Who's in the Kingdom?

Good morning.

I'll try that again. Good morning that you are. If you're watching on the live stream, welcome, we miss you. Wish you could be here. But thank you for joining us means a lot. Keep in a church together. Hey one quick announcement for UI next Sunday. We love doing this. It is fifth Sunday breakfast. Yes. Awesome. Yeah, so whenever there's a fifth Sunday of the month, we set it aside just to eat a meal together. Why do we do that? Eventually Addie theology read the scriptures God is all about eating a meal with people. And of course his son Jesus was too he was always up for a free meal because we followed Jesus and his ways we practice that same thing as one of our favorite weeks for Brett and I am not simply cuz we don't have to sing or do a teaching but because we actually get to talk to you guys and get to know what's going on in your life. We think it's actually the best opportunity for discipleship. We get to know each other and get to be priests. So that said fifth Sunday breakfast next Sunday, if you're looking to help out that's just like your thing you love helping out with food stuff on please get a hold of Sandy. She's on vacation right now at but you can get ahold of her with Sandy at redeemers church. Org or you can come to Brett night after the Gathering and talk to us some good. All right, awesome.

Came up. I just heard like it's like widely spread it around the church right now is that Brett and I are apparently the worst dressed pastors.

Now, I don't think this is any one person that's spreading this rumor. I think you guys are probably all guilty at some point, right you turn to your neighbor and made a comment.

So one one one person said it really well. I just thought I'd show this on the screen Brett. They came with you. I believe and I quote it was Brett. I used to think you are the worst stress pastor, but then Michael showed up. Now again, this is an anonymous person. It's probably one of Sandy's parents. I'm just going to throw that out there, but she was at but I thought that was I thought that was funny. That's true. I can't debate it. I don't think Brad and I would ever deny that that is a truth. But if you just spare me the time and I just thought we could qualify that statement a little bit more. So if you mean where the worse or if I'm the worst dressed faster, would it be safe to say that I am the world's best or stress pastor? That'll can we do that Britain is on it. Yes. Is that okay? And I feel like it was gone that far would it be okay to say I'm also the the greatest of all time we're stressed faster. Is that at that safe beautiful? Yes. I feel like I feel like we should put a little thing like one of my outfits just like sitting on top of the globe there Britain. Can we do that trick? I look I look wonderful. That's awesome. There's a there's still some space you're on the sides of a Brittany think we can fill that end with some other goats like greatest of all time. This is beautiful. I love it in there. That's great. Okay, I love this has to be cleared the world's greatest of all time where stress Pastor thank you Brenda. Appreciate it. If it's your first time I apologize.

This is not normal.

But I'll probably make t-shirts of that just for retina eye. Yeah, where am I Sundays only? That would that would be sitting unattended. Okay? Yeah, if you're wondering what I did with my work hours this last week thanks to your getting appreciate it. I was a fun 30 hours. Alright Gospel Matthew. Make sure you have your Bible open or your Bible app open to Matthew Chapter 5 will get into. The Sermon on the Mount title of this teaching is who's in the Kingdom

I've been following along or not. Want to give you a quick summary what we've learned thus far in our study of Matthew. We're going to do this in the form of a question-and-answer. So nothing to fear here. I was terrible and great school. So a lot of these questions like multiple choice, but first question see if you've been paying attention who is King in the gospel of Matthew who is the easiest answer of all Church questions out there. The answer is usually Jesus. Yes. Okay, who is King Jesus second question. Is Jesus's Kingdom coming now or later this kind of a trick question? The answer is yes. It's now all we did you guys get that answer too soon. Oh, yes. It's now and not yet. His kingdom is now not yet. That is the gospel that Jesus and John the Baptist are preaching at this point is repent. Stop what you're doing for the kingdom of God is here. It has arrived. It's now but I will see throughout the gospel and cleaning today. There's also a not yet component something that were aching for to be fulfilled. So three question is Jesus anything like the kings of Earth? Yes or no? No, good. Good job. Jesus is a little burn King. We learned that during our adventure series and December. He's not a friend's he didn't have a palace. He had a dangerously humble beginning. It was sent out of the darkness of light is born out of Darkness light is born. He's a Galilean Carson did a great job last week kind of giving us a glimpse of what the galileans are. Like, they're up in the North of Israel their kind of cut off from like the main people in Jerusalem. They even have like like a tongue like like a certain accent to that makes it really obvious that they're galileans like these are Backwoods people. Okay, and that's where Jesus is from and that's when he started his ministry. Okay. Fourth question is Jesus overcoming his adversaries.

