20th December 2024

20th December 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (John 1:4-5)


Message (Alan Burke)


I was out with a fella last week as I was doing my rounds visiting all those people who are unable to get out because of age and infirmity and we chatted one of his struggles was why God would allow this world to be in the state that it is in. My response to him was to tell him, that the reason why the world is the state that it is in is because of your heart, my heart, the state of the hearts of every person. For while we like to think we are good, inherently good we are not. The scriptures makes it clear that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Gen 6:5). This is reverberated throughout the scriptures, we are evil, all of us have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), we love the darkness (Jn 3:19). That does not mean that we are as sinful or evil as we could be but that we are altogether sinful and evil. This is why we by our nature are described as being in darkness for are without Jesus the light. Later in John Jesus says; 36 Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light. (Jn 12:36). For …; 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. (Jn 12:46). 


For each and every one of us, by our nature we are in the darkness, from the moment of our conception we are in darkness, we are sinners. But for all who put their trust in the light, all who believe in the light we become sons of light, we are brought from darkness into the light. Let us be those who love not the darkness but love the light. What makes this so wonderful is that if we have come into the light, that we are light, In Ephesians Paul teach us that …you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (Eph 5:8). 


We are like little stars in the night sky, shining, or like fairy lights wrapped round the tree that shine in the darkness, we are men, women, boys and girls of light, we are those who have repented of our sin and trusted in the light himself, trusting Jesus as their Lord and saviour. If you have trusted in Jesus then we are no longer in the darkness and through your lives, your actions and attitudes you shine forth with the light of Christ. Sine we are light we are to let our light shine. Our task as the church as those who have been called from darkness to light is to live in the light and to make known the light of God’s kingdom in how we live and as we proclaim the good news of the Gospel about Jesus Christ the saviour of the world. This is what we are to do as children of the light, as sons of light. If we as the church loose sight of what we are, if we loose sight of the wonder of the grace of God through the Lord Jesus Christ then even our best works are worthless. 


The incarnation, the birth of Jesus was a remarkable event, when God sent forth his son, born of a woman so that we who walked in darkness might be brought into the light. God had promised the messiah, the Christ to our first parents, he preached the gospel to Satan in the midst of the fall as darkness came in about the light that would come and not be overcome. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q66 What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God’s glory, and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment.
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