Get Out of The Church!

In his Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7, Jesus makes the point that those who follow Him as disciples are both salt and light (Mt. 5:13-14).  He does not say that we are to become the salt of the earth or the light of the world but rather that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  Thus, the apparent questions that come to bear upon our lives are how salty are we and how brightly does our light shine?

 

However, in describing, as the light of the world, those who are His disciples, Jesus makes the even more subtle point that it is not enough to simply be the light.  Nor is it enough to simply let our light shine.  Rather, what Jesus says is that we are to “let our light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works” (Mt. 5:16).  Therefore, that which manifests us who profess and follow Christ as our Lord and Savior as the light of the world is our good works. 

Note as well, that these good works which manifest us as the light of the world are to be worked on and worked out before men so as to be plainly seen.  Jesus is saying that He wants our good works to be seen by men who do not know Him.  Therefore, He wants us to perform our Christ-like, Holy Spirit empowered, Gospel-fueled, “good works” in such a way that the people around us may see them.  This then requires that we be in the world so as to be seen.  It demands that we be rubbing shoulders with the down and out, the rich and famous, the grocer and the butcher, democrats and republicans, pro-lifers and pro-choice, gay marriage advocates, anti-gay marriage advocates, tree-huggers, tree-slayers, soccer moms, and every other label we humans can conceive—so that they will glorify God.  I take that to mean that they either end up trusting in Christ or continue to reject Christ so as to finally get what we all deserve which is hell.  Either way, God is glorified as He will save those who see our Christ-honoring works and believe and condemn those who see them and do not.  The point is--that they see!

It goes without saying that it’s a whole lot easier dealing with people, especially the ones we disagree with and really don’t like, from a distance and as spectators--complaining about them from the safety and security of our pulpits and pews.  But this doesn’t cut it when it comes to obeying and following Jesus.  He told us to get up out of the pew, go out the door, and start doing some good things in this bad world so that people who don’t know, love and cherish Jesus can see what Jesus is actually all about and be brought into a saving relationship with Him which really glorifies God.  

So, can the world see us?  Can people see our good works?  Not if the only place we are known is at church.  In the same way that lights are not meant to be covered up by baskets, Christians are not meant to hide out in their homes and churches.  Let’s do something really drastic this week—let’s get out of our churches and our homes and go hang out with some unbelievers and let our light shine so they can see it.  They will glorify God one way or another and so will we!