Gtcotr/ss080617
In
about the year AD56 the Apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the leadership
and congregation who attended the Church he had started in Corinth. Corinth was
an important Roman port city that connected international trade routes from
East to West and was situated in what we now know as the nation of Greece. The
letter Paul wrote contained strict instructions for the Church to deal with the
evident sin and the disunity which had been allowed to exist and grow among the
people in the congregation. The Church family was divided and some Believers
looked down on the poor Christians imagining themselves to be more spiritual
than others. Paul rebuked them and told them to stop being so worldly. He
threatened to visit them and correct these things personally if they did not
straighten up and start acting more like Jesus.
About
a year later Paul heard that that first letter he had written had been well
received and that the Believers in the Church at Corinth had followed his
instructions. Paul was well pleased and so he wrote a second letter to commend
them and to further encourage them to continue to be a good witness to those
who had not yet accepted Christ as Lord and Savior.
Our
key scripture today comes from this second letter and I offer it to you this
morning so that we can begin to examine our Christian lives. It is God’s
continued hope that we might start acting just a little more like Jesus and a
little less like the world. Let’s begin our journey today with:
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God,
who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ.
The
Apostle Paul was not impressed with how spiritual a person claimed to be if
their life did not reflect the basic elements the fruits of the Spirit. Those
fruits which should be evident in the life of every Believer are: Love; Joy;
Peace; Patience; Gentleness; Goodness; Faith; Humility; and Self Control. (Philippians
2:15 … you shine as lights in the world) We need to be light to a lost and
hurting world. God wants us to Rise and
Shine!
Paul
contended that if these fruits of the Spirit aren’t visible in the life of a
Christian then there is little reason for anyone else to want to follow Christ themselves.
Why would anyone want to be like us or follow our beliefs if we are filled with
hate, unhappiness, pride or lack of self-control? Our lives are supposed to change
when we become Followers of Jesus. To help explain this change to the
Corinthian Church Paul’s referenced Genesis 1.
Genesis 1
1 In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light.
In
the chaos and darkness of a world without a direction; a world without hope; an
empty world without a future, God commanded light to shine. Life began; hope
rekindled; the world changed when the light began to shine! This is still the
hope of God for our friends, family and the world.
What
a picture of the eternal hope of God. New hope; new faith; new life is made
possible when the light begins to shine in the darkness. My life was changed
because someone shinned the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ on my path. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world! (John 9:5) And
indeed, He is. However, Jesus also told His followers:
Matthew 5
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.”
The
prophet Daniel foretold the future of those who proclaim the glorious light of
the Gospel of Christ. Lead others to the saving grace of God.
Daniel 12:3 Those who are
wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many
to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.
Conclusion: Rise and
Shine! You are the light of the world … and the world needs Light! [Join Team COTR this Fall … “Every Heart - Every Home!”]
