Sunday Worship Jan 13, 2019

Oh, good morning. Again. We are continuing our study in the Book of Matthew this morning. And so I would encourage you if you didn't bring a Bible with you grab that Pew Bible in front of you the black one.

And turn the page 810 we are in Matthew chapter 5.

Tying up the loose ends on the Beatitudes.

Matthew chapter 5 verses 13 through 16 And would you stand with me one last time this morning as we read God's word together?

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. You are the light of the world a city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 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 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. You may be seated.

Let's pray.

but if we come to your word this morning to know you and to know who we are. And we we understand that then we can't know who we are were it not for how you have instructed us have shown us who we are through your word.

So afraid this morning that we would have understanding.

That is we hear the words of our savior speaking to us.

If we wouldn't resist it.

That we wouldn't. Try to explain away what he has clearly told us.

But that we would receive it. And that we would receive what our savior has given us with gladness and joy.

Yes in Jesus name amen.

Well, this is this is one of those passages that that many of us are very familiar with isn't it? Weird that I think we often overlooked it for what it's meant to be. Sometimes it's as Christians, especially with those of us who have been Christians for a while. We can't we can tend to let these teachings almost become cliche like a little statement set that may be motivated Us in the past at some point in in in our walk with Christ. But over time if sort of have lost their influence with us.

Part of that I believe is because this this text is feels like a complete package at the feels like something that can be easily removed from its context. And so we often do that. When it's that way it can be sort of a rah-rah statement. Can't it go get them? What are those those things that we've we've heard many times before? And so when we think of it that that way we think yes, we're supposed to be salt. We're supposed to be light, but I'm not always that way. And nothing bad has come of it, right?

And so we just kind of continue as as we are.

But when we see it this morning, we should look at it and it sort of like a check engine light shouldn't is this is God revealing to a something that's going on in our hearts and we should look at it and receive it that way. So I want to challenge you this morning to hear Jesus's teaching a new like you've not heard heard it before so it's almost like really speak it in a new language for you this text come to you the way that it was written the way that it was meant to be received. If you think about it this what we just read is really the concluding paragraph to the introduction to The Sermon on the Mount.

Concluding paragraphs to introductions are not meant to be Standalone teachings. Especially in servants if we read this section the way that it was meant to be read. Here's what we'll see. All right. So keep your Bibles open follow with me first. First of all, it comes immediately following Jesus's teaching about persecution, which was sort of the climax of the Beatitudes that we studied last week. See it see if it makes a difference when we read it like this blessed. Are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account where in Matthew 5:11 there an hour and 12 Then Jesus says rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you you are the salt of the earth. See how that fits. If we read it like that, it helps us to remember that being the salt of the earth might have something to do with being persecuted.

at the same time this teaching comes right before Jesus's teaching about the law. So let's read the last sentence beginning and verse 16 in its scriptural context in the same way. Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father. He was in heaven do not think that I have come to abolish the law of the prophets. I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. See the connection here. This helps us to remember that Jesus is fulfilling the law and the prophets in all that he does in all that he teaches. Including when he teaches us about Salt and Light. That's the framework that we have here. It's literally the molding that goes around this picture of Salt and Light. And it goes a really long way in helping us to understand why this passage is here. It's not just randomly inserted into Jesus is sermon as a motivational proverb. It's intricately intertwined into what he's teaching us throughout his sermon. So what I'm going to do this morning is break up for us into into three sections. You have them in your notes. If you if you have that in your bulletin three sections that aren't necessarily inverse order, but we're going to look at Instead. The Logical order The Logical argument that Jesus is making cuz he is a logical he just speak to us from from a strong sense of reason and so that's how we're going to do understand understand what he's telling us. He first shows us who we are. Then he shows us how who we are cannot be undone. It can't be lessened. And then he shows us why we are the way we are. What's the purpose? About being made something light. So let's look at it first part who we are in Christ.

