How John Served God (John 1:6-9)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.960 --> 00:00:06.080 Well, if you would. Let's turn to the gospel of John. Now, 2 00:00:08.789 --> 00:00:13.949 New Testament, Matthew, mark, Luke and John, the first four 3 00:00:13.990 --> 00:00:21.539 books, all of them, many biographies, you might say, of Jesus. 4 00:00:23.940 --> 00:00:27.980 For those of you who have gone through the Christianity explored class or are 5 00:00:28.140 --> 00:00:31.579 going through that, you're you're going through one of those gospels. As you 6 00:00:31.620 --> 00:00:35.140 know, the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of John is is another one, 7 00:00:35.179 --> 00:00:41.409 another biography, we might say. It begins in a different place, 8 00:00:41.490 --> 00:00:46.729 says things in a slightly different way, but all to help us understand and 9 00:00:47.009 --> 00:00:53.880 see more of who Jesus is and who we are in him. So my 10 00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:59.119 sermon this morning is going to focus particularly on versus six through nine, but 11 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:08.870 I'll go ahead and begin reading at the beginning again, as Isaiah says, 12 00:01:08.909 --> 00:01:12.510 the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our Lord stands 13 00:01:12.549 --> 00:01:19.900 forever. Let's give our attention to it. In the beginning was the word, 14 00:01:21.540 --> 00:01:26.019 and the word was with God, and the word was God. He 15 00:01:26.340 --> 00:01:33.890 was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without 16 00:01:33.930 --> 00:01:38.530 him was not anything made. That was made. In him was life, 17 00:01:38.329 --> 00:01:44.689 and the life was the light of men, the light shines in the darkness, 18 00:01:45.290 --> 00:01:49.760 and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from 19 00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:56.920 God whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness 20 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:01.430 about the light that all might believe through him. He was not the light, 21 00:02:02.069 --> 00:02:07.750 but came to bear witness about the light, the true light which enlightens 22 00:02:07.790 --> 00:02:13.349 everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world and the 23 00:02:13.389 --> 00:02:17.139 world was made through him, and yet the world did not know him. 24 00:02:19.259 --> 00:02:22.539 He came to his own people, and his own people did not receive him, 25 00:02:23.580 --> 00:02:27.620 but to all who did receive him and who believed in his name, 26 00:02:28.900 --> 00:02:32.810 he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of 27 00:02:32.930 --> 00:02:38.409 blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of 28 00:02:38.530 --> 00:03:00.150 man, but of God. You may be seated to remind you a little 29 00:03:00.189 --> 00:03:05.310 bit about what we spoke of last time. In the first few verses we 30 00:03:05.430 --> 00:03:10.150 had this we focused our attention on this amazing way in which John Speaks, 31 00:03:12.830 --> 00:03:19.259 when he says that he was in the beginning. He was in the beginning, 32 00:03:19.300 --> 00:03:24.939 and John is saying things in a way that is understandable, but really 33 00:03:25.060 --> 00:03:30.449 only to a point, because how do you understand what was before the beginning? 34 00:03:30.289 --> 00:03:37.530 It's something that is really hard to wrap your minds around. Chrysostum, 35 00:03:38.169 --> 00:03:46.919 fourth century theologian residing in Modern Day Turkey, puts it like this. Finding 36 00:03:46.120 --> 00:03:52.960 then, that the was in the text exceeds imagination. The intellect has no 37 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:58.430 point on which to focus its thought, looking intently onward, but being unable 38 00:03:58.430 --> 00:04:01.229 to fix its gaze, it becomes wearied and turns pack to things below. 