Matthew 6:19-24

The Right Side up Life / Matthew 6:19–24

Intro

› So the thing that you have to discern is

› What or who are your tour guides?

› And are they reliable?

Define what you love

Matthew 6:19 ESV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,

Matthew 6:20 ESV

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Matthew 13:44 ESV

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Philippians 3:4–9 ESV

though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

You are already organized for what you love

Matthew 6:21–23 ESV

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

If we find our treasures in lesser ends we will only see in partial, in darkness. Treasures in heaven are the better ultimate end.‌

You are what you love in a very practical way.

If Love happens through how we spend time and what we spend our money on, we want to make sure that we’re practicing the things that matter.‌That’s why we invite you into Service Here this morning. That’s why we invite you to serve in the church. To enact what it is you love if in fact you love God. That’s why we talk about giving as discipleship as formation as following Christ. Because whatever it does you love your account will follow. So giving us a practice that allows us to state what we love.

Organize what you love

Matthew 6:24 ESV

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

“You have to wager. It is not up to you, you are already committed.”

When we invest in the kingdom. When we give of ourselves, storing up for things that cannot rust we are communicating we have a reliable guide. Someone who is worthwhile and can lead us. The living God does not promise castles and return taverns.

1 Peter 1:3–5 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Discussion Questions:

1. **What do you treasure most in your life right now, and how does that guide your daily decisions?**
– Reflect on where your time, money, and energy are spent and how they reveal your priorities.

2. **How reliable are the ‘tour guides’ you are currently following in life—whether they be personal ambitions, relationships, or material possessions?**
– Consider if these guides are leading you toward true fulfillment or just temporary satisfaction.

3. **In what areas of your life do you feel challenged to give up lesser treasures in exchange for storing up treasures in heaven?**
– Identify habits, desires, or possessions that may be pulling you away from eternal values.

4. **How do you practically demonstrate your love for God through actions, time, and resources?**
– Think about how you actively invest in your relationship with God and His Kingdom.

5. **What specific steps can you take to ensure that your treasures align with God’s eternal purposes rather than earthly, fleeting values?**
– Focus on tangible ways to reorganize your life around loving God and His Kingdom.

Matthew 6:16-18

The Right Side up Life

Because Christ is telling us that we don’t have to trust the reward of the immediate. But we can trust the voice of the Father. That we don’t have to trust the applause of the crowd, because the reward of the Father is better.

› And that we don’t have to trust even what we think is most necessary in our lives. God is even more necessary.

Fasting revolves around that question. It is a central idea of faith. What happens when we give something up?

Will everything else be enough?

And the only way we can answer it is through looking at “who do we trust?”

› Fasting is the proclamation that we are rushing out of the circle so God can rush in.

Matthew 6:16–18 ESV

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Fasting Takes us out of the Center

Fasting is giving up what we know to be necessary, like food, in order to see what is even more necessary than food, like God.

To fast is to see God as primary. And to do that means that we are no longer in the middle. It throws us off.

We don’t like being off center. It feels wrong, it feels off. It feels off balanced.

But sometimes being off balanced is the best thing we can do.

Fasting reminds us that we are at our best off center. Because Christ catches us.

Christians are perpetually offset. Jesus makes that clear in the first 10 or so versus of chapter 6 because he only talks about activities which place us off center.

the goal of Christianity is to be a decentered individual. . This is the call in fasting. It is the reminder. We don’t have to be ultimate. We have someone who has taken responsibility for us. We have someone we can trust. Someone who is better in the center anyhow.

Fasting Makes God Central

When Christ is in the center, we get a better sense of how things really are.

Christ is our better perspective.

Colossians 1:15–20 ESV

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

It is More than Enough that God is Central

Christ is best in the center of our lives.

We are best when we are off center.

Throw yourself off Center

Throw yourself off center by throwing what you think is necessary out of the center.

Fast for a meal this week.

Instead of eating, spend some time in the Scriptures. Spend some time praying.

The Christian lives with this statement as the center of our understanding.

