Piercing The Darkness (Week 3)

The Light Has Come

1. Shepherds (Luke 2:8-20)

The glory of the Lord had not been witnessed for over 400 years on the earth, but it literally pierced the darkness that night! What was the message from the angel? For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Unto who? The angel was speaking to the shepherds. Not only was it unusual for an angel to appear with a message, it was unusual that the message was directed toward the lowliest of people.

Listen to the incredible description of the baby born in Bethlehem...

 – He was a Savior who is God’s anointed and is the supernatural master over all. Note that He would not become a Savior, He was the Savior. 

Using the title “Christ” (also interpreted as Messiah), the angel proclaimed the fulfillment of the long awaited prophecies.  Using the position of “Lord”, the angel affirmed this child was divine.  Further the angel’s message declared the Savior, Messiah and Lord was born for the Shepherd’s, the Jew’s and for all the people.   

While the lineage of Jesus was critical in the fulfillment of prophecy – there is no specific lineage for which Jesus came.

This is good news of great joy! There is no one excluded from the invitation for salvation.

Because of the decree of Caesar Augustus, the little town of Bethlehem was bursting in population.  While it was an inconvenience for those who had to travel to Bethlehem, the census caused those in the line of David to be in Bethlehem, which fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah, Micah and the angel.

The angel told the shepherds there would be a sign for them – the baby would be wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.  Finding a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes would not be difficult – but it would not be normal to a find a baby lying in a feeding trough. 

Do you hear the expectation?  “You will find”.  This is the expected response to the Good News.

The Shepherds immediately left for Bethlehem. Why? Because they recognized this message was from the Lord.  Then, After finding the child, they proclaimed what had been told them.  And all who heard it were amazed.

These were the first evangelists sharing the Good News!

The shepherds had yet another response.  They returned, glorifying and praising the Lord. When you hear the message of the Lord and experience Him as Lord and Savior – your response will be to glorify and praise Him As well.

What does that mean?

To glorify is to bring honor to His name as you live in obedience to Him as your Lord. 

To praise Him is to acknowledge and speak of His character.

2. Simeon (Luke 2:25-35)

Simeon was described as righteous and devout. Notice that he was not described as religious, but righteous.  His heart was burdened for his people, but his faith was completely upon the Lord and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

Simeon had this confidence – the Messiah would come before he died. Imagine his expectation each morning – this could be the day! I will look, I will listen and I will search for the Messiah! 

We, too, should live with that kind of expectation.

God tells us today – “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

Eight days following His birth, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to present Him to the Lord.  The Holy Spirit confirmed to Simeon this child was the promised Christ – and Simeon blessed God by proclaiming the light and glory of the Lord’s salvation.

Mary and Joseph encountered angels, have been the recipient of miracles, and witnessed the shepherds proclaiming He is Christ the Lord. Now, the man in the temple proclaimed Jesus to be God’s salvation.  Mary and Joseph marveled at what was said.  

Simeon also spoke to Mary about the coming days. Jesus would bring salvation to the humble and judgment to the prideful.  Though He was the sign from God and fulfillment of the prophecies of old, He would be rejected by those He came to save.   Through Him, our true nature would be revealed.

More personally for Mary, her spirit would be pierced upon witnessing her son’s brutal treatment and crucifixion.

3. Anna (Luke 2:36-38)

She was at the temple daily, fasting and praying, for at least 6 decades! At the hour Simeon was blessing God for the arrival of God’s salvation, Anna entered the temple just like she did every day previously – but today was different! Having spent time in the presence of the Lord, she recognized and affirmed what was being said about this child.

She began giving thanks to God.  

As we move from living in the darkness without hope, to experiencing the light of the world as our living hope - We, too, must respond with gratitude and humility.

Lastly, Anna spoke of Him to all who were waiting for the Messiah!

The shepherds, Simeon and Anna all had a response. There was good news of great joy for all people and they could not be silent! They responded in obedience, praise and thanksgiving. But they all spoke of the Lord and what He had done.

Today, we still have good news of great joy!  The Savior has been born unto us and He is Christ the Lord. He has come to offer redemption to the world. He assumed our punishment that we may assume His righteousness and be brought back into a right relationship with God.He has delivered us into the light!

As you and I find ourselves in this traditional time of celebration for the birth of Jesus, let us see Him rightly as Savior and know Him as Lord. Further, let us proclaim the Lord’s salvation to those are still without hope!

We remain - not for the purpose of waiting to go to Heaven, but to continue proclaiming the Good News that others may know Him!

