WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.600 Last Friday, I had the opportunity to drive round 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:06.280 -trip to Des Moines, Iowa for the third time 00:00:06.280 --> 00:00:11.339 in the last three weeks. There's something about 00:00:11.339 --> 00:00:14.039 that drive that reminds me of western Kansas, 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:19.600 part of the state where I was raised. I'm sure 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:22.500 there's something beautiful about it. I haven't 00:00:22.500 --> 00:00:27.879 found it yet. I suppose if you lived there, you 00:00:27.879 --> 00:00:32.009 know. There's something beautiful about it. In 00:00:32.009 --> 00:00:34.750 fact, there was something beautiful on Friday. 00:00:36.170 --> 00:00:40.689 I was driving just about sunset, and you can 00:00:40.689 --> 00:00:44.250 see the sun go down. I live in Shoreview. We 00:00:44.250 --> 00:00:46.890 live down in the little valley, and the sun goes 00:00:46.890 --> 00:00:50.310 down a half an hour before it goes down. Down 00:00:50.310 --> 00:00:53.869 there, when it goes down, it's down. It drops 00:00:53.869 --> 00:00:59.679 off the end of the world in the West. And it 00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:03.899 was a clear day, but just a few clouds in the 00:01:03.899 --> 00:01:06.079 evening, and just enough to make it interesting 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:10.799 in the West and to give us some color. I watched 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:13.379 as the sun went down, admiring the beauty of 00:01:13.379 --> 00:01:17.719 God's creation, and then saw the light reflected 00:01:17.719 --> 00:01:21.239 for the next hour and a half. There was still 00:01:21.239 --> 00:01:26.459 light in the West at six o 'clock. But as that 00:01:26.459 --> 00:01:29.719 sun began to chase the darkness around the world, 00:01:29.719 --> 00:01:33.939 it disappeared from here, other lights came on. 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:36.939 Of course, the car lights. There was a ribbon 00:01:36.939 --> 00:01:40.540 of light that cut the night on Interstate 35 00:01:40.540 --> 00:01:42.739 as I was driving south and others were driving 00:01:42.739 --> 00:01:48.480 north. And then the yard lights and farms began 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:52.079 to light up and the house lights and soon little 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:55.760 towns along the highway were lit. So that even 00:01:55.760 --> 00:01:59.579 though the darkness grew, there were pinpoints 00:01:59.579 --> 00:02:04.019 of light that pierced the darkness all the way 00:02:04.019 --> 00:02:07.560 there. I want to tell you something, light always 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:11.659 pierces the darkness. The darkness cannot put 00:02:11.659 --> 00:02:17.280 out the light, whether it be God's Son, S -U 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:21.919 -N, or if it be lights that man has created. 00:02:22.189 --> 00:02:25.110 The light will always dispel the darkness. That's 00:02:25.110 --> 00:02:29.750 its very nature. Now we are talking about God's 00:02:29.750 --> 00:02:34.490 son S .O .N. as the light of the world. That 00:02:34.490 --> 00:02:37.409 he came into the darkness. That's our theme this 00:02:37.409 --> 00:02:39.270 Christmas season. I'd like for you to turn in 00:02:39.270 --> 00:02:45.129 your Bible with me to John chapter 12. Last week 00:02:45.129 --> 00:02:49.129 we saw that Jesus Christ is the light of God's 00:02:49.129 --> 00:02:52.060 revelation. Today we're going to see that he 00:02:52.060 --> 00:03:00.539 is the light of salvation. In this chapter there 00:03:00.539 --> 00:03:03.840 are some people who came looking for Jesus. They 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:07.960 were Gentiles. Jesus didn't really respond to 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:11.819 that invitation to see them, but he went on to 00:03:11.819 --> 00:03:15.219 say some other things. The hour has come, he 00:03:15.219 --> 00:03:19.020 says in verse 23, the hour has come for the Son 00:03:19.020 --> 00:03:25.360 of Man to be glorified. Jesus, before this, has 00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:28.219 said, my hour has not yet come, my hour has not 00:03:28.219 --> 00:03:32.360 yet come. Now He says, the hour has come for 00:03:32.360 --> 00:03:37.400 the Son of Man to be glorified. He explains that 00:03:37.400 --> 00:03:41.860 He's laying down His life. Verse 27, now my soul 00:03:41.860 --> 00:03:44.259 has become troubled and what shall I say, Father, 00:03:44.580 --> 00:03:48.819 save me from this hour? But for this purpose 00:03:48.819 --> 00:03:53.520 I came to this hour father glorify thy name and 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:59.340 God spoke from heaven and Jesus went on to say 00:03:59.340 --> 00:04:06.319 in verse 31 now judgment is upon this world Now 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:12.099 the ruler of this world shall be cast out Satan 00:04:12.099 --> 00:04:17.420 had usurped the right to rule the world And through 00:04:17.420 --> 00:04:21.180 the long centuries, until now, he had been the 00:04:21.180 --> 00:04:26.199 king of the world. But Jesus says, now the ruler 00:04:26.199 --> 00:04:31.620 of this world shall be cast out. And I, if I 00:04:31.620 --> 00:04:34.980 be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men 00:04:34.980 --> 00:04:38.920 to myself. He was saying this to indicate the 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:43.920 kind of death by which he was to die. therefore 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:46.319 answered him, We have heard out of the law that 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:49.480 the Christ is to remain forever. And yet you 00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:52.680 say, the Son of Man must be lifted up. Who is 00:04:52.680 --> 00:04:56.720 this Son of Man? Jesus therefore said to them, 00:04:57.379 --> 00:05:02.399 For a little while longer the light is among 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:07.600 you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:11.870 may not overtake you. He who walks in the darkness 00:05:11.870 --> 00:05:14.889 does not know where he is going while you have 00:05:14.889 --> 00:05:18.990 the light believe in the light In order that 00:05:18.990 --> 00:05:25.449 you may become sons of light He furthermore says 00:05:25.449 --> 00:05:28.370 in verse 44 he who believes in me does not believe 00:05:28.370 --> 00:05:32.569 in me but in him who sent me and He who beholds 00:05:32.569 --> 00:05:35.370 me beholds the one who sent me. I have come as 00:05:35.370 --> 00:05:39.089 light into the world that everyone who believes 00:05:39.089 --> 00:05:44.389 in me may not remain in darkness." Jesus Christ 00:05:44.389 --> 00:05:49.050 brought the light of salvation to sin -darkened 00:05:49.050 --> 00:05:54.569 humanity. To refuse that light, says Jesus, is 00:05:54.569 --> 00:06:01.769 to continue on in darkness. To receive that light 00:06:01.769 --> 00:06:08.220 is to be transformed into a child of light. Now 00:06:08.220 --> 00:06:10.420 as we think about the light of salvation, I think 00:06:10.420 --> 00:06:13.259 we need to start with some kind of a definition 00:06:13.259 --> 00:06:16.860 for this. What are we talking about? I want to 00:06:16.860 --> 00:06:20.620 make it clear that I am not talking about some 00:06:20.620 --> 00:06:25.980 inner light which one needs to discover and then 00:06:25.980 --> 00:06:30.060 follow in order to discover the deity in himself. 00:06:31.700 --> 00:06:35.500 That sort of a new age concept is not light at 00:06:35.500 --> 00:06:40.600 all. That is darkness. That is a lie. It comes 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:43.620 in a lot of different packages these days. Always 00:06:43.620 --> 00:06:48.480 man is in the center of it. I am not talking 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:52.779 about that kind of salvation or light because 00:06:52.779 --> 00:06:56.759 it's neither. I am not talking about the light 00:06:56.759 --> 00:07:00.500 of self -enlightenment. But I am talking about 00:07:00.500 --> 00:07:04.240 the light of salvation in the sense of God's 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:08.680 intervention on behalf of man. The word save 00:07:08.680 --> 00:07:12.660 means to rescue from danger or to deliver from 00:07:12.660 --> 00:07:16.139 bondage. It is used in the New Testament in a 00:07:16.139 --> 00:07:18.560 number of different contexts, but most frequently 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:23.800 in a spiritual rescue. Let me give you a definition 00:07:23.800 --> 00:07:28.040 for the light of salvation. It's made up of several 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:31.699 phrases that connect and I think embrace pretty 00:07:31.699 --> 00:07:35.279 well the whole idea of the light of salvation. 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:42.060 First of all, let's understand that it is God's 00:07:42.060 --> 00:07:46.120 gracious work. Salvation is of the Lord. It does 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:51.699 not originate with man. It is God's work. God's 00:07:51.699 --> 00:07:57.129 gracious work of rescuing an undeserving sinner 00:07:57.129 --> 00:08:00.689 from judgment. Now there's the danger, you see, 00:08:00.709 --> 00:08:04.990 for the sinner, judgment. And so the light of 00:08:04.990 --> 00:08:08.689 salvation is God rescuing that sinner who doesn't 00:08:08.689 --> 00:08:11.250 deserve it. What he deserves is judgment, but 00:08:11.250 --> 00:08:15.290 God rescues him anyway. It is God's gracious 00:08:15.290 --> 00:08:19.149 work of rescuing an undeserving sinner from judgment 00:08:19.149 --> 00:08:29.459 by His gracious choice. It begins with God. And 00:08:29.459 --> 00:08:32.019 through the sinner's repentant faith, that's 00:08:32.019 --> 00:08:36.440 man's part. Faith involves repentance, which 00:08:36.440 --> 00:08:38.860 means to change the mind, the way that one has 00:08:38.860 --> 00:08:42.679 thought about himself and about God. It means 00:08:42.679 --> 00:08:45.559 to turn from everything you've trusted in, everything 00:08:45.559 --> 00:08:48.320 you've been in the past, and turn to God and 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:50.519 trust alone in Him and the desire to become the 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:55.720 person