LIGHT BEARERS

INTRO

FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS WE LOOKED AT THE MIRACLE BEFORE THE MIRACLE.

We looked at the arrival and necessity of John the Baptist.

We learned that John would prime the pump of Jesus’ ministry

He was the announcer

The MC to the ministry of Jesus.

According to Christ, he was “The greatest prophet that ever lived”

THIS WEEK

We are going to look at how the role of John the Baptist can be lived out today.

There are some things that John realized early on that helped him present Jesus well.

Funny thing is, John the Apostle, in his Gospel narrative brings these things to light.

TURN TO

John 1:1-

John 1:1–28 NKJV

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 nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. 19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.” 28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

PRAY

John 1:1–5 NKJV

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 nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1:1-

John, the Apostle whom Jesus loved, wrote this Gospel a good 40 years after the synoptic gospels.

John’s Gospel is actually very different from the others, containing 92% original content.

That is, content not found in any other gospels.

He begins his Gospel by introducing the protagonist of his narrative.

“IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD”

“THE WORD WAS WITH GOD”

“THE WORD WAS GOD”

“HE WAS IN THE BEGINNING WITH GOD.”

These first 2 verses have so much doctrinal value

Not only do we see another name for Jesus

We see Him declared as separate from God, but equal to God

He was both with God and God himself.

Before Creation, Jesus was.

This is so crucial for us to understand God as Creator

To see The Father & Jesus as preeminent

To see Them as both Eternal

ALL THINGS WERE MADE THROUGH HIM

Can we say “All things”

Were made through Him

AND WITHOUT HIM NOTHING WAS MADE THAT WAS MADE

What is being communicated here besides the obvious?

We must remember that God spoke the world into Existence

That spoken word, that Logos

This places Jesus alongside the creation story

So often I’ve seen God the Father as the Creator

I would venture to call Christ a Co Creator

But sometimes I fail to give Jesus some credit in the creation story.

Creating all things with the Father.

Like He’s not there

But here, we get some clarity . . .

VERSE 4

IN CHRIST, WAS LIFE

And this life, was the light of men!

And this life, was the light of men!

Friends, the life we are all in search of

The thing that we so often long for

IS THE LIFE WE FIND IN CHRIST JESUS

WHEN WE COME TO FAITH IN CHRIST, OUR LIVES ARE ILLUMINATED WITH HIS PRESENCE

This life is found in Christ

This light illuminates the soul of every man and woman.

This light illuminates the darkness

This light shows us our necessity for a Savior.

This light invades the darkness.

And guess what, the darkness does not comprehend it.

The Darkness in our lives must flee

For the Bible says in :14

The New King James Version Chapter 6

For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

“What fellowship does light have with darkness?”

Friends, this reality is sometimes uncomfortable

Confronting the darkness in our lives is never ever easy

Sometimes, we confront the darkness in our own strength

When we try to bring balance with glimpses of light

When we try to offset the darkness with SOS signals of light

It can be defeating

But when Jesus does it, when he breaks through with Life and Light

It humbles us

It is hard to comprehend

Hard to deal with the fact that God approaches us

That He comes near and expels the darkness

John 1:

In past times he was unapproachable

But now, through Christ, God not only makes himself available, but comes near to the brokenhearted

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ALLOW JESUS TO PUT IN WORK

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE LET THE LIGHT IN

John 1:6–8 NKJV

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

JOHN TRANSITIONS THE STORY TO THE MAN WHO BECAME THE FIRST WITNESS FOR JESUS

THIS MAN NAMED JOHN

CAME TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE LIGHT

THAT ALL OF HUMANITY, WOULD COME TO A KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, THROUGH THE LIGHT.

I LOVE THAT JOHN THE APOSTLE SAYS:

“He was not the Light”

Friends, sometimes pastors are looked upon as though we are saviors

We are put on a pedestal

We become the source of wisdom at the expense of God himself

News flash: WE ARE NOT THE LIGHT

But we are just like J The B

We have been sent to bear witness of that Light

We have been sent to give evidence that Jesus is the light

We have been sent to testify of the Light

To be a witness of what the Light has done for us

A Pastor is just like the congregant in that both are called to bear witness to the Light

FRIENDS, WE ARE CALLED TO POINT THOSE IN DARKNESS TO THE SOURCE OF LIGHT

TO BRING STABILITY TO THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING CHAOS

TO BALANCE OUR SINFULNESS WITH THE REDEMPTION THAT JESUS OFFERS

TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT THERE IS HOPE FOR THE SINNER.