Piercing the Darkness (week 2)

The Prophecy of Light

Are you amazed at the birth of Jesus?  Have you considered all that had to be accomplished for reconciliation with God to take place? 

In 1958, Dr. Peter Stoner (chairman of the mathematics and astronomy departments at Pasadena City College and professor emeritus of science at Westmont College in Santa Barbara) wrote a book called “Science Speaks”.

In the forward, Dr. Harold Hartzler, an officer of the American Scientific Affiliation, wrote that the manuscript had been carefully reviewed by a committee of his organization and that “the mathematical analysis included is based upon principles of probability which are thoroughly sound.”

Stoner selected eight of the best known prophecies concerning the Messiah from the Old Testament and conservatively calculated the odds of their fulfillment in Jesus as being 1 in 10¹⁷. 

Here is how Dr. Stoner tried to explain it…

Step 1. Fill the State of Texas knee deep in silver dollars (that is 268,581 square miles 2 feet deep).

Step 2. Mark one of those silver dollars with a black check mark.

Step 3. Blindfold one person and let them wander for as long as they wish within the boundaries of TX.

Step 4. At the time of their choosing, have them pick up one silver dollar.

The odds that the coin chosen is the one with the black check-mark are the same odds as those 8 prophecies being fulfilled in Jesus.

While that is staggering, Dr. Stoner further calculated the chances of Jesus fulfilling 48 prophecies.  The odds are 1 in 10¹⁵⁷, which is an incomprehensible number for you and me.

If we counted four electrons every second, it would take us 19 million years just to count a line of electrons one inch long. 

We would need to make a ball of electrons reaching 6 billion light years in all directions, then multiply that ball by multiple trillions to begin to scratch the surface of the number required. And then select one electron out of those.

That is for 48 prophecies.

But There are at least 456 prophecies fulfilled in Jesus! Scientifically speaking, using acceptable sound statistical analysis, it is a mathematical certainty that Jesus is the Messiah.

Orrr, we can place our faith in the King of kings and Lord of Lords who told us who Jesus is!

Today, we will look at 3 prophecies that pointed to the birth of Jesus. 

1. The Prophecy of Place

Micah 5:2 "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days."

It is estimated that the city of Bethlehem, just 6 miles south of Jerusalem, was only around 1,000 people at the time of Jesus birth.  

This prophecy, in and of itself, is not THAT astonishing, except for the fact that it narrows the birth place of the Messiah to just one town in the whole world.

However, we cannot miss the distinguishing characteristic in Micah 5:2.  

This future Ruler's birth is described as "whose coming forth is from old, from ancient of days".  

The phrase, "Ancient of Days" is used four times in Scripture – 3 times in Daniel, describing God as existing before days existed.  And here in Micah, claiming the future ruler in Israel existed before days existed.

We learned last week in John 1 that 

“Jesus was in the beginning, was with God and was God.  All things were made through Him and without Him was not anything made that was made.”

Jesus is the eternal, divine and all powerful Creator who is the only one born in all of mankind that fits this description and was born in Bethlehem.  But that is just one prophecy.

2. The Prophecy of Lineage

As the prophecies proclaim more detail, their fulfillment shows greater certainty. 

In an article by Don Stewart, the lineage of the coming Messiah is astonishingly narrow.

Genesis 9:26 says He will come from the line of Shem (one of Noah's 3 sons). So, immediately, 66% of the following generations are eliminated as candidates.

Genesis 12:1-3 says He will come from the family of Abram. Abram was the 9^th generation after Shem. Therefore, all the families within 9 generations – BUT ONE – are eliminated as candidates. 

Genesis 26:3 says He will come from the line of Isaac. In this, the Messiah is narrowed to the lineage of just one of Abraham’s many sons.

Genesis 49:10 says the Messiah would come from Judah.  This eliminates 91% of Isaac's descendents. 

Within the line of Judah, Isaiah 11:1 says He will come from Jesse. There were 9 generations between Judah and Jesse, but only one family is specified.

Jesse had at least 8 sons.  Of His sons, 2 Samuel 7:12-17 says He will be from the House of David.

Now, reading Matthew 1:1. "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." 

Jesus the Messiah fits the Prophecy. He is Jewish from the line of Shem, Abraham, Isaac and of the tribe of Judah, through Jesse, through David – born in the small town of Bethlehem.

This was also confirmed by an angel before Mary conceived – Luke 1:31-33

But even then, we could argue the lineage of little boys born in Bethlehem.

