WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.280 Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons Podcast, where you can listen to audio from our most 00:00:09.280 --> 00:00:10.360 recent sermons and more. 00:00:10.900 --> 00:00:15.160 Thanks for listening, and be sure to add this show to your library if you'd like to automatically 00:00:15.160 --> 00:00:16.860 receive new episodes each week. 00:00:29.540 --> 00:00:58.980 Amen. Thank you, Berger. Good morning. If you've got your Bibles, and I hope you do, I want to invite you to join us in Matthew chapter 5. If you're a guest visiting with us online, we're so grateful and glad that you are here and that you have joined us, whether it's through Facebook or whether it's through YouTube, we're glad that you're here. And we hope that next week, and I said this last week, but we hope that next week, you'll be able to join us in person where we can worship together and we can meet you and we can thank you for joining us. 00:00:59.080 --> 00:01:09.540 At the end of the message for everyone, if you'll just kind of hang around. So I'm doing a bit different than last week. I'll preach through the message or teach through the message. However, we're kind of looking at this today. 00:01:10.080 --> 00:01:21.620 And then I'll pray, and then I've got a few announcements that I want to make sure that you're all aware of. It's important things that are coming up. So please hang tight because we want to make sure that we get those to you. 00:01:21.980 --> 00:01:36.940 Also, I just want to thank you guys for enduring with us through all of this. I want to thank you for your patience. I know yesterday we waited. A lot of churches had canceled, and we just kept waiting and hoping that something would happen with the roads. 00:01:36.940 --> 00:01:50.380 But we wanted to do the responsible thing. And then understanding if you're like me, you know, this morning, so you're in my office. And so you kind of see, I don't want you to think that I ever use that thing back there. That's a treadmill. I don't. That's what my kids run on. 00:01:50.440 --> 00:02:00.700 My wife, she walks on it. But this is my office space that I work on or work in when I'm at home. But I've got a window that's right here that you guys can't see. And it looks out over into the backyard, and it's beautiful. 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:12.420 It's covered with snow. I see our chickens moving around back there and just all of the things. And as beautiful as this is, I would rather see the beauty of your faces and be with you. 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:22.840 And so if you're like me, and you're a little just kind of taking the day as it is what it is, but missing being together. Thank you for your understanding. And then guys, your flexibility. 00:02:23.920 --> 00:02:36.020 This is different. You know, it's this isn't intentionally we prayed through how we wanted to do these services. And, and, you know, there's possibly ways that we could have really produced and clean things up. 00:02:36.020 --> 00:02:47.260 But we just felt like, you know, we're at home together, even though we're separate. And so to be live and to be in the moment and to be authentic would be valuable in our worship and in our time together. 00:02:47.260 --> 00:02:53.940 And so once again, you get Bo with a hoodie and with his coffee with a lid on it. So I don't spill it. Thank you, Grayson Howard, again for that. 00:02:54.800 --> 00:03:01.320 But that's how you're getting us. And so I appreciate you guys with your flexibility and being willing to do that. 00:03:01.600 --> 00:03:08.080 So we will be in Matthew 5, starting in verse 13. But before we pray, I would like to read verse 16 to you. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:15.360 It says in the same way, let your light shine before others so that let me see your good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven. 00:03:15.600 --> 00:03:26.780 Let's pray. God, we thank you as we can come into the time with your word or teach us what you would teach us or remove any part of this that is of me. 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:32.620 And God, may you be glorified in all that is said and all that is done or just be with those today. 00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:41.980 The first responders, the power company workers, Lord, people who who may have to travel right now for their jobs. 00:03:41.980 --> 00:03:44.820 Lord, keep them safe on these dangerous roads. 00:03:45.400 --> 00:03:50.380 Lord, keep the people who are for their other jobs who would be required to be out on the road right now. 00:03:50.980 --> 00:03:53.460 God, keep us all safe. Keep everybody warm. 00:03:53.900 --> 00:04:02.740 And God, we do. We thank you as we're reminded that this is much as it may inconvenience us or that you hold all of this in your hand. 00:04:02.820 --> 00:04:04.940 And so there's a there's a purpose in your timing. 00:04:05.060 --> 00:04:10.180 There's a purpose in your working, Lord, and we can lean in and trust that even on snow days. 00:04:10.920 --> 00:04:15.520 So, Lord, be with us and may you be glorified in all that is said and done. 00:04:15.580 --> 00:04:17.040 And it's in Jesus that we pray. Amen. 00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:21.700 So we are we've been working through the book of Matthew since our Christmas series. 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:30.520 And so right now we're in a unique time, you know, in the Gospels, there there are those kind of day to day interactions and teachings that you see of Jesus. 00:04:30.520 --> 00:04:36.920 And then there are going to be different sections that are marked right by the very specific events that are happening. 00:04:36.920 --> 00:04:42.580 And they're kind of come a group within a grouping of, you know, a Gospel account. 00:04:42.920 --> 00:04:44.960 And that's what we see in the Sermon on the Mount. 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:48.060 The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus' longest recorded sermon. 00:04:48.260 --> 00:04:53.620 It's by no means everything that Jesus said, but under the guidance and the leading of the Holy Spirit. 00:04:53.660 --> 00:04:56.240 It's how the Gospel authors record it. 00:04:56.300 --> 00:04:57.260 And it's what we have. 00:04:57.300 --> 00:05:00.400 And we believe that it is sufficient for what God would teach us. 00:05:00.400 --> 00:05:04.820 And so for the next several weeks, we're going to be working through the Sermon on the Mount. 00:05:04.960 --> 00:05:08.880 So it's important that we understand this sermon that Jesus is teaching. 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:12.700 And I talked about this a little bit last week in greater depth than I'm going to teach this week. 00:05:12.760 --> 00:05:16.700 But just some reminders for us as we read through, at least for the next several weeks, 00:05:16.740 --> 00:05:22.520 just want to kind of remind us how we are to understand, how we are to read, how we are to teach in the Sermon on the Mount. 00:05:22.620 --> 00:05:29.000 So the Sermon on the Mount, remember Matthew's whole Gospel, is Jesus is King and the Kingdom of God 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:31.540 and what it means for us to be a part of the Kingdom of God. 00:05:31.640 --> 00:05:37.040 So the Sermon is to be understood in the light of Jesus' King and His call of repentance of us 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:39.640 so that we can be a part of the Kingdom. 00:05:39.860 --> 00:05:43.720 Now, this sermon is not how to become a part of the Kingdom, right? 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:44.980 Jesus has covered that. 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:47.240 Repent for the Kingdom of God is near, right? 00:05:47.300 --> 00:05:53.260 Jesus is calling us to repentance for His salvation to be a part of the Kingdom. 00:05:53.500 --> 00:05:57.680 But it is instead how those of us who are a part of the Kingdom should live. 00:05:58.060 --> 00:06:04.840 So these are the Kingdom attitudes, the Kingdom hearts, the Kingdom character that we'll see draw from this. 00:06:04.980 --> 00:06:10.880 And so these principles for Kingdom citizens should do two things for the citizens. 00:06:11.060 --> 00:06:13.360 Number one, they determine our internal ethic. 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:15.200 It's who we are, right? 00:06:15.460 --> 00:06:21.200 Like, we cannot separate ourselves from this newness in Christ of who we are now. 00:06:21.460 --> 00:06:25.800 And that's why what we'll see today, and this is kind of a sneak peek in what we'll see here in just a minute, 00:06:25.900 --> 00:06:28.700 but Jesus tells us that we are salt, we are light, right? 