Luke 8:16

Luke chapter 8 and verse 16 for our first text this morning. No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or puteth it under a bed, but set if it on a candlestick that they which enter in may see the light. And then if you would, to the book of Matthew chapter 5 and verses 14 through 16. Matthew chapter 5 verses 14 through 16. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel. But on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father, which is in heaven. May God bless to us His sacred and holy word this morning. In the creation account, we find God creating light. He said, let there be lights in the firmament in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth. In chapter 1, verse 3 and also verse 14. Up to this point, we read that the earth was without form and void and darkness was on the face. of the deep. It is God who brings light to a darkened world. And he tells us there are two types of light. The greater light to rule the day, the sun, and the lesser light, to rule the night, the moon, and the stars. Now there are some spiritual lessons, I think, to be gained in this. darkness prevails upon the earth until God provides light. Jesus Christ said, I am the light of the world. In Malachi chapter 4, he is called the Son, S-U-N, of righteousness. He is the greater light. I am the light of the world. But as we saw in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 14, believers are also called the light of the world. They’re the lesser lights in comparison to Jesus Christ. Now the context here of Luke 816 is this. Jesus has just told the parable of the sower. He’s spoken of the different grounds on which the seed of the word falls. And he’s also explained that the good ground hearers are the ones who receive the word of God. They receive the word of God because they’ve been given ears to hear it, verse 8, and it has been given to that to know the mysteries of the kingdom by God. Verse 9. Now, in verse 16, what he’s going to do is he’s going to explain the effect the people of God are to have on the world in which they live now that they have been enlightened and given the spiritual light through Christ, how are they to affect the world around them? As a believer in Christ, we see from our text, these two texts, that you are to provide light for the dark world. For those who are unsaved. Matthew’s account gives us sort of a fuller explanation which helps you better understand Luke’s brief statement here. It’s a little bit more expanded, I think, in Matthew. But the point is the same in both of these texts of scripture. I want to speak this morning on the Christian as the light of the world. Now you find man’s natural state is one of darkness. Why light a candle? To introduce light into a dark place. Ye are the light of the world implies that if we take the believer out, the world’s in total darkness. The believer provides light. And Christ, when he was here, was certainly the light of the world. It still is. The world is a place of darkness. It needs illumination. Now, it would be odd if you and I would walk down to the mailbox with a flashlight in our hand at high noon to get the mail. We don’t need it. Your car doesn’t need its headlights on when the sun is shining brightly. Sometimes they have runner lights on the car just to, I guess people don’t run into you, but you don’t need the light. You don’t need the light headlights on unless it’s dark. When lights shine through the windows of your house, you don’t turn all the lamps on in your house. You don’t turn all the lights on. You don’t need the light because the sunlight’s here. But when the sun goes down, then you need the light. Man’s natural state is that in which the sun has been down a long time. Darkness prevails. Isaiah 60 in verse 2, says, for behold, the darkness coverth the earth and gross darkness the people. The people which sat in darkness saw great light. To them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up. Matthew 4.16. Remember what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 614, B. not on equally yoked together with unbelievers, what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, what communion hath light with darkness? Very clearly stating the people of God are light, those who do not know the Lord are in the dark. All these verses of Scripture indicate to us this. Do we not read in Colossians chapter 1 in verse 13 that Christ has delivered us from the power of darkness? and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear son, or God has done that, putting us into his son’s kingdom. What this tells us then is that man is naturally ignorant of God. He’s in a darkened state. He doesn’t know the way of salvation. He doesn’t know of the life to come. The things that are that are so important and so vital to his soul. He has no understanding. about these things. In this world, deeds of darkness are committed. The prince of darkness reigns, and people love the darkness. This is not merely true. We talk about the dark continent, you know, of Africa or something like this because they don’t have any spiritual light. But the truth of the matter is, we’re all in the dark. It doesn’t matter about those who have supposedly heard the gospel. If we don’t matter, if we don’t know Christ, we’re still in the dark. There’s a lot of darkness. And there are people who have had the gospel for generations. They’re still in the dark. So you find man’s natural state is one of darkness. Now as a disciple of Christ, you are to act as a light for this darkened world. Ye are the light of the world. We read in Matthew 514. Those who are our disciples of Christ are to act as candles, if you would, for this world. Now, it’s true in the highest sense that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. But Jesus indicates you as a believer in a lesser sense or a light too. Our Lord is like the brilliance of the sun providing light of the world. We’re more like the moon. We reflect the sun. His brightness is reflected through us. And it illuminates the night to some extent. In the Hebrides, Scotland, on Arnish rocks, Stoneaway Bay, there is a unique lighthouse. Now what’s unique about this lighthouse is does it have a light in it? It has a large mirror in it. It reflects a beam of light. from a lighthouse 500 yards away. It’s captured by the mirror and then it’s reflected out onto the ocean. And this provides the necessary light to illuminate the ships keep the ships away from the dangerous rocks around the bay. They can see the rocks. Now, in a sense, Christ is the main lighthouse, and we’re like the lighthouse with the mirror in it. We just reflect his light and provide light for the world. Certainly, we could talk about the apostles and preachers of the gospel being a light for this world, being a candle. But it’s really a characteristic of all those who know the truth and walk in the truth. Paul said to the ordinary members of the church at Ephesus, excuse me, Ephesians 8. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord walk as children of light? You’re all in the dark at one point. Now you are light, walk in that light. So there is about every true believer clear and visible evidence that is reflected upon this dark world with regard to spiritual matters. So you are the light of the world. Now, to be a light, you have to be illuminated. A candle doesn’t light itself. Somebody has to light the candle. The psalmist says in Psalm 1828, for thou wilt light my candle. The Lord God will enlighten my darkness. Of course, to be lit, if you would, is a divine work. God lights us. He makes us a light. We were once in the dark, like the rest of the people of this world, but the first thing God works in us, he says, let there be light. The entrance of God’s word gives light. As David once proclaimed in Psalm 271, the Lord is my light and my salvation. He lights us, gives us understanding, and brings us to salvation. in Christ. The Holy Spirit so enlightens our understanding that you and I perceive our desperate condition that we’re lost, that we’re hopeless, and that we need God’s grace. So then God pours light into the soul. And we are brought to embrace Christ as our Savior. God, who commanded light to shine out of the darkness in creation hath shine in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Just like at creation, God says, let there be light, and that’s how we got lit, if you would. And therefore, you have to ask yourself, has God enlightened me? Has He caused me to trust in Christ for the salvation of my soul? Are you a lighted candle? Has God done a work of grace in your soul and drawn you irresistibly? to himself. If not, you need to turn to Christ and ask him to give you light and save your soul. Don’t wait around in the dark. Seek the Savior’s help. As a disciple of Christ, you are to act as light for the darkened world around you. Thirdly this morning, you as a believer, are not to hide your light from the world. And this is the point of verse 16 here. But No man when he hath lighted a candle coverth it with a vessel or puteth it under a bed but seteth it on a candlestick that they which enter in may see the light. You are to function as light. One of the functions of light is to expose the darkness. You know, when I was young, my friends and I, used to spend time we go around. I mean, turn over all these rocks and find all these pill bugs because they’d be hiding underneath these rocks. It would be damp under there and it would be dark. But as soon as you lifted up the rocks, all of a sudden these bugs are scattered all over the place because they didn’t like the light. They got exposed to the light. People were the same way when it comes to the spiritual light. When they’re exposed, they scabbed. They don’t like it. They don’t like it. being exposed. You know, the Bible talks in Matthew 416, and I quoted this earlier, about the people who sat in darkness. Here they are. They dwell in darkness and they’re unconcerned about it. They make no attempt to escape it. They sit, contented to be in the dark. Think about that a minute. This is how our society he is. It’s satisfied with living in the dark. Now as a believer, you’re sort of like this candle or lamp that exposes the darkness wherever you go. You provide a contrasting lifestyle to the ungodly lifestyles around you. And therefore, you expose them. You are putting before them God’s standard. You’re exposing the light of God’s standard to them. They’re living in a dark way. And you set God’s standing before them and you become, in a sense, God’s measuring stick to help them. You make others uncomfortable, though, because they love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light whatsoever whatsoever does make manifest is light. Eugens 513. So you are to expose darkness. You are to warn those in darkness. You’re like a lighthouse. On a rocky coastline, a lighthouse is to shed lighthouse out on the bay so that people that in the ships they can see the rocks, they can see the dangerous areas and avoid them along the coastline. From this tower, a beam of light displays all the hazards out there. So you as a believer are such a light. Your light becomes a warning then to those who are of this world. If a man walk in the night, he stumblet, because there’s no light. John 1110. We’re providing light so that they don’t stumble. That’s your task. Man is, of course, alienated from God. He’s heading for certain destruction on the rock. your light may be the means by which he is made aware of the danger. God may use you to reach out to him and turn him from his sinful ways. We warn others of the danger of their soul faces. God has carefully placed you in society so that wherever you are is where he wants you to be in order to be light to that particular group of people. No one else but the Christian can do this. So you are to warn up those in darkness. You are to guide others out of darkness. Paul was called by God to open men’s eyes to turn them from darkness to light. Acts 2618, that was a task that he had. The path of the just is as a shining light, the Bible says. You can provide the illumination necessary to guide someone out of the darkness. The truth of God’s word. The message of the gospel provides light as to the way of salvation in Jesus Christ. When you teach others the truth about the Savior, you’re showing them the way out of the darkness. So you as a believer as a function as light, you’re to expose to darkness, you’re to warn those in darkness, you’re you to leave people out of darkness. But also here under this heading, and secondly, you can’t hide the fact that you are light. In Matthew, Jesus talks about us being like a city that’s set up on a hill cannot be hidden. It’s just open for all the sea. It’s highly visible. It’s exposed. If we’re true, truly Christians, then we shouldn’t be trying to hide our Christianity. We shouldn’t be trying to hide our faith, or hide our light, if you would. Christ is saying you can’t escape notice. You’re going to stand out. Sort of like Christian and