Darkness on SermonAudio

Rejected light always brings more darkness. How about YOU??? Are YOU spiritually blind??? This message will help you examine your heart in this area.

Sunday Evening Service with Pastor Josh Boles & Tim Webb Sunday Evenings at 5:00 pm August Awakenings Thick Darkness

In the second part of "The Spirit of Adoption" (Romans 8:12-17, with the weight on verse 15), Pastor Robert McNutt argues that the spirit of slavery always precedes the spirit of adoption: no one cries "Abba, Father" who has not first been brought under conviction, the law serving as guardian to drive us to the Savior. Because the adversary readily persuades people they are secure when they are not, this contrast becomes a test of the spirits, separating true adoption from a counterfeit. Two cautions guard the argument: the intensity of conviction varies widely, and no single conversion experience may be made the standard. From Luke 7:36-50 McNutt corrects a common misreading of the sinful woman and Simon the Pharisee. What matters is not the quantity of sin committed but the realization of one's sinfulness, and the forgiveness that answers it; the gospel is never an incitement to sin, and easy believism, merely saying a prayer or affirming facts about the Savior, is no substitute for the Spirit's work. Drawing on John 16:8-11 and 2 Corinthians 13:5, he shows that the Spirit reveals God's holiness and the law's spirituality, and so reveals us to ourselves. The nearer we come to the light, the more darkness we see; growing saints feel their sin more deeply, not less. Isaiah's vision in Isaiah 6 illustrates the pattern, "Woe is me" preceding "Here am I, send me," as do the great revivals, where settled church members become newly horrified at sin and newly astonished at the blood of Christ. He closes by pressing self-examination, urging any who lack it to cry out for the Spirit of adoption, and asking whether the congregation itself needs revival.

In Mark 5:21-43, we encounter two desperate people — a powerful synagogue ruler named Jairus and a woman who had suffered for twelve years. Through their stories we discover something profound about the nature of faith and the reach of Christ's power. Jairus, a man of rank and religious standing, throws aside every concern for his reputation and collapses at Jesus' feet, begging for his dying daughter's life. The woman, an outcast rendered untouchable by her illness, pushes through a crushing crowd just to brush the edge of Christ's garment. Both are at the end of themselves. Both find that Jesus is more than enough. This passage draws us into the climax of four consecutive miracles that together paint a stunning portrait of Christ's authority — over nature, over darkness, over disease, and finally over death itself. The raising of Jairus' daughter is a declaration that for those who belong to God, death is not the final word. Jesus calls it sleep, and that choice of words says everything. It tells us that what looks like an ending is, in the hands of our Savior, only a pause before the rising. Christ's words, "Do not fear, only believe", should encourage us to pray with confidence and perseverance, trusting in a sovereign God who does the impossible, while always deferring to his will.

1. Her Identity 2. Her Calling 3. Her Purpose This sermon explores the biblical doctrine of the antithesis, emphasizing the sharp distinction between the church as light and the world as darkness. It argues against both accommodation to worldly values and isolationist withdrawal, asserting that believers are called to actively shine their light through good works and gospel witness. The preacher explains that this identity is rooted in knowledge, life, and holiness mediated by God, not human merit. By living distinctively and engaging the world with truth and love, Christians demonstrate their separation from sin while pointing others toward the glory of God. The purpose of this visible faith is to lead unbelievers to glorify the Father in heaven.

Psalm 6 is the prayer of a man too crushed to finish a sentence, weeping every night, unable to tell whether the hand on him is a Father's rod or a hangman's rope, and it asks the question every hurting believer asks in the dark: on what possible ground would God listen to me now? David has nothing to bring, and he does not bring it, because the only plea that has ever worked is "save me for the sake of Your steadfast love" — and you never graduate to a better one. If you have ever prayed and heard nothing back, come and hear what happened between verse 7 and verse 8, when nothing in his circumstances had changed and everything had.

Proverbs 16:6 (KJV) "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil." Proverbs 1:6 (KJV). To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. Psalm 49:4 (KJV) "I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp"

The sermon emphasizes that a Christian's conduct is essential to the effectiveness of the Great Commission, arguing that the messenger's character directly impacts the reception of the message. Drawing primarily from Ephesians 5, it exhorts believers to maintain a distinct separation from the unfruitful works of darkness while remaining in the world as lights among the lost. The speaker clarifies that this separation involves having no fellowship with sin, yet remaining friendly to sinners without condoning their actions. By living lives that manifest the power of the gospel, Christians serve as a reproof to the world, causing conviction in those who observe their holy walk. Ultimately, the message calls for self-examination and reliance on God's grace to shine brightly, ensuring that one's life aligns with and supports the truth of the gospel.