Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. Dark rooms are a little scary. Walk into a dark place and you want to get the light on as soon as you can, because you need to see what's around you and where to go. But humans want more than just seeing. We're unique in creation because we long to be part of something greater than ourselves, and we believe that there should be ultimate good. That's because we were created in God's image. He made us for Himself. Within each of us is a longing that only God can satisfy. This is why Christmas is a deeply meaningful holiday.
We celebrate the time that God directed His light into our darkness. When Jesus came to us, He was the radiance of the glory of God. This series from the beginning of the letter of Hebrews unpacks all that that means for us. You're listening to part four of a message that was first preached on December 1st, 2024 at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. To hear the entire message and other messages from Pastor Rich, visit www.delightingrace.com. And rescuing us and redeeming us and reconciling us so that we will walk with Him and love Him and delight in Him and thereby realize our highest good and our deepest satisfaction. That's the gospel of grace.
That's why God came to us in person. I'll never forget those of you who are here who remember Kyron Brown. He and Margaret were members of the church for a while.
They now live out in New Mexico. I believe they're still there, but Kyron had experienced a very debilitating stroke and I would meet with him every Friday for lunch. We'd get together and go have lunch and he struggled sometimes. He really struggles like, is this really happening to me or am I just dreaming? He would really struggle with some of that. We would talk about that and the Lord would give him strength and insight and told Kyron, your success is you can be successful.
Just love God and walk with Him because that's what you were created to do. And he got so much encouragement from that. But he would always use this.
And yeah, I think he gave it as his living picture in this a while back, several years back. But he would go, in his younger years, he would go, it's called spelunking. It's like caving. But you go in a place and you have to have a leader. You have to have a guide taking you through the cave, right? Because you don't know where you're going.
You very easily get lost or die, right, in the cave. And so he says, he was always remember this guy he went spelunking with, his name was Tom. And he says, you know, it's dark in there. But as long as Tom is in front of you and you're following him, you have confidence that you know where you're going. Because at least Tom does. So just follow him. He told me that over and over and over again. And I said, you know, Kyron, you're in a blessed state.
Because we who think we're self-sufficient, we keep forgetting that, don't we? The Lord came to us in person, he gave us his son to follow him. What this also means for us, number two, is that there is hope. There is hope. John makes it clear, the forces of darkness cannot, have not and cannot overcome him in his light. There is hope. We can feel so surrounded by darkness in our chaos in the world today. But there is his hope. He came to us and it's his grace, his redemption, his goodness.
And the forces of darkness cannot overcome it. So there's a very definite confident hope. Number three, what this means for us is life. We can have life. You're sitting here this morning, sitting in the chair, looking at me, listening to me. What do you mean, Rich? I have life.
What are you talking about? Well, there's existence and then there's life. And then there's life. You can sit in a chair in here and be dead. If you are alienated from God, you are effectively dead. You say, Rich, that's a cruel thing to say. I'm just telling you what the Bible says, okay?
It's not my authority speaking there. Because God is life. Here's what it says, John 1-4, in him, in him was life. This one who is the radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature, the one who is God speaking to us, in him is life. And the life was the light of man. John says this.
And then Jesus himself said these very words, as he was praying to the Father, and this is eternal, this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. That is life. Apart from that, there is death. And death is separation, separation from the source of life.
Again, the branch severing itself from the tree, there's only one thing that branch can do, die. And if you are separated from God, you are in a state of death. And to live, you must be in Christ. He is the one who reconciles you to God.
He is the one who reconciles you to God, as God. So it means life. This is what this means for us. Number four, that Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. It means for us, number four, he is our means to see and understand transcendent truth. To see and understand that higher purpose that we crave and the ultimate good that we long for. In Christ, we can see and understand that, and therefore not be enslaved to earthbound, self-centered thinking.
That's what this means for us. As Lewis said, by his light will be his light, we see everything else. By his light, we see everything else. And then lastly, number five, what this means for us that Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. What it means for us, number five, is that we can know what is good and right and beautiful.
We have a standard for what is good and right and beautiful. God is light and in him is no darkness at all. God in his very being is the definition of good. And because he has made himself known to us in person, we can know what is good and right and beautiful.
And that which does not measure up to his character and purpose is not good or right or beautiful. And he rescues us, thereby he rescues us from walking in darkness. And darkness represents confusion, ignorance, chaos, corruption.
He rescues us from that. So all this summed up in this statement, God has shown his light into our darkness in the person of Jesus Christ. God has shown his light into our darkness. John 1 4, I've quoted already, in him was life and the life was the light of man. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
That's verse nine. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. Very simply, the writer of Hebrews is telling us this, to know and experience God, look to Jesus. To know and experience God, simply look to Jesus. He is the focus of everything God has to say to us. If you are in this room this morning, and you do not know Jesus Christ, you've heard of him, you know some things about him, but you don't know him personally.
You've not surrendered yourself to him in faith personally. I invite you to that. I will be around afterwards. Just say, Rich, I have some questions or I'd like to talk. I'd like you to introduce me to Jesus. We'll go back to the round table and we'll talk. Christian, contemplate these things. Preach this gospel to over and over and over again every day, so that this radiance of the glory of God shines through you, because it is a beautiful light.
Would you stand with me, please? Father, we are so grateful that you have turned your light on, you have shown your light into our darkness and rescued us from our delusions. You've rescued us from all the distractions that are hurled at us day after day. You've rescued us from despair, from despondency.
You've rescued us from death. And all of this in the person of your son, the Lord Jesus, who is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. Father, we celebrate that truth and we don't do it merely with glib and emotion, but Father, we do it with reverence and awe. Thank you, Father, for this privilege that is ours to know you and to walk with you. Thanks for joining us here at Delight in Grace. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good and your deepest satisfaction in him, the one who is infinitely good. We hope you'll join us again on weekdays at 10 a.m.
