Dr. Rodney Plunket

Most of you know that Jill Moudy has worked at The Children’s Home of Lubbock for many years.  On Thursday of this week she emailed me a story.  She said that several years ago there was a little boy at The Home who was afraid of the dark.  He was afraid of the dark because he thought there were monsters in the dark.  In response, the staff came in every night and sprayed under his bed and all around his room with monster repellant (lemon disinfectant diluted with water).  Some of you will also know that David & Ramona Ruebush used to be houseparents at The Home.  They recently told me this story:

One of the boys in the cottage was extremely frightened of the dark.  He absolutely refused to go to bed unless the light in his room was on.  This distressed his roommate very much.  After a few months we were able to get him to go to bed with the bathroom light on, but his bed was across the bathroom door so he could see the light.  As more time passed and he became more confident in the stability of his environment and responsive to the love everyone at the home gave him, he was able to go to bed with a night light in the room.

The children who come into our care at The Children’s Home of Lubbock have many fears.  Fear of the dark is actually one of the minor ones, but I wanted to begin by focusing upon it because our goal this morning is to pay The Home’s utilities bills for 2003.  The amount budgeted for that essential expenditure is $82,900.  The goal of paying for The Home’s utilities gave rise to this year’s theme for Children’s Home special.  That theme is “Keep the Lights On.”

Our Scripture Reading this morning was from 2 Corinthians (2Cor) 4:5-6, and it has something very significant to say about light.  In that passage the apos­tle Paul is talking about spreading the message of Jesus, and in verse (v) 5 he writes,

We don’t go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord.  All we say about ourselves is that we are your servants because of what Jesus has done for us.

Paul focused upon Jesus when he preached.  Paul saw himself as only a servant.  In fact, the relevant Greek word really means “a slave.”  Paul saw himself as a slave of those to whom he preached.  That is how radical his commitment was to those whom he was calling to trust in Jesus.

Now look at v 6 of 2Cor 4.  I will be reading from the New Revised Stan­dard Version.  There Paul writes,

For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

In v 5, Paul says that he does not preach himself but Christ Jesus.  In v 6 Paul describes the wonder of Christ Jesus in such a way that we know why Paul preaches as he does.  Paul preaches Christ Jesus because “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God [is] in the face of Jesus Christ.”  In other words, the way to know God’s glory, the way to come into the brightness of that glory is to come to Jesus.  He is the person in whom that glorious brightness is found.  Why would a person preach about anyone else, when Jesus brings the incredible glory of Almighty God?

One of the stated goals of The Children’s Home of Lubbock is “To create an environment where all programs, planning, teaching, and responses reflect the living presence of Christ.”  Yes, we provide housing and food.  Yes, we see that those in our care attend school and have the resources and assistance they need to advance their education.  Yes, we provide some great recreational opportunities.  We do these things and many others because we want these children and teens to know that they are cared for and that they are safe.  To put it simply, we want to surround them with love, a love that reflects “the living presence of Christ,” a love that reveals God’s love for them.

What The Children’s Home of Lubbock is trying to do has a clear connection to the song we sang just before the sermon.  Through that song we asked God to surround us like the mountains surround Jerusalem.  We said, “We need to be in [God’s] presence.”

Sisters and brothers, the children at The Home come to us because they have been in situations so bad that they have to be taken out of those situations.  David Ruebush spoke to me of children in their cottage that had witnessed horrible things:  satanic worship, murders, & rapes.  Their world has been chaotic, mean, violent, and just plain evil.  They need to be surrounded by the love of God.

We want to pay the light bill this morning.  We want to keep the lights on at The Home.  But most all we want to turn these kids on to the light of Jesus, the light of God.  We want these children and teens to receive the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.

Now, let me ask you a question.  How many of you became Christians at an age younger than twenty years old?  If that is true of you, please stand.  Thank you.  You may be seated.  The high percentage of people who stood tells us some­thing very important, doesn’t it?  If we are like most other churches, somewhere between eighty and ninety-five percent of our adults became Christians before they were adults.  They became Christians as children or teenagers.

By keeping the lights on at The Home we are reaching out to people at a time when they are most open to receive the message of Jesus.  We do not do forced conversions.  We do not perform coerced baptisms.  The Home does show the love of God.  The Home does demonstrate the power of being surrounded by God.  The children and teens do hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Keeping that light on is the most important thing that we do.

But we cannot keep the light of the gospel shining brightly if we do not provide the physical things that the kids need.  Let’s keep the lights on at The Home.  Let’s give generously.  Would the servers please move to the foyer at this time?

Top | Sermons | Home