You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace.
Join us.
We're going to talk about the light of the world this morning.
Before we do that, this is a special morning because you get a bonus sermon.
That's nervous laughter.
Before the actual sermon, you get an extra one.
We have come to a section in our study of John's gospel that almost certainly doesn't belong here.
So I'm not going to preach on it.
It's John 7, verse 53, through chapter 8, verse 11.
It's probably in brackets in your Bible if you're looking at it there.
And I want to address this situation briefly before we turn to our text for this morning.
Two things about this strange section that are really important to me.
The first is that this should strengthen, not weaken, your confidence in the Bible.
The primary reason that we know that this story does not belong here is that we have over 5,000 manuscripts and fragments of the New Testament.
Thousands more than any other historical document studied from this period in history.
And so we can now trace that the earliest of those handwritten copies of John's gospel, all the way back to around 200 A.D., do not contain this account.
They go from 752 to what is now labeled 812.
And we have tremendous records that show the reliability of the Scripture.
So in the small number of cases where it is hard to know what was original, there is no matter of history or doctrine that is at stake in any of those.
What a gift that is, that we can confidently study the Word of God.
The Word that He has given to His people that He's preserved for us by His Spirit.
And that is why I've chosen not to preach on this story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery, even though I would really like to.
It's a great story.
If you can't say amen to anything to that, you should say amen to that.
Well, we need to hear from God, not from you.
That said, this story where religious leaders seek to trap Jesus by bringing a woman caught in the act of adultery to Him and asking if she should be stoned.
Where Jesus eventually responds, let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
Where they then one by one walk away.
And Jesus then tells the woman, neither do I condemn you.
Go and sin no more.
That story, which you may have heard, most likely really happened.
It sounds like Jesus, doesn't it?
It sounds like the religious leaders that we read about elsewhere.
And so this is the second important thing I want to tell you.
The beautiful truth of this story you don't have to throw away.
Because it illustrates powerfully truth that the Bible teaches elsewhere.
Many of us love this story.
I would love to preach it.
Because it's a beautiful picture of Jesus' forgiveness, isn't it?
It powerfully pictures the order of Christianity.
First grace, then godly living.
Go and sin no more.
This is so important.
Because this order is reversed from most other religions in the world and most of the instincts of our hearts.
They're backwards from this.
Christianity is not, we love God and neighbor well enough, then God loves us.
That's not what the Bible says.
It's not be godly and then God will accept you.
No, it is first grace.
Neither do I condemn you.
God loves and accepts you.
Then godly living.
Go and sin no more.
Because of the incredible heart transforming, life changing forgiveness you've received your whole life is different.
Friends, that's the good news of Jesus Christ and the whole Bible.
And this story illustrates that truth that we know already from the rest of Scripture.
So celebrate that relationship you have with God before you do anything for God.
End of bonus sermon.
Let's pray and then we'll move on to more really, really good news.
Pray with me.
Father, we thank you for your word.
We so need it.
We need to hear your voice.
And so we've opened it this morning.
Would you so work by your spirit that we would trust you, that we would find life in you, that we would place our hope in you.
We ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.
People around the world throughout the centuries have celebrated the power and the beauty of light.
Some have worshipped the sun.
Hindus in India celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights.
Imagine that you went every year with your kids to the July 4th fireworks and y'all just enjoyed them together and you wanted them to know what was really being celebrated when all these fireworks went off.
And it was going to be the very last time that you were with your kids for this celebration.
You'd want to talk about sacrifice and freedom and such things as that that these celebrate.
The Jewish people gathered in Jerusalem gathered in Jerusalem each year to celebrate the feast of booths.
To remember God's provision bringing them out of Egypt and walking them toward the promised land.
They lived in these makeshift tents for a week as they did for 40 years when they wandered while God fed them with manna.
And now all of a sudden here is Jesus, the bread of life we read about in chapter 6.
There was the water celebration as part of this festival in the temple that Pastor Derek taught us about last week.
As Jesus came and promised living water to those who believed in him just like the water God gave from the rock back in the wilderness.
But God also led his people when they had no idea where to go in that desert wilderness.