Not really, not really. But again, it's not happening as we would expect for example. Now if you're going to be like a powerful influence or so, you are the king coming to an area Coming to America and and you have all the power in the world to take over. Where would you begin like? What city would you probably begin?

I like Washington. Yeah, why she's a good place or how about New York, or how about Silicon Valley right if you want to gain power and how would you do it? Like by force right or the strong at or maybe you'd buy out your competitors. Or if you Jesus you can just bring like your Angel armies and Destroy everybody that be cool. Okay. Now who would you recruit?

Christian's yeah the best. Yeah strong the best of the best when it's you the smartest probably the most influential and did Jesus do any of that. Not at all. Jesus is like I know I'm going to start with no finances. I'm going to I'm going to grow up in a poor family. We're going to live in somewhere like John day or what not right? And you just walking around me. Like I ain't you you kid with skateboard. Yeah, come follow me. Yeah. I know you're 19 and still living at home. I don't have a job. But you know, you're going to be my disciple and then you know, maybe Walk Street Terrebonne. He's like, hey you alpaca farmer. You with me too, and he starts growing this whole like Krewe of ragtag galileans to be his disciples to help rule or to help spread his kingdom and his rule. and we gone to this point. Okay, so we're shocked a little bit right this Kingdom's coming. It's not quite what we expected. But if you've been following with us, the burning question we have right now is what does this Kingdom actually look like what does it look like in action? Who's it for and how do we behave if we're in it? And for this morning, we're going to answer at least one of those questions and that is a title is teaching who's in the Kingdom who's in the Kingdom. So first some fun facts, you know, I like fun facts on the sermon of the mount The Sermon on the Mount if you're taking notes is basically Kingdom ethics or I like to say a new way to be human. So we're getting this whole long teaching of Jesus actually the longest recorded teaching that we have of Jesus in the gospels anywhere and there's a lot of speculation around this sun or wondering like was this was the best of teaching like Matthew just compiled all the best sayings of Jesus into one long teaching. I don't know. I don't think so, but it's safe to say we should read it the way that Matthew intended it. So it's very likely that Jesus here in a certain amount went up and gave this whole teaching right there in the moment. You guys remember a couple months ago. I found resale was up here. Did memorize the entire Sermon on the Mount do you guys remember that anybody here for that and spoke it verbatim right from this stage is so cool about 10 minutes and it's about how long it takes to read. This will teach him now again, how do we look at The Sermon on the Mount is this like Cliff Notes on how to follow Jesus? I think that would be the wrong way to look at The Sermon on the Mount simply because Matthew doesn't frame it that way. This is just one section of Matthews entire gospel. In fact Central to Matthew's gospel would actually be The Parables but like most important a certain amount you're not going to hear about Jesus's death on the cross. Are you he's going to Lou to it is going to lose about how we treat our enemies and what were willing to do to sacrifice yourself, but that's not there yet. So it's best to be the same amount as one part of a whole and then finally fun fact The Sermon on the Mount is a topical teaching how crazy is that? It's a topical teaching from Jesus and if you came from a background like I did Growing Up in church, it was like you never do topical teachings. We got to go verse by verse chapter by chapter book by Buck, but honestly, that's not the issue is topical teaching that's not biblical would be an issue does topical teaching and he organizes his teaching really quick. There's like six sections yet His blessings. There is light of the world salt of the earth were going to do those two this morning for filming of a Torah tidy. That is our actions and then Justice in this sermon is brilliant. It's brilliant Jesus's brilliant. He's going to ruffle feathers. Are you ready for that? He's going to challenge us and he's going to teach us with his kingdom really looks like he's going to give us those Kingdom ethics. I love what he does. He usually intensifies everything you hear him. Say often. Enjoy The Sermon on the Mount you have heard it said and then he quotes something he says but I say to you and he UPS the ante he intensifies how we are to follow him and there's no mystifying this that's another danger we get in the sermon amount that we go, you know what Jesus's teachings. They're just they're hard to understand. He didn't really mean that we have to follow him. Does Jesus ever ever say that? No. Yeah, just the opposite. In fact at the end of The Sermon on the Mount he says those who do this will be like those who build a house on a rock. So as your read The Sermon on the Mount it's best to see it as something we are to go do know we say that all the time around here right here is about discipleship. That means we spend time with Jesus we learn from Jesus and then we Go and do the things Jesus did awesome. Okay. Let's get started. First one. Now. When Jesus saw the crowds he went up to the mountain side and sat down. His disciples came to him. They're imagine you're a first-century Jew living in poverty due to unfair taxes and under the oppression or the boot of the Roman rule mean while your very own religion is kurupt it's broken. It's full of hypocrisy in the leadership and you find yourself aching from more in life. And perhaps this Jesus is the Messiah, but you're not sure yet. So all the Crowds Are Falling as we just heard from last week. Jesus is actually doing miracles in part with his gospel. The kingdom has come there is healing people are being healing are being healed and so of course crowds are starting to draw and they're seeing where Jesus and his disciples are going. He's going up the mountain they start following up and wonder if I can get healed from that and say you're walking up the mountain. You're maybe talking to your friend. And your friend's name is Ted. You just say Ted. This Jesus is totally righteous.

