Pastor Tony Clark Matthew 5:14-16 "Light Shining in Darkness"

amen Matthew chapter 5 looking at verses 14 through 16 the title of this message is light shining in darkness light shining in darkness I don't have to tell you how dark it is out there this world is dark and it's getting darker it's just in some fooling around over in London folks getting in vans and mowing people over and stabbing folks it's just madness Isis is going around and chopping heads off and killing folks and you know it reminds me of what Jesus said men's hearts failing them for fear and this is what we see in right now but here's the thing I I don't blame the world the world is the world I don't even blame Satan committee you wanted a you know the devil the devil I don't even blame Satan Satan is doing what Satan is supposed to do he came to steal kill and destroy so this is what he's doing I don't blame him I don't blame him I don't blame the world for the darkness I don't blame any of those things you know I blame for the darkness I blame the church I blame the church I blame us we need a mirror in front of us last time I checked the Bible says if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then I hear from heaven I forgive their sin and do what killed their land we want to see our land healed it's not coming from the White House you underst you understand that don't you is God's house is when God's people humble themselves and pray and seek his faith and watch this and turn from their wicked ways God said then and only then what I hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land if we want to see our land healed it starts here and the reason why I blame the church it's because of these verses we're looking at here this is why I blame the church because the world is dark and it's getting darker and we are supposed to be something that Jesus is telling us there is something about us that's supposed to eliminate the darkness sort of spiegel and this is what these verses are saying here let's look at verses 14 through 16 I'm going to read them and we're going to come back and dissect them one verse at a time notice it says you are the light of the world a city set on a hill cannot be hidden nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand that it gives light to all who are in the house let your life so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven because you're so well taught and because you know pastor David is in the book of Matthew towards the end of it you already been taught these verses but many you don't remember them because we forget 75% of what we hear after three days so you don't remember it anyway so let me just remind you Jesus is in the sermon of the mount the greatest sermon ever given in mankind chapters 5 through 7 tremendous sermons incredible sermon and he's in the midst of this and now he is telling us something that we're called to do notice he says you are the light of the world this is why I blame the church for the reason why things are as dark as they are because Jesus told us that we're the light of the world but here's the thing here's an amazing thing the maintenance thing is Jesus said in John 8:12 he says I am the light of the world we know first John 1:5 says got his light and in him is no darkness at all but jesus said I'm the light of the world but then right here he says you are the light of the world all the u.s. in the greek as humorous is emphatic in the greek language means you are right now as my followers are the only light of the world are is the verb in this present tense mean that you are right now at this present moment the light of the world so if Jesus is the light and he says right here we're the light okay which is it is it Jesus or is it us I'll watch this Jesus is like the Sun as you in and we're like the moon you understand the moon doesn't have its own light it reflects the light of the Sun and the only time that the moon doesn't reflect the light of the Sun is doing the Eclipse and eclipse occur is occurs when when the earth gets in between the Sun and the moon and keeps the light and keeps the moon from shining this light there's a darkness there so an eclipse has taken place here's the problem many of us are experiencing and eclipse in our lives this is why we're not reflecting the Sun as Oh n because we're experiencing an eclipse he told us that we're the light of the world light in the Greek is false is the root of where we get photo or photograph Jesus is saying we're supposed to be a photograph or who he is to this world but many of us are not the photograph the world isn't seeing a picture of Jesus because we're experiencing a spear so eclipse in our lives it's amazing thing that word closest is an incredible word we supposed to be a photograph a picture of Jesus but if many people say well what does the light look like it looks like Jesus for those of you who are my age or older you remember this you remember the Polaroid camera me and then you fan in it like this you know they're trying to give us mayor and you look down this fuzzy you know fuzzy tell I need to find it some more and then they start coming in is crowd coming and clear many of you have a distorted picture of who Jesus is and the world can't see who Jesus is because you given off a distorted picture it's not until the wind of the Holy Spirit come upon your life it's when the picture of Jesus will become clear to this world when that wind when that wind of God's Spirit hits your life the picture that will come clear let me go back to the Eclipse thing because many you are experiencing in Eclipse and you don't even realize what's happening to you you know Jesus says something in mark chapter 4 you remember the parable of the sore and he said when the one the seed of the word of God fell