WEBVTT 00:00:02.510 --> 00:00:13.460 Hello. Hello. How are you doing? We'll just talk southern. 00:00:16.200 --> 00:00:25.500 We've reached John chapter 8 verse 12. Andy was speaking last week about the woman caught in adultery 00:00:25.500 --> 00:00:31.140 and how that in one small passage just encompasses the whole of the gospel. 00:00:31.140 --> 00:00:40.440 the grace of god that transforms our lives and so much about the energy of the gospel and the 00:00:40.440 --> 00:00:46.620 passage by passage development of the themes and the teaching is about all that jesus brings to us 00:00:46.620 --> 00:00:54.420 it's sort of transforming power the the this is not just a a religious text this is not just a 00:00:54.420 --> 00:01:02.320 a learning exercise in in working out theology this is about the the hope and the life and the 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:10.020 light that comes into our lives through jesus and so in chapter 8 verse 12 it continues and says 00:01:10.020 --> 00:01:16.320 this jesus spoke to the people once more and said i am the light of the world if you follow me you 00:01:16.320 --> 00:01:23.020 won't have to walk in darkness because you will have the light that leads to life the pharisees 00:01:23.020 --> 00:01:29.260 replied you are making those claims about yourself such testimony is not valid jesus told them these 00:01:29.260 --> 00:01:34.880 claims are valid even though i make them about myself it's very bold and provocative wasn't it 00:01:34.880 --> 00:01:41.300 yeah take it or leave it for i know where i came from and where i am going but you don't know this 00:01:41.300 --> 00:01:47.510 about me you judge me by human standards but i do not judge anyone and if i did my judgment would 00:01:47.510 --> 00:01:55.990 be correct in every respect simple because i'm not alone the father who sent me is with me your 00:01:55.990 --> 00:02:00.050 own law says that if two people agree about something their witness is accepted as fact 00:02:00.050 --> 00:02:05.670 i am one witness and my father who sent me is the other where is your father they asked jesus 00:02:05.670 --> 00:02:10.090 answered since you don't know who i am you don't know who my father is if you knew me you would 00:02:10.090 --> 00:02:14.550 also know my father jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the 00:02:14.550 --> 00:02:18.950 temple known as the treasury but he was not arrested because his time had not yet come 00:02:18.950 --> 00:02:25.640 gentle jesus meek and mild he must have absolutely made them tear tear their hair out with all his 00:02:25.640 --> 00:02:30.960 provocation and all you know yeah it doesn't matter you know your testimony is not valid yes it is 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:37.960 i know who i am and uh just deliberately provocative and wonderfully so because it's 00:02:37.960 --> 00:02:43.600 that provocation that really cuts in it's not about just sort of like easing in and merging 00:02:43.600 --> 00:02:51.120 in with the way that we're thinking he actually comes face to face confronts our ways of thinking 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:56.740 and that's what he was doing with the with the pharisees have you noticed how light 00:02:56.740 --> 00:03:03.980 changes everything they have no appreciation of light or how light how it affects our life until 00:03:03.980 --> 00:03:10.580 it goes out until it goes dark as you know many of you will know we lived in Zambia for a number 00:03:10.580 --> 00:03:18.950 years and among the many things that Zambia taught me, the value of light. Driving in Zambia has 00:03:18.950 --> 00:03:24.850 particular challenges and hazards and above all things we always tried to avoid driving at night 00:03:24.850 --> 00:03:31.580 but sometimes it was impossible to avoid. Many times we've been driving knowing that we've still 00:03:31.580 --> 00:03:35.560 got three, four hours getting to five, six o'clock in the evening and you've still got three, four 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:39.720 hours to go and you're seeing the sun going down and you're wishing, oh I wish I had