Salt in the City

Carter, and from the historic Times Square Church in New York City member. Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 5 verse 13 you are the salt of the earth.

You are the salt salt do salt creates fires there should be something in my life a welcome to a call to the nation and Carter, his message taken from second Kings chapter 2, verse 19 to help the wound healed, you can use water with salt and salt helps with healing is Carter will show us today. That's what you and I are called to do with the presence of God that flows through us. We can bring healing to those who are in here is Carter with today's message salt in the city sultans city second Kings chapter 2 beginning at verse 19. Then the men of the city said to Elisha, please notice the situation of the city is pleasant as my Lord sees the water is bad in the ground barren and he said, bring me a new bowl and put salt in it, so they brought it to him.

Then he went out to the source of the water and cast in salt there and said, thus says the Lord. I have healed this water and from it. There shall be no more death or barrenness, so the water remains healed. To this day according to the word of Elisha which he spoke so this is the story of a young man who made a choice to accept the calling of God on his life this a choice that we make. We we can accept it or we can refuse it for everybody that's listening to beep.

It doesn't matter where you are or what you are involved in. God has a calling on your life calling on your life is not just to get out of where you are but it's to bring you into something he has for you that will affect other people around you will affect your town will affect your family, your city, or society. Realistically, there's no limit to what God can do as he took Billy Graham one time in a young man I just had some of a lot of questions even about the word of God, but he touched him and Billy made the decision to take up the calling of God that was on his life and of course the rest is history.

He's preached more people in his lifetime than perhaps anybody throughout history ever has done and there was a great prophet of God that came before this young man called Elijah. Just as is with you and I there there been great men and women of God that have gone before us. That's that's true. Everybody knows that the been the Billy Graham's of this world. The David Wilkerson's and I could just continue to dimension names. Both men and women have gone before us, and in many cases there now gone in and it's another generation. It's another time.

It's another season or the presence of God needs to be made known again through another people and new people another generation. Now we can either just just walk around talking about what God did in the past, or we can do as Elisha did.

When Elijah was taken from this world mantle of Elijah fell down to the ground. Basically, in the choice was given to him. Do I pick up the calling of God for my life. Or he could go on the could live his life the way he wanted to and he could he could talk about the great things it it Elijah had done or he could pick up the mantle and he made a choice and he reached down and he picked up that metal of God knowing not always been easy for Elijah when he when he picked it up. He understood that is going to be resistance is going to be trials is going to be difficulty but considering that it's it's worth it to represent God in the world and it it's worth it to take a stand for God is worth it to walk in the divine enablement of God to fulfill the calling that is placed on each of our lives in and we recognize we need a divine enablement and I love the fact that when he when he picked up the mantle of Scripture tells us, he took it anything.

He struck the water that stood before him, and he said where is the God, the Lord God of Elijah. You know it's an amazing thing that the God was not offended by his question he it was basically saying Todd or Harr you I need you I can't do this from my own and you did wonderful things through Elijah but Eli just gone and this is a new generation, and it requires new people, but with the same power and so God on calling out to and I'm asking you to make yourself known to me in the Scripture says he took the mantle of Elijah. He struck the water and the water was divided and it says Elisha passed over. He crossed over. He walked out of the natural and into the supernatural. He he went into places that only God can do it when you when you pick up that mantle that calling of God on your life. The waters of impossibility that you can't cross it in your own strength was suddenly part for you the addiction you can't get out of will give way to the presence of God in your life that the hopelessness will give way to the hope that Christ offers struggles and your family will give way to a new life that God will bring into your heart and into your home and into your lineage.

