GOD'S LUMINARY

Matthew 5:13–16 NIV

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. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

INTRODUCTION

A rich man was determined to give his mother a birthday present that would outshine all others. He read of a bird that had a vocabulary of 4000 words, could speak in numerous languages, and could sing 3 operatic arias. He immediately bought this useful bird for $50,000 and had it delivered to his mother.

The next day, he phoned to see if she had received it. "What did you think of the bird?" he asked.

She replied, "It was delicious." (P)

Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t give you an immediate plane ticket to Heaven upon accepting Christ as your Savior?

Why, after your three dunks in the baptismal pool and the prayer of new life is offered, you’re not just beamed up through the steeple and directly into His Kingdom?

Why are we left, for a considerable amount of time anyway, to endure more of the hardships of life and the temptations that make us question the genuineness of our faith? (P)

If you have ever asked any of these questions, then perhaps, like that poor mother who misunderstood the purpose of that $50,000 bird, you have some difficulty understanding, or you underestimate the purpose you have been given in this life. (P)

Yes, we fulfill a lot of roles in our families and our careers - and they are very important, but they are also temporary. We have an eternal destiny, and therefore an eternal purpose - which is to prepare as many as we can for their eternal destiny, which, by their salvation in Christ, is the same as ours. (P)

Our Mission and Vision Statements are all about how to carry this out - by loving others, caring enough for them to want to do this for them. And then, because of that love and care, we become light and living water. (P)

Light is what we are discussing now. Last week, we explained what it meant to say that Jesus is light. He is the authority behind the commands we are called to live by. He exposes the sins in our lives so we can repent, and then shows us the light of His loving grace. That’s why we can say that He is the light in our darkness.

And if you remember, after we talked about all of that, we were given a very important instruction: We are called to abide in that light. (P)

Here’s that portion of the Mission Statement one more time: {CLICK}

MISSION STATEMENT:

We will abide and walk in the light of Christ.

—That is, we are called to remain in the light of Christ so we can be protected from Satan’s darkness, and so we can glow brightly for others. (P)

Have you ever watched a blacksmith work on horseshoes? What does he do?

To make the metal pliable, he holds it in the fire. But he has to leave it in there for a little while - if he just pops it in and back out, not much happens.

But if he keeps it in there long enough - what happens? It begins to glow.

So then he takes it over to the table to work it, but after a while out of the fire, the glowing stops, and it gets cold again - so he has to repeat he process. (P)

Too often, Christians make faith a matter of a Sunday Morning appointment and don’t even think of it again until a week later (or sometimes longer). The week goes on, fulfilling whatever grueling routine fills their schedules, and they don’t take time for God; they are away from the light of Christ, they don’t pick up the Bible, they barely pray, if they ever do. They get cold, they get dark, and in their exhaustion and distance from Christ, other people begin to see the worst in them.

And if you listen to enough atheists, agnostics, or people who refuse to set foot in a church, nothing turns them away like cold, dark Christians. (P)

We must abide in the light of Christ to keep us aglow, to keep us in touch with Christ’s influence, to keep His words in our hearts and minds, to be able to tap into His rest and help, so we can pass that on to others and they can see what Christ followers truly look like. Then hopefully, the day comes that they want in on that action. (P)

He calls us, in essence, to be luminaries. (P)

As we approach Christmas once again, it won’t be long until we attend special Christmas services or functions, and once in a while, we may see these luminaries pop up in different places. Luminaries are these small candles placed in bags or buckets, or jugs, anchored by sand, and placed along the edges of sidewalks and driveways, which act as attractive, guiding lights.

And in this segment of His famous Sermon on the Mount, here in Matthew 5, Jesus gives us 3 important ways that abiding (or remaining) in His light will help us, as His luminaries, to walk in that light, which can be understood as our active movement into the world where people actually see us. (P) {CLICK}

1. God’s luminary is an attractive influence.

Now it’s interesting, but not insignificant, that Jesus begins this section by bringing the metaphor of salt into the picture before He talks about light, but it’s worth going down that trail for a moment, as it still aligns with this idea of being attractive.

Here’s what He says in the first verse of our text:

Matthew 5:13 NIV

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.

