The Responsibilities of those that live in the Kingdom of God
Matthew 5:13-16
February 24, 2019 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I. Introduction (Matthew 5:13-16)
A. The Beatitudes are an amazing summary of how a Christian lives.
1. Eight completely different ways of thinking and living that Jesus taught here in Matthew 5
2. When you live by the beatitudes, you are doing things very differently than the world around you – very obvious
a. Staying Poor in Spirit – humbling yourself – it really is the easiest to start with!
b. Being Able to Mourn – like people all over America were yesterday for the constant
c. Maintaining Meekness
d. Staying Hungry and Thirsty for Righteousness
e. Staying Merciful
f. Keeping our Hearts Pure
g. Working at being Peacemakers
h. Rejoicing when Persecuted!
3. These are all at the heart of what Jesus calls “Good Works”
a. And believe me, they take a lot of effort to live by
b. It is one thing to give your money to the poor
c. But we are called to stay meek, when frustrated
d. To stay humble when successful
e. To stay hungry for holiness and righteousness instead of for pleasure
B. Instead of Christians being part of the problem of humanity, according to Jesus, we actually are the solution – as crazy as that sounds!
C. So, we ought to take our role seriously and not be ashamed of who and what we are now that we have decided to follow Jesus!
II. Message
A. What we already ARE
1. Jesus announces that WE are TWO simple things in this world…
a. Salt
b. And Light
2. Notice the “Ye” - pointing to the entire crowd on this hillside – not to just His twelve elite disciples, but EVERY follower!
3. Ye already are both of these things just by choosing to follow Jesus in faith
4. So, if we are followers of Jesus…
5. ALL of us are Salt and Light!
6. Let’s ponder what that means for our lives now!
B. The Salt of the Earth
1. What is natural salt?
a. Salt is mostly a natural mixture of sodium chloride
b. It may be a very common thing in every home and restaurant, but it is so essential for life to exist on this planet. It is estimated that salt is used in more than 14,000 ways!
2. How is it formed?
a. Most Natural Salt was formed about 4,500 years ago by the evaporation of a massive world wide flood full of death, leaving the salt behind in massive layers that still to this day are mined at 200 million tons a year!
3. Where do you get it
a. Salt is processed from salt mines all over the world, and by the evaporation of seawater (sea salt) and mineral-rich spring water in shallow pools.
b. Salt layers are in the ground below us – and not very deep either
4. There are many uses of salt
a. Today, mainly it is used in SEASONING – eggs, potatoes, chips, and so on – to give things more “Flavour”
b. But for most of history, it was used as a PRESERVATIVE
1) Salt has been the best-known food preservative, especially for meat, for many thousands of years.
2) Before the advent of electrically powered refrigeration, salting was one of the main methods of food preservation.
c. Melting Ice – on roads, and footpaths
d. But every culture has known just how IMPORTANT SALT IS TO A PERSON’S HEALTH – as well as their life-stock
1) Salt helps our bodies retain water instead of losing it through sweat
2) In Africa, salt was used as currency south of the Sahara, and slabs of rock salt were used as coins in Abyssinia. Moorish merchants in the 6th century traded salt for gold, weight for weight.
e. Salt is so important to our lives that WARS have been fought over access to salt. The Celtic people of Europe owned huge salt mines and fought back the Roman legions to keep control of them
f. Just don’t overdo the eating of salt. Excessive salt usually increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, in both children and adults.
C. Jesus actually calls us the Salt of the earth – as if we are cut out from this world
1. If Jesus were here, lving in our homes, working our jobs, attending our schools, walking our streets… what effect would HE have on the people around Him?
2. He would be SALTY
3. So What Do Christians Do that is like Salt?
a. What do we need to be doing to be "salty" to the world around US?
b. We FLAVOUR life here – we are supposed to make life worth living
1) Why do we add salt? It’s because it helps the food taste better, right?
2) Christians actually help life seem better with them around!
3) To the world we taste one of two ways – either wonderful as well, or we taste awful (2Cor 2:14-16, “unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life.”). Be a godly, strong, full-flavoured example of what a relationship with Christ is like.
c. We PRESERVE the important things
1) Like family – the nuclear, 1 Dad, 1 Mom, for life, with children
2) Like the lives of babies – never allow them to be thrown away, but loved, and cared for, and especially ADOPTED when they can’t be!
3) Like honour and respect of dignitaries and governors and all in authority – we seek discussion and debate and peace and respect
4) Like worship – true worship
5) Sanity and rest and balance and justice and grace
6) You remember hearing that salt was added to meat to keep it from spoiling?
7) That’s because salt preserves. It keeps meat from spoiling. It prevents browning of apples and the moulding of cheese.
8) Christians in a community preserve the community – not just because we live there, but because we INFLUENCE people, and people’s thinking, and their choices (i.e., about abortion, taxes, authority, obeying parents, etc)
d. We MELT HEARTS – not make then harder!
1) Do you befriend people, or just upset them – or even just ignore all the people that God puts into your life?
2) To be like salt, you need to get OUT of the Salt Barn and come into contact with cold, hard hearted people, and love them like Christ loves them
e. We Create THIRST
1) Eat a handful of crisps, and you’re reaching for a drink.
2) Our words, and our lives OUGHT to cause people to become interested in the Bible, and in the Gospel!
3) Shake up people’s impressions of empty-headed Christians who don’t know how to think for themselves.
4) Learn to ask questions that help people re-think their preconceived notions, and guide them to resources for the answers.
4. Dangers of becoming "unsalty" - Let’s look again at the verse (5:13)
a. We become good for nothing as Christians! Shame! We become worthless to the world – of no interest (very convicting thought)
b. Because we become ineffective in ministry IN their world. I worry a lot about this – and is why believers need revival!
1) Powerless
2) No “zing” no power in our witnessing, preaching, praying
c. We gain a damaged reputation.
1) No wonder people have Spit Christianity out – we are offering nothing different than what people already have
2) It’s hard to reach people who have no respect for you, both individually and as a church.
3) Pretty soon a church, or other sort of ministry group just becomes a clique, not bringing in new people, and just waiting for the rest to die off or just leave.
4) The book of Proverbs says that a good name is worth more than great riches.
5) Do WE as followers of Jesus of Nazareth have a good name? Good reputation?
6) A damaged reputation reaches far and wide, probably even farther and wider than a good reputation.
7) If you have a reputation for cheating on your taxes, than few if any people will listen to you on issues of integrity.
8) It is VERY important that we worry about our reputation as CHRISTIANS
D. We Are the Light of the World (Matthew 5:14-16)
1. The world IS a dark place
a. Full of unmentionable things going on
1) We are desensitized to what is actually going on
a) Child sacrifices was something done only in third world countries and pagan countries long ago
b) And yet it is now back here in Ireland after 1,600 years!
2) Human and sex trafficking? It is alive and well
3) Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4) Eph 5:11,12 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
5) The amount of drink and drugs consumed every weekend in Ireland and throughout Europe is staggering
6) Rape, incest has never been higher
7) People have sex at 16 and move in together
8) There used to be 1 murder a year in Ireland, now there is 1 a week!
9) And most people are now used to all these things
b. Romans 1:24-28
1) Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through
a) the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
b) Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
2) For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections:
a) for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
b) And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
3) And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; [HEALTHY]
c. Evidently, people in general do not love light – they love darkness – they don’t want to be exposed, found out, rebuked
d. But this world, and all its cultures desperately needs light – even though it hates it
2. Light is wonderful!
a. The beauty of the universe is only revealed by seeing it
b. Darkness cannot reveal anything – only hides things
c. Have you ever thought about the curse of darkness?
1) People who live further north in latitude like Norther Scotland, and Iceland and Sweden and Norway and Finland and Siberia
2) They have a super high suicide rate during the winter
3) The darkness in the winter is the reason why governments came up with Daylight Savings Time
4) Without light, you can’t drive, you can’t work with machines and tools
5) You will find it very difficult walking to the shop and finding your way home again
6) There is not much you can do when it is pitch black
7) That’s why when the sun set people just went to bed, and got up when the sun rose the next day
8) EXAMPLE: me and Joel and Joshua camping
d. Light is a wonderful thing – I love bright, sunny days and bright lights in my home!
3. What is light?
a. Vibrating Energy
1) Different speeds of vibration make sounds, and faster vibrations make light
2) Faster still and you make X-Rays and Gamma rays that will kill you
3) Sound is energy vibrating at 20 vibrations a second all the way up to about 20,000 vibrations a second
4) Light is energy vibrating 400,000,000,000,000 to 800,000,000,000,000 times a second
5) X-Rays vibrate at 30,000,000,000,000,000,000
b. God’s infinite energy, created ALL the energy that is in our universe…
1) Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2) Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3) Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light [THE FULL SPECTRUM OF ENERGY]
4. God is Light (1John 1:5) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
5. Jesus is Light as well (John 8:12; 12:46) – because He is GOD
a. No one else ever could say such a thing!
b. John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
c. John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
d. Mat 17:1,2 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
e. Mat 4:12-16 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
f. John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
g. 2 Cor 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
h. 2Cor 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
E. Here is the interesting truth… The source of OUR light is not of ourselves
1. We do not generate LIGHT – we can only reflect it!
2. We are Reflectors of Christ’s Light – a mirror of the light (MIRROR and TORCH)
a. Act 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
b. Ps 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
c. Most ANYONE can tell if you have spent any time prayiing or reading your Bible… it will SHOW!
3. You and I can ONLY be light in this world… by reflecting who Jesus is into the darkness
a. Reflect JESUS, not ourselves, or our successes, or OUR wisdom
b. But saying what He said in the Bible
c. Doing what HE did
d. Reacting to life the very same ways that Jesus did
e. THAT is living like a bright light!
III. Summary
A. Light is what we ARE – Shine is what we DO
1. We are light in this dark world
2. ‘Light’ is your main purpose now
a. Php 2:14-16 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
b. Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
c. 1Pet 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
B. You CANNOT be hid – you cannot hide who you are if you are actually following the life of Jesus!
1. A covered up light is messed up
2. A city on a hill, even though it may be night, will shine from all the windows
3. As an exception, in WWII homes were told to put up “Blackout” Curtains so no light would leak out and allow enemy airplanes to figure out where they were.
4. People know if you are following Jesus or not
5. And if they don’t think you are a follower of Jesus by your godliness, then you are NOT a follower of Jesus – you are a fraud!
C. Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men…
1. That word ‘so’ means to live clearly, evidently as a Christian – not like the world around you (blended in and basically the same)
2. That they may see YOUR good works
a. Your humility in the midst of a very proud and arrogant world
b. Your meekness
c. Your compassion
d. Your godliness
e. Your evident love of Jesus Christ
f. Your joy even though hated and persecuted
3. And glorify your Father which is in heaven.
4. Salt and Light are explained to be GOOD WORKS
a. Not to be saved, but because we are saved
b. Speak up, let your light shine
c. Get the Gospel into people’s thinking
d. Stir up questions and give answers! THAT is shining!
5. When people see godly lives, joyful lives, submitted to God and living like Jesus said to live, THAT is the only time that unsaved people will glorify God in heaven! They probably will hate you, but they WILL honour God if someone lives the Gospel in front of them!
D. So, let’s take our role seriously and not be ashamed of who and what we are now that we have decided to follow Jesus!
1. To LOOK like LIGHT
2. And TASTE like SALT – not all the sugar people want today!
IV.Conclusion
A. Christian… you’re in the Kingdom of God now - if you are saved
B. Living like you are in the Kingdom of God will LOOK and FEEL different than the world does around you
C. And when we live exactly like Jesus did, we will SHINE and help the world, and make people thirsty for the same Gospel that saved us!
D. Make sure your saltiness has NOT grown stale and bland and flavourless
E. Make sure you shine clear and bright
F. Make sure you ARE light, and not a fraud – a faker
1. Luke 11:35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
2. Make sure that you are not living a lie
G. Keep your life CLEAN and clear
1. Constant cleaning
2. Constant repentance
H. Walk in the light, not in the shadows
I. Live as children of light