Well, I invite you to turn this morning to Matthew chapter 5, Matthew chapter 5, we'll be reading verses 1 through 16, the text will be verses 13 through 16. As I read a portion of this, if the law, beginning at verse 17, we're coming back now and looking at 1 through 16, page 962 in the Bible, sit here in front of you. Let's give our attention this morning to the word of the Lord. Beginning at verse 1, Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain. And when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. for they shall be satisfied blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see god blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of god blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you and now our text you are the salt of the earth but if the 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 you are the light of the world a city set on a hill cannot be hidden 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 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 and there will end the reading of god's word well i thought uh this morning and next week we'll return to our series in hebrews i'm thinking of moving that to the evening and then starting a narrative book in the old testament in the morning so you can pray for me on that that i'd be directed um but i thought this morning um after kind of concluding our summer uh kind of jumping around a different text that we've done i thought this morning it would be helpful to remember what jesus said about who his followers are in this world what they are it's it's the purpose that i think is so important here to capture this morning and to consider a bit because we have been so bombarded in our day with this question of identity and maybe that it really is one of the most needful things that at the moment all we've been talking about is the identity that the world assigns us and is pushing on us so we have all these identities and all these identity groups and identity politics everything's identity and and that's constantly coming at us and the church is doing as i think really trying to make efforts to combat this and to expose this to talk to our young adults about this and young people about this about identity and the challenges that we face that all these identities depict from and when it is based upon the desires of the sinful nature that is a identity that is standing in rebellion against what the lord has for us well so we we spent some time looking at that last week we looked at the culture telling people to turn inward to follow the desires of the heart to define one's identity and and you notice in our culture um how proud people are when they think they found their identity to celebrate it and to tell others about it and to demand acceptance of it i mean it's really look at the look at all the passion and energy given to declare identity right now and how much energy is given to tell people who they are and we come back and as christians we say well you know you have an identity in Jesus what is that I think we're saying that too loosely without helping people to precisely understand what is the assigned identity and that's the question that we're wrestling with a little bit today what is our identity and what is the identity Jesus has given us that should be cherished and that that we should be happy about and that we should be in a godly sense proud about well that's why i think the reflection and the opening statements of the sermon on the mount is so important and that's what we're looking at this morning as jesus opens the sermon on the mount you'll notice here this this particular section that we're looking at our text this morning he is declaring that we are salt and that we are light in this world it's easy to pass that over without realizing he just assigned an identity to us with metaphors he gave us an identity he wants us to appreciate this identity to understand this identity and that's that's the the purpose of this message this morning how does this god i i'm given assigned identity how does that operate in the world the sermon on the mount is wonderful the first part of the sermon on the mount is intended to address his followers in contrast with the great hypocritical religion of the pharisees as we mentioned earlier and he gives severe blows to them in this particular sermon that is really a blow against a christless performance of duty that was done in a hypocritical way but in the beatitudes where jesus starts he really is doing something wonderful at the beginning of the sermon on the mount to encourage his disciples he's describing what they are by grace think of this for a minute blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of god blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth the merciful the pure in heart the peacemakers i think one of the great sad things that's happened in the church today with the treatment of the beatitudes is that they have been preached as if we have to make that happen there these are descriptive of us there are no performance verbs here telling us how to accomplish this blessedness it's it's a tragedy when when when we do that to this text jesus is encouraging the disciples as to what they are in the world what he has declared them to be in the world they're blessed how to be these things you don't earn it you get it as a christian this is how god views you as a christian this is what he does to bless you as a Christian, as a follower of Christ. So in the Beatitudes, Jesus is really describing what we are by God's grace. You are a blessed people, and this is how. This is the characteristics of your life. This is what he has made you to be. and in what follows what jesus is essentially doing is now transitioning a bit to essentially say these characteristics have affected how you live in the world you are blessed to be these things and the world sees this about you i think jesus anticipated the confusion here though it's really difficult when the world's against us isn't it we don't quite know how to conduct ourselves i think that's our big problem at the moment is that we're really wrestling with if you accept what we looked at uh last week with dr butterfield that we have moved from a post-christian to an anti-christian culture if you accept that assessment there has to be some agreement with it along the way that it's become anti, if you accept that, we're really wrestling with what do we do now as Christians in the midst of all this? Do we fight them? Do we get angry? What do we do? That's the question that's reverberating through the church right now. We've got to do something to fix this. We've got to do something to stop this. Isn't it interesting that after all those Beatitudes we like, we get to the one we don't like at the very end? There's a Beatitude that's offset from all the rest with a lot more instruction for a reason. The last sort of Beatitude there is this. Blessed are the persecuted. Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you. I want you to rejoice and be glad. Well, that's the thing we all don't want to happen. That's the thing we all don't want to happen. That is what we're fighting against right now the most. And of course, who wants that? But I think it's important to say that the blessedness of the Beatitudes extends to this one too. In other words, this is chosen for you. This is given to you. It is a great privilege in your life to suffer for the name of Jesus. It is a great privilege in your life to be blessed, to be identified with him and his sufferings. Persecution is not something you achieve. Now you might if you're a jerk. But if we're behaving as Christians, persecution is not something you simply achieve. It's something that is appointed for you. This is exactly what Paul said. Blessed are you. Remember what he said in Philippians. It has been granted for you not only to believe, but to suffer for his namesake. That is a sovereign grant for you. But I think Jesus is very aware of this perplexing phenomenon. Remember what he had to say to his disciples? If the world hates you, and it will, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 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. That's an automatic. Remember the word that I said to you. a servant is not greater than his master if they persecuted me they also will persecute you so at times in history that's what we see at times in history this is how it goes you can have a culture and society that accepts you and then the next next the next culture and society that comes along may despise you and persecute you that's all in god's providence he appoints fruitful years and lean years. Prosperity and poverty. All things come not by chance, but from his fatherly hand. That means the politics of this age. Now, this is a big moment. Why in the world would Jesus have to tell us to rejoice over that beatitude? It's because reaction to persecution by Christians throughout history has often been retreat. And the sense that we've done something wrong. And if it's not been retreat, then it's been taking the kingdom by violence. And exactly what brings persecution? Hatred from people. Hatred from the world. Well, it's the thing that we're embarrassed about. Conviction. Let me be really clear. This is such an important point this morning. Conviction. Conviction makes you different. But what is the incessant pressure from the church that we face today? When we expose error, And you can't go through the New Testament to see how often Paul's doing this, even calling out churches and people by name. I mean, Jesus has seven churches he called out by name. When you say anything's wrong, especially when it comes to the most important duty of the church, worship, there is recoiling frustration from people. That exposure of right and wrong that results in hatred from people is something that has marked us as obnoxious in the world. And we're afraid of how we will be perceived. This is a big idolatry in the American church. It's a huge idolatry in the American church of people with little conviction that denies our God-assigned identity. And it leaves us with a host of nominal, loosely connected followers who would be fine not to have much conviction on anything just so that we will not be hated. But it was Jesus himself who told us that the strongest hatred in the world will often come from the community of faith. A community that has lost conviction. who put Jesus to death the Romans or the followers of God these are important things to consider and Jesus is what he's doing here in this particular sermon on the mount is he's helping us to understand what being a follower of Christ is in the world what it accomplishes in the world at times it will earn the world's hatred from within and from without. And Jesus helps us with two metaphors here to encourage us that this is exactly accomplishing what he has intended us to be in the world. They're not metaphors that support being obnoxious. I mean, make that clear. Notice the first metaphor. You are the salt of the earth what an interesting thing to choose how to describe us to assign an identity to us because what it's essentially saying is what's wrong with the world is that the world is absolutely rotten it's rotting away this is what John would later say the world is passing away with its desires and that's what we're experiencing You know, all this anguish and all this frustration and all of this tension and all this anxiety that we're facing living in the world right now comes down to this problem right here. We're about, seems to be, I mean, you just never know every week. Could World War III come? That's how tense the world is right now. Sin has corrupted everything. And God in His mercies has stated this. But it is a rotten place. That's not saying we don't enjoy good things in this life. Don't hear me incorrectly. But the world itself is broken. The world itself is rotten. The world itself is passing away. It has to all be renewed and recreated in a brand new heavens and earth because all this has to be fixed. Boys and girls, I have a lemon tree outside and I noticed the other day how many lemons I haven't picked up that have fallen to the ground. It's disgusting. those lemons are rotten and full of worms. Full of decay. What was God's assessment of the world right from the beginning? Well, if he had to flood it, and if he had to start new, he's telling, he was sending a message to all of humanity about the state of the world. The state of the world, as he said, because of people is, The thoughts and intents of people are only evil continually. And I think Jesus is asking a very important question in this designation. Listen to it. What do you think prevents the world's decay? Even though it earns you hate, what do you think, when you have conviction, prevents the world's decay? Salt in the ancient world was used to, we know this to this day, especially back then though, they didn't have refrigerators, the decay of foods, and they flavored foods for better taste. Some of you use way too much of it. It preserves and it flavors. Jesus used this phenomenon with the added concern that if salt loses its taste, it's no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under men's feet. He's pressing us with what we do accomplish. People knew that gypsum and other minerals would dilute the potency of salt and make it useless in the preservation of foods. This was so common to normal day life. Listen to what Jesus is saying here. An appointed day is coming when he's going to bring an end to this present world in