 The title of our sermon this morning is the light of the world the light of the world and we've come to John chapter 8 and this Text from verses 12 through 20 where again the Lord Jesus Christ is in the temple teaching You know just once again returning to this glorious witness. It is John's gospel. Amen John's gospel is just a glorious text of scripture I've heard it said that the gospel of John is shallow enough for the new believer to jump in and wait around in But deep enough for the biblical scholar to drown in these truths are simple, but the truths are very profound deeply theological and Here we find another text a dealing with the Lord in his earthly ministry and namely his Confrontation with the Pharisees and John is making his case here Similar to an eyewitness in a trial an expert eyewitness in a trial He's making his case for the greatest truth claim ever to hit the ears of man The greatest truth claim that has ever been made that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world He is the promised Messiah The one in whom all the promises of God are yes and amen in his own words in John chapter 20 verse 31 John the evangelist our author here writes so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ The Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name So like an expert eyewitness would in the trial he takes his account from the life and testimony of Jesus Christ himself We see an example of this in John chapter 8 verses 12 through 20 as once again in the temple Jesus finds himself In conflict with the Pharisees as we move ever closer to the cross only a short six months away at this point He finds himself more and more in conflict with them their hostility against him steadily increases And they're prosecuting their wicked campaign against him on a day by day hour by hour basis as he teaches in the temple So you might imagine A hostile attorney and how a hostile attorney might cross examine or badger a witness They're seeking any way possible that they can impugn his character They can destroy his case Destroy his case as being a messiah god in the flesh the promised savior And so as we come to john chapter 8 verses 12 through 20 this morning We're going to look at this like a trial so to speak the lord jesus christ is wickedly and unrighteously ungodly On trial before these Pharisees before the jewish opposition and in verse 12 We see him give his opening statement And there's never been a more glorious opening statement the one we see from our lord in verse 12 In verses 13 to 14, we're going to see the great witness He calls forth the great witness in his case Thirdly in verses 15 to 18, we're going to see the righteous judge The righteous judge and lastly We'll see the tragic verdict in verses 19 and 20 So this morning we'll begin in verse 12 With the opening statement The lord's opening statement in verse 12 then jesus spoke to them again saying I am the light of the world He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life so now once again The lord's in the temple He's teaching the people and obviously the Pharisees describes the jewish opposition or close by From verse 20 if you've dropped down to verse 20 We know he's in a place in the temple complex called the treasury Now the treasury was kept in a larger area Called the court of the women and once you made it up onto the temple mount There was a gate that came through the eastern wall of the temple mount Once you made it up onto the temple mount most likely in solemn's porch We've heard about from scripture as you're standing in solemn's porch on the east side of the temple complex You look forward toward the temple and you see there around the temple courts What's called a sore egg a little knee high short railing or lattice work that sore egg separated Those on the outside from those on the inside so to speak So if you were a Gentile or an unclean jew You would have stayed on the outside of the sore egg But if you were jewish and clean purified you could go past the sore egg into the temple courts From solemn's porch Past the sore egg and through what was called the gate beautiful You would have entered on the east side of the temple complex the court of the women Now you would call it that because that was as far as women were allowed to go They were allowed to be in the court of women but couldn't go any farther into the temple courts Inside that inside the court of the women 15 steps up Elevated was the court of the Israelites the court of the men Then you had the court of the priests beyond that into the temple building itself You had the holy place and the most holy place Each time Dividing those who could enter if you've seen pictures of that pictures of the court of the women If you looked out from the court of women East you see a beautiful picture of the Mount of Olives just a really pretty scene really pretty place The court of the women Was an outer area of the temple complex where many people would have been coming and going One of the reasons they would have been coming and going through there was because that was where the treasury was That was where the alms boxes or the giving boxes were They were called chauffeur boxes or trumpets because they looked like a trumpet There was small on one end large at the bottom. You would slip your coin That shekel for the temple tax through the end Would fall into the chauffeur box There were 13 of them and the 13 chauffeur boxes were on either side of this Court of the women held on either side Each of them were labeled with where the money would go So if you had a coin for the temple tax, there was a box meant for the temple tax If you had one for alms for the poor or giving to provide food There was a chauffeur box or a trumpet for that all 13 labeled with where the money would go This side area where these trumpets were located underneath a colonnade was called the treasury And so just inside if you looked at that square area the court of the women Just inside of that you had four stationed in the corners You had four towers Where on the top of each of those towers there were four bowls of oil We call them towers not really lamp stands because each of them had a ladder on it And the priests would often climb the ladder to the top of the tower in order to light the bowls When these bowls were lit it said that the light from those bowls of oil Would shower the entire city of Jerusalem in light that every courtyard in the city Would have a light that came from those flaming bowls of oil four towers It's here Among the hustle and bustle of the people and the priests as they came and went giving to the treasury And under those four brilliant shining lamp towers That the lord jesus christ Makes his opening statement He says I am the light of the world He who follows me Shall not walk in darkness But have the light of life Do you see the picture? This is one of the great I am statements of the gospel of john there are seven of them Jesus said in john chapter six verse 35. I am the bread of life Later, we'll hear the lord explain in john chapter 10 verse nine that I am the door I am the good shepherd. He says in john chapter 10 verse 11 I am the resurrection and the life in john chapter 11 verse 25 I am the way the truth and the life in john chapter 14 verse 6 And I am the vine in john chapter 15 verse 5 Which with each of these astounding Staggering amazing claims the lord reaches back almost 1500 years into exodus 3 Where god speaks to moses from the burning bush on mount whoreb And moses asks god there when I come to the children of israel and say to them The god of your fathers has sent me to you and they say to me. What is