39 00:04:01.590 --> 00:04:06.030 How do you think about before the beginning? That's what Chrysostom is wrestling with. 40 00:04:08.110 --> 00:04:11.539 It continuing, he says, indeed, this expression was in the beginning, 41 00:04:11.780 --> 00:04:16.939 is expressive of eternal and infinite being. Again, how do you get 42 00:04:16.939 --> 00:04:23.740 your mind around eternal and infinite being? Well, you don't. Has a 43 00:04:23.860 --> 00:04:30.449 finite creature. It's really impossible. And yet how true it is. What 44 00:04:30.610 --> 00:04:35.689 we can understand of it, though, we can't comprehensively sort of grasp it, 45 00:04:35.889 --> 00:04:41.600 and man's master it. It tells us that Jesus, as John Explicitly 46 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:46.279 says, was God and is God. All things were made through him and 47 00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:53.269 without him was not anything made. That was made. And so in all 48 00:04:53.310 --> 00:04:59.310 of these things, John is introducing us to this one who then comes in 49 00:04:59.790 --> 00:05:05.750 to the world, who is Jesus right that's a question. As a Christian 50 00:05:05.870 --> 00:05:11.459 you should be able to answer. Who is Jesus? Because this is the 51 00:05:11.540 --> 00:05:15.620 one you follow, this is the one who has saved you. And if 52 00:05:15.620 --> 00:05:19.540 you're not a Christian, if you're thinking about Christianity, exploring it, wondering 53 00:05:19.620 --> 00:05:27.290 about it, then this is an essential question to who is Jesus? That's 54 00:05:27.329 --> 00:05:31.529 what John is telling us here. He's telling us who Jesus is, and 55 00:05:31.649 --> 00:05:39.079 he begins by telling us that he was in the beginning, that he was 56 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:50.310 even before the creation of time and space, existing eternally as the son of 57 00:05:50.470 --> 00:05:59.509 God. The purpose of this knowledge, to know who this Jesus is, 58 00:05:59.670 --> 00:06:03.459 is given explicitly to us at the end of this Gospel. I'm going to 59 00:06:03.540 --> 00:06:08.860 refer to this a lot as I preach through John, because it's the purpose 60 00:06:09.019 --> 00:06:13.620 right. It's John's own saying. This is why I'm telling you this and 61 00:06:13.939 --> 00:06:17.339 it's important that you remember so. In John Twenty, verses thirty and thirty 62 00:06:17.420 --> 00:06:21.970 one, he says, now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence 63 00:06:23.050 --> 00:06:27.850 of the disciples which are not written in this book, but these are written 64 00:06:28.410 --> 00:06:32.519 so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, 65 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:38.639 and that by believing, you may have life in his name. Isn't 66 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:43.360 that excellent? John is telling you these things so that you would believe them 67 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:47.870 and have the life by believing in him. That's why he tells us these 68 00:06:47.949 --> 00:06:53.870 things. The the wonder that we have, the amazement that we have, 69 00:06:54.550 --> 00:07:00.029 the humility that pours over us when we think about this infinite, eternal God 70 00:07:00.110 --> 00:07:04.540 who is become a man in order to save us. It's all for this 71 00:07:04.860 --> 00:07:12.939 purpose that we might believe and have life in his name. That's how John 72 00:07:13.060 --> 00:07:17.490 Ends his book and that's how he starts as well. Notice what he says. 73 00:07:17.529 --> 00:07:20.649 He says the he was the life and the light of man. The 74 00:07:20.689 --> 00:07:28.250 light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. The light, 75 00:07:28.410 --> 00:07:30.759 who was from the beginning, has come into the world so that we 76 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:38.360 can have the very light and life of God. We all like life right. 