Trinity Baptist Church

Series: I Am

The Light of the World

John 8:12

 

One thing we all have in common is decisions.  We live every day on the verge of some crucial decision: Career decisions, family decisions, relationship decisions, investment of time and money decisions, raising children decisions, aging parents decisions: Decisions! Decisions! Decisions!

 

Chances are good that right now you face having to make some critical decision.  Let me ask you this: How will you decide what you are supposed to do?  On what basis will you make that decision?  And after having made it, how will you know you've done the right thing regardless of how it turns out?

 

I have some wonderful news today that will help guide you in making those crucial decisions!  It's found in

 

John 8:12

 

That is the second of seven I AM statements Jesus made.  They are all recorded in the Gospel of John and we began studying them last week.  They are designed, not so much to tell us Who Jesus is, but to describe what He does and more specifically what HE does in our lives on a personal basis.  Through these statements, we get to see how I Am changes who I am. 

 

Last week we heard Jesus say in John 6.35, ''I AM the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall ever thirst.'' 

As the Bread of Life, provides salvation, satisfaction and strength for His children.  Once I have salvation, I am forever changed.  Once I understand the satisfaction and strength He provides, I will never want to live any other way. That’s how the Great I Am changes who I am.'' 

 

Now if Jesus being the Bread of Life speaks of His provision, Jesus being the light of the world speaks of His path!   

 

Now here in our text in John 8:12, I want to draw your attention to the little word “them” and the little word “again”.  Jesus spoke to “them again”.  That little phrase helps us establish the context for the statement. 

 

So who is ''them?''  Back in verse 2 we discover Jesus is teaching in the temple and “all the people” came to hear Him.  And as He is teaching, a group of scribes and Pharisees bring in a woman they’ve caught committing adultery.  And as a test, they ask Jesus what should be done with her. 

 

Now understand, they’re trying to catch Jesus saying or doing something wrong so they can discredit Him as the Messiah and this may very well have been a set-up.  One wonders about her partner.  After all, it does take two to commit adultery. 

 

But none of that changes the fact that in the eyes of God there is still such a thing as sexual sin. It doesn’t matter what the Supreme Court says or what anybody else says.  God has some standards and this woman has violated those standards and now, there she stands before God in the flesh, guilty as sin.  According to Jewish law, she is to be stoned.

But you will remember, Jesus stoops down and writes in the dirt and invites anyone who is without sin to be the first to throw a rock at her. 

 

And according to verse 9, they were all convicted by their conscience and they left.  And the only One who was qualified to throw a stone that day instead forgave her and told her to ''.. go and sin no more.'' 

 

After this group of scribes and Pharisees left, the text tells us Jesus spoke to “them again”.  In other words, Jesus returns to His lesson for the day and on this day, His message is all about light. 

 

And what a backdrop these religious leaders and this woman caught in sin provided for His message.  They just saw His words play out in this scene with the scribes and Pharisees.  The story is much more about them than it is about the woman. 

 

Did you ever turn a rock over or pick up a piece of tin or a board that’s been lying outside in the dirt?  What happens?  All the little critters that are under it scatter trying to get back in the dark!  That's what happed that day!  Jesus, being the light of the world, exposed their sin and they removed themselves from the light!

 

The woman, on the other hand, didn’t run and hide!  She loved being in the light!  She is basking in the light of forgiveness and love.  In fact, she is, to use the KJV language, in the midst!  She is sunbathing in the forgiveness and grace of God!

 

 

 

 

That’s where God created us to live!  God didn't create us to live in the dark, but in the light.  At the very creation of the world, the first thing we discover is a dark world that is without form.  It is empty and lifeless.  And the very first thing God does is turn on the light! 

 

That is a picture of very person who has ever been saved!  We are without form.  We are empty and void.  There is darkness all around us.  But Jesus turns on the light.  Jesus tells us in John 12.46, ''I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide (or remain) in darkness.''

 

John 1.4-5, ''In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.''  Verse 9, ''That was the true Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world.''

 

And immediately on the heels of this encounter with this woman and these religious hypocrites, Jesus says, ''I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.''

 

So what does it mean for us today that Jesus is ''the light of the world.  He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life?''  How does Jesus being the ''light of the world'' change our world and what we do? 

