Sermon Outlines

By Frederick F. Schwindt, Evangelist

LIFE AND LIGHT

1. The Psalmist was so attached to God:
   1. That he used the glory of nature to portray the majesty and power of God
   2. In this instance he points out that light and life have their source with God
2. Light and life are two of the great manifestations of:
   1. An all-pervading omnipotent power in the universe
   2. Which affect and control all creation in the universe

1. A careful study of the Bible reveals:
   1. That God our heavenly Father is the source of all being - Rom. 11:36; I Cor. 8:6 (The New English Bible)
   2. Jesus, when speaking of His relationship to the Father, says, "If God were your father, you would love Me, for God is the source of My being, and from Him I come" - John 8:42 - The New English Bible
   3. In the Book "The Great Controversy", page 479, paragraph two, we read, "The ancient of days is God the Father...It is He, the source of all being, and the fountain of all law, that is to preside in the judgment."
2. Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, is:
   1. The fountain of life to the universe, created through and by Him - John 1:1-3; Eph. 3:9; Heb. 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-17
   2. John writes of Him, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" - John 1:4
   3. Said Jesus, "For as the Father hath life in Himself, so He hath given to the Son to have life in Himself" - John 5:26
   4. In John 8:12 we read in part, "I am the light of the world" - John 14:6
3. The nature of the Fountain of life:
   1. It is mysterious in its nature; we may enjoy it, but are unable to define or explain it Job 36:30-32; 37:15
   2. It is free to all; no monthly bill for the use of God's light. In the East they call it, "The gift of God" - "Ho everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters" - Is. 55:1; "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink" - John 7:37-38; "And let him that is athirst come...let him take of the water of life freely" - Rev. 22:17
   3. The fountain of life brings life wherever it flows - Ex. 47:1-9
   4. The water of the fountain is always seeking to rise to the level from which it came. That reminds us of that beautiful hymn, "I am pressing on the upward way, new heights I'm gaining every day"

1. Here again, the Bible teaches:
   1. That God is "the Father of lights"; of Him, Paul writes, "dwelling in the light which no man can approach, nor can see" - I Tim. 6:15-16; Jas. 1:17
   2. The sun and all the stars are only lights kindled by Him
   3. It is the very crown of revelation that "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all" - I John 1:5
2. The mysterious working of light:
   1. Nothing is seen in its own light, not even a visible thing. A landscape is not seen in its own light. How little of what you see is mere perception. Every sight of nature is tinged with the light of memory
   2. The poet stands on the bridge at night and looks on the water, but what he really sees is the tide of memory
   3. Even so, if you want to see the world in its true light, you have to see it in the light of the other world
3. The light of the soul:
   1. For the soul to have light about itself or God, it needs God to give light
   2. Only in God's light shall we truly see ourselves; Examples: Saul of Tarsus never before saw himself until the light of heaven shone upon him - Acts 9:3-9; Elymas the sorcerer never saw the light until the light of heaven blinded him - Acts 13:10-11
   3. Jesus Christ is the light of the world; His light shines upon the path of duty to God and men.