› “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”

Abraham Kuyper

Discussion Questions

1. **Fasting as a Spiritual Practice**: The sermon emphasizes that fasting helps shift our focus from what we consider necessary (like food) to what is truly necessary—God. How does fasting, or the act of giving something up, help reveal what or who we truly trust in our daily lives?

2. **Off-Center Living**: The idea of being “off-center” is presented as essential to a Christian life, where God, not ourselves, occupies the center. Why do you think it is difficult for people to step out of the center of their own lives? What can we learn from being “off-balance” spiritually?

3. **Forced Perspective**: The sermon discusses how we often live with a skewed, “forced perspective,” seeing ourselves as more central than we truly are. How do you think this distorted perspective impacts our relationship with God and others, and how can fasting correct this?

4. **Trust in God’s Provision**: The sermon describes fasting as an act of trust in God’s provision, suggesting that “Christ is more than a meal, Christ is the entire harvest.” How does fasting challenge our reliance on material or temporary things, and what might it look like to trust God as the ultimate provider?

5. **Practical Application of Fasting**: The sermon calls for specific actions such as fasting from food, coffee, or even political rhetoric, and using that time for prayer and Scripture. What might be a practical step you can take to incorporate fasting into your spiritual life this week? How could you replace a “necessary” activity with time focused on God?

Matthew 6:1-4

The Right Side up Life / Matthew 6:1–4

This morning we see a passage where we are called to “practice our righteousness” and in this case, giving to the poor. But it is not just that we do it, it is how we do it. That we are not called to announce what we are doing to the world but to give in secret so that God, who is our audience, sees and responds.

Matthew 6:1 ESV

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

The only way we know how to make sense of the world is by telling stories. That is the way we are created and the way it has always been.

What kinds of stories do you like to tell others about yourself?

Our stories are played out in our day to day lives. Each action represents something bigger than us.

We have faith, but we have to work it out in our lives. We practice it by the way that we engage with our neighbor and co worker.

2 Corinthians 5:18–21 ESV

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

how have you seen others practicing righteousness in your life?

Matthew 6:2–4 ESV

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Jesus is telling us not only to practice our righteousness but how to do it. He uses the example of giving to the needy. And He tells us that when we do that we are not supposed to “sound the trumpet” and let people know.

This is hard for us to engage with because we like the accolade, we like others seeing us. This is the true act of righteousness. Not that we do it, but that we do it for the other, not for us.

Tell about a time where you were tempted to story sell instead of story tell

We are called this morning to Be very careful about what role you are playing.

Your Story in Christ is always the best story

› We are left w a choice. We either have to continue to compete for the attention we think we deserve or we need to receive the attention we have already been given by God

How has God invited you to engage with Him directly lately? How is He calling you back to Himself?

Matt 5:43-48

The Right Side up Life / Matthew 5:43–48

Matthew six passage on loving your enemies is one of my favorite in the sermon on the mountain. One because it is incredibly challenging. But that too is what makes it beautiful. It is the particularity of this passage that marks Christianity apart from any other organization or any other Form of religion in the known world right now. The Christians are to be a people who love their enemies. And not only that who pray for those who persecute us.

Matthew 5:43–44 ESV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Hatred feels easier

Hatred, at its core is a rejection of another person, a resistance of them. So to hate someone you are creating a sort of friction between you and the other person and whatever it is they are associated with. And what does friction do? It utilizes more energy. If there is friction between two objects, it will take much more energy to move one of the objects. Anger is friction. Some of us are living with a lot of friction between others and we are called, as Christians, to release that hatred and love others.

English Standard Version Chapter 5:45

45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.

Love looks like God

This is an interesting turn of phrase Jesus gives us. Love your enemy so that you may be sons (and daughters) of heaven. There is a direct connection that is made between how we love and our understanding of being a child of God. That when we love our enemy, not that we become God’s children, but rather, that we look like God’s children. We reflect His nature.

English Standard Version Chapter 5:45

For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46

What we are forced to look at here it’s not what God can do or how God exactly works through precipitation, but rather and much more importantly, what is God like. What we have to contend with that is much more important than what God can do is what kind of God do we have?

