1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,080 We are one church. We love God, love people, love 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:06,960 His mission, and love His church. 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:09,560 Welcome to the One Church podcast. 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,680 There are some animals that they produce their own light. 5 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:23,160 Now you may know this, some marine animals, they call it 6 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:25,080 bioluminescence. That's where you produce your 7 00:00:25,080 --> 00:00:27,600 own light from the chemicals you consume or whatever. 8 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,200 It's pretty amazing really. And up to 75% of animals in the 9 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,080 water are bioluminescent because it's so dark below the surface 10 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:36,760 of the ocean, which is quite amazing. 11 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,240 I am not bioluminescent. I do not produce my own light. 12 00:00:40,480 --> 00:00:44,680 But here's my 4 favourite animals that produce light. 13 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:46,480 So here we go. This is a jellyfish. 14 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:48,840 Look at that. We we know jellyfish. 15 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,240 Jellyfish that they produce their own light based on some of 16 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,320 the things that they consume. And yeah, they light up the sea. 17 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:56,920 And if you ever see one, I don't think you'll be thinking, nice 18 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:58,480 light. I think you'll be thinking, ah, 19 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,560 a jellyfish. Next up, I've never actually 20 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:03,440 seen these in real life. Fireflies. 21 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,680 Has anyone seen real fireflies? Are they as light as they look 22 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:08,760 on the movies? They actually are. 23 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,160 One day, one day maybe they'll come to scrap toft. 24 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:13,480 I don't know. How about this one? 25 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,560 The anglerfish, we're thinking of Finding Nemo, we're thinking 26 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:18,640 of other things like that. And one that you might be 27 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:20,440 surprised by. An animal that emits its own 28 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,920 light is a puffin. So you're thinking a puffin 29 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,320 doesn't emit light. It's a, it's a bird, but we 30 00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:30,640 can't see it. But when you look at a puffin's 31 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:34,840 beak and see the UV light it emits, you see this. 32 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:39,640 Oh, that's good. And nearly all of these things, 33 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,480 why do they emit light? It's a mixture of things, but 34 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,280 usually it's for reproduction purposes. 35 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:48,760 With most animals, it's for reproduction purposes. 36 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,800 So light emits light. They emit light, But the rest of 37 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:57,080 us, we rely on it. John, chapter 8, verse 12 says 38 00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:59,240 this, and it's on the screen. This is the New International 39 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,120 Version of the Bible. When Jesus spoke again to the 40 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:04,520 people, he said, I am the light of the world. 41 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,400 Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have 42 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,520 the light of life. So John, Amen. 43 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,280 Indeed, John is not just my middle name. 44 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:17,680 It's the fourth gospel in the Bible. 45 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,880 In the New Testament, the new part of the Bible, the Gospels 46 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,360 are written to tell us about the life and teachings of Jesus 47 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:28,960 Christ and Jesus from the four different angles of the Gospels. 48 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:33,080 His life is wonderful, and the perspective of John's gospel, 49 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:37,000 it's really written to convince us of his glory and his 50 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,800 divinity. And throughout John there are 51 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,800 many things that happen. So there are two main sections 52 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:46,200 of John, and then a start and an end, a prologue and an epilogue. 53 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:50,280 And within this book of John you have amazing profound 54 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:54,280 statements, but there are seven I am statements of Jesus. 55 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:56,960 Maybe straight away you would know them, but the one that 56 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:01,080 we're focusing on today, the I AM statement, it's sandwiched 57 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:06,440 between two miraculous accounts. So whereas something is in the 58 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,760 Bible is significant, it's not just a series of stories one 59 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,160 after another, but when these books were composed, completely 60 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,360 inspired by God and written by people, we have these. 61 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,840 The way that a gospel is composed tells us a story as 62 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,080 well. It's amazing what God can speak 63 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,720 through His Word and we have an account, a miraculous account, 64 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,520 and then the declaration that Jesus said I'm the light of the 65 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,240 world and then another account. Those accounts are the woman who 66 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:36,520 is caught in adultery and then after a man who was born blind 67 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,720 and healed. But the bread of our sandwich, 68 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,280 which is here, the woman in adultery and the man born blind, 69 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,840 they help us understand the meat in the middle of the sandwich a 70 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:51,040 little bit more, where Jesus says I am the light of the 71 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:54,360 world. So first of all, light and life, 72 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,760 you may already know this, but life as we know it cannot exist 73 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:02,560 without light. And in Genesis one we have the 74 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:05,320 linking of light and life straight away. 75 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:09,920 Everybody say light, Everybody say life, Light and life. 76 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:12,400 There you go. That's a tongue twister for you. 77 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,880 OK, Genesis one in the beginning of the Bible says this. 78 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,800 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 79 00:04:19,079 --> 00:04:21,120 Now the earth was formless and empty. 