Sunday July 16th 11am (Traditional) Service with Guest Speaker Brad Yates

July 16, 2023 · Brad Yates

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Scripture referenced 11 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Psalm 40 verse cited to lead into opening worship song

1 I waited patiently for Yahweh. He turned to me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Yahweh.
4 Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his trust, and doesn’t respect the proud, nor such as turn away to lies.
5 Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can’t be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be counted.
6 Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire. You have opened my ears. You have not required burnt offering and sin offering.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come. It is written about me in the book in the scroll.
8 I delight to do your will, my God. Yes, your law is within my heart.”
9 I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you know.
10 I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly.
11 Don’t withhold your tender mercies from me, Yahweh. Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me.
12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me. My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head. My heart has failed me.
13 Be pleased, Yahweh, to deliver me. Hurry to help me, Yahweh.
14 Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt.
15 Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, “Aha! Aha!”
16 Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say continually, “Let Yahweh be exalted!”
17 But I am poor and needy. May the Lord think about me. You are my help and my deliverer. Don’t delay, my God.

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Philippians 4:7

cited before singing Peace Like a River

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

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Matthew 5:13-16

main sermon text on salt, light, and God's glory

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.

15 Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house.

16 Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

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1 Peter 2:13

cited to show Peter addressed submission to Nero

13 Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme;

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John 8

Jesus says I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness

1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down, and taught them.

3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the middle,

4 they told him, “Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act.

5 Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do you say about her?”

6 They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger.

7 But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.”

8 Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.

9 They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle.

10 Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”

11 She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.”

12 Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

13 The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”

14 Jesus answered them, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you don’t know where I came from, or where I am going.

15 You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one.

16 Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me.

17 It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid.

18 I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

19 They said therefore to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me, nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

20 Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as he taught in the temple. Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

21 Jesus said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you can’t come.”

22 The Jews therefore said, “Will he kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come’?”

23 He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world.

24 I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

25 They said therefore to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.

26 I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.”

27 They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father.

28 Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things.

29 He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

30 As he spoke these things, many believed in him.

31 Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples.

32 You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.

35 A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever.

36 If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

37 I know that you are Abraham’s offspring, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.

38 I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.”

39 They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.

40 But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this.

41 You do the works of your father.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God.”

42 Therefore Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me.

43 Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word.

44 You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.

45 But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me.

46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

47 He who is of God hears the words of God. For this cause you don’t hear, because you are not of God.”

48 Then the Jews answered him, “Don’t we say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?”

49 Jesus answered, “I don’t have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.

50 But I don’t seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges.

51 Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death.”

52 Then the Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets; and you say, ‘If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of death.’

53 Are you greater than our father, Abraham, who died? The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?”

54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is…

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Ephesians 3:10

cited to show God's big-picture purpose through the church

10 to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places,

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1 Corinthians 10

Paul says whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God

1 Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

2 and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

3 and all ate the same spiritual food;

4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

5 However with most of them, God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

7 Don’t be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”

8 Let us not commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell.

9 Let us not test Christ, as some of them tested, and perished by the serpents.

10 Don’t grumble, as some of them also grumbled, and perished by the destroyer.

11 Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall.

13 No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

15 I speak as to wise men. Judge what I say.

16 The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn’t it a sharing of the body of Christ?

17 Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread.

18 Consider Israel according to the flesh. Don’t those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?

19 What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

20 But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don’t desire that you would have fellowship with demons.

21 You can’t both drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can’t both partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons.

22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

23 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are profitable. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things build up.

24 Let no one seek his own, but each one his neighbor’s good.

25 Whatever is sold in the butcher shop, eat, asking no question for the sake of conscience,

26 for “the earth is the Lord’s, and its fullness.”

27 But if one of those who don’t believe invites you to a meal, and you are inclined to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no questions for the sake of conscience.

28 But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” don’t eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”

29 Conscience, I say, not your own, but the other’s conscience. For why is my liberty judged by another conscience?

30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced for something I give thanks for?

31 Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

32 Give no occasion for stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the assembly of God;

33 even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved.

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Romans 8:28

all things work for the good of those called according to His purpose

28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.

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Romans 8:1

no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

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Philippians 1

to live is Christ, to die is gain

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ; To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and servants:

2 Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God whenever I remember you,

4 always in every request of mine on behalf of you all, making my requests with joy,

5 for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now;

6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

7 It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace.

8 For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

9 This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;

10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ;

11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

12 Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News;

13 so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ;

14 and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.

15 Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will.

16 The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains;

17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News.

18 What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice.

19 For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose.

23 But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

24 Yet, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake.

25 Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

26 that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.

27 Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

28 and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God.

29 Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,

30 having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear is in me.

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Matthew 5:16

closing benediction, let your light shine before others to glorify the Father

16 Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Brad Yates, one of our elders, preached from Matthew 5:13-16, the familiar words of Jesus about salt and light. He traced what those images meant to the people who first heard them, and then pressed the question of what they mean for how we live together as a church right now in Jackson. The central claim of the message was this: God's glory is the point of everything, and that shapes what we are called to be and do.

What was said

Brad opened by placing Matthew 5:13-16 in its immediate context. The beatitudes just before it include a blessing on those who are insulted for Jesus's sake, and that is not incidental. He walked through enough church history to make the point that the religious freedom and prosperity most of us have known are not the norm for Christians across time. When Peter told his readers to submit to governing authorities, he was talking about Nero. Knowing that, Brad said, should reframe our assumptions about what following Jesus is supposed to cost us.

On salt, Brad focused on its preservative function rather than its flavor. The point he kept returning to was that salt gives itself away. Rubbed into meat, you don't get the salt back. In the same way, our job in relationships is to pour ourselves out, to be the first to own our part of a conflict, the first to overlook an offense. He was careful to say this is not permission to absorb abuse, but it is a call to absorb misunderstanding for the sake of reconciliation, because that is exactly what Jesus did.

The same preservative logic applies when the church engages the broader culture. Brad drew on the minor prophets the church has been reading together, noting that God repeatedly rebuked Israel for seeking pragmatic alliances with powerful but unholy nations. The calling, he said, is to speak truth lovingly and let the outcomes belong to God, trusting his judgment rather than our own strategies. That may cost us dearly, but even the cost advances the kingdom.

On light and city, Brad noted that in ancient Palestine the two images were bound together, because the only light visible at night came from cities. Cities were fortresses, places of protection and shared life, visible for miles. His point was that you cannot be a city by yourself. The call to be light is a call to community, and he backed that with Gallup and Barna figures showing that church membership and practicing Christianity have both fallen sharply in recent decades. The individualism that says faith is just between me and Jesus is, in his words, something the Bible knows nothing of.

The longest section of the message was on God's glory as the chief end of everything. Brad used Ephesians 3:10 and the Westminster Shorter Catechism to make the case that we are not the heroes of the story, God is. Our salvation is real and God rejoices in it, but it is a subservient end, not the chief end. He put it plainly: the Bible is not ultimately about us, it is about God and his eternal glory. Getting that right, he argued, is actually freeing rather than diminishing, because it frees us from trying to be the point.

From there he moved into what this means practically for how we do church together. He used a battleship analogy from his mentor Todd Wagner, contrasting it with the cruise ship mentality many people bring to choosing a church. The battleship asks different questions: Is this ship on a clear and noble mission? Can I contribute to it? But he balanced that immediately by saying the same ship has to be the safest place in the world to not be okay. The Sunday habit of answering "fine" when nothing is fine, he said, has to go. Honest vulnerability, like the father in the gospels who said "I believe, help my unbelief," is what Jesus actually celebrates.

Brad closed by tying it back to the text. If we aim at the glory of God, he said, borrowing a line from C.S. Lewis, we get everything else thrown in. If we aim at earth, we get neither. He quoted Tim Keller's final words, spoken as he was dying from cancer: "There is no downside for me leaving, not in the slightest." That, Brad said, is the peace available to anyone who orders their life around Christ rather than around their own comfort, and it is what the church in Jackson is called to embody together.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

Brad said that when people insult us, we need to make sure it is because of our Christ and not because we are being jerks. Can you think of a time when you received pushback for something you believed, and how did you handle telling the difference between those two?
Brad described salt's preservative role in relationships as pouring yourself out without getting the salt back, being the first to own your part of a conflict and the first to overlook an offense. Where in your relationships right now does that feel hardest to do, and why?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Alright. Good morning, church. How are doing? It is good to see. What do you say we begin by, worship in song?

Would you stand, and we'll sing together? He keeps me singing. From Psalm 40, here's a verse to to lead us into worship. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Let's start by singing.

He keeps me singing.

There's within my heart a melody. Jesus whispers sweet and, Lord, fear not I am with thee peace be still in all of life's heaven flow Jesus Jesus Jesus sweetest name I know fills my every longing keeps me singing as I go all my life was wrecked by sin and strife This fulfilled my heart with pain. Jesus rept across the broken strings, still slumbering cords again. Keeps me singing as I go, feasting on the riches of his grace, resting beneath the sheltering weary, always looking on his smiling face that is why I shout and say Jesus Jesus Jesus sweetest name I

dries around and goes

the way. Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep, sees footprints all the way. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know. Fills my every longing and keeps me singing as I go in his return. Soon he's coming back to welcome me far beyond the starry sky.

I shall wing my fly to worlds unknown. I shall reign with him on high. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my every longing and keeps me singing as I go. And on that note, he leadeth me. By his own hand he leadeth me.

His faithful I would be for by his hand he leadeth

Amen. You can have a seat here for a moment, and I'm gonna turn it over to Blake for announcements this morning.

Good morning, church. Just a few announcements. First, we're so glad that we're here gathering today this Sunday, and we have another gathering that happens every Monday night. It's Monday nights at first b. You can join that fellowship and be a part of that congregation.

