Pastor Brad DeLong - The Light of the World

john chapter one verse one it says in the beginning was the word the word was with god and the word was god he was in the beginning with god all things were made through him without him nothing was made that was made in him was life and the life was the light of men the light shines in the darkness and darkness did not comprehend it there was a man sent from god his name was john this man came for a witness to bear witness of that light that all through him might believe john was not that light but he was sent to bear witness of that light that light was the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world that light speaks for himself in john 12 and 46 he says i have come as a light into the world and whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness this morning i want to preach to you about that light from a straightforward title but from a powerful principle and message and that is simply the light of the world the light of the world before you're seated would you just lift up that name of jesus again and the fact that he's the light into your life would you take a moment and thank him lord we love you we glorify you we magnify the light of the world we exalt and adore the light of the world whose name is jesus we give you glory and honor and praise this morning oh we clap our hands together and glorify you hallelujah jesus you're worthy lord of every praise we thank you jesus we thank you and you can be seated this morning

i've always been fascinated with light and in particular i have been enamored over the years with things like flashlights and spotlights in fact in my immediate family and even amongst my peers several of them who attend apc we have almost a competition of sorts that deals directly with who has the brightest or the coolest of flashlights the people in the room that are chuckling know exactly what i'm talking about almost every year it seems we have all added to our collection each flashlight brighter than the last will come to each other after christmas or birthday and say hey check it out we'll bring the flashlight to church so check it out 1500 lumens like wow that's awesome man then we'll one-up each other and say that's great i got one at home that's 1800 lumens and you're like i didn't even know they had those yeah they do we there's this sense of pride over the brightest light in the bunch of my immediate family we buy them for each other regularly i just got my brother one this week and what we found is that the brighter the light is the better it is the more lumens you have the better off you are for example when i was younger if i had 100 lumen flashlight i thought that was really something but this past week i got my brother a light that is rated for 2500 lumens and can reach across at least a third of a mile and if you shine that in someone's eyes they're seeing spots for days and weeks you know it's so bright we noticed this progression of lights and how bright they've become and i'll make sure i don't blind any of you tonight but i'll give you just a little glimpse we started with ones like these incandescent you know they'd reach across maybe a couple feet and you'd see where you're going you wouldn't trip and then then we moved to the good old mag light you know what i'm talking about look at that look at that that's incandescent but you can see it's amazing so you're following okay you can see that these were durable these were the best of the best and then then we moved to some smaller led lights these are handy you know look at that okay you put it in your pocket and i mean we love these lights these are awesome and then we we switched and we upgraded a little bit and we went to a couple hundred lumens all right and you got multiple settings you know like look at that only got a little you can telescope it in and out it's just awesome it's just amazing all you flashlight enthusiasts you know what i'm talking about then we went to guys like this you know oh okay that was the first one all right look how bright that is you know you can spot something and see someone from afar off and then then we just got crazy and we went with stuff like this it's just ridiculous all right like look at that i mean you can spot a raccoon or a small animal in your trash from like a mile away like there it is it's like ah it's not recovering from that they can't see it's i mean it's just you can light up the whole neighborhood with this thing and it just showcases our collective pursuit for lights that are brighter and better it embodies our desire for light and not just for any light but we want a light that makes darkness look like the day and we want one that makes shadows appear non-existent we want a light that penetrates the darkest of nights and a light that reaches to the furthest corners of the expanse in which we are residing we want a light that never grows dim a light that illuminates everything and everyone in its vicinity we're searching for the true light and for the most brilliant of lights ever displayed and demonstrated

if you haven't picked up on it just yet i'm not just talking about the literal lights that i've shown you today but the fact of the matter is that mankind and humankind you and i included we've always been drawn to the light both in a literal and in a spiritual scent light by its very nature has a way of drawing us in and compelling as you think of those bright lights that they shine in the sky at car dealerships or sporting events and you'd be driving and what is that light you know and you want to go check out what it is and where it's from we're drawn to life and that being the case this morning i will tell you that there's one line in particular who came into the world and that we're all drawn to more than any other light there's one light that's especially appealing and noteworthy and of all the lights i've demonstrated and all the others that are in existence both literal and figurative there exists only one life that john calls the true light there's just one light that really illuminates the way that we all need and long for there's only one life james calls him the father of lights and john calls him the light of the world and isaiah and matthew call him the great light you already know who i'm talking about because you've more than likely already experienced his brilliance and his glory yourselves we've heard all of his titles we've heard all of his other accolades but this morning i just present to you that same name it's above every other name his name is jesus and he's the light of the world he's jesus and he's the true light his name is jesus and he's the father of lights he's jesus and he's the great life and the brightest of lights we will ever encounter or come across he is the light of the world himself and the light to every man who enters into the world john says it in our text in him was life and that life was the light of men verse 9 that was the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world

