SHARING THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (CC)
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PLEASE STAND FOR THE SERMON
TEXT RECORDED FOR US
IN JOHN'S GOSPEL WHERE WE READ
THE SELECTED VERSES
IN CHAPTER ONE:
[JOHN 1:6-8, 19-28]
THERE WAS A MAN SENT FROM GOD
WHOSE NAME WAS JOHN.
HE CAME AS A WITNESS TO
TESTIFY
CONCERNING THAT LIGHT, SO THAT
THROUGH HIM
ALL MIGHT BELIEVE. HE HIMSELF
WAS NOT THE LIGHT;
HE CAME ONLY AS A WITNESS TO
THE LIGHT.
NOW THIS WAS JOHN'S TESTIMONY
WHEN THE
JEWISH LEADERS IN JERUSALEM
SENT PRIESTS AND LEVITES
TO ASK HIM WHO HE WAS. HE DID
NOT FAIL
TO CONFESS, BUT CONFESSED
FREELY,
"I AM NOT THE MESSIAH." THEY
ASKED HIM,
"THEN WHO ARE YOU? ARE YOU
ELIJAH?"
HE SAID, "I AM NOT." "ARE YOU
THE PROPHET?"
HE ANSWERED, "NO." FINALLY
THEY SAID,
"WHO ARE YOU? GIVE US AN
ANSWER TO TAKE BACK TO
THOSE WHO SENT US. WHAT DO
YOU SAY
ABOUT YOURSELF?" JOHN REPLIED
IN THE WORDS OF
ISAIAH THE PROPHET, "I AM THE
VOICE OF ONE
CALLING IN THE WILDERNESS,
'MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY
FOR THE LORD.' " NOW THE
PHARISEES WHO HAD BEEN SENT
QUESTIONED HIM, "WHY THEN DO
YOU BAPTIZE
IF YOU ARE NOT THE MESSIAH,
NOR ELIJAH, NOR THE PROPHET?"
"I BAPTIZE WITH WATER," JOHN
REPLIED,
BUT AMONG YOU STANDS ONE YOU
DO NOT KNOW.
HE IS THE ONE WHO COMES AFTER
ME, THE STRAPS
OF WHOSE SANDALS I AM NOT
WORTHY TO UNTIE."
THIS ALL HAPPENED AT BETHANY
ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE JORDAN, WHERE JOHN WAAS
BAPTIZING.
THIS IS THE WORD OF OUR LORD.
LET US PRAY:
GLORIOUS AND GRACIOUS GOD, MAY
THE WORDS
OF MY MOUTH AND THE MEDITATION
OF EACH OF OUR HEARTS,
BE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR SIGHT,
OUR ONLY SOURCE OF HOPE
AND COMFORT. AMEN.
[TEXT TAKEN FROM
THE HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION
1973, 1978, 1984, 2011
BY BIBLICA, INC.]
DEAR FOLLOWERS OF OUR LORD
AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST:
I'M GONNA SHARE A SECRET WITH
YOU
THIS MORNING. MAYBE A
CONFESSION.
THERE ARE SOME DAYS
THAT I DON'T LIKE TO BE KNOWN
AS PASTOR DAVE.
MAYBE THAT'S NOT A BIG SHOCK
TO YOU. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT
LEAVING THIS PROFESSION. I'M
NOT TALKING ABOUT
WHEN YOU'RE HAVING A BAD DAY
AT WORK.
I'M TALKING ABOUT JUST THOSE
AVERAGE NORMAL KIND OF DAYS
WHEN YOU'RE PUT INTO UNUSUAL
SITUATIONS
MEETING NEW PEOPLE,
[INAUDIBLE]
WHEN THEY SAY TO YOU:
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?
THOSE ... SEEM TO BE THE TIMES
I DON'T WANNA SAY: I'M A
LUTHERAN PASTOR.
BECAUSE I KNOW THE TYPICAL
REMARKS.
