An Inextinguishable Light

Welcome & Opening Prayer

Turn to John Ch. 1...

!! Open in Prayer !!

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I. Introduction: The Reality of Winter ❄️

Opening: Don’t you just love wintertime?

1. MOST DON’T— COLD

2. IT’S DARK

WAKE UP GO to WORK—DARK

COME HOME—DARK

Ill.: SELAH WORRIED ABOUT MISSING DINNER— “IT’S 5:30”

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Provoke Thought: BENEFIT of WINTER? — WITHOUT IT, SPRING = NOT SPECIAL.

WITHOUT COLD— WE DON’T APP. WARMTH

WITHOUT DEAD TREES—WOULDN’T APP. GREENERY

WITHOUT DARK—WOULDN’T APP. LIGHT…

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Focus: TONIGHT—LIGHT = WHAT I’D LIKE to TALK ABOUT…

DARKNESS = GREATEST SETTING for LIGHT to SHINE...

LOOK W/ ME @ JOHN.... CH. 1… V.1-13

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II. Passage Reading: John 1:1-13 📖

John 1:1–13 (ESV)

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.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.

11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

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III. Exhortation: The Eternal Word ✨

SPARE LENGTHY DETAILS— SHORT MESSAGE TONIGHT… HITTING FEW VERSES HERE.

1. The Incarnation (V1-3):

BABY BOY in BETHLEHEM—NOTHING LESS THAN INCARNATION of ETERNAL WORD of GOD...🤯

COCREATED the WORLDS

UNCREATED

Background: JOHN 1:1—TIES to GENESIS 1:1… NEW DETAIL—ETERNAL WORD—JESUS CHRIST—THERE in BEGINNING…

Powerful Truth: CHRIST HAD a BIRTH-DATE—WITHOUT a START DATE!💡

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WE DON’T KNOW WHEN THIS TOOK PLACE— DECEMBER BEST TIME to CELEBRATE

👉👉NO BETTER TIME than DARKEST & COLDEST PORTION of YEAR

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Transition: W/ CHRIST’S COMING CAME LIGHT.

LOOK W/ ME AGAIN @ VS. 4

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2. Understanding Life & Light 💡

John 1:4–5 (ESV)

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

DIVINE SON of GOD— SOURCE of LIFE…

Background: GOD BREATHED INTO ADAM BREATH of LIFE

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(v4b) LIFE — SOURCE of LIGHT

Exhort: BOTH NATURAL LIFE & SPIRITUAL LIFE COME from GOD!

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Genesis: “LET THERE BE LIGHT”

2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV)

6 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.

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Metaphor Background:

SCRIPTURE USES LIGHT & DARK — METAPHOR — GOOD & EVIL.

1 John 1:5 (ESV)

5 ...God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

LIGHT = SYMBOL of PURITY & HOLINESS

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ONLY HOPE for SPIRITUAL LIFE = in CHRIST—THE LIFE-GIVER.

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Transition: THERE’S GOOD NEWS ABOUT THIS LIGHT...

(V9) SAYS IT CAME INTO WORLD @ CHRIST’S INCARNATION...

EVEN BETTER NEWS…

LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 5

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3. Good News: Light = Triumphant

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

🙌DARKNESS HAS NEVER—NOR WILL EVER OVERCOME the LIGHT of JESUS… 🙌

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(v5) LIGHT SHINES in DARKNESS— DARKNESS HASN’T OVERCOME IT.

Word Study: Katalambano ("Grasp") ✊

YOUR BIBLE MIGHT SAY “COMPREHEND”

??!?!

HELPFUL ENGLISH GLOSS— “GRASP”

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Double Meaning:

Grasp = UNDERSTAND/COMPREHEND

I HOPE YOU’RE GRASPING WHAT I’M SAYING TONIGHT

Grasp = TAKE HOLD/SEIZE—WRESTLE/FIGHT

I HOPE YOU DON’T PLAN to SEIZE ME in the PARKING LOT & START a FIGHT😅

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JOHN—PROBABLY USING a DOUBLE-ENTENDRE—DOUBLE MEANING HERE.

