Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Being Salt and Light: A Great Quote

People, this is exactly what I was talking about on Sunday. How dare we have a "parallel universe" that never intersects with the world!

Spreading the Salt and Light of Grace

“Spreading the Salt and Light of Grace”
Matthew 5:13-16
6.25.06 . Kevin P. Larson . Grace Church of Columbia

Last week, we finished eight weeks of study on the Beatitudes in our series on the Sermon on the Mount entitled “Transformed by Grace.” In those verses, we saw what could be called the character of those transformed by grace. In today’s passage, Matthew 5:13-16, we see what could be called the influence of those transformed by grace.

It has been implicit in Matthew 5:1-12 that Christians can’t practice the Beatitudes privately. Being “meek” involves others. The call to be “merciful” presupposes relationships. “Peacemakers” can’t fulfill their calling in the closet. And, most clear, living out those characteristics results in being “persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”

But here, in Matthew 5:13-16, that idea becomes explicit. Christians are called to have an influence in society. They are to be “salt” and “light.” They can’t be “poor in spirit” and “mourn” for their sins and “hunger and thirst for righteousness” and be “pure in heart” in private. They must take it public. Not only are those Beatitudes not intended for the closet, but the last Beatitude, that teaches persecution will come, can’t send us back there. Despite the certainty of persecution, Jesus commands us to take our faith to the world. We are commanded to have an influence. Let’s begin by reading the passage.

Matthew 5:13 "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. 14 "You are the light of the world.
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it
under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In
the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good
works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.We’re going to cover quite a bit of ground this morning, so let me tell you where we’re headed.

· First, we’ll look at what the passage presupposes.
· Second, we’ll discuss who the passage addresses.
· Third, we’ll examine where the passage applies.
· Fourth, we’ll see what the passage demands.
· Fifth, we’ll take a look at what the passage condemns.
· Sixth, we’ll talk about how the passage looks.
· Seventh, we’ll discuss why the passage matters.

First, let us look at what the passage presupposes. As I will detail further shortly, I argue that the primary meaning of being the “salt of the earth” has to do with serving as a preservative. This means that Jesus assumes that the world is corrupt and deteriorated and spoiled. Let’s read two lengthy passages in Romans. Listen to Romans 1:18-32.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to
them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine
nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in
the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they
knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became
futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to
be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for
images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore
God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of
their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for
a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is
blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable
passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are
contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women
and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts
with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And
since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased
mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of
unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder,
strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God,
insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31
foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's decree that
those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give
approval to those who practice them.

This is what the people of our world look like. We have suppressed the knowledge of God, refused to worship Him, and have turned our minds and hearts to idols instead. So God has given us what we wanted and has let us plummet into a destructive downward spiral of sin.

Romans 8, however, says that this doesn’t just apply to humans. It applies to all of the creation. Listen to verses 18-23.


Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not
worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation
waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the
creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who
subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its
bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of
childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have
the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as
sons, the redemption of our bodies.

It wasn’t this way in the garden, but, since the fall, the entire creation, including humanity, has been subject to corruption. 2 Timothy 3:12, which we read last week, says that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” But the reason for this follows.

It says, in verse 13, “While evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” The reason why we need to be “salt,” as well as the reason why we will be persecuted, has to do with the fact that the world is corrupt.

In addition, this passage also presupposes that the world is dark. John is the apostle that emphasizes that Jesus is the light. At the beginning of His gospel, he says this, in verses 4 and 5: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Jesus came shining His light into a dark world. Later in the gospel, in John 12:46, our Lord said, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” Our world is a dark place.

D.A. Carson writes regarding “light” that, “in the Old Testament as in the New Testament, it most frequently symbolizes purity as opposed to filth, truth or knowledge as opposed to error or ignorance, and divine revelation and presence as opposed to reprobation and abandonment by God.” The world is trapped in impurity, ignorance, and separation from God. We see this as people stumble around, unable to get their bearings, unable to see things as they really are. We have all been there.

I don’t know how anyone could deny this corruption and darkness after watching Invisible Children last night. The fact that thousands of children could be kidnapped and forced to be brutal murderers for an evil warlord is staggering. How awful is it, when probably the only solution to the problem is to destroy the army which is largely made up of children!

Most of you have probably heard about the Duke rape scandal involving the lacrosse team. This blog I read all the time quoted an article at Rolling Stone discussing the culture of sex on the campus of one of America’s most prestigious universities. It is shocking how some of our nation’s brightest women degrade themselves repeatedly on a nightly basis. Our world is corrupt and dark.

But, it’s really not that much different from Jesus’s day. We can’t have historical amnesia and think that we’re the only generation that has dealt with such things. Jesus is talking to people in the Roman Empire, after all, where there were wicked soldiers and temple prostitutes. Our Lord is telling His original hearers, as well as us, that the world is corrupt and dark.

Second, let us look at who the passage addresses. You can’t see this in the English, but there are two interesting things about the word “you.” First, Jesus says, “you are the salt of the earth,” and “you are the light of the world.” The pronoun is first used emphatically in the verse. Some of you know Spanish. “Hablo espanol” means “I speak Spanish.” However, if you add the pronoun, “Yo,” which means “I,” you don’t just have “I speak Spanish.” You have “I speak Spanish.” I speak Spanish as opposed to you speaking Spanish. The use of “yo” is for emphasis.

The same thing is happening here. The Greek word for “you” is used at the beginning, when it is unnecessary, in order to provide emphasis. It’s as if Jesus is saying, “You and only you are the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” If we, his disciples, don’t fulfill this, nobody will.

Notice that I said “we.” Second, the word “you” is plural. Jesus isn’t speaking to individuals here, calling them to be salty and shiny. He’s talking to a group of people. This is critical, because God wants us to change the world corporately. He wants us to be on mission, but He wants our missionary success to build His church.

