Done with Darkness

I mean Can you stage get these guys out of here too for just a sec? It’s all part of the seat there whoa. Oh That cool and okay, let’s record The ambiance turn them all on again, would you Kevin? But can I just while he’s doing that? Can I give a big shout out to those that showed up here and gave a ton of time?

Yes, yes, yes, yes And I this is so good and there’s I got to tell you and I mean that really it’s not just you know on my notes or something It’s we are busy in the attic at my house this last week How many of you are doing the same thing and how many husbands are being made to get up there and Yeah, I know I know I know what you’re going through and there’s like there’s like 25 bins bins full of stuff and So

I know the effort that goes into this I do have a very positive news to report that this year the first time in about 35 years I we’ve always had this mantra. We got to add something every year and This year was the year I actually heard Debbie say, you know, we’ve got to reduce Yes Praise God from who know you know what I’m talking about right? It’s just it’s huge. So anyway, I love this I love the look of this and it really captures it

well and I’ve gone so far over the years to say Debbie why don’t we have Christmas at church and it’s Already decorated and it’s really good. It’s really nice and that didn’t go very far.

But anyway, let me say something about darkness because Living in Oregon this time of year The fall winter months they can be hazardous Though and you think about this though. No two years are the same of course but the fact is there’s an There’s an identified condition that exists that maybe some of you have sought help or treatment for and you’re all You’re already for me to make a joke and I’m not making a joke actually But it’s called It’s actually goes by a an acronym

a psychological acronym called sad which is seasonal affective Disorder, so some of you are being treated for that I get that Okay, but it’s really really it’s a real thing and it’s very interesting that Research so far is saying the further north you get from the equator more the more challenged the population becomes with shorter days and longer nights that is greater quantities of darkness Right and that’s what they call this seasonal affective disorder and it afflicts a large numbers of people as I said the

further from the equator you get worth the 45th parallel halfway between the equator in the North Pole and Lisa’s not as bad as Barrow Alaska. I did some checking Y’all don’t even want to visit there for the next 673 days because there is absolutely no daylight whatsoever from November 18th to January 23rd None so you don’t you know you don’t sing any sunshine songs during that time because there ain’t none right and And there’s if you’ve been there anybody been to Barrow the locals will say

no, it’s not that bad Have you ever met a local? No, just kidding. I’m just kidding.

I’m just kidding But it is it is can you imagine that many? 73 days now they get a reprieve in the summer of course because they go out actually more than 73 days of no darkness Imagine that they play baseball at three in the morning or two in the morning and they’re having a great old time so So here’s the deal the research that I I actually looked into this for a couple of reasons one is what I wanted to share with you this morning, but

the so far the Decisive answer as to why this phenomenon this sad thing exists Has landed on the fact that there seems to be a depletion in the fall winter months in Northern locations of a couple of really important brain chemicals serotonin is one of them and melatonin is another one and both have direct relationships to mood and how you feel about life and stuff and also not surprisingly sleep cycles so if if that’s something going on I just want to say I’m going to move

on but bottom line is darkness does a number on people and I’ve actually talked to some of you who You know a lot of your issues are related to that. You just it’s hard to have a positive attitude when it’s dark and dreary We came 25 years ago last month from Southern Cal that doesn’t have this issue a Psychologist down there go what what are you talking about? But We got here and it was a couple of years that we before we realized you know what

we I don’t know we have this like this Magnetic draw around January to go to Southern Cal for about a week of Sun vacation anybody anybody done that Yeah, I’ll tell you what planes are full of people heading south about that time so anyway enough of that but it’s not trivial and sunshine helps and if you can’t A sunshine trip. I’ll get a son Like lamp of sunlight they have those babies and they’re really a good thing I just want to tell you one more thing

in three days.

