Arise And Shine Sermon

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• Arise And Shine Sermon By Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
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• Jan 07, 2020 Isaiah says, 'Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.' (60:1) He said that to Judah. He said that to you and me. Arise, you sinner who has bowed to other gods. Shine, you sinner with no light in you.

Arise And Shine Sermon Central

Isaiah 60: 1-6

'Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep darkness the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear upon you. And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, and your daughters will be carried in the arms. Then you will see and be radiant, and your heart will thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you. A multitude of camels will cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba will come; they will bring gold and frankincense, and will bear good news of the praises of the LORD.'

Sermon on Isaiah 60 – Rise and Shine! 'Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORDrises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORDrises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.'. Isaiah says, 'Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.' (60:1) He said that to Judah. He said that to you and me. Arise, you sinner who has bowed to other gods. Shine, you sinner with no light in you. But if thou hast gone out of the light, thou wilt shine no more. But again, if we are light we are bound to shine. That is an obvious principle.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

We have come to the end of the Christmas season. Today, Epiphany, is the Twelfth Day of Christmas - the only Christmas celebrated by some people in the world, and, according to some, the original day on which the Church celebrated Christmas. The name of the day means to shine forth or to be made manifest - it is the day we celebrate the revelation of the glory of God in the man Jesus Christ.

I picture Epiphany in my mind like Jesus is filled with this glory, and it shines out through any opening, through His skin, as if He is almost a lampshade hiding this bright light, and now and then it shines out. Of course, except at the Transfiguration, it never actually 'shined.' It was revealed in those circumstances where Jesus was treated according to His divine nature, rather than just like anyone else - His appearance before Simeon, the gifts of the Magi, and events like that. His glory - divine glory and power concealed inside a man - was also revealed in His miracles, and so the first miracles of Jesus are counted as Epiphany events. His Baptism, where God the Father spoke, and the Spirit took the form of a dove and descended on Him, was an Epiphany event.

We have a special service for Epiphany, when it is not on a Sunday as it is this year. We want to remember not just the Incarnation - you know, that God is clothed in human flesh - but also the truth that this is God. Jesus is God, hiding, as it were, in human flesh, disguised as one of us. But make no mistake about it, He is God! This year we are celebrating no specific Epiphany event, but just the shining through of the glory of God. The Old Testament regularly depicts good as light and evil as darkness, the knowledge of the Lord as light and ignorance of the Lord as evil. Our sermon theme today is a common theme in the Bible, particularly as dealing with salvation, A Light in the Darkness.

It would be easy to see why this lesson would be chosen for the Old Testament lesson for Epiphany, but here it is, the Epistle lesson! First there is the light, then there are the camels (used for travel and reflecting wealth), and then there are the gold and frankincense, reminding us of the visit by the Magi - one of the Epiphany stories of the Bible. The light is the shining forth, and the Magi traveled on camels (or so we presume) and brought gifts, two are mentioned here. So it seems like a natural lesson for Epiphany.

The text, however, doesn't really speak about the Magi, it speaks about us. It tells us to arise and shine because our light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon us. This 'shining' business is not just Jesus. True, He is the shekinah, the shining glory of the Lord - the glory of God is that He sent His Son to become one of us and to suffer what we have earned for our sins, in our place. Our forgiveness and our salvation, and the gifts of God through Jesus Christ are the glory of God.

God is wonderful without us, and before He created us. God has glory we cannot even comprehend, let alone imagine. But His greatest glory is in His mercy, which caused Him to send His Son for our benefit and blessing, and in His grace, that He has chosen us and cleansed us and made us His own. That glory is so marvelous it is nearly incomprehensible to us. We can wax eloquent about it, but we cannot actually comprehend it clearly. If we did, we would dash about like Julie Andrews on the top of a mountain singing - only not about the Sound of Music in the hills, but about the goodness and glory of the Lord. We would be so tickled and amazed that we would sit and giggle in pure joy, and compete with one another devising expressions of glory and praise. And that competition would be purely good-natured, because every expression of praise would be delightful to us as each one is so richly deserved.

The light that has shined on us is what Paul speaks of in Second Corinthians 4: 'For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.' Our light is knowing and believing the Gospel. God has shined on us with His grace and made us His people. He actually has made us more through Jesus Christ than we would have been if Adam and Eve hand never sinned. John writes, in First John 3, 'Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.'

Just think of that: We are Children of God! We are going to be like Christ when He returns. We are not going to be gods, or divine, but we are going to be something more than we have ever been, and more than man was before sin. We will have full and unfettered communion with God, not merely walks in the cool of the evening. We actually have a foretaste of that now. The Holy Spirit dwells in each of us that believes. We don't sense it today, and are not able to experience it as we will in heaven, but we possess it now especially in prayer and worship - and in Holy communion, in which we receive Christ within ourselves. It is a mystical communion with those who are united with God in the mystical union through baptism and faith. That is the light that has shined on us.

