Participants:
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000722S
|
00:01 (Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:06 Sermon #B722 - "Let It Shine" 00:20 Dr. Byrd: Let's get in the word of God now. We want to go to the Book of Matthew, 00:24 and we're going to the Book of Matthew 5:14, 15, 16. Familiar passage of scripture, 00:40 Matthew 5:14, 15, 16, Jesus himself speaking. 00:46 I'm going to read from the King James Version of the Bible. 00:49 The word of God says: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. 00:58 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; 01:02 and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, 01:11 that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 01:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works 01:21 and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 01:23 Today, we want to speak on the subject just to encourage you today, let it shine, let it shine, 01:29 let it shine. 01:31 Let's pray. Father, we thank you. We praise you for what we've already experienced in worship today. 01:35 Now, God, it's time for your word. 01:37 And so I ask that you would speak through us to speak to your people. 01:44 And when we would have ended this worship, experience this sermon today, 01:50 that we will be able to say it was good to have tuned in today. 01:53 It was good to have heard the word. It was good to have watched this day. 01:58 We give you praise Lord, we give you honor. We give you glory high behind your cross. 02:02 Fill us with your spirit, anoint us with your grace, and forgive us for our sins. 02:07 We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 02:13 Let it shine. 02:16 We're living, as we all know, in some perilous times. 02:21 Times are getting rough and times are getting tough, but through it all, 02:28 God has still permitted and called us to be His lights in the world. 02:34 You see, friends, before we found Jesus, before we found out who we were in the body of Christ, 02:43 trouble used to trouble us. But now that we know who we are and we know who's we are, 02:51 we know how to trouble our trouble. We know how to frustrate our frustrations. 02:57 Before we knew who we were and what our purpose was, the devil would come into our lives 03:03 and do whatever he wanted to do when he wanted to do it where he wanted to do it 03:10 and how he wanted to do it. But now that we know who we are, 03:16 we now know that God has given us authority. Hallelujah! Which means the devil just can't come in 03:24 and do whatever he wants to do because we have authority. 03:29 Before, we used to be scared of people. Before, we used to be scared of places. 03:36 Before, we used to be scared of things, scared of stuff. But now that we know God 03:41 and know that he has placed us to be His lights, we know that God has not given us a spirit of fear, 03:48 but he's given us the spirit of power. He's given us a spirit of love, 03:53 and God has positioned us to be His lights in the dark world. 03:59 And I've come to let someone know and remind someone today that you don't have to let another dark 04:04 place. You don't have to let another dark road. You don't have to let another dark relationship 04:11 or a dark day to feed you another day. I declare victory in somebody's life right now. 04:18 I rebuke Satan right now. I rebuke a demonic spirit that is seeking to gain entrance into somebody's 04:25 life right now. 04:27 Victory is yours today. I dare you in your house to shout victory today. Victory is mine! 04:34 Victory is mine! Victory, today, is mine! You've got to speak life over your life 04:40 because the power of life and death is in your tongue. I declare that somebody ought to speak victory 04:47 because Jesus said, "You are the light of the world." 04:51 In this text, Matthew 5, a very familiar text, Jesus, He begins, 04:57 and He's preaching the Sermon on the Mount. He begins with the Beatitudes, 05:03 and then He uses two powerful metaphors in Matthew 5 to describe His people. 05:09 First, He calls us salts. Secondly, He calls us light. Now, quickly, let's deal with salt. 05:16 We all know what salt is. Jesus says, "You are the salts of the earth." 05:21 And as salts, friends of mine, we have a purpose in our world today. You see, as Christians, 05:27 we're not here to adapt and adopt to the world, but we're to be change agents in this world. 05:33 The only reason why the world hasn't collapsed is because we're in it 05:38 and because Jesus has declared that we are salts. And you know what salt does. 05:43 Salts retards the decaying process. I love this illustration because it makes it so real. 05:50 Remember, back in the day, when we didn't have refrigerators, when we didn't have iceboxes, 05:57 when our fathers, when our mothers, when our grandmothers, when our great-grandfathers 06:03 and great-grandmothers and grandfathers, when they purchase and bought a piece of meat, salt 06:09 because they didn't have refrigerators, salts were used and put on that meat to penetrate that meat, 06:16 to purify that meat, to preserve that meat. 06:20 You are the salt of the earth. 