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:31.280 Not that we will become that, but that this is what we are. 00:06:31.400 --> 00:06:36.320 So Jesus speaks to that internal ethic of who we are, our character of who we are in Christ, 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:38.860 but then also an intentional ethic, right? 00:06:38.900 --> 00:06:40.680 How we will choose to live, right? 00:06:40.700 --> 00:06:42.980 So under the leading and the guiding of the Holy Spirit, 00:06:43.260 --> 00:06:52.120 are we choosing in our intentional ethic to be obedient to the call that Christ has placed on our lives, right? 00:06:52.460 --> 00:06:55.500 And so with that, we understand like you and me, right? 00:06:55.660 --> 00:06:58.160 That within there, there's still the continual call of repentance. 00:06:58.740 --> 00:07:01.400 Because you and I, man, we're not knocking this out of the park. 00:07:01.500 --> 00:07:02.240 We're not crushing it. 00:07:02.280 --> 00:07:03.320 We're not experts in this. 00:07:03.380 --> 00:07:04.460 We're not perfect in this. 00:07:04.860 --> 00:07:07.220 We know what we need to know to be obedient. 00:07:07.380 --> 00:07:11.200 We have what we need to have in the Holy Spirit in order to be obedient, right? 00:07:11.220 --> 00:07:14.380 But we still sometimes choose not to be obedient. 00:07:14.600 --> 00:07:18.900 And in that, God is still good, and he's still gracious, and he extends us grace, right? 00:07:19.020 --> 00:07:21.560 So if you're reading this, and especially as we get into some of these things, 00:07:21.640 --> 00:07:25.320 and you're like, man, I failed in that, I failed in that, I failed in that, but I love Jesus. 00:07:25.420 --> 00:07:26.620 Does that mean that I'm not a Christian? 00:07:26.620 --> 00:07:28.100 No, we're not saying that. 00:07:28.200 --> 00:07:34.460 But what we are saying is that when we do fail, that our God is gracious, and he extends us grace, and he forgives us. 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:39.000 So, Sermon on the Mount, this isn't a small group that Jesus is sharing this with. 00:07:39.420 --> 00:07:45.600 This isn't even Jesus' immediate followers or followers who are part of this group. 00:07:45.700 --> 00:07:46.800 Jesus has attracted a crowd. 00:07:47.180 --> 00:07:54.100 Matthew 4, 24 tells us that, that Jesus has been teaching in the temples and performing miracles and doing all of these things. 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:55.500 He's been healing people. 00:07:55.500 --> 00:08:00.080 He's been casting out demons, and that it says that Jesus' fame has spread over the region. 00:08:00.520 --> 00:08:04.580 And then in verse 25, it tells us that a great crowd has followed Jesus. 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:07.680 And so seeing the crowd, Jesus turns to teach them. 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:16.720 So most think that what's kind of happened, and this is really cool when you think about it, that Jesus is turning and he is speaking directly to his disciples. 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:22.460 So those would have been the, those that are closely walking to him that have responded to his call on their life, right? 00:08:22.540 --> 00:08:27.180 Jesus is teaching them, but that the crowd is surrounding them, right? 00:08:27.220 --> 00:08:34.400 So they're hearing all that Jesus is saying, and that Jesus is intentional in the way that he's doing this, right? 00:08:34.540 --> 00:08:39.940 And so, so last week he tells them that what does it mean to be blessed in the kingdom of God, right? 00:08:40.160 --> 00:08:49.820 They live in the kingdom of Rome, and Jesus is going to tell them what it means to be blessed, because they don't feel blessed in the kingdom of Rome, what it means to be blessed, to be a part of the kingdom of God. 00:08:49.820 --> 00:09:02.020 But in doing this, like he turns their concept of blessing upside down, and he says things like, blessed are the poor, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are the hungry, blessed are the thirsty, the merciful, the peacemakers, the pure, the persecuted. 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:08.780 And none of them are saying, man, like to be poor does not sound like what it means to be blessed, right? 00:09:09.340 --> 00:09:12.440 But, but Jesus is speaking in spiritual terms, right? 00:09:12.520 --> 00:09:15.720 Jesus is speaking not, not in the simple earthly terms. 00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:20.220 And so he's connecting all of these to what it means to be a part of the kingdom of God. 00:09:20.360 --> 00:09:25.300 So in Matthew 5, 1 through 12, this is the Beatitudes we looked at last week. 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:27.560 Jesus speaks of the blessing of God. 00:09:28.100 --> 00:09:33.060 And now Jesus is going to speak in Matthew 13 through 16, we'll speak of the calling of God. 00:09:33.060 --> 00:09:41.440 And here's the thing that you and I, we can't accept the blessings of God and not accept the calling of God. 00:09:42.920 --> 00:09:47.360 We can't accept the blessings of God and not accept the calling of God. 00:09:47.640 --> 00:09:57.380 I think the tendency in us is to want to live the blessed life, but not wanting to live in the call life. 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:06.360 Like we want to receive the good things of God that we want without having to live the life that God has called us to. 00:10:07.140 --> 00:10:12.160 You know, one of the, um, one of my favorite types of restaurants, you guys probably know this about me, but, but I love a good buffet. 00:10:12.700 --> 00:10:14.100 I absolutely love a good buffet. 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:15.640 My, my favorite buffet. 00:10:15.820 --> 00:10:15.960 All right. 00:10:15.980 --> 00:10:17.660 So I'm, this is free advertisement for them. 00:10:18.020 --> 00:10:20.040 Um, all of you, you can think about them. 00:10:20.140 --> 00:10:22.440 Some of you already know what I'm about to say, right? 00:10:22.460 --> 00:10:28.400 My favorite buffet, um, that I've ever been to is Blossom over in West Columbia. 00:10:28.400 --> 00:10:28.820 All right. 00:10:28.820 --> 00:10:35.020 Right off of 378 and I-26 right over there, um, is, is the Blossom buffet. 00:10:35.020 --> 00:10:36.980 And here's what I love about the Blossom buffet. 00:10:37.180 --> 00:10:42.300 So, um, it's kind of branded and marketed as an Asian restaurant and it definitely is right. 00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:46.460 Like there, there's Chinese food that's there, but, but they've got, um, other types of Asian food. 00:10:46.500 --> 00:10:48.580 Like they got hibachi and they got all sorts of things. 00:10:48.700 --> 00:10:49.680 Um, they got sushi. 00:10:49.800 --> 00:10:50.720 The sushi is pretty good. 00:10:50.840 --> 00:10:55.000 So like when you go there, you can get like sweet and sour chicken. 00:10:55.240 --> 00:10:56.560 You can get sesame chicken. 00:10:57.320 --> 00:10:59.420 Um, you can get beef and broccoli, right? 00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:00.200 You can get the fried rice. 00:11:00.200 --> 00:11:00.900 You can get the noodles. 00:11:00.940 --> 00:11:03.560 You can get all those things, or you can flip over to the hibachi area. 00:11:03.560 --> 00:11:08.000 I say, or, and not for, cause it's a buffet and you can get hibachi. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:11.280 And so you can go over there and you can get your steak, you can get your shrimp, uh, you 00:11:11.280 --> 00:11:12.060 can get all those things. 00:11:12.060 --> 00:11:12.880 You can get the teriyaki. 00:11:12.880 --> 00:11:13.940 You can get all that kind of stuff. 00:11:13.940 --> 00:11:14.140 Right. 00:11:14.300 --> 00:11:17.160 And then you can come out of there and you can like load up for sushi. 00:11:17.160 --> 00:11:19.120 And so some of you are like, man, that, that is fantastic. 00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:22.220 But some of you are like, but I don't like that type of food. 00:11:22.300 --> 00:11:24.600 Like, like I like, um, I like other types of food. 00:11:24.660 --> 00:11:26.540 Well, let me tell you about some of the other things that I got. 00:11:26.640 --> 00:11:28.020 So you can get all of that. 00:11:28.020 --> 00:11:31.740 Um, but then you can go over and you can get like meatloaf and you can get pot roast and 00:11:31.740 --> 00:11:33.680 you can get fried chicken and there's pasta dishes. 