CALVARY IS REAL BIBLE CHURCH
#13 UKWANSI STREET, ABAKALIKI
DECEMBER RETREAT 2019 (24TH – 26TH
DEC, 2019)
TEACHING OUTLINE
THEME: THE MASTER’S CALL “TO SHINE AS LIGHT”
TOPIC: REFLECTING THE LIFE OF CHRIST AS LIGHT
TEXT: MATTHEW 5:14
HYMN: SSCF
162, 236, 218, 172
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You
are welcome to another December Retreat of Calvary is Real Bible Church In
Jesus name. In 2018, the Lord helped us to understand the ‘Burden for Revival’
as He instilled the understanding and life that brings revival in the society
and Christendom generally. This year we shall be considering a request the
master (Jesus) is making to anyone that has been adopted into the sheep fold as
His child; on the necessity to shine as the Light of the world we are.
Basically,
there is a call to follow Jesus which is the prerequisite to have the LIGHT of
LIFE Jn.
8:12; 5:26 and not to walk in darkness. Another instance is walking
with the light we have lest darkness take over us Jn. 12:35. Walking in
this light exemplifies a LIFE of
total surrender and yielding to Christ continually; pleasing God in all manner
of conversation. Our shining makes God to be praised Matt. 5:16.
God
needed to deal with darkness before creation
Gen. 1:2-3; He did that with Light
which is a ‘shining light’. This light is an illumination that removes
darkness. This implies that the only way to deal with darkness is a light that
is shinning.
Also,
this light is life that shines as a light “for the path of the just are as a shining light that shines…” Prov. 4:18. It shows a man whose
ministry subdues darkness not by speaking but by a life that is light that
shines and that where ever he goes, darkness meet their doom. God might want us
to be in a place for a reason, therefore we are to shine there; the demon in Matt.
8:28-29 saw Jesus and screamed in fear and bid to run away from its
captives. Shining should be a ministry for us to reproduce a man that will also
shine in discharging God’s calling on earth.
Furthermore,
the dimness of the light that our life shines can cause lives that have been
hearing our sermons not to continually have a change. It should also be pointed out that light only shines in darkness
and cannot be felt in the light. There are many who has put their candle stick
under a bushel; it cannot shine there. Christians are to shine which makes them
different and pace setters in any environment they are found in the society.
The Lord has a call He has called us into during this our December Retreat
which is to shine as the Light we are. As stated; First, we are to be made
light (born again) if we are not. Secondly, as born again (being a light
already) but have not been shining due to many factors as besetting sins,
encumbrances, afflictions, procrastination, laziness etc, there is a call from
the master to shine and finally, if our shining is dim which has not produce
any effect or change in the lives of people, we are to make the light brighter
by making the owner of light to spring forth in our lives and removing any coverage
that has dim our lights.
Our
shining is resultant effect of God’s glory being revealed in us as His light.
The Lord Jesus did not say you are Like the LIGHT of the world
but that you are actually the light of the world. This is also our calling in
Christ Jesus. This world, without the children of God will be in darkness. Let
us sit down and allow God deal with us as we shall be considering the different
aspect we are to shine and our deposition towards that.
TEACHING ONE
1a. LIGHT
DEFINED?
To
define light, we shall be looking at its characteristics to have a clear
understanding of what actually the Lord means as being the light of the world. Jn. 1:5;
Jn. 5:35; Eph. 5:13; 2 Pet. 1:19; Isa. 60:3
1. Light is quiet but it shines
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2. Light also burns apart from shining
Touch
a lamp that is lit and you will experience the burning property of light.
Anyone who comes where there is light will not only see clearly but may also
receive a mark if he comes into physical contact with the light.
There
are different ways we are to burn for the Lord; when a Christian sister or
brother come in contact with you, does her sins get burnt on encountering you.
Many join others to sin where they should be instrument to burn off sins in
people’s life. A preacher lives a life that burns through his lifestyle,
message and interaction with people. This applies to everybody that is light.
3. Light reveals (exposes) things that are
hidden
Something
is hidden only if it is in the dark; and no matter how much you look for it,
you may not find it. But bring in light and every hidden thing becomes exposed.
People only succeed in hiding their sins as long as there is no light to expose
such sins. As soon as light comes in, their sins are revealed because…
“…the light shines in upon their
sin and shows it up, and when they see how wrong they really are, some of them
may become children of light” Eph. 5:13
LB
Also,
when we walk in the light which is Christ, sin will not survive in our lives
because, He will always reveal such, that we may not walk therein again. Any
man that is comfortable with sin and yet still says, he/she is in the light;
there are question that individuals needs to ask himself. A man that is light
exposes sins of various degrees in any environment he find himself.
QUESTIONS
1. Name
any characteristics of light you know from your understanding?
2. How
can light shine in the life or environment of a Christian?
3. What
does it mean that light is quiet but shines?
4. How
can light burn in one’s life?
5. Explain
how light exposes hidden things and what are the things that light can expose?
TEACHING TWO
1b. WHAT
IS GOD ASKING US TO DO AS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD Matt. 26:69-73; Lk. 24:32; Acts 8:17-24
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Please
note that whether you shine or not, you are a city set on a hill. You cannot be
hid. Even if you decide to dim your light so that it does not shine, you cannot
be hid. Everyone will know you as a Christian whose light is not shining bright
and that will not be to your advantage Lk. 9:26. Peter dimmed his light and
backslid. It was only by the mercy of God that he was restored. You must shine
your light.
We
must not only shine but burn. Our lives must leave a burning mark in the hearts
of people who come in contact with us. As Jesus spoke to those two brothers on
the road to Emmaus about how right and scriptural it was for Christ to be
crucified and to rise up the third day, their hearts burned within them. There
was an impact that His speech made on their lives to burn off the dross of
unbelief and fear from their hearts. And when He broke the bread and gave them,
their eyes were opened and they knew that it was the Lord Himself that spoke to
them. So also must our lives and character do to everyone around us until Jesus
is made real to them?
Also,
Peter’s life brought the hidden sinful character of Simon the sorcerer to
light. The bitterness in his heart was exposed and he begged to be prayed for.
Sometimes men may deliberately hide their sins, but some actually may not know
their true sinful situation. However, by our lives and walk with Jesus, we
should reveal it. We would be a disappointment to Jesus if we connive with
sinners to hide their sins. We automatically become partakers with them of
their sins.
“But
all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes
manifest is light Eph. 5:13” Whatever hides is darkness
Are
you truly the light in your environment? What about the things you are hiding
in your life? Has your light shine enough to bring people to Christ? What are
the things that make you to dim your
light?
Pray now and get rid of them before they get rid of you and your candle is
removed from its candlestick. Rev. 2:4-5
QUESTIONS
1. What
is God expecting us to do as the Light of the world?
2. In
what areas can we dim our lights?
3. What
is the effect of this light in our personal life’s?
4. What
are the things that can make our candle’s removed from the candle stick?
5. How
can we hide our lights under a bushel?
TEACHING THREE
c. How
can one receive the LIGHT in His life? Jh.
1:5; 12; 1 Jn. 1:9; Prov. 28:13
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Jesus
is ever willing to release His grace to sin no more after surrendering your
life to Him Heb. 4:16. By allowing Him in your life, it is a great
invitation to LIGHT which exemplified who Jesus is. He is this ‘Light’ in your
life that makes you also to be a light of the world because His Life is in you
and you are living His kind of life not your own way anyone Gal.
2:20.
One
who still indulges in sins covering them with religion no matter your portfolio
or position in the church cannot be this Light. Unforgiveness, immorality,
lying, anger, malice, disunity, pride etc that stills manifest in any life, do
not show a true picture of that Light. For we to become the Light; we need to
come back and allow THE LIGHT (JESUS) to shine again in our lives; make a
definite decision to stop those lifestyle (mention them), confess it as stated
and ask Jesus to come and take over. His life automatically enters as you
nourish it with His word to maintain a steady and an unquenchable shining as
Light you have become.
If
you were in the Light previously but, due to carelessness, there are sins that
has disconnected you from Jesus and from shining; you still have the same
opportunity to come back as He is willing to restore you back unto Himself to
become a light as He has called you.
QUESTIONS
1. Why
must we receive this Light in our lives?
2. What
makes a man to know that he/she has this light in his life?
3. Can
we shine without having the light in our lives?
4. How
can we receive this light?
5. Can
one shine without living the life of Jesus whose is the LIGHT? Explain
TEACHING FOUR
2. “LIGHT
OF THE WORLD”
a. Why
does the world need you as a light? Isa.
60:2; Prov. 4:19; 1 Jn. 5:19; Eph. 6:12; Phil.
2:15
The
whole world is in darkness. Thick darkness covers the people because sin
brought men into darkness under the power of the evil one. People grope in
darkness so much that they stumble, yet they do not know what makes them to
stumble. Were there no Christians in the world, it would have been terrible for
people to live in.
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The
light that the world needs in order to live right and not stumble is in us. The
light that your husband, wife, children, parents, friends etc. need in order to
be saved is in you. May you not die with your light without lighting any man in
the world In Jesus Name, Amen.
b. What
is the effect of darkness in a man’s life and the world system? 1 Jn. 2:11; Prov. 4:19; Jn. 12:35; Isa. 5:20
Darkness
makes a man blind; blind to his environment, blind to the feelings of others,
blind to God’s purpose for His life, blind to even things that make him
stumble. When a man walks in darkness, he makes mistake and yet he does not
know what makes him to do so. Therefore, he falls into the same problem over
and over again. Though he has eyes he cannot see because the darkness has
blinded his eyes.
Hatred
and other sins brings a man into darkness. When a man is in darkness, he does
not where he is going. He loses his sense of direction, only playing a game of
chance with his life. He calls evil good, and calls good evil; he calls
darkness light, and light darkness. He calls bitter things sweet and what is
sweet bitter.
Sins
make a man to lose his senses and thus walk out of sense just as it happened to
the prodigal son in Lk. 15. It was only when he came back to his senses that he
decided to return to his father.
Is
that your present situation? Then you have an urgent need of light and you must
cry out to the Lord to take you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
QUESTIONS
1. What
makes anyone to stumble even without knowing and why do people think others are
the cause of their problems?
2. What
influence does Light bring into the darkness?
3. What
is the meaning of darkness from our study?
4. What
is the effect of this light in our personal life’s and why does the world need
Light (you)?
5. What
is the effect of darkness in our life’s, environment and the world at large?
TEACHING
FIVE
3. How can we fulfill our calling as the
light of the world?
Isa.
60:1; Matt. 5:15-16; Lk. 12:35; Eph. 5:8, 11-13, 18; 2 Cor. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:2
We are the light of the world. Light is useful
only in an environment of darkness. In such a place, its influence is powerful
and indispensible. Bring a bright fluorescent lamp out under sunlight and its
light will not be effective. It has no effect at all. But put the sane light in
a dark hall and its influence is quite dramatic as it gives light to everyone
in the room causing them to see clearly.
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Though we must have times to gather together as a
church in a locality, we must thereafter go into the world to give them light.
Again, in a situation in which believers gather together day and night,
everyday of the week etc; that is not where it ends and focus to shine; the
scripture still stands that we don’t go contrary to our calling which entails
moving out to be the light of the world.
Your gift will manifest better and your light will
be more useful as you boldly step out by faith to stay among unbelievers. And
as you allow your light to shine, THEY will glorify your father in heaven.
Arise and shine. God has lit you already and has put
you in a place where you cannot be hid: In the midst of darkness so that people
can see your light and come to Jesus. Let your light shine. Do not dim it. Do
not compromise your stand where God has placed you. Shine! Light does not run
from darkness. Physically it is impossible, how much more spiritually.
Living above sin makes our light shine brighter by
keeping the glass protecting the flame clean. Yet that alone gives us only the
lowest and dimmest light. Even moralists try to do that. We must go further to
live the life of Christ, the resurrection life, and preached the gospel of
Christ. Your character, lifestyle and good works must show that you are for
Jesus. It will make your light shine brightest and focus better so that the
source of your light is not debatable.
“Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. Matt. 5:16”
May the Lord not be disappointed in you in Jesus
name, Amen.
QUESTIONS
1. Are we to only shine among other
children of light? Explain
2. Give examples on how we have been
shining in the midst of other children of light?
3. How can we shine in fulfilling God’s
call upon our lives?
4. In what areas can we compromise our
stand where God has placed us in the society?
5. How can our lives influence others in
shining?
6.
How can the effect of our shining
be felt in the church and in the society generally?
Personal consideration;
·
What
struck your heart in this study; what are the challenges on your heart.
·
What
are the steps you have resolved to take or steps you have already taken to
shine brighter for the Lord in your area of abode?
·
What
dimmed your light in time past?
·
What
did you do and are currently doing to brush up in order to shine among men?
·
What
are “bushels” that must be taken out of your life, and what are the lamp stands
you must climb upon for your light to shine for a wider coverage?
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