Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ.

Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church located in Kernersville, North Carolina. If you don't have your Bible this morning, that way you can see it. I wanted you to be able to see this verse this morning. Word of God says this, Jesus speaking, I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day. The night cometh when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Interesting little statement there. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

So before we even get started this morning, got a little question for you. Is he in the world? Now he died on the cross, arose again, but he ascended back into heaven. So he said that he was going to be the light of the world as long as he was in the world.

And yet, is that still the case or was that window gone? Well, may I remind you that he lives inside of you. Did you hear me? You got to remember now, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and they're all God. And you have to understand that, you know, people say, well, Jesus, yeah, but what did he say? He said, I do not leave you comfortless. And he gave to us from that point on the ministry of the Holy Spirit that when you and I become believers in Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell the believer. And I'm here to tell you, there is still light in this world because he still lives inside of you. And we still have his, good job, yeah. What is going on with you guys this morning?

That is a doornail. All this good music this morning. Okay. We have his word. What does the Bible say? In the beginning was the word. The word was with God and the word was.

So as long as we have his word, there's light in the world. And a wonderful, wonderful promise. Let's pray. And Brother Jacob, if you don't mind, hand me that car John and Marilyn sent. And I want to honor them.

They've been nice enough to, I wanted to read this. So thank you, car, for what we pray. And you continue to pray for them.

And obviously had the funeral for Marilyn's mother this week. Dear church family, we appreciate the flowers, phone calls, texts, cards, food, and visits during the passing of my mom. Thank you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers for our family during this time.

Love John and Marilyn. And I hope that you'll continue to pray for them. When you lose a parent, there's always a season. There'll be seasons of thinking of things and just hope you'll continue to keep them in your prayers. Lord, we love you today. Lord, we're going to do our best to honor you, to rightfully divide your word when you made this powerful statement that you are the light of the world.

Lord, I pray you to help me. We want to do right, but Lord may each person here when they leave today understand why this statement is so important to them as individuals, as believers in Christ. And Lord, if there's anyone here that is not a believer in Christ and might not even understand it right now at this point that they're not saved, Lord, I pray that your convicting power would show them their need. And Lord, I pray that before they leave today, that they would put their faith and trust in you. Not in a religion, not in a church, not in a baptism, but in you. Lord, I pray you'd help me today. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. So as to understand fully this, and we've had some marvelous statements so far. You know, for Jesus to say, I am the bread of life. I am the way, the truth, and the life. I am the door.

I am the good shepherd. All of these statements describe something else about Jesus and what it means to you and me. And although they didn't understand it at the time, may I also say that many of us sitting right here in church many times don't fully understand what that means to our life. And I don't know that I could ever fully explain the richness of these statements in our lives, but I'm going to try for us to understand it at least a little bit more. First, I want to give you this morning, by sake of outline, I want to give you the context.

So the first thing, in order for us to understand what he is saying and why he is saying it and why he said it when he did, we have to understand the context. Now first, in these first 11 verses, Jesus has an interesting thing happen. The scribes and Pharisees bring to him a woman that they caught in adultery. Now, I've always wondered, and I don't know if you've thought about this, we all have our own little ideas, but how did they catch her in this act? How would they have known exactly where she would be and exactly who she would be with?

Seems a bit suspect, doesn't it? And so they bring this woman and obviously they did this to tempt Jesus and try to catch him and snag him and they said here, this woman's taken in adultery, this is what the law says, what are you going to do about this? And so obviously we all know the story that Jesus bent down and wrote in the sand and one of the great mysteries of the Bible in a sense is all of us thinking what he wrote in the sand, we all have our own opinions, but whatever he wrote did the job.

And by the way, may I say this, whatever he writes does the job. And so whenever they saw that, Jesus said, hey, you know, he that is without sin, you know, cast the first stone in a sense and boy, they began to leave very quickly and Jesus looked at her and he said, they don't condemn you and I don't condemn you. And so, you know, go, but as you go, sin no more.

In other words, you're forgiven, but you need to repent of that sin and turn from it. And then the very next verse, he makes this statement, I am the light of the world. Now, who is he talking to? Well, he's talking to these Pharisees and scribes because it says, and he spake unto them again.

