A Thousand Hallelujahs

Verse 1

  Who else would rocks cry out to worship

  Whose glory taught the stars to shine

  Perhaps creation longs to have the words to sing

  But this joy is mine

  Chorus

  With a thousand hallelujahs

  We magnify Your name

  You alone deserve the glory

  The honor and the praise

  Lord Jesus this song is forever Yours

  A thousand hallelujahs

  And a thousand more

  Verse 2

  Who else would die for our redemption

  Whose resurrection means I'll rise

  There isn't time enough to sing of all You've done

  But I have eternity to try

  Chorus

  With a thousand hallelujahs

  We magnify Your name

  You alone deserve the glory

  The honor and the praise

  Lord Jesus this song is forever Yours

  A thousand hallelujahs and a thousand more

  Bridge

  Praise to the Lord to the Lamb

  To the King of heaven

  Praise for He rose now He reigns

  We will sing forever

Bridge

  Praise to the Lord to the Lamb

  To the King of heaven

  Praise for He rose now He reigns

  We will sing forever

  Chorus

  With a thousand hallelujahs

  We magnify Your name

  You alone deserve the glory

  The honor and the praise

  Lord Jesus this song is forever Yours

  A thousand hallelujahs and a thousand more

His Mercy is More

Chorus

  Praise the Lord His mercy is more

  Stronger than darkness new every morn

  Our sins they are many His mercy is more

  Verse 1

  What love could remember no wrongs we have done

  Omniscient all knowing He counts not their sum

  Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore

  Our sins they are many His mercy is more

  Chorus

  Praise the Lord His mercy is more

  Stronger than darkness new every morn

  Our sins they are many His mercy is more

  Verse 2

  What patience would wait as we constantly roam

  What Father so tender is calling us home

  He welcomes the weakest the vilest the poor

  Our sins they are many His mercy is more

  Chorus

  Praise the Lord His mercy is more

  Stronger than darkness new every morn

  Our sins they are many His mercy is more

  Verse 3

  What riches of kindness He lavished on us

  His blood was the payment His life was the cost

  We stood 'neath a debt we could never afford

  Our sins they are many His mercy is more

  Chorus

  Praise the Lord His mercy is more

  Stronger than darkness new every morn

  Our sins they are many His mercy is more

  Chorus

  Praise the Lord His mercy is more

  Stronger than darkness new every morn

  Our sins they are many His mercy is more

“He is Exalted”

  He is exalted the King is exalted on high  I will praise Him

  He is exalted forever exalted and I will praise His name

  He is the Lord Forever His truth shall reign

  Heaven and earth rejoice in His holy name

  He is exalted the King is exalted on high

Verse

  He is exalted the King is exalted on high  I will praise Him

  He is exalted forever exalted and I will praise His name

  Chorus

  He is the Lord Forever His truth shall reign

  Heaven and earth rejoice in His holy name

  He is exalted the King is exalted on high

Chorus

  He is the Lord Forever His truth shall reign

  Heaven and earth rejoice in His holy name

  He is exalted the King is exalted on high

“Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus”

