Sin and the Domain of Darkness

Good morning, church family.

As Dave said, there's two readings.

The first one is from John 3, starting at verse 16,

which is so familiar to many of us.

So John chapter 3.

John 3 · chapter mention

Starting at verse 16.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only son,

that whoever believes in him should not perish,

but have eternal life.

For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world,

but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned,

but whoever does not believe is condemned already,

because he has not believed in the name of the only son of God.

And this is the judgment.

The light has come into the world,

and people loved the darkness rather than the light,

because their works were evil.

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light

and does not come to the light,

lest his works should be exposed.

But whoever does what is true comes to the light,

so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.

Now we're going to turn to our second reading,

which is in Colossians chapter 1, starting at verse 9.

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

Colossians 1 verse 9.

Colossians 1:9

So this letter is Paul's prayer for the Christian believers.

And so from the day we heard,

we have not ceased to pray for you,

asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will

in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,

fully pleasing to him,

bearing fruit in every good work

and increasing in the knowledge of God,

being strengthened with all power,

according to his glorious might,

for all endurance and patience with joy,

giving thanks to the Father,

who has qualified you

to sharing the inheritance of the saints in light.

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness

and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

in whom we have redemption,

the forgiveness of sins.

So we're starting a new series today.

As we went through Colossians last term,

the elders thought there was just some key words,

key concepts that just carried this whole weight

of Bible truth in them

that we didn't have time

to pause and just look at these weighty words

and understand the depth of them.

So we're going to spend four weeks

going back into Colossians,

kind of using Colossians as a launching point

into four key words,

all about salvation.

So this morning we will look at how bad the problem is.

We're looking at the word sin

and Colossians talks about the domain of darkness.

Can I urge you to listen to the whole series?

Today's kind of the bad news.

There's good news.

Please come next week.

If you can't be here,

then catch up on the sermons online.

But next week we will look at how Jesus saves.

We're going to look at the ideas of redemption and forgiveness.

Then we're going to look at the effects of salvation,

justification and peace,

how a legal and relational standing with God is changed.

And then finally we're going to look at

what living a safe life essentially consists of,

being united to Christ and having communion with him.

So that's where we're headed.

Part of the goal of this series is we need to reclaim back

to Bible understanding how our culture uses some of these words.

So we use the word redemption as if someone can redeem themselves

by their own achievements out of any sense of shame or something.

They can redeem themselves if they do.

That's not the biblical idea.

We need to understand what God says redemption is.

Or forgiveness.

We talk about forgiveness today as if it's some psychological reason for doing it,

that I need to take back control,

not let the other person control me any longer.

It's almost lost its relational meaning today.

Or today's word on sin.

Today in our culture people might use it

when they buy one of those thick shakes

that's just covered in chocolate syrup

and 14 Cadbury flakes are just poking out of it every direction

and just like a sinful pleasure.

Maybe we use it like that.

Or the other extreme is if you call any behaviour a sin wrong,

you're intolerant.

You're bigoted.

It's like the only sin is calling something a sin.

So we need to understand what sin means

because we're lost in our culture today.

But these key words of salvation,

sin and redemption, forgiveness, justification, peace, union with Christ,

they are so crucial to knowing God.

They're crucial to understanding people

and the brokenness in our world.

They are crucial to possessing eternal life ourselves

and they're crucial for seeking life for other people.

So I hope you look forward to this series

and really this series is going to be scratching the surface as well.

We're always going deeper in understanding this.

Well first I think we need to ask the question

salvation from what exactly?

You've probably been reading the news

and this year is the 20th anniversary of the Bali bombings

that killed over 200 people, 88 Australians included.

And that's not to mention those who survived

and had painful skin grafts

and painful physiotherapy

and the pain of survivors' guilt.

And I was listening to the Triple J hack program

and a survivor named Mitch was being interviewed

and he was asked how he felt about one of the bombers

is, it looks like, about to be released on parole

having been rehabilitated.

And he was asked has justice been served?

He said it made his blood boil.

This guy who tore families apart is about to be free.

It made his blood boil.

He said it wasn't about rehabilitation.

He deserves punishment.

He even said of other bombers

who have been judicially executed for their crimes,

he said they got off lightly.

Others had to suffer.

They didn't have such a swift and humane death.

They got off lightly.

It's heavy, isn't it?

All the talk today of live and let live,

of tolerance,

as if there's no moral code

in the fabric of the universe,

but there's still plenty of talk of justice.

It isn't just justice ingrained in us as human beings.

I've never met anyone who doesn't care about justice.

A fair and unfair,

being proud and ashamed,

right and wrong.

We all want good to triumph over evil.

Even as a culture today,

why else would the Marvel Avengers series be so popular?

We want good to triumph.

Why do teenagers read thousands of pages of Harry Potter?

