tempting to look at the uniqueness of this gospel and how, as you and I are well aware of, we read through John's gospel there's a different way of presenting this good news that has been given to humanity and as we mentioned particularly that what makes John's gospel unique is that he is writing at a much later date than the other gospels and so you could imagine that the next generation of Christians that came up after the first wave had a different way of starting to look at things. Or other teachings coming out, there were other influences, there was this initial passion to reach the world was starting to settle and of course persecution was coming and so John is writing as an elder. He's writing to the next generation of Christians that there's certain things we can't lose, there's certain things that must be maintained, there's certain truths that must always be held deep into our hearts. You can imagine there's an ability to know a lot of the right answers, John's purpose is to make sure the heart gets to the right place.
Gospel John chapter 3, we'll begin looking at verses 14 down through 21. John's gospel chapter 3 beginning with verse 14. Now just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God to not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only son. This is the verdict. Verse 19, light has come into the world but men love darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. Let's pray. Father, I pray that you would graciously use me in communicating some thoughts that I believe are important in which John truly highlights.
I pray that in the communication of your good news that we might find ourselves drawn to you. We might find ourselves desiring you. We may find ourselves even delighting in the beauty of what you have done and continue to promise to do. Give us courage today, Lord, as we look in faith to all of your purpose of planet but also give us confidence that having come to you, we can have absolute assurance of our eternal destiny in Jesus' name.
Thank you. Jesus made it clear that he himself is the light of the world. And just as the created sunlight produces life to the world, we find as well that the radiance of Jesus himself provides life and light to all who believe. We see in the Gospels the emphasis as we look at verse 19 that light has come into the world, but men have loved darkness instead of light and down in verse 21, but whoever lives by the truth, that is the light, will come into this light and experience the life as if it's all in which God has done.
John's Gospel speaks extensively about the beauty of this light. When Jesus came and ministered to humanity, there may be people who have concluded that he's simply a great teacher. An ability to communicate thoughts and ideas, he's able to speak to an intellectual world, he's able to speak to simple folk like you and I. No matter who he spoke to, he was an amazing teacher of communicating thoughts and ideas, but there's so much more to the ministry of Jesus.
When he spoke and his presence himself was like light shining in the darkness that's all around. We often wonder how are we ever going to influence the world around us? How are we going to persuade the world around us that Jesus is indeed the Savior of the world? We must humbly trust that the same face and the same grace that began to enlighten our minds is still the work today.
And yet you and I must recognize the beauty of all that Christ has done and continues to do and John takes the thought of communicating as a light that keeps on shining, that light always was and will continue to shine forth and that light illuminates the mind and exposes the heart. And that's what the John is attempting to communicate here. We'll look back at the first chapter, he begins the whole gospel with the concept of this light and he ties it back to creation itself. When God said let there be light and there was light, there is the light that produces light, it is the source of all energy that has been granted to us and Jesus comes and makes it clear that he is this light.
In verse 3 of John chapter 1, through him all things were made without him, nothing was made that has been made in him was life. And that life was the light of man. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. Even John the Baptist in his ministry is clearly presented as he is a witness to the light.
Verse 6, there came a man who was sent from God, his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light so that through him all men might believe. As we consider these things, we need to understand that part of the message that John is saying and the reason why he is stressing the light is because the second generation of Christians were beginning to buy in this new kind of teaching. And that is that we are flesh, which is true, but because we are flesh, we ourselves are corrupt and that is reality.
In other words, there was a tendency to lean more to spiritual experiences because it's the experiences that are able to give us eternal life. And there are other teachings that tied together with these teachings. John is saying that your flesh has been connected with Jesus and because Jesus lives in you, your flesh is a body or a temple of the Holy Spirit. And so though darkness might seem to be a common concept of the world around us because of the light shining in us, we can reflect that light.
Later on, we're going to look at some scriptures that you and I are also called the lights of the world because of the Christ that shines in us. So John is creatively using, you've got to be careful how you say that. The Holy Spirit is using John to communicate a God that's important that we hold on to, that we are not simply a people who believe the right answers, we're not simply a people who grab onto ideas, but we are a people that this light is now shining in us, it shines upon us and it shines through us. You and I have been so influenced by the presence of Jesus that people ought to see and I trust do see in us the very light of God shining all around us.
