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December 23, 2020 1:00 am
With joyful carols filling the air, the Christmas season is upon us. Economy experts say the season is pivotal for retailers, and during this time of year many get caught up in the materialistic desires of our culture. It’s sad that so much darkness is around us, but that’s why we look to Jesus as our source of light.
Click here to listen (Duration 25:02)One reason for us to Jesus longer remember with happy music. The Christmas season is upon us economy experts using gene for retailers making money for the year.
It's sad that so much darkness permeates our culture. No, that's why we look to Jesus as our source of life from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is with Dr. when Sir was clear teaching make it across the finish line, Esther Luther, today you begin a series on the gift Jesus brought to us helplessly past the tinsel begins really matter. You know, Dave. Every single year.
We emphasize the fact that Christmas is all about Jesus, but I want to be very honest and say that often, even though we say that in the end it turns out to be all about us. I hope that this Christmas is going to be different as we think about the gifts that Jesus brought to us and the wonder of the incarnation. I like to remind people that Jesus is not only a Savior. He is also the creator by him were all things created and this is your last opportunity. The last day, we are making available this very special resource hardback book entitled a closer look at the evidence reading for every single day of the new year. For example, if you are reading in February 17 you would learn all about the stick insect and you'd see a picture and you'd see how God created it so that it can exist. Absolutely fascinating. Thank you in advance for your support of this media ministry and if you are interested in this special resource. Here is what you do go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 thanks in advance for helping us because together we are making a difference and now we talk about the Savior whom we worship and love as a how y'all doing everyone doing well ever thought what would happen if an alien from outer outer space were to come here and be given the assignment of parking his spaceship in the daily Plaza and then being asked to figure out the Christmas season is all about. He of course would you emphasize the fact that it's a very busy time. A lot of merchants are making a lot of money. There is a time of revelry, but I don't know that he would ever get to the real heart of what the Christmas spirit and what Christmas is really all about anything were to go into some of our town halls or some of our plazas. I he would discover that there are no Christmas trees. There are only holiday trees that are available and are lit up, you know, to those who want to just call it a holiday tree. I want to ask the question what holiday is it that you're talking about we get.
Would you at least say the word Christmas.
Who would have ever dreamed that a Christmas tree in public places would be considered to be a threat amendment. But the real purpose of Christmas is that Jesus Christ is the one who gave us gifts that we can enjoy gifts that bring us to God the father and that give us a whole new purpose in life and actually even change our destiny. The Bible says in John chapter 1 that Jesus Christ came and he brought light and the dark. This did not overcome it. Darkness cannot overcome like no matter how dark it is in a cave I candle can make a great difference because darkness never overcomes light.
You can go into Ace Hardware today and you can buy a flashlight, but you can't buy a flash dark you can't say what you know I live in this house and it's got so many windows and oftentimes I just need a little bit of darkness.
Can I buy a flash dark know you can buy a flash dark, but you can buy a flashlight and the light overcome the dark in the New Testament we read that when Jesus Christ came the people who sat in darkness.
The Bible says if seen a great light, and those who have been sitting in the realm of death to them light has come. Jesus Christ is the one who brings light to darkness and when the Bible plays off of this motif of light and darkness when it does that what you discover is the darkness actually is around, in which people live there is such a thing as moral darkness. Some of you perhaps listening to this message. That's where you are at. There's a sense in which you're living in moral darkness, you're in relationships that you know are sinful and you're trying to assuage your troubled conscience and you're doing the best you can in moral dark. There is emotional darkness. There is depression there is hope nest.
There is even spiritual darkness where you recognize that something is wrong don't know what it is and you go looking for the answer in all the wrong places.
Jesus is indeed the one who brings light. Would you take your Bibles please and turn to John chapter 12 John chapter 12 actually, you can turn to John chapter 12 if you wish, but I'm going to be in John chapter 8. As it turns out, in verse 12, right John chapter 8 verse 12 and again Jesus spoke to them saying I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in the dark is but will have the light of the life even in the Old Testament God was spoken of as being a God of light. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I think it was the prophet Micah who said that, rejoice not against me. Oh my Nana me though I fall I shall rise again in the Lord shall be like about me. But even though light is mentioned in the Old Testament in connection with God.
When Jesus Christ come when he comes suddenly there is this burst of light rather than the flashlights of the Old Testament. What you have is the glory of God personally revealed.
It is as if Jesus brought a floodlight to the entire world. What I'd like to do in the next few moments in my remarks will be brief. What I'd like to do is to give you five characteristics of light or five necessities five reasons why light is so necessary and let's set think about each one of them in turn. First of all light is necessary for life light is necessary for life. You know, of course, that this is so true in the physical world. If you were to take the plants that are growing in your window if you have some like that in you take them into the basement take them into a cave, cut them off from light. What you'll discover is that they will die photosynthesis which is so important. That's why it is that the grain that was in the pyramids that was there for thousands of years. That's why didn't grow needed moisture, but it also needed sunlight and in the very same way, what the sun is to physical life. Jesus Christ is to spiritual life.