EITHER: THE PERSON WHO IS NOW
GOING TO ARGUE
WITH ME ABOUT EVERY POINT OF
LUTHERAN DOCTRINE. AND THEY
HAVE A WHOLE ARSENAL THAT
THEY'VE JUST BEEN WAITING
TO UNLEASH. THERE ARE PEOPLE
WHO BECOME
SO CONSCIOUS OF THEMSELVES,
THAT THEY START CONFESSING
EVERYTHING: "I HAVEN'T
BEEN TO CHURCH IN YEARS." YOU
KNOW, I DON'T KNOW AND
THEY GET ALL STRANGE AND
NERVOUS.
BUT SOMETIMES I DON'T LIKE
BEING PASTOR DAVE.
IT'S AN INTERESTING THING, I
THINK, TO BE HONEST
AND ADMIT
BECAUSE I THINK IF YOU'RE TRUE
AND HONEST WITH YOURSELVES,
THERE ARE DAYS YOU DON'T LIKE
TO BE KNOWN AS
CHRISTIAN
IN THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE
YOU ARE CONFRONTED WITH
PEOPLE
WHO WANNA TALK TO YOU. WHO
WANNA ARGUE WITH YOU. WHO
WANNA DEBATE WITH YOU. WHO
JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND
WHY YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU
BELIEVE.
AND HOW EASY IT IS
SOMETIMES FOR OUR OWN SINFUL
NATURE TO TAKE OVER
OUR BODIES AND SAY: WE DON'T
WANNA HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
I DON'T WANNA TALK WITH THAT
PERSON.
I DON'T WANT TO SHARE WITH
THEM
THIS WONDERFUL AND GREAT NEWS
THAT I HAVE RECEIVED THAT
JESUS CHRIST IS
THE LORD AND SAVIOR OF MY
LIFE.
THAT HE CAME AS THE LORD AND
SAVIOR
OF THE ENTIRE WORLD.
AND HOW SELFISH THAT IS IN US.
HOW UNCHRISTIAN
IS THAT BEHAVIOR. THAT WE
DON'T WANT TO LIVE
OUR LIFE OF FAITH. TO LET OUR
OWN LIGHT SHINE. TO BE THE
ONE
WHO TALKS ABOUT THE 'LIGHT'
THAT CAME INTO
THE WORLD! THE 'LIGHT' THAT
WAS COMING
INTO THE WORLD TO SHINE IN THE
DARKNESS ...
AS JOHN'S GOSPEL BEGINS.
AND NOW WE HEAR THIS MORNING
OF JOHN THE BAPTIST WHO CAME
TO TESTIFY TO THAT 'LIGHT'.
TO WITNESS TO THAT 'LIGHT'.
TO CONFESS THAT 'LIGHT'
TO THE DARK WORLD WHICH NEEDED
A SAVIOR
SO MUCH AND AS JOHN'S GOSPEL
REMINDS US JESUS CAME AND
SHONE WITH THE BRIGHTNESS OF
GOD. CAME FROM
THE FATHER. WAS WITH THE
FATHER. CAME AS TRUE GOD
AND TRUE MAN INTO THIS WORLD
TO SAVE PEOPLE FROM THE
DARKNESS OF SIN.
TO SHOW THEM THE WAY.
TO ILLUMINATE THEIR LIVES.
TO OPEN TO THEM THE SCRIPTURES
AND THE UNDERSTANDING
THAT ONLY GOD CAN RELEASE
THE PRISONERS FROM THE
DARKNESS.
IT IS ONLY THROUGH THE POWER
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT WE
LIVE IN 'LIGHT' AND GET OUT OF
THAT DARKNESS
OF SIN. THAT DARKNESS THAT
CLOUDS OUR MINDS INTO NOT
WANTING TO THINK ABOUT GOD.
NOT WANTING TO UNDERSTAND GOD.
NOT BEING ABLE TO COMPREHEND
WHAT GOD IS AND
WHAT HE HAS DONE. THAT
DARKNESS THAT WE ARE BORN
WITH OVER OUR MINDS THAT DOES
NOT ALLOW US
TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUTHS OF
SCRIPTURE.