He wants our individual witness to be in the context of community. He doesn’t just want us to win converts, but He rather wants us to bring them into the fellowship of the church. And He wants us to have a corporate witness through the practice of community. As people see us love one another, as Jesus says in John 13:34-35, all people will know that we belong to Him. So, when Jesus says “you” are salt and light, he’s not talking about individuals—he’s talking about His church corporately. We obey Jesus here as a group.

Third, let’s examine where the passage applies. Now this is obvious from the passage, but it’s worth noting. We are slow and sinful. We need reminders. Jesus says, in verse 13, “You are the salt of the earth.” In verse 14, he says “you are the light of the world.” This obviously teaches that we have to be on the earth and in the world. We can’t function as “salt” and “light” if we’re not there.

In John 17:15-18, Jesus prays this:


John 17:15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep
them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the
world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into
the world, so I have sent them into the world.

Notice what Jesus says here. First, he does not ask the Father to take us out of the world. He wants us there. Second, He prays that God would protect us, while in the world, from the enemy. Satan will attack us. Third, He says that, like Him, we are not of this world. We’re citizens of a greater kingdom. Fourth, He asks God to sanctify us or make us holy by His word while in the world. We will need help to withstand this earth.
Fifth, He says that as He was sent into the world, He has sent us there. He made us His missionaries, as He was the Father’s missionary.

So there’s no doubt from this passage, as well as Matthew 5:13-16, that Christ wants us in the world. Do we believe that? Do we acknowledge that He has chosen, instead of taking us now to be with him, to send us into the world on mission? Do we believe that He will make us holy while on earth and that He will protect us from Satan while in the world? Do we trust Him that He can use us as missionaries in this world, and also bring us safely to our home in the new earth?

I fear that the phrase “we’re in the world, but not of the world” has become meaningless Christian jargon. Are we really in the world? Or have we so often separated ourselves from the world, avoiding the mission to which Christ has called us? I listen to a very limited amount of Christian music. But I have noted before on my blog how the CCM group Avalon recorded a well-known song called “In It, Not of It.” Listen to just a few of the lyrics:


I hide me far away from trouble
The world outside me grows darker by the day
So I promise to stay here close beside Him
Surely God would want His children safe
Then reading, how my eyes were opened
I find that He is leading us out into the world
Into the middle of fallen saints and sinners
Where a little grace is needed most
Not bad lyrics, huh? Sounds like this passage! Now I don’t doubt their motives at all. But the irony is that this song proclaiming our need to go into the world was sung into a culture of people that rarely do so. It was a song by Christian musicians to a Christian subculture. Now, maybe we’re not of the world, but, in the modern evangelical church, we’re rarely in it either.

We often claim to be spreading salt, but it’s a lot like how the trucks do in the winter. They drive through really fast, throwing salt all over everything, making a terrible mess, and don’t come back.

We often claim to be shining light, but it’s more like a police search light from a helicopter. We fly over and shine the light, but then we go back to headquarters where it’s safe.

We may go in the world from time to time, but do we live there? Do we make this earth our temporary home, as Christ did? More often, our salt and light looks more like spiritual drive-by shootings or evangelistic flashing.

What causes us to avoid being in the world? Let me suggest just three things. First, I would argue a fear of being corrupted by the world keeps us out. We don’t have confidence in our Lord to protect us from Satan and make us holy, so we stay out.

Second, I would argue a desire to pursue light hinders our mission. Some of you may be familiar with the acronym “DTR.” You start hanging out with a person of the opposite sex, things start getting awkward, expectations start coming, and you have a “DTR.” You “define the relationship.”

Well, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had something similar with Christians over the years, and I’m fairly young. I get to know another younger believer. He starts taking off spiritually. Before you know it, I’m having a “DTR” with him, as he’s trying to figure out how to define his relationship with God. He starts growing and he assumes that he should certainly be involved in full-time ministry. It doesn’t occur to him that God could use him in society, in the workplace, in the world as a banker or construction worker or a chef. Others reinforce this idea, telling him that he should certainly go to bible college or seminary and get in ministry.

This fear of being corrupted by the world and this desire to pursue the light smacks of a protestant monasticism or clericalism where real Christians become monks and leave or become priests and do ministry. It has at its root an unhealthy distinction between the sacred and the secular, assuming that some things are spiritual, where other things aren’t.

Some people are called to preach and lead the church, and they’re called to be paid for that. I think I’m one of them. But I think those are few. In general, I think God wants most of us being normal Joes, cultivating the earth as Adam did, but trying to be “salt” and “light” in the process. It’s hard to be the “light” of the world if you’re not there. If you’re not content in your work, if it’s hard, that’s part of the curse of Adam. It doesn’t mean you need to be a pastor. And just so you know, that’s not always easy either. The point is that most of us should be in the world, being “salt” and “light” for Christ. That’s honestly why I keep working at the Cherry Street Artisan when I don’t necessarily have to.

Third, I would say that an apathy or arrogance toward the darkness prevents us from being “light” there. We can get to where we don’t care about the world. Or, worse, we can get to where we don’t think the world is worth saving. We look down our noses at lost people or we don’t look at them at all. But this dishonors God in two ways. First, God thought the world was worth saving so much that He sent His Son to live and die. How can we not care? And, we are one of those people He saved. How can we be arrogant?
Second, God ultimately is drawing worshippers from every nation to praise Him. If we become so self-absorbed and self-righteous that we don’t share the gospel, really we’re acting as if we don’t care if God receives more worship.

