A Word about Biblical Citizenship

Today I want to share a word about Biblical citizenship from Romans 13:1-7.

Few areas of life today are more controversial than politics and governance.  In a modern democracy, the winner of an election may still have almost one-half of his fellow citizens vote against him.

Although we have established here in the United States a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people” we may need to ask the question, “Should we have human governments?”

One response to this question is illustrated in the novel and book “The Sand Pebbles.”  Set during one of the many civil wars in China during the inter-war years, a missionary family declared themselves to be stateless persons.  This didn't help, for that status wasn't recognized by any of the combatant sides.  We must live with human governments whether we like it or not!

Paul taught us how to view human government in Romans 13:1-7.

God Has Ordained Human Government:

In verses 1 and 2 Paul made this point to the church at Rome,

Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.

Scholars have discerned that three realms of authority on earth have been established in the Bible.

The first realm is The Family. We see this in the Creation Story in Genesis, in the wedding at Cana, in 1 Corinthians 1:7 and Ephesians Chapter 4.

The next, realm is The Church, which looks back to Matthew Chapter 16 and Acts Chapter 2 for its founding.

Finally, there is the realm of Government, which we see established here in Romans Chapter 13 and also through Jethro’s counsel to Moses in Exodus Chapter 18:13ff, 

The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. When Moses’s father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?” Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.” “What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’s father-in-law said to him. “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone. Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him. Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every major case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you. If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.” Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.

The first two verses in Romans 13 answer the question of why we should be obedient to human government. 

Personal loyalty is the most powerful reason for obedience. People will lie, cheat, steal, and die for those they believe in. The fates of the Apostles, with all of them martyred in one way or another, shows their loyalty and obedience to Christ.

The problem we have with this is that people are human and frail, and they will fail us. The pastor who married my wife and I often said from the pulpit, “Don’t follow me. I am human and I will fail you. Follow God, follow His Word, and follow the Holy Spirit.” 

Governments at all levels are made up of people, they will fail. Our loyalty is to God; however, we need to remember that He asks us to be obedient to our government. 

So, as we loyally follow God and are obedient to our government, what does Paul mean when he tells us to be subject to our government? Paul was not asking us to be doormats or slaves. In fact, he asserted his rights as a Roman citizen several times in the Book of Acts.

The Greek word translated “subject” really means to cooperate, to play our proper part. It was used to describe military units arranging themselves in proper order on the battlefield. It means holding human government accountable, but it does not mean to rebel without just cause.

Because our nation was founded in rebellion, we sometimes forget how destructive rebellion is to society. Our war for independence produced a stable nation but the French Revolution continued for many years and wreaked havoc with French society. 

Rebellion, which God equates with witchcraft, is not something we should choose lightly. We must remember that the American Revolution was sparked by the colonies being excluded from the political processes in the British Government. We should be careful not to leave that step out and go straight to rebellion!

God Uses Human Government:

One reason God wants us to obey human government, according to Paul in verses 3 and 4, is that God uses it:

For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.

God is not physically present in this world today. He has chosen to use humans to accomplish His bidding. His task for the family is to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. His task for the church is to redeem the ungodly, not control them. The government is God’s chosen instrument to control human behavior.

God has empowered government to control human behavior for him: He has given the state the power to penalize wrong doers. God has also given the state power to reward those who do good. We don’t often see a police officer as a minister of God, but according to Paul, he is! 

And remember, Paul did not live in a democracy the way we do here in the United States. He was the citizen of an authoritarian and often despotically governed empire, yet God revealed to him the role that government played in God’s eternal plan.

God reserves the right of vengeance to Himself; in Romans 12:19 we read, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” God deputizes human government to repay. God even outlines punishments in the Bible that governments can use, such as fines, restitution, death, even banishment.

God does love justice and mercy, but we need to allow Him to discipline His own servant. When we try to do that, we put ourselves in the place of the Master, and this, of course, is wrong.

When I was in high school my father was involved in a minor traffic accident and some citations were issued which resulted in him being summoned to the local court. I went with him that day to observe the proceedings. Another teen who attended my school was also there, contesting a speeding ticket issued to him by a police officer. I knew the teen, and I suspected that he had been speeding, but he was able to refute some of the details of the police officer’s testimony, and he was found not guilty. The moral of that is this: when we follow proper paths of appeal, our issues can be resolved. Resisting on the street causes more offences to occur, and these delegitimize our actions.

God Expects His People To Participate In Human Government:

In verses 5 through 7, Paul gave some practical examples of what God expects of us:

Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

I can think of three basic reasons to obey a government:

* Out of blind habit.

* Out of fear of punishment.

* Out of respect for the God who put government in place. 

My wife is a retired teacher. During her career in education, she discovered that all students would obey a strict teacher, but only the respectful students would obey all teachers. 

As we respect God, we must also respect our government in practical ways such as:

* Paying our taxes and other fees.

* Treating our leaders with respect and honor.

* Obeying the laws of the land.

As Jesus Himself said, we should give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s!

The bottom line is that we must work with and in government. We do this to improve it and to ensure it maintains the appropriate level of righteousness and justice. 

We also need to use it for the best advantage of the Gospel. Paul appealing to Rome in Acts Chapter 25 allowed him to go to Rome and share the Gospel there such that even members of Caesar’s household became followers of Christ.

We also, individually, need to consider becoming part of government so that we, as Christians, can help leaven the loaf, so to speak.

God Expects Us to Govern Ourselves:

In verses 8 through 14, Paul reminds us that God expects us to govern ourselves:

Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.  Besides this, since you know the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, and the day is near; so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk with decency, as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.

It is important to note that Chapters 12 and 13 form a kind of literary sandwich. In Chapter 12, we are urged to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, set apart to be pleasing to God. Paul went so far as to say in Romans 12:17-18,

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 

In Romans 12:21, Paul goes on to say, “Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.”

Then, and only then, does Paul begin his discussion of human government, which is in the context of Christians behaving in a way that honors God. After these seven verses, Paul returns to his major concern, which is Christians not behaving badly. If we govern ourselves as mature people, human government will have less need to interfere in our lives.

But what are we to do when our government become unjust, and when our God-given rights to worship Him are taken away?

First, if we have done what Paul directed in Verses 1-7, we will have the opportunity to prevent that from happening.  As many political commentators over the years have pointed out, “Elections have consequences.” They can be positive consequences or the negative consequences, so we must be sure to play our part in the process. But what if things good bad? Paul comments about this in Romans 15:3-6,

For even Christ did not please himself. On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.  For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.  Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.

Our first concern must be the reputation of God, who has promised to be with us and to help us in every phase of our lives as Paul also noted in Romans 15:13,

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion:

We often find it hard to believe that God can use something so disorganized and riddled with problems as government.  