06:22 And if you can't get excited about that, if you don't understand your purpose, 06:27 that Christ has given you to be salt, then you aren't real salt. And you must be like, 06:32 what people called salt substitutes. Looks like salt, tastes like salt, smells like salt, 06:40 but it's not salt. We've got a lot of folks that look like Christ's disciples, 06:45 walk like Christ's disciples. They even preach, teach, and sing, and praise like disciples, 06:52 but they aren't true disciples 06:54 because the test of a true disciple of Christ is if you're salty folks around you ought to get thirsty, 07:00 thirsty for Jesus Christ. 07:02 Jesus is saying in Matthew 5, "Let your influence season people's lives for God's Kingdom." 07:09 Because salt is no good if salt never leaves the salt shaker. I wish I had a witness in this place. 07:15 You are the salt of the earth, but Jesus doesn't stop at salt. 07:21 Jesus also says, "Not only you are the salt of the world, you are the salt of the earth." 07:26 But Jesus says, "You are the light of the world." Now, you need to understand that both salt 07:34 and light are valuable and useful, but they are different in the way they approach their functions. 07:41 What am I talking about? 07:43 Salt is hidden. Light is obvious. Salt works secretly. Light works openly. Salt works from within. 07:55 Light works from without. Salt works and expands itself silently, but you know it's working 08:03 because your food is seasoned and taste better without you even seeing the salt. 08:09 I'm trying to help somebody. 08:11 But light has a different kind of function. Light has a different kind of effect. Light is visible. 08:17 Light is seen. Light works openly. 08:21 With light, Jesus is talking about when you visibly share your faith with others, 08:26 when you visibly share your faith with others about God. 08:31 Salt speaks of the indirect influence of the Gospel while light pictures its direct communication. 08:39 Jesus said, "You are the light of the world." 08:43 Now, friends, Jesus makes this statement, first, to help us understand our placement in the world. 08:49 You have to understand, and let me be clear, you are not the light. Stay with me. 08:55 You are not the light, but you are rather light in the world. Let me say that one more time. 09:01 You are not solely the light, but you are the light in the world. So in other words, 09:09 don't get the big head. Jesus is the light. He's the light that shineth in me. 09:17 You are just light leading to the light. 09:20 Ellen White said it best, we are just merely lesser light. She said of herself, 09:25 "I'm the lesser light leading to the greater light." You are light in the world, 09:31 leading people to the light. Light doesn't originate with you. Light doesn't begin with you. 09:38 The problem with many people is they think either they are the light or they are too busy, 09:43 trying to get close to people thinking that people are going to give us light, 09:48 but they need to understand they're not the light either. I don't care how deep you think you are. 09:53 I don't care how many scriptures you quote. I don't care how well people can sing, 09:59 how well people can preach. They're not the light. 10:02 Jesus says, "You are the light of the world," and when He says this, He is bestowing favor on us. 10:10 Jesus is saying He's the light and He favors you 10:12 and He favors me by allowing us to participate in His light. God, my friends, let me remind you, 10:19 made our hands without our hands, 10:22 but it's often in God's mercy that He allows the hands He made to bless others. 10:29 Don't get the big head. God does not need us. God can do what He wants when He wants where He wants 10:38 and how He wants without us, but He allows us to be His lights. 10:43 He allows us to be His representatives in the world. So when I'm the light in the world, 10:49 it means that I have spiritual access to what everybody doesn't have access to 10:54 because I'm a light from the greater light. Y'all don't hear what I'm saying. 10:58 You see, this means that, in life, you can go through something and not lose your mind 11:04 because of who you know, what you know, and who and what you represent. 11:10 You see, when Jesus says, "You are the light of the world," He's saying that as His representative, 11:17 you have access that the world doesn't have. What kind of access am I talking about? 11:24 You've got access to the throne of grace, 11:27 which means I don't have to go pray to another individual in a window to confess my sins. 11:35 I have access directly to the light. The Bible is clear. If we confess our sins, 11:41 He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 11:46 But not only do I have access to God's spirit, not only do I have access to the Father, 11:53 but understand I have access to his power. 