So, let us repent of our disobedience. Let us go into the world. In Jesus’s day, if you headed about 100 miles south, the Jordan River ran into the Salt Sea. This sea was so salty that it was also called the Dead Sea. Right there, a monastic community of people called the Essenes lived in caves overlooking that sea, trying to avoid the wicked world. They called themselves the “Sons of Light.” But their light never left those caves. And their salt never got anywhere, much like the deposits lining that sea. They were anything but the lights of the world or the salt of the earth. Sometimes I think we look too much like them.

Fourth, let’s examine what the passage demands. We are told, in verse 13, that we are the “salt of the earth.” Some have said that the whiteness of salt means that we’re called to be pure. Others have said that salt brings flavor, and so are we to do that in the world, making Christianity attractive. Others have pointed out that salt in wounds stings, and so should our words of truth bring discomfort. Others have noted that salt brings thirst. Likewise, Christians should cause others to “hunger and thirst for righteousness.”

We could note biblical support for each of those ideas, for sure. But it’s doubtful that’s what Jesus meant here. Salt, in that day, was primarily used as a preservative. It was rubbed into meats to hinder spoiling.

God, of course, is the ultimate preserver of the universe. By God’s common grace, evil is restrained and corruption is hindered. If God pulled back His hand for even a moment, things would get out of control.

But Jesus here calls us to be salt. He wants to rub us into the world, hindering its decay and restraining corruption. God has ordained the state and the family to restrain evil, but more than anything, he has given the world the church. Our presence keeps the world from being as rotten as it could be.

We are told, in verse 14, that we are the “light of the world.” This means primarily that we are to shine forth with the truth of Christ during our sojourn here.

Jesus, of course, calls himself the same thing. In John 8:12, he states, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” His words and deeds loudly proclaimed the truth about God during His incarnation.

But He has made us lights, as well. Colossians 1:12-13 speaks of believers “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” He has brought us into the light. Now, we are like the moon. We don’t create our own light. We reflect the light of the Son so that the earth can see Him.

Listen to Ephesians 5:8-11.


Ephesians 5:8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the
Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that
is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Once we were a part of the darkness and corruption, but now we’re “light in the Lord.” We’re now called to proclaim and display what is “good and right and true” and the converse. We’re also called to “expose” the “unfruitful works of darkness.” Being “light” primarily has the idea of us giving the truth about what is good and what is evil to a fallen, dark world. We emit light, displaying the truth about who God is and what His gospel entails. We illuminate the darkness, showing evil for what it really is.

Many have pointed out that being “salt” is primarily a negative thing, while being “light” is primarily positive. As “salt” we stop decay. As “light” we emit truth. It’s one thing to hinder evil. It’s another thing to present good. We are called to do both.

To bring this a bit closer to home, let me use two illustrations from cross-references dealing with “salt” and “light.” Listen first to Colossians 4:6. It reads, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer each person.” Ponder how easily our words can hinder corruption in conversations in the workplace, for example. It doesn’t mean that we’re prudes. It doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. It doesn’t mean that we go around rebuking people. But just a few simple, serious words can bring a whole conversation and a whole afternoon out of the gutter.

Listen second to Philippians 2:14-16.

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15 that you may
be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a
crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16
holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud
that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

Here’s a great statement of how we can display his light. Who historically did much “grumbling or questioning?” The Jews did, from the Exodus to the Promised Land—throughout their history. They constantly questioned the loving providence of God, blaspheming Him and causing the nations to blaspheme Him because of their lack of faith. Do we want to shine in this world? One way that we can do it is by looking at God’s providence and trusting Him, not worrying and not griping.

This is exactly what Jesus says later in the Sermon on the Mount. He says, “Don’t worry about food and clothing. You have a heavenly Father, unlike the pagans.” If we fret and complain just like lost people who don’t have God as Father, we will fail to be lights to them.

One day God will refine the heavens and earth, and this corrupt world will be restored. There will be no more decay. One day, as Revelation 22:5 puts it, “Night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” Until that time, however, we are commanded to live as “salt” and “light.”

Fifth, let’s discuss what the passage prohibits. We notice first that verse 13 says,

"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.

Some have noted that salt can’t really stop being salt. Sodium chloride is a very stable compound. However, salt in Jesus’s day was fairly often filled with impurities. It had other materials in it. As the salt was more soluble, it could be washed out, and all you had left was a white powder that looked like salt but wasn’t salty. Apparently this was thrown on Jewish roofs or on roads where it was trampled upon.

What is Jesus’s point? It’s that, if we lose our saltiness, our ability to restrain corruption, we’re worthless, just like that white powder. This passage prohibits becoming the corruption we’re called to restrain. We can become so much like the world that we become part of the problem instead of part of the solution.

Verses 14 and 15 state,

Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

This passage also prohibits restraining the illumination we’re called to exude. Jesus says, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” We are not to gather in a valley, out of view, but rather on the hill where all can see the light of Christ in us.

Today, we are very rarely away from light. But we could go to places on the globe where, at night, we would be miles and miles from anything and, if there were no stars in the sky, we could hold up our hand in front of us, and we couldn’t even see it. However, we could walk over a hill and see a city with lights blazing, illuminating the darkness.

Jesus wants us to be like that city, placed up on the highest hill where all can see. Again, some will be drawn to the light. Others will cower back into the darkness. But that rests in God’s sovereignty. Our job is to shine.

Jesus goes on to say, “nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” People of Jesus’s day would light an olive-oil lamp and place it on a stand where it could illuminate the house. Just as it’s ludicrous to cover it with some sort of basket, it’s also ridiculous for God’s people who remain on earth simply to shine for God to hide that light.

Jesus prohibits His people from not being salty and not shining. When we abandon either, we no longer fulfill the purpose for which we remain on earth—to restrain evil and promote good. What good is salt without saltiness? What good is light that doesn’t shine? Both are worthless.

