Good morning, church family.
As Dave said, there's two readings.
The first one is from John 3, starting at verse 16,
which is so familiar to many of us.
So John chapter 3.
Starting at verse 16.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish,
but have eternal life.
For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned,
but whoever does not believe is condemned already,
because he has not believed in the name of the only son of God.
And this is the judgment.
The light has come into the world,
and people loved the darkness rather than the light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come to the light,
lest his works should be exposed.
But whoever does what is true comes to the light,
so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.
Now we're going to turn to our second reading,
which is in Colossians chapter 1, starting at verse 9.
Colossians 1 verse 9.
So this letter is Paul's prayer for the Christian believers.
And so from the day we heard,
we have not ceased to pray for you,
asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will
in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing to him,
bearing fruit in every good work
and increasing in the knowledge of God,
being strengthened with all power,
according to his glorious might,
for all endurance and patience with joy,
giving thanks to the Father,
who has qualified you
to sharing the inheritance of the saints in light.
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
So we're starting a new series today.
As we went through Colossians last term,
the elders thought there was just some key words,
key concepts that just carried this whole weight
of Bible truth in them
that we didn't have time
to pause and just look at these weighty words
and understand the depth of them.
So we're going to spend four weeks
going back into Colossians,
kind of using Colossians as a launching point
into four key words,
all about salvation.
So this morning we will look at how bad the problem is.
We're looking at the word sin
and Colossians talks about the domain of darkness.
Can I urge you to listen to the whole series?
Today's kind of the bad news.
There's good news.
Please come next week.
If you can't be here,
then catch up on the sermons online.
But next week we will look at how Jesus saves.
We're going to look at the ideas of redemption and forgiveness.
Then we're going to look at the effects of salvation,
justification and peace,
how a legal and relational standing with God is changed.
And then finally we're going to look at
what living a safe life essentially consists of,
being united to Christ and having communion with him.
So that's where we're headed.
Part of the goal of this series is we need to reclaim back
to Bible understanding how our culture uses some of these words.
So we use the word redemption as if someone can redeem themselves
by their own achievements out of any sense of shame or something.
They can redeem themselves if they do.
That's not the biblical idea.
We need to understand what God says redemption is.
Or forgiveness.
We talk about forgiveness today as if it's some psychological reason for doing it,
that I need to take back control,
not let the other person control me any longer.
It's almost lost its relational meaning today.
Or today's word on sin.
Today in our culture people might use it
when they buy one of those thick shakes
that's just covered in chocolate syrup
and 14 Cadbury flakes are just poking out of it every direction
and just like a sinful pleasure.
Maybe we use it like that.
Or the other extreme is if you call any behaviour a sin wrong,
you're intolerant.
You're bigoted.
It's like the only sin is calling something a sin.
So we need to understand what sin means
because we're lost in our culture today.
But these key words of salvation,
sin and redemption, forgiveness, justification, peace, union with Christ,
they are so crucial to knowing God.
They're crucial to understanding people
and the brokenness in our world.
They are crucial to possessing eternal life ourselves
and they're crucial for seeking life for other people.
So I hope you look forward to this series
and really this series is going to be scratching the surface as well.
We're always going deeper in understanding this.
Well first I think we need to ask the question
salvation from what exactly?
You've probably been reading the news
and this year is the 20th anniversary of the Bali bombings
that killed over 200 people, 88 Australians included.
And that's not to mention those who survived
and had painful skin grafts
and painful physiotherapy
and the pain of survivors' guilt.
And I was listening to the Triple J hack program
and a survivor named Mitch was being interviewed
and he was asked how he felt about one of the bombers
is, it looks like, about to be released on parole
having been rehabilitated.
And he was asked has justice been served?
He said it made his blood boil.
This guy who tore families apart is about to be free.
It made his blood boil.
He said it wasn't about rehabilitation.
He deserves punishment.
He even said of other bombers
who have been judicially executed for their crimes,
he said they got off lightly.
Others had to suffer.
They didn't have such a swift and humane death.
They got off lightly.
It's heavy, isn't it?
All the talk today of live and let live,
of tolerance,
as if there's no moral code
in the fabric of the universe,
but there's still plenty of talk of justice.
It isn't just justice ingrained in us as human beings.
I've never met anyone who doesn't care about justice.
A fair and unfair,
being proud and ashamed,
right and wrong.
We all want good to triumph over evil.
Even as a culture today,
why else would the Marvel Avengers series be so popular?
We want good to triumph.
Why do teenagers read thousands of pages of Harry Potter?
How do you get a teenager to read that much?
Because we want good to triumph over evil.
We care about justice.
And Christianity has a coherent reason
why we care about justice so much.
It's because there's a moral character
who created this world,
who created us in his image to be moral agents.
There's that beating heart
behind this world.
Those Bali bombers
will stand before their maker,
their moral maker,
one day.
And they will receive final,
eternal,
divine justice.
The Bible warns,
it is a dreadful thing
to fall into the hands of the living God.
I wouldn't want to be them
on that final day of judgment.
Now there's more to salvation
that we're going to hear about next week
and in particular
when we look at the idea of redemption.
But the Bible talks about
the main thing people need salvation from
is this eternal,
final,
divine justice
of God,
of our maker.
So who else?
Who else,
besides these Bali bombers,
is in danger of God's
final justice
and why?
Well,
throughout the Bible,
both in the Old Testament
and the New Testament,
the most common word to use
to describe the human problem
is sin.
And remembering that sin
is not some indulgent pleasure,
nor is it reserved
just for the worst criminals.
Sin has a meaning
along the lines of
failing to hit the mark
or falling short
of the standard.
I think we can all
easily understand
this concept
of falling short
of the standard.
Just think about
your own standards
for yourself
that you've made up.
Are you
the character,
are you the person
you want to be?
I pause there
because I don't think
we like to pause
and ask that question,
do we?
It's an uncomfortable
question.
Our inner lawyer
might quickly
try and justify
ourselves
by thinking
morality is on
a bell curve
that,
kind of like
school grades
where there are
just the worst
of the worst
like the Bali bombers
down one end
and yes,
there's a few
exceptions.
There's some
truly altruistic
people out there
but the majority
are shades of grey.
We're somewhere
in between.
As long as we're
in that bell curve,
we're good people,
right?
Maybe if we're
ahead of most,
we should be
pretty safe.
We're good people,
aren't we?
But that
horizontal comparison
isn't justice
and we all know it.
This one exam
at uni,
the majority
of the class
failed the exam
and I was one
of them
and all the
students were
just fuming
at the teacher
that he'd set
the exam
too hard.
But he didn't
test us on
anything that we
hadn't covered
in the course.
The test might
have been hard
but we just
all failed.
That's just
what happened.
We would rather
be outraged
at the teacher
than to admit
I failed.
I fell short.
Comparing
ourselves,
it doesn't
justify as much
as we try
to make it
justify ourselves.
God is just.
He has one
standard for all
people.
His character
is the standard.
Don't compare
yourself to
other people.
That is a
twisted guide
to whether
you're a good
person or not.
When God
is our standard,
we have a
right measure
of ourselves,
his character.
And this isn't
some arbitrary
standard.
When we don't
share in God's
character,
it causes real
damage to real
people.
It causes real
damage to the
world and animals
that we're meant
to be taken
care of.
And it robs
God of the
honour he
deserves.
It causes real
damage.
Just consider
our closest
relationships.
Why are
relationships so
hard to
maintain?
Why is
trust,
full trust,
so hard to
maintain and
it's broken
so quickly?
Why is full
intimacy, even
in our closest
relationships,
so hard to
keep?
why, if
we're all
good people?
And we
also have to
take into
account,
that's just the
horizontal
relationships,
how are we
relating to
God?
Our words and
our actions to
God, do our
lips give him
the praise he
deserves for his
power and his
goodness?
goodness.
When he speaks
in his word, do
we listen
carefully?
When we know
his commands, do
we obey
gladly?
We've got to
consider how we
relate to God
too.
So who else is
in danger of
divine justice?
Here's God's
conclusion in
Romans 3.
All have
sinned and
fall short of
the glory of
God, of the
character of
God.
Evil words and
evil acts,
it's universal.
And for
those who
misunderstand and
distort
Christianity,
they think
that the
religious remedy
is something
like how one
of my friends,
when we say
goodbye to
each other,
I'll see you
later, and
they respond,
make good
choices.
It's kind of
funny, it's a
nice way to
say goodbye,
but some
people think
that's what
Christianity is
about, just
make good
choices, at
least try to
make good
choices, and
God will see
your good
intentions.
But to
think that
God wants
us to work
harder, to
be just more
religiously
fervent, to
make better
choices, that
ignores God's
diagnosis of
the problem, of
where this evil
acts are coming
from.
If we're going
to understand
where our
evil acts are
coming from,
we need to
understand the
cause, and
we need God
to tell us.
We can't
just work it
out by
observing how
people behave.
We need God
to tell us, and
he has told us
what's going on.
When the Lord
scans what's
happening inside
of us as
human beings,
when he looks
at our mind
and our heart,
and by heart
the Bible
means the
control centre
of our being,
when the Lord
scans us,
like a medical
scan, the
radiation just
lights up like
a Christmas
tree.
The sickness
is so deep,
it has gone
even to our
heart, our
innermost desires
and our
thoughts.
I find
Genesis 6,
verse 5,
in the days of
Noah, one of
the most sobering
descriptions of the
human condition.
I even just
bent my legs
because I just
felt, it is a
weighty verse.
The Lord
saw that the
wickedness of
man was great
in the earth
and that every
intention of
the thoughts of
his heart was
only evil
continually.
Every
intention of
the thoughts of
his heart was
only evil
continually.
We see this
in our John
3 passage that
was read
today.
So,
starting at
verse 19,
this is God's
judgement,
the light came
into the world,
the light,
not a light,
but the light,
the son of
God, the
spotless,
perfect,
son of
God,
who's truly
innocent.
He came into
the world.
And we
would expect the
next bit to
say, and
people flocked
to him.
The light
came and
people came to
him for
truth.
They came to
him for
forgiveness.
They came to
him for
restored a
relationship
with God
and eternal
life.
But that's
not what the
verse says.
The light
has come into
the world and
people loved
the darkness.
loved the
darkness rather
than the
light because
their works
were evil.
For everyone
who does
wicked things
hates the
light and
does not
come to
the light
lest their
works should
be exposed.
Our very
nature is
rotten.
We love
what we
should hate
and we
hate what
we should
love.
Now,
when the
Bible says
that we're
kind of
rotten even
to our
heart,
it's not
saying we're
as bad as
we possibly
could be.
There's lots
of reasons
that we
don't follow
through with
our desires
of the
heart.
We're not
as bad as
we possibly
could be
and thank
God for
that.
But if
the condition
isn't all
the way to
our heart,
then why
would things
that tempt us
to do what
we know is
wrong,
why would we
find them
tempting?
Why would
we find
them appealing
at all and
be drawn
away by
them?
If we
hated it,
even though
I know
it's wrong,
if we
hated it,
we would
despise it
and not
go anywhere
near it.
But we're
not,
or if you're
anything like
me, we're
drawn to
it.
Why do
we find
it so
tempting
and get
allured?
I've got
to admit
that something
in me loves
it.
even though
I know
it's
wrong.
Something
in me
loves
it.
I want
to give
an example
of this
and that's
always
dangerous,
but this is
just one
concrete
example to
illustrate.
Recently,
there was
this material
possession that
I was just
obsessed with
and I
wanted it.
I really
wanted it.
Emma thought
it was just
a bad idea
and she
kept telling
me that.
I didn't
listen to
her.
I just
wanted it
and we
went away
on holidays
even and
I was
researching
about it
and it
ruined the
holiday because
I just wanted
this thing and
I didn't have
it and my
mind just kept
going to it
instead of
being present
and just
relaxing.
It ruined
my holiday.
Not to
mention whatever
non-attention I
gave to Emma
and Sam,
but I was
just obsessed.
Now,
the problem
there wasn't
just,
I couldn't,
in my head I
was telling
myself choose
something else,
stop thinking
about it.
That didn't
work.
Why?
Because I
think my
heart loved
it.
I found
it appealing.
I wanted
it.
I coveted
it is the
biblical word
for it.
The condition
there was a
problem with
my love of
my heart.
I needed
to love
something else
more.
Now,
that description,
do you find
that evil?
Is evil
really the
right word
for that?
Darkness
that Colossians
uses,
the domain
of darkness,
the rule
of something
ruling you,
domain is
about rule,
it's about
jurisdiction,
something like
coveting some
material possession,
is that darkness?
compared to
Bali bombers,
are we going
to call that
darkness?
Well,
what is
darkness?
I think when
the Bible talks
about darkness,
it's not living
according to the
truth.
It's not living
in light of the
truth.
And if we just
stick with the
coveting example,
people,
it's totally at
odds with
reality.
It's as if
this thing
will give me
life and
security and
meaning and
value,
if I had it,
rather than
God.
The Bible uses
the word
idolatry.
We look to
everything else
besides God
to give us
life and
blessing.
That's just
not true.
It's not how
God created
the world.
I was
obsessing about
it as if I
could bring it
about.
That's not
true.
I'm not in
control.
God decides
what happens.
Even that's
not true.
It's not even
true to the
level of what
life is
essentially
about.
It's not
about gain.
it's about
gift.
God created
this world as
a gift for
us to know
him at the
centre.
Do you see
how that
coveting is
in darkness.
It is not
according to
truth.
God isn't at
the centre.
Our heart is
ruled by what
we think will
give us life
and if it's
anything other
than God,
then we are
ruled by
darkness.
It is
controlling our
heart and
that's why
those evil
words and
evil choices
flow out of
that heart.
There's another
level we can
go here.
We've got our
evil words and
behaviour which
is flowing out
of a heart
that isn't
looking to
God for life
or to
anything else.
sin.
There's
something
fundamental
about what
sin is.
There's a
fundamental
lie that
we have all
believed.
This lie
was at the
beginning,
the first
human beings.
It is the
lie that you
can be like
God.
I'm going to
borrow from
theologian and
author J.I.
Packer.
Here's how he
defines sin.
Here's how he
defines the
root issue of
sin.
What is the
essence of
sin?
Playing
God and as a
means to this,
refusing to allow
the creator to
be God as
far as you
are concerned,
living not for
him before
yourself, loving
and serving and
pleasing yourself
without reference to
the creator,
trying to be as
far as possible
independent of
him, taking
yourself out of
his hands,
holding him at
arm's length,
keeping the
reins of life in
your own hands,
acting as if you
and your pleasure
were the end to
which all else,
God included,
must be made to
function as a
means.
That is the
attitude in
which sin
essentially
consists.
He's just
describing there
that lie we've
all taken in,
that we can be
God, that we
can control our
lives, that we
can determine what
will bless our
lives.
It's playing
God.
This idea of
being in
control, of
playing God, I
think explains why
a very religious
person, very
religious person,
is still
fundamentally sick
in the heart.
God.
Because trying to
prove yourself to
God, for him to
approve of you
based on what you
have done, is
really saying to
God, you owe me.
I jumped through
all your hoops, I
did the prayers, I
did the giving of
money, I listened to
countless sermons, I
did the pilgrimage, I
did the meditation, now
you owe me.
You can't ask any
more from me.
Give me what I
deserve.
Can you hear how
that is still trying
to keep control?
It's still seeking
blessing outside of
God as well.
Not seeing God
himself as the
blessing, but as a
means to the
blessing.
If I do what
you tell me to do,
God, then you
owe me.
It's trying to stay
in control.
The religious
attempt at playing
God is as much in
darkness as someone
who just brazenly is
self-centred.
The difference is
you're religiously
self-centred.
So who is in
danger of God's
divine justice and
why?
All who have a
sick heart, who
think they can
play God, stay in
control of their
lives, who then
their heart is
driven by
idolatry, seeking
blessing outside of
God rather than
seeing God himself
as the source of
life.
And that
expressing itself
in damaging
words and
damaging acts.
which is me,
which is you,
according to
scripture.
We need
forgiveness for
our wrong words
and behaviour,
but we also need a
heart transplant.
We need a
fundamental change.
A heart not
ruled by love of
self, but ruled by
the love of God.
God.
Despite all of
our evil,
John 3.16,
for God so
loved the
world.
God so
loved the
world that he
gave his only
son, his only
son to bear that
divine final
judgment on
himself when he
breathed his
last breath nailed
to that cross.
That is
extravagant love,
is it not?
That God would
love us so much.
God would
love us so much.
How will you
respond to that
light, the
light?
Because it
confronts us.
It should have two
effects on us.
I hope it has two
effects, not just
one.
Pastor Tim Keller
describes these two
effects really well.
When you see that
God's son died on
the cross to save
you from God's
justice, Tim
Keller says this.
It tells us, we
are more sinful
and flawed in
ourselves than we
ever dare
believe.
Yet at the very
same time, we
are more loved
and accepted in
Jesus Christ than
we ever dared
hope.
God's son's
light.
God the
father calls you
to his son's
light.
Don't be afraid of
your deeds being
exposed.
You will be
exposed.
In the light of
the cross, we see
our sin more
clearly.
You will be
exposed, but you
don't need to be
afraid of that
because the
father has poured
all the justice
on his son.
It's not condemnation you'll receive.
It's salvation.
All he's got left to give you is the love he has for his son.
Openly confess your evil behaviour and your heart that loves everything else
besides God and come and just rejoice that the Father has poured all his
divine justice on his son and not you because he so loved you.
If you stay hiding in the darkness, whether religiously or just living
a self-centred life, it's not just the Bali bombers who should be terrified
at falling into the hands of the living God.
Come into the light of the cross.
And you'll have all the guilt and shame washed away in the embrace of a
father who just wants you to know him as an affectionate father.
Come into his light.
Can I give you a minute just to do whatever you want in your own minds
and hearts, whether that's praising God.
If you're a Christian, just praising God afresh for his extravagant love for you
or whether you've been convicted by Scripture today.
Do whatever you want in your own mind and heart and then I'll pray after a minute.
Amen.
Speaker 5
shining 7
Yea."
Amen.
Father, help each one of us to come to you as we are,
to be humbled and exposed by the light of your cross.
And then, Lord, I pray that you might fill us each with a profound sense of thankfulness
for your pure grace and love that would even give your own son
to make us wretches, your sons and daughters.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.