We shine with the light of salvation. We have eternal life, and possess it even now. It applies fully at this moment to our spirits, but it will apply fully to our bodies as well, when Christ shall raise us from our graves. But even now, the Christian, the Child of God, will never taste death. Jesus has turned death into something else for us. Our bodies die, sure. But according to the promises of God in the Scriptures, we do not. We live! We live in His presence until the resurrection, and with body and soul reunited after the day of the resurrection of all flesh. What we see as death among our fellow believers is a lie of the senses, imposed upon us by the Father of Lies by deceiving us into sin. Oh, it is the truth for those who reject God and will not trust His promises, but for those who believe, 'For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.'

Arise And Shine Sermon By Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

But God didn't do this for us and give it to us so that we would just sit like a lump and be 'saved.' He has a plan. He intends to use us, and commands us to go out and shine - 'Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.' If the glory of God shines on us with 'the light of the knowledge of the Lord in the face of Christ,' then, when we shine, we must also be shining with that light. Our light is reflected - like face of Moses when He came down from Mount Sinai. Only the light doesn't shine physically like a lamp in a dark room. It shines like the light of faith and understanding in the darkness - the darkness of the evil and unbelief and the lack of the knowledge of God in this present age.

'And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you.' These words address the gathering of the world to the Word of salvation. It is not a thing limited to our day alone, but it is the entire history of the Church. We can see it also in our day, particularly as the nations come to America. While mission fields around the world have been closing to outside activity, the people of the world have been streaming to our nation in record numbers, looking for the good life. And we Christians have a life better than they could ever imagine - eternal life in glory. Our mission field is coming to us - Orientals, Hispanics. The unbelieving elderly who want to retire in the garden spot of Missouri, they are coming to us.

We have a special service for Epiphany, when it is not on a Sunday as it is this year. We want to remember not just the Incarnation - you know, that God is clothed in human flesh - but also the truth that this is God. Jesus is God, hiding, as it were, in human flesh, disguised as one of us. But make no mistake about it, He is God! This year we are celebrating no specific Epiphany event, but just the shining through of the glory of God. The Old Testament regularly depicts good as light and evil as darkness, the knowledge of the Lord as light and ignorance of the Lord as evil. Our sermon theme today is a common theme in the Bible, particularly as dealing with salvation, A Light in the Darkness.

It would be easy to see why this lesson would be chosen for the Old Testament lesson for Epiphany, but here it is, the Epistle lesson! First there is the light, then there are the camels (used for travel and reflecting wealth), and then there are the gold and frankincense, reminding us of the visit by the Magi - one of the Epiphany stories of the Bible. The light is the shining forth, and the Magi traveled on camels (or so we presume) and brought gifts, two are mentioned here. So it seems like a natural lesson for Epiphany.

The text, however, doesn't really speak about the Magi, it speaks about us. It tells us to arise and shine because our light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon us. This 'shining' business is not just Jesus. True, He is the shekinah, the shining glory of the Lord - the glory of God is that He sent His Son to become one of us and to suffer what we have earned for our sins, in our place. Our forgiveness and our salvation, and the gifts of God through Jesus Christ are the glory of God.

God is wonderful without us, and before He created us. God has glory we cannot even comprehend, let alone imagine. But His greatest glory is in His mercy, which caused Him to send His Son for our benefit and blessing, and in His grace, that He has chosen us and cleansed us and made us His own. That glory is so marvelous it is nearly incomprehensible to us. We can wax eloquent about it, but we cannot actually comprehend it clearly. If we did, we would dash about like Julie Andrews on the top of a mountain singing - only not about the Sound of Music in the hills, but about the goodness and glory of the Lord. We would be so tickled and amazed that we would sit and giggle in pure joy, and compete with one another devising expressions of glory and praise. And that competition would be purely good-natured, because every expression of praise would be delightful to us as each one is so richly deserved.

The light that has shined on us is what Paul speaks of in Second Corinthians 4: 'For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.' Our light is knowing and believing the Gospel. God has shined on us with His grace and made us His people. He actually has made us more through Jesus Christ than we would have been if Adam and Eve hand never sinned. John writes, in First John 3, 'Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.'

Just think of that: We are Children of God! We are going to be like Christ when He returns. We are not going to be gods, or divine, but we are going to be something more than we have ever been, and more than man was before sin. We will have full and unfettered communion with God, not merely walks in the cool of the evening. We actually have a foretaste of that now. The Holy Spirit dwells in each of us that believes. We don't sense it today, and are not able to experience it as we will in heaven, but we possess it now especially in prayer and worship - and in Holy communion, in which we receive Christ within ourselves. It is a mystical communion with those who are united with God in the mystical union through baptism and faith. That is the light that has shined on us.

We shine with the light of salvation. We have eternal life, and possess it even now. It applies fully at this moment to our spirits, but it will apply fully to our bodies as well, when Christ shall raise us from our graves. But even now, the Christian, the Child of God, will never taste death. Jesus has turned death into something else for us. Our bodies die, sure. But according to the promises of God in the Scriptures, we do not. We live! We live in His presence until the resurrection, and with body and soul reunited after the day of the resurrection of all flesh. What we see as death among our fellow believers is a lie of the senses, imposed upon us by the Father of Lies by deceiving us into sin. Oh, it is the truth for those who reject God and will not trust His promises, but for those who believe, 'For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.'

