First Love Church
These podcasts are messages that were preached at First Love Church in Ocala, Florida. We hope that you are encouraged and inspired by what you hear. We are a non denominational, egalitarian church that practices a generous orthodoxy. Find out more about our local congregation online at firstlovechurch.org.
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First Love Church
Salt and Light
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
Welcome to the First Love Church Podcast. This is a collection of Sunday teachings inspired by the Revised Common Lectionary and recorded weekly in Ocala, florida. Together we've gathered into God's house and I remind you that, though we're saying this is the house of God this morning, that God has many homes and God is everywhere and not relegated just to one space. In fact, we are the living temple, we are the living house of God, and each one of you that brought light and love and Jesus with you this morning we're so incredibly grateful for your presence with us. We are excited to speak the word of life and to look at the text, to encouraged and to be drawn into this beautiful hope. And this morning part of our text is from the book of Matthew, and Jesus is speaking and beloved. We need to pay attention when Jesus is speaking. There is a special emphasis that needs to be given when we recognize this is the words of our Jesus, who showed us how to live, how to truly live, how to get off of autopilot and to be able to live the life that God has given us. And so, as we go again to the Gospels this morning, I remind you that we're still in ordinary time in the scriptures, in the church calendar, and that kind of gives us some direction on where we go in the scriptures. And I love the gospels because I love all the different ways that we get to see Jesus. In some ancient rabbinical teaching, recognizing things that were in the first testament, the rabbis would say all the time, pay attention to the 70 faces of Torah. And that really meant that you could look at a scripture one way and then somebody else could have another facet of it. And you could look at a scripture one way and then somebody else could have another facet of it and you could turn it a little bit and see something like that. And it's one of the ways why you can look at the text, read the text, be a part of the text for your whole life, and it's not a dry, empty, just words on a page. It is a life, it is living. Jesus is that the living word with us, and so when we speak and we hear the words of Jesus, it brings us into such beauty.
Speaker 1:I was thinking about the different gospels that we've been a part of and somebody was asking me if I have a favorite and I can't. I can't go there. I like them all for different reasons, but I just want to remind you a few things this morning and you already know this. But in the gospel of Mark, jesus is newly baptized and he goes and he casts out an unclean spirit and he's really proving to the people around that he is the son of God and that he is the ultimate boundary crosser If there is a boundary. Jesus is going to the other side, jesus is going where they tell Jesus that he cannot go and Jesus is going to be there in the midst of those people. And Luke Jesus leaves and in fact comes out of the wilderness and he said he's coming to proclaim a release to the captive, to recovery of sight, to the blind, that Jesus has come and that he is going to heal the brokenhearted. And this message positions him in the poor and in the marginalized and also gets a bunch of people to try to run him out of town. The same message. And so for John.
Speaker 1:Jesus's first thing is a miracle and he turns water into extravagant wine. And I think that in in John's Gospel you can look at that. In the gospel writer is telling us look at the grace, look at the extravagant love, look at how much joy is in the presence. And then in John, it brings us back to this beautiful invitation that there's more than enough. Whatever you have need of, if you have need of grace, there is more than enough. The table is big enough for everyone.
Speaker 1:And then we come back to Matthew, and Matthew really tells us about Jesus being the teacher and showing us how to live, how to live rightly. And we've been in James for the past month, and James remind us that you know, faith without works is dead, and if you don't have evidence of what you say you believe, then James inquires of us. Let's change that. What good is your faith if it cannot make someone else's life bigger, better, more beautiful, more in the presence of God and hope? And so this morning, as we go to the text, we listen to Matthew, who is telling us this beautiful portion, and I remind you, and you can go home and read them, or maybe you have them memorized, but this is the part where Jesus starts talking about how the world is different than we thought it was. Jesus begins to talk about beatitudes. Blessed are the poor in spirit, and that's turning everyone on their head, because that's not ever how they saw a blessing, and that's turning everyone on their head, because that's not ever how they saw a blessing. And Jesus began to come and describe for us a world that we weren't living in and that we clearly had never seen. And Jesus was like this is where the blessing is, this is where God is, and so this is where we meet the text today.
Speaker 1:Jesus has just talked about the Beatitudes, and this is what he says to his followers you are the salt of the earth, but what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world. A city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house In the same way. Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly father.
Speaker 1:And this is the text for us today, where Jesus is saying to us you are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the earth, you are the light of the world. Now I remind you that Jesus was really clear on who he was. Jesus had quite a few I am statements. In fact, the I am statements are so meaningful because when, even in the first testament, when the people who were following god said what is your name, god said my name is I am. I am that I am. And so this expansive, beautiful name for god and jesus is here and in his ministry he begins to say things like I am, I am the door, I am the way, I am the good shepherd, I am the light and the truth I am. And then Jesus begins looking at us and saying you are.
Speaker 2:And so we see this beautiful invitation into the co-creation that the Spirit is doing in the world you know, I would hope that you could maybe see yourself as that salt or that flavor or that, that thing that the world really needs, like you individually, not like us, corporately though that it is. But I think sometimes when we individualize it, it's hard to, because we see ourselves sometimes by our failures or what we're not doing, and God sees us as who we really are not doing. And God sees us as who we really are. When I was little, my brother and I would be sent up on Saturday mornings to the donut Mellow Cream it was called In Jacksonville, illinois. We were sent up to get a dozen donuts and we were allowed to bring ten donuts back, and so mom would have the order and then we could or each Danny and I could get one, and then, as our reward for walking up there and getting those for her, we got one, and so my mom got ten, and I don't know, but anyways I have no resentment.
Speaker 2:Does it sound like I do, because maybe I've got to work out some stuff with counseling. But we'd come up through the alley and go into that place and I remember one Saturday morning there was powdered donut sugar all in the alley dumped on the ground and I think probably what happened was somebody was carrying that bag of powdered sugar in and it fell off and busted open and it was there inside the weeds and the muddy and my heart was broken. I thought are they not going to have powdered donuts today? Because that was my donut of choice at that time. That was my fix. I needed it. I walked all the way up there and I remember wanting and going to taste and my older brother told me that was not a good idea.
Speaker 2:But it was on the ground.
Speaker 2:It was worthless Dough, you can't have it.
Speaker 2:It was damaged, it was ruined, and what a sad thing to think of all the donuts that could have been enjoyed by this powder, but yet it was just dropped and trampled on.
Speaker 2:You know are you tracking with me a little bit here that you're that precious and more, so much more you know, and you're that valuable to the world, to the world. And so there is for us something that we should recognize, that there is this potential for us to be ineffective and there is a potential for God to transform us in a way that we are so fruitful and such a blessing and so effective. So will we recognize the great I am, as able to remove bitterness out of us, remove anger, remove sin that distracts us and derails us, so that we can walk in that place of being like powdered donut sugar for the world, being the salt that people need, amen. I really believe that if we could kind of look in terms of that personal transformation, or that personal walk and what it does, I think that this thing could become a little more real than just a reading that maybe we've heard before.
Speaker 1:You are the salt of the earth. It's been more than 2,000 years since Jesus said this, and so it's important for us to pay attention to the fact that this is a metaphor. I mean, there's some really good things in our language about people that are salt of the earth. That means that they are there. You can be trusted, we know what we're getting when we get them. They're not highfalutin. These people are going to go to work and they're going to accomplish something, and when someone says to me you are salt of the earth people, it's a compliment.
Speaker 1:But this is something that is in our language and vocation and our particular vernacular here, and so I remind you that we are listening to a very, very ancient text, and so in one of the translations, I thought it was remarkable, because it says you are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it turns to foolishness? That's how it actually is, and I'm thinking. Well, there is then this invitation that salt looks like wisdom, and what good is it when the wisdom turns to foolishness? What good is it when something that was once meant for transformation? So I like to cook, and many of us do, and I remind you of how intentional and how powerful salt is in the cooking.
Speaker 1:And salt is not necessarily meant for you just to taste the salt, but it is a flavor enhancer. In fact, salt is different than pepper, though you need both of them. Pepper is a spice and pepper can be ground and laid right on top of, and I think sometimes we have in our lives the teachings of Christ like pepper, not like salt, just laid on top of what we do. We have our life and the way that we're going to do with a little pepper on it, but salt actually changes from the inside the flavor, the taste of something. Everyone pay attention to me, do not look, I'm just teasing.
Speaker 1:The sweetest little Sawyer is crawling on his way up to the front. May he always come to the altar. May he always know that this is the place to go. I love it with my whole heart. I don't know anyway, but that was adorable. All of us in church this morning. A baby was headed to tell us the truth. The scripture says the kingdom is like a child, and so Sawyer has some good things to tell us about what Jesus is like, and then he's going to be on his side.
Speaker 1:Quick will be Dwayne when Dwayne learns to speak and he can encourage us and I love this about our church family that there are babies among us but that there are elders. And we're reading in the book of Revelation and it talks about amen, amen, amen and amen. And amen means so be it. So be it when you don't see it yet, so be it when it doesn't feel like it's going to happen. And I hope that you paid attention to that particular metaphor when he says that the angels that are around the throne are holding golden bowls and in the bowls are incense. And the incense that is offered before the Lord is the prayer of the saints. Your prayers, beloved, matter, my prayers matter, our prayers matter. I was also thinking about Jesus's disciples, because they saw Jesus do so many things, and do you know what they asked for? Lord, teach us to pray. It's not recorded that anyone said, hey, that thing you did with the wine, teach me to do that. Or the thing you did with the guy's hand, teach me. You know what they looked at. These are people that knew how to pray. They had already learned so much of the prayer since they were little boys. They knew prayer, but they knew that Jesus was praying with different results. And they looked at all of the miracles. And they said teach us to pray, teach us to be in communion like you are in communion. Teach us to be one with the Father, the way that you're one with the Father. And so we hear Jesus saying to us you are the salt of the earth, you are the important stuff. If. What good is salt? Is it? If lost its flavor, can you make it salty again? It'll be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
Speaker 1:In Jesus's day, salt preserved food. It was medicine, and it was also the word that the Romans took and used this word because people were paid in salt, and it actually the word that we use today. Salary comes from this word. It's like are you worth your salt? Meant, something like are you worth the pay that we have here? And so this was something that wasn't just an add-on, that this was an essential part of their life. And Jesus was saying I'm looking at you and you are the salt here. You are the thing that transforms the dish, you are the thing that brings forth these beautiful flavors. You are that thing. And so one of the things that salt actually does is it reduces bitterness in the flavor. If you have something that has bitter in it and you put salt, it balances it out.
Speaker 1:And I was thinking how much the world is full of bitterness, needs us. They need us to be full of light 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 a hope. And then Jesus says you are the light of the world. You are the light of the world. If you know, advent is coming, so I'm already preparing. That's in December and I'm staying present. I really am, but I am preparing.
Speaker 1:The book of Advent is growing. But this part in Advent that we remember all the time is when Simeon, this prophet who is very old, sees the baby. The parents bring the baby and he takes this baby and he says this is the one I've been looking my whole life for. He sees this new, fresh one from heaven and says this is the one. This will be the light to the Gentiles and the glory of God's people, israel. And this has been the prophecy over Jesus that he will be the light. In fact, jesus says that he is the light. And then Jesus turns to us and says you are the light, oh, beloved. Sometimes we're not very shiny, and so I remind you that we are light, and we are not light by telling people who we are against or what we believe. This is the invitation from James. This is the invitation from James, 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, and there's such a beautiful invitation here for us to say you are the light of the world.
Speaker 1:A city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket, except for sometimes we do. I think Jesus is saying this is foolishness. This was obviously before that there was electricity and you could put a basket shade on something that was light. We're talking about a flame here. The lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house.
Speaker 1:I loved these two verses because it says that you're the light on the hill. That's like a lot of pressure to me, at least, it seems like that way but a light that is for everyone to see. And then it says you're to be the light in your own house. You are to be kind to your own family. You are to be loving toward those people. You are to be the light of Christ. You are to be a person so illumined 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 and maybe you have where there's not a lot of light pollution and someone can have a fire on a hill or there can be something going on and you can see it for miles because there's no other lights around, and so this is an invitation for us to pay attention to this goodness that's here. You are light, beloved, you are salt, you have power of love to transform, and Jesus is reminding us this is what it's like.
Speaker 2:I have a really uh dear friend and uh with friends for a long time and both of us pastored churches, you know, and uh, you know he's he's done ministry work, missions work and all this stuff, um, but he uh had um, struggled with alcoholism to the point that I mean just you know, before noon I mean he's down to a whole bottle of vodka, you know, just day, daily. Just the amount of alcohol was killing him. And he went into a treatment and it was a long-term treatment and he realized, you know that he was, that you know doctors were telling him at this pace it would be very, you know, he wouldn't live. So he went in and and he said, one of the times, through the working of the Lord and their counseling and help, and he heard something, the Lord said something to him in his spirit, but he didn't say it out loud. And then he was in the group and they said I want you to say something about yourself, maybe that you've never said before, that you have a hard time saying in front of people, and any voiced it. He said out loud, he said that God. He said. He said I'm worthy of God's love. He said it out loud and he said, he just burst into tears, just the kind of crying came over him because all of the things he did, all of the ministry, all the stuff, all the accolades he had had and stuff, there was still 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 the pain and the problem. And so that's the thing we need to get at Right and so for him to be able to say out of his mouth that I'm worthy of God's love. God's made you worthy. But could you say that out loud, you know?
Speaker 2:And I think about this passage of scripture because, because we were like, well, how you know, that's a little ambiguous. How am I putting a bushel on my light? You know, how am I not being salt? That is a very ambiguous thought, right? So I would challenge you to just say could you right now, stand up in this room and say I am the salt of the earth, I am light? Could you? Or is there something inside of you that just couldn't bring yourself to say I'm worthy of God's love? You know, and I'm not going to go around the room and ask you to do that, but I really would ask you to at some point today, before you lay your head down on your pillow for your nap or for your bedtime tonight, if you could 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 up into some kind of arrogant pride, but it's so humbling to say that God has made me worthy of his love, you know. And so I would ask you to consider that what we're talking about today is God's doings. So I'm not standing up here going. I am the light. Look at me. But he has made me to be light to people, and so when I can say that, and saying it leads to believing it, I mean, if I think it, it's one of those thoughts.
Speaker 2:You know, it did me no good to think how much I loved Heather. A change really happened when I looked at her and said I love you, and then she burst into tears and I thought, oh, I've really messed up our friendship now. And then she told me these are tears of joy, and that was the day, man, that I learned I will never understand women, but I know that voicing that made all the difference, and I know for you that if you could get to that 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 those things and let this verse really bring the change, that an intensity. It's god who's who's making the, the shining and and changing the flavor and curing the, the lives of the people around you.
Speaker 1:Amen we pause here for a moment to thank you for joining us today. If you're finding this episode meaningful, would you take a moment to share it with a friend? This podcast is made possible thanks to the generosity of people just like you. If you would like to support the ongoing work of First Love Church and the continued work of our podcast, visit us online at firstlovechurchorg. Reminding you to like, follow and subscribe.
Speaker 1:Jesus is going to tell us exactly what he means by the metaphor. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Father in heaven. The metaphor is not complicated if you understand. It is your good deeds. It is the things that you do, not to earn God's love. You already have that, but because you are loved, god is not opposed to effort, but God is opposed. Grace is opposed to earning. You are already loved, but now that you are, how will you live? Now that you are loved, now that you are worthy, where is the light and where is the love?
Speaker 1:I was driving this was more than a year ago but I had done what I shouldn't have done. So I tell you that wisdom didn't take me there. I had not given myself enough time for interruption. I don't know if you've planned your day like that, but my day sometimes is planned how I like it, with no interruptions, and don't you know that? That's usually when interruption comes to me. But I had an appointment, I had somewhere to be and I felt a little bit of pressure. And I felt a little bit of pressure and I had given myself time and I was in the van and I was coming around the corner and I saw an elderly black man on the side of the road and he had a cooler, like a hard cooler, on his shoulder and he was walking with it and he was as you do here in Florida. Sweat was dripping from the top of him in such a crazy way. So I rolled down my window and I said, excuse me, are you my neighbor? And I didn't mean that in a philosophical way, I meant geographically, like are you from around here? Because we don't know everybody and I was not going to leave him there. And he looked at me and he goes I don't know, how do you believe? And I was thinking, okay, you are somebody who also knows that everyone is my neighbor. And I said, well, now that you put it that way. Yes, I said, can I give you a ride? And he looked right at me and he said I see you, jesus. And I was a little bit upset. I was like whoopsie-daisy, I'm in the middle of some kind of fight with him and the Lord and I'm not sure I want to be in the middle of that. And he goes. I see you, jesus, and he goes.
Speaker 1:I, lord and I were having a moment and I thought to myself, I know, based on your response, and he said I was telling the Lord now, all these times I've done for you and I've done for people and this is the time I need help and you're not showing up for me. This is the time that I cannot do for myself and no one will do for me. He goes, this is the kind of life you're going to. Let me leave. He goes and then you roll up and say are you my neighbor?
Speaker 1:I want to tell you that he did not see me, a person who was busy or a neighbor. He saw a response, he saw light because he had a relationship with God and beloved. All of us are a neighbor. I'm so glad he said that question because I did drive him quite a bit and I want to tell you, driving is not that big a deal. I didn't carry him on my back anywhere. I drove him out of my way and I drove him to his place.
Speaker 1:But there is for us all of the time. If we will look around and go, who is my neighbor, who is the person in need? We were talking about this in the past few weeks that there is for so many times for us in scripture, where it talks about it's our responsibility as believers to give to the poor, and so we have this hierarchy in our life of going. Well, they're not poor. I don't have to give to them, but to actually correctly translate it, it says to give to anyone who has need.
Speaker 1:Who around you in your life has need. The need can be all kinds of things. Maybe someone needs encouragement. My friend, as it turns out, just needed a ride. He had a ride for work tomorrow. He had all kinds of other things, but just at that moment he needed help with a heavy burden, with a cooler that was chock full of meat that needed to go to somebody else's house. And there's a hope for us that if 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 love of Christ and is willing to do something for all of us.
Speaker 2:It is for us, this beautiful invitation into community, that, for more than just one of us, that if all of us live this kind of light, let your good deed shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly father you know, you hit upon something that I'd like us to consider, because it tends to be um, when, when it's when it's time to give to somebody, we, we, we go through 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, this process, you know, and really for us to be able to just open up our hearts and say, uh, there's a need and I can help, you know, and I'm, and, and god would ask me to do that, I have a, 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 to you, or maybe Heather, and I will talk to him and his wife and, and you know, and it'll be nothing short of a just a counseling appointment or whatever, you know, and I could look at that, on the one hand, and say, well, he's got all the money in the world, he, you know, he can get his own cat.
Speaker 2:You, I can go, there's a need there and I'm willing to meet that and not judge. Well, because he's at this place, because I see it all the time, it happens in me in my heart. Where I'll get kind of frustrated is when I'll be in a community delivering boxes and somebody will go get a box, take it to the house and come back in line and act like I don't know who they are, like I didn't see you, you know, and I'm like wait a minute, you just got a box, 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 been asking God to expand my heart where I can go.
Speaker 2:If somebody went through all the effort to do that, you know, my judgment is they're not trying to get over on me, they're trying to get, you know, and instead of the heart of going, if somebody has a need, let's double bless them. If we have the resources, oftentimes I'll just say to them well, would you wait in the line here? And when we've served everybody, I'm sure there's going to be some extra, but let's just make sure and then be able to bless them with that. But it's really pulling the curtain back on that limit that we have, because I think all of us do. All of us do and I think that in expanding in God, part of it's going to need to expand that willingness to just bless because we can, versus determining who we can and can't, as if it was rationed out like there wasn't enough grace of God. So it better be portioned out that we can give a little bit more generously than I think they might be turning on me.
Speaker 1:I'm going to read to them from the prophet Isaiah, chapter 58. The beginning of the verse. People, you can read the chapter, or maybe you know it. But the people are going before God and they're like, hey, we don't like this kind of deal that we have with you. We're doing all these things and you're not noticing. I don't know if you ever talked to God about that. But the people were like, hey, we're doing all these works and we're not getting the accolades back that we think that we should get. And God is actually rebuking them and explaining something to them what they're offering he's not interested in. In fact, there's one portion of the scripture where God says stop all your noisy singing.
Speaker 1:What I want to see are works of righteousness. 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? This is what the Lord requires of you Mercy, walk humbly. These are the kind of things that God is interested in it. So this in verse six, God is telling the people who are saying hey, we're doing all this really great stuff and you're not paying attention. And God says, no, this is the kind of fasting I want. Free those who are wrongly imprisoned, lighten the burden for those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them and do not hide from relatives who need your help. That's actually in the scripture. I don't know if you knew that. It's in Isaiah, chapter 58.
Speaker 2:It's so cleverly hidden in plain sight Because it says you know?
Speaker 1:Do not hide from your own flesh. If you read an old translation, but I'm telling you right there sometimes you need a more accurate translation.
Speaker 2: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 relatives that need your help.
Speaker 1:Then your salvation will come like the dawn and your wounds will heal quickly and your godliness will lead you forward and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. And then, when you call, the Lord will answer yes, I am here, and he will quickly reply. Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors. Feed the hungry, help those in trouble. Would you read the next part with me? Then your light will shine out from the darkness and the darkness around you will be as bright as the noon. If you want to know how to be bright and shiny, feed the hungry, help those who are in trouble, and then your light will shine from the darkness and the darkness around you will be bright as noon, and the Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength, and you will be like a well-watered garden, an ever-flowing stream, and some of you will rebuild deserted ruins of your cities and you will be known as the rebuilder of walls and the restorer of homes.
Speaker 1:Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don't pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath. Speak of it with delight as the Lord's holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do and don't follow your own desires or talk idly. Then the Lord will be your delight and I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance that I promised to the ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken feed the hungry, help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon I think it was the verse before, but nevertheless you can look it up.
Speaker 2: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, and one of the famous loopholes I find in Christianity is people will gossip and then they'll say, but I just wanted to pray about this, you know, I just hey, I want you to pray about this, and so then we gossip for half an hour and then maybe never get to the prayer, or the prayer is, you know, jesus, help them. But we did 30 minutes of telling the story, and one of the things that I've learned early on from my wife is that she's pretty good at stopping somebody. Hey, let me stop you right there. We need to pray, and people who really are serious about praying will bow their head and pray, but she'll stop in mid-sentence because we don't need to go on with that. And I'm telling you it's epidemic in our culture. There's entire television shows dedicated to gossip. There's so much of it that maybe we don't even realize we're doing and God is instructing us this, and for me, I knew that it wasn't right by God, but it feels so good. And I'm just being honest, maybe no one knows what I'm talking about, but it is kind of fun or interesting or whatever, and so I really couldn't see the harm in it until I realized it's like changing a channel on a television. You either can be on the channel that's connecting you with God, or you can turn to this other frequency, this other channel, and you can be in that vibe, that energy, that way of thinking, that way of believing and living. And it's demonic, it's low-frequency, rumbling and complaining. Or we can come up higher, where God's inviting us.
Speaker 2:And since I've perceived that, I've noticed when I start to say something, I feel it and I felt like, you know, and it's not even so much as conviction, it's like uh-oh, the channel's changing, right, I'm disconnecting from my source. That's why he doesn't want us to do it. He's not like oh, I just want to 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 good Christian and I don't gossip? No, it's so that I don't have to live in that realm, on that channel, because that channel is negative, that channel.
Speaker 2:And recently, you know, even with myself, and and recently I was I was around some people and they started talking and I'm like, oh Lord, make him stop. And I just, and I just found myself. I've never I don't think in my life, ever just kind of went through this thing and I'm like I don't know what should I say? Should I, should I tell them to stop? I mean it because I mean they were willingly and and unknowingly though, just moving into the.
Speaker 2:And this is what god's asking us do you want to to be light? Do you want to be salt? Well, there is something in our actions, there's something in our behaviors, but it's not about, oh, you're just being a good person. So god's going to go ahead and put his anointing on you. God has blessed you, but we are the ones that are holding back the light. Not God is not withholding some, dishing out some light to you. We mask it and filter it with that kind of behavior. So that's why I'm motivated to change, not like I'm earning some special spot and seat in heaven. He has already made a way for you and I Amen. But what about us being transformative to the people that we love? And what about us in a situation like that, where people are being negative, that you could come in and just transform the situation. That's the power of God that lives inside of us. Amen. I might just preach yet.
Speaker 1: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 somebody else's beauty, to somebody else's hope, to somebody else's goodness, but finding a way to be able to say I will talk about the things that concern me. And let me tell you, when you stop focusing on other people, when you start taking splinters out of someone else's eye, you can deal with the telephone pole on your own. And so the idea for us is to pay attention to inward things, this idea of what is God doing in me, what goodness has God given me that I can shine, or broadcast, feed the hungry, help those in trouble, and your light will shine from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be bright as noon Again. This is also in words of metaphor, and so it begins to say some of you will be the rebuilders of broken cities and deserted ruins. And then it goes on to say those from among you, and really what it means. If you look in modern translation, it means your children, your children can actually rebuild cities, rebuild places that have been destroyed, and I don't think that it's necessarily talking about architecture, but it's reminding us that our children do not have when we will get this right. Our children do not have to live repeating the same history, the same negativity or the same destruction that we've had in the past. Like this kind of light, following this way is not only a help for us but for the community.
Speaker 1:We talk about the invitation that our lives matter to the people around us, the way that we 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 expanded in our ability to be able to see love or see people for who they are. We've read a couple of weeks ago in the book of James where it says if you have something that you're struggling with, talk to someone about it. So perhaps we could just be such a safe place that people could share their own pain. Nobody else would have to share it for them.
Speaker 1:Like that, they could be people who say you know what, I am struggling with this and I need help, and there could be a place of hope and God is telling us this is where you'll meet with God. Then I, the Lord will guide you, continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your city and you will be known as the rebuilder of walls and the restorer of homes.
Speaker 2:I've had the privilege of watching my adult children form these relationships with friends and many times they're running into people that have been wounded by church. In fact, more times than not, sadly and I don't say this in a way like my children are winning them over to Christ. I say in a way that they're finding broken people and being able to help mend the walls, the damage that's done, and speak to that and defend that person in their place, and not defend a religion or a dogma, but to really kind of be there. And then I'm watching them reconnect to God in a way that is their own path and that's something that I could not have foreseen or not. Like Heather and I imparted in our children that I see something happening and it's really beautiful for maybe you to see that it's not for us to defend Christianity. God doesn't need your defending.
Speaker 2:A lot of times it would help if we would be willing to apologize on behalf of other human beings in church who have devastated.
Speaker 2:I find that so many times I've watched Heather do that.
Speaker 2:I'm so sorry and I ask for forgiveness and the people will look at her and go well, you didn'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.
Speaker 2:And just that moment I will watch people break down in tears and just the defensiveness come down and and and and and the city's being rebuilt, you know, and that's beautiful, because I don't want to be, and I I'm sure that I have in my past life at some point, with my doctrine and dogma and my confidence that I knew everything, that I hurt people and so all of a sudden, our zeal have brought pain. But I wonder if you realize how much in your humility you can bring freedom to people and you can be part of rebuilding, and so look for that in the connections that you make with people, because my kids don't have an intention to try to win them back to church, it's to really just to love on them. But more times than not I've seen them come and sit in a church service and go that's something I thought I'd never do again.
Speaker 2:I thought I'd never do again. So there's definitely a relationship that's being reconnected because we're seeing that God can use us in that fashion. So look and see what Scripture is presenting and see how maybe we can be involved in that beautiful opportunity for transformation.
Speaker 1:Then your salvation will come like the dawn and your wounds will quickly heal and your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. And then, when you call, the Lord will answer yes, I am here, and he will quickly reply. And when you call, the Lord will answer yes, I am here. I remind you that while we're waiting for prayers to be answered, there is still so much good that we can be doing that when we are waiting for the answer, when we have called out and asked God. And I remind you that prayer is more 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 the invitation that Jesus gave us is to connection. We hope you've enjoyed this week's sermon. If you would like more information about us, visit us online at firstlovechurchorg.