00:11:34.120 --> 00:11:37.620 Um, and there's usually like a taco bar and there's some quesadillas that are made. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:39.020 Um, there's a salad bar. 00:11:39.100 --> 00:11:42.200 If you really want to mess with anything like that, not really sure why you'd want to do 00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:42.900 something like that. 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:45.200 Um, at a place like this, but you see my point? 00:11:45.240 --> 00:11:48.940 Like, like there's all sorts of things and there's lots of ands that you can get. 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:52.220 You can get that and you can get this and you can get this and you can get this. 00:11:52.420 --> 00:11:53.740 But when you go to a buffet, right? 00:11:54.080 --> 00:11:55.260 Like you pass up on some things. 00:11:55.940 --> 00:12:00.040 Like you walk in and you say, I don't want that, but I want this. 00:12:00.560 --> 00:12:01.380 And I don't want that. 00:12:01.420 --> 00:12:03.540 And I don't want that, but, but I really like this. 00:12:04.120 --> 00:12:05.160 And I'm going to try this. 00:12:05.220 --> 00:12:07.040 I might not like it, but I'm going to at least try it. 00:12:07.400 --> 00:12:09.620 And then there's other things you're like, I'm not even going to try that. 00:12:10.400 --> 00:12:16.140 So I use that silly illustration to talk about buffets, to say that I feel like a lot of 00:12:16.140 --> 00:12:18.600 times that's how we approach God. 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:24.300 God, you know, I want this, but I don't want this. 00:12:25.860 --> 00:12:29.120 God, I'd like to try this, but, but I might walk away from that. 00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:35.280 Um, and that's not what God has for us. 00:12:36.640 --> 00:12:40.360 You see, when God calls us, I mean, we look at the call. 00:12:40.400 --> 00:12:41.280 It was the calling of the disciples. 00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:43.380 It was leave everything and follow me. 00:12:44.220 --> 00:12:45.140 It's your life. 00:12:45.460 --> 00:12:46.560 It's your, it's your hopes. 00:12:46.640 --> 00:12:47.140 It's your dreams. 00:12:47.220 --> 00:12:48.000 It's your job. 00:12:48.620 --> 00:12:49.840 It's all of it. 00:12:50.620 --> 00:12:55.100 Now, I'm not saying that today that, that what God's calling you to do is to leave, um, 00:12:55.100 --> 00:12:59.160 your work or leave your family or do any of those things that that's not what I'm saying. 00:12:59.220 --> 00:13:03.020 But here's what I'm saying that the call of the gospel should be so strong on your life. 00:13:03.060 --> 00:13:06.760 But what we're going to see and understand of what it means to be called by God is that the 00:13:06.760 --> 00:13:12.480 gospel penetrates and permeates and shines on every area of your life. 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:16.860 You see, we can't just say, I want to do less and then reject the calling. 00:13:17.500 --> 00:13:22.300 And so we see, uh, the, these pieces of this is what it means. 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:28.740 So, so Jesus is going to give, um, this call and the call that Jesus gives, um, this same, 00:13:28.900 --> 00:13:31.000 this group of people is the same call that he's going to give us today. 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:35.320 That we are called as Christians to be in the world, right? 00:13:35.560 --> 00:13:37.900 That God has placed us to be in this world. 00:13:37.980 --> 00:13:45.140 That's why we are at where we are right now to be an influence for Christ in where God has 00:13:45.140 --> 00:13:49.020 placed us so that in our world, others will come to know Christ. 00:13:49.160 --> 00:13:52.220 Now in my notes right here on my iPad, you can't, you can't see that either. 00:13:52.220 --> 00:13:56.800 But, but in my notes right here, like I've got like, like world in quotes because yes, 00:13:56.800 --> 00:13:58.740 we are in the same world, right? 00:13:58.760 --> 00:14:00.580 Like, like you and I were on planet earth. 00:14:00.580 --> 00:14:01.480 Like we're here together. 00:14:01.580 --> 00:14:03.260 We can even narrow that down a little bit. 00:14:03.260 --> 00:14:04.440 Like we're in South Carolina. 00:14:04.860 --> 00:14:06.240 Um, most of us, right? 00:14:06.280 --> 00:14:10.020 Like we're in Lexington County, which is where a large majority of our church is. 00:14:10.100 --> 00:14:10.660 But right. 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:13.500 I guess we start talking about our world, my world versus your world. 00:14:13.500 --> 00:14:14.900 Like we, we branch out from that. 00:14:14.980 --> 00:14:18.720 And so we can look at like the cities of where we from, like some of us, right, right now 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:20.540 you're, you're in Lexington, some are in West Columbia. 00:14:20.640 --> 00:14:25.840 Some of them are, some of you are in Columbia, Irmo, Gilbert, Swansea, Gaston, Peelian, Red 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:27.300 Bank, prosperity, right? 00:14:27.300 --> 00:14:28.960 We can continue to branch out and branch out. 00:14:29.060 --> 00:14:31.360 And, and I know that I've left some of them off. 00:14:31.420 --> 00:14:35.400 I believe my in-laws are even online with us right now in Jackson, South Carolina, right? 00:14:35.400 --> 00:14:40.500 And so our world, right, it's, it's becoming a lot more diversified than when we just look 00:14:40.500 --> 00:14:43.340 and say, oh, well, we're all Americans, right? 00:14:43.500 --> 00:14:45.720 We're, we're all South Carolinians, right? 00:14:45.740 --> 00:14:48.480 Like we, we begin to branch out, but even within there, right? 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:52.980 Like our world, our, our circle of influence that God has given us, right? 00:14:53.040 --> 00:14:55.220 Where, where we can influence people for the gospel. 00:14:55.220 --> 00:14:56.920 Our world expands even beyond that. 00:14:56.980 --> 00:15:01.520 When we think of our jobs, our hobbies, our schools, our gyms, our clubs, our neighborhoods, 00:15:01.700 --> 00:15:03.220 our families, right? 00:15:03.260 --> 00:15:13.020 That God in his massive plan of mobilization is to take you and I and position us in unique 00:15:13.020 --> 00:15:20.140 places to live for the gospel and to influence people for the gospel right where we are, right 00:15:20.140 --> 00:15:21.060 where he's placed us. 00:15:21.060 --> 00:15:28.000 And when we look, there should not be an area that's not saturated with Christians for the 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:29.700 hope of the gospel, right? 00:15:29.780 --> 00:15:33.380 Everywhere, everywhere that he has placed us. 00:15:33.760 --> 00:15:38.320 A few months ago, I was in a conversation with a group of leaders from different churches 00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:45.300 churches and they were talking about like the different strategies that God gives us to reach 00:15:45.300 --> 00:15:49.560 the world, but specifically to reach our community for the gospel. 00:15:50.020 --> 00:15:55.520 And I noticed that, that a very unique thing was happening in the conversation is that we 00:15:55.520 --> 00:16:00.940 were largely talking about programs, right? 00:16:00.940 --> 00:16:02.280 Here's how this program reaches people. 00:16:02.360 --> 00:16:03.820 And this is how this program reaches people. 00:16:03.880 --> 00:16:05.280 And this is how this program reaches people. 00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:07.580 And listen, guys, I'm not anti-programming. 00:16:07.640 --> 00:16:08.540 Like I love programming. 00:16:08.620 --> 00:16:13.940 Like we use programming strategically to help reach the gospel for people as well. 00:16:13.940 --> 00:16:19.660 But the way we kind of turned the conversation though was like a program is not the greatest 00:16:19.660 --> 00:16:21.860 way to reach people for the gospel. 00:16:22.660 --> 00:16:29.920 Like every single Sunday, what we have is the greatest mechanism that God could give us to 00:16:29.920 --> 00:16:30.440 reach people. 00:16:30.900 --> 00:16:32.620 And it's not our worship service. 00:16:33.180 --> 00:16:39.740 That the greatest thing that God has given us to reach people for the gospel are the people 00:16:39.740 --> 00:16:47.780 who are gathered together, that every single week, God mobilizes us to our unique worlds so that we 00:16:47.780 --> 00:16:54.320 can be influencers for the gospel exactly in God's sovereignty, where he has placed us. 00:16:54.620 --> 00:16:55.900 Like, let's think about that. 00:16:56.300 --> 00:16:58.420 And so that's what Jesus is calling us to. 00:16:58.760 --> 00:17:01.360 That's the calling that he has for your life and my life. 00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:02.420 We want to be blessed. 