Jesus Has Called You To Live A Catalytic Life!(Matthew 5:13-48)

Speaker: Pastor Enoch Hanokh                                                         Sunday February 14, 2016

Message: Jesus Has Called You To Live A Catalytic Life!

Grounding Scripture(s): Matthew 5: 13-48; Luke 14:34-35, Mark 9:49-50

Introduction

We will be looking at this piece of scripture from a completely different perspective which was nonetheless prevalent in Palestine during Jesus’ time on earth as the light of the world. He came and created SPARKS everywhere. As a result He declares you the “salt to earth and light of the world” initiating events or actions as kingdom people. It is about time we led our life showcasing our true identity which is catalytic nature.

The LORD Jesus has called us into a life of “salt-light” which is our foretaste of the Kingdom life. Life in the kingdom is not the kind that is insipid, lacking flavor, being only tasteless, bland, weak, wishy-washy; unappetizing and unpalatable. Neither is it the kind that is insipid, lacking vigor or interest, being only unimaginative, uninspired, uninspiring, characterless, flat, uninteresting, lackluster, dull, drab, boring, dry, humdrum, ho-hum, monochrome, tedious, uneventful, run-of-the-mill, commonplace, pedestrian, trite, tired, hackneyed, stale, lame, colorless and lifeless. No! Though it is not a life of comfort in the present time, yet Jesus has called us into it; a life that SPARKS and sustains light. It is a life of total dedication. I LOVE THIS LIVE! Comparing what Jesus is declaring to us in Matthew 5:13-14; Luke 14:34-35, Mark 9:49-50, we see what the children of Israel were called to work for has been given to us by our faith in Jesus. The declaration that comes from Mount Sinai says: “I shall make you… if you…” indication a condition attached to this declaration. While the declaration by grace in Christ through faith says: “You are the “light of the world and salt of the earth.” We must not be afraid to act when situations call for action. “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season…” (2 Timothy4:2).

 Jesus in this kind of life is identified as dangerous by the Pharisees and the scribes. Rome finds Him to be seditious, His actions and message threatening to the status quo. He never turns His back on the Pharisees questions that seek to make mockery of His message and the Kingdom. To the Rome, He says: “You have no power to save my life unless it given to you from heaven” (John 19:11).

This is the kind of life He has called us to.  Jesus did not come to bring peace to the earth, but sward (tension and sharp division) (Matt. 10:34-36); fight between light and darkness, one’s worst enemy comes from his own household. Yet He brings peace, but it is between God and man (Isaiah 9:6, Luke 2:14, and John 14:27). But those who oppose God will constantly be at war with God (Col. 1:21). In all this Jesus is never a law breaker.

 Let us see how He reacts to the Pharisees and the scribes when was accused by the Pharisees and scribes for breaking the law.

He raises the standard above that of the Pharisees and deals with the root of murder, adultery and divorce, swearing, retributive justice and hatred towards others. The intension of committing these acts could well exist independent of the acts them. Jesus deals with heart and not just external acts which are the intents of the heart.

1. The Sixth Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill" vs. 21-26

2. The Seventh Commandment "Thou shalt not commit adultery," vs. 27-32. 3. The Third Commandment, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Vs 33-37 Jesus deals with by saying that it is not by God that we must not swear, but by not else.

4. He abolishes retributive justice-Lex Talionis. Vs. 38-42

5. Above the Pharisees’ standard, we must love those hate us. Vs. 43-48 

You are the salt of the earthen-oven; but if salt has lost its saltness (i.e., its ability to facilitate the burning of dung), how shall its saltness (that ability) be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.

(De Langhe 1954:166)