Chorus

  Turn your eyes upon Jesus

  Look full in His wonderful face

  And the things of earth

  Will grow strangely dim

  In the light of His glory and grace

  Chorus

  Turn your eyes upon Jesus

  Look full in His wonderful face

  And the things of earth

  Will grow strangely dim

  In the light of His glory and grace

A Thousand Hallelujahs

Verse 1

  Who else would rocks cry out to worship

  Whose glory taught the stars to shine

  Perhaps creation longs to have the words to sing

  But this joy is mine

  Chorus

  With a thousand hallelujahs

  We magnify Your name

  You alone deserve the glory

  The honor and the praise

  Lord Jesus this song is forever Yours

  A thousand hallelujahs

  And a thousand more

  Verse 2

  Who else would die for our redemption

  Whose resurrection means I'll rise

  There isn't time enough to sing of all You've done

  But I have eternity to try

  Chorus

  With a thousand hallelujahs

  We magnify Your name

  You alone deserve the glory

  The honor and the praise

  Lord Jesus this song is forever Yours

  A thousand hallelujahs and a thousand more

  Bridge

  Praise to the Lord to the Lamb

  To the King of heaven

  Praise for He rose now He reigns

  We will sing forever

Bridge

  Praise to the Lord to the Lamb

  To the King of heaven

  Praise for He rose now He reigns

  We will sing forever

  Chorus

  With a thousand hallelujahs

  We magnify Your name

  You alone deserve the glory

  The honor and the praise

  Lord Jesus this song is forever Yours

  A thousand hallelujahs and a thousand more

 Chorus

  With a thousand hallelujahs

  We magnify Your name

  You alone deserve the glory

  The honor and the praise

  Lord Jesus this song is forever Yours

  A thousand hallelujahs and a thousand more

God of Angel Armies

Chorus

  I know Who goes before me

  I know Who stands behind

  The God of angel armies is always by my side

  The One who reigns forever

  He is a friend of mine

  The God of angel armies is always by my side

  Bridge

  And nothing formed against me shall stand

  You hold the whole world in Your hands

  I'm holding on to Your promises

  You are faithful

  You are faithful

  Bridge

  And nothing formed against me shall stand

  You hold the whole world in Your hands

  I'm holding on to Your promises

  You are faithful

  You are faithful   You are faithful    You are faithful

  Chorus

  I know Who goes before me

  I know Who stands behind

  The God of angel armies is always by my side

  The One who reigns forever

  He is a friend of mine

  The God of angel armies is always by my side

Pastor Molenaar - for July 6 2025

Who is Jesus?

Mark 8:22-30

Blindness, or the state or condition of being unable to see, appears less common in our culture today than it as in the day of Jesus. When our eye sight begins to fail, we are able to get glasses to help us see more clearly, we either have them for reading or for distance. Some people need them for driving; some need them to be able to read their notes when they preach. Better yet medical science has done so much to improve the vision of those who struggle with their sight, you are able to have cataracts removed, or other procedures to either slow down the loss of eye sight. There are many famous individuals who suffered from this affliction. And we can name many different individuals who overcame their blindness to achieve a high level in their lives in spite of their disability.

       But in the Bible there is a unique connection between blindness and the ministry of Jesus Christ. In a very real sense, this connection is used by our Lord in this section of scripture in Mark 8 to draw His disciples out of their own blindness—spiritual blindness.

WHAT JESUS DOES

       Previous to the healing of the blind man that we are about to encounter, Jesus healed a deaf man. And just as the two miracles where Jesus fed the multitudes had similarities and contrasts, these tow miracles; the healing of the deaf man and the healing of the blind man have some interesting comparisons.

       First of all, both men suffer from a handicap that they were not born with but acquired later in life. Both men were brought to Jesus by their friends. Both men are led away from the crowd before Jesus heals them. Both men are touched by Jesus in the process of their healing. And both are told by Jesus, “Don’t tell anyone what happened to you”.

       Both of these miracles are a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy who declared that when the Messiah comes, “THE EYES OF THE BLIND SHALL BE OPENED, AND THE EARS OF THE DEAF SHALL BE UNSTOPPED, ISAIAH 35:5. In the story of the healing of the blind man, we are going to notice the incredible uniqueness of Jesus Christ. Some of the things we are going to examine you probably have never heard before, but nevertheless they are at the core of the Gospel.

       The people who lived in the days of Mark were looking for a Messiah to come but they didn’t know how they would know who he was. But if they had only read their Old Testament prophets, they would have known.

       The Old Testament prophet Isaiah said one of the signs of the coming of the Messiah would be that He would perform great miracles. He would open the ears of the deaf and take the scales off of the blind. And Jesus has been walking around in their midst doing that very thing.

