I am the Light of the World

CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TEXT STYLES 1 A REGIMENT OF SOLDIERS WAS MAKING A LONG, MARCH ACROSS THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY. IT WAS A HOT, BLISTERING DAY. THE MEN, LONGING FOR WATER AND REST. 2 THEY WERE IMPATIENT TO REACH THE NEXT TOWN. A RANCHER RODE PAST. ONE OF THE MEN, CALLED OUT, "SAY, FRIEND," "HOW FAR IS IT TO THE NEXT TOWN?" 3 "OH, A MATTER OF TWO MILES OR SO, I RECKON," CALLED BACK THE RANCHER. ANOTHER LONG HOUR DRAGGED BY, AND ANOTHER RANCHER WAS ENCOUNTERED. 4 "HOW FAR TO THE NEXT TOWN?" THE MEN ASKED HIM EAGERLY. "OH, A GOOD TWO MILES." A WEARY HALF-HOUR LONGER OF MARCHING, AND THEN A THIRD RANCHER. 5 "HEY, HOW FARS THE NEXT TOWN?" "NOT FAR," WAS THE ENCOURAGING ANSWER. "ONLY ABOUT TWO MILES." "WELL," YELLED AN OPTIMISTIC SERGEANT. 6 "AT LEAST, WE’RE NOT LOSING ANY GROUND!" IN LIFE WE ALL MOVE ALONG A PATH. AT TIMES WE GET DISCOURAGED BY HOW HARD THE PATH IS ( PAUSE ) 7 AS CHRISTIANS WE CAN BE ENCOURAGED ON THIS PATH BY KNOWING THE SOURCE OF THIS PATH IF WE FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST WE WALK A PATH REVEALED BY HIS LIGHT 8 EVEN WHEN THE PATH IS HARD WE KNOW WE WILL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE 2 ND “I AM” STATEMENT TURN TO JOHN 8:12 9 A WOMAN CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF ADULTERY HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO JESUS THE PHARISEES TRIED TO TRICK JESUS THEY ASKED JESUS WHAT TO DO WITH THE WOMAN 10 JESUS TOLD THEM WHO OF YOU HAS NEVER SINNED THROW THE FIRST STONE. THEY ALL WALKED AWAY AND JESUS SAID TO THE WOMAN GO AND SIN NO MORE. ( PAUSE ) 11 THE LAST WORDS BEFORE THE VERSE WE WILL LOOK AT TODAY ARE “FROM NOW ON SIN NO MORE” WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT AS WE LOOK AT THIS VERSE. 12 JOHN 8:12 THEN JESUS AGAIN SPOKE TO THEM, SAYING, “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD; HE WHO FOLLOWS ME WILL NOT WALK IN THE DARKNESS, BUT WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE.” 13 JESUS AND ONLY JESUS “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD” THE WORD “I” IS IN THE EMPHATIC POSITION JESUS IS SAYING I AND I ALONE, I AND NO OTHER. ( PAUSE ) 14 WHEN GOD APPEARED TO MOSES IN THE BURNING BUSH MOSES ASKED, “WHOM SHALL I TELL THEM HAS SENT ME? WHAT NAME SHALL I GIVE TO THY PEOPLE ISRAEL 15 GOD SAID, “TELL THEM THAT ‘I AM’ HATH SENT YOU. I AM THAT I AM.” “I AM” IS A DIVINE TITLE, AND JESUS TAKES IT HIMSELF AGAIN AND AGAIN ONLY GOD COULD DO WHAT JESUS CLAIMS TO DO ( PAUSE ) 16 JESUS REVEALS “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD” JESUS SPOKE THESE WORDS IN THE TREASURY IN THE TREASURY THERE