WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:01.600 Turn from it. 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:53.679 Well, good morning, Miss Yo. 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:54.560 How are you guys doing? 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:55.840 Good. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:57.520 Good to see you all this morning. 00:00:57.920 --> 00:00:58.799 My name is Justin. 00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:04.079 I'm one of the pastors here at Missio, and it's my honor to be able to bring God's word before you this morning. 00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:06.319 We're in our sermon series, Joy is Doned. 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:13.599 If you haven't caught on to that yet, we we're talking about making a game out of how many times we can say Joy is Doned in one single service, right? 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:16.319 But uh nonetheless, uh, we're so thankful you're here. 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:30.239 I've got a few things that we're gonna talk about, uh, just some like body life highlights we want to do as we're making this transition to planting a North Campus that has some distinct qualities to it, some distinct uh culture that we're going to establish here. 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:32.879 Uh, I want to talk about just a few things. 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:38.400 One thing is this that uh every uh term we do something called a connect month. 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:47.280 So January, May, and September, we take a time to break from some of our normal rhythms, and we go and we offer classes. 00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:51.439 Uh we offer different uh uh activities for you guys to participate in. 00:01:51.680 --> 00:02:00.799 And so typically uh what we offer is three classes, and then sometimes we have some supplementary ones as well, but the three that we offer is a foundations of marriage class. 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:17.840 It's a great class for anybody to attend, whether you're uh whether you don't even have like a boyfriend or girlfriend, or you've been married for 10 years, and you just feel like uh maybe there wasn't a foundation established uh in centered around the gospel and God's word for your marriage and you want to participate in that, we'd love for you to do that. 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:23.919 That class is gonna be offered this term, but only at our central campus, which is in Walnut Hills. 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:27.759 Another class that we offer is called Missio Community Leader Boot Camp. 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:34.879 Uh that is a training time where people who want to explore the possibility of becoming a missional community leader. 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:37.199 Uh, that's kind of the way we do small groups. 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:40.479 You maybe have heard of that uh if you've been a part of a church before. 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:51.759 Uh we train them, we kind of uh uh work them through the DNA and uh vision for our missional communities and then uh try to equip them to be able to pursue leading one themselves. 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:55.439 We are gonna offer that at our central campus this term as well. 00:02:55.599 --> 00:03:02.159 If you'd like information on either of those two classes, go ahead and download our app uh and you can find information there very easily. 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:08.479 But one class that we offer as well that we're gonna be having here at North is called Intro to Missio. 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:14.560 This is a class uh where we really cast the vision uh for why we do what we do and how we do it. 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:24.319 I call it kind of like the Ozzinian effect, you know, when um they all landed at Oz and then they found out that really this big talking head was just some guy behind a curtain on a spin bike. 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:25.520 That guy's me. 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:29.759 And uh you discover that uh all the kind of things that we do here at Mistio. 00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:36.719 So if you'd like a more in-depth understanding of what we do and why we do it, uh come to our intro to Mystio classes. 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:40.000 They'll be here at this building on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. 00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:40.800 in January. 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:44.240 So you can find out more information on the app and uh and so forth. 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:46.080 Our Eve of the Eve gathering. 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:53.439 So every year, and this is something that we're gonna try to do as we seek to understand um these interdependent churches, right? 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:58.319 These multiple churches that still function as one body in certain ways. 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:04.479 Uh, we're gonna try and keep to some traditions, and one of those traditions is our Eve of the Eve gathering. 00:04:04.639 --> 00:04:10.319 So on uh Sunday night, December 23rd, uh at Cincinnati Christian University. 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:14.159 It's downtown near the west side of uh Cincinnati. 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:18.000 We're gonna be having a uh Christmas hymn sing, and it's an awesome time. 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:21.360 Our kids are uh encouraged to be wearing their Christmas pajamas. 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:32.399 They're gonna sing some songs with us, and it's really just a time that our kind of hope is that you're kind of transported back to this time where you're just singing Christmas songs with your family. 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:43.759 The the beauty and tradition of Christmas is there, and so we want to encourage you guys to come out, bring your friends and family, and we'll be sharing the hope of Jesus uh being born for us to save us. 