I would like to admonish us to let our light shine forth for Christ and for those that do not know Christ I invite you to accept Him as your Lord and Savior and this goes for anyone who doesn’t know the Lord.  If I had to chose what the greatest day in the world was for me it would have to be the day I said these words and these are the words you can say today if you do not know the Lord – “Father, forgive me of my sins and I believe that Jesus is Your Son and He gave His life for me and I accept Him as my Lord and Savior, in Jesus name amen.”  These were the most wonderful words I’ve ever spoken and although Jesus and I had a few bumpy roads to travel He never left my side and He’ll never leave your side.

Today I would like to begin by reading from Philippians 2:10-16. We are going to talk about letting our light shine. These verses give us Paul's conception of the uniqueness of Christ and His work and its relationship to the believer. Paul points out that we must be Christ-like in all that we do. Our disposition, temperament, everything about us should be Christ-like and we should individually work out our own salvation. We should realize that the name of Jesus is mighty and that it is truly because of Him that we live today and that every tongue should confess Him Lord.

Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.

We as individuals need to learn to stand on our own feet without mumbling and grumbling if we truly want God to work in our life. Our number one priority once we give our lives to Christ should be letting the life of Christ become our life.  For most of us we were raised to hold on to bitterness, anger, hatred, and we were taught how to gripe and complain before we could read or write.  Now, it wasn’t because our parents wanted us to be this way it was just because no one really knew any better.  It is just the way we were raised.  It doesn’t mean mom and dad were mean nor didn’t care it’s just for most of us griping and complaining just come natural.

 

But I’ve found that the more we gripe or complain the bitterer and angrier we become.  The bitterer and angrier the less people come around us and the less people come around us the less chance we have to talk about Jesus.  No one wants to listen to some one try to tell them about the love of God when all they see is bitterness or dislike from the person.  Some one who truly loves the Lord will go out of their way to try to mend broken fences not widen them.  Growing up I found my tongue got me in more trouble than anything else.  I had read and heard the passage of Scripture I’m about to read you right now but had never really allowed it to take a hold of my life till about 20 years ago and oh what a battle the Lord and I had over this passage of Scripture.  Thank God He won!

James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 but be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, now these are not tough guy, I’m bad, could put you to sleep and I don’t mean the snoring way in just a couple seconds and you wouldn’t even have known I touched you.  When I left home I learned a new way of living that was not a real healthy way of living if you wanted Heaven as your home but if you wanted to survive in the world I had chose it was the only way of living and so I became very good at it.  But you know what, I still was not happy.  I was never truly happy until I laid hold of the Word of God and truly implanted it in my heart.

 

I was not working the righteousness of God; I was not a doer of the Word; I was not even a hearer of the Word.  But thank God I turned back to Him and my life has never been the same.  I strive now to make my life a beacon of Christ’s light not a beacon of the world’s.  I found that my downfall early in life was shame.  I was embarrassed of this man called Jesus.  It was seemingly a wimpy way of life.  But trust me friends it is by far not a wimpy way of life.   It takes a real man to love God and tell others about Him.

 

I used to profess Christianity out of one corner of my mouth and cuss out of the other.  I acted one way around certain people another way around other people doing nothing more than deceiving my self and them.  And worst of all making a mockery of God’s Word by being double-minded.  God knows who and what we are and we do not fool Him in any way.  I know there are going to be many that will disagree with a lot of what is spoken today because mainly many really do not want to change or have their own little hidden agenda’s they think no one is aware of – surprise – God found out!

 

Griping, grumbling, and growling demonstrates a life that is incomplete, sad, lacking in truth, and distant from God.  You might think you are demonstrating or exampling the life of Christ but you only see what you want to see others see the true you.  The only way we can demonstrate, that we are following the example of Christ is to consistently apply Christ's life to our life. We apply Christ's life to ours by offering ourselves to Him.  It is our reasonable service to offer or present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God not conforming to this world that we live in but instead being transformed by the renewing of our mind to the will of God offering all we are, all we have, and all we can to Him.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

When we begin to example the life of Christ truly in our life people will see that not only do we speak the Word, we live the Word and are not ashamed of it. It is not enough to just learn the will of God, which is His Word, but we must also live the will of God.  You can memorize and quote Scripture all day and go to Bible College after Bible College but if you do not truly live the Word of God none of the education you have is worth anything.  Just quoting Scripture does not mean you’ve implanted the Word in your heart.  I know many people from coast to coast, border to border that have degrees in theology, psychology, sociology, medicine, law, and just about any other degree you can think of but unless they have that teaching implanted in their heart it means nothing to them and draws no one to them.  Many that profess a great knowledge of God’s Word still walk around grumbling, growling, and griping because it is not God’s Word that lives within but instead still man’s word.  They have not yet taken on their position of being a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, they are still living in two worlds divided.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: 10 which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

We are a chosen generation, God's own possession, and a people chosen by God to be His children. A people for God's own possession, so that we may let our lights so shine with the brightness of the Word to draw others unto Him.  Jesus said in Matthew 5, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  If you want to see the world change, then let your light shine. If you want to see your life change, then let your light shine. Step out into that marvelous light and stop being afraid to let the world know whom you stand for and stop griping, grumbling, and growling.  In closing I just want to define three words for you.  I have used them in this message quite a few times or referred to them but I would like you to truly know what they mean and then meditate on it.

Griping: 1. To complain naggingly or petulantly; grumble. 2. To have sharp pains in the bowels. 3. To irritate; annoy: 4. To grasp; seize.  5. To oppress or afflict.

Grumbling: 1. To complain in a surly manner; mutter discontentedly:   2. To rumble or growl.

Growling: 1. To emit a low guttural sound or utterance. 2. To speak in an angry or surly manner.

And let me define one other word and then place your self in one of the meanings.

 

Shine: 1.      to give forth or glow with light; shed or cast light. 2. to be bright with reflected light; glisten; sparkle. 3. (of light) to appear brightly or strongly  4. to be or appear unusually animated or bright, 5. to appear with brightness or clearness, as feelings. 6. to excel or be conspicuous:  7. to cause to shine.  8. to direct the light of so one can see.  9. radiance or brightness caused by emitted or reflected light.

 

Father in Your Word it is written that we should arise and shine with the power of Christ before men so that YOUR good works could be seen and so that You would be glorified not us so Father let Your light shine forth from me let me be one that shines not grumbles, gripes, or growls.  And let this be also the prayer of the people today in Jesus name amen.

Pastor Thomas E. Miles
Living Vine Ministries
1043 6th SW
Mason City IA 50401

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