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[0:00] It's good to be here. It is good to be here. It really is, isn't it? Why are we here? Why do we come into this building?

[0:11] Not because it's the most comfortable building, the warmest place. I mean, we hope it is warm, especially in these days. Why do we come here? Why do we gather together on a Sunday morning?

[0:24] We write, Worship the Lord together, who's called us out of darkness into his marvellous light. We don't come here because we find our best friends in life here.

[0:38] If we've got good friends here, then praise to God. We don't come here because we've got the best coffee and biscuits, maybe good. We come here for a person that we're all connected to and we're all connected to each other through.

[0:58] Do you know him? He is life and light. We've been talking about this person the past few weeks and John's prologue.

[1:09] We've spent the past three weeks going through just eight verses in John chapter one. And we'll spend another three weeks going through another ten verses.

[1:21] But this morning, we're staying in John and we're staying related to it. But we're in John chapter four. If you've got a Bible with you, please turn there to John chapter four.

[1:34] In this series that we've been going through, the prologue, more than flesh and bones, week one, Alan Sterling was looking at how this person is God.

[1:46] This person, who's the reason for us being here, the person is God. And then two weeks ago, I was looking at this person being light.

[2:00] In him was life and that life was the light of all men. And then last week, David was looking at how this person has never left himself without a witness.

[2:11] He said that. Never in any age, in any time, in any place, has he been without a witness. And there was one man who was sent as a witness. His name was John, John the Baptist.

[2:22] And he was a witness. He wasn't the light, but he was a witness about the light. And next week, Ron's going to look at the light coming into the world.

[2:34] What does that mean? How do you respond? What is the result of that? At Christmas, over Advent, we're going to be looking at and thinking about light in the darkness.

[2:46] We're going to be thinking about what it is that he is light in the darkness. Thinking about the birth of Jesus and Christmas, whether or not you believe he was born on the 24th of December.

[2:58] 25th of December. Think about this. You know, if it wasn't, if there was no Christmas, right now, I don't know where you are with Christmas. I don't know how festive you are or not.

[3:09] I was on a journey from being not very festive to more than most. Imagine what winter would be like without Christmas and everything related to Christmas.

[3:20] We know that it's commercialised. We know that. But what a long and cold and gloomy winter it would be without Christmas. And what does that point to? What does that tell us about the true light?

[3:33] About true joy? And so this Christmas we're going to be looking at light in the darkness. But this morning I wanted to jump out of the prologue into something that the prologue talks about that the prologue expects.

[3:47] Into the gospel of John. Let's look at a real life example of what we've been hearing about in the prologue. Let's look at a real life example in John chapter 4. And while we're going through that we'll zoom out sometimes and look at the whole gospel.

[4:01] And so let me read the first 29 verses. But we're going to be looking at a real life example and we're going to think about seeing the light and reflecting the light.

[4:16] What does it mean for someone to see the light that it talks about in the prologue? When someone sees the light and what does it mean for people to reflect the light?

[4:29] So for instance do you need to hear X, Y and Z before God can do what he does to open blind eyes? Is it mechanistic?

[4:42] Is it a formula? Is the gospel something that's formulaic? Mechanistic? Do you need to cover X, Y and Z every time?

[4:53] Is there a script before people will see the light? So have this in mind. What do you need to know in order to be saved?

[5:06] What do you need to know? Have this in mind as we read through this real life example and we'll pull out some things that we notice or some things that are there or some things that are not there. But for now let me pray and let me read the word of God.

[5:19] Amen. Heavenly Father, you have given yourself a witness that we might know you.

[5:34] You are a God who wants to be known. Indeed, you made us to know you. And I thank you for the many witnesses that you have given.

[5:47] There is the witness of the creation itself that your invisible attributes, your divine power would be known in the things that are made and seen.

[6:01] That the heavens declare the glory of God. That you have given us your word, given us prophets and people inspired by your spirit. And you have given us your son to reveal, as David said, who you are.

[6:17] That in the son anyone can see who the father is. God, I thank you for these words that we open today. These words, though written by the hand of your servant, John, have been inspired by your Holy Spirit.

[6:38] The same spirit that is alive today. The same spirit that gives life in revelation today. The same spirit that is with us this very moment. And so I pray that your spirit would speak to each and every one of us.

[6:53] That your spirit would teach us and guide us as we open your word and we thank you for it in Jesus' name. Amen. John chapter 4. Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John, although Jesus himself did not baptize but only his disciples, he left Judea and departed again for Galilee and he had to pass through Samaria.

