Light on SermonAudio

The sermon draws from Isaiah 2 to counter the discouragement believers often feel regarding the state of the church and the world. It emphasizes the assured and glorious future of Christ's kingdom, which will be established on the rock of Christ and exalted above all earthly powers. The preacher urges the hearers to reject pessimism by trusting in God's promises for the gathering of nations and the eventual salvation of Israel. Believers are exhorted to walk in the light of the Lord through three practical means: embracing the gospel, obeying Scripture, and maintaining a close relationship with Christ. This walk involves personal progress, mutual encouragement within the community, and looking forward to the eternal glory of heaven.

We often compare our trials to other people's situations and miss the mark that it's the glory of heaven, and it's Maker that we strive to and compare our afflictions to.

The wilderness journey continues as God's people move on from Rephidim and settle at the base of Mt. Sinai. It is a large, impressive, and intimidating mountain. There is thunder, lighting, quaking, and the loud blasting of trumpets. In that awe-inspiring and fear-inducing environment, God will meet with Moses and begin setting forth the conditions of the Old Covenant. If His people will obey Him, they will be His special people, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, representing Him to the outside world. If they do not, they will surely die. In this passage, God not only continues guiding and providing for His people, He also continues revealing their need for a kind of deliverance that goes deeper than the natural realm. It is more significant than merely deliverance from Egypt. At the deepest level, they need deliverance from themselves, from their unbelief, and their own false confidence in their ability to save themselves. They need another mountain, different from Sinai, a mountain characterized not by distance and death, but by access and life. They need Mt. Zion where Jesus reigns supreme as the One who meets all the conditions, who provides full consecration, and who grants eternal life as a gift of grace. In the Exodus story, God is preparing them, and us, for this greater provision in Christ.

Sunday Morning – September 13, 2026 Join us this Sunday morning as Pastor John Wheeler continues his message titled "Shine as Lights in the World" from Philippians 2:14–16. We'll continue considering the believer's responsibility to live faithfully for Christ in the midst of a dark world, holding forth the word of life and allowing the light of Christ to be seen through our lives. Come prepared to worship, hear the word of God faithfully preached, and be challenged to shine as lights for Christ wherever the Lord has placed us. Whether you're joining us in person or watching online, we're thankful to worship together.

This sermon examines 2 Peter 1:12-21 to establish the authority of Scripture over personal experience and human tradition. It contrasts the eyewitness testimony of the Transfiguration with the enduring reliability of the written Word, arguing that the Bible is a 'more sure word' that outlasts the lives of the apostles. The teaching emphasizes that prophecy is a light for believers to 'take heed' to, rather than a puzzle for private interpretation, and warns against adding dates or doctrines not found in the text. The preacher encourages the congregation to adopt the Berean attitude of receiving the Word with readiness while diligently searching the Scriptures to verify its truth.

If you've ever shopped for a house, you know that the pictures often present a different scenario than what you find when you show up. The wide-angle camera lens and artificial lighting make the rooms seem larger and brighter than they truly are. Or maybe you've had the opposite experience. You've seen pictures of a home filled with trash and overgrown with out-of-control landscaping. But you knew that beneath the gloomy façade was a solid house worth saving. The point is, how things first present does not always tell the whole story. The same is true with the church of Jesus Christ. If we are careless, we might improperly judge the church in ways that will harm us spiritually. Psalm 48 urges God's people to "walk about Zion, go around her, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels"—in other words, carefully inspect the church. And if we do so well, not based on outward appearances, but based on spiritual truth, we will be impressed by what we learn and be encouraged to tell the next generation about the God who promises to guide us forever (Ps. 48:12–14)

Matthew 17:1–5 (KJV) 1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Scripture Reading: 1 John 1:1 - 2:2 Confessional Reading: 1 John 1:5b Ministry of the Word: The Christian Walks in God's Light 1. How is God Light? 2. What Consequence Follows for Life? 3. Why Need We Know?