80 00:04:21,399 --> 00:04:25,600 Darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God 81 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:30,600 was hovering over the waters. And God said, let there be 82 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,600 light, and there was. So at the beginning, we have the 83 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,520 beginning of life as we know it, and it's light. 84 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,400 The first thing God says let there be light, light and life. 85 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,640 And at the start of John's Gospel, which we're focusing on 86 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,560 today, we read this prologue that I mentioned. 87 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,800 We read that Jesus is not just a man, He's the Son of God. 88 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:54,200 He's the word of God. He is God and this is what it 89 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:58,080 says in John chapter one. In the beginning was the Word, 90 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,080 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 91 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:03,240 He was with God in the beginning. 92 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,360 Through him all things were made. 93 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:11,600 Everything, the anglerfish, the puffin, all of him, through him 94 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,920 all things were made. Without Him, nothing was made 95 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:19,800 that has been made In Him was life and that life was the light 96 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:23,680 of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness 97 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,840 and the darkness has not overcome it. 98 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:31,080 The beginning of Genesis, the beginning of John Light and 99 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:32,480 life. Are you ready? 100 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,120 Well, let's take a little trip to the biology classroom. 101 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:36,840 You know what I'm going to say. Light and life. 102 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:38,880 Light giving birth to life. That's right. 103 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:42,920 Here is a nice grown up diagram of photosynthesis. 104 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:45,400 Everybody. I feel photosynthesis is the 105 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,840 thing that people who do biology in the UK, they always remember, 106 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,760 like you just remember photosynthesis or a diagram of 107 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:53,560 the eye, always remember that as well. 108 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,080 But photosynthesis is what happens in plant life. 109 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,920 What we have is carbon dioxide, Water and light lead to the 110 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:04,760 production within a plant of oxygen and food or energy for 111 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:07,040 the plant. It's what makes it green and 112 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,520 also it's what keeps our atmosphere full of oxygen. 113 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:14,800 It's incredible light and life intermingling even in nature. 114 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:20,040 Literally, light brings life. This is a truth spoken by Jesus 115 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:22,920 in John 812. This is what we've read already. 116 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,880 I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never 117 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,280 walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. 118 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:35,240 Jesus is light and Jesus is life, but not just spoken. 119 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:40,120 Jesus shows this reality in the two accounts either side of the 120 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:44,280 statement in John 8 verse 1 to 11 and John 9. 121 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:48,760 He is light and life to a woman trapped in her sin and trapped 122 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:53,640 in the judgement of others. Jesus is light and life and he 123 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,360 is light and life to a man born blind. 124 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:01,160 He is light and life and changes everything because wherever 125 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:06,040 Jesus is, light is, wherever light is, life is. 126 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:11,080 And simply to say to you today, Jesus is light and life to all 127 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:13,640 who come to him. Are you lost? 128 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:19,800 Do you feel like you're dying? He is light and he is life. 129 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:25,360 He is not just light and life. Jesus is perfect light. 130 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,440 So we've gone biology. OK, let's go to another science. 131 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:30,360 What would you rather have? Physics or chemistry? 132 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:32,440 Good physics. I'm glad you said that. 133 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:34,120 I've got nothing prepared with chemistry. 134 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:36,400 OK, All right. We're going to the physics 135 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:38,720 classroom now. There's a man named Adrian 136 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:41,440 Rogers. He was a preacher and an author 137 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:43,880 and he speaks of the nature of light. 