Light of the World
This Weekly Prayer Summary was written by Brigitta Tedja)
#hearingear
Watch full sermon here
The service began with the “Light of the World: A Christmas Celebration” performance consisting of 150 cast and crew, representing the generations working together. This beautiful celebration highlighted that there is but one true Light and His name is Jesus Christ. We can overcome any darkness with Jesus in our lives. He is the best gift! He is our hope, He is the Prince of Peace, and He is love incarnate.
Pastor Paul preached a strong sermon entitled “Light of the World”, continuing on the #Hearingear series. He began by sharing his family’s Christmas tradition of having to shine his shoes and get grass to feed Santa’s reindeers in order to get presents. He realized his parents lied to him and he learned that deception could be fun. Deception or distraction may be fun but the focus of Christmas is Jesus, not Santa Clause. This season may be good or bad for different individuals, some may be happy, and some may be sad due to loss. There are mixed feelings of joy and stress, depending on the season of life one finds themselves in.
Pastor will speak on these 4 points:
1. Light of the World
Matthew
2. Three Cities:
Capernaum
Zebulun
Napthali
3. Declaration
Luke
4. Our Response
1. Light of the World
Matthew 4:16 NKJV “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great Light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned."
Matthew 4:16 AMP “The people who were sitting (living) in [spiritual] darkness have seen a great Light, And for those who were sitting (living) in the land and shadow of [spiritual and moral] death, upon them a Light has dawned.”
Sit in Darkness: live, dwell, become one [marry], part of you — some have been in this condition for a long time, their address is in the darkness, they live in darkness
-Perhaps you might be living in darkness for a long time that it becomes your normal.
-Some people grew up in a family where lying, slandering, gossiping, or anger is normal.
-You can get so used to this that you become numb or desensitized (anger, disappointments, bitterness, insecurity, suspicious, difficulties trusting others and God).
-Some may have been conditioned to pornography, sex outside of marriage, and even cussing/cursing becomes normal
Sometimes you do not know what you have been saved from until you are saved
After Pastor Paul received Jesus, he looked back upon his life and he thanked God that he is still alive. His friend died from 27 stab wounds and his body was thrown into the water. Pastor did not know that violence became part of his nature. He used to talk and think differently and had a different attitude until he accepted Jesus into his life.
Light = Capital L – It is a Person
“I am the Light of the World.” (Jesus)
Spiritual eyes will provide you with insight and vision.
Global food shortage or food crisis is coming in 2023—we need the Light and hope of Christ
This Light will not blind you. The Light will give you creative ideas. It will reveal to you and what was veiled will become unveiled — He will make you to be able to see.
An Exuberant Declaration of Faith
Psalm 27:1 A Psalm of David
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.”
Pastor Paul stated that he learned from David. When David wrote this psalm, his life was being threatened and he had every reason to be afraid. In the midst of hard times, he sang that God was his Light, his Salvation, and his Strength. David made an exuberant declaration of faith in the midst of trouble.
Matthew 4:12-16 “Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.’”
You need to have a hearing ear and filter what you hear. Jesus heard what happened to John the Baptist with his natural ears and stated that what He does, He sees His Father do. Jesus heard His Father. We need to have a hearing ear like Jesus. Jesus lived in Capernaum “which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet.”
It was spoken (prophesied) in 740 B.C.
This verse is quoted from Isaiah 9:1-2
The prophet prophesied or foretold, revelation by divine inspiration, divine source by God, it is not prediction
There are many other verses that mention the coming of the Messiah, not only the first time, but also for Jesus’ second coming.
This means that we need to hear what it is for us today. We need to get ready and be prepared because the prophecy that was declared 700+ years before Jesus was born was fulfilled, so we must believe that the other scriptures will also be fulfilled.
Verse 16: “The people who were sitting (living) in [spiritual] darkness have seen a great Light, and for those who were sitting (living) in the land and shadow of [spiritual and moral] death, upon them a Light has dawned.”
2.Three Cities:
Capernaum: city of consolation, city of comfort
Thayer's Greek Lexicon: Kapernaoum. Capernaum = "village of comfort"
Jesus lived in the city of consolation, in the house of comfort
Zebulun: exalt, honor
Naphtali: wrestling, denial, despair
Jesus chose to live in a land in between exalted position and the position of wrestling.
His address will be Capernaum = most literally in the village of Nahum, the prophet
Foretaste: When Jesus was born, the wise men came. They traveled with a large entourage. The wise-men were king-makers, they can promote or demote kings. They were powerful men, even Herod was afraid of them. Jesus can identify when dignitaries come. He can handle influential people.
Pastor learned some wealthy and influential people are lonely, with little friends, because they do not know who to trust. Jesus knew how to deal, minister, and reach out to successful but empty people.
His address will be between Zebulun & Naphtali:
Zebulun = exalted = From Hebrew זְבוּל (zevul) meaning "exalted house". In the Old Testament Zebulun is the tenth son of Jacob (his sixth son by Leah) and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Genesis 30:20 connects the name to the related verb זָבַל (zaval), translated as "exalt, honor" or "dwell with" in different versions of the Bible, when Leah says my husband will exalt/dwell with me.
Naphtali = wresting, denial & despair
Jesus also ministered to poverty-stricken individuals
The Widow’s Mite
Mary poured very expensive perfume over Jesus (“Leave her alone! What she is doing is a beautiful thing.”)
Where is your address right now? Where do you live right now? Are you dwelling in a place of wrestling? Are you tired, frustrated, discouraged? Are you in-between? Are you in the best of times or the worst of times? Obstacles do not block the path; they are the path. When you are on your way, there are often things that are in the way—face them! At times God delivers you from the fire, other times God makes you fire-proof.The Lord is your Light, He is your Salvation, and He is your Strength. The Gospel is about the weak overcoming. Jesus, the Light of the world, is here to set you free.
3. Declaration (proclamation, formal announcement)
Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah), because He has anointed Me to:
preach the good news [to be Hope] to the poor,
announce release [pardon, forgiveness, healing for the broken hearted] to the captives,
give recovery of sight [new eyes] to the blind,
set free those who are oppressed [downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy],
proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly].”
“The people who were sitting (living) in [spiritual] darkness has seen a great Light, and for those who were sitting (living) in the land and shadow of [spiritual and moral] death, upon them a Light has dawned.”
4. Our Response
Now that you have heard the Word, what is your response? An altar call was made and many were ministered to.
Prayer Points:
Pray to no longer live in darkness, to no longer dwell or stay in the same condition
Pray for a breakthrough from any negativity that became normal e.g., lying, slandering, gossiping, anger, disappointments, bitterness, insecurity, trust issues, pornography, sex outside of marriage, cussing/cursing
Pray to no longer be numb or become desensitized
Pray that Jesus, the Light of the world will cause you to be able to see with spiritual eyes
Pray to be like David: he made an exuberant declaration of faith in the midst of trouble
Pray to have a hearing ear, filter what you listen to
Pray to believe in the prophecies and in the Word of God
Pray through Luke 4:18-19:
Preach the good news [to be Hope] to the poor
Announce release [pardon, forgiveness, healing for the broken hearted] to the captives,
Give recovery of sight [new eyes] to the blind
Set free those who are oppressed [downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy]
Proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly
Pray to respond to the Word this week as we celebrate Christmas