Messy Church - Light of the World & Goodbye Hills!

[0:00] This is a sermon from King's Church West So we're talking about lights today and last night, I wonder if this happened to you it happened to me, I was sitting in my living room I was sitting on the sofa and I was about to watch TV and then my lights started going flicker, flicker, flicker on and off, on and off I wonder if anybody knows, why were my lights going crazy last night?

[0:48] Toby? My parents did have a power cut Oh yes, and my friends did have a power cut and it was off all night for them because of the storm We've just had a storm Luke was saying, it's a very cute name for a storm Storm Amy Doesn't sound very scary, does it?

[1:01] But it was quite powerful and my lights certainly felt the power of the storm yesterday and it got me thinking imagine if you had a whole night at home with no light no light at all not a candle not a battery-powered torch anything like that it would be a bit strange, wouldn't it?

[1:18] if you were having your dinner you wouldn't know what you're putting in your mouth was it going to be nice? was it going to be nasty? imagine doing the washing up afterwards if you help with the washing up, that is and you wouldn't know which plates were clean which plates were dirty and then about to go to bed what if you wanted to read a book?

[1:36] you wouldn't be able to at all maybe your Kindle might work if you're lucky but yeah, we really need light, don't we? we rely on light every single day for every single thing that we're doing either the daylight or the light from the lamps and things around us and did you know that Jesus actually described himself as a light?

[1:59] and we're going to see a verse come up behind us it comes from the book of John, chapter 8 and Jesus said this he said I am the light of the world whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life and just like we need lights around us like the lights in this room that are here to help us we can actually ask Jesus who is the light of the world to shine his light into our lives and to fill our lives with his light now I wonder what you think that really means to have Jesus as the light of the world shining into your life well to be honest the world that we're in the world we live in our families the places that we are our schools the places that we work they're not always light places are they?

[2:48] sometimes they can be quite a dark place I don't mean because it's night time all the time or because the lights are turned off but darkness can be a bit of a symbol for some of the things that are not so good you know things that are bad that happen to us and they can happen in us they can happen around us they can happen to the people that we love it could be lots of different things it might be darkness might be someone feeling afraid darkness might be someone feeling alone darkness could be someone being really unkind or being mean darkness can be when we tell lies instead of telling the truth and the darkness that we know about it's everywhere isn't it?

[3:30] it's everywhere you can't really go anywhere in the world without experiencing that kind of darkness and to be honest wherever we go wherever people go the darkness is because to be honest sometimes we're part of that darkness too but the good news of the Bible and the good news that we've read about today is that Jesus doesn't want us to stay in that darkness wherever Jesus is there's light wherever Jesus is there is light because he is the light of the whole world and we can ask Jesus to come into those darkest places in our lives Jesus can shine when maybe you feel like hiding when you're fearful or you're lonely Jesus can shine Jesus can shine even when you feel at your wit's end and you're stressed and you're angry and you're frustrated and you just want to lash out Jesus can shine into that kind of darkness too Jesus can shine when maybe the easiest thing to do is to lie and to cover up the truth

[4:33] Jesus can even shine in those moments he can transform the things that are dark into things that are light and today I just want to give you the opportunity to ask Jesus the light of the world to shine into your life and if you want to do that too you're welcome to join me I'm just going to pray and you can join me with that so you might want to close your eyes whatever helps you to focus on Jesus let's start by listening to that verse and then I'll pray Jesus said I am the light of the world whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life and Jesus I want to thank you that you are the light of the world Lord Jesus we know that sometimes our lives can be dark places Lord we know that you actually see our whole life even the bits that we like to keep hidden you see it all

[5:36] Lord Jesus we're sorry for when we make that choice to live in darkness and we thank you that you offer us forgiveness and you offer to come into the darkest places and to shine your wonderful light Jesus we invite that that you would do that in our lives today would you come and shine in us Amen This is the end of our messy church message at the end of our service we spent some time praying for and saying goodbye to the Hill family stick around if you would like to listen to this and join us in wishing them well you may have heard some big news is that the Hill clan are off on a new adventure and we just want to spend a few moments saying farewell to these guys and hearing from them what oh look at that and hearing from them and praying for them

[6:42] I don't know it's quite hard to imagine they're not being a King's Church West Lothian as you look around as 70 of us are gathered here as we're gathered here to be with Jesus to be with each other and to serve one another and those in need and yet many years ago Dave and Libby and a small group of other people came out to West Lothian and felt the Lord say to them it's time to plant a church here and that's exactly what they did and they love an adventure and you kind of have to right to leave your previous life to come here and do this and they've done a brilliant job of serving us and being a church family with us and leading us over the years and but there's change afoot so I wonder if you guys would come and tell us what is going on what's happening give them a round of applause I'll use that one because it's recorded then I'm sorry I know it's funny thanks guys yeah we just wanted to say a massive thank you for you guys for your love and friendship all the input that you've given into us as a family we've been here for 10 years 10 years to the month we moved from Edinburgh to Livingston

[7:56] Caleb was about a week old when we moved so this is the length of time we've been in Livingston and yeah it's been a real privilege obviously seeing the church go from just a dream at that point up to what it is just now we're off to Calendar or just a little village outside of Calendar it's a whole long story of how we've got to this point which we can share with you if you're interested but yeah over the last year I don't know felt God nudge us in various ways through different people different words different kind of things that have happened that have kind of made us feel actually we feel like God is moving us into the next adventure it's only up the road it's less than an hour so do come and visit we'll come and visit you obviously we're going to stay in touch Luke, Mike, Gordon are godly guys you're in good hands and yeah we're excited to see what God has for you in the future but yeah thank you most of all for all that you've kind of been to us and given to us over the years

[8:56] I'll just say my own thanks as well we do love you all so much we really do it's actually really emotional seeing those pictures up there Dave just put that together and I haven't seen it but wow yeah it's been a real journey and we've done it with so many of you and we really love you all and you know God is doing a new thing with us but he's doing a new thing with you as well and each of you you know your lives and your church the church here you know there's a lot look at you all there's lots of you so you know God is doing a new thing and you know he directs our steps and when we delight ourselves in him he directs our steps so an encouragement to you and for myself and our family is just to keep close to Jesus keep going and keep pressing into him and he will lead you into good things so we love you all very much guys I might keep you for a minute is that okay can you guys cope with that okay so it's just for me to say how much we love you guys and we love how you've sought God time and time again in major trouble and in the easier bits that occasionally happen you've just gone to him time and time again and you've made him your refuge and it's been such a wonderful example to us as people who want to live for

[10:21] Jesus and we've really enjoyed looking at how you've done that and so thank you thank you so much for leading us and leading us by a godly humble example over these many years now we are so can't wait to see what he does next it's always an adventure with the hills we can't wait and we do genuinely I hope some of you will just turn up at their door if you don't see them for some months just find out where they live and go and see them because they keep saying that to me and that's an invitation and the same goes for turn up at our door we would love to see you again and we'd love to have you come back and see us because it's farewell it's not a goodbye I mean ultimately if you love Jesus you're spending eternity with these guys so one way or the other you're going to spend a lot of time with them and we can't wait to see what God does with you and we can't wait to see what he does as you've said already with these guys here as they continue that being here for another here for Jesus and for those in need we have a couple of token gifts for you how do you give something to say thank you for this many years of being a part of us but we have got we've got something that

[11:26] Libby you might like more and everyone else you might like I don't know you can decide how you divide them up but we've just a little token of our appreciation slightly weirdly our cake has your picture on it as a which we're going to eat in a few minutes which I'm sort of feel has worked out a bit strange and here is again a little token of our appreciation we hope it will help you on your adventure and help you have some fun together as well so and shall we give these guys a final round of applause and then we're going to pray for them okay let's clap now have you got stamina for two more minutes can we do this okay so what we're going to do is in a moment I'm going to ask you to stand up and then I'm going to ask a few of you to just pray for these guys if you we are quite we fill the room today so if you're about to pray and you want to waggle a hand one I will try and get a microphone to you so we can all hear you but

[12:34] I know a few of you have come ready also to pray for these guys and we want to be people I know you guys love being open to the Holy Spirit and I've heard from him time and time again especially in this season of change and so if you have a verse that springs to mind or a prophetic picture you want to share come and come and catch me and as we can we'll share those but we're going to do this for a few minutes so why don't you stand up and then I will pray and then anyone else who wants to pray can join in let's pray Father you are so faithful and we thank you for that I thank you for when you give us people like the hill clan to demonstrate your goodness and to serve us and to help us follow you and I yeah we just say thank you Lord but we also say keep going lead them on adventure after adventure and in this new new path you're taking them on would you keep speaking as you have done really clearly to them would you be their greatest friend and father just all the practicalities of a new church family a new home we ask in Jesus name that you'd make all of those things work out brilliantly in these weeks and months to come and I'd like to pray this is your this is your chance

[13:58] I just want to read from the message the armor of God this is Ephesians chapter 6 verses 13 to 18 be prepared you're up against far more than you can handle on your own take all the help you can get every weapon God has issued so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet truth righteousness peace faith and salvation are more than words learn how to apply them you'll need them throughout your life God's word is an indispensable weapon in the same way prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare pray hard and long pray for your brothers and sisters keep your eyes open keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out I just want to pray for you guys our father

[15:10] God we love the hill family so much Lord we just pray that you would bless them as they go into their next adventure Lord we pray that you would protect them Lord we pray that you would go before them and we pray that you would fill them with your Holy Spirit and help them to walk into everything that you have for them Amen Amen We love you guys so Claire and I were at the wedding and of all the wedding gifts they were going to get they got a tandem bike a bike for two and I just thought that's so much Dave and Libby the picture I got was actually a bike for three a trandom whatever that would be called and the rear seat is for Jesus and the front two seats are for you and your seats don't have pedals only his pedals and only he has a steering wheel or whatever you call it on the bike and

[16:21] I just I just think it's a picture about your marriage and your family and just how Jesus is the powerhouse behind everything you do and when you're cycling up those hills in life which come more often than not when life gets gritty it's Jesus who's pedaling and when you're not sure where to go it's Jesus that's steering the the handlebars and just remember that when you're going up those hills lean into him lean into strength and just keep being you because you're amazing yeah Lord Jesus I just ask for your blessing upon the whole hill family the journey continues you've got great plans for them I thank you for everything they've been to us as helping to found this church and just steer and serve so faithfully and so humbly and so full of your Holy Spirit and we just ask for more of that that there will be a blessing wherever they go whichever church you have for them whichever new family whichever new home that just your favor will continue to shine upon them and that you will continue to be the powerhouse in the hill family amen thank you I just want to have a quick quick thank you message thank thank you thank you is that okay yeah thanking the Lord for bringing this beautiful family to us not only have the involved the whole life's been the church but with Dave's help and support and grace etc and

[18:15] God's blessing we managed to set up the feast and with the feast we used to run it weekly now it's gone down to once a month however I'm here just to on behalf of the guests of the feast just to thank Dave and especially Nathan they absolutely love Nathan and he's been a great help he's my little barista keep keep that apron Nathan okay and wear it with pride he's been there week after week and month after month he's been a fantastic help and as I say with God's grace everybody from the feast wish you well as myself and Tam do too okay thank you amen amen well done guys that was a long time let's give them a massive massive round of applause thank you thank you thank you Thank you.