Well, let's begin our worship today. We're singing in Psalm 103, Psalm 103 in the Sing
Psalms version, and that's on page 135. The tune is Herongate. We're singing verses 1
to 11, one of the great Psalms of praise, where God is praised by the Psalmist as he
actually looks into his own soul and calls upon his very inner being to praise the Lord.
With all his heart. Praise God, my soul, with all my heart. Let me exalt his holy name.
Forget not all his benefits. His praise, my soul, in song proclaim. Verses 1 to 11 to God's
praise. And we'll stand. If you're able to stand, please stand to sing.
Praise God, my soul, with all my heart.
Let me exalt his holy name. Forget not all his benefits. His praise, my soul, in song proclaim.
The Lord forgives you all your sins. And heals your sickness and distress. Your life he rescues
from the grave. And crowns you in his tenderness. He satisfies your deep desires. From his
name and grace, my soul, with all my heart. He satisfies your deep desires. He satisfies your
heart. And he satisfies your deep desires. From his unending stores of good. So he
He satisfies your deep desires
From His unending stores of good
So that just like the eagle's strength
Your youthful vigor is renewed
The Lord is known for righteous acts
And justice too, downtrodden ones
To Moses He made known His ways
His mighty deeds to Israel's sons
The Lord is merciful and kind
To anger slow and full of grace
He will not constantly reprove
For in His anger hide His face
He does not punish our misdeeds
Or give our sins their just reward
Our greatest love as I attend
Towards all those who fear the Lord
Let's now join together in prayer briefly
O Lord, our God, as we give thanks once again
Like the psalmist for all the good things
That you give to us day by day
We come before you now to worship you
And we pray for your help as we do so
That our hearts too may be stirred up
Like David's was
So that we may come to call upon the Lord
In praise and thanksgiving
We pray especially now for our children
We thank you, Lord, for those who are here today
For the creche, for the Sunday school, for tweenies
We thank you for all the children who belong to us
As a congregation
And for the special place they have in our hearts
We pray for them, O Lord, at this time
And we pray for them
That as they continue to grow up in years
That they will grow in the knowledge of the Lord
And we pray for them today, Lord
As they receive teaching from your word
That you would truly bless them
And bless that to them
We pray for your protective care of them
In every way, morally and physically and spiritually
We ask, Lord, that you would shield them about
With your own power
As they go from day to day in this world
As they attend school
As they come to other activities as well
We pray for them
As they do these things
That they will know the blessing of the Lord
Remember today also those who teach them
Those in our Sunday school classes
We thank you for them
And for the Bible class too
And we pray
That in all of these areas, Lord
That you would bless our young people
And go before them
And teach them your ways
Hear us now, we pray
And pardon our sin
For Jesus' sake
Amen
Okay, children
It's good to see you all out today
And I'm going to say something
Is that at the end of the service?
Buddy
End of the service?
Okay
Minister always needs directions from church officers
So
I'm going to speak to you today
A bit about Bluetooth
Hands up
Don't have to say anything
But hands up
Those who know what Bluetooth is
Or where you'd find Bluetooth
Some of the older ones probably know
Maybe some of the younger ones as well
Hands up those who know what Bluetooth is
Hands up those of the adults
Who know what Bluetooth is
Okay
There's quite a decent percentage of you
Well Bluetooth
Is a wireless system
By which you can join together
Mobile phones
Or your mobile phone with a speaker
Or your mobile phone with headphones
So that you don't need wires
It's very handy
You just connect them together wirelessly
And actually
I just discovered
Looking at this
That it takes its name
Bluetooth
From a Danish king
Way back in the 900s
And he united
Denmark together
And he united
Norway under his
His rule as well
And when the person who invented
Bluetooth in the 1990s
I think it was
Was looking for a name
For this wireless system
He came across this name
Harold Bluetooth
The name of this king
Who united these people
Of
Denmark
And took Norway in as well
And he said
That would be a great name
For my wireless system
Because it unites
Various
Um
Various phones
Or other
Other
Electronic devices
Together
So what happens
In Bluetooth
You can actually set
Your phone
Let's just keep it to the phone
For a moment
You can set your phone
With the Bluetooth
On it
Live
You have to have
The Bluetooth
Active on it
You can shut it off
But if you want to
Use it
You need to put it on
And the thing is
If you want to
Communicate
Your phone
With another phone
Or with another device
They also must have
Their Bluetooth on
Because that way
They communicate
To each other
And
Bluetooth
As you need
To have that on
Makes your phone
Discoverable
Other phones
That have Bluetooth
Can then discover
Your phone
As long as it's
No more than
About 10 meters away
It doesn't work
Any further away
Than that
But through Bluetooth
You can actually
Then transfer
Photos
Music
Files
Whether they're
Typed up files
Or photos
Whatever
You can transfer
That very quickly
Through Bluetooth
And it reminded me
Of how God
Has made himself
Known to us
In Jesus Christ
That's how we come
To know God
And we wouldn't
Be able to know God
Unless God
Had made himself
Discoverable to us
And just like
Bluetooth on your phone
The Bible is
God's word
Where he has
Made himself
Known to us
Where we can
Find out about him
And more importantly
Where we can
Communicate with him
Now just like
If you're going to
Use Bluetooth
You must have it
On on your phone
So to communicate
With God
You must have
Your mind
And your soul
Switched on
I'm going to
Speak in the
Sermon today
About people
Who don't have
That
Who don't want
God
Who don't want
To communicate
With God
But for all of us
Here
For all you
Young folks as well
I'm quite sure
You want to
Communicate with God
You want to
Speak to God
You want to
Hear God's voice
Speaking to you
And that's what
You do
When you come
To pray to God
You're communicating
With God
So it's important
That our souls
If you like
Are switched on
That we have
The desire
In our hearts
To communicate
With God
To meet with God
To get to know God
To tell God
About our concerns
To ask him
To forgive our sins
To ask him
To guide us
Through the things
Of life
And in every other way
In which we can
Communicate with God
We hear God's voices
Also speaking to us
Through his word
So Bluetooth
It's important
You have it switched on
And it's important
Our souls
Are switched on today
Not just to young folks
But ourselves
As older ones too
That we are switched on
If you like
To hear God's voice
To be able
To communicate with him
And to hear him
Communicating with us
That's why
Jesus came into the world
So that we would come
To know God
Through him
And in knowing God
Through him
Come to enjoy
Eternal
Life
Well you can
Google Bluetooth
And you'll find out
A lot more about it
Than I've said today
And it's very interesting
Especially
That it goes back
To such a long time
And we're back
In the 900s
Okay now
We're going to say
The Lord's Prayer together
So let's just say
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father
Which art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth
As it is in heaven
Give us this day
Our daily bread
And forgive us
Our debts
As we forgive
Our debtors
And lead us not
Into temptation
But deliver us
From evil
For thine is the kingdom
The power
And the glory
Forever
Amen
Now the children
Leave through
The side door
As well
Please
To go to your classes
Today
Because the front door
Is very windy
Or it's very windy
At the front door
I should say
We're going to praise God
Now from Psalm 31
Psalm 31
On page 243
The tune is
Spore
And we're singing
From verse
19 to 24
How great's the goodness
Thou for them
That fear thee
Keep'st in store
And wrought's for them
That trust in thee
The sons of men before
In secret of thy presence
Thou shalt hide them
From man's pride
From strife of tongues
Thou closely shalt
As in a tent
Them hide
Verses 19
To 24
To God's praise
Amen
There's the goodness
Thou for them
That fear thee
Keep'st in store
And rose for them
That trust in thee
The sons of men before
In secret of thy presence
Thou shalt hide
Shall hide them
From man's pride
From strife of tongues
Thou closely shalt
As in a tent
Them hide
All praise and thanks
Be to the Lord
For he hath magnified
His wondrous love
To be within
A city fortified
For from thy night
God of I am
I hear in my ears
Christ has said
My voice
It hurts
The wind
To thee
With Christ
My moon
My way
O love
The Lord
All ye
His names
Because the Lord
God
The faithful
Lamb
He blen
Justly
Thou
Ears
Thou
Reward
Lord
그래
doth on the Lord depend.
Let's turn to read God's word now as we find that in John's gospel,
gospel of John chapter 3.
We're reading from the beginning, down as far as verse 21.
John 3, from the beginning of the chapter.
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
This man came to Jesus by night and said to him,
Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.
Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old?
Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?
Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh,
and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you,
You must be born again.
The wind blows where it wishes,
and you hear its sound,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.
So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
Nicodemus said to him, How can these things be?
Jesus answered him, Are you the teacher of Israel,
and yet you do not understand these things?
Truly, truly, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and bear witness to what we have seen,
but you do not receive our testimony.
If I have told you earthly things,
and you do not believe,
how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
No one has ascended into heaven
except he who descended from heaven,
the Son of Man.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
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 deeds were evil.
But everyone who does wicked things hates the light,
and does not come to the light,
lest his deeds should be exposed.
But whoever does what is true comes to the light,
so that it may be clearly seen
that his deeds have been carried out in God.
Amen.
May God follow with his blessing our reading of his word today.
Let's again call upon him in prayer.
Our gracious God and our Father in heaven,
we thank you for the light that your word brings to us,
for the way that you, yourself in it,
are the light of the world.
We thank you today, O Lord,
as we give thanks for the privilege of being here to worship you.
We thank you for the way in which your word of truth guides our thoughts.
We pray today, Lord, for a receptive heart.
We pray that you would give to us by your Holy Spirit
the ability that is not of ourselves
to receive the things of God gladly,
to hide them in our hearts so that we might live by them,
that they may be shown forth in the life we live.
Lord, we thank you today for the many privileges
that are ours in your providence.
We know that there are so many things that disturb us
and cause us disquiet in the world
and in the generation that we live in.
And yet we know that we have so many benefits,
so many advantages as your people,
as your church in the world,
so much freedom to enjoy,
so much, Lord, of a knowledge of your own truth
in the midst of the darkness that surrounds us so much.
Lord, help us, we pray today,
to be honest with you,
to be honest with ourselves.
Help us to be honest with your written word.
Help us to handle it aright in speaking and in hearing.
And give us, we pray,
to have our minds shaped by it as the truth of God.