[7:23] So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there. So Jesus, weary as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well.

[7:39] It was about the sixth hour, that is noon. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, give me a drink.

[7:51] For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, how is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?

[8:04] For Jews had no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, if you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, give me a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.

[8:21] The woman said to him, sir, you have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? And are you greater than our father Jacob?

[8:33] He gave us this well and drank from it himself as did his sons and his livestock. Jesus said to her, everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again.

[8:47] But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

[9:00] The woman said to him, sir, give me this water. So that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water. Jesus said to her, go call your husband and come here.

[9:13] The woman answered him, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, you are right in saying I have no husband for you have had five husbands and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.

[9:27] The woman said to him, sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship. Jesus said to her, women, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.

[9:47] You worship what you do not know. We worship what we know for salvation is from the Jews. but the hour is coming and is now here when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.

[10:09] God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. The woman said to him, I know that Messiah is coming, he who is called Christ.

[10:22] When he comes, he will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am he. Just then his disciples came back.

[10:34] They marveled that he was talking with a woman but no one said, what do you seek or why are you talking with her? So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.

[10:51] Can this be the Christ? They went out of the town and were coming to him. Amen. We pray that God would bless the reading of his word.

[11:02] Now, what's going on here? What's going on in this account? What is Jesus doing to bring light to this woman? Is Jesus focusing on this woman's guilt as a sinner?

[11:19] What do we notice in this account? What is Jesus addressing? Is he addressing the point at which she is a sinner and feeling deeply guilty? Or is he addressing something else?

[11:35] What's going on here? Now, I'm not saying that it's not important to Jesus. That anyone's sin is not important to Jesus.

[11:48] That's not what I'm saying. He will go to the cross as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. But the thing is, if we think that the gospel, the bringing light to people, if we think that's some kind of formula or that people always need to hear it X, Y and Z in a particular way at every chance we get, then we'll miss what's going on.

[12:10] So I've got a question for everyone here including myself. Put your hand up if you are here because you are perfect. Yeah, I'm glad nobody's putting their hand up.

[12:24] We are, we simply know that we are not. We know that we are not perfect. Chances are before you were saved you still knew that you were not perfect.

[12:37] Now so I want to tell you an interesting thing about the Gospel of John. An interesting thing about this account. You know, we see this account and we hear about this woman who was there at an odd time of the day to collect water.

[12:51] Jennifer and I went to Egypt 2013 and we visited the traditional Mount Sinai. Beautiful place. I've always wanted to visit the Sinai Peninsula and we went there and we had this opportunity to go up the mountain to see the stars at night.

[13:09] Up Mount Sinai to see the stars at night and they had two options. You can either go up during the day and see the sun set from the top and then come down at night or you can go up at night and see the sun rise from the top and go down in the day and we're like, oh, options, what do we do?

[13:30] And someone gave us some good advice. They says, listen, see if you go up during the day to see the sunset. Think about the stuff that you'll be carrying uphill in the heat of the sun. Just think about that.

[13:41] Okay, you might rather go up in the cool of the night when you're carrying stuff and then afterwards it's kind of downhill from there and it's in the morning. And so we took the advice. This time of the day, you know, whatever you say about this woman, this time of the day is an odd time of the day to go on a water run to this well when you're carrying heavy water.

[14:02] Now, I was, I don't know if you remember 2021, last year, at the beginning of the year, I spoke on this chapter on the woman at the well and I want to correct myself on some of the stuff that I said.

[14:20] Not that the implications were wrong but the way I went around about it I think was a little bit unfair on reflection because I said if you were to read this girl's yearbook and high school yearbook it wouldn't say, you know, the most likely person to start a revival.

[14:34] It wouldn't say that. It would, you know, she's the unlikely one. Now, the truth is we don't know what she was like as a young girl. She might have been, she might have had every potential.

[14:45] You know, we only know what she's like at this point. So what we know about her is that whatever happened in the past at this point probably not going how she expected.

[14:57] Probably when she got married to that first husband now life is not going what she expected it to go like. And I don't know what your life is like right now.

[15:09] Maybe it's not going like you imagined it would go. Maybe it's not going like you would expect it to go. But it's at this point that Jesus comes to her and brings light into a situation where maybe she can see no light at all.

[15:24] But Gospel of John and this account I want you to notice some interesting things. Nothing is said about these husbands as to what the situation is.