We celebrate my son’s 25th birthday Zach crazy. It’s really fun. It’s I’m so excited for him and but here’s the fun part We were here a month and a half just right at two months when he was born so we came up from Southern Cal and I got to thinking about this whole Sun thing And all because as we were about to be released from the hospital good same hospital. It’s really happened the Discharge nurse and the you know a couple other people had a little

conference in our room and they said well hold on let me check and they were looking at Their app their weather app for the coming week and they said no I think I think it’ll be okay We can we can discharge them without it and I’m like you talking about us What without what and that’s when they introduced me to the fact that babies born in the winter here in Oregon They have to evaluate will there be enough sunshine to keep them from becoming jaundice And

and apparently that particular time it was edgy it was right on the so it’s it’s a deal so darkness it seems is Dangerous My Bible is open to The very first page of the Bible would you do that for a second this morning because I want to take us on a rapid trip to stop in three locations as We explore the theme this morning Dealing with darkness or being done as my title says with darkness darkness Did you know that it made the very first paragraph

of the Bible? Really did if you look at Genesis one most of us have memorized the first verse But our sort of sketchy maybe fuzzy about the rest that follows It’s of course an account the whole first chapter is an account of the six days of Creation and the seventh day begins chapter two where we’re told God Rested but chapter one verse one in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth now watch this verse two now the earth was formless and empty darkness Was

over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters and God said Everybody say it with me those four words ready Let there be light imagine it’s silent Nothing prior to this has ever been spoken or recorded and we have these very first words Let there be light and there was light God saw that the light was good And he separated the light from the darkness God called the light day and the darkness he called night and there was evening

and there was morning the first day now To be accurate, there’s no human on the scene yet, right?

We know that because the sixth day is when God created His crowning achievement It’s been called the creation of humanity and the only part of his creation that’s created In the image of God Imago day I know some of you with labs want to take me on right now and say no my dog is close to that You know, but it’s really a human distinction It’s a uniqueness that I and that you possess as we possess as people we are made in the image of God

So let’s just would you join me for a second in a sort of an imaginary? Reinactment of the words we just read let’s imagine first moment that humans are on the scene Already we’re there. We’re watching it. We’re seeing this thing that we just read about play out in front of us And what would we have noticed? We would have noticed as the Bible just told us that this earth in its most basic state was Formless and empty or void so we would have noticed that

and then secondly would we would have noticed that darkness that was all water, right?

It says that darkness covered the deep right and then and and we would have noticed that this earth that we now enjoy and call home It was actually at that time completely covered with water and it was dark and then we would have noticed because the text tells us this we just read it that God in spite of this Are you getting it from my nuance? This this sort of oppressive darkness God was present God was present now there’s a takeaway for some this morning You

might be facing some kind of darkness pastor Michael just prayed about different kinds of darkness that we would call darkness But don’t ever discount God’s presence in those moments Amen, he’s there with people that have Big surgery last week huge surgeries in our church this coming week more of the same God’s there I would have nothing to say as a pastor if I went to visit people and pray with them over something that’s super scary and I didn’t have that kind of confidence that you just

heard come from my voice God is here in the fire in the flood Isaiah 43 says In the darkness Psalm 139 says it’s not dark to him. Amen, so Don’t forget that don’t forget that at all Or if you’re if you’re a little tipsy on that point call somebody that’s confident about it and say tell me again Is he really here? I don’t feel it right now So we would have noticed these kinds of things and then go on notice we would have we would have

gone Did you hear that because the very first recorded Word spoken by God were in the command or authority voice God wasn’t saying hey Could you turn on the lights? No When you read let there be light that was the commanding authority of a sovereign God the one that had the the authority to see that happen to actually make the command and to see it Come about so we would have noticed that and we would have noticed also without pause.

It’s not like well the switch is stuck God No, we would have we would have seen the very next part of that sentence and there was light we would have taken all this in and then We would have noticed this it would be brand new to us because it had never been said before but God’s very first adjective. Did you see it? God didn’t just go hmm. That’s all right. He’s like there was light and it was and it was good and Then I have to

bring you up to speed at the end of chapter 1 in verse 31 when the whole week was done He actually adds an adverb here and it was very good He says looking back on a week of creation just before he rested This went really well Says God so from this very first scene in this obviously the beginning of our Bibles we learned that God took a direct role in addressing darkness and His answer was to introduce light Now clearly the darkness and light of this

creation narrative were the physical attributes of night and day night is darkness day is Light we know that to be true But for the balance of just a few moments that I have before we lean back into worship and communion this morning I want to have you consider an altogether more serious matter and it’s the darkness and light that this that’s described throughout the Bible that I want us to think about that the coming of Jesus had a Impact on so to kind of take that

in has to do this morning with spiritual darkness and spiritual Light I want you to turn in your Bibles to Isaiah so it’s our halfway point Isaiah comes right after Psalms and then Proverbs and you come to the Bible’s first prophet actually second if you include Samuel but you come to Isaiah and chapter 8 Let me show you the vivid words of an Old Testament prophet Isaiah chapter 8 and we’ll look on at beginning verse 20 a quick background Isaiah is as I mentioned a prophet

