Description: How do your actions glorify God? Join us as we delve into how our good works and righteous living can point others to God. Understand the importance of living honorably and bringing glory to our Father in Heaven through our everyday deeds. Be inspired to live a life that reflects God’s glory!
As you may know, we have been journeying with the theme “Light of the World,” exploring the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. Particularly, we have focused on Jesus’ call to his followers to live as witnesses to the light and love of God to all people.
In our first sermon, we explored the theme of light—a light that is not our own but shines through us, calling all who live in darkness to God’s marvelous light. We reflected on what it means to be a visible and responsible witness of this light in our community. Last week, we considered the example and life of the Apostle Paul, and how he allowed his full life—even his suffering—to witness the reality of a God who loves, cares, and walks with us.
Today, as we move into our third sermon, we will build on these foundations and explore how our good works and righteous living can point others to God and bring glory to Him. You may now be familiar with this verse: “In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16b).
Throughout the history of the Christian Church, these words of Jesus have been more important than many of us realize. Jesus, at the very beginning of his ministry, offers words of guidance to his followers, helping them gain a new understanding of the reality they lived in and a reality that was still to come. As Jesus is arrested, tortured, crucified, and died, the disciples were called to let their light shine before the people. And yet, they fled, feared, denied, and chose to behave as if they had not seen in Jesus a reality beyond human comprehension. But the good news to them, and to us, is that God does not judge the sum of our lives based on a single moment of failure. As they moved beyond the ascension and received the Holy Spirit, they came to understand what John Wesley called grace—God’s great work in us, calling us, forgiving us, renewing our minds, and moving on towards the fully restored image in which we were created.
The Apostle Peter, much like Paul, came to fully understand the importance of these words of Jesus. He transmitted them to other communities. In his Epistles, Peter, writing to communities in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), calls them to hold on to the faith they had received. This is a community of gentile Christians, living as a minority within the realm of the Roman empire, facing local hostilities and suffering because of their faith. Peter reminds them that though it may be their place of birth, they are living there as exiles because their true home is heaven (1 Peter 1:1). Until the realities of heaven become fully realized on earth, we will face challenges.
For some, this long wait may be a reason for exasperation. But for those who believe in a God who stands with us, who gives strength, healing, and power beyond our comprehension, this is simply a reality of life. Please don’t take this to mean that I am being dismissive of suffering. Our world has seen its share of senseless violence, systemic oppression, all the “isms” you can imagine, and much, much more. But, like the Apostles, I have come to understand that the challenges before us are not flesh and blood, but as the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, our fight is “against rulers, authorities, forces of cosmic darkness, and spiritual powers of evil” (CEB). We fight against the reality of sin, which corrupts the human heart and moves us inwardly, caring for self exclusively and forsaking our neighbors.
Peter, understanding the difficult reality before these Christian communities, calls them to do what many in our times have deemed unreasonable—he calls them to have hope. He tells them to hold on to hope because their hope does not rest in things that are perishable. Their hope and ours rest in God (1 Peter 1:21b). He calls them to “live honorably among” those who do not share their faith and to allow their lives to be the example the world needs.
Living honorably means more than just avoiding wrongdoing. It means actively pursuing what is good, just, and righteous. It means that our actions should reflect the character of Christ in every aspect of our lives. When we live this way, our good works point others to God and bring glory to Him.
A few years ago, I was introduced to a story from the Jewish tradition that continues to challenge the way I live. Much like in our children’s Sunday School classes, our Jewish siblings teach the young the stories of the faith. One Sabbath, a class of young children was learning the story of creation. You may be familiar with the words, “When God began to create the heavens and the earth—the earth was without shape or form, it was dark over the deep sea, and God’s wind swept over the waters—God said, ‘Let there be light.’ And so light appeared. God saw how good the light was. God separated the light from the darkness. God named the light Day and the darkness Night. There was evening and there was morning: the first day” (Genesis 1:1-5, CEB).
You know how the rest of story goes: on day two, God created the sky; on day three, God created dry land, seas, plants, and trees; on day four, God created the sun, moon, and stars; on day five, God created sea creatures and flying creatures; on day six, God created land animals and humans in the image of God; and on day seven, God rested.
As the story ends, a young one raises their hand and asks a curious question, a question only a child could have asked. The child said, “What happened to the first light?” Curious, the teacher said, “What do you mean?” The child explained that on day one, God created light, but the sun, moon, and stars didn’t come to be until three days later. Unlike us Protestants, who have a need for certainty, our Jewish siblings can dwell in that which is imaginative and mysterious. So, they called the Rabbi and asked, “What happened to the first light?” Thinking deeply about it, the Rabbi tells the class:
“Well, God had planned to put a piece of that light into everything that had been created. God stored that light in a big clay vessel, but the light was so strong that the vessel burst into a million pieces and the light shattered with it. It was spread all around the world. And since then, it has become the job of all creation to collect pieces of that light and bring them together. Whenever we do good deeds, show kindness, or act justly, we gather fragments of that original light. Sometimes we can see glimpses of that light in each other and point it out! Each act of goodness helps to restore that light to the world, bringing all creation closer to the divine intention that God had in mind from the very beginning.”
