Light Bulbs

 

A light bulb sitting in its package has a lot of potential but isn’t accomplishing much.  It may want to be bright and shine a lot of light but of course it can’t make itself do that, it has to be plugged into its power source to be of any use to its owner.

 

John 15:5 - Apart from Me, you can do nothing

 

Things to think about:

·       Light bulbs don’t try hard to shine.  They use the power given them to do their job.

o   Ephesians 3:16 -  I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being

·      Jesus said He is the power source and apart from Him we can do nothing. 

o   Light bulbs that refuse to be plugged in become broken and thrown in the trash (see John 15:6)

·       You were designed for a specific purpose, to bring light into darkness, and so glorify God.

o   When brought together with many other light bulbs, the brightness can make day out of night. Think of the flood of light at a nighttime football game.

·       Light bulbs come in different sizes, shapes, and wattages.  Some are fancy and for indoor use, some are more rugged and are for outdoor purposes.  Each was designed for a specific use, no bulb is better or worse than another, just different according to its purpose.

o   1 Cor. 12:4-6 – “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.”

·       Light bulbs must be properly installed into a lamp, and that lamp must be plugged into a power source.

o   We too must be installed into a community of believers who are plugged into the same source of Power

o   A light bulb is very fragile and left on its own it is likely to be shattered and of no use

·       Lights are placed in plain sight.  They don’t hide. You were designed for a specific purpose, to bring light into darkness, and so glorify God.

o   John 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven

o   When brought together with many other light bulbs, the brightness can make day out of night. Think of the flood of light at a nighttime football game.

·       Our enemy is called the Prince of Darkness.  His dominion is one of darkness.  Jesus said He is the light of the world. 

o   Ephesians 5:14-16 – “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”