Category: Sermon on the Mount

The GOAT Part 2b “Light”

Descending down the paved path, our kids skipped beside us, giddy with anticipation.   We were on vacation with two other families and the fourteen of us had decided to explore a cave we’d seen advertised on a roadside sign. As we neared the entrance, a park ranger stationed at a booth nearby called out to us, “Do you folks have some flashlights? The cave is a mile long and it gets mighty dark and cold in there.”

We held up a few puny flashlights we’d planned to share among the group. He smiled in a way that let us know how pathetic we were. “It’s up to you, but I’d suggest renting a few lanterns. You’re going to want to keep close tabs on those little ones.” He gestured to the gaggle of kids surrounding us. Pooling together all the cash we had, we rented three lanterns and walked toward the adventure awaiting us at the mouth of the cave.

Within minutes, our previously boisterous kids sidled close to the adults carrying the lanterns. We left the last rays of sunlight and moved into the depths of the darkness. Between the 42-degree air and the utter blackness all around us, no one wanted to stray far from the group or the light. Without the lanterns to guide our way, it would have been a frightening (and probably very short) trek into the cave.

Although this adventure happened many years ago, I remembered it vividly as I listened to the sermon at CPC Danville on Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount: “You are the light of the world. A town built 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 others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV)

Put simply, Jesus calls us to be lights that lead people towards Him in a world of spiritual darkness. Jesus says that our lights shine when we do good deeds, which in turn bring glory to God. While non-believers may not always affirm or recognize the light Christians bring into the world, they would definitely notice if it were absent.

It is important to keep in mind that our actions often speak more loudly than our words. We can’t always recall what others have said to us, but few of us forget how another person made us feel. Consistency of character shows over the long haul. The impression we leave on others opens or closes doors for future opportunities to share our faith.

It can take people a lot longer to recognize they are in spiritual darkness than physical darkness. Our world is full of distractions that comfort or anesthetize individuals into believing they don’t need God. Often it’s not until someone experiences deep pain or hardship that they begin to do some soul searching and seek spiritual wisdom. If you’ve been there for them all along, they may finally realize the value of the lifeline you’re offering through Jesus.

So how can you be a light today?

  1. Be intentional about connecting with Jesus and keeping Him in the forefront of your mind throughout the day. Apply His teaching from John 15:4-5: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
  2. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
  3. Invite the Lord to show you where you can shine the light of His love and grace. Sometimes it may involve words, other times it will only be through your actions. Maybe it’s as simple as smiling at someone or holding a door open for them. Perhaps it’s offering a word of encouragement or affirmation. Maybe it’s meeting a need, offering a listening ear, or speaking a kind word. Each interaction we have with others provides a chance to make their world a little better and to shine our lights a little brighter.

Let’s consider my story about the cave in the context of our spiritual lives: Imagine that upon accepting Christ, each new believer receives a lantern to carry out into the world where spiritual darkness prevails. When we love people with our actions it creates opportunities to share the truth of God’s Word. We are like the people in the cave holding the lantern. Those fumbling in the dark are drawn to the light and find comfort in its presence. Our world is struggling in spiritual darkness; we have the privilege of holding the lantern and leading them into the light every day, one step at a time.

Let Kari Jobe’s “We Are” inspire you to shine the light of Jesus today:

*Updated from my “Shining God’s Light in the Darkness” 2015 posts.

The GOAT Part 2a “Salt”

Three ingredients, that’s all it takes. I have to laugh every time someone asks me for the recipe that makes my homemade burgers taste so good. I think the key is that I hand-mix the seasoned salt, minced onions, and Worcestershire sauce into the ground beef. The flavors mingle into a perfect salty-spicy blend because the patties are seasoned from the inside out. The thicker-than-store-bought burgers also stay juicier, making them even more flavorful.

I was thinking about those delicious burgers recently as I listened to the second sermon in CPC Danville’s “GOAT” series based on  Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount: “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” (Matthew 5:13, ESV) Jesus appealed to our sense of taste here to make an important point. A spice like salt serves a specific purpose- it brings flavor to food. There would be no reason to sprinkle it on if it didn’t add flavor, would there?

So, what is Jesus’ point in this illustration? Could it be that we, as His followers, are called to “flavor” the atmosphere surrounding us with His love and grace? When people spend time with us, do we influence them in ways that honor Jesus and draw them closer to Him?

When you answer these questions, don’t just think of those times when you’re at your best. Think about who you are when you assume no one else is paying attention. How do you flavor the atmosphere when you’re in a hurry or your day isn’t going the way you want? How do you flavor the atmosphere when someone is making life difficult or when a situation isn’t ideal? What about when you’re having health issues or relationship troubles?

At times when we’re struggling with challenges, we’re prone to fall into temptation and sin. We rationalize and make excuses for our poor behavior and we lose our “saltiness” in the process. This also happens when we let sin go unaddressed in our lives or when we begin to conform to the culture around us instead of adhering to God’s standards. When we fall into this trap, the taste we leave behind with others is no different from the rest of the world.

When salt is mined, it contains impurities that must be removed before we consume it. These impurities cause it to lose some of its flavor. In the same way, we can lose some of our Christ-like essence when we mix with impurities in the world. Although the Holy Spirit never leaves us once we’ve surrendered our lives to Christ, we must be careful to keep sin from hindering His work in and through us.

Salt doesn’t expire, but when ingredients like iodine or other seasonings are added to it, they reduce its shelf life. In the same way, we reduce our effectiveness in the kingdom of heaven when we add to God’s grace with our man-made lists of rules and behaviors (similar to the Pharisees that were listening to the Sermon on the Mount.)