3. The Prophecy of birth

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Not only is this MORE specific, it is IMPOSSIBLE!  The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem in the line of David to a virgin! 

Genesis 3:15 is described as the first prophecy concerning Jesus and may also be considered as the first hint of the virgin birth.

In the book "The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics", Ed Hindson states the following, 

"This reference to the seed of the woman seems to deliberately preclude the male counterpart."  So, while this passage does not openly state there will be a virgin birth – it is implied.

The Hebrew language clearly indicates there will be a specific man, born of a specific woman, in a specific way, at a specific time, who will crush Satan. 

Since we have the benefit of all Scripture for our reference, we can search out who is doing the stomping. Romans 16:20 "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."

Skeptics ask, "Does scripture REALLY say the baby would be born of a virgin?" 

Maybe we misinterpreted the Hebrew text…

Going back to Isaiah 7, The Hebrew word that is translated virgin is Al-mah and can mean young maiden or virgin.  

The debate surrounding this word is critical. 

On one hand, it describes an impossibility that would confirm the Messiah.  On the other hand, it could be any young woman having a baby out of wedlock.

We should ask this, why would it be considered a sign from God Himself that a woman had a baby out of wedlock?  

That is not much of a prophecy when viewed from that perspective.

As we look more closely, this passage could be read as "the virgin shall conceive and the virgin shall bear a son." 

This is an impossibility unless it is supernaturally accomplished –a virgin bore a son. 

Now, that is a sign from God!

It is through the virgin birth, and the lineage of Shem through David, in the little town of Bethlehem - the Ancient of Days was born to die in fulfillment of prophecy.

This is Immanuel – God with us, the Word as flesh, our Redeemer, our hope, our salvation and the light of life.  

We have reason to Rejoice!

We have reason to worship Jesus the Messiah!

Today, we stand in awe of the One who brought salvation to a dark world!

For the Messiah has pierced the darkness!

Piercing the Darkness (no audio)

Spiritual Darkness

Ephesians 6:10-12

Paul describes the cosmic powers over this present darkness as the spiritual forces of evil.

Spiritually speaking, we exist in a place of darkness where the world is following the way of destruction.  Additionally, the spiritual forces of evil are working to oppress those who live in the world.

Knowing we are either in the light or in the dark, what do you believe happens spiritually when we make no effort to seek the light? 

Or when we choose to stay in the darkness?

We choose darkness by following the desires of the flesh.  In Galatians 5 it is partially described as any kind of sexual immorality. Idolatry (including sports). Envy. Jealousy. Anger. Division. Drunkenness. 

The fact is, when we choose any way OTHER THAN GOD’S WAY, we are turning our backs to the light and embracing the very thing we from which we have been saved.

Every choice we make in attitude, thought or behavior is a choice to offend God (Embracing the darkness) or glorify Him. (seeking the light)

2 Corinthians 4:4 “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

In the same way Satan intentionally tries to keep the light from those who are perishing, we must intentionally reveal the light to a world that has been blinded and is being held captive.

Refuting the Darkness

In John 8:12, Jesus declared He was the light of the world.

Not only was Jesus physically present as the exact image of the invisible God, 

He brought light into the world as the perfect righteousness of God that we might not perish in the darkness.

Let us be reminded, Jesus was not created as a response to the darkness, God the Son has always been.  

John 1:1-5, 14

Knowing Jesus and the Word are the same, we can read this passage as:

In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God and Jesus was God.

Now, What do we know about baby Jesus, who was born in the manger?

He existed before creation, He was with God at creation and He IS God!

We sing the Christmas song, “What Child is this?” Which describes the life that would follow “the babe, the Son of Mary”, but it profoundly proclaims Him to be Christ the King and the King of Kings who brings salvation.

Therefore, we do not celebrate the baby who would become the Messiah, we celebrate the Messiah who came as a baby.

From verses 1, 2 and 3 - Jesus was God, was with God in the beginning and was the Creator of all things.

That is quite a claim!  Jesus is divine, eternal, and all powerful.  Because of His nature, He is uniquely qualified to be the Savior.  

Jesus is unique because He is before all and above all. He is not only the perfect sacrifice; He is the perfect Judge that required that sacrifice!

In John 14:6, When Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life – He declared with all authority in Heaven and earth that He is the ONLY way, the ONLY truth and the ONLY life and no one comes to the Father except THROUGH Him.

