Title: The Salt and Light of the World
Contents
Text Matthew 5:13-16, 1 Peter 2:11-12
Preacher Se-won Oh
Sermon Date 2011-10-02
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13 You are the salt of the world; if salt loses its taste, with what is it salted?
14 You are the light of the world; a city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 People do not light a lamp and put it under a lamp, but put it on a lampstand, so that it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
11 Beloved, I urge you, as aliens and sojourners, to control the lusts of the flesh, which fight against the soul.
12 You have good conduct among the Gentiles, so that those who accuse you of doing evil may see your good works and glorify God on the day that comes.
Bible: Matthew 5:13-16, 1 Peter 2:11-12 Holy Communion 11.102
Title: Christians, Salt and Light of the World
In the meantime, while living in the midst of feeling that our society is a dark society that only feels dark and stinks, we met a thin ray of hope, and all the media outlets rushed to send the news. The main character of the news is Mr. Kim Woo-soo, nicknamed 'donation angel deliveryman', 'happy deliveryman' and 'jajangmyeon deliveryman'. Kim Woo-su is a 54-year-old who practiced sharing while working as a delivery worker at a Chinese restaurant with a monthly salary of 700,000 won in a gosiwon jjokbang. He passed away on Monday.
Born to a single mother and sent to an orphanage at the age of seven, I ran away from the orphanage at the age of 12 and did nothing to make a living such as begging or delivery. The late Kim Woo-soo was also sentenced to a year and a half in prison for an accidental arson attempt. In 2006, six months before his release, he happened to be a Korean child with a history of more than 60 years. It is said that they started sharing after seeing a booklet called “Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation”, a relief project foundation. I started to donate 30,000 won every month to the Children's Foundation, thinking that I am not only helping others when I can afford it. It seems to have helped a lot more than when I first started. Now, it is said that they helped 5-10 million won each.
Saint Kim Woo-soo, who lived a difficult life as a delivery man in a gosiwon and lived a difficult life in a gosiwon as a delivery man, did not give up on sharing. Organ donation didn't work.
In 2009, he discovered and invited people from the Blue House to brighten up society without a name and no light. That is why many people refer to him as the “donation angel.” The late Kim Woo-soo has a saying left while he was living. “Poverty has never been an obstacle in the face of sharing,” he confessed. “There was never a moment in my life that could be called light. However, it is the most shining and happiest moment in my life when I help children by splitting my monthly salary of 700,000 won.” One more thing to be grateful for is the fact that Saint Woo-Soo Kim had faith in God. You may have seen it on the news, but if you look at the picture of First Lady Yunok Kim mourning, the Bible was opened in front of the picture of the late Kim Usu.
There were a lot of articles commemorating Kim Woo-su, but it seemed that there were about 3,500 people. The content of the commemorative post said, “It is embarrassing to me, who was earning more than 700,000 won and donating 10,000 won every month. Please rest happily in a nice place. I will imitate that spirit of sharing.”
The theme of the 96th annual general meeting of our denomination held at Sangsang Church in Cheongju for 5 days from the 19th of last month has been set as “Christians, the salt and light of the world.” In the meantime, we have heard countless times about the world's salt and light. All believers believe that they should live that way. But why? Would you have decided on this topic again? It is a conclusive proof that the world is dark and smelly.
When a denomination or church sets a topic or set goals, it is decided by considering the circumstances of the times and the circumstances of the church at the time. Then we still need light and salt. Needing light means that the world is that dark. Needing salt means that the world rots and smells. But the question is, what kind of life is our light life? I do not see that I am unable to fulfill the role because I do not know what the life of salt is. I know everything. And yet, why is this society so dark, gloomy, stinky, and dirty?
Why is our society getting darker even though the Korean church boasts that there are many Christians, prays a lot, strives to gather and is filled with the Holy Spirit? Isn't that proof that we're still not illuminating the world properly or making it clean?
Brothers and sisters, in order for the light to function properly, the glass of the light bulb must be wiped clean. It emits light, but if there is something blocking it in front of it, it will not be bright. In the same way, in order to live a life of light that illuminates the world through our lives, there are things that we must give up first. That is the lust of the flesh. According to the words given through Peter, “control the lusts of the flesh that fight against the soul.” It is the lust of the flesh that fights against the soul. It refers to carnal desires that hinder spiritual life. It could be the lust for wealth, the lust for fame, or the lust for pleasure. Any desire that is not spiritually beneficial must be thrown away. You should have the greed for evangelism, the greed for prayer, and the greed for good deeds, but if you have the greed to achieve something while obscuring the glory of God, you must throw it away.
You can live a life of good deeds when you cast away the lusts of the flesh that are against the soul. It can lead to a life that becomes the light and salt of the world. In 1 Peter 2:12 it says, “You have good conduct among the Gentiles, so that those who accuse you of doing evil may see your good works and glorify God on the day he comes.” Gentiles today are unbelievers. Saints live with unbelievers. Therefore, among the Gentiles, unbelievers, you should do good. Because they accuse and ridicule Christians as evil. Rather, we should glorify God by doing good before them. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Dear saints,
Our church is doing many things, but there are still many things that are lacking. If the church does not become the salt and light of the world, which organization will do it? At the last bazaar, we are preparing to deliver the proceeds from the sale of side dishes and agricultural and fishery dried fish made by the members of Yeojeondo to the children of Dongsan Hospital. And although an advertisement appeared in today's bulletin, our church does not use the church budget, but there are people who want to practice a small sharing by giving a little at ten o'clock by meaningful people. From October 21st, we plan to provide free noodles every Friday at lunchtime during the day. Such a small life of sharing is good deeds, and I believe that these things will become salt and light to the world, making the world brighter and more sanctified.
Therefore, we must do many good deeds in the image of the Lord. But one thing we must remember. The truth is that if we want to control our desires and live a life of good deeds, we must have strength within ourselves. At least the energy to control it and the power to do good deeds, that is, energy may have to be generated. Salt is also flavored through the energy of sacrifice that dissolves in water. Another power is needed to bring the energy of light. You have to bring about the fragmentation of radioactivity, and you have to burn oil or bituminous coal to turn a generator to make electricity, and then change it back into light to get bright light. We have a good plan in our hearts, and we are determined to live a good life, but we cannot easily carry out it. Why? It is because they do not have or lack the energy to practice a good life. That energy is the power of the Word, and the other is the power of the Holy Spirit.
Dear saints,
We are invited to sacrament meeting today. The sacrament is also a ceremony to commemorate the life that Jesus laid down to save mankind. Today, when the Lord receives the bread and cup established by Jesus, who died on the cross to show the example of a life of salt and light, you will receive the power to do good deeds through the coming of the Holy Spirit upon you, light and salt. I bless you in the name of the Lord that you will live this life. Don't do foolish things that miss the time while planning big things, and start with small things that you can do in your own circumstances. It brightens the world and makes it clean.