I Am The Light Of The World

Welcome and Prayer for the Local Church

Thank you so much for being here everyone this morning, especially to our covenant members here at 12 five. This is a time where we get to gather together with the Saints, right? This is out of obedience to our Lord that said hey don't neglect the gathering together of the Saints.

We gather to fulfill the one and others to love one another to serve one another. To spur one another on to love and good works. And so thank you so much for being here as we worship our sovereign. Try you try you and God together and if you're a guest or a regular attender We just want you to know that you too are welcome.

If you've not had a chance, please fill out one of our connect cards and tell us how we can pray for you. Tell us if you have any questions because we'd really like to get to know you and tell you more about our church family.

And so with that being said our prayer this morning for all of us together is that we would be in reverence and all of the triune. God, amen. Well before we start our service like we do every Lord's Day.

We want to pray for a local church and so that church this morning is Mount Zion. So if you would please join me in prayer. Heavenly Father you are holy and we revere your name above all else. So we thank you for this this Lord's Day where we get to worship you in song and in prayer and the preaching of the word.

And God we lift up Mount Zion Church. God we just pray for their leadership. We pray that you would set them apart God that they would be bold and stand flat-footed on your word and declare your truth.

Because God it is your truth that sanctifies your body. And so Lord we pray for the leadership. We pray that The Saints would gather together and fulfill the one another's at Mount Zion and God. We just pray for opportunities to be able to help come in come along and be a partner of this gospel church.

Lord. We love you and pray all these things in your name Jesus Amen. All right. Well, if you would please stand for our call to worship. This is a time where we get to engage and declare the truths of God Together and so our call to worship comes from the Prophet Isaiah.

Where the Prophet says arise shine for your light has come. Glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the people's the Lord will rise upon you and his glory will be seen upon you and Nations shall come to your light.

Kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around and see they all gather together. They come to you. Sons shall come from afar and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. The Sun shall be no more your light by day nor for brightness shall the moon give you light.

But the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your God will be your glory. Your son shall no more go down nor your moon withdraw itself. For the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days shall be ended.

And all God's people said Amen. Well now let's go to to our great God in prayer as a corporate body revering his name on high. Let's pray Heavenly Father. We thank you once again to be able to worship this Lord's Day.

God I pray that you would remove all distractions from our our minds God that we would be focused on Praising you focused on giving you proper worship God every week. We get beaten up by the world. This present evil age God sin is always lurking around every corner with temptation.

And so God, I just prayed that our hearts would be filled with your spirit this morning that we would look to you Jesus the author and the perfecter of our faith. I pray these things in your name I.

Songs of Grace and Assurance

You've loved me. I don't deserve grace on top of grace. More than I've asked for more than I'm worth grace on top of grace. And how sweet the sound But now found came down he's rescued me. I am free from my sin and Penalty and that's across you took my place.

With your grace on top of grace Sing it with me. The sound But now found Came down and grace rescued me and how sweet The sound But now found Free from my sin and penalty That's across you Say We won't fear the night.

We will walk the valley With you by our side. You will go before us. You will lead the way. We have found a refuge. Only you can say. Sing with joy now how God is for us. The Father's love is a strong and mighty fortress.

Raise your voice now. No love is greater. Who can stand against us? For us. Yes. Amen. And I stumble and I turn to joy now. Our God is for hide nor death. Neither hide nor death Can separate us. Hell and death will not defeat us.

He who gave his son to free us holds me in his love. Neither hide nor death can separate us. Hell and death will not defeat us. He who gave his son to free us holds me in his love. Raise your voice now.

No love is greater. Who can stand against us if our God.

Scripture Reading from Isaiah 9

Our scripture reading comes from Isaiah chapter 9 Where we read the people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwell in a land of deep darkness on them has light shown. You have multiplied the nation you have increased its joy.

They receive before you with joy at the harvest as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden and the chaff for his shoulder and the rod of his oppressor. You have broken on the day of Midian.

For every poor boot of the tramping warrior in battle to molt and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire for to us. A child is born to us a son is given. And the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful counselor.

