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Jan. 16, 2024

Artistic Reflections on Radiant Discipleship

Artistic Reflections on Radiant Discipleship
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CityLight NYC Church
Artistic Reflections on Radiant Discipleship
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Season 1
This episode invites you to understand the profound roles and meanings that light has played, both in the masterstrokes of French Impressionists and the guiding words of Jesus Christ. As we traverse the landscapes of art and faith, we uncover how light symbolizes truth and life, inspiring us to shine with good deeds that reflect the glory of God. It's a conversation that promises to brighten your perspective and challenge you to live out your calling as a light of the world.
 
Discover the art of disciple-making through divine collaboration and witness the transformative power of storytelling and accessible language in sharing the Gospel. Our dialogue delves into Jesus' methodology and how we can apply these teachings to resonate with today's culture. We emphasize the significance of each church member's unique contributions and the collective effort required to live out love and service. By interweaving our actions with God's power, we navigate the mission of making disciples, fulfilling the Great Commission, and impacting lives.
 
Join us as we light the way, much like fireflies on a summer night, igniting the paths of those around us with our actions and unwavering faith.
Transcript
00:01.283 --> 00:04.812 But if Jesus is the light, we should be a light as well. 00:05.742 --> 00:08.831 Look at what Jesus goes on to say in Matthew, chapter 5, beginning in verse 14. 00:10.045 --> 00:13.000 You are the light of the world, like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 00:13.707 --> 00:15.000 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. 00:16.005 --> 00:20.208 Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house In the same way. 00:20.289 --> 00:24.910 Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 00:26.329 --> 00:27.960 Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. 00:28.664 --> 00:34.951 Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. 00:35.707 --> 00:40.450 If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at CityLightNYCcom. 00:41.441 --> 00:43.388 That's CityLightNYCcom. 00:44.783 --> 00:51.910 Pastor Boyan Jansik and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. 00:52.642 --> 01:02.428 As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you. 01:05.261 --> 01:12.450 Do you know that there are some painters who are masters of light and there are some painters who are masters of darkness? 01:13.843 --> 01:14.747 Doesn't that sound ominous? 01:15.501 --> 01:18.729 But I'm not talking about, like Darth Vader, luke Skywalker kind of light and dark. 01:19.291 --> 01:27.670 Okay, there are some different implications, not just the moral symbolism, and I'm not even talking simply about the issue of technique either. 01:28.000 --> 01:31.980 In the 19th century French Impressionists, for example, that were masters of light. 01:32.603 --> 01:42.891 They were interested in the optical effects that they found with paint, finding methods to make paint on canvas resonate and resemble what light does in real life. 01:43.602 --> 01:47.712 But for them to capture light on canvas was just. 01:48.120 --> 01:57.000 It wasn't a means to an end by itself, it wasn't the process only, but in a more realistic depiction of the world, is what they set out for. 01:57.804 --> 02:07.000 When painters in early centuries showed a special interest in light, it was often just as much for the symbolism of light as it was for its physical properties. 02:07.884 --> 02:10.859 Oftentimes what we would see is light shining through darkness. 02:10.879 --> 02:16.000 Right, you ever see a painting like that and you see this shaft of light cutting through the darkness. 02:16.262 --> 02:18.396 That's what I love about this building and I think it's appropriate. 02:18.416 --> 02:19.000 We're meeting in here today. 02:19.803 --> 02:21.849 Normally the area we meet we don't have windows. 02:22.000 --> 02:29.712 We've got these beautiful stained glass windows and the light can come through and it turns different colors at different times of the day and different periods during the year. 02:30.120 --> 02:40.273 I was joking before the first service with a couple of people in the back and I said you know what's kind of interesting when we meet here on Friday nights, I feel like it's kind of the lights pop a little bit more and I don't know why the lights aren't really shining. 02:41.080 --> 02:44.951 And they looked at me and they said because it's daytime and the sun is shining through the windows. 02:45.040 --> 02:47.948 James said oh, muah muah. 02:49.443 --> 02:52.000 You see, sometimes when it's cold, oxygen doesn't go all the way to the top. 02:52.201 --> 02:52.944 You hear what I'm saying? 