I AM the Light of the World

[00:00:00] Okay, so lately I have been listening to an autobiography about

[00:00:07] some missionaries in the jungle of Ecuador, basically the Amazon rainforest.

[00:00:14] And I am like refreshed in how incredible this part of our world is.

[00:00:19] For one, it's incredibly complex and it sounds from the book, amazing and beautiful

[00:00:25] but I'm also reminded of how dangerous it is.

[00:00:28] So there are so many dangers in the rainforest, right?

[00:00:33] There's like poisonous spiders, there are crazy poisonous snakes of all kinds.

[00:00:42] There are poisonous plants all over the place.

[00:00:46] There are predators as you could imagine things like jaguars and panthers and there's alligators,

[00:00:52] there's piranhas, that's fish that eat people.

[00:00:57] There's invisible dangers like diseases, like malaria, yellow fever,

[00:01:03] there's invisible things in the water that will kill you like parasites.

[00:01:07] I mean the Amazon jungle it's this beautiful complex but incredibly dangerous place.

[00:01:17] Now in our time today we're going to study from John chapter eight where Jesus calls himself the light of the world.

[00:01:23] I'm going to read the verse to you in its entirety.

[00:01:28] It says this, then Jesus spoke to them again saying,

[00:01:32] I am the light of the world.

[00:01:34] He who follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life.

[00:01:40] And probably because I've been studying this passage, while I've been studying this passage,

[00:01:45] the whole time like at other times, I've been listening to this autobiography or biography every time I read this verse,

[00:01:52] a picture pops into my head.

[00:01:55] And I want you to kind of bear with me now while I describe the picture that every single time I read this verse comes into my head.

[00:02:02] Okay, I keep seeing myself as this person stuck in the jungles of Ecuador and it is pitch black dark.

[00:02:14] Like it's so dark that there is not even a light from a star peaking through the canopy of trees to give me any illumination at all.

[00:02:24] It is pitch black dark.

[00:02:27] So I'm alone in the jungles of Ecuador.

[00:02:30] I just told you how dangerous it is.

[00:02:32] I am literally helpless and hopeless but with me in my picture in my head is this native guide.

[00:02:44] And he is an expert.

[00:02:47] He's an expert on every plant, every insect, every animal, every water source.

[00:02:53] He knows how to navigate the jungle and its dangers inside and out.

[00:02:59] And this expert, he has on this head lamp that casts this tremendous light everywhere he goes.

[00:03:10] And if I stay right behind him, I mean like keeping my hand on his shoulder right behind him, maybe even wrapping my arms around his waist right behind him.

[00:03:24] I can stay safe.

[00:03:27] I can relax.

[00:03:29] I can even appreciate everything that is around me.

[00:03:34] But if I let even just a little bit of space get between me and him, if I'm far enough away that I can't touch him anymore,

[00:03:45] if his light from his head lamp gets a little bit dim so that I can't see clearly, if his voice gets a little bit too far away so that I don't know exactly what he's saying,

[00:03:58] I'm in danger.

[00:04:01] I'm not going to know where to go.

[00:04:03] What is safe?

[00:04:04] What is dangerous or even how to notice the beauty that's around me.

[00:04:09] But again, if I follow this guide step by step, I'm not going to only avoid what is dangerous.

[00:04:19] I'm going to thrive.

[00:04:21] I'm going to get to see and experience all the beauty and complexity of life in the Amazon jungle.

[00:04:29] Okay, so with that picture in your mind, turn with me and your Bibles to Johnny.

[00:04:34] We're going to read verse 12 again.

[00:04:37] To better understand what Jesus meant in verse 12 in this I am statement, we have to know the context.

[00:04:42] We can't just pull this first out.

[00:04:45] So we're going to look at the context now as you look at your Bibles, know this regardless of how your Bible divides chapter eight up.

[00:04:53] We're looking at John chapter eight.

[00:04:55] There's subtitles and chapter divisions and all of those things are helpful for us to have the Bible broken up for us.

[00:05:02] But subtitles and chapter divisions didn't come from God.

[00:05:06] So they're not, they're just there to try and help us but they're not divinely inspired.

[00:05:11] And so I say that because regardless of how your Bible divides up chapter eight or the subtitles around it, I promise you from everything I studied that actually our verse this morning,

[00:05:24] John 812 is actually connected to everything that comes after that verse, not to the woman caught an adultery.

[00:05:34] So with that in mind, we're going to look at Johnny, sorry, John 8 verse 12.

[00:05:44] You read it already with me.

[00:05:46] Now let me tell you a little bit about what comes after.

[00:05:49] What comes after this is a lot of verses.

[00:05:53] If you look through the whole chapter from verses 12 all the way to 59,

[00:05:59] and you read through it verse by verse, you might be a little confused as to why I'm saying this is the context.

[00:06:06] This is what helps us understand when Jesus says he's the light of the world because in truth,

[00:06:11] it's a long argument back and forth between Jesus and the Pharisees, and there is no talk of light like at all.

[00:06:21] It's just a long argument.

[00:06:24] They go back and forth.

[00:06:25] And actually I would encourage you to read it because Jesus, he drops some amazing truth bombs in there.

[00:06:31] It's like incredible life changers.

[00:06:33] But it's really hard to understand how what they're arguing about is connected to Jesus calling himself the light of the world.

[00:06:40] And here's where my jungle picture and this whole passage come together.

[00:06:47] Jesus says in verse 12, I am the light of the world.

[00:06:50] He who follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life.

[00:06:55] And basically, Jesus is saying here we all have two paths to choose from in life.

[00:07:03] There's the choice to follow him.

[00:07:06] And with that, we will get the light of life or we have the choice to not follow him.

[00:07:14] And with that, we will walk in darkness.

[00:07:18] Follow him and we're going to get that native jungle guide who's going to shine his head lamp and say,

[00:07:27] hey, over here this is the way you should go.

[00:07:32] I will show you the way with my light.

[00:07:34] Watch out, there's a route, don't trip.

[00:07:37] And then he's going to shine his light again and he's going to say, hey, hey, hey, hey, don't eat that.

[00:07:43] Let me shine my light on it.

[00:07:45] I know you thought it looked good but now see with my light on it.

[00:07:49] Now you know it's poisonous.

[00:07:52] And then he's going to shine his light again and he's going to say, hey, check out that bird.

