← ArchiveDear ChurchDear Church: Jesus is the LightDateDecember 18, 2022SpeakerDr Josh BurnhamText—Passages in this sermonMatthew 23:33John 114:13John 816:31Revelation 2121:25Matthew 524:57Revelation 125:551 Corinthians 1133:40TranscriptMachine transcribed. Click any line to jump there.0:00Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm. Thank you.0:13Thank you. Thank you.0:43Thank you. Thank you.1:13Thank you. Thank you.1:43Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So welcome to the church that worships and gathers at Bethel.2:07If you don't know where you are, this is what we call the Sacred Assembly on the Lord's Day. If you're new here, maybe you're here, maybe you came simply to support Emily or Philip, or maybe you're joining us online and checking out the church for the first time.2:36We want to thank you for being here. We believe that you're not here by accident, you're not listening by accident. God, in his power and his sovereignty, is bringing you, drawing you to know him, hear him, and follow him. So we want to simply say thank you, and we're going to clap and give God honor and glory for you. So we don't embarrass guests here at church, we embarrass covenant members. That's our way of recognizing who you are.3:04Plato, the famous Greek philosopher, once said this. He said, we can excuse children for being scared of the dark, but the real tragedy is when men are afraid of the light. When men are afraid of the light. Today's message is simple. It's called, Dear Church, Jesus is the light. So let's pray, and then we will look at Matthew 2 this morning.3:33Lord, as we bow our heads, may we bend our knees to you, the light of the world. Lord, this season brings so much emotion. For some, this is the best day of their life. We think about Philip, who said, Lord, you gave him a new heart last month, and now you've filled his heart today.4:00And Lord, we recognize that this season is also difficult for many. It's a season of shadows and darkness. Lord, no matter where we are in life, no matter our station or our status or our circumstance, would you meet us where we are today. Remind us that your Son, Jesus, is the light that we have been looking for.4:28The light that we need. And the light which illuminates our path today. So Lord, once again, open our eyes to behold the brightness of your glory. Lord, we thank you. We seek you. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. And amen.4:57And amen. Well, in Matthew 2, we have the promise of Jesus' light. The promise of Jesus' light. The first book in the New Testament describes it this way. Matthew 2, beginning in verse 2. It might be a story you know very well. Matthew 2 says, After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem.5:22And this was their message. They said, where is he who has been born King of the Jews? Now, in the ancient world, they would call that a subtweet. Because the wise men are going to the court of Herod the Great, who has taken for himself, has been conferred, that he was the King of the Jews.5:48So these wise men from the east come to the king of the Jews, and they ask the king of the Jews, hey, we've come a long way. Where is the one who was born King of the Jews? And at that word, every hair on everyone's neck in Judea was raised.6:12Because Herod called himself King of the Jews, but he was not born that way. But there is something different about this child. And they continue, we saw his star at its rising, and we have come to worship him. Now, of course, this must have been a marvelous sight indeed. The most glorious luminary.6:40Something caused these men, these wise men, these magi, to travel two years to visit this place. We know it was two years because Herod ultimately orders the death of any child two years and younger, any male in Bethlehem. Scholars would suggest that the journey took two years. This must have been some star indeed. Surely.7:11Surely. Now, I was born in Mississippi, right? I'm a simple person. Surely, if you see a star that causes you to go to a foreign land and ask about this king that is born, that the world is waiting on, surely the residents of Judea and Jerusalem would have been looking for the star, correct? That's just what I assume. But no other biblical reference or secular account in that day mentions a star.7:35Even more, when Herod questions the local experts, they mention they have no information about this curious phenomenon in the clouds. This is what's fascinating. Don't you find it curious that no one in Jerusalem knew about the star? We read this when we think, oh, everyone knew about the star.8:03Only a few knew about the star. Through history, many have attempted to provide some type of explanation for this star. It could be astrological or through the meteors. And some have suggested throughout time that maybe this was a brilliant meteor. Even, we know, though, even the most