From Darkness Into His Marvelous Light
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Intro: In some of the darkest hours of nations trials, there arose great leaders who shine as guiding lights to encourage, give hope and rally the people to victory.
George Washington- The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance, or the most abject submission. We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or die." [Continental Army 1776]
Winston Churchill- If you are going through hell, keep going. “Never, never, never give up!” [Address to the nation during WWII, August 1941]
George W. Bush- We will not waiver; we will not tire; we will not falter, and we will not fail. Peace and Freedom will prevail. [Address the nation at 9/11]
It is also important for us to remember that the clearest, brightest promises of the Lord’s Messiah have been given in the darkest hours of the worlds history.
When Adam and Eve sinned and were banished from the Paradise of God, the darkest hour of history ever, the prophesy of the Deliverer was given.
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
When Israel was in Egypt in the deepest, darkest, bondage imaginable, it was then that God shown the light of the Paschal Lamb, and the blood on the doorposts secured their redemption and freedom.
23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.
And even as we have been studying for the last two weeks as Israel was in dark trials of military seige and ultimate captivity due to their sin against God, the Lord still gives them a ray of hope in their darkest days.
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
Tonight I want to talk about “From Darkness Into His Marvelous Light”
Text: Isaiah 9:2
2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.
The context of this passage comes during the dark days before Judah’s eventual captivity into Babylon. And though the days are dark and gloomy, and God’s judgment will fall upon the nation, God still gives a Light to see at the end of the tunnel. That light that will shine upon men who sit in darkness is Jesus Christ!
1. Walking in Darkness; 2
1. Walking in Darkness; 2
This suggests that ‘walking in the light’ involves a willingness to be open towards God and his revelation in Christ, while ‘walking in the darkness’ involves a refusal to do this.
Colin G. Kruse
Walking in Darkness is a choice, and that choice leads to dark times.
Isaiah 8 begins and ends in the darkness and gloom of a corrupt and wicked people who were seeking occult wisdom from mediums and rejecting the wisdom of God [Isa. 8:5-8, 8:19-22]
America is walking in deep darkness and wondering in the wilderness of sin because the nation has turned it’s back on God. We have corrupt and wicked leadership who are seeking answers to our problems from all the wrong places.
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
America is a land and a people that is dwelling in the shadow of death economically and spiritually because it has turned its back on God.
It is living for the dollar instead of for the day!
It is seeking hope in government instead of seeking God!
Matthew 6:19–21 (NKJV)
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:30–33 (NKJV)
30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
John 3:19 (NKJV)
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
But even as Israel did not heed the voice of God at that time, I’m sure America won’t either. But God still offers light in the darkness to those who will believe.
2. Light Dispels the Darkness; 3-5
2. Light Dispels the Darkness; 3-5
The great thing about light is that you can see even in the darkness. Light dispels darkness!
[v.1] The land of Zebulun and Naphtali is the northern area of Israel that often took the brunt of first raids before war. It is also the area of Capernaum of Galilee where Jesus called his disciples and set up his Gospel headquarters. So God in Isaiah prophesies that our Lord made His home in the darkest parts of the country that His light shines the brightest!
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.
13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,
14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:
16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
In this area is where most of Jesus mighty works were done. The sick were healed, the blind had sight restored, the paralytic made whole and a woman raised up from fever. He preached sermons with authority and fed the multitudes!
Look what the Light of the world, “Jesus”, will do for you;
[2] Jesus gives light to all who are held in the bondage of darkness [sin] and death.
John 8:12 (NKJV)
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
[3] Increase our joy in the darkest hours, make us rejoice in prosperity of the harvest and the victory over our enemies.
John 17:11 (NKJV)
11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!
[4] Jesus will deliver all who are under the yoke of bondage and oppression.
Isaiah mentions the victory God gave Gideon over the Midianites, which Gideon was outnumbered 1000 to 1, yet God delivered him. God can deliver us from the bondage of sin, temptation or just the burdens of life.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.
9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,
[5] Jesus has promised to bring peace to the nations where there will be no more war or talk of it. All military equipment and uniforms will be destroyed and burned.
3 He shall judge between many peoples, And rebuke strong nations afar off; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.
But beyond all this, Jesus brings the Light of Life into the hearts of men who are wondering in darkness.
John 12:46 (NKJV)
46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
Close;
We are in some dark hours in America today. Though we have the privilege of voting for our choice of people who will represent us, that is no guarantee that they will do what they promise. America needs some leaders to step forward who will be guiding lights to encourage, give hope and rally the nation to victory.
That will not be done through politics, but by prayer and preaching of the Word!
Matthew 5:14–16 (NKJV)
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Will you be that light?