[00:07:57] With my light on it, you can see how incredible it is.

[00:08:01] Look at all its colors with my light on it.

[00:08:05] And then he's going to shine his light again and say, whoa, whoa, whoa, don't drink from that river.

[00:08:10] I know you thought it was safe but look with my light on it, you can see it's full of parasites.

[00:08:17] And then he's going to shine his light again and he's going to say, you don't have to be afraid of that.

[00:08:22] Look, I know you thought that that was a poisonous snake but actually let me shine my light on it and show you.

[00:08:29] It's just an innocent one.

[00:08:31] My light will show you the truth.

[00:08:35] You see with him, with Jesus as our guide, there is safety and beauty and guidance and truth and understanding

[00:08:46] with his light.

[00:08:48] We will see ourselves and everyone and everything around us in reality as they really actually are.

[00:08:58] So we have those choices, follow him, we get the native guide but not follow him.

[00:09:03] If we choose the other path, it's darkness.

[00:09:07] And in darkness, we misinterpret so much.

[00:09:12] What's good might look bad.

[00:09:15] We'd miss out what's bad might look good.

[00:09:19] We could hurt ourselves.

[00:09:21] Jesus is presenting us with these two paths and now if the silly little jungle guide image shows us what the path with Jesus looks like,

[00:09:29] all of the arguments from verse 12, following verse 12, sorry, 13 all the way to 59,

[00:09:37] all the arguments that Jesus has with the Pharisees, they show us what it looks like to walk in darkness.

[00:09:46] Jesus is holding out to those Pharisees the path of life and truth and freedom and salvation, the path of light and he shows them that it's through himself.

[00:10:00] But they repeatedly choose not to follow him and to walk in darkness.

[00:10:06] And so with this title that Jesus has given himself the light of the world, we're going to spend the rest of the morning unpacking it.

[00:10:13] But just remember Jesus is leaving us with a choice.

[00:10:17] He's presenting us with two paths.

[00:10:20] If he can be our jungle guide with the head lamp or not.

[00:10:25] And my hope is that by the time we end this thing this morning, you're going to be more convinced than ever to choose to follow him.

[00:10:36] Okay, our outline this morning is super simple because our verse is actually pretty simple and our outline is just our verse.

[00:10:42] First we're going to look at what is the claim?

[00:10:45] What does it mean when Jesus calls himself the light of the world? I am the light of the world.

[00:10:50] Then we're going to study how can we take advantage of this truth?

[00:10:55] What does following Jesus require?

[00:10:58] And then finally, we're going to study what are the results?

[00:11:01] What is the claim? How can we take advantage of it and what are the results?

[00:11:05] What does it look like to walk in light or walk in darkness?

[00:11:08] So let's jump into point number one.

[00:11:10] What does it mean when Jesus calls himself the light of the world?

[00:11:15] I think it's super cool that Jesus wants to help us understand who he is so much that he gives us these pictures of really ordinary things to describe himself.

[00:11:23] Right?

[00:11:24] Bread, light, a door, a vine, a shepherd.

[00:11:30] And because Jesus uses these words to describe himself here, I feel like we should do the obvious and just think about light for a minute.

[00:11:38] What does light do?

[00:11:41] So much! So so much!

[00:11:44] Our universe would not exist without it.

[00:11:46] Actually, if you studied light, even just Google Search studied it, you would discover that it's incredible.

[00:11:52] But let's just consider some of the obvious things that light does.

[00:11:56] Light grows stuff, right?

[00:11:59] Second grade, photosynthesis?

[00:12:01] Light grows stuff! Light warms us!

[00:12:04] Light disinfects!

[00:12:06] And at the end of the day, probably the most ordinary use of light is that it reveals with light we can see what's just actually there.

[00:12:19] So when Jesus is calling himself the light of the world, he's claiming to be all of that.

[00:12:24] The thing that grows and warms and cleanses and reveals, he's all of that.

[00:12:29] But maybe another way to understand what it means that Jesus is the light of the world is just to examine the words themselves in the verse.

[00:12:37] Jesus said he is the light of the world, right?

[00:12:43] So when he said that, what that means is it's an exclusive claim.

[00:12:48] He's not a light of the world.

[00:12:52] He's the light of the world.

[00:12:55] So if light grows and warms and cleanses and reveals truth or reality, Jesus is saying essentially all of that can only happen with me.

[00:13:11] I, Jesus is saying, am the only one who can do any of that.

[00:13:18] The first chapter of John is a great reference point for this exclusive claim of Jesus.

[00:13:23] You can read it with me, it's up on the screen.

[00:13:25] This is John. He's talking about Jesus in John 1 verses 4 and 5 and then John 9.

[00:13:31] He says, in him that's Jesus was life.

[00:13:36] And the life was the light of men.

[00:13:40] And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.

[00:13:47] That was the true light, the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

[00:13:56] Jesus is claiming to be the true light, the only light, the light of the world.

[00:14:05] Now, second to understand what it means that Jesus is the light of the world.

[00:14:09] There's another idea here attached to this exclusivity.

[00:14:13] When Jesus claims that he's the light of the world, he's also saying get this.

[00:14:18] He's also saying that, okay, that means if he's the only source of light spiritually for the whole world, then without him a person is in complete darkness.

[00:14:32] If he is the only light of the world, there can be no other sources of illumination.

[00:14:42] It means without him spiritually speaking, it's like we're in the pitch black and we cannot even see our own hand in front of us.

[00:14:51] Now throughout the Bible God uses God, sorry God as light in the dark, it's like everywhere, everywhere.

[00:15:00] Let me give you one little quick timeline.

[00:15:04] In Genesis 1, you guys know probably all of these.

[00:15:08] So in Genesis 1 there is total darkness, right?

[00:15:12] And then God speaks and light comes into the existence for the first time.

[00:15:18] In Exodus 13, God gives the children of Israel who are wandering in the desert in the night, in the dark, a pillar of fire to give them light.

[00:15:29] And to guide them and to warn them.

[00:15:32] In Isaiah 9, 2 the Messiah Jesus is promised through a prophecy.

[00:15:38] And here's what it says,

[00:15:40] The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light.

[00:15:46] Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death upon them, a light has shined.

[00:15:54] Then there's the book of John which we're studying right now where John describes Jesus as a light that shines in the darkness.

