LXM XV | Be The Light
LXM XV Preached on 8/11/2026
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Summary
A multi-speaker presentation exploring the Apostolic mission to be salt and light, emphasizing that believers are temporary residents called to reflect the transformative fire and grace of Jesus to a watching world.
Key points
- •Believers are called to a 'delicate balance' of being salt and light, ensuring speech is seasoned with grace without compromising truth.
- •Darkness is defined by the absence of Jesus; therefore, the solution to life's chaos is not a new plan, but the Person of Jesus Christ.
- •A 'Spark Moment' occurs when the Holy Spirit enters a life, but the resulting fire is meant to be spread through personal testimony and service.
- •Salt serves as a preservative in a decaying world and creates a spiritual thirst in others through an authentic, transformed life.
- •Being a 'pilgrim' or 'temporary resident' means recognizing that this world is not our home, which influences how we represent Christ to those watching us.
Scripture
Discipleship
Evangelism
Holy Spirit
Purpose
Spiritual Growth
Life application
This week, identify one 'dark' situation in your workplace or family and choose to respond with words 'seasoned with salt' - offering grace-filled truth instead of joining in negativity or silence.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life have you been relying on your own 'charm' or 'personality' instead of the actual light of Jesus?
- How can you tell if your 'saltiness' has lost its savor, and what steps can you take to let God purify your witness again?
- Who in your life is currently 'thirsting' for hope, and how can your actions this week point them toward the source of Living Water?
- When was your last 'spark moment' with God, and are you currently carrying those embers to others or keeping them to yourself?
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Full transcript
0:02Praise the Lord, church.
0:04Praise the Lord.
0:08So,
0:12I was praying about this, obviously.
0:15Anybody
0:19want to guess when my message came to me?
0:22This morning while I was driving on my way to work, just as I was
0:26getting on 95 in rush hour traffic.
0:29So of course, I couldn't stop. I had to fumble for my
0:34Voice Notes app so that I could record while the
0:38inspiration was flowing. And I was also
0:41praying, "Okay, God,
0:45let the praise singers sort of guide me in tonight."
0:49And wouldn't you know it, see, I've got this song in here as part of
0:53my
0:55notes, but it was the first song in tonight's set, so I won't have
0:59to share the words with you because we just sang it.
1:03Funny how that works, huh?
1:06Yes.
1:09So,
1:11my scripture text
1:13is 1 Peter 2:9 through 10
1:18from the New King James Version.
1:21"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy
1:25nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim
1:28the praise of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous
1:32light, who once were not a people but are now the people of
1:36God, who has not obtained mercy but now have
1:40obtained mercy."
1:42So our overall topic tonight is to be the light in the
1:46world around us.
1:47Yes.
1:48My version of this is the delicate balance.
1:52Yes.
1:54And we're obviously talking about salt and light,
1:58being salt and light in the world, and it's a delicate balance, the
2:02intake of salt into our bodies to keep us
2:06healthy versus how much would cause damage.
2:11The difference is so minute.
2:14So it is when we witness.
2:16We are to be salt and light in the world, called to be witnesses,
2:20and too much salt in our speech can damage our witness.
2:24Right.
2:26And as Paul tells us in Colossians 4:5 through 6, "To
2:30walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the
2:33time. Let your speech always be with grace,
2:37seasoned with salt-
2:39... that you may know how you ought to answer each one."
2:43In case any of you
2:45find a little difficulty with that passage, I also
2:49have some difficulty with this. Anyone who knows me well
2:53knows that I'm rather straightforward in my speech.
2:58It frequently tends to be a little light on the grace and
3:02heavy on the salt. Not cussing or anything,
3:06I'm just candid with a smile.
3:09What can I say? I'm a work in progress.
3:12Yes.
3:14Salt, also known as sodium chloride, is vital to
3:18human health. The human body requires a small amount of
3:22sodium daily to conduct nerve impulses,
3:26contract and relax muscles, and maintain the proper balance of water
3:30and minerals.
3:32Medical professionals estimate that we need about 500
3:36milligrams of sodium daily for our bodies to perform these critical
3:40functions. At the same time, too much salt in our diet can
3:44ruin our health, causing conditions such as high
3:47blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
3:51Light is even more essential than salt.
3:54Sunlight is healthier for us than artificial light.
3:57The health benefits are numerous.
4:00It's important for our circadian rhythms, vitamin D, and our
4:03vision. Lack of natural sunlight has been linked to
4:07physiological and psychological disorders, as well as
4:10cognitive impairment. So how does all of this tie into
4:14our mission as Apostolics, being salt and light in the world?
4:19We need natural light to live, of course, so
4:22imagine how much more important it is being the light of the
4:26world, showing God's light.
4:28Right.
4:29That we have God's light as the light of our
4:33lives, and how much more vital it is for us, and that we
4:37show this to the world around us. We are souls.
4:42Someone once said, "Inside everyone is a
4:45God-shaped vacuum."
4:47Yes.
4:47That's because God is our creator.
4:50Right.
4:50Of course he would stick that inside of us.
4:53That's right.
4:54While he gave us free will, that's so that we have the free
4:57will to choose him.
4:59Amen.
5:00He doesn't want robots serving him.