Matthew 5:46–47 ESV

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

To do so is the invitation into a better kingdom. It is the invitation into something more and better.

Be Perfect

Matthew 5:48 ESV

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The church must be the more peculiar ones in this culture. That we do become more and more unconditional as the world becomes more conditional. That we show grace and we show love unconditionally. That we grapple with why it is we have enemies in the first place.

The church is Called to love her enemies. No one else is. But that means that we have to go first. We have got to cross lines first. That we have to embrace first, welcome first, invite in first.

When we feel lost, or slighted, or defensive, we often feel like we have to fight for some part of lost ground. Or grapple with something that we don’t have. But for the Christian, we cannot be lost, we have everything that we could need in Christ. If you have everything you need, and there’s no need to fight for anything. If you can’t get lost, then you don’t have to grapple with someone in order to feel found.

The church is in the perfect place to love her enemy. Because the church has been given everything that the human condition needs to not have to fight any longer.

Matthew 5:31-32

The Right Side up Life / Matthew 5:31–32

Introduction

We have to remember that some things are still incredibly important. And the church has to go back to remembering what it is that we find most important. That is the work of the sermon on the mount. It shows us what leads to flourishing in Christ. What, not just a life is, but what a good life looks like.

So in order to understand that we have to go back to those things that Christ called important. And for this morning He calls marriage important.

So we are going to look at what marriage does

And then what divorce does

And in both cases we will be led to the same conclusion, we are in desperate need of grace in our lives.

What does marriage do?

Genesis 2:19–25 ESV

Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called Woman,

because she was taken out of Man.”

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Let’s look at Ephesians 5:25–30 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.”

This is a direct line between how we act in marriage and how Christ treats the church. That is why, for the Christian, marriage matters.

That is why, for the Christian, we are not called to treat it lightly or glibly.

Matthew 5:31–32 ““It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

We stop paying attention to all the foundational institutions in society. We walk away from marriages, we walk away from commitments.

The reason divorce matters is because marriage matters. We have approached things far too glibly and we are paying the prices for it.

What do we do from here?

I am going to be borrowing from your friend and mine, Augustine,

We must never despair of anyone ever.

Patience is required in marriage

And Patience is how Christ deals with us

2 Peter 3:8–9 ESV

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Our work as the church is to call important what Christ calls important. Marriage, and from that relationships, are of high importance. In order to do well in our marriage, to live reconciled lives, it will be needed to not despair of anyone ever. And when we can’t uphold that, turn to Christ who can.

Matthew 5:27-30

The Right Side up Life / Matthew 5:27–32

Jesus is getting specific here because while this may be one part of human life and flourishing it is an important part. It may not be all of human life but it is an important one. And it is necessary to get some areas correct in order for the entire system to work out.

Our relationships often ask for more than we want to give. Christ offers us more than we can possibly take.

› Lust can only take, it never gives.

Let’s begin by looking at the heart.

Matthew 5:27–28 ESV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Definition of lust

Love is when we understand and desire something for what it is and for how good it is or can be. It has meaning regardless of what we think about it.

Lust is when we desire something for what it can do for us. It has meaning only based on what we can get out of it. It is purely transactional. And any relationship based on transaction automatically throws love out the window.

The church has to first return to the message that

We are more than whatever lust offers.

CS Lewis in the Four loves tells us that the voice of Eros (a love that is passion and selfish) yells and sounds like the voice of agape but it is not.

Eros, sexual desire takes the voice of a God in its confidence and commitment to its goal. But it doesn’t point to anywhere beyond satisfying that goal.

“It is in the grandeur of Eros that the seeds of danger are concealed. He has spoken like a god. His total commitment, his reckless disregard of happiness, his transcendence of self-regard, sound like a message from the eternal world.”

Let’s look at action.

Matthew 5:29 ESV

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

Jesus is stating that the Gospel is more than sufficient for normal functioning. That God’s goodness has come into the world to fix our broken condition through the death and resurrection of Christ is so worthwhile that it is more essential to your right eye or hand.

It is also a statement on how powerful acting on lust can be. So much so that it would be better to be without essential means of navigating your world than to continue on with the ability to act on lust.

That is how detrimental it can be.

we have a chance to remove what is rotting. Get off social media or off the internet. Get out of that relationship.

Wherever there is rust there is rot. And once we arrive here, sin has taken hold.

We have a chance to deal with it at this level, if we don’t, repetitive action becomes habit. Lust becomes normative. This is precisely where we are as a culture.

Every lustful intent is inhuman.

In this case, since we are talking about sexuality, we have to talk about the lustful inhumanity of sexuality.

When we practice actions over and over we get habit.

And I know Ive mentioned this before but practice doesn’t make perfect.

Practice makes permanent.

So whatever actions you have picked up as habits are not perfection they are becoming permanent, they are concreted into your life.

That’s why love and lust must be two different things. Because Christ came with love to win us back. The love of Christ that gives and does not take restores.

But you have to go all the way back to the heart and give him those desires. surrender to Him. He will support you. He will use the church to do so. The goal is not shame it is support. It is to return to love

Matthew 5:27-32

John

The Right Side up Life / Matthew 5:27–32

Our relationships often ask for more than we want to give. Christ offers us more than we can possibly take.

› Lust can only take, it never gives.

Let’s begin by looking at the heart.

Matthew 5:27–28 ESV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Definition of lust

Love is when we understand and desire something for what it is and for how good it is or can be. It has meaning regardless of what we think about it.

The church has to first return to the message that

We are more than whatever lust offers.

CS Lewis in the Four loves tells us that the voice of Eros (a love that is passion and selfish) yells and sounds like the voice of agape but it is not.

Eros, sexual desire takes the voice of a God in its confidence and commitment to its goal. But it doesn’t point to anywhere beyond satisfying that goal.

Let’s look at action.

Matthew 5:29 ESV

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

That is how detrimental it can be.

we have a chance to remove what is rotting. Get off social media or off the internet. Get out of that relationship.

Wherever there is rust there is rot. And once we arrive here, sin has taken hold.

We have a chance to deal with it at this level, if we don’t, repetitive action becomes habit. Lust becomes normative. This is precisely where we are as a culture.

Every lustful intent is inhuman.

In this case, since we are talking about sexuality, we have to talk about the lustful inhumanity of sexuality.

When we practice actions over and over we get habit.

And I know Ive mentioned this before but practice doesn’t make perfect.

Practice makes permanent.

So whatever actions you have picked up as habits are not perfection they are becoming permanent, they are concreted into your life.

That’s why love and lust must be two different things. Because Christ came with love to win us back. The love of Christ that gives and does not take restores.

Anger

The Right Side up Life / Matthew 5:21–27

Intro

Jesus words to us int The Sotm forced you to ask questions and causes you to face our own issues. No one else will ask you to deal with your internal conversations. Jesus will

If you call yourself a Christian this morning, you cannot get away with, I just needed to blow off some steam. Our passage today doesn’t let us.

Anger itself is not sin. Jesus was angry and did not sin. But, anger makes it really easy to sin.

Because of two connected ideas

Anger points at something

Anger constricts everything

Anger constricts. Reconciliation expands. Jesus offers a better way.

Matthew 5:21–22 ESV

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

When we hear the words, “I say to you,” one we should probably pay attention. And, Jesus is not changing the law, He is showing us what righteousness looks like in Him.

But Jesus is looking for perfection, for wholeheartedness. He knows that the internal drives the external actions. It is one thing to have not murdered. But honestly that is a pretty low bar.

And His Commands test the durability of our hearts. What are they made of. Great that you haven’t murdered anyone,

But how have you spoken about your neighbor?

About your co worker?

About that family member that is particularly difficult

That person who votes for who know who

Or even, you know who.

Anger constricts. That is all it can do

Anger constricts because it is a focusing agent. Not all anger is bad or sin. Anger is necessary for human action. There should be some things that anger us.