They're always the ones trying to find something wrong in Jesus. But if I can give you the greater context of this story, Jesus makes this statement during the feast of the tabernacle. Now, why this was interesting is that Jesus made the statement that we've already studied as you would remember that he was the bread of life. He made that during the Passover and the whole significance of bread in the Passover and during that, during that, that, that national thing that the Jews all celebrated was so important to their culture. He makes a statement as they're concentrating on earthly bread. He makes the statement, I am the bread of life, but now he makes this statement. I am the light of the world during the feast of tabernacles.

Now, why is this so important? Well, this, let me explain what the feast of the tabernacles was. It was a seven day festival and what it really celebrated. Um, it, it, it annually celebrated the fact that God had been with Israel during the 40 years in the wilderness. And while he was there, the Bible makes a statement that God was a fire by night.

How many of you understand he was a cloud by day and a fire by night. And they celebrated this in the feast of the tabernacles that God was a fire by night and, and was present and led and protected and all then provided for obviously the children of Israel. So what would happen during this feast of tabernacles? They would literally set up these, these four humongous, um, kind of, um, stands, I guess you would say, I don't even really know how to describe it, but they were in the temple court and they were four enormous stands and each of them held four golden bowls. And in each of these 16 bowls, they would get up on ladders and they would put the priest garments and they would take those garments, put them in the bowl and they would light those on fire.

And so you have 16 bowls. There was literally four on each of these four stands in the temple court and it would light up for seven days. And, and it was said that you could literally maybe see the light from the city from maybe a mile or two away, you could see the glow in the sky. And also during this feast that each individual could light their their own little lantern or bowl or whatever the case was. And, and literally it was signifying that God had been light to Israel and they were celebrating this fact and right in the middle of this Jesus. And of course they didn't mind the fact that they were celebrating God, but Jesus makes a statement and they knew exactly what he was saying. He was claiming to be God because he said this, I am as they're looking at these, these humongous golden bowls filled with fire, lighting up a city. Jesus says, I'm not the light of the city and I'm not even the light of this continent.

I'm the light of the world. Leave it to Jesus to just absolutely agitate the living daylights out of the religious leaders. I think Jesus is still agitating religious leaders, don't you? So now I want you to notice the contrast. He makes a statement and when Jesus makes this statement, he introduces something that we call contrast.

It's in contrast is basically two choices and they're contrasting choices. Notice if you would in verse 12, he says this, I am the light of the world. He that follow with me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. So he says, I am the light of the world.

Then he says, he that follows me. Then he says that there's darkness and there's light. So he brings a number of contrast in just one verse. And I want you to understand that for you to understand this passage, we all have to understand this. Notice first, here is the contrast between Jesus and religion.

He said, he that follows me, I'm the light of the world. Religion is not the light of the world. We see what religion has done for the world.

Nothing. But Jesus says, not if you follow me. So already we have the contrast that they, the religious leaders didn't like.

It's either Jesus or it's religion that you're going to choose. Notice this other contrast. There's the contrast here between following the word and following the world.

He says, he that follows me. So there's a contrast. Either you're following me or you're following someone or something else. So either you're following the word or you're following the world, which automatically introduces us to the next contrast. It's a contrast between right and wrong.

It's literally next, the contrast between the flesh and the spirit. Do you guys get this statement? He's saying if you follow me, you won't be in darkness, you'll be in light. So just that statement means that there's a contrast between those that follow me and those that don't. There's a contrast between literally light and darkness. There's a contrast really between me and religion or the world or anything else. And he begins not only that, that introduces us to this next contrast.

It introduces the contrast between the truth and lies. It's really, really what it boils down to. And may I say this, Jesus always brings us to the point where we have to choose.

It is always going to be one or the other. God hates apathy. God hates an individual that's neither hot nor cold.

They're just luke warm. You've got to choose. It is either the Bible says God or mammon. There is always a contrast in life and that contrast always requires a choice. And that choice always boils down to Jesus or something else. Can I have an amen on that? Every day you and I choose.

I'm going to follow Jesus or I'm going to follow my flesh or I'm going to follow others or I'm going to follow the culture or I'm going to follow the world or I'm going to follow my desires. Every day we have a choice between two. Notice this last contrast which is the main one that he brings in. And you'll find through the entire book of John that this contrast is everywhere. It's the contrast between light and darkness. Light and darkness.

