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A Fountain or a Garden?
"Ye are the light of the world." Matthew 5:14.
“As Jesus taught the people, He made His lessons interesting and held the attention of His hearers by frequent illustrations from the scenes of nature about them. The people had come together while it was yet morning. The glorious sun, climbing higher and higher in the blue sky, was chasing away the shadows that lurked in the valleys and among the narrow defiles of the mountains. The glory of the eastern heavens had not yet faded out. The sunlight flooded the land with its splendor; the placid surface of the lake reflected the golden light and mirrored the rosy clouds of morning. Every bud and flower and leafy spray glistened with dewdrops. Nature smiled under the benediction of a new day, and the birds sang sweetly among the trees. The Saviour looked upon the company before Him, and then to the rising sun, and said to His disciples, ‘’Ye are the light of the world.’ As the sun goes forth on its errand of love, dispelling the shades of night and awakening the world to life, so the followers of Christ are to go forth on their mission, diffusing the light of heaven upon those who are in the darkness of error and sin.
“In the brilliant light of the morning, the towns and villages upon the surrounding hills stood forth clearly, making an attractive feature of the scene. Pointing to them, Jesus said, ‘A city set on a hill cannot be hid.’ And he added, ‘Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house.’ R.V. Most of those who listened to the words of Jesus were peasants and fishermen whose lowly dwellings contained but one room, in which the single lamp on its stand shone to all in the house. Even so, said Jesus, ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’
“No other light ever has shone or ever will shine upon fallen man save that which emanates from Christ. Jesus, the Saviour, is the only light that can illuminate the darkness of a world lying in sin. Of Christ it is written, ‘In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.’ John 1:4. It was by receiving of His life that His disciples could become light bearers. The life of Christ in the soul, His love revealed in the character, would make them the light of the world” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pp. 38-49).
A FOUNTAIN OR A GARDEN?
A young man was strolling through a park and noticed a garden surrounded by a brick-and-tile border about two-and-a-half feet high. Inside were various plants, shrubs, and flowers growing. The center of the garden had a small fountain where water trickled out at the top of an opening the size of a modest birdbath. To the young man, it looked weird—a big circle with a birdbath fountain in the middle.
A gardener came by picking up debris and clippings from the garden, and so the young man struck up a conversation with him.
“How are you today?”
“Fine, thanks,” the gardener replied, smiling.
“Tell me about this garden. Has it been here long?” the curious young man asked.
The gardener laughed out loud and shook his head. “This garden has been around as long as I have been working here—13 years this fall. It’s a funny thing, this garden. It wasn’t meant to be a garden at all.”
“It wasn’t?”
“No. I was sweeping the base of the bricks last year and saw a lever hidden at the bottom. I didn’t know what it was for, so I turned it and heard what sounded like running water, but I didn’t see anything. I left it on, and when I returned an hour later, the center of this circle was spilling out water. I dug around, and the water spewed upward like a geyser.”
“What had happened?” the young man asked eagerly.
“Well, I called my supervisor to find out what to do. He laughed over the phone and told me that the whole circle used to be a fountain long ago, but it wasn’t kept up and it filled with weeds and grass. Finally the dust and dirt built up in there so badly that people completely forgot it was a fountain,” he reported.
“This would be a beautiful place for a big fountain! Why is the little bird bath trickling instead?” the young man asked thoughtfully.
“I asked the same question. I even volunteered to take out all this stuff and make it into a fountain again, but the supervisor and the people seem to like it the way it is. So I keep a little trickle going for the birds just in case the people change their minds,” he concluded.
“That’s too bad,” the young man pondered.
The gardener looked at the garden that should have been a fountain and said, “It’s funny. After 13 years, you are the first person to ask me about this fountain—I mean garden.
- What is there about light that would cause Jesus to use it to compare His followers?
- The story above is entitled “A Fountain or a Garden?” Read Matthew 5:14 and try to make a comparison between the story and the Bible text.
“Humanity has in itself no light. Apart from Christ we are like an unkindled taper, like the moon when her face is turned away from the sun; we have not a single ray of brightness to shed into the darkness of the world. But when we turn toward the Sun of Righteousness, when we come in touch with Christ, the whole soul is aglow with the brightness of the divine presence.
“Christ's followers are to be more than a light in the midst of men. They are the light of the world. Jesus says to all who have named His name, You have given yourselves to Me, and I have given you to the world as My representatives. As the Father had sent Him into the world, so, He declares, ‘have I also sent them into the world.’ John 17:18. As Christ is the channel for the revelation of the Father, so we are to be the channel for the revelation of Christ. While our Saviour is the great source of illumination, forget not, O Christian, that He is revealed through humanity. God's blessings are bestowed through human instrumentality.
“Christ Himself came to the world as the Son of man. Humanity, united to the divine nature, must touch humanity. The church of Christ, every individual disciple of the Master, is heaven's appointed channel for the revelation of God to men. Angels of glory wait to communicate through you heaven's light and power to souls that are ready to perish. Shall the human agent fail of accomplishing his appointed work? Oh, then to that degree is the world robbed of the promised influence of the Holy Spirit!
“But Jesus did not bid the disciples, ‘Strive to make your light shine;’ He said, ‘Let it shine.’ If Christ is dwelling in the heart, it is impossible to conceal the light of His presence. If those who profess to be followers of Christ are not the light of the world, it is because the vital power has left them; if they have no light to give, it is because they have no connection with the Source of light” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 40).
- How are the statements, “‘Strive to make you light shine” and ‘Let it shine’ different?
- Why did Jesus say “‘Let your light. . . shine’”?
- Can we of ourselves “let” our light shine? Explain.
- As a church, what does “‘Let your light. . . shine’” mean?
HERE’S WHAT I THINK
In one particular church, the pastor, to start a renewed commitment to church membership, sent out a well-written letter that was positive and full of grace, but contained the following challenge: In the next month, we will be having a series of celebrations during worship, in which everyone who wants to be a member of this church can say so by either writing in a community journal his or her commitment to the beliefs and the mission of this church, or by making a public testimony during the service.
Those who didn’t feel as if they could do this were welcome to worship and be part of the church as it met for worship and service, but to be a member one needed to make a declaration of his or her faith and be willing to practice it. What type of reaction do you think happened throughout the church? How would you respond to such a letter? What do you think is good about such a bold move? What might be wrong about it?
Go to http://guidemagazine.org/rtf to post your answers. Your thoughts and feelings may seem clearer to you when you write them down, so we’ve provided space for you here as well. You may also wish to share them with your class later. Be upfront and honest.
“We are to be witnesses for Christ, reflecting upon others the light which the Lord permits to shine upon us. We are to be as faithful soldiers marching under the bloodstained banner of Prince Emmanuel. . . . The Captain of our salvation knows the plan of the battle, and we shall come off more than conquerors through Him” (Reflecting Christ, p. 213).
John 1:1-9 (New International Version)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
“There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.”
For this part of the lesson, you will need:
A mirror
A glass of water
A piece of paper
The sun’s rays
Light traveling in a straight line appears colorless. But there’s more to light than just colorless nothingness. When light passes through a piece of glass called a prism, the light is separated into seven different and unique colors. You see these colors when light passes through rain or moisture producing a rainbow.
- Place a mirror in the glass of water at an angle (let it lean against the side of the glass).
- Turn the glass so the mirror is facing the sun.
- Hold the paper at a slant in front of the glass. Move the paper around until you see the rainbow colors. You may need to move the paper around slightly until the colors come into full focus.
What you are seeing is the various wavelengths of light broken apart. Sunlight is comprised of seven different colors. A light bulb produces more red and orange colors. A fluorescent light has more blue and yellow.
You have done “Today’s Reading,” and hopefully you were successful with the experiment. Now, thinking about what you read and your experiment, answer the following questions:
- Who is “the true light” mentioned in John 1:1-9? ___________________________________________________________
- What was John suppose to do when he came to preach? (refer to John 1:1-9) ___________________________________________________________
- Who or what did John look to in order to witness?
- When you did the experiment, did you face toward the sun or way from the sun in order to refract light?
- Did John turn toward Jesus or away from Jesus in order to witness about Him?
- Light traveling in a straight line is colorless. What do we have to do to see light?
- What do we have to do so others can see Jesus (the Light) in us?
Ephesians 6:11-18 (New International Version)
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
“God wants every member of the church to stand faithfully at his post of duty, to realize his responsibility, and create a heavenly atmosphere about his soul by continually gathering the bright rays of the Sun of Righteousness to shed upon the pathway of those about him” (Reflecting Christ, p. 213).
“The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service; its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency” (God’s Amazing Grace, p. 338).
SO WHAT?
Have you ever wondered why the church has so much power to do good or harm? It has to do with influence. Some of the most meaningful acts of grace occur because believers band together and spend themselves in selfless service to others. Likewise, some of the most painful things ever done were the result of mean or selfish behavior from church members.
Why does the church have so much influence one way or another? Because the church is God’s chosen instrument to show the world what He is like. A small band of believers in a village or tiny town in the middle of nowhere is the church. From large communities to small, God counted on the concept that people could come together, loving one another and the world with the kind of love He showed while He was here.
While they have failed at times, God carefully and lovingly leads His people to press on and continue to be and do what they are destined to do—change the world, one person at a time.
Today, do you sense your part in this endeavor?
- What is the best way to succeed as a Christian in God’s church (refer to “Today’s Reading”)?
- How can we be strong church members, yet kind and gentle, caring about other members?
- What has God’s plan been for His church (Refer to “Today’s Reading”)?
- What makes a church—the building or the people? Explain.
- Why is it so important for God’s people to put on His armor? Will it help them reflect who He is? Explain.
“With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world!” (Education, p. 271).
Use these texts to fill in the blanks:
Acts 1:8 (NIV)
Isaiah 56:6, 7 (NIV)
Isaiah 42:6, 7 (NIV)
Ephesians 1:22, 23 (NIV)
1 Timothy 4:12-14 (NIV)
- “And _________ placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be ________ over everything for the ___________, which is his _________, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
- “‘But you will receive _______ when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my ___________ in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the _________.’”
- “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are ___________, but set an example for the _________ in speech, in _______, in __________ in faith and in __________. Until I come, devote your self to the public reading of ______________, to preaching and to _____________. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the __________ of elders laid their hands on you.”
- “And ______ who bind themselves to the Lord to serve ________, to love the name of the ________, and to _______ him, all who keep the __________________ without desecrating it and who hold fast to my ____________—these I will bring to my _______ ____________ and give them joy in my house of _________. Their burnt ____________ and ____________ will be accepted on my _________; for my ___________ will be called a ____________ of _______________ for all nations.”
- “‘I, the _____, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your __________. I will _______ you and will _________ you to be a covenant for the people and a ________ for the ________, to open ______ that are blind, to free captives from ________and to __________from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.’”
1 Timothy 4:12-14 (The Message)
“Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.”
“Young friends, if you take hold of the work right where you are at the present time, doing what you can, be sure that you will have the help of Jesus. Begin the work by laboring for your companions. Ministers, or church-members advanced in years, cannot have one-half the influence over your young associates that you are capable of exerting; and you ought to feel that a responsibility rests upon you to do all you can for their salvation” (Pastoral Ministry, p. 278).
“The Lord has appointed the youth to be His helping hand” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 64).
WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?
How do you feel about the church you attend each Sabbath? Is it a place where you feel loved, where you are fed spiritually, where you have an important role to play in spreading God’s love to the world? That’s what the church should be. But Christians are human, and our churches don’t often reach the ideal.
Because we’re not perfect, the church is not perfect. Paul’s advice to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12-14 reminds us that young people are not just spectators in church: They have an important role to play. In fact, they can set an example for older church members! Think about what kind of example you and your friends can set for adults in the church. How can you begin making your church the kind of place you’d like it to be?
- If there is something about your church that you don’t like, what is something constructive that you can do to change it?
- There are some people who don’t think young people can handle an active role in the church. What could you do to change that way of thinking?
- How would you like the adults to see you a young person in the church?
1 Peter 2:4, 5 (New International Version)
“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Acts 1:8 (New International Version)
“‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”
“Men and women are wanted now who are as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men and women who will work without having their way smoothed and every obstacle removed” (Colporteur Ministry, p. 68).
While you have studied this lesson, have you thought of things you would like to see your church family do? Maybe you have thought of things you would like to change.
Why not write them down, and share them with your class?
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Below are the four core values seen in the church of Acts. What would these values look like if you were to try to live by them this week? How would your church change if everyone were committed to these values? Think of specific ways you and your church can put these values into practice this week. Then share your ideas with an adult leader in the church. Offer your services to help put these values into action.
Action: Is your church busy with actively living out what they believe? This goes beyond just talking about what is good, right, and true. Is your church a church of action?
Community: Is your church connected like a family? Is there a warm sense of camaraderie and partnership among its members, helping and encouraging them on to great works for God?
Transformation: Are the people in your church growing spiritually—overcoming habits, becoming more compassionate, learning to be more like Christ? Transformation has to do with the way grace changes us. Are these people different because they are part of your church?
Service: Is the heart of the mission of your church to help others? Is lifting the burdens of humanity and proclaiming the gospel of Christ to lost people important? Does your church regularly help the needy?