his name? What shall I say to them? moses asks And god said to moses. I am who I am Thus you shall say to the children of israel. I am the being one the self-existent one the eternally Existent one. I am has sent me to you here in john chapter 8 verse 12 Jesus reaches back into exodus 3 and says I Am ego a me the light of the world It's an unusual construction, but it's the same Thought you have to understand. This is a claim to be god This is a claim of the deity of the lord jesus christ Jesus is saying here in john chapter 8 verse 12 just like he does in revelation chapter 1 verse 8 I I am ego a me the alpha and the omega the beginning and the end says the lord Who is and who was and who is to come the almighty? This is the lord we serve amen Lord jesus christ It's a clear statement that jesus christ is god in the flesh the almighty Romans chapter 9 verse 5 says christ is over all the eternally blessed god amen If you don't believe that You're not a christian And you will die And go to hell when you die Jesus will say soon in john chapter 8 verse 21 24 if you do not believe that i am You will die in your sins the jesus of islam The jesus of the jahovah's witnesses the jesus of the mormons is not the jesus of the bible If you believe as they teach you will die in your sins Put your faith in the lord jesus christ the light of the world and have life everlasting He says i am the light of the world now this statement Understanding what the bible teaches would have shocked the Pharisees It would have just torn their gears A staggering claim they were face to face With a carpenter this guy from out in the sticks in galley And he is the incarnation of god john chapter 1 verse 5 says the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it a jesus Came into a world devastated by darkness didn't he It wasn't created dark, but it was made dark by sin the fall of man Darkened the heart of man with sin And subjected this world to futility because of their sin all men Are guilty because of their sin all men come under the just condemnation of god and are cast out from the light of his presence the souls of all men after the fall Outside of christ are like tar They're like a pitch Inescapably and hopelessly black and one day set on fire by hell They're ungodly unholy shameful guilty condemned filthy The bible says in romans chapter 1 verse 21 that although they knew god They did not glorify him as god nor were thankful But they became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were what? were darken that's right so we are Nocturnal by nature We don't need night vision goggles We need light vision goggles amen We need a transformation of heart. We need the lord to do a miracle Now in order to comprehend the light in order to comprehend jesus christ as the light of the world It's necessary for you to come to grips with and to understand the darkness And it's a darkness that is all around you, but not just all around you. It's a darkness that comes from within you Let's take a look at the darkness from the prophet isaia turn with me to isaia chapter 5 isaia chapter 5 Let's take a look at the darkness from the prophet isaia This is the world that the lord jesus christ came into A world where people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil A place where darkness And this world is under the sway of the wicked one Look at isaia chapter 5 and drop down with me to verse 18 This section of text in isaia chapter 5 Is a subsection if you will of woes of pronouncements of judgment From the lord given to the people of israel here given by isaia To the southern kingdom of juda. We're in the time where the kingdom or the children of israel are divided Between northern and southern kingdoms this prophecy given to the southern kingdom of juda. Look at verse 18 Here the bible reads woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as if with a cart rope That say let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it And let the council of the holy one of israel draw near and come that we may know it First point i want you to see from the first woe here beginning of verse 18 is that the darkness is deceitful The darkness is deceitful the picture being painted here in verse 18 is one of an animal Pulling a cart with ropes. This is what i want you to see from this Rather than seeing sin and wickedness and immorality and iniquity Rather than seeing that as a burden to be set free from to be cut free from They drag sin along with them Being in bondage to it using falsehood using deceit As if cords of rope you see that They use cords of falsehood cords of deceit in other words They keep themselves In the dark so that they can remain attached to their sin Although they may be intellectually able to understand what the bible says They will stay in their sin. They'll stay in their easy-beliefism church because that's where they're comfortable They won't separate from false doctrine because they want their sin. They'll stay in their spiritually dead church Because they don't want to at the end of the day be separated from their sin They don't want to follow the light of the world. They'd rather be in darkness. They'll stay in their sin filled church Because ultimately they want their own sin. John says they love the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil Besides they might say in verse 19 If we don't see god judge with our own eyes Then there's no reason to repent and turn from our sin If we don't see his judgment for ourselves There's no reason to turn from it and so they mock god in verse 19 Let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it Let the counsel of the holy one of israel draw near and come they're taunting God almighty while in their sin Deceived by the darkness they taunt god who one day bring all of their evil deeds to light, right? Look at verse 20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil who put darkness for light Light for darkness bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter the second point I want you to see from the second. Woe is that the darkness is self-serving The darkness is deceitful and the darkness is self-serving Apart from god's immovable and unchangeable law Darkened human reasoning right darkened mind minds and hearts darkened by sin Will twist and rationalize something into evil Something that they see as good They're going to take that which is evil and twist it and rationalize it into something that they see as good That's where you get two sodomites that might say to themselves. How would god or why would god forbid our love? God would be unjust to forbid the love of two people Right they take something that is wicked something that is evil and they twist it into something that they see as good sweet and bitter Light and darkness think about it now good and evil sweet and bitter light and darkness good and evil all relative To those who live in darkness in other words. There is no Absolute truth from god's word any longer. There is not a thus sayeth the lord It's simply whatever works for me. That's what I see as good. That's what I see as sweet All right Absolute truth justice righteousness then don't exist It just becomes whatever benefits them They redefine right and wrong to suit themselves and we see that all over the place, don't we? but listen There are many many many professing christians who do that day in and day out We have within our own breast an enemy And it's our heart Bible says that the heart is what? deceitful desperately wicked who can know it Deceitful and deceitful above all things the darkness is deceitful And you have an ally of the darkness within your own chest when you