Sunday Gathering - John 8 : 12-20 - Nick Lugg - Sermon Only

Hello. Hello. How are you doing? We'll just talk southern.

We've reached John chapter 8 verse 12. Andy was speaking last week about the woman caught in adultery

and how that in one small passage just encompasses the whole of the gospel.

the grace of god that transforms our lives and so much about the energy of the gospel and the

passage by passage development of the themes and the teaching is about all that jesus brings to us

it's sort of transforming power the the this is not just a a religious text this is not just a

a learning exercise in in working out theology this is about the the hope and the life and the

light that comes into our lives through jesus and so in chapter 8 verse 12 it continues and says

this jesus spoke to the people once more and said i am the light of the world if you follow me you

won't have to walk in darkness because you will have the light that leads to life the pharisees

replied you are making those claims about yourself such testimony is not valid jesus told them these

claims are valid even though i make them about myself it's very bold and provocative wasn't it

yeah take it or leave it for i know where i came from and where i am going but you don't know this

about me you judge me by human standards but i do not judge anyone and if i did my judgment would

be correct in every respect simple because i'm not alone the father who sent me is with me your

own law says that if two people agree about something their witness is accepted as fact

i am one witness and my father who sent me is the other where is your father they asked jesus

answered since you don't know who i am you don't know who my father is if you knew me you would

also know my father jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the

temple known as the treasury but he was not arrested because his time had not yet come

gentle jesus meek and mild he must have absolutely made them tear tear their hair out with all his

provocation and all you know yeah it doesn't matter you know your testimony is not valid yes it is

i know who i am and uh just deliberately provocative and wonderfully so because it's

that provocation that really cuts in it's not about just sort of like easing in and merging

in with the way that we're thinking he actually comes face to face confronts our ways of thinking

and that's what he was doing with the with the pharisees have you noticed how light

changes everything they have no appreciation of light or how light how it affects our life until

it goes out until it goes dark as you know many of you will know we lived in Zambia for a number

years and among the many things that Zambia taught me, the value of light. Driving in Zambia has

particular challenges and hazards and above all things we always tried to avoid driving at night

but sometimes it was impossible to avoid. Many times we've been driving knowing that we've still

got three, four hours getting to five, six o'clock in the evening and you've still got three, four

hours to go and you're seeing the sun going down and you're wishing, oh I wish I had the power to

stop it going down because it's going down and it's going to get dark and you know that darkness

is going to fall and you know also that there are no white lines there are no cat's eyes there are

no street lights there's nothing to stop you going over the edge of the road all of that and it's just

and it's just it's just stressful driving in the dark journeys that would begin for practical

reasons about four in the morning you just like have to see through the first few hours before

the first light began to dawn and it's like a relief comes on you because light begins to spread

and you can see where you're going power cuts were a regular feature of life often when least

expected one time the whole country lost its entire power just gone there was a short circuit

at the one power station that we had it's not bam everybody was in darkness and we just sat there

not knowing when it was going to come back every noise every passing bat everything that brushed

your skin became a bit of an ordeal there was one time we turned that we didn't do it for long

because the battery was running out but we turned our car headlights on and we could see the uh the

silhouette of our cat coming into the yard with a big rat in its mouth wriggling and then it dropped

it in the dark and then all we could see was the cat and no idea where the rat was that's the power

of darkness brings fear and anticipation and anxiety we were in another traveling story one

time where many years ago when Aidan was very young because we were moving with a travel cot

and we were traveling to we were traveling in Ghana and we went to one particular place

and we were shown to at the room where we were going to be staying and left behind and all the

lights went out and it was like like those sort of things they do when I'm a celebrity get me out

of here you know there was uh it was it was complete darkness and we didn't know what was

going to happen there was all sorts of noises going on and at one point we heard this and we

thought what's that sounded like a horse at first but then it was then we thought it must be a rat

and we were lying on the floor we had a mattress on the floor Aidan was in his travel car and we

just like they're just listening to these noises didn't know what it was until eventually we did

have light there it was just we turned off and eventually managed to somehow you know it's one

of those things like the apostle peter when he said i'll go anywhere for you lord i'll serve you

i'll i'll even die for you and you know we were intrepid missionaries doing all sorts of work for

the lord and yet when the lights went off we were terrified and then i had to actually get up and

turn the light on the way i turned the light on i saw what it was there was a cockroach about that

big that I'd got like boots on but with the light came the opportunity to understand it wasn't

exactly relief but it gave us a a strategy so as as it flew towards me because they fly

