In this 8-part series, Dr. Michael Youssef helps us discover the complexities and implications of Jesus’ profound Sermon on the Mount message—where Jesus shares the keys to happiness by giving us the Beatitudes and teaching us how to embody or appropriate them in our everyday lives.

Preaching verse by verse, Dr. Youssef demonstrates how Jesus came to fulfill all that God taught His people in the Old Testament—showing us how to be salt and light, how to control our anger, and much more. He truly has given us all that we need to live a blessed life in Him!

blessed mother’s Day, we are so thankful moms for all that you have done and are doing for your Children and for the Kingdom of God we saw in the last message, the incalculable value of salt and this was a big shock to the disciples who are very coming from modest workers and fishermen to be told that they are have incalculable value just like salt was at that time and today we’re going to turn our attention to the splendor of light of being the light of the world, something we forget very often, but like a lighthouse that guides those who are caught in the storms of life, like a lighthouse that rescues the perishing like a lighthouse that guides to christ like a lighthouse, pointing people to a safe harbor. And so please turn with me to Matthew chapter five vs 1415 and 16 just three verses we’re continuing in this series, we began last message, appropriating, appropriating the happiness that is in you, you are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do people write a lamp and put it under a ball instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house in the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven. I want to give you three things that if those of you taking notes, you can write them down three things that our Lord jesus christ is telling us about being light. First of all, he’s telling us that light must be visible, it must be visible, secondly is saying light has to be guide. A guide has to guide. Thirdly light issues warning a warning, the last one is going to be a hard one, but I’m going to get to it in a minute. First of all, light is visible. It has to be visible or otherwise it’s useless. Our Lord is saying that his faithful disciples are to fulfill a dual role. Listen carefully fulfill a dual role, not one or the other, both salt which is hidden, but light is visible. Salt works quietly and even secretly, but light works openly. Salt works within. Light works without salt which is indirectly influences but light directly leads salt which works through our living of the gospel of jesus christ and light which works through our direct witness for jesus christ soul which works negatively, meaning it retired corruption. As we saw in the last message retired, corruption but not change it, but light works positively. It reveals and replaces the wrong and that is why a battery, a battery has to have the positive and the negative. You can’t have a battery just with the positive repent that’s negative. Why positive that you may be forgiven and restored and I can go through the scripture the whole morning. Now if you are a disciple of jesus christ, your light has to shine, it has to shine, your light has to be visible. Your light should lead others to christ. Your light should expose error and lead to the truth Now a person who says, my faith is very private. It’s a dead giveaway. Dead giveaway. It is not the faith of jesus and it’s not faith in jesus. I don’t know what kind of faith they have because everybody now talks about faith. Faith, This faith based faith, this have faith in your mother in law, have faith in, you know every faith faith, faith, the faith of jesus has to be visible. Ah question, where should your light shine in the church? No, jesus said, you are the light of what not the not of the church, You are the light of the world. Your light has to shine in the marketplace, Your light has to shine in the factory floor. Your light has to shine in the boardroom. Your light has to shine in your office. Your light has to shine on your college or high school campus. Your light has to shine at your work. Your light has to shine shine even in the golf course, wherever you go there goes the light, amen wherever you go. You are the light secondly, lied guides it guides when you’re lost in the darkness, any light, no matter how faint it may be, any light is a welcome sight, you would directly aim for that light. Why? Because light indicates that some help as possible, some life is possible, some guidance as possible. Some direction is possible. I never forget. In the eighties, I used to travel a great deal, in fact on an annual basis. I used to give a lecture in Switzerland near the Blue Mountains, very close to the border of France on the french side. And we always stayed in Louisiana and I drove up to these mountains. They have no street lights And those mountains, not one and one night I was traveling in the dark. Now I have driven that road many, many, many times I’m there every year and I know it, but always in the daytime this is the first time I’m driving at night and these are very narrow street, very calm street. But they have very And and and and it’s on a cliff, literally the wheels are inches away from a 2000 ft drop. And after going around and around and around in the darkness, I’m almost running out of gas. And then all of a sudden I see a faint light at the distance and I gunned for that light. Light guides listen to me when your walk with christ is openly visible, people are going to ask you questions? They will, I’m not saying all of them, but some will. Why are you so peaceful when everybody else is fearful? Why are you contented? When everybody else seems to be discontented? Why are you not threatening when everybody else is why are you not anxious and worried when every like everybody else, why are you not cheating on your employer? Like everybody else, why are you so scrupulously honest and truthful? Ah then you tell them who did it? Are you surprised that Jesus was always plagued with questions? They’re always asking him questions, always asking questions. His blazing integrity caused him to ask questions. Why? Because that’s what light does. Light causes questions, jesus, the light of the world and when you are in jesus you to be the light of the world. You know when people see you as a person who is not hateful and revengeful, but loving and forgiving when they see you not jealous and envious and covetous but joyful and giving. When people see you not short tempered and