Anger constricts worship

When anger takes the center stage, really the only one we end up worshiping, because it is constricting, is ourselves. We may be angry about something but when we exhibit anger and it constricts, the focus ends up on us. And we shout and yell at others because they have gotten in our way.

Matthew 5:23–24 ESV

Reconciliation Expands.

There is no limit to what it can do. Reconciliation brings back what was broken. Reconciliation is the superglue of human relationships. It doesn’t just put the pieces together. It actually binds us back. It builds back relationships when we let God reconcile

Reconciliation is the cornerstone of worship.

And without the act of reconciliation we would not be able to worship. Primarily because God has reconciled Himself to us in Christ. But also reconciling with one another restores worship to God. Reconciliation matters so much that this passage focuses entirely on the haste of it. Jesus tells us if you are going to be hasty, don’t be hasty toward anger. Be hasty toward reconciliation.

Run, don’t walk, toward reconciliation

Matthew 5:25–26 ESV

Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Come to terms quickly.

Ephesians 2:4–7 ESV

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Anger will always want to take more than is offered. Reconciliation will always offer more than has been taken.

So today, to deal with your anger.

First, bring it to God. If you are angry, tell Him. Place it before the cross.

Second, tell someone else. Talk through your anger with someone who is safe.

Third. Run to reconcile. Don’t walk, run. Come to terms.

Matt 5:13-16. Salt and Light

The Right Side up Life / Matthew 5:13–16

Introduction

Up until this point we can say Jesus is talking about someone else, even something else. Up until this point it is a helpful story

Salt: Drawn into His Promises

Matthew 5:13 ESV

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

We don’t want to rush ahead with what the Scriptures are saying. We do this quickly and too easily in the Bible and every other place. We hear a phrase or picture or image and we know what it means. We think we do.

The images salt and light mean something specific about the way God interacts with His people.

Numbers 18:19 ESV

All the holy contributions that the people of Israel present to the Lord I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord for you and for your offspring with you.”

The salt reminds us that we are sustained by God’s promises in Christ.

› Salt is what we experience by knowing we are kept in Christ.

Sent through His Power

Matthew 5:14–16 ESV

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Genesis 1:3 ESV

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Exodus 3:2 ESV

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.

Exodus 13:21–22 ESV

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

John 1:4–5 ESV

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

SO then as soon as we see light used in this passage we understand that God is breaking into the world.

But how?

Through the church. Through those devoted to Christ and His life. That is light as well. The way we navigate through the world as Christians is what Jesus Himself calls light.

› We are called to act as light in the world.

The church, according to Jesus, is the necessary voice in the culture. That God is still working, still moving, still acting, always reconciling.

Beatitudes pt 3

The Right Side up Life / Matthew 5:9–11

Conflict is normal.

The way out is what is abnormal

We are called to be peacemakers. Which means, with all the effort that we have, we are called to make peace with others.

Colossians 1:21–22 ESV

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

Glorifying God

Getting the Log out

Matthew 7:3–5 ESV

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

This is a normative posture because it is the place where Christ lifts our burdens. It is not the place of shame or heaviness, it is the posture of freedom.

This is how we understand that conflict can give glory to God. We go to the place where we need restoration.

We are always waiting for the other person. Christ didn’t. We don’t either.

Because it is in getting the log out that we can understand restoration

Restore and be reconciled

Matthew 5:23–26 ESV

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

We are called to be experts in it. What does it mean to be a Christian in the world? What does it mean to act like Christ in the world?

2 Corinthians 5:19 ESV

that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

To be a peacemaker is to respond to Christ making peace in our own lives.

Matthew 5:10–11 ESV

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Matthew 5:9 ESV

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

And then immediately after he says, people will misunderstand you because they misunderstand Christ and they will utter all kinds of evil.

And that connection may be the most important of all

Because we love justifying the idea of treating people the way they treat us. Jesus doesn’t say be kind to people only as long as they are kind to you. He says make peace even when, especially when, people utter all kinds of evil against you.