THE FATHER OF LIGHTS

Pastor James J. Barker

Text: JAMES 1:17-25




INTRODUCTION:


  1. Every year around this time we pastors preach our annual Christmas messages.
  2. I have preached many sermons on the virgin birth of Christ, Joseph and Mary, the wise men, the shepherds, etc.
  3. I have preached many messages on all of the wonderful prophecies that were fulfilled at the birth of Christ.
  4. Isaiah 9:6 says, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given."
  5. In Isaiah 7:14, the prophet said the Messiah would be born to a virgin.
  6. In Micah 5:2 it was predicted He would be born in Bethlehem.
  7. It is a great blessing preaching the wonderful Christmas story.  We preachers never get tired preaching it, and Christians never seem to get tired of hearing it!
  8. My message this morning is not really a Christmas message.  It is what I would call a message leading up to Christmas.  I suppose it is because of the beautiful Christmas lights that drew my attention to James 1:17.

 

I. GOD IS THE FATHER OF LIGHTS (1:17).

  1. This is the only time in the Bible that God is referred to by this title, "the Father of lights."
  2. He is the "Father of lights" because all visible light, whether it be from the sun or the moon or the other heavenly bodies is from Him.
  3. In Genesis 1:3, we read, "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."
  4. Light speaks of purity and holiness.  These heavenly bodies -- the sun, the moon, and the stars -- brilliant as they are, are dim and feeble in comparison with God, the Father of lights (cf. I Tim. 6:15, 16).
  5. Light speaks of purity and holiness, but worldlings have tried to drag Christmas into the gutter.  I read the other day that a Santa Claus out in California was fired because of his smutty conversation.
  6. He defended himself by saying he only talked smutty to adults but never to kids.  As if that makes it OK.
  7. Some so-called Christmas songs are tacky and vulgar.
  8. It is because of all this foolishness and worldliness, as well as the drinking and debauchery, that the Puritans banned Christmas back in the 17th century.
  9. Personally, I do not think we should ban Christmas or avoid Christmas.  But we must be careful to avoid the materialism and worldliness that has attached itself to the Christmas season.
  10. You have undoubtedly heard the statement, "Christ is the reason for the season." It is the Lord Jesus Christ who must have the preeminence -- not just in December, but all year round.
  11. James 1:17 says God is the Father of lights, and light speaks of His purity and His holiness and His majesty.
  12. Psalm 19:1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork."
  13. Daniel the prophet said, "He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him" (Daniel 2:22).
  14. First John 1:5 says, "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."
  15. But fallen man stopped worshipping the Father of lights, and started worshipping the sun, the moon, and the stars.
  16. This past summer, my wife and I took some missionary friends into Manhattan to do some sightseeing.  One of the places we took them was the King Tut Exhibition near Times Square.
  17. This interesting exhibition had many references to how the ancient Egyptians worshipped the Egyptian Sun God Ra.  In fact, many of the pharaohs thought they themselves were descended from the sun god.
  18. The Babylonians and all of the other heathen nations worshipped the sun, the moon, and the stars.
  19. But the Israelites worshipped the true God, who created the sun, the moon, and the stars.
  20. Psalm 136:1 says, "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."
  21. And then verses 7-9, "To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever: The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever."
  22. Jeremiah 31:35 says, "Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night."
  23. Whenever there is a big snowstorm on the way, the weatherman or newscaster invariably says, "Mother Nature is sending us a big snowstorm!"  No, it is the Father of lights who sends us sunlight as well as the wind and the rain and the snow.
  24. This time of year we like to look at all the pretty lights.  When my children were young we used to like to drive down certain streets because there were beautiful lights decorating some of the homes and businesses.
  25. These lights used to be called "Christmas lights," but that is no longer acceptable to all of the atheists, agnostics, and other unbelievers.   Some call them "holiday lights."
  26. Eventually some troublemaker will probably start a campaign to stop using the term "holiday" because he'll figure out the word originally meant "holy day."
  27. The Psalmist wrote, "I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday" (Psalm 42:4).
  28. I heard about two women who were walking by the different stores and looking at all of the holiday decorations.  They stopped at one store and saw a big manger scene in the window.   One said with great indignation, "Oh no.  Now these religious fanatics are trying to ruin Christmas!"
  29. It is appropriate that the bright and beautiful lights are called "Christmas lights," because Christmas is supposed to be the celebration of the birth of Christ.
  30. John 1:4, 5 says, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."
  31. John 3:19-21 says, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
  32. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness" (John 8:12).
  33. Are you following Jesus?    If not, this could be a very special Christmas for you if you put your trust in the Lord Jesus and follow Him.

 

II. GOD IS THE GIVER OF EVERY GOOD GIFT.

  1. God is the source of every good gift (James 1:17).
  2. In the margin of the Scofield Study Bible, it says this next to James 1:17 -- "Two words are used in the original for 'gift,' the first meaning the act of giving; the second, the thing given."
  3. There is a distinction between the two Greek words translated "gift."  God wants us to fix our attention on the Giver of every good gift, as well the gift itself.
  4. The Bible teaches that men are by nature takers, and God is by nature a giver. The most well known Scripture of all is John 3:16 -- "For God so loved the world, that he gave..."
  5. I will just quote a few more Scriptures to illustrate my point.   In Luke 15:12, the Prodigal Son said to his father, "Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me."
  6. This is a vivid picture of selfish man.  Man is always saying, "Give me...give me...give me." In this parable, the Father represents God the Father.
  7. Notice the contrast: when the Prodigal Son came home, Luke 15:22, 23 says, "But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry."
  8. God is a giver.  Second Corinthians 9:15 says, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."
  9. But man is selfish.  A few years ago I was driving in my car and a commercial came on the radio. The woman said, "The Bible says it is more blessed to give than to receive, but we know it is more blessed to receive than to give."
  10. That foolish commercial really bothered me, but I was not surprised.
  11. According to Acts 20:35, it was the Lord Jesus Christ who said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
  12. It is God's nature to give, and when Christians become more godly they become better givers.
  13. Someone said, "You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving."
  14. Let me encourage all of you to earnestly pray and ask the Lord what He would have you to give next week for our special Christmas offering.

 

III. THE BEST GIFT IS GOD'S ONLY BEGOTTEN SON (1:17, 18).

  1. James 1:17 reminds me of Christmas because it refers to God as "the Father of lights," and because it also speaks of God as being the giver of every good gift and every perfect gift.
  2. The best gift is the gift of salvation.
  3. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
  4. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
  5. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8, 9).
  6. This Christmas we should thank God we have the Word of God -- "the word of truth" (James 1:18).
  7. "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth" (James 1:18).
  8. This means we are born again by the Word of God.   The initiative for regeneration is the will of God, and the seed is the Word of God.
  9. Jesus said in Luke 8:11, "The seed is the word of God."
  10. First Peter 1:23 says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
  11. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to transform sinners into children of God.
  12. This Christmas let us thank God for the indwelling Holy Spirit.
  13. Our Lord said in John 14:16 and 17, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
  14. It is my prayer that anyone here today without Christ would receive the gift of salvation.
  15. And that every Christian here today would have their priorities right.  Christmas should be more than just big family meals and pretty trees and shopping and parties.
  16. These things have their place but the Lord Jesus Christ must come first.   "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (I Cor. 10:31).
  17. God must be first. He is "the Father of lights."

 

CONCLUSION:


  1. Unlike the light of the heavenly bodies, God's light never changes -- "with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (1:17b).
  2. God's creation is subject to variableness and change, but not God.
  3. With God there is not the slightest variation.   God casts no shadow.
  4. In Him there is no shadow of turning (1:17b).
  5. During WWI, families would display a star in their front window if they had a son or other family member serving in the war.
  6. The practice became very popular during WWI and it continued during WWII.
  7. A blue star represented one family member serving in the Armed Forces.  The blue star would be replaced with a gold star to indicate that the family member was killed or died during the war.
  8. One night a father was walking down the street with his young son.   The son noticed all the stars in the window, and looking up at a gold star he asked his dad what it signified.
  9. His father said, "They gave their son, and he died."
  10. The little boy thought about that for a while, and then he saw a big star shining in the sky.  He said to his dad, "Father, look!  God must have given His Son."


| Customized by Jun Gapuz |