Walking in the Light — John 3

0:03 Morning, everyone. Let's let's open with a word of prayer. Father, we thank you for your love to us. We thank you that you sent your beloved son, the lord Jesus, Lot of Medina across for our sins and we are so grateful for for your love and all that he went through has been mentioned this morning suffering for us on the cross. Thank you for your love that you're reaching out to those that are lost in this world, those that are still in darkness, Lord.

0:33 We just pray that you would continue to work and bless this time together today. In Jesus name, amen. I was gonna ask a question to start with. I imagine there's some people here who have... Has anybody here ever been to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky?

0:52 See a hand back there. Or what about the Olin... I can't know if I can say it. Olin Tangi Indians Caverns near Columbus? Maybe not so big there, but one thing here, I'm gonna be talking about light and darkness.

1:05 And one of the things I remember, and this has probably been thirty plus years ago that we went. We were visiting Mammoth Cave. And you get on through the trails there, all the beautiful place. And then you get down to this one room down there and they say, well, this is what we do. We wanna warn you ahead of time.

1:28 We're gonna turn all the lights off. So you're gonna experience what it is, total darkness. Don't get alarmed. If you have children, you know, maybe hold their hands or something like that. But so I still remember to this day, down there in the Mammoth Cave, they turned the lights off and you could not see anything.

1:48 Nothing at all. Or you put your hand in front of your face, you could see nothing. Total darkness. Total darkness. I suppose some of you, I actually tried this, at home at night, went into a closet and say, can I get total darkness in here?

2:02 And yeah, I could pretty much. Anyway, the scripture has a lot to say about darkness and light. And one of the first verses... It might help if I turn my... Put my glasses on here.

2:17 One of the first verses in the Bible in Genesis chapter one. It said, just read the first few verses. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and God said, let there be light, and there was light. Now this verse will come to mind later on in this message where we consider your verse in the New Testament that says something about this verse.

2:56 God said, let there be light and there was light. God saw the light that it was good. And God divided the light from the darkness. Moving on just a little bit later in, Exodus. Exodus, I believe it's chapter 10.

3:22 One of the last plagues. Let's see here. Exodus 10, I had forgotten about this. One of the last plagues before the slaying of the firstborn in Egypt was darkness. So in Exodus 10 verses 21 to 23, the Lord said unto Moses, stretch out thine hand toward heaven that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

4:00 Pretty deep darkness to be able to feel that darkness. Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. Three days of thick darkness. Wow. But then, as you read the next verse, they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days, but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

4:55 Let's turn to that briefly. Psalm a 119 or Psalm almost almost every verse in that long chapter has something to do with the word of God. But Psalm a 119 and verse one zero five. Says, thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. What a blessing it is to have the word of god.

5:27 God by his grace has preserved his word for us. In this dark world in which we live in, if we give up the word of god, there's everybody will just do what's right in their own eyes. And that's what we have going right now. Without the word of God, we don't know what's right and what's wrong. That's why we have so many, I don't know what word to use.

5:50 Unusual things happening and more and more, you know, that are happening that years ago, we would have thought that never happened or just... It wouldn't even come into our mind. But but thank God he's given us his word. He's given us his word, and God uses his word to draw us to himself. And when Andy spoke, I guess it's been a a month ago, he was speaking of a verse in a few verses in John chapter three.

6:23 Let's turn over to that. John chapter three. We all know John three sixteen. I think I was referred to even this morning, but... Excuse me.

6:41 John chapter three. I'm just gonna reread what Andy had mentioned in his message. John chapter three. Let's see. We'll start...

6:59 Well, I gotta read verse 16 even though we're gonna be talking about it. You can hardly open John three without reading verse 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God.

7:34 With this next couple of verses are what Andy had referred to in his last message. This is the condemnation that light is coming to the world and men love darkness rather than light. Isn't that the way we are in this world? Men love darkness. Naturally speaking, men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.

7:59 For everyone that doeth evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deed should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. So so here we have light, light, and darkness. Because of our sin, we're born with and, you know, God has told us that we're all sinners and we all come short of his glory. We don't like the light.

8:28 The light shows us where we're at, shows us that, you know, things aren't right, shows us our sin. Men love darkness rather than light. And that is our condition before we we come to the Lord, before we were born again. We just don't wanna hear it a lot of times. Now, let's move back to just a few more chapters here in John.

9:24 He's still the light of the world today. He's still the light of the world. We can come to him and receive his forgiveness and be born again and have our sins washed in his precious blood. He is the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

9:53 What a blessing that God is still working today. He's still working and souls are being saved. But he has to bring us to the point where we realize our need. And sometimes we go for a lot of years and maybe don't realize our need of a savior. And God is working to draw us to himself.