that He wants you to become. So salvation 00:08:55.720 --> 00:09:00.620 is God's gracious work of rescuing an undeserving 00:09:00.620 --> 00:09:05.100 sinner from judgment by His gracious choice, 00:09:05.299 --> 00:09:08.620 God's gracious choice, and through the sinner's 00:09:08.620 --> 00:09:13.580 repentant faith. Repentant faith in the crucified 00:09:13.580 --> 00:09:17.580 and resurrected Christ. It's not enough to have 00:09:17.580 --> 00:09:20.080 faith. It has to be placed in Christ. The devil 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:27.480 has faith. He believes there's a God, and he 00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:33.080 trembles, but his doom is the lake of fire. It's 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:37.220 not enough to have faith. That faith must be 00:09:37.220 --> 00:09:41.279 in, placed in, the crucified and resurrected 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:48.960 Christ. And the final phrase is, unto a transformed 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:51.120 life of good works. You see, that's the end of 00:09:51.120 --> 00:09:55.379 it. God doesn't save us just to keep us from 00:09:55.379 --> 00:10:00.539 judgment in eternity God saves us to transform 00:10:00.539 --> 00:10:05.659 our lives now To make us a people of good works 00:10:05.659 --> 00:10:10.480 The great job that we have today in our culture 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:14.100 at least is to convince people that they need 00:10:14.100 --> 00:10:18.320 to be rescued Because somehow most people think 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:21.379 that they're pretty good They're going to make 00:10:21.379 --> 00:10:24.460 it with God They don't need to be saved. They 00:10:24.460 --> 00:10:28.720 can take care of themselves. Before God can rescue 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:31.299 the sinner, the sinner has to acknowledge his 00:10:31.299 --> 00:10:36.879 need. He has to acknowledge his danger. In a 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:39.200 sense, we have to get people lost today before 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:43.279 we can get them saved. They've got to understand 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:45.399 the danger they're in before they'll come to 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:49.159 God to rescue them. That's what the light of 00:10:49.159 --> 00:10:54.379 salvation is about. Now, if that's a definition 00:10:54.379 --> 00:10:58.340 of it, then let's talk about a demonstration 00:10:58.340 --> 00:11:03.779 of it. And I want to point to a man who's now 00:11:03.779 --> 00:11:06.879 standing example, and that is the Apostle Paul. 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:10.799 I'd like you to turn with me in your Bible to 00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:14.679 Acts chapter 26, where we see the light of salvation 00:11:14.679 --> 00:11:20.100 demonstrated in Paul's conversion. The book of 00:11:20.100 --> 00:11:24.580 Acts, the 26th chapter, contains the third time 00:11:24.580 --> 00:11:30.200 that Luke recounts the conversion of Paul. Here 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:33.299 Paul is telling us about it himself. Luke is 00:11:33.299 --> 00:11:40.639 quoting him. Now he says in verse 9 of Acts 26, 00:11:41.740 --> 00:11:44.620 So then I thought to myself that I had to do 00:11:44.620 --> 00:11:48.559 many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 00:11:48.889 --> 00:11:50.750 You see, that's the direction he was heading 00:11:50.750 --> 00:11:53.870 in. He was hostile toward him. And this is just 00:11:53.870 --> 00:11:56.230 what I did in Jerusalem. Not only did I lock 00:11:56.230 --> 00:11:58.549 up many of the saints in prison, having received 00:11:58.549 --> 00:12:01.389 authority from the chief priests, but also when 00:12:01.389 --> 00:12:03.990 they were being put to death, I cast my vote 00:12:03.990 --> 00:12:08.309 against them. You see, he shared in the murder 00:12:08.309 --> 00:12:12.070 of Christians. I punished them often in synagogues, 00:12:12.090 --> 00:12:15.159 tried to force them to blaspheme. Being furiously 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:17.779 enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to 00:12:17.779 --> 00:12:23.899 the foreign cities. While thus engaged, as I 00:12:23.899 --> 00:12:25.899 was journeying to Damascus with the authority 00:12:25.899 --> 00:12:27.820 and commission of the chief priests at midday, 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:33.639 O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven 00:12:33.639 --> 00:12:38.139 brighter than the sun shining all around me and 00:12:38.139 --> 00:12:41.220 those who were journeying with me. And when we 00:12:41.220 --> 00:12:43.279 had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:46.480 saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, 00:12:46.779 --> 00:12:50.000 why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:54.519 to kick against the goads. And I said, who art 00:12:54.519 --> 00:12:59.379 thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom 00:12:59.379 --> 00:13:02.659 you are persecuting. And so we have the account 00:13:02.659 --> 00:13:06.820 of