Jehovah Ori: My Light

JEHOVAH ORI: THE LORD IS MY LIGHT

~ Names of God ~

Psalm 27:1

Introduction

There’s a tradition with the Olympic Games that says that whoever is hosting the current games must receive the torch directly from Greece, the site of the original Olympics and deliver it to the host city. What happens is: the torch is lit in Olympia, Greece, and delivered to the current host city. For a while, chosen torchbearers would take the torch and one-by-one hand it off to other people as they crossed land and sea by foot, plane, boat, or other means to its final destination. Along the way, famous people including athletes, local heroes, and public figures usually are given the chance to carry the torch in honor of their accomplishments. On very rare occasions, a random citizen gets the honor of carrying the torch, too. Let me tell you about one of those occasions.

Some of you have met my friend Paul, who was a childhood friend and best man at my wedding. Those of you who know him probably know him because he has come to this church raising support for planting a church in Boulder, Colorado. But prior to his current assignment, Paul and his family were missionaries in China. In 2008, Paul and his wife moved him and their 4 children to China while he and his wife studied Chinese. They moved to the small Chinese town of Xian, which only had about 5 million people or so (barely in the top 10 in China, but would be the 2nd largest in America behind New York City if it were in here). They had moved there to learn Chinese in order to help them get jobs teaching English as a second language while shining the light of the gospel in the world’s most populous country. Shortly after arriving, something unusual happened to them related to the Olympics. They were taking a family trip around the city to check out different sites and arrived at a large open public square to look around. Since they were foreigners, they were treated like rock stars where everyone started crowding around them to see who these people were. The Olympic torch had just arrived in that same public square shortly after they arrived. The man who was carrying the torch noticed a large group of people where Paul’s family was, and he headed straight for the crowd with his torch. In the center of all these Chinese nationals, the torchbearer found these foreigners and gave them the Olympic honor of a lifetime. He let several of their family members hold/touch the torch (pictures show Paul, His son Noah, and even their 1-year-old son Samuel). How cool is that - getting to hold the Olympic torch?!

However, I have read that the tradition of carrying the Olympic torch has recently changed at the end of the 20th century into the 21st century. Instead of humans carrying the flame of the torch all the way around the globe to the new target, they are using technology to assist and make things easier. They started to “beam” the Olympic light to the continent where it will be hosted. For example, in Montreal, Canada, the Olympic flame was taken overseas like this:

A runner carried the flame from its home in Athens to an electric sensor.

The light sensor activated a transmitter that sent the message via the light spectrum and radio waves to a satellite in outer space.

The satellite then received the message and beamed the “torch” message to the North American continent the same way it had received them, via the light spectrum and radio waves.

The “light” message was then received in Ottawa, Canada, where it activated a laser beam that ignited the flame in an urn located there.

Canadian runners then carried the flame south in person to Montreal to the site of the games.

Light literally travelled half-way around the world in a matter of nano-seconds to improve upon an ancient tradition. If you don’t know it, light travels at approximately 186,000 miles per second. So to travel around the world, it takes very little time. How fascinating is light? It can bring a group of people together carrying at torch, or cause messages and signals to quickly travel around the world.

Today, we are going to talk about light. God is given a name in the Bible that relates to Light. The title of my message today is Jehovah Ori, My Light. We are going to learn why David wrote in the Psalms “the Lord is my light and my salvation” He is Jehovah Ori. Our scripture comes from Psalm 27:1. Here’s what it says…

“The Lord [Jehovah] is my light [Ori] and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Body

I. Characteristics of Light

The Source of Light

Let’s first talk about the source of where light comes from.

God is light.

1 John 1:5 – “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”

John 8:12 – “Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

God doesn’t just emit light, he is the source of light. Light comes from him. Every essence of what light is comes from God himself. When we say Jehovah Ori, we are acknowledging that.

God created light.

God also creates light as well as being the source. Genesis 1:3 says, “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” God spoke and there was light. It was that simple. He created it. He even has a name related to that – The Father of lights. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

God’s kingdom is light.

We often call God’s domain the Kingdom of God. But it also has another name in Colossians 1:12. It says this about new followers of Jesus, we “share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” His kingdom is a kingdom of light. That is what his kingdom is full of.

1 Timothy 6:15–16 says it this way, “God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.” He lives and reigns in a kingdom of light.

The Nature of Light

Darkness is the absence of light.

Let me clear up a misconception about what light and darkness are. In some people’s views, light and darkness, good and evil, are equal and opposite. They think there is a dark side and equally strong light side (the force). Or they have a yin and a yang that are two sides of the same coin. But in the Bible, in reality we see a much different picture. We see that evil is the perversion or absence of good. And darkness is the absence of light. Darkness only exists when there is no light. Ill: You can’t go into a lighted room and “turn on” the dark, because it is not a force. It is merely the absence of light. You can, however, go into a dark room and turn on a light. Light is greater. Light is not merely the opposite of darkness. Darkness can only exist when light is NOT present. It’s the void when light is not there. Are you catching this?