the same writer said this in first john 1 5. this is the message which we've heard from him and declare to you that god is light and in him is no darkness at all the psalmist said the lord is my light and my salvation whom shall i fear paul adds in first timothy he alone has immortality dwelling in unapproachable light whom no man has seen or can see to whom we honor in everlasting power amen in isaiah he records the praises of the angels talking about his glory and brilliance holy holy holy is the lord god almighty the whole earth is full of his glory he's the greatest light we'll ever encounter the whole earth is full of his majesty this room is full of his glory and brilliance and radiance he is the light of the world and that light says of himself directly from our text in john 12 i've come as a light into the world and whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness he's the true light the light of the world the light who came on our behalf so we could be free from darkness and the light to whom there is no match and there is no equivalent

in fact i got to thinking about that this week in terms of the lights we encounter on a regular basis i recognize these are literal lights and light sources but it would appear that every last one of them every last light we encounter all of them on some level or aspect they're all able to be extinguished and terminated through one way or the other for the majority of them the ones we can control there's this on off switch we can turn them on and off at will whenever we want whenever we desire and even those beyond our control even the stars themselves have a shelf life and an expiration date if you will there's a moment there's going to be a moment in time when they can be completely turned off and they can be extinguished but revelation 21 says this of the true light that the city in heaven itself will have no need of the sun or the moon to shine in it for the glory of god illuminates it the lamb is its life and what we know of eternian of our god this light has no expiration date he has no shelf life he's not extinguished by an on off switch or by the will of man he's not extinguished when he's ever brilliant he's ever present his glory has no end it has no conclusion when every other light is gone when all of them have been extinguished and they come to nothing this light will continue to shine when every other source of light is cut off or dim to nothingness this light will be just as radiant as it has ever been and when every other star reflective surface has withered and disintegrated the lamb will continue to shine into the hearts and lives of humanity and wherever his light shines we know this that the lie the world changes everything and everyone on which he shines

i was reminded this earlier this week i was thinking both saul of tarsus and moses of the old testament both of them had an encounter with the light moses goes up the mountain spends 40 days and he just gets a passing glimpse of the glory of god doesn't even see the face of god just the passing glimpse of god and his entire life has changed and he comes down that mountain and his face is literally shining his entire complexion has changed not to mention what happened in his heart and mind and then saul of tarsus we know it's on the road to damascus in a bright light an accompanying voice interrupt his path paul saw at the time not only was he blinded by the light but he got up from that road to damascus and his life was completely changed after just one encounter with jesus the light of the world he writes this in ephesians 5 he said for you were once in darkness he knows what he's talking about he lived in that darkness he walked in that darkness but now your light in the world walk as children of light he had walked in that darkness himself but he recognized the life-changing power of the life and many of you and you and i could testify to the same this morning once we were in darkness once we were living in despair in desperation once we were without hope and we didn't have direction we didn't have light but like saw on that road our lives were interrupted by the brilliance and the glory of god and everything changed maybe it was at an altar in a baptismal take or just a conversation with a friend and the light of god pierced through whatever darkness had enshrouded us and everything changed in that moment that season the true light shine in our hearts and darkness was left without an answer and without recourse john talks about this in our text it's one of my favorite scriptures in the entire bible john 1 4 says 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 other translations say it like this the darkness could not overcome it the darkness could not extinguish it the darkness could not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it or contain it the greek word there comprehend actually means to lay hold of something to seize it to take possession of it even to perceive of it or to understand in other words the light shine in the darkness and not only could darkness not stop it or overcome it it couldn't even understand it or comprehend it when the light shined in the world when jesus came into the world darkness just didn't have any answers there were no countermeasures that night in bethlehem there were no adequate responses there was no solution for jesus the light of the world there was no retaliation that was possible as darkness did it at most to grapple with the light it could not extinguish him it couldn't overcome even when herod goes around and kills all the baby boys and even when satan tempts him in the wilderness and even even when the sanhedrin tried to kill him and even when the grave and death tried to stifle him despite all of it that light shine in the world and darkness just did not have a response for the light

