Matt 5:1-20 Being Justified Let Christ’s Light Shine

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Psalm 150:1-2 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!

SILENT PRAYER — Use these moments to prayerfully consider the Scripture meditation above, so you may properly give God the glory due to His name.

THE LORD CALLS US TO WORSHIP HIM

*Call to Worship….Psalm 44:1–3“O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.”

Let Us Rise for the Singing of God’s Word

*Hymn of Praise…#439 Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy

*Invocation

INVOCATION:

Father we now call upon you to be with us and be in our presence.

And illuminate our minds by your Spirit and Word.

We thank you Father in all things in Christ name Amen.

Responsive Reading…TPH Q42 & Q43, pg. 944

Prayer of Confession and Repentance…… TPH Q61-64 Heidelberg pg. 882

Assurance of Pardon. Hebrews 8:10-12

Hebrews 8:10–12 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.””

*Psalm of Thanksgiving 72A O God, Your Judgements Give the King Congregational Prayer

Congregational Prayer

We make our prayers to you, O Lord God, most merciful Father,

for all people in general, that you will be known to be the Savior of all the world

by the redemption purchased by your only Son Jesus Christ;

for they have been held captive in darkness and ignorance for lack of the knowledge of the gospel.

We pray that through the preaching, and the clear light of your Holy Spirit,

That those who do not know you be brought into the right way of salvation, which is to know that you are only God,

and that he, whom you have sent, is Jesus Christ.

Likewise, we pray that they whom you have already endued with your grace,

and illuminated their hearts with the knowledge of your Word,

may continually increase in godliness, and be plenteously enriched with spiritual benefits;

so that we may altogether worship you, both with heart and mouth,

and render due honor and service unto Christ our Master, King, and Lawmaker

We Pray for the Members of Living Stone Fellowship

Father we Pray for _____________ and we ask for all these things in the powerful, glorious, majestic, and wonderful name of Jesus Christ AmenTHE LORD FEEDS US FROM HIS WORD

Let Us Rise for the Singing of God’s Word

*Hymn of Preparation….#275 Arise, My Soul, Arise

Please Be Seated

Old Testament Reading

HEAR NOW THE VERY WORD OF GOD

Scripture Reading….Exodus 20:1-26

English Standard Version Chapter 20

And God spoke all these words, saying,

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,

6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work,

10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.

11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off

19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”

20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.”

21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

Laws About Altars

22 And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven.

23 You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.

24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.

25 If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it.

26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’

May the Lord add His Blessing to the Reading of His Word

Sermon Text and New Testament Reading

Hear Now the Very Word of God

HP - Matt 5:1-20 Being Justified Let Christ’s Light Shine

English Standard Version (Chapter 5)

5:1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

“The Grass Withers the Flower Fades But the Word of Our God Shall Stand Forever”

HP - Being Justified Let Christ’s Light Shine

We begin with Verse 1

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

So Matthew is focusing on the Life and Work of Christ just as he has for the Past 4 Chapters of Matthew.

If you can remember the crowds were just following him in Chapter 4 and he was not only healing men and Women of their physical ailments

but he was also calling and converting mens souls from the the Darkness of their Sin and calling them and justifying them by his marvelous light.

We see this spoken off in Matt 4:23-25

23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.

25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.”

But Now in Chapter 5:1 Jesus is retreating away from the people to a mountain that he is ascending.

And when he reaches the top of the mountain he sits down and his disciples came to him.

And Jesus is now going to start teaching them like he is teaching you now.

You see when we here the Word of God Read out loud

Expounded upon

Or when we sing the words of God

Christ is speaking to you.

But in our text Jesus is speaking directly to his disciples.

And he his speaking to you his disciples Now.

And his message will never change.

He is now going to dive into the Christian Life.

What being a disciple should look like.

And what it means to be justified by Christ.

And Now that we are Justified

We being his disciples are to let Christs light Shine!

You notice I didn't say my light shine

Or your light shine

Rather I said That we are to Let Christ’s Light Shine

And How does Jesus teach us to do this?

