Shake and Shine!, Part 3

As Christians we live in, let alone survive in the world is become hostile toward our cause, that's a relevant question in 2021 but it's not new. In the first century Jesus warned his followers about the antagonistic ways their enemies and using two helpful metaphors, salt and light instructed his disciples how to respond today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll helps us understand what Jesus meant said you are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world title. Today's message shape and shine John chapter 2 was talk about the world for a moment. For a few moments, because John writes about the five.

He says by way of command do not love the world what you writes, it's not loving the world or the things in the world loves the world, the love of the father is not what's in the world. The next verse, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, none of that's from the father. The father doesn't give you lust.

The father doesn't prompt pride or arrogance mozzarella from the world. So what's the world. A man named Vincent gave us years ago this rather brief definition it is the sum total of human life in the ordered world system considered apart from alienated from an hostile to God. So what can we expect from this world, we can expect hatred, persecution and tribulation. How can I say that the world really presents us eight because that's what Jesus taught. He told his disciples before he went to the cross. That's the world that they would enter and he says it without equivocation. Look at Chapter 16 of John. The last verse these things I've spoken to you, so that in me you may have peace in the world. The implication is there is no peace in the world you have tribulation, but take courage. I have overcome the world. The back of chapter 50 may point out why we can expect hatred, persecution and tribulation John 15 verse 18.

If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you want to show you three reasons the world hates us number one if you were of the world, the world would love its own, but because you're not of the world. That means a world system, but I chose you out of that system because of this, the world hates you. The first reason is because were different look at 20 and 21 years.

The second reason.

Remember the word that I said to you, a slave is not greater than his master.

If they persecuted me will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also.

But all these things they will do to you for my name's sake because they do not know the one who sent me. Second reason because we bear the name of Christ is the third reason is that this and put the client to read it. Verse 22.

If I'd not common spoken to them, they would not have sand, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 24. If I had not done among them the works which no one else then they would not have sand, but now they have both seen and hated me and my father is well number three we expose their sin. They hated that. Generally, we can expect this kind of treatment because the world rests in the lap of the evil one, and specifically because of those things I just blame because were different because we bear the name of Christ. And because we expose their sin now to tell you what the natural response is that we respond like the world response, Jesus is way way way way amended you don't fight fire with fire. That's not how what's done. How do we do that, I'm certainly no magnificent model of righteousness in my own self Christ at work within me the spirit of God at work within you and me.

Here's the secret look at this. Matthew five verse 13 you are the salt of the year Mark verse 14 you are the light of the world, not your break salt and shake it not carry a light and shine it you are the salt you are the light to see the Beatitudes talk about who we are and these verses now salt and light. Talk about what we must be limber with those in the world system and were always around. Why would Jesus choose salt and light. What prompted him to select those two metaphors listen carefully. First of all, because the world is in the process of dictating and salt preserves your preserver you that one light that helps them find their way darkness salt creates a first you have enough salt to get really thirsty make you thirsty salt helps cleanse nondisplaced.

Each of us in a social context and occupational context on neighborhood context and yours is nothing like someone right next to you.

Mine is not yours and yours is not hers and hers is not is you think you were just by accident in the work herein working with the people you're with you I got by accident. I was in the third Marine division on Okinawa on that headquarters company inside that Quonset hut with 90+ percent venereal disease running wild and heroes for our swindle walks in with his seat. I look just like the rest of but I would like and I was an anomaly. Who's this guy took him a while to realize I was there friend. I go to slop shoot with a dead tank up on beer I drink 7-Up and I would make a big you really glad the world drinks bear would you relax get smashed is what the world… Trotta take away their booze.

That didn't work, cheese, and hearts don't mean to become addicts.

They just become because they can't control the drive and the desire so when you're salt you don't preach to you live the life realizing that it's a life lived around you, of lying and cheating and stealing and rage and revenge and hostility and corruption and all of that is encouraged. In fact, they encourage infidelity or sitting in a very nice hotel. Several years ago and since he was called away for a few moments and I'm there alone. I'm looking at the table and I hadn't noticed a little sign that was on the table sit right here behind the candle and I looked around.

It was at that table same sign was at that table lovely hotel and this sign, beautifully printed it read as your next affair with us.

