Sermon on the Mount wk 2

Disciples

This morning we are continuing our series Sermon on the Mount.

Last week we looked at the Beatitudes, which are eight characteristics we should have as Christians.

We also saw that Jesus was giving this sermon to His disciples, and that was not just the twelve apostles but were all those that were following Him.

This morning we are looking at the next section or we could say the next point in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

This morning we are looking at disciples, we are given 3 things in our text this morning that is found in Matthew 5:13-16.

These three things are how we as believers, followers of Jesus are to interact with the world.

Those three things are: Salt of the earth, Light of the world, and Shining our light.

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus is telling us how we as His followers are to live.

God told Moses to tell the Israelites in Leviticus 19:1-2

Leviticus 19:1–2 NASB95

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

In the Old Testament the Isrealites’ were God’s people and God spoke thing to them, gave them instructions to live by and laws to follow.

In the New Testament God turns His attention to the followers of Jesus, who we call Christians today.

Just as God called the Israelites’ to be Holy as He is Holy, He has called us to the same, as seen in 1 Peter 1:15-16

1 Peter 1:15–16 NASB95

15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

The sermon on the mount is Jesus’ instructions for His followers to follow so that they may be Holy as He is Holy.

Matthew 5:13–16 NASB95

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Pray

As Christians we must fill society as agents of redemption.

We do this in three ways.

I. Slat of the Earth

Matthew 5:13 NASB95

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

Salt can be used for multiple different things.

One of the things that salt is used for is a preservative for foods.

Before the Refrigeration, people used salt to preserve food.

Salting down a piece of meat slowed the decaying process.

Jesus did not tell the disciples, you are the salt of the shaker.

Because of sin, the earth is under a curse and it is like a decaying piece of meat.

Salt cannot preserve the meat if it is left in the shaker.

The salt must be applied to the meat, or in this case the earth.

Jesus states that if the salt become tasteless.

For salt to lose its taste is to lose its uniqueness.

Pure salt cannot lose its flavor or effectiveness, but the salt that is common in the Dead Sea area is contaminated with gypsum and other minerals and may have a flat taste or be ineffective as a preservative.

Christians are to be salt in a decaying world.

But if you become too mixed up with the world and allow its values to affect you, you will lose your uniqueness as a Christian and your ability to make a kingdom difference.

When salt looses its effectiveness it can only be used for little more than keeping the footpaths free of vegetation, or today we see up north it being used on the roads.

As Christians - followers of Jesus - we are to be the salt of the earth in that we are to create a thirst for greater information.

When someone sees a unique person who possesses superior qualities in specific areas, he desires to discover why that person is different.

As Christians - followers of Jesus - we should stand out from the world, we are called to be set apart, or Holy as God is Holy.

II. Light of the World

Matthew 5:14–15 NASB95

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

As Christians - followers of Jesus - we are called to be the light of the world.

We are to reflect the light of Jesus into the world.

John 1:5 NASB95

5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

In Scripture, the world is pictured as a dark place that requires illumination.

In the Gospel of John there, we are told by the apostle John that darkness which is speaking of the world, and the world, the people of the world did not comprehend light, and light is speaking of Jesus.

Worldly people do not comprehend Jesus, they do not understand Him.

We as followers of Jesus are to represent, be ambassadors for Jesus, we are to shine His light to the dark world.

John 3:19 NASB95

19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

In John chapter 3, Jesus is having a conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisees that came to Him by night.

Nicodemus asks Jesus what he must do to enter into the kingdom of God, he wanted to know how to get to heaven.

Jesus tells him that he must be born again.

This confused Nicodemus, as he asks Jesus, how can a man be born when he is old?

Nicodemus says how can a man enter into his mother’s womb and be born when he is old?

Jesus tells Nicodemus that a person must be born of water and of the Holy Spirit.

Nicodemus still did not comprehend what Jesus was telling him, as Nicodemus a religious leader was of the world.

In this conversation Jesus says John 3:16-19

John 3:16–19 NASB95

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

God gave us Jesus as the only way to salvation.

The problem is that worldly people do not accept, understand Jesus and therefore they reject Him.

Jesus has came to earth and has given His life as a ransom, the price required for people to have salvation.

But people reject Jesus and the gift that He has given.

See we are to be like the moon, the sun (S.U.N) is the main light source, but the moon reflects that light.

As followers of Jesus, we are to reflect the main light source of Jesus, the Son of God.

Just as a city on a hill cannot hide the lights of that city as they shine bright into the darkness around them, we to are to allow our light to shine into the darkness around us.

Jesus did not call us to be His followers so that we can hide our salvation and the way to salvation from those that are lost.

But as a person turns on a light, they do not hide it, but puts it where it will give light to the room.

We are to give light to the dark world around us.

III. Shining our Light

Matthew 5:16 NASB95

16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

We are not to be private Christians.

Our faith must go public.

We are to be the light of Jesus Christ to our families, friends, coworkers, and everyone that we come into contact with.

We are to shine the light of Jesus Christ in our lives so that those around us may see what God is doing and has done in our life.

Ephesians 2:10 NASB95

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Good works in these two verses, our text and Ephesians here is speaking of a righteous and biblically authorized action that is beneficial to others and for which God gets the credit.

Unless God is apart of it, it is not a good work.

When God is not apart of it, it is merely a good thing.

Our good works are accomplished so that we may glorify - that is, highlight, put on display, and make a big deal of - God.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we must strive to do everything to the glory of God.

As everything we do should be about Jesus.

1 Corinthians 10:31 NASB95

31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Everything we do as followers of Jesus must be to point to Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life as no one can come to the Father for salvation but through Jesus.

We must understand as disciples of Jesus, it is not about me, but about pointing people to Jesus so that they too can come to Jesus for salvation.