The Light in the World
Notes
Transcript
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Light is a fascinating thing!
Form of energy
Light has no opposite
Darkness is the absence of light
When we see an object, what we are seeing is the light energy leaving that object and entering our eye
Light is colorless, or pure
Light is the basic requirement for life
Light travels in a straight line and can only change direction when it passes from one material to another
Light reflects
Light travels at 160,000 miles per second
Put that in context:
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set out with 260 men in 1519 to circumvent the globe. He would get to the Philippine island of Mactan (pretty much the halfway mark) and be killed by natives but his party would continue on. His party would continue and in 1522, three years latter, 18 of the original 260 would make it back to Spain! 242 people had quit, died or been killed on a three year journey around the world!
BUT this pure energy we call light can circumvent the globe 7 times per second
In the five minutes I’ve been talking, light has circumvented the globe 2,100 times!
We know that light is important… even essential.
But this pure, purposeful, meant to be reflected, energy is more than just than just essential
it is the the first glimpse we are given into the character and nature of God!
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
But...
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
Question: if the sun, moon and stars were not created until the 4th day than what was the source of the light?
Remember: what you see physically is a revelation of what is taking place in the spirit…
Proper order if you have eyes to see it, is what is established in the spirit is then revealed in the physical.
God said let there be light and his pure, revelatory, nature lit up the world!
Four days later, the physical caught up with the spiritual and the sun moon and stars were created!
James understood this -
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
It is not wonder that Jesus said:
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
How bright he did shine!
Everywhere he went his light banished darkness...
Banished it from the Bartimus’ eyes.
He drove it from Nicodemus’ heart
He revealed it in the temple.
It lead the disciples
The light never shown so bright as is did on that day, on a lonely hill called Golgotha!
Darkness thought that it was winning - the light was being extinguished.
And for a short time, it seemed as the darkness would win.
The sun hid its face…
Darkness was having a party!
But the light would only retreat for a time while God poured his wrath out upon flesh...
Because light was about to flood the world like never before!
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
What happens when light intensifies?
Something catches on fire!!
And as God began to pour out his Spirit, the light began to intensify and combustion took place!
Fire began to fall!
For the first time, light that travels in a straight line, unbending, is about to be able to change its course!
The only way that light can change course is through reflection or refraction.
Hitting a surface and ricochetting into something else or
Hitting a prism and reflecting into many colorful parts!
Conclusion
Watch: God’s pure unbending light, with purposeful intensity made a beeline for me and set me afire!
Washed me with illumination and revelation.
That light flows from me, reflects through me and shines into the lives of everyone around me!