The Lower Lights - Santosh Poonen - September 22, 2013
http://rlcfchurch.org/the-lower-lights River of Life Christian Fellowship 1306 N Lincoln Avenue Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The speaker discusses discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit from natural instincts, warning that the greatest deception is often the knowledge of good and evil, which can lead to sin. He emphasizes that knowing God's Word is the only sure way to discern divine guidance. The message concludes by applying the concept of the 'great light' to the modern believer, calling everyone to be the light of the world by focusing on Christ's life and ministry, which was intentionally limited geographically.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
What does a great light look like?Reading Matthew 4, the speaker contrasts natural instincts—which rely on deceptive gut feelings and a worldly knowledge of good and evil—with spiritual instincts that require knowing God's word to discern the Holy Spirit.Matthew 4:15
Learning to read the Bible backwardsBy tracing passages backward to their context, we avoid inventing doctrines and are led back to the foundational truth that everything starts with God.
The hidden ministry of Jesus in NazarethJesus spent thirty years in oblivion in Nazareth and operated within a small geographic circle, showing that God's work does not require worldly scale or ambition.
Withdrawing into Galilee instead of building a mega-churchWhen John the Baptist was imprisoned, Jesus did not rush to Jerusalem for political or religious power; He withdrew to Galilee in obedience to the Father's leading.
Living a life hidden in GodGod draws a specific circle around each of our lives, and when our life is hidden with Christ in God, our small circumstances and daily work will last for eternity.
In him was life, and the life was the light of menMiracles like raising Lazarus or healing the blind were merely outward manifestations; the true secret of the great light is the eternal life of God dwelling within.
A 100-watt bulb in a small roomJust as a 100-watt bulb shines with full intensity whether placed in a closet or an auditorium, Jesus shone with the fullness of God while making tables in Nazareth.
Why the darkness cannot comprehend the lightThe world loves miracle workers and social programs, but it rejects the true light because it demands that our old selfish nature die and be replaced by Christ.
Unworthy slaves doing what we ought to doUsing the parable from Luke 17, believers are reminded to serve faithfully without seeking human reward or comparing themselves to others, simply doing what they are commanded.Luke 17:7
I am the light of the worldExamining John 8, Jesus confronted the legalistic pharisees who used the dead letter of the law to condemn a woman caught in adultery, while He offered her mercy and commanded her to sin no more.
You are the light of the worldBecause Jesus is now in heaven, He has placed His spirit and life within believers so that we can be the light of the world, rooted in the character described in the Beatitudes.
Let the lower lights be burningSharing the story behind the hymn, believers are encouraged not to worry about being the great lighthouse, but to faithfully keep their small lower lights shining in the background.
I'd rather walk in the dark with GodConcluding with Philip Bliss's poignant final poem, the message calls believers to abandon self-reliance and choose to walk by faith rather than sight, trusting God in every circumstance.
