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Third Sunday of Epiphany
Light of Christ Anglican Church
The Rev. Michael Moffitt, January 26, 2020


Let Light Shine Out of Darkness


Text: 2 Corinthians 4:1–8

Teresa and I both became Christians during the “Jesus Movement” which began in the late ’60s and early ’70s and lasted until sometime in the late ’80s. We ended up going to a Bible study taught by a fellow with whom we went to high school. It was primarily composed of teenagers and young adults. We were on fire for Christ and had the idealistic view of the world that made all things possible. We believed that Paul's words from Romans 8:37 were our credo, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” This was a time where we just knew that we would be raised up into a mighty army of God, it was a time of real excitement. We had no concept of what it was to become a warrior empowered by the Holy Spirit, or what it would look like to have battle scars. We studied the scriptures and learned apologetics (defending the faith), we had the joy of meeting some of our theological heroes at conferences.

Actually, I would love to have the same zeal and innocence that I did back then. We were right in believing that we could conquer all things in Jesus’ strength and the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s just that we weren’t making the connection that the way to conquer is to do battle. Unfortunately, for us and our little group (that had grown to around 100 people) it was also a time of real arrogance and lack of wisdom. We knew many, many theological precepts but did not understand suffering for the faith or the cunning and deception of our enemy. We knew it in theory, but we were persuaded that he didn’t want to mess with us. Eventually, Satan took us down due to our arrogance and because we didn’t understand what it was to fight. We assumed that everything would work out because we were serious about our faith and assumed that we would walk in God’s favor and blessings, which is not wrong, but it would come with a price. I don’t know how we missed that because the Scriptures are very clear about it. The good news is that as we aged most of us matured and learned what it was to fight and to win through the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.

This morning we will consider the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to be faithful no matter what is going on around us or happening to us. He wants the reader to see clearly that this is war, but that the battle had already been won by Jesus Christ on the cross, and if we will continue to fight it absolutely must be in his strength. Paul wanted the reader to know for certain that whatever they encountered it would be so worth it in the end.

This idea of suffering being worth it because of what was gained first dawned on me when Teresa gave birth to Amy. One of the other young couples at our church was the first in our holy huddle to have a baby. We decided that was what we wanted too, and we were going to do “natural childbirth” and use the Lamaze method. We went to classes where Teresa was shown how to breathe and I learned to be her coach. We watched a film about a real childbirth, and I was taken back a little bit. Now, I loved my wife and in my opinion she was very special, but the pain and hardship of giving birth were astounding. Women should be applauded for their strength and commitment. I don’t know how they do it. On February 17, 1976, Amy was born, I was so overwhelmed and moved to hold my little girl in my arms, and I was equally glad that I was the father, not the mother. I knew that there was no way that I would have gone through that. I would have been telling the nurse to knock me out at the first contraction.

I discovered by experience this total mystery about women giving birth to our children. Approximately a year after Amy was born, Teresa told me that she wanted another child. I was in total shock. Why in the world would she want to go through that again? It was because having our beautiful little girl was so amazing and brought us such joy, that Teresa knew that it was worth it. So, on November 25, 1977, our son Ben was born. I both cases it has been totally worth it.

This is the principle that Paul is striving to teach to the church at Corinth. They had been deceived by others whom Paul would later call “super-apostles” (11:5) who were teaching that the gospel that Paul preached was lacking and overly strict. He wanted to make sure that they fully understood the truth and power of the true gospel of Christ. In chapter 3 Paul reminds them that he was a minister of the New Covenant that was not merely comprised of the written law but of the life-giving Spirit of God in Christ. He writes in 2 Corinthians 3:17–18,

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Paul wanted them to grasp that those who preached in such a way as to make everyone comfortable, were likely not preaching the gospel that led people to repentance and faith. There is a constant temptation in the ministry to preach what people want to hear rather than what they need to hear. Sermons that confront people with their spiritual shortcomings often don’t result in a pat on the back.

Charles Spurgeon wrote,

The preacher should either speak in God’s name or hold his tongue. My brother, if the Lord has not sent you with a message, go to bed, or to school, or mind your farm; for what does it matter what you have to say of your own? If heaven has given you a message, speak it out as he ought to speak who is called to be the mouth of God.