We ask today that your blessing will be here with us as a people.
We give thanks, O Lord,
for all who come to worship you here week by week,
for all who join us online,
especially those, Lord,
who are unable themselves physically to be here.
We give thanks that they are able to participate
in the worship services
through the live stream
that we are privileged to have.
We pray today for each and every family,
each and every home
belonging to us as a congregation.
We thank you again for our children and young people.
Lord, we give thanks for the number of them
that we've seen going through to Bible class
and to the tweenies
and to Sunday school today.
We pray, gracious one, for them once again
and ask that you would bless them
as they develop in their years.
We pray, too,
that you'd grant your blessing
to all our activities as a congregation,
in addition to our services of worship, O Lord.
Remember all that we anticipate
in this week ahead, God willing.
And we pray that you would bless every venture
that seeks to make you known
and make the gospel known
amongst ourselves and in our community.
And we ask today, O Lord,
that your blessing will accompany
all of these efforts,
that they may be used to further your kingdom,
to advance your glory in the world.
And we pray, O Lord,
that we may take such an interest in that
as we ourselves, if we don't attend yet.
O Lord, we pray that you would bless
each and all of these activities.
And we pray for the Hope Explored sessions
that are about to start.
We pray for them and for those who lead.
We pray that many will come, Lord,
to hear of the death and the resurrection,
the exaltation of our Lord.
Lord, we ask, Lord,
that you would give us especially
to have an interest in that above all else,
for this is how you have come
to provide salvation for us.
We pray, Lord, today that you would bless
all in the congregation
and of our friends and neighbors
who are unwell at this time.
We pray that you bless those
who are recovering from illness,
those recovering from treatment,
those anticipating treatment or surgery
in days to come.
We pray your blessing for them.
We pray for all, O Lord,
who have other trials in life
to contend with,
those especially, Lord,
who have difficulties in their families
and tensions.
We pray for those who have
various aspects of addiction
to contend with.
We ask that you would bless those
who seek to help them from week to week.
We pray for Road to Recovery.
We pray for our street pastors.
We pray that you'd bless them
as they interact with people
from week to week.
Lord, bless them, we pray,
and protect themselves
as they go about their work.
We pray for all in our health service,
hospital, care homes, Bethesda.
We ask, Lord,
that you would continue to bless us
through these means.
Grant to us, O Lord,
we pray that as we give thanks
for these facilities
so that you would bless them
with further resources
and enable them to use their resources
well and wisely
in the benefit of others.
We pray that your blessing
will be with all our medical practices
and doctors and practitioners.
We pray your blessing for them,
for all who attend to care
in our hospital as nurses, consultants.
We pray for them, Lord, as well.
We pray that you will bless those
who are in charge over us
in government.
And Lord, while we do lament
the failures in many ways
of those who lead us
and different ways
in which that failure
is shown to us
in their lives
and in their day-to-day
carrying out of their duties
and their confessions,
we lament especially, Lord,
the fact that so few of them
seem to look to your ways
and so many of them
seem to have rejected
the light of your truth.
Lord, we pray that you would
turn us into your ways.
We pray that you would forgive
our many sins as a people.
We pray that throughout our land,
throughout our communities,
the light of the gospel
may powerfully shine.
We ask, Lord, for ourselves
that we may give more place
to prayer and to supplication
for your blessing to come,
for your power to be shown
turning people to yourself
and empowering us as your people
to be living witnesses
for you in the world.
We ask now that you would
continue, Lord, to bless us here
as we turn to your word.
We pray that you would help us
in our understanding
and application of it
and all with the forgiveness
of our sin.
For Jesus' sake.
Amen.
Well, before we turn
to that passage in God's word,
let's sing once again.
We're going to sing in Psalm 26.
Psalm 26, page 30.
We'll sing verses 1 to 6,
not verses 1 to 9.
We'll just sing the four stanzas,
verses 1 to 6.
The tune is Balerma.
Declare me innocent, O Lord,
I've walked in blameless ways,
and I have trusted in the Lord,
not wavering all my days.
Test me, O Lord,
and try my heart.
My inmost thoughts survey.
Your love surrounds me.
From your truth my feet
will never stray.
Verses 1 to 6 of Psalm 26.
Declare me innocent, O Lord,
I've walked in blameless ways,
and I have trusted in the Lord,
not wavering all my days.
Test me, O Lord,
and try my heart.
My inmost thoughts survey.
Your love surrounds me from your truth.
My feet will never stray.
I do not sit with worthless woe.
I shun the hypocrite.
I hate the wind.
His gatherings.
With them I will not sit.
I wash my hands.
In illicit.
And when blessed is my heart,
I go apart.
Your altar, Lord,
the place you set upon.
Let's turn now to John chapter 3
and reading at verse 19.
And this is the judgment.
The light has come into the world,
and people love the darkness
rather than the light
because their deeds were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things
hates the light
and does not come to the light,
lest his deeds should be exposed.
But whoever does what is true
comes to the light
so that it may be clearly seen
that his deeds have been carried out
in God.
When I was in secondary school,
there was a time when activities
were available
for the last two sessions
on a Friday each week.
Various kinds of activities,
sporting activities,
other kinds of craft activities.
At one time,
I and a few friends
decided to take up oil painting
for these activities.
And I remember the first time
we went into the class
with the art teacher.
He handed out these large books
with oil paintings in them.
They were actually paintings
mostly of Impressionist paintings,
by Impressionist painters.
So they weren't the kind of thing
that we were expecting.
We were expecting nice landscapes
or something like that.
And one of my pals,
not knowing the teacher
was standing behind him,
behind him said,
this is just rubbish.
And the teacher stood and said,
that's not rubbish, boys.
These are masterpieces.
And of course,
what the boy was showing
was his own ignorance.
He was really bringing judgment
upon himself for his ignorance
because he just didn't know
anything much about these paintings.
But he decided nevertheless
to give his opinion.
And his opinion, of course,
was not right.
Well, in a spiritual sense,
that's something of what you find here
in verse 19 onwards.
This is the judgment.
The light has come into the world
and people love the darkness
rather than the light
because their deeds were evil.
The light has come into the world.
God has revealed himself to us.
That's what we're trying to say
to the children
through the illustration of Bluetooth.
Light has come into the world,
but that doesn't mean
the light was accepted
or even welcomed
because people turned from the light
and still turn from the light
and they're really bringing judgment
upon themselves.
They're evaluating the light
and then they dismiss the light
and reject the light.
And what they're doing
is really saying,
that's not according to
my better understanding
of what human life should be.
And of course,
that's just bringing judgment
upon themselves
because speaking out of
our own natural ignorance
as sinners.
And it's rejecting God's masterpiece
of salvation that this is about.
Light has come into the world.
We'll see that that's especially so
in the person of Jesus
and in the work that Jesus has done
and accomplished
through his life,
through his death,
through his resurrection.
Light has come into the world,
but people loved darkness
rather than light
because their deeds were evil.
God is saying,
here is my masterpiece.
Here is what nobody else
could have provided
but myself.
And yet people say,
no, I don't want that.
I don't think that's attractive at all.
It doesn't fit with my expectations.
I can do better than that myself.
And you can see,
first of all,
in verse 19,
that John speaks about
the condemnation.
This is the condemnation.
That's really judgment
that's used here in the translation,
but it's more than just judgment.
The word used
actually means judgment
after examination of something.
It means condemnation
as a result of rejection.
This is the condemnation.
The light has come into the world.
People love the darkness
rather than the light.
So there's the condemnation
spoken of in verse 19.
And then verses 20 to 21
speaks of two contrasts
or a contrast between
two types of people.
Those who hate the light
and those who hate the light,
it says there,
are those who do wicked things.
They don't come to the light
and they do not come to the light
in case their deeds should be
or so that their deeds
would not be exposed.
But the contrast with that
is those who do the truth
or what is true.
They come to the light
so that their deeds
may be clearly seen
that they've been carried out
in God
or in relation to God
or to the honor of God.
That's basically the outline
of our study today.
And I want to do that
in relation to the kind of situation
we face in our society.
I mean, I need not tell you,
you can see it very clearly yourselves,
that our society
is steadily breaking up.
There are so many things
about our society
that really makes us say that.
When you consider, for example,
all the attacks
and the disintegration
that has happened
even in such things,
I'm just going to mention
a few examples.
You'll know about them yourselves.
Marriage,
gender confusion,
gender transition,
the life of the unborn,
family values,
what family should be about,
sex education materials,
violence in schools,
various addictions,
health service concerns,
and that's not saying anything
about the disintegration
of the Lord's Day itself.
You can see from that
and you could add to that list
many ways in which
our society
is breaking up around us.
And I want to try and
get from this,
see from this passage today,
how this rejection of the light,
how this hatred of the light
really stands as a basic factor
in that breakup.
There are many other factors, yes,
but this is one of the most basic factors
as to why this is happening
in our society,
amongst us as a people.
Why is all this taking place?
What's the underlying reason?
Well, here is a prominent
underlying reason
that light has come into the world
and people love the darkness
rather than the light.
See, the Bible
is always straight talking.
And we don't like straight talking
when it's the truth
that's been spoken of.
But God does the straight talking
and we really should be listening.
We are listening.
I know in terms of our own
situation here,
but so many people in the world
don't want to receive
or to listen to that.
So what is this saying to us?
Well, first of all,
the condemnation.
The light has come into the world.
And you notice the definite article there.
It's the light.
This is the judgment.
This is the condemnation.
The light has come into the world.
And in the Gospel of John,
that is pretty obviously referring
to the light that has come
from God in Christ.
Jesus spoke himself.
And for example,
in chapter 8,
one of the I am's of John's Gospel
in chapter 8, verse 12,
where Jesus there spoke of himself.
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.
And then you flick forward
to chapter 12 as well.
You find verse 46 there
near the end of the chapter
where you find Jesus again saying,
I have come into the world.
Very similar to the words
in chapter 3.
I have come into the world
as light,
so that whoever believes in me
may not remain in darkness.
If anyone hears my words,
does not keep them,
and so on.
It's all tied together,
isn't it,
with the light that has appeared
in Jesus.
God revealed himself
and is revealing himself
through the Gospel,
through Jesus Christ,
in the person of Christ.
That's the light
that has come into the world.
God has made himself known
as more than just being discoverable.
He's actually saying,
this is who I am.
This is what I am like.
And yet people loved the darkness
rather than the light.
And notice,
there's a definite article
with the darkness as well,
because it's telling us
that this is the polar opposite
of the light
that has come into the world.
The darkness that people love
is the exact opposite.
It is all that's opposite
to the light
that has come
in the person of Christ,
especially into the world.
And that means that
what is opposite to the light,
all the activity
of sinful behavior,
all the activity
of what he says here
are those who do wicked things
or evil things.
Those who do these things,
they're not living
in a kind of spiritual neutrality.
The darkness is not
a spiritual neutrality.
It's not as if it's just neutral
compared to the positive elements
of the light.
The darkness has its own
positive attributes.
And the positive attributes
in John's gospel,
when you read through John's gospel
and what he says
about the light
and about its opposite
in the darkness,
it's the positive activity
of sin and of evil.
And it's especially
in John's teaching,
the darkness
that is antagonistic
to God.
It's the darkness
of the world
and its sinfulness,
the world
and its lostness.
You see what he's saying here.
Light has come
into the world
and yet people
love the darkness
rather than the light
because their deeds
were evil.
People loved
the darkness
rather than the light.
Now what's that saying to us?
It's saying that this is
something that is done
knowingly.
Something that is done
deliberately.
Something that is done
using the process
of reason and thought.
You don't actually
love something
without thinking about it.
Without considering it.
And here he is saying
people loved
the darkness
rather than the light.
it's not something
they actually slipped
into accidentally.
When people reject
the gospel
in the world
in which we live.
When you see
the elements of darkness,
the activities of darkness,
the darkness of our age,
it's not something
that's just done
as it were.
it's not...
Okay, I'm not sure
what's going on there
but it's obviously
to do with
the electronics.
The darkness
of our world
is a deliberate darkness.
People
love the darkness.
It's not something
that they just
do
without thinking about it.
It's a deliberate
knowing choice.
Why is that?
Because their deeds
are evil.
Well, John
is a wonderful gospel.
John has so
many wonderful
images
to present to us.
Many of them
are comforting
but this one
is very uncomfortable.
What he's saying
to us is that
people
reject the light.
People hate
the light.
People don't want
the light.
Why?
Because their deeds
are evil.
Their workings
are evil.
It's very similar
in many ways
to the teaching
of Romans 1
verses 18
to 32
where to reject
that
people actually
choose to
live an alternate
lifestyle
to the one
that God
himself
actually says
is pleasing
to him
and that's not
something they do
unknowingly.
Paul is saying
just like John here
it's a deliberate
choice.
it's a deliberate
rejection of the
light.
Now and again
it's not something
that happens
sporadically
or just once
in a while.
It's something
that characterizes
the life of
these people
constantly
in an ongoing
way.
It's a constant
with them.
Everyone who
does wicked
things.
But then you see
the question is
well what are
wicked things?
How do we know
what wicked
things are?
How do you
distinguish wicked
things from
good things?
People have
different opinions
about what is
wicked and what
is not.
And we've chosen
largely to
confine the
definition of
wicked to
gross crimes
or sins.
Things that are
really very
much to do
with open
corruption or
whatever.
But wickedness
in the Bible
takes in much
much more than
that.
In fact it's a
word that really
describes what
we are
without Christ.
What we are
without salvation.
We may not
see ourselves
as wicked.
People out
there today
would not
say that
they are
wicked.
But this is
God's definition
of how do
we know what
wicked things
are?
God has
defined them
for us in
the Bible.
God tells us
what is and
isn't acceptable
to him.
What is and
isn't wrong
with ourselves.
And that's
where he
describes for
us what
wicked things
are.
That's why
there is
such a
constant
attempt to
take the
Bible out
of human
life.
Because those
who love
the darkness,
those who
want to
promote the
darkness,
those who
think that
the darkness
is really
the light
that people
need,
whether it's
in the
teaching of
our children,
in medical
ethics,
wherever you
find it,
this is what
is really
of concern
to them,
that the
Bible really
shows up
that sort
of behavior
as wrong,
and the
word wrong
really is
not acceptable.
People who
actually love
the darkness
rather than
the light
because their
deeds are
evil,
they hate
the light
and they
don't come
to the
light.
It's a
constant
dismissal
of the
authority,
of the
teaching,
of the
words of
the
Bible.
You
think of
every
attempt
in your
own
lifetime
of having
this
Bible
removed
and
its
teaching
removed
from
various
areas
of our
society,
our
schools,
wherever
else you
think about
it,
universities,
schools,
places of
teaching,
places of
care,
where else
do you
find it?
I remember
quite a number
of years
back when
I was
part of
the
committee
of
Bethesda
hospice,
that a
certain
inspection
had come
up with
recommendations
and one
of the
recommendations
was that
the plaques
that had
been donated
to Bethesda
and were
actually shown
on the
walls
throughout
the building
that had
texts on
them should
actually be
removed
because these
texts would
be offensive
to certain
people and
Bethesda's
practice is that
there's no
prejudice,
there's no
discrimination as
to who can
get care
there,
whether they're
Christians or
not,
whether they're
believers or
not,
the hospice is
there for
them,
the facilities
are there
for them,
but this
inspection said
no you can't
have that
because that's
going to offend
people and
that's something
that people will
not agree with.
Well there you
see it's a
very small
example of
where you
find people
wanting to
remove the
influence of
the light,
the references
to the light
from human
life.
And you
see what it's
saying here?
Those who
hate the
light,
those who
do wicked
things as
God defines
them,
they hate
the light.
And you
couldn't put it
any stronger
than that because
that's really as
strong as John
could have put it.
Everyone who
does wicked
things hates
the light.
It's not a
matter of them
being unconcerned
about this thing
one way or
another.
It's not that
they couldn't
care less about
it.
It's that there's
a positive
hatred of it.
All you've
got to do
is really
stick your
head above
the parapet
on social
media today,
come out
with a
Christian
opinion
against
something
that you
know is
wickedness,
and you'll
soon find
the reaction
to that
is hatred.
They hate
the light.
They don't
want to see
the light.
They don't
want the
light to
shine upon
them at
all.
And that's
a characteristic
of our
society.
It's not
just confined
to Twitter.
This is
emblematic of
people's
thinking,
people's
reaction,
people's
insistence on
living their
way,
whatever else
people will
say,
whatever the
church says,
and especially
what the
church says.
And that's
really,
friends,
the main
factor behind
our society
falling apart.
The issues I've
mentioned already,
you can add to
them yourself,
as I've said.
But the reason
for that,
the underlying
reason,
one of the
main reasons,
if not the
main reason,
is because as
a people,
we've largely
turned away
from God,
turned away
from God's
way,
turned away
from the
things that
God says
is best for
us as a
people,
turned away
from the
light,
and instead
we've come
to love
the darkness.
Love the
darkness.
Not look at
it in a sort
of neutral
way or a
casual way.
We have come
as a people
to love it,
to love its
ways,
to love its
characteristics.
Of course
there are
exceptions.
You're
exceptions
yourselves.
There are
many exceptions
thankfully,
but by and
large what
you see
going on
in our
society
throughout
all the
levels of
our society
is hatred
of the
light and
a love
of darkness.
At the
end of our
study I'll
come to
apply this
to ourselves
and how we
should react
to that.
But you
see then
it says
those who
hate the
light,
they do
not come
to the
light.
They don't
want to
come near
the light.
That's why
the Bible
is so
distasteful
to them.
Why the
idea of
the gospel
and hearing
about sin
and the
salvation
from sin
is so
distasteful
because they
shun the
light.
They don't
like the
light.
They hate
the light.
They will
not come
to the
light.
It stands
to reason.
Nobody is
drawn to
what they
hate.
And if
you hate
the light
you're not
going to be
drawn to
the light
until God
changes your
heart.
There's an
aversion to
the light.
And I
want you
to see
how this
has been
a characteristic
of human
behavior and
human response
to God
ever since
man fell
as recorded
in Genesis
3.
And from
verse 3
to verse 10
of Genesis
3,
these are
important verses
in regard to
what we're
looking at
today as
well for
other reasons
too.
but you'll
find here
from verse
8 especially
where you
find they
heard,
that's Adam
and Eve,
they heard
the sound
of the
Lord God
walking in
the garden
in the
cool of
the day.
And the
man and
his wife
hid
themselves
from the
presence
of the
Lord God
among the
trees of
the garden.
What's
happening
there?
The light
has come.
God
has come
into the
garden.
Man has
now fallen.
Man has
become a
sinner.
Man has
turned his
back upon
God.
Man has
chosen his
own way.
So he
tries to
hide.
He doesn't
want the
light.
He doesn't
want to
come near
the light.
The light
is now
distasteful
to him.
The God
with whom
he wants
love to
have
fellowship
is now
the one
he wants
to be as
far away
from as
possible.
You see
what's
happened
in people's
hearts
and why
they love
the darkness
rather than
the light
that become
corrupt
inwardly.
And that
passage goes
on.
And God
said,
the Lord
God called
to the
man and
said,
where are
you?
And he
said,
I heard
the sound
of you
in the
garden
and I
was
afraid.
I was
afraid
and I
hid myself.
And you
see,
that's one
of the
reasons
that people
shun the
light.
They don't
want the
light.
They will
not come
to the
light because
they're afraid
of the
light.
They know
the light
exposes
sin.
They know
the light
puts us
to the
test.
They know
the light
contains
things
which
will
actually
call
upon
us
to
change
our
way
of
life.
And so
we shun
that.
We hide
from that.
It's not
to our
taste.
God
to our
people
do this
so that
their
deeds
should
not
be
exposed.
It's the
best
translation
I think.
It says
here,
lest their
deeds
should be
exposed,
but it's
more than
that,
so that
their
deeds
be not
exposed.
And the
word
exposed
means
much
more
than
just
brought
to
life
and
being
revealed.
It
actually
means
include
such
ideas
as
shame,
conviction,
condemnation,
the word
that's used
here in
verse 19.
That's
what the
light
does.
It
exposes
things
judgmentally.
You
can't
place
your life
under the
light of
God's
word,
of God's
truth,
and not
expect it
to bring
up things
which will
be distasteful
to you.
Which will
actually
initially
condemn
you until
God shows
you that
your
condemnation
has been
accounted for
in Jesus,
and you
accept him,
and your
condemnation
is then
removed.
But that's
what God's
truth does.
It tests,
it tries,
it convicts,
and so
those people
who hate
the light
shun it
and don't
want it.
That's the
contrast,
the first
contrast,
those who
hate the
light,
and it's
contrasted
with,
I went
through this
very quickly,
those who
approach the
light,
whoever does
what is
true,
and again
literally it's
whoever does
the truth,
the truth as
God has
revealed that
in Jesus,
the truth
that's revealed
in the light
that Christ
is,
the light
of God's
truth.
Whoever
does the
truth,
and you take
John 14
verse 6,
Jesus said,
I am the
way,
the truth,
and the
life.
You go to
John 17
where Jesus
prays to
the Father,
Father sanctify
them,
sanctify the
disciples,
your people,
through your
truth,
your word
is truth.
Jesus,
the person
of Jesus,
the word
of God,
the truth
of God,
this is what
he's saying,
those who do
the truth,
in other words,
what he means
by that is
those who
live in
obedience to
Christ.
that's the
big distinction,
that's the
big difference,
that's the
great contrast,
those who
reject the
light,
those who
love the
darkness,
those who
do wicked
things,
those who
don't come
to the
light,
these are
so much
a contrast
to those
who love
the light,
who want
more of
the light,
who draw
near to
the light,
so that
their deeds
may be seen
to be carried
out in
God.
It's the
doing that
pleases
God,
in contrast
with the
doing of
the previous
verse,
the doing
wicked
things that
please
themselves.
The
contrasts
are all
the way
through
every
strand,
every layer
of our
society
today.
So what
should our
reaction be
to this?
It's one
thing to
know all
about this,
things.
But where
does that
leave
ourselves
as a
Christian
congregation,
as Christian
people?
Well, of
course, it
means that
we ourselves
first of
all must
come to
the light,
must come
to the
Lord,
must come
to give
our life
over to
Jesus,
to the
light,
and not
shun it,
and not
put it
aside,
and not
be like
those here
who hate
the light.
But having
done that,
I want to
speak of
someone near
the beginning
of the
chapter,
Nicodemus.
Because it's
very interesting
that these
verses are
in the
context of
Nicodemus
being addressed
by the
Lord.
You see,
Nicodemus
came by
night.
And what's
night?
It's the
opposite of
daylight.
And it
doesn't just
mean this
literally.
I think in
the spiritual
meaning,
in the
theology of
John,
light and
darkness
have a
profound
theological
and spiritual
meaning.
So when
Nicodemus
came by
night to
Jesus,
it wasn't
just so that
he wouldn't
be seen by
his fellow
members of
the Sanhedrin,
the fellow
teachers of
Israel.
John is
really presenting
us with a
spiritual truth
in that he
was still in
darkness
spiritually.
He didn't
know the
Lord.
He was
interested.
He had
come to
take note
of him,
but now he
wants to
find out
something else
from him.
But he's
still in
darkness
spiritually and
morally.
And as you
trace Nicodemus
through John's
gospel,
you'll find
something very
interesting.
He appears
again in
chapter 7,
where he's
not yet
really set
out as a
true believer
in Christ,
but he is
actually speaking
against those
who want to
bring Christ
under arrest
and try him
and are
obviously
antagonistic
to him.
And what he
says there
near the end
of chapter 7,
as you have
it,
is Nicodemus
speaking up
against the
Pharisees,
against the
rulers,
and the
officers that
came back
with this
opinion about
Jesus,
no one ever
spoke like
this man.
Pharisees
said,
have you
also been
deceived?
Have any
of the
authorities
of the
Pharisees
believed in
him?
This crowd,
this rabble,
that's what it
means,
who don't
know the
law,
they're
cursed.
Nicodemus,
who had
gone to
him before,
and who
was one
of them,
one of the
Pharisees,
said,
does our
law judge
a man
without
first giving
him a
hearing,
and learning
what he
does?
And what's
the reaction?
Oh,
instant
opposition,
instant
antagonism.
They replied,
are you
also from
Galilee?
Do you
belong to
him as
well?
Are you
a disciple
of his
as well?
Search
and see
that no
prophet
arises from
Galilee.
There's
instant
hostility,
instant
rejection,
even at the
thought of
him being
associated
with Jesus.
And the
third
appearance,
well,
where's
that?
That's
in chapter
19 and
verse 39.
Joseph of
Arimathea,
Jesus has
died on
the cross,
and Joseph
came and
asked Pilate
to give him
permission to
take the
body of
Jesus away.
Nicodemus
also,
who earlier
had come
to Jesus
by night,
came bringing
a mixture of
myrrh and
aloes and
75 pounds
in weight,
they took
the body
of Jesus
bounded
in linen
cloths as
the burial
custom of
the Jews,
and they
buried him
in this
new tomb
in the
garden.
You see
what's
happened?
He's come
to be
interested in
Jesus in
chapter 3.
He's come
closer to
being a
follower of
Jesus in
chapter 7.
He speaks
up for
him,
or to an
extent in
defense for
him.
And then
in chapter
19,
he comes
out on
the side
of Jesus.
And he
comes out
on the
side of
Jesus with
his special
reference to
the cross and
to the death
of Christ.
Now,
where does
that leave us
in regard to
the disintegration
of our
society?
What is the
answer to
that?
Well, the
answer is
people's lives
being changed.
The answer
isn't people
coming to
experience what
Nicodemus
experienced in
being born
again.
Because society
will not
change until
the individuals
change.
And for the
individuals to
change takes
the power of
God.
The power
that brings
rebirth.
The power
that enables
us to turn
and move out
of the light
and come out
of the darkness
and come into
the light.
And to love
the light.
Instead of
loving the
darkness.
And that's
what needs
to happen.
That's what
we need to
pray for.
I know you're
praying for it,
but we need
to pray for it
with all the
more earnestness.
When we
realize that
this is one
of the
underlying
factors of
what's
happening in
our society,
our prayers
need to be
more consistent,
firmly fixed
upon the
situation as
it is,
convinced us
we should be
that only
God's
reviving power
is going to
change this.
That the
only thing
that's going
to change
us is
changed
people and
people changed
by the
power of
God.
Friends,
this is vital.
We have the
privileged position
of looking at
what's happening
around us and
having the
privilege of
calling upon
and beseeching
our God
to come to
actually intervene,
to come to
change things
by changing
people,
by giving
ourselves
further
impetus
spiritually,
to be on
our knees
more constantly,
and I'm
speaking to
myself,
to actually
appeal to
God,
because unless
that happens,
the darkness
is going to
actually grow.
More and more
people are going
to be enveloped
in the darkness.
Now,
we're not
saying this
to discourage
you,
so we become
despondent,
or reach a
level of near
despair.
This passage
is telling us,
this is why
things are as
they are.
But look at
Nicodemus.
This is how
things can be
changed from
what they are
to what they
should be.
May God
bless his
word to us.
Let's pray.
Lord,
our God,
you have
brought before
us in your
word how
your people
are described
by you as
the light
of the world.
And you
call upon us,
Lord,
to let our
light shine
before people,
so that they
may see our
good works
and bring glory
to our
Father who
is in heaven.
Forgive us,
we pray,
O Lord,
whenever we
fall short
of this,
as we often
do.
Forgive us
for our
reluctance.
Forgive us
for our
coziness with
the world.
Forgive us,
Lord,
for every
way in
which we
have failed
to live up
to the
standard of
being your
people as
lights in
the world.
Lord,
be merciful to
this generation,
we pray.
Bring about,
we pray,
that change
that only you
can.
Grant to
us the
power of
your spirit.
Grant to
us the
force of
your truth.
O give
people,
Lord,
to see
the wastage
of human
life without
you,
the grotesqueness
of ungodliness,
the way in
which it is
an affront to
you and
your eyes.
Lord,
we pray in
your mercy
that you
would indeed
turn us as
a people,
and to that
end we pray
again for
those who
rule over
us,
for the
governments
in our
land,
for the
king on
the throne,
for,
Lord,
all those
who have
such places
of eminence
and authority
and influence
in our
land.
Bring
them under
the influence
of the
gospel,
the influence
of your
truth,
the influence
of the
light,
and turn
them from
the love
of darkness
into the
love of
Christ.
We pray
in his
name.
Amen.
Now,
the final
singing
today is
Psalm 119,
and that's
at page
164.
We're
singing
verses
113
to
120.
And the
tune this
time is
Finart.
The
double-minded
I abhor,
but your
commands I
love,
O Lord.
You are
my refuge
and my
shield.
I've
set my
hope upon
your word.
You
evildoers,
leave me
now,
that God's
commands I
may obey.
By your
word keep
me,
I shall
live.
Let not
my hope
be swept
away.
The
psalmist's
concern to
be different,
to be an
alternative to
the ungodliness
of his own
age,
similar to
what we've
been thinking
of this
morning.
So,
these verses
113 to
120,
the
double-minded
I
abhor.
Amen.
The
double-minded
I
have
more,
but
your
commands
my
love,
O Lord.
You
are
my
refuge
and
my
shield.
I
set
my
hope
upon
your
word.
You
need
to
achieve
me
now,
that God's
promise
I
may
obey,
I
cure,
your
word,
give me
I
shall
live,
let
not
my
hope
be
swept
away.
upon
me
and I
shall
be
saved,
for
your
deeds
I
have
respect,
which I
have
respect,
all
those
who
stray
from
your
commands,
and
practice
all
to
do,
reject,
you
reject.
The
wicked
you
discard
my
cross,
therefore
I
love
your
holy
law,
my
holy
grace
for
your
holy
law,
my
holy
grace
for
me
of
you,
of
your
all
hands
I
stand
in
all.
Now I
take it the
main door is actually being used to vacate the building, if not you'll be given
directions, yes it is open, okay, so that's fine. I'll go to this door to my right this morning.
Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you now and evermore. Amen.