And then Ted turns into says Bill. I know he healed my mom. The buildings that are just fictitious name. Okay. Nothing to read into these common first century Jewish names.

No way, dude way. Did he grew up in the next town over and people think you might be the Messiah? Yeah. I heard even that weird. I think it was his cousin Jerusalem. I don't know dude. He called the Pharisees. I already called the Pharisees Sons of Satan most. Excellent. I heard some say he's the best teacher they've ever heard any speaks of authority from Heaven. Well, I wonder if he's going to start like an army and maybe overthrow the Romans or yeah, like put Caesar on a cross or like I don't know.

Yeah, I lost my traffic anyways and said they probably enjoy the party on dude already on you see Jesus sit down and he begins to open his mouth and teach first to he began to teach them and he said we're just going to read through this first list of blessings. Blessed are the poor in spirit? For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted? Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled? And blessed are the merciful for they will be shown Mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. And blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Okay, I want to show you before we go any further with this might look like four or looking through it with the lands of the first-century Jew. So there are eight blessings. Did you catch that and they're actually broken up into two sections been a few have that Sly there be super helpful here. So you guys can see this. Yeah, there it is. So what's really unique about this Matthews a genius? He actually did 36 words in Greek on the first half and the second half. It's like organized perfectly. And in fact on the first half the worst poor in Warren MI can hunger all start with the Greek letter P, which is pretty cool right some alliteration there and then you'll notice it also starts and ends with Kingdom of Heaven see you at the top first three kingdom of heaven and then at the end King Of Heaven, so this is like a really well-organized blessing here. Siri what else is there we can call this the Beatitudes you guys heard. It called that the Beatitudes that's Latin for Supreme blessedness, but despite the cleverness to some teachers are given this this is not a list of attitudes for you to be right. In fact again, many of you have heard that the blessings are to be read as virtues or commands. Anybody heard that yeah, I've heard that as well not while some of them can be read that way specifically the latter half. I am mini Scholars would agree. That is not the best way to read The Sermon on the Mount you end up having a bunch of significant like amount of linguistic gymnastics that you have to do to make sense of all of them as virtues and commands now again majority of Scholars agree with me on that. But you will find that some very popular commentators here in North America would disagree I'll let you guys decide. Okay, not trying to force my point. However, let's look at a few of these quickly so you can see what I mean. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven that word poor tocco's in Greek means reduced to begging You're just downright poor. You don't have enough money. You don't have enough food you are poor and to add spiritual to it where Spirit poor in spirit is bass like saying you are the spiritual zero. You have nothing to offer spiritually now, is that a good thing or bad thing?

