WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.859 The creativity of his mind is just an amazing 00:00:02.859 --> 00:00:06.820 thing to me. Well, would you open your Bible, 00:00:07.099 --> 00:00:10.500 please, with me to the Gospel of Luke and the 00:00:10.500 --> 00:00:14.980 second chapter as we conclude the Christmas series 00:00:14.980 --> 00:00:20.960 looking at the names with Christmas glory. Luke 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:24.879 chapter 2. I'm going to begin reading in verse 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:32.450 25. Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon 00:00:32.450 --> 00:00:36.530 who was righteous and devout. He was waiting 00:00:36.530 --> 00:00:39.369 for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit 00:00:39.369 --> 00:00:42.649 was upon him. It had been revealed to him by 00:00:42.649 --> 00:00:44.929 the Holy Spirit that he would not die before 00:00:44.929 --> 00:00:50.609 he had seen the Lord Christ. Moved by the Spirit, 00:00:51.109 --> 00:00:54.590 he went into the temple court. When the parents 00:00:54.590 --> 00:00:57.549 brought in the child Jesus to do for him what 00:00:57.549 --> 00:01:01.350 the custom of the law required, Simeon took him 00:01:01.350 --> 00:01:06.890 in his arms and praised God, saying, Sovereign 00:01:06.890 --> 00:01:12.269 Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your 00:01:12.269 --> 00:01:16.290 servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your 00:01:16.290 --> 00:01:18.890 salvation, which you have prepared in the sight 00:01:18.890 --> 00:01:22.329 of all people, a light for revelation to the 00:01:22.329 --> 00:01:26.810 Gentiles. and for glory to your people, Israel. 00:01:30.390 --> 00:01:32.629 I heard in the news a couple of days ago that 00:01:32.629 --> 00:01:35.629 the spacecraft that we launched toward one of 00:01:35.629 --> 00:01:39.069 the moons around Jupiter is beginning to send 00:01:39.069 --> 00:01:42.049 back some more information. The information was 00:01:42.049 --> 00:01:45.310 gathered a week ago but only received this weekend 00:01:45.310 --> 00:01:49.390 here on planet Earth. We have received a message 00:01:49.390 --> 00:01:53.510 from outer space. but it's not the first one. 00:01:55.609 --> 00:01:57.609 There is a message that's been received from 00:01:57.609 --> 00:02:02.989 outer space 2 ,000 years ago that is far beyond 00:02:02.989 --> 00:02:05.530 anything that could be received from planet Jupiter. 00:02:06.810 --> 00:02:09.090 For the message that we received from outer space 00:02:09.090 --> 00:02:13.330 2 ,000 years ago is the message of God in His 00:02:13.330 --> 00:02:19.689 Son, Jesus Christ. But even before that message, 00:02:20.270 --> 00:02:23.870 God has been sending messages from outer space 00:02:23.870 --> 00:02:28.110 since the beginning of creation. Listen to the 00:02:28.110 --> 00:02:33.289 words of Psalm 19. The heavens declare the glory 00:02:33.289 --> 00:02:37.969 of God. The skies proclaim the work of his hands. 00:02:38.650 --> 00:02:43.689 Day after day they pour forth speech. Night after 00:02:43.689 --> 00:02:48.750 night they display knowledge. There is no speech 00:02:48.750 --> 00:02:52.639 or language. where their voice is not heard. 00:02:53.819 --> 00:02:57.060 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their 00:02:57.060 --> 00:03:02.439 words to the ends of the world. You see, from 00:03:02.439 --> 00:03:05.120 outer space we have been receiving messages from 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:11.620 God for thousands of years. That's what we call 00:03:11.620 --> 00:03:14.979 general revelation. That is, that God is giving 00:03:14.979 --> 00:03:18.469 this revelation about His existence generally 00:03:18.469 --> 00:03:26.750 to all men. His power and His wisdom are on display 00:03:26.750 --> 00:03:32.349 day and night for people of every tribe and every 00:03:32.349 --> 00:03:39.629 tongue to behold and to hear. But as gracious 00:03:39.629 --> 00:03:44.969 as that revelation is from God, it is insufficient 00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:51.379 for anyone to find salvation. For the sinner 00:03:51.379 --> 00:03:54.259 to be saved, he must have specific knowledge. 00:03:56.840 --> 00:03:59.280 He must have more than the general knowledge 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:03.900 that God exists in great wisdom and power. He 00:04:03.900 --> 00:04:07.319 must have specific knowledge of the truth of 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:12.300 God's loving, self -sacrificing action at the 00:04:12.300 --> 00:04:18.680 cross. in the death of his son. That kind of 00:04:18.680 --> 00:04:21.800 revelation is what is called special revelation. 