Christians as Salt and Light
This is Us • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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God tells us to be SALT and LIGHT
God tells us to be SALT and LIGHT
Put out a Salt Shaker and Candle
Turn on flameless Candle
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
What did Jesus mean when He said we are to be salt and light?
What does SALT Do? It PRESERVES, it Purifies, and ADDS FLAVOR!
What about LIGHT?
What is Darkness? THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT!
LIGHT ILLUMINATES!
It SHINES in the Darkness!
No one lights a candle or turns on a flashlight, and then HIDES IT.
Your Father in heaven did not give you LIGHT (the Holy Spirit), so you could HIDE IT!
SHINE!
Christians are to interact with the world around us, to be involved in the issues of our community, as salt and light.
To ADD God’s flavor in a tasteless world.
To ILLUMINATE the world and OVERCOME darkness!
YOU are the Light of the world! Let your light shine before others, so that they may see what you do, and give glory to your Father in heaven!
God Commands us to love others
God Commands us to love others
In a world where there seems to be hatred flowing like lava, God commands those who call upon His name to be SPRINGS OF LOVE!
The reality is that people have grown so numb to sarcasm, hits, and hatred, that when you are different, when you add God’s Flavor of love, compassion and mercy, you actually shine a light in part of the soul that has been shrouded in darkness.
So as followers of Christ, we view our community, our neighbors, as important and worthy of love. Why? Because they are made in the image of God, and HE commands us to love one another, and take care of those whom we encounter.
Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Christians should reach out to the less fortunate
Christians should reach out to the less fortunate
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me
to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
This Scripture alone tells us something powerful about the ministry of Jesus, the ministry that we are the extension of:
Jesus was sent to
preach the good news to the poor
proclaim release to the captives
recovery of sight to the blind
set the oppressed free
proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
Brothers and sisters we are called to DO THE SAME THING! Notice the very first thing on the list: preach the good news to the poor!
But the entire list is relevant to all those who are in need: those who are struggling financially, those who are captives to sin, those who are blinded by darkness, those are who pushed down and oppressed, TO EVERYONE: THERE IS HOPE AND HIS NAME IS JESUS!
“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Christians love beyond our physical differences
Christians love beyond our physical differences
Racism is a sin that violates the character of God and unity of mankind, which is made in the image of God
The Book of Revelation paints a beautiful picture of the glory of heaven shining, filled with:
And they sang a new song:
You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slaughtered,
and you purchased people
for God by your blood
from every tribe and language
and people and nation.
You made them a kingdom
and priests to our God,
and they will reign on the earth.
People from all over the earth - regardless of physical differences of skin color, or syndrome, ethnicity, or even different style or worship music!
They sang a NEW SONG!
Jesus dies for people of EVERY TRIBE and LANGUAGE, EVERY PEOPLE and NATION!
Churches should ministry to people struggling with sexual immorality of all kinds, including homosexuality
Churches should ministry to people struggling with sexual immorality of all kinds, including homosexuality
Do not commit adultery.
Marriage is to be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
Followers of Christ must stand without apology against the corruption of God’s gifts.
As it is, to have legal disputes against one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves do wrong and cheat—and you do this to brothers and sisters! Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Listen: There is HOPE for all!
“and some of YOU used to be like this”! Such a great scripture, and reminder that YES the people who actively live in these lifestyles will not inherit the kingdom of heave: BUT THERE IS CHANGE!
AND LIFE CHANGE HAPPENS HERE AT FBCBS!
Why - because you were washed, sanctified, justified in the name of Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God!
God Says ALL Life is Sacred
God Says ALL Life is Sacred
ALL human life is sacred from conception to natural death
ALL human life is sacred from conception to natural death
So God created man in his own image;
he created him in the image of God;
he created them male and female.
All human life is sacred because all human life is made in the image of God!
People can agree with this until I take it to the most painful truth that there is!
24 June 2022 was the most precious, beautiful, profound, unbelievable, overwhelming date of our time! WHY? Because 24 June of 2022 the Supreme Court of this nation overturned ROE V Wade and ended 50 years of Sacrificing Babies to the god of convenience!
Speak up for those who have no voice,
for the justice of all who are dispossessed.
Who is more voiceless than the baby in the womb! And we followers of Christ stand up for them!
And we followers of Christ must be voices for the voiceless, no matter their location: inside the womb or outside the womb!
No matter the country, the economic status or anything: we must be voices for the voices!
Which means if we are to believe that all life is precious, from conception to natural death, we must be willing to open our doors to be foster parents, adoptive parents!
We must also oppose assistive suicide.
War is the result of human sinfulness
War is the result of human sinfulness
If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
As a soldier, sometimes people get a misconception of my view of war. Plain and simple: War is the result of sin.
When you look at Romans 12, right there in verse 18, the Bible speaks clearly: IF possible, AS FAR AS IT Depends on you.
Righteousness must not be sacrificed in the name of false peace. False peace is NOT peace.
We followers of Jesus should do all in our power to end war. We should not seek war.
But the Word of God makes it clear that we are not to set aside God’s standards.
We also need to remember, True peace will only come with Jesus:
For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
God Designed the Family
God Designed the Family
How is the modern culture challenging this statement? It is everywhere.
Why is it important for Christians to emphasize the truth of this statement?
And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
This speaks of life within the family of God, and within the Family Unit.
Family begins with Marriage.
THE BIBLE SAYS: Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime
THE BIBLE SAYS: Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime
And the man said:
This one, at last, is bone of my bone
and flesh of my flesh;
this one will be called “woman,”
for she was taken from man.
This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.
Marriage is to be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
Marriage is so important to God, and so honored by God that God uses the metaphor of Bride and Groom for the Church and Jesus!
Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory,
because the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has prepared herself.
We cannot have a less than honorable view of marriage.
Now listen: This does not mean you stay in an abusive marriage. It does not mean that God does not understand that life is messy, SIN means divorce happens! But we, we followers of Christ Jesus, must strive, work, and do everything IN OUR POWER, to make marriage work!
It is not easy! But nothing easy is worth doing! And the best marriages are the strongest marriages, not because they were easy, but because of PERSEVERANCE!
THE BIBLE SAYS: The family is a central part of God’s design for humanity
THE BIBLE SAYS: The family is a central part of God’s design for humanity
The Biblical definition of Family is expanded through ties of marriage, blood, and adoption through many generations and various relative that make up the extended family.
Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
and the pride of children is their fathers.
Children are a blessing!
We are called family repeatedly: because family is CENTRAL to the CHURCH, to the POEPLE OF GOD!
God tells us how to live our life
God tells us how to live our life
He tells us to be SALT AND LIGHT!
So here at FBC BS we are JUST THAT!
Yes we do things a little different - because our salt has flavor! There are different kinds of Salt, maybe we are Pink Salt! We are different, but we add God’s flavor to the world around us.
We should not be afraid to speak the Truth of the Lord into the situations around us.
We also should be willing to admit when we are not sure, and let that drive us to find out what GOD says about a specific topic, so we can live His word.
Questions and Curiosity should FUEL us to dive into God’s Word, so that we can come back and proclaim: THE BIBLE SAYS!
“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.