10:17 He says later on, and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. It's a work of the spirit of God when any of us come to the savior. Another verse as we move on here in Acts chapter 26, this is where Paul is talking to, I think it was king Agrippa. Acts chapter 26, and he's giving that account and we'll read down let's see. What the lord said to him.

11:01 I'll start verse 13 of Acts 26. At midday, oh king, I saw a way, in the way, a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and then which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he said, who art thou, Lord?

11:31 And he said, I am Jesus whom you're persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a minister and a witness both of the things which thou hast seen and of those things in which I will appear unto thee. Delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom I now send thee, and this is the verse I really was thinking of here, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. I suppose many sermons could be made just on that one one verse that God is working. And Paul was saying, he was sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God.

12:34 Before we come to the Lord, you know, there's an enemy. There is an enemy even after we know the Lord, who does not want us to put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have examples in the scripture of those that were... They went to try to share the gospel with, and the enemy tried to come in and hinder that message going forth. And so the enemy is still at work today to try to keep people from putting their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus.

13:07 But the Lord, in his great love for us, invites us to come to him. He wants us to be turned from the power of Satan. He wants us to receive that forgiveness of sins. That's so very very important. That gives us real joy to have our sins forgiven.

13:28 It's just God's amazing grace. One other verse here, as we move along here trying to... I don't want to be hitting so many verses, but that's usually what happens. As long as we can remember what we're reading. It might be kinda like trying to drink water out of a fire hose.

14:30 Therefore, seeing we have this ministry now being changed by the lord. It says in the last verse verse 18, we all with open face beholding as in a glass or a mirror, the glory of the lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory. Even as by the spirit of the lord. Therefore, seeing we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we faint not but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of god deceitfully. What is that?

15:05 We can handle the Word of God deceitfully. We can... I've been in contact with people different times that could twist a verse of Scripture to make it say what it doesn't say. And the enemy is not above doing that. In these days in which we live, we're told in scripture that a time will come when people won't endure sound doctrine, but after their own lust, they'll heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.

15:35 They don't wanna hear the truth. They'll turn away their ears from the truth such as the country we live in right now and other places in the world. I just pray God will work a revival. He's certainly able, but it says here if our... Verse three, if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.

15:57 Everyone of us is either saved or lost. These are simple things that someone once said to me, you always put the cookies on the lower shelf. In fact, I think someone in sitting back in the back row is one that used to off... Often say that. I think what they meant was that the simple precious truths of the Word of God bring them out in a way that remind us of it.

16:21 Most of us know these things, a lot of us know these things. I've been hearing them since we were little children, But we need to digest these cookies, so to speak, on the lower self so we can engage in deeper things, get the meat later on. But it says, our... For our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not. Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them.

17:00 Here we have again, light and darkness. The god of this world, that's Satan, has blinded the minds of them that believe not. I know after I was saved, I I just kept not going around all the time, but I... It just hit me so much. I was so blind.

17:20 I didn't realize. I did not realize that I was lost. But God, by his grace, made me realize by his holy spirit that I needed the savior. And I cried out to him in repentance and the change was amazing. I was born again by the grace of God, and I know most here are.

17:45 But what a good thing for us to remember what the Lord has done for us. But there's an enemy, the God of this world, small g, God of this world who wants to blind our minds with whatever philosophy or just a lust of this world. Anything you can do to keep the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God to keep that from shining to us in ourselves. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. At verse six, this is the one that goes with when we're talking about very beginning.

18:27 For god who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of Jesus Christ. It's all God's work. It's all God's work. He shined out in our hearts. If he didn't do that, we would be lost forever.

18:48 We wouldn't come to the Lord. And we had this little discussion at the... At men's bible study a week ago. And it's just all the grace of God. Sometimes there's differences of opinion or differences how we see certain scriptures, but we know that one thing's for sure that none of us are saved without the work of Christ.

19:11 And none of us would by ourselves say, okay, I'm gonna turn to the Lord. I'm gonna be, you know, saved. I'm gonna be born again. It's all a work of God to bring us to himself. And yet yet, we have the examples of those who were given the opportunity to receive the gospel, but did not believe.

19:33 You know, we're we're not programmed like robots, but... So we have, I guess, we can say that, we could refuse. Just like the Lord spoke about the children of Israel, how often I would have gathered them like a hen gathers her chicks under wings, and ye would not, ye would not come. But God never gives up on us, I'll say that. He never gives up on us and we are all invited to come.

20:48 First John, the epistle of first John verse one, that which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life. For the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the father and was manifested unto us. John was one of those that walked with Jesus through his earthly ministry. John and Peter and others, they use the same expression in the book of Acts, that which we have seen and heard. You know, we can't declare to you anything else we have seen and heard.

21:34 That which we have seen and heard, verse three, declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Sometimes we hear the word fellowship used. What is fellowship? I'm sure it has a number of different meanings, but fellowship means kind of like communion, a togetherness, having in common, fellowship, our communion is the same word, is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you that your joy may be full.