Well First of all Christ calls us to himself

Christ Justifies us

We were once enemies of Christ

But because of His Mercy and His Grace

He Converted us and Called us to be His disciples.

And when you become Gods Disciple we are to give up our old ways of living .

Get rid of the Old Man as Ephesians says

Ephesians 4:22–24 “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

And we can only do this if we have been born again

That is what Hebrews 11:6–8 teaches

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household.

By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

So we see we must have Faith

We must be Born Again

We must be redeemed by Christ.

Redeemed by his sacrifice on the cross

Redeemed by His perfect life.

We must be called by Christ.

Then after this has occured we are called to be a disciple of Christ

To sit at his Feet as Christs Disciples are doing in our text today.

Becasue we must be a disciple

We Must be Born again

If we are to be able to Hear Christs’s Words

Becasue the Gospel is not about you picking yourself up by your own boot straps

Rather its about Jesus Jesus Jesus.

Thats right!

The Gospel is about Christ Jesus.

And not how you can live you best life now.

Rather is all about our King Jesus

Our Prophet Jesus

Our Priest Jesus.

And what has Christ called you to as his Disciple?

Lets look at verses 3-11

And when I read these verses pay attention to the statements of Christ as a realization of who you are in Christ.

An because of that realization

the other half of the sentence is our promise.

So a description of who we are as disciples

And promises of what awaits us because we are disciples.

Verses 3-11

English Standard Version Chapter 5

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

So I hope you can see these statement's only belong to those who have already been justified by Christ and so

Vs 1-12 Being Justified, Let Christs Light Shine

To be Christs Disciple means you are Poor in Spirit

Christ, therefore, in order to make you his own people

bear the cross in this life,

He exposes this mistaken opinion,

that those who are in Christ will automatically be happy

and lead an easy and prosperous life according to the flesh.

Rather it is the opposite

When we Mourn

Becasue of the trials of this life

Becasue of our sin

Becasue of how we sin against others

Husbands when you sin against your wives

Wives when you sin against you Husbands

Children when you sin against your parents.

Neighbors when you sin against you neighbors.

And this will bring mourning

this will bring anguish

And this will bring strife

don’t waller in the strife

morn, repent and be reconciled to one another

And be comforted because Christ forgives sins

When you are meek to one another because of the new spirit Christ has given you

Rejoice because your joint heirs in the kingdom of heaven and you shall inherit the new heavens and the new earth.

God Promises that you are blessed when you hunger and thirst to read his word and apply his word in your relationship with God

And your relationship with others in the church

That is hungering and thirsting for righteousness

God promises if you seek his will when you do this

You will be satisfied.

God promises when you are merciful

You shall receive Mercy

God has given you Mercy in calling you to himself

God says your pure in heart

Becasue God has given you a new heart.

We don’t become more pure

We are pure because we are his sheep

We are his elect

and therefore we Will see God.

We can be peacemakers with one another

with those outside the church in sharing the Gospel of peace with them.

And this is a promise from God that we can have peace with one another and with Christ because of His great work on the cross and because of his sinless life.

Our minds and hearts can be at ease because we can have peace because Christ has made peace for us with the Father.

That is why we are called the Sons of God.

And because of this reality of what Christ has done.

And who we are in Christ

Becasue we have been justified

When persecution comes from within the church from false converts

Or from outside the church from unbelievers

If we a persecuted for righteousness

For our belief and proclamation to the world that Christ Jesus Died for sinners.

For our actions in living in this life as Christ has called us to live

a life of Gratitude because of his great work.

When people revile you for the truth of the Gospel

When people persecute you because you seek to love your King and tell others about him

When they distort the truth when they imprison you drag your name through the mud because you identify with Christ.

Jesus tells you to Rejoice Becasue you are Justified

Because your reward is in heaven

And you are like the prophets who were persecuted before you

And as Christ was persecuted and tortured on a cross for your sake

The Spotless lamb of God who lived a sinless life

We Rejoice Becasue we are justified in Christ’s finished work and we are to Let Christ’s light Shine by living and proclaiming this great truth.

