WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.460 I've got a bit of a confession. I have a thing about lights. Christmas, I'll tell you, I'm in 00:00:08.460 --> 00:00:14.259 my element. If it stands still long enough, I'll cover it with sparkling lights. Mandy despairs. 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:20.300 And when Christmas lights have to be packed away, I have to be content with garden lighting. 00:00:20.300 --> 00:00:26.760 I love garden lighting. Or a quick trip to John Lewis. Wow, do I love the lighting department 00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:33.800 of John Lewis? All that creative and innovation around lights. Just sit there bathed and it's 00:00:33.800 --> 00:00:41.460 wonderful. I like John's gospel because, like me, he's got a little bit of a thing about lights 00:00:41.460 --> 00:00:47.820 at Christmas. Right at the beginning of the gospel, we get this message that's always read 00:00:47.820 --> 00:00:54.400 at Christmas. The word became flesh. In the beginning was the word. And in verse 5, we 00:00:54.399 --> 00:01:00.320 get this, the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 00:01:02.019 --> 00:01:09.780 Have you ever been in a room where it had no windows and it was totally, totally dark? 00:01:10.659 --> 00:01:19.000 So dark, you could almost feel the darkness. Darkness and fear so often, sadly, go together. 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:25.980 It's not just the fear. It's that feeling, I guess, of being lost, out of control, not able 00:01:25.980 --> 00:01:33.420 to see your way out. Darkness can affect that in so many ways in our situations in life. 00:01:33.819 --> 00:01:40.460 Darkness confuses. Darkness distorts. Darkness is often dangerous. No wonder John in his gospel 00:01:40.459 --> 00:01:48.000 makes much of the image of darkness to communicate spiritual truth. But in the midst of that darkness 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:58.739 is the light. The light of the world, Jesus. The light shines in the dark and the light has never 00:01:58.739 --> 00:02:04.979 extinguished it. What encouraging words. The very people who are about to question Jesus in our reading 00:02:04.980 --> 00:02:12.659 this morning are at the heart of the temple. And they are the very ones who will be looking to 00:02:12.659 --> 00:02:19.020 extinguish that light. Certainly they were looking to extinguish the light on Good Friday. 00:02:19.939 --> 00:02:27.439 No, no, no, no. That wasn't going to work. Here in our reading this morning, Jesus makes a big claim. 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:32.080 He's not boasting. When Jesus spoke again to the people in the heart of the temple, 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:39.240 he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, 00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:45.480 but will have the light of life. It's important to look at that reading because in the middle is 00:02:45.480 --> 00:02:53.020 whoever follows me. You know, the idea of following Jesus, of following the light, 00:02:53.560 --> 00:03:01.080 is always revealed in the New Testament as radical. This idea of following Jesus. The disciples left 00:03:01.080 --> 00:03:06.719 everything to follow him. You and I may have experienced that ourselves, what it has cost to 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:13.820 follow Jesus. And here in this text, we discover the idea that the one who follows Jesus will never 00:03:13.820 --> 00:03:21.380 walk in darkness. That is so comforting. We aren't meant to be in the dark. We are made for the light. 00:03:22.780 --> 00:03:27.180 As I had already prophesied back in the Old Testament, the people walking in darkness 00:03:27.180 --> 00:03:34.439 have seen a great light. On those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned. 00:03:34.439 --> 00:03:41.020 As Jesus' disciples, we don't want to walk in the darkness. We don't have to. 00:03:42.700 --> 00:03:45.600 So why is it that so many people stumble in life? 00:03:46.340 --> 00:03:49.319 Why is it that so many Christians get tempted away? 00:03:49.319 --> 00:03:57.359 Jesus had already revealed that some would walk and love the darkness. 00:04:00.019 --> 00:04:06.459 When we read John 3.16, which is a verse that most people can recite to probably know, 00:04:06.740 --> 00:04:09.500 we forget what follows. And it says, 00:04:10.019 --> 00:04:12.879 This then is the judgment. The light has come into the world, 00:04:13.099 --> 00:04:17.740 and people love darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 00:04:17.740 --> 00:04:19.240 It's true. 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:24.199 That everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, 00:04:24.199 --> 00:04:27.900 so that his deeds may not be exposed. Very true. 00:04:28.660 --> 00:04:32.699 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:36.639 so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God. 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:41.980 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light. 00:04:42.579 --> 00:04:46.180 There's something that is so beautiful about being in the light. 00:04:46.180 --> 00:04:53.379 We have to face it. Some people will purposely and stubbornly and decidedly reject the light. 00:04:54.340 --> 00:05:00.860 And you and I may despair as we see them repeatedly again and again fall into dark ways. 00:05:01.019 --> 00:05:02.939 Lies, deceit, deception. 00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:07.680 Maybe you're alongside somebody at the moment, 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:14.720 and you're struggling with seeing them repetitively make the same mistakes over and over again. 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:18.280 I recall many, many years back at a Christian event. 00:05:18.939 --> 00:05:20.079 There was a men's summoner. 00:05:20.840 --> 00:05:23.720 And a guy who was leading said to the gathered group of men, 00:05:24.139 --> 00:05:26.500 Where are you as disciples today? 00:05:27.300 --> 00:05:30.800 Are you in the dark or are you in the light? 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:36.240 And he invited men who sensed maybe there was darkness in their life or something they wanted to, 00:05:36.300 --> 00:05:37.460 to come forward for prayer. 