[00:16:03] And then this is really incredible.

[00:16:06] In the book of Revelation, there's this beautiful prophecy picture of what the future is going to look like after Jesus has returned and made all things new.

[00:16:16] And here's what it says, Revelation 21-23.

[00:16:20] The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God illuminated it.

[00:16:28] The lamb is its light.

[00:16:31] When Jesus makes all things new there's never going to be darkness because he reigns and his light is everywhere.

[00:16:39] So the Bible as a whole and right here in our verse in John 8-12, they make their claim clear.

[00:16:45] Jesus is the light of the world.

[00:16:50] And without Jesus spiritually there is only darkness.

[00:16:57] Okay.

[00:16:59] You might be thinking to yourself at the end of this point.

[00:17:02] Maybe.

[00:17:03] Sheesh.

[00:17:05] Christina, does it really have to be that extreme?

[00:17:10] Like only Jesus or pitch black darkness and death?

[00:17:17] I'm like basically the Lego Batman guy if I don't choose Jesus always.

[00:17:23] Is it really that narrow just to pass?

[00:17:29] Isn't there some blend?

[00:17:31] An option three, a mix of Jesus and some other stuff.

[00:17:34] And my answer to you is that according to scripture what scripture tells us is no.

[00:17:40] There's not.

[00:17:41] There is no third option.

[00:17:43] It really is that extreme.

[00:17:47] Now I can't make you believe that.

[00:17:49] And I'm hoping and praying that we all believe that more and more.

[00:17:53] That my job here this morning is just to tell you to the best of my ability anyway.

[00:17:58] What Jesus is saying about himself and how that connects with the whole of scripture.

[00:18:02] And according to that, Jesus' claim to be the light of the world is totally extreme.

[00:18:08] It's totally exclusive.

[00:18:12] And if that sounds harsh to you, I get it.

[00:18:16] If it sounds harsh to you, I'm actually really glad that you're here

[00:18:20] and you're actually willing to consider this stuff.

[00:18:23] But would you do a little favor for me with me for just a second?

[00:18:30] Would you play a little game of what if?

[00:18:33] What if?

[00:18:35] What Jesus is saying is true.

[00:18:39] What if?

[00:18:41] What if reality really is that extreme?

[00:18:46] I mean, if you think about it that way, then isn't it incredible that we don't have to be in the darkness?

[00:18:54] Like isn't it amazing that we have the option to choose light and life?

[00:18:59] We have the option to actually have to wrap our arms around the source

[00:19:05] that will help us see everything for what it really is.

[00:19:08] What is good and beautiful, what is harmful and destructive?

[00:19:11] We can actually confidently know.

[00:19:14] I mean, just what if it's all actually true?

[00:19:20] So, if that's you this morning, again, I'm really glad you're here.

[00:19:24] I'm really glad you're asking questions and I just want to encourage you

[00:19:28] just to keep considering these claims of Jesus.

[00:19:31] Keep asking questions.

[00:19:33] There are women at the church here, including myself,

[00:19:36] and maybe the lady you came with who would be so happy to just do our best to answer these things.

[00:19:43] Okay, so that's Jesus.

[00:19:45] He makes an exclusive claim that he is the only source of spiritual illumination.

[00:19:51] Let's look at number two, point number two.

[00:19:53] How can we take advantage of this claim?

[00:19:57] Jesus says, I am the light of the world, and he tells us right there in verse 12 how we can take advantage of it.

[00:20:03] He who follows me.

[00:20:07] So, that's our next point.

[00:20:09] What does it look like to follow Jesus?

[00:20:12] Like I said earlier, this verse in the context of the whole chapter colors in for us

[00:20:18] what it looks like to follow Jesus and what it looks like to not follow Jesus.

[00:20:24] So, we can't unfortunately go into the whole argument that Jesus had with the Pharisees.

[00:20:30] I'm just going to pull out some principles from it, and again I encourage you go read it later because it is good and deep and valuable.

[00:20:38] But we're going to look at some principles from those arguments.

[00:20:43] Sorry, the mics a little.

[00:20:47] If...

[00:20:48] But to start, I want to say something a little bit shocking and a little bit self-revealing.

[00:20:54] Sometimes, when I am reading the Gospels, I feel sorry for the Pharisees.

[00:21:01] I really do!

[00:21:03] I mean, I know, I know, I know that they were terrible.

[00:21:06] I know it.

[00:21:07] I know that they totally got Jesus wrong, that they crucified Him.

[00:21:12] I know how harsh and dumb they were.

[00:21:15] I can see it from a mile away.

[00:21:17] But sometimes, I feel sorry for them.

[00:21:20] And I think if I'm honest, it's because at my worst, I'm a lot like them.

[00:21:27] Because at my worst, I'm skeptical, bordering on suspicious.

[00:21:33] I'm critical and judgmental.

[00:21:37] I can be petty and legalistic, like without the Holy Spirit's work of grace to change my heart.

[00:21:45] Unfortunately, that is the raw material of who I am.

[00:21:50] And believe me, God is so good.

[00:21:52] He has and is changing my heart.

[00:21:55] But I guess that's maybe what makes me feel a little bit sorry for them.

[00:21:58] Because I feel like I get them to a degree.

[00:22:01] And so when Jesus enters their world and he starts saying these extreme things

[00:22:05] to crowds of people that are wanting spiritual direction.

[00:22:09] And then when the Pharisees react in these really dumb ways that we're going to look at

[00:22:13] for the rest of this point, I kind of feel sorry for them.

[00:22:17] Because I feel like if I were there, I might have done the same thing.

[00:22:21] I don't know, maybe.

[00:22:24] But maybe that's also why it's so clear to me how they got it wrong.

[00:22:29] So let's take a look.

[00:22:31] The first thing I want you to know about following Jesus is that it requires humility.

[00:22:37] This is kind of logical, right?

[00:22:39] If I'm going to follow someone or something in any capacity,

[00:22:42] I have to essentially acknowledge that I can't do whatever it is on my own.

[00:22:47] Like if I'm going to use Google Maps, I am humbly in one sense expressing that it

[00:22:52] knows better than me how to get somewhere.

[00:22:55] If I'm going to follow a recipe for cookies, I'm like showing in real time

[00:23:00] that whoever wrote that recipe knows better than my own brain how to make those cookies.

