Light- Eve Eve 2024

A light you take with you

It has been a wonderful night celebrating the birth of Jesus with all of you. In a moment we are going to conclude the service and go our seperate ways. but in a moment we will end with 2 songs. During one of those Andrew will ask you to light your Tea lights. We will sing a song and leave. As you leave this year we want you to keep the lights.

Ross reminded us that Jesus has come into the deep darkness the world was facing and he continues to step into that today. We are reminded even the dark isn’t dark to Jesus.

and later in Scripture Paul reminds us of this light we have been given. He says

2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

As you take your tea light home with you tonight let it serve as a reminder that if you are in Christ light has shone out of darkness. That God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us by sending Jesus has brought light into the darkest regioins of our hearts.

and because of that we have light. That light is the knoweldge of the glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ.

That’s fantastic. In the OT Moses ask to see Gods glory but he knew if saw Gods glory he could die. So he hide in the cleft of a rock and God showed Moses all the glory he could handle

Thousands of years later we don’t die when we see the light of the glory of God. No Jesus died so we could see the light of the glory of God and we could be reminded of that this Christmas

John would write at the end of the book of revelation some amazing things about the new heavens and the new earth. He said he saw a sitting and there was a river in the center of the city and on each side of the river where trees and the trees where for the healing of the nations reminding us as Gods people what Kind of ministry we can have

and then he would write in Rev 22:5

Revelation 22:5 ESV

And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

How increadible is that. There will be a day. Whne sin, darkness, suffering, brokenss will be no more. Where Gods light will be so bright, so amazing, so awesome that we won’t need the sun or even a lamp, or even a tea light. So when you light that tonight remember

The light of Christ is in your hearts and it’s shining bright. Take it from this place and let others know the good news that a saviour has been born.

but also remember it’s a tempoary light. And Yes all of us will light them in a moment and this room will be bright. But it’s tempoary. There is a day coming when we won’t need it because Gods light will be enough. And if it’s enough in the future. It’s enough today. Allow Gods light to move and minsiter to you tonight.

because really our ornimants and trees

our carols and feast

they are just tokens that we affirm something amazing happened in time and space

that on a paticular night, in a paticular place, many years ago, an infant king was born to us

and his light reminds us he is the prince of peace

our wreaths, ribbons and lights, our gifts and parties were never and end to themsleve

they are just ways we repeat the sounding joy first proclaimed by angels in the skies near bethlam.

Let’s sing