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especially for women, I mean men really don't have an equivalent chapter in the Bible that just kind of puts everything in one spot for us on how to act but that's what's so great about Proverbs 31 is ladies you can look at this and be like you know Proverbs 31 is talking about you know this isn't a person you know this is a virtual woman here this is someone that you know it's this is who this King his mother is telling him this is who you should be seeking is this woman this is the Ferrari that I was talking about last night this is the the woman that you want you know beauty is vain this is what you want this spiritual virtuous woman so it's just a great chapter in the Bible for women but I'm going to show you this morning I'm not going to keep you long I know we have a lot to do but I'm going to show you that also this is a great chapter for men as well in the Bible so what did we talk about last night we talked about darkness last night I depressed you all about darkness and not going into darkness and darkness is you know something that we came out of when we got saved spiritually but it is a real risk for us and it's a real danger for our Christian lives for our families for our churches for our children so it's something we always need to be aware of that we're not pulled back into physical philosophical darkness in our lives so let's land this plane this morning and let's talk about the light let's talk about walking in the light so this morning I'm not going to keep it too long but I want you to I want to give you some motivation this morning on why you should walk in the light so I'm going to give you a couple of reasons a couple of benefits of walking in the light in your life you say you know I'm going to be out of the darkness I want to be in the light and I'm going to see people going into the darkness and there could be that temptation that like looks like that that's a good time or there's there's fun over there in that darkness but I'm going to show you this morning how we need to be in the light and how there's real benefit in our lives about operating and walking in the light look down at Proverbs chapter 31 in verse number 15 so here we see in Proverbs 31 15 we see darkness used in the Bible but in this case it's unique because it's in a good way in this place look at Proverbs 31 15 where the Bible says about this virtual woman this woman that this ideal woman this virtuous woman in the Bible the Bible says she rises also while it is yet night and giveth meat to her household and a portion to her maidens notice here how it says so this woman gets up when it's night so I told you last night you shouldn't be operating in the night you shouldn't be doing things that happen in the night but in this case there's a difference here this woman doesn't stay up all night okay this woman isn't up all night she rises while it is yet night there's a big difference here okay she's rising so early in the morning that it's still dark outside is what the Bible is saying here so the first reason that you should operate in the light is we looked last night at all the damage that can be done by people that operate in the darkness damage they can do to other people as they try to drag them into that darkness just they go around and they separate remember they separate chief friends they separate people from each other and then they prey on the simple the Bible says so these people that operate in the darkness they're very destructive people they're very destructive people the opposite though is this woman she rises early in the morning why why does she rise early in the morning so the first reason that you should operate in the light is this you will be productive not destructive you will be a productive person if you notice anything about this woman as we read Proverbs 31 this is a productive woman she is rising early to be productive she's being productive she's a morning person she's a morning person look if you are a productive person you are going to be a morning person I hate to break it to you you don't have to like the fact that you're a morning person but it's just something that is going to happen to you what does it even mean to be a morning person to be a morning person look it's the most I mean to me it's the most productive part of the day the first two hours of the day I probably get 50% of the stuff done that I need to get done in those first two hours why there's no distractions you know you're you're kind of by yourself and your own thoughts you know there's no one else around if it wasn't for that two hours in the morning and if you're a morning person or productive person you know exactly what I'm talking about I would be probably half as productive in my life so that's this woman right here I mean just think about the things that happen once everybody gets up you start getting calls people are coming to you you know just the business of the day begins you know this woman in Proverbs 31 what this is showing is she's not wasting time she's not wasting time what that in that I'm quite frankly people just waste all their time you know if you look at you know the things of like just just put the side aside the wickedness of media and actually the content but you look at video games TV internet stuff whatever it is and if you just even take away the evil of the content it's a huge waste of time in your life so what this woman wasn't wasting any time so what here's the thing though you can't be a morning person if you're staying up all night you just won't be a morning person if you're staying up till our hours of the night you know hanging out in the darkness so this woman everything in Proverbs 31 is done in the philosophical light because she's a productive person so you go to bed early you solve that darkness problem and you're gonna be a productive person how many times have you been out soul winning and you're so when you knock on somebody's door at 11 30 in the morning or even noon and people come to the door and they're just like you know here's why they do that they do that because they're dark they're they're operating in darkness in their life they've been staying up there they didn't go to bed till one o'clock in the morning two o'clock in the morning that's why they sleep