"When we last saw Jesus," Josh
began his Sunday night lesson, "He had just told Satan to
go to Hell!"
"Well, didn't He? Don't you remember last Sunday night's
lesson? Satan tried to tempt Jesus in various ways to turn away
from God's will. What was Jesus' response? It was a very pointed,
very firm 'Get thee behind me, Satan'. If you've had similar problems
this week, I hope you've been equally blunt with the originator
of those troubles, the old author of confusion himself. Remember,
we're talking about living our lives as Jesus would. We're God's
children, and we have the right to dismiss the Devil the same
way that Jesus did. Listen, people, we don't have to put up with
all the doubts, fears, and frustrations that confuse our lives.
Yes, Satan is definitely tough, but remember that our God is much,
much tougher. Grab hold of your authority as children of God,
and go for it!"
"Tonight, I want to continue our
study of Jesus, and the things He said and did that are recorded
in Scripture. The particular passages I want to talk about are
in Matthew 5 and Luke 6. The verses in 'Matthew' are often called
'the Beatitudes'. The dictionary defines 'beatitude' as perfect
blessedness or happiness, and Jesus began each sentence with the
words 'blessed are those who... '. Someone a long time ago made
the point that each beatitude describes an attitude that will
bring blessing and happiness to the one who has it.
"The 'Beatitudes' really have two
messages, both of which are pretty good. The first is one of hope
for the future. We may cry now, we may be hungry, we may be sick,
or we may be the target of various wrongs and injustices. Still,
we can confidently look forward to much, much better times. This
is something that God has promised us - that we will be fully
rewarded for any deprivations we suffer now, and for any sacrifices
we make in His name and for His glory.
"The second message is one that relates
more directly to our study question, what would Jesus do. 'Matthew'
presents us with a list of attitudes and attributes that Jesus
is looking for in people. Read them for yourselves in the first
ten verses, but let me summarize. He's looking for people who
acknowledge their dependence on God; who have a gentle spirit;
who love to see right prevail; who show mercy; who have pure hearts;
and who are peacemakers.
"Turn it around, and what is He not
looking for? He's not looking for people who have all the answers
and who are not looking for God. He's not looking for people with
a contentious, argumentative spirit, or those who are more interested
in themselves and their needs than in the ultimate good, or who
just don't care whether or not right prevails. He isn't looking
for people who are more interested in vengeance than mercy, or
in people whose hearts are hard or whose thoughts are profane.
Finally, he isn't looking for warmongers - people who are motivated
by hate, and who try to settle things by fighting."
"So... At first glance, it would
appear that Jesus was looking for a bunch of wimps! Contrast some
of the attributes mentioned above as 'good' with the popular image
of today's strong, sure, successful man or woman. Jesus sounds
almost un-American! But let's glance again: is gentle the same
as weak and wimpy; is it un-American to look out for the little
guy; and are money and prestige our real measures of success?
Let's let Jesus tell it, again, the way 'Luke' records him in
chapter 6: love your enemies; pray for your enemies; turn the
other cheek; do unto others as you would have others do unto you;
give plentifully and without thought of reward; be merciful; don't
judge; and forgive. What does He say about those who are already
rich, already well fed, and who already have prestige? They already
have their reward! Woe unto them, He said."
"Now please, don't get me - or Jesus
- wrong. We're definitely not talking about wealth and fame being
bad. We're talking about contrasts in attitudes. If all you're
living for is wealth and fame, and if you don't care how others
are faring, then you're not in God's will. But, believe me, Christians
can be wealthy, and still be Christians. It's a question of where
your heart is. When Jesus said that it was easier for a camel
to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter
Heaven, He wasn't condemning success. He was merely pointing out
that money and prestige can overwhelm you, and you can't serve
two masters at the same time.
"Jesus went from the 'Beatitudes' to a discussion of His feelings about the Mosaic Law, a discussion I think is extremely important to Christians, and that I plan to cover next Sunday night. As an introduction, let's look at two statements He makes about how He perceives believers. In Matthew 5:13, He calls us the salt of the earth; in verse 14, we are pictured as the light of the world. Salt gives flavor, and brings out the special essences of the food that it's put in. Light reveals what things are really like, and reveals what might otherwise be hidden. Don't lose your flavor, Jesus cautions; don't hide your light, He pleads. As Christians, we are different, and God is depending on that difference. Jesus says that people learn by example, and that they will learn to praise God by seeing God working in us. Learning to do what Jesus would do - learning to be what God would have us be - is not just a nice thing to do. It is vital to people around us that we show them by our actions and attitudes that God really is God!"
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NOTE: This sermon by Pastor Josh Felton is from Chapter 31 of "If God is God." Read more of Josh's sermons, or get the whole book.