Some would call him the very first Old Testament prophet though Samuels referred to as both a prophet and priest so he’s both But nonetheless you have Isaiah who’s a very prominent prophet and he is prominent for lots of reasons Part of which he is presiding as a prophet over Israel during her last two decades before the end of Judah that is comes it’s a terrible time and let me summarize the time by saying people stumbled badly in the darkness and it was prevalent everywhere and Everywhere

you looked you went man.

This this is not getting better This is worse than it’s ever been This weekend the 41st president in the United States passed George Herbert Walker Bush and I tuned in to lots of things. It turns out that was three decades ago He was it’s kind of scary when I remember it well. So anyway But I heard things said of President Bush senior 41 as he’s known I heard people say you know what he was He was humane. He was gracious and those attributes may never be experienced again I heard commentators say things like when you hear these things spoken by him and You look at the world. We are today you look back and think That must have been centuries ago and here it is three decades We can’t talk anymore You’re part of the left.

I don’t want a thing to do with you. You’re part of the right. I don’t want a thing to do with you. It’s like Really? Now not to go political on you.

I don’t I don’t go there because I don’t think those are the answers But but the truth is these people in 8th century BC Judah the kingdom to the south were saying We’re hosed. This is not going to get better. This is going worse after worse And you’ll see that as we read about this incredible darkness first 19 when someone tells you to consult mediums and Spiritists who whisper and murder and a matter rather Should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning if anyone does not speak according to his word They have they have no light of dawn watch this now distressed and hungry.

They will roam through the land when they are famished they will become enraged and Looking upward. They will curse their king and their God Then they will look toward the earth and see others see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom and they will be thrust into utter darkness Isaiah chapter 8. Yeah, verses 19 to the end of chapter Let’s call that sad shall we a spiritual affective disorder as right there in front of our eyes People were told in verse 19 seek advice from psychics

I actually couldn’t believe last night watching some show and there was this ad for psychics in California the most the most you know credible psychics Is what it said is that not an oxymoron? I mean this but they have all these you know Actresses and actors that are just perfect people right and and they and they have them telling their testimony So yeah, this is the most but just the most confident like message I’ve ever heard they told me everything Like what you’re blonde and a

girl really that’s that’s a big deal. I mean it was really Sad but it was selling We’re doing 19 today folks Well, that’s what our world’s doing Hey a psychic.

Hey, by the way, it’s only a buck a minute We charge you more at this church, okay, trust me so That’s crazy right and then look at this they reject verse 20 tells us they reject God’s instruction his words They reject it Okay Read prop write this on the sidebar of your notes today Would you please read Proverbs chapter 1 and tell me how it works out for people that reject God’s word? But these people in the very next verse they not only reject God’s word

verse 20 they shake a fist at God and say how could you do this? Do you see verse 21 verse 21 the verse 20 they consult God’s instruction and testimony of warning if anyone does not speak according to the word They have no light of dawn and they’re distressed This is the effect of not paying attention to God and they’re hungry And they will roam through the land and they are famished and they become enraged and they look upward that’s people cursing God Self-induced struggles and

they blame God That’s what that is And Isaiah is not done they look for relief around them so they turn to their friends and neighbors and they say hey give me a word give me something to go on to hold on to And it doesn’t work out for them. They they only go from darkness to he says utter darkness or greater darkness I Remember I love walking exploring caves the Oregon caves down in southern Oregon or even better than that the Carlsbad Caverns down in New

Mexico Really cool stuff in both places You get to a place and they say okay grab a handle someplace So make sure you’re in a stable spot because we’re gonna we’re gonna kill the lights We’re gonna let you experience the darkness of this cave And sure enough you’re holding on and the lights go out And it’s an it’s an ominous feeling and then it gets even worse when you Like to reach for a call for somebody near you and he said don’t don’t answer anybody and

he was just adding to the effect of feeling completely alone and and being in complete darkness It’s a terrible spot these people were doing the same thing they were looking toward others and And they and they only had distress and darkness and fearful gloom. No one was answering And now’s the time That I’m glad I get to say what I get to say But wait But wait Because the story doesn’t end in verse 22 Isaiah goes on nevertheless verse 1 of chapter 9 there will be

no more gloom for those who were in distress the ones that just he talked about in verse 22 the Previous verse those who were in distress in the past.