Paul's dramatic conversion. The light pierced 00:13:06.820 --> 00:13:11.080 the darkness of this man. Remember that Paul 00:13:11.080 --> 00:13:13.899 was a very religious person. He recounts his 00:13:13.899 --> 00:13:17.379 righteousness in Philippians, and he says externally, 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:21.480 I was without blame. He was a very self -righteous 00:13:21.480 --> 00:13:25.679 man. He was zealous. He was on his way to Damascus 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:29.899 to continue his religious persecution of the 00:13:29.899 --> 00:13:33.759 followers of Jesus. And it was then that the 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:37.019 light of salvation was demonstrated in Paul's 00:13:37.019 --> 00:13:40.240 conversion. This light appeared out of heaven 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:44.820 shown all around him. It was God's work. Paul 00:13:44.820 --> 00:13:48.299 wasn't looking for the light. He was shocked 00:13:48.299 --> 00:13:52.500 and stunned. It was God's gracious work of rescuing 00:13:52.500 --> 00:13:56.980 this undeserving sinner. There was nothing in 00:13:56.980 --> 00:13:59.120 Paul to commend him to God. He tells us that 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:05.860 himself. God was graciously rescuing this undeserving 00:14:05.860 --> 00:14:09.289 sinner from the judgment he did deserve. And 00:14:09.289 --> 00:14:13.409 he did it through his gracious choice. Paul points 00:14:13.409 --> 00:14:17.970 to God's acting on his behalf. But here we see 00:14:17.970 --> 00:14:22.409 Paul also repenting. He says, Lord, who are you? 00:14:23.950 --> 00:14:25.950 And though he doesn't say it in this context, 00:14:26.070 --> 00:14:27.970 in another one he tells us a second question 00:14:27.970 --> 00:14:32.710 he asked. What do you want me to do? You see 00:14:32.710 --> 00:14:35.490 there's a dramatic change. There's repentance 00:14:35.490 --> 00:14:39.389 and faith. in this one who is appearing to him. 00:14:41.509 --> 00:14:44.850 And what is the result of it? It is that his 00:14:44.850 --> 00:14:48.049 life was transformed into a life of good works, 00:14:48.190 --> 00:14:50.850 no longer hostile toward the name of Christ and 00:14:50.850 --> 00:14:54.970 a bitter enemy of Christians. He is radically 00:14:54.970 --> 00:15:00.190 changed by this encounter with Christ. And so 00:15:00.190 --> 00:15:03.210 we see the light of salvation demonstrated in 00:15:03.210 --> 00:15:08.120 Paul. But not only in his conversion and we see 00:15:08.120 --> 00:15:12.120 it also demonstrated in his commission Jesus 00:15:12.120 --> 00:15:17.740 goes on to talk to Paul here He says arise and 00:15:17.740 --> 00:15:21.080 stand on your feet For this purpose I have appeared 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:25.639 to you to appoint you a minister and a witness 00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:28.879 Not only to the things which you have seen but 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:31.580 also to the things in which I will appear to 00:15:31.580 --> 00:15:35.350 you delivering you from the Jewish people and 00:15:35.350 --> 00:15:40.870 from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you, to 00:15:40.870 --> 00:15:45.830 open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness 00:15:45.830 --> 00:15:52.129 to light, and from the dominion of Satan to God." 00:15:52.129 --> 00:15:58.730 That's why God was sending Paul, that the eyes 00:15:58.730 --> 00:16:00.809 of those who had not believed might be opened, 00:16:00.830 --> 00:16:03.940 that they might then turn in response from darkness 00:16:03.940 --> 00:16:06.919 to light from Satan to God in order that they 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:09.740 may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance 00:16:09.740 --> 00:16:12.940 among those who have been sanctified by faith 00:16:12.940 --> 00:16:16.860 in me says Jesus. So you see the commission of 00:16:16.860 --> 00:16:20.840 Paul involved a further demonstration of the 00:16:20.840 --> 00:16:24.320 light of salvation. Jesus says Paul I'm sending 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:28.659 you and through your proclamation of me I'm going 00:16:28.659 --> 00:16:31.340 to open the eyes of people so that they will 00:16:31.470 --> 00:16:35.629 turn from darkness to light, and from Satan to 00:16:35.629 --> 00:16:41.710 God. And so, there came a time when Paul began 00:16:41.710 --> 00:16:46.350 his work as an apostle. And as you know, he took 00:16:46.350 --> 00:16:48.730 several missionary journeys as part of that. 00:16:49.730 --> 00:16:54.009 We're going to turn back a few pages to the 20th 00:16:54.009 --> 00:16:59.149 chapter, excuse me, the 19th chapter of Acts. 00:17:00.980 --> 00:17:04.019 And see Paul carrying out this commission in 00:17:04.019 --> 00:17:07.319 the city of Ephesus. See again the light of salvation 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:12.000 demonstrated. Now this is not Paul's first time 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:14.079 in Ephesus. He'd been there briefly on his second 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:16.019 journey. Now he comes back. He's going to stay 00:17:16.019 --> 00:17:21.079 a while, three years