What are two statements In this passage that Define who we are you probably saw them pretty clearly had the beginning of verse 13. We see you are the salt of the earth. So with the salt of the earth in an inverse 14, you are the light of the world.

Christian's Christ followers are the salt of the earth. And they are the light of the world. That's a statement of fact.

He did not say you are called to be salt of the earth. Called to be light of the world. Is it somehow in the future? Maybe we can become those things.

It's not a statement of potential. It's a statement of fact if right now reality. You are soft you are light and it is in the context of being of Christians being told there's is the Kingdom of Heaven. Do you remember that from last week? That's important. If you are in Christ, you are salt and light it is an inescapable. I dinard identity if you truly are a Christian. And we can get that but what does that mean?

That identity is pretty meaningless. If we just let it sit there as it's like a vague metaphor, isn't it? We have to answer the question why in order to do justice to this passage in order to gain understanding from a Jesus is telling us why did Jesus use salt and light as the metaphors for how to describe Christians?

Was he withdrawing from some common knowledge that they had? Was this just a random illustration that kind of worked like an analogy that he came up with on the Fly?

I think about the context again. Alright, Jesus just talked about persecution and he's about to talk about how he has come to fulfill the law and the prophets.

So persecution might have something to do with this and fulfilling prophecy might have something to do with this and if you've been with us for any. Of time while we've been studying Matthew, you know that Isaiah might have something to do with this. And if you're right. This is easiest to see when it comes to Jesus talking about the light. We just saw and Matthew for so just a few weeks ago and Matthew chapter 4 look at the previous page there in your Bible Matthew. 4:16. Jesus says or Matthew says that Jesus moved to capernum because he was fulfilling Isaiah 9 remember that the people dwelling and darkness have seen a great light and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death on them a light has dawned. The light theme is very important in Isaiah. The light is the symbol of God revealing himself to Israel. Coming into the darkness. It is almost always tied to the Christ and it's always tied to God bringing the New Covenant. And Isaiah 42 when God talks about this coming Christ. This is what he says, Isaiah 42:6. I am the Lord I have called you in righteousness. I will take you by the hand and keep you I will give you as a covenant for the people a light for the Nations to open the eyes that are blind to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon run the prison those who sit in darkness.

We know that the light is Jesus. It's those of us who are Christians or been in church for anytime. We know Jesus is the light right? He's the one who's coming to the darkness to reveal himself to the people as their Savior Jesus even said, so John 8:12. I am the light of the world. I am the light of the world who ever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 12:46, I've come to the world as light so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. Jesus is the light. He's the one that brings light to the world the light to the Nations people feels prophecy in that way and yet in our passage and verse 14. He says you are the light.

You are the light of the world. He's taking Isaiah 42 verse 6 where it says God will give the Christ as the light to the Nations Nations is another way of saying World in Jesus says you now

A shocking isn't it if you think about it. Jesus is the light not us.

And yet here you is plain as day. You are the light of the world. It's not a misunderstanding that's clear So how is that true then?

We are identified with Jesus, aren't we remember from the the Beatitudes? He's already told us that we're going to be poor in spirit and so received him. Then we're going to be meek like him and work at a hunger and thirst for righteousness like him and we're going to be merciful like him and working to be pure in heart like him and peacemakers just like him and we do all those things like him because to be a Christian means to die to ourselves and be raised to New Life in him.

That is the very heart of what it means to follow Christ. To be a disciple of Christ means we grow in Christ like this in our lives because we have died to ourselves and been raised to New Life in him. He's our life In Christ. Alone is our life.

This goes back to our Union with Christ remember learning about this wonderful Doctrine and Colossians our Union with Christ. He's the light. We're not Delight in and of ourselves because our new lives as New Creations are lived in him. We are vessels for his light. We are a conduit for his light. We are the light because Christ is the light and wearing him. We're the ones presented by him before the Nations. as the Light of Christ

what it means is we are the brightness. Physics point of view where the the photons from the kingdom of heaven that shine into a dark world when people see us there to see that we are from somewhere else does the only thing hears Darkness? So we can't possibly be from here. If we are light. We are light the way that the angels from Heaven came into the world and people's squinted and and shielded their eyes.

