Several weeks ago, I watched a clip of Melissa Etheridge interviewing and questioning the democratic presidential candidates on behalf of the gay and lesbian community. As she turned her gaze on Tommy Thompson, you could see him wince at "the" question that he knew was coming. "Do you think homosexuality is a choice or is it genetic?"
As I reflected on this clip for the past couple of weeks, it struck me how limiting that question truly is and how the use of "the" question by the gay and lesbian community is shaping the answer that they receive. Of course, by asking that question, they are trying to force the answer to be, "it is genetic," because if anyone answers, "it is a choice," then they would immediately respond with one of the following pat answers: 1) "I did not make a choice to be gay;" or, 2) "Did you choose to be heterosexual?"
Using "the" question and framing it this way limits the answers to one of two -- either it is genetic or it is a choice. But, perhaps, the best answer to this question is "none of the above." And, if that's the answer, then what makes a person a heterosexual or a homosexual.
Wading into the deep end on this issue for the first time, here are my thoughts on the homosexuality issue using the issue of alcoholism as an analogy:
1. Is it a choice? If this question means, "Do people choose to be attracted to same-sex persons in a sexual manner," then I would have to say, for the most part, no. I don't think that anyone consciously would choose to be gay and to accept the lifestyle that goes along with this choice. Likewise, I don't think anyone in their right mind would choose to be an alcoholic and suffer through the associated lifestyle. So, if it's not a choice, then what is it?
It could be genetic, but it could also be a learned behavior. Think about prejudice. Is prejudice a choice or is it genetic or is it neither? Prejudice is not genetic. Babies aren't born prejudiced. It is not a choice in that people make a decision one day and say, "from this moment on, I will prejudge this race." It is a learned behavior, picked up over time as children learn to copy the actions of the adults in their lives or are negatively influenced by someone and apply that negativity towards an entire race.
But, for sake of argument, let's rule out learned behavior in this discussion of homosexuality.
2. Is homosexuality genetic? Maybe. Looking at the issue of alcoholism, we know that some people have a genetic predisposition to become an alcoholic. Maybe it is the same with homosexuality. It is possible that some people have a genetic predisposition to be homosexual. But, does that mean that this genetic predisposition has to be activated?
3. How does the gene get turned on? In the case of the alcoholic, the genetic predisposition to drink alcohol to excess happens only after the first taste of alcohol. I am sure that there are genetic alcoholics all around us who have never expressed this trend of alcoholism simply because they have never had a drink of alcohol. Assuming (and this is an assumption on my part without any scientific evidence to support it) that the genetic tendency for homosexuality works the same way, then in order for homosexuality to be expressed by an individual, they would have to first act upon it. If a person chooses to remain celibate for life, then their genetic predisposition to heterosexuality or homosexuality will never be truly expressed.
4. What would cause someone to act on this genetic predisposition? Now here is where the debate over choice really heats up. Statistics show that the majority of homosexuals come from broken homes or single parent homes. In the case of male homosexuals, a large proportion of them come from a home where there was not a strong male parental figure. Perhaps the expression of this genetic predisposition for homosexuality first became expressed when the child began seeking a relationship and love to make up for the lack of a relationship with a parental figure. In such a case, this would not be a true choice the person was making, because they would be driven by a desire for a missing relationship and end up expressing it in a sexual manner. This leads us very close back to the question of a learned behavior.
5. So, is homosexuality a sin? Based on my exegesis of passages such as Romans 1, I would have to say that it is. We know that genetic tendencies can cause us to have desires and urgings that are sinful. Look again at alcoholism. The expression of this genetic predisposition, the drinking of alcohol to excess and all that goes along with it, is definitely a sin. In fact, if you were to carry this back to the doctrine of original sin, you could make the case that all sin is the result of a genetic predisposition. Because Adam and Eve sinned, our very genes were corrupted and now we have within us this genetic predisposition to sin. In ourselves, we have lost the ability to turn away from the temptations our genes trigger within us.
6. So, does a genetic predisposition for homosexuality mean that people will be homosexuals? The anwer, of course, has to be "maybe." Why do people participate in the sin of premarital sex? It is because they are acting on a genetic predisposition within them to procreate. We are sexual beings. There is no doubt of that. But, we have within us the capacity to choose whether we will give in to this genetic tendency or whether we will not. If we give in to it and participate in premarital sex, then we have sinned. The Bible is clear on this. Why can't the same case be made for homosexuality? If it is a sin, as the Bible seems to define it, then giving in to the temptation/urge/genetic predisposition, would be sin.