among the thorns he said in in mark 4 19 he said the cares of this world the deceitfulness of riches and the desires of other things choked the word and you become unfruitful or you experienced a spiritual eclipse for some of you is two cares of this world the word cares there is an amazing word Maryna in the Greek language is so amazing word it I've solved several definitions that it means the world reads the anxiety's it speaks of the dividing or distracted being distracted by some year you're dividing your attention is divided and therefore you're distracted when I think I'm distracted I think of Martha you know you all received the story you are Mary and Martha you know Mary what the worshipper she was that history and Martha was just busy serving you miss something in Luke 10 verse 39 they said that Martha also said at his feet but she was distracted and many of you are distracted you're not reflecting Jesus you're not a picture of who he is it's a fuzzy picture because you're distracted by the cares of this world the worries the concerns of this world old ladies this is where you come in you worried about everything some of you came here early because you were worried somebody might get your seat you were here you know first service wasn't even out yet you're in your feet worries the worries the cares of this world and because you're worried because you're concerned because you you're distracted with this and it caused you to experience a spiritual eclipse in your life maybe that's not you maybe something cares of this world maybe it's the deceitfulness of riches notice Jesus said the deceitfulness of riches wife because riches deceive us into thinking the more we have the happier we'll be and you're constantly chasing job there's a job you're leaving because you know hey God is using you on that job but you're leaving it because this job over here promised to pay you a nickel more an hour and because you got dollar signs in your eyes that you running and chasing after that and riches have deceived you they deceived you we are you thinking if I can make a nickel more now if I can make a dollar more an hour oh then I will be happy why because then I can buy this and buy that and I can keep up with my neighbor or my co-worker who has just the latest thing and you're deceived by it and because you got deceived by the deceitfulness of riches you're now experiencing a spiritual eclipse maybe that's not you cares of this world the deceitfulness of riches watch this the third thing the desire for other things maybe it's not the cares of this world maybe it's not the deceitfulness of riches but you just now just you know where you been lately I've just been into some other things and that's you and because of that you experiencing a spiritual eclipse in your life you just you just into other things and gadgets and things and chasing relationships and chase it and just into some other things when your heart used to long for God and the Word of God and you could wait - the doors open you took notes and you were right there and now you see it either with your arms folded with your arm on the back of the thing and now you just enter some other things now there's people with their arms folded these things can cause us to experience a spiritual eclipse it calls us to choke the Word of God out of our lives the word of the Lord that we used to love we used to love to get into you so long for now we just in awesome you can go a day or two or week no longer in the word it's because you experiencing a spiritual eclipse and you've just choked the Word of God out of your life and it's amazing thing and this is why we don't this is why we're not a good picture Jesus Christ to this world we're not being delight if we're not being enlightened who is if we're not being the light and we're experiencing a spiritual eclipse where there's a darkness in our life this is why the world is getting darker because we're not shining not with only light you notice he says you in the first part of verse 14 it is in the Greek its emphatic you are right now the only light of the world so if we as the only light of the world aren't China not like then there's nothing but darkness and then we sit back in our little holy Huddle's and we said oh how dark the world is and we don't realize we're contributing to the darkness because we as God's people have been humbled ourselves and pray and sought his face and turn from our wicked ways we're doing what they're doing there's no different than there's no difference between the person calls themself a believer and the person who's in the world there's no difference there's so many people shocked right now if you were to go to your job tomorrow and just say guess what I'm a follower of Jesus Christ they'd be like whoo oh you surely can be talking about you a lot of them will be shocked because we experience any spiritual eclipse notice he says you're the light of the world the Greek word is cosmos it's where we get our English word cosmetic from it it may speak to the orderly arranging of things own ladies you understood that you took your makeup and your cosmetics and you orderly arranged it all over your face today that's what you did you understand the word now now you got a vivid picture of it down that's what you did today you orderly arranged it all over your face so the world is not the trees and the rivers and streams and mountains the world that's spoken of here is is the world system is that say technically organized system of beliefs that opposes all that is godly and exalts all that is ungodly this is we're called to be a picture a light of Jesus to this world notice he says a city set on a hill cannot be hidden oh that's a very true statement I'm sure as Jesus bent on the Mount of Olives I'm sure he was