Authentic Discipleship

Today’s Reading from God’s Word

Matthew 5:13–16 CSB

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are 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 in heaven.

Introduction

A few years ago, two people met up by chance in a coffee shop.

Tom was a self-described skeptic who’d grown weary of religion. He started most mornings at a coffee shop in Nashville.

He wasn’t there for soul-searching - he was just there for the lattes.

One rain-soaked morning, he noticed a woman named Sarah, come in like so many before, carrying a worn bible under her arm.

Intrigued by the sight of someone reading Scripture in such a casual setting, he struck up a conversation.

“Interesting book choice,” he said, gesturing toward her bible.

“It’s more than a book to me,” Sarah said, “It’s how I try to live.”

Their brief encounter that morning started up a routine. Tom and Sarah started chatting regularly over morning coffee.

Tom wasn’t a Christian — he’d met plenty of “religious types” before and found them preachy or hypocritical.

But he found Sarah different.

He later learned through a mutual friend that she was a coworker at a nearby office, someone known for her steady kindness and unshakeable calm.

One story stuck with him. They both had a mutual colleague who had once betrayed Sarah’s trust, spreading rumors about her at work.

Instead of retaliating, Sarah forgave her — quietly, without fanfare — even when no one was watching.

“She didn’t just talk about forgiveness,” Tom later told a friend, “She lived it.”

Their coffee shop talks deepened. Sarah never pushed her faith on Tom, but her actions spoke louder than any sermon he had ever heard. She’d pay for a stranger’s coffee when they forgot their wallet.

She’d listen patiently to the barista’s rants about a bad day, offering a word of encouragement.

Tom noticed how she treated everyone — him included — with a warmth that felt genuine, not forced.

“She’s … real.” he found himself saying one day, almost surprised by the admission.

Over time, Tom’s curiosity grew. He began asking Sarah about her relationship with Jesus, not because he wanted to debate, but because he wanted to understand what fueled her.

Her answers were simple, rooted in answers that came directly from that worn bible:

Jesus forgiving those who crucified him

loving the unlovable

being authentic in a world of akes.

Tom didn’t commit his life to Jesus overnight, but Sarah’s life planted a seed.

He began to see Christianity not as a set of rules, or as a flashy church service, but as a way of being — something that Sarah embodied every day.

What speaks to people?

What impacts them profoundly in our time?

Authenticity. Someone true to their ideals, character, and service.

This is what really stands out. It always has. It’s one of the most powerful things about Christianity...

Sarah’s authentic life spoke to Tom in a way words never could.

This is the kind of impact Jesus calls us to have in Matthew 5:13-16, where he says we are the salt and light of the world.

This fits in so well with what we’ve been talking about during April: Reflecting God’s character.

Embracing Your Identity and Purpose

Today’s scripture reading speaks to your identity and purpose.

Matthew 5:13 CSB

13 “You are the salt of the earth.

Matthew 5:14 CSB

14 “You are the light of the world.

This is your identity.

You are salt.

As salt, you preserve what’s good and bring flavor to a bland world, drawing others to taste the goodness of God.

You are light.

As light, you point the way to Jesus.

Now, v. 15:

Matthew 5:15 CSB

15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.

This is your purpose.

You mirror Jesus to everyone you come into contact with.

Your spouse, your children, your family.

Your co-workers, those in the community.

Everywhere with everyone, all the time.

Now, v. 16

Matthew 5:16 CSB

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 in heaven.

You have been called to be the stimulus for other people giving glory to God.

Who are you reflecting?

Have you ever read 5.14-16 in connection with the rest of the sermon on the mount?

These verses are a purpose statement, serving as a bridge between the beatitudes and the rest of the sermon, where Jesus tells us how to get it accomplished.

From the inside, project Jesus by:

5.21-26: managing our anger.

5.27-30: bridling our lusts.

5.31-32: staying true in our marriage.

5.33-37: letting our word be our bond.

5.38-42: trusting in God to retaliate against those who harm us

5.43-48: loving our enemies

6.1-4: giving to the needy

6.25-32: resisting anxiety

6.33: seeking the kingdom first

This is authentic Christianity.

If you want to see the blueprint of what the original is, God’s intention for what the Christian life looks like … look no farther than Matthew 5-7.

I don’t think we spend enough time here.

It’s easy for us to spend time in the epistles … looking at matters of doctrine … comparing our practices to the practices of others … how we got it right … and they got it wrong … and never come to the proper understanding of personal transformation that Jesus stressed in the gospels.

