Being a Contagious Christian

Matthew 5:13-16

If our church were a business, what would our business plan be? Well our mission statement says we exist to help people become fully committed followers of Christ. In a business plan you begin by looking at what you are going to do and asking, “what are the benefits and what are the costs?” When we think of our mission as a church what are some of the benefits of helping people to become fully committed followers of Christ? … What are some of the costs of being a follower of Christ? ... Do the benefits of being a believer and of being this church outweigh the costs?

There is a problem facing us as we approach Easter: If Christ were to be bodily present in our church this Sunday, would we delight in introducing him to others?

I was taught this week that it takes 87 evangelical Christians one year to produce one new believer in Christ. This problem was presented several years ago in a song called "Jacob’s Ladder," which topped the pop music charts. Huey Lewis sang about being pursued by a fat man who was selling salvation. It’s not too surprising that he responded by saying he was not in a hurry to think about such things and then added scathingly, "and I don’t want to be like you." Huey Lewis was saying if the cost to believe in Jesus is to be like many of those who try to do evangelism, then the cost is too high.

Most people won’t come right out and say it, but you’d better believe they’re thinking it. They’re not interested in committing their lives to Christ unless they observe attractive and consistent patterns of living in the Christians they know. One preacher put it like this: "Christians have to live good news before they can share the good news."

Our text today, Matthew 5:13-16 says, "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world - like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (NLT)

Before we can become contagious Christians, we must first live in a way that convinces the people around us that we actually have it ourselves! Did you know that is a big problem with many unbelievers?

Did you notice in these verses where Jesus asserts that we are salt and light, he says nothing about what we have to say? He doesn’t give us a three point evangelistic sermon. He doesn’t teach the four spiritual laws or the Roman Road presentation.

If we want to be the kind of salt and light Christians that Jesus said that we are to be, we’re going to have to first take some preliminary steps of self-examination and then be willing to make any needed adjustments. We must start by making certain that the way we’re living backs up the words we’re speaking.

Jesus knew the importance of perceptions. That’s why He gave us such clear instructions about being salt and light. He knows that as you learn to live out these guidelines in tangible ways, people will begin to "see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Jesus was telling us that the attitudes and actions of each of His followers either draw people toward a relationship with God or push them further away. So Jesus was pleading with His people to live in a way that would draw people toward the Father. Think about it: how we live our lives has an eternal impact on others. What should we look like?

1. Some look like obnoxious Christians who repel the lost from Christ.

Salt and Light can be good. But it can also be bad if you have too much. Too much can be repulsive! How does food that has too much salt taste? What happens when someone approaches you on the highway with their high beam headlights?

The Christian who repels the lost is the salt that has lost its potency and the light that has been hidden. The person is not having their desired impact on those around them. Let me share with you three types of Christians that repel the lost from Christ.

1) In Your Face Christians. These are the hard sell, confrontational evangelists. They are the ones who pull up in the car next to you at the stoplight, and yell across to you, "Do you know you are going to hell without Jesus. You need to turn or burn!"

2) Next, we have the Holier-Than-Thou Christians. These are the self-righteous types. They have exchanged their Pharisaic garments for more contemporary clothes, but their hearts are just as judgmental. They make it plain that you probably couldn’t live up to their level of spirituality, so you might as well not try.

3) Lastly, we have the Cosmetic Christians. These are the Christians which seekers realize only have a veneer of Christianity. Their faith is only skin deep. It doesn’t change their character or their values. The seeker sees these people, and says, "There is no real difference between me and them, except that I might have more fun." As one writer said, "If sin dims our testimony so that our "light" is no longer visible, some of those we might have influenced for Christ may drift on in spiritual darkness."

2. Some look like Christians who draw lost people toward Christ.

Christians who are a flavoring influence on others appropriately and shine their lights correctly are contagious Christians.

Jesus uses the term "good" five times in the Sermon on the Mount. Each time he uses it to contrast those who are failing to produce faith substantiating righteousness, and loving acts of service with those who validate their faith through these actions. Let me give you three examples of contagious Christians.

1) The Costly Christians. These are believers who live out their faith even when it demands a sacrifice.

In his transition from atheism to Christianity, Lee Strobel shares the story of Ron Bronski. Ron had been a member of one of the street gangs in Chicago. A rival gang had beat up his brother, so Ron decided to get even. One night, he got a pistol, and waited for, Gary, the guy responsible for his brother’s beating. When Gary came appeared, with a few other gang members, Ronnie came up behind them, yelled his gang name, and pulled the trigger. The gun just clicked. The gang members turned around, and Ronnie pulled the trigger again. This time a shot was fired into the air. The gang ran in different directions.

Ron ran after Gary. He shot Gary in the back. And Ron walked up to Gary, turned him over, and put the gun to his head, and pulled the trigger. But, the gun locked up. He dropped the gun and ran. Ron knew he had to get out of town. So he packed up his girlfriend and left for Portland, Oregon.