as a matter of fact. I turned 00:17:21.079 --> 00:17:23.299 to Ephesus because it was a city something like 00:17:23.299 --> 00:17:28.079 today, cities of our day. It's also the church 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:30.140 about which we know the most from the New Testament 00:17:30.140 --> 00:17:34.299 record. When Paul arrives there in the city, 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:39.799 he first encounters a group of people whom he 00:17:39.799 --> 00:17:45.200 calls disciples. He's asking them a diagnostic 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:49.400 question. Did you receive the Holy Spirit when 00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:53.140 you believed? He expected that had they believed 00:17:53.140 --> 00:17:55.380 in Christ, they should have received the Holy 00:17:55.380 --> 00:17:59.950 Spirit. Well, they responded and said, no, we've 00:17:59.950 --> 00:18:02.470 not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit. 00:18:03.750 --> 00:18:08.109 Well, that gives Paul a little insight. So he 00:18:08.109 --> 00:18:11.029 says, well, into what then were you baptized? 00:18:12.569 --> 00:18:17.089 And they said into John's baptism. So here are 00:18:17.089 --> 00:18:21.430 some disciples, some people, some followers who 00:18:21.430 --> 00:18:23.769 had been baptized, but they don't know about 00:18:23.769 --> 00:18:26.490 the Holy Spirit. They don't even know about Jesus. 00:18:28.059 --> 00:18:30.700 They have some knowledge of the Old Testament 00:18:30.700 --> 00:18:34.359 and even some things that have happened in their 00:18:34.359 --> 00:18:39.099 day in the ministry of John. But it's incomplete 00:18:39.099 --> 00:18:43.019 knowledge. They don't know about Jesus. And so 00:18:43.019 --> 00:18:45.259 Paul then preaches Jesus to them. They believe 00:18:45.259 --> 00:18:47.259 they're filled with the Holy Spirit and are baptized 00:18:47.259 --> 00:18:52.599 in the name of Jesus. And so the light of salvation 00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:57.259 is demonstrated here to people who are religious. 00:18:58.410 --> 00:19:02.349 but did not have the knowledge of Jesus. I want 00:19:02.349 --> 00:19:05.769 to tell you something. There is no darkness any 00:19:05.769 --> 00:19:12.690 darker than religious darkness. Religious darkness 00:19:12.690 --> 00:19:18.349 embraces rituals and traditions and notions and 00:19:18.349 --> 00:19:24.049 ideas. It has an external form of godliness, 00:19:24.109 --> 00:19:28.900 but it has no power to it. Because it does not 00:19:28.900 --> 00:19:31.940 embrace a personal relationship with God through 00:19:31.940 --> 00:19:38.299 Jesus Christ There are people many many people 00:19:38.299 --> 00:19:42.299 in our world and in our city Who are in religious 00:19:42.299 --> 00:19:46.059 darkness today? They are quote good people. They 00:19:46.059 --> 00:19:49.900 are quote sincere people But they do not have 00:19:49.900 --> 00:19:54.779 the knowledge of Jesus And it's our job as it 00:19:54.779 --> 00:19:58.450 was Paul's to bring the light of salvation to 00:19:58.450 --> 00:20:02.069 them. Maybe there's someone here this morning, 00:20:02.190 --> 00:20:05.029 you've come out of a religious background, you've 00:20:05.029 --> 00:20:08.230 been raised in church, but you don't have that 00:20:08.230 --> 00:20:11.789 relationship with God that salvation is all about. 00:20:12.650 --> 00:20:16.109 You can have it today. The light of salvation 00:20:16.109 --> 00:20:19.049 can be demonstrated in your life today, too. 00:20:22.089 --> 00:20:24.630 goes on to the Jewish synagogue as his custom 00:20:24.630 --> 00:20:27.150 was, and again he finds a similar group of people 00:20:27.150 --> 00:20:29.230 who have knowledge of religion, even of the Old 00:20:29.230 --> 00:20:33.309 Testament. They believed in God. So he preaches 00:20:33.309 --> 00:20:35.789 Christ to them. It finally gets him into trouble. 00:20:35.809 --> 00:20:39.150 He moves his preaching to the school of Tyranus. 00:20:39.269 --> 00:20:41.950 We don't know anything about this man, except 00:20:41.950 --> 00:20:45.390 that his name means tyrant. So does that remind 00:20:45.390 --> 00:20:47.210 you of any teachers you've ever had in your life? 00:20:48.509 --> 00:20:51.670 Here was a tough teacher. And apparently he had 00:20:51.670 --> 00:20:53.809 some open time in this building and so he rented 00:20:53.809 --> 00:20:55.789 this building out to Paul so that he could teach 00:20:55.789 --> 00:21:04.309 his disciples. But Paul goes beyond that. The 00:21:04.309 --> 00:21:06.650 news gets out to another group of people in Ephesus. 00:21:06.890 --> 00:21:10.410 These are pagan people. These are people who 00:21:10.410 --> 00:21:13.269 worship the goddess Diana. The temple of Diana 00:21:13.269 --> 00:21:15.410 was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world 00:21:15.410 --> 00:21:19.569 that was located in the city of Ephesus. And 00:21:19.569 --> 00:21:22.269 you understand that Ephesus had been a very famous 00:21:22.269 --> 00:21:26.710 city, a very wealthy commercial center. But it's 00:21:26.710 --> 00:21:31.670 beginning to slide now. Its economy is dying 00:21:31.670 --> 00:21:37.309 because they had forested all the hills and there 00:21:37.309 --> 00:21:39.630 was silt coming down the rivers and filling in 00:21:39.630 --> 00:21:46.009 the harbor. Now today, if you go to Asia Minor, 00:21:46.130 --> 00:21:48.430 to the city of Ephesus, you will find the harbor 00:21:48.670 --> 00:21:54.730 of that day, seven miles inland, because of the 00:21:54.730 --> 00:21:57.289 erosion of soil and the building up of silt. 00:21:57.849 --> 00:22:01.490 It was a problem in Paul's day. They had special 00:22:01.490 --> 00:22:03.849 projects from the emperor to try to get this 00:22:03.849 --> 00:22:05.769 harbor opened up again. None of them were ever 00:22:05.769 --> 00:22:08.970 successful. So the economy is going downhill. 