the power to 00:03:39.720 --> 00:03:47.940 stop it going down because it's going down and it's going to get dark and you know that darkness 00:03:47.940 --> 00:03:53.060 is going to fall and you know also that there are no white lines there are no cat's eyes there are 00:03:53.060 --> 00:03:58.180 no street lights there's nothing to stop you going over the edge of the road all of that and it's just 00:03:58.180 --> 00:04:04.700 and it's just it's just stressful driving in the dark journeys that would begin for practical 00:04:04.700 --> 00:04:09.900 reasons about four in the morning you just like have to see through the first few hours before 00:04:09.900 --> 00:04:15.440 the first light began to dawn and it's like a relief comes on you because light begins to spread 00:04:15.440 --> 00:04:23.880 and you can see where you're going power cuts were a regular feature of life often when least 00:04:23.880 --> 00:04:29.320 expected one time the whole country lost its entire power just gone there was a short circuit 00:04:29.320 --> 00:04:35.360 at the one power station that we had it's not bam everybody was in darkness and we just sat there 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:43.180 not knowing when it was going to come back every noise every passing bat everything that brushed 00:04:43.180 --> 00:04:48.060 your skin became a bit of an ordeal there was one time we turned that we didn't do it for long 00:04:48.060 --> 00:04:53.120 because the battery was running out but we turned our car headlights on and we could see the uh the 00:04:53.120 --> 00:05:00.100 silhouette of our cat coming into the yard with a big rat in its mouth wriggling and then it dropped 00:05:00.100 --> 00:05:06.340 it in the dark and then all we could see was the cat and no idea where the rat was that's the power 00:05:06.340 --> 00:05:15.240 of darkness brings fear and anticipation and anxiety we were in another traveling story one 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:19.560 time where many years ago when Aidan was very young because we were moving with a travel cot 00:05:19.560 --> 00:05:25.480 and we were traveling to we were traveling in Ghana and we went to one particular place 00:05:25.480 --> 00:05:29.700 and we were shown to at the room where we were going to be staying and left behind and all the 00:05:29.700 --> 00:05:34.020 lights went out and it was like like those sort of things they do when I'm a celebrity get me out 00:05:34.020 --> 00:05:37.900 of here you know there was uh it was it was complete darkness and we didn't know what was 00:05:37.900 --> 00:05:44.700 going to happen there was all sorts of noises going on and at one point we heard this and we 00:05:44.700 --> 00:05:49.980 thought what's that sounded like a horse at first but then it was then we thought it must be a rat 00:05:49.980 --> 00:05:54.280 and we were lying on the floor we had a mattress on the floor Aidan was in his travel car and we 00:05:54.280 --> 00:06:02.080 just like they're just listening to these noises didn't know what it was until eventually we did 00:06:02.080 --> 00:06:06.300 have light there it was just we turned off and eventually managed to somehow you know it's one 00:06:06.300 --> 00:06:10.340 of those things like the apostle peter when he said i'll go anywhere for you lord i'll serve you 00:06:10.340 --> 00:06:15.780 i'll i'll even die for you and you know we were intrepid missionaries doing all sorts of work for 00:06:15.780 --> 00:06:20.400 the lord and yet when the lights went off we were terrified and then i had to actually get up and 00:06:20.400 --> 00:06:25.020 turn the light on the way i turned the light on i saw what it was there was a cockroach about that 00:06:25.020 --> 00:06:35.550 big that I'd got like boots on but with the light came the opportunity to understand it wasn't 00:06:35.550 --> 00:06:42.050 exactly relief but it gave us a a strategy so as as it flew towards me because they fly 00:06:42.050 --> 00:06:45.830 I managed to drown it with some deodorant 00:06:45.830 --> 00:06:57.440 anyway this is not what we're talking about links Africa yeah probably so when the lights come back 00:06:57.440 --> 00:07:03.610 on the relief is tangible life comes back and we can function again children are often afraid of 00:07:03.610 --> 00:07:10.300 the dark aren't they and even adults but it's a fear that can be dispelled with the flick of a 00:07:10.300 --> 00:07:19.720 switch like darkness can be unnerving disorienting anxiety driving and so for jesus to say i am the 00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:27.420 light of the world is such good news i'm light to you in your darkness it's a big claim he's saying 00:07:27.420 --> 00:07:32.440 he's the one that makes a difference he's the one who makes things make sense he's the one who 00:07:32.440 --> 00:07:38.240 transforms our understanding and dispels our fears because when jesus comes in the lights come on 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:45.880 we can see things differently because of jesus his presence is the very thing that brings light to 00:07:45.880 --> 00:07:52.060 our minds and our hearts and enables us to see things clearly without him we don't know where 00:07:52.060 --> 00:07:58.380 we're going we're scared we're disoriented we're confused jesus in our lives makes a difference 00:07:58.380 --> 00:08:04.320 a transforming difference the bright light transforms our experience of darkness jesus 00:08:04.320 --> 00:08:10.480 saying i am the light of the world if you follow me if you follow me you won't have to walk in 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:16.160 darkness because you will have the light that leads to life this is not complex theology that 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:22.020 he's giving us or theoretical stuff he's saying if you follow me you will have the light that leads 00:08:22.020 --> 00:08:31.860 to life. And we know, don't we, that darkness is a reality for people. It's a reality in our lives. 00:08:31.940 --> 00:08:37.440 We know what it's like to live in confusion, to live in fear, to live in uncertainty, not knowing 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:42.240 which way to turn, not knowing how to get out of situations when things get entirely out of 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:48.760 perspective. Life without Jesus is surrounded by darkness. It's like a prison cell. But Jesus 00:08:48.760 --> 00:08:54.680 promised to us this morning is that if you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness because 00:08:54.680 --> 00:09:03.770 you will have the light that leads to life the light is not faith or understanding or being a 00:09:03.770 --> 00:09:10.370 christian or coming to church the light is jesus following jesus it's not easy it's not this is not 00:09:10.370 --> 00:09:14.630 triumphalistic stuff that says oh we just follow jesus and everything will be all right but jesus 00:09:14.630 --> 00:09:20.230 brings light into our life in the way that nothing else can and nobody else can jesus gives us an 00:09:20.230 --> 00:09:25.610 opportunity he says i am the light of the world he's not saying i'm one of the lights or i'm a 00:09:25.610 --> 00:09:33.050 light or i'm an option if you want some light he said i am the light of the world and this world 00:09:33.050 --> 00:09:38.270 that is lost in darkness and confusion and despair finds its light in jesus and that's a relevant 00:09:38.270 --> 00:09:42.430 message for the whole world that's why at christmas the angels came and said well there 00:09:42.430 --> 00:09:48.210 wasn't christmas was it then but it's christmas now good news of great joy to all the earth the 00:09:48.210 --> 00:09:53.010 savior is born to all the earth to all people doesn't matter whether you believe in him or you 00:09:53.010 --> 00:09:58.090 don't believe in him he's still the light of the world doesn't matter whether you look um you know 00:09:58.090 --> 00:10:01.390 i listen to the the government you know they've adopted all these terms you know we're going to 00:10:01.390 --> 00:10:06.510 bring hope hope and uh we're going to have a ministry of hope apparently and all of this sort 00:10:06.510 --> 00:10:14.080 of stuff and hoping what what what are they offering us we'll