00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:39.639 That was brilliant. A lot of guys went forward. 00:05:40.020 --> 00:05:42.960 Then, my goodness, he went one step further. 00:05:44.300 --> 00:05:46.160 And he said, 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:50.800 There are some men here who are carrying two mobile phones. 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:53.880 One of those phones is for your wife and family. 00:05:54.240 --> 00:05:57.360 The other phone is for your mistress. 00:05:58.820 --> 00:06:03.900 And I would invite you to step out of that darkness into the light. 00:06:04.420 --> 00:06:09.760 Bring that other mobile phone out here and leave it at the front as you're prayed for. 00:06:09.980 --> 00:06:10.379 Wow. 00:06:10.379 --> 00:06:11.779 My goodness. 00:06:12.740 --> 00:06:15.000 There was this sort of gasp in the room. 00:06:16.159 --> 00:06:23.860 By the end of that meeting, there were five mobile phones that were left at the front to be destroyed. 00:06:25.219 --> 00:06:31.759 You see, the darkness can't stand the light. 00:06:32.159 --> 00:06:34.300 The light will always shine. 00:06:34.300 --> 00:06:37.819 I love that song that we sing. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:45.139 It's my lighthouse, my lighthouse, shining in the darkness, I will follow you. 00:06:45.699 --> 00:06:46.699 It's a great song. 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:51.980 I really miss that singing it, singing that at church and singing that at school. 00:06:53.319 --> 00:07:00.259 It talks of Jesus being a lighthouse of a light that warns us away from the rocks of life, 00:07:00.259 --> 00:07:07.579 the darkness of the hidden rocks that will wreck not just our boat, but it will wreck our life and our relationship. 00:07:08.159 --> 00:07:09.439 Here is the good news. 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:16.800 In the midst of the temple, Jesus declares, I am the light of the world. 00:07:18.599 --> 00:07:20.719 See, this this morning is a call to follow. 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:28.680 It's about radical discipleship, but it's also a promise because he is the light of the world. 00:07:28.680 --> 00:07:34.540 We don't walk in darkness when we're close to the light. 00:07:35.500 --> 00:07:46.399 You know, I'm encouraged by the amazing things I'm seeing during this pandemic of Christians that are walking so close to the light and doing amazing things in the community. 00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:48.639 The light is shining. 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:59.740 We are called to be light carriers into the dark places of this world where there is hopelessness and there is despair. 00:08:00.759 --> 00:08:13.459 In Revelation 21, it says the city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it for the glory of God gives it light and the lamb is its lamp. 00:08:13.459 --> 00:08:20.819 What a wonderful picture of Christ carrying light through us into the community. 00:08:20.819 --> 00:08:25.680 Today, allow Jesus to draw close. 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:42.919 Allow him to shine that light even stronger in your life, to feel that warmth and presence that the light and power of the Holy Spirit can bring as we walk closely to him, totally alongside him day by day. 00:08:42.919 --> 00:08:46.719 But you may say, I don't have much to offer. 00:08:46.819 --> 00:08:47.759 What can I offer? 00:08:47.879 --> 00:08:48.919 How can I bring that? 00:08:50.139 --> 00:08:52.439 How can I partner with him in this light? 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:56.860 I'll end with a story that I heard recently on a podcast. 00:08:56.860 --> 00:09:05.980 The great pianist, Jan Paderewski, was playing a six-month sellout concert in New York. 00:09:06.200 --> 00:09:15.519 There was a lady, she took her nine-year-old son, she dressed them all up in a tuxedo, it was a posh day, and they got seats in the front row, booked presumably well in advance. 00:09:15.519 --> 00:09:37.319 They arrived and she sat down, he's quite fidgety, she gets distracted and a moment later she is suddenly aware to her horror that her nine-year-old son is on the stage, seated at what was this, I guess, glorious and priceless Steinway. 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:46.760 People started shouting at him for him to get off and the boy started playing with two fingers, chopsticks. 00:09:49.060 --> 00:09:59.220 Paderewski, hearing the melee, appeared on stage and ushered the security people that were ready to grab the boy and remove him from the stage. 00:10:00.040 --> 00:10:05.720 And as the boy continued playing, Paderewski knelt behind the boy. 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:18.480 He wrapped his arms around him and played this amazing concerto that blended with what the boy was playing. 00:10:18.920 --> 00:10:28.120 The lights dimmed and a single spotlight, a light, shone on the two of them, making beautiful music together. 00:10:28.120 --> 00:10:30.120 The crowd stood. 00:10:30.120 --> 00:10:37.539 The crowd roared with applause and Paderewski was heard to whisper to the boy. 00:10:39.100 --> 00:10:39.899 Don't stop. 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:41.759 Keep going. 00:10:42.700 --> 00:10:43.700 You're doing great. 00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:46.179 Don't stop. 00:10:47.179 --> 00:10:48.000 Keep going. 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:49.860 You're doing great. 00:10:49.860 --> 00:10:58.840 I sense that while I was preparing this, there are those who feel that they don't have much to offer. 00:10:58.840 --> 00:11:05.000 Maybe the light of Christ isn't shining as brightly in them as they think it should. 00:11:05.259 --> 00:11:07.360 Be encouraged today. 00:11:08.740 --> 00:11:14.580 Allow Jesus to come and shine that light fully into your life. 00:11:14.580 --> 00:11:23.379 draw close to him, allow him to wrap his arms around you. Feel the warmth of his presence 00:11:23.379 --> 00:11:29.220 and his light. Feel the experience of that light shining brightly. 00:11:30.820 --> 00:11:33.860 And I pray today that you would hear those words from Jesus. 00:11:35.940 --> 00:11:40.900 Don't stop. Keep going. You're doing great.