I managed to drown it with some deodorant

anyway this is not what we're talking about links Africa yeah probably so when the lights come back

on the relief is tangible life comes back and we can function again children are often afraid of

the dark aren't they and even adults but it's a fear that can be dispelled with the flick of a

switch like darkness can be unnerving disorienting anxiety driving and so for jesus to say i am the

light of the world is such good news i'm light to you in your darkness it's a big claim he's saying

he's the one that makes a difference he's the one who makes things make sense he's the one who

transforms our understanding and dispels our fears because when jesus comes in the lights come on

we can see things differently because of jesus his presence is the very thing that brings light to

our minds and our hearts and enables us to see things clearly without him we don't know where

we're going we're scared we're disoriented we're confused jesus in our lives makes a difference

a transforming difference the bright light transforms our experience of darkness jesus

saying i am the light of the world if you follow me if you follow me you won't have to walk in

darkness because you will have the light that leads to life this is not complex theology that

he's giving us or theoretical stuff he's saying if you follow me you will have the light that leads

to life. And we know, don't we, that darkness is a reality for people. It's a reality in our lives.

We know what it's like to live in confusion, to live in fear, to live in uncertainty, not knowing

which way to turn, not knowing how to get out of situations when things get entirely out of

perspective. Life without Jesus is surrounded by darkness. It's like a prison cell. But Jesus

promised to us this morning is that if you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness because

you will have the light that leads to life the light is not faith or understanding or being a

christian or coming to church the light is jesus following jesus it's not easy it's not this is not

triumphalistic stuff that says oh we just follow jesus and everything will be all right but jesus

brings light into our life in the way that nothing else can and nobody else can jesus gives us an

opportunity he says i am the light of the world he's not saying i'm one of the lights or i'm a

light or i'm an option if you want some light he said i am the light of the world and this world

that is lost in darkness and confusion and despair finds its light in jesus and that's a relevant

message for the whole world that's why at christmas the angels came and said well there

wasn't christmas was it then but it's christmas now good news of great joy to all the earth the

savior is born to all the earth to all people doesn't matter whether you believe in him or you

don't believe in him he's still the light of the world doesn't matter whether you look um you know

i listen to the the government you know they've adopted all these terms you know we're going to

bring hope hope and uh we're going to have a ministry of hope apparently and all of this sort

of stuff and hoping what what what are they offering us we'll find out the budget i'm sure

but you know what are they actually offering us but jesus is the light of the world unfortunately

he's not a politician jesus is the light that leads to life what does it mean over the years

i've noticed it's quite easy for people to get close but not quite grasp what it means and sadly

we can hitch a ride on the back of the church but still remain in darkness because jesus

makes the difference those times in Zambia when darkness closed in so powerfully we longed for

light there was there was a little beep that used to come on when the power started coming through

I don't know if it was our fridge or something beeped anyway and it was the first indication

that light was coming you did oh my goodness it's coming back light comes into our lives we longed

it enabled us to function and that's what we find in jesus nobody and nothing else i was having a

conversation with somebody recently about this and they were asking me why is jesus such a big

deal for christians why can't we just believe in god why can't we just pray why can't we just be

good people why can't we just you know all get along imagine oh no that's a song and it forced

me to go back over my story and over my experience and my memory of what happened to me and I had to

work it out I had to do the maths today it was 39 years ago and to think why haven't things faded

off over those 39 years my grandmother thought I was going through a phase as a 16 year old when I

said I'd become a Christian and I remembered how I came to a settled position in my mind and

believed in God and I believed that the teachings of the Bible were true and I enjoyed going to

church and I enjoyed reading stuff and understanding stuff and learning stuff but it wasn't until about

a year of that and I was in a meeting and somebody gave a call, an altar call and they said who is

here that needs to give their lives to Jesus, who needs to commit themselves to Jesus, who needs to