sin It's so we're so prone to justify our wicked lifestyle with the bible We'll twist it and cajole it and manipulate it until our lifestyle looks Righteous in our own sight Don't do that Don't do that You twist the scriptures to your own destruction when you do that You'll find yourself one day in hell not having known or have a love for the truth of god in his word Why do they do this? They do this because the third point I want you to see the darkness is born of human pride The darkness is born of human pride look at verse 21 Woe to those who are wise In their own eyes and prudent in their own sight People believe that they are the masters of their fate They are the captains of their soul so confident in their own opinions So confident in their own reasoning so confident in their own supposed Understanding that they live like they don't need the light of god's wisdom Let me submit to you also that the farther you get From faithfulness to god's word The more and more and more increasingly you are left to your own judgments To your own faulty reasoning That's why you need the word of god You need the word of god day in and day out you need to be meditating on it day in and day out You've got to have the word of god To the degree that you neglect the word of god is to the degree that you imperil your own soul You must put the word of god into your daily life. You must meditate. It has to be your delight Look over to isaia chapter 8 just a couple of pages to the right isaia chapter 8 And drop down to verse 19 there isaia chapter 8 verse 19 Here another example of the darkness look at verse 19 and what they say to you Seek those who are mediums and wizards who whisper and mutter should not a people seek their god Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living people today Will seek truth anywhere else they can get it besides god They'll seek it from anywhere. They'll seek it from within themselves As if they are the masters of their fate the captains of their soul and the arbiters of all knowledge Well, I think or I believe no seek god Should not a people seek their god they reject the light of god's word for the darkness of human wisdom here Fourth point is that the darkness represents ignorance and foolishness and superstition Verse 20 god says to the law and to the testimony if they do not speak according to this word It's because there is no light in them God's word is the light that we need amen God's word is the only source of divine truth anything that contradicts what god has said Is a lie We know like they hear people on the news today. Well, they misstated or they miscommunicate. No, it's a lie. They're liars They spoke a lie. They didn't tell the truth. They're liars and all liars have their place in the lake of fire That god be true though everyone were a liar Anyone that leads someone in a direction that is inconsistent with the clear teaching of the bible Has no light in them verse 20 says if it is false If it is false the light of god's truth is not in it If it is false the light of god's truth is not in it think about it all of the lying deceiving or deceived charismatic words of prophecy Words from the lord listen You are saying that your word of prophecy is a direct revelation from god almighty Who will hold all under the hearing of it to account That's a does say at the lord a word from the lord tongues produced by the holy spirit The fact that you contradict with those words of prophecy Those words from the lord those prophetic tongues the fact that you contradict the bible in word or in practice Reveals you exposes you as a liar All you modern-day apostles and pastoras verse 20 says you have no light in you The bible says that his word it's his word that is a light lamp under my feet and a light under my path So what becomes of those who preach and prophesy in darkness? What becomes of them the fifth point is that darkness represents the judgment of god What becomes of those who lie? Who twist god's word to their own destruction who preach? A fabrication of their own imagination verse 21 They will pass through it hard pressed and hungry It shall happen when they are hungry that they will be Enraged and curse their king and their god and look upward. I'm reminded of revelation Where those people who dwelt on the earth did not they refused to repent of their sin and they cursed God who is pouring out his judgments upon them They refused to repent verse 22 says then they will look to the earth and see trouble and darkness and gloom of anguish And they will be driven into darkness The end of those who walk in darkness has been appointed and it is darkness Second peter says these are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm for them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved Jude verse 13 says that they are wild waves of the sea casting up the foam of their own shame Wandering stars for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever Jesus says in matthew chapter 22 verse 13 Bind him hand and foot take him away and cast him into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth So I think from from the prophet Isaiah now Of what is represented by darkness one you have an intellectual component It affects your mind your ability to reason it's falsehood. It's deceit. It's ignorance. It's foolishness You have a dark in the mind. There's a moral component that which is dark is immoral and evil It is self-serving. It is prideful There's an experiential component an experiential component. It is bondage slavery misery death fear There's also a judicial component man is subject because of the darkness to death And he is under the judgment of god This is the darkness that has come into the world on account of sin The darkness That is in your life apart from christ that is in your heart and your mind your very soul And this is the darkness into which the light of jesus christ shines Just I'm sure as you are taken by that how despicable Right how disgusting how wretched how futile And yet the lord jesus christ the light comes comes into this wicked deplorable world And takes on the form of a man becomes obedient to the point of death even death on the cross Just like in a dark room if you were to light a candle and the darkness flees Completely cast out the lord jesus christ comes into the darkness Of this world and dispels the darkness chases away the darkness. He is the blazing light Not as a star on a dark backdrop, but as light alone Casting out darkness the lord jesus christ is victorious over the darkness And when there is a blazing light there is no darkness Look at isiah chapter nine. It's just another page there to the right Look at the lord jesus christ from isiah chapter nine beginning in verse one Listen to this nevertheless The gloom will not be upon her who is distressed as when at first he lightly esteemed the land of zebulin the land of nastali And afterward more heavily oppressed her by the way of the sea beyond the jordan and galley of the gentiles The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death upon them A light has shined this passage quoted by the lord jesus christ himself in matthew chapter four verse 14 and this From isiah chapter nine verse one Fulfilled at the coming of the light of the world the lord jesus christ dropped down to verse six Listen, this was written 700 years before christ came Written 700 years before christ listen to this from verse six for unto us a child is born Unto us a son is given and the government will be upon his shoulder and his name will be called wonderful counselor what mighty god Everlasting father prince of peace of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end