faithful at Vanity Fair. They get to Vanity Fair, and everybody’s looking at them and saying, who are these people? Their speech is different. They dress different. They’re different. Something’s wrong with these people. Something’s different about these people. They stood out. The contrastben to you and others should be quite evident. We can’t really be secret saints. Not if we know the Savior. So it’s foolish to try to hide our faith, our life. No man, when he had lighted a candle, covered it with a vessel, or put it under a bed. Wouldn’t that be absurd? Why would you light a candle and put it in a dark, you know, put it somewhere where it’s not going to be able to shine? Do you think God has made you light so that you should be hidden and not provide the light that he has made you to be? We are thwarting the purpose then to be a light if we try to hide our faith. Do we deliberately try to conceal the facts with regard to our discipleship in Christ? You’re contradicting your purpose. You’re hiding who you are. You’re trying to avoid maybe offending others, being ridiculed by others, maybe being persecuted by others. But it doesn’t work very well. Because as a true believer, the lights just keeps shining. Do you remember, I remember during Christ’s trial, when he went into the palace of the high priest or on the grounds of the palace of the high priest, that Peter tried to conceal the fact that he was a disciple of Christ. And there he is, standing around a warm glowing fire, trying to warm himself. Evidently it was cold that night. The temple guards are all standing around him. And he’s trying not to be noticed. but a maid comes by and says, you were also with Jesus of Nazareth. Peter adamantly did I. No, no, no, no, it wasn’t me. Another maid comes by later and spoke to the soldiers about Peter and she said this. This man is one of the followers of Christ. I know it for sure. And Peter denies it again. And then finally, the soldiers that are standing around the fire said, surely you are one of his followers. Your speech is Galilean. It betrays you. You’re from Galilee, just like him. Peter cursed and denied it. But his attempt to hide his light failed. He couldn’t do it. Friends, you and I were true followers of Christ are like Peter. We just can’t conceal it. You know, when I was real small, I remember one of my favorite children’s books was Danny and the Dinosaur. About this little boy, and he comes across this huge bronosaurus or paddosaurus or one of those big huge dinosaurs. And he befriends the dinosaur, and they decide they’re going to play hide and seek. Well, the dinosaur has trouble hiding. You know, if he’s hiding behind the lamp pulse or even a billboard sign, he’s still. out everywhere and he can’t hide. Danny can always find him, but Danny sometimes can hide and the dinosaur can’t find him. And it’s sort of like to show us something about size and dimension. We’re sort of like the dinosaur. We can’t hide. We can’t be secret about our faith. It’s going to show up. It just shows somehow. So you as a believer are not to hide your light from the world. Fourth list, you are to seek to spread the maximum amount of light. Now, you’ll notice in verse 16, he says here, he seteth it the light on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. When you light a candle or a lamp, you want to put it in a prominent place so it gives lots of light. We want it to light up as much of the room as possible. You want everyone. who enters that room to be able to see the light and be able to see and walk around without stumbling or tripping or something of that nature. So you want to put the light where it does the most good. This illustration that Christ is using contains, I think, an animated call for you and I I to live, to exercise all our Christian graces in such a way that we shine our best. as we go through this world. Let me suggest some specific ways to do this. Make an open declaration of what you believe. Diffuse the genuine doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Be very careful to live according to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So that you are you very careful to live according to live according to the principles of the gospel. So that you adorn the doctrine. of God and others see that you’re a serious believer. Keep your passions and affections under control. And we can talk about heavenly things all we want, but if the focus of our life is really on earthly things all the time, people are going to notice that that’s the case. And so it spoils our witness. Live in a manner which convinces others that God is your portion, that Christ is your trust. and that the Holy Spirit is your God. As they look at your life, may they see the way you walk, the way you live, is definitely affected by your faith in the Lord. Let others know that you would not exchange your hope as a Christian for all the wealth, all the possessions of this world. Well, what good would it do to gain the whole world and lose your soul? and so we live like that. In short, whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, a good report. If there be any virtue, if there be any praise, let these things control your thoughts and be reduced to practice in your life that others may see your good works as Matthew’s Gospel. sense. And why is that important that they see your good works? That they may glorify your father, which is in heaven. If you bring honor and glory to your heavenly father, you conform your life to that ultimate goal. By your holy behavior and words, God is to be glorified, known, loved, and praised. God is glorified first by his two children only. Secondly, by obedience to the Heavenly Father. Thirdly, by acting in faith. Fourth, by living a purposeful life. Let me close this morning by saying this, that God created two types of light. One to rule the day and one to rule the night. The greater light that rules the day is the sun. The lesser light is the night. Spiritually, there are two great light, there’s a great light and lesser light. Christ is the sun, he is the greater light. We are like the moon, we reflect him. We’re the lesser light. But we’re both to be lights in the world. Here are the lessons we find from this text. You find that man’s natural state is one of darkness. As a Christian, you are to provide light for this dark world. You are not to hide your light, and you’re to seek the maximum exposure. of your light in this world. I think these are the things that we should learn from this text of scripture.