potent meteor disappears in a moment of seconds.8:29So this meteor would not have been a good sign to follow for two years. Some have suggested that it would be a comet. And it was believed in this time that a comet was the finger of God pointing down to earth. So maybe the magi saw a comet and they made a beeline to Jerusalem. But again, a comet does not last for two years.8:58Some have proposed that it was some sort of planetary alignment. That maybe Jupiter aligned with the sun and that this was seen by the magi who were looking for this specific phenomenon. But we know that Herod would have had the best astrologers on staff. And if there was some type of planetary alignment, these astrologers would have known from the beginning. Don't you find it curious that no one in history can pinpoint the exact star?9:26Maybe this is God's way of pointing us to a deeper spiritual truth. I was reading from the Christian Standard Bible. And the CSB nails the interpretation. Nails the translation. Because this is not any star. In the Greek, it's front-loaded. It very clearly says, the magi says, we have come to see his star.9:55His star. Can you imagine how that made Herod feel? Now some of you might have actually purchased a star for someone you love. Do you know you can name a star after someone now? I have no clue how you ever collect on that. But before you named your star, Jesus had his. This star points us to a deeper spiritual reality.10:24Can you imagine? And this is the way I think, right? Can you imagine the day that this star is minding its own business in a galaxy far, far away? It's shining bright for the glory of the Lord. And then God calls that star and says, hey, I need you. And the star says, God, I've been shining bright for hundreds of years for you. You're my creator. I would do anything with you.10:54And God says, I need you to shine for my son. Can you imagine the day that this star received this magnificent mission? One day maybe we'll see that star again. And maybe that star will recount the story of how God used its rays to point people to the sun who was born in the manger.11:10You see, this star had a purpose. It existed to draw the magi to Judea. We know it moved, it drew them to Bethlehem and arrested over this place where they would find the son of God.11:33The star reminds us of a tremendous promise that Jesus will give to all who are seeking. And for some of you, that's you today. You are seeking something more in your life. You realize that life is broken when we are not following God's plan for our lives. Maybe you are far, maybe you are near.12:03Maybe you're on the cusp of faith with Jesus Christ. Maybe you're here and your hands are folded and you say, you know what? I will never believe in God. Do you know what's happened in my life? How could a loving God let this, allow this to happen to me and to my family? The star is a reminder. Whether you are far from faith, whether you are far geographically in Persia, or whether you are near, God is drawing you.12:27He is drawing you through his son. The star drew the magi to Jesus. How is the Holy Spirit drawing you today? Because he is. He is. Not only do we have the promise of Jesus' light, but we have the pronouncement of Jesus' light. We have in the fourth gospel, the gospel of John.12:57John specifically telling us, not only did the star point you to Jesus, but Jesus is that light himself. So turn with me to John, chapter 1, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Sometimes we're simple-minded and we miss it the first time. God is saying, church, it's not about the star. You can put one up. When I was in New Orleans, I'll filibuster as you find your book of the Bible.13:27I worked at the inner city mission, and we had one palm tree in front of the mission where I worked in inner city New Orleans. And guess whose job it was to climb the ladder to put the star on top of the pine tree, I mean the palm tree. I remember thinking, Lord, I'm going to die. Thirty foot tall. We had the oldest. I think we had the first ladder invented. And I remember thinking, Lord, you promised a star, but this is not how it happens.13:55But my prayer was, Lord, may this star on the top of this palm tree draw someone to the true light of Jesus Christ. But maybe we're simple and we missed a star. Well, John 1 clearly says it this way. He says, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Verse 4. He said, in Him, that's Jesus, in Him was life, and that life was the light of men.14:24The light shines in darkness, and yet the darkness did not, will not, cannot overcome. For those who missed the star, now it is pronounced very clearly, Jesus is the light. Life and light are universal religious terms.14:51No one in the ancient world would have missed that loaded terminology. The Bible is making a universal claim. It is saying that if you are not in Christ, you are in darkness, you