Walking in the light
Sermon preached at St Paul's Church, Oadby
Sunday 30 April 2006
Hugh James
There is no audio recording of this sermon, but the text is shown below.
The bible readings used in this sermon are 1 John 3.1-7 & Luke 24.36b-48.
Walking in the light
Let us pray:
Lord of Light,
Take our minds,
Blot out the distractions of the world around
And turn them to yourself.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen
Today, we're starting a six-week series -- looking at the first epistle of John. And I'm looking forward to it -- and I hope that I can be helpful in sharing some of its great truths with you.
But I have to confess, to being slightly disappointed - disappointed at not being able to preach from the gospel reading. That story of Thomas -- I identify so much with him. I was actually born on the 21st of December, -- which was his Saints Day -- though it can now be celebrated on 3rd July.
When I was born, the principal of my father's theological College wrote to my father, -- congratulated him on my birth -- and then added: "of course, as a good churchman, you should have called him Thomas. But then," he added, "I didn't call my son Simon and Jude." (That’s the 28th October).
But even if I'm not named after Thomas, I find myself identifying with him. Like him, I'm horribly rationalist -- dead men don't rise. Like him, I want proof -- "I need to touch him." Like him, I'm slow to get enthused -- I need to be persuaded that something’s right.
But the Lord understood Thomas -- and he understands me. He went out of his way to show himself to Thomas. There's no disgrace in questioning -- though when God's produced the evidence, he expects us to act on it.
But that’s not our sermon. So let's go back to John's first epistle. This is the start of a six-week series. So before we look at the truths in today's reading, we need to take a brief look at the epistle in general. First - who wrote it?
There are five books in the Bible associated with John. The gospel that bears his name, three epistles and the book of Revelation. And Revelation -- the only one without John in the main title -- is the only one that actually says that it was written by John -- and then we're not sure which John. Like today, John was not the rarest of names.
The gospel has no introduction to say who wrote it -- or who it was written for. It just goes straight into those famous words: "in the beginning." Later on, it avoids mentioning one of the disciples by name, and just calls him: "the disciple whom Jesus loved." So, was the author using the phrase when he was speaking of himself? If so, that author may have been John the apostle.
In the second and third epistles, the writer calls himself "the elder." -- not that that helps us much. But in the first letter, we don't even get that. I hope that you've got a Bible in front of you. And if you have, you'll see that the opening verses appear to be that of an eyewitness: "We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life."
It doesn't prove anything, but it sounds like a close companion of Christ - and would certainly be compatible with the writer being the apostle John. As we study the epistle, you'll probably notice many similarities with John's gospel -- making it likely that both were penned by the same person.
Not everyone agrees with even that, though, as there are a number of words which are found in the gospel, and not the epistle, and vice versa. But if you looked in my writings from a few years back, you wouldn't find me using words like "meta-analysis," "paradigm," or "pro-active" let alone "gob-smacked!" but I fear that you might find them now!
So, overall, I would suggest that the writer of 1 John is the same as the writer of John's gospel -- and both may well be John the apostle.
So when were they written? Even if they were written by John the apostle, if he is the same John as the church leader in Ephesus, he lived to a very great age -- so they could well have been written late in the first century. There are suggestions in the epistle that it was opposing the Gnostic heresy -- a heresy which arose after the initial expansion of the church -- so suggesting that the epistle was written quite late in the first, or in the early second century.
After discussing who wrote a book -- and when -- it is customary to consider the principle message that the book sets forth. But that's what we will be talking about over the next six weeks. So I won't consider it now.
Let's turn to one John chapter 1. The first four verses introduce themes that we know well from the gospel of John. -- the word of life (in verse 1) -- Eternal Life (in verse 2) -- Christian Fellowship (in verse 3) -- both between believers and between believers and God the Father and Jesus his Son.
John has seen these things work out as he and the other disciples lived with Christ. And now that fellowship continues within the Church. Despite all the persecution that came to the early Church, that Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son brings Joy, not sadness. And he wants to share that joy with his readers.
Is JOY what marks us out as Christians -- as Easter people? Sadly, the Christian portrayed in the media is usually just the opposite -- as miserable as sin. I hope that’s not us.
The word of life (in verse 1) -- echoes the phrase from the gospel: "in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the Word was God."
Just now, I mentioned the Gnostic heresy. It took several forms, but it commonly included the belief that it was possible to have special knowledge -- Gnosis means knowledge. And this knowledge wasn't available to everyone -- only to a special clique. The Gnostics also had difficulty with the doctrine of the incarnation – the belief that Christ was truly human and truly God.
But here we have the writer pointing to the word of life. Words are what convey knowledge -- but this word was Jesus. To know Him is true knowledge.
