Sunday, during the 11:00 AM service, I went on a little, unplanned, rant. It went something like this:
Christians need to stop complaining about the darkness of the world and they need to shine their light in a dark world. We need to stop judging the darkness around us and start shining the light of Christ within us.
I love it when moments happen like this because God challenges me just as much as He challenges you.
What inspired this thought? Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount for us to be salt and light to the world around us. Jesus challenged his hearers and those who believe today to let their good deeds be seen before others so that they will glorify our Father in heaven.
I believe with all of me that most believers today truly want to do this. We want our lives to matter today and we want our lives to matter eternally. I believe most Christians want to let their light shine, but they struggle to actually live out their intentions. Why? Because instead of being salt and light, the Church has become an army of secret agents. People fitting in when they should be standing out. People keeping quiet when they should be speaking up. People keeping God's activity to themselves instead of sharing it with others.
So, the question is, how can we be salt and light? How can we be agents of life-change? Let me suggest a few options for all of us.
1. Invite someone to church. This is the entry level ask to make of your friends. It can be as simple as a text inviting them to church or to one of our Easter events. Simply invite others because you love your church and what God is doing in us.
2. Serve others to share the love and message of Jesus. Later this month, we have Love Your Neighbor Weekend projects happening throughout Victoria. You can pick your project, serve, and share Jesus with a world in need. You can let your light shine and meet real needs in our community.
3. Build a relationship and tell someone about Jesus. Like Matthew did with his friends in Matthew 9, you can point your friends to Jesus. This takes time. This is risky, but it is so worth it because you can lead others to faith in Christ. Need a simple tool to help with this? Consider using these two questions.
Do you have a faith? This will help you see where they stand with God. It will also give you an easy way to share your faith story. After they share their story, you ask, "Do you mind if I share my faith with you?"
On a scale of 1 to 10, how certain are you that would go to heaven if you died right now? This question helps you see who or what they are trusting. Anything less than a 10 is practically a zero because with faith in Jesus we can be certain that we are His and that heaven is our home.
What inspired this thought? Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount for us to be salt and light to the world around us. Jesus challenged his hearers and those who believe today to let their good deeds be seen before others so that they will glorify our Father in heaven.
I believe with all of me that most believers today truly want to do this. We want our lives to matter today and we want our lives to matter eternally. I believe most Christians want to let their light shine, but they struggle to actually live out their intentions. Why? Because instead of being salt and light, the Church has become an army of secret agents. People fitting in when they should be standing out. People keeping quiet when they should be speaking up. People keeping God's activity to themselves instead of sharing it with others.
So, the question is, how can we be salt and light? How can we be agents of life-change? Let me suggest a few options for all of us.
1. Invite someone to church. This is the entry level ask to make of your friends. It can be as simple as a text inviting them to church or to one of our Easter events. Simply invite others because you love your church and what God is doing in us.
2. Serve others to share the love and message of Jesus. Later this month, we have Love Your Neighbor Weekend projects happening throughout Victoria. You can pick your project, serve, and share Jesus with a world in need. You can let your light shine and meet real needs in our community.
3. Build a relationship and tell someone about Jesus. Like Matthew did with his friends in Matthew 9, you can point your friends to Jesus. This takes time. This is risky, but it is so worth it because you can lead others to faith in Christ. Need a simple tool to help with this? Consider using these two questions.
Do you have a faith? This will help you see where they stand with God. It will also give you an easy way to share your faith story. After they share their story, you ask, "Do you mind if I share my faith with you?"
On a scale of 1 to 10, how certain are you that would go to heaven if you died right now? This question helps you see who or what they are trusting. Anything less than a 10 is practically a zero because with faith in Jesus we can be certain that we are His and that heaven is our home.
Whatever your next step is to live your faith publicly, take it! You are a secret that is too good to keep and you are a light that is too bright to hide so go be a difference-maker in the lives of others!
Posted in Growth Resources