Sermon Tone Analysis

LWML Sunday

Pentecost 16

John 8:12

September 24, 2006

*“Let There Be Light.”*

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life."

These words encompass one aspect of who Christ is and summarizes His mission both as to its sweep and His follower's inclusion.

From Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 light and darkness are, quite literally, common and recurring Biblical topics.

Until the 20' century light and darkness divided the night and the day.

With the setting of the sun darkness dominated and the tempo of life slowed down and there were limits as to what you could and couldn’t do.

Of course the “edges” of darkness could be temporarily be counteracted by a campfire, the ovens flame, an oil lamp, a candle or torch, but between dusk and dawn darkness always reigned.

When the last flame winked out everyone knew they would have to deal with the difficulty and even the danger, of darkness.

It was the first night for a pastor and his family in a new parsonage.

The November sky was filled with heavy clouds which prevented any moon light or star light from breaking through the shutters on their sliding glass door.

It was as dark as a night can be.

His wife  claimed into her side of the bed, and I her husband claimed into his side of the bed.

After a day of unloading and unpacking, they fell asleep, exhausted, but content in our new home.

After awhile he was awakened in the middle of the night by an unfamiliar noise and stumbled out of bed to see what it was.

IT was nothing, just a new house with new noises.

Then he had to make his way back to bed, trying to navigate back to bed, without turning on the light because he didn’t want to wake his wife, he was completely disoriented by the darkness, and knowing the dangers of oncoming bed posts, he put his hands out in front of him to stop any danger before it happened.

Then deep thud shook the bed and woke his wife after all.

She cried out, “What was that?” “That, dear, he said in a howl of pain, was the sound of the bedpost making contact with my forehead.”

You see, the one thing he forgot to do when he extended his arms was to also cross them.

He had extended arms his arms and reached out on either side of the bedpost, leaving his head unprotected.

We all have had experiences in the dark.

Sometimes they can make us afraid.

Mark in the basement… things grabbing legs, imagination or is it.

There is nothing to be afraid of or is there?

Secretly we think there is something there.

Sometimes we try to act brave.

We want to run up the steps to get to the light.

The truth is we all know that the darkness can be a dangerous, just as it is disorienting.

We think that it can be deadly…and it can be![i]

But always, in the end, there is hopeful waiting for the darkness to end.

In the 130 Psalm we have a description of those who wait in the night for the dawning of the sun.

The relief that is felt is like those who are waiting and hoping for the darkness of God’s wrath to pass and with it the coming of the dawn of God’s forgiveness.

“Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD; Lord, hear my voice!

Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications.

If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

 4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope.

My soul waits for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning -- Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

The watchman weren't the only ones who breathed easier when dawn brushed the horizon with first light.

Everyone did.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of darkness.

Isaiah was called to speak to a people walking in darkness.

Listen to the sorry condition of the people of Israel described in chapter 1: They are rebellious (v.

2); they do not know their true Lord (v.

3); they are sinful and laden with iniquity; they are evildoing children who deal corruptly; they have forsaken the LORD, despised the Holy One of Israel; and they are utterly estranged (v.

4).

Isaiah’s diagnosis of his people’s condition: “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.”

These were dark days in the land of Israel…days of sin, danger from enemies, and judgment from God.

It was a time of gloom and doom.

Isaiah looks at his land and concludes “only darkness and distress, and the light grows dark with clouds.”(5:30)

Truly this kind of darkness is not only scary it can be deadly.

The Bible uses the image of darkness to describe the realm of chaos, crippling fear, and uncertainty.

Darkness is a metaphor for death, the dreadful, and the demonic.

Darkness is the picture we are given of the cosmos before that first day of creation: In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep.

(Gen 1:1-2).

But then God said, “Let there be light.”

Jesus talked about light and darkness.

The Biblical meaning of Christ's words in John touched on more than literal light and darkness.

Christ, and prophets before Him, used darkness and light to refer to the darkness of sin and ignorance in which people were enveloped until He, the light of that world, came.

By His birth, life, death, ascension Christ overwhelmed darkness and offered the possibility of light and the life that light always brings to all.

Those who are led by the Spirit to live under His redemptive brightness receive Him, follow Him and reflect His brightness on all that sit in the darkness created by sin and Satan.

Their desperate cry and only hope is, "Let there be light!"

It seems to be a battle cry that still rages on, “Let there be light!”

“Guide us out of darkness.”

The police know darkness is a breeding ground for trouble and nothing is more effective in controlling crime than light.

The better the light, the less crime there is.

For this reason, in many cities there are marches against violence called “Take back the night.”

To do so participants light candles and march through the city as home owners are asked to turn on there porch lights.

We all know how inviting a home is when we arrive after a long journey to be welcomed by the warmth and safety of a home that is well lit.

We all know the sad feeling of reaching that same home only to be greeted by darkness.

Sailors looked for the lighthouses to lead them safely into the shore.

It signaled the end of their trip and that home was near.

Jesus understands the spiritual darkness of this world.

He understands all too well the coming judgment of God.

His only desire is to save us and bring us home like the beacon of light that is reflected from a lighthouse.

General spiritual darkness is among us it always will be.

That is why we continue to gather in church and public confess our sins.

What are we doing and what exactly are we saying in the words of our confession?

We are saying that all too often we have led lives apart from the light of God’s will.

We have done things that we would prefer would remain in the dark…that is where no one can see what we have done.

God’s Spirit has caused us to feel shame for what we have done and understand that we do deserve God’s punishment.

In turn we look to Jesus Christ and the light of God’s grace given to us through the forgiveness of sins for the sake of his death on the cross.

In confession we are saying to God,” Let there be Light” in my life.

There is.

God out of his great love and mercy has allowed us to see the light of Christ.

And like the first dawn when God created the world we are renewed and refreshed.

We live new lives.

Still we live in a world in which national and international deeds of darkness seem endless.

We watch them over and over on our local and national news.

Our TV’s and radios chronicle the darkness all around us and we even see it recorded in out local newspapers.

We cannot forget who created, and still creates, darkness.

That is Satan the Devil, our ancient adversary.

Remember last week’s epistle lesson where Paul tells the Ephesians church, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

Spiritual darkness, and its stifling affects, are very real.

We suffer greatly because of them.

For this reason God sent His Son Jesus Christ to be the light of the world.