October 9, 2024 • 44 mins
Salt and Light and what Jesus says his followers are.
Through engaging narratives and personal stories, we challenge you to embody the essence of a neighbor in need, moving beyond superficial acts of kindness to genuine, impactful connections. Hear about a moment of unexpected compassion that transformed a simple task into a profound lesson in love and community. We emphasize that living out Jesus' message means recognizing everyone's struggles and extending our help unconditionally, with humility and vulnerability.
Explore the transformative power of prayer and the deep connections it fosters with the divine and our true selves. Learn how prayer acts as a bridge to rekindle relationships and create opportunities for change, with the reassurance that your actions can bring hope and healing even while awaiting answers. We invite you to join us on this spiritual journey, embracing the light and love that can transform not only your life but also the world around you. Visit us at firstlovechurch.org for more resources and to continue this journey together.
This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would like to support the ongoing work of First Love Church you can donate at https://www.firstlovechurch.org/giving
In the service of LOVE,
Pastors Dennis and Heather Drake
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the First Love Church Podcast.
This is a collection of Sundayteachings inspired by the
Revised Common Lectionary andrecorded weekly in Ocala,
florida.
Together we've gathered intoGod's house and I remind you
that, though we're saying thisis the house of God this morning
, that God has many homes andGod is everywhere and not
(00:21):
relegated just to one space.
In fact, we are the livingtemple, we are the living house
of God, and each one of you thatbrought light and love and
Jesus with you this morningwe're so incredibly grateful for
your presence with us.
We are excited to speak theword of life and to look at the
text, to encouraged and to bedrawn into this beautiful hope.
(00:45):
And this morning part of ourtext is from the book of Matthew
, and Jesus is speaking andbeloved.
We need to pay attention whenJesus is speaking.
There is a special emphasisthat needs to be given when we
recognize this is the words ofour Jesus, who showed us how to
live, how to truly live, how toget off of autopilot and to be
(01:06):
able to live the life that Godhas given us.
And so, as we go again to theGospels this morning, I remind
you that we're still in ordinarytime in the scriptures, in the
church calendar, and that kindof gives us some direction on
where we go in the scriptures.
And I love the gospels becauseI love all the different ways
that we get to see Jesus.
(01:27):
In some ancient rabbinicalteaching, recognizing things
that were in the first testament, the rabbis would say all the
time, pay attention to the 70faces of Torah.
And that really meant that youcould look at a scripture one
way and then somebody else couldhave another facet of it.
And you could look at ascripture one way and then
somebody else could have anotherfacet of it and you could turn
it a little bit and seesomething like that.
(01:48):
And it's one of the ways whyyou can look at the text, read
the text, be a part of the textfor your whole life, and it's
not a dry, empty, just words ona page.
It is a life, it is living.
Jesus is that the living wordwith us, and so when we speak
and we hear the words of Jesus,it brings us into such beauty.
(02:10):
I was thinking about thedifferent gospels that we've
been a part of and somebody wasasking me if I have a favorite
and I can't.
I can't go there.
I like them all for differentreasons, but I just want to
remind you a few things thismorning and you already know
this.
But in the gospel of Mark,jesus is newly baptized and he
goes and he casts out an uncleanspirit and he's really proving
(02:31):
to the people around that he isthe son of God and that he is
the ultimate boundary crosser Ifthere is a boundary.
Jesus is going to the otherside, jesus is going where they
tell Jesus that he cannot go andJesus is going to be there in
the midst of those people.
And Luke Jesus leaves and infact comes out of the wilderness
and he said he's coming toproclaim a release to the
(02:52):
captive, to recovery of sight,to the blind, that Jesus has
come and that he is going toheal the brokenhearted.
And this message positions himin the poor and in the
marginalized and also gets abunch of people to try to run
him out of town.
The same message.
And so for John.
(03:13):
Jesus's first thing is a miracleand he turns water into
extravagant wine.
And I think that in in John'sGospel you can look at that.
In the gospel writer is tellingus look at the grace, look at
the extravagant love, look athow much joy is in the presence.
And then in John, it brings usback to this beautiful
(03:38):
invitation that there's morethan enough.
Whatever you have need of, ifyou have need of grace, there is
more than enough.
The table is big enough foreveryone.
And then we come back to Matthew, and Matthew really tells us
about Jesus being the teacherand showing us how to live, how
to live rightly.
And we've been in James for thepast month, and James remind us
(03:59):
that you know, faith withoutworks is dead, and if you don't
have evidence of what you sayyou believe, then James inquires
of us.
Let's change that.
What good is your faith if itcannot make someone else's life
bigger, better, more beautiful,more in the presence of God and
hope?
And so this morning, as we goto the text, we listen to
(04:21):
Matthew, who is telling us thisbeautiful portion, and I remind
you, and you can go home andread them, or maybe you have
them memorized, but this is thepart where Jesus starts talking
about how the world is differentthan we thought it was.
Jesus begins to talk aboutbeatitudes.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,and that's turning everyone on
(04:41):
their head, because that's notever how they saw a blessing,
and that's turning everyone ontheir head, because that's not
ever how they saw a blessing.
And Jesus began to come anddescribe for us a world that we
weren't living in and that weclearly had never seen.
And Jesus was like this iswhere the blessing is, this is
where God is, and so this iswhere we meet the text today.
(05:04):
Jesus has just talked about theBeatitudes, and this is what he
says to his followers you arethe salt of the earth, but what
good is salt if it has lost itsflavor?
Can you make it salty again?
It will be thrown out andtrampled underfoot as worthless.
You are the light of the world.
A city on a hilltop that cannotbe hidden.
No one lights a lamp and thenputs it under a basket.
(05:26):
Instead, a lamp is placed on astand where it gives light to
everyone in the house In thesame way.
Let your good deeds shine outfor all to see, so that everyone
will praise your heavenlyfather.
And this is the text for ustoday, where Jesus is saying to
us you are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the earth
(05:50):
, you are the light of the world.
Now I remind you that Jesus wasreally clear on who he was.
Jesus had quite a few I amstatements.
In fact, the I am statementsare so meaningful because when,
even in the first testament,when the people who were
following god said what is yourname, god said my name is I am.
I am that I am.
And so this expansive,beautiful name for god and jesus
(06:15):
is here and in his ministry hebegins to say things like I am,
I am the door, I am the way, Iam the good shepherd, I am the
light and the truth I am.
And then Jesus begins lookingat us and saying you are.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
And so we see this beautiful invitation into the
co-creation that the Spirit isdoing in the world you know, I
would hope that you could maybesee yourself as that salt or
that flavor or that, that thingthat the world really needs,
like you individually, not likeus, corporately though that it
is.
But I think sometimes when weindividualize it, it's hard to,
(06:56):
because we see ourselvessometimes by our failures or
what we're not doing, and Godsees us as who we really are not
doing.
And God sees us as who wereally are.
When I was little, my brotherand I would be sent up on
Saturday mornings to the donutMellow Cream it was called In
Jacksonville, illinois.
We were sent up to get a dozendonuts and we were allowed to
(07:24):
bring ten donuts back, and somom would have the order and
then we could or each Danny andI could get one, and then, as
our reward for walking up thereand getting those for her, we
got one, and so my mom got ten,and I don't know, but anyways I
have no resentment.
Does it sound like I do, becausemaybe I've got to work out some
stuff with counseling.
But we'd come up through thealley and go into that place and
(07:45):
I remember one Saturday morningthere was powdered donut sugar
all in the alley dumped on theground and I think probably what
happened was somebody wascarrying that bag of powdered
sugar in and it fell off andbusted open and it was there
inside the weeds and the muddyand my heart was broken.
(08:08):
I thought are they not going tohave powdered donuts today?
Because that was my donut ofchoice at that time.
That was my fix.
I needed it.
I walked all the way up thereand I remember wanting and going
to taste and my older brothertold me that was not a good idea
.
(08:31):
But it was on the ground.
It was worthless Dough, youcan't have it.
It was damaged, it was ruined,and what a sad thing to think of
all the donuts that could havebeen enjoyed by this powder, but
yet it was just dropped andtrampled on.
You know are you tracking withme a little bit here that you're
(08:53):
that precious and more, so muchmore you know, and you're that
valuable to the world, to theworld.
And so there is for ussomething that we should
recognize, that there is thispotential for us to be
ineffective and there is apotential for God to transform
(09:15):
us in a way that we are sofruitful and such a blessing and
so effective.
So will we recognize the greatI am, as able to remove
bitterness out of us, removeanger, remove sin that distracts
(09:38):
us and derails us, so that wecan walk in that place of being
like powdered donut sugar forthe world, being the salt that
people need, amen.
I really believe that if wecould kind of look in terms of
that personal transformation, orthat personal walk and what it
(10:01):
does, I think that this thingcould become a little more real
than just a reading that maybewe've heard before.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
You are the salt of the earth.
It's been more than 2,000 yearssince Jesus said this, and so
it's important for us to payattention to the fact that this
is a metaphor.
I mean, there's some reallygood things in our language
about people that are salt ofthe earth.
That means that they are there.
