Let Your Light Shine Even When It is Dark | Guest Dan Erickson

In this inspiring message, Pastor Dan Erickson challenges us to let our light shine in a dark world, drawing from Matthew 5:14-16 and other powerful scriptures. While acknowledging the darkness in society, Pastor Dan reminds us that God’s light shines even brighter in the night.

Through historical stories, biblical truths, and personal encouragement, he emphasizes that one faithful person can make a lasting impact. From early Christian martyrs to modern-day believers, we see how God uses ordinary people to light extraordinary flames for His kingdom.

Key Themes & Scripture References:

• The Call to Shine as Lights – Matthew 5:14-16 reminds us that believers are called to be light in a dark world.
• Darkness Is Nothing New – Philippians 2:15 shows that every generation has struggled with sin and spiritual darkness, yet the gospel continues to advance.
• God Uses Faithful People to Change the World – Stories of historical figures like Telemachus, Martin Luther, and Elizabeth Elliot illustrate how one person’s obedience to God can impact countless lives.
• The Unshakable Light of Christ – John 1:4-5 declares that Jesus is the Light of the World, and the darkness will not overcome Him.

Personal Reflections & Stories:

• A Pastor’s Encouragement – Pastor Dan shares how he and fellow pastors support one another in ministry, emphasizing the importance of unity in the gospel.
• Historical Testimonies of Light in the Darkness – From a lone monk stopping gladiator battles in Rome to a missionary forgiving her husband’s killers, history proves that faithful believers can change the world.

Notable Quotes:

• "It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."
• "Even in the darkest times, the light of Christ will never go out."
• "God calls us to faithfulness, not success—so let your light shine!"

Application & Takeaways:

1. Resist despair – The world may seem dark, but God is still in control.
2. Take small steps to shine – Whether in your workplace, family, or community, let your faith be visible.
3. Remember that one person’s faithfulness matters – History and scripture prove that even one candle can light up a room.
4. Trust in Christ’s unshakable light – Jesus is the true Light of the World, and His gospel will never be overcome.

Scripture References Mentioned:

• Matthew 5:14-16 – Believers as the light of the world.
• Philippians 2:15 – Living blameless and pure in a dark generation.
• John 1:4-5 – Jesus as the light that overcomes darkness.
• 1 Corinthians 15:58 – Be steadfast and immovable in the Lord’s work.

Keywords & Tags:

Christian hope, faith in darkness, let your light shine, gospel truth, trusting God, church unity, overcoming despair, spiritual warfare, Rockwell Church

This episode reminds us that no matter how dark the world seems, the light of Christ shines even brighter. You are called to shine His light wherever you go—so light your candle and trust God with the impact!

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The WELL Faith Podcast offers encouraging, Bible-based messages from Pastor Chris Teien and guests. New sermons are released every Sunday. Replay episodes are marked with an asterisk. Find us online at ChrisTeien.com and Rockwell.Church in Virginia, MN. Email comments to wellfaith24@gmail.com

Transcript

Chris T 0:16

Now, I have a special opportunity to introduce Pastor Dan Erickson, who has been instrumental in my life for many years. So he called me up out of Iowa to come be the associate pastor at Chisholm Baptist. And I don't know if you've ever built stuff. So if you've done construction and you've been around different types of carpenters, you learn things from different types of carpenters. Or maybe you cook and you've been in the kitchen with some other people and you learn different skills that you wouldn't have gotten otherwise. So there's been a list of pastors that have been influential in my life, but Dan Erickson has been one that has given me some skills. And he's also, when I have a question as a senior pastor, and it's like the referees on the field and they're calling up to the booth to figure out, you know, what exactly the play should be. I call him before I sink the ship or make a big mistake or you know make a choice and I say, okay, so these are the options, this is what's going on. What do you think I should do? And then he gives me advice, so wise advice. And he's been faithful at Chisholm Baptist for many years, and uh I'm just glad to have him come share with us today. Uh another reason I'm trying to get more people to come share with you is because last year I went, I preached 49 weeks in a row, and that's not normal. So I've got more wonderful people coming to share, but Pastor Dan Erickson, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 1:35

If I start coming up here, the introduction will come to an end, though.

Chris T 1:40

You never taught me that.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

No, okay. Well, that's that's a lesson. Yeah, thank you, Chris. What what year was it when you came to Chisholm? What year was that? 1980. 1998.

