Get Your Head Up and Your Eyes Out
Matt 5:14-16 Sept 24, 2006
Intro:
Here is the cover of last week’s TIME magazine (September 18, 2006), and I must say, I am a little disgusted. Some of the leaders of some of the largest, evangelical churches in the US are teaching that a life of fullness is measured by how much stuff we have. They use the same verse I have been using as the basis of this fall series, John 10:10, in which Jesus says: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”, and they are saying that God’s road to fullness is a life of material prosperity.
And that makes me angry, not only because of how ridiculously wrong it is, and not only because of how it completely misses the point of what Jesus came to be and to teach, and not only for a bunch more reasons I won’t get into here, but because it is such a pathetic replacement for the real life of abundance and fullness – which is not a life of material prosperity, but rather is a life of love.
Two weeks ago, we began our series about how living a life of love is God’s road to fullness, and we talked about beginning by getting on the right road – the “narrow road that leads to life”. Last week we talked about how, once we are on the right road, God’s design is that we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our every step, as we walk “in step with the Spirit”, we find Him leading us into a life of love, which in turn leads us to living life “to the full”. This morning, I want to talk about our focus – our purpose – and how that leads us further down God’s road to fullness. Here is my premise: A life of love is focused on others, and that leads us into a life of fullness.
An Analogy from Sports: (head up…)
I need a volunteer or two to answer a question for me: what is your favorite team sport to play? What happens if you keep your head down, your focus on yourself?
Life imitates sport – if we walk through life focused on ourselves, living for ourselves, seeking our interests, putting our efforts into the things we want, the result is going to be isolation; misery; we are going to miss out on all of the fullness of life that God wants for us, because our focus is in the wrong place. Living for ourselves does not lead to a life of fullness, living a life of love, which is focused on others, with our head up and our eyes forward, is God’s road to fullness.
Matt 5:14-16
Listen to Jesus’ words in Matt. 5:14-16. 14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither 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. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
A Statement of Identity (vs. 14):
The passage begins with a statement of identity: “You are”. Jesus doesn’t state it as an inquiry, “do you want to be”; and He doesn’t state it as a possibility, “you could be”. He states it as a reality: this is who you are: “you are the light of the world.”
What an incredible privilege! Jesus is speaking to you and to me who are Christians, and saying that we are light! We have power over darkness, we shine so that others don’t trip and fall and hurt themselves, we shine so that people in our world can see the beauty of what God has created, we shine so that people can live and be warm and can experience life.
Jesus says, “a city on a hill cannot be hidden.” I think this means that once we have met Jesus, once we have been filled with the Holy Spirit, once we have joined together in community, then the light that is us is joined with the light that is those around us and it becomes a city, shining on a hill, which cannot be hidden, and which becomes something that everyone out in the surrounding country side, perhaps struggling in darkness – tripping over roots, unable to find food, feeling lost and alone and cold – it becomes something that everyone out in the darkness can see. What a powerful image, what an incredible privilege. Let me plant a question: is that an accurate description of our church? Are we that kind of community – many different lights gathered together, shining light into the surrounding darkness?
This is, according to Jesus, who we are. We are the light of the world.
A Statement of the Obvious (vs. 15):
I love how Jesus can so simply state the obvious, which He does next. “People don’t light a lamp and then put it under a bowl.” It is a pretty ludicrous idea – the reason you light a lamp or a candle is so that it will give off light.
Our sanctuary is too bright for this to be a really effective visual, so I need you to use your imagination. Imagine that the room is completely dark – you cannot see anything – and so you light a candle (light one). All at once, you can see – there is light, and because of that you can get your bearings, you can see where the walls are, where the obstacles are, and best of all, where the door or the light switch is. With that light, you can work, you can read, you can play. Without it, we will sit in darkness and loneliness and fear.
With all of that goodness resulting from the light, why would anyone even think of taking a bowl and putting it over top of the light? (do). Now, all of a sudden, we are right back where we started from – in total darkness, unable to see or play or work or read – unable, in many ways, to be alive and to interact with our world. We are right back to sitting in darkness, loneliness, and fear. We are once again cut off.
When that happens, something else happens as well – yes, the light continues to shine for a while under the bowl, but not for long – after a few moments, the light goes out.
I believe this is so true of us just as it is for this candle. If we try to hide our light, if we put it under a bowl and don’t let anyone else see who we are as Christians, if we refuse to allow our light to shine freely and openly, it goes out. It dies. When we turn inward, when we turn our focus onto ourselves, when we hide away under some bowl because we are hurt or afraid or depressed, it doesn’t help – it doesn’t bring life – instead, it uses up whatever is left and then goes out, and then needs God to come and breathe life and light in again.
Focus on self does not lead to a full life. God’s road to fullness comes as we live a life of love for others, as we allow our light to shine, as we allow God to put that light on a stand so that all those around can see, so that it gives light “to everyone in the house”.
Here is why – God did not create us to be selfish, self-centered creatures. If we go way back, to the very beginning, and we read the story of God creating a person and placing him in a perfect world, we find something missing – that man was created with a need to give love, a need to be in relationship, a need to have someone else to focus on and to give to and to share with. Our world, even some of the churches mentioned in the Time article, switch that around, and say “focus on yourself” – but that road does not lead to fullness of life; it leads to isolation and loneliness and death. God’s road to fullness is to focus on others – to live a life of love – to keep our head up and our focus out.
A Statement of Purpose (vs. 16):
After the statement of identity, and the statement of the obvious, Jesus gives us a statement of purpose. “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”.
This past week, I was at the Young Life West committee meeting, as I am a part of the support committee for the ministry that Julian and Colleen, and a few others, have of going into high schools and junior high schools in west Edmonton to live lives of light that lead teens to Jesus. One of the things that Julian is exceptional at is telling the stories of what God is doing, and one of them that he shared on Monday night was of two girls, who had gone to church all their lives, and who went to camp this past summer. At the end of camp, they said, “we never knew that we were supposed to show our faith to others – we have always thought that it was just something private, something personal, something just for us.”
I have to say, I buried my head in my hands. How could someone go to church all their lives and miss hearing that our central purpose is to “let our light shine before others”? And how much do we miss out on when we take that light and hide it away.
In this verse, Jesus is saying this – live, share life, get close enough to others that they can see how you live, they can see how you choose to do good things because of your love for God, that they can see the light of Jesus shining through you and illuminating the path in front, cutting through the darkness of loneliness and hopelessness, and making the way clear.
As we do, others will see the way we live for others, or in Jesus’ words, “see your good deeds”, and that will lead to one more thing, that they may “praise your Father in heaven.” That really is the point, and that is our deepest joy and fullness in life. When we see others who have found the reason to live, which is to “praise our Father”. That is a whole other sermon, on how the chief purpose of humanity is that we might “glorify God by enjoying Him forever” (John Piper’s minor modification of the first point of the Westminster catechism…), but for today understand simply that Jesus is telling us to live our lives, or shine our light, in such a way that others see, and that leads them to God.
Both of those parts are critical. You see, it is way too easy to read this verse and stop with the first part: “that they may see your good deeds”. In fact, you have maybe even heard this and been taught this – just live your life with love and integrity in front of others, and they will notice the difference and be drawn to God. But that is only the first half – somehow, they have to make the connection between our “good deeds” and our “Father in heaven”. They have to know that we live the way we do because of God, not because we are just “nice people” or “highly moral” or even “a little strange.”
When I was in high school, that was my goal – to live a Christian life among my high school peers, with the expectation that they would see how I was different and that would be enough to get them to become Christians. So I did, for three years. I even won awards for “citizenship” – popularly referred to as the “mr nice guy” award. But it didn’t impact my school. Only once, in three years, did anyone ask me why I was different and I was so caught off guard that I totally blew it and said, “umm, uhhh, I just am…”. I had a best friend named Shayne, who I actually introduced to my future wife Joanne thinking they might make a good couple, which thankfully for me didn’t go anywhere, and we hung out together all the time. He wasn’t a Christian, but he knew I was and I went to church, but that was about it. I let my “light” shine on him, but never made the connection. One day, near the end of grade 12, we were playing floor hockey at my church in Calgary, and we took a break and were sitting on the steps, and somehow, for the first time in the 8 years I had known him, we actually talked about Jesus and who Jesus was to me, and why I lived the way I did. Do you know what Shayne said? He said, “why haven’t you told me any of this before?” We have to live it, AND we have to make the connection.
Conclusion:
But the reason I remember that conversation so vividly is not because of the question Shayne asked me. I remember it so vividly because of how I felt as I shared the deepest part of who I am – I felt incredibly alive. I knew that our conversation was significant, that God was there, using me, shining His light and connecting it to God the Father, and that this friend was now hearing why I lived a life of love. That is one of the moments that I know, beyond doubt, that I was living life to the full.
God’s road to fullness comes as we live a life of love, that is focused on others. Where our heads are up, our eyes looking out, and the light of God is shining through us and connecting people to God our Father.
You are the light of the world. Will you put a bowl over it, or put it on a stand so that others can see? To help you put this into action, I have a little tea light for each of you, with Jesus’ words on it. Now, you could throw it in a drawer, never to be seen again, or you can put it somewhere that others will see, and where your good deeds can lead to praise of God. Maybe that is on your desk at work. Maybe it is in your locker at school. Maybe you send it as a gift, along with your story and explanation of what it means, to someone who needs the light to shine so that they can see. Maybe somewhere else – let the Holy Spirit lead your steps.
“1In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make. 4Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. 5The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (John 1:1-5 NLT).
