Light Rejected — Keith Daniel

Well, there's so many people to thank, it seems it's my goodbye to you, and I leave you town tomorrow early in the morning, but I do feel, ethically, it's right to say thank you from my heart to a good few folks, but I'll try and do that in a very short time.

I'd like to thank the pastor of this church. I was left, in South Africa they call it the Ododong, does anybody know what that means? Ododong, anybody Dutch or German here? Okay, if anything goes wrong you blame the Ododong, that's AIDS.

I don't know about that, but I like to use that word also when I have to use little notes, but I would like to thank your pastor. I have said so much about him each night, and brought him into my sermon this morning, and I don't think any more needs to be said of what I feel of him than it's deemed him to be.

But I do thank God for him, and I thank him for the love, the gracious way he's allowed me to take his pulpit, and the way he's stood with me heart and soul. I even sense that up on the hill, in any prayer dance, I just sense meeting after meeting as I look at his face.

He was with me heart and soul in prayer, and he loves Christ with every breath in his body. So thank you, sir, for the gracious way you've welcomed me here, and made me feel so welcome. I had the privilege of having lunch in their house here today, up on the hill, a beautiful home, but the great privilege was just to have a good look at his wife.

And she is Christlike, and godly, and lovely, and I do thank her for the kindness of the little things she held out for my children, for me to take home. And I'm sure they have never thought they'd get Kennedy coins, is that right?

Three Kennedy? I think it costs for her to go into the drawer and pull those out. She might have been keeping them for further grandchildren, but my children have three coins, and little cards, and a scarf for my wife.

Thank you from my heart for your love and kindness, dear lady. And even the first night I met you, when we had a meal over in Harold's place, and his dear wife, I do thank Harold again. He's not here to thank, but I really thanked him the other night.

But his wife is here, and his two boys. Thank you for your love to me as a family, wherever you are, dear Mrs. Vaughan, and the two boys. Thank you for the wonderful, wonderful way you've treated me. And the moment I arrived, and god wonderfully blessed you for that, I had turkey.

South Africans don't know what turkey really tastes like, you know. We hear about it. The Americans love turkey. Christmas, I thought, well, it's like Christmas in Mrs. Vaughan's home. And we, I really enjoyed that meal so much.

And the two boys were zealous, and thank you for their love also. Now I have written down different things here, and I'd like to thank you for the donation. We call it a donation in South Africa. You've got to give our reservedness.

The word love offering is very American. I don't know how to say thank you for that. In South Africa, you don't speak about money from the pulpit. You might think that's a very strange culture, but I sense an incredible goodness from your heart, and an incredible liberty that you have passed.

You can't speak of such a thing from the pulpit to someone who is so unworthy as me to have been Harold Artists that you folks have had. This is about the most I've ever said in my life from the pulpit about money, so you must know I'm battling for words.

But thank you. I would be the most ungrateful and unethical and unkind person to not say thank you, that you had even thought of such a thing for this poor man. Bringing me to your country, sir, was all I wanted.

It was a wonderful gift given to me by God. Thank you for the love of the Christians of this town, and that this was in your heart. May God honor you for what you have so lovingly done. I hope that's the right way to say thank you for such love.

And then I would like to also thank Dr. now, I know he's a medical doctor, but I've never quite got his surname properly. I am so backward, forgive me. I know him through and through. He's a dear, dear man, and I don't know if he could have done anything.

I don't know if there's anyone that could have done anything so much as this man, just without any performance. He just went ahead and did everything that you can believe a human could need. He sort of watched me, I think, from a distance, as if I thought of something that was held out.

He is a remarkable man, and a gift of God to this church, and I'm sure, I'm sure God has brought him into your midst too. Thank you, dear sir, for your kindness. And your wife has washed my clothes, and ironed my shirt, and I thank God for that kindness.

The way they were put in little plastic, carefully, hanging up in my room. I just look at it and knew the love of God in that woman too. Thank you, dear lady, for such kindness. And then there was the secretary.

I think her name is Becky. I hope so. What a very kind, and loving, and godly lady. Thank you for every little kindness you show, dear lady, wherever you are, for serving Christ the way you do. I become very conscious you serve Christ, and that's why you're there as secretary in this church.

And then, oh my, I had lunch with Jeff Bowman? Bowman, okay. South Africans can never get names right. Okay, Jeff Bowman and his wife, and I was quite thrilled to see this man's incredible zeal for life.

