Intro:
1. Song: Shine Jesus Shine For Kids: This little light of Mine
2. Matthew 5:14; You are the light; John 8:12 - I am the light
3. Don't hide it under a bush - There are several kinds of bushes that hide his light:
I. Security Clearance
A. What is a security clearance
1. For the Government some jobs require a security clearance
a. Clearance does not automatically mean free access
b. Classifed information is dispensed based on two things:
- Security Clearance
- A need to know basis
2. Many Christians have a tendency to be the same way when
it comes to their faith
B. We sing a song: "I'll shout it from the mountain top! Hey World!
I want my world to know, the Lord of Love, has come to us, I
want to pass it on" - Do you really mean it?
1. May feel silly to shout anything from the roof tops
2. When you're in love, you don't care what others think:
a. At college, it wasn't too unusual for someone to get
a serenade
b. All kinds of people were looking, some were laughing
3. If a person could do that for a another, what about for Christ?
C. Does the Bible have anything to say about any of this?
1. Heb. 2:11-12 - Not ashamed of us
2. I Cor 4:10 - "We are fools for Christ"
3. Matt 10:32-33 - Confess or Deny
4. Rom 10:9-10 - Read It
- Without confession, there is no salvation
- Is this limited to conversion? (He is not even talking about
the conversion experience in this passage!)
-In conversion, Baptism is the ONLY act that is done once
< Eph 4:4 - Does NOT say there is one confession!!
-Confession from faith results in Salvation, but it is NOT
a one time act!
D. Being a Christian is not about a one-time conversion, it is a
wedding, a committment
II. A Mask.
A. Many get up on Sunday Morning, throw on the mask, wear it
there, and take it off at work.
1. It's one thing for people to not know you are a Christian
2. It's another thing for them to be in disbelief that you could
be a Christian
B. John Brown went to church every Sunday all his life
1. But went to Hell ----- For what he did on Monday!
2. John Brown owned a mask which he wore every sunday.
- When he left, people would ask "Who was that
masked man?" (Nobody knew him)
3. On Monday, when he took that mask off, he was no
different than the others in the world
C. The Bible has something to say about this:
1. Matt 23:27; Matt 15:8 -
2. Maybe nobody know about your multiple personality
disorder, but God knows:
a. When you Fudge on your hours, cut corners when
you shouldn't, call in sick when not sick
b. What happens if someone finds out? Your name is mud!!
c. What's worse is that Christ's name is mud
D. Why do people do this?
1. They don't care
2. Guilt or Fear
a. You know your faults, but hide them from the brethren
b. Church is a place for sinners (Jesus came to the sick)
c. Should be a place of encouragement, love and support
E. What struggle can you share with your brother or sister openly?
1. If relationship to the brethren is no different than to those
at work that is a problem
2. That leads us to the next thing that hides the light of Christ
III. A Half Heart
A. This symbolizes a lack of love.
B. Without love, salvation is hopeless
1. I Corinthians 13 - If love is patient, then I am patient, if it
is kind, then so am I ...
2. Matt 22:37-40 - Love is the Greatest Command
3. I John 4:8 -
4. I John 4:18 -
a. If we love one another, then there is no fear of confession
b. Notice it is perfect love: Which is a returned
(reciprocated) love
C. What if the preacher or a leader were to confess "I have a
problem with drinking"
1. Fear of rejection (so we wear a mask)
2. Could you share a deep dark struggle with a brother?
3. Perfect love is missing (need love, trust, honesty and support)
(Love never fails)
D. Question: What can you tell your brethren?
1. Cannot encourage one another if you don't know one another
2. There should be no "Masked Man" here.
3. John 13:34-35
4. Do not love half-heartedly, but whole-heartedly.
This is perfect (complete) love
III. Yourself
A. Even when we live right, the light of Jesus can be dimmed
B. To let the light of Jesus shine, consider these passages:
1. Eccl.: 7:16 -
2. Matt 5:16 - Give the Glory to God, not yourself
3. 2 Cor 10:12 -
4. 2 Cor. 10:17-18 -
C. Contemporary Christian Singer
1. When people applauds, he looks down and points up -
The Glory Goes to God
2. That is what John did:
a. John 3:26-30 - He must increase, but I must decrease
b. John 1:27,29
- I am not fit to untie the thong of his sandal
- Behold, the lamb of God!
c. John said it again (v. 35-36) & lost 2 disciples (v. 37)
3. It is easy to say "behold, look at John" but we need to point
to Jesus
D. When was the last time you boasted in the Lord?
Concl:
1. These 4 common obstacles will block his light:
a. Security Clearance
b. Mask
c. A Half Heart
d. Yourself
2. Song: Hide it under a bush-el NO!
3. Say No today to that bushel: No to the Security Clearance, Mask, Half Heart & Self
4. Don't be a "Lone Christian", throw off that mask and let his light shine!
5. Point to Jesus, Shout it from the Mountaintop.
6. Song - Pass it On