Bad thing bad thing. Yeah being poor is bad. Yeah. Nobody wants to be poor. Nobody wants to have nothing to offer spiritually second one blessed are those who mourn that word morning Greek simply means more. This is for those who are mourning the loss of a loved one their morning, maybe the loss of their business. They are just morning. Some people want to say when they look at this is a virtue is no know they're mourning over sin, but doesn't say that. It doesn't say that. Blessed are the meek meek means those who don't even try to assert their power. I don't even try. That is meekness now getting the last four look a lot like virtues. For example, the pure in heart are like sons of God that is to say they revealed a character of God that's a virtue but then It's tricky because you have like blessed are the peacemakers and while today right? I think we would all agree that we have peace right under the oppression of Roman rule. Nobody wants a peacemaker No, in fact and you'll see throughout the gospel. They want war makers. They want to throw off Roman rule. So, like I said, I'll let you decide if you want to read them as virtues or not. I really want to talk about this word blast. Cuz understanding a section is all in that word blessed. Jesus does something interesting here that we're blessed super hard to translate straight into English. We don't really have an equivalent word for it from the Greek to English. It's not the same word using Greek Hebrew to mean blessing or favor of God. It's not the same word. It's a different form of blessing a definition. Is this in Greek? It is makarios. Makarios. When are you guys all say that with me? And it means happy fortunate to be indeed. Throw a party Rejoice celebrate and really this was used as like a salutation. We have other writings in Greek and we see it uses like a salutation. That is a say like congratulations. Makaria blast. Okay, so you got a promotion makarios, right? You're getting married or having a baby a baby?

Not at the same word the sun even use it with jealousy, which is interesting. It's like, you know, which is funny to me because I think of like actually hearing the word bless you sarcastically mean others. I was in a band and we tour the country and we would go to these churches and I don't know if they're just pinching pennies are trying to save money or I thought it was cool, but they would put the band up myself with like a family in the church.

Ragtag crew from the west coast and we're staying with just a farmer in Texas, you know, no big deal. They wake up in the morning and have him breakfast. I'm having this. What I think is a great conversation with the farmer's wife, and she just kept saying Lord bless your heart. Oh Lord bless your heart hurts. And I just think it was the nicest person on earth when I realize that you're an idiot.

Okay, so why is this matter this this word blessed? Well, how many of these people would you say are blessed in this list? Yeah, none. Those who mourn those who are who are those who are persecuted. How are these people blessed? Why would Jesus say congratulations? You pour Choice. None of us would say that we don't consider the for the people morning oppressed. Hashtag blessed do it. No, but this is Jesus's exact point. These aren't the type of people that we think are blessed. And this would have been equally shocking for the first-century Jew listeners not to make this point even clear. I want to read to you guys something from sirach chapter 25. This is a book that's included in the Catholic Bible. We're going to read it. Now. It's just popular literature as in this would have been literature that people knew about during that time and there's this list that's Rock gives birth name strzok. I don't know why it's called that actually and it's his 9:10 blessings. So this is what people were ready for is what they would have thought. Jesus would have said he says it's there are nine who come to mind as blessed attempt to my tongue for claims first one the man who finds joy in his children, right? So this is one with the man not a woman and two you have a healthy family. Second thing in one who lives to see the downfall of his enemies. That means like you're winning in life, right? You got no problems. You got more money but no problems. So this is good. Your blessed blessed is the man who lives with a sensible woman. So your wife is awesome. Right? She's attractive. She's killing it at home along with our part-time business or something and she loves you. Well, and of course she leave you plenty of space on the bed at night, you know where the line is where you get to sleep and she would never steal like your pillows or the blanket from you right? She's a sensible woman, right? You're blessed where that came anyways and one who does not fly with an ox and Donkey combined cuz we all know if that's the worst thing.

