Audio Link
1 Kings 3:5–12
Psalm 119:129–136
Romans 8:26–39
Matthew 5:13-16
Matthew 13:31-33
Matthew 13:44-52
For the last week I was engaged in a community of Christian believers. We are known as the Butterfly People. We are challenged to be a changed people, breaking out of our old-self, coming out of darkness and into the light of God. It is when people do that, that are changed, all the brokenness of before is forgiven, forgiven by the love of God in Christ Jesus.
I am a Butterfly, daring to risk all by loving all, as Christ loves us. Although I am a Butterfly and there is a whole community of us, you too can be among the Butterflies, and become a Butterfly too. The community I am speaking of is a group of volunteer leaders and the ones who also attend an event that is put on each year.
Each year in July, there is an event that is open to anyone going into high school, through adults. That event is known as Leadership Lab and it held at Augustana College, in Rock Island. We spend a week together each year to become energized and learn about responding to God. This week’s theme was Salt and Light and we focused all of our activities and twice a day worship services upon the theme. Write down the address, http://www.leadershiplab.net, use this to see all the activities I posted on Facebook this week.
Solomon asks God, to give him the wisdom to be the light, to know the difference between light and darkness so that he can be the salt for the people, God’s people. Solomon says; give me an understanding mind to govern Your (God’s) people and discern between good and evil. Discernment of Good / Light, Evil /Darkness, is what Solomon asks for and is granted by God. Solomon, in Light, wants to be the Salt for the people. Solomon wants to pour out the salt and turn on the light.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth. Just what the heck doe is mean to be salt? We use salt to flavor and preserve our foods. Can we flavor or preserve life? You bet we can! How we act towards others, react towards others is the flavor we give to life. We have a choice, a choice of how we respond to Jesus Christ. We can flavor others in the good news, which in turn can preserve them for all eternity. The gospel, the good news is preserving, it is life saving. I tell you, pour it out and turn it on.
We are the light of the world and we cannot be snuffed out, we cannot have a bushel basket or anything else cover us over, unless we choose to. We can choose to live in the darkness or live in the light and as the light. How we live, can either shine before others or be hidden in the darkness of the evil one. We can choose to pour it out; we can choose to turn it on. We can also choose to not pour it out and we can choose to not turn it on. Neither be salt nor light.
In Romans 13 it says that we should lay aside the works of darkness. We are to wear the armor of the light and live honorably as in the day. No more the way of darkness and the things of the evil one. Instead we are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and we are not to provide those things that lead to darkness and the evil one. Paul tells us to turn on the light.
The Psalm today says that the words of the Lord give light. The Psalmist asks that God shine upon them. God’s light is shinning up each of us, as we take in the words that God has given us for all eternity. We are all changed people by the Word and walking in the light of God, we become a beacon of the light of God, for all of God’s people. We can turn it on and walk in the light.
So, let me go back to this event I attended. Leadership Lab has been going on for years and years and years now. I have been involved over the last six years and each year I am changed more and more. I learn more of God’s love and to live out that love towards others and God.
The weeklong event, or as we call it “Lab”, equips the children of God to be the light, even in all of our brokenness. God uses the brokenness of each of us, for God’s purpose, if we just don’t stand in the way. The change that I see in each of the youth and adults is so moving; there are just no words to describe how the Holy Spirit is changing them. We left yesterday, ready, willing, and able to pour it out and to turn it on for the world.
If we are unwilling to be the salt to flavor others in the Gospel, then we have lost our saltiness. In biblical times, salt blocks were used in the cooking ovens. Salt reflects heat but when it stops reflecting the heat, as it breaks down over time, it has lost its saltiness. So Jesus says that it is no longer good for anything and gets thrown out and trampled under foot. We are salt and we can only loose our saltiness by our choice to be in darkness. When we are in darkens are we of any good to the kingdom of God?
We are saints and yet we are sinners. Our God has sent the Spirit to be with us always. It is in our weakness that the Spirit intercedes, calling us back to the light and to retain our saltiness. It is God coming to us, calling us to pour it out. It is God coming to us, calling us to turn it on.
Sometime being salt hurts but when we hurt, Jesus is with us turning our hurts into something amazing, something amazing for your and others. Sometimes when we are the salt, it can also hurt. Just like salt in a wound hurts, it also cures. Salt has been and still is used as a sterilizer in some parts of the world. Pour on the salt and add flavor everywhere you go. Turn on the light, be the light of the world.
It is our choice, to live a life of saltiness and pour it out. It is our choice to live in the light or live in darkness.
Turn it on…..
Pour it out…..
Be changed and become a butterfly.