A Light in the Darkness

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 while a wind from God, swept over the face of the waters, then God said, let there be light and there was light. And God saw the light was good and God separated the light from the darkness, God called the light day and the Darkness he called night, and there was evening, and there was morning the first day.

From John's gospel.

In the beginning was the word.

And the Word was with God. And the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God, all things came into being through him. And without him, not one thing came into being what is coming to being in him was life. And the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the Darkness. And the Darkness did not overcome it. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks baby. May the words of my mouth meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight this day. Oh Lord our Rock and Redeemer. All men. These passages of scripture.

Are essential pieces and I think probably Pastor chuckling. I feel so inadequate to even, begin to unpack a little bit of these two great passages. And yet I want us to try to put together some sort of meaning about how in this crazy world we're living in. When we feel the shadow of Darkness closing in on us, almost daily. How is it that we can be a light in the Darkness?

We're going to look at these two concepts, the difference between them is is small, but they go together and sort of a symbiotic type relationship. There's this idea of light and then there's this concept of Life Light and Life to things that will go together. You notice that John gospel begins very similar to the beginning story of our Bible. That's not an accident. John new Jewish ways very well. And he purposely started in the beginning was the word we saw in the beginning. On Genesis, it was something different. It was it was the creation. And here in John's gospel, we say not just the physical creation but John's gospel takes us out of the spectrum of Time and Eternity to our time space continuum. To Eternity. Got just about creating a world. John is looking much broader looking at your God who is so great. So powerful so much and yet. So available to us as the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us in verse 14 of that chapter. What are the key Concepts that John introduces? Is this concept of of logos, logos is the the word and Greeks the word there in an English, just a l o, g o f. It's that concept that he draws from mythology and Greek culture and the Greek language Donald talk a little bit about this in his study, but this whole essence of being is what logos mean in the Old Testament, where Moses asked God is named. And God said I am, Abby exist, I am existence. The word is quintessentially existence. It is being it is beyond our frail and feeble Minds to even comprehend. And yet, God gives us a glimpse into what this might be. The word, the verbum. Dei, the word of God is the light of all Nations. It is the The Shining guide for us as I was talking to Evan about

You know, this is this concept of life, it is so amazing. The light shines. Even in the darkness, John Calvin are our founder of the Presbyterians, an amazing thing, pictures picture, John Calvin, Glen said this quote, In his day and age, no street lights, no outdoor lights yet. Very low light to pollution and looking in the heavens and perhaps being inspired to write this. Whenever you cast your eyes, there is no spot in the universe. When you cannot discern, at least some Sparks of his glory and be overwhelmed by the boundless force of his brightness.

Looking at the sky we we can't see a whole lot with our life but this month if you're a science person, I'm not but it was shared with me and I was so amazed NASA's. Webb satellite Space Telescope brought us this image just on the 17th of this month. This first image that has ever been released from that space telescope. And I don't understand it all cuz I'm not a scientist. But what you're looking at are not just Stars. They're not your stars. Each of those are entire galaxies. Entire galaxies. It's just almost more than the mind can take in. Our God is the one who spoke into being all that is and yet is no God who brings life to us in. Jesus name.

Have to be in the dark road to see stars like that and dark sometimes. Scary ever get scared at night. I know when I have to be away Cecil he's pretty scared and she's got a big old Flashlight with like D batteries in it. Somebody on ahead, if they come in.

Pull up your covered. I don't know what that guy's house, that protects you, but yeah, we all pull up the covers going. Well, in Africa, of course, we didn't, we were scared, sometimes we didn't go out at night, unless it was an emergency heat at night and you don't want to be eat so you can go out. and if we are in the town or the city, there are

Animal white, things called Bandits and robbers. Who are lurking at every beat you up and steal what you have. There's a ancient fear of the dark. We have always as human beings been afraid of the dark. Fire came in the invention of a bat. Change everything. life is so important is so important and we can learn

types of the world. Jesus says, I am the light of the world.

Why is something that brings order? It brings order it establishes order. The First Act of Creation. Let there be light. God spoke into the void into the chaos and established order. When we don't have Christ in our life, when God's not a part of our existence, we are in a chaos. We're not seeing clearly where we should go. We need that order.