In Portland, Ron got a job, where several contagious Christians surrounded him, and over time he made a commitment to Christ. And Ron began to change. Ron became a model member of his church and the community. But something inside him began to gnaw at his soul. Ron knew that he had been restored in his relationship with God, but he had not yet been restored to society. There was still a warrant out for his arrest for attempted murder. The Chicago Police had discontinued looking for Ron Bronski, so he knew he could have stayed in Portland without ever being caught, yet he knew what he had to do. So, he kissed his wife and children. He took a little bit of money, and went to Chicago, to turn himself in. He was looking at a possibility of jail time for up to 20 years.

Lee Strobel, who was still an atheist, was assigned to the criminal courts building by the Chicago Tribune. He was used to hearing people who were obviously guilty trying to find a loophole to get out of responsibility for the crime they committed.

But, into that scene walks Ron. And he tells the judge, "I did it. I’m guilty because not only did I shoot him, I was trying to kill him. But I have become a Christian since, and now I realize that what I did was wrong. I’m sorry for what I did." Lee Strobel said, "this drew me towards Christ." To see someone so convinced of their faith that they were willing to be faithful even if it meant up to 20 years in prison made a remarkable impact, and showed him that Ron’s faith was real.

Some people have been drawn to Christ because they look at what my daughter Juli will be giving up financially to go to treat the poor in Kenya. They know that for someone to give up a lucrative medical career to work for very little financial pay means that what they are doing must be something worth believing in. The second kind of Christian that draws others to Christ is a …

2) Compassionate Christian.

When action-oriented compassion is absent, it’s a telltale sign that something’s spiritually wrong. Whether the problem is with the organization or the individual, uncaring Christianity does not attract seekers. But a clear and consistent demonstration of Christ-like love is a powerful magnet that pulls people toward Him. And God wants that power to draw people toward his Son.

These acts of service include what Steve Sjogren has called, “random acts of kindness.” But they also include intentional efforts to serve the real needs of people God has placed around us. It is the cooking of meals for a neighbor’s family who has had medical issues. It is watching children for those who don’t have someone readily available. It is including them in a backyard barbecue. It is volunteering to help them work on the car, or on the house. The list could go on and on because it is any type of service that demonstrates in a very practical way, the love of God. Let’s look at a third kind of contagious Christian:

3) The Consistent Christian.

We are talking about those who demonstrate integrity of faith even when you don’t know you are being watched. They are authentic about the struggles that are present in their life. They observe a high level of what we would call being "real".

Do you know what seekers need to see in you more than pasted-on smiles and religious slogans? They need to see you grapple with fear and sadness and anger and jealousy and loss. They need to hear you talk openly about your struggles with issues of purity. They need to watch you work out your faith without discounting the everyday struggles of life.

Recently a business owner, who was a seeker, employed scores of Christians in his company. He watched them like a hawk. "You know, I was naturally drawn to God by observing Christian workers who were conscientious and kind and thorough and aggressive on the job," he said. "But I’ll tell you what really impressed me. One day a guy who I knew to be a fresh convert asked if he could see me after work. I agreed to meet with him, but later in the day I started to worry that this young religious zealot might be coming to try to convert me, too." "I was surprised when he came in my office with his head hanging low and said to me, ’Sir, I’ll only take a few minutes, but I’m here to ask your forgiveness. Over the years I’ve worked for you I’ve done what a lot of other employees do, like borrowing a few company products here and there. And I’ve taken some extra supplies; I’ve abused telephone privileges; and I’ve cheated the time clock now and then.

"’But I became a Christian a few months ago and it’s real - not the smoke and mirror stuff. In gratitude for what Christ has done for me and in obedience to Him, I want to make amends to you and the company for the wrongs I’ve done. So could we figure out a way to do that? If you have to fire me for what I’ve done, I’ll understand. I deserve it. Or, if you want to dock my pay, dock it whatever figure you think is appropriate. If you want to give me some extra work to do on my own time, that would be okay, too, I just want to make things right with God and between us.’"

Well they worked things out. And the business owner said that this conversation made a deeper spiritual impact on him than anything else ever had. It was the single most impressive demonstration of true Christianity he had ever witnessed.

What was it that made this new believer so contagious? Was it a clever new gospel presentation? Was it a well-rehearsed testimony? Obviously not. It was merely a genuine and humble admission of wrongdoing along with a willingness to make it right. It was consistent Christianity.

Perhaps there’s something you should confess at work, in your home, or in your neighborhood. Or there could be an area of your life that you know isn’t right, but you’re still trying to cover it up in the hope that nobody will find out. Maybe now God’s Spirit is prompting you to go to somebody and say, "Because I mean business about my relationship with God and I want to be right before Him and with you, I need to apologize."

Can I give you an inside scoop? People who are investigating Christianity don’t expect perfection from Christians. They’re too street smart for that! What they do hope to find is someone with the courage to confess their faults and make things right. They want to see humility and repentance, and maybe even restitution.

So what? This week Lee Strobel told us a story. Tell the story of Dr. B. and Bill Hybels. … That is the impact of a contagious Christian. Someday you may stand in heaven and Jesus will come and put his hand on your shoulder and say, lights out… What kind of a contagious Christian are you going to be?