Yeah, I think the idea here is like you have a really dope truck with your trailer like the combination is like yeah, you know like you don't even need to hitch adapter just goes right there. Perfect. Okay. So your business is doing well blessed is the one who does not sin with a tongue. So you're well-spoken you tweet. Well all your social media post people like blessed is the one who does not serve an inferior. So you're in charge right you own your own business you live in a sort of democracy saying you're at the top has blessed blessed is the one who finds friends. So you have friends you speak to attend severe's I like that. So everyone wants to listen to what you have to say. You know, you like Scott when you walk into a room that's like a hush Scott's here. Just wait till he said something here, okay. How great is the one who finds wisdom your stage but none is greater than the one who fears the Lord and and so this is this is a reality for this their blessed because they actually do love the Lord Fred this isn't Hedonism of any type you are legit follower of God and I think we would all agree with Ciroc list that this person is blast right man who wouldn't want to be that person But that's not Jesus is list at all. Is it no fact, it's quite the opposite it cuts right against the grain. So he's redefining who's in the kingdom of God the kingdom of heaven. And that's good news, isn't it? That's great news. These blessings aren't our sorry. These blessings are Comforts. They're not conditions. The blessings are Comforts. They're not conditions. So good news. The kingdom is for you. The Kingdom's for me. I don't have to have my act together and yet Jesus is coming saying blessed. Are you? Blessed are you?

Sabrett red at the beginning of the scattering Isaiah 61. That's a prophecy that anticipates the coming kingdom of God with poor and the mourners are devastated by the conditions of Exile there for such socioeconomically because of this but it's also connected to a deeper spiritual impoverishment. You catch that. So it's not just what's going on in the land that they're poor but there's also an aching in their soul. And into the situation the promise is that the poor in the mornings will one day Rejoice at the good news through the one whom you always Spirit rest. Remember we talked about the baptism of Jesus Spirit rests on Jesus. The feast and the Lord has not forgotten you he's coming to you. He's reforming you and also drawing in all the nations. So this is good news. The gospel of the king is including those who we least expect in the kingdom of God. Now, what a community or Kingdom Community is and isn't we need to look at that? What a community or Kingdom Community is and isn't what's going to happen throughout the gospel as we keep reading is that Jesus is going to form Community around himself. And that is going to flex people and specifically the religious people write must be for the down-and-out or like I like this Jesus who hated Jesus though. His religious people write the rulers the ones who felt like their power was being taken away from them. Now. We're going to work through something as it's pretty nerdy, but I just love it. So you have to bear with me for a second. This comes from a guy named Paul Hebert uses ridiculously brilliant guy who studied everything. He was arguably the world's leading Miss seal logical Anthropologist. Big words are I know and he tosses today. How do you define identity? How do you define identity and who are you what makes up you or maybe what group do you consider yourself to be a part of? And it's two very different ways are answering that question bounded set and centerset. So first just a minute or two. We're going to look at what a bounded set is and I promise relevance is coming. Bounded set if we have a slide up for that. There it is. Okay. So an example of a bounded set would be like your family member so well imagine that all these dots up here people right just random people and the bandits that was your family who's on the inside of a circle. Your family, right? Yeah, so you can understand it down to sit like he's going to get invited to the family Thanksgiving meal family members, right? Yes, southbound is set its characteristic is static tricks. Like it's not really moving that much unless somebody marries into otherwise, it's super static think like the crown if you're watching the crown right the royal family found it set right similar to well. Sorry. This is exactly how the Jews for see things isn't it? There was a bounded set either you're in or you're out think about the Gentiles. They're out there not a part of the sadly. I think it's a lot of way that Christian circles work today, isn't it? You guys are the phrase like don't smoke drink or two or date girls that do right? There's are bounded set. So here's what it may look like to choose to convoluted that Circle. So here we have God in the center. And for the Jews they put a circle around God. They said you have to do these things that we say you can do. Otherwise, you're not in with us that make sense. You sure? Okay. Where do you think I might fall on the Jewish plot here? Yeah, right running outside. Yep. There he is.

