God's Vision of Who We Are (Matt 5:11–16) | Sermon by Joe Sill

God’s Vision

Good morning. This is the start of a new year and we are prayerfully at the start of a new chapter in Union Chapel Baptist Church. We should all praise God for a pastor that wants us to follow God’s vision for our church. Why should we be thankful for this?  Prov. 29:18 KJV 18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. The CSB translates this verse Without revelation people run wild, but one who follows divine instruction will be happy. What God is saying to us this morning is that we need a vision or revelation of what God wants us to do and be.

I wonder how many churches have dwindled and died because we never did it that way before and refused to grow?

On the other extreme we have churches that chase every new program and wind up in all kinds of problems that divide and destroy.

Where do we get this revelation of God wants us to be and so as church? The second half of this verse tells us. The one who follows divine instruction will be happy. Where to we get this divine instruction? From the Holy Spirit who reveals to us the will of God through his word, the Bible. Jn. 16:12-15 CSB 12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you. We understand from this that the Holy Spirit will reveal to us, that is he will show us how to glorify God.

1 Cor. 2:9-12 CSB 9 But as it is written, What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived— God has prepared these things for those who love him. 10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except his spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.

Our vision comes from God who loves children and their families. As we go forward in our church vision as well as in our day to day lives as Paul did in Eph. 3: 17-21. CSB I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.God is able to above all we ask or even think in fulfilling his vision for our church and our lives.

In order to do what God wants us to do we must be what God wants us to be. What is that you ask? Look with me at Matt. 5:11-16. I would like us to stand and read this together and read it in faith, believing that this is who you are in God’s kingdom.

Matt. 5:11-16 “CSB You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty?  It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are 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 in heaven.

Lets pray

There are three things we should know about ourselves as believers:

1. We know we are blessed, vs. 13.

2. we know we are the salt of the earth vs. 13

3. we know we are the light of the world , vs. 15-16

1. We are blessed. What is it to have a blessing? Some say its found in money. Others, some say it is found in prestige and power, and still others say it is found in freedom to do what I please. These are all the worlds ideas of blessing. The truth is many people have had these things and are miserable. These things do not bring the blessing of God. The real blessing of God is found in our relationship to God. It is found in the peace only God can give.

Jn. 16:33 -17:3 CSB I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” 17 Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. 3 This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent —Jesus Christ.  The blessing of being God’s child is the peace of knowing the all powerful, all loving, creator of all things God, as your father. It is in knowing God has blessed us in the beloved.

Eph. 1:3-6 CSB 3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. 

We are blessed with every spiritual blessing?  When? right now in heavens. God has given us his son to die for us as the price of our adoption. As part of the family of Christ and we are completely redeemed and blessed with all spiritual blessings.

Jesus put it this way Lk, 31-32 31 “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. 32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. Is there a greater blessing than for the father to delight in giving us the kingdom? No. Is it all peaches and cream and calm seas til we get to glory? No! Jesus said we will have suffering in this world. Jesus said just before he gave our text,

Matt. 5: 10-11 CSBBlessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. This blessedness goes beyond this world into the next. It is the vision and perspective that every matyr including the apostle Paul had when he said,

Rom. 8:18 CSB For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. This vision is why paul could say Phil. 1:20-21 20 My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

As we seek to follow God’s vision for our church we need to realize the blessing are heavenly. This vision should effect all that we do. col. 3:23-24 CSB 23 Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. We must realize that we are blessed like Abraham to whom the Lord said: Gen. 22:17-18 CSB 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. We are blessed so we can bless others in the name of the Lord.

Those who are born again have this heavenly blessing. Those who are not don’t really understand not can they fully understand until they receive the blessing of the new birth.

Those who are God’s know the blessing of God. 

2. Secondly, we are to know we are the salt of the earth. Salt is used metaphorically to signify permanence, loyalty, durability, fidelity, usefulness, value, and purification. If we believe we are the salt of the earth as Jesus says, then we will be His preservative on the earth. Preservatives make that which can spoil remain good and therefore give it perminence. Salt was how they cured meats to keep them for long periods of time before refrigeration. We, believers, are the salt of the earth.  If it were not for you and I and the rest of God’s people this world would be destroyed by sin as it was in the days of Noah. Why do I say this? Because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If he destroyed in a cleansing flood that sinful world. He will certainly do it in the future. Noah preserved the human race and we are preserving the human race now. We are the preservative that will keep sin from corrupting everything as it did in Noah’s. As Noah stood as a sign of the permanence of God’s love and justice. So we stand in this present world to show God’s love and justice.