How do you get a teenager to read that much?

Because we want good to triumph over evil.

We care about justice.

And Christianity has a coherent reason

why we care about justice so much.

It's because there's a moral character

who created this world,

who created us in his image to be moral agents.

There's that beating heart

behind this world.

Those Bali bombers

will stand before their maker,

their moral maker,

one day.

And they will receive final,

eternal,

divine justice.

The Bible warns,

it is a dreadful thing

to fall into the hands of the living God.

I wouldn't want to be them

on that final day of judgment.

Now there's more to salvation

that we're going to hear about next week

and in particular

when we look at the idea of redemption.

But the Bible talks about

the main thing people need salvation from

is this eternal,

final,

divine justice

of God,

of our maker.

So who else?

Who else,

besides these Bali bombers,

is in danger of God's

final justice

and why?

Well,

throughout the Bible,

both in the Old Testament

and the New Testament,

the most common word to use

to describe the human problem

is sin.

And remembering that sin

is not some indulgent pleasure,

nor is it reserved

just for the worst criminals.

Sin has a meaning

along the lines of

failing to hit the mark

or falling short

of the standard.

I think we can all

easily understand

this concept

of falling short

of the standard.

Just think about

your own standards

for yourself

that you've made up.

Are you

the character,

are you the person

you want to be?

I pause there

because I don't think

we like to pause

and ask that question,

do we?

It's an uncomfortable

question.

Our inner lawyer

might quickly

try and justify

ourselves

by thinking

morality is on

a bell curve

that,

kind of like

school grades

where there are

just the worst

of the worst

like the Bali bombers

down one end

and yes,

there's a few

exceptions.

There's some

truly altruistic

people out there

but the majority

are shades of grey.

We're somewhere

in between.

As long as we're

in that bell curve,

we're good people,

right?

Maybe if we're

ahead of most,

we should be

pretty safe.

We're good people,

aren't we?

But that

horizontal comparison

isn't justice

and we all know it.

This one exam

at uni,

the majority

of the class

failed the exam

and I was one

of them

and all the

students were

just fuming

at the teacher

that he'd set

the exam

too hard.

But he didn't

test us on

anything that we

hadn't covered

in the course.

The test might

have been hard

but we just

all failed.

That's just

what happened.

We would rather

be outraged

at the teacher

than to admit

I failed.

I fell short.

Comparing

ourselves,

it doesn't

justify as much

as we try

to make it

justify ourselves.

God is just.

He has one

standard for all

people.

His character

is the standard.

Don't compare

yourself to

other people.

That is a

twisted guide

to whether

you're a good

person or not.

When God

is our standard,

we have a

right measure

of ourselves,

his character.

And this isn't

some arbitrary

standard.

When we don't

share in God's

character,

it causes real

damage to real

people.

It causes real

damage to the

world and animals

that we're meant

to be taken

care of.

And it robs

God of the

honour he

deserves.

It causes real

damage.

Just consider

our closest

relationships.

Why are

relationships so

hard to

maintain?

Why is

trust,

full trust,

so hard to

maintain and

it's broken

so quickly?

Why is full

intimacy, even

in our closest

relationships,

so hard to

keep?

why, if

we're all

good people?

And we

also have to

take into

account,

that's just the

horizontal

relationships,

how are we

relating to

God?

Our words and

our actions to

God, do our

lips give him

the praise he

deserves for his

power and his

goodness?

goodness.

When he speaks

in his word, do

we listen

carefully?

When we know

his commands, do

we obey

gladly?

We've got to

consider how we

relate to God

too.

So who else is

in danger of

divine justice?

Here's God's

conclusion in

Romans 3.

All have

sinned and

fall short of

the glory of

God, of the

character of

God.

Evil words and

evil acts,

it's universal.

And for

those who

misunderstand and

distort

Christianity,

they think

that the

religious remedy

is something

like how one

of my friends,

when we say

goodbye to

each other,

I'll see you

later, and

they respond,

make good

choices.

It's kind of

funny, it's a

nice way to

say goodbye,

but some

people think

that's what

Christianity is

about, just

make good

choices, at

least try to

make good

choices, and

God will see

your good

intentions.

But to

think that

God wants

us to work

harder, to

be just more

religiously

fervent, to

make better

choices, that

ignores God's

diagnosis of

the problem, of

where this evil

acts are coming

from.

If we're going

to understand

where our

evil acts are

coming from,

we need to

understand the

cause, and

we need God

to tell us.

We can't

just work it

out by

observing how

people behave.

We need God

to tell us, and

he has told us

what's going on.

When the Lord

scans what's

happening inside

of us as

human beings,

when he looks

at our mind

and our heart,

and by heart

the Bible

means the

control centre

of our being,

when the Lord

scans us,

like a medical

scan, the

radiation just

lights up like

a Christmas

tree.