Why is this important? Because when it comes to Jehovah Ori being our light, we need to understand that He can shine into any dark area and overcome it. That is why it says in John 1:5 – “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Light always wins over darkness! It is its nature! When light is present, darkness has to flee! If you don’t believe me, then go into a dark room and turn on a light, light a match, or pull out a flashlight. Wherever you shine that light into the darkness, darkness will disappear. It’s the nature! Darkness must flee at the sight of the light. That’s why James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” His diabolical kingdom of darkness does not stand up to God’s kingdom of light!

It is good.

At creation, God created the light and said something very interesting about it. In Genesis 1:4 we read what he thought about the light, “God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.” Notice again what he thought about the light. It was good! What did he say about the darkness? Nothing. He did not say the darkness was good. He said the light was good. Darkness was not created – darkness is merely the absence of light. Later in Genesis 1:16-18 we again read again something similar about other sources of light that God created. “God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.” What was the nature of these lights that God created – sun, moon, and stars? Good! God did not create darkness, He created light. And it was good! [Darkness is NOT!]

It exposes the dark.

Ephesians 5:11 – “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” What happens when you shine a light on things in the dark that you cannot see? You can now see them! Satan operates in a kingdom of darkness. This includes deceit, lies, blindness, death, and every form of cunning and trickery. But when light enters into darkness, it exposes it. 1 Corinthians 4:5 says, “wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts.”

Light, by nature, is good, exposes the dark, and wins over darkness every time.

The Impact of Light

There is no fear in light.

Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” What it is saying is that as our Jehovah Ori, we have nothing to fear. Children learn this truth early on in their life. They know that light drives away fear! Ill: Kid goes to bed. Parents turn out the lights. Dad, I’m afraid of the dark. Dad turns the lights on. Fear fades away. Why? Because instinctively, we all know that light drives away the fear. We can see if there is anything there or not (no boogey man after all). We know that light is much safer. When there is light, we need not fear!

In the same way, the light of Jesus can drive out fear. Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” What is happening here When we walk through the dark valley, we don’t have to fear because Jehovah Ori is with us. 1 John 4:18 says that our loving and perfect God removes all fear. “But perfect love drives out fear…” This God who is the source and creator of light and full of perfect love drives out fear. How great is that? Today, you don’t have to live in fear anymore if you are a child of God! Cast that fear aside! Romans 8:15 says, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear…” As the Francesca Battistelli song says, “Fear, you don't own me, There ain't no room in this story, And I ain't got time for you, Telling me what I'm not, Like you know me, well guess what? I know who I am. I know I'm strong, And I am free. Got my own identity. So fear, you will never be welcome here.”

There is hope.

Ephesians 1:18 – “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you…”

When the path ahead looks dim, light can give hope. God can enlighten our heart so that we may be filled with hope.

Does your path ahead look dim? Then you need the light of the Lord in your life.

Are you feeling weak and hopeless? You need the light of the Lord in your life.

When you can’t see into the future and have decisions to make that leave you helpless, you need the light of the Lord in your life.

With Him there is always hope! There is light, even when things seem bleakest, because that is what light does. When David declared in Psalm 27 that His God was Jehovah Ori, he was saying with confidence that his hope was in the Lord who brings hope through His light - despite his circumstances!

This reminds me of another song (Here I Am To Worship): Light of the world, you stepped down into darkness, opened my eyes let me see, Beauty that made this heart adore you, hope of a life spent with you. Here I am to worship…

What are you going through that seems hopeless or challenging? Let the light of Jesus into your life to give you hope!

Another impact of light is this…

There is direction.

When you feel lost, the future seems unclear, or life is scary, Jehovah Ori can be your guide. He can lead you in the way you need to go. His light can guide your way in the darkness.

Isaiah 42:16 talks about this. God said, “And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground.” He lights the path ahead to guide us into the right path. 2 Peter 1:19 tells us how he has sent spokespersons throughout history to help guide us as well. He says, “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” These prophets were God’s spokespersons to light the path of God’s [people so they knew where to go. Jehovah Ori loves to light your path and give you direction. How does He do this?

Ways Jehovah Ori guides you

His Word, His wisdom, and His witness (sometimes also through Windows – but we won’t talk about that today) His witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Windows (closed and open) (circumstances)

His Word.

Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” It can’t get any clear than that. God’s Word lights our path. The picture is like taking a lantern or flashlight out at night. It shows you just far enough to take a few steps. God’s Word guides us just enough so that we will trust him with the next step. And then when we take a few steps, we can see a little bit further. That’s the way it often works with God’s guidance.

His Wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 2:13 – “I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.” Wisdom is associated with light here. And folly is associated with darkness. God gives wisdom to light our paths. That wisdom may come through many different ways: through godly people speaking into our life, through discernment, or even through experience. It also comes through godly teaching. Proverbs 6:23 says, “For (God’s) commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life” Jehovah Ori guides us through different paths of wisdom.

His Witness of the Holy Spirit.

Let me explain how this works. When we put our faith in Jesus, God deposits the Holy Spirit inside of our heart. He now lives within us. And that Holy Spirit becomes a guide for our life every single day. He teaches us, according to Titus 2:12, “to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. He guides our footstep. He convicts us when we are going the wrong way. The witness of the Holy Spirit is a gift and treasure that every follower of Jesus can listen to and obey.

There are other ways he leads us, but let me stop at those for now.

[Optional]

Windows

Another way is through windows – closed and open doors. These are specific circumstances. But these circumstances alone aren’t enough. We need the other means as well. Sometimes circumstances look right, but aren’t. Just because a job opens up on Sunday that pays more doesn’t mean it is from God. It might be the enemy trying to tempt you away from spending time in God’s house. Windows aren’t solo indicators of God’s guidance without confirmation in other ways.

II. What To Do With The Light

Be Filled with the Light.

1 Peter 2:9 – “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Your calling in life is to leave the darkness of this broken world and enter into God’s kingdom of light. If you have never let the light of Jesus into your life, I want you to know that it will change you. It will restore You don’t have to live in darkness any longer. You can be filled with the light of Jesus! 2 Corinthians 4:6 – “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” I pray that the light of Jesus would begin to shine into the life of every person here and that we would receive that light into our own life, just like the people mentioned here in the Bible. Ephesians 5:8 – “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light”

The first step to living as children of light is letting God fill you with His life. That is a decision we all must make by first admitting we are a sinner and asking for forgiveness for those sings. Then once Jesus forgives those sins, the his light will enter into our life and we will want to follow Him forever. It’s that simple. When the light enters, everything changes.

The next step after being filled with the light is…

Shine the Light .(witness)

In the gospel, Jesus told us that we after Hi slight entered into our lives, we became the light as well. Then we needed to let our light shine. Here’s what it says in Matthew 5:14–16 - “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Everything we say and od shines this light to others In fact, the Bible says that when we refrain from complaining and arguing, we actually shine the light best. In Philippians 2:14–15 it instructs us to, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe…” Did you know that the way you act or react can shine to others? And one way to snuff our your light is to complain all the time. How many of you like to be around complainers? How many of you find it hard Not to complain? If you want to shine your light, might I suggest working on this one area?

[Don’t worry. I may be pointing fingers at you, but three more are pointing back at me. I know I need to work on this more myself]

By molding our actions to Jesus, we become a shining witness, a testimony, an example of what Jesus can do in a person’s life. That light becomes evident to those around.

Do you shine the light of Jesus? We should all be like one of the most famous Christian songs ever. The song was recorded by the Newsboys back in 1994. It is called Shine and it goes like this: Shine, make them wonder whatcha got, make them wish that they were not, on the outside looking bored. Shine, let it shine before all men, let ‘em see good works and then, let ‘em glorify the Lord.” One of the verses even tells us the effect that happens to those who see us shining the light… “That would make a deadhead sell his van, that would make a schizophrenic turn in his crayons… When you let it Shine, You will inspire the kind of entire turnaround, That would make a bouncer take ballet, Even bouncers who are unhappy.”

Friends, first be filled with the light, and then shine the light and watch what God does! Who knows who it will impact? Maybe even a deadhead or a bouncer?

Lastly, you need to ….

Share the Light.

It is great that we can radiate or shine light. But sometimes you gotta share the light, you gotta point the light into somebody’s life. Here’s why…

We live in a dark world.

People, if you didn’t know this already - we live in a world that is dark. I read last week from Ephesians 6:12 where it reminds us, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” In this dark world, men love darkness (see John 3:19). And Satan likes to keep them in that darkness. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Since the world is so dark…

We must proclaim the light!

The only light that people may ever see is the light that you share! That is through your actions. But it is also through your words. Think of it this way, since darkness is the absence of light, when light is taken away, what is left in that space? Darkness. Darkness fills the void when light isn’t there. Unless you share the light of Jesus, then the darkness of this world will always fill that void in people’s life. That is why it is imperative for us to share the light of Jesus to others. It’s our privilege. And it’s our duty!

We see this modeled in the early church by the apostle Paul. Paul is often called the first missionary in the New Testament. What does a missionary do? They share the light of Jesus with others. In Acts 26:17-18, Paul described his calling like this: I was sent “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” By proclaiming the light, he would turn people from darkness to light. What an example!