7. So, is homosexuality a choice? In one sense, yes. It has to be. Just because you have a temptation does not mean you have to act on it. Just because you have a genetic predisposition, doesn't mean you have to act on it. A person can be an alcoholic genetically and never drink a drop of alcohol. A person can choose to have or not have premarital sex. And a person can choose whether to participate in homosexual activities or not. In this sense, it is a choice.
So, what is the answer to "the" question: Is homosexuality genetic or is it a choice? The answer, I think, I has to be, "Does it matter?" The real question is, "Is homosexuality a sin? And, if so, are you choosing to sin in this way?"
Thursday, August 30, 2007
SERMON: THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Preached by Gregory W. Lee
12 August 2007
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
-- has there ever been a time in your life when you were in total darkness? -- a darkness so complete that there was not even the slightest glimmer of light? -- I have -- one time in my life -- and although I was really young, I remember it to this day
-- when I was about 4-5 years old, we took a trip to West Virginia -- on the way, we stopped off in Tennessee at a place called the Lost Sea -- it is the world's largest underground lake and is found deep inside of a mountain as part of an extensive cave system called Craig Caverns
-- I remember walking down a steep descent into the cave -- and then we followed a lighted path that wound us farther inside the mountain until we came to the lake itself -- we got into glass-bottom boats and spent about 30 minutes riding on the water until the guide brought us back out at another spot
-- at one point on the way back out, the guide stopped and asked everyone to stand completely still -- he then turned off a light switch that was on the wall of the cave -- and we were immediately plunged into total and complete darkness
-- you know, it is almost impossible in our day and age to be in total darkness -- there are so many sources of light that even if the power at your house was to go off, you would still be able to see a glow of light on the horizon from a near-by city
-- in fact, even if there was a total black-out, like the one that occurred in New York City back in 1977, there are still lights -- we always have the moon and the stars and the other heavenly bodies that light the night sky -- even if the midst of a storm, we have lightning and other momentary sources of light
-- and, if nothing else, we have lightning bugs and other forms of bioluminescence to give light to our eyes at night
-- it is a rare thing indeed to be in total darkness -- and I can still remember how I felt when the guide turned the lights off -- the way momentary fear and panic gripped me there in that cave -- to be in a darkness so thick and so complete and so stifling was terrifying
-- I can tell you that I never want to be in total darkness like that again -- it's just not something that we were created for
II. Darkness Covers the Land
-- you know, there's just something about being in the dark that seems to suck the life out of you -- it just seems to draw hope and life from your body and makes your fears seem more real and more dangerous
-- that's why all of the experts in wilderness survival tell you the same thing -- next to a shelter, the most important thing you need for survival is a fire -- not only does a fire provide warmth -- but, more importantly, it provides light -- it pushes the darkness away, and gives you hope and comfort -- just the presence of light may make the difference between life and death when you are lost in the wilderness
-- in the history of the world, there have been two occasions when the land was covered with darkness and there was no light to be seen -- and in both of those occasions, God provided light to give us hope and comfort and life
-- the first time the land was covered with darkness was when God created the world -- as we read in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. -- Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." -- everything was dark -- there was no light -- and God knew that man could not survive without light -- so we read in Genesis 1:3 that God said, "Let there be light," and there was light."
