Kingdom Influence

Hi, this is Pastor Daniel Bracken. You're listening to Kings Alaska Podcast. I hope the Word encourages you and you get a touch from God that brings transformation and equips you to experience life with people, power, and purpose. Thank you for joining us. Enjoy the Word.

Moving on. Look at verse 13. Would you stand with me? Let's get into the main text.

Are you ready? Matthew 5, verse 13 reads, you are the salt of the earth, but if salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. Would you say that you are the light of the world?

A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all those who are in the house. Verse 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Father, thank you for your word.

A lamp unto a feet and a light upon our path. Move in great power now. In Jesus name, amen. You may be seated. So he preaches this, he preaches that.

Really the high point of the Sermon on the Mount of the Beatitudes. Here's eight of them. And you should cultivate those in your life. It's. It's.

It's character. It's kingdom character. And we preached that last week. It's available online. I'd encourage you to go back and listen to it, read through it.

It's kind of like the Beatitudes to me is kind of like the definition of love found in First Corinthians 13. Somebody said, I'm. I feel like I'm a loving person. Oh, okay. Go read First Corinthians 13 and tell me how much you're loving.

Put that on your fridge. Because that's the definition of what love is. And it's patient and kind, and it's not rude. It doesn't boast. It keeps no record of wrongs.

Ladies, did you hear that?

Gentlemen? Why. Why, gentlemen, did you hear that?

It's a unique gift that. That some people have to remember what took place 25 years ago, but it's not an expression of love.

So the kingdom character and what the kingdom character produces, really, he makes this transition. Jesus makes a transition from character to. To influence. He makes a transition from kingdom character to the influence that it brings. And that's profound.

Out of kingdom character comes kingdom influence. Write that in the. In the margin of your notes. Out of kingdom character comes kingdom influence. If you live these bylaws, or the Constitution as they've been called, the eight Beatitudes, if you live those, then what will happen is the kingdom of God will manifest in a way that's, that's like, well, it's the text we read.

Let's look at it.

Sees two metaphors. Jesus uses two metaphors. If you live the Sermon on the Mount, then it'll be like salt and light. He uses two metaphors to illustrate what we're to be. So people that live the Beatitudes will be salt and light.

You're like salt. What does that even mean, salt and light Metaphors. A biblical metaphor describes one thing as if it were another in order to reveal spiritual truth. Come on, say that. Say I'm a salt.

I am the salt of the earth. Come on, say I am. I'm the light of the world. It is interesting that it says you are. You are.

He's talking to the disciples. He says you are. It's a, it's an aspect of our identity. You, you need to get that. I, I, I should have emphasized it in the notes better.

You are. I am. I am salt and light. Say that. Say I am salt.

Say God's intention for me is to be salt. And. Well, what does that even mean? Salt is an essential part of the ancient world. But the truth is, and we could have doctor, some of our doctors or physicians to come up to tell us about salt.

Without salt you have a major problem.

Your body doesn't work without. I don't, I mean sodium chloride. Not talking about that. I'm talking about trace minerals. And that which is in salt is salt.

Sodium chloride. Well, I'm not a chemist, but yes, I also know that white salt is almost as bad as white sugar. And I've, I've changed my nutritions and salt is one of the main things that I have as a part of my, my daily diet. And I'll tell you what, if I don't have the right amount of salt, if I don't have the right minor rough, right amount of electrolytes, then I get these cramps. And they're not average cramps.

They're. The dehydration can give you cramps, but also a lack of salt, lack of minerals, magnesium, so on, so forth. Am I right, doctor? Can give you cramps. And those are horrible.

They're a horrible thing. Do you know what we're called? Salt. We're called to be salt. Now think about that.

It's an essential part of the ancient world. But really it's an essential part now. And it preserved and seasoned. It preserved and seasoned things. You are again a statement of identity to his followers.

You are sold. Say it again. I am. I had the. The joy of being a commercial fisherman for two months now.

That doesn't include the time that we retrofitted. This was a trawler. We retrofitted it to become a. A long liner. And after the retrofitting in Seattle we.

We took that vessel 165 foot, 30 foot beam. Took that vessel up the. In the Inside Passage which was absolutely magnificent. But that beautiful cruise became a. Like a prison boat from hell.

Eventually there were people on that boat that had gotten out of jail. And I'm thankful for people to get out of jail. But they. They got out of jail and still acted like they were in it. And they were getting dry.

Dry from the. Their heroin and drying out at sea. And then they would go back and blow all their money and thank God for the Norwegians on that boat. In fact it was a Norwegian owner. And the Norwegians we couldn't hardly understand each other and they smoked like a chimney.

But they were hard workers and they were kind. And so I. My new name. No one knew my name. They renamed me Greenhorn.

I guess that's like a fishing thing.

And at one point where we have caught. We're fishing for Pacific cod and we had caught a whole bunch of fish and these guys are gathered at the aft of the boat and they're. They're doing something with the fish. It's that it was like a break period. I forget exactly.

I mean we worked many, many hours as commercial fishermen do. So I don't really recall exactly when that was, but they were. They were treating this fish with salt and they. They made this, this salted fish, Norwegian salted fish. And it was to last for weeks.

Salt is a preservative. Think about that. If the fish wasn't how many but it come on fish and guests are the same. After three days they start to smell. Come on.

Somebody say Ben? Not all guess but fish rots. I remember being on someone's boat and then we were. We did some shrimping. Like the most glorious shrimp in the Prince William Sound.

Hallelujah. Come. But just getting touched by God right now. But if you leave one little piece of shrimp on your boat, if you don't wash all the shrimp off your boat, then that one little, that one little stupid little leg of shrimp makes everything smell rotten. Does anybody Know what I'm talking about?

But you know what salt does? It preserves. Let me bring it home. Our culture is rotten, but you are to be salt. It's a preserving aspect of it.

It's a healing aspect of salt. They didn't have refrigeration.

Salt is essential. And that's what we're called. We're called salt. There's an assignment for us. Come on, bump your neighbor and say, stay salty.

It's a new definition of salty. Out of kingdom character comes kingdom influence. And Jesus called these ordinary. Ordinary people to change the world. Why do you think that's special?

Because we're all ordinary. There's very few that are extraordinary.

We're all ordinary people. And you know what? God wants to use the likes of you and me, Your sons, your daughters, your wife, your husband. He wants to use us to. To be salt in the world of a preservative.

When you think about. When you think about the. That which. When that which restrains is taken away. Talking about the Rapture in Thessalonians.

That which restrains or that which preserves? Really, the church is supposed to be that which restrains and preserves. And there's a lot of different ways to view that text, but we're all supposed to be salt. And he uses ordinary people to change the world. Raise a hand to heaven and say, I'm gonna change the world.

He gives a warning to stay salty. But if the salt loses its flavor, another version says season, or it's saltiness. I was thinking and praying about that. I mean, if salt loses his saltiness, it's no longer salt. It's like water.

Water losing its wetness.

If water loses its wetness, it's not water anymore. But the Lord's saying something. It's. It's this incredible warning to continue to be that which preserves. Continue to be that which.

Which brings healing. Continue to be that which brings purity and cleansing. That. It's literally an essential ingredient in the world. Now, the.

The world part is not a metaphor, but the salt is. That's what we're called to be. We're called to be salt.

Is it possible to have an appearance without influence?

God doesn't want us to just look like we're salt. He wants us actually to be salt. We are called to influence. Everyone here should be an influencer.

You are the light of the world is the second. The second metaphor used to describe the results of. People understand. You can't separate these statements from the Beatitudes. These are.

This is the. The release that comes through Those who live the Beatitudes. You live the Beatitudes, you will be salt. You live the Beatitudes, you will be light. A byproduct or a result of kingdom.

Character releases kingdom influence. Salt and and light.

You were the light of the world.

Wow. Light dispels darkness.

Want you to look at some scriptures with me. Isaiah chapter Going to Look at verse 40, chapter 42, verse 6 says this. I, the Lord have called you in righteousness, and I will hold your hand. I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles. It Sundays in Isaiah 49 and verse 6.

Indeed, he says, it is to a small thing that you should be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, to restore the preserved ones of Israel. I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be my salvation. And the ends of re Earth. Isaiah 60. A favorite of many.

Arise and shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, a deep darkness to people. But the Lord will arise over you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And the Gentiles shall come to your light. Shall come to your what?

Light. We're called to be like God is light. Go to Philippians chapter two and whatever Bible you have on your device. Philippians two. It's on the screen as well, which reads that you may become blameless, harmless children of God, without fault, in the midst of a crooked and a perverse generation among whom you shine like lights in the shine.

Jesus, shine. That's what we're supposed to do. We're supposed to shine. Literally, by living the Beatitudes, you release salt into the earth. If you don't live the Beatitudes, you've lost your you're no longer salt.

Literally, by living the Beatitudes. There's eight of them. Memorize them. In fact, they're put in such a way so that they could be easily memorized. The bylaws of the kingdom, the constitution of the kingdom.

You live those you will be salt. But you'll not only be salty, be light. What does light do? It brings vision. It exposes things.

God is light. The scripture says First John 1:5, God is light in whom in whom there's no darkness at all. There's no darkness in God. So literally, as a believer, as a follower of Jesus, when you live His Word and you let it dwell in you richly, what will take place is a release of his preservation, a release of his healing properties, really literally. I don't think that you can have life, even life abundant, without salt.

Can I say it that way? If I didn't have salt and trace minerals, I'd be cramped up and still in bed. That is the way it is without the church, without you living God's Word in John chapter 5 and verse 35. Listen to this.

For those of you that are here after the Rapture, don't join the army, because you'll find yourself fighting against God.

And for those of you that might be here after the Rapture, I won't be here. If you're putting tombstones out, you can put this on my tombstone. Is what I hope to be. This is what I hope to be. John 5 and verse 35.

He was a burning, shining lamp. I want to be a burning, shining lamp with salt.

You were willing for a time to rejoice in his life. Burning speaks of this inner life. Burning speaks of the inner life. Shining speaks of the outward influence. When the Spirit of God burns in you with His Word and you live His Word unapologetically.

Gosh, that's salty. Yeah, it sure is. Especially to the people that don't want to taste it. When you live the burning, shining life of God on the inside, then what will happen is that you will impact everywhere you go.

Burning, shining light. Sorry for the typo. It's my fault. Shinning. We're not quite sure what shinning is, although I have experienced that walking past my trailer hitch before.

I think that's called shinning. It's usually followed by cursing.

I'm a. Raise your hand if you have taken out your shin.

It hurts thinking about it. Hey, look at that.

When you live for God, you live those. You live God's word, you live those Beatitudes.

It'll set your heart on fire. Blessed. Some of you lost your fire. Some of you lost your salt.

So how do you know that I. If I've lost my salt or my fire? Well, you have limited influence. In other words, you're not seeing the kind of breakthroughs perhaps you did in your earlier walk with God. Or there's people that don't even know that you're a Christian.

I'm going over here. I mean, if you were. Look, if you were, look at the sum total of your life. Could people tell that you're a Christian? So many people have come out of the closet, which is like, horrible.

They need healing and deliverance, but certainly the church needs to come out of the closet.

He gives another warning.

Don't Hide your light this little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine this little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine this little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. This is a lamp. A 1st century replica. It's made out of clay. I got it in Israel.

It would hold. Olive oil, would be the fuel that it burned, and then it would have a wick that came out the front and you would light that. They didn't have electricity. I know some of that. Some of you might be surprised.

Back in the first century, there's no electricity.

Nobody lights a lamp and then hides it. Look. Who would do that? Why would you even light the lamp? What good is a lamp that's being hidden?

The same is true. What good is. What good is a people who say they love God but don't shine? What does shining mean? What does that mean, to shine?

It means to speak up. It means to live it out loud. It means to boldly declare who God is. God is light. God is life.

Without him, there's darkness. And you know something? Darkness hates light.

It's an old Chinese proverb. It says it's better to light a lamp than to curse the darkness. And there are so many people that just like, oh, this culture, oh, this nation. Oh, those perverse people. Light a lamp for God's sake, and quit belly aching.

This little light of mine I'm gonna come on. This little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine this little light of mine Come on, Pastor Karen. I'm gonna let it shine Let it shine. You sing to me all the time. No, I do shine.

Where God puts you. So, like, well, when I get voted in. When you get voted in what? Well, when I get the. When I get a platform.

You have a platform? It's called your life.

Had people say, you, I'd like to preach for you. Oh, okay.

You know. You know where we started preaching was to cows.

Now you say, well, that's just weird. Why would you preach to animals? Because it says, preach the gospel to all creation. And I didn't have any people that I could perhaps witnessing, but I wanted to preach to a congregation. I didn't have a congregation, so I went on a run and I found a cow field and I stood in front of all those cows.

Don't take it personally. Stood in front of all those cows and I. I prayed. Thank you. Dearly beloved, we're gathered here today. I did.

I totally. I. I pretended like I was Dr. Morocco, who was my hero and still is. And I just stood there and I made. I made the fence. You don't.

Don't touch it. Don't do other things to electric fences. Amen.

I stood in front of that fence and I said, thank you, Lord, for this company of people. Let's look. Let's stand for the reading of the world. And they're just chewing their cut. I opened in prayer, I preached the gospel, gave an altar call, and I humorously said, I think I saw a hoof go up.

Shine where God's placed you. Don't look for some. Some big thing to open, you know, if you'll shine where God's placed you, you'll suddenly find favor being blessed. You'll find the blessing. Come on, you.

You. You live the Sermon on the Mount. And you will see your heart get set on fire. And what will happen is you will burn the. In your inside, burning from the Word.

Oh, Jeremiah said, your Word is. Is. Is in my bones like fire. I have inscribed on. On some of my suit jackets that Scripture, because it's like that for me.

And the more you get in the Word, the more you read the Word, the more you learn and understand the things of God. And you pray, and it'll be like a fire that's on the inside of you. And you won't be able to help but to shine your light, baby. Shine everywhere you go. Shine in your home.

Shine to your kids. Shine to your wife. Shine to your husband. Shine. Shine.

Come on. Somebody say I'm a shine. Yeah. Let your light shine and shine where God's placed you. That's what.

That's what our school's doing. Our school is shining. And I've had people. You see those parents and families weeping, you know, not all of them, but many. I was surprised at how many people were weeping up and down the hallways.

How. Why is that? Because there's light. There's hope. There's a redefining of education.

And there's a people that are rising for the glory. The Lord has risen upon them. Yes, there's darkness in education, but we're changing that. Come on, somebody say amen. We're changing.

Change it. Darkness has gotta go. I'm gonna let my light shine. Anybody else? Come on.

Come on. Bump your neighbor and say, stay lit.

Stay lit.

Come on. Bump the other neighbor and say, stay. L. It's your words. It's your. It's your actions.

Oh, my. Lift your hands to Jesus all across the place.

Thank you.

First Peter 2:11. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims. You know why we're called so. You know why we're called pilgrims and sojourners because we're passing through. This is not home.

We're on the way to home. Meanwhile, be salt and light. Abstain from fleshly lust which war against your soul. In other words, if you're yielding to fleshly lusts, the war against your soul. Your light is out.

You have lost your salt.

Having your conduct honorable among the gentiles. Abstain from the things be. Live honorably. That when they speak against you as evildoers, they may buy your good works, your light, your salt, which they observe and glorify. God on the day of visitation, that people look and say, well, I don't like him.

Not sure I don't. I like him. He's just so salty.

Different meaning. Salt and light, they can't help but they look at you, they'd say, oh, there must be something going on over there. And it gives God glory. Don't hide your light. Don't let your salt go out.

Shine, stay lit. And Jesus makes this prophetic declaration which is what had Master Susie prayed. He makes a prophetic declaration of what the church will become in the world. What is that? Verse 14?

A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. See really what the picture is. It's the most extraordinary statement that Jesus makes. He's talking about the church. He's talking about not just one lamp, but he's talking about lamps.

He's talking about many lights. That's what we're called to be. That's what this house is. When people drive in, they're like, man. How did they get the most prominent corner in all of the valley?

God. God. God wants his light to go forth. He wants it to break in on the left and break in on the right. And how does that happen?

It does not happen by a building. It happens by people who live the Sermon on the Mound, who lived the Beatitudes and are salt and light in their community, in their job, at the bank, at your restaurant, wherever you're serving, wherever you live, at your home, that you would shine. And when it's like that, then the kingdom cannot be ignored.

I'm in a series called Seven. I'll continue it on Wednesday. And we're looking at the seven churches of the Book of Revelation. And I have been deeply impacted because as you look at the seven churches in Revelation, chapter two and three, they're encouraged and they're corrected. And from those seven churches you can find the church today.

And. And it's different patterns that they're expressing. Somebody said, well, what do you say the church in America is? I will tell you, by and large, the church in America is a Laodicean church. It's the lukewarm church.

Oh, I'm. I'm thankful for whatever fire we have, and may it get bigger and brighter and may we truly be a city set on the hill. Come on, somebody say amen. I'm so grateful for that. But there are others that are not even preaching the gospel.

You know, there's no way you could get saved. I mean, there's no way. They don't even talk about the cross. They don't talk about the blood God. They don't talk about how to be born again.

That just like Readers Digest couple, maybe a scripture. I've been in churches where they don't even preach. I like, I didn't hear one scripture. Many of. Much of what they shared was scriptural, but I didn't feel any fire.

I felt no conviction. That is not the kind of church that's good that God wants to make a city on a hill. That's not the kind of church that is a city on a hill. The kind of church that is a city on a hill that stands up and declares the gender confusion is not of God. The kind of church that salt and light a city on a hill is not just the church that says it, not just from a pulpit that says it, but a people who live it out loud in the highways and byways.

Will you be salt and light? Will you be that which God has called us to be? You are salt. Are you? You are light.

Are you. Are you being light, you say? I'm getting kind of convicted because I'm pretty quiet about my witness change.

Now it's more than just white knuckling it. Forcing yourself to share your faith. Literally. When you come to understand who God is and you receive him as your Lord and Savior and you begin to live the Word, you will be set on fire. You won't be able to help yourself.

Fire can't help but burn. And when he burns on the inside of you, you will get a little mouthy, hopefully filled with love. You'll speak the truth in love. You'll be salt. You'll be light.

All right, worship team, would you come? God is speaking to us. Jesus calls us to be to visible Christianity. I mean, I hate to have to say that, but it's just so many that you wouldn't even know they're believers.

His curse filled with defilement can watch anything they want. Like what?

Oh, yeah, no, I'm forgiven that. I don't know where you read that, that you. You're just forgiven and can behave whatever way you want to. There's a hyper Calvinism, a hyper neo Calvinism or a hyper grace. You're not forgiven just because you just said you are.

And Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. And so I'm part of the whole world, so my sins are forgiven. And now first John talks about that if you continue in your sin, then you've never really been born again. You've never really been saved. Your sin remains.

So he calls us to a visible Christianity to be salt, to be light. And the goal is to bring glory to the Father. What's the goal? To bring glory to the Father. That's what he's doing.

That they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. That's the goal of Kingdom influence, is glorifying God. And that people would come and be a part of the salt crew would be a part of light bringers. We have a put here on assignment. We've been put here on assignment.

So stay salty and cultivated in your life. Don't, don't. Don't hide your lamp under a bushel. Let it shine. What if people don't like you?

They already don't.

Who are you living for really? I mean, who. Who are we really supposed to live for? Supposed to live for God, with all of our heart, all of our mind, all our soul and strength are supposed to be a city on a hill. Come on.

I want to be a part of the lights that shine to make a city on a hill. Come on. The school is a city on the hill. The church is supposed to city on a hill. You and your business folks.

Supposed to be a city on a hill. Your house at the end of the block, your home that you live in is supposed to be a city on a hill. Shine, shine. Live that life that preserves, it heals. Oh, you know what el salt does?

It makes you thirsty. People see your life, they just be like, man, I want what they have. There's a hunger that comes. They just seemingly step over their challenges and trials and problems. There's healing and blessing and they're happy.

Although you got so much joy. And all their little kids are so filled with joy, make me sick. But then they think they go to that church over there or they go to that life group. They're part of that team.

See all Those people on the roof of 1701 Lucille street filled with joy, laughing, praying in tongues and doing roof, roofing.

Will you be salt and light? Will you be a city on a hill? I'm gonna say yes. That's what I'm in for. I'm gonna obey his word.

I want this to happen through my life. Do you want it to happen through yours? Would you put your hands together for Jesus? Stand upon your feet all across this place with every head bowed, every eye closed. Just before we conclude our our service.

For those online, we just got a couple minutes and then that signs off. Thank you for being with us. Those of you out there on computer and devices, on tv, so glad you're with us. Where are you with God. If you're not giving your heart to Jesus.

For those of you listening, all those in this great sanctuary, if you. If you've never given your life to Jesus, do it now. If you've never repented of your sin and believed that Jesus was the payment for your sin, he was a propitiation for our sin. He was crucified for you and me. And on the third day, he rose again from the crucifixion grave.

Going to church doesn't make you a believer any more than you can stand in your garage and it makes you a truck or a car. You can put a suit on. It still doesn't make you a believer. A monkey can wear a suit and it doesn't make him a human being. You're the only way that you're become salt and light is by first receiving the one who is light.

His name is Jesus. The one who is and was and is to come. That's me, Pastor. I want to give my life to Jesus. For the first time or in recommitment, if that's you.

Raise a hand to heaven. You need to recommit. Come on. You drifted. You know you did.

You're not as. Not as on fire as you used to be. Wonderful. Come on, pray with me right out loud, say, dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your son Jesus to die in my place.

I repent of my sins in. And I ask you to forgive me and to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. I believe that you rose again from the grave. Take out my old heart, give me a new heart and give me a hunger for your word, the hunger for the things of God. Thank you for loving me and thank you for hearing in my prayer.

Amen. Well, I hope you were encouraged by God's word. Thank you again for listening to Kings Alaska Podcast. God bless you. For more great content, go to kcalaska.com and may God's face shine upon you and give you peace.