00:17:02.660 --> 00:17:02.840 Great. 00:17:02.940 --> 00:17:03.800 Let's be blessed. 00:17:03.940 --> 00:17:09.380 But we've got to understand that the calling that comes with that is to go and 00:17:09.380 --> 00:17:13.060 influence others for the sake of the gospel. 00:17:13.400 --> 00:17:16.680 It's what Jesus is talking about in John chapter 17, verse 18. 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:17.920 Jesus is praying. 00:17:18.040 --> 00:17:19.880 It's the high priestly prayer that Jesus prays. 00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:24.800 And here's one segment of his prayer of what Jesus prays to the Father. 00:17:25.240 --> 00:17:31.900 He says, as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 00:17:33.080 --> 00:17:33.600 Right? 00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:34.220 I get that. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:43.600 Jesus equates with how the Father has sent him into the world, with how Jesus, the Son, 00:17:44.040 --> 00:17:47.140 is sending you and I into the world. 00:17:48.460 --> 00:17:48.820 Right? 00:17:48.820 --> 00:17:55.720 We think about, like, the power of Christ sent into this world. 00:17:56.380 --> 00:18:03.560 The picture, the person, the message, the means of the gospel, Jesus. 00:18:04.600 --> 00:18:15.300 And he came and he lived and he served and he loved and he shared and he spoke and he proclaimed truth. 00:18:15.480 --> 00:18:19.340 And he did all of that right where God had sent, right where the Father had sent the Son. 00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:22.100 And now he's saying the same way he sends us. 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:33.620 So today, if you don't get anything else, understand that God has called you to influence and to be a person of purpose, 00:18:34.440 --> 00:18:37.320 of a kingdom purpose, right where you're at. 00:18:37.800 --> 00:18:39.420 So stop looking at where you're not. 00:18:40.200 --> 00:18:47.040 Start seeing where you are and start beginning to cling to how you can live for the gospel. 00:18:47.600 --> 00:18:48.200 So how can you? 00:18:48.380 --> 00:18:48.760 How can you? 00:18:48.920 --> 00:18:50.780 How do we influence the world? 00:18:51.240 --> 00:18:54.180 And Jesus gives us, says that we are two things. 00:18:54.540 --> 00:18:55.200 That we are two things. 00:18:55.320 --> 00:18:57.740 We are salt and we are light. 00:18:57.880 --> 00:18:58.920 So let's look at this. 00:18:59.360 --> 00:19:08.400 Verse 13, you are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 00:19:08.820 --> 00:19:15.040 It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:16.860 So the first thing that tells us that we are salt. 00:19:17.240 --> 00:19:18.040 So there are three things. 00:19:18.100 --> 00:19:22.060 We're going to look at the people, the purpose, and the praise of God this morning. 00:19:22.060 --> 00:19:28.580 So, right, like very Baptist-y, three things we got here, the people, the proclamation, and the praise. 00:19:28.680 --> 00:19:29.640 People, proclamation, praise. 00:19:29.720 --> 00:19:31.520 So the first one is the people of God. 00:19:31.820 --> 00:19:34.520 The people of God are the salt of the earth. 00:19:35.020 --> 00:19:36.140 Here's what I want you to see. 00:19:36.280 --> 00:19:37.360 This is so much important. 00:19:37.820 --> 00:19:39.380 You are the salt if you were saved. 00:19:39.960 --> 00:19:42.040 Jesus doesn't say, remember, this is the reminder from earlier. 00:19:42.180 --> 00:19:45.880 Jesus doesn't say you will become salt if you just need to wait and mature a little bit, 00:19:45.900 --> 00:19:50.360 and then you'll become this characteristic that is useful and good for the work of ministry. 00:19:50.360 --> 00:19:51.400 That's not what he says. 00:19:51.800 --> 00:19:57.160 Jesus looks at this group of followers, very much so following Jesus for a very short period of time, 00:19:57.760 --> 00:20:04.220 and he says, you are the salt of the earth, so be this way, right? 00:20:04.220 --> 00:20:11.880 There is no excuse for you and I as to why we are not being the salt that God has called us to. 00:20:12.060 --> 00:20:15.560 Now, salt right now in our world kind of takes a unique thing, right? 00:20:15.660 --> 00:20:19.840 Like, people are buying the salt, putting it out on the streets and getting rid of ice and doing all those things. 00:20:19.900 --> 00:20:24.560 So I want us to think about, though, in Jesus' context, when Jesus said this, 00:20:24.620 --> 00:20:30.360 when Jesus said you are the salt of the earth, what would have resonated in the minds of the people who would have heard that, right? 00:20:30.380 --> 00:20:32.120 Like, we use salt for all sorts of things. 00:20:32.380 --> 00:20:34.600 Like, people put salt in their pools now, right? 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:37.260 Like, these aren't the ways that Jesus is talking about that. 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:41.900 So let's look and see some things that Jesus would have been speaking to when it comes to salt. 00:20:42.060 --> 00:20:48.380 Number one, salt during the time of Christ was extremely valuable and expensive. 00:20:49.220 --> 00:20:50.740 Extremely valuable and expensive. 00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:54.700 So right now, for you and I, like, salt is not the thing that breaks the bank, right? 00:20:55.060 --> 00:20:59.740 It's not the thing that we're having to sit there and weigh out the cost factor of it, right? 00:20:59.800 --> 00:21:03.400 If you need salt in your house, you go to the store, you buy salt, you bring it home, 00:21:03.800 --> 00:21:07.480 and it's not really going to greatly impact what that number says. 00:21:08.280 --> 00:21:12.340 But in the time of Jesus, it was extremely valuable and expensive. 00:21:12.680 --> 00:21:17.860 And it was used as a monetary device in many instances. 00:21:18.680 --> 00:21:24.620 In fact, the Roman government would oftentimes pay their soldiers with salt. 00:21:25.220 --> 00:21:29.280 So, like, you came to get your paycheck, and then here's your amount of salt, 00:21:29.660 --> 00:21:34.160 because this is the job that you do, and so this is how much that's worth in salt. 00:21:34.800 --> 00:21:38.640 So have you ever heard the expression, right, that a person isn't worth their salt? 00:21:39.100 --> 00:21:41.000 Well, this is where this comes from. 00:21:41.080 --> 00:21:44.080 So if a soldier did not do what a soldier was supposed to do, 00:21:44.500 --> 00:21:48.620 and so the statement would be made about the soldier that they aren't worth their salt 00:21:48.620 --> 00:21:51.480 because they were getting paid by salt. 00:21:52.020 --> 00:21:55.120 So when Jesus tells us, and we're going to look at some of the applications for this, 00:21:55.660 --> 00:21:59.340 but when Jesus looks, Jesus takes, in our day, right, a very common, 00:21:59.980 --> 00:22:02.020 every house has salt right now, right? 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:06.120 Go down to your pantry, it's there, it's sitting on your table, it's in multiple places, right? 00:22:06.540 --> 00:22:13.580 Everybody has salt, you kind of think, well, that's, what is it, that's not a compliment, that I'm salt. 00:22:14.320 --> 00:22:24.740 But Jesus is saying that, as he calls us salt, that there's an eternal, heavenly value placed on us as followers, right? 00:22:25.460 --> 00:22:32.820 That he's saying that you're the salt, there's a value to that, that God is talking about your usefulness to him, 00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:35.700 and your value, and your importance to him. 00:22:35.900 --> 00:22:40.820 Like, God is not this God that is belittling us, that God could do it all, that God doesn't need us, 00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:43.740 but in that, God still places value, right? 00:22:44.140 --> 00:22:55.220 So, in salt, we're valuable, but in order for salt to be useful, salt must be intermingled with a substance, right? 00:22:55.280 --> 00:22:59.700 In order for there to be influence or change, right? 00:22:59.780 --> 00:23:01.720 Like, some simple illustrations for this. 00:23:02.460 --> 00:23:05.700 So, yesterday, you know, we're in the house, and we don't want to be cold, 00:23:06.040 --> 00:23:08.500 so we're watching the snow from out our back window, 00:23:08.980 --> 00:23:11.740 and Erin decided she was going to cook a pot of chicken stew, 00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:15.540 and I decided I was going to cook a pot of chili, and so now we can eat off of this, 00:23:15.600 --> 00:23:18.260 we ate off of it yesterday, we cooked so much, we're eating off of it today, 00:23:18.620 --> 00:23:22.120 and I'll be honest with you, we'll probably be eating off of it next week as well, right? 00:23:22.140 --> 00:23:22.940 We cooked a lot of it. 00:23:23.740 --> 00:23:27.280 But what we had to do is we had to put salt in it to give flavor. 00:23:27.660 --> 00:23:31.740 Now, even though there's a salt shaker right beside it, right beside the stove, 00:23:31.800 --> 00:23:33.280 we have a cooking one that we keep right there, 00:23:34.080 --> 00:23:39.520 we can't just say, well, this needs salt, so let me put the salt shaker closer, right? 00:23:39.560 --> 00:23:51.760 In order for salt to be effective, the salt has to actually be in the object that needs to feel the effect of the salt. 00:23:52.380 --> 00:23:55.860 So, you and I, we can't sit back, right? 00:23:56.260 --> 00:23:59.900 We can't sit back away, removed from the world, right? 00:24:00.100 --> 00:24:04.380 Remember, Jesus called us to be in the world, but not of the world, right? 00:24:04.380 --> 00:24:12.800 So, there's an element about us that we need to be saturating into the things of the world right where we are, 00:24:13.240 --> 00:24:17.500 right, with our neighbors, with our coworkers, with people that we encounter, right? 00:24:17.500 --> 00:24:25.940 We need to be saturated into that in order so that, right, we can be effective what God calls us to, right? 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:32.200 So, you're valuable, but this valuable is not a valuable that you're going to put in a safe and that you're going to hide away. 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:40.880 This value item of a salt of you and I as a saved, redeemed person of God now has to be mobilized into the world in which we live. 00:24:41.220 --> 00:24:49.460 Now, we're going to look at some unique characteristics about what salt does so that we can understand how we are to be in this world, right? 00:24:49.460 --> 00:24:55.580 And you, as a follower of Christ, whether you've been a follower of Christ for a minute or for a hundred years, right? 00:24:55.640 --> 00:25:03.400 Like, you as a follower of Christ, that you have this capability through the power of the Holy Spirit, right, right, to be this in the world. 00:25:03.480 --> 00:25:06.820 So, how can we be people of salt? 00:25:07.180 --> 00:25:10.920 What does salt look like in the world today? 00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:15.820 So, kind of some weird ways that I'm going to phrase this, but just kind of stick with me. 00:25:16.760 --> 00:25:19.320 Number one, we'll be the flavor of the world. 00:25:19.660 --> 00:25:20.780 We'll be the flavor of the world. 00:25:21.500 --> 00:25:24.540 Very simply, right, like, salt makes food better. 00:25:24.820 --> 00:25:28.300 Now, don't overthink these comparisons, right, because obviously too much salt makes it bad. 00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:30.380 Too much salt makes it unhealthy. 00:25:30.760 --> 00:25:34.000 But we do understand that no salt, right, no salt's bad. 00:25:34.120 --> 00:25:37.000 A few years ago, we had a family who was at our church. 00:25:37.300 --> 00:25:42.980 They've moved to Mississippi, but when they were there, they were from Illinois, and they came in. 00:25:42.980 --> 00:25:47.860 They were at our house, they were part of our small group, and they had asked us to fix grits one night because they wanted to try grits. 00:25:48.340 --> 00:25:55.400 So, we fixed grits, and we had the toppings and the different things out there, and so they went and they got some grits, and they put them in the bowl. 00:25:55.940 --> 00:25:59.560 And the husband came up to me, and he's like, I said, man, what do you think? 00:25:59.600 --> 00:26:00.480 He's like, I'm going to be honest with you, buddy. 00:26:00.920 --> 00:26:04.260 This is the absolute worst thing that I've ever eaten in my entire life. 00:26:04.540 --> 00:26:05.520 And I was like, oh, what do you got in it? 00:26:05.560 --> 00:26:09.320 And so, he had cheese, he had bacon, he had some onions, he had some of those things in there. 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:11.380 And I said, well, did you put some more salt in it? 00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:12.660 He's like, no, no, I didn't put salt in it. 00:26:12.680 --> 00:26:13.860 It's like, all right, let's go, right? 00:26:13.880 --> 00:26:17.060 So, the right amount of salt is going to make this good, right? 00:26:17.860 --> 00:26:18.960 We're going to be the flavor of the world. 00:26:19.100 --> 00:26:20.300 Salt makes food better. 00:26:20.300 --> 00:26:24.540 And you and I, as Christians, I want to be honest with you, we should make things better. 00:26:25.120 --> 00:26:26.160 We should make things better. 00:26:26.320 --> 00:26:29.080 We should be the flavor in the room when we walk in. 00:26:29.300 --> 00:26:31.620 That we should be the encouragers. 00:26:31.780 --> 00:26:32.940 We should be the compassionate. 00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:34.380 We should be the kind-hearted. 00:26:34.740 --> 00:26:36.480 We should be the joyful, right? 00:26:36.560 --> 00:26:37.720 This is who we should be. 00:26:37.820 --> 00:26:43.160 We should be the people who, when someone, where you work, where you live, where you play, 00:26:43.380 --> 00:26:46.680 like when they're hurting and they're broken, they should be coming to you looking for some love. 00:26:46.680 --> 00:26:49.920 When they feel beaten up, they should come to you looking for some encouragement. 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:52.500 Like, guys, like, we need to be the flavor of the world. 00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:55.680 Right now, the world is really good at yelling at one another. 00:26:56.880 --> 00:27:01.520 Right now, the world is really good at being nasty to one another, right? 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:07.280 It blows my mind how, like, I'm looking on, and I'm like you, like, I'm following, like, 00:27:07.320 --> 00:27:11.960 19 people on social media to try to figure out what in the world is going on with the snow 00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:13.020 and with the ice. 00:27:13.020 --> 00:27:18.900 And the number of people yesterday who were, like, yelling at poor Tim Miller on Facebook 00:27:18.900 --> 00:27:25.000 because the snow had not quite reached their area of South Carolina in the time that he 00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:26.240 said it should, right? 00:27:26.320 --> 00:27:30.580 Like, guys, can we as Christians understand that we need to be the flavor in the room that 00:27:30.580 --> 00:27:32.000 just makes things a little bit better? 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:35.000 That we need to be the calmness in the room. 00:27:35.240 --> 00:27:35.440 Why? 00:27:35.580 --> 00:27:36.500 It's not us. 00:27:37.040 --> 00:27:37.800 It's Jesus. 00:27:38.800 --> 00:27:40.240 It's Jesus doing it. 00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:42.560 It's Jesus coming from us. 00:27:42.780 --> 00:27:46.460 But why are we the people that are being divisive? 00:27:47.020 --> 00:27:49.860 Why are we the people that feel like we got to be overly critical? 00:27:50.600 --> 00:27:52.760 Why are the people that feel like we have to be negative? 00:27:53.420 --> 00:27:55.920 Why are we the people that feel like we have to attack? 00:27:56.360 --> 00:27:58.980 Why can't we be the flavor in the room? 00:27:59.240 --> 00:28:03.080 Now, if you're here with me and you're annoyed with me because you think I'm being weak, hold 00:28:03.080 --> 00:28:04.360 on for just a little bit, okay? 00:28:04.520 --> 00:28:06.080 Because we're not weak, we're strong. 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:08.260 We're not weak, we're strong. 00:28:08.940 --> 00:28:11.340 But you can be strong and be loving. 00:28:12.020 --> 00:28:14.160 You can be strong and be compassionate. 00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:17.140 You can be strong and you can be kind. 00:28:18.040 --> 00:28:23.640 We can be the flavor of the world to make things better as we point people to Jesus. 00:28:24.060 --> 00:28:25.380 Number two, all right? 00:28:26.060 --> 00:28:28.240 Number two, we're to be the healing of the world. 00:28:28.800 --> 00:28:31.960 Now, I know that Jesus is the ultimate healer. 00:28:32.420 --> 00:28:36.300 I'm not trying to say that you and I are some second Christ. 00:28:36.580 --> 00:28:38.720 There's plenty of cults that want to tell you that. 00:28:38.760 --> 00:28:39.700 That's not what we are. 00:28:40.020 --> 00:28:41.900 But Jesus says that we're the salt of the earth. 00:28:41.900 --> 00:28:48.440 And so with that, you and I have the ability to bring a healing value to the world that 00:28:48.440 --> 00:28:49.500 we live in, all right? 00:28:49.620 --> 00:28:50.040 So salt. 00:28:50.460 --> 00:28:53.980 Salt does have healing capabilities, all right? 00:28:54.100 --> 00:28:56.200 In the Old Testament, it's something I found out this week. 00:28:56.220 --> 00:28:59.880 I didn't know this, but you can read about this in Ezekiel chapter 16, I believe, verse 00:28:59.880 --> 00:29:00.120 4. 00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:04.400 But in the Old Testament, God's people used salt for a lot of healing purposes. 00:29:05.280 --> 00:29:07.180 And even when a baby was born, all right? 00:29:07.180 --> 00:29:11.600 When a baby was born, they would take the baby and they would rub the baby down with salt 00:29:11.600 --> 00:29:17.440 in case there were any injuries or nicks or cuts that they would come and they would heal 00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:18.200 the baby, right? 00:29:18.460 --> 00:29:20.500 Salt heals. 00:29:21.280 --> 00:29:24.120 But in order for salt to heal, right? 00:29:24.160 --> 00:29:24.920 It has to sting. 00:29:25.500 --> 00:29:26.260 It has to sting. 00:29:27.120 --> 00:29:31.000 When I was little, we would always go to the beach every summer. 00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:37.580 And I remember for us, we would always go like the week after baseball season ended. 00:29:38.340 --> 00:29:42.740 And growing up playing baseball, like it seemed like I would always have like, you know, some 00:29:42.740 --> 00:29:48.660 of those strawberries on my legs from running and sliding and just having roughs and cuts 00:29:48.660 --> 00:29:52.020 and running through the woods and doing all the things that boys did at that time. 00:29:52.220 --> 00:29:53.900 And I remember, but I love the ocean, right? 00:29:54.460 --> 00:29:56.600 So I would remember every summer we'd get there. 00:29:56.720 --> 00:29:58.880 And no, and don't forget because we're in South Carolina, right? 00:29:58.880 --> 00:30:03.860 All the mosquito bites and we'd get to the ocean and I would go out into the water and I would 00:30:03.860 --> 00:30:06.980 feel the sting of the ocean water because of the salt. 00:30:08.060 --> 00:30:12.180 But then like mosquito bites had been there for like weeks, you know, and you're, you're 00:30:12.180 --> 00:30:14.680 scratching them and you're doing all the things that you're not supposed to do and the cuts 00:30:14.680 --> 00:30:15.700 and all the stuff, right? 00:30:15.700 --> 00:30:20.420 Like you'd go out to the ocean water and they'd sting, but then what would happen over a couple 00:30:20.420 --> 00:30:20.940 of days, right? 00:30:21.100 --> 00:30:28.860 Like they'd heal and that the, the medicinal, the healing ability that happens because of 00:30:28.860 --> 00:30:29.260 the salt. 00:30:29.960 --> 00:30:34.400 So when Jesus says that we're to be salt, that you and I, we have this ability to, to heal, 00:30:34.520 --> 00:30:41.240 but sometimes healing involves a little bit of a sting. 00:30:42.420 --> 00:30:46.000 So this is when, if you're like, but you're being weak because there's sin in the world and 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:47.160 we need to speak out against the sin. 00:30:47.740 --> 00:30:48.520 Absolutely we do. 00:30:48.980 --> 00:30:50.920 And Jesus doesn't back down from that either. 00:30:51.100 --> 00:30:55.880 Remember what Jesus had just been proclaiming, repent, repent. 00:30:56.100 --> 00:30:56.860 What do you have to repent of? 00:30:56.880 --> 00:30:57.720 You got to repent of your sin. 00:30:58.640 --> 00:31:02.040 Jesus wasn't shy of pointing out the sin in the world. 00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:04.600 Jesus oftentimes did that. 00:31:04.740 --> 00:31:11.020 And I believe that as Christians, that God has called us in being the salt of the earth 00:31:11.020 --> 00:31:13.820 to point people to Christ. 00:31:14.440 --> 00:31:19.680 And in doing so, we have to talk about, and we have to deal with sin. 00:31:20.340 --> 00:31:23.280 The issue becomes, and this is what Jesus talks about. 00:31:23.340 --> 00:31:30.740 The issue that comes when, when we become the hypocrite is not because we're speaking against 00:31:30.740 --> 00:31:34.600 sin, but because we're unwilling to deal with our own sin. 00:31:34.600 --> 00:31:38.040 But yet we expect our neighbor to deal with their sin. 00:31:38.540 --> 00:31:46.120 So when it comes to the healing power of Christ, are we calling people to the same level of repentance 00:31:46.120 --> 00:31:47.860 that we're also holding ourself to? 00:31:48.720 --> 00:31:50.700 Like, are we dealing with our sin? 00:31:50.820 --> 00:31:55.140 And then even like, how crazy would this be in the world in which we live to bring healing, 00:31:55.320 --> 00:32:00.220 to be willing to walk, to let others see and know, right? 00:32:00.220 --> 00:32:01.940 Like, people know your sin. 00:32:02.200 --> 00:32:03.300 People know my sin. 00:32:03.380 --> 00:32:04.320 They see it in us. 00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:08.900 To know that we're working through, that we're dealing with, that we're struggling with that 00:32:08.900 --> 00:32:09.240 as well. 00:32:09.320 --> 00:32:11.060 Like, would we be willing to walk through that? 00:32:11.540 --> 00:32:12.680 So the healing of the world. 00:32:13.360 --> 00:32:16.460 The next thing, we're to be the thirst of the world, right? 00:32:16.500 --> 00:32:17.680 We're to be the thirst of the world. 00:32:18.360 --> 00:32:19.200 Salt, right? 00:32:19.500 --> 00:32:21.140 Makes you thirsty. 00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:28.120 And I was reading that this week that a guy said that when God designed salt, that he believed 00:32:28.120 --> 00:32:29.960 that God designed salt in this way, right? 00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:31.580 Because God doesn't do anything by accident. 00:32:31.720 --> 00:32:34.140 And when we have salt, that we become thirsty. 00:32:34.500 --> 00:32:35.680 And we become thirsty. 00:32:35.820 --> 00:32:37.900 And so there's a dissatisfaction that we have. 00:32:38.100 --> 00:32:43.520 And then the only thing that will satisfy us is the water that we long for and that we crave. 00:32:43.800 --> 00:32:44.460 Here's the point. 00:32:44.540 --> 00:32:45.200 Got a few things. 00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:48.680 And I want to make sure that I'm being mindful of our time together, right? 00:32:49.500 --> 00:32:52.700 And that this world isn't getting better, right? 00:32:52.780 --> 00:32:55.220 Like, this world is getting darker and darker. 00:32:55.320 --> 00:32:57.700 And we'll talk about that in a little bit with light. 00:32:58.760 --> 00:33:05.060 But we as Christians should be pointing people to the only thing that is going to bring them 00:33:05.060 --> 00:33:05.680 satisfaction. 00:33:06.500 --> 00:33:11.680 But as we're the thirst of the world, that as we're like, yep, I know you're looking for 00:33:11.680 --> 00:33:13.380 hope in this and you're not going to find it. 00:33:14.020 --> 00:33:15.180 There's not a politician. 00:33:15.700 --> 00:33:16.920 There's not a drug. 00:33:17.460 --> 00:33:19.060 There's not a dollar amount. 00:33:19.500 --> 00:33:21.800 There's not a type of alcohol. 00:33:22.260 --> 00:33:23.580 There's not a job promotion. 00:33:24.060 --> 00:33:29.140 There's not a relationship with anyone in this world that is going to ultimately satisfy 00:33:29.140 --> 00:33:32.780 you other than Christ and to point people to him. 00:33:33.800 --> 00:33:37.700 And then when people come to him, and this is clear from his teaching and from his word, 00:33:37.780 --> 00:33:42.140 right, that there will be satisfaction found in Christ and Christ alone. 00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:44.420 Here's where I think we fail as Christians. 00:33:45.220 --> 00:33:52.020 We point people to other things other than Jesus for them to find their satisfaction because 00:33:52.020 --> 00:33:56.360 we are looking for things other than Jesus to find our satisfaction. 00:33:57.500 --> 00:34:00.040 You see, it can't be Jesus plus politics. 00:34:00.360 --> 00:34:02.060 It can't be Jesus plus government. 00:34:02.280 --> 00:34:03.860 It can't be Jesus plus alcohol. 00:34:04.220 --> 00:34:05.880 It can't be Jesus plus finances. 00:34:06.100 --> 00:34:07.780 It can't be Jesus plus a relationship. 00:34:08.140 --> 00:34:08.980 It's Jesus. 00:34:09.720 --> 00:34:12.720 And in him and him alone do we find our satisfaction. 00:34:13.440 --> 00:34:19.600 And can we stop pointing people to the lesser things of this world and point people to Jesus? 00:34:20.140 --> 00:34:25.860 The last thing, number four for this for salt, we are to be the preservative of the world, the preservative of the world. 00:34:26.300 --> 00:34:30.580 While you and I cannot save anyone, I can't, I can't save them. 00:34:31.080 --> 00:34:32.040 You can't save them. 00:34:32.040 --> 00:34:37.260 We are called to be God's instruments of preservation. 00:34:38.200 --> 00:34:42.680 You and I, we are living in a church. 00:34:43.360 --> 00:34:48.420 We are living in a way that should point people to Jesus. 00:34:49.280 --> 00:34:51.100 We fight against the decay. 00:34:51.800 --> 00:34:56.080 We fight against the death the same way that salt does on a piece of meat. 00:34:56.760 --> 00:34:58.860 We fight against that. 00:34:59.080 --> 00:35:08.920 We don't give into it so that the one who does bring life and bring restoration and bring healing can do it. 00:35:10.940 --> 00:35:12.040 Here's the thing about salt. 00:35:13.200 --> 00:35:20.800 While a little bit can go a long way, salt is most effective when it's used in unison with other salt. 00:35:21.720 --> 00:35:23.720 One grain of salt on a piece of meat. 00:35:24.480 --> 00:35:25.900 I mean, there's some change that happens there. 00:35:26.940 --> 00:35:29.420 But it's not like when it's seasoned like it should be. 00:35:30.840 --> 00:35:30.940 Right? 00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:36.580 And so you and I, I believe that Jesus is giving the picture of the church that will come. 00:35:37.200 --> 00:35:43.660 This is why we belong to a body of believers and not simply attending an event. 00:35:44.800 --> 00:35:49.120 You see, if church for you on Sunday morning is an event, I'm sorry, not an attempt. 00:35:49.520 --> 00:35:56.220 If it's an event that you attend, you're not living as the salt God's called you to be. 00:35:57.120 --> 00:36:04.340 Because we should be in unison with one another, saturating the worlds in which God has placed us. 00:36:05.000 --> 00:36:12.080 Because the warning is salt can lose its saltiness during the time of Christ, right? 00:36:12.160 --> 00:36:16.040 Jesus, during the time of Jesus, salt wasn't as pure as it is today. 00:36:16.320 --> 00:36:24.140 And the things that have changed and things that happened in salt that wasn't used over time would lose its saltiness and then become useless. 00:36:24.840 --> 00:36:29.300 And the fear is that if you and I are not doing and being who God's called us to be, 00:36:29.700 --> 00:36:35.380 that over time we will lose the effectiveness that God's called us to be. 00:36:36.140 --> 00:36:38.160 May we not be that church. 00:36:38.660 --> 00:36:40.840 May we not be those people. 00:36:41.360 --> 00:36:44.340 May we be the salt God has called us to. 00:36:45.060 --> 00:36:49.480 So we're to be the people of God, but we're also to be the proclamation of God. 00:36:49.580 --> 00:36:50.580 Look at verse 14 to 15. 00:36:52.540 --> 00:36:52.720 It says, 00:36:52.820 --> 00:36:53.720 You are the light of the world. 00:36:53.820 --> 00:37:02.720 A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house, right? 00:37:03.160 --> 00:37:06.860 The second thing that we are to be is the proclamation of God, right? 00:37:07.280 --> 00:37:08.200 So let's talk about light. 00:37:08.720 --> 00:37:10.280 Light is the enemy of darkness. 00:37:10.840 --> 00:37:13.380 Light is the only thing that can eliminate darkness. 00:37:13.380 --> 00:37:16.660 And wherever there is light, there is no darkness. 00:37:17.660 --> 00:37:22.320 Light exposes what is hidden, but light can't be then hidden. 00:37:22.980 --> 00:37:28.620 It has to be released so that darkness can be fought against. 00:37:29.320 --> 00:37:30.480 Here's what Jesus is saying. 00:37:30.860 --> 00:37:47.200 In a world that is dark and covered with sin, you and I are to shine the light, the light in us, the light that we have, the light that we are through the message that we proclaim. 00:37:47.720 --> 00:37:58.700 So if we look at the salt as the people we are to be, then we see the light as the message that those people share. 00:37:59.540 --> 00:38:01.560 The Bible tells us, gee, we look at this two weeks ago. 00:38:01.960 --> 00:38:03.580 Jesus is the light of the world. 00:38:03.980 --> 00:38:13.340 And here's the miracle, part of the miracle that happens at your and mine salvation moment is he passes that light onto you and I. 00:38:13.560 --> 00:38:29.920 So this is what makes you and I a miracle, that we were once dark, but now we are light, that this is who we are, that you and I, we have the light of the gospel, we have the light of truth, but that we are this as well. 00:38:29.920 --> 00:38:40.740 And is this who we are, are we shining the light of the gospel, just as salt can lose its saltiness, light can be hidden. 00:38:41.760 --> 00:38:48.980 Just as you do not have to mature in order to be salt, you and I do not have to mature in order to be light. 00:38:49.340 --> 00:38:53.240 This is who we are in Christ, in our calling. 00:38:53.240 --> 00:39:01.640 But a lot of Christians, and I understand this, you feel inadequate about sharing with others about Jesus. 00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:03.380 You feel like you haven't learned enough. 00:39:03.460 --> 00:39:04.620 You feel like you haven't been taught well. 00:39:04.720 --> 00:39:06.140 You feel like you haven't been mobilized. 00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:08.020 You feel like you haven't been set up strategically. 00:39:08.440 --> 00:39:10.900 You feel like you're unsure if you get asked certain questions. 00:39:10.900 --> 00:39:18.240 Well, I want to share with you guys like four simple ways that right now you can have a conversation with someone about Jesus. 00:39:18.780 --> 00:39:22.700 Right now, whether you've been saved for a minute or whether you've been saved for a hundred years, 00:39:22.920 --> 00:39:30.120 how right now you and I can be the light that God has called us to be without some great maturing process. 00:39:30.560 --> 00:39:32.580 So if you're not taking notes, I want you to write these down. 00:39:32.780 --> 00:39:37.680 Four simple ways that you, if you are saved, if you were saved, that you can do this. 00:39:38.500 --> 00:39:41.540 Number one, you can tell people how you were saved. 00:39:42.240 --> 00:39:43.940 You can tell them your salvation story. 00:39:44.580 --> 00:39:49.960 If you were saved, you might not be able to explain theologically all the things that would happen, 00:39:50.200 --> 00:39:51.720 but you can explain how you felt. 00:39:52.340 --> 00:39:53.980 You can explain what was being said. 00:39:54.360 --> 00:39:56.200 You can explain what you walked through. 00:39:56.500 --> 00:39:56.600 Right? 00:39:56.640 --> 00:39:58.620 If you were saved, you can tell your story. 00:39:59.040 --> 00:39:59.220 Right? 00:39:59.260 --> 00:40:01.920 Just as if you went to Disney World, you can tell people about Disney World. 00:40:02.160 --> 00:40:04.120 If you were saved, you can talk through that a little bit. 00:40:04.200 --> 00:40:05.680 Now, can you sharpen it? 00:40:05.740 --> 00:40:06.840 Can you make it a little bit cleaner? 00:40:07.040 --> 00:40:07.300 Sure. 00:40:07.800 --> 00:40:08.600 Sure you can. 00:40:08.960 --> 00:40:09.420 I can. 00:40:09.480 --> 00:40:14.900 We can all work on it a little bit of what this looks like, but you and I should be able 00:40:14.900 --> 00:40:19.080 to tell people in just a few sentences the moments and events that led up to and that happened 00:40:19.080 --> 00:40:24.900 with our salvation, the struggles we had and the things that we were going through and the 00:40:24.900 --> 00:40:27.580 peace that we felt and the love that we felt. 00:40:27.940 --> 00:40:29.960 Like, we should be able to tell people how we were saved. 00:40:30.520 --> 00:40:34.740 And number two, you should be able to tell people what God has done in you. 00:40:35.500 --> 00:40:35.700 Right? 00:40:35.760 --> 00:40:39.160 You should be able to speak to, man, this is who I was and this is who I am. 00:40:40.020 --> 00:40:40.420 Right? 00:40:40.460 --> 00:40:42.440 This is how God has been working in me. 00:40:42.760 --> 00:40:44.860 This is what God's been doing in me. 00:40:45.040 --> 00:40:45.100 Right? 00:40:45.300 --> 00:40:48.120 Like, this isn't hard for us to think about. 00:40:48.760 --> 00:40:52.480 Like, look back at the moment that you were saved, look at where you are now and where 00:40:52.480 --> 00:40:53.760 has God worked during that. 00:40:54.240 --> 00:40:56.740 Maybe it's not as much as you'd like to have seen. 00:40:57.540 --> 00:41:01.940 Maybe there are things that you forgot about, but you can see this pattern. 00:41:02.020 --> 00:41:03.380 So you can tell how he saved you. 00:41:03.480 --> 00:41:06.160 Number two, you can tell what he has done in you. 00:41:06.460 --> 00:41:08.920 But then number three, you can tell what he's doing right now. 00:41:10.020 --> 00:41:11.160 You can tell what he's doing right now. 00:41:12.380 --> 00:41:13.900 Like, right now, this is what you're walking through. 00:41:14.920 --> 00:41:17.600 Like, right now, God's working on your heart in an area of generosity. 00:41:18.820 --> 00:41:21.040 Right now, God's working on your heart in an area of compassion. 00:41:21.400 --> 00:41:22.720 You see, here's what you're doing when you say that. 00:41:23.260 --> 00:41:27.340 You're communicating how God has fully saved you by telling your story. 00:41:28.440 --> 00:41:31.320 You're telling how he's worked in your life to make you more like Jesus. 00:41:32.140 --> 00:41:34.380 But you're also saying, but you're not perfect yet. 00:41:35.180 --> 00:41:36.720 And so there's still some work that God has to do. 00:41:37.460 --> 00:41:37.640 Right? 00:41:38.400 --> 00:41:39.240 That's your story. 00:41:40.020 --> 00:41:40.840 How he saved you. 00:41:41.800 --> 00:41:42.940 How he's changed you. 00:41:43.420 --> 00:41:44.860 And how he's still got work to do. 00:41:45.840 --> 00:41:47.760 And that God can do this in their life as well. 00:41:49.120 --> 00:41:50.540 But then the fourth thing that you can do. 00:41:51.240 --> 00:41:52.120 Anybody can do this. 00:41:52.900 --> 00:41:55.500 You can invite someone to meet Jesus. 00:41:56.480 --> 00:41:57.880 And you're like, well, that's the hard part. 00:41:58.500 --> 00:41:59.300 Let's talk about that. 00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:03.500 Maybe for you to invite someone into a relationship with Jesus. 00:42:04.020 --> 00:42:07.140 That means you sit down with them one-on-one and having an in-depth conversation. 00:42:07.140 --> 00:42:09.580 What it looks like to give your life to the Lord. 00:42:10.720 --> 00:42:15.520 Maybe for you that means inviting them to your small group or to a Bible study that you attend. 00:42:16.680 --> 00:42:19.660 Maybe that means you inviting them to an event we're having at church. 00:42:19.800 --> 00:42:23.440 In fact, one of our programs that we do, you're going to invite someone there. 00:42:24.420 --> 00:42:26.400 Maybe it means just inviting someone to church. 00:42:26.980 --> 00:42:27.600 Hey, you know what? 00:42:27.640 --> 00:42:30.320 This Sunday, come and we'll sit together. 00:42:30.980 --> 00:42:34.380 In all of those ways and in so many more, what are you doing? 00:42:34.460 --> 00:42:37.360 You're inviting people to have an opportunity to hear about Jesus. 00:42:37.580 --> 00:42:51.200 Because I guarantee you, I guarantee you, when you come to our church, kids ministry, student ministry, adult ministry, men's ministry, women's ministry, Hispanic ministry, every single one of our Bible studies, every single one of our small groups, I can tell you what people are talking about. 00:42:51.240 --> 00:42:51.920 They're talking about Jesus. 00:42:53.200 --> 00:42:55.480 And so don't think it's of lesser spiritual value. 00:42:56.140 --> 00:43:05.860 If you're not quite at a point where you feel like you can walk through the steps of salvation with someone, don't think you're of lesser spiritual value than if you're just going to invite your neighbor to come to church with you. 00:43:06.440 --> 00:43:12.280 Maybe that means you grab them some Bojangles on the way in, you know, but you can invite. 00:43:13.140 --> 00:43:14.480 Don't hide your light, let it shine. 00:43:15.800 --> 00:43:20.980 And when we're the salt of the earth, when we are the light, here's what happens. 00:43:21.580 --> 00:43:22.280 Look at verse 16. 00:43:24.320 --> 00:43:32.900 In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. 00:43:33.940 --> 00:43:40.900 So we sing about the people of God, we sing about the proclamation of God, and now we see the praise of God. 00:43:41.540 --> 00:43:42.560 The praise of God. 00:43:42.640 --> 00:43:43.260 This is so cool. 00:43:43.700 --> 00:43:44.380 This is so cool. 00:43:45.020 --> 00:43:53.040 So that when you live for Jesus and that when you share for Jesus, here's what happens. 00:43:53.900 --> 00:43:56.020 People don't come running and say how great you are. 00:43:58.120 --> 00:44:01.240 People get saved and they start talking about how great God is. 00:44:02.460 --> 00:44:03.600 That's the beauty of this. 00:44:04.420 --> 00:44:05.880 That's the work that God is doing. 00:44:06.640 --> 00:44:10.240 The work that God is doing in the hearts of others. 00:44:11.080 --> 00:44:16.280 You see, because at the end of the day, it's not about building your kingdom or my kingdom or the church's kingdom. 00:44:17.240 --> 00:44:18.720 It's about building the kingdom of God. 00:44:19.580 --> 00:44:21.020 It's about people coming to Jesus. 00:44:21.940 --> 00:44:24.300 And that, that is what we are living for. 00:44:25.160 --> 00:44:28.380 That's why when you got saved, God didn't just bring you on home then. 00:44:29.940 --> 00:44:31.100 That's why I left you here. 00:44:32.880 --> 00:44:39.860 Because as the Father sent the Son into the world, the Son is sending you into the world. 00:44:40.740 --> 00:44:41.680 To be the salt. 00:44:42.540 --> 00:44:43.500 To be the light. 00:44:44.440 --> 00:44:45.540 To point people to Him. 00:44:46.940 --> 00:44:51.040 Matthew 5.16 is one of my favorite Bible verses. 00:44:52.320 --> 00:44:54.020 It's a continual reminder. 00:44:55.140 --> 00:44:59.600 And while I typically frown against changing the words of Scripture, 00:44:59.940 --> 00:45:07.680 it is a verse that I give myself, I feel like the Lord gives me some freedom with to make it more personal. 00:45:08.840 --> 00:45:13.020 So when I think about my family and I think about Emma and Grayson, 00:45:13.740 --> 00:45:16.080 I'll often read the Bible verse this way. 00:45:17.540 --> 00:45:22.780 In the same way, Bo and Aaron, let your light shine before others. 00:45:24.220 --> 00:45:29.600 So that Emma and Grayson may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. 00:45:29.940 --> 00:45:35.200 When I think about my marriage, I'll read it this way. 00:45:35.280 --> 00:45:37.380 In the same way, Bo, let your light shine before Aaron. 00:45:39.080 --> 00:45:41.740 So that she may see your good works and give glory to God who is in heaven. 00:45:43.680 --> 00:45:47.640 And when I think about when I think about when I'm at the grocery store. 00:45:49.320 --> 00:45:52.060 When I think about when I'm at one of my kids' school events. 00:45:53.560 --> 00:45:55.920 When I think about when I'm out with some of my friends. 00:45:56.760 --> 00:45:58.380 When I think about when I'm in my neighborhood. 00:46:00.740 --> 00:46:07.420 Bo, let your light shine before others so that it may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. 00:46:09.520 --> 00:46:11.780 What if we took the weight of this verse? 00:46:13.560 --> 00:46:14.880 And whether you're a student. 00:46:16.040 --> 00:46:17.220 Whether you're an adult. 00:46:18.340 --> 00:46:19.480 Whether you're working. 00:46:20.600 --> 00:46:21.660 Whether you're retired. 00:46:22.820 --> 00:46:24.160 Whether you're a coach. 00:46:24.600 --> 00:46:25.480 Whether you're a player. 00:46:26.460 --> 00:46:27.880 Whether you're a store owner. 00:46:29.240 --> 00:46:31.020 Whether you're a consumer. 00:46:32.680 --> 00:46:34.560 Whether you're a government official. 00:46:36.000 --> 00:46:38.740 Whether you're wherever God has placed you. 00:46:39.640 --> 00:46:40.640 In your world. 00:46:44.580 --> 00:46:45.880 Let your light shine. 00:46:48.060 --> 00:46:49.060 Before others. 00:46:51.160 --> 00:46:52.840 So they may see your good works. 00:46:54.160 --> 00:46:55.760 And give glory to your Father. 00:46:58.800 --> 00:47:00.520 That's it for this week's message. 00:47:01.060 --> 00:47:03.340 Be sure to check back next week for a new episode. 00:47:03.920 --> 00:47:04.660 And in the meantime. 00:47:04.960 --> 00:47:08.100 You can visit us online at willowridgechurch.org. 00:47:08.380 --> 00:47:12.520 Or by searching for Willow Ridge Church on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 00:47:12.980 --> 00:47:13.920 Thanks again for listening.