WERE TWO COLOSSAL LAMP STANDS 17 A GREAT MANY LIGHTS HUNG ON THESE STANDS JESUS SPOKE THESE WORDS DURING THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES EVERY LIGHT ON BOTH THE LAMP STANDS WOULD HAVE BEEN LIGHTED 18 IN A ROOM WITH THE BRIGHTEST MAN MADE LIGHT JESUS SAYS “ I AM THE LIGHT” JOHN HAD CALLED HIM THE LIGHT 19 JOHN 1:9 THERE WAS THE TRUE LIGHT WHICH, COMING INTO THE WORLD, ENLIGHTENS EVERY MAN. 20 ISAIAH SAID A GREAT LIGHT WOULD COME ISAIAH 9:2 THE PEOPLE WHO WALK IN DARKNESS WILL SEE A GREAT LIGHT; THOSE WHO LIVE IN A DARK LAND, THE LIGHT WILL SHINE ON THEM. 21 WHAT IS IT THAT LIGHT DOES IT REVEALS, IT MAKES KNOWN IT SHOWS US THAT WHICH IS TRUE AND REAL IT PENETRATES DARKNESS AND SHOWS THAT WHICH IS HIDDEN 22 JESUS CHRIST, GOD COME AS A MAN REVEALS SO MUCH CHRIST REVEALS OUR SINFUL NATURE BY HIS PERFECTION C.R. GOD’S GREAT LOVE FOR US BY HIS SACRIFICE C.R. OUR NEED FOR SALVATION 23 C.R. GOD’S MERCY ON A LOST WORLD C.R. MANKIND’S CRUELTY BY HIS SUFFERING C.R. THE WAY THAT GOD CALLS US TO LIVE 24 JESUS HAD JUST TOLD THE ADULTEROUS WOMAN “GO. FROM NOW ON SIN NO MORE.” HIS LIGHT REVEALS HOW WE CAN “GO AND SIN NO MORE” IT REVEALS THIS NOT JUST TO US 25 REVEALS TO THE WORLD “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD ” THIS IS A HUGE CLAIM NOTICE THE UNIVERSALITY OF IT. 26 HE IS NOT ONLY THE LIGHT OF ISRAEL, BUT A LIGHT TO ENLIGHTEN THE WORLD PICTURE JESUS, THE MAN, THE CARPENTER NOT A RULER OF THE WORLD, NOT A MAN OF WEALTH ( PAUSE ) 27 STANDING IN THE TEMPLE COURT SAYING THESE WORDS TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF CHRISTIANITY HAVE VERIFIED THESE WORDS CHRIST HAS BEEN A LIGHT IN ALL THE WORLD FOR 2000+ YEARS 28 HE IS THE ONLY LIGHT IN ALL THE WORLD HE REVEALS HOW WE SHOULD BE LIVING HE REVEALS THE PATH WE ARE CALLED TO WALK 29 PSALM 16:11 YOU WILL MAKE KNOWN TO ME THE PATH OF LIFE; IN YOUR PRESENCE IS FULLNESS OF JOY; IN YOUR RIGHT HAND THERE ARE PLEASURES FOREVER. 30 A LITTLE BOY AND HIS FATHER WALKED ALONG A COUNTRY LANE. IT WAS A DARK NIGHT, HIS FATHER, CARRIED THE LANTERN. THE BLACK SILENCE ALL ABOUT FRIGHTENED HIM. 31 HE SAID, "FATHER, THIS LIGHT REACHES SUCH A LITTLE WAY, I AM AFRAID. HIS FATHER ANSWERED, "TRUE. BUT AS WE WALK ON, THE LIGHT WILL SHINE TO THE END OF YOUR JOURNEY." 32 AS WE WALK, FOLLOWING CHRIST. HIS LIGHT MOVES WITH US ALONG THE PATH. THERE MAY APPEAR TO BE DARKNESS UP AHEAD. 33 BUT CHRIST’S LIGHT WILL BE THERE BEFORE ARE. THE LIGHT WILL NEVER GO OUT. IF WE WALK ON, IT WILL SHINE TO THE END OF THE JOURNEY. TO STAY IN THIS LIGHT ON THE PATH WE MUST FOLLOW JESUS. 