 

I want to answer with two simple observations and then we’ll flesh it out a little.  As the ''light of the world'’, Jesus Guides our Steps and He Guards our Steps.

He Guides our Steps and Guards our Steps!  So, how does He do that?  How does Jesus being ''the light of the world'' guide and guard our steps?  Well, let’s do a little investigative search and find out. 

 

Let's start by getting the answer to

 

 

By that I mean, whose steps does He guide and guard?  The answer is His people!  It is His people that He guides and guards!  Let me show you what I mean.

 

When Jesus made this statement about being the light of the world He was teaching in the temple.  But if you look on down to verse 20, you will see that more specifically, He spoke these words in the treasury as He taught in the temple. 

 

So what’s the significance?  The treasury was technically referred to as ''the court of women.''  It was a large court area and probably the most public part of the temple.   It is where the Pharisees and Scribes had brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus.

 

So what brought Jesus to the temple area and to the treasury in particular that day to begin with?  The answer is found back in

 

John 7:2

 

Now don't miss this!  Jesus had come to the temple along with many others from across the land to celebrate and commemorate the Feast of Tabernacles.

And He is now teaching at the treasury, or “The Court of the Women”, which is the most public place at the Temple.  So what was The Feast of Tabernacles they were in Jerusalem celebrating and commemorating?

 

Let’s go back to Leviticus 23 and find out.  We find the details beginning in  

 

Verse 33

 

The Fest of Tabernacles was one of seven feasts God instructed His people to observe each year.  These feasts were intended by God to be object lessons of Jewish history for His people. 

 

The Feast of Tabernacles or Booths held two primary reminders for them and both took them back to the time of wandering in the wilderness after Moses led their ancestors out of Egyptian captivity. 

 

First, for seven days they were to dwell in “booths”, little temporary dwellings similar to what the Jews experienced in the wilderness.

 

We read about that in verses 42-43

 

Second, they were to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.  This particular celebration lasted for seven days.  Among other things, during those seven days, according to verse 36, they were to offer “an offering made by fire to the LORD”.

 

Because there was such emphasis on the fire and sacrifices, The Feast of Tabernacles was also known as The Feast of Lights.

 

In fact, the Feast of Tabernacles celebration began with a ceremony called ''The illumination of the Temple,'' which took place ''in the treasury.''  At the center of the treasury were four large torches.  When the sun had set and the sky became dark, the people gathered in the treasury.

 

At the appropriate moment, the torches were lit as a memorial, to the light God gave His people during the darkness of the Exodus.  The people would then shout and sing and dance with joy throughout the night.

 

The lights from those torches were so bright that they would light up the whole temple and much of Jerusalem.  Those torches of light symbolized the Shekinah glory of God!

 

In addition to the four torches that were lit at the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles, there was a great candlestick, a Menorah what was also lit when the feast began.  No wonder this feast was referred to as ''the Feast of Lights.''

 

Those lights were a reminder to them how God had led their forefathers through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night!  That pillar had been the evidence of the presence of God with them.

 

Exodus 13.21-22, ''And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to LEAD THE WAY, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them LIGHT, so as to go by day and night.  He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.''

 

Wherever and whenever the pillar of fire led, the children of Israel followed. When the pillar of fire stopped, they stopped.  When the pillar of fire began moving, they began moving.  When the pillar of fire headed in a certain direction, they followed it in that certain direction.

 

And it was that pillar of fire and how it led the people of God through the wilderness they were celebrating and commemorating during The Feast of Tabernacles.

 

Now imagine the scene.  In that atmosphere of lights, as they celebrated the presence of God and how He led the children of Israel during those 40 years of darkness, up walks Jesus in the midst of the torches.  Can't you see Him standing there? 

 

And glancing up at those brightly lit torches and that large seven-armed Menorah, Jesus says, ''I AM the light of the world!  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.''

 

It was if He said, ''God's presence was a pillar of fire for Moses and our forefathers.  Now the pillar of His presence is here in person!  I AM here to be the light of life.  Those torches will be extinguished at the end of the feast, but I AM light that will never be extinguished, for I AM God's light dispelling darkness.  Come, follow Me and you will be able to walk in the light forever.''