find out the budget i'm sure 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:25.400 but you know what are they actually offering us but jesus is the light of the world unfortunately 00:10:25.400 --> 00:10:37.470 he's not a politician jesus is the light that leads to life what does it mean over the years 00:10:37.470 --> 00:10:43.350 i've noticed it's quite easy for people to get close but not quite grasp what it means and sadly 00:10:43.350 --> 00:10:51.680 we can hitch a ride on the back of the church but still remain in darkness because jesus 00:10:51.680 --> 00:11:01.280 makes the difference those times in Zambia when darkness closed in so powerfully we longed for 00:11:01.280 --> 00:11:05.820 light there was there was a little beep that used to come on when the power started coming through 00:11:05.820 --> 00:11:10.620 I don't know if it was our fridge or something beeped anyway and it was the first indication 00:11:10.620 --> 00:11:18.360 that light was coming you did oh my goodness it's coming back light comes into our lives we longed 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:25.480 it enabled us to function and that's what we find in jesus nobody and nothing else i was having a 00:11:25.480 --> 00:11:31.460 conversation with somebody recently about this and they were asking me why is jesus such a big 00:11:31.460 --> 00:11:40.180 deal for christians why can't we just believe in god why can't we just pray why can't we just be 00:11:40.180 --> 00:11:52.020 good people why can't we just you know all get along imagine oh no that's a song and it forced 00:11:52.020 --> 00:11:58.920 me to go back over my story and over my experience and my memory of what happened to me and I had to 00:11:58.920 --> 00:12:05.670 work it out I had to do the maths today it was 39 years ago and to think why haven't things faded 00:12:05.670 --> 00:12:12.850 off over those 39 years my grandmother thought I was going through a phase as a 16 year old when I 00:12:12.850 --> 00:12:20.770 said I'd become a Christian and I remembered how I came to a settled position in my mind and 00:12:20.770 --> 00:12:26.430 believed in God and I believed that the teachings of the Bible were true and I enjoyed going to 00:12:26.430 --> 00:12:32.530 church and I enjoyed reading stuff and understanding stuff and learning stuff but it wasn't until about 00:12:32.530 --> 00:12:39.370 a year of that and I was in a meeting and somebody gave a call, an altar call and they said who is 00:12:39.370 --> 00:12:44.090 here that needs to give their lives to Jesus, who needs to commit themselves to Jesus, who needs to 00:12:44.090 --> 00:12:48.550 know Jesus for themselves and I knew it was me. So after all of that knowledge and all of that 00:12:48.550 --> 00:12:53.490 acceptance and all of that understanding I knew there was still a missing piece and I went there 00:12:53.490 --> 00:12:59.300 and I prayed and I could say it was really interesting just relaying the story because 00:12:59.300 --> 00:13:02.860 it's a long time since I've thought about that and just relayed this way and said and something 00:13:02.860 --> 00:13:08.320 changed in me I didn't I don't remember it being a very dramatic experience but something changed 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:14.000 in me then that has never changed back it's like a light came on there was like a switch there was 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:18.360 something happened that meant that it wasn't a phase that it wasn't something that was going to 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:25.080 fade off that i am an entirely different person now from what i was 39 years ago and i've got 39 00:13:25.080 --> 00:13:33.080 years of experience that that has challenged that has stressed that has encouraged that has lived 00:13:33.080 --> 00:13:38.920 that all of that as is all built in and yet still i can stand here today and say on that day i know 00:13:38.920 --> 00:13:47.060 that the that i i encountered something that was like light coming on in my life that was the 00:13:47.060 --> 00:13:54.230 missing piece and everybody's journey begins in the