[00:23:05] Right?

[00:23:06] Following, it requires some measure of humility.

[00:23:09] And of course this is much more true when it comes to following Jesus.

[00:23:13] In order to rightly follow Jesus, we have to acknowledge that He is the light of the world

[00:23:20] and that we are not.

[00:23:22] And we actually have to acknowledge that we need Him for everything.

[00:23:27] We've got to acknowledge that we have sinned that we can't free ourselves from.

[00:23:32] Like no amount of ignoring or pretending it's not there, or trying to clean it up,

[00:23:37] or trying to hide it.

[00:23:39] No amount of any of that is ever going to work in the long run.

[00:23:42] We have to acknowledge that we need a Savior to take care of our sin and it's got to be Jesus.

[00:23:48] And then once that gospel exchange happens where we believe and express that we need Him

[00:23:54] to save us from ourselves, then it's like the rest of the Christian life

[00:23:58] is this constant expression of humility to say,

[00:24:03] you are the light of the world and I am not.

[00:24:07] I don't know but you know.

[00:24:09] I don't know what's wise God but you do.

[00:24:11] I don't know how to think about money God but you do.

[00:24:14] I don't know how to be successful in relationships with other people God but you do.

[00:24:19] I need need need your light.

[00:24:24] To follow Jesus is to live over and over and over again,

[00:24:28] being convinced that in the tiniest and the biggest ways with humility we need God.

[00:24:37] And unfortunately all throughout this chapter the Pharisees were prideful.

[00:24:42] They were really far from expressing humility.

[00:24:45] They believed these things.

[00:24:47] They believed because they knew scripture so well,

[00:24:49] because their days were full of religious activity,

[00:24:52] because they came from a very special and specific family.

[00:24:56] Because of all that, they didn't think they had any need to follow Jesus.

[00:25:00] They didn't see themselves in need of salvation, let alone wisdom or help,

[00:25:06] and especially not from Him.

[00:25:09] And so when they're pride as you read this chapter,

[00:25:12] you can see they doubt his claims, they question his credibility,

[00:25:16] they scoff at his words, they basically put themselves in a position of power and authority over Jesus

[00:25:26] rather than in submission to Him.

[00:25:29] The Pharisees couldn't follow Jesus because they could not see their need for Him.

[00:25:37] The next thing I'd like to point out is that following requires trust.

[00:25:43] So there's humility to say, I don't know, but there's trust to say,

[00:25:47] I believe that you do.

[00:25:50] You are the light of the world and I trust you.

[00:25:53] Let's go back to some of those generic examples.

[00:25:56] If I'm using Google Maps to get somewhere, not only am I humbly saying,

[00:26:00] I don't know, but I'm also trusting that Google Maps does, right?

[00:26:05] Like I'm trusting they know better than me how to find Chick-fil-A on my way home from the airport.

[00:26:11] And sometimes I definitely don't trust Google Maps.

[00:26:14] They get it wrong.

[00:26:16] Or if I'm making cookies, again, I'm not just acknowledging that I don't know.

[00:26:22] I'm also putting my trust in whoever wrote that recipe.

[00:26:25] Like I put 20 bucks into ingredients here.

[00:26:28] I'm trusting you that this is not going to go to waste or I'm trusting you recipe crafter

[00:26:33] that the people I am feeding with these cookies are going to enjoy them and not get sick.

[00:26:39] In order to follow, we have to trust.

[00:26:43] And again, of course, following in a far more important way,

[00:26:47] following Jesus requires that we trust Him, especially over ourselves.

[00:26:54] Okay, here's a simple example you might have heard me use it before.

[00:26:57] Proverbs 151 says this,

[00:26:59] a gentle answer turns away, wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

[00:27:07] Now, for me, in parenting, kind of in relationships in general,

[00:27:11] this first is a hard one for me to follow.

[00:27:15] But because so often if I go with my feelings, a harsh word feels very much like the best thing to do in that moment.

[00:27:23] It feels very much like the thing that's going to move the person in the way that I want them to be moved.

[00:27:29] But if I trust the author of those words,

[00:27:35] if I trust the light of the world, then I will more often choose the general answer over my own emotions or instincts.

[00:27:47] To follow Christ, we have to trust Him.

[00:27:51] But remember, if we can believe His claim to be the light of the world,

[00:27:57] the only one who can heal and grow and reveal truth,

[00:28:01] and that without Him I'm totally in the dark,

[00:28:05] I feel like that makes him a lot easier to trust.

[00:28:10] Now as you can imagine throughout this chapter of the Pharisees constantly displayed a lack of trust,

[00:28:17] they basically put Jesus on trial about everything.

[00:28:22] They demanded proof for all His claims and to be fair to the Pharisees.

[00:28:28] It's kind of a reasonable thing to do sometimes,

[00:28:31] like it would be foolish to trust anything anyone said,

[00:28:35] especially the claims as bold as Jesus is.

[00:28:39] So actually, the problem with the Pharisees is not that they didn't trust Jesus right off the bat.

[00:28:46] They said that they were unwilling to trust Him.

[00:28:50] In general, throughout the Gospels,

[00:28:52] they never approached Him with their questions in an open-hearted, willing to have their minds changed kind of way.

[00:29:02] Their motive that stated in Scripture again and again when they asked their questions was just to trap Jesus,

[00:29:08] to prove that He was wrong, to prove that He was a fake.

[00:29:12] For a million reasons, they had made up their mind about Jesus before they ever got in the arguments with Him.

[00:29:19] They had closed themselves off from trusting Him before they ever even knew Him.

[00:29:26] Their demands for proof, their questions for for Him, they weren't genuine,

[00:29:32] they weren't really wanting to know, they were just plots to trap Him.

[00:29:38] So following Jesus requires trust.

[00:29:43] Now finally, just real quickly, I want to point out that the more we follow Jesus,

[00:29:47] it's kind of implicit in this verse,

[00:29:49] the more we follow Jesus, the better off we are.

[00:29:54] The more we follow Jesus, the better off we are.

[00:29:56] I kept having that song rolled through my head.

[00:29:59] This is the preschool teacher on me.

[00:30:01] The more we get together to give it.

[00:30:06] But I didn't want to say happier.

[00:30:08] It's kind of a weird word for this.