The sickness

is so deep,

it has gone

even to our

heart, our

innermost desires

and our

thoughts.

I find

Genesis 6,

Genesis 6:5

verse 5,

in the days of

Noah, one of

the most sobering

descriptions of the

human condition.

I even just

bent my legs

because I just

felt, it is a

weighty verse.

The Lord

saw that the

wickedness of

man was great

in the earth

and that every

intention of

the thoughts of

his heart was

only evil

continually.

Every

intention of

the thoughts of

his heart was

only evil

continually.

We see this

in our John

3 passage that

was read

today.

So,

starting at

verse 19,

this is God's

judgement,

the light came

into the world,

the light,

not a light,

but the light,

the son of

God, the

spotless,

perfect,

son of

God,

who's truly

innocent.

He came into

the world.

And we

would expect the

next bit to

say, and

people flocked

to him.

The light

came and

people came to

him for

truth.

They came to

him for

forgiveness.

They came to

him for

restored a

relationship

with God

and eternal

life.

But that's

not what the

verse says.

The light

has come into

the world and

people loved

the darkness.

loved the

darkness rather

than the

light because

their works

were evil.

For everyone

who does

wicked things

hates the

light and

does not

come to

the light

lest their

works should

be exposed.

Our very

nature is

rotten.

We love

what we

should hate

and we

hate what

we should

love.

Now,

when the

Bible says

that we're

kind of

rotten even

to our

heart,

it's not

saying we're

as bad as

we possibly

could be.

There's lots

of reasons

that we

don't follow

through with

our desires

of the

heart.

We're not

as bad as

we possibly

could be

and thank

God for

that.

But if

the condition

isn't all

the way to

our heart,

then why

would things

that tempt us

to do what

we know is

wrong,

why would we

find them

tempting?

Why would

we find

them appealing

at all and

be drawn

away by

them?

If we

hated it,

even though

I know

it's wrong,

if we

hated it,

we would

despise it

and not

go anywhere

near it.

But we're

not,

or if you're

anything like

me, we're

drawn to

it.

Why do

we find

it so

tempting

and get

allured?

I've got

to admit

that something

in me loves

it.

even though

I know

it's

wrong.

Something

in me

loves

it.

I want

to give

an example

of this

and that's

always

dangerous,

but this is

just one

concrete

example to

illustrate.

Recently,

there was

this material

possession that

I was just

obsessed with

and I

wanted it.

I really

wanted it.

Emma thought

it was just

a bad idea

and she

kept telling

me that.

I didn't

listen to

her.

I just

wanted it

and we

went away

on holidays

even and

I was

researching

about it

and it

ruined the

holiday because

I just wanted

this thing and

I didn't have

it and my

mind just kept

going to it

instead of

being present

and just

relaxing.

It ruined

my holiday.

Not to

mention whatever

non-attention I

gave to Emma

and Sam,

but I was

just obsessed.

Now,

the problem

there wasn't

just,

I couldn't,

in my head I

was telling

myself choose

something else,

stop thinking

about it.

That didn't

work.

Why?

Because I

think my

heart loved

it.

I found

it appealing.

I wanted

it.

I coveted

it is the

biblical word

for it.

The condition

there was a

problem with

my love of

my heart.

I needed

to love

something else

more.

Now,

that description,

do you find

that evil?

Is evil

really the

right word

for that?

Darkness

that Colossians

uses,

the domain

of darkness,

the rule

of something

ruling you,

domain is

about rule,

it's about

jurisdiction,

something like

coveting some

material possession,

is that darkness?

compared to

Bali bombers,

are we going

to call that

darkness?

Well,

what is

darkness?

I think when

the Bible talks

about darkness,

it's not living

according to the

truth.

It's not living

in light of the

truth.

And if we just

stick with the

coveting example,

people,

it's totally at

odds with

reality.

It's as if

this thing

will give me

life and

security and

meaning and

value,

if I had it,

rather than

God.

The Bible uses

the word

idolatry.

We look to

everything else

besides God

to give us

life and

blessing.

That's just

not true.

It's not how

God created

the world.

I was

obsessing about

it as if I

could bring it

about.

That's not

true.

I'm not in

control.

God decides

what happens.

Even that's

not true.

It's not even

true to the

level of what

life is

essentially

about.

It's not

about gain.

it's about

gift.

God created

this world as

a gift for

us to know

him at the

centre.

Do you see

how that

coveting is

in darkness.

It is not

according to

truth.

God isn't at

the centre.

Our heart is

ruled by what

we think will

give us life

and if it's

anything other

than God,

then we are

ruled by

darkness.

It is

controlling our

heart and

that's why

those evil

words and

evil choices

flow out of

that heart.

There's another

level we can

go here.

We've got our

evil words and

behaviour which

is flowing out

of a heart

that isn't

looking to

God for life

or to

anything else.

sin.

There's

something

fundamental

about what

sin is.

There's a

fundamental

lie that

we have all

believed.

This lie

was at the

beginning,

the first

human beings.

It is the

lie that you

can be like

God.

God.

I'm going to

borrow from

theologian and

author J.I.

Packer.

Here's how he

defines sin.

Here's how he

defines the

root issue of

sin.

What is the

essence of

sin?

Playing

God and as a

means to this,

refusing to allow

the creator to

be God as

far as you

are concerned,

living not for

him before

yourself, loving

and serving and

pleasing yourself

without reference to

the creator,

trying to be as

far as possible

independent of

him, taking

yourself out of

his hands,

holding him at

arm's length,

keeping the

reins of life in

your own hands,

acting as if you

and your pleasure

were the end to

which all else,

God included,

must be made to

function as a

means.

That is the

attitude in

which sin

essentially

consists.

He's just

describing there

that lie we've

all taken in,

that we can be

God, that we

can control our

lives, that we

can determine what

will bless our

lives.

It's playing

God.

God.

This idea of

being in

control, of

playing God, I

think explains why

a very religious

person, very

religious person,

is still

fundamentally sick

in the heart.

God.

Because trying to

prove yourself to

God, for him to

approve of you

based on what you

have done, is

really saying to

God, you owe me.

I jumped through

all your hoops, I

did the prayers, I

did the giving of

money, I listened to

countless sermons, I

did the pilgrimage, I

did the meditation, now

you owe me.

You can't ask any

more from me.

Give me what I

deserve.

Can you hear how

that is still trying

to keep control?

It's still seeking

blessing outside of

God as well.

Not seeing God

himself as the

blessing, but as a

means to the

blessing.

If I do what

you tell me to do,

God, then you

owe me.

It's trying to stay

in control.

The religious

attempt at playing

God is as much in

darkness as someone

who just brazenly is

self-centred.

The difference is

you're religiously

self-centred.

So who is in

danger of God's

divine justice and

why?

All who have a

sick heart, who

think they can

play God, stay in

control of their

lives, who then

their heart is

driven by

idolatry, seeking

blessing outside of

God rather than

seeing God himself

as the source of

life.

And that

expressing itself

in damaging

words and

damaging acts.

which is me,

which is you,

according to

scripture.

We need

forgiveness for

our wrong words

and behaviour,

but we also need a

heart transplant.

We need a

fundamental change.

A heart not

ruled by love of

self, but ruled by

the love of God.

God.

Despite all of

our evil,

John 3.16,

for God so

loved the

world.

God so

loved the

world that he

gave his only

son, his only

son to bear that

divine final

judgment on

himself when he

breathed his

last breath nailed

to that cross.

That is

extravagant love,

is it not?

That God would

love us so much.

God would

love us so much.

How will you

respond to that

light, the

light?

Because it

confronts us.

It should have two

effects on us.

I hope it has two

effects, not just

one.

Pastor Tim Keller

describes these two

effects really well.

When you see that

God's son died on

the cross to save

you from God's

justice, Tim

Keller says this.

It tells us, we

are more sinful

and flawed in

ourselves than we

ever dare

believe.

Yet at the very

same time, we

are more loved

and accepted in

Jesus Christ than

we ever dared

hope.

God's son's

God's son's

light.

God the

father calls you

to his son's

light.

Don't be afraid of

your deeds being

exposed.

You will be

exposed.

In the light of

the cross, we see

our sin more

clearly.

You will be

exposed, but you

don't need to be

afraid of that

because the

father has poured

all the justice

on his son.

It's not condemnation you'll receive.

It's salvation.

All he's got left to give you is the love he has for his son.

Openly confess your evil behaviour and your heart that loves everything else

besides God and come and just rejoice that the Father has poured all his

divine justice on his son and not you because he so loved you.

If you stay hiding in the darkness, whether religiously or just living

a self-centred life, it's not just the Bali bombers who should be terrified

at falling into the hands of the living God.

Come into the light of the cross.

And you'll have all the guilt and shame washed away in the embrace of a

father who just wants you to know him as an affectionate father.

Come into his light.

Can I give you a minute just to do whatever you want in your own minds

and hearts, whether that's praising God.

If you're a Christian, just praising God afresh for his extravagant love for you

or whether you've been convicted by Scripture today.

Do whatever you want in your own mind and heart and then I'll pray after a minute.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Speaker 5

shining 7

Yea."

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Father, help each one of us to come to you as we are,

to be humbled and exposed by the light of your cross.

And then, Lord, I pray that you might fill us each with a profound sense of thankfulness

for your pure grace and love that would even give your own son

to make us wretches, your sons and daughters.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.