till noon that's why you see that person that comes to the door all groggy you've already been awake for seven hours and this person comes to the door there's oh what's going on like they're wasting their whole life because they're operating in darkness and that's what the Bible is talking about when this woman rises while it is yet night turn to 1st Peter chapter 2 turn to 1st Peter chapter 2 so what if you operate in the light you will be productive and not destructive it's like the opposite right you will build things you will build people you will build your Christian life you will have time to learn the Bible to be a thinking person to be on that number one worker the pastor talked about the other night so what that is what it takes to become you know to walk in the light you will become a productive person versus that destructive person operating in darkness here's another advantage of walking in the light look at 1st Peter chapter 2 1st Peter chapter 2 the Bible says this here look we're talking about living our life above board that's what we're talking about this morning we're talking about operating in the light living our life above board we don't have secrets in our lives we're not operating in physical darkness we're not operating in spiritual darkness we're not operating even in philosophical darkness we're not going around you know just saying things we ought not doing all these things look at 1st Peter chapter 2 in verse number 9 look what the Bible says it's talking about you right here it's talking about saved people but you're a chosen generation a royal priesthood and holy nation a peculiar people all the people in the dark they're gonna be seeing you operate in the light and be like that's weird why you know why don't they want to come in the dark with us that you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of what out of darkness into his marvelous light so you're operating here's some people that are operating in the light people think that's peculiar but there's an advantage to it they think it's peculiar but let's keep reading look what happens which in time past were not a people these were the you know the Gentiles but they're now the people of God we talked about this last night which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul you say walk walk in his marvelous light is what he's saying look at verse 12 now now here's here's another advantage of walking in the light saying having remember we're talking about going around people saying things they ought not to say people that go around operating in the dark and they say one thing to one person another thing to another person and all these different things but look at these people look at verse 12 these people are walking they're not only you know called out of darkness into that spiritual light but they're walking in the light and that's what we want to do look at the advantage having your conversation honest among the Gentiles you know what that's saying it's saying that your conversation is honest even amongst people that are not saved even amongst people that are still in darkness your conversation is honest these are the people that you know out in the world maybe men you go to work and you you know and everyone at work isn't saved but your conversation amongst those people is honest you're not engaging in all those things that other people engage in you're honest that look here's here's the benefit right here so your conversation is honest amongst those that whereas they shall speak against you as evildoers so some people are gonna you know they're gonna be like you're peculiar that's weird they're gonna trash talk the fact that you don't do what they do which is fine because look keep reading that they may by your good works so your works in the light folks which they shall behold they will notice this it's saying they will see this you know what it will glorify God in the day of visitation you know what this means is that you will have you will have a good reputation and you will be a good testimony unto these people that are in the dark even if they think you're peculiar even if at times some of them are you know ridiculing the fact that maybe you don't speak like these people you know what this there is probably no quicker way for a Christian to distinguish himself or herself than the way you speak you start a new job you go and visit a new place or you even go out in public anywhere just the way people talk today is completely ridiculous people talk today in a manner where if you don't like swear every fourth word right away they're gonna notice something's different about you they're gonna notice I mean just aside from not engaging in secrets and darkness and gossip and all these things just the fact that you speak in a certain way will be a witness unto people is what the Bible is saying here turn to Proverbs chapter 22 so what am I talking about what's the second advantage of walking in the light look at Proverbs chapter 22 Proverbs chapter 22 so look we're walking the light you both literally you know we're getting up early we're morning people we're being productive people we're not operating in secret we're upfront we're honest guess what people will notice this people will notice this look at Proverbs 22 here's the second advantage of walking in the light you will have a good reputation you will have what the Bible calls a good name look at Proverbs 22 1 the Bible says a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favor rather than silver or gold look folks a good testimony glorifies God that's what we just read in 1st Peter chapter 2 if you operate in the light people will notice this and you will have a good name the Bible says look this will pay dividends in your life having a good name it matters look I don't know why so many people that I have met in my life dismiss the value of this we need to pay attention to the things in the Bible that the Bible says this has great value the Bible talks about the virtuous woman being more valuable than rubies the Bible talks about a good name a good reputation being more valuable than gold and silver or great riches you know why gold and silver are and rubies are so valuable because they're rare because they're rare why are they rare they're hard to obtain they're hard to obtain so look a