[00:30:10] But the more we follow Jesus, the better off we are.

[00:30:13] Remember we said earlier, Jesus presents us with two paths.

[00:30:17] Follow Him and have the light of life.

[00:30:20] Don't follow Him and walk in darkness.

[00:30:22] So if we really embrace Jesus as the light of the world, then every step we take in following Him.

[00:30:30] Every little step we take will give us light, life, truth,

[00:30:35] and every step we take, not following Him, is going to put us further down that path of darkness.

[00:30:44] The more we follow Jesus, the better will be.

[00:30:48] Now I know it started this section out by saying that sometimes I feel the tiniest bit,

[00:30:52] sorry for the Pharisees, but here's what helps me process that thought.

[00:30:58] They had a choice.

[00:31:01] They had a choice just like me and you today.

[00:31:06] Every Pharisee, regardless of their raw material, they all had a choice.

[00:31:14] They could have humbly embraced and trusted Jesus as the light of the world

[00:31:19] and they could have chosen at any moment to follow Him.

[00:31:24] And some of them did.

[00:31:26] Nicodemus, Joseph of Ehermothea, Paul the Apostle.

[00:31:32] These are all Pharisees who did eventually follow Him.

[00:31:39] And those Pharisees who followed Him and chose that path,

[00:31:44] I probably am like switching up the arms, right?

[00:31:46] Like sometimes this is the path of light and sometimes this is the path of darkness.

[00:31:50] Sometimes this.

[00:31:51] So don't put any confidence in my hands.

[00:31:54] The Pharisees that chose to follow Jesus, they got the privilege of having their heart transformed by the light of the world.

[00:32:03] They had that privilege just like I have.

[00:32:07] Okay, so let's close out our time together by thinking about our last phrase.

[00:32:11] Jesus said, I am the light of the world.

[00:32:13] He who follows me and this is our last phrase will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

[00:32:20] Remember Jesus is saying, here's who I am.

[00:32:23] Here's what you do with that truth and now here are the results.

[00:32:27] So let's start with the negative results.

[00:32:30] That way we can end on a positive.

[00:32:32] What are the negative results?

[00:32:34] What are the results of not following Jesus?

[00:32:37] Well, according to this verse, anyone who doesn't follow Jesus,

[00:32:41] the obvious result is they walk in darkness, right?

[00:32:44] And we've already talked about that quite a bit this morning.

[00:32:47] We've established walking in darkness is a description of a spiritual state where you can't have any knowledge of the truth.

[00:32:56] You are completely vulnerable to yourself, to your emotions and to your interpretation of things in from the dark.

[00:33:06] It's easy to understand a place of spiritual darkness in a physical reality.

[00:33:11] Like at our women's conference last year, if any of you were here,

[00:33:14] we played this game where women were blindfolded and then they had to guess what was in front of them.

[00:33:20] They had to guess by touching what was in front of them.

[00:33:24] And it was pretty tough and pretty funny too.

[00:33:28] But for then, they were totally in a safe environment.

[00:33:32] They were supported the whole time.

[00:33:35] They were blindfolded which means like usually a little bit of light is peaking through.

[00:33:40] And what they were trying to figure out was like of no real consequence except for a few chocolates that they might win.

[00:33:47] And even then, with all those more positive circumstances, even then they were hesitant, they were afraid, they were grossed out, they were worried because they couldn't see what they were touching.

[00:34:00] They had no idea what it was or like how mean we would be to them.

[00:34:06] So let's go back to Jesus' intention, not a physical reality but a spiritual one.

[00:34:10] Jesus is saying to walk in darkness the result of choosing that path is that it will be impossible for you to interpret life right.

[00:34:20] Here are some of the things he told the Pharisees were the result of that.

[00:34:25] When you can't interpret life right, you're going to die in your sin in verse 24.

[00:34:31] You're not going to go to heaven.

[00:34:33] You're going to be a slave to your sin in verse 35.

[00:34:37] You won't know the truth in verse 32 and this one's a little intense.

[00:34:43] He said they were of the devil in verse 44.

[00:34:48] And remember, this is not inevitable.

[00:34:51] The Pharisees and we here today, we all have a choice.

[00:34:54] We can choose to follow the light but those are the results of walking in darkness.

[00:35:00] And what are the results of walking with the light of life following him having his light?

[00:35:07] We've talked about that a lot this morning too, right.

[00:35:10] If we choose to follow Jesus, we get to have.

[00:35:15] We get to wrap our arm around his waist, have that expert jungle guide with that incredible headlamp

[00:35:24] who is going to show us all of life as it really is and then tell us how to navigate it.

[00:35:32] Having the light of life means having the only source who can show us what is true,

[00:35:38] and wise, and good, and beautiful, and what is not.

[00:35:42] And here are some of the things that Jesus said in chapter 8 are the results.

[00:35:47] They're basically the opposite of everything that I just said.

[00:35:50] He said in following, I mean about the Pharisees.

[00:35:53] He said in following him, we get to go to heaven when we die.

[00:35:58] He said that in following him and walking with the light of life, we get to be free from slavery to sin.

[00:36:05] He said that we could know the truth and find freedom from the truth.

[00:36:11] And he said we could be in his family forever.

[00:36:17] Okay, here's how I would like to wrap up all of our time.

[00:36:21] I think we have a pretty good understanding now of who Jesus is as the light of the world.

[00:36:25] I think we know what the two paths that he's given us to choose from are and I think we know a little bit more about the results of those paths.

[00:36:34] But...

[00:36:40] And remember, just keep in mind, I am not talking about as when we're talking about results.

[00:36:46] I am definitely not talking about earning rewards or consequences from God.

[00:36:52] Because once you've surrendered your life to Jesus, once you've made that big choice to follow him,

[00:36:58] you belong to him and there is nothing you can do to make him love you more or take care of you more or less.

[00:37:08] Ah, I got my notes mixed up. I'm sorry. I was wondering what happened.

[00:37:13] I see. So in a minute, we're going to invite a panel of women up here and they're going to share with you some of their own experiences about them seeking to follow the light of the world.

[00:37:25] But here is what I'm trying to say. Sorry.

[00:37:29] Which lost my place. Okay, here's what I'm trying to say.

[00:37:32] In life, you first have that big choice, right? Am I going to follow Jesus like Brie said, what am I going to do with Jesus?