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:47.360 Um, one other thing as well is our public launch. 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:52.160 So uh some timeline things have expedited us starting early. 00:04:52.319 --> 00:04:53.600 Uh, it's a good thing. 00:04:53.680 --> 00:05:01.120 Uh, with all the struggles and uh difficulties that's brought, we're joyful to be uh where we're at and doing ministry here in the city. 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:05.920 Uh so we didn't anticipate a public launch though until January 6th. 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:12.480 So this is kind of like sneak preview gatherings that you guys are attending, which is wonderful, and we're thankful that you're here. 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:19.360 But we are gearing up uh and and making sure that we're ready to uh facilitate our public launch on January 6th. 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:24.160 So when you came in, there should have been a little invitation card on your seat. 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:37.040 Here's what I want you to do: I want you to pick up that card, and I want you to think of an unbelieving person that you know that you can invite to January 6th in our public launch. 00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:40.000 I want you to put a name and face to that card. 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:41.600 Now, here's what I don't want you to do. 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:46.800 I don't want you to think of your friend that you really like that you wish would leave their church and come to ours. 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:48.480 I don't want that. 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:56.160 I want you to think of a person that you've been trying to share the gospel with, someone who is not with the hope of Jesus like we are. 00:05:56.319 --> 00:06:01.199 And I want you to put a name and face to that card, and I want you to be committed to praying for that person. 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:07.680 I want you to be committed to inviting that person to come on January 6th to our public launch. 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:25.759 There's some little information on there uh for to help them find themselves here, but uh our hope is that these seats are filled with people who don't know Jesus yet and that come to a saving faith as they sit under the preaching of the word, as they sit in community with others that are trying to pursue Jesus together. 00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:31.120 And so uh we hope that on Sunday, January 6th, these seats are filled with those people. 00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:33.120 So make sure that you're inviting them. 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:37.040 As we get into our sermon this morning, uh go ahead and you can open your app. 00:06:37.199 --> 00:06:39.439 If you haven't uh downloaded it, do so. 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:43.120 We have this little feature on there that's called fill-in notes. 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:53.839 So if you go to sermons, you find our campus, and you click on today's sermon, um, you'll actually see is I think today's sermon is called, I think I called it Brought Into the Light. 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:58.160 I think that's what it was at midnight last night when I had to name this uh sermon. 00:06:58.240 --> 00:06:59.600 I think it's called Brought Into Light. 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:03.759 But on there, what you'll see on the screen is some of the slide points that I talk about. 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:09.519 Uh there will be words that are highlighted in yellow, and you can actually fill in the blank on those notes digitally. 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:17.120 Uh, you can actually add and annotate your own notes as well, and then you can archive and email them to yourself so that you can continue studying uh the Word of God at home. 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:19.519 And so we want to encourage you to do that. 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:22.399 This morning, we're gonna be in the book of John. 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:33.040 So if you have a Bible or an app and you wanna be able to follow along with us, we will have uh the scripture on the screen as well, but you can open to the Gospel according to John. 00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:42.959 If you're unfamiliar with where that is in the Bible, it's in what's called the New Testament, and it's uh the fourth gospel, so the fourth book starting in the New Testament. 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:48.399 Basically, if you kind of flip in your Bible about three-quarters of the way through, you'll be really close. 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:50.319 So find the Gospel of John. 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:55.360 We're gonna be in chapter one, looking at verses nine through thirteen. 00:07:56.319 --> 00:07:59.279 So let me read God's word to us this morning. 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:07.439 John chapter one, verses nine through thirteen declares this the true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:12.000 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:15.360 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:26.319 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:28.399 This is the word of the Lord. 00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:34.000 May God bless the reading and the proclamation of his promises. 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:42.559 So in this sermon series, Joy is done, we're kind of taking a look at the first chapter of the book of John, looking at the coming of Jesus. 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:46.080 It's Advent season, for some of you who might not be familiar with it. 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:59.840 What it is, is it's a um it's a looking back on the first coming of Jesus and all that he accomplished in his coming, his perfect life, his death in our place, his burial and resurrection. 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:06.639 But it also looks forward in anticipation to this hope that we have. 