Okay, let's look at what Jesus had to say to those who made the bounded set. These are the opposite of lass. So you don't have to turn over there. I'll read it to you. This is really interesting. So in Matthew 5 we have the blessed right? These are the people that are blessed in Matthew 23, we have woes that is people that are cursed and there are eight of them. I believe to contrast a blessings. Sorry 77 Willows on the teachers of the law and Pharisees. So, this is Jesus speaking 7 was the law and Pharisees you Hypocrites, you shut the door to the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourself do not answer nor will you let those enter who are trying to skipping down you travel over land and sea to win a single convert and when you have succeeded you make them twice as much a child of Hell As You Are Blind guides you say if anyone swears by the Temple of means nothing, but anyone who swears by Golden Temple is bound by that oath you Hypocrites you give a tenth of your spices, but you have neglected the more important matters of the law Justice mercy and faithfulness. You should have practice the ladder without neglecting the former skipping ahead. You strain out a gnat but swallow the camel you Hypocrites you clean the outside of a cup in a dish but on the inside you are full of greed and self-indulgence. You snakes you brood of vipers. How will you escape being condemned to hell you guys get the idea, right? Now look at Jesus finishes this Jerusalem Jerusalem you who kill the prophets and Stone Those who sent you how often I've longed to gather you either children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and you were not willing. Look your house is Left To You desolate for I tell you you will not see me again until you say blessed. Is he who comes in the name of the Lord the ends with the blessed? Right? But Jesus is killing us any or Matthew is killing us in here fascinating that bounded set of the Jews. It's going to be a desolate house. Okay. Now it's conscious at what is a centerset when you read the stories of Jesus, you can see that he didn't share this perception the centerset looks like this. Yeah bunch of people and what's really important on a centerset is it's all about movement. Are you moving towards the center or away from it? So a course like Jesus is one of those dots right there in the center and you see the arrows that are depicting some people on the outside that are moving towards Jesus. But yes somebody who seemingly really close to him. That's that's moving away. And another example of this for us would be like me ask you this how many people in this room have played an instrument? You played an instrument? Okay. Yeah. Okay. How many how many of you consider yourself the musician?

Where did you go? You get the idea? Okay, there's a big difference right? You might be super talented, but you're not necessarily pursuing being a musician or are you might be super into being a musician you practicing play all the time, but you're horrible. But what's the point right? You're playing an instrument? Like you're moving towards it you want to be in it. So in this kind of community, it's not about if you've arrived, but rather, are you moving towards the center or away from it? So let's put Jesus at the center again. So now let's think of like the Roman Centurion that Jesus or comes to Jesus and he's got a sick servant. So this is a Roman Centurion. This is literally the person who has them underneath his boot right has those local Jews underneath dispute. This is who they're being oppressed by and yet he comes Jesus he asked for healing of servant and so cool dialogue and she's basically says, yes, I'll heal him and then he says this is truly. I tell you I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from east and west will take their places of the feast with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, but the subjects of the Kingdom will be throwing outside Into Darkness or there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Wow, that's cool and all these religious leaders of kicking him out. Nothing to Matthew in the taxi like Matthew is himself a tax collector. Gospel of Matthew would have been hated by Jews that today or I love this store this a little bit later on as a teacher of the law and Mark is called the teacher of a lot and it gets in this fun little trivia debate with Jesus. But I Love How It Ends it says this when Jesus saw that he had answered. Why is he said to him? You are not far from the kingdom of God. How cool is that you ever had that situation or maybe you're talking to somebody that you know isn't a Christian and not a follower of Jesus and they say something you dislike. You're not far from the kingdom of God like yes. I'm also a Blazer fan.

