Jump Start # 2415

Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

The most unusual thing happened to me the other day. It’s the only time in my life that this has ever happened. I was eating at my favorite bar-b-que place in this area. Great food. Great mission and good that they are doing for the military and first responders. Love going there. Every day at noon they play the National Anthem. Everyone stops, stands and looks at the flag, even the employees. I always put my hand over my heart and on this day I was singing, but not too loud. Those that know me, know that I cannot sing. My wife, my kids, even my grandkids, can all sing. But not me. So, I was just focused on the flag, singing the National Anthem. No big deal. We all applauded when it was over. I sat down and went back to eating. An employee came up to me and wanted to thank me. Now, I’ve seen them do that before. Usually, it’s to thank a vet for serving. I’m not a vet. I was getting ready to correct her when she said, “I want to thank you for singing the National Anthem.” Then she handed me coupons for free food. I got a prize for singing! That’s never happened. If anything, people would give me cash to stop singing.

There was a greater lesson here. While I was looking at the flag, she was looking at me. She noticed. I didn’t notice that she had noticed. And, that brings us to our verse today. Light shinning. A city on that hill cannot be hidden. People notice. People notice when you don’t know that they are watching. Sometimes it may not be the best times for us, but people notice. Now we expect people to be on their best behavior while sitting in a church building. But how about driving down the road? How about sitting in a boring meeting at work? How about while taking a test in college? How about when you are stressed, irritated and things are not going your way? After the National Anthem deal, I took a car to the dealership. I spent two hours in the waiting room listening to Dr. Phil and others on TV telling sad stories of terrible lives and terrible choices. I left with a headache. There were others waiting on their cars. People notice.

From the bar-b-que story, I realized that one never knows who is watching. How we carry ourselves and how we show our attitudes, and how kind or helpful we are is noticed. It’s noticed as we sit in waiting rooms. It’s noticed as we wait in traffic. It’s noticed as we stand in the check out line.

There is always one person who begins the complaining campaign. Waiting too long. Heavy sighs. Looking around. And, then, the complaints begin. And, once one begins, others follow. They have felt the same, but they didn’t have the nerve to be the first. Gloom and doom darkens the air because everyone is feeling down. Right then, you either join in that sad parade or you are that city on the hill. You don’t participate. You don’t join in that chorus. In fact, you try to turn the subject to something better.

I see this with the trial of Jesus. When Pilate asked what should be done with Jesus, the crowds shouted, “Crucify, crucify.” The text doesn’t tell us this specifically, but knowing human nature, I expect one guy shouted that and soon, the whole group was doing the same. It’s called a mob mentality.

The same is found within a church. One person gets disgusted with the leaders and starts the rant to change the preacher or remove the elders, and you’ll find others who join in on that song. Rather than going to a person specifically, and talking face to face, the mob is ready to tar and feather and run a guy out of town. Mobs don’t listen to reason. Mobs run on emotions. Get enough folks stirred up, and you’re likely to have a cattle stampede.

A city on a hill. Jerusalem was a city on a hill. Folks would travel there to worship God. As they walked and drew closer, it could be seen. That’s the destination. That’s where we are going. You couldn’t miss it now. You could see it. And by connecting “light” with “city on a hill” we get the idea of traveling at night. It’s dark all around us. The stars shine. The moon may be out. But in that far distance, you could see a faint glow. As we got closer, it became brighter and brighter. There was an attraction to it.

You’ll notice in our verse that Jesus says, “You ARE the light of the world.” He doesn’t say, you need to become. Or, you ought to be. Or, you’ll grow and someday be that. But we are. We are now. People notice. People notice when we don’t know that they are noticing.

Your anger. Your choice of words. Your attitude. Your behavior. Your choice of music. Your choice of dress. Your spirit. Your reactions. The way you handle grief. The way you handle success. The way you deal with stress. The way you handle a bad day. The way you handle a good day. You are noticed. You are seen. There’s no hiding that city on a hill and there is no hiding you.

