Sermon Tone Analysis

Mishnah

The Jewish oral law and traditions have been recorded in the Talmud and part of the Talmud is a collections of books called the Mishnah.

Listen to the description from the Jews about the festival that Jesus was attending in .

Mishnah Sukkah 5:1-4

The flute was played sometimes for five days, and sometimes for six.

This was the flute of the place of water drawing, which does overrides neither Shabbat nor holidays.

The Sages said: Anyone who has never seen the rejoicing at the place of water drawing, has never seen rejoicing in all his days.

At the departure of the first holy day of the festival, they would descend into the women's court, and they would arrange there a great arrangement.

And four golden candelabras were there, and four golden basins at their heads, and four ladders to each one, and upon them were]four of the rising youth of the priesthood, and in their hands were jars of oil holding one hundred and twenty logim which is a liquid measure, which they would pour into each of the basins.

From the worn out pants of the priests and from their worn out belts they would tear pieces, and they would use them as wicks to light with them.

And there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not illuminated by the light of the place of water drawing.

Pious people and men of great deeds would dance before them with lit torches in their hands, and says before them words of song and praise.

And the Levites would play with lutes, and harps, and cymbals, and trumpets, and countless musical instruments, upon the fifteen steps which descent into the women's court, corresponding with the fifteen songs of ascents in the Psalms, that upon them the Levites would stand with their musical instruments and sing.

https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Sukkah.5.4?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

So that is the picture of what is taking place at the Feast of Tabernacles and in the middle of this feast, with men dancing around with torches lit and music being played we pick up our scripture in .

Please stand if you are able.

John 8:12-30

Let’s pray.

John 8:12

I am the light of the world - possibly said as those with the torches were dancing around during the festival of tabernacles

Jesus often took something mundane or regular and moved it to a spiritual conversation

This is the second I AM statement in John -

I am the bread of life

I am the light of the world

God being the light is a theme throughout the Bible.

Psalm 27:1

Psalm 119:105

Psalm 36:9

Isaiah 60:19

Isaiah 60:19

John 8:12

John 8:12

Think about all the people around us that are walking in darkness.

And they love it.

John 3:19

We see it nearly every week on the news.

We know that those who do evil deeds are not followers of Jesus.

We see it on the news nearly every night

Rioting - Protesting - Vandalism - Shootings

They love it

But followers of Jesus are to be different.

We are to walk in a righteous way.

We walk in the light because we have the Light.

When Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” those familiar with the Old Testament would have recognized that Jesus was claiming to be God.

John 8:20

This verse is an important verse.

The treasury was in the Court of Woman in the Temple.

That means that Jesus was sharing this good news of being the Light of the World with everyone.

Jesus’ message is available to everyone.

Men and Women, Jew and Gentile

Luke 19:10

Every empty seat in this church represents another lost person

My heart breaks

Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost - that was His mission.

Our mission was given to us by Jesus - to go and share the Good News.

So let’s get real personal

When was the last time you shared your faith in Jesus?

Who are you going to share your faith with this week?

Who should be sitting next to you?

Who is missing today?

Who will you pray for this week?

Who will you invite this week?

According to pastorresources.com”

“95% of all Christians have never lead another person to Christ.”

http://www.pastorresources.com/happy-are-those-who-share-their-faith/

What does that mean - we have a people all over Greeley this morning worshipping God and yet 95% have never lead another person to Christ.

That’s why Jesus’ message in the temple treasury in the Court of Woman is so important - Salvation is available for all

Jesus died for you - and the free gift of salvation is to believe in Jesus - look at what Jesus says

John 8:24

Unless you believe that I am He - you will die in your sins

Look at your prayer guide - look at all the names we have listed that will die in their sins because they didn’t believe that Jesus came and died on the cross for them.

Jesus paid the penalty of death on our behalf and rose from the grave beating death

See Jesus did that for us and all we need to do is believe.

But that is a hard step for a lot of people

Twice this week I have had conversations about Jesus with non believers - and it is simply believing that Jesus is the way that these friends of mine are getting caught up and stumbling

One of my friends tried to argue that there is no such thing as sin - that whatever feels good is okay.

If there is no sin - there is no need for a savior.

But just because she feels that whatever feels good is okay does not mean that there is not sin.

Another friend told me - because God is love, and we love, therefore we too are God.

The original sin - the original lie from Satan that if we would eat from the tree of knowledge w would “be like god”

We are not god

My heart breaks - two people, lost, two seats unfilled, two names not written in the book of Life

I am tired of people I know dying without knowing Jesus

I know we cannot know the heart of people or where they stand with Jesus - but I know what they have said

A girl in my high school graduating class posted on Facebook that all of her cancer treatments have failed and the doctors have told her there is nothing more that they can do.

She is a Muslim.

Lost without Jesus.

She will die in her sins without Jesus.

So is there good news?

John 8:28

It’s interesting to me that Jesus said, “when you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He.”

When you see Jesus on the cross - you will know

When you see Jesus ascend to Heaven - you will know

We can’t see either of those two things - but we have the testimony of those that did

Matthew, Mark, and John

We have Luke’s recorded history

Conclusion

Do you know - Jesus loved you so much He willing went to the cross and died for you.

He died for every person that is not here today

He died for you and for me.