11:56 Paul says, in Ephesians 6:10, "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." 12:04 And I understand that to mean that when a believer's faith is in God, 12:08 then God's power becomes the power of that believer. Let me say that again. 12:13 When a believer's faith is in God, then the power of God becomes the power of that believer. 12:19 And when we, as a church, grasp the truth that we are as strong as that in which we trust, 12:26 friends of mine, we will change this world. We will revolutionize this world 12:30 because if you trust in yourself, you are as strong as you are. But when you trust in God, 12:37 you are as strong as God is, which means I can do anything through Christ which strengtheneth me. 12:44 And when my faith is in God, hallelujah, when my faith is in God's power, 12:50 then his strength becomes my strength, his power becomes my power. That's why I praise God because, 12:57 now, unto Him, that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, and above all, 13:03 we could ever ask or think according to the power of God, that worketh in us. 13:07 Let me say this brothers, sisters, you don't know the access you have. 13:12 You don't know the access you have to. You don't know what's inside of you. 13:17 You don't know the strength that's in you. You don't know the authority that's in you. 13:22 You don't know the power that's in you. The devil is not afraid of you. 13:26 The devil is afraid of who's inside of you. And because the Holy Ghost is what's inside of you, 13:33 you've got power today. But not only do we have access to the power of the Holy Spirit, 13:38 we've got access to His word. 13:41 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path, which means the world sits around 13:50 and declares the benediction. But you're able to see what they don't see because you know things, 13:56 hallelujah, they don't know. You know, through his word, 14:00 that all things work together for good to them who love who the Lord 14:04 and are the called according to His purpose. You know that behind every dark cloud. 14:09 There's a silver lining. You know that troubles don't last always. It's based on what you know 14:17 and who you know that gives you favor and power today. 14:21 You see you can go through something and not lose your mind because of who you know and what you know. 14:26 It's not like you're not going through some things, even for somebody right now. 14:30 But you're praising God, and I've learned how to praise God not because of, 14:35 but I've learned how to praise God in spite of, hallelujah, right there. 14:39 I said I've learned how to praise God today not because of, 14:44 but I've learned how to praise God in spite of. Let me tell you, 14:49 is there anybody watching right now who knows how to praise God not because of but in spite of? 14:54 You're not praising God because of mess. You're praising God in spite of mess. 15:00 You're not praising God because of bad days. You're praising God in spite of bad days. 15:07 You're not praising God because of sickness. You're praising God in spite of sickness. 15:13 You're not praising God because of bad finances. You're praising God in spite of bad finances. 15:20 You've got to learn how to praise God not because of but in spite of 15:25 because even though you've got trouble on every hand, even though you are tested on every side, 15:31 you still have favor because of the light you have. And this, my friends, 15:36 is what makes you different. This is what makes you God's representative because you're God's light 15:42 because you've got God's favor and you're able to light up dark places. 15:46 What am I talking about? When you show up in the midst of darkness, 15:52 you bring a revelation that folks wish they had. 15:56 You see, when folks are in the hospital room, crying and doubting 16:01 because the doctor has given up your loved one to die. When you walk up, they should stop. 16:09 Why? You're bringing light to darkness because when the doctor says no, 16:17 I believe I've got a witness that knows Jesus can say yes. 16:22 Throughout my ministry, I have seen people on their sickbed of affliction, 16:27 on their deathbed if you will, and the doctors and the medical team have said, 16:32 "There's nothing more we can do." But just in the nick of time, Dr. Jesus will step on in. 16:39 And so you need to understand when you go visit somebody and they're crying, 16:43 and you walk into that dark space, you are bringing light to a dark situation. 16:49 When folks are down to their last dime and worrying about where their next meal is coming from, 16:54 and then you walk up, they should light up. Why should they light up? 16:59 You're bringing light to darkness, and you're able to say to them, "Don't cry, my brother. 17:03 Don't cry, my sister. The earth is the Lord's, the fullness thereof 17:08 and all of them that dwell therein." 