[15:36] You remember the Sadducees challenged Jesus about the resurrection. What if a woman marries this person and he dies and she marries his brother and he dies and at the end of it she's got five husbands and the resurrection who is she the wife of?

[15:49] This could be her situation. Every one of her husbands could have died. Now that would be a bit suspicious if you were like the fifth husband I don't think you would want to marry her you know I married an axe murderer kind of thing.

[16:04] We don't know her situation is the point. So to draw conclusions that this means that she's a great sinner it's just speculation. We don't know. We don't know if Jesus is bringing up sin or what he's bringing up.

[16:19] We don't know why she went through husband after husband might not be anything to do with her. It might be to do with men. Usually it is to do with men. Another interesting thing see if you search through the entire Gospel of John for every place where Jesus talks about sin or where John talks about sin you will not find one single reference in this account.

[16:45] Isn't that interesting? Jesus doesn't come to talk about her sin. In fact what he comes to talk about is her thirst. He comes to address her thirst not her sin.

[17:00] Now that's not to say that sin's not important it is. But perhaps think of the fact that she's went through five husbands and now she's with somebody who's not her husband and now she's going to the well in the middle of the day when it's not the time to go to the well.

[17:16] She's not even with anyone. If Jesus was another person when she said to him you've got nothing to draw water with if he was another man perhaps he could have stolen what she was using and just got water for himself.

[17:30] But that's not the kind of man Jesus is. She's got no protection in the middle of the day going to this well. Yet Jesus seems to speak about her brokenness.

[17:41] See it's not just sin but it's the effects of sin. What are the effects of sin? But brokenness and death and decreation. And so throughout John's gospel we see this Jesus coming to people in their brokenness.

[17:57] Jesus coming to people in the situations in the situations in which life has taken an unexpected turn for people. And he doesn't do what we might expect him to do.

[18:10] He doesn't do the X, Y and Z of the gospel message. Now he is the lamb of God that comes to take away the sins of the world. But he's the light and he brings light.

[18:22] He wants people to see the light. Because when the light comes it exposes all things doesn't it? Your sin is exposed in the presence of light. But think about this in John's gospel when you look through where it talks about sin Jesus talks about sin more to the religious leaders than he does to anyone else.

[18:49] Especially broken people. That's not to say that everyone doesn't need their sin dealt with. He's going to deal with it at the cross. But when he's talking about sin the people that he challenges are the religious leaders.

[19:05] Now so I want to talk about just three characters three characters in the gospel of John. The woman at the well the woman of Samaria and then in John chapter 8 and 9 the man born blind and then the Pharisees throughout the entire gospel.

[19:27] And I want to ask this question. Think about the women of Samaria the man born blind and the Pharisees and ask yourself this what do people in John's gospel what do people at that time think about these different characters?

[19:42] What do people think about them? What do you think? What do people think about the women of Samaria? Samaria? Not very much.

[19:55] People don't think very much of her. Maybe every man that she's been with thinks very little of her. Certainly the people in her own town never mind the Jews the people in her own town don't think very much of her that they would let her go out at that time of the day.

[20:13] Herself. What do the disciples think about her? Why are you speaking with her? That's what they're thinking now John says they don't say it but they're thinking that.

[20:27] What do people think about? I mean who are the people like her in our town and what do people think about them? Very little.

[20:38] I think very little about them. What do people think about the man born blind? What's the disciples' question? If you know the story what's the disciples' first question? Do you remember?

[20:50] Who sinned? Who sinned that he was born blind? Was it him or was it his parents? Now that's a if you think about it for more than two seconds it's a ridiculous question. How could he have sinned to be born blind?

[21:03] Was he sin in the womb? It doesn't make sense. But that's even the disciples they're asking Jesus genuinely like they're wrestling with it but that is what the culture thinks.

[21:17] Who sinned? Now you know the story of Job all his friends are like what have you done to deserve this? You must have sinned and Job's like no I didn't I didn't do anything.

[21:31] What does Jesus before we even get to that what do the Pharisees think about the man born blind? they have this account with him they're like firstly they think he's a fraud they don't think he's lying about being healed you couldn't have been born blind how could he heal you?