Chris T 1:49

And so I just knew the white tree painting and he was correct.

SPEAKER_01 1:53

Oh my goodness, yes, yes. Chris Chris was uh uh Chris was I think you were the first person that ever that I knew that owned a cell phone. Well, I think my I think my mother-in-law had this the the bag phone like in her car. It was like uh bigger than the regular phone, but uh Chris Chris was on always on the cutting edge of technology, and that was that was a good thing for us at Chisholm Baptists because he kind of got us got us going in that. And um we I think we still have pieces of equipment that are the Chris Tyan, not memorial, but in honor of his uh why did you say you just took the settlement dish off the roof? We did that, yes, yeah. That was uh but I I I should say in in all seriousness, we're we're delighted that Chris and Julie are here at Rockwell, and um we are very privileged, very privileged to have numerous pastors on the Iron Range who are committed to the gospel and sharing and working together. It started in our Baptist Pastors Fellowship of Baptist Journal Conference, Converge Pastors, but we've had others who are kind of like wannabes, they wish they could be converged, and they've joined us as well. And um uh the other day we were together uh for our uh T3 group, that's another story, but I think there were 12 of us there that day, and then we'll be getting together this Thursday. We spend a lot of time together, uh usually twice a month, and we are very encouraged uh by just seeing uh the commitment that these men, it's all men in the group, that these men have to the gospel and to the iron range, to seeing Christ honored and glorified right here, right here. And uh it's it's really an exciting thing. I think it's a wonderful thing. Um and and the interesting thing is uh many of the pastors uh do not have, not only do they not have a seminary degree, they don't even have a Bible college uh degree. Uh there are pastors who one pastor was working at HibTech one week and he was the pastor of the church the next week. Um lot of people who, again, they and so they really value that pastors get together and share uh that you know, just encouragement as well as just things we've learned over the years, and it's uh many of them are you know are kind of new to this pastoral thing, and it's really been an encouraging thing. Anyway, uh it was a couple months ago, well, it's more it's a few months ago now, that uh I wrote an article for the Masabi Daily Tribune about the Olympic, the opening ceremony, kind of a blasphemous ceremony. Uh you remember that in Paris this summer? And I wrote an article in the paper about that, and a friend sent a text expressing his appreciation for that article and commented, things are sure getting dark out there. And I responded, Well, yes, they seem to be, but as the old song says, oops, I gotta do this, the darker the night, the brighter the light shines. Do you remember that? Jerry remembers that one, don't you? That old song, yeah. The darker the night, the brighter the light shines. Um then he responded, Well, yeah, it does. And speaking of old favorites, I'll fly away is sounding better every day. Um I think I think that particular friend's a little more upbeat after the election, but whatever. Uh I can relate to that sentiment of I'll fly away because it will be a wonderful day for any and every believer in Jesus when we leave this earth and go home to our true home with the Lord. That is the place where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. It'll be really fun to be there. In fact, there will be no more darkness, there will be no more night. Revelation 22, 5. You you can read the this is advancing my own slides, that's testing my technological abilities here. So forgive me if I goof up. I'll I might not say the verse, but you can you can see it right there. There will be no more night, there will be no more need. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. But until then, in the midst of the darkness, we are to shine as lights. That's what Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 5, verses 14 through 16. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden, neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. 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 others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Folks, as I ponder these Bible verses, a Chinese proverb comes to mind. One made popular by Eleanor Roosevelt. It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. Now, I'm not in the habit of quoting either Chinese proverbs or Eleanor Roosevelt, but I think those words are consistent with what Jesus teaches, and they're important for us to consider. Cursing the darkness is a real temptation for Christians today. A real temptation. Oh, many of you would, I know you would never use any foul language and curse that way. But the darkness that seems to be out there is so discouraging or maybe so frightening that you're tempted to kind of give up. You don't think there's really anything you can do to make the world better. So rather than let your light shine, rather than light that candle, some of you just kind of pull the covers over your head. Or you crawl into a storm shelter where you think you'll be safe. Or maybe you try to find a tiny corner, maybe like Rockwell, where their candles are already lit, where you can just come here and escape the darkness and not worry about what's going on in the world around us. That's not what He's calling you to do. Folks, as you seek to serve the Lord here at Rockwell Church, I want to encourage you, do not give