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:26.160 It provides an understanding of the personhood 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:29.339 of God, that he is an eternal being of moral 00:04:29.339 --> 00:04:33.759 perfection. That he is a being of holiness and 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:39.519 justice, as well as mercy and grace. Like all 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:42.540 people in the world, we have need for the general 00:04:42.540 --> 00:04:46.360 revelation from God, but we have a greater need 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:50.240 for the particular revelation of God's person 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:55.439 that comes in Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews 00:04:55.439 --> 00:05:08.019 taps into this idea when he says, In these last 00:05:08.019 --> 00:05:16.819 days, He has spoken to us by His Son. Now those 00:05:16.819 --> 00:05:19.180 prophets that the writer was speaking about, 00:05:19.860 --> 00:05:22.339 Isaiah and Jeremiah and Moses and all of the 00:05:22.339 --> 00:05:27.279 rest, those prophets had delivered specific revelation 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:32.860 too. But they were looking forward to the fullness 00:05:32.860 --> 00:05:37.970 of God's revelation in the Messiah. And the writer 00:05:37.970 --> 00:05:42.829 of Hebrew says, now in these last days, God has 00:05:42.829 --> 00:05:47.629 finally given this word. He has spoken by His 00:05:47.629 --> 00:05:55.269 Son. The period of time from the end of the Old 00:05:55.269 --> 00:05:58.430 Testament prophets to the coming of Jesus was 00:05:58.430 --> 00:06:05.420 about 400 years. Malachi laid down his pen. and 00:06:05.420 --> 00:06:09.120 there was no word from God for four centuries. 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:16.300 It was a silent period, and it was a dark one. 00:06:17.740 --> 00:06:21.199 In those 400 years, Daniel's prophetic vision 00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:26.680 of the destruction of the Persian Empire, of 00:06:26.680 --> 00:06:30.379 the rise and fall of Alexander the Great and 00:06:30.379 --> 00:06:36.550 the Greek Empire, and then the emergence of oppressive 00:06:36.550 --> 00:06:40.670 Rome, all of those things played out in those 00:06:40.670 --> 00:06:45.290 400 years. There were great civilizations that 00:06:45.290 --> 00:06:50.829 came and went. Well -known thinkers, poets, and 00:06:50.829 --> 00:06:53.470 historians who are revered in the world still 00:06:53.470 --> 00:06:59.629 today lived and died in those 400 years. But 00:06:59.629 --> 00:07:02.870 despite all of that civilization, all of that 00:07:02.870 --> 00:07:07.300 culture, It was a time of moral and spiritual 00:07:07.300 --> 00:07:14.180 darkness. It was into that darkness that Jesus 00:07:14.180 --> 00:07:19.339 came as the light of revelation. That's what 00:07:19.339 --> 00:07:24.480 Simeon calls him, a light for revelation to the 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:29.279 Gentiles. Jesus Christ came to bring the knowledge 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:36.639 of God to us as the light of revelation. Now 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:39.620 when we speak about him being the light of revelation, 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:41.980 we need to understand that this is a metaphorical 00:07:41.980 --> 00:07:46.600 name. It describes what his life and teaching 00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:50.839 were like. By what he said and how he lived, 00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:56.560 he brought understanding that dispels the darkness 00:07:56.560 --> 00:08:01.319 of ignorance. The lack of the knowledge of God 00:08:01.319 --> 00:08:06.600 is darkness, but the gaining of the knowledge 00:08:06.600 --> 00:08:11.839 of God is light. Jesus Christ is the one who 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:15.240 can light the way out of darkness for anyone, 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:21.360 Jew or Gentile. He can light the way out of your 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:26.920 darkness as well. First thing I want you to see 00:08:26.920 --> 00:08:30.980 today is this, that Jesus Christ brings the light 00:08:30.980 --> 00:08:33.440 of revelation to the Gentiles. That's specifically 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:39.440 what Simeon said. Gentiles, of course, are any 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:45.080 people that are non -Jews. It is a racial category. 00:08:46.539 --> 00:08:50.360 There are Jews, and then there are Gentiles, 00:08:50.600 --> 00:08:56.820 and obviously many more Gentiles. Gentiles were 00:08:56.820 --> 00:09:01.940 ignorant of the true God. Gentiles were in darkness. 00:09:02.679 --> 00:09:04.799 Now there's some exception to that. There is 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:09.279 some... A little bit of light that comes even 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:11.940 to the Gentiles down through the traditions. 