17:11 God will bring you in a situation where folks will say, "There's no hope in what we're trying to do," 17:18 but then boom, here you come walking up, and you're bringing light to a dark situation, 17:23 and you ought to let them know, "What's wrong with you. Don't you know, nay, 17:28 we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us and washed us in His blood 17:33 because I once was young, but now I'm old, 17:36 but I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor His seed begging bread." When you show up, 17:42 the situation should light up because you are the light of the world. Light conquers darkness. 17:52 You have spiritual access to stuff other folks don't have access to. That's why you're here. 17:57 You are the light of the world. 17:59 You see, when the world sees the light of Jesus shining at you, they will take notice. 18:04 Let me tell you something. 18:06 There is no greater witness than a child of God reflecting the light of Jesus Christ. 18:11 There is no greater testimony than a life that displays the proof of Christ's presence. 18:18 Just as light doesn't call attention to itself, 18:21 but light draws attention to the things it illuminates. 18:26 Our light does not shine to call attention to ourselves. 18:32 Our light shines to call attention to Jesus Christ. 18:36 Jesus said, "If I be lifted up from the earth, 18:40 I will draw all men unto be our witness does not magnify what we've done." 18:46 Our testimony is about a great God who loves us and a great God who saves us. 18:53 I serve a risen savior. He's in the world today. I know that He is living. 18:59 Whatever men may say, I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer. 19:02 And just the time I need him, He's always near. 19:06 Our purpose in this life, our purpose as lights in the world is not to make people look at what 19:13 we've done and say, "Man, what a great Christian man. What a great Christian woman." 19:22 No, we should have them look at us and say, "They must serve a great God, 19:27 and I'd like to know that God that they serve." 19:31 Ye are the light of the world. And so, after Jesus makes this statement, 19:37 after Jesus makes this declaration, and He tells us our placement, 19:40 and he tells us that light conquers darkness, He then says that a city set on a hill cannot be hid. 19:48 A city, remember, set on a hill, listen to me, is exposed. Are you hearing what I'm saying? 19:55 Which means, when God seeks to expose your light, 20:01 there is nothing that anyone else can do to hide it or stop it. 20:05 Are you hearing what I'm saying? In other words, you can run, but you can't hide. 20:10 If you don't believe me, go ask brother Jonah. 20:12 Now, the hill is our foundation. God has strategically placed you on a hill so that your visibility 20:24 might bring light and exposure to those in a dark world. God has placed, hallelujah, 20:32 your feet on high places. Now, with this favor, God placing your feet on higher places, 20:39 don't get the big head again but understand the foundation of your favor. Remember, 20:46 hills symbolize the presence of God. 20:50 The Psalms said, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help, 20:55 my help comes from the Lord." So it's clear that hills symbolize the presence of God. 21:02 So then if I'm a city and if I'm on a hill, my foundation is the presence of God, 21:09 which means I've been elevated and there is greater accountability 21:13 and greater responsibility that comes along with the knowledge I receive. 21:19 Be careful what you pray for, you just might get it because the greater the visibility, 21:29 the greater the accountability, and people will start watching you differently. 21:35 Folks may not say anything to you, but yes, they will back up and observe you 21:42 and watch you and see what you're going to do. 21:45 That's why before you for point the finger at somebody else, don't you ever forget, 21:50 there are three fingers pointing right back at you. Before you're ready to talk about somebody else, 21:56 make sure that you are mindful that you live in a glass house. Are you hearing what I'm saying, 22:01 that you're not living in a glass house? 22:03 Verse 15, "Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick 22:09 and it giveth light unto all that are in the house." In other words, my friends, 22:13 God does not and will not place you with elevation for you to lose focus and hide. 22:18 Your purpose is not to serve when you're under a bushel. God has called you to be a light. 22:24 Now, it's interesting to me. It's amazing to me that before some people got the job, 22:31 before they got the house, before they got the car, before they got the degree, 22:39 before they got the husband, before they got the wife, you would just simply say, 22:44 "Oh, I love the Lord!" He heard my cry, and He pitied every groan. And I just thank him. 22:51 I just praise Him. I just worship Him. I just lift Him up. Hallelujah! God is so good. 22:57 But the moment you get a raise, the moment you get a new car, a new house, 23:03 the moment you get a car or passed the test, they are moments that the cancer goes into remission. 