None of us want to be average. I doubt that anyone got up this morning and thought to themselves, “I want to see how bad I can look today.” Now, before you judge me realize God made me this way.
None of us want to simply be average. Parents do not dream about their children being underachievers. Parents want what is best for them. We desire to have excellence in our lives.
The good news for the Christian is that God wants you to have a life of excellence. Jesus said Himself in John 10:10 that He came for us to have “life to the full.” Meaning, Christ wants us to have an excellent quality of life. The world’s definition of quality differs from what Jesus’ definition is. But regardless, Jesus calls His followers to live at a higher level.
I have read about a monument to a rescue worker in the Alps Mountains. There was a group of mountain climbers who were stranded in a snow storm. A rescue team was sent out for them, but in the midst of the rescue, one of the rescuers was overcome by the conditions and passed away. They set up a monument to this rescuer and the monument says these words, “He died climbing.”
As a Christian I think that would be a great way to be remembered after I have left this world… “He died climbing.” I want to go out climbing for that higher level that Jesus calls us to.
In the book of Matthew we see Jesus begin His ministry on earth. Jesus went around preaching to people the need to “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
When we arrive in Matthew chapter 5, a crowd of Jesus’ followers had seated themselves near Him to listen to Jesus teach. Please note, this is very important, Jesus was speaking to people who were already following Him. The crowd around Jesus had heard His calling to a radical new life.
That is when Jesus begins His most famous discourse on what it means to be a follower of Christ. The Sermon on the Mount is not a gimmick or a pop psychology method of self-improvement. No, what Jesus is going to tell His followers in this sermon is that we are to live at a higher level.
Jesus begins the sermon with the beatitudes. These beatitudes are indicators of a life that has surrendered to God. Max Lucado writes, “Observe the sequence. First, we recognize we are in need (we’re poor in spirit). Next, we repent of our self-sufficiency (we mourn). We quit calling the shots and surrender control to God (we’re meek). So grateful we are for His presence that we yearn for more of Him (we hunger and thirst). As we grow closer to Him, we become more like Him. We forgive others (we’re merciful). We change our outlook (we’re pure in heart). We love others (we’re peacemakers). We endure injustice (we’re persecuted).
It is not a casual shift of attitude. It is a demolition of the old structure and a creation of the new.” (Grace for the Moment, pg. 295)
To advance to the higher level, the old self must be put to death. Paul told us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
Jesus looks at these new followers of His as He teaches them and begins with how their new life will be. But almost as soon as Jesus starts talking about their new behaviors, Jesus shifts into giving them their higher calling.
Jesus first tells them that they are the salt of the earth. They are to add flavor to the world. They are to be preservatives in the world. But the second name that Jesus calls them is the one I want to zero in on today. Jesus says that His followers are to be light.
Read with me in Matthew 5:14 – 16. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
There are some simple lessons we can learn today from these three verses that will help us live on that higher level Jesus calls us to. The first lesson is this…
WE ARE TO BE DIFFERENT.
Jesus says in verse 14, “You are the light of the world.” There is a contrast that we notice here. The world is dark. We are to be different from the world in our very nature. We are called to brighten the place up.
I was told this story is true. A man in a suit cussed out a worker at the Golden Coral on a Sunday. It is sad to think that the worst crowd for people in the restaurant business to wait on is the Sunday afternoon crowd. It is tragic that those workers dread waiting on Christians. They complain about Christians being rude, whiners and complainers, bad tippers, you name it! They don’t look forward to the Sunday crowd.
When you live as light you are different. The biblical word for this is holy. Peter wrote to Christians and told them to “be holy just as God is holy.” (1 Peter 1:15) And to make sure that we aren’t using words that we don’t understand, being holy means to be different. The word “holy” in Bible times was used for someone or something that was set apart for God’s special use. In other words, it was different from the common things of the world. It was special because it was designed and used for God. It was different!
And being different in a “holy” way is not being different in a weird way where people look at you and say, “Ewww, they’re different.” But it is being different in a way that people look at us and say, “Wow, they’ve got something that I want. They’ve got something I need.”
Jesus said we are the light of the world. The world is dark. We are to be different.
The second lesson we learn from these verses is…
WE ARE TO BE OBVIOUS.
“A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” In ancient times cities were built on the tops of hills for defense purposes. In military tactics you are taught to always have the high ground. It is easier for defense. With the war in Iraq, one of the first things our forces sought to destroy was the air defenses. With our military controlling the sky, or high ground, they had the advantage.
When you build a city on a hill, it cannot be hidden. The same is true for someone who is the light of the world. When someone is different, they stand out. They are obvious to everyone.
Jesus wants us to be obvious to the world. God doesn’t need “under-cover” Christians. These are Christians who disguise themselves during the week to make sure that no one knows they are a follower of Christ. Those types of Christians miss the point.
God needs Christians who are full of His Spirit. Christians who produce the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. Jesus said the world would know we are His by our love.
If you want to be different from the world, then let your light shine by loving people. That is really different from the world! If you love others then you will be obvious.
But I also don’t think that God wants us to be obvious, He does not want us to be obnoxious Christians. You know the type I’m talking about, those Christians who go around bashing and condemning people.
John 3:16 is the most famous verse in the Bible. But the one after it is one that needs to be looked at too. John 3:17 tells us that “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” If Jesus didn’t come to this world and go around condemning people, then I don’t have any right to condemn either. Ephesians 4:15 tells us to speak the truth in love.
Jesus doesn’t want us to be obnoxious; HE wants us to be obvious. And that brings us to the next lesson we learn.
WE ARE TO BE STRATEGIC.
“Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” It doesn’t make any sense to put light in a place where it cannot shine. That is the same with the church. We must be strategic in making sure we set our stand in the best place possible so that many can see the light.
There are many who become indignant at the thought of the church having a strategy. “That’s sounds like you are running a mass marketing campaign. You are making the church a business, all you care about is numbers” they argue.
But when I look in the Scripture, I can see how Jesus used strategy. Jesus knew His plan meant that He would not be here forever, so He selected a group of men to teach in order that they could teach others. This group of men was not to just be shot out of a barrel, but they were given a plan. First, you will be Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, and then the uttermost parts of the world. I think Jesus and the disciples knew the value of being strategic.
In being strategic, we must have excellence.
People are attracted to excellence. Who would you rather watch? The 1996 Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan, or the 2005 Chicago Bulls? Needless to say, we like to see excellence.
The same is true for the church. We are to let our light shine and we are to be obvious to everyone, but we must be strategic in our efforts. And that means we must do things with excellence.
I have never understood why someone would get in front of a church and say, “I didn’t really have time to practice this special for today, but I hope you listen to the message of the song.” Then they sing “Give your best for the Master!” Sounds like a conflicting message to me.
Paul told the church in Colosse, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Col. 3:23)
Now our quest for excellence does not mean that we become perfect. Friends, there will never be a perfect church as long as the church is made up of imperfect people. And if you ever do find the perfect church, don’t join it because you will mess it up!
While we won’t be perfect, we still must strive for excellence. That’s what God is looking for. That’s what God blesses. We need to be strategic in letting our light shine for Him.
We also do not discriminate. When the light is put on the stand it gives light to everyone in the house. The Gospel of Jesus is for everyone… black, white, rich, poor, Democrat and Republican, the good news does not discriminate. And when we let our light shine, we don’t tell it which way to shine, we simply shine.
The last lesson this morning we see in these verses is that…
WE ARE TO BE SERVANT’S FOR GOD’S GLORY
Verse 16 reads, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Faith without works is dead. James wrote, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” (2:18)
Motivation is the key to living a life on the higher level. Why are you serving the Lord? Do you serve to pat yourself on the back? Do you serve because of pressure from a spouse? Do you serve to have your sins forgiven?
I remember an episode of the Andy Griffith Show in which Gomer thought Andy had saved his life. And Gomer was going to do everything he could to repay Andy. He was trying to be so helpful, but what he actually became was a nuisance. But why was Gomer serving Andy? He was serving out of gratitude for being saved.
The motivation for serving God is gratitude for being saved. We do not serve in order to be saved; we serve because we are saved.
Ephesians 2:8 – 10 reads, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Let your light shine because you are grateful. Do good deeds out of gratitude, not for salvation. Grace is the only way to be saved.
Jesus calls us to live life at a higher level. A life lived at a higher level is a life that values grace.
God doesn’t call us to be average. God doesn’t call us to blend in. God calls us to be light. We are to be different. We are to be obvious. We are to be strategic. We are to serve for God’s glory. Jesus calls us to live at a higher level.