[21:51] Nobody the man says himself nobody since the history of the world has had this done to them so they think he's a fraud and then they go to his parents and his parents are like yeah that's our kid he was born blind yeah and how he now sees we know he was born blind he's our son we know that he now sees and if you want to ask about it ask him yourself because we are not getting involved because at that point the Pharisees had already decided that if anyone says that Jesus is the Christ they're put out of the synagogue and so now they're like okay maybe he's not a fraud but what do they think about him?

[22:30] at the end of the account they say to him you were born in utter sin and then they cast him out what do people think about these people you know and what do people think about the Pharisees now no doubt loads of people would have been frustrated and annoyed to no end by the Pharisees but what do they think about them?

[22:55] I mean these are the holy people maybe you thought this is what maybe their thoughts of the Pharisees led to their thoughts about God this is what God wants if this is what God wants then we don't want God you know or we can't attain that now is that not exactly the view of our culture you know this idea of extreme religiosity that people are like if that's what God wants then I can't do that I can't be that that's not me and if that's the kind of God that wants that then I'm out you know this is what people think about these people but here's the question in John's gospel what does Jesus think about them what does Jesus think about the women of Samaria he's like the only person that that cares what does he think about the man born blind he's the Jesus is the only one who is saying that this man's blindness is not to do with these things he's the only one isn't that crazy imagine you just had people going about town everywhere saying oh see everything that's up with you it's because you're a sinner now don't you think that God grieves the brokenness of this world

[24:10] God grieves the brokenness of our individual lives not everything is a result of a you know a kind of quid pro quo or you sin and this happens to you no the world isn't brokenness yes it is because of sin creation has fallen but not everything that happens to you is because of you imagine everyone was going about saying it was and Jesus is the only one saying it's not it's not God the father grieving with you you need to know that you need to know that God grieves with you the things that you're going through it's not just a case of oh everything happens for a reason it's not a case of that God grieves the things that grieve you God grieves the things that harms you the brokenness the sickness all these things the violence the things that happen

[25:14] God grieves that as much as you do and more Jesus talks more about sin to the religious leaders than to the women and the man born blind because they claim to see these Pharisees are the ones that claim to see and they claim to be a guide to those who don't yet the question of the Pharisees is do they even see the light and I don't want to steal Ron's sermon for next week but we know they don't the light came and they were they just couldn't understand it do they see the light do they even see the light in a way you could say yes they do but they hate it they see the light but they hate it now if that's the case here's the next question do the what is it the Pharisees reflect do the Pharisees reflect light like they ought to as God's chosen people it is not light that the Pharisees reflect it is darkness see the way that the Pharisees treat these people is bringing darkness not light to them and so when we think about seeing the light and when we think about people who are in the darkness in this town and in your places and beyond in this country and think about people in darkness how is it they're going to see the light is it by us bringing darkness to them is it by us bringing condemnation to them is it by us beating them over the head like the Pharisees do no what is what is it when Jesus brings light now I don't know what your story is

[27:00] I'm not saying that sin is not important I'm not saying that we all need our sin dealt with but our sin has brought into our life's brokenness and not just our sin but other people's sin think about the things that were completely out of your control that happened to you in your life that kind of brokenness Jesus came to heal Jesus came to fix that Athanasius has this whole thing about the incarnation that what God is doing is he is fixing the decreation problem of sin sin is causing decreation and far be it from God who is the creator of all things to let his creation go to nothing what would that say about God Athanasius says it's a monstrous thing for God to say one thing and then for another thing to happen and so look at what Jesus is fixing by his stripes we are healed and so what is it to see the light the woman

[28:01] Jesus speaks more about her thirst than her guilt and did she see the light of Jesus because Jesus said x y and z about the gospel message what do we learn from her encounter with Jesus well I want to look at four things four things he knows her he did not come to condemn her he's the only one who can give her what she needs and thirst for and what she needs is him that's the four things about bringing the light that we understand from this so number one he knows her he knows her you can see when he says go get your husband she says I don't have a husband he says I know you've had five and he's not rubbing that in her face I don't think he's rubbing that in her face I think he's saying I know what you've been through I know exactly what you've been through you've had five husbands he doesn't want women to have five husbands he doesn't want her to not be fulfilled in marriage like she ought to be he knows her brokenness what does that say you know he sees her what a thing when everyone else wants to ignore her turn their eyes away he sees her it's like