Many of us here in this congregation already attend that. We can get together for meal, music, and a message. Starting at six, we have our meal. So if you wanna join join us, break bread with us, please come. And Carl, what are you gonna be preaching on tomorrow?

So we're in Mark 14 tomorrow where where Jesus is anointed in Bethany, and then he has the the last supper with his disciples. And one of the key things that I wanna talk about tomorrow is the new covenant. How wonderful the new covenant is that we can come before God boldly, boldly before the throne of grace because of what Jesus has done. So that's the message. I just spoiled it for you, but that's alright because if I can share it here, that's even better.

But the food's not spoiled, so you can still join us for the meal tomorrow. Speaking of meals, the connect hour happens between the 9AM and then the 11AM service. Every Sunday, most of you all are aware of that. We gather, have some food and some coffee and just connect the two congregations. And once every month during the summer, we're changing that connect hour into a barbecue.

So this month's July 23 will be next Sunday. In between services will be a first BBQ. So join us for games, food, and fellowship out on the lawn and in the fellowship or the fellowship hall as well. Also speaking of the kitchen down in the fellowship hall, there's a kitchen committee forming. So if you have interest in volunteering and helping in some small way, there's a minimal commitment.

You can contact Nancy T. There's her telephone number up on the screen. If you'd like to cook or help out, just volunteer in any way and that is the way that you feel like you can give in the kitchen. That's a great way to do it. Also, Saint John's Church puts together campfire stories.

So tonight at 7PM to 08:30PM, there's gonna be stories of Ukraine. It's gonna be at the Virginian Courtyard. So they'll have a campfire out there and people telling stories. Again, that's brought to us by Saint John's Church here in Jackson, if you have interest to join us. Also, the first BBQ next Sunday is gonna be a really nice day, like the most summery day we've had so far.

So we're looking forward to that. And all of these announcements are in our weekly church announcement, which we don't hand out bulletins, but we do virtually and electronically via email if you have interest in getting all of these ahead of time. Also, verses that we're gonna cover on Sunday, you can get that email to us just by going to our website right there. You can always contact Nick in the office as well. So if everyone would get stand up and greet one another, we'll gather together and worship in just a moment.

Greetings. Greetings.

Was wondering if you had if something had befallen you. I

wasn't worried. I knew you'd befallen.

like that you went down to visit. That's good. Yes. We could start. From Philippians four seven, it's the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Let's sing peace like a river.

I've got peace like a river in my soul I've got peace like a river I've got peace like a river in my soul. I've got love like an ocean. I've got ocean. I've got love love like like an ocean in my soul. I've got love.

I've got love like an ocean. I've got love like an ocean. I've got love like an ocean in my soul. I've got joy like a fountain. I've got joy like a fountain.

I've got joy like a fountain. I've got joy like a fountain in my soul. I've got joy like a fountain. I've got joy like a fountain. I've got joy like a fountain in my soul.

Can I pray for a moment? Lord, even when we can't see down the screen, we thank you for your peace and for your love and for your joy that is available in Christ Jesus. Amen. The greatest thing in all my life to know, to love, and to serve.

Serve you more. The greatest thing in all my life is serving.

Isn't Isn't that beautiful? Because to know Jesus is to love a man, to love him is to serve him. Those three, they're they they work all together. That's they're supposed to. You can have a seat here for a moment.

This is a worship through giving, and the ushers are here for it. And and I'm gonna ask Steve Baldeck if he would pray and give thanks.

Thank you, Steve. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, we came here today together as a group to worship you. You're the lamb of God and you're our savior. So please accept these financial gifts we give in these plates right now.

And, Jesus, we'd ask that you'd help us to offer ourselves up the rest of this week. Our energies and our talents and abilities, help us to help other people and let them know who you are. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

Thank you, Judy. I'm so grateful for Judy's gift of music on the piano that allows us to worship, really. And sometimes we don't have to sing just that. Just to hear that piano instrumental is so worshipful. So thank you, Judy, for allowing us that and using your gifts.

Really appreciate that. And I'm gonna invite up, Brad Yates. Brad Yates is gonna be, sharing the word this morning. And, if you haven't met Brad, he is one of our elders. And in absence, I'm gonna scooch this out of the way so you don't trip and fall.

You you worried about me?

Yes. I am. You don't look coordinated enough to handle this. I'm just kidding. And so in Ray's absence over the next few weeks, Brad's gonna be speaking twice and Nick next week.

And can I just pray for you before

you Please?

Before you start. Lord, I thank you for thank you for your word, and I pray God that we would hear just what we need to hear through your word and also that you would use Brad's personality to bring out the truth of your word, that we would walk walk away changed and challenged, God, but also encouraged. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

So I don't know about you guys, but I love Western movies. Let me just start with that. But my beautiful wife, who some of you guys know, is bored to tears by them. And there's this there's there's beautiful scenery. There's clear delineations of good and evil.

There's bravery. There's cowardice. And in the end, all things are made right, usually at a tremendous cost. What's not to love? And then five minutes in, Natalie, who just showed up.