00:09:13.419 --> 00:09:16.000 We can see that in some of the oddest places. 00:09:17.179 --> 00:09:19.519 For example, in some of the characters in the 00:09:19.519 --> 00:09:26.320 Chinese language, you see hints of the truth 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:30.139 of the Bible in the way the characters are fashioned. 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:34.490 Or you have a man like Melchizedek. who lived 00:09:34.490 --> 00:09:37.629 in a pagan city of Jerusalem but was nonetheless 00:09:37.629 --> 00:09:43.049 the priest of the Most High God. But generally, 00:09:43.870 --> 00:09:47.610 it is true to say the Gentiles are in darkness. 00:09:49.190 --> 00:09:52.809 Even the Apostle Paul admitted such by these 00:09:52.809 --> 00:09:57.990 words in Ephesians chapter 2. Remember that formerly, 00:09:58.889 --> 00:10:04.240 you who are Gentiles by birth, were separate 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:09.220 from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel 00:10:09.220 --> 00:10:12.860 and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:17.799 without hope and without God in the world. That's 00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:21.399 what you were like. But now, he says, in Christ 00:10:21.399 --> 00:10:25.820 Jesus, you who were once far away have been brought 00:10:25.820 --> 00:10:31.240 near to the blood of Christ. He pictures this 00:10:31.240 --> 00:10:35.490 as the Jews as it were, being nearer than the 00:10:35.490 --> 00:10:39.490 Gentiles being far away. And now he says, in 00:10:39.490 --> 00:10:43.870 Christ Jesus, even we who were Gentiles by birth 00:10:43.870 --> 00:10:47.909 and in great darkness have been brought near 00:10:47.909 --> 00:10:54.230 to God. And so he exhorts Gentiles, as well as 00:10:54.230 --> 00:10:57.909 Jews, in the fourth chapter of Ephesians, I tell 00:10:57.909 --> 00:11:01.429 you this and insist on it in the Lord. that you 00:11:01.429 --> 00:11:05.769 must no longer live as the Gentiles do in the 00:11:05.769 --> 00:11:08.970 futility of their thinking. Now there's an interesting 00:11:08.970 --> 00:11:11.049 little switch here. Before he said, you who are 00:11:11.049 --> 00:11:13.409 Gentiles by birth, he addresses them that way. 00:11:13.409 --> 00:11:16.169 But now he says, you're not really a Gentile 00:11:16.169 --> 00:11:22.610 anymore. He says, you who have believed, stop 00:11:22.610 --> 00:11:26.269 living like them, the Gentiles. You may have 00:11:26.269 --> 00:11:28.809 been born by your first birth, a Gentile, but 00:11:28.809 --> 00:11:31.450 you have been born again and by that second birth 00:11:31.450 --> 00:11:35.190 you have been set apart to God. You've been sanctified. 00:11:35.350 --> 00:11:37.710 You've been brought near. Now because of that, 00:11:37.929 --> 00:11:42.049 don't live like those people, the Gentiles. They 00:11:42.049 --> 00:11:46.269 are darkened in their understanding and separated 00:11:46.269 --> 00:11:49.090 from the life of God because of the ignorance 00:11:49.090 --> 00:11:53.009 that is in them due to the hardening of their 00:11:53.009 --> 00:11:57.289 hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have 00:11:57.289 --> 00:12:02.009 given themselves over to sensuality, so as to 00:12:02.009 --> 00:12:06.730 indulge in every kind of impurity with continual 00:12:06.730 --> 00:12:13.169 lust for more. The apostle says, you're no longer 00:12:13.169 --> 00:12:17.409 like that, so don't live that way. You've been 00:12:17.409 --> 00:12:20.389 born again. You have been brought near to God. 00:12:20.470 --> 00:12:23.970 You have now the light of revelation. don't live 00:12:23.970 --> 00:12:28.289 like those who are still in darkness. What we 00:12:28.289 --> 00:12:31.049 see in this name, the light of revelation, is 00:12:31.049 --> 00:12:36.190 that God chooses to be known even among the Gentiles. 00:12:37.090 --> 00:12:39.830 And in becoming known, God is seeking His own 00:12:39.830 --> 00:12:44.009 glory among the Gentiles. That is not wrong for 00:12:44.009 --> 00:12:46.669 God to seek His own glory. In fact, it is very 00:12:46.669 --> 00:12:50.429 good for God to do that because it is the knowledge 00:12:50.429 --> 00:12:54.429 of God that is the greatest good a man can have. 00:12:56.230 --> 00:12:59.049 And so for God to advance his glory by making 00:12:59.049 --> 00:13:02.889 himself known among the Gentiles is to give the 00:13:02.889 --> 00:13:05.470 Gentiles the very best possible gift they can 00:13:05.470 --> 00:13:11.090 have. And when he does that, he brings light 00:13:11.090 --> 00:13:15.549 to dispel the darkness that Gentiles were shrouded 00:13:15.549 --> 00:13:20.149 in through the thousands of years. This relation 00:13:20.149 --> 00:13:23.490 of darkness and light is a motif that is found 00:13:23.490 --> 00:13:26.490 throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. 