So again at the plot, you know, I think of like Judas right Judas eventually betrays Jesus. Where is he? He's probably like that person right next to Jesus, but he's looking awake. He's moving away. He's more obsessed with money than he is following Jesus the king. You think it's like the Samaritan woman at the well disciples. Why are you talking to her? But Jesus leads to the gospel, she believes and she invites a whole town to come follow after Jesus and the Canaanite woman and I love the dialogue. She gets in with Jesus at first you think Jesus is being really rude and he's like now I need to go to the people the house of Israel first not to the Canaanites. You guys are Gentiles your your cast-off, you know, it's almost like Jesus is pretending for a moment to have a bounded set and the woman says she's like well, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall off the table. You guys remember the story? Yes, and then Jesus basically breaks his down to set and he sees our faith and she sees that she's moving towards him and he invites her and how cool is that? Still gets messy and I get that. But the question for all of us is are we moving towards Jesus or are we moving away from him or moving towards Jesus or way from him in terms of a social reality. It's messy but according the hebra he believed this was more true of the Jesus Community the kingdom of God. We are a centerset done early. Now. Let's move on verse 11 blessed are you when people insult you persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven or in the same way. They persecuted the prophets who are before you. For the same way. Sorry, they persecuted the prophets who before you Jesus goes into more of the same here, right and people are going to trash talk you but why? Because of Jesus, yeah, and why should you enjoy it? Because your reward is in heaven and who does Jesus say will be like in this is interesting the prophets the people the prophets are the people who heard from God and revealed what they heard and that is truth. We too will reveal the truest things about the Kingdom of Heaven into our cultural culture, even when it is isn't popular. We to reveal a deep truth wherever we go, even when it's not popular how let's keep reading. So verse 13, 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 Under Foot. Okay, salt has three characteristics one. To flavor and three preservation. So don't understand this. Let's just look at those three characteristics of salt one Purity. The people that are out of the Kingdom of Heaven are pure salt is pure it's white. It was used for animal sacrifices in the first testament to make them. Holy followers of Jesus live Pure Life worthy sacrifice. It means that we have a moral compass. So to speak we do things in moderation. We exercise self-control. We don't binge watch things on Netflix just because everyone else is the That right? Yes. Okay flavor second thing just like we use it today for flavor seasoning followers of Jesus bring flavor and I love this part. Don't miss this.

Flavor for a Jesus follower means wherever we go. We bring joy, wherever we go. We bring life. We bring the fullness of life. We bring goodness. We bring satisfaction kindness excitement. We make things better and more enjoyable where the party favorites so to speak followers of Jesus are not Bland and tasteless. We should be the life of the party. Now, is that what most non believer say about Christians know? Okay, we have some work to do but hey, guess what next week's this is what Jesus followers do we bring flavor? So yeah, we don't participate in things are in pure things that reek of death and lifelessness. But instead we participate in the things that are life-giving. And Awesome, everything preservation salt was used to keep food from going bad. They didn't have like refrigerators and whatnot. Jesus follower spread through the world to do justice love mercy and to walk humbly with your god of Micah 6:8. We are what others have called a counterculture a contrast culture. What others is called a creative minority, but we're a minority. We're at we're on non-anxious presence. We are the ones who embody righteousness and what is righteousness. I don't want you to think all high-and-mighty righteousness know for sure is I'm Portland explains righteousness this way and I love his definition it helps to think even if across as I go through these four things that will help you remember it first. We are right with God that is righteousness. We're in right relationship with God. Two were in right relationship with others. 3 wearing right relationship with ourselves super important and then the last thing we're in right relationship with the Earth. With creation, right? Even if it just means you're good to your doggie take him for walks or what not. You know, you're right with creation. I love that definition of righteousness those four things. And as we embody righteousness in this world, we preserve the world it transcends your politics. And we are the ones who promote now check this out. I'm going to I'm going to do contrast some political things just to come and press buttons here.