looking up and saw the city of faith which is a city that was two thousand six hundred and fifty feet above sea level I'm sure as he was teaching he was pointing to that city as true a city set on a hill cannot be hidden you have a vivid picture of this out here living out in California when I was going through boot camp in San Diego in the Marine Corps one of the things that fascinated me were the homes and buildings up in the hills down there and in the daytime we can see all the homes up there in the hills and then at night time we can see them as well because the lights coming through the windows of the buildings and homes so whether it's at night or whether it's in the day a city set on the hill cannot be hidden the word hidden there is is it scripted in the Greek language it means that which is secret or hidden when I was in the Marine Corps I dealt with crypto equipment it was because I was in I was a radio operator and I had to I had to transmit sensitive cryptic material over the airwaves and so I had to have a certain clearance and all that kind of stuff but it means that which is hidden that which is secret so he says the city set on the hill cannot be hidden how many believers are hidden like I mentioned if I go to your job and say did you know they were a Christian over there would they be shocked are you undercover from the Lord secret agent Christian nobody's to know the you you're believer do your neighbors know that you're walking with God he said the city set on a hill cannot be hidden whether it's in the daytime or nighttime you can't hide a city on a hill but how many Christians are trying to hide that they are Christian how many of them are trying to be secretive and and Satan has designed things in such a way to shut Christians up to shut us up you mentioned something about Jesus oh you recalled into the boss's office now you understand you're there to do a job you're not the company chaplain you're not that however you're on that job to reach them for Jesus Christ that to be wise as serpents harmless as doves and that's got to open up doors for you to talk to him but because all these things they scared us into silence where no one knows we're Christians we're before we were bow you know when I got saved 30-plus years ago you know it was all about you know you gotta let everybody know you're Christian yeah I'm walking with God that you know it and now now it's a little different we've been scared into silence and this verse would read a city on the hill can be hidden because that's what many of us are doing we hide in our light but notice what it says and how it starts out verse fifteen nor now you got to understand therefore you English majors nor is a conjunction and an adverb used to introduce a further negative statement for example the first negative statement is the city set on the hill cannot be hidden nor do they light here the second negative statement nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket the word basket there is motio stand the Greek it means to be translated as a bowl or basket something that covers up so it says no debate light a lamp and put it under a bath it Oh unconfessed sin causes a bowl or basket to come over our lives and to hide the light habitual sin in our lives will cause a bowl to come over us and hide the light and when we involved in those kind of things we can't be that light God wants us to be when we are involved in those kind of things we will not be direction weight when we're in when we dealing with unconfessed sin and habitual sin I guarantee you you're not sharing about Jesus Christ I can guarantee you show me a person that is dealing with unconfessed sin or sin in their lives and then they turn around and say I'm a great evangelist for the Lord the devil of the liar no you not because you can't because when we're dealing with unconfessed sin and habitual sin it acts as a bowl and covers up the light and this is why he says nor do they light a lamp a lamp in and put it under a basket but on a lampstand to be seen we're putting on a lamp stand to be seen we're supposed to be we used to say this all the time thirty years ago we're trophies of God's grace palma lira his workmanship and ephesians 2:10 we're his workmanship ointment we're his poem where's his work of art displaying the grace of God to this world so we're put on a lampstand and notice and it gives light to all who are in the house ah Jesus is telling us something here he said before we can even think about being a light to this world the light that is in us first need to be seen by those in the house we have to see it in the house our families our wives our children they have to see the light first it has to be seen by those in the house those are the qualifications of a pastor in first Timothy 3:5 it says if a man can't take care of his own house how can he take care of the house of God it's a rhetorical question meaning that he can meaning that he must first be a pastor at home before he even think about being a pastor to church the light need to be seen by all the toes in the house has to be it seen at home first men we have to be men to got at home first before we even think about being a man to God at the job or out at the gym or at the golf course or wherever it is you go it got to be first in at the house before and then the expression needs to be seen I can tell this to you guys especially need to be seen by the other drivers in the cars out there on these freely I don't know how y'all do it I'd be mad every day every day I'm is mad I get to the job man I don't know how y'all doing and you know how you do it you don't use like it I don't we would talk on blinkers turn we come turn signals you know and also you know you driving didn't you see this person merging over it you