Disciples stand out
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Don’t be an oxymoron
Don’t be an oxymoron
If you were sucked out of your spheres of life suddenly - would your absence be noticed? /
Tasteless salt and hidden light
You can apparently hang with the Jesus’ crowd and be useless, stupid and impossible -
CONTEXT: The light of the world has come. Those who turn to Jesus as God become light and salt themselves.
There’s only one instruction in this passage: let your light shine (not be salt, or be light - followers of Jesus are)
There’s hidden implications (beware of being useless or hidden -
{Useless (tasteless salt)
Stupid (hiding after lighting a lamp)
Impossible (hiding a city on a hill)
}
// Hammo salt
[avoid all the extra things Jesus didn’t say -
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.
Christians must be noticed
Christians must be noticed
Not about preservative, claensing, sacrifice, covenant… simple: stands out
[
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.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Kinda funny image. Especially here in central Australia we know you can’t hide light in the bush darkness.
15 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.
You can’t hide light. Nor is anybody so stupidd as to trouble themselves to light something, then cover it up. Light is for seeing.
Followers of Jesus will be noticed, will stand out, be easily recognised.
Are you? What is being noticed?
// not volunteerism -
[meeting with Kate Worden - the tone ||]
Christians shine good deeds
Christians shine good deeds
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Or, literally - shine your light! In front of others.
I wonder what you would put in a list of good deeds. What do you think people would notice?
Before we get too carried away with this list, a much better option is to check with Jesus. Remember, this is the beginning of a sermon on how to repent, and how to catch people for God - when Jesus the Light of the World shines light -
Overflowing heart of righteousness
20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Not activism, not volunteerism (though they may be a byproduct) -
anger, angry words, lust, marriage keeping,
An overflowing heart of goodness. These good deeds seem less like deeds at this point and more like what we love.
And some of it isn’t able to be ‘seen’ at all.
Remember this is part of a call to turn to God.
Is this noticed in my life? In your life? Is it even a small flickering candle of this kind of heart?
Night time stars - glowing
They work by absorbing the light from elsewhere and then radiating it.
How do we shine?
Later on in the sermon on the mount Jesus says:
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
What are you absorbing?
Remember, the key to the sermon on the mount is at the beginning - REPENT.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Absorb the light of Jesus the Son of God - seek his ways, tell him your failings, hunger after righteousness. Then shine.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
// Christian journalist approached by another in the team to share some things, they weren’t friends - why approach me - because I saw you didn’t gossip about people so you were safe -
The Heavenly Father is Glorified Now and Later
The Heavenly Father is Glorified Now and Later
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Some of you are here because you saw the good actions of a Christian and you have turned to Jesus for yourself.
Light for the world, salt for the earth, light to shine for eveyrone in the house - does our life show Jesus’ commands are good to follow - are we a walking advertisement that following Jesus is good (even in the hard)?
Glorify your Father in Heaven - this isn’t randomly just good - people will make the connection ebtween your way of life and your commitment to Jesus - this only happens because Jesus expects that you will identify yourself with him.
Who sees you? - in your casual dealings (shopping, driving, consuming), workplace (your ethics, your colleagues, clients, boss), home (family, neighbours) -
What do they see?
Salt and light are not always welcome:
Salt and light are not always welcome:
Not all seeing and noticing is good.
12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
I think Peter is remembering Jesus’ words from Matthew. Literally some people will see your good deeds and bad mouth you - becayuse your saltiness is not to their taste.
20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.
There are many ways that following Jesus will mean that we don’t join in.
Their abuse ultimately brings glory to God - they’re seeing your behaviour, attributing it to being a follower of Jesus -
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Maybe your life with a heart turned to God overflowing with good actions will lead people to turn to Jesus too.
Maybe they’ll attack you, unfriend you, be confused by you -
It’s God’s problem whether the glory happens now in their life, or on the final day when he returns and every knee will bow.
11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.