When we preserve the Earth and wield a righteousness, we other ones who promote marriage and to take care of the earth. We're the ones who promote birth and hear the Cry of those who are oppressed by Injustice. We are those who share Prosperity by God's word and Grace we give it away and we're willing to take less for ourselves. We're the ones who celebrate gender and sexuality as God created it. And we stand against sexual abuse sex trafficking in all forms of discrimination. Yeah. We are an odd Bunch though, aren't we? Where is those political? I'm at stuff. I love it. Paul says he calls us strangers and pilgrims here on Earth citizens in heaven, right? This is not our citizenship here in America. Our citizenship is in heaven. So yeah, we're going to be Travelers. We're going to be strangers and pilgrims when always going to be the most popular in the room. So verse 14, you are the light of the world 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 a 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. Who's the light? You are yes me to post about this just the other week. Jesus is the light of the world. But now he's turning the table. Isn't he saying you are the light of the world you us we are the light now that is fascinating when light is faced with Darkness 100% of the time it always winds right if there's like a dark closet and likes of the closet in the back of this really weird to open up those doors with the darkness than flat out and overtake this room and make it darker. No just the opposite Right light pushes into the darkness. And so now we're going to just think on that just for a second. I mean to have the band come back up. We're going to end here. Here's a question. How do we be Salt and Light? How does redeemers be Salt and Light I want to give you two things to take home with you the day we gather and Scatter. We Gather the church coming together we are people from all kinds of backgrounds are all blast And here's my list and this is not exhaustive. But I want you to get an idea of what the Blessed Gathering Church looks like. People that are blessed the church is rich and poor it's old and young. It's college degree in high school dropout. It's privileged and underprivileged. It's spoiled ones grown up the grub spoiled those who grew up abused as well blessed are the healthy and the sick blessed are male and female Lester white black Asian Latino Islander and every tribe on Earth popular and unpopular blast married last single blast divorced last newlyweds Bless the Child list in the family with a child has blessed the family that has so many children. They have a Suburban black.

Those who started a business blessed and those who just lost their business blast. Those who are living the dream and those who are living their worst nightmare homeowners renters homeless and those living by choice in an RV somewhere last. Some rejoicing some morning republican-democrat Blazer fans and Laker fans. last the point is this whole group is together when the church gathers together like that City on the hill the light coming together and shine so bright it is so beautiful. I mean, honestly, what are all we doing in the same room together? What are we doing in the same room together answer Jesus and his kingdom expanding here on Earth. So we got our second thing. We scattered we leave here on purpose everybody. We don't do Church 7 days a week, right Monday through Saturday we scatter and we're filled with confidence after worshipping together praying together sharing a meal together. We know who we are in Christ Are Not Afraid now to be Salt and Light in the world the last point point before we're done you want to go ahead and stand

At the church gathers we scatter well. As a church gathers. Well we scatter. Well, when we worship together well on Sundays we begin to see God ourselves in the world more accurately when we take a risk during this time of worship lifting hands going on our knees crying out for healing praying for healing for one another allowing a spirit to move becoming priests for one another. That is when We Gather well, so we need to take rest. We need not be afraid to use these gatherings and to lean into the Holy Spirit as my friend says in Portland awesome is in the awkward service coming here. Brett and I are going to lean into that. We want these gatherings to be full of the Holy Spirit think like the disciples in Acts 2 in the upper room there crane the spirit Falls in them and then they scatter they go out and they tell the gospel to the World 2000 get say that very day. That's what we hope and pray for redeemers church you with me with Sprint. Larry thank you so much. For sure you are. We thank you that we've all been invited every single person in this room. I pray for the people in this room that we would all be those who are moving towards you got.

Holy Spirit Would you move now in power? Lord I pray for those who are hurting this morning that they would hear the words of their King. Do you hear the Comfort karius blessed the king is here and he is inviting us into his kingdom. Thank you, Jesus. So now we continue to worship you through song as we come to the table here in the next song or so. We give you glory and thanks God. Amen, let's continue to worship.