like hey and you wanna you want to give them half of a peace sign I keep like y'all so angry around here you just it's not here it's nutty Wow what it need to be seen by those in the house I know I'm gonna get on that traffic pretty soon Wow and then you know you see a clearing and you're nutty then gotta hit the brakes real hard cuz the traffic stop didn't slows up nuts I'll be bobbing the loony bin if I lived out here now don't go sending me you know notes well I'll have some people with mental products top you know what I meant I want to hear that but you're nuts out here let me tell you that cars are just wrapping up what it need to be seen by those in the house notice in verse 16 it starts out with let you understand you English major that's a verb it means not to prevent not to forbid but allow notice it has let your light so shine sometimes we don't want to let it shine you know why because we want to stand our sin a little longer and we want to let our light shine you remember what Jesus said he said men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil have you noticed that the parties isn't happening to is dark and it's really the part is really fooling around after midnight when it's good dark men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil notice it says let your light just don't let it shine but let it so shine oh you understand that adverb means to such a great extent because he and this adverb is used in strategic places throughout the scripture in John 3:16 for God so loved the world he just didn't love it but he so loved the world meaning that love wasn't a word that can describe how he feels about this world world so the adverb so his place to give love a little more punch to it he just didn't love the world but he so loved the world said the same thing because if we're to be like Christ in the home it says husband's in Ephesians 5 so love your wives don't just love them but so loved as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it so it let your light so shine God so loved the world please keep that in mind the next time you get so upset with the world you get so upset with Isis you get so upset with terrorists and you get so upset with the evil and sex trafficking and drug abuse and all kind of what next time you get so upset that you all sudden become self-righteous your nose get a little bit up in the air and this world is so cruel or the God always reminds me and say hey but Tony I love this world I love this world so much that I sent my son down here to die for it oh I used to vote the marine used to always come out whenever I see some terrorists kind of attack I'm like you know I just want to get that uniform back on even though I can only get one leg up you know I got it and then the shirt you know it won't button it wanting come together put some rubber bands something to turn and the Lord always just say I love the world I just don't love it I so loved the world so it says let your light so shine before men ah so this means that our light needs to shine beyond the church we all can let our light shine in here is good bright in here we can let our light shine here we say Amen praise the Lord hallelujah but it needs to so shine before men out there why that they may see your good works oh that they may see oh they need to see Jesus they need to see him they need to see a true picture of who Jesus is they need to see a true representation hey you have a reminder every time you come to church we would see Jesus they need to see I'm reminded of seeing Jesus I'm reminded of Matthew 17 you remember the Mount of Transfiguration Pastor David did that a few probably a few weeks months ago you know Jesus took James and John on top of the mountain and the Bible said he was transfigured before them it means admit that his deity was shining forth through his humanity there were transfigured is in an incredible word you're going to recognize it from this English equivalent the Greek word is Metamorpho old is where we get our English word metamorphosis or that that process by which a calla pillar becomes the butterfly we need a Metamorpho where where Jesus who is in us is shining forth through our humanity that when people see us they will see Jesus and we need to be transfigured before the people so they don't see us they see Jesus and it's amazing it says let your light so shine before men that they may see see what our good works oh we're good they're Kalos in the Greek and it's an amazing word it means attractiveness of beautiful appearance see this is why they need to see Jesus our works will reflect Jesus it's in us because it's our good works this is this is this is good to me because they need to see our good works watch this they can't see our faith that is internal but they can see our good works which is external see people walking around or driving on the freeway or going to the store or whatever you don't know who has faith in who who does it but you can tell by the good works this is why this is why we need to let our light shine that they may share good works and do what and glorify doctors oh that Greek word for glorified means honor or to make glorious to glorify who your father in heaven if you would notice every time Jesus did something they always followed by the father this is how you know that you're not doing things that when you do them people look to you this is how you know when you do it they glorify God that's how you know your works are good and not that your works are selfish self-centred now don't watch this now let's not get weird there's nothing wrong with a attaboy pat on the back or high-five I appreciate you thank you for doing that friend there's nothing wrong with that the problem is there you know you guys get weird out here you just get weird you're