good reputation a good reputation a good name is extremely hard to obtain what does that mean it takes a lot of work it takes a lot of walking in that light to get a good name to get a good reputation and but but here's the thing it can be thrown away so easily it can be thrown away you could spend years and years and years building a good name in your life and it can be lost with one decision people need to realize this that's why look that's why that's why it's so rare because it's so hard to get look it takes works it takes walking in the light not talking about the light it takes actually walking in the light to build that reputation to build that and then people I mean people just dump it away with one decision I don't understand it I've seen it happen so many times I don't get it look here's the thing rule Bible believe in Christians we believe in forgiveness and guess what forgiveness is a one-way street did you know that did you know that if someone wrongs you you are to forgive them 70 times 7 they don't have to come to you and get down on their knees but I'm so sorry but you just to forgive them as soon as you possibly can as a person you are to forgive someone even before they apologize to you you know that it's a one-way street but guess what that doesn't mean that their name is going to be restored that doesn't mean that they will have trust that doesn't mean that that I mean for many people many people that are very forgiving people that doesn't mean they're gonna forget what has happened you know trust and a good name is extremely hard to build I remember my father-in-law before I was even married my father-in-law is a he's a well-known cattleman in western North Dakota and I remember before I was even married I went to a cattle auction I went to a livestock auction with my father-in-law if you never been to a livestock auction what they do is they there's a there's a big kind of stadium where people sit around and there's a big ring and what they do is they run the animals into the ring and there's an auctioneer he's like I can't even do it right but it's just like I never understood as a kid I go to these as a kid and I just like how do you know what he's saying but everyone's in there and they're just kind of like you know and you got the guy he just scratches his nose to make a bid or whatever you know and but they didn't even have to run my father-in-law's cattle into the ring I this sticks with me to this day they just said you know we have Gordon Cattermus and he's got this many head of Angus cattle and the bids just the bids started and closed before they no one needed to see the cattle because because of his name because of his reputation and look that took years to build that that took years that look that took decades to build that type of reputation where people didn't even need to see the product they just knew the man who who ran that operation and they knew those were going to be the best cattle and we know that we're gonna we're gonna want those cattle but guess what it took years to build that but it could have been lost in one decision he could have ripped off one person he could have shorted one person he could have maybe gave you know subpar animals to just one person and it would all be gone off one decision think about that think about that in your lives it takes years to build this name and one thing that you do you're like this this sounds really hard look it is hard that's why it's rare that's why it's a rare thing you say what kids are like yeah well I'm a kid turn to Proverbs chapter 21 or Proverbs chapter 20 sorry go to Proverbs chapter 20 and look there's some people out there that may forgive but they will just they will never think of you the same you will never fully get your name back to some people you know what it's it's kind of the people that kind of have that name themselves it's kind of people who have who have built a name themselves and walk in the light themselves and they see somebody throw their name away they see they throw their reputation away those are kind of the people that you know it'll take you the longest to build back your name up to those people so it's something we need to be very very careful about even kids kids are like well this is for adults look at Proverbs chapter 20 the Bible says this look at verse number 11 it says even a child says even a child is known by his doings my grandma used to work use that word all the time you know what doings means it means it means your works it means the stuff that you do you know guess what first impressions are made right away I'm sure everybody's gonna drive home and you know I mean look all the kids here are very nice kids and I mean that's the conversation I've already had with my wife but guess what you know why we know that you're nice kids here because we come here and we see your doings we see how friendly everyone is look a child is nobody's doings and people get first impressions very quickly you need to be very careful even kids you say how do I how do I protect my name here's how you protect your name you operate in the light that's all you have to do to build a good name and protect that good name you operate in the light you say well you know you think about my life and you're like you're thinking about your life and I'm like I I don't want to be in the light because I don't want people to see what's there well guess what they need to fix those things you need to fix those things in your life so you can be in the light and you can operate in the light so you'll see you'll be productive so far you won't be destructive and you see operating in the light you will build and you will keep a good name as long as you stay in the light see this is why I this is why your life matters so much what you do in your life matters so much it matters it matters to how much you profit those around you James chapter 2 and it also matters you know for your own reputation you know so if you're thinking about you know I need to be in the light more in my life and there's some areas where I need to get out of the darkness into the light but you know what you just need to fix the things that you wanted to keep in the dark and get rid of those things and then just stay in the light know what that means it means be real it means be a real person you