Untitled Sermon (4)

If you have your Bibles go ahead and open to . We’ll bounce around in a couple of places in that chapter but go ahead and anchor yourself down there.

Have any of you heard the saying, “the nail that sticks out gets hammered?” What do you think that means?

It means, fall in line. Don’t stick out too much. Don’t make waves.

Now let me ask you this, how many of y’all like being the center of attention? It’s okay, you get a free pass just this once to be truthful to this question.

Now how many of you like just kind of shrinking back into the crowd. Who’s heard the term “wallflower” before? Meaning that you like just posting up on a wall in a crowded room and take it all in. You don’t like being in the midst of the crowd.

Well that’s definitely me. Years ago at this point Becca and myself went downtown for New Years Eve for the concert that they put on down there, one of my favorite bands was headlining and Becca loves being just immersed in a ton of people…. I however, hate it.

[SLIDES: Crowd, Draft, then bash]

So we’re nearing midnight and I am hands down in the largest crowd I’ve ever been in. The music note is about to drop, telling everyone that it is midnight and the new year has come. There’s not one inch of my body from the neck down that is not being touched by someone. I am being moved against my will whichever way the crowd wants to go… How many of you are having a panic attack right now? Yeah, that’s me.

[BLANK SLIDE]

I hated it. I hated being moved with the crowd and feeling like I was just trapped to go along against my will.

It’s a loose connection but do any of you guys feel like that from time to time? Like you are being moved with the crowd against your will? You’re just going along with whichever way you are being told to. It’s an awful feeling isn’t it.

What if I told you that you were called to so much more?

[SLIDE: Series]

That is where we find ourselves tonight. We’re in the midst of this series the Leap of Doubt, our apologetics series tackling touch questions and learning how to defend our faith biblically.

We live at an interesting intersection of culture. We live in the Southeast, the “Bible Belt,” so we can turn to our left and our right in most any setting and at least find someone who either professes faith or was raised in a religious setting.

All that is well and good but we are also living in an increasingly, “secular” age. Secular meaning that the public spaces of life are to be separate from spaces of faith.

So we’re at an interesting point where people are growing gradually more distant from any affiliation of faith, while we live in a culture still steeped in it. And these two trains of thought are butting up against one another and it whether you and another person or you within yourself there is conflict that comes about. And I’m sure you’ve heard this statement at some point or another.

[SLIDE: Christians are just a bunch of hypocrites]

They’ll point out things like the mass injustice around the world done in the name of Christianity. School shootings, white supremacy. They’ll point out things in your own life when things don’t seem to add up… Don’t you go to church? Someone will ask when they catch you at not your best. Are Christians hypocritical, a lot of times, yes. But what do we do about that. Do we fade into the crowd? Or do we take a stand for what we know to be true? You have been called to so much more than just being a cultural christian… You are called to be a lover and a follower of Jesus.

That’s where we pick up in Matthew Chapter 5:3-16:

3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

[SLIDES]

3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

11“You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me.

10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

11“You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me.

12Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

11“You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me.

12Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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.

12Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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.

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.

15No 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.

14“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.

15No 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.

16In 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.

15No 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.

16In 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.

This is from a portion of Scripture called the sermon on the mount. Which is also known as “the greatest sermon ever preached.” And I hope that out of this you can see truly how counter cultural Jesus’ teaching is.

Are you poor in spirit? You get the kingdom of heaven. Do you mourn? You get comfort. Are you humble, you inherit the earth! And so on and so on.

This is from a portion of Scripture called the sermon on the mount. Which is also known as “the greatest sermon ever preached.” And I hope that out of this you can see truly how counter cultural Jesus’ teaching is.

Are you poor in spirit? You get the kingdom of heaven. Do you mourn? You get comfort. Are you humble, you inherit the earth! And so on and so on.

This doesn’t match up with our worldly standards and values that tell you, look out for yourself. Get what’s your’s even if you have to step on a few people to get there. Are you being challenged or someone is puffing their chest out at you, knock them back…

That may be what you believe and what your little spheres of influence believe. But Jesus says, you are blessed when you are persecuted because of him. Rejoice when that happens. Because then you join the ranks of Christians from these thousands of years who yes suffered and died on this earth, but their address now is in completely unified in paradise with the Lord.

This doesn’t match up with our worldly standards and values that tell you, look out for yourself. Get what’s your’s even if you have to step on a few people to get there. Are you being challenged or someone is puffing their chest out at you, knock them back…

That may be what you believe and what your little spheres of influence believe. But Jesus says, you are blessed when you are persecuted because of him. Rejoice when that happens. Because then you join the ranks of Christians from these thousands of years who yes suffered and died on this earth, but their address now is in completely unified in paradise with the Lord.

