Matthew 5:16

1
Matthew 516

• Shining As Lights In The World

2
Shining as lights in the world

• In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation
  
• Philippians 212-16
• The old norms once held true are no longer
  accepted by the majority.
• Socially divorce, remarriage, living together,
  homosexuality accepted as alternate lifestyles
• Religiously women leaders in churches,
  homosexual ministers, new age religions

3
Shining as lights in the world

• How are Christians to react to this change in our
  society?
• What can we do to change the direction in which
  our society is heading?
• Political action committees?
• Boycotts, economic blackmail?
• Violence, verbal and physical?
• What can we do to protect ourselves?
• Should we change views to conform?
• Should we isolate or form communes?

4
Shining as lights in the world

• The Scriptures Provide The Correct Answers
• Epistle to the Philippians
• Christians in a Roman Culture
• Heavily influenced by paganism
• Social emphasis on Intellectualism
• Rampant Immorality
• Philippians 212-16

5
Shining as lights in the world

• Working Our Own Salvation First! (12a)
• First remove the plank from your own eye
  Matthew 71-6
• Must be careful when we react to others-
  Galatians 519-21 works of the flesh
• 1 Corinthians 927 I myself should become
  disqualified

6
Shining as lights in the world

• With Fear and Trembling (12b)
• Fear in connection with God not popular today
• Jesus taught Matthew 1028
• Need to have proper Fear and Trembling
• Needed to work out our own salvation
• Could absence of fear and trembling account for
  apathy in church today?

7
Shining as lights in the world

• Letting God Work in us (13)
• Necessary to succeed
• How does God work? John 1613
• Causes us to WILL for His good pleasure
• And TO DO His good pleasure
• Not enough to WANT to please God must DO things
  that please God.
• Let God do His work- Ephesians 320,21
• Careful not to Quench Gods efforts to work in us
  1 Thessalonians 519

8
Shining as lights in the world

• Without Complaining and Disputing (14)
• Maintaining a Positive Attitude
• 1 Corinthians 1010-12
• Getting Along With Your Brethren
• John 1720-23 that the world may know
• 1 Corinthians 31-4 are you not carnal?

9
Shining as lights in the world

• Children Of God Without Fault (15)
• Requires us to become blameless
• not rightfully blamed for anything.
• Nothing hinders our ability to shine as lights
  like inconsistency and hypocrisy, especially that
  which is evident to all!
• Requires us to be harmless
• 2 Timothy 224-26

10
Shining as lights in the world

• Holding Fast The Word Of Life (16)
• Word of the God is the sword of the Spirit
  Ephesians 610-17
• James 118 brought us forth by the word of
  truth
• 1 Peter 123 having been born again through the
  word of God
• Romans 116 power of God to salvation
• Hold Forth Ezra 710 prepare heart

11
Shining as lights in the world

• Work our own salvation
• With Fear and Trembling
• Letting God work in us
• Not complaining and disputing
• Children of God without fault
• Holding fast/ forth the word of life
• Philippians 216 rejoice in the day of Christ