We consider again the special emphasis upon this light, the salvation. It's radiating from Jesus but it's shining in us and through us. Compare now a couple other scriptures that I believe would reinforce this thought, turn with me to the Gospel of John chapter 9 and look at verse 5. When Jesus ministered upon the world, there were people that tended to respond positively to him and there were those that were anti-Jesus.
And pretty much it's important to know what John is talking about in chapter 3 is that there's the bird after it's the outcome, that the light has come and those that want to receive the light receive impositively those that enjoy their darkness, resist against him. And so the light creates its own distinction and one thing that's important to understand is there's people that listen to you when you share your faith and it's not so much whether they like you or don't like you, it's whether or not they are willing to receive the light that comes in your life through Jesus Christ. So Jesus would say, if they hated me, they're going to hate you. If they love me, they're going to love you.
It's not so much that we are so lovable, it's because of the light of Christ or the light of Christ that is shining in us. But while Jesus was on this earth, it says in chapter 9 verse 5, while I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Later on as we begin to realize that Christ having come and has accomplished his purpose and he now lives inside of us that you and I are the light of the world. That's the progression of the gospel and John is attempting to maintain the sacredness that you and I in and of ourselves are not very bright.
We do not possess that light in a sense that we own it or we control it, but the Christ who's come to live in us when he is at the center of our lives, we will continue to reflect this light and we will be the light of the world. John chapter 12, we look at verses 35 and 36. Please turn to John 12, 35 and 36. Then Jesus told them, you are going to have the light just a little while longer.
Walk while you have the light before the darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it so that you may become sons of light. Just as Jesus was indeed the true light of the world, you and I have a season of time in which that light shines upon you.
It may be somewhat equated with the grace of God is working upon our lives. So we have these seasons when the light becomes clear, the light becomes truth, the light becomes an awareness of the truth of the gospel and we ultimately have that opportunity and responsibility to embrace the light while you have that light upon us. Now Jesus as he speaks in these, he uses this terminology as he is traveling through his ministry for those years, few years that he ministered on earth, he was that light and that is why we go back to John chapter 3, turn with me. John chapter 3 and he makes a statement such as verse 17 and 18.
For God did not send me into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him meaning Jesus is not condemned. But whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he is not believed in the name of God's One and only Son. It's difficult for some of us to grasp that ultimately our eternal destiny is not based on our performance, it's based on our response to the light.
And that's something as we think in terms of the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ is that Jesus has allowed his light to shine. And for those who desire to allow that light to shine, allow the truth to penetrate, allow the searching light of God to expose who I truly am. There is the basis of this great salvation. That salvation is a gift in which we who have humbly come to a place of being exposed to God, have an opportunity to believe that the solution Jesus Christ, lifted up and settled the issue of my eternal destiny.
So this light comes and we continually allow that light to do its searching job and its deep work. Now it's important to ask ourselves then why is it important? It's important to note that as the scriptures reveal these mysteries we might say, okay, but I do believe in Jesus, do I really need to understand how powerful the light is and how penetrating the light is and the purpose of the light shining. Do we need to know these things?
I believe there are several reasons that we can recognize the importance of knowing these and I trust that you'll bear with me as we attempt to break them down. The first thing that I believe is important is that God himself is the creator. He's the source of all light. We learn that in the story of creation and yet we recognize that Jesus claims to be equivalent to that light.
He claims to be the one who is light. Let's go back to an Old Testament scripture in Psalm 27 and verse 1. One thing that John's gospel consistently presents to us at a somewhat different level than the other gospels is the real identity of Jesus. It's important to know that we believe that Jesus is God in flesh.
It's important to know that the salvation that you and I cherish is not simply believing what he did, but it begins by believing who he is. And that's something the second generations of Christians were beginning to have to deal with because the identity of Christ was becoming cloudy. The truth about the person of Jesus has become somewhat more mystified. They had lost sight of the reality that Jesus is God in flesh.
So when we look in terms of emphasizing over and over again the concept of light, it's recognizable like in Psalm 27 and verse 1 that again it says the Lord is my light and my salvation. Who shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my light of whom shall I be afraid? You remember when Jesus also on another occasion said I am the good shepherd and yet throughout the world that you and I live, many people are well aware of Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd. So when Jesus claims to be the true shepherd, the good shepherd, he's either the greatest blasphemer or he truly is God in flesh. Numerous ones we look at, so it's important to know that there is a true light and that true light is God himself and God has become a man. He has come to dwell upon us.