same way with a personal encounter with Jesus 00:13:54.230 --> 00:13:58.710 you have to know that you've had a personal encounter with Jesus I'm not talking about 00:13:58.710 --> 00:14:03.050 necessarily an emotional experience but you have to know that you have come to that point where 00:14:03.050 --> 00:14:10.940 you've said actually Jesus I'm following you shine your light in my life and in my heart 00:14:10.940 --> 00:14:20.460 a clear decision that we're going to follow him and I said it's possible to get through life and 00:14:20.460 --> 00:14:29.270 it's possible to get through church life without ever making that decision but that's why jesus is 00:14:29.270 --> 00:14:37.660 such a big deal because it's jesus who makes the difference but it's not just a one-off 00:14:37.660 --> 00:14:45.230 experience but it's an ongoing commitment to walk in the light of jesus which is a challenge to us 00:14:45.230 --> 00:14:52.220 all challenge to each and every one of us you know sometimes when we preach here we give the 00:14:52.220 --> 00:14:56.980 opportunity for a response and uh you know who wants to respond and often you know there might 00:14:56.980 --> 00:15:04.720 be one or two it might be none but i believe that in god's word today there is a response for each 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:12.580 and every one of us to make because jesus said i am the light of the world if you follow me you 00:15:12.580 --> 00:15:17.460 won't have to walk in darkness because you will have the light that leads to life and we can live 00:15:17.460 --> 00:15:24.790 our life in such a way that we're not actually purposefully following jesus we can have the 00:15:24.790 --> 00:15:30.410 the name we can have the label we can have the we can have the experience we can definitely have 00:15:30.410 --> 00:15:35.650 the salvation but there is a challenge to us are we going to follow jesus every day of our lives 00:15:35.650 --> 00:15:41.930 are we going to seek his light in our life or are we going to do what sometimes we do we we we take 00:15:41.930 --> 00:15:46.870 on jesus on the one hand but then we get on with our life on the other and and we can end up 00:15:46.870 --> 00:15:51.870 scrabbling around in the dark as if we're looking for a candle because the lights have gone out 00:15:51.870 --> 00:15:55.650 when in actual fact we're not actually choosing to follow him 00:15:55.650 --> 00:15:58.070 each and every day. 00:15:58.630 --> 00:16:05.900 So the challenge is clear for us every day of our lives. 00:16:07.280 --> 00:16:10.520 Remember that book by, there was a book by a pastor in South Korea 00:16:10.520 --> 00:16:14.000 who had the prayer mountain and called Good Morning Holy Spirit 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:17.220 and a slightly different emphasis, but it's the same sort of thing. 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:18.900 It's not waking up and saying good morning. 00:16:19.300 --> 00:16:21.400 Lord Jesus, today I want to follow you. 00:16:21.400 --> 00:16:26.680 today you are the light of the world and therefore i want to follow you today i want to know what 00:16:26.680 --> 00:16:30.340 andy said earlier you know when we hear the testament is we hear how god 00:16:30.340 --> 00:16:36.660 involves himself and intervenes in in every aspect of our lives as we choose to involve him as well 00:16:36.660 --> 00:16:42.080 that there is when it comes to our the decisions that we have to make the problems that we have 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:47.000 the family challenges that we have the job into all everything that we are facing everything that 00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:51.880 we are challenging. The truth is the same. Jesus is the light of the world. He is the one that if 00:16:51.880 --> 00:16:58.880 we follow him, we don't have to walk in darkness. We might not always understand the path that we're 00:16:58.880 --> 00:17:12.480 taking, but we will have the light that leads us. And so every day, talking about that moment when 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:18.720 you first