TV 1769 | Light of the World

I've had a few thoughts in a couple of directions, but one of them in particular, I think, might be a blessing and might help all of us, starting with me. That's always how we need to approach everything, isn't it? I'll just go ahead and start. This is not directly connected, I guess, but in John chapter 8, there's a line of thought that just kind of came back to me, and it's nothing new, but maybe it'll help to focus a little bit in the direction that we're headed as a church, because it's been mentioned that we need to be praying about being what the Lord wants and reaching out in the immediate area, not just sending money to the far reaches. But there are truths involved in that that I believe the Lord wants to make a little more real, starting with me, but anyway, let's go back to the ministry of Jesus, who came to earth, born as a human being, lived an earthly life, but with a heavenly purpose. And one of the things he said in John chapter 8, beginning in 12, when Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whosoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. We know that the world is a dark place, and we know what's caused the darkness. It's because the human family, in the beginning, drank in the nature, the wisdom of Lucifer. And we're told that we don't wrestle with flesh and blood, but the principalities and the powers of darkness that rule in this world. This is a dark world, and people are blind, they do not know, they do not understand. But what was it that was life in Jesus? Was it just, well, I'm a better person, I have a better lifestyle, I'm going to show you how to do it, kind of thing? What was the essence that made him different from everyone else? Now we know one thing, certainly, was that everything he did, he did as an instrument. It was him doing it, participating, giving himself one with it, but it wasn't just him doing it, was it? He said the works, the words that I speak, I speak not by myself. But what was the answer to that? The Father who lives in me is doing his work.

That was the essence. Jesus came to be a vessel of divine life and divine purpose, and he was totally in harmony with the Father, to the point where he said on one occasion, I and the Father are one. He didn't mean they're one person. He just meant there was a total unity, because he prayed that we'd be one, just like, we're not going to all become one person. It means a unity of purpose and life. So the very fact that the Father lived in him, it wasn't just that he had better information, a better philosophy, a better way of life to help people understand and live this way instead of that way. It had everything to do with life and death and darkness and light. One thing that John begins his book with, let's go back to chapter one, that gets to the essence of what this is about. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. Now the Word here is an expressed Word. That's the original. And the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him, all things were made. Without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life. Now this is the key, because we talked about him being the light of the world. What does that mean? All right? In him was life, and the life was the light. In him was life, well praise God, maybe I'll get my place here. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. That's the essence of it. It's the life that was in him that was the light. It wasn't just a better religion, but it literally was a contrast between what animated the world

system, including its religions, and what animated him, what they felt, what came out of him. And so that was the essence of it. And of course it goes on to say, the light shines in the darkness, and there are very translations of this, but the darkness has not overcome it, basically you want to translate the essence of what that means. The darkness just didn't get it, didn't understand it. It was just, what in the world is that all about? I don't understand that at all. Why are you so different than we are? But that was the essence of it. Do you think God wants us to be different from the world around us? Just a little, don't you? He's God, well Jesus was, and so throughout His life, whenever He was around, there was something different about Him, and what the difference was, was the Father was in Him and they kept encountering the Father and not realizing, hey, this is not just a man we're talking to, this is God's here, and He is encountering me and I need to reckon on that. And of course He did signs and wonders to validate that, but that wasn't ever the issue. The issue was the light of life and He came to, not just to put it on display, but ultimately the purpose was to share that life with us, with the people. And of course He had to lay down His earthly life in order to receive that one that He could then share with us. Praise God, it necessitated going to the cross for us, thank God. So anyway, the scripture that started my mind down this path goes back to Matthew chapter 5, and you remember the occasion, we call it the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus was talking and usually that's pictured, as far as I know this is accurate, but I don't know, I wasn't there, where there was a huge crowd and He was talking, but He was addressing His disciples. That was the focus of what He said, He was teaching them, all right?

He taught them a whole lot of things, blessed are the poor in spirit, all the blessings, the Beatitudes we call them. And then He says in verse 13, you are the salt of the earth. But then down in verse 15, 14 rather, this is where my mind went. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl, instead they put it on a stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. And so, while Jesus was the example and all that He did as a human being was done by the power of a Father living in Him, that same principle is meant to apply to us. Now I noticed something as I was meditating on this. He did not say you are the lights of the world. It's true in an individual sense, but this is more of a corporate thing. You are the light of the world. You see where God's going with this? God wants a people that He could live in. Where what animates us, what comes out of us, the vibe, if you will, that we give off is not us. But it's Him living in us and through us. How many of you believe He has a plan? How many of you believe He has a path for us to walk on? There are other thoughts that maybe it's for the future, I don't know. But this was the thought that I mainly focused on this morning. I don't know how long this will go, so we'll just have to see. Thank God. But God has called us to literally have Him living in us. Isn't that what the new birth is about? Because if someone has never been born again, what have they got to offer anybody but human