5:03Right. No.
5:03He wants us to come to him of our own free will.
5:06Yes.
5:08So our souls long for him, long for the light.
5:11We're instructed to be both salt and light in the world
5:16So, how do we do this? How do we keep this delicate
5:20balance of salt, seasoned grace, showing forth
5:24the light of God? We stay prayed up. We stay read up.
5:28We never stop learning. We never stop growing.
5:32We are ourselves continuing our journey as disciples, and
5:36we bear witness of Him who has brought us out of the darkness into
5:40His marvelous light. So, you're going to be hearing from
5:44these five,
5:47Morgan Robertson, Lucina Green, Alan Portomo,
5:51Mindy Sackoff, and Keon McDonald.
5:54Join me in praying for them.
5:56Yes.
5:57And that God will shed His light
6:01in the world around us.
6:03Thank you, Lord.
6:04Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your love and mercy.
6:05Thank you for your grace, Lord Jesus. We love you, Lord.
6:09Thank you, Jesus.
6:11Let it come to our hearts. Let it come to our minds, that we
6:15might walk spiritually in your presence and your way.
6:19I praise you for it all. In Jesus' precious and
6:22holy name. Bless the name of the Lord.
6:25Thank you, Jesus.
6:27Hallelujah.
6:27Thank you, Lord.
6:29Oh, hallelujah.
6:32I will never get used to this. Standing up here is
6:36a huge honor. It's an honor to be a part of this church,
6:40and it is an honor to be able to
6:42relay the word of God unto you incredible people.
6:47So, have you ever decided that you needed a midnight snack around 12:00 or
6:511:00 a.m.?
6:52Uh-huh.
6:53I love a midnight snack. Oreos, Pringles, maybe some of your kids'
6:56snacks. So, you convince yourself that since you've been living in this
7:00house forever, you know where everything is.
7:03You can go downstairs. There's no need to turn the lights on because you know where
7:06everything is. And then,
7:09the sole of your foot just connects to the baby doll that
7:12Vienna left on the kitchen floor from last night, or
7:16the toy car that Calloway and Caden were playing with the night before and
7:20didn't put away, and you just slip and fall.
7:22And then, when you think the chaos is over, the counter just attacks
7:26your rib cage, comes out of nowhere.
7:30Yeah.
7:30It's funny.
7:32It's amazing how brave we are in the dark until the dark reminds us that we
7:36really cannot see.
7:38We think we know our way around this life until we realize that we don't.
7:43Why do we choose to struggle in the darkness when the light is readily
7:46available?
7:47In the Gospel of John, chapter 8, verse 12, Jesus says, "I
7:51am the light of the world."
7:53"And he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have
7:57the light of life."
7:59I'll remember to call upon the light of life when I need my midnight snack.
8:02Yes.
8:04Now, when you break down this scripture, you'll notice that Jesus didn't say, "I
8:08found the light," or, "I can show you the light." He says, "I am the light."
8:12Yes.
8:12This means that the answer to the darkness in your life and in my life, it's not
8:16a better five-year plan, or better circumstances, or a better job.
8:20It's Jesus. Jesus himself is the answer.
8:24He is the answer. He is the light.
8:27Now,
8:28what is darkness? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, it is defined
8:32as a total or near absence of light.
8:35The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as the quality of being without light.
8:39Darkness only exists where light is missing.
8:43Spiritually, the same exact principle applies.
8:46Darkness is what our lives become when Jesus is absent.
8:49Yes.
8:49It's fear instead of faith. It's chaos and confusion instead of
8:53clarity. Darkness is what our lives become without Jesus.
8:57Walking into darkness is like walking in defeat when we already have the
9:01victory in Jesus Christ.
9:05Before I met Jesus, I did a good job of acting like I had the
9:09light. I had charm. I had good manners,
9:12kindness, personality, and I was a little funny, just a little bit.
9:17But saints, we cannot confuse charm for light.
9:20We cannot confuse good manners for light.
9:24We can't confuse personality or being funny for light.
9:28Jesus is the only light, the bright and morning
9:32star. He is the light of the world. He said it in His word.
9:36Our light and our salvation.
9:39We can be educated. We can have money.
9:42We can have success and influence, but if Jesus is not at the center of our
9:46endeavors, then we are just walking in darkness.
9:48That's good.
9:49Now, what is light? Our scripture tells us plainly that Jesus is the light of
9:53the world. But before we can understand why that matters, let's go back to the very
9:57beginning. In Genesis 1 and 2, it says, "The earth was
10:01without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep."
10:05Right.
10:05Then in verse three, God spoke the first recorded words in scripture.
10:09He said, "Let there be light," and immediately there was light.
10:12Verse four says, "And God saw the light, and that it was good."
10:17Why was the light good? The light brings order where there is chaos.
10:20It gives direction where there is confusion.
10:23Light became the catalyst for everything that was about to happen in
10:26creation. Before God formed the mountains, before He separated the
10:30seas, before He even created mankind, He first dealt
10:34with the darkness.
10:35Yes.
10:36He even brought light before He created the Sun.
10:39Yes.
10:39Let that sink in. This tells us that God did not have to
10:43depend on anything or anyone to produce the light, because
10:47He is the source.
10:48Yes.
10:49Now, we fast-forward to the Gospel of John.
10:52John begins his gospel by declaring that Jesus is the Word made flesh.
10:56John 1:4, he pivots and he says, "In Him was life, and the
11:00life was the light of men." Notice that John doesn't say that
11:04Jesus has the light or He contains the light.
11:08Not only was He the Word, is the Word, but He also is the
11:11light.
11:12When humanity found itself in spiritual darkness, God didn't send another
11:16light. He didn't send another law or another system.
11:19He sent Himself. He came Himself. The same God who spoke
11:23light into a dark and void world came down
11:32And that brings us back to our text in John 8:12, where Jesus
11:35boldly declares, "I am the light of the world, and he that followeth me
11:40shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
11:44The light that brought order to creation is the same light that brings order
11:48to our lives.
11:49Yes.
11:49We will have to face darkness in our lives.
11:52In 2 Timothy 3, Paul warns and says that,
11:55"Perilous times shall come." The Message translation says it this way.
11:59It says: Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead.
12:04Oh, yeah.
12:04One day you might be perfectly healthy, and then the next day, the doctors might
12:07say, "There's a tumor growing in your brain."
12:08Oh, yeah.
12:09"And you'll need surgery to remove it."
12:11And then the next month, you might lose your job because the place you work at goes
12:15out of business. You can't make this up. Darkness is going to come.
12:20Yes.
12:20But ladies and gentlemen, I want to remind you that there is a
12:23comforter, and his name is Jesus.
12:26There is a balm for your brokenness. Hallelujah.
12:29There is a light that cannot be overtaken, a friend when you
12:33might feel like there are no friends around, and his name is Jesus.
12:37Darkness has never defeated the light, not in Genesis,
12:41not at Calvary, not at the empty tomb, and it is not going to
12:44defeat a child of God walking with the Lord today.
12:49Thank you, Jesus. Ooh, hallelujah.
12:51Hallelujah.
12:54Sometimes we want to believe that because we can't see the whole road ahead, that
12:58God has abandoned us. But God has never asked you to see the whole
13:01road. He just wants you to trust that He's lighting your
13:04path.
13:05One foot in front of the other.
13:07Yes.
13:08A wise pastor once said,
13:11"When you move, He will move."
13:13Yes.
13:14We can't just look at the light and expect something to happen. We must move.
13:18The light has already come, church. His name is Jesus.
13:22The question is, are we following him?
13:24Go.
13:24It's not a one-time decision, it's an everyday thing.
13:27We have to wake up every morning and choose Jesus.
13:30We have to read our Bibles when we'd rather scroll on social media.
13:34We have to pray when we'd rather sleep in.
13:36We have to love the one that seems unlovable.
13:40If you stay close to the light, darkness has no choice but to bow down.
13:45Yes.
13:45Just like he said 2,000 years ago, He is the light of the world.
13:48Now let's work on making Him the light of our lives.
13:51Oh, yes.
13:55Bless
13:57the Lord.
13:58Thank
14:03you, Jesus.
14:07Praise the Lord.
14:07Praise the Lord.
14:09I am so humbled to stand before you this evening.
14:15I can remember it like yesterday.
14:18The stares,
14:19the looks of confusion.
14:22Everywhere I went,
14:24I felt so out of place.
14:26So one day, I asked my husband,
14:29"Why does everyone keep staring at me?" His
14:32response:
14:34"They know you're not from here."
14:36When I would open my mouth, the response was worse
14:40than the stares.
14:42"Can you talk slower?"
14:45The chuckles, the laughs.
14:47"Why do you talk like that?"
14:49And the last critic
14:52was my food in the break room at work.
14:55"What is that?"
14:57My response: "Black-eyed peas."
15:01Yes.
15:02There were people that thought and acted like black-eyed peas was
15:06a despicable unknown food.
15:13Until one day,
15:15a MOD, which stands for manager on duty,
15:20entered the break room. "Ah, black-eyed peas," he
15:23explained. "Where are you from?" "Louisiana,"
15:28I finally said with pride. "Where are you from?" I reiterated his
15:32question. "North Carolina." My face gave way
15:36to the biggest smile. It felt so good
15:40to finally be understood and not have to hide my
15:44food.
15:45Hide and cover up my food.
15:48Yes.
15:49So, that was my experience upon moving from
15:52Louisiana in 2005 to sunny
15:56South Florida.
16:02Uh-huh. Yes, ma'am.
16:02I felt like an alien from another planet.
16:08In 1 Peter 2 in 11 through 12 states:
16:12"Dearly beloved,
16:13I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,
16:18abstain from fleshy lust which war against the
16:22soul."
16:22Uh-huh.
16:23"Having your conversations honest
16:27among the Gentiles."
16:29"That whereas they speak against you as evildoers,
16:34that they may, by your good works-"
16:38"Which they behold," because they're watching, they're looking.
16:40Yes.
16:41"Glorify God in the day of visitation."
16:46So, the Apostle Peter is addressing the church as
16:50strangers and pilgrims.
16:52Right.
16:52He is reminding them to abstain from environments
16:56that are not conducive to Christians.
16:59Right.
17:00He calls them pilgrims.
17:02Yes.
17:02In the Amplified version, it uses the words aliens
17:06and strangers.
17:08Yeah.
17:09The NIV version addresses the church as foreigners
17:13and exiles.
17:15Wow.
17:16The New Living Translation does not relent at all.
17:20It refers to the church, which is us-
17:22Yes
17:23... as temporary residents.
17:25Okay.
17:26That mean it's going to expire.
17:28Yes.
17:28Your time that you have here is temporary.
17:30It has a expiration date
17:36It refers to the Gentiles, which are those who are unsaved,
17:40as your neighbors. Right. Just everyday people that you see. Right.
17:44He is beseeching the church- Yes. To be careful
17:48how you act and conduct yourselves among
17:52Gentiles, your neighbors. Yes. Your coworkers.
17:56Uh-huh. And sometimes the hardest part for me,
18:00because they just get on my nerves,
18:04your family.
18:05Oh, yeah.
18:07Yeah. Saints,
18:09we must remember two things. Yes.
18:13First,
18:14this world is not my home. Come on. That's right.
18:19I'm just passing through. Right. Hallelujah.
18:22My treasures and my hopes- Uh-huh ...
18:25are all beyond the blue. Yes. And secondly,
18:29we are being watched. That's the truth.
18:32Whether we want to be or not. That's right. We are. Yes, we are.
18:35Romans
18:3718:19 states, "The earnest
18:41expectation of the creature waiteth."
18:46Can you imagine yourself waiting for someone to just
18:50come- Uh-huh ... to help you, to rescue you? They're waiting.
18:54Yes. They're looking at their watches, waiting-
18:58Uh-huh ... for the manifestation- Right
19:01... of the sons of God. Sons of God. The amplified version
19:05is even clearer. It states, "Even the whole,"
19:09not some, but, "the whole creation"- Right ...
19:12"all nature
19:14itself eagerly waits"- Oh, yeah ...
19:17"for the children of God to be revealed."
19:21Right. So saints,
19:24what are we waiting for? Right. The whole world is
19:27watching- Yes ... waiting- Yes ...
19:30and desiring to see- Right ... the sons of
19:34God. That's right. They need hope- Uh-huh ...
19:38in hopeless situations. True. They are
19:41yearning- Oh, yes, they are ... deep down inside
19:46to see,
19:47for us
19:49to be- Uh-huh ... that light, as Morgan stated earlier. Right.
19:54Hallelujah. Yes.
19:56So how do we
19:59be that light?
20:01By remembering
20:03who we are. Oh, yes. And whose we are. Yes.
20:08We are pilgrims. Pilgrims. We are the sons of God.
20:11Amen. We are the ecclesia. Yes.
20:15We are the called-out ones. Yes.
20:20Hallelujah.
20:22Thank you, Jesus. We are called from something.
20:26From something. Out of sin, called out of sin.
20:30To someone. To Him. And that someone is Christ. Yes.
20:34Thank you, Jesus.
20:36Thank you, Jesus. To be his ambassadors- Right ... in the Earth.
20:40We represent Him- Yes, ma'am ... in all that we do. Right.
20:44Because the world is watching- Watching us ...
20:48waiting- Uh-huh ... looking. Right.
20:51So in closing,
20:53I remind you,
20:56this world is not my home. No, ma'am.
20:59I'm just passing through.
21:02My treasures are laid up
21:05all somewhere beyond the blue. Oh, yeah.
21:08The angels beckon me- Uh-huh ... from a heaven's
21:12open door.
21:14And I can't- I can't
21:15... feel at home- Feel at home ... in this world
21:18anymore.
21:23Yes.
21:27Bless the Lord.
21:29Hallelujah. Praise the Lord, church.
21:32Praise the Lord, Brother McDonald. Hallelujah.
21:35Just checking to make sure I have no sprinklers above my head.
21:40Yes.
21:41So tonight,
21:43I'm going to be talking about fire.
21:46Okay.
21:47More specifically, wildfire.
21:49Okay.
21:50And I feel pretty confident with this lighter.
21:52I've got Zach in the room, so I know I'm safe.
21:57That's right.
21:57So what is a wildfire?
22:00A wildfire is a fire that burns uncontrolled through natural
22:03vegetation, such as forests, grasslands, brush, or
22:07other wild areas.
22:10A wildfire can start naturally,
22:13most commonly from lightning, or be caused by human activity, such as
22:17a campfire,
22:18cigarette, machinery spark, or intentional burning.
22:23So how does a wildfire spread?
22:27Dry conditions,
22:29wind, and high temperatures. And I want you to keep that in mind as I
22:33continue.
22:34Acts 2:1-4,
22:38"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one
22:41accord in one place.
22:44And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty
22:48wind. And it filled all the house where they were sitting.
22:52And there appeared onto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and
22:56it sat upon each of them.
22:59And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with
23:03other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."
23:06If you'll allow me tonight, I'd like to call these moments, these instances, a
23:10spark moment.
23:11Yes.
23:13After that moment where the Holy Ghost was poured out, that spark moment,
23:17there were those who mocked, and of course, they are still present today,
23:21until Peter preached, and the embers of that spark moment
23:25propelled them to ask, "What shall we do?"
23:28Right.
23:29And it's a very important question,
23:32and it resulted in 3,000 souls giving their lives to Christ.
23:37Now, this is not a one-off.
23:39The New Testament is filled with numerous examples where the embers from
23:43a spark moment have resulted in lives being changed. Right.
23:47Yes. The woman at the well in John 4, spark moment.
23:52Wow. Jesus speaks directly to the Samaritan woman and reveals that he knows her
23:56life- Yes ... her past, her present- Right ...
23:59and he's about to go ahead and rewrite her future. Come on. Hallelujah.
24:03Yes, sir.
24:04So she leaves her water pot, and she runs back to the city and tells the people
24:08about Jesus. Now, if you know a whole lot about wildfires, they spread
24:12because when wind picks up the embers, it carries it.
24:16Yes, sir. That's when they're at their most dangerous. Right.
24:22As a result,
24:23many Samaritans believe because of her testimony and come to Jesus.
24:29In John 9, the man born blind had his spark
24:34moment. Yes. Jesus heals him. The
24:37embers, he repeatedly testifies about what Jesus did.
24:42It can't be contained.
24:45Right. Wildfire, his testimony becomes a witness to the religious leaders and
24:48everyone around him.
24:51The Ethiopian eunuch, he had his spark moment- Yes ...
24:55when he met Philip, who preached to him Jesus, and he made a decision
24:59and said, "What doth hinder me from being baptized?" Right.
25:03Yeah. Saul had his spark moment on the road to Damascus- Yes ...
25:07which resulted in his conversion and subsequent missionary journeys. Uh-huh.
25:11The result, numerous churches being planted- Yes ...
25:14souls being saved, and a significant outpouring of the Holy Ghost.
25:20Yes, sir. Yeah. For each and every one of us who has made the decision to be
25:23baptized in the name of Jesus- Yes ...
25:25and has received the Holy Ghost- Uh-huh ...
25:27can now look back and remember your own spark
25:31moment.
25:33Yes. But it's what we do next that's really important.
25:36You see, it's great that we've decided to follow Jesus.
25:40Uh-huh. It feels amazing being surrounded by a body of believers, but the
25:44Lord did not call us to build an exclusive social club. Right. Yeah.
25:48Acts 1:8 says, "But ye shall receive power.
25:52After that, the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses
25:56unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in
25:59Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." Right.
26:03The church remained in Jerusalem after he said that.
26:07Uh-huh. And it wasn't until the winds of persecution that the embers of the gospel
26:11were scattered abroad, as shown in Acts
26:148:4. Yes. The wind didn't put out the fire.
26:18No. The wind spread the fire. Yeah.
26:21And tonight, you may be carrying an ember into your home, your
26:25workplace, your school, your family, or your community.
26:30Yes. You may not know what God is going to do with it,
26:34but don't underestimate your testimony. Yes.
26:37Don't underestimate your prayer. Come on.
26:40Don't underestimate your invitation.
26:43Yes. Don't underestimate what God can do through one person who is willing
26:47to carry the fire.
26:49Yeah. So I want to leave you with one question tonight.
26:52What are you going to do with your embers?
26:55Uh-huh. Because the fire God has started in you was never meant to end with you.
26:59Right. Hallelujah.
27:03Hallelujah. Amen. Yeah.
27:08My Lord and Savior, my Lord. Amen. Bless the Lord.
27:12Glory be to God. Praise the name of the Lord.
27:15Hallelujah. Oh.
27:23Good afternoon, church.
27:24Praise the Lord.
27:25Good afternoon.
27:25It's an honor to stand before you.
27:31We're going to start off by reading a portion of scripture from Matthew 5.
27:35It's a part of Jesus's Sermon on the Mount.
27:39For context, in this scripture, he's preaching to his
27:42disciples specifically, but he's got a bunch of people,
27:45a multitude surrounding him. There's people listening, there's people watching.
27:50There's people trying to understand who he is and what he's
27:53teaching.
27:54Right.
27:55In this sermon, he's describing the characters and values that he
27:59expects from those that follow him.
28:02He's talking to you. He's talking to me.
28:05Uh-huh.
28:05He's talking about Christians.
28:08Right. Amen.
28:09So we'll move on to reading Matthew chapter 5,
28:13verses 13 through 14.
28:16"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his
28:20savour, wherewith shall it be salted?
28:23It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be
28:26trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world.
28:30A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."
28:33Cannot be hid.
28:35Reading this scripture, the first thing that comes to mind is that Jesus doesn't
28:39start off with a list of requirements of to-dos
28:43to be salt and light. It's not try to be or work hard to be-
28:47Right
28:47... or do this, and then someday you'll qualify.
28:50Right. Amen.
28:51As I see, even if I wake up tomorrow
28:54and
28:56I develop a tremble in my hand and I can no longer play guitar,
28:59or
29:01I lose my voice permanently and I can no longer sing-
29:04Uh-huh
29:06my purpose will remain the same.
29:08Right. Yes.
29:10To be salt and light in the world.
29:13Yeah. Uh-huh.
29:14And as Jesus said-
29:15That's a beautiful sight
29:16... "You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world."
29:20Yes.
29:21And I think that this Sermon on the Mount is incredibly powerful
29:25because-
29:27... before he talks about ministry, positions, or titles, he
29:31provides an answer to a question many people spend their
29:34entire lives searching for.
29:38Why am I here?
29:41And given that identity, I'm not saying God doesn't call you for
29:45specific assignments or gifts, careers, ministries,
29:48callings. He absolutely does. But before God gives you a
29:52position,
29:54He gives you an identity. Right. Before you become a pastor,
29:59you're called to be salt and light. Yes. Right. Amen.
30:01Before you are called to be a worship leader- Yes ...
30:05you are called to be salt and light. Yes.
30:07Before you're called to be a missionary, a business owner,
30:11teacher- Yes ... engineer, photographer, parent, student,
30:15whatever God has called you to be-
30:19Yes ... priority is you are called to be salt and light.
30:24Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Amen.
30:26Oh, yes. Perfect So getting practical,
30:31salt is designed to preserve
30:33and provide flavor. Unsalty salt and salt that is
30:37unable to preserve is effectively ineffective.
30:40How many of us want to be effectively ineffective? No.
30:46Besides our sister in the back?
30:49I pray that standing before those gates,
30:52I'm not deemed ineffective.
30:55Standing before those gates with our Creator in front of
30:58us- Yeah. Ah ... "I never knew you. Depart from me,
31:03ye that work iniquity." Yeah. Colossians 4:6
31:07says something along the lines of, "Let your conversations always be full of grace.
31:12Season with salt so that you may know the answer to everyone." Uh-huh.
31:16In order for your words to reflect Christ, preserve truth- Hallelujah ...
31:19provide flavor, you must know the truth that grants that flavor.
31:23Yes. Your words matter. Yeah. Come on.
31:26Reflect God in everyday conversations- That's right ...
31:29because He expects you to be effective wherever it is He has placed you.
31:33Right. Yes.
31:35Now on to light.
31:38In Matthew 5, Jesus declares, "You are the light of the world."
31:42Right. Light doesn't have to fight darkness. No. That isn't our burden.
31:46Ah. You don't walk in a dark room and argue with the shadows.
31:50Right. "Why are you so dark?"
31:52Right. You turn on the light- That's right. That's right ...
31:55and darkness has no choice but to give away. Yes.
31:59That's good. That's why Jesus says, "You are the light of the world." Ah.
32:02Because as followers of Christ, we are not called to hide our faith.
32:06Yeah. But at the same time, don't shine so other people can see you. Yes.
32:12Shine so people see Christ through you.
32:19That's right.
32:21Shine so when you step out of the room, step out of that
32:25conference, step out of that break room at work,
32:29or out of that house, or your family,
32:33so they could say there must be something different about the God that they
32:37serve. Yes. Hey. Shine your light.
32:41Make yourself available to be a blessing. Come on.
32:44God uses those that say, "Here I am, Lord." "Here I am, Lord." "Send me."
32:48Yes. That's good.
32:50We have this running joke in our family whenever we go
32:53to a restaurant on off-peak hours.
32:57When you step in, there's nobody there, and you have to scream at the waiter that's
33:01in the back
33:02who's on their phone or whatever it is, and they take forever to come
33:06out. And when they come to take your order, they stand awkwardly in front of you
33:10because they got nothing else to do.
33:12And you sit there, and they bring your food, and then
33:15the first family walks in, then the next.
33:18And by the time you leave, the place is full of people, and you walk out
33:22saying, "We brought the blessing of the Lord upon this
33:26place," or whatever it is.
33:30But it's funny to think about it in that way, but that's the type of blessing
33:33that we trail as followers of Christ. Yeah.
33:37Philippians 2:15, Paul reminds us that as believers,
33:41we are to shine like stars in the sky- Yes ...
33:44in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Right.
33:48Notice Paul doesn't say,
33:50"Wait until the world becomes less dark." He says, "Shine."
33:54Right. It is written in the Bible,
33:57as our Lord comes closer, the world isn't getting any brighter.
34:01No, sir. It is the exact opposite. Right.
34:04Darkness will become more apparent, more acceptable.
34:09Don't fall into that darkness. Yeah, man.
34:12Be the difference. All right. Amen.
34:14And with that, I wrap up with these questions of self-reflection
34:19for you to think about on your way home or within this moment.
34:24Does my life point towards Christ?
34:29Whoo. What if the people around me knew I belong to Christ? Come on.
34:33That's right. Am I hiding my faith out of fear?
34:36Uh-huh. Is there someone God wants me to shine a light on this week? Right.
34:40And with that, a final reminder that people aren't drawn to perfection.
34:43That's the truth. They're not looking for someone who's always put together- Right
34:47... that looks like they've never faced hardship. Right.
34:49They're looking for someone human, someone real, someone they can relate with.
34:54Yes. They are drawn to the authentic works of Christ in your life.
34:58Amen.
34:59Whoa.
35:07Praise the Lord, church.
35:08Praise the Lord.
35:09What a word that has been brought forth already.
35:13Amen.
35:15Amen.
35:15I'll never feel worthy to be up here.
35:18I just pray that God uses me tonight.
35:20Yes.
35:22Hallelujah.
35:23Okay.
35:24Show of hands. Who here likes to cook?
35:28I know I do.
35:30Have you ever cooked something, and you're tasting it, and you're like, "Mm, it's
35:34just missing a little something."
35:37That's what the world is like when Christians aren't living the way Jesus called us
35:40to.
35:41That's good.
35:42You see, someone may look a certain way on the outside, but there's just a little
35:46something missing on the inside.
35:49You see this salt?
35:52This salt isn't useful sitting here in this container.
35:57No. Right now it's just tiny white flakes. Yes.
36:02This salt can sit on the shelf for years and never change anything.
36:07What is the only way you can use it?
36:10To pour it out.
36:13That's right. In Matthew 5 it says, "If the salt has lost its
36:17savor, not only is it good for nothing-"
36:21Right "... but it is also to be cast out."
36:25Yes. But not just cast out, to be
36:30trampled over.
36:32Right. So what is salt's intended purpose?
36:34Salt is a preservative. A preservative is something that is used to
36:38prevent decomposition, and keeps products stable, safe, and fresh.
36:43The world we live in is full of decomposition.
36:46Right. It's spiritually decaying because of sin.
36:51This is the purpose of God saying to a true spirit-filled Christian
36:55that you are the salt through Him that lives within you, and really that's the
36:59most important factor. He must be living within you in a way that
37:03affects change.
37:05If you intend to add salt to preserve something, but what you pour out
37:09isn't pure salt, it's mixed in with something else, what you're trying to
37:13preserve will no longer be effective- Right ...
37:17because you changed the chemical formula. Yes.
37:19It defeats the whole purpose. Yes.
37:22The same applies to our relationship with God and how He can use us.
37:26God first preserves and purifies us and then flows through us to
37:30reach others, but how can He flow through us when
37:34we're not purified and preserved? Yes.
37:37Salt also creates thirst. Our lives should make others
37:41thirst for Jesus. Yes. The presence of the Lord in our life
37:45bleeds into everything that we do, our words, our actions, our
37:49attitudes. When people see our peace during trials,
37:54our love towards others who are not so loving towards
37:57us- Yes, Lord ... and our joy despite of whatever hardships come our
38:01way, this is what makes them thirst after what we have in
38:05Christ Jesus. Yes. I've lived with God, and I've
38:09lived without God, and when you're going through the trials of life,
38:14the feeling of hopelessness,
38:17anxiety-
38:19Oh, my God ... fear. Who here has felt that?
38:23Yes. You just feel like you're drowning because you don't have the one who calms
38:27the storm, the peace that only God can give.
38:31We are to be that example. Our life is to be a living
38:35testimony of what the Lord has done, to show others that
38:39it is not the words we say that make it real.
38:43It's real because our life is the true evidence of it.
38:47Right. This outward example is not meant to be made into a
38:50show or something for others to look at and say, "Wow, look
38:54how holy they are. They're so cool."
38:58Salt does its greatest work when no one sees it.
39:01Yes. That's right. It doesn't draw attention to itself.
39:05It simply dissolves and changes whatever it touches. Yes.
39:09That's good. Matthew 5 also states, "Ye are the light of the
39:13world."
39:14Light is essentially the absence of darkness. Yes.
39:18One definition says that it stimulates sight and makes things visible.
39:23No one walks into a dark room and stands there and says, "Oh, man,
39:27I wish it wasn't so dark in here." They're going to look for the source of light.
39:32Something must take place for us to come out of the darkness and into His marvelous
39:36light. It's a shift in the atmosphere, an
39:39action. The moment light enters the room, darkness has to
39:43leave. Yes. I don't know about you,
39:46but I've been in the dark.
39:50I've been fumbling around in life, looking for the spiritual light switch.
39:54I did for a long time.
39:56And sometimes when you don't have God, you look for that light in
40:00relationships, alcohol, drugs.
40:03Yes.
40:06It's the moment that when the true light enters your world, that you
40:10realize that God's light, the true light,
40:15it is what you were searching for the whole time.
40:18God's light not only looks different, but it feels
40:22different,
40:23and it's very obvious when you're plugged in.
40:27We have churches on every corner and Bibles in almost every home.
40:31The world today isn't suffering from a lack of information.
40:34The world is suffering from the proper application of the information.
40:39Yes. It's the lack of true transformation.
40:42It's the multitude of people that make claim to Christianity, but are
40:46still the same liar, thief, backbiter that they were before
40:50their claim to Christ.
40:52These types of Christians do not illuminate the world with God's light.
40:56The world is just as dark with or without them,
41:00and I don't want that to be me, Lord. No.
41:03True light makes a difference. We are called to be a spiritual
41:06lighthouse, the instrument that God uses for His beam of light that
41:10breaks through the darkness of the night and says, "Hey, you're almost to
41:14safety. Keep holding on. Let me show you the way to safety with the
41:18light that's within me."
41:20Yes. Ephesians 5:8 says,
41:23"For ye were sometimes darkness." Right.
41:27I
41:28have sometimes been darkness.
41:32But now, with God's intervention and transformation,
41:36"Ye are light in the Lord."
41:38Praise the Lord. So the action is to walk as children of
41:42light. Someone may find Jesus because they first saw Him
41:46reflected in you. God never intended for our faith to remain
41:50private. Our testimony is meant to be seen.
41:54In closing,
41:56the world may never read a Bible,
41:59but it will read your life.
42:01Be salty enough to make them thirst for Jesus
42:05and bright enough to lead them to Him.
42:16Thank you. Stay up here.
42:19Shall we all stand?
42:26I have served as pastor here since 1992.
42:32I became Mindy's pastor in 1997,
42:38somewhere around there. Villa Gilaland, do you remember?
42:41Yes, it was 2001. Oh, it was 2001. Okay. Thank you.
42:44Or 2000, something like that.
42:45I just know I got in this building in '97, and it was
42:49not long after that.
42:53I cannot tell you all
42:56of the tears
42:59that have been shed throughout this entire 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 as a young
43:22child. Eight-ish?
43:25Ish. Yeah.
43:26Nine-ish.
43:27Maybe 10-ish.
43:32I looked exactly the way I look right now.
43:35Amen. Yes. Mm-hmm.
43:40Back then, her batch of girls sat right in this area,
43:44and I would preach and cry and shout.
43:49And most of the time, they would come to the altar.
43:54Sometimes they talked at the altar.
43:58Sometimes they played at the altar.
44:01Sometimes they prayed at the altar. Ah. Hallelujah. I love it.
44:06Those of you who have been here through the years or who have been here
44:09years,
44:11right now you're thinking of people who you know have been
44:15in this altar.
44:20In this altar, I have
44:23had an all-night prayer meeting with young men.
44:26I remember Daniel
44:29Martinez
44:31being here for an all-night prayer.
44:35This is Brother Armando's son.
44:38I remember Melanie
44:40coming and praying in these altars right here. Melanie Martinez.
44:46I could start putting out names left and right that
44:50we have poured into.
44:54We read that night Jonathan
44:58Edwards' sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,"
45:02and
45:03it's a hard read. It's not easy.
45:06And here I was, married with children, and I was doing an
45:10all-night prayer thing with guys.
45:14What
45:15in the world was that for?
45:18Was it for them to grow up and backslide and live
45:21selfishly and forget God?
45:24Is that why I did it?
45:28Why did I pray with Mindy
45:32over here? And I could name the three other
45:36girls we sat with,
45:41and all of them had children before they were married. Ah. Yeah.
45:45They grew up in the church. Yeah. Beautiful kids.
45:49Miracle kids. Oh. They grew up in the
45:53church.
45:56But because we all get to make decisions,
46:00you get to do whatever you so want to do.
46:04Why did we do it then, and why do we do it now?
46:10When Mindy started reading out of Ephesians,
46:15"We
46:17who were sometimes darkness."
46:20Ah. I love it. I thought of every person I've
46:24ever pastored.
46:26Some are living for God right now, and some are not.
46:30I don't know why I remember Daniel so much.
46:34It wasn't sunrise yet, and we were trying to stay awake,
46:39and I was fighting it more than they were because I had a wife at
46:43home I could have been with,
46:46asleep.
46:47But we
46:50went out and walked all the way up Pine Island, and
46:54then we walked down Griffin. And we walked
46:58down-- This is what we did. We walked all the way
47:01to the IHOP down at University.
47:09Oh. And we went in there and ate IHOP together,
47:13and it was a night. And I think back, and I think, was that stupid?
47:18No. Was that a wasted night? No.
47:22Was that because you were a pretender?
47:26Were they pretending? No. I'll tell
47:30you what.
47:32I got my arm around a little girl right now,
47:35my little Mindy. It's more her dad's little girl, okay?
47:38But
47:40it's like she's mine.
47:42And watching the Holy Ghost do a work in this life,
47:48it tells me it doesn't matter where you run.
47:50It doesn't matter what kind of hopelessness is talking to
47:54all of you that tells you that the enemy's written the
47:58final chapter on anybody. Let me tell you right now
48:03Be salt and be light. Be salt and be
48:07light. Be salt and be light. Keep holding on.
48:11Keep pressing through. Keep praying. Keep worshiping.
48:15Keep believing. Never give up. Never throw in the towel.
48:19Never give up hope, because God does a great
48:23work. Yes. He's a great God. Yes.
48:27And he's doing a great work.
48:29And when Mindy said, "Those who were
48:33sometimes darkness,"
48:36I thought, Lord,
48:38it's always been worth it, and it will always be
48:42worth it, because I expect to see
48:46him, but before he comes, he's going to do a great
48:50revival. He said it's going to be a quick work.
48:54It's going to be faster than anybody ever
48:57anticipated. It's going to be a dynamic work.
49:01Thank you, Mindy, for bringing the word tonight.
49:04Why don't we lift our hands right now all over this building and just
49:08tell the Lord how much we know he's working for
49:11us. He's working through us. He's working in us.
49:15He's working around us. He's working beside us.
49:20He's doing a great work in this hour, a work
49:23for his cause, a work for the cause of
49:27eternity, a work for the cause of heaven, a
49:31work because he so loved the world.
49:34He so loved. Why don't we gather around this front just a little
49:38while in faith? Why don't you bring somebody in your heart and in your
49:42mind and say, "Oh, Lord, your salt is still
49:46working. Your salt is still changing.
49:49Your salt is still seasoning."
49:53Hallelujah. You're seasoning our-