His glorious presence in the fiery pillar every dark night.
It gave them light for this whole huge caravan of Israelites to follow.
And that was celebrated at this festival.
Every night what they would do there in the temple is that they would climb ladders to the top of four golden lampstands.
And they would fill four huge, these massive tall lampstands would have massive golden bowls that they would fill with oil.
And they would light them aflame at the end of the evening.
And it illumined the whole city of God.
Jewish records reveal this.
There was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that did not reflect the light of these lamps.
Could you imagine how far that's stretching?
Everywhere it's reflecting.
People cheered and they celebrated the promise of the prophet Isaiah.
That a great light would one day shine on the land of darkness.
That a Messiah was coming to be the light of the nations.
That's the setting for what Jesus says right here.
You've got to feel that excitement.
This annual celebration that they've all gathered for.
And then remember, this is the last feast of booths that Jesus will have here.
He wants to tell them what they're really celebrating that they may not realize.
John 8 and verse 12.
God's holy, inerrant, infallible word.
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.
So the Pharisees said to him,
You're bearing witness about yourself.
Your testimony is not true.
Jesus answered,
Even if I do bear witness about myself,
my testimony is true,
for I know where I came from and where I am going.
But you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
You judge according to the flesh.
I judge no one.
Yet even if I do judge,
my judgment is true,
for it is not I alone who judge,
but I am the Father who sent me.
In your law,
it is written that the testimony of two men is true.
I am the one who bears witness about myself,
and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.
They said to him,
Therefore,
Where is your Father?
Jesus answered,
You know neither me nor my Father.
If you knew me,
you would know my Father also.
These words he spoke in the treasury
as he taught in the temple.
But no one arrested him
because his hour had not yet come.
So he said to them again,
I am going away,
and you will seek me,
and you will die in your sin.
Where I am going,
you cannot come.
So the Jews said,
Will he kill himself
since he says where I am going,
you cannot come?
He said to them,
You are from below.
I am from above.
You are of this world.
I am not of this world.
I told you that you would die in your sins,
for unless you believe that I am he,
you will die in your sins.
So they said to him,
Who are you?
Jesus said to them,
Just what I have been telling you
from the beginning.
I have much to say about you
and much to judge,
but he who sent me is true,
and I declare to the world
what I have heard from him.
They did not understand
that he had been speaking to them
about the Father.
So Jesus said to them,
When you have lifted up the Son of Man,
then you will know
that I am he
and that I do nothing
on my own authority
but speak just
as the Father taught me.
And he who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
for I always do the things
that are pleasing to him.
As he was saying these things,
many believed in him.
There is very little scarier to me
in a dark room at night
than Legos.
I have broken CDs.
I have bumped my knee on bed frames.
But nothing makes me more desperate
for a light to be turned on
than realizing that there are Legos
all over the floor,
and I don't know where they are,
and I'm stuck in the middle.
We all live in painful darkness like that,
just in different ways.
The darkness of this broken world
that Jesus acknowledges
that we face, all of us.
In this room, just individually,
we're facing the mental darkness
of depression,
of dementia,
struggling to help those
who are battling
those difficult situations.
The emotional darkness
of being left out
by friends,
of feeling overlooked
by everyone.
It's easy to feel alone
in a dark room
with no light,
and it hurts.
But then many of us
feel not so much
the alone dark room.
We feel like we live
in a crowded dark room
where we're just constantly
bumping into others.
We wake up uncertain,
anxious about life,
torn over schooling decisions
for our children,
facing conflict
with classmates
and coworkers,
and we're walking
into it again.
We end up in arguments
about elections,
not knowing how to handle money.
What will I do today
to eat?
How do I organize
my business
so I can provide
for my family tomorrow?
We're fearing
unknown threats
from Russia,
wondering if I really know
what I'm doing in life,
honestly feeling
less than,
probably,
I think to myself,
more confused
than everyone else is
about how to do life.
Then there's
the unconfessed sin.
Sin we're hiding,
probably unwilling to admit
even to ourselves.
The greed,
the addiction,
the pornography,
disobedience to parents,
the bitterness
and resentment
that we harbor,
the anger
we lose control of.