super spiritual ones when someone say you know what I appreciate you helping me the other day men that really meant a lot man you took a load off appreciate that oh don't look to me don't look to the Lord look just Jesus stop you're acting weird just say thank you I appreciate that keep me in your prayers god bless you and you just you keep it moving you make people feel weird when you know see always the job you have somebody carry something you know a box or something I appreciate that oh don't look at me go give it all look at Jesus and he's walking away like we can come off weird because all in the name of trying to be super spiritual you come off weird just be normal you're not to be normal I know Hollywood is right up the road and y'all trying to trying to actin you know you come up weird just say thank you to my cell you know what hey I appreciate the message you know God but I just say hey but god bless me keep me in your prayers amen and keep it moving so this is how you know whether your works are good or not they glorify your father in heaven now let me wrap it up with this we're called we're called to be the light of the world we've been scared into silence we've been scared into closing our mouths and not speaking for Jesus because of sin in our lives is we have this bowl or basket over us the world is dark because many of us are experiencing a spiritual eclipse with these are the cares of this world the deceitfulness of riches or just a desire for other things not into it that deep anymore and maybe you're saying that because of some prayer God didn't answer for you but he wants you to be what he's called you to be you know what I find amazing there's a statistic that I read that has walked to my world I read it I was listening to an audio book cuz my car my car this can help somebody oh I'm about to help some about to lay some gold at your feet my car is automobile University in my car I've listened to several audio books several theology courses several leadership classes leadership courses I've gone through the Bible with Pastor Chuck and I've done I'm all in my car maybe some you need to do that you know you won't be in the flesh so much when you're in the car I all in my car I'm not listening to some stupid talk radio or listen to some boobity boo Boop music I'm not booming boom boom then I'm going through books and courses I've been through several leadership theology all kind of courses in my car and the thing is that that that has really just that'sthat's really helped me but but here's something that I want us to take with us many of you let me go back to the statistic I did see where I was going with that the statistic is that I read or listen to in my car 50% this blew me away 50% of everyone who attend churches across this nation 50% of them are not saved are not believers 50% they think they are because they come and sit in the pew or chair but you're not saying and you said well how did you know you're you're judging me yeah I am judging right in your face I'm judging you yeah yeah the Bible says in first Corinthians 2 15 and 16 he who is spiritual judges all things and you don't have to know you're not saying your life doesn't reflect it because when the holy spirit oh don't miss this point don't miss this when the Holy Spirit comes in our lives the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to make us holy and when you are not holy when your life doesn't reflect that the Spirit of God is in you you're not saved and I'm saying this with all the compassion that I can you're not saved you're deceived into thinking because you come sit in a chair and comes into pew that you're right with God you're not right with God many of you have you know you have you have what is called convenient Christianity your Christianity only kicks in when it's convenient for you you only come to church when it's convenient I was watching you I thought you know I'm a marine so I you know I don't do I can do late if you're on time you late I just want you maybe you didn't get here until after the katene how can you miss the container now I know what easy scapegoat is good traffic I know you can scapegoat the traffic if I knew the Katinas was going to be here and I had to be here at 10:45 at eleven eight and got here that's aspect that I it's only convenient when it's convenient and I believe that a lot of convenient Christianity is out here you know why you don't have to worry about the weather you can plan anything and you just know it's gonna be sunny let me California every day I was here we had a little you know you know it was June first when we got here so little June gloom you know it was like every day since there's been sunny and high is we can't plan anything in Virginia outside no I get a snowstorm or something but here's the thing some of you need to get serious with God today that's why the Bible says today if you hear his voice don't harden your heart this is why the Bible says today is the day of salvation yesterday is gone we had a great day with the men yesterday but you know what that's gone tomorrow isn't promised I know you said well tomorrow we're going to get up and we're going to go in after work we're going to go to the park and we love it you don't know if you don't be alive tomorrow you have right now you

Channel: Calvary Chapel Chino Valley

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Keywords: Calvary Chapel, Calvary Chapel Chino Valley, Pastor David Rosales, CCCV, A Sure Foundation, The Gospel of Matthew Jesus Christ, Christianity, Bible, cccv, Church, Teaching, Worship, God, Christians, Bible Study, Jesus, A Jesus People Community

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Length: 39min 21sec (2361 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 08 2017