Big things get us talking: when the cops get called on a sports game, when a dictatorship tries to invade an independent country… we are fairly fascinated with things that show a stark difference in orders of magnitude. Of course, it’s usually big stuff that’s bad for someone. But what if we were fascinated with the good?

God gave us something worth talking about

Let’s regard life as a gift in the first place — we’re not just vaporous spirits floating around in space. We were given life in a body on a planet in a universe! The Grand Canyon, Mount Everest, Niagra Falls, the rains down in Africa… All of creation is a gift that glorifies Him but inspires awe in us. 

But eternal life? Passing from this life into the promise of the next? How can we not talk about that? Jesus. The Messiah. The Christ. Emmanuel, God With Us. Him, here. Your sin, washed. Your debt, forgiven. How can we not talk about that?

So we have received the gift. It’s ours. Now it’s our turn:

Let’s give them something to talk about

This happens on macro and micro scales: the church needs to give people something to talk about, and you do, too.

We’re not big on people cheering for us, personally. We feel that it’s not about us, it’s about celebrating God and what He’s doing… so part of that is that we want to celebrate our church and what makes us (not you, not me, but us) worth talking about, worth sharing. 

The regulars having breakfast near the front desk wouldn’t let it go unnoticed. 

The police officers in the station when we came over with a bag full of gift cards wouldn’t let it go unnoticed.

In a world where the news picks up on pastors who struggle with infidelity, and churches that misappropriate funds, and that one crazy pastor last week that berated his congregation for the watch they gave him because it wasn’t nice enough... will you let your church go unnoticed?

Why should you advertise your church?

We teach truth and don’t sugar-coat it 

Truth is important to God. 1 John 3:18 says “let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”  Ephesians 6:14 encourages to “stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…”  And Jesus Himself says in John 14:6 “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

The news distorts and spins truth. Modern liberal religion distorts truth. Even traditionally-styled churches are incorporating voters meetings and executive boards just like the business world does. We have pastors getting incredibly rich from preaching the Gospel. Meanwhile Jesus collected donations and Paul sewed tents… 

(For what it’s worth, we know that there isn’t a Biblical precedent for everything. The Bible never mentions computers, either. We still feel called to examine the Biblical models for how to live life and how to lead churches.)

Frankly, we know that preaching and teaching Biblical Truth is unpopular. It’s not the best way to have a big church, a ‘successful’ church, a ‘vibrant’ church with all of the bells and whistles, the coffee bars and rock walls and bookstores and team-player t-shirts. We have to stick to Christ, even if sticking solely to Christ means that some people will be offended.

1 Peter 2:7-8 says “So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they disobey the Word, as they were destined to do.”

A cornerstone for those who believe. A stone of stumbling for those who do not. They stumble because they disobey the Word. The message of Christ can be offensive to an unbeliever, but we can’t avoid the Truth because it might be offensive.

Now, obviously we are not called to be offensive. Normally, people who brag about being ‘brutally honest’ are more interested in the brutality than the honesty. Instead of using honesty as an excuse to be offensive, we’re called to speak differently, as commanded in Ephesians 4:15 - “Instead, speaking the Truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself…”

• A doctor who only tells you what you want to hear so you’ll keep coming back isn’t keeping you healthy. 
• A lawyer who tells you what you want to hear so you’ll keep paying them isn’t keeping you safe. 
• A church that’s only speaking what you want to hear isn’t keeping you close to God. 

We can’t sugar-coat the truth. We have to speak it lovingly, but firmly. We can’t budge.

We care about people, not money

One of our former staff members had visited a large church near us to talk about discipleship. What he kept hearing from the head pastor was about how important it was to raise money to do ministry with. 

Look, tithing is important. We believe in it, our staff prefers to do it, and we teach the Biblical precedent for it. But we don’t talk about it all the time. We stopped passing offering plates, instead keeping boxes at the back of the room for those who want to give. We don’t preach on money unless it’s an absolutely necessary part of a sermon series, and even then, it’s because it’s part of God’s commands. 

There are definitely plenty of ways to make money as a church. Identify the biggest donors in your congregation so you can pressure them to bring their rich friends. Better yet, hire a rich business owner so he’ll tell his friends about the church that pays them. We could cut staff salaries to fund big attractional stuff like a rock wall, a coffee shop… we could do it. We can’t bring ourselves to.

We care more about your growth than ours

Sure, there are benefits to being a large church. If we had more people, well, we’d get more money. We’d have more volunteers for Kids Ministry. We’d have a basketball league and ten other interest-based small groups that you could invite your non-churched friends to in order to get them in the door. We could do it. We can’t bring ourselves to.

Before Pastor Greg started Light of the World, he write the mission statement and the core values of the ministry, and to this day they stand: to make changes in people’s lives. When you win, that’s a win for us. When people who were distant from God grow closer to Him, even if they don’t stick around, that’s a win for us. We want to see your growth.

That’s why we insist on connecting people with others in similar walks of life. We want to see personal and spiritual growth while you’re here. That’s our passion. That’s our mission. You are incredibly more likely to find God, connect with God, and stay with God when you are invested in a community of like-minded believers who are invested in you. 

Let’s not be ashamed

You have a church that will speak the truth.

You have a church that cares more about people than money.

You have a church that cares more about your growth than the church’s growth.

All of these sum up Jesus’ command to love others as you would love yourself. All of these are worth talking about. You have to get out there and share good news, especially the Good News. 

We are Light of the World. You are a Light of the World. “A city on a hill cannot be hidden… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

In the same way our church can give people something to talk about, you can do the same thing. Give them something to talk about!

You may not be able to do $5800 in gift cards for Chick-Fil-A, but you can get $300 in gift cards for your coworker’s family when they’re diagnosed with cancer and they’re going to be spending a lot of time out of town for hospital visits. Be a light in their life.

Electricity bills have been through the roof. Help someone! Be a light in their life.

One of our staff members, Pastor Dave, gets a group of people together every week to serve the homeless. That’s not even a Light of the World outreach, that’s just a thing that he does. That’s just Dave. Be like Dave! Be a light in their life.

Let’s give them something to talk about. Go make a difference in somebody’s life, and when they’re ready to grow in their walk with Jesus, bring them in. 

And let’s talk about it, ourselves. In person, in our homes, at work, on social media, on Google, at our grocery stores, and to the ends of the earth. Not for our glory, but for the glory of God. Let your light so shine, that others may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven. 

Let it be so. Amen.

View the entire sermon here!