Mighty God everlasting father and the prince of peace. Of this increase his government and of the peace will be with no end and on the throne of David and over his kingdom. To establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal the the lord of hosts will do this. Let's now go to the lord of prayer of holding fast to our assurance. But also confessing to him our need for him moment by moment and day by day. Let's pray Heavenly father we are a broken people god every day we sin against you god God, we sin against one another and ultimately we sin against you god, and we need your grace your grace upon grace.

God, please be with us because even though we are broken We can look to jesus who is the author and the perfecter of our faith and he is our wonderful counselor our mighty god who is Perfectly will save God, please give us assurance in these things.

Please renew our hearts with truth truth knowing that We can rest in your finished work lord. We love you. I pray once again as we continue on through the service god that you would remove distractions god.

Please help us to know that god you are faithful and just to always forgive us of our sin. Lord, we love you. Pray this in your name jesus.

Song of Goodness and the Sermon Introduction

Rest here in his Again sing it out church. He's good this morning and find your hope. Now is all he said it would be. Grace is overflowing From the savior's heart. Rest here in his wondrous Know the goodness.

Sing it out. Proclaim it this morning is good. Chains my soul This solid ground. Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What This worship this morning. Jesus could ever pluck us from your hand to live in you.

You saved me lord. I pray this morning as we continue with our service this morning lord. I just pray that you would Lord just be with the be with the word as it's preached this morning lord. I pray that you would just anoint pastor keith and anoint every word that he has to say lord.

Give him Give him clarity give him boldness lord. To preach your truths lord. I pray that you would all just bless this offering this morning. Lord, we love you. We praise you. We ask all these things in christ's name in jesus name and all of god's people said.

Um, I want the record to show that the offering is still being being taken up so the sermon has not started yet you know every Church kind of has their own sayings about different things and for all the new members I thought i'd just take a few minutes.

To kind of bring you up to speed on a on a saying that you might have heard during a sermon. Typically if the pastor's up here and he says he's about to land the plane or if he's looking for the runway That means he's about or he's trying to end the sermon.

And that's just kind of something that's been thrown around 12 -5 church. Well last week I was accused of not even looking for the runway. Okay, but that wasn't true at all, okay I had the runway in sight.

The control tower had not given me clearance to length. Okay. But I talked to the control tower this morning. And I was assured that the runway would be clear when I got there. So. But I do have an announcement.

Um. We have some things going on in the church and it's nothing really to be concerned about. But we believe we're going to need to have a business meeting next week and it kind of has something to do with the budget and we're kind of wanting to see if everything works out the way we Think it's going to.

And if it does it's kind of we need to be kind of acting a little quick so um I'm, just making the announcements because we have to give a seven-day notice on all business meetings. It will be short if we have a business meeting.

It'll be more of an information. There will be a vote and as it being a business meeting it needs to be Members only of course. But we'll still we're still going to try real hard to make it as short as we can so we can still have Some sermon discussion.

So I wanted everybody to know that. Okay. Well, we're in um the second of the great I am statements. Which this week is I am the bread of life if you remember last week we were talking about. I mean I'm, sorry. I am the light of the world last week.

We were in I am the bread of uh, the bread of life. Um, and this is the series. Who do you say? That I am. And you know this question has been asked And debated countless times and in myriad of places over the last two thousand plus years.

And the different answers and beliefs actually exceeds the number of years That has been asked. But I think one of the most discerning answers To this question who do you say that I am? Comes from c .s lewis and let me read what he said and i'm paraphrasing just a little bit.

If there was a person who was merely a man And said the things that jesus said and claimed the things jesus claimed he would be considered either a madman or the devil himself. He went on to say you must make your choice.

Either he was and he is the son of god. Or he was a madman or something worse. You can shut him up as a fool. You can kill him as a demon or fall at his feet and worship him. But let's not come up with this patronizing Nonsense about him being a great moral teacher.

He did not leave that open to us. And he did not even intend to. And we'll see some of that today in the sermon. And what c .s is telling us is there's no open options. To who jesus was there's a. And there's b and there's nothing in between.

