First chapter of John. Allow me to quote a section of
scripture in Isaiah 9-2 where it says, the people that walked
in darkness have seen a great light. They that dwell in the land of
the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Come on in, brother. Probably just did the crucial
thing of not doing what I shouldn't have done. But I happen to look
up and I see her brother Lamar. Brother, we're starting in the
book of John chapter 1. And I've quoted a verse from Isaiah
9 too where it says, the people that walked in darkness have
seen a great light. They that dwell in the land of
the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." Notice
that it says, the people that walked in darkness, those are
the ones who have seen a great light. The world doesn't know
that they're walking in darkness. When I was a child, when I was
a young man, all the way up to the age of 40, that was when
I first heard the gospel preached. Until then, I had no idea. that
I was walking in the darkness. It took the gospel, the preaching
of the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified to show me
that I was in darkness. We who have had that light shined
in our hearts, we know the darkness that we once walked in. Consider
for a moment Lazarus and Jonah, will you? Do you think they knew
they were dead? Jonah came out on dry land, and
first thing he said was, salvation is of the Lord. Salvation from
what? I'll bet he knew he was dead.
I'll bet he knew it. Or it's like the blind man said,
once I was blind, but now I see. We know the darkness that we
walked in, and we know that we loved it. The darkness of self-righteousness. Oh, how we thought there was
a time when we were just good, good people. I never killed anybody. I'd done
some pretty wild things, but I didn't think I'd really hurt
anybody. I was a good person. I was a good person. Or how about
the darkness of self-worth? I had no idea. I had no idea of who my Lord and
Savior was, who the creator of all things was. I had no idea
of how holy and perfect our Lord Jesus Christ is. So I thought quite a bit about
myself at that time. Or we knew about the darkness
of our very nature, the darkness of our sin against our Creator. It's not easy to look on what
we once were by nature, sinners. You see, by nature, we think
we're pretty good. Have any of you ever tried to help someone
who is on the wrong path? Maybe you've tried helping them
by bringing them in, tutoring them, taking care of them. Maybe they'll
see that if they just turn from their way and go this direction,
life will be so much better for them. Have you ever had that
come to you in your life? But no matter what you might
have done or tried showing them, they just would not change their
way. They're still exactly the way
they were when you tried to help them. Well, that's how it was
with me. My mom and my dad, Calvin Shamuel
Ellis, they lived as an example to me, yet I could not see it.
I could not see myself any other way than the way that I was because
I didn't want to see it their way. I didn't want to see it my mom's
way because it would have proved that the way I wanted to do it
was wrong. The way I wanted to do it was
rebellious. The way I wanted to do it was wicked. And I liked what I was. I liked the way I was. In John
3.19, it says, and this is the condemnation, that the light
has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than
the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that
doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved. Our very nature rules our will,
and we ran from truth. I often think, is it any wonder
that so many have turned away from the truths of this world
and turned to lies? In today's world, they teach
our young, whatever you may think is truth is truth. They do. I've seen my own children
go through it. I've seen my grandchildren go
through it. We should pray, pray more for
those who homeschool their children and keep them away from what's
being taught in the schools today. You see, light reveals truth,
and darkness hides it. Well, here's the truth for you.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There are
none that seeketh the Lord. Yet God has mercy on whom he
will have mercy. Some, you see, are loved with
an everlasting love. His love for his people is so
great. Remember, we're talking about
that great light. Did I mention that? Did I mention
that that great light is the subject of tonight's message?
I think I forgot to mention that, didn't I, brother? But you kind of got that, didn't
you? You did? A great light. He could not let them spend eternity
paying for their own sins. His love was so great that He
could not leave them. His chosen, those whose names
are written in the book of life before the world began, He could
not leave them in the darkness that they were born into. So
He, who is God, became flesh. John 1, 1. In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The
same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by
Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.
In verse 14, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory. The glory is the only begotten
of the Father, full, full of grace and truth. This is that
great light that was spoken of in Isaiah. God became a man. Look in verse 4 and 5 of chapter
1. In Him was life, and the life
was the light of men, and the light shineth in darkness, and
the darkness comprehended it not. The name of that light is
Jesus Christ the Lord. He shall be called Jesus, for
He shall save His people. All that the Father hath given
Him shall come to Him. There are no empty seats in heaven.
When it's all done, every seat will be taken. Everyone who was
supposed to be saved will be saved. Every name that was written
in the book of life before the world began shall be standing
with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. That's God's word. He has said that. And his word
is truth. When Saul of Tarsus was traveling
to persecute believers God came to him and the light was so bright
that it blinded him. He was not seeking that light.
He was seeking to persecute Christians. No one does. I wasn't seeking
the Lord when I came here and the Lord shined his light in
my heart that day. I only came to cry on Lee's shoulder. You see, only God can deal with
the hearts of men. Turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter
4, if you would. We come into this world with
hearts desperately wicked, dark as can be. And we will not come
to the light, for it reveals our wickedness. It reveals the
vile evilness that is in all of us. Our country wonders why so many
evil things are happening in today's world. Why are children
just picking up guns and killing people for no reason? I'm surprised
there's not more of it. Only by the restraining hand
of God our Creator, Him who rules over everything, He who is God
because He rules over everything. Only by His restraining hand,
the restraining hand of our Creator, is there any peace in this world. Allow me to make the first point
in tonight's message, and that is that light is greater than
anything. The light we see here is above
everything. It's God, the creator. He who upholds the dust. He who makes the flowers we just
sang about grow and then wither. He who allows evil men to fly
into the buildings of others and kill thousands in one shot.