Nice select. I said to the waiter what what seriously says well we just want to be helpful as it really my wife is back on. Good chance to talk to her about being helpful on this kind of thing I said so it's like encouraging info, don't you realize right then, I mean the world may be corrupt but they're not dumb so we realize he's talking one of these Christians signal is a business affairs is a bit and I laughed to yell rye dry and your next business affair with you kidding this is cheating on your may maybe will give your hobbies I really wasn't I just never seen it done so nicely. Beautifully done and you know the word next suggests I have others at your next affair. I never had my first that's insulting to me but I don't tell him that I just think it's an interesting something you have.

When all the table yes we do, we do want to attract businesses, shake the salt shine the light you would like does it dispels darkness.

The funny doesn't make any sound just all of a sudden, it can be as dark as Carlsbad caverns and one little light you could see your way around helps you find your way keep you from being afraid shows you where the danger places aren't you don't want to walk stumble into points out the path that leads to where you want to go one light notice, it cannot be hidden and it should not be obscured can't be hidden. That's why they put lighthouses on the shore. You can see one light cannot be hidden should not be obscure let a silencer, this little light of mine and mill lettuce is not a little light is your life. Let's just live your convictions the blacker the darkness the brighter the light shines CT stud. Put it this way. Some people like to live within the sound of church or chapel bill.

I'd rather run a rescue shop within the yard of hell could. They'll observe your good works and they'll glorify your God, who is in heaven.

Interesting thing they will observe.

They want to hear about your good works, you not telling them that's phony you know I don't go to the slop shoot I go to the chapel and pray for you guys you were down there that helps nobody shame never wins anyone's attention toward the good works. How you react to pressure under trial how you will want beyond the death of your mate without turning into a alcoholic or so depressed that you consider suicide. The patient you show in irritating people the way you drive when you get off that subject I get on how you handle success, how you deal with promotion and demotion how you ride through no job for a while. Unemployment you're being launched will you get along with difficult people love the way Rebecca favored Manley wrote in her book out of the salt shaker and into the world. The great book she wrote years ago. She said I reread the Gospels a year ago out of a desire to rediscover Jesus. My first impression was a Jesus was utterly delightful. He enjoyed people Jesus was more than merely charming.

He cared about building a sense of family. I learned that Jesus establishes intimacy.

He's approachable. Children loved him and and and he loved them. His love is extravagant Jesus work in the marketplace. He was approachable.

He made people feel welcome, that they had a place he was compassionate he cared deeply and wasn't afraid to show it. The Stoics may have been proud of concealing their tears, but he never conceal his. He showed them plainly on his open face whether he was weeping for city are for friends loss heal people because he cared about this part. He was consistent never flashy, sometimes almost quiet even after his death, Jesus demonstrated the very same care if I had been resurrected.

Rights Rebecca. Why would he rated the Coliseum and stage the Mormon Tabernacle choir to sing the hallelujah chorus I'm back from but in one post resurrection account we find Jesus simply making the disciples a little breakfast by the seashore. This brings me to three ways to make all of this work anomaly make it quick and simple, but I want you to write them down. These are three dumps were dealing with being salt and being lights are here are three dumps and on through number one, don't overdo either one.

Too much salt does what it ruins the taste said that I have a friend was on a diet. She decided the way she could keep from eating more than she should.

A space in which he ate out was to cover half of her food with a lot of salt so she put salt all over. All you try you'll eat only the part of the dozen of salt quarter of an inch thick ruins. The food too much salt.

Don't overdo it.

Don't overdo the light you like light right in your eyes only, like that is willing to get operated on and on the mine or the go to work on my teeth. Preferably, I like to be out for that as well use all the light you weeks, but unlike a light right in my eyes you do that when you overdo light does live your life. Living for God's glory marks to God's drumbeat serve and worship and love Christ will be afraid to represent never talk about it when the moments right. I think really the only time a light in your eyes. Appropriate is when you're being arrested they put that light on some of push to locate number two. Don't hold back no risk standing alone either risk that either risk being ostracized either risk being misunderstood, don't hesitate to be different when you are you will you will be introducing a slice of life to the world.

It would not otherwise see it happening Chuck Colson in prison. Rather, becoming better as he served time because of the bad president, to whom he was loyal and wrong in his own life as he served time he realized this person needs to be reformed and he began prison Fellowship. What a great way to shine the light shake the salt, Jim Rayburn saw a lot of kids running wild and loose and free and he thought they would love to be a part of some, it's fun to be a part of me began young life.