Either he is and was the son of god. Or he wasn't and you can't choose or blend anything together. That's the only option that's open to us in scripture. And we have to rest on that. So as I said today, we're talking about the second great.

I am statement of jesus christ found in the gospel of john. I am the light of the world. If you would pray with me, please. Father, we're just so thankful that your word is clear. That it's not ambiguous.

That we can rest on your truth. And father how you speak so boldly of who jesus christ is. Father open our eyes today. Let your light shine in the darkness. I pray this in christ's name. Amen. So if you'd like, please go ahead and turn to john chapter seven, we're going to be starting in there today.

I'm going to do a quick run through of this chapter. I want to kind of bring everything into context. Of what we're going to be talking about because a lot of it Kind of goes back to what we're told in this chapter.

Then we'll switch over to chapter eight where where our text is today. But you know if you remember last week we saw this Rise and beginning of the conflict between jesus. And who john calls the jews?

And and I told you that when he uses this this moniker the jews. He's not only talking about the hebrews. He's also and specifically including the religious elite of the day chief priests pharisees scribes sadducees.

The sanhedrin it could be any number of these present when he talks about the jews. But he tells us that these jews went from persecuting jesus. Because he healed on the sabbath day to wanting to kill him.

Because he made a statement that indicated that he was equal to god. And this week we are going to see and this is my first bullet point of the day. Is the conflict is building with the jews. So look in chapter 7 verse 1 and 2 it says after this jesus went about in galilee if you remember we were in capernaum.

Last week on the sea of galilee and now it tells us that jesus is still in the same area. Because he would not go into judea. Because the jews were seeking to kill him. Now the jews feast of booths was at hand.

So his brother said to him leave here and go to judea that your disciples also may see the works. That you are doing. So it's telling that this is the time of the feast of booths. You might have heard it called the feast of tabernacles and this feast from what I studied lasted eight days.

His brother wanted him to go up. So his disciples that were in jerusalem could hear his teaching but he does not go. It goes on to tell us. It says that his brothers went ahead and jesus remained. But he didn't remain for long because it goes on to tell us that he ends up going to the feast.

Not publicly but privately that means that he wasn't making a grand interest. Entrance as a son of god if you look down in verse 14. It says about the middle of the feast. So this is probably day four or five.

Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. The jews marveled saying How is it that this man has learning for he has never studied? So some of these religious leaders along with the normal hebrews are marveling at what jesus is saying.

They're saying how can he know this? He hasn't had the formal training that the pharisees and the others would have had. Well little did they know. He wrote the book. So but anyways, so he tells them though he tells them.

This teaching is not mine. It is him who sent me it is from god. This isn't my teaching. This is his. Now look down in verse 29 I know him for I come from him. This is jesus talking and he sent me so they were seeking to arrest him.

But no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come. Yet many of the people believed in him. They said when the christ appears will he do more signs than this man has done? The pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him and the chief priest and the pharisees sent officers To arrest him.

So I was telling him because of this mark this teaching that jesus is doing many Come to belief in him and they make this statement. And and don't think this is a statement that they're wondering if the christ is coming.

This is kind of rhetorical when the christ appears will he do more signs than this man? What they're saying is how can somebody else come and do more signs than christ? They believe in him. And they believe this is the christ that's in front of them.

And of course the pharisees hear the this crowd the ones that believe Muttering these things and so they send these officers of the court To arrest them the soldiers of the temple I believe is what this is talking about if you look down in 37 on the last day of the feast the great Day now, this is important.

This is the last day of the feast. They call it the great day for a reason. There are actually two ceremonies that take place on this great day. The first one and this not might not be the official title, but it's the one.

I found several. But it was termed the pouring out of water. There would be a great procession procession where they go down to the pool of solom. They get these pitchers of water. They take it back up to the temple and they pour it out on the altar and this is signifying god pouring out salvation.

So this is one of the great ceremonies that took place on this great day and most scholars believe That this is what took place while this was happening. Jesus stood up and cried out if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink.

Whoever believes in me as the scriptures have said out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Now he said this about the spirit. Whom. Those who believed in him talking about those that have that believe in him were To receive talking about in the future for as yet the spirit had not been given.