are estranged from God, you are blind, you are fallen, you are sinful, and you are spiritually ignorant. And if that's you today, listen to what John says.15:15The light shines in darkness. For those who are walking in darkness today, the pronouncement is that light shines upon your life. Light shines. Light shines. Spiritual illumination accompanies new birth. And that only is found in Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is the light of man.15:45John is very clear. These are universal, exclusive terms. You cannot experience new birth. You cannot experience spiritual light apart from Jesus Christ Himself. No matter how hard you try, no matter how church you become, no matter what you do in your life, if you have not surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, you cannot and you will not walk in light ever.15:59But light shines in darkness. Some of us miss the star pointing to Jesus. Some of us miss this universal language. So Jesus makes it even easier for us.16:28In John chapter 8, you can turn there in verse 12. For those who are extremely simple, and for the hard-hearted and the hard-headed among us, Jesus says, Josh, you missed a star. You missed a prologue of John. I'm going to spell it out for you. John 8, 12. Jesus spoke to them again and said, I am the light of the world.16:53Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. If you missed it twice, don't miss this. Jesus says clearly to the world that He is the light. What's fascinating is this would have been spoken most likely during the Feast of Tabernacles. Some of you know it as Sukkot.17:22And the hallmark of this Jewish festival, normally the second, third trimester of the year, is that the temple precincts were lit. They were illuminated like never before. So Jesus is near the temple. And actually, He's adjacent to the court of women, by the way. And He's speaking and He's saying, you see all this marvelous light, but I am the light. So marvelous was this festival that it was said by ancient rabbis that there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not illuminated by the temple and the brightness therein.17:53Again, the Greek helps us here. Jesus front loads the word light. He says, the light of the world am I. And maybe you know what happens after this. If you read the rest of the narrative, the Pharisees lose their religion. Because they knew exactly what Jesus was saying.18:25Jesus wasn't saying, I'm one of you. And God can use me to bring light to the world. That's not what Jesus was saying. Jesus wasn't saying, well, if you follow some of my teachings, which are really good, like the not murder and the not lust in your heart and those things, the Beatitudes. Jesus didn't say, if you follow those, then you will have a little more light in your life. Jesus made an exclusive claim that the Pharisees did not miss.18:51Jesus was saying, I am the light. The light of the world am I. Church, we need that for our souls. This is the pronouncement of light. And it doesn't stop there. What does Jesus say in the second half of that verse? It's not simply enough to know that Jesus is the light. He says, I am the light of the world. Anyone who does what? Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.19:22Knowing Jesus has immediate consequences, doesn't it? Jesus doesn't say, just believe that I am the light. Give lip service that I am the light. He says, know and follow. It's the reminder that the results of personal salvation always assume a faith commitment.19:45We've lost that in cultural Christianity because we have people that can look at us straight faced and say, I am a Christian, but I don't really follow the ways of Jesus. Our response would be, what? Rather than us saying, oh, that's okay.20:15He'll understand. We need to let these words in John 8, 12 hit our souls deeply. How dare I say, God, you are my light. And then to say, but I will not walk with you. The consequences of faith assume a commitment of our life. That's why I asked Philip earlier in his baptism. Is it your commitment to follow Jesus today, no matter the cost?20:42No matter the cost. This is the pronouncement of light. Dear church, Jesus is the light. Not only, though, do we have a promise and a proclamation, but we have another P, permanence of light. Permanence of Jesus' light. Now, you know I can't help myself, so let's turn to the book of Revelation.21:12This is your first Sunday here. We just finished three months in the book of Revelation. Revelation 21, 23. This is the new heavens and the new earth, this new city. And the new city is not a place, it's also a people. The new city represents you because we are God's people. He will dwell with us. He is dwelling with us today for those who have given their life to Christ.21:41He will dwell with us forever. One day. Without any hindrance. And this city is very curious because you're a curious people, if