Jesus, the Light of the World

Jesus says the lights of the world with the lights of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in the darkness, but will have the life rights of life, or tremendous statement that Jesus not only gives lights. He does that very statement is stronger than that. He saying I the lights of the world and that the person who follows me shall not walk in the darkness, but will have the lights of life Christmas were celebrating the Lord Jesus Christ comes into this world as the lights of the world.

All of us rejoice in the doorway is my question. Do you prefer light or the darkness. All of us would say we preferred the light is mature that we sometimes go into the darkness so resold of the desert nomad living in a tent in the desert and he wakes up in the middle of the night and is very hungry.

He lights a candle and he begins eating dates takes one day and he finds from the old days he takes more than he finds that there's a worm, and the date he throws it away. He takes another date defines there's a worm in the date of the worm looks of the dates that he's thrown away and then he puts out the candle and quickly ate some of the rest of the case as quickly as he could sometimes do that rather than facing the reality of worms in the dark. He chooses the dark. You find yourself in worms in the dark went to the dark side to think secretly doing things in the dark, doing things that you know are wrong. You keep doing them. You say you want to live in alliance but you keep returning to the Wessler by the mind and you darkness if you have your Bible. First of all John chapter 8's going to read the verse I quoted the famous verse John H. Verse 12 and I will read a few verses from chapter 9. So John's gospel chapter eights verse 12.

Again Jesus spoke to them saying I am the lights of the world, not just Israel but on the light of the world who ever notice that is not powerful. Whoever glued yourself that you miss me.

Whoever follows me shall not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life to marry this one was impressed by you saw a man blind from birth and his disciples asked him, Rabbi, who send this man or his parents that he was born blind is answered is not that this man sins on his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is date night is coming when no one can work as long as I'm in the world are in the light of the world.

Having said these things he spent in the ground and made mud with the saliva that he anointed the man's eyes with the mud and said to go wash in the pool of solo which been sent.

So we went and washed and came back seeing here were introduced to a man who was born blind is blind from birth. Verse one says is one thing is indebted to lose one's eyesight in the old age quite another thing never to have seen a tall, could you imagine being blind from birth, never seeing your family never seeing the blue sky, never seeing green grass never seeing a sunrise or sunset, never seeing arose, never seeing a brightly colored birds living in total darkness such as this man is lived in total darkness all of his life, he stumbles through life depending on others to help them depending on others to provide for him read investigates that because of his blindness. He was reduced to begging a man all of his life living in darkness but is something worse than physical darkness.

That is to live all of your life and indeed all of eternity and spiritual darkness.

We often we as human beings, including ourselves here this morning, we often choose the darkness is not truth. Don't ever wonder in our world are there so much sadness, tears failure addictions abuse problems arguments divorce betrayals destructions violence crime, murder and grief in the world under I was that doesn't get any better with our civilization doesn't answer spiritual blindness polarize the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving blinds to spiritual realities, blind to the truth blind is it worth to the worms in the dark, which we continue to eat blind to the true lights. Sometimes we get so used to the dark that we think is normal. We stumble around in the darkness, falling and injuring ourselves, and often as were in the dark hurting other people, even people that we love there close to us making a mess of her life, looking down into the darkness rather than looking to Jesus who is the light of the world. John tells us in his magnificent prologue and John one verse nine that Jesus is the true lights so John which gives light to every one. The light is there a problem is that we often choose the darkness you responding to the light. This past year. The light shone the light of Jesus Christ the light of the gospel, the light of God, who is lights to face with the lights. You know this. Sometimes we close our eyes to we don't want to. We preferred the dark. We resisted we want to keep on eating our worms in the dark and we resist the light shines into your life John Chrysostom, the famous preacher both said men with sore eyes visibly quote men with sore eyes to find the light painful. While the darkness which Ms. them to see. Nothing is restful and agreeable. This is about. After all, we we get comfortable with the dark I Jesus says in John three verse 19 that men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. We often prefer the direct to the lights and light as it shines, causes some eyes open and it blinds others eyes. If you're in John nine go over to verse 59 for something very interesting.

Jesus is in dialogue with the Pharisees, the parties is very upset that Jesus has given sites a blind man and out interrogating the mind. If you know the context of John nine and notice what Jesus says here in verse 13, nine for judgment.

I came into this world that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. One of these is what riddles paradoxes that Jesus tells basis. Think that those who do not see may see are those who seem like the Pharisees.

They think they see. But as they are exposed to the light of Jesus Christ. There existed, and so continue in their blindness living in the dark or you living in the light. Describe your life over 20, 21, I heard a man say to some tenets men I'm in if you could say this if your married and have children you say this to your son or your daughter a teenage son or daughter you say this month that this threesome son.

You can watch what I watch you can go where I go you can read what I you can look on your iPhone and see all the IC's of manners and that is living in the lights. A man not living with some darkness hiding some men, could you say that your son daughter 56 things that your life is a word is an open book that you living in the lights rather than living in the shadows.

Today the call of Jesus comes to all of us are thinking of some of the titles and designations giving to the Lord Jesus Christ as the king is the Messiah, as Emmanuelle is the Savior now.

The title is this the lights of the world want you to hear the call of Jesus today, June is a living Christ is what is eternal. I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me shall not live in the dark but will have the lights of life.

I want you to follow Jesus and live action or ordinary life in the lights that would be wonderful so it is first of all experience the lights to experience the light. The Bible says that God is lights and then him there is no darkness at all. In Jesus, who is God incarnate in Jesus the light of heaven has come to the lights so John shines in the darkness and the light reveals what we really are that light shines into our hearts into the in the recesses of viewing revealing our selfishness, revealing of rebellion, revealing our proud hearts, revealing agreed on the loss than all is involved in our human existence.

You see this lights God's light. The light of Jesus is no shifting shadows.

This light never flatters someone comes to us and say they messed up. It didn't really matter that that's okay no it's not okay. This light never flatters this light always is truthful and it shines into your heart and mind. This is amazing story.

John nine. He was a man blind from birth. Now there is no question whether or not Jesus has the power to heat to heal the manna given sites Jesus is God and with one spoken word he can give that man his site.

After all, he's the one who in the beginning said, let there be light and there was light.

No question about the power of Jesus to heal this man question is, is the man going to pay is a man going to response.

Did you notice what Jesus said in verse seven goal wash in the pool of Salam. Some of you been to Israel and we will we go we go to the pool of civil think of the story that just as the something very unusual is a bit gross takes a month the Spitzer's organize map on the Iceman eyes of the man system go wash in the pool of solo strange legend of the minded argument. Jesus is the way this is a little disrespectful to me. You're making mind and your putting on my eyes. Then you telling me to go and wash it off. I dig up with the other.

The first place. The mind doesn't do that. The man obeys Jesus one old Puritan writer says he obeyed Jesus blindly, that's faith is he's in the dark and is going to step out into the light.

What is going to do so on the terms of Jesus and before is going to experience the light that is got to be the abrasions of faith is got to be the step of faith from darkness into light. Sometimes people say well your faith is stepping into the darkness. Faith in Christ is stepping into the light you're stepping darkness into the light of this illustrated brilliantly in this story that Jesus tells us mind you go and wash in the pool of Salam and we read the end of verse seven.

So he went and washed and came back see marvelous into the lights darkness response to think of some examples that staff of faith perhaps is the initial step of faith and trust in Christ as your Savior stepping from your sin with other than Christmas Eve repenting from your sin and embracing Christ trusting Christ as your Savior or perhaps you're not a follower of Jesus is the step of faith a few months ago reminded me that I needed to be reminded. She said it is that by step when life is difficult, and sometimes you feel you can put one foods in front of another. What is the call of the gospel, and it seems there is darkness and there seems to be confusion at the same sometimes you don't really want to go on life seem so difficult felt life is so difficult that you wonder how my going to get through this. This is what the Christian does. It's one step one step from your darkness, your confusion, your grief, your heartache, whatever it is one step at a time with Jesus. I am to follow him.

Here is the promise of the gospel that if I follow Jesus Christ. I will not walk in darkness have though lights of life.

I want one step at a time. You're like me, you want all of your life to be mapped out by the Lord so you know exactly where you're going on the circumstances that will go that will happen is usually not the case. He calls us to. And this often once step of faith and with Jesus is always always said into the light. When the Holy Spirit works in your soul when you hear the word of Jesus is aware will be Christ will be Christ did you hear Jesus speak to you this past year's work was going get baptized in. You never done that. Perhaps it was to trust Christ you never done that. Perhaps it was the sound of him in some way you've never done it was to take that one step of faith and you so far, no debate.

We take that step of faith. You know what it is you say Todd uses the Viggo knows not that difficult, is much more difficult for you if you stay in your dark because the light of Jesus Christ dispels darkness on the cross he takes all of the darkness over said he rises from the date he offers us the living Christ forgiveness of sins, and he offers us in this promise in John 812.

He promises us all life in the light doesn't mean to say is always easy. This is with us always in the lines this man who obeyed Jesus a grueling experience of who Jesus was upsetting to you experience the light. Do you notice verse 11 how he refers to Jesus. Verse 11 said the man called Jesus made mod and anointed my eyes and said to be go to Solomon wash his first reference to Jesus is the man called Jesus the 17 then University Jesus.

