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Our sermon this morning is entitled, ' Get Connected Today ' - Now we have all heard advertisements that speak in such a way, whether it be for the world wide web, or Internet, a mobile phone, or whatever - the idea is the same ... if your not connected, your missing out, your in the dark as regards the tools and resources that are available on the world wide web, or whatever it might be.
And this is in a sense what it is like in the spiritual realm, though with much more dire consequences if you remain offline.
Last week we were talking about a person stumbling about in the pitch dark of a room in the middle of the night, unable to see, and unable to find the light switch - and how this person needed outside help to flick a switch, to give him light that he might see. And this was a helpful analogy, of how a person becomes a christian.
Spiritual life has its origin in God. He is spiritual life, self-existing and independent spiritual life - and it is only when He comes along and flicks the switch that we begin to live spiritually. There is a switch to flick, but it is located outside of ourselves, and we'll get to that shortly. The person outside of the Lord Jesus Christ, the person who is not a christian, he cannot turn the switch on, being described in Scripture as one in darkness, as blind, and even as dead, spiritually - and therefore he/she needs the one who alone is able to give spiritual life, to do so ... so in the dark are the unsaved, that they don't even know that there is a light, let alone to turn it on.
So that brings us up to speed as it were.
Today we are looking at getting that vital connection, of being turned on - how are people, how are you, to move from being offline, to being online spiritually; from being in the dark, to having your lights turned on?
And to do that, lets look at 3 points together:-
- The Cable Guy Vv6-8
- A short circuit? Vv9-11
- Online ... lights, action ! Vv12,13
1.The Cable Guy ( Vv6-9 )
It used to be that when you bought a house, and you wanted to have lights that actually worked, you would ring the electricity provider. The electricity provider would then send someone out to your house, and turn the power on, thereby preparing the way, and removing all obstacles that would prevent the lights from shining.
Now what would you think of someone who popped down to the local electrical warehouse, bought a light fitting, stuck it to his ceiling, and started to tell it to shine. I mean he could rant and rave about it having the ability to shine all he liked, but in the end it still lacks the ability to shed light - it has none, and has no ability to shine.
Well, you would think he had rocks in his head - it just can't possibly perform what he wants that light to do. YET, that's exactly what so many people are trying to do with their friends, neighbours, etc ... they are trying to get them to turn their own lights on, and they have no ability to perform that task ... NONE!
You need to instal the light so that it is connected to the electricity grid via the appropiate cables, and if it isn't, Energy Australia will send some one out to do so - a cable guy.
READ JOHN 1:6-8
Think of John the Baptist as God's cable guy. What do I mean by that? Well, let me try to explain myself.
John wasn't always there, he was sent. God was always there, but John comes into the picture, a word which means coming into being - in contrast to the Word who was always there. Not only did he come into being, but his coming was completely orchastrated by God - for it was He who sent him. Raised up by God at this very moment in history to perform a very specific task.
Was he to turn the lights on? No, but to lay the cables and get everything ready in anticipation of the light source coming along. You see, God was sending out a cable guy to hook people up, ready to recieve the light source.
' Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him (John 3:28).'
John's mission was to be a witness. When we ask someone to witness something, we are asking them to be ready at a latter date to testify if need be, to the actual events that they saw take place - to give an accurate account of all that they are privy to.
This is exactly the task that John is performing here - sent by God to testify, or bear witness, or to give an account of what he knew to be the case regarding the Light. In other words, John is to tell everyone what he knows is the truth, concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, who was coming into this world of lost sinners.
He is the cable guy, preparing the way for the light to shine, laying down all the necessary groundwork so that the light will shine in the greatest possible way.
Or if you like, he is the advance guard to the United States president, preparing the way for the president to come, that everything will be just right, ready to roll.
What did that mean for John? Well look at the example given in John 1:29-34,
' The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. '
Did the people know what he mean't by that?
' This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.'
John was preparing the way, telling the people all that he had been told by God Himself concerning the Light, getting them interested, preparing the people for His arrival, so that later on the people could say, ' And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. And many believed on him there (John 10:41,42).'
John's concern, was that the people would be ready to recieve the Lord Jesus Christ, what He had to say, to recognize who He was - he would have been opening up to them the OT, showing them how these were to be fulfilled, and that the one of whom the OT Scriptures spoke was coming to them in the near future.
His desire and purpose - that of this very gospel, ' that all through him might believe, ' and we could very well add, ' and that believing ye might have life through his name (John 20:31).' He wanted these people to recognize their darkened states, their need for their lights to be turned on - in readiness for the One who would turn them on - a witness of one who wasn't even worthy to untie the shoelaces of Christ, let alone turn anyones light on!
He pointed to the one who could do it, who had the ability to turn their lights on - for in Him is the life of God, self-existent and independent spiritual life, the life source of all life.
Jesus described John as equivalent to a flickering candle when contrasted to Himself, ' He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light (John 5:35).' He was the moon reflecting the sun; the cable guy doing the groundwork - unable to turn anyone's light on, as the verse just read suggested.
And this is my role also - that of the Cable Guy, preparing the way for the Light, that you might be ready to recieve the Light when He comes to us. What I testify is light, but its just candle light, a mere reflection of THE Light - while I wait on the Lord to come among us.