00:13:28.250 --> 00:13:31.470 For example, in the book of Genesis, it begins 00:13:31.470 --> 00:13:36.450 by saying the earth was formless and empty, darkness 00:13:36.450 --> 00:13:40.669 was over the surface of the deep. Darkness was 00:13:40.669 --> 00:13:43.529 there. And the Spirit of God was hovering over 00:13:43.529 --> 00:13:46.450 the water, which suggests that there is some 00:13:46.450 --> 00:13:51.070 expectation. that there is a preparation by the 00:13:51.070 --> 00:13:54.789 Spirit of God doing this. And in the very next 00:13:54.789 --> 00:13:58.250 verse it says, and God said, let there be light. 00:14:00.129 --> 00:14:02.490 And there was light, and God saw the light was 00:14:02.490 --> 00:14:05.190 good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 00:14:08.590 --> 00:14:11.090 In chapters 3 through 11 of Genesis, what we 00:14:11.090 --> 00:14:15.330 really have is the entrance of moral and spiritual 00:14:15.330 --> 00:14:19.929 darkness into this creation. And then we see 00:14:19.929 --> 00:14:24.509 its malignant growth in the human race, culminating 00:14:24.509 --> 00:14:26.669 with the flood and the judgment that that was, 00:14:26.730 --> 00:14:32.429 and then again at Babel. When the world rejected 00:14:32.429 --> 00:14:35.049 the knowledge of God, it was turned to the lies 00:14:35.049 --> 00:14:39.110 of false worship, exalting human thinking above 00:14:39.110 --> 00:14:41.929 God's truth, and with that came all kinds of 00:14:41.929 --> 00:14:47.230 immoral behavior. Into that darkness, in Genesis, 00:14:47.350 --> 00:14:52.909 God also spoke again. And what he said was to 00:14:52.909 --> 00:14:56.250 one man, his name was Abraham. And he said, Abraham, 00:14:56.289 --> 00:14:59.990 get out to the land that I will show you. Remember, 00:14:59.990 --> 00:15:05.289 Abraham was a Gentile. He became the father of 00:15:05.289 --> 00:15:08.830 the Jews because his son was Isaac, his grandson 00:15:08.830 --> 00:15:15.840 was Jacob, who was Israel. But Abraham was a 00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:21.360 Gentile. But God gave to this man special revelation 00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:25.659 and said, come out. And God appeared to him and 00:15:25.659 --> 00:15:30.840 gave him promises. And then to his descendants, 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:33.779 the Jews, there came special revelation of God 00:15:33.779 --> 00:15:37.899 through the law. And that nation had great privilege 00:15:37.899 --> 00:15:40.899 because of that. They received the light of revelation 00:15:40.899 --> 00:15:45.879 through the law, but they did not obey it. Isaiah, 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:50.500 Ezekiel, and Paul alike, declared that God's 00:15:50.500 --> 00:15:53.600 name was even blasphemed among the Gentiles because 00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:56.440 of the Jews' failure to live up to the light 00:15:56.440 --> 00:16:05.559 that they received. Israel had that light. The 00:16:05.559 --> 00:16:10.360 Gentiles were in darkness. What had been known 00:16:10.360 --> 00:16:13.379 of God from the beginning was suppressed by the 00:16:13.379 --> 00:16:18.860 Gentiles. Romans chapter 1 verse 20, for since 00:16:18.860 --> 00:16:21.620 the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities 00:16:21.620 --> 00:16:24.759 have been clearly seen, His eternal power and 00:16:24.759 --> 00:16:28.559 divine nature. These being understood from what 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:31.980 has been made, so that men are without excuse, 00:16:32.580 --> 00:16:36.340 although they knew God. They neither glorified 00:16:36.340 --> 00:16:38.320 Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:40.580 thinking became few when their foolish hearts 00:16:40.580 --> 00:16:51.399 were darkened. And then, at the time when there 00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:54.120 was the greatest darkness perhaps in the ancient 00:16:54.120 --> 00:17:01.940 world, God spoke in His Son. And when God spoke 00:17:01.940 --> 00:17:06.579 in Jesus, it was intended to be a light of revelation 00:17:06.579 --> 00:17:11.140 to the Gentiles. You see, the Messiah was promised 00:17:11.140 --> 00:17:14.900 to come from Israel, but Messiah was for all 00:17:14.900 --> 00:17:19.240 the nations of the world. That is why even Isaiah 00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:23.900 the prophet in the 42nd chapter of his book records 00:17:23.900 --> 00:17:26.900 these words of the Lord, I the Lord have called 00:17:26.900 --> 00:17:30.359 you in righteousness. Now God is speaking to 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:33.880 his servant, Messiah. I've called you in righteousness. 