DON’T STEP OUT OF THE LIGHT

August 24, 2010

DON’T STEP OUT OF THE LIGHT

Luke 11:29-36

Cyndi Springer

Central Truth

The only source of light that truly illuminates our lives is God through His Son, Jesus Christ, and through His Spirit and His Word. Salvation—eternal life—depends solely on trusting Christ, but growing as a follower of Christ requires light consistently shining on us and through us.

"The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays." (Luke 11:34-36)

The Sign of Jonah

29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

The Light in You

33 No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”

This is a confession that few men will relate to. Have you ever walked into a restroom in a nice restaurant or an upscale dressing room, looked at yourself in the mirror, and thought, ”Gee, I look pretty good tonight”? Then, daylight hits, and all those flaws, wrinkles, age spots, and poor attempts to cover up those tired circles under your eyes are cruelly visible. What’s the difference? The light, right?

It’s true. Just like that upscale dressing room, I sometimes choose the quality or amount of light to which I expose my life decisions, attitudes, and conduct.

When the light is good, I see all sorts of defects, wrinkles, and even flawed cover-ups. But I can’t do it alone. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is more deceitful than all else . . . ." So if I want to live in the light, where God says He will bless me and others through me, I need the guidance of Scripture, the leading of His Spirit (through prayer and meditation), and the honesty and perspective of other believers in community. Ultimately, this means that I must be intentional, because left on my own I will drift into the shadows or look for one of those dimly lit places that perpetuates my distorted view of self—the view where I think “I look pretty good.” I might not be willfully choosing darkness (self-centeredness, evil, sin, etc.) when I begin, but the longer I stay out of the bright light of Scripture, prayer, and community, the darker things will get.

The Apostle John puts it this way: "God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5b-7)

I thank God for the light He has provided for me through His Son, His Word, and His people.

1. Try a search of the word light on netbible.org or biblegateway.com.

2. Psalm 119:105 says that God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. How important a role does Scripture play in helping you make your daily life decisions? When others ask for wise counsel, do you emphasize God’s perspective through Scripture?

3. If you are in community, how are you helping to model “living in the light”? Do you regularly confess your struggles, and encourage others to do so?

4. Once something is in the light, what do you do next? Lamentations 3:40 says that we are to examine our ways and return to the Lord. What does this mean to you?

FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. In this passage Jesus mentions how the people of Nineveh repented when they heard Jonah's message. Review this part of Jonah's story with your kids (Jonah 3:1-10).

2. What was Jonah's message to the people of Nineveh? How did the people of Nineveh respond to Jonah's message? (Jonah 3:5-10)

3. Discuss with your children what it looks like to repent or "turn from their evil ways" when they have done something wrong.