WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:04.860 This is the fifth Sunday of the epiphany season 00:00:04.860 --> 00:00:09.259 and Remember the epiphany season is how God is 00:00:09.259 --> 00:00:13.800 illuminating or revealing who Jesus is And so 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:16.519 here today. Let us consider once again our gospel 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:21.179 reading, but let us pray first Gracious God and 00:00:21.179 --> 00:00:23.739 Heavenly Father We thank you for the privilege 00:00:23.739 --> 00:00:26.559 that we have in gathering in your name as your 00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:30.350 children to look at your word to us We pray that 00:00:30.350 --> 00:00:32.990 your grace would be with us this morning as it 00:00:32.990 --> 00:00:37.149 has been in the past. We thank you for so great 00:00:37.149 --> 00:00:39.549 a salvation in Christ Jesus and your goodness 00:00:39.549 --> 00:00:42.250 to us each day. We thank you that you have given 00:00:42.250 --> 00:00:45.810 us meaning, purpose, and hope. And so now, let 00:00:45.810 --> 00:00:47.890 the words of my mouth and the meditations of 00:00:47.890 --> 00:00:51.689 all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O 00:00:51.689 --> 00:00:53.969 Lord, our strength and nearest kinsman and redeemer, 00:00:54.149 --> 00:00:59.740 Jesus Christ. Amen. So let us hear God's word. 00:01:00.700 --> 00:01:03.539 Matthew chapter five once again. You are the 00:01:03.539 --> 00:01:06.239 salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:09.379 flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then 00:01:09.379 --> 00:01:12.379 good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled 00:01:12.379 --> 00:01:16.159 underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:20.000 A city set upon a hill cannot be hidden. Nor 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:22.900 do they light a lamp or put it under a basket, 00:01:23.180 --> 00:01:26.769 but on a lamp stand. And it gives light. to all 00:01:26.769 --> 00:01:29.670 who are in the house let your light so shine 00:01:29.670 --> 00:01:32.349 before men that they may see your good works 00:01:32.349 --> 00:01:35.829 and glorify your father in heaven do not think 00:01:35.829 --> 00:01:38.829 that i came to destroy the law or the prophets 00:01:38.829 --> 00:01:42.310 i did not come to destroy but to fulfill for 00:01:42.310 --> 00:01:44.349 assuredly i say to you till heaven and earth 00:01:44.349 --> 00:01:48.450 pass away not one jot or tittle by no means will 00:01:48.450 --> 00:01:51.890 pass away from the law till all is fulfilled 00:01:52.189 --> 00:01:54.489 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of 00:01:54.489 --> 00:01:58.010 these commandments and teaches men so shall be 00:01:58.010 --> 00:02:01.450 called the least of the kingdom of heaven. But 00:02:01.450 --> 00:02:04.790 whoever does and teaches them shall be called 00:02:04.790 --> 00:02:07.810 great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to 00:02:07.810 --> 00:02:11.409 you, unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness 00:02:11.409 --> 00:02:14.550 of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no 00:02:14.550 --> 00:02:18.330 means enter the kingdom of heaven. These are 00:02:18.330 --> 00:02:20.949 the words of Almighty God. Receive them in your 00:02:20.949 --> 00:02:25.849 hearts. There's three things as we go through 00:02:25.849 --> 00:02:27.849 this passage that I want you to think of here 00:02:27.849 --> 00:02:33.889 this morning right now some of you who are a 00:02:33.889 --> 00:02:36.330 Little bit older generation might misinterpret 00:02:36.330 --> 00:02:40.409 this first word, but bear with me a Salty Christian 00:02:40.409 --> 00:02:44.569 is a reminder by their actions that God's covenant 00:02:44.569 --> 00:02:48.389 is a perpetual covenant When I grew up salty 00:02:48.389 --> 00:02:53.080 meant, you know can be crossways right? But a 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:56.879 salty Christian is a reminder by their actions 00:02:56.879 --> 00:03:00.680 That God's covenant is a perpetual an ongoing 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:06.300 covenant Secondly like Jesus the church is the 00:03:06.300 --> 00:03:11.879 light of the world Like Jesus the church is the 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:18.560 light of the world and Finally external righteousness 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:23.069 alone is the path that leads to destruction. 