The image of the “city on a hill” may have also brought to mind in Jesus’s readers Old Testament prophecies describing Jerusalem lifted up with all nations streaming to her. Listen to Isaiah 2:2-5.

Isaiah 2:2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the
house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and
shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, 3 and
many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the
LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that
we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the
LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide
disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and
their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore. 5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in
the light of the LORD.

Now, we’re not certain this is what Jesus had in mind. But it’s possible. And brothers and sisters, we’re the fulfillment of that prophecy. We are the new city, the new people of God, the church. We are called to be lifted up, with our light shining, to call all nations to God.

Sixth, let’s talk about how the passage looks. Let me just mention four spheres where Christians must be present to be “salt” and “light.” You could think of more.

Take business. The presence of believers can hinder oppression and reduce unjust gain as “salt.” They can promote sound, fair practices of commerce as “light.” The Cherry Street Artisan, where I work, is an example of this. I see all the time how the place makes choices not simply based on dollars and cents, but on truth and righteousness.

Take education. The presence of Christians can hinder instruction that glories in godlessness. They can proclaim objective truth in a pluralistic, postmodern world. I’ve heard numerous times that the philosophy department here at Mizzou has many Christian professors. They can be salt and light on a corrupt, dark campus.

Take the arts. The presence of Christians can hinder the decline of music, film, sculpture, and the like into the gutter. They can exhibit the creativity and beauty of God. I think of the hardcore band Thrice that I’ve been listening to lately. They haven’t taken their music to a Christian label where youth groups would only hear them. They’re singing where the world can hear. I’ve been thumping this song “Image of the Invisible” lately that speaks loudly about the biblical truth that we’re made in the image of God. But it isn’t just about making Christian songs that nonbelievers like. You can play the cello or paint a sunset or direct a film like “Invisible Children” and still serve as “salt” and “light.”

Take government. The presence of believers can hinder the decadence of Washington and Jefferson City, where it sadly generally has to do more with pleasing people back home and getting reelected than truly serving the people. They can stick up for the weak, protect life, and promote the common good. I think of my friends Merilee Crockett and Richard Hicks, both assistant prosecuting attorneys, who are striving to stand up for victims of domestic violence and sexual misconduct in a way that honors God.

Brothers and sisters, we can’t exit all these realms. It’s not an option for us based on Matthew 5:13-16. We can’t peddle WWJD junk to each other and call that business for the glory of God. We can’t just all move to teaching and learning in Bible colleges. We can’t live in a bubble with our own art and music and Veggie Tales videos. We can’t buy our own country and move there and let everybody else go to hell. We are called to be “salt” and “light.” We are commanded to display to a corrupt, dark world the difference a Christian worldview makes in all the spheres of life.

In each of those realms, as well as others, we can proclaim and display the four key aspects of the gospel: creation, fall, redemption, consummation—where we came from, what the problem is, what the solution is, where we’re going. And we don’t have to do it in a cheesy way that only is heard within a Christian subculture. We can show those truths in creative, winsome ways that earn dialogue. True, most people don’t want to hear the gospel. But Jesus just tells us to be faithful as “salt” and “light.” He will draw people to Himself through us.

Seventh, let’s discuss why the passage matters. Read again Matthew 5:16. It says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

We are told to do “good works” to be seen. We’ll see soon in chapter 6 of Matthew that the Pharisees did things to be seen, as well. They gave to the needy, prayed, and fasted in ways that people would see them and glorify them.

We, however, are called to do works that bring glory to God the Father. Again, we are to display light but not light that is our own. We are to be like prisms that take in the light of Jesus and refract it in beautiful ways. People see it and acknowledge its beauty, but they have no doubt where it comes from. It comes from Christ.

If we do this, we will be fulfilling the purpose for which we were created. If we ask my two-year-old son Hadley, “What is the chief end of man?” he will reply, “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” That is why we were made. If we do good works, serving as “salt” and “light,” we will bring glory to God and be what we were made to be.

However, note that we are told here to bring God glory in a certain way. We are to bring God glory through mission. In other words, this passage clearly doesn’t deal with our worship. It deals with us inciting worship in others. It deals with making disciples. We do good works, people see them, and then they worship God. It’s important for us to see that worship is the ultimate aim of evangelism. We share the gospel of Jesus. People come to worship Jesus. As Piper says, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”

Here at near the beginning of Matthew is a preview of the end of the book. Jesus gives the Great Commission there. He says,


Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them
to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to
the end of the age."

We share the gospel of Christ with our words. But here, in Matthew 5:16, it teaches that we also share the gospel through or works.

We also see here a preview of the Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13. There Jesus prays, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” As we serve as “salt” and “light” faithfully, this “Father who is in heaven” will be “hallowed” or glorified more and more as His will is done more and more here on earth.

In doing this, we will fulfill the prophecies spoken about Jesus and about His people in the Old Testament. In the “Servant Songs” of Isaiah, the prophet speaks of Jesus, who would come as a light in the world. Read Isaiah 49:6.

Isaiah 49:6 he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to
raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will
make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of
the earth."

God says, “It would be too easy for me to just have you redeem Israel. I’m going to have you redeem the earth. You will be my light.” In Acts 13:47, Paul and Barnabas preached that this also applied to Christ’s church. As His “light of the world,” we proclaim and live in such a way that people from all nations come to glorify the Father through Christ Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus wants us to be people of a certain character. We saw that in the Beatitudes. He also wants us to be a people of influence. We see that in our passage this morning. We have this amazing opportunity to be in the world, in the culture of Columbia, yet standing as a counter-cultural community within that restrains corruption and proclaims truth. In the midst of our wonderful city, we can stand as a “city on a hill,” a preview and foretaste of the city of God, calling all people to flow to Christ, the “light of the world.”