[29:28] Nathaniel under the tree isn't it I see you when no one else does I see you this woman you think about people who just feel unseen uncared about coming to the point of suicide because nobody cares and nobody sees them and nobody understands their situation and Jesus comes to her and says listen I see you I know I know what's going on and I'm here not to condemn you I'm here to fulfill and satisfy your thirst of which this well will never satisfy you see the whole Jacob's well thing is Jesus uses as a metaphor for something greater what she thirsts for is not water what do you thirst for what does the world out there thirst for because he knows he knows what people need he knows them and he knows their thirst he knows you he sees you what you're going through right now he knows your past like no one else knows and he knows exactly what you need and to me you know many days when I'm anxious

[30:45] I think about the thing that I thirst for you know because this world is not satisfying it think about the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon he went out and we don't need to know what it's like to win the lottery if only I had this then life would be okay we don't need to know because Solomon did it all and he still said it doesn't work it doesn't work nothing works he knows what you thirst for he didn't come to condemn her he's probably the only person in her life at this moment who's not looking down on her condemning her we know this from John chapter 3 verse 17 God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him Jesus didn't come to condemn her but to save her he's perhaps the only one not having that approach to her yet he's the only one with the right to have that approach see this is the crazy thing the holy

[31:59] God and he is holy the holy God is more gracious than unholy humans the Pharisees supposed to represent God and they're far less gracious than he is you see Jesus approaches light humans often approach things with more darkness Jesus approaches light he's here to bring light and life he didn't come to condemn you or me or the people of this town he didn't come to condemn he came to save us thank God for that I don't know what your story is like of salvation what do you need to know to be saved thirdly he's the only one who can give her what she needs he's the only one no husband could clearly give her what she needs no husband could fulfill that no well could fulfill that no other person not even

[33:05] Jacob's well she talks about mountains to worship on we worship in this mountain you worship in that which one's right Jesus is like it's not no mountain no husband no well no mountain can satisfy your need no temple she's sitting there at high noon when the sun shines its brightest with the light of God and he's the only one he's the only one that can give her what she needs if you knew the gift of God and who it was you were speaking to you would have asked him he would give you living water yes this water of this well yeah he hears her he knows it's Jacob's well and she says he drank here himself you know it's like there's a famous place the spring that wells up spring of living water that wells up to eternal life he's the only one that can give what we need think about all the

[34:47] I am statements in John what is John's gospel about is Jesus coming just to batter people about their guilt of sin sin needs dealt with I'm not saying it doesn't everyone is a sinner but think about the I am statements I am the bread of life because people who eat ordinary bread still die but those that eat the bread of life will have eternal life I'm the good shepherd like lambs we need a good shepherd that's going to lead us to pastures that feed us for eternity someone who's going to walk with us in the shadow of death the valley of the shadow of death think about all the I am statements I am the light of the world he's living water he's all the things that we need that we can't get from this life and that's the point he's the only one that can give her what she needs and point number four what she needs is him see she asked this question about worship on this mountain or that mountain who's right who's wrong maybe she's saying okay

[36:00] I get you're a prophet okay tell me how do I do this how do I do this religious thing and he's saying it's not about that what you need is not religious practice even if it's the right religious practice notice he says that salvation comes from the Jews he corrects her he does say no you are wrong the Samaritans are wrong the fulfillment of all this David was right when he chose Jerusalem and the fulfillment coming through David the Messiah that's right but there's a time coming where it's not that and it's not that it's not that mountain it's not that mountain what is it she needs what is true worship it's not this mountain or that mountain oh but there is a rock it's not this temple or that temple but there is a true temple it's not this location it's not that location but he has a location and it's not that these things no longer matter but these things are shadows and copies of the true thing they point towards

[37:15] Jesus there's no other name than the name of Jesus it's like David said last week the greatest thing about John the Baptist was who he was not what she needs is him isn't this an incredible thing she doesn't need the right religious practice we don't need the right religious practice we need him it's not even simply forgiveness do we need forgiveness of course we do is that the thing that we need it's him we need him it's not even merely repentance see the good news isn't isn't that we get forgiveness or that we get repentance it's that we get him it's about him you see there's more going on in the mission of Jesus than simply purchasing forgiveness there's more going on at the cross he's dealing with brokenness and death and decreation and all of it

[38:15] Paul says if he is not raised we are still in our sins it's not the cross that we need oh yeah the person that we need was at the cross for good reason but thank God he is no longer on the cross he's no longer dead he is alive so we don't need these things these things are all part of what we need but what we need is him he is the lamb of god who takes away the sin of the world but he's not a dead messiah it's not the cross we need it's not repentance it's not forgiveness these are all part of the bigger thing that we need but what we need is him you see even the Pharisees made this mistake in John 5 39 Jesus said to them you search the scriptures now stop there for a moment if you're a Christian you know that you love these scriptures you know that this is the word of life words of spirit and life