what this means for you and i is all the more exciting because it means that the darkness in our lives no matter its extent in its reach when it simply comes into contact with the light of the world it has to succumb and it has to submit to him when darkness is confronted by the true light the great light it just doesn't have any answers it's overpowered and outmatched and this darkness which seems to get all the headlines and all the attention all the focus as it increases all the more in the world that shame darkness when jesus comes onto the scene it has no answers and it's forced to flee and it's forced to be overwhelmed and overcome and i want someone to hear me today because i know it sounds great on a sunday morning over a pulpit but it can be much more difficult to believe on a monday when the darkness tries to come back and return and retaliate but i want you to know even the darkest corners of your life cannot withstand the power of the light of the world even the darkest corners of your life the ones that are coming to mind right now cannot withstand the power of the light of the world even the most secretive and innermost corners of your life where darkness tries to hide they can be illuminated by the father of light this morning those areas of hurt and pain those wounds those hidden hurts hidden scars those places we don't want anyone on our pew to know about those places god can reach into those places god can reach into those places you've held on to for far too long and he's been trying to get a hold of in his glory in his presence but you've been keep god can reach those places god can reach that hurt and pain and scar that you've helped your hand over and you kept no not this one lord not this one god can reach and illuminate that place he's able to illuminate even the darkest and the secret and hidden corners he's able to work in the darkest places because he's the light of the world himself daniel chapter 2 says this he reveals deep and secret things he knows what's in the darkness because light dwells with him and especially when you consider that light itself is most effective when it's darkest around it you realize jesus does some of his best work in the darkest places and corners the light of the world does some of his best and most powerful work in the darkest places of our hearts and lives not even the dark places are hidden from him but both his nature and his word tell us he can work in even the darkest places it was immediately after a woman was caught in the act of adultery she's confronted by the crowd it's one of the lowest moments of her life she's facing imminent death that's the moment jesus told her to go on her way forgave her of her sins and then he says this to the crowd the same thing i'm preaching to you today in john chapter 8 on the heels of what just happened i am the light of the world he who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life even the one caught in adultery even the one that's faced abuse and ill-treatment even the one with hidden hurts and pains even the one with the past full of sin even those battling depression anxiety darkness and addiction even the darkest corners of your life cannot outrun the light illustrate i'll tell you this morning

maybe you know jesse would you wave your hand at him jesse i don't mean to embarrass you jesse got baptized last week in the name of jesus and all of his sins were washed away in that name he told me part of his testimony and then he texted to me this week he said i could share it this morning jesse's a former marine had gone through some things in his time in the marines and was had a medical discharge and after the marines got into some terrible life circumstances which led him down a path to addiction into opioids that addiction got so severe he said he was taking more than the amount really to to overdose it was quite a bit he got so desperate needed needed help needed something to ease all that pain and finally it all came to a head one day he said he decided i got desperate enough i got to stop i got to do something so he decided to try to cut it off clean and he was going through intense withdrawal so much so that he was completely overwhelmed he said i had no idea what to do other than i reached over and i picked up my bible and he said i held onto that bible and i wept he said i don't remember what i read that day he said but when i did that all of a sudden that desire and that withdrawal and everything that compulsion evaporated in the thin it was like someone came in and took it from me it was almost as if light shined in the darkness and even the darkness of addiction and even the darkness of drugs and opioids could not understand it had no answers had no recourse he is the light of the world even in the darkest of places oh no corner can contain him no wall can keep him back his light shines anywhere and everywhere he wants i wonder if you believe it why don't we pause and do what you're doing can we thank the lord and praise him together oh would you praise him for the moment light shine into your life and darkness ran would you praise him for that moment light overcame the darkness we praise the light of the world we glorify that light of the world we praise you jesus we praise you he is the light of the world

he's the same one who said this in john 9 as long as i am in the world he said i'm the light of the world i got news today he's in the world so he is the lie of the world i got news today he's in this room so he's the light in this room he's in your life so he's the light of your life he's got life with him he's the light of the world i'm thankful this morning he's in the world that he came into the world and he died for the sins of the world and he's still the light of the world to every man and woman who enters the world i'm thankful light shine in the darkness even the darkness of my own life and that darkness had no other option but to flee and not only that but i'm thankful today that when light shine into my life and into yours it wasn't just a momentary glimpse in a passing brilliance or experience it wasn't just a flash and a pen and a temporary occurrence but when that light enters your life he comes to stay he comes to dwell he comes to help and the lord

