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James Rogers

Deer Creek-Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented 10 months ago

Matthew 5:10–16

Sermon on the Mount/Plain

The Beatitudes

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Aim: to look at being salt and light

Notes

Transcript

It’s not impossible!

Jesus is not asking the followers to do the impossible; He is telling them to do the important.

He is telling them to do the things that will be evident to the world and they will be blessed by and will have great rewards for.

Some are internal changes, some are external actions; some are external reactions.

Today we look at being salt and light, not becoming, but being.

May we look together at the passage

Mt5:10-11 “10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”

Mt5:12-13 “12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”

Mt5:14-15 “14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”

Mt5:16 “16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

General thoughts, observances?

Who is blessed and when in this passage?

What is someone according to (v.13) and what is someone according to (v.14)?

Why is someone to do what they are instructed to do (v.15) in (v.16); what is the result in other words?

Worlds Reception

The world may not, will not see us in a good, right manner and may even, often may try to persecute the Christian. This happened then in those days and continues to happen today. Maybe not as much here, but in many countries and more so happening in general here, but one day personally is coming.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, not because of their own choices, own fanaticism, own stupidity, but for Jesus sake.

Turn with me to

1Pt4:15-16 “15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.”

All these character traits: Poor in Spirit, mournful, gentle, hunger and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers. Hence why the world wants to persecute them and says all kinds of evil things against them (falsely) for Jesus sake. Some of the things at that time they were accused of were:

Cannibalism: Because of total misunderstanding, misrepresentation about Lord’s supper

Immorality: because of deliberate misrepresentation of weekly “love feast” (fellowship/common meal) and their private meetings.

Revolutionary fanaticism: because they believe that Jesus return would bring an apocalyptic end to history.

Splitting of families, because when one marriage partner or parent became a Christian there was often change and division in the family

Treason, because they would not honor the Roman gods and participate in emperor worship.

From article in Christian Chronicle 2020

Mt5:12 “12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

The word “rejoice” in (v.12) is literally the phrase in the Greek “leap for joy.” Why for the persecuted person has a great reward in heaven, now that is a great reason to leap. And, they are in great company, the prophets who came before them.

FF. Bruce: “A strong word of Hellenistic coinage, from to leap much, signifying irrepressible demonstrative gladness. . . it is the joy of the Alpine climber standing on the top of the snow-clad mountain.”

Trapp gives some historical examples:

George Roper: Came to the stake where he was to be burned at leaping for joy

Doctor Taylor: Leapt and danced as he came to his execution.

Lawrence Saunders: with Smiling face embraced the stake of his execution kissed it saying, Welcome the cross of Christ, welcome everlasting life.”

Can you leap for joy regardless of your circumstances? If the world persecutes you, you are blessed, for great is your reward in heaven. Your persecution is not much compared to the persecution of the unbelievers what they will receive one day.

Salt of the Earth

Mt5:13 “13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”

Notice the verse does not say you are to become salt, or you are like salt, or may be salt, it say you are salt.

Salt was of great value at that time, oftentimes soldiers were paid with salt. you have heard the phrase “worth his salt.”

Salt was a preservative, used to preserve meats, and to slow decay

Salt was used to add flavor

So, Christians are to a preservative to people, helping them to be able to have eternal life in Christ Jesus, and to be flavorful people too.

We should not loose our saltiness or our flavor

France said: “Disciples of Jesus Christ, if they are true to their calling, make the earth a purer and more palatable place.”

Too many Christians loose their flavor, their saltiness and are no good to the body, add nothing to the body of Christ. Remember you are salt!

Light of the world

mt5:16 “16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Again, notice the phrasing in this passage, these verses, anything stick out to you?

A couple of verses to look at and consider then will look at these verses more.

Jn8:12 “12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.””

Jesus said He is the Light of the world. But in Matthew says You are the light of the world. Keep that in mind.

Jn9:5 “5 “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.””

While I am the in the world, I am the light of the world. So it is only when he is in the world he is the light of the world, so what does that mean? What is Jesus telling the people in Matthew 5 then?

We are light receivers, but also light givers. We receive the Light of the world, and the light of the word so we can share the same as the light of the world and light of the word with others.

We are to have a greater concern for others, share the light with others and not hide it under a basket, but so all can see it. Let it shine and shine brightly in a loving way.

Jesus never challenged the people to become salt or light. He simply said “they are.” The question is are we fulfilling what Christ said we are? The responsibility that He has given us?

Guzik said: “A key thought in both the pictures of salt and light is ‘distinction.’ Salt is needed because the world is rotting and decaying, and if our Christianity is also rotting and decaying, it won’t be any good. Light is needed because the world is in darkness, and if our Christianity imitates the darkness, we have nothing to show the world. To be effective we must seek and display the Christian distinctive. We can never affect the world for Jesus by becoming like the world.”

The scripture say “let your light shine before men.” Light illuminates what is there, what is already there, the darkness that is there, it exposes it. If under a basket it is useless, that is why it is on a lampstand so it lights the whole house (room).

FF Bruce “Christ knew that there would be strong temptation for the men that had it in them to be lights to hide their light. It would draw the world’s attention to them, and to expose them to the ill will of such as hate the light.” - - - -so, in other words as light bearers that expose the darkness of this world and face persecutions because of it. We are not to be undercover Christians!

Have you ever been travelling at night down a highway and off in the distance you see a group of lights, what is that? It’s a city, right? that is what we are to be, a city of lights a body of believers, set on a hill that cannot be hidden, a display of God’s beauty.

We are to be set (intentionally) on a lamp stand, set and living intentionally.

The reason for all this is not for your glory, but that others may see your good works and they may give glory to God. Here check out the verse again

Mt5:16 “16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

They see you, see your works, see your light, see your salt, give glory to Your Father who is in Heaven. See it is not about you, it is about others!