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:37.579 I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you. 00:17:37.640 --> 00:17:40.920 I will make you to be a covenant for the people 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:46.920 and a light for the Gentiles. to open eyes that 00:17:46.920 --> 00:17:49.000 are blind, to free captives from prison, and 00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:52.059 to release from the dungeon those who sit in 00:17:52.059 --> 00:17:58.160 darkness. And then again in chapter 49 of Isaiah, 00:17:58.599 --> 00:18:03.220 Messiah himself now speaks. And he says, and 00:18:03.220 --> 00:18:07.480 now the Lord says, he who formed me in the womb 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:13.359 to be his servant. Isn't that interesting? 700 00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:16.180 years before the virgin birth Messiah says he 00:18:16.180 --> 00:18:19.680 who formed me in the womb to be his servant to 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:23.380 bring Jacob back to him and Gather Israel to 00:18:23.380 --> 00:18:26.759 himself for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:30.880 and my God has been my strength He says it is 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:33.619 too small a thing for you to be my servant to 00:18:33.619 --> 00:18:36.940 restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those 00:18:36.940 --> 00:18:42.680 of Israel I have kept I will also make you a 00:18:42.680 --> 00:18:46.119 light for the Gentiles that you may bring my 00:18:46.119 --> 00:18:51.519 salvation to the ends of the earth. This has 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:53.700 been called by some the Great Commission of the 00:18:53.700 --> 00:18:59.839 Old Testament. For it is evident centuries before 00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:03.039 the Great Commission was given by our Lord Jesus 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:06.440 that God makes it clear that His salvation is 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:10.980 to go to the ends of the earth. God is a missionary 00:19:10.980 --> 00:19:17.579 God. He desires for the light of revelation to 00:19:17.579 --> 00:19:22.380 go to the dark places. The dark places in the 00:19:22.380 --> 00:19:28.140 suburbs. The dark places in Sarajevo. The dark 00:19:28.140 --> 00:19:31.319 places of the inner city. The dark places of 00:19:31.319 --> 00:19:35.960 Indonesia. All are alike to God and all are the 00:19:35.960 --> 00:19:40.460 objects of his love. And he has sent his son 00:19:40.460 --> 00:19:46.119 as a light of revelation. And he brings the light 00:19:46.119 --> 00:19:48.859 of revelation to the Gentiles. But there's a 00:19:48.859 --> 00:19:50.599 second thing I want you to see, and that is that 00:19:50.599 --> 00:19:54.220 he also brings the light of revelation to individuals. 00:19:56.599 --> 00:19:59.960 Because you see, when we talk about Gentiles, 00:20:00.019 --> 00:20:03.079 it's a group. It's hard to get your hands on 00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:06.160 it. It's like trying to get a hold of Jello. 00:20:08.110 --> 00:20:11.470 Gentiles. So what I want you to see is that Jesus 00:20:11.470 --> 00:20:16.170 is the light of revelation to individuals like 00:20:16.170 --> 00:20:20.029 you. And it's necessary that he is, because not 00:20:20.029 --> 00:20:23.569 only the personal darkness that is in man, but 00:20:23.569 --> 00:20:26.269 the supernatural darkness that is around us. 00:20:27.430 --> 00:20:30.049 The apostle says in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, 00:20:30.250 --> 00:20:33.309 even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to 00:20:33.309 --> 00:20:37.470 those who are perishing. The God of this age 00:20:37.470 --> 00:20:41.430 has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that 00:20:41.430 --> 00:20:46.170 they cannot see the light of the gospel of the 00:20:46.170 --> 00:20:52.890 glory of Christ who is the image of God. Satan 00:20:52.890 --> 00:20:55.769 blinds the eyes of people so that when you witness 00:20:55.769 --> 00:20:59.569 to someone they say, I just don't see it. They 00:20:59.569 --> 00:21:03.210 couldn't be more biblical. They couldn't be more 00:21:03.210 --> 00:21:06.819 active. They can't see it. because of the supernatural 00:21:06.819 --> 00:21:09.880 blindness, not only the personal darkness, the 00:21:09.880 --> 00:21:12.500 supernatural blindness and darkness that is upon 00:21:12.500 --> 00:21:18.680 them. Indeed, if anyone is going to be saved, 00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:25.279 it is the work of sovereign grace. It is God 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:28.039 entering into that darkness and opening the eyes 00:21:28.039 --> 00:21:31.480 and lifting the darkness, just as He did with 00:21:31.480 --> 00:21:38.329 Saul on the road to the Masters. In the Christmas 00:21:38.329 --> 00:21:43.109 season of 1879, D .L. Moody was holding