I see you chewing, baby. She's just sawing logs. And in the most recent remake of the film Magnificent Seven, there's a point in the movie where everything feels lost. And the lovable loser is played by Chris Pratt. He realizes everybody's gonna die and he does something heroic about it.

I'm not gonna spoil the movie for you because I hope you all watch it. But I couldn't help but think about that movie when I was preparing this sermon. Because here's the deal. If I take the remote and I pause the movie at any given point, no matter how bad things look, and I go, are the good guys gonna win? You go, yeah, the good guys are gonna win.

And the Christian walk is a lot like that. And we're gonna see a little bit of that in our text today. And Jesus is calling each and every one of us into that privilege. It is supposed to cost us, but we have a calling in the midst of that. And our Lord has already secured our victory.

So here's what you guys need to know about me for today. I try to look and act and teach like I have everything all put together. But in seriousness, if you guys knew the sin struggles that were in my heart, you would be tempted to walk out the back door right now. I struggle with anger, with control, with self righteousness, with pride. And there are men in my life that I work through that and confess all of that with.

And and my wife, Natalie, and I, we're working through that sort of stuff. And so in a lot of ways, I feel like a fraud sometimes when I'm preaching because I need to get better at everything that we're gonna talk about today. But God, in his great mercy and in his love, he used his church and he used his people to redeem me. And in Jesus, I've been set free. And so today, we're gonna talk about what we are to use that freedom for.

I think the Christian walk is so well summarized by the John Newton quote. I am not yet who I want to be, but thank God I am not who I was. So our text for today is Matthew five thirteen through 16. You are salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven. So by way of context, this is right after the beatitudes where Jesus standing here on the Mount Of Beatitudes. I actually took that picture in September.

But two reasons why I show you that picture. One, it's a real place. You can go there. You should. And two, just to set the visual for what's going on here.

Jesus is looking over. This is kind of like the Northwest corner of the Sea Of Galilee. He's looking over the Sea Of Galilee. He's seated. Everybody else is seated around him, but he's teaching to his followers.

He's casting this radical vision for who is in the kingdom of God and what his followers are to be like. And it's in stark contrast with the assumptions of the cult of the religious culture at the time. So our central truth for today, Matthew five thirteen through 16. God's glory is the point of everything, and therefore we are called by Jesus to be salt, light, and to be persecuted together in biblical community. So in my thesis there, I said it backwards versus how we're gonna do it in the outline which is following the order of the text.

So it's sort of a forward talking about persecution. Then we're gonna take a look at salt, the light city, and God's glory. That's our roadmap for where we're going today. So in the verses immediately before this, in the last of the beatitudes, Jesus says that we are actually blessed when people insult us on his account. Now I don't have time to fully break that down for today, but you need to know that that's the context here.

Because if you don't have much in the way of a church background or if you haven't done a deep dive in church history, you need to know that this is not normal. Persecution in the average history of Christians has been much more than norm. This modern era of religious freedom, of civil liberties, and of general prosperity, these are not normal in the scope of church history. When Peter writes in first Peter two thirteen, he says, submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution whether to a king or as to governors as sent by him. He's talking about Nero.

So Nero was insane. He famously fiddled while Rome burned because he wanted to redecorate. He had every other possible claimant to the throne murdered. And he used to take Christians and he would put them on a spit, soak them in oil, and light them on fire, and put them on the road to Rome either for decorative or for political gain. So suffice it to say that when we get to heaven and we meet the early church fathers, they're not gonna be super impressed that people said mean things about us on Facebook.

That said, thank God. Seriously, thank God for our current state of prosperity. But I think it lends really important and valuable context for us to recognize that this is not the norm. So we need to recognize one, it's not normal. And two, that you and I had nothing to do with the progress to this point of the church.

So for example, if you're brilliant, you have a hard work ethic, and you make a bunch of money, you need to recognize that those first two things are gifts that actually did come from someplace else. And third, that they are entirely dependent upon our cultural context. So let's say you have the same brilliance, you have the same work ethic, but you're born in modern Somalia or you're born in ancient India or in rural China. You will have nothing from a material standpoint. So with all of those same gifts, you are still dependent on the cultural context.

And so why I say that is that we need to know as we move forward, both in this message and as we go out and leave these doors to be the church to the world, that if we are bold followers of Jesus, people will insult us. But we need to make sure that when they insult us, it's because of our Christ, not because we're being jerks. And I think that lends well transition to our our next point, which is that we are to be salt. Although ignoring the modern connotation, we are not to just be salty. So think through this metaphor that Jesus is laying out for us and tell me that you're not at least a little convicted.

Salt in this era had three primary purposes. First was preservative. Second was a purification ritual. And third was for flavor. Now there's application points for all three of those.

You could do a whole sermon series on it. But today, we're just gonna think about preservative and we're gonna think about preservative both as we are in relationships and as we face our culture. So here's a quick summary of some relational commands that we get from scripture. And really, if you crack open any point in the Bible and start going through it, you're gonna see commands. And we don't like to think of Jesus as having given us commands, but he did.