make that decision. And I have to be truthful to say that 39 years ago, I made that 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:24.080 decision. And there are many days when I've just gone with the flow. There are many days when I 00:17:24.080 --> 00:17:29.640 just haven't given it a thought. There are many days when we just go through the motions of life. 00:17:29.740 --> 00:17:34.120 There are many days when I've been lost in my own thoughts and confusion and uncertainty and 00:17:34.120 --> 00:17:41.080 faithlessness and all of that. And yet, each and every time Jesus gives the opportunity, 00:17:41.740 --> 00:17:45.460 he said, I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness. 00:17:45.460 --> 00:17:48.860 and so there's been an opportunity for me 00:17:48.860 --> 00:17:51.040 and there continues to be an opportunity for you 00:17:51.040 --> 00:17:52.260 each and every day 00:17:52.260 --> 00:17:54.020 to turn our hearts towards Jesus 00:17:54.020 --> 00:17:56.580 and say Lord fill my life today with your light 00:17:56.580 --> 00:17:58.510 help me understand 00:17:58.510 --> 00:18:00.570 help me, lead me today 00:18:00.570 --> 00:18:02.940 lead me into life 00:18:02.940 --> 00:18:06.320 let me experience you today 00:18:06.320 --> 00:18:08.940 not just as a church person 00:18:08.940 --> 00:18:09.960 not just as a Christian 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:11.620 but as a follower of Jesus 00:18:11.620 --> 00:18:14.700 someone who is coming to know 00:18:14.700 --> 00:18:18.460 and I pray and believe and hope and expect 00:18:18.460 --> 00:18:21.280 that I would know Jesus better now 00:18:21.280 --> 00:18:23.220 than I did 39 years ago. 00:18:24.190 --> 00:18:26.750 But for each of us, we can know him better today 00:18:26.750 --> 00:18:29.250 than we did yesterday, better tomorrow than we do today 00:18:29.250 --> 00:18:33.020 if we choose to follow him. 00:18:36.850 --> 00:18:39.510 Turning ourselves towards him and lay everything down, 00:18:40.090 --> 00:18:41.830 everything that we're so used to carrying 00:18:41.830 --> 00:18:45.150 and saying, Lord, I am yours and you're mine. 00:18:45.230 --> 00:18:47.270 Again, there's so much in the worship this morning 00:18:47.270 --> 00:18:49.290 that has spoken into that 00:18:49.290 --> 00:18:50.990 and as we began our worship 00:18:50.990 --> 00:18:53.750 we said let's bring ourselves before the Lord 00:18:53.750 --> 00:18:55.390 we bring ourselves before him 00:18:55.390 --> 00:18:56.630 and we lay everything down 00:18:56.630 --> 00:18:58.670 sometimes we come with 00:18:58.670 --> 00:19:01.370 I've got some things for you to sort out Lord 00:19:01.370 --> 00:19:02.990 but in actual fact 00:19:02.990 --> 00:19:04.150 we lay it down 00:19:04.150 --> 00:19:05.470 and we stand before him 00:19:05.470 --> 00:19:07.090 and we say Jesus fill my heart 00:19:07.090 --> 00:19:07.870 fill my life 00:19:07.870 --> 00:19:09.730 I am yours and you are mine 00:19:09.730 --> 00:19:12.310 today as much as you were on that first day 00:19:12.310 --> 00:19:13.310 when I came to know you 00:19:13.310 --> 00:19:14.370 you are mine today 00:19:14.370 --> 00:19:15.490 come into my life 00:19:15.490 --> 00:19:16.570 fill my life 00:19:16.570 --> 00:19:30.570 lead my life may my life be about jesus every day many of us have years of experience behind us 00:19:30.570 --> 00:19:35.970 sometimes years of leadership experience responsibility and we can do all that without 00:19:35.970 --> 00:19:40.330 turning to the point we sang it today i'm coming back to the heart of worship and it's all about 00:19:40.330 --> 00:19:46.590 you i'm so grateful for people in our lives that have been genuine examples of what it means to 00:19:46.590 --> 00:19:51.450 follow jesus and i remember uh you know jesus made these claims about himself and you think 00:19:51.450 --> 00:19:56.930 well that's that's a bit bold and i remember one man who made some bold claims to me but i think 00:19:56.930 --> 00:20:02.170 listening to him he was telling the truth he said he never understood that song it's all about you 00:20:02.170 --> 00:20:06.210 jesus you know i'm coming