Walk the Walk: Walking in the Light
Sunday Morning, May 31st, 2026

Those who know Jesus walk like it.

The generations growing near us don't need perfect looking people, but rather, faithful ones walking in front. We do our part today by walking in the light, confessing what is hidden, dealing truthfully with sin, and living in the prize of a vibrant fellowship with God.

You preserve a path by walking on it. 👣

• The Bible speaks often of paths:
Path of life - Psalm 16
Path of righteousness - Psalm 23
Level path - Psalm 27
Path of God’s commandments - Psalm 119
Good path - Proverbs 2
Upright path - Proverbs 4
Ancient path - Jeremiah 6

• Love and devotion to God finds its greatest expression in how one walks (lives) it out.

Why Your Walk Matters 🚶‍♂️

• Followers of Jesus must walk publicly and walk faithfully.

• Recent surveys in the US show:
31% of Christians read the Bible daily
44% of Christians affirm Scripture is totally accurate in all its principles and teachings
37% of professing Christians attend church weekly
51% attend less than monthly

• That’s not what preserving the path looks like.

• You cannot control what others do, but you can give every opportunity for future generations to know what it means to Walk the Walk because you did it publicly, privately, consistently, and unashamedly.

Background of John's Letters 🕯️

1-3 John was likely written to a network of house church communities, possibly near Ephesus.

They had recently been through a crisis:
• Some had broken away from the churches and no longer acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God
• They stirred up hostility toward those who stayed faithful to Christ

• John writes to affirm the faithful and encourage them to keep walking in what they know to be true.

• The gospel is not only about eternity in Heaven, but about restoration of our relationship with God today.

• Fellowship = koinonia
This word speaks of:
Sharing
Communion
A common bond
A common life
A living, breathing relationship

• Jesus can be both our Lord and Savior, and also our closest relationship.

Fellowship with God is enjoyed by walking in the light. 🌅

• Too many believers have salvaton but are falling short of vibrant, thriving fellowship with the Lord.

• Fellowship with God is the prize of the gospel: A restored relationship with God on this side of eternity.

• The problem began in Genesis 3.
Adam and Eve had perfect community with God but chose autonomy over God’s gracious care.

• In shame, they hid from God. They stepped out of the light and into darkness.

The Danger of Darkness 🌑

• John gives a dual warning:
Some had abandoned the gospel entirely. They claimed fellowship with God but lived in darkness.

• John leaves no gray area: There is truth and there are lies.

But John also warns faithful believers:

• You cannot expect to have a functioning relationship with God while feeding your flesh and walking in darkness.

• God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

Fellowship with One Another 🤝

• Darkness damages fellowship with God and with others.

When we live in hidden sin, we often become:
• Disconnected, Isolated, Paranoid, Defensive
• Unable to receive mercy and love

Darkness damages fellowship with:
• Family, Spouse, God's people, Close relationships

We cannot walk in the light if we don’t deal honestly with our sin. 🪞

• The issue is not believing we are perfect but a willingness to redefine sin as something less.

• We say:
“I make mistakes.”
“I’m not perfect.”
“I’m only human.”
But those can become excuses.

• Walking the Walk comes with admitting the truth: I’m a sinner.

• Even born-again followers of Jesus need continual cleansing because we still fall short (Romans 3)

• Our feet still get dirty, we still get the world on us and to claim or pretend otherwise is to deceive ourselves.

• God’s Word goes after the idea of living with some darkness and being okay with it.

• It is a dangerous lie to believe “we don’t really sin.”

We need people who truly Walk the Walk:
• Not perfect
• Honest about sin
• Agreeing with God
• Still being purified by the blood

• To confess means: “To say the same as.”

When we confess sin, we say and believe the same thing about our sin that God says about it.

Confession Is a Lifelong Practice 🔄

• God convicts us of sin and darkness that is hurting our fellowship with Him.

• Confession begins with agreeing and voicing after the act.

As fellowship with God grows, confession (agreement with God) moves deeper:
• Confessing the thought
• Confessing the desire
• Confessing when we feel the pull rather than after it's already done

Examples are acts of:
Greed, Rage, Lust, Gossip

• Walking in the light means recognizing the crossroads and agreeing with God before we step into darkness.

• No longer one step forward and two steps back. More like three steps forward and one step back. Walking in the light. 🌅

When you stumble, or even fall, you have an advocate. ⚖️

Jesus Is Our Advocate ✝️

• The theological term is Propitiation:
The just and perfect wrath of God was absorbed by Jesus at Calvary.
Jesus advocates for us by His blood.

• He does not dismiss our sin.
• He does not say we are basically good people.

The Advocate says:
• Their sins deserve just punishment, but that one is mine.
• That sheep knows my voice, my blood is for them, my blood purifies them

• The Father is satisfied because He is well pleased with the Son.

Response Question 🕯️

• Do you have any dark rooms in your life right now?

• Are there places you are keeping hidden that need to be brought into the light?

• Has your relationship with God been strangled by those dark rooms?

This could change today.
• With agreement, with confession.
• If you confess your sins, your dark rooms, the Lord Jesus is faithful and just to cleanse you and bring you into the light.

Thanks for being with us this morning.
If your heart was was stirred by the thought of walking in the light and enjoying true fellowship with God, we hope you'll allow us to spend some time connecting with you in the days ahead. Feel free to come talk with us after the service.

You can send in a prayer request on our website:
https://www.TheChurchofJoy.org/prayer

The most important decision.
If you know you've never fully surrendered your life to Jesus, and you feel that you're far from a relationship with Him, we would love to spend some time talking with you about making the decision to follow Him. Come see us after the service or get in touch through our church website.