02:54.261 --> 02:59.693 But light has some powerful implications and we see that lightness shining through the dark. 03:00.261 --> 03:06.313 Darkness usually is symbolizing ignorance and we see light typically symbolizing truth, goodness. 03:07.060 --> 03:07.862 I find it interesting. 03:07.903 --> 03:13.980 Throughout history we find a representation of light being truth and life right. 03:14.523 --> 03:17.000 And then Jesus comes on the scene and he says this in John 8.12,. 03:17.703 --> 03:20.960 Jesus spoke to all the people once more and said I am the light of the world. 03:21.622 --> 03:26.980 If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness because you will have the light that leads to life. 03:27.541 --> 03:33.433 Jesus calls himself the light of the world, and the light that leads to life no less. 03:35.124 --> 03:39.000 Today we have the privilege of celebrating our first service of the new year. 03:39.602 --> 03:40.925 We made it to 2024. 03:43.963 --> 03:46.570 Some of you didn't think we were going to make it, but we did. 03:47.281 --> 03:48.084 Happy new year. 03:49.562 --> 03:51.609 Are you glad to have 2023 in the rearview mirror? 03:52.443 --> 03:54.054 I'm kind of glad to say goodbye to that thing. 03:54.074 --> 03:55.000 I don't want to live in the past. 03:55.522 --> 03:57.027 Like Paul said, I press on to what is ahead. 03:57.067 --> 03:57.890 So, happy new year. 03:58.070 --> 03:59.455 2024 is ahead of us. 03:59.696 --> 04:00.438 So what does it have? 04:00.458 --> 04:01.000 More opportunity. 04:02.131 --> 04:03.000 That's what I'm excited about. 04:03.421 --> 04:09.000 So I thought it would be appropriate, on this first Sunday of the new year, to really talk about what city light is all about. 04:09.281 --> 04:13.812 What does it mean to be a part of city light and what does 2024 look like around this place? 04:14.261 --> 04:21.859 If you've been around here for maybe five minutes or longer, you know that at city light, we are passionate about making fully devoted followers of Christ. 04:21.879 --> 04:23.807 Right, that's really our mission. 04:24.040 --> 04:31.928 We want to invest God's word into your heart and see a transformation, his Spirit living through you and you in turn being a fully devoted follower of Jesus. 04:32.169 --> 04:37.980 But what does that really mean To say a disciple, fully devoted follower, really means disciple. 04:38.201 --> 04:39.747 You sum it up, really, with that one word. 04:40.000 --> 04:42.000 So I like to go to the dictionary and say, well, what is that one word? 04:42.323 --> 04:47.000 We like to just throw words around like they mean nothing and we let culture change the meaning of words and we just go with it. 04:47.241 --> 04:48.506 But what does the word really mean? 04:49.000 --> 04:58.000 So Webster's dictionary defines a disciple as a personal follower of Jesus during his life, especially one of the 12 apostles, or a follower or a student of a teacher, leader or a philosopher. 04:58.784 --> 05:02.000 So Jesus asked us to make disciples right. 05:02.382 --> 05:03.887 Disciple is a follower of Jesus. 05:04.080 --> 05:07.337 But where do we get that idea that we should be focusing on making more disciples? 05:07.357 --> 05:07.960 I just gave you the answers. 05:08.404 --> 05:10.258 Anybody know Jesus. 05:10.639 --> 05:12.665 Jesus told us to make more disciples right. 05:13.055 --> 05:15.323 So I'm not making it up, no one else making it up. 05:15.515 --> 05:16.399 Jesus made it up. 05:16.775 --> 05:19.184 He told us himself before he went back to heaven. 05:19.315 --> 05:25.119 After his resurrection, he gave us his marching orders and this is what he said in Matthew 28, beginning in verse 18,. 05:25.515 --> 05:29.463 Jesus came and told his disciples I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 05:29.715 --> 05:41.641 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you and, be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. 05:42.396 --> 05:47.760 So his last command to his followers, jesus tells us to go and make disciples, make more disciples of Jesus. 05:48.815 --> 05:49.679 That part seems pretty clear. 05:49.719 --> 05:51.058 Right, everybody with me. 05:51.655 --> 05:52.258 What are we supposed to do? 05:53.395 --> 05:54.157 Make disciples. 05:54.739 --> 05:56.444 He tells us go and make disciples. 05:56.464 --> 05:57.386 So that part is clear. 05:57.555 --> 05:59.523 So if you're in agreement with me, you're in good company. 05:59.835 --> 06:04.162 But what doesn't he tell us how to go and make disciples. 06:04.735 --> 06:05.980 I think that's kind of interesting, right? 06:06.375 --> 06:07.479 He tells us to go do something. 06:07.499 --> 06:10.580 That's like the last command, it's like very important, because it's the last thing he said. 06:10.955 --> 06:14.481 It's like your parting words are big, right, you always say what do people say on their deathbed? 06:14.775 --> 06:14.956 Usually? 06:14.976 --> 06:15.659 That's kind of important. 