LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN (Outline)
February 4, 2007 - EPIPHANY 5 - Matthew 5:13-20
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INTRO: A quick reminder that Epiphany means appearance (or manifestation). During Epiphany we are reminded that Jesus is the Son of Mary and Joseph. Even more importantly Jesus is also revealed to be God’s Son. In this Epiphany season the Son of God and Son of man is fully revealed as the Light of the world. "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ’I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’" (JOHN 8:12). God’s Light, his Son now lives in our hearts and lives. This gift of God’s grace is not only for us alone. Christ the Lord and Savior is meant to be God’s gift of salvation to and for the entire world. How? Christ lives in us to shine through us. May Jesus’ words echo: LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN. As Christ’s light shines before men: I. They will praise your Father in heaven, II. They will see Christ’s righteousness.
I. THE WORLD WILL PRAISE YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN
A. Matthew chapters 5 – 7 record Jesus’ longest sermon. It is the Sermon on the Mount.
1. This section only a short sample of what is included. (Please read 5-7 this week).
2. Verse 13: believers ARE salt. Jesus does not say can or may be salt but believers ARE salt.
3. The impure salt of Jesus’ easily lost its saltiness. A common use was then material for roads.
B. Verse 14: Believers ARE light. Light was very
important during the time of Jesus, verse 15.
1. A lamp lit was not hidden under the bushel. The bushel was the large basket for measuring.
2. Each house had a niche in the wall with a projecting ledge. This was where the lamp sat.
C. Believers are to be the brightly shining lights in a world of darkness, verse 16.
1. The shining light/good deeds of a believer were really, only God’s light shining through them.
2. People seeing God’s light shining would praise the Father in heaven, not the lamp.
D. Jesus clearly, simply, and directly says to each and every believer: YOU ARE the salt and the light. Jesus does not mince words here. The reality is that we do not always act or live as the salt and the light of the earth and world. The reality is that we may not always feel like we truly are the salt and the light of the earth and world. Often we may even feel unprepared or ill equipped to be shining lights before men. May none of us ever cling to any of those reasons as a valid excuse. God himself has given to each of us everything we absolutely, positively need to be the salt and the light of the earth and world. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path"(PSALM 119:105). The Old Testament people had devel-oped a lamb that could be attached to the foot to act as a light for the path. This is God’s word for us!
E. Not everyone in our world wants to hear someone come up and speak to them about Christ, the Savior of mankind. Instead people often watch others from a distance. This is especially true of many who want to find fault with Christianity. They are always looking and always watching and sometimes listening to see if the believer will slip up. The world may not want to hear your message about the Light of the world. The world will listen to what comes out of your mouth – good or bad. "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone"(COLOSSIANS 4:6). Let your light shine before men with talk that is full of grace, seasoned with salt. Not salty words.
F. When the world watches the believer they do not always get near enough to listen. So – that is just what they do they watch and watch and watch and wait. They watch and wait to see what they might learn from the life of a believer. What makes a Christian different from anyone else? That is what the world wants to know. This is what we are to reveal to the world. The love of Christ that lives in our hearts by faith and grace is to spill over into our lives, lives that are filled with joy and thanksgiving. "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us"(1 PETER 2:12).
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN and the world will praise your Father in heaven.
II. THE WORLD WILL SEE CHRIST’S RIGHTEOUSNESS
A. It will do you well to read at least the beginning verses of chapter 5 of Matthew.
1. Jesus preaches the Beatitudes – blessed are…. Some thought this change everything.
2. Jesus came not to abolish but to fulfill, verse 17. The church leaders changed the law.
B. The scribes and Pharisees added even more laws to God’s laws. This did not change God’s word.
1. Jesus guarantees in verse 18 that the smallest part of his word will not disappear.
2. The scribes and Pharisees had placed themselves far above God’s law and word.
3. Yet, Jesus warns them, verse 19. They exalted themselves, God would humble.
C. The people of Jesus’ day looked at the scribes and Pharisees as the most holy of holy people.
1. These church leaders were quite smug in their self-righteousness. No one was better.
2. Jesus says they will need to be more righteous in verse 20. Impossible – but not for God!
D. Many things are simply impossible for man but not for God. This is especially true concerning things spiritual and eternal. Can anyone be more righteous than the most righteous person on earth? No. Can anyone be righteous enough to save himself? NO! Isaiah had to admit that all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. Mankind cannot save itself. We cannot earn eternal life nor buy it. God knows this and has provided eternity for mankind in spite of itself. "He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sus-tained him"(ISAIAH 59:16). Christ’s righteousness alone saves mankind for time and eternity.
E. Martin Luther struggled with the righteousness of God. Who of us, being ever unrighteous and filthy with sin, can hope to stand before a righteous God? But God in his grace, opened Luther’s eyes to see and his heart to believe that the righteousness of God covers up our unrighteousness. This righteousness of God is ours by grace through faith. It is the Light of the Lord God almighty that is to be reflected in our day to day living. "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ’The righteous will live by faith’"(ROMANS 1:17).
F. How are people around us to see in us the righteousness of Christ? First, we need to remind ourselves just how much our lives are and have been changed. Simply, freely by grace through faith we know God is in control of all things for our good. We know, confess, and believe that the righteousness of Christ covers up all our sins. Our lives are changed – forever. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me"(GALATIANS 2:20). That gives each and everyone of us a very, very posi-tive / joyful out look on life. The world lives in terror – we do not. The world is uncertain of what might happen next – we are not. Eternity is feared by the unbeliever but not by us. Christ’s righteousness is alive and well in our hearts. Christ’s righteousness is what others need to know and see in our lives.
CONC.: Simply – directly – Jesus states this command: LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN. Others need, desperately, to hear and see the Light of Christ in our words and actions. Mankind needs to praise our Father in heaven. Mankind needs to see Christ’s righteousness. Believers ARE salt and light. Paul wrote to do everything without grumbling and complaining (a typical worldly attitude) "...so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life"(PHILIPPIANS 2:15,16a). Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
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EPIPHANY 5 readings: ISAIAH 6:1-8; 1 CORINTHIANS 14:12b-20; LUKE 5:1-11