{CLICK}

(P) Now, different people have different tastes and different flavor profiles that appeal to them more than others, but I know of few people, if any, who like bland food. And those who have had to get used to bland food because of dietary restrictions requiring less sodium have often told me how difficult it is to enjoy food with minimal flavor. (P)

Salt isn’t the only seasoning that enhances the flavor of food, but it is foundational, and that’s why Jesus uses it here. We especially see its significance when we consider these three characteristics salt has:

TASTE

That’s what we just talked about. Even many of the other seasonings we use have salt as a foundational flavor. If you had an ear of sweet corn with salt and one without salt, which would most people choose?

The one with salt, right?

And if food is without salt, or as Jesus puts it in Luke’s gospel, the salt itself has lost its flavor, what worth is it? {CLICK}

Luke 14:34–35 NIV

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? {CLICK} It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

(P) There is an attractive element to salt, and as we’ll see in a moment, light, that is incredibly important. A Christian who is not fulfilling his or her purpose has just as much draw and attraction as bland food or a dark lamp. (P)

A second characteristic of salt is:

2. PRESERVATION

This was critical in the days before refrigeration. Salt kept food from spoiling by protecting it from the bacteria and other microorganisms that would come in and tarnish it.

We don’t only carry an attractive presence by what we say and do around others, but it is our job to preserve the integrity of the gospel, and all of God’s words.

Paul words it this way in his letter to the Colossians: {CLICK}

Colossians 4:5–6 NIV

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. {CLICK} Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

In other words, how do we present the message of Christ, and how do we showcase the character of Christ in our lives, in an attractive way, without compromising the truth of that gospel? (P)

David Johnson offers an interesting perspective on salt that applies well to what we are talking about here.

He says:

Sodium is an extremely active element found naturally only in combined form; it always links itself to another element. Chlorine, on the other hand, is the poisonous gas that gives bleach its offensive odor.

When sodium and chlorine are combined, the result is sodium chloride--common table salt--the substance we use to preserve meat and bring out its flavor.

He then says:

Love and truth can be like sodium and chlorine. Love without truth is flighty, sometimes blind, and willing to combine with various doctrines. On the other hand, truth by itself can be offensive, sometimes even poisonous. Spoken without love, it can turn people away from the gospel.

When truth and love are combined in an individual or a church, however, then we have what Jesus called "the salt of the earth," and we're able to preserve and bring out the beauty of our faith. (P)

The word gospel itself implies this balance. The gospel is literally the good news. You can’t really appreciate the good news without knowing what the bad news was first - that which is manifest in sin. We are all victims of sin, we all hate sin, but we don’t always see how deep we are in it until someone lovingly draws our attention to it.

We can remind them that we also fall short, we are all guilty, and we can therefore all work together to seek the forgiveness of Christ and His strength to walk away from that darkness and into His light. (P)

There’s a third characteristic of salt that I never thought of until I read commentator Louis Barbieri’s words on these verses.

3. THIRST

We don’t typically think of thirst as a positive characteristic, but in the case of the gospel, it is.

You know how, when you eat salty food, like pretzels and popcorn, it isn’t long before you reach for a drink. That salt makes you thirsty.

How, as Christians, do we model and present the gospel in such a way that actually causes people to thirst for more?

Those folks don’t run away from it like many might think they want to. If the Holy Spirit has made them ready to hear about Jesus and we, by the leading of that same Spirit, present the gospel in that loving, attractive way, you will find that they want to know more. They ask more questions. They want to probe and study further, and that’s exactly what you want. (P)

That’s the essence behind salt, and light, as Jesus transitions to in verse 14. Not only are you the salt of the earth, but: {CLICK}

Matthew 5:14 NIV

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

(P) It would be like the great big white sheet I had up in my backyard once, in the middle of the night, when I was still in college.

Most of you know that, in addition to majoring in Christian Ministries at Messiah College, I minored in Environmental Science. One of the required classes was Entomology, which is the study of insects. The big project in that class was to use different trapping methods to collect and display at least 100 different species of insects.

One of the methods I used was hanging a huge white sheet in the backyard with a big spotlight on it. It could be seen from just about everywhere - there was no hiding our backyard that night.