Paul’s preaching was bold and uncompromising because he understood the greatness of his calling in Christ. The true gospel was given to him by God’s mercy. He had been a persecutor of the church but then he became one of the church’s greatest preachers, teachers and disciples. He had encountered Jesus Christ personally and as we talked about last week, he knew why he was following him. It wasn’t simply because of what Jesus could do for him but because of who he was. Paul had been transformed by the gospel given to him by Jesus himself, and to water it down or compromise it to fit the taste of the unregenerate heart was unthinkable. He knew what it cost our Lord Jesus to purchase our salvation and freedom from sin. It cost him everything. To not proclaim the gospel in all its glory and truth was to diminish the message and run the risk of people not seeing their need to bow down before the risen savior repenting of their sin and surrendering to Jesus’ Lordship.

Paul wasn’t recommending that everyone be theologians, but to simply trust that God would accomplish his purpose through the simple straight forward means of gospel ministry. They should not use underhanded or dubious means in their work. They should not be promising earthly material blessings as a result of following Christ but should teach the prize of knowing Jesus’ love and mercy both in this age and in the age to come. The same is true of all believers when they bear witness to the truth and the story of how they came to know and trust Jesus Christ. Knowing God’s power should encourage us to present our faith plainly and truthfully. We do not need to be clever or powerful for God to use us. This is not to be seen as a contest to see how many people they could get to pray the sinner’s prayer. Being faithful in telling the story of Jesus coming to their rescue and how they were without hope until they met him was their job. It is God through Christ that does the saving.

Paul points out that “even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.” Sometimes when we present the gospel, our message is rejected but it is not because we present it poorly or because the gospel lacks power. It’s because Satan blinds the unbeliever to the truth and “keeps them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Ever notice how you can talk about almost anything else, but Jesus, and people are fine with it? When you talk about your love for Jesus and their need for him, they react strongly and make accusations about bias, hypocrisy, and being judgmental, plus the ever-present issue of hate speech. Do you know why they react so strongly? It’s because “the god of this world has blinded their hearts” and it is he that is speaking through them of his hatred of Jesus. He thought he had won when Jesus went to the cross but then found out that he had been completely and utterly defeated. For him it’s not enough to reveal his rage and hatred of God, he delights in hearing others blaspheme the name of Jesus. You can talk about God in a generic way, or speak of other religions and likely get no more response than a thoughtful nod. But speak the name of Jesus and sometimes literally all Hell breaks loose. It’s Satan’s rage that you are hearing and that is why we must pray for those who are blinded to the truth of Jesus as Savior, Lord and King.

When Paul speaks of the “god of this world” he is referring to the state of this fallen world, while it is in the process of being restored to the form it will have when the kingdom of God reaches its consummation at the return of Christ. The people who are unbelievers oppose the kingdom that Christ ushered in and the principles of the age to come. Paul didn’t mean that Satan controls the world and will continue to control until the judgment. Jesus is already reigning above those who rule in this age. Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:19-21,

and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

We live in a culture where Jesus is often made fun of on televisions, movies and other forms of media. Christians are often presented as buffoons, mentally challenged and clueless. That’s the enemy taking a swipe at Jesus, hoping that it will make Christians and their Lord look silly and will prevent believers from being bold in their witness. There is no real reason to be impatient with someone who can’t hear you when they don’t answer your questions. In the same way, there is no reason to despise the one who has been blinded to the truth of Jesus Christ. They literally can’t see it.

We are seeing in our nation and around the world how cultures unravel and plummet down into levels of depravity beyond our experience or ability to reason. The abortion industry has shown what it’s like to completely reject God and his word and replace it with attitudes and policies so godless that they can only be attributed to the demonic. There is no way to explain the butchering of the unborn and using that to fuel a business selling baby parts. There is no way to explain how this could possibly be called good and then celebrated. It is called the “woman’s reproductive right” and to not make it freely available for any reason is to deny them good healthcare. It’s an unbelievable lie that has been accepted as truth because their minds have been corrupted and now they prefer darkness.

The Apostle Paul was very clear about the cause of this. Romans 1:18 and 21–22,

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth…. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools.