Because of the brightness of the angels we are the light the way that Moses coming down from Mount Sinai was so bright with the glory of God that he had to wear a veil.

We are like the way that creation set in darkness.

in chaos until until the word of God the very source of light said let there be light and there was light Christians. We are living witnesses to the effect of God's word on a dark lifeless human soul. He shines into our darkness and we become light we are then the vessels of God's presence and a dark suffering world of hopelessness.

Will the light makes sense to us?

We get that that that light imagery is all over the Bible.

But what about salt?

Why is salt used to here?

Will get in the way that Matthew is training us to read. I hope by now that our first instinct is to look for scripture to guide us. Help learning how to read the gospels wisely. It's kind of tricky though for us because salt is so common, isn't it? It's so common that we first think of salt or its usefulness what we want to rush to the application and skip the work of understanding the text. So we say well salt gives flavor. So maybe we should be flavorful people. Always ready to show kindness or salt preserves meat so we should try and be the people that preserve the goodness and things or salt can be used to clean things. So maybe we should try to make things more pure. And those types of analogies are endless aren't they could salt as a lot of uses, but that's not what Matthews doing. It's not a matter of our usefulness. It's a matter of who we are. It's a matter of our identity is if usefulness were the aim. Jesus would have been much clearer and you would have simply said You Are Spice so be flavorful or your heat so preserve things or you are clean water so purify things, but he didn't he said for salt.

Most salt you need to understand. in the Old Testament always accompanied sacrifices

Whether you gave a green sacrifice or a meat sacrifice, the priest would always sprinkle salt on it when that sacrifice was placed on the altar. So what was so much an important part of the sacrificial system that there was an entire room in the temple. exclusively to hold stop. Eating a pile of salt so high because salt was so important to Leviticus 2:13.

If You're Going Through the Bible this year is studying your Bible reading it little by little you're going to get to Leviticus soon don't give up when you get there okay Leviticus 2:13 says you shall season all your grain offerings with salt you shall not let the salt of the Covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering with all your offerings you shall offer salt

Salt for Jews hearing Jesus's teaching would have been a reminder of the Covenant between God and his people.

So here's what I want you to do for just a moment. I want you to take those two words salt and Covenant and pinch them between your thumb and forefinger for just a little bit hold that on your lap. Don't forget about salt and Covenant and their connection between one another the old Covenant for those of you who will just for everybody the old Covenant was the arrangement that God had made with the Israelites already was like a vow or contract for lack of a better word. The God promised. He would be their God and they would be his people. He would protect them and guide them and bless them. You would Prosper them and the Israelites were to respond with obedience and worship and making his name known throughout the Earth. She that Arrangement God does this for the people the people respond with Worship in that old Covenant sins were atoned for by the giving of sacrifices the sacrificial system sort of kept peace between the people's failings. engaged man for holiness

one of the sad realities of that old Covenant that'll contract was that that Israel repeatedly broke it? And they eventually ended up in Exile because of it. But but even while Israel was suffering under the discipline. God said he would make a New Covenant with them. He would make a New Covenant with his people out of his mercy and love for them. He would bring a covenant that they couldn't break.

Because it would be written on their hearts tells us in Jeremiah. What is New Covenant is really really important church when it comes to the story of redemption the big Grand better narrative that that God is telling us in scripture. It's very important that we understand this. This New Covenant is especially important to us as a gentile does those outside of Israel? Because it this is how we were brought into God's family. A lot of times when the coming new covenant is talked about in the Old Testament. It accompanies words like good news. That's another way of saying the gospel. This New Covenant is the restoration. It's the making things whole it comes with the Christ. The Christ is the one who initiate everyone knew the Messiah. The Christ was the one who would bring in the New Covenant and along with that. It would come with forgiveness and it would come with God's kingdom coming here to Earth. This is what people were anticipating Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Daniel and Hosea nearly all the profits. They all wrote about this promised New Covenant that was coming. Isaiah even talked about it and that passage we read earlier. Did you notice it look again it Isaiah 42:6 I am the Lord. I called you in righteousness. I will take you by the hand and keep you I will give you as a covenant for the people a light for the Nations Isaiah's talking about the Christ. The Christ was promised to be given as a covenant for the people. and a light for the Nations