00:03:24.490 --> 00:03:28.590 External righteousness alone is the path that 00:03:28.590 --> 00:03:34.530 leads to destruction. As you know, all the problems 00:03:34.530 --> 00:03:37.810 in this world are caused by the sins of men, 00:03:38.610 --> 00:03:42.050 the sins of all men. Don't think it's the sins 00:03:42.050 --> 00:03:45.449 of just the rich and influential. No, your sins 00:03:45.449 --> 00:03:49.449 are a contributing factor to the difficulty and 00:03:49.449 --> 00:03:53.349 problems in this world. Consequently, we cannot 00:03:53.349 --> 00:03:58.050 look to sinful men or the rich or the poor, powerful, 00:03:58.389 --> 00:04:01.110 frail, to fix the world. All those people, they're 00:04:01.110 --> 00:04:05.409 all sinful and unable, through their own work, 00:04:06.289 --> 00:04:09.830 to change the world. Too often we have divided 00:04:09.830 --> 00:04:13.530 the world into two categories. the right and 00:04:13.530 --> 00:04:17.670 the left, the liberal and the conservative. We 00:04:17.670 --> 00:04:21.889 see these categories as moral or ethical ideas 00:04:21.889 --> 00:04:28.189 and actions. As if our morals and our ethics 00:04:28.189 --> 00:04:32.790 can be decided upon by men and not defined by 00:04:32.790 --> 00:04:36.750 the living God. Many have rightly complained 00:04:36.750 --> 00:04:40.009 that conservatives are not conserving anything 00:04:40.009 --> 00:04:44.139 at all. But rather they're just headed to the 00:04:44.139 --> 00:04:47.839 same valley of perpetual fear and darkness fire 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:52.139 and darkness rather Just at 55 miles an hour 00:04:52.139 --> 00:04:55.560 instead of a hundred miles an hour For the church 00:04:55.560 --> 00:04:58.579 the Christian is not called to conserve anything 00:04:58.579 --> 00:05:03.420 But rather by the light and salt of Christ to 00:05:03.420 --> 00:05:10.129 be used to transform themselves and so the world 00:05:10.129 --> 00:05:14.410 for the glory of God. Many read this passage 00:05:14.410 --> 00:05:17.069 hearing, you are the salt of the earth. But if 00:05:17.069 --> 00:05:19.629 the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 00:05:19.889 --> 00:05:21.930 Otherwise, it'll be cast out and thrown away, 00:05:22.029 --> 00:05:28.069 right? You see, we think, for us, when we hear 00:05:28.069 --> 00:05:32.689 this, we're thinking, well, it's kind of a preservative. 00:05:32.689 --> 00:05:36.089 That's what salt is. And it is that. And it is 00:05:36.089 --> 00:05:38.959 a disinfectant. If you have a wound and you don't 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:40.879 have anything else, put some salt in it. Now, 00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:43.540 it'll hurt. But what will happen? It will help 00:05:43.540 --> 00:05:48.759 deal with the wound. But to the Jew, in Jesus' 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:52.480 day, hearing about the salt used for seasoning, 00:05:53.139 --> 00:05:55.779 they would have remembered God's instructions 00:05:55.779 --> 00:06:00.060 to His covenant people concerning salt being 00:06:00.060 --> 00:06:05.120 added to the sacrificial offerings. We see this 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:08.339 in Leviticus 2 verse 13. It says and every offering 00:06:08.339 --> 00:06:10.339 of your grain offering you shall season with 00:06:10.339 --> 00:06:13.899 salt You shall not allow the salt of the covenant 00:06:13.899 --> 00:06:18.040 of your God to be lacking from your Grain offering 00:06:18.040 --> 00:06:20.980 and then he goes on and says with all your offerings 00:06:20.980 --> 00:06:25.639 you shall add salt There is a savoriness that 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:29.180 salt brings to the sacrifices that we bring before 00:06:29.180 --> 00:06:34.730 God the salt of his covenant What this salt is 00:06:34.730 --> 00:06:38.990 preserving is It's reminding us of the eternal 00:06:38.990 --> 00:06:43.069 nature of God's covenant promises to his people 00:06:43.069 --> 00:06:46.889 It's not preserving whatever thing and memories 00:06:46.889 --> 00:06:50.290 we have of the past Where we think it was a better 00:06:50.290 --> 00:06:53.970 day and in some ways that's true But that's not 00:06:53.970 --> 00:06:57.050 what that's why it's slipping away It's slipping 00:06:57.050 --> 00:07:00.949 away because you can't conserve man's best efforts 00:07:02.699 --> 00:07:05.560 But rather, we need to think of ourselves as 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:08.839 the salt to the world that's reminding us and 00:07:08.839 --> 00:07:12.300 the world of God's covenant promises to His people. 