Turning on the Lights! – Thursday, October 31, 2024. Let’s ramble a little about Christian stuff
Good Morning, Good Morning my brothers and my sisters and welcome to Turning On the Lights! for Thursday October 31, 2024!
We officially complete our look at 1 Corinthians today, but along the way we talk about a lot different stuff including Halloween, politics and elections, and the responsibilities that every Christian has to every other Christian.
Yes – the Good News id TRUTH! As TRUTH it is separated from all lies – but it it RADICAL in its INCLUSIVITY to ALL people – all of God’s image-bearers are welcome in the Kingdom of God.
Just listen tot he words of Jesus, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is near!”
May God bless you and keep you and, as we always say on Thursdays…
WE WILL SEE YOU IN CHURCH!
This is a video recorded copy of the FaceBook Live event of Turning on the Lights! – Thursday, October 31, 2024. Watch here via the YouTube link!
This is an audio recorded copy of the FaceBook Live event of Turning on the Lights! – Thursday, October 31, 2024. Listen here or through your favorite podcast app!
This is a transcript from the audio of this episode of Turning on the Lights! – Thursday, October 31, 2024
Oh Good morning. Good morning, my brothers and my sisters. Take a look. Oh My goodness gracious. What an incredible morning You see the beasts in the field the Sun coming up. It’s big Sun. It’s bright I’ve gotten a hand over my eyes trying to get this shot Beautiful We’re walking right into the church this morning. Look, let’s do it right there. There’s the door I’m opening up. I’m walking right in we’re literally turning on the lights because I’m running behind as usual That’s just me. Oh It’s the 31st there we got trunker treat tonight following our Incredible council meeting last night great council meeting all kinds of information going on here. There’s Mount Zion Crossroads Church There’s camp Elijah. Well, hey check this out. This is a really good charity that we’ve begun giving to And that is selfless service. It’s a local Organization that helps veterans with nearly every need and it is an amazing thing that That is being done. It is locally run by the wife of a former football player of mine And I believe he’s still current military. So it’s selfless service. Check it out. Check out this bingo They’re also doing a raffle where they’re selling 300 raffle tickets. So everything goes Everything goes to the veteran services Neighborhood North X all kinds of things going on, but wait There’s more because I know that on November 3rd. You want to come to our bonfire? We got some food Fellowship and fun now that’s Sunday tonight’s trunker treat Sunday is the bonfire says a bunch of fall stuff going on speaking of that We’ve got a movie Friday night. Oh my goodness CS Lewis shadow lands Friday night at 7 I was telling you this place is busy man It’s busy. I can hardly keep up. Thank heavens. I have so many people I should say we have like I have I have people There are so many people that invest so much and make everything happen For our little church our little church on the hill the church town church you’ve got I love this place. Oh Let me turn off the noisy fan here I’ll get you I know it’s like and then you’re in an earthquake right now I’m sorry. I just want to show you the beautiful sanctuary Before I get all settled in and I want to know what you want to talk about today I know what we’ve been talking about today or this week or the past few weeks I Want to know if there’s anything on your mind any questions that you have let me get this there’s my ugly mug Thursday morning October 31st no Let me answer the question trunker treat you celebrate Halloween no we don’t You’re not gonna see any wicked things around here. You’re gonna see nothing but light uplifting Christian messages materials Lights on in the church lights on outside of the church Food all kind you you come around here. Yeah, you’re gonna get some candy But we are the anti Halloween We are the Christ to the demonic and that’s the way I do view it honestly I mean when you talk about how can the Christian handle Halloween you’ve got a few options you can just ignore it I’m not I don’t think any of these options are Better than the other you can simply ignore it and just keep your church dark Just keep your house dark. Don’t participate Pray against any demonic forces that may be Trying to weasel their way into families through this weird weird Holiday because it is it’s a weird celebration of weird stuff Or You can Work with it and What I mean by that is just what I just described you can say there’s Halloween There are the forces of darkness trying to weasel their way into your family look at this light This is what life is all about we will see all kinds of things here tonight With parents who allow their kids to dress up in things that I just would never even consider But they’re gonna come here and they’re gonna hear a Christian message and they’re gonna see light And that’s what it’s all about they’re gonna have a dozen ambassadors of the church walking around They’re gonna have we’re gonna have like a dozen trunks Fun themes and Christian themes and so that’s what I’m saying We’re not celebrating Halloween. We’re trying to show The opposite of what Satan may be trying to do through This weird holiday that sell it if you call it a holiday that celebrates weird things Plus this is another part of our rationale here. We are embedded in this small town If we do not If we do not move forward and crash the power of God against the gates of hell who will We’re told Right upon this rock. I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail Do you know what that means it means the gates of hell are there trying not to let the church in it’s an offensive statement So let’s go on the offense Let’s go on the offense and let’s batter