and we've already talked about the way that in Christ. We are the light here, but we got the continent or is that what Jesus is the bringer of the New Covenant? He's the one offered as a sacrifice to the world to bring us into right relationship with the father.

And what accompanied sacrifices in the old Covenant? Salted you still have that picture of salt. Salt and Covenant go together salt was sprinkled on every offering. What Jesus is saying here in fulfilling the old Covenant is that the salt that accompanies the sacrifice isn't going away? Under the New Covenant Jesus's disciples his followers you and me are the ones who accompanied Jesus Christ the bringer of the New Covenant. We aren't the Covenant Bringers. We aren't the Covenant Keepers Jesus's but we are to be so closely identified with Christ that it will be like salt. all those old sacrifices

this this way of understanding salt is a specially clarifying when you think about what Jesus is just told us at the end of the Beatitudes that we would be persecuted for Christ's sake.

The teaching is this if we follow him. There will be trials.

There will be difficulty because we are with him. Just as Christ was sacrificed for sin as the bringer of the New Covenant so we will be persecuted with him and for him. To be a disciple of Christ means that we belong to Christ. We are in Union with Christ. So all that he indoors we also into her. Jesus will later Telus is not greater than his master.

People are going to see us and they're going to see Christ in us and some will hate us. violis

following Christ is not a path to the easy life.

It is a narrow path of difficulty in trial attack that invites persecution.

It is a path that requires that we die to ourselves as Christ it. Is later going to say we have to take up our cross and follow him. Following Christ requires that we are crucified with Christ so that it isn't we who live? but Christ who lives in US supposed to tell us as any that's who we are. Christian that's not who you're becoming. That's who you are, Salt and Light.

So if you're living right now like you are still the center of your life if you haven't been crucified with Christ. Then you're not salt.

You haven't accompanied the sacrifice of Christ. You haven't bore the cross.

It's what Jesus would say is you're not his disciple. in the same way that the Light of Christ is not Burning Brightly and you SS a light of the world going into the world he would say well then you are not my disciple Cuz Salt and Light is what disciples are. It's a statement of fact not a statement of becoming. Well that moves this into the second section of of Jesus's argument went to on your notes. What would Jesus wants us to see what he says but if salt has lost its saltiness there in the second part of verse 13 He wants to show us that if we truly are his disciples then who we are can't be undone. We can't be anything else but salt and salt can't not be salty. You can't lose its saltiness. I think we misunderstand this sometimes it wasn't as if Jesus is contemporaries had really lousy salt that became unsalty. They had great salt. They had the Dead Sea. All they had to do is take a pan of sea water and let it evaporate in the Sun for a while and they are the purest best salt.

There were mines at the southern end of the Dead Sea that produced some of the purest salt in the entire region. Did enviable salt Jesus is illustration and verse 13. It supposed to be absurd to the people listening if salt has lost its taste its saltiness restored to hear that and they would take that stupid. So I can't lose its saltiness Jesus potato.

In the same way like can't be Darkness. It can't be not light.

Set to make the point in verse 14. He says it's City set on a hill cannot be hidden. You can't hide that people don't light a lamp and put it under a basket and put on a stand and it gives light to all the house light shines in the darkness. That's what it does.

The pink light is a part of its nature just like being salty is apart of salts nature. You Can't Hide a city on a hill and it's absurd to put a basket on a light that defeats the purpose of what it's there for

What light is designed to do because of its nature is to shine in the Darkness?