up. Let your light shine. Light that candle. By God's grace, devote yourself to loving God, loving other people. Do whatever God is calling you to do over these next months to dispel some of the darkness around you. But do not give up. No matter how dark the night seems. Let's just pause and pray. The Lord would use his word to encourage us and to keep letting the light shine. Even when, especially when it's dark out there. Father God, thank you that you enable us to be light, even in the midst of darkness. And Lord, yeah, we know there's there's dark stuff out there. But I pray you will help us to be encouraged and challenged and to let our light shine for you, reflecting the glory of Jesus to the world around us. Help us to hear your word, help us to understand, help us to believe and obey in Jesus' name. Amen. Here are some reasons why we should not give up, why we should light that candle, why we should let our light shine. First one is it may not be as dark out there as you think. Yeah, I can see that that opening Olympic ceremony featuring drag queens mocking the Last Supper. That's blasphemous. But I want you to note what the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 2.15. So that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world. Shine like stars. Let your light shine, light that candle. But note that Peter tells first century Christians to do so in a crooked and perverted generation. Because that was what the world was like two thousand years ago. In fact, those words pretty much describe every generation since Adam and Eve. And when they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. Pretty much every generation is crooked and perverse in some way. Because human beings by nature are in rebellion against God. We fail to love God with our entire being, and we fail to love our neighbor as ourselves. And there has never been a society at any time in human history where sin was not pervasive. So it's always been kind of dark out there. Two things probably make us think it's darker now than things were a few years or decades ago. One is a decline in church attendance and in religious belief in general. The other one is widespread sexual immorality that is so prevalent in our culture. And so I know a lot of people, you know these people, maybe maybe you're one of them, who says, wow, things are sure a lot worse than when I was growing up. In whatever decade that was. A lot worse than when I was growing up. Maybe, maybe. The latest uh Gallup survey found that about 30% of Americans attend church regularly. I think that's Protestant, Catholic, Christian of some type, church regularly. That means they come every week or at least half, half of weeks. That's a decrease from 35% before COVID and a decrease from 40% in the year 2000. In 2000, 40% of Americans attended church regularly. Now that number is down to 30%. Back in 1950, 50% of Americans were regular church attenders. 50%. And that number actually increased to over 60% by the year 1960. And that was the peak. After that, it began to decline. So it's getting darker out there. However, at the time of the American Revolution, 1776, it's estimated that only 25% of Americans attended church regularly. That would be less than today. And 30% means the United States has a higher percentage of regular church attenders than the vast majority of countries in the world. And it's also true that a greater portion of those 30% who do attend church are attending evangelical churches like this one than ever before, since the biggest declines in church attendance are in Roman Catholic and especially in mainline Protestant congregations. The news out there is it isn't good, but it might not be as bad as many assume. When it comes to sexual immorality, I would concede that things are pretty dark. Only in pre-Christian pagan societies like the Greco-Roman world do you find sexual promiscuity as pervasive as we have in our culture. However, I want you to note what the Lord tells us in 1 Corinthians 6 9. Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaterers, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And yes, there's a clear condemnation of sexual sin here, both heterosexual and homosexual. But there are other sins highlighted as well, such as greed, drunkenness, swindling. And those sins are indeed present in our society today, but I know they were also very much present 50 years ago when I graduated from high school. I really think sexual sin was less pervasive when I was growing up. But there was sure plenty of drunkenness and greed. Lots of that. In fact, though the 1950s were in some ways characterized by high moral standards, there were sins such as materialism and racism, which were very prevalent at that time. I said there has never been a time in American society or in any society where sin has not been pervasive. And yeah, it does seem pretty dark out there. And yet, when the Rome, when Rome fell to the vandals in 455, it was dark. When the Vikings were raiding much of Europe for 300 years, it was dark. Children used to go to bed and they will pray, Lord, please protect us from the Vikings. They weren't thinking of the Minnesota Vikings, those other ones. When the Thirty Years' War was being fought between Protestants and Catholics in 17th century Europe, 30 years of war. When Nazi Germany controlled most of Europe for the first part of the 1940s, when the Iron Curtain slammed down after World War II and put a billion people under communist slavery, I suspect these all seem like pretty dark times. And there are plenty of folks in the world right now, today, including Christians in