[39:23] Jesus says but is it this that saves us Jesus says you search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life life but it is they that point to me see Paul talks about in what in what in what in Christ not in the scriptures even they missed it even the Pharisees looking at the scriptures they thought that eternal life was to be found in a scroll it's not it's to be found in a person life and light is found in a person he is the light in him was life he is the living water he is the bread of life he is the resurrection and the life he is the way the truth and the life do you know him John 17 Jesus says this is eternal life that you have the scriptures or that you repent or that you that you know him the only true God and Jesus

[40:26] Christ who me sent so here's the question folks thinking about x y and z of the gospel what do you need to know in order to be saved Jesus that's it what do you need to know him in a word him that's what it is to see the light now we don't I don't know what your story is for me I believe in the gospel I believe in a good gospel message I believe in the creed that Paul says I deliver to you what is of first importance Jesus died according to the scriptures and was raised in the third day according to the scriptures and he appeared to the disciples but it's not formulaic it's not mechanistic what we're presenting to people is Jesus he's the light of the world he is life and there's not John says there's not enough books in the world to say everything there is to say about

[41:31] Jesus and so when you have an encounter with someone and you think oh I better get this right this is my first maybe my only opportunity with this person do you trust in God's sovereignty this woman went away what did she know about Jesus did she know all the things that she needs to know I mean the more you know about Jesus you would say yeah you need to know that then you read the creeds and all the councils and history you need to know that oh you need to know about the trinity you need to know about this you need to know about that what does John say at the end of his gospel just that you know that he's the Christ the son of God and that by knowing that you would have life in his name by believing that I had this guy in college who we asked this question in college and a friend in college said something I thought that's a really good way to answer that and so we were talking about all the things that are true about

[42:33] Jesus that you need to affirm because you go outside those barriers you're going into heresy and then the question was asked what do you need to know to be saved and what do you need to know about Jesus to be saved and my friend said mercifully little and it's true isn't it it's not that God is going to keep you there but when he shows you light I think at any point in history at any time it is about responding to the light to which you've been given how are people saved in the Old Testament it's not because they know the name of Jesus and we would always say it was the cross that did it we would always say it was the work of Christ but it's faith and trust in God at whatever level of revelation you've been given that's why Paul can say no one has an excuse everyone's without excuse because creation itself declares who God is you know even creation and you think well that's a bit unfair how are they supposed to get to believing in the triune

[43:42] God and the cross and you know putting their trust in Jesus for his salvific work on the cross just by looking at the stars it's a bit unfair that's not what Paul's saying but Paul's saying how do you respond to the light that you've been given he's faithful with little is given more that was Jesus came speaking in parables and those who responded positively that were given more and those who didn't were not and it when the light comes the light exposes all things doesn't it in fact there's a little verse in John chapter 9 where Jesus says something along the lines of for judgment I have come and you're like wait a minute I thought you said that you've not come into the world to condemn the world hang on but it's in response to the Pharisees who say when he's talking to the blind man Jesus is talking to the man that he's healed after he's kicked out after his testimony is rejected and he says to the blind man do you believe in the son of man and the blind man's like

[44:49] I don't know who the son of man is who is he that I may believe even at that point he's not like it's still a lot to learn is there not still a lot to learn no matter where you are but God doesn't require he requires you to trust in him with what he gives you and if he gives you a little then trust in him for that he'll give you more and so when he says for judgment I've come into this world it's because the Pharisee says when Jesus says I've come to open the eyes of the blind you know for those who do not see that they might see and those who see that they might not see not that anyone sees but the Pharisees claim that they can see and so they say are we blind also and Jesus says to them if you didn't claim to see then you would have no guilt but because you claim to see your sin remains and so what he's saying with that judgment

[45:51] I've come into the world for judgment what he's saying is when the light comes man it shows you who you are it shows you who you are when the light shines you see in John chapter 3 those who loved the darkness hated the light now Jesus is not judging them then and there but by his very presence as light he has shown them who they are and they're already condemned whoever believes in him is not condemned John 3 18 but whoever does not believe is condemned already because he's not believed in the only name of the son of God and so that's what he's talking about but he's not doing the condemning then he's just saying oh my light is showing you who you are showing your heart for what it is and so mercifully little you know this woman just hears about him being living water and giving this living water and he's the messiah and yeah he does prophesy he does tell her stuff that he couldn't have known unless he was who he is and that's one of the things as well about a word of prophecy to someone man does it tell them that