He who allows the ground to open up and swallow We're studying
in the book of Samuel. Correct me if I'm wrong if you'd
like, but I think it was 34,000 men died in a two-day period
in that first war. Is that right? Something like
that? 34,000? 30,000 on one day and 4,000 another, I think it
was. God allowed that. Because he's God. And he can
do that. The Lord Jesus Christ is on his
throne ruling over everything. Every detail is according to
his purpose. He's either God of all things
or he's God of nothing. There is no in between. He rules
or he doesn't. He is Lord of all or he is not
Lord at all. This is what one sees when the
light is shined in one's heart, that Christ rules all things.
All things were created by Him, as we read in John 1. All things
are held up by Him. He is the Lord Jesus Christ,
is above all things, and that's how great He is. You can't get
any greater than that. That's the greatest light that
we can even think of, that you can even imagine. My next point I want to make,
and I wish to declare, is that it is God's great love that He
has for His people. In Romans 5, 6 we read, For when
we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. God became flesh, walked as a
man perfectly, fulfilling every part of the law there is, everything
perfectly. satisfying it for his people. The law has been satisfied for
us. I don't know about you folks,
but when I turn away from looking at my Lord and I see myself,
it's not satisfying me at all. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for taking
care of it for me. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet preadventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified
by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath through Him."
Because of that great love, so great That just like our Lord
Jesus Christ, nothing can be greater than Him, nothing can
be greater than the love of the Lord Jesus Christ for His people.
Perfect. Perfect. He loves you perfectly, Lamar. And because of that great love
He has for His people, He gave Himself as a payment. a propitiation,
a sacrifice for us. Abraham said to Isaac, or Isaac
said to Abraham, Father, we have the wood, we have the fire, but
where is the sacrifice? Abraham said, the wisest thing
any man has ever said, God will provide himself a sacrifice. Because none other, no other
sacrifice is good enough. Everything else has been tainted
with sin and will be destroyed in the end, along with all of
those who do not believe. Burned up. Gone. We are saved from the wrath we
deserve because He has loved us with an everlasting love and
laid down His life, shedding His own blood, that we would
live. In Ephesians 2.4, but God, but
God who is rich in mercy for His great love, wherewith He
loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together
with Christ, by grace ye are saved. You see, there is no other
way to be saved from the wrath to come. Christ is the only way. That's why we preach Christ and
nothing else. Nothing else is going to get
us to heaven. Christ alone is the door and the way. Well, who is he? Who is this
Christ you speak of, John? He's God. God the Father, God
the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Three distinct persons, yet all
the fullness of the Godhead dwelleth in the Lord Jesus Christ. If
you do not worship and bow down to the Lord Jesus, you don't
worship and bow down to the God himself. What's He doing right now? He's sitting on His throne, working
all things out according to His will. Calling His sheep. Come to Me! Come, Lazarus! Come
out of the grave, you dead person! And Lazarus came out. Saying to His disciples, just
think about that for just a second, will ya? Guy comes up to you,
walking along the banks of the river, and you're sitting there
fishing, probably catching pretty good fish that day if it's Pastor
Gene. He's pretty good at doing that stuff. Some guy says to
you, come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. In my
natural mind, I would think you're just playing crazy. I ain't following
you. And that's exactly the way I was until the Lord came to
me and broke Broke that stubborn neck. And made me willing in the day
of His power. What has He done? He became flesh
and He walked perfectly. And He laid down His life for
His sheep. But only God Himself can shine
these things in the hearts of men. Are you with me in 2 Corinthians
chapter 4? Look at verse 3. But if our gospel be hid, it
is hid to them that are lost. I was lost at one time. Now,
I don't remember, but that's probably because it was hid.
I understand that there was a man that preached when I was a kid,
O.C. Harris. And I know now that my stepfather,
the one I call dad, Calvin Samuels, I know he preached the gospel
because I've heard him preach it on tape after he died. So I'm wondering if there was a
time when I actually heard the true gospel preached, but I didn't
hear it. I didn't know it. I was lost
as could be. But if our gospel be hid, it
is to them that are lost. in whom the God of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light
of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should
shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves,
but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus'
sake. Our Lord told some unbelieving
Jews, you believe not, because ye are not of My sheep. And then He said to them, My
sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and
I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father which gave them Me, My Father which gave them Me,
My father, which gave them me. I wonder how many people that
means walking down the aisle, making a decision. I don't think
that applies, does it? It can't apply. No, it says,
my father, which gave them me, is greater than all. And no man
is able to pluck them out of my father's hand. I and my father
are one. But there are those whom the
gospel has been hid, in whom the God of this world hath blinded
the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious
gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto
them. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, verse 7 of
chapter 4, that the excellency and the power may be of God. You all see that next part? What's it say? Not of us. The more I hear about it, the
more I love the fact, because I know that if it was left to
me, I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't be here. The Lord allowed me
to think that it was left up to me for 40 years, and I went
in all kinds of stupid directions. You know, when you turn to it
in Psalms 115, it says, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but
unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's
sake. So in closing, I submit to you
that the greatest point about this light that we speak of is
the love that he has for his people. How deep does that reach your
heart? The Lord of Glory sacrificed
Himself for you and me. We have a little teeny inkling,
just a little teeny drop of the knowledge of what love is. This
is love. Even when we hated Him and ran
from Him, Oh, how I wish I could love like
that. When we have had the light of
the truth turned on in our hearts, as it were, we see all the glory
belongs to Him. For His great mercy wherewith
He loved us and gave Himself for us. to God be the glory. Great things
He hath done. Would you all stand with me in