know Jesus for themselves and I knew it was me. So after all of that knowledge and all of that

acceptance and all of that understanding I knew there was still a missing piece and I went there

and I prayed and I could say it was really interesting just relaying the story because

it's a long time since I've thought about that and just relayed this way and said and something

changed in me I didn't I don't remember it being a very dramatic experience but something changed

in me then that has never changed back it's like a light came on there was like a switch there was

something happened that meant that it wasn't a phase that it wasn't something that was going to

fade off that i am an entirely different person now from what i was 39 years ago and i've got 39

years of experience that that has challenged that has stressed that has encouraged that has lived

that all of that as is all built in and yet still i can stand here today and say on that day i know

that the that i i encountered something that was like light coming on in my life that was the

missing piece and everybody's journey begins in the same way with a personal encounter with Jesus

you have to know that you've had a personal encounter with Jesus I'm not talking about

necessarily an emotional experience but you have to know that you have come to that point where

you've said actually Jesus I'm following you shine your light in my life and in my heart

a clear decision that we're going to follow him and I said it's possible to get through life and

it's possible to get through church life without ever making that decision but that's why jesus is

such a big deal because it's jesus who makes the difference but it's not just a one-off

experience but it's an ongoing commitment to walk in the light of jesus which is a challenge to us

all challenge to each and every one of us you know sometimes when we preach here we give the

opportunity for a response and uh you know who wants to respond and often you know there might

be one or two it might be none but i believe that in god's word today there is a response for each

and every one of us to make because jesus said i am the light of the world if you follow me you

won't have to walk in darkness because you will have the light that leads to life and we can live

our life in such a way that we're not actually purposefully following jesus we can have the

the name we can have the label we can have the we can have the experience we can definitely have

the salvation but there is a challenge to us are we going to follow jesus every day of our lives

are we going to seek his light in our life or are we going to do what sometimes we do we we we take

on jesus on the one hand but then we get on with our life on the other and and we can end up

scrabbling around in the dark as if we're looking for a candle because the lights have gone out

when in actual fact we're not actually choosing to follow him

each and every day.

So the challenge is clear for us every day of our lives.

Remember that book by, there was a book by a pastor in South Korea

who had the prayer mountain and called Good Morning Holy Spirit

and a slightly different emphasis, but it's the same sort of thing.

It's not waking up and saying good morning.

Lord Jesus, today I want to follow you.

today you are the light of the world and therefore i want to follow you today i want to know what

andy said earlier you know when we hear the testament is we hear how god

involves himself and intervenes in in every aspect of our lives as we choose to involve him as well

that there is when it comes to our the decisions that we have to make the problems that we have

the family challenges that we have the job into all everything that we are facing everything that

we are challenging. The truth is the same. Jesus is the light of the world. He is the one that if

we follow him, we don't have to walk in darkness. We might not always understand the path that we're

taking, but we will have the light that leads us. And so every day, talking about that moment when

you first make that decision. And I have to be truthful to say that 39 years ago, I made that

decision. And there are many days when I've just gone with the flow. There are many days when I

just haven't given it a thought. There are many days when we just go through the motions of life.

There are many days when I've been lost in my own thoughts and confusion and uncertainty and

faithlessness and all of that. And yet, each and every time Jesus gives the opportunity,

he said, I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness.

and so there's been an opportunity for me

and there continues to be an opportunity for you

each and every day

to turn our hearts towards Jesus

and say Lord fill my life today with your light

help me understand

help me, lead me today

lead me into life

let me experience you today

not just as a church person

not just as a Christian

but as a follower of Jesus

someone who is coming to know

and I pray and believe and hope and expect

that I would know Jesus better now

than I did 39 years ago.

But for each of us, we can know him better today

than we did yesterday, better tomorrow than we do today

if we choose to follow him.

Turning ourselves towards him and lay everything down,

everything that we're so used to carrying

and saying, Lord, I am yours and you're mine.

