Hidden Things Revealed: The Light Walking Towards You

But what if I told you we turned our back on the lion? What if I told you that we were like, this is stressful. For my mental health, I'm just gonna pretend the lion doesn't exist. You'd be like, Jim, you're crazy. Bro, get in the helicopter. Like, do what you like, leave. The bible says that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion. Ignoring the danger, like pretending, for instance, the books aren't open, pretending that the verdict isn't always already forming. It doesn't make the lion go away. [00:58:14] (51 seconds)  #FaceTheLion

You see, manage darkness is not a strategy. It's just choosing to remain in danger the whole time. And here's here's the hard truth and and I say it with everything in me. You absolutely cannot fix this from the inside. The helicopter cannot repair itself. You cannot rewrite the story that's unfolding. You cannot save yourself. The rescue has to come from the outside. But can we say, Amen. Thank God that it happened. [00:59:04] (33 seconds)  #CantSaveYourself

The light that the light you see doesn't have to strain to shine. It just has to refuse to be hidden. And so Jesus says, don't put it under a basket. Don't tuck your faith into an hour on Sunday. Don't be a Christian only in the rooms where it is safe. Don't manage your darkness. And friends, you don't have to because you being the light is the answer to the darkness that is out there. In verse 16, it says this, let your light shine before others so they may see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven. [01:11:03] (40 seconds)  #LetYourLightShine

Now notice what gets open. The first is the books. This is plural. There's two books here, and these are essentially like heavenly ledgers. There's like a kind of a comprehensive record of every person's actions. And it says that the dead are judged by what is written in the books according to what they had done. Now this isn't a new idea. For instance, Ecclesiastes twelve fourteen says that God will bring every deed into judgment with every or every secret thing, whether it's good or evil. [00:42:38] (34 seconds)  #HeavenlyLedger

Notice what Jesus is saying. He's not saying God is harsh. He's not saying God is a bully. The judgment is not arbitrary. The light came. People choose the dark. And and really managing a dark the darkness is just a really nice way of saying that I choose darkness over the light. Practically speaking, that that's what that is. It's the the works of darkness. Every every compromise, every injustice overlooked, every sin with a respectable name. They feel more comfortable than exposure. So people stay in darkness. [01:06:21] (40 seconds)  #ChoosingDarkness

It's not about being a better person. It's not about cleaning yourself up to do it first. It's it's about turning towards the one who already knows everything in the books and came for you anyway. Isn't that amazing? God did not send his son in the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. And if you're ready, even nervously ready, I believe today is the day. [01:15:14] (27 seconds)  #TurnToTheSavior

The condemnation, you see, it's the result of something. It's the result of remaining in the dark when the light is standing right there. Jesus didn't come to create the problem. He came to solve it. Condemned already, it's a it's a diagnosis, and Jesus is offering the cure. And someone might say, well, Jim this sounds harsh. John three nineteen says this, and this is the judgment. The light has come into the world, and people love the darkness rather than the light because their works are evil. [01:04:49] (53 seconds)  #DarknessIsChoice

And here's why this matters in a room like this. Many of you are in a chapter of life where the questions have kind of quietly shifted from what am I going to accomplish to what am I going to leave behind even. You've you've you've climbed a lot of the ladders you set out to climb. You've reached a lot of the goals you set out to reach. The the marriage is what it is. The kids are who they are. The career is what it's gonna be. And now you're thinking maybe maybe even grandchildren. What about legacy? And whether your life has actually meant something. And Jesus is telling you this is the season that you're made for. [01:08:37] (43 seconds)  #MadeForLegacy