Glorifying God

January 4th, 2004

Let us pray

Welcome..

A happy and prosperous New Year to every-one. To-day is the first Sunday of the New Year 2004. It is a year we have never seen before, and a year that we know nothing about. Last year many started the New Year, but never finished it, and this year the same thing will happen, but let’s just live one day

at a time, and make sure every-thing we do will be to glorify the Lord........elaborate..

Our theme this year is, "Glorifying God," and our key verse is Matthew 5 verse 16. Each week of this year we will have a verse of the week that we all should memorize, for some it might be a verse that you know, and for others it might be new verse. Our verse for this week is Matthew 5 verse 16 (Let’s

say this verse together....)

What does this New Year holds for you? What plans are you hoping to achieve in this New Year? How does God fit in with the goals you have for this New Year? Someone has said, "No matter what a man’s past may have been, his future is spotless." Let’s all allow God to lead us, for He alone knows what the future holds for us....elaborate....

Please turn with me in your bi-bles to Matthew 5 verses 13 through 16. Let’s all stand and read together. Please tell someone, Our future is in God’s hands. Our topic for today is, glorifying God. The word glorify means, to give glory, honor or high praise to; exalt. To give glory to, especially through

worship. I do trust the reason for you being here today is to glorify the Lord. Some people might have come to the house of God just to see their friends,

but I came here to glorify the Lord. Some might have come because it’s the first Sunday of the New Year, that’s good, but I came here to glorify the Lord.

Some might have come just to see what’s happening at Harvey, but I came here to glorify the Lord. Some might have come because they have not been in church for a long time, but I came here to glorify the

Lord..........elaborate... Some might..

There are three things I would like to bring to your attention from our text for today, 1. You are the salt of the earth; 2. You are the light of the world; 3. Let your light shine.

What exactly did our Lord meant when he said, you are the salt of the earth? What is there so great or important about salt? I remember in Jamaica, my mother would buy meat, we had no refrigerator, but we had salt. My mother would take the salt, and rub that salt into the meat to preserve it, and that meat would last for a long time.....elaborate...salt

preserves...

In order for us to glorify God, and for "our lives to be a living sacrifice for God they must be preserved and seasoned with the Righteousness of Christ."

Salt is a silent witness of the Christian believer. It is that influence that you have over other people’s lives to season, and preserve for eternal life. As a Christian, at least 7 persons lives are influenced by your action, and I want to

encourage you to be very careful as to what you say, and what you do, because there is somebody watching you. Christ our Lord is saying let your influence season people’s life for the kingdom. Christ is saying you are the salt of the earth; you are the world’s seasoning to make it tol-e-ra-ble. Salt

changes things; a little salt "can flavor a big pot of beans." and that big pot of beans without salt will have no taste. I re-mem-ber as a young boy in

Jamaica, I had a pastor who was a lady, and she had high blood pressure. She cooked some spinach one day and gave me some to eat. Guess what? the spinach had no salt, it had no flavor, it had no taste........elaborate...it tasted awful...

It is said that, The salt is no good if it never leaves the salt shaker, it us only a decoration to the kitchen table." As Christians, we are the salt of

the earth; we are called upon to glorify God; we are called upon to be that influence in the world. The function of the salt is denied, when we fail to

mingle with those who are lost. The function of the salt is lost, when we fail to be kind to others. The function of the salt is lost, when we fail to rub

against those who have no flavor. Church of God, we have the truth, and if we have the truth, ane we know it is the truth, we are called upon to share the