Matthew 5:13-20

Thanks again for joining us today.

Today we dive back in to the Sermon on the Mount. Perhaps the most famous and influential single speech every delivered.

It's the first recorded sermon of Jesus, so it's not a surprise that Jesus is speaking to issues that get to the heart of our human experience.

Last week it was about what can truly, fully, deeply, impact and form our happiness, or what is a blessed state of being. We saw it can only be found in turning our life over to Jesus and being formed by him and like him.

This week the topic changes, but it remains as relevant and just as central to our human experience as ever.

INTRODUCTION: WE NEED TO FIND OUR IDENTITY

Now part of being a preacher means opening up your life to the congregation and I feel like I've brought you along on my plan to school my kids in all the early 90's movies that I enjoyed when I was a boy.

I've introduced them to Home Alone, Cool Runnings, The Karate Kid, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, The Sandlot Kids, Jumanji, E.T. and one of our most recent watches: Hook.

You might know it. Robin Williams is the middle-aged high profile lawyer Peter Banning who is so caught up in his wheeling and dealing that he's neglecting his wife and children.

He's completely forgotten his childhood and been formed now in the values and priorities of being a grown up.

That is until his kids are kidnapped and magically taken to Neverland which is currently ruled by Captain Hook, who's in a perpetual fight with a group of children, the Lost Boys.

Peter needs to get his kids back. But to do so he needs to remember that he actually is Peter Pan.

And so the movie revolves around Peter having to remember who he was. Re-find his identity as Peter Pan, and only then can he fight back against Hook and save his kids from evil.

Sure enough, at the most emotional moment in the movie, after everyone's tried and failed in reminding Peter who he really is, there's a cute little Lost Boy who comes up to Peter and starts smushing his face around and then says, "there you are Peter!".

From then on, Peter is a new man, or should we say, his old childlike self. He can fly. He can fight. Most important of all, he re-discovers his mission and his purpose. Finding who he is completely changes what he knows he's meant to do.

It's a classic Hollywood plotline.

The veiled hero needs to discover their true identity so they might be empowered for the mission before them.

We could replace Hook with a whole host of other storylines.

Simba in the Lion King.

Elsa in Frozen.

Neo in The Matrix.

Jason Bourne in The Bourne Identity.

Harry Potter in Harry Potter.

These people need to know who they are, and then once they know, they can finally do what they're meant to do with their lives.

It's a common plotline because it taps into something that is the human experience.

We need to know who we are. Our identity. Then we know what the point of our lives is, and what we're called to do.

All of us have an identity, or identities, that dictate our mission and responsibilities in life.

If you think about it, most of the weightiest identities and therefore responsibilities you and I have, were given to us without us asking for it.

As soon as I was born, I became a son - and one of the weightiest responsibilities has been how I respond and respect my parents, and as they age, it'll be up to me to think about them and care for them.

I'm a brother - so I am bound to consider my brothers and their families and look out for them.

Others I've accrued as I've gone on in life.

I'm a husband, a father, a pastor - so I have a responsibility toward my wife, to my children, and to you the church.

All these identities bring with them purpose, mission and responsibility.

Most pressing of all, I'm a Christian. Jesus has given his life for me, and I need to live my life in response.

Today Jesus is going to get to the heart of the identity of those who follow him. We have our own 'there you are Peter' moment as we discover what it means to be a Christian. And we get with it an incredible mission and purpose.

We saw last week that who he is starts to become the trajectory of who we are. Today he's going to double down on the idea. We aren't just called to embody Jesus' character, or to share with him in his suffering, but to also share in his mission to the world.

We're going to walk through the text and I've chosen three particular sayings of Jesus in the text to stop at and think about the implications.

Let's read:

BIBLE: MATTHEW 5:13-15

[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.

So let's talk about what Jesus says about our identity. He tells us who we are with the words:

1/ "YOU ARE..."

They're identity statements. Not "you could be...", not "you will one day become...", not "you're almost...". But...

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

Jesus is casting a vision of who we are as his followers. Not just the trained ones. Not just the academic ones. Not just those who have been following him for over 10 years. Not just those who are extroverted or confident. It's the identity of everyone who trusts in Jesus.

