled. Men want others to prefer and serve them. This is self-serving darkness. This is the darkness of the world, this is the darkness that is Satan, and this darkness is pride and arrogance.
In his Morning and Evening, Charles Spurgeon asks the question,
“What must be the apostate professor’s doom when his naked soul appears before God? How will he bear to hear that voice telling him that he is banished from His presence and that he will not be the recipient of mercy? “Depart from me, you cursed; you have rejected knowledge, and I reject you.” What will be this wretch’s shame at the last great day when, before the assembled crowds, the apostate shall be unmasked?”[1]
Such as it is then, only the Christian knows of and has any true light. Many claim light, but their pseudo-meek facade should fool no one. This false humility and representation in others has brought great distraction and ridicule upon the real, true Christian. However, we know that real Christians operate under a completely different motivation. We should look at that motivation, and the cause of it.
II. Because Christians Have Light
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” “I am the light of the world,” and the Holy Spirit inspired John to write, “God is light.” These three scriptural statements are really the roots that teach us the totality of the light that we have in ourselves as Christians. First, we will look at these things in scripture as they are represented in various passages.
Darkness and light are depicted throughout the scriptures as opposites. We need only look at 2 Sam 22:29 (this chapter is another record of Psalm 18:28) to find that the Lord Himself is the light which has provided the path to victory for King David. The provision of the Lord includes physical strength and military success. Whether poetic or literal, the description of running through a troop and leaping over walls is certainly a successful endeavor with the Light of God. Psalm 36:9 we read that the Christian, even in this world of great troubles and disruption, sees “the fullness of happiness, without which existence is death and not life.”[2] This testimony permits the Christian to live life to the fullest in God’s glory and for God’s glory. Where the Christian gains satisfaction in this, the worldly will never be satisfied with the things of the world because he will never have it all. Oh, dear child of God, that we could sing as the psalmist in 56:13, recognizing the full measure of salvation in the Lord and praise Him for it. John 8:12 is the personalization of this psalm, where Christ Himself tells us He is the light of the world and gives the light of life. Darkness is in the world and not following the Savior only places man in this darkness or death. We have chosen life and light over death and darkness and this sets the Saints whole life in Christ apart from the worldly walking dead.
My diving analogy holds so true here. If you were under water at night, in the dark and you have no light you would be in trouble. If you wandered, poking around trying to learn of the environment, you would eventually come up against something very dangerous, such as a shark or something poisonous. If you bump into another diver, say Nietzsche who is equally as lost in the dark, why should you presume that he would know more? He has been to different places than you and lived to tell about it. That is about all. The world is full of people swimming in the dark, unwilling to surface to see the moon’s light (the scriptures) and find out where they are. Soon, they stay under too long and find themselves out to sea– too far to find the coastline any more. Then, truly, they are lost and only a miracle can redeem their lost lives. This is where our great Savior, Christ Jesus comes in. He gives you a light within yourself, and turns you toward the shore. All you have to do is keep using His light to get there – stay on the surface, do not go back down into the black, inky darkness below for too long. Sure, you have to work down there, but you have your light with you now. People flock to it and consider you a cheater. After all, they do not have a light. You offer to share, but they do not want to follow your light, they want their own. Back into the darkness they go.
The purpose of light is given to us in Psalm 97:11, where we find we are to spread it like sowing seeds in a pasture. These seeds are righteousness and gladness for the upright in heart. In Proverbs 4:18, we learn that the light of God grows in righteousness just as the dawn light grows with the sunrise. As the righteous-one seeks more purity, the light of God turns the soul to it’s fullest brightness when entering glory, just as the sun comes to full force at it’s apex.
Christians have the light of God in them because God Himself is in them. John 14:17 reads:
“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
Those who have the Holy Spirit of God living or dwelling within them are alive with light. This light shows selfless truth, virtue, purity, and honor and seeks righteousness. Man cannot compete with this pure godliness and he hates it. In verse 20 Jesus goes further to say:
“In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”
As God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one, so then our three-in-one God lives within you. Jesus, therefore, is alive in you. Jesus, the light of the world, presents Himself through every believing Christian. God, who is light, then presents Himself through every living Christian. The Holy Spirit, who teaches us in His Word, lives within us and presents Himself through every Christian, as He did Stephen.
The light from the Christian life that is a testimony of purity, love, and dedication to the Savior convicts the witness that lives in darkness. Darkness loves darkness and breeds more darkness. Light shows the ineptitude, the incapability, and the utter depravity of darkness and it’s efforts for self-justification before God. For this reason, we find that just the testimony of the purity in Christ Jesus is enough to bring about attacks from the Pharisees and Scribes. Jesus does not call them out specifically in public until they address Him, and publicly challenge Him. However, throughout the Gospels the Pharisees and Scribes scheme to eliminate His testimony, His purity, and His ministry. Just as the Christian suffers this type of persecution today, Jesus was first counted only as “the son of a carpenter,” he was only a “Nazarene.” You today are counted out as without intellect; but you have a resource that no man has – God within you.
This persecution is done because the Christian light is pure, right, and just without the assistance of man. Pride drives man’s greed for attention over Christ. Just as the Pharisees and Scribes saw their authority and power base dwindling with the teachings of Christ, so too we see this repeatedly today, especially in political circles where we find an audacious question as to whether or not a Christian can actually be in politics. To them, it is all about them. This is why we no longer have statesmen in this country. To Jesus it was all about the Father. This is why we still have a Savior in the world. Martin Lloyd-Jones, again, has said it best in his sermon on these passages:
“Just being Christian he shows a different type of life, and that immediately reveals the true character and nature of the other way of living. In the world, therefore, he (the Christian) is like a light being put on, and immediately people begin to think, and wonder, and feel ashamed. The more saintly the person, of course, the more obviously will this take place. He need not say a word; just by being what he is he makes people feel ashamed of what they are doing and in that way he is truly functioning as light.”[3]
The Christian is ridiculed, who will not attend parties with his family where he knows alcohol will be served. Those folks would say that drinking is a part of what happens in the world and the children should be exposed to it such that they can make intelligent decisions. The Christian is ridiculed who will not permit his children to attend what is rather innocuously termed “sex education” classes. The Christian is told that they should not shield or segregate their children. They must experience the world and make their own decisions.
The Christian, on the other hand, operates in a fashion not unlike God, by purposefully organizing his life in such a way as to protect his family from sinful behavior, because sin is detestable to him. To the Christian, therefore, introducing his children to these abhorrent and sin-filled behaviors is not only damaging to the child and a failure on his part as a father, but most importantly an affront to the Lord God. Where the sinful man foolishly introduces his children to the dregs of the world without consideration, the Christian is offended by the thought. The Christian father is submitted to the absolutes of God, not the whims of man.
Some would say that certain folks just need to experience these things for themselves and learn from them. This presupposes that men can actually, on his own, make godly decisions for his life. He may have to go through a few trials, but he will get there eventually. This is a fool’s thought based in a lazy attitude toward leadership and parenting. The testimony of scripture is clear – man’s heart is wicked and no one knows it. The best thing for children to do is to submit to the instruction of their parents, and the scriptures–not figure things out for themselves. Young ladies should not be considering growing up until they are grown up. Young men should not be discussing topics that are on an adult level until they are adults. The Christian light shines brightly on the blackness that would have children discussing intimacy before they are old enough to do so, and with some worldly adult. The worldly adult’s attitude is that their children were promiscuous and they turned out okay. They could care less about Christian values, biblical reasoning, or God’s commandments. They are interested in keeping kids informed so they do not get into trouble. The trouble is, by informing kids you place thoughts into their minds that are inappropriate even as adults to openly discuss (Eph 5:12). Pop culture says that you can have both the world and God. God says that it is Himself, and nothing else. I submit to you the authority is God, not pop culture.
The question is folks, are you leaning on the light of God, or the darkness bred by men? Are you focused upon the things of the world or on the things of God? What is your desire? To please those here in this world, or to look for a “well done thou faithful servant” in heaven? If you shine the true light of Christ wherever you go, you will make people uneasy. Your loving, caring, testimony tells others you are different. Your poor spirit shows the depravity of man. Your mourning shows you truly know his depravity, and you yearn for His redemption. This creates contempt in the man who sees no need for redemption. Your meekness, but firm stance on your position does nothing but infuriate the lost soul who wants you to fight as he fights. Your hunger and thirst for righteousness shuns the sin in the world and shines a light of purity on others sins. This draws persecution to you like sharks to light in the water. Your selfless mercy shines so brightly that others attempts at good deeds are seen for their selfish and self-serving purpose. This draws the fiery accusations that the Christian is “holier than thou.” Your purity calls again for further segregation and draws the satanic darts that accuse the Christian of antisocial behavior. Making peace or being amenable to everyone simply stirs the jealousy of the unpleasant soul because as much as they are cynical, aggressive, and disagreeable, they want to be accepted like the Christian. That is why we suffer from the darkness of the world, because we are light and they are drawn to us for good, as well as for evil.
[1] Spurgeon, Charles H. Morning and Evening, A New Edition of the Classic Devotional Based on The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, rev. Alistair Begg. (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2003), June 26, Morning.
[2] Jamieson Robert, Fausset, A. R., Brown, David. A Commentary Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments, Vol II. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Pub Co., 1973), 178.
[3] Lloyd-Jones, D Martyn, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, One-volume edition (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976), 144.
