SHINE LIKE STARS
By Vasti S. Viana
Theme: Women’s Ministries history / living (shining for Christ) / evangelism
Suggested Call to Worship: Psalms 43:3, 4, or Responsive
reading, SDA Hymnal, #721, The Lord is My Light.
Primary Bible text : Matthew.
Opening Song: #21, SDA Hymnal, Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Closing Song: #206, SDA Hymnal, Face to Face
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Today’s sermon is focusing
on Women and what they can do for the Lord. There has been a new emphasis on
women in the church since the beginning of Women’s Ministries. Let us review a short history of this
department.
Sarepta Henry was the first director of Women’s Ministries in
1898. (If possible, it would be
effective to show her picture to the congregation).
Unfortunately, after her death, the position was left unfilled;
consequently, the ministry became dormant. A 90-year pause ensued in which only
a small majority of Adventist women were recognized for outstandingly
missionary work for Jesus. The majority participated mostly through their
presence in church, and perhaps helping to distribute pamphlets or invitations
in the community.
We are no doubt living in the last days. The Divine call to
receive the Holy Spirit and transmit the message of the gospel is also made
directly to girls and women. Let us read Acts 2: 17 and 18. (reading from the
New International version)
In
the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will
prophesy, your young men will see
visions, your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants,
both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days,
and they will prophecy.
Is it any wonder that in these last days God has reinstated the
Women’s Ministries Department to
inspire Seventh-day Adventist women to grow, to strengthen their faith,
to develop abilities and to use their talents to bring people to Jesus, taking
hope and happiness to many hearts?
In 1990 the
Praise the Lord for this new and enthusiastic Department of
Women’s Ministries. Praise the Lord because many sisters are awakening to a
more dynamic spiritual life. They too are being encouraged and trained to
employ their talents, to prepare the way for the glorious return of Our Lord
Jesus, together with the brothers of the church.
(If available tell local or worldwide news of outstanding
experiences of women involved in ministry which resulted in baptisms or
former-Adventists returning to the Church, or other outreach activities which
made a difference in the lives of others.)
For our sermon, let us focus on the Value of Light.
In the physical world or in
nature, what is our greatest source of light? The sun! And the exciting fact is
that the sun is a star. It is a star with a very special function. It
illuminates, gives warmth and serves as a guide. What would it be like if the sun
did not exist?
The effect of the absence of the sun would be intense darkness
upon the earth. People would not be able to move around. Vegetation would not
be able to grow; consequently there would be no food. And what would happen
with a permanent absence of the sun? We would be frozen to death in a short
time.
Praise the Lord for this
shining star named the sun, which illuminates, warms and guides us. With the sun
life continues its movement each day! Quite often we neglect to recognize the
value of this spatial light and many times we take it for granted because
routinely it continues to fulfill the task which God designated for it.
God made the moon and the stars
for the night. What would our nights be like without the stars and without a moon?
Certainly our nights would be very dark and dull. The stars, in addition to
decorating the sky with their twinkling lights, also gives direction to
travelers and those who navigate the high seas. How many people would be lost
and would even die if the stars did not shine to guide them on their way? There
are millions and millions of stars so distant from us that they seem to be
nebulous in our Milky Way. I invite you to take the time to look at the heavens
on a starry night, especially when you are far from the lights of the city.
In Genesis 15:5 is the account where God used the stars as a visual
illustration to help Abraham understand the plans He had for him.
God took him outside and said,
“Look at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.” Then
He said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
In that
dialogue with God, Abraham must have been very excited and happy to know how
many descendents he would have. However,
let’s leave Abraham admiring the heavens and talking with God; later we will
return to him.
In the
spiritual world, what is our greatest source of light? Light for our soul, our
reason, and our emotions? Light that illuminates, warms, and guides us?
Psalm 27:1, first part tells us - The Lord is
my light, whom shall I fear?
Let us consider two ways in which the Lord communicates His Light to
us:
#1. James 1:17-- Every good and perfect gift, comes from the Father of
Lights.
God communicates His Light to us through talents and gifts which He
grants to us. How marvelous to think that all the talents, gifts, and abilities
that we posses are gifts from the Father of Lights. These gifts are used to
illuminate and brighten our lives and the lives of others. This is one of the ways
in which God communicates His light to us.
#2. James 1: 18 –He chose to give us birth through the word of truth,
that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created.
God communicates His Light
through His Word. What is the Word of God if it is not the "Lamp for my
feet and the light for my path?" Ps.
119:105 --; we all know this verse by heart. Let us say it together, in
unison and with force like an army.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.”
How many of us brought the light
of the Inspired Word today? (Congregation lifts up their Bibles).
No one lights a lamp and hides
it under the bed or behind a dresser! In the same manner the closed Bible does
nothing for me: it does not illuminate, guide or warm me. In order for the Light of God to shines on
us, we must open the Holy Word. The Bible is ineffective if it is left closed!