Need me to keep going?
But this aspect
of darkness,
Jesus is
specifically clear about
that this darkness
in us,
if we keep that sin
unconfessed,
if we don't believe
in Him
as the light
that exposes
and expels
our sin,
we will die
in our sins.
That is serious.
Friends,
we are a
desperate people,
yes?
As enlightened
as we like
to call ourselves
sometimes,
we are desperately
needing deliverance
from the darkness
within us,
the darkness
around us,
aren't we?
Isn't that true
of us?
Now,
some days
we prefer
to live in denial
about that.
Life is fine.
I mean,
I totally know
what to do
all the time
in every situation,
don't you?
With all our society's
technological advancements,
we have finally
now,
in our enlightened society,
figured it all out
and gotten life
under control.
Isn't that what
your phone has done
for you?
It's made everything
simpler for me.
Sure,
Pastor,
I can be
totally transparent,
totally comfortable
with every thought
and word
and deed
that I have,
every fear
and failure.
Expose any of them.
Tell my wife
all of them.
Scroll them
on the screen
for everybody
to see this morning.
No darkness here.
Nope.
Bring it on.
No way.
No.
Like the Israelites
in the dark desert,
uncertain
where to go next.
in the temple courts,
at the feast,
uncertain really
how to follow God
or where they're
going to find freedom
from Rome.
We desperately,
like them,
need light
from outside
of ourselves.
I hope we can be honest
about that
in our hearts.
I hope we can be honest
about that
with one another
as well.
Share a struggle
of darkness
with someone today.
it will make the light
so much sweeter.
See,
that's the context
into which
Jesus announces
his second
great
I am
statement
in the Gospel
of John.
I am
the light
of the world.
What does he mean?
Let's connect
some dots
briefly.
I am
the very
presence
of Yahweh
himself
with you
to guide you
step by step
in this dark world
until you reach
the promised land.
In fact,
apart from me,
verse 12,
you will be
stuck in
darkness
with
no true
sense of direction
in this life.
and it's
not merely,
Jesus says,
that I show you
how to live
to get to God.
No,
no,
no.
I am God
come to you.
Verse 19,
if you know me,
Jesus says,
you know the Father.
I will lead you
out of your sin
if you will
but believe,
verse 24,
that I am
he,
that I am
the one
the Father
has sent
as the light
of the world,
the promised
light of the nations
that you've been
longing for,
the glory
of God
risen upon you
with his people
like the pillar
of fire,
the one
the lamp stands
remind you
to hope in
every year.
Here I am!
Are you beginning
to see
what a
grand
and glorious
statement
Jesus is making
here?
Can you imagine
being there
and hearing
him pronounce
who he is?
The light
of the world.
This is the light
that John told us
about in chapter 1.
In him was life
and that life
was the light
of men.
Light
that shines
in the darkness
and the darkness
has not overcome it.
Light
that powerful.
Remember the power
of light?
Have you been
in a dark cave
where you wave
your hand right here
in front of your nose
and you can't even
see it?
And then all of a sudden
somebody turns
on the light
and the power
of that light
drives out
the oppressive
overwhelming
darkness.
It's the light
of life
that Jesus
says he is
again
verse 12.
Light
is the
source
of all
life
and creation
isn't it?
Think
photosynthesis.
It produces
life.
It guides
life.
So instead
of death
and darkness
of sin
Jesus
is promising
to be the one
who brings life
in every way
physically
emotionally
spiritually.
Could it
really be true?
I need that.
light.
Many of us
are so deep
in our darkness
that we fear
there is no
true light.
Or if there is
or possibly could be
it can't be Jesus.
What he promises
is too fantastical
and there couldn't
be that great
of a light
that could actually
shine into my
darkness.
I just see no light
at the end of the tunnel
will.
The darkness
is too real.
Listen.
Jesus says
I know all too
well that the
darkness is
real.
Hang with me.
I'm not asking you
to deny that.
Hang with me
Jesus says
because I am going
to a cross
to lay down
my life.
Verse 28
when you have
lifted up
the son
of man
we know in
John's gospel
that's the cross
right?
then you will
know
that I am
he.
Then when
he dies
when darkness
comes in the
middle of the
day
we'll know
he's the source
of life
and light.
Yes.
That's why the
darkness goes
out then.
That's why
creation mourns.
We'll see he's
not in that
moment merely
blowing smoke
with all these
claims to
to gather
followers
and become
a celebrity.
No, no.
His life
is really
about
sacrificing
for others
so that
they get
life.
Now we
see it.
Doesn't it
resonate
with your
inner sense
of worth
and dignity
and value
that you were
created for
to be loved
like that?
Jesus is
saying that
he is the
voice
from the
outside
world.
He comes
from beyond
this world
verse 23
he's that
one that
can then
shine light
into all
of this
world's
confused
uncertain
darkness.
See Jesus
doesn't ask
you to deny
your deep
darkness.
No, no, no.
That's not how
he gets rid
of the darkness.
He enters
right into
the darkness
for us
when he dies
to give us
life
because he knows
that apart from
his intervention
that aspect
of our darkness
will be
permanently
hopeless
will be
left
stuck
in our
sins.
So he is
the light
that we
desperately
need.
Listen
the kind of
light we need
is light that
says you can
call darkness
darkness
and yet
have hope.
That you
can admit
your confusion
as a parent
and not
lose heart.
That you
can acknowledge
your repeated
struggle with
the same
sin
and not be
condemned.
That you
can look
death
itself
in the face
and cry
and yell
and grieve
and know
at the same
time that
it does
not get
the last
laugh
and you
can have
hope.
That's
the kind
of light
that we
desperately
need in
our darkness.
Light
that will
shine
again.
Amen?
Glory
to the
light
of the
world.
That's
what Jesus
comes to
be
for us.
how can
this happen
for you
in your
darkness?
Listen to
this last
bit of good
news
in verse
12.
Jesus
is being
the light
of the
world
means those
who follow
him
who believe
who he is
who embrace
him as
their light
not only
will not
walk in
darkness
even when
life's hard
there's hope
and there's
purpose
but also
how does
it end?
We'll have
the light
of life.
Catch this
don't miss
this.
What is
the light
of life?
It's
Jesus
right?
He just
told us
that.
The light
himself
we will
have
within
us.
Do you
remember
just a few
verses ago
when Jesus
set the
living
waters
would flow
to us
and then
through us
his Holy
Spirit
his presence
in us
to give
life
just as the
water flowed
from the
temple at
the festival
now as
they finish
the celebrations
and the
lampstands
blaze
as they
start reflecting
off of every
courtyard in
Jerusalem
Jesus says
the same
thing about
light.
He comes
as the
light to
us
and then
he is
the light
shines
through us
all over
the place.
A couple
weeks ago
at Laura
Wolfson's
memorial service
I quoted
author
Edith
Wharton
who wrote
there are
two ways
of spreading
light
to be
the candle
or the
mirror that
reflects it.
see
Jesus
was
Laura's
light
so she
loved to
sing a
song some
of you will
be familiar
with
this little
light of
mine
I'm gonna
let it
shine
let it
shine
let it
shine
let it
shine
she got
to be
a mirror
to reflect
the true
source of
light
the light
of the
world
she had
him
the light
of life
so
she faced
desperate
poverty
with a
peace
that she
would have
whatever she
needed most
she brought
joy
and warmth
into the
dark
and difficult
places
in other
people's lives
including
many of you
because she
knew love
that entered
the darkness
to love
the hurting
she faced
aging
and health
concerns
and heart
surgery
with a
certainty
that home
was not a
place here
on this
earth
but a
place
Jesus
was taking
her one
day
with him
see she
had the
light
of life
and as a
result she
does
she still
does
because
Jesus
came
to her
he lived
in her
and shined
through her
to many
many
others
that is
your joy
too
as Jesus
lives in
you now
by faith
as you
trust him
as you
embrace him
for that
light to
shine
through you
to this
dark world
to hurting
neighbors
to hopeless
friends
maybe
maybe having
the light
of the
world
living
in you
the
light
of life
will shine
through your
honesty
about your
mental health
struggles
because you
know
that no matter
how long
it takes
and how long
the struggle
goes on
here
he is
making
you whole
maybe he
will shine
through your
sincere words
of sympathy
and hope
offered to a
friend who
has just
had a
spouse
or a
child
run off
on them
maybe he
will shine
through your
intentionality
with the
friend
and your
grace group
you can
tell just
is not
buying this
Jesus
stuff
right now
but you
ask them
to coffee
and you
listen to
them
and you
share your
story
your journey
with Jesus
whoever
follows Jesus
will not
walk in
darkness
but have
the light
of life
isn't it
glorious
that though
Jesus came
from another
world
by his
spirit
he makes
his home
in you
and in me
so we can
know light
and life
to shine
in whatever
darkness
we face
he's come
to be with
you for
that
pastor
Tim Keller
recounted
an old
fairy tale
about a
man
who was
born
and grew
up in
a prison
dungeon
he and
everyone else
in that
dark dungeon
had only
ever seen
the prison
and they
often debated
whether or
not anything
existed outside
the prison
wall
the wicked
warden told
them repeatedly
this is all
there is
but the man
wondered
one day a
new man
came to
the dungeon
the guard
said from
another part
of the
prison
but the
new man
said he
came from
outside the
prison
from the
outside world
and he
began to
scribble
pictures on
the wall
to show
them what
life was
like beyond
the prison
walls
a tree
he scribbled
on the
dark walls
the sun
as best he
could represent
it
he told
him about
colors
not just
black and
gray
gray but
red and
yellow and
white
could this
other world
be real
one last
thing the
man said
there's a
prince in
the outside
world whose
commitment it
is to break
into this
prison and
to set you
all free to
the outside
world
the new man
eventually left
the dungeon
but soon
thereafter the
man who had
only ever seen
the dungeon
heard scratching
on the wall
of the dungeon
and a hole
suddenly broke
through the
size of a
man's hand
and light
beamed through
the hole
he looked out
through the
hole and he
saw what
oh it must be
a tree
he saw what
oh that must
be that must
be the sun
they weren't
exactly like
what he had
pictured in his
mind but
but sure enough
they had to
be
and then he
heard the
voice of the
prince say
now you know
that I'm real
and this world
is real
I'm preparing
to break
through and
bring you out
here
in the meantime
live in hope
of what you see
through the hole
in the wall
almost instantly
a hope that he'd
never felt before
transformed the
man in the
dungeon
every day he
went and looked
out the hole
longingly and
as light poured
in he turned
around and with
a new sense of
his own value
everything around
him changed in
that dungeon
his seemingly
mundane tasks
there in the
now less dark
dungeon were part
of a bigger
world the other
inmates around him
in the dungeon
had a new worth
in his eyes
and they talked
together hopefully
about the outside
world and the
prince whose
voice they had
heard see the
light transformed
his view of
everything in him
and around him
he couldn't wait
to be with the
prince in the
other world
this is what
Jesus the light
of the world
offers to us
isn't it a
chance to live
every day now
in this dark
world with him
the prince in
reality is
actually with us
and in us
so as we look
to his light
every day as we
get to sit with
him and say
Jesus what does
it look like
today as we
look through the
hole that he has
made in this dark
world and hear his
voice we have the
privilege and the
responsibility to
shine the light of
the reality of
another world
a light that gives
us peace and even
courage in the face
of our fears
a light that gives
us love for
everyone around us
especially those who
are hurting and
hopeless because we
want them to know
about this light
a light that gives
hope no matter how
dark things get in
the dungeon that
there is another
world where we'll be
home and with Jesus
forever in a city
where he the light
of the world
eclipses the need
for a son and is
the lamp of the new
Jerusalem where we
live finally free
from the darkness
amen and forever
forever shining in
his light oh
Jesus let your light
so shine on us
today
that we would see
the very glory of
God in the face of
Jesus Christ
that we gazing on you
Jesus would be so
transformed into your
image
be so different so
renewed
we'd be transformed
into those who would
shine the light of the
light of the world you
are our hope you are
our king you are our
rescuer and we thank
you amen
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