The Gift – 4

The Gift – 4

Subject – The Gift of Light

By Rick Welborne

Isaiah 9:2-6 (NKJV)
²  The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.
⁶  For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

--That verse is the promise of hope for the hopeless and light to those who are walking in darkness. The nation of Israel had been walking in a season of darkness. 

--God speaks and offers hope that there would be a day when the darkness would be defeated and a new light would dawn for the entire world. 

--The timing of God could not have come at a more desperate point in history. Israel was suffering immensely under the occupation of Rome.

--The promise of the Messiah seemed like a dim hope. One night the darkness was broken by the light of a special star. Bethlehem’s Star!

--It was by no accident that God chose to guide the Magi to the Christ child through the light of a magnificent star. Christmas is the season where God penetrates the darkness to give us light and hope.

John 8:12 (NKJV)
¹²  Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." 

1. The Light of Life.

--I love that phrase because it is obviously true. With just four words Jesus speaks the universe into existence. God said, “Let there be light.” These are God’s first recorded words. His first recorded miracle.

--Try to wrap your mind around His words. Light is the source of vision; without it we can’t see anything. Light is the source of technology; we can talk to people halfway around the world.

--Light is the first link in the food chain; no photosynthesis equals no food. Light is the basis of health; the absence of light causes everything from Vitamin D deficiency to depression. 

--Light is the origin of energy; in Einstein’s equation E=MC2, energy (E) is defined as mass (M) times the speed of Light (C) squared. The speed of light is the constant.

--Light is the alpha and omega of everything, and that includes you. "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." 

John 1:4-5 (NKJV) ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 

--Here at Christmas, can you comprehend that Jesus is your only hope for life…for eternal life, yes, but, also, light to walk in the darkness of this messed up world.

--Jesus told His disciples: I am the light of the world. The promise Jesus makes is one of hope that no matter what happens in life, we will never have to walk alone.

Matthew 1:18-23 (NKJV)
¹⁸  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
¹⁹  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
²⁰  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
²¹  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
²²  So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
²³  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

2. The Light of the World.

Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV)
¹⁴  You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
¹⁵  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
¹⁶  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. 

--It is impossible for darkness to overcome light. Have you ever seen how darkness runs from the light? My encouragement to you is to keep walking toward the light.

--Illustration. At night I have to walk our trash cans out to the road to be picked up. When I walk away from the house, there are shadows and darkness that can make me trip and fall.

--But as soon as I turn around and start going back toward the light (the house) my ability to see becomes more and more clear.

--If you will be the light of the world, it will only happen because you have made a determination to follow the star or the light to Jesus. The light of life.

Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)
¹⁰⁵  Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. 

--Light gives direction: Walking in the light tends to help you see where you are going and things to avoid. Light offers discovery: Things are much easier to find in the light. 

--Jesus pierced the darkness of death with the power of the resurrection and eternal life. There is hope because Jesus came to our world to defeat the power of sin and darkness.

--Today we celebrate that the light of life because the Savior of the world has come to us. Now, we can become the light of the world and share Him everywhere we go. 

Isaiah 9:2 (NKJV) The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. 

--A.W.Milne sailed to the New Hebrides in the South Pacific knowing that the missionaries before him were martyred by the headhunters there.

--Milne did not fear for his life because he had already died to himself. He lived among the people there for 35 years and loved them. They buried him in the middle of their village.

Milne’s Tombstone – When he came there was no light. When he left there was no darkness.

3. Jesus is Truly the Reason for the Season.

Isaiah 9:2-6 (NKJV)
²  The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.
⁶  For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

--People who have walked in darkness…that would be all of us. Raised in church or raised in the world, everyone is lost without Jesus…the Light of the World.

Romans 3:10-12 (NIV)
¹⁰  As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
¹¹  there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
¹²  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." 

--It was for us but it is about Him. A Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

--Why is it so hard for us to share Jesus? It’s a sad fact of life that only about 5% of born-again Christians will attempt to lead someone to Christ.

--If Jesus is truly the reason for the season, go shout it on the mountain tops that Jesus Christ is Lord! It is hypocritical to say you love Jesus when you never want to talk about Him.

--Jesus said, No greater love can we have than to be willing to lay down our lives for a friend, a relative, and maybe even an enemy. Just maybe witnessing is a way you die to yourself.

--What if people laugh at me? They laughed at Jesus, they mocked Him, they scoffed at Him, yet He still died for the sins of the whole world. One day you will be laughing and never stop. Heaven.

--How many of you remember Gerri Lehor. She is 90 years old and lives with her daughter in Ormond Beach. She fell a few weeks back and broke her hip. Usually fatal. Not for her.

--She went to the hospital and then, to rehab. I called to check on her a few days ago. She said, “I was not excited about rehab but I shared Jesus with everyone who came in my room.”

--She began to weep on the phone. Pastor Rick, I led this young nurse to Jesus and it was so wonderful. She is still shining forth the love of Jesus at 90 years of age. She is being light to the world.

--She knows Jesus is the reason for the season. Come on, Life Church, and shine for Jesus!