[00:37:40] That's the big choice of life. What am I going to do with Jesus?

[00:37:44] Will I believe that he's the light of the world and follow him or will I walk in darkness? But then...

[00:37:50] Like we said earlier, we constantly have a choice.

[00:37:56] Will Jesus or myself do what he says or what other people say? Follow his word or my gut instincts.

[00:38:05] It feels like in one day, we have like a thousand opportunities to choose who we will follow.

[00:38:14] And I am so grateful that Jesus has shown us here in John chapter 8 the choice that is really being presented to us.

[00:38:24] If we choose him, even in that one choice, we're choosing like a little bit more life.

[00:38:32] It's not always easy but we are choosing a little bit more life.

[00:38:37] And he made it clear that not choosing him, it's like even in the smallest things,

[00:38:43] it's like choosing a little bit more darkness.

[00:38:48] So here's what I was getting mixed up with earlier. I am not talking about earning rewards or consequences from God when I say that.

[00:38:57] Once you've surrendered your life to Christ, there's nothing you can do to make him love you more or less.

[00:39:03] But what I'm talking about here is like a loving parent who's presenting their child with the truth,

[00:39:09] with the reality from what comes with one choice over another.

[00:39:13] Like if you eat too much cake, you're going to feel sick.

[00:39:17] If you trust me to put you on this swing, you're going to have so much fun.

[00:39:22] I know some kids don't like swings but you get the idea.

[00:39:26] It's just this loving father telling us what comes from each choice.

[00:39:33] And this is just me talking here but I feel like following Jesus is like this muscle.

[00:39:40] This muscle that can get stronger or weaker according to how much we use it.

[00:39:46] And in my experience, the more I choose to follow Jesus, a gentle answer and conflict,

[00:39:53] prioritizing someone else over myself, pursuing inner beauty, believing the best about a person,

[00:40:02] praying instead of worrying. The more I choose to follow him, the stronger my follower muscle gets.

[00:40:11] So before the panel comes up, I want to leave you with two questions to take home and to consider.

[00:40:18] Here's question number one. I encourage you to write it down and then like in your quiet times this week, just be thinking about this.

[00:40:24] Question number one, is there a general area that it's more difficult for me to follow Jesus in?

[00:40:32] Maybe it's relationships or money, maybe it's self-image, maybe it's worry and fear.

[00:40:38] Is there a general area that it's more difficult for you to follow Jesus in?

[00:40:43] And then I would love for you to take some time to name that area in a journal and then think of one way that you can specifically follow him this week.

[00:40:53] Get that muscle work in.

[00:40:57] Okay, and question number two, what sources do I go to to better understand myself or the world around me?

[00:41:07] Do these sources push me closer to Jesus?

[00:41:14] Think about friends, podcasts, social media, books, shows, news. Where do I go for understanding?

[00:41:23] And do they push me closer to Jesus the real light, the one who can give us understanding?

[00:41:30] So think about those things this week. Celebrate who Jesus is and the option he's given us to follow him.

[00:41:41] Celebrate that every time you do follow him, it's like a little more life.

[00:41:48] These are reasons to rejoice. This is a beautiful part of who Jesus is. We can have understanding and know.

[00:41:56] Okay, these are all people that I respect and appreciate.

[00:42:03] This is Chessley Monso and this is Maya Macau. And this is Claire. How do you say your last name?

[00:42:09] I was going to say that.

[00:42:12] They come from all kinds of different stages and places in life.

[00:42:16] And they're just going to share with you with us a little bit of their life experience in what it means to follow Jesus.

[00:42:23] Okay, so here they are. Okay. Can we pop question number one up there?

[00:42:30] Sorry Bernard, thank you. Okay. I'm just going to throw out the first question and then whoever wants to answer it first.

[00:42:37] Sorry. Thank you, tech team.

[00:42:43] Okay, so let's go to number one. Can you guys share about a time when following Jesus meant doing something that felt contradictory to your feelings, to logic or your previous experience?

[00:42:57] But in the end, the result was not darkness but life.

[00:43:03] So they're going to tell us a little bit about that.

[00:43:08] So something that came to mind for me was, and there are a lot of things.

[00:43:14] But I was incredibly hesitant to start a family.

[00:43:19] I was really afraid. I was deeply afraid of how that would shake my life up.

[00:43:26] And I like to have peace in my home. I like control.

[00:43:33] And it already felt so busy. So I was just very hesitant.

[00:43:37] Like how would that ever work out? How would it work out in our day and in day out, and financially?

[00:43:45] And just in every area that I know this is going to touch.

[00:43:50] I think we can all relate to that hesitancy about something that might be worth thinking about in our life.

[00:43:59] But I know I could sense God calling me to trust deeply and toward selflessness.

[00:44:08] I know that it wouldn't be easy. He wasn't promising that.

[00:44:14] But I wasn't factoring in that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

[00:44:22] And he just began to bring verses alive to me that just popped out on the page about how he empowers us and how he equips us.

[00:44:34] And when it feels like total darkness and uncertainty, he is that light.

[00:44:41] And so I don't want to take a baller time but that was a way for me.

[00:44:48] Yeah. And actually I remember that season in your life.

[00:44:53] But it's like you would never say now like, I mean you wouldn't say it's easy.

[00:44:59] But you're reaping all the benefits of the promise, too. Right? Doesn't it feel like that?

[00:45:07] It's not always like that when we follow God there's not always like this candy at the end.

[00:45:11] But meadow is. That's her daughter. So okay thank you.

[00:45:19] Yeah absolutely.

[00:45:23] So I think a little bit about my story. I grew up thinking that all men were users and abusers and growing up without my dad, he was absent in our home as well as having a wonderful mother but really observed a string of broken relationships.

[00:45:44] And unfortunately I also experienced a trauma of sexual violation at the age of 16.

[00:45:52] And so I was terrified of men and when I was 17 years old I came to Christ and although he redeemed my soul, my mind still needed to be renewed.

[00:46:07] And so all through college I was extremely involved in campus crusade and after college I started serving with that ministry.

[00:46:18] And at a Christian conference, the MC he asked for my phone number.

[00:46:25] And I searched my mind of what I could do to avoid giving it to him. But I couldn't think of an excuse to say no.

[00:46:35] And so this began a very rocky courtship and I broke it off with him twice and I just felt paralyzed.