a meeting 00:21:43.109 --> 00:21:49.089 in Boston, Massachusetts. About three weeks before 00:21:49.089 --> 00:21:52.690 he got there, an agnostic reporter for the paper 00:21:52.690 --> 00:21:55.730 in Boston was out walking the street one day 00:21:55.730 --> 00:21:57.730 and he saw three little girls standing in front 00:21:57.730 --> 00:22:01.369 of a window, one of them obviously sightless 00:22:01.369 --> 00:22:06.529 to the blind. It was a toy store and her two 00:22:06.529 --> 00:22:09.289 friends on one on either side were trying to 00:22:09.289 --> 00:22:13.809 describe to her what that doll looked like in 00:22:13.809 --> 00:22:18.730 the window. The reporter observed this and he 00:22:18.730 --> 00:22:21.009 was so impressed that he went back to his office 00:22:21.009 --> 00:22:24.589 and wrote an article that then appeared in that 00:22:24.589 --> 00:22:28.390 newspaper about that experience and how difficult 00:22:28.390 --> 00:22:33.130 it must be to try to explain to someone who can't 00:22:33.130 --> 00:22:38.359 see what something looks like. Well, the week 00:22:38.359 --> 00:22:42.640 passed, and Moody was in town to preach, and 00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:45.380 this agnostic reporter was assigned to go hear 00:22:45.380 --> 00:22:51.700 Moody. And so he did. And much to his surprise, 00:22:51.819 --> 00:22:55.740 Moody used that newspaper account that he had 00:22:55.740 --> 00:22:59.180 written as an illustration. And he said, just 00:22:59.180 --> 00:23:02.160 as the blind girl couldn't visualize the toys, 00:23:03.259 --> 00:23:07.480 so an unsaved person can't see Christ. in all 00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:11.200 his glory. But he went on to explain that God 00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:14.099 opens the eyes of anyone who acknowledges his 00:23:14.099 --> 00:23:17.119 sins and accepts the Savior in humble faith. 00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:20.039 And believe it or not, in that very meeting, 00:23:20.180 --> 00:23:24.880 the newspaper man discovered the truth himself, 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:31.900 his eyes being opened. Paul says in Ephesians 00:23:31.900 --> 00:23:36.069 chapter 2, as for you, you were dead. Dead in 00:23:36.069 --> 00:23:41.890 your transgressions and sins, in which you used 00:23:41.890 --> 00:23:44.190 to live when you followed the ways of this world 00:23:44.190 --> 00:23:48.029 and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the 00:23:48.029 --> 00:23:50.650 spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 00:23:51.049 --> 00:23:55.789 All of us lived among them at one time, gratifying 00:23:55.789 --> 00:23:58.230 the cravings of our sinful nature and following 00:23:58.230 --> 00:24:01.509 its desires and thoughts like the rest. We were 00:24:01.509 --> 00:24:06.940 objects of wrath. But because of His great love 00:24:06.940 --> 00:24:11.740 for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive 00:24:11.740 --> 00:24:15.859 with Christ. Even when we were dead in transgression, 00:24:16.420 --> 00:24:20.140 it is by grace you have been saved. And that's 00:24:20.140 --> 00:24:24.059 my point. Whether you talk about darkness that 00:24:24.059 --> 00:24:26.559 needs to be dispelled, or you talk about death 00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:32.500 that needs to have life given, it is grace. It 00:24:32.500 --> 00:24:38.150 is by grace. that we are saved, not of our work. 00:24:42.269 --> 00:24:44.730 Wilbur Nelson is the speaker, has been years 00:24:44.730 --> 00:24:48.970 past the speaker of the morning chapel hour that 00:24:48.970 --> 00:24:54.289 some of us have listened to. He told a story 00:24:54.289 --> 00:24:58.150 one time about a couple, a fellow gal who was 00:24:58.150 --> 00:25:01.779 in Scotland walking along, talking and They began 00:25:01.779 --> 00:25:04.180 talking about a mutual acquaintance of theirs 00:25:04.180 --> 00:25:09.440 whose name was Mary. And the young lady said, 00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:15.099 Mary has what I call a radiant personality. And 00:25:15.099 --> 00:25:17.079 the other said, yes, that's right. She does. 00:25:19.160 --> 00:25:21.440 And the first said, but how do you account for 00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:24.920 that? How do you account for that in Mary? And 00:25:24.920 --> 00:25:26.839 the young man pondered it for a moment. And just 00:25:26.839 --> 00:25:30.259 about that time, they rounded a bend in the path. 00:25:30.829 --> 00:25:33.490 And there, on the other side of the stream, was 00:25:33.490 --> 00:25:38.470 a castle. And he says, you see that castle over 00:25:38.470 --> 00:25:40.250 there? She said, yes, I do. He said, well, when 00:25:40.250 --> 00:25:42.529 I was a small boy, I would sit here on this side 00:25:42.529 --> 00:25:45.049 of the stream, and I would look at that castle. 