Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth, which keepeth truth unto eternity, and will not forsake the works of its hands. Praise be unto you and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth. Amen. Conclusion. Little Singh, Psalter 416, stanza 1 and 2. As the heart about to falter in its trembling agony, panted for the brooks of water, so my soul will pant for thee. Second stanza. Bitter tears of lamentation are my food by night and day. you. of love and glory. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave you Scripture reading taken from Genesis 1, Genesis 1, but first we confess our faith. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he arose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, I believe in Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen. Genesis 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and God said, Let there be light, and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear, and it was so. And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering together of the waters called he seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth. And it was so. And the earth brought forth grass and herb-yielding seed after his kind, and the tree-yielding fruit whose seed was in itself after his kind, and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day. And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to defy the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and it was so. And God made two great lights, the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also, and God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness, and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind, and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth after his kind. And it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them. And God blessed them. And God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, and the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed, to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat, and it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. and the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Let us pray. O Eternal God and Creator, may we learn to humble ourselves before thee if we come unto thee in prayer that we may acknowledge who we are in ourselves that we are sinners trespassing thy holy law that we were made Good. It was good. And what we have become. That we do deserve thy wrath. And we have become children of wrath. but thou hast given thy word a word of grace revealed in thy son may we pray that we may see him who was good thou hast made all things by him Thou renew us by grace, Thou speakest by hymn, O give wisdom and light for the Holy Spirit open the mouth of thy servant, and give him also to speak thy word, not his own, that we all may hear thy voice, a voice of power, a voice speaking with so much power that those who are dead, comes to life. Oh Lord, would You help us, preaching, listening, those who are connected with us, also listening to the preaching of Thy Word. Will thou strengthen faith and work faith? Will thou remember also the children? Give them a new heart to love thee and to hate sin. May we pray all these things, not because we deserve anything, but only in Jesus name. Amen. Text for the sermon is taken from our scripture reading verse 3, where we find these words, and God said, let there be light, and there was light. First we will sing Psalter 119, verse 1, 2, 3 and 4. Judge me O God and plead my cause against a godless race. 2. O thou the God of all my strength, why hast thou cast me off? 3. O send thou forth thy light and truth, let them be kind to me. 4. Then will I, the God's elder, go to God, my boundless joy. and and and and you you. The congregation can become very dark in our souls after we are brought to the knowledge of grace. If we cannot find the light of grace anymore, if we cannot find the light of the word of God although the word of God is a lamp and a light. If you cannot find the light of grace, by the means of grace. If everything remains dark, as if there was not any light of grace before, darkness has come upon your soul. You find yourself unable to remove the darkness. You don't realize anymore that you lament about the inner darkness as a result of seeing the light. God's children often times mourn because they miss the communion with God and the blessings of it. It is because they know the light. They also understand what spiritual darkness is. We said they are not able to remove the darkness of their souls. But they also know that God only has to speak, let there be light and there will be light also in their souls. Genesis 1 verse 3 becomes a comfort to the souls more and more God has spoken let there be light and there was light God only need to speak let there be light and the darkness must disappear from the souls here we find in our text the first spoken word of God which is revealed to us These words, let there be light, we may know as the first words from his lips. Of course we may assume that God already spoke to bring the earth into existence, but the very first words as spoken by God revealed to us are these, let there be light. If any stranger from the word of God will read the Bible for the first time and he starts with Genesis, he finds these words, let there be light as the first spoken word of God made known to us and he reads further and he sees what it means, light isn't from the sun Light isn't from the moon, from the stars, but light is from God. And he finds these words as the first gospel to a world, the fallen world. He placed these words above the sermon, let there be light. The first revealed spoken word of God. Three points. First, it's a word of power. Second, it's a word of grace. And third, it's a word of hope. First, a word of power. Second, a word of grace. And third, it's a word of hope. If you read