He humbled the land of Zebulun the land of Naphtali But in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations by the way of the sea beyond the Jordan we’re talking about The arrival of Jesus We’re talking about the coming of the one whose hometown was Up to the north of Jerusalem in Nazareth Not too far from Galilee That’s why the words are so connected here the land of Naphtali is a reference to the far north in the future He will honor Galilee of the nations

by the way of the sea and beyond the Jordan look at this verse to the people walking in darkness have seen a great light on Those living in the land of deep deep darkness a light has taught Amen That’s the good news here people. That’s what Isaiah is trying to tell us not not even with less impact than the very first time it was heard in Genesis chapter 1 let there be light came Jesus and the Proclamation from that day to the present is let there

be light And there was light Last stop John’s gospel would you go from Isaiah to the fourth God? Gospel Matthew mark Luke and find your way to John chapter 1 would you This is eight centuries later now fourth gospel a very clear connection is made All that news that I shared with joy from Isaiah saying there’s coming a time when there will be light John announces the light has come and the light is Jesus Christ He is the light of the world look at chapter 1

of his gospel verse 4 in him was life and that life was the light of all mankind the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it that cool darkness doesn’t stand a chance There was a man sent from God whose name was John and he came as a witness to testify Concerning that light he’s referring to John the Baptist so that through him all might believe He himself was not the light that is John the Baptist He came only as a witness

to the light the true light that gives light to everyone People would you please circle the word everyone and put your name next to it with these words? Including me because that’s what everyone means The true light that gives light to me was coming into the world He was in the world and though the world was made through him the world did not recognize him He came to that which was not which was his own but his own did not receive him Incredible words So the

light has come and if you go from chapter 1 Find your way till nearly the week of his passion when he gave his life for us chapter 12 Would you turn there next we’re in the last stop of the gospel of John John chapter 12 I want you to see Jesus wonderful words here verse 35 Then Jesus told them you’re gonna have the light just a little while longer Walk while you have the light before darkness overtakes you Whoever walks in the dark does not know

where he is going where they are going Believe in the light while you have the light so that you may become children of the light Jesus nearing the end of his earthly journey here is saying while you have this chance Don’t don’t give it up. Don’t pass it up.

He’s predicting that darkness is coming And certainly it came in his day and then across at verse 46 one of my favorite statements that John records of Jesus He says I have come as light into the world that whoever believes in me will no longer remain in darkness That’s the gospel people That’s a reference to the fact that everybody starts out in darkness That’s where Jesus enters he says I’ve come as light into the world that whoever believes in me will no longer stay there Where

they once were in darkness they will leave that darkness and they will come into my presence and the light of me I Wish we could leave it all at that this morning And I and I wish I could say something like this. Hey tired Tired of living in darkness Tired of not knowing where you’re going or how to get where you want to go? Then just turn to Jesus and the light will come on and it’ll all work out for you To me, that’s a very

sort of a sensible appeal based on what you’ve just heard It’s like who would want to stay in darkness when you could come into the light. I mean does that make sense? I mean Isn’t this a this is sort of a guaranteed sale If you’re a salesman It’s like do you want to live with a broken machine in your office?

Because I’ve got this machine. It’s gonna actually It’s a whiz-bang machine and it’ll work and it’ll fix and it’ll do everything you want it to do It’s kind of an easy choice, isn’t it? This thing’s broken living in darkness doesn’t work and you would think quite naturally that Is gonna be well, yeah, you’re right. That’s no way to live. I that’s that’s so old-fashioned Advocates, I guess that is kind of past tense, you know, give me that calculator that kind of thinking But that’s not exactly what happens Who would have?

Who would have stayed away? I is sort of the question I have at verse 46 I’ve come as light into the world that who Whoever believes in me will no longer remain in darkness. Really? That’s easy Turns out a lot of people said no, thanks My last stop is John 3. It’s all in this last gospel I said my last stop four times ago, but John chapter 3.