06:15.975 --> 06:18.418 They told you where the combination was to the safe, so you can get all the money. 06:19.435 --> 06:20.761 What is the last thing he said? 06:20.915 --> 06:22.220 Go and make disciples. 06:22.975 --> 06:23.738 But he didn't tell us how. 06:24.475 --> 06:35.084 I think it's kind of interesting and I think one of the reasons is because Jesus knew that our communication was gonna change throughout the centuries, right the way the world relates as it evolves in our culture. 06:35.495 --> 06:39.481 He knew that we needed to stay relevant and current with the culture in which we're ministering to. 06:39.701 --> 06:40.283 Just like he did. 06:40.595 --> 06:42.763 He came on the scene and he upset everything. 06:42.875 --> 06:44.080 He talked in a relevant way. 06:44.355 --> 06:45.700 He talked in parables and stories. 06:45.740 --> 06:47.238 And the rabbis and the other priests? 06:47.258 --> 06:48.042 They weren't talking that way. 06:48.255 --> 06:52.800 They were going very old school, very levitical, and they were talking like, oh, he's talking in old days. 06:53.355 --> 06:54.740 But no, jesus came on the scene. 06:54.780 --> 06:59.120 He's telling stories, he's sarcastic, he's telling jokes and they're like what is this? 06:59.555 --> 07:02.820 I think Jesus wanted us to continue to grow in our communication style. 07:03.035 --> 07:06.219 That's why I'm preaching out of the NLT version today and not the King James version. 07:07.515 --> 07:09.403 Some of you said, james, I like the King James version. 07:09.595 --> 07:10.459 It's closer to God. 07:10.995 --> 07:11.457 No, it's not. 07:12.035 --> 07:13.480 It was closer to King James. 07:13.681 --> 07:20.979 Okay, in the year 1611, he decided he was gonna put a Bible together and where the us were, v's and now's were those, don't worry about it. 07:21.475 --> 07:23.182 But Pastor Bo uses the new King James. 07:23.295 --> 07:29.399 We look for relevant translations because our communication is important If we wanna reach a culture that has no idea what this stuff is all about. 07:29.735 --> 07:34.719 If we come on talking all this flowery 16th century stuff, they're gonna say what is wrong with you? 07:36.955 --> 07:39.003 So we just talk normal, we talk relevant. 07:39.275 --> 07:45.359 I think another thing that's important God knew that we needed to actually work together to find a solution. 07:47.355 --> 07:49.162 Now one of us has the full picture, right? 07:49.855 --> 07:57.382 We each have a piece of the puzzle and when we come together, we contribute our pieces and then the more we work together, the puzzle picture starts to get clear. 07:57.895 --> 07:58.999 Anybody ever put a puzzle together? 08:00.075 --> 08:00.919 I got a puzzle for Christmas. 08:01.275 --> 08:01.838 I hate puzzles. 08:02.455 --> 08:08.479 My wife loves puzzles, so we sit down and we do puzzles and I give up early and she sits there and she finishes the puzzle and I say look at what we did. 08:13.767 --> 08:17.522 We come together with our own experiences and we make it clearer together. 08:18.096 --> 08:19.843 So let's figure this out together, right? 08:20.075 --> 08:23.839 We have so many different kinds of churches in New York and throughout the world. 08:24.195 --> 08:27.562 It's because they've all come together and they're trying to figure out their why, right? 08:27.795 --> 08:34.745 So here's the question I wanna ask today and I wanna help us answer what has city light landed on in terms of our why, our how? 08:35.235 --> 08:38.045 How are we actually going to make disciples? 08:38.315 --> 08:41.385 So what we found is that we're better together. 08:41.775 --> 08:42.638 So we're better together. 08:42.678 --> 08:43.662 We're stronger together. 08:43.983 --> 08:47.084 Right, the picture becomes clearer when we contribute together. 08:47.435 --> 08:54.341 So the first thing that I wanna share with you that I think is gonna be helpful is that we actually have the privilege of doing life together with God. 08:54.883 --> 08:57.584 Okay, we can't separate him from the equation. 08:57.875 --> 09:00.042 If we do it in our own power, are we gonna succeed? 09:01.155 --> 09:02.099 No, that's it. 09:02.119 --> 09:02.722 You can talk back. 09:03.015 --> 09:05.023 No, you're not gonna succeed. 09:05.155 --> 09:16.602 So the first thing if you're taking notes and I hope you do, because the shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory and you're gonna forget 90% of what I said by the time you get home and eat lunch, that's sad, because I worked hard on this, but that's okay, it's part of what we do. 09:17.215 --> 09:20.621 But if you write it down or put some notes in your phone, maybe this will stick with you later in the year. 09:20.715 --> 09:21.961 You think what is my purpose in life? 09:22.175 --> 09:23.140 Why are we making disciples? 09:23.295 --> 09:24.521 Why do I even go to city light church? 