One minute all was fine.  We all felt the evening a great success.  Dinner was delicious and bordered on romantic.  The concert was beautiful and inspiring.  The ride home would not be tense because the bus driver was in charge.  The four of us walked two in front and two behind, chatting only as can be done while being jostled to and fro in a friendly manner, while walking toward the waiting buses, through the tunnels - along with hundreds of other Hollywood Bowl groupies.   That’s when it happened!!!  The tunnel lights went out!!!   Not one bulb or even two, but all of them.  Just a moment before, all was “relative” calm.  We all felt safe, happy and humming the tune of the final orchestra piece.  Life was good!   The lights go out.  Immediately the sense of panic is felt, heard and expressed.  Fear is palpable.  The next two dark minutes seem like hours.

            There is another sort of darkness that comes just as thoroughly and sometimes more slowly, but always just as consuming and complete.  This darkness is when a child tells a Sunday School teacher, “My parents are getting a divorce.”  Or when we hear about state or federal legislators indicted for bribery or other crimes.  This darkness comes when a friend or family member marks a five-year anniversary of breast-cancer treatment; by listening to doctors explain that the cancer has reappeared.  Or this darkness comes when we get that late night call telling us that our child has been arrested for drug possession or drunk driving, or worse.

            I would venture to guess that we would all, at one time or another in our lives, agree with Jesus’ assessment: the world is a dark place – a house desperately in need of light.  However, Jesus also says this in the gospel of Matthew (5:14-16):

            “You are the light of the world.  A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

            Jesus does not tell us to go light a candle or turn on a switch or flick on the flashlight to light our way or even to light another person’s way.  He very clearly tells us we are the LIGHT.  Bottom line:  The very presence of a Christian who shares the love of Jesus has a very divine effect upon the many different situations in which we find ourselves living out life.  By the impact of our lived-out life in Christ, people around us benefit from that light.

            However, we must first determine the source of the Light that we are to “let shine before others.”  The passage that sheds light on our light source is John 8:12.   Jesus speaks and says:  “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness BUT will have the light of life.”    All around us, we are to let the very presence of God shine through us before others.  Jesus simply points out that His disciples  - you and I - reflect HIS light.   God has placed us in this world.  It is through us whom HE wants to shine.  Jesus says you and I are the very ones to shine HIS light, which is so desperately needed.  And so Jesus light is to be seen.  His light is a guide.  And His light to be as a warning.

            And Jesus gives us His own illustration of a city set on hill.   At night, in the darkness, the light from a city can be seen from a great distance.  Jesus could have been thinking of the city of Safed, there in Galilee.  Safed is at the top of the hill where it is thought Jesus gave His sermon we call the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus speaks of this light.  Perhaps Jesus just motions or points up the hill to that city.  Or Jesus might be thinking of the city of Jerusalem at night.  Either way, there were no street lights in Galilee or Jerusalem to illumine Israel. 

The houses throughout Galilee were very dark.  Most homes usually had only one little window, not much bigger than about 18 inches across.   Candles and oil lamps and fire places

were the only lights from within the homes.  As the city lights up, and because of the light from within the houses, the city becomes visible from miles away.   So also, the light of Christ is to be just as plainly seen in the believer as we live and move and have our being in the world.  So first and foremost a light is meant to be seen.  

So now Jesus gets specific.    Candles or lamps were like a sauce-boat, some larger than this one.  They were filled with oil with the wick floating in it.  It is not so easy to rekindle the lamp wick in these lamps, especially before matches existed.  And when people left the house, after lighting the lamp, for safety’s sake, they placed the lamp under an earthen-ware container.  Firefighters among us will be happy to know the lamp would burn at a slower, restricted rate, without risk, and was basically useless, until the people returned.   And this is exactly why Jesus makes His own observation of not putting the lighted

lamp under a bushel basket.   When Jesus gives our life light, He does not hide it.  He places us exactly where He wants to shine for Him.  When we choose to place our Christian light under a basket of fear, uncertainty, laziness, sin or compromise, then we don’t allow Christ and His ways to shine through us, that light becomes useless.  It’s like in the children’s song (This Little Light of Mine), we don’t want to give Satan opportunity to blow out our light.

Just as a lamp is not to be tucked away in secret, but is placed on a stand within a room to give light to all, so our life in Jesus is not to be in secret, but glaringly public.  Our Christianity, our faith in Jesus, is to be conspicuous.   Being a light means living out and giving out the Word of God wherever God places us.   No, it does not mean we should be quoting scripture all the time (but certainly as appropriate), but it does mean that we are to share the light that God has given us.   

We do this as we cultivate friendships in our neighborhoods and work places.  Then it will be easy to quietly and graciously invite them to Bible study, or one of the church services here or one of the fellowship events, or invite them to your own Christ-lighted home.  

We seniors are to be God’s light to the next generation, because we have a long range perspective of understanding human nature.  Of course, this comes only from a long time of living up against and with people for so many years.  Also, as we grow older, thankfully, God gives us a graciousness in forgiveness of peoples’ foibles.  We need to be sharing this with the younger people.  So what about having a conversation with a young couple, or teen or young person after service.  I encourage you to commit to pray with and for them?  Share your faith struggles and concerns and hopes.  Share how your life in Christ and in the church has made a difference in the good and bad times in your life.       