2. A Short Circuit?
READ Vv 9-11
As I have already indicated, you are already in the very presence of light, be it candle light as it may, it is still light. And as we read earlier about the people being happy to stay in the presence of John, of candle light - so to you have been happy to stay in the presence of such lesser lights.
But have you embraced THE LIGHT, the true light of verse 9? The One who says, ' I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life ( John 8:12).'
The Lord Jesus Christ is the true light; a word which in the Greek means the genuine, the ultimate if you like - The Light. He is the One who not only shines light, but THE ONE to give light - spiritual life. John and I are lesser lights who cannot do that, though we be true light bearers, and do testify of that Light.
Imagine you are in a room, sitting in the dark with a group of people - some of whom want to remain sitting in the dark. Someone else comes into the room with a bright light - does it still shine on those who didn't want to be in the light? Of course it does.
And its the same with the Lord Jesus Christ - when He comes into the world, His light shines on all, whether they want it to or not.
In verse 9, it should read as ' That was the true Light who comes into the world, which gives light to every man.'
Does this mean then that everyone is granted spiritual life? The answer is obvious, no it doesn't. This very passage would contradict itself - 'He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not ( John 1:10,11).'
So what does it mean?
It means that all who come into contact with Him are in the presence of Light, and it shines onto them - but not all recieve Him.
The Lord Jesus Christ comes into the world, a word which points to the world of men, not the physical creation - a world against God. His light falls, if you like, on every single person, whether they recognize Him as Light or not. Yet what happens?
' ... that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (John 3:19,20).'
In the very place He created, among those who would have no existence apart from His creating work, not even the faintest hint or thought of who He was. They didn't have a clue, that among them was the Light, the One who could bring them from darkness into possession of light - spiritual life.
'Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? ( Mt 13:55,56).'
Not even a spark of recognition ... even among His own nation, those from whom He came ... the very One who had called their nation into being, to continue to exist - didn't know Him. The very One who they proclaim to the world by their temple worship, rituals, sacrifices - didn't know Him. What terrible darkness, completely in the dark.
' And his own received him not. ' Why? All their lights were out, they had no spiritual light, no life - all the glory of God was shining on them, but without life, they could not discern spiritual things.
And you know what - that's exactly what its like here this morning. But Jesus is not here? Well that shows your spiritual darkness, because He is here.
As I bear witness to the Light, He is here among us - He is as God is, omnipresent, transcendent, omniscient, spirit ... He is here. And if you are not a Christian, the reason you don't understand His presence, is because you have no life - because you love your darkness. You won't come to Him to have life, into the light, because you love your wicked deeds to much.
You don't even know the terrible state your in, and like John's hearers, ' you were willing for a time to rejoice' in my light. Happy as Larry to come along, join in with the people here, enjoy the social outing perhaps - but coming to the Light, what's that all about? Aren't you just a group of people being religious? Aren't you just a group of people fulfilling a deep seated human need?
The Cable Guy has been laying his cable, but there seems to be a short circuit somewhere - there's no light still. Maybe something else is needed.
3.Online ... lights, action! (Vv 12,13)
So what else is needed - well, light!
That light stuck to the ceiling will not give light until such time as it is plugged in, or connected to the power - then it is able to give light.
In the spiritual realm, a person needs to be brought online if he/she is to experience light, - spiritual life.
How does that happen?
Though the great mass of the world rejects the Light, some did, and some do receive the Light - as many as wanted to.
To receive the Light here means to acknowledge, to appropriate, to demonstrate confidence in - all in the Light, in other words, to exercise faith.
Those who acknowledge His Light, and that He is the One to give them light - spiritual life; To appropriate, to take this light for themselves through the exercise of faith; to demonstrate confidence in the Light, ' to believe in His Name '.
Knowing that without the Light they remain in darkness, such people go to the Light - resting in, trusting in, believing in - His ability to give then light, knowing that He can turn their lights on.
They didn't dilly-dally, they didn't look elsewhere for a better deal, they didn't try and do it themselves in their own peculiar way - they went to Him, the One who could do it for them. And what happened?
' to them gave he power to become the sons of God.'
To those who went to Him, who received Him, He turned on their lights - life, action followed. He didn't give them the ability to do it themselves, He did it.
The passage has the thought that they became the possessors of life from God, they became if you like, God's little kids - there is the idea of a new life beginning, of being re-born, so that they now begin to grow as children of God.
It didn't come about by any form of human activity - being born into a godly family does not bring this life about, no biological cause does. No desire, effort, action, upon the part of man does, ' nor of the will of man '.
But this is brought about by God turning on the lights ... remember you can't even see the Kingdom of God unless you have this new life. ' Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (2 Cor 5:17).'
So you see there's no point in coming to me and saying, ' will you please turn on my lights ', because I can't do it. I just do the preparation work. I'll point you to the Light, but I can't do it.
But go to the Light, the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will do it. Go to Him acknowledging your inability to do so; go to Him acknowledging your darkness and great need; go to Him acknowledging your need of Him, and resting your confidence in Him as the One to do it.
And then what do you do - nothing. You rest in Him, trust in Him and His ability. He will do it, ' as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:'
If you want to talk some more on this subject, then feel free to chat with me anytime, or to someone else here - and we will direct you to the Light, who is able to rid you of your darkness. Amen.
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10/10/2006
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