But these are the sorts of things that the Bible talks about in terms of how we are to live with one another and within the context. The way to summarize these and other biblical teachings on relationship is that things are always decaying. Because of our sin, because of the brokenness of the world, we our human relationships are fraught with sin and decay. But we can serve as salt. But think about what happens with salt when it's rubbed into meat.

You don't get the salt back. Or if you do, you can keep it. Similarly, that's our job. So all of these relationships are always falling apart. Relationships are always coming and going.

Basically the point where people truly get to know each other, the relationship starts to decay at that point. But not for us. Our job is to pour ourselves out as an offering in the context of relationship to be salt in that relationship. This is in many ways the broader idea of justice that Jesus is constantly calling us to. It's similar in a way to when Jesus is is talking to the woman at the well, and he says, no.

You've had five husbands, and the woman and the man that you're with is not currently your husband. He's not doing that out of anger. He's actually calling out what's not right out of love. Now we're not Jesus, so we don't bring the same righteousness into it. Our righteousness is entirely dependent on Christ and what he's achieved.

So we are the first to overlook the sins of others. We are the first to make everyone and everything around us holier by pouring ourselves out. So when we talk about being persecuted and we talk about being salt in the context of relationships, that practical application looks like allowing ourselves to be misunderstood or taken advantage of for the sake of the gospel. Think about how stark of a contrast that is to our current culture. We as Americans, we never let anybody walk all over us.

We never let ourselves be taken advantage of or misunderstood. And yet that's exactly what Jesus is calling us to because it's exactly what happened to him. He was misunderstood. He was beaten. He was wrongfully convicted, and he was executed.

And not once did he protest. Now, I'm not saying to be very clear. I am not saying to allow abuse. It is actually unloving to allow somebody to continue in sin unopposed. I am just saying that when we are in conflict with someone, we are the first to own our part of that conflict for the sake of reconciliation, and we are the first to overlook an offense.

Turning the other cheek as it were. Handing over our coat to somebody that sues us and giving them our shirt as well. All for the sake of the gospel, for the opportunity to participate in the blessing that comes with being a part of the kingdom of God. And how many times do we do this? We do it 70 times seven.

That's a Hebrew word wordplay for you just always do it. That is how we are salt relationally. Now secondly, how are we salt in terms of how we interface with the culture? Well, we stand for truth. We do it lovingly and against any power that's governmental, financial, cultural, regardless of what the outcomes might be and regardless of the political affiliation.

Guys, we've been as as first b in the Bible, if you guys are subscribed to that reading plan, we've been going through the the minor prophets. And recently, there's been this big string where it's been made clear that God does not want us seeking pragmatic alliances. When we seek the power of horses, when we seek the safety of the chariot, or of the political alliance with somebody that is not holy, God constantly rebukes and then judges Israel for that behavior. No. Instead, we, when we're interfacing with the culture, we are to call for truth and we're to let the chips fall where they may.

Not trusting in our own wisdom, but trusting in the power and judgment of of Almighty God. So when we see something that's wrong in the culture, we don't harass. We don't shout. We lovingly say that is not right. And we trust God with the outcomes.

And it may cost us dearly. But even in the costing us dearly, the kingdom of God advances and that for us is victory. And that's what I'm trying to help us reframe today. Because this world is not our home. So how do we do that?

Where do you find the motivation to do that? Because frankly that sounds exhausting. Well fear and rote obedience, those things go away. They're terrible motivators. It's like adrenaline.

It works for a spark but if you try to go an entire lifetime on adrenaline, the wheels fall off. Instead, we do it out of gratitude, remembering what's been accomplished for us in Christ. Because love and gratitude, those are endurance fuel. One last note on salt before I move on is how does salt lose its taste like Jesus is talking about here? Well, pure sodium chloride cannot actually lose its saltiness.

But if it's contaminated with other minerals or additives, it becomes useless. There are applications for us both as a church body and individually here. So as a church, that means we're to seek purity. We're to be careful of what's in what's in the salt. And then as individuals, we need to guard ourselves against being deluded.

And that's both by false teachers and by the cares of the world. Oh, no, Blake. Kinda felt like I was rolling there for a second. Light City. Before you jump on me for mixing my metaphors here, I'm just following what our savior did, so take it up with him.

But before you accuse me of throwing the baby out with the glass ships, you need to keep in mind that back then, the the the two ideas of light and city were inextricably intertwined. Because the only light at night came from the cities. So that's why Jesus is building this metaphor this way. Jesus in John eight famously associates himself with light. He says, I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me, that's us, will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. Imagine what it was like back then because we tend to underplay how important light is. Imagine what life was like back then where every time there was nightfall, you were dependent upon the stars, the moon, and really bad candles for your light. I mean we have so many sources of light in this room and it's daylight outside. Right?