I'm honest. Because I'm one of you. Revelation 21, 23 says the city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it. Because the glory of God illuminates it.22:09And its lamp is the lamb. Its lamp is the lamb. Church, one day. The light of Christ will shine eternally and permanently. It will shine eternally and permanently. And Revelation envisions the day where Jesus will replace the stars, the sun, and the moon. Can you imagine that story in heaven?22:38I don't know if the heavenly luminaries can speak. But can you imagine the moon saying one day when Jesus makes all things new. Wow, I got to shine at night because the sun, I was able to reflect its rays in the evening. And the sun saying, well, you shone on the world because I shone upon you. You owe me one, dude. And then the star in Matthew 2 saying, I know you, son, you gave life and heat to the world.23:05But I got to shine upon the birth of our creator. The image of the invisible God. Checkmate. Can you imagine the heavens singing that story forever and ever? This is the permanence of the light of Christ. What was promised in Matthew, what was pronounced in John is now permanent in Revelation.23:35And church, vividly, what we know in part here on earth, we will one day see in full. What we know in part right now, what we can imagine, what we can think, what we can see in glimpses with this veil that's over our eyes. One day the veil will be lifted and we will see fully the radiance and the glory of our King. And I can't wait.24:04Dear church, Jesus is that permanent light. And you might be thinking, well, what in the world is the point of all this? Okay, Jesus is a light. I get it. He was promised. It was pronounced. It'll be permanent. So what? I have another P for you. The point of the light. Jesus, again, is very clear. Turn back to Matthew. In the famous sermon, the most famous sermon that Jesus ever speaks, it's called the Sermon on the Mount.24:34And again, if the hills could talk, right? One day that hill, that mountain is going to be to say, hey, all of eternity knows that what Jesus spoke upon my hill. I was created for this. Jesus says in Matthew 5, 14. Jesus says, you are the light of the world.25:02A city on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand. And it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works. And do what? And give glory to your Father in heaven.25:27What is the point of God sending his son to be born in a stable guided by a light from men of Persia? What is the point of Jesus standing in the Feast of Tabernacles and saying to the world, the light of the world am I? What is the point of Revelation one day saying that the sun and the moon will be there, but they're decoration?25:55Because the light of the world, the lamp is the lamb. Jesus says that the point of all of this is you. Church, you're the point. God sent his only son as the light of the world. That those who are walking in darkness might see and have the light in them.26:21And when you have the light of Jesus Christ in your life, guess what? You are the light of the world. Maybe you read scripture like me and you think, God, why would you do all of this? God's reminder is, Josh, you're the point.26:49And not only are you the point, but you are to point others to the light. His name is Jesus. John Calvin said it this way. He said, nay. I like the word nay. We need to use that more in modern language. He says, nay. The very design of God in giving you this light was that it might shine through you. That's Calvin's way of saying the point of God giving you the light is that you might shine.27:19Church, when you give your life to Jesus Christ, light is your new identity. Think of it this way. Light is your new last name. That's what Jesus does in your life. You are the light of the world. And in Christ, you become brighter and brighter over time. You see, for the life of faith, we shouldn't become dim as we get into our twilight years.27:48There's this beautiful paradox in faith that as we live life in our twilight years physically, as we become weaker physically, the spirit becomes brighter in us. That's why 2 Corinthians says, we hold this treasure in jars. Not boxes of steel. Not diamonds, but jars of clay.28:18That the all-surpassing power of Christ might be seen through us, in us, but it's not because of us. Are you burning bright? John Wesley, the famed Methodist pastor and evangelist, said, If ye are thus holy, you can no more be hid than the sun in the firmament. Wesley's saying, you can't hide yourself even if you tried, if you're a Christian.28:51And may we never hide ourselves from the light of Jesus Christ. Because we are the light. I have two questions. If you know Jesus today, this question is for you. What would our community look like? What would your neighborhood look like? What would your home look like if you shone the light of Christ brighter today