[00:46:46] I felt like I couldn't move forward and I knew that God was calling me to move forward and I just needed help.

[00:46:53] And so I began a journey with the Christian counselor who really challenged me to saturate my mind and scripture and what God has to say about fear

[00:47:05] and about the fruitfulness of a godly marriage. And Matthew 7 and 7 through 11 really helped me to remember that God is a good father and he gives good gifts.

[00:47:20] And even though I didn't have my father in my life, God was not like my father. Well my father was not God. God is my new father.

[00:47:28] And I clung to that verse and when I was challenged by many mentors, they just said you need to ask this man to repursue you.

[00:47:43] And so I picked up the phone. I called him with a lot of fear and he very cautiously re-entered a relationship with me.

[00:47:54] And he was patient and the whole courtship, I was terrified but I knew God was calling me to walk by faith.

[00:48:03] And so through pre-engagement counseling and pre-marital counseling I was terrified but I clung to God's word.

[00:48:12] And praise God, he showed me the light and the path to overcome fear.

[00:48:20] I think that for me it would be a time where I was invited to go into the youth ministry here at Calvary and it's coming from church in like a background where I was in youth ministry and it was not rewarding.

[00:48:43] I didn't have a good time and it was very frustrating and difficult. And so that, you know, I thought like okay that's not my gift. That's not what God wants me to do. That's not for me in the church.

[00:48:53] And then being asked to kind of come observe and like potentially be a leader, I immediately thought I said no and I was like no I don't want to, you know, thanks for the offer but I'm not doing that.

[00:49:07] And I just really felt like I was supposed to go check out the youth group on Tuesday night and I knew that it was from God because I would never in my right mind think that I should go check out a youth group.

[00:49:20] I'm like been there, done that, hated it and I just felt like I should go and I was like yeah that's definitely not for me.

[00:49:27] So I went and it was frightening and terrible and I felt super out of place. And I just remember going to God and being like I don't want to do this, like I don't want to be here.

[00:49:40] And I just had this feeling of like this is where I was supposed to be. And I was like okay, like this is probably going to end up bad like all the other times. I'm probably not going to have a good time. This is probably not going to be great.

[00:49:53] Kind of like like I saw it almost as a waste of my time, like I could be doing better things.

[00:49:58] And just being there, like it took a really long time and I think I've just seen so much transformation in my life over the past.

[00:50:07] I'm going on I think my third year of being a youth leader.

[00:50:11] And I have just seen that God has just really led me through and I feel like almost like I get more out of the youth group than the kids do.

[00:50:22] But I have to go every week and I have to go before God before because I still don't think I'm skilled as a leader.

[00:50:31] I don't think that it's my strong suit. I don't think that it's like, you know, I'm just like really good at it.

[00:50:37] And so I have to go to God because I have to lean on his understanding because this is where I fall short.

[00:50:42] You know, I don't know when people come to me and they ask me questions when people are confiding in me or during a small group.

[00:50:50] Sometimes I'm just like I don't even know what to do. I don't know what to say. I don't know how to relate.

[00:50:54] I don't know how like, you know, I don't like this is such an area of discomfort for me entirely that even now every week I have to go before God before and I have to ask for his help because I can't lean on my own understanding in this area.

[00:51:10] But it's been really cool to see and I feel like, you know, God's leading me through things that he's teaching me and then I can kind of like go back and like see see the kids go through the same things at the same time.

[00:51:23] And it's been really fulfilling.

[00:51:25] But I still don't think to this day, I'm like, I don't know if I'm ever going to be in another youth group at another church because it's still not my strong suit.

[00:51:33] But I'm really grateful that I kind of didn't that moment chose not to self protect and lean into my insecurities and lean into my comfort zone of like.

[00:51:44] You know, I'm just going to stay home because I don't want to be in this situation.

[00:51:48] But I don't know it's been very, very rewarding.

[00:51:51] Yeah.

[00:51:52] I love that for all three of you there's life when we follow Jesus.

[00:52:05] I don't mean to oversimplify it.

[00:52:08] There's so much complexity to it but like I'm hearing in all of it, it's so hard, it's so scary, but he's worth trusting.

[00:52:18] He's proving to in all of your stories that he is trustworthy and he's like holding our hands as we're trying to follow.

[00:52:28] And then in one way or another, there's life experienced that we would have missed out on.

[00:52:34] So I love that. Thanks for sharing those things you guys.

[00:52:37] Okay question number two and then we're going to be done for the morning just about.

[00:52:42] Okay. Oh yeah.

[00:52:43] Is there a specific area that you would be willing to share about that's harder for you to follow Jesus in?

[00:52:51] And follow up what has been helpful to you in the fight to follow Jesus exclusively?

[00:52:59] So is there a specific area and what has been helpful?

[00:53:08] Trying to put my words together but I think for me, we are a ministry couple.

[00:53:15] And so continuing to say yes to that calling.

[00:53:20] And hopefully that isn't something that no one can relate to but you know we all pursue the Lord in our day and in day out lives and our careers.

[00:53:30] You know, and I have a lot of mom friends that are not believers.

[00:53:35] And so I think now as a mom, it just, I feel like I tried to explain to them what we do.

[00:53:42] And I feel misunderstood.

[00:53:44] I feel excluded.

[00:53:45] I don't really always get invitations and we're definitely not raising our kids the same way.

[00:53:51] So it is hard to live so counter culturally you know and to raise a child that way too.

[00:54:01] Even if we were not in ministry by vocation, it would be hard.

[00:54:07] It is hard.

[00:54:08] And so yeah I think that would just be my thing that is hard and just that feeling kind of excluded.

[00:54:17] And we're not just working to make money.

[00:54:20] You know, it's just not about that.

[00:54:22] It's a whole different focus.

[00:54:24] So is there anything that has been helpful to you and you just like fighting?

[00:54:29] Yeah.

[00:54:30] Like experience or maybe you're in specifically a mystery one?

[00:54:34] Or do you say yes?

[00:54:35] Yeah.

[00:54:36] Well what I have found that it's so much harder when my mind is immersed in the wrong things.

[00:54:47] And it's the things that aren't even obvious.

[00:54:51] Like sometimes I'll realize I have been singing a kid song all day in my mind.

[00:54:56] You know?