Upon the throne of david and over his kingdom to order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward even forever the zeal of the lord of hosts will perform this when jesus was Just a baby When he was just a baby simian and luke chapter two verse 32 called him the light Of a revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people israel Jesus christ is the light of the world the light of the glory of god Look at isaia chapter 29 isaia chapter 29 isaia speaks a lot of the darkness Isiah also reveals the light This is the grace and mercy of god. You notice the the judgments are so fierce. They are so severe Men should flee the judgment of god and yet the light is so glorious. The light is so brilliant isaia gives us both Look at isaia chapter 29 beginning in verse 17 Verse 17 begins is it not yet a very little while while Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest In that day the death shall hear the words of the book amen Right you who are once deaf. Do you hear? Can you hear the preaching of the word of god? The eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity out of darkness amen We were once in the dark darkened by our sin hopeless Destitute and the lord jesus christ shown in the darkness and our blind eyes were able to see Verse 19 the humble also shall increase their joy in the lord and the poor among men Shall rejoice in the holy one of israel look at isaia chapter 42 isaia chapter 42 a few more pages of the right The mercy and grace of our god In sending the light of the world Isaia chapter 42 look down beginning in verse one with me Behold the bible says My Servant whom I uphold who is that? That's the lord jesus christ. This is what is called a servant song from the prophet isaia one of four a servant song This is a a messy anac prophecy Behold my servant whom I uphold my elect one in whom my soul delights says god I have put my spirit upon him and he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles And what will he do verse two? He will not cry out nor raise his voice Nor cause his voice to be heard in the street a bruised reed. He will not break a smoking flax. He will not quench He will bring forth justice for truth in other words the first time that he comes He's not coming as the conquering king to execute judgment. He's coming as the suffering Servant who will not come With brute force or intimidation He comes simply to seek and to save that which is lost he comes to shine in the dark world verse four He will not fail nor be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth and the coastline shall wait for his law Thus says god the lord who created the heavens and stretched them out Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it I the lord have called you in righteousness and will hold your hand I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people and what Light to the Gentiles. That's right to open blind eyes to bring prisoners from the prison to those who sit in darkness from the prison house the lord jesus christ Comes to do that which the people of israel failed to do The people of israel were called to be a light to the nations a light to the Gentiles And then their apostasy and their sin they failed to do that for which god called them to do and the lord jesus christ comes And accomplishes that he becomes a light to the Gentiles Verse eight i am the lord that is my name and my glory i will not give to another Who's he glorifying here? The lord jesus christ and his glory he'll not give to another It is because he is god the father god the son and god the holy spirit. This is the blessed trinity He gives his glory to the son the son gives his glory back to the father that the father may be all in all Here he does not give his glory to another nor praise to carved images verse nine Behold the former things have come to pass new things. I declare before they spring forth. I tell you of them Look at isaia chapter 49 isaia 49 Again just a walk through the prophet Looking at this imagery of light from the old testament Isaia chapter 49 and drop down to verse five Here the bible reads and now the lord says who formed me from the womb to be his servant who is that The lord jesus christ that's right and to bring back jacob to him so that israel is gathered to him For i shall be glorious in the eyes of the lord and my god shall be my strength verse six Indeed he says it is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of jacob And to restore the preserved ones of israel I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be my salvation To the ends of the earth praise god amen That we're grafted into that promise That the lord god had us in mind in this Look at isaia chapter 60 He has come as a light to the Gentiles a light to the world That men and women from every tribe every tongue every nation might be saved Isaia chapter 60 look at verse one Here the bible says a rise Shine for your light has come and the glory of the lord has risen upon you for behold the darkness shall cover the earth And deep darkness the people how many of you can say amen to that You recall your darkness and how it there was just a deep Darkness that covered you before god reached out and rescued you from the darkness For behold the darkness shall cover the earth a deep darkness the people But the lord will arise Over you and his glory will be seen upon you the Gentiles shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising Then looking forward into eternity looking forward into the eternal state drop down to verse 19 Verse 19 The sun shall no longer be your light by day Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you, but the lord will be to you An everlasting light and your god your glory We will dwell in the light that is the glory of god and the glory of christ for all of eternity dwelling in light The created sun The created moon Will be snuffed out And that which will light eternity Will be god himself and all of his divine perfections Christ and all of his glory and all of his exaltation It'll be the divine nature of god that lights the eternal state forever Your son verse 20 shall no longer go down nor shall your moon withdraw itself for the lord will be your everlasting Light and the days of your morning shall be ended We'll look at that light And we'll recall the glorious height To which god pulled us from such a depth And we'll praise his name forever 21 all your people shall be righteous Praise god They shall inherit the land forever the branch of my planting the work of my hands that I May be glorified says god A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong nation I the lord will hasten it in its time. This is Reference again later in your new testament turn with me to revelation chapter 21 revelation chapter 21 John describes this scene Regarding the new jerusalem Listen to this from revelation chapter 21 And look with me at verse 23 revelation 21 Verse 23 This is glorious It's glorious the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it For the glory of god illuminated it and the lamb is its light amen Verse 24 the nations of those who are saved shall walk In its light better in his light will walk in his light The kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it Its gates shall not be shut at all by day. There shall be no night there And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it But there shall be by no means enter it anything that defiles There won't be any darkness there Nothing that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the lamb's book of life Praise the lord It's such a a great imagery throughout the scriptures with