77 00:07:38.519 --> 00:07:44.279 We don't like being sick, we don't like being frustrated in the things 78 00:07:44.350 --> 00:07:49.870 that we do or try to accomplish. In Jesus we have life, not 79 00:07:50.110 --> 00:07:56.430 just the thing, the life of this world, but eternal life, perfect 80 00:07:56.470 --> 00:08:01.060 life, powerful life, a light that shines in the darkness and is not 81 00:08:01.259 --> 00:08:09.060 overcome life that comes and carouses people to rise from the dead and never die 82 00:08:09.139 --> 00:08:18.970 again. Do you see darkness in the world? Do you see places where 83 00:08:18.730 --> 00:08:26.569 sin is present? Of course you do. You see it in your homes 84 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:33.399 and your neighborhood's darkness that's in your hearts, darkness that you hate, darkness 85 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:37.360 that hates the light, flees the light, darkness that hides, darkness that 86 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:43.190 covers, darkness that protects the devil rather than putting him to open shame in 87 00:08:43.269 --> 00:08:50.509 the brightness of the Sun. Well, my friends, to know Jesus is 88 00:08:50.629 --> 00:08:56.860 to know the light that overcomes the darkness, a light that shines in the 89 00:08:56.940 --> 00:09:03.899 darkness, overpowers the darkness, uncovers the darkness, puts away the darkness, 90 00:09:03.700 --> 00:09:11.169 and not just for a little bit of time, forever. Jesus comes into 91 00:09:11.169 --> 00:09:13.090 the world, he brings light into the world, as John Puts It, 92 00:09:13.490 --> 00:09:20.330 to open everything up, to banish it forever. Listen to the words in 93 00:09:20.450 --> 00:09:28.279 revelation two twenty three about the heavenly city that we will enjoy when Jesus returns, 94 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:35.720 he says, and the city has no need of a sun or moon 95 00:09:35.879 --> 00:09:41.909 to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light and it's 96 00:09:41.950 --> 00:09:46.629 lamp is the lamb. Revelation. Twenty two five says a similar thing. 97 00:09:48.110 --> 00:09:52.659 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or 98 00:09:52.860 --> 00:09:58.700 Sun, for the Lord God will be their light and they will shine forever 99 00:09:58.179 --> 00:10:05.940 and ever. But it amazing thing to consider Jesus, in other words, 100 00:10:07.139 --> 00:10:11.610 we are learning from this was the light before the beginning and he will be 101 00:10:11.929 --> 00:10:20.289 our light even after the end. This is he who has come into the 102 00:10:20.370 --> 00:10:28.399 world. And so John Introduces us to Jesus as the light in verses one 103 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:31.639 through five, and then in verse six he comes to someone new, a 104 00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:39.230 man named John. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 105 00:10:39.190 --> 00:10:43.710 Now this is a different John than the one who wrote the Gospel. 106 00:10:45.029 --> 00:10:50.980 The John The evangelist will call him the Gospel Writer, is introducing to us 107 00:10:50.019 --> 00:10:52.860 another John, right. So this is one John saying hi, is my 108 00:10:52.940 --> 00:10:58.299 friend John, right, so don't get too confused. We have John the 109 00:10:58.379 --> 00:11:03.179 Evangelist Who's riding the Gospel and he's telling us now about a man will call 110 00:11:03.259 --> 00:11:16.610 John the Baptist because he baptized Jesus and other people. Now, John's story 111 00:11:16.169 --> 00:11:20.960 is important for a lot of reasons, which we won't all get into now. 112 00:11:20.279 --> 00:11:26.799 Except for this one that John The evangelist highlights about John The baptist, 113 00:11:26.919 --> 00:11:31.990 and what we learn about John the Baptist as this. He came as a 114 00:11:33.509 --> 00:11:39.389 witness to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 115 00:11:39.389 --> 00:11:43.269 Right. So this was John's job and in fact, in that way he 116 00:11:43.389 --> 00:11:48.580 had a similar job to John the evangelist and really a similar job that you 117 00:11:48.820 --> 00:11:56.740 have too. What is it? We're witnesses, we're pointers, we are 118 00:11:58.179 --> 00:12:03.649 not the light, we are not the lamp of God. Right, we 119 00:12:03.809 --> 00:12:09.289 are the ones pointing to him, witnessing to him, telling about him. 120 00:12:09.570 --> 00:12:11.490 He came as a witness to bear witness, or he can't. Yeah, 121 00:12:11.529 --> 00:12:16.919 he came as a witness to bear witness about the light. Why? That 122 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:22.480 