saltation(biology): abrupt evolutionary change; sudden large-scale mutation.Sunday, June 28, 2009
at 12:51 AM;
I took notes today. Is it all just words? That depends on the listener. That depends a lot on the listener. Are we disciples struggling, fighting hard to follow Jesus? Or are we just halfway Christians acting our way through Sunday service? Are we simply pretending to change? Or are we actually undergoing true saltation brought on by the redeeming power of the Holy Spirit?
Humility.
Life of Joshua. Jesus washed disciples' feet.
Where is your humility, then?
Where is the real service?
Clique.
Don't want to be in exclusive group from all the others.
But you are. Exclusive T-shirt; place and rank in hierarchy; title, all alienates others, alienates the same people you should reach out to.
Your special programs separate you from the other 'inferior' people.
We feel inadequate, but God is mighty, He can still use us.
Scared of being MC; public speaking, but still stepped up to the challenge.
Meticulous planning of teaching and program for leader apps. Special mentoring for leaders - what about for the youth who are struggling with their walk, who have so many unanswered and pressing questions, the youth who really need it?
Are they given any guidance, any warm helping hand? No.
Being a leader is about being there for people - availing yourself. Do you?
People who come from families with siblings, when they see their siblings' success, they feel happy? More like distanced, overshadowed, jealous.
But even if you don't like it, you should still make an effort to listen. There is still truth. You might pick up something useful.
Whether for motivations good or bad, the gospel is still preached, and I rejoice in that.
Worship.
Have we really grown in the Spirit? Or is it just because the music is too loud to tell whether people aren't worshipping.
Growth.
Are we looking to grow to 140 youth? Or simply grow back to 140 youth, like we had just a few years back? Just how far have we fallen?
Sermon: We are the salt of the earth.
Matthew 5:13.
Salt as power. Salt preserves the world from evil. Sadly, you and I are the evil.
John 17:14.
Jesus didn't pray that we would be taken out, but that we would not be contaminated. The world needs us as light and salt. But are we?
I got the image of a cell - salt lyses walls and barriers built up between people, tears down strongholds.
Nonchristians smoke, drink, but still feel uncomfortable around us. Why? Because it bothers them. Because we are salt and light.
Salt brings taste. There are fourteen thousand ways of using salt.
Job 6:6 - Is tasteless food eaten without salt?
People with hypertension, cannot take salt, but still take because food is just so tasteless without it. Same with life. Without Jesus, life is meaningless.
When people have no joy, no meaning, we season their life. We give them the greatest of all treasures, which is hope.
Colossians 4:6 - Let your words be seasoned with grace.
If you are not salting people, you are not a Christian. You should be reaching out, touching, ministering to people.
Arabs saying. "You are the salt between us." - You gel us together.
2 Kings 19-22 - Salt is healing.
What if salt loses its flavor? It is no longer useful except to be thrown out and trampled.
NOBODY can make you lose your flavor. It is up to you. As long as you let Jesus reign in you, you are the salt of the earth.
When Jesus loses precedence in your life, you lose your flavor.
You cannot stand between. You are either salt or you are not. If you are causing people to sin, you are NOT salt.
It is not a forced role. You don't force yourself to become salt. It is a natural transformation brought on by the Holy Spirit as long as you wholeheartedly follow Jesus.
If you are forcing your self, there is something inherently wrong with your walk.
People can't wait for the service to be over - the pulpit is too small. Sermons are distilled. There is no fire, no real yearning to learn more. Notice where the newcomer went? Downstairs, chatting on his phone. Right after worship. Is it just the music that keeps people coming?
Our foundation is extremely shaky. People don't know where they are, they don't know why they are Christian, don't know answers to simple questions of faith.
Our teachings are sometimes archaic and mostly in archaic language: sermons, Bible study, Sunday school. They do not connect to new youth. New youth have no stake, find no meaning in them.
Why not Paul's letters? They teach simple, matter-of-fact truths, relevant to daily life; exactly the foundation new Christians need, exactly the foundation we don't have. In fact, Paul's letters were mostly written to help new Christians.
the rest is silence;
