Kingdom Influence Part 17
At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Influence,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.
Over the last two weeks in our Kingdom Influence series, Jesus has been helping us understand something profound about our lives. You are the salt of the earth. Your presence matters. You slow decay. You bring life into the places God has positioned you. But now Jesus shifts the image. From salt to light. And this shift helps us see another dimension of our influence.
Matthew 5:14–16 (NIV)
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Salt works quietly. It preserves and enhances from within. But light does something different. Light reveals. Light makes things visible. Light cannot hide what it touches. And Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” Not just in a private sense. Not just within the walls of the church. But in the world. In the places you live, work, and move each day. Again, Jesus speaks in identity language. He does not say, “Try harder to shine.” He says, “You are light.” That means this is not something you manufacture. It is something you carry because of your relationship with Him.
John 8:12 (NIV)
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
When Jesus says in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world,” He is revealing Himself as the source. So when He calls us the light, it means our lives are meant to reflect His life. Like the moon reflects the sun, we reflect Jesus. The light people see in us is not ours. It is His, shining through us. Paul echoes this in Ephesians Chapter 5:
Ephesians 5:8 (NIV)
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
Notice the shift. Not just walking in the light, but being light. Something has fundamentally changed in who we are. And what does light do? It brings clarity. It reveals truth. It helps people see what they could not see before. Jesus says this happens through “your good deeds.” Not for attention. Not for recognition. But so that people might see and glorify your Father in heaven. This is important. The goal is not that people would be impressed with us. The goal is that through our lives, they begin to see God more clearly.
This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.