23:11 What happened to the light? But now that you got a nice house, now that you got a nice car, 23:16 now that you have a little education, now that you've got a good job, 23:19 now that your bank account is pretty good, 23:21 now you're sitting back talking about it doesn't take all that. 23:25 I don't know why they have all that praise and worship. 23:29 I don't know why they have all that singing. All that singing, 23:33 all that praise, and all that shouting, it doesn't take all that. 23:38 But when you were broke, when you didn't have anything, 23:43 all you did was talk about the goodness of the Lord. When you were on that sickbed of affliction, 23:50 all you did was talk about the goodness of the Lord. And don't you know, 23:55 if you talked about Him that much back then when you didn't have anything, 23:59 it now means that when you have something, 24:02 somebody ought to say when I think of the goodness of Jesus and all He's done for me, 24:07 my soul cries out. Hallelujah! Thank God for saving me. 24:12 Today, somebody, get your light from under a bushel and let your light so shine. 24:19 If God's been good to you, let your light so shine. If God's been good to you, 24:25 somebody ought to say something. If the Lord picks you up, if He turns you around, 24:31 if He places your feet on solid ground, somebody ought to say something. 24:35 If the Lord has been your bridge over troubled waters, then somebody ought to say something. 24:41 If the Lord has saved your marriage, if the Lord has saved our children, if the Lord has saved you, 24:47 somebody ought to say something. Let the redeemed of the Lord say something. Go shine your light! 24:55 I'm telling somebody you've been in the valley too long. You've been in trouble too long. 25:00 You've been in mess too long. You've been in drama too long. You've been in confusion too long. 25:07 You've been sick too long. Somebody, you've been quiet too long. You've been in darkness too long. 25:16 But now, it's time to let my light so shine so others can see my good works and glorify my Father, 25:24 which is in heaven. 25:26 I'm trying to stop, but I'm ready to preach now. If it had not been for the Lord on my side, 25:31 where would I be? So go, let it shine. Hide it under a bushel, no! I've got to let it shine. 25:37 Won't let Satan blow it out, I've got to let it shine. Jesus gave it to me, I've got to let it shine. 25:45 Let it shine 'till Jesus comes. I've got to let it shine. Let it shine! Let it shine! 25:51 Somebody, today, you're a light not darkness. Darkness blinds, light shines. Darkness hates, 25:58 light loves. Darkness takes, light gives. Darkness hates, light heals. Darkness reaches inward, 26:05 light reaches outward. Darkness thinks internally, light thinks externally. 26:10 Darkness talks about the way it used to be, light talks about the way it ought to be. 26:15 Darkness talks about people, light talks about Jesus. 26:18 Let your light so shine that others may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 26:26 So the Lord is my light. He's my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, 26:35 of whom shall I be afraid when the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, 26:39 came upon me to eat of my flesh? They stumbled and fell though war should rise up against me. 26:45 In this, will I be confident? One thing that I desired of the Lord, and that what I seek after, 26:52 that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. 26:55 I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm free. His eye is on the sparrow 27:02 and I know He watches me. And if you can't sing, it might be because you aren't happy. 27:08 But I'll sing because I'm happy. I'll sing because I'm free. His eye is on the sparrow. 27:14 I know he watches me. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let your light so shine that men and women, 27:25 boys and girls will see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 27:32 I don't know what tomorrow's going to bring. I don't know what next week's going to bring. 27:34 I don't know what next month or next year is going to bring, but I'm determined to let my light shine. 27:40 Let it shine, let it shine. Let it shine 'til Jesus comes. I've got to let it shine. 27:48 God's been too good for me to hide my light under a bushel. But I'm going to let it shine. 27:54 Whoever you are, wherever you are, I need you to commit to the Lord Jesus today, 27:58 that you're going to let your light shine. 28:01 Thank you very much for tuning in to this week's Breath of Life broadcast. 28:05 We hope and pray that you've been blessed by Dr. Byrd's inspirational message. 28:10 If you would like to hear this sermon in its entirety, 28:12 please feel free to visit us at www.breathoflife.tv. 28:18 Or, call us at (256) 929-6460. 28:24 [END] |
Revised 2021-06-09