John 8:12, “Then Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
It happened one time, one Thursday August 14, 2003, about 5 pm for me, with no warning, and no solution when a blackout came. At first I thought it was just where I was, but then I looked outside and realized that the block where I worked in White Plains had black out too. I then learned that a huge part of NY was out of power. Then news came to me that the blackout had further reaching implications than I had thought, it affected most of the North East region. What would you be doing at a time like this or thinking, and how would you be affected? Maybe the Word of God can shed some “light” on things in our lives and serve as an intense implication. John 8:12, “Then Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
I am the light of the world: Jesus had an identity, He surely knew who He was and His purpose. He was the light for the entire world. He came into the world to shine upon the darkness of it. And what is darkness, but simply the absence of light. And Christ was not going to be light for a small community, or just for Israel, but for the WHOLE WORLD. Jesus came in more important than the sun, because the spiritual darkness of this world needed a great light. The “candles” of judges, prophets, and patriarchs throughout history were not complete in that the “wicks” of their times were light for a time, but would go out with the death of the prophets. BUT NOT WITH JESUS! He was the light that would shine for the whole world to experience, because it was the whole world that needed Him, even unbeknown to themselves. So why is not the light of Christ shinning throughout the hearts and lives of ALL in the world?
Whoever follows me will NOT walk in darkness: The key is in the following Christ. Are you a fan or a follower is a message I heard once by a preacher Pat Mesiti. A fan is someone who when the Yankees, or their team are winning stay with, and support the team as long as they are winning. But the followers are the ones that stay with their team, win or lose, good and bad times. A follower follows no matter what happens. They will paint their car, or their body with the symbols of their favorite team. There are some who are only fans of Christ: whenever; things don’t go their way, they jump off the ship. Then there are the followers, no matter what happens they will stick it out. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were followers. When the king said to bow to the idol, they refused, saying God can save them, but even if He does not they still would not bow. WOW, now that’s a follower. Daniel would not allow a lion’s den to keep him from his prayer time. That’s a follower. And Job refused to curse God in his tough times, but rather stay committed no matter what. That’s a follower.
The rich young ruler when invited to follow Christ, chose his riches, his idols, instead of following Christ. He stayed in darkness. Is it all contingent upon following Christ? Yes!
What keeps us from being a follower? Sin! “The soul that sins it shall die!” A.N. Martin said, “The moment God’s Law ceases to be the most powerful factor in influencing the moral sensitivity of any individual or nation, there will be indifference to Divine wrath, and when indifference comes in it always brings in its train indifference to salvation.”
Are you in a spiritual blackout?
1. Are you living in sin (vs. 34) “…whoever sins is a slave to sin.”
2. Are you a fan or a follower?
3. Is the light of Christ in your life shinning before others that they may see? SEE Mt. 5:16
4. Do you continually plug into the power source of light through prayer to keep the light on?
Blessings Pastor Phil
He Has Magnified His Word 