Salt and Light
LXM XV Preached on 8/11/2026
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Summary
This multi-speaker presentation explores the dual calling of the believer to be salt and light, emphasizing that our identity as Christ-bearers is meant to preserve truth, illuminate darkness, and spread the fire of the Gospel through authentic living.
Key points
- •Being 'salt and light' requires a delicate balance of grace and truth; too much 'salt' in our speech can damage our witness if not seasoned with grace.
- •Jesus is not just a source of light, but the Light itself, providing order to chaos and direction to confusion in a way that no human system can.
- •Believers are 'strangers and pilgrims' in this world, meaning our conduct must reflect our true citizenship in heaven to those who are watching.
- •A 'spark moment' (the infilling of the Holy Spirit) is intended to become a wildfire, spreading through personal testimony and daily actions rather than remaining an exclusive club.
- •Salt functions as a preservative and a thirst-creator; our lives should preserve truth in a decaying world and make others thirsty for the presence of God.
Scripture
Discipleship
Evangelism
Holiness
Purpose
Spiritual Growth
Life application
This week, identify one 'dark' situation in your workplace or family and intentionally choose to 'turn on the light' through a concrete act of grace or by sharing a brief testimony of God's goodness, rather than complaining about the darkness.
Reflection questions
- In your daily conversations, is your speech 'heavy on the salt' (candid/blunt) or 'heavy on the grace'? How can you better season your words this week?
- If people only knew you by your actions and not your words, would they be able to identify you as a citizen of heaven?
- What are the 'embers' of your own salvation story that God might be asking you to scatter in your community today?
- Are there areas of your life where you have allowed 'salt' to stay in the shaker instead of pouring it out to preserve the world around you?
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Full transcript
0:01Praise the Lord, church.
0:08So,
0:10[clears throat]
0:11um I was praying about this obviously
0:15and uh
0:18my um anybody want to guess when my
0:20message came to me this morning while I
0:23was driving on my way to work just as I
0:26was getting on 95 in rush hour traffic.
0:29So, of course, I couldn't stop. I had to
0:31fumble for my um my voice notes app so
0:36that I could record while the
0:38inspiration was flowing. But and I was
0:41also praying, okay, God um
0:45you know, let the praise singers sort of
0:47guide me in tonight. And wouldn't you
0:50know it, see, I've got this song in here
0:52as part of my um part of my notes, but
0:56it was the first song in tonight's set,
0:59so I won't have to share the words with
1:01you because we just sang it. Funny how
1:04that works, huh? Yes.
1:09So, um, my scripture text is 1 Peter
1:152:9-10
1:18from the New King James Version.
1:21But you are a chosen generation, a royal
1:23priesthood, a holy nation, his own
1:26special people, that you may proclaim
1:29the praise of him who called you out of
1:31darkness into his marvelous light, who
1:34once were not a people, but are now the
1:36people of God, who has not obtained
1:38mercy, but now have obtained mercy. So
1:42our overall topic tonight is to be the
1:45light in the world around us.
1:48My version of this is the delicate
1:51balance.
1:54And we're obviously talking about salt
1:57and light being salt and light in the
1:59world. And it's a delicate balance. The
2:01salt intake of salt into our bodies to
2:05keep us healthy versus how much would
2:09cause damage.
2:11The difference is so minute. So it is
2:14when we witness.
2:16We are to be salt and light in the
2:18world, called to be witnesses. And too
2:21much salt in our speech can damage our
2:23witness.
2:26And as Paul tells us in Colossians 4
2:285-6, to walk in wisdom toward those who
2:32are outside, redeeming the time, let
2:35your speech always be with grace,
2:37seasoned with salt, that you may know
2:40how you ought to answer each one.
2:43In case any of you have find a little
2:46difficulty with that passage, I also
2:49have some difficulty with this. Anyone
2:51who knows me well knows that I'm rather
2:55straightforward in my speech.
2:58It can frequently tends to be a little
3:00light on the grace and heavy on the
3:03salt. Not cussing or anything. I'm just
3:06candid with a smile.
3:09>> What can I say? I'm a work in progress.
3:14Salt, also known as sodium chloride, is
3:18vital to human health. The human body
3:21requires a small amount of sodium daily
3:24to conduct nerve impulses, contract and
3:27relax muscles, and maintain the proper
3:29balance of water and minerals.
3:32Medical professionals estimate that we
3:34need about 500 milligrams of sodium
3:37daily for our bodies to perform these
3:39critical functions. At the same time,
3:42too much salt in our diet can ruin our
3:44health, causing condition conditions
3:47such as high blood pressure, heart
3:49disease, and stroke. Light is even more
3:52essential than salt. Sunlight is
3:55healthier for us than artificial light.
3:57The health benefits are numerous. It's
4:00important for our circadian rhythms,
4:02vitamin D, and our vision. Lack of
4:05natural sunlight has been linked to
4:07physiological and psychological
4:09disorders as well as cognitive
4:11impairment. So how does all of this tie
4:14into our mission as apostolic being salt
4:17and light in the world? While we we need
4:20natural light to live, of course. So
4:22imagine how much more important it is
4:25being the light of the world showing
4:27God's light
4:29that we have God's light in our as the
4:33light of our lives and how much more
4:35vital it is for us and that we show this
4:38to the world around us. We are souls.
4:42Someone what once said inside everyone
4:45is a God-shaped vacuum.
4:47>> That's because God is our creator. Of
4:50course, he would stick that inside of
4:53us. While he gave us free will, that's
4:56so that we have the free will to choose
4:58him.
5:00He doesn't want robots serving him. He
5:04wants us to come to him of our own free
5:06will.
5:08>> So, our souls long for him, long for the
5:10light. We're instructed to be both salt
5:13and light in the world.
5:16So, how do we do this? How do we keep
5:19this delicate balance of salt, seasoned
5:21grace, showing forth the light of God?
5:25We stay prayed up. We stay read up. We
5:28never stop learning. We never stop
5:31growing. We are ourselves continuing our
5:34journey as disciples as we bear witness
5:37of him who has brought us out of the
5:39darkness into his marvelous light. So,
5:42you're going to be hearing from these
5:44five,
5:47Morgan Robertson, Lucina Green, Alan
5:50Portomo, Mindy Sackoff, and Keon
5:52McDonald. Join me in praying for them
5:57and that God will shed his light in the
6:01world around us. [snorts]
6:03>> Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your love and
6:05mercy. Thank you for your grace, Lord
6:07Jesus. We love you, Lord. Thank you,
6:09Jesus.
6:25Thank you, Jesus.
6:27>> Thank you, Lord.
6:29>> Oh, hallelujah.
6:32I will never get used to this. Standing
6:34up here is um a huge honor. It's an
6:38honor to be a part of this church and it
6:40is an honor to be able to relay the word
6:43of God unto you incredible people.
6:47So, have you ever decided that you
6:49needed a midnight snack around 12 or
6:511:00 a.m.?
6:53>> I love a midnight snack. Oreos,
6:54Pringles, maybe some of your kids
6:56snacks. So, you convince yourself that
6:59since you've been living in this house
7:00for like ever, you know where everything
7:02is. You can go downstairs. There's no
7:04need to turn the lights on because you
7:06know where everything is. And then the
7:09sole of your foot just connects to the
7:11baby doll that Vienna left on the
7:14kitchen floor from last night or the toy
7:17car that Callaway and Kaden were playing
7:19with the night before and didn't put
7:20away. And you just slip and fall. And
7:23then when you think the chaos is over,
7:24the counter just attacks your rib cage.
7:28Comes out of nowhere.
7:30>> It's It's funny. It's amazing how brave
7:33we are in the dark until the dark
7:35reminds us that we really cannot see. We
7:38think we know our way around this life
7:39until we realize that we don't. Why do
7:43we choose to struggle in the darkness
7:45when the light is readily available? In
7:48the Gospel of John 8:12, Jesus says, "I
7:51am the light of the world, and he that
7:54followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
7:56but shall have the light of life."
7:59I'll remember to call upon the light of
8:01life when I need my midnight snack.
8:04>> Now, when you break down this
8:05scriptural, you'll notice that Jesus
8:07didn't say, "I found the light or I can
8:09show you the light." He says, "I am the
8:11light."
8:12>> This means that the answer to the
8:14darkness in your life and in my life,
8:15it's not a better five-year plan or
8:18better circumstances or a better job.
8:20It's Jesus. Jesus himself is the answer.
8:24He is the answer. He is the light. Now
8:28what is darkness? According to the
8:30Marryiam Webster dictionary, it is
8:32defined as a total or near absence of
8:34light. The Cambridge dictionary defines
8:37it as the quality of being without
8:39light. Darkness only exists where light
8:42is missing. Spiritually, the same exact
8:44principle applies. Darkness is what our
8:47lives become when Jesus is absent.
8:49>> It's fear instead of faith. It's chaos
8:52and confusion instead of clarity.
8:54Darkness is what our lives become
8:56without Jesus. Walking into darkness is
8:59like walking in defeat when we already
9:01have the victory in Jesus Christ.
9:04[applause]
9:05Before I met Jesus, I did a good job of
9:08acting like I had the light. I had
9:10charm. I had good manners, kindness,
9:14personality, and I was a little funny.
9:16Just a little bit. But saints, we cannot
9:18confuse charm for light. We cannot
9:21confuse good manners for light. We can't
9:24confuse personality or being funny for
9:27light. [applause] Jesus is the only
9:30light, the bright and morning star. He's
9:33the light of the world. He said it in
9:35his word, our light and our salvation.
9:39>> We can be educated. We can be we can
9:42have money. We can have success and
9:43influence. But if Jesus is not at the
9:45center of our endeavors, then we are
9:47just walking in darkness.
9:49>> Now, what is light? Our scripture tells
9:51us plainly that Jesus is the light of
9:53the world. But before we can understand
9:55why that matters, let's go back to the
9:57very beginning. In Genesis 1 and2, it
10:00says, "The earth was without form and
10:02void and darkness was upon the face of
10:04the deep." Then in verse three, God
10:06spoke the first recorded words in
10:08scripture. He said, "Let there be
10:10light." And immediately there was light.
10:12Verse four says, "And God saw the light
10:15and that it was good." Why was the light
10:17good? The light brings order where there
10:20is chaos. It gives direction where there
10:22is confusion. Light became the catalyst
10:24for everything that was about to happen
10:26in creation. Before God formed the
10:29mountains, before he separated the seas,
10:31before he even created mankind, he first
10:34dealt with the darkness.
10:36>> He even brought light before he created
10:38the sun.
10:39>> Let that sink in. This tells us that God
10:42did not have to depend on anything or
10:44anyone to produce the light because he
10:47is the source.
10:49>> Now we fast forward to the gospel of
10:51John. John begins his gospel by
10:53declaring that Jesus is the word made
10:55flesh. John 1:4 he pivots and he says in
10:59him was life and the life was the light
11:02of men. Notice that John doesn't say
11:04that Jesus has the light or he contains
11:07the light. Not only was he the word is
11:10the word, but he also is the light. When
11:12humanity found itself in spiritual
11:14darkness, God didn't send another light.
11:17He didn't send another law or another
11:19system. He sent himself. He came
11:21himself. The same God who spoke light
11:24into a dark and void word. Came down
11:27himself to be that light.
11:30>> Thank you, Lord. [cheering] And that
11:32brings us back to our text in John 8:12
11:35where Jesus boldly declares, "I am the
11:37light of the world, and he that
11:39followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
11:41but shall have the light of life." The
11:44light that brought order to creation is
11:46the same light that brings order to our
11:48lives. We will have to face darkness in
11:51our lives. In second Timothy 3, Paul
11:54warns and says that perilous times shall
11:57come. The message translation says it
11:59this way. It says, "Don't be naive.
12:01There are difficult times ahead.
12:04>> One day you might be perfectly healthy
12:05and then the next day the doctors might
12:07say there's a tumor growing in your
12:08brain
12:09>> and you'll need surgery to remove it.
12:11And then the next month you might lose
12:13your job because the place you work at
12:15goes out of business. You can't make
12:17this up. Darkness is going to come." But
12:20ladies and gentlemen, I want to remind
12:22you that there is a comforter [laughter]
12:24and his name is Jesus. There is a bomb
12:27for your brokenness. Hallelujah. There
12:29is a light that cannot be overtaken. A
12:32friend when you might feel like there
12:34are no friends around and his name is
12:36Jesus. Darkness has never defeated the
12:39light. Not in Genesis. Not at Calvary.
12:42Not at the empty tomb. And it is not
12:44going to defeat a child of God walking
12:47with the Lord today.
12:49Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah.
12:52[screaming]
12:52[cheering]
12:54Sometimes we want to believe that
12:56because we can't see the whole road
12:57ahead that God has abandoned us. But God
13:00has never asked you to see the whole
13:01road. He just wants you to trust that
13:03he's lighting your path.
13:05>> One foot in front of the other.
13:08>> A wise pastor once said, "When you move,
13:12he will move."
13:14>> We can't just look at the light and
13:15expect something to happen. We must
13:17move.
13:18>> The light has already come, church. His
13:20name is Jesus. The question is, are we
13:23following him? It's not a one-time
13:25decision. It's it's an everyday thing.
13:27We have to wake up every morning and
13:29choose Jesus. We have to read our Bibles
13:31when we'd rather skull on social media.
13:33We have to pray when we'd rather sleep
13:36in. We have to love the one that seems
13:38unlovable.
13:40>> If you stay close to the light, darkness
13:42has no choice but to bow down.
13:45>> Just like he said 2,000 years ago, he is
13:47the light of the world. Now, let's work
13:49on making him the light of our lives.
13:52>> [applause]
14:07>> Praise the Lord.
14:09>> I am so humbled to stand before you this
14:12evening.
14:15I can remember like yesterday.
14:18the stairs, the looks of confusion.
14:22Everywhere I went, I felt so out of
14:25place. So one day I asked my husband,
14:29"Why does everyone keep staring at me?"
14:32His response, "They know you're not from
14:35here." When I would open my mouth, the
14:39response was worse than the stairs. Can
14:42you talk slower?
14:45The chuckles, the laughs. Why do you
14:48talk like that? And the last critic was
14:52my food in the breakroom at work. What
14:55is that? My response, black ey peas.
15:01Yes,
15:02there were people that thought and acted
15:05like black ey peas was a despicable
15:08unknown food
15:13until one day a mod which stands for
15:18manager on duty entered the break room.
15:21"Ah, black ey peas," he explained.
15:24"Where are you from?" "Look,"
15:28I finally said with pride. Where are you
15:30from? I reiterated his question. North
15:33Carolina. My face gave way to the
15:36biggest smile. It felt so good to
15:40finally be understood and not have to
15:43hide my food.
15:45Hide and cover up my food.
15:49So that was my experience upon moving
15:52from Louisiana in 2005 to sunny South
15:56Florida.
15:58>> [cheering]
16:02>> I felt like an alien from another
16:05planet.
16:08In 1 Peter 2:11-12
16:11states, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you
16:15as strangers and pilgrims,
16:18abstain from fleshy lust, which war
16:21against the soul,
16:23>> having your conversations
16:26honest among the Gentiles,
16:29>> that whereas they speak against you as
16:32evildoers,
16:34that they may by your good works
16:38which they behold because they're
16:39watching, they're looking
16:41>> glorify God in the day of visitation.
16:46So the apostle Peter is addressing the
16:49church as strangers and pilgrims,
16:52>> right?
16:52>> He is reminding them to abstain from
16:56environments that are not conducive to
16:59Christians.
16:59>> Right?
17:00>> He calls them pilgrims. Yes.
17:02>> In the Amplified version, it uses the
17:04words aliens and strangers.
17:09>> The NIV version addresses the church as
17:12foreigners and exiles.
17:16>> The New Living Translation does not
17:18relent at all. It refers to the church,
17:21which is us,
17:23>> as temporary residence.
17:25>> Okay?
17:26>> That mean it's going to expire.
17:28>> Your time that you have here is
17:30temporary. It has a expiration date.
17:33[applause]
17:35>> Yes,
17:36>> it refers to the Gentiles, which are
17:39those who are unsaved as your neighbors,
17:42>> just everyday people that you see.
17:44>> He is beseeching the church.
17:47>> Yes.
17:47>> To be careful how you act and conduct
17:51yourselves among Gentiles, your
17:53neighbors.
17:54>> Yes.
17:54>> Your co-workers.
17:56And sometime this the hardest part for
17:59me because they just get on my nerves.
18:04>> Your family.
18:05>> Yeah.
18:07>> Saints,
18:09we must remember two things.
18:12>> Yes.
18:13>> First,
18:15this world is not my home.
18:19>> I'm just passing through.
18:21>> Hallelujah. My treasures and my hopes
18:25>> are all beyond the blue.
18:27>> And secondly,
18:29we are being watched
18:32>> whether we want to be or not.
18:33>> That's right.
18:34>> We are.
18:35>> Romans
18:378 and19 states the earnest expectation
18:42of the creature waitth.
18:46Can you imagine yourself waiting for
18:49someone to just come
18:51>> to help you, to rescue you? They're
18:54waiting.
18:54>> Yes.
18:55>> They're looking at their watches,
18:56waiting
18:58>> for the manifestation,
19:00>> right,
19:01>> of the sons of God.
19:03>> The amplified version is even clearer.
19:06It states even the whole not some but
19:10the whole creation
19:12>> all nature itself eagerly waits
19:17>> for the children of God to be
19:20>> revealed.
19:22>> So saints
19:24what are we waiting for?
19:26>> The whole world is watching
19:29>> waiting
19:30>> and desiring to see
19:33>> the sons of God. That's right.
19:36>> They need hope
19:38>> in hopeless situations.
19:41>> They are yearning
19:43>> deep down inside
19:46>> to see for us
19:49>> to be
19:50>> that light as Morgan stated earlier.
19:54>> Hallelujah.
19:56>> So, how do we how do we be that light?
20:01By remembering
20:03>> who we are. Oh yes.
20:05>> And whose we are?
20:07>> Yes.
20:08>> We are pilgrims.
20:09>> Pilgrims.
20:10>> We are the sons of God.
20:12>> We are the ecclesia.
20:15>> We are the called out ones.
20:18>> Hallelujah.
20:20>> Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
20:22Thank you, Jesus. We are called from
20:25something
20:26>> from
20:27>> out of sin. Called out of sin
20:30>> to someone
20:31>> to him.
20:32>> And that someone is Christ. Yes.
20:34>> Thank you, Jesus.
20:36>> To be his ambassadors
20:39>> in the earth. We represent him
20:42>> and all that we do
20:44>> because the world is watching,
20:48>> waiting,
20:50>> looking.
20:51>> So, in closing, I remind you
20:56this world is not my home.
20:59I'm just passing through.
21:02>> My treasures are laid up.
21:05>> Oh, somewhere beyond the blue.
21:08>> The angels beckon me
21:10>> from heaven's open door.
21:14>> And I can't
21:15>> feel at home
21:17>> in this world anymore.
21:20[cheering]
21:21[applause]
21:29Hallelujah. Praise the Lord, church.
21:35>> Just checking to make sure I have no
21:37sprinklers above my head.
21:41>> So, tonight I'm going to be talking
21:44about fire.
21:47Um, more specifically, wildfire.
21:50And I feel pretty confident with this
21:52slider. got back in the room so I know
21:54I'm safe.
21:57So, what is a wildfire?
22:00A wildfire is a fire that burns
22:02uncontrolled through natural vegetation
22:05such as forests, grasslands, brush, or
22:07other wild areas.
22:10A wildfire can start naturally,
22:13most commonly from lightning or be
22:15caused by human activity such as a
22:17campfire, cigarette, machinery spark, or
22:20intentional burning.
22:23So, how does a wildfire spread?
22:27Dry conditions,
22:29wind, and high temperatures. And I want
22:31you to keep that in mind as I continue.
22:34Acts 2:es 1-4.
22:38And when the day of Pentecost was fully
22:40come, they were all with one accord in
22:42one place.
22:44And suddenly there came a sound from
22:46heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,
22:49>> and it filled all the house where they
22:51were sitting. And there appeared onto
22:53them cloven tongues like as a fire, and
22:56it sat upon each of them. And they were
22:59all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
23:02began to speak with other tongues, as
23:04the Spirit gave them utterance. If
23:06you'll allow me tonight, I'd like to
23:08call these moments, these instances, a
23:10spark moment.
23:11>> Yes.
23:13After that moment where the Holy Ghost
23:15was poured out, that spark moment, there
23:17were those who mocked and of course they
23:19are still present today until Peter
23:22preached and the embers of that spark
23:25moment propelled them to ask, "What
23:27shall we do?"
23:29>> And it's a very important question
23:32and it resulted in 3,000 souls giving
23:35their lives to Christ.
23:37>> Now, this is not a one-off. The New
23:39Testament is filled with numerous
23:41examples where the embers from a spark
23:44moment have resulted in lives being
23:46changed.
23:47>> The woman at the well in John 4, spark
23:51moment.
23:52>> Jesus speaks directly to the Samaritan
23:54woman and reveals that he knows her
23:56life,
23:57>> her past, her present,
23:59>> and he's about to go ahead and rewrite
24:00her future.
24:03>> Yes, sir. [cheering and applause]
24:04So she leaves her water pot and she runs
24:07back to the city and tells the people
24:08about Jesus. Now if you know a whole lot
24:11about wildfires, they spread because
24:13when when wind picks up the embers, it
24:15carries it.
24:16>> Yes, sir.
24:17>> That's when it that's when they're at
24:18their most dangerous.
24:22>> As a result, many Samaritans believe
24:25because of her testimony and come to
24:27Jesus.
24:29In John nine, the man born blind had his
24:33spark moment.
24:35>> Jesus heals him.
24:37The embers. He repeatedly testifies
24:39about what Jesus did. It can't be
24:42contained.
24:45Wildfire. His testimony becomes a
24:47witness to the religious leaders and
24:48everyone around him.
24:51the the Ethiopian unic. He had his spark
24:54moment when he met Philip who preached
24:56to him Jesus and he made a decision and
24:59said, "What that hinder me from being
25:01baptized?"
25:03>> Saul had his spark moment on the road to
25:06Damascus which resulted in his
25:08conversion and subsequent missionary
25:10journeys. The result, numerous churches
25:13being planted, souls being saved, and a
25:16significant outpouring of the Holy
25:18Ghost.
25:20>> For each and every one of us who has
25:22made the decision to be baptized in the
25:24name of Jesus and has received the Holy
25:27Ghost can now look back and remember
25:30your own spark moment.
25:33>> But it's what we do next that's really
25:35important. You see, it's great that
25:37we've decided to follow Jesus. It feels
25:41amazing being surrounded by a body of
25:43believers, but the Lord did not call us
25:45to build an exclusive social club.
25:48>> Acts 1:8 says, "But ye shall receive
25:51power after that the Holy Ghost has come
25:54upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto
25:56me, in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and
25:59in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts
26:02of the earth."
26:03>> The church remained in Jerusalem after
26:06he said that. And it wasn't until the
26:08winds of persecution that the embers of
26:10the gospel were scattered abroad as
26:12shown in Acts 8:4.
26:15>> The wind didn't put out the fire.
26:18>> The wind spread the fire.
26:21>> And tonight, you may be carrying an
26:23ember into your home, your workplace,
26:25your school, your family, or your
26:27community. [applause and cheering]
26:30You may not know what God is going to do
26:32with it,
26:34>> but don't underestimate your testimony.
26:37>> Don't underestimate your prayer.
26:40>> Don't underestimate your invitation.
26:43>> Don't underestimate what God can do
26:45through one person who is willing to
26:47carry the fire.
26:49>> So, I want to leave you with one
26:50question tonight. What are you going to
26:53do with your embers? Uh-huh.
26:55>> Because the fire God has started in you
26:57was never meant to end with you.
27:02[cheering]
27:23Good afternoon, church.
27:25>> It's an honor to stand before you.
27:31We're going to start off by reading a
27:32portion of scripture from Matthew 5.
27:35It's uh part of Jesus's sermon on the
27:37mount. For context, in this scripture,
27:40he's preaching it to his disciples
27:43specifically, but he's got a bunch of
27:44people, you know, a multitude
27:46surrounding him. There's people
27:48listening. There's people watching.
27:49There's people under trying to
27:51understand who he is and what he's
27:53teaching.
27:54>> Right?
27:55>> In this sermon, he's describing the
27:58characters and values that he expects
28:00from those that follow him. He's talking
28:02to you. He's talking to me. He's talking
28:05about Christians.
28:09So we'll move on to reading Matthew
28:11chapter 5 verses 13- 14.
28:16Ye are the salt of the earth. But if the
28:19salt have lost its savor, wherewith
28:22shall it be salted? It is sent forth
28:24good for nothing but to be cast out and
28:26to be trotten under foot of men.
28:28>> Ye are the light of the world. A city
28:31that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
28:35Reading the scripture, the first thing
28:36that comes to mind is that Jesus doesn't
28:39start off with a list of requirements of
28:41to-dos
28:43to be salt and light. It's not try to be
28:45or work hard to be or do this and then
28:49someday you'll qualify.
28:51as I see even if I wake up tomorrow and
28:56I develop a tremble in my hand and I can
28:58no longer play guitar or I lose my voice
29:02permanently and I can no longer sing,
29:06>> my purpose will remain the same
29:10>> to be salt and light in the world.
29:14>> And as Jesus said,
29:17>> you are the salt of the earth. You are
29:19the light of the world.
29:21>> And I think that's this sermon on the
29:24mount is incredibly powerful because
29:27before he talks about ministry positions
29:30or titles, he provides an answer to a
29:33question many people spend their entire
29:35lives searching for.
29:38Why am I here?
29:41And given that identity, I'm not saying
29:43God doesn't call you for specific
29:46assignments or gifts, careers,
29:48ministries, callings. He absolutely
29:51does. But before God gives you a
29:52position, he gives you an identity.
29:56>> Before you become a pastor,
29:59you're called to be salt and light.
30:01>> Before you are called to be a worship
30:04leader,
30:05>> you are called to be salt and light.
30:07before you're called to be a missionary,
30:10a business owner, teacher, engineer,
30:12photographer parent student whatever
30:16God has called you to be,
30:19priority is you are called to be salt
30:22and light.
30:25>> Amen.
30:28[applause]
30:29>> So getting practical, salt is designed
30:31to preserve and provide flavor. Unsalty
30:35salt and salt that is unable to preserve
30:38is effectively ineffective. How many of
30:40us want to be effectively ineffective?
30:45>> Besides our sister in the back,
30:48[laughter]
30:49I pray that standing before those gates,
30:52I'm not deemed ineffective. Standing
30:55before those gates with our creator in
30:58front of us,
31:00>> I never knew you. Depart from me, ye
31:03that work iniquity.
31:05>> Colossians 4:6 says something along the
31:08lines of, "Let your conversations always
31:11be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so
31:13that you may know the answer to
31:14everyone." In order for your words to
31:17reflect Christ, preserve truth, provide
31:20flavor. You must know the truth that
31:22grants that flavor. Your words matter.
31:26Reflect God in everyday conversations.
31:29But he because he expects you to be
31:31effective wherever it is he has placed
31:33you.
31:35>> Now on to light.
31:38In Matthew 5, Jesus declares, "You are
31:41the light of the world."
31:43>> Light doesn't have to fight darkness
31:45>> that is in our burden.
31:47>> You don't walk in a dark room and argue
31:49with the shadows.
31:51>> Why are you so dark?
31:52>> You turn on the light.
31:55>> And darkness has no choice but to give
31:57away.
31:59That's why Jesus says, "You are the
32:01light of the world."
32:02>> Because as followers of Christ, we are
32:04not called to hide our faith.
32:06>> But at the same time, don't shine so
32:08other people could see you.
32:12>> Shine so people see Christ through you.
32:17[applause]
32:21shine. So when you step out of the room,
32:24step out of that conference, step out of
32:26that break room at work or out of that
32:30house or your family
32:33so they could say there must be
32:35something different about the God that
32:37they serve.
32:39>> Shine your light. Make yourself
32:42available to be a blessing.
32:44>> God uses those that say, "Here I am,
32:46Lord.
32:47>> Send me.
32:50We have this running joke in our family
32:52whenever you we go on uh to a restaurant
32:55off peak hours when you step in and
32:58there's nobody there and you have to you
33:00know scream at the waiter that's in the
33:01back uh who's on their phone or whatever
33:04it is and they take forever to come out
33:06and when they come to take the order
33:08your order they stand awkwardly in front
33:10of you because they got nothing else to
33:11do and you sit there and they bring your
33:14food and then you know the first family
33:16walks in then the next and by the time
33:19you leave the place is full of people
33:21and you walk out saying you know we
33:24brought the blessing of the Lord upon
33:26this place or whatever it is [laughter]
33:30but it's funny to think about it in that
33:32way but that's the type of blessing that
33:34we trail as followers of Christ
33:37>> Philippians 2:15 Paul reminds us that as
33:40believers we are to shine like stars in
33:43the sky
33:44>> in the midst of a crooked and perverse
33:45generation
33:47Notice Paul doesn't say
33:50wait until the world becomes less dark.
33:53He says shine.
33:55>> It is written in the Bible as our Lord
33:58comes closer. The world isn't getting
34:00any brighter.
34:02>> It is the exact opposite.
34:04>> Darkness will become more apparent, more
34:06acceptable.
34:09Don't fall into that darkness.
34:12Be the difference. And with that, I wrap
34:16up with these questions of
34:17self-reflection
34:19for you to think about on your way home
34:22or within this moment.
34:24Does my life point towards Christ?
34:29What if the people around me knew I
34:31belong to Christ? Am I hiding my faith
34:34out of fear?
34:36>> Is there someone God wants me to shine a
34:38light on this week?
34:40>> And with that, I'll find a reminder that
34:41people aren't drawn to perfection.
34:44They're not looking for someone who's
34:45always put together that looks like
34:47they've never faced hardship.
34:49>> They're looking for someone human,
34:51someone real, someone they can relate
34:52with. They are drawn to the authentic
34:55works of Christ in your life.
34:58Amen.
35:03[cheering]
35:05[applause]
35:07>> Praise the Lord, church.
35:09>> What a word that has been brought forth
35:12already. Amen.
35:15>> I'll never feel worthy to be up here. I
35:18just pray that God uses me tonight.
35:24>> Show of hands. Who here likes to cook? I
35:28know I do.
35:30Have you ever cooked something and
35:32you're tasting it and you're like, just
35:34missing a little something?
35:37That's what the world is like when
35:38Christians aren't living the way Jesus
35:40called us to. You see, someone may look
35:43a certain way on the outside, but
35:45there's just a little something missing
35:46on the inside.
35:49You see this salt?
35:52This salt, is it useful sitting here in
35:55this container?
35:57>> Right now, it's just tiny white flakes.
36:02>> This salt can sit on the shelf for years
36:04and never change anything.
36:07>> What is the only way you can use it? To
36:10pour it out.
36:14In Matthew 5, it says, "If the salt has
36:16lost its savor, not only is it good for
36:20nothing,
36:22>> but it is also to be cast out,
36:25>> but not just cast out to be
36:30trampled over."
36:32>> So, what is salt's intended purpose?
36:34Salt is a preservative. A preservative
36:37is something that is used to prevent
36:39decomposition and keeps products stable,
36:41safe, and fresh. The world we live in is
36:45full of decomposition.
36:47>> It's spiritually decaying because of
36:49sin.
36:51This is the purpose of God saying to a
36:53true spiritfilled Christian that you are
36:56the salt through him that lives within
36:58you. And really, that's the most
37:00important factor. He must be living
37:02within you in a way that affects change.
37:05If you intend to add salt to preserve
37:08something, but what you pour out isn't
37:10pure salt. It's mixed in with something
37:12else, what you're trying to preserve
37:14will no longer be effective.
37:17>> Because you changed the chemical
37:18formula.
37:19>> It defeats the whole purpose.
37:22>> The same applies to our relationship
37:24with God and how he can use us. God
37:26first preserves and purifies us and then
37:29flows through us to reach others. But
37:32how can he flow through us when we're
37:34not purified and preserved?
37:37>> Salt also creates thirst. Our lives
37:40should make others thirst for Jesus.
37:43>> The presence of the Lord in our life
37:45bleeds into everything that we do, our
37:48words, our actions, our attitudes. When
37:51people see our peace during trials, our
37:54love towards others who are not so
37:56loving towards us, and our joy despite
38:00of whatever hardships come our way, this
38:02is what makes them thirst after what we
38:05have in Christ Jesus.
38:07I've lived with God and I've lived
38:09without God. And when you're going
38:11through the trials of life, the feeling
38:14of hopelessness,
38:17anxiety,
38:19fear. Who Who here has felt that? You
38:24just feel like you're drowning because
38:25you don't have the one who calms the
38:27storm, the peace that only God can give
38:31you. We are to be that example. Our life
38:34is to be a living testimony of what the
38:37Lord has done to show others that it is
38:40not the words we say that make it real.
38:43It's real because our life is the true
38:45evidence of it.
38:47>> This outward example is not meant to be
38:50made into a show or something for others
38:52to look at and say, "Wow, look how holy
38:55they are. They're so cool."
38:58>> Salt does its greatest work when no one
39:01sees it.
39:02It doesn't draw attention to itself. It
39:05simply dissolves and changes whatever it
39:08touches.
39:10>> Matthew 5 also states, "Ye are the light
39:12of the world." Light is essentially the
39:16absence of darkness. One definition says
39:19that it stimulates sight and makes
39:21things visible. No one walks into a dark
39:24room and stands there and says, "Oh man,
39:27I wish it wasn't so dark in here."
39:29They're going to look for the source of
39:30light.
39:32Something must take place for us to come
39:34out of the darkness and into his
39:35marvelous light. It's a shift in the
39:37atmosphere in action. The moment light
39:41enters the room, darkness has to leave.
39:44I don't know about you, but I've been in
39:47the dark.
39:50I've been fumbling around in life
39:52looking for the spiritual light switch
39:54for I did for a long time. And sometimes
39:57when you don't have God, you look for
39:59that light in relationships, alcohol,
40:03drugs.
40:06It's the moment that when the true light
40:09enters your world that you realize that
40:11God's light, the true light,
40:15it is what you were searching for the
40:17whole time. God's light is not, it not
40:20only looks different, but it feels
40:22different. And it's very obvious when
40:25you're plugged in. We have churches on
40:28every corner and Bibles in almost every
40:30home. The world today isn't suffering
40:32from a lack of information. The world is
40:35suffering from the proper application of
40:37the information.
40:39It's the lack of true transformation.
40:42It's the multitude of people that make
40:45claim to Christianity but are still the
40:47same liar, thief, backbiter that they
40:50were before their claim to Christ.
40:52These types of Christians do not
40:54illuminate the world with God's light.
40:56The world is just as dark with or
40:58without them. And I don't want that to
41:01be me, Lord.
41:03>> True light makes a difference. We are
41:05called to be a spiritual lighthouse. The
41:07instrument that God uses for his beam of
41:10light that breaks through the darkness
41:12of the night and says, "Hey, you're
41:14almost to safety. Keep holding on. Let
41:16me show you the way to safety with the
41:18light that's within me."
41:20Ephesians 5:'8 says, "For ye were
41:24sometimes darkness.
41:27>> I I have sometimes been darkness,
41:31but now with God's intervention and
41:34transformation,
41:36ye are light in the world."
41:40So the action is to walk as children of
41:42light. Someone may find Jesus because
41:45they first saw him reflected in you. God
41:48never intended for our faith to remain
41:50private. Our testimony is meant to be
41:53seen.
41:54In closing,
41:56the world may never read a Bible, but it
41:59will read your life. Be salty enough to
42:02make them thirst for Jesus and bright
42:05enough to lead them to him.
42:10[applause]
42:19Shall we all stand?
42:22[snorts]
42:26I have served as pastor here since 1992.
42:32I became Mendy's pastor 1997
42:37somewhere around there. The legal land,
42:40do you remember it? Oh, it was 2001.
42:43Okay. Thank you.
42:44>> 2000.
42:45>> I just know I got in this building in
42:47two in 97 and it was not long after
42:50that.
42:53I cannot tell you all
42:56of the tears
42:59that have been shed throughout this
43:01entire building
43:04for the young people through the years
43:08that have been a part of this church.
43:12I cannot tell you those years.
43:15Mindy
43:17was one of those who came to this church
43:20as a young child. Eightish,
43:26nineish, maybe 10ish.
43:32I looked exactly the way I look right
43:34now.
43:35>> Yes.
43:40back then her batch of girls sat right
43:43in this area and I would preach and cry
43:46and shout.
43:49And most of the time they would come to
43:52the altar.
43:54Sometimes they talked at the altar.
43:57[laughter]
43:58Sometimes they played at the altar.
44:02Sometimes they prayed at the altar.
44:06Those of you who have been here through
44:07the years or who have been here years
44:11right now, you're thinking of people who
44:14you know have been in this altar.
44:20In this altar, I have
44:23had an allight prayer meeting with young
44:26men. And I remember Daniel
44:29Martinez
44:31being here for an all night prayer.
44:35This is brother Armando's son.
44:38I remember Melanie
44:41coming praying in these altars right
44:43here. Melanie Martinez.
44:46I could start putting out names left and
44:49right that we have [music] poured into.
44:54We we read that night Jonathan Edward's
44:59sermon, Sinners in the hands of an angry
45:01God. And
45:03it's hard read. It's not easy.
45:07Here I was married with children and I
45:09was doing an allnight prayer thing
45:11[music] with guys.
45:14What? What in the world was that for?
45:17was for them to for them to grow up and
45:20backslide and live selfishly and forget
45:23God.
45:24Is that why I did it?
45:28Why did I pray with Mindy
45:32over here? And I could name the three
45:34other
45:36girls we sat with
45:41and all of them had children before they
45:43were married.
45:45>> They grew up in the church.
45:48beautiful kids, miracle kids.
45:52They grew up in the church.
45:56But because we all get to make
45:58decisions,
46:00you get to do whatever you so want to
46:03do.
46:04Why did we do it then and why do we do
46:07it now?
46:10When Mindy [laughter] started reading
46:12out of Ephesians,
46:15we
46:17who were sometimes darkness.
46:22>> I thought of every person I've ever
46:24pastored. Some are living for God right
46:27now and some are not.
46:30I don't know why I remembered Daniel so
46:32much.
46:34It was It wasn't sunrise yet and we were
46:37trying to stay awake.
46:39And I was fighting it more than they
46:41were because I had a wife at home I
46:44could have been with in asleep. But you
46:48know [laughter]
46:50we went out and walked all the way up
46:53Pine Island and then we walked down
46:56Griffin and we walked down. This is what
46:59we did. We walked all the [music] way to
47:02the IHOP down at university.
47:09And we went in there and ate IHOP
47:12together.
47:13And it was a night. And I think back and
47:15I think, was that stupid?
47:18Was that a wasted night?
47:22Was that because you were a pretender?
47:27Were they pretending?
47:30>> I'll tell you what. I got my arm around
47:33a little girl right now. My little
47:36Mindy. It's more hurting her dad's
47:38little girl. Okay. But she's like, it's
47:40like she's mine.
47:42And watching the Holy Ghost do a work in
47:45this life.
47:47It tells me it doesn't matter where you
47:50run. It doesn't matter what kind of
47:53hopelessness is talking to all of you.
47:56That tells you that the enemy's f
47:58written the final chapter on anybody.
48:00Let me tell you right now, we be be salt
48:04and be light. Be salt and be [music]
48:07light. Be salt and be light. Keep
48:10holding on. Keep pressing through. Keep
48:13praying. Keep worshiping. Keep
48:15believing. [cheering]
48:16Never give up. Never throw in the towel.
48:19Never give up hope. Because God
48:21[screaming] does a great work.
48:25>> He's a great God.
48:27>> And he's doing a great work.
48:29>> And when Mindy said those who were
48:33sometimes darkness,
48:36I thought, Lord,
48:39it's always been worth it
48:41>> and it will always be worth it
48:43>> because I expect to see him. But before
48:48he comes, he's going to do a great
48:50revival. He said it's going to be a
48:53quick [music] work. It's going to be
48:55faster than anybody ever anticipated.
48:59It's going to be a dynamic work. Thank
49:01you, Mindy, for bringing the word
49:03tonight. Why don't we lift our hands
49:05right now all over this building and
49:07just tell the Lord how much we know he's
49:10working for [music] us. He's working
49:13through us. He's working in us. He's
49:16working around us. He's working beside
49:19us. He's doing a great work [music] in
49:21this hour. A work for his cause. A work
49:26for the cause of eternity. [music] A
49:29work for the cause of heaven. a work
49:31because he so loved the [music] world.
49:34He so loved. Why don't we gather around
49:37this truck just a little while in
49:38[music] faith? Why don't you bring
49:40somebody in your heart and in your mind
49:42and say, "Oh Lord, your salt is still
49:46working. [music] Your salt is still
49:48changing. Your salt is still s
49:51seasoning." Hallelujah. [music] Your
49:54seasoning are
49:58Heat.
50:01[music]
50:09[music]
50:14Heat. [music]
50:21Heat. [music]
50:32Heat. [music]
50:38[music]
50:43>> [music]
50:48[music]
50:54[music]
50:57>> Heat. Heat.
51:02[music]
51:04Heat
51:08[music]
51:21[music]
51:28up here. [music]
51:31Heat. Heat.
51:34[music]
51:48[music]
51:53Heat. Heat. [music]
52:01[music]
52:08[music]
52:15[music]
52:25>> [music]
52:28>> Heat. Heat.
52:31[music]
52:40>> [music]
52:46>> Heat [music]
52:55Heat. [music]
53:05Heat.
53:09[music]
53:16>> [music]
53:22[music]
53:38[music]
53:48>> Heat. Heat.
54:08[music]
54:12Heat. Heat.
54:19[music]
54:33Heat.
54:45[music]
54:51Heat. [music]