--the second time darkness covered the land was not long after the first -- as you know, God created Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden, warning them not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil -- you know the rest of the story
-- the serpent came along and deceived Adam and Eve and they disobeyed God and ate the fruit -- and at the moment they took the fruit into their body -- at the very moment that sin entered into the paradise of God -- darkness once again covered the land
-- not a physical darkness, like in the beginning -- but a darkness none the less -- a darkness of the heart -- a darkness caused by sin
-- darkness is a funny thing, isn't it -- if you think about it, darkness is not even really a thing -- it is the absence of a thing -- darkness is the absence of light -- without the context of light, there is no such thing as darkness
-- think about it -- you can have low light -- normal light -- bright light -- flashing light -- but if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness -- that's the meaning we use to define the word
-- darkness isn't -- if it were, you would be able to make darkness darker -- the only way you can make something dark, is to remove the light
-- in the Garden of Eden, the light of God that was reflected in the hearts of Adam and Eve and all humankind was removed and replaced by sin -- and darkness rushed in to take over
-- and for the most part, this spiritual darkness continued to hold sway over this world for the next four thousand years
-- but then, just like in the beginning, God spoke again -- He said, "Let there be light" -- and Jesus was born to Mary in a stable in Bethlehem on Christmas morning -- Isaiah wrote this about the coming of Christ in Isaiah 9:2, "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
-- which brings us to this passage
-- as this passage from John 8 opens, we see Jesus standing in the temple court near the place where the offerings were given -- in this place in the temple, candles were burned 24 hours per day, every day, as a reminder of God's presence in the pillar of fire leading the Israelites through the wilderness towards the Promised Land
-- look back at verse 12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
-- standing in that place, in the light of the candles that represented the presence of God, Jesus spoke to the people who had come to the temple to worship and announced "I Am" -- I Am the One that was sent to shine light into the darkness of this world -- I Am the One who has the power to lead you from the darkness of sin and death that you have been walking in and lead you into life with the Father -- I am the One who can remove the darkness of sin from your heart -- I Am the light of the world
-- the Jewish people had been looking for this light for a long time -- through His prophets, God had been promising to send this light -- the Messiah -- who would save the people from their sins and restore them to righteousness with Him
-- John tells us that the last prophet sent to proclaim the coming of the Messiah was John the Baptist -- in John 1:6-9, John writes, "There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. -- He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. -- He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. -- The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world."
-- and now Jesus stands up in the light of candles that represent the presence of God and announces "I am that light -- I am the light of the world"
-- verse 13-20
13. The Pharisees challenged him, "Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."
14. Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.
15. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.
16. But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.
17. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.
18. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."
19. Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."
20. He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come.
-- as Jesus spoke and announced Himself to be God -- to be the Messiah -- to be the light of the world -- the Pharisees took their normal stance and argued against Him
-- in this passage, you can clearly see the darkness of unbelief in the hearts of the Pharisees -- Jesus spoke words of hope and comfort and life -- but the Pharisees refused to believe Him because they knew better
-- "you don't have the authority to speak such things," they said -- "You don't have the authority to claim to be the Messiah -- your testimony is invalid"
-- Jesus took this opportunity to shine His light at the heart of the Pharisees
-- first, He said, your judgement of me is flawed -- you judge through the eyes of man -- you are looking at me through the eyes of flesh -- and you are judging me based on what the world is telling you -- for that reason, you can't accept who I am -- you won't let the true light shine in your life
-- secondly, Jesus told them that His testimony was valid because He was sent by the Father -- "There are two sources of light in this place -- there are two words of truth -- the light of the Father as represented by these candles -- and the true light given by Me to the world -- My Father and His words testify to who I am and why I have been sent"
-- the Pharisees refused to accept the light of Christ into their hearts because they didn't know the Father -- they knew religion -- they knew how to do good works -- and how to come to church and sing the hymns and go through the motion -- but they didn't have a relationship with the Father and so they couldn't accept the Son when He came to shine His light on their lives
-- verse 21
21. Once more Jesus said to them, "I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come."
-- this verse is a prophesy of Christ to the Pharisees -- in essence, Jesus is telling the Pharisees, "You have been looking for the Messiah for a long time -- you have been longing for the true light that will shine in the darkness -- and it is here right now"
-- "but you will not accept it -- and one day, I will leave and you will have missed your opportunity to come to Me -- you will continue to look for the Messiah -- your people will continue to long for the coming of the Messiah -- but you will remain in darkness and will be unable to follow me and come into relationship with the Father because of your unbelief -- and because you have refused to believe in me, you will die in your sins"
-- verse 22-30
22. This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, `Where I go, you cannot come'?"
23. But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
24. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins."
25. "Who are you?" they asked. "Just what I have been claiming all along," Jesus replied.
26. "I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world."
27. They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.
28. So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [the one I claim to be] and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.
29. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him."
30. Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.
