You Are the Light of the World — Morris Gleiser

Join us now for the chapel hour coming to you from the campus of Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Following the introduction by dr. Bob Jones the third our speaker will be dr Morris Gleiser staff evangelist for Burge Terrace Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The title of his message is you are the light of the world. The text is from Matthew chapter 5 verses 13 through 16. I'm sorry We've not left our speaker with much time today. I wanted to give him a more eloquent word of thanks.

But in the interest of his message, which we all need to hear and which is the main cause I'm going to be very brief and just say thank you evangelist Morris Gleiser. You've been a huge blessing God has sent you and I'm sure that there will be many in heaven because of your investment In our lives as we go forth with the gospel this Christmas.

Come and bring your last message.

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and the Call to Listen

Matthew chapter 5 please this morning We round the bend and we head for the finish line together. Matthew chapter 5 I Said yesterday, I greatly appreciate the way in which you've listened and I ask you to do once again the honor to the Word of God and To listen carefully as we look at some things as we round that corner and come to that finish line together young people I cannot wait Probably in heaven To hear the finished product of things that the Lord will do with you Not just during the Christmas holidays, but in the I trust the days to come and your respective ministries be so glad when we have the The time to sit and fellowship and do a lot of talking about what?

How much we love our Lord and how much we enjoyed serving him and I pray my prayer almost Without hesitation during these days of being here and even prior to coming has been that these days would have been helpful and beneficial.

I've longed to be a help to each one of you here and I trust that the Word of God has been timely for each One of your lives. Thank you for many that find conversations. I've had With so many of you in Matthew chapter 5 we have in front of us the greatest sermon.

I believe that's ever been preached Where it's been preached by our Lord Jesus. I I find great comfort in having in front of me the greatest sermon ever preached. Because I can find anything in this message from his words as he proclaimed to his Future church builders.

I can find great truths that were a great help to them and find great strength and help for you and I today. And I have no way this morning to take the time to communicate the entire message by all means of Matthew chapter 5 6 and 7 so I take one small window of it beginning in verse 13 and Asked you this morning to listen to some words and Reflect back on what it must have been like to have heard these words for the very first time.

I'm going to ask again for I think at least the third and maybe the fourth time to ask you to please set aside all Other thoughts of everything else. It's hitting you today Hitting you in the days to come and I ask you to focus on what it must have been like to sit down on some hillside and To hear the Lord Jesus say these words listen now for the very first time.

I want you to prop yourself up next to Peter look over across the way at Andrew his brother and And there's James and there's John. There's Matthew Simon those other disciples. Someone's leaning up against the tree.

Maybe somebody's sitting on a big rock. Maybe somebody's propped up on his elbows and maybe somebody's got his head and in his hands. And we're all sitting there listening to our Lord Jesus speak these words.

Can you imagine what it must have been like to have heard him for the very first time? Because you've heard this passage so many times. It's become maybe and for some of us a little bit trite. We've gotten accustomed to hearing these words to where in some cases we've even memorized it.

And we can spit it out like it's secondhand news. Can you imagine hearing these words for the first time sit down sit with the disciples this morning? And hear what he has to say verse 13. Jesus says Ye are the salt of the earth.

But if the salt have lost his savor Wherewith shall it be salted? He dispense forth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under the foot of men ye are the light of the world. A City that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick. That it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men. That they may see your good works and glorify your Father.

The Meaning of “You Are the Light of the World”

Which is in heaven look at verse 14 with me one more time. Would you look at those words think about it? Think of hearing for the very first time.

You are the light of.

The world. I Know I'm reading between the lines, but I can almost think about Peter who always would blurt out something. At some inopportune time and he slaps his brother Andrew on the arm and he says What did he say what did Jesus just say.

And I can almost see Andrew say he said you're the light of the world. I Find that it's hard to believe as you do Peter knowing you like I do. He says you have some value. He says that we are the light of the world.

Can you imagine hearing those words? Coming from the voice of our Lord Jesus for the first time. I Love this time of the year young people. I love Christmas. I know you do too for many reasons great childhood memories and in this particular time you think about home.

I know I Love Christmas for many reasons and I like many of you will take the time to drive around Certain towns at my hometown and look at the beautiful lights. I love the Christmas lights. My wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the campus.

What beauty there is of these lights. There's a certain amount of beauty to light. You ever ridden in a plane and had a seat by the window and look out the window coming into some big city. You know that city could be very ugly in the daylight.