09:24.755 --> 09:28.342 You pull this out and you say oh, I remember Because we have the privilege of doing life together with God. 09:28.735 --> 09:30.763 It has to do with our relationship with God. 09:31.035 --> 09:35.282 Christ living through us allows us to love the people in our lives in ways that we don't have the power to love them. 09:35.995 --> 09:39.681 It helps us to be patient with people in our lives that is really hard to be patient with. 09:40.015 --> 09:43.601 We in the church world call them extra grace required people, egrs. 09:43.942 --> 09:46.142 Okay, if you don't know what that means, you're probably one. 09:46.375 --> 09:47.179 That's all I'm trying to say. 09:47.495 --> 09:51.120 We have people that are not like you and they get on your nerves, but we gotta love them anyway. 09:51.180 --> 09:58.041 Right Through Christ's spirit and his power, we have the ability to show patience and compassion, with Christ living through us. 09:58.515 --> 10:00.743 Paul tells us in Galatians 5, beginning in verse 22,. 10:01.175 --> 10:10.584 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 10:10.655 --> 10:12.040 There's no laws against these things. 10:12.855 --> 10:20.803 Doing life together with God not only allows us to experience all the benefits that I just listed, but it shows them to the people in our lives. 10:21.855 --> 10:24.138 Apart from God, we can't hit the mark in any of those areas. 10:24.198 --> 10:26.598 No matter how good you think you are and some of us we do. 10:26.639 --> 10:28.179 We walk around like hmm, I got this. 10:28.455 --> 10:29.660 Anybody watch the Office. 10:30.695 --> 10:31.670 That's a funny show right there. 10:31.690 --> 10:38.864 Right, there's an episode in later seasons where Dwight and Jim are at a sales conference together and Jim is trying to get Dwight to like help him. 10:39.055 --> 10:43.242 And so he tells him there's bedbugs in their hotel, right, and he says, jim, what about these bedbugs? 10:43.295 --> 10:44.181 He said, oh, it was smug. 10:44.375 --> 10:45.124 How smug is that good? 10:47.195 --> 10:56.318 And so every time I think of smugness, thinking I got it all together, I picture Jim saying that bed bugs, and that's when we walk around like, but we gotta be real, don't look at this way. 10:56.390 --> 10:57.333 Look at this way. 10:57.413 --> 10:59.259 With God, we need a lot of help. 10:59.570 --> 11:03.321 So we need His power to help us to do things right. 11:03.550 --> 11:04.936 Apart from Him, we can't get it done. 11:05.270 --> 11:07.478 Doing life together with God means reading His Word. 11:07.550 --> 11:08.835 He gave us His Bible right. 11:09.056 --> 11:09.718 What's in His Bible? 11:09.930 --> 11:10.835 It's a love letter. 11:11.050 --> 11:13.298 It shows us His heart, shows us His character. 11:13.550 --> 11:14.474 That's an incredible book. 11:14.690 --> 11:15.172 Do you own one? 11:15.990 --> 11:16.633 Everybody have a Bible. 11:17.510 --> 11:17.972 We'll give you one. 11:17.992 --> 11:20.337 If you don't have one, we make sure in 2024 you got a Bible. 11:20.890 --> 11:22.195 You got the U version app. 11:22.215 --> 11:23.399 You can download it on your phone. 11:23.770 --> 11:26.139 The Bible don't discount God's Word. 11:26.390 --> 11:28.698 He communicates through His Word to us. 11:29.310 --> 11:30.535 It means spending time in prayer. 11:30.950 --> 11:33.118 That's simply talking to God, having conversation. 11:33.230 --> 11:34.556 The Bible says to pray without ceasing. 11:34.810 --> 11:35.714 Don't stop praying. 11:35.975 --> 11:36.617 Pray with Him. 11:36.850 --> 11:37.875 What does prayer actually do? 11:38.190 --> 11:41.533 Some of us have relegated that to like meal times or maybe bedtime. 11:41.874 --> 11:44.053 Or maybe when things get really bad in life, we're like God help. 11:44.650 --> 11:54.573 Or maybe if someone from church is looking, you're at a restaurant, you're about to eat and you see someone in the city like, oh heavenly Father, thank you for this room, amen, you weren't just gonna eat right there without saying thanks. 11:56.430 --> 11:59.795 Or if you're really spiritual, 21 days of prayer you're on Zoom every night at 7 pm. 12:00.530 --> 12:04.414 I appreciate some of you doing it, but it's even more than that. 12:04.830 --> 12:06.777 Prayer is connecting and communing with God. 12:07.070 --> 12:11.752 He wants a relationship with you and a relationship requires what Communication. 12:12.430 --> 12:13.996 You ever had a relationship with someone you didn't talk to? 12:14.870 --> 12:15.573 That would be stupid. 12:17.793 --> 12:18.936 That's not a relationship. 12:20.690 --> 12:22.798 And it's even more than just like, hey, how's it going? 12:22.910 --> 12:25.859 Oh, good, happy New Year, you have a good year two months. 12:25.879 --> 12:26.701 Yeah, it's cold outside. 12:26.830 --> 12:27.978 Yeah, it's real cold, getting wet out there. 12:28.550 --> 12:29.996 That's not a relationship. 12:30.390 --> 12:32.313 That's small talk, that's superficial. 12:33.330 --> 12:34.173 He wants to know that. 12:34.213 --> 12:35.075 You know he's there. 