In His infinite knowledge, Jesus
invites you and me to participate with Him in the pleasure of receiving and
transmitting. This happens when in partnership with Him, we take His light to
individuals in order for them to experience a personal relationship with Him
and to be saved.
It is our privilege to accompany
Him in this work and allow Him to inspire us, strengthen us and give us power
to do this work. Receiving and transmitting is a constant work.
What happens to individuals who
develop this dynamic process of receiving and transmitting?
Let’s look at John 4: 7.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you
give me a drink?”
We have heard many sermons and comments regarding this text, haven’t we? Prominence is generally given to the steps which Jesus applied as a model for us to follow in evangelism.
Let’s analyze the facts through
the eyes of the Samaritan focusing on: What did Jesus see and hear? Then, let’s
put on His sandals and look for water at Jacob’s well.
According to the story, there are ten (10) positive points in
the life of this woman. Many times we only think of the negative side.
Positive
#1. She was a good worker. Water is a
heavy load to carry yet it is a necessary load because it is needed for all
types of domestic cleaning and for food preparation. It is a must for accomplishing household
chores every day.
Positive #2: She was not prejudiced. How do we know this?
Upon arriving at the well she found a Jew; he was not only a total stranger but
he was from a race known to be prejudiced against the Samaritans. Yet, she
spoke with the Jew at the well; if she were prejudiced, she would not have done
this. She discussed, questioned, and said what she knew regarding the history
of her people and regarding the Jews and the Messiah.
She treated the Jew with respect
and asked him who he was and if He was greater than "our father
Jacob." (She included herself as a daughter of Jacob.) A woman without
prejudice. Prejudices create barriers. She had a pleasant surprise when she
discovered that this Jewish man also was not prejudiced.
Positive # 3. She was humble. She confused the analogy of water from
the well with "Living Water," and it took some time before she
understood the difference. Jesus did not criticize her because she did not
quickly understand. He was patient and explained. But what is good about
confusing the concepts? The positive point is that she was humble enough to
accept orientation and change her wrong concepts to concepts that were correct.
Positive # 4. She was observant
and paid attention to what she heard. She maintained a dynamic and intelligent
dialogue. In this manner she discovered what was spoken by the Prophet.
Positive #5. She spoke the truth
regarding her life, even though acknowledging it hurt deep down within her
soul. She was sincere as she said, "I have no husband" when Jesus
said to her to go find her husband and return. She then heard two compliments
from Jesus as found in verses 16, 17, and 18. One: “You are right” Two: What
you have just said is quite true.”
Positive #6. She recognized
something divine in Him. He saw her
soul, knew her sins, and revealed them without belittling her. Yet, He
continued to treat her with dignity and respect.
Positive #7. She affirmed that she awaited the coming of the Messiah and desired to learn of Him "all things."
Jesus saw that her heart was
prepared to receive the entire truth, and so He felt safe to reveal His
identity by stating, "I who speak to you am He."
Positive #8. Upon hearing that
He was the Messiah, she accepted and believed in her heart. Then she clearly
understood the meaning of the term “Living Water.” During the dialogue, Jesus
had said that the Living Water becomes the fountain within the one who receives
it.
Have you ever taken the time to
observe a fountain of water? What description would you give of the
fountain? A fountain is full of
movement, it always flows forward. It is quite contrary to stagnant water that
is lifeless and in deterioration. Fountains were created to flow forward, never
backward, nor to stand still.
The Samaritan upon drinking of the Living Water felt impelled to take it to the inhabitants of Sicar, her city. The living water flowed like a fountain of salvation in her heart.
Let us remember that it was her
custom to go to the well at the hottest time of the day, when no one else was
there. She possibly wanted to avoid contact with others as all that they would
do was to gossip about her and the life she was living. But now it was
different. She had found the Messiah! This news was too marvelous to remain
only with her; she just had to share the excitement of this knowledge with
others. So she left her water container at the edge of the well and ran to find
people to transmit this message to them.
Positive # 9. She formulated her strategy of communication while she ran. If she came announcing, "I found the Messiah!" she would not be taken seriously. She quickly studied a strategy to obtain maximum efficiency and minimum disbelief. Her strategy was inspired in the steps that Jesus used to transmit His message to her.
She courageously decided to begin calling the attention of the people with an invitation, "Come see!"
Afterward, she continued by
telling that He, without knowing her, stated all that she had done wrong in her
life and, although He knew everything about her, He continued to relate to her
with respect and dignity.
This attitude could only be
divine, because if it were from a common human, he would have belittled her or
made abusive remarks toward her. She ended her proclamation asking a question:
"Could this be the Christ? Could He be the promised Messiah?
Within her heart she knew that
He was the Messiah, however she felt that it would be prudent to confirm this
certainty to avoid a possible resistance or negative response. The question
would suggest the answer.
Positive # 10. She transmitted
the message with wisdom and enthusiasm, which attracted people to come to
Jesus. The "Samaritans of that city" (verses 39 and 42) believed in
her word that the Messiah was beside Jacob’s Well and they went there to meet
Him. They invited Him to go to their city, and Jesus remained with them for two
days teaching them "all things." The Samaritan woman held a
successful evangelistic campaign!