Do we understand the world is dark and corrupt?
Do we recognize that we and only we are charged to deal with it?
Will we own up to our calling to be sent into the world?
Will we restrain corruption and exude light?
Will we refuse to become corrupt or hide our light?
Will we take that salt and light boldly into society?
Will we live to see others come to worship God in Christ?

Will we be a “city on a hill?”


Some of you today may be still trapped in corruption and mired in darkness. You need to come to the “light of the world,” Jesus Christ, repenting of your sin and embracing Him by faith. You need to see His holiness, your sin, and His marvelous cross that brings reconciliation with God. Come to Christ in faith.

Others of you have begun to look like the earth. You have become part of the problem, instead of the solution. You’ve not shined your light. You’ve hidden it. You’ve forgotten why you’re here in the world. Come to Christ in repentance.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Persecution Because of the Gospel of Grace

6.18.06

Let us begin this morning by reading today’s passage, Matthew 5:10-12.

Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and
persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.
This is a hard sermon to preach, brothers and sisters. Unless you’re unlike me or you’re in denial, you don’t experience much of this persecution that Jesus talks about here. Simply put, we live in a nation where not much of this happens. So I have three options this morning as I come to this passage.

First, I can dumb down what persecution means. I can go off here about how there is no longer prayer in schools and how the homosexuals are taking over the country and how science classes teach evolution and so on. But that has nothing to do with what Jesus is talking about here. He is talking about intense, personal persecution.

Second, I can dumb down what righteousness means. I can go off about how, in reaction to what I just mentioned, you’re not doing enough in response. You’re not writing your congressmen enough, you’re not picketing like you should be, you’re not fighting the bad guys hard enough. But that has nothing to do with what Jesus is talking about here. He is talking about living and proclaiming the gospel.

Third, I can choose to preach the passage faithfully. I can strive to teach you what persecution means, and I can teach you what this righteousness is all about. And I can labor to explain how I think it applies right here in the U.S.A. and in Columbia, Missouri. That is what I plan to do, brothers and sisters, by God’s grace this morning.

The reality is that we don’t experience much persecution here, but changing cultural tides in America, as well as a deeper understanding of our calling to live on mission, can enable us to suffer for our Lord and experience the joy he speaks of here.

Let me speak briefly of those cultural tides. In an article entitled “The Missional Church” by Tim Keller, which we will read through as a church Wednesday night, he argues that America has shifted away from Christendom. He writes,

In the West for nearly 1,000 years, the relationship of Christian churches to
the broader culture was a relationship known as “Christendom.” The
institutions of society “Christianized” people, and stigmatized non-Christian
belief and behavior. Though people were “Christianized” by the culture,
they were not regenerated or converted with the Gospel. The church’s job
was then to challenge persons into a vital, living relation with Christ.
His point is that Europe and the U.S., up until recently, were Christian nations, where people claimed to be Christians and were shaped to do Christian things. He goes on:

One of the reasons much of the American evangelical church has not experienced
the same precipitous decline as the Protestant churches of Europe and Canada is
because in the U.S. there is still a “heartland” with the remnants of old
“Christendom” society. There the informal public culture (though not the
formal public institutions) still stigmatizes non-Christian beliefs and
behavior.
What we are seeing, brothers and sisters, is a shift in America from a “Christian” to a post-Christian society, and with it comes opportunities to do righteousness and experience persecution, as well as opportunities to do things that aren’t really righteousness and experience persecution for those blunders.

Before we get to that, however, let me recap the Beatitudes and set the final one, today’s text, in their context. Here are some introductory thoughts.

First, notice the progression that takes place. We begin with what is most basic, being “poor in spirit,” and we move to today’s passage, which speaks of being “persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” As one moves from seeing he’s a sinner to crying over that sin to living gently before God and man to passionately desiring salvation to extending forgiveness to others to longing for inner holiness to seeking reconciliation with others, he has come to true righteousness as Jesus sees it. Then, due to that righteousness, he experiences persecution. There is a progression here.

Second, notice that persecution is basic for the Christian. I began our study on the Beatitudes by saying that these aren’t things we do to merit salvation; they are rather things God does in us that reflects our salvation. Just as we can’t truly be saved without mourning over our sins, we also can’t be saved apart from persecution of some form. All genuine believers will be persecuted.

Listen to these biblical passages that teach this:

1 Thessalonians 3:2-3 says,

1 Thessalonians 3:2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker1 in the
gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be
moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for
this.

Philippians 1:29 states, “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for Him.” That word for “granted” has the word “grace” within it in the original language. Just as we believed by grace, we will also suffer by His grace. That is His will for us.

Acts 14:22 says that, after being stoned and dragged out of Lystra, Paul was “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

2 Timothy 3:12 puts it the most directly. It reads, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

This, brothers and sisters, is basic. We must experience this type of opposition. Writes the Puritan Thomas Watson, “Though they be never so meek, merciful, pure in heart, their piety will not shield them from sufferings. They must hang their harp on the willows and take the cross. The way to heaven is by way of thorns and blood….Set it down as a maxim, if you follow Christ you must see swords and staves” (MacArthur, 221).

Third, note that this Beatitude, along with the others, is about the “kingdom of heaven.” In verse 10, it reads, “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” If you look back at Matthew 5:3, it reads, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” We will return later to look again at what this means, but the fact that the “kingdom” is mentioned in both the beginning Beatitude, as well as the last, indicates that all the blessings described are kingdom blessings. The two phrases function as brackets. All those that display these qualities will gain the kingdom of heaven.

