Kingdom Influence Part 18
At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Influence,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.
Last week in our Kingdom Influence series, we began talking about what it means to be the light of the world. Today, we bring that conversation to its conclusion. And in many ways, this is where everything Jesus has been doing in us begins to move outward.
Think about the journey we have been on. Jesus has not just been giving us teachings. He has been forming us. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness. Then He tells us: You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. And now, He gathers all of that into one clear and simple invitation: let your light shine.
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.
Jesus reminds us that a city set on a hill cannot be hidden, and a lamp is not meant to be covered. Light, by its very nature, is meant to be seen. But notice what Jesus is not saying. He is not telling us to create light. He is not telling us to perform or manufacture something. He is telling us to allow what He has already placed within us to be visible. This is the shift. Everything in this series has been about identity. Now it becomes about expression.
When Jesus says in Matthew 5:16, “let your light shine before others,” He connects that light to “good deeds.” But those good deeds are not the goal. They are the overflow. They are what naturally emerges when a life is being shaped by Him. Kindness begins to show up. Generosity becomes more natural. Mercy flows more freely. Integrity, humility, patience—these are not strategies we force into place. They are evidence of a heart that is being transformed.
It is like a healthy tree. A tree does not strain to produce fruit. It produces fruit because it is alive. In the same way, when your life is rooted in Christ, something begins to grow. And over time, that growth becomes visible. People may not always understand it. They may not be able to explain it. But they can see it.
And this is where Jesus brings it all together. The purpose is not that people would see us and be impressed. It is that they would see something in us that points beyond us. “That they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” The light does not draw attention to itself. It reveals the source.
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.