Shine as the Light of Christ in the World

 Epiphany II

Jan 17, 2021

Fr. Phil Eberhart

1 Sam 3:1-20 

Ps 63:1-12

1 Cor 6:9-20 

John 1:43-51

Shine, Jesus, Shine!!

Welcome to those who are with us this morning in person, on Zoom and on FB live.  My prayer this morning is for you as the People of God, as we stand together in fasting and prayer for our nation, for our churches and for ourselves.  Everyone is tired of the word, UNPRECEDENTED, these days.  We've never experienced most of what 2020 and now 2021 seem to be bringing our way.  I heard one preacher last weekend say, "2021 looked at 2020 and said, 'Here... hold my beer!"  The other word that seems to be floating about these days alot is UNCERTAIN.  None of us knows for sure what lies ahead.  We're uncertain of our leadership, uncertain of our economy, uncertain of our health ... much of what we actually have taken for granted over the past 100 years in America is being 'shaken' up.  Do you have that sense?

This morning our scriptures and our prayers are focused, by God's providence once again, on the answers that we need to hear, so I pray... God give us ears to hear today, as you speak to us, corporately and individually.  Give us attentive, hearing hearts - hearts of wisdom that hear, listen and obey.  IN Jesus NAME,  AMEN.

I'll begin and end today with our prayer from the collect of the Day:

Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth 

I will break that prayer into 4 parts and give you a framework for our actions in the midst of our times, and I pray that God will make us like the "men of Isacaar" who understood the times that they lived in and acted accordingly.

First, Part 1:  We have seen the enemy and he is US!

Whenever God speaks of the need for judgement, He is speaking to the "household of God."  Our prayer begins "GRANT THAT YOUR PEOPLE..."

The familiar verse from 1 Chron 7 that if so oft quoted (for the last 40 years) is addressed to MY PEOPLE:

IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY, WILL SEEK MY FACE AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND I WILL HEAL THEIR LAND.

My People, called by My Name

Their wicked ways!

At the famous PROMISEKEEPERS gathering at Mile Hi back a couple decades ago, Henry Blackaby was heard to say that the problem isn't with the darkness in our land, the problem is with the LIGHT!  The darkness is just doing what it does, being dark!  The problem is that the light is out or so dim as to be of no effect.

Del Tackett, of The TRUTH PROJECT, once commented about the LIGHT, that IT ALWAYS OVERCOMES DARKNESS. Every time I open a closet, the light rushes in, the darkness never falls out of the closet!!  Never!!

Our problem is us.  God's People, The Household of Faith, The Big C Church.

Part 2:  illumined by your Word and Sacraments

What are our sources of LIGHT?  We are not capable of generating "the Light" from within ourselves.  We are the reflective material, the moon to the Sun or The Son!  

Jesus and Paul are pretty clear:  Jesus said, I AM the Light of the World.  He's our source of light, not we ourselves. It's only as we "fix our eyes on Jesus", as we turn to him FACE TO FACE, that we are able to be and do the things that God purposes for us to be and do!  Paul said it this way: 

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

We are illumined by the "glory of the Lord", not by the activities we engage in, or the politics we espouse, not by our level of education nor our list of things we hate.  What does "the glory of the LORD" even mean? 

Well, HIS GLORY is first of all, HIS PRESENCE.  The people of Israel as they wandered in the desert, were accompanied by HIS PRESENCE, in fire by night and cloud by day - they were always aware of that presence and their place in relationship to it.  When it moved, they moved; when IT camped, they camped.  

Second, His Glory is HIS VOICE.  Jesus was always saying, Let him who has ears, hear!  The Psalmist tells us, "Thy Word is a LAMP unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Ps. 119:105)  We must pray to have "hearing ears ; hearing hearts" like Solomon did at the beginning of his reign.  When he prayed for Wisdom, he actually said give me a hearing heart!

Jesus commanded us to "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven."

Light always overcomes darkness.  In Jesus command, LIGHT = GOOD WORKS.  

PART 3: may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory

I want to challenge us today to shine!  But we become reflective of God's Glory in the Face of Jesus Christ as we begin to look more and more like HIM.  That is why Paul talks so much about our "transformation" our "metamorphosis" - our being changed into HIS LIKENESS.  2 Cor 3, we heard a moment ago.  Romans 12:1-2 are familiar to us as is Romans 8:28-29.  Transformed by the renewing of our mind...  conformed to the likeness of His Son.  This is our destiny, friends.  This is God's purpose for our lives here on this planet.

It makes no difference what the politics of the season are.  It makes no difference what the climate is, rain or shine.

It even makes no difference whether we are liked or whether we are hated.  Our response is to be like Jesus.  And if you don't know what that looks like, then I suggest you avail yourself to the "MEANS OF GRACE" :  HIS WORD AND THE SACRAMENTS.  

We are transformed by connecting our heart with our mind!  And those two must be connected to the source of Light, "setting apart Christ as LORD" and placing ourselves at every opportunity in the proximity of HIS GRACE, HIS PRESENCE, HIS WORD, PRAYER, HIS HEART AND HIS CHARACTER.  Jesus Christ must fill our field of vision completely.  Only then will we truly become like Him.

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face...

and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace!"

Finally, Part 4:  that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth 

The big WHY?  What difference will it make?  What difference can I make?

YOUR TARGET IS THIS:  that HE may be KNOWN, WORSHIPED & OBEYED

Paul the Apostle said it this way:  

Now, it’s because of God’s mercy that we have been entrusted with the privilege of this new covenant ministry. And we will not quit or faint with weariness. 
2 We reject every shameful cover-up and refuse to resort to cunning trickery or distorting the Word of God. Instead, we open up our souls to you by presenting the truth to everyone’s conscience in the sight and presence of God. 
5 We don’t preach ourselves, but rather the lordship of Jesus Christ, for we are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 
6 For God, who said, “Let brilliant light shine out of darkness,”[f] is the one who has cascaded his light into us—the brilliant dawning light of the glorious knowledge of God as we gaze into the face of Jesus Christ.

7 We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within, so that the extraordinary overflow of power will be seen as God’s, not ours. 

So friends, we have a job to do and our work is cut out for us.  We were made for "such a time as this."  Our success does not depend on the political administration, or the economic environment, not even on the sinfulness of men around us.  When the darkness if being dark, as it is today, we are called to BE LIGHT.  To be LIKE JESUS.

LOOKING TO HIM, THE AUTHOR AND THE PERFECTER OF OUR FAITH.  

If we see HIM fully, a full-face view, close up, we will become like Him - transformed into His image, into His character, and THAT - AND THAT ALONE, holds out the promise that we need for the days ahead.

LET US PRAY:

ALL: Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.