22nd October, 2023
TEXT :. MATTHEW 5 : 13 – 16.
Reading: 13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
INTRODUCTION : This chapter and the other two that follow it are the famous and popular sermons called sermons on the mount. It is the fullest continued discourse of our Savour that we have upon record in all the gospels. It is a practical discourse, there is not much of the credenda of Christianity in it– the things to believed, but it is wholly taken up with the agenda, the things to be done, these Christ began with in his preaching, for if any man will do his will, that person will follow Christ in character.
Christ had lately called his disciples, and told them that they should be fishers of men, here he tells them further what he designed them to be – the salt, of the earth, and the lights of the of the world, that they might be indeed what it is expected of them to be.
This morning, I want you to see what you need to know about Christian characters.
As children of God, we need to put on certain characters that will make people see Christ in us.
This morning, I want to give you 4 aspects of a Christian.
(1) The characteristic of a Christian is : SONS —.
As the father love the son, the son ought to love his father, John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Here, we see that the father loves the son. The son obeys the father by carrying out the father commandments.
John 14:15, ” If ye love me, keep my commandments. ” Look with me in
“John 14:23-24 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”
What I am saying to you is that one aspect of the Christian life is that we are sons, and we are commanded, and we are given a ministry of reconciliation.
In 2 Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
(2) The second aspect as Christians is that we are servants, and we need to obey our master Jesus Christ.John 14:15, ” If ye love me, keep my commandments. “
(3) The third aspect of Christian life is that we are soldiers, and as soldiers, we are to fight. The enemy within and without. The enemy within are thoughts. I want to be rich, I want to have a mansion, am not saying these are wrong but the love of it, we should love God more than all the materials things in this world because it will perish, we should lay our treasurer in heaven,
Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The enemy without is what we see around us, the things that is going on, the economic problems, financial difficulties, persecution, even some government policies , for example the gay, homosexual and lesbianism, fight false prophets.
2 Timothy 2:3-5 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
So , as Christians, we need to fight, but also, we need to endure knowing very well that we lay hold on eternal life.
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”
Apostle Paul was able to say at the end of his life that he fought a good fight of faith. ” 2 Timothy 4:5-8 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
As a Christian, and as soldiers, we need to endure in our battle if we want to win. ” Onward Christan soldiers,
marching as to war “
(4) The last aspects of the Christian life are: As Christians, we are Stewards, and as a steward, we
are to — Occupied that means we are to take charge of, look after, watch over, Jesus Christ asked Apostle Peter in John 21:15-17 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”
Jesus knew that Peter would not occupy, remember this same Peter when Jesus was crucified he went back fishing, John 21:3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. “
Jesus wants us to take care and look after His work, but we fail.
As Christians, we are Stewards and need to occupy till He comes back. In doing these, we must be faithful, is a must, 1 Corinthians 4:2
” Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.”
CONCLUSION :As Christians, we have four aspects of our lives,
As a sons., We need to love .
As a servant, We need to obey .
As a soldier, We need to fight
And lastly,as stewards,
We need to occupy .
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