00:07:14.019 --> 00:07:16.899 We see this also in Numbers 18, where it takes 00:07:16.899 --> 00:07:21.160 on this more perpetual thought. In Numbers 18, 00:07:21.240 --> 00:07:23.680 it says this, all the heave offerings of the 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:26.519 holy things which the children of Israel offered 00:07:26.519 --> 00:07:30.019 to Yahweh, Have given to you and your sons and 00:07:30.019 --> 00:07:33.220 daughters with you as an ordinance forever. It 00:07:33.220 --> 00:07:37.959 is a covenant of salt Forever before Yahweh with 00:07:37.959 --> 00:07:42.439 you and your descendants with you Again, this 00:07:42.439 --> 00:07:47.300 is repeated in second Chronicles. So 1500 years 00:07:47.300 --> 00:07:51.639 later Should you not know that Yahweh God of 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:54.740 Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David 00:07:54.740 --> 00:07:59.310 forever? to him and his sons by a covenant of 00:07:59.310 --> 00:08:04.509 salt. This seasoning of salt has to do with us 00:08:04.509 --> 00:08:08.829 being reminded of how God and His promises are 00:08:08.829 --> 00:08:12.810 preserved and kept because He has chosen us. 00:08:14.430 --> 00:08:19.490 It reminds Yahweh. It reminds us. And it is a 00:08:19.490 --> 00:08:23.560 message to the world. Romans 12 teaches us that 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:27.339 we are to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable 00:08:27.339 --> 00:08:31.720 to God. We're exhorted not to be conformed to 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:35.840 the actions, attitudes, and words of the sinful 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:39.259 and rebellious world. Jesus has sent the Spirit 00:08:39.259 --> 00:08:42.360 to remove our heart of stone and given us a heart 00:08:42.360 --> 00:08:46.259 of flesh. In Christ Jesus, we are delivered from 00:08:46.259 --> 00:08:50.200 the bondage of sin. That is, sin reigns no more 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:53.980 in us. and we must be conformed to Christ Jesus 00:08:53.980 --> 00:08:59.879 to deal with our remaining sin. We remember Christ 00:08:59.879 --> 00:09:02.879 covenant deliverance and our lives should be 00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:05.740 seasoned with the salt of Christ Jesus for the 00:09:05.740 --> 00:09:09.019 salvation of the world. We need to remember that 00:09:09.019 --> 00:09:14.679 salt is both a grace and a judgment. Conquerors 00:09:14.679 --> 00:09:17.700 of the ancient world would often salt the land 00:09:17.700 --> 00:09:21.289 of rebellious and difficult peoples. They'd conquer 00:09:21.289 --> 00:09:23.690 a land, and they'd say, hey, all you got to do 00:09:23.690 --> 00:09:27.929 is pay us tribute, do a few things for us, send 00:09:27.929 --> 00:09:31.950 some stuff along to us. It'll be all right. And 00:09:31.950 --> 00:09:35.789 then if that land, if those cities, if those 00:09:35.789 --> 00:09:38.350 peoples continued in their rebellious ways, pushing 00:09:38.350 --> 00:09:40.629 back, fighting back, eventually they're like, 00:09:40.649 --> 00:09:43.509 OK, here's what we're going to do. You're going 00:09:43.509 --> 00:09:46.570 to take your land, we're going to tear it up, 00:09:46.669 --> 00:09:50.620 and we're going to fill it full of salt. What 00:09:50.620 --> 00:09:55.600 will happen? You see they were destroying the 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:58.820 land those peoples could not support themselves 00:09:58.820 --> 00:10:02.659 Anymore and thus they are driven into obscurity 00:10:02.659 --> 00:10:06.220 by exile and eventually an absorption into other 00:10:06.220 --> 00:10:08.500 people They'll die out some will die and some 00:10:08.500 --> 00:10:11.019 will be absorbed into others and that people 00:10:11.019 --> 00:10:15.340 will be no more Today for all those who rebel 00:10:15.340 --> 00:10:19.870 against God and do not repent Their world will 00:10:19.870 --> 00:10:22.710 also fall into the judgment of death and hell 00:10:22.710 --> 00:10:26.909 driven from this world and to complete an eternal 00:10:26.909 --> 00:10:31.169 darkness Now Jesus goes on to tell his disciples 