nature? And human nature can put on all kinds of goodness, quote, unquote, but is it really what God is after? It's a substitute, isn't it? But what God is looking for is not only the right outcome, the right outflow, what people see and what people sense in an outward sense, He's looking for that which flows out of a heart that has been changed on the inside. That's why He says you must be born again. Praise God for the purpose and the heart that He has to fill a people and to make us one. One of the things we were celebrating today was the fact that Here we are, we stand before a holy God, righteous in His eyes because of what Jesus did. But He has called us to lay down our lives for whom? Well starting for one another, right? But you know, and that's what God is building a family, a people whose lives are not defined like this world is defined. Rather, He wants, Christ wants to live in us and make Himself known through us. And that's not just people who stand up here. That means every Christian, every believer, God is looking to make Himself known. And I'll tell you, I don't care what we do in terms of outward ministry and what form it takes. I mean, we could have this awesome home and people come in with drug addiction and all that kind of stuff, but if it isn't Christ doing it in us, it's just good works. I believe He wants both. It's not just sitting here saying, well, I just want to be a, you know. Being a light does involve what we do, but involves the one who does it. And I believe God is wanting to give us a deeper appreciation of absolutely walking together. First of all, because you, plural, you plural are the singular light. God wants this congregation. I believe He's going to bring all of His people together one way or another.

We're going to stand there together on that day for sure. But I believe God's going to make greater connections in this world between those that He actually lives in. It's not a matter of my doctrine versus yours. I believe God can help us with our understanding as we grow. I mean, none of us knows all we think we know, but I'll tell you the biggest thing is Christ living in us, are we doing His thing or our thing? What do people see and experience when they come into contact with us? That's a serious question, isn't it? I mentioned the word vibe. We're all kind of familiar with that in modern lingo, but what kind of vibe do we give off? The reality is two people could do the same outward thing, and one of them gives off a vibe that makes people, you know, I don't know about that, uncomfortable or just religious or this kind of a condemning spirit. All kinds of vibes that people can give off. I want to give off one vibe, and I can't do it. It's got to be as I just say, Lord, here I am. All that's wrong with me, when we make bad decisions here and there, that's part of it. We got to grow, but we love each other. We trust the one who called us, who we say, Lord, here's my vessel. Live in me. Do your thing and not mine, and I tell you, you're going to get the glory. Praise God, but I also want us to see that it's not just an ethereal out there somewhere attitude. It's more than that. We talked about having a right attitude in life, but that attitude is going to be expressed in deeds. The Lord's going to give us things to do, and it's not just the special few. We're all special in the kingdom of God. Every single one has a place.

We're all, I mean, you think about the teaching of the body of Christ and how, you know, I'm not going to go into all of that right now. That's kind of off in another line of thought, but the body is all of it animated by the one who lives in it. And you remember the language of the King James, I think it's in 1 Corinthians 12, if you want to read it sometime, but we are all members in particular. That means every one of us has a place, a part, and it all matters, and the same life that's in the tongue is in the little toe, and everyone is just as needed, just as valued and loved by the Father. And I'll tell you, if God's going to do His thing in this county, He's going to be living in every one of us, and every one of us is going to be saying, Lord, show me the path that you've laid out before me. Help me to be engaged and to realize that I am a part. I have a place. I matter. And the whole purpose of my life is not just to live a good life and go to heaven one day, it's to say, Lord, show me the path. I can't do anything on my own, but it's not about me. If my place is to be a bricklayer, help me to be a bricklayer that just honors you and people see you in me and in the way I do my job. I mean, whatever place we have, so far as this world is concerned, if Christ lives in us, that's kind of where it's at, isn't it? I mean, you think of a lady, I think that in some translations is Dorcas. There's another, Tabitha was the other name, other version of the name, but you remember what her life was about? Sewing. She made clothes for people. I mean, there were poor people in her village and she had this burden on her heart and mind to sew clothes for people who were in need. Now that doesn't sound like, oh, I'm an apostle, I'm going to go out and change the world.

