Darkness Has Its Moment
1. Don’t sugarcoat it. Your darkness is real.
“…this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.” Luke 22:53 NLT
2. There’s a moment when it seems hope is buried, and your world goes dark.
At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice... “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” ...bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink...Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:45-54 NLT
People lost hope in what they trusted most:
Jesus felt the Father’s silence (God doesn’t intervene)
People lost hope in the Temple (church hurt)
Earth shook (your foundation shaken)
Tombs were opened (a hint of a resurrection coming)
Roman soldiers were shocked! (politics will fail you)
What or who have you placed your trust in that disappointed you?
“Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!” Nehemiah 8:10 NLT
3. The stone that sealed darkness became the platform that announced His light!
...the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe… “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. Mark 16:4-6 NIV
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:5 NLT
Message Notes: The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, New International Version. The Amplified Bible.