Now from this, we learn:

Because people notice, I may be the closest example to Jesus that some will ever see. That’s a lot of pressure, but we can handle it. This is why Jesus put this on us. You ARE, He said. Some may never open a Bible. Some see others who claim to be Christians, but then they talk about getting drunk on weekends, they gossip about everyone, they cheat if they can get away with it and people see this. They are a phony. But you are different. They see that. They appreciate that. Honest to the core. Refusing to talk bad about anyone. Spiritual. Kind. Hopeful. Optimistic. That’s how they see Jesus. They get that because that’s how they see you.

Because people notice, it’s a lot easier to talk about evangelism. They see you. They see sincerity. They see in you something that is missing in their lives. This is why so many of our children have grown to become Christians. They saw that city every day at home. They saw it on vacations. They saw it when it was difficult. They saw it when the easy thing to do was to hide things and make an appearance of what is right, but that didn’t happen. The demon possessed man was told by Jesus to go home to his people and report what great things the Lord had done. Talking to “his people.” People notice.

Because people notice, some will criticize. As I was singing the National Anthem at my bar-b-que place, I saw a man sitting nearly under the flag, who didn’t sing, and didn’t put his hand over his heart. He barely removed his hat. I felt like asking him if he was an American, but I remembered to be that city on a hill. Because you are that city, you are noticed. Not everyone will like what they see. They don’t like that you refuse to drink, laugh at smutty jokes, talk dirty, flirt around and have a good time. They see you as a bore. And with that often comes the snide remarks. The cutting things just loud enough for you to hear. The silence when you walk into a room. Being excluded and ignored comes with being noticed. Some Christians struggle with this. Some don’t do well, so they want to turn the lights out on that hill. They don’t want to be noticed. They would rather blend in and fit in, but that will never happen when we are walking with Jesus. We don’t fit in this world. We don’t belong here. This world is not our home.

People are watching. They are watching the way you worship. They are watching you at work. They are watching you at home. Some notice you when you do not even know. If you are that city, you’ll be fine.

Roger

Jump Start # 2088

Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

We have been looking closely at the concept of a welcoming church. It is important to make the right impression upon visitors. In our final segment of this series, we want to notice what others notice. Nice buildings that are bright, clean and cheerful are important, but congregations cannot compete with schools, big business and other organizations when it comes to having a PR team, unlimited resources and a full time staff devoted just to making the right experience for the visitor. The Disney experience is impressive, but the church isn’t Disney. Yet, we still can step things up a notch or two.

What will impress visitors is not what we believe. It’s not the doctrine. Offering the Lord’s Supper every Sunday is not something most have thought about. It’s not a game changer when it comes to visiting. Your concept of the trinity, life after death, and baptism, is important to us, but not high on the list of visitors. Many websites will have pages and pages about doctrinal teachings. I suppose they think that this is what will draw the visitor. Most often, it does not. There is something else that will catch the eye of the visitor.

Most have never seen true compassion, forgiveness and love, at least not in real life. They hear about it in the movies, but that’s just the movies. They don’t see it at work. It’s dog eat dog at work. They don’t see it as they drive along the streets. It’s not seen in stores. And, for many of them, it’s not seen at home. Christianity in practice is grace, compassion and forgiveness. To witness real people showing this is special, unique and it is eye catching.

Most have never seen marriages that are strong, thriving and happy. Marriages that are decades old, but fresh, close and beautiful. The world knows divorce. The world knows affairs, infidelity and adultery. Marriage, as shown in the sitcoms, is dull, lifeless and ugly. It’s the single people, on TV and in the movies, that have amazing sex, days filled with laughter and adventure. But once married, all the fun and life seems to be gone. Older couples holding hands. Older couples smiling at one another. Most have never seen anything like that. Arguing at each other is the norm.

Most have never seen the heart of a servant. Sure some will volunteer here and there for some community project, but that doesn’t happen much. To see those helping out in worship and serving others without any strings attached is something that is not seen very often.

The point of our passage is that our faith cannot be hidden. Like that city sitting high up on a hill, it is visible all around. When darkness falls, that city stands out. Around us in this dark world, the faith of Christians stands out. It cannot be hidden. If Christ is truly within us, we will put on a heart like His. Kindness, grace, love and forgiveness will be the foundation of each of us. Big tough guys, have a tender heart in Jesus. Those who have rough edges, have smoothed them down in Jesus. The eyes of the Christian are always looking to make a difference. They are always there to help someone. Before and after services, multiple conversations take place. Some are light and filled with laughter. Others, though, are serious. There are hugs. There are offers made to come and help. The atmosphere fills the air of people that truly care for one another.

For many people today, going to church services is like going to a movie. When I go, it’s for what’s on the screen. When I see people coming down my row, I hope that they don’t sit beside me. I only talk to the people who are with me. When the movie is over, I go home. I don’t stick around in the lobby to talk to strangers. There is no fellowship in this. There is no connection. I have been to some afternoon movies in which I was the only person in the theatre. I loved it. This is the experience many have had in worship. Come. Say very little. Sit by yourself. Leave. It’s all about what’s up on stage. No connections and no fellowship.

This is not N.T. worship. It is about connections. It is about fellowship. It is about helping one another. It is about listening, sharing and being there. It is handshakes, hugs and heart felt love. It is being accepted and being part of a spiritual family. That is odd for so many today. Their physical family is a mess. Many have lived alone so long that they do not understand what it is like to belong. They have never seen a church family that supports each other. They have never been a part of a church family.

When there is a death, the funeral home is crowded with the church family. Often, they didn’t even know the person who passed away, but they knew he meant something to one of their members, so they came. They come bringing food. When a mother has a baby, they come with food. They come to clean the house. They come with diapers. When someone has been in the hospital, they come. They show up and cut the yard. They flood the mailbox with cards. This seems so odd to the world, but it is so normal for us. This is what we do. We don’t think about this. This is Christianity. This is service.

I have seen a person sitting alone in the surgery waiting room. I have seen a person alone in the funeral home. How sad. No one to comfort. No one to shed a tear with. No one to help pass the time. No one to be there for. No family—physical or spiritual.

What catches the eyes of the visitor is not what we believe, but whether or not we care. Outside of Christ, and some immediate families, care is missing. It’s simply not there. It has made people hard and it has turned them into loners. But through Christ, they find a group of people who care. This is something new, fresh and inviting. This is something that has been missing in their lives.

Impressions. Welcoming. Inviting. Maybe we ought to think about the compassion more. Maybe we’d find more being interested because they see that we really do care.

In a couple of weeks I hope to put these lessons together in a new booklet that we will call “A church that welcomes.” If you’d like one (or more), they are always free, drop me an email (Rogshouse@aol.com). This will make our 23rd Jump Start booklet.

Roger

Jump Start # 1365

Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden”

  This week we are looking at several “You are” passages from the New Testament. These verses describe who we are from Heaven’s perspective. We need to be reminded of these things. We can forget. We can forget who we are and in doing so, we forget how we are to conduct ourselves.

Our verse today, found early in the sermon on the mount, identifies another “who we are statement.” Jesus says “You are the light of the world.” The previous verse states, “You are the salt of the earth.”

Now a few thoughts:

First, we notice that Jesus says, “You ARE.” He doesn’t say, “You ought to be,” “You can be if you try,” or, “You will be someday.” No, He says ‘you are.’ When one comes to Christ as a believer, something happens. He changes. He starts following the Savior and his outlook, his attitude, his language, his hope, and especially his behavior changes. Good becomes the norm. His outlook shifts from what he can do to what God will do. He prays. He worships. He becomes helpful. In just doing these things, he has become a light in the world. People notice. His influence rubs off on others. He is a joy to be around. He listens. He stays connected to the Divine. We are because Jesus is. Jesus is the light. Following the light, developing the qualities of character that the light has makes us also become like Jesus.

Revelation’s description of Heaven tells us that there is no need of the sun or the moon because Christ is there. He is the light.

There is no such thing as a “dark” Christian. One may attend church services, but he certainly isn’t following Christ if he is not a light. The light of Christ hasn’t shone upon his heart and soul. This is why Jesus uses the expression, “You ARE.” You can’t follow Christ without it affecting you and changing you.

