COEXIST or Christ? Acts 17 Paul at Athens

COEXIST or Christ?

Acts 17.16-34

 

Summary

Some people push the COEXIST image/bumper sticker from religious tolerance to religious pluralism. All religions, it is thought, are valid paths to heaven. When Paul came to Athens, he encountered many different religions, even an altar to the "Unknown God." Paul took the opportunity to teach the difference between all the religions of the world and the one religion of the Bible. 

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/Pi44SpCnyP8

Introduction

 

     Many of you have probably seen the "COEXIST" bumper sticker in which each letter represents a religion. The "C" represents the crescent of Islam. The "O" includes the peace sign. The "E" represents the Hindu Om. The "X" represents the Star of David in Judaism. The dot of the "I" is the pentacle of Wicca and old pagan religions. The "S" represents the Yin-Yang of Daoism, a religion from China. The "T" finally represents the cross of Christianity. Originally this was a piece of art submitted by a Polish artist for a museum in Jerusalem, and it simply meant to express the need for religious tolerance. We do need religious tolerance in order to have freedom of religion. No one should be forced to believe any certain religion. 

 

     But many people take the idea of religious tolerance much further. They see all these religions as different paths leading to the same place: Heaven or Nirvana or Valhalla or some good future existence. This is probably what the Apostle Paul encountered when he came to Athens and noticed all the different altars dedicated to different gods and one altar even dedicated to the Unknown God." Why are there so many different religions and gods, and what should we think about these? Are they equal paths leading to salvation? Does it matter what you believe? 

 

     Paul was on his second missionary journey. His preaching of Jesus the Messiah had caused so much controversy that he had nearly been killed. His friends wanted him to take a break and rest. But when he came to Athens and saw the plurality of religions and especially an altar to "The Unknown God," he couldn't resist the opportunity it gave him to preach the one an only true God of the Bible, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and the one and only promise of forgiveness of sins and true salvation. The philosophers of Athens invited him to present his teachings at a special "lecture hall" called "The Aereopagus." Let's listen carefully to what Paul said about this to the philosophers of Athens and to what the rest of the Bible says.

 

The God Who Created the World and Man

 

 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising.

 

     The protestant theologian John Calvin said, “The human mind, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols" (Institutes I.11.8). The Bible tells us that God created the world, and the first two believers were Adam and Eve. But their two sons, Cain and Abel, were split. Abel believed God and Cain didn't. By the time of Noah, ten generations from Adam, most of the world had followed the path of Cain. The world was so full of unbelief and evil that God was sorry He had created man (Genesis 6.6). This pattern continues throughout the Bible. God establishes faith, and gradually that faith falls apart. Men decide they want a different God than that of the Bible. Why do men want a different God than that of the Bible? We can answer that question by looking at the differences between the God of the Bible and the gods imagined by men. 

 

     The God of the Bible is all-knowing and all-powerful. He is the Creator and Judge of everything. At the same time He is kind, gracious, and eager to forgive men their sins and disobedience. In the Old Testament the sacrifices given to God were two kinds: sacrifices of repentance and sacrifices of thanksgiving. The sacrifices were never payments given to receive God’s blessings. God is not a paymaster, paying men off for their good works. God is a Savior, delivering men from evil. But men do not want to repent of their sins and turn from their evil whether that evil be great or small. They imagine their own self-righteousness. They rewrite God’s commandments for themselves. For this reason they invent gods and religions that reward them, and reject the God who wants to forgive them. The gods of the COEXIST list and the gods of ancient Athens, apart from Christianity, are and were all gods that reward. This is why Paul says that God is not worshiped “with men’s hands,” as though He needed something from us. He doesn’t need anything from us. He made us and sustains us. The one thing He wants from us is a repentant heart. Therefore Paul says,

The God Who Judges the World in Righteousness

 

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17.30-31)

 

     The God who created this world does not look upon it and say, “Pay me back for all your sins.” He “commands all men everywhere to repent” and judges “the world in righteousness” by Jesus. Some do repent, and their sins are washed away by the sacrifice of Jesus who died and rose to take away our sins. Peter said, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3.18).  Others reject this repentance and gift of forgiveness and new obedience by faith and are therefore rejected by God. You can do all the good works in the world, but none of them take away sin; and God allows no one to be with Him as long as they hold on to their sins. 

     The Athenians had never heard anything like this. They believed in many gods and many ways to gain the favor of these gods and to achieve some hope of a better after life. It is no different today. A man named Ray went to a family Mother’s Day celebration. A discussion arose regarding salvation. He objected to the idea that Jesus was the only way of salvation. He didn’t think it was important whether one followed Christ or Krishna or Mother Earth. He thought his family was narrow-minded and bigoted to think that Jesus was the only way of salvation. He would have been correct if Jesus were another god like all the others – a god who simply asks for works in return for favors. Kathy, the matriarch of the family, the one who gave physical birth this family, stepped in like every good mother should for the sake of her children, and for the hope that they would all be born again! “Christians are not narrow-minded,” she quietly said. “The question isn’t who is good enough to be saved? Of course there are many good people in many different religions. The question is, ‘Who will save us from our sins?’ No other god or religion imagined by men does this. They all imagine self-righteousness and rewards.” But, Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10.45). If anyone paid a work for salvation, it was Jesus, who paid the ransom for our sins on the cross. I hope all of you children will think carefully about that.

 

Three Responses

 

     Luke went on to report the outcome of Paul’s sermon: 

 

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them (Acts 17.32-33).

 

          A missionary to India once went to several villages explaining the way of salvation in Jesus.  In sermon after sermon he noticed that the people all were nodding their heads approvingly.  Gradually it occurred to the missionary that these people believed there were many paths to salvation.  It was easy for them to accept Jesus as another way. They weren’t grasping the truth that good works are only good works when our sins have been washed away by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. So, the missionary changed the emphasis of his presentation.  He spoke directly of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  Instantly the approving nods gave way to intense expressions of thought and consideration.  Every religion has a grave.  Only one is empty.  Every religion has works. Only one has forgiveness. 

 

     There were three responses to Paul’s message.  You can remember them as the three “L’s.”  Some laughed.  They mocked Paul and his talk about the resurrection.  Others said they would hear Paul about this later.  The last group loved the message.  Luke tells us they “joined them and believed.”  Of the group that believed two are mentioned by name: Dionysius the Areopagite and a lady named Damaris.  Many people today are still laughing when they hear this message or when they see people taking it so seriously.  They doubt the resurrection of Jesus, but they do not doubt their own self-righteousness. Many others are still putting their response off till later. They recognize that it might be true, but they aren’t ready to give up their sins just yet. You and I are among the group that loves this message.  We know that we must give an account of life before the almighty God, who made heaven and earth, and we are glad to know that He has accounted to us the life of His dear Son for our salvation.  

 

     The tomb is empty.  Christ’s righteousness is my righteousness.  Now I want to live with Him and for Him.  Now I want to put away all the words and works of darkness.  As Jesus Himself said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14.23).  As God makes His home with us now by faith, I promise that you will not be estranged from Him in the judgment.  Many will weep and cry for having laughed or for having waited until it was too late.  But many will shout for joy.

 

Conclusion

 

     Should we COEXIST? Yes, let there always be the freedom of religion. But I pray that all people will see the difference in the “T,” in the cross of Christ. All religions may have some good in them. But only one has grace. Only one has salvation. Only one gives true hope that rests in God, not in ourselves. Therefore, only one religion brings eternal joy. Before the sermon we sang part of the hymn, “Dear Christians, One and All Rejoice.”  As I finish this message, we will sing the rest of it. This was one of Martin Luther’s earliest hymns.  He heard the happy tune from a traveling artisan.  He wedded to it the happiest thoughts of his life—the Gospel story of Jesus and our salvation by His righteousness.  Dear Christians, the Holy Spirit wants all of us to be lifted out of the mire of a sin-controlled life to the life of hope and assurance of salvation in Jesus.  

 

Gazing Into Heaven Acts 6-7

 Gazing Into Heaven

 

“Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7.54-60 ESV)

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/CLLSxb0SnqU

 

Summary

The persecution of Stephen for preaching the Gospel reminds us to pray for those who are being persecuted right now. It also shows us how we should prepare to endure persecution if we are called to suffer for the sake of Jesus. 

 

Introduction 

     When Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you..." (John 14.2) He was preparing His disciples for His own persecution and theirs. His would be the crucifixion. There's would be stoning, crucifixion and many other ways that those who hate God torture and murder God's servants. 

     

    The hymn we just sang, "The Son of God Goes Forth to War" was written in honor of a Christian missionary named Henry Martyn. Martyn became a missionary to India and Persia (modern Iran) in 1806. He worked very hard to translate the New Testament into Urdu and Farsi, the languages of Pakistan and Iran. Weakened by disease, he tried to return to England in 1812. But he died along the way in Turkey. This was his last journal entry ten days before he died: "Oh! when shall time give place to eternity? When shall appear that new heaven and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness?" In his suffering he was looking to heaven.

 

     When Stephen was dying for his efforts to preach the Gospel, he also looked to heaven. When we suffer for living and proclaiming the Gospel, we can remember him and also sing with Psalm 123 "Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens... Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt... (and) with (the) scorn... of the proud" (1, 3-4). 

 

What Happened to Stephen?

 

     When Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the disciples, they began to preach Gospel message of repentance and forgiveness. Many people were converted to this true and only saving faith. They left behind the pride of self-righteousness and the doubt of self-reliance. And, along with this growing faith came growing love. They didn't look down on other people and think, "If they obeyed God they way I have, they wouldn't be so poor or sick." They used their earthly blessings to help those in need. This formed the first church budget with only two line items. One was support for the pastors who were faithfully preaching the Gospel and ministering to men's souls. The other was for the deacons (Greek for "servant") who were ministering the love of Christ by providing food and physical needs to all who wanted to follow Jesus. 

 

     This aid was never just a matter of handing out meals. That often causes toxic charity which only enables people to continue in sinful living. Christian charity was and is always accompanied by the teaching of the Christian faith: repentance for our sins, forgiveness for the sake of Jesus, and new obedience in the Holy Spirit. This angered the Jews from one of the synogogues, and they argued with Stephen that Jesus was not the Messiah. Luke tells us, "they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke" (Acts 6.10). They accused him of blasphemy just as they had accused Jesus. He was put on trial before the high priest, wherein he gave his famous testimony - the longest sermon in the Book of Acts. 

 

     Stephen went through the history of Israel showing how God called Abraham and Moses to establish the people of Israel. But he also reminded them of the Greater Prophet that Moses had prophesied (Deuteronomy 18.18). God sent a number of important prophets, but the most important of all would be the Messiah, the only prophet truly greated than Moses. This is the prophet to whom all the other prophets pointed who would bring salvation through His suffering for us. Yet Israel had rejected these prophets and especially the Messiah, Jesus. At that point Stephen said he could see the Son of Man standing at God's right hand" (Acts 7.56). At this they "cried with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran at him" (Acts 7.57). They took him outside the city and stoned him to death. While he was dying he prayed for the forgiveness of his murderers. 

 

Praying for the Persecuted

 

     Religious persecution is an old problem. But there is a difference between unjust persecution and just judgment upon nations. God punished Egypt for its unjust enslavement of Israel. He punished the Canaanites for their great wickedness and depravity. He even punished Israel in the same way when they later joined in the same evils. Throughout history human evil has been overthrown by God. At the same time this world has attacked God's people not because they have done anything evil, but for exactly the opposite reason: Because they have pursued righteousness. This is persecution: When people attack those who are just and upright because they are just and upright. This is why Cain murdered his brother Abel, why Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, why Absolom revolted against David, why Jezebel tried to murder Elijah, why Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern, why Herod tried to kill Jesus in Bethlehem, why Jesus was harrassed by the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes, why He was finally crucified, why Peter and John were imprisoned, why Stephen was stoned, why Saul persecuted the church before he was converted, why Herod killed James, the brother of John, why Paul was stoned, and why John was exiled to the Island of Patmos. 

 

     I call this the Rage of Unbelief. It's not just hurting people because you are angry or want to take something from them. It is a hatred driven by the faith and righteousness of their victims. The Bible speaks of this rage in several places. In Psalm 69.7 (ESV) David said, "The insults of those who insult You have fallen upon me." In Psalm 44.22 he said, "Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." In John 15.18 Jesus said, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you."

 

     Open Doors is a ministry is dedicated to helping persecuted Christians. It was founded by Brother Andrew, who smuggled Bibles behind the Iron Curtain. You can read about his work in the book God's Smuggler. Open Doors maintains a watchlist of the the most extreme levels of persecution today. On that list are countries such as North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea and Nigeria. We need to pray for and help Christians who are suffering for the name of Jesus!

 

Preparing for Persecution

 

     What about you and me? When we remember what happened to Stephen and to so many other Christians before us, are we prepared to suffer persecution for the name of Jesus. Jesus said that as the world comes closer to its end there will be wars, and famines, and pestilences. He also said that these are just the beginning. In Matthew 24.9 He said, "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake." In our own country we are seeing softer forms of persecution.*  Students have been denied admission to college because they said their faith in God was important to them. Bakers and florists have been sued for not celebrating same-sex marriage. Employees have been fired from companies for expressing their beliefs about the Bible outside of the workplace. Younger Christians find it challenging fit in to a culture that is increasingly hostile to the Bible. You're weird if you believe in creation or that Jesus is the only way to salvation. There was a time when these issues could be debated, and both sides could still be friendly to one another. Now Christians are just shouted down and ostrasized. Parents and grandparents walk a thin line trying to maintain friendship with their children while not opproving of all the behaviors in which they may engage. How do we respond to all of this?

 

(*Note: I haven't provided references. Search on all these statements, and you will find the sources.)

 

     Here are three things we can do. First, trust God's word. In the hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," there is this verse: "Take they our life, goods, fame, child and wife. Though these all be done. Our victory has been won. The kingdom ours remaineth." If we want God to help us face persecution, we have to be able to let go of everything except Him. The world has criticized and rebelled against God's word since its beginning. But year after year, century after century, that word still stands true, and it always will. Even if your own children turn from God, you will never help them by turning from God yourself. Their salvation depends on you trusting in your salvation. I have seen people who walked away from God to the great sorrow of their parents. The parents died believing they would probably never see their children again. And yet, some of those same children did come to Christ when they grew old and remembered the steadfast faith of their parents. We can trust God's word that "All things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8.28). 

 

     Second, pray for spiritual wisdom. Stephen confounded the enemies of Christ with his spiritual wisdom. Jesus said that the Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! (Luke 11.13). The Spirit always comes to us through God's word, so always remember that prayer is two-way: God's speaks to us in His word, and we respond. When the world starts showing its hostility to Christ, we need the Spirit coming through the word of God in worship, Bible study, and prayer. I am now old enough to see this pattern: Someone says something threatening about Christians or the Christian faith. At first I feel a little weak and unable to push back. But when I go to God's word, I always find the "five smooth stones" of David, simple Bible verses, to sling back at any Goliath who arrogantly condemns God and God's people. 

 

     Third, love your enemies. When Stephen died, he prayed for the forgiveness of his persecutors. Satan would love more than anything for you to hate the world that hates you because of your faith in Christ. When you see a person persecuting a Christian, do not let sinful feelings of revenge fill your heart. Do not wish for their destruction. Remember that God loves them as much as He loves you. Jesus said, "God so loved the world..." even the world that hates Him. It is from that love that we are able to love our enemies. They may need to be subdued. They may need to be destroyed. But let that be God's decision, for He has said, "Vengeance is Mine. I will repay" Romans 12.19. For our part, we love as much as we can, even those who hate us and revile us. This drives the devil crazy! 

 

Conclusion

 

     In the heat of his debate with the Christ-haters, Stephen's mind was on God's word and on God Himself. Luke tells us that He gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Jesus standing at the right hand of God was the assurance Stephen needed that Jesus had indeed conquered sin, death and the devil in His death and resurrection. No anger or violence of men sold out to sin could take that from him or from us. Amen.  

Hymns

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuQqGkzpAzJ8jbYFc9eFff6R_Ckc3li2w&si=bEFdaO3DOYxY7KIB

Predators, Prey, and Protectors John 10:1-10

Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mt. Olive, Illinois April 26, 2026

Summary: The Bible portrays believers as sheep who are preyed upon by forces of evil. The predators come "over the wall," dishonestly disguising their goal of separating us from God and destroying us. Jesus comes through "the door," honestly and justly to save us from our sin. I contrast five examples of predatorily lies with Biblical truth. 

Video Link: https://youtu.be/GPuQ6S-zI3s

Introduction

     I saw an internet post recently in which a horse owner was appealing to motorists to slow down when passing a horse and rider. She pointed out that in nature horses are that they "prey, not predators," and their natural instinct is to flee when trouble is near. That is why a strange sound or rocks kicked up by a passing car and send a horse into a frenzy. Predators are naturally stealthy, and they do all they can to separate their prey from the protection of the herd. The prey are naturally cautious, and will quickly flee from danger.

 

     This compares well to the spiritual side of life. There are predators of our souls, and we need to know when to flee from them and seek a protector. This is why the Bible so often compares believers to sheep. They are the spiritul "prey" of evil. It is important to know who and what is trying to destroy our souls and who and what is trying to save our souls. In John chapter ten, notice how the verses go back and forth between the Evil One and his servants and the Lord and His servants.  Jesus teaches us the their approach, their voice, and the results of their efforts so that we are not drawn off and away from God and destroyed. This does not mean that predators are the only thing Christians should avoid. They also must face their inward sinful self. But I have and will also address that in other sermons. This passage and this sermon will focus on these spiritual predators.

 

Approach of Spiritual Predators and Spiritul Protectors

 

     “He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way is a thief and a robber. He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep” (10.1-2). 

 

       God wants our souls and so does Satan. Both sides use human beings to gather us into their respective kingdoms of either evil or good. Jesus calls the servants of evil “thieves and robbers.” He calls the servants of God “shepherds.” These thieves and robbers and shepherds work within different realms such as family, friendships, religion, education, entertainment, and government. Some families are blessed to have parents and siblings who are shepherds. Some families are full of spiritual thieves. Some friends are shepherds and some are robbers. Some pastors and churches are shepherds and others are thieves. Some teachers are shepherds and others just want to rob your souls of faith and life. I think you see the pattern here as it extends to elected leaders, singers, writers, podcasters, and so on. They all fall into one of these two camps: Either they are leading toward God or away from God. 

 

     Jesus begins to show us the difference between the two when we consider the approaches they use. The shepherds who want to lead us toward God come through the door. That is to say, they come openly and honestly. They tell you up front: “I care about your soul. I want you to know, believe and live in the good grace of God.” Spiritual thieves and robbers climb into our lives “by another way.” They avoid talking about the soul, matters of faith, and of God. They assure you that that is your own private matter and that they are not really interested in that. They claim that their schools are not religious, their songs and books are not religious, and that their ideas are not religious. But this is a completely false and dishonest “over the wall,” if you will, claim on their part. Everything in this world is religious whether you want to admit to it or not. Those who say they are not religious are actually hiding their religion. All people have a religion of some kind. They all worship a god of some kind. That God may be the God of the Bible, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, or it may be a god of their own imagination. All people have a moral compass. It may be that of God’s word or it may be the rules of life that they have chosen themselves. All people have a savior or some kind. It may be Jesus, or it may be something or someone else. The first difference between spiritual thieves and robbers and good spiritual shepherds is their approach – whether it is open and honest coming through the door of “this is what I believe and this is the God that I follow,” or, “I don’t really talk about things like religion. That’s your own private matter.” 

 

Voice of Spiritual Predators and Spiritual Protectors

 

     Next, Jesus says, “The sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (10.3-5).

 

     Last week I was working with the computer application called Google Earth. This app lets you zoom in on almost any part of the world using the technology of satellite images. Just for the fun of it and for memory’s sake I zoomed in on the city of San Diego, to the airport, and to the Marine base that is next to it. I saw something that had made a big impact on my life when I was younger. There is a huge rectangle of asphalt that you can see in the satellite image. It is affectionately known as the “Grinder.” On this Grinder on any given day many platoons of Marines are drilled for hours – marching in formation – “Left , Right, Left, Right…” “Column Right…”  “Column Left…”  “Left Oblique… “ “Right Oblique…” “To the Rear March…” and so on.  On many occasions the drill instructors deliberately march their platoons right next to each other to see if the Marines will follow their orders and not those of another instructor. At first I thought this was a big waste of time. But eventually I saw that they were simply inculcating an instinct – the instinct to follow the correct orders from the correct leaders. Every battlefield is full of confusion. Only the good orders from the good leaders can save. 

 

     Life is full of confusion. Satan loves this confusion and often exploits it when people don’t have the instinct to follow the voice of Jesus. Sometimes he even tries to imitate the voice of Jesus. For example, can you tell which of these statements come from Jesus and which do not:  “Go make disciples of all nations…” Or “Different faiths, like different paths lead to the same place." How about these two: “The Bible was written by men." Or, “God’s word cannot be broken.” Another pair that people often get wrong: “You can do nothing without Me.” Or, “The Lord helps those who help themselves.” How about this pair: "Follow the truth in your own heart.” Or, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” 

 

     The voice of Jesus is the voice of truth. It is the voice that calls us to repentance and the voice that calls us to forgiveness for the sake of Christ’s suffering and death on the cross. The voice of Jesus does not tell us that we can do whatever we feel or may want to do. The voice of Jesus challenges us to engage in the battle between the sinful flesh and the spirit of faith. The voice of Jesus calls out our pride, lust, deceit, manipulation, jealousy, greed, and indulgence. When we do these things, we remember the voice of Jesus and like the Apostle Peter we weep bitterly. The voice of Jesus also inspires us to faith, hope and love, to humility, kindness, and self-sacrifice. The voice of Jesus bids us to follow in His footsteps as He leads us to the green pastures and cool waters of His word which nourish and satisfy our souls. Our “grinder” is our church, our worship, our Bible study, our family and personal devotions. All these things inculcate the instinct to hear and follow the voice of Jesus. 