Nobody else started young life. Jim started began the thought Molly was a student at Dallas seminary's Stearns Hall in the door right there University admin on the campus and in Great Britain was little by little blue but would build bright hit the ground running.

He introduced campus Crusade for Christ. It was like a fire across oh Wheatfield now you can hardly speak of Christ and the Talk about doing it while you have a opportunity.

Dawson Trotman realized folks are floundering. They don't know the Scriptures I need to have a system for memorizing so we began the navigators now offer one of my life changed by anything these men risked about disabilities. Can you think of one person is made a difference course you can Johnny Erickson. Tana has a wheelchair ministry work organization repairs them and makes them available to people who would otherwise be housebound or bedbound because of her risk to use her disability. She's opened the door like the vision of Wilberforce who despise slavery when it was so popular and was hated for attempting to stop it before he died. It had turned the corner, you have to risk you have to live in disagreement with the system, there's a way to do it. It's called being salt and light lives to change. Here's the third stop worrying about the critics don't worry about the critics, the apostles, the profits they hated the reformers were despise, but because of the reformers. We got a Bible in our own language hated man hunted by the religious crowd would kill them for putting the Bible in the vernacular of the people rather than leaving it in Latin change of the pulpit of the clergy who were living there corrupt lives. The reformer said when I go to do that. Luther and Calvin and Zwingli's of honor roll and you begin to name them from Scotland, England, Wesley to the all-around. Ultimately, Whitfield and on into America and it great people didn't like the critics stop them. The reason was they stayed engaged in the real world and they dealt with it to bring salt and light, George MacLeod put it this way. I simply argue that the cross be raised again at the center of the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church. I'm recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on the cross between two thieves on the town garbage heap at a crossroad of politics so cosmopolitan they had to write his title in Hebrew and Latin and Greek end of the kind of place for cynics talks but in thieves. Courson soldiers gambled because that is where he died. And that is what he died about and that is for Christ men and women ought to be. That is what church people are to be about get out there and shake that salt shine that light when you step into your place in the kingdom you look around the rewards, you have folks come from nowhere saying thank you, thank you for living the life.

Thank you for telling me the truth. Thank you for loving me beyond my brokenness, my addictions, my filthy mouth my infidelity. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for laying Christ before me why we need help with this. It's a confusing time in which to live. It's frightening. It's unpredictable, easy to become paranoid to hide out to run from the challenge. It was the courage to run to to make it so attractive and winsome people can not turn it off and help us to get out of the way is the spirit of God uses the salt and light transform lives begin with us this place at this time in the name of Jesus everybody's payment. Amen.

This is insight for living Chuck Swindoll chose a creative title for today's message shake and shine.

It's a reference of course to the mandate from Jesus that we should live as salt and light, until he returns.

And if you like to learn more about this ministry or these messages, please visit us online@insightworld.org. I'm pleased to tell you that today's message is available on CD and MP3.

In fact, it contains Chuck's entire sermon merely an hour in length, and uninterrupted, and you can purchase a copy right now by going to insight.org/store or call us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 like no one needs to be convinced that we live in a morally bankrupt world that's trapped in spiritual darkness. The last 12 months have been fraught with evidence. But Jesus told us neither to run from the world nor embrace it instead were to shake and shine our way through it. Edit insight for living we're committed to equipping you for the challenge. These daily programs are made possible because people like you give generous gifts and through your support.

People all over the country and even around the world are learning to become salt and light effect. Listen to what one listener recently wrote to us, he said in the middle of a stressful season through faithful reading of the Scriptures participating in my church, and listening to insight for living God is shown me that I can and should fully rely on him. I'm learning how to become a godly woman and each day I get to practice his grace will to learn more about what it means to become salt and light. We encourage you to purchase the CD of today's message shake and shine, or you can purchase and download the MP3 by going to insight.org/store and then as God prompted to do so. We invite your financial support as well. Day by day. This insight for living broadcast launches out from Texas and spans the globe. It's the voluntary donations of friends like you keep us going. Here's the number to call you listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 or go online to insight.or nine dates might tomorrow. Chuck Swindoll presents what he calls crucial truths rarely understood. Listen Tuesday to insight for living. The preceding message shake and shine was copyrighted in 2015 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R.

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