We can look at numerous scriptures that tie together the thought process of the light. The second thing that closely goes with that is if in fact he is the light of the world. If in fact he is the light of God and he has begun to enlighten us to these truths that ultimately your responsibility to mine is to walk in that light. And that's what John uses throughout his scriptures is the Christian light is about following the true light.
The Christian light is about allowing the light to light your path. It's allowing the light to truth to reveal the concepts and mysteries and bring us to a place that we are a people who walk in this light. That's what makes us distinct. That's what makes us unique.
That's what gives us an edge to life. That's what gives us clarity to life. That's what gives us purpose is we are a people that distinctively shine in the world's darkness. Now as you can imagine just as Jesus in the brightness of his radiance he was either loved or he was hated.
Very few people were somewhat neutral about it. And ultimately as you and I journeyed to life and we allow that light to shine in us and through us and we begin to take any kind of specific stand in life. Somebody is going to love you for it and somebody is going to hate you for it. And yet we are called to be a people that are not living in the valleys of the lukewarmness.
We are a people that our identity is clear and it becomes specific. It becomes directional. It becomes intentional. And I trust that we see that.
Well that's an Old Testament concept as well. It's important to know as we look both at New and the Old Testament that John doesn't come up with new ideas and the disciples of the apostles didn't come up with new thoughts. The walking and the light has always been equivalent with being the people of God. Turn with me to Isaiah chapter 2 and verse 5.
Ultimately we look at this in Isaiah chapter 2 and verse 5. Come O house of Jacob. Let us walk in the light of the Lord. Let us hold over to chapter 60 of Isaiah.
Isaiah chapter 60 verses 1 through 3. These are prophetic words that have come several hundred years before Jesus came. And so when we see these teachings, any of us who have delightsed in God's word are going to identify them as prophetic words. That's important for you and I to understand because not only does the presence of Christ send forth a light that penetrates to the internal makeup of who you and I are, but you and I because of Jesus Christ and his spoken word is that you and I are a people that live and devour the prophetic word of God.
God has spoken to us, he has revealed his truths and by feasting upon these revelations is what gives you life. It not only illuminates who you and I are, it reveals to us who we ought to be, but ultimately the determining factor is whether or not these words become the diet of my life. They become the food that I feast upon. They become words that are living and active.
My word is I lamp unto my feet. It is a light unto my path. These are familiar ones to us and so I choose to look at some of the more hidden ones in Scripture that these are not new ideas that we walk in the light as the light begins to reveal and express to us. So our faith in Jesus is we're believing God, love the world so much.
He gave his only begone son who believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. That believing is connected with the believing in the Old Testament. It is that because I am called to have this light and walk in it believing is I will walk in the light of Jesus Christ. In chapter 61 through 3, a rise in shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn. It's prophetically speaking first to Jesus as the light, but ultimately to you and I as those in which that light dwells within us. John wants to clearly communicate that you and I are alive in the light that shines within us.
We are people that are continually exposed by the life of truth in our lives. And as we receive that truth and we cherish that truth, we are known to be believers in the true light. We are a people that are relationship with God is so uniquely interconnected with the inner person coming alive because of the light shining within us. And so we see numerous scriptures talking about walking in the light.
Well right away that would touch upon that there's there were communities in the second generation of Christian that were beginning to believe that as long as I believe the right answers I get to go to heaven. As long as I sort of hold on to the right ideas of liking the teachings of Christ, but not identifying his God and the flesh. Also I can do that. There are lots of teachings we're tying together that these teachings should bring clarity to us.
I trust that we might hopefully acknowledge that these truths are what creates the sacredness to your life and life. The beauty of our lives comes because we are a people that are connected to that light of truth that continues to rest upon us and our willingness is to walk in that. Now one more thing that we might not think may be that big of a deal. It's important to understand that part of the problem with the second generation is because you could imagine if you played the little game where you whispered in somebody's ear a truce and pretty soon that person hears what they hear and they repeat supposedly what they thought they heard and by the end of 25 people you could imagine that sometimes the thing that comes off the other end is not even close to the original source.
