SUMMER TOGETHER | Part 5 | 8 Powers of Light

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>> [applause]

>> Hallelujah, Grace Summit Church. How we

feeling today?

Man, I feel like we already had church.

Listen to those testimonies.

Uh power of God working. Uh thank you so

much for all of those that donated to

make this a reality

uh for uh this generation, not the next

generation, but for this generation of

young people to be filled with the power

of God and to have high impact. Uh our

future is bright. Amen?

Uh we look at the world, and man, it

just doesn't look so bright. Uh but in

the church, God is doing a miracle and

working in the hearts of people uh to

continue spreading the message for

generations to come. Hey, if you're a

guest with us, my name is Ben. I have

the opportunity to serve as lead pastor

here, and so thankful that you're here.

I believe God has a word for us today.

You guys want to hear it?

You sure?

Okay.

All right. I'm feeling some kind of way.

I was up late last night. Hallelujah.

Waiting on my family to get home at 1:30

a.m.

I'm not in my 20s anymore. 1:30?

Golly.

Praise the Lord. Let's pray. Father, we

thank you, Lord, for the power of your

Holy Spirit.

Father, I'm thankful, Lord, for a fresh

wind and fresh fire being breathed in us

on this day, Lord, that we would leave

this place, God, full, overflowing with

the goodness of God. Father, I thank you

for your anointing upon the preaching of

your word. Father, I pray that you

preach and we listen.

So, Father, we turn an ear towards

heaven now in Jesus name. Amen.

Well, hey, if you've been tracking with

us the last few weeks, we've been kind

of hanging out uh in the Sermon on the

Mount. And uh Matthew chapter 5, uh we

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

see Jesus, it says, "Seeing the crowds,

Jesus, he uh went up on the mountain and

when he sat down, his disciples came to

him." And uh Jesus first tells them what

blessed character looks like.

And this is the Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes.

The attitudes that you should be. Amen?

And uh the blessed uh character,

"Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed

are the meek. Uh blessed are the

peacemakers." We spent a whole week just

on uh talking about peacekeeping versus

peacemaking. "Blessed are the

peacemakers, for they shall be called

the sons of God. Uh blessed are those

who are persecuted." That's not a fun

one, is it?

Uh but he talks about the blessed uh

character. And then last week, uh we

kind of unpacked where Jesus says uh

that we are the salt of the earth.

And so, he transitions from blessed uh

character,

uh what blessed character looks like, uh

to what blessed character does.

Amen?

Now, in verse 14 where we pick up today,

he shifts the metaphor even further.

Uh not just what you do, but what you

reveal.

Not just what you do, but what you

reveal. Matthew chapter 5 and verse 14,

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

he says, "You are the light of the

world."

So he just got done telling them that

hey, you're the salt of the earth,

right?

And you are the light of the world.

Uh it's interesting that salt uh

is influence, but light is visibility.

Amen. As salt works quietly and light

works publicly.

Uh we're called to work publicly. Amen.

Mhm.

He says that

uh nobody lights a light and and uh

hides it, uh but they set it up on a

hill for all to see. Amen.

Salt changes what you touch

and light changes what people see.

And he doesn't say that you have the

light,

he says, "You are the light."

There's a lot of people that uh we try

to manufacture the light of God.

We we have the light uh but Jesus says,

"You are the light." It's something that

you become. It becomes your identity.

You are the salt of the earth and you

are the light of the world.

It's not poetry, it's identity.

And you don't turn lights on

in the spirit, you turn lights loose.

Amen.

You turn it loose. Now I just think

about some wild dogs all on chains. Now

you just you you set them loose and let

them run. That we let the light of God

loose in the world.

Amen.

Uh I think we've had enough of the the

safe Christianity, enough of the nice

Christianity. I think there's something

that God wants to do in the land where

the light shines in the darkness and the

darkness doesn't have to understand it.

Amen? But the light shines in the

darkness and does the work of God. Today

I want to give you the eight powers of

light.

Oh my goodness. Man, we had testimonies.

We're short on time. I'm going to give

you eight of them.

