Broadway Christian Church · Columbia, Missouri

Morning Worship · March 22, 2009

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Prayer of the Day

Dear Lord, help us to realize it is easier to walk in light than in darkness. Help us to see that faith, hope, and love are eternal. They are gifts from God, and they will not perish. Teach us to live as Christ lived, as we experience the presence of God and the reality of life. Each day, may we know that he who made the lights of heaven will light our pathway. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Scripture

John 3:14-21

“…And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

Message

Come to the Light

Larry Gallamore

A few days ago, one of our members shared a story with me that was printed in the Bluff Creek Christian Church Newsletter in Greenwood, Indiana.  It’s a people’s parable written by James E. Carter titled “Atonement.”  I share the story as it was told.

When I was nine years old I joined the YMCA for the summer.  One of my friends who lived near me would go with me three days a week to the “Y” to play and swim.  Each time we went, we were given enough money to ride the bus to the trolley and then to town and back home again.

One day my friend’s mother gave him an extra dime so we could buy a treat after we were dismissed.  To us, it seemed that the session would never end.  After we had finished swimming and were dressed, we rushed to the corner Walgreen’s Drugstore.  We mounted the stools at the lunch counter in that cool, air-conditioned store, ready to order.

Then we saw behind the counter the mouth-watering pictures depicting the various choices for food and drinks.

One item really caught our eyes – a chocolate ice-cream soda. Neither of us had ever tried one before.  And we gave no thought to the cost.  If there ever was a case of “over-sell,” this was it.  So we each ordered one.

I never tasted anything so good.  Then the waitress brought our ticket.

We looked at it and nearly died.  It was for fifty cents, and all we had was a dime.  I could just see myself washing dishes all night long.  We didn’t know what to do.

Just when we had sunk to our lowest, a man who had been flirting with the waitress reached between us, picked up the ticket, and said, “That’s all right, boys, I’ll take care of it.”  This benefactor, whom we had never seen before, paid our debt and rescued us.

This is what Christ did on the cross.  We had a valid debt to pay because of our sin.  But Christ took it himself.  He blotted it out.  He nailed it to the cross.  We have been rescued and forgiven.  Our relationship with God has been restored.

Today I’m convinced the Light of Christ is in the world more than perhaps any other era.  Have you seen it?  Have you experienced it?  Have you noticed how it’s changing lives?

The Light is shining through committed Christians everywhere.  You have to have new eyes to see it.

The story is told of Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Watson. They were on a camping trip, and during the night, Sherlock woke up, leaned over, and asked, “Watson, what do you see?”  

Watson replied, “I see the North Star, the Big Dipper, the tail of Orion, and I can just make out the edges of the Milky Way.”  

As Watson became lost in his rapturous explanation, suddenly Sherlock elbowed him and hissed, “Watson, you idiot, someone has stolen our tent!”

Watson was all excited about seeing the Light and the beauty of the universe. Sherlock missed the Light.  He was more concerned with the crime that made the new view possible.

Sometimes, someone has to steal our tent before we see the Light, the tent that keeps us from seeing the Light of the universe.  It’s as if we have new eyes seeing things we have never seen before.  We get a new view of the world and everything that’s happening around us.

When Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world,” he was not referring to his human personality but to the Spirit within him that brought this great new Redeeming Light into the world, a Light that shines in the darkness of the world.

Have you noticed how we miss the light when it’s not around for a few days?  After a few dark, cloudy days we are ready for the light.  It’s good to see the sunshine.

In our Scripture lesson for today, Jesus says the Light has come into the world, and the people love darkness rather than Light because their deeds are evil. They are afraid their deeds will be exposed.

As much as we love the light, we are constantly testing the truths of God.  We often turn from what we know is right to some wrong, hoping that somehow no one will know.

The Bible is full of stories about humans like you and me who turned away from God and did some pretty awful things hoping against hope that no one would ever find out.

Remember the Old Testament story of Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 37:1-11)?  Joseph’s brothers were tending their father’s flock down at Dothan.  They didn’t really care for Joseph all that much.  They thought he was their father’s favorite.  Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?  One day Joseph decided to go down to be with them.  (Some of you know the story.)  They saw Joseph coming and conspired to kill him.  They could throw him into the pit and say the wild animals devoured him, a very sinister plot.  But one of the brothers, Reuben, didn’t have the stomach for their plan.  Reuben said, “Let’s not shed any blood.  Let’s just throw him into the pit.”  About that time, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming down the road.  Joseph’s brother, Judah, said, “I’ve got a better plan.  Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites.”  He was the financial genius of the family.  So they sold him into slavery thinking no one would ever find out.  

But wait!  Let’s fast forward the story.  A great shortage came over the land.  There was eventually no food.  Joseph’s family had to go to the Pharaoh of Egypt begging for help.  I’ll give you three guesses, and the first two don’t count.  Who do you think had become prime minister of all Egypt? You’re right – Joseph!  His brothers, his whole family had to bow down to Joseph.  Guess what?  Joseph forgave them all and gave them plenty to eat.  They lived happily ever after.  

That’s what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.  That’s what Jesus came to accomplish with his death on the cross.  He died to save us from our sins.  We are forgiven.  We live in the Light.

If there is anyone here who thinks that you’ve committed some terrible sin, let me remind you God always pardons, God always forgives, and God always welcomes God’s children home, no matter what.  Remember what God said in the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles: “If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

God wants to bless you. God wants to help you. And God wants you to be all you were intended to be.  Don’t you think God has a picture in God’s mind of who you should be?

Most of you have asked, “Why am I here?  Why have I shown up on planet Earth at this time in history?  Why was I born?

This morning, God is calling you to the Light of God’s Presence.  Don’t run and hide as Adam and Eve did.  You know the story.  After they had sinned, Adam and Eve heard God walking among the trees of the Garden of Eden, and they hid because they were afraid.  When God finally approached them, they blamed each other.  As a motivational speaker said several years ago, “Adam blamed Eve; Eve blamed the serpent; and the poor serpent didn’t have a leg to stand on.”  That might not be theologically correct, but it’s close.

You can’t avoid the Light.  Many in our world are trying to avoid the Light.  We need to witness to them.  We must tell them about the Light.  In many cases, they just don’t know how much better things can be in their lives if they come to the Light.

As Jesus said, he didn’t come into the world to condemn the world but to save the world.  Jesus came to take down the wall of partition between broken humanity and God.  He came to tell people it’s harder to live in darkness than it is to live in the Light.  Jesus came so we wouldn’t have to fool around with so much unhappiness and discontent.  He wants all of us to know there is something better.

Over the years, I’ve discovered that there are many people in our world who believe that the difficult lives they are living are all there is, and things aren’t going to get any better.  In fact, things are so bad in their lives that they’ve just decided to look out for number one.  They feel threatened and insecure.  They feel faith and love are just foolish.  They believe the lives they are living are all there is.

When all is said and done, they don’t know what faith, hope, and love can do in their lives.  They don’t know that God is in the center of all life.  They don’t trust God to be the Savior of the lost and the strength of those who walk in Light.

They can’t even imagine feeling real peace in their souls.  They don’t know where their place of service is in the world.  It’s been so long since they’ve felt the peace of God that they’ve forgotten how wonderful it is to be close to God.  They have all but given up.  If you are feeling this way, my prayer for you this morning is that you’ll come to the Light.  Let Christ guide you as you reestablish your relationship with God.

I pray that you recognize that if you really want power over the circumstances in your life, you can have it.  I pray that you’ll realize that God has the solution to all of your problems.  I pray that you will trust God and believe Christ.  I pray that you will find true peace of mind.  I pray you’ll make it possible for Christ to teach new things utterly beyond your present understanding as you live day to day in the presence of God’s love.

So be it. Amen.

Benediction

Your only Son was given to us that we might know you more. We, who are shaped in the image of God, needed to meet someone with your heart. Thank you for the gift of Jesus. In this divine encounter, we find what we are made of, and who we are made for. Take us, mold us, use us, and fill us. Amen.