shedding_jesus

Shedding Jesus' Light

If Your Light Isn't Shining,

Then You're Not Too Bright

Adapted From the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit

A Goodsoil Discipleship Lesson - Bro. A. Madonio

Lesson Introduction

What this lesson teaches:

* This lesson ties together your conduct in the secular world with your life as a Christian. If no connection exists then you are in spiritual trouble.

* Potentially difficult, straight, pointed questions (you know, the sharp kind that poke and hurt) are raised to make you think about yourself - and make you think about how others see you -because they are looking.

* We will begin to see how vitally important it is to walk by faith, and how others around us will be influenced by this walk.

Scripture references used:

* Matthew 5:13-14; 19:16-20, Acts 22:6-11, Isaiah 49:1-2; 60:1-3, Exodus 10:22-23; 13:21, Psalm 43:3; 119:105, 1 John 1:7.

Other scripture that may be helpful:

* 1 Corinthians 6:19, John 2:21; 10:4; 14:16-17, Matthew 6:25-33, 1 Thessalonians 3:3, 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5, James 1:2-4, Acts 9; 21:17ff, Luke 16:13.

Discussion questions for study:

1. Did you read this lesson in preparation for this week's discussion?

2. Have you ever thought of yourself as a great big flashlight? In your opinion, has God seemingly ever obviously placed you in the wrong place such that your "brightness" is wasted? Read Isaiah 49:2 and try to see if maybe God has some definite plans for you.

3. Do you feel accountable for illuminating at least part of the world around you, or are you still waiting for God to finally locate you in your "perfect place" so you can "shine"? Does contemplation of Matthew 6:33 help you to see your duty as a flashlight?

4. Read Acts 22:6-9 again. Can you see how the unsaved might perceive you differently, even if they don't know why? Read Matthew 19:16-20 again. Isn't it clear that the rich young man knew something was different about Jesus? Do you want to be viewed this way too? What should you do?

Answers from lesson in order of appearance: YES/NO, (VARIED), YES/NO, YES/NO/MAYBE, YES/NO, YES/NO, YES/NO, YES, FOLLOW GOD'S LIGHT- BE OBEDIENT, GOD, YES/NO/WHY, (VARIED). Goodies to Ponder: Matthew 6:22 - The eye is the [LAMP]1 of the body, so if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of [LIGHT]2.

Note 1: LAMP or LIGHT = Strong's #5460 = Lustrous, well illuminated, transparent.

Note 2: LIGHT = Strong's # 3088 = a portable lamp or illumination. This light moves around, it is portable! This passage says that we (Christians) are easy to spot, easy to read (transparent), and that we should be mobile so that as many others as possible will be illuminated by our light. And the source of that light is . . . ?

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, "'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' " "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" Matthew 19:16-20

'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. Acts 22:8-9

Are you happy with where you are in life? . Why?

Most of us who call ourselves Christians are usually in an environment - like school or a job - that immerses us in the midst of many non-Christians. In fact, some of these people are decidedly anti-Christian. Nevertheless, we must always be aware of the fact that God, the Holy Spirit, is inside of us in our hearts (1 Corinthians 6:19, John 2:21, John 14:16-17). He walks with us; He sees what we see; He hears what we hear - every minute of the day and night. Would you like God to be watching a video of your thoughts for any given day? . Know this: He has placed us precisely where we are for a specific reason. Have you already seen what God's reason is? . Listen to the prophet speak:

Isaiah 49:1-2 Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.

At some point in your life, God will place you in His holy bow and shoot you towards a specific target. If you are faithful to His calling then your "light shedding" obedience will be a blessing to at least one person, and possibly thousands. God will decide on how many, you just need to be an obedient flashlight! We have a duty/obligation/right/privilege to be "salt & light" to these non-Christians we hang around every day. Can you see yourself fulfilling this obligation to others in your life? . If not now, then in the future? .

Matthew 5:13-14 You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.

With all of God's planning, can you see now why Jesus told us not to worry (Matthew 6:25-33)? Can you see why Paul and James said we should face trials with joy (1 Thess 3:3, 2 Thess 1:4-5, James 1:2-4)? You see, God has placed all sorts of things and all types of people in our paths so that we may "shed some light" on them. Does that make you a little nervous? (me too!). Do you begin to feel a bit of responsibility for shedding light on other's souls? .

Let's look at some genuine examples of Biblical light ....