 

Who did God guide and guard during those forty years in the wilderness through the pillar of cloud and fire?  His people!  And He’ll guide you as well.  

 

 

That’s why I asked you earlier how you will decide what you will do with all those decisions you face.  You don't have to make them in the dark!  Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

 

He’s talking about you! That’s how I AM changes who I am and what I do!

 

Second, let’s think about

 

 

Whose steps does God guide and guard?  It is the steps of His people.  So how does He do that?  How does God guide and guard out steps today? After all, we don’t look out the window and see a pillar of fire to follow, so where do we look for guidance?

 

Perhaps the clearest and best way God guides and guards us today is

 

 

Just as those ancient Israelites looked to the pillars for guidance, we now look to God's Word.  Look with me just for a moment at Psalm 119.

 

Verses 11, 25, 28, 42, 50, 89, 97, 103, 105 116, 130

 

Over and over again, Scripture encourages us to get into the Word of God.  It ought to be a daily discipline.  You say, “I read my Bible once or twice a week, isn't that enough?”  Generally that’s said by the same crowd who say they don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.

No, but why wouldn’t you want to take advantage of everything God has given you as often as you possibly can?  If you think reading God’s Word once or twice a week is sufficient, let me ask you this: Do you want God to guide you daily or just once or twice a week? Perhaps the reason we don’t read it is because we don’t intend to apply what we read.  IT’s just a habit or a duty.

 

But remember, I Am changes who I am!  I need His guidance daily or I will misstep!  Every day we disregard the word of God, we're saying to Him, ''I know more than you know! My way is better than Your way. I can make it on my own.''

 

Getting into the Word of God is a daily experience just as following the pillar of cloud and fire was a daily experience! Just as those pillars guided them each day, the word of God guides us each day! They wouldn't take a step without checking with those pillars first!

 

Get yourself a daily Bible reading plan?!  Get in a Sunday School class where you can study with other like-minded students!  Quit skipping church!  I promise you, every time you come, I’ll give you something!  It will probably be more than you want! 

Let God guide you and guard you through His Word!

 

Here’s the second thing.  Not only does God guide and guard us through His word, HE also does it

 

 

Nehemiah 9:19-20 contains a fascinating thought. 

 

 

During the wilderness wanderings, God gave His people everything they needed, including His Spirit to instruct them and give them insight!

 

The consistency of God amazes me!  What those pillars or clouds were to the children of Israel, God's Word is to us. And what His ''Good Spirit'' was to them, His Holy Spirit is to us! He indwells us and He instructs us! And the only difference now is that we will never lose the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life!

 

Jesus said in John 16:13, “. . . when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth”.

How much clearer could we ask it to be?  The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth.  Jesus aid, Follow Me as the Light of the Word and you will not walk in darkness. 

 

God guides His people through His Word, through His Spirit and thirdly,

 

 

Or we could say it this way:  God guides us through

 

 

May I tell you why you should be in a Sunday School class and be excited about Sunday School? It's in Sunday School classes where lives are changed, and hope is found, and prayers are offered God's word is taught and friendships are established!

 

 

People walk into these classes every Sunday having carried the burdens of life all week long and you have the opportunity to help lighten the load for your classmates!

 

People walk into your class looking for godly guidance to their life's issues and you have the opportunity to help guide them in truth!

 

People walk into your class wearing all kinds of masks, secretly longing to have peace with God and peace with themselves and you have the opportunity to point them to the One who loves them and is quick to forgive!

 

God wants to use your small group to help guide those attending and He wants to use you to make it happen! Thank God for the body of Christ and how He uses it to guide His people!

 

He uses His Word!

He uses His Spirit!

He uses His Body!

 

So why does He do it? 

 

 

Why does God guide and guard us like He does? Consider the children of Israel and why God guided and guarded them those forty years through the wilderness from Egypt to the Promised Land. God guided and guard them for the same reasons He guides and guards us today.

 

 

 

First, God does it

 

 

To put it simply, God’s will for the Israelites was to get them out of bondage and into the Promise Land. 

To accomplish it, He sent Moses to lead them out, then guided and guarded them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

 

Did you ever stop to consider how He’s done the same for you?  God doesn’t want us living in bondage.  He wants us to enjoy the blessings that are ours in Christ.  So what did He do?  He sent a Savior to lead us out and now guards and guides us and He does it to accomplish His will. 