Once night fell there, light was precious. And so this analogy is really powerful to his hearers and it can be for us too. Because light throughout the Bible, it represents truth, goodness, and righteousness. And we can keep that in mind as we move forward. So now as he's talking more about the city, do it.

Okay. I realize that many of us here have fairly dim views of cities. It's part of what we're doing here. But that's actually not the point that Jesus is trying to make here because cities were actually very different in ancient Palestine. Most people lived outside the city walls.

But if a band of raiders or if an opposing nation or your in laws came, you ran to the safety of the city gate. Cities where we can think more of them like fortresses. So, again, I would recommend that everybody go to Israel at some point in their life. Go as early as you can because it's really worth seeing. And it will reframe so much of your biblical reading.

For example, when we were there in September, we walked around the the ruins of the walls of Jericho. And there's so many cool so much cool stuff about that that I wanna tell you, but we can't. But it takes about fifteen minutes to walk around the ruins. So when you read that the band of Israelites walked around it seven times, I used to think of that as an ultra marathon when really it's kind of like a mid afternoon stroll. But in an era before electricity, cities, even those on the tiniest rise of elevation, they were visible for miles.

You knew where the bastions of safety were. Those were the people that were working together for safety, justice, and protection. Now if you've read your Old Testament, they weren't perfect. I'm not saying that this was this was some ideal, but I'm just saying that's what cities were. Cities were for protection.

So clearly, you cannot be a light by yourself. And in a lot of ways, you can't be a city by yourself because this city light thing, it requires community. Now you guys are all here at church. It's a beautiful day outside. So in many ways, I'm preaching to the choir either literally or figuratively or maybe both.

Judy's here, so we'll call it both. But but according to you guys need to know the stats. You need to know what's going on in the country. According to Gallup polls, less than half of the nation now belongs to a church of any kind. And according to the Barna Group, who's really the the leading stat gatherer on state of Christianity, only a quarter of Americans can be classified as practicing Christians at this point by Barna.

In 2009, that number was well over half. So we need to be aware of what's going on outside of those walls, but we also need to be aware that there is this insidious disease of individuality that is predominant in the Western American church. And the Bible knows nothing of the easy believism or the just Jesus and me thing that is so rampant in our culture. We cannot fulfill the call that Christ has put on our lives on our own. Now, another way that this is made abundantly clear is by looking at what God is doing big picture through the church.

And one one great verse on this is Ephesians three ten. I was actually tempted to make this our key verse for the day, but because I believe in good exegetical preaching, would I have had to talk about the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms and I'm aware that we're Baptist and so that was just gonna distract us. But here's the key takeaway from this text. You are not the point. I am not the point.

God loves you. He sent his son to die on a cross for you. He was buried and resurrected for you for your salvation. But we're gonna take a quick philosophy break here because you need to know that that was not God's chief end. And so what is a chief end?

God's chief end is his own. That happened at a really dramatic moment. Pumped for it. God's chief end is his own glory. And the subservient end to that point is our salvation.

Does that make sense? There are multiple ends on the way to achieve. So you've got subservient ends, got ultimate ends, and you have chief ends. So to go back to our Western movie example, if Natalie's watching a Western movie, it's not for the same reason that the rest of us would watch a beautiful Western film. We watch it for the enjoyment of truth, beauty, and goodness.

Natalie watches it because she's investing in me. She is building in our relationship for the sake of community and for the glory of God ultimately. That doesn't always feel like that when five minutes in she's asleep. So it's a the analogy falls a little bit short. But we also need to recognize that Natalie doesn't wanna watch that movie, but God rejoices in our salvation.

But I use the analogy to just further illustrate the idea that there are intermediate and ultimate and then a chief end. Because God rejoiced to save each and every one of us in love. So if you wanna read more about that, Jason Dollar, easy name to remember, has a modern edit of Jonathan Edwards, The Ends for Which God Created the World. It's a deep dive in this whole philosophical idea of what God's actually achieving through the church. It's awesome, but it'll also help you fall asleep.

But a more recent way to look at it is the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Not that recent. But this is very specific language. I think most of us have probably heard this before. So let's not just roll past it.

What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. That's very very specific language. So that's the chief end concept being put to use. Everything we do should be towards that end and we tend to get it so backwards.

Now the Jackson Hole shorter catechism might say that the chief end of Christians is to attend church when convenient and to maximize our enjoyment of this beautiful place that we live. And we can compare that to how Paul summarizes some of his teaching in first Corinthians 10. He says, so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, you do all to the glory of God. Why does this matter? We need to know that the Bible is not about us ultimately.

It is about God and his eternal glory. We are not the heroes of the story as desperately as I wanna be. We are not the protagonists. God is the hero. And if you think about the example from the destruction of Nineveh that we've been reading about as a church body together in in Nahum, it helps us raise our perspective a little bit.

So it's the idea of, like, blessings, for example. So God empowers the Assyrian Empire for a while to judge Israel for decades, and yet he's ultimately using that to refine and to bless Israel in that process. But that wouldn't feel that way if you're a Hebrew soldier with an arrow in his chest or if your land has just been pillaged by the approaching army from Nineveh. And yet, in the end, God judges Nineveh when he's done with that tool. So we just have to raise our perspective to think about what God is doing in those chief ends.

Paul talks about this famously in Romans eight when he says, and we know that in all things, all things, God works for the good of those who love him. That's us. Who have been called according to what? His purpose. Guys, I wanna rewrite that as Brad eight twenty eight all the time, and I want it to be according to my purpose.

Right? I want my things to go well. I want to be blessed in the way that I think as well. But I'm not a good God. I don't I don't do a great job every time I try to grab that job.

And so how does this apply to us directly? This idea that you are not the point. Guys, it's so freeing. And here's how, because we can have proper perspective. If you have a nice house, if you have a great day outside playing, if you have a great meal, we can enjoy that with proper perspective.

We are neither stoics or ascetics, neither are we Epicureans. We don't we don't find we don't we don't run away from the pleasures of this world as long as they're within scheme. But we also don't seek them as the sum total of our existence. We can enjoy it in in in good perspective. So you can you can go, holy cow.

That's a great steak. And you can share it. Right? Like, you can enjoy it in good measure, and you can give glory to God for that. Crystal's laughing at my pun.

So if you have the fancy house, if you have the unique gifting, if you have resources, if you have spare time in your calendar, in your budget, in your house, we can use those for the glory of God. And I'm telling you, it's going to free you up. We gotta use those things for the kingdom of God instead of the kingdom of Carl or of Brad or of Blake. Now, this is a tough teaching. So if you're feeling convicted in this moment, you feel like you're falling short of the call, and we all do.

Remember there's grace there. Paul says in Romans eight one, therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. But we also don't ignore our convictions either. We acknowledge it. We bring it to God.

We confess it to our community, and we do something about changing it. Guys, we can get out of the bleachers and we can step onto the field. We can get in the game because that's what we're called to. We are a great missionary sending church, but that does not exempt each and every one of us from being on mission every day here in Jackson. Similarly, when we refer to the church as the hands and feet of Jesus, feet go and hands do work and they do so in coordination.

So if our first coordinate consideration in working for God is our own motives, we're getting it exactly backwards. We work for the glory of God and for his church first. And if we do that with a right heart and right motivation, guys, we're gonna find joy and purpose and happiness all along. Try me. I guarantee it.

Because then you have a joy that is not dependent upon circumstances. There are three guys in Dallas that helped me prepare this message, and I I I go through it with them when I've done my drafts. One of them, Caleb and Malone in particular, he reminded me of this great quote from CS Lewis that probably could have been the entirety in the sermon, which is that you aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you will get neither. Does that make sense?

Similarly, the man that influenced my life probably more than any others that I'd never met is Tim Keller. He died and went home to went home to Jesus in May. His final words, he's got a long brutal fight with cancer, and he just he knew. He has a whole family in his room, says bye to him, sends them all out. But his final words were, there is no downside for me leaving, not in the slightest.

And guys, that's a peace that we can have. And like there's so much joy in it. You know, Paul says in Philippians one, to live is Christ, to die is gain. And we don't really tend to think about what that actually means, but we can live our lives, order our lives in such a way that we can have that peace which sounds so much better than trying to find our own way in the world, trying to create our own identities. So we're clearly called to be in community, specifically in the church.

But that word community has lost a lot of its meaning. We call everything a community these days. And similar, I think we've lost a little bit of our idea of what it's called to be the church. So I've got a little video for us.

Imagine a church where every member is passionately, wholeheartedly, and recklessly calling the shots. I have a busy work week. And by the time Sunday rolls around, I'm tired. So how about a church service that starts when I get here? Can do.

When you arrive, we begin.

This guy, he plays by his own rules. We wanna find a church where if he starts screaming, we're not the bad guy.

Right? Say no more. If your baby's screaming, you stay scared. The others around you can lean.

You know, financially, Siri and I don't give a lot to

the church,

but we sure like nobody does.

Alright. If you join now, you'll know what every person gives in detail. When I'm in the church service, can my car get a buff and a wax? Not just that, but an oil change and a tune up.

But how about tickets

to the Super Bowl?

That's asking too much.

I'm serious. If I'm gonna join, want tickets to the big game.

Alright. You join now and we'll get you there.

I like a pony.

Look in your backyard.

So, obviously, that's a humorous exaggeration. But there's some truth in it in the way that we go about deciding where we're gonna throw in and how far with church. My friend and and mentor, Todd Wagner, he has this great analogy that he used years ago that was really impactful for me. So I'll share it with you. And it's it's the idea that when we choose a church, we tend to think of it like a cruise ship.

We want to make sure that we like the music in the ballroom, that the nursery and the kids ministry are good, that they have room for us, and that we like the captain and staff. But the way we really need to be evaluating a church is much more instead of like a cruise ship, like a battleship. Is this ship on a clear and noble mission? Does the captain submit to higher authority? Are the crew members equipped to succeed and can they contribute to the cause?

