Sermon Tone Analysis

Walk in the Light, Believe in the Light

Open:

When you were a child, were you afraid of the dark?

Of course.

I didn’t know what was in the room.

I didn’t know I was safe.

Even though I didn’t see terrifying horror movies like today’s kids watch.

What “monsters” were in the dark that scared you?

Like most kids, many “night terrors” when I was young.

I still remember seeing a hornet’s nest.

I just knew I was going to be stung until I died.

It would be easy to be terrified by the darkness all around us.

But we can pray and I believe we will experience a Goshen illumination.

Exodus 10:21–23 (NASB95) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.”

22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.

23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings.

In their book, Rebuilding the altar: a bold call for a fresh encounter with god, Pat & Karen Schatzline write:

We are living in one of the darkest times in history, and we know from history that when the world grows the darkest, God’s children must become the light.

How can we accomplish this?

It must start in our personal lives and in our homes and spread to our houses of worship.

The altar must once again be the place where we meet the Lord.

The most significant parts of our lives must start and end at the altar.

It is at the altar that true change takes place.

I am reminded of what one of our heroes of the faith, Leonard Ravenhill, once said:

“The greatest miracle that God can do today is to take an unholy man out of an unholy world and make him holy, then put him back into that unholy world and keep him holy in it.”

If you are ready to go deeper, to allow God to take the unholy out of you and make you holy, if you are ready to go all the way to the altar, then [pray for God’s Light to be in you.]

…

The atmosphere should shift when we walk into a room because when we enter, the Spirit of God comes in with us.

We are atmosphere-changers, called to be light in the darkness.

The Command

As we launch into this study, there is no doubt in my mind that I will always make it harder (deeper?) than it has to be.

It is no different with this lesson.

So, before we launch out into the deep (or the weeds), let me state the command of Jesus that we are studying (so we can be obedient to it)up front:

John 12:35–46 (NASB95) So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you.

Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.

36 “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.”

These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.

37 But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him.

38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?

AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?”

39 For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40 “HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM.” 41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.

42 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 “He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. 46 “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

Walk while you have the Light,

“Walk” is in Greek Present Imperative

The NT (Greek) present imperative ~! commands ongoing action, i.e. a regular, long-term way of doing something as an ongoing lifestyle.

The process-action must happen again-and-again over multiple situations or repeatedly (progressively) in the same scenario.

conveys: Go on doing this; it must happen habitually, continuously, progressively as a modus operandi (way of life).

Ellicot says: “Walk as men who are conscious that the light is among them, use your opportunities; do not ask questions to raise objections, but ask them in order that you may know the truth.”

Commit to a lifestyle of living in the Light of Jesus

Believe in the Light

“Believe” is in same tense “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

Ellicot: that the believer should become like unto Him in whom he believed.

Those who believed in the light should receive light, and become themselves centres whence light should radiate to others and illumine their own paths.

We must commit to trusting in Jesus as the Light so we will not be enveloped by the darkness

Other trans:

John 12:35–36 (NLT) Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer.

Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you.

Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.

36 Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.

But what does it mean to do as Jesus commanded: to walk in the Light?

Where are we going?

As we begin this study let’s try to understand what it means to walk in light.

Matthew 4:12–17 (NASB95) Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; 13 and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: 15 “THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES— 16 “THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.”

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Isaiah 9:1–2 (NASB95) But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.

Isaiah 60:1–3 (NASB95) “Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 2 “For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. 3 “Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.

Matthew 5:11–16 (NASB95) “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?

It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world.

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

John Piper says: … the supreme passion of Jesus, his Father, and the Holy Spirit— … [is] that they be glorified in the work of our salvation.

What do you think the terms "light" and "darkness" represent?

White Board:

Light Darkness

Jesus Evil (The devil)

Bringing/giving glory to God Reproaching God

John Piper says: We love to look at glory.

We were made to enjoy seeing it.

God’s glory is the radiance of his manifold perfections.

Those are poor words for the richest reality of all.

But though words are inadequate, we must try.

God’s glory is the outshining of the infinite value of all that God is.

It is his moral beauty.

It is visible to the physical eye only as the glorious created world points to its invisible but more glorious Maker

Salvation Sin

Grace Judgment

John 3:16–21 (NASB95) “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Guidance Confusion

Knowledge Ignorance

Holy Spirit manifestations Woks of the flesh