Does your life reflect this? You may have heard Mark Satterfield a couple of weeks ago pose this scenario to you. If Mark, Robert, Myself, or whoever came and visited you at your school and sat down at your lunch table, or visited you at your job and we told all your friends, we go to church together… what would their response be? You go to church?

That may be what you believe and what your little spheres of influence believe. But Jesus says, you are blessed when you are persecuted because of him. Rejoice when that happens. Because then you join the ranks of Christians from these thousands of years who yes suffered and died on this earth, but their address now is in completely unified in paradise with the Lord.

Does your life reflect this? You may have heard Mark Satterfield a couple of weeks ago pose this scenario to you. If Mark, Robert, Myself, or whoever came and visited you at your school and sat down at your lunch table, or visited you at your job and we told all your friends, we go to church together… what would their response be? You go to church? You?

I don’t mean this to shame anyone. But please hone into those last couple of verses that describe how it is that a follower of Jesus interacts with this world.

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.

15No 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.

16In 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 are called to be salt. You are called to be light. In a world that tells you to blend in, don’t let there be anything special about you except for what we tell you is acceptable, Jesus tells you that there is something different about you, and it is good.

In we see the life of the apostles after Jesus ascended into Heaven and the mission of God was turned over wholeheartedly to those who would follow Jesus. They carried on the ministry and onlookers were amazed at their work. They healed, they preached, they served and in it says:

[SLIDE]

13When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.

And plain and simple I want to ask if that is true of you!? If you are called to be salt in a bland world. If you are called to be light in a world of darkness, how are things going? When people mention your name do they associate you with the incredible joy of the Gospel. Saying, “man, I don’t know what it is that they have that I don’t but I need it.”

Or do they say, “you know, they aren’t very kind. They’re hurtful. They say one thing but run around and do another.”

You are called to so much more than what this world has to offer.

Now here’s what I’m not saying. You are not called to perfectionism and everything short of it is a failure. We all fall short. We all struggle immensely. But as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians, when those times come and we find persecution and trial, “we do not grieve as others do without hope.”

Even the way that you mourn is to be different.

You are not called to put on some perfectionist mask. You are not called to be a stuffy, holier than thou, pharisee. Jesus turned to those who would have turned their nose up at the down and outs of society and told them, “even the tax collectors and prostitutes enter the kingdom before you.”

Put to death your self-righteousness. Put to death your posturing over people. Blessed are the humble. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who are persecuted.

So many of us believe that we to be a Christian we have to fix ourselves before we come to Jesus. We have to clean ourselves up to feel like we deserve to call ourselves Christian. So you try and try and try to do better, to be more. You think that you have be like Usain Bolt in a world of sprinters in order to be a good Christian, but reality is some of you just need to learn to walk like babies first. Maybe it looks something like this.

Christianity has no room for the hypocritical, no room for the proud, but only for those who would humble themselves before God. No one gets out of this life alive, guys. Are you called to be different? Absolutely, but may the world look at you and me and all of us and see people who as Tim Keller would say are “more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”

[VIDEO]

The church is a hospital for sinners… not a museum for saints. If you are broken and hurting. You are in the right place. You will never outgrow your need for God’s grace, forgiveness and mercy in your life. But the sweet news of the cross is that Jesus has come and given it all for you so that you will never run out. You are called to be different. You were meant for so much more. Would you please pray with me.

Who do you think is more thankful to walk? Someone like an olympic sprinter, or someone who has been broken and ground down to dust. Some of you may be spiritually cripple and you just need to take that first feeble step.

Father in Heaven,

Put to death your self-righteousness. Put to death your posturing over people. Blessed are the humble. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who are persecuted.

Christianity has no room for the hypocritical, no room for the proud, but only for those who would humble themselves before God. No one gets out of this life alive, guys. Are you called to be different? Absolutely, but may the world look at you and me and all of us and see people who as Tim Keller would say are “more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”

Our great sin needed a great savior. And you spared no expense in giving us your Son. I pray that would be a message of hope tonight in this room. That those who would profess belief in your Son would walk out of here knowing that they are salt and they are light. They are missionaries in their schools and amongst their friends. May they be different in all the best ways. May we all be more like your Son. And its in His name we pray.

The church is a hospital for sinners… not a museum for saints. If you are broken and hurting. You are in the right place. You will never outgrow your need for God’s grace, forgiveness and mercy in your life. But the sweet news of the cross is that Jesus has come and given it all for you so that you will never run out. You are called to be different. You were meant for so much more. Would you please pray with me.

Amen.

Father in Heaven,

Our great sin needed a great savior. And you spared no expense in giving us your Son. I pray that would be a message of hope tonight in this room. That those who would profess belief in your Son would walk out of here knowing that they are salt and they are light. They are missionaries in their schools and amongst their friends. May they be different in all the best ways. May we all be more like your Son. And its in His name we pray.

Amen.