[47:06] God sees them and God knows them but little mercifully little respond to the light that you've been given if any of us could show something of Jesus to someone you have no idea what God can do with that and you have no idea what God is already doing with someone it's not about going in and saying I need to cover x y and z otherwise they can't be saved do you not know who God is can God not save anyone so I don't know your story but my story is and I believe in the gospel I believe that there are people who get the gospel wrong but when I look back at my own turning point when my eyes were opened I cannot say that my eyes were opened because I heard x y and z clearly and loudly I can't say that all I can say was I was shown a little bit of the light of Jesus and God opened my eyes and I responded to it and he has shown me more and more ever since you know but at that point and you know what I was aware of my sin I was very aware of my sin but do you know what I responded to more was who he was as light to see the light of

[48:24] Christ is that not the thing that the woman responds to it's not oh yes I'm guilty no it was because she saw someone who wasn't condemning her someone who could give her what she needs and it was him himself now so this is about seeing the light and how are people out there going to see the light unless we show them the light of Christ and how do we show them the light of Christ by reflecting the light of Christ and this is something that David spoke about last week there was a man who was sent by God his name was John he was not the true light but he was sent as a witness about the light we are not John the Baptist we are not but here's a thought David spoke about Psalm 89 that there's a faithful witness in the skies the moon and the moon is a faithful witness of what the sun and so when it's night and people can't see the sun the moon is a faithful witness that the sun is still shining when you can't see the sun so you can know by looking at the moon that the sun is still shining the moon is not the sun but by its reflection of its light you can it's a witness that the moon the moon is a witness that the sun is still shining just when you can't see it now Jesus says I am the light of the world I came into the world as light and he spoke about it being day when he was walking there and he spoke about it being night when he was no longer there and so folks it is night it is the night time people people cannot see

[50:06] Jesus we cannot see Jesus physically so we cannot see the sun shining but how do we know that the sun is still shining is that there's faithful witnesses reflecting the light of the sun to tell the world that the sun is still shining and when you look at the women of Samaria when you look at the blind man and John's gospel John's gospel is a gospel about witness and John's gospel it talks about witness and testimony more than any other book in the new testament and aside from John who was chosen by God sent by God filled with the spirit from birth by God to be a witness when you look at the rest of John's gospel who are the faithful witnesses there's only a few and it's not the Pharisees this woman from Samaria she's a faithful witness man born blind he's a faithful witness the way that he testified to those

[51:08] Pharisees got him kicked out they said oh come on glorify God this man's a sinner this man Jesus is a sinner glorify God tell us what really happened and the blind man says whether he's a sinner I do not know but what I do know that I was blind and now I see and the thing that happened in between was him and so he's like come now we know that God doesn't listen to sinners how can this man be a sinner when he does stuff like this and they're like oh you're going to teach us get out the woman woman runs into town nobody's spoken to her nobody cares about her nobody comes to the well with her yet she runs into town crying about the man who told her everything she ever did and they started coming out to Jesus they believed on her account and then they believed on his own words and so one of the things about the moon how many craters does the moon have many it's got a giant face it's got that many craters the moon has been battered and bruised everything anything hitting it and yet does that affect how it reflects the light not one bit and so it doesn't matter how much you are battered and bruised it doesn't matter who you are it really doesn't matter about your life and who you are that does not mean that you cannot reflect the light of Christ neither does it mean that that light will not come to you thinking about the election and new prime ministers we've now got a new prime minister again

[52:53] I was going to say thank God it's not Boris Johnson but can we do we want to give thanks too soon and end up with someone worse and I had this question with new prime ministers you see whenever there's a new prime minister they clear out house don't they we'll get rid of you we'll get rid of you and I'll get a cabinet on my own and so who gets who gets to have one of the first meetings with the new prime minister would it be someone like me and you of course not that's my first question who gets to have a meeting with the new ruler my second question is who gets to be on his cabinet certainly not me or you but look at Jesus I mean in John's gospel this is he's going public he's finally going public and he does it with this woman of Samaria that's crazy I mean who gets to have a meeting with the new prime minister out of all the people this woman gets a meeting with them