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:15.039 If we believe in the Son of God, if we believe in the person and work of Jesus and what he's accomplished for us, we look in anticipation that he would come again. 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:17.919 This is what he's promised to us as believers. 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:23.519 And so, with anticipation, we not just look back, but we look forward as well. 00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:30.320 And so what we're looking at is this reality that joy has dawned, that light has broken in. 00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:41.679 And what we see in this theme through John, this first chapter, is he continues to refer to Jesus as the light, the light which came and was dwelling among us. 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:45.519 And so we've got a lot to cover this morning, so we're gonna jump right in. 00:09:45.679 --> 00:09:49.919 Pastor Casey has done a phenomenal job uh filling in in my absence. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:58.480 If for some of you don't know, I was in uh Europe for the last 20 days uh doing some missionary work and some uh vacationing too with my wife. 00:09:58.559 --> 00:09:59.440 It was wonderful. 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:00.799 Uh but I'm glad to be back. 00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:06.559 I'm thankful for the leaders and elders that we have at this church that can carry the weight in my absence. 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:07.919 But we've got a lot to cover. 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:11.840 If some of you know, I'm like uh known to be the long-winded one. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:13.600 I've heard rumors of such things. 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:17.039 Y'all got out like an hour and 15 minutes under Pastor Casey. 00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:22.639 Don't worry, you still will make the lunch rush, uh, but you might be here about five, ten minutes longer than normal. 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:30.399 But uh John 1, 9 through 13, we're gonna break this down as we seek to understand what this text is saying to us this morning. 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:39.600 So the first verse, verse 9, comes out and says this that the true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:45.919 This is said, John points this out to contrast Jesus from any man who had come before him. 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:53.600 You see, uh, we talk of uh here in the beginning parts, he'll talk about uh John the Baptist, who is coming to prepare the way. 00:10:53.759 --> 00:10:59.440 Uh, there's also, as we flip through the pages of scripture, we see other men who carried God's word. 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:12.080 Uh they might have been uh prophets, they might have been teachers, they might have been uh Pharisees and religious leaders, but many prophets and preachers had come before Jesus, proclaiming the words of God. 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:21.759 But what John is unfolding for us here in the first chapter is that now the word himself was coming who would be the light for all mankind. 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:37.840 So John the apostle, the writer of this gospel, is making sure to dictate the distinction between those who had come before Christ, preaching of the light, preaching of the word of God, and Jesus Himself, who is the Word. 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:43.919 So we see that the Word has come and He is the light for all mankind. 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:48.559 You see, Psalm 119 shows that God's word is light. 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:57.519 And Jesus here is demonstrated as the fullness of God's word, whom is the light that will destroy the darkness. 00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:04.320 Psalm 119, 105 says this that your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:13.360 Verse 10, John goes in and says that he was in the world and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:17.200 Let me back up a little bit. 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:18.639 Light to everyone. 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:20.720 That's an important part to understand. 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:26.720 So first, John says that he was the true light, and then he makes the statement that he gives light to everyone. 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:33.759 We see throughout the gospel narratives that Jesus' primary people to come to were the Jews. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:40.159 You see, the Apostle John gives us a quick glimpse into the holistic purpose of Jesus' coming. 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:45.919 It was to give light to all, not just the Jews, but to the Gentiles as well. 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:53.840 You see, those whom the Jews felt didn't deserve the light, didn't deserve the blessings of God. 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:56.559 John's very quick to point this out. 00:12:56.720 --> 00:13:09.120 That Jesus wasn't simply coming for the Jews, those who were established and set apart as God's chosen people, but that Jesus was going to be the one who gives light to all people, to everyone. 00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:14.879 And there's trouble that we discover as we read through the narratives that the Jews didn't like this. 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:17.600 They believed that they were the chosen God of people. 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:26.720 They believed that those who were Gentiles who were not marked by God didn't deserve the light, didn't deserve the blessing of God that they had. 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:34.080 How does this view keep us from sharing the light to the world around us? 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:45.039 Sometimes I think as I was reading this passage that we can get caught up in really believing that there's people around us who don't deserve this light, who don't deserve the blessing of God. 00:13:45.440 --> 00:14:05.279 Whether it be the race that they come from, whether it be the socioeconomic status that they carry, whether it be the belief structures that they hold, we can start to live a life as though, man, they don't deserve this beautiful gospel of grace, this light that's been given to us. 