In the things of God’s Spirit, they are the walking dead and the only hope they have is that the light of Jesus Christ would heal their darkened hearts and restore the image of God in them. The question that is on the minds of many is, “can we turn it around and go back to being a nation under God and his word?” I believe the answer to be absolutely, Yes. If God’s people will surrender their lives and resources to the proclamation of the gospel and the truth found only in God’s Word. When God’s people are faithful to be obedient, he brings all the resources of Heaven to bear on their behalf.

Last week over 100,000 people gathered in Washington D.C for the annual March for Life. It was very encouraging to hear of so many young people gathered to support the pro-life movement. Our President came and spoke of the need to fight for the unborn. He was the first sitting president to speak at the March for Life. There are many people who work tirelessly to end this abominable blight on America and the world. One of those who came was New England Patriots tight end, Benjamin Watson. He and his wife have seven children and are faithful supporters of the Pro-Life movement. He has produced a documentary coming out in May that will unveil the truth about abortion in America. It is entitled Divided Hearts of America. It will include interviews with Dr. Ben Carson and Alveda King, a niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In an interview with a journalist from the “Hollywood Reporter” Watson revealed,

My goal is to unveil the truth about abortion, the laws, the history and where our country is headed. I believe in the sanctity of life, be it in the womb or the deathbed. That’s my conviction. But with the film, I’ll engage those who disagree and hear their reasoning. The No. 1 thing I’m looking for is empathy on both sides.

He wants the opportunity to bring Jesus into the conversation without being accusatory.

There are hundreds of Pro Life ministries that are daily fighting in the Supreme Court, in the media, and giving their time and love meeting one on one with those considering an abortion. We have every reason to believe that this country can turn around if God’s people will proclaim the gospel in their lives and in their conversations. We must not solely depend upon the courts and ministries committed to fighting this dark and sinister blight upon the world. Nothing will change until hearts are transformed and turn to Jesus, and by his design it is to come about through his people. In 2 Corinthians 4:5-6 Paul writes,

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

I am persuaded that the abortion issue opened this country up to all kinds of darkness and sexual perversion. When the spiritual defenses come down the enemy rushes in and what he brings is a darkness that is incomprehensible. We have a sexual identity crisis in America and children are being exposed to perversion and dark lies that are bringing confusion, frustration and suicide attempts. In many cities they are not getting this information through back alleys and secret meetings. They are being taught these abominable lies by their schoolteachers. Drag Queens are invited to read to children at local libraries in those cities. This called “progressive” as if we had reached a new age of enlightenment. There is nothing new about it. It’s the same enemy that first brought confusion and lies to the Garden of Eden.

Finally, let’s read again the encouragement that Paul was offering to the church in Corinth and to us today. 2 Corinthians 4:7-8,

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair…

The treasure that Paul is alluding to is the gospel ministry and the accompanying new covenant of the Holy Spirit. He is drawing a distinction between that and the “jars of clay” representing our weak human natures and, including but not limited to, our physical bodies. It has always been God’s way to work through those who are weak or unimpressive in the world’s eyes. Paul admits that his gospel ministry had been very difficult. He had been beaten, betrayed, hard-pressed, persecuted and struck down. Yet he was affirming that in spite of these troubles, Jesus had never abandoned or ceased provided for him. For Paul it had been totally worth it because the pay off was to be with Jesus, whom he had grown to love above all else.

So, what should our takeaway be today? What can we do in response to this call to faithfulness? Certainly, we can be faithful prayer warriors on behalf of various ministries that deal with being the face of Christ to those who are struggling.

We can provide significant support to those on the front lines of the current warfare in our country for the sanctity of human life. As a church we support “Anglicans for Life” and they always need contributions and the PRC in Richmond always need donations. You can give everything from financial gifts to material goods for moms, dads, and babies.

We can join them in volunteering to physically support their efforts. Use your God-given talents to meet needs, including counseling, mentoring, and helping with events. They have a place for you to serve.

Teresa and I bought a copy of “Unplanned” which is the story of Abby Johnson. She was the youngest clinic director in the history of “Planned Parenthood”. She had a life-changing experience that turned her into an anti-abortion activist. I feel that we should have a showing here at Light of Christ for those in our community.

We must find ways to actually be the Light of Christ to those around. Please be praying for God to show you what this looks like in your life.

Let’s pray.

©2020 Rev. Mike Moffitt

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