The Bible says that he came to give us life and to give it to us more abundant and just indeed, like a seed may grow in the ground and then the sunlight nourishes it in the very same way, by his own word, he begat us.
The Bible says by the word of truth. So God begat us and granted us life and this life that Jesus gives is not life after we die, though it is that most assuredly, it is life right now because eternal life is granted to all those who believe on Jesus. Even at this moment. Eternal life is given to us and that is a relationship with God.
A connection with God and finally we find the answer to our quest. Life is necessary. Light is necessary for life light is also necessary for guidance. Jesus said that if you follow me, you will not walk in darkness, light is necessary for guidance as many of you know I was brought up in a farm in Canada and there was a time when we did not have electricity later on I'll tell you what life was like. Once we had electricity but 10. We used to use lanterns coil oil lamps in the house of lanterns on our way to the barn and the other buildings. I remember as a boy being with my father as he carried that lantern that light gave us enough light for the next steps we couldn't see too far ahead, but bless God we knew where we were walking and we knew that we were on the right path.
The Bible says thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
There's a verse in Proverbs. I've often contemplated it says in chapter 4 that the wicked walk and they don't know what it is that they are stumbling.
What a vivid picture what a true picture of those who go about in life from one mistake to another one, send to another one addiction to another, one religion to another and they can't seem to find what it is that they are looking for because they're looking for it and there walking in darkness and when you walk in darkness, you can't tell the difference between a brick that might be made out of concrete or gold that you can't tell the difference. And so you stumble along and you can't find out where you are going, so the Scripture is very clear here that light is needed for guidance.
We need to know about our relationship with God. We need to know where we are apt in terms of that relationship and we need to know what life is all about. And for that you need light it's in the very same proverb in chapter 4 where the Bible says this, that the light of the Jost are like the dawn that gets brighter and brighter until the fullness of day when you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. He guides you he direct all the way to your heavenly home and the light gets brighter and brighter as you go along the path, so light is also needed for guidance. Light is also needed to understand ourselves to understand who we are. It was get to and by the way that German Enlightenment philosopher don't pronounce his name. Both the okay. He wouldn't recognize that learn a little bit of German, which will put you in some good stead when you get to heaven and it's actually pronounced get to but he said this, only God knows who I really am, and may he preserve me from finding out that's really true. You see, the fact is that you and I love darkness. We are born into darkness and we love it.
Listen to what Jesus said in John chapter 3 he said this and this is the judgment that light has come into the world and people love darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But whoever does what is truth comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds had been carried out by God while you and I are darkness junkies were born that way. We preferred the darkness and we preferred the darkness.
We don't want to come to the light for a number of reasons. First of all because of shame.
I'm thinking for example of the woman in a primitive country who took her on the look dirty close to the river because there were other women there washing their clothes as well. She did not undo the bundle she simply took it as a bundle and water and then brought it up, and after doing that a few times she went home.
That's the way in which we are we don't want to even expose our sins to God because we have rationalized them. We have told ourselves lies and we have repeated those lies long enough so that we are committed to the darkness and the Bible exposes us, doesn't it. Another reason is because of fear we think to ourselves and don't all of us think this that if people really knew who we were. If they really understood our thoughts if they really understood our motivations. If they understood the privacy of our own hearts and what we are doing, they would reject as they would be shocked because of all of the evil that is really latent within us even if we don't live it out. And so we don't want to know who we are and the Bible comes along and exposes us and the Scripture teaches us this that there is enough dark this in this culture that if you want to live in darkness. You can know not only have lots of company.
But you'll be able to remain hidden in that realm darkness with all of its delusion it out was Luther who said that the problem with the common man who doesn't know God is that he is blind he is sick and he is dad actually actually dead, not just sick but the problem is that he thinks he can see, and he believes himself to be alive what it delusion. There is when you walk in darkness, the hidden life unwilling to come to the light so light actually shows us who we are but light also shows God, for whom he is because God is light and in him there is no dark at all.
Not at all.
And the Bible says that if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, God's son cleanses us from all sin. Walking in the light means that I expose myself to God everything that he reveals to me that is sinful. I confess it to God. I own my stuff. I admitted to him. He is the one who forgives me and cleanses me so that I can walk with God because God is light that the only way we can walk with him is if we walk in light and because of our sinfulness, we constantly need the cleansing that comes to those who want to walk with God and in order to see God. We must be willing to come to the light member that famous story in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah gave six blows to the people around them. He said hello to the drunkards. Woe to those who exploit the poor will low low, but when he gets to chapter 6, the seventh, woe is woe is me because in the presence of God. Finally, all pretense and in the presence of God. Finally we see our hidden sin in the presence of God.