than you ever have in your life?29:18And tomorrow you shine brighter than you did today. What would it look like if we again renewed our lives today in this moment? Say, God, I'm weak, I'm frail, I'm walking in darkness, but I want you to shine bright in me. Because I cannot hide the light of Jesus, even if I tried.29:45What would our county look like? What would our world look like if we committed to shine brighter than the world has ever known before? Why not now? Why not you? Lord, shine bright in us. I have a second question. What is the point of God sending His only Son into this world?30:17It's you. And I firmly believe there are people who gather with us weekly, even today. Maybe watching online or listening to the podcast later. And you've never taken that step of faith. And it's possible that you don't even know why you haven't taken that step. This is what I know to be true.30:49God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of a virgin. Be born in a place that had no room. That He might live a sinless life and die on the cross. And three days later, He rose again. And the point of all of that is so that you might have eternal life. You are the point of Jesus coming to this earth. And you are here today because God is drawing you.31:18He used a star to draw the magi. And God is using whatever means necessary to draw people unto Himself. Would you give your life to Christ today? Maybe you're like that student a couple weeks ago that said, I want to follow Jesus. I don't know how. Well, this is how. If that's you today, you can pray a prayer like this. I'm going to ask you wherever you're seated, if you're at home, just to pray this prayer in your heart.31:47These words will not save you, but Jesus can. And God hears the prayer of authentic faith. You can pray a prayer that says, God, I'm sorry that I have sinned. And I'm tired of the darkness. Would you shine upon me? I believe that you sent Jesus to die on the cross. I trust that you did that for me. And today I will follow you no matter the cost.32:16To that prayer, the Bible says that the heavens rejoice when one sinner comes to saving faith. And if you have given your life to Christ today, I want you to let us celebrate. I'll be down front after the service. You can connect with us online.32:46You can fill out a green Connect card. But we want to help you take your next steps of faith. You might say, well, I'm too old to do that. Philip would say, no, you're not too old. He said, well, people think I'm a Christian. What would they think of me? Emily would say, don't worry about what people think. Worry about what God knows. In this moment, our response to Jesus Christ,33:17for those who have gathered and know him, is we're going to respond and worship to the Lord's Supper. Scripture is very clear that we gather. And when we take the bread, when we drink the juice, we make spiritual commitments again to the world. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11, that which I received I've passed on. And I'm a firm believer that your public profession of faith33:46is not a one-time affair. When we gather in the name of Jesus Christ, we make public commitments to the world. Would you ready your heart to participate in this holy, sacred reminder that Jesus died for us, that he rose again, that his body was broken, that his blood was shed,34:15that he is the light of the world. And for those who eat and drink, we are the light to point the world to him. If you've not given your life to Jesus Christ, if you've never been baptized as a step of faith, I'm going to ask you not to eat, not to drink. The Bible says this is not for you. And if you find that difficult, my hope is that you would come to Jesus today.34:44Don't come to the table, come to Jesus. Because when you come to Christ, you can come to the table. So I'm going to invite our deacons to come to the front. There will be some in the balcony, some in the back also. I'm going to invite our praise team to come up. And as they sing in a moment, I'm going to ask you to come forward. And if you are ready to receive the Lord's Supper with us, to grab a cup and then go back to your seat. If you have a neighbor35:14that can't come on their own, maybe they can't walk well, they're impaired, be a servant to them. Get theirs. I'm going to ask also, as our deacons make their way down front, I think Bud is serving. And so Emily and Phillip, I'm going to ask you guys to come first because you are our guest today at the table of the Lord. And I don't know where Emily's sitting, but Emily, I would venture to say35:44you should go to your granddad's basket. He gets to serve you today. What a beautiful picture of the body of Christ. So church, as we sing, would you stand? Would you get the elements? Would you worship? And then in a moment, we will eat and drink together. Amen.← Previous in Dear ChurchDear Church: God Is With Us!