THOSE in SPIRITUAL DARKNESS—CANNOT COMPREHEND/UNDERSTAND LIGHT of CHRIST.

FORCES of SPIRITUAL DARKNESS—CANNOT EXTINGUISH the LIGHT of CHRIST!

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JESUS CAME INTO a DARK WORLD…

WORLD STILL DARK TODAY… 👀

BEYOND WINTER—LOOK @ NEWS

WORLD = FRAUGHT W/ EVILS

DON’T KNOW WHO to TRUST

INCREASINGLY POLARIZED

Encourage: LIGHT of CHRIST HAS COME— WE’RE on the WINNING SIDE… 🙌

SEEMS DARK…BUT WINTER ISN’T FOREVER.

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THE ONE WHO is BOTH LIFE & LIGHT HAS COME…

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Transition: & HE CAME @ FULLNESS of TIME— to BRING ABOUT RECONCILIATION…

… BETWEEN MAN & HIS MAKER…

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Iv. Gospel Invitation: Receiving the Light 🚪

WHEN CHRIST CAME—NOT ALL RECEIVED HIM— BUT SCRIPTURE SAYS:

John 1:12–13 (ESV)

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

LIGHT CAME— BUT PEOPLE LOVED DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT BECAUSE THEIR WORKS WERE EVIL… (JN. 3:19)…

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BUT to THOSE W/ ILLUMINED HEART—THEY CAME to CHRIST…

2 Corinthians 4:4–6 (ESV)

4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

6 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.

SATAN BLINDS EYES of NONBELIEVERS— IT TAKES a WORK of GOD to OPEN OUR EYES…

“LET THERE BE LIGHT” in the HUMAN HEART…

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Invitation:

MAYBE YOU’RE HERE— BEFORE YOU RAN FROM the LIGHT

THOUGHT CHURCH STUFF WAS CRAZY

DIDN’T BELIEVE in JESUS CHRIST

SOMETHING TUGGING on YOUR HEART—THAT’S GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT— ILLUMINATING YOUR UNDERSTANDING

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Romans 10:9–10 (ESV)

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

JESUS CAME to DIE—TO PAY PRICE for OUR SINS—SO WE COULD BE RECONCILED to GOD…

“YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I’VE DONE...”

IF YOU THINK YOU’RE BEYOND GRACE??

—YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT JESUS HAS DONE…

👉👉GRACE is UNDESERVED—WE COULD NEVER EARN IT…

Call: QUESTIONS/STRUGGLE W/ ASSURANCE—TALK to ME AFTER SERVICE…

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Transition: TO the BELIEVER— A CLOSING ENCOURAGEMENT:

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V. Closing & Takeaway: An Inextinguishable Light 🔥

Preaching Idea: Church, the light of Christ is an inextinguishable light.

The Victory:

NO POWER in HELL… CAN EXTINGUISH that light.

NO AMOUNT of MORAL DECAY… in the world can extinguish that light.

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THE INCARNATION of JESUS CHRIST

— REMINDS US WINTER ISN’T ETERNAL…

DARKNESS ISN’T FOREVER.

SUFFERING ISN’T FOREVER…

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Exhort: WE SERVE a GOD WHO INTERVENES. 🙌

400 YRS BETWEEN MALACHI & MATTHEW— AT FULLNESS of TIME… CHRIST CAME.

ONE DAY HE’LL COME AGAIN.

DARKNESS WILL NOT TRIUMPH

HEROD DIDN’T ELIMINATE HIM

KILLED @ CALVARY—CAME BACK from the DEAD

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Conclusion:

WHILE WE’RE HERE— IN the “IN-BETWEEN”

IF YOU’VE BEEN TAKEN OUT of DOMAIN of DARKNESS—TRANSFERRED to KINGDOM of GOD’S BELOVED SON—

YOU CAN TAKE HEART— THE LIGHT of CHRIST ....

… WILL ONE DAY BE FINALLY TRIUMPHANT...

IN THAT WE CAN HOPE… AMEN?

!! Close in Prayer !!