Lets now look at verses 13-16

Which I titled

Vs 13-16 Being Justified Be Salt and Light

English Standard Version Chapter 5

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Can you see how Jesus skilfully pursues this metaphor,

by saying, that other things when they lose their original qualities,

are still useful after they have become corrupted:

but that salt becomes even hurtful, and communicates barrenness to even unbelievers

That is people who who trample over those who proclaim the Gospel.

Jesus is talking to the apostles here in the text

Those who are charged with proclaiming the Word of God.

Ministers and teachers of the word can corrupt and render themselves tasteless:

If they do not season the rest of the world with their salt.

If they do not share the Word of God plainly openly and honestly to all those they proclaim the Word of God to.

This warning is useful, not only to ministers,

Not only to the apostles

but to the whole flock of Christ.

To those who have been given a new heart.

Since it is the will of God that the earth shall be salted by his own word,

So whatever is destitute of this salt is, in his estimation, tasteless,

There is nothing better, therefore, than to receive the seasoning, by which alone our tastelessness is corrected.

When you receive the Gospel

you are receiving the the light of this World

The light which can bring dead men who are darkened by sin back to life.

Christ declares what sort of men he wishes the teachers of his Church to be.

And they are not to be tasteless

if they become tasteless,

according to Christ they are no longer good for anything.

And these men have rendered themselves useless in the eyes of God.

Are their churches and men in churches that proclaim a false Gospel to people who claim to know Christ.

Then those church and those false prophets in Christs estimation are no longer good for anything and should be trampled under the feet of the people.

Becasue if you have No Salt in the words your communicating.

You have No Gospel in what your communicating to people.

Rather as ministers as disciples we should heed the words of verses 14-16

We are the light of the World.

We are the City set on a Hill.

And if we are to proclaim the truth that Christ lived a perfect life for his Elect

That Christ died for sinners

And that there is no one else who can save men from the wrath of God apart from Christ Jesus and his saving work.

Why would you want to put that under a basket

Why would you hide this light from those in need of it.

Becasue Beloved we were all rebels before this light was shared with us.

So we must not hide this light from others

we should hold it up high and proclaim it to all that would hear and to all that would scoff at us as well.

We are light bearers

And we need to as verse 16 states “Let our light shine before others,

Proclaim the Word

Do acts of mercy

minister to those in need in the community.

Minister to Widows and Orphans

these are good works according to the Word of God

James 1:27 “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

Brothers and Sisters if we hide ourselves from the World

are we letting our Good works be seen?

and the light of Christ and the Glory of Christ shine in the community of Wichita Falls?

And what is the result to those who see our good works

Who see the life changing works of the Gospel?

they will Give glory to the Father who is in heaven.

Now why would they do that.

Becasue God’s Word and Spirit covert men

The only reason those who did not Know God

Would now praise the God.

Is they now have a new heart.

So the the works Christ is speaking about is sharing the True Gospel.

Salt and all

That men and Women are sinners in the eyes of a Wholly God.

And they have a need for a mediator

They have a need for a substitute

And they need to hear this light and life giving news.

So they might be welcomed by the Father in heaven.

So Being Justified brothers and Sisters Let Christ Light Shine by being Salt and Light.

Last we come to verses 17-20

Lets us read verses 17-20

Vs 17-20 Christ fulfil’s the Law Shining His Light.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Christ continues teaching the disciples that without him their is no way they can merit the righteousness that God requires.

He tells them plainly he did not come to do away with the law.

He did not come to abolish the law

He did not come to teach something contrary to what the Prophets had been proclaiming for years.

And What had they been proclaiming

That God has a perfect law

and that man has commited cosmic treason.

And Christ is not here to condemn us but rather as verse 17 says Fulfill the law

Fulfill the requirements on our behalf.

