Normal Life

Before I begin this word I'd like to set the scene by reading a few relevant passages of Scripture
1 Peter Ch. 2 vs. 9 - 10
But you are chosen people, a royal Priesthood, a holy nation, but people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but no you have received a mercy

If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour then you are part of a chosen race called out of darkness into His marvellous light
Rom. Ch. 10 vs. 9 - 13
If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your hearts that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the scripture says, anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jew and gentle the same the Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But that's not the end of the story You were Chosen for a reason

That you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you

Continuing to Read in Rom. Ch. 10 v.14 -15
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom and they've not heard? And how can they hear without Someone preaching to them? And have can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, " how beautiful are the feet of those who bring a good news!"
Have you got beautiful feet?

Our purpose as Christians is to share the good news of Jesus Christ

Israel too knew that they were a chosen race
And Paul in Rom. Ch. 3 v. 2 tells us that they were entrusted with the Oracles of God

Later on in Rom. Ch. 11 Paul speaks of the majority of the Jews being rejected it would seem owing to their disobedience in not sharing these oracles.

In Ch. 11 v. 17 Paul speaking to we gentile Christians. Brings us a warning. Whilst using the metaphor of branches, for disobedient Jews.
"If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing Sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not you either."

We as gentile Christians need to be ever aware of why the true branches were cut off.

And so the Scene is set

The Actors are now about to come onto the stage
*************************

From Matthew's Gospel Ch. 5
The well known Sermon on the mount

For those who are possibly not aware. The Sermon on the mount is not confined to that portion of scripture that is commonly called the Beatitudes but Continues right through
Chapters 5. 6. & 7.
This sermon which Jesus spoke to his disciples could easily be called a manifesto for Christian living. Unfortunately this manifesto that like so many others we hear nowadays, Is generally ignored
Perhaps a worthwhile exercise for us all would be to read this manifesto regularly

Today I want to concentrate our minds on four verses only

Verses 13 to 16 of Chapter 5

But first let me draw your attention to Verses 1 & 2
"Now when He saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him"

Matthew begins his report by pointing out that Jesus seeing the crowds went up on the mountain and sat Down.

And when he had sat down His Disciples came to Him

Note that it was His disciples that came to Him

This word was for Disciples If we are to hear it, we must come to Jesus

This is a lesson all Disciples must learn that if we are to hear what Jesus has to say to us we must come to him.

We can't hope to be true disciples and never come to listen to what He has to say to us.
Jesus never pushes himself onto us, we must come to Him of our own free will

Verses 13 to 16
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses it's saltiness, how can it be made salty again? it is no longer good for anything. Except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. a city on a hill cannot be hidden. neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven."

As I've just mentioned this word is for Disciples. Those who are Followers of Jesus
Those who are Born again This phrase 'Born again' has unfortunately Attracted some adverse publicity in some quarters, but I take it to mean as Jesus himself used it in John Gospel Chapter 3 v. 3

Jesus said to Nicodemus in John's Gospel Chap 3 v. 3 unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God

In other words Unless we have made that commitment to begin to live the new life as Christ would have us live we will never understand the things of the kingdom

This word is for Disciples. for only they will be able to see and understand
The Apostle Paul tells us in his first letter to the Corinthians Ch 2 v. 14
"The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him and he is not able to understand them for they are spiritually discerned"

It's only when the Holy Spirit dwells within us are we able to grasp these essential truths.

As we read the three chapters of this sermon that Jesus gave to his disciples we begin to realise that

New birth is essential even to understand these things of the Spirit

How can an unbeliever understand that we must love our enemies Matthew Ch. 5 v. 44

Have you ever considered, what the only lasting answer is to the problems of deep seated hate in people, that flares up into violent conflict. It's forgiveness, Love your enemies enough to forgive them.

Or If anyone strikes you on the cheek offer him the other one Ch. 5 v. 39

And what about don't lay up for yourselves treasures on earth Ch. 6 v. 19
Elsewhere in Scripture we read that "The love of money is the root of all evil"
And also "You can't serve God and Mammon" (Money)

To attain these standards we must be convinced that they are attainable

Only People who are Truly 'Born again' believe that with God all things are possible

When we read the Sermon on the Mount we need to read it not just as an exercise in reading Gods word. But with a deep desire in our hearts, to live by what we read, recognising that this is the word of the Lord.

This is what He expects of us.

This is why He called us into His kingdom.

And the world too needs us to. Never more so than in this day and age, Does the world need Christians to live By the word of God.

Because we are the Salt of the earth. We are the Light of the world.

And Jesus says . you must "let your light shine before men that they may see your good works " Not Boastfully But naturally

Why !

So that they might give glory to your father in heaven

This entire world is seeking something different, a new culture

Each generation becomes disillusioned with the world it finds itself in.

And in each generation new cults appear, Drop outs from society

I don't use that term in any derogatory fashion

But to indicate those who have got tired of the established society, and where it seems to be heading

The trouble is that those who look for something fresh, turn to such things as transcendental meditation.