Welcome to the second generation or the generation after generation of following Christ is sometimes the light bulb has become kind of dim. Somehow over the ages that the brightness or clarity of the light has become questioned. Here we are as a people who we trust come to faith in which the same intensity of light that came from Christ still shines and the same intensity within our hearts is just like first generation Christians. But as many of us would say well how do you know because there's a lot of voices out there and there's a lot of ideas out there and there's a lot of things that are floating around.
Let's look once again at another scripture that I believe is extremely important for us today 2 Corinthians chapter 11, 2 Corinthians chapter 11 and verses 3 through 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 11 we begin looking at verses 3 through 4 that will drop down to 13 and 14. The Apostle Paul writes I'm afraid that just as he was deceived by the surface cunning. Your minds might be somehow be led astray from your sincere and your pure devotion to Christ.
For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than though Jesus we preached. For if you receive a different spirit from the one that you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted you put up with it easily enough. Verse 13 and 14 for such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ and no wonder for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. Satan is clearly presented in scripture as the prince of darkness and yet he clothes himself giving the appearance he is the light.
It's so important that you and I understand that as the currents are changing and the movements of teachings are shifting from one side to the other that the intensity of the light is based upon knowing what's true and what's credible and what's right and knowing where to find it. Look with me in 1 Peter the first letter of Peter going towards the back and we're going to look at 2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 19 and 20. We'll look at 21. 2 Peter chapter 1 19 through 21.
We have the word of the prophets made more certain and you will do well if you pay attention to it as a light shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophets own interpretation for prophecy never had its origin in the will of man but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. There's ever a verse might be encouraged to memorize there is one especially if you found yourself be tempted to think that can you trust your Bible maybe you've been tempted to think that I'm not really sure of understanding all the Bible teaches and I'm just confused because all the different teachings and ideas memorize the verse. You and I must recognize that as Christ came revealing or being light to this world that you and I must have confidence that the prophetic Old Testament scriptures is more and more evident that the light that was promised is the light revealed and that light will continue to shine in our hearts.
It's important to know that through the second generation Christians and on and on and on that even though it appears to be a great teaching that someone comes up with or a great thought process maybe it's a new one maybe it's a little bit different maybe it adds a little bit of this or a little bit of that important thing is that light has brought us to a place where we live in the light we walk in the light we know the light but there's always going to be the angel of light giving you a little bit more or trying to take away something it's important to know the reason we need to be aware of the light that comes to Jesus Christ is that he is the one and he is the only and that's what gives clarity to our Christian faith and our devotion to him is because that light has come it's established it's granted to us Jesus makes it clear that he is the light of the world and what he taught is what you and I need because that purpose of the light will go back to verse 19 of John chapter 3 John chapter 3 and we look once again at verse 19. One of Jesus' talks and all that he promised pertaining to eternal life was to put faith and trust in him as the person that's because of his true identity it's because of the truth he speaks it's because of all that he has given to us but he says an interesting truth in verse 19 this is the verdict this is the settled issue this is the final consensus light has come into the world and I trust he's come to you light has come but men love darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil I wish I could honestly say to you when you come to face the evil part of us is over I wish I could tell you that when you have that moment of illumination or enlightenment that the devil no longer can say anything I wish I could tell you that once you've been exposed there won't be any more exposure the gospel of John is intended to communicate that you and I because we drag along the old baggage of our yesterday's and because of our good privacy because of our human nature as great as the gospel is it doesn't completely eliminate your destroyed your need or mind to continuously let that light shine and one thing that John makes it clear is that not only is Jesus the one who began a good work but he's going to complete it but it's important to know that the way he communicates the idea of people that defected leave he says in first John they were never really amongst now that's a mystery in itself but it's important to know simply to communicate that this light must continually expose us this light of truth must continually be upon us and that I trust us is a significant reason why you and I would take time to read the scriptures in between Sundays we hear the word of God and we constantly know that we need this light continuing to shine we need this relationship of trust with a person to continually do its work because before next Sunday some of us may end up in pretty much corrupt thinking and behavior patterns all within moments of life that does not disqualify us for salvation it only drives us to the Savior and that's what John is talking about is well maybe I'll turn there look at first John chapter let's go up to his letter because it brings out with great clarity