Pharaoh: In the book of Exodus, God used plagues as punishment against Pharaoh's hard heart. One of those plagues was three days of darkness. It affected everyone except God's chosen people. His light was there for them alone.

Exodus 10:22-23 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.

Moses: Later, when Moses was leading the Jews towards the Red Sea, the Bible records another great example of God's light leading His people.

Exodus 13:21 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.

What is the obvious message in this? . His strength is your strength, trust in Him by faith and walk in His light rather than in worldly darkness.

Psalmist: The writers of the Psalms stressed the importance of God's light as being TRUTH.

Psalm 43:3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

. . . and a life-guiding beacon . . .

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Isaiah: The prophet Isaiah predicted that a day would come when all the people of the earth would be immersed in spiritual and social darkness. But God's glory would shed His light on His people, and those in darkness would be drawn to that glorious light; nations and kings from all over the world!

Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

You see, other people can readily perceive God's light. They are drawn to it - even if they won't admit it.

John the Disciple: Again, as we have already seen, John is echoing the fact that "walking in the light" allows us to have unbroken fellowship with God (that's why He created us in the 1st place!). It also provides for fellowship with each other, and it keeps us aware of Jesus in us always - in our thought life, our prayer life, in everyday life!

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

T-Bone Time! Now to the "meat" of this lesson!

On the road to Damascus:

The Apostle Paul returned to Jerusalem at the end of his 3rd missionary journey to update the church on the success God had granted in converting many Gentiles to the Gospel of Jesus (Acts 21:17 ff). As a result, many angry and jealous Jews from Asia had followed Paul to Jerusalem, stirred up the local crowds against Paul, and managed to get him arrested. On his way into the jail, on the steps outside, he is allowed to speak a final word to the agitated crowds (Who do you think allowed Paul the forum to speak further after all that had just happened? ). Paul used this final occasion to relate the story of his conversion to Christianity - The Damascus Road Conversion (ref. Acts chapter 9).

Acts 22:6-11 About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. 'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

Let's reflect on verse 9: My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

The Greek equivalent of "voice" in this passage is a complicated connection of ideas. You have to combine "saying" or "language" with thoughts like "to lighten", "to shine" and "to make manifest . . by rays (of light)".

What's incredible is that the word "voice" and "light" in the original Greek are nearly identical words!

Hmmmmmm, voice = light . . . no, God's Voice = Light !!

You see, those who were with Paul that day SAW THE LIGHT, that much was obvious even to them. God's light should also be obvious to all who see us - because we are Christians!

Would you mind if you were videotaped thru the course of a day to provide fledgling Christians with a movie entitled: "How To Be A Christian By Your Actions"? . Those companions of Paul were not Christians -- in fact they were anti-Christian. Yet they saw the light, but did not recognize the voice. John 10:4 says, "His sheep follow Him because they know His voice." These men with Paul did not yet know the Lord's voice, but they could still perceive His light. The way you live your life and present yourself should be a 24 hour witnessing tool. Words aren't always necessary. Can you think of ways in which this could apply to your life? .

Now, let's take another bite of our "steak" (the "meat" of the lesson -- remember?) and look at key verse #2.

Matthew 19:16-20 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." "Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, "'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' " "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"

The rich young man in this passage seemed to be a model citizen! What a friend and neighbor he would have made. He obeyed all of God's Commandments since he was a boy. He was law-abiding, trustworthy, an advocate of clean living -- and yet, he knew he was lacking something. Something that was required to assure eternal life. Hmmmmm, how did he know this?

It is possible that our rich young man had just witnessed Jesus lovingly lay hands on and pray for a group of little children (Matthew 19:13-15). This rich young man quietly observed Jesus being SALT and LIGHT in action! As a result, he SAW THE LIGHT, he knew it was different, important, even special. But his heart was on his wealth (ref. Matt 19:21 and Luke 16:13) and not on God, therefore he "did not understand the voice of Him Who was speaking."

In both of the key scriptures in this lesson, two life-impacting realities must be learned:

1) The things you do and the way you live life is obvious to others around you all the time! This is even more true in this world if you are a Christian!

2) Because of this, people will be drawn to you; intrigued by your lifestyle and demeanor. They may or may not confront you directly about it, as the rich young man in Matthew 19 did with Jesus, but they will be closely inspecting you anyway to try and . . .

"Understand the voice of Him Who is speaking."

. . . thru your actions.

