Sermon
“Let There Be Light”
Beloit 4142 (Sabbath After Last DUB)

Intro: For the past week we have participated in being elevated and raised above, way beyond Human ways and earth created concepts.

Now, we are able to look into the Family of God and its Member’s eternal existence with orders of magnitude more than ever!

Benefit Statement: We can grasp what humanity cannot. We may not yet grasp all things of God, but there is something we can understand and add to the Life of God in us, because He wants us to be responsible WITH Him for what He is building and creating.

SPS: Where God IS …we always find something only God’s People can begin to understand as humans. 

Light. In Him is NO darkness, and when He began the recreation of earth, the FIRST thing He did was command, “LET THERE BE LIGHT!”

Body:

1)    God is Eternal and True Light
Genesis 1:3-5; 15-18 “Let there be …Light” [H216 אוֹר ʼôr ore   From H215; illumination or (concretely) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.):—bright, clear, + day, light (-ning), morning, sun.

2 Corinthians 4: 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Law is a light – Proverbs 6:23
In His presence is light – Acts 9:3; Acts 12:7; Acts 22:6, 9; Acts 26:13;
He dwells in unapproachable light – 1 Timothy 6:16

In the Kingdom – speaking of Jerusalem –
Isaiah 60: 19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. 20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended

(No night there – Revelation 22:5 - the lamb is its light – Revelation 21:23-24)

2)    Mankind / World vs Light
He was the light of the world – John 8:12; John 9:5; John 11:9,10; John 12:35-36; John 12:46;

In Him was life which is the light of men – John 1:4-9

Came into the world, and the darkness comprehended it not – John 1:5; John 3:19-21

Satan disguised as an angel of light – 2 Corinthians 11:14

Earth’s Leaders wander without light – Job 12:25

Some rebel against the light – Job 24:13

Woe to those who call light darkness – Isaiah 5:20

The Logos here says - those of God at any time in history will evidence this LIGHT of Christ! (v22)

Isaiah 60:1-3 Isaiah put it this way (with God’s inspiration): “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising”.

3)    Christians and Light
(Light and Dark compared by God for His People - Exodus 14:20)

Lord is my light – Psalms 27:1

(Law is a light – Proverbs 6:23)

Lord gives light to the oppressor and poor man equally – Proverbs 29:13

Once dwell in darkness – now a great light has shined – Isaiah 9:2

(To turn darkness into light  (commission to Paul) – Acts 26:18)

The armor of light – Romans 13:12

Children of light – Ephesians 5: 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Sons of light – 1 Thessalonians 5:4-7

Conspicuous Life of Christ in God’s Children

Luke 11: 33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. 34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 36 If thy whole body, therefore, be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

Light of the Gospel – To be passed on by humans assigned to do so -
2 Corinthians 4: 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Conclusion:

God, His Light (which is the REAL Light), His Way, and the opposite are related …

1 John 1: 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

What should most distinguish us from the rest of this world?

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4).

"By this, all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).

"And by this, we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit [that] He has given us" (1 John 3:24).

Our lives are to be examples of obedience to all of God's Way reflecting the Spirit of God (His “Heart”) dwelling in us.

How does Jesus expect His Church to relate to the rest of the world?

"As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world" (John 17:18).

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you ..." (Matthew 28:19-20).

Besides setting the example of how God wants people to live, the Church must be actively teaching and explaining God's ways to those who are willing to listen. The public spreading of the gospel is usually the responsibility of individuals ordained and specially trained to effectively communicate Christ's message to public audiences.

Ephesians 6:18-20 Paul, for example, asked members of the church in Ephesus to request God's assistance "with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit ... that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak".

Paul had a very visible public ministry, but he also treasured and solicited the Church brethren's prayers and support. In this way, they worked together to accomplish the mission God has given His Church.

Today the members of God's Church are no different. Those who have God's Spirit working in them are eager to be examples of God's way of life and to do their part in helping send the true gospel of Jesus Christ to all peoples.

There was even a time when the members spread the Gospel of the Kingdom …
Acts 8:1-4(NKJV)1 Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. 4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching [G2097 εὐαγγελίζω euaggelizō yoo-ang-ghel-id'-zo From G2095 and G32; to announce good news (“evangelize”) especially the gospel:—declare, bring (declare, show) glad (good) tidings, preach (the gospel).] the word.

CLOSE: 

God expects us to be examples to the people of the world.

Philippians 2:14-16 Paul tells us, "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights [GK - phostare "illuminator" or it can mean "luminary" or even "stars." ] in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain".

1 Peter 2: 9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Matthew 5:14-16 You are the Light [G5457 φῶς phōs foce From an obsoleteφάω phaō (to shine or make manifest, especially by rays; compare G5316 and G5346); luminousness (in the widest application, natural or artificial, abstract or concrete, literal or figurative):—fire, light.] (same word used for Christ as “light” of the world.) of the World (now).

God IS Light, and there is NO darkness in Him. He is surrounded by Light.

That’s part of what HE is “like”. WE will be LIKE Him and see Him as He is …

At the beginning of the Recreation …in Genesis 1,
God declared His Plan for His Creation to be the SAME as He IS.
He INTENDS for HIS Creation to LET …there be Light. He does NOT force it!

It is our Calling, and we DO this revealing of God’s Plan both by Living God’s Way, and desiring with all our existence to see “all men saved,
and come to the Knowledge of the Truth”.

Men resist the Light.
Let us NOT be like mankind

Let’s not rebel and resist
God’s Approach to His Plan …

LET there BE Light!!!