Aug 26, 2013
“Walking in Light”
An 8-minute sermon for 2013 SDB General Conference
by Rev. David Stall, Ashaway, Rhode Island
With the prevalence of guest speakers and special performances, President Ralph Mackintosh wanted to squeeze more SDB pastors into his Conference program. He challenged a handful of our guys to preach an 8-minute message. Here is one of them.
To set up for his eight minutes of fame, Pastor Dave brought a small table lamp to the platform, turned it on, and placed it on a stool for illustration. He said, “Since I am from a 300-plus-year-old church in Rhode Island, this is my idea of a high-tech visual aid.”
President Mackintosh gave me a verse (Psalm 119:105) as the scriptural basis for this message. That verse says: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Most of us here would probably agree that walking in light is better than walking in darkness. If you’re not sure about that, let me ask you a question. Have you ever walked in darkness and stubbed your toe on something? I mean, really stubbed your toe hard, with the kind of pain that makes you hop around and hold your tongue from saying bad words?
I have a point to make here, so let me take that question a bit further. Have you ever walked in darkness and stubbed your toe on something that YOU put in your own way? Even worse… Have you ever walked in darkness and stubbed your toe on something that YOU put in your own way—after your wife suggested you move it? I have!
Last spring, just before Pastor’s Conference, my wife and I were having a “friendly discussion” about this box of “old stuff” of mine that she had deemed trash but I viewed as treasure. After some discussion, I decided to put this big plastic box on the floor near my side of the bed in our bedroom. She advised me that this was not a good idea or location, and that I should move it. Despite her warnings, I left the box there.
In the middle of the night, when I got up and walked through the darkness, I stubbed my toe on that stupid box! My little toe was black and blue, and I limped to New Jersey for Pastor’s Conference, with no one to blame but myself. I put an obstacle in my own way, ignored a helpful warning, walked in darkness… and I paid the price.
So, getting back to Psalm 119:105. God’s Word is a lamp. His Word, His Law, lights the way for us. It keeps us on the right path and saves us some broken toes (figuratively speaking) and some personal injuries.
In pastoral counseling, I spend a lot of time with people who are broken, bruised, or crippled because they hurt themselves while walking in darkness. They are often dealing with emotional, spiritual, or mental problems. These include serious stress, hurts, and baggage from the past; and, of course, serious relational problems as well.
Some of these things, I understand, are caused by outside factors or other people, or evils beyond their control. But often times, the problems are a result of their own disobedience to God’s Word. It’s their own sin, their own choice to walk in darkness instead of light. They decide to turn away from God’s Word, place obstacles in their own way, ignore the warnings, and walk in darkness. And they get hurt.
People will say things like, “When I sin, I hurt myself and others, and it’s not good.” Sometimes I just want to shake them and say, “Then STOP sinning!” If they were to say, “When I walk in darkness, I get bruised or hurt,” I would say, “Then turn on the light!” Why would anyone want to walk in darkness?
So, we’ve covered this idea that walking in darkness is bad. God’s Word is a lamp and we should use it. But, what is so good about walking in the light? I think we find a great answer in 1 John 1:5-7 which says, “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”
When we walk in darkness, we do not have fellowship with God. When we choose to live a life of sin, we are breaking fellowship with God and separating ourselves from Him. Again I ask, why would anyone want to walk in darkness?
When we walk in light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with God! We can be sure that the blood of Jesus Christ is making us pure. How great is that? Why would anyone want to walk in darkness? God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Walk in the light.
Note: To close this sermon with his “high-tech visual aid,” Dave moved over to that lamp on a stool and turned it off. “Dark = Bad.” Then he turned it back on. “Light = Good.” This process was repeated (Dark = Bad, Light = Good) several times until the point was made and the 8-minute time allowance quietly expired.
