Christ Church Moreton Hall

At the end of this service we will present to Keira a Candle.

It is our gift to her, to reminder her and her family, of this very special day, the day of her baptism. It is meant to symbolise the fact that because she has been baptised, she now is walking in the light. Walking in the light with Jesus and walking in the light with us
For the bible says: 1 John 1 (NIV)

⁵This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Now we do this very simple thing to help us remember so very big ideas. They are:

1. The whole world was in darkness because of sin
2. Jesus came into the world as the one pure light to find us.
3. If we turn to him and follow him, we will see all things clearly
4. We now see all who are following Jesus and are with them
5. We are becoming pure light too, as we follow and obey Jesus.
6. This is what is will happen to Keira is she goes to church, and is taught about Jesus and knows him for herself because this is what is happening to us every day.

But we all know it can go so wrong sometimes.

Sometimes the others who are following as well, have so little light in them we get put off... or hurt by them.

Or sometimes the darkness seems more fun than the light so we go back into it.
Sometimes we just lose sight of Jesus and we get so lost, in the black maze of this world.

My task today, is to explain to you, what happens when it all goes wrong and how Jesus puts it right. Here is my example:

Let’s say in a few years time Keira's family have another special day like this as a family. Let’s say it Thanksgiving and the whole family and loads of friends are expected over. Lots of cooking is going on. Dad has been called away to fly a plane and save the world again. So he is going to be late if he gets back at all. As if they have no other pilots or planes in the air force.

Keira is all ready. Her hair is done. Her beautiful party dress is clean ironed and on. All she has to do is stay in her room and play.

But it looks so good outside; it is a nice sunny day. So she thinks:
“I will just go out and play on my swing.” So out she goes.
She has great time on the swing, but while she is out there she sees next door’s cat sitting on the fence. Next door’s cat has a long tail which is just hanging down far enough for her to stroke, and if she stands on her bike and reaches up she can just about stroke that tail.
So she leans the bike against the fence - climbs up on it - getting just a spot of oil on her dress. It’s a bit further to reach than she thought but up she goes and...she is as careful as she can be.
And then bike slips, she grabs the cats tail - the cat screams and jumps back into its own garden. But Keira is still hanging on to the tail... suspended half way up the fence with no bike to support her. But only for a moment... because then the fence gives way.
So Keira falls, and lands with a huge thump. She gives off a long loud bellow... which can be heard all the way back to Washington, for she has ripped her dress, ruined her hair, and grazed her knees and arms.
And at that moment, the neighbour, who has seen the whole thing but has done nothing... starts yelling at Keira. Who is sitting on the floor stained with blood, oil, and dirt and is tangled up in a broken fence, a bent bike and has a fist full of cats hair and is crying her eyes out.

The question is what does Keira need right now?

That’s right she needs Super Mum.
Super Mum who will rush out first making sure nothing will boil over and burn. Who says to the neighbour “just wait a moment while I deal with my child?” Super mum - who in less time than it takes for a man to change his clothes in a phone box...

Takes her in with a cuddle, and calms her down with a kiss and hug.

Takes off the spoilt clothes, cleans her up, and dresses her wounds.

Finds her an even better dress, does her hair and puts her back in her room with an improving book.
Super Mum then goes outside to the neighbour with cookies and catnip, and repairs the fence, with the lumber that is in the yard that he hasn’t cleared away from last time. She thus avoids the laws suit, and befriends the neighbour.
And Super Mum also fixes the bike, with the tool in the garage, that was there all along.
Finally she goes back inside and everything will still be ready on time and perfect.

Now we may laugh... but that is exactly what Jesus does for us... every time we fall and fail.

• He is the one who comes to us when we are in trouble.
• He is the one who forgives us even when we know we should not have done it.
• He is the one that picks us up and hugs us when we are hurt.
• He heals and cleans our wounds.
• He repairs the damage we have done.
• He can even make those who accuse us become our friends and his.
• He dresses us up in new and better clothes so we can come to the big party he is preparing for the whole world.

That is why Keira's parents are walking in the light and that is why they want Keira and her brother to walk in the light with them too.

But in John’s time there were people who would not take sin and the effects of sin seriously. They said three things...which we still hear today. But they are wrong not matter how familiar they sound.

First of all they would say: “Yes I am a Christian but it doesn’t really matter if I bend the rules sometimes.” In verse 6 it says:

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

If you are a Christian from now on you must - keep your promises – stop the lies – pay your offering – stop cheating in every way you cheat - stop bad mouthing – when you a wrong say you’re sorry - mean it and do something about it.

Second they would say: “Well I just don’t sin at all.... or sin that’s an outmoded concept... who needs it.” Verse 8 says;

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

1. Sin is so bad God can’t look on it.
2. It is not that God destroys sin and us with it. It is that sin destroys everything it touches... and unless you let Jesus touch you and heal you of your sin...then Sin will eat you away to nothing at all
3. It was because of sin... Jesus came and Jesus died
4. When you can’t see sin... it means you are already blind.
5. Do you know when countries communities and churches really start failing. Do you know when Nations begin to decline and fall ....it is when they stop taking sin seriously or forget all about it.

The third response is the most common verse 10

If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

It is what I would call the little boy’s answer. It is “Who Me? I didn’t do it! It wasn’t me. It’s not my fault.”
It goes along with all the arguments and excuses that say: “It was everyone else’s fault but mine.”
It was societies’ fault...it was my parent’s fault...it was my genes.
Our relationship with Jesus begins when we start taking responsibility for who we are and what we have done... and ask for his help. And as we walk in the light and stay in the light no matter how hard it is.
When you walk in the light 5 things happen

1. You see who you really are... and that can be hard. But as you learn to see clearly you soon realise
2. He is guiding you to a better life... and as you follow him daily his blood doesn’t just clean you once... it cleans you every day until you too, shine out with light. Others see it but you don’t.
3. Then you see his holiness, purity, splendour and glory and how precious was his offering himself to you... and how wonderful it is... to be allowed to be a Christian.
4. And then you see... he is revealing himself to you and he wants to be your best ever friend now and for ever
5. And he gives you loads of brothers and sisters to care for and they are here to care for you.

So now... because we can see through Super Mom... all the things Jesus has done for us. That is exactly what Jesus wants us to do for each other.

• To seek each other out.
• To seek forgiveness... and to forgive
• Pick each other up... when we are hurt.
• Heal and clean each other’s wounds we can.
• Help repair the damage we have done.
• Stop accusing and gossiping and make friends
• Walk in the light and help everyone in the light... especially the children like Keira... to walk in the light with us.
• And when we fail... we must seek his face... admit we are wrong ... accept his forgiveness and then walk in the light again

And it is our prayer... that Keira and all her family will walk in the light for always wherever they go.

¹My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.