138 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,680 And this is what he says. Light is pure, light is not 139 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:52,720 changed by what it touches. He also states that light is 140 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:56,160 made-up of those 7 colours which when combined make pure white 141 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:58,000 light. And he talks about the number of 142 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:00,800 perfection in the Bible, in God's word of seven. 143 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:04,200 And I enjoyed that. Light is pure, it is not changed 144 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,800 by what it touches. Not just that, light is 145 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:08,600 constant. Have you ever heard of the 146 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,800 theory of relativity? E equals MC squared? 147 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:13,480 If I'm honest, I don't understand it. 148 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:15,680 I just know that Einstein has something to do with it. 149 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:20,760 But I do know this C in the equation E equals MC squared is 150 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,800 a constant that is recognised throughout the whole of 151 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,840 universal law, and that is the speed of light. 152 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:29,760 It's the universal constant. And what is the speed of light? 153 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:34,559 300,000 metres per second? That's fast. 154 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:37,720 That's really, really fast. But I love that. 155 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:41,240 Light is the constant. Light is victorious. 156 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,600 It illuminates, it reveals, and it scatters darkness. 157 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,440 A question is posed. How do you get rid of darkness? 158 00:08:47,560 --> 00:08:48,920 Do you use a shovel? No. 159 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:51,280 Do you use a brush and sweep it away? 160 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,360 No. You turn on a light and the 161 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:57,080 darkness flees. Light is victorious. 162 00:08:57,520 --> 00:08:59,560 Not just that, but light is vital. 163 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:02,880 We need it. It brings life, Light and life. 164 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:05,560 We've already talked about this. And light is glorious. 165 00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:07,400 Have you ever watched the sunrise? 166 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,000 Light is glorious. And consider Jesus. 167 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,000 If Jesus is the light, then what does that mean about him? 168 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:19,720 Jesus is pure. Jesus touched sin, but sin 169 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:24,200 didn't touch him. Jesus interacted with sinners, 170 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:29,440 yet he was blameless. Hebrews 4 verse 15 says this. 171 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,760 We have a high priest who's been tempted in every way, just as we 172 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:36,160 are, yet he did not sin. Jesus is pure. 173 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:40,360 Jesus is constant. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 8. 174 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:45,120 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. 175 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:49,240 Jesus is victorious. John 15 The light shines in the 176 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:52,560 darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. 177 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:57,280 Light overcomes darkness and Jesus overcomes all things. 178 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:00,920 Jesus is vital. John 812 As we've said, that is 179 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:05,640 the light of life and also Jesus is glorious. 180 00:10:05,680 --> 00:10:09,280 The sun is the radiance of God's glory. 181 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:14,200 Hebrews chapter one. This is Jesus, perfect light, 182 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:19,800 pure, constant, victorious, vital, glorious. 183 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:25,240 And Jesus, who is perfect light, is not just a distant God who we 184 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:28,760 hope to appease with our offerings, our prayers and our 185 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:32,560 time and service. We are talking about a Saviour 186 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:37,440 who came and took our place in our nest, who stepped into our 187 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:41,040 earthly timeline and into our earthly scene. 188 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:45,640 He took on our sin and bore our transgressions on Himself. 189 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:51,760 He is perfect light, and yet He came and made himself nothing on 190 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:56,040 behalf of those He loves. And He is the same Saviour who 191 00:10:56,040 --> 00:11:01,760 today longs to offer and give you life in fullness forever. 192 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:08,000 He is perfect light, and when Jesus shines, darkness cannot 193 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:13,120 exist in His presence. Now let's think for a moment 194 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,600 about that first story. The woman caught in adultery. 195 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,920 Jesus is the one who illuminates what is unclear. 196 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:23,520 He exposes what festers in the corner of a room. 197 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:27,720 He uncovers what is covered up, and he is the righteous and 198 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:32,200 perfect judge of all things. Jesus is in the business of 199 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:36,920 bringing light to darkness and bringing darkness into his 200 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,600 light. Now if you've ever been part of 201 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:44,320 Reach, which is our club that we run here at one church midweek 202 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:47,240 for 7 to 11 year olds, you've probably played hide and seek in 203 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,320 the dark. We encourage our kids around the 204 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:53,480 one centre, our church building where our offices are in the 205 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,320 city centre. We encourage them to go and hide 206 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:57,680 in different places around the building. 207 00:11:57,680 --> 00:11:59,720 We've got some rules. No boys toilets, no girls 208 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:01,080 toilets. That's unfair. 