00:25:46.230 --> 00:25:48.470 And I could always tell how many people were 00:25:48.470 --> 00:25:50.930 at home by how much light there was in the windows. 00:25:51.789 --> 00:25:54.150 He said, if it was just the family that was there, 00:25:54.170 --> 00:25:56.089 then there would be a dim light in the windows 00:25:56.089 --> 00:25:59.440 of the castle. But he said if they had friends 00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:01.359 over and a lot of guests, then there would be 00:26:01.359 --> 00:26:04.099 a lot of light. He said, I even remember one 00:26:04.099 --> 00:26:06.759 time when royalty visited, and there was light 00:26:06.759 --> 00:26:11.039 flooding from every window of the castle. He 00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:13.559 said, you know, I think that's Mary's secret. 00:26:15.640 --> 00:26:21.900 She's entertaining a royal guest. You know, when 00:26:21.900 --> 00:26:25.660 you and I entertain the royal guest, we get Christ 00:26:25.660 --> 00:26:29.500 in our lives. When we invite him in, he causes 00:26:29.500 --> 00:26:33.220 that light to be seen. And that brings me to 00:26:33.220 --> 00:26:37.059 my third point that I want to make. Jesus Christ 00:26:37.059 --> 00:26:40.079 is the light of revelation to the Gentiles. He 00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:44.519 is the light of revelation to individuals. He 00:26:44.519 --> 00:26:48.640 is the light of revelation through His people. 00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:54.480 I read earlier Isaiah chapter 49 in verse 6. 00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:57.240 about Christ being the light of revelation to 00:26:57.240 --> 00:27:02.240 the Gentiles. It is interesting that the Apostle 00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:08.480 Paul applied that verse to himself and to Barnabas 00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:12.299 in Acts Chapter 13. Listen to these words. Paul 00:27:12.299 --> 00:27:16.200 and Barnabas answered them boldly. We had to 00:27:16.200 --> 00:27:19.359 speak the word of God to you first, speaking 00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:23.000 to the Jews in that city. Since you rejected 00:27:23.309 --> 00:27:26.029 And do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal 00:27:26.029 --> 00:27:29.329 life. We now turn to the Gentiles, for this is 00:27:29.329 --> 00:27:34.109 what the Lord has commanded us. I have made you 00:27:34.109 --> 00:27:36.549 a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring 00:27:36.549 --> 00:27:41.069 salvation to the ends of the earth." You see 00:27:41.069 --> 00:27:45.250 what Paul did? Paul knew that that verse was 00:27:45.250 --> 00:27:51.069 Messiah speaking in Isaiah 49. See, that's the 00:27:51.069 --> 00:27:53.920 interpretation of it. But he says it applies 00:27:53.920 --> 00:27:58.119 to us, Paul, to Barnabas and myself, as it applies 00:27:58.119 --> 00:28:02.160 to you and me. He says, God has made us a light 00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:07.140 of revelation to others. This, of course, fits 00:28:07.140 --> 00:28:10.160 with what he said in Ephesians chapter five and 00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:13.099 verse eight. He says, once you were darkness, 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:18.140 but now you are light. You are light in the Lord. 00:28:19.660 --> 00:28:22.440 In Philippians chapter 2, he picks up the same 00:28:22.440 --> 00:28:24.759 theme. He says, do everything without complaining 00:28:24.759 --> 00:28:28.599 or arguing, so that you may become blameless 00:28:28.599 --> 00:28:31.460 and pure, children of God without fault in a 00:28:31.460 --> 00:28:34.720 crooked and depraved generation, in which you 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:39.539 shine like stars in the universe as you hold 00:28:39.539 --> 00:28:46.119 out the word of life. There was a woman who was 00:28:46.119 --> 00:28:49.279 complaining to a pastor. about her situation 00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:52.240 at work. She was the only Christian that was 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:56.940 there, and she felt overwhelmed by the darkness. 00:28:58.440 --> 00:29:02.279 She was often ridiculed for her faith. She went 00:29:02.279 --> 00:29:04.920 to her pastor to ask his counsel about quitting 00:29:04.920 --> 00:29:08.579 the job and trying to find a better one. And 00:29:08.579 --> 00:29:11.180 after listening to her complaints, her wise pastor 00:29:11.180 --> 00:29:19.859 asked her this question, usually put light, she 00:29:19.859 --> 00:29:25.619 said, in dark places. And then the light went 00:29:25.619 --> 00:29:29.700 on in her mind, and she realized that in the 00:29:29.700 --> 00:29:35.059 dark place of that office, she was God's light. 