12:36.810 --> 12:37.412 Talk to God. 12:39.030 --> 12:46.796 The relationship with Him, doing life together with God, also means worshiping God with other Christ followers, just like what we're doing today in this place. 12:47.330 --> 12:54.357 Hebrews 10, verse 25, says and let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, ooh, do you know some people that didn't come today? 12:55.030 --> 12:56.735 Give them some grief and say Hebrew 10,. 12:56.856 --> 13:03.516 Cj said today you neglected Ooh, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return draws near. 13:04.050 --> 13:08.175 He tells us to worship Him together in His house, to encourage each other to do it. 13:10.470 --> 13:14.510 That's the next thing that we found as city light too is we have the joy of doing life together. 13:14.771 --> 13:24.633 So again, if you take a note that first one is the privilege of doing life together with God, the second is we have the joy of doing life together with each other, and that is a privilege. 13:25.410 --> 13:27.919 Some of you say what about those extra grace requires? 13:27.990 --> 13:31.432 It doesn't sound like a privilege, james, I know, but it is a privilege Nonetheless. 13:31.973 --> 13:37.198 That means getting in each other's business up in your grill, the good, the bad and the ugly. 13:38.030 --> 13:41.752 Because here's the thing the joys of life, they're just not as sweet if you don't have someone to share them with. 13:41.772 --> 13:45.936 Right, my wife is out of town right now because our daughter went back to the school down in Alabama. 13:46.177 --> 13:46.939 So they drove down. 13:47.019 --> 13:50.278 I drove up with them and this time they gave me a hard time on the road trip. 13:50.410 --> 13:54.336 I don't know why this, but I'm always trying to beat the clock and they're like dad, you do not stop enough. 13:54.710 --> 13:58.259 I'm like why we have gas and I know where I'm going. 13:58.511 --> 14:01.716 They're like well, I want to stop and take a picture here and let's stop at this gas station here. 14:02.236 --> 14:03.149 They're like why? 14:03.190 --> 14:05.158 And so they said I'm not very fun to go on a road trip with. 14:05.250 --> 14:09.436 So, fyi, if you want to go to a road trip, call Pastor Moe, do not call me. 14:10.150 --> 14:11.115 I just want to get there. 14:11.290 --> 14:12.917 I like the destination, not the journey. 14:13.170 --> 14:14.275 So they went down together. 14:14.430 --> 14:18.719 My wife's flying back tomorrow, and so I find myself so often I'm like hey, I got. 14:19.461 --> 14:26.916 Oh, oh, you had this, oh, it's lonely, because the joys of life are not as sweet when you don't have someone to share them with. 14:27.250 --> 14:30.577 So then I call her at face time hey, I had something I want to tell you, but I forgot. 14:32.395 --> 14:39.073 Just come home and the sad times, the burdens of life, they're almost unbearable if you don't have someone to share them with. 14:39.153 --> 14:41.637 Right, we need people in our lives. 14:41.970 --> 14:49.035 Some of the hardest times of my life have turned into the greatest God-sized miracles and blessings because of the people God put in my life through my life group. 14:49.990 --> 14:51.114 Can I hear an amen for life groups? 14:52.170 --> 14:52.933 You guys in life groups? 14:53.074 --> 14:56.138 We're not just a church that has life groups, we're a church of life groups. 14:56.370 --> 14:58.678 It's the core and essence of what we are. 14:58.910 --> 15:01.459 That's what makes this large group turn into a community. 15:01.750 --> 15:02.594 This is not a community. 15:02.990 --> 15:04.194 Life doesn't happen in rows. 15:04.255 --> 15:05.298 It happens in circles. 15:05.770 --> 15:09.495 You are staring at me, but in a life group you're staring at each other. 15:09.790 --> 15:11.477 You're talking, you're praying for each other. 15:11.710 --> 15:14.555 You're the first one there when somebody's sick, you're bringing them chicken noodle soup. 15:14.810 --> 15:16.055 You visit when they're in the hospital. 15:16.650 --> 15:17.835 They're the ones that help me move. 15:18.330 --> 15:22.037 They're the ones that really love you enough to get in the trenches and do life with you. 15:22.310 --> 15:28.121 If you're missing out on that, you're missing out on that Because there's more than just this hour on Sunday. 15:29.507 --> 15:31.734 Look at what the Bible says about us doing life together. 15:32.205 --> 15:33.851 They like to call it one another. 15:33.871 --> 15:34.353 Okay. 15:34.565 --> 15:41.493 That one word alone highlights the significance of doing life together Outdo one another in showing honor. 15:41.605 --> 15:42.769 It says in Romans 12, 10,. 15:43.190 --> 15:45.849 Live in harmony with one another Romans 12, 16,. 15:46.150 --> 15:47.114 Admonish one another. 15:47.205 --> 15:49.845 Romans 15, 14, wait for one another First. 15:49.886 --> 15:53.465 Corinthians 11, 33, have the same care for one another First. 15:53.485 --> 15:56.475 Corinthians 12, 25, be servants of one another. 15:56.565 --> 15:57.589 Galatians 5, 13,. 