Others turn to drugs or the occult. All are looking for something which they hope is better than what they have, something that will give their life more purpose.

As Christians we should know that they are looking in the wrong direction.

Prov. Ch. 14 v. 12 says
There is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way of death.

The only answer to their searching is Jesus Christ.
He said, "I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly" John Ch. 10 v. 10.

Why is it that they don't turn to Him ?

Its because generally we as Christians look very little different to the world
We blend in so well that we are invisible

How many obvious Christians do you know outside of your fellowship
Is it obvious to people you meet outside of the Church that you are a Christian

Gandhi was once reported to have said. That if he saw Christians living the life they professed, he would embrace Christianity.

The trouble is that so often in our attempt to attract the world we conform to their standards.

We excuse ourselves by saying
the world is attracted by such and such. So, If we introduce that into the Church the world will follow.

But just the opposite is the case .
The world is looking for something different. A new life style.

One that has purpose. Not only in outlook but in behaviour.

Its not enough for us to just call Him Lord, Or just to sit and listen to His teaching

If we want to encourage others to come to know Jesus and share this new life, and receive the promised eternal life. (And I hope you do)
We must first show that we ourselves are true Followers, by living the life

"We must be doers of the word not hearers only " James Ch. 1 v. 22
We need to live by what we read in the sermon on the mount.
Our Manifesto.

We must be different to the world

We need to be people set apart

We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, We are Gods own people 1 Peter Ch. 2 v. 9

Psalm 4 v 3 says
Know that the Lord has set apart the Godly for Himself.

Do you consider yourself Set apart Are you different from the world

When John was told to write to the Church at Sardis Rev Ch. 3

He was told to write these words

I know your works, you have the name of being alive. But you are dead.
Awake and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death

That bears repeating.

I know your works, you have the name of being alive. But you are dead.
Awake and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death

When we read words like that we need to be very sure they don't apply to us
that is if we consider ourselves a disciple of Jesus Christ.

To win People to Christ we must show that we love the life we claim we have.
Do you Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say Rejoice. Phillipians Ch. 4 v. 4

We are the salt of the earth. We are the only light the world

We need to wake up to the fact that the world considers that the Church to be Dead, and of no consequence.

We have something worth proclaiming lets pull out all the stops and proclaim it.

If the Church generally doesn't wake up and show that it is different from the world It is in danger of being assimilated into the world altogether

That was Israel's problem they kept getting Assimilated by other nations

The Lord said to Moses. "Say to the people of Israel I am the Lord your God you shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt where you dwelt
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
You shall keep my ordinances and my statutes and walk in them
I am the Lord your God you shall therefore keep my statutes and ordinances
By doing which a man shall live I am the Lord"

Psalm 106 v 35-35 says
"They mingled with the nations and learned to do as they did
They served Idols which became a snare to them."

God continually sent prophets to remind them as Jeremiah did in.
Jer. Ch. 10 v 1

Where he says. "Hear the word the Lord speaks to you O house of Israel.
Thus says the Lord. Learn Not the way of the nations"

These words are as relevant today as ever
It is we Christians who are the light of the world. Not vice versa.

As Christians we too must heed these words if we are to be used by God.

Paul wrote These words to Titus who he had left in Crete to oversee the Church there
Titus Ch. 2 vs. 11 - 14
"For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and Godly lives in this world. awaiting our blessed hope,
the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself up for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for Himself a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds"

A people of His own who are zealous for good deeds

Does this describe you are You Zealous for good deeds

And he continued in verse 15 Declare these Things ;
Exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you

We need to declare we are different We are the light of the world

In the sermon on the mount it describes what the Christian life ought to be

'Watchman Nee' wrote a book called "THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN LIFE"

In it he didn't describe the life he saw Christians living in the world.
He considered that to be an 'Abnormal' Christian life.
According to Him the normal Christian life, is a life lived solely in tune with,
and for Jesus Christ. Anything less was not a normal Christian life

I would take this further and say that the 'NORMAL HUMAN LIFE'. That God intended for us all, is a life lived solely in tune with, and for Jesus Christ

I don't want you to go away with the idea that the Sermon on the Mount is to be regarded as a new list of commandments. For us to keep so that we can gain our own Salvation it isn't.

"For It is by grace we are saved through faith" in Jesus and what He did for us on the cross.
Ephesians Ch. 2 vs. 8-9

But the one who gave us our salvation as a free gift also said, In this sermon to His disciples

Ch. 5 v. 17
"Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets
I have not come to abolish them but to uphold them"

This is the life to which we are called

Christianity is the new life that the world is looking for

We are the people who have the task of sharing with the world
That Jesus the Way, The Truth, and the life.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations Matthew Ch. 28 v. 19

Are we up to the task? Or are we going to hide our light under a bushel?
Whatever that is?
I Hope we are