We see now who we are and it is there that we received the knowledge of who we are, but also the cleansing that enables us to go on you member Joe who was arguing with God and asking all of those philosophical question and then God came along and asked questions of his own and finally Job said, I have heard of the by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eyes sees the. Therefore, I repent in dust and in ashes. As a matter fact it's not possible for us to know who we are unless we understand who God is.
Calvin the great theologian said in the first sentence of his institutes. The third two questions that are paramount and one is the knowledge of God and the knowledge of self and it is clear that you can't have one without the other. If you've never come to God. If you've never been exposed to the Scriptures. You cannot have a knowledge of who you really are because we walk in darkness, and my friend today. Aren't you glad that Jesus Christ came to bring light to this world and we hear it running to win have the privilege of sharing that light in more than 20 different countries of the world and we do that because of the supportive people just like you and by the way, today's the last day, we are making a very special resource available to you. It's entitled a closer look at the evidence to scientists have written this hardback book. It contains pictures actual readings for 365 days of the new year and it'll help you to defend the faith to show the uniqueness of creation and the fact that we must believe in God. For a gift of any amount. This can be yours. Now here's what you do go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com will be mentioning that again. Get your pencil write it down. RTW offer.com or if you prefer, call us at 1-888-218-9337 thanks in advance for helping us. You are really partners along with us with your prayers and with your gifts is running to win continues to share the light I'm known for another chance for you to ask Pastor lutes or a question about the Bible or the Christian life. What you see is not always what you get.
Kathy lives in Oak Forest, Illinois and listens to running to win on W MBI here's her said account of a marriage gone bad. I was married in 2009 to a man I'd known for 15 years, a man who claimed to be a recent convert to Christ, he became quick friends with my pastor. He was kind, generous and loving until the day we set our eye dues from that point on he was the complete opposite. I hoped my then pastor through counseling us would help with the abuse and rage, alcoholism, pornography, and later run the adultery that did not happen. Since he took my husband's side. Thereafter it was just me and my husband a counselor I saw was troubled that a pastor could consider this kind of person.
One of his best friends. He didn't believe my husband was saved, but rather dangerous and mentally ill. I spoke with the elders and two meetings were called. The pastor was told to cut off ties with my husband. My husband left nine times in the first 10 months we were together after a threat to kill me. I made him leave and got a restraining order. There was no response to any of my offers to continue counseling or to attend a marriage retreat we divorced last May.
I've not heard a word from my pastor and have since left that church. Pastor lutes or I find it troubling that a pastor would refuse to support a sister in Christ, only to cultivate a strong friendship with someone who shows no signs of being saved and who was abused one of God's children. Also, I received no support from the women's ministry during any of this troubling time. Look at the first of all as a pastor, I want to say to you, I'm so sorry that you had to endure this experience and certainly the body of Jesus Christ failed you. From what you've said.
That seems clear and I don't know the pastor's motives. Of course, his friendship with this man apparently was so strong that he wasn't able to stand against him know that sometimes happens in churches to where you have elder boards where one elder is out of control and should be disciplined but all the rest are his friends and so the discipline doesn't happen and that clearly I know you feel betrayed and it's very important that you not carry with you the bitterness that might result because of the experience that you've had what I want to do, though, before I end this is to say a few words to women who might be in a similar position as you. First of all, it is very important that in a marriage relationship.
Each member on their own responsibility for their stuff, so to speak, and you know you as a wife cannot bear the responsibility for your husband.
As a matter of fact, he must own his own sin because you cannot change him, I say that to the wives out there you can can Joel him you can use Shane you can berate him, but the inner appetites if he is a man, for example, addicted to pornography or violence. Those inner appetites will not stop simply because you're trying to make him into the kind of man he really should be. And so what you have to do if you don't receive any help and if that marriage continues. You have to set up some circumstances that will force that man to come to terms with who he is, you know, I frequently say most people don't change when they see the light but when they feel the heat and what you must do is to warn him that you will indeed expose him that you will not only tell your pastor, but if the pastor doesn't respond, you will go elsewhere for help because the situation as it is. Cannot continue. And so I'd like to conclude by asking wives to be empowered.
Don't put up with abuse, especially if your husband is abusing your children go for help, let him know that things cannot continue the way in which they are because remember what he wants.
He wants to continue his lifestyle with a minimum of interruption. He doesn't even want to hit a speed bump, but what you must do is to make sure that indeed he knows that in the end he must come to terms with who he is and you're going to make sure that that's going to happen. God bless you, Kathy, and my heart goes out to all the women listening today who are in similar situations. Thank you Pastor lutes are and thank you Kathy for sharing your story with us if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor lutes or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, Illinois 6061 like Jesus brings can burn brighter every day. But sin can quickly douse that flight.
Next time why we must be diligent to walk in the paths of righteousness. Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin lutes or this is Dave Callister running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church