there we'll pick up at verse seven we read that earlier if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his son purifies us from all sin we get to this place where there seems to be a rest within the chapter and the content is teaching us that we are constantly dependent on the cleansing and purifying process of the blood of Jesus Christ next week when we partake of the holy sacraments we will be reminded once again of the beauty of the ongoing cleansing of the blood of Jesus Christ notice in verse eight if we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us verse nine if we confess our sins he is faithful and Justin will forgive us our sins and purify us of all righteousness he says it again in verse 10 if we claim we have not sinned we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives we need light we need the exposure we need the revealing we constantly need the word of God to bring about the reality i depend on a savior to get to heaven i depend on his continuous ongoing cleansing to be right with God it's not so much the performance itself that will determine the outcome it's whether or not that we have delighted in the performer and that is Jesus Christ have we found our confidence in the person of Christ and the work of Christ is he truly our does delight and resolve it the pure and simple faith in Jesus Christ the devotion to him and as that devotion continues to become established in our lives you and i will find ourselves not only enjoying the light we will walk in that light that's the purpose in which he has come to give now how is that reinforced in a somewhat more practical side we realize that there's a belief system that clarifies us of people we believe in the person of Christ and we believe in what he has done on the cross then we consider as we try to figure out which scriptures we want to look at um let's look at Ephesians chapter two the practical side is that um you and i acknowledge a distinction of our walking in that light area in Ephesians chapter two there's a strong emphasis upon grace which would in some sense be equivalent to the light that shines in us it's grace that enables us to realize we need a savior it's grace that gives us understanding it's grace that gives us the initial ability to respond to Christ you and i can't really control how our salvation process works you and i are simply moved by that grace our responsibility is to allow that grace to accomplish what God intends it to be there's a cooperation of the spirit notice how it's said in Ephesians chapter two as for you you were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and the ruler of the kingdom of air the spirit who is not working those who are disobedient all of us also lived among them at one time for ratifying the cravings of our simple nature following its desires and thoughts like the rest we were by nature objects of wrath notice in verse four but because of his great love that's john three sixteen god who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we're dead in transgressions it is by grace that you have been saved to walk in the light is to delight in God's grace is to receive that grace to not only establish our relationship but to maintain the cleansing work of that ongoing relationship and that's important to understand that we are aware that it is Christ and his light shining in us the ongoing exposure of the word of god that we keep coming back to Jesus trusting and believing he is going to change us he's going to transform us and we humbly say yes and amen there were numerous other scriptures the second one that we kind of alluded to earlier is the importance of understanding that light is also not only tied together with grace but it's also tied together with truth itself every time truth becomes real to you or to me and maybe you've read through the bible at one point you found a certain verse and it means so much to you that's because the light has enlightened your mind and your heart we can't create an ideal believing that we can just pick and choose the scriptures we like even though we do it it's important to know that the light will illuminate the scriptures that are important for each and every one of us to be transformed and changed but ultimately the goal behind this light is now in Matthew chapter five and let's turn back to there there were numerous other scriptures we can look at if we stuck to the gospel of john but this one is so clear to us that it's important to know that god's intent was to allow his light to shine you because we read in john earlier while i am with you jesus said i'm the light of the world we wonder why is the world so different today what makes it unique the first generation became so influenced by the christian faith we wonder why is that influenced certainly shifting there are many people coming to faith in many other parts of the world and in america it's rapidly diminishing the question might be why? Matthew chapter five verse 14 through 16 you me we all are the light of the world a city on a hill cannot be hidden neither do people like they 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 men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven father we trust as we have journeyed your life that's we desire that the lights of your presence would once again illuminate our relationship with you give us a clarity give us a specific intentional edge to our lives that we might learn to receive that light and let the truth constantly mold and shape us as your children as children of light we pray that we would be faithful and not only living in a way that we do not diminish the greatness of your light in us but we pray god that we might discover that you might in fact be speaking very clearly to some of us today that it's time to allow our light to shine more and more we pray that we might learn the beauty of your gospel and that we might examine ourselves on how we can present the gospel as you attended we pray god by your grace and the power of your spirit to guide us and empower us we pray that the world around us we trust we would be able to hear because we've decided today to let you do that great work we give you thanks we give you praise and Jesus name God bless you have a great day