This light is our greatest resource

It is our greatest asset

The greatest thing we can invest in

THE LIGHT OF JESUS IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING WE CAN OFFER HUMAN BEINGS

John 1:

John 1:9–11 NKJV

9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

THIS LIGHT THAT JESUS BRINGS IS THE TRUE LIGHT

THAT ILLUMINATES THE LIFE OF EVERY HUMAN BEING

THIS LIGHT

THIS LIGHT

THIS WORD

THIS JESUS

WAS IN THE WORLD, A WORLD THAT HE HAD CREATED AND A WORLD THAT DID NOT KNOW HIM

Imagine creating human beings that don’t know you

Imagine knitting people in their mother’s womb, and they see you as foreign

Imagine being faithful to a certain race, a certain people group, and being unwelcomed by them.

TO THIS STORY

TO THIS STORY

TO WHAT SEEMS TO BE A SAD STORY OF A DEITY, THERE IS A FLIPSIDE

John 1:12–13 NKJV

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

JOHN SAYS

THOUGH HIS OWN DID NOT RECEIVE HIM

THOUGH HIS OWN REJECTED HIM

THOUGH MANY TOOK THE FIRST ADVENT FOR GRANTED

THERE IS A REMNANT

“AS MANY HAVE RECEIVED HIM”

Receive means to acquire, take hold of, receive in full

All that Jesus is

“TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIS NAME, HAS BEEN GIVEN THE RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD”

If we believe

Then we are His offspring

If we are His offspring

Then we are Witnesses, Light bearers

If we are Witnesses and Light bearers of the Light

Then the Christian must be an active carrier of this light.

AS ONE LET’S THE LIGHT IN

AS ONE CARRIES THIS LIGHT

THOSE AROUND THEM WILL REALIZE THAT A CHANGE HAS HAPPENED

It is those who have not only been born

Of Blood

Of Flesh

Of the will of man

But those who have been born of God

Those who have been revitalized

Those who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit

Those who have something GREATER THAN THEMSELVES to life for

JOHN KNEW THIS FIRST HAND

HE IS THE GREATEST IAMSECOND VIDEO THAT NOBODY HAS EVER SEEN

John 1:14

John 1:14–17 NKJV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

THE WORD THAT WAS WITH GOD

THE WORD THAT WAS GOD

BECAME LIVING FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US

AND THE APOSTLES, AND ALL THOSE WHO WALKED WITH HIM

Beheld His glory

The glory as of the only begotten of the Father

Full of Grace and Full of Truth

SEPARATING JESUS FROM EVERY OTHER GOD ON THE PLANET

PROMPTING JOHN THE BAPTIST TO SAY SOME STUFF THAT RESONATES TODAY

BECAUSE WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE, JOHN DECLARES JESUS AS GOD ALONE

He said:

He said:

He is preffered before me

He was before me

Of His fullness, we have received grace for grace

When the Law of Moses condemned us

JESUS COMES IN WITH TRUTH THAT CONVICTS US AND GRACE TO SAVE US.

JE

FRIENDS, THE GREATEST THING WE CAN DO NOT JUST IN 2020, BUT IN OUR LIVES

IS TO RECOGNIZE WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS TO BE A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST

Not everyone gets to say that they have a relationship with the God who created this whole universe

Not everyone gets to sing praises unto His name

Not everyone knows the King of Kings and Lord of Lords on a personal level

Sometimes we take this for granted

Sometimes we forget that what Jesus said about the Christian and his role in the world

John the Baptist

John admitted that he wasn’t the light

TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY

But as Jesus prepared himself to depart from this world

YES, YOU GREATER IS HE THAT

He commissioned the disciples to realize one thing

John 8:12 NKJV

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Interestingly enough, in Matthew, he takes this a little further

He looks upon the people and says:

Matthew 5:14 NKJV

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:16 NKJV

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

FRIENDS, THE WORLD IS GETTING DARKER

DARKNESS IS MORE TOLERABLE

THE GREATEST THING WE CAN DO IS TO TAKE OUR WITNESS SERIOUSLY

TO LET OUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN

TO REALIZE THAT CHRIST HAS ILLUMINATED OUR LIVES, REGENERATED US FOR A PURPOSE.

THAT MANY WOULD SEE WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE, AND DESIRE THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH HIM.