We are to be like Noah who was loyal and durable. We are to loyally preach the word of God. Noah preached from the time God told him to build the ark until the day of the flood. Some scholars say it was 120 years based on Gen. 6:3KJV 3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. In any case Noah was faithful, useful, and of value to the Lord all his days. This is what we are to be. As salt gives food flavor so we are to flavor all that we do with God’s word and purpose.  It is into “the wordld’s” situation that Jesus wants to rub the salt of his followers. Jesus sprinkles us like salt into the world to prevent the erosion of kingdom values, to prevent the decay of society, to fight against the tide of inhumanity and oppression. This is what early believers did.

They also would have instantly associated salt with the idea of sacrifice because they would have know ex. 30:34-36 CSB 34 The LORD said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices: stacte, onycha, and galbanum; the spices and pure frankincense are to be in equal measures. 35 Prepare expertly blended incense from these; it is to be seasoned with salt, pure and holy.

As we all know frankincense is for fragrance, this may have been what Paul had in mind when he wrote 2 Cor. 2:14-16 CSB 14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place. 15 For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. Who is adequate for these things?  We are the smell of Christ and that requires the heavenly salt to be in our spiritual lives.

This is why we are told in Col. 4:5-6 CSB5 Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person. Believers need to know we are the salt of the earth. 

1. We know we are blessed

2. We know we are salt

and finally 3. We are light.

Light is one of the most basic fundamental parts of our world. Light was the first things he created and the first thing that God said was good.

Gen. 1:1-3 CSB  1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.

What does light do for us? It gives color and life to the world without light we would be in the blackness of darkness. Scientist tell us that total darkness can upset our sleep, cause depression, and in some cases insanity. We cannot be healthy without light. Spiritually or physically. Light is important for all of life. Have you ever wondered why the plants die under a box or a board that is on the ground? They die because they have no light. It is the same with us without the light of God’s love and wisdom we would be under eternal death. If we do not shine our light, if we put a bushel on it, how can the world live? God set the stars in the heavens sky to give light and guidance to people as to what season and time it is. So God it is that God has made us lights to heaven to show his goodness and grace. Think about it,  Noah called to his generation and warned of the flood. Abraham walked by faith and showed us how to have faith in God. God sent Moses and initiated a season of law for the people so we could know how to live. Joshua showed the way to the promised land by faithfully following the Lord and on and on it goes up to this very day. God has called us to light to the world.

Think about that in light of Daniel 12:2-3 KJV 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. Our lives are to shine as stars in the darkness of this present world. So how do we shine brightly? Daniel tells us First we have a view of eternity. We see the blessings God as given us instead of the grief satan throws at us.

Secondly, we walk in the wisdom of the Scripture using the God given insight that God has given us in his word. We obey the great commission Matt. 28:18-20 18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 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 everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” God has provided the church to give us vision and opportunity to be those guiding stars to the world both individually and corporately.

It is time for us to follow our pastor as he is led by the Holy Spirit to shine the light to the world. Can you say with Paul, Phil 2:15-16 KJV 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.

Let me ask you believer are you seeking to salt and light or are you just coasting? I challenge you this morning to pray and do your best to live up to God opinion of you. You are salt and light. 

Now, to those who have never trusted Christ for your salvation and are still in darkness. You’ve caught a glimpse of the light through the people of the church who are stars for God or you would not be here. There’s good news for you, you can be born again and filled with the light of God’s forgiveness. God promises peace. God promises joy, God will receive you with open arms and you can be his child by faith. The choice for you unbeliever is to commit to Christ and receive this free gift of light and grace or continue in the darkness of this present world. You have a choice and God is calling you. Maybe your here and your a believer, but you do not feel like much of a shining star.

God is calling you to seek his face and to do as he asks by faith trusting him for the results. We are going to have a hymn of invitation. This is an invitation for you to come and seek God for his power to do his will. The altar is open I and the church leaders are here to pray with you and for you for salvation, renewal, or whatever you many need.