00:22:09.450 --> 00:22:13.170 The one thing the city had going for it was religious 00:22:13.170 --> 00:22:17.130 pilgrimages. people who would come to this temple 00:22:17.130 --> 00:22:19.390 and worship, and they would buy their idols. 00:22:20.170 --> 00:22:23.230 And that's why Paul got in trouble with Demetrius, 00:22:23.950 --> 00:22:28.869 this unionized silversmith, and the union. Because 00:22:28.869 --> 00:22:31.650 now he was attacking the one piece of the economy 00:22:31.650 --> 00:22:35.690 that was still strong in the city. And so they 00:22:35.690 --> 00:22:41.130 caused an uproar about that. The result of this 00:22:41.130 --> 00:22:44.490 was that God did amazing things, things that 00:22:44.490 --> 00:22:47.410 were extraordinary even for an apostle's ministry. 00:22:49.430 --> 00:22:54.509 Paul in his trade as a tent maker had a sweat 00:22:54.509 --> 00:22:59.430 cloth, a handkerchief, and as he would wipe his 00:22:59.430 --> 00:23:01.589 brow and lay it down, people would pick that 00:23:01.589 --> 00:23:03.869 up, touching it would bring healing to them. 00:23:04.250 --> 00:23:07.410 He had an apron that he wore, people touching 00:23:07.410 --> 00:23:10.829 that apron. would be healed. But these are extraordinary 00:23:10.829 --> 00:23:13.190 things. Luke says that. This is unusual even 00:23:13.190 --> 00:23:15.970 for Paul's ministry. God did amazing things. 00:23:16.029 --> 00:23:19.569 Now why? Because this was a pagan city. Wherever 00:23:19.569 --> 00:23:23.369 you find idols, you find demons who are receiving 00:23:23.369 --> 00:23:28.990 the worship given to those idols. And here amazing 00:23:28.990 --> 00:23:32.109 things happen in this city and people are healed 00:23:32.109 --> 00:23:34.410 and there are people who are delivered of demons. 00:23:35.079 --> 00:23:37.779 And a certain thing occurs around that. You can 00:23:37.779 --> 00:23:39.980 read about it. Some people tried to use the name 00:23:39.980 --> 00:23:42.319 Jesus, not being believers. They were into magic, 00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:44.960 you see. And they thought the name Jesus had 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:48.380 magic to it. They found out that it's not anything 00:23:48.380 --> 00:23:53.039 to do with magic. It's all relationship. And 00:23:53.039 --> 00:24:00.079 it says that in verse 9, I'm in the wrong chapter. 00:24:00.140 --> 00:24:03.599 There we go. Verse 18. Many also of those who 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:06.660 had believed kept coming confessing and disclosing 00:24:06.660 --> 00:24:10.059 their practices what practices the magic arts 00:24:10.059 --> 00:24:18.619 They were into witchcraft They were into sorcery 00:24:18.619 --> 00:24:21.500 And it says many of those who practice magic 00:24:21.500 --> 00:24:23.839 brought their books together and began burning 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:27.619 them all Burning them in the sight of all good 00:24:27.619 --> 00:24:31.410 thing the ACLU wasn't around in those days This 00:24:31.410 --> 00:24:35.470 would have been censorship as they define it 00:24:35.470 --> 00:24:37.630 What were these people doing burning these books? 00:24:37.630 --> 00:24:42.430 They were valuable worth 50 ,000 pieces of silver 00:24:42.430 --> 00:24:45.269 These were not little golden books. I mean these 00:24:45.269 --> 00:24:48.970 were Volumes that were ancient these were volumes 00:24:48.970 --> 00:24:52.390 that told of magic say oh, it's all just superstition 00:24:52.390 --> 00:24:57.430 no no These are the arts that deal with the occult 00:24:57.430 --> 00:25:05.500 with Satan There is power there. It's evil. It's 00:25:05.500 --> 00:25:08.559 dark. There is power there. And so they burned 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:11.460 the books. Now why? Because they wanted some 00:25:11.460 --> 00:25:14.220 sort of public demonstration that they were no 00:25:14.220 --> 00:25:17.319 longer a part of that pagan past. They burned 00:25:17.319 --> 00:25:20.700 their bridges, so to speak. They publicly proclaimed 00:25:20.700 --> 00:25:23.359 they believed in Jesus Christ and they burned 00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:25.880 everything relating to their past. They were 00:25:25.880 --> 00:25:28.599 canceling all of their contacts, all of their 00:25:28.599 --> 00:25:34.319 contracts. with the dark side. So we see salvation 00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:37.640 not only demonstrated to religious people but 00:25:37.640 --> 00:25:40.019 the light of salvation demonstrated to those 00:25:40.019 --> 00:25:43.960 who are in pagan demonic darkness practicing 00:25:43.960 --> 00:25:49.519 