“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
Dear Faithful, Fearless and Fruitful Seed-Sowers,
It is my prayer that as each one of us walks through this world-wide pandemic that we will be the salt and the light of Christ to our dark world. May we keep our eyes on Jesus and may His light shine through us.
Last week we looked at being the salt of the earth. This week let’s take a few minutes and reflect on the call to be the light of the world. We need to light our lamps of love, joy, faith, mercy, peace and grace into the world we live in.
Last week I challenged you to consider the kind of foundation you are building upon. Are you a wise-builder or a foolish-builder? Are you going to build on sinking sand or on the ROCK of Christ? As I have been reading this week, I came across this great illustration about building on the ROCK and letting your light shine:
Eleven miles off the east coast of Scotland, in the North Sea, stands the Bell Rock Lighthouse. It has endured the ferocious onslaught of the North Sea’s violent storms since 1811. It rests upon less than one acre of solid rock. The small reef is covered by seawater 20 hours of every 24. The builder of the lighthouse, Robert Stevenson, and his band of 65 skilled artisans, had only four hours each day to chink away the stone and gouge a foundation in the rock. As a result of this painstakingly patient work, the 115-foot-tall lighthouse is still in use today–200 years later. There are usually great costs in digging a deep, Christ-like foundation. Do it anyway. Your legacy will outlast you if you do!
In 1972, a young Egyptian businessman named Farahat lost an $11,000 watch. He was stunned when a garbage man dressed in filthy rags found it and returned it to him. Farahat asked him why he didn’t just keep the watch. The garbage man said, “My Christ told me to be honest until death.” Farahat later told a reporter: “I didn’t know Christ at the time, but I told the garbage man that I saw Christ in him. I told him, ‘Because of what you have done and your great example, I will worship the Christ you are worshiping.'” Farahat studied the Bible and grew in his faith. Two years later he visited the garbage man’s village outside Cairo, where between 15,000 and 30,000 people were living in poverty and squalor. There was no electricity or running water. Alcohol, drugs, and gambling were pervasive. Men, women, and children sifted through huge mountains of garbage, looking for something of value that could be sold for cash or traded for food. Farahat found himself reflecting on the words of Jesus, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” He also remembered the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:13, “We have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things.” It was soon thereafter that Farahat and his wife began ministering to people’s spiritual and material needs. They preached the gospel throughout Egypt, and thousands of people turned to Christ. In 1978, Farahat was ordained by the Coptic Orthodox Church and became known as Father Sama’an. Now, about 10,000 believers meet in a large cave outside the garbage village. It is the largest church of believers in the Middle East. In May of 2005, a day of prayer was held for Muslims to turn to Christ. More than 20,000 Arab Christians gathered. The event was also broadcast on a Christian satellite TV network, where millions were watching. All this, because one garbage man chose to humbly return a watch that would have made him the richest man in town.[i]
Wherever you are, whoever you are–you can be the light of Christ. Build deeply into the foundation of Christ. Let Christ’s light shine in you. Go love others.
SO WHAT?
Jesus is on the mountaintop teaching us how to improve our lives.
· You are the salt of the earth.
· You are the light of the world.
Do you come to church to worship the living God? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to RUB the love of God into your heart each Sunday? Do we let our daily devotionals and weekly Bible Studies season our lives so that we are ready to flavor our part of the world—our home, work places, schools, neighborhoods and church? If we had an ingredient list—how far down would the Jesus-factor be?
Jesus was onto something at the mountaintop. From His viewpoint, he saw a decaying world. What about you? Will you do whatever it takes to be the salt and light of your world? Remember Robert Stevenson only had four hours each day to gouge a foundation into solid rock but that lighthouse is still in use–200 years later.
The work you do in your lifetime has the opportunity to outlive you.
When the waves of the world are crashing all around you, you can stand safely and securely in the midst of the storm. Why? Because you have built your foundation upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ.
The gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 5: And the light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it. The BELL ROCK lighthouse has safely guided the seas for over 200 years. Why? Its foundation is embedded deeply into the rock it rests upon. May the same be said of you and me.
See you Sunday …
God loves you and so do I,
Pastor Dave
www.theseedchristianfellowship.com
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