Jesus Is The Light Of The World

Which are born not of the blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. This morning, just like to take a few minutes and speak on this thought. Jesus is the light of the world. You and I have seen the light. There’s a great privilege in seeing the light. There’s also a great responsibility sharing the light. Jesus is the light. There is no question. Just for a few moments, let’s skim through the book of Matthew, the Gospel of Matthew. Let’s look at some things that helps us see that Jesus is who he says he is. There’s no doubt. Either he is all God while he came down to this earth 100% God and 100% man, or the alternative is he’s an imposter and he’s not worth the worshiping. But I’ve got news for you, and I believe you’d agree with me, that he is who he says he is. He is all god. He’s worthy of our worship and our praise. And just looking at his miracles over creation. In Matthew chapter number eight, verse number 18 to 27. I’m not going to read that. You could turn it if you want. We’re going to skip through some of these pretty quickly. But he steals the tempest in the sea. The disciples were out on the lake, and Jesus brought peace to the sea, and he brings peace to our soul. But he has power over creation. He dried up the fig tree. In Matthew chapter number 21, he fed 5000 men, not including women and children. This Friday, we’re going to try to feed 30. Whether or not 30 will be there, I don’t know. We’re going to try to feed 30. But if you ever tried to feed 30 grown men, you know that’s a task. That’s a tall order. How many wives can attest to that? It’s a tall order to feed grown men. But Jesus fed 5000 men with five loaves of bread and two fishes, not including women and children. And I believe that’s an actual account, not a metaphor, not some kind of picture. It’s an actual account that actually happened. They had twelve baskets left over. A little bit later in Matthew chapter 15, Jesus said 4000 men, not counting women and children with seven loaves and a few little fishes. He didn’t replicate it exactly, but he still did a miraculous work. They had seven baskets left over. All through the Bible, we see God’s power of a creation. When Jesus in his earthly ministry, he saw his power, his miracles over creation. And we go on and on. Just a few examples we just read that healed let me get me back over there. I lost my place. Matthew, chapter four. In verse number 23 and 24, he healed divers, diseases and torments. He healed all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. Matthew, chapter number eight, we read some specific accounts. He heals a leopard. In Matthew chapter eight, verse number five, he heals a centurion’s servant sick of the palsy, not by laying his hands on him, but by just speaking his word. And that man was healed. He heals Peter’s mother in law, and I’m sure Peter was thankful for that. Peter’s mother in law was sick of a fever. He healed a man sick of the palsy. Matthew chapter number nine, he healed a woman with an issue of blood for twelve years. In Matthew chapter number nine, he healed a man with a withered hand. In Matthew chapter number twelve. It was on the Sabbath day, and the Pharisees and the scribes, they did not particularly care for that, but he still healed them all the same. He healed a blind and a dumb man in Matthew, chapter number twelve. Matthew, chapter 15. I like how Matthew Wright’s, he just said, he healed many that were lame, blind and dumb. He said there’s almost too many to account, too many to keep record of. Healed them. He healed the blind and the lame in the temple. He had power over different diseases. Jesus had power, he had authority over Satan and the devils. There were many that were possessed with devils, and he cast out the spirits with his word. It’s a direct quote from Matthew, chapter eight, verse 16 and 17. Again later. In Matthew chapter eight. He healed two that were possessed with devils dwelling in the tombs. He healed a dumb man possessed with the devil. Matthew chapter number nine. He healed a daughter of a woman of Canaan. In Matthew chapter number 15. She had great faith in the Lord. There was a certain man sorvet of a devil. Matthew chapter 17. Where his disciples could not cast out the evil spirit, but Jesus cast him out. In Mark chapter number three, verse eleven. Listen to what it says in unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him and cried, saying, thou art the Son of God. Even the devils are subject to the Lord Jesus Christ. And not only did he have victory over the devils, but he had victory over death. Amen. Jerry’s daughter was raised back to life in Matthew chapter number nine. Jesus friend Lazarus was brought back to life four days after he had been lying in the grave. And they said, Behold, he seek it. And Jesus called his name, and he came forth also the greatest evidence of who he is, as he rose again from the grave three days after he died on the cross for the sins of mankind, up from the grave he rose. Amen. A mighty triumph for his foes, his compassion on the multitudes. We just read that he went about teaching and preaching throughout the whole region, throughout the region of Galilee. That includes the cities of Capernaum of Betsyda, Krasin, of some other cities, all throughout that region. He did these miracles. He healed their sick, he touched their bodies and raised people from the grave. He had compassion on them. He preached to them, and he taught them. Matthew, chapter number nine, verse 36 says but when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep, having no shepherd. Guess. All I’m saying is, there was no one like Jesus Christ. No one says there was no prophet that he could ever do anything like this. But Jesus could. And he did. Great multitudes followed Him four times. We just read in verse number 25 there followed Him great multitudes of people from Galilee and from the capitalists, from Jerusalem, from Die and from beyond Jordan. But they didn’t stay with him. Want you to turn with me. Hold your place here. Matthew, chapter eleven, verse number 20. Matthew, chapter eleven, verse 20 says then began he Jesus, to upgrade the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not. Woe unto thee, Paraison. Woe unto thee, Bethesda. Now listen, these cities are in Galilee, where he did much of his ministry. He performed most of his mighty works, most of his miracles. He said, woe unto thee. For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in tire and sight, and they would have repented long ago and sack off the ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and silent at the day of judgment than for you. And thou, Capernaum, where he made his home and his headquarters said which art exalted unto heaven, thou shalt be brought down to hell. For if the mighty works which had been done in thee had been done in sodom, it would have remained unto this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of sodom in the day of judgment than for thee. In John 1237 it says this, and it describes their reaction better than I can say. It said but though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him. There was a great light that’s shown in this region, shown in this city. There’s been a great light that’s shown in your heart, in your life. And can I say this, there’s been a great light that’s been shown in the country that we live in. Not everybody responds to that light. But if you’ve responded to that light, if you’ve received Jesus Christ, your Savior, there’s a greater light that shines. God gives you help, give you understanding, gives you power to live the Christian life the way you ought to live. And we’ve got a purpose to share that life with someone else. They may not respond to it, but we owe it to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to share that with someone else, not only his miracles and the way he lived in his life. But can I report to you this morning that we serve the same Lord and Savior that will walk on this earth 2000 years ago. The same one that raised up the dead can still raise up the dead. There were some that he did not raise up from the dead. You remember John the Baptist? He was beheaded. Never one time in the word of God did Jesus do. We see reported that he resurrected John the Baptist. Not yet. But one day he will. And one day he’s going to resurrect our bodies. When we pass through death and have our bodies laying in the grave, we serve the same Jesus, the One that ascended. You remember what the angel said? This same Jesus shall so come in like manners. You have seen Him go in the heaven. We serve the same risen Lord and Savior, the same power. He is who he says he is. Amen. We can trust him. You can trust Jesus this morning, just like we heard at the Sunday school. We don’t know what kind of turmoil and troubles and trials are in your life, but you can trust and depend upon Jesus Christ. He is who he says he is. He’s dependable, he’s trustworthy. He’s faithful. How many of you say he’s faithful? He’s been faithful to you. I haven’t been faithful to Him. I look back on my life and there are days that I wish I could redo. There are years I wish I could redo and go over and do again. But through it all, God has been faithful to me and God has been faithful to you. Not only one of us could say God has not been faithful yet. Sometimes we live our lives as if God is not faithful. God’s not able as if we don’t serve the same risen Lord and Savior that walked on this earth 2000 years ago. Listen. Where is he now? He’s seated at the Father’s right hand. He’s interceding. He’s praying for you and for me. He knows right where we are. We as children of God, are his purchase, possession, the bride of Christ. And he’s not going to leave us here. He’s going to come back one day. And I can believe it to be any day soon. That’s the blessed hope that the Bible talks about returning for his bride. And we’re going to be with Him in heaven forever and forever be with the Lord. His purpose for coming was to bring light to a dark world. It was to bring salvation to sinners, to those that were dying and on their way to a devil’s hell. Every single person that’s ever been born is headed for a devil’s hill. Now there are some that die before they reach the age of accountability. And I believe firmly within my heart that God does not hold that against them. But if you’re old enough to understand the difference between right and wrong and who God is, and you refuse to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have nobody to blame but yourself. Because he’s made the way possible. Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh in the Father but by Me. He said, I have come to give life. The Son of man has come to seek and to save that which is lost. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly if you leave here this morning lost without Jesus Christ. Can I say this as kindly as I know how? It’s nobody’s fault but your own. Jesus has made the way plain. He’s made the way available. It’s free. It doesn’t cost you anything. It costs him everything. He’s made the way available for you to be saved. He knew about his suffering and his death on the cross. Four times in Matthew I’m going to give you these references. If you’re taking notes, you write them down. Matthew, chapter 16, verse 21. From that time fourth began Jesus to show his disciples how that he must go into Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed, and be raised again. The third day he told them over and over and over again. Matthew, chapter 17. And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill him. And the third day he shall be raised again. Matthew, chapter number 20 is going to sound familiar. And Jesus going up Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples apart in the way and said unto them it’s almost like getting one of your children say, Listen, come here. Come away from everybody else. I need to talk with you one on one. Let’s talk. Let’s get your attention. He said, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes and they shall condemn him to death, and they shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and discourage him, to crucify him. And the third day he shall rise again. Matthew 26, verse number 30. Right before he goes to Calvary, as they’re on their way to the garden of Gethsemane, when they had sung in him, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then saith Jesus unto them are you getting the picture? All ye shall be offended because of me this night. For it is written I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am written again, I will go before you in the Galilee. Can I say to you this morning it did not take Jesus by surprise when Judas and the band of soldiers came upon him in the garden of Gethsemane. He knew they were on their way. As a matter of fact, that’s why he came was to die on the cross for the sins of mankind. That’s why he came. So he said to his disciples, arise, let us be gone. Behold, they come to meet me. If they’re going to come to meet me, let’s go, let’s get this accomplished. That was the reason he came. He accomplished his purpose. We don’t have time to read, but in Matthew, chapter number 27, we see that he died on the cross not for his sins. He had no sins, but for the sins of the whole world. He tasted death for every man, every woman, every boy, every girl. Then he was buried in a borrowed tomb. He gave it back. Three days later, he rose again from the grave. And he’s alive right now, alive forevermore in a glorified body. Those nail prints still in his hand, that mark still on his side, the nail print still on his feet. There’s no record of us having marks like that. When we get to heaven, this body may decay on this life. Cancer may eat away this body. There may be some diseases that eat away at this body. Things may happen to our members of our body. We get to heaven, we get a glorified body. There’s no record of any of this past remembrance, of this past life. But Jesus is caring about the scars of calvary. I believe he carries that about all through eternity we can see, wow, what a savior, what a God we have. We fall down to worship at his feet and say, thank you Lord, for loving me that much, to dial the cross for my sins. What a god we have. He continued his work when he rose from the grave, ascended up in the heaven. Matthew, chapter number 28, verse number 16. Then the eleven disciples went away in the Galilee into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him. But some doubted, and Jesus came and spoken to them, saying, all powers given unto Me in heaven and earth, go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you all the way, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Jesus said, I’m going up into heaven. I’m going to be seated at the Father’s right hand, but I’m going to send my comforter unto you. And he’s working now through the Spirit of God, living inside and dwelling, every believer and you and I, that the light of the world is in heaven right now. Would you agree with that? He seated at the Father’s right hand. So the light of the world now falls to you and to me, who have the Spirit of God living inside of us, to go and tell a loss and dying world, hey, Jesus is alive. He is the line of the world. We’re just reflecting his life. You can be saved from your sins. Have a home in heaven. God can help you through this life, help you through your troubles, your trials. Life won’t be perfect, but you’ve got a friend that will go with you through this life that will sit closer than a brother. Matthew, chapter number five. Right after he said this, he preached the Sermon on the Mount. Verse number 13. It says, ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost his Savior, wherewith shall it be salted and descends forth good for nothing but to be cast out and be trodden underfoot of men. Ye are the light of the world. Now, if you had looked with me in John, chapter one, you would see that that light was with a capital L. Talked about the person of Jesus Christ. Here it’s a lowercase L. That means that we are not Gods, only he is God. We fall down and worship Him. Amen. He tells us what to do. We don’t tell him what to do. You are the light of the world. As soon as the hill cannot be hid, neither the men light a candle, but put it under a bushelop, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. He says, Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. He’s not the Father’s right hand, but he’s promised to return for his bride, for you and for me. But he’s also left us a job to share that light with those around us. By your testimony, by your life, by your words, by the gospel track that you give, you say, they won’t listen. They won’t hear me. They didn’t hear Jesus. Many of them didn’t listen to the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet he still gave that testimony, gave that witness, and there were some that listened. Those of you that are here this morning are proof that there are some that listen. So let me ask you this is Jesus still working? I believe he’s still working. Hebrews 13 eight says Jesus Christ. The same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus never changes. He’s still working. You know, there’s proof today that he’s still working. When a man or woman or boy and girl gets saved, gets regenerated, they become a new creature in Christ Jesus. We just heard about it in the Sunday school, didn’t we? Rehab the harlot. That label gets dropped off first. Green. In chapter six, it talks about some lists of sins. You’ve heard me say this before. Let’s just turn there real quick. One. Corinthians six, verse number nine. Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. And here’s a list of those that will not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkers nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. In verse number eleven and such were some of you. I’m glad it doesn’t end there. Aren’t you? It says, but ye are washed. That means those labels are gone. That label of drunkenness is gone. That label of harlot for rehab is gone. That label of adultery, of fornication, of a feminine, of abusers of themselves, of mankind. Those labels are now gone. You’re washed from those sins in the blood of Jesus Christ. That’s all gone. We’re made a new creature in Christ Jesus. Not only are we washed, but you are sanctified. We’re set apart for the Master’s youth. We were serving ourselves when we were involved in those sins. We weren’t looking to help somebody else, we were helping to help ourselves. Right? What we were concerned about was old number one. But now we’ve been put in the Master’s service. We’ve been given a job to do in his work, his ministry. We’re sanctified. We’re made fit for his work. Not only are we sanctified, but says ye are justified and I lost my place. You are justified. Let me read that, make sure I get it right. You’re are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. Just think what has God done for you if you’re saved. He’s washed you, made you clean in his blood. He’s sanctified you’ve, given you a special place in his ministry. God’s still working. We see it when men and women are saved and they’re made new creatures. Old things are passed away. All things become new. A change takes place in their life. And what a testimony that is of God still working. Also, when the wayward is restored, when a person comes back that’s been wandering afar off and they get things right with the Lord and they come back. They could be sitting in the church house and backslide on God. They come back and say, Lord, I’m sorry for running. I don’t want to run anymore. I’ve missed spending time with you. I’ve missed that fellowship with you. God’s still working. I see God still working in the life of the church. I know there’s been sicknesses and diseases of all kinds. I believe I served the same God that walked 2000 years ago and raised the dead and healed the leper and healed the lame and the dumb and the blind. I served the same god. He’s got a purpose and plan. There is a reason that John the Baptist was not resurrected from the grave. What was that, preacher? I don’t know. I’m not God. But God knows why that was. He had fulfilled his purpose and planned. And God had something better for John the Baptist. You remember what Paul said? He said I have a great desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. But I don’t know what I’m going to choose. I’m in a straight with Wicks too. He said, for me to stay here will be a help to you, but I would rather go and be with the Lord. That’s far better. I almost feel sorry for Lazarus, don’t you? He saw God do a great work and bless the Lord. He’d already went through death one time, but he had to go through it again the least. He knew what to expect. He knew what waited him and what a blessing that was. Let me say, Jesus is the only means of dispelling darkness and bringing salvation. That’s the only means. It doesn’t matter how much knowledge, how much wisdom you get. You could get all the world’s wisdom, put it on a web server somewhere, put it on a cloud and call it Google. And you still could not find a way to get to heaven because only that knowledge, only that light comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. You ever tried to ask Google something? You get all kinds of strange answers, and some answers are good. I checked Google yesterday for some football scores, and as far as I know, it gave me the right scores. I don’t know. But you ask Google a theological question and see what you get. You get all kinds of different answers because Google is not God. Amen. So it’s okay to use Google for maps sometimes it will get to the right place. But you can’t find heaven through Google. It’s only through the word of God, only through Jesus. And we read that. But as many as received him to them give you power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name. So you and I have to decide. And I believe most of us here this morning have decided who Jesus is. Remember when Jesus asked Peter, he said, whom do men say that I am? And Peter and the disciples, I think all the disciples responded that some say alive, some say John the Baptist, some say that prophet. Then Jesus got pointed, he got direct. He said, but whom say ye that I am? That’s where you and I stand. We’ve got to decide. Number one. Who is Jesus? This world has all kinds of answers for who Jesus is. They will try to bring down Jesus Christ, and he was not God. They’ll try to put things on Jesus that the Bible never says. But we can trust what the scriptures say. But you got to make that choice. It’s not just mental. You remember what Solomon or David said to Solomon? He said, no. Thou the God of thy father. That was his prayer. You’ve got to make that decision for yourself. Who is Jesus? Remember what Peter said? He said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, the son of the living God. And Jesus said jesus said, you got that right, Peter. Amen. He said, upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, not exact words, amen. Not exact quote, but that’s what he was saying. But then you got to choose to trust Jesus and to follow him or be turned into hell. We didn’t read the psalm this morning and that was my fault. I missed that. The Psalm, number nine. I think we read that a couple of Wednesdays ago. And there’s a verse there. It says verse number 17. The wicked shall be turned into hell. And all the nations that forget God. Actually, in verse number seven, it says, the Lord shall endure forever. He has prepared his own for judgment, and he shall judge the world in righteousness. Say, no one is going to judge me or nobody’s my judge. God’s your judge. He’s going to judge in righteousness. And the answer with where you spend eternity, either heaven or hell, is what you did with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now listen, if you and I have received that great light that God has given us, and what a blessing, I’m no longer going to hell to spend forever there. I’m going to heaven. There’s a great hereafter. It’s far better if I’ve got that great light. I should share that with someone else. How many of you know somebody that’s lost could use that? Every single one of us, I’m sure, no doubt know somebody that needs to know that Jesus loves them. And Jesus says, I’ve tried to talk to him before. I just can’t seem to be getting anywhere. But keep after them, pray for them. Pray that God would open up a door of opportunity and live your life faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. They may see your life as a faithful testimony to what God can do in this world. And keep after him. Keep after him. Matthew five says, ye of the light of the world. Matthew 28 says, go ye and teach. Preach all nations about the Lord Jesus Christ. The whole world may not hear, but some will. That’s a big responsibility for you and me, isn’t it? That’s a big thing. Tell you that God has not left us by ourselves to do it. God has not left us alone. He’s called us to go out into a lost and dying world, a dark world. People have no hope. Have you seen news lately? It seems like every day there’s somebody in national headlines or local headlines and decided to end it all because there’s no hope. But let me tell you this so you can tell somebody else. Is there’s hope in Jesus Christ? He’s a faithful, he’s a friend. That’s sigma closer than a brother. There’s hope in Jesus. There’s purpose in Jesus. There’s a calling in Jesus. So what are you and I to do? We’re rejoice in the great privilege God has given us. Matthew, chapter four again. Look at verse number 16. The people which sat in darkness saw great light. This region of Galilee, I think I. Just kind of hit this quickly was where Jesus spent most of his ministry, a lot of his ministry did many of his mighty works, and that’s where he upgraded them the most for not repenting of their sins, not believing in Him, not trusting Him. We’re going to give an account for all that we have access to into the word of God. Whether we hear it or not, we have access to it. We say, Well, I wasn’t there for that message, or I wasn’t there for that understanding, but you could have been. You want to give an account for what you have access to. We are responsible for what we have access to. It would be a shame for anyone to die and go to hell, but especially from a country that’s been so blessed by God. Churches all throughout in this region anyway, in this area. Go down south as a church for every other corner. But there’s so many that don’t have the light of the world in them. They’ve rejected Jesus Christ. You haven’t. You’ve trusted him. You stay faithful and you be the light that they need to see. Don’t matter what they’re doing. It doesn’t matter what Washington is doing. It doesn’t matter what anybody else is doing. You be faithful. Why? Because God is faithful and he’s going to come back one day and reward those who are going to be faithful to Him. If you and I don’t shine in this world, jesus isn’t sending angels. He could have one day. He will come himself. But he’s not preaching his message himself. He’s called me, and you I could have picked. Maybe somebody better equipped, couldn’t you? You would think. But really, that’s flesh speaking. I could not have picked anybody else better because I’m just a sinner saved by the grace of God, and so are you. And that’s who God calls and God sins. We can relate to other sinners because we are sinners just, saved by the grace of God. Let’s go and tell them what Jesus did for us. Amen. And let them know that Jesus can do the same for them. Let’s stand with head bowed and.