34 JOHN 8:12 THEN JESUS AGAIN SPOKE TO THEM, SAYING, “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD; HE WHO FOLLOWS ME WILL NOT WALK IN THE DARKNESS, BUT WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE.” 35 SOME FOLLOW “ HE WHO FOLLOWS ME WILL NOT WALK IN THE DARKNESS,” THIS MAKES IT CLEAR NOT ALL WILL FOLLOW 36 SOME WILL FOLLOW OTHERS WILL NOT ( PAUSE ) THREE KINDA FOLKS DON’T FOLLOW JESUS ONES WHO DON’T KNOW WHO HE IS 37 ONES WHO KNOW WHO HE IS AND REJECT HIM ONES WHO TRUST IN HIM BUT WALK THEIR OWN PATH YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT YOU CAN TRUST CHRIST AND NOT FOLLOW HIM 38 PLENTY OF PEOPLE TRUST JESUS THEY TRUST THAT HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS PAID FOR THEIR SINS BUT THEN THEY GO AROUND LIVING ANY WAY THEY PLEASE 39 “FOLLOWING” MEANS “HE WHO FOLLOWS ME WILL NOT WALK IN THE DARKNESS,” FOLLOWING MEANS WALKING IN THE SAME WAY HE WALKED DOING THINGS THE WAY HE DID THEM 40 THE ISRAELITES WERE SAVED FROM DEATH BY THE BLOOD ON THE DOOR POST BUT THEY FOLLOWED THE PILLAR OF FIRE (AND LIGHT) IN THE WILDERNESS THEY FOLLOWED IT ACROSS THE DESERT TO THE PROMISED LAND 41 WE ARE SAVED BY CHRIST BLOOD ON THE CROSS BUT WE ENTER INTO GOD’S REST WHEN WE FOLLOW CHRIST’S LIGHT WHEN WE WALK ON THE PATH HE HAS REVEALED 42 JESUS HAD JUST TOLD THE ADULTEROUS WOMAN “GO. FROM NOW ON SIN NO MORE.” HE IS NOW EXPLAINING HOW WE ARE TO DO THIS ONLY BY FOLLOWING JESUS 43 BY WALKING THE SAME PATH HE WALKED CAN WE “SIN NO MORE” WE WILL SIN, BUT WHEN WE DO WE HAVE DRIFTED FROM THE PATH WHILE WE ARE ON THE PATH AND IN HIS LIGHT WE ARE NOT SINNING 44 1 JOHN 1:7 BUT IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT AS HE HIMSELF IS IN THE LIGHT, WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER, 45 AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS HIS SON CLEANSES US FROM ALL SIN. WE ARE ALWAYS ON A PATH THE QUESTION IS WHICH PATH ( PAUSE ) 46 FOLLOW JESUS NOT DARKNESS “HE WHO FOLLOWS ME WILL NOT WALK IN THE DARKNESS ,” THROUGH OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST DELIVERANCE FROM DARKNESS IS GIVEN LIGHT OBLITERATES DARKNESS 47 WHEN WE FOLLOW JESUS BY WALKING THE WAY HE WALKED WE WILL ALWAYS BE IN LIGHT IF WE ARE IN DARKNESS WE KNOW WE HAVE DRIFTED CHRIST’S PATH DID NOT CHANGE, WE DRIFTED ( PAUSE ) 48 THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME HE GOES STRAIGHT AND I TURN LEFT I THINK SOMETHING I SHOULD NOT I SAY SOMETHING I SHOULD NOT I DO SOMETHING I SHOULD NOT 49 AND I FIND I AM OFF THE PATH AND IN THE DARK GOD KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN AND HE ACCOUNTED FOR IT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD HOW WE GET BACK ON THE PATH ( PAUSE ) 50 1 JOHN 1:9 IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND RIGHTEOUS TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. 