regard to darkness and light darkness and light We see that frequently back in john chapter 8 back in john chapter 8 In john chapter 8 verse 12 The lord jesus christ now draws upon all that old testament imagery all that old testament prophecy To make his opening statement under the lighted towers of the temple court And to the people living in ignorance of god He proclaims the wisdom of god To those enslaved to evil and immorality. He preaches liberty to the captives To those under the stain and guilt of darkness He offers forgiveness and cleansing to those in fear of death Condemned under the righteous judgment of god. He brings grace and mercy and into our dark And dying condition. He cries allowed I I am the light of the world And not merely a light there notice. He is the light. He's the light the lighted towers in the court of the women Would have been put out at the end of the feast of tabernacles. It would have been put out spiritually speaking those lights those towers in the court of the women Were put out spiritually when they rejected their messiah If you remember we've studied through john chapter seven john chapter eight now And we've seen beginning in john chapter six that jesus christ is the bread of life He's the bread of life and that harkens back to that time in the wilderness wanderings where god provided for his people bread from heaven mana from heaven Right and then jesus christ in the water ceremony at the feast of tabernacles We saw that the lord jesus christ is a fulfillment Of that which god provided to the nation of israel in the wilderness namely water out of the rock to provide for their thirst And the lord jesus christ became the bread of life a fulfillment of the mana in the wilderness He became the water from the rock to assuage our spiritual thirst He fulfilled that old testament imagery in the wilderness wanderings here As he sits under those towers claiming to be the light of the world We're reminded in the wilderness how the children of israel followed the cloud by day and the fire by night, aren't we he He pictures that that pictures him That points forward to christ as its fulfillment that cloud the shekinah glory of god was said to be a cloud of light It was the light of god that fire blazing by night when the cloud moved when the fire moved the people Took up their camp and they moved with him. They moved with god When the fire stopped when the clouds stopped the people stopped and they encamped They followed god in the cloud followed god in the fire by night. This is in this festival During the feast of tabernacles a festival of lights where they lit those towers and the people danced with torches pointed forward to the coming messiah Who would be the light of the world Who would be the light that isaas speaks of who would take away the sins of the world be a light to the gentiles And here jesus christ fulfills that old testament imagery He is the light of the world and yet what happens They reject him out of hand. They reject the light of god to the world And into that they snuff out their own spiritual light Makes the point in their religious ceremony Which was instituted by god for their good to be good In all of their religious practice In all of their religious ritual if that ceremony that practice that worship doesn't point forward to christ It is meaningless heartless and dead And god will snuff out the light It's a point that we need to take to heart. Listen all of our worship All of your effort all of your diligence all of your obedience All of your bible reading all of your prayer If all of our striving Doesn't ultimately find its end and purpose in the glory and exaltation of the sun It is meaningless. It is heartless. It is dead ritual Christ the light of the world all of that finds its end in the glory of christ Jesus here concludes His opening statement in john chapter 8 verse 12 by saying I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have Light of life. Let's be clear about what it means to follow him first Those who follow christ turn back from following after their sin This account comes on the heel of the lord jesus christ speaking to the woman caught in adultery where he tells her Go and sin no more Go and sin no more Those who follow christ Stop following the dictates of their own wicked heart They stop following the dictates of their own wicked desires and they turn to christ In faith to trust and follow him alone. That's what it means to begin following after christ That turning from sin is called repentance It is a turning From sin not merely a changing of your mind. It certainly is a changing of your mind But that changing of mind eventuates in a change of action You turn from your sin turning to christ to trust him and to follow him is faith Turning from sin To put your faith in christ is called conversion We turn from sin to something that's something the object of our faith is christ the person of christ the work of christ Turning to the person of christ is faith We call that turning from sin that repentance and faith call that conversion Paul describes it by saying in colossians 1 verse 13 That god he has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of his love In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins Paul said in ax chapter 26 That he was sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes and listen to this. That's regeneration Paul in ax 26 sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes being born again. That's regeneration In order to i want you to note the order In order to turn them From darkness to light that's repentance and faith notice the order regeneration In order to turn them from their sin to the light from darkness to light From the power of satan he says there to god that they may receive the forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are Sanctified by faith in me So is that where in verse 12 back in john chapter 8 verse 12? Is that where the following him then? ends No No, what does it mean to follow? To follow him in verse 12 is to not walk in darkness or implied there It means to walk in the light to follow him is to turn from walking in darkness and to walk in the light the word walk there Describes a pattern of life A pattern of life. It's the course Or habit of your life We hear the christian life here referred to frequently as a walk You might hear somebody say my walk with christ right my walk with christ That's just a pattern the habit of your life Christ defines it here in verse 12 as following him Paul describes it in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 8. He says for you were once darkness But now you are light in the lord. He says walk as children of light With this statement of the lord in verse 12 Really get to the heart of what it means to be a christian What it means to be a christian is to follow the lord to walk After the lord and with this word a clue that oh in the in the greek literal walking was involved It was following after the lord jesus christ Here we really get to the heart of what it means to be a christian a christian is someone who has repented of their sin They've put their faith and trust in christ alone And then they follow christ as the habit or the pattern or their walk of their life from then on They will not walk in darkness you get that They will not walk in darkness the darkness of this world the flesh or the devil But they rather have the light They'd rather walk in the light that produces spiritual and everlasting life First john chapter 1 verse 6 says this listen If we say that we have fellowship with him and we walk in darkness We lie and do not practice the truth But if