22:17 I look at that verse, think, wow. I mean, God wants us, even me, to have full joy. And I know I don't go around like I've got full joy. There was a dear sister that was in a meeting Don and I and Kathy used to go to in Cuaga Falls. And I don't know if she ever not smiled, but she often did.

22:42 In fact, this lady lived to be so old, She was Don Morris' Sunday school teacher when she was... So sorry, Don. I was... Don wrote a book about that too. So...

22:56 But her name was Dorothy. Dorothy Thompson. And she always seemed to be smiling. Anytime I saw her in the meeting, I said, is that real? I mean, does she always smile like that?

23:07 She always smiled. One of her favorite verses was, them that honor me, I will honor. I remember her saying that. And she lived to be 106 years old. 106.

23:21 And I thought, God certainly honored her with a long life. That's the oldest of anyone I've ever known in this world. But a dear sister in the Lord, God wants us to have full joy. I don't know why we don't sometimes. Maybe it's because we look at the things of the world and there's things that are happening or going through some deep sorrow or trial.

23:54 Maybe many things that we let come in. Maybe we don't spend much time in prayer. I'm trying to work on that. Getting a little bit better. Some time ago, I challenged the group here and said, if you want to, know, one of these days just ask me, how's your prayer life doing?

24:13 And there there was a dear sister. She's not here right now who said we were out passing out something in the neighborhood here, and she said, how's your prayer life? Wow. I mean, I thought that was good. It was good to be reminded of that.

24:29 And I often... I mean, I can... I think we can evaluate our daily schedule sometimes and see, well, alright. How much time did I spend in prayer today? How much time did I spend in the word?

24:44 How much time did I spend watching TV or the news? Maybe some of us have too much news. I'll say that. There's other things we could do that are more profitable and definitely help us to have more of that joy. These things write we unto you that your joy may be full.

25:32 He doesn't want us to walk in darkness. So we need to judge ourselves and say, what can I put off in my life? What is... Is there anything in my life that is tied in with darkness? God can give us a grace to try to do something about that.

25:51 To with his help with his help to put off everything that is a hindrance to the joy we can have in him. This then is a message which we have heard of him that... And declare unto you that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin.

26:28 What a wonderful scripture that is. If we walk in the light, are we walking in the light? Am I walking in the light? Or is there something hindering that light from being manifest? I didn't read the verse in Matthew where it talks about, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.

26:59 And who was it Ronald Reagan said something about city on a hill? I don't know the exact quote. You remember Roger? Okay. Sorry.

27:10 I put you on the spot there. A city on a hill, something like that. It wasn't the exact quote of scripture, but it was how we can be a light to the world around us. And we need that. God wants to use us to be a light for him.

27:29 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son cleanses us from all sin. Well, if we could just remember those verses there, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. He's the light of the world. If we follow him, we won't walk in darkness. And a couple other verses here that I don't wanna skip over speaking about our country in Philippians chapter two.

28:12 Philippians chapter two. We'll start reading it. Verse 13, I guess, whereas God, worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure, Do all things without murmurings and disputings that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. Wow. Doesn't that hit home?

28:46 We are in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world. May God help us to shine as lights in this dark world. And we are... I think of our dear neighbors to the north in Canada, and a lot of their freedoms are being taken away to... They call it conversion therapy or conversion something or other.

29:18 You can't speak in a way that someone won't be converted. They don't want you to. You could be fined for that. If you look into it, you'll find more information on it. But it could come to that place in this world where you can't call sin, sin.

29:38 Things are getting darker all the time, but God wants us with his grace to shine his lights in this world. And it says verse 16, holding forth the word of life that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run-in vain neither labored in vain. So shining, holding forth the word of God. We need to do this and my last verse, the last verse, first Peter two and verse nine. First Peter two verse nine.

30:20 First Peter two and verse nine says, but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, or a purchased people that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. May God help us to do that, to show forth his praises or the virtues of the Lord who's called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. And I see there's one... I don't wanna skip over this last verse. I said it was the last verse.

31:00 Romans thirteen twelve. Otherwise, I'll be beating myself to death later on saying, I forgot to say that. So bear with me for one more verse. Romans 13 and verse 12. Romans 13 verse 12.

31:28 As the night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. And if you read Ephesians six, it'll tell you more detail about that armor. We need the armor of God. We need to ask his help and strength each day as the day starts to go through the day to to honor him and to show forth light as he gives opportunity.

32:23 And help us to shine brightly in this world and to reach out to those who are still lost, still in darkness, Lord. With your light, you are able to do that. We thank you for this time together. We pray for comfort for the family that lost their 16 year old son in Westlake here, Lord. And at the Binghams know we just pray for that family, for comfort for them.

32:47 Pray in Jesus' name, amen.