judgment. It's already appointed. It's already going to happen. It is in the decree. What do you think is preventing it from happening right now? You. You are my salt. You are preserving things from decay. You are flavoring things. You know, when God made a covenant with Israel back, He at times would refer to the covenant itself as a covenant of salt. Do you know why? Because when God made his covenant, he called it a covenant of preservation. When he was declaring that he had a people on earth, that saved the whole world from impending judgment for a time. I mean, Jesus made this very point in the parable of the wheat and the tares. And the servants of the master's house came and said, Master, didn't you sow good seed in your field? How does it have so many weeds? He said to them, an enemy has done this. So the servant said to him, then do you want us to go and gather them? But he said, no. What's he concerned about? lest in gathering the weeds you uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until the harvest. Judgment has not come because of your preserving influence in the world, in his purposes. That's why. That means people have to be saved. That means you've got to have conviction. That's what he's saying. Well, I'll come back to this. What's the second thing here? you are the light of the world jesus expresses how inappropriate it would be in a dark place to put a lamp under a bowl israel was um and he's working off israel israel was designated as god's light to the nations a light that offered hope isaiah 49 6 i will make you as a light for the nations that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth so so so put it together along with the preserving and flavoring of the world, God has made His followers His light in the world. Radiating the light of Jesus. Because He's the light of the world. He's our light and our salvation. We as His followers are the ones through whom His light shines to make Him known. That's why Christians are called light. and by the way while he was constantly the scriptures were constantly saying be very careful to walk as children of the light because you have a distinct witness in that light jesus was constantly saying this if if anyone walks in the day he doesn't stumble because he sees the light of the world but if anyone walks in the night he stumbles because the light's not in him so we can we can begin to put this this together the world in which we live is corrupted by sin people live in darkness they're walking in darkness it's an impending judgment judgment is about to come the whole world is passing away and the worst reality is the people don't know a way back to god do you think the whole story of the tower of babel was a whole bunch of people walking aimlessly to the east trying to find a way back to heaven without hope and without god in the world now blessed are you if the world hates you why will they hate us come back to Saul Saul across the board when I hear from Christians today I think the great pressure that we feel right now is that we've got to do something to fix all this fix what is God calling you to fix a rotten world is that what Jesus is doing I mean I think on the heart of most Christians today the great pressing concern for us is that we have got to fix the broken politics of our age you know jesus wanted to say that here was his chance here is the golden moment to say that your light will most shine by giving all your attention to fix the politics of this age right after saying blessed are you when in sovereign appointment his choice puts us under persecution the world turns against you and hates you he could have said that's the time to make christianity about fixing government promoting a theocracy and stopping that no no but that's not what he did he said blessed are you when it's appointed i think it's martin lowe jones who said in his day about the social application of christianity pronouncement has been pronouncements have been made by the churches resolutions have been sent from church assemblies and various denominations to the governments. We've all been so tremendously interested in the practical application. But what is the result? Now this was Lloyd-Jones in his context. He says no one can dispute it. The result is we're living in a society that is much more immoral than it was 50 years ago in which vice and law-breaking and lawlessness is rampant. Why? the main fault is that there are too far too few christian people and those of us who are christian are not sufficiently salt and light we influence the world in many ways individual christians influence the world by being involved in political things helping to the poor compassion for the needy of course the church has a specific mission here's my point i am not convinced in jesus's sermon on the mount that he is telling christians to go do anything and we have to hear this simply to accept the blessedness of who we are and be that that's what he's saying that's hard enough right now by the way that means living a non-hypocritical life that means having serious doctrinal conviction that means having a serious identity of christian holiness that will accomplish what salt does to me jesus is reacting here there's just no doubt he's reacting to the hypocritical religion of the pharisees and all they did it was just pomp and show it was just coming up to worship so everyone saw there was nothing in the heart there was nothing genuine to it it was fake it was all about receiving the praise of men that's why they were involved in the kingdom of god jesus was concerned that this hypocritical religion had the effect and this is the strange irony in what he's doing here that their hypocritical approach to the kingdom of God had the effect of hiding the true Christian he's salt without saltiness he's a lamp hidden under a bowl it had the effect of hiding what's true and what's genuine from the world the pharisees didn't lead people to god they didn't lead people to glorify god jesus exposed them as hiding religion under the false pretenses of devotion it didn't accomplish anything so what what are we saying here we need a lot of grace because the The biggest challenge is simply to maintain who we are. The worst thing we could be as hypocrites in this time, living contrary to what we believe, and coming up to the house of the Lord, barely mumbling the songs, everyone sees it. How are we Saul? I'll tell you. As the church and as individual Christians, We are to be different. That difference that we're embarrassed about. We are to be who we are supposed to be in our callings. In our homes. How we love our spouses and treat them. In our workplaces. One pastor said something powerful. We're not just to be different. We're to glory in our difference. we're not to be ashamed of it. Which