paul says this second corinthians 4 and 6 for it's the god who commanded light to shine out of darkness he's the one who's shone into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ now we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of god and now we've got it it's in us now we've got this treasure we've got this power and because of that first thessalonians 5 says we're all sons and daughters of life sons of the day we're not of the night we're not of darkness we're sons of light in ephesians 5 and 8 i read earlier for you were once in darkness but thank god now your light in the world walk as children of that light because of this paul says this in philippians 2 instructions do all things without complaining and disputing that you may become blameless harmless children of god without fault in the midst of a crooked and a perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world you've been brought out of darkness into his marvelous light his light is shining into your hearts you you have this treasure and earthen and imperfect vessels you are lights in the world and the light of the world himself says this in matthew 5 and 14 you you are the light of the world a city that's set on a hill cannot be hidden nor they light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lamp stand it gives light to all who are in the house let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father who's in heaven so not only has your life been changed by light the light but now you've got the same light the same treasure the same power in an earthen and imperfect vessel so the excellency and the power of god can be revealed in us and through us in other words you didn't just receive the light of the world for yourself but you received him so someone near you could see the same life-changing power and glory of god that's inside of you now yes the lie of the world came to change you but he also came to shine into someone else's life through you you are the light of the world he said because the true light shine into your life changed you made your life so bright and he says you simply cannot be hidden you're a city on a hill you

i experienced this truth this phenomenon a couple weeks ago as an urgent care facility i go in and get a test i met a lady there named kim when i walked in she took me to one of those side rooms she's going to perform that test there somehow in the course of the conversation it came up that i serve as a pastor i do not go around telling people that hey i'm brad i'm a pastor for obvious reasons i don't do that but today it came up she said you're a pastor i said yeah i know it's crazy she said i need you to pray for me pastor we don't realize in our day-to-day how bright we are maybe it's well you're getting a test at a doctor's office maybe while you're pumping gas someone just gets a glimpse of it i got to get something from this i need you to pray for me i said okay let's pray right now she said right now i said yeah we stopped we pray in the glory of god the presence of god came in that room i began to talk to her and help her and and counsel with her she told me something incredible though shortly after she said you know when you walked in to the urgent care i could tell there was something different about you she said you just had this energy you had something it was different from the start she said this is before we prayed before we ever talked before i told her i got to serve this great church and this morning you know my spirit i cannot take any credit for that all i can say is when the true light shines in your life and you're a child of the light and the king there is something different about you when you're walking in the light others are drawn to the light so they're joining there's something different when you've got the power of the holy ghost inside of you the power to be a witness unto all who are far of you are a city on a hill that gives light to everyone proverbs 4 says this the very path of the just is like the shining sun that shines ever brighter into the perfect day just your life and your walk as you walk as children of the light they illuminate the way in the lives of those around you

and maybe this morning you're saying okay all right but you don't feel all that bright maybe you don't feel like you're being that much of a light to those in your vicinity but can i tell you that just your life of faithfulness alone is shining into someone else's life just your demeanor in the way you carry yourself on top of your conversations and your methods of discipleship and evangelism they cannot be hidden especially when you realize that when a life is enshrouded in darkness and decay and all you can see is the black of sin and spiritual obscurity you recognize all it really takes is one little light for your life to be illuminated in the light of the world to penetrate the darkness all it takes church is one glimpse of light this little light of mine this little light for someone's path to be changed their life to be altered you may not feel like this today maybe you feel like this little candle but if your co-worker and your neighbor could just get one little glimpse of the light of the world ah all the darkness in their lives will be left without an answer and without a response they could just have one god conversation it could change everything they could get one card or have one word of prayer out on the lawn in the neighborhood it could it could pierce every wall and corner of darkness in their life one moment of light can change everything and everyone and even years of darkness and decay so many of you know exactly what i'm talking about today and maybe if you don't just think about a time that you were in a room of pitch black and you were your eyes were straining you were yearning for light all you wanted was just one semblance of light to lead the way you think about being in utter darkness and all you needed was one little light for you to see enough to get out of that situation and into a place where you could see fully and clearly and when you think of that consider what i feel like the lord has dealt with me about recently it's someone in your path in mind a neighbor a co-worker an unsaved loved one this has been their condition of late and they're looking and searching they're yearning for something they've been enshrouded in darkness so long they don't know what light is all it could take is one prayer one well-timed and uh prayer or god moment for light to shine through every layer of just one glimpse of jesus could change it all church one glimpse of hope and the darkness could turn it all around just one moment with jesus a child alike can change everything especially in the middle of darkness this morning you and i stand as a testimony to that very truth in reality but guess

