February 28, 2021
Morning Service

Jesus has called each of us to “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”  When we accepted that invitation, we chose to surrender all that we are and follow Him wherever it is that He leads us.  We seek His will not ours any longer; we want to please Him whom we have come to believe is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  We fully trust Him to lead and guide us to become all that He has planned for us.  Last week He began teaching us on the attitudes it takes to become a “fisher of men;” a faithful follower.  I hope each of you reread those “Beatitudes” and looked at yourself in your spiritual mirror to see where you stand with them.  To grow in Christ, we must be honest with ourselves about our spiritual status; Jesus knows where we stand.  If we know we are lacking, then we need to take action.  Be courageous enough to admit the areas in your lives that are not where Jesus is teaching us that they belong.  Ask, seek and knock for the desire needed to make hard changes in our lives and to stay hungry for the Lord.  The new life we have chosen by following Jesus will be different than before; as Paul says we are “a new creation; old things have passed away and behold all things have become new.” (2Cor. 5:17) As we begin this morning, Jesus again uses something from this world that we all understand to teach us a spiritual truth about our new lives as fishers of men.

Mat 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

            Salt has some specific traits that make it valuable and desirable.  First of all, it is a preservative.  Salt is used to preserve food from spoiling, allowing it to be kept useful for a longer period of time and not be thrown away. How can we reproduce the trait of preserving in our spiritual life? Our prayers are a preservative as we call out to our Father to protect those around us until they have an opportunity to be saved.  Most of us here today are the beneficiary of those kind of prayers.  We were far away from God, but someone continued to pray for us and never gave up.  Those prayers were answered when the day came that we accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow Him.  Who are you preserving today?  Who are you lifting up in prayer for God to speak to them and for them to hear Him?  If not you, then who is doing it?  If we as salt have lost our flavor what good are we doing?  Be the salt of the earth and preserve those whom God lays on your heart that need the Lord.

Secondly salt is used to enhance the flavor of our food.  It makes things taste better, improving the quality of the food it is used on.  By displaying the “Beatitudes” in our daily life, we make the world around us a better place.  By staying focused on the things of God, living a humble life, seeking to show mercy, hungering for more of God, being a peacemaker, and even rejoicing in a time of persecution we make the world around us a better place.  By living that “new” type of life, we build the confidence in those around us that our testimony is also true and it gives us a chance to sprinkle some salt onto their lives. The world around us needs some salt right now.  We can share hope with those around us that have only despair.  We can point those who are in the midst of a storm to the One who can bring calm back to their lives.  We can love those who feel unloved.  By walking closer to Jesus we improve not only our own lives but the lives of all those around us; our lives are better.  Do you find that to be true in your workplace, with your circle of friends and within the walls of your own home?  Are you sprinkling salt on those around you everywhere you go? If not you, then who is doing it?  If we as salt have lost our flavor what good are we doing?  Be the salt of the earth and make life better for those around you.

 

Mat 5:14-16"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  (15)  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  (16)  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

            “You can’t be beacon if your light doesn’t shine!”  A light only illuminates when it is lit and its productivity is increased when it is lifted to a higher plane.  What good is a light if we don’t use it, or cover it up with a basket?  We are being trained to be fishers of men, but what good are we if we don’t go fishing?   By displaying the “Beatitudes” in our everyday life, we can become lights that shine out to this dark and dying world.  Our world today is a dark one and it truly needs to see each of us as Jesus followers to be shining in this time of conflict.  This world needs to see a church that is looking for ways to share more light with others, rather than be using a dimmer switch so we don’t draw attention to ourselves.  We are called to shine for Jesus.  We are His hands and feet in this world and we need to be out there doing His work and spreading His Word.  “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”   This is not about us; it is all about Him!  Any light that comes from us is just a reflection of His True Light.  The closer we get to Him, the brighter we shine for Him and the greater impact we can have one others.  By seeking a closer walk with Jesus, we make the world around us better.  We display what the “newness” of life looks like.  Paul encouraged the Ephesian church on the subject of being the light by reminding them of where they came from.

 

Eph. 5:8-17 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (9) (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), (10) finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.  (11)  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.  (12)  For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.  (13)  But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.  (14)  Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."  (15)  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, (16) redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  (17)  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

            Each of us have come from the darkness into the light, and it was because we met Jesus. We now take on a new standing and seek the light rather than trying to avoid it.  We embrace truth rather than run from it.  Jesus has set us free from the darkness of sin and the fear of death by defeating them upon the cross and arising from the grave.  Paul calls us to “walk as children of light” (to follow faithfully) by seeking to “find out what is acceptable to the Lord.”  That is exactly what we are doing in our study through Matthew; building our relationship with Jesus to know Him and His ways more intimately.  We are applying the light of Jesus to our souls to expose any darkness that we may have hidden away and do away with it.  If you have a deep dark secret, own up to it admit it to God and ask Him for forgiveness.  He already knows about it and is just waiting for you to own up and confront it by asking for forgiveness.  Bring it into the light and let God use it for His glory.  Paul also call us to “Wake up out of the darkness of sleep and death” to walk in the light of the “newness of life.”  Don’t just go through the motions of following Jesus, but “walk circumspectly not a fools but as wise redeeming the time because the days are evil.”  Let God plan the path that lies ahead for you.  A map is only good if you use it.  Seek God on where He wants you to go and choose the path that leads you there.

            To be fishers of men we must be salt and light to this world.  This calling gives each of us purpose and a work to do in building the kingdom of God.  This is the road Jesus is leading us down.  Let your prayers preserve those around you until they cry out to God.  Let your life with Christ give power to your testimony and make the world a better place for those around you.  Be the light of truth, hope, peace, joy and love to this world that really needs it now.  These are all part of us becoming fishers of men.