say it's easy for you to say you're a pastor here's the thing here's the thing I've been a pastor for like eight months okay like I'm you know there's some things in my life I'm pretty confident about I'm like I'm an expert at some things I've been a pastor for eight months and I tell people I'm like look I'll try to do the best I can to make the best decision in every situation but it's like you know I'm not gonna guarantee I'm gonna make the right decision every single time but guess what I'm gonna be real with you I'll be real with you I'll be honest with you I'll be upfront with you and there may be cases where maybe I make a decision and you would have made a decision different or something like that you got to recognize that about your pastor I'm just I'm trying to do best I can here and you know I've been doing this for eight months I'm just trying to get you know I'm trying to keep this thing on the road but just be real in your life be transparent in your life operate in the light in your life and it will pay off for you you'll be more productive and guess what you'll have a good name and that is valuable in your life it'll pay off in your life go to back to Proverbs 31 and let's just wrap it up right here go back to Proverbs chapter 31 I want to explain a statement I made last night I told you that Proverbs chapter 31 is it's just as valuable for the men as it is for the women what it says about this woman it says who could find a virtuous woman for her price is far above rubies it didn't say she's you know like rubies it says she's better than rubies this woman has more value than rubies you notice how a good name is compared to great riches silver and gold like there's there's much value in a good name there's also like much value in this virtuous woman this mother is telling you know the king we need to pay attention to these value statements in our lives you say well I'm a young man and I'd like to find a virtuous woman one day well I told you that Ferraris don't marry Volkswagens look at verse number 23 because the Bible says here this woman's husband didn't crawl out of a dumpster this woman's husband was not operating in the dark look what it says about the husband of the virtuous woman right here so here's a woman that she is literally priceless she is priceless she's so rare that no one can find one but you know they're there they're there guys look at verse 23 her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land you know what the gates are the gates was this spot in the city between the two walls and this is where the leaders of the city would go this is where the king would sit to pass judgment you know when Solomon would pass judge he was sitting in the gates this is where the king would go sit in the gates this is where the elders the leaders of the land you know the only woman in the Bible that is called a virtuous woman is Ruth Ruth is called a married Ruth Boaz Boaz went to the gates in Ruth chapter 4 and the men at the gates had great respect for Boaz the reason that Boaz was able because Boaz was a Ferrari to see Ruth Ferrari Ferrari deal that's how that works he was known in the gates we need to pay serious attention to every time the Bible says this has great value in your life don't be like oh you know a good name is like so that's a neat little statement no a good name has great value in your life and to get it takes a ton of work and you can't go in the darkness and you just drop into the darkness for a little bit and it's gone but I built it for 30 years I built it for 10 years doesn't matter it's gone now you got to rebuild it you may never build it back to that that place that it was do we need to pay great attention to how we live our lives you know the Bible talks about it the Bible is just is begging us is begging us to to walk in the light and it's saying it's so many different ways you know it's got so much it's more valuable what the Bible is saying is it's more valuable to walk in the light than anything you could ever pursue on this earth so we need to walk in the light you'll be a productive person you'll be that number one worker you know you'll find what you walk in the light you will find a virtuous woman see this is what everybody all the young people they mix up today like they have this idea of the person you know girls and boys they have this idea of these young people have this idea this person that's this perfect person that they want to marry and they have it all when the when the perfect person that they the person they should be working on is themselves because they need to become either that virtuous woman oh here's all you got to do to get married to the right person become the virtuous woman ladies become Proverbs 31 and then just pray to God Lord send me a Boaz why wouldn't God answer that prayer same thing with the young men young men operate in the light get a good name look if you don't have a good name you will never vary a virtuous woman because that virtuous that young lady has a father and he's gonna know your name before you marry his daughter this is why you need to operate in the light this is why reputation is something that God puts forth is something that we need to work to keep and to build so operating in the light has so many benefits for your life all you have to do is operate in the light and then it will all work out from there stay out of the darkness there's all benefit over here nothing but detriment and destruction in the dark let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer your Heavenly Father thank you for this camp meeting Lord I thank you for just the opportunity to be here and and to fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ what I help I pray and as we go back into the world into our jobs into you know back outside of this you know great group of people of Christians brothers and sisters you help us to just recognize the darkness recognize who's in it stay out of it and then also we're just recognize the great benefit that you have for us if we operate in the light we'll be productive we'll be productive Christians we'll be getting people saved we'll pull other people out of the darkness into the light and and we'll build the reputation that you want us to have Lord we love you and we thank you for all these things in Jesus name amen