Preserving The Light Series

Preserving the light

Matthew chapter 5:13-16

Prayer-

Introduction-

I think that most people want to accomplish something of value in their life and they want people to say that their life mattered.

Most look at what others have done and wish that it would have happened to them.

They do not realize the work and effort that was put into what they have done and want it to magically happen to them without doing the work involved.

The hard part is figuring how you are going to do that. To do nothing, nothing will happen and that is what most do, they have good intentions, but at the end of the day and if long enough at the end of our lives, they do not intentionally do something that matters.

We will look back and be disappointed. Time will get away from us.

As Christians who are trying to live in this world but not to be of the world, we want to make an impact. There are so many things that can be a distraction, can be a hindrance, can be an obstacle.

Life, job, kids, relationships can make life messy even though they are a part of our lives.

How can we do that? How do we live in a world that we in a lot of ways have to be separated from because of our faith and beliefs?

Separated enough that the world does not affect your faith but close enough to make a difference in someone else’s life and not only live out your faith but share your faith.

A lot of people believe that living out your faith for people to see is enough. But is that what Jesus told his disciples? Did he say that just living your life for him was enough? Or did you tell them to live their lives close to the Lord so that others might want what you have?

Might have questions of your faith and how much responsibility do we have to tell them, or is that the preachers job?

The church today is tasked with sharing the gospel. It is tasked with making sure people not only see them living a Christ-likeness but inviting others to experience the relationship of the Lord.

Matthew 5- known as the Beatitudes begins with “Now when He (Jesus) saw the crowd, he went up to the mountains and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying…”

Don’t race through that- when Jesus saw the crowd, he left the crowd and went to the mountains and the disciples followed him up and He began to teach them.

The crowd is not following Jesus- Jesus cares and loves them, but they are not the ones going out of their way to be with Jesus. He breaks away from them and looks for his disciples to break with him and he sat and taught them.

After you study the Beatitudes, you see that Jesus gave them instructions on how they can reach the crowd of people.

It is the multiplication process. Each one win one.

If we all do our part we will make an impact on a world that is far from Jesus and doesn’t even know He is not there.

While he is in an in depth bible study of His word, He tells them that they will be persecuted like He is and will be. They should not expect anything different than what the prophets went through before them.

How are they to interact?

We see in Afghanistan that when you are persecuted for your faith that you might lose your life for it. That what you are saying will not always be accepted and received. That is not enough to just live your life for Christ, but you must be a follower of Christ and that means to share the gospel when given an opportunity and you will be looking for opportunity.

Here is the text and he is talking to his disciples- the ones that are called out and following Jesus

Matthew 5:13-16

Hudson Talor

‘God’s work done God’s way will never lack God’s supplies”

You are the salt of the earth

You are the light of the world

If you have followed Jesus up to the mountain and you desire to do what He calls each of us to do than He is talking to you and I also this morning.

Salt was in ancient times a valuable commodity. It is a compliment to say that someone is salt of the earth. to say that their worth their weight in salt.

Salt was pure-

It was not the same iodized salt of today. It was from the the sun and sea and was offered as a sacrifice because of its value. It was offered up to the many gods of the pagan world. Even some Jews offered up salt with their sacrifice. So if Christians are to be the salt of the earth, they need to be pure.