THE DARKNESS OF OUR EYES
THAT SEES US, THAT MAKES US NOT
WANT
TO SEE AND BELIEVE
THE TRUTH OF WHAT GOD HAS
DONE.
THE DARKNESS THAT JUST CAUSES
US
TO SIT IN DEPRESSION AND
DESPAIR WANTING
TO PLEASE OURSELVES AND OUR
OWN SINFUL NATURE.
AFRAID TO COME INTO THE
'LIGHT'.
AFRAID TO REVEAL THAT WE ARE
SINFUL
HUMAN BEINGS. AFRAID TO
EVEN APPROACH THE 'LIGHT' OF
GOD
OUT OF FEAR. BECAUSE WE KNOW
THE PUNISHMENT
THAT GOD HAS PLACED ON THOSE
WHO LIVE IN DARKNESS.
OUR CONSCIENCE TEACHES US THAT
THERE IS A GOD WHO PUNISHES
SIN.
AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE
SINNED. WE KNOW
THAT WE DO THINGS THAT ARE
WRONG. WE HIDE THAT BEHAVIOR.
WE TRY TO MASK IT
FROM OTHERS WITH THE DARKNESS
SO THAT NO ONE WILL SEE.
BUT GOD SEES. AND GOD KNOWS.
HE KNOWS WHAT'S IN OUR HEARTS
FROM THE MOMENT THAT HEART
STARTS BEATING.
HE KNOWS WHAT'S IN OUR MIND
THAT
EVERY INCLINATION FROM BIRTH
IS SINFUL.
AND IT IS EVIL. AND THAT IS WHY
HE SENT HIS SON INTO THE
WORLD.
JESUS CHRIST THE 'LIGHT' OF
THE WORLD.
TO ILLUMINE OUR MINDS,
TO OPEN OUR EYES, TO HEAL US
FROM THE DISEASE OF SIN.
TO TAKE THAT BURDEN UPON
HIMSELF
AND BREAK THAT YOLK OF SLAVERY
THAT HAS HELD US IN SATAN'S
CHAINS AND CONDEMNATION FOR
ALL ETERNITY.
TO BREAK US FREE FROM THAT
PRISON OF
ETERNAL DEATH AND GIVE TO US
ETERNAL LIFE.
TO LIGHT THE WAY. TO GIVE US
UNDERSTANDING
FOR US TO GAIN WISDOM. AND
THAT'S
WHAT OUR EYES NOW SEE BY THE
POWER
OF GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT. WE READ
IN THOSE PAGES OF SCRIPTURE,
THOSE PRECIOUS WORDS
THAT ENCOURAGE US. THAT
COMFORT US. THAT REMIND US
THAT GOD IS THE ONE WHO IS OUR
ROCK
AND OUR FORTRESS. HE'S THE
ONE IN WHOM WE TRUST.
BECAUSE HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED
OUR SALVATION.
AND WE ARE NOW
HIS WITNESSES. WE ARE NOW
SHINING WITH HIS LIGHT IN THIS
WORLD ... TO CONTINUE
TO SHARE THAT MESSAGE.
TO CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO
THOSE WHO
ARE IN DARKNESS OF SIN. TO
REACH OUT TO THOSE WHO
DON'T KNOW THE WAY. AND, YES,
SOMETIMES THAT MEANS
WE ARE GOING TO COME ACROSS
PEOPLE THAT ARE TRULY
COMBATIVE, AND ARGUMENTATIVE.
BUT IS THAT A REASON,
OR AN EXCUSE FOR US,
NOT TO SHARE WHAT WE KNOW?
TO LITERALLY TAKE
THAT 'LIGHT' AND WALK AWAY AND
LEAVE
THEM IN DARKNESS? MAYBE THE
ANGER
IS COMING FROM THAT VERY
SINFUL DARKNESS.