This story resonates deeply with our theme of being the light of the world. It reminds us that every act of kindness, every moment of justice, every expression of love is a way of gathering and reflecting God's light in the world. Our good works, no matter how small they may seem, contribute to the greater purpose of revealing God's glory and transforming the world.
Jesus’ call to let our light shine is not just about personal piety but about how we interact with the world around us. It is about letting God's light shine through us so that others may see our good deeds and be drawn to the love and grace of God. It is about being a living testament to the transformative power of God's love.
In practical terms, this can look like many things: offering a helping hand to someone in need, standing up for justice, showing compassion to those who are hurting, and living with integrity and humility. It means being mindful of our actions and their impact on others, striving to be peacemakers and reconcilers in a world that is often divided and broken.
There are many stories in our community about these realities, I want to share a few with you:
- Jim McCutchan: shared about his accident, falling off a ladder and cracking his pelvis in three places and breaking some bones in my hands. Jim shared about the skilled and cheerful doctors and nurses at Tennova and at Vanderbilt Hospital who cared for his needs and helped to return him to health. Jim mentioned how God used the gifts of medical professionals to serve his needs and the needs of others. For him their service is an example of a community working together in a way that pleases GOD.
- Kathy Lunceford: shared about our children's teachers and caregivers who show God's love each week. Kathy lifted up Mrs Betty, Ms. May, Mrs Robin, Mr. Joel, Mrs. Whitney, and others who share the love of God Sunday after Sunday with our young ones. She lifted up the FUEL, who pack over 100 bags of food to be delivered to schools each week during the school year. Members who help with Loaves and Fishes, Urban Ministries, Manna Cafe. Members who care for our homebound. The choir and the "quarantine carolers." Handmade Pillow cases, the many hands who pack shoeboxes, the and amazing volunteers who serve in and beyond our walls.
- Janie Myers, shared about her amazing husband, Bruce who often goes to the bank to get $5 bills to keep their vehicles. When Janie asked him why he did that, Bruce shared that he gets them to give away as he felt led.
- Carol Freeman, shared about her grandson who has decided to attend seminary. Cameron in his teenage years began to have doubts and questions, but through the grace of God, came to new understanding and now will be attending seminary in North Carolina.
- Boo Martin, shared about being stranded in Memphis due to car troubles after her dad’s funeral. In that moment of need, she found a shop who opted to work on her car, though they had no openings. She said she was willing to pay almost anything just to get back home. But when it came time for the bill, the shop said she didn’t owe anything. They just wanted to make sure she was able to get on your way.
- Amy Gray, shared about the winter shelter at Madison Street UMC and Urban Ministries. How people came together to offer safe and warm space for our unhoused neighbors. Amy was able to volunteer several times over those few weeks and was blessed each time she did it.
- Jenny Burlingame, shared about her and Tim’s move from Hattiesburg, MS to Kosciusko, MS, and then to Clarksville, TN. Jennie spoke about the dual realities of excitement and fear, that comes with new and unknown situation. But a co-worker shared wise words with her saying, "God is with you here and He is with you there." Jenny also shared about the blessings of being able to be God’s light to colleagues and students through her work at Kenwood High School. And the continued reminders that God is always with us.
- In my first Sunday, Ms. Wanda shared with me that in her time at Hilldale she has seen lots of changes. She had seen pastors come and go, but the one thing that has remained constant is that God is present on this hill with us.
These are just a few stories of God is doing in, through, and among us.
As we go forth from this place, let us remember that our light is not our own but a reflection of God's light within us. Let us live in such a way that our good works point others to God, bringing glory to Him. Let us be intentional about nurturing and sharing our light with others, knowing that even the smallest acts of kindness and love can have a profound impact.
Just as we witness the sunrise casting away darkness and revealing the beauty of creation, so too are we called to dispel shadows and reveal God's love in our community. In Matthew 5, Jesus invites us into a transformative journey where our lives become testimonies to God's grace and love. We are called not just to speak of our faith but to embody it in every action, every interaction, and every decision we make.
May God's light continue to shine through each of us, and may we always be mindful of the light within us and others. Therefore, let us go forth from this place, committed to being a light to the world, sharing God's love wherever we go.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
