Sermon Outline:
1. His Character (8:12a)
2. His Call (8:12b)
3. His Covenant (8:12c)
Sermon Text:
I am The Light of The World
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Sermon Notes:
The natural man has no relationship with the Holy God; therefore, he cannot enjoy God through godly emotions such as peace, joy, assurance, and fear. The only fear an unbeliever understands is the dread and terror of a God who demands justice.
Thomas Wilson best articulates this in “Maxims of Piety, and of Christianity” as follows:
“Men are too apt to flatter themselves that God will not be so severe as He has threatened. This hardens men in sin, and makes them boldly venture upon damnation. This is to represent God as a God not terrible in judgment. Let a just fear of God’s vengeance have its proper effect, etc. The Spirit of God makes use of flames, of fire and brimstone, to awaken us, to represent it to us. … A man has no other security of his virtue, but the fear of offending God.”
Once a believer is judicially and relationally at peace with God, this does not negate the believer’s fear of God. Even so, for the Christian, the fear of the Lord is often defined as respect or awe. However, the Christian’s fear of the Lord is not just a simple respect, because respect can and does exist between equals. This is not the same as the respect shown towards one who is superior.
A.W. Pink best explains this as follows:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 1:7). Happy the soul that has been awed by a view of God’s majesty, that has had a vision of God’s awful greatness, His ineffable holiness, His perfect righteousness, His irresistible power, His sovereign grace. Does someone say, “But it is only the unsaved, those outside of Christ, who need to fear God”? Then the sufficient answer is that the saved, those who are in Christ, are admonished to work out their own salvation with “fear and trembling.” Time was when it was the general custom to speak of a believer as a “God-fearing man.” That such an appellation has become nearly extinct only serves to show whither we have drifted. Nevertheless, it still stands written, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him” (Psalm 103:13).
When we speak of godly fear, we are not referring to a servile fear, such as prevails among the heathen in connection with their gods. Instead we refer to that spirit which Jehovah is pledged to bless, that spirit to which the prophet referred when he said, “To this man will I (the Lord) look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my word” (Isa. 66:2). It was this fear the apostle had in view when he wrote, “Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (I Pet: 2:17), and nothing will foster this godly fear like a recognition of the Sovereign Majesty of God.”
