Sermon: The Light!
Thesis: This sermon emphasizes the significance of light, particularly in relation to Jesus as the "Light of the World." It explores both scientific and biblical perspectives on light, illustrating its essential role in life and faith.
MacArthur, John F.. Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do with You (p. 116). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
The Spring Concert tonight has a theme and it’s all about the “Light - Jesus – the way – the truth and the light of the world!”
Their theme verse for tonight is John 14:6 “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” and another one of Jesus 7 “I am” statements found in John is in 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’”
A few years ago, I was sitting in the doctor’s office, and I picked up the Oct. 2001 edition of the National Geographic. It had an amazing article on the “Power of Light”. I started reading!
The article’s introduction caught my attention: “Light reveals the world to us. Body and soul crave it. Light sets our biological clocks. It triggers in our brains the sensations of color. Light feeds us, supplying the energy for plants to grow. It inspires us with special effects like rainbows and sunsets. Light gives us life - changing tools, from incandescent bulbs to lasers and fiber optics. Scientists don’t fully understand what light is or what it can do. They just know that it will illuminate our future (3).
After just reading this introduction in the article I said, this article has spiritual insight for us as Christians. I read on and the verses on light in the Bible just raced through my mind. Wow I thought! The Bible talks a lot about light and the light of the world.
Here are some of those Scripture Texts to remind you of “The Light of the world”:
I John 1:5: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”
Psalm 74:20: “Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.”
John 1:1-12 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.?10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
The apostle John wrote this introduction to his Gospel to reveal who the light is and what the light does for all those who believe in Him.
T.S.- Let’s explore some spiritual application points of light from this scientific study of light and from the Bible.
I. Scientists tell us that light reveals the world to us. The Bible tells me the same thing that the Lord reveals the world to us!
i. I thought this is true God himself – He reveals the real world to us!
i. We never see the real world until God illuminates it to us through the lens of His Word, the Holy Spirit and His presence.
1. Psalm 119:130: “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”
2. 2 Samuel 22:29: “David sang, “You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light.”
a. We see Scripture speaking to us that God’s Word is what lights our path and leads us out of darkness. It's His light which gives understanding.
b. Recently I picked up one of Charles Swindoll’s books called, Simple Faith and there it was beaming off the page to me, the importance of light. He made this comment about light,” What is the purpose of light? The answer is not complicated. Light dispels darkness “(60).
i. Would you agree?
1. Light always has the power to dispel darkness – darkness cannot dispel light – darkness emerges when light is absent.
ii. Light helps us to see with the eyes of God and see things that before we could never see when we were in darkness.
1. Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
ii. I still remember the day God’s light turned on in my life! Here are just a few things I saw after God’s bright light shined into my life when I was 18 years old.
1. I was lost and going deeper into the dark pit of hopelessness. His light showed up and showed me how to get out of the pit of darkness and despair.
a. I was to walk toward the light.
b. I was to repent of my sin to dispel the darkness and turn the light on.
i. So, I did – and the light exploded into my dark world to illuminate Truth and Love. I was freed from the darkness which kept me trapped.
ii. I discovered through the light of God’s Word that following the light would keep me free. I would never be trapped in darkness again.
iii. I could see there was and is a purpose for my life.
iv. I felt joy in my life like never before – being in His light filled me with joy.
v. I felt hope rush into my soul- all because of His light.
T.S.- We have discovered that God’s light reveals the world to us. We also learn from this scientific study of light that our body and soul crave it. Let’s explore this phenomenon of light both physically and spiritually.
II. Scientists say, “Body and soul crave it.” I agree! I remember that my body and soul craved God’s light.
i. Scientists tell us that light is essential to our daily lives. This is why we crave it and desire it.
i. Light is as important as air we have been told. Fish need water like we need light.
ii. God is as important as the air we breathe as a matter of fact; He breathed life into man in Genesis 2:7 “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.’
ii. Scientists tell us that light gives us Vitamin D for healthier bones. It’s called the “Sunshine vitamin.”
i. God’s light makes us healthy and strong.