       In addition to performing various miracles, Jesus had been debating with the Pharisees and teaching his disciples. And now he will complete a miracle that will set him apart from everyone else in the world.

THE UNEQUALED POWWER OF JESUS HEALING

       Blindness was a real problem in antiquity. They didn’t have sanitary conditions to address diseases affecting sight. They had some eye salves, but they didn’t have the capabilities that we do today. And so there were many blind people in Jesus’ day.

       In the New Testament there is no record of anyone healing the blind except for Jesus Christ. His disciples performed many other miracles that He empowered them to do. No one ever healed the blind like Jesus. It was this miracle alone was set aside for the power of the Saviour, and He alone was able to do it.

       In the New Testament there are seven men specifically mentioned, who were blind that Jesus healed. No doubt there were many more but we now of at least seven that received this special miracle from the Lord. As we stated earlier, the healing of the blind man was one of the miracles that Isaiah said would identify the Messiah. Isaiah 29:18 says “in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness”.

       Somewhere along the way, the friends of this particular blind man heard about Jesus. Maybe they had a friend who had been touched by hi. Maybe someone in their families had been one of the healing ministries of Jesus. This blind man was so helpless that he couldn’t get to Jesus by himself. So his friends got together and brought him to Jesus =, certain that he could heal him. They were also pretty sure they knew that he would do it.

       They had witnessed Jesus with the blind and had seen people come near Jesus and touch him. Perhaps they had seen the woman who touched the hem of his garment and garnered immediate healing. And so they came to Jesus, certain that he was the answer. They were correct in in believing that Jesus could heal their friend, but they were incorrect in thinking He would do it with a simple touch.

       THE UNUSUAL PLACE OF JESUS HEALING.

       Jesus chose an unusual place of healing, notices verses 22 and 23, “then he came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him. So he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.” Bethsaida was a very famous place in Jesus day. Located on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee, it was the home of Andrew, Peter and Phillip. It was the place where Jesus fed the 5000. That all happened right outside of Bethsaida.

       Bethsaida was a very blessed place considering all the miracles Jesus performed there, but it was also a cursed city, because the Bible tells us that the Lord pronounced future judgement on it because of its stubborn belief. Matthew 11:21.

       Bethsaida was so cursed by the Lord, that He took the blind man out of the city to heal him of his blindness. He also told him in verse 26, neither go into the town or tell anyone in the town”. Jesus would perform no more miracles in Bethsaida, and he refused for a witness to be given to the city.

       But notice this carefully, although his blessing was withdrawn from the city, he would still show his love and mercy to an individual in that city. There are some really appalling cities in the world today, dens of iniquity and mockers of God. Nevertheless, God is always mercifully reaching in and pulling people out and saving them, even as he did with this blind man.

THE UNIQUE PROCEDURE OF GOD’S HEALING

       Of all the miracles recorded in Scripture that Jesus performed, this is the only miracle that he did not do instantaneously; instead he did it gradually. Every other miracle up to this point was immediate, but in this situation, there is a strange and unique procedure that followed.

THE FIRST TOUCH

       Notice what happens in verses 23, and 24. “So he took the bind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands on them. He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, I see men walking like trees. In other words, he said, I can see, but my vision is blurred.

The method today by which this man was healed is repulsive in our culture today; I don’t think my optometrist would be very long in business if he did this to me, we wouldn’t ever think of doing anything quite like what was done then. The Bible says Jesus spit on this man’s eyes and put his hands on him.

       Jesus had to somehow connect with this man who couldn’t see him. He wanted to take this man into the world of thought and the only way he could do with was with his touch. So he touched him, the Scriptures says, and he spat upon this man’s eyes as hope and faith were surging through this man’s heart.

       After the first touch, the Bible says the blind man could see, but his sight was blurry. He saw men like trees, walking. This initially doesn’t sound so great. It was as if Jesus helped him to an extent, but it almost sounds like he couldn’t get it done in one shot, like it took two attempts to pull it off.

       How many of you know that is not possible with the Lord? The creator of the universe doesn’t need two attempts to fix the eyes of one blind man. So this is not what is going on here. Jesus didn’t take two attempts to heal this man because of two attempts were needed to do it. He did it for very specific reasons.

AS A REINFORCEMENT TO THE BLIND MAN

First of all, Jesus may have done it as reinforcement for the blind man. Remember this man didn’t come to Jesus on his own faith; he came to Jesus because some of his friends brought him. His friends thought that Jesus could help him. Perhaps Jesus healed him gradually or slowly so that He could help build up the faith of this man, so that his faith would catch up with the miracle that was about to happen. Perhaps that was the reason for the delay in total healing.

AS A REBUKE TO THE DISCIPLES

  Secondly, this was also done to rebuke to his disciples. Jesus had just fed 36000 people from two small lunches, and yet the disciples had not been able to make the connection to who Jesus really was. So, He chides them with these words, DO YOU HAVE EYES AND YOU DO NOT SEE.

  The process of opening the blind eyes of the disciples was illustrated by the process of opening the eyes of the blind man. Like in the partial sight of the blind man the disciples were seeing Jesus. But he was a shadowy figure in their minds. He was blurry. They didn’t know for sure who he was. WAS HE A GOOD MAN? A GOOD TREACHER? WAS HE GOD? WHO WAS HE? They didn’t know. Their vision was a blurred as the vision of this blind man.

AS A REMINDER TO US

  Finally, I think Jesus many have done this as a reminder to us. Remember this, what I call a take home point. God is not limited to instantaoues miracles. God can and does miracle any way he wants to. I think so often we pray for a miracle and we don’t get it instantly, but we get to see this miracle we asked for come to us gradually in God’s time. Remember he can do miracles gradually, we pray Lord draw me closer to you may I experience your power, and then we get sick or someone that we know suffers, and we pray for them and we call out to the Lord, and then we see ourselves gradually being drawn closer to the Lord in ways that we never expected, or perhaps even wanted, and yet we have come closer not in our ways but in the ways of the Lord. Another take home point. GOD DOESN’T LIVE IN TIME GOD LIVES IN ETERNITY. Time is outside of God’s experience. A gradual miracle to God is no different than an instantaneous one.

  As present day followers of Jesus, we often try to put God in a box. We think that we are able to get a handle on God. Don’t ever try to figure out God. You are not up to it and neither am I.  God does his work in strange and mysterious ways, BUT HIS WORK, HE STILL DOES. Don’t have preconceived notions about how God operates in the world and in our lives.

  This brings us to the second touch. In verse 25 we read, “Then he put his hands on his eyes again and made him look up and he was restored and saw everyone clearly. The Greek language uses a rare word to describe what the blind man saw. It literally says, he could see everything clearly from afar. How many of us see clearly from afar? Not many of us. But this man had 20/20 vision. Immediately he was made whole.

  That is what Jesus does. He is the unique Son of God, the only one who could heal the blind. He is not conditioned by anyone place. He can do it anyway he likes. JESUS IS THE MIRACLE WORKING SON OF GOD. But do the disciples know this? Do we live like we know this, are we comfortable knowing this or do we stand in awe? Do we know this or are we like the disciples, struggling to really come to grips with this powerful life changing knowledge? For the disciples? Not yet and maybe so for some of us as well.

WHO JESUS IS

The Bible tells us that after Jesus completes this blind man’s miracle, He and his disciples leave Bethsaida and go twenty miles to the north to a city called Caesarea Philippi. This was a city that was home for the worship of Baal. It was a wicked, pagan place. It was as if Jesus was taking His disciples into the bowels of hell to solicit from them a confession of their faith.

  On the way to Caesarea Philippi, Jesus decides to examine His disciples and find out where they are in their faith. To draw them out he asks them tow questions.

PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT JESUS IDENTITY

  The first question is about the public opinion of Jesus ministry. Afterward Jesus asks them. Who do men say that I am? They answered “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah and others one of the prophets, verses 27, 28. Think about this for a second, it pretty much was a stock answer for that particular time. People thought that Jesus was John the Baptist brought back to life of Elijah from the Old Testament reincarnated.

  He also could have been one of the prophets. Matthew even adds the prophet Jeremiah to this list. The rumours about Jesus were centered on these three people because the man on the street did not know who Jesus was. They were aware of his mighty works, and were convinced that somebody who did these things must be someone who and come back from the dead.

But they didn’t know who Jesus was. Like so many today, the disciples were willing to admit that Jesus was an extraordinary man, but not that he was a divine man. That’s where the people were. They believed he did great works, they had seen them, they could deny it. I think there are so many people today who know of Jesus, know him as a good man, a great teacher, but don’t know him as their personal Lord and Saviour. Many are much like the disciples at that time, their answer is totally inadequate and not the right answer.

PETERS OPINION ABOUT JESUS IDENTITY

So, Jesus asked the second question: BUT WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM? It should come as no surprise that Peter spoke for the disciples. “You are the Christ” verse 29. Some people think that Peter gave Jesus a second name. But Christ isn’t the second name for Jesus, it’s his title. CHRISTO’S MEANS ANNOINTED ONE, THE MESSIAH. The one everyone has been looking for. What Peter really said was JESUS YOU ARE THE MESSIAH, YOU ARE THE ANNOINTED ONE, YOU ARE THE CHRIST.

What a moment for our Lord. Everything in the whole book of Mark has been leading up to this moment. The stubborn blindness, the lack of perception, and the lack of understanding of his disciples had to have weighed very heavy on Jesus heart. Finally, Jesus asks the question, WHO AM I and Peter replies, YOU ARE THE CHRIST.

       Was Peter all the way home with his understanding of who Christ was? No, and he wouldn’t be until after the resurrection. But the blindness is going away from his eyes and he is beginning to see who Jesus really is.

We mark our calendars by the year of his birth. Even unbelievers cannot deny that He is the most important Man who ever walked on the face of the earth. He is more than a prophet, and a good teacher, he is the Son of God, the healer of the blind, the healer of broken hearts, the healer of sin and a stained life, and the One who can forgive us form all our sins.

If you stop for a moment and put these two stories together, it’s an incredible lesson for us today. WHO IS JESUS? He is the One who alone can heal the blind eyes, not only physically but spiritually. The Bible says that spiritually we are men and women whose minds and hearts are blind before we encounter Christ. Jesus is the only One who can heal the spiritual blindness of our eyes. He is alone the only one who can save us. There is no other.  In answer to His question they gave a number of names, none of which were on mark.

Then Jesus asked them, “And what about you?

Who do you say that I am?”

Our answer to that question and how we respond to it with our lives is…

…well, it’s what this life is all about.

Everything hinges on it.

Let us pray.

Pastor Mark Jallim - Living Hope Community Church Durham

Ebenezer CRC Trenton - July 13, 2025

Sermon Title: Living as Salt and Light

Theme: Living out the character of the Kingdom through distinct lives of influence in a broken world.
Sermon Text: Matthew 5:13–16 (NIV)

“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.”
— Matthew 5:13–16

Introduction

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reveals what life in the Kingdom of God looks like. And it’s not what the world expects.

We saw earlier in the Beatitudes that real power doesn’t come from control, popularity, or status — it comes from humility, mercy, purity of heart, and peacemaking. This is the posture of the Kingdom.

Now, Jesus turns to His disciples — to us — and says: “You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world.”

What is He saying?

He’s saying: The Beatitudes are not just ideals to admire — they are a life to live. A life that stands out, shines, and preserves in a world of decay and darkness.

So today’s message is about Living Out the Beatitudes — not just learning them, or admiring them, or even praying over them. But embodying them.

