14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Introduction: We've seen all sorts of glow-in-the-dark stuff through the years - key chains, golf balls, jewelry, and even phosphorescent Frisbees. But just when we saw it all, it seems that Scientists in Japan have created glow-in-the-dark mice! They developed the mini-mutants, by injecting DNA from a species of jellyfish that glows underwater. The result: some really radiant rodents! They glow bright green under ultraviolet lights. But WHY?? For research, of course. Scientists can use the technique in a number of ways, including watching the movements of things inside the mini-mammals. For instance, for cancer research, they can watch white blood cells moving around without having to cut the mice open (CampusLife.net - Jan/Feb2002).

Did you know that these Scientists were not the first to do something like this? In our passage of Scripture this morning, we will see that God has also altered the believer's DNA so that they too can glow. The difference, however, is God didn't do it as an experiment but designed us to be the light that shines forth in a darkened sinful world.

Transition: The reason why we are to let our lights shine in this world is. . .

I. Because You Are Designed To Be The Light (v.14a).
1. Our light is reflective.

A. Jesus often spoke of Himself as "the light of the world" (John 8:12; 12:35, 36, 46: BBC).

1) Therefore, Christ is the true light, and we are His reflections (MacArthur).

2) He is the Sun, and we are His moons.

- Just as the moon reflects the glory of the sun, we too as Christians are to reflect the "light of the world" to a darkened world (BBC).

B. Before you can reflect any light, you must allow the light to enter into your life.

1) Jesus said in John 12:46, "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness."

2) To experience the light of the Lord in your life, is as simple as "A.B.C."

A) Admit you are a sinner in need of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

(1) Your relationship with Jesus Christ begins with your admission that you need God.

(A) You need to admit that you need God to forgive you of your sins, those attitudes or actions that don't meet God's standards.

- 1 John 1:8-9, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

(B) You need to admit and recognize that only God can give you eternal life.

- Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast."

B) Believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins.

- John 3:16-18, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

C) Confess Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life:

(1) Confessing Jesus as Lord means to commit total control of your life to Christ.

(A) You give him the ownership of your life.

(B) He becomes your new boss.

(2) Romans 10:9-10, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

3) Only when you have done these things, will you be the Lord's light in this world.

This concept is probably best explained by a small child who was taken to a cathedral. She sat watching the sunshine through the windows. She asked her mother, "What are these people on the windows?" "They are saints," was the answer. Then the child said, "Now I know what saints are. They are people who let the light shine through." (Knight's Master Book of 4,000 Illustrations).  Are you letting God's light shine through you?

Transition: Not only do we reflect the Lord's light, . . .

2. Our light is a part of our new nature.

A. With the words, "You are the light of the world," Jesus describes the fundamental mission of the Christian to the world (LBC).

B. Light is often used in the Old and New Testaments to symbolize purity as opposed to filth, truth or knowledge as opposed to error or ignorance, and divine revelation and presence as opposed to reprobation and abandonment by God (EBCNT).

1) Just as a Christian has received the light of the gospel, they are to give it in order that that which they possess may become the possession of all men (Hobbs).

2) 1 Peter 2:9-10, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of  God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."

Transition: Another reason why we are to let our lights shine in this world is. . .

II. Because You Are Designed To Be Noticeable (vv.14b-15).
1. We are to shine in such a way that all may see (vv.14b, 15b).

A. Like a city on a hill can be seen by all (v.14b).

1) Many of the cities of Judea were placed on the summits or sides of mountains, and could be seen from afar (Barnes).

2) These cities were also often built of white limestone, which caused them to gleam in the sun and as a result made it even harder for them be hidden from the view of man (EBCNT).

3) Christian are like a city that is set on a hill because our lives should exhibit the traits of Christ's teaching which make us stand out apart from the world (BBC).

B. Like a lamp on a lampstand lights the whole room (v.15b).

1) A lamp is not meant to be lit and then hid so that it's light cannot be seen.

2) A lamp is put on a lampstand so that it will illuminate the whole room.

A) The purpose of the lamp is to shine and give direction (BKC).

B) Light does not rid a room of darkness by physical force, but rather it shines and the darkness flees (Hobbs).

Transition: God designed the believer to be noticeable, therefore. . .

2. We are not to suppress our light (v.15a) - "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket"

A. No one lights a lamp and then tries to hid its light under basket.

1) The word "basket," ("modios" {mod'-ee-os}), in the Greek described a Roman clay container that was used for measuring grain, and would hold two English gallons or about one peck.

2) To conceal a lamp, would in effect make it useless (BKC).

B. As believers, we hide our light when we (HBA);

1) Are quiet when we should tell others about Christ.

2) Are going along with the crowd, when God's Word tells us otherwise.

3) Are denying that we are Christians, because we don't want to be condemned by others.

4) Are living in sin.

5) Are ignoring the needs of others when we have the capability to make a difference.

Transition: The final reason why we are to let our lights shine in this world is. . .

III. Because You Are Designed To Bring Glory To God (v.16).
1. Through your obedience to His command (v.16a).

A. The word "shine," ("lampo" {lam'-po}) is a command in the Greek, which means, "do it now!"

- Shining, therefore, is not a matter of choice but of obligation (Hobbs).

B. We are commanded to shine as a city set on a hill, and as a lamp on a lampstand(Hobbs).

Transition: Another way in which you can bring glory to God is. . .

2. Through your service to others for the Lord (v.16b).

A. The aim and purpose of our lives should be to glorify our God (McGee).

- Our good works must accompany our dedicated lives as we let our lights shine (BEC).