209 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,680 Of course, no kitchen, no one under the stage, don't go in 210 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:06,960 anywhere that you think you wouldn't be allowed to and don't 211 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:09,720 go up any stairs. And we let them go free. 212 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:12,640 We're talking open hands, donations, they're inside, 213 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:15,600 they're ready. We're talking undercoats, we're 214 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,000 talking underneath tables around there, inside cupboards. 215 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,840 I remember once when a child find a cupboard that had some 216 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:26,520 leftover Father's Day chocolates in, and when we went into the 217 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,320 cupboard we found a very suspicious empty wrapper lying 218 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:32,400 on the floor. They had a good game of hide and 219 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,600 seek that day, but what happens is you have kids hiding 220 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:38,960 everywhere in the dark, and then you turn the light on and 221 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:41,800 suddenly what was a great hiding place, you've got a kid kind of 222 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:45,040 posed like that against a wall or hanging over something. 223 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:49,040 When the light turns on, it's amazing how clear it is where 224 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:51,520 all the kids are. And actually, sometimes it's 225 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,280 amazing how obvious where the kids are as well because they're 226 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:57,440 laughing and smiling and simply cannot stay quiet. 227 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:02,160 When Jesus shines his light, we see things as they really are, 228 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:05,760 and maybe that's why sometimes we can be afraid to give him 229 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,320 full control. Let's think about the woman that 230 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:13,600 we read in John 8 at the start of the chapter where we read 231 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,520 Jesus is the light of the World. What I'm going to do is just 232 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:17,840 summarise the story a little bit. 233 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:21,920 Jesus has gone to the temple courts in Jerusalem to teach, 234 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:24,400 and as he teaches he has sat down. 235 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:26,760 People would have gathered around and listened. 236 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:30,560 And in that moment, the teachers bring a woman who's been caught 237 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:35,040 in adultery, in unfaithfulness, in her marriage and stands 238 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:38,400 before the group, and they challenge Jesus because what 239 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,080 they're doing is not about trying to do what's right. 240 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:45,000 They're trying to catch him out. In fact, in John, it says it's a 241 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:49,800 trap to try and accuse him. And the people, the teachers say 242 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:53,840 in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. 243 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:59,800 Now what do you say Jesus? And Jesus bends down and writes 244 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:04,120 on the ground with his finger. What did Jesus write? 245 00:14:05,560 --> 00:14:08,360 I'm going to speculate later, right at the end, OK, I've got 5 246 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,800 ideas for you, but that's fine. And their questions continue. 247 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:14,600 And Jesus looks at them and says this. 248 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:19,720 Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a 249 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:23,960 stone at her. And he continues to write in the 250 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:28,120 ground and one at a time. I love the the drama of this 251 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,600 moment. One at a time, starting with the 252 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:36,480 oldest and then the youngest and eventually everyone, they leave 253 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:38,800 one by one. We imagine the stones falling to 254 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:43,440 the ground and it says that just Jesus and the woman were left. 255 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,440 Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? 256 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:53,280 Jesus says to her, No one, Sir, she said Then neither do I 257 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:57,000 condemn you. Jesus declared go now and leave 258 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:01,000 your life of sin. So do you see Jesus heart in 259 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,200 this moment? He doesn't ignore the fact of 260 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,440 what she has done wrong, but what he does in that moment is 261 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:12,120 he gives her an opportunity to be transformed and changed from 262 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,600 that moment onwards. He says neither do I condemn 263 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,000 you, go now and leave your life of sin. 264 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:22,000 How can it be that Jesus, if he's a perfect judge, would see 265 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,320 the woman's sins that are things she has done wrong? 266 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:29,280 It's never denied by Jesus. But in that moment he says, now 267 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:33,320 go and leave your life of sin. Start again, start afresh. 268 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:35,400 What gives Jesus the right to say this? 269 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:38,720 It's because he was the one who would go on to be condemned. 270 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:42,200 And in this moment, Jesus almost points to the future, something 271 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,480 that is to come. Jesus was condemned to death on 272 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,760 a cross for women like that woman who was caught in 273 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:52,440 adultery, for men like the man born blind, and for people like 274 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:56,280 me and for you. Jesus was condemned to death on 275 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,200 a cross even though he had done nothing wrong. 276 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,920 He was perfect light, yet he was condemned. 277 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:05,560 Our condemnation was on him. And because of what Jesus has 278 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:08,480 done, now all of us can walk in his freedom. 279 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:11,960 We can be given another chance to begin again. 280 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:16,560 We have the opportunity of new life, but we have to choose to 281 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:20,520 walk into this freedom. And there are two choices in the 282 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:22,240 book of John and in the whole Bible. 283 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,720 We either live in the darkness or live in the light. 284 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:29,000 We walk in the darkness or we walk in the light. 285 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:33,040 There is no mid ground, there is no shadowy middle land, but 286 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:37,200 there are some dark sunlight. It is we walk in darkness or we 287 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,760 live in the light. And Jesus gives this woman a 288 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:46,080 glorious, gracious, loving opportunity to not be condemned 289 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:51,120 by the crowd around her, but to now get up, stand up, and leave 290 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:55,600 her life of sin and be changed. Did you know that no matter what 291 00:16:55,600 --> 00:17:00,760 you've done, you can be saved? Did you know no matter how far 292 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:03,840 you've fallen short, Jesus is enough for you? 293 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:07,920 Do you know how no matter how much you feel condemned by 294 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:13,000 yourself and others, He took your condemnation on Himself and 295 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:17,079 now you can walk in freedom. Did you know that you can pick 296 00:17:17,079 --> 00:17:20,760 yourself up out of the dust of the ground of this life like the 297 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:24,440 woman caught in adultery? You can stand and you can follow 298 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:27,839 Jesus instructions to leave your life of sin and walk in light 299 00:17:27,839 --> 00:17:30,480 and freedom. This is an offer to you today. 300 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:36,200 Oh, it takes sacrifice and it takes honesty, but it's an offer 301 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,280 given to you. We don't know how she reacted. 302 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:43,640 We don't really know what happened to her next, but today 303 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:46,000 we have a choice of what happens next in our lives. 304 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:51,520 Finally, Jesus is not just the one who gives light and life. 305 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:54,520 He is not just perfect light, and He's not just the one who 306 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:58,400 gives light in the darkness. He's the one who gives light to 307 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,760 the blind. And after He declares of himself 308 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:06,160 that I am the light of the world, He then brings light to a 309 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:12,560 man who has only seen darkness. Jesus sees a man blind from 310 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:14,320 birth. And the disciples ask him. 311 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:16,680 They say, Jesus, let's talk about the man. 312 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:19,040 Let's not talk to him. Let's talk about him. 313 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:24,720 Was it his sin or his parents sin that mean he was blind? 314 00:18:25,120 --> 00:18:27,000 And in that moment they've missed the point. 315 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:28,600 It's the person in front of them. 316 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:32,320 And Jesus says this, this happens so the works of God 317 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:36,720 might be displayed in him. Are you prepared today for the 318 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:41,040 reality that your blindness and struggles in life may simply be 319 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:44,320 an opportunity for a display of the wondrous works of God? 320 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:48,800 Perhaps the canvas of your pain and persistent prayer of many 321 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:54,800 years God has intended to upon which paint a masterpiece of His 322 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,360 Majesty, healing and restoration. 323 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:01,520 He says the words that we think about today. 324 00:19:02,120 --> 00:19:04,240 Jesus says again, I am the light of the world. 325 00:19:04,360 --> 00:19:08,600 He spits on the ground, he makes mud and he puts it on the man's 326 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:12,040 eyes. He says go and wash in the pool 327 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:15,280 of Siloam. And the man comes back seeing 328 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,520 his neighbours, friends and family are shook up. 329 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,640 They are they're rattled. They can't believe it. 330 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:25,280 They think it's a look alike it says. 331 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:28,400 They think it's he's got a twin and he sent a twin to try and 332 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:30,760 trick us. But anyway, the Pharisees, the 333 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:33,960 teachers of the law, they bring him in front of them and just 334 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,400 like the disciples, they start to grill and they start to ask 335 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:39,920 questions. They ask him, they ask his 336 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,600 parents, is he really, was he really born blind? 337 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:44,720 Is this really true? What's happened? 338 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:47,040 How is this possible? Who did this? 339 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:51,280 And the man's response sums up the wonder of the whole account. 340 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:55,000 Whether Jesus is a Sinner or not, I don't know. 341 00:19:55,240 --> 00:20:01,040 One thing I do know, I was blind but now I see. 342 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:05,840 And the Pharisees say you were steeped in sin at birth, how 343 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:08,880 dare you lecture us? And they throw him out of their 344 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:12,040 presence. Jesus hears of this and he finds 345 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:14,200 the man because that's what Jesus does. 346 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,760 He hears of a man thrown out of the Pharisees presence and he 347 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,840 goes to find him. And Jesus finds the man and he 348 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:23,600 says this. Do you believe in the Son of Man 349 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:27,920 which is one of Jesus names? And the man says, tell me so 350 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:31,560 that I may believe in him. You have seen him. 351 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:35,160 And Jesus looks at the man and what's his response? 352 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:38,040 The man born blind, who's been miraculously healed, He looks at 353 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:42,880 Jesus and says, Lord, I believe and he worships him. 354 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:46,400 No matter what others have said or questioned or done, in this 355 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:50,040 moment, he makes a decision to say, Lord, I believe and 356 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:55,160 worships him and his words. I was blind and now I see are so 357 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,640 much more than just his physical eyes being opened. 358 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:00,480 He has been spiritually brought to life. 359 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:05,320 His spiritual eyes have been opened to see Jesus, the Son of 360 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:09,360 man, the one who can save and heal, but also the one who calls 361 00:21:09,360 --> 00:21:12,200 him into new life and he chooses to worship. 362 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:15,840 I was a Wretch and now I'm saved. 363 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:21,240 I was lost and now I'm found. I was blind but now I see. 364 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:26,800 So today, how do we how do we now take some of the truths 365 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,560 we've talked about and where do we go from here? 366 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:34,400 What's our next step? I'd suggest to you today that if 367 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:38,240 our next step is to go good one. Jesus, fantastic. 368 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:40,800 You're the light of the world. Thank you very much. 369 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:44,360 Coffee, flapjack, one of those little brownies. 370 00:21:44,360 --> 00:21:47,720 If you, if you get there quick enough, little shortbreads, have 371 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:49,200 a nice chat to someone and go home. 372 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:52,320 We, we perhaps have missed a moment that could change our 373 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:55,000 lives. We perhaps have missed a woman 374 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,000 in adultery moment. Maybe we've missed a man born 375 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:01,600 blind moment. Because right now Jesus is here 376 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:05,120 and he's able to take you on the next step. 377 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:12,080 I think the first, the first moment of response for us today 378 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:19,280 is an easier one than the second, but also it is vitally 379 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,800 important. It's the choice to declare. 380 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:28,480 It's a declaration. Jesus challenge to the man born 381 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:33,160 blind was this. Do you believe and he was able 382 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:37,560 to declare that he did and worship Jesus Throughout the 383 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:42,640 Bible we see these passages where we're encouraged to 384 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:49,560 believe in the light of the world to Samuel 22, it's on the 385 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:53,160 screen if you want to glance or just to listen and receive you, 386 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:58,160 Lord, in my lamp the Lord turns my darkness into light. 2 387 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:02,080 Corinthians 4 of us 4 to 6. The God of this age is blinded, 388 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,880 the minds of unbelievers, they cannot see the light of the 389 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:07,160 gospel that displays the glory of Christ. 390 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,560 God who said let light shine out of darkness, made His light 391 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:15,520 shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of 392 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:19,280 God's glory displayed in the face of Christ. 393 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:24,280 Some of us in the room have been blinded. 394 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:31,600 Circumstances, the work of the enemy, things that we've 395 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:37,440 experienced, hardness of heart, whatever the gods that have 396 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:40,960 governed our lives. Some of us in the room today are 397 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:44,960 blinded and we would say that we are on that category of 398 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:47,560 unbeliever or we don't know where we are in our belief. 399 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:51,000 The good news is we know someone who can help us in our unbelief 400 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:54,960 today. Jesus, the light of the world, 401 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:56,880 stands with arms open wide to you. 402 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:00,080 He says that no matter what you've done, where you've been, 403 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:02,960 or who you are, no matter the unbelief that you have lived in 404 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:05,480 today, He welcomes you to come to Him. 405 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:08,120 He says that He's the answer that you've looked for. 406 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:10,000 He's the one that you've searched for. 407 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:12,960 There is only one and His name is Jesus. 408 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:15,520 There's only one way, and His name is Jesus. 409 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:19,160 He is the truth for every question, and He is life and 410 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:23,000 light for all who seek Him. And today you might simply want 411 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:27,040 to say, yes, Jesus, today I choose to say I believe in you. 412 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:30,520 I believe in what you've done, what you've done on the cross 413 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:32,000 that we sang about and have talked about. 