MAYBE THEIR RAGE COMES FROM
NOT
UNDERSTANDING WHAT TRUE LOVE
IS.
FOUND ONLY IN GOD THROUGH
JESUS CHRIST. AND WE ARE THE
ONES
WHO HAVE THAT MESSAGE. WE ARE
THE ONES
WHO ARE THERE TO PROCLAIM THAT
TRUTH. TO TELL THE TRUTH
OF WHAT WE KNOW. IN THE
THINGS
THAT WE SAY, IN THE THINGS
THAT WE DO TO SHOW PEOPLE
OUR 'LIGHT'. TO GIVE AN
ANSWER
TO ALL. JOHN WAS NOT AFRAID
TO DO THAT
AS HE WAS BAPTIZING BY THE
JORDAN RIVER.
THE PEOPLE THAT CAME OUT TO
HIM HE POINTED THEM
TO THE CHRIST. HE POINTED
THEM TO THE LAMB OF GOD.
HE ANSWERED THEIR QUESTIONS.
HE SAID: PREPARE YOUR HEART
TO RECEIVE THE MESSIAH.
LIVE IN REPENTANCE.
RETURN TO GOD . BE BAPTIZED
SO THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE
CHRIST AS THE SON OF GOD,
THE MESSIAH OF THE WORLD. AND
THAT BOTHERED
THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF HIS
DAY. THEY HAD CONCERNS.
THEY HAD QUESTIONS. THEY SENT
PEOPLE OUT
TO ASK JOHN WHO HE WAS.
WHAT WAS HE DOING OUT THERE?
WHAT GAVE HIM THAT RIGHT?
WHAT GAVE HIM THAT AUTHORITY?
WAS HE ELIJAH? BECAUSE THE
JEWS HAD THIS UNDERSTANDING:
BECAUSE ELIJAH WAS TAKEN UP
INTO HEAVEN IN A WHIRLWIND ...
THAT SOME TIME HE WAS GOING
TO RETURN IN BODILY FORM.
BEFORE THE COMING OF THE
MESSIAH. THAT PASSAGE
WE READ FROM MALACHI WAS THERE
AS THEIR BASIS FOR THAT,
BUT THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND
THAT IT WAS BEING
TALKED ABOUT FIGURATIVELY.
THAT GOD WAS GOING TO SEND
SOMEONE TO PREPARE THE WAY
AS ISAIAH REMINDED US. SOMEONE
WHO WOULD BE OUT
IN THE DESERT CRYING: MAKE
THE PATH
STRAIGHT FOR YOUR GOD. PREPARE
TO RECEIVE
THE CHRIST, THE MESSIAH.
SO JOHN CLEARLY
TOLD THEM HE WAS NOT ELIJAH.
THEY ASKED HIM IF HE WAS THE
PROPHET. THE ONE WHO
WAS GOING TO COME AND SPEAK
GOD'S WORD TO THE PEOPLE.
HE ALSO ANSWERED "NO".
HE QUOTED THAT PASSAGE FROM
ISAIAH TO THEM SAYING:
THIS IS WHO I AM. THE ONE WHOM
GOD
HAD SELECTED TO PREPARE
THE WAY FOR CHRIST. TO
PREPARE
PEOPLE'S HEARTS. TO SHARE
WITH THOSE PEOPLE
THE TRUTH. AND JOHN WAS VERY
CLEAR
ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE WAS NOT
THE SAVIOR. HE WAS NOT THE
MESSIAH
BUT HE WAS ONE THAT GOD HAD
SELECTED
AND APPOINTED TO SHARE THAT
NEWS
THAT THE ONE WAS COMING AFTER
HIM.
THE ONE WHO WAS STANDING IN
THEIR MIDST
THAT AT THAT TIME THEY DIDN'T
KNOW.
AND IN THE YEARS AHEAD THEY
WOULD GET
TO KNOW HIM. BUT THEY WOULD
NOT BELIEVE THAT JESUS
WAS THE CHRIST. THE SON OF
THE LIVING GOD.