It could be a city filled with crime. It could be a very dirty city. But at nighttime with the buildings all lit up and as you fly into it. There's a certain amount of beauty to those high-rise buildings and the beauty of those lights.

There's a beauty to light. There's also a great deal of security to light. Is there not. I don't know about you. But I don't like to walk into any dark area. I I mean if I walk into a dark room I start slapping the wall trying to find some light switch to get a light on you grew up maybe in your home at night.

You woke up with maybe having a bad dream or something and and they're stuck in the wall. Was that little nightlight. Maybe you still have Winnie the Pooh waving at you at night little little nightlight.

You you still have to have that little sense of security. We all know what it is to find security and light and we all know what it is to find beauty in light. Think about some Jesus said to these people and because it was preserved for us.

This was not just for the disciples and the followers of his day. This was not just for the church builders of his day. This is for the church builders of our day as well because it was preserved for us for in God's Word He says to us you Are the light of The world.

Think about it. You provide a beauty that this world is in desperate need of. You provide a security that this world is reaching and trying to find. You give to this world exactly what it needs. Why. Because this world is in deep darkness.

Humanity’s Darkness and the Need for Christ

Mankind is born in darkness, you know that Mankind is born in the darkness of rebellion against God and he's in desperate need of the light of the world the Lord Jesus Christ. And a man without Christ will live in darkness.

The Bible says in Proverbs 2 in verse 13 that the evil man departs from the ways of uprightness. Now listen to walk in the ways of darkness. The Bible says that a man who goes to hell one of the torments of hell will be that he will be chained In darkness.

So therefore a man born in this world is born in darkness. He lives without Christ in darkness and he dies without Christ in eternal darkness. Man is in darkness in the midst of all that Jesus says to us think about you.

Are the light of the world? Wow. All you got to do is watch a documentary about the crime of our world. All you got to do is watch the news at night and you can see the junk that's going on in our world.

Are you going to do is watch the students running from Columbine High School and little in Colorado? And you could go on and on and list many other schools and think of one thing. This world is in deep darkness.

And he says that we're a light to this world. Young people I wish I could sit down by each one of you this morning. It's certainly time and and propriety does not allow for that. But I wish I could grab everybody by the lapel of your shirt or blouse and say I'm trying to get you to see something.

That the Lord wants you to see this morning. Are you listening? He says you are the light of the world. What was he saying young person? What was he saying? First of all, he was giving us. Hang on now.

Finding Purpose and Encouragement in Christ’s Calling

I love this truth. He was giving us Encouragement. Listen, I'm not trying to give you the power of positive thinking and Jesus was not trying to give you the power of think good thoughts About yourself.

This isn't the power of Possibility thinking he was being honest. He was saying I have a purpose for your life to be a light. There's a cause to get up for in the morning. There's a reason to be breathing each day of your life.

There's a reason for you to go home during the holidays. There's a purpose for your daily life. You ask some teenagers these days. Hey, what are you gonna do with your life? I? Don't know. Well, what do you what are you studying for?

I don't know. What what do you want to be? What did you what you ever want to do? I don't know. I got news for you. The Lord's laid it out for you. He says you can be a light in a dark world. There's a purpose for your life.

He has a cause for you. There's a reason for you to get up every morning. There's a reason for you to walk on this planet. There's a reason for you to exist in this earth to be a light in a dark world.

Young people this is a great truth that I wish I could get everybody in this building to see this world is entrapped by sin. This world is captured by loneliness. This world is captured by sorrow and by fear.

This world is in prison by emptiness and the Lord says with me. You can reflect me and you can show others the light of hope the light To a dark world. I've met so many teenagers who have felt inadequate.

I've met so many young people when I go to camps or if I go to different churches and so forth. I meet young people I meet. I meet adults for that matter who sometimes just feel absolutely insufficient to be able to ever do anything for the Lord.

I Come to me and they'll express to me. Well, I you know, I I heard what you said today preacher, but You just don't know what all I've done and I look at them and I said, let me tell you something by the grace Of God.

God can use you. He said yeah, but you don't understand my background and I want to say God can use you. Well, I you don't understand what kind of home life. I've got God wants to use you. He said well, I'm not real talented.

God wants to use you. You said well, I can't. I can't sing. I can't play an instrument. God wants to use you. You said well, I can't teach. I can't be a preacher. I I can't. I can't stand up and do what you're doing.