51 WE CONFESS AND WE GET BACK TO FOLLOWING HIM WE ALWAYS FOLLOWING SOMETHING WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT IS CHRIST WE ARE FOLLOWING THERE IS A KIND OF CATERPILLAR CALLED 52 A "PROCESSIONAL CATERPILLAR," THEY WALKS IN LONG LINES. EACH ONE FOLLOWING CLOSELY THE ONE IN FRONT. NOW A MAN, SAW A NUMBER OF THESE MARCHING ROUND A STONE VASE IN HIS GARDEN. 53 HE GATHERED MORE OF THEM HE FILLED UP THE GAP BETWEEN THE TAIL AND THE HEAD OF THE PROCESSION, AND WATCHED TO SEE WHAT THE CATERPILLARS WOULD DO. 54 THEY WENT ON FOLLOWING THE ONE IN FRONT OF THEM; THEY WALKED ROUND THAT VASE FOR A WEEK, THEY COVERED NEARLY A MILE OF DISTANCE. 55 TAKE CARE TO NOT BE PROCESSIONAL CATERPILLARS, FOLLOWING AFTER WHOEVER IS IN FRONT OF YOU WITH NO THOUGHT AS TO WHERE HE IS LEADING YOU 56 OR WHETHER HE IS WORTHY TO BE FOLLOWED AT ALL. FOLLOW THE CHRIST, THE KING. ONLY IN FOLLOWING HIM WILL YOU RECEIVE WHAT YOU NEED 57 JOHN 8:12 THEN JESUS AGAIN SPOKE TO THEM, SAYING, “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD; HE WHO FOLLOWS ME WILL NOT WALK IN THE DARKNESS, BUT WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE.” 58 FOLLOWERS RECEIVE “ BUT WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE.” NOT MIGHT HAVE THE LIGHT NOT WILL SEE LIGHT 59 BUT WILL WITH ALL CERTAINTY HAVE IN THEIR POSSESSION THE LIGHT CHRIST CAME INTO THE WORLD TO GIVE LIGHT. 60 THE WORLD WAS IN DARKNESS BECAUSE OF SIN THE WORLD NEEDED LIGHT. THERE ARE ALOTTA THINGS WE THINK WE NEED BIG HOUSE, NICE CAR, BIG TV 61 THE TRUTH IS WHAT WE NEED IS LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS AND THE ONLY SOURCE OF LIGHT IS JESUS CHRIST HE IS THE LIGHT, THE ONLY LIGHT ( PAUSE ) 62 WE RECEIVE LIGHT “ BUT WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE.” LIGHT REVEALS, MAKES CLEAR, SHOWS THE PATH THAT IS WHAT WE RECEIVE WHEN WE FOLLOW CHRIST 63 REVELATION, CLARITY, THE ABILITY TO SEE THE GREEK WORD FOR SIN LITERALLY MEANS MISSING THE MARK SIN IS MISSING THE TARGET NOT HITTING WHAT YOU ARE AIMING AT ( PAUSE ) 64 WE CAN’T SEE THE TARGET IN THE DARK HAVING LIGHT ALLOWS US TO SEE THE TARGET WE ARE AIMING FOR CHRIST HAS REVEALED HOW WE ARE SUPPOSED TO LIVE 65 HE IS THE LIGHT SHINNING ON THE TARGET THIS TARGET IS LIVING LIFE GOD’S WAY JESUS HAD TOLD THE ADULTEROUS WOMAN GO AND SIN NO MORE 66 HE IS SAYING HIT THE TARGET TO DO THIS WE NEED THE LIGHT ONLY THE LIGHT OF CHRIST CAN SHOW US THE PATH TO GO AND SIN NO MORE 67 LIGHT OF LIFE “ BUT WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE.” JESUS SENDS US OUT AS LIGHTS INTO THE WORLD 68 MATTHEW 5:16 “LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS, AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN. 