That's all around you and suddenly you find yourself walking through these waters of impossibility out of the natural and into the supernatural life of God that he has for you and you doing it just the way that others have done before you. It's amazing when you study the Scriptures you will find in God's people, especially in the Old Testament course. It seems they always had the past with these waters before they could know the presence of God. There always had to be this this initial mail call of the unknown baptism. Baptism, the more you pastor the water, but you don't get wet. You know that impossibility just parts and makes a way I've known it, and many many others of known or were you you know in your heart you been taken out of your own weakness and you been brought by the strength of God through an unfamiliar place. A place you not walk before now in Elisha's case, the very first test that confronted him and this is the test is going to confront a lot of people in this generation. Now Elisha was in Jericho now Jericho had amazing history. You know the history of Jericho's where the pre-incarnate appearing of Christ was there. We drew his sword in the Sansone, and Joshua was told to take off his shoes and gave them as spiritual instruction. The given this marvelous incredible victory where the walls of this city that was built to resist their their advancement into the promised land was was standing and it had been a long time in the city know we we had revivals in great cities, New York City has known the great touch of God, 1857 there was a perm movement that started in New York City that swept the whole country. Hundreds of thousands of people came into the kingdom of God through one young man, Jeremiah Lanphier started permitting down in the financial district and and and started with just a few people and before he knew it, it just spread throughout the country.

Just like a wildfire and so there's a history of the New York City of of what God has done in the past there was a history in Jericho but now it's another generation. It's another time. It's another season same ground, same city, just different people. And Elisha found himself in Jericho and the men of the city said to him, please notice the situation of the city is pleasant as my Lord sees, but the water is bad, and the ground is barren.

You can get to a place where were going to church is pleasant right it's it's pleasant how was your church is my always pleasant. It was nice.

I went and they that people were pleasant at the door and it was it was pleasant to sit there.

We had a pleasant service.

It didn't go too long. The preacher was pleasant. He didn't preach as long as he normally doesn't. And I just walked out it was it was just it was really just a pleasant experience, but the water doesn't challenge me water you know the Bible talks about the washing of the water of God's word. You can read about it in Ezekiel chapter 36 and you walk out and say it was pleasant but it it it's not provoking me to something deeper than where I have it's it's just pleasant water. You know there was a church in the book of Revelation: Asea were Jesus said to the his people, that time is that you're neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one of the other. But he said you're canna lukewarm you're just gonna pleasant method that would and he says if you don't get a hold of this is is up, I will spew you out of my mouth.

A lot of people look at that and assume that was a rather harsh thing to say to rezone people, but you see, historians say that at this particular church in this geographic location. The lead Asea. There was a well that was known to the people and for whatever reason, the water in that while was neither warm nor cold, lukewarm in the unsuspecting stranger would turn of walked the end dropped in a bucket, take a glass of that water and put it in his mouth and most everybody this they would would spit it out on the ground because it it wasn't cold enough to satisfy was not enough to make super T other.

It was just lukewarm it. It wasn't satisfying and this is this what was happening in the city, in the sense that it's pleasant but the water. There's something about the water and because of the water.

The ground is is barren. There's there's no fruit coming from this water is not producing life. This waters is not inspiring.

In a sense growth.

This water is not producing a harvest and you know we've we've got is a problem in our generation today were that a lot of churches are really pleasant places, but the donation is barren and that the fruit that we should be seeing were not sitting in our time.

They the numbers it should become of the Christ are not coming to Christ, and were like the fishermen in John chapter 21 the been throwing the dead on the same side of the boat all night. When Jesus appears on the assurances of you caught anything to have any food and this is now nothing is as THEN the net on the other side of the boat on the right side of the boat and you shall find in obedience to God.

They they decided just to listen to his voice one more time and this is my challenge to you that are listed tonight online.

Could you just consider listening to the voice of God is a lot of voices trying to speak to you there's there's your own voice is your own heart. There's maybe going to church and it's just, lukewarm water on the on the criticizing your pastor, please don't misunderstand me but maybe it's not meeting your need, but I tell you, even though you might be spending the night and and going nowhere.

As you can see it. Jesus is still willing to speak as he spoke to Caleb. Caleb ran out of his classroom.