So they got said to the blind man what you say about him since you opened your eyes and said to him that he is a prophet.

First of all universe Jesus as the man Jesus. Secondly, refers to him as a prophet's and then verse 33 as they examined him. He says if this man was not from God is a man his name Jesus is a prophet. He some guards and then finally, in verse 38, he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshiped him.

A man called Jesus a prophet, someone from God. Now he is the Lord, I believe my worship was the point is you follow Jesus Christ. You have a grueling and wonderful deepening of your faith. The deeper and deeper understanding of the wonder of our Lord Jesus Christ to those who responds take that step of faith and experience the light God reveals more light 2000 and John you take this set.

I think that's that into the light most then it is to those who responds more light is given to those who responds the stay in the darkness experience that your Christian life brother sister Proverbs 4 verse 18 the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that grows brighter and brighter.

To the full day wonder following Jesus Christ to experience an ever increasing lights as I follow my Lord Jesus Christ, and the ups and those of my first experience the light. Secondly, follow the light guide to the children of Israel through the wilderness. GPS no. What was God provided a pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. They followed the light in the darkness. God led his people by a supernatural lights. He gave a light but no full reveler full revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus says I am the light, not just giving a light. I am the lights and he is in the darkness we have secrets we have habits. We have lifestyles that we don't want to expose within the darkness. The smallest obstacle contributes up. That's why you continue to live in the darkness more you make a mess of it. But Jesus says if you follow me, you'll not walk in the darkness, working David Psalm 27 verse one the Lord is my lights and my salvation whom shall I fear the Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid Jesus will never lead you into the darkness as you follow other people, even good people they can lead you in the darkness they can give you bad information. They can lead you to do wrong things but my Lord Jesus Christ. All always leads me into the light. Just as a lighthouse acts as a warning to ships when I follow Jesus when you follow Jesus, but these warnings under don't do that. Stay away from that you're getting off course stay on target.

Keep your eyes on the moment of truth be told, you've got off course and you need to admit before God that your eyes been off Jesus, you are not walking in the light summer hundred 19 verse 105 your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path every day the Lord Jesus is Lord shines on my feet shines on your path when you keep following Jesus Christ you will never go into the darkness. I realize the darkness is often the loading is something attractive about temptation beckons us to follow Jesus and when the lie to theirs.

The allurement of the darkness backing us, and try this so easily we can get us of Jesus, the lights exposes the darkness.

I remember when Greg and I first arrived in the United States we experience come to the culture shock was very exciting, but things are very different and were living in big D Dallas, Texas where everything is big and we enjoyed there it was fascinating but there was one aspect of life in dollars. The good never got used to personally I thought was a bit of an overreaction.

But I'm a sensitive husband and I tried to take care of my wife.

She's no idea what to say it's okay I love you. She didn't like cockroaches. We had never seen cockroaches younger cockroaches in the federal islands is far too cold and younger cockroaches in Scotland the only cockroach I had ever seen before going to the states was in her biology class. I had to buy sector by sector cockroach which do not just to be a massive system like wax. A total mess of it was a cockroach of the Dallas and are comfortable just really harmless something I'm not sure what why would a fit of cockroaches going to apartments you put on the lights and there's a cockroaches and very quickly moving to the drifting little holes.

The lights exposes the cockroaches the cockroaches love the darkness like Tom's and it exposes their evil deeds and disappear. So what is with your life. The word of God, the light of Jesus into your life. That's why everything you need to be in this book. That's why calibrated in our worship and our preaching and our teaching is biblically centered his autism inspirational little storytelling. Its focus on the word of God. Why because we need to be exposed to the light the way we get off track. We get in the darkness on the light shines and tells me John get back on you to do for Jesus first experience alike.

Secondly, to follow Jesus always lead you into the light and allow his lights through split in his word to shine into. So search your garden though my heart try me and see if there's any wicked way in me, lead me in the ways of righteousness and of summer hundred and 39 search God through the words that we will always be living in the light the darkness and billing.

It can be fun, they can make you very comfortable, but ultimately is destructive and it will sections and ultimately will destroy your life and often destroy the lives of those around follow the light from Jesus. Finally, be a witness to the light. Interesting. When the disciples beat this man born blind man put into theological discussion and how is that this meant line was at the center of the of the films were always at his said the design will see a direct correlation between physical sickness and spiritual sickness. But if man was born blind could the brightness because by his own sin that that make sense so I was this when the design will see a blind man is an opportunity for them to enter into theological debate about suffering Jesus is a blind man brings healing.

