- Who we are in Christ
- What are our purpose / responsibility as follower of God (after believing in Him)
God didn't just let you believe in Him. He calls us to be like Him (JC) -> what He does, you also do.
No requirement you need to meet first before you can enter the kingdom.
But, it is His grace first, then you enter.
His grace and love will seeps through you and revealed in your living as disciple
In order to impact this era, it is not mere words and lip service. Our life, actions, livings need to be transformed.
Lose saltiness = lose your effectiveness! functions (bland) -> lose your effectiveness in guiding your heart and mind, we will be the victim of satan and the world. We will be ineffective in telling people of the gospel.
Losing the saltiness is foolish
Covering the light is also foolish -> let your light shine before others. (Jesus already dwells in you, let it shine before others)
When people see you, they praise the father in heaven
- Why father? Because it is the relationship that drives you. You desire to please him because there is this love relationship between you and God
- Everytime when God gives you a command, He reminds you of relationship with Him
Discipleship
(1) Being > Doing
Who you are is more important than what you do
You are
(The moment you accept Jesus, you are no longer you but Christ in you. Like it or not, your dream is God's. Our entire decision, spirit and mind will be influenced by HS who dwells in us, our prayers become effective)
We obey God not because we want to earn a r/s or blessings --> because of our r/s with God
You are the salt and light doesn't mean you are perfect. As long as we are willing to submit to God, HS who dwells in us who is perfect will help us to live out.
(2) being leads to doing
- Belief is behavioural shaping (transformation) <unseen --> leads to seen>
- Behavior is also belief- revealing
- Your behavior tells you what is at the back of your mind
- Knowledge (of truth) will not transform life, only life transforms life
- Speaker -> demonstrated (no shortcut)
- Jesus Himself is Word becomes flesh. he demonstrated Himself.
Salt - has flavour. If you are bland, the very thing necessary in life is lost (people can live w/o you)
Set apart and impact
If we don't influence the world, the world influences us.
If we don't insert true joy to the world, the things that upset the world will also depress us.
- Salt
- Use in small qty, but huge impact <Remnants>
- Disciples -> very necessary witness
- Immersed (in food) yet distinctive flavour (Jn : they are in the world, yet not part of the world)
- When you have the treasure, you are not to isolate yourself. But you are to prove to the world that gospel works (the way to joy, the way to live...)
- jn 17:15-18
- Sometimes we live with sinners and hear things we never knew, but we pray all the more fervently and let God work in us and through us. So that our saltiness infused into our lives
- Transformed --> so that we can be the change agents
- Brings pain
- Sometimes, people get irritated
- Yet it has healing effect
- How you know you are retaining saltiness?
- You will re-define what the world thinks as happiness? (Identity, purpose and living)
- Light
- Like remnant, a little light can brighten the whole place
- Eg a little prayer, a little encouragement, text, invitation can change the entire day/ destiny of a person
- Reflect the true light (JC) through our living and deeds
- Sometimes, we are deceived by the darkness, actually a little light brighten the entire room! (The end times is the best times!)
- Ignorance cannot win over wisdom of God
- Falsehood cannot win over truth
- Disbelief and doubts cannot win over assurance
- Hatred cannot win over love
- Discontentment cannot win over gratitude
- Need to know what is darkness!
- Ignorance - we never know there is a spiritual world before we meet God. Do you find ignorance (not knowing the truth) a scary thing? Because it affects our ways of thinking, setting priorities. If I don't know why I'm such a failure or fail in r/s, the perfect will of a loving God in me, I will be so miserable and being consumed by my emotions)
- Sin of our spirit - worst
- Spiritual adultery --> you will be punished
- Anything under the control of satan (satan masquerades)
- Easy solution > eternal solution
- Present ease > eternal bliss
- Me > God
- Religion created by man for them to serve (drift from God) > the one and only god
- Only Christ - when he comes, you suddenly see the invisible God becomes flesh
- We know (devil wants to separate us from God)
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- He paid the price
- He has victory over satan
- When we say we are the light of the world -> we are to reflect Christ
- Help people out of their ignorance
- Bring them to the forgiveness
- Overcome Satan's authority by gospel
- When God's light come upon us, we have every reason to give thanks
- How bright are you today?
- Are you enjoying inner joy?
- People beside you - are they happy?
Examine our effectivess in impacting others
- Hudson Taylor - a man in Christ
- Positive side
- God loves you nonetheless - know who you are (identity, purpose)
- Recognise that problems of the world is related to you being the salt and light
- The more you are in contact with God, the more you are influenced by god
- Negative side
- Because it is not easy, there are certain things you need to battle against
- Lose saltiness - when you are impure (contaminated by other things)
- Worldly culture
- Peer influence (you let yourself be influenced, when you know it's not pleasing to God, but you dare not voice out)
- Modern subtle idols
- Phone, texting
- Fear of opposition / rejection (persecutions - God already said, the world hates you)
- *you know all these things are coming to us -- but a prepared heart is a battle half won
Do people feel your tastiness? (Everytime you enter, they feel assure and safe?)