Our return to the heart of worship is a return to the light of Jesus. At this time of year Christmas lights remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. Right from the beginning of time there has been a separation of light and darkness. Genesis 1:4 “God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.” David praised God for this separation when he said, 2 Samuel 22:29 “You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light.” Isaiah 9:2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” During this time of devastation in the church we still have great hope. Our days are not much different than when Samuel was born. “In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was.” The good news is God does not leave us in this desolate condition. 1 Samuel 2:35 “I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always.” Through Jesus Christ this is fulfilled and the promise to David continues. When “Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. 3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the Lord and repaired them. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. 6 Our fathers were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him. 7 They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps.” Revelation 2:5 “Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”
As we have seen so far in this return to the heart of worship, God wants more than words coming out of our mouths. Mark 7:6 “He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” This is much more than just saying you believe in Jesus with your mouth, it is dying for him. There is a big difference and many do not want to die to themselves. John 3:16 goes on to say, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
This is still happening in our day. Many Christians are running from the light. Many will only attend a church as we discussed yesterday that offers them a palatable diet mixed with delicacies. As soon as the commitment level to God’s word is ramped up /expected or when the furnace starts to get hot, they flee the light instead of being exposed. This is why many do not put their hope in God’s word because it looks into the heart. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Since many Christians do not want to be exposed for what is their heart they move on to a place that is dimly lit. They feel much more comfortable in that type of setting.
But this is not who we are or what we want. Everything should be about Jesus Christ as he is the light of the world. We must put our hope in his word as Psalm 119 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” John goes back to the beginning and says, John 1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” You must believe in the name of Jesus with all your heart, soul and mind. If that is the case you will believe in his word.
Paul says in Romans 13:11 “The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light.” Ephesians 5:8 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” We are to be the light of the world. As a Christian we should light up a room, not darken it. It is our job through the spirit (Acts 26:18) “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Prayer: Lord I believe you are the light of the world. Help my unbelief. Thank-you for the promises you have given those who believe. John 12:42 “At the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God. 44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. 47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