Baby, I'm going to be zinging them out

there. Boom boom.

Nice and quick.

Man.

>> [clears throat]

>> The eight powers

of light. Number one, light reveals.

Light reveals. John chapter 3 verse 19.

John 3:19

Says this, Jesus said, "This is the

verdict." Say this is the verdict.

Light has come into the world,

but people love darkness instead of

light. Why in the world would they do

that, Jesus? Because their deeds are

evil.

If you love the darkness,

it's because you have evil deeds in your

life.

Mhm.

I used to

love the darkness.

Verse 20 says, Jesus said, "Everyone who

does evil hates the light and will not

come into the light for fear that their

deeds will be exposed."

But whoever lives by the truth,

amen, sister.

Whoever lives by the truth comes into

the light

so that it may be seen plainly

that what they have done has been done

in the sight of God.

Light exposes what darkness tries to

hide.

It reveals things.

Uh

the interesting thing with light is that

there's never I've never seen a war

between light and darkness.

And let me expose the lie of the enemy.

Because the enemy would like us to

believe that this Christian journey that

we're on is kind of this tug-of-war like

like big strong devil and then there's

and God and Jesus and it's like this war

going on inside of us. Can I tell you

how simple it is?

You walk into a room, a dark room, and

you flip a light switch on.

There's not a war going on in the

atmosphere.

Because the light comes on,

the darkness flees.

Oh, man, I almost started preaching.

Mhm.

Light exposes what darkness

tries to hide.

You ever walk into a room? I've had this

experience. I haven't been in there in a

while and we got a basement, it's really

dark down there. And hey, you walk in

and kind of trying to find your way and

go

and then you flip the light on and

you're like, "Whoa, this thing needs

cleaned up, right?" Haven't been down

here. You ever go into like a storage

room or something that's like, "Man,

there's cobwebs and stuff." Light

reveals everything.

And that's what happens in our soul.

Sometimes I don't like what gets

revealed on the inside of me.

Amen? Is it okay to tell the truth in

church?

Sometimes some things are exposed about

me that I wanted to keep hidden.

Can I say this that what you keep hidden

has control over your life.

And so the invitation is to invite the

power of the Holy Spirit in, the light

of God in, to kick open every door,

every closet,

and to expose the misdeeds of darkness.

Mhm.

Sometimes we get

partially saved.

I mean, we're saved.

You know, we prayed the prayer and we're

washed in the blood and if we die today,

man, we make heaven our home. But but as

far as letting the light of God

have you ever served God for a for a

length of time and then and then you you

get some stuff and you go, "Man, I

haven't really even resolved that yet."

And that I got a revelation that this is

something I need to that I need to

confess or something that I need to

forgive or something I need to work on,

amen?

And so the progression

there's one scripture that talks about

God being like the noon the sun getting

brighter

as the day goes long, amen?

And it's almost like we serve God and

that illumination of the spirit

continues to get brighter and brighter.

And as we confess

our sins, it's like kicking that door

open and revealing what's on the other

side.

Too many people resist the light of God.

Not because God is mean.

It's because God is honest.

Light is honest, amen?

It shows you what you don't want to see

sometimes.

Light doesn't create problems, it

reveals them.

Sometimes we get the mindset that we'd

rather keep it hidden. I don't want it

revealed because if it gets exposed, now

it's a problem.

And we act like it doesn't even exist

when we keep it hidden, don't we?

Mhm.

I've worked with

uh different ones over the years, men

that have struggled with pornography.

It's such a hidden sin.

Uh and and

it's one of those things that you just

don't want to reveal because it's ugly

and icky. But can I tell you you will

never get freedom unless you confess

that thing?

Mhm.

Yeah, you don't go air your dirty dirty

laundry for everyone to see, but find a

faithful man or woman of God and say,

"Man, this is what I'm this is what I'm

up against. I've got hidden sin and it's

ugly and it's destroying my life. It's

destroying Man, I need to confess this

thing and there's something unique about

confession. It's like flipping the light

on and all of a sudden now God can get

to work cleaning you up.

