Got a Light?

SBS: Glad to be back.  Nice time off in Chicago.  It was a windy time. PRAYER

On the day we were coming back from chicago we learned of the terrible tragedy at Virginia Tech where a young man took a nine millimeter pistol and killed 32 of his classmates before turning the gun on himself.  It is a dark world.

Every Sunday we pray “Thy kingdom come” but we walk out of church with the realization that it is not fully here yet.  If it were fully here we would not need the canes and walkers.  If it were fully here we would not hear the stories of school shootings; of babies dying; or of horrible dictators.

Yet in all of that the Scripture today offers us a glint of hope.  A small bit of sunshine on the cloudiest day.  A ray of light in the most dark of circumstances.  Light in darkness.  There must be some light somewhere.  That is what we all need.  Light!  Someone please give us some light.

Because Christ brings light, we should trust in him alone during times of darkness.

          I.   PAST-There is Bad News.

 A.    The devil had just tempted him. 4:1-11

 1.      Bread-feed the multitudes and they will worship you

 2.      Jump-Parachute into the temple and they will worship you

 3.      Worship-Use politics of the world and they will worship you.  ALL THESE THINGS WOULD HAVE BENIFITED HIM BUT LEFT US WITHOUT A REDEEMER.

 B.     John the Baptist had just been arrested. 4:12 (Chapter 11 will describe this in more detail)  John was arrested by Herod Antipas.  He is the son of the Herod who had killed the babies in Matt. 2.  He had a fortress just east of the Dead Sea that looks sort of like a volcano.  John was kept here while he was under arrest.

         II.   PRESENT-There is Good News.

 A.    The good news does not deny the truth.  v. 16 “sitting in darkness . . . sitting in the land of the shadow of death.

 B.     The good news promises a future in spite of the present.  “now sitting . . . have seen the light”

 1.      Light in Scripture is associated with God and his word.  Paul sees a light on the road to damascus.  Peter sees a light when he is let out of prison;  .

 2.      Qumran scroll of war was the war between the children of light and children of darkness.

 3.      At the begining of the Bible God creates light.  At the end of the Bible there is no more need for the created light.   for the Lord God will be their light” (Rev 22:5

        III.   FUTURE-There is Coming News. v. 17

 A.    Kingdom of heaven has broken into our world with the man from heaven.

 B.     It is slowly growing from its small start-like a mustard seed. 

IT MAY LOOK DARK NOW, BUT WE ARE FLYING TWORD THE SUN. I know that no matter how dark it looks now, the kingdom is growing, the light is coming, and God is having his way.

In the seventh stage of their journey, as Christian and Hopeful grow weary with their trip and wish for an easier way, they notice a little meadow on their left called By-path Meadow, with a stile leading over the fence. They detour in this way, but soon night overtakes them and they find themselves lost in a terrible storm. At last, weary and worried, they fall asleep under a tree and are captured the next day by Giant Despair who beats them cruelly and throws them into the dungeon of Doubting Castle. It was “a very dark dungeon, nasty and stinking to the spirit,” and here the two men lay in misery from Wednesday morning till Saturday night, without one bit of bread or drink of water or light.

Finally, having reduced them to miserable depression, Giant Despair leaves a knife, a rope, and poison in their cell, and the two men are sorely tempted to end their lives. But remembering the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill,” they resign themselves to the continued tortures of Giant Despair.

Early on a Sunday morning, Christian suddenly sits up as one half amazed, and says, “Why a fool, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom called Promise that will, I am persuaded, open any lock in Doubting Castle.” Then said Hopeful, “That is good news; good brother, pluck it out of thy bosom and try.”

Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom, and began to try at the dungeon-door, whose bolt, as he turned the key, gave back and the door flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came

 No matter how dark things might look,  God brings light. That is a great ending to which we can all look forward no matter how dark things look right now.