Everything excites him. And some people, you know, they look like they just want to get to heaven, and I don't blame them. But while he's got breath in his body, he doesn't want to lose anything of what's going on in the world—technology, knowledge, my word—and yet sanctified, the whole thing sanctified.

Nothing of a fleshly sort of thing, wanting to grasp and divert from the things of God. He just has a tremendous absorbing, which I don't know if I've ever quite seen. Just my father was a little bit like that at one stage.

Didn't want to lose anything—opportunity. He knows everything, by the way. I said, oh, I do know one man like you, Uncle Roy. He's dead now, but dear Uncle Roy. I named my son after Uncle Roy. Uncle Roy was the one man that, no matter what was being said, he knew more about it than anybody else.

And he really did. It wasn't just showing off, he really did. Now, I've met another man exactly like that. I doubt that there's any subject you don't know a little bit more about than most people. And it was zealous and wonderful to see your love for life, sir, and the wonderful things you've done for me, the kindnesses you and your wife showed me, the meal you gave me.

By the way, quite a number of people wanted to take me for a meal, and I felt terribly wrong in saying no, but I just didn't have the time. I needed all the preparation. I wish I could stand up and just preach.

I know some people say that, you know. One fellow says, no, I never prepare. I just stand up and speak. It's wrong to prepare. Well, we walked out of the church and someone turned to me and said, oh, you can see he didn't prepare.

He had nothing to say. I wish I could honestly just stand up and speak, but I can't. I take time, and that's why I said sorry and forgive me, even though I think I'm the poorer for not having had lunch with each one of you.

Now I would like to also thank Daniel Silberman, who's going to Israel with his dear wife, to serve God with a new heart for the kindnesses and the time I spent with him, the zeal of his life. And Randy Richards for taking me for a haircut.

I suddenly looked at my hair, and I realized, no, well, something's a little bit too long back there. I'm very, very old-fashioned. You know, my children get quite frustrated. They say, but Daddy, you're too old-fashioned.

There's nothing in you more modern. I don't know. But I do like a short haircut. Forgive me for that. One fellow took it a bit far in one country. I went and he cut my hair off. And I had to stand up in the pulpit and apologize and say, look, it wasn't my fault.

It was the barber. And I actually warned. I said, don't go near him. He's that barber down there. I don't know if he closed business, but anyway, I did say afterwards, look, I'm sorry I said that, but just warn him not to see.

Just cuts and cuts and cuts. And I stood up there, and really they got a fright when they looked at me. I could see it. But this Randy Richards took me for a haircut, and I'm very, very grateful for the kindness shown to me that day and the fellowship we had.

And then the choir. How do you thank such a wonderfully dedicated and incredibly beautiful choir. My word, what a blessing that has been to hear this church's choir and their choir leader, his zeal, his dignity, and his sanctity.

He's sanctified in the way he leads our singing and teaches and conducts this choir and orchestra. Thank you to the orchestra also, as vital as the choir. Beautiful orchestra. Thank you for dedicating your talents, your gifts to God.

The pianist, the singers, the singers. Oh my, have I forgotten anything? I hope not. But if I have, you have to forgive me. Thank you for those that traveled far to get to these meetings. I believe some of the men and advanced people travel from all over, and some of their families came along.

I think if I look carefully, I'll see some of them here. But, oh there, I hear a baby. Oh no, it's not you. I know that the Mennonite people have come from far, and people from the other night that I didn't realize were here, but I do thank you all who have come so far.

Shame, I'm sorry I pointed you out when your baby cried. Now you're fleeing. The greatest preacher I ever heard, one of the greatest, he was called South Africa's Virgin. He was perfect in his deliverance, and the only time he ever fell apart in the pulpit was to a baby in the congregation.

I heard the baby crying, and I saw the sweat coming in his forehead as the baby screamed louder, and he screamed louder. In the end he was saying, point three where point one should be, and I knew this man's lost everything.

A baby can do that. So it's very kind for that dear lady to even thought of taking the baby out. The other thing I'd like to say is my wife, who has let me come to your country, I do hope one day she can see your country and meet you very godly, very godly people.

And she sends out a little newsletter. I wouldn't say you should all try and receive this, because it's a long way to send it, but perhaps there's one or two or three that I do know should and would like to receive it, and my heart, if you could just uphold me in their prayers.