 

Results

 

      After explaining the different approaches of the thieves and the shepherds and their voices, Jesus explains the results of following either one. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (10.10).

 

     This is the key difference between the spiritual predators and the spiritual protectors. Jesus taught that the devil is a "murderer" (John 8.44). On the other hand, John said in chapter one, verse four, "In Him (Jesus) was life." When we dig a little deeper into the character of each ,we see why one is the murderer and the other is the life-giver. The murderer is also the father of, and constant promoter of sin. The life-giver is the Savior from sin and the constant promoter of forgiveness, faith, and new obedience. One leads to death and the other leads to life. We can use this distinction to avoid the spiritual predators of the world and seek the spiritual protectors. 

 

     Peter said that the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5.8). Paul said that Satan "transforms himself into an angel of light." And then he goes on to say: "Therefore it is no great thing if his (Satan's) ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works" (2 Corinthians 12.14-15). This is what Jesus means by the thieves and robbers. How are the ministers of Satan, as Paul calls them, transforming themselves into "ministers of righteousness"? 

 

We see this in those who say:

 

* A child conceived in love is a child, but what is conceived by accident is not a child and can be discarded. The Bible says that God forms us in the womb. (Jeremiah 1.5) No conception is an accident.

* You are guaranteed health and wealth if you have enough faith. Paul, Christ's apostle, said "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6.10).

* Homosexual behavior and same-sex marriage is okay because Jesus never addressed it. Jesus said "He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.'" (Matthew 19.4-5). God created marriage for a life-long union of one man and one woman. 

* All religions are willed by God and can lead their followers to salvation. Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14.6), and "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me he will be saved" (John 10.9). While any religion may have some truth in it, only Jesus gives us the truth of forgiveness and salvation, therefore only Jesus saves.

* The Bible teaches there should be economic equality for all. The Bible actually teaches "You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor" (Leviticus 19.15). The Bible teaches just economic opportunity not unjust economic equality. 

 

     These are just a few examples of the way that "thieves and robbers" attempt to draw people away from the God of truth and mercy to the gods of lust, self-righteousness, and materialism. They all lead to death and destruction. 

 

          Let’s think a little more about this “life” that Jesus gives “abundantly.” The word for “abundant” is simply the word “more.”  Jesus promises to give life and more and more of it. It doesn’t degrade, deteriorate or diminish over time. Rather, it increases and improves. It literally overflows. How can He say this when it is obvious that our physical lives are always declining from the time we are born? Jesus, the Good Shepherd, promises an abundant life because He alone came to take away the malady of sin that undermines and destroys all life. When you look at the list of false teachings that I just gave you, you will notice that they all focus on the abundance of the flesh, not the abundance of faith, hope, and love. Our physical lives are important because God created them. But if you really want to improve your physical life, you have to begin with the improvement of the spiritual life - and that means addressing sin through repentance, forgiveness, and striving for new obedience to God's will. We don't improve our physical lives, contrary to the false teachers, by denying sin, avoiding repentance, and not following God's will. I love this promise from 2 Corinthians 4.16 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” In Christ we are never just dying. We are always dying and rising just like Him. We have an “inward man.” We have a soul. And God wants that soul to live by faith in Him more and more and forever and ever.

 

Conclusion

 

     One of the greatest lies of spiritual predators use to capture their prey is the promise of freedom. "Come over the wall with me," they say. "Don't follow God's commandments or trust in His only way of salvation. You will have a better life." But the Bible and life experience tell of a much different outcome. Freedom from God is not freedom at all. It is slavery and destruction. On the other hand, the sheepfold, the Shepherd, and the pasture promise us protection and life. Amen.  

Grace Before Glory 1 Peter 1:13-21

 

    

Grace Before Glory
1 Peter 1.13-21

    https://youtu.be/IbFtr2RuF_Q?si=Qdsg0mOrZpKc5nMB

Introduction

     We human beings naturally desire glory. We want all things to be good, beautiful and heavenly. We want to win, not lose. We want to succeed, not fail. We want love, not hate. We want happiness, not sadness. There are different ways to pursue these goals. Most of them have some good in them. But today we see how faith in the Easter miracle of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead tops them all and will always remain the essential gift of God that gives us ultimate glory. 

Paths to Glory

     What are some common “paths to glory”? Let’s begin with a good work ethic. The Bible says that we should “…aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind (our) own business, and to work with (our) own hands” (1 Thes 4.11). We teach children to make their beds and pick up their toys. We hope this will lead them complete their assignments in school, show up for work when they get a job, and lead a productive life. In this way they can take care of themselves and others. Next, we can add being a good person and following the Golden Rule, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” which is found six times in the Bible (Le 19:18; De 5:14,15; Mt 7:12; Lu 6:31; Ro 13:9; Ga 5:14). A third important path to glory is marriage and family unity. David said, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Ps 133). Marriage and family are the foundations to life. Where these fail, life will fail. A fourth path to glory would be good government. Peter says in the next chapter of this letter that good governments are sent by God “…for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good” (2.14). Without good government, the coarse crimes against life would plunge us into chaos and destruction. God commands all these paths to glory, and we should always pray for these paths of glory: Work Ethic, The Golden Rule, Marriage and Family Unity, and Good Government. 