15:57.789 --> 15:58.934 Bear one another's burdens. 15:59.045 --> 16:01.386 Galatians 6, 2, comfort one another First. 16:01.406 --> 16:04.366 Thessalonians 5, 11, build one another up First. 16:04.386 --> 16:07.206 Thessalonians 5, 11, be at peace with one another First. 16:07.226 --> 16:08.490 Thessalonians 5, 13,. 16:09.472 --> 16:10.826 Do good with one another First. 16:10.846 --> 16:13.574 Thessalonians 5, 15, put up with one another in love. 16:14.145 --> 16:16.573 Ephesians 4, 12, be kind and compassionate to one another. 16:16.985 --> 16:18.832 Ephesians 4, 32, submit to one another. 16:18.905 --> 16:19.948 Ephesians 5, 21,. 16:20.229 --> 16:22.536 Give one another and forgive. 16:22.765 --> 16:24.370 Corinthians 13,. 16:24.691 --> 16:26.316 Confess your sins to one another. 16:26.365 --> 16:28.152 James 5, 16, pray for one another. 16:28.285 --> 16:30.533 James 5, 16, love one another from the heart. 16:30.665 --> 16:31.588 1 Peter 1, 22,. 16:31.789 --> 16:33.074 Be hospitable to one another. 16:33.165 --> 16:36.255 1 Peter 4, 9, meet one another with humility. 16:36.405 --> 16:37.268 1 Peter 5, 5,. 16:37.388 --> 16:38.332 That's a lot of one another's. 16:39.365 --> 16:42.327 When Jesus says something over and over and over, what does he mean? 16:43.265 --> 16:43.988 Pay attention. 16:45.705 --> 16:50.689 When he tells you something over and over, just like when I tell my kids, if I just say, hey, go clean your room. 16:51.090 --> 16:53.029 No, go clean your room, I'm serious, clean your room. 16:53.825 --> 16:54.688 It's a meat business. 16:54.749 --> 17:02.832 When you say it more than once, jesus tells us over and over one another, bear one another's burdens, take care of one another, lift each other up, exhort each other. 17:03.065 --> 17:03.347 Why? 17:03.427 --> 17:04.110 Why does he say it? 17:04.205 --> 17:05.851 Cause he wants us to do life in community. 17:06.485 --> 17:13.191 As I read through that list, one thing is very evident to me you could not possibly do any of those things without doing life in proximity with other people. 17:15.145 --> 17:17.253 Can you bear each other's burdens all by yourself? 17:19.165 --> 17:20.771 No, you cannot. 17:21.925 --> 17:25.351 How can you bear someone's burdens unless you know what those burdens are? 17:26.245 --> 17:30.510 And then you have to be willing to bear them, to help them, to carry them. 17:31.285 --> 17:47.589 How are you gonna put up with each other unless you're close enough to somebody to actually get on their nerves, right, right, how are you gonna forgive somebody unless you're doing life together and you're close enough to actually hurt people's feelings or let each other down? 17:48.325 --> 17:52.492 How are you gonna learn to submit to others unless you struggle with their differences? 17:54.747 --> 18:03.853 In other words, if we are to connect with our lives with each other, it's gonna demand that we do more than our culture tells us is acceptable. 18:04.345 --> 18:09.169 It tells us to go to our apartment buildings, close the door, bolt it, lock it down and then get on your phone. 18:11.005 --> 18:12.652 But we gotta break down the barriers. 18:12.965 --> 18:20.673 We have to do different things that people aren't normally doing to reach people that aren't being reached already. 18:21.585 --> 18:23.011 You gotta do different things. 18:23.685 --> 18:30.233 We have to be willing to do hard things, counter-cultural things, if we're gonna reach people that no one else is reaching. 18:31.345 --> 18:35.430 Author Suzy Kaceman writes "'Always surround yourself with friends "'that have plenty of light in them? 18:35.605 --> 18:38.529 "'that ways, you'll always have candles around "'when the days get dark'". 18:39.665 --> 18:40.930 Don't try and do this thing alone. 18:41.705 --> 18:46.173 You're only as lonely as you've chosen to be, because we have the privilege of doing life together. 18:46.505 --> 18:52.174 The third thing that we found is that when we come together, we actually have the tools to get our own life together. 18:52.705 --> 18:54.953 And can I get an amen that you're a hot mess and you need help? 18:57.170 --> 18:58.995 Not as many of you getting excited about that one. 18:59.305 --> 18:59.727 I get it. 18:59.868 --> 19:02.372 I get it, but I know I'm a hot mess and I need help. 19:02.525 --> 19:06.190 So I am confident that you need some help as well, because we're all in the same boat. 19:06.845 --> 19:09.414 We're all sinners in desperate need of a savior. 19:09.665 --> 19:11.693 So we have the privilege of doing life together with God. 19:11.965 --> 19:21.388 We have the joy of doing life together with each other, and then, when we come together, we get the tools to get our own life together, because we need some help and apart from God, we can do nothing, apart from each other. 19:21.549 --> 19:23.891 It's gonna be harder and we need to come together. 19:24.165 --> 19:28.251 So the third thing is we get the tools to do everything we can to get our life together. 