It’s brilliant, really, that with this one analogy Jesus addressed two extremes– those wrapped in the impurity of worldly choices and those wrapped in the legalism of adding to God’s perfect plans. Since Jesus was there in the beginning with the Father and the Holy Spirit when salt was created, I guess it makes sense.

It has been estimated that salt has 14,000 different industrial uses. It plays a major role in the food industry as well as in medicine, metal fabrication, chemical production and more. Clearly, it plays a crucial part in many aspects of life. Like salt, God uses Christians in countless ways to bless others and further His kingdom. Responding to Jesus’ call to be the salt of the earth gives us the privilege and responsibility of having a tremendous impact on our world when we marinate in God’s Word and let His Spirit flavor our lives.

We can’t become “salty” on our own—it only happens through Holy Spirit. Click on the link to hear Zach Williams’ “Less Like Me” and be reminded of what it looks like to be the salt of the earth.

*Information on salt is from mortonsalt.com

*Updated from a post based on Jen Wilkin’s Sermon on the Mount, Lifeway, 2014.  Week 3

The GOAT Part 1

In 1992, Muhammad Ali’s wife, Lonnie, consolidated and licensed her husband’s intellectual properties for commercial purposes by incorporating Greatest of All Time, Inc. (G.O.A.T. Inc.). Since then, the term “GOAT” has been used to describe many people considered to be the best at what they do. Although it’s typically used in reference to sports, one of my pastors recently described Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount as the “GOAT” (greatest sermon of all time). For the next few weeks we’ll unpack Christ’s famous words recorded in the gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7. I think you’ll find they include powerful teaching that’s still relevant today.

Let’s start with some context. The sermon takes place early in Jesus’ ministry as people began following Him to learn from His compelling teaching. The opening lines of Matthew chapter 5 tell us that Jesus saw the crowds, went up on a mountain, and sat down to teach His disciples.

The teaching in the Sermon on the Mount is not intended to weigh us down with rules or to tell us how to find salvation. We are already welcomed, loved, and approved by the Father because of Jesus. Every household has a way of operating, Jesus is teaching us the way to conduct ourselves as part of His family. Learning to live this way is a lifelong pursuit that requires practice, commitment, and focus.

The Sermon on the Mount opens with a set of statements known as the Beatitudes. Each one begins with the word “blessed” which means “happy” or “fortunate.” That said, some of the statements may feel disconcerting because they encourage a perspective that seems opposite to the way the world works. Let’s take a peek at each phrase from Matthew 5:3-10 (ESV) and see what we can learn to apply to our lives.

  1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Being poor in spirit is admitting that you are sinful and completely destitute spiritually. You acknowledge you can do nothing to deliver yourself from your dire situation. Jesus is saying that, no matter your status in life, you must recognize your spiritual poverty before you can come to God in faith to receive the salvation He offers.
  2. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Those who mourn grieve over the sin that separates them from the Lord. The Spirit comforts people who are honest about their own sin and humble enough to ask for forgiveness and healing.
  3. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Meekness follows the example of Jesus by having the right or the power to do something but refraining for the benefit of someone else. Those who are meek display humility and gentleness. They aren’t weak but have a clear estimation of themselves and their standing before the Lord.
  4. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” People who have an ongoing desire for personal righteousness have deep spiritual appetites. They care more about pursuing and pleasing the Lord than winning the approval and admiration of others. Seeking the Lord and applying His Word to their lives satiates their spiritual hunger.
  5. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Those who are merciful understand that God’s mercy has been extended to them, so they give it freely to others. They demonstrate humility by offering others what they’ve received from the Lord.
  6. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The pure in heart seek to be inwardly clean. They value the Lord’s holiness and don’t want sin to hinder their walk with Him. They pursue what is right, good, and true. They confess their sins readily and find refreshment in the Lord’s forgiveness.
  7. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Jesus gave His life to make peace between God and sinners, and when we can carry that message of peace to others, we are peacemakers. Reconciling broken relationships brings the peace of Christ into the world. Peacemakers experience inward peace with God and pursue outward peace with others. They seek genuine peace rather than avoiding conflict to create the illusion of peace.
  8. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Those who are mistreated, oppressed or maligned for doing what honors God show the depth of their love and commitment to the Lord. Rather than seeking the praise of people, they crave the approval of their Heavenly Father.

In the world’s eyes, few of these statements would be considered a blessing. Most of the things our world values are completely opposite. However, as followers of Christ, we don’t embrace the world’s perspective. Jesus describes this in John 15 when He explains “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.” (John 15:19a, NIV) Followers of Jesus don’t belong to the world because our citizenship is in heaven: “You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.” (Ephesians 2:19b, NLT)

Living the kind of opposite life Jesus describes is difficult, especially when the world around us doesn’t value what we do. There can be lonely moments when we’re the only people intent on honoring and serving the Lord. Being blessed doesn’t always mean experiencing comfort or ease on this side of heaven. I hope this new series will encourage you to take the long view and embrace the lasting truth the Lord imparts to us here.

Which one of the Beatitudes would you like to see increased in your life? Will you commit to praying about it through this series? Join me over the next few weeks and discover the keys to building your life on a solid foundation as a member of God’s household.

Celebrate your place in His family by listening to We the Kingdom and Bear Rhinehart sing “Child of Love.”

Commentary on points 1, 2, 3 & 7 adapted from https://www.gotquestions.org/poor-in-spirit.html

Commentary on points 2-8 adapted from The Bible Knowledge Commentary by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Victor Books 1983