00:10:31.169 --> 00:10:34.490 and so us as well You are the light of the world 00:10:34.490 --> 00:10:37.549 a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden 00:10:37.549 --> 00:10:40.889 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket 00:10:40.889 --> 00:10:43.889 But on a lampstand and it gives light to all 00:10:43.889 --> 00:10:47.019 who are in the house Let your light so shine 00:10:47.019 --> 00:10:49.120 before men that they see your good works and 00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:51.879 glorify your father in heaven Remember we've 00:10:51.879 --> 00:10:54.379 already learned during this epiphany season that 00:10:54.379 --> 00:10:57.940 Jesus is the light that has come To the darkened 00:10:57.940 --> 00:11:02.379 lands of Zebulun and Aftali Right, we've heard 00:11:02.379 --> 00:11:04.840 that we're reminded that at every point We've 00:11:04.840 --> 00:11:07.240 been reading all these passages both in the Old 00:11:07.240 --> 00:11:10.620 Testament and in the new About how Jesus came 00:11:10.620 --> 00:11:14.639 and he was bringing light into the darkness Jesus 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:20.200 comes to bring light and in it life joy and glory 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:25.120 Jesus sends the spirit to us Through the spirit 00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:28.320 the church becomes lampstands in the temple bringing 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:33.059 light to the world We are like him a light to 00:11:33.059 --> 00:11:36.639 the world the city on a hill Lighting the world 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:40.019 to truth of the worship of the living God and 00:11:40.019 --> 00:11:43.860 the way to life through the Word of God Unbelieving 00:11:43.860 --> 00:11:46.200 Israel was supposed to be the light of the world 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:48.980 even their capital There's their city of Jerusalem 00:11:48.980 --> 00:11:51.639 on a mountain was supposed to be that light consider 00:11:51.639 --> 00:11:54.820 Isaiah chapter 2 Now it should come to pass in 00:11:54.820 --> 00:11:57.580 the latter days that the mountain of Yahweh's 00:11:57.580 --> 00:12:00.159 house Shall be established on the top of the 00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:03.539 mountains and it shall be exalted above the hills 00:12:03.539 --> 00:12:06.940 and all the nations shall flow to it many people 00:12:06.940 --> 00:12:09.179 shall come and say come and let us go up to the 00:12:09.179 --> 00:12:12.529 mountain of Yahweh to the house of the God of 00:12:12.529 --> 00:12:16.309 Jacob he will teach us his ways and we will walk 00:12:16.309 --> 00:12:19.809 in his paths for out of Zion shall go forth the 00:12:19.809 --> 00:12:22.629 law and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem he 00:12:22.629 --> 00:12:25.870 shall judge between the nations and rebuke many 00:12:25.870 --> 00:12:29.870 people and then watch what happens because the 00:12:29.870 --> 00:12:32.230 light is shining because they are taught the 00:12:32.230 --> 00:12:35.250 words of God they shall beat their swords into 00:12:35.250 --> 00:12:39.129 plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks 00:12:39.129 --> 00:12:42.509 nations shall not Lift up sword against nation 00:12:42.509 --> 00:12:49.230 neither shall they learn war anymore The call 00:12:49.230 --> 00:12:52.429 of Jerusalem and of all of Israel was to be the 00:12:52.429 --> 00:12:56.250 light of the world Israel was given the covenant 00:12:56.250 --> 00:13:00.090 of God his instructions on how to worship his 00:13:00.090 --> 00:13:05.610 law God's Judges and prophets and what did they 00:13:05.610 --> 00:13:09.330 do? They squandered it all for a dead outward 00:13:09.330 --> 00:13:14.009 religion That though all those who were in rebellion 00:13:14.009 --> 00:13:16.149 did not bring peace. They didn't bring peace. 00:13:16.210 --> 00:13:19.169 They brought they brought judgment. They brought 00:13:19.169 --> 00:13:23.210 darkness We see that Israel's light was covered 00:13:23.210 --> 00:13:28.470 up and they as a people fell into darkness We 00:13:28.470 --> 00:13:31.129 see throughout the Old Testament that there is 00:13:31.129 --> 00:13:34.009 a judgment in darkness falling upon the world 00:13:34.009 --> 00:13:37.429 think about this the darkness and the plagues 00:13:37.429 --> 00:13:43.490 at Egypt The sun moon and stars falling in judgment 00:13:43.490 --> 00:13:46.330 as leaders were removed and their influence and 00:13:46.330 --> 00:13:49.350 false truths were snuffed out and fell into darkness 00:13:49.350 --> 00:13:55.970 And we can search and see it many places Even 00:13:55.970 --> 00:14:00.210 what? When Christ died on the cross what happened 00:14:00.210 --> 00:14:06.190 there was three hours of darkness In Christ Jesus 00:14:06.190 --> 00:14:09.929 we bring the light into the world like a lampstand 00:14:10.090 --> 00:14:12.210 And we must remember this. Remember, it says 00:14:12.210 --> 00:14:15.110 you're a city on a hill. You don't hide the light, 00:14:15.450 --> 00:14:18.710 right? But you put it on a lamp stand. If you 00:14:18.710 --> 00:14:21.590 look in the book of Revelation, you see that 00:14:21.590 --> 00:14:24.669 God is speaking to the church. And he describes 00:14:24.669 --> 00:14:27.190 seven different churches. And in that, what happens? 00:14:27.950 --> 00:14:31.389 He says, if you don't live in a repentant way, 00:14:31.429 --> 00:14:34.809 if you don't live serving me, if you do what 00:14:34.809 --> 00:14:37.370 you want to do, guess what I'm going to do? I'm 00:14:37.370 --> 00:14:42.860 going to take your lamp stand out. That's the 00:14:42.860 --> 00:14:51.820 word to the church. You see, covering up our 00:14:51.820 --> 00:14:58.500 light is living in unrepentance. Now, here's 00:14:58.500 --> 00:15:00.639 a very interesting thing as we consider this. 00:15:00.679 --> 00:15:04.840 What makes the light shine? You see, there is 00:15:04.840 --> 00:15:08.379 a stark contrast between Christians and the world. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:13.669 And we kind of know that. But you see, our loyalty 00:15:13.669 --> 00:15:18.309 is to Christ and his body, the Church. For all 00:15:18.309 --> 00:15:22.610 those in the Roman Empire, one of the most astounding 00:15:22.610 --> 00:15:27.250 and amazing things of the Church was that they 00:15:27.250 --> 00:15:30.789 were made up of a diverse group of people. For 00:15:30.789 --> 00:15:33.049 much of the world then, and perhaps even now, 00:15:33.090 --> 00:15:35.590 there's an idea that you only have to care for 00:15:35.590 --> 00:15:40.440 and have loyalty to your own clan or tribe. Not 00:15:40.440 --> 00:15:44.419 so for the Christian Church. The Church cares. 00:15:45.059 --> 00:15:47.799 The Church then cared for, and so should we, 00:15:48.539 --> 00:15:51.879 Jews and Gentiles. They had both the highly esteemed 00:15:51.879 --> 00:15:56.340 Greeks and the lowly barbarians. And we're seeing 00:15:56.340 --> 00:15:58.399 this right there in Colossians 3. He's describing 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:01.220 all these people groups, the Church, right? There 00:16:01.220 --> 00:16:03.860 is no more any of this because we are a new people 00:16:03.860 --> 00:16:09.190 in Christ. So much so that there was There was 00:16:09.190 --> 00:16:11.610 no distinction between the Jew and the Gentile, 00:16:11.629 --> 00:16:14.070 or the Greeks, or the lowly barbarians. And he 00:16:14.070 --> 00:16:16.129 even goes on to mention the Scythians, who were 00:16:16.129 --> 00:16:19.070 considered, of all the barbarian peoples, the 00:16:19.070 --> 00:16:23.409 utterly most disgusting, most unbelievably uncivilized 00:16:23.409 --> 00:16:28.269 people. So bad. And Paul sticks them in. Says, 00:16:28.509 --> 00:16:33.970 them too. For the church, loyalty, love, and 00:16:33.970 --> 00:16:38.419 care takes no preference. to the slave or the 00:16:38.419 --> 00:16:43.700 free, to anyone. Following Christ is simply this. 00:16:43.740 --> 00:16:47.460 He is all and in all those who are calling on 00:16:47.460 --> 00:16:51.620 His name and are baptized and are striving to 00:16:51.620 --> 00:16:55.940 obey all of God's word. So yes, there is something 00:16:55.940 --> 00:16:58.080 that you must do. You need to be called by God 00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:00.980 and then you in return need to receive that baptism 00:17:00.980 --> 00:17:03.480 and for His people and then you just need to 00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:08.410 do it. And in that, There is no difference of 00:17:08.410 --> 00:17:15.609 who we are. Our loyalty is to Christ and his 00:17:15.609 --> 00:17:19.930 body. In this world, there is a cry, peace, peace, 00:17:19.950 --> 00:17:23.210 but there is no peace. As you recall from our 00:17:23.210 --> 00:17:26.250 study last week on the Beatitudes, the ideas 00:17:26.250 --> 00:17:28.450 of the mighty Greek philosopher and the self 00:17:28.450 --> 00:17:31.549 -righteousness of the Jews are not able to bring 00:17:31.549 --> 00:17:34.410 truth, beauty, or goodness to the world. Their 00:17:34.410 --> 00:17:38.170 ideas and efforts cannot restore anything But 00:17:38.170 --> 00:17:43.410 only for a short time and then failure is sure 00:17:43.410 --> 00:17:48.069 Without the triune God unity is impossible outside 00:17:48.069 --> 00:17:51.890 of Christ there can be no consensus on truth 00:17:51.890 --> 00:17:57.650 morality and relational ethics It can't be achieved 00:17:57.650 --> 00:18:02.490 Today the world around us Desires that we hate 00:18:02.490 --> 00:18:07.579 them Wait a minute. No, they want me to love 00:18:07.579 --> 00:18:13.759 them? No. No. They desire that we do not bring 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:19.359 the light of Jesus to bear upon them. You see, 00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:24.299 for the unbelieving, their heart's desire is 00:18:24.299 --> 00:18:27.500 for us to affirm them and acknowledge that their 00:18:27.500 --> 00:18:30.880 lifestyles and desires are good and productive 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:34.539 for them and so the world. That they believe 00:18:34.539 --> 00:18:38.480 that this will lead to peace and blessing Not 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:41.700 so We are loving them when we bring the light 00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:46.619 of Jesus to them when we live our lives Assaulted 00:18:46.619 --> 00:18:50.000 living sacrifices before our Lord and our words 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:54.200 and actions and attitudes and obedience to God 00:18:54.200 --> 00:18:57.000 Hey, look, let me just say this for a second. 00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:01.059 Don't be like Jonah, right? You bring the word 00:19:01.349 --> 00:19:04.650 And then you sit up on the hill. I want God to 00:19:04.650 --> 00:19:08.069 just get those guys. I'm going to sit up here. 00:19:08.730 --> 00:19:12.210 No. His heart was wrong. And what did God do? 00:19:12.410 --> 00:19:15.069 He was standing under the sun, waiting for God 00:19:15.069 --> 00:19:20.309 to rain down judgment. And what happened? God 00:19:20.309 --> 00:19:23.589 gave him a temporary piece, caused a little vine 00:19:23.589 --> 00:19:25.769 to grow up, gave him a little shade. And then 00:19:25.769 --> 00:19:27.930 the next day, God sent a worm to eat the vine. 00:19:28.930 --> 00:19:33.029 And God did restore. Those Gentile peoples, the 00:19:33.029 --> 00:19:37.269 Assyrians, the King of Nineveh and all those 00:19:37.269 --> 00:19:40.410 people, they repented and turned to God and he 00:19:40.410 --> 00:19:43.190 was all flustered. We're the special people of 00:19:43.190 --> 00:19:46.509 God. Those are the wicked people. No, he went 00:19:46.509 --> 00:19:49.569 and he preached the gospel. He preached turn 00:19:49.569 --> 00:19:54.029 to God, repent of your sins. And they did. And 00:19:54.029 --> 00:19:57.069 they rejoiced. They rejoiced in the forgiveness 00:19:57.069 --> 00:20:03.089 of God. God actually used them to carry out his 00:20:03.089 --> 00:20:07.950 purposes of correction to the people of Israel 00:20:07.950 --> 00:20:11.750 We are loving them when we bring the light of 00:20:11.750 --> 00:20:15.549 Jesus to them And we need to know that when we 00:20:15.549 --> 00:20:19.869 are living as salted living sacrifices It's a 00:20:19.869 --> 00:20:24.250 pleasing aroma to God, but also a startling disinfectant 00:20:24.250 --> 00:20:26.970 to the death wounds of sin both in the church 00:20:26.970 --> 00:20:31.250 and out Ephesians 1 tells us this, I therefore 00:20:31.250 --> 00:20:33.250 the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk 00:20:33.250 --> 00:20:36.190 worthy in the calling with which you were called 00:20:36.190 --> 00:20:39.029 with all lowliness and gentleness, with long 00:20:39.029 --> 00:20:42.369 suffering, bearing with one another, and love, 00:20:42.730 --> 00:20:44.990 and endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit 00:20:44.990 --> 00:20:48.569 of the bond of peace. You can't have unity without 00:20:48.569 --> 00:20:51.170 loyalty to Christ and his people, the church. 