1. Proverbs 3:7, 8: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”
ii. Achenbach the author of the article I was reading tells us on page 14, “Visually impaired children swarm around a light table to learn shapes and colors at Marquette School in Detroit, Michigan. “The Kids crave light so much, “says Carol Walker who works with 30 students in the Detroit public school system. “The light levels in most homes are inadequate for them. They need more light to stimulate their vision.”
1. Light gives us sight and keeps us cheerful.
2. God’s light gives sight to the blind.
3. Psalm 19:8: “The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”
4. 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
iii. Achenbach illustrates on page 18 of the article, “Moods darken when the sun goes into exile during winter in the northern Russian village of Lovozero… A shortage of light can unleash the winter blues, diagnosed as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
1. Many medicate this disease with drugs and alcohol.
2. Suicides increase, they say, during this lack of light.
3. Domestic violence increases because of the lack of light.
4. When you don’t have light, you have SADNESS.
a. God is one that dispels depression and sadness. He does it through His Light!
i. Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall, I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”
Conclusion:
Scientists do not fully understand what light is or what it can do.
Achenbach says, “There has been light from the beginning. There will be light, feebly, at the end. In all its forms-visible and invisible-it saturates the universe. Light is more than a little bit inscrutable. Modern physics has sliced the stuff of nature into ever smaller and more exotic constituents, but light won’t reduce. Light is light-pure, but not simple. No one is exactly sure how to describe it. A wave? A particle/ yes, the scientists say. Both.” (8).
It’s like “The Light – Jesus” mankind has tried to dissect Him, but He is pure but not simple. No one knows exactly how to describe him. We understand bits and pieces of Him but to totally describe and understand Him is not easy. We have described God as the Father, yes! We have described Him as the Son Jesus, yes! We have described Him as the Holy Spirit, yes! Theologians say. He is all three! We scratch our limited minds.
Man, I agree God is someone I don’t fully understand. But He is the light. I see His light in this dark world breaking holes in the darkness. But I don’t fully understand all that He does in the lives of those around me – But I still follow the light! Why because it’s light that helps me see!
God is far beyond my simple understanding. Because He is all knowing, according to the Bible- How’s does he do that? He is in all places. Wow I have just wanted to be in two places a few times and I could not do it. He sees everything that’s going on in this world! Amazingly He must have a lot of eyes. God can do more than I could have ever thought was possible. Things that I have said are impossible became possible with Him. I have discovered He can heal supernaturally when there seems no hope. He healed me of cancer! He can do miracles I know I have witnessed them like the Apostles did in following Jesus the light of the World!
Yes, The Light can change people’s hearts. He can bring about so many amazing things to pass that I sit there and scratch my head – How did he do that? – Wow – He is amazing!
We do not fully understand the Lord, but we know He will illuminate the future. Just read the book of Revelation.
Scientists just know that light will illuminate our future. I shout there right! When you find God’s light it will illuminate your future.
I have learned that He will guide you and lead you. He will direct you into what to do and what not do! He will show you which path to walk down!
Charles Swindoll gives us some interesting advice as we close today by talking about the mystery of Light.
He states: When you live in darkness, you not only have no ray of light, but you also don’t even know where home is. That is the way it is for the majority in the world. Some folks are born, raised, and die in cultures that have never seen their first flashlight of hope. Imagine it! When the truth of that hits me, I find myself a little impatient with Christians who do nothing but shine lights for themselves. They even have what we might call flashlight parties where they just shine the light on each other. Lots of light! Too much light to be hoarded! Jesus says to shine for the world. Shine your light into the darkness; that’s where it is really needed. Spend less time in your own little well-lighted all Christian world and more time there in the darkness (63)!
Truth is our culture has been engulfed in darkness. Our city here has darkness in it, and we are to be the light in it. Jesus tells us we must let our light shine. Light will draw attention from those in darkness. They will move toward the light. Just like mariners follow the lighthouse we can be a lighthouse in this bay for the Lord. They will come if we shine!
We must let the light of Jesus shine if we want to lead others out of darkness!
Truth to know from this message is this: No God = No Light = No sight – BUT IF YOU - Know God = You will Know the light = and you will Know sight in this dark world!
The choice is yours! Will you let the light shine – Christians? For those who find themselves in the dark - Do you want to come out of the darkness? Then come to Light of Jesus!
Let’s Pray!