magic. Light liberates those who are in bondage 00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:55.460 to darkness. Jesus Christ is the liberator and 00:25:55.460 --> 00:25:59.109 he delivers all of those. who are enslaved in 00:25:59.109 --> 00:26:02.869 darkness and who will come to Him. What He did 00:26:02.869 --> 00:26:06.930 here in Ephesus, in the ancient city of Ephesus, 00:26:07.430 --> 00:26:10.109 He is doing in the contemporary city of Minneapolis, 00:26:10.150 --> 00:26:14.250 St. Paul. And this morning there is someone who 00:26:14.250 --> 00:26:17.690 is going to share her testimony with you briefly 00:26:17.690 --> 00:26:25.170 regarding this. She has come out of a life of 00:26:25.170 --> 00:26:30.630 darkness. having trusted Jesus Christ and Today 00:26:30.630 --> 00:26:33.750 in sharing her testimony with you is as it were 00:26:33.750 --> 00:26:38.710 burning the books and Proclaiming that she confesses 00:26:38.710 --> 00:26:45.529 Jesus Christ as her Savior and as her Lord This 00:26:45.529 --> 00:26:47.950 is round two for her she did this in the first 00:26:47.950 --> 00:26:54.549 service. It's not easy But my wife is going to 00:26:54.549 --> 00:26:59.150 stand with her Let me introduce you to Kim. Kim, 00:27:00.210 --> 00:27:02.170 share with us the words that you've written for 00:27:02.170 --> 00:27:14.490 your testimony this morning. I was born into 00:27:14.490 --> 00:27:18.730 a family that was controlled by darkness. The 00:27:18.730 --> 00:27:21.769 terror and abuse I experienced was constant. 00:27:22.930 --> 00:27:25.670 and at a depth that most people could not grasp. 00:27:27.089 --> 00:27:31.210 I lived my life feeling alone and trapped with 00:27:31.210 --> 00:27:34.309 no one to turn to, screaming inside for help 00:27:34.309 --> 00:27:39.769 but finding no comfort. As an adult I tried to 00:27:39.769 --> 00:27:42.029 run but found that I could not hide from the 00:27:42.029 --> 00:27:46.269 darkness. I was alone in my hell without hope 00:27:46.269 --> 00:27:49.630 of escape and dying from the control the darkness 00:27:49.630 --> 00:27:55.369 had on me. In my darkness and terror, God reached 00:27:55.369 --> 00:28:00.289 down to me and placed within my life a network 00:28:00.289 --> 00:28:04.210 of Christians who began to teach me God's truth. 00:28:05.109 --> 00:28:09.289 Light began to shine in my darkness and I started 00:28:09.289 --> 00:28:13.910 to understand that God could and would save and 00:28:13.910 --> 00:28:19.529 deliver me. The life that I have lived has been 00:28:19.529 --> 00:28:24.119 in fear and terror and silence. I was exhorted 00:28:24.119 --> 00:28:28.500 to never tell anyone. My struggles and pain have 00:28:28.500 --> 00:28:31.119 been compounded by keeping the secrets locked 00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:37.460 within myself, suffering alone. A step towards 00:28:37.460 --> 00:28:40.500 freedom is knowing that in the family of God, 00:28:41.099 --> 00:28:47.240 I am able to share my secrets and bring things 00:28:47.240 --> 00:28:51.529 out into the light. No longer is it necessary 00:28:51.529 --> 00:28:55.190 to remain a prisoner of the fear and the darkness. 00:28:57.869 --> 00:29:01.130 In the time since I first started trusting God 00:29:01.130 --> 00:29:04.490 to deliver me from the hands of darkness, I have 00:29:04.490 --> 00:29:07.430 learned more about God and what it means to be 00:29:07.430 --> 00:29:11.690 His chosen child, protected, loved, and forgiven. 00:29:15.170 --> 00:29:20.490 I have renounced the darkness of my past. and 00:29:20.490 --> 00:29:24.089 gladly confess my faith in Christ, and that I 00:29:24.089 --> 00:29:28.289 am a child of God and the light. I confess no 00:29:28.289 --> 00:29:33.950 other master than Jesus, my Lord. Amen. You praise 00:29:33.950 --> 00:29:52.849 God for that. You just can't imagine the courage 00:29:52.849 --> 00:29:55.910 that it took and God's grace in her life to bring 00:29:55.910 --> 00:30:00.930 her to this point. A network of believers in 00:30:00.930 --> 00:30:03.150 our church and beyond our church, in fact in 00:30:03.150 --> 00:30:04.890 some of the other states, have been involved 00:30:04.890 --> 00:30:09.630 in helping. I want to thank all of you who have 00:30:09.630 --> 00:30:18.390 been willing to do that. She needs to be protected. 00:30:19.230 --> 00:30:22.170 And I would like to know if you are willing as 00:30:22.170 --> 00:30:25.630 a church family to wrap your arms around her, 00:30:25.650 --> 00:30:28.509 so to speak, with your prayers and your love 00:30:28.509 --> 00:30:32.190 and support and to give that protection in Christ. 00:30:32.230 --> 00:30:34.710 Would you just lift your hand if you're willing? 