00:20:51.609 --> 00:20:55.609 He says this there is one body and one spirit 00:20:55.609 --> 00:20:58.190 just as you were called in one hope of your calling 00:20:58.190 --> 00:21:03.710 one Lord one faith one baptism one God and father 00:21:03.710 --> 00:21:07.710 of all who was above all and Through all and 00:21:07.710 --> 00:21:11.509 in you all and by the way Here we are again with 00:21:11.509 --> 00:21:15.589 the southern part all those use are all y 'all 00:21:15.589 --> 00:21:19.680 It's all y 'all in the church Returning to our 00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:23.099 passage Christ declares in verse 17 do not think 00:21:23.099 --> 00:21:25.619 that I came to destroy the law of the prophets 00:21:25.619 --> 00:21:29.160 I did not come to destroy but to fulfill for 00:21:29.160 --> 00:21:31.000 assuredly I say to you till heaven and earth 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:36.119 pass away one jot Or one tittle by no means will 00:21:36.119 --> 00:21:41.420 pass away until the law is fulfilled You know 00:21:41.420 --> 00:21:44.619 we need to know that Jesus said I didn't come 00:21:44.619 --> 00:21:49.539 to get away from the law He didn't come, as you 00:21:49.539 --> 00:21:52.960 know, in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is not 00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:56.420 giving a new law. No, Jesus is straightening 00:21:56.420 --> 00:22:00.240 out the corruptions made by the law, by the scribes 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:02.380 and Pharisees and priests. And you know what 00:22:02.380 --> 00:22:04.900 we have to do? There's a whole lot of stuff in 00:22:04.900 --> 00:22:09.599 all of our lives where we have said, I know God 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:12.099 said this, but I'm going to interpret it this 00:22:12.099 --> 00:22:16.079 way because it works for me. Lord, have mercy. 00:22:16.250 --> 00:22:19.890 Let us turn from that. No, turn to God's word 00:22:19.890 --> 00:22:25.150 and do what it says. Jesus is the faithful son, 00:22:25.589 --> 00:22:28.490 and in so doing, he fulfills the law, and it's 00:22:28.490 --> 00:22:30.710 every jot and tittle. What the jot and tittle 00:22:30.710 --> 00:22:32.950 is, for those of you that don't know, it's just 00:22:32.950 --> 00:22:34.970 the smallest marks in the Greek language. The 00:22:34.970 --> 00:22:37.250 New Testament was written in the Greek. Every 00:22:37.250 --> 00:22:40.369 small mark. None of that can fall away until 00:22:40.369 --> 00:22:44.869 Jesus has fulfilled it all. Jesus does not break 00:22:44.869 --> 00:22:47.329 the laws of God but rather he does them and teaches 00:22:47.329 --> 00:22:50.890 the law of God rightly Showing us that he is 00:22:50.890 --> 00:22:52.829 the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Do you 00:22:52.829 --> 00:22:55.509 remember in Daniel chapter 2? There's this vision 00:22:55.509 --> 00:22:57.869 that Nebuchadnezzar has it's this great big statue 00:22:57.869 --> 00:23:01.410 and it's it represents all the empires of of 00:23:01.410 --> 00:23:05.569 history of the ancient world and All of that 00:23:05.569 --> 00:23:07.509 and their greatness. It's passing along passing 00:23:07.509 --> 00:23:10.940 along to others empires fall And then we read 00:23:10.940 --> 00:23:13.839 of a stone that was cut out not by human hands. 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:19.259 And it comes and it hits a giant statue representing 00:23:19.259 --> 00:23:22.460 all the empires of the earth. And they're all 00:23:22.460 --> 00:23:27.240 destroyed. And this rock, it grows. And it grows. 00:23:27.480 --> 00:23:30.000 And it grows. And it becomes a mountain that 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:32.900 fills the whole earth. That is the kingdom of 00:23:32.900 --> 00:23:38.960 heaven. That is Jesus kingdom. The kingdom of 00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:42.039 Jesus grows destroying the rebellious nations 00:23:42.039 --> 00:23:44.279 and becomes a great mountain that fills the whole 00:23:44.279 --> 00:23:47.579 earth The church the new temple made of living 00:23:47.579 --> 00:23:50.880 stones sits on the foundation laid on the rock 00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:56.539 of Christ Jesus Jesus became a light in the literal 00:23:56.539 --> 00:24:00.220 darkness on the Mount of Olives on the cross 00:24:00.220 --> 00:24:02.980 We've been delivered out of the darkness and 00:24:02.980 --> 00:24:08.220 we are the light unless We cover it up repentance. 00:24:09.539 --> 00:24:12.980 We are the salt of the eternal covenant of God 00:24:12.980 --> 00:24:17.000 by living in conformity to Christ Jesus. In Jesus 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:21.019 we are reconciled to God the Father. All enmity 00:24:21.019 --> 00:24:24.700 and hate that we once had and so face judgment 00:24:24.700 --> 00:24:30.059 for has come to peace by the work of Jesus. Our 00:24:30.059 --> 00:24:32.619 passage ends with Jesus saying that our righteousness 00:24:32.619 --> 00:24:36.220 must exceed the righteousness of the scribes 00:24:36.220 --> 00:24:39.539 and Pharisees, or we cannot enter the kingdom 00:24:39.539 --> 00:24:44.079 of heaven. Their righteousness was full of hypocrisy, 00:24:44.579 --> 00:24:48.380 a religiously clean exterior, for a covering 00:24:48.380 --> 00:24:52.819 of an unclean interior full of death and darkness. 00:24:53.900 --> 00:24:57.160 We are to be salted Christians, showing the eternal 00:24:57.160 --> 00:25:00.940 promises of life in the covenant of Jesus Christ. 00:25:01.720 --> 00:25:04.779 You are called to be a light. Drive out darkness 00:25:04.779 --> 00:25:08.359 in your own life and then through that transform 00:25:08.359 --> 00:25:13.779 the world by conformity to Christ Jesus Be salt 00:25:13.779 --> 00:25:18.299 be light Don't cover the light and unrepentance 00:25:18.299 --> 00:25:20.920 And so you ask yourself. What is this greater 00:25:20.920 --> 00:25:24.680 righteousness? What is greater than the hypocrisy 00:25:24.680 --> 00:25:29.319 of the scribes and Pharisees? Let us end with 00:25:29.319 --> 00:25:32.400 this you want to know the answer to that question 00:25:34.280 --> 00:25:38.720 Consider Romans chapter 12. And so I want you 00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:41.940 to think about this where you are in trusting 00:25:41.940 --> 00:25:44.000 in your Lord and conforming to Him and being 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:49.519 salt and light. Let love be without hypocrisy. 00:25:49.880 --> 00:25:54.380 Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be 00:25:54.380 --> 00:25:56.720 kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly 00:25:56.720 --> 00:26:00.579 love. In honor, giving preference to one another. 00:26:01.160 --> 00:26:05.400 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, 00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:10.680 serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient 00:26:10.680 --> 00:26:15.940 in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, 00:26:16.819 --> 00:26:19.880 distributing to the needs of the saints, given 00:26:19.880 --> 00:26:24.119 to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. 00:26:24.519 --> 00:26:28.259 Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who 00:26:28.259 --> 00:26:32.460 rejoice and weep. with those who weep. Be of 00:26:32.460 --> 00:26:35.519 the same mind towards one another. Do not set 00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:38.519 your mind on high things, but associate with 00:26:38.519 --> 00:26:43.220 the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. 00:26:44.140 --> 00:26:48.519 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good 00:26:48.519 --> 00:26:51.900 things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, 00:26:52.059 --> 00:26:56.799 as much as depends on you, live peaceably with 00:26:56.799 --> 00:27:02.809 all men. This shines brightly in the darkness 00:27:02.809 --> 00:27:10.190 Let us pray Almighty God and our Heavenly Father 00:27:10.190 --> 00:27:12.710 we thank you that you have broken us you have 00:27:12.710 --> 00:27:15.809 made us a new creation in Jesus Christ and Given 00:27:15.809 --> 00:27:18.869 us in your word the way to walk and have commanded 00:27:18.869 --> 00:27:22.670 us to walk therein We thank you that by your 00:27:22.670 --> 00:27:25.829 grace. We can be salt and light Make us a Lord 00:27:25.829 --> 00:27:28.549 a beacon of light of grace and all the world 00:27:28.619 --> 00:27:31.960 and all those around us to our loved ones make 00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:36.019 us a means of seize and sacrifices to bring glory 00:27:36.019 --> 00:27:39.720 to your name that this world may see our good 00:27:39.720 --> 00:27:42.880 works and glorify you by turning to you in repentance 00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:46.420 and find peace in you make us strong oh lord 00:27:46.420 --> 00:27:49.799 in your word and in your spirit in jesus name 00:27:49.799 --> 00:27:50.420 amen