I can't do that. God wants to use you. You're the light in the dark world. You say well, I don't make real good grades. God wants to use you. You're a light to a dark world. You say well, I I don't know really what I'm gonna do with the rest of my life.

God wants to make you the light in a dark world. You say you don't know the baggage that I'm carrying. You don't know the problems that I've had in my life. You don't know the things that I've done in my past.

You don't know what my home life is like. You don't know what my mom and dad treated me like. I got news for you. You are the light of the world. Think about who Jesus was speaking these words to for the first time.

These weren't some of the clearest testimony of people sitting in front of him when he first expressed these words. There was Peter with a foul mouth in his past. There was that there was old Matthew at money grab in person and there was old Thomas who always had a bad attitude and complained About something here all these people sitting in front of him and they all could have said Lord.

I can't be used. I got too many things in my past. That's not good. And Jesus said you are the light of the world. What excuse are you throwing up before the Lord this morning? What have you used this week to say?

Well, I can't be a witness people back home. No, they know the mistakes I made in my past. I can't go home and make a difference. I can't ever tell anybody about the Lord. I've never had much of a good testimony in my past.

I'm just not real talented. I'm real shy. I'm an introvert. I got news for you. Whoever you are this morning. God wants to use you. I Was preaching in Kansas years ago. And I was preaching on a Sunday morning and I was I was emphasizing this particular truth that God wants to use you.

And God can use anybody regardless of where you are and your status of life and so forth. And I heard somebody crying off to my left. Like I just heard this. I mean it was a loud cry. It was a cry that wasn't trying to be hidden.

And I tried to see who it was. It was off to my left. But I couldn't see because there were windows on that side of the building and the and the glare was hindering my ability to see. And I kept looking over over there to try to figure out who's crying.

And after a while I kind of figured out it looked like either a young boy. Or a young man, I couldn't figure out what it was who it was. And after the service I found out that I was right. It was a boy man for after the service.

Draping his arms around me came up one of the sweetest kindest fellas. You could have ever met you ever met somebody with down syndrome. Some of the sweetest most loving people in the world. He draped his arms around me before I even knew what was happening.

I held him. I thought what in the world. He backed off and he said did you hear me cry over there? I Said was that you it sure was I? Said yeah, I heard you over there. What were you crying for? He said you got to talking about how Jesus wants to use every one of us.

He said I got to thinking even me and I said yes, even you. He said I got to thinking I take all this medicine every day. I got to take all these pills. He said he said I take and he told me some astronomical amount of pills.

I don't know. I don't know how many pills it was. He just said I think all these pills every day. He said he said I got down syndrome. He knew what he had and he looked down at his stomach and he padded it.

He said and I got this fat tummy and he did. I mean he had pretty good size with him. He's I think all these pills. I got down syndrome. I got this fat tummy, but you said Jesus wants to use me. He said that's all I want.

I put my arms on him and I said, do you know Jesus as your Savior? He said I sure do. I've accepted him as my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I said and I called him by name. I said God can use you. I said you ought to take tracks with you everywhere.

You go and just give them to people invite people to church. You know people several weeks later. I was at a ballgame far away from that city. I was standing and watching a basketball game with a friend and while I was standing there watching this friend leaned over.

He said hey, I heard you were at my old church a few weeks ago. I said what church? Oh, I said, yeah, you were in that church in Kansas several years ago, weren't you? He said, yeah. He said I was talking to the pastor just today or a day or two ago.

He said I've got a message for you. I said what's that? He said do you remember and he named that that little Down syndrome fella. I said, oh, yeah. Yeah, I remember him. I said he probably hugged me five times before I ever left that Sunday.

I'd never forget him. He said the pastor wanted me to tell you he's the best witness in his whole church. He's been passing out tracks all over the hospitals and doctors offices wherever he has to go.

He goes up and down the streets and inviting people to church. He said hardly ever a Sunday passes that he doesn't bring a visitor to church. Sometimes people he's already led to Jesus Christ. What's your excuse?

What are you hiding behind this morning? You said well, I don't know what to say. What are you hiding behind? You're a light. God's given you a cause. God's given you a purpose. God has given you the calling an encouraging call.

The Warning Not to Hide the Light

He was saying I need you. I want to use you. You're a light in a dark world. Young people may I quickly share with you what else he was giving to these men and he gives to us. He gives us a warning. At the end of verse 14 He says a city that is set on the hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel. But on a candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Now, what what is Jesus talking about? He said gentlemen, you are the light of the world.