communist in Islamic countries, who would be thrilled to live in a society like ours. They would be thrilled to live in a society like the United States. So yeah, it it it's it's kind of dark out there, folks, but but maybe not quite as dark as we may think. That's number one. Number two, don't be discouraged, don't give up, because even in very dark times, Christians have been able to light candles that lit up the whole room. And I love stories of how the Lord would use just just one man, one person, one man, one woman, who does what he calls them to do during a very dark time to have a huge impact on the world around them. Here are some of my favorites. It's January 14, 404, 404 A.D. It was actually January 1st on the old Julian calendar. Put January 14th on our calendar. A monk from Turkey named Telemachus went to the Roman Colosseum and he found his way into the arena. There he placed himself between two dueling gladiators and repeatedly cried out, In the name of Christ, stop. In the name of Christ, stop. Within a short time, one of the gladiators stabbed Telemachus and killed him. It was reported that at that point the entire crowd in the stadium fell silent. And then one by one quietly filed out. Moved by those last courageous moments of Telemachus' life, Emperor Horonius was moved to permanently stop the killing games in ancient Rome. Few, if anyone, noticed that monk when he walked in to the Colosseum. But after he lit his candle, after he lit his candle, his story would be told over and over again, including 1,500, 1600 years later, on the other side of the globe here in Virginia, Midway, Minnesota. You're still hearing about his story. One man. He started reading the Bible and he realized that a lot of the things the church was doing and teaching at that time were contrary to what the scriptures teach. So he decided to challenge, all by himself, to challenge the most powerful institution in the world. At that time, the Roman Catholic Church. And eventually he faced a trial in an ecclesiastical court called the Deat of Worms. And then he lit a candle by speaking these words. After he had been ordered to Recant and of his claims against the church. He said, unless I am convinced by scripture and by plain reason, my conscience is captive to the word of God. I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other. To go against conscience is neither right nor safe. I therefore cannot and I will not recant. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. And those words ignited the Protestant Reformation. And according to many historians, made that German monk, Martin Luther, the most influential figure of the past 2,000 years, except for Jesus himself. Past 2,000 years of human history, besides Jesus Christ, the most influential figure, that German monk, who all by himself decided we gotta change some things around here. 1945, a little closer to our time, a captain in the Red Army was overheard telling a joke about Joseph Stalin, which resulted in him spending 11 years in Soviet prison camps. 11 years for telling a joke. This man was a gifted writer, and he was a devout Russian Orthodox Christian. Alexander Soltsemnitz and decided to light a candle by telling his story. And the stories of many who suffered horrifically in that Soviet prison system, also known as the Gulag Archipelago. And that became the title of his book, one that opened many eyes to the dark evil of Soviet communism. In the 1970s, I don't know if some of you are old enough to remember that. In the 1970s, many thought that there was no way to prevent the Soviet Union from dominating the entire planet. They had more missiles, more bombs than we did. And yet, by 1989, the Berlin Wall had fallen. And communists were being removed from power in Russia and all across Eastern Europe. And historians still try to figure out how the Soviet Empire crumble so fast. And they often give credit to Ronald Reagan, to Margaret Thatcher, and to Pope John Paul II. But I would suggest if Alexander Solsenitsyn had not lit his candle, exposing the darkness he endured, I think the world would look quite different and likely much darker than it does today. Because one man decided to light his candle. 1956. She and her 10-month daughter returned to the United States, but then they decided to light a candle. And they went back to Ecuador. And they spent two years living with the Alca Indians, the people who had killed her husband. And during that time, she told them about Jesus and how God forgives anyone and everyone who trusts in him. And some of the very men who had murdered her husband and four of his colleagues, they became Christians. They became believers in Jesus. And after that, Elizabeth Elliot lit many candles as she wrote and spoke about God had sustained and taught her so much during those dark times. And how he continued to pour his grace into her life each and every day. So even in dark times, Christians have been able to light candles that provide light and illumination that the Lord would use to impact countless people. And it's an encouragement to us, it's an encouragement to you. Do not give up. Do not be discouraged. Let your light shine. Light the candle that God is calling you to light, and trust Him to use you to accomplish the purpose that He has for you. Because He has a purpose for each one of you. Light that candle. Thirdly, don't be discouraged. Don't give up because even in the darkest night there is one light that will never go out. Never. Never. Listen to what the Apostle John writes. First John, I'm sorry, first the Gospel of John. In him, in the word made flesh, in