Let's unpack the first. You are the salt of the earth.

Salt does a lot of things.

We have fridges and freezers and so many ways to preserve our mass produced food these days that the point might be lost on us. But in the ancient world salt was the thing used to preserve a lot of their food, especially meat. So we could say that to the original audience Jesus is telling them they're a moral and spiritual preservative in a world that's prone to go stale, dry out and decay.

Toward a similar point, salt was also something the original audience will have been familiar with for its attachment to purity, because it was used in sacrifices.

Leviticus 2 and Numbers 18 talk about 'a covenant of salt' because salt was mixed with all the grain offerings.

Jesus is telling his followers they are to live pure, holy and distinct lives.

But Jesus brings up another layer specifically.

BIBLE: MATTHEW 5:13B

"...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."

Salt enhances flavour and taste.

We could have a long debate on which chips are the best chips in our society.

Maccas fries aren't bad, but maybe a little too thin.

Hungry Jacks have certainly improved, because they made them a little thicker.

Grill'd chips are great, especially the sweet potato or zucchini versions.

KFC chips are a long time fave.

For me, though, Schnitz chips would be the winner.

You know the worst type of chips? Whichever ones you buy, and they don't have salt.

The salt makes the difference.

So Jesus is saying that Christians are the salt of the earth in that we're called to bring the flavour of God's truth, love and grace to the world. And if we don't do that, if we don't live distinctly different lives of preservation and purity, if we're too compromised or mixed in with the world, we're like salt-less chips... we're like those random fries left on the floor of your local Maccas, no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on.

Jesus' vision gets even more visual when he tells us next:

“You are the light of the world."

It's a significant thing to say because we know elsewhere in his teaching Jesus boldly called himself the light of the world.

Jesus is the light of the world. He's come, God in the flesh, so that he might seek and save the lost. That he might expose our darkness and point us like a lighthouse to the Father.

But Jesus says here, "you are the light of the world"

And Jesus adds to this one too. It's a verse we're very familiar with at City on a Hill.

BIBLE: MATTHEW 5:14-15

[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.

Jesus' point is that like an ancient city built on top of a hill, built so that it might be safe and provide protection from foreign armies, most importantly of all, a city on a hill would be visible. Shining it's light out into the valleys and landscape around it.

This is the identity Jesus tells us we have. This is why we gather under the name City on a Hill. It plays into our philosophy.

We're a people called to be bold and unashamed. A people who so follow Jesus that our loyalty to him is made visible in how we speak, how we love, how we share our money, how we respond to suffering, how we prioritise our responsibilities, how we seek to reach out.

Just 13 verses in to his first major sermon, Jesus is telling us who we are.

He tells us enough to know that:

Christianity isn't a political movement.

Christianity isn't just a label to tick on a census.

Christianity isn't an attribute inherited from your Grandparents.

Christianity isn't merely a conviction about the after life.

From the lips of Jesus himself we hear that Christianity, following him, is an identity. Something that changes who we are.

It's an identity perhaps you didn't ask for. One you didn't craft for yourself. But it's the identity Jesus says we have by virtue of following him.

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

You are a city on a hill.

And this identity brings with it a specific purpose. What's the next thing Jesus says?

2/ "LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE..."

BIBLE: MATTHEW 5:16

[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.

A city on a hill is obvious, visible, providing light and guidance to the vast landscape and the valleys around it.

Just like that, Jesus says, your life is meant to be as visible and influential.

This is revolutionary for us in the eastern suburbs of one of the most liveable cities in the modern day western world.

Because we assume that the purpose of our lives is instead:

"In the same way, let your life keep up with the lives of others, so that they may see your good career, and your well put together family, and your impressive friendship circle, and give glory to you and your hard work."

That's often what we think life is about.

Success for us is:

Earn enough to one day be financially free and earn your retirement.

Parent well enough that your kids don't end up being one of those people who apply for Married at First Sight.

Be likeable enough that your friends remember your birthdays and invite you to hang out on New Years Eve.