Of course, if He can use a similarly troublesome body like the church, He can certainly use human governments.  

We need to honor His purposes in that endeavor.

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Planned Light

Today we will conclude  series of sermons based on our 2026 VBS theme that I am calling The Light of the World. In this episode, we will see that Jesus is The Planned Light.

Many times, we make plans that we can’t keep or plans we shouldn’t keep. For example:

A boy approached a lady in his church and promised, “Lady, if you give me a quarter, my little brother will imitate a chicken,” The lady was not impressed, and she replied, “So, what will he do for this quarter, cluck and flap his arms?” “No,” the boy replied, “he wouldn’t do a cheap imitation like that. He’ll eat a worm!”

Another fellow knocked on his neighbor’s door.  When his neighbor answered his knock, he said, “I’m so sorry, I just ran over your cat with my car. I want to do the right thing and replace him.” His neighbor said, “O.K. then, there’s a mouse in my kitchen.  Go get it!”

A final example of this comes from the personal ads of a newspaper: “If Jack Smith, who deserted his wife and baby twenty years ago will return, the aforementioned baby will knock the socks off of him.”

As we have noted before in both Matthew 16 and Acts 1, Jesus had a plan for the church to be the focus of ministry in the world after His Ascension to Heaven. A major part of that plan was for His church to receive power for its work.  Today we will see how that power came and what it helps us to do. Let’s begin by reading Acts 2:1-4,

When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.

The Plan for Power:

Jesus knew that the task given to the church was beyond our human power to accomplish. That’s why His plan included giving the church power from heaven. He had told His disciples in Acts 1:6-10 to go back into the city and wait for power, and now it had come.

One of the most transforming events in the lives of rural Americans was the Rural Electrification Act (REA) which provided funding to extend electricity to the famers and other residents of rural America. That process, as well as Rural Free Delivery (RFD) brought a power to integrate with society to rural people that they didn’t have before. 

The power experienced by the Apostles was unlike anything ever experienced before or since. There was an unearthly sound that filled the whole house. Something appeared that look like fire. The Apostles were filled with the Spirit of God. They began to speak in other, unknown to them, human languages. Many missionaries have prayed for the gift of tongues while trying to learn a difficult foreign language! 

To imagine the impact on the Apostles, try to think back to the first time you ever tasted coffee. It was strong and probably bitter, and you didn’t know what to think about it. Another way I think about this experience is when I had an injection in a nerve in my hip. It was like an electric shock went down my leg. I squealed like a little girl, and I almost came off of the examination table! The impact on the crowd was also dynamic, as we read in Acts 2:12-13,

They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.”

Those who witnessed this power were amazed. Many just sat and watched in awe and wonder. Others tried to blame what happened on sin. People often attribute good things to sin or Satan. Even Jesus had this happen to Him. The fact is that God’s power is far beyond what we understand. We shouldn’t try to explain it or scoff at it.

This was the awesome and life-changing power that Jesus had promised. This was power from God Himself which was both the power to supernaturally relate to God as well as power to work outside our own strength in God’s Kingdom. The church had a gift and a power that the Old Testament saints never had. We must be grateful for it and we must allow it to empower our lives for God.

This is like the story of a Hunter walking through the jungle who found a huge dead elephant with a pigmy standing beside it. Amazed, he asked: "Did you kill that?" The pigmy said, "Yes." The hunter asked, "How could a little bloke like you kill a huge beast like that?" "I killed it with my club." The astonished hunter asked, "How big is your club?" The pigmy replied, "Let me think.  There's about 60 of us." With the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do ministry together that we could not have done before He came to us!

God’s plan for the church required that He give us spiritual power beyond ourselves, but it was more than that. Let’s read Acts 2:5-11

Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.”

The Plan for Relationships:

The church is about people. God created this world for people, and He loves to relate to us. Jesus died for people, and the Holy Spirit was sent to people. We need to be about people too. We all know that the church is not the building, but the congregation. In 2 Samuel 7, David wanted to build God a temple. But God rebuffed him, telling him that God does not need buildings, even if people do.  That is why we have church buildings, so we can house our ministry and for our church buildings can be a springboard to take the Gospel into our community. One Christian writer has called local churches circles of light, bringing the Light of the World to their neighbors so that they can have the Light of Life illuminate their hearts.

Our problem is that our sin not only separates us from God, but it also divides people from each other. One of the first sins mentioned in Bible after the fall was murder. Half of the Ten Commandments dealt with how people are to treat each other. In our own time, very little political moderates in the USA today and even within churches, conflict is a serious issue. One state Baptist denominational leader once told me, “We start most of our new churches by splitting old ones.”

We need help to relate to people, and God gave it to us at Pentecost! Every person present on that day from over 14 nations heard the Gospel in a way that they could relate to effectively. This is the task of every missionary. They use tools like the Jesus Film or the Storying Cloth to share the Gospel It is also the task of every Christian. We can use our personal testimonies or invite people to Sunday School or church.

A long-time denominational leader recently told me that the secret to evangelism in the 21st Century is through developing relationships. This is not always easy, but the Holy Spirit will help us if we live in the Light of the World. What is the Gospel message we are to share? Let’s read Acts 2:14-18,

Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy.”

Let’s also read Acts 2:22-23,

“Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used[e] lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.”

And, let’s read Acts 2:32-35,

“God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this.  Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear.  For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’”

The Plan to Preach:

Relating can be hard, but it is easier than preaching! However, if we relate without preaching, we are simply not doing the job. A missionary once told us that she spent so much time being culturally sensitive that she found she wasn’t witnessing. Churches often try to attract people by adapting to culture surrounding them, but as the old preacher said, “If you get with a hotdog you have to keep them with hotdogs.” The offense of the Gospel must take place. God’s truth must be revealed, and He has chosen us to do it!

How do we do this? The same way that Peter did! Peter was an uneducated fisherman. He had run away from Jesus and denied Him with a curse. After the crucifixion, Peter went back to fishing and yet, now, he preached the first Christian sermon. How did he do it?  By letting God empower him. By using the Scriptures. And by sharing what God had done in his life through Christ

God empowered Peter’s human nature for supernatural ministry! Peter was bold, but now his boldness was directed properly. Loose cannons are dangerous, but when aimed properly, they are effective! Peter was a rough man, but now God used that roughness to witness for Himself. Peter was a die-heard Jew, but now the Spirit interpreted that Jewishness properly. God will use effectively what we have when we submit it to His will!

God gave us the power to relate to people and to preach the Gospel for a purpose. Let’s look at what that purpose is in Acts 2:37-47,

Then they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt[k] generation!” So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

The Plan to Grow:

From the beginning, God’s plan has been for the church to grow. The church is the Body of Christ, and so the church is an organism, not an organization. Organisms must grow and develop or they will die. God did not buy us from slavery to sin to have us wither and die. We are divinely appointed to grow!

This passage tells us several ways that God wants his church to grow:

* Growth by salvation (V.V. 40 & 41).

* Growth in doctrine (V. 42).

* Growth in fellowship (V. 42).

* Growth in prayer (V. 42).

* Growth in our awe of God (V.V. 43)

* Growth in meeting peoples’ needs (V.V. 44-5).

* Growth in our worship together (V.V. 46 & 47).

* Growth that happens regularly (V. 47).

So, in light of this passage, we must ask ourselves some hard questions: Are we growing effectively?  Are we growing consistently? Are we growing in all of these areas and more? The answer is that we should be, because we have the power!

Conclusion:

 God doesn’t believe in wasted effort.  According to His plan, He has given His church his church the power to relate to people, preach the Gospel, and grow in fellowship, outreach, and ministry.

Are we being faithful stewards with the light God has given us?

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Proven Light

 

Today we will continue a series of sermons based on our 2026 VBS theme that I am calling The Light of the World. In this episode, we will see that Jesus is The Proven Light.

How do people prove a thing? That will vary depending upon what realm of life we are considering. For example, in social media, a common meme is, “Pictures or it didn’t happen!” That goes along with the idea of, “Seeing is believing” or the motto of Missouri, which is the “Show Me State.”

In legal realms, a person might submit an affidavit which is attested to by a notary public. During trials, evidence is testified to by witnesses, some of whom relate to the court what they saw in eyewitness testimony, while other swear to the reliability and veracity of physical or circumstantial evidence.

Scientists look to empirical evidence to support their hypothesis, and in sports we play the game or run the race to prove who is the better team or athlete. All manner of contests are conducted each year in all manner of professions, crafts, and hobbies, and each of them will establish the criteria by which the products of the contestants are judged. Industries around the world have established standards which their quality control offices are expected to enforce. The list of how we prove a thing is almost endless.

As extensive as the list of proofs may be, none of them are perfect. Jesus, however, perfectly proved that He is the Light of the World, however, and that proof is the subject of our message for today. Let’s begin with Mark 14:22-31.

As they were eating, he took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will fall away, because it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.  But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away, I will not.”  “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he kept insisting, “If I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” And they all said the same thing.

How do we know that Jesus is The Proven Light? Let’s begin by understanding the Biblical standards to prove a spiritual fact.

The Need to Prove:

What is the Biblical guidance to prove whether someone has come from God with a message from God? The Bible gives is clear guidance about this but before we take up the task of discerning those standards, we should ask why we should apply those standards. After all, didn’t Jesus say in the Sermon on the Mount, “Do not Judge?”

Yes, Jesus did say that, but He said more than that. This is what He actually said in Matthew 7:1-2, 

Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use.

This type of judgment is for condemnation, not evaluation. All of us are sinners, and when we condemn others, we are also condemning ourselves. Jesus also said in Matthew 7:15-20,

Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit.  Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.

 Far from prohibiting us from evaluating the truthfulness of a spiritual leader, Jesus actually commanded us to do so. Later, in 1John 4:1, the Apostle John reminded believers of that need. He said,

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Long before there was fake news, false prophets led God’s people astray and undermined their faith and their witness for God. When they do this people get hurt, and God is dishonored. Even in modern times, this continues to happen. Two obvious examples of this would be Jim Jones and the Jonestown Massacre in Guyana, and David Koresh and the Mount Carmel siege and disaster. Other, less notorious, examples can be found which also have hurt untold numbers of people.

Not only are we commanded to evaluate our spiritual leaders, but God invites His people to put Him to the test also. In Malachi 3:10, God challenges us to test Him and see what He will do in our lives. What are the Biblical standards for such an evaluation? Let’s read Deuteronomy 18:17-22,

Then the Lord said to me, ‘They have spoken well. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. I will hold accountable whoever does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name. But the prophet who presumes to speak a message in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die.’ You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a message the Lord has not spoken?’ When a prophet speaks in the Lord’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

How to Prove:

What is the Biblical guidance to prove whether someone has come from God with a message from God? The Bible gives us clear guidance, the most basic of which is simply this: if the Lord promises something He will do it, and if a prophet announces God’s plans, they will come true. On the other hand, if what a leader of God’s people says does not come true, that statement and that person were not sent from God. This is a very digital standard: a predicted thing happened or it didn’t happen. This is black and white, with no shades of gray, but what about things whose time has not yet come? The Bible gives us more guidance that will help us discern the truth.

First, a true prophet’s message will never contradict the teachings and character of God as revealed in the Scriptures. God’s Word is congruent, and it never contradicts itself. Deuteronomy 13:1-3 says,

If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let’s follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let’s worship them,’ do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul.

In the New Testament church, Apollos was a powerful orator who had a great power of influence. The problem was that He was preaching an incorrect Gospel. He could have wrecked the early church, had not Pricilla and Aquilla taken him aside and helped him to understand the whole counsel of the Word of God.

The Bible also tells us to evaluate a prophet’s life and character. That’s What Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount when He said that we will know them by the fruit of their lives. A true prophet will exhibit a life of righteousness and integrity, reflecting the holiness of God. A problem that has arisen with some Christian leaders today is that their maturity and integrity have not kept pace with their talents and their ability to influence people. If they are not careful, they might lead people astray. The lives led by cult leaders Jim Jones and David Koresh would not have met this standard, and that should have been a warning for more trouble to come. And trouble certainly came to their followers.

I once knew a pastor of a small church who was convicted in Federal court of swindling dozens of elderly people out of tens of thousands of dollars. He was sent to prison for nearly a year, but he told the members of his church that he was leaving on an extended mission trip! When he was discharged from prison, he went back to the church and began preaching again! The true facts of his absence were discovered before more people were harmed.

Another test of a true prophet is that their ministry edifies the church. In 1 Corinthians 14:3, Paul wrote that, “the person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and consolation.” A true prophet's message will build up the body of Christ, promoting spiritual growth and unity.

Finally, a true prophet operates under the influence and power of the Holy Spirit. His fruit and His gifting are apparent in their ministry.