back to the heart of worship because it's all about you i'm sorry for 00:20:06.210 --> 00:20:12.670 the things i've made it he said because for me it's always been about jesus always and i think 00:20:12.670 --> 00:20:14.450 But what a testimony to have 00:20:14.450 --> 00:20:16.610 because many of us can understand that song. 00:20:18.050 --> 00:20:19.830 I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it. 00:20:21.280 --> 00:20:22.340 And it's all about you. 00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:26.660 Sorry that I've gone off on my own merry-go-round 00:20:26.660 --> 00:20:30.340 and my own flipping and flapping and flopping 00:20:30.340 --> 00:20:31.540 and doing whatever I do 00:20:31.540 --> 00:20:33.180 and then come back and, 00:20:33.280 --> 00:20:34.460 oh, Lord, sort out my mess. 00:20:35.900 --> 00:20:37.200 It's all about you, Jesus. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:41.000 I'm coming back to the heart of worship. 00:20:43.590 --> 00:20:44.450 And as we do that, 00:20:44.510 --> 00:20:45.530 and as we become people 00:20:45.530 --> 00:20:49.630 that will deliberately focus ourselves on Jesus daily. 00:20:50.780 --> 00:20:52.100 That's the beginning of revival. 00:20:58.810 --> 00:21:02.010 Being a community of people amongst whom Jesus lives, 00:21:02.430 --> 00:21:03.990 amongst whom he shines his light. 00:21:05.960 --> 00:21:10.140 That when people come into the midst of our church and our community, 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:12.980 they discover the light of Jesus. 00:21:13.220 --> 00:21:16.720 People that understand the light of Jesus. 00:21:21.630 --> 00:21:23.130 Jesus said, I am the light of the world. 00:21:23.170 --> 00:21:25.210 If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness 00:21:25.210 --> 00:21:33.380 because you will have the light that leads to life and we follow him every single day another 00:21:33.380 --> 00:21:40.580 song that struck me this morning ali was talking about the family funeral song i was trying to 00:21:40.580 --> 00:21:46.640 think of suitable funeral songs for a family so there's a few came to mind but that song said 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:54.810 when the end draws near and my time has come still my my soul will sing your praise unending 00:21:54.810 --> 00:21:57.060 that's my prayer 00:21:57.060 --> 00:22:00.620 that following Jesus 00:22:00.620 --> 00:22:01.800 would mean so much 00:22:01.800 --> 00:22:04.460 and be so central 00:22:04.460 --> 00:22:06.400 that at the end of it all 00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:08.380 we just keep following 00:22:08.380 --> 00:22:10.280 and we keep walking 00:22:10.280 --> 00:22:12.220 towards the light 00:22:12.220 --> 00:22:16.630 keep following 00:22:16.630 --> 00:22:17.450 keep walking 00:22:17.450 --> 00:22:19.030 keep moving right into 00:22:19.030 --> 00:22:20.350 eternity 00:22:20.350 --> 00:22:22.610 eternity wouldn't be a surprise 00:22:22.610 --> 00:22:24.270 but it would be a natural step 00:22:24.270 --> 00:22:26.100 sometimes we 00:22:26.100 --> 00:22:31.680 i remember somebody being asked in my first church an older guy who'd been in the church 00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:37.290 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 00:22:37.290 --> 00:22:44.390 hope i hope things will work out we don't want to be like that we want it to be a natural step 00:22:44.390 --> 00:22:52.060 because we've been following jesus you won't have to walk in darkness because you will have the light 00:22:52.060 --> 00:23:00.560 that leads to life life doesn't always make sense but the light of jesus leads to life 00:23:00.560 --> 00:23:02.520 that's the promise 00:23:02.520 --> 00:23:05.920 so why wouldn't we follow him 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:07.980 why wouldn't we choose him every day 00:23:07.980 --> 00:23:09.700 why wouldn't we choose him today 00:23:09.700 --> 00:23:11.980 now, say Lord I have 00:23:11.980 --> 00:23:14.000 drifted from you, I have let my 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:15.980 heart go cold, I