And yet we are called to do the same. 2 Corinthians 5:19–20 says, “And (God) has committed to us the [same] message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” It is imperative that we don’t relegate proclaiming the light to only missionaries. We, too, must share the light! Otherwise how will people get out of darkness. Romans 10:14 spells it out very plainly. It says, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” It is up to people who have the light to proclaim preach, share the light with others (or whatever similar term you want to use). Just as Jesus proclaimed the light to the people of His time (see Acts 26:23), and Paul shared the light with the people he came in contact with, we must also share the light of Jesus to those around us.

DO NOT avoid the Light.

This is something you should NOT do, but some people do it. It is mentioned in the Bible, though it is not recommended. I just want to point it out so you can see how futile it is. As you may know from the Bible and from the testimony of many people lives, the light of the gospel can be life-changing. But some people, unfortunately, resist the light of the gospel. In Job 24:13-17 it says, “There are those who rebel against the light, who are not acquainted with its ways, and do not stay in its paths…they want nothing to do with the light” These kinds of people prefer living in darkness and doing evil things. Some of the dark activities these people do are listed in those verses. They include murder, stealing, adultery, breaking and entering, and becoming friends with something called the “terror of darkness.” Romans 13:12 and Ephesians 5:11 calls these kinds of actions as “deeds of darkness.” Some people revel in this kind of activity. Maybe the darkness is all they know. Or maybe they have been tricked into thinking it is good when it is NOT good. So, they avoid the light. Maybe it convicts them. Maybe it exposes their deeds. Whatever the reason, they love walking and wallowing in darkness.

Proverbs 4:18–19 give us the contrast between the dark and the light path. It says, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.” Some people avoid the light and walk in darkness, while others live in the light in the path of righteousness. If you are here today, please DO NOT avoid the light. Embrace it. Turn to it! Find the light of Jesus! You will save yourself lots of pain and trouble. How many of you today, wish you had Not avoided the light but embraced it earlier in your life at times? I have! It’s time to learn from our mistakes and the Word of God and let God ne our Jehovah Ori – our light!

Conclusion

Let me recap some things about light…

God is the source of light. He created light. And his domain is a kingdom of light (Did you know in heaven it will be complete lit up by God’s glory and presence. How’s that for a kingdom of light?).

We also know the nature of light. Darkness exists only when light is absent. We also know that light always overcomes darkness. Light is also good and it exposes things in the dark.

When it comes to the impact of light, we know that fear has to flee from the light. We know that light brings hope and direction. Aren’t you thankful for light? Aren’t you thankful that we have a God who is light, he is Jehovah Ori.

William Sidney Porter, a famous poet, whose nom de plume was O. Henry, while dying said: “Turn up the lights! I don’t want to go home in the dark!”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethea another poet said something similar at the end of his life. As his life was fading away, he whispered, “Mehr Licht! Mehr Licht!”—”More light! More light! More light!”

Do you have enough light in your life? Or do you need more? Don’t get to a point (like these men) where you reach the end of your life and you miss the light that was there all along. Don’t have your last words something that cries for more light! You can turn to the light today.

There’s a cartoon that Peanuts (Charlie Brown) put out in 1965 that speaks to this idea.

What do you do? Do you light a candle, or do you curse the darkness? Today my hope is that Jehovah Ori will be your light and His light will shine in you instead of cursing the darkness.

I want to conclude our time with a short chorus and a prayer. There’s an old chorus that we sing that can encourage us to turn to the light. It goes like this:

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will go strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

Can we sing that chorus together?

The verse in the song also has some powerful words. Let me read them to you. “O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free.”

Now let’s sing the chorus again. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will go strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

Response

How much of Jesus light is in your life today?

Do you have any? If not, then let His light into your heart. Put your faith and trust in Him and watch him completely change you from the inside out?

Maybe the light you once had has dimmed considerably. Today is your day to let Jesus light into your life even more. How do you do that? Romans 13:12 gives us a great way to do that. It says, “So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Let’s focus on Jesus, and don’t let the darkness invade our live – the darkness of sin, the darkness of evil, and the deeds the darkness. Start living the life that Jesus has for you. Start living in the light of Jesus.

For some of you, your light is bright. I pray that you will find ways to let it shine into other people’s lives more and more. Don’t be ashamed. Don’t hide that light. Let your actions and words be a testimony to others of how the light of Jesus can change their life just like it has changed yours.

Closing prayer and dedication

Lord, fill us with your light today, we pray! In Jesus name, Amen!

Optional Song: This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel, no! I’m gonna let it shine. Hide I under a bushel, No! I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Won’t let Satan blow it out. I’m gonna let it shine. Won’t let Satan blow it out. I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Let it shine ‘till Jesus comes, I;m gonna let it shine. Let it shine ‘till Jesus comes, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.