the gates of hell and any ideas that Satan may be trying to Get into the heads of families over Halloween and let’s counteract that Let’s rise up against that. Let’s speak against that. Let’s speak for Christ Yes, so we’re jacked up if you saw last year It’s just beautiful with everything lit up and the big lights in the part and it’s like right in the center of town Here are the this big dome of light? Is a beautiful it is a beautiful picture and it was a beautiful picture last year It’s going to be a beautiful picture this year So there you go. There’s my Halloween speech It’s much like any other aspect of our Christianity as we look as we are embedded in this Secular world this wicked world. We always talk about being a battleship not a cruise ship We always talk about being soldiers of Christ dropped behind enemy lines. We talk about things like that Here’s an opportunity to not shut down and ignore what’s going on here’s an opportunity to come up against the gates of hell and Batter them a little bit have people see and hear like you guys are Christians. Yeah, we’re Christians, but you’re nice You’re cool. Yeah. Well, you know, we’re just people we’re just people like you we’re not you know, when you see if you saw that a Little short that I posted about the media. Yeah, I mean it talks about the the political aspects of it and how the media treats politics But you have to understand that the power and the money come from getting eyeballs on that screen and having People listen to your narrative That’s where the money comes from the power comes from shaping the way people think and you don’t think that media does shape the way people think it does And I will say that it there they may be of weak mind Meaning that they don’t have the mind of Christ if you don’t have the mind of Christ, I would Definitely question where you are Who you are as a human being? What do you know? About beat life and death and good and evil and right and wrong It’s not judgmental statement Because there are only two types of people in the world those who dwell within the kingdom of God and those who dwell without that has nothing to do with your sex or your race or your background or your Socio-economic level nothing The media would have you think otherwise am I right? Yes But Good Christian teaching good Christian theology teaches us it that that the opposite of being exclusive and phobic of everything which is all you hear The good news the upside-down Kingdom of God is actually radically inclusive radically inclusive of all peoples of the Earth the thing about the kingdom of God is understanding God allowing God To cleanse you of your sin and actually submitting your will to his he knows The most difficult thing that you will ever do is submit your will to his because we’re a prideful arrogant people talk about that in the church town weekly and It is a difficult that it is the stumbling block saying not my will but thine oh lord No, I will not trust in myself or in political institutions or in economic systems or in anything but you that I have a peace that surpasses all human understanding we were just reading that in Philippians last evening a Piece that supersedes all human understanding supersedes all human circumstances. How can this be by the power of God alone? Anxiety over this political season. Nope, none none for me whatsoever Because I know that political systems rise and fall I know that political people rise and fall I know that those who seek secular power and secular and money and status and the domination over other people rise and fall I’ve read a history book or two. I Know that the kingdom of God has been expanding since the day Christ ascended and then sent God’s Holy Spirit down upon us. I Know that for a fact I know how I feel where the power of God’s Holy Spirit within me not being dependent on political systems or economic systems or any structure of humankind It’s all flawed All have fallen short of the glory of God and now this leads us to There are you know, I forget what the figure is almost 40% of Christians don’t vote because they feel they can’t vote Because all have fallen short of the glory of God All are in need of a Savior political systems human systems are inherently corrupt Jesus Christ is not on the ballot. I can’t vote Well, we’re taught also in Scripture that our civic duty is our civic duty What can we do to try and help as Christians as people in the body of Christ in the kingdom of God? to make society as Best as it can be right now Right we have to consider these things when we look at the very flawed sinful Candidates and characters that are out there We have to decide as Christians, what can we do? What can we do? We’re constantly saying that here at church down because we got a little little church complex small church complex So everything looks overwhelming, right? We’re not a mega church with 18 campuses around the world or whatever the case may be We’re a little church on the hill and so that has taught us to ask this question. What can we do? So we bring it to the earth or down into this venue What can we do and my goodness you should I could list the things that we have done and the? Thousands of thousands of people that have been affected by the things that we have done And I am being very arrogant right now, aren’t I the things that have been accomplished through this body of Christ by the power of God is a much better way of saying it Our faithfulness your faithfulness it counts So as we’ve talked about before society Decays every culture every empire every political system every political ideology every economic system every economic ideology Decays You’re simply voting for the rate of decay See the little very bleak message pastor Brian not really It is human society To deny that reality is to have your head in the sand So you must we must fulfill our civic duty and gather as much information as we can and vote Accordingly it doesn’t matter to me. I mean if you look at the theological foundations of various parties and that You should be wise enough to make a correct decision a better decision anyway a better decision but if you’re a constitutionalist if you’re an independent if you’re a whatever as a Christian You have to examine the issues you don’t know the hearts of any candidate Examine the behavior examine the issues and don’t sit on your rear ends You’re really not voting to create some sort of heaven on earth You’re voting to regulate the rate of decay of human society because everyone Has done that every simple every society has done that Well my children my grandchildren people have been saying that since the dawn of human existence We do the best we can here on earth but our our vision our power our Security does not come from things of this earth We within us have a peace and understanding That surpasses all human Understanding I Hope that that makes sense and I hope that that is an encouragement. I hope it is an encouragement. You know me I’m gonna preach reality. I’m not gonna stand here and stump for one candidate or another you know I’ve said this before I’ve not become more political politics has chosen to become more theological So look at where they stand theologically where where they stand theologically Where which party that you’re looking into has actual written statements In their party platform regarding the sanctity of males and females the sanctity of human existence How about the sanctity of human life? pre-born post born You want to start messing with the image bearers of God you’ve entered the theological realm Now I got something to say Because as a Christian in general and as a pastor spiritual leader in particular part of our responsibility is to protect The image bearers of God to teach the image bearers of God To share the good news with the image bearers of God that you are way more Than what your culture may be telling you are Way more and your identity can be found nowhere outside of the kingdom of God it can’t be Your identity is found in Christ as a man or a woman you become a son or a daughter of the Most High knowing God Allows you to know yourself That’s what that whole image and likeness of God is All about you want to know more about yourself learn more about God Don’t listen, right? Don’t don’t purchase that identity don’t fall into that realm of trying to self-satisfy That’s that’s a realm that leads to death to death And Final point on this issue you will see that realm if you will All of that falsity all of those lies all of that destructive Power that’s coming against God’s image bearers wrapped up in the word Christian Satan knows that you are built to worship and He wants to do anything that he can to take an image bearer of God and turn that image bearers head away from God and Worship something else worship yourself worship your identity worship politics and politicians worship idols of any kind physical or human Anything But worshiping Yahweh your creator Through Jesus Christ your Redeemer and God’s Holy Spirit your sustainer that actually identifies you as a human being And So wrapping that up in Christian, so we now we have a Christian Church now This is right because the Christian Church remember we are very exclusive and we’re very phobic But this Christian Church is the exact opposite. It’s open and affirming Well You better check your doctrine because chances are if those words are in your faith statement or mission statement You better check your doctrine. You better check to see if you’re an Orthodox Christian Church Because the true church is radically inclusive of all people Come in just as you are hear the good news of redemption repent and Turn to your creator Submitting yourself to him and you will be Transformed into the man or the woman that he knows you to be There you go. That’s truth Well, that’s exclusive well It’s true like if that’s true then the other garbage isn’t true. So yeah Hello reality preacher here It’s an old not all jolly ranchers and hugs you need to be Intentional in your relationship with Christ and just as we began this conversation with the way that we treat Halloween We’re gonna light this place up and we are going to advance against the gates of hell tonight We’re not going to sit silently by and allow however, what demonic forces to try to weasel their way into families with costumes of mutilation and destruction and and transgenderism and all kinds of things They’re gonna come here regardless. This is a great picture of the church Regardless of how they come into the light they are welcome in the light and they’re going to hear the good news That Jesus Christ is their Savior and their Lord Amen how about that fired up get fired up get fired up I Get a little fired up. We’ve been working through first Corinthians and we’re about we’re about there, right? He talks about a lot of different things and instructions and collecting that the the the Collection for Jerusalem because the church that there’s famine and there’s all the church is suffering and all kinds of things so he’s going around and he’s taking up a collection to give to the church in Jerusalem so that it can survive and What I want to just end this whole Corinthians thing is with if you have read them first Corinthians second Corinthians Read them back to back Something Happened between first Corinthians and second Corinthians now We also know that there’s another letter to the church in Corinth at least one more because he Paul talks about it But we don’t have that letter But when Paul writes again to the Corinthians that second Corinthians is a whole different tone Paul is rebuking and he is speaking directly to the pit, but he is positive. He’s like listen Listen to the word listen to what you were first taught hold fast to that truth Order yourself focus yourself eyes up. That’s you need to do this correctly It’s not a party. It’s not all about this that or the other thing second Corinthians It’s he’s very dark. There’s a lot of scholars talk about his Trips in between and this mention of you know, we wanted to go to Asia But we were thwarted in our effort by the God by God’s Holy Spirit. He did not want us to go to Asia He talks about being driven into a depression Where he thought about killing himself? So that’s very very interesting that’s very very raw that’s very very real and now he’s going to write from a different mindset in second Corinthians Where he was weary unto death Like I’m done with this Yeah, I have been putting myself out there at the command of God to be sure by the power of God to be sure But Paul is not Jesus He is human and Although he is submitted to God’s will and committed to doing what God commands He is weary unto death. He’s been beaten and imprisoned and whipped and poisoned and You can’t those are just the big things Right been there not not to that extent I haven’t been beaten and whipped and thrown in prison, but you feel and this is how any Christian can feel and we’ll Just talk about this for a second. You can feel as though what difference does it make I see miss Britney there and she’s one of Five families one is going to dedicate two children to the church six children being dedicated to the church November 17th fantastic powerful meaningful commitment on the part of the families and on the part of the church body and we can feel okay, I’m doing this I Want to do this? But what difference does it make As a pastor when you are embedded with people and you Experience the the good and the bad and the tragic and the amazing There are times there’s just times when you feel like okay all I can I can’t really do anything I Don’t do anything Why am I here? Things are going to happen no matter what it seems like it will matter what? though those are feelings and Paul is no different He feels that he goes what? And we are young to death and weary of doing this to the point where I don’t want to live anymore – to live is to be with Christ To live with Christ’s power within me to die is to be with Christ. I let you know let’s go whoo Paul So there’s a there’s very it’s very very very interesting especially if you read them back to back You go whoa is that the same guy? Is that the same guy? It’s the same guy and I think it’s really representative of well as we say today the Christian walk and the highs and the lows and the ups and the downs and the you know the the constant intentionality that you need in your relationship with Christ and How we need one another in the body of Christ? the greatest Boost for me after a really rough summer with two weeks ago the Congregation wrote cards and put them into a big basket, and I spent that Sunday night just weeping Reading the cards and the messages having lost perspective on What I do and how God is using me having lost that perspective and reading the various messages just oh Brings you back. We need each other We need each other we need Christ So there you go I don’t know what you may have planned for tonight and come around church town check it out. It’s a big shindig man It’s a lot of fun. I’m usually the safety officer I Put on a safety vest and carry a flashlight and put some cones in the road to try to slow people down Especially the folks up in White Rock if you know where we are they this is a big shortcut up to Lighting Drive, and you know they’re at the left there and up to White Rock acres, man They come from mechanics, but they turn that corner, and they just floor it and by the time they get by the church They’re going 40 45 or they’re coming back down, and they’re just yeah I have no idea how some of them ever get stopped by that stop sign but I Guess that’s pretty much anywhere right and people get into their habits if they will not necessarily wicked people out to get they’re just Into their habits well tonight you need to check yourself because it’s dark. There’s people everywhere so If you’re coming through church town tonight on an old stone house road you’re gonna see old Brian there with the flashlight and a billy club No, I’m on no billy club, but I have stepped out in front of people before Because we’ve got kids and families crossing the road and this dude turns the corner up there and that that happened Last year and the guy our neighbor across the street is a fire Policeman and he has lights on his and he saw it this car was flying and I stepped out flashing my flashlight And he’s like get out of my way Anyway, he stopped Started yelling I’m like dude And so the fire police guy went up with his lights and flashing and all of that so that’s very helpful Now I’m rambling let us pray father we thank you for the opportunity just to talk today Just to talk today we pray that your word will continue to invade the hearts and the minds of So many people That however you choose to use this talk today. Maybe it will inspire somebody to check out one of the letters in scripture Which will lead them to check out a little bit more scripture a little bit more scripture Lord We pray that your image bearers will turn to you and worship you and you alone We pray against the demonic forces that are feeding lies into our families and our school systems and our children and are just Seeking to destroy your image bearers from the inside out Preborn Let your church be a beacon of light Lord let your people be points of light and Let us Discern The best choices that we can make in this election season That we may provide for our children and grandchildren The best society we can Moving forward, but we know that the best we can do Is to grow our children in the kingdom of God in Jesus name Amen God bless you all and See you in church
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