00:29:37.339 --> 00:29:41.640 Can you look at your situation the same way? 00:29:43.299 --> 00:29:47.539 That place where you work? maybe your own family 00:29:47.539 --> 00:29:51.920 situation. So you are there, God's light, you 00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:55.319 are his illumination and who holds forth the 00:29:55.319 --> 00:30:00.480 word of light. You see, God desires for his revelation 00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:03.240 to go to the darkest regions of the earth and 00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:06.920 the darkest recesses of the heart. But for it 00:30:06.920 --> 00:30:09.660 to get there, he has to have someone who will 00:30:09.660 --> 00:30:15.579 carry it. You and I, who are light in the Lord, 00:30:15.920 --> 00:30:20.819 are bearers of the light. We go into the darkness. 00:30:21.019 --> 00:30:25.220 We go into the inner city. We go to Sarajevo, 00:30:25.500 --> 00:30:29.940 as some of you will in just a few days. We go 00:30:29.940 --> 00:30:34.940 to our families. We go to that factory job and 00:30:34.940 --> 00:30:40.099 bear the light of the gospel. For God illuminates 00:30:40.099 --> 00:30:46.650 the darkness through us. When he was but a little 00:30:46.650 --> 00:30:50.690 boy in Scotland, Robert Louis Stevenson, the 00:30:50.690 --> 00:30:55.049 author, used to follow the lamp lighter around 00:30:55.049 --> 00:30:59.230 his city. He would watch the man bring along 00:30:59.230 --> 00:31:03.990 his ladder and the fire and go from lamppost 00:31:03.990 --> 00:31:07.650 to lamppost, climbing up, lighting the gas lamp, 00:31:08.109 --> 00:31:10.450 down up to the next room and through the city 00:31:10.450 --> 00:31:15.630 he went. One night as he was watching to the 00:31:15.630 --> 00:31:20.309 lamp lighter, he exclaimed to his parents, look, 00:31:20.490 --> 00:31:23.829 look, there's that man out there punching holes 00:31:23.829 --> 00:31:28.549 in the darkness. You see, that's what God's called 00:31:28.549 --> 00:31:34.809 us to do. For we live in a dark, dark, dark world, 00:31:35.230 --> 00:31:39.130 and it's getting darker. But you see, you put 00:31:39.130 --> 00:31:43.720 light in dark places. And God has called you 00:31:43.720 --> 00:31:48.539 and me to punch holes in the darkness that enthrounds 00:31:48.539 --> 00:31:54.319 people around us. So my closing question is this, 00:31:54.339 --> 00:32:01.039 to whom will you carry the light in 1997? To 00:32:01.039 --> 00:32:08.859 whom will you carry the light in 1997? God has 00:32:08.859 --> 00:32:14.799 placed you in a circle of influence. For a purpose. 00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:18.980 And part of that purpose is to be light. And 00:32:18.980 --> 00:32:22.259 to hold forth the word of light. And to punch 00:32:22.259 --> 00:32:26.779 holes in the darkness for his sake. And the sake 00:32:26.779 --> 00:32:29.180 of the one who came is the light of revelation. 00:32:32.079 --> 00:32:34.779 And so let's allow that question just to focus 00:32:34.779 --> 00:32:38.960 our thinking as we close the service. Lord, who 00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:44.089 do you have out there for me? For who is it that 00:32:44.089 --> 00:32:49.549 needs the light I'm bearing? And let them lay 00:32:49.549 --> 00:32:52.029 that name upon your heart, or that group upon 00:32:52.029 --> 00:32:56.829 your heart, and carry the light to them. Let's 00:32:56.829 --> 00:33:02.009 pray together. There's a little chorus that says, 00:33:02.869 --> 00:33:07.890 Lord, lay some soul upon my heart, and love that 00:33:07.890 --> 00:33:12.930 soul to me. And may I nobly do my part to win 00:33:12.930 --> 00:33:17.849 that soul for thee. May that be our prayer today. 00:33:20.170 --> 00:33:24.990 Can you bring to mind at least one person in 00:33:24.990 --> 00:33:27.450 your circle of acquaintance to whom you can bring 00:33:27.450 --> 00:33:32.190 the light? Who would that be? Name that person 00:33:32.190 --> 00:33:36.069 before God right now. And say to the Lord, I 00:33:36.069 --> 00:33:45.480 will carry the light. to that one. Let's stand 00:33:45.480 --> 00:33:48.579 together, please, and let's bow our heads. Let's 00:33:48.579 --> 00:33:52.220 pray to the Lord that chorus that I quoted a 00:33:52.220 --> 00:34:29.139 moment ago. Thank you for Jesus, for the light 00:34:29.139 --> 00:34:34.559 of revelation, to the Gentiles, to the world, 00:34:35.500 --> 00:34:41.760 to us. And show us our part as we carry the light 00:34:41.760 --> 00:34:47.039 to others in this coming year. And may we dispel 00:34:47.039 --> 00:34:50.619 the darkness, punch holes in the darkness as 00:34:50.619 --> 00:34:54.539 we are used by the Holy Spirit to live out and 00:34:54.539 --> 00:35:00.260 to give out. the word of life. Help us to hold 00:35:00.260 --> 00:35:05.380 it high, to hold it courageously, to hold it 00:35:05.380 --> 00:35:12.659 boldly in this dark world. In Jesus' name we 00:35:12.659 --> 00:35:14.159 pray. Amen.