Remember: "If your light isn't shining,

then you're not too bright."




	Shedding Jesus' Light or If Your Light Isn't Shining, Then You're Not Too Bright Adapted From the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit A Goodsoil Discipleship Lesson - Bro. A. Madonio




Lesson Introduction What this lesson teaches: * This lesson ties together your conduct in the secular world with your life as a Christian. If no connection exists then you are in spiritual trouble. * Potentially difficult, straight, pointed questions (you know, the sharp kind that poke and hurt) are raised to make you think about yourself - and make you think about how others see you -because they are looking. * We will begin to see how vitally important it is to walk by faith, and how others around us will be influenced by this walk. Scripture references used: * Matthew 5:13-14; 19:16-20, Acts 22:6-11, Isaiah 49:1-2; 60:1-3, Exodus 10:22-23; 13:21, Psalm 43:3; 119:105, 1 John 1:7. Other scripture that may be helpful: * 1 Corinthians 6:19, John 2:21; 10:4; 14:16-17, Matthew 6:25-33, 1 Thessalonians 3:3, 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5, James 1:2-4, Acts 9; 21:17ff, Luke 16:13. Discussion questions for study: 1. Did you read this lesson in preparation for this week's discussion? 2. Have you ever thought of yourself as a great big flashlight? In your opinion, has God seemingly ever obviously placed you in the wrong place such that your "brightness" is wasted? Read Isaiah 49:2 and try to see if maybe God has some definite plans for you. 3. Do you feel accountable for illuminating at least part of the world around you, or are you still waiting for God to finally locate you in your "perfect place" so you can "shine"? Does contemplation of Matthew 6:33 help you to see your duty as a flashlight? 4. Read Acts 22:6-9 again. Can you see how the unsaved might perceive you differently, even if they don't know why? Read Matthew 19:16-20 again. Isn't it clear that the rich young man knew something was different about Jesus? Do you want to be viewed this way too? What should you do? Answers from lesson in order of appearance: YES/NO, (VARIED), YES/NO, YES/NO/MAYBE, YES/NO, YES/NO, YES/NO, YES, FOLLOW GOD'S LIGHT- BE OBEDIENT, GOD, YES/NO/WHY, (VARIED). Goodies to Ponder: Matthew 6:22 - The eye is the [LAMP]1 of the body, so if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of [LIGHT]2. Note 1: LAMP or LIGHT = Strong's #5460 = Lustrous, well illuminated, transparent. Note 2: LIGHT = Strong's # 3088 = a portable lamp or illumination. This light moves around, it is portable! This passage says that we (Christians) are easy to spot, easy to read (transparent), and that we should be mobile so that as many others as possible will be illuminated by our light. And the source of that light is . . . ?



Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, "'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' " "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" Matthew 19:16-20 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. Acts 22:8-9 Are you happy with where you are in life? . Why? . Most of us who call ourselves Christians are usually in an environment - like school or a job - that immerses us in the midst of many non-Christians. In fact, some of these people are decidedly anti-Christian. Nevertheless, we must always be aware of the fact that God, the Holy Spirit, is inside of us in our hearts (1 Corinthians 6:19, John 2:21, John 14:16-17). He walks with us; He sees what we see; He hears what we hear - every minute of the day and night. Would you like God to be watching a video of your thoughts for any given day? . Know this: He has placed us precisely where we are for a specific reason. Have you already seen what God's reason is? . Listen to the prophet speak: Isaiah 49:1-2 Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. At some point in your life, God will place you in His holy bow and shoot you towards a specific target. If you are faithful to His calling then your "light shedding" obedience will be a blessing to at least one person, and possibly thousands. God will decide on how many, you just need to be an obedient flashlight! We have a duty/obligation/right/privilege to be "salt & light" to these non-Christians we hang around every day. Can you see yourself fulfilling this obligation to others in your life? . If not now, then in the future? . Matthew 5:13-14 You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. With all of God's planning, can you see now why Jesus told us not to worry (Matthew 6:25-33)? Can you see why Paul and James said we should face trials with joy (1 Thess 3:3, 2 Thess 1:4-5, James 1:2-4)? You see, God has placed all sorts of things and all types of people in our paths so that we may "shed some light" on them. Does that make you a little nervous? (me too!). Do you begin to feel a bit of responsibility for shedding light on other's souls? . Let's look at some genuine examples of Biblical light .... Pharaoh: In the book of Exodus, God used plagues as punishment against Pharaoh's hard heart. One of those plagues was three days of darkness. It affected everyone except God's chosen people. His light was there for them alone. Exodus 10:22-23 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. Moses: Later, when Moses was leading the Jews towards the Red Sea, the Bible records another great example of God's light leading His people. Exodus 13:21 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. What is the obvious message in this? . His strength is your strength, trust in Him by faith and walk in His light rather than in worldly darkness. Psalmist: The writers of the Psalms stressed the importance of God's light as being TRUTH. Psalm 43:3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. . . . and a life-guiding beacon . . . Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Isaiah: The prophet Isaiah predicted that a day would come when all the people of the earth would be immersed in spiritual and social darkness. But God's glory would shed His light on His people, and those in darkness would be drawn to that glorious light; nations and kings from all over the world! Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. You see, other people can readily perceive God's light. They are drawn to it - even if they won't admit it. John the Disciple: Again, as we have already seen, John is echoing the fact that "walking in the light" allows us to have unbroken fellowship with God (that's why He created us in the 1st place!). It also provides for fellowship with each other, and it keeps us aware of Jesus in us always - in our thought life, our prayer life, in everyday life! 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. T-Bone Time! Now to the "meat" of this lesson! On the road to Damascus: The Apostle Paul returned to Jerusalem at the end of his 3rd missionary journey to update the church on the success God had granted in converting many Gentiles to the Gospel of Jesus (Acts 21:17 ff). As a result, many angry and jealous Jews from Asia had followed Paul to Jerusalem, stirred up the local crowds against Paul, and managed to get him arrested. On his way into the jail, on the steps outside, he is allowed to speak a final word to the agitated crowds (Who do you think allowed Paul the forum to speak further after all that had just happened? ). Paul used this final occasion to relate the story of his conversion to Christianity - The Damascus Road Conversion (ref. Acts chapter 9). Acts 22:6-11 About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. 'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. Let's reflect on verse 9: My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. The Greek equivalent of "voice" in this passage is a complicated connection of ideas. You have to combine "saying" or "language" with thoughts like "to lighten", "to shine" and "to make manifest . . by rays (of light)". What's incredible is that the word "voice" and "light" in the original Greek are nearly identical words! Hmmmmmm, voice = light . . . no, God's Voice = Light !! You see, those who were with Paul that day SAW THE LIGHT, that much was obvious even to them. God's light should also be obvious to all who see us - because we are Christians! Would you mind if you were videotaped thru the course of a day to provide fledgling Christians with a movie entitled: "How To Be A Christian By Your Actions"? . Those companions of Paul were not Christians -- in fact they were anti-Christian. Yet they saw the light, but did not recognize the voice. John 10:4 says, "His sheep follow Him because they know His voice." These men with Paul did not yet know the Lord's voice, but they could still perceive His light. The way you live your life and present yourself should be a 24 hour witnessing tool. Words aren't always necessary. Can you think of ways in which this could apply to your life? . Now, let's take another bite of our "steak" (the "meat" of the lesson -- remember?) and look at key verse #2. Matthew 19:16-20 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." "Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, "'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' " "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" The rich young man in this passage seemed to be a model citizen! What a friend and neighbor he would have made. He obeyed all of God's Commandments since he was a boy. He was law-abiding, trustworthy, an advocate of clean living -- and yet, he knew he was lacking something. Something that was required to assure eternal life. Hmmmmm, how did he know this? It is possible that our rich young man had just witnessed Jesus lovingly lay hands on and pray for a group of little children (Matthew 19:13-15). This rich young man quietly observed Jesus being SALT and LIGHT in action! As a result, he SAW THE LIGHT, he knew it was different, important, even special. But his heart was on his wealth (ref. Matt 19:21 and Luke 16:13) and not on God, therefore he "did not understand the voice of Him Who was speaking." In both of the key scriptures in this lesson, two life-impacting realities must be learned: 1) The things you do and the way you live life is obvious to others around you all the time! This is even more true in this world if you are a Christian! 2) Because of this, people will be drawn to you; intrigued by your lifestyle and demeanor. They may or may not confront you directly about it, as the rich young man in Matthew 19 did with Jesus, but they will be closely inspecting you anyway to try and . . . "Understand the voice of Him Who is speaking." . . . thru your actions. Remember: "If your light isn't shining, then you're not too bright."

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