 

Do you know what God's will is for your life? Do you know what God is longing to see take place in your life and in my life? Do you know why God desires to guide you through His Word, His Spirit and His Body?

 

2 Peter 3:9, “For God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

 

1 Thessalonians 4.3, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification”

 

Colossians 4.12b, “hat you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”

 

Romans 8.29, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son”

 

 

 

God's will is for you to be saved and sanctified.  This word ''sanctification'' is the same word we get the word ''holy.'' To be sanctified or to be holy speaks of being set apart! Sanctification is being set apart from the world and set apart unto God. That's God's will for us. That's what He is working to accomplish in our lives! To sanctify us and to ''conform (to take on the same form, to share His likeness) us to the image of His Son.''

 

God is out to accomplish something special in our lives! He's guiding and guarding our steps, not to make us happy, but to make us holy!

 

Why is God guiding and guarding His people? It is so they will accomplish His Will and also

 

 

The children of Israel struggled to accept God's Word and we're not much different, are we? It's easy to say we accept His word in our life; it's something else to show we accept His word in our life.

 

We're either believers or not believers. We either believe His word or we don't believe His Word. We need to saturate our minds with His Word until they altar our choices and decisions. If your life choices and decisions are not reflecting God's Word, then you're not saturating; you're substituting!

 

God wants you to accomplish His will, but that is impossible apart from accepting His Word. 

 

How important is it that we follow Jesus as the Light of the World?  Let me answer that by way of a Biblical illustration found in Exodus 14.

When we arrive at chapter 14, the Children of Israel have made their escape from Egypt, but the Pharaoh has a change of heart and decides to recapture them. 

 

Beginning in verse 16, God tells us Moses what to do:

 

verses 16-21, 30

 

That night, the only thing that prevented the Egyptian Army from destroying the children of Israel was that pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. Just as God used that pillars to guide and guard His people, He now guides and guards His people through His Word, through His Spirit and through His Body.

 

John 8:12, ''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.''

 

Saeed Abedini, is an Iranian-American pastor who has been imprisoned since September 26, 2012 in Iran under harsh conditions, because of His Christian faith.  He was sentenced January 27, 2013 to eight years in prison on charges he threatened national security by planting house churches in Iran years earlier. 

 

His wife and two children live in Boise, Idaho.  His son wrote him a letter back earlier this year hoping he could be home to celebrate his birthday on March 17.  Abedini couldn't be at his son's birthday but wrote him a letter that was posted on the American Center for Law and Justice website.  Here's the letter he wrote:

 

To my dear beloved son Jacob,

 

I saw your beautiful birthday invitation that you had made me and I know how much you want me to be there on your birthday. Daddy loves you so much.  I long to be there for your birthday and to make this reunion happen, but my chains are keeping me from you.

 

I want you to know that although I might NOT BE THERE and you might feel my absence, there is One who always IS. One who is always there with you and who can meet all of your needs under any condition. I might not be there on your birthday and that breaks my heart as your father. But I know the One who is there on your birthday who is there for you and cares for you more than anyone could imagine. HE IS THERE with you and His name is I AM WHO I AM.

 

I AM WHO I AM. It means that God is there with you in every situation that you are going through. This is the name that God introduced Himself when meeting with Moses in the burning bush when God’s people were crying out to Him and were feeling His absence. Today there are many people around the world who are experiencing the same things that the people of God were experiencing and that you are experiencing. They are crying out to God and might not be feeling His Presence. They are wondering where is God in all of this. But I want you to remember that despite what you feel, He is always there with you.

 

Even though I AM NOT there with you, I AM is there with you. God came in human flesh in Jesus Christ all the way from heaven to the earth to give us the gift of salvation by being crucified on the cross for the punishment of our sin. So on this special day, I want you to accept this gift of salvation. Invite Jesus into your heart as you have invited me to your birthday.

 

So happy birthday to my big boy and my hero, Jacob Cyrus Abedini. Thank you for standing strong with me in this battle for the Glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

Your proud Dad,

Saeed

 

You too can make this a special day by inviting Jesus into your heart!  He will guide you and guard you for He is the light of the world!  He who follows Him shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life!

 

Let’s pray