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:09.440 And we can posture ourselves much like the Jews at times. 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:24.159 Sometimes as I'm uh picking up my children from school, or uh especially when we lived in a more urban core of the city, there were times when I would look at people and just think of how they don't deserve to have kids. 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:26.799 They don't deserve to have the things that I have. 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:29.759 Who are these people and why are they here? 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:32.080 They don't deserve to sit at my table. 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:47.120 My heart was wrecked one day as I was picking up my kids from their school, and I saw a group of people that, you know, they were using all kinds of foul language, and they're like at an elementary school picnic table, just going off on each other. 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:51.679 They're looking at their Facebook, they're causing all kinds of drama because there's some kind of family issue. 00:14:51.759 --> 00:14:53.039 I don't even know what was going on. 00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:59.519 But I remember looking at them and saying, like, just with judgment and disgust of their behavior. 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:05.759 And the spirit kind of pricked my heart and said, Would you ever have them to share dinner with you in your home? 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:08.399 I thought, no. 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:10.879 No, no, I wouldn't. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:18.000 And he said, Who are you to judge who deserves the hospitality and the gospel of hope that I've given to you? 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:20.559 Who are you to judge who gets that and who doesn't? 00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:22.879 And man, that really wrecked my heart. 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:32.639 Because sometimes I can posture myself in a way where I think that those around me don't deserve what God has so freely given me when I didn't deserve it as well. 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:41.440 Verse 10, he goes on to say, He was in the world and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:47.200 You see, that which was made, the world did not know its own maker. 00:15:47.600 --> 00:16:08.799 Not only could Jesus be known through all which he had made, for Romans 1.20 tells us that we are without excuse in rejecting God by just simply seeing and gazing upon his creation, but we are also held guilty in this statement by seeing and hearing of his life and ministry and still refusing to know him. 00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:17.679 This know him can be better understood in a language of acceptance or affirmation rather than a language of ignorance. 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:21.120 And so imagine what John's communicating to us. 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:28.960 John's saying that the creator of all things came in, he broke in to be with his creation. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:35.840 Not just the image bearers of which he created, but he was with us in all that he created in the cosmos. 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:39.039 He broke into our time and space. 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:44.720 And the Bible clearly states that the world didn't know him. 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:48.799 It's not that they were ignorant, it's that they refused to. 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:53.440 They rejected him, they wouldn't accept him for who he was. 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:59.039 Verse 11 says that he came to his own and his own people did not receive him. 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:04.720 You see, Jesus came to culminate the promises and blessings of God to the Jews. 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:09.039 He came to his own, those whom God had favored above all else. 00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:15.359 Let's let's think for a moment here about the history of the Jews and the relationship with God the Father. 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:19.039 You see, God had given them his word and his promises. 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:25.359 He gave them his law, his ten commandments, these things that were life to the Jews. 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:30.640 He gave them something that consecrated them out through his promises, that he would protect them. 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:32.640 He protected them against their enemies. 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:34.799 He conquered wars for their good. 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:49.920 He caused his presence to dwell among them, yet they continually pursued other joys and other hopes, ultimately pursuing darkness and rejecting the glorious light. 00:17:51.359 --> 00:17:54.559 You see, we can be much like them. 00:17:55.839 --> 00:18:01.119 We can have all the blessings of God and not have God Himself. 00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:17.839 Our lives can be full of all God has to offer and his blessings, but we would be fools to assume that the possession of these blessings demands that we have his greatest blessing. 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:20.480 The blessing of being his own. 00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:23.119 The blessing of having him as our Father. 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:35.119 You see, the blessings of God in our lives ultimately demonstrate to us this: that he is relentlessly good and merciful, and we are relentlessly wicked and lustful. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:40.240 Let's look at this in the pro parable of the prodigal son. 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:44.559 This younger son comes up to his father, and what does he say? 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:50.640 He says, I want everything that you have, but I don't want you. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:59.200 All the riches that are meant for me, everything that was meant for my inheritance, for my benefit, for my gain, I want it now. 00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:04.079 And what this son is communicating to his father is that I wish you were dead. 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:06.720 Because he couldn't receive the inheritance. 00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:10.480 He couldn't receive the riches that was promised to him unless his father had passed. 00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:15.359 And so he looks in his eyes and says, I don't want you, I just want your stuff. 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:31.039 These people who had everything God had to give. 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:35.200 As far as earthly blessing. 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:38.160 He built them into a mighty nation, into a kingdom. 00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:40.640 He he gave them food in the wilderness. 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:41.519 He protected them. 00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:45.519 He led them by a pillar of fire at night and a pillar of cloud by day. 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:47.759 He was the one who was with them. 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:52.079 His presence, his very presence dwelt among them. 00:19:52.160 --> 00:20:01.200 And when he finally breaks in as the light of the world, as Jesus, the Son of God, they say no. 00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:15.359 Verse 12 says this, but to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:28.319 See, what we have to see here is that the receiving of Christ and believing of his name is not here seen as a prerequisite merit to be given the right to become a child. 00:20:28.559 --> 00:20:31.759 No, these are understood as necessary for each other. 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:42.000 But as we see this in the text and others, that even the receiving of Christ is a spirit-empowered reality for us. 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:51.599 So we can't approach this set of scripture and say that it was because they had believed in his name they were given the right to become children of God. 00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:51.920 No. 00:20:52.079 --> 00:21:00.880 What we have to understand here is that these two coincide with one another, and one is not meritus of the other, one does not earn them the ability. 00:21:01.839 --> 00:21:04.480 They coincide with one another as spirit in power. 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:10.480 Because what we'll learn as we navigate through this in another passage of scripture is that we don't want to pursue God. 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:12.319 We don't want to come into the light. 00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:16.960 No, we want to remain in the darkness of which we discover ourselves. 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:29.519 And so we must understand that from this passage of scripture that there is a necessity for us to be born. 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:34.079 And what that demands is this that we are dead. 00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:38.720 It demands that we are in darkness. 00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:43.200 We outside of Christ do not find ourselves as children of God. 00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:46.480 No, we are born children of the devil. 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:51.440 Our habitation and fondness of darkness prove this to us. 00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:59.759 You see, what John is unfolding is that through Christ, and because of him, and because of our origin in this darkness. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:10.880 We must be born into a new family, a family of light, a family that knows and celebrates our life as eternal children of the Father. 00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:20.079 The life and light of Christ ransoms us from the darkness and adopts us into a new eternal family. 00:22:20.400 --> 00:22:23.920 So what John is saying here is that Jesus came. 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:30.160 Jesus came to dead people who were hiding in darkness. 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:43.200 And he burst forth running as the light of the world and ransomed them to bring them into a new eternal family where they can be known as sons and daughters of God. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:52.960 Verse 13 goes on to say, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 00:22:53.519 --> 00:23:03.519 As we approach this section of Scripture, we have to see that there are three negative statements here preceding the glorious positive power and love of God. 00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:07.200 The first negative statement is this that it is not of blood. 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:11.759 This dictates for us that it's not a matter of heredity, right? 00:23:12.480 --> 00:23:15.359 For regeneration does not run in the veins. 00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:18.000 Our new birth is not something inherent within us. 00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:23.839 This has nothing to do with ethnicity or people group, but is of the spirit. 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:28.240 It goes on to say that it's also not of the will of the flesh. 00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:31.680 The will of the natural man is opposed to God. 00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:36.480 And he has no will, Godward, until he has been born again. 00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:41.680 This negative speaks to an innate absence of desire. 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:44.960 We don't desire to be known. 00:23:45.279 --> 00:23:50.000 For being known for us means being exposed. 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:55.279 It's also not of the will of man. 00:23:55.599 --> 00:24:03.200 The new birth is not brought about by the well-meant efforts of others, nor by even the persuasive powers of the preacher. 