THEY WOULD LIVE IN THEIR
IGNORANCE. THEY WOULD
CONTINUE IN THEIR
SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS TO THE
POINT
THAT THEIR HATRED FOR HIM
WOULD TAKE OVER AND THEY WOULD
CRUCIFY HIM.
BUT TO THOSE WHO BELIEVED,
THEY WOULD SEE THE COMFORT OF
GOD,
THE JOY OF GOD IN THEIR HEARTS
AND IN THEIR LIVES
KNOWING THAT THEIR SINS HAD
BEEN FORGIVEN.
TO LIVE IN THAT 'LIGHT' OF
GOD'S GRACE.
TO LIVE IN THE JOY ... TO RUN
AROUND LIKE
WELL-FED CALVES,
HAVING JOY AND SPRING IN THEIR
STEPS.
THAT IS WHAT HAS COME TO US AS
GOD'S CHILDREN.
THAT IS WHAT HAS COME TO US BY
GOD'S GRACE. THAT HE HAS
SELECTED US
TO BE HIS CHILDREN. THAT HE
HAS GIVEN US
THE PRIVILEGE OF WITNESSING
OUR FAITH TO THE DARK WORLD
AROUND US. TO SPEAK OF WHAT
WE KNOW.
TO SHARE OF WHAT BRINGS US
JOY.
TO TALK ABOUT THE LOVE OF
JESUS
AND WHO HE IS AND WHAT
HE'S DONE. TO ADMIT THOSE
TIMES,
JUST LIKE ME,
THE SIN OF REMAINING SILENT.
THE SIN OF NOT SPEAKING UP.
THE SIN OF
BEING AFRAID THAT SOMEHOW GOD
IS NOT GOING TO CONTINUE
TO PROTECT ME AND LOVE ME.
TO TAKE
THOSE SINS TO THE CROSS OF
CHRIST AND KNOW THAT THEY ARE
FORGIVEN IS THE GREATEST
BLESSING.
TO TAKE THEN THE
VOICE OF GOD AND TO GO OUT
INTO THE WORLD
TO TALK ABOUT JESUS CHRIST.
TO TALK ABOUT ALL THAT HE HAS
DONE
AND I THINK IT IS SO IMPORTANT
AT THIS TIME OF YEAR WHEN
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS VYING
FOR OUR ATTENTION,
SO MANY THINGS TO DISTRACT US
FROM THE TRUTH
OF THIS SEASON OF PREPARATION.
TO RETURN OUR FOCUS TO OUR
LORD.
TO RETURN OUR FOCUS
TO CHRIST. TO BRING THAT
'LIGHT' AND
AND LET IT SHINE BRIGHTLY IN
OUR LIVES.
NOT TO HIDE IT UNDER A BUSHEL.
NOBODY DOES THAT.
NOBODY DECORATES THEIR
CHRISTMAS TREE, PUTS ALL THE
LIGHTS ON IN THE HOUSE AND
LEAVES IT SITTING THERE DARK.
NO ONE TAKES THE EFFORT
TO GO ON THE LADDER AND PUT
THE LIGHTS ON THE EAVES
AND NEVER LET THEM SHINE.
BUT WE HAVE THE GREATEST
'LIGHT'! GOD'S 'LIGHT':
HIS SON! GIVEN TO US
BY HIS GRACE
THROUGH HIS LOVE. BRINGING
WITH IT
TREMENDOUS BLESSINGS.
WE HAVE THAT 'LIGHT'. LET US
WITNESS
TO THAT 'LIGHT' AND LET OUR
'LIGHT' SHINE.
AMEN.
LET US RISE. NOW MAY THE
PEACE OF GOD WHICH GOES BEYOND
ALL OF OUR UNDERSTANDING KEEP
YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS AND
ESPECIALLY YOUR LIVES
IN THE ONE TRUE FAITH UNTO
LIFE EVERLASTING. AMEN.