-- twice in these verses, Jesus appeals to the Pharisees -- twice in these verses, Jesus shines His light into the life of the Pharisees, trying to get them to come into the light and follow Him
-- He warns them that they will die in their sins, unless they turn from the darkness of their sins and believe that He is God -- that He is the great "I Am" -- in verse 24, Jesus says, "If you do not believe that I Am, then you will die in your sins"
-- and again in verse 28 Jesus says, "When you lift up the Son of Man -- when you put Him on the cross and see Him dying for the sins of the world -- then you will know that I Am"
-- "Come to Me," He says -- "Trust in Me -- Believe in Me -- I Am the Son of Man -- I Am the true light of the world -- I Am your Savior and your Messiah"
-- but the Pharisees persisted in their unbelief, and walked away in darkness that day
IV. Closing
-- In John 1:5, the Apostle John writes about Jesus and says, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" -- darkness can never overcome the light -- and evil can never overcome the goodness and the holiness of God
-- John goes on to say that this light, the true light, had come into the world to give light to every man -- do you know what that means?
-- that means that Jesus came to dispel the darkness in the world and in our souls once and for all -- for when He comes to live in our hearts, then all the darkness and the evil that once was there has to flee, because the light has overcome the darkness
-- what is this light? -- it is the presence of God shining through us, literally lighting up our body and our home and our surroundings -- a reflection of the perfect light of Christ -- the light of the world -- as it says in Psalm 27:1, "The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear."
-- now, here's the question of the morning -- as we stand in the presence of this holy altar -- seeing the light from the candles that represent the presence of Jesus with us in this place -- I want you to ask yourself this question, "Do I have this light in my heart? Is Jesus my light and my salvation?"
-- Jesus stood up in the temple and announced that He was the light of the world -- and when He rose from the dead over 2000 years ago, He brought the light of God back into the world -- for you and for me
-- He died so that our sins might be forgiven and our darkness taken away once and for all -- all that remains is for us to embrace the light and ask Jesus to come in our heart -- to shine through us forever and to be our light and our life
-- if you don't know this light -- if you don't know Jesus as your light and your Lord and your Savior this morning, then I want to encourage you to respond to His word today -- to ask Him to forgive you of your sins and to wash the darkness of your heart and your life away through His presence
-- as always, the altar is open and God is here to meet you in this place -- His light His here to show you the way and give you hope and life today
-- let me close by reading you a short poem, and then I'll pray and we'll sing our last hymn and open the altar
There is a light that shines within
Those whom Jesus has delivered from sin
There is a darkness surrounding
That's dispelled by God's Grace abounding
Reach out to hold that Light aloft
To shine a beacon to the Cross
The only way our world will know
Is if we shine our Light to show,
There is a hope -- there is a King
And if they hear the song, our hearts sing
The darkness will fade around us each time
We open our hearts and let our Light shine
-- let's pray
12 August 2007
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
-- has there ever been a time in your life when you were in total darkness? -- a darkness so complete that there was not even the slightest glimmer of light? -- I have -- one time in my life -- and although I was really young, I remember it to this day
-- when I was about 4-5 years old, we took a trip to West Virginia -- on the way, we stopped off in Tennessee at a place called the Lost Sea -- it is the world's largest underground lake and is found deep inside of a mountain as part of an extensive cave system called Craig Caverns
-- I remember walking down a steep descent into the cave -- and then we followed a lighted path that wound us farther inside the mountain until we came to the lake itself -- we got into glass-bottom boats and spent about 30 minutes riding on the water until the guide brought us back out at another spot
-- at one point on the way back out, the guide stopped and asked everyone to stand completely still -- he then turned off a light switch that was on the wall of the cave -- and we were immediately plunged into total and complete darkness
-- you know, it is almost impossible in our day and age to be in total darkness -- there are so many sources of light that even if the power at your house was to go off, you would still be able to see a glow of light on the horizon from a near-by city
-- in fact, even if there was a total black-out, like the one that occurred in New York City back in 1977, there are still lights -- we always have the moon and the stars and the other heavenly bodies that light the night sky -- even if the midst of a storm, we have lightning and other momentary sources of light
-- and, if nothing else, we have lightning bugs and other forms of bioluminescence to give light to our eyes at night
-- it is a rare thing indeed to be in total darkness -- and I can still remember how I felt when the guide turned the lights off -- the way momentary fear and panic gripped me there in that cave -- to be in a darkness so thick and so complete and so stifling was terrifying
-- I can tell you that I never want to be in total darkness like that again -- it's just not something that we were created for
II. Darkness Covers the Land
-- you know, there's just something about being in the dark that seems to suck the life out of you -- it just seems to draw hope and life from your body and makes your fears seem more real and more dangerous
-- that's why all of the experts in wilderness survival tell you the same thing -- next to a shelter, the most important thing you need for survival is a fire -- not only does a fire provide warmth -- but, more importantly, it provides light -- it pushes the darkness away, and gives you hope and comfort -- just the presence of light may make the difference between life and death when you are lost in the wilderness
-- in the history of the world, there have been two occasions when the land was covered with darkness and there was no light to be seen -- and in both of those occasions, God provided light to give us hope and comfort and life
-- the first time the land was covered with darkness was when God created the world -- as we read in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. -- Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." -- everything was dark -- there was no light -- and God knew that man could not survive without light -- so we read in Genesis 1:3 that God said, "Let there be light," and there was light."