But the insects that came to that sheet were incredible - and made up a healthy portion of my collection. (P)

When we follow the light of Christ, we will reflect His glow. That’s what John 8:12 means that we talked about last week: {CLICK}

John 8:12 NIV

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

And that’s exactly what we are called to do in this life - shine that light of Christ that is being reflected off of us in an attractive way, and in a way that makes people want more of Him, which we’ll see more in a minute. (P)

Paul tells the Philippians, in the second chapter of that letter: {CLICK}

Philippians 2:14–16 NIV

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, {CLICK} so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky {CLICK} as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

To the Ephesians, he says in chapter 5 and verse 8: {CLICK}

Ephesians 5:8–10 NIV

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light {CLICK} (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) {CLICK} and find out what pleases the Lord.

And if Paul were still here, writing to us Codorusians, he would tell us the same types of things. (P)

The first step to passing the gospel on is being salt and light, being an attractive influence that makes people want to know God, because of how you live and because of what you say.

The more people trust us with what we’re showing them, the more effective we can be at the second way we are to be God’s light: {CLICK}

2. God’s luminary is a guiding light.

Jesus says in verse 15 of this text:

Matthew 5:15 NIV

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.

{CLICK}

Jesus says what we are supposed to do, but He also implies that there are many who do not want to do it, and so He also needs to address that. (P)

We know that many people are uneasy and scared about what it means to be salt and light, and don’t really want to do it for that reason. And some just flat-out don’t want to be bothered.

But that verse reminds us that the Christian who doesn’t want to share the gift from Christ, that they have been so freely given, with others - is like that lamp that is lit, and then covered with a bowl.

I can imagine that Jesus drew some laughs from that image because it sounds like a ridiculous thing to do, but that’s the nature of a light that isn’t functioning as a light. (P)

Paul says in: {CLICK}

2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Our faces are to be unveiled and our lights are to be shining, so that the whole glory of God can be visibly radiating out from us. That is, people get a glimpse of God’s character (love, kindness, compassion, and care for others) because that’s what they see from the people calling themselves His followers. (P)

And really, this isn’t always a difficult thing to do, and even in times that it is, most of us have gone through far greater challenges. Especially in being light, this is the more passive part of our Mission. Living Water implies more activity, but still not earth-shattering, and we’ll get to that next week.

But there is nothing in this text that says being light means going to the corner of George and Market Street in York City, and preaching loudly with megaphones. I think that’s what a lot of people think of when they hear “evangelism” or “spreading the gospel.” That might be for some people, but not everybody.

But what is for everybody is simply living a Christ-like life in how you approach others, just day to day, how you talk to them, how you show concern for them, how kind you are to them, anything you can say and do that makes them feel valued, and reminds them that they are the child of a loving God.

You’re just shining a guiding light. (P)

There’s a town in Western Pennsylvania called Delmont, and each year, they have what they call a pilgrimage tour that starts at a church, but then goes out into a field across the road. It’s a fairly long paved path that walks visitors through the Christmas story with different stations along the way, and the entire stretch of the path is marked on either side by luminaries.

As long as you stay between the luminaries, you know you are on the right path. Many of them were tea candles, so without staff watching them, it was possible they could go out before the evening was over, and you can imagine what might happen if they all went out while people were still out on that dark path.

Nobody, especially those truly searching for Christ, wants that to happen. Nobody wants the lights to go completely out. We need to be unashamedly shining them to others. And we’re not talking about a once-and-done thing, where you nervously walk up to someone and quickly yell out, God loves you! - and then you run away as though you’re trying to get to safety after doing that scary thing while saying, Whew, glad that’s over!

We’re talking about long-term, gradual relationship-building, starting with those who are already in your spheres of influence -

young family members

co-workers

neighbors with whom you have a good rapport

students

fellow brothers and sisters right here in this church who are still searching and growing. (P)

Light your candle, do not hide it. Do not let it go out. Let nothing get in the way of Jesus’ light. Shine your light and use it to guide those people in your life whom God loves deeply, just as He does you, and wants them with Him as much as He wants you.