It is in defeat relates in and started to hyperventilate quote Scripture, but it was in that moment of stillness as God spoke to his heart just said I'm with you I'm with you and I will do something through you that only I can do let me do what I can do in your life and challenging you that those that are at home that there is something that God wants to speak to you. There's a place he wants to take you to. There's a fruitfulness that first he wants to birth in your life, and after the birth sit in your life. He wants to burst something through your life. You can't preach to others about something you're not doing yourself you can't tell them to become something that you haven't become or are not becoming the husbandman that labors must be first partaker of the fruits. The Lord give you understanding. Paul said in these things he speaking to his young son in the faith Timothy and so Elisha's first confrontation is in this the city where the city is pleasant but the water is bad, and the ground is barren. I don't know about you but I'm not willing to live there. I'm not willing to live in the places got a rich history and say well I talk about what happened yesterday. Talk about this great battle and tapping the Jericho and how the Lord appeared and how the people of God came through the water and they walked around seven days and supernaturally were empowered and when in Concord I don't know about you but I'm not willing to live in the past. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever.

And that tells me what he did. Then he is willing to do again in our generation if somebody will pick up the mantle if somebody will reach down and say where is the God of Elijah, but with that passing the heart. The intent was not just to question the integrity of God, but to say God I don't know if you go with me go if you touch my life.

I will go through this water of impossibility. I will go into the city and somehow through my life, you're going to make a difference in my generation and so that the people came to him as they will come to you and say what you say God is with you.

That's a wonderful thing but have you seen the situation of you seeing not everything is as God's pleasantness about about that the water does not satisfy and the ground is barren.

We happen at a harvest, and so long as the disciples did say we fished all night and caught nothing were tired of our churches being empty were tired of empty prophesying, where were tired of of of always it's tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow the harvest is going to commit where is the God of Elijah.

I'm willing to go. God will go with me and so Elisha says to the people of the city bring in a bowl and put salt in it, and so they did.

You see, the first thing that is required is a new vessel wheat we can't go in with our old nature and expect this thing is going to happen the gospel to do these miracles through our lives. If anyone be in Christ is a what a new creation. It has to be a new vessel.

It has to be the man or woman that says God I don't want these old attitudes. I don't want these old practices. I don't want this old life anymore. I don't want my old way of thinking. I don't want these old habits in my life.

I want to be the new creation that you said I'm going to be because of Christ Jesus. Where's the God of Elijah, God, you did it for other people so I'm going to hit the water with this metal and believe that you're going to make me into a new creation.

I'm going to trust my God, that is you speak to me.

I'm going to go forward. I'm going to start walking them in about 1 foot in front of the other and you're going to change my nature to change my character you're going to make me into a new crate you can't take an old ball and do something new in the city with it is bringing me a new vessel bring the end of the other translations is a new vessel. The King James vessel and put salt in it, hallelujah member. Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 5 verse 13 you are the salt of the earth. You are the salt know what to salt to salt creates thirst. There should be something in my life that creates a thirst for new there should be something in your life but God does agree to thirst in your children for him for his presence. We got to get away from just being an argument about God and we have to be an actual demonstration of who God is, by the power of God's Holy Spirit within us. Where is the God of Elijah. Praise be to God I on challenging people to get something in your heart got that's as I'm done with talking about God. I'm going to walk with God and if it tells me I don't care. I'm gonna walk with God and not only me untaken my family with me and not only my famine taken my friends with me and I'm going to take a few my enemies along for the journey to as well. I'm going to be that new vessel that creates a thirst for God in my society. Salt not only creates a thirst salt brings healing.

You know if you have a cut on your hand or defection.

You put it in water, with salt in it, and the salt brings a healing and that's what you and are called to do everywhere we go, the presence of God is to flow through us and bring healing to those who need to be healed and we offer no apology for our faith in God and our trust in God. We offer no apology for our prayers. These signs shall follow them that believe they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Thank God for that week. We offer no apology. I'm not content to be a history teacher in the kingdom of God.

How I'm not content to talk about the past.

I'm going to live in the power of God for the rest of my days. I'm asking God for more as I get older I want more salt in this vessel. I want you to deepen my commitment to you, Lord, I want you to deepen my nature and my ability to be set apart for you, and to believe you. And lastly, salt heals, brings healing and wheat we should be vessels a healing everywhere we go. Everything we touch every word we speak should be bringing something of God's healing power into somebody's life. See Elisha said bring me a new bowl and put salt in it, so they brought it to him but he went out to the source of the water and cast the salt in their hallelujah that's always been God's remedy for every lukewarm pleasant situation in every society is a new vessel with new salt and casting out salt into the midst of the water that salt the creates thirst that salt brings healing unsalted preserves and he said he casted and said, thus says the Lord. I feel this water and there shall be no more death or barrenness, so the water remains healed. To this day according to the word of Elisha which he spoke, so this is my challenge to you. Would you rise up. And would you take the mantle that God sets before you, would you strike that place of impossibility that stands between you and the life that God has for you and would you believe God, and it doesn't matter just call out as Elisha did. Where is the God of Elijah.

Another what you say I'm not content to live in the past.

I'm not content to just talk about what somebody else did. Once upon a time in another generation. I want the God that gave Elijah the power to affect his generation to be also part of my life. Now if you want that to happen in your life you have to be first of all a new container and you can't be a new container. Our new vessel until the old nature is put away. The only way the old nature's put away is to admit that you can't save yourself. Only God can. You can't change yourself. Only God can change you can't you can't procure your own future. You can have an influence in your society you can't change your family only God in you and through you can submit your condition if you fallen short of what God desires your life to be. Just admit that you have that you can't get to heaven on your own, you can save yourself. You can't make yourself godly with any amount of human effort, you need the power of God to part these impossible waters in front of you to walk through them to become the man or woman that God has destined you to be believe that God sent his son to die on the cross. 2000 years ago and his sacrifice paid the price for the wrong that you have committed against God himself and gave you the opportunity to be forgiven and to have this living presence of God. They were talking about today. Come and take up residence inside of your life. If any man be in Christ is a new creation the old things in his life pass away another as they lose their source, they lose their power, they lose their ability records are cut, it becomes or she becomes a new creation in Christ in all things. The Bible says become new. Thank God we walk through that place that ordinary people can't walk through and we go through by the power of God because we want the calling of God for our lives and begin to confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord, don't keep it inside.

Don't let it be the secret thing is not meant to be secret, you are meant to be public. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Jesus said you're the city that set upon a hill cannot be hidden in some going to give you an opportunity to open your heart to be forgiven of your sin and to embark on a brand-new journey for the rest your life that you run out of one place. When Caleb ran out of the classroom. He ran out of an old place in his life. Hope you can see this the Lord's been speaking to us this whole service. Caleb ran out of an old place, and was outside alone with God that he ran into a new place in his life and exchange happen the old labels fell off in the old fears died. The old ways of of seeing himself came to an end and he passed through the waters of impossibility into of a man who was once labeled as learning disabled and now has a 4.0 grade average, praise be to God, and I'm excited to think about what God's going to do through his life in the future. I do believe I do believe that he takes his new vessel C takes his new creations. And as we begin to confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord and that's that's not just this so we can be happy about our sin forgiven as great as that might be, but it's that moment where were striking the water again and sing God, you're my Lord to lead me forward. Take me through the rivers of impossibility that are before me, bring me into the place that you would have my life to be to make a difference in my society, you depressed in your afflicted and your families are in trouble and you got all kinds of serious situations going on in your life, might I suggest that you let God take you out of that and bring you into something that you could only dream about.

Psalm 126. The people of God of that time said when the Lord returned our captivity. We were like people to dream God did something for us and only God could do. We never believed it could happen in our lives. Until one day it happened this decree, Kim said you can get up you can come out of captivity and you can go home. I want you with all my heart to pray this prayer with me tonight.

Those that are listening at home and those in the century prayer with me to, as well. Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you with all my heart that you have a plan for me. You have a future for me you died so that I could have it. Not just on the earth. But forever, so today I open my heart to you and I accept your forgiveness and I think you for loving me and guiding me into the future to be the person that you destine the today I put away all little labels everything the people said that I am in everything. I thought that I have and I am grace your thoughts about me your plan for me in the future that you have for my life from this day forward.

Jesus Christ, you are my God you are the Lord of my life. You are my hope you're my future. You are my everything.

Here's my life for your glory and I thank you for receiving in your precious name. Amen the message today has been brought to you by Carter Conlon from Times Square church. For more information log onto TSC.NYC that's TSC.NYC plan to be with us next week for a call to the nation with Carter,