all might belief through him. Right, it's that same thing. And here 123 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:30.110 we have this this great reminder in the person of John About what God does 124 00:12:30.429 --> 00:12:35.669 in the world as the light. What do I mean? Well, the 125 00:12:35.750 --> 00:12:41.149 light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it, and one 126 00:12:41.190 --> 00:12:46.100 day the darkness will be entirely banished, but right now we live in this 127 00:12:46.299 --> 00:12:50.700 period of time in which they're obviously still is much darkness, and yet the 128 00:12:50.820 --> 00:12:58.500 son of God is shining. How will in part through people like John and 129 00:12:58.649 --> 00:13:05.049 people like you this church. We read this a description about John here, 130 00:13:05.730 --> 00:13:11.850 but later on we will be told in John Chapter Five, this John Five, 131 00:13:11.970 --> 00:13:15.960 thirty three through thirty five, you sent to John and he has borne 132 00:13:16.039 --> 00:13:20.000 witness to the truth. Not that the testimony I receive is from Man, 133 00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:22.519 but I say these things again so that you may be saved. And then 134 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:28.789 Jesus says this about John. He was a burning and shining lamp and you 135 00:13:28.990 --> 00:13:33.830 were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. So which is it 136 00:13:33.710 --> 00:13:39.549 was John The baptist, not the light or the light. Well, John 137 00:13:39.629 --> 00:13:46.259 The evangelist is obviously not confused about this. What is he saying? John 138 00:13:46.820 --> 00:13:52.940 certainly did shine, but he shone like the sun shines on a mirror. 139 00:13:52.779 --> 00:13:56.409 If you're driving right, you know in the certain time of day, happens 140 00:13:56.690 --> 00:14:01.529 and the sun catches a side view mirror. What does it do? When 141 00:14:01.529 --> 00:14:07.289 it hits your eyes? Blinds you right, totally blinds you. That Mirror 142 00:14:07.850 --> 00:14:13.840 is so bright that you cannot see. It affects your driving, it throws 143 00:14:13.879 --> 00:14:20.080 you off the road. It's terrible, right. But is the mirror the 144 00:14:20.279 --> 00:14:26.309 lie? Yes and no. Right. It's not really the light, it's 145 00:14:26.350 --> 00:14:31.029 reflecting the light. And yet that mirror is shining. It's shining very brightly, 146 00:14:31.990 --> 00:14:37.309 brightly enough to blind. And this is what Jesus is saying about John. 147 00:14:37.950 --> 00:14:41.419 Is, on the one hand, he was not the light, definitely 148 00:14:41.539 --> 00:14:45.500 not the light. The Mirror is not the sun, two totally different things, 149 00:14:46.580 --> 00:14:50.820 right, a pee, a little piece of glass, any normous star, 150 00:14:52.090 --> 00:14:58.409 and yet they are related in such a way that John was shining and 151 00:14:58.610 --> 00:15:05.649 they are related in this way as John reflected the sun, as, and 152 00:15:05.769 --> 00:15:09.799 this happens for us and our church and each one of you as individuals, 153 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:13.960 as the light of God comes into the world and banishes darkness in your heart. 154 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:20.240 He set you a flame, he makes you a burning light. The 155 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:24.990 Light of Christ, in other words, can be seen in us. This 156 00:15:26.110 --> 00:15:30.509 is why Jesus talks about us as being a city set on a hill. 157 00:15:31.590 --> 00:15:33.870 When you put a city on a hill, it shines everywhere, and this 158 00:15:33.990 --> 00:15:39.299 is what Jesus has done. He's both the hill and the light in that 159 00:15:39.460 --> 00:15:46.220 example. The question then, is, how do we get to be the 160 00:15:46.379 --> 00:15:52.409 lie light right? How does someone like John Happen? How do you receive 161 00:15:54.049 --> 00:15:58.929 the light of God in such a way that you can shine brightly for him 162 00:15:58.529 --> 00:16:03.759 and in him and be a part of this heavenly city, in this victorious 163 