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:10.640 No earthly being can drag or shove you into the light and adoption that Jesus offers. 00:24:13.359 --> 00:24:14.319 But God. 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:24.160 This glorious positive power and love of God is demonstrated here, but it is the will of God for us to be born again. 00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:29.200 It's only God who brings the lifeblood of birth through the death of His Son. 00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:33.200 It is only God who desires holiness and life everlasting. 00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:41.200 It is only God who is powerful enough to bring us out of our own darkness, and it is only by God that we are born into his family. 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:44.799 I love the way that A.W. 00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:49.920 Pink, a pastor and author, summarizes this passage of scripture. 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:53.200 He says this, but who receives him thus? 00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:56.880 Not all by any means, only a few. 00:24:57.440 --> 00:24:59.039 Is this left to chance? 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:00.799 Far from it. 00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:03.839 Far from it. 00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:10.559 We know that the reality of our condition and our situation in our world is that not all will choose Christ. 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:19.839 Not all will be the ones who will have this light shine upon them in such a way that they are afforded the right to become a child of God. 00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:23.759 But this is not left to happenstance. 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:27.759 This is not left to some trivial cosmic roll of the dice. 00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:35.759 No, there is grave sovereign purpose in God's pursuit of his chosen people. 00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:50.559 And we as believers, we who have been given the right to be born and become children of God, our assurance is this, not that we have of our own merit and choosing pursued the light. 00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:55.359 No, if it was left to us, we would remain concealed in our own darkness. 00:25:55.519 --> 00:26:12.000 No, our assurance and our affirmation, the thing that we can hang our hope on, is that Christ, the glorious light of the world, rushed into the darkness that we were and carried our dead bodies back into his own family. 00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:18.799 That's our hope, church. 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:30.319 Because if I had the ability, if I had the freedom, the choice, you can guarantee I would run back to the darkness. 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:46.000 The Apostle John is drawing in these passages of Scripture a principle of Christ, of who he is, and how we respond to him from a teaching of Jesus Himself. 00:26:46.160 --> 00:27:06.240 If you want to join me forward in this book, this Gospel of John in chapter 3, we're going to look at a passage of Scripture that the first half, many of you are probably very familiar with, but as we unfold the wholeness of what Jesus is saying in this teaching, we're going to see a very clear and distinct parallel to this John 1 message. 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:11.200 John 3, 16 through 21 says this. 00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:24.640 For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:34.559 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:36.480 And pay attention to this passage. 00:27:36.720 --> 00:27:38.400 And this is the judgment. 00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:46.799 The light has come into the world, and people love the darkness rather than the light, because their works were evil. 00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:52.319 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:58.880 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:01.440 This is Jesus' teaching in his ministry. 00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:13.920 And see how John in chapter 1, as he's introing his gospel letter of who Jesus is and his person and work, he's pulling from what he has heard him preach in his life and ministry. 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:22.240 What we can know from this teaching as we examine it is this that Jesus is light and we love darkness. 00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:37.839 And what we can know for certain, church, is that Jesus loves us so much that he will break into our darkness with eternal power and like I said before, carry our dead body into a glorious new birth in his light. 00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:42.240 You see, we believe because our eyes have been opened to see. 00:28:43.440 --> 00:28:46.480 We believe because our eyes have been opened to see. 00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:52.480 This power that broke into my darkness, that caused my eyes to be opened to see. 00:28:52.960 --> 00:28:57.759 When you think about the moving of the Spirit in our lives, you see, I wasn't looking for God. 00:28:57.920 --> 00:29:04.079 No, the way that I got saved was in a little Pentecostal church in Lebanon, Ohio with about 15, 20 people in it. 00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:05.279 I wasn't looking for God. 00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:16.240 In fact, I was being suspended from school for being under the influence of marijuana, and I wanted to try and fool my parents into the reality that I was trying to turn over a good leaf. 00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:19.839 So I went with my great aunt to this little church. 00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:23.119 And I wasn't looking for God. 00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:24.559 I wasn't looking to be saved. 00:29:24.720 --> 00:29:27.119 I wasn't looking to come out of my darkness. 00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:31.359 But at the end of that service, I went up to the preacher. 00:29:31.440 --> 00:29:38.880 I don't remember what was preached, I don't remember the songs that were saying, but I remember I walked up front and I looked him in the eyes and said, I don't want to sin anymore. 