414 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,080 Today what you've done is you died in my place on the cross 415 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:37,840 and you rose to life. Look, I believe in you and I 416 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,640 believe in what you've done. I want to put my trust in you 417 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:42,840 and worship you. I don't know how it all looks 418 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,360 yet, but I want to say today that I declare that I believe 419 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:49,640 and I put my trust in you. Just like the man chose to 420 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:53,240 believe and worship Jesus after the miracle he'd done in his 421 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:56,440 life, today you can declare that you believe in him too. 422 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:01,200 And now something that's incredibly personal for each of 423 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:06,760 us, transformation, the call to leave our life of sin. 424 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:11,280 Jesus himself Stoops down into the dust. 425 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:15,080 He finds you where you were, covered in the the mess of what 426 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:17,240 you've done. Maybe you've been ridiculed by 427 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:20,960 others or maybe you've simply been lambasted by yourself. 428 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,920 You've been struck down by yourself and you carry the guilt 429 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:27,520 and shame of things that you've done in the past or things 430 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,960 you're engaged in right now. And you know it's not God's best 431 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:33,560 for you and you long to leave your life of sin, but you don't 432 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:38,360 know where it begins today. Jesus said I am the light of the 433 00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:41,720 world. He offers you a life of light 434 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:45,960 and fullness of life. He offers you the opportunity of 435 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:51,520 living your life of sin. In Isaiah 9, the people walking 436 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:54,960 in darkness have seen a great light on those living in the 437 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:57,400 land of deep darkness. A light has dawned. 438 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,800 His name is Jesus and He can rescue us from the depths of any 439 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:05,440 sin we have found ourselves in one John one verse 5, God is 440 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:07,320 light. In Him there's no darkness. 441 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:10,240 If we claim to have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, 442 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:12,600 we lie. We do not live out the truth. 443 00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:16,840 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have 444 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:20,400 fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son 445 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:25,480 purifies us from all sin. So what did Jesus write in the 446 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:28,880 dust? Some people think that he wrote 447 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:31,720 the sins of the people in the crowd and as they saw it, they 448 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:36,000 realised that they had sinned. Some people speculate that he 449 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:40,160 wrote the names of those people who had also sinned alongside 450 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:43,920 her in her adultery and then in that moment they realised they 451 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:47,280 were just victimising 1. Some people think that Jesus 452 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:50,200 wrote the 10 commandments to remind them of those things. 453 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,840 And some people think that Jesus was simply distracting people 454 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:57,520 from her shame because it was likely that she was indiscreetly 455 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:02,560 dressed at that moment. However, for me my favourite 456 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:05,840 observation is this. In the beginning, when God 457 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:07,680 created the heavens and the earth and said let there be 458 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:11,320 light, he took the dust of the ground and he breathed his 459 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:14,480 breath into the dust and he made a man. 460 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:19,600 And in this moment he Stoops into the dust of the ground, and 461 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:24,200 he begins to trace his finger in that dust from which he made 462 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:28,480 people, and he begins a process of recreation in her life. 463 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:33,760 New start, a new life. You're forgiven. 464 00:27:35,360 --> 00:27:38,680 You're not condemned. I take your condemnation on me. 465 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:41,320 I give you an opportunity to be made new. 466 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:45,280 And Jesus, through whom all things were made, who brings 467 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:49,400 light and life to everything. Jesus begins a process of 468 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:53,960 recreation and today you were made by him. 469 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:58,320 But he wants to get down on your level, to get into your dust and 470 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:00,280 the mess of your sin and mistakes. 471 00:28:01,120 --> 00:28:05,040 And he wants to recreate you. He wants to reform you. 472 00:28:05,360 --> 00:28:08,360 He wants to heal your heart. And he wants to whisper a 473 00:28:08,360 --> 00:28:11,880 challenge to you and say, and now it's time. 474 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,360 I'm not condemning you here. There's a way. 475 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,640 There's a way to be free. But it's time to leave your life 476 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:20,960 of sin and it's time to follow me. 477 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:27,560 It's time to walk in the light. The Lord bless you and keep you. 478 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:31,400 The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 479 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:35,280 The Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.