we walk in the light as he is in the light We have fellowship with one another and the blood of jesus christ his son cleanses us from all sin notice there The present tense The present reality verbs in that statement If we say we have fellowship with him and present reality walk in darkness You're lying You're lying to yourself. You're lying to god If you say you have fellowship with god and yet you currently present as a present reality walk as a pattern of your life in darkness You lie. You don't practice the truth If we walk in the light as he is in the light present tense following after In the light as he is in the light We have fellowship with one another and the blood of jesus christ his son cleanses us from all sin just with Very great economy of words here simple but profound statements john He just eradicates any notion That I can live a life that is devoid of him Or walking apart from him Or in open rebellion to him and call myself a christian You walk in darkness. You're not entitled to any assurance of your salvation. You're walking in darkness All that is wrapped up in the meaning of the word follow. This word is akku akkalo feo akkalo feo It's a military word And it means in a military sense It describes a soldier who's lined up under his commanding officer and following his commanding officer into battle I think about the christian life What it means to follow christ you're following your commanding officer into battle There's a war that rages in your members, right? It's used of a slave A doulas who obeys every call or command of his master that phrase that word doulas slave many of your bibles interpret it or translate it as Bond servant or servant the word is slave and it means slave That is a common Title a common nomenclature for the christian and what it means to follow christ You are not your own. You were bought at a price. That is slave language here James Montgomery boy said The path that jesus christ walked is the path to crucifixion It leads to glory, but before that it leads to the cross Such a path can be walked only by the one who has died to self and who has deliberately taken up the cross of christ to follow him Luke chapter 9 verse 23 Jesus said to them all If anyone desires to come after me let him deny himself Take up his cross daily and follow me For whoever desires to save his life will what? Will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it The salvation offered by christ here is free you simply Receive it so to speak with the open hands of faith It's a free offer you believe upon him With genuine saving faith And you are free You are forgiven you're washed clean But that's not a faith that is devoid of power To change your life The following christ then becomes extremely costly In one sense it will cost you your life You're not the master of your fate. You're not the captain of your soul You were bought at a price And consider the price at which you were bought The life of god's own son His shed blood for you If you're in christ by faith he wrote your name down Put your name in the book of life before the foundation of the world I was thinking of you When his son was nailed to the tree Two primary concerns here Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery go and sin no more This idea of following christ Means to go with the sin no more and two primary concerns with that I want you to see that sin here comes in two basic forms the first Deals with sins of commission Sins of commission I want you to understand And as john would say little children do not be deceived Do not be deceived The willful the willful impenitent indulgence of sin In the mind or in your practice Will send you to health Listen the willful impenitent indulgence of sin In your mind or in your practice Will send you to hell turn with me to first corinthians chapter six first corinthians chapter six What does it mean to follow him? It means to walk in the light not to walk any longer in the darkness It is to turn your back on everything you were outside of christ And to turn in faith to christ first corinthians chapter six Look beginning with me at verse nine Turn from your sin trust christ verse nine reads do you not know That the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of god Do not be deceived Sin is deceitful our hearts are deceitful the arguments against this are deceitful Listen neither fornicators nor idolaters Nor adulterers listen any sexual immorality outside of marriage any Sex at all outside of marriage is sexual immorality and will send you to hell It will send you to hell Adulters nor homosexuals nor sodomites Nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners None of those will inherit the kingdom of god It cannot be stated any more clearly. That's not an exhaustive list. It's merely a representative list the willful impenitent indulgence of any sin in the mind or in your practice Will send you to hell Notice it's the willful impenitent indulgence. I'm not talking about the person who Is willing to be holy Who is striving and struggling roman seven romans eight against that sin Who wants more than anything in the spirit to put the death of deeds of the body? That one who is at war Needs to be encouraged in christ I'm speaking of the one who willfully and unrepentantly Impenitently indulges himself herself with sin It will send you to hell God delivers Delivers the sinner from his sin. Look at verse nine. Look at verse um verse 11 continuing on such Were some of you, but you were washed But you were sanctified you were set apart But you were justified in the name of the lord jesus and by the spirit of our god Jesus says in matthew chapter five beginning in verse 29 He says if your right eye causes you to sin Pluck it out and cast it from you for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish Then for your whole body to be cast into hell And if your right hand causes you to sin Cut it off and cast it from you for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish Then for your whole body to be cast into hell It's pretty radical. Amen You're to be plucking out and cutting off. Are you indulging sin? Are you willfully indulging sin? In impenitence. Are you following after that which is an offense to god? Are you indulging? Listen pluck it out and cut it off there He's not speaking of a literal plucking out of your eye a blind man can commit adultery in his heart, can he? But take drastic measures the christian life is a radical life The christian life is a radical light of cutting off and plucking out It's a radical turning from sin the fill of this world That's so easily ensnares us Are you indulging that fill? Cut it off pluck it out to cast that member away from you going to be cast into hell Most of you many people view the christian life as a A series of sins to avoid Right need to avoid this. I need to avoid that The christian life is far more than that the second point is dealing with sins of omission There are sins of commission those things that you do That you shouldn't be doing those things that you indulge that you need to turn from and yet there are deals There's also there are sins of omission listen the willful impenitent failure On the part of the professing christian To obey the commandments given to us in the word of god will send you to hell Will send you to hell when you die You hear that the willful impenitent failure on the part of the professing christians to obey the commandments of god Will send you to hell when you die Turn with me to luke chapter six luke chapter six This is part and parcel with what it means to live the christian life It is to turn from sin to turn from the life you once lived for yourself And that the life that you now live you live by faith in the son of god who died and gave himself for us luke chapter six And look down with me at verse 43 verse 43 Here the lord says for a good tree Does not bear bad fruit nor does a bad tree bear good fruit For every tree is known by its own fruit now examine yourself in the light and the lord's words here Think about your life in light of these words every tree ma'am every tree sir Known by its fruit For men do not gather figs from thorns nor do they gather grapes from a ramble bush A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good And an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart Brings forth evil for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks who produces the good in us and the good in our arts Lord jesus christ says by his spirit god by his spirit produces that goodness and that good produces fruitfulness Look at verse 46 Why do you call me Lord lord and not do the things which i say Lord says that we are to Meditate on his word and his word is to be our delight. The lord says that we are to pray We're pray without season Lord says that we are to take the gospel to the ends of the earth that we are to go therefore and make disciples Lord command us to follow him Verse 47 whoever comes to me and hears my sayings and does them It's not the one Simply that wills to it's the one who does It's the one who hears and does i will show you whom he is Verse 48 he's like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock When the flood rose right judgment when judgment came The stream beat vehemently against that house and could not shake it for it was founded on the rock verse 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation Against which the stream beat vehemently and immediately it fell in the ruin of that house was great When judgment comes that one who is the lords who produces fruit Who has his life built on the bedrock of obedience faithfulness to god's word That one's going to stand in the day of judgment Look over at luke 14 Luke 14 You notice there is no in between here There's no middle ground You cannot comfort yourself With the idea that at one time At some moment in the past that you once believed Are you present tense? Following after him look at luke 14 And drop down to verse 23 Verse 23 Here the master After this parable of the great supper The master said to his servant go out into the highways and hedges compel them to come in that my house may be filled For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper you look at verse 25 Great multitudes went with him and he turned and said to them if anyone comes to me Does not hate his father and mother wife and children brothers and sisters. Yes, and his own life also He what? He cannot He cannot be my disciple What the Lord is saying here is that You know, we have a tendency to think about love In sentimental emotional terms, and there's certainly an emotional component that goes with biblical love But this is the commitment to do that which christ has called you to do Above any other commitment by far that you may have in your life It is a commitment of such priority A commitment of such supremacy That all other commitments fade as almost seemingly meaningless If it comes to a decision between god the lord jesus christ and my wife I follow the lord jesus christ If i'm stuck between an impossible situation of following the lord jesus christ and my family I have a supreme commitment to the lord jesus christ But listen most professing evangelical christians today when it comes to Following the lord jesus christ or whether i'm gonna work another 30 minutes so i can get another half hour of pay on my check They're not willing to sacrifice that And how would they sacrifice say that would sacrifice their life for him? No, i don't think so and the lord jesus christ says you cannot be my disciple Everything else fades listen. We are on a short time schedule here We are not citizens of this dark world. We are citizens of the kingdom Act and live as citizens who have their homeland in another location Forsake all other priorities forsake the supremacy the priority that you place on all those things and follow christ supremely That's what the lord is saying here. He says in verse 27 Whoever does not bear the instrument of his own execution Right despising the life that you want to live despising the the flesh that still embattles itself Already in you against the spirit despising that life and pressing on after christ He says whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple For which of you now listen intending to build a tower Does not sit down first and count the cost It is costly to live the christian life When you give your life to christ listen It is no nominal Cavalier easy Following It is an all or nothing proposition. What will you do? When it comes to determining your priorities, where do you start? You start with god you start with christ you start with his word. You don't start with job Or paycheck or family or pleasure or leisure In all things christ is supreme he is preeminent You build this tower for which of you intending to build a tower it's the tower of your life It's the tower of your life You're building a life Which of you intending to build your life in the christian faith Building your life upon christ and his word following him Does not sit down first and count the cost Whether he has enough to finish it listen this is going to be hard You know phase persecution you're going to come across difficult decisions They're going to be times when you don't feel like it But you're commanded to anyway They're going to be times when you have to question your priorities And get your proverbial spiritual ducks in a row And do what god has called you to do rather than what you and your flesh want to do This life is not an easy life. You may lose friends. You may lose a husband lose a wife lose family You may lose your life You certainly lose your independence to make decisions for yourself You were bought at a price. You're not your own Obey the lord He says verse 29 lest after he has laid the foundation and not is not able to finish and all who see it begin to mock him You know that one who comes He says sets out. I want to follow the lord. I want to follow the lord He lays the foundation. He says i've turned for my sin to follow christ foundation has been laid But now he goes on and he doesn't finish He doesn't follow after him. He stops stops reading his bible stops praying starts looking no different than the world And the rest the world sits around and mocks that one Look at this guy. He calls himself a christian He's not a christian. Look how he lives his life Look at that. He looks no different than me. He saw the same movie. I saw last night He did the same thing at the club that I did last night He drinks the same brand of liquor that I drink, right? They look no different than the world And those in the world stand by and mock that one because he wasn't able to finish saying Verse 30 this man began to build and was not able to finish Or what king verse 31 going to make war against another king does not sit down first and consider Whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against him with 20,000. Are you able to wage war? That's what the christian life is Are you able to go into battle? Not merely set out like you get yourself all dressed up right you put on your armor You grab the sword of the spirit, which is the word of god You take off into battle And then you sit there in the trench and don't fight There's no battle going on for holiness. No battle against