19:28.805 --> 19:30.272 We have God's instruction manual, right. 19:30.345 --> 19:30.907 We got the Bible. 19:30.988 --> 19:31.952 We study that together. 19:32.265 --> 19:33.931 But we offer other things like life groups. 19:34.445 --> 19:41.110 We have healing rooms, we have growth track, we have 21 days of prayer and fasting, and the list goes on and on of the tools and the resources we have. 19:41.365 --> 20:04.945 As a church, we wanna provide you resources to make sure that you're better parents, better spouses, better employees, better citizens, better neighbors, better commuters on the train, better followers of Jesus, because that's the goal, right, we want to be better followers of Jesus, more like Jesus. 20:05.375 --> 20:11.699 Remember, jesus calls himself the light of the world, so if we're his followers and disciples, we need to be lights as well. 20:11.880 --> 20:13.444 Right, that's what we are. 20:13.504 --> 20:14.507 That's what Christian means. 20:14.555 --> 20:15.359 It's a little Christ. 20:15.695 --> 20:16.680 We're his disciple. 20:16.935 --> 20:29.843 In the Old Testament, a disciple really was someone that followed their rabbi, their teacher, so closely that the dust they kicked up from their sandals would cover you, and you would be covered with their dust and you would not really have your distinguishable characteristics anymore. 20:30.155 --> 20:33.942 You would be so close to the master, even when they sat down in the outhouse. 20:34.195 --> 20:35.982 You would be so close in case they had an epiphany. 20:36.155 --> 20:37.962 You could write it down and you could commit that to memory. 20:38.215 --> 20:39.298 You were always there. 20:40.943 --> 20:47.424 That's gross, but if Jesus is the light, we should be a light as well. 20:47.895 --> 20:50.979 Look at what Jesus goes on to say in Matthew, chapter five, beginning in verse 14. 20:51.436 --> 20:54.762 You are the light of the world, like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 20:55.095 --> 20:57.143 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. 20:57.395 --> 21:01.598 Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house In the same way. 21:01.678 --> 21:06.279 Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 21:07.455 --> 21:10.617 I'm gonna ask the worship team to come back up that passage. 21:10.637 --> 21:12.484 He calls us the light of the world, right? 21:12.695 --> 21:13.399 So what's our job? 21:13.955 --> 21:15.018 It's to shine for Jesus. 21:16.704 --> 21:16.964 Are you? 21:21.395 --> 21:23.783 We're supposed to be a bunch of little fireflies for Jesus? 21:24.775 --> 21:25.800 That's what comes to my mind. 21:26.015 --> 21:26.779 You ever seen a firefly? 21:27.275 --> 21:28.079 We have a bunch up here. 21:28.335 --> 21:31.499 I grew up in New Mexico and then I lived in South Florida there were no fireflies. 21:32.395 --> 21:36.139 Out in the desert we have road runners and mosquitoes, but we didn't have fireflies. 21:37.135 --> 21:38.942 So I had never seen a real firefly. 21:39.095 --> 21:42.839 I grew up going to Disneyland and I'd go to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and I'd see the fake ones. 21:43.315 --> 21:46.400 You go in the little boat and it's going through the bayou and there's these little fireflies. 21:46.675 --> 21:48.320 It's just a little light hanging on a wire. 21:48.380 --> 21:49.123 But it was cool. 21:50.215 --> 21:53.986 I was 38 years old before I saw my very first real firefly. 21:55.215 --> 22:00.526 I was so deprived, but 38 years old, I went for a little visit to Wichita Kansas. 22:00.635 --> 22:03.063 Why, I do not know, but I went to Wichita Kansas. 22:04.115 --> 22:05.099 You ever been to Wichita Kansas? 22:05.875 --> 22:06.317 You don't have to. 22:06.357 --> 22:06.598 It's fine. 22:07.835 --> 22:09.302 I'm telling you all that there is to know about it. 22:09.375 --> 22:14.399 There's fireflies and I was sitting there and out of the corner of my eye I see this little flicker of light. 22:14.915 --> 22:16.193 What in the world is that? 22:16.355 --> 22:19.441 I look again and I say every time I would turn to where I think it was. 22:19.481 --> 22:20.043 Then it wasn't there. 22:20.535 --> 22:21.781 I think I'm losing my mind. 22:21.915 --> 22:24.920 I need to get a CAT scan or I need I got some kind of optical issue. 22:24.980 --> 22:25.722 I'm having a stroke. 22:25.762 --> 22:26.505 I don't know what's happening. 22:27.076 --> 22:28.241 Why do I see these flickers of light? 22:28.835 --> 22:31.183 And then I looked and I actually finally saw it. 22:31.675 --> 22:32.619 And then I was mesmerized. 22:32.659 --> 22:33.342 I couldn't turn away. 22:33.495 --> 22:37.020 I'm just staring at these dozens of little fireflies lighting up the night sky. 22:37.115 --> 22:38.601 I thought that was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. 22:39.135 --> 22:41.002 So I thought I got to learn more about these fireflies. 22:41.615 --> 22:44.825 I mean, I know what flies dragonflies, houseflies. 