Who I Am
Elaine Poproski Download: Audio
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Sermon Note:
At the 11:15 mark in the recording, you are invited to pause the playback and take some time reflecting. During the worship service in which this sermon was preached, we spent 5 minutes in quiet reflection.
Scripture: Matthew 5:13 – 16
‘You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Read more…
Looking to Sunday
by Elaine Poproski
How would you describe yourself? I don’t mean your physical description, although that might be part of it; I mean who you are. If someone asked who you are, how would you answer? I expect you might start with your name; you might include something about your parents or grandparents; you might mention your job or your hobbies or both; you might mention your education; you might talk about how you function in the world – are you a morning person? do you like being outside? do you prefer coffee shops with one or two other people, or dance clubs with a crowd? There are so many things that help define us. Of all the things you could say, how would you answer if someone asked who you are?
If someone asked who your church is, how would you answer that question? If your church were a person, how would you describe that person?
Jesus was talking with his disciples. There were others who’d experienced Jesus likely listening in, but this was for his disciples. He said to them, “You are the light of the world.” He said it to them as a group – the you was plural. He said it to them as a fact – as a current reality: You are the light of the world. He wasn’t asking them to believe him or pleading with them to be something; he was simply stating a fact.
Imagine yourself sitting near Jesus and hearing him speak that simple statement over you. Imagine yourself sitting in church, surrounded by everyone who makes up your church, and together hearing Jesus say to you, “You are the light of the world.” What would you be thinking? How would that statement make you feel? As you look at yourself and the people sitting around you, would you believe Jesus?
On Sunday we’re going to be focusing on the words of Jesus from Matthew 5:13 – 16. We’re going to be asked to consider what it means, practically, that Jesus has declared us to be the light of the world. As you prepare for Sunday, perhaps spend some time considering the questions above and imagining yourself on your own and as part of your church, hearing Jesus speak these words directly to you (singular and plural).