ARE THE LOWER LIGHTS BURNING

   Philip Bliss expressed the thought so well in his wonderful old gospel hymn “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning: “Brightly beams our Father's mercy from His lighthouse evermore, But to us He gives the keeping of the lights along the shore. Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave! Some poor fainting, struggling seaman You may rescue, you may save.”  The question for us today is this; Is the light on high beam or low beam?

JESUS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

   John 1:5-9 Jesus was the first Light in this dark and needy world. Jesus came as the spiritual Light of the world. All spiritual Light originates from Him. As there is no physical life for us without sunlight, there is no spiritual Light for us or the world without Jesus.

   John 12:35-36 Toward the end of Jesus ministry as He entered into the city of Jerusalem to be soon arrested and crucified, He said to His disciples that “Yet a little while is the light with you...that ye may be the children of light.” The people did not understand.

   John 12:46 Jesus said that He was a light that could bring people out of the darkness.

THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT

   Matthew 5:14-16  Here is what Jesus was talking about in John 12:36 when He said “..that ye may be the children of light.” He was the Light that came down from heaven and was here for a “little while” but now is gone back to heaven. The implication is because we are His children and have His light in us, that if you and I do not let His light shine through us, our world will remain in darkness. Whether or not there is light in your home or mine, or at your job or mine or your neighborhood or mine depends on how bright our light is shining.

   Ephesians 5:8-10 Paul was approving this church for their testimony because they had truly been walking in the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and letting the light of Christ show in their lives.

   Philippians 2:13-15 This exhortation was to another church which knew persecution but refused to allow the light of Jesus to be hidden from lost sinners all around them.

   Acts 13:46-49 The best possible example of someone that allowed the light of Christ to shine brightly through his life was Paul the Apostle. Paul never allowed  circumstances to dim the light of Christ.   

WHEN THE LIGHT GROWS DIM

   II Samuel 11 When the Light of the Lord dimmed low in the heart of King David he committed grave sin and caused many heartaches within his family and the entire nation of Israel.

   Revelation 2:1-4 No matter how big the church or how many ministries we are involved with, when we are running on our own merits without the light of Christ being the fuel God is not pleased with us.

   Acts 15:36-39 When the light of Jesus goes dim within our lives it does not just affect ourselves but all those around us especially those that depend on us for support.

   Ezekiel 3:18 If we allow the light of Christ to go dim throughout out Christian life many souls will be doomed forever and the fault will certainly be laid at our feet at the Judgment Seat.

   Our church is no brighter than her members. Our nation is no brighter than the Christians who live here. If we do not witness and take a stand for Christ by showing God's love to those people we come in contact with then there will be spiritual darkness in the place of God's Light.