Arise And Shine Sermon By Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

But God didn't do this for us and give it to us so that we would just sit like a lump and be 'saved.' He has a plan. He intends to use us, and commands us to go out and shine - 'Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.' If the glory of God shines on us with 'the light of the knowledge of the Lord in the face of Christ,' then, when we shine, we must also be shining with that light. Our light is reflected - like face of Moses when He came down from Mount Sinai. Only the light doesn't shine physically like a lamp in a dark room. It shines like the light of faith and understanding in the darkness - the darkness of the evil and unbelief and the lack of the knowledge of God in this present age.

'And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you.' These words address the gathering of the world to the Word of salvation. It is not a thing limited to our day alone, but it is the entire history of the Church. We can see it also in our day, particularly as the nations come to America. While mission fields around the world have been closing to outside activity, the people of the world have been streaming to our nation in record numbers, looking for the good life. And we Christians have a life better than they could ever imagine - eternal life in glory. Our mission field is coming to us - Orientals, Hispanics. The unbelieving elderly who want to retire in the garden spot of Missouri, they are coming to us.

God says 'Arise and shine.' We are here to be His witnesses. We don't need a program for that, we need faith, and we need to live our lives deliberately as God's children. Evangelism programs are useful in that they give us a structured way to talk about our faith. They help us know what to say. But they are of no use if we preach one thing, and live as though what we have just confessed is not true. Actions do speak louder than words if they contradict what our words are saying.

Do you believe in prayer? Then you should spend time doing it. When someone has a problem, and seeks your advice or help, you should offer to pray with them about it. Do you believe God loves you and cares for you day by day? Then you should be confident, not fearful, rejoicing, not despairing. Do you believe God forgives you all of your sins? Then, and Jesus says this (not just Pastor Fish), you should be forgiving others - not holding grudges, not having temper tantrums, not 'teaching them a lesson' or 'making them pay.'

Do you believe that Jesus has rescued you from sin and death, and has given you a resurrection from your grave and the gift of everlasting life? Is that stuff good news?

Most people who call themselves 'Christian' behave as though it is something to be ashamed of. They appear to find no joy in salvation. They don't seem to want people to know that they are believers, or that they go to church. Whatever they think salvation is, it isn't good enough to share.

If they find a really good price on hamburger, they tell their friends. If they find clothing sold at remarkable prices, they will call the people they really care about and let them know. If they discover a new pill to ease the pains of age and infirmity, they buy a bunch for themselves, and they give it to others, and tell everyone about the good stuff! If they find a doctor who has a treatment that will make them feel healthier, they will make sure to see him as often as needed, and then tell their neighbors about this amazing thing. But a cure for death in Christ? Pffffffff! Eternal life with no pain, no sorrow, no sickness, and no dying by grace through faith? Ehhhh!

What do you believe? In whom do you trust? If you believe in Jesus, that He has bought you from death and hell, and that He will raise you from the dead and will give you everlasting life, it should show. Christians in ancient Rome humbly knelt in prayer as wild animals were released to kill them. They sang hymns and shouted psalms to one another as they were used as torches in the Colosseum, coated in pitch and oil. People crawl for miles to worship in the Sudan, starving, persecuted, knowing that just being a Christian can be a death sentence there. If you think what Jesus has done is good, and what He promises is true and precious, you should be talking about it with everyone. If forgiveness is a comfort, you should be sharing that comfort with others. If you really think you are going to heaven, you should be doing what you can to make sure those you love will be there with you.

And if God is so good, you should be eager to come to hear His Word, hungry to eat the heavenly feast He gives to His children on earth, impatient to be among His people, your brothers and sisters in Christ as they come into His presence for blessings. And some who call themselves Christians are! And some are not - at least they don't seem to be. And I will leave it to you to sort out who is who, and to which group you belong.

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. You are the light in the darkness of this world. The glory of the Lord has risen upon you, and you are supposed to be reflecting that glory on those who sit in the darkness of fear, and guilt, and ignorance, and unbelief. That is the message of the prophet. Your sins have been forgiven, and you have the gifts of God, forgiveness, resurrection from your grave, life everlasting in glory with Him. Even though you fail to do and be the sort of Christian I have described, your sins are forgiven, and God has chosen you for eternal life and salvation!

You have it all! The glory of the Lord - His grace, undeserved and wonderful - has risen upon you. It has been revealed in true Epiphany style. Now it is in your hands to do Epiphany and let the glory of God shine from you in word and deed, so that nations will come to your light and kings will be drawn to the brightness of your shining!

Then Christ, the true Light, will shine in the darkness of this world through you. That is how to celebrate Epiphany — as a light in the darkness!

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Arise And Shine Sermon

(Let the people say Amen)

These sermons are for the Church. If you find it useful, go ahead and use it -- but give credit where credit is due. Shaped by the Cross Lutheran Church's Website can be found by clicking here.

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