So, we have seen the need to prove a spiritual proclamation, and we have also seen how to prove it. What did Jesus say that He would also later prove? Let’s consider Mark 10:32-40,

They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were astonished, but those who followed him were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them the things that would happen to him. “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles, and they will mock him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him, and he will rise after three days.” James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do whatever we ask you.”  “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them. They answered him, “Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory.” Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or to be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We are able,” they told him.  Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. But to sit at my right or left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

What To Prove:

In this passage we see Jesus opening up to His disciples about what the future held for His ministry. He was predicting some very specific events would take place, events that would radically affect their lives. Let’s review a simplified list of these events:

• He and the Disciples would go to Jerusalem.
• He would be betrayed and placed in the hands of the Jewish leaders.
• The Jews would hand Him over to the Gentiles
• He will be condemned to death
• He would be mocked and abused, and then He’d be killed.
• He would rise again the third day.
• Jesus would drink this cup willingly.

This passage is short and it contains few details, but the impact on His disciples was significant. All of them knew something big was about to happen. This surprised them all and it frightened most of them. Somehow, James and John mistakenly saw this as an opportunity to gain higher positions and more authority. Regardless, all of His followers believed what Jesus had told them and they took His words seriously. Were they being naïve, or would Jesus prove to be true in what He said would happen? Let’s read Mark 14:32-37

Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. He said to them, “I am deeply grieved[g] to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.” He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.”  Then he came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake one hour?

What Was Proven:

In short, the next two chapters of Mark prove that what Jesus said would happen, did happen and that Jesus did what He said that He would do. 

First, we see clearly that Jesus and His followers were in Jerusalem, and that He willingly drank of the cup of His sacrifice in accordance with the will of the Father. What else happened that Jesus had predicted?  Mark 14:42-50 tells us,

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. With him was a mob, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. His betrayer had given them a signal. “The one I kiss,” he said, “he’s the one; arrest him and take him away under guard.” So when he came, immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. They took hold of him and arrested him. One of those who stood by drew his sword, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear. Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal, to capture me? Every day I was among you, teaching in the temple, and you didn’t arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” Then they all deserted him and ran away.

Obviously, Jesus was handed over to the Jewish authorities, and He was betrayed by Judas and the rest of His disciples. How was He treated by them?  Mark 14:55-65 says,

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they could not find any. For many were giving false testimony against him, and the testimonies did not agree. Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, stating, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another not made by hands.’” Yet their testimony did not agree even on this. Then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?” But he kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”  “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What is your decision?” They all condemned him as deserving death. Then some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to beat him, saying, “Prophesy!” The temple servants also took him and slapped him.

Even this was not the limit of what happened to Jesus. Mark 15:1-3 says,

As soon as it was morning, having held a meeting with the elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin, the chief priests tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.  So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” And the chief priests accused him of many things.

Mark 15:15-20 tells us what happened next:

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified. The soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) and called the whole company together. They dressed him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” They were hitting him on the head with a stick and spitting on him. Getting down on their knees, they were paying him homage. After they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his clothes on him. They led him out to crucify him.

So, again, so far everything that Jesus had predicted came to pass. These were just the warm-up acts, however. The main event was yet to come, because if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, the fact that the rest of His prophecies came true would not have any meaning. Prophecy is an “all or nothing” affair, so we must ask, did Jesus finish the job? Of course He did. Let’s read Mark 16:1-7,

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they could go and anoint him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” Looking up, they noticed that the stone—which was very large—had been rolled away. When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they put him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you.’”

So, everything Jesus predicted came to pass, proving that He was the Light of the World and the Son of God. Because of this we can agree with the centurion who stood at the foot of the cross an said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”

Conclusion:

 When David volunteered to confront Goliath, Saul gave David his own armor and sword to use in the encounter, but David rejected them because he had not proven them. Instead, he chose to go out armed with his tried-and-true sling and five smooth stones. In these Scriptures we have seen that Jesus is the Proven Light, and we have no need for any substitutes. In fact, only the original will do!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Powerful Light

 

Today we will continue a series of sermons based on our 2026 VBS theme that I am calling The Light of the World. In this episode, we will see that Jesus is The Powerful Light.

So far in this series we have seen that Jesus is The Perpetual Light and The Promised Light, for whom people waited centuries for His coming. We have also seen that He is The Perfect Light, without sin or mistake and who is one with His Father in Heaven. These are key aspects to the nature and character of Jesus which make Him able, as God, to be the Light of the World. However, He can only be The Light Of Our Lives if He can affect us and our circumstances. Blessedly for us, He has that power.

The power of physical light is often underestimated, but it is real. We have already noted in this series that light is a powerful disinfectant, but it is also an effective treatment for Newborn Jaundice. Light also has the power to change the behavior of people: one of the most common security measures against burglary is security lighting, which drives criminals to other, less illuminated locales. Lazers, which are a highly concentrated light form, have been used in medicine and industry for decades, and they have now become so powerful that they are a weapon of war. 

A theme of all these human developments is the destructive power of light. Naturally, however, light is a key to the process of photosynthesis, which produces and sustains all the life on our planet. Without light, life would cease to exist here.

As powerful as light can be, no physical light can be as powerful as the Light of the World, however, and The Powerful Light is the subject of our message for today. Let’s read Matthew 15: 29-39,

Moving on from there, Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee. He went up on a mountain and sat there, and large crowds came to him, including the lame, the blind, the crippled, those unable to speak, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he healed them. So the crowd was amazed when they saw those unable to speak talking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they gave glory to the God of Israel. Jesus called his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, otherwise they might collapse on the way.”  The disciples said to him, “Where could we get enough bread in this desolate place to feed such a crowd?”  “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked them. “Seven,” they said, “and a few small fish.” After commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied. They collected the leftover pieces—seven large baskets full. Now there were four thousand men who had eaten, besides women and children. After dismissing the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

From this passage of Scripture, we see two dimensions of the Light’s power in our lives and two reasons why God has decided to exert His power to give us the Light of Life.

The Power of The Word:

The Bible is a collection of masterfully crafted books, poems, songs, and letters which contain many straightforward facts and descriptions of events. It also includes many subtle features and contexts which we will miss if we don’t pay close attention to them. This is one reason why we must read the Word regularly. When we watch our favorite movie again, or listen to our favorite song another time, we find new facets to them which we overlooked at first glance. The same holds true with the Bible.

The ostensible focus of this passage is the miracle of Jesus in which he fed the four thousand. It is easy, then, to gloss over or miss entirely the posture of Jesus when this event began. Jesus was sitting down. This is not a minor detail, but it is quite significant.