your sin. No battle for righteousness. No stand for the truth You're not following the lord You're just sitting back in your tent while the rest of the army is out in the field Or else verse 32 while the other is still a great way off He sends a delegation asked for conditions of peace So likewise whoever of you who does not forsake all that he has Cannot be my disciple. It's just can't be any clearer. Are you are you failing in any point of obedience? Are you failing right now as you examine yourself before the lord? It's an area of your life where you're not obeying the lord. You're not being faithful Men men listen to me men. Are you Faithfully providing for your household both financially with your work Spiritually with the word of god Are you discipling your family discipling your kids? Are you providing for them ladies? Are you submitting to your husband? Are you submissive? To your husband listen the willful the willful impenitent failure To do any of that which the lord commands Will send you to hell the willful and impenitent failure on the part of the professing christian to obey the lord Someone says I know him But you don't keep his commandments the bible says you're a liar and the truth is not in you Children kids listen to me kids Are you obeying your parents from the heart? Are you obeying them from the heart? Is your life reflected devotion to the lord? All of this in many ways Also in the word of god is encompassed in this statement that following christ is to make disciples You're you're here this side of heaven Saved to serve the lord jesus christ in making disciples for the glory of god Being a witness for christ He leads us out of darkness into life and then john turns and says lord jesus christ says john writes the account Where he says is i'm sorry. It's matthew matthew chapter 5 verse 14. Jesus says you are the light of the world I am the light of the world. Jesus christ says And then upon you coming to him in faith and turning to follow him He then says to you you are the light of the world now go and make disciples. We have a responsibility, don't we? It's a responsibility to our brothers To minister to them to edify them We have a responsibility to the lost It's a tip of the spirit to take the gospel out to a lost and dying world And the lord says that when you receive power the spirit comes upon you you will be witnesses to him Are you making disciples? I think about it examine yourself in light of god's word I didn't sneak in your room overnight and write those things in your bible These things are written to the lord. These are the lord's words. This is the lord's testimony. These are This is his Teaching his instruction for what a genuine disciple of the lord. Jesus christ looks like difficulty is often Is it a vast majority of christianity doesn't teach this? It doesn't instruct us from the word of god this way And so a vast majority of what people call christianity is not christianity And so when you start following christ in earnest you look counter-cultural counter-cultural Certainly counter-cultural to the world, but even counter-cultural within quote-unquote christian circles. You know what happens when that happens Start getting persecuted You take a stand for the truth You take a stand for the truth and you're gonna you're gonna incur fire They call it quote-unquote friendly fire. It's not so friendly We've we've suffered through that haven't we it ain't friendly That's that's what following christ is remember Jesus said also if you are ashamed of me and what? My words i'll be ashamed of you When i stand before the father This is an all or nothing proposition. This is what it means to follow christ. Are you following him? Where are you at today? Are you just sort of camped out? In the tent While the rest of the body is out fighting world just sits by and mocks The enemy the accuser of the brethren just sits by and mocks Look at this one started out Ha can't finish We do that our own power. Do we do that our own strength? No, if you are a genuine child of light Then god has poured out light into the darkness of your heart His spirit indwells you And he sees to it that you walk in the light now we can resist that We can grieve the holy spirit for a time for a time But the willful Impeniton sin will send you to hell You have to turn from that sin You have to turn back to the lord And you have to serve him faithfully and fervently afresh again It's an all or nothing proposition So many today living according to the world's priorities So many today calling themselves christians and living according to the dictates of their own hearts their own desires. They indulge their flesh And they called themselves by christ's name who died and gave himself They want the same things this world wants and they busy themselves with what the world prioritized prioritizes Why would anyone Consider such a costly endeavor Why would anyone want to do that right bible talks about it as waging war Why would anyone want to go into that kind of a christian life? Are you waging war? If not, you don't have any idea what i'm talking about And you'll suffer judgment one day listen get on board turn from your sin Put your faith in christ get into the battle get into the fray follow him Why would anyone want to wage war like that? Why would anyone want to enter that kind of a life that is so diametrically opposed to everything around us? Why? Because we have the light He said so that we won't walk in darkness. We can escape the darkness verse 12 and have the light of life We escape sin and judgment Perdition hellfire condemnation all that is taken away And we have the light of life The power in us to live for him and to please him and we have christ For all eternity will have christ He says i have a life of the world he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life We do it by faith By trusting him and the power of his spirit You can't ever begin to think never you can never think that it's our following that saves us Ha bearst the thought The lord saves us and it empowers us to live for him one of the Evidences that the lord has saved you there's been a great a work of grace in your heart and that there's genuine saving faith Taking up residence there Is that you follow? Are you following the present tense? And remember he says i am Before he says they follow right? Pray is god. It's a glorious salvation. Amen. Amen. Let's pray Father in heaven. Thank you for our time together. Thank you for your word God, I pray that we would take these truths to heart God help us to see clearly through the sludge and depravity Of our own hearts To see truly the glory of the salvation you provided us in christ Got to see clearly how we Are so prone to justify our sin To justify our apathetic indifferent so-called nominal christian minds And god Convict us of that find us faithful to Abandon it with reckless abandon cutting off and gouging out To live for you heart soul mind and strength Lord because we love you Because you have given everything to redeem us to yourself Because you shed your own blood because you are our lord and savior Because you are the light of the world And because we can escape the darkness Because we can be out from under judgment in wrath condemnation Praise you and thank you lord for this glorious glorious promise in the scriptures. Thank you lord that you are the light In this dark world Help us to be faithful to you lord and going out with that light Thank you that you employed us in the work of being lights Maybe we be faithful to you in that work Praise me to god We worship you and thank you lord and will for all eternity In jesus name we pray. Amen