You can be trusted, we knowwhat we're getting when we get
them.
They're not highfalutin.
(10:28):
These people are going to go towork and they're going to
accomplish something, and whensomeone says to me you are salt
of the earth people, it's acompliment.
But this is something that is inour language and vocation and
our particular vernacular here,and so I remind you that we are
listening to a very, veryancient text, and so in one of
(10:50):
the translations, I thought itwas remarkable, because it says
you are the salt of the earth.
But what good is salt if itturns to foolishness?
That's how it actually is, andI'm thinking.
Well, there is then thisinvitation that salt looks like
wisdom, and what good is it whenthe wisdom turns to foolishness
?
What good is it when somethingthat was once meant for
(11:13):
transformation?
So I like to cook, and many ofus do, and I remind you of how
intentional and how powerfulsalt is in the cooking.
And salt is not necessarilymeant for you just to taste the
salt, but it is a flavorenhancer.
In fact, salt is different thanpepper, though you need both of
them.
Pepper is a spice and peppercan be ground and laid right on
(11:35):
top of, and I think sometimes wehave in our lives the teachings
of Christ like pepper, not likesalt, just laid on top of what
we do.
We have our life and the waythat we're going to do with a
little pepper on it, but saltactually changes from the inside
the flavor, the taste ofsomething.
Everyone pay attention to me,do not look, I'm just teasing.
(11:57):
The sweetest little Sawyer iscrawling on his way up to the
front.
May he always come to the altar.
May he always know that this isthe place to go.
I love it with my whole heart.
I don't know anyway, but thatwas adorable.
All of us in church thismorning.
A baby was headed to tell usthe truth.
The scripture says the kingdomis like a child, and so Sawyer
has some good things to tell usabout what Jesus is like, and
(12:20):
then he's going to be on hisside.
Quick will be Dwayne when Dwaynelearns to speak and he can
encourage us and I love thisabout our church family that
there are babies among us butthat there are elders.
And we're reading in the bookof Revelation and it talks about
amen, amen, amen and amen.
And amen means so be it.
So be it when you don't see ityet, so be it when it doesn't
(12:41):
feel like it's going to happen.
And I hope that you paidattention to that particular
metaphor when he says that theangels that are around the
throne are holding golden bowlsand in the bowls are incense.
And the incense that is offeredbefore the Lord is the prayer
of the saints.
Your prayers, beloved, matter,my prayers matter, our prayers
(13:02):
matter.
I was also thinking aboutJesus's disciples, because they
saw Jesus do so many things, anddo you know what they asked for
?
Lord, teach us to pray.
It's not recorded that anyonesaid, hey, that thing you did
with the wine, teach me to dothat.
Or the thing you did with theguy's hand, teach me.
You know what they looked at.
These are people that knew howto pray.
(13:22):
They had already learned somuch of the prayer since they
were little boys.
They knew prayer, but they knewthat Jesus was praying with
different results.
And they looked at all of themiracles.
And they said teach us to pray,teach us to be in communion
like you are in communion.
Teach us to be one with theFather, the way that you're one
with the Father.
And so we hear Jesus saying tous you are the salt of the earth
(13:44):
, you are the important stuff.
If.
What good is salt?
Is it?
If lost its flavor, can youmake it salty again?
It'll be thrown out andtrampled underfoot as worthless.
In Jesus's day, salt preservedfood.
It was medicine, and it wasalso the word that the Romans
took and used this word becausepeople were paid in salt, and it
(14:07):
actually the word that we usetoday.
Salary comes from this word.
It's like are you worth yoursalt?
Meant, something like are youworth the pay that we have here?
And so this was something thatwasn't just an add-on, that this
was an essential part of theirlife.
And Jesus was saying I'mlooking at you and you are the
salt here.
You are the thing thattransforms the dish, you are the
(14:27):
thing that brings forth thesebeautiful flavors.
You are that thing.
And so one of the things thatsalt actually does is it reduces
bitterness in the flavor.
If you have something that hasbitter in it and you put salt,
it balances it out.
And I was thinking how much theworld is full of bitterness,
needs us.
(14:47):
They need us to be full oflight and love and salt and say
this is the way.
There's a better way imaginable, but that this is a
counteracting to bitterness,this invitation to live in this
way.
Jesus is saying to us there's ahope.
And then Jesus says you are thelight of the world.
You are the light of the world.
(15:09):
If you know, advent is coming,so I'm already preparing.
That's in December and I'mstaying present.
I really am, but I am preparing.
The book of Advent is growing.
But this part in Advent that weremember all the time is when
Simeon, this prophet who is veryold, sees the baby.
The parents bring the baby andhe takes this baby and he says
(15:31):
this is the one I've beenlooking my whole life for.
He sees this new, fresh onefrom heaven and says this is the
one.
This will be the light to theGentiles and the glory of God's
people, israel.
And this has been the prophecyover Jesus that he will be the
light.
In fact, jesus says that he isthe light.
And then Jesus turns to us andsays you are the light, oh,
(15:54):
beloved.
Sometimes we're not very shiny,and so I remind you that we are
light, and we are not light bytelling people who we are
against or what we believe.
This is the invitation fromJames.
This is the invitation fromJames, this is the invitation
from Jesus.
We are the light by how we live, by how we live in love, by how
we live in community, andthere's such a beautiful
(16:17):
invitation here for us to sayyou are the light of the world.
A city on a hilltop that cannotbe hidden.
No one lights a lamp and thenputs it under a basket, except
for sometimes we do.
I think Jesus is saying this isfoolishness.
This was obviously before thatthere was electricity and you
(16:39):
could put a basket shade onsomething that was light.
We're talking about a flamehere.
The lamp is placed on a standwhere it gives light to everyone
in the house.
I loved these two verses becauseit says that you're the light
on the hill.
That's like a lot of pressureto me, at least, it seems like
that way but a light that is foreveryone to see.
(17:00):
And then it says you're to bethe light in your own house.
You are to be kind to your ownfamily.
You are to be loving towardthose people.
You are to be the light ofChrist.
You are to be a person soillumined by this love that you
can be a light in your own house.
So in your own house first.
Now, I've been to countries andmaybe you have where there's
(17:22):
not a lot of light pollution andsomeone can have a fire on a
hill or there can be somethinggoing on and you can see it for
miles because there's no otherlights around, and so this is an
invitation for us to payattention to this goodness
that's here.
You are light, beloved, you aresalt, you have power of love to
(17:42):
transform, and Jesus isreminding us this is what it's
like.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
I have a really uh dear friend and uh with friends
for a long time and both of uspastored churches, you know, and
uh, you know he's he's doneministry work, missions work and
all this stuff, um, but he uhhad um, struggled with
alcoholism to the point that Imean just you know, before noon
(18:10):
I mean he's down to a wholebottle of vodka, you know, just
day, daily.
Just the amount of alcohol waskilling him.
And he went into a treatmentand it was a long-term treatment
and he realized, you know thathe was, that you know doctors
were telling him at this pace itwould be very, you know, he
wouldn't live.
So he went in and and he said,one of the times, through the
(18:31):
working of the Lord and theircounseling and help, and he
heard something, the Lord saidsomething to him in his spirit,
but he didn't say it out loud.
And then he was in the groupand they said I want you to say
something about yourself, maybethat you've never said before,
that you have a hard time sayingin front of people, and any
(18:53):
voiced it.
He said out loud, he said thatGod.
He said.
He said I'm worthy of God'slove.
He said it out loud and he said, he just burst into tears, just
the kind of crying came overhim because all of the things he
did, all of the ministry, allthe stuff, all the accolades he
(19:15):
had had and stuff, there wasstill something inside that was
so broken.
And that's why we, you know the, the addiction isn't the
problem, it's trying to mask thepain and the problem.
And so that's the thing we needto get at Right and so for him
to be able to say out of hismouth that I'm worthy of God's
(19:38):
love.
God's made you worthy.
But could you say that out loud, you know?
And I think about this passageof scripture because, because we
were like, well, how you know,that's a little ambiguous.
How am I putting a bushel on mylight?
You know, how am I not beingsalt?
That is a very ambiguousthought, right?
So I would challenge you tojust say could you right now,
(20:03):
stand up in this room and say Iam the salt of the earth, I am
light?
Could you?
Or is there something inside ofyou that just couldn't bring
yourself to say I'm worthy ofGod's love?
You know, and I'm not going togo around the room and ask you
to do that, but I really wouldask you to at some point today,
(20:23):
before you lay your head down onyour pillow for your nap or for
your bedtime tonight, if youcould say out of your mouth, you
know to say I am, you know,because to own that is a
humbling thing, but we mix it upinto some kind of arrogant
pride, but it's so humbling tosay that God has made me worthy
of his love, you know.
(20:45):
And so I would ask you toconsider that what we're talking
about today is God's doings.
So I'm not standing up heregoing.
I am the light.
Look at me.
But he has made me to be lightto people, and so when I can say
that, and saying it leads tobelieving it, I mean, if I think
(21:08):
it, it's one of those thoughts.
You know, it did me no good tothink how much I loved Heather.
A change really happened when Ilooked at her and said I love
you, and then she burst intotears and I thought, oh, I've
really messed up our friendshipnow.
And then she told me these aretears of joy, and that was the
(21:35):
day, man, that I learned I willnever understand women, but I
know that voicing that made allthe difference, and I know for
you that if you could get tothat place where you could
really say and believe I am salt, I am light, I am worthy of
God's love, am salt, I am light,I am worthy of god's love.
You know to think about thosethings and let this verse really
bring the change, that anintensity.
It's god who's who's making the, the shining and and changing
(21:59):
the flavor and curing the, thelives of the people around you.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Amen we pause here for a moment to thank you for
joining us today.
If you're finding this episodemeaningful, would you take a
moment to share it with a friend?
This podcast is made possiblethanks to the generosity of
people just like you.
If you would like to supportthe ongoing work of First Love
Church and the continued work ofour podcast, visit us online at
(22:27):
firstlovechurchorg.
Reminding you to like, followand subscribe.
Jesus is going to tell usexactly what he means by the
metaphor.
In the same way, let your gooddeeds shine out for all to see,
so that everyone will praiseyour Father in heaven.
The metaphor is not complicatedif you understand.
It is your good deeds.
It is the things that you do,not to earn God's love.
(22:47):
You already have that, butbecause you are loved, god is
not opposed to effort, but Godis opposed.
Grace is opposed to earning.
You are already loved, but nowthat you are, how will you live?
Now that you are loved, nowthat you are worthy, where is
the light and where is the love?
I was driving this was more thana year ago but I had done what
I shouldn't have done.
(23:08):
So I tell you that wisdomdidn't take me there.
I had not given myself enoughtime for interruption.
I don't know if you've plannedyour day like that, but my day
sometimes is planned how I likeit, with no interruptions, and
don't you know that?
That's usually wheninterruption comes to me.
But I had an appointment, I hadsomewhere to be and I felt a
little bit of pressure.
And I felt a little bit ofpressure and I had given myself
(23:33):
time and I was in the van and Iwas coming around the corner and
I saw an elderly black man onthe side of the road and he had
a cooler, like a hard cooler, onhis shoulder and he was walking
with it and he was as you dohere in Florida.
Sweat was dripping from the topof him in such a crazy way.
So I rolled down my window andI said, excuse me, are you my
neighbor?
And I didn't mean that in aphilosophical way, I meant
geographically, like are youfrom around here?
Because we don't know everybodyand I was not going to leave
(23:55):
him there.
And he looked at me and he goesI don't know, how do you
believe?
And I was thinking, okay, youare somebody who also knows that
everyone is my neighbor.
And I said, well, now that youput it that way.
Yes, I said, can I give you aride?
And he looked right at me andhe said I see you, jesus.
And I was a little bit upset.
I was like whoopsie-daisy, I'min the middle of some kind of
(24:16):
fight with him and the Lord andI'm not sure I want to be in the
middle of that.
And he goes.
I see you, jesus, and he goes.
I, lord and I were having amoment and I thought to myself,
I know, based on your response,and he said I was telling the
(24:36):
Lord now, all these times I'vedone for you and I've done for
people and this is the time Ineed help and you're not showing
up for me.
This is the time that I cannotdo for myself and no one will do
for me.
He goes, this is the kind oflife you're going to.
Let me leave.
He goes and then you roll upand say are you my neighbor?
I want to tell you that he didnot see me, a person who was
(24:59):
busy or a neighbor.
He saw a response, he saw lightbecause he had a relationship
with God and beloved.
All of us are a neighbor.
I'm so glad he said thatquestion because I did drive him
quite a bit and I want to tellyou, driving is not that big a
deal.
I didn't carry him on my backanywhere.
I drove him out of my way and Idrove him to his place.
But there is for us all of thetime.
(25:19):
If we will look around and go,who is my neighbor, who is the
person in need?
We were talking about this inthe past few weeks that there is
for so many times for us inscripture, where it talks about
it's our responsibility asbelievers to give to the poor,
and so we have this hierarchy inour life of going.
Well, they're not poor.
I don't have to give to them,but to actually correctly
(25:40):
translate it, it says to give toanyone who has need.
Who around you in your life hasneed.
The need can be all kinds ofthings.
Maybe someone needsencouragement.
My friend, as it turns out,just needed a ride.
He had a ride for work tomorrow.
He had all kinds of otherthings, but just at that moment
he needed help with a heavyburden, with a cooler that was
(26:01):
chock full of meat that neededto go to somebody else's house.
And there's a hope for us thatif we will allow the light to
shine in us, people won't say,hey, ryan's a really good dude,
but they'll look at him and go.
Clearly, ryan has seen the loveof Christ and is willing to do
something for all of us.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
It is for us, this beautiful invitation into
community, that, for more thanjust one of us, that if all of
us live this kind of light, letyour good deed shine out for all
to see, so that everyone willpraise your heavenly father you
know, you hit upon somethingthat I'd like us to consider,
because it tends to be um, when,when it's when it's time to
(26:44):
give to somebody, we, we, we gothrough a judgment, whether we
realize it or not, of like, well, you know, are they healthy
enough to have a job, you know,and you know, or are they just
out begging, or?
Or you know, or, or whatever.
We go through this, thisprocess, you know, and really
for us to be able to just openup our hearts and say, uh,
(27:09):
there's a need and I can help,you know, and I'm, and, and god
would ask me to do that, I havea, a friend, who's uber rich and
uh, like really rich and uh,yet I'll be called on oftentimes
and he'll just go.
I want to, I want to talk toyou, or maybe Heather, and I
(27:31):
will talk to him and his wifeand, and you know, and it'll be
nothing short of a just acounseling appointment or
whatever, you know, and I couldlook at that, on the one hand,
and say, well, he's got all themoney in the world, he, you know
, he can get his own cat.
You, I can go, there's a needthere and I'm willing to meet
(27:54):
that and not judge.
Well, because he's at thisplace, because I see it all the
time, it happens in me in myheart.
Where I'll get kind offrustrated is when I'll be in a
community delivering boxes andsomebody will go get a box, take
it to the house and come backin line and act like I don't
(28:15):
know who they are, like I didn'tsee you, you know, and I'm like
wait a minute, you just got abox, you know.
Oh, and me, it's my brother,looks just like it was you, you
know, you know and and and then.
But but then for me I've beenasking God to expand my heart
where I can go.
If somebody went through all theeffort to do that, you know, my
judgment is they're not tryingto get over on me, they're
(28:36):
trying to get, you know, andinstead of the heart of going,
if somebody has a need, let'sdouble bless them.
If we have the resources,oftentimes I'll just say to them
well, would you wait in theline here?
And when we've served everybody, I'm sure there's going to be
some extra, but let's just makesure and then be able to bless
them with that.
But it's really pulling thecurtain back on that limit that
(29:00):
we have, because I think all ofus do.
All of us do and I think thatin expanding in God, part of
it's going to need to expandthat willingness to just bless
because we can, versusdetermining who we can and can't
(29:20):
, as if it was rationed out likethere wasn't enough grace of
God.
So it better be portioned outthat we can give a little bit
more generously than I thinkthey might be turning on me.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
I'm going to read to them from the prophet Isaiah,
chapter 58.
The beginning of the verse.
People, you can read thechapter, or maybe you know it.
But the people are going beforeGod and they're like, hey, we
don't like this kind of dealthat we have with you.
We're doing all these thingsand you're not noticing.
I don't know if you ever talkedto God about that.
But the people were like, hey,we're doing all these works and
(29:58):
we're not getting the accoladesback that we think that we
should get.
And God is actually rebukingthem and explaining something to
them what they're offering he'snot interested in.
In fact, there's one portion ofthe scripture where God says
stop all your noisy singing.
What I want to see are works ofrighteousness.
What I want to see is justice.
What I want to see and again,you know this from the prophet
Micah, I have told you oh, man,what is good?
(30:21):
This is what the Lord requiresof you Mercy, walk humbly.
These are the kind of thingsthat God is interested in it.
So this in verse six, God istelling the people who are
saying hey, we're doing all thisreally great stuff and you're
not paying attention.
And God says, no, this is thekind of fasting I want.
Free those who are wronglyimprisoned, lighten the burden
for those who work for you.
(30:42):
Let the oppressed go free andremove the chains that bind
people.
Share your food with the hungry, give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who needthem and do not hide from
relatives who need your help.
That's actually in thescripture.
I don't know if you knew that.
It's in Isaiah, chapter 58.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
It's so cleverly hidden in plain sight Because it
says you know?
Speaker 1 (31:05):
Do not hide from your own flesh.
If you read an old translation,but I'm telling you right there
sometimes you need a moreaccurate translation.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
Oh good, I'm not hiding from my own flesh, but
when you actually read it.
Sorry to break anyone's bubble,but it really means you know
not hiding from your relativesthat need your help.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Then your salvation will come like the dawn and your
wounds will heal quickly andyour godliness will lead you
forward and the glory of theLord will protect you from
behind.
And then, when you call, theLord will answer yes, I am here,
and he will quickly reply.
Remove the heavy yoke ofoppression.
Stop pointing your finger andspreading vicious rumors.
(31:49):
Feed the hungry, help those introuble.
Would you read the next partwith me?
Then your light will shine outfrom the darkness and the
darkness around you will be asbright as the noon.
If you want to know how to bebright and shiny, feed the
hungry, help those who are introuble, and then your light
(32:11):
will shine from the darkness andthe darkness around you will be
bright as noon, and the Lordwill guide you continually,
giving you water when you aredry and restoring your strength,
and you will be like awell-watered garden, an
ever-flowing stream, and some ofyou will rebuild deserted ruins
of your cities and you will beknown as the rebuilder of walls
(32:33):
and the restorer of homes.
Keep the Sabbath day holy.
Don't pursue your own interestson that day, but enjoy the
Sabbath.
Speak of it with delight as theLord's holy day.
Honor the Sabbath in everythingyou do and don't follow your
own desires or talk idly.
Then the Lord will be yourdelight and I will give you
great honor and satisfy you withthe inheritance that I promised
(32:56):
to the ancestor Jacob.
I, the Lord, have spoken feedthe hungry, help those in
trouble.
Then your light will shine outfrom the darkness and the
darkness around you will be asbright as noon I think it was
the verse before, butnevertheless you can look it up.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Uh, it's really talking about our speech, you
know, and, and how we and who we, uh, who we talk about and how
we talk about people and uh, andone of the famous loopholes I
find in Christianity is peoplewill gossip and then they'll say
, but I just wanted to prayabout this, you know, I just hey
(33:34):
, I want you to pray about this,and so then we gossip for half
an hour and then maybe never getto the prayer, or the prayer is
, you know, jesus, help them.
But we did 30 minutes oftelling the story, and one of
the things that I've learnedearly on from my wife is that
she's pretty good at stoppingsomebody.
(33:54):
Hey, let me stop you rightthere.
We need to pray, and people whoreally are serious about
praying will bow their head andpray, but she'll stop in
mid-sentence because we don'tneed to go on with that.
And I'm telling you it'sepidemic in our culture.
There's entire television showsdedicated to gossip.
There's so much of it thatmaybe we don't even realize
(34:18):
we're doing and God isinstructing us this, and for me,
I knew that it wasn't right byGod, but it feels so good.
And I'm just being honest,maybe no one knows what I'm
talking about, but it is kind offun or interesting or whatever,
(34:38):
and so I really couldn't seethe harm in it until I realized
it's like changing a channel ona television.
You either can be on thechannel that's connecting you
(35:00):
with God, or you can turn tothis other frequency, this other
channel, and you can be in thatvibe, that energy, that way of
thinking, that way of believingand living.
And it's demonic, it'slow-frequency, rumbling and
(35:21):
complaining.
Or we can come up higher, whereGod's inviting us.
And since I've perceived that,I've noticed when I start to say
something, I feel it and I feltlike, you know, and it's not
even so much as conviction, it'slike uh-oh, the channel's
(35:41):
changing, right, I'mdisconnecting from my source.
That's why he doesn't want usto do it.
He's not like oh, I just wantto see if I can make you do
something.
That's real hard, because it is.
But what is the motivation?
Why is it?
Just so I could say I'm a goodChristian and I don't gossip?
No, it's so that I don't haveto live in that realm, on that
(36:06):
channel, because that channel isnegative, that channel.
And recently, you know, evenwith myself, and and recently I
was I was around some people andthey started talking and I'm
like, oh Lord, make him stop.
And I just, and I just foundmyself.
I've never I don't think in mylife, ever just kind of went
through this thing and I'm likeI don't know what should I say?
(36:35):
Should I, should I tell them tostop?
I mean it because I mean theywere willingly and and
unknowingly though, just movinginto the.
And this is what god's asking usdo you want to to be light?
Do you want to be salt?
Well, there is something in ouractions, there's something in
our behaviors, but it's notabout, oh, you're just being a
good person.
So god's going to go ahead andput his anointing on you.
God has blessed you, but we arethe ones that are holding back
(36:57):
the light.
Not God is not withholding some, dishing out some light to you.
We mask it and filter it withthat kind of behavior.
So that's why I'm motivated tochange, not like I'm earning
some special spot and seat inheaven.
He has already made a way foryou and I Amen.
(37:20):
But what about us beingtransformative to the people
that we love?
And what about us in asituation like that, where
people are being negative, thatyou could come in and just
transform the situation.
That's the power of God thatlives inside of us.
Amen.
I might just preach yet.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
I love the invitation to live as a person who only
tells their own story.
Your story is yours to tell,and if you want to tell
something good about someone,please broadcast that.
Please be a witness to somebodyelse's beauty, to somebody
else's hope, to somebody else'sgoodness, but finding a way to
(38:03):
be able to say I will talk aboutthe things that concern me.
And let me tell you, when youstop focusing on other people,
when you start taking splintersout of someone else's eye, you
can deal with the telephone poleon your own.
And so the idea for us is topay attention to inward things,
this idea of what is God doingin me, what goodness has God
(38:24):
given me that I can shine, orbroadcast, feed the hungry, help
those in trouble, and yourlight will shine from the
darkness, and the darknessaround you will be bright as
noon Again.
This is also in words ofmetaphor, and so it begins to
say some of you will be therebuilders of broken cities and
deserted ruins.
And then it goes on to saythose from among you, and really
(38:47):
what it means.
If you look in moderntranslation, it means your
children, your children canactually rebuild cities, rebuild
places that have been destroyed, and I don't think that it's
necessarily talking aboutarchitecture, but it's reminding
us that our children do nothave when we will get this right
.
Our children do not have tolive repeating the same history,
(39:07):
the same negativity or the samedestruction that we've had in
the past.
Like this kind of light,following this way is not only a
help for us but for thecommunity.
We talk about the invitationthat our lives matter to the
people around us, the way thatwe live, the way that we love
who we've been a part of.
And so when we come every week,we come to church and we are
(39:31):
expanded in our ability to beable to see love or see people
for who they are.
We've read a couple of weeksago in the book of James where
it says if you have somethingthat you're struggling with,
talk to someone about it.
So perhaps we could just besuch a safe place that people
could share their own pain.
Nobody else would have to shareit for them.
Like that, they could be peoplewho say you know what, I am
struggling with this and I needhelp, and there could be a place
(39:54):
of hope and God is telling usthis is where you'll meet with
God.
Then I, the Lord will guide you, continually, giving you water
when you are dry and restoringyour strength.
You will be like a well-wateredgarden, an ever-flowing spring.
Some of you will rebuild thedeserted ruins of your city and
you will be known as therebuilder of walls and the
(40:15):
restorer of homes.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
I've had the privilege of watching my adult
children form theserelationships with friends and
many times they're running intopeople that have been wounded by
church.
In fact, more times than not,sadly and I don't say this in a
(40:44):
way like my children are winningthem over to Christ.
I say in a way that they'refinding broken people and being
able to help mend the walls, thedamage that's done, and speak
to that and defend that personin their place, and not defend a
(41:04):
religion or a dogma, but toreally kind of be there.
And then I'm watching themreconnect to God in a way that
is their own path and that'ssomething that I could not have
(41:28):
foreseen or not.
Like Heather and I imparted inour children that I see
something happening and it'sreally beautiful for maybe you
to see that it's not for us todefend Christianity.
God doesn't need your defending.
(41:48):
A lot of times it would help ifwe would be willing to apologize
on behalf of other human beingsin church who have devastated.
I find that so many times I'vewatched Heather do that.
I'm so sorry and I ask forforgiveness and the people will
(42:12):
look at her and go well, youdidn't do anything, I know, but
what was done to you was sin,and I'm calling it sin and I'm
asking for forgiveness for it.
And just that moment I willwatch people break down in tears
and just the defensiveness comedown and and and and and the
(42:34):
city's being rebuilt, you know,and that's beautiful, because I
don't want to be, and I I'm surethat I have in my past life at
some point, with my doctrine anddogma and my confidence that I
knew everything, that I hurtpeople and so all of a sudden,
our zeal have brought pain.
But I wonder if you realize howmuch in your humility you can
(42:59):
bring freedom to people and youcan be part of rebuilding, and
so look for that in theconnections that you make with
people, because my kids don'thave an intention to try to win
them back to church, it's toreally just to love on them.
But more times than not I'veseen them come and sit in a
(43:20):
church service and go that'ssomething I thought I'd never do
again.
I thought I'd never do again.
So there's definitely arelationship that's being
reconnected because we're seeingthat God can use us in that
fashion.
So look and see what Scriptureis presenting and see how maybe
we can be involved in thatbeautiful opportunity for
(43:43):
transformation.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Then your salvation will come like the dawn and your
wounds will quickly heal andyour godliness will lead you
forward, and the glory of theLord will protect you from
behind.
And then, when you call, theLord will answer yes, I am here,
and he will quickly reply.
(44:06):
And when you call, the Lordwill answer yes, I am here.
I remind you that while we'rewaiting for prayers to be
answered, there is still so muchgood that we can be doing that
when we are waiting for theanswer, when we have called out
and asked God.
(44:26):
And I remind you that prayer ismore than a shopping list or a
list of things that need to.
Prayer is a point of connection, connection with the divine
source, connection with love,connection with who we are made
in the very image of, and theinvitation that Jesus gave us is
to connection.
We hope you've enjoyed thisweek's sermon.
(44:47):
If you would like moreinformation about us, visit us
online at firstlovechurchorg.
Welcome to the First Love Church Podcast.
This is a collection of Sundayteachings inspired by the
Revised Common Lectionary andrecorded weekly in Ocala,
florida.
Together we've gathered intoGod's house and I remind you
that, though we're saying thisis the house of God this morning
, that God has many homes andGod is everywhere and not
(00:21):
relegated just to one space.
In fact, we are the livingtemple, we are the living house
of God, and each one of you thatbrought light and love and
Jesus with you this morningwe're so incredibly grateful for
your presence with us.
We are excited to speak theword of life and to look at the
text, to encouraged and to bedrawn into this beautiful hope.
(00:45):
And this morning part of ourtext is from the book of Matthew
, and Jesus is speaking andbeloved.
We need to pay attention whenJesus is speaking.
There is a special emphasisthat needs to be given when we
recognize this is the words ofour Jesus, who showed us how to
live, how to truly live, how toget off of autopilot and to be
(01:06):
able to live the life that Godhas given us.
And so, as we go again to theGospels this morning, I remind
you that we're still in ordinarytime in the scriptures, in the
church calendar, and that kindof gives us some direction on
where we go in the scriptures.
And I love the gospels becauseI love all the different ways
that we get to see Jesus.
(01:27):
In some ancient rabbinicalteaching, recognizing things
that were in the first testament, the rabbis would say all the
time, pay attention to the 70faces of Torah.
And that really meant that youcould look at a scripture one
way and then somebody else couldhave another facet of it.
And you could look at ascripture one way and then
somebody else could have anotherfacet of it and you could turn
it a little bit and seesomething like that.
(01:48):
And it's one of the ways whyyou can look at the text, read
the text, be a part of the textfor your whole life, and it's
not a dry, empty, just words ona page.
It is a life, it is living.
Jesus is that the living wordwith us, and so when we speak
and we hear the words of Jesus,it brings us into such beauty.
(02:10):
I was thinking about thedifferent gospels that we've
been a part of and somebody wasasking me if I have a favorite
and I can't.
I can't go there.
I like them all for differentreasons, but I just want to
remind you a few things thismorning and you already know
this.
But in the gospel of Mark,jesus is newly baptized and he
goes and he casts out an uncleanspirit and he's really proving
(02:31):
to the people around that he isthe son of God and that he is
the ultimate boundary crosser Ifthere is a boundary.
Jesus is going to the otherside, jesus is going where they
tell Jesus that he cannot go andJesus is going to be there in
the midst of those people.
And Luke Jesus leaves and infact comes out of the wilderness
and he said he's coming toproclaim a release to the
(02:52):
captive, to recovery of sight,to the blind, that Jesus has
come and that he is going toheal the brokenhearted.
And this message positions himin the poor and in the
marginalized and also gets abunch of people to try to run
him out of town.
The same message.
And so for John.
(03:13):
Jesus's first thing is a miracleand he turns water into
extravagant wine.
And I think that in in John'sGospel you can look at that.
In the gospel writer is tellingus look at the grace, look at
the extravagant love, look athow much joy is in the presence.
And then in John, it brings usback to this beautiful
(03:38):
invitation that there's morethan enough.
Whatever you have need of, ifyou have need of grace, there is
more than enough.
The table is big enough foreveryone.
And then we come back to Matthew, and Matthew really tells us
about Jesus being the teacherand showing us how to live, how
to live rightly.
And we've been in James for thepast month, and James remind us
(03:59):
that you know, faith withoutworks is dead, and if you don't
have evidence of what you sayyou believe, then James inquires
of us.
Let's change that.
What good is your faith if itcannot make someone else's life
bigger, better, more beautiful,more in the presence of God and
hope?
And so this morning, as we goto the text, we listen to
(04:21):
Matthew, who is telling us thisbeautiful portion, and I remind
you, and you can go home andread them, or maybe you have
them memorized, but this is thepart where Jesus starts talking
about how the world is differentthan we thought it was.
Jesus begins to talk aboutbeatitudes.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,and that's turning everyone on
(04:41):
their head, because that's notever how they saw a blessing,
and that's turning everyone ontheir head, because that's not
ever how they saw a blessing.
And Jesus began to come anddescribe for us a world that we
weren't living in and that weclearly had never seen.
And Jesus was like this iswhere the blessing is, this is
where God is, and so this iswhere we meet the text today.
(05:04):
Jesus has just talked about theBeatitudes, and this is what he
says to his followers you arethe salt of the earth, but what
good is salt if it has lost itsflavor?
Can you make it salty again?
It will be thrown out andtrampled underfoot as worthless.
You are the light of the world.
A city on a hilltop that cannotbe hidden.
No one lights a lamp and thenputs it under a basket.
(05:26):
Instead, a lamp is placed on astand where it gives light to
everyone in the house In thesame way.
Let your good deeds shine outfor all to see, so that everyone
will praise your heavenlyfather.
And this is the text for ustoday, where Jesus is saying to
us you are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the earth
(05:50):
, you are the light of the world.
Now I remind you that Jesus wasreally clear on who he was.
Jesus had quite a few I amstatements.
In fact, the I am statementsare so meaningful because when,
even in the first testament,when the people who were
following god said what is yourname, god said my name is I am.
I am that I am.
And so this expansive,beautiful name for god and jesus
(06:15):
is here and in his ministry hebegins to say things like I am,
I am the door, I am the way, Iam the good shepherd, I am the
light and the truth I am.
And then Jesus begins lookingat us and saying you are.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
And so we see this beautiful invitation into the
co-creation that the Spirit isdoing in the world you know, I
would hope that you could maybesee yourself as that salt or
that flavor or that, that thingthat the world really needs,
like you individually, not likeus, corporately though that it
is.
But I think sometimes when weindividualize it, it's hard to,
(06:56):
because we see ourselvessometimes by our failures or
what we're not doing, and Godsees us as who we really are not
doing.
And God sees us as who wereally are.
When I was little, my brotherand I would be sent up on
Saturday mornings to the donutMellow Cream it was called In
Jacksonville, illinois.
We were sent up to get a dozendonuts and we were allowed to
(07:24):
bring ten donuts back, and somom would have the order and
then we could or each Danny andI could get one, and then, as
our reward for walking up thereand getting those for her, we
got one, and so my mom got ten,and I don't know, but anyways I
have no resentment.
Does it sound like I do, becausemaybe I've got to work out some
stuff with counseling.
But we'd come up through thealley and go into that place and
(07:45):
I remember one Saturday morningthere was powdered donut sugar
all in the alley dumped on theground and I think probably what
happened was somebody wascarrying that bag of powdered
sugar in and it fell off andbusted open and it was there
inside the weeds and the muddyand my heart was broken.
(08:08):
I thought are they not going tohave powdered donuts today?
Because that was my donut ofchoice at that time.
That was my fix.
I needed it.
I walked all the way up thereand I remember wanting and going
to taste and my older brothertold me that was not a good idea
.
(08:31):
But it was on the ground.
It was worthless Dough, youcan't have it.
It was damaged, it was ruined,and what a sad thing to think of
all the donuts that could havebeen enjoyed by this powder, but
yet it was just dropped andtrampled on.
You know are you tracking withme a little bit here that you're
(08:53):
that precious and more, so muchmore you know, and you're that
valuable to the world, to theworld.
And so there is for ussomething that we should
recognize, that there is thispotential for us to be
ineffective and there is apotential for God to transform
(09:15):
us in a way that we are sofruitful and such a blessing and
so effective.
So will we recognize the greatI am, as able to remove
bitterness out of us, removeanger, remove sin that distracts
(09:38):
us and derails us, so that wecan walk in that place of being
like powdered donut sugar forthe world, being the salt that
people need, amen.
I really believe that if wecould kind of look in terms of
that personal transformation, orthat personal walk and what it
(10:01):
does, I think that this thingcould become a little more real
than just a reading that maybewe've heard before.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
You are the salt of the earth.
It's been more than 2,000 yearssince Jesus said this, and so
it's important for us to payattention to the fact that this
is a metaphor.
I mean, there's some reallygood things in our language
about people that are salt ofthe earth.
That means that they are there.
You can be trusted, we knowwhat we're getting when we get
them.
They're not highfalutin.
(10:28):
These people are going to go towork and they're going to
accomplish something, and whensomeone says to me you are salt
of the earth people, it's acompliment.
But this is something that is inour language and vocation and
our particular vernacular here,and so I remind you that we are
listening to a very, veryancient text, and so in one of
(10:50):
the translations, I thought itwas remarkable, because it says
you are the salt of the earth.
But what good is salt if itturns to foolishness?
That's how it actually is, andI'm thinking.
Well, there is then thisinvitation that salt looks like
wisdom, and what good is it whenthe wisdom turns to foolishness
?
What good is it when somethingthat was once meant for
(11:13):
transformation?
So I like to cook, and many ofus do, and I remind you of how
intentional and how powerfulsalt is in the cooking.
And salt is not necessarilymeant for you just to taste the
salt, but it is a flavorenhancer.
In fact, salt is different thanpepper, though you need both of
them.
Pepper is a spice and peppercan be ground and laid right on
(11:35):
top of, and I think sometimes wehave in our lives the teachings
of Christ like pepper, not likesalt, just laid on top of what
we do.
We have our life and the waythat we're going to do with a
little pepper on it, but saltactually changes from the inside
the flavor, the taste ofsomething.
Everyone pay attention to me,do not look, I'm just teasing.
(11:57):
The sweetest little Sawyer iscrawling on his way up to the
front.
May he always come to the altar.
May he always know that this isthe place to go.
I love it with my whole heart.
I don't know anyway, but thatwas adorable.
All of us in church thismorning.
A baby was headed to tell usthe truth.
The scripture says the kingdomis like a child, and so Sawyer
has some good things to tell usabout what Jesus is like, and
(12:20):
then he's going to be on hisside.
Quick will be Dwayne when Dwaynelearns to speak and he can
encourage us and I love thisabout our church family that
there are babies among us butthat there are elders.
And we're reading in the bookof Revelation and it talks about
amen, amen, amen and amen.
And amen means so be it.
So be it when you don't see ityet, so be it when it doesn't
(12:41):
feel like it's going to happen.
And I hope that you paidattention to that particular
metaphor when he says that theangels that are around the
throne are holding golden bowlsand in the bowls are incense.
And the incense that is offeredbefore the Lord is the prayer
of the saints.
Your prayers, beloved, matter,my prayers matter, our prayers
(13:02):
matter.
I was also thinking aboutJesus's disciples, because they
saw Jesus do so many things, anddo you know what they asked for
?
Lord, teach us to pray.
It's not recorded that anyonesaid, hey, that thing you did
with the wine, teach me to dothat.
Or the thing you did with theguy's hand, teach me.
You know what they looked at.
These are people that knew howto pray.
(13:22):
They had already learned somuch of the prayer since they
were little boys.
They knew prayer, but they knewthat Jesus was praying with
different results.
And they looked at all of themiracles.
And they said teach us to pray,teach us to be in communion
like you are in communion.
Teach us to be one with theFather, the way that you're one
with the Father.
And so we hear Jesus saying tous you are the salt of the earth
(13:44):
, you are the important stuff.
If.
What good is salt?
Is it?
If lost its flavor, can youmake it salty again?
It'll be thrown out andtrampled underfoot as worthless.
In Jesus's day, salt preservedfood.
It was medicine, and it wasalso the word that the Romans
took and used this word becausepeople were paid in salt, and it
(14:07):
actually the word that we usetoday.
Salary comes from this word.
It's like are you worth yoursalt?
Meant, something like are youworth the pay that we have here?
And so this was something thatwasn't just an add-on, that this
was an essential part of theirlife.
And Jesus was saying I'mlooking at you and you are the
salt here.
You are the thing thattransforms the dish, you are the
(14:27):
thing that brings forth thesebeautiful flavors.
You are that thing.
And so one of the things thatsalt actually does is it reduces
bitterness in the flavor.
If you have something that hasbitter in it and you put salt,
it balances it out.
And I was thinking how much theworld is full of bitterness,
needs us.
(14:47):
They need us to be full oflight and love and salt and say
this is the way.
There's a better way imaginable, but that this is a
counteracting to bitterness,this invitation to live in this
way.
Jesus is saying to us there's ahope.
And then Jesus says you are thelight of the world.
You are the light of the world.
(15:09):
If you know, advent is coming,so I'm already preparing.
That's in December and I'mstaying present.
I really am, but I am preparing.
The book of Advent is growing.
But this part in Advent that weremember all the time is when
Simeon, this prophet who is veryold, sees the baby.
The parents bring the baby andhe takes this baby and he says
(15:31):
this is the one I've beenlooking my whole life for.
He sees this new, fresh onefrom heaven and says this is the
one.
This will be the light to theGentiles and the glory of God's
people, israel.
And this has been the prophecyover Jesus that he will be the
light.
In fact, jesus says that he isthe light.
And then Jesus turns to us andsays you are the light, oh,
(15:54):
beloved.
Sometimes we're not very shiny,and so I remind you that we are
light, and we are not light bytelling people who we are
against or what we believe.
This is the invitation fromJames.
This is the invitation fromJames, this is the invitation
from Jesus.
We are the light by how we live, by how we live in love, by how
we live in community, andthere's such a beautiful
(16:17):
invitation here for us to sayyou are the light of the world.
A city on a hilltop that cannotbe hidden.
No one lights a lamp and thenputs it under a basket, except
for sometimes we do.
I think Jesus is saying this isfoolishness.
This was obviously before thatthere was electricity and you
(16:39):
could put a basket shade onsomething that was light.
We're talking about a flamehere.
The lamp is placed on a standwhere it gives light to everyone
in the house.
I loved these two verses becauseit says that you're the light
on the hill.
That's like a lot of pressureto me, at least, it seems like
that way but a light that is foreveryone to see.
(17:00):
And then it says you're to bethe light in your own house.
You are to be kind to your ownfamily.
You are to be loving towardthose people.
You are to be the light ofChrist.
You are to be a person soillumined by this love that you
can be a light in your own house.
So in your own house first.
Now, I've been to countries andmaybe you have where there's
(17:22):
not a lot of light pollution andsomeone can have a fire on a
hill or there can be somethinggoing on and you can see it for
miles because there's no otherlights around, and so this is an
invitation for us to payattention to this goodness
that's here.
You are light, beloved, you aresalt, you have power of love to
(17:42):
transform, and Jesus isreminding us this is what it's
like.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
I have a really uh dear friend and uh with friends
for a long time and both of uspastored churches, you know, and
uh, you know he's he's doneministry work, missions work and
all this stuff, um, but he uhhad um, struggled with
alcoholism to the point that Imean just you know, before noon
(18:10):
I mean he's down to a wholebottle of vodka, you know, just
day, daily.
Just the amount of alcohol waskilling him.
And he went into a treatmentand it was a long-term treatment
and he realized, you know thathe was, that you know doctors
were telling him at this pace itwould be very, you know, he
wouldn't live.
So he went in and and he said,one of the times, through the
(18:31):
working of the Lord and theircounseling and help, and he
heard something, the Lord saidsomething to him in his spirit,
but he didn't say it out loud.
And then he was in the groupand they said I want you to say
something about yourself, maybethat you've never said before,
that you have a hard time sayingin front of people, and any
(18:53):
voiced it.
He said out loud, he said thatGod.
He said.
He said I'm worthy of God'slove.
He said it out loud and he said, he just burst into tears, just
the kind of crying came overhim because all of the things he
did, all of the ministry, allthe stuff, all the accolades he
(19:15):
had had and stuff, there wasstill something inside that was
so broken.
And that's why we, you know the, the addiction isn't the
problem, it's trying to mask thepain and the problem.
And so that's the thing we needto get at Right and so for him
to be able to say out of hismouth that I'm worthy of God's
(19:38):
love.
God's made you worthy.
But could you say that out loud, you know?
And I think about this passageof scripture because, because we
were like, well, how you know,that's a little ambiguous.
How am I putting a bushel on mylight?
You know, how am I not beingsalt?
That is a very ambiguousthought, right?
So I would challenge you tojust say could you right now,
(20:03):
stand up in this room and say Iam the salt of the earth, I am
light?
Could you?
Or is there something inside ofyou that just couldn't bring
yourself to say I'm worthy ofGod's love?
You know, and I'm not going togo around the room and ask you
to do that, but I really wouldask you to at some point today,
(20:23):
before you lay your head down onyour pillow for your nap or for
your bedtime tonight, if youcould say out of your mouth, you
know to say I am, you know,because to own that is a
humbling thing, but we mix it upinto some kind of arrogant
pride, but it's so humbling tosay that God has made me worthy
of his love, you know.
(20:45):
And so I would ask you toconsider that what we're talking
about today is God's doings.
So I'm not standing up heregoing.
I am the light.
Look at me.
But he has made me to be lightto people, and so when I can say
that, and saying it leads tobelieving it, I mean, if I think
(21:08):
it, it's one of those thoughts.
You know, it did me no good tothink how much I loved Heather.
A change really happened when Ilooked at her and said I love
you, and then she burst intotears and I thought, oh, I've
really messed up our friendshipnow.
And then she told me these aretears of joy, and that was the
(21:35):
day, man, that I learned I willnever understand women, but I
know that voicing that made allthe difference, and I know for
you that if you could get tothat place where you could
really say and believe I am salt, I am light, I am worthy of
God's love, am salt, I am light,I am worthy of god's love.
You know to think about thosethings and let this verse really
bring the change, that anintensity.
It's god who's who's making the, the shining and and changing
(21:59):
the flavor and curing the, thelives of the people around you.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Amen we pause here for a moment to thank you for
joining us today.
If you're finding this episodemeaningful, would you take a
moment to share it with a friend?
This podcast is made possiblethanks to the generosity of
people just like you.
If you would like to supportthe ongoing work of First Love
Church and the continued work ofour podcast, visit us online at
(22:27):
firstlovechurchorg.
Reminding you to like, followand subscribe.
Jesus is going to tell usexactly what he means by the
metaphor.
In the same way, let your gooddeeds shine out for all to see,
so that everyone will praiseyour Father in heaven.
The metaphor is not complicatedif you understand.
It is your good deeds.
It is the things that you do,not to earn God's love.
(22:47):
You already have that, butbecause you are loved, god is
not opposed to effort, but Godis opposed.
Grace is opposed to earning.
You are already loved, but nowthat you are, how will you live?
Now that you are loved, nowthat you are worthy, where is
the light and where is the love?
I was driving this was more thana year ago but I had done what
I shouldn't have done.
(23:08):
So I tell you that wisdomdidn't take me there.
I had not given myself enoughtime for interruption.
I don't know if you've plannedyour day like that, but my day
sometimes is planned how I likeit, with no interruptions, and
don't you know that?
That's usually wheninterruption comes to me.
But I had an appointment, I hadsomewhere to be and I felt a
little bit of pressure.
And I felt a little bit ofpressure and I had given myself
(23:33):
time and I was in the van and Iwas coming around the corner and
I saw an elderly black man onthe side of the road and he had
a cooler, like a hard cooler, onhis shoulder and he was walking
with it and he was as you dohere in Florida.
Sweat was dripping from the topof him in such a crazy way.
So I rolled down my window andI said, excuse me, are you my
neighbor?
And I didn't mean that in aphilosophical way, I meant
geographically, like are youfrom around here?
Because we don't know everybodyand I was not going to leave
(23:55):
him there.
And he looked at me and he goesI don't know, how do you
believe?
And I was thinking, okay, youare somebody who also knows that
everyone is my neighbor.
And I said, well, now that youput it that way.
Yes, I said, can I give you aride?
And he looked right at me andhe said I see you, jesus.
And I was a little bit upset.
I was like whoopsie-daisy, I'min the middle of some kind of
(24:16):
fight with him and the Lord andI'm not sure I want to be in the
middle of that.
And he goes.
I see you, jesus, and he goes.
I, lord and I were having amoment and I thought to myself,
I know, based on your response,and he said I was telling the
(24:36):
Lord now, all these times I'vedone for you and I've done for
people and this is the time Ineed help and you're not showing
up for me.
This is the time that I cannotdo for myself and no one will do
for me.
He goes, this is the kind oflife you're going to.
Let me leave.
He goes and then you roll upand say are you my neighbor?
I want to tell you that he didnot see me, a person who was
(24:59):
busy or a neighbor.
He saw a response, he saw lightbecause he had a relationship
with God and beloved.
All of us are a neighbor.
I'm so glad he said thatquestion because I did drive him
quite a bit and I want to tellyou, driving is not that big a
deal.
I didn't carry him on my backanywhere.
I drove him out of my way and Idrove him to his place.
But there is for us all of thetime.
(25:19):
If we will look around and go,who is my neighbor, who is the
person in need?
We were talking about this inthe past few weeks that there is
for so many times for us inscripture, where it talks about
it's our responsibility asbelievers to give to the poor,
and so we have this hierarchy inour life of going.
Well, they're not poor.
I don't have to give to them,but to actually correctly
(25:40):
translate it, it says to give toanyone who has need.
Who around you in your life hasneed.
The need can be all kinds ofthings.
Maybe someone needsencouragement.
My friend, as it turns out,just needed a ride.
He had a ride for work tomorrow.
He had all kinds of otherthings, but just at that moment
he needed help with a heavyburden, with a cooler that was
(26:01):
chock full of meat that neededto go to somebody else's house.
And there's a hope for us thatif we will allow the light to
shine in us, people won't say,hey, ryan's a really good dude,
but they'll look at him and go.
Clearly, ryan has seen the loveof Christ and is willing to do
something for all of us.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
It is for us, this beautiful invitation into
community, that, for more thanjust one of us, that if all of
us live this kind of light, letyour good deed shine out for all
to see, so that everyone willpraise your heavenly father you
know, you hit upon somethingthat I'd like us to consider,
because it tends to be um, when,when it's when it's time to
(26:44):
give to somebody, we, we, we gothrough a judgment, whether we
realize it or not, of like, well, you know, are they healthy
enough to have a job, you know,and you know, or are they just
out begging, or?
Or you know, or, or whatever.
We go through this, thisprocess, you know, and really
for us to be able to just openup our hearts and say, uh,
(27:09):
there's a need and I can help,you know, and I'm, and, and god
would ask me to do that, I havea, a friend, who's uber rich and
uh, like really rich and uh,yet I'll be called on oftentimes
and he'll just go.
I want to, I want to talk toyou, or maybe Heather, and I
(27:31):
will talk to him and his wifeand, and you know, and it'll be
nothing short of a just acounseling appointment or
whatever, you know, and I couldlook at that, on the one hand,
and say, well, he's got all themoney in the world, he, you know
, he can get his own cat.
You, I can go, there's a needthere and I'm willing to meet
(27:54):
that and not judge.
Well, because he's at thisplace, because I see it all the
time, it happens in me in myheart.
Where I'll get kind offrustrated is when I'll be in a
community delivering boxes andsomebody will go get a box, take
it to the house and come backin line and act like I don't
(28:15):
know who they are, like I didn'tsee you, you know, and I'm like
wait a minute, you just got abox, you know.
Oh, and me, it's my brother,looks just like it was you, you
know, you know and and and then.
But but then for me I've beenasking God to expand my heart
where I can go.
If somebody went through all theeffort to do that, you know, my
judgment is they're not tryingto get over on me, they're
(28:36):
trying to get, you know, andinstead of the heart of going,
if somebody has a need, let'sdouble bless them.
If we have the resources,oftentimes I'll just say to them
well, would you wait in theline here?
And when we've served everybody, I'm sure there's going to be
some extra, but let's just makesure and then be able to bless
them with that.
But it's really pulling thecurtain back on that limit that
(29:00):
we have, because I think all ofus do.
All of us do and I think thatin expanding in God, part of
it's going to need to expandthat willingness to just bless
because we can, versusdetermining who we can and can't
(29:20):
, as if it was rationed out likethere wasn't enough grace of
God.
So it better be portioned outthat we can give a little bit
more generously than I thinkthey might be turning on me.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
I'm going to read to them from the prophet Isaiah,
chapter 58.
The beginning of the verse.
People, you can read thechapter, or maybe you know it.
But the people are going beforeGod and they're like, hey, we
don't like this kind of dealthat we have with you.
We're doing all these thingsand you're not noticing.
I don't know if you ever talkedto God about that.
But the people were like, hey,we're doing all these works and
(29:58):
we're not getting the accoladesback that we think that we
should get.
And God is actually rebukingthem and explaining something to
them what they're offering he'snot interested in.
In fact, there's one portion ofthe scripture where God says
stop all your noisy singing.
What I want to see are works ofrighteousness.
What I want to see is justice.
What I want to see and again,you know this from the prophet
Micah, I have told you oh, man,what is good?
(30:21):
This is what the Lord requiresof you Mercy, walk humbly.
These are the kind of thingsthat God is interested in it.
So this in verse six, God istelling the people who are
saying hey, we're doing all thisreally great stuff and you're
not paying attention.
And God says, no, this is thekind of fasting I want.
Free those who are wronglyimprisoned, lighten the burden
for those who work for you.
(30:42):
Let the oppressed go free andremove the chains that bind
people.
Share your food with the hungry, give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who needthem and do not hide from
relatives who need your help.
That's actually in thescripture.
I don't know if you knew that.
It's in Isaiah, chapter 58.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
It's so cleverly hidden in plain sight Because it
says you know?
Speaker 1 (31:05):
Do not hide from your own flesh.
If you read an old translation,but I'm telling you right there
sometimes you need a moreaccurate translation.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
Oh good, I'm not hiding from my own flesh, but
when you actually read it.
Sorry to break anyone's bubble,but it really means you know
not hiding from your relativesthat need your help.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Then your salvation will come like the dawn and your
wounds will heal quickly andyour godliness will lead you
forward and the glory of theLord will protect you from
behind.
And then, when you call, theLord will answer yes, I am here,
and he will quickly reply.
Remove the heavy yoke ofoppression.
Stop pointing your finger andspreading vicious rumors.
(31:49):
Feed the hungry, help those introuble.
Would you read the next partwith me?
Then your light will shine outfrom the darkness and the
darkness around you will be asbright as the noon.
If you want to know how to bebright and shiny, feed the
hungry, help those who are introuble, and then your light
(32:11):
will shine from the darkness andthe darkness around you will be
bright as noon, and the Lordwill guide you continually,
giving you water when you aredry and restoring your strength,
and you will be like awell-watered garden, an
ever-flowing stream, and some ofyou will rebuild deserted ruins
of your cities and you will beknown as the rebuilder of walls
(32:33):
and the restorer of homes.
Keep the Sabbath day holy.
Don't pursue your own interestson that day, but enjoy the
Sabbath.
Speak of it with delight as theLord's holy day.
Honor the Sabbath in everythingyou do and don't follow your
own desires or talk idly.
Then the Lord will be yourdelight and I will give you
great honor and satisfy you withthe inheritance that I promised
(32:56):
to the ancestor Jacob.
I, the Lord, have spoken feedthe hungry, help those in
trouble.
Then your light will shine outfrom the darkness and the
darkness around you will be asbright as noon I think it was
the verse before, butnevertheless you can look it up.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Uh, it's really talking about our speech, you
know, and, and how we and who we, uh, who we talk about and how
we talk about people and uh, andone of the famous loopholes I
find in Christianity is peoplewill gossip and then they'll say
, but I just wanted to prayabout this, you know, I just hey
(33:34):
, I want you to pray about this,and so then we gossip for half
an hour and then maybe never getto the prayer, or the prayer is
, you know, jesus, help them.
But we did 30 minutes oftelling the story, and one of
the things that I've learnedearly on from my wife is that
she's pretty good at stoppingsomebody.
(33:54):
Hey, let me stop you rightthere.
We need to pray, and people whoreally are serious about
praying will bow their head andpray, but she'll stop in
mid-sentence because we don'tneed to go on with that.
And I'm telling you it'sepidemic in our culture.
There's entire television showsdedicated to gossip.
There's so much of it thatmaybe we don't even realize
(34:18):
we're doing and God isinstructing us this, and for me,
I knew that it wasn't right byGod, but it feels so good.
And I'm just being honest,maybe no one knows what I'm
talking about, but it is kind offun or interesting or whatever,
(34:38):
and so I really couldn't seethe harm in it until I realized
it's like changing a channel ona television.
You either can be on thechannel that's connecting you
(35:00):
with God, or you can turn tothis other frequency, this other
channel, and you can be in thatvibe, that energy, that way of
thinking, that way of believingand living.
And it's demonic, it'slow-frequency, rumbling and
(35:21):
complaining.
Or we can come up higher, whereGod's inviting us.
And since I've perceived that,I've noticed when I start to say
something, I feel it and I feltlike, you know, and it's not
even so much as conviction, it'slike uh-oh, the channel's
(35:41):
changing, right, I'mdisconnecting from my source.
That's why he doesn't want usto do it.
He's not like oh, I just wantto see if I can make you do
something.
That's real hard, because it is.
But what is the motivation?
Why is it?
Just so I could say I'm a goodChristian and I don't gossip?
No, it's so that I don't haveto live in that realm, on that
(36:06):
channel, because that channel isnegative, that channel.
And recently, you know, evenwith myself, and and recently I
was I was around some people andthey started talking and I'm
like, oh Lord, make him stop.
And I just, and I just foundmyself.
I've never I don't think in mylife, ever just kind of went
through this thing and I'm likeI don't know what should I say?
(36:35):
Should I, should I tell them tostop?
I mean it because I mean theywere willingly and and
unknowingly though, just movinginto the.
And this is what god's asking usdo you want to to be light?
Do you want to be salt?
Well, there is something in ouractions, there's something in
our behaviors, but it's notabout, oh, you're just being a
good person.
So god's going to go ahead andput his anointing on you.
God has blessed you, but we arethe ones that are holding back
(36:57):
the light.
Not God is not withholding some, dishing out some light to you.
We mask it and filter it withthat kind of behavior.
So that's why I'm motivated tochange, not like I'm earning
some special spot and seat inheaven.
He has already made a way foryou and I Amen.
(37:20):
But what about us beingtransformative to the people
that we love?
And what about us in asituation like that, where
people are being negative, thatyou could come in and just
transform the situation.
That's the power of God thatlives inside of us.
Amen.
I might just preach yet.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
I love the invitation to live as a person who only
tells their own story.
Your story is yours to tell,and if you want to tell
something good about someone,please broadcast that.
Please be a witness to somebodyelse's beauty, to somebody
else's hope, to somebody else'sgoodness, but finding a way to
(38:03):
be able to say I will talk aboutthe things that concern me.
And let me tell you, when youstop focusing on other people,
when you start taking splintersout of someone else's eye, you
can deal with the telephone poleon your own.
And so the idea for us is topay attention to inward things,
this idea of what is God doingin me, what goodness has God
(38:24):
given me that I can shine, orbroadcast, feed the hungry, help
those in trouble, and yourlight will shine from the
darkness, and the darknessaround you will be bright as
noon Again.
This is also in words ofmetaphor, and so it begins to
say some of you will be therebuilders of broken cities and
deserted ruins.
And then it goes on to saythose from among you, and really
(38:47):
what it means.
If you look in moderntranslation, it means your
children, your children canactually rebuild cities, rebuild
places that have been destroyed, and I don't think that it's
necessarily talking aboutarchitecture, but it's reminding
us that our children do nothave when we will get this right
.
Our children do not have tolive repeating the same history,
(39:07):
the same negativity or the samedestruction that we've had in
the past.
Like this kind of light,following this way is not only a
help for us but for thecommunity.
We talk about the invitationthat our lives matter to the
people around us, the way thatwe live, the way that we love
who we've been a part of.
And so when we come every week,we come to church and we are
(39:31):
expanded in our ability to beable to see love or see people
for who they are.
We've read a couple of weeksago in the book of James where
it says if you have somethingthat you're struggling with,
talk to someone about it.
So perhaps we could just besuch a safe place that people
could share their own pain.
Nobody else would have to shareit for them.
Like that, they could be peoplewho say you know what, I am
struggling with this and I needhelp, and there could be a place
(39:54):
of hope and God is telling usthis is where you'll meet with
God.
Then I, the Lord will guide you, continually, giving you water
when you are dry and restoringyour strength.
You will be like a well-wateredgarden, an ever-flowing spring.
Some of you will rebuild thedeserted ruins of your city and
you will be known as therebuilder of walls and the
(40:15):
restorer of homes.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
I've had the privilege of watching my adult
children form theserelationships with friends and
many times they're running intopeople that have been wounded by
church.
In fact, more times than not,sadly and I don't say this in a
(40:44):
way like my children are winningthem over to Christ.
I say in a way that they'refinding broken people and being
able to help mend the walls, thedamage that's done, and speak
to that and defend that personin their place, and not defend a
(41:04):
religion or a dogma, but toreally kind of be there.
And then I'm watching themreconnect to God in a way that
is their own path and that'ssomething that I could not have
(41:28):
foreseen or not.
Like Heather and I imparted inour children that I see
something happening and it'sreally beautiful for maybe you
to see that it's not for us todefend Christianity.
God doesn't need your defending.
(41:48):
A lot of times it would help ifwe would be willing to apologize
on behalf of other human beingsin church who have devastated.
I find that so many times I'vewatched Heather do that.
I'm so sorry and I ask forforgiveness and the people will
(42:12):
look at her and go well, youdidn't do anything, I know, but
what was done to you was sin,and I'm calling it sin and I'm
asking for forgiveness for it.
And just that moment I willwatch people break down in tears
and just the defensiveness comedown and and and and and the
(42:34):
city's being rebuilt, you know,and that's beautiful, because I
don't want to be, and I I'm surethat I have in my past life at
some point, with my doctrine anddogma and my confidence that I
knew everything, that I hurtpeople and so all of a sudden,
our zeal have brought pain.
But I wonder if you realize howmuch in your humility you can
(42:59):
bring freedom to people and youcan be part of rebuilding, and
so look for that in theconnections that you make with
people, because my kids don'thave an intention to try to win
them back to church, it's toreally just to love on them.
But more times than not I'veseen them come and sit in a
(43:20):
church service and go that'ssomething I thought I'd never do
again.
I thought I'd never do again.
So there's definitely arelationship that's being
reconnected because we're seeingthat God can use us in that
fashion.
So look and see what Scriptureis presenting and see how maybe
we can be involved in thatbeautiful opportunity for
(43:43):
transformation.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Then your salvation will come like the dawn and your
wounds will quickly heal andyour godliness will lead you
forward, and the glory of theLord will protect you from
behind.
And then, when you call, theLord will answer yes, I am here,
and he will quickly reply.
(44:06):
And when you call, the Lordwill answer yes, I am here.
I remind you that while we'rewaiting for prayers to be
answered, there is still so muchgood that we can be doing that
when we are waiting for theanswer, when we have called out
and asked God.
(44:26):
And I remind you that prayer ismore than a shopping list or a
list of things that need to.
Prayer is a point of connection, connection with the divine
source, connection with love,connection with who we are made
in the very image of, and theinvitation that Jesus gave us is
to connection.
We hope you've enjoyed thisweek's sermon.
(44:47):
If you would like moreinformation about us, visit us
online at firstlovechurchorg.
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