But I've got a few copies. I'd like to leave this. This is her last newsletter. Jenny sits down and does so much, you can't believe, but she writes poems, and I've got about 40, 50 copies here, believe it or not, I've carried with me, and now that can't go around, but I'm going to leave it here for somebody who really, in truth, would pray for me and Jenny.

This is the particular program that's going on. She writes a little report of what's happened and what's going to happen on here is, and many, many, many people across my country and other countries pray for me because of this newsletter daily.

Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds pray every day, and it's a great privilege to know that, and this newsletter keeps them sober about what to pray for. Now, Jenny sends it out. Her poetry is been used by God in the most wonderful way.

Not only in my country, people printing her every poem she writes, when she comes out of a poem and puts it on the front page of the newsletter or other books or things people want to publish, they want a poem of Jenny, and she writes these poems, and so many people have met with God through these poems.

Now, I can't say that about any other poet. I don't really particularly love poetry, but I must say I love my wife's poetry. I get excited when I realize something's coming, and she has something from God part.

I think it's the walk she has with God, and this is her ministry, and you would not believe the amount of people writing or phoning from other countries. A man in England, Scotland, phoned and said, somebody put this into my hand, this newsletter, and I was leaving the ministry.

I was so disillusioned I was giving up. I had resigned. I was just going to get out of God's work, and this was put in my hand, and I read that poem, and I had a meeting with God such as I've never had in my entire life, just reading that poem, Mrs. Daniel.

It was so encouraging to Jenny and to me, that that's what her poems are doing throughout my land. God is with her in a remarkable way. Young people particularly have been affected in an amazing way through the poems and holding, and you see them in their Bibles, Latin Bibles, all over.

So I do thank God for that. If you'd like just to read her poems, maybe you can pass them around, just to read the one last poem she wrote, then it would be good just to know to pray for Jenny also. I thank you all for loving Christ.

It's been such a blessing to be up in the hill there, to see those men weeping. You know, it's lovely to stand up in the pulpit. It's not easy when you look across and there isn't anyone left that isn't, has tears coming down their face, and you realize God has come, and I thank God that God gave me that privilege to speak to those men up in the hill from all over your country.

Godly men, godly men, godly men. But I also thank God for you, this church. I may never come back to your country, I don't know. I could be dead tomorrow. I am very aware of that. This might be my last sermon.

You have nothing of certainty, sir, nothing. God could be taking me home tonight. I may never come back to your country, but I thank God that the one occasion I came, I really thank God I came to this church.

Maybe wasn't filled up to every seat's capacity, but I do thank God when I become concert with those sitting here that did come, were really, really seeking God in the most astounding way. I was very conscious of that, and I'm sure God knew that the churches, those wouldn't be filled, but the people who did come were the ones he wanted to hear these particular messages, and so I'm glad and grateful to God about any doubt that what was in his heart has been accomplished.

Thank you for your prayers for me, every one of you. May God wonderfully bless you. Sorry I took that long, but I felt I had to say thank you. Lord Jesus, thank you for this series of meetings. Thank thee for bringing me from the other side of the world, Lord, to this lovely, lovely land, beautiful land of America.

Thank you for these lovely people I've met, hundreds and hundreds up there, Lord, without its bring, up to the names of bonds. Thank you for that privilege, Lord. Thank you for the way they sought God.

Thank you for this time, Lord, in this church. For everyone I've thanked, I thank thee from my heart for them. All the goodness shown to me. Honor and bless them, Lord. Now, Lord, in these last moments, before I leave this time, have mercy on me.

Wash me afresh in the blood of Jesus, in case there was any word, any thought, any reaction, anything that was not utterly Christlike in my sight. Please forgive me, Lord. Let me be cleansed in the blood of Jesus.

As I stand in this pulpit, come, wash me, make me clean. Come, my dear God, fill me now with the Holy Spirit and anoint my lips and my heart and my mind. Make thy word living, living, Lord, living. Come, speak to all hearts through thy word.

Christ as the Light of the World

For Christ's sake and in Jesus Christ's name, I ask all. Jesus said, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, shall have the light of life. Now, a light is only needed where there's darkness.

That's why Jesus said, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. We read in Genesis chapter 1, verse 1,. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light. And there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good. And God divided the light from the darkness. Here, the Holy Spirit moved a man to record that moment of time when God created physical light in a world that was covered by physical darkness.

But as we move to the New Testament, to men who had heard Jesus say that he was the light of the world, the Holy Spirit moved these men to record that moment of time when God sent forth spiritual light into a world that was full of spiritual darkness.

And we read John chapter 1, from verse 1,. In the beginning was the Word, speaking of Jesus. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light.

That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Not as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And then as we go through the pages of the New Testament, as we cross over the pages of this book in the New Testament, we find that this concept of Christ being light, spiritual light bursting in and dismantling all spiritual darkness, wherever it went, as we become conscious of the light of Christ, we see upon the pages of the whole New Testament this revelation of Christ being the light of the world, being expounded on by all the apostles, expounded upon.

Even the effect of that light upon your life, if it ever come anywhere near you, if it ever affected you in any way, if any true spiritual light from Christ has come near upon you, in truth, the effect it would truly have upon your life.

We read in 1 John chapter 1 from verse 1, that which is from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life.

For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was of the Father, and is manifested unto us. That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us.

And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This, then, is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sin, he is faithful and to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

His word is not in us. Now I'd like for us tonight to look at three things that are done with the light. The light of God, which is the Christ, and through Christ. I would like for us tonight to look at three things that are done with the light, and every single person in this building falls into the category of one of these three things.

Light Rejected in the Call to Repentance

Firstly, light rejected. Secondly, light neglected. And thirdly, light reflected. Light rejected, light neglected, and light reflected. Firstly, light rejected. This holy book speaks to us of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. From the moment Jesus Christ came into this world and hung on the cross, God has called out through him to all mankind to come out of darkness, come out of darkness, come out of darkness into his marvelous light.

But they would not come. Jesus said in Matthew 22, they would not. He sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding, that were invited to the wedding, and they would not come. Again he sent forth other servants saying, tell them which were bidden.

Behold, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen, and my fat things are killed, and all things are ready. Come unto the marriage. But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise, as if they had got forever to live.

They would not come, though God sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden, that were invited to come. They would not come, Jesus says. Light rejected. Listen to this verse that John wrote two chapters later after he tells us of the light that came to the world through Christ into this dark world.

He was the light of the world, John says. Listen to what John says now in chapter 3, verse 16, the most renowned verse in the Bible, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

But do you know the verses that follow are not so renowned because they cost to read. Here is the love of God to all mankind, that we believe in him, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The next verse says, for God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. Then verse 19 says, and this is the condemnation. This is the only reason God will ever condemn you or I.

This is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved, that he has got to give up his sins.

But, the next verse says, he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God, that your life can be made an open book, that they are wrought in God, that salvation when you come to the light, that your deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God, and to think less, I doubt that you came to the light, you are still in darkness.

Oh, these verses are fearful. When I look at this world, I realize the awful truth of what God is saying to this man. Men loved darkness rather than light. Men hated the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

For every one that doeth evil hateth the light. Do you know what that means? It means literally this. Every one, once they've heard the gospel, that continues in sin after God has revealed to them the gospel through Christ, every one that continues on the patient, once the gospel has been presented to them and they understand, every one that continues in sin hates Christ, God says, in his eyes.

If you remain unrepentant once you've heard the gospel of Christ, God says to you as you turn your back and go another step in sin without repenting, you hate Christ. Every one that doeth evil, that's what God says of you, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved, lest you've got to give up your sin.

Oh, light rejected, terrible, terrible thing. Though one comes from hell itself, Jesus says, men are so determined, there are men who are so determined, no matter how God cries out to them to come out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Though one comes from hell itself, Jesus says, they're such a people. What a breaking heart it must be for Christ to say these words, though one comes from hell itself. To warn his loved ones, no man would ever preach such a sermon if he has suddenly plucked out of all to form the ones he loves that he's left behind to flee from the wrath to come, although one comes from hell itself.

Men are so determined in their hearts not to turn from their sin, no matter what the cost, no matter what the consequences in eternity. They're so determined to reject life till their last breath to hold on to sin, no matter what the cost in eternity.

Though they know what's coming, they won't repent. Though one comes from hell itself. I walked into a hospital a while back. One of our most godly ministers in our country was walking out weeping, and I said, what is it?

He said, you wouldn't believe it, Keith. His loved ones, his family, weeping, said he's been struck, he's dying. Get to him, he's still unsaved. I knew him when he was a boy. He heard the gospel preached again and again.

I fled down here, knowing he's dying. I got to his bedside moments before he died. I said to him, you know the way, you know the gospel, now you're dying, you're going to face God and you're still in your sin.

Oh, seek God! Do you know what the man did? He had seconds to live, and he could have chosen eternity in those seconds. He could have, and God would have listened, but he chose those seconds. He pushed my hand away, and he looked at the nurse, and as he died, he told her of the evil thoughts.

No matter what the cost, men are so determined. It's a terrible thing to reject Christ, my friend. Once the light is revealed to you, it's a terrible thing. It's a terrible, terrible thing. Light rejected, light rejected, light rejected, not only by blatant, depraved, warped sinners, but light rejected by men who come into the house of God for religion all their lives, as blatantly as the man who never puts his foot near a church and lives in brave and sin.

Light rejected by men who come into the house of God for religion all their lives and go to hell. In Luke chapter 18, verse 10, Jesus tells the story of two men. Two men went up into the temple to pray.

The one a Pharisee, a very religious man. The other a publican, not a very religious man. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, exhaustioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I fast twice in the week. I give tithe of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes into heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, Jesus says. Here were two men who of their own free will made their way to the house of God.

No one forced them. They knew this was the ordained religion of God. They knew it. No one had to convince them. Here were two men who made their way to the house of God. The one looks on at others seeking God.

He looks on at others who are willing to come to the house of God for one reason, for God. For God, to seek God to justify them from a life of sin. He looks on at people openly, publicly, forgetting about everybody.

All they have in mind is to get to God. All they have in mind is to have dealings with God, to reconcile with God. He looks on at other people who are seeking God to justify them. And then he begins to reason with himself as to why he need never do such a thing, to be reconciled like this to God.

Don't think these are just words coming at him. He was reasoning as he looked. He was disturbed. And in his disturbed state he began to reason with God. God, he says, I thank thee that I am not as other men are.

Oh, and he names their sin, things he hasn't done ever in his life. Exhaustion is unjust, adulterous, rigorous, republican. He starts telling God, I fast, I fast, I'm religious, I even fast twice in the week.

I get tired of God. I was born into a religious life. I never went out into the fruit of the world. I haven't done these things. These men are now seeking me. I haven't done these things. I'm not as other men are.

Do you know that was the biggest mistake he ever made in his life? You see, in God's eyes he was as other men are. With all his religion, he was just as other men are, in desperate need of being justified.

You know, the first illustration given concerning what it is to reject light in the Bible, in its context, is to say these words. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess, now that's not some glib concession daily, that's one mighty encounter with Christ, I do hope you know that in the context, where you come to God as a sinner, desperate for forgiveness of the sins.

He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar. We're saying God is a liar. It's a terrible thing, you know. No matter how religious you are, all your righteousness is a filth.

Do you know that God looks upon it as filth, that you dare to believe that your righteousness can justify you, that you didn't nail Christ to the cross, that you don't need to be born again of God. You can't be saved if you don't know you're going to hell.

You can't cry out to God to save you from hell unless you know you're going to hell and deserving it. Oh, it's a terrible thing to not be able to put yourself into the category of a sinner. He couldn't put himself into the category of a sinner.

He couldn't do that. Through religion. Religion is sending millions of people to Christ if it just gives them the idea that they don't need to be born again. But except a man be born again, he says to one of the most revered, religious, good men in the country, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven.

How is it you don't know this? You know, my mother, my mother was a staggering woman. She was an amazing woman. When I was saved, my father was saved, my brother was saved. Here we were all now trying to get my mother saved.

She was in quite a predicament. She knew that everybody coming in that house was there to preach to her, and we were all hoping that they'd reach her. She knew every time we dragged her to church that we were just hoping and praying that this missus was going to get through.

She was in quite a predicament. My mommy, one night she said to me, Keith, don't think I don't know. I'm getting it loud and clear that you think I'm going to hell. She said, but I'm not going to hell.

I'm not a sinner, Keith. I just looked at her. She said, Keith, I can understand why you would have gone to hell. If you had not turned from your sin, I could understand why your brother would have gone to hell, and your father, the things he did, Keith, before he was saved.

But I cannot believe that God could send me to hell. For what? I'm not a sinner. Keith, I see your father threw away a cigarette, 60 a day, gone. I haven't got cigarettes to throw away. I've never smoked a cigarette in my life.

I see he smashed all the bottles. He walked out weeping, and he smashed all the bottles. I appreciate that, Keith, but I have never touched alcohol once in my life. I don't even know what champagne tastes like.

Ask your father. He was my childhood sweetheart. Ask anyone. They know I've never tasted alcohol. I've never touched a cigarette. I've never sworn a dirty word once in my life, not even a question of a word.