in Psalm 33 verse 6, These words, by the word of the Lord, were the heaven made, and all the host by the breath of his mouth. And in the ninth verse of the same psalm we read, he spake and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast. We see this is a word of power. If God speaks, he speaks with power. We read, and the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the earth, of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. If God did not speak, the earth remained without form and remained void and in darkness. But he spoke with power. Let there be light. Without this powerful voice of God, the earth was without light. Colors would not be seen and warmth could not warm the surface of the earth. What a power in God's voice. Psalm 106 says, Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? What a power of His lips are revealed to us. Yes, with the same voice He commands Moses to stretch out his hands to heaven And then at the same time God takes away the light from the Egyptians. Why? The world must know the light isn't from the sun but the light is from God. Maybe you know the Egyptians adored the god Ra, the king of the gods related to the worship of the sun. But we may know and confess if we do that God has made the light shining out of the darkness before the sun was made. Congregation God revealed his power personally by speaking with power. If the Lord converted you but it was not the comfort to our souls at first. If God begins to speak with power in our lives and he throws his light into our soul we begin to fear because he is a holy God and we are unholy. When he throws the light of his holy law into our souls speaking through his word We are not comforted immediately but we will be distressed. Natural men do not understand the light of the Holy Law and if we are religious we are even inclined to use the Holy Law in a wrong way. We imagine to become holy by our own works but we have not seen the light and have not heard the power of his word until we obey the truth of the light of the law and what is the truth of the law? What if God speaks, let there be light to your soul? Then he says you are darkness. That's what the light of God's law reveals. When God speaks with power we must bow down to acknowledge this truth. Then the light of God's law condemns me. Yes, in that way we will find the gospel as a light, as a saving light. And we all need the power of this word of God, let there be light. To learn this word is a comfort and it's a promise too. And we come to our second point, it's also a word of grace. Let us listen to 2nd Corinthians 4 verse 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness had shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. When do we understand the creative words of God? Let there be light. When do we? When we have seen the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. If we saw the light of His grace, of His person. The Apostle John says the same. No man has seen God. at any time the only begotten son which is in the bosom of the father he had declared him. Oh there must be an encounter with Jesus Christ to see the glory of God. Darkness remained upon the earth as long there was no light and the same is true about our soul in a spiritual sense Now God speaks when in the encounter with Christ. He commands the light to shine in our hearts the first time we see the glory of Christ. If we embrace him by grace, we no longer live in darkness. We are not darkness anymore, but even cold light in the Lord from that moment on, as we can find in Ephesians 5. And what do we see if we meet Christ by the word of God? When does the light shine? If we see Christ by faith, then we find sin forgiven, guilt taken away. God reconciled in Christ, the ungodly justified and therefore we see the friendly countenance of the Lord. For a long time I thought the renewal of man is especially and most an inward renewal and I do not deny it is a fruit of God's work. But first of all the renewal of man must be seen as a change of state before God. To be brought from a state of darkness to a state of light by faith and repentance. Let there be light. It's a word of power. Which means that the light is from God. These powerful words of God must be preached all over the world because the comfort of these words must be spread all over the world and it will become a comfort for all those who are elected from eternity. In the book of Job we hear Elihu speaking. Hear attentively the noise of his voice and the sound that goeth out of his mouth. We all have to acknowledge the power of God's voice. Therefore we have to hear attentively to the noise of it. Well, what did sunrise mean to you this morning? Do we see it from the perspective of Genesis 1 verse 3? If we do not acknowledge his power, we will perish. Probably we do not worship the sun god of so-called solar deity as the Egyptians did. But it does not mean we acknowledge the creator of light by true faith. At the same time we know that God has made the light through Christ. We can read that in John 1 all things were made by him and without him nothing was made. Oh the power of God's voice! is denied by all man that God has made the light only by his command and that he made the light through the eternal word of God his son but it is a comfort to those who believe you will only know this comfort from Genesis 1 verse 3 by faith Adam and Eve had a right understanding of the powerful word of God. They were fully aware that God has made the light and the sun, the moon and the stars only as light bearers. They walked in the light of God. But they fell into darkness and sins. They were not able to grasp the light which shone from creation and they were not able to grasp the light which is shone from the word of God. And that's also true from us. But why are these words of power a comfort for all who believe? Well it is a word of comfort because