Jesus is showing us the absurdity of even talkin about unsalty salt. It dark and Light. He send us in the same way. If you are truly my disciples, you'll show it.

How do we short Alpine living it out? All of those Beatitudes that we studied last week? That's how you show your salts. That's how you prove to be light. They were to do that to be meek and merciful and peacemakers and so forth always.

Always that means brand new Christians when you're trying to figure out how to live the Christian Life look at the Beatitudes cuz that's what salt taste like. Those those virtues that Jesus gives us. What Make christian Salt and Light in the world senior Saints I don't speak to you directly from the pulpit as often as I should

But I want you to listen to what Jesus is saying to you here.

We don't at some point in our lives retire or age out of being Salt and Light.

As if somehow you have shown enough salt and life and it's not required of you anymore.

Or is it somehow the accumulated Troubles of life and I know that they're there. But somehow they exempt you from living out your faith in Christ. That is not so. Salt is who you are. You can't cease to be who you are in Christ. There are seniors that I've met in my life that have suffered and persevered and who carry with them unseen pain? Yeah, they live as if the very air they breathe has been given to them by Jesus. And because of that there's a gratefulness and it's in an unexplainable joy in their life that just emanates from them. There is is truly the kingdom of heaven and no one could deny that they are citizens of that Kingdom. They have grown saltier and brighter with age not less. So. Should be that way shouldn't it? Someone who is known Jesus for 50 or 60 or 70 years someone who has been a citizen of his kingdom for that long should have such a brightness and saltiness about them even in their morning even in their weakness when they can't move. even when they're spouses have gone on before then.

Something about the accumulated Trials of life should have refined them to the point. of what we would call a tested genuineness of Faith verse Peter says that tested genuineness fa extra salty by the grace of God working in them. They have identified themselves more and more with Jesus Christ. To the fear and anxiety and bitterness have all but left them.

There are singers like that.

And there are others.

Well, let's just say you have to wonder if they find joy in anything.

the more you find your identity in Christ the easier these things get The easier humility comes to you. The more your identity is in Christ the hungry or even you you grow in righteousness, but the more merciful you'll be sure your heart will be the more of a peacemaker you'll be and the more likely you'll be to be so bright with Christ in you that people either want what you have or they hate you for it.

old and young though everybody Jesus Christ is to be so much at the core of Who We Are but whenever we speak or act or eat or sing whenever we post stuff on the internet or go to work or live at Singles or live as married people or race children or When We Gather in woodwork when we sit at home and relax all that we do in this world is to be an overflow of Who We Are in Christ, Salt and Light Light because he is light salt because we have died of ourselves and now living hymn. We can't not be Who We Are. So the question then is that describe you.

I knew that question was coming.

Does the world see you living bright and salty in the joy of Union with Christ or does the world see a cynical Grouch?

Which of the hear Jesus is warning for what it is? There's no such thing as salt that doesn't taste like it. And there's no such thing as hidden light.

There's no such thing as a Christ Christ follower whose life doesn't show it. Look at verse 13 again.

that unsalty salt which we can Now understand and something that really isn't salt at all. Jesus said it's no longer good for anything. Except to be thrown out and Trampled Under people's feet.

Assange If you profess to be a follower of Christ, but you're no different from the world that you're not a follower of Christ.

A warning to us, isn't it?

So there's the morning. He also gives us an encouragement doesn't leave us without encouragement that takes us to the third part of his argument here. Looking for 16th. He says 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 we see the purpose of why God is made of Salt and Light. Do you see it so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven? But then it isn't worth lit. Is it let To do that we have to let or allow is like to shine. Jesus is acknowledging for us that there will be times when this is difficult. And that that it will take an act of the will.

Don't we are light bill. We are salt we won't feel like being who we are sometimes.

Dark Temptation will be to be who we were. before Christ What Jesus says be who you are? Let you let who you are in him shine through. Even when you don't feel like it.