00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:11.720 kingdom, which is coming into the world and overcoming the darkness. Well, 164 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:19.789 John tells us, he says in verse twelve. But to all who did 165 00:16:21.070 --> 00:16:26.309 receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become 166 00:16:26.350 --> 00:16:30.629 children of God, who were born not of the blood or not of blood, 167 00:16:30.710 --> 00:16:33.220 nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, 168 00:16:34.139 --> 00:16:41.460 nor of God. What does this mean? It means that your salvation, 169 00:16:41.740 --> 00:16:45.820 you're shining, if I might put it that way, is set in 170 00:16:45.980 --> 00:16:52.250 him. It means that even as your life, even as the light with 171 00:16:52.409 --> 00:16:55.970 a capital l, what maybe should do this way. There you go, 172 00:16:56.649 --> 00:17:00.639 even as capital l, Jesus light came into the world, even if he 173 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:07.880 was before the beginning, so was your salvation. Why? Because it was 174 00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:15.519 according to the will of God. That's what he says. You were born 175 00:17:15.230 --> 00:17:21.230 not of blood, the words you your salvation as a at your being born 176 00:17:21.349 --> 00:17:26.509 as a child of God, did not happen because your parents brought you forth, 177 00:17:26.950 --> 00:17:29.430 nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, 178 00:17:30.140 --> 00:17:36.220 but of God and his will Paul says in Titus and Titus one, 179 00:17:36.460 --> 00:17:41.140 one through two. He writes to titus for this reason, for the sake 180 00:17:41.259 --> 00:17:45.049 of the faith of God's elect that there not of the and their knowledge of 181 00:17:45.130 --> 00:17:49.730 the truth which accords to godliness, in hope of the eternal life which God, 182 00:17:49.890 --> 00:17:57.839 who never lies, promised before the ages began. Does that sound familiar? 183 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:06.160 Jesus Christ to us? Before the beginning, that is in whom your 184 00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:11.400 salvation rests. Therefore, your salvation rests, as he says, before the 185 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:17.509 beginning. God, who never lies, has promised it before the ages began, 186 00:18:17.910 --> 00:18:22.470 and he continues and at the proper time, manifested in his word, 187 00:18:22.910 --> 00:18:26.500 through the preaching which I have been intrusted by the command of God, our 188 00:18:26.619 --> 00:18:32.660 Savior. Are you following all this? In the will of God, before 189 00:18:32.700 --> 00:18:37.180 all time, before ages began, God decided that you would be born of 190 00:18:37.259 --> 00:18:41.890 him, and that birth happened because Jesus Christ came into the world. And 191 00:18:42.049 --> 00:18:48.890 then men like John and Paul and many others are then been preaching this word. 192 00:18:49.289 --> 00:18:53.849 That word is manifested, it is made clear in such a way that 193 00:18:53.930 --> 00:19:02.359 it is saving and causes us to be born sidebar. This is why we 194 00:19:02.440 --> 00:19:08.160 emphasize preaching in the reformed faith. This is why we put so much emphasis 195 00:19:10.230 --> 00:19:14.630 on this as one of the means of grace, because this is where God 196 00:19:14.869 --> 00:19:22.990 is manifesting himself. That's what he says. Those who believe believe through hearing 197 00:19:23.150 --> 00:19:27.819 and hearing that is preached the word of God that is made fanifest in this 198 00:19:29.019 --> 00:19:33.819 way, he says to the EPHESIANS. That is Paul says to the Ephesians 199 00:19:33.900 --> 00:19:37.849 in chapter one, verses four through five, even as he chose us in 200 00:19:38.049 --> 00:19:44.089 him before the foundation of the world, that we should be wholly and blameless 201 00:19:44.130 --> 00:19:48.130 in him. In love, he predestined us for adoption. There's that Sun 202 00:19:48.289 --> 00:19:55.559 language. Right to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the will 203 00:19:55.599 --> 00:20:02.160 of man, no, according to the blood genealogies. Know why? According 204 00:20:02.200 --> 00:20:07.269 to the purpose of his will. This is what God has done and this 205 00:20:07.349 --> 00:20:15.990 is why we are here. This also, and I'll say this as we 206 00:20:15.190 --> 00:20:22.660 conclude, gets us to all kinds of applications about how we live our lives, 207 00:20:22.740 --> 00:20:26.019 about where we find our salvation, even about the mission that we are 208 00:20:26.059 --> 00:20:33.180 on. We are coming up here on our fifth anniversary as a organized and 209 00:20:33.299 --> 00:20:41.009 particular church. Ten years before that, we started as a Little Bible study 210 00:20:41.049 --> 00:20:45.490 in somebody's living room. Jesus tells us this mission. He tells us to 211 00:20:45.849 --> 00:20:53.000 go into the world and make disciples of all nations. How do we do 212 00:20:53.240 --> 00:21:00.839 that? Why do we do that? Listen, how does it relate to 213 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:04.990 who Jesus is and his mission in the world to bring light in life? 214 00:21:06.029 --> 00:21:11.829 Listen to these words in second Timothy, one eight through nine, Paul says 215 00:21:11.869 --> 00:21:18.470 to Timothy. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord. 216 00:21:18.509 --> 00:21:21.579 Right. This is what John is telling us, the testimony the witness 217 00:21:21.660 --> 00:21:25.619 about the Lord. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our 218 00:21:25.700 --> 00:21:29.859 Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, but share and suffering for the 219 00:21:29.980 --> 00:21:34.970 Gospel by the power of God who saved us and called us to a holy 220 00:21:36.089 --> 00:21:41.450 calling, not because of our works, but because of his purpose, because 221 00:21:41.490 --> 00:21:51.720 of His grace which he gave us in Christ before the ages began. As 222 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:56.319 I said, so many implications of this, but one of them is the 223 00:21:56.400 --> 00:22:00.470 way in which we live our lives in this world. We do not live 224 00:22:00.710 --> 00:22:06.670 as those who are ashamed of suffering, ashamed of weakness, are scared of 225 00:22:06.789 --> 00:22:11.829 the darkness or scared of the evil one or cower under temptation or give up 226 00:22:12.589 --> 00:22:18.180 when it comes to the power of the flesh. Now we live bravely, 227 00:22:18.940 --> 00:22:26.019 confidently, strongly and full of grace and salvation and light. Why? Because 228 00:22:26.140 --> 00:22:33.730 our salvation is not resting in our own attempts to secure something here. Our 229 00:22:33.809 --> 00:22:40.930 Salvation is not resting in our power to enlighten ourselves. Our Salvation is resting 230 00:22:40.970 --> 00:22:47.559 in God, in his will, in his ways and in Jesus, who 231 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:53.480 was before the beginning and yet has come into the world in time and in 232 00:22:53.640 --> 00:23:03.029 space, even to die so that you might be saved. This means as 233 00:23:03.069 --> 00:23:11.309 a church, we can be bold about telling people this good news. John 234 00:23:12.180 --> 00:23:18.619 the Baptist was eventually beheaded because of his testimony. Yes, have many other 235 00:23:18.660 --> 00:23:26.579 Christians band and other things too, and of course, be terrifying and we're 236 00:23:26.660 --> 00:23:30.450 to require a lot of prayer and faith, on my part at least. 237 00:23:32.730 --> 00:23:37.970 Nevertheless, we know that the Lord has us, we know that even our 238 00:23:38.049 --> 00:23:42.880 weakness is known by him, that the darkness in our hearts is owned by 239 00:23:42.920 --> 00:23:48.839 him, that the sins in our lives is known by him, and we 240 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:56.390 are being saved, saved unto light, saved unto life. We can give 241 00:23:56.470 --> 00:24:00.230 praise to God for this. We can believe him and have life in his 242 00:24:00.309 --> 00:24:07.109 name, and we can also be in the world, be in our neighborhood 243 00:24:07.109 --> 00:24:15.740 and our families, in our lives and shine very, very brightly. May 244 00:24:15.819 --> 00:24:21.740 God enable us to do that. Let's pray