  Second, light is meant to be seen. Light attracts. Light makes things easier to see. The Psalmist describes God’s word as a light unto our path. We live in a world of man made lights. There are flash lights, head lights, oven lights, refrigerator lights. There are lights in your microwave and lights in the ceiling. There are little bitty lights and great big stadium lights. Miners wear lights on their hardhats. Airplanes are guided by runway lights. Jesus’ illustration of a city upon a hill is very vivid if you have ever flown at night. Looking out the plane window it’s pretty dark all around. Then in a distant are some lights. The plane is approaching a city. As it gets closer and closer the lights fill the sky. In ancient times, a city was built upon a hill for defense reasons and to avoid floods. As a traveler approached, he could see the lights in the distance. This is what we are. Even from a distance, we stand out. Our behavior, our dress, our language, our attitudes are different than others. We are noticed.

Some do not like to stand out. They would rather blend in. Here, in this discussion, it is not possible as a Christian to blend in. The world is dark. The world does not have the quality of light. In John 3, the Lord said that the world hates the light. The Christian who tries to fit into both worlds, the world of Christ and the world of the lost, is most miserable. He has enough guilt to make him realize that he is messing things up. He goes to church services on Sunday and tries to be righteous. On Monday, he’s right with the boys at the office, laughing and telling things that are out of place for a Christian. He may even have a beer with the boys now and then but he can’t go as deep into sin as they are. His conscience won’t allow that. He feels guilty doing some of the things he does, but he wants to fit in and be accepted. Sitting in the church building he feels guilty for not being more righteous. He is so miserable. You can’t live in both worlds.

What this also tells us is that people are watching. Some are watching that you never knew. They watch what you say. They watch how you conduct yourself. They watch you at home. They watch you at work. They watch you in worship. For the one walking with Christ, it’s ok. It doesn’t really bother him. Someone may even ask you a question now and then because they know that you are a religious person. They’ve seen that you are different. You don’t swear. You don’t gossip. You don’t tell the stories of drinking and partying. You volunteer when you don’t have to. You do your job well. You are caring for others. You mention praying for others. These things do not pass by without others noticing. This is what light does, it attracts. It is illustrated so well when a family has someone who is sick or there has been a death. The church family floods the family with cards, calls, food and visits. The funeral home is packed with church members. Those who are not a Christian, are amazed. They are impressed. They’ve never seen anything like that. Often it is said, “No one from our church even came, but there were tons from your church.” Light. It is noticed. It is noticed in dark moments.

Now we also know that light can blind. Going from a dark movie theatre into the bright sunlight, your eyes shut tight. It’s bright. Driving over a hill and the on-coming car has his lights on bright, it blinds you. Being the light does not mean we are offensive on purpose to others. It does not mean that we shine the light into their eyes to blind them. That’s not helpful. That doesn’t do any good. Some are satisfied with the thought, “Well, at least I told him the truth.” That’s not good enough. Destroying someone, crushing their heart is not the intention here. The light was to be a guide. The light was to show, not destroy. Lasers are light. They are used to cut things. Pointed in an eye and a laser will destroy eyesight. Care must be given when using them. The same goes for us being the light. There is never a time to be rude, obnoxious, ‘in your face,’ with someone who differs with you. They may well be that way to you, but you will be different. You will show them Jesus. You will show them compassion. That’s the light.

Third, we influence. That’s what light does. We get up in the middle of the night, if there is no light, no night light, we might walk right into a wall. Several months ago I had a terrible experience. It was a Sunday morning, I was in my office at home going over things. My home office opens to a hallway. A few steps and there is the opening for the basement. Past that is the opening for the living room that leads into the kitchen. I left my office, where the light was nice and bright. Turned down the dark hallway, and thought I had passed the opening to the basement. I was heading to the kitchen. Instead I flipped down the stairway and landed on my back in the basement. Oh, that hurt! When my kids heard about it they were ready to supply our house with “baby gates” or simply put dad in the home. Without light, we think we know where we are going. We can be so wrong.

So, as lights in the world, we influence. We make things better and brighter. As the world gets darker and darker, we stand out more and more and we influence more and more.

You are light. Shine on! People are noticing you. People are watching you. Some wish that they could be you. Others are critical and are looking for you to slip up. Keep shinning. Some will come to you because you seem to have the answers. Some will share personal issues with you. Some want help from you. This is the result of being a light.

Shine on, brothers and sisters!

Roger