00:29:40.079 --> 00:29:41.599 I don't want to sin anymore. 00:29:41.759 --> 00:29:43.440 That was my first statement. 00:29:44.640 --> 00:29:50.880 Because my eyes had been open to the fact that I was in complete darkness. 00:29:51.839 --> 00:29:56.319 And my eyes were open to the glorious light of the hope of Jesus Christ. 00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:02.240 Here's our main idea this morning. 00:30:02.720 --> 00:30:09.680 The light of the world has broken into our darkness so that we might be born into an everlasting family. 00:30:11.039 --> 00:30:16.480 The light of the world has broken into our darkness so that we might be born into an everlasting family. 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:21.359 This is what we mean when we say that joy has dawned. 00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:24.960 There is light where there was darkness. 00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:27.759 What a blessing to be exposed. 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:30.240 What a blessing to truly be known. 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:35.119 We don't have to hide anymore from our Father or conceal ourselves from one another. 00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:44.640 No, the light of Christ ushers us back to Eden, where we are called to stand before God and one another naked and unashamed. 00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:46.799 You see, that's the work of Christ. 00:30:46.880 --> 00:30:52.960 That's the restoration of his power and might we don't have to conceal ourselves anymore. 00:30:53.200 --> 00:31:00.799 So many times I myself, and I know you sitting in your seat, conceal yourself in darkness because we're afraid to be exposed. 00:31:00.960 --> 00:31:04.160 We're afraid of being hurt, humiliated, or rejected. 00:31:04.319 --> 00:31:11.279 We don't want our hearts and our sinfulness and the dark thoughts in our minds to be let out. 00:31:12.079 --> 00:31:14.799 And so we we want to stay in the darkness. 00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:22.319 But what God is saying is to be known, to be accepted, is to be exposed. 00:31:24.559 --> 00:31:29.039 What freedom there is to walk in the light of Christ. 00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:40.240 What freedom there is to know that there is nothing you can do to cause God to love you more, and there is nothing you can do to cause God to love you less. 00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:47.279 It is not because of what you bring to the table, God's affections are poured out on you. 00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:55.039 It's because of what Christ brought to Golgotha as he hung on a cross is why God loves you so deeply. 00:31:56.559 --> 00:32:14.480 And so the restorative nature of the work of the Spirit in our lives is to take us back to Eden, to take us back to a place where we were naked and unashamed before our Creator, and we were naked and unashamed before one another, when we could be truly known for who we were. 00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:21.279 You see, it wasn't until sin and darkness entered into the world did Adam and Eve seek to conceal themselves. 00:32:21.599 --> 00:32:27.440 Not only were they concealing their flesh, they tried to conceal their motives, their heart, their thoughts. 00:32:28.799 --> 00:32:32.319 That wasn't God's plan for us, that still is not God's plan for us. 00:32:32.640 --> 00:32:46.240 The greatest blessing that Christ can give us is that all of our wickedness and all of our darkness would have his glorious light shined upon it and be exposed. 00:32:50.240 --> 00:32:52.720 But for us, we don't believe this. 00:32:54.160 --> 00:33:01.599 For some of us, we fear being exposed and we desire to stay in darkness. 00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:05.119 We fear being exposed and desire to stay in darkness. 00:33:05.279 --> 00:33:10.319 We fool ourselves, each and every one of us, to believe that it's safer here. 00:33:14.400 --> 00:33:16.319 It's safer in the darkness. 00:33:18.240 --> 00:33:22.720 We fool ourselves to think that we can remain concealed, that we can remain hidden. 00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:27.519 We consume the lie that to be exposed is to be hurt. 00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:31.279 The lie that to be exposed is to be humiliated. 00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:35.599 The lie that to be exposed is to be rejected. 00:33:36.559 --> 00:33:41.279 You and I don't truly believe that to be exposed is to be free. 00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:45.440 To be exposed is to be known. 00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:50.079 And to be exposed is to be wholly loved and brought near. 00:33:52.000 --> 00:34:03.839 Church, we should be begging God for his blessing to expose us now and not wait until the light of the world comes again to be exposed at judgment. 00:34:04.400 --> 00:34:12.960 You see, the lie that you think you can remain concealed, the lie that I believe that I can remain concealed in darkness, that I can stay hidden there. 00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:13.840 It's safer there. 00:34:13.920 --> 00:34:17.280 If they don't find out, I can keep it covered, I can cover my tracks. 00:34:17.440 --> 00:34:19.360 Everything that I do that I know is wicked. 00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:27.440 When I lay my head down at night and I know the thoughts and intentions of my heart, if I can keep them in the darkness, I'll be safe. 00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:32.559 But what we don't realize is that all of us are at danger. 00:34:33.599 --> 00:34:37.519 All of us are at danger of being exposed. 00:34:38.000 --> 00:34:42.880 God will expose your heart, God will expose your motive, God will expose your darkness. 00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:54.480 It'll either be in this life under a blessing to be known and accepted by Him, or it'll be at His judgment under His curse and wrath. 00:34:54.880 --> 00:34:58.320 We will be ultimately rejected by Him. 00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:07.840 Some of us we love the stuff of God more than we truly love Him. 00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:11.920 We love the stuff of God more than truly loving Him. 00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:16.400 Much like the Jews, many of us love the gifts that God's hand delivers. 