Once the glory of God's verse three to be displayed through this we you bear witness to the light in the world would you tell others about the lights. We have a program led by whenever our pastors called be a lights light in your neighborhoods. You receive the lines experiencing aligned to following Jesus.

We are to shine what to tell others about Jesus be a lights the religious leaders specialize in religious ritualism. In so doing they stayed in the dark of the Pharisees and the scribes and the elders and the religion of them got their Bibles and the rules and the regulation stay in the dark.

There was this the lights. A friend over the years, the most difficult people to explain the gospel to the religious people give me that right center even give me an atheist speak, but when we have religion or we feel we have all rights remember going to work door-to-door in Scotland and that on the mission and people tell me I am a member of the church of Scotland.

I was baptized begging the question. But Jesus following lights.

Have you been saved by the grace of God's gonna resist the lights. People come to Calvary church and sometimes they don't come back. Why because they find the preaching of this word to strong behind themselves instead of dealing with it.

They tighten from its light, obeyed results in an increase lights light refuse results in increased darkness, when the light of Scripture. When the light of Jesus shines when God speaks to you bear, take that step of faith. If you refuse it you go more and more into the darkness of this man, who received his lights admitted that he could answer all of the theological questions. I love it. He says in verse 25. Regarding Jesus for the business and I don't know one thing I do know that whereas I was blind I was.

See the policies or tried to argue with her and say like I can answer all your questions about this man is Michael Jesus is a prophet from God, though in the 70s Lord and worship him. I don't understand all of this one thing I do know once I was blind and no see, that's the compelling argument of a life transformed by the public life transformed by the person of Jesus Christ you tell people about it.

The people see in your life something on this lights of all of the answers. None of is the wife is navicular mysteries in life's mysteries of God. There's much we don't understand but there's much that we do understand what we do understand is this the light has come, and shines into our hearts, and thereby respond to that light the darkness of my sin is forgiven and I live alive. Following Jesus the light of the world and if I do that I will never live in the but I do know.

Let your light shine faced with a lights. Your choice from and continue in your darkness, or you could come to Jesus Christ the light of the world won't close the eyes of your heart to the light of the world don't close your eyes, the lights of Christ at the very center of your life. As we enter this new year.

Can you make this commitment that whatever the new year holes with it is the best of your life for the worse of your life. This with God's help, I will do. I will follow Jesus Christ is my light and my salvation is only to the extent this is only to the extent that you follow the lights that you will fulfill God's purposes for you to do God's will in 2022.

I do want us to do God's will. Calvary church 2022. But my will or you will. I went God's will to be done doing God's will to be done in your life. Surely you do here this to the extent that you follow the lights you will fulfill God's plan for your life is. I would like God to planner my life is.net but I like him to tell me about that. I'd like to know the blueprints I'd like to know what I'm going to go. I like to know when he would lead me, so we die usually doesn't. Sometimes he does usually doesn't. Usually he says to us that next pits by periods step by step. I'm going to keep my eyes on Jesus's Jesus commands us to let our light shine similar menu Christian ceremony embodiment of the students go work in a very difficult environments. A word I'm asking you to shine wish to sing in Sunday school. This little light stop singing and went off to you right away this little item of mine I'm going to let it shine rather silly little corners. Yes it was but a God truth, this little light of mine I'm going to let it shine let it shine let it shine let it shine and know is going to extinguish it and Satan and the forces of hell tried to extinguish the light, the wonderful truth is this all of the forces of darkness can never ever extinguish the light of Jesus Christ most powerful light in the world as we as we follow him with the wonderful privilege of being his lights of being a witness to the light is greater privilege than sitting down with someone and explaining the gospel to having greater than following Jesus Christ's is a dark world when you did with Jesus and say Jesus says I am the light of the world here follows me shall not walk in the darkness, but will have the lights of life. Beautiful Jesus, God's grace. I'm going to do that step-by-step might darkness into his lights into the wonderful on ending late because that light will lead me also live through that and into his eternal presence. Father, we thank you for Jesus who comes not to condemn us, but comes to save us about light shines through the world tonight think of Christmas with the thousands and thousands of messages in churches and schools are the world preachers parents and others telling this message of the gospel. Pray that many, many people will come to saving faith in Jesus, we pray for that tonight. We thank you for those vests faith in Jesus Christ. On Christmas Eve, for those here none. Father I pray your blessing, give us a fresh appreciation of the light made shine bright in our hearts that we keep looking toward magnificent Christ that lights and his reign will last forever more effective. Christ