in case those testimonies aren't enough i want to share with you one more as musicians come i met a young lady last sunday i don't know if she's here today if she is she'll know she came in she'd been invited by one of our apc members a couple times came to one of our services and then came back i thank the lord for when people come back they've had a connection with jesus she said she hadn't felt the presence of god in years how compelling is that same presence you and i felt all morning can you imagine not feel his presence for years she said when she came in it was cold outside last sunday and she felt a literal cold in the room she sat in that service during that service we had a move with the holy ghost one of our apc members who i talked to later says you just felt a little nudge in her heart go pray for that person and you never know what can happen a little nudge comes and you decide i'm going to turn this on and i'm gonna go be the light to someone she walked over and laid her hand on this young lady and she told me that young lady told me when we started to pray she was like she said it felt like someone came behind her and wrapped her arms around her she said i felt a literal warmth come over my body i felt the presence of god for the first time and who knows how long all because someone decided i'm going to follow the holy ghost i'm going to pray a prayer and i could see it in her face that day that everything had changed in her life it's one moment of light pierced through years of darkness and god began to work and is continuing to do a work in her life her life i believe her life is going to be fully illuminated by the power and the glory of god can i tell you this morning we often forget what we have we often forget that one moment of light one invitation one prayer one god moment it can change everything i feel the presence and the glory of god here i wonder if you'd stand with me this morning and lift your hands and begin to exalt him today oh would you lift up the light of the world this morning uh whether your life is fully illuminated or you've got darkness that you're facing i wonder if you praise the light of the world today oh can we give high praise and glory and honor to this great light the true light of the father of lights the only light of the world hallelujah jesus we praise you and magnify that great light we feel your glory in the room today we feel your power in the room today oh i feel god moving here i want to invite three groups of people to come okay if you've been facing any kind of darkness this doesn't mean that you are a dark person this means that your face in darkness you've got hurts and pains you've got a past that you need god to heal and illuminate you've got some ailments you've got some wounds and scars or you're battling the enemy i want to invite that group in just a moment to come if you're facing any kind of storm and your life has a cloud over it right now you're in a trial you're in a circumstance you need the help of god in the light of god to give you clarity or peace i want to invite you and lastly i want to invite anyone that wants to come and commit again to be the light the city on a hill that cannot be hidden i wonder if you just begin to come right now as i open this altar if you're facing any kind of darkness you've got some kind of sickness or ailment or if you just want to be the light to those around you would you step out in faith right now as the glory of god envelops this room oh and we're brothers and sisters who are the life come alongside and pray recognize one moment of light at an altar could change everything kindness one moment at an altar oh jesus oh did you lift your voices ah i know it's a special service today but it's special because the king of kings is in the room he can touch and heal he can illuminate he can heal that hurt why not not let the today of the world shine into your life my everyone needs compassion everyone needs forgiveness my god is author of salvation jesus he is so take me as you find me all my my fears to follow everything i believe my god is mighty to say he is author of salvation let the whole world jesus shine your light and let the whole jesus shine your light and my god is mighty to say he is mighty to say forever author of salvation he rose and conquered jesus my god is foreign shine your light and let the whole world see receiving for the glory of the reset jesus shine your light and let the whole world jesus my god is my is

you're praying continue to pray on i'd like us to have a moment of focused prayer over our field and those around us i had someone text me earlier in the service who's visiting with us they said when we began to pray over our field you could feel the hunger and the passion for our community i want to tell you one quick testimony and then we're going to pray a couple weeks ago several of our young people went out into the the neighborhoods nearby and we went and just passed out cookies to people in the neighborhood they ran across a man who had been here before he had a great connection but ultimately before coven had happened he drifted away but they reconnected with him out on his driveway he had had a a great loss in his life and these two young apostolic young people kendall and garrett they said can we pray for you and he was so taken aback he said yes you can they began to pray over him they said right there on his driveway he was weeping and overwhelmed by the glory and the presence he did not have to be in this room for the glory of god to reach him they said even after they left he was still in his driveway weeping from the presence and power of god god's moving in our field and in our neighborhoods church we're going to pray that the light of the world would shine through us and into their lives would you lift your voices with me and pray in the name of jesus we do not want this light to stay here we do not want this light to be contained in this place or this room where we want the light of the world to shine into our families our schools our community oh in the name of jesus help us to carry it help us we can't keep it here it can't be contained in here or in this room all but in the name of jesus shine into my neighbors why don't we thank the lord for his glory and his power that's in the room right now can we lift up that name of jesus again in the light of the world oh we praise you hallelujah jesus we praise you