From Pastor JR Fields:

I believe this is the hour that the church must stand up or get out of the way.  We have become stale, lazy, and tired and the world is going to Hell.  Jesus tells us we should be light and we should be salt.  The world is covered with darkness, and if the light of Jesus does not shine, the world is going to Hell.  We as a church of God must shine through the darkness. Sadly, we are living in a world where our churches will not mention the name of Jesus.  They will not talk about the shed blood of Christ period!  They will not get on their knees in an altar of prayer and take the needs of the church to the Holy Throne.

Just think of the marvelous things we could see happen ff the church would just be a light once more.  It does not take much light to pierce through the darkness.  Just one born-again Christian could get a fire lit and turn a church on fire for Jesus.  However, we hold back our feelings because we are afraid someone will say something about us.

I am concerned about those people who sing "This Little Light of Mine, I'm gonna let it shine," but their light is covered over.  There are people who walk into the house of God with smiles on their faces and have wickedness in their hearts.  I once heard of a preacher who preaches on Sunday and cusses like a sailor on Monday.  I thought, "My God, how a man like that could be in the pulpit."  You might say, "The Bible doesn't say anything about cussing."  The Bible says, "Let no corrupt communication proceed from your mouth."  Your mouth should be a sanctified vessel to give glory to God.  To preach it on Sunday means to live it on Monday.

When God delivers us, He expects us to be salt of the earth.  To be salt is to bring a thirst to others.  You know how it is when you eat salty foods; it brings a thirst that cannot be quenched.  I remember once we were in revival at Alliston Campgrounds. Lisa had a supper of country ham, biscuits, and gravy.  Now, being the good husband/preacher that I am, I plunged into the gravy bowl.  I had gravy running off the sides of my plate, dripping off my chin, slung upon the ceiling and on the wall behind me.  That night at church, it was hot and I was sweating and thirsty.  Someone had a bottle of water lying on the seat in front of me and if there had not been so many witnesses I would have taken that bottle of water.  That is how God expects us Christians to be.  To be salt means we cause a thirst in others so greatly that they cannot quench their thirst.

It takes more than dropping a little money in the offering plate on Sunday and it takes more than carrying a Bible into the church on Sunday to be that salt.  We must live everyday by His command. 

What else do we need to be besides being salt?  We must be light. If there is no light shining in the house, there is no heat.  I have walked into churches that were so cold you nearly froze sitting through the service.

Jesus commands us to live a Christian life seven days a week.  You say, "Preacher, you don't know how hard that is for me to do.  I work around a bunch of sinful men and women."  God sent you to be light.  This is the time you should send out a light so men can see you good works.  "Well, Preacher, I thought you just said we were not saved by works."  My answer is, "We are not saved by just works; rather, by works and faith, because they go hand-in-hand."  Be consistent and walk with the Lord so that people can see His light shine through you.  Live daily by the authority of Christ.

Sermon edited by Mary King