Future church builders. You're the light of the world. Then he says you don't light a candle and then hide it. You remember that little song used to sing as a child this little light of mine. I'm gonna let it shine this little.

I always wanted to sing a solo here. So I'm doing it this little light of mine. I'm gonna let hide it under a bushel. No, remember that children's church. Little little fellows would scream you could see their tonsils hanging down.

They'd scream it out. And they'd have a contest guys against the girls and they always said the girls won. It's never fair I came from right here. You don't light a candle and then hide it. What was Jesus saying he was saying you are the light of the world.

Listen, don't try to hide. You're not supposed to hide your light. Don't dim the light. Don't turn the light down. Listen, there's a tendency on the part of all of us. We want to blend in. We don't want anybody to think we're too strange.

We don't want the world around us to think that we're odd. We don't want the world around us to think that we're any different than them. And so we try to talk like them and sing their music like them and dress like them and carry our life around like them.

And and listen the same entertainment that they listen to and look just like them so that our light Gets turned down. Jesus said you're the light of the world. Don't hide the light. I warn you. You're not to hide it.

You're to let it shine and listen be Distinct so that it catches the eyes of all that are in your world. I'm gonna tell you something every plane you ride in every gas station you walk into on the way home.

Every convenience store you walk in and get you some bag of chips and a coke on the way home. Every restaurant you stop in every place you go there ought to be something it crosses the mind of somebody that's in darkness.

It says there's something distinct about that kid. What is it about them that makes them so different. You're the light of the world. Don't hide the light and then young person He gives us a command. Man I wish I could read this with some new freshness like you've never heard before.

Letting the Light Shine Through Good Works

I wish I could read verse 16. Like you've never heard it before. Everybody in this building primarily for the most part have heard this verse and most of even have it memorized. Jesus said Go let your light so shine.

Go go. Let your light so shine in such a way That those you come in contact with will see by your life. Your Heavenly Father. Young people I said to you on Monday. I have no new verses to share with you this week.

Bible says go you say preacher.

How do I know what to say to my aunt and uncle look? You walk in the Spirit as I preached on Tuesday. Spirit of God will give you the right words. You walk with God in prayer and say Lord show me the passages I ought to use.

God will show you what to use. Let your light so shine. I'm convinced young people there. There's going to be tears in heaven. In fact, the Bible says in Revelation 21 in verse 4 God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

I Don't know all the reasons why there'll be tears in heaven. But when you read that in its context you read just four verses above it. And whosoever was not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life Was cast into the lake of fire and God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes.

Could it be that we'll be weeping in heaven because our light Was covered. I've been privileged to hang around young people for all my 25 years of ministry. I love young people. This has been a great privilege.

I love young people. I love I love to be around you and I've learned sometimes more from young people than I ever have tried to teach to them. I Remember a young man by the name of Mike. Who had that kind of a testimony?

Mike was the kind of guy that in my thoughts I often thought that once I leave my church as youth pastor He could probably come back after his education and take my place and be the youth pastor. What a great warm heart for the Lord he had.

Had the respect of his peers and he walked with the Lord and his walk with the Lord was so sweet and so intimate. That every day of his life every time you walked across Mike He was always humming a song singing a song or he was whistling some song for the Lord and and are he'd stop and he'd Talk to somebody even whether he knew you're not he'd stop and chat with you and talk with you for a while.

Oh my what a powerful testimony he had. I used to admire him. One day he came home from school his mother said Michael I need you to run up to the store and I want you to make a purchase for me. Get a loaf of bread or whatever it was for supper.

And so Mike said yes, ma 'am. He ran up to the store. There's a little convenience store just up the street from their house. And when you walked in that little convenience store a little small shop when you open the door There was a little bell that was attached to the door.

And when you'd open the door that bell would ring and and there was a lady that always worked in the afternoon. And when that bell would ring like a like a trained animal she would always say the same thing most of time.

She wouldn't even look up. She just would say the same thing. The bell would ring and she would say hello. How you doing? But this was an old crusty kind of a lady who had seen the tough side of town for a long time.

So it came out more like this when the bell would ring. She'd say hello. How you doing? And when Mike walked in that first afternoon when she spit out those words, he looked at her and he said I'm doing terrific.

How about you? Took her by surprise. Nobody ever talked like that. He walked up there and placed that loaf of bread or whatever it was in front of her and made the purchase and walked out. Next day next time a few days later.