The Reason These Paths Fail

     Everything I have just said is really common sense. These four paths to glory are commanded in the Bible, but you don’t need the Bible to know them. They are deeply imbedded in nature itself. Benjamin Franklin, one of the founders of our country, wrote about them in his Poor Richard’s Almanac. They are good paths, but by themselves they won’t lead to glory. Why? Because none of them can address and cure the problem of sin that is just as deeply imbedded in our hearts. 

     We may start on the path of good work ethic, but soon laziness and covetousness will tempt us especially when we see others are succeeding more than us. We begin to think we are victims and that life isn’t fair. We may strive to love our neighbors as ourselves, but it becomes all too easy to pick and choose our neighbors. Is it the drug addict that needs our help?  Is it the unborn baby that just wants to live that we need to protect? Is it a starving person in another part of the world? No one wants a troubled marriage or a disordered family. But we get on each other’s nerves and say and do those things that drive us apart. Everyone wants good government, but when sinners govern sinners, there are bound to be problems. We have a temptation to turn away from civic duty in disgust and pass those problems to the next generation. The real problem with these paths of glory is that they are all missing God’s grace. Therefore, they lack the power to get control of sin. 

     The Bible consistently teaches us that sin and separation from God is the cause of all misery and unhappiness in this world. No matter how well you know the paths to glory and pursue them, sin will catch up and pull you back down. Worse than that, much of the world now denies the paths of glory and deliberately. They avoid work but want all its benefits. They redefine the meaning of “good,” so they glorify their base desires. They have practically destroyed marriage and family and deny that it is even necessary. They use government not to commend the good but to defend and promote evil. 

Grace Is the Key to Glory

     Peter was well acquainted with this world as we are. He was a hard-working fisherman, but he could see that hard work and striving for goodness would never lead to glory. The sin within and without would eventually destroy everything. It seemed hopeless. Then one day he met Jesus. It wasn’t Jesus’ intelligence, or wisdom, or power, that impressed Peter the most. It was His holiness. When the fishing wasn’t so good one day, Jesus told Peter to cast his nets on the other side of the boat. The nets were filled, and Peter realized Jesus was different; He was holy. He said, “Depart from me O Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5.1-11). But Jesus didn’t depart. He stayed. He stayed with Peter and the other disciples. He stayed with this world all the way to the cross so that He could bring the one thing to them and to us that is the key to glory – His divine grace. This is what he was saying in 1 Peter 1.13-25.

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

          Pastors have rightly said, “GRACE is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” As Easter Christians we now have the true path to glory. We have the grace of the precious blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. This is the hope to which we constantly cling. Every day as we walk those paths to glory, we now have Jesus, the Son of God walking with us. Peter says that we “gird up the loins of our minds.” This means that we prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually for all that we do. Our week begins with Jesus in worship. Each day should begin and end with Jesus in word and prayer.  We don’t just go to work. We don’t just assume we are being good each day. We don’t just get married and have a family. We don’t just vote, advocate, and serve for good government. Our walk is with Jesus, and thus our daily life, is a holy walk. When we work, when we interact with other people, when we live at home with our spouse and children, when we speak to or about our politicians, we are always catching those sinful lusts and desires that crop up like weeds but need to be dug up and thrown out with repentance and faith in Jesus. More than that, our walk with Jesus is always pointed toward Judgment Day. We “conduct (ourselves) throughout the time of (our) stay here in fear.” This is not a fear of being condemned, but it is a serious realization that we have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. Therefore, our walk isn’t “aimless” and destined for destruction. Our walk is destined for the glory of the resurrection of Jesus and the resurrection of our own bodies on the last day. 

Conclusion 

     When the Emmaus disciples were walking on the day of Christ’s resurrection, they were sad because they had hoped Jesus would “redeem Israel” (Luke 24.21). They knew those paths of glory since Jesus has spoken of them. But they hadn’t realized the one thing that was necessary for us to walk the paths of glory successfully – that it was necessary for “the Christ to have suffered these things and (then) to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24.26). God’s grace, His redemption through the life and death of Jesus, was the key to His glory and ours. This week, as you go about all your normal activities, remember the hope of God’s grace, His redemption, the gift of forgiveness, and holiness, so that you will live a holy life of faith and realize His glory. Amen. 

"Mary!"

https://youtu.be/WUt778sq4Sg

But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.  And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.  Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. John 20.11-18

Introduction

 

     During our Lenten Season, in preparation for Easter, we've been studying the "Witnesses of the Passion." These are the people who were there when Jesus died and rose again. We've learned good things from Mary, the sister of Lazarus, Peter, Malchus, Pilate, Judas, and John. Today, on Easter Sunday, I want to present to you one of the greatest witnesses to the passion: Mary Magdalene. As we think about the impact of Jesus on her life, I pray that we would also be moved to faith as she was. 

 

A Woman of Substance

 

     The first time we meet Mary Magdalene in the New Testament is in Luke chapter eight, where she is described as one of three women disciples, along with Joanna and Suzanna. Luke describes all three of them as women of some means who were able to support Jesus financially. (There is a tradition that Mary Magdalene is also the sinful woman we read about in Luke 7.36, but there is no way to be certain of this.) These women loved to hear what Jesus said so much that they not only took every opportunity to listen to Him, they also supported Jesus with their money so that He and His disciples could reach more and more people with God’s truth and love.

