"Walking in the Light"

"Walking in the Light" It s better to light just one little candle than to stumble in the dark. Hello, I m Phil Sanders, and this is a Bible study In Search of the Lord s Way. When we follow the Lord Jesus, we can walk in the light. Welcome to In SEARCH of the Lord s Way! We re here to search the Scriptures for God s will. God s word provides the wisdom that we need to make the most of our lives. It helps us avoid the dangerous pitfalls of sin and lies. It shows us the way to eternal life, filled with joy and love. It warns us of the attitudes and mindsets that lead to conflict and danger. It blesses us by enlightening our minds to reality, to goodness, to true love, to kindness, and to faith. We need the Bible to show us the best life to live and the freedom that we have in Christ. Nothing else compares! Thanks for taking time with us today. We want to be a part of your life each week. Many years ago, a popular song had the words, It is better to light just one little candle than to stumble in the dark! I found that song inspiring in those early days, and it still inspires me today. All of us have stumped our toes stumbling around in the dark at night; a small light would ve made a difference. Jackie and I keep small flashlights by our bedside these days. Moral and spiritual darkness can be even more dangerous as physical darkness. Moral and spiritual problems can cost us our health, our lives, and even our souls. The Lord Jesus said of the Pharisees who were caught up in the doctrines of men in Matthew 15:14, Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit. The freedom that we have in Christ is far better than the blindness of human traditions and our worldly culture. We want the true source of spiritual and moral light that will free us from the dangers of evil and deception. Now we offer this study about the light free. And if you d like a printed copy or a CD of our study and you live in the United States, mail your request to In Search of the Lord s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or send an e-mail to searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, you can call our toll-free telephone number. That number is 1-800-321-8633. We also have materials free on our website at www.searchtv.org. The Edmond church will now worship in song, we ll read from 1 John 1:5 to 10, and then we ll explore the blessing of walking in the light. Our reading today comes from the little epistle 1 John chapter 1 verses 5 to 10 and it reflects the blessing and the beauty of having a relationship and fellowship with God the Father and His Son Jesus. This is the message (which) we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. That s a reading from God s holy word. Let s pray together. Oh Father we re thankful that through the blood of Jesus we can have forgiveness and have fellowship with You and with Your Son Jesus. Father help us in every way to walk in the light. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name, Amen. 5/27/2018 Walking in the Light 1

The Lord Jesus said in John 8 and verse 12, I am the Light of the world; (and) he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life. The best way to walk in the light is to look at the example of Jesus Christ. We re to walk in the light as He is in the light! And the Lord Jesus lived a sinless life on earth. Though the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus never sinned. Jesus asked in John 8 and verse 46, Which one of you convicts Me of sin? Well, no one could then, and no one can now! No one could point fingers at lies that He told or sins that He committed. He set the standard for telling the truth, for living a godly and righteous life, for loving others, and for giving Himself to bless others. He wants us to follow Him by walking in the light as well. And when we do, we are also a light. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5 verses 14 to 16, that You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. You know when we live like Jesus, we show light to the whole world; and that glorifies the Father in heaven. First, walking in the light means I will show the attitudes that Christ has. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5 verses 21 to 22, You have heard that the ancients were told, You shall not commit murder and Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court. But I say to you (Jesus is talking) that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, You good-for-nothing, shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, You fool, shall be guilty enough to go (enter) into the fiery hell. Now, Christ loved all people and treated them with respect, and so should we. Getting angry over little things is not the way of Christ. Paul said in Ephesians 4 verses 26 to 27, Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. Now, in verses 31 to 32 Paul wrote, Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. James 1:19 to 20 says, This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Angry people are hurting and tend to hurt others. We must learn to control our anger. Likewise, the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5 verses 27 to 30, You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery ; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it (away) from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. (And) If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. Now, Jesus wants us to stop the evil behavior so that we can maintain a right relationship and fellowship with Him. We must be careful what we listen to, what we think, what we read, and what we watch. The things that we put into our heads and hearts can shut God out and then fill our souls with darkness. Luke 11:34 to 36 says that, The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays. We must also treat others the way Jesus teaches. The Lord said in Matthew 5 verses 38 to 48 that, You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone 5/27/2018 Walking in the Light 2

wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. (And) Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the unrighteous,(excuse me), on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Now, these verses provide a serious challenge to be the sons of our heavenly Father, to think like He thinks. Second, walking in the light means that I will adjust my speech to be like Christ. In Matthew 12, the Lord Jesus healed a, a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Now in response to this miracle, some Pharisees accused Jesus of healing this man by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Of course, Jesus healed the man by the power of the Holy Spirit! He could see their hardened hearts and spiritual blindness that kept them from seeking, or seeing the truth. Jesus said in Matthew 12:34 to 37 He said to them, You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. How we speak reveals whether we re walking in the light of God or walking in darkness. God s word says in Ephesians 4 verse 25, Therefore, laying aside falsehood, (that is lies) speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Honesty is essential to our integrity. The devil is a deceiver. He s the father of lies, and lying is his nature according to John 8 and verse 44. So Christians should speak the truth and speak it in love. 1 Peter 2 and verse 1 says that we are to put aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. You know we have enough fake news and enough hateful speech in our world today already. Wouldn t it be wonderful if people could speak honestly and respectfully, lovingly about one another and to one another? Ephesians 4 and verse 29 says, Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. You know, let s build up rather than put down. Our speech needs to speak the truth in a way that blesses other people. Colossians 4 and verse 6 says, Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. People gossip, they falsely judge, and they slander others without mercy these days. Christians must learn to live above this kind of speech. Wouldn t the world be a better place if people could learn to speak kindly to others instead of unkindly about others? Paul warned Timothy about people who go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention (1 Timothy 5 and verse 13). To let God s light shine, we must watch how we speak to and about others. Curse words and foul language are inappropriate for any occasion. And what a shame ah, for, that someone who calls Christ the Lord would use foul language! Some think dirty jokes are mature or cute, but foul language is demeaning to the person who uses it. Ephesians 5 and verse 4 says, and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5/27/2018 Walking in the Light 3

Third, walking in the light means I will adjust my behavior to be like Christ. The Lord Jesus said in John 13:34 to 35, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. Love is vital to the identification of a Christian who walks in the light. Jesus said in John 15:13, Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. Jesus practiced what He taught. Jesus loved sinners and He loved the unlovely; His behavior teaches us how to love. 1 John 4 and verse 19 says that, We love, because He first loved us. The Lord Jesus asks us to forsake evil and live righteously. The Lord said in John 3:19 to 21, This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God. When we live righteously, we don t have to keep our lives hidden from others. We must be careful not to let the world define how we live. Romans 12 and verse 2 urges us, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. To walk in the light we must know the will of God and practice it. So, He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need (Ephesians 4 and verse 28). Let s give up worldly ways and walk in the light. That means serving others for the Lord. Galatians 6 and verse 10 says, So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. Now every kind deed, every act of love matters to God and it matters to people. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 58 says, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. I tell you when we serve God, we aren t wasting our time. We are declaring to the world our love for the Lord. Let s pray together. Oh Heavenly Father we are so grateful for all the love that You have shown to us. And how You have shown us the way to light and to life. Father help us to follow that light so that we may live with You forever. This is our prayer in the name of Jesus our Lord, Amen. Are you walking in the light? Can people see Jesus living in you? In Acts 4:13 the Jews recognized that Peter and John were people who had been with Jesus. Can people today say that about you, that they see the influence of Jesus in your life? Do you show the attitudes, the speech, and the behavior of someone who has been with Jesus? Yes, I, I know that we re all imperfect people and we need to grow more like Him; but where are you at this point in your life? Are you more like Christ today than you were a year ago or five years ago? The Hebrew writer spoke of Christians who should have become teachers but needed to be taught the elementary things themselves in Hebrews 5 and verse 12. I hope this common problem doesn t describe you too. Let s fix our eyes on Jesus. Let s follow His teaching. Let s see His kindness and patience. Let s see His love for the lost. Let s see His willingness to reach out to everyone and give them hope. Even though many rejected Him, Jesus had room in His heart for everyone. He said in Matthew 11:28 to 30, Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Jesus was in the seeking and saving business. 5/27/2018 Walking in the Light 4

And if you wish to draw close to Jesus, if you wish to live like Him and walk in the light with Him, then come to Him. You do this by believing in Him, repenting of your sins, confessing Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and by being baptized, immersed in water, into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Oh, come to Jesus today! Well, we hope today s study about walking in the light has stirred you to consider how you think and behave. If you live in the United States and want a free printed copy or a CD of this message, then mail your request to In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or send an e-mail to searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, you can call the Search office toll-free at 1-800-321-8633. You can also download these lessons or a newsletter online at our website: www.searchtv.org. There s also a schedule of our programs and a map with the location of churches that are in your area. You can watch SEARCH anytime on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel, SearchTVMinistry. We also offer free Bible Correspondence courses. Now don t worry, if you get a hold of us, we re, we re not here to get your money. We re here to help you get to heaven. We do ask that you please get involved with a church of Christ. And if you re looking for a healthy, Biblical church home, we ll be happy to help you find one. We ll be back next week, Lord willing. So keep searching God s Word with us and tell a friend about this program. And as always, God bless you and we love you from all of us at In Search of the Lord s Way. 5/27/2018 Walking in the Light 5