Sadly, we must acknowledge that
even today there are some people who do not give credit to the work of women.
However this Biblical evidence demonstrates that God entrusts women with the responsibility to transmit the message
of His Light to both genders.
Let us read Daniel 12:03 together: "Those
who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead
many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”
Now it is time to return to Abraham. We left him speaking with God and looking at the starry sky, pleased because he had received the news that His spiritual descendents would be like the stars: numerous and brilliant.
Considering that the Samaritan woman lead many people to Jesus, I ask, is it possible that Abraham saw the Samaritan woman shining as a star of God on that night?
And you? I ask you very kindly, Were
you among the stars that Abraham saw that night?
Let us reread the text from the
Word of God in Daniel 12:3, together, in unison and strong like an army. “Those who are wise will shine like the
brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the
stars for ever and ever.”
(Have soft background music played at this time.)
The great Procession of the
Centuries and all Eternity is soon to take place. We attempt to visualize it
through the eyes of faith! All participants of the procession are individuals
who chose to shine through their life on Earth by reflecting the light of God.
They arrive from all parts of the earth and seas.
We consider that marvelous procession
passing through the heavens! Overcoming the barrier of gravity, calmly crossing
space to meet the powerful Savior. Excitement, happiness, gratitude will be
shining in the eyes of all as they near the cloud of glory of Jesus.
Let’s imagine marching with that parade with numerous marchers in their resplendent white uniform!
When all the righteous are gathered
beside Jesus, He, the great victorious Commander will take over the leadership
of the procession. The rejoicing of all will be expressed in victory songs
while Heavenly angels accompany the singing with their glorious music. Those
angels are the ones who ministered in favor of humanity.
The festive Procession will continue through outer space passing by the planets, rapidly going through the Milky Way and the galaxies, which today are only known by radio waves because of the fact that they are hundreds of millions of light years away. Jesus will have transformed our bodies to adapt them to life in that infinite spatial dimension.
The glorious procession of the righteous enroute will be acclaimed and applauded by unfallen beings that will unite with the triumphal entourage.
Jesus, leading the procession as
the indisputable King of the Universe brings into eternity multitudes from the
planet Earth, so that they may shine in His kingdom as stars forever and ever.
Before the gates of
According to what we read in
Psalm 24, we have the distinct impression that the gates of
During the angelical song, the Gates of Paradise will be opened. Filled with emotion we will see our God, our Father, shining on His throne surrounded by a rainbow.
He will come to the midst of the
righteous; He will sing and will be joyful as one does on a day of festivities.
His marvelous, special, unique voice will be filled with joyful singing because
of the presence of His children. He will be reaffirming His love for them. We
read this in Zephaniah 3:17. This is the only time in the entire Bible that one
reads that God will sing.
What will it be like to hear God
singing with His impressive thunder-like voice, which is mysterious like many
waters? He will sing because we are there with Him! It is marvelous to know
that your presence and mine with God on that day is the great motive for His
joy and His song!
How will His song be presented?
Will it be a cappella solo or will He be accompanied by angelic voices? Will it
be a duet with Jesus or will the Holy Spirit join in to form a trio? Will we
sing together with Him, or will we listen, marveling at His voice? Will the heavenly
orchestra accompany Him? Oh! It will be a beautiful surprise!
After the victory song, Jesus
will place himself at the entrance of
Each one of the multitude of the
righteous saved will have the privilege to be personally received by the
Savior. There is no hurry. At this time eternity is just beginning.
Then we will receive two presents.
Jesus will present to each
individual two precious jewels:
A crown of gold - I Peter 5:4. A crown, symbol of victory,
which will be credited to Christ.
A white stone with the inscription of the new name. Rev. 2:17. The white precious stone with the new name inscribed, symbolizing eternity, which is only possible through Christ and will be credited to Him.
In the warmth of the arms of Jesus, we will have the indescribable pleasure of telling Him how thankful we are for all of His effort and sacrifice involved in saving us. With a caring embrace, He will say, "Come and share Your Master’s happiness." (Matt. 25:21).
Entering through the gates of
May the vision of eternity with
Christ, remain before us each day, motivating us to say to the great Savior,
"Here, I am to shine for you." I
am available to be an instrument in Your hands, fulfilling your expectation
that I shine for you as the stars. I
want to receive Your light, learning from Your Word; and I want to exercise and
transmit the talents which you have given to me. Strengthen me Lord, give me Your
power so that Your will can be accomplished in me.
If this is your desire, my brothers and my sisters, please stand with me and with all our heart we will say together in one voice, "Lord, here I am to shine for You." (Repeat together).
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Biographical Information on Sermon Writer:
Vasti Viana, wife of Pastor Jose Viana, is mother of two adult children, both married. At the time of this writing, Vasti was the director of the Women’s Ministries Department in the South American Division. She has been a contributor to the women’s devotional book. She enjoys music, reading, and walking.