Title: Expectations for the Kingdom Scripture: Mt. 5:13-20
Type: Expos. Series Where: GNBC 2-15-26
Intro: In his Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan describes Interpreter’s house, which Pilgrim entered during the course of his journey to the Celestial City. The parlor of the house was completely covered with dust, and when a man took a broom and started to sweep, he and the others in the room began to choke from the great clouds of dust that were stirred up. The more vigorously he swept, the more suffocating the dust became. Then Interpreter ordered a maid to sprinkle the room with water, with which the dust was quickly washed away. Interpreter explained to Pilgrim that the parlor represented the heart of an unsaved man, that the dust was original sin, the man with the broom was the law, and the maid with the water was the gospel. (From a sermon by Matthew Kratz, "Spiritual Warfare: The Flesh vs. The Spirit" 2/15/2009) Christian living, law, gospel and prophets. Christ covers them all in this section of His incredible sermon.
Prop: In Mt. 5:13-20 Christ communicates His Expectations for Christian Living.
BG: 1. Speaking to disciples (broad sense) from hillside.
2. Beatitudes demonstrate clear conflict b/t world and Christ’s Kingdom. Thus, the natural question arising from this: “How should we then live?” That’s what Christ answers in this section of His monumental sermon.
3. In the passage Christ addresses His expectations for Christians to influence society as well as potential misconceptions disciples may have in relation to His Word.
Prop: Mt. 5:13-20
I. How Should Disciples Live in Relation to the World? Vv. 13-16
A. Christ Uses 2 Metaphors to Instruct the Christian in his/her relation to the world.
1. Christ Uses 2 Metaphors in order to Instruct Disciples in their Relation to the World.
a. In this section, Jesus uses two visually distinct metaphors to describe the Christian’s relationship with the world. Now a metaphor is a figure of speech used to make a comparison without using “like or as”. Jesus is NOT saying that His disciple is like salt, but rather, He is in fact saying that His disciple is salt. The verb is an indicative, and not an imperative. Now, what does that mean? When one uses an imperative, it is a command. “You are to be salt.” This, is an indicative, “You are the salt of the earth.”.
b. Now, I know, some of you might be saying to yourself, “So what Chris?” “I didn’t come to church for a grammar lesson, I came to know how I should behave to honor God in my life.” Exactly! We are to be what God has already made and equipped us to be! Illust: Far to many Christians spend time praying something like: “O God, help me to be salt! Or, “Dear Lord, help me to be light…” This passage tells you that you are ALREADY Salt and Light because of your relationship with Jesus Christ, SO ACT LIKE IT! Illust: We homeschooled our children but dual enrolled for various sports, music and some classes. Daughter Katherine came home excited 1st day of XC practice. Was a junior. “How did it go honey?” “I loved it!” “Tom is great!” “Who’s Tom?” “He’s the head coach, you know him, dad.” “Do you mean, Dr. Mittman or Coach Mittman?” “Yeah, Tom.” All the other girls call him “Tom”. “You are not all the other girls. You will refer to (a then)55+ year old man, who is a coach and physician as “Coach or Dr. Mittman.” We had certain expectations in our family that ran in conflict with expectations of other families. The same is true for the disciple of Christ.
2. What are the two figures of comparison Christ makes: Salt and Light.
a. As Pastor Zach so eloquently illustrated last week, the context of what Christ is saying here is the persecution of his disciples. Like salt, Christians may seem small and insignificant, powerless in a power-mad society, yet they have the ability to influence and permeate every strata. Salt is cheap and in some ways insignificant, and yet it has properties that far exceed its perceived value. And so my friend do you!
b. The second metaphor used to inform the Christian of his/her expectations in this world is: “You are the light of the world…” v. 14. Jesus declared Himself to be the light of the world in Jn. 8:12. Christ has come into the world as the great light to all of us who were living in darkness. Col. 1:12-13, tells us that when you and I repent of our sins and we accept by faith His full and finished work of redemption, we are “transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness and into His Kingdom of Light! As a result, we identify with Christ and Christ lives in us so that we too have become light in the Lord, and we are to no longer have anything to do with the deeds of darkness.” (Eph. 5:8-14) In fact, we are to expose the deeds of darkness that our own lives shine around us. Illust: The recent release of at least some of the Epstein files have begun to demonstrate just how filthy and morally bankrupt so many of the elites really are. I also found it interesting that Dr. James Dobson of FoF fame had his name appear in a few of JE emails. Not for any wrong doing, but because JE hated him and his influence in society, and wanted to figure out ways to undermine him. Why? When Christians live holy and pure lives in the midst of a generation of wicked perversion, the consciences of the immoral are troubled and convicted.
B. What Did Christ Mean By Making These Comparisons?
1. How is the Christian “Salt” in the world?
a. Illust: As we all know, salt has a couple of wonderful properties. Salt preserves and it seasons. In the time of Christ there was very limited “refrigeration”, and salt was used then as it is even to this very day to preserve food through a drying and salting process. Illust: The most common salt-preserved foods worldwide are
salted fish (such as cod and herring), cured meats (bacon, ham, salami), and brined vegetables (pickles, olives, sauerkraut). In other words, the over 70yr old man’s diet staples! This preserving influence can be rather small, like when your friends moderate their language in your presence because they know you are a Christian. Or, it can be on a macro scale as was the case with Britain during the period of the French Revolution. England was spared the ravages of society because of the preaching of the Wesleys and George Whitefield. The Gospel preserves society!
b. Salt also has wonderful seasoning properties. Let’s be honest, a little salt can really add “zest” to the taste of food! Corn on the cob, a juicy steak. You vegans, a damp slab of Tofu! (😊) Christians are to have a zest for life that is contagious, joy filled, charisma. All too often we carry a Scrooge-like pall of death and depression. Our speech is to be seasoned, as it was, with salt. Eph. 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their need…” (Our speech and our language today is often reprehensible filth.)
2. How is the Christian “Light” in the world?
a. Jesus begins this metaphor with an incredulous illustration. What is the purpose of a lamp? To light up an area..a room, etc. It’s meant to seem incredulous that a person would take a lamp made to light a room and then hide that lamp under something that would not allow its light to shine forth. Illust: Recently my mother in-law was telling us a story from her childhood. Dec.7, 1941, was the first Sunday her father’s ministry in Portland, Maine. In a few months due to fear of bombings, all homes were equipped with black-out curtains. Where lights could be used inside of homes but were not visible from outside or above. (I think all too often Christians in places like IC live w/”black out curtains” over their lives, so live for Christ on the inside with close friends and family, but not visible to any degree to those outside. No! Let your light shine for Christ.
b. I imagine as Jesus instructed the disciples they thought of the very famous city that set on a hill, the city that was the center of their faith, David’s City, the Holy City, the City of God! And yet Jesus gave this a dramatic twist as he clearly states that HE, and not the city was in fact the light of the world! As Christians we need to realize the extent of the darkness we live in. The problem with living in darkness is the effect it has on one’s ability to see clearly! We lose our direction and bearings. Mt. 6:23 – “If the light that is within you has become dark, how great is that darkness.” We live in such a world today. We have lost our bearings. The compass of “true North” morality is shattered by the demands of culture and political correctness. In that darkness, when you live out the light of Christ in faith and good deeds, some perceive and glorify your Father in heaven. Regeneration is the sovereign work of God’s grace in the lives of hell-deserving sinners. We cannot bring anyone to newness of life. Yet it is our responsibility to preserve and add flavor and shine as lights for Christ.
C. Applic: The Christian IS salt and light in the world. The point needs little explanation. However, it does call for radical application! Christians whose lives exhibit the “Blessedness” of the Beatitudes will inherently have a preservative, seasoning, and illuminating effect upon the culture in which we live.
II. How Should Disciples Live in Relation to the Word of God? vv. 17-20
A. This section informs us of Christ and His Relation to Both Law and Prophets.
1. Christ Specifically States His Implicit Relationship to Both the Law and Prophets.
a. v. 17 (read) I have probably heard 50 sermons on this passage in my lifetime and most likely have preached at least 10x on this passage. Jesus says in this passage that He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill. And then, the preacher only speaks about the Law! I promise I will address the “Prophets” as well. Both Law and Prophets were literary distinctions in the Hebrew Bible. Law was the Torah, first 5 books. Prophets included all the major and minor prophets. All too often, myself included, expositors want to get all caught up in a detailed explanation of the tripartite division of the OT law – civil, ceremonial, and moral. And I think, the older that I get, it misses the point of what Christ was saying here. The OT Law should be viewed as a Covenantal Package. All the laws under the old covenant form a unit and cannot be separated from the covenant under which they were given. Scripture never appeals to a tripartite distinction so as to determine which laws are applicable to us today. The law-covenant was temporary and it pointed to its fulfillment…in Christ! The Mosaic Law is no longer binding on the Christian because as the NT declares, the Christian is “no longer under the law”. We are not under the Old Covenant. Why? Because Christ fulfilled ALL of the OT Covenant. We are to interpret the OT application through the lens of the NT. Christ kept all of the Law! In II Cor. 1:20, Paul says: “No matter how many promises God has made, they are all “Yes” in Christ.”
b. Again, this is so very important for us to understand. When we see Christ we realize the true meaning of the law, we realize He is the fulfillment of all the prophets. If we want to know what the Law really means, we must look to Him because he fulfills or accomplishes the law. Illust: Jews generally agree that Law of Moses contains 613 commands. 365 Negative (Do not) and 248 Positive (Do). 3rd century rabbi compiled the list. Religious Jews today study the Torah and Talmud extensively to determine the exact meaning of the law…and they miss the point completely because they have and they continue to reject Christ! Adam was the Federal Head of the Old Covenant. Christ is the Federal Head of the New Covenant (Rom. 5:12ff; I Cor. 15:20-21) If you are in Christ, all of God’s Promises are “Yes!”. If you are NOT in Christ, you are under the tyranny of the law.
2. How Does Christ Fulfill Law& Prophets?
a. “fulfill” – plerosai – not to establish, but to fulfill. We have to think this through. The Christ fulfilled all the Law. Christ fulfilled all the prophets. The NT writers recognized that by Jesus’ death, certain elements in God’s law had been fulfilled in order to be abolished. The ceremonies of the law, the daily, weekly, and yearly sacrifices were abolished because their real meaning was to foreshadow the sacrifice of Christ Himself. Since Christ had made sacrifice for sin, once for all, no further sacrifices were or are required. (Heb. 10:11-18)
b. Illust: “In some ways the Christian life is like a mighty steam engine from yesteryear. The engine needed fuel for the fire from which it drew its power. But the train also needed tracks on which to direct its energy. Love for Christ, in the power of the HS, is the energy for the Christian life. Yet, that love needs track on which to run if it is ever to get to its intended destination. God’s law provides us with those tracks, that’s why do many passages in the NT allude or refer to OT passages from the Law. These commands are the sacred way in which we are to walk. Rather than restricting us, these tracks give us the freedom to move Godward in our lives.” (Ferguson, p. 75)
B. The Christian and his/her Relation to the Law and Prophets.
1. The Christian is to Preach and Share Law and Gospel (Grace)
a. Illust: Do not neglect preaching the Law of God. Junior HS, had Mrs. Ross for college prep English. She was about a 55 yr old English Teacher, had an earned Ph.D., and saw it as her personal mission in life to teach us grammar/parts of speech, composition. To that point besides probably 4th grade, I had never had to study grammar…apparently neither had a lot of people in my class. Never forget one of the early classes in the fall of the year. “Ok class, we are now going to diagram sentences.” Went to the chalkboard alphabetical order (Great!). This diminutive woman (1ft shorter) made me feel absolutely stupid in front of the class. (Was not her intention.) She began asking for the various detailed parts of speech and I knew in short order that my knowledge was deficient and I had better up my game.
b. Galatians 3:24 declares “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith.” KJV “Schoolmaster”. The Moral Law of God has a continuing purpose today. Yes, Christ has completely fulfilled the Law and it is fulfilled for the Christian in Christ. However, if you are not in Christ, then the Law of God acts like a Schoolmaster/tutor/teacher, to show us just how deficient we are when it comes to meeting the holy and righteous standard of Christ.
c. Illust: I find it interesting how so many evangelical leaders want to forgo preaching the Law to the lost so as to only preach grace/love of Christ. Ours is an extremely narcissistic era, characterized by a long-term pattern of extreme self-centeredness, an intense need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others, and complete justification of one’s own behavior. If you simply tell that person that “Jesus loves you.” He/she will agree and say, “Why yes, He should. I am that lovable.” In past ten years I have changed way I share Christ. I don’t argue, I don’t debate. I ask questions of the individual based on the 10 Commandments. Why? The Law shows us our moral failures and our deficiency and kicks the stool of pride out from under our feet.
2. The Christian is to Point to Christ as the Fulfillment of Prophesy.
a. The Gospels tell the story of Jesus the Savior on earth, and much of the rest of the New Testament teaches how to live in this age in light of Jesus’ work on our behalf. The prophecies of the Bible, particularly in Genesis, Psalm 22, Daniel, Isaiah, Zechariah, Malachi, and Revelation, but also elsewhere, show what Jesus as Savior is saving us and delivering us from death. The story of Jesus saturates the Bible, and prophecies of His first advent are found throughout the OT. Allusions to Him also come up in micro ways, as many people and events hint at the work He would accomplish. One scholar, J. Barton Payne, has found as many as 574 verses in the Old Testament that somehow point to or describe or reference the coming Messiah. Alfred Edersheim found 456 Old Testament verses referring to the Messiah or His times. Conservatively, Jesus fulfilled at least 351 prophecies in His earthly ministry!
b. Illust: Dr. Don Stoner of “Science Speaks” calculated the odds of 1 person fulfilling simply 8 of these 351 prophesies: The time of His birth (see the Daniel 8 & 9 Timeline) He would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2) He would be born of a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14) He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. (Zechariah 11:12) He would be mocked. (Psalm 22:7,8) He would be crucified. (John 3:14)
He would be pierced. (Psalms 22:16) He would die with the wicked, but He would be buried with the rich. (Isaiah 53:9). The mathematical equation is pretty complicated, but the results are: 1 to the 28th 1 with 28 zeros following! What’s the lesson of this? Christ fulfilled prophesy! Point to His fulfillment. No ONE ELSE in all of history accomplished this. Who do you trust? TRUST CHRIST!
c. Applic:
