Light!
Sermon Notes: November 30, 2008
Rev. Jim O’Neal,
Senior Pastor
Isaiah 2:1-5 NRSV
1The
word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning
2In
days to come the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established as the
highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations
shall stream to it.
3Many
peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to
the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may
walk in his paths.” For out of
4He
shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they
shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any
more.
5O
house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
John 1:1-18 NRSV
1In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. 2He was in the beginning
with God. 3All things came
into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him
was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not overcome it.
6There
was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all
might believe through him. 8He
himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens
everyone, was coming into the world.
10He
was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did
not know him. 11He came to what
was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who
believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who
were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but
of God.
14And
the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory
as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 15(John testified to him and cried
out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me
because he was before me.’”) 16From
his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17The law indeed was given through
Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the
Father’s heart, who has made him known.
A. Introduction
1. Best Grover
a. As usual, Harold was sitting at the breakfast
table eating his cereal, reading his paper, and ignoring his wife Lorene. Finally, Lorene broke the silence by getting up,
kissing Harold on the cheek, and commenting:
“I’ll bet you’ve forgotten what day this is?” Harold was in the dark, but not wanting to
admit that he responded, “I have not!”
He took his last bite of cereal and then rushed out the door without
brushing his teeth or kissing Lorene goodbye.
All the way to work, and all that day her words kept bugging him and he
wondered, “What day is this?” He knew it
wasn’t Valentine’s Day, which he almost forgot back in February. This was March and it wasn’t time for
Easter. It wasn’t Lorene’s birthday or
their anniversary. Finally, after
consulting his administrative assistant and several female co-workers, he
decided he better not take any chances.
So on the way home from work Harold purchased a box of candy, a dozen
roses, and a gift-wrapped box of Lorene’s favorite perfume. Coming into the house through the garage
door, he hollered, “Surprise!” And then
handed Lorene all of the goodies he had gotten for her. She smiled and said, “O sweetheart, this is the best Grover
Cleveland’s birthday I’ve ever had!”
b. Harold was clueless concerning what day it
was. He was a man living in the
dark. Sometimes that describes us. Life is mysterious, frustrating, and at times
even depressing. We long for the light of
meaning and truth. We long for the
radiance of contentment, peace, and joy.
We seek light!
2. Today’s Scripture
a. Both of today’s Scripture lessons talk about
light. Isaiah speaks of the coming of
the Messiah. Isaiah’s vision tells us
that God loves and wants all people to be a part of His Kingdom. God wants us to live in peace and harmony
together. When the Savior comes we will
hear the invitation: “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!”
(Isaiah 2:5 NRSV)
b. John tells us that the Messiah has come! “And the Word
became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his
glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” (John 1:14 RSV)
John, also, refers to Jesus as THE LIGHT: The Light of People, The Light That
Overcomes, The True Light, and The Enlightening Light! John tells us that “Jesus The Light” shined
into the darkness and has overcome it.
Jesus shows us God. He gives us grace. He gives us meaning and a worthy
identity. Jesus is life! Both of these Bible lessons point us to the
One who is the “Light of the World.”
Jesus is the answer that we are seeking.
He is God’s positive force of transformation. Jesus is the light that we are longing
for. The light we need.
B. Jesus is what the world is seeking.
1. L.B.J.
a. Robert Caro wrote a book about President
Lyndon Baines Johnson. He interviewed a
lot of people. Caro discovered that people remembered different things about
L.B.J. Some remember his War on Poverty,
or the civil rights legislation passed when he was in office. Some remember him for his conduct of the
Vietnam War. And still others remember
him as the man who became President when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. However, the people in what locals call the
Hill Country of Texas remember him for something else. It was in this part of the State of Texas
that Johnson began his career as a congressman.
And everywhere that Caro went in this part of Texas, the people said the
same thing: “He brought the
lights!” When L.B.J. was elected
congressman in 1937 there was no electricity in the Hill Country of Texas. By 1948 when Johnson was elected to the
Senate 99% of his District had electricity!
It did not matter to these folks what ever else L.B.J. did. He had brought to them what they needed most…
“He brought the lights!”
b.
John prayed for a way to express what Jesus had done for us. The Lord brought to humankind what we truly
needed. It was joyous and wonderful. And the metaphor God gave to John was
“LIGHT!” “The
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5 NRSV)
2. Jack Jones
a. Jack Jones was a Welsh coal miner’s son. In his autobiography, UNFINISHED JOURNEY, he
tells about a terrifying incident that occurred when he was a boy working with
his dad in the mine. They were in a
shaft when part of the mine collapsed, blocking their exit, and they had to
find another way out. Jack’s father, who
was one of the best miners, knew of a possible way around the cave in, and led
the rest of the men. They struggled
through a labyrinth of old workings and a stagnant underground pond. Eventually young Jack grew tired and his
father a devoted parent carried Jack on his back. In the foul air the flames of their open
lamps began to weaken. As they entered
the dark water Jack’s father said, “Careful, son, you hold fast round dad’s
neck.” Slowly he led the men through the
water that was chest high on a grown man.
Across the water they started up a steep incline. “Won’t be long now,” Jack’s dad told the
men. After they had climbed some time,
he stopped, knelt, pointed, and said, “Look, son!” And up ahead there seemed to be a bright
disk, about the size of a half dollar, on top of what appeared to be a
mountain. Father continued to talk,
“That’s what we’ve been looking for, son… the light of the world! Come on!”
And the light grew in size as they climbed their way to the world’s
surface. And they were saved.
b. Is that not what people are seeking? People have always longed for hope and
salvation. They may not word it that
way, but over the centuries these are the same things folks have always
wanted. People hope for their life to
have meaning and purpose. They long for
a group or a family to belong to. They
want to be loved. They hope that there
is something beyond this brief mortal life.