We can get things right in doctrine and procedure … but our hearts may never be transformed to be like Jesus.

And we do fall short at times.

Thankfully, our God is patient and invites us cooperate in his work of transformation through the Spirit.

Today…

We’re going to talk about our first priority.

i.e, our willing participation in the transformation process God is working in us.

Our cooperation. Our surrender. Our allowance. …of His work.

For the purpose of reflecting God’s character.

This will involve the greatest of commitment … the giving of everything … even our very life.

Two things:

We’ll look at Matthew 10.24 & Luke 6.40 - to get a basic understanding of what it means to be a disciple.

We’ll look at Matthew 10.25 and see how discipleship does not come without a cost.

Defining Discipleship

Let’s turn to Matthew 10.

Matthew 10:24 CSB

24 A disciple is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.

Understanding this passage is basic to our Christianity.

As disciples, we are learners.

The teacher is the one who knows.

One who does not know is not above the one who knows.

As slaves, Jesus is our master.

We are under Him.

We submit to Him. He communicates His wisdom and we carry out His wishes.

Now, let’s look at Luke’s gospel, which presents the same teaching for a more positive perspective:

Luke 6:40 CSB

40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

What is the first perspective a disciple has toward his teacher?

One day, he/she will be like His/her teacher.

How do we do this?

Now to 1 John.

1 John 2:5–6 CSB

5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him: 6 The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.

(Purpose statement restated.)

You are a believer growing toward Christlikeness.

We need to be so dominated by Jesus that we become more like him every day.

An ascension toward Christlikeness.

1 John 3:2 CSB

2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is.

Everything in your Christian life is heading toward this moment.

This has some serious implications

If we become more and more like Jesus, how will the world view this?

Back to Matthew 10.24 - when Jesus is saying a disciple is not above his teacher or a slave is not above his master, it is in the sense of persecution.

The more you become like Jesus, the more the world will treat you like it did Him.

The entire context of Matthew 10 is one of persecution, hostility, and death.

It’s an amazing call to discipleship where Jesus is saying, “I want you to come and be my disciple and be like me. I want you to get ready to pay the supreme price.”

The Price of Discipleship

Disciples are content not to go above their master.

Matthew 10:25 CSB

25 It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master.

We must be satisfied to be like our Lord. That is enough.

True disciples seek nothing more.

We’re not in Christianity for what we get out of it.

Paul’s desire was to be like Jesus … in his death.

Philippians 3:10 CSB

10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,

This is not about being loved by the world.

Acceptance.

Notoriety.

Well liked by everyone.

It’s about being like Jesus. Christlikeness.

Are We Willing to Pay the Price?

Matthew 10:25 CSB

25 If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!

The master of the house? Jesus.

If they call Him Beelzebul, what do you expect they’ll call you?

How deep is your commitment?

John 15:18–20 CSB

18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

What are we teaching?

Our kids?

Seekers?

How many American Christians look very like the world?

Clothing choices? Entertainment? Recreation? Music? Places they go on the internet?

Why do so many in the church today simply float along? No direction? No urgency? No enthusiasm? No engagement in personal study and devotion?

How many of us are truly hungry?

A Gauge for Your Spiritual Life

Matthew 5:13 CSB

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Have you lost your taste? How will you know?

The more you are like Jesus, the more the world will treat you like they treated Him.

If you’re not getting much resistance from the world, it could be that there is not too much similarity to Jesus.

And it could be that you’ve actually become a hindrance to the cause of Christ.

Christians who give no thought to reflecting God’s character … can be toxic to the cause.

As We Close…

It may seem strange.

But the more hated you are by the world …

There will also be more people who will be attracted by your spiritual testimony.

They’ll see your authenticity… just like Tom did with Sarah.

They’ll see your heart .. where you’ve fully committed to reflecting God’s character.

They’ll want the same things you possess:

joy, peace, freedom from guilt.

The soothing sense of forgiveness; the hope of eternal life.

A growing consistency that reflects the character of Jesus.

It’ll be seen in your kindness, compassion, forgiving spirit, and genuine love for others.

Let’s go back to where we started in Matthew 5:

Matthew 5:14–16 CSB

14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are 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 in heaven.

Verse 14 is our identity. You are light.

Verse 15 is our purpose. You have been called to project light.

Verse 16 is the challenge: You can be the stimulus for other people giving glory to God.

Does this appeal to you? Can we help you? Come to Jesus today!