Jesus, in him was life. And that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. And then verse 9, the true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. And then John later records these words that Jesus spoke. I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Even as we let our light shine, even as we light that candle, we want to make sure that we're reflecting the true light. In reality, none of us are able to generate light on our own. We're not like the sun. We are like the moon. Okay? We reflect the light of the sun. Or you might say it is the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer in Jesus. He's the one who enables us to generate light. In a sense, the light of Christ is shining through us. The significance is this light of the sun, S-O-N, not S-U-N, this light of the sun will never stop shining. Even if there's no moon to reflect its light, this sun will never stop shining. Jesus, the light of the world, will continue to dispel darkness. Even if his light is not shining through our lives, his light will keep shining. Folks, the New Testament points to a couple of important truths that are good to remember. First, as time goes on, as history moves forward, the darkness will seem to get deeper. Yes, sin is always pervasive, false teachers always abound, and as the Apostle John says, there have been many, many Antichrists. Yet the Bible seems to indicate that things will get worse before the Lord Jesus returns. In Matthew 24, Jesus describes some things that will happen, that would happen in 70 AD, but clearly some of the things Jesus talks about in Matthew 24 are yet to come. They haven't happened yet. For example, Matthew 24, 21. For then there will be a great tribulation, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be equaled again. False teachers, false messiahs, not an antichrist, but the antichrist will be part of this. And my speculation is that though evil has always been present, developments in technology enable evil to have a greater and greater impact as time goes on. And so the world will not be getting better and better until Jesus returns. And yet, at the same time, despite the perverse of evil, the light will continue to shine. Jesus' light will shine through his church as we as believers reflect Jesus' light into the darkness. Matthew 24, 14, and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations. And then, after that happens, then the end will come. The light of Jesus will shine in every part of this world. And that fulfills what the Lord Jesus told Peter back in Matthew chapter 16. Verse 18, on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I didn't have that one in the slide, so that's what it says, though. On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Note that the church is on the offense, not the defense. The church is destroying the kingdom of the evil one. And ultimately the church will prevail. As we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who've been called according to his purpose. And indeed, God is the one who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. And thus we can be confident that the darkness will not overcome the light. But the light will be conquering the darkness. And so as time goes on, we as Christians can be confident that the darker the night becomes, the brighter the light will shine. The brighter the light will shine. Jesus is the light of the world, and anyone and everyone who trusts in Him, trusts in Him as Savior and Lord, will have that light of life. That means experiencing forgiveness of sin and having guilt and shame wiped away. It means finding freedom from the sinful actions and attitudes that often cripple us and prevent us from loving the Lord and others as we should. It means hope. Means hope no matter how dark things seem. Jesus provides hope even in the face of death, the hope of conquering death, the hope of resurrection and eternal life. That, friends, that's the light of the gospel. And if for whatever reason you haven't seen that light, you're not experiencing that light in your life, all you need to do is to turn to the Lord Jesus and trust in him. If you're not sure what that means, or not sure you're really doing that, I know Pastor Chris would be delighted to talk to you. Plenty of other people here would be glad to do that. If you're not sure, am I really trusting in Jesus, the light of the world, make sure you have that conversation. Because folks, that light of Christ, that light of the gospel, will never, ever go out. Okay, so even those things seem to be getting darker around us, there's no reason for despair, there's no reason to lose hope, there's no reason to give up. Things might not be quite as dark as they seem. God can use even just one person who trusts and obeys him to light up some very dark situations, and ultimately Jesus is the light of the world, and the light of his gospel will overcome the darkness. Knowing that, remembering that should encourage you as you seek to serve the Lord here at Rockwell Church. Be of good cheer. God can use us. If he can use one person, he can certainly use a whole church. And the light of Jesus will never go out. So, friends, I would just say, as you seek to do what the Lord is calling you to do, as you serve with whatever gifts and strengths he's given you, 1 Corinthians 15, 58. Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. Those are encouraging words. Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. So let your light shine. Go out there and light some candles. By God's grace and for his glory, go out there and light some candles this week. Amen.