How to Be Full of Light

The kind of person you are is made up of many different factors. Most of us wouldn’t say “that depends on what other people think of me because there is no way for me to know what kind of person I am” Instead we would spout off some image we have created in our minds about ourselves.

Any time you are going to describe something though, it is important to think about the fundamental building blocks that make that thing (whatever you are describing) up. To understand what type of person you are, you have to look at where you spend most of your time. What you tend to talk about a lot. What you have done in your life. How you treat those who are less fortunate. How you spend your money.

Target knows all about how you spend your money. Target as well as many other stores are profiling everyone who enters their store and takes part in any kind of a reward program. They do everything within their power to better see what kind of person you are. The new parents are heavily marketed to because they are the whales who bring in the most revenue in the future. They keep up with all of the information you give them so that they can precisely time some kind of advertisement or hook you in some way to spend money at their stores. More money than you need to spend.

This lesson is intended to lay out the kind of person that we all ought to want to be. We should be focused solely on making every part of who we are resemble what God would have us be.

So How Do You Spend Your Time?

Luke 8:16–18 ESV

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”

If everything hidden is revealed and has come to light so that we can all know it, there is an expectation for us to know it. We have been given much wonderful and mind blowing information. Are we taking the necessary time to digest it all?

If we refuse to listen and absorb it God can take it away!

Don’t take this great treasure and bury it! Remember that God desires for everyone to see this and understand it. Then, He desires for them to go on and explain it to any who will listen.

What are You Focused ON?

Luke 11:33–36 ESV

“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. 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. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 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.”

33-

Here we have a slightly different twist on a very similar parable adding another parable to the mix by talking about the eye. Not only are we to be lamps, but we are also to have healthy eyes.

Obviously the two parables are used in slightly different context. Where the first one was spoken to a group of disciples. This one is spoken to a crowd of followers who were struggling with His teachings. The meaning is the same, however, Jesus wants to complicate the message for those who are not yet ready to understand it all yet.

MAIN POINT: Those who are hearing the revealed word need to understand it when it is fully revealed in order to grow closer to God, and He wants them to be made complete with it and then bear fruit.

There is an expectation in the first for the disciples to make use of their great opportunity and an expectation for those who are confused to change their focus on the one true source of fulfillment in life. Their eye needs to be on the fulfillment found in walking in the light.

Once you are filled with light, you won’t be able to help but shine for others to see to glory of God in your life.

Now, that is a lot of theological words that may not help you when you are at work later this week or dealing with neighbors throughout the day or evening. So let’s take a look at some more practical application found in .

What Does That Look Like?

Ephesians 5:1–14 ESV

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Sexual Immorality

One of the most prevalent sins of our time. IT is widely accepted and overlooked in our day whether it’s homosexuality, premarital sex, or extramarital affairs. You can find them all over the place and everyone wants to justify doing them.

However, they ought not be named in us once if we are trying to follow and imitate God!

Impurity - uncleanness

Unclean to go before God in worship. Any kind of sexual impropriety. Pornography. Any kind of TV show that has any kind of sexual implications.

Covetousness - idolatry

Covetousness is full of the passion of desiring more and more. Not being content and believing that the possession of things will somehow provide us with joy and fulfillment and security and give all of the things that God is intending to provide us.

The urge to shop is there and the desire to have more and more is there because there is an emptiness. The fulfillment doesn’t come with what the other nations have. Don’t make the same mistake as Israel who looked at what the other nations had.

WE need to be careful about borrowing. Sometimes people are tricked into living a lifestyle that they simply can’t afford to live. Don’t load up the credit card debt to fill your house with stuff.

Why isn’t anyone ever withdrawn from for covetousness?

We all feel too close to covetousness to point anyone else out.

No one says that covetousness or sexual immorality is sin anymore. It is a sin today to say that these things are sin. It is a criminal act.

I love people no matter what they do, but it’s still a sin! It doesn’t change anything because you decide it’s not.

Filthiness - Vulgar Speech

This makes me think of how common place some words have become. I have heard what we don’t want our children to say in commercials during child’s programming. They have no shame in their words as though words mean nothing.

Foolish Talk - Philosophical Garbage

Useless discussions that go no where. Philosophical garbage

Inappropriate Conversations - Mocking and Making Fun of

The words we say carry weight and if we use them to poke fun at others, we may be showing ourselves to be just like the rest of the world.

All 6 of these things are common place in the world which shows us the darkness of those who choose not to follow Christ and accept the light. If there is anything that you say or do that matches up with one of these. You wouldn’t want it shared with everyone in this building so you need to cut it out of your life.

Dark Deception

Ephesians 5:6 ESV

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

7-9

Ephesians 5:7–9 ESV

Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),

Ephesians 5:11 ESV

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Ephesians 5:12 ESV

For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

We can watch it all day every day today. We don’t have to speak it.

Positive - Light

Discern what is pleasing to God

v.10

This is something that we should be doing at all times if we are going to walk as children of light. Everything has been exposed so that we can effectively do that. We are expected to take advantage of the opportunity NOW!

If we choose to focus our minds on the sins of this world, our eye is bad!

Look Carefully How you walk

v.15

People aren’t even careful about how they walk today.

If I told you there are a ton of rattlesnakes on this trail we are about to hike and you have to look carefully because they blend in, would you go prancing down the trail like it’s no big deal?

‘The biggest dangers that God could point out to us are all over the place yet everyone today wants to act like there is no danger at all. It’s like petting a rattlesnake.

Be careful about what you put in your mind

When you see it on TV it creates a pathway in your mind. It will show you the path over and over again. So that when the opportunity comes we know how to take advantage of the sin.

Thanksgiving

Ephesians 5:4 ESV

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Instead of getting involved in all of that mess show your thankfulness to God by singing and making a melody in your heart to Him and to those around you. There is no other statement that shines brighter to the outsider or to the Christian than seeing your gratitude for what God has done for you.

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