Youth, you have a two-way light going on.  While the older generation has wisdom and insight to share with you, You have a fresh perspective and understanding of the modern culture.  You have a natural ability to change at the rate of speed life happens and as fast as things change.   Share that with the more senior generation.   Both can share about your life in the church and your love for Christ.   The other part of the that two-way light is, that you young people are also to be God’s light to the youngsters.  Oh how they look up to you.  What do they see?  What do they hear?  What are they emulating?

And naturally, we are to be conspicuous in our places of business.  It should be no secret to the people with whom you work that you are a believer…. whether on the job, as the job ownsizes or out-sizes.  Christ’s light needs to shine in the business meetings and in the business decisions.   Christians wherever we are, we are not off duty.

            Students, no matter your age and no matter where you attend school, it should not be a surprise to your fellow students and teachers that you are a Christian.   Some of you will be going off to college in the next few days.  Some will be going to Christian schools.  Your light for Christ still needs to shine there.  I have it from a first hand source – with permission to use - that when Pastor Dave went to a Christian college many years ago, he admits he was not always concerned about shining any sort of light for Jesus, and he says he did not always act like a believer. . . BECAUSE  he was surrounded by other Christians.    What did the “light” matter?    But what about the student who is wavering and uncertain in their new belief?  Or what about the other student who has made some mistakes and is wondering NOW  how confession, grace and forgiveness fit into the life of one who is already a Christian.   The “light” matters.    Christian students, wherever you are, you are never off duty.   

            And speaking as a pastor, because of what I say, or do or where I am, people should not be  negatively shocked that I am a pastor.  Pastors are never off duty.

 And the truth is, that if we do not let Christ’s light shine through us, He will shine through someone else.  That’s a given.  He might choose an old light or one that isn’t quite connected, but He will shine.  Why not let Him shine through you?

            The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:8 that when we know Jesus, we are no longer part of the world.  We are called out of it – we are called to make a difference in the world because we are made different when we are saved.    We Christians have one foot firmly planted in the world and the other in God’s world.   Our job, our mission, as Christians is help others lean toward the God side.  Therefore, we must stop thinking and acting as though we are part of the world - the same as everyone else.  So Christ’s light is to be seen.

Also a light is for guiding.    We have all seen those people at airports down on the tarmac with the really big ear muffs/cum ear phones.  They have the really cool lighted batons in their hands.   These people’s job is to signal – to clearly guide – the pilots of those planes to the right spot to park or for take off – in fog, snow, sleet, rain, night or light of day.  Their light is something to make the way clear and to guide another.   

In the same way, a Christian light is to make the way clear and to guide…believers and non-believers alike.  It is our place to take a stand - and so to guide others.  We are to give guidance by way of encouragement to those with less courage.   Sometimes that guidance will be directly to Jesus’ heart in a new relationship with Him.   Your light could be guiding that child in Sunday School, with love and care with a hug and prayer.  The light will be shining as you hold hands and cry with the one with cancer.   The light of guidance might be in the way of praying for our leaders.   Christ’s will shine as you help the family who received that late night call.  The world needs its guiding lights. 

Many people are waiting in shadows to be guided.  Do people see Christ’s light on your FACEBOOK.  How about that?  Does Christ’s light shine as people hear the type of jokes we tell or listen to, how we speak about or to our spouses, parents, children, how we live our

life.  Some things and activities have no place in Christian service or Christian life.

            And so that brings us to the fact that the Christian responsibility is sometimes to be as a Lighthouse - to bring a necessary warning.   The warning could be against an affair, an untruth, perhaps warn about certain things on FaceBook, or to bring about social justice, to make right a wrong done.   Being Christ’s warning lights will be difficult if we are not already His shining example.  

Remember what I said earlier, that we are lamps, not the light.  Jesus is our light source.  He is the One who shines through us.  HIS light is to be seen – in the joy of fellowship with God, as a witness to the world, as a guide or warning for others.   The light is to serve and to point the way to God. 

We cannot produce our own light.  So how do we keep our wicks trimmed and keep

shining?  How do we keep strongly connected to our Light Source?   If you are off to college, get connected with a local campus church or town church.  If you are visiting her, get connected to your home church.  Obviously, if you are living here, whether student, business person or family, single, come to our fellowship events and be in regular worship attendance here.   Get in a small group.  Come September when our Sunday School Hour resumes, we will have 4 exciting adult Sunday School classes for your spiritual, practical and Christian leadership and learning pleasure.  There is Sunday School for children and youth.  The small group ministry has focused offerings for you all year long.  Get out your Bibles and read and pray. 

We are not to underestimate our influence with the light source within us.  Taking Jesus seriously is “No lite challenge.”  We are to accept the responsibility and be who we are, sometimes simply by being present.  We are the reflection of Jesus’ light in us. 

If you have been covering your light – uncover it.  If you have been walking in the shadows of the dark world, change your path and walk as a child of light.   Perhaps you are sitting here this morning thinking:  “I might have signed up for this – but my light is so dim – or

burned out – or I may have purposely unscrewed it.”  Or you are saying: “I have no clue about this light business.”  If you need to get plugged into the light source come see me after service or this week.   Take the little candle from the seat as a reminder and, allow Jesus to shine in and through you…because you are Jesus’ light of the world.