have allowed 00:23:15.980 --> 00:23:18.180 darkness to surround me 00:23:18.180 --> 00:23:20.080 but Lord come into my 00:23:20.080 --> 00:23:22.180 life this morning, come into 00:23:22.180 --> 00:23:23.960 my life and shine your light again 00:23:23.960 --> 00:23:25.920 remind me about who you are 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:28.200 remind me about what it means, remind me about 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:29.940 how much you love me, remind me 00:23:29.940 --> 00:23:31.020 how to love you 00:23:31.020 --> 00:23:33.780 and how to be a follower of you Jesus 00:23:33.780 --> 00:23:35.620 and then when it comes to tomorrow morning 00:23:35.620 --> 00:23:36.280 do the same 00:23:36.280 --> 00:23:39.340 not talking about hours and hours of prayer 00:23:39.340 --> 00:23:41.920 just talking about starting the day 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:44.180 Lord Jesus today I'm going to follow you 00:23:44.180 --> 00:23:46.140 today I want to learn more about you 00:23:46.140 --> 00:23:48.760 today I want to see your light in my life 00:23:48.760 --> 00:23:52.570 today I want to see your intervention 00:23:52.570 --> 00:23:55.730 I want to see you do something in my life today 00:23:55.730 --> 00:23:57.850 I want to understand more about you tonight 00:23:57.850 --> 00:23:58.810 than I did this morning 00:23:58.810 --> 00:23:59.570 and then Tuesday 00:23:59.570 --> 00:24:01.870 do it again, do it again 00:24:01.870 --> 00:24:04.090 and we will become a people that are revived 00:24:04.090 --> 00:24:05.650 that are energised 00:24:05.650 --> 00:24:07.450 that are filled with joy 00:24:07.450 --> 00:24:08.650 that are filled with light 00:24:08.650 --> 00:24:11.050 and there won't be, there is just that 00:24:11.050 --> 00:24:13.470 it doesn't mean that life will miraculously change 00:24:13.470 --> 00:24:15.790 and all the situations will suddenly become right 00:24:15.790 --> 00:24:17.850 but at least we will have the light 00:24:17.850 --> 00:24:19.030 that leads to life 00:24:19.030 --> 00:24:22.230 we won't be flapping about in the darkness 00:24:22.230 --> 00:24:26.070 that's our challenge 00:24:26.070 --> 00:24:30.280 my challenge 00:24:30.280 --> 00:24:33.300 it's always best when the sermons 00:24:33.300 --> 00:24:39.680 that you preach challenge your life so strongly but that's what it is every day jesus where are 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:45.460 you in my life where are you in my focus where are you in my thinking let me follow you let me know 00:24:45.460 --> 00:24:54.160 what it is that you require of me not just going to tell you what i want you to be for me but what 00:24:54.160 --> 00:25:14.650 do you want me to be for you how do i live in the light of your salvation so i think we on 00:25:17.370 --> 00:25:18.910 Everybody will respond their own way, 00:25:18.950 --> 00:25:20.570 but the response is very simple. 00:25:23.320 --> 00:25:27.910 If you've never come before Jesus before, 00:25:27.990 --> 00:25:29.610 if you've never given your life to Jesus, 00:25:29.710 --> 00:25:33.640 if you know that, then do it now. 00:25:35.210 --> 00:25:38.330 But please, do speak up. 00:25:38.860 --> 00:25:39.620 Do connect. 00:25:39.780 --> 00:25:41.720 Do allow someone to pray with you 00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:43.020 and pray for you, 00:25:43.100 --> 00:25:47.540 because that is the best decision you can ever make. 00:25:49.010 --> 00:25:50.370 But then for each and every one of us, 00:25:50.430 --> 00:25:52.670 there's no one for whom this isn't relevant. 00:25:52.670 --> 00:25:54.590 no one for whom we can say 00:25:54.590 --> 00:25:56.030 I don't think I'm going to respond today 00:25:56.030 --> 00:25:58.510 this is an opportunity to respond 00:25:58.510 --> 00:26:00.790 and just in the 00:26:00.790 --> 00:26:02.610 simplest of ways, the simplest prayer 00:26:02.610 --> 00:26:04.320 Lord Jesus 00:26:04.320 --> 00:26:06.980 I want to follow you 00:26:06.980 --> 00:26:09.760 come into my life, shine your life 00:26:09.760 --> 00:26:10.940 shine your light 00:26:10.940 --> 00:26:13.910 Amen