In the Jewish synagogue of the First Century, rabbis sat to teach. Jesus, of course, was the master teacher and the greatest rabbi, and He prioritized the teaching of the Word. This, of course, was the right path to follow, and being The Perfect Light, and one with God the Father, Jesus would know that. So, why should the Word have priority? Because its power is eternal and it has an eternal impact upon us. In Mark 8:34-38, Jesus taught His followers,

Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? What can anyone give in exchange for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

In Ephesians 6, during Paul’s discussion of the Whole Armor of God, every item he described was defensive in nature except one, “the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God.”  In Hebrews 4:12, we read that,

For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Paul also counseled his protégé, Timothy, to allow the Word to have power in his life, saying in 2 Timothy 3:14-17, 

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from infancy you have  known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The greatest power found in the Light of the World is the power of God’s Word, which will transform our lives from the inside out and give us both an abundant life here on earth, and eternal life in the hereafter. This is the most important power of the Light of the World, but not the only one. 

The Power of Provision:

The most obvious use of power in our focal passage is the power to provide for the needs of people. Amazingly, even that, however, was not apparent to some on that mountain on that day, although, as we look back upon those events, we should not be surprised.

We know from God’s Word that Jesus was the agent of creation. The Bible tells us that nothing was created which was created without Jesus. If Jesus was Creator, and He was, then Jesus is the Owner. As the owner, Jesus has the authority to do as He wills with His creation. As the Powerful Light, Jesus has the ability to do what He wills with His creation. Thus, it makes total sense to us today, that Jesus could use His power to provide for human needs, and He did.

As we see in the beginning of this passage, Jesus had power over disease. Here we see Him exercising His power, because everyone there saw, “those unable to speak talking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing.” In other places in the Scripture, we know that Jesus healed lepers and people with fevers and chronic bleeding as well. And power over disease is only the beginning of how Jesus provided for the daily needs of people in the Bible. 

* In Matthew 14 Jesus demonstrated power over storms.

* In Matthew 14 Jesus also demonstrated power over the Laws of Physics when He and Peter walked on the Water.

* In Matthew 4 Jesus demonstrated power over temptation.

* In Matthew 9 and 12 Jesus demonstrated power over religion.

* In Matthew 22 Jesus demonstrated power over politics.

* In John 11 Jesus demonstrated power over death.

* In this passage and others, Jesus demonstrated power over hunger.

This last point is interesting, because when Jesus wanted to feed the people, His disciples were doubtful. Jesus had just been demonstrating His power, and He literally had done some amazing things. Plus, the previous chapter in Matthew recorded that He had already just fed five thousand people, and in this case, He even had more supplies to work with. Why did they doubt?

First, we must remember that the Holy Spirit had not yet come. We know that “the Spirit bears witness with our spirit,” and so we have a great advantage that the followers of Jesus didn’t have on that day on the mountain. We say that “seeing is believing,” but that is not necessarily true, as we can see here. We should give the disciples the benefit of the doubt.

On the other hand, what about us? Why do we doubt the power of Jesus in our lives? We have the testimony of the Bible to His power in people’s lives. We have the testimony of our fellow church members to His power in their lives. We have the testimony of our experiences to His power in our lives. We have the testimony of the Holy Spirit to His power in all of our lives. So, why do we doubt?  Maybe we wonder why Jesus would bother with us?

The Power of Compassion:

Why would Jesus devote Himself to blessing and ministering to frail, sinful, and rebellious people? Why would He be kind to those who rejected His Father? Why would He spend His time, attention, and effort to help us? Paul also asked this question in Romans 5:6-7,

For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die

Of course, in our natural state we are the ungodly and we are not good. So, that leaves us out, right? In the human economy that is true, but not in God’s economy. Paul went on to say, in Romans 5:8-9,

But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath.

John told us that God is love, and Paul told us that God proved that by offering Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sin. And, as Jesus said himself, “I have compassion on the crowd . . .”  So, compassion was the motivation of The Powerful Light to bless people, even when we were in rebellion against Him and His Father.

Although we know that compassion was the motivation for Jesus to act in our lives, He, like John the Baptist, had a specific mission. John’s mission was to testify to The Light. What was Jesus born to do? Jesus, Himself, described His mission clearly for us in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

Make no mistake, Jesus came to save people from their sins and to provide them eternal life. Jesus always kept this mission in the forefront, to the point that He pushed back against His own mother, Mary, at the Wedding at Cana, and also calling Peter Satan when Peter pushed back against Him after Jesus told His disciples about His coming death, burial, and resurrection. When Jesus was at a place and all the people there wanted was for Him to perform miracles, Jesus would leave that place and move on. Why then did He attend to human needs of people at all?

The answer is that Jesus had both compassion and power. He could help people, and He loved people, and so out of His powerful compassion He acted. He turned water into wine so that a wedding would not be ruined. He healed the sick, blind, and lame so that people’s lives on earth would not be ruined. He died for us on the cross and He rose again so that our eternity would not be ruined.

I often share stories of my Father, but I had a wonderful mother also. I clearly remember a number of occasions, after I was an adult and had my own family, she would buy me a nice present or pay for a repair for my automobile. I would tell her, “Mama, you didn’t have to do that.” She’d just smile and say, “I know I didn’t. I wanted to. And I could.”  The same is true for Jesus. He doesn’t have to bless us, but He wants to. And He can. So, He does.

The Powerful Light becomes the Light of Our Life by giving us His Word and satisfying our human needs by His compassion. But there’s more.

The Power of God’s Glory:

Another, almost hidden, statement in our focal passage gives us the second reason Jesus uses His power to bless us. Let’s read Matthew 15:31,

So the crowd was amazed when they saw those unable to speak talking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they gave glory to the God of Israel.

Jesus wanted to exercise His power in the lives of people because of His love, but also because He wanted to enjoy receiving the glory that is due Him as the Almighty God of the Universe. He taught this principle from the very beginning of His ministry. In the Sermon on the Mount, in Mathew 5:14-16, He said this,

You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

As a former colleague used to tell me, “You can’t hide money!” Jesus is glorious and He deserves all the praise and the honor that He is due. One way to gain that praise, one way to receive the honor that He is due, is by “Showing up and showing out.” He did that in this passage, and He does that when He works in our lives, showering us with His power and His blessings. He has done that through out His relationship with His people.

* In 2 Chronicle 5:14, the glory of the Lord filled God’s temple on the day it was dedicated to Him.

* In Mark 2:12, a lame man was healed by Jesus and then, “Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’”

* In Luke 17:15-6, a leper healed by Jesus, “. . . seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. He fell facedown at his feet, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan.”

* In John 11, Jesus delayed going to heal Lazarus, and told Martha, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

* In Acts 7:55, as Stephen was beings stoned to death, “[he] gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

* In Acts 12, when Herod was called a god after he had addressed a crowd, “At once an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.”

* In Romans 15:5-6, Paul said, “Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.”

* In I Corinthians 10:31, Paul said, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”

* In 2 Corinthians 4:14-15, Paul said, “For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God.”

* John, in Revelation 14:7 wrote, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Artists create paintings so others can appreciate them. Athletes play to demonstrate their abilities to those in the stands. Entertainers take the stage to hear the applause of the crowd. God acts through The Powerful Light to gain the praise and honor and glory that only He deserves!

Conclusion:

 Our focal passage for today gives us great insight into actions and attitudes of The Powerful Light. We’ve seen how His power is applied to the lives of people and also why His power is applied to the lives of people. The only question remaining is, will we let The Powerful Light shine on us, in us, and through us?

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Perfect Light

Today we will continue a series of sermons based on our 2026 VBS theme that I am calling The Light of the World. In this episode, we will see that Jesus is The Perfect Light.

Having just the right amount of light is often an important quality of life factor. As I get older, and as my eyes get weaker, I find that the more light I have, the better it is for my vision. That is not necessarily the case in every aspect of life. For example, in photography, it is important to have the right amount of light in the right tone for a photograph or video to have its best appearance.

My son is a news photographer, and he shoots video both day and night, and in all kinds of real-world lighting conditions. He does not have the luxury of shooting in a studio where the lighting never changes. One of the settings on his camera he must adjust is its white balance. In this procedure, a control item with a known shade of white is placed in front of the camera lens in the current environment where he is about to shoot video. He can then adjust the camera’s white balance to match the shade of the known object. He must do this before every shot for the video to be perfect.

Once he was offered the choice of color for a new work vehicle by his television station. Several options were available, but he asked for the plain white car. When asked why, he had a practical reason, “That way I aways have something with me I can use to set my camera’s white balance.”  That’s good thinking in my book.

As good as modern cameras are, none ever get the light perfect, and even modern editing software is not perfect either. One Perfect Light has existed, however, and He is the subject of our message for today.

Let’s read John 1:6-9 and 19-31,

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world . . . This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?” He didn’t deny it but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” “What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?” “I am not,” he said. “Are you the Prophet?” “No,” he answered. “Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?” He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord—just as Isaiah the prophet said.” Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know him. He is the one coming after me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.” All this happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ I didn’t know him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

The Testimony of John:

It is always good to remember your purpose in life. It is possible to make a square peg fit a round hole, but a great deal of damage can occur in the process. I remember, sadly, the day I used a socket wrench given to me by my father as an impromptu hammer. Yes, it broke, because I forgot its purpose. What we see in John’s testimony was that he never forgot his purpose.

John the Baptist was born to Zechariah the priest and Elizabeth, his wife. They were a righteous couple who served God faithfully. They were also childless, and they were too old, humanly, to have a baby. That all changed when the Angel Gabriel came to them and announced that they would have a son, named John, and that he would be set apart and that he would have a special task. 

Later, John came to know that his only purpose was to proclaim the coming of the Perfect Light. This Perfect Light was greater than he was, and indeed, He had even existed before time. John testified to these things and even more while he called people to repentance.

Then, one day, John saw the Perfect Light, and he had the opportunity to proclaim the Perfect Light to the world. At this, the most important moment of his life, John didn’t fail. He pointed out the Perfect Light, and he loudly proclaimed, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

If anyone ever completely fulfilled his assigned purpose in the world, it was John; however, he was not the only one who testified about Jesus. God, Himself did also as we will see in Mark 1:9-11,

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”

The Testimony of God:

When scholars do research to write a book or to prepare a lecture for class, they consult two types of sources: primary sources and secondary sources. A secondary source is a book or an article written by another scholar which includes interpretation, analysis, or summaries of primary sources, offering second-hand information and commentary from other researchers. A primary source is a firsthand account or an original record of an event.  Scholars believe that the best information is found in primary sources, which are the closest sources to the actual event.

What then, would be a better source than God the Father Himself? No better source can exist, and we see in this passage His own testimony about Jesus as the Perfect Light. First, He claimed Jesus as His own Son. An old saying is that “apples don’t fall far from the tree.” If the Father is perfect, then it must be true that the Son is also perfect.

Second, and equally important. God the Father testified that He was “well pleased” in Jesus. Again, God is perfect and His standard is perfection. Could God be “well pleased” in a person who is not perfect? This is logically, practically, and spiritually impossible. Clearly, God testified that Jesus is the Perfect Light.

So, John and God the Father both testified to Jesus. What did Jesus say about himself? Let’s read Matthew 5:17-20,

“Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

The Testimony of Jesus:

Most people who have been charged with a crime or who have been charged with a mission, either one, will try to explain themselves. Jesus was no different, and He testified to Himself as the Perfect Light on several occasions.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Mosaic Law. This would be an amazing feat, and a humanly impossible one. No human ever fulfilled the Law, but Jesus did, and not only that, He fulfilled it down to the smallest and most precise details. Only the Perfect Light could do that, but in John 8:46ff, Jesus made this claim even more plainly, saying,

Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Who among you can convict me of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.

Here, Jesus tells us that His teachings are from God above, who is perfect, and that not only is Jesus telling the truth, but also, no one could convict Him of any sin. To be sinless is to be perfect, and this is more testimony that Jesus is the Perfect Light.

Later, in John 10:27-30, Jesus became even more explicit, saying,

My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.

Here we see Jesus making a logical argument. God the Father is perfect, and Jesus is one with the Father. Therefore, Jesus is the Perfect Light.

One last time, before Jesus went to the Cross, He testified to Himself in John 14:6-7, saying,

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.

In this moment, Jesus made the connection between His identity as the Perfect Light and His identity as our Perfect Savior. To save us, Jesus had to be perfect, and He is.

So, John and God the Father and Jesus all testified that Jesus was the Perfect Light. What did the Apostles say? Let’s read 1 John 3:2-5,

Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. Everyone who commits sin practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins, and there is no sin in him. 

The Testimony of the Apostles:

Jesus claimed that He had committed no sin. His followers, the ones who lived with Him day and night throughout His ministry, were the ones who were best positioned to comment on that claim. The saying that you never really know a person until you live with them is true, and so the Apostles certainly knew Jesus. What did they say?

John, who was one of the inner circle, along with his brother James and also Peter, testified that “there was no sin in Him,” and “He is pure.” Because of that, not only do those who trust Him have hope, they also become “God’s children.” All of this could happen because Jesus is the Perfect Light.

What about Peter, the other member of the inner circle of Jesus who wrote an epistle included in the canon of Scripture? What did he say about the sinlessness of Jesus? Let’s read 1 Peter 2:21-25,

For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Peter, too, testified to Jesus as the Perfect Light, and he said that because Jesus was sinless, He could heal us by His wounds. He also could bring us back from going astray, and He not only modeled a righteous life, but he also empowered us to live righteously. Again, this could happen because Jesus is the Perfect Light.