The all-powerful Creator who is perfectly righteous and holy determines the only acceptable way to the Father, reveals the truth of God and gives eternal life.

We do not celebrate the miracle of life as seen in the lowly manger; we worship the giver of life who lowered Himself to the manger.

In verse 4, In Jesus was life and the life was the light of men.

Darkness leads to destruction, but life and light are available to those who seek Him. 

He is the Savior who gives life and the Lord who leads in the light. 

You and I cannot have one without the other.  

He will not be our Savior who permits us to walk in darkness, 

nor will He be our Lord who refuses to give life.

1 John 1:6 “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Lastly, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”.

The light is distinct and with purpose.  In the same way light shines in the physical darkness, the light of life shines in the spiritual darkness to reveal truth, to give sight and provide a way to be reconciled to God.

More importantly, the power of light always exceeds the powers of darkness and it cannot be overcome.

We do not honor a baby who was born into this world of darkness; we glorify the King who has pierced the darkness!

In John 3:19-20, Jesus told Nicodemus, 

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed."

Have you taken the steps toward light?

Are you choosing to dwell in the darkness?

Piercing the Darkness week 1

There is no doubt we are living in a spiritually dark world, but God has pierced the darkness! Following, you will find the link to December 3 recording, the outline and questions to go deeper.

LINK to audio message

bit.ly/PiercingTheDarknes3

In the Dark

1.Physical Darkness

Darkness is the _____________ of light.

2.Spiritual Darkness (Ephesians 6:10-12)

We experience darkness when we __________ our backs to the light.

Every choice is a choice to embrace the darkness or __________ the light.

3.Refuting the Darkness (John 1:1-5, 14)

Jesus is the ___________ of the world.

We celebrate the ______________ who came as a baby.

We worship the giver of life who lowered Himself to the _______________.

We glorify the King who has pierced the _________________.

In what areas of your life do you find comfort in the darkness?

What action(s) do you know the Lord wants you to take?

1.

2.

3.

Write out a prayer of commitment.

Jesus is the light of the world. Today this light is seen through His surrendered followers. How will you be the light in the darkness?

1.

2.

3.

The Healthy Church

Following is a link to the sermon “The Healthy Church”  Audio Sermon

Acts 2:41-47
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.  42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.  44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.  45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,  47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

1. More than a Convert

They were devoted to the _____________ of God’s word.

They were not just hearing, they were _____________ what was being taught.

Two words that should describe us, faithful and ______________.

2. More than Casual

They sold their belongings and distributed the proceeds to accommodate any ____________ among them.

It was a voluntary expression of _______________ love.

3. More than Occasional

Have we sacrificed obedience for the sake of our personal calendar?

The first church met together ____________.

Their Christian faith was a day to day ____________, not a weekly routine.

They were unified in God’s ________________.

How does my walk compare to that of the first church?

How am I “devoted” to the teaching of the word? Do I live out what God teaches me? What will change today?

Am I guilty of showing sacrificial love to my church family?

In all honesty, would my commitment to the Lord’s Church be described as a weekly routine or a day to day reality?

Beginning today, I will take the following steps to be faithful to the Lord Jesus and committed to living the truths found in His word...

Is the End Near (like Saturday)?

Okay, some of you may have been following the stories and predictions leading up to September 23, 2017 - you may have even bought the book.  For others, this may be the first you heard that Saturday is supposed to be the beginning of the end.

A little background (borrowed from CBS):
If you had plans for the weekend, a "Christian" numerologist says you won’t get to them because the world is about to end.  David Meade, a self-proclaimed “researcher,” is predicting that a series of apocalyptic events will begin on Sept. 23 and, “a major part of the world will not be the same.” 

(I inserted the quotes around Christian because of the obvious heresy, CBS inserted quotes around researcher for obvious reasons)  Continuing...

Meade is a self-published author who writes that he studied astronomy at the University of Louisville. He and other doomsayers have actually been saying Nibiru would crash into the Earth several times before; which clearly did not happen. The latest prediction came in 2012 and was linked to the end of the Mayan calendar.

(Oops, he missed those earlier predictions. Nibiru is a mysterious rogue planet) Continuing...


NASA has already dismissed the prediction; calling the whole thing a hoax. The space agency has reportedly known about the Nibiru conspiracy theory for years and shot down the talk of Armageddon in a 2012 statement. “If Nibiru or Planet X were real and headed for an encounter with the Earth … astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye.”

Well, maybe Mr. Meade, the number study-er, made enough money to publish a book for his next end of the world prediction.