He came back walking walking the door a little bell rang. Hello. How you doing? Hey, I'm doing great. Good to see you again. He made the purchase and what third day? Hello, how you doing doing terrific in it a great day made his purchase and left young people after the fifth day.

He walked in there walked in the door. She says hello. How you doing? He says doing great doing terrific. How about you? He may walk up there put his items up on the counter looked across to see how much it was going to cost and Before she rang it up on the cash register.

She looked at him and she said terrific terrific terrific. Is that all you know how to say? If that woman only knew how much that boy could talk. She never would have said that that boy could have talked her head off.

He said no, ma 'am, I could say a whole lot more. She said how come you're always terrific. You always walk in here and say that she said don't you ever have a bad day? He said yes, ma 'am I'm a teenager.

Of course I do. She said how come I don't ever see it. Mike said I'm glad you asked. Mike never went anywhere without in his hand a gospel track. He said ma 'am my mother's waiting for me and I've got to go.

He said but I promise I'll come back. He said if you'll read that gospel track right there, it'll tell you Why I always? Am on the terrific side of things. He either went back that afternoon that night or the next day.

He walked in the door and he said man. Did you read that little piece of paper? I gave you she said yep sure did. He said did it make sense to you She said, you know, I think it did. He said well, let me make sure it does.

He took a New Testament young people. And he took her to the cross of Calvary. He said Jesus Christ will give you hope. And he'll make your life brand new. And he led that adult lady across that counter to Jesus Christ.

Why. That's easy to answer.

His light was on every day every day had both souls on his eyeballs and the Lord opened the door for him. To lead someone to Calvary young people hear me. I'm coming to the end. The Lord's gonna open some doors for you in the next several days and weeks you hear me.

They're gonna be doors of conversation. They're gonna open up for you if you'll have your spiritual light. Burning bright walking with God intimately in touch with him. The Lord will give you opportunity to take somebody to the cross of Calvary take tracks with you everywhere you go and point people to the Light of the world.

A Personal Commitment to Witness for Christ

Let's bow our heads for prayer. Let me ask you to quietly sit there for just a second. Please heads are bowed and eyes are closed. Let me ask you please just collect your your belongings in a few moments not right now.

We've come to the end of our time together this week. No people. My prayer is long after these chapel days are over. God will Stir in your heart a remembrance of some things that you've you've heard in some simple words and simple messages About this matter of telling others about your Savior.

And maybe there are young people all over this room that the Lord has already placed on your heart names and faces of people You know back home that are going to hell. Unless you get the gospel to them unless somebody tells him of Christ.

You've been praying For certain individuals that are on your heart. May God help that list to grow. Wouldn't it be wonderful if every single person in this room? Including the guy you're listening to could lead one person to Jesus Christ over the holidays.

Lord just give me one for you. How many of you young people today would say preacher brother Gleiser God has spoken to my heart this week or today With God being my helper. I want desperately To be a light in a dark world.

I want to make a difference when I go home. I Don't want to backslide. I Don't want to set aside my relationship with the Lord my fellowship with him. I don't want to set aside the opportunities. I want to be sensitive to the leadership of the Spirit of God for the Gleiser.

I Really do want to be a light in a dark world and I want you to pray for me this morning. As we come to our conclusion time together in this soul winning conference I'm going to commit myself to do my part to be a witness to be a light when I go home.

And I'm going to commit myself so much so. And I'm not just going to raise my hand. I'm going to stand to my feet young person if right now you'd say pray for me preacher when I go home. I want to be an effective light in this dark world.

Would you stand your feet all across this room right now? Just stand your feet. God help me father. I pray for these young people right now. Lord Jesus we pray that you'll do for us what only you can do.

May we walk intimately with you walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. Bring back to our attention into our remembrance the words of Scripture. That we can open up to others and show to them our Savior Lord open up doors of conversation in stores and restaurants in family get-togethers and May we be able to point others to you in the days to come?

We'll praise your name and we'll thank you for eternity's sake for that opportunity as we desire to be a light in The dark world bless each one of these young people in a great and powerful way empower them To do your work in Jesus name.

Amen. God bless you.

You've been listening to the chapel hour coming to you from the campus of Bob Jones University. Our speaker was dr Morris Gleiser of Burge Terrace Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. If you'd like a cassette copy of today's message send a check for six dollars and fifty cents to campus store Bob Jones University Greenville, South Carolina 29614.

Be sure to mention the name of the speaker and today's date. The chapel hour has been sponsored by Bob Jones University.