Be competent enough that you get raises consistently enough.

And do that long enough until you're old and die peacefully in a home and a non-embarrassing amount of people want to attend your funeral.

That's success.

But for a Christian, that kind of vision reminds me of a sporting story I heard a couple of weeks ago.

COLOUR: DISGRACE OF GIJON

In the 1982 World Cup, going into the final group match, West Germany and Austria both knew what they needed to progress. They just needed West Germany to win by a goal or two, and they'd both go through. So after an early goal by West Germany, the teams just played out a kickaround for the rest of the match. It became known as the Disgrace of Gijon, because it was effectively just a ghost of a match, where nothing happened.

Commentators refused to commentate any further. One commentator told viewers to turn off their televisions. There was outrage. What is the point?

And in some sense, if Jesus was to look around at the wider church, in our comfortable parts of the world right now, he might have a similar level of outrage.

There are Christians who 'get saved' and then try to play out a draw for the rest of their life. Passivity. Distraction. No kingdom mindset or advancement. No sense of purpose of living your life for Jesus.

Thankfully, the Bible tells us the final score, Jesus has already won. But that victory gives us a mission. We're called to use our lives for Jesus' sake.

Don't shrink into the expectations of the eastern suburbs. Lift your eyes and see that God has a far bigger purpose for your life, a far bigger mission you're called to walk in.

God wants to use you to help rescue humanity, invite them out of the kingdom of darkness, and support them in trusting in Jesus and growing to be more like him.

God's strategy for his goal of doing that... is you.

Notice that "Let your light shine" isn't telling us very specific 'do this... don't do that'... Jesus isn't prescriptive. He doesn't want us to uproot our lives necessarily, but rather to see all of our lives as for that bigger purpose.

"Let your light shine..." is really Jesus saying, "Let my light shine through you..." in all you do.

i) Our homes are not sanctuaries of isolation, but mission stations. Outposts of hospitality, kindness and grace in a fractured world.

ii) Our jobs are not rungs on a ladder to greater prosperity, but missionary assignments. You have a purpose in your job far more important than what’s written on your job description

iii) Our money is not for buying more stuff, but mission ammunition. We can use our money to blow holes in the gates of hell, as we resource ministry, Word work, evangelism, and give to meet needs.

COLOUR: ANGLICAN CHURCH PLANTING DAY

I went to an Anglican Church Planting Day during the week because I'm helping lead a group of church planters across our denomination. We had a guest speaker who is planting churches in Finland. His whole evangelistic strategy is to stand in the check out at Aldi (it's called Lidl over there) and wait for opportunities to pay for people's groceries.

God wants us looking around at our lives seeing what we can use to let Jesus shine through us.

COLOUR: PERSONAL STORY

I know for me, my workplace is a boring workplace because they all already trust in Jesus.

And while I don't feel like I'm a natural evangelist, I feel I've gotta put myself out there. So for the last couple of years I've coached my sons soccer team, so I might befriend the Dads, and be a salty, light-shining presence.

It's a long game, but it's an attempt to not put my light under a basket.

You've gotta think about you.

How can you let your light shine before others?

That dining table you have - when's the last time people who need Jesus sat around it?

That extra-curricular activity you're already doing - why can't you also invite that friend from work to join you?

What in your life right now do you need to reframe in order to see it not as irrelevant to life in the kingdom, but actually something Jesus has given you in order to live out your true identity, and step into your real purpose and mission?

You were made for him. You were born again by him. Your identity is in him. Your life's purpose and mission is now all about him.

As Jesus is lifting the eyes of those who are sitting around him on this mountain right now, he perceives the minds of his audience are going somewhere.

By this time in his sermon, the crowd will have been thinking: "Hang on here Mr. Revolutionary... what about the law we've been given from God? That's how we're meant to live. Are you overthrowing all that?"

It leads us to the final statement he says:

3/ "DO NOT THINK..."

Jesus perceives what's going on in their heads and says:

BIBLE: MATTHEW 5:17-19

[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.

We won't have time to get into the weeds of the law, but Jesus' point is a big one.