If you have had a growing concern, or perhaps an increasing interest - STOP IT! Let's just breathe for a moment and consider Scripture - NOT codes, NOT numerology, NOT writings on pyramids, NOT trying to read between the lines - but reading God's Word.

Matthew 24:36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only."

Pretty clear.  Jesus (God the Son) said ONLY God the Father knows the day and hour.  This is why we must be skeptical of ANYONE who claims to have "figured out" something that is restricted to God alone.  If Mr. Meade now knows the day and hour, He has made God out to be a liar.  Listen to the danger of believing, or following, someone like Mr. Meade - you are attempting to make God out to be a liar as well.

Matthew 24:44 "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." 

At an hour you do not expect...  We must stop trying to figure it out and live in obedience to His commands as if this is the last day!

Let me give you my heartfelt prediction.  The Lord will return when He has determined.  You do not have to buy a book for that, just read the Bible.  If you feel compelled to give a donation for that prediction, here is a worthy ministry: DONATE.

We are now three minutes closer to His return.  Jesus said, "Therefore, you must also be ready."  The first stage of readiness is salvation through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Acts 2:38  The second stage of readiness is living in obedience as a result of your salvation. 2 John 1:6

This weekend for me?

I have a wedding at 2:00 and my son has a soccer game.  Going to spend time with my lovely wife.  I am preparing for Sunday worship.  But I am living ready!

Living out of the Tomb

Romans 6:1-14

1. Death to Life

For God’s children, there is no doubt that His grace covers our sin.  We should not, however, live lives that require His grace to continually increase; rather, it is our responsibility to live lives that bring Him glory.

We know from scripture that To become a follower of Christ, you must die to sin.  If we do not die to our self and our ways, and continue to do so, have we genuinely experienced the grace of God?  Has He become our Lord who leads us into life?

Granted, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, but Our passage today appears to be directed toward our intentional sinful behavior and lifestyle that is knowingly offensive to God. 

Just as Jesus was raised by the glory of God, we have been raised to walk in the newness of life.  

Not just raised to live again, but raised to live for God's glory.  

Because of our resurrection in Christ, we are to behave in a new way.

2. Slave to Free

We KNOW that our old self was crucified with Him so that this physical body, which is rooted in sin, might be released and no longer controlled by sin.

Our attachment to sin was eradicated by the work of Christ, but our submission to sin is made by us. 

Perhaps our quandary is trying to understand why God would release us from sin, and not remove the control it seems to have over us.

This verse provides the answer. He provided the means, now we must choose.

Here is a truth for you and me this morning.  If you have died to self with Christ, you have been set free from the power of sin over you!  

Whatever sin you are personally struggling with – it has been defeated.  

God has given you access to Himself through Jesus, access to His Word, the full time presence of His Spirit and the body of Christ to combat the lure and grasp of sin.  

You and I can attempt to overcome sin on our own, but we will continue failing.  

Just as Lazarus was released from death by the power of God, you and I can be released by the same power.

Once we have come out of the tomb, we must remove the grave clothes of sin that carry the stench of death.

3. Dead to sin and alive to God

Paul reminds the believers that Jesus genuinely defeated death.  He died to sin and continues living to God.  

Since we have joined Jesus through this supernatural event that is described as salvation, we too have died to sin and now live to God.

You and I were not raised to live for God, we were raised to new life to live to God.  What is the difference?

If I speak for you – you may or may not be present. (You may or may not agree.)

If I speak to you – it requires your presence.

If I live for God – I somehow think He needs me to do this on His behalf.

If I live to God – I am pointing every aspect of my life to Him for His glory.

You and I do not worship for God, give for God, work for God, serve for God or go on mission for God.  

We direct the entirety of our lives to Him. 

We give everything to be His disciples.

In verse 12, Paul sums up the Lord’s instruction.  

DO NOT LET SIN CONTROL your body, obeying its desires!

DO NOT OFFER your body as instruments for righteousness!

Why? Because you are no longer dead!

We often pray for revival. In light of this passage, revival occurs when children of God realize they are living in the tomb and walk out to the life God intended.

PRESENT YOURSELVES to God as if you have been truly brought from death to life.

PRESENT YOURSELVES to God as instruments for righteousness.

Why? Sin has no rule over you any longer.

It is not sufficient to be brought back to life to just breathe.

We must come out of the tomb, remove the grave clothes and leave the cemetery.

We must walk in the newness of life He provides.  

We must live TO GOD.