Would you go back there? Well, you go back there. Let me tell you what I was shocked to learn this last week How many of you drive a car or a truck? Or a vehicle of some kind okay, and those of you that didn’t raise your hand you’ve been in a car truck or a vehicle of some kind, right? Okay with me who would ever buy a vehicle without headlights?

I Thought I knew the answer to that. No, that’s a dumb question What turns out in the very first vehicles you may have known this already in the late 1800s the very first vehicles they offered a little electric lights as an optional accessory Seriously, so they really thought what? What do they they must not plan to drive at night, right? That was not the answer They just kind of they did weird things of course. They didn’t bring out there, you know their Costco like three million candle power flashlight They did dumb dumber things like You know lit a match.

Oh, it went out. Let’s try that again, you know, I mean Who would buy a car like that? We would choose to drive without available headlights And apparently many did in the same way in the same exact way some people prefer to live in darkness Just as they did in Jesus day Miss last stop, you know the Words well, but you may not pay much attention to the words around John 3 verse 16 So let’s start there, but not stop there. We’ll go four more verses

after that For God so loved the world if you know this would you read it with me for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son That whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life All right verse 17 for God did not send his son into the world To condemn the world but to save the world through him Whoever believes in him is not condemned some of your your voices are trailing off You are authorized to keep reading out

loud. Here we go.

All right, whoever believes in him is not condemned But whoever does not believe stands condemned already Because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only son everybody stop This is The verdict You see in verse 19 light has come into the world Everybody left darkness and it lived and lived happily ever after right The verdict is light has come into the world, but people loved driving without headlights Only it’s way worse. They loved darkness Instead of light Because their deeds were evil

everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds Will be exposed, but whoever lives by the truth comes into the light So that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God This raises a question How do you deal with darkness? In you I Don’t I don’t think there’s anybody smart enough here to fix the darkness in our world It probably take more than just smart people it

take resources that we can’t fathom So my question is more personal than that How do how does Steve deal with darkness and Steve? And it’s been settled for us already verse 16, you know, that’s that’s a great verse. It’s a football game and stuff like that God loved the world filled with people in darkness Do you get that?

So don’t don’t think you’re hearing me say, you know God’s kind of up to here with you or God doesn’t have space for you Because after all your life’s filled with darkness. That’s not what John 3 16 is saying it’s just the opposite God sent his son into the world filled with people in darkness That’s good stuff and God said Jesus to sacrifice himself So that people could leave that darkness and come into the light That’s really promising And amazingly and unbelievably some people decide still

to remain in the darkness I Wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t read those words myself And here’s the here’s the contemporary grabber some still do Have you responded to the darkness in you because You can you can come to Jesus and Leave the darkness behind that’s one of the responses one of the answers to my question How do you deal with darkness in you you leave it behind and come to him? Maybe you’ve passed on that offer Maybe you’re here today and you know somebody

that hasn’t really the answer is you maybe We’ve already read the answer that you stay there for fear of of what? Of being found out He already knows Of being condemned what if I come out of darkness out of hiding and he smokes me No, he took care of that problem that push back in his son So how do you respond to the fact that? Jesus came as light into the world So that Put your name in there if you believe in him you can leave

the darkness behind I Like you to bow your heads As we prepare for sharing communion represents what Jesus did I want to read you words as your eyes are closed and you’re just taking this last thought in words that speak to some No, let me change that they speak to probably a majority of us in this setting this morning They’re from Ephesians chapter 5 The Apostle Paul says you were once full of darkness That’s kind of a blunt bold statement, but it’s true Before Jesus it’s

100% true of every human you were once full of darkness But some have heard that he came into the world so that I could leave that darkness and they’ve chosen to So the Apostle Paul says but now you You have light from the Lord So live as people of light For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true So carefully determine what pleases the Lord and do it Do those words in the Bible describe you You were full of darkness, but

now you’re light in the Lord How bright’s the light?

You might say well in some ways I’ve come into the light, but not in all ways I want to invite you in this moment To say to Jesus Starting this Christmas season. I want you to Shine your light into every part of me Will you be that bold? Jesus I invite you to shine that light in every part of me So that I can be done with darkness That’s something we want you to do Lord in The invitation that’s opened all of us Cause many to respond to you in faith right now As we prepare to share in the bread in the cup The declare and describe the price Coming to a dark world and leading us into the light Thank you Jesus

Transcript machine-generated from the sermon audio, so it may contain errors. 5,588 words.