Can I give you just a couple quick things about darkness? Because that's your choice. That's our choice.

That's my choice. Jesus said this. He said he who follows me should not walk in darkness but walks in light. So that means you and I have the choice to walk.

If we're saved we now have the choice. We can either choose to walk in darkness or we can choose to walk in light. Now can I give you just three things and I can give you ten things but I don't have time this morning about darkness. Do you know just first just a thought darkness confuses. You know we live in a dark culture. We live in darkness.

This is what the world is. It's in darkness right now in a sense because sin is leading this world and our culture and all that but darkness what you'll know is that if you turn off all the lights and you have nothing but complete darkness it confuses you because if you take steps you don't know exactly where you're at. You don't know where you're heading. You don't know what's behind you. You don't know what's in front of you.

You don't know what's on either side of you. Darkness can confuse you and darkness by the way is confusing people every day. Notice secondly darkness distorts. I mean I can see you pretty clearly but if you turn all the lights out and we don't have windows and we're in an absolutely dark building I can't tell what you look like and to be honest with you if someone's coming toward me in the dark I don't know if they're friend or foe and that's what darkness does.

You have people that they can't distinguish the difference between right and wrong between wise and dumb. Notice this darkness is dangerous. You know if you're walking in darkness you can walk into something. You can walk off of something and not know it. You can have something coming at you and you don't even realize it because you can't see it and Jesus said this that if you follow me you don't have to go through life like that.

You can walk in the light. Interesting the contrast but now I want you to notice the claim that he makes here in verse 12. Just in one verse think of these things.

Then spake Jesus again into them saying here's his claim I am the light of the world. Which means what? Let's think about what he just said. First the claim is this that I'm the one. Second thing is I am the light and the third thing is this I'm light of the world. So there are there's just a myriad of things but this is his claim I am the light of the world. Now what was outrageous to them is that he would have the audacity to say that he was the light not just a light. It wouldn't have mattered to them if Jesus would have said I am a light in the world. Aren't we all? But he said I am the light of the world and that was an outrageous claim but the outrageous claim to them was the fact that he said he was the light to the whole world. Come on.

Really? I mean Jesus said a lot of things that ticked them off but this really got them mad and of all things for him to say it during the feast of the tabernacles where we are literally lighting up a city to declare to declare the glory of God. Now he says he is a greater light than those lights.

Now he says he is equal with God. This word light is the Greek word phos means to shine to light. It means a fire burning. It means that Jesus is saying I am here to shine on everyone. It means Jesus is saying I am here for everyone to see.

It means Jesus is saying this without me there would be nothing but darkness and can I tell you in your life without Jesus there is nothing but darkness. Now as we understand him making this claim that he is the light of the world what is literally physiologically thinking in a sense and as we look at the earth and we look at horticulture and all these things what is the closest thing that we could even come to trying to understand this statement? It would be our sun and obviously our sun lights our planet and you know I have shared this with you in a way but it still just boggles my mind that you and I go out in the day and the sun is 93 million miles away. 93 million miles away.

Even a hybrid couldn't get there on a fill up okay and even that you and I still can't even stare at it because it's that powerful. It is literally the sun is 864,000 miles across. 800 and let me put it this way you could fit 1 million earths in the sun. Can your mind kind of you can fit 1 million of our entire earths in the sun at the core of the sun the temperature is 28,799,540 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can fry an egg quick. I've often wondered how did they measure that? Whoever did didn't live to tell it I'm going to tell you that right now.

Last thing they heard it's hot okay. And yet the sun listen to me can only light just a portion of our solar system. Yet fails and falls short to light the whole world. And Jesus says I'm greater than the sun. I'm greater than any light you've ever seen.

I'm the light of the world. So this brings next the challenge. So what does Jesus say? He makes his claim. And whenever Jesus makes a statement that always implies a challenge.

You see when Jesus makes a statement of who he is you've got to do something. It means now you've got to make a decision you're going to believe it or you're not going to believe it. You're going to accept it or you're going to reject it. You're going to follow it or you're not going to follow it.