[53:57] I mean you're not getting anywhere near the prime minister or anyone unless you're someone important you're not getting invited to the queen's garden party or the king's garden party now or whatever you know meeting a famous celebrity yet Jesus comes to this woman who no one else would entertain and what about being on his cabinet being useful to him this woman I mean at this point she's incredibly more effective than any disciple this woman isn't that incredible you see in John's gospel to Jesus it's the one who's least likely it's the one who's least qualified it's the one who's least valuable in other people's eyes happens to be the one that Jesus cares about most happens to be the one that's useful most to Jesus happens to be the one that can reflect his light beautifully beautifully to others not that he covers all her craters she just shines his light so this woman and this man nothing there nothing in the eyes of other people yet they are the brightest witnesses in John's gospel remember

[55:16] John said there are many other things that Jesus did that are not in this book so John has been very selective he could have used other people's encounters with Jesus why does he use these people remember who John was himself Boan Arges the sons of thunder him and James want to call fire down on Samaria yeah he uses this example of a Samaritan woman because probably at the time he got at least the man born blind was it not the disciples that asked whose sin was it John was there as well you see John has learned since then what these people mean to Jesus you see the moon is the faithful witness that the sun is still shining this woman and this man are the brightest witnesses in John that the sun is shining and so responding to the light if you're a

[56:17] Christian is it not by the very fact that you love Jesus that you're a faithful witness that shows who Jesus is to others that you show to the world who cannot see Jesus that the true light is still shining and how do you show that the true light is still shining by reflecting his light and what is his light to reflect how do we do that well certainly not by condemning the world because he did not come to condemn but when he satisfies every need how do we show the world that the sun is still shining except when we show what Jesus does for us that Jesus satisfies every one of our needs or that when we do toil and struggle and stress and we're anxious that we look to Jesus and that we testify that he's the one he's the light you know oh that we would have more joy about

[57:17] Jesus and fret less about how dark the world is the world is dark it's night time you know but we Jesus says you are the light of the world because you reflect his light like stars shining like stars in the night by showing the world how satisfied you are in Christ that you have had a drink of the living water that you have ate the bread of life that you know who he is that you know that it's not about your religion it's not about even the cross these are all included but it's about him it's about the one who went to the cross the one who died to take away his sin the one who conquered death by raising from the dead the one who's at the right hand of God ruling and reigning the one who is our all in him is life and it was the light of all men and to know him that is eternal life and so we would say to the world do you know him you know this is this thing that you're looking for in life can only be found in

[58:27] Jesus he didn't come to condemn he came to give life and light came to give living water and bread of life came to give resurrection and life he came to show the way and the truth and the life and so by us doing that in the world we reflect the light of God regardless of how many craters we have this Christmas and the darkest time of the year which is the solstice is around when Christmas is how can we be showing the light and the darkness it's not by saying to folks ah you pagans you know with your Christmas cards and your Christmas lights you pagans I used to be like that when I first became a Christian but I've since learned that these things you know point a world to the true light you know these things to a world that just has no idea about the light when you're in the darkness you can't see the light so you need little things to show you the light these things we can celebrate with folk and point them to the true light the one who can truly satisfy because we know everyone knows as much as we love the festivities of Christmas that come

[59:47] January the first oh I guess all we're left with is darkness a long January isn't it January is always long and we've now no got anything to look forward to and so we celebrate Christmas and the Christmas lights and the festivities but we show that Jesus is the true one he's the true one and his life his person who he is is the thing that lasts and so what we want to give to people is Jesus not our religion not our church not our rules to follow not our x y and z we just want to show them the light of the world and let them see how he can fulfill their deepest desires and needs let me pray oh god how amazing it is that we have come to know your son that you have come to us in our darkness to shine the light of Christ into our hearts that we might see him and know him and have life in his name please oh please would you give us joy at Jesus joy to know our savior would you help us always to see when when satan and the enemy and the world would and even our own old selves would not want us to see who

[61:05]  Jesus is help us to always see who he is he is light his light though it exposes our sin is life to us and we thank you for that life help us now that the light is not in this world help us now that it is night time to reflect the light of Christ to a world in darkness that they might through us see someone who comes to the least likely that they might in us see someone who is not going to condemn them that they might in us see someone who has given them an answer to what they need most and to help through us for them to see that what they need is Jesus help us God to be a light to the world by reflecting the light of the one who is our every need and who is our all in all Jesus Christ the Son of God in his name we pray Amen well let us sing now how deep forward thanks