The Church of God in the City of Man

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

~Matthew 5:14-16

When our Lord says "You are the light of the world," He's not talking to you or me personally. "You" is plural. He is speaking to us, together. The church. His people gathered.

How do we know that? Because He goes on to describe us as "a city set on a hill." individuals spread across the countryside to not constitute a city, even though there may be as many people in the countryside as there are in the city. Cities have clear boundaries; people live in close proximity to one another. There are many more factors of shared life among people in the city than their country neighbors. Their identity as a city is based on their relationship and proximity to one another.

We are the light of the world together. We are the light in the way we worship our Lord. We are the light in the way we love one another. We are the light in the way we live in the midst of our dark world. And we are the light through the good news that we believe, live and share with those in our lives. As we, together, worship, love, live and share, our light shines in ways that cannot be hidden.

Within the city of Chicago, Hope Church Chicago is a city set on a hill to be the light of the world. That's not just true of us; it's true of every church that proclaims the good news of reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ and whose people live in relationship with our God and one another.

That's the core idea behind the series of messages that I'll be preaching from 1 Corinthians. City Lights will inspire and instruct us from this ancient church about being God's people in Chicago in 2023.