[00:54:57] Yeah, more.

[00:54:59] I think it's getting a little bit different.

[00:55:02] Right?

[00:55:03] And it's just, it seems innocent but it's not me intentionally directing my thoughts and my focus

[00:55:12] and anchoring my soul in the scripture.

[00:55:16] You know?

[00:55:17] And we get our strength from starting our day with his word and redirecting our thoughts, you know, hour by hour back to it.

[00:55:29] Because if we don't intentionally discipline our minds like that, we go toward worried.

[00:55:36] We go toward kids songs, you know?

[00:55:38] We go toward our to do this.

[00:55:40] Sometimes it's just that merry go round of like I need to do that and you do that and you do that, you know?

[00:55:45] Or even it's some audio clip from Instagram that I heard that I'll just play through my mind over and over.

[00:55:52] Maybe it's even just a song.

[00:55:54] Whatever it might be, what is informing my thoughts?

[00:55:58] What is fueling them?

[00:56:01] What is my mind resting on?

[00:56:04] And trying to be more aware of that, you know?

[00:56:07] And trying to take hold of it and discipline it not let it just run off because that's what's going to fuel everything.

[00:56:17] You know, for my day and how I'm feeling and how I'm doing.

[00:56:20] So what I'm currently fighting to follow Jesus.

[00:56:30] And right now is homeschooling one of my kids.

[00:56:35] So I have four children and one of them particularly we've had just a challenging relationship.

[00:56:45] And I have felt so drawn to investing quality, just focus time with this child.

[00:56:58] And when I first started filling the pool, I did not want to do it.

[00:57:04] I just said, Lord, I don't think I'm equipped.

[00:57:07] I'm not a teacher.

[00:57:10] I just don't think that this is something that I can do.

[00:57:14] And as I just consulted various wise counselors in my life, older women, friends that love Jesus,

[00:57:25] they all in unison said yes, you need to do this.

[00:57:30] And so as I got that confirmation, then I started praying and asking the Lord just for more peace about it

[00:57:38] because I did not feel like God was calling me to pull all of my children out of a school that they're thriving in.

[00:57:44] But just this one specific one to invest and love and nurture.

[00:57:51] And once when I was driving to the store without them, I just cut off the radio and I just started listening.

[00:57:58] And I said, God, I really need you to speak to me.

[00:58:01] I really want your peace.

[00:58:03] And he brought to my mind, I believe he brought to my mind a woman who's a Christian author by the name of Winter Pits.

[00:58:10] She has a ministry of four girls.

[00:58:14] And well, she has four girls but she has a ministry two girls.

[00:58:18] And she shared having a similar experience with one of her daughters and just felt like the Holy Spirit was calling her to pull one of them out

[00:58:27] and just invest, invest in love and pour into her.

[00:58:32] And everyone just wondered why you would do this.

[00:58:36] And she said, I don't know, I just know the Lord is calling me to do it.

[00:58:40] And I'm sure enough after investing that year, the Lord called her home to be with him.

[00:58:46] And it just, it rocked everyone but all of her friends and family in unison said this one daughter who always felt kind of neglected and overlooked will never ever doubt her mother's love.

[00:59:02] And so when the Lord gave me that vision that I'm not just this crazy person, I had a lot of peace.

[00:59:08] But the things that have helped me to follow him even when it's hard is doing life in community.

[00:59:15] If I'm feeling led, just making sure it's in line with scripture, Proverbs is full of counsel to have wise advisors to ask for wisdom and know that he'll give it.

[00:59:28] And we can't doubt when he gives us that wisdom, we have to walk by faith.

[00:59:33] And so all of those are things that that help me to move forward.

[00:59:41] I think for me, I am a very controlling person in my own life and I feel like I need to control every little thing that goes on.

[00:59:53] And it's really frustrating when things don't go the way that I want them to or I think that they should.

[00:59:59] And so I have had for my entire life struggled to kind of give over my illusion of control to God.

[01:00:09] I don't actually have control over my life, I just think I do.

[01:00:13] But that is, you know, that I think prevents me from actually trusting him.

[01:00:19] And being blessed by the opportunities that he has.

[01:00:24] And so God has been really showing me that through my frustration and illusion of control what that means.

[01:00:32] And a lot of the time, it's been difficult to acknowledge.

[01:00:37] But God has I think showing me that those areas where I don't trust him, like where my rents, my lease is up, where am I going to live next or a job?

[01:00:47] Anything in life, especially the big things.

[01:00:50] If things are up in the air, I'm super stressed out.

[01:00:54] And I'm not telling me that because I'm stressed and worried, because I don't actually trust him.

[01:00:59] The reason is I don't actually trust him to provide for me.

[01:01:03] I don't trust him to take care of me.

[01:01:06] My worst nightmares, I'm going to end up homeless on the street.

[01:01:09] And I forget about how good God is.

[01:01:12] And I forget that he provides for us.

[01:01:14] I forget that when I'm not making as much money that he's still going to provide for me, that I'm still going to have a way to live.

[01:01:21] I think part of that has been helpful to acknowledge that.

[01:01:25] And just go before God and say, I don't believe you are all that good right now in my life in this area.

[01:01:31] I don't believe that you are going to provide everything I need in this area of my life.

[01:01:35] And being very specific and very honest, whereas my entire life, I've just been like, of course God is good.

[01:01:41] And yeah, we all believe him and he's perfect and great and he's going to provide.

[01:01:44] But that was all kind of just like a pretense.

[01:01:47] And so I think God has really been able to grow me from that because I'm actually being honest with him about how I really, you know, think about him and feel about him.

[01:01:57] So I've been able to kind of like, being willing to actually move on from that like mindset.

[01:02:06] Yeah.

[01:02:09] Okay, so we've all got our fights in front of us where God's asking us to follow him.

[01:02:19] Where we like historically know it's hard for us or maybe just right now in life, it's hard for us.

[01:02:25] These ladies have shared some tools, getting those thoughts captive, thinking about what you're taking in, getting in community, finding a wise counselor, comparing what you're feeling to the word.

[01:02:38] And there's so much wisdom being honest with God about how you're feeling and where you're at.

[01:02:45] Being willing to let him change your mind, I think you're saying, you know.

[01:02:50] So a lot of wisdom up here.

[01:02:52] Thank you for sharing with us ladies.