Part of the reminder hear the good news to us. Is that our Salvation is in to Christ by grace and we are held and secured by his grace and his Mercy. And we will fail and we will feel frequently. but Christ Is our sure and steady anchor I think we're singing it next week at me. I don't know Christ is is the one who holds us. Price never failed him because he's the one that we've been born again into and where in him his light never goes away. So we can still be light. As he is white. And it couldn't be clearer, but we've already talked about it for a minute, but letting your light shine means living as Christ has called you your brightness. Your identity with Christ is to be seen and what is your good works? People people want to see us the world the Earth is to see us and say glory to God.

This doesn't require a whole lot of explanation. If you were born again into Christ, you were made new as a Christian so that God would be glorified. That's why you are Christian. Ephesians 2:8 through 10 to something very similar for by Grace you have been saved through faith. This is not your own doing. It's the gift of God not a result of work. so that no one may boast or we Are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus? organ works

Which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them?

You see the similarities in Matthew. You've been made Salt and Light so that you will be Salt and Light. Your light is to be seen in your Works in Ephesians. You have been saved by grace as a gift of God and your salvation into Christ is meant to be visible in your good work. same concept different wording There's three things that I want to conclude with your three small observations from verse 16. The first is obvious to be a follower of Christ means that we will live like it. Living like it doesn't make you a follower of Christ. Don't put the cart before the horse. You are saved by grace through faith or is Jesus said in the Beatitudes. We are saved through his poverty and spirit and need that has been met by him 100% And then being found in Christ now we live it out.

I also want to point your attention second thing to who is watching us.

Who is it who are the others in verse 16 the ones who see our light shine who see our good works? In the context of our passage the others is the world. We are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world. Our faith is lived out in the world.

But because we're more comfortable together and we are out there. Sometimes our tendency is to come together in church and just be Salt and Light here isn't it or try to be? And there's some sense where that's good. But we serve one another we're loving one another ring couraging one another that's biblical. But we're also meant to be equipped here so that we can be Salt and Light out there. The church is where we come to be trained. The church is where we admit our failings where we confess our sins where we acknowledge our Brokenness and then the church is where we're built back up in Christ and equipped to go into the world.

They're the ones who need Christ.

These shoes don't need more salt and light the world us. These pews are meant to be placed where diluted salt and dim lights come in and receive Christ and throwing him become brighter and more pure. So that when we go out from here, we're ready and able to be who we are in Christ.

Finally the last thing we see that the purpose of our good works. Is the Father's Glory? Look again at the end of her 16th. Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven. We've been saved by grace. All these Works have been set out by God in front of us for us to walk in. No credit to me and you no boost for me and you we have been saved into a joy and a hope in Christ that causes us to long for the coming Kingdom to live in humility because we know our Salvation is nothing we could have accomplished.

And we left mercifully because we will be shown Mercy. They were pure at heart because our hearts have been purified by Christ's work on the cross. And we're peacemakers because Christ has brought us peace with God. Do We crave righteousness because Christ is made us righteous. Who gets glory for a life that flows out of those truths? goddess No wonder why you can't claim any that we can't claim any of that. There's no parties in honor of us for simply being who Christ has made us to be.

The life of a Christian is a shadow of the cross. When people see the way we live when they see our cross-shaped lives they look up and they see Christ cross. Any give glory to God Amen Church.

For the week-long to be who you've made us to be.

So many of us in here right now. No we acknowledge to you.

at we when others look at us they don't see

Christ's light in US

They don't see. A people that have died to themselves.

They see our selfishness.

AC is complaining or grumbling

NR Are lights dim.

And maybe we'll say to them. Oh love Jesus. Love Jesus. He loves you. And then our lives don't at all reflect that truth.

So we're asking you father as a church. That they would that our lives would. You salty and bright.

And that through receiving the Forgiveness that Christ offers us. Our response would be Thanksgiving that overflows into a life of of love. I like that is that is built on what Christ has taught us. I like that is being trans a life is being transformed into christlikeness by the power of your spirit.