 

Seven Demons

 

     Luke also tells us that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her.  She must have been very tormented by those demons, and so she was very appreciative for the healing she received from Jesus. Many people think they are free in this life, but if they don’t have the Holy Spirit and the gift of repentance and faith, they are not free from sin or from the power of the devil. The Bible tells us that Jesus partook of flesh and blood “that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2.14). It is good for us to think about how we are spared from the fear of and the dominion of evil through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

 

“My Lord”

 

     Mary’s faith in Jesus is one of the strongest we find in the Bible. She was one of the disciples that stood by the cross and stayed with Jesus all the way to His death. Whenever we find a list of women disciples in the Bible, Mary Magdalene is always mentioned first. She was the first disciple to go to the tomb on Easter morning. She was the first to realize that Jesus had risen from the dead. All the disciples called Jesus “Lord” when He was living. But Mary is the only disciple who referred to Jesus as “the Lord,” and “my Lord” even after He was crucified and before she knew He was raised. This was the beginning of the true faith that all disciples have. He is our Lord no matter what. He is our Lord no matter what the world says about Him or what it has done to Him. He is our Lord no matter what the world says or does to us. This is a beautiful example of the way we fear, love and trust in God above all things. 

 

Do Not Cling to Me

 

     Jesus spoke to Mary, but she thought He was the gardener. She did not recognize Him or His voice physically. Like all the other disciples, Mary had to go through a transition. She had to move on from the old way of knowing Jesus when He was physically present with His disciples. We call this the time of Jesus' humiliation. It is the time from His birth to poverty to suffering and finally to dying on the cross. Jesus went through this in order to become a sacrifice for our sins, to stand in our place under the judgment and wrath of God. But when He said "It is finished," that time of His humiliation and suffering for us was over. After those words in the Bible, you will see that no one argues with Jesus. No one tries to arrest Him or hurt Him. He began to be in the state of exaltation.  In this state Jesus rose from the dead and the soldiers guarding His tomb fell unconscious like dead men. In this state of exaltation that He commissioned the disciples to go baptize and teach all nations. In this state He ascended into heaven and poured out the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and Gospel began to be preached throughout all the world. In this state He is now at the right hand of the Father and rules over all things for the church. In this state He will come again on the last day. Jesus told Mary not to cling to Him because that old way of knowing Jesus in His humiliation was over.  We must hold on to Jesus now in a different way. How? How do we hold on to Jesus since He has risen and ascended into heaven? 

 

     I have noticed that if you ask any Christian this question: "What does Jesus want us to do?" I will get a variety of good answers. Some will say, "Love your neighbor." Yes, that is true. Jesus tells us that three times in the Gospels. Another person will say, "Tell others about Jesus." Yes that is true. That is the great commission. One day I was in Troy, Illinois making evangelism calls. I walked down a long street knocking on doors and inviting people to come to church. Finally I got to the last house and a very nice Baptist lady thanked me for what I was doing. But then she said, "Pastor, I bet most of the people on this street told you they were Christians." "Yes they did," I said. "But," she said, "On Sunday morning these streets will be empty. Hardly any of these folks will go to church." They knew about loving others. They knew about evangelism. But they didn't know about "clinging to Jesus" in His exaltation. The first disciples clung to Jesus as they sat at His feet and listening to Him in His humiliation. But how did they cling to Jesus after His resurrection and ascension into heaven? How do we today "cling to Jesus"? 

 

     The answer is in the very next words that Jesus told Mary, "Go to My brethren..." Mary and all of Jesus' disciples would cling to Him by clinging to each other, by being with each other in worship and fellowship. Jesus told them earlier about this when He said, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18.20). Six times in the Lord's Prayer Jesus uses the words "our" or "us" showing us that Christianity is not as much about "me and Jesus" as it is about "we with Jesus."  St. Paul taught the Christians in Colossae to cling to Jesus by "[Letting] the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (3.16). 

 

Conclusion

 

     Mary Magdalene was a great disciple of Jesus. Though she was wealthy, she didn't idolize her wealth.  She listened carefully to Jesus and supported His ministry. When she was troubled with demons, she came to Jesus and was healed. She was the first disciple to see Jesus risen from the dead. And she was the first disciple to cling to Jesus by going to Jesus' brethern and telling them of the resurrection. I hope that all of you would agree with me when I say that I want to have a faith like Mary Magdalene. I want to listen carefully to Jesus because He teaches me to repent, believe, and live by faith. I want to go to Jesus with all my demons that trouble me in my life. I want to cling to the exalted Jesus by going to His brothers, my fellow Christians, and saying as we do every Sunday, "He is risen!"

 

     A couple of weeks ago we were talking about the importance of our faith in Jesus in a Bible study. We also talked about what life without that faith might look like. I compared it to a jigsaw puzzle that was missing one piece. What would you do with a puzzle like that? Would you spend a lot of time putting it together even without that one missing piece? I don't think you would frame it? More that likely you would throw it away. Mary Magdalene shows us a lot about our life with her life. She had friends. She had wealth. But she had demons. She had something missing in her life until she found it in Jesus. I hope you find that as well. Amen.  

Your Light Will Shine Matthew 5.16

Your Light Will Shine

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5.16

Sermon for The Fifth Sunday After Epiphany

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mt Olive, Illinois, February 8, 2026

Audio: https://open.spotify.com/episode/27vJxWkifSVQLU1mT0JtxL

Introduction
     Dear Disciples of Jesus, on the first day of creation God created light. Light is the beginning of this world. Jesus told us that the problem of this world is that “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light… But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (John 3.19-21). Everyone knows that light is important. It is important for life, and as the Bible says, it is important for goodness and holiness. 

     When we first moved up this way from the Metro-East, I noticed a charge on my electric bill for a large pole light - $12 a month! I thought, we don’t need that. I can save twelve dollars a month. I called the electric company to have that shut off. Right away we noticed how dark it was on our property. I had forgotten how nice it was in the city to have street lights everywhere. My family started to complain, so I called the electric company back, and told them to turn it back on. “I had been over-ruled.” The lady on the other end of the line just chuckled. Yet more important that physical light is spiritual light, and that is our theme for this week. Consider carefully what the Bible and what Jesus says about: 1. The Need of Spiritual Light, 2. The Source of Spiritual Light, and 3. The Shining of Spiritual Light in This World! 

The Need for Spiritual Light
    The Bible is very clear about this: Sin plunged the world into spiritual darkness. Isaiah said, “We look for light, but there is darkness!” (59.9). Paul warns us to “cast off the works of darkness… revelry and drunkenness… lewdness and lust… strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13.12-14). And John tells us, “He who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” (1 John 2.11). 

     Not only is this the natural course of the world, the world tries to convince us that the darkness of sin and life without faith in God is normal. It creates false categories of truth, saying that we can be sure of some truths, those we can see like the temperature outside or the distance of a mile. But other truths, the truths which the darkness calls “religious,” are less certain. These are the reality of God and His laws against sin. The darkness goes even further, arguing there is no such thing as sin. It replaces sin with “problems” and “mistakes.” And, in many cases, these are not your fault. They are your parent’s fault or your neighbor’s fault, or your boss’ fault, or the government’s fault, or the church’s fault.” Isaiah warned: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5.20). When we look into our hearts and see that we have sinned, that we have lied, that we have had bad thoughts about others, that we didn’t do that good we should have done – we should recognize this as the darkness of sin.

     In vain the world tries to overcome the darkness of sin with its own artificial lights. These “lights” would include things like better communication, better relationships, better education, better government. All of these things are good gifts from God or can be if used in the right way. However, none of them get to the root problem of the darkness of sin. Sin is spiritual, and it needs a spiritual cure. That is why going home, going to school, going to work are all good things. But going to church is the best thing in addition to all of these.

The Source for Spiritual Light
     When I was a boy, I remember how certain businesses or cities would use giant search lights at night to attract attention. They would shine them up in the sky at night and move them around. You couldn’t help but see them and wonder, “Where are those coming from?” If you got in your car and drove around, you could usually find them. They might be coming from a car dealership that was running some kind of promotion, or a new movie premier, or a carnival. In Jesus’ time there was something similar. During the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem four giant menorahs were set up, each over fifty feet high. Young priests climbed ladders to fill the bowls with oil. They used old priestly garments for wicks. When they were lit, it was said that there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not lit up. Jesus came to one of those festivals, and it was there that He proclaimed “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8.12). 

     The only thing that overcomes the darkness of sin is the light of God. David said in Psalm 18.28 “For You will light by lamp.” Paul said, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light…” (Ephesians 5.8). Micah (7.8) said, “When I sit in darkness, The LORD will be a light to me.” Jesus is the true source of the spiritual light that brings us out of the darkness of sin. He is the “light of life.” You notice that in our church we have candles. They are carefully lit at the beginning of the service and carefully extinguished at the end of the service. Those candles are a symbol of this “light of life.” When they are lit, it means that we are gathered together to hear God’s word and to be enlightened by it. Jesus is the light in the sense that His truth and love come into the darkness of our hearts to forgive us, heal us, and cleanse us. He died for our sins so that our guilty feelings are banished. Our regrets are wiped away. Our fear is turned to courage. Our doubt is turned to faith. Our hate is turned to love. Our sadness is turned to joy. This is the light of life. This is Jesus. 

Shining the Spiritual Light in the World
     Now we come to our main teaching of Jesus for this week. In the Sermon on the Mount He said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5.16). This light is such a wonderful gift that it is impossible to keep it to ourselves. Once God lights us up in Jesus, the world will notice. A young college student was very worried about an important physics test that had to do with the deep, physical properties of light. He and his classmates were worried about this difficult test. The day of the test came, and they all worked feverishly to answer the questions. After it was over a group of students walked away from the science building. They were all pretty sad-faced and thought they might have done poorly. But one student was smiling. “What are you smiling about?” they asked. “Do you think you aced that test?” “No,” the student said, “I just know that there are other things more important than physics. I have the light of life in Jesus.” This is what Jesus means when He said, “Let your light shine.” 

     When you hear this command, don’t be afraid of it. There is a little translation challenge here. In the Greek language this is not a command to a person. It is a command about a person. Unfortunately, we just don’t have a way of saying this in our English language. Perhaps a better way to say it is: “Your light will shine.”  Jesus isn’t telling you to do something that is difficult or something that you have to do by your own power. Remember this truth: Whatever God commands in the Bible, He gives us the power to do it. When we find ourselves in a situation in which we can shine the light of Jesus, we look to Him. He will make it happen. There are many ways this happens. Here are two examples:

     A man decided to find out which mechanics in his town were honest. He was a retired mechanic himself. He would take a car with a problem that only needed a simple fix, and he would see what happened. Many of the mechanics told him his car needed serious repairs. But one mechanic was honest, it was as easy, inexpensive repair. The retired mechanic asked him why he was honest when many others were not. He told him, “Jesus told me ‘whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them’” (Matthew 7.12). Another example is a hairdresser who would pray every morning, “Whoever sits in my chair today, please let them see Jesus in me.” Eventually one of her customers asked her, “Why do I feel so good when I leave here? It’s not just my hair that gets fixed.” The hairdresser told her about the prayer, and it eventually led her customer to Jesus. 

Conclusion
     This week remember the need for Spiritual Light. Our sins are darkness. Remember Jesus is the Source of the Light of our salvation. Pray for God’s command to come true: “Your light will shine.” Amen.