To Change the World Be Salt and Light PARADOX Series [7] Matthew 5:13-16 2

A CALL TO CHANGE THE WORLD If you are to change the world, how would you do it? What is our culture’s way of changing the world? Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. Leo Tolstoy What is Jesus’ way of changing the world?

PARADOX: JESUS’ COUNTER-INTUITIVE TEACHINGS Paradox is truth standing on its head and waving its legs to get our attention. G. K. Chesterton Paradox #7: “To change the world, be salt and light.” [TODAY] Paradox #6: “Choose the difficult narrow road over the easy wide road.” Paradox #5: “The secret is in secrecy.” Paradox #4: “The last will be first and the first will be last.” Paradox #3: “To meet your needs, don’t seek them first.” Paradox #2: “The way up is down.” Paradox #1: “To find your life, you must lose it.”

Matthew 5:13-16 [ESV] 13"You are the salt of the earth, but if 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.   14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16In 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.

THREE IMPLICATIONS OF SALT AND LIGHT “You are the salt of the earth . . . You are the light of the world.” #1: Christians are radically different from the world. #2: Christians are to penetrate the non-Christian world. #3: Christians are to influence and change the world with their radical difference.

SALTINESS: A Character Portrait of Christ-Followers 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "  

THE ROLE OF SALT AND LIGHT It preserves decay and seasons food. It “bites” (it’s salty not sweet). It’s USELESS if saltiness is lost. Focus: Fighting evil to hinder moral/social decay in the world. It illuminates darkness and brightens view. It “shows” (It dispels darkness). It’s USELESS if light is hidden. Focus: Doing good work to infuse God’s righteousness in the world

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SALT AND LIGHT IN THE WORLD? It does NOT mean: “You are the salt of the earth . . . You are the light of the world.” To be different for the sake of being different (becoming weird). To be superficially different from non-Christians on the external level (settling for Christian sub-culture). To change the world without the Christian difference (pursuing humanistic trends/ideologies). To preserve the Christian difference passively for survival (being segregated/insulated).

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SALT AND LIGHT IN THE WORLD? It MEANS: “You are the salt of the earth . . . You are the light of the world.” To pursue the twofold essentials as Christians: (1) radical difference & (2) radical involvement. As SALT, to be courageous in condemning evil and hindering social decay through words and modeling as a “biting” quality of salt. As LIGHT, to show Christlikeness to the non-Christian world in doing good works for the glory of God. To take the responsibility of Christian influence in the world as Christ-followers and the church.

WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO BEING SALT AND LIGHT IN THE WORLD? 1) RETAIN YOUR SALTINESS as a follower of Christ.   But if 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. Matthew 5:13 3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. 4 You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 18:3-4 "You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16

WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO BEING SALT AND LIGHT IN THE WORLD? 1) RETAIN YOUR “SALTINESS” as a follower of Christ.   The “saltiness” is the Christian counter-culture depicted in the Eight Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-10). Without saltiness, we cannot influence or change the non-Christian world—changing the world must begin with our own transformation into Christlikeness. Therefore, a key to changing the world is our conformity to Christ’s character, values—i.e., “Christian counter-culture”!

Radically Different from the World The glory of the gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first. That is how revival comes. That must also be true of us as individuals. It should not be our ambition to be as much like everybody else as we can, though we happen to be Christian, but rather to be as different from everybody who is not a Christian as we can possibly be. Our ambition should be to be like Christ, the more like Him the better, and the more like Him we become, the more we shall be unlike everybody who is not a Christian. - Martyn Lloyd-Jones

WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO BEING SALT AND LIGHT IN THE WORLD? 2) Go into the world WHERE DECAY AND DARKNESS EXIST. 15I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.. . . 18As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. John 17:15, 18 Salt and light do NOT exist to serve themselves—they exist for their distinctive role. we must be “rubbed in” decaying places & “placed in” dark places. Why? Jesus sent us into the world. Therefore, we are to go and live out our radical Christian differences amidst the non-Christian society.

WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO BEING SALT AND LIGHT IN THE WORLD? 3) Take your responsibility of CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE SERIOUSLY in changing the world. 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. Matthew 5:16   For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:20

WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO BEING SALT AND LIGHT IN THE WORLD? 3) Take your responsibility of CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE SERIOUSLY in changing the world. Social decay and darkness is our responsibility as a missional—God-sent—people /community. We must repent of our pessimism, passivity, worldliness. In changing the world, our four essential tools are (1) prayer, (2) truth, (3) example, and (4) counter-cultural community of Christ-followers [John R. W. Stott]. Therefore, we must take the responsibility NOW and where we are—in our work, families, communities, and nation.

DO IT ANYWAY by Mother Teresa People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.   If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies; Succeed anyway.

DO IT ANYWAY by Mother Teresa If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest anyway.   What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

DO IT ANYWAY by Mother Teresa The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.   Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.

THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE How different am I from the world/non-Christians? How can I retain “saltiness” and “brightness” as a Christ-follower? How can I go and live in the world beyond mere survival or self-preservation? What is my first step in taking the responsibility of Christian influence in the world?