B. The Pharisees, who lived during the time of Christ, did good deeds to be noticed by other people, but Christians are to do good deeds to attract others to Christ.

1) The word "good" in the Greek carries the idea of "attractiveness," "excellence in its nature and characteristics," or something that is "genuine."

2) The Christian is to shine in such beauty and genuineness that others will recognize that they are shining with a light greater than themselves (Hobbs).

C. The Apostle Peter tells us the same thing in 1 Peter 2:12, "having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation."

Invitation:
1. If you are a Christian, then you are commanded by the Lord to glow like lights by showing others what Christ is like (HBA).

A. Have you been faithful at this task?

B. Remember, even the feeblest light at midnight is of use (Barnes).

C. If you haven't been a faithful witness for our Lord, then take the opportunity right now to rededicate yourself to being the light that the Lord wants you to be.

A. If you have never accepted God's gift of salvation, then someday you will be removed for all eternity from "the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power" (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

B. Hell has no light, but is a place of "darkness. . .weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12).

C. The Bible tells us that "now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2), and this is made possible only because the light of the Lord is still shining freely to all those who will accept it.

- Take the opportunity today that the Lord is giving you, to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, by admitting you are a sinner in need of the Savior, Jesus Christ, believing that He died to pay the penalty for your sins and confessing Him as Lord and Savior of your life.

Barnes- Barnes Notes on the Bible.
BBC - Believer's Bible Commentary, William MacDonald, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
BKC - Bible Knowledge Commentary, John F. Walvoord & Roy B. Zuck, Victor Books.
EBCNT - Zondervan's, Expositor's Bible Commentary, New Testament.
HBA - Handbook of Bible Application,
Hobbs - An Exposition of the Four Gospels: Matthew, Vol.1, , by Hershel H. Hobbs, Broadman Press, 1979
LBC - Liberty Bible Commentary on the NT, Jerry Falwell editor
MacArthur - John MacArthur's New Testament Commentary.
 
 

V.14.
- "you," ("humeis" {hoo-mice': n, pron, nom, 2per, pl}); you. (KJV = ye)
- "are," ("este" {es-teh': v, indic, pres, act, 2per, pl}); to be, denotes what exists, are, the one who is.
- "light," ("phos" {foce: n, nom, neut, sg}); light, brightness.
- "world," ("kosmos" {kos'-mos: n, gen, masc, sg}); something well arranged, world, earth.
- "a city," ("polis" {pol'-is: n, nom, fem, sg}); a city or a fortified town.
- "that is set," ("keimai" {ki'-mahee': v, part, pres, mid, dep, nom, fem, sg}); to lie on, recline, as the result of being placed or set,
    of a city situated on a hill, of things being situated somewhere.
- "on," ("epano" {ep-an'-o: prep, gen}); above, over, on.
- "hill," ("oros" {or'-os: n, gen, neut, sg}); a mountain, hill, high country.
- "cannot," ("ou dunamai" {oo doo'-nam-ahee: particle neg: v, indic, pres, pass, dep, 3per, sg}); no, not: to be able, be capable of,
    have power to.
- "be hidden," ("krupto" {kroop'-to: v, inf, aor, pass}); hide, conceal, cover, hidden. (KJV = be hid)

V.15.
- "nor," ("oude" {oo-deh': conj, coord}); and not, nor, neither. (KJV = neither)
- "do they light," ("kaio" {kay'-yo: v, indic, pres, act, 3per, pl}); to set on fire, light, kindle, ignite. (KJV = do men light)
- "a lamp," ("luchnos" {lookh'-nos: n, acc, masc, sg}); a lamp, light. (KJV = a candle)
- "and," ("kai" {kahee: conj, coord}); and, also, even, indeed.
- "put," ("tithemi" {tith'-ay-mee: v, indic, pres, act, 3per, pl}); to set, put, place, lay.
- "it," ("autos" {ow-tos': n, pron, acc, masc, 3per, sg}); it.
- "under," ("hupo" {hoop-o': prep, acc}); by, under.
- "basket," ("modios" {mod'-ee-os: n, acc, masc, sg}); modius, peck-measure, a Roman grain measure holding two English
    gallons or about one peck. (KJV = bushel)

-- Robertson: It was not put under the bushel (the only one in the room) save to put it out or to hide it. The bushel was an earthenware grain measure.

-- Robertson: not "candlestick." It is "lamp-stand" in each of the twelve examples in the Bible. There was the one lamp-stand for the single room. There was a projecting stone in the wall on which the lamp was set. The house consisted of a single room, so that the tiny light sufficed for all" (Bruce).

-- Vincent: The word, which occurs four times in the Gospels and eight times elsewhere, means, in every ease, not a candlestick, but a lamp-stand.

V.16.
- "let your," ("humon" {hoo-mone': n, pron, gen, 2per, pl}); of yours.
- "light," ("phos" {foce: n, nom, neut, sg}); light, brightness.
- "so," ("houto" {hoo'-to: adj, adv}); in this manner, thus, so.

-- Robertson: The adverb points backward to the lamp-stand.

-- Imperative Mood with Aorist Tense: do it now!

-- Vincent: Often misconceived, as if the meaning were, "Let your light shine in such a way that men may see,"etc. Standing at the beginning of the sentence, it points back to the illustration just used. "So," even as that lamp just mentioned, let your light shine. Wycliffe has apparently caught this correct sense: So shine your light before men.

-- Robertson: Men are to let their light shine, not to glorify themselves, but "your Father in heaven." Light shines to see others by, not to call attention to itself.