In a world so dark around us, how can we possibly hold back our light? Pastor Restrepo exhorts us to be more faithful in both opening our hearts to the light and also sharing that light with a lost world.

Hartland Spring Convocation 2016: Message... Movement!

<p>In a world so dark around us, how can we possibly hold back our light? Pastor Restrepo exhorts us to be more faithful in both opening our hearts to the light and also sharing that light with a lost world.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Hartland Institute of Health and Education

Norbert Restrepo

Let Your Light Shine

In fact, this morning I would like to start a message that the Lord has laid on my heart to share with you.

Sharing a testimony that I heard from 1 of our students about a few weeks ago during Friday morning testimony session.

The 3 Angels Chorale was traveling and singing.

They do this very often at different churches.

And 1 Sabbath after their concert in the morning and a meal, they decided to go for a short walk before their next concert.

And as they were walking, 1 of them had this interesting encounter, and I'm gonna share it in her own words.

As we were walking, we saw a little girl about 5 years old walking towards us.

As she walked past us, I decided to say hello to her.

She said hello and I smiled as we continued to walk.

I couldn't let her out of my mind, so I looked back.

The girl had paused and was looking towards us.

Thinking this was odd, I asked her, Where do you live?

She pointed to the direction that we were heading.

I asked her if she would like to walk with us, and she nodded yes.

So I held her hand, and I started talking to her as we walked together.

I asked her about school, and she told me she was in kindergarten, but that she didn't like school.

I asked her if she was getting bullied, and she said nothing.

So I decided to share my experience of being bullied while at school.

She began to point to her cousin's home, her swing set, her basketball court.

Then she continued excitedly showing me her mother's car, and then she said, that's my stepdad's, that stupid ugly man's car.

Immediately her demeanor changed, scared of what her mother could say.

I told her, you know, sometimes stupid, ugly people are that way because they are sad on the inside.

In these cases, we need to pray for people like this, that they can see someone loves them and maybe they won't be stupid and ugly anymore.

She didn't answer back, but I know she heard me.

We all would wish that things would be OK.

A lot of things can happen when little six-year-old girls have stupid, ugly stepdads.

15 days ago, Sabbath morning, I was getting ready to go to church.

Someone on the other side was wanting to receive some counsel.

A situation in a home where something similar to a stepdad was abusing a girl living in their home and asking what can we do?

Now this is a common happening, even in the homes that you less expect.

And the Lord has called us to be light, to be hope in practical ways, so that people can see that there is a way out of this miserable world.

I know there are many people who apparently live in a very nice bubble, but that's not the case of everyone.

And even those who live in those bubbles, there is a radiance of God's love, of God's purpose of life that we can eliminate upon them so that that will entice them to give their lives fully to the Lord and to His service.

Let us go to our Bible text this morning, Matthew 5.

Just turn with me there again, if you will.

Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount was inviting his disciples and those who were listening and he invites us And he started by saying in verse 14, ye are the light of the world.

A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick.

And it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Now in scriptures and even it's a common knowledge that light and darkness are symbols of good and evil.

You could turn to Isaiah chapter 5 and verse 20, Isaiah chapter 5 verse 20 and consider 1 of those clear biblical examples.

Isaiah 5 20, woe unto them that call evil good and good evil "'and put darkness for light and light for darkness, "'that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.'" Yes, Light and darkness are symbols of evil and good.

So when Jesus said, ye are the light of the world, he was referring to a symbol of life, of what is good, of what is pure, of righteousness.

Righteousness, purity, freedom from captivity, life, eternal life.

Psalms 27 verse 1 says that compares light to our salvation.

Light is used to illustrate our salvation.

Psalms 37.6 uses light to illustrate righteousness.

Psalms 43 and verse 3 uses light to illustrate truth.

And Psalm 119.105, and you know it by memory, thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Uses light to illustrate God's word.

Now turning to John chapter 1, the gospel of John, We read even further of the definition of what is that light that God desires us to receive, to be, to reflect unto others.

John chapter 1, and let's read the first 4 verses initially.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made." Now listen, in him was life, and the life was the light of men.

First John 1.5, same author, the Apostle John, but now let's go to 1 John, and we read in 1 John 1.5, this then is the message which we have heard of Him and declare unto you.

This then is the message which we have heard and declare unto you.

God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

Once again, that comparison, light and darkness, that contrast, and that invitation, God is light.

Jesus declares, and we can go back to John chapter 8, in fact let's do that, John chapter 8 and verse 12, going back to the gospel of John, chapter 8 and verse 12.

Jesus had come up to Jerusalem, and during that special occasion, all the lights of the sanctuary of the temple were eliminated.

And then Jesus stood up and said, I am the light of the world.

He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Very clear.

Going back to the first chapter of John, As we study this concept of light, as we find it in Scriptures, chapter 1, just listen carefully.

As we continue reading the verses, we left off on verse 4, right, of John chapter 1.

Let's pick up from verse 5 and we will read all the way through verse 9.

And the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

There was a man, there was a woman sent from God whose name was Maria, John.

The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe.

He was not the light but was sent to bear witness of that light.

That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Very clearly the Scripture says, even though Jesus said, ye are the light of the world, what was He actually meaning?

You are reflectors of the light and that light is Jesus Christ.

The Mount of Blessing, Thousand and the Mount of Blessing, page 40.

The section, the inspired comment on Matthew 5, 14 and through 16.

I want to share some paragraphs with you this morning.

It quotes John 1, 4 and it says, "...in him was life, and the life was the light of men." And then it goes on to say, "...it was by receiving of his life that his disciples could become light bearers.

The life of Christ in the soul, his love revealed in the character, would make them the light of the world.

Let Your Light Shine

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