00:30:35.329 --> 00:30:41.190 Hundreds of hands, Kim. She's one of us. She's 00:30:41.190 --> 00:30:45.490 no longer one of them. God has delivered her 00:30:45.490 --> 00:30:50.470 from the domain of Satan. into the kingdom of 00:30:50.470 --> 00:30:56.049 His beloved Son. She has become a child of the 00:30:56.049 --> 00:31:02.430 light, and the darkness is gone. The past has 00:31:02.430 --> 00:31:08.750 been forgiven by God. The break has been made, 00:31:08.789 --> 00:31:12.569 and now she seeks to walk on as a disciple and 00:31:12.569 --> 00:31:16.490 as a follower of Jesus Christ. I rejoice in this. 00:31:16.650 --> 00:31:20.890 I rejoice in your testimony this morning. The 00:31:20.890 --> 00:31:23.710 light of salvation can be demonstrated in your 00:31:23.710 --> 00:31:27.829 life too. You may be someone who also has been 00:31:27.829 --> 00:31:33.269 in deep darkness. Jesus said that if we follow 00:31:33.269 --> 00:31:37.549 Him, we will no longer walk in darkness. And 00:31:37.549 --> 00:31:43.809 today He extends to you in His grace the invitation 00:31:43.809 --> 00:31:46.890 to come and to walk with Him. to come to the 00:31:46.890 --> 00:31:51.509 light and leave behind your darkness. You may 00:31:51.509 --> 00:31:56.250 be in the darkness of religion where you've had 00:31:56.250 --> 00:31:58.410 some knowledge of God, but it's been like an 00:31:58.410 --> 00:32:02.250 inoculation against the real thing. You can have 00:32:02.250 --> 00:32:05.990 the real thing today. The light of salvation 00:32:05.990 --> 00:32:09.849 can be demonstrated in your life if you will 00:32:09.849 --> 00:32:17.859 come to Christ. Let's pray together. Father, 00:32:17.980 --> 00:32:20.259 I thank you for the victory of our Lord Jesus 00:32:20.259 --> 00:32:27.000 Christ. I thank you for the power in Him who 00:32:27.000 --> 00:32:29.779 is the light of the world, the power to penetrate 00:32:29.779 --> 00:32:35.460 the deepest darkness. I thank you that embodied 00:32:35.460 --> 00:32:41.019 in the babe of Bethlehem was the eternal light 00:32:41.019 --> 00:32:46.980 of deity and that He came to reveal you and to 00:32:46.980 --> 00:32:52.539 redeem us. And I pray, Father, that you will 00:32:52.539 --> 00:32:56.279 surround Kim with your love and your protection, 00:32:57.440 --> 00:33:01.299 that she may grow in her understanding of discipleship 00:33:01.299 --> 00:33:04.420 and what it means to serve such a wonderful master 00:33:04.420 --> 00:33:09.980 as you, a master of love. And I pray for some 00:33:09.980 --> 00:33:12.279 who may be here today without that relationship, 00:33:12.380 --> 00:33:14.319 that they may come out of their darkness to the 00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:21.460 light. Amen. We're going to close by singing 00:33:21.460 --> 00:33:23.920 a verse or two of the hymn that we closed with 00:33:23.920 --> 00:33:26.519 last week because it says it so well. Out of 00:33:26.519 --> 00:33:32.039 my bondage, sorrow and night, Jesus, I come into 00:33:32.039 --> 00:33:36.200 thy freedom, gladness and light. I'm going to 00:33:36.200 --> 00:33:39.079 ask that elders and staff who are here who feel 00:33:39.079 --> 00:33:42.940 led to come and kneel in prayer. at the platform, 00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:45.799 and if you are in darkness and bondage today 00:33:45.799 --> 00:33:51.440 to sin and terror and Satan and fear, I want 00:33:51.440 --> 00:33:54.359 to invite you to come as well. Come to the light. 00:33:54.720 --> 00:33:58.140 Kneel with these men in prayer. Let us help you 00:33:58.140 --> 00:34:01.000 spiritually so that you can begin your journey 00:34:01.000 --> 00:34:06.369 with Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. Let's 00:34:06.369 --> 00:34:09.449 stand together and sing number 336 I'll be waiting 00:34:09.449 --> 00:34:12.289 here for you slip out and come as others come 00:34:12.289 --> 00:36:44.820 to pray for you Last verse please. Thank you, 00:36:44.880 --> 00:36:46.659 men, for coming to pray. I know some of you need 00:36:46.659 --> 00:36:49.199 to slip out for a job to do, so that's fine. 00:36:51.260 --> 00:36:56.820 I want to say to you that we want to embrace 00:36:56.820 --> 00:37:00.980 Kim and welcome her into our family. Here's a 00:37:00.980 --> 00:37:05.219 church. She belongs as one of us. Someone who 00:37:05.219 --> 00:37:09.840 comes out of a severely abused background also 00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:15.219 needs a little space. So as we welcome her, Let's, 00:37:15.219 --> 00:37:18.840 as we should in all cases, respect the space 00:37:18.840 --> 00:37:21.599 that she needs so that she feels safe. And if 00:37:21.599 --> 00:37:23.619 you come to greet her, introduce yourself so 00:37:23.619 --> 00:37:25.460 that she knows your name, knows you're okay, 00:37:25.500 --> 00:37:29.179 you're part of the church. And that would be 00:37:29.179 --> 00:37:31.519 the best way to do that. We don't want to smother 00:37:31.519 --> 00:37:34.219 her. You understand what I'm saying there? Sometimes 00:37:34.219 --> 00:37:38.320 we Christians can smother people who take a dramatic 00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:41.619 step like this. And being warm and gracious and 00:37:41.619 --> 00:37:43.590 welcoming, we don't want to smother her. Okay? 00:37:44.809 --> 00:37:46.489 If you don't understand what I'm saying by that, 00:37:46.590 --> 00:37:48.429 I'm not sure I do either, so don't worry about 00:37:48.429 --> 00:37:57.510 it. Let's pray together. Father, we commend ourselves 00:37:57.510 --> 00:38:01.489 to you as we go from here. We thank you that 00:38:01.489 --> 00:38:04.469 in following Jesus Christ we have the light of 00:38:04.469 --> 00:38:08.769 life and that we do not any longer walk in the 00:38:08.769 --> 00:38:12.119 darkness, but we walk in the light. We are a 00:38:12.119 --> 00:38:16.739 happy people. We rejoice that the light has come. 00:38:18.519 --> 00:38:18.820 Amen.