Letting your light shine was always one of the goals of the commandments God had given his people. Jesus is saying he isn't coming along to do away with it, to abolish the law... but to fulfil it... it fill it full... to level it up.

To this point the law was so simple, that it could be obeyed on the surface while the heart wasn't engaged.

Jesus is going to start saying, "you have heard it said... but I say to you" in the passages to come, because he's going to take the law and bring it to life in the heart.

Letting your light shine means living in such a way that you want your whole life, your whole heart, your words, your works, your actions, your attitude, to shine God's love and character to the world around you.

Jesus is telling us very practically, how we live is a big part of how we shine.

If you've been around the church for any amount of time you might've heard the famous quote by St Francis of Assissi:

"Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary"

It's an inspirational quote isn't it because it reminds us the power of our practical love. It feels like a relief that we don't have to speak the gospel and potentially out ourselves as a weirdo.

Unfortunately he's wrong.

You can't preach the gospel without words. It's a message. It's about Jesus who so loves you that he gave up his life in death on the cross to take the punishment that you and I deserve in our sin, in our place. Then he rose again in power. Showing the world that he's the King, that he's defeated death, that he's fixing what's broken in our world and he invites us to respond to him by trust in who he is and what he's done.

Now you could try to act that out without words... but it'd be a serious pantomime performance that people are still likely to misinterpret.

No, preaching the gospel requires words. Pointing people to Jesus as the King requires words. We need boldness and courage to find the words to say when the opportunity presents itself.

But sometimes our tribe who loves the Word, and the preaching of it, we so reject St Francis we think our moral lives don't matter all that much.

Jesus is affirming that your heart, your life, your integrity, it matters. In both you words and your witness light is pouring out, like from a city on a hill.

The question isn't whether you're a light, but how much light are you displaying.

Christians in the past understood the complementarity between word and witness.

Writing in the early parts of the 2nd century, there's a famous letter written to a guy named Diognetes. He describes the early church at the time:

QUOTE: The Epistle to Diognetes, c. AD 130

They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all others; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death and restored to life. They are poor yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things and yet abound in all; they are dishonored and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of and yet are justified; they are reviled and bless; they are insulted and repay the insult with honor; they do good yet are punished as evildoers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred. To sum it all up in one word -- what the soul is to the body, that are Christians in the world.

That's the church. Shining it's light.

2000 years later, the question is: are we walking in who we really are? Have we found our true identity in Christ? Are we taking up the purpose, the mission the responsibility that comes with that?

Following Jesus is more than joining a voting bloc. More than ticking a box or tacking on church attendance.

It's a grand purpose in the world for Jesus' sake.

If we weren't challenged enough, Jesus finishes:

BIBLE: MATTHEW 5:20

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

On the one hand, the Pharisees were bound to externalities. Cleaning the outside of the cup while being full of greed and self-indulgence. So having a righteousness that exceeds them Jesus is telling us that you and I need a heart that doesn't just want to look the part but embodies the part from the inside out. We need Jesus inside of us, shaping us to be like who he is.

But his point also pushes us outside of ourselves and our performance, to his, for us, in our place.

The only place we can find perfect righteousness is in Jesus. He's the only person who ever lived without sin, without greed, without self-indulgence.

And this is the beauty of Christianity - you can have credited to you the perfect life of Jesus. When you trust in him, you are counted righteous in him.

So maybe today you need to ask Jesus to come and take the basket off of you. Maybe you've been a lousy light, or you've lost your saltiness.

Jesus' righteousness is yours by faith.

You can come to him. Repent. Turn around. Ask for Jesus' forgiveness, and instead of wallowing in guilt, stand up in power and let your light shine.

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

You are a city on a hill.

I'm going to pray now, but I'm going to ask for a public display of boldness befitting the challenge of Jesus in this text.

If you want to live like a city on a hill, for Jesus' sake. If you want to shake off the sense of smallness that your vision of life has become. If you want to restore the saltiness, and the brightness to your witness for Jesus. We're going to ask God for that now. And if you want that, I'm going to ask you to please stand while I pray for you.

PRAYER: