Worthy of Leading our Life
I heard a story once that went like this. There was a little boy who wanted a bicycle really bad but didn’t know the best way to pray for one. So, trying to imitate how he heard his parents pray, that night he knelt down next to his bed and said, “Lord if it be thy will, please grant your humble servant a bike in Jesus name.”
Two days later though, no bike. So, he heard a prosperity preacher on tv praying so he decided to try it his way. That night he got down on his knees next to his bed and said, “Father, in the name of Jesus, I command you to give me this bike. I claim a blue one with the studded tires and racing stripes, in Jesus name, I name it and claim it.” He felt pretty good about this, but again, two days later, still no bike.
And that is when he overheard his dad watching “Godfather”. That night he grabbed Mary from the nativity set, and he said, “Jesus, if you ever want to see your mother again, you’re going to give me this bike.”
Needless to say, like this little boy, there are some in our society, and I would say even this church, that are misinformed about Jesus. Some say he is a mythical figure who makes for great religious fairytales but isn’t a real person. For others he is precious moments Jesus who shows up at funerals and weddings. There is genie Jesus, who shows up at the crucial moments of life to grant us our 3 wishes. Or fire insurance Jesus, the one you struck a deal with so you can escape the fires of hell for all eternity.
The most important question for us is this: is the real Jesus, the one of the Bible, leading your life. I believe that this is the answer John is trying to provide for us in this passage. He is the light of the world, the answer to all of humanity, and the hope in which we place our trust.
Light is so important isn’t it? Light provides clarity, direction, and hope. When we can’t see, we don’t have any hope of arriving anywhere or accomplishing anything. When the winds of a hurricane take out our power, life stops. When darkness settles in the evening, we come inside. It gets colder, we start to slow down.
Nobody is worthy of leading your life more than the Jesus of the Bible. No thing, no other person, job, or financial goal is worthy of leading your life.
This morning, I want to discover who is worthy of leading your life. In these powerful Christmas passages, we are encouraged to turn our eyes and gaze upon this great light. Christmas is a joy filled time, brimming with hope and excitement because of this great light that we have: Jesus.
John 1:1-5, John 8:12
He is worthy to lead, because he has always been the light
Before we ever were, before time began, Jesus was there. John testifies to this in John 1. We can trust in his leadership simply because of who Jesus is.
Isaiah 9:2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”
Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
These famous Christmas verses are so famous because it was the hope that the Jewish people leaned on. It was the great light, the Messiah, the Savior of the people that they were anxiously looking for.
Even before Christianity ever came into being, people were looking for a great light. At the very beginning of time, mankind has been looking for a great light. We have in our DNA a desire for a great light to behold and to worship.
And for generations and generations we have worshipped all kinds of things. In Romans 1, Paul is describing the depravity of our world and the sinfulness that exudes from its people and he says this in verse 25: “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.”
How sad. How tragic. For centuries, men and women gathered around idols of wood and stone and gave their wholehearted devotion. That same tragedy happens today, our idols just look different. From the very beginning we have missed the great light. May we not be guilty of that sin today.
Jesus has always been the light. He has always been the answer, the hope, and the path towards life and life to the full. There is nothing new under the sun, and nothing new that can supplant him.
He is worthy to lead, because the darkness cannot lead to the light
In Matthew 14, Jesus refers to the Pharisees who honor God with their lips but have hearts that are far from him. To follow them, is like the blind leading the blind. Many of us expect much from the world that we live in, but it is dark and lost! It has no chance to lead people to hope and light, because those things are not of the darkness!
We cannot lead our own life. We can’t trust ourselves to do this. Jeremiah 17:9 is very clear, “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?” Think of how silly it is to follow the ways of darkness and think that it will lead to the things of the light. See we have a problem in our world today: we don’t love God but we love his stuff.
We want his things, but our way. Who created love? God did. We all have a human need for love and acceptance, well God is the author of love. Who is the author of life? According to Acts 3:15, it is Jesus. In John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” You can’t have life if you follow what the thief says. The thief’s way of life is destruction, death, and emptiness. Jesus’ way is life forever.
Who is the prince of peace? Isaiah 9:6, we just read it! The prophecy says that this Messiah, this Jesus, will be the prince of peace. I love a bumper sticker I saw once: “No Jesus no peace, know Jesus know peace.”
Who created sex? God did. But we want it on our own terms don’t we? We want it when we want it and how we want it. With whoever we want, whenever it feels right to us. God created sex. The world ruined it. Sex is a beautiful thing in the context of marriage, outside of marriage, it has been an utter disaster.
My main point is this: we want God’s stuff, but we don’t want God. We want eternal life but we don’t want to follow the master. We want to follow darkness and expect the benefits of the light. We take the verses “my burden is easy and my yoke is light” but we don’t want “pick up your cross and follow me. Don’t gain your life, lose it.”
Jesus Christ isn’t your vending machine. Jesus Christ isn’t your life coach. He isn’t a fun program to try. Jesus is the king and the savior of this world, and he is worthy of leading your life, all of it. He is the only path to the true light.
He is worthy to lead, because he is all we need
You don’t need to add to Jesus, he is enough. Have you ever had that person in your life that you would say, “I love them so much, but if they just were this way, or weren’t that way… they’d be perfect!” Wives… stop elbowing your husbands. This isn’t how it is with Jesus.
2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”
He has granted us… all things! I mentioned last week about Jesus plus. Jesus isn’t an exercise program that we need to add to. He isn’t an incomplete being that falls short. He doesn’t lack in power, love, ability, or wisdom. He is perfect. He is the source of all of the things that we need in this life.
So don’t sin by looking beyond him. We miss the forest for the trees so often because the world is so good at offering us shortcuts and tainted versions of what we truly are looking for. It is so good at giving us fast food, mouth watering fried Oreos, coffee drinks that are chalked full of sugar and just a little coffee added… dopamine hitting, quick getting, fast filling, but empty leaving lives!
This is the false world that the devil begs us to substitute Jesus for. The enemy calls for us to think short sighted and doesn’t send the bill until later. He is a master at wielding our emotions and twisting them to have us live outside of the call of God on our lives.
Don’t miss the great light. Remember, in a room full of darkness… all you need is the light. All you need is the right one to lead you, and that is Jesus. Nothing else, just the master.
Conclusion
So today, as we reflect upon the birth of this great light into our dark world, can we just take a moment and give us all a chance to evaluate who is really leading our lives?
From the beginning, Jesus was the light. And ever since, the enemy has tried to snuff it out. He has been, is today, and forever will be the true light of the world. Don’t follow a false light, grab a hold of the one who always has been.
And second, remind yourselves that the dark cannot lead the light. Any time you are tempted to follow something else, remember its origin story. If it isn’t Jesus, it isn’t the light. Leave it be and follow the path of truth.
Last, and the culmination of this message, Jesus is all you need. I know it is that time of year where the world is really good at telling you what you don’t have, but can I remind you as your Pastor that Jesus is really all that you need. Not just for Christmas, but for this entire life. And if you have him, you have everything.
“All of life, for all of life.” Don’t let a nook or cranny be hidden from his glorious light. Allow truth to spill into every corner of your being, and see what the light of the world can do. No program, no life coach, no try harder, do better, I am going to be a great moral person type of stuff. Jesus. Just Jesus. The true light of the world. The only one, worthy of leading your life and being your light.