22:46.875 --> 22:47.960 I just thought of a Dumbo joke. 22:48.115 --> 22:50.122 Yeah, you ever see a housefly? 22:50.142 --> 22:53.023 No, but I thought what is this thing that lights up? 22:53.115 --> 22:54.782 A little tail illuminating. 22:55.035 --> 22:59.861 So did you know that a firefly can actually light up at every stage of its life? 23:01.315 --> 23:02.258 Even as an egg? 23:02.981 --> 23:06.342 It can create the chemical reaction to actually illuminate as an egg. 23:07.755 --> 23:08.197 That's crazy. 23:08.995 --> 23:11.002 And the larva on the adult stage as well, they light up. 23:11.775 --> 23:19.576 Another thing that I think is completely interesting and fascinating is they're the most efficient things that you're probably ever going to find a firefly Like. 23:19.637 --> 23:26.480 As an example, take an incandescent light 90% of its energy is expended as heat, only 10% is light. 23:27.455 --> 23:32.121 A firefly, in contrast, 100% of its energy is emitted as light. 23:34.055 --> 23:38.042 So I'm thinking a firefly is a pretty cool little creation that God made. 23:38.215 --> 23:40.103 We're supposed to be the fireflies of the human race. 23:40.195 --> 23:46.140 I think for Christianity we're supposed to be shining up the sky, lighting it up for Jesus. 23:47.395 --> 23:50.946 As Christ followers, we're the human population firefly. 23:51.035 --> 23:57.642 Ephesians 5, 8 says for once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. 23:58.055 --> 23:59.641 So live as people of light. 24:01.435 --> 24:12.586 So, like the firefly, in every stage of your Christian life you should be shining up everywhere, lighting it up from your infancy to your eternal promotion. 24:13.015 --> 24:21.887 When you go to be with Jesus in eternity, we're to light it up, illuminate the world for Christ, with Christ in us, showing the world his goodness and his love. 24:23.935 --> 24:29.816 So the next time you're sitting around scrolling through Instagram and TikTok and you're like, hmm, why am I even here? 24:29.896 --> 24:31.239 What is the meaning of life? 24:32.903 --> 24:34.712 What am I even going to do in 2024? 24:37.115 --> 24:39.839 Your purpose for life is to be a firefly for Jesus. 24:42.122 --> 24:42.483 That's it. 24:49.818 --> 24:50.940 All your problems are solved. 24:50.980 --> 24:56.414 For the year I was just thinking between services, it might be a good marketing campaign. 24:56.475 --> 24:57.798 I got my sweatshirts as faith. 24:58.240 --> 24:59.615 I remember the old sweat pants. 24:59.796 --> 25:02.551 I wasn't allowed to look at them but they said like juicy across the rear. 25:02.853 --> 25:15.550 Maybe we get some that say like shine, city light, boom, shine for Jesus, light it up, but we're going to make disciples for Jesus in 2024, aren't we? 25:16.092 --> 25:17.035 We're going to give it everything. 25:17.055 --> 25:21.882 We are everything we hope to be because we have the privilege of doing life together with God. 25:21.923 --> 25:28.906 We have the joy of doing life together in Christian community with each other, and when we come together we're better because we get the tools to get our own life together. 25:29.228 --> 25:35.335 So we're going to make disciples, we're going to shine bright for Jesus, and 2024 is going to be the best year yet. 25:35.595 --> 25:35.996 You agree? 25:37.400 --> 25:49.593 In Jesus' name, heavenly Father, thank you for loving us, thank you for giving us another year to show your love in a dark, dark place, just as I mentioned with the paintings that we kind of can admire and take inspiration from. 25:49.894 --> 25:51.178 New York is a dark place. 25:51.218 --> 26:02.177 There are so many dark forces pressing against us, but you've called us to be lights in this dark place and we're going to push back the darkness and we're going to shine so brightly that people aren't going to help but have to know why. 26:02.257 --> 26:10.960 We're shining so bright for you and then, like you told us, to always be ready to give an account for the reason we have hope and faith and we're going to bring more people to you. 26:10.980 --> 26:13.557 We're going to create more disciples, because that's what you asked us to do. 26:13.798 --> 26:15.132 Thank you that we get to do it together. 26:15.473 --> 26:19.122 We do it in your name, amen, amen. 26:19.631 --> 26:21.820 This is the City Light Church podcast. 26:22.242 --> 26:31.497 If you've missed any part of today's message or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jansik and City Light Church, visit us at CityLightNYCcom. 26:31.837 --> 26:33.761 That's CityLightNYCcom. 26:35.030 --> 26:38.057 Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. 26:38.518 --> 26:40.021 We would love to connect with you. 26:40.990 --> 26:48.538 We pray that you have been encouraged today, that you have been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. 26:49.360 --> 26:50.242 Thank you for listening. 26:50.770 --> 26:56.276 Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.