Again, there's so much in the worship this morning

that has spoken into that

and as we began our worship

we said let's bring ourselves before the Lord

we bring ourselves before him

and we lay everything down

sometimes we come with

I've got some things for you to sort out Lord

but in actual fact

we lay it down

and we stand before him

and we say Jesus fill my heart

fill my life

I am yours and you are mine

today as much as you were on that first day

when I came to know you

you are mine today

come into my life

fill my life

lead my life may my life be about jesus every day many of us have years of experience behind us

sometimes years of leadership experience responsibility and we can do all that without

turning to the point we sang it today i'm coming back to the heart of worship and it's all about

you i'm so grateful for people in our lives that have been genuine examples of what it means to

follow jesus and i remember uh you know jesus made these claims about himself and you think

well that's that's a bit bold and i remember one man who made some bold claims to me but i think

listening to him he was telling the truth he said he never understood that song it's all about you

jesus you know i'm coming back to the heart of worship because it's all about you i'm sorry for

the things i've made it he said because for me it's always been about jesus always and i think

But what a testimony to have

because many of us can understand that song.

I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it.

And it's all about you.

Sorry that I've gone off on my own merry-go-round

and my own flipping and flapping and flopping

and doing whatever I do

and then come back and,

oh, Lord, sort out my mess.

It's all about you, Jesus.

I'm coming back to the heart of worship.

And as we do that,

and as we become people

that will deliberately focus ourselves on Jesus daily.

That's the beginning of revival.

Being a community of people amongst whom Jesus lives,

amongst whom he shines his light.

That when people come into the midst of our church and our community,

they discover the light of Jesus.

People that understand the light of Jesus.

Jesus said, I am the light of the world.

If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness

because you will have the light that leads to life and we follow him every single day another

song that struck me this morning ali was talking about the family funeral song i was trying to

think of suitable funeral songs for a family so there's a few came to mind but that song said

when the end draws near and my time has come still my my soul will sing your praise unending

that's my prayer

that following Jesus

would mean so much

and be so central

that at the end of it all

we just keep following

and we keep walking

towards the light

keep following

keep walking

keep moving right into

eternity

eternity wouldn't be a surprise

but it would be a natural step

sometimes we

i remember somebody being asked in my first church an older guy who'd been in the church

for many years do you know what will happen to you when you die so well i'm not sure i hope i hope i

hope i hope things will work out we don't want to be like that we want it to be a natural step

because we've been following jesus you won't have to walk in darkness because you will have the light

that leads to life life doesn't always make sense but the light of jesus leads to life

that's the promise

so why wouldn't we follow him

why wouldn't we choose him every day

why wouldn't we choose him today

now, say Lord I have

drifted from you, I have let my

heart go cold, I have allowed

darkness to surround me

but Lord come into my

life this morning, come into

my life and shine your light again

remind me about who you are

remind me about what it means, remind me about

how much you love me, remind me

how to love you

and how to be a follower of you Jesus

and then when it comes to tomorrow morning

do the same

not talking about hours and hours of prayer

just talking about starting the day

Lord Jesus today I'm going to follow you

today I want to learn more about you

today I want to see your light in my life

today I want to see your intervention

I want to see you do something in my life today

I want to understand more about you tonight

than I did this morning

and then Tuesday

do it again, do it again

and we will become a people that are revived

that are energised

that are filled with joy

that are filled with light

and there won't be, there is just that

it doesn't mean that life will miraculously change

and all the situations will suddenly become right

but at least we will have the light

that leads to life

we won't be flapping about in the darkness

that's our challenge

my challenge

it's always best when the sermons

that you preach challenge your life so strongly but that's what it is every day jesus where are

you in my life where are you in my focus where are you in my thinking let me follow you let me know

what it is that you require of me not just going to tell you what i want you to be for me but what

do you want me to be for you how do i live in the light of your salvation so i think we on

Everybody will respond their own way,

but the response is very simple.

If you've never come before Jesus before,

if you've never given your life to Jesus,

if you know that, then do it now.

But please, do speak up.

Do connect.

Do allow someone to pray with you

and pray for you,

because that is the best decision you can ever make.

But then for each and every one of us,

there's no one for whom this isn't relevant.

no one for whom we can say

I don't think I'm going to respond today

this is an opportunity to respond

and just in the

simplest of ways, the simplest prayer

Lord Jesus

I want to follow you

come into my life, shine your life

shine your light

Amen