The Lights Are Still On

Exodus 10: 21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Imagine with me the darkness that covered the land of Egypt.

• So thick that you couldn’t even see someone if they were standing right infront of you.
• It was such a natural phenomenon and so dark that fear fell on the peopleof Egypt.
• So dark that they couldn’t even leave their homes – (sound familiar?)If they did leave their homes, they probably wouldn’t be able to find their wayback.

• No matter if it was morning, noon or evening – the darkness was still there.
• They couldn’t tell the time.
• They couldn’t tell when one day started and another day began.
• It brought confusion.
• Everyone was disoriented
• No one could escape the darkness.But look at…Vs 23 “but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”In our reading, God was doing everything he could to get Pharaoh to release the Children of Israel.

Pharaoh had imprisoned God’s people in Egypt and enslaved them to work for him.

• But it has never been God’s intention for His people to be enslaved ofanybody or anything.

So, God was doing then what God is always doing.

• He went to work to free those who were held captive.
• 10 plagues
• 10 disasters
• Everything from flies, to frogs, to lice, to locusts to boils, to hail and fire,you name it…
• I’m telling you, God wanted to set His people free; and this was a tough time to be an Egyptian.You know what amazes me about God?

• He’ll use absolutely anything or anybody if it will help set you free.

Someone asked me, is this covid-19 from God or is it from humans – or bats….• Here’s what I know… God will use anything if it will help set you free.

There’s going to be a lot of people who give their hearts to Jesus during this time.

• I’ve had phone calls from people I haven’t heard from in years.
• Hey Jim, what’s going on?
• What’s this all about?So, It’s dark out in Egypt land, “but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”

• Some are fearing the worst, “but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”

•

In the

• • • • •

There’s a lot of questions that need answers, “but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”

midst of the confusion. The disorientation
The perplexity
The uncertainty

The darkness you couldn’t escape
“all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”

I love that!

• When all everyone else could see was the darkness, for God’s people, the lights were still on.
• When everyone else was hopeless, for God’s people, the lights were still on.
• When everyone else couldn’t find their way emotionally, mentally or spiritually through the crisis, for God’s people, the lights were still on.Are you getting it?The Egyptians couldn’t leave their houses out of fear of the unknown,

• But God’s people had a clear direction.
• They didn’t lose their way in the catastrophe; they led the way.I’m going to go into the text just a little bit.

• Because if that kind of darkness hit my house, and I looked over and my neighbor still had the lights on, I’d be finding my way over to my neighbors to find out how I could get some of their light.
• Natalie would be like, don’t go over there and bother those people, and I’d be like, “Look, it’s really dark over here. I don’t like living in darkness. I need some light in my life. I don’t know where they get their light from, but I want some of that light they have.

• So, I’d fight my way through the darkness and knock on the door to where they’d hear me.

• Hey man, what kind of candle you got?
• What kind of oil is that?
• I don’t know what kind that is or where you got it, but I need some of that light that you have, in my life.
• It’s dark over at my place.
• You can’t see anything.
• There’s no hope.
• There’s no joy
• There’s no peace of mind.
• It’s just darkness.o Would you share some of your light with me?I’m not super smart, but I’d be clever enough to go next door where the lights are still on and I’d try to get me some of that light!

• And I would come home with it. It just doesn’t make sense not to – right?

Are you seeing what I’m seeing?
• There are some individuals, who during this crisis are realizing just how

dark it is over at their place.o Lots of fear
o Lots of anxiety
o Lots of uncertainty

“But for God’s people, the lights were still on.”

Last week some dear friends of mine lost their mother to complications to Covid- 19
So, I text them to offer my condolences.

• Me – “Hi Erik. Hey just wanted to say how sorry I am to hear that yourmom passed away. Natalie and I loved her very much.”

• Erik – She was amazing, right! I’m excited for her to move on up! Thanks for reaching out – Smiley Face.?

Does that sound strange to you?
I’m offering my condolences because I am sure that Erik is devastated that his mom just passed away.

• But Erik is excited for his mom
• Because the light in his life tells him that she’s going to a much better place.NLT 1 Theas 4: 13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died[a] so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.You can have hope.

• Come out of the darkness.

You see when you are in darkness, you can’t see what God is trying to do in yourlife.

• All some can see is the darkness, “but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”

o I’m like, “I’m sorry to hear your mom passed Erik.”o Erick’s like, “I’m excited for her to move on up!”

KJV Matthew 5: 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

“Ye are the light of the world.” – Do you know what’s interesting to me here.

• There’s no recourse.
• God doesn’t give us the option to turn the light on and off when we choose– to hide -IT under a bushel.
  o On our good days, “The light is still on.”o On our bad days, “The light is still on.”

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, “Ye are the Light of the World!”

You can hide it under a bushel of doubt, or worry or sin, but do you know what that light is going to do?

• It’s going to shine in the darkness of that bushel.

Once the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ has shown in your life, you are forever a light in the darkness.

• No matter where you go or how far you go, there will always be a light thatwasn’t in your life before.

Some of you might know what I’m talking about.

• You tried running from your Heavenly Father.
• You tried to bury it under the bushel.
• But no matter where you went or who you were with, or what you weredoing, the light was still shinning and that’s why you couldn’t becomfortable hidden under the bushel.You’d be doing stuff you know you weren’t supposed to be doing and the people were doing it with would start asking you about Jesus.Like Peter at the crucifixion.

• “We know who you are!”
• “You know who Jesus is.”o You’re where you shouldn’t be, doing what you shouldn’t be doing,but your light is brighter than their darkness.See, there is no darkness darker than not knowing who Jesus Christ is.

• There is no darker place in the world than not knowing how very much

Jesus loves you, and what He did to make salvation available for you. You thought it was all hidden under the bushel…

• But when someone else has more darkness than you do… That little bit oflight that is still shinning in your life looks pretty good to them.

You say, “I don’t have a lot of faith right now.”
• You don’t need a whole lot, just use what you got.”

NLT Heb 6:18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.

“We hold to the hope.”

You see hope is light.

• Hope lets you look for tomorrow.
• It lets’ you look for a better day.
• It causes you to believe the impossible even when for others, believing isimpossible.
• Your hope and trust in Jesus during this crisis is a light to those who do notknow him.Matthew 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

• Your light
• Your faith in God
• Your trust in His provision during this time.
• Your confidence in the God that you serve, will bring light into the lives ofother people even, and especially in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. Through the prophet Jeremiah God said, Jeremiah 32:27Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?This situation that we have going on in our world right now, is not too hard for God.

• Because of it
• In the midst of it
• In spite of it

• He will reach the Lost.
• He will rescue the perishing.
• He will bring light into the darkness of people’s lives.16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven – Especially today and Especially right now.There is still Hope – We have hope