69 BUT THIS LIGHT WE TO SHINE DOES NOT COME FROM US TO GO AND BE LIGHT IN THE WORLD WE HAVE TO HAVE LIGHT ( PAUSE ) THIS IS HOW WE GET THE LIGHT 70 WE GET THE LIGHT BY FOLLOWING JESUS HE IS THE LIGHT WHEN WE FOLLOW HIM WE RECEIVE HIS LIGHT WHEN WE FOLLOW HIM WE SHINE HIS LIGHT 71 THIS IS WHY IT IS CALLED THE LIGHT OF LIFE BECAUSE WE LIVE THE LIFE GOD CALLS US TO IN THIS LIGHT FOR 51 YEARS BOB EDENS WAS BLIND. HE COULDN'T SEE A THING. 72 HIS WORLD WAS A BLACK HALL OF SOUNDS AND SMELLS. HE FELT HIS WAY THROUGH FIVE DECADES OF DARKNESS. AND THEN, HE COULD SEE. A SKILLED SURGEON PERFORMED A COMPLICATED OPERATION. 73 FOR THE FIRST TIME, BOB EDENS HAD SIGHT. HE FOUND IT OVERWHELMING. "I NEVER WOULD HAVE DREAMED THAT YELLOW IS SO...YELLOW," HE EXCLAIMED. "I DON'T HAVE THE WORDS. 74 I AM AMAZED BY YELLOW. BUT RED IS MY FAVORITE COLOR. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE RED. I CAN SEE THE SHAPE OF THE MOON— 75 I LIKE NOTHING BETTER THAN SEEING A JET PLANE FLYING ACROSS THE SKY LEAVING A VAPOR TRAIL. AND OF COURSE, SUNRISES AND SUNSETS. 76 AND AT NIGHT I LOOK AT THE STARS IN THE SKY AND THE FLASHING LIGHT. YOU COULD NEVER KNOW HOW WONDERFUL EVERYTHING IS."  77 FOR 42 YEARS I WAS IN THE DARK BEFORE CHRIST I THOUGHT I COULD SEE I THOUGHT I KNEW WHAT AMAZING MEANT WHAT WONDERFUL WAS BUT I WAS IN DARKNESS ( PAUSE ) 78 I WAS BLIND TO THE TRUTH OF GOD AND I DID NOT KNOW IT ONLY WHEN WE WALK IN CHRIST CAN WE SEE HOW BLIND WE WERE WITHOUT HIM 79 SOMETIMES LIFE FEELS LIKE A LONG MARCH ON A HOT DUSTY ROAD WE CAN GET TO WONDERING HOW MUCH LONGER IS THIS GONNA TAKE 80 WE NEED TO KNOW THAT IS NOT SO MUCH ABOUT GETTING TO THE END IT IS ABOUT HOW WE WALKED DID WE STAY ON THE RIGHT PATH? 81 OR DID WE STRAY INTO DARKNESS? WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE PATH TO STAY ON IT AFTER TELLING THE ADULTEROUS WOMAN 82 TO STAY ON THE PATH (GO AND SIN NO MORE) HE SAYS I AM THE LIGHT JESUS AND ONLY JESUS IS THE LIGHT THIS LIGHT REVEALS THE PATH WE ARE CALLED TO WALK 83 HE REVEALED IT BY THE WAY HE LIVED HE REVEALED IT BY THE WAY HE DIED HE REVEALS IT TO THE WORLD NOT JUST TO SOME 84 WE SECURE OUR ETERNAL DESTINY BY TRUSTING JESUS WE OBTAIN THE LIGHT BY FOLLOWING HIM NOT ALL WHO TRUST FOLLOW NONE WHO FOLLOW DO IT PERFECTLY 85 WHEN WE FAIL TO FOLLOW WE HAVE A WAY BACK ONTO THE PATH WE CONFESS AND REPENT AND WE ARE RESTORED 86 WHEN WE ARE FOLLOWING WE HAVE THE LIGHT A LIGHT WE ARE CALLED TO SHINE ON THE WORLD THIS LIGHT IS THE LIGHT OF LIFE TO BEGIN TO WALK THIS PATH REQUIRES TRUSTING CHRIST 87 IF THERE IS ANYONE HERE WHO HAS NOT TRUSTED IN JESUS CHRIST IN WHO HE IS, GOD. IN WHAT HE DID ON THE CROSS, PAID FOR OUR SINS…. 88 89