What is my job and is this ship, is it durable for the task ahead? Guys, what is really interesting and what is often counterintuitive is that if you're seeking the welfare of something larger than yourself, you will actually find joy. This is not just a biblical idea. The secular world is catching on to this. Soldiers in an effective army effectively or consistently rate as some of the most fulfill fulfilled people in the world.

We are not called to have happiness, to have ease, to have comfort. That's what the world calls us to. But Christ is calling us into a purposefulness, into a joy. And it's such a fitting analogy for the church, that idea of the battleship, the soldier with a purpose. If we seek the glory of God as our chief end, we will get happiness and joy as a byproduct.

Not comfort, privilege, wealth, or control. No. Those are the the mechanisms that our society has said are the are the subservient ends to the to the ultimate end of happiness. No. We can reject that as the church.

So don't buy into it. Don't buy into the scarcity mentality that you've gotta get yours, that you've gotta look out for number one because nobody else is. Please. It is killing you, and it's making everyone around us miserable. Try me.

Open up your house. Share your resources. Give your time, money, and energy to serving the kingdom of God, and you do so rooted in Christ Jesus and in his word. God created you and he's told you over and over again in scripture what he made you for. He gave us the user manual.

But instead, we tend to choose to listen to influencers on Instagram or to the media or to marketing campaigns or to politicians regarding what we are to seek. Guys, as I said earlier, we can get in the game. Now, one clarification on the battleship analogy is that this also has to be the safest place in the world where it's okay to not be okay. The false veneer of modern adulthood where we puff out our chest and pretend like everything's okay, it's miserable. It's we have to violently strangle and then bludgeon to death the idea that we have to get ourselves right before we come into church.

We don't get fit before we go to a gym. We don't get well before we go to a doctor. This is a floating infirmary to continue with the ship analogy. Guys, the Sunday fines, they kill me. How are you, brother?

I'm fine. How are you? I'm great. My marriage is falling apart. My kids hate me, and my finances are in the dumpster.

But, you know, it's great weather outside. Go Bronx. Instead, we can try this. Man, my faith is hanging by a string. Like, I haven't cracked my Bible in a month.

I haven't really prayed outside of those, like, quick walkie talkie prayers in a week. I have no relationship with Jesus. Have that honest vulnerability. Man, everybody in this church is gonna wanna make time for you. And that vulnerability is to be celebrated more than anything else.

I mean, think about the prayer that Jesus celebrates. Forgotten the reference. Where he says, I believe. Help my unbelief. Jesus says that's faith.

Or read the Psalms. Read the sad ones by David. Man, you read those things and like if somebody said that in small group, you'd be really tempted to like check them into something. But that's a man after God's own heart. And we pretend like in church, it's not an okay place to have fear and doubt and anxiety about what we're doing or about what God's doing in our lives.

No. We have to we have to kill that with honesty and vulnerability. So I've had this slide up for a little bit. I this is one of my favorite countercultural quotes. CT Stud was a actually a stud athlete and then went to be a missionary, I believe, in China.

And he has this great quote. Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell. I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell. That's that's the call for the church. Now to clarify, God does the saving.

Right? When we're in the rescue shop, we're the instruments. God does the saving. But I just I love that quote. Now I've already borrowed from Todd Wagner once, and so I'll use him again in closing, which is that God is not looking to rip you off.

He is looking to set you free. But that freedom is not so that we can go fishing or biking or accrue wealth or raise perfect children. That freedom, the purpose of that freedom is so that we can fulfill our calling, and then we can find joy in that. And that's bringing glory to our creator. The mechanism through which he's appointed that is the bride of Christ, the church.

So my ask today is that when you leave, when you get in the car, when you leave from here, that you don't go, what'd you think? Have the courage to go, hey, what did God show you today? How did how did God use the broken vessel of Brad Yates to convict you of something? And what are you gonna do about it? Because this isn't from me.

Everything I've why I have all the scripture in the background is to show you that I'm not making this up. So what are you gonna do about it? And then have those honest conversations. Or to borrow from our intro, how are you going to live today in light of the fact that the hero of our story is not a flawed man in a white hat, but it is the coming eternal king who slays his enemies with but a single word. It's the lion of Judah who was the sacrificial lamb.

He's coming back. And he beckons us to live right now for him. And in that, we can have guaranteed victory regardless of circumstances. Guys, we can run a rescue shop within a yard of hell right here in Jackson Hole. Let's go, church.

Let's get in the game. I love you guys. Thank you for the opportunity to teach.

Thank you, Brad. Will you stand and sing? We'll sing a closing her closing song. You're fitting for what we've just heard. Cleanse me.

And as a sending benediction here, can I leave you this from Matthew five sixteen? To let our light shine before others so that they may see our good works and then to glorify our father in heaven. In Jesus name, amen.

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Biblical Purpose Church Community God'S Glory Honest Vulnerability Persecution Salt And Light

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