Let’s look at what it means to live as salt and light in today’s world.

1. You Are the Salt of the Earth (v. 13)

Matthew 5:13
“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.”

Question - What Does It Mean to Be Salt?

A. Salt Preserves and Purifies

In Jesus’ time, salt was essential for preserving meat. It prevented decay.

In the same way, as followers of Christ, we are called to preserve what is good in a world that is morally and spiritually decaying.

Salt was also used to purify. It stings when it enters a wound — but that sting brings healing. Likewise, we are to bring truth, even when it hurts, for the sake of healing what is broken in hearts, communities, and systems.

Reflection question - Where has God placed you to bring healing and preserve truth?

B. Salt Enhances Flavor

Salt brings out the fullness of food’s flavor. It makes things come alive.

In the same way, living with Christ makes life rich — full of joy, justice, beauty, and hope.

The Beatitudes — humility, mercy, peacemaking — flavor the world with Kingdom character. They make life more bearable, more beautiful, more whole.

And notice: salt works quietly and inwardly. So does integrity. So does a consistent Christian witness.

C. But If Salt Loses Its Saltiness…

Jesus gives a warning: If we lose our distinctiveness, we become ineffective. When the Church blends in with the world, we stop preserving — and start conforming. This is about covenantal faithfulness. God’s call on His people has always been to be different:

Leviticus 19:2
“Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”

Holiness isn’t about pride — it’s about purpose. You’re called to flavor the world with something they can’t find anywhere else: Jesus.

Reflection Questions - Have you grown dull? Where might God be calling you to “restore your saltiness”?

2. You Are the Light of the World (vv. 14–16)

Matthew 5:14–16
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Question - What Does It Mean to Be Light?

A. A Fulfillment of Isaiah’s Prophecy

Jesus is echoing the calling of God’s people in Isaiah — to be a light to the nations:

Isaiah 42:6
“I… will make you a light for the nations.”

Isaiah 49:6
“I will make you a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus declares in John 8:12:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

And now He says you are the light — because you reflect Him.

Light exposes what’s hidden. It reveals truth. It guides. And that’s what we’re called to do in a world walking in darkness.

This is our missional identity — the Church is not a social club or a private religion. We are a public sign of God's reign on earth.

B. A City on a Hill Cannot Be Hidden

Jesus gives a bold image: A city set on a hill. It cannot be missed.

Israel was meant to be that city — a light that drew the nations (Deuteronomy 4:6–8). And now, through Christ, the Church takes up that role — not through laws, but through transformed lives and communal love.

John 13:35
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The world is watching. What are they seeing? Your life — your love, your courage, your faithfulness — should make people curious about your God.

C. Let Your Light Shine

Jesus isn’t calling us to self-promotion. He’s calling us to God-exalting living.

“That they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

These good works aren’t just charity — they are Spirit-empowered acts that point beyond ourselves to the Father.

Light is meant to be seen. Not hidden. When Christians shine in dark places — we see justice, compassion, forgiveness, and truth begin to rise. It doesn’t take a spotlight. Just a small flame can drive back darkness.

Where is God calling you to shine?
What darkness has He placed you near?

Maybe it’s your home.Maybe it’s your job.
Maybe it’s your city.
Don’t underestimate what one light — your light — can do.

In Closing: 

Living out the Beatitudes means becoming a living witness of the Kingdom of God — not only in what you believe, but in how you live.

You are the salt. You are the light.  Don’t bury it. Don’t dilute it. Don’t hide it.
Let it shine — because the world desperately needs what Jesus has placed in you.

This Week’s Challenge (something to think of)

• Identify one place this week where you can be salt — preserving truth, healing brokenness, or standing against decay.
  
  

• Identify one situation where you can shine light — speaking truth, showing compassion, or offering hope.

Closing Prayer 

Benediction:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
So go now — shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

May the Lord strengthen you to be salt in a world losing its flavor, and light in a world longing for hope.
Amen.