This was a lady who just, there was something about her that God moved upon her to serve others, but it was the Spirit that did that, that made all the difference. She didn't do it to say, hey, look at me, I'm so wonderful. It wasn't any of that. It was all about the one who was in her, who loved the people that she served and they felt that love, not just something that originated in her. I don't care what your place is in this world. You matter. And if we will look to the Lord and let Him live in us and realize, just present your body as a living, as that living sacrifice and let Him recalibrate our thinking because we all think kind of a mess. Some of us overthink, I think. But anyway, you know what I'm talking about. God is in the process of changing us, isn't He? These are not things that are new, but I think they're very relevant right now, especially where we are praying about doing something. There are going to be things to do and we can't just sit here and say, I'm a wonderful Christian. I come and I worship. I lift my hands and that's all there is to it. There are going to be things that the Lord puts before us to actually express the love of Christ and people are going to sense, hey, there's something more to this than just a nice person doing a good thing. Jesus, there's a God who's in this. I want what they have. I wonder how many people look at us and say, boy, I want what they have. Kind of a sobering thought, isn't it? But I don't believe the Lord would say anything like that to condemn us, but to encourage us and to point us in the right direction. And I thought about another scripture we use a lot, and I think it's in Philippians

chapter two, but it kind of, Ephesians, Philippians comes after Ephesians, okay. Ephesians chapter two, and it goes into what Jesus did for us, thank God. But then we have that, therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation. See that's kind of what we're talking about. If there is a salvation happening on the inside, it needs to come out. It's not just something where you park it and file it away, live an earthly life. It's meant to change us on the outside, it just has to come from here first. Once it's in here, then there's something that can come out. So we're meant to work it out to express what God does in here. Thank God for the next verse, though, it doesn't leave it all up to us, because I have not got what it takes, neither do you. For, and that's what connects it, because rather, it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to do what? Whose good pleasure? His. God's got a plan to reach a people, but He doesn't want to just reach me and put my name on a list and say, done with that, let's go to somebody else. He wants to change me so I can become part of that. That's you too. I don't care who you are, God loves every one of us and wants to involve every one of us. And of course, then we've got the part we all love, do everything without grumbling or arguing. So that, why do we do that? So that you may become blameless, sounds like we don't start out that way, we all got things that need changing, but we can become something that we weren't to start with, all right? So that you may become blameless and pure. Children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Is this pretty much a warped and crooked generation?

Getting worse and worse. I'll tell you, the enemy is just biding his time and there's a boiling sense of the satanic spirit just here, there, and everywhere. I don't know how long we're going to be able to do what we're doing here, but I know the Lord is on the throne. I know we're going to work while it's day. All right? Now once that is fulfilled in us, as we learn from him, as salvation that's in us comes out and we do it without grumbling and arguing, then what's the result? You will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. God sent his son into the world to be the light of the world, but then he turns around to his followers and said, you are the light together. You are the light. Was that just them? That's for every single one of us. God wants us to be light in the Lord. There's a scripture that says that somewhere. I didn't look all these up, but you know what I'm talking about. This is nothing new. I pray that God will work in me. I certainly need it. But in every one of us, so that we realize why we're here, that we all have a purpose, that the Lord wants to live in us in such a way that people get the vibe of heaven and not just us, and we learn how to live out his life and not our own corrupted one. And the Lord's with us to help us do that, isn't he? But when we do that, we become the light that Jesus was in his day. And we can accomplish things that are eternal. Think about the things that you accomplish in this life, if that's all it is. So what? Thank God.

I mean, we could be diligent in all that we do, but when you think about it, everything you accomplish that's just here, that's it. But God has called every single one of us to bear fruit that lasts for eternity. And every one of us has the power to express and share the life of God because it's in here. It's not about us. It's not about what we can or can't do. It's him in us. And the more he has of us, the more he's going to be able to do that. And I know going forward, the Lord has a plan for us. We're not much on the scale of things in this world. It's not about who we are, not about our organization, our this or our that. It's about him living in a people. May God give us the sense and the heart that says, Lord, that's what I want. And I'm willing to walk with my brothers and sisters with all of their faults and failings. And of course, I'm hoping they'll walk with me in spite of all of mine. That's part of having his nature in us because we can do that if he's living in us. I'm so glad he's patient. We need to be patient with ourselves and with one another. But the more we allow him to fill us, the less of self there is and the more he's going to be able to allow us ... There's going to be a light that will shine. People won't say, oh wow, that Bible tabernacle is so ... They're going to say, Jesus is so great. I want to know him. And look at the power. Look at the lives that he's changing. He did that. I can't do that, but he can. There are things that he wants to do. And I believe with all my heart, as we look to him, he's going to do things that we haven't

imagined. Praise God. To him be the glory. This has been the Midnight Cry broadcast. If you would like a DVD or CD of today's message in its entirety, please request it by program number. While it is not required, a donation of $10 for DVDs and $5 for CDs is suggested to help with expenses. Also for those who request it, we will send you our quarterly publication, the Midnight Cry Messenger, free and postage paid. Send your requests to Midnight Cry Ministries, Post Office Box 685, Southern Pines, North Carolina, 28388. We invite you to join us again next week at the same time, and may God richly bless you until then.