00:35:17.119 --> 00:35:20.639 We believe that because we have His stuff, we have His favor. 00:35:20.880 --> 00:35:23.519 This is a lie that is running rampant through the church. 00:35:23.599 --> 00:35:26.880 If you have His stuff, you have His favor. 00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:28.000 Listen to me. 00:35:28.239 --> 00:35:34.159 The entire narrative of this Bible is completely contradictive to that. 00:35:35.039 --> 00:35:46.159 The entire narrative of this Bible is that God gives, God gives, God gives, God gives, and we completely keep running into the darkness. 00:35:49.519 --> 00:35:59.360 You see, there are many, many, unimaginably more blessed than you and I, who are equally as far away from God. 00:36:00.159 --> 00:36:10.000 There are people around this world that have riches that you can't even comprehend, and they don't know God from an idol made of stone and clay. 00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:17.679 What we don't believe, what we don't understand is that God Himself is the ultimate treasure. 00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:19.840 God Himself is the ultimate reward. 00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:23.679 To have Christ is to truly have it all, church. 00:36:25.599 --> 00:36:35.920 And so my prayer for us is that God would strip away from us the distractions of all that shines so that we might clearly see Him who shines brightest. 00:36:36.960 --> 00:36:47.039 We can be so distracted by the glitter and gold of stuff that we forsake having Him. 00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:50.159 We forsake having Him. 00:36:52.800 --> 00:37:01.840 The reality of common grace is that God will give you stuff that does not mean that you have Him. 00:37:02.159 --> 00:37:06.320 God causes the rain to fall on both the wicked and the righteous. 00:37:06.480 --> 00:37:18.639 His good gifts are poured out on all of mankind in various ways, and there are people who have God and have nothing else, and their joy cannot be stripped from them. 00:37:19.440 --> 00:37:23.920 They are the ones who are the martyrs. 00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:26.800 They are the ones who will lay their life down. 00:37:26.960 --> 00:37:28.159 It's insane to me. 00:37:28.320 --> 00:37:33.199 As I uh was traveling and doing missionary work, we were in Kosovo. 00:37:33.360 --> 00:37:37.119 For some of you who don't know, Kosovo is a country of about two million people. 00:37:37.360 --> 00:37:39.760 94% of that country is Muslim. 00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:45.119 Statistically, there's only known 400 Christians in the entire country. 00:37:46.239 --> 00:37:47.679 They have nothing. 00:37:49.599 --> 00:37:54.079 They're the ones that I believe would lay their life down for the name of Jesus Christ. 00:37:54.480 --> 00:38:01.840 They're the ones I believe who would be known as the blood of the martyrs who would be the seed of the church. 00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:09.519 In American Christianity, if you don't serve the right coffee or sing the right song, I like, I'm out. 00:38:10.719 --> 00:38:12.880 You think we'll take a bullet for Jesus? 00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:15.280 You think we lay our lives down for Jesus? 00:38:15.360 --> 00:38:18.400 We can't even lay down a preference of a style of music. 00:38:22.320 --> 00:38:24.239 But this is our hope. 00:38:24.480 --> 00:38:30.559 This is the what I want to draw us to as we look at the truth of the gospel in this passage of scripture. 00:38:30.639 --> 00:38:32.159 I want us to see this. 00:38:32.800 --> 00:38:39.119 At the cross, the light of the world was extinguished by our darkness. 00:38:39.360 --> 00:38:44.480 But in the resurrection, the light vanquished our darkness forever. 00:38:45.280 --> 00:38:48.960 You see, Jesus allowed himself to be slain through our darkness. 00:38:49.119 --> 00:38:58.000 In the midst of his death, the light experienced the fullness of his own rejecting him, his own loving their darkness. 00:38:58.239 --> 00:39:01.679 But the darkness couldn't conquer the light. 00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:06.880 The power of God brought Jesus to life and established his light forever. 00:39:07.039 --> 00:39:15.440 Now he is enveloping his own in his radiant light as they discover themselves now placed in the family of God. 00:39:16.559 --> 00:39:20.320 You see, Jesus came rushing into our darkness. 00:39:20.480 --> 00:39:25.039 Jesus broke in as the true light of the world. 00:39:25.679 --> 00:39:27.679 He came running after us. 00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:41.199 As we continually ran the opposite way, he pursued us and chased us down, so much so that he was willing himself to be extinguished and slain by our very own darkness. 00:39:44.000 --> 00:39:45.679 But he didn't stay dead. 00:39:46.320 --> 00:39:48.079 That's the hope of the gospel. 00:39:48.480 --> 00:39:50.079 He didn't stay dead. 00:39:50.800 --> 00:39:53.679 No, the light overcame the darkness. 00:39:54.079 --> 00:40:03.920 And as we are being brought in to being children of the family of God, our darkness is pushed from us forever. 00:40:05.039 --> 00:40:06.880 So how do we live this out? 00:40:08.639 --> 00:40:15.440 First way I think that we can walk this out, this truth out is this pursue running deeper into the light. 00:40:16.079 --> 00:40:20.480 We as a church body should pursue running deeper into the light. 00:40:20.639 --> 00:40:24.960 We should be a people who chase after exposure. 00:40:25.599 --> 00:40:32.960 We should live in a truth that to be naked and unashamed before our Maker means the deepest of freedoms. 00:40:33.199 --> 00:40:43.280 Some of us are carrying around heavy shackles and chains because we are believing the lie day after day that we can stay in the darkness. 00:40:43.440 --> 00:40:46.159 Again, like I said before, we believe that it's safer there. 00:40:46.320 --> 00:40:55.599 We believe that we can keep it concealed there because we're so afraid that if someone found out, if someone truly knew us, that they would reject us. 00:40:55.760 --> 00:40:58.159 They wouldn't love us, they wouldn't accept us. 00:40:59.199 --> 00:41:07.360 But the beauty is that Christ went to the cross knowing you more intimately than anyone could ever know you. 00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:10.400 Knowing you more intimately than you know yourself. 00:41:10.719 --> 00:41:17.440 Christ knows us so intimately that the Bible declares that he has the number of hairs on our head counted. 00:41:19.679 --> 00:41:22.320