Mhm.

When God turns the lights on in your

life,

he's not trying to shame you.

He's just trying to show you. He's

trying to heal you.

You can write this in your notes. What

stays hidden stays in control.

So, darkness conceals,

light reveals. Uh Ephesians chapter 5

Ephesians 5:11

verse 11 says, "Take no part

in the unfruitful works of darkness,

but instead, expose them." Say expose.

Verse 12 says, "For it's shameful to

even speak of the things that they do in

secret. But when anything thing is

exposed by the light,

it becomes visible."

I don't like being exposed.

Amen?

That's an uncomfortable feeling

being exposed.

But we come to the light, and this is

what salvation looked like for me, and

I've had a couple of moments of kind of

a breakthrough moment, a come to Jesus

meeting, amen, in the spirit.

And it's almost like we figure out

Christianity, and we're we're learning

the the things that we're doing what

we're what we're supposed to do, uh but

we're doing it on our own strength. And

we're trying to hold it all together,

but we just can't. You ever been there?

It's struggle with it. It's like, man,

and then there's these moments that I've

had where I absolutely break before him.

And I say, "God, I can't do anything

right. I can't figure this out." And I

come to the altar, and I say, "God,

here's every shattered, broken, nasty,

ugly thing in my life that I can't make

any of it work. Here it is.

Do with it what you will."

And God says, "Now I have something to

work with."

And God takes all of that stuff

and makes something beautiful out of it.

Light reveals. Number two is that light

guides.

Light guides.

I love what the psalmist said

referencing the word of God in Psalm

Psalms 119:105

119:105, he says, "Your word

is a lamp to my feet

and a light to my path."

Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light to my path. Yes, this that

he references the word, but you've got

to realize that most of this book wasn't

assembled yet when the psalmist wrote

that.

It's God's voice illuminating something

on the inside of me.

That your word is a light for my path.

Amen?

That I'm seeking God out for this.

I'm not just going to lean on my own

understanding. I'm not just going to

make a major decision on this. I need to

pray it through and I need to know that

the spirit of the living God is giving

me an unction. The steps of a good man

are ordered by the Lord. Amen?

Your word is a lamp to my feet,

a light to my pathway.

What

I would like God to do

is to turn on the stadium lights for the

rest of my future and show me the whole

voyage.

God rarely does that.

And I was thinking back when I got saved

and

if God would have given me uh

the full view

of what he called me to and

I I you guys I was the least likely to

be a preacher. Amen?

And if God would have said, "Man, you're

going to pastor a church and thousands

are going to give their life to Christ."

I would have I would have I would have

been like, uh

I just came here cuz I was a drug addict

and somebody invited me to church. You

know what I mean? Like, I just prayed

this prayer and I don't really know

anything about anything. And if God

would have told me that, I'd have been

like, "Check, please."

I'm out.

Cuz that's not me.

Right? But what did God show me? I think

about the headlights on my truck. What

do they shine? A couple hundred feet?

When it's pitch black out, I've got just

enough to keep me

keep me going. Road turns, I go, "Okay,

we got a turn coming up." I make a

little turn. That's like that uh the

God's word being a light for my path.

They'll show you just enough. And this

is what God keeps speaking to me. Stay

in your lane.

Amen?

I I'm the guy that I like to plan and

prep and I'm a forward thinker. I'm a

visionary. And uh my wife's still

getting used to doing vacations with me

cuz I've I've thought about it for

months and plotted it out. And this is

what we're You know, this is where we're

going to go. That just I kind of think

that way. But in the spiritual life,

we don't do that.

Because it's impossible to please God

without what?

Three of you know your Bible.

Hallelujah.

It's impossible to please God without

faith.

If God gave you the full road map with

every detail, every turn, every

struggle, every trial, every victory,

and the full destination,

you wouldn't need any faith.

We walk by faith and not by sight.

So, like guns.

But sometimes what we do is we're like a

car parked in the parking lot.

And then we complain.

>> [clears throat]

>> Because we're praying, "God, uh whatever

the future, show me the future and I'll

show I'll go go there." And God says,

"You're sitting still. I've given you

enough light to see the path in front of

you. Get up and get going. And then I'll

show you the next." The interesting

thing about headlights is that the more

you move, the more they reveal.

And some of us just need to get going.

Well, God called me to the ministry.

I've talked to these old guys. God

called me to the ministry in 1983 and

I've been running from it, brother. Oh,

brother, I've been running and I'm

going,

"Get going, man.

What are you waiting on?

If God showed you,

get moving." Look at your neighbor and

say, "Get going."

Mhm.

Get moving.

Light guides.

Number three, light separates.

Light separates. We see it right in

Genesis, God Genesis 1:4, and God

Genesis 1:4

separated the light from the darkness.

Say separated.

Light creates distinction.

You can't really mix light and darkness.

Wouldn't that be cool, though? You walk

into your bathroom and be like, "I just

want this part lit and that part dark."

And you can't do that, right? They don't

mix well.

Uh where light is present, darkness has

to leave.

There's no such thing as partial light.

Uh as believers, catch this, we're not

called to blend in.

We're called to stand out.

Jesus said, "You are the light of the

world."

You are the light of the world.

2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 14

2 Corinthians 6 · chapter mention

says, "Do not be un- unequally yoked

with unbelievers.

For what partnership

has righteousness with lawlessness?

Or what fellowship has light with

darkness?

What fellowship

has light with darkness?

What fellowship has light with darkness?

We

don't serve God on Sunday and get the

light,

but then

some other night, we're living in the

darkness,

hanging out with the sinners,

doing what the devil does. But I need to

come next Sunday so I can get cleaned up

again.

What fellowship does light have with

darkness?

And when we're talking about identity,

he says, "You are the light of the

world."

There is no darkness in God.

Somebody got convicted in the house of

God.

What fellowship

has light with darkness? Verse 15,

what accord has Christ with Belial

or the devil?

Or what portion

does a believer share with an

unbeliever?

What agreement has the temple of God

with idols?

For we are the temple

of the living God.

That means the light of heaven, the

power of the Holy Spirit resides on the

inside of us. He continues, as God has

said, "I will make my dwelling among

them and walk among them,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

Therefore, go out from the midst

and be separate from them, says the

Lord.

And touch no unclean thing,

then I will welcome you.

And I will be your be a father to you,

and you shall be sons and daughters to

me, says the Lord Almighty."

Too many, especially in American

Christianity,

uh have a faith that blends so well with

the world, we can't tell the difference.

Sound like the world,

>> [laughter]

>> look like the world, act like the world.

But

I do I like street witness. I like

talking to people about Christ. It's

It's thing I do.

You know how many sinners I've met that

go, "I believe in God. I believe in

Jesus."

And there's nothing in their life that

reflects that.

Amen?

That doesn't even make sense.

Uh believe

is action.

Belief in God brings transformation from

God.

And so we might have an idea or think

that there's a God and maybe even that

uh his name might be Jesus. But there's

this unique thing that happens in the

spirit when you really catch the

revelation and you really confess with

your mouth that Jesus Christ, catch

this, is Lord of all of your life, a

light switch flips on and you no longer

blend well with the darkness.

Mhm.

Man, I got saved.

Now I remember I was I was so naive when

I got saved. I had this revelation of

God. Like I was an atheist and I just

like God spoke to me at this church

service. I was going, "God's real." Like

and I prayed this prayer and I don't

know like I'm feeling like power you

know something happened. So I'm going

back to tell all of my sinners friend

sinner friends.

And I was a drug addict. They thought I

drank ate too much acid or something

like I done lost it cuz I'm there

talking about Jesus. I'm trying to show

them stuff in the Bible. And and what I

found out really quickly

as an unchurched newly saved individual

is that light and darkness don't

fellowship well.

Mhm.

Light separates.

Philippians chapter 2 verse 15

Philippians 2:15

says that you may be blameless

and innocent

children of God

without blemish

in the midst of a crooked and twisted

generation

among whom you shine as lights in the

world.

Can I just say this? If your

life makes darkness comfortable, your

light's not on.

Amen.

If

sin and evil can happen around you and

they feel comfortable,

your light's not on.

Because light exposes the misdeeds of

the enemy.

Light makes darkness uncomfortable

and flee. Number four is that light

attracts.

Light attracts.

Man, Lincoln and I have been finding

that out. We've been fishing a lot

lately.

You guys know all the big bass come out

at night, right?

Man, I caught me a 6-lb lunker the other

night. Big old fat bass. Hallelujah. But

but man, they you know, we start and

they don't start catching till right at

dark. And

I'm old and so I don't see well, so I'm

trying to like see my fishing line.

And I'm trying to look at this thing and

I'm like it is like Link, I can't see.

So, he's always helping hold the light

for dad, right? Cuz I can't see

anything. And what happens when we turn

this light on, every bug for 3 miles

decides it wants to come right here to

this light and now they're all flying

around and I'm like, "All right, dude.

We need to call it, bro. It's getting

late and I'm hungry. Let's go home."

Light attracts things.

You ever been lost?

Like in darkness?

Yeah, I'm from the country, man. I've

been lost out in the dark. You ever ever

see a light that's in the You don't even

know what the light is, but but if

you're lost and it's pitch black, any

light anywhere uh

draws [clears throat] your attention.

And I and I I'm lost, so I don't I'm not

going that way. I see some type of

light, uh whether it's

a good house or a bad house,

right? There might be serial killers

living inside it, but I see a light and

so we're going to walk to the light,

right?

Mhm.

>> [clears throat]

>> Light attracts things.

That's why Jesus likened us to being a

city on a hill that cannot be hidden.

He says, "You're the light of the

world."

Uh

the light

if it's on in your life, people notice

it.

Not because you're loud,

but because you're bright.

Mhm.

Sometimes we don't have to say a word at

all.

And the light of heaven shines through

our life.

And it's attractive

to the darkness. Matthew chapter 5 verse

Matthew 5:15

15, he says, "Nor do people light a lamp

and put it under a basket,

but on a 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 who is in

heaven."

Uh can anyone else not read that

scripture without thinking about the kid

song?

This little light of mine?

Yeah.

I'm going to let it shine.

I thought I would hide it under a

bushel. No. I'm going to let it shine.

Yeah. This little light of You know what

I mean? Like this is the whole thing.

Then we sing it as kids and all this

stuff. But man, when do we stop just

singing it as kids and live it in

Christianity? That this light of mine,

this this infilling of the Holy Ghost

and fire, this revelation from heaven,

I'm not going to hide it anymore. I'm

going to get out and I'm going to let it

shine in the darkness.

Man, people at your work don't even know

you're a Christian.

Mhm. Well, it got quiet in here.

Let your light shine before man.

Amen.

Let your light shine.

He says, "In the same way, let your

light shine before others, so that catch

this, they may see your good works

and give glory

to your Father who's in heaven.

Mhm.

You know two people can do the same

thing. One can have the right heart, one

can have the wrong heart. You got to

take it takes more than one scripture to

build a truth cuz there's scripture that

talks about these Pharisees. They were

out and they were doing their good works

so men could see it.

But they wanted the glory, didn't they?

Look how righteous I am.

Look at the clothing that I wear. Look

at I'm fasting in the streets.

I'm going to rend my garments to to show

you how spiritual I am. Right? And Jesus

is going, "Hey, knock that stuff off,

man. That's evil."

Right?

We do our good works

to bring glory and honor to God.

I know who I am without Christ.

I'm I'm pretty miserable

and wretched. Amen?

You too?

We all fit in this category?

So man, we get full of God, we go do it

and go, "Praise God. Glory to God. Look

at Look at what God did."

I don't know what God's going to do with

our minivan.

Hallelujah. I know it's pretty ucky

looking right now.

But God's going to do something.

Yeah.

The same way let your light shine before

others

that they might glorify God. You don't

have to announce light.

You just have to stop hiding it.

You don't have to say, "Look how

spiritual I am. Look I'm a Christian."

You You don't have to announce it at all

because light isn't loud. Light is seen.

Let people see the glory of God in your

life. Amen?

Mhm.

Sometimes you got to look at where God

has already placed you

where you can shine.

You can write this down. Don't hide what

God put in you.

Don't hide what God put in you. Number

five for your notes is that light

produces growth.

Light produces growth.

Uh

plants, animals, humans, we all need

light to live. Do you guys know that?

Uh

you can have plants

and you can water them and fertilize

them. You can sing to them in the

morning.

But if they don't have light,

it's going to die.

Things need light to live.

In other words, light brings life.

It's

essential

for life as it is

in your spiritual life.

We need the light switch on. We need the

revelation of God. We need the word of

God. Amen?

And not just for you, but you have the

opportunity to bring life to others

because you are

the light of the world.

Mhm.

Ephesians 5:13, everything exposed

Ephesians 5:13

by the light becomes visible.

Everything that is illuminated becomes a

light.

Light doesn't just reveal growth, it

creates it.

Some people keep asking

God for spiritual fruit.

Oh God, I need more peace.

I need more self-control. I'm so weak in

this area.

While refusing to let the light of God

shine

to produce the fruit.

We keep areas of our heart, our soul

hidden.

Growth just starts to happen in the

light

of heaven. My prayer life grows.

My marriage grows. Spiritual fruit

grows.

Starts with the light.

A lot of times people want

transformation, but they don't want

exposure.

Number six

in your notes, light brings warmth.

Light brings warmth. We live in a

strange age. Do you guys know that?

For thousands of years

all the prior generations up to a couple

hundred years ago

uh didn't have electricity, didn't have

cell phones, didn't have automobiles,

all this other stuff. We have

manufactured light everywhere.

Now we have this new kind of light that

that you can touch the light bulb and

it's cold. Couldn't do that when I was

little. Touch the light bulb and you go,

"Oh, that thing's hot, right?" Yeah. Uh

when Jesus is talking about you're the

light of the world, light meant fire.

Think caveman. Me much like 'em fire,

right?

I still like fire.

I'm all boy, man. Let's blow something

up. Pour some gasoline on it. Let's get

the fire going.

Yeah.

I'm backwards. My my HOA doesn't know

how to take me sometimes.

Uh

yeah.

Light means warmth. The sun not only

illuminates the earth, but it also warms

the earth.

Uh

my fireplace. We have a fireplace at

home. I love the real wood. There's

nothing like real wood heat in the

wintertime. Amen?

Uh

it draws people.

It's

comfortable.

It's good.

It's not cold.

Uh some people share the truth of God

like an interrogation spotlight in their

face.

It's cold. You're sharing truth.

You're shining light. I must have been

around some critical Christians. Can you

tell?

And they come and they go, "You're

you're talking to exposing your sin. I'm

going to shine light on this." And they

do it in the coldest possible way.

And I was thinking about I remember

time in my life and discipleship and

going through some stuff, man, I I got

wrapped up and still

learning to serve God and I got tied up

in some really ugly stuff that I tried

to keep hidden for a minute.

And I finally got what I was dealing

with me that I needed to expose this and

talk to my pastor about it and I was

scared to death

to go talk to my My pastor was old

school Pentecostal. He had that

authoritative father in the faith type

tone and man, I just He was really

intimidated to go talk to him and

finally got up the courage to go kind of

expose this thing, right?

And as I'm sharing it,

the compassion in his voice,

the love that he revealed and he just

was so gracious with me

and so patient with me.

How much he loved me and how how for me

he was that that anything that he could

do to be a blessing and to and to help

out and and and you don't worry about

that. God forgives you for that.

Told me that several times. God's

forgiven you for that. You don't worry

about that. And I go, man, that light is

warm light. Amen? That's attractive

light.

Mhm.

Don't be the cold unnatural

light,

the manufactured light. Don't be harsh

or blinding.

You'll be the real light of Jesus.

It's natural. It's comforting.

It draws people. It restores.

It's the good light. Truth without

warmth feels like rejection.

Truth with love

feels like an invitation.

Some people use truth like a weapon.

I don't want to be that.

I want to be

radiating the love of the Father even in

hard conversations. Amen.

People feel safer, not smaller.

Number seven in your notes, light drives

out fear.

Light drives out fear.

Man.

You guys remember being a kid, being

afraid of the dark?

It's okay, we're in church, you can tell

the truth. It's confession time.

You guys know that feeling?

It's like this weird thing that it grips

you.

Just because it's dark and you can't

see. And like all of the all of your

mind your mind starts

like making up imagine like there's a

boogie monster over there, I know it.

And then you flip the light on, you're

like, oh, it's just a broom in the

corner. You know, like

And I remember [clears throat] I was

young

we lived on a farm and my dad they asked

me to go outside of the barn to grab

something.

And it was one of those nights it was

black black, right? And I already was

scared of all the roosters cuz when I

was little they used to chase me around

the barnyard. And so now it's pitch

black and I have to go find this thing

and I don't have a light with me cuz I I

was a little kid and didn't think that

far ahead. So I'm outside and the

further I get away from the house

yeah, it gets darker and darker and all

of a sudden your mind starts

manipulating you into fear.

And you ever run from something that

wasn't there?

I don't know. It wasn't nothing back

there, I don't think. But at the moment

I was like

Right? There's nothing there, man, and

I'm scared to death and running across

the yard like a dork.

Yeah.

Darkness

manipulates us to fear.

Light drives out fear. The psalmist said

in Psalm 27

verse one, the Lord say the Lord.

The Lord is my light and my salvation,

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life.

Whom shall I be afraid?

Fear loves darkness. The devil loves to

play in shadows.

Because he can manipulate your mind when

you can't see clearly.

God spoke this to me

that when I'm sensing fear

it's a sign of a darkness in my life.

Because the light when it shines in the

darkness it drives out all fear.

If you struggle with fear, pray about it

and let God shine light into whatever

area that is.

You won't be afraid anymore.

Fear loves darkness.

First John 1:5, God is light.

1 John 1:5

And in him there is no darkness at all.

In him there is no darkness at all. You

can write this in your notes.

We don't rebuke darkness, we replace it.

We don't rebuke darkness.

We replace it.

How silly to stand in a dark room

and to rebuke the darkness

when all you have to do is flip the

light switch.

How silly to stand in your life with

fear and anxieties and all of these

different things and to rebuke those

things

but never let the light of the Holy

Spirit illuminate

and drive the darkness out.

The light has shown in the darkness and

the darkness understood it not.

You are

the light of the world.

Stop treating fear like a giant.

Start treating it like a shadow. Amen.

Number eight.

light multiplies.

Light multiplies. Jesus said, Matthew

Matthew 5:14

5:14, "You're the light of the world.

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Nor do people light a lamp and put it

under a basket, but on a 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

who is in heaven."

Anyone in here ever attend a prayer

vigil?

We all get the candles.

You guys ever done those?

Been to some now we use battery candles

cuz people are afraid of burning the

churches down, right?

But back in the day it was always real

candles and they'd always start with one

individual and they'd come with the one

candle.

And then [clears throat] you would light

the person next to you and then they

would light you could light 500 candles.

And what a

beautiful, [clears throat] powerful

thing to see all these little lights,

you know, flicker, all these candles.

And what I've learned is that with fire,

uh

even though 500 candles got lit off the

one candle, the original candle is still

the same brightness.

It didn't diminish because I lit

somebody else's candle.

Amen?

Light multiplies.

Fire multiplies.

>> [music]

>> You carry the fire of heaven on the

inside of you.

>> [music]

>> And I was thinking about the

prophet

messing with the prophets of Baal,

calling down fire from heaven. [music]

How the fire came down and licked up the

water. You guys remember that story in

the Old Testament?

And I was thinking about the fire of

heaven falling, falling right into my

soul. And And the Bible says God's an

all-consuming fire. I want to be so lit

up

with God that even the wettest, coldest

non-believer that I can get close to

them and the fire of God will lick up

that water, heat up that soul, and light

them on fire. Amen.

Mhm.

>> [clears throat]

>> Light multiplies.

Here's my conviction.

If other souls haven't been lit on fire

that have been around me,

I'm not on fire.

Amen. [clears throat]

If people can get close to me and do

life with me and still stay cold and

distant [music] from God,

I'm not on fire.

Look at your neighbor and say, "Light it

up."

I I just I get I've told you guys

before, I get tired of playing church.

Amen.

I want to see some non-believers

get that spark of heaven on the inside

of them.

Bible says, "He who is forgiven much

loveth much."

Man, I want to see some people get

forgiven from some stuff and and the

power of God cleanse them from the

inside out, and they get so lit on fire

that other sinners are getting lit on

fire, and other sinners are getting lit

on fire.

I'm singing about Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Oh, don't get me preaching Acts chapter

Acts 2 · chapter mention

2. Hallelujah, we'll be having church.

We won't beat the Baptist to the

to the restroom.

Bible says that

spirit fell

upon the 120 that were seeking God,

and it rested on them as tongues of

fire.

They were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Began to speak in tongues, the Bible

says.

That's fired up. Amen.

I'm thinking about it that God didn't

just fill the room, but God filled the

believer.

And what did they do? The Bible right

after that, the entire theme of the book

of Acts is that they got filled and then

they went out to witness in Jerusalem,

in Judea, and Samaria, to the other part

uttermost parts of the earth.

They got filled with the fire and they

went and lit other people on fire.

Jesus calls you the light of the world

and he didn't light you up just to hide

you under a bushel somewhere.

But you got lit on fire so that you

could multiply and go light other people

on fire.

Let's stand to our feet all over this

house. I'll ask the worship team to join

me

here.

God never intended you to be the only

one burning.

Well, we serve a good God. Amen.

I'll close with this scripture, Isaiah

Isaiah 60:1

60

verse 1.

Says, "Arise, shine

for your light has come and the glory of

the Lord has risen upon you."

Rise and shine

for the light has come.

Father, I thank you, Lord, for the

revelation by the spirit of truth.

Father, I pray, God, that we would have

high impact

for the building of your kingdom.

Lord, you lit us on fire and maybe

there's some, God, that their fire has

began to diminish.

Lord, I pray that you would breathe on

them today, God.

Fresh wind, fresh fire in your souls, I

pray.

Father,

I pray,

God, that you would use us in a powerful

way

to save a lost and dying generation.

God, that they would receive from you

through us

the goodness of God.

Lord, that we would serve you well.

That we would be a light shining in a

dark place.

Father, that

people would see that you are [music]

God.

That you are good.

And you are loving.

Father, I thank you for the calling upon

our lives.

Father, that it's not just to come

gather with other lights, but Lord, it's

to go and make new lights.

So, Father, bless each one, I pray.

Thank you for life, God, in Jesus' name.

>> [music]

>> Amen. We're going to open the altars and

worship a little bit before we dismiss.

If you need prayer for anything,

whether it's salvation for the first

time, God's doing something in you, and

I need you're thinking I need to pray

that prayer, I'm going to invite you to

come. We're not going to embarrass you.

We're just going to pray with you and

trust God for the salvation of your

life. But maybe you need a healing in

your body. Maybe you're you're feeling

something. You have some stuff hidden on

the inside of you that you need to

reveal and then just confess. These

altars are open this afternoon.

And also, these altars are open for

worship. Won't you come?

>> [music]

>> Thank you for listening to today's

message from Grace Summit Church.

>> [music]

>> We hope it encourages you to walk out

your faith this week. If you're in the

Fort Wayne [music] area, we'd love to

meet you in person. Join us for our

Sunday service at 9:15 or 11:00 a.m. on

East Dupont Road, or connect with us

online anytime [music]

at gracesummitchurch.com.

Have a blessed week, and we'll see you

next time. [music]