Another way to put it is this:
They want to be saved from meaninglessness. They want to be viewed as valuable enough to
be loved by others and claimed by God.
They long to be redeemed or saved so that they can spend eternity with
God. Jesus is the answer to all these
longings. He is the LIGHT that the world
has been looking for.
C. Jesus is where the world is heading!
1. General Douglas MacArthur
a. During World War II, as General Douglas
MacArthur’s troops were being evacuated from the Philippines, he wanted to
leave some word of hope. In the midst of
the impending doom he wanted some phrase to give encouragement that could
easily be translated into the many Filipino dialects. MacArthur chose three simple words: “I shall return.” Two and a half years would pass, but then on
October 20, 1944 MacArthur did return!
And he declared, “I have returned!”
b. When the earthly Christ departed, He left us
His disciples with the task of telling the world the Good News of God’s
love. And Jesus made us a promise, “I
shall return!” Notice Isaiah does not
say that nations COULD beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into
pruning hooks. He says they SHALL beat
their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. The LIGHT that has penetrated the darkness
will one day expel the darkness. At
Advent we look both backward and forward.
We look back to the blessed birth of the Savior in Bethlehem. We, also, look forward to that day when Jesus
accomplishes His final victory over darkness!
We look forward to that time when love overcomes hatred, and peace and
justice overcome war and oppression. The
birth of Jesus proclaimed that God indeed was and is active in history. It proclaims to us today that God has a plan
for creation. And that God will carry
out that plan and be victorious!
2. New Day Coming!
a. Some time back there was a remarkable lady on
TV. She was an elderly woman from
Louisiana and was being interviewed by well-known talk show host. This impoverished woman, all by herself in a
tarpaper shack, had managed to feed, clothe, and educate eight children! All of them had graduated from high school
and had some higher education. Five had degrees
from a university. The TV host asked,
“What kept you going in spite of the odds?”
She said, “I seen a new world coming!”
b. In and through Jesus, we see a new world
coming! He is where the world is
headed. He is God’s chosen instrument of
salvation and reconciliation. Someday
the world will end, and Heaven and earth will be one!
D. Jesus is what you need!
1. “My name’s in it!”
a. Three boys, named Al, Billy, and Chris, were
talking about Christmas. They all agreed
it was their favorite holiday. Billy
asked, “So why do you like it best?” Al
said, “I like Christmas best because of all the toys I get. My dad buys me the best toys in the
neighborhood!” Billy commented, “Yea, I
like the toys. But even more I like
being out of school and the neat trips my parents take us on.” Now it was Chris’ turn. The other two guys had taken some of his
reasons. Then he smiled and said, ”I
like Christmas best, and even more than you guys, because it has my name in
it! After all it is CHRIS muss! So it’s my day.”
b. Christmas has your name in it. Jesus came to redeem and save you.
2. Aunt Becky and the Meddlin’ Preacher!
a. Aunt Becky was worshipping at her spirit
filled little country Church. The pastor
was rebuking folks for various sins and Aunt Becky was cheering the parson
on! The reverend kept calling folks to
confess and repent. He said, “The Lord
hates unfaithfulness. All you who have
been unfaithful to your spouse confess and come to the altar.” Aunt Becky hollered out, “Amen brother! Sinners repent.” The pastor went on, “Jesus said if you even
‘take a look’ you’re guilty of being unfaithful. Repent and be saved!” Again Aunt Becky yelled, “Amen brother! Sinners repent.” The pastor then proceeded through a whole
hassle of sins. He condemned stealing
and that included in little ways. He
condemned lies, even white lies, flirting, and loitering youth. And each time Aunt Becky responded, “Amen
brother! Sinners repent.” Then the parson started talking about gambling. He condemned horse racing, and folks who went
to
b. It may be meddlin’ in your private life, but
Christmas reminds you that you need a Savior.
And that Savior is God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us that God’s “grace and truth comes through
Jesus Christ.” (See John 1:17) He is the One you need.
E. Conclusion: Recap
1. Jesus is what the world is seeking.
2. Jesus is where the world is heading!
3. Jesus is what you need!
Isaiah
2:1-5 NRSV
1The word that Isaiah son of Amoz
saw concerning
2In days to come the mountain of
the LORD’S house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and
shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.
3Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of
Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4He shall judge between the
nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords
into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
5O house of Jacob, come, let us
walk in the light of the LORD!
John 1:1-18 NRSV
1In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being
through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him
was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not overcome it.
6There was a man sent from God,
whose name was John. 7He came
as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through
him. 8He himself was not the
light, but he came to testify to the light.
9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into
the world.
10He was in the world, and the world
came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own, and
his own people did not accept him. 12But
to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become
children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the
flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14And the Word became flesh and
lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only
son, full of grace and truth. 15(John
testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes
after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) 16From his fullness we have all
received, grace upon grace. 17The
law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus
Christ. 18No one has ever
seen God. It is God the only Son, who is
close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
Light!
1.
Jesus is what the world is seeking.
2.
Jesus is where the world is heading!
3.
Jesus is what you need!
Isaiah
2:1-5 NRSV
1The
word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning
2In
days to come the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established as the
highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations
shall stream to it. 3Many
peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to
the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may
walk in his paths.” For out of
John
1:1-18 NRSV
1In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. 2He was in the beginning
with God. 3All things came
into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him
was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not overcome it.
6There
was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all
might believe through him. 8He
himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens
everyone, was coming into the world. 10He
was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did
not know him. 11He came to
what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who
believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who
were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but
of God.
14And
the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory
as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 15(John testified to him and cried
out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me
because he was before me.’”) 16From
his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17The law indeed was given through
Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the
Father’s heart, who has made him known.