Second thing. Light. Does it reveals? Light penetrates and it shows us things about ourselves and sometimes those things aren't very nice. I was telling Pastor check before the service and I finally got my boat motor running. And one of the things I didn't tell him was at about 10:30 at night. I almost had it for the linkage. Put back on the way I dropped a little part, And it went down in the bill. Now. I'm sorry. If you're like a Bristol boat person, my building is a mess up. Some people's. You know that take picture of their bill, just like you could eat off those bills. Not mine down there. It's like monkey and oily and gunky and these are all dangers. There still good though. So I searched around, I couldn't find out going to Workshop, I get every light. I have headlight clip, Light Electric Light. I'm looking down in there and all this.

And I see a glimmer. And there's a stainless steel nut and I'll grab that thing. You finish the job. In that junk, I saw the spark of the reflection on that stainless steel. When God's light shines,

it Reveals All That muck and junk. But also it reveals that piece that beautiful piece of reflection of his own image because he has created you all of us in his own image. And when we pile on all that Darkness, sometimes that image becomes obscured but it never goes away. And once we get it shined up and out of the gunk, it can go and grow another thing. Why doesn't it guides us just like we're talking with Evan? That word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. When we are not walking in the light then we stumbled Jesus himself said, if you walk in. You're going to stumble and John Chapter 11, Yes, you will my toes can testify to that. I don't know, I told you this but you know, that coffee table, it still hadn't moved, but when I get up at night and my toe, hit it every time I need a flashlight, I need something. Because it, God does for take us to grow. We have to have light for a plant to grow. we have to have light in our life for us to go at least the light that God give the metaphorical light of our Spirit Lake. Putting a God's light in our life is so important. So important as we look at when was saved to be translated in the continual presence, if you continue in the light, the light continues, its inside the other day, it's still going on the Light of Christ is still with us. Still with us. if you're in Africa, and the equator, It's really bright. And if you go into a Massa home, it's really dark. You'll notice one feature of them, Asha home is there? No windows, that's by Design. There's a fireman. And that fire creates smoke and the smoke keeps mosquitoes out. Mosquitoes carry malaria malaria is the number one killer of children in Africa smart. There's a little air hole in a mini night for not been sleeping. I try to get my nose in the air hole. It's always plugged up with something. I'll pull it out and stick my nose in there. It's dark, it's really bright. You walk in that little, that little Doorway in the dark.

But the woman of the house has purchased one of these. This is a lamp. And it's an amazing lamp. That's a picture of it cuz I figured you couldn't see it but it says that Yolanda body, perfume a beautiful companion.

somebody has taken a body perfume container and silver soldered. It put a wick in it. And made a lamp. and they will get kerosene or fat, whatever they have and this one lamp This one little lie dispels, the darkness in that whole house. One lamp. Allows us to see clearly. And enjoy our conversation and fellowship in that home.

Jesus also says, that we are recipients of his grace. He says, I am the resurrection and the life, but the connection between light and life is so important between these two verses that it they almost go hand-in-hand. Jesus is the life. I am the life. When we understand that Christ has come to us and has enabled us to live a new life in Christ, then we live in a different way. So how is it that we We Begin this journey of living in the light so that our lives can be in Christ. Well first, I think you simply have to be convinced to be convinced that this is it. and I'm some delusion, this isn't Surely missed. This is reality. Jesus Christ is who he says he is.

The gospel is surprisingly simple. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be safe. Once we have to come to a point where were convicted that light shines on us and we realize that there's things in my life that are just not right. Maybe I did something. Maybe I left something undone, maybe I broke a relationship, maybe I'm whatever it might be. We have things inside of us that are against God, that are really part of the darkness. And we have to convince. Those were convicted. And then we confess them in after we confess them that light shines and we're twins. We also have to be committed. We have to follow our Master. Jesus says, I'm the way And John 14:6. I am the way, the truth, the life. No man comes to the father but by me we follow Christ Our later, we commit to follow him. Wherever Christ leads us and part of that is we have to carry the message of the light of God's love mercy, and Grace into Dark Places. We have to carry him into the darkness.

An act, the Bible says something. So simple. Believe on the Lord. Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Wait on the Lord, Jesus Christ. And you shall be saved. And Romans 9:10 simply says, and reiterating the same thing, if we confess with our mouths, that Jesus is Lord, and we believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, you will be safe. This is the beginning of our journey in the life. And a life. In the love of God. We journey together as God empowers us to do so. And we take this journey, not in the dark, not stumbling around, but the light of life is leading us every single way.

Our job and I encourage you encourage me. Is to take our life. One small flame. Can dispel great Darkness.

will you be alike, will you let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your heavenly father That was what Jesus wanted us to do. so, as we go from this place, let's rekindle Are lamp and let's not hide it under a bushel. But set it on a stand so that all can see.

Bamiyan.

The stand as we're able for the Hem of response.

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