But you're going to have to do something. So here's the challenge look at verse 12 he said I am the light of the world he that follow with me shall not walk in darkness. This word follow this is his challenge. I am the light of the world so he that follows me his challenge is this if you follow me then you are not going to have to walk in darkness but you will have the light of life if you follow me.

Interesting. This word follow is a greek word and it means this it means it's used 90 times by the way in the new testament and in most all of these instances it's used between Jesus and his disciples. It's used to describe somehow the disciples following Jesus. Dr. William Barclay he wrote a little book and in it he said there are five different ways that this word follow is used to describe the disciples following Jesus. He said there are five different ways that this word follow is used throughout the new testament when dealing with the disciples and their savior and the master and in these five ways that word follow is always implied in one of these five ways. First he said this it's like a soldier following a captain. Second he said it's like a servant following a master and by the way so far because the bible says Jesus is the captain of our salvation and by the way the bible says he is lord he's master. Third he said it's used as a son following his parent.

He is our father. Fourth he said that this word follow in the new testament is often used as a subject following the law. Here's the rules and when you follow those rules that's what this word is used for and notice lastly he said it's used as a student following a teacher and one of those five ways every time this word follow is used between Jesus and the disciples it's used one of those ways and may I say this this is the same challenge Jesus gives to you and he gives to me. Will you be a soldier that follows his captain? Will you be a servant that follows his master? Will you be the son that's following his father? Will you be the subject who's following his word?

Will you be the student that follows the teacher? He said if you follow me you won't walk in darkness you'll walk in light. So what does this mean? Well it means this we discover in this text the idea that one who follows Jesus will never walk in darkness.

Interesting. In other words as Jesus's disciple we should not want to walk in darkness because once we've experienced the light who would want to walk in darkness as opposed to walking in light. Yet Jesus had already revealed that there would be some that would prefer darkness. Look at this passage it's on the screen for you John chapter three he had just said in in verse 16 that he so loved the world that he gave his only be he had just literally shared this verse and this precious verse that we've used for years and then he says in verse 13 verse 18 excuse me he that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God and this is the condemnation that light is coming to the world meaning Jesus and men loved darkness rather than light.

Why? Because their deeds were evil for everyone that doeth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. Do you get where he's going with this? But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God. Listen to me following Jesus will expose the true you. Why is it so difficult to get people to just follow Jesus with their life?

Because it exposes what's inside. You see Jesus is the light and walking in the light means that you are exposed for who you really are. You cannot walk in light if you prefer the darkness. Let me put it this way if I preach the pure word of God the word is a light can I have an amen right there and if that's the case anyone who consistently listens to the word will have to be faced with the light of God's word exposing their life. Are you with me so far say amen. So if I preach the word and a person listens to that word they're going to be faced with the choice it's going to expose what's wrong or sinful in their life and they would either now have to change or to get away from the preaching of God's word. Listen I believe with all my heart that if I am faithful to preach the word of God that either a person will have to conform to the word or they'll have to leave this church but what I don't want is for an individual to be able to listen to the preaching of God's word and never change. Something's wrong. Because he is the light of the world look at me you and I do not have to walk in darkness unless we choose to.

You say preacher what do you mean? We don't have to walk in darkness. Jesus did not die on the cross look listen to this Jesus did not die on the cross just to forgive you of your sin he died to free you from that sin. You don't have to be controlled by that darkness anymore unless we choose to. You see the challenge Jesus offers here is to follow him which means to walk in the light. The challenge Jesus offers is are you willing to let the light expose you? It might force you to make some difficult choices but it is far greater than spending the rest of your life in darkness. One of the horrors of hell an eternity in hell is that the bible says that it will be an eternity in darkness. Next we see the covenant we're almost done that's a covenant by the way we're almost done. Look at verse 12 you're like are we in verse we're going to stay in verse 12 saying I am the light of the world he that follow with me there's this challenge shall not walk in darkness notice his covenant here but shall have the light of life. Don't miss this notice what he says he that follow with me shall not walk in darkness but shall follow the light of life. Thank you for listening today we hope you received a blessing from our broadcast the Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville North Carolina you may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192 or via the web at kerwinbaptistchurch.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you.