He tells us until heaven and earth pass away not an Iota not a dot not even the smallest aspect of the law will pass away until all is accomplished.

What is the all that had to be accomplished?

The all is Christ had to finish his time and ministry on this earth and fulfill that law perfectly

That means Chris could never sin, would never and did never sin in his life.

From a baby in the manger to his time with the disciples to his death on the cross.

He was the perfect blood sacrifice that all the bulls and goat sacrifices pointed to.

In verse 19 Jesus says that those who relax the commandments

That is the 10 commandments we read in Exodus today.

Those who would say its no big deal to break God’s commandments

And then they teach others to

this would be those who we call Antinomians

they think because of Christ finished work they don’t need to keep Gods commandments.

God says they are least or will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.

We are to obey God’s law to the best of our ability

Frail as that ability is.

We are to be truthful with one another

Not commit adultery in thought or deed.

Not worship False Gods.

Not break the Sabbath that means be here on Sunday.

Attend the means of Grace.

Don’t Covet.

So I hope you see that I and you should not relax are life of law keeping out of gratitude towards God who has given us the ability to know right from wrong Good from bad

Sin is any breaking of God’s Law.

So I cannot and you cannot relax God’s standards of Perfect Holiness

We also cannot pretend that we are keeping his standards perfectly.

That is why we are to confess our sins to our heavenly Father who forgives us on account of Christ or mediator.

Jesus goes on to point out our utter need for a perfect sacrifice in verse 20

English Standard Version Chapter 5

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven

Why does Jesus bring up the Scribes and Pharisees?

Becasue they were trying to diminish the Gospel Diminish Christ Work

Out of a so called Law keeping which was pitiful in the eyes of Christ.

As the Pharisees are trying to Keep the Law of God they are breaking both the First and the Second Commandments.

They are to have no other Gods

But they are questioning Christ the Law giver.

They call into question the one who can give life.

The Logos the Very Word of God in Flesh.

They pretend, that their hostility to Christ arises from their strong desire, that the law should not be violated.

But their life makes it evident, how coldly they observe the law,

how unconcerned they are about mocking God,

while they boast before men of an assumed and hypocritical righteousness.

So the righteousness that would exceed the scribes and the Pharisees is acknowledging your bankruptcy apart from the saving work of the messiah.

The one thing the Pharisees and scribes would not do because most were not born again.

And apart from an acknowledgment of your sinfulness.

That you truly believe you are totally depraved

And have not and never will keep the law of God perfectly.

And that Christ is your only hope.

My only Hope

All men and women boys and girls only hope.

So cling to that Hope

And How do we cling to such a great Hope

Such a great Savior.

Its all of Christ and the Spirit working in the hearts of men and women who would not choose him

Unless Christ called them out of the darkness and into his marvelous light.

So Brother s Sister When we are Justified we can see that

BEING JUSTIFIED, We Are to Let Christs Light Shine

Lets Christs Light Shine to the Nations

Be The Salt And Light of the Earth

And Proclaim Him amoung men and women

An I will close with a reading of Matthew 10:32–33 “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

If you know him scream it from the roof tops

talk about him with your lost relatives and friends

And never deny our great king who even forgives sinners like us

Like Peter who denied him three times but later repented and proclaimed him to all men everywhere even unto his death.

Brothers and Sisters

Being Justified Let Christ light Shine in your walk with Him.

Let us pray.

Father we thank you for this time to study and meditate on your Word

We ask that you would make this sermon meaningful in the minds of us your children.

Father we ask that we would be so on fire for you Lord that your Word and our time in it would be on our lips today

with our children and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We ask for all this in Christs name Amen

*Psalm of Response #70 Make Haste, O God, to Save Me

WE ARE DISMISSED WITH GOD’S BLESSING

*Closing Prayer TPH Q119 pg. 894

“Our Father who is in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

10 Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread,

12 and forgive us our debts,

as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For yours is the Kingdom and the Power and Glory, Forever. Amen

*Closing Hymn………………………………………#473 By the Sea of Crystal