What about Paul? Paul met Jesus on the Damascus Road, and later, God took him aside for three years to teach him about Jesus. Paul also testified to the Perfect Light in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21,

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Because of Christ’s perfection we are made new, and we are reconciled with God. Not only that, but we are also made His ambassadors, with the ministry of leading others to be reconciled with God as well. Once again, this is only possible because of Christ’s perfection.

What about the writer of Hebrews? His argument was that Jesus is the Greatest of All Time. What testimony does Hebrews provide us? Let’s read Hebrews 4:14-16,

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

The testimony of Hebrews is that Jesus was tempted, like we are, but that He did not fail, the way that we do. Therefore, He understands our situation and He identifies with us. More than that, He allows us to come to the throne of grace with boldness and find the grace and mercy we need. As we have seen above, this can only happen because Jesus is the Perfect Light.

We have seen the testimony of John the Baptist, the testimony of God the Father, the testimony of Jesus about Himself, and the testimony of the Apostles about the Perfect Light. Now, let’s remember our testimony, the witness of the church. Let’s read Acts 1:4-8,

While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

The Testimony of the Church:

One of the great privileges of being a member of God’s church is to work alongside Him. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:9, we “are God’s coworkers.” It is hard to believe that God has chosen us to work alongside Him, but He has, and we must step up to then plate and do our part. Most of our work is to testify to the Perfect Light.

Why is it important that the members of God’s church testify about Jesus? We are the only beings who have been redeemed by His perfect sacrifice. Another old saying is that the “Proof of the pudding is in the eating.”  

• Angels have never been redeemed.
• Demons have never been redeemed. 
• Animals have never been redeemed. 
• The earth has never been redeemed.

Members of God’s church perform all types of service to Him, but the one service no other part of creation can do is to testify to Christ’s redeeming work. As we witness to God’s work in our lives, we testify to the Perfect Light.

Conclusion:

Hanlon's Razor says, "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." In the context of our study of the Perfect Light, we must realize that more people are hurt by mistakes than by malice.

For example, during the Cold War our Armed Forces almost detonated nuclear warheads twice by accident. Once, a technician dropped a wrench down an Arkansas missile silo and caused the rocket to explode. Fortunately, all the safety devices on the warhead worked as designed. Another time, a U.S. bomber broke apart in midair over North Carolina accidently dropping two nuclear bombs. One buried itself in mud so deep it has never been recovered. The other was recovered, and it was found that all but one safety device had failed and the bomb was only one switch away from exploding. These accidents could have killed an untold number of people.

Mistakes and failures are dangerous, but the Light of the World is the Perfect Light. He never makes mistakes, and He will never fail us!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Promised Light

Today we will continue a series of sermons based on our 2026 VBS theme that I am calling The Light of the World. In this episode, we will see that Jesus is The Promised Light.

Our modern electrical grid is an amazing way to provide electricity across our land. Not only is access to electrical power almost universal, but it is also very reliable. This is in sharp contrast to when my family lived in Africa. At one point we lived in a house with no access to the electrical grid, and we relied on solar power and a generator for all our electrical needs. Later, when we were connected to the power grid, we only had power two days out of three, and you never knew when, or if, the power would come back on. Because of that, we retained our solar panels and generator. We really appreciated the reliable power grid in the U.S. when we returned home.

Our power grid is very reliable, but it is not perfect. From time to time, particularly in the hot and stormy summer months, we will still experience a power outage. The experience of sitting in a dark, rapidly heating house, is not pleasant, but for those who require the use of electrically powered medical devices, it can be quite dangerous. In America, unlike many places around the world, we know that power will be restored, but sitting in the darkness, wondering when, can be quite frustrating and uncomfortable

One difference in the U.S. is that our electrical utilities all have mobile phone applications which keep customers apprised of the status of repairs. While technically not promising anything but their best efforts to resolve the outage, these applications, and also automated text messages, endeavor to keep customers informed of the progress of the work, and the anticipated repair time. This is encouraging to those looking towards the restoration of power.

In many ways, God’s Old Testament people were sitting in darkness waiting for the promised Light of the World to come and light up their lives. Sadly, much confusion existed about who this might be, or when he would make his appearance. Jesus shed some much-needed light on this issue in Matthew 16:13 and following.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 

Who Did People Say That Jesus Is?

The Jews in the days of Jesus were looking for the Messiah to come from God. The problem was this: which Messiah were they looking for? Like in the days of the Judges, when “every man did what was right in his own eyes,” the individual visions that people had developed about the promised Messiah clouded their spiritual sight.

Some people were looking for a revolutionary figure who was not afraid to speak truth to power. In our modern world they would have been followers of George Washington, or Fidel Castro, or Martin Luther King, Jr. John the Baptist was such a man, one who was not afraid to confront King Herod Antipas with his sinful behavior. This cost John the Baptist his head, but some people may have thought that Jesus was John raised from the dead. 

Some people were looking for a miracle worker who would meet the human needs of people. In our modern world they would have been followers of figures like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, or Bill, “I feel your pain,” Clinton, or Mother Theresa. They would be just as happy if someone cured cancer as if someone could cure their soul. People with this vision of the Messiah thought that Jesus might be the prophet Elijah whom Malachi had said would return to the earth someday.

Others may have been looking for a religious leader who would come and reform Judaism and also discipline those who had led it astray. In our modern world they would have been followers of figures like Martin Luther, or L. Ron Hubbard, or Jim Jones, the cult leader responsible for the Jonestown Massacre in Guyana. In my home church, a considerable part of our church leadership were followers of Bill Gothard and his Institute of Basic Youth Conflicts, so much so that I began thinking of them as “Gothardites.” I became concerned that some were elevating Bill Gothard far beyond a mere Bible teacher. Gothard taught many good things, but he was not the Messiah, and neither was Jesus a reincarnation of the prophet Jeremiah, either.

It was not surprising that different ideas about the Messiah would spread among the Jews. People have loved to spread rumors since the beginning of humanity. Missionaries to Vietnam in the 1960’s learned a local saying that expresses this well:

What is whispered in Da Nang in the morning will be shouted in Saigon in the afternoon.

This was decades before the advent of social media, but centuries before that time, Jesus Himself commented about the Last Days, saying, “There will be wars and rumors of wars.” Even in such an agricultural society as First Century Palestine, urban legends were a thing.

So, that is what the “man on the street” thought. What did the Disciples think? Jesus asked them, beginning in Matthew 16:15:

“But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed  in heaven.” 

Who Did The Disciples Say Jesus Is?

Jesus probably did not expect very much from the ordinary Jewish person of His day. The Jewish faith had been in decline since Solomon died. Half of the Jewish leadership, the Sadducees, did not even believe in an afterlife, and so their understanding of the Messiah would be solely focused on the “here and now.” The other half of the Jewish leadership, the Pharisees, did believe in eternal life, but they believed that only they knew how to find it.  If the ordinary people of that day were confused, that was not unexpected, considering how confused their leaders were. It was sad, but not surprising.

Jesus expected more of His disciples, however. They had walked with Him daily and He had taught them by both word and deed. They had seen His miracles, and they had seen him leave places that only wanted miracles, and which did not receive His teaching. He explained His parables to them, and they had also faced opposition from both sides of the Jewish leadership together. He expected a better answer, and He got one from Peter.

It was clear that Peter wanted to show that he had been listening carefully in class. He proclaimed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, and also that Jesus was the Son of God. The Messiah was the one God’s People waited for who would come to save the people from themselves and the fact that the Messiah was the Son of God gave Him the power and authority to do that. Jesus was the Savior of the World who had a divine origin, a divine power, a divine authority, a divine message, and a divine love for His people. Peter, who was rarely short of words, said a great deal more in that short answer than he ever had before.

Jesus approved of Peter’s answer, and then he told Peter why he had gotten it correct. He said that Peter had been blessed from a power outside of himself, and in fact, God had revealed that to him, the way that God reveals Himself today through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus went on to say, literally, that Peter had been “supremely blessed.” This blessing came from God, of course, and it came in a multidimensional form. Some of these applied only to Peter, but some of these still apply today, when lost souls make a confession of faith in Christ as their Lord.

• Peter was blessed to have God reveal Himself to him.
• Peter was blessed to be given a new name by God. 
• Peter was blessed to have his spiritual eyes opened.
• Peter was blessed because he gave Jesus the perfect opportunity to announce the founding of the church.
• Peter was blessed to participate in the eternal ministry of the church.
• Peter was blessed to be welcomed into God’s Kingdom.

A much more positive outcome was available for Peter, and for us today, than simply repeating the tired old false rumors and fake news about Jesus.

So, we have seen who the people said that Jesus is, and we have also seen who the disciples said that Jesus is. So, what did Jesus say about Himself? Let’s read Matthew 16:20 and following:

Then he gave the disciples orders to tell no one that he was the Messiah. From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned and told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.”

Who Did The Word Say That Jesus Is?

First, Jesus is the one who was promised to come as the Messiah, and as the Light of the World, in God’s timing. It is important to notice here that Jesus told His followers not to tell people that He was the Messiah, at least not yet. An old saying is that “timing is everything,” and in fact when it comes to the supply of electricity, that is a very true statement. When the power goes out, it won’t come back until all the repairs are made, otherwise more damage to the transmission equipment may occur. Spiritually it is also a true statement. God’s timing is not our timing. Two Greek words for time apply here.

The first word is kronos, from which we get our English terms chronometer and chronological. This is the passing of time as recorded by clocks and the movement of the Sun and Moon. God created this type of time, and it is good, but He is not bound by it the way that people are.

The other Greek word is kairos, which implies the right time, the correct time, the perfect time. In Romans 5:6, Paul told us, 

For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 

Also, in 1 Peter 5:6-7, Peter himself taught us to,

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.

In God’s timing, not before and not after, Jesus came to be the Light of the World. As Jesus spoke to His disciples, a day would come when that Light would be revealed to the world, but it was not yet time.

Also, the Bible tells us that Jesus is the Head of the Church. He started it, He designed it, He bought it with His own blood on the Cross, and so He owns it. Because He owns it, He guides it, He controls it, and he establishes its purpose. And, in addition to all that, He helps it accomplish the purpose which He set out for it. Because He created it, and He owns it, and He guided it, Jesus is the Governor of the church.

People who should know better say that Baptist churches are “independent.” Many of them are, to be honest, but that is not what our doctrines say that we are. Baptist churches are self-governing to be sure, but under the Lordship of Christ. Baptist churches are not empowered to do whatever the membership feels like doing, instead, Baptist churches are empowered to do what the leadership of our Lord and Savior wants us to do. 

The Word also tells us that Jesus is the sacrifice for our sins. Hebrews 9:22 reminds us that,

According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Although Peter didn’t understand it, only one perfect and permanent sacrifice for human sins exists, and He is Jesus. Jesus was willing to humble Himself in a way that is beyond human comprehension, to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. As Paul wrote in Philippians 2:5 and following,

Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

One last thing that this passage tells us about Jesus is that He was focused on fulfilling His Father’s priorities. Jesus was unwilling to allow anything, or anyone, to prevent Him from being obedient to His Father, or to prevent Him from accomplishing God’s will in His life. He was even willing to rebuke the very first person who recognized who Jesus was, Peter, but who also didn’t fully understand what Jesus had to do.

So, we have seen who the people said Jesus is, as well as who the disciples say He is, and even who the Bible says that He is. One group of people remains, however, who need to be asked that all important question. Let’s read Matthew 16:24 and following:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Who Do We Say That Jesus Is?

So, who is Jesus to us? We have seen the people in the time of Jesus got the answer wrong. We also have seen Peter get the answer right, before he got it wrong. What about us? Who do we say Jesus is? Our answer may depend on where we are looking for victory in our lives.

• If we have health problems, Jesus is the Great Physician.
• If we have emotional problems, Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor.
• If we have faith problems, Jesus is the Everlasting Father.
• If we have relationship problems, Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
• If we have obedience problems, Jesus is the Lord of Lords.
• If we have spiritual problems, Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
• If we have vision problems, Jesus is the Light of the World.

The real issue is not who Jesus is, but what are we willing for Jesus to do in us? Are we willing for Him to change our hearts?  Are we willing for Him to change our attitudes? Are we willing for Him to change our actions? Are we willing for Him to change our priorities? It does no good to have a light and not turn it on when the Sun goes down!

Another question to ask is what are we willing to do so that Jesus can act in our lives? Are we willing to confess Him to the world? Are we willing to obey Him? Are we willing to worship Him? Are we willing to give Him control? Are we willing to engage Him in prayer?  When the power is restored after an outage, what do we do? We take it for granted again. We must not do this with the Light of the World!

Conclusion:

An old saying is, “A promise kept is a trust fulfilled.” Jesus was the Promised Light, and God fulfilled the promise He’d made with humanity to send us a Messiah, the Savior of the World. God has not changed, and He will not change. He is just as trustworthy today as He was when Jesus came. 

Trust God’s promises. He will never fail us!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt