LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Pastor Mark Warda
Woodland Church
Sunday, May 17, 2026
(Matthew 5:13-16, ESV) “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
The witness of Woodland Church in our community is not just what we do or say, but by who we are.
Our job is to let our light shine.
Light isn’t you being right. Light is you revealing God.
(1 John 1:5-9, ESV) “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1. Candlelight
a. We are the wick!
b. If your wax runs out, what you feed the flame is yourself.
c. Daily Bible reading and weekly church attendance replenishes your wax.
d. We’re brighter together!
2. Lighthouse
a. Woodland Church is a lighthouse to our community.
Questions:
- How are we shining God’s light to our community?
- How are people dependent upon Woodland’s presence?
- If Woodland ceased to exist, what difference would be felt?
3. Worldly Light
a. Light pollution is the light of the world that competes with the light in the heavens.
Ask yourself, “What worldly lights have I allowed to outshine the light of Christ in my life?”
b. The devil masquerades as an angel of light.
c. Satan copies and perverts in order to kill and destroy.
4. God’s Light
a. In Titus 2:9-10, Paul encourages to behave well to make God’s teachings attractive.
b. As God’s light bearers, we ought to present ourselves with an attractive quality of life – highlighted by morality, kindness, and joyfulness, that non-believers would say, “I want what they got.”
c. The light of Christ exhibited in our lives through service and good works should literally outshine any worldly light competing for affection.
5. Three Kinds of Christians
a. Camouflage Christians
The question isn’t simply, “Am I going to heaven?” but also, “How many people will choose Jesus as their Lord and spend eternity in heaven because of my witness?”
b. Complacent Christians
c. Contagious Christians
Without the replenishing of “fresh milk” with daily spiritual disciplines and weekly church attendance, a Christian can become judgmental, angry, and self-righteous with pride.
d. Counterfeit Christians
e. Hope of restoration
Just like a candle on a birthday cake that has gone out, we can take our lit candle and re-light their candle!
(Matthew 12-13, ESV) “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.”
Your job is to be the light of the world and to “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works (not condemn their works) and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Growthwork
- Read my Bible and pray daily.
- Attend church services weekly.
- Let my light shine through good deeds in my community.
- Invite someone to church.
- Become a contagious Christian.