The "Character" Of Light Series

Sermon Brief

Date Written: December 7, 2008

Date Preached: December 10, 2008

Where Preached: OPBC (Wed PM)

Sermon Details:

Sermon Series: A Study of John’s Letters

Sermon Title: 1 John 1:5

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Introduction:

A young man was sitting at a stop light in downtown New Orleans one evening when the lady in front of him was distracted as she was going thru some papers on her front seat. The red light changed to green and the young woman did not move.

The young man was a bit put off by this and gently bumped his horn to remind her that she was driving and not at the library or at her office. But even with his gentle reminder, she did not move and before he knew the light turned yellow and then red again!

When the light turned red, and the young lady had still not moved, this young man began (with his windows up) screaming at the top of his lungs and beating his fists on his steering wheel.

He was shocked when he heard a knock on his window, he turned to look and saw a policeman with his gun drawn, tapping on his window. The policeman told him to step out of the car and he handcuffed him. As he was putting him in the back of the patrol car the young man [still in disbelief] began to protest. "You can’t arrest me for screaming at her from INSIDE my car!"

The patrolman looked at him and told him to be quiet and then got into his car and drove them to the police station. After 2 hours in a holding cell, the officer came in and told the young man that he was free to go.

The man told him, “You have stepped in it now my friend, I know that I cannot be arrested for screaming and throwing a fit in MY OWN car… You haven’t heard the last of this."

The police officer calmly responded to him by saying, "Sir, you were not arrested for shouting or throwing a fit in your car! You see, I was sitting directly behind you at that light. I saw you screaming and beating your steering wheel, and I said to myself, "What a jerk. But there is nothing I can do to him for throwing a fit in his own car.”

Then I noticed the ’Cross’ hanging from your rear view mirror, the Know Jesus Know Peace bumper sticker, and the Fish symbol on the back of your car, and I thought… this is not his car, it must be stolen, and that is why you were arrested."

Character…have you ever stopped to realize what character means in today’s world? When I think about character I think of honesty, kindness in the face of hostility, and doing the right thing for the right reason at the right time!

As believers we are called to a ‘character’ that is FAR above and beyond what this world sets as a standard for good. We are called to God’s standard, we are called to walk in the light of Christ!

In our verse tonight John reveals the character to which we are called to immolate… to which we are called to strive after… to which we were called to be like! Look at v.5 again with me and let’s look at 3 facets of this light that John writes about…

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

God’s Character has been manifested DIRECTLY…

John writes here that God is light… light cannot be known unless it is seen. God has been revealed in all manners to humanity, both directly and indirectly. God has used many variations in the revelation of Himself to His Creation.

The 1st direct revelation of God in Scripture is where we read that in the Garden, God walked with Adam and Eve… but that is not the only place. John reveals in the opening of his gospel that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word WAS God… and in v.14 John shares how the Word became flesh and came to dwell among us!

Jesus came to this world as the incarnation of God the Father into flesh… the God of the Universe wrapped Himself in flesh to directly manifest Himself to His creation. Of all the direct manifestations of God, Jesus was the ultimate manifestation.

We find the Apostle Paul writing about this as well as in his letter to the church at Colossae Paul said that Jesus was the direct manifestation of God to this world, “He is the image of the invisible God…” Col 3:15 [NKJV]