The Autumnal Light
1 John1: 5.... 1 John2:6
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says “I know him” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Introduction
I was admiring the trees in the Forest near where I live whilst driving to a football game I was about to referee. With the autumn sun shining on them, the colours they displayed ranged from yellow right through the colour scale to dark red, they looked awesome and extraordinary beautiful. I love to walk through the trees at this time of the year just to admire their splendour. However if it rains and the sun disappears they look kind of shabby and not displayed in all their glory, not the sort of weather you would venture out in, or indeed put the old shorts on and take a ear bashing on the soccer pitch. Yet if we relied on the good weather in our country we would do nothing at all because we get our fair share this time of the year. However it got me thinking about the light and how things take on a different shape without it.
Light is something we all take for granted and at this time of year the mornings linger in darkness and the evenings draw in most of the light hours we spend in the working place. Light also changes the way we see things too. In bright sunshine we see the item clearly in great detail. When the light fades so does the clarity and things look duller. I got to thinking about this piece of scripture and in some ways it captured the essence of autumn for me.
Passing on the good news
Our text opens with these words
This is the message we heard from him and declare to you.
The bible really only asks us to do one thing for God and that is to go into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This is our great commission and each and every one of us is given the authority to do it yet when it comes right down to it we shy away from doing just that. Do you not know that you are Gods ambassador in the very work place you are in? Then how come we become the “James Bond” Christian. We go undercover because we are scared to own up to the greatest truth on earth.
Boy!! We are all there on Sunday evening, moving in the spirit, having great Christ like conversations with likeminded people. Then we head off home afterwards feeling full of Joy, having been filled to the max. Wow! Don’t we feel empowered? Yet in the morning we wake up and put on our work head and fail in the very thing we were empowered to do. Make disciples of all Nations.
Believe it or not your Nation is the very place you work in. What!! I hear you cry? No. No not here I want to go to exotic lands and do it there. Well so do I but we are where we are for that very same purpose. God has put us there to be his spokes person and someone their needs you to pass on the good news of the Gospel. You cannot hide the truth because if you do that makes you a selfish Christian. Like the extraordinary colours in the autumn trees be bold and shine in the work place for Christ. Let your light shine into the darkness.
Those Dark old days.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
Autumn brings about a lot of very mixed weather and it really can be a beautiful time of the year especially when the sun is shining brightly. However there are many dark and damp days too. I guess you could say this is a bit like life itself, a mixture of good and bad days. Whilst we walk in the light of our Lord we feel upbeat and able to cope with most things; an important lesson to learn.
It’s when we get out of step with the Lord that most of our down or damp days occur. Sometimes we don’t live up to what we should be like and our day feels like a storm is passing overhead.
A word out of turn before we leave home, blowing of the horn at an inconsiderate driver (What you never have? Oh come on, surely I am not the only one.) Whatever?? It may well be something a little more serious than that but sin is sin. If we carry it about with us throughout the day the clouds never seem to lift. It’s only when we confront or sin and confess it to one another that the clouds start to lift and the storm passes through. When comes down to it, does it really matter who was at fault. Someone needs to break the silence at the breakfast table before you jump into the car and head off for the day. Learn to bless that driver who cuts you up. I was going to go one step further and invent a car horn that bleats out “Bless you” but you understand what I am trying to say. A dear old preacher once said. “Keep short accounts with God.” Eh!! Now that is good advice.
As Christians we are not immune from being a little “Worldly” but when we have a chance to put it right do it straight away. The best thing about or day is that we can come before God at anytime and start over.
If by any chance you are going through a ‘hurricane’ of a day and there is something major wrong with the way you. Just stop for a moment and think about the consequences.
Friends I for one would never point the finger. I understand better than most about this kind of weather, having been there a few times myself. God wants us to be the best person possible because he needs us to shine His light through our character into someone else’s life. How strong a light we shine depends on how good own character is.
Integrity is a word that stands the ground and when people see it in us they believe what we say as the truth. We can never shine if we are involved in some kind of untruth, no matter how much we try. Don’t get involved in Gossip in the cloakroom, indeed challenge it and confront it. Put back the stationary you took home it doesn’t belong to you. Trivial things you might think but it sends the wrong message and people in the World will know everything a Christian should be doing and they will certainly want to make sure, you know, they know too.
Friends in High Places.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
We have already talked about keeping short accounts with God. This verse becomes a safety net for all of us who are apt to the occasionally slip and slide in the dank and dark days of sin. Unfortunately we do need a fall back system. Why? Um!! Because we are human! Yes I am afraid that we are not the finished article just yet we are being made holy yes that’s true but I think we will be a little closer to glory by the time we achieve that goal than maybe we are now. So once again our faithful God makes provision for us that stumble and slide in our Christian walk. Are you not amazed by that very fact? I shuddered sometimes with some of the simple truths. God knows us, his children through and through and he as all the bases covered to aid us and protect us. In the words of that wonderful Hymn; “Great is His thy faithfulness. Morning by morning his mercies are new” I never stop feeling in awe of what the Lord as done for me.
You know sometimes we just need to sit down and think on the great sacrifice the Lord paid so that I might live. I feel that same feeling every time. Amazing Love, It fair takes your breath away.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life John3:16.
It’s too big to fully comp rend in my human mind. He went to his death to carry all my guilt and shame so that I might live. How can you ever understand what lengths our Lord went to embrace me in to the family of God? I never cease to wonder. It’s amazing to think that this amazing King sits on the right hand of God talking about me. I have this picture in my mind’s eye of him pleading for me.
“He’s not such a bad lad Father, just gets it so wrong sometime. He’s only human and I am working on him” Gulp!! Just think about it.
Praise the Lord just for that..
I know I jest a little but it is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly. God makes it possible so that when we fall short, a system is in place to keep me grafted into his vine tree. I can only say thank you Lord.
When you say I have friends in high places believe it.
Taking up the Cross on a Daily basis.
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says “I know him” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
James Bond Christians who go undercover when they go into the workplace do themselves no favours because it’s the place we are called to spread the gift of life. Real life.
The bible tells us that we are to take up our cross on a daily, in order to be one with Christ. This is a wonderful challenge to us all. Jesus was radical and broke with tradition and that’s who we have to be too. I hate that expression the “chosen frozen” It leaves the impression that we are a cold lot.
I don’t believe for one minute that is true but we do need to go about our business with a smile on our face. We are to go into the world not withdraw from the world.
Paul tells us when in Rome and I think that we can learn a lot from that statement.
If the church building was full of people searching for answers then our work would be confined to that place but Church is the community and we need to be out there.
We sit and listen to the Preacher every weekend filling us with knowledge. Worship builds us up. The Holy Spirit fills us.
Friends we must be the best trained Army in the world so how come we don’t see too much in the way of fruit from our efforts.
The bible tells us that the harvest is ripe so why are we not out there picking.
Have a go. What you got to lose. Go through a name change instead of being one of the “chosen frozen,” become a member of the “Sifted Gifted.”
Stand up for what you believe in and remember to put on a huge smile after all when the Sun comes out the light gives us a huge lift.
When the Son comes out the darkness disappears. Why?? Because, he is the light of the world.
In these Autumnal days of wonder we need to understand that things look wonderful in the sun light but when it rains and the darkness prevails remember that the storm will always blow through and things will feel better. Just remind yourself that Jesus is Lord and awaits your intercession so that he can act on your behalf... The truth you know shall set you free. God Bless.