Fourth, notice that this Beatitude, along with all the others, begins with “blessed.” As I noted the first week, some authors want to translate this word as “happy,” which is possible. But this doesn’t convey the richness of what Jesus is saying. We are happy because we are blessed or favored by God. We’re objects of His grace. So being persecuted, along with the other Beatitudes, means that we’re “blessed.”

Fifth, note how this Beatitude, unlike the others, is expanded and personalized. Two more verses follow where Jesus explains verse 10. Also, the pronoun turns from being in the third person, “theirs,” to second person, “you.” It’s as if Jesus turns to those that evidence all the other Beatitudes and speaks additional, intimate, personal words to them.

Let’s turn now to look at today’s passage in detail. I want to remind you, once again, of the format of the Beatitudes. You have three things for each verse. First, you see a pronouncement of God’s favor. Second, you see a condition met by one favored. Third, you see a promise for one favored. Or, you see the reason why one is favored or called “blessed.”

I just touched again on what it means to be “blessed,” so let us turn to looking, first, at the condition that is met, and second, the promise that is given.

First, the condition met—“Blessed are those who are persecuted.” In Philippians 3:12 and 14, Paul speaks of “pressing on” or “pursuing Christ.” That is the same word, in the original language, as what is used here. As we pursue Christ, others will pursue us. This sometimes takes the form of physical persecution, but it’s not always the case. Jesus here expands the idea of “persecution” in verse 10. He writes, in verse 11, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” So persecution includes insult and slander—as John Wesley put it, people saying bad things to your face and false things behind your back. If we are believers in Christ, this will happen.

So, if the Tiger Hotel people don’t want us here, and they say bad things about us—to our faces, as well as false things behind our backs, which they haven’t, we shouldn’t be surprised. We should expect it.

Persecution includes both physical and verbal abuse. In other nations, Christians experience bodily suffering. In this nation, we mainly should expect insults and slander, but with the move away from Christendom, we don’t know what the future holds. Regardless, both hurt. Whoever said “sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me” must have skipped junior high or must be a tin man. Words hurt badly. But we should expect this as believers. We may get sticks or stones. We may get words. But, as believers, we must receive persecution.

That’s what will happen. Let’s turn to why it will happen. Jesus says, in verse 10, that we will be persecuted “for righteousness sake.” In verse 11, Jesus says that this abuse will come “on my account.” I want to explain that idea to you, but first let me make a point to you that is a bit of a tangent.

If someone says to you that Jesus never claimed to be God, they’re wrong. We can take him or her to specific, explicit texts that say the opposite. But here is a text where this idea is implicit. Notice what Jesus says here. He says, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”
He then states, in verse 12, that they did the same thing to the prophets of old. In the Old Testament era, the prophets experienced persecution, and they did this for their faith in God, the covenant Lord. Jesus is talking to his disciples here. Note that Jesus doesn’t compare Himself to a prophet that people persecuted. He compares the disciples to those that were persecuted in the past, the prophets. He equates Himself with the Lord God of the Old Testament. Just as the prophets were persecuted for God, so shall the disciples be persecuted on Christ’s account. Christ Jesus is God!

What, then, is Jesus saying here? Believers will be persecuted “for righteousness’ sake” or “on [his] account.” We will suffer because of righteous living and, that righteous living comes because of Jesus. People will look at our righteousness produced in us by Christ, and they will persecute us. They will afflict us because of our living out of the gospel.

This must include, though, our preaching of the gospel. We don’t just live his righteousness. We are called to proclaim it. That is what the prophets of old did, as well. Sure, they were godly. But they also preached. We’ve seen what will happen—we will be afflicted physically and verbally. We’ve seen now why it will happen—we will live and proclaim the gospel.

Related to those two questions (what happens to us? And why does it happen?), let me pose two more. First, what is persecution not? Let me return to my opening quotes from Keller. Persecution is not us living through cultural shifts where America goes from Christian to post-Christian. Persecution is not the advent of gay marriage. Persecution is not evolution taught in schools. Persecution is not the presence of ungodly leaders in congress. Persecution is us being reproached for living and proclaiming the gospel of Christ.

Second, what is not a good reason for experiencing persecution? The answer is clinging to and fighting for Christendom. We are called to, as Jesus said, suffer “for righteousness sake,” and, “on [his] account.” We are to proclaim the message of the gospel promiscuously and aggressively and live it authentically and compellingly. That is the only reason we should suffer.

I read this week of a man who is bringing a lawsuit against an AutoZone store he tried to hold up. Believe it or not, a man in Rochester, New York is trying to sue after he waved a semiautomatic pistol, demanded money, and got the snot beaten out of him with a metal pipe. Apparently he claims that, as he tried to flee, the men in the store continued to chase him and continued to beat him. But his argument is ridiculous. Do something stupid. Expect to get beat up.

This applies to us as the church. If we picket a school for teaching evolution, and we get reamed in the press, we deserve it. If we bring a lawsuit against the school system for not having a graduation prayer, and the TV station makes fun of it, we deserve it. If we protest at a gay wedding, and people laugh, we deserve it. This is no longer a Christian nation. We can’t expect non-Christians to live like us. Writes D.A. Carson, “This final beatitude does not say, ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted because they are objectionable, or because they rave like wild-eyed fanatics, or because they pursue some religio-political cause.’”

The only reason that we will be blessed is if we experience persecution for the gospel—for living like Jesus and talking about Jesus.

Now this doesn’t mean that we don’t oppose those things I mentioned. It doesn’t mean that we don’t speak out for Christ in the public square. It just means that we don’t expect unbelievers to act like us, and we don’t pout and kick and scream and throw fits like 2 year olds, refusing to let go of a passing Christianized society.

I began our study in the Sermon of the Mount by saying that Christ warns us of being like both the pagans and the Pharisees. In a society that is increasingly post-Christian, our temptation is to become like the ungodliness around us, not living or proclaiming the gospel. We could turn into pagans and never experience persecution.

In addition, in that same society, we are tempted to become like Pharisees, condemning those around us, again clinging to days gone by like those legalists did in the days of the Roman Empire. We could turn into Pharisees and experience persecution for the wrong thing—like the guy who got wacked in Autozone.

We are called to do neither. God wants us to experience persecution, unlike pagans, and He wants it to be for the right thing—the gospel—unlike the Pharisees. He wants us to have an inward, true righteousness that can be seen in our lives and can be then heard from our mouths. He wants us to take the gospel, and not our agendas, into the culture and allow God to change hearts through that gospel.

If we just stand and yell and fight for Christendom, it’s a lost cause. We’re standing over caskets, screaming at people to act alive. That doesn’t work in funeral parlors. It doesn’t work in the public square. And both things make us look stupid.

Living and proclaiming the righteousness of the kingdom will bring real persecution. If we live out the Beatitudes, people will persecute us.
· People don’t want to see people that think they’re “poor in Spirit,” that they’re sinners. Today’s society assumes people are good by nature. Those people make them think they’re guilty.
· People don’t want to witness others “mourn” for those sins. Problems we have are caused by nature or nurture. We will either take pills or we’ll blame other people. But I’m not the problem, they say.
· People don’t want to see those “meek” and not strong. Bowing before a strong God and the needs of others is never popular.
· People don’t want to see people “hunger and thirst for righteousness.” This is a pluralistic world. There are many ways to God, they say. How dare we say that we should have one hunger and one thirst.
· People don’t want to see the “merciful.” Our sinful tendency is to fight back and give others what they deserve.
· People don’t want to see others being “pure in heart.” People want to see God or religious experience on their own terms. They don’t want to be told to be holy or be told to just focus on the one God.
· People don’t want to witness Christians as “peacemakers.” True, there are people holding signs out on Providence and Broadway every week, but most don’t want to have peace in accordance with righteousness. They don’t want peace through the Prince of Peace.
If we live this life of righteousness, people will get angry.

If we proclaim the gospel of grace, people will persecute us.
· People don’t want to hear that there is one God and that He is holy.
· People don’t want to hear that we are sinners and under the wrath of that God.
· People don’t want to hear that there is one source of redemption and that we must repent and place faith in him.
· People don’t want to hear that we are all moving toward judgment and that those apart from Christ will go to hell.
If we preach this gospel of righteousness, people will get angry.

Some people will be offended by our message and lifestyle. However, others will be attracted to it. In John 3:20-21, Jesus says,

John 3:20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come
to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true
comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been
carried out in God."

Some people will hate the light. But some people will come into it. Most will scatter like cockroaches when you flip the light-switch. But others will be like beetles that come up and sit right on the bulb.

We must be certain that people are being repelled by the cross. In Columbia, there is much potential for people to be repelled by the wrong things. That is because Columbia is largely a post-Christian town situated right in the middle of remaining Christendom. People in Columbia largely don’t like Christianity—often because of the baggage they see going along with it. Despite that, I see Columbia as an exciting place to do ministry.

First, I’d argue that ministry is harder in Christendom. Working with Pharisees isn’t fun. Of course, not all those in Southern states or in remaining Christendom are Pharisees, but you certainly deal with it there. My experience in Springfield was incredibly frustrating. People were raised in church there. They knew all the Bible stories. They knew how they were supposed to live. The task was to get them lost before you got them saved. And that’s hard and not fun.

Second, I’d argue that ministry in a post-Christian society is better. Here most people weren’t raised in the church. They don’t have the same points of connection. But, if they look deep enough, they know their lives stink. They know they need help. They may not appear open to the gospel, but since they don’t already know it, they’re in another sense more open to it. It’s not “been there, done that.”

The problem is getting around all the stereotypes that the pagans have about the Pharisees that they throw at us. The challenge is to get back to the gospel, to living it and proclaiming it. This is an amazing opportunity for us. We can strive to truly be a counter-cultural community here in Columbia, who believe a certain message—we’re confessional, who love each other in a certain way—we’re relational, and who love outsiders in a certain way—we’re missional. We have this amazing opportunity to stand as a strikingly different sort of community within the larger community of Columbia. Persecution will come, but it will come for the right reasons, and it will be used by God to draw others in as they see the light of the gospel against a backdrop of sinful darkness.

In this sense, we’ll be like the early church. America is becoming more and more like the Roman Empire. People worship any god they want and how many they want. Just as in Rome, the sin today isn’t being religious, it’s being narrowly religious—it’s worshipping one God instead of all the other gods. It’s being intolerant. Just like those early Christians, we can take a message to a culture hostile to it and see God draw people to His Son. This is incredibly exciting. By living on mission in Columbia, we can experience the blessing of persecution.
In Luke, the parallel passage to the Beatitudes, there are blessings, along with corresponding woes. The blessing sounds similar. The corresponding woe says a lot. It reads, in Luke 6:26, “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” Sure, we want the people of Columbia to see us as friends of the community, but if we’re living and proclaiming the gospel, people will always oppose us. Ultimately, people are opposed to the cross. When people say good things about us, we should worry. We’re probably looking like pagans. We must make sure we’re not being Pharisees, but we should also make sure we’re not looking like pagans.

Let us turn now to the promise of the passage. It says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The kingdom belongs to those, as verse 3 states, who are poor, not the rich. And, it belongs to those, as this verse teaches, who get beat up, not those who deliver the blows. Jesus unpacks this in verses 11-12. He tells us to think eternity and ponder history.

First, he tells us to think eternity. He says, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” He tells us, “Look at the big picture. Right now you’re being persecuted. One day you will be in glory.” You may be suffering now, but one day, you’ll be ruling. You’ll have a great reward.