angry but peaceful at peace with yourself and at peace with God they’re gonna ask questions and then this is your greatest opportunity to tell them who changed you, to tell them who changed you. Do you know why? Because whether you know it or not, whether you know it or not, these folks are wondering in their minds and asking themselves can I too cease from being angry and selfish and fretful. Can I can I too have that piece? That doesn’t make sense contentment in life, Jesus said, when people see all of this, when they see you and they see your shining light, they’re going to glorify your father in heaven. One of the why they glorify God is that they were they want to know, jesus and you’re going to help them. Now, I’ve got to confess to you, I always come clean with you. There’s some areas in my life I’m not very proud of and cosmic grief and keep me constantly in prayer because I want to shine in every area of my life. Um and I I want the light of christ to shine, but chief among those areas is my terrible driving habits. As a matter of fact. Back in the 70s when we lived in Sydney Australia as an anglican clergyman, I used to wear a clerical collar and with my driving habit that used to be a restraint or I must admit sometimes I forget, but when my dear wife is sitting next to me and I’m about to kind of do you know, lead foot and like thank God I’m in the process of being sanctified, but and she would say to me remember you’re wearing a clerical collar and it’s a complete change. It’s a complete change, right? Yeah. But it’s nothing clerical collar is nothing in comparison of being a light of christ, a light of the world, being the lot of the world. Therefore I must serve in every area of mala, every area of my life as a guide to guide people out of darkness into his marvelous light, I don’t know about you, but this puts me on my knees constantly, constantly, my desire, my longing to be a light of christ, lied to the world keeps me on my knees, not just in my desire to be faithful in interpreting the word of God and not read into it what I want to read into it but faithfully open the Word of God, tell you what it says, not what I think of it and not just in my witnessing power to lead people to christ but in every aspect of my life. Why? Because light it’s visible. Light guides. Thirdly light warns, it warns light often reveals to us danger ahead. Danger ahead. This is probably the most difficult task for the light. This is one of the most difficult things. It really is. Why do I say this? Because human nature, the way it is, People don’t like to be warned, they really don’t. They don’t want to be confronted with the truth. Instead they want to do their thing. They want to do what they want to do. They want to do things their way, they want to make up their own religion, they want to create a God who agrees with them, they want to live the way they think they should live, not how the word of God tells them to live. And yet when jesus was born at the birth of jesus, the Gospel of Matthew tells us that the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, the Apostle john goes on to expound on this in the Gospel of john he said, the light has come into the world, but people preferred to stay in darkness. Only those who receive him become the Children of light. In fact, that’s the only division you can have in your head. It’s the only division we’ve been divided now in our culture is called identity. There’s an identity politics. But listen, there’s only one identity. Either you are a child of Light or Child of Darkness. The whole world is divided that way from every nation, every tribe, every tongue and every language. The world is divided between the sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness and even the Children of Light. They can only keep the light shining and be brighter as they walked closely to the light of the world. Do not be surprised when many of those who sit in darkness feel threatened by your light. Don’t be surprised. Some will ask questions and we must be ready to give an answer, but some will not. But some of those who are lost will be thankful for the light and they will ask you, how can I get there? So don’t be surprised by those who reject your life, Rejoice with those who will see it as a guard in John Chapter three, Preachers who always want to quote one part of the verse never quote the rest of it. Here’s the verse three quote in John three for God sent his son not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him and to stop to stop there. They don’t go and read the rest of it. Which says this is the condemnation. Hey, there are condoms. This condemnation, yep, there is condemnation, There’s judgment coming. This is condemnation that the light has come into the world. But men love darkness rather than light. Why? Because their deeds are evil. John is saying the reason that some people, some people do not heed the warning of the light that you and I are to be is because their deeds will be exposed and approved and they don’t like that at all. They don’t like it one bit. So don’t be surprised when some reject your light. I know and you know that light can be irritating, right light can be irritating to some. There was a period in my life when I lived in rebellion against God. So those of you who are parents of periodicals or Children of periodicals who have periodicals in your life. Be encouraged. Be encouraged because in the time of rebellion, I am absolutely convinced it was some people, particularly my older sister on their knees praying for me. But during that time I detested church people. I really did. I mean I detested preachers and teachers and sunday school teachers. I just detested them. I detested anyone who thought they were gonna have to lead me back to christ, I just detested them Godly people. Not only irritated me, I heard from them, I literally, I literally ran away when I see them coming. Maybe that’s why today I’m a little bit more sympathetic and pray for those who see me as an irritant. How many of you know that other people see me as an irritant. Listen, I have seen him walk out of this place in anger. One of them, thank God later on came to christ and gave her testimony right here. Don’t ever forget The word of God tells us in Ephesians chapter five verse 8 For you once, can you say the word once with me for you once were darkness, but now you’re light in the Lord walk as Children of light. I was thinking about being irritated by the light and I thought of a story are heard as a young man growing up in the Middle East. The story of a nomad who woke up in the middle of the night in his tent feeling hungry. So he let out a candle by his mat and reached for a bag of dates and it started eating those dates. He took a bite from the first date and then he put it close to the candlelight and there is a worm wiggling, so he tossed it out, He got a 2nd 1 and he took a bite, puts it close to the light of the candle. Here’s worm wiggling so he tossed it out And he did this with the 3rd and the 4th 1 and then he stopped himself as an aware man. If I’m going to have all these dates thrown out, I’m still hungry, what do I do listen to his logic, He blew out the candle and ate the dates worms and all. There are some who will see warning light as a threat, so they run away from it. They would rather blow out the candle and eat the worms instead of facing the truth about the dreadful eternity with unquenchable fire and undying worms, so they blow out the light because it offends him. Light does not only exposed darkness, but it points away out of darkness, our beloved human heart, please knowledge will not get you to heaven. Political action will not get you to heaven. International diplomacy will not get you to heaven. Only jesus will get you to heaven. But having said that, as I repeated again from last message, I thank God for those who stand in the arena of all these areas, I told you in the last message that one of the biggest mistakes believers have made is that they withdrew from different arenas in society and that’s why we’re in the mess we’re in, we need light as long as we know, amen, give God praise, give God praise. As long as we know that only jesus will get you to heaven because our world is desperately in need of light in every area of life, every arena, the shine of the shining light of the gospel of jesus christ. In every area in our society, believers need to be constantly filling the lamps with the oil of the Holy Spirit. So they keep on shining brighter for christ. Now I can give you one more warning about the light. The assam who thinks that being light is best accomplished as being a flashlight flashing dried in people’s eyes. They really do who I mean, I’m sure you know that blinds them right. Our light must never be displayed in anger but in love. Our light must not be displayed in volatile reactions, but in compassion our light must not be displayed in revenge. But in thoughtfulness if you want to be like the light the light of the world, the Lord jesus christ, we must have compassion. We must have compassion. I grieve over those people who would not surrender their life to jesus christ or end up in christ less eternity. We must have compassion for those who are in darkness. The bible said jesus saw them a sheep without shepherd and he had compassion on them. There may be somebody here. Somebody watching out of curiosity, I would say Michael, I really have resisted the light of christ for a long time. I’ve resisted the light that my neighbors and my family members have been trying to lead me and guide me to christ. I’ve been resisting it for years, that is you. Today. You can come to the light of the world and that you take heed of his loving warning and warm invitation. He’s inviting you come to jesus for he has his arms wide open repent. Turn to him. Repent of your religious dogma because your religion will never get you to heaven accept christ as your only savior. I’m bored. You will experience nothing but joy and peace in the midst of difficult difficulties that this world is throwing at us. Mhm. When you choose christ and then you’ll spend eternity with him in heaven. Do you want to grow deeper in your faith? Then check out L T W dot org, leading the ways Online Resource Center. Begin the journey today at L T W dot org. Hello, my friends for 40 years, I’ve dreamed of putting a small book together to explain the gospel of jesus christ and why he is the way the truth and the life and no one, no one will come to the father except through him. This is a book that you need to order by the box is not individual books and give it away to your unsaved friends, To inquirers, to seekers. People who really need to know in a simple way. What is the gospel all about? And what jesus is all about and why we also serious about salvation and the importance of the shed blood of christ on calvary and why he is the only way. So I am praying and hoping that if you’re a person who have never committed your life to jesus christ. This is the book for you. Please order it now. Finding true peace. Because jesus not only gives us peace here and now, but gives us peace for all of eternity to know that when we close our eyes and death we will be with him in heaven. Please don’t put this off. It’s very important. God bless. You can give the gift of the Gospel when you order Doctor Yousef’s new book Finding True Peace by one for 9 99 or a dozen for only $100 call, write or visit us online at L T W dot org As immigration affects every country in the world. Leading the way, is ministering on the front lines through our Vision 2025 campaign, we are witnessing dramatic impact both here at home and across the world. One special aspect of our vision, 2025 campaign is to specifically reach more Muslims here at home in the United States. To achieve that goal, we have added new field team members across north America and Australia specifically to help the muslim community domestically. This year we launched a new on the ground evangelistic outreach in strategic U. S. Cities including Dallas texas leading the way, also expanded english Arabic radio broadcasts into dearborn michigan Which has over 10 times the potential reach of existing broadcasts into Dallas Los Angeles and New York City. We also shared the solar powered navigated device which contains messages from Dr Yusuf, as well as the new testament to afghan refugees in texas and north Carolina. With plans to distribute in Clarkston Georgia, one of the most diverse communities in America with each passing year, the world keeps changing, but our calling is the same. Leading the way is right there on the cutting edge, adapting to the new tech and media landscape, using every tool to reach the world, with the hope of jesus, contact us today to find out how you can join with leading the ways global outreach and become a part of what God is doing through this worldwide ministry, passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth. Leading the way with Dr Michael Yousef thanks you for your faithful support through your continued prayers and gifts