Why. Because jesus Was not yet glorified so it tells us These people that believed in him. They they didn't have the respirit. Now. Don't think that the holy spirit is not working. They just haven't received it yet because his body had not been glorified now then then.

In the scriptures it talks about they start arguing among themselves. Is this the christ or is this a prophet? And it says some wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. So then look down in 45 the officers then came to the chief priest and pharisees who said to them Why did you not bring him?

They sent them to arrest jesus, but they come back empty-handed. They're sitting there wondering we told you to bring him here. Why didn't you arrest him and the officers answered? No one ever spoke Like this man.

Think of these these are the officers of the temple. They've heard the pharisees the sanhedrin. They've heard all these guys speak and preach on the bible and talk about it and expand on it. And what do they say?

No one Has ever spoke like this man. And so the pharisees can't let this lay they answer them. Have you also been deceived? They're saying to these chief priests. So are you like these this common rabble out there that you've all also been deceived.

Have any of the authorities of the pharisees believed in him what they're saying? Hey, look at us. None of us have believed in him. Why in the world are you doing it? And like we haven't given you permission to believe in him yet.

But this crowd does not know. I mean, but this crowd that does not know the law Is accursed so he's saying the only reason they believe in him isn't because they know the law. It's because they're accursed Nicodemus and we should know who that is had gone to him before.

And who was one of them said to them does your our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what? He does so here's somebody that's Trying to speak a little bit of logic be rational about this whole thing and say hey look we have laws about this.

We need to follow our own laws and so what does all the other pharisees do they replied are you from galilee, too? I mean, they're trash-talking nicodemus. Say are you from galilee to search the scriptures and see that no prophet arises from galilee.

I mean, they're not even going to come close to considering that this could be the christ. Because they're even throwing that way out the window, but i'm saying hey this guy is from galilee. There's no way he can even be a prophet.

He's just an ordinary Man, so this brings me to my second bullet point, which is the context is in the timing. The context is in the timing. We see that this is the great day. It's the last day of the feast of the tabernacle.

And on that day in the evening, they had another ceremony that took place and it was called the illumination Of the temple and it was it took place in what was called the court of the women. Which is also where the treasury was located and it was a spectacular Celebration both in its concept and in its observance.

For this celebration, they would set up four gigantic torches or Candelabras. Some accounts say that these torches were as high as the walls of the temple. And on top of these golden Candelabras were bowls on each one were bowls holding 17 gallons of oil each.

Now I said there was some accountants as high as the wall of the temples. Josephus tells us that those walls were close to 100 cubits high. So if you've ever been out to riceland foods and you see the head houses on those grain buildings 100 cubits high 150 feet.

So they would light these wicks in the evening and these great flames would jump out of these four torches. And it said you could see Jerusalem from miles away the glow Over the city. They said and most of Jerusalem the courtyards of the homes.

Didn't even need lights or lamps during the night because this light from the torches were so bright. What this ceremony was celebrating? Was a great pillar of fire that led the people of Israel as they traveled through the wilderness coming out of Egypt to Canaan it symbolized the Shekinah glory of God and Exodus tells us a little bit about this in Exodus 13 and they moved on from Sukkot this is the Hebrews as they're leaving Egypt and Encamped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness and the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and By night in a pillar of fire.

To give them light that they may travel by day and by night the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of cloud I mean pillar of fire by night. Did not depart from the people they're going from Egypt. Which is a symbol of the world in Scripture.

They're going through the wilderness to Canaan the promised land. They're going to heaven Through the wilderness and the Lord did not depart from them. What a picture of what the Lord Jesus Christ does for us when he takes us out of the world and He leads us into heaven now.

I want you to look down now in John 8. I want to point something out. That's this is where our scripture is gonna be but we're gonna be a little bit lower. I want you to look down in 8 20 verse 20. It says these words He spoke in the treasury as he taught in the temple and we're about to get to these words He spoke so we find Jesus addressing the Jews the religious leaders in the treasury where these four great Torches are and it's the day after this magnificent celebration.