I think there are times when it’s a temptation for us too to look for something special -- a new spirituality -- a new experience. Sometimes the simple beliefs of our faith seem rather old -- rather unexciting -- rather boring. I'm sure that that wanting something new and different was what had led to many becoming Gnostics.
But John is witnessing to Jesus – the true – and only - word of life
And so we move to the second section -- verses 5 to 9 -- and in verse 5 we read: “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.” We celebrate Christmas in December. There’s no evidence that Christ came to earth in December -- he almost certainly didn't -- and Christianity has rather taken over the pre-Christian midwinter festival. But there's something highly significant about celebrating the coming of the light of the world at the darkest time of the year -- unless of course you're celebrating in Australia!
But, give or take the odd week, caused by different people's calendars, we've just celebrated Easter at the exact time of the year when Jesus died and rose -- the Passover. And that's a time when light is important too. It's a time when the light is growing -- when we're looking forward to long summer evenings.
But the picture here is rather different from the comfortable warm spring sunlight. “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all” By comparison to spring sunlight, it's a blinding glare.
We were in France when there was a solar eclipse a few summers ago. To prevent eye damage, the French government had ensured that every citizen had a pair of goggles -- dark glasses able to withstand the sun's light. So when the moment came, all the Frenchman looked at the sun. But we Brits, tried to look at the shadow on the ground, as our namby-pamby government was afraid we wouldn't use the glasses properly -- so gave us none at all.
But light is powerful. It's highly dangerous to look at the sun. So what do we understand by the phrase: "walking in the light."
I think there are two aspects -- one is walking with God -- the other is walking with our fellow Christians. Are we walking with God in a way that allows his light to shine into our lives and reveal what's really going on? We all know how visible the cobwebs appear when the sunshine streams into a room. If God’s spotlight was turned on your life – or mine -- are there aspects of them of which we’d be ashamed?
But are we actually hiding some of our sins from ourselves? Jesus talked much of the sins of the heart -- of things like hatred -- of impurity. Do we admit them to God? Do we even admit them to ourselves?
And what about walking in the light with others? I'm not suggesting that we should reveal all our sins to others – though James tells us that there is a place for confession to others. But do we paint ourselves as above reproach -- even when we know that we are not? Or do we share that we too are in need of God's forgiveness. It's very easy to put oneself on a pedestal -- but it's a very lonely place to be.
But what do we do when the Light reveals our failings? John tells us that in verses 7 – 9.
I was brought up on the Book of Common Prayer – the old Prayer Book -- and after years of not using it I now often find myself using it as I lead the 6:30 p.m. Prayer Book service at St Peter’s. And at the beginning of the service, I find myself using these same verses: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
There are two parts to the first line: firstly, denying that we have sin. If we say that, we're just wrong – we’re deceiving ourselves. But secondly, far more serious, is that we're separating ourselves from the God of truth -- the truth is not in us.
In fact this idea is repeated twice -- and second time round, the wording is even stronger: "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him (God) a liar, and his word is not in us."
But the alternative is to accept our sinfulness and confess it. And then we're promised both forgiveness and cleansing. It’s important that we let God’s light shine into our lives regularly -- daily -- and seek his forgiveness for the dust -- the sin -- that the light of God shows up. Someone once said: “Keep short accounts with God.” It’s good advice. That’s much better than an annual spring clean.
But as we benefit from forgiveness, St. John goes to great pains to remind us of the cost of our forgiveness: “and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
John is very keen that the readers of his letter should not sin. One of the branches of Gnosticism held the body in very low esteem -- what mattered was the mind. So it didn't matter what you did with the body – just enjoy it. Perhaps that isn't exactly where we're at. But we live in a society where the attitude is very much: "Do what you like if it feels good to you." And that can have the same effect. And then it's very easy for the world's values to creep into the church.
And John goes on to acknowledge that sin happens – and sadly, this side of heaven, it always will -- but the way is available for forgiveness. Jesus is like that lamb that was sacrificed in the Old Testament. The people's sins were laid on the lamb -- and then the lamb was killed. The people could be at one with God -- the lamb atoned for their sins. But now it's Christ who is the atoning sacrifice. His blood, shed on the cross, covered your sins and mine.
Some people find the idea of sacrifice, of the cross, of blood, distasteful. It is, it’s outrageous. Our forgiveness was not bought cheaply.
So, as we enjoy the spring sunshine -- or hope to -- is the light of God shining into our lives? Revealing the dusty corners that need forgiveness? And are we open in admitting that we are nothing special - just sinners -- saved by God's grace?
As St Paul wrote in Ephesians 5: “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light.”
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the light.
May we walk as children of light all our days,
Amen
Sunday 30 April 2006
Hugh James
There is no audio recording of this sermon, but the text is shown below.
...there are two aspects -- one is walking with God -- the other is walking with our fellow Christians. Are we walking with God in a way that allows his light to shine into our lives and reveal what's really going on?
The bible readings used in this sermon are 1 John 3.1-7 & Luke 24.36b-48.
Walking in the light
Let us pray:
Lord of Light,
Take our minds,
Blot out the distractions of the world around
And turn them to yourself.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen
Today, we're starting a six-week series -- looking at the first epistle of John. And I'm looking forward to it -- and I hope that I can be helpful in sharing some of its great truths with you.
But I have to confess, to being slightly disappointed - disappointed at not being able to preach from the gospel reading. That story of Thomas -- I identify so much with him. I was actually born on the 21st of December, -- which was his Saints Day -- though it can now be celebrated on 3rd July.
When I was born, the principal of my father's theological College wrote to my father, -- congratulated him on my birth -- and then added: "of course, as a good churchman, you should have called him Thomas. But then," he added, "I didn't call my son Simon and Jude." (That’s the 28th October).
But even if I'm not named after Thomas, I find myself identifying with him. Like him, I'm horribly rationalist -- dead men don't rise. Like him, I want proof -- "I need to touch him." Like him, I'm slow to get enthused -- I need to be persuaded that something’s right.
But the Lord understood Thomas -- and he understands me. He went out of his way to show himself to Thomas. There's no disgrace in questioning -- though when God's produced the evidence, he expects us to act on it.
But that’s not our sermon. So let's go back to John's first epistle. This is the start of a six-week series. So before we look at the truths in today's reading, we need to take a brief look at the epistle in general. First - who wrote it?
There are five books in the Bible associated with John. The gospel that bears his name, three epistles and the book of Revelation. And Revelation -- the only one without John in the main title -- is the only one that actually says that it was written by John -- and then we're not sure which John. Like today, John was not the rarest of names.
The gospel has no introduction to say who wrote it -- or who it was written for. It just goes straight into those famous words: "in the beginning." Later on, it avoids mentioning one of the disciples by name, and just calls him: "the disciple whom Jesus loved." So, was the author using the phrase when he was speaking of himself? If so, that author may have been John the apostle.
In the second and third epistles, the writer calls himself "the elder." -- not that that helps us much. But in the first letter, we don't even get that. I hope that you've got a Bible in front of you. And if you have, you'll see that the opening verses appear to be that of an eyewitness: "We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life."
It doesn't prove anything, but it sounds like a close companion of Christ - and would certainly be compatible with the writer being the apostle John. As we study the epistle, you'll probably notice many similarities with John's gospel -- making it likely that both were penned by the same person.
Not everyone agrees with even that, though, as there are a number of words which are found in the gospel, and not the epistle, and vice versa. But if you looked in my writings from a few years back, you wouldn't find me using words like "meta-analysis," "paradigm," or "pro-active" let alone "gob-smacked!" but I fear that you might find them now!
So, overall, I would suggest that the writer of 1 John is the same as the writer of John's gospel -- and both may well be John the apostle.
So when were they written? Even if they were written by John the apostle, if he is the same John as the church leader in Ephesus, he lived to a very great age -- so they could well have been written late in the first century. There are suggestions in the epistle that it was opposing the Gnostic heresy -- a heresy which arose after the initial expansion of the church -- so suggesting that the epistle was written quite late in the first, or in the early second century.
After discussing who wrote a book -- and when -- it is customary to consider the principle message that the book sets forth. But that's what we will be talking about over the next six weeks. So I won't consider it now.
Let's turn to one John chapter 1. The first four verses introduce themes that we know well from the gospel of John. -- the word of life (in verse 1) -- Eternal Life (in verse 2) -- Christian Fellowship (in verse 3) -- both between believers and between believers and God the Father and Jesus his Son.
John has seen these things work out as he and the other disciples lived with Christ. And now that fellowship continues within the Church. Despite all the persecution that came to the early Church, that Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son brings Joy, not sadness. And he wants to share that joy with his readers.
Is JOY what marks us out as Christians -- as Easter people? Sadly, the Christian portrayed in the media is usually just the opposite -- as miserable as sin. I hope that’s not us.
The word of life (in verse 1) -- echoes the phrase from the gospel: "in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the Word was God."
Just now, I mentioned the Gnostic heresy. It took several forms, but it commonly included the belief that it was possible to have special knowledge -- Gnosis means knowledge. And this knowledge wasn't available to everyone -- only to a special clique. The Gnostics also had difficulty with the doctrine of the incarnation – the belief that Christ was truly human and truly God.
But here we have the writer pointing to the word of life. Words are what convey knowledge -- but this word was Jesus. To know Him is true knowledge.
I think there are times when it’s a temptation for us too to look for something special -- a new spirituality -- a new experience. Sometimes the simple beliefs of our faith seem rather old -- rather unexciting -- rather boring. I'm sure that that wanting something new and different was what had led to many becoming Gnostics.
But John is witnessing to Jesus – the true – and only - word of life
And so we move to the second section -- verses 5 to 9 -- and in verse 5 we read: “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.” We celebrate Christmas in December. There’s no evidence that Christ came to earth in December -- he almost certainly didn't -- and Christianity has rather taken over the pre-Christian midwinter festival. But there's something highly significant about celebrating the coming of the light of the world at the darkest time of the year -- unless of course you're celebrating in Australia!
But, give or take the odd week, caused by different people's calendars, we've just celebrated Easter at the exact time of the year when Jesus died and rose -- the Passover. And that's a time when light is important too. It's a time when the light is growing -- when we're looking forward to long summer evenings.
But the picture here is rather different from the comfortable warm spring sunlight. “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all” By comparison to spring sunlight, it's a blinding glare.
We were in France when there was a solar eclipse a few summers ago. To prevent eye damage, the French government had ensured that every citizen had a pair of goggles -- dark glasses able to withstand the sun's light. So when the moment came, all the Frenchman looked at the sun. But we Brits, tried to look at the shadow on the ground, as our namby-pamby government was afraid we wouldn't use the glasses properly -- so gave us none at all.
But light is powerful. It's highly dangerous to look at the sun. So what do we understand by the phrase: "walking in the light."
I think there are two aspects -- one is walking with God -- the other is walking with our fellow Christians. Are we walking with God in a way that allows his light to shine into our lives and reveal what's really going on? We all know how visible the cobwebs appear when the sunshine streams into a room. If God’s spotlight was turned on your life – or mine -- are there aspects of them of which we’d be ashamed?
But are we actually hiding some of our sins from ourselves? Jesus talked much of the sins of the heart -- of things like hatred -- of impurity. Do we admit them to God? Do we even admit them to ourselves?
And what about walking in the light with others? I'm not suggesting that we should reveal all our sins to others – though James tells us that there is a place for confession to others. But do we paint ourselves as above reproach -- even when we know that we are not? Or do we share that we too are in need of God's forgiveness. It's very easy to put oneself on a pedestal -- but it's a very lonely place to be.
But what do we do when the Light reveals our failings? John tells us that in verses 7 – 9.
I was brought up on the Book of Common Prayer – the old Prayer Book -- and after years of not using it I now often find myself using it as I lead the 6:30 p.m. Prayer Book service at St Peter’s. And at the beginning of the service, I find myself using these same verses: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
There are two parts to the first line: firstly, denying that we have sin. If we say that, we're just wrong – we’re deceiving ourselves. But secondly, far more serious, is that we're separating ourselves from the God of truth -- the truth is not in us.
In fact this idea is repeated twice -- and second time round, the wording is even stronger: "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him (God) a liar, and his word is not in us."
But the alternative is to accept our sinfulness and confess it. And then we're promised both forgiveness and cleansing. It’s important that we let God’s light shine into our lives regularly -- daily -- and seek his forgiveness for the dust -- the sin -- that the light of God shows up. Someone once said: “Keep short accounts with God.” It’s good advice. That’s much better than an annual spring clean.
But as we benefit from forgiveness, St. John goes to great pains to remind us of the cost of our forgiveness: “and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
John is very keen that the readers of his letter should not sin. One of the branches of Gnosticism held the body in very low esteem -- what mattered was the mind. So it didn't matter what you did with the body – just enjoy it. Perhaps that isn't exactly where we're at. But we live in a society where the attitude is very much: "Do what you like if it feels good to you." And that can have the same effect. And then it's very easy for the world's values to creep into the church.
And John goes on to acknowledge that sin happens – and sadly, this side of heaven, it always will -- but the way is available for forgiveness. Jesus is like that lamb that was sacrificed in the Old Testament. The people's sins were laid on the lamb -- and then the lamb was killed. The people could be at one with God -- the lamb atoned for their sins. But now it's Christ who is the atoning sacrifice. His blood, shed on the cross, covered your sins and mine.
Some people find the idea of sacrifice, of the cross, of blood, distasteful. It is, it’s outrageous. Our forgiveness was not bought cheaply.
So, as we enjoy the spring sunshine -- or hope to -- is the light of God shining into our lives? Revealing the dusty corners that need forgiveness? And are we open in admitting that we are nothing special - just sinners -- saved by God's grace?
As St Paul wrote in Ephesians 5: “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light.”
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the light.
May we walk as children of light all our days,
Amen
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home