Many people have a fear of the dark. I don't like darkness. I had to come over to the church late at night. I made my daughter come with me. I was not going into a dark building alone.
Today we begin a new series "Glow in the Dark."
It's no secret our world is living in darkness. You can turn on your favorite news channel at pretty much any given point and all you see is darkness, evil hate, crime and the list goes on and on. The reality is this: we live in a broken world filled with broken people. When you are broken it can be very easy to be in the darkness and not even know it. you cannot really know that you are in darkness unless you know what darkness is.
Darkness is the absence of God's presence.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12
1.3 Million Earth's can it inside the sun. Thats a big light. 5 billion suns could fit inside the largest known star in the universe. Jesus is the light of the world. His presence is everywhere!
The light of the world dispels the darkness of sin.
The degree to which light is introduced, darkness is dispelled.
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23
When we sin. We walk out of God's presence and into the darkness. We walk away from His commands, His will and into disobedience. Sin brings a spiritual darkness into the equation, and it comes in many different forms.
With your tongue.
With your eyes.
With your body.
With your mind.
With your emotions.
You understand that is why Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit. That is where the light is.
Darkness disorients us, light shows us the way. Walking in the light is ideal. Jesus says if we are willing to repent and turn from our wicked ways and follow Him, we will walk in light all the days of our life.
The light of the world dispels the Darkness of Isolation.
The light is the last place the devil wants you and I to be.
He would much rather keep us in the dark.
He knows that darkness will isolate us from others and most importantly from Jesus.
It's not just the darkness, it's being alone.
We were created for fellowship with others.
It wasn't good for Adam to be alone. God created Eve.
We were created for fellowship with God.
God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden.
Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
Crisis or tragedy can lead to isolation. That is what the enemy wants. You stop spending time with others and with God.
God is seeking to illuminate for you today that your place of isolation will only continue to give you darkness and frustration.
It is when we understand Jesus Christ, the light of the world, actually wants to guide us through all seasons, that we decide to give ourselves fully to Him. That's the kind of God we serve.
The Light of the world dispels the Darkness of Despair.
Despair: "the sense of being completely lost and/or without hope"
Isolation will lead to despair, Complete loss of hope.
A group of graduate students did a very bizarre experiment. they took lab rats and put them in a tank of water and placed them in a totally dark room. They went into the joining room and monitored them with video equipment. The rats swam for almost six hours before giving up and drowning. The students then took another set of lab rats and put them in a tank of water and placed them in a room where there was a small lamp. Their hypothesis was that the light would give the rats hope and they would survive longer. as it turns out, the rats swam almost 17 hours. Much longer than the rats in total darkness. Something about the light enabled them to survive longer.
"...giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves." Colossians 1:12-13
Today is the day to come out of the darkness and into the light.
*Believe that Jesus is God's Son.
*Repent of your sin/surrender your life to Christ.
*Be immersed into Jesus.
*Live obediently for God.
