Light & Love
Notes
Transcript
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
If you stop and look at our world without God it is very dark. Just turn on the news and if you look it up online each dark story has links to multiple other dark stories. And if you are not careful you can get lost on a long dark rabbit hole that can end in depression. The world without Jesus is nothing but dark.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The last candle we lite tonight is the candle representing light and love.
I want to examine the relationship between light and dark. It is a common theme throughout all of scripture.
Let’s look at Acts where Jesus told Paul He was sending to the Gentiles to
18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
Looking back at John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
How did God love the world? He sent His son why? Because the world was totally dark and Jesus was the light. He is the only light. And when He saves you what happens? If you were here this morning we talked about it.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
Jesus gives us His Holy spirit and now the light of the World lives in you. How awesome is that? And how are we to respond?
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
As I thought about us singing Silent Night with candles I couldn’t help see the symbolism. As take our candles before they are light and we turn off the lights it will get pretty dark in here, but when we light our candles it will light the room, Why? Because the little candle light will over power the darkness. As you hold the candle and sign silent night, remember that represents the Holy Spirit that now lives in you if you genuinely believe. And you are called to go out and let that light shine before others. Before the ones who are stumbling in the darkness lost in their sins. It is heartbreaking to see and hear the tragic stories of people destroying their lives and the lives of others through sin.
They are deceived and blinded by Satan. We are called to be the beacon of light the beacon of hope in a sea of darkness.