Do You Have What It Takes? - Peace Church, Loyal OK

Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
John 14:27 NIV

Loyal, OK

Pastor Leon Seaton

Do You Have What It Takes?

First in a Series on the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew

One of the speakers at the Evangelical Association Convocation noted that in the early church they used the Sermon on the Mount as their statement of faith. We currently use the Apostles Creed. It isn’t nearly as long nor is it as demanding! If we practice the Sermon on the Mount we will have to die to selfishness and put God first in everything we do!

Now when He (Jesus) saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

"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." Matthew 5:1-16

This morning we will look at verses 13 and 14: "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

Jesus was speaking to the multitude, not to the twelve. All true believers are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. But… salt left in a salt shaker does little good and a light under a bowl is not effective either. Thus the question:

Do you have what it takes? Of course I want to believe that all of us do. But as the old saying goes, “The proof is in the pudding.”

Sodium is an extremely active element found naturally only in combined form; it always links itself to another element.

Chlorine, on the other hand, is the poisonous gas that gives bleach its offensive odor.

When sodium and chlorine are combined, the result is sodium chloride--common table salt--the substance we use to preserve meat and bring out its flavor.

Love and truth can be like sodium and chlorine. Love without truth is flighty, sometimes blind, willing to combine with various doctrines. On the other hand, truth by itself can be offensive, sometimes even poisonous. Spoken without love, it can turn people away from the gospel. When truth and love are combined in an individual or a church, however, then we have what Jesus called "the salt of the earth," and we're able to preserve and bring out the beauty of our faith. -David H. Johnson

WE ALSO HAVE SOMETHING THAT THE WORLD DESPERATELY NEEDS. That is the second thing Jesus was saying when He said that we are the light of the world. We have something the world cannot find anywhere else.

Mother Teresa was speaking to persons who had come to meet her from all over the world. Among the groups to which she spoke was one of religious sisters from many North American orders. After her talk she asked if there were any questions. "Yes, I have one," a woman sitting near the front said. "As you know, most of the orders represented here have been losing members. It seems that more and more women are leaving all the time. And yet your order is attracting thousands upon thousands. What do you do?"

Without hesitating Mother Teresa answered, "I give them Jesus."

"Yes I know," said the woman, "but take habits, for example. Do your women object to wearing habits? And the rules of the order, how do you do it?"

"I give them Jesus," Mother Teresa replied.

"Yes, I know Mother," said the woman, "but can you be more specific?"

"I give them Jesus," Mother Teresa repeated again.

"Mother," said the woman, "we are all of us aware of your fine work. I want to know about something else."

Mother Teresa said quietly, "I give them Jesus. There is nothing else." -found at www.esermons.com

Jesus has no peer!

What does the Christian offer that the world can't find anywhere else? All we have is the person of Jesus Christ.

We are often reminded that we live in a pluralistic world. Today there are persons of many religious backgrounds who are calling our country their home. And we can learn many things from our new neighbors.

If someone should ask you, though, what is distinctive about Christianity, let me suggest you do as Mother Teresa did. Give them Jesus. The greatest heresy current today is that all religions are the same. Certainly, all of the world's great religions have something worthwhile to offer. You can find help in all of them.

But what you can't find is the story of the Prodigal Son, or the Good Samaritan or the Rich Fool. There is no higher order of life than that which Jesus taught. Christianity as an institution might not be too appealing at times, but if you understand the life and teachings of Jesus, He has no peer. Literally.

We have a responsibility for the world. We also have something the world cannot find anywhere else. This brings us to the last thing to be said. From a sermon by King Duncan

You may not believe it, but as a Christian you are powerful and influential – at least the potential is there. I sincerely hate to think what our world would be like without the influence of the church around the globe. However, there is much more to be done.

Jesus compares the believer to salt and light. Let me explain. Our prayers and presence preserve our world… the scriptures teach us that the terrible things that will happen during the Tribulation cannot take place as long as the church is in the world.

Salt purifies, and salt makes us thirsty.

Too much salt is not good. Many people with health problems are put on a salt free diet… however if we sweat too much we will have muscle cramps and perhaps die if we do not replace the salt.

Too much religion kills. However, one cannot have too much relationship with the true and living God.

People cannot see that relationship without seeing it in the believers. But just going to church does not really influence some folk because they have been to church and received nothing from it.

Mark 9:50 states, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

Luke 14:35, 35 states, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.” (Sort of like Revelation 3:16 where it says, “Because you are neither hot nor cold I will spit you out of My mouth.”)

John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

The moon reflects the light of the sun. It has no light of its own.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God. Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. The apostle Paul, Philippians 1:9-11

As a citizen of God’s kingdom our power is in the fact that we are different from the world. Putting salt on salt is of no value, and if we think and act like sinners, we cannot help them. Salt preserves some foods, and we are to preserve the world from corruption and to save it from condemnation. (In Leviticus they were instructed to salt the grain offering as a sign of their covenant with God.)

As the light of the world we as Christians show by words, actions and example how to live for God. “What you are speaks so loud that I can’t hear what you are saying” has some truth in it. However there is always a place for a “fit word in due season” otherwise, people may mistake our actions.

I love the story of the trucker that was sitting in a café. The waitress had just served him coffee, a hamburger and a piece of apple pie when 3 motorcycle riders looking for a fight walked in. One “tough guy” put his cigarette in the trucker’s coffee. The next one started eating the hamburger and the third one started eating the pie.

The trucker just got up, paid his bill and walked out to his truck.

One of the cyclists said, “Not much of a man was he?”

The café owner looked out the window and said, “Not much of a trucker either. He just backed over those three new motorcycles you guys rode in here.”

The truth is, our lives have influence, whether good or bad. Jesus commanded His disciples to be like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. The lights of a town or city can be seen many miles away.

The influential light of our lives should shine forth like the light of a lamp on a stand. We must not try to hide from the world but let our influence count for Christ in such a way that God will get the glory for the good deeds in our lives. We are to live so that everyone will feel our influence. We are vessels for the indwelling Spirit of God. Our lives reflect the light of God that burns on the inside.

Matthew Henry writes, “You are the salt of the earth. Mankind, lying in ignorance and wickedness, were as a vast heap, ready to putrefy; but Christ sent forth His disciples, by their lives and doctrines to season it with knowledge and grace. If they are not such as they should be, they are as salt that has lost its savor. If a man can take up the profession of Christ, and yet remain graceless, no other doctrine, no other means, can make him profitable. Our light must shine, by doing such good works as men may see…We must aim at the glory of God.”

Someone else noted that salt preserves, creates thirst, and cleanses.

Years ago three young men decided to hop a slow-moving freight train on the south end of a town in the Pacific Northwest. It was supposed to be a lark on a spring evening. The train was barely moving.

As the three friends rode down the rails, the locomotive poured on the coals and really picked up speed. Before these friends knew it, they were doing about forty miles per hour. They had left the city. Darkness was setting in out in the boondocks. Soon these three friends were cold, lost, and scared.

After half an hour or so, they decided that they had to do something. So in perfect Butch Cassidy fashion, they lined up in the door of the boxcar in which they were riding and they bailed out. It was a rough tumble down into some bushes (several of which were blackberry vines), but they were okay. The problem was, they were terribly lost. It was pitch dark.

Eventually, one of them looked off in the distance and saw a faint glow. It looked like there was a small town out there. The three humiliated joy riders began walking through the woods. With each increment they traveled the light became brighter and more distinct. There was a town out there! Soon the light became intense enough to illuminate their path. They wound up at a roadside restaurant and called for help.

These friends got home safely because they saw a distant light and walked in its glow. It became an overwhelming beacon that led them to where they needed to go. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, A 2ND HELPING OF CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL, (Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc., 1995), p. 4. Found at www.esermons.com

Our church cannot be the light on a stand unless its members are!

Sunday, October 14, 2007