--the second time darkness covered the land was not long after the first -- as you know, God created Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden, warning them not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil -- you know the rest of the story
-- the serpent came along and deceived Adam and Eve and they disobeyed God and ate the fruit -- and at the moment they took the fruit into their body -- at the very moment that sin entered into the paradise of God -- darkness once again covered the land
-- not a physical darkness, like in the beginning -- but a darkness none the less -- a darkness of the heart -- a darkness caused by sin
-- darkness is a funny thing, isn't it -- if you think about it, darkness is not even really a thing -- it is the absence of a thing -- darkness is the absence of light -- without the context of light, there is no such thing as darkness
-- think about it -- you can have low light -- normal light -- bright light -- flashing light -- but if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness -- that's the meaning we use to define the word
-- darkness isn't -- if it were, you would be able to make darkness darker -- the only way you can make something dark, is to remove the light
-- in the Garden of Eden, the light of God that was reflected in the hearts of Adam and Eve and all humankind was removed and replaced by sin -- and darkness rushed in to take over
-- and for the most part, this spiritual darkness continued to hold sway over this world for the next four thousand years
-- but then, just like in the beginning, God spoke again -- He said, "Let there be light" -- and Jesus was born to Mary in a stable in Bethlehem on Christmas morning -- Isaiah wrote this about the coming of Christ in Isaiah 9:2, "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
-- which brings us to this passage
-- as this passage from John 8 opens, we see Jesus standing in the temple court near the place where the offerings were given -- in this place in the temple, candles were burned 24 hours per day, every day, as a reminder of God's presence in the pillar of fire leading the Israelites through the wilderness towards the Promised Land
-- look back at verse 12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
-- standing in that place, in the light of the candles that represented the presence of God, Jesus spoke to the people who had come to the temple to worship and announced "I Am" -- I Am the One that was sent to shine light into the darkness of this world -- I Am the One who has the power to lead you from the darkness of sin and death that you have been walking in and lead you into life with the Father -- I am the One who can remove the darkness of sin from your heart -- I Am the light of the world
-- the Jewish people had been looking for this light for a long time -- through His prophets, God had been promising to send this light -- the Messiah -- who would save the people from their sins and restore them to righteousness with Him
-- John tells us that the last prophet sent to proclaim the coming of the Messiah was John the Baptist -- in John 1:6-9, John writes, "There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. -- He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. -- He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. -- The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world."
-- and now Jesus stands up in the light of candles that represent the presence of God and announces "I am that light -- I am the light of the world"
-- verse 13-20
13. The Pharisees challenged him, "Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."
14. Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.
15. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.
16. But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.
17. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.
18. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."
19. Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."
20. He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come.
-- as Jesus spoke and announced Himself to be God -- to be the Messiah -- to be the light of the world -- the Pharisees took their normal stance and argued against Him
-- in this passage, you can clearly see the darkness of unbelief in the hearts of the Pharisees -- Jesus spoke words of hope and comfort and life -- but the Pharisees refused to believe Him because they knew better
-- "you don't have the authority to speak such things," they said -- "You don't have the authority to claim to be the Messiah -- your testimony is invalid"
-- Jesus took this opportunity to shine His light at the heart of the Pharisees
-- first, He said, your judgement of me is flawed -- you judge through the eyes of man -- you are looking at me through the eyes of flesh -- and you are judging me based on what the world is telling you -- for that reason, you can't accept who I am -- you won't let the true light shine in your life
-- secondly, Jesus told them that His testimony was valid because He was sent by the Father -- "There are two sources of light in this place -- there are two words of truth -- the light of the Father as represented by these candles -- and the true light given by Me to the world -- My Father and His words testify to who I am and why I have been sent"
-- the Pharisees refused to accept the light of Christ into their hearts because they didn't know the Father -- they knew religion -- they knew how to do good works -- and how to come to church and sing the hymns and go through the motion -- but they didn't have a relationship with the Father and so they couldn't accept the Son when He came to shine His light on their lives
-- verse 21
21. Once more Jesus said to them, "I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come."
-- this verse is a prophesy of Christ to the Pharisees -- in essence, Jesus is telling the Pharisees, "You have been looking for the Messiah for a long time -- you have been longing for the true light that will shine in the darkness -- and it is here right now"
-- "but you will not accept it -- and one day, I will leave and you will have missed your opportunity to come to Me -- you will continue to look for the Messiah -- your people will continue to long for the coming of the Messiah -- but you will remain in darkness and will be unable to follow me and come into relationship with the Father because of your unbelief -- and because you have refused to believe in me, you will die in your sins"
-- verse 22-30
22. This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, `Where I go, you cannot come'?"
23. But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
24. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins."
25. "Who are you?" they asked. "Just what I have been claiming all along," Jesus replied.
26. "I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world."
27. They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.
28. So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [the one I claim to be] and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.
29. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him."
30. Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.
-- twice in these verses, Jesus appeals to the Pharisees -- twice in these verses, Jesus shines His light into the life of the Pharisees, trying to get them to come into the light and follow Him
-- He warns them that they will die in their sins, unless they turn from the darkness of their sins and believe that He is God -- that He is the great "I Am" -- in verse 24, Jesus says, "If you do not believe that I Am, then you will die in your sins"
-- and again in verse 28 Jesus says, "When you lift up the Son of Man -- when you put Him on the cross and see Him dying for the sins of the world -- then you will know that I Am"
-- "Come to Me," He says -- "Trust in Me -- Believe in Me -- I Am the Son of Man -- I Am the true light of the world -- I Am your Savior and your Messiah"
-- but the Pharisees persisted in their unbelief, and walked away in darkness that day
IV. Closing
-- In John 1:5, the Apostle John writes about Jesus and says, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" -- darkness can never overcome the light -- and evil can never overcome the goodness and the holiness of God
-- John goes on to say that this light, the true light, had come into the world to give light to every man -- do you know what that means?
-- that means that Jesus came to dispel the darkness in the world and in our souls once and for all -- for when He comes to live in our hearts, then all the darkness and the evil that once was there has to flee, because the light has overcome the darkness
-- what is this light? -- it is the presence of God shining through us, literally lighting up our body and our home and our surroundings -- a reflection of the perfect light of Christ -- the light of the world -- as it says in Psalm 27:1, "The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear."
-- now, here's the question of the morning -- as we stand in the presence of this holy altar -- seeing the light from the candles that represent the presence of Jesus with us in this place -- I want you to ask yourself this question, "Do I have this light in my heart? Is Jesus my light and my salvation?"
-- Jesus stood up in the temple and announced that He was the light of the world -- and when He rose from the dead over 2000 years ago, He brought the light of God back into the world -- for you and for me
-- He died so that our sins might be forgiven and our darkness taken away once and for all -- all that remains is for us to embrace the light and ask Jesus to come in our heart -- to shine through us forever and to be our light and our life
-- if you don't know this light -- if you don't know Jesus as your light and your Lord and your Savior this morning, then I want to encourage you to respond to His word today -- to ask Him to forgive you of your sins and to wash the darkness of your heart and your life away through His presence
-- as always, the altar is open and God is here to meet you in this place -- His light His here to show you the way and give you hope and life today
-- let me close by reading you a short poem, and then I'll pray and we'll sing our last hymn and open the altar
There is a light that shines within
Those whom Jesus has delivered from sin
There is a darkness surrounding
That's dispelled by God's Grace abounding
Reach out to hold that Light aloft
To shine a beacon to the Cross
The only way our world will know
Is if we shine our Light to show,
There is a hope -- there is a King
And if they hear the song, our hearts sing
The darkness will fade around us each time
We open our hearts and let our Light shine
-- let's pray
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