HoHum:
One of the most frustrating experiences in life is to be told what to do without being given a clear idea of how to go about doing it. Unfortunately, this kind of thing happens all the time.
The boss sets a sky high sales quota and lets everyone know clearly that he expects everyone to meet them. He says that overall revenue must be raised, costs lowered, and the bottom line improved, but how this is done is our problem.
This even happens in the church. We are expected to have strong marriages, obedient children, balanced budgets, ethical businesses, effective prayer lives and meaningful relationships. But while the “ought to” comes through loudly and clearly, the “how to” often remains distant and muffled, if it’s heard at all.
One place we see this is in the challenge to have an evangelistic impact on our world. “People are lost,” the preacher proclaims. “They’re headed for hell, God wants to reach them, and you’re His chosen ambassador- so you’d better get out there and bring them to Christ?”
This is biblical, rings true, and makes sense. So we need to take action on this- but how? We need some help on “getting out there”? How do we get started? How do I make the first step?
WBTU:
Read Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus talked about how to be effective in evangelism right here on the Sermon on the Mount. Here is the formula for influencing our world: HP + CP + CC = MI. Break this down tonight
Start with the last one: MI= Maximum impact, having the greatest spiritual influence on those around us. Many Scriptures with challenges to each of us on how to arrange our lives so that we can have the highest possible spiritual influence on those around us. It is our responsibility to put those challenges into action. Alluded to in Vs. 16
Thesis: HP + CP + CC = MI
For instances:
HP = High Potency
Talked this morning about salt losing its potency. Meaning the strength, effectiveness of the salt to perform a particular function. Salt can be too strong or too diluted to perform a function.
As Christians the more consecrated, set apart, different from the world we are the more potency we will have.
Holiness, which represents the summation of all Christian virtues, is clearly God’s design for the Christian in practical day to day living. Hebrews 12:14 tells us that no one will see God without holiness. Our conduct must be righteous, or unbelievers will struggle to see how we are any different and why they should believe in the Jesus we claim to follow in word but not in deed.
Unity is another Biblical characteristic by which Christians are distinguished from the world in which we live. Jesus prays in John 17:21 regarding His disciples and all who would come after them through their testimony, “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” If true Christian unity is seen among believers, then the world might believe that the Father sent the Son to earth. In an age where people believe almost anything, Christian unity cuts to the core of the matter, giving the greatest evidence that Jesus really did come to earth and die for the sins of the world. The world knows that people are evil, untrustworthy, and difficult to get along with. When Christians get along with one another, this is strong evidence for the legitimacy of the Christian faith.
Different because of our love for each other. John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” All people will be able to identify a true follower of Christ by our love for others. Love is a distinguishing mark of the Christian.
Matthew 5:16 tells us that if we do good works for others that some people just might come to glorify God because they see the Light of Christ in us. There are all sorts of kind things that we can do for others, ranging from holding a door open for someone to feeding the hungry. We cannot solve all the world’s problems ourselves in one fell swoop, but we can be part of the change that the world needs by meeting a need and doing something kind for someone. People know that it is not natural for someone to go out of their way to do something nice for another human being, so they do take note when Christians do something that is otherwise out of the ordinary.
Lastly, 1 Peter 3:15 says that people will ask about why we have so much hope, presuming, of course, that they can see that we are hopeful people. Is there something supernatural (Christ) sustaining us that the world must have no natural explanation for? If there is and if it is visible and tangible, we should anticipate that God will open a door for us to share about the reason for our hope. Let us pray that love, unity, good works, holiness, and hope would so saturate our lives that others would take notice. May God give us grace to answer boldly as we speak of Christ (Colossians 4:6), the reason for our new and very different life.
CP = Close proximity
We can have a high potency but salt cannot preserve anything unless it is put on the meat. Highly flavored, industrial strength salt has great potency, but it can’t produce any results unless it touches something. As Becky Pippert wrote several years ago, unless salt gets poured out of the shaker, it remains a table ornament. Problem with some is they have a high potency but never get out where they can rub up next to people who need their influence. Good looking table ornaments, but they have low impact (good around own families but not much beyond that).
“After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. “But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”” Luke 5:27-32, NIV.
If I get around these sinners they might contaminate me. Yes, if we did this all the time it might not be good but what if we rarely are around tax collectors and other notorious sinners.
“I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” Philemon 1:6, NIV.
CC= Clear Communication
Matthew 5:14-15: Talked about salt now talking about light. What does light do? Makes things visible. Idea is clearly and attractively presenting God’s truth to others. Part of this metaphor includes the need to model a lifestyle that will stand in contrast to darkness of life without Christ, the distinctive idea seems to be that of articulating the content of the gospel message.
For light to have its intended effect, it must not be covered up or obscured in any way. In order of us to have the powerful influence God desires, we must know the gospel message cold and be ready to communicate it concisely and clearly. 4 Spiritual laws:
1. God loves you:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life," (John 3:16).
2. Man is sinful and separated from God.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Rom. 3:23); "For the wages of sin is death," (Rom. 6:23); "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God," (Isaiah 59:2).
3. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin.
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me" (John 14:6); "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," (Rom. 5:8).
4. We must individually receive Jesus as Savior and Lord.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God," (Eph. 2:8). But how? What is saving faith?
Belief- “They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household.”” Acts 16:31, NIV.
Repentance- “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret,...” 2 Corinthians 7:10, NIV.
Confession- “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9, NIV.
Baptism- Acts 2:38
Far too many Christians have been duped into thinking that if they simply live out their faith in an open and consistent fashion, the people around them will see it, want it, and somehow figure out how to get it for themselves. Or they reason that maybe these people will come and ask them what makes their life so special and, when they do, they’ll seize the opportunity and explain it to them. But let’s be honest: this rarely happens. Must open our mouths.
It is critical that we have a high savor factor and a readiness to articulate the message of Christ.
Jesus isn’t like the boss or the preacher who just gives us our assignment and then leaves us to figure out how to do it on our own. He gave us the formula, and then He turns it over to us. Wherever there’s high savor, close interaction, and a straightforward presentation of the truth, there is a contagious Christian influence that might lead to the salvation of one more lost person who matters deeply to God.