You might be the only opportunity they get. (P)

And in doing this, you discover what is expected in this third way: {CLICK}

3. God’s luminary is a pointer to God.

We live in a world where too many people refuse to go to church, and in some cases, refrain from acknowledging God at all, because of too many Christians who did not shine their light - who either hid it by remaining Sunday-only Christians, or presented as that cold and dark person who called themselves a Christian but did not abide closely in the light of Christ. They used Him as a crutch to get “salvation” and then blew Him off. And now, how they live life in public makes that quite clear. (P)

Jesus calls us to the exact opposite lifestyle in the last verse of this text: {CLICK}

Matthew 5:16 NIV

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

...instead of rejecting Him. You show the character of God by how you live for God, and by not getting sucked into the trap of doing these things only to make yourself look good. Many people know the difference - you can’t fool them. (P)

Paul encourages the Corinthians: {CLICK}

1 Corinthians 10:31–33 NIV

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. {CLICK} Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks, or the church of God— {CLICK} even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. {CLICK}

Your job is to be the light that points the way to God. (P)

It’s been a long time since I’ve been on that pilgrimage tour I was telling you about, but I still have the image painted in my brain. As we walked across the street to the field where the tour was, and got beyond that line of street lights to where it was nice and dark, you could literally see the entire path winding before you because of those luminaries.

Hundreds, if not thousands of them, wound along the entire length of the path, stopping at each station, deep into the field and up the hill where you also saw it end - at the stable with the star on it, where we would eventually find the Christ Child. (P)

Are you the type of Christian that people have seen so much kindness from, have heard so many sweet words from, and have found gentle and loving correction from, that they now trust you to:

Answer any questions they may have about faith, because they thirst for more, because of how you have helped them so far?

Be an attractive ambassador for Christ who will never hide your light from them?

Remain genuine in the things you say and do so as not to mislead them?

See them all the way through their journey so that the end of their pilgrimage walk finds them praising God for the salvation they found in Christ, because you were the light for them that reflected His light? (P)

CONCLUSION

I’ve said this before - imagine never finding that person who guided you to Christ, the one who was the light of your world.

Or imagine that that person, instead of being your light, caused you to turn away from Christ because the life they lived was very dark compared to the light they were supposed to shine as a Christian.

They were unkind to you.

They did nothing but criticize you.

Or they spoke kindness to you, and they said all the right things, but then you ran into them in public and saw a very different and dark side of them than the front you originally saw. (P)

I have people near and dear to me who will not go to church “because of those hypocrites,” unless they are visiting and will come to support me. That means a lot, but it isn’t the right reason.

Yes, there are many flaws with that argument. But those flaws are irrelevant if the final decision of the matter is that they refuse to go to church, and worse still, they reject because of the Christians not shining their light. (P)

We can’t do much about other Christians acting that way, but you can do a lot with how you act. And the first thing you must do is pray for God to give you the love, compassion, courage, and strength to find one person - to start with - that you can shine your light for - that is - reflecting Christ’s light. Perhaps take a moment to think about how that person’s life could be dreadfully different if you didn’t uphold your part in the Vision and Mission of this church. (P)

George Santayana gives a terrifying thought. He says:

Imagine people going to work day after day without knowing their company's business, yet that's exactly what happens when church members don't know what their church is trying to do.

Fanaticism consists in redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim. (P)

We don’t want to be like that mother who ate a $50,000 bird because she severely misunderstood its purpose.

It’s why we started this series of messages weeks ago with driving home the point of God’s deep love for us - and if you missed that somehow or need refreshed, I encourage you to get on YouTube and check out September 14th’s service.

This isn’t just a religious task; this is a quest and a movement to get people in touch with their Heavenly Father. That’s why Jesus closed this text using those exact words. He is your Father who loves you deeply, and He loves those others out there, too, who still need to get to know Him. (P)

Let’s close by reflecting on what Paul says about this in: {CLICK}

Galatians 4:6–7 NIV

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” {CLICK} So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

(P) An heir - the child of God has a part in the most precious estate any Father can offer His children. This isn’t just a religious duty done on a whim of convenience. This is eternity. This is paradise. And it belongs to us - and it belongs to our brothers and sisters just longing to find the way.