WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:17.000 Let's turn now to God's word. Please turn back to John chapter 8, which we read from earlier. As I mentioned, we will be looking at that one verse, verse 12, this evening of chapter 8. 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:31.560 Let's find out, okay? James 94. One simple verse. Again, Jesus spoke to them saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. 00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:50.379 And as we heard it in the dead, this word, let's pray together. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, we do thank you for your word. And we ask that you would make it effective in us for our salvation. 00:00:50.380 --> 00:01:02.540 And so to that end, we ask that you would work in us by the power of your spirit, helping us to attend to this word diligently, readily, and prayerfully. 00:01:04.100 --> 00:01:11.560 Help us to receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives. 00:01:11.560 --> 00:01:21.780 This we ask in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, one God, forever blessed. Amen. 00:01:25.500 --> 00:01:32.620 In the longer reading that we had earlier, at the end of chapter 7, we came across a man called Nicodemus. 00:01:32.620 --> 00:01:43.060 And as John mentioned, and if you're familiar with the rest of the book of John's Gospel, you'll know that we first meet Nicodemus a few chapters earlier in chapter 3. 00:01:44.140 --> 00:01:51.340 And he was the great teacher of Israel. He was the expert, he was the theological expert in Israel. 00:01:51.860 --> 00:01:58.820 And he was also the eyewitness of that moment when Jesus said the most well-known verse in the Bible, John 3.16. 00:01:58.819 --> 00:02:08.259 And at that first interaction, John makes a point of saying that when Nicodemus came to Jesus, it was night time. 00:02:09.659 --> 00:02:16.340 And as far as we can tell by the end of that conversation, Nicodemus seemed still to be in the dark. 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:21.780 And yet, it seems that Jesus had made quite the impression. 00:02:23.340 --> 00:02:28.799 Nicodemus hadn't forgotten this conversation, and in chapter 7, we learn that Nicodemus' story is not yet open. 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:29.400 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:37.400 He may not have been fully won over yet, but he at least wanted Jesus to be treated fairly. 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:44.400 So while he may not have exactly spoken in favour of Jesus, he at least spoke in favour 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:52.400 of justice. And even for that, his colleagues sneered at him. And John tells us that they 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:57.400 told this great teacher of Israel to search, that is to search the scriptures, you will 00:02:57.400 --> 00:03:04.400 find no predictions of the prophet coming from Galilee. And that may be, of course they're 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:08.400 overlooking or just didn't know that Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem, which is, as 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:14.400 they mentioned, where they expect the prophet to come from. But, what would happen if Nicodemus 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:23.400 did go and have a look? What if he did search in the scriptures, and what gets about Galilee 00:03:23.400 --> 00:03:30.400 in the scriptures? And he wouldn't have found very much. But once he got to Isaiah, and what 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:36.400 we know of as chapter 9, he would have read this. But there would be no gloom for her who 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:42.400 was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun, and the land 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:49.400 of Naphtali. But in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond 00:03:49.400 --> 00:04:01.400 the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:08.400 Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness on them has light shone. And as you read through 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:14.400 John's Gospel, your mind barely has time to get there before you hear the voice of Jesus 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:20.399 resonating through the courtyard, I am the light of the world. And the cameras pan over to the 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:26.399 temple to catch up with this next part where Jesus is praying out, I am the light of the world. 00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:33.399 Now later in chapter 20, we are told specifically, in verse 20 sorry, chapter 8, we are told specifically 00:04:33.399 --> 00:04:39.399 that he is in the section of the temple called the treasury. If you see that, just right at 00:04:39.399 --> 00:04:46.399 the top of the page. This was a part of the temple that had great big containers, shaped like 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:52.399 a ram's horn, the big trumpets that they would use. And people would put their offerings in these 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:57.399 big containers. We know from elsewhere in the Bible, this was a bit of a temple where everyone 00:04:57.399 --> 00:05:03.399 was allowed in. So Mark and Luke tell us the story of the widow who got to this part to leave 00:05:03.399 --> 00:05:08.399 her two coins in the treasury. Which means that it is very, very likely that at this point 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:12.399 Jesus is standing in the bit of the temple we own as the court of the women, the women's 00:05:12.399 --> 00:05:18.399 courtyard. And of course by this point, they are all queuing up to ask you to get in so what? 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:28.399 So I will explain. At this point we learn in chapter 7 that everyone is in Jerusalem for a festival called 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:35.399 Sukkot. The Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths. And you might know some of the details 00:05:35.399 --> 00:05:40.399 from RE classes or if you have neighbours who are in the Jewish community who might still 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:45.399 celebrate this festival. There is something about it. The main thing to know here is that it 00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:54.399 was a feast that remembered how the Lord was with Israel while it was wandering in the desert and as they lived in tents. 00:05:54.399 --> 00:06:05.399 And this was the big party of the year. The whole city would be decorated in tents and huts with plants and fruits everywhere. 00:06:05.399 --> 00:06:28.399 There were extravagant sacrifices offered every day at the temple for a week. This would have been the time when families and kids and grandparents would be flocking to Hanley's and Harrods in Jerusalem and see all the special light displays and the carolers singing and the brass bands playing their Sukkot carols in every square. It was the huge celebration of the year. 00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:47.399 Part of this big celebration, this week of festival, was where they would go as a big crowd to the well outside the city to collect some water and then all parade up to pour it out into bowls on the altar in front of the temple and flow down from these bowls down the steps. 00:06:47.399 --> 00:06:59.399 And it may not sound like a huge display, but it was a big party. The chauffeur, the trumpet would be sounding all over the place. Just think of the sound of car horns tooting away everywhere. 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:11.399 The Jewish palmer says that one who had never witnessed the rejoicing at the place of the water droids in this particular ceremony had never seen true joy in his life. 00:07:11.399 --> 00:07:15.399 If you haven't seen this party, you ain't seen nothing yet. 00:07:15.399 --> 00:07:27.399 And it's in that context, after the last drop has flowed down, that Jesus has cried out, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 00:07:27.399 --> 00:07:35.399 But another key part of this festival was light. And there were lights everywhere on the first night of this Feast of Boots. 00:07:35.399 --> 00:07:43.399 And quite possibly every night after that, it's not clear, but quite possibly several nights, there would be a huge light party. 00:07:43.399 --> 00:07:49.399 And in this court, the court of the women, there would have great big golden lampstands. 00:07:49.399 --> 00:07:55.399 And don't think little hands, they think they would have been a limited torch. 00:07:55.399 --> 00:08:01.399 They would have been about 25 meters high, and there may well have been several of them in this courtyard. 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:07.399 And each of these lampstands would have four big bowls, and a ladder going up to each one. 00:08:07.399 --> 00:08:11.399 And each ladder would have a priest that made up it, so four priests on each lamp. 00:08:11.399 --> 00:08:18.399 And they would each pour in 36 liters, or 8 to 9 gallons, of oil into each of the four bowls. 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:22.399 Then they would get some old rags to use as a wick, and light this great lamp. 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:31.399 The Jewish Vishnu records that when they lit those lamps, there was another courtyard in all of Jerusalem that wasn't lit up by them. 00:08:31.399 --> 00:08:33.399 And that wasn't all. 00:08:33.399 --> 00:08:40.399 At that point, the pious men of the city would come out with torches in their hands, and dance. 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:44.399 It seems there would be some fire juggling going on, as part of the celebrations. 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:46.399 And they would sing God's praises. 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:50.399 And the Levites would get their instruments out, and they would party all night. 00:08:50.399 --> 00:09:00.399 And this party was all about remembering how, as Israel lived in the desert, and lived in their tents, God was in their midst to help them. 00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:14.399 Just as all the courtyards in Jerusalem were lit up by these lamps, there was not a corner of the camp in the desert that was left in the dark, as they wandered through the desert. 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:23.399 If you go out into the countryside, go far away from any town or village, if it's a cloudy night, and you can't even see the stars, 00:09:23.399 --> 00:09:29.399 you will eventually get somewhere where it's so pitch black you just can't see anything, don't you? 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:35.399 And Israel spent 40 years in the desert, and they were never in the dark. 00:09:35.399 --> 00:09:41.399 They always had the bright, cloudy, fiery pillar of God's glory guiding them day and night. 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:45.399 They were always protected, always guided. 00:09:45.399 --> 00:09:49.399 They always had God at their side, in their midst. 00:09:49.399 --> 00:09:54.399 And they always had His light to walk by it. 00:09:54.399 --> 00:10:01.399 And there was such a huge blessing for them, that they put a permanent symbol of this in the temple sanctuary. 00:10:01.399 --> 00:10:10.399 And just before the Holy of Holies, there would be a table with 12 big loads of bread on one side, and a big lampstand, the menorah, on the other. 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:19.399 So this great light shining on the bread, this bread representing each tribe, this light of God's presence shining on the symbol of the people. 00:10:19.399 --> 00:10:26.399 And this huge blessing didn't just deserve a symbol in the temple where you couldn't see it, you just knew it was there. 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:31.399 It really deserved a big festival each year, and so there they were. 00:10:31.399 --> 00:10:36.399 And now it's the final day. The final night has passed. 00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:43.399 And actually, if you think of it, we're just six months away here from Jesus' crucifixion and His resurrection. 00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:50.399 Six months away from a great shift in time from the old covenant to the new covenant. 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:55.399 This is the last day on the last real Feast of Booths. 00:10:55.399 --> 00:11:00.399 This should be the last one. 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:07.399 Within six months, it will be replaced with another celebration, one that will come every week on the Lord's Day as we gather to worship. 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:12.399 So if you think of all these feasts and symbols and stories and pictures in the Old Testament, 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:19.399 as one huge arrow pointing forward, we've now come to the very tip of the arrow. 00:11:19.399 --> 00:11:23.399 We're at this historic moment. The last dance has been danced. 00:11:23.399 --> 00:11:25.399 The last song has been sung. 00:11:25.399 --> 00:11:28.399 The water has stopped flowing from the altar. 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:30.399 The lights are out. 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:37.399 And right there, under the empty lampstones, we hear the voice of Jesus. 00:11:37.399 --> 00:11:41.399 I am the light of the world. 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:48.399 And light is a key theme in John's Gospel, as well as in the Bible in general. 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:52.399 It's so often used to represent God as His presence. 00:11:52.399 --> 00:12:01.399 At the beginning of the book, John has explained that in the Word was life, and this life is the light of men. 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:12.399 That is to say that by this person, this divine person that we call the Word, it's by this life that all men live. 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:17.399 And the mere fact that we are alive is, in a sense, a light to us. 00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:23.399 Our life shines out and speaks to us of God and His kindness each day. 00:12:23.399 --> 00:12:28.399 Our very existence is a light pointing us to God. 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:34.399 And it is a light that's shining in darkness ever since Adam turned away from God, as we looked at this morning. 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:36.399 And yet, we don't receive this light. 00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:40.399 We reject this light, this revelation from God constantly. 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:45.399 And this light is a light that is, it's a creating light. 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:47.399 And it's a light that comes. 00:12:47.399 --> 00:12:50.399 He's not just our Creator, He's our Redeemer. 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:54.399 The light is coming, deliberately coming to reach out for us. 00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:57.399 And it has been coming ever since the fall. 00:12:57.399 --> 00:13:01.399 As soon as Adam fell, there was a promise of salvation. 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:07.399 And mankind keeps rejecting this word of salvation and redemption. 00:13:07.399 --> 00:13:10.399 But here is the word that keeps coming. 00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:12.399 This light that keeps shining. 00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:15.399 And it kept coming in the light of the world. 00:13:15.399 --> 00:13:19.399 Here it is, come to tabernacle among us. 00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:22.399 Here is the light that fights against evil. 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:28.399 But also, not only does darkness represent evil, but also ignorance. 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:30.399 And willful ignorance. 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:32.399 So we see Nicodemus coming to Jesus. 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:34.399 John points out that he comes at night. 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:36.399 He comes in ignorance to Jesus. 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:40.399 Darkness also means danger and death. 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:45.399 In chapter 6, the disciples are out on the seas in a dark and stormy night. 00:13:45.399 --> 00:13:48.399 Before Jesus comes to them, walking on the waves. 00:13:48.399 --> 00:13:50.399 There too, John makes a point of statement. 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:52.399 It was dark. 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:55.399 It was dangerous and they were clueless. 00:13:55.399 --> 00:14:02.399 And so the commentator William Hedrickson, as he does this great statement of Jesus in chapter 8, says, 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:06.399 To the ignorant, he proclaims wisdom. 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:09.399 To the impure, holiness. 00:14:09.399 --> 00:14:12.399 To those in sadness, gladness. 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:23.399 Moreover, to those who by sovereign grace are drawn to the light and follow its guidance, he not only proclaims, but actually imparts these blessings. 00:14:23.399 --> 00:14:29.399 He doesn't just talk about wisdom to the ignorant. 00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:31.399 Holiness to the impure. 00:14:31.399 --> 00:14:33.399 Gladness to the sad. 00:14:33.399 --> 00:14:39.399 And it's not just that he offers these good things to those in the dark. 00:14:39.399 --> 00:14:43.399 He doesn't just say, I offer light to you. 00:14:43.399 --> 00:14:47.399 He says, I am the light of the world. 00:14:47.399 --> 00:14:54.399 But I am, of course, if you know, echoes the divine name, the name of God in Exodus and in Isaiah. 00:14:54.399 --> 00:15:00.399 I, I am, it is I who am, the light of the world. 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:05.399 And notice he doesn't just say, I am a light in the world. 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:10.399 I am the light of the world. 00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:19.399 And to underline the importance of that, what he spells out in this verse, what it means for us and what needs to be done about it. 00:15:19.399 --> 00:15:26.399 And so he doesn't say, I am the light, so you must understand everything in the light of who I am. 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:30.399 But he doesn't say, I am the light, therefore you should contemplate me. 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:35.399 Or therefore reflect my light into the world. 00:15:35.399 --> 00:15:40.399 Even though those things are important, and they are things that we should be doing. 00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:44.399 But first of all, at the heart of it all, here is Jesus' call. 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:51.399 Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. 00:15:51.399 --> 00:15:54.399 Follow him. 00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:58.399 If Jesus is the light of the world, he is a light that we are to follow. 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:07.399 Now you couldn't be there at the festival as a well-taught Jew, standing there under these lampstones. 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:11.399 And hear Jesus say, I am the light that you need to follow. 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:18.399 Without immediately grasping that Jesus is saying something astonishingly, could you? 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:23.399 Who was the light that Israel had to follow? 00:16:23.399 --> 00:16:26.399 It was none other than the Lord himself. 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:29.399 And here he is now in the flesh. 00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:32.399 The light of the world. 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:38.399 As you read on, you see that the Pharisees reject him. 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:42.399 They want to walk in darkness, and it is tragic. 00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:46.399 You can see quite clearly what the alternative to following Jesus is just here in this verse, can't you? 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:47.399 Verse 12. 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:50.399 The alternative is to walk in darkness. 00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:54.399 Ignorance, impurity and sadness. 00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:57.399 It means not having the light of life. 00:16:57.399 --> 00:17:05.400 And later in verse 21, to make it even clearer, it means dying in our sins. 00:17:05.400 --> 00:17:22.400 If someone were to go walking in a dark desert, and had the option of choosing to figure out his own route, or a brightly lit path, and he chooses to go his own way, it's just not going to end well, is it? 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:27.400 And here we have the light of the world that must be followed. 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:32.400 The one who saves from evil, and from danger, and from death. 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:40.400 What's even worse actually, in terms of the Pharisees' rejection of him, is they don't even grasp what he's talking about. 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:43.400 They're not even properly listening. 00:17:43.400 --> 00:17:47.400 He's quite clearly saying to them, I am your God. 00:17:47.400 --> 00:17:52.400 I've come to you, I've come to guide you, I've come to save you. 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:59.400 So if they'd understood him, and still wanted to disbelieve him, they would have immediately accused him of blasphemy. 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:04.400 But there was so much in the dark, they couldn't even listen to what he was saying. 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:15.400 And he was the very person who was the centre of all things that they'd been celebrating for years and centuries, and they just couldn't recognise him. 00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:28.400 And yet, for those who hear him, for those who listen, for those who understand, here is a call to follow Jesus. 00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:31.400 He is a light for us to follow, not just for five minutes. 00:18:31.400 --> 00:18:35.400 It's a call to a constant, settled following. 00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:37.400 It's a call to follow him for life. 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:41.400 And especially, a call to follow and receive life from him. 00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:44.400 It's a call to depend on him in all things. 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:49.400 It's a call to say to Jesus, you are my God. 00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:52.400 He is a light that you can know personally. 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:53.400 He is a person. 00:18:53.400 --> 00:18:56.400 He is a light to guide you to eternal life. 00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:59.400 He is a light to come to save you from death. 00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:04.400 And it's precisely because of that, that he had to suffer darkness himself. 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:11.400 What we truly deserve, each of us here, is to be abandoned in sin and darkness and death. 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:20.400 But Jesus, who at this hour, chose to be subjected to darkness of death for us, has come. 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:26.400 And it's because he faced the darkness of God's life for us, that he can then promise us, 00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:32.400 whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:38.400 And so as we just consider this very simple message, let me ask each of you to think, 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:41.400 what would prevent me from following him? 00:19:41.400 --> 00:19:44.400 Why would I not follow him? 00:19:44.400 --> 00:19:47.400 So if you're already a follower of Jesus and have been for a long time, 00:19:47.400 --> 00:19:52.400 keep thinking, what would prevent me from keeping on following him? 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:56.400 What might be trying to prevent me from following him right now? 00:19:56.400 --> 00:20:03.400 A little while ago, I came up with a striking paragraph in the Puritan of Thomas Brooks. 00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:05.400 And he said this, 00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:14.400 One of the devices of Satan is to persuade the soul that repentance is an easy word. 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:17.400 Why suppose you do sin, says Satan. 00:20:17.400 --> 00:20:24.400 There's no difficult thing to return, confess, beg pardon, and cry, Lord, have mercy upon me. 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:28.400 For I will pardon your sin and save your soul. 00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:38.400 But, the book goes on, repentance is a mighty work, a difficult work, a work beyond our power. 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:43.400 You may as well seek to melt out of stone as to melt your own heart. 00:20:43.400 --> 00:20:47.400 Repentance is a flower that does not grow in nature's garden. 00:20:47.400 --> 00:20:52.400 It is not in the power of man to repent at leisure. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:58.400 Repentance is eternal from darkness to light. 00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:02.400 It affects the sinner's whole heart and life. 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:06.400 It changes the heart from the power of sin to God. 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:14.400 So, if you have this opportunity to turn now, why would you wait? 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:20.400 What good reason could you have to hesitate and not turn now and follow him now? 00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:24.400 He is calling you, even now, to himself. 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:28.400 Right here this evening, he is saying to you, I am the light of the world. 00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:34.400 Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:39.400 That is what he promises to give you, if you trust in him this evening. 00:21:39.400 --> 00:21:43.400 As a university, I was part of a choir. 00:21:43.400 --> 00:21:51.400 Most of what we did as a choir was to sing at an evensong service, that is a prayer service in the American tradition. 00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:54.400 I wasn't at all familiar with it before I went there. 00:21:54.400 --> 00:22:03.400 Those of you who are familiar, will know that near the end of the evening prayers, there are three prayers or collects. 00:22:03.400 --> 00:22:09.400 The first one would be different each week, and the last two are the same each time. 00:22:09.400 --> 00:22:15.400 The Dean would chant it on one note, and the choir would have different amens we'd have to chime in with. 00:22:15.400 --> 00:22:18.400 The final product says this. 00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:24.400 Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord. 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:29.400 And by thy great mercy, defend us from all perils and dangers of this night. 00:22:29.400 --> 00:22:32.400 For the love of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:37.400 A step of faith can be that simple. 00:22:37.400 --> 00:22:42.400 I'm in the darkness, bring your light. 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:45.400 I want to follow Jesus. 00:22:45.400 --> 00:22:47.400 It can be that simple. 00:22:47.400 --> 00:22:54.400 For a moment I'm going to lead us in a prayer, and I'll be introducing those words. 00:22:54.400 --> 00:23:03.400 And whether this will be your millionth step of faith in Jesus, or your very first step tonight. 00:23:03.400 --> 00:23:07.400 All it needs to be is a step. 00:23:07.400 --> 00:23:08.400 So let's pray to him. 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:17.400 Our loving Father in heaven, thank you for sending Jesus to be our light. 00:23:17.400 --> 00:23:22.400 Thank you that he faced and suffered the darkness that we deserved. 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:28.400 And in his resurrection, he has become the light to eternal life. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:35.400 As we trust in him, we would ask you, lighten our darkness, we beseech you, O Lord. 00:23:35.400 --> 00:23:40.400 And by your great mercy, defend us from all perils and dangers of this night. 00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:45.400 And of his dark world of sin and ignorance and sadness. 00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:49.400 For the love of your enemy, Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. 00:23:49.400 --> 00:23:50.400 Amen.