Neighborhoods & Nations: Neighborhoods

 This is the manuscript for the sermon I preached at West Bradenton Baptist Southside on Sunday January 26th, 2020.

We are four weeks into our series “Neighborhoods and Nations”.  This series has been designed to help us look at and talk about the calling God has placed on us individually and as a church to both our neighborhood and to the nations.  Ultimately, we will continue to discover how we can effectively be a neighborhood church (local) for the nations (global) and what that looks like.  Last Sunday I talked about expectations.  I spent some time talking about the difference between Church Membership and Church Attendership. I talked about what a Church member is and is not.   

1. An attender does not constitute a member. 
2. A member is a committed attender. 

And I concluded with the Six “I Will…” expectations. 
So, as I have been spending the three-weeks talking a lot about our purpose (To glorify God in everything), what constitutes a church (The church is a people, not a program) and our expectations (I will…), and we now come to the nuts and bolts or foundation of what we have been talking about and it is our responsibility or our God-given call to our neighborhood. 
 
Entrusted
God has established this church right here at 1604 17th Street West smack dab in the middle of Bradenton for a reason, and the reason is not to just show up every Sunday and have a service.  We have a greater job to do and that job entails sharing and shining.  God has called us to be a witness or light to this community and neighborhood.  We have something this neighborhood (and the world for that matter) needs.  We are God’s people and we have been given the gift of Salvation and we have been entrusted with the Gospel message.  “For our exhortation didn’t come from error or impurity or an intent to deceive.  Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please people, but rather God, who examines our hearts. For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives—God is our witness—  and we didn’t seek glory from people, either from you or from others.  Although we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nurse nurtures her own children.  We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.”  2 Thessalonians 2:3 - 8
 
The Gospel is the message Salvation it is this is the gift of God by grace.  It has been given to us by grace (unmerited favor) through faith.  Jesus came to save the world from sin.  Therefore, we call him Savior.  Through his life He came to show the way to the Kingdom of God and through his death and resurrection He made it possible to receive it.  You see Jesus came to give us the ultimate gift… Because of his great love, He gave his life so that we could have life and have it abundantly.  This is THE gift from God.  He gave it, have you received it?   
 
Salt & Light
Reminder There are 25,000 people living in a 1-mile radius from West B. Southside and this means that we have our work cut out for us.  So I would like to spend the time we have together to “flesh out” what it is that we are called to be and do in our community and neighborhood. 
 
In Matthew 5:13 – 16, this portion of Scripture is part of a sermon series that Jesus gave called “The Sermon on the Mount” and Jesus is speaking to his disciples.  He is speaking to those who have dedicated their lives to following and serving him (his disciples and ultimately to us).  In this passage Jesus uses the examples of salt and light to describe His people and to remind us what we are called to do. 
 
He first describes believers as the salt of the earth.  Salt was the most commonly used seasoning in antiquity: ‘Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt?’ (Job 6:6). Its preservative powers made it an absolute necessity of life and a virtual synonym for essential life-giving forces and, not surprisingly, endowed it with religious significance.[1] One of the main purposes of Salt was for preservation and it was intended to keep an object in the state in which it was found and it was used to bring out the flavor in foods.  But it was not intended to make it better.  In Ancient Israel it was meant to keep meat and fish from spoiling.  The purpose was to preserve, but it could not revive or refresh… thus it could not make spoiled meat fresh. 
 
Jesus also called his disciples to be the light of the world.  Israel were the people God intended to shine his bright light into the world’s dark corners, not simply to expose evil but to help people who were blundering in the dark to find their way.  They didn’t do a great job at that.  So here Jesus is calling his followers to complete the job originally set out for Israel. 
 
So, it is in this passage Jesus is calling his people to preserve the message he is preaching by being salt and sharing this message by letting the light (message of hope and salvation) they have shine brightly and unashamedly.
 
Jesus talks about a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.  Jerusalem was a city set on a hill and they were called to be the light of the world.  They were to show the world the way to the one true God and that He should be worshiped.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  It is impossible.  It is already exposed.
 
Practical Application
A City on a Hill (The Church)

• The city represents the Church (God’s people… Those who belong to Him).  You cannot hide who you are because God will expose you. 
• The hill or mountain represents Jesus.  The Church or God’s people cannot be hidden because our foundations is Jesus Christ.  We are firmly grounded in the mountain.  We cannot be ashamed or try to hide the fact that we belong to Him.  God has lifted us up for all to see so the Father of Heaven can be glorified.
• “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16

 
A lamp is not put under a basket

• The lamp is the Word of God (Psalm 119:105)“Your word is a lamp for my feet

and a light on my path.”  The Word of God illuminates and shines forth. 

• The lampstand represents God’s people.  We bear and hold the Word of God up high.
• The basket represents the worldly people… people who do not have God in their lives.  The world will want to try and cover up God’s Message and the world will try to snuff out the flame of the candle, but the word of God and his church will prevail. 
• “And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. In this way the word of the Lord flourished and prevailed.”  Acts 19:18 - 20

 
We are God’s people.  We have received THE gift of God.  So, what is our call or response to our neighborhood and the nations?
Our Job…
Shine brightly

• We have the light (Jesus) in our lives and He both exposes the darkness and gives guidance in the World.  He is our foundation the very mountain we stand on.  We cannot hide this light. 
• By shining our light brightly (Sharing the Gospel, teaching the Bible, and living according to Jesus’ Words) we thus glorify or point people to God. 
• The light we shine should not only reflect the God we serve but direct people to His glorious light.
• We shine by living according to the Word AND speaking the Word of God to those who do not know or believe.

Shine naturally.

• What is the job of a light bulb?  It is to shine, to illumine, and to light up.
• We are light bearers… The light (Jesus) is in us, so our natural response or job (if you will) is to shine. 
• Shining naturally does not imply that it comes easy or is effortless.  In many cases it the opposite.  It is purposeful and costly.
• “Not only are we to shine naturally, but we are to shine willingly and of set purpose.  We are to shine sacrificially.  Shining is natural for light, but it is always costly.  Wherever you see a light you may know that something is being burned up.  You may know that energy is being expended.”  P 131 Clovis B. Chappell

Shine openly. 

• We are not to be afraid or ashamed of the light (the gift) that God gave us.  We are not to be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16).

• If we have been lit by the power of God, let us not hide our light under the bushel of cowardice.  It takes more energy to hide the light than to let it shine.
• When we experience or receive something that changes our lives for the better, we almost can’t stop sharing the news. 
• i.e. A Medicine that cures, a tip that can be helpful or way to make something better or easier.

Shine where we are. 

• “A candle will shine just as brightly in a poor man’s cottage as a rich man’s palace.”

• If we are going to light the world then we must do so by shining right where we are now… Today.
• As I said earlier, God has placed West Bradenton Southside right where we are for a reason.  My prayer, plan and desire is that we can be the light of 17th St. and the surrounding community, so that people can see and meet Jesus here in this place.

 
As Disciples of Christ we are called to be the salt and light of the world.  This is THE job of the believer.  This is the GIFT God has given to us. 

God has given you the greatest gift you could ever want or ask for… life.  This is the gift that keeps on giving.  This is the gift we must share with our neighbors.  Let us not be ashamed of this gift.  Let us work hard to be salt and light and refuse to work hard to keep it hidden and useless.
 
[1] Achtemeier, P. J., Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature. (1985). In Harper’s Bible dictionary (1st ed., p. 893). San Francisco: Harper & Row.