John 8:1-12; Revelation 21:22-24
December 19, 2020 Sermon Review
Introduction
This week during our staff meeting, which takes place each Tuesday morning, one of the members of our team shared with us the number of days that we had been shut out, and in some cases shut down, as a result of this global pandemic. When we heard that it had been over 275 days, it was hard for many of us to grasp. And then to hear this week that the death toll has now reached over three hundred thousand precious souls in the United States alone, was truly a dark moment for us all. Whenever we are faced with something of this magnitude, it is hard for many of us to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And if we are going to be brutally honest, it is during severe times of struggle In our lives, when it appears as though we are engulfed by darkness on every side, that it is extremely difficult to see even a glimmer of hope on the horizon. But as we shall see in today’s message, “Light at the End of the Tunnel,” it is in the very words of Jesus, in the Gospel of John, that we are given a light of hope, even in the darkest of times.
- It is through Jesus’ response to the woman that was caught in the very act of adultery that we see a powerful display of both grace and truth and the role each is to play in the life of the sinner when he or she has a life-changing encounter with the “light of the world.” John 1:14-17; 8:1-12; 3:19-21; 8:30; 20:31; Romans 8:1; 1 John 1:1-5
- When we respond to the call of God to come out of darkness and begin the journey into his marvelous light, it is then that we take on the privilege as well as the responsibility to be reflectors of this light to a world that has been engulfed by darkness in order that they too might see that there is truly light at the end of the tunnel. Matthew 5:13-16; 2 Corinthians 4:16-17; Revelation 21:22-24
Conclusion
When we follow the light of Jesus and come to him in true repentance, as we begin to trust him as our Lord and Savior, and as we begin the journey of committing our lives fully to his light, we not only receive the light that is needed to guide us while we live in this life, but it also provides us with the bright and blessed hope of what is in store for us beyond the grave.
Question for Reflection
What does the story of the woman caught in adultery mean to you? Are you able to equate her situation to your life as well as that of the men who brought her to Jesus to be condemned and if so, in what way?
Quotes of the Week
“We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won’t need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining”- they just shine.” – D. L. Moody
“In darkness there is no choice. It is light that enables us to see the
difference between things; and it is Christ that gives us light.” – A. W. Hare
“The Gospel Of Jesus Christ is all about people. It’s about leaving the ninety and nine and going into the wilderness after those who are lost. It’s about bearing one another’s burdens, with the ultimate burden anyone can bear being walking through this life without light.” – Sheri L. Dew