means you have to have a deep conviction in what you believe. And that means we speak to people who are in error kindly and lovingly with the fruits of the Spirit. We have to do that. That's salt and light. I think the temptation in our day too is to huddle together. For far too long, the church has just been about family and social issues. That's really what it's been in America. embarrassed about theological conviction embarrassed about about convictions about worship embarrassed about this and embarrassed about that that is not salt and light we're making no difference in a marked separation that way you're earning nobody to dislike you if you're just a good guy that everyone likes that's not what Jesus is after it's our separation from the world but but listen to me it's our actual separation from the world not in retreating from it it's our separating in the world that is the wisdom we need you understand that distinction that means we hate sin and we make the most separate act of what we do the great joyful priority of our lives that is to worship God on his holy day we don't engage in those things of the world our speech is to be different how we live how we work what righteousness is looks like if it's if we're indistinguishable from the world and life and conviction that's what Jesus is is saying needs to be thrown out I speak to young people you know it's um if your friends say they're Christians but in all honesty they're involved in sex and alcohol and drinking and worldliness governs them you have two choices you run with them thinking you'll influence them which doesn't happen or you separate and say i can't do those things simply being christians in this world not living in sexual morality drunkenness being honest in our business paying our taxes not always trying to cheat the government jesus is saying this is this is preserving behavior in the world this is what i'm after are you frustrated with the state of things right now what's the real issue in the mass of christians we need a whole bunch who live like one and who believe the gospel our prayer should be raise up a generation of convicted christians who live fulfilling what they're meant to be. And don't underestimate his point. He's describing the character. There's a character assigned to us, a separate character that he wants you to be different. Do we cherish that? Well, he's inviting you to come to him for help. That's what the gospel's about. In terms of light, he's capturing our mission, isn't he? Jesus specifically prayed in the high priestly prayer that we not be taken out of the world. Do you ever wonder why? Well, the reason is, is because the metaphors of salt and light, Jesus is helping us to understand why we're left here. And deep within us should be a conviction that people would know not just how a big builder better barns build a great business they need to know about forgiveness and peace with God you know I have this this little lamp this is actually a first century lamp that's how big it was when Jesus was saying this so you light this little wick and amazing in a dark room what this lights up that small and don't underestimate the privilege of being his salt and light see it's beautiful but what is our concern on this earth what are we after on this earth i know it's not in vogue to say today people need salvation that's just such an outdated thing but this is exactly why the church and her primary mission was left here and as individual christians you're still designated as salt and light this is this is what people need let your light so shine before me that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. How do people glorify the Father in heaven when they see your good works? By believing in the witness of the Son through you. That's how. It's okay to show we're needy. I think that's another issue in this. The Pharisees came and everything was perfect. pharisees wanted to show how together they were the pharisees wanted to show that they had maintained the perfect life and everyone should see it it's not a good witness we're all needy we all struggle with sin we all are broken but redeemed and people should see how we've been delivered from that. What I'm telling you is simply to ask God to be what He declares you to be in sincerity. To be a true follower and to remember that you actually accomplish the preservation of the world when you look like Christ. I didn't say it. He said it. and that requires deep conviction and growing in His Word. You've got to have conviction. You've got to know why it's right and wrong what we do. You've got to be able to tell your Christian friend who's compromising on these things why. You've got to be able to do that. What are we doing today? We're saying nothing. That's not a witness. people don't need just a better social life. They need to see salvation. And let me just say that as we look to the Lord, I didn't want this sermon to become beating us up that we're sufficiently not salt and light. What I want it to be is an encouragement to ask the Lord to give you the grace to be what His gospel has determined you to be. This is your identity, you see. this is what we should cherish like the pagans announce to everyone and say look what i am look what i am we should have the same we should have more we should glory in it because your identity is a sign from the king of heaven and earth you are blessed to be his salt and light and you are blessed to be hated by the world because that's what jesus is and was he chose for you that identity and when we demonstrate this a great difference is made in the world one that results in the glorifying of our father who is in heaven and the salvation of people from their sins and that's a life worth living let's pray together heavenly father thank you for helping us to understand our identity we need help to to simply be that to practice that and we look to you oh lord that we would more and more become salt in the earth and light to those around us. And we're asking that You would teach us about true biblical separation. We're not in a day of great legalism. We're not in a day where all these prohibitions or people are living that way. We're in a day of licentiousness. There's no conviction. So we ask, Lord, for deep embedded conviction in the truth. Open our minds to it. Open our hearts to it. And let us be willing to count the cost of what it means to follow and to enjoy the precious identity you have given to us as your salt and light. Forgive us for hypocrisy. We all have a measure of it. Forgive us that we have not fulfilled our callings in the way that we should, but we ask for your grace and more grace to know that we are forgiven and loved by you and to treasure the precious identity that we have. in Christ. In his name we pray. Amen.