Jesus isn’t telling us to rejoice in the persecution itself. He isn’t telling us to be masochistic. He is telling us to rejoice over the reward. He wants us to look to the future, recognizing that, as James 4:14 says, this life is but a “mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” Eternity is coming, and the pain now will be followed by joy.

I want you to notice two things associated with this. First, Jesus is teaching people that it’s ok to be motivated by the reward. Sometimes we act like, if we look to the reward, we’re being selfish and it makes our action ungodly. But Hebrews 12:2 said that Jesus “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross.” If it was ok for Jesus to look at the reward and have that as a motivation, it’s ok for us.

Second, Jesus is teaching that our present sufferings will be exceeded by eternal pleasure. 2 Corinthians 4:17 reads, “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” Paul is making, in this passage, three comparisons. He is saying that our “affliction” will be replaced by “glory.” That our light or “slight” affliction will be replaced by a “weight” of joy. Our “momentary” pain will be exceeded by “eternal” delight. Jesus teaches the same idea. Rejoice, he says, because your pain will be blown away by that joy.

Second, he tells us to ponder history. Christ teaches, “For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Now I could take you to the Old Testament and read passage after passage where the prophets of old endured suffering. But let me just read Hebrews 11:32-38.

Hebrews 11:32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets- 33 who
through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped
the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the
sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign
armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were
tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better
life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two,1 they were killed with the sword.
They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated-
38 of whom the world was not worthy- wandering about in deserts and mountains,
and in dens and caves of the earth.
Jesus told us to rejoice because of eternity. Here he tells us to consider history. We not only will receive a kingdom. We are also receiving the treatment of those who are worthy of the kingdom. Notice Hebrews 11:38 again. He calls the persecuted those “of whom the world was not worthy.” Because they were persecuted, they were only worthy to be in a kingdom—the kingdom of heaven. Are we in their company?

When we experience persecution, it displays that our faith is real. Not only is it real enough that others are hating it, but our God who loves us is also testing it. Listen to 1 Peter 4:12-14.

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon
you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But
rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and
be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of
Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory1 and of God rests upon you.
We shouldn’t think it “strange” if we’re persecuted. It has happened to all of God’s people. That persecution shows that “the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon [us].” It shoes that we’re genuine. Persecution displays our salvation, our partnership with the prophets, the early church, Christians since, and our crucified Lord in suffering for the kingdom and our destiny toward the kingdom. Writes Carson,

They have aligned themselves with the prophets who were persecuted before them, and thereby testify that in every age God’s people are under the gun. Far from being a depressing prospect, their suffering under persecution, which has been prompted by their righteousness, becomes a triumphant sign that the kingdom is theirs.

As John 15:18-21 reads,

John 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated
you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but
because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore
the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not
greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they
will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent
me.

If people hate us, it shows that we’re his. All we have to do is open up our Old Testaments and remember that all God’s servants had to suffer. It shows that we’ll receive the kingdom.

But this kingdom has already broken into the here and now. As Jesus said, in Matthew 12:28, “The kingdom of God has come upon you.” It’s now here. We experience a foretaste of the kingdom through the gospel of Christ and through the community of Christ, the church. But we await the kingdom’s consummation. Some day, Christ will put all His enemies under His feet in the new heavens and new earth. We will be with Him. We will reign with Him.

You may remember from the first week that I said “kingdom of heaven” is an effort by a Jewish disciple to get around using God’s covenant name to his Jewish audience. Mark says “kingdom of God,” but he’s writing to Gentiles. I also mentioned before that this “kingdom” won’t be us just floating around in the sky like Casper. We’ll have bodies. We’ll be on a new heavens and earth where Jesus rules over all. That is, as long as we are characterized by these Beatitudes, which includes being “persecuted for righteousness.”

So, brothers and sisters, hear what Jesus says. Think eternity. Take the troubling moment caused by suffering at the hands of unbelievers and see it as a tiny dot on an infinite line going on in both directions. Think of the big picture that includes you spending forever with Him in a kingdom.

Ponder history. Those of God’s have always suffered. Nothing has changed. If you’re suffering it shows that you’re like Jeremiah and Zechariah and the other guys who put their lives on the line.

One day we will join them in the kingdom. Remember that!

Let me return to how we began. I don’t want to dumb down persecution. It would dishonor those suffering of old and those across the globe. It’s people hurting us—with hands or words—because of Christ. It’s not us experiencing cultural changes.

I don’t want to dumb down His righteousness. I’m not commanding you to fight more or yell more or start doing stupid things so that people beat you. It’s not us fighting those cultural changes. That would be like trying to stop an earthquake. It doesn’t work. I’m saying we should all live and proclaim the gospel faithfully.

People will see us as weird for that righteousness. People will then persecute us. And we will be blessed! Brothers and sisters, let us rejoice that we live on the frontlines, that we live in a pocket of post-Christian society where the gospel can shine. Let us not long for the boring days in peaceful lands of Christendom. Let’s be risk-taking, Indiana Jones-type missionaries and enjoy it. Let’s be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” More about that next week.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Stetzered

Today I went to the Missouri Baptist building in Jeff City and got Stetzered. I sat through a 5 hour seminar by Ed Stetzer, a missiologist for NAMB.

Ed is well-known in church planting circles. He is on the board of the Acts 29 Network, a group I like. He had some super things to say. Now I don't always agree with everything he says. He seems to be much warmer to the "church growth" guys than I am. But his emphasis on being missionaries in our contexts, without compromising the gospel, is much needed. I spoke this past Sunday about being confessional, relational, and missional, and I basically argued for everything Stetzer said in the third point. I encourage all of you to see Stetzer's talk go up on The Resurgence site. It should be there soon. Check it out.