This is the timing of Jesus Christ and how impeccable could it be? This is the third billet point is The claim sorry the claim that Jesus is making and we're in John 8 12 again, Jesus spoke to them saying I am the light of the world.

I Mean this claim that Jesus is making. It must have shocked the Pharisees and the chief priests at more than just one level at multiple Levels, I mean one level is during this time in the lives of Israel the most eminent of rabbis Would bestow on themselves an honorary title and there was two of them one was they called themselves the lamp of the universe and the other was the light of the world and See that what they were doing is they're giving themselves this esteemed position of having an elevated Sense of all that is spiritual all that is from God.

But now here's this man from Galilee standing before them giving himself the same title. And the indicating that he is the one that knows everything but there's even more levels. And there's actually three just in this saying this I am The light and of the world.

I mean when Jesus makes this claim that I am He was claiming just in that statement that he was co-equal with God. It's in all of his I am statements. It's in multiple scriptures, which we will get to through this series.

He is in fact saying what God says to Moses. I am that I am. So in the Septuagint the Hebrew phrase for I am is rendered in the Greek as ego I'm II. Okay. Now, I hope I got that right. I talked to some of the Greek freaks in here that's taken this Greek class and there was a little bit of disagreement.

So if I got it wrong Adam and and Dalton, I'm sorry, I tried but it's spelled EGO. And then the next word is E I am I and this is the same word as I said. It's the same phrase that's used in multiple other scriptures.

One is John 8 18. It says I am the one who bears witness about myself and the father who sent me bears witness about me and then in John 8 24 I told you that you would die in your sins for unless you believe that I am he You will die in your sins.

Now this I am he has another word attached to it. So it's just a little bit different in Greek. But if you'll look in the Greek lexicon Greek English lexicon, it states that the preferable Translation of this is actually I and the father and the father are one.

I told you that you would die in your sins for unless you believe that I and the father are one You will die in your sins. So the next level is the light the third level and this is the chief focus of this statement the theme of it.

And it is used as an actual light. It is referring to actual light, but it's also a metaphor that's a metaphor resembling holiness and righteousness and One of the earliest accounts in Scripture of the actual light is one I just read a minute ago talking about the pillar of fire to lead the Israelites at night.

Several of the others are Psalm 104 1 and 2 Bless the Lord. Oh my soul. Oh Lord. My god. You are very great. You are clothed with splendor and majesty covering yourself with light as a garment. Stretching out the heavens like a tent in James chapter 1 17 He tells us every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.

Coming down from the father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow. Due to change he's talking about several things here. His light is so pure That there's no shadow in it at all. There's no change in it at all.

It's nothing but pure light and this is directly in reference back to one of the truths Foundational truths I talked about at the first of last week's sermon. I am that I am God is immutable. There is no change in him at all.

I am who I am and I will always be who I am is one of the things he's communicating first. Timothy 6 16 Who alone has immortality who dwells in unapproachable light. Whom no one has ever seen or can see this light is so perfect so bright so intense so Overwhelming that nobody can even approach it.

But this is not all Jesus is claiming when he uses this word light. He's not just claiming that he's co-equal with God. He's also claiming that he is the light and this is what the prophets spoke of in the Old Testament in Isaiah 9 to the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.

Those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness on them a light has shown. Isaiah 42 6 and 7 I am The Lord this is God speaking. I have called you he's talking about Jesus. In righteousness, I will take you by the hand and keep you.

I will give you as a covenant to the people as What a light unto the nations to open the eyes of the blind to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon from the prison who sit in Darkness and how appropriate it is for somebody in darkness to follow the light.

Isaiah 49 5 and 6 this is Jesus talking now He who formed me from the womb to be his servant his incarnation. To bring back Jacob or bring Jacob back to him that Israel might be gathered to him. For I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has become my Strength.

Now it switches over to God talking. He says it is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and bring back the preserved of Israel. What God is saying is you are too worthy.

You are too precious Indescribable of who you are and it is too small of a thing for you just to go to Israel. It's too light of a thing. He goes on to say I will make you as a light for the nations. Not just Israel for the Gentiles.

That my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Now I want to point out a little phrase back up there where it says the preserved of Israel. Don't think I have to go very deep, but there is part of Israel that's preserved.

It doesn't say all of Israel The preserved of Israel and I'll just let that hang a little bit. But these are just a few examples. But they give an example of exactly what Jesus was stating what he was saying at the least.

Jesus was claiming to be God. But choosing this moment during the feast of the tabernacles. Right after the illumination of the temple to make this claim. He was identifying self as The Lord that led Israel through the wilderness.

This cloud sheathed the fire that was at the heart and was visible at night. This was but a shadow of who Christ was going to be. When the Lord came to earth when he was incarnated He sheathed his glory and flesh so that they could look on him.

Think of that picture. Matthew 17 1 and 2 gives us an indication of this and after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother and led them up a high mountain by themselves and he was Transfigured before them and his face shone like the Sun and his be his clothes became white as light.

Here we see another indication white light pure light. Glory this is the divine glory of Jesus Christ that he's giving them a sense of a visual picture of and this transfigured is. Actually where we get our word the Greek is where we get our word metamorphosis.

It's a change. It says a change in Appearance or a change in nature. He's given them a picture of his glory Jesus is stating. I am the light of the world. I Am the Shekinah glory. It was I who guided you in the wilderness.

It was I who provided light in the darkness. It was I who enveloped the tabernacle. It was I who came into the temple at its dedication and filled it with glory. He was claiming I am the Messiah who is the light to break the darkness to open the eyes of the blind and to bring salvation.

Jesus was saying I am the only light of truth as opposed to the darkness of lies. He was claiming. I am the only light of wisdom as opposed to the darkness of ignorance. He was claiming to be the only light of righteousness as opposed to the darkness of sin.

And he was stating that he was the only light of life as opposed to the darkness of death. This is who Jesus was claiming to be. But there's a fourth level that they would have understood and that's the term the world.

He says I am the light of the world. Now many will take this use this this word world. Which is actually used 77 times somewhat in the Gospel of John and say oh, he's talking about everybody. This is universalism.

God came to save all mankind is what they'll say but we know this this cannot be true and the Greek word here for world is cosmos and John uses it a Multiple times in a multiple different ways. So, how do we know how he's using it?

Well as many like to say Context is king. Context is the key. You have to look at the surrounding verses. What is he saying about this? What is Jesus saying about this tomb the term the world and then you can go look at other scriptures.

That will match what he's saying and that's what I'm gonna do here. Go back to Isaiah 49 for I will make you as a light. For the nations he goes on to say that I am bringing salvation for the nations that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth and they knew what he was saying.

Because he isn't saying I am the light of Israel or I am the light of the Hebrews. He's talking about the elect of the Gentiles. He's also a light for them and what torqued them off so much about this.

He was running their little monopoly that they had going on in Israel. They were not fulfilling the Lord's Purpose and will for them. They had their own little as I've called it a cash cow. Fiefdom going on of Judaism and they couldn't stand the thought that it was going outside of their boundaries.

That is what had them so wound up these four different things. So considering the timing of such a powerful ritual during the Feast of the Tabernacle. After the illumination of the temple, this must have come to stunning force with them.

But he doesn't let it just hang in the air he makes an Declaration and this is another cause and effect. Whoever follows me. There's the cause if you follow Jesus. The effect of that you will never walk in darkness.

But have the light of life. So this even gives Some context back to this word world that you use. He's not saying if you're a Hebrew and follow me whoever Follows me. So this brings me to the fourth bullet point and that is the cause is following Jesus.

He says whoever Follows me that's the cause. Now in the Greek this word has two meanings. One of them is just following somebody like the crowds did Jesus just from place to place as he went along. But in the context of this verse what it means is it's referring to complete submission.

Submission to our Lord and Savior it is belief it is faith in Jesus Christ. It's becoming a true disciple. It's not just walking with him. It's walking in him. It's abiding in him. It's having the Holy Spirit in your life leading you through sanctification.

It's your life. You know We talked in Ephesians about the first three chapters was doctrine and then the last three chapters was how to you live? According to this doctrine, that's what it's talking about here.