God renewed his grace with his powerful voice when they find themselves unable to remove the darkness from their soul. It was by the same powerful word of God their life was renewed. It is by the same power of his voice they must be quickened. God has made heaven and earth by His Son, the Word of God. And they were renewed by the same eternal Word of God. Without Him we cannot understand discomfort. It's impossible to be renewed to a state of grace without the knowledge of Christ. All things were made by Him. Let there be light It was a word spoken by God through His Son. Because He is the Light. And if we came to the real spiritual life, the renewal of life, then it was also through Christ. There are so many Christians who try to understand creation and also renewal. without Christ and the knowledge of Him. But they will never see the comfort of these words without faith in Christ. Did you learn that? Are these words, let there be light, and there was light, the powers of His voice a comfort to you, that you were brought into the light by his mighty word, that you were comforted by these words. Oh, if God speaks, let there be light, they become children of the light, in the Lord. But they do not always experience these things. Many times they are found in sadness, because of the darkness of this age and because the darkness of their own hearts, but also it is a promise, it's a gospel, the light is from God, his word is a powerful word, when he speaks it will be, that's true, but also a promise, His power promised to all who believe that He will strengthen them with His words. Do you believe that? Let there be light, a word of power. You must know that power of His word as a word of grace. You cannot separate them. But that is also a word of hope. Because we first sing Psalm 85 verse 1, 2 and 3. he righteous in the Lord rejoiced, is calmly that with joyful voice. 2. For upright is Jehovah's word, and all the doings of the Lord. 3. Jehovah speaks, the heavens appear, he breathes, and lo, its shining sphere. I love you. You. you let there be life, we have seen it's a word of power, we have seen it's a word of grace, and we do only know these words as a word of power, at the same time we learn these words as words of grace. And thirdly we will see these words as words of hope. The children of light suffer from the darkness in this world. They suffer from the struggle between darkness and light in this world. They do not experience the light of grace every day and they do not live as children of the light every day. You must say that with shame. In this life they suffer from the darkness of the world, of the darkness of their own heart. In Romans 13 verse 12 we find a command to all believers to cast off the works of darkness. They should not need this command if they didn't find darkness in themselves. But God's children do find in themselves. Therefore they will learn to long for the day of everlasting life and light. darkness fell upon this world, but one day God will make all things new. This world is living in a night, but the end of the night of sin will come. All who believe in Christ will be saved from this wicked world and they are drawn to the eternal light all who are fallen asleep in Christ will be awakened to life in an eternal day. We can read in Revelation 22, there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light. and they shall reign forever and ever. Once it will be spoken again, let there be light, because the light is His. The darkness will disappear. The heavenly Jerusalem had no need of the sun. God's children did not adore the sun. Neither of the moon to shine in it. For the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nation of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it. And the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day. there shall be no night there. Do you hear that? It will be spoken again, let there be light, there will be light. In our days, God's children need the power of the voice of God to rebuke the darkness of their souls. And the Lord God promises, He will do. But in that day they do not need the voice of God to enlighten their soul anymore, because God will speak with power again. If God shines his light in our hearts, we can find also this fruit, that we expect a new eternal day and we learn to long for that day. Do you know these words, let there be light also, as a word of hope? Do you have this hope? And if you have it, when did you exercise this hope? For the last time. Maybe because you close yourself with the works of darkness again, that you do not find this hope anymore. or repent then to the Lord. I pray you will speak again with power to your soul. If God draws a sinner to Christ, He takes darkness away. He convinces us that we can be saved by His Son. Christ comes to our souls as the light of the world. He is preached amongst you, so that you find him as the one who can save you from the darkness. If you meet him as the light sent by his father, we see our own darkness. Did it happen in your life? maybe in that same way when he entered into the temple. Do you know that? When he comes to the temple and finds men selling oxen, sheep and doves and he becomes wrought with them, he reveals their darkness. So Christ is the light of the world. And when he comes near, he brings your own sin into his light. You will see who you are. When he meets the Samaritan woman, reveals the darkness of her life. Because he is the light. In that way, He makes known the light of grace and as the light of grace he came to the Pharisee to rebuke them. When his light shone upon their life they heard these words, you are serpents, a generation of vipers and he asked them how they could escape from the damnation of hell that means convincing the soul from darkness is also his work and he does by the Holy Spirit but he does not convince the soul of sin only without bringing to the light of grace. He really saves from the darkness and brings unto light. And then he separates from the darkness as he did with the Israelites. We mentioned darkness as a punishment to the Egyptians that Moses had to stretch out his hand to heaven and light was taken away. For three days they lived in a thick darkness and what do we read then? But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings, we read. God separates his people as a light bearing people among the nations who dwell in darkness and he still does by the same power of his voice. He does to enemies. We all know how the Pharisees reacted We all know what they did when he cleansed the temple. The light of Christ becomes known when he speaks with power. Let there be light. Oh seek to know his powerful voice. Children do you remember that man with the sick slave? What did he ask from Jesus? the centurion, he says something about the voice of the Lord Jesus. What did he say? Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof but speak the word only and my servants shall be healed. This was a man who humbled himself, he was not worthy that Jesus should do that and he was a man of faith. He had great expectations from the voice of the Lord Jesus. He began to see the power of his voice and I say he began to see. Why? Well, we find the disciples who also began to see the power of his voice Jesus disciples did not understand that powerful voice of Jesus fully, they began to see it when he rebuked the wind and the sea, so that the wind ceased they asked one to another, what manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? We never fully understand the greatness and power of God's voice. But if we do understand even a little, by faith we are saved. By seeing that Christ is fully man and at the same time fully God, we learn to understand His perfectness as the Savior and the light of the world. And when that becomes true in your life, that we become children of the light, that we begin to walk in the light, according to the light of the law, we learn to cast off the works of darkness to wear the armour of life. Of course we can confess that we have seen the light that we experience the powerful voice of God in our lives and at the same time living as a child of darkness that can be true. But the true children of God must learn to cast off the works of darkness Why? They must do because it is grace. It is the result of grace. It is the fruit of grace. They awoke from the sleep of sin and Christ gave them light. They learned to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of the darkness. They love God, they love Christ, they love the 3 June God and they hate sin. Yes we can even find in the word of God they even reprove the works of the darkness by only being light in the Lord. You can read it yourself in Ephesians 5. God's children Do not confess they are light in themselves, but they are light in the Lord. For whatsoever thou make manifest is light. A child of God is as a light manifesting, rebuking sin, says the Apostle Paul. Do you know these people? Did you learn to love God? To hate sin? Did you learn to hate the unfruitful works of the darkness? That you will certainly cast off by grace these clothes. But how can I learn to hear the power of God's voice? Someone asks. By using the means. God speaks through his words. Then another question. Do you know how Adam was made? Yes, you know. God breathed into the nostrils of Adam the breath of life and he became a living soul. He can make a living soul by the breath of life which is found in his word. All scripture is given by inspiration. Do you know what that means? Scripture is given by inspiration. That means the breath of God is in the scripture. And God uses his word today as his breath to make souls living. His breath is so powerful. Do you believe that? Then prayer becomes the breath of your soul. until you know Christ as your own Savior. And also, if you know Him, until you will open your eyes into eternal glory. If prayer has become the bread of your soul, You will pray as long as you may open your eyes in the day when the night will not be seen anymore. Do you know this comfort? Genesis 1 verse 3, let there be light, a word of power. a word of grace and a word of hope. Amen. Let us pray. O eternal God and merciful God who keepeth truth unto eternity Thou has given Thy word to us and the preaching of Thy word so many times and we have to confess our hearts are so insensitive but thou hast power oh would thou speak to our souls to save us would thou throw thy light into our souls that we do not only know sin and guilt as a theory, but that we know as a bitterness, as misery, that we begin to long for Thy Son as the light, as the word, by whom all things were made. that we long for Him. Thou has made heaven and earth by Him and it is also by Him that Thou renew our lives. If He speaks, He gives light to convince our souls of who we are but also who He is, as a perfect Saviour. O Lord, remember us. We thank Thee for Thy help, who Thou forgave all which was not according to thy holy will. And bless thy own word. Be with us in the following days. Strengthen us If we have to work again, when we go to school, be with the teachers, bless them also that they may receive from Thee to give to the children what they have learned. Be with those who are alone, who are in trouble, who feel they become older and weaker, and give us Thy grace. We pray all these things, not because we